Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distributed Models for Filter Synthesis

Most of the circuit prototypes used in practical applications were proposed many decades ago, when the present computational resources were not available. Simplicity was a key factor in their conception. Although these traditional prototypes model the real structures, they usually neglect second-order effects, the frequency dependence of the filter parts and, in some cases, they do not have an exact correspondence with the physical structure. All of these inaccuracies can affect the equivalence between the prototype and the real filter, thus degrading the initial structure extracted from the synthesized prototype. Optimizations carried out from poor initial dimensions are computationally burdensome and more liable to provide a filter with unsatisfactory response. The synthesis methods reviewed in this article are based on prototypes designed to faithfully represent the real components. These prototypes include elements to model the relevant effects of the structure in the particular designs to be carried out. Moreover, accurate EM simulators are used to find an almost exact equivalence between the prototype and the filter parts. Although more elaborate synthesis techniques are usually required, these enhanced prototypes and synthesis procedures can be used to extract outstanding initial structures. The design is essentially solved after the dimensional synthesis of the component since, at most, only a slight and fast final refinement is needed (using an EM optimizer or the tuning elements included in narrowband filters). The examples shown in this article reveal the capabilities of these methods to overcome the limitations of classic circuit synthesis.
BMP-Non-Responsive Sca1+CD73+CD44+ Mouse Bone Marrow Derived Osteoprogenitor Cells Respond to Combination of VEGF and BMP-6 to Display Enhanced Osteoblastic Differentiation and Ectopic Bone Formation

Clinical trials on fracture repair have challenged the effectiveness of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) but suggest that delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) might be beneficial. It has also been reported that BMPs could not increase mineralization in several MSCs populations, which adds ambiguity to the use of BMPs. However, an exogenous supply of MSCs combined with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and BMPs is reported to synergistically enhance fracture repair in animal models. To elucidate the mechanism of this synergy, we investigated the osteoblastic differentiation of cloned mouse bone marrow derived MSCs (D1 cells) in vitro in response to human recombinant proteins of VEGF, BMPs (-2, -4, -6, -9) and the combination of VEGF with BMP-6 (most potent BMP). We further investigated ectopic bone formation induced by MSCs pre-conditioned with VEGF, BMP-6 or both. No significant increase in mineralization, phosphorylation of Smads 1/5/8 and expression of the ALP, COL1A1 and osterix genes was observed upon addition of VEGF or BMPs alone to the cells in culture. The lack of CD105, Alk1 and Alk6 expression in D1 cells correlated with poor response to BMPs indicating that a greater care in the selection of MSCs is necessary. Interestingly, the combination of VEGF and BMP-6 significantly increased the expression of ALP, COL1A1 and osterix genes and D1 cells pre-conditioned with VEGF and BMP-6 induced greater bone formation in vivo than the non-conditioned control cells or the cells pre-conditioned with either VEGF or BMP-6 alone. This enhanced bone formation by MSCs correlated with higher CADM1 expression and OPG/RANKL ratio in the implants. Thus, combined action of VEGF and BMP on MSCs enhances osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs and increases their bone forming ability, which cannot be achieved through use of BMPs alone. This strategy can be effectively used for bone repair.
Detection of islanding conditions in distribution network with penetration of DGs based on wavelet analysis

This paper presents a new fast and reliable method for islanding detection based on measuring the utility current signal processed by discrete wavelet transform. This signal is measured before the main circuit breaker and its feature extracted by discrete wavelet transform. This feature is wavelet coefficient energy and distinguishes the islanding conditions from non-islanding ones. Because of changing in measuring point of current signal from point of common coupling in traditional methods to before the main circuit breaker in proposed method, and using its transient data, this new method detects the islanding conditions faster than the other methods. The proposed method is useful for islanding detection in the networks with multiple distributed generations. To confirm the accuracy of this method, the method has been validated through several scenarios. Simulation results supported the robustness of the proposed method for the application considered.
Visualizing how one brain understands another: a PET study of theory of mind.

