Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bilaterally Microstructured Thin Polydimethylsiloxane Film Production

Thin PDMS films with complex microstructures are used in the manufacturing of dielectric electro active polymer (DEAP) actuators, sensors and generators, to protect the metal electrode from large strains and to assure controlled actuation. The current manufacturing process at Danfoss Polypower A/S produces films with a one-sided microstructured surface only. It would be advantageous to produce a film with both surfaces microstructured, as this increases the film’s performance efficiency. The new technique introduced herein produces bilaterally microstructured film by combining an embossing method with the existing manufacturing process. In employing the new technique, films with microstructures on both surfaces are successfully made with two different liquid silicone rubber (LSR) formulations: 1) pure XLR630 and 2) XLR630 with titanium dioxide (TiO2). The LSR films (∼70 µm) are cast on a carrier web substrate using a coating blade. The carrier web, which has a sinusoidal corrugation with wave height of 7 µm and a wave period of 7 µm on its surface, imparts corrugations to the bottom surface of the film. The elastomer film on the carrier web is preheated to the gel point, where the elastomer film can retain an imprint made on it. The preheated film at gel point is embossed between the rolls of a gravure lab coater, which corrugates the top surface of the film. The films are then heated, in order to cure completely. For the LSR systems used in this process, the optimum conditions for preheating are 110°C for 4–7 s, while for embossing the temperature is 110°C with 25 psi pressure between the rolls at a speed of 1.4 rpm. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirm the formation of microstructures on both the surfaces of the film. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Importance-Driven Focus of Attention

This paper introduces a concept for automatic focusing on features within a volumetric data set. The user selects a focus, i.e., object of interest, from a set of pre-defined features. Our system automatically determines the most expressive view on this feature. A characteristic viewpoint is estimated by a novel information-theoretic framework which is based on the mutual information measure. Viewpoints change smoothly by switching the focus from one feature to another one. This mechanism is controlled by changes in the importance distribution among features in the volume. The highest importance is assigned to the feature in focus. Apart from viewpoint selection, the focusing mechanism also steers visual emphasis by assigning a visually more prominent representation. To allow a clear view on features that are normally occluded by other parts of the volume, the focusing for example incorporates cut-away views
Alcohol consumption is controlled by angiotensin II

Pharmacological manipulation of the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) appears to alter voluntary alcohol consumption in animals. We have now addressed the role of angiotensin II (AII) in alcohol intake by comparing the alcohol‐drinking behavior of mice lacking or overexpressing the angiotensinogen gene in a two‐bottle choice paradigm. We found that alcohol consumption was directly related to AII levels. Animals harboring a rat angiotensinogen transgene consumed significantly more of the alcoholic beverage than did controls. This effect could be remarkably reduced by spirapril, an inhibitor of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE). However, mice lacking the angiotensinogen gene exhibited a markedly reduced alcohol intake. These results indicate a role for the angiotensinogen gene in alcohol consumption via modulation of AII.
Eosinophilic ascites: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a rare condition characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the dominant layer of infiltration it is classified into three types namely, mucosal, muscularis and subserosal. The most uncommon variant is the subserosal type characterized by primarily subserosal disease, eosinophilic ascites and peripheral hypereosinophilia. The clinical features are non-specific with history of atopic predisposition and allergy. Endoscopic biopsy is frequently non-diagnostic due to an uninvolved gastrointestinal mucosa rendering its diagnosis a challenge. The mainstay of diagnosis is peripheral hypereosinophilia and eosinophil-rich ascitic fluid on diagnostic paracentesis. Oral steroid therapy is usually the first line of treatment with dramatic response. Due to a propensity for relapse, steroid-sparing therapy should be considered for relapses of EGE. We report a case of subserosal EGE with diagnostic clinical features and treatment response and review the current strategy in the management of eosinophilic ascites.
Projecting the Global Distribution of the Emerging Amphibian Fungal Pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Based on IPCC Climate Futures

