Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A classroom‐based simulation‐centric approach to microelectronics education

Introductory courses in microelectronic circuits are integral components to electrical and computer engineering undergraduate curriculums. The nature of the material is well‐suited for the incorporation of simulation tools to enhance student understanding of core concepts. SPICE is an electrical circuit simulation tool that has been widely adopted for industrial applications and education. In many instances, engineering instructors have used SPICE‐based simulation tools for homework problems, laboratory exercises, and course projects. Although generally accepted as beneficial to electronics education, the use of SPICE simulation tools is typically restricted to these types of assignments and not heavily used for classroom activity. In this paper, we present a novel method for incorporating SPICE simulation tools into the classroom. Specifically, in a summer 2017 microelectronics course, we used simulation tools for all aspects of the course, incorporating simulation into lecture, in‐class active learning, as well as assignments, and projects. To evaluate this approach, we carried out a rigorous, comprehensive study of this pedagogical approach on student learning, and perspectives using a variety of direct and indirect assessment methods. The results across all measures showed substantial benefits for students to using this methodology and positive responses to the active learning. Beyond microelectronics and other electrical and computer engineering courses, this approach can be applied to other STEM courses where complex systems are studied and simulation tools for these systems are readily accessible to students.
The importance of microfibril angle L for the processing industries

Conventional thinking about wood quality centres on the primacy of density. This review observes that many wood characteristics are age related and co-vary with one another (density, tracheid length, microfibril angle, lignin content etc.); indeed correlations between and within properties and characteristics can be high. Selection of any favourable characteristic has benefits for a number of wood properties, with the overall gain depending on the characteristic sought for improvement and its effect on all wood properties. In the case of Pinus radiata the intrinsic characteristic whose improvement is likely to yield the greatest economic benejts is the microjbril angle. Introduction Any consideration of individual wood characteristics must take account of the intended end use, since many characteristics have claims on the tree breeder's attention. An hierarchical approach needs to examine: 1. What is wanted: the product(s) to be improved and their Achilles heel, e.g. kraft pulp (poor tear), furniture (low hardness), structural timber (poor stiffness) etc. 2. Where to look: corewood or outerwood; butt or top log. 3. What to look for: microfibril angle or density, tracheid length, lignin content, spiral grain. 4. When to look: in the nursery or later. What is wanted Wood technologists spend much time developing strategies to overcome deficiencies in timber. However, some problems are more intransigent than others. Thus with kraft pulp tensile and burst indices can be improved by beating, whereas tear strength responds only to light beating and thereafter declines. In developing approaches to tree improvement it may be useful to classify properties into those that can be manipulated readily during processing (tensile and burst) and those which cannot (tear). There may be grounds for focusing a breeding programme on those properties that cannot be manipulated during processing even though other properties appear to offer a more obvious financial return. Where to look: corewood or outerwood? Assuming the first ten rings define corewood, the proportion of corewood in a 25-year-old tree (Figurc 1) increases from the butt to the top log (Cown, 1992a) and equates very closely to a 5050 split for the whole merchantable volume. It is acknowledged that the most valuable timber is in the outerwood, which in turn is often taken to imply that efforts in tree improvement should concentrate on that zone: indeed a good case for concentrating on outerwood properties applies where long rotations are contemplated. Further, in the case of wood density we find . more variation in outerwood than in corewood densities (Figure 2a), and since the environmental influences (cli1 School of Forestry, Universiry of Canterbury. 2 Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences, Universiry of Canterbury. LOG 1 u
Simultaneous cell traction and growth measurements using light

