Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coupled Loops for High-Frequency Chip-to-Antenna Interconnection at 24 GHz

This paper examines the use of two coupled loops as an alternative method of connection for high-frequency signals between passive elements on microwave laminates and integrated circuits (ICs) replacing traditional interconnect methods such as wire bonds and solder bumps, which require costly post back-end-of-line processing. The loops harness both electric and magnetic fields in order to create the interconnection. Additionally, they can be placed around the perimeter of the IC where they would not occupy space that may be required for other components such as spiral inductors. In order to test the chip-to-antenna system, the interconnect was fabricated with one metallic loop on a low-loss microwave laminate and another on a 0.13- μm CMOS IC. These loops were then stacked in order to couple the signal from an IC onto a planar antenna array (printed on the laminate). This antenna-to-chip system was measured to have a center frequency near 23 GHz, with fractional bandwidth of 15%, and a peak antenna gain over 5 dBi; the transmission loss in the loop coupling is estimated to be 0.5 dB at 19 GHz (89% power transfer). The radiation pattern from the antenna (a four-element uniform array of bow-tie dipoles) has a 3-dB beamwidth of 16 ° in the elevation plane and 90 ° in the azimuth plane, making it potentially useful for application in mass-produced automotive radar systems, where harsh conditions create demand for a more robust interconnect method than wire bonding.
Assessment of clinicopathologic features in patients with pituitary adenomas in Northeast of Iran: A 13-year retrospective study

Background: Intracranial lesions of the pituitary gland are common pituitary adenomas, accounting for 6-10% of all symptomatic intracranial tumors. In this retrospective study, the clinicopathologic features and survival rate of pituitary adenomas were evaluated. Methods: The present retrospective study was conducted on 83 patients with pituitary adenomas, referring to radiation oncology departments of Ghaem and Omid Hospitals, Mashhad, Iran, over a period of 13 years (1999-2012). Data obtained from clinical records including clinical features, type of surgery (if performed), treatment modality, overall survival rate, and progression-free survival rate were analyzed. Results: Eighty-three patients including 44 males (53%) and 39 females (47%) participated in this study. The median age was 40 years (age range: 10-69 years). Chiasm compression was reported in 62 patients (74.4%), and 45.78% of the subjects suffered from headaches. Functional and non-functional adenomas were reported in 44 (53.01%) and 39 (46.99%) patients, respectively. In cases with functional and non-functional adenomas, the disease was controlled in 95 and 84.5% of the subjects for 3 years, respectively. Furthermore, 1- and 3-year survival rates for functional adenoma were 84.6 and 23%, respectively; the corresponding values were 90.9 and 22.7% in non-functional adenomas, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, a significant correlation between headache severity and type of adenoma was observed. So, application of surgery and radiotherapy together could be a highly effective approach for treating functional adenomas, although it is less efficient for the non-functional type.
A Comparison of Probabilistic Reasoning in Psychology Undergraduates in Italy and Spain: Seeking Cross-national Evidence

A cross-national comparison between Italy and Spain was conducted on probabilistic reasoning performance presented in verbal-numerical and graphical-pictorial formats. This study investigated the similarities and differences in Psychology undergraduates in these two countries (Italy n=290; Spain n=130) and attempted to identify aspects that might enhance the probability of a student belonging to one country. The findings underscored that Spanish students had higher levels of visuospatial abilities, more positive attitudes toward statistics, lower statistical anxiety, and higher confidence in the correctness of their responses. Additionally, they gave a higher number of correct responses to problems presented in a verbal-numerical format. These data suggest interesting insights and highlight the interactions among multiple layers of variables at the collective, contextual, and individual levels.
Principal State Level Contests and Derivative National Choices: Electoral Trends in 2004-09

Political choices in a national election increasingly derive from the competitive format, electoral cycle, political agenda, participatory pattern and social cleavages defined in state politics. In this sense, the political choices made at the state level are mostly "principal" and those made at the national level are increasingly "derivative". But state level politics shapes and filters rather than pre-determines the national outcome. Using this framework and the trends in 2004-09, this study attempts to understand the structure of contestation that will shape the final outcome in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The complex pattern of principal outcomes and timing in the political calendar shows that neither of the two major national alliances can sweep the polls nor be swept away in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. In all probability, we are going to witness one more election in which no single party or pre-poll alliance is likely to get a clear majority and one where the smallest of changes in individual states is likely to have a major impact on government formation in New Delhi.
A system towards Indian postal automation