Projected changes in climate conditions are emerging as significant risk factors to numerous species, affecting habitat conditions and community interactions. Projections suggest species range shifts in response to climate change modifying environmental suitability and is supported by observational evidence. Both pathogens and their hosts can shift ranges with climate change. We consider how climate change may influence the distribution of the emerging infectious amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogen associated with worldwide amphibian population losses. Using an expanded global Bd database and a novel modeling approach, we examined a broad set of climate metrics to model the Bd-climate niche globally and regionally, then project how climate change may influence Bd distributions. Previous research showed that Bd distribution is dependent on climatic variables, in particular temperature. We trained a machine-learning model (random forest) with the most comprehensive global compilation of Bd sampling records (~5,000 site-level records, mid-2014 summary), including 13 climatic variables. We projected future Bd environmental suitability under IPCC scenarios. The learning model was trained with combined worldwide data (non-region specific) and also separately per region (region-specific). One goal of our study was to estimate of how Bd spatial risks may change under climate change based on the best available data. Our models supported differences in Bd-climate relationships among geographic regions. We projected that Bd ranges will shift into higher latitudes and altitudes due to increased environmental suitability in those regions under predicted climate change. Specifically, our model showed a broad expansion of areas environmentally suitable for establishment of Bd on amphibian hosts in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Our projections are useful for the development of monitoring designs in these areas, especially for sensitive species and those vulnerable to multiple threats.
A Survey on Non-orthogonal Multiple Access Schemes

In this paper, we make a survey on non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) schemes, which could be a promising candidate as a downlink wireless access scheme for future 5G radio access technology. To enhance the spectrum efficiency, NOMA adopts a successive interference cancellation (SIC) receiver as the baseline receiver scheme for robust multiple access. In order to get a better tradeoff between the system spectrum efficiency measured by the total user throughput and the user fairness measured by cell-edge user throughput, fractional frequency (FFR) and resource management schemes have been applied to NOMA with SIC. Furthermore, multi-antenna/site technologies with a proposed NOMA/MIMO scheme using SIC and an interference rejection combing (IRC) receiver to get a further user capacity is discussed in some related papers. Finally, it is shown that even in relay channel, NOMA is still effective for system throughput enhancement.
ffi cient Computation of Canonical Form under Variable Permutation and Negation for Boolean Matching in Large Libraries

This paper presents an efficient technique for solving a Boolean matching problem in cell-library binding, where the number of cells in the library is large. As a basis of the Boolean matching, we use the notion NP-representative (NPR): two functions have the same NPR if one can be obtained from the other by a permutation and/or complementation(s) of the variables. By using a table look-up and a tree-based breadth-first search strategy, our method quickly computes the NPR for a given function. Boolean matching of the given function against the whole library is determined by checking the presence of its NPR in a hash table, which stores NPRs for all the library functions and their complements. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated through experimental results, which show that it is more than two orders of magnitude faster than the Hinsberger-Kolla’s algorithm. key words: logic synthesis, Boolean matching, cell-library binding, technology mapping, canonical form
Policy Appears upon the Scene, Hand in Hand with Poverty: An Analysis of the Moderating Effects of Teacher Attitude on the Relationship Between Professional Development and Student Achievement.

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact ecommons@luc.edu. iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Public school resources and an analysis of total and instructional expenditure between 1890 and 1990 9 Table 2. Independent samples t-test comparing Vocabulary growth of students whose teacher participated in professional development against the growth of students whose teacher did not participate in the activity 20 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Per-student expenditures in the United States compared against American Student NAEP reading scores 5 Figure 2. The moderating effects of teacher attitude upon the relationship between attendance of vocabulary professional development and student growth in vocabulary 23 Figure 3. Mean vocabulary growth of students by teacher attitude towards professional development and attendance at the vocabulary PD activity 24 v ABSTRACT Massive deficits in local, state and national education budgets are forcing schools to adapt their spending to align with these reductions. Rather than merely increasing or decreasing resources, the effectiveness of resource allocation is demanding renewed attention at all levels of educational expenditure. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of teacher professional development across five campuses at Chicago International Charter School. It is the goal of this project to examine how teacher professional development directly impacts student performance, as well as to evaluate whether this relationship is moderated by teacher attitude towards professional development activities. It was determined that students of teachers who receive professional development within the subject of vocabulary did not exhibit a significantly higher mean growth in vocabulary scores than students of teachers who did not participate in the initiative. However, this relationship was found to be moderated by teacher attitude, in that students of teachers who participated in the professional development, and possessed a positive attitude towards the professional development activities, did yield growth scores above and beyond students of teachers who attended professional development activities and possessed a negative attitude, as well as students of teachers who did not participate in the professional development activity. The results of this study serve not only to benefit CICS and its affiliates, but also aim to vi quantitatively highlight some of the variables that drive classroom instruction and student achievement 1 Introduction
Mechanism of RNA Recombination in Carmo- and Tombusviruses: Evidence for Template Switching by the RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase In Vitro

