Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MANUFACTURABILITY AND THE PRODUCT DESIGN : CASE STUDY EXPLORATION OF MANUFACTURABILITY ASSESSMENTS ACROSS A PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

The challenge in the workplace with delivering high quality products to market in a timely manner has become increasingly more intense due to changing customer demands and expectations. The importance of incorporating manufacturing input earlier in the design cycle has evolved into a more common place concurrent engineering practice in order to minimize risk to performance, cost, quality, and schedule. However, there still remains the challenge of how to evaluate significant numbers of design alternatives during early stages of the life cycle acquisition process. There is continued interest by the Department of Defense (DoD) on the assessment of manufacturability as part of the Engineered Resilient System (ERS) effort as they develop new military systems. Prior research has led to the development of a Manufacturability Assessment Knowledge-based Evaluation (MAKE) which is a methodology developed to assess the manufacturability of a product at various stages of a product’s life cycle. At the foundation of MAKE is a taxonomy based on a matrix-style assessment designed to capture the impact of design decisions on the manufacturability of a product. This research paper discusses the development of this matrix, and its evolution and application in the manufacturability assessment process. Three case studies will be used to demonstrate the application of the taxonomy at several different points in a product’s life cycle, as the research moves “to the left” toward an early concept phase where design fidelity is extremely limited.
Patent Thickets and Licensing : Empirical Findings from Japanese Listed Companies

This paper employs licensing contract information disclosed in the “Important Technology Contracts in Business” section of the Annual Securities Reports of Japanese listed companies to construct a licensing dataset. We propose alternative methods of measuring patent thickets using patent statistics from the Patstat database and examine the effects of patent thickets on licensing contracts and patent portfolio races of Japanese companies. Our empirical results show that patent thickets are positively associated with licensing activities, and the patent applications of both licensors and licensee. However licensing activities help to alleviate patent portfolio races both for licensors and licensees.
A Novel High Throughput Biochemical Assay to Evaluate the HuR Protein-RNA Complex Formation

The RNA binding protein HuR/ELAVL1 binds to AU-rich elements (AREs) promoting the stabilization and translation of a number of mRNAs into the cytoplasm, dictating their fate. We applied the AlphaScreen technology using purified human HuR protein, expressed in a mammalian cell-based system, to characterize in vitro its binding performance towards a ssRNA probe whose sequence corresponds to the are present in TNFα 3’ untranslated region. We optimized the method to titrate ligands and analyzed the kinetic in saturation binding and time course experiments, including competition assays. The method revealed to be a successful tool for determination of HuR binding kinetic parameters in the nanomolar range, with calculated Kd of 2.5±0.60 nM, k on of 2.76±0.56*106 M-1 min-1, and k off of 0.007±0.005 min-1. We also tested the HuR-RNA complex formation by fluorescent probe-based RNA-EMSA. Moreover, in a 384-well plate format we obtained a Z-factor of 0.84 and an averaged coefficient of variation between controls of 8%, indicating that this biochemical assay fulfills criteria of robustness for a targeted screening approach. After a screening with 2000 small molecules and secondary verification with RNA-EMSA we identified mitoxantrone as an interfering compound with rHuR and TNFα probe complex formation. Notably, this tool has a large versatility and could be applied to other RNA Binding Proteins recognizing different RNA, DNA, or protein species. In addition, it opens new perspectives in the identification of small-molecule modulators of RNA binding proteins activity.
Concentrating particles on drop surfaces using external electric fields

We propose to use an externally applied uniform electric field to alter the distribution of particles on the surface of a drop immersed in another immiscible liquid. Specifically, we seek to generate well‐defined concentrated regions at the drop surface while leaving the rest of the surface particle free. Experiments show that when the dielectric constant of the drop is greater than that of the ambient liquid the particles for which the Clausius–Mossotti factor is positive move along the drop surface to the two poles of the drop. Particles with a negative Clausius–Mossotti factor, on the other hand, move along the drop surface to form a ring near the drop equator. The opposite takes place when the dielectric constant of the drop is smaller than that of the ambient liquid, namely particles for which the Clausius–Mossotti factor is positive form a ring near the equator while those for which such a factor is negative move to the poles. This motion is due to the dielectrophoretic force that acts upon particles because the electric field on the surface of the drop is nonuniform, despite the uniformity of the applied electric field. Experiments also show that when small particles collect at the poles of a deformed drop the electric field needed to break the drop is smaller than without particles. These phenomena could be useful to concentrate particles at a drop surface within well‐defined regions (poles and equator), separate two types of particles at the surface of a drop or increase the drop deformation to accelerate drop breakup.
A Unified Tensor-based Active Appearance Face Model