Understanding cell mechanotransduction is important for discerning matrix structure-cell function relationships underlying health and disease. Despite the crucial role of mechanochemical signaling in phenomena such as cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation, measuring the cell-generated forces at the interface with the extracellular matrix during these biological processes remains challenging. An ideal method would provide continuous, non-destructive images of the force field applied by cells, over broad spatial and temporal scales, while simultaneously revealing the cell biological process under investigation. Toward this goal, we present the integration of a new real-time traction stress imaging modality, Hilbert phase dynamometry (HPD), with the technique of spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) for label free monitoring of cell growth. HPD relies on extracting the displacement field in a deformable substrate, which is chemically patterned with a fluorescent grid. The displacements introduced by the cell are captured by the phase of the periodic signal associated with the grid, borrowing concepts from holography. The displacement field is uniquely converted into forces by solving an elasticity inverse problem. Because the measurement of displacement only uses the epi-fluorescence channel of an inverted microscope, we can simultaneously achieve measurements in transmission. We performed SLIM and extracted cell mass on the same field of view in addition to the measured displacement field. We used this technique to study mesenchymal stem cells and found that cells undergoing osteogenesis and adipogenesis exerted larger and more dynamic stresses than their precursor. Our results indicate that the MSCs develop the smallest forces and growth rates. We anticipate that simultaneous cell growth and traction measurements will improve our understanding of mechanotransduction, particularly during dynamic processes where the matrix properties provide context to guide cells towards a physiological or pathological outcome, e.g., tissue morphogenesis, or cancer metastasis.
Fast dynamics in Internet topology: preliminary observations and explanations

By focusing on what can be observed by running traceroute-like measurements at a high frequency from a single monitor to a fixed destination set, we show that the observed view of the topology is constantly evolving at a pace much higher than expected. Repeated measurements discover new IP addresses at a constant rate, for long period of times (up to several months). In order to provide explanations, we study this phenomenon both at the IP, and at the Autonomous System levels. We show that this renewal of IP addresses is partially caused by a BGP routing dynamics, altering paths between existing ASes. Furthermore, we conjecture that an intra AS routing dynamics is another cause of this phenomenon.
Bacteriological criteria of chicken giblets

A total of 50 random samples of liver and gizzard from freshly slaughtered chicken carcasses (slaughtered, plucked and eviscerated) (25 of each) were collected from local commercial retail shops in Menofia government. It is evident from the results that the mean value of aerobic plate count (APC) (cuf/g) of examined samples of chicken giblets was 4.86×10 4 ±0.92×10 4 in liver and 7.73×10 4 ±1.68×10 5 in gizzard and the incidence of E.coli in the examined chicken liver and gizzard were 20% and 28% , respectively. Also, the serologically identified E.coli isolates in the examined samples were O26 : H11 (4%) , O55: H7 (4%), O91: H21 (4% )and O128: H2(8%) in liver and O26 : H11 (8%) , O78(4%), O111: H2 (4% ), O119: H6(4%), O124(4% )and O126: H21(4%) in gizzard. Salmonella was isolated from 24% and 36% of liver and gizzard and incidence of the isolated serotypes were S.Entritidis (4% and 12%), S.Infantis (4% and 4%), S.Kentucky (4% and 4%), S.Typhimurium (8% and 8%), S.Labadi 4% & S.Virchow 4% in gizzard and S.Larochelle 4% in liver only.
Multimodal Differential Network for Visual Question Generation

Generating natural questions from an image is a semantic task that requires using visual and language modality to learn multimodal representations. Images can have multiple visual and language contexts that are relevant for generating questions namely places, captions, and tags. In this paper, we propose the use of exemplars for obtaining the relevant context. We obtain this by using a Multimodal Differential Network to produce natural and engaging questions. The generated questions show a remarkable similarity to the natural questions as validated by a human study. Further, we observe that the proposed approach substantially improves over state-of-the-art benchmarks on the quantitative metrics (BLEU, METEOR, ROUGE, and CIDEr).
Recurrence for the frog model with drift on Z

