Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A high-voltage CMOS IC and embedded system for distributed photovoltaic energy optimization with over 99% effective conversion efficiency and insertion loss below 0.1%

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has increased in importance in recent years as a viable alternative to carbon-producing sources of energy. In an effort to drive PV energy towards grid parity, there is a need to improve the power electronics and architecture for grid-connected systems. Traditional PV systems use a central inverter to manage multiple strings of series-connected PV modules. With mismatch among the PV cells, the energy production of the array suffers in several ways: 1) in series strings, current is limited to the lowest-performing cell in the string, 2) if current is forced to exceed this level, external bypass diodes need to turn on throwing away power available in the string and incurring conductive losses, 3) with bypass diodes on, total string voltage may deviate from maximum power voltage (Vmpp), reducing energy production of all modules in the string.
Distinctive characteristics of subclasses of red–green P-cells in LGN of macaque

We characterized the chromatic and temporal properties of a sample of 177 red–green parvocellular neurons in the LGN of Macaca nemestrina, using large-field stimuli modulated along different directions through a white point in color space. We examined differences among the properties of the four subclasses of red–green P-cells (on- and off-center, red and green center). The responses of off-center cells lag the stimulus more than do those of on-center cells. At low temporal frequencies, this causes the phase difference between responses of the two kinds of cells to be considerably less than 180 deg. For isoluminant modulations the phases of on- and off-responses were more nearly 180 deg apart. A cell's temporal characteristics did not depend on the class of cone driving its center. Red center and green center cells have characteristically different chromatic properties, expressed either as preferred elevations in color space, or as weights with which cells combine inputs from L- and M-cones. Red center cells are relatively more responsive to achromatic modulation, and attach relatively more weight to input from the cones driving the center. Off-center cells also attach relatively more weight than do on-center cells to input from the class of cone driving the center.
An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties.

Un nouvel inventaire auto-administre destine a mesurer l'anxiete pathologique, le «Beck Anxiety Cheklist» (BAI) est decrit, evalue et compare au «Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale» (test avec lequel des correlations moderees sont trouvees)
Effect of Finishing Practices on Performance of Concrete Containing Slag and Fly Ash as Measured by ASTM C 672 Resistance to Deicer Scaling Tests

This article reports on a study undertaken to assess whether the apparent poor performance of concretes containing supplementary cementing materials (in ASTM C 672, Test Method for Scaling Resistance of Concrete Surfaces Exposes to Deicing Chemicals) can be attributed to differences in finishing effort and/or timing of finishing. The authors developed a test method to evaluate Portland cement systems with different air contents. Three mixes were prepared with the same nominal 28-day strength and air content, and similar aggregate and cementitious materials content. One concrete mixture contained Type I Portland cement, the second concrete mixture contained ground granulated blast furnace slag at 50% cement replacement, and the third concrete mixture had fly ash at 25% cement replacement. Nine slabs were cast from each mix; all of the slabs were tested for 50 cycles after the slabs had been cured for 14 days moist and then 14 days laboratory air. In general, results showed that late finishing was beneficial in the OPC mixes, while early finishing appears to be beneficial in the mixes containing fly ash and slag. Parameters that appear to be significant include: time of finishing, relative to the amount, rate and period of bleeding; time of finishing relative to loss of workability (slump); and rate of strength gain of the mixture at the age at which tests are conducted.
Bayesian network analysis revealed the connectivity difference of the default mode network from the resting-state to task-state

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have converged to reveal the default mode network (DMN), a constellation of regions that display co-activation during resting-state but co-deactivation during attention-demanding tasks in the brain. Here, we employed a Bayesian network (BN) analysis method to construct a directed effective connectivity model of the DMN and compared the organizational architecture and interregional directed connections under both resting-state and task-state. The analysis results indicated that the DMN was consistently organized into two closely interacting subsystems in both resting-state and task-state. The directed connections between DMN regions, however, changed significantly from the resting-state to task-state condition. The results suggest that the DMN intrinsically maintains a relatively stable structure whether at rest or performing tasks but has different information processing mechanisms under varied states.
Development of an Optimal Vehicle-to-Grid Aggregator for Frequency Regulation

For vehicle-to-grid (V2G) frequency regulation services, we propose an aggregator that makes efficient use of the distributed power of electric vehicles to produce the desired grid-scale power. The cost arising from the battery charging and the revenue obtained by providing the regulation are investigated and represented mathematically. Some design considerations of the aggregator are also discussed together with practical constraints such as the energy restriction of the batteries. The cost function with constraints enables us to construct an optimization problem. Based on the developed optimization problem, we apply the dynamic programming algorithm to compute the optimal charging control for each vehicle. Finally, simulations are provided to illustrate the optimality of the proposed charging control strategy with variations of parameters.
Single Stem Cell Positioning on Polylysine and Fibronectin Microarrays

