Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliable Floating-Point Arithmetic Algorithms for Error-Coded Operands

Reliable floating-point arithmetic is vital for dependable computing systems. It is also important for future high-density VLSI realizations that are vulnerable to soft-errors. However, the direct checking of floating-point arithmetic is still an open problem. The author presents a set of reliable floating-point arithmetic algorithms for low-cost residue encoded and Berger encoded operands, respectively. Closed form equations are derived for floating-point addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Given the standard IEEE floating-point numbers, the proposed reliable floating-point multiplication algorithms for low-cost residue encoded operands are extremely low-cost: it requires less than 8% of hardware redundancy in all cases. For reliable floating-point addition and subtraction, the author finds the hardware redundancy ratios of applying low-cost residue code is about the same as that of applying Berger code: less than 40% of hardware redundancy for single precision numbers and about 16% for double precision numbers. For reliable floating-point division, Berger encoded operands yields hardware cost-effectiveness: about 45% for single precision numbers and about 36% for double precision numbers. >
A study on real-time control for array hardware-in-the-loop RFSS based on VMIC network

Some measures in hardware architecture and software platform to improve the real time performance are studied in this paper. A new control solution for array hardware-in-the-loop Radio Frequency Simulation System (RFSS) is proposed based on VMIC fiber-optic network and VISTA & RTX software platforms. The control arithmetic of the RFSS is also briefly introduced. Analysis shows that the new solution has large data throughput capacity and good real-time performance. Meantime the delay of system communication, processing arithmetic and terminal control unit are measured and the overall delay is tested. The results prove the stable real-time performance, universality and scalability of the control system.
Implicit Stream Surfaces

Streamlines and stream surfaces are well known techniques for the visualization of fluid flow. For steady velocity fields, a streamline is the trace of a particle, and a stream surface is the trace of a curve. Here a new method is presented for the construction of stream surfaces. The central concept is the representation of a stream surface as an implicit surface f (x) = C. After the initial calculation of f a family of stream surfaces can be generated efficiently by varying C. The shapes of the originating curves are defined by the value of f at the boundary. Two techniques are presented for the calculation of f: one based on solving the convection equation, the other on backward tracing of the trajectories of grid points. The flow around objects is discussed separately. With this method irregular topologies of the originating curves and of the stream surfaces can be handled easily. Further, it can also be used for other visualization techniques, such as time surfaces and stream volumes. Finally, an effective method for the automatic placement of originating curves is presented. >
Exploiting Heterogeneity in Networks of Aerial and Ground Robotic Agents

By taking advantage of complementary communication technologies, distinct sensing functionalities and different motion dynamics present in a heterogeneous multirobotic network, it is possible to accomplish a main mission objective by assigning specialized sub-tasks to specific members of the robotic system. An adequate selection of the team members and an effective coordination are some of the challenges to fully exploit the unique capabilities that these types of systems can offer. Motivated by real world applications, we focus on a multi-robotic network made by aerial and ground agents which has the potential to provide critical support to human teams in complex environments. For instance, aerial robotic relays are capable of transporting small ground mobile sensors and also of expanding the communication capabilities of the whole system.
Real Time Pitch Shifting with Formant Structure Preservation Using the Phase Vocoder

Pitch shifting in speech is presented based on the use of the phase vocoder in combination with spectral whitening and envelope reconstruction, applied respectively before and after the transformation. A band preservation technique is introduced to contain quality degradation when downscaling the pitch. The transposition ratio is fixed in advance by selecting analysis and synthesis window sizes. Real time performance is demonstrated for window sizes having adequate factorization required by fast Fourier transformation.
A multivariate feature selection framework for high dimensional biomedical data classification

High dimensional biomedical data are becoming common in various predictive models developed for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Extracting knowledge from high dimensional data which contain a large number of features and a small sample size presents intrinsic challenges for classification models. Genetic Algorithms can be successfully adopted to efficiently search through high dimensional spaces, and multivariate classification methods can be utilized to evaluate combinations of features for constructing optimized predictive models. This paper proposes a framework which can be adopted for building prediction models for high dimensional biomedical data. The proposed framework comprises of three main phases. The feature filtering phase which filters out the noisy features; the feature selection phase which is based on multivariate machine learning techniques and the Genetic Algorithm to evaluate the filtered features and select the most informative subsets of features for achieving maximum classification performance; and the predictive modeling phase during which machine learning algorithms are trained on the selected features to construct a reliable prediction model. Experiments were conducted using four high dimensional biomedical datasets including protein and geneexpression data. The results revealed optimistic performances for the multivariate selection approaches which utilize classification measurements based on implicit assumptions.
An Investigation Of The Global Population Structure Of The Marlinsucker (Remora osteochir) Inferred From Mitochondrial Control Region DNA Sequence Analysis

Nucleotide sequences from the hypervariable mitochondrial control region were used to investigate phylogeographic structuring in the marlinsucker, Remora osteochir (Cuvier, 1829). Complete DNA sequences were isolated from 71 individuals collected from seven geographically distant sample locations (5 Atlantic and 2 Pacific). Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and ? st resolved significant levels of population structuring among collections from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, whereas negligible levels of population structuring were resolved among collections from within the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Cluster analysis of haplotypes based upon inter-haplotype divergences resolved two distinct evolutionary lineages, one composed of haplotypes that only occurred in the Atlantic, and one composed of haplotypes that occurred in both Atlantic and Pacific samples. Observations are consistent with vicariant isolation of Atlantic and Pacific marlinsucker, followed by geologically recent secondary colonization of the Atlantic from the Indian Ocean. Congruence between patterns of genetic differentiation between marlinsucker and their istiophorid hosts, particularly blue marlin, Makaira nigricans Lacepede, 1802, and sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw, 1792), highlights the possibility that this symbiont's phylogeography is ultimately governed by host dispersal.
Incidence, Risk Factors and Classification of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis: Surgical Outcomes Review of Adult Idiopathic Scoliosis

Study Design. Retrospective case series of surgically treated adult scoliosis patients. Objective. To assess the incidence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) in a large series of adