Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel approach to querying the Web: Integrating Retrieval and Browsing

We propose a new approach to querying the Web based on information retrieval (IR), browsing, as well as database techniques so as to provide maximum exibility to the user. We present a model based on object representation where an identity does not correspond to a source HTML page but to a fragment of it. A fragment is identiied by using the explicit structure provided by the HTML tags as well as the implicit structure extracted using IR techniques. We deene a query language, PIQL, that is a simple algebra extended with restructuring primitives. Our language expresses browsing and restructuring based on IR techniques in a uniied framework. All these components take part in the AKIRA system, currently under development.
Carbon Nanotube Interconnects for End-of-Roadmap Semiconductor Technology Nodes

Advances in semiconductor technology due to aggressive downward scaling of on-chip feature sizes have led to rapid rises in resistivity and current density of interconnect conductors. As a result, current interconnect materials, Cu and W, are subject to performance and reliability constraints approaching or exceeding their physical limits. Therefore, alternative materials such as nanocarbons, metal silicides, and Ag nanowires are actively considered as potential replacements to meet such constraints. Among nanocarbons, carbon nanotube (CNT) is among the leading replacement candidate for on-chip interconnect vias due to its high aspect-ratio nanostructure and superior currentcarrying capacity to those of Cu, W, and other potential candidates. However, contact resistance of CNT with metal is a major bottleneck in device functionalization. To meet the challenge posed by contact resistance, several techniques are designed and implemented. First, the via fabrication and CNT growth processes are developed to increase the CNT packing density inside via and to ensure no CNT growth on via sidewalls. CNT vias with cross-sections down to 40 nm  40 nm are fabricated, which have linewidths similar to those used for on-chip interconnects in current integrated circuit manufacturing technology nodes. Then the via top contact is metallized to increase the total CNT area interfacing with the contact metal and to improve the contact quality and reproducibility. Current-voltage characteristics of individual fabricated CNT vias are measured using a nanoprober and contact resistance is extracted with a first-reported contact resistance extraction scheme for 40 nm linewidth. Based on results for 40 nm and 60 nm top-contact metallized CNT vias, we demonstrate that not only are their currentcarrying capacities two orders of magnitude higher than their Cu and W counterparts, they are enhanced by reduced via resistance due to contact engineering. While the current-carrying capacities well exceed those projected for end-of-roadmap technology nodes, the via resistances remain a challenge to replace Cu and W, though our results suggest that further innovations in contact engineering could begin to overcome such challenge.
Open-circuit fault diagnosis for single-phase cascaded H-bridge rectifiers in electrical traction systems

The single-phase power electronic traction trans­former (PETT) is a power device to realize the higher efficiency and reduction of weight in railway traction system. The single-phase cascaded H-bridge rectifiers (CHBR) are an important part of the single-phase PETT. In order to ensure its reliability, an open-circuit fault diagnosis method based on the mixed logical dynamic (MLD) model and the state estimator is built for the open-circuit fault of a single IGBT. The MLD model and the state estimator of the CHBR are constructed under both normal and faulty conditions, and the residual characteristics are analyzed in the two states. Fault diagnosis is achieved according to the residuals including fault information. The proposed method requires no additional sensor. Experimental results verify the availability and accuracy of the proposed method, and the location of the fault can be accomplished in a fundamental cycle.
Non-Thermal Plasma Surface Modification of Biodegradable Polymers

Biodegradable polymers are often used as packaging materials. However, these polymers can also play an important role in tissue engineering as so called scaffolds (i.e. threedimensional porous structures). The success of these biodegradable scaffolds strongly depends on the reaction of them with their surrounding biological environment. This reaction is mainly governed by the surface features of the scaffold and different approaches have already been tested to change the surface properties of biodegradable polymers. In particular, the research field on the use of non-thermal plasmas for a selective surface modification has known a steep rise. Therefore, this chapter will give an introductory and critical overview on recent achievements in plasma-assisted surface modification of biodegradable polymers. Firstly, we will discuss in short the most commonly biodegradable polymers. Secondly, we will go into more detail about surface modification by a nonthermal plasma and finally we will focus on some examples of plasma-treated biodegradable polymers.
Repetition enhancement and perceptual processing of visual word form