OBJECTIVE Theory of mind (TOM), or "mentalizing," refers to the ability to attribute mental states to self and others. Inferring what people are thinking and feeling is an important aspect of human social interaction, and it is also an important aspect of both psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. The authors conducted a positron emission tomography (PET) study to examine the neural substrates of TOM, using a task that mimics real-life social interaction. METHOD Thirteen healthy volunteers underwent [(15)O]H(2)O PET while performing an experimental task and a control task. During the experimental task they created a "story" about the mental state of a stranger whom they imagined encountering on a park bench. During the control task, they read aloud a story requiring no mental state attribution. RESULTS The TOM task activated an extensive neural network that included the medial frontal cortex, the superior frontal cortex, the anterior and retrosplenial cingulate, and the anterior temporal pole; most of these activations were limited to the left hemisphere. In addition, the largest activation was in the contralateral right cerebellum, as well as the anterior vermis. CONCLUSIONS A language-based TOM task activated distributed brain regions that are important for representing mental states of the self and others, retrieving memory of personal experiences, and coordinating and monitoring the overall performance of the task. The activations in the medial frontal cortex replicate findings in previous TOM studies, while the activations in the cerebellum reinforce the growing evidence that the cerebellum performs cognitive functions in the human brain.
Online task remapping strategies for fault-tolerant Network-on-Chip multiprocessors

As CMOS technology scales down into the deep-submicron domain, the aspects of fault tolerance in complex Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) architectures are assuming an increasing relevance. Task remapping is a software based solution for dealing with permanent failures in processing elements in the NoC. In this work, we formulate the optimal task mapping problem for mesh-based NoC multiprocessors with deterministic routing as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem with the objective of minimizing the communication traffic in the system and the total execution time of the application. We find the optimal mappings at design time for all scenarios where single-faults occur in the processing nodes. We propose heuristics for the online task remapping problem and compare their performance with the optimal solutions.
Regularization for Design

When designing controllers for large-scale systems, the architectural aspects of the controller such as the placement of actuators, sensors, and the communication links between them can no longer be taken as given. The task of designing this architecture is now as important as the design of the control laws themselves. By interpreting controller synthesis (in a model matching setup) as the solution of a particular linear inverse problem, we view the challenge of obtaining a controller with a desired architecture as one of finding a structured solution to an inverse problem. Building on this conceptual connection, we formulate and analyze a framework called Regularization for Design (RFD), in which we augment the variational formulations of controller synthesis problems with convex penalty functions that induce a desired controller architecture. The resulting regularized formulations are convex optimization problems that can be solved efficiently; these convex programs provide a unified computationally tractable approach for the simultaneous co-design of a structured optimal controller and the actuation, sensing and communication architecture required to implement it. Further, these problems are natural control-theoretic analogs of prominent approaches such as the Lasso, the Group Lasso, the Elastic Net, and others that are employed in structured inference. In analogy to that literature, we show that our approach identifies optimally structured controllers under a suitable condition on a “signal-to-noise” type ratio.
Analysis of a marine picoplankton community by 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing

The phylogenetic diversity of an oligotrophic marine picoplankton community was examined by analyzing the sequences of cloned ribosomal genes. This strategy does not rely on cultivation of the resident microorganisms. Bulk genomic DNA was isolated from picoplankton collected in the north central Pacific Ocean by tangential flow filtration. The mixed-population DNA was fragmented, size fractionated, and cloned into bacteriophage lambda. Thirty-eight clones containing 16S rRNA genes were identified in a screen of 3.2 x 10(4) recombinant phage, and portions of the rRNA gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The resulting sequences were used to establish the identities of the picoplankton by comparison with an established data base of rRNA sequences. Fifteen unique eubacterial sequences were obtained, including four from cyanobacteria and eleven from proteobacteria. A single eucaryote related to dinoflagellates was identified; no archaebacterial sequences were detected. The cyanobacterial sequences are all closely related to sequences from cultivated marine Synechococcus strains and with cyanobacterial sequences obtained from the Atlantic Ocean (Sargasso Sea). Several sequences were related to common marine isolates of the gamma subdivision of proteobacteria. In addition to sequences closely related to those of described bacteria, sequences were obtained from two phylogenetic groups of organisms that are not closely related to any known rRNA sequences from cultivated organisms. Both of these novel phylogenetic clusters are proteobacteria, one group within the alpha subdivision and the other distinct from known proteobacterial subdivisions. The rRNA sequences of the alpha-related group are nearly identical to those of some Sargasso Sea picoplankton, suggesting a global distribution of these organisms.
Mutational spectrum of thalassemias in India

