Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Faster cyclic loess: normalizing RNA arrays via linear models

MOTIVATION Our goal was to develop a normalization technique that yields results similar to cyclic loess normalization and with speed comparable to quantile normalization. RESULTS Fastlo yields normalized values similar to cyclic loess and quantile normalization and is fast; it is at least an order of magnitude faster than cyclic loess and approaches the speed of quantile normalization. Furthermore, fastlo is more versatile than both cyclic loess and quantile normalization because it is model-based. AVAILABILITY The Splus/R function for fastlo normalization is available from the authors.
Analytic modeling of the bias temperature instability using capture/emission time maps

Despite a number of recent advances made in the understanding of the bias temperature instability (BTI), there is still no simple model available which can capture BTI degradation during DC or duty-factor (DF) dependent stress and the following recovery. By exploiting the intuitive features of the recently proposed capture/emission time (CET) maps [1, 2], we suggest an analytic model capable of handling a wide number of BTI stress and recovery patterns. As the model captures both the temperature- and bias- dependence of the degradation, it allows for realistic lifetime extrapolation. Compared to available models which do not consider the saturation of the degradation, our model predicts considerably more optimistic lifetimes.
How Do Unexpected E.C.B. And Fed Actions Affect EUR/USD Dynamics?

This paper comprehensively calculates corporate intangible assets by industry from 1998 to 2009, and evaluates the impact of expensing intangible assets on the cost of capital, the METR, and the welfare cost of inter-asset taxation, under current law and alternative tax policy including recent policy proposals. It also estimates the welfare cost of 'leveling the playing field'. I find that capitalizing intangible assets can reduce the METR by up to 28 percentage points in finance. The intangible-inclusive welfare cost of inter-asset taxation is twice as large as a conventional measure under current law, and can be much larger than the tax revenue loss of alternative policy. Leveling the playing field may reduce or increase the deadweight loss of inter-asset taxation. The results provide a valuable input for research estimating the impact of investment tax incentives.
Evidence on Lack of Liquidity for Small Public Firms

This study compares the value of small privately held firms with similarly sized, small publicly held firms when the businesses are actually sold to ascertain the private ownership discount. These results are important to better understand the effects of public ownership and liquidity on the valuation of small firms. The data show a public ownership discount that is pronounced and statistically significant for smaller firms ($20-100 Million selling price) opposite of the traditional view of a discount for the privately held firms. For the larger firms in our sample ($100-1,000 million), public firms sell at a premium over similar sized private firms. The data also show a significant discount for the smaller firms as a group as compared to the larger firms.The effect of SOX on the valuation is also considered. We find that, from the stand point of net effect on value, there is a statistically insignificant negative effect on both the firms in our “larger” group and our “smaller” group.
An automated IPX characterization system

In the highly competitive market of RFICs, components test plays a key role. In order to reduce the critical factor time to market, the main objective is to test the most products possible in the least amount of time, for the lowest cost and with the highest accuracy. Automated tests help reaching this goal, for example for intermodulation measurements, which are ones of the most important parameters when characterizing mixers and LNAs. A fully automated modular test system in industrial R&D laboratory environment has been developed for RF and I/O products. This paper presents a part of this global test system and focuses on intermodulation measurements capabilities. Automatic calibration and report generation, traceability, large modularity, enhanced accuracy, multiple instruments choice, friendly interface, reuse strategy are ones of the main features of this system. Using this validated solution, the reduction of characterization time is a factor of 5. In the future, this system will be extended not only to all kind of RF measurements but also to complete tests of PLL/VCO, mixed products. A closed loop will allow comparing, in a direct flow, simulation and tests results. The perspectives of this system are thus wide opened.
Fuzzy logic control of FES rowing exercise in paraplegia

An indoor personal rowing machine (Concept 2 Inc., Morrisville, VT) has been modified for functional electrical stimulation assisted rowing exercise in paraplegia. To successfully perform the rowing maneuver, the voluntarily controlled upper body movements must be coordinated with the movements of the electrically stimulated paralyzed legs. To achieve such coordination, an automatic controller was developed that employs two levels of hierarchy. A high level finite state controller identifies the state or phase of the rowing motion and activates a low-level state-dedicated fuzzy logic controller (FLC) to deliver the electrical stimulation to the paralyzed leg muscles. A pilot study with participation of two paraplegic volunteers showed that FLC spent less muscle energy, and produced smoother rowing maneuvers than the existing On-Off constant-level stimulation controller.
Successful Use of Topical Voriconazole 1% Alone as First-Line Antifungal Therapy Against Candida albicans Keratitis