In this paper, we present a system towards Indian postal automation. In the proposed system, at first, using run length smoothing algorithm (RLSA), we decompose the image into blocks. Based on the black pixel density and number of components inside a block, non-text block (postal stamp, postal seal etc.) are detected. Using positional information, the destination address block (DAB) is identified from text block. Next, pin-code box from the DAB is detected and numerals from the pin-code box are extracted. Since India is a multi-lingual and multi-script country, the address part may be written by combination of two languages: Arabic and a local language. For the sorting of postal documents written in Arabic and a local language Bangla, a two-stage MLP based classifier is employed to recognise Bangla and Arabic numerals. At present, the accuracy of the handwritten numeral recognition module is 92.10%.
Implications of the Integral Approach to Quarterly Reporting for the Post-Earnings-Accouncement Drift

We provide evidence that the auto-regressive structure of seasonally differenced quarterly earnings is consistent with the requirements of the integral approach to interim reporting. In particular, we show that the auto-regressive coefficients for standardized seasonally differenced quarterly earnings are larger when the quarters employed in the auto-regressions belong to the same fiscal year than when they belong to different fiscal years. We then show that the signs and magnitudes of abnormal stock returns following earnings announcements are systematically related to these differences in the auto-regressive structure of seasonally differenced quarterly earnings. Specifically, stock returns act as if investors underestimate the larger auto-regressive coefficients between quarters in the same fiscal year. Thus, we corroborate and extend the Bernard and Thomas (1990) hypothesis that stock prices fail to reflect the extent to which quarterly earnings series differ from a seasonal random walk.
Avian Ultraviolet/Violet Cones Identified as Probable Magnetoreceptors

Background The Radical-Pair-Model postulates that the reception of magnetic compass directions in birds is based on spin-chemical reactions in specialized photopigments in the eye, with cryptochromes discussed as candidate molecules. But so far, the exact subcellular characterization of these molecules in the retina remained unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We here describe the localization of cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a) in the retina of European robins, Erithacus rubecula, and domestic chickens, Gallus gallus, two species that have been shown to use the magnetic field for compass orientation. In both species, Cry1a is present exclusively in the ultraviolet/violet (UV/V) cones that are distributed across the entire retina. Electron microscopy shows Cry1a in ordered bands along the membrane discs of the outer segment, and cell fractionation reveals Cry1a in the membrane fraction, suggesting the possibility that Cry1a is anchored along membranes. Conclusions/Significance We provide first structural evidence that Cry1a occurs within a sensory structure arranged in a way that fulfils essential requirements of the Radical-Pair-Model. Our findings, identifying the UV/V-cones as probable magnetoreceptors, support the assumption that Cry1a is indeed the receptor molecule mediating information on magnetic directions, and thus provide the Radical-Pair-Model with a profound histological background.
Changes of T2 Relaxation Time From Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Lesions

Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is generally an effective method of reducing locally advanced malignant breast lesions before surgery; assessing the tumor response to NAC is crucial for patient management. T2 relaxation times can reflect biological state of lesions, may prove useful to assess the response to NAC. Objectives To investigate the lesion T2 relaxation times change in breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Patients and Methods In total, 26 patients underwent NAC. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping was performed before and after NAC. The T2 relaxation times were obtained by using Functool software on an AW 43 workstation. The treatment response was assessed according to the pathological response classification. We aimed to analyze the changes in the T2 relaxation times before and after NAC as well as to study the relationship between the response and the lesion T2 relaxation times after NAC. Results In 26 cases with NAC, the mean lesion T2 relaxation time before NAC was 81.34 ± 13.68 ms, compared with 64.50 ± 8.71 ms after NAC. Significant differences in the lesion T2 relaxation times existed between the pre- and post-NAC (P < 0.001) ; based on the pathology results, the mean lesion T2 relaxation times in 23 of the 26 responders (63.18 ± 8.37 ms) was shorter than in 3 of the 26 nonresponders (74.62 ± 2.32 ms) after NAC (P = 0.029). Conclusion In breast cancer after NAC, the lesion T2 relaxation time was reduced in the responders, and this finding is potentially useful to assess the response to NAC.
Cloud and Star Formation in Disk Galaxy Models with Feedback