a s ite ho ste d b y M ed kn ow P ub lic ati on s ( ww w Thalassemias are common genetic disorders in the Indian subcontinent. [1] Thalassemia major is the severe phenotype which requires lifelong transfusions and bone marrow transplantation is the only curative option available. Knowledge of the ethnic and geographic origin would enable molecular analysis to be tailored, keeping in view the specific mutations in that community or area. The following write-up gives a concise representation of the common thalassemia mutations in Indians.
[(1S,2S)-2-(1-{[2-(2-Oxidobenzylideneamino)cyclohexyl]imino}ethyl)phenolato-κ4 O,N,N′,O′]copper(II)

In the title compound, [Cu(C21H22N2O2)], the cyclohexyl ring adopts a chair conformation with the two imine groups linked at equatorial positions. The CuII ion is coordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from the bis-Schiff base ligand in a slightly distorted square-planar geometry. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 45.89 (9)°. The crystal structure is devoid of any classical hydrogen bonds. However, intermolecular C—H⋯O interactions are present and stabilize the structure.
A Randomized Study of the Effects of Additional Fruit and Nuts Consumption on Hepatic Fat Content, Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Basal Metabolic Rate

Background Fruit has since long been advocated as a healthy source of many nutrients, however, the high content of sugars in fruit might be a concern. Objectives To study effects of an increased fruit intake compared with similar amount of extra calories from nuts in humans. Methods Thirty healthy non-obese participants were randomized to either supplement the diet with fruits or nuts, each at +7 kcal/kg bodyweight/day for two months. Major endpoints were change of hepatic fat content (HFC, by magnetic resonance imaging, MRI), basal metabolic rate (BMR, with indirect calorimetry) and cardiovascular risk markers. Results Weight gain was numerically similar in both groups although only statistically significant in the group randomized to nuts (fruit: from 22.15±1.61 kg/m2 to 22.30±1.7 kg/m2, p = 0.24 nuts: from 22.54±2.26 kg/m2 to 22.73±2.28 kg/m2, p = 0.045). On the other hand BMR increased in the nut group only (p = 0.028). Only the nut group reported a net increase of calories (from 2519±721 kcal/day to 2763±595 kcal/day, p = 0.035) according to 3-day food registrations. Despite an almost three-fold reported increased fructose-intake in the fruit group (from 9.1±6.0 gram/day to 25.6±9.6 gram/day, p<0.0001, nuts: from 12.4±5.7 gram/day to 6.5±5.3 gram/day, p = 0.007) there was no change of HFC. The numerical increase in fasting insulin was statistical significant only in the fruit group (from 7.73±3.1 pmol/l to 8.81±2.9 pmol/l, p = 0.018, nuts: from 7.29±2.9 pmol/l to 8.62±3.0 pmol/l, p = 0.14). Levels of vitamin C increased in both groups while α-tocopherol/cholesterol-ratio increased only in the fruit group. Conclusions Although BMR increased in the nut-group only this was not linked with differences in weight gain between groups which potentially could be explained by the lack of reported net caloric increase in the fruit group. In healthy non-obese individuals an increased fruit intake seems safe from cardiovascular risk perspective, including measurement of HFC by MRI. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02227511
Discretionary Monetary Policy and Financial-Sector Fragility in Normal and Crisis Periods