Objective: To report the successful use of topical voriconazole 1% given alone as primary therapy against a case of Candida albicans keratitis. Case Summary: A 48-year-old previously well man presented to the emergency department with pain and foreign body sensation in the left eye following exposure to dust while driving a forklift He wore weekly disposable soft contact lenses. Anterior stromal scar and dense infiltrate were detected in the left eye. The anterior chamber remained deep, with flare and copious white cells. Intraocular pressure was 12 mm Hg and visual acuity was 20/200. The epithelial defect persisted, with progressive thinning despite topical fluorometholone and ofloxacin 0.3% therapy for 2 days. Microbiology testing revealed C. albicans as the affecting pathogen. Hourly administration of voriconazole 1% eye drops was initiated as antifungal therapy. The corneal infiltrate began to resolve and the epithelial defect decreased in size within 2 days. Visual acuity improved to 20/120. After 4 days of voriconazole use, the epithelial defect was completely healed and visual acuity was 20/30 in the affected eye. No fungi were isolated from a second eye scrape. Discussion: Topical voriconazole as salvage monotherapy to manage fungal keratitis has been previously reported. It can be argued, however, that the primary therapy has facilitated the positive response to subsequent topical voriconazole. To date, there has been no solid evidence to suggest that topical voriconazole is effective when used as primary therapy. The current report provides evidence of topical voriconazole demonstrating clinical success when used as first-line therapy to treat C. albicans keratitis. The use of topical voriconazole can reduce the costs, toxicity, and drug interactions associated with common antifungal therapies. Conclusions: Topical voriconazole 1% eye drops administered alone demonstrated success as first-line therapy against the most common fungal keratitis, C. albicans keratitis.
In vitro development of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms using slime-producing variants and ATP-bioluminescence for automated bacterial quantification.

In this work, a method was developed to establish Staphylococcus aureus biofilms on 96-well plates and automatically quantify viable cells within these biofilms by ATP-bioluminescence. Different strains were compared for biofilm formation. Cells from slime producing (SP) strain variants were more adherent (p < 0.001) and therefore more suitable for biofilm formation than non-slime producing original isolates. To compare biofilm support surfaces, SP biofilms were formed for 6, 24 and 48 h on 96-well polystyrene plates, containing wells coated with gelatin, poly-L-lysine or pre-treated for tissue culture and uncoated wells. Tissue culture-treated wells enhanced biofilm formation, allowing the highest growth (p < 0.001) in well-established biofilms (24 or 48 h old). For ATP quantification, the efficacy of different ATP extractants was compared: dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), a commercially available releasing reagent(R) (RR) and lysostaphin. A greater inhibitory effect on the ATP detection (p < 0.01), a more variable light emission (variation coefficient >/=50% vs. <19%, respectively) and a lower extraction efficiency (p < 0.05) were found in the case of TCA or lysostaphin in relation to RR or DMSO. DMSO was found preferable in relation to RR (upper detection limits 2.3 x 10(9) and 2 x 10(8) CFU/mL respectively) for bacterial ATP extraction from biofilms with high bacterial density. DMSO extracted ATP within seconds, light emission being stable for 6 h. The method developed allows automated viability determination of biofilm cells using bioluminescence and simultaneous study of factors affecting this viability (culture media, antibiotic types, antimicrobial concentrations, support surfaces and biofilm ages). It may be of use in bacteriological and antimicrobial research.
Suppression of Cartilage Degradation by Zingerone Involving the p38 and JNK MAPK Signaling Pathway

Abstract Zingerone, an active compound that is present in cooked ginger, has been claimed to be a bioactive ingredient that holds the potential of preventing and/or treating diseases involving inflammation. In this study, zingerone was used to discover its properties against joint inflammation using interleukin-1β-induced osteoarthritis in cartilage explant and cell culture models. Zingerone was supplemented into the cartilage explant and cell culture media at different concentrations along with the presence of interleukin-1β, an inducer of osteoarthritis. Markers indicating cartilage degradation, inflammation, and the signaling molecules involved in the inflammatory induction were investigated. Diacerien, an anti-osteoarthritic drug, was used as a positive control. Zingerone at a concentration of 40 µM reduced the level of matrix metalloproteinase-13 to about 31.95 ± 4.33 % compared with the interleukin-1β-treated group and halted cartilage explant degradation as indicated by reducing the accumulative release of sulfated glycosaminoglycans by falling to the control concomitantly with an elevation of the remaining contents of uronic acid and collagen in the explant tissues when zingerone was added. In the SW1353 cell line model, zingerone efficiently suppressed the expression of TNF-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8 mRNA levels and tended to reduce the levels of both p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that zingerone potentially reduced cartilage degradation, which is partially involved in p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinases of the mitogen activator protein kinase signaling pathway leading to the reduction of proinflammatory cytokine amplification effects and cartilage-degrading enzyme syntheses. This finding supports the contention that ginger holds positive pharmaceutical effects against osteoarthritis.
Road traffic modelling and simulating with fluid-dynamic approach

