Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A delta-sigma PLL for 14-b, 50 kSample/s frequency-to-digital conversion of a 10 MHz FM signal

In many wireless applications, it is necessary to demodulate and digitize frequency or phase modulated signals. Most commonly, this is done using separate frequency discrimination and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. In low-cost IC technologies, such as CMOS, precise analog frequented discrimination is not practical, so the A/D conversion is usually performed in quadrature or at a nonzero intermediate frequency (IF) with digital frequency discrimination. While practical, the approach tends to require complicated A/D converters, and accuracy is usually limited by the duality of the A/D conversion. This paper presents an alternative structure, referred to as a delta-sigma frequency-to-digital converter (/spl Delta//spl Sigma/FDC), that simultaneously performs frequency demodulation and digitization. The /spl Delta//spl Sigma/FDC is shown to offer high-precision performance with very low analog complexity. A prototype of the key component of the /spl Delta//spl Sigma/FDC has been fabricated in a 0.6 /spl mu/m, single-poly, CMOS process. The prototype achieved 50 kSample/s frequency-to-digital conversion of a 10 MHz frequency-modulated signal with a worst case signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio of 85 dB and a worst case spurious-free dynamic range of 88 dH.
Perceived vulnerability to alcohol-related harm in young adults: independent effects of risky alcohol use and drinking motives.

Perceived vulnerability to negative outcomes can motivate heavy drinkers to adopt health-protective behavior, but little is known about determinants of perceived vulnerability to alcohol-related harm. University students (N = 286) were assessed to determine epidemiological risk status on a standardized problem drinking measure, typical reasons for drinking and cutting down, and perceived risk of experiencing alcohol-related harm. Results showed a positive relationship between problem drinking status and perceived risk of experiencing harm. However, at-risk drinkers believed that they were less likely to personally experience harm than comparable peers (p < .001), whereas not-at-risk drinkers showed no self-other differences in perceived vulnerability. Drinking motives significantly improved the prediction of perceived vulnerability when epidemiological risk status was controlled. Perceived vulnerability to alcohol-related harm is affected by problem drinking status and (independently) by the psychological functions that drinking serves.
Gene flow, effective population size and selection at major histocompatibility complex genes: brown trout in the Hardanger Fjord, Norway

Brown trout populations in the Hardanger Fjord, Norway, have declined drastically due to increased exposure to salmon lice from salmonid aquaculture. We studied contemporary samples from seven populations and historical samples (1972 and 1983) from the two largest populations, one of which has declined drastically whereas the other remains stable. We analysed 11 microsatellite loci, including one tightly linked to the UBA gene of the major histocompatibility class I complex (MHC) and another locus linked to the TAP2A gene, also associated with MHC. The results revealed asymmetric gene flow from the two largest populations to the other, smaller populations. This has important conservation implications, and we predict that possible future population recoveries will be mediated primarily by the remaining large population. Tests for selection suggested diversifying selection at UBA, whereas evidence was inconclusive for TAP2A. There was no evidence for temporally fluctuating selection. We assessed the distribution of adaptive divergence among populations. The results showed the most pronounced footprints of selection between the two largest populations subject to the least immigration. We suggest that asymmetric gene flow has an important influence on adaptive divergence and constrains local adaptive responses in the smaller populations. Even though UBA alleles may not affect salmon louse resistance, the results bear evidence of adaptive divergence among populations at immune system genes. This suggests that similar genetic differences could exist at salmon louse resistance loci, thus rendering it a realistic scenario that differential population declines could reflect differences in adaptive variation.
Clinical and microbiologic effects of subgingivally delivered 0.5% azithromycin in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND Recent developments suggest that the local delivery of antimicrobials into periodontal pockets can improve periodontal health. The present study was undertaken to investigate the clinical and microbiologic effectiveness of azithromycin (AZM) at 0.5% concentration in an indigenously prepared bioabsorbable controlled-release gel as an adjunct to non-surgical mechanical therapy in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. METHODS Eighty patients were categorized into two treatment groups: scaling and root planing (SRP) only (group 1) and SRP plus 0.5% AZM (group 2). Clinical parameters were recorded at baseline and 1, 2, and 3 months; they included modified gingival index, modified sulcus bleeding index, probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). At baseline and 6 and 12 weeks, microbiologic assessment was done of the percentage of morphologically different microorganisms (coccoid cells, others [straight rods, filaments, and fusiforms], motile rods, and spirochetes) using darkfield microscopy. The mean concentration of 0.5% AZM in gingival crevicular fluid was estimated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS Both therapies resulted in significant improvements. Mean PD reduction from baseline to 3 months was 2.13 +/- 0.35 mm and 2.53 +/- 0.52 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Mean CAL gain from baseline to 3 months was 0.60 +/- 0.63 mm and 1.07 +/- 0.70 mm in groups 1 and 2, respectively. All microbiologic categories showed significant improvement in both groups, with greater improvement in the test group. The mean concentration of AZM at all observed periods (baseline to 28 days) provided sufficient antimicrobial activity (>2 microg/ml) and fulfilled the conditions for a controlled-release device. CONCLUSION Although both treatment strategies seemed to benefit the patients, the adjunctive use of 0.5% AZM as a controlled drug-delivery system enhanced the clinical and microbiologic results as shown by the intergroup comparison.
Advances in Medical Education and Practice Dovepress Deficiency Areas in Decision Making in Undergraduate Medical Students

Background: In family medicine, decisions can be difficult due to the early presentation of often poorly developed symptoms or the presentation of undifferentiated conditions that require competencies unique to family medicine, such as; primary care management, specific problem-solving skills, and a comprehensive and holistic approach to be taught to medical students. Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the decision-making process covering all theoretical aspects of family practice consultation and to recognize possible areas of deficiency in undergraduate medical students. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study performed at the Medical School of the University of Maribor in Slovenia. The study population consisted of 159 fourth-year medical students attending a family medicine class. The main outcome measure was the scores of the students' written reports on solving the virtual clinical case. An assessment tool consisted of ten items that could be graded on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: The final sample consisted of 147 (92.5%) student reports. There were 95 (64.6%) female students in the sample. The mean total score on the assessment scale was 35.1±7.0 points of a maximum 50 points. Students scored higher in the initial assessment items and lower in the patient education/involvement items. Female students scored significantly higher in terms of total assessment score and in terms of initial assessment and patient education/involvement. Conclusion: Undergraduate medical education should devote more time to teaching a comprehensive approach to consultation, especially modification of the health behavior of patients and opportunistic health promotion to patients. Possible sex differences in students' performance should be further evaluated.
Just-in-Time Scheduling for Multichannel EPONs

We investigate optical network unit (ONU) grant scheduling techniques for multichannel Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs), such as wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) EPONs. We take a scheduling theoretic approach to solving the grant scheduling problem. We introduce a two-layer structure of the scheduling problem and investigate techniques to be used at both layers. We present an extensive ONU grant scheduling simulation study that provides: 1) insight into the nature of the ONU grant scheduling problem and 2) indication of which scheduling techniques are best for certain conditions. We find that the choice of scheduling framework has typically the largest impact on average queueing delay and achievable channel utilization. An offline scheduling framework is not work conserving and consequently wastes channel resources while waiting for all ONU REPORT messages before making access decisions. An online scheduling framework, although work conserving, does not provide the best performance since scheduling decisions are made with the information contained in a single ONU REPORT. We propose a novel online just-in-time (JIT) scheduling framework that is work conserving while increasing scheduling control by allowing the channel availability to drive the scheduling process. In online JIT, multiple ONU REPORTs can be considered together when making scheduling decisions, resulting in lower average queueing delay under certain conditions and a more effective service differentiation of ONUs.
MicroRNAs: new players in IBD

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, 18–23 nucleotides long, which act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. miRNAs are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of many common diseases, including IBDs. This review aims to outline the history, biogenesis and regulation of miRNAs. The role of miRNAs in the development and regulation of the innate and adaptive immune system is discussed, with a particular focus on mechanisms pertinent to IBD and the potential translational applications.
Do New Lottery Games Stimulate Retail Activity? Evidence from West Virginia Counties

In this study we examine the impact of lottery sales and the introduction of new lottery games on the retail activity using panel data on all West Virginia counties over the 1987-2001 period. We find that the introduction of video lottery spurred retail activity in those counties that have been granted the authority to offer video lottery. Empirical analysis also suggests that there is a positive relationship between lottery sales and retail activity, and that generally the introduction of new lotteries or lottery games in neighboring states reduced retail activity in West Virginia border counties.
The volcano‐electric effect