Appearance variations result in many difficulties in face image analysis. To deal with this challenge, we present a Unified Tensor-based Active Appearance Model (UT-AAM) for jointly modelling the geometry and texture information of 2D faces. For each type of face information, namely shape and texture, we construct a unified tensor model capturing all relevant appearance variations. This contrasts with the variation-specific models of the classical tensor AAM. To achieve the unification across pose variations, a strategy for dealing with self-occluded faces is proposed to obtain consistent shape and texture representations of pose-varied faces. In addition, our UT-AAM is capable of constructing the model from an incomplete training dataset, using tensor completion methods. Last, we use an effective cascaded-regression-based method for UT-AAM fitting. With these advancements, the utility of UT-AAM in practice is considerably enhanced. As an example, we demonstrate the improvements in training facial landmark detectors through the use of UT-AAM to synthesise a large number of virtual samples. Experimental results obtained using the Multi-PIE and 300-W face datasets demonstrate the merits of the proposed approach.
Changes in intracellular calcium concentration and P2X1 receptor expression in hypertrophic rat urinary bladder smooth muscle

Contractile responses to purinergic activation in the urinary bladder are altered in outflow obstruction (O). We determined if the lowered contractile response to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in obstructed rat urinary bladder was due to changes in calcium handling or in P2X1 purinoceptor density.
Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations : Theoretical and Numerical Analysis

We analyze a semidiscrete numerical scheme for approximating the evolution of parametric curves by elastic flow in Rn. The fourth order equation is split into two coupled second order problems, which are approximated by linear finite elements. We prove error bounds for the resulting scheme and present numerical test calculations that confirm our analysis. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 35K55, 65M15, 65M60.
Full-chip leakage analysis in nano-scale technologies: Mechanisms, variation sources, and verification

In this paper, a methodology for full-chip leakage analysis based on accurate modeling of different leakage currents in nano-scaled MOSFETs has been developed. Novel process effects have been covered in our statistical model, and a systematic characterization method of leakage-related parameter variations has been proposed. With these two contributions, we present an effective algorithm to address the growing issue of full-chip leakage verification for actual-fabrication circuits. Unlike many traditional approaches that rely on log-Normal approximations, the proposed algorithm applies a quadratic model of the logarithm for the full-chip leakage current and is able to include both Gaussian and non-Gaussian parameter distributions. Our simulation examples in a 65 nm CMOS process demonstrate that the proposed methodology provides more accurate results compared with the previous methods, while achieving orders of magnitude more efficiency than a Monte Carlo analysis.
Association of Blood Lipids With Common DNA Sequence Variants at 19 Genetic Loci in the Multiethnic United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III

Background—Using the genome-wide association approach in individuals of European ancestry, we and others recently identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 19 loci as associated with blood lipids; 8 of these loci were novel. Whether these same SNPs associate with lipids in a broader range of ethnicities is unknown. Methods and Results—We genotyped index SNPs at 19 loci in the Third United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n=7159), a population-based probability sample of the United States comprised primarily of non-Hispanic blacks, Mexican Americans, and non-Hispanic whites. We constructed ethnic-specific residual blood lipid levels after adjusting for age and gender. Ethnic-specific linear regression was used to test the association of genotype with blood lipids. To summarize the statistical evidence across 3 racial groups, we conducted a fixed-effects variance-weighted meta-analysis. After exclusions, there were 1627 non-Hispanic blacks, 1659 Mexican Americans, and 2230 non-Hispanic whites. At 5 loci (1p13 near CELSR2/PSRC1/SORT1, HMGCR, CETP, LPL, and APOA5), the index SNP was associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglycerides in all 3 ethnic groups. At the remaining loci, there was mixed evidence by ethnic group. In meta-analysis, we found that, at 14 of the 19 loci, SNPs exceeded a nominal P<0.05. Conclusions—At 5 loci including the recently discovered region on 1p13 near CELSR2/PSRC1/SORT1, the same SNP discovered in whites associates with blood lipids in non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans. For the remaining loci, fine mapping and resequencing will be required to definitively evaluate the relevance of each locus in individuals of African and Hispanic ancestries.
Generalized Curvature-Matter Couplings in Modified Gravity

In this work, we review a plethora of modified theories of gravity with generalized curvature-matter couplings. The explicit nonminimal couplings, for instance, between an arbitrary function of the scalar curvature $R$ and the Lagrangian density of matter, induces a non-vanishing covariant derivative of the energy-momentum tensor, implying non-geodesic motion and consequently leads to the appearance of an extra force. Applied to the cosmological context, these curvature-matter couplings lead to interesting phenomenology, where one can obtain a unified description of the cosmological epochs. We also consider the possibility that the behavior of the galactic flat rotation curves can be explained in the framework of the curvature-matter coupling models, where the extra-terms in the gravitational field equations modify the equations of motion of test particles, and induce a supplementary gravitational interaction. In addition to this, these models are extremely useful for describing dark energy-dark matter interactions, and for explaining the late-time cosmic acceleration.
Electronic structure of intermetallic compounds with CsCl structure