How does the fragility of the banking system a ect average macroeconomic performance? This paper studies optimal discretionary policy in a small, open economy with dollarized liabilities where nancial-sector fragility is socially costly and foreign investors are risk-averse. Expected future depreciation matters because it a ects the ex ante real interest rate. The analytical framework builds upon recent empirical work on conditional risk premia for resolving the forward discount puzzle in currency markets (Flood and Rose (1996,2001), Bansal (1997), Bansal and Dahlquist (2000)). It is shown that lack of precommitment is neither a necessary nor a suÆcient condition for depreciation bias to arise. Average depreciation depends on the size of the forward risk premium, which is state-dependent on asset market volatility. For plausible parameter values, nancial-sector fragility may induce de ationary bias in normal periods but not during crises. The results reinforce the balance-sheet view that nancial considerations are an important determinant of developing countries' macroeconomic performance. JEL classi cation: E52, E58, F33, F37
Depth Interpolation via Smooth Surface Segmentation Using Tangent Planes Based on the Superpixels of a Color Image

This paper describes a method for accurately interpolating a low-resolution depth image using a high-resolution color image. In our method, first, tangent planes on each super pixel are estimated from the sparse depth information and dense color information. Then, the neighboring super pixels that have smooth-connectable tangent planes are connected, and the image segmentation to smooth surfaces are achieved. Finally, the low-resolution depth image is interpolated using this smooth surface segmentation. In experiments with images from the Middlebury stereo datasets, our method interpolates each image at a high rate, and achieves the lowest error when compared to existing techniques.
Stability and Fitness Impact of the Visually Discernible Rosea1 Marker in the Tobacco etch virus Genome

Antirrhinum majus Rosea1 (Ros1) is an MYB-related transcription factor that induces anthocyanin biosynthesis in plant tissues, and has been shown to be suitable for visual tracking of virus infection in plants. However, activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis has far reaching effects on plant physiology and could consequently have negative effects on viral replication. Therefore, viruses carrying the Ros1 marker might have a low fitness and consequently rapidly lose the marker. To compare the stability of the Ros1 marker, we generated Tobacco etch virus (TEV) based constructs containing either Ros1 or the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) between the NIb and CP cistrons (TEV-Ros1 and TEV-eGFP, respectively). We measured the within-host competitive fitness of both viruses by direct competitions with a common competitor during infection of Nicotiana tabacum. The fitness of TEV-Ros1 was significantly lower than that of TEV-eGFP, and both recombinant viruses had a significantly lower fitness than the wild-type virus. Nevertheless, after seven weeks of infection in N. tabacum, similar levels of marker gene instability where found for both viruses. Despite lower fitness of the marked virus, Ros1 is therefore a viable alternative marker for tracking viral infection in plants.
Comparative Leaves Transcriptome Analysis Emphasizing on Accumulation of Anthocyanins in Brassica: Molecular Regulation and Potential Interaction with Photosynthesis

The purple leaf pigmentation mainly associated with anthocyanins accumulation is common in Brassica but the mechanisms of its production and its potential physiological functions are poorly understood. Here, we performed the phenotypic, cytological, physiological, and comparative leaves transcriptome analyses of 11 different varieties belonging to five Brassica species with purple or green leaves. We observed that the anthocyanin was accumulated in most of vegetative tissues in all species and also in reproduction organs of B. carinata. Anthocyanin accumulated in different part of purple leaves including adaxial and abaxial epidermal cells as well as palisade and spongy mesophyll cells. Leave transcriptome analysis showed that almost all late biosynthetic genes (LBGs) of anthocyanin, especially Dihydroflavonol 4-Reductase (DFR), Anthocyanidin Synthase (ANS) and Transparent Testa 19 (TT19), were highly up-regulated in all purple leaves. However, only one of transcript factors in anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, Transparent Testa 8 (TT8), was up regulated along with those genes in all purple leaves, indicating its pivotal role for anthocyanin production in Brassica. Interestingly, with the up-regulation of genes for anthocyanin synthesis, Cytosolic 6-phosphogluconolactonase (PLG5) which involved in the oxidative pentose-phosphate pathway was up-regulated in all purple leaves and three genes FTSH PROTEASE 8 (FTS8), GLYCOLATE OXIDASE 1 (GOX1), and GLUTAMINE SYNTHETASE 1;4 (GLN1;4) related to degradation of photo-damaged proteins in photosystem II and light respiration were down-regulated. These results highlighted the potential physiological functions of anthocyanin accumulation related to photosynthesis which might be of great worth in future.
Improved Subthreshold Swing and Gate-Bias Stressing Stability of p-Type $\hbox{Cu}_{2}\hbox{O}$  Thin-Film Transistors Using a $\hbox{HfO}_{2}$ High- $k$ Gate Dielectric Grown on a $\hbox{SiO}_{2}/\hbox{Si}$  Substrate by Pulsed Laser Ablation