The current study investigated the cerebral basis of word perceptual repetition priming with fMRI during a letter detection task that manipulated the familiarity of perceptual word form and the number of repetitions. Some neuroimaging studies have reported increases, instead of decreases, in brain activations (called “repetition enhancement”) associated with repetition priming of unfamiliar stimuli which have been interpreted as the creation of new perceptual representations for unfamiliar items. According to this interpretation, several repetitions of unfamiliar items would then be necessary for the repetition priming to occur, a hypothesis not explicitly tested in prior studies. In the present study, using a letter detection task on briefly flashed words, we explored the effect of familiarity on brain response for word visual perceptual priming using both words with usual (i.e., familiar) and unusual (i.e., unfamiliar) font, presented up to four times for stimuli with unusual font. This allows potential changes in the brain responses for unfamiliar items to be assessed over several repetitions, i.e., repetition enhancement to suppression. Our results reveal significant increases of activity in the bilateral occipital areas related to repetition of words in both familiar and unfamiliar conditions. Our findings support the sharpening hypothesis, showing a lack of cerebral economy with repetition when the task requires the processing of all word features, whatever the familiarity of the material, and emphasize the influence of the nature of stimuli processing on its neuronal manifestation.
The application of artificial neural network in the prediction of the as-cast impact toughness of spheroidal graphite cast iron

This paper presents the application of artificial neural network (ANN) in the foundry process. Two-layer feedforward neural network which is trained using backpropagation algorithm that updates weights and biases values according to gradient descent momentum and an adaptive learning rate (Backpropagation Neural Network-BPNN) has been established to predict the as-cast impact toughness of spheroidal graphite cast iron (SGI) using the thermal analysis (TA) parameters as inputs. Generalization property of the developed ANN is very good, which is confirmed by a very good accordance between the predicted and the targeted values of as-cast impact toughness on a new data set that was not included in the training data set.
The envelope of symmetry on tensors and characteristic free Schur-Weyl duality

The envelope of the action of the symmetric group Sr on rank r tensors has dimension independent of the characteristic of the base field. M. Härterich proved this, using G.E. Murphy’s combinatorial basis of the Hecke algebra of Sr in order to describe an explicit basis for the the annihilator of tensor space. This leads to a proof of Schur-Weyl duality in positive characteristic, assuming the classical result in characteristic zero. We give an exposition of this approach to establishing characteristic free Schur-Weyl duality.
Non-scan Design-for-testability Of Rt-level Data Paths

This paper presents a non-scan design-for-testability technique applicable to register-transfer (RT) level data path circuits, which are usually very hard-to-test due to the presence of complex loop structures. We develop a new testability measure, and utilize the RT-level structure of the data path, for cost-effective re-design of the circuit to make it easily testable, without having to either scan any flip-flop or breakloops directly. The non-scan DFT technique was applied to several data path circuits. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-scan testable data paths, which can be tested at-speed. The hardware overhead and the test application time required for the non-scan designs is significantly lower than the corresponding partial scan designs.
Sparse Vector Recovery: Bernoulli-Gaussian Message Passing

Low-cost message passing (MP) algorithm has been recognized as a promising technique for sparse vector recovery. However, the existing MP algorithms either focus on mean square error (MSE) of the value recovery while ignoring the sparsity requirement, or support error rate (SER) of the sparse support (non-zero position) recovery while ignoring its value. A novel low-complexity Bernoulli-Gaussian MP (BGMP) is proposed to perform the value recovery as well as the support recovery. Particularly, in the proposed BGMP, support-related Bernoulli messages and value- related Gaussian messages are jointly processed and assist each other. In addition, a strict lower bound is developed for the MSE of BGMP via the genie-aided minimum mean-square-error (GA-MMSE) method. The GA-MMSE lower bound is shown to be tight in high signal-to-noise ratio. Numerical results are provided to verify the advantage of BGMP in terms of final MSE, SER and convergence speed.
Probabilistic analysis of manipulation tasks: a research agenda