In this work we present a mathematical model for fluid-dynamic flows on road networks, based on conservation laws according with Piccoli et al. approach. The road network is represented by means of a links and nodes structure. A description of Riemann Solver at junction is given and a complete implementation of this model is then presented, together with some results from computational experiences on different real case studies of road networks.
Gloss and Stain Resistance of Ceramic-Polymer CAD/CAM Restorative Blocks.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the gloss and stain resistance of several new ceramic-polymer CAD/CAM blocks MATERIALS AND METHODS Specimens (4 mm) were sectioned from: Enamic (polymer-infused ceramic), LAVA Ultimate (nano-ceramic reinforced polymer), e.max (lithium disilicate), Paradigm C (porcelain), and Paradigm MZ100 (composite). Specimens were wet polished on a polishing wheel to either 320 grit silicon paper (un-polished, N = 8) or 2000 grit silicon carbide papers followed by a 0.05 μm alumina slurry (polished, N = 8). Initial gloss and color (L*a*b*) values were measured. Specimens were stored in a staining solution at 37°C in darkness for 12 days (simulating 1 year). After storage, L*a*b* values re-measured. Change in color was reported as ΔE00 based on the CIEDE2000 formula. Gloss and ΔE00 were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (alpha = .05). Separate one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc analyses were performed for both polish conditions and all materials. RESULTS Two-way ANOVA showed that factors material, polish and their interaction were significant for both gloss and ΔE00 (p < .01). Post-hoc analysis reveals that polished specimens had significantly less color change than un-polished specimens for Paradigm C and LAVA Ultimate. E.max had significantly higher gloss and less color change than all other materials. CONCLUSION The composition and polish of CAD/CAM materials affects gloss and stain resistance. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Ceramic-polymer hybrid materials can achieve the high gloss required for esthetic restorations. These materials should be polished in order to minimize staining. If polished, all of the tested materials exhibited clinically acceptable color changes at 1 year of simulated staining. (J Esthet Restor Dent 28:S40-S45, 2016).
Sampled-data periodic predictor feedback for linear systems with input delay

In this paper we propose sampled-data periodic predictor feedback controllers for linear systems with input delay. For any size of input delay and any prescribed sampling period, an explicit sampled-data periodic predictor feedback controller is constructed and shown to be able to stabilize the given delay system. Such a controller utilizes only the state information at the latest sampling instant and the control inputs at some past sampling instants. Under the condition that the open-loop system is not exponentially unstable (but maybe polynomially unstable), a truncated version of the sampled-data periodic predictor feedback controller is also proposed, which is a memoryless controller that needs only the state at the latest sampling instant. Stability of the closed-loop system under the truncated sampled-data periodic predictor feedback controller is proven. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed designs.
Receiver antenna synchronization and carrier frequency offsets pre-mitigation for distributed massive MIMO system

This paper presents a receiver antenna synchronization and carrier frequency offsets pre-mitigation procedure, which is proposed for distributed massive MIMO system. The technique's performance is dependent to the SNR as well as the number of OFDM symbols per transmission packet. It has been shown that the procedure is working using a rapid prototyping platform based on WARP board. The MIMO system employing 16 receiver's antenna has been shown to provide approximately 15dB transmit energy saving gain compared to a two-antenna system.
Iterated simplified multiple model filters for target tracking in the presence of glint

The problem of target tracking in the presence of glint is investigated in the paper. Traditional interactive multiple model filters for tracking with target glint were first summarized and then simplified multiple model filters were developed in full detail according to a Gaussian assumption in the interactive multiple model structure. Novel iterated filters based on unscented Kalman filter and extended Kalman filter were put forward and then combined with simplified multiple model algorithms in order to improve tracking performance. Compared with the standard simplified multiple model filter, the proposed filters has higher estimation accuracy plus faster convergence speed. Simulation results demonstrate the conclusion above.
How to Recover from the Great Recession: The Case of a Two-Sector Small Open Economy with Traded and Non-Traded Capital

Since the global financial crisis in 2008, the world economy has been suffering from the Great Recession characterized by high and persistent unemployment as well as drastic fall in asset prices. Real business cycle theory or new-Keynesian economics which has been the dominant paradigm in macroeconomics for the last four decades is unable to explain the high and persistent unemployment during the Great Recession. This implies that the economics of Keynes should be taken seriously again as a tool to explain the Great Recession. Farmer (2012) proposes a new way of interpreting the economics of Keynes by providing it with a solid micro-foundation based on labor markets with search. According to Farmer (2012), aggregate economic activity independently depends on the long-term self-fulfilling expectations about the stock prices. As a consequence, the government or the central bank should implement a policy that influences the public's confidence about the stock market. For an open economy like the Korean economy, it is not only stock price but also the price of asset such as house that matters more for the aggregate economic activity. Households in the Korean economy hold more than 70 percent of their wealth in the form of real estate asset, especially housing asset. This makes the public's confidence about the future prices of houses even more important in explaining the business cycles of the Korean economy. Policymakers should implement policies to improve the confidence of households about the housing market to recover from the recession caused by a fall in house prices. Little theoretical work has been done in explaining fluctuations in the aggregate economic activity from the point of house prices. This paper develops a small open economy model with traded and non-traded capital based on Farmer (2012) and shows that the aggregate economic activity also independently depends on the households' self-fulfilling expectations about the future prices of non-traded asset such as houses.
Normal-Mode Decomposition of Surface Power Distribution in Multiple-Coil Induction Heating Systems