p-Type Cu<sub>2</sub>O thin films and HfO<sub>2</sub> high-<i>k</i> gate dielectrics are deposited by pulsed laser ablation. p-Type Cu<sub>2</sub>O metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors and thin-film transistors (TFTs) are then fabricated and investigated. Experimental results show that a HfO<sub>2</sub>/SiO<sub>2</sub>-stacked gate dielectric can effectively improve interface properties and decrease gate-leakage current when compared with a SiO<sub>2</sub> gate dielectric. Thus, increased mobility, a decreased subthreshold swing, and enhanced gate-bias-voltage stressing stability have been achieved for the relevant Cu<sub>2</sub>O TFTs. Bottom-gate and top-source/drain-contact p-channel Cu<sub>2</sub>O TFTs (<i>W</i>/<i>L</i>= 500/20 μm) with the HfO<sub>2</sub>/SiO<sub>2</sub>-stacked gate dielectric exhibit superior performance with a saturation-carrier-mobility value of 2.7 cm<sup>2</sup>/V·s, an on-off current ratio of 1.5×10<sup>6</sup>, a subthreshold swing of 137 mV/dec, and a threshold-voltage shift of 1.4 V after gate-bias stress at 10 V for 3600 s.
A Novel Test Cage with an Air Ventilation System as an Alternative to Conventional Cages for the Efficacy Testing of Mosquito Repellents

ABSTRACT We have developed a novel test cage and improved method for the evaluation of mosquito repellents. The method is compatible with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 draft OPPTS 810.3700 Product Performance Test Guidelines for Testing of Insect Repellents. The Biogents cages (BG-cages) require fewer test mosquitoes than conventional cages and are more comfortable for the human volunteers. The novel cage allows a section of treated forearm from a volunteer to be exposed to mosquito probing through a window. This design minimizes residual contamination of cage surfaces with repellent. In addition, an air ventilation system supplies conditioned air to the cages after each single test, to flush out and prevent any accumulation of test substances. During biting activity tests, the untreated skin surface does not receive bites because of a screen placed 150 mm above the skin. Compared with the OPPTS 810.3700 method, the BG-cage is smaller (27 liters, compared with 56 liters) and contains 30 rather than hundreds of blood-hungry female mosquitoes. We compared the performance of a proprietary repellent formulation containing 20% KBR3023 with four volunteers on Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) in BG-and conventional cages. Repellent protection time was shorter in tests conducted with conventional cages. The average 95% protection time was 4.5 ± 0.4 h in conventional cages and 7.5 ± 0.6 h in the novel BG-cages. The protection times measured in BG-cages were more similar to the protection times determined with these repellents in field tests.
Sandplay, clay and sticks:multi-sensory research methods to explore the long-term influence of childhood play experience on mental well-being.

In this contribution we discuss the advantages of using multi-sensory methodologies in our study into the long-term mental health effects of different kinds of childhood play space. Working with a small group of young people aged 16-21 years old; we used a multi-method approach including practical workshops where the young people took part in a day of woodland activities and artwork sessions. We argue that use of such practical methodologies is particularly appropriate in research with teenagers and young adults, helping to overcome their self-consciousness and supporting their need to explore and articulate memories, feelings and ideas.