The problem of manipulation planning in the presence of uncertainty is addressed. The worst-case planning techniques introduced in Lozano-Perez, Mason, and Taylor (1984) are reviewed. It is shown that these methods are limited by an information gap inherent to worst-case analysis techniques. As the task uncertainty increases, these methods fail to produce useful information even though a high-quality plan may exist. To fill this gap, the probabilistic backprojection, which describes the likelihood that a given action will achieve the task goal from a given initial state is presented. A constructive definition of the probabilistic backprojection and related probabilistic models of manipulation task mechanics is provided. It is shown how these models unify several past results in manipulation planning. These models capture the fundamental nature of the task behavior, but appear to be very complex. Methods for computing these models are sketched. Efficient computational methods remain unknown. <<ETX>>
Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of Continuous and Highly Conducting Gold Thin Films

Five Au(III) compounds were synthesized and evaluated for atomic layer deposition of Au thin films. One of the compounds, Me2Au(S2CNEt2), showed optimal thermal characteristics while being volatile and thermally stable. In the growth experiments, this compound was applied with O3 at temperatures of 120–250 °C. Self-limiting growth was confirmed at 180 °C with a rate of 0.9 A/cycle. The deposited Au thin films were uniform, polycrystalline, continuous, and conductive. Typical resistivity values of 40 nm thick films were 4–16 μΩ cm, which are low for chemically deposited thin films. The chemical composition of a Au thin film deposited at 180 °C was analyzed by time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis, proving the film was pure with small amounts of impurities. The detected impurities were O (2.9 atom %), H (0.9 atom %), C (0.2 atom %), and N (0.2 atom %).
SIMULATION STUDY OF PARASITIC BARRIER FORMATION IN Si/SiGe HETEROSTRUCTURES

In this study, the effects of displacement of a p-n junction from coincidence with a SiGe/Si heterojunction have been investigated using a simple analytical model. The phenomenon is of interest for understanding the degradation in performance of NPN SiGe/Si heterojunction bipolar transistors where Ge is employed in the base when there is boron outdiffusion that produces p-n junction displacement at one or both of the emitter and the collector-base junctions. This analysis describes the formation of parasitic barriers in the conduction band associated with this p-n junction displacement. The barrier is significantly larger for the heterojunction located on the p-side, but the barrier height is also a function of the Germanium content, doping level and the magnitude of the displacement. Junction bias and high current density flow also modulate the barrier’s height. These barriers degrade the performance of the SiGe HBT in terms of its current gain, cutoff frequency, power gain and maximum frequency of oscillation. The results of the analytical model are compared with those obtained using a commercial numerical device simulator ATLAS from SILVACO International based on a simple, three-region model of a heterojunction with a nearby p-n junction. The implications of p-n junction displacement on the formation of parasitic barriers at the emitter and the collector junctions in SiGe transistors and their dependence on device operation are discussed.
Landmark Selection and Greedy Landmark-Descent Routing for Sensor Networks

We study the problem of landmark selection for landmark-based routing in a network of fixed wireless communication nodes. We present a distributed landmark selection algorithm that does not rely on global clock synchronization, and a companion local greedy landmark-based routing scheme. We assume no node location information, and that each node can communicate with some of its geographic neighbors. Each node is named by its hop count distances to a small number of nearby landmarks. Greedy routing at a node is performed to equalize its vector of landmark distances to that of the destination. This is done by following the shortest path to the landmark that maximizes the ratio of its distances to the source and the destination. In addition, we propose a method to alleviate the difficulty in routing to destinations near the boundaries by virtually expanding the network boundaries. The greedy routing, when combined with our landmark selection scheme, has a provable bounded path stretch relative to the best path possible, and guarantees packet delivery in the continuous domain. In the discrete domain, our simulations show that the landmark selection scheme is effective, and the companion routing scheme performs well under realistic settings. Both the landmark selection and greedy routing assumes no specific communication model and works with asymmetric links. Although some of the analysis are non-trivial, the algorithms are simple, flexible and cost-effective enough to warrant a real-world deployment.
Comparison of a low diffusion E-CUSP and the Roe scheme for RANS calculation