ABSTRACT RNA recombination occurs frequently during replication of tombusviruses and carmoviruses, which are related small plus-sense RNA viruses of plants. The most common recombinants generated by these viruses are either defective interfering (DI) RNAs or chimeric satellite RNAs, which are thought to be generated by template switching of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) during the viral replication process. To test if RNA recombination is mediated by the viral RdRp, we used either a purified recombinant RdRp of Turnip crinkle carmovirus or a partially purified RdRp preparation of Cucumber necrosis tombusvirus. We demonstrated that these RdRp preparations generated RNA recombinants in vitro. The RdRp-driven template switching events occurred between either identical templates or two different RNA templates. The template containing a replication enhancer recombined more efficiently than templates containing artificial sequences. We also observed that AU-rich sequences promote recombination more efficiently than GC-rich sequences. Cloning and sequencing of the generated recombinants revealed that the junction sites were located frequently at the ends of the templates (end-to-end template switching). We also found several recombinants that were generated by template switching involving internal positions in the RNA templates. In contrast, RNA ligation-based RNA recombination was not detected in vitro. Demonstration of the ability of carmo- and tombusvirus RdRps to switch RNA templates in vitro supports the copy-choice models of RNA recombination and DI RNA formation for these viruses.
Vaccination with the T Cell Antigen Mtb 8.4 Protects Against Challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis1

The development of an effective vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a research area of intense interest. Mounting evidence suggests that protective immunity to M. tuberculosis relies on both MHC class II-restricted CD4+ T cells and MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T cells. By purifying polypeptides present in the culture filtrate of M. tuberculosis and evaluating these molecules for their ability to stimulate PBMC from purified protein derivative-positive healthy individuals, we previously identified a low-m.w. immunoreactive T cell Ag, Mtb 8.4, which elicited strong Th1 T cell responses in healthy purified protein derivative-positive human PBMC and in mice immunized with recombinant Mtb 8.4. Herein we report that Mtb 8.4-specific T cells can be detected in mice immunized with the current live attenuated vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis-bacillus Calmette-Guérin as well as in mice infected i.v. with M. tuberculosis. More importantly, immunization of mice with either plasmid DNA encoding Mtb 8.4 or Mtb 8.4 recombinant protein formulated with IFA elicited strong CD4+ T cell and CD8+ CTL responses and induced protection on challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis. Thus, these results suggest that Mtb 8.4 is a potential candidate for inclusion in a subunit vaccine against TB.
Functional Characterization of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Geometry

We propose a novel way to capture and characterize distortion between pairs of shapes by extending the recently proposed framework of shape differences built on functional maps. We modify the original definition of shape differences slightly and prove that after this change, the discrete metric is fully encoded in two shape difference operators and can be recovered by solving two linear systems of equations. Then we introduce an extension of the shape difference operators using offset surfaces to capture extrinsic or embedding-dependent distortion, complementing the purely intrinsic nature of the original shape differences. Finally, we demonstrate that a set of four operators is complete, capturing intrinsic and extrinsic structure and fully encoding a shape up to rigid motion in both discrete and continuous settings. We highlight the usefulness of our constructions by showing the complementary nature of our extrinsic shape differences in capturing distortion ignored by previous approaches. We additionally provide examples where we recover local shape structure from the shape difference operators, suggesting shape editing and analysis tools based on manipulating shape differences.
Non-invasive respiration rate monitoring using a single COTS TX-RX pair

