Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium Temperature of an Unheated Icing Surface as a Function of Air Speed

The thermal analysis of a heated surface in icing conditions has been extensively treated in the literature. Except for the work of Tribus, however, little has been done on the analysis of an unheated icing surface. This latter analysis is significant in the design of cyclic thermal deicing systems that are attractive for small high-speed aircraft for which thermal anti-icing requirements have become severe. In this paper, a complete analysis of the temperature of an unheated surface in icing conditions is presented for the several significant regimes (i.e., less than 32°F., at 32°F., and above 32°F.) as a function of air speed, altitude, ambient temperature, and liquid water content. The results are presented in graphical form and permit the rapid determination of surface temperature for a wide range of variables. Curves are presented to determine the speeds beyond which no ice accretion will occur. Curves are also presented to indicate the surface temperature and the rate of ice sublimation which takes place when an ice-covered surface emerges into clear air. One significant result of this study is the introduction of a new basic variable referred to as the "freezing-fraction," which denotes the proportion of the impinging liquid which freezes in the impingement region. The fact that some of the liquid does not freeze in the impingement region tends to explain the observed variation in ice formation shape with temperature, speed, and water catch. New test data obtained at Mt. Washington, N.H. , for stagnation-point surface temperatures of an unheated plastic cylinder in natural and artificial icing conditions are included in the Appendix. These data substantiate the validity of the assumptions made in the theoretical analysis.
Receiver DSP for OFDM Systems Impaired by Transmitter and Receiver Phase Noise

This paper proposes a time-domain digital signal processing method for estimating and mitigating transmitter and receiver oscillator phase-noise effects in OFDM radio systems on receiver side of the link. The idea is based on re-constructing time-domain OFDM signal at the receiver from initially detected symbols and using this as a reference in phase noise estimation. The knowledge of heavily low-pass nature of realistic phase noise processes is then utilized in the estimation process to improve the estimation performance. The algorithm can also be used iteratively, inside individual OFDM symbols, to further improve the accuracy of the obtained phase noise estimates. Performance analysis shows that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing state-of-the-art phase noise mitigation techniques, under both additive white Gaussian noise and extended ITU-R Vehicular A multipath channels.
Observer-based robust H-infinity switched control for uncertain linear singular system

This paper is concerned to design a new switched controller in order to deal with the H∞ control problem for a class of uncertain singular systems with norm-bounded parameter uncertainties. First considering the unavoidable state jumps at the switching instants, a sufficient condition is obtained for the existence of the state-dependent switching law stabilizing the switched system. This sufficient condition has low conservatism due to using the Lyapunov-Metzler inequality approach. Second considering the states are unmeasured, based on the derived results, an observer-based robust H∞ switched controller of uncertain singular systems is proposed. Finally, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Shape From Silhouette: Towards a Solution for Partial Visibility Problem

Acquiring human shape is a prerequisite to many applications in augmented and virtual reality, as well as in computer graphics and animation. The acquisition of a real person must be precise enough to have the best possible (realistic) rendering. To do so in real time, "Shape-from-silhouette" (SFS) methods are used. One limitation of these methods is that the acquired subject must be visible from all the camera filming it. If not, some parts of the object are not reconstructed in 3d. This paper presents a modified SFS algorithm, that extends the 3d reconstruction space. Our extension allows to build an estimation of an object's 3d shape even if it comes out of sight from one or more cameras.
Femtosecond laser-tissue interaction

Time dispersion plays an important role in the propagation of femtosecond pulses through water. The combined effects of time dispersion, radial diffraction and the Kerr nonlinearity on the pulse propagation are analyzed and it is shown that normal time dispersion leads to significant temporal broadening of ultrashort pulses and that it increases the threshold power for catastrophic self-focusing.
Enhanced coupling of light from OLED based on nanoporous substrates

We have demonstrated a new approach to enhance the light extraction efficiency for organic light emitting diode (OLED). Self-aligned, nanoporous alumina film was used as a quasi-2D photonic crystal to modify the optical wave propagation and coupling of light from the OLED. Waveguiding modes are turned into leaky modes. The experimental results showed an increase of over 50% in the coupling efficiency of the nanoporous device, without affecting the electrical properties of the OLED. We used the effective medium theory to model the optical properties of the nanoporous media and simulated the optical characteristics of the devices.
Fin whale survival and abundance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