The frog model is a system of interacting random walks. We give a criterion for recurrence/transience for the frog model in a particular example. In our case, the underlying random walk is an asymmetric random walk on Z, and the starting configuration is i.i. d. We also show that in this example, the probability to visit the origin infinitely often satisfies a 0 − 1−law.
Equity Portfolio Incentives to CEOs for Downsizing : IIMK / WPS / 169 / FIN / 2015 / 05 Differential impacts on survivors vs . victims in three countries

Although downsizing research has examined victims' and survivors' reactions and justice perceptions, few studies have examined perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR). We examine the impact of CEO compensation for downsizing on CSR perceptions of downsizing decisions made by CEOs in three countries, France, India, and Vietnam. We use a 2x2x2x2 (performance linked bonuses, internal vs. institutional pressure, loss of human capital-yes/no, and role–victim/survivor) between subjects experimental design to examine factors that influence the CEO’s downsizing decision. Results suggest that downsizing resulting in loss of human capital is negatively related to CSR perceptions. Downsizing motivated by deferred compensation and decline in performance linked bonuses are negatively related to survivor commitment, but not to victims’ perceptions of fairness. We also find support for convergence across the three countries, with some divergence as a result of power distance. We provide a discussion of the results, limitations, and directions for future research. Key Words/Phrases: downsizing, CEO responsibility, CEO compensation, CSR perceptions, human capital, institutional pressure Referencing Style Followed: APA
Distributed Perception by Collaborative Robots

Recognition ability and, more broadly, machine learning techniques enable robots to perform complex tasks and allow them to function in diverse situations. In fact, robots can easily access an abundance of sensor data that are recorded in real time such as speech, image, and video. Since such data are time sensitive, processing them in real time is a necessity. Moreover, machine learning techniques are known to be computationally intensive and resource hungry. As a result, an individual resource-constrained robot, in terms of computation power and energy supply, is often unable to handle such heavy real-time computations alone. To overcome this obstacle, we propose a framework to harvest the aggregated computational power of several low-power robots for enabling efficient, dynamic, and real-time recognition. Our method adapts to the availability of computing devices at runtime and adjusts to the inherit dynamics of the network. Our framework can be applied to any distributed robot system. To demonstrate, with several Raspberry-Pi3-based robots (up to 12) each equipped with a camera, we implement a state-of-the-art action recognition model for videos and two recognition models for images. Our approach allows a group of multiple low-power robots to obtain a similar performance (in terms of the number of images or video frames processed per second) compared to a high-end embedded platform, Nvidia Tegra TX2.
THREE NEW RECORDS FOR TURKISH MYCOBIOTA

The study was based on three basidiomycetous macroycete samples, collected from Trabzon and Erzincan provinces between 2013-2014, and aims to make a contribution to the mycomycota of Turkey by adding new records. The ecological characteristics of the fruit bodies were recorded and macro photographs of them were taken at their natural habitats. Then they were transferred to the fungarium and necessary investigations were carried out. By comparing the obtained macroscopic and microscopic measuremental data with those in literature, they were identified as Agaricus smithii Kerrigan, Coprinopsis goudensis (Uljé) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo and Suillus tomentosus Singer. Tracing the current literature on macrofungi of Turkey, it is found that they were not reported from Turkey before. The taxa are described briefly and required data about their, habitat, ecology and geographical positions are provided together with macromorphological photographs and line drawings related to their micromorphologies.
The Implications of Fragmented Genomic DNA Size Range on the Hybridization Efficiency in NanoGene Assay

DNA hybridization-based assays are well known for their ability to detect and quantify specific bacteria. Assays that employ DNA hybridization include a NanoGene assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and microarrays. Involved in DNA hybridization, fragmentation of genomic DNA (gDNA) is necessary to increase the accessibility of the probe DNA to the target gDNA. However, there has been no thorough and systematic characterization of different fragmented gDNA sizes and their effects on hybridization efficiency. An optimum fragmented size range of gDNA for the NanoGene assay is hypothesized in this study. Bacterial gDNA is fragmented via sonication into different size ranges prior to the NanoGene assay. The optimum size range of gDNA is determined via the comparison of respective hybridization efficiencies (in the form of quantification capabilities). Different incubation durations are also investigated. Finally, the quantification capability of the fragmented (at optimum size range) and unfragmented gDNA is compared.
Clarifying Deeper Psychological Characteristics of Hikikomori Using the Rorschach Comprehensive System: A Pilot Case–Control Study