[1] The formation of a magmatic intrusion at depth is responsible for the formation of various thermohydromechanical (THM) disturbances including the upsurge of shock waves and diffusion of pressure fronts in the volcanic system. We couple electromagnetic theory (Maxwell equations) and thermoporoelasticity (Biot equations) to look at the ground surface electrical signature of these THM disturbances. The nature of this coupling is electrokinetic, i.e., associated with water flow relative to the mineral framework and the drag of the excess of charge located in the vicinity of the pore water/mineral interface (the groundwater flow disturbance being related here to the THM disturbances in drained conditions). A new set of laboratory data shows that the electrokinetic coupling is very substantial in fractured basaltic and volcaniclastic materials, and in scoria with several hundreds of millivolts of electrical potential gradient produced per megapascal of pore fluid pressure variations. Our theoretical analysis predicts the diffusion of electromagnetic disturbances and quasi-static electrical signals. These signals can be used as precursors of a volcanic eruption. Indeed, electromagnetic phenomena recorded at the ground surface of a volcanic system, once properly filtered to remove external contributions, provide a direct and quasi-instantaneous insight into the THM disturbances occurring in the heart of the volcanic structure prior and during a volcanic event. Tomography of the quasi-static electrical field is discussed and applied to self-potential profiles performed at the Piton de la Fournaise volcano during the preparation phase of the March 1998 eruption.
Hypothesis testing for the risk-sensitive evaluation of retrieval systems

The aim of risk-sensitive evaluation is to measure when a given information retrieval (IR) system does not perform worse than a corresponding baseline system for any topic. This paper argues that risk-sensitive evaluation is akin to the underlying methodology of the Student's t test for matched pairs. Hence, we introduce a risk-reward tradeoff measure TRisk that generalises the existing URisk measure (as used in the TREC 2013 Web track's risk-sensitive task) while being theoretically grounded in statistical hypothesis testing and easily interpretable. In particular, we show that TRisk is a linear transformation of the t statistic, which is the test statistic used in the Student's t test. This inherent relationship between TRisk and the t statistic, turns risk-sensitive evaluation from a descriptive analysis to a fully-fledged inferential analysis. Specifically, we demonstrate using past TREC data, that by using the inferential analysis techniques introduced in this paper, we can (1) decide whether an observed level of risk for an IR system is statistically significant, and thereby infer whether the system exhibits a real risk, and (2) determine the topics that individually lead to a significant level of risk. Indeed, we show that the latter permits a state-of-the-art learning to rank algorithm (LambdaMART) to focus on those topics in order to learn effective yet risk-averse ranking systems.
An integrative review on coping skills in nursing students: implications for policymaking

AIM This study critically appraised both quantitative and qualitative studies describing coping strategies utilized by nursing students when faced with stress. BACKGROUND Stress in nursing students during clinical training is well documented in the nursing literature. The need to utilize positive-coping strategies is necessary to effectively deal with stress and its accompanying stressors. METHODS An integrative review method was used in this review. PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), MEDLINE and Scopus were the databases used in searching for relevant literature using the following search terms; 'coping', 'nursing students', clinical training', 'ways of coping' and 'clinical practice'. A total of 27 studies published from 2001 to 2016 were included in this review. FINDINGS Findings demonstrated that nursing students utilized problem-focused coping strategies rather than emotion-focused coping strategies. Specific coping behaviours utilized included problem-solving behaviours, self-confident approaches and seeking of support from family and friends. CONCLUSION The review contributes to the growing literature on coping strategies in nursing students and may have implications on nursing education and nursing policy. This review also demonstrated a scarcity of studies that links specific coping strategies to nursing school stressors and examines predictors of coping skills in nursing students. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING EDUCATION Institutionalization of structured student orientation programme, implementation of well-planned mentoring programmes and establishment of support unit/centres may be helpful in supporting nursing students during their clinical placement. By developing empirically based interventions, nursing faculty can assist nursing students in strengthening their positive-coping skills to effectively deal with various stressors encountered.
Consequences and coping strategies six years after a subarachnoid hemorrhage – A qualitative study

Background After a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), continuing impairment is common and may impact the person’s life. There is a lack of knowledge regarding long-term consequences experienced. Purpose To explore experiences of the care and rehabilitation as well as the consequences and strategies used to cope with everyday life six years post SAH. Methods An explorative interview study with a qualitative design. Individual interviews, with open ended questions, using an interview guide were performed with sixteen participants (mean age 63, 8 men, 8 women) six years post SAH. Data was analyzed according to a descriptive thematic analysis, and themes were discovered inductively. Results Two major themes from the analysis, both including four sub-themes, were identified; these themes were consequences of the SAH and coping strategies. Participants were grateful to have survived the SAH and most were satisfied with their acute medical care. If discharged directly from the neurosurgical unit participants can feel abandoned. In contrast, participants who were referred to a rehabilitation clinic felt supported and informed. Cognitive problems, such as impaired memory and mental fatigue, were reported as still present six years post SAH. Coping strategies were; receiving support from family, society, employers, or technical equipment. At work, talking to colleagues and to taking breaks were common. Participants described hiding their symptoms from employers and friends, as well as trying to continue doing tasks in the same manner as prior to the SAH. If this was not possible, some refrained from doing these tasks. They went through a mourning process, fear, and worries. Conclusions Participants reported several long-term consequences which impacted on their daily lives post SAH, and different coping strategies were used to cope with these problems. Participants reported lack of awareness regarding the consequences of SAH and stressed the importance of structured multidisciplinary follow-ups, which mostly is missing.
Patients as teachers, medical students as filmmakers: the video slam, a pilot study.