Arrays of human umbilical cord blood-neural stem cells have been patterned in high density at single cell resolution. Pre-patterns of adhesive molecules, i.e. fibronectin and poly-L-lysine, have been produced on anti-adhesive poly (ethylene) oxide films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition, which prevents cell adsorption. The structures consisted of adhesive squares and lines with 10μm lateral dimensions, which correspond approximately to the size of one cell nucleus, separated by 10μm anti-adhesive gap. The stem cells cultured on these platforms redistribute their cytoplasm on the permitted areas. Spherical cells were deposited on the square patterns in a single cell mode, while on the lines they spread longitudinally; the extent of elongation being dependent on the specific (fibronectin) or non-specific (poly-L-lysine) attachment biomolecule. The cell patterns were retained up to 12 days, which will be useful for recording statistical data of individual chronic responses to chemical, physical or physiologically relevant stimuli.
Recent Up-Scaling in HTS Magnetic Device Technology

High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) interaction shows a great potential in rotational bearing and linear Maglev technology. Besides the superconductor each application sets additional specific technical requirements. The challenges of use the various constructions and applications in the combination of the cold HTS material and the required technical periphery are discussed. ATZ's 0.5-ton HTS production per annum has enabled increased performance in a number of magnetic applications. Engineering properties, advanced magnetic excitation systems and thermal and mechanical stability of robust high-load YBCO bearings have been demonstrated. Effort is being made in the development of mobile HTS Maglev devices. We have designed and produced advanced 40-cm-long bulk cryostats, having 2-mm magnetic distance to the outside and operating more than one day without refilling. 24 vacuum cryostats have been manufactured for a magnetic train construction capable to transport up to 60-kN total vehicle and passenger weight and dedicated to operate on a 200-m-long track.
Online learning from click data for sponsored search

Sponsored search is one of the enabling technologies for today's Web search engines. It corresponds to matching and showing ads related to the user query on the search engine results page. Users are likely to click on topically related ads and the advertisers pay only when a user clicks on their ad. Hence, it is important to be able to predict if an ad is likely to be clicked, and maximize the number of clicks. We investigate the sponsored search problem from a machine learning perspective with respect to three main sub-problems: how to use click data for training and evaluation, which learning framework is more suitable for the task, and which features are useful for existing models. We perform a large scale evaluation based on data from a commercial Web search engine. Results show that it is possible to learn and evaluate directly and exclusively on click data encoding pairwise preferences following simple and conservative assumptions. We find that online multilayer perceptron learning, based on a small set of features representing content similarity of different kinds, significantly outperforms an information retrieval baseline and other learning models, providing a suitable framework for the sponsored search task.
An improved visual enhancement method for color images

The paper presents an improved method for color image enhancement based on dynamic range compression and shadow compensation method proposed by Felix Albu et al. The improved method consists of not only the dynamic range compression and shadow compensation but also intensity contrast stretching implemented under the logarithmic image processing (LIP) model. The previous method enhance image while preserve image details and color information without generating visual artifacts. On the premise of remaining the advantages of the previous one, our improved method enhances the intensity of the whole image especially the low-light areas. The experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed method and the superiority over the previous one.
Effects of acute versus repeated cocaine exposure on the expression of endocannabinoid signaling-related proteins in the mouse cerebellum

Growing awareness of cerebellar involvement in addiction is based on the cerebellum’s intermediary position between motor and reward, potentially acting as an interface between motivational and cognitive functions. Here, we examined the impact of acute and repeated cocaine exposure on the two main signaling systems in the mouse cerebellum: the endocannabinoid (eCB) and glutamate systems. To this end, we investigated whether eCB signaling-related gene and protein expression {cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptors and enzymes that produce [diacylglycerol lipase alpha/beta (DAGLα/β) and N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD)] and degrade [monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amino hydrolase (FAAH)] eCB} were altered. In addition, we analyzed the gene expression of relevant components of the glutamate signaling system [glutamate synthesizing enzymes liver-type glutaminase isoform (LGA) and kidney-type glutaminase isoform (KGA), metabotropic glutamatergic receptor (mGluR3/5), NMDA-ionotropic glutamatergic receptor (NR1/2A/2B/2C) and AMPA-ionotropic receptor subunits (GluR1/2/3/4)] and the gene expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis, because noradrenergic terminals innervate the cerebellar cortex. Results indicated that acute cocaine exposure decreased DAGLα expression, suggesting a down-regulation of 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) production, as well as gene expression of TH, KGA, mGluR3 and all ionotropic receptor subunits analyzed in the cerebellum. The acquisition of conditioned locomotion and sensitization after repeated cocaine exposure were associated with an increased NAPE-PLD/FAAH ratio, suggesting enhanced anandamide production, and a decreased DAGLβ/MAGL ratio, suggesting decreased 2-AG generation. Repeated cocaine also increased LGA gene expression but had no effect on glutamate receptors. These findings indicate that acute cocaine modulates the expression of the eCB and glutamate systems. Repeated cocaine results in normalization of glutamate receptor expression, although sustained changes in eCB is observed. We suggest that cocaine-induced alterations to cerebellar eCB should be considered when analyzing the adaptations imposed by psychostimulants that lead to addiction.
Effect of intravitreal octreotide acetate injection on retinal neovascularization, morphology, and apoptotic cell death in an oxygen-induced retinopathy mouse model