Hikikomori, a form of severe social withdrawal more than 6 months, has increasingly become a crucial issue especially among adolescents. Loneliness, avoidant personality, Japanese culture-related attachment style (“amae”), and difficulty in expressing emotions are suggested to be related to hikikomori. However, deeper psychological aspects have not been well clarified. The Rorschach test is one of the most popular psychological assessment tools to evaluate deeper personality traits. The Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) has been established as the most reliable scoring method. Until now, no CS research has been conducted focusing on hikikomori. Therefore, we herein conducted a pilot case–control study using CS in clinical cases with and without hikikomori condition. Participants were recruited from the Mood Disorder/Hikikomori Clinic at Kyushu University Hospital. Twenty-two patients with hikikomori (HK patients) and 18 patients without hikikomori (non-HK patients) participated in the present study. All the 40 participants conducted the self-report Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II) personality questionnaire and CS. Regarding the SCID-II personality questionnaire, various personality traits including passive aggressive trait were significantly higher in HK patients. Among CS variables, HK patients showed higher scores on FC (Form Color) and SumT (total number of texture-related responses). In addition, frequency of SumT was higher in HK patients. The present results suggest that persons with hikikomori are more likely to express emotions indirectly and expect others to presume their feelings and thoughts. Persons with hikikomori may also have difficulty in becoming independent emotionally from primitive dependence and attachment on significant others. Further investigations with larger samples are warranted for validation.
Longitudinal Analysis of Memory B and T Cell Responses to Dengue Virus in a 5-Year Prospective Cohort Study in Thailand

Prior exposure to dengue virus (DENV) has a profound impact on the outcome of infection, which varies according to the interval between infections. Antibodies secreted by B cells and cytokines secreted by T cells are thought to contribute both to protective immunity against DENV and the pathogenesis of dengue disease. We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected from Thai children over a 5-year prospective cohort study to define the dynamics of DENV-specific memory B and T cell responses and the impact of symptomatic or subclinical DENV infections. To measure B cell responses, PBMC were stimulated with IL-2 plus R848 and culture supernatants were tested for DENV-binding antibodies by ELISA. To measure T cell responses, PBMC were stimulated in dual-color ELISPOT assays with overlapping peptide pools of structural and non-structural proteins from the four DENV types. B cell responses were low to one or more DENV types prior to symptomatic infection and increased with reactivity to all four types after infection. Subjects who had a subclinical infection or who did not experience a DENV infection during the study period showed strong memory B cell responses to all four DENV types. T cell responses to DENV peptides demonstrated a cytokine hierarchy of IFN-γ > IL-2 > IFN-γ/IL-2. T cell responses were low or absent prior to secondary infections. The trends in T cell responses to DENV peptides over 3 year post-infection were highly variable, but subjects who had experienced a secondary DENV1 infection showed higher cytokine responses compared to subjects who had experienced a secondary DENV2 or subclinical infection. The longitudinal nature of our study demonstrates persistent memory B cell responses over years and a lasting but variable impact of secondary DENV infection on DENV-specific T cell responses.
Tasked-Based Functional Brain Connectivity in Multisensory Control of Wrist Movement After Stroke