In 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, the authors pilot-tested a filmmaking project, (medical students filmed patients) to assess the project's potential to teach about the challenges of living with serious chronic illness. Two years of second-year medical students (N = 32) from The University of Arizona, working in groups of two or three, were paired with patients and filmed multiple home visits during eight months. Students edited their films to 7 to 10 minutes and added transitions, titles, and music. A mixed audience of students and faculty viewed the resulting 12 films in a "Video Slam. " Faculty also used the films in the formal curriculum to illustrate teaching points related to chronic illness. Student filmmakers, on average, made 4.4 visits, collected 5.6 hours of film, and edited for 26.6 hours. Students reported that the project affected what they planned to cover in clinic visits, increased their plans to involve patients in care, enhanced their appreciation for patient-centered care, improved their knowledge of community resources, improved their understanding of allied health professionals' roles, and taught them about patients' innovative adaptations. Overall, students rated the project highly for its impact on their education (mean = 4.52 of 5). Student and faculty viewers of the films (N = 74) found the films compelling (mean = 4.95 of 5) and informative (mean = 4.93 of 5). The authors encountered the ethical dilemmas of deciding who controls the patients' recorded stories and navigating between patient anonymity/confidentiality and allowing patients to use their stories to teach.
The Effect of Thermal Stress on the Mating Behavior ofThree Drosophila Species

Selection may act on the weakest link in fitness to change how a species adapts to an environmental stress. For many species, this limitation may be reproduction. After adult Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila simulans, and Drosophila mojavensis males were exposed to varying levels of thermal stress well below those that endanger life, courtship and mating frequency declined. The regression coefficients of both courtship and mating success did not differ significantly between D. melanogaster and D. simulans males. In contrast, significant differences were present between the two cosmopolitan species and D. mojavensis. Courtship frequency decreased at a much slower rate in D. mojavensis than in D. melanogaster and D. simulans, and while heat‐stressed D. mojavensis males continued to court, many did not mate. In the cosmopolitan species, courting males almost always mated successfully. Courtship behaviors, including wing waving, were observed in D. mojavensis at temperatures that prohibited flight, while flight, courtship, and mating were knocked out simultaneously in D. melanogaster. One possible explanation for decreased flight ability and courtship success may be the reduced heat shock response in the flight muscle tissue because Hsp70 expression was lowest in the thoracic tissue of both D. melanogaster and D. mojavensis.
Corn Yield and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission under Different Fertilizer and Soil Management: A Three-Year Field Experiment in Middle Tennessee

Background A three-year field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of corn yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to various management practices in middle Tennessee. Methodology/Principal Findings The management practices include no-tillage + regular applications of urea ammonium nitrate (NT-URAN); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + denitrification inhibitor (NT-inhibitor); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + biochar (NT-biochar); no-tillage + 20% applications of URAN + chicken litter (NT-litter), no-tillage + split applications of URAN (NT-split); and conventional tillage + regular applications of URAN as a control (CT-URAN). Fertilizer equivalent to 217 kg N ha-1 was applied to each of the experimental plots. Results showed that no-tillage (NT-URAN) significantly increased corn yield by 28% over the conventional tillage (CT-URAN) due to soil water conservation. The management practices significantly altered soil N2O emission, with the highest in the CT-URAN (0.48 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and the lowest in the NT-inhibitor (0.20 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and NT-biochar (0.16 mg N2O m-2 h-1) treatments. Significant exponential relationships between soil N2O emission and water filled pore space were revealed in all treatments. However, variations in soil N2O emission among the treatments were positively correlated with the moisture sensitivity of soil N2O emission that likely reflects an interactive effect between soil properties and WFPS. Conclusion/Significance Our results indicated that improved fertilizer and soil management have the potential to maintain highly productive corn yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.