Susceptibility, specific heat and Knight shift measurements as well as bandstructure calculations have been made for intermetallic compounds of the CsCl structure, ScB (where B is Ag, Cu, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ru), YRh and LaAg, to study the influence of filling the d shell of atom B. An analysis is given which yields quantitative results for the local susceptibilities, as characterized for the different angular momenta and sites of origin.
ESTIMATION AND USE OF SERUM LEVELS IN THE EVALUATION OF THE NEW PENICILLINS.

demonstrate a chemotherapeutic effect of a compound that has a reasonable degree of activity against a certain pathogen, particularly if the dosage used in the trial is high enough to provide adequate free antibiotic levels in serum and tissues. Unfortunately, with so many new antibiotics at our disposal, it is extremely difficult to show clinically that one effective antibiotic is in fact better than another effective antibiotic and if comparison is to be made, very large numbers of patients are required for it is not possible to carry out a comparitive trial at threshold dosages when treating active human infections.
Stochastic chase decoder for reed-solomon codes

This paper presents a hardware implementation of a soft-decision Reed-Solomon (RS) decoder, based on the stochastic Chase algorithm. This decoder achieves a coding gain of at least 0.45 dB at FER=10-4 for the well-known RS(255,239) code. To the best of our knowledge this is the highest reported coding gain for a hardware implementation of soft-decision RS(255,239) decoder. The decoder is implemented on a Virtex-5 FPGA and works at 800 Mb/s. The proposed decoder has a flexible architecture and is well suited for applications requiring different throughputs and decoding performance.
Non-rectangular shaping and sizing of soft modules in floorplan design

Studies the problem of changing the shapes and dimensions of the flexible modules to fill up the unused area of a preliminary floorplan, while keeping the relative positions between the modules unchanged. The selection of modules and empty spaces is made by the users interactively. We formulate the problem as a mathematical program. We use the Lagrangian relaxation technique to solve the problem. The formulation is in such a perfect way that the dimensions of all the rectangular and nonrectangular modules can be computed by closed form equations efficiently.
ADTWeb: An open-source browser based automatic drum transcription system

This project presents a web based automatic drum transcription (ADT) system called ADTWeb, which improves on existing systems by automatically generating drum tabulature and enabling web-scale user access. ADTWeb consists of two main stages: i) ADT and ii) monitoring and improvement. The transcription uses pre-trained soft attention mechanism neural networks for each of the three drum instruments under observation (i.e., kick drum, snare drum and hi-hat), to determine drum onset locations. The monitoring stage is where user interaction is tracked and users can contribute additional audio and annotations to improve the ADT process.
FERTILIZATION SUCCESS IN THE EASTERN OYSTER Crassostrea virginica and HYDRODYNAMIC INFLUENCES OF OYSTER SHELL ON LARVAL RETENTION

Natural populations of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica typically form dense, vertically-oriented shell assemblages comprised of rough, irregular surfaces which likely influence local water flow, affecting the transit of particles, including gametes and larvae, over them. Since oysters reproduce externally, dense assemblages of simultaneously spawning oysters may maximize gamete interactions before dilution occurs. In the water column, developing larvae may be transported both passively (with large-scale water flow) and/or actively (due to vertical swimming). Once near the bed, larvae may become entrained in interstitial shell spaces among oysters or oyster shells, further increasing the likelihood of settling within an oyster community. Experiments conducted in this thesis showed fertilization success sharply decreased with increasing distance between introduced gametes in tanks without flow. In addition, more larvae were retained on flume beds covered with shell clumps than those without. Additional flume experiments suggested shell density and shell orientation significantly influenced larval retention. DEDICATION In loving memory of my mother, Peggy H. Pavlos 1941-2002 " Reach for the stars Baby, reach for the stars. " ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A ZVS High Power Factor Converter with Integrated Buck and Boost Converter