In this study we documented brain connectivity associated with multisensory integration during wrist control in healthy young adults, aged matched controls and stroke survivors. A novel functional MRI task paradigm involving wrist movement was developed to gain insight into the effects of multimodal sensory feedback on brain functional networks in stroke participants. This paradigm consisted of an intermittent position search task using the wrist during fMRI signal acquisition with visual and auditory feedback of proximity to a target position. We enrolled 12 young adults, 10 participants with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis, and nine age-matched controls. Activation maps were obtained, and functional connectivity networks were calculated using an independent component analysis (ICA) approach. Task-based networks were identified using activation maps, and nodes were obtained from the ICA components. These nodes were subsequently used for connectivity analyses. Stroke participants demonstrated significantly greater contralesional activation than controls during the visual feedback condition and less ipsilesional activity than controls during the auditory feedback condition. The sensorimotor component obtained from the ICA differed between rest and task for control and stroke participants: task-related lateralization to the contralateral cortex was observed in controls, but not in stroke participants. Connectivity analyses between the lesioned sensorimotor cortex and the contralesional cerebellum demonstrated decreased functional connectivity in stroke participants (p < 0.005), which was positively correlated the Box and Blocks arm function test (r2 = 0.59). These results suggest that task-based functional connectivity provides detail on changes in brain networks in stroke survivors. The data also highlight the importance of cerebellar connections for recovery of arm function after stroke.
Obesity Alters the Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to Nutrition and Exercise

Improving the health of skeletal muscle is an important component of obesity treatment. Apart from allowing for physical activity, skeletal muscle tissue is fundamental for the regulation of postprandial macronutrient metabolism, a time period that represents when metabolic derangements are most often observed in adults with obesity. In order for skeletal muscle to retain its capacity for physical activity and macronutrient metabolism, its protein quantity and composition must be maintained through the efficient degradation and resynthesis for proper tissue homeostasis. Life-style behaviors such as increasing physical activity and higher protein diets are front-line treatment strategies to enhance muscle protein remodeling by primarily stimulating protein synthesis rates. However, the muscle of individuals with obesity appears to be resistant to the anabolic action of targeted exercise regimes and protein ingestion when compared to normal-weight adults. This indicates impaired muscle protein remodeling in response to the main anabolic stimuli to human skeletal muscle tissue is contributing to poor muscle health with obesity. Deranged anabolic signaling related to insulin resistance, lipid accumulation, and/or systemic/muscle inflammation are likely at the root of the anabolic resistance of muscle protein synthesis rates with obesity. The purpose of this review is to discuss the impact of protein ingestion and exercise on muscle protein remodeling in people with obesity, and the potential mechanisms underlining anabolic resistance of their muscle.
Coexistence of Intracranial and Spinal Cord Cavernous Malformations Predict Aggressive Clinical Presentation

Background: Patients with spinal cord cavernous malformations (CMs) are at increased risk for multiple neuraxis CMs. Few studies focused on the natural history of patients with coexistence of intracranial and spinal cord CMs. Methods: Forty patients who underwent both intracranial and spinal MR imaging from a single center were reviewed retrospectively. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale was used to evaluate neurological and disability status. Results: The median age of the 40 patients was 40.6 years old (range 9–69), and the male-to-female ratio was 2.1:1. The mean size of the intramedullary lesions was 10.1 ± 5.8 mm (range, 3.0–34.0 mm). Six patients (15%) harbored at least one intracranial lesion. Five of the 6 patients (83.3%) suffered aggressive clinical presentations with severe neurological and disability status; in patients with sporadic spinal CMs, the proportion was 26.5% (9 of 34). Coexistence of intracranial and spinal cord CMs is more likely to follow an aggressive course (P = 0.031, OR = 19.547, 95% CI = 1.322–289.123). In the postoperative long-term follow up, the unfavorable rate of patients with associated intracranial CMs was significantly higher than that of patients with sporadic spinal cord CMs (P = 0.049). Conclusions: The prevalence of associated intracranial CMs in patients with spinal cord CMs was 15%. Coexistence of intracranial and spinal cord CMs is more likely to follow an aggressive course. This study highlights the necessity of intracranial MR imaging for patients with spinal cord CMs to benefit to the predicting prognosis and selection of treatment strategies.