We present a procedure to obtain the surface power distribution in the load of a multiple-coil induction heating system. The surface power distribution is modulated by applying certain phase shifts between the currents flowing through the coils. This modulation depends on the coupling factors between the coils. In this paper, the surface power distribution is obtained using the tangential electrical field distribution arising from each coil in the surface of the load normalized by the current flowing through the coil. For the sake of simplicity, the reference system to be analyzed consists of two concentric coils. Finally, the model is validated, giving the comparison between the simulation results and the experimental data of the dependence on the modulation parameters, i.e., the phase-shift between the coils, of the total power delivered to the load.
Factors influencing the release kinetics of drug nanocrystal-loaded pellet formulations

Context: This article discusses the downstream processing of nanosuspensions into oral solid dosage forms. Objective: Various factors influencing the release kinetics of various pellet formulations containing drug nanocrystals have been evaluated. The effects of binder types, drug content and pellet type on the in-vitro dissolution profiles were investigated. Materials and methods: Hydrocortisone acetate (HCA) was nanosized by using a piston gap homogenizer Micron Lab 40. The nanosuspension was admixed to various binder solutions based on chitosan chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sprayed on sugar beads using fluidized bed coating. For comparison, matrix cores have also been prepared using the extrusion-spheronization process. An enteric top coating was applied onto both pellet types. All pellet formulations have been tested In in-vitro dissolution studies. Results and discussion: HCA nanosuspensions were compatible with all binders tested except for PVP. Various suspensions could be successfully transferred into spray coated pellets as well as matrix cores including a top coating. The different binder types have influenced the stability of the nanosuspensions, the zeta potential of the drug nanocrystals as well as the dissolution profiles of the final solid dosage forms. Conclusion: Nanosuspensions can be easily processed into various pellet formulations. Spray coating with water-soluble binders is recommended for high dose drugs. This technology is also more variable with respect to the drug load In the final dosage form. Matrix cores can be beneficial for highly water-insoluble formulations, especially when only relatively low doses are needed.
Research on information security testing technology for smart Substations

As a critical infrastructure, smart substation is one of typical industrial control systems, whose information security evaluation has been one of the most pressing issues. As much as a system is critical, chances of attack from outer or from inner are more. The attack could be on hardware device, software solution and on integrated database with in substation. This paper introduces some experiences from the practices of smart substation's information security testing in Jiangsu Electric Power Company Research Institute (JSEPRI). We first give information security threats faced by ICS in the filed of smart grid, analyze the requirements of the information security testing system construction, proposes a method to build a testbed for substations, and describes several key technologies involved in the testbed.
SEPH, a Cdc7p orthologue from Aspergillus nidulans, functions upstream of actin ring formation during cytokinesis

In the filamentous fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, multiple rounds of nuclear division occur before cytokinesis, allowing an unambiguous identification of genes required specifically for cytokinesis. As in animal cells, both an intact microtubule cytoskeleton and progression through mitosis are required for actin ring formation and contraction. The sepH gene from A. nidulans was discovered in a screen for temperature‐sensitive cytokinesis mutants. Sequence analysis showed that SEPH is 42% identical to the serine–threonine kinase Cdc7p from fission yeast. Signalling through the Septation Initiation Network (SIN), which includes Cdc7p and the GTPase Spg1p, is emerging as a primary regulatory pathway used by fission yeast to control cytokinesis. A similar group of proteins comprise the Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) in budding yeast. This is the first direct evidence for the existence of a functional SIN–MEN pathway outside budding and fission yeast. In addition to SEPH, potential homologues were also identified in other fungi and plants but not in animal cells. Deletion of sepH resulted in a viable strain that failed to septate at any temperature. Interestingly, quantitative analysis of the actin cytoskeleton revealed that sepH is required for construction of the actin ring. Therefore, SEPH is distinct from its counterpart in fission yeast, in which SIN components operate downstream of actin ring formation and are necessary for ring contraction and later events of septation. We conclude that A. nidulans has components of a SIN–MEN pathway, one of which, SEPH, is required for early events during cytokinesis.