This paper proposes a single-phase high-power factor ac/dc converter with soft-switching characteristic. The circuit topology is derived by integrating a boost converter and a buck converter. The boost converter performs the function of power-factor correction (PFC) to obtain high power factor and low current harmonics at the input line. The buck converter further regulates the dc-link voltage to provide a stable dc output voltage. Without using any activeclamp circuit or snubber circuit, the active switches of the proposed converter can achieve zero-voltage switching-on (ZVS) transition together with high power factor that satisfies the IEC 61000-3-2 standards over a wide load range from 30% to 100% rated power. The buck or boost converter can further regulate the output voltage of the boost converter to obtain a smooth dc voltage. In pursuit of high efficiency and high power factor, researchers have presented many single-stage ac/dc converters based on the integration of a PFC stage and a dc to-dc stage. The steady-state analysis is developed and a design example is provided. A prototype circuit of 60 W was built and tested. Experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed circuit with satisfactory
In vivo N‐glycosylation of the Mep2 high‐affinity ammonium transporter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals an extracytosolic N‐terminus

Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses three related ammonium transporters, Mep1, Mep2 and Mep3, differing in their kinetic properties and in the level and regulation of their gene expression. The three Mep proteins belong to a family conserved in bacteria, plants and animals, which also includes proteins of the rhesus blood group family. In addition to its role in scavenging extracellular ammonium, the Mep2 protein has been proposed to act as an ammonium sensor, essential to pseudohyphal differentiation in response to ammonium limitation. To pursue the biochemical study of the Mep transporters, we raised polyclonal antibodies against the C‐terminal tail of each Mep protein. When electrophoresed on SDS–polyacrylamide gel, the Mep1 and Mep3 proteins migrate as expected from their predicted size, whereas the Mep2 protein migrates as a high‐molecular‐weight smear. Protein deglycosylation with peptide‐N‐glycosidase F (PNGase F) indicates that, in contrast to Mep1 and Mep3, Mep2 is an asparagine‐linked glycoprotein. Site‐directed mutagenesis of the four potential N‐glycosylation sites of Mep2 shows that Asn‐4 of the protein's N‐terminal tail is the only site that binds oligosaccharides. This provides evidence for the extracytosolic location of the Mep2 N‐terminus. Consistently, treatment of intact protoplasts with proteinase K leads to specific proteolysis of the N‐terminal tail of Mep2. The protein's C‐terminus, on the other hand, is protected against protease degradation under these conditions, but digested after protoplast permeabilization, suggesting a cytoplasmic location for this part of the protein. Mep2 glycosylation is not required for pseudohyphal differentiation in response to ammonium starvation, and its absence causes only a slight reduction in the affinity of the transporter for its substrate.
The Impact of Past Performance on Information Valuation in Virtual Communities: Empirical Study in Online Stock Message Board

Individuals may seek and read others' opinions or may want to interact with others after participating in virtual communities. Information, opinions, and advice in virtual communities may drive individuals to make decisions. However, the value of information may vary from person to person. Individuals with different perceptions and experiences may differently evaluate the same information. Our study thus investigates how individuals process others' opinions on stock message boards for their investment decisions when they have different levels of investment returns. The actual gain/loss of wealth may influence investors' information processing behaviors. The behavioral finance literature argues that self-attribution bias influences an investor's learning process. The self-attribution bias suggests that investors who use others' opinions for their decisions may lower the usefulness of opinions when losing money but increase opinions' investment-related abilities when making a profit from investments. In the context of online stock message boards, we investigate the influence of information valuation in virtual communities and start with an exploration of how they attribute their success or failure to either themselves or other investors on stock message boards. Unlike other studies of continuous intention to use a virtual community, we consider the two paths using the factors of the online stock message board itself and individual factors for continuous intention to use the online stock message board. Thus, our research is related to the information system literature and the finance literature.
Identification and Disruption of Two Discrete Loci Encoding Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Biosynthesis GeneshasA, hasB, and hasC inStreptococcus uberis

ABSTRACT The hyaluronic acid capsule of Streptococcus uberis has been implicated in conferring resistance to phagocytosis by bovine neutrophils. Construction of a bank of random insertion mutants ofS. uberis (strain 0140J) was achieved using the pGh9::ISS1 mutagenesis system (22). Phenotypic screening of approximately 5,000 clones enabled the isolation of 11 acapsular mutants. Southern hybridization indicated that two mutants carried a lesion within a group of genes similar to those involved in the assembly of the hyaluronic acid capsule found in the group AStreptococcus (GAS) has operon. The DNA sequence flanking the points of insertion confirmed the presence of homologues of GAS hasA and hasB in S. uberis. The DNA sequence flanking the ISS1 insertion in another mutant identified a homologue of hasC inS. uberis. The GAS hasABC operon structure was not conserved in S. uberis, and two discrete loci comprising homologues of either hasAB or hasCwere identified. Disruption of S. uberis hasA orhasC resulted in the complete cessation of hyaluronic acid capsule production. Correspondingly, these mutants were found to have lost their resistance to phagocytosis by bovine neutrophils. The bactericidal action of bovine neutrophils on S. uberis0140J was shown unequivocally to depend upon the capsule status of the bacterium.