Respiratory rate is an important vital sign that can indicate progression of illness but to also predict rapid decline in health. For the purpose, non-contact monitoring systems are becoming more popular due to the self-evident increase in patient comfort. As a cost effective solution for non-invasive breathing monitoring, utilizing the received signal strength measurements of inexpensive transceivers has been proposed. However, the applicability of the available solutions is limited since they rely on numerous sensors. In this work, considerable improvement is made, and a respiratory rate monitoring system based on a single commercial off-the-shelf transmitter-receiver pair is presented. Methods that enable estimation and enhance the accuracy are presented and their effects are evaluated. Moreover, it is empirically demonstrated that the performance of the system is comparable to the accuracy of a high-end device for 3-4 orders of magnitude less price; achieving mean absolute error of 0.12 breaths per minute in the most realistic scenario of the experiments.
Interference cancellation and joint decoding for collision resolution in slotted ALOHA

We present a novel decoding scheme for slotted ALOHA which is based on concepts from physical-layer network coding (PNC) and multi-user detection (MUD). In addition to recovering individual user packets from a packet collision as it is usually done with MUD, the receiver applies PNC to decode packet combinations that can be used to retrieve the original packets using information available from other slots. We evaluate the novel scheme and compare it with another scheme based on PNC that has been proposed recently and show that both attain important gains compared to basic successive interference cancellation. This suggests that combining PNC and MUD can lead to significant gains with respect to previously proposed methods on either one or the other.
Through-thickness elastic constants of composite laminates

This article presents relationships for the through-thickness elastic constants of composite laminates, needed for modelling three-dimensional stress problems. Using the individual ply elastic constants together with the in-plane laminate elastic constants (from laminate theory) results in explicit relationships for, ν13, ν23, E3, G13 and G23. The Poisson’s ratio and Young’s modulus expressions apply to all laminate types. The shear modulus relationships apply to balanced laminates, but are extendable to other laminate types. Relationships are developed here for angle-ply, cross-ply and quasi-isotropic laminates. Results are presented for glass/epoxy and carbon/epoxy laminates, above and below the resin Tg. The importance of coupling stresses and their influence on ν13, ν23 and E3 is underlined. It is shown, for instance, that equating the laminate through-thickness modulus to the individual ply value can result in a significant under-estimate.
Minimizing Trilateration Errors in the Presence of Uncertain Landmark Positions

Trilateration is a technique for position estimation from range measurements which is often used in robot navigation. Most applications assume that there is no error associated with the landmarks used for trilateration. In cooperative navigation, in which groups of robots use each other as mobile beacons for position estimation, it is imperative to take the uncertainty in the beacon position into account. In this paper, we model the position uncertainty of a landmark using a multivariate Gaussian distribution and show how the uncertain landmark position translates to an uncertainty in the trilaterated position. We provide insights into how the optimal trilateration point for a fixed geometry of landmarks depends on the distribution of the position error. This provides a metric for guiding the motion of a robot to maintain favorable trilateration geometries when navigating relative to other robots whose positions are imprecisely known.
Feature-sensitive subdivision and isosurface reconstruction

We present improved subdivision and isosurface reconstruction algorithms for polygonizing implicit surfaces and performing accurate geometric operations. Our improved reconstruction algorithm uses directed distance fields (Kobbelt et al., 2001) to detect multiple intersections along an edge, separates them into components and reconstructs an isosurface locally within each components using the dual contouring algorithm (Ju et al., 2002). It can reconstruct thin features without creating handles and results in improved surface extraction from volumetric data. Our subdivision algorithm takes into account sharp features that arise from intersecting surfaces or Boolean operations and generates an adaptive grid such that each voxel has at most one sharp feature. The subdivision algorithm is combined with our improved reconstruction algorithm to compute accurate polygonization of Boolean combinations or offsets of complex primitives that faithfully reconstruct the sharp features. We have applied these algorithms to polygonize complex CAD models designed using thousands of Boolean operations on curved primitives.