The fin whale Balaenoptera physalus, the second largest species in the animal king- dom to have lived on Earth, was heavily targeted during the industrial whaling era. North Atlantic whaling for this species ended in 1987 and it is unclear if the populations are recovering. The stock structure in the North Atlantic is still under debate, but several lines of evidence suggest that fin whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence may form a discrete stock with limited exchange with the rest of the North Atlantic. We applied mark-recapture models to 21 yr of photo-identification data from the Jacques-Cartier Passage to estimate the abundance and, for the first time, a survival rate based on live re-sightings for this stock of fin whales. Using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model, we estimated a unisex non-calf apparent survival rate of 0.955 (95% CI: 0.936 to 0.969) for the period 1990 to 2010, declining in the last 4 yr of the study. The reduced survivorship was likely caused by a lower site fidelity combined with a higher mortality. The POPAN model yielded a super-popula- tion estimate of 328 individuals (95% CI: 306 to 350) for the period 2004 to 2010, and confirmed the negative trend in apparent survival and annual abundance, indicating that the population has not increased since the last large-scale surveys from 1974 and 1997.
Graph theory based image segmentation

Image segmentation is a fundamental process in many image, video, and computer vision applications. It is very essential and critical to image processing and pattern recognition, and determines the quality of final result of analysis and recognition. This paper presents a semi-supervised strategy to deal with the issue of image segmentation. Each image is first segmented coarsely, and represented as a graph model. Then, a semi-supervised algorithm is utilized to estimate the relevance between labeled nodes and unlabeled nodes to construct a relevance matrix. Finally, a normalized cut criterion is utilized to segment images into meaningful units. The experimental results conducted on Berkeley image databases and MSRC image databases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Stem cell separation: A bottleneck in stem cell therapy

The substantial progress in embryonic stem cell (ESC) research could lead to new possibilities in the treatment of various diseases. Currently, applications of ESC for cell therapy are impeded by the presence of potentially teratoma‐forming undifferentiated ESC. Thus, a selective and quantitative removal of undifferentiated ESC from a pool of differentiated and undifferentiated cells is essential before cell therapy. We evaluated the highly selective magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) method for the quantitative removal of undifferentiated ESC. We found that the clearance rates for undifferentiated ESC decreased with decreasing amount of undifferentiated ESC in the cell pool. Using a simplified model calculation we could predict that, assuming an initial purity of 60%, an estimated 31 steps are required to achieve less than 10–1 cell per 109 cells. Thus, a log clearance rate of 10, which would be necessary for a therapeutically application, is hard to achieve. Our work clearly indicates that the current MACS technology is insufficient to meet the purification needs for cell therapy.
Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy modeling of a two-wheeled inverted pendulum robot

A two wheeled inverted pendulum TWIP mobile robot is an under-actuated mechanical system, which is inherently open-loop unstable with highly nonlinear dynamics. This property attracts the interest of researchers worldwide in recent years. This paper presents the development of a linearized model of the TWIP mobile robot based on its nonlinear dynamical model using Takagi-Sugeno T-S fuzzy modeling technique, which can allow the application of linear control techniques in analyzing and efficiently controlling such under-actuated nonlinear system. The complete nonlinear dynamical equations of motion of the TWIP mobile robot were first derived using Kane's Method. Based on the nonlinear dynamical equations of motion, a T-S fuzzy model of the TWIP robot was then developed using local approximation technique. To validate the proposed model, simulations study was carried out and the results show that the proposed model approximates the original nonlinear TWIP mobile robot in the pre-specified domains to certain degree of accuracy.
Robust estimation of group-wise cortical correspondence with an application to macaque and human neuroimaging studies

We present a novel group-wise registration method for cortical correspondence for local cortical thickness analysis in human and non-human primate neuroimaging studies. The proposed method is based on our earlier template based registration that estimates a continuous, smooth deformation field via sulcal curve-constrained registration employing spherical harmonic decomposition of the deformation field. This pairwise registration though results in a well-known template selection bias, which we aim to overcome here via a group-wise approach. We propose the use of an unbiased ensemble entropy minimization following the use of the pairwise registration as an initialization. An individual deformation field is then iteratively updated onto the unbiased average. For the optimization, we use metrics specific for cortical correspondence though all of these are straightforwardly extendable to the generic setting: The first focused on optimizing the correspondence of automatically extracted sulcal landmarks and the second on that of sulcal depth property maps. We further propose a robust entropy metric and a hierarchical optimization by employing spherical harmonic basis orthogonality. We also provide the detailed methodological description of both our earlier work and the proposed method with a set of experiments on a population of human and non-human primate subjects. In the experiment, we have shown that our method achieves superior results on consistency through quantitative and visual comparisons as compared to the existing methods.
Inhibition of growth factor production and angiogenesis in human cancer cells by ZD1839 (Iressa), a selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