We include feedback in global hydrodynamic simulations in order to study the star formation properties, and gas structure and dynamics, in models of galactic disks. In previous work we studied the growth of clouds and spiral substructure due to gravitational instability. We extend these models by implementing feedback in gravitationally bound clouds; momentum (due to massive stars) is injected at a rate proportional to the star formation rate. This mechanical energy disperses cloud gas back into the surrounding interstellar medium, truncating star formation in a given cloud and raising the overall level of ambient turbulence. Propagating star formation can however occur as expanding shells collide, enhancing the density and triggering new cloud and star formation. By controlling the momentum injection per massive star and the specific star formation rate in dense gas, we find that the negative effects of high turbulence outweigh the positive ones, and in net, feedback reduces the fraction of dense gas and, thus, the overall star formation rate. The properties of the large clouds that form are not, however, very sensitive to feedback, with cutoff masses of a few million M☉, similar to observations. We find a relationship between the star formation rate surface density and the gas surface density with a power-law index ~2 for our models with the largest dynamic range, consistent with theoretical expectations for our model of disk flaring. We point out that the value of the “Kennicutt-Schmidt” index found in numerical simulations (and likely in nature) depends on the thickness of the disk, and therefore, a self-consistent determination must include turbulence and resolve the vertical structure. With our simple feedback prescription (a single combined star formation event per cloud), we find that global spiral patterns are not sustained; less correlated feedback and smaller scale turbulence appear to be necessary for spiral patterns to persist.
Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes

On any given school day, about twenty percent of Americans spend time in a school building. The average age of our schools is close to fifty years, and studies by the U.S. General Accounting Office have documented widespread physical deficiencies in many of them. Faced with an aging building stock and growing, shifting student enrollments, states and communities are working hard to build and modernize K–12 facilities.
The Efficacy of the "BURP" Maneuver During a Difficult Laryngoscopy

The displacement of the larynx in the three specific directions (a) posteriorly against the cervical vertebrae, (b) superiorly as possible, and (c) slightly laterally to the right have been reported and named the "BURP" maneuver.We evaluated the efficacy of the BURP maneuver in improving visualization of the larynx. Six hundred thirty patients without obvious malformation of the head and neck participated in this study. We divided the degree of visualization of the larynx using laryngoscopy into five grades and compared the visualization of the larynx using the BURP maneuver with that of laryngoscopy with and without simple laryngeal pressure ("Back"). The maneuver of Back and BURP significantly improved the laryngoscopic visualization from initial inspection. The BURP maneuver also significantly improved the visualization compared with the Back maneuver. We concluded that the BURP maneuver improved the visualization of the larynx more easily than simple back pressure on the larynx. (Anesth Analg 1997;84:419-21)
Large-Scale Weather Regimes and Local Climate over the Western United States

Abstract Weather regimes are used to determine changes in the statistical distribution of winter precipitation and temperature at eight locations within the western United States. Six regimes are identified from daily 700-mb heights during 46 winters (1949–95) over the North Pacific sector applying cluster analysis; these include the Pacific–North American (PNA) pattern, reverse-PNA, a tropical–Northern Hemisphere (TNH) regime, and a Pacific Ω block. Most of the regimes have a statistically significant effect on the local median temperature, as well as daily temperature extremes; differences between locations are secondary to the large-scale effects. Local precipitation frequency is also conditioned significantly by certain weather regimes, but differences between groups of locations are larger. Precipitation extremes are dispersed and hard to classify. The dependence of local temperature statistics on the warm- or cold-air advection associated with particular weather regimes is discussed, as is the depen.
The Political Economy of Entry: Lobbying and Financial Development

We present a model of endogenous lobby formation in which wealth inequality and political accountability undermine both entry and financial development. The elite will seek a lower level of effective minority protection than the middle class to prevent potential entrants from raising financing. The elite wins because its lobby can promise larger political contributions due to the higher rents earned by restricting entry. Entry and investor protection improve when wealth distribution becomes less unequal, and the political system becomes more accountable. Evidence across 48 countries indicates that greater accountability and lower income inequality are associated with stronger legal enforcement, even after controlling for legal origin and per-capita income. Moreover, greater political accountability increases entry in external capital-dependent industries; its inclusion makes financial development insignificant. These results suggest that lobbying protects established interests by creating entry barriers and undermining legal enforcement.
Distinct Kv Channel Subtypes Contribute to Differences in Spike Signaling Properties in the Axon Initial Segment and Presynaptic Boutons of Cerebellar Interneurons