Aim: To investigate the effect of octreotide acetate on neovascularization, retinal structures, and apoptotic cell death in an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model. Materials and methods: A total of 26 C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 75 ± 2% oxygen from postnatal day 7 to 12. On day 12, 12 mice (group C) were injected with 0.1 µg intravitreal octreotide acetate (IVOA) and 14 mice (group D) were injected with 0.05 µg IVOA, in the right eye. The contralateral eyes were injected with 1 µL isotonic saline (control group, group B). Four mice were used as negative controls (group A). Neovascularization was quantified by counting the number of retinal vascular endothelial cell nuclei anterior to the inner limiting membrane. Structural changes were examined by light and electron microscopy. Apoptosis was investigated using the TUNEL technique. Results: The retinal vascular endothelial cell nuclei count was lower in groups C (P < 0.0001) and D (P < 0.0001) compared with group B. Light microscopy showed no retinal toxicity. Electron microscopy showed mitochondrial damage in the inner segment of the photoreceptors in the OIR mouse model without increasing in the IVOA-injected groups. There was no significant difference in the apoptotic cell death in any of the groups. Conclusion: There was mitochondrial damage in the inner segment of the photoreceptors in the OIR mouse model without increasing the apoptotic cell death.
Churchman's Inquiring Systems: Kernel Theories for Knowledge Management

Churchman [1971] defines inquiry as an activity that produces knowledge. He examines the epistemologies of five schools of philosophy from the perspective of general systems theory, asking the question as to whether each is suitable as the basis for the design of computer-based “inquiring systems. ” He considers systems design and design theory in some detail. We believe that Churchman’s inquiring systems can form the basis for the design of knowledge management systems and that the IS research community has hardly tapped the potential of inquiring systems in that regard. Mason and Mitroff [1973] brought inquiring systems into the IS literature early on, essentially making the work endogenous to the field. We argue that building on inquiring systems can contribute to developing IS as a discipline by maintaining continuity in research and developing a theory that IS can call its own. We believe that the lack of use of Churchman’s work may be due to its lack of visibility in recent years and attempt to remedy that by summarizing the basics of the inquirers in some detail, trying not to interpret, but to remain faithful to the original. The paper encourages readers to study the original and develop their own notion of how the inquirers might be used in knowledge management work. There are probably as many different perspectives on how inquiring systems could support KMS as there are IS researchers willing to study them. We would like to encourage a proliferation of such perspectives.
Exploiting and Learning Human Temperaments for Customized Information Recommendation

Human temperaments have been recognized as a predominant factor in determining the activity patterns of human behavior. In our earlier study, a temperament-based filtering method has been proposed to combine concept learning and content-based filtering techniques to incorporate human temperament into the recommendation process of an information system. In this paper, we explain the design of a prototype multiagent system, which is developed, implemented, and experimentally tested by using a group of simulated users generated from the sample users. The notion of human factors, particularly human temperaments, is explored and learned for the representation and segmentation of an information space. Furthermore, the learned temperament concept is employed for the interpretation and measurement of the relevance for classification and recommendation of the information units. The results of our experiments indicate that the accuracy of recommendation using temperament-based filtering exceeds that in content-based filtering. The quality of specific search as well as serendipitous search is enhanced by providing the optimal predictions that are pertinent to not only user interests but also user temperament.
A Multichannel Oscillator for a Resonant Chemical Sensor System

Vapor detection using highly sensitive miniaturized resonant sensors is of great interest for many applications, including consumer, industrial, and environmental applications. An operational-amplifier-based multichannel oscillator that interfaces with a 50-MHz capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array is presented for chemical sensing applications. The circuit was implemented in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology to reduce power consumption, number of wires, and active area per channel. The presented integrated circuit also addresses the potential-frequency-locking problem between channels by allowing the open-loop gain to be adjustable off-chip. The feasibility of the developed oscillator for the chemical sensing application is demonstrated. Two channels that were operated simultaneously achieved excellent volume sensitivities of 8.5 × 10-4%/Hz and 3.9 × 10-4%/Hz, respectively, to relative humidity in N2.
High speed laser cutting of micro structures with submicron details

The demand on performance for displays and opto-electronics is ever increasing and the industry is looking for ways to produce large area microoptical films to help that cause. While conventional techniques are reaching their limits for large area structuring, earlier reports show that it is possible to structure a few m2 polymer film with microoptical features (>20 μm) by direct laser ablation. By employing the same optics and hardware studies were carried out to find the minimal feature size possible without compromising the area that can be processed. Looking at the sub-resolution ablation behaviour of Polycarbonate enables us to modify the so-called Synchronised Image Scanning (SIS) mask design to control shape and form of 3D-features only a few times bigger than the resolution limit of the laser ablation mask projection system. Results of optical 10μm and 5μm features are shown and discussed. The findings show that it is realistic to direct laser cut well defined optical 3D-features into polymer film with an unprecedented feature-area-ratio in excess of 1:1010.