This paper is to compare the performance of recently developed low difiusion E-CUSP (LDE) scheme and Roe scheme when they are coupled with Spalart-Allmaras one equation turbulence model. The purpose is not just to understand their performance for RANS calculation. Such understanding is very useful for Detached Eddy Simulation(DES), for which the Spalart DES model is numerically based on Spalart-Allmaras one equation turbulence model. The algebraic Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model is also used as a reference to compare their numerical performance. The implicit Gauss-Seidel Line relaxation is used for time marching. For the Roe scheme, the implicit Jacobian matrix is based on the Roe scheme itself. For the LDE scheme, the implicit Jacobian is based on the Van Leer’s ∞ux vector splitting scheme. The flnding of this research is: for the Baldwind-Lomax model, which does not introduce extra transport equation, both the LDE and the Roe scheme can use high CFL numbers and achieve high convergence rates; for the Spalart-Allmaras one equation turbulence model, the extra equation changes the Jacobian of the Roe scheme and weakens the diagonal dominance. It reduces the maximum CFL number permitted by the Roe scheme and hence decreases the convergence rate. The LDE scheme is only slightly afiected by the extra equation and maintain high CFL number and convergence rate. Several 2D and 3D problems are calculated.
Management of adult lower respiratory tract infection in primary care

Acute lower respiratory tract infection (acute bronchitis) refers to the onset of productive cough in a patient with no history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and no evidence of pneumonia. The Fourth National Morbidity Survey (1991–2) from general practice claims that acute cough is the most common reason given for consulting a GP in the UK.1 Population based estimates of the incidence of acute bronchitis range from 33 to 45 cases/1000 per year.2 3 Descriptive epidemiology of common symptoms and their natural history and outcome is an area which the MRC highlights as a priority for primary care research.4 In this issue of Thorax Macfarlane et al report a large prospective case series detailing the incidence, aetiology, management, and outcome of previously well adults presenting to their general practitioner with symptoms of acute lower respiratory tract infection.5 They found there was no relationship between the doctor's initial clinical assessment that the patient had an infection warranting antibiotics and the outcome or with subsequent laboratory confirmation of a bacterial/atypical infection. Quantitative systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials of antibiotic prescription for acute …
Timing driven track routing considering coupling capacitance

As VLSI technology enters the ultra-deep submicron era, wire coupling capacitance starts to dominate self capacitance and can no longer be neglected in timing driven routing. In this paper, a coupling aware timing driven track routing heuristic is proposed. Given a global routing solution and timing constraint for each net, major trunks of wire segments are assigned to routing tracks such that the minimum timing slack among all nets is maximized. Delay penalties from both coupling capacitance and wire detour are considered in a unified graph model. The core problem is formulated and solved as a sequential ordering problem (SOP). Routing blockages are handled in a post processing procedure. The experimental results on benchmark circuits show that the effect of coupling capacitance on timing is significant and the proposed heuristic results in greater improvement on coupling aware timing compared with other approaches.
Current Threshold for Nerve Stimulation Depends on Electrical Impedance of the Tissue: A Study of Ultrasound-Guided Electrical Nerve Stimulation of the Median Nerve