The transforming growth factor-alpha/epidermal growth factor receptor (TGF-alpha-EGFR) autocrine pathway, which is involved in the development and the progression of human epithelial cancers, controls, in part, the production of angiogenic factors. These angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), are secreted by cancer cells to stimulate normal endothelial cell growth through paracrine mechanisms. ZD1839 (Iressa) is a p.o. -active, selective EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in clinical trials in cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the antiangiogenic and antitumor activity of ZD1839 in human colon (GEO, SW480, and CaCo2), breast (ZR-75-1 and MCF-7 ADR), ovarian (OVCAR-3), and gastric (KATO III and N87) cancer cells that coexpress TGF-alpha and EGFR. ZD1839 treatment determined a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition accompanied by the decrease of VEGF, bFGF and TGF-alpha production in vitro. Treatment of immunodeficient mice bearing well-established, palpable GEO xenografts with ZD1839 determined a cytostatic dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition. Immunohistochemical analysis of GEO tumor xenografts after ZD1839 treatment revealed a significant dose-dependent reduction of TGF-alpha, bFGF, and VEGF expression in cancer cells and of neoangiogenesis, as determined by microvessel count. Furthermore, the antitumor activity of ZD1839 was potentiated in combination with the cytotoxic drug paclitaxel in GEO tumor xenografts. Tumor regression was observed in all mice after treatment with ZD1839 plus paclitaxel, and it was accompanied by a significant potentiation in inhibition of TGF-alpha, VEGF, and bFGF expression with a few or no microvessels. Furthermore, 6 of 16 mice bearing well-established, palpable GEO xenografts had no histological evidence of GEO tumors at the end of treatment with ZD1839 plus paclitaxel. These results demonstrate that the antitumor effect of ZD1839 is accompanied by inhibition in the production of autocrine and paracrine growth factors that sustain autonomous local growth and facilitate angiogenesis, and that this effect can be potentiated by the combined treatment with certain cytotoxic drugs, such as paclitaxel.
Visualization and Control of Particulate Contamination Phenomena in a Plasma Enhanced CVD Reactor

Dust particle generation in a plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) process and substrate contamination with the generated dust were studied. By using a laser light scattering technique, the spatial distribution of dust particles suspended in a PECVD reactor was visualized during the fabrication of silicon dioxide thin films. The dust particle size and film morphology were also measured with a laser particle counter and a scanning electron microscope. It was found that the operating conditions of the reactor influenced strongly the properties and transport of dust particles and thus substrate contamination. The effect of the modulation of the plasma input power was also investigated. A new modulation method showed a good performance in terms of both dust suppression and film growth rate.
Formulation, optimization, and pharmacodynamic evaluation of chitosan/phospholipid/β-cyclodextrin microspheres

Cholinergic neurotransmission loss is the main cause of cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Phospholipids (PLs) play an essential role in memory and learning abilities. Moreover, PLs act as a source of choline in acetylcholine synthesis. This study aimed to prepare and optimize the formulation of chitosan/phospholipid/β-cyclodextrin (CTS/PL/β-CD) microspheres that can improve cognitive impairment. The CTS/PL/β-CD microspheres were prepared by spray drying, and optimized with an orthogonal design. These microspheres were also characterized in terms of morphology, structure, thermostability, drug loading, and encapsulation efficiency. The spatial learning and memory of rats were evaluated using the Morris water maze test, and the neuroprotective effects of the CTS/PL/β-CD micro-spheres were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Scanning electron microscopic images showed that the CTS/PL/β-CD microspheres were spherical with slightly wrinkled surfaces. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry proved that PLs formed hydrogen bonds with the amide group of CTS and the hydroxyl group of β-CD. The learning and memory abilities of rats in the treated group significantly improved compared with those in the model group. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that treatment with the CTS/PL/β-CD microspheres attenuated the expression of protein kinase C-δ and inhibited the activation of microglias. These results suggest that the optimized microspheres have the potential to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Goal-Directed Navigation of an Autonomous Flying Robot Using Biologically Inspired Cheap Vision

In nature, flying insects are capable of surprisingly good navigation, despite the small size and relative simplicity of their brains. Recent experimental research in biology has uncovered a number of different ways in which insects use cues derived from optical flow for navigational purposes, such as obstacle avoidance, safe landing and dead-reckoning. Inspired by the visual navigation of flying insects, this paper presents a model of vision-based navigation using Elementary Motion Detectors (EMDs). The performance tests with an autonomous flying robot successfully demonstrate goal-directed navigation in an unstructured environment, as well as obstacle avoidance and course stabilization behaviors. Further investigation in the simulation shows that goal-directed navigation can be potentially achieved by simple visual processing, and that the design flexibility of this approach leads to high adaptivity to the given task-environment.
A 0.8-V, 1-MS/s, 10-bit SAR ADC for Multi-Channel Neural Recording