The discrete arrangement of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels in axons may impart functional advantages in action potential (AP) signaling yet, in compact cell types, the organization of Kv channels is poorly understood. We find that in cerebellar stellate cell interneurons of mice, the composition and influence of Kv channels populating the axon is diverse and depends on location allowing axonal compartments to differentially control APs in a local manner. Kv1 channels determine AP repolarization at the spike initiation site but not at more distal sites, limiting the expression of use-dependent spike broadening to the most proximal axon region, likely a key attribute informing spiking phenotype. Local control of AP repolarization at presynaptic boutons depends on Kv3 channels keeping APs brief, thus limiting Ca2+ influx and synaptic strength. These observations suggest that AP repolarization is tuned by the local influence of distinct Kv channel types, and this organization enhances the functional segregation of axonal compartments.
Synthesis design strategies for energy-efficient microprocessors

A detailed synthesis study has been performed on a functional unit from a recent IBM microprocessor to explore the voltage-frequency space for energy-efficient design points across a wide performance spectrum ranging from 625 MHz at 0.48V to 5.6 GHz at 0.95V. It is found that the optimal operating voltage depends strongly on frequency for an energy-efficient design. Circuit characteristics, as represented by the combination of the average gate width, effective VT, and buffering scheme, differ significantly between designs optimized for low voltage-frequency and for high voltage-frequency operations and suggest a distinct application dependence in the selection of standard cell images and optimal design points. In particular, for optimal energy efficiency at a given frequency, low voltage designs should utilize smaller gate width and lower VT. Though a design energy-optimized near 1V is more scalable over a wide frequency range when operating at low voltages, designs optimized at a lower voltage-frequency point can be leveraged to offer better solutions in both performance and energy efficiency within a narrow frequency range near the design point.
ON A NONLOCAL AGGREGATION MODEL WITH NONLINEAR DIFFUSION

We consider a nonlocal aggregation equation with nonlinear diffusion which arises from the study of biological aggregation dynamics. As a degenerate parabolic problem, we prove the well-posedness, continuation criteria and smoothness of local solutions. For compactly supported nonnegative smooth initial data we prove that the gradient of the solution develops $L_x^\infty$-norm blowup in finite time.
Decline in platelet count in patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention: definition, incidence, prognostic importance, and predictive factors.

AIMS We investigated the incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of a decline in platelet count (DPC) in patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 10 146 consecutive patients treated by PCI from 2003 to 2006 were included. According to the magnitude of the DPC, the population was divided into four groups: no DPC (<10%), minor DPC (10-24%), moderate DPC (25-49%), and severe DPC (>or=50%). The primary haemorrhagic endpoint was a composite of post-procedure surgical repair major bleeding. The primary ischaemic endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality-non-fatal myocardial infarction. Among the total population, 36% had a DPC <10%, 47.7% had a DPC of 10-24%, 14% had a DPC of 25-49%, and 2.3% had a DPC >or=50%. On multivariate analysis, moderate and severe DPC were independent predictive factors of the ischaemic outcome. Two procedural practices were identified that, if modified, might reduce the incidence of acquired thrombocytopaenia. Both the intraprocedural use of heparin (as opposed to bivalirudin) and of low molecular weight contrast material were independently associated with severe acquired thrombocytopaenia. CONCLUSION Moderate and severe DPC are independent predictors of adverse bleeding and ischaemic outcomes in PCI. Adoption of intraprocedural anticoagulant other than heparin and avoidance of a low molecular weight contrast agent could potentially decrease the occurrence of severe acquired thrombocytopaenia.
Performance of Point and Range Queries for In-memory Databases Using Radix Trees on GPUs

In in-memory database systems augmented by hardware accelerators, accelerating the index searching operations can greatly increase the runtime performance of database queries. Recently, adaptive radix trees (ART) have been shown to provide very fast index search implementation on the CPU. Here, we focus on an accelerator-based implementation of ART. We present a detailed performance study of our GPU-based adaptive radix tree (GRT) implementation over a variety of key distributions, synthetic benchmarks, and actual keys from music and book data sets. The performance is also compared with other index-searching schemes on the GPU. GRT on modern GPUs achieves some of the highest rates of index searches reported in the literature. For point queries, a throughput of up to 106 million and 130 million lookups per second is achieved for sparse and dense keys, respectively. For range queries, GRT yields 600 million and 1000 million lookups per second for sparse and dense keys, respectively, on a large dataset of 64 million 32-bit keys.
Measuring Risk in the Hedge Fund Sector

Recent high correlations among hedge fund returns could suggest concentrations of risk comparable to those preceding the hedge fund crisis of 1998. A comparison of the current rise in correlations with the elevation before the 1998 event, however, reveals a key difference. The current increase stems mainly from a decline in the volatility of returns, while the earlier rise was driven by high covariances - an alternative measure of comovement in dollar terms. Because volatility and covariances are lower today, the current hedge fund environment differs from the 1998 environment. >