BACKGROUND: Understanding the mechanisms causing variation in current thresholds for electrical nerve stimulation may improve the safety and success rate of peripheral nerve blocks. Electrical impedance of the tissue surrounding a nerve may affect the response to nerve stimulation. In this volunteer study, we investigated the relationship between impedance and current threshold needed to obtain a neuromuscular response. METHODS: Electrical nerve stimulation and impedance measurements were performed for the median nerve in the axilla and at the elbow in 29 volunteers. The needletip was positioned at a distance of 5, 2.5, and 0 mm from the nerve as judged by ultrasound. Impulse widths of 0.1 and 0.3 ms were used for nerve stimulation. RESULTS: A significant inverse relationship between impedance and current threshold was found at the elbow, at nerve-to-needle distances of 5 and 2.5 mm (P = 0.001 and P = 0.036). Impedance values were significantly lower in the axilla (mean 21.1, sd 9.7 kohm) than at the elbow (mean 36.6, sd 13.4 kohm) (P < 0.001). Conversely, current thresholds for nerve stimulation were significantly higher in the axilla than at the elbow (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.024). A mean ratio of 1.82 was found for the measurements of current thresholds with 0.1 versus 0.3 ms impulse duration. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate an inverse relationship between impedance measurements and current thresholds and suggest that current settings used for nerve stimulation may require adjustment based on the tissue type. Further studies should be performed to investigate the clinical impact of our findings.
[1-tert-Butyl-3-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl-κN)imidazol-2-ylidene-κC 1]carbonyldichlorido(dimethyl sulfoxide-κS)ruthenium(II)

In the title complex, [RuCl2(C13H17N3)(C2H6OS)(CO)], the coordination environment around the Ru atom is slightly distorted octahedral. The Cl atoms are mutually trans to the dimethyl sulfoxide ligand and the imidazole carbene C atom, respectively. The carbonyl ligand is located trans to the pyridine N atom.
MS-AR model based dynamic identification of RMB appreciation pressure

It has practical significance to the effective identification and dynamic assessment of RMB appreciation pressure. In this study nonlinear MS-AR model with the assumption that residual obeys T distribution is used to do empirical analysis on the spot exchange rate of RMB/USD in the period of 2005.7. 22-2012.12. 12. The results show that there are three regimes including appreciation with high volatility, appreciation with low volatility and stability with small depreciation. Appreciation with high volatility appeared after two RMB exchange rate regime reforms, which indicates that exchange rate regime reform released partial pressure of RMB appreciation. Appreciation with low volatility was found in the period of America subprime crisis, because People's Bank of China narrowed exchange rate fluctuation region. Stability with small depreciation witnessed that the outbreak of sovereign debt crisis in European countries, that increased the demand for USD, in turn led to the small depreciation of RMB. All the above results demonstrate that the accumulated period and dynamic change characteristics of RMB appreciation pressure.
Effects of the size of Mg powder on the formation of MgB2and the superconducting properties

The effect of the size and shape of magnesium(Mg) powder on the formation of MgB 2 and the critical current density( J c, ) of MgB 2 bulk was studied. As a precursor for the formation of MgB 2 , Mg and MgB 4 powder, which was synthesized through the reaction of boron (B) with Mg powders, was used. MgB 4 was mixed with Mg powders of various sizes, pressed into pellets and heat-treated at 650 ℃ -750 ℃ in flowing argon gas. The XRD analysis of the heat-treated MgB 2 samples showed that the volume fraction of MgB 2 was the highest as 92.74 % when spherical Mg powder with an average size of 25.7 µm was used, whereas the volume fraction was the lowest as 79.64 % when plate-like Mg powder with a size of 34.1 µm was used. The superconducting transition temperature ( T c ) of MgB 2 was not sensitive to the characteristics of the Mg powders used. All of the prepared MgB 2 samples showed a high T c of 38.3 K and a small superconducting transition width of 0.2 K-0.5 K. J c (5 K and 1 T) of MgB 2 was the highest as 3.93×10 4 A/cm 2 when spherical Mg powder with a size of 25.7 µm was used, whereas J c was the lowest as 2.18×10 4 A/cm 2 when plate-like Mg powder with a size of 34.1 µm was used. The relationship between the J c of MgB 2 and the characteristics of the Mg powders used was explained in terms of the volume fraction of MgB 2 and the apparent density of the MgB 2 pellets.