This paper presents a 10-bit single-ended SAR ADC suitable for multi-channel neural recording. The proposed ADC introduces several power saving techniques to boost the energy efficiency. The ADC is built with on-chip common-mode buffer for input tracking, which is reused as the pre-amplifier of a current-mode comparator during conversion. A small capacitor is inserted between the amplifier and the capacitive DAC array in order to reduce the capacitive load on the amplifier. A split capacitor array with dual thermometer decoders is proposed to reduce the switching energy. Implemented in 0.13-μm CMOS technology, the ADC achieved a maximum differential nonlinearity (DNL) of -0.33/+0.56 LSB, maximum integral nonlinearity (INL) of -0.61/+0.55 LSB, effective number-of-bits (ENOB) of 8.8, and a power consumption of 9-μW.
The effect of mass irregularities of weft yarns on fabric surface protrusion

Fabric surface unevenness and defects are usually created by yarn irregularity and defects in weaving process. These unevenness and irregularities appear on fabric and affect various fabric properties. In order to investigate weft yarn mass irregularities on fabric surface unevenness and defects, various plain fabric samples were prepared in which they differ only in weft yarn mass irregularity. One of the effective factors on fabric surface unevenness is yarn protrusion in fabric structure. Yarn protrusion in fabric structure is influenced by yarn’s physical and mechanical properties and fabric structural characteristics. In this work, relationship between mass irregularities of weft yarn and fabric surface unevenness was investigated using angular power spectrum curve, a measure of yarn protrusion in fabric structures. The results showed a high significant correlation between these two parameters.
An Adaptation of Motivational Interviewing Increases Quit Attempts in Smokers With Serious Mental Illness.

INTRODUCTION Smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) have a high smoking prevalence and a low quit rate. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an empirically supported approach for addressing substance use disorders and may motivate smokers with SMI to quit. METHODS We randomized smokers (N = 98) with SMI to receive a single 45-minute session of (1) MI with personalized feedback or (2) interactive education. We hypothesized that participants receiving the MI intervention would be more likely to follow-up on a referral for tobacco dependence treatment, to make a quit attempt, and to quit smoking than those receiving the interactive educational intervention. RESULTS Smokers receiving an MI intervention were significantly more likely to make a quit attempt by the 1-month follow-up (34.7% vs. 14.3%; OR = 4.39 [95% CI = 1.44 to 13.34], P = .009); however, these quit attempts did not translate into abstinence. In addition, 32.7% of those receiving MI followed-up on a referral for tobacco dependence treatment (vs. 20.4% receiving interactive education; OR = 2.02 [95% CI = 0.76 to 3.55], P = .157). MI Treatment Integrity Code ratings indicated that the interventions were easily distinguishable from each other and that MI was delivered with proficiency. Despite the intervention's brevity, participants reported high levels of therapeutic alliance with their therapist. CONCLUSIONS A brief adaptation of MI with personalized feedback appears to be a promising approach for increasing quit attempts in smokers with SMI, but future research is required to determine how to best help smokers with SMI to attain sustained abstinence.
Video multicast in peer-to-peer networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) video streaming is a promising solution to enable efficient video distribution over the Internet. The nodes or peers in this type of system can take the role of both a server and of a client at the same time. During video distribution each peer acts as a relay node contributing it upload capacity. This thesis focuses on a specific topic known as P2P Video Multicast within the P2P streaming area. The contribution of this thesis is to present network-adaptive techniques and novel architectures which improve the video delivery in terms of end-to-end delay, scalability and video quality for different scenarios. The proposed architectures are supported by an analytical framework, extensive simulations and evaluations in real-world scenarios using the PlanetLab overlay testbed.
Smoothed Analysis of Belief Propagation for Minimum-Cost Flow and Matching

Belief propagation (BP) is a message-passing heuristic for statistical inference in graphical models such as Bayesian networks and Markov random fields. BP is used to compute marginal distributions or maximum likelihood assignments and has applications in many areas, including machine learning, image processing, and computer vision. However, the theoretical understanding of the performance of BP is unsatisfactory. Recently, BP has been applied to combinatorial optimization problems. It has been proved that BP can be used to compute maximum-weight matchings and minimum-cost flows for instances with a unique optimum. The number of iterations needed for this is pseudo-polynomial and hence BP is not efficient in general. We study belief propagation in the framework of smoothed analysis and prove that with high probability the number of iterations needed to compute maximum-weight matchings and minimum-cost flows is bounded by a polynomial if the weights/costs of the edges are randomly perturbed. To prove our upper bounds, we use an isolation lemma by Beier and Vocking (SIAM J. Comput., 2006) for matching and generalize an isolation lemma for min-cost flow by Gamarnik, Shah, and Wei (Oper. Res., 2012). We also prove almost matching lower tail bounds for the number of iterations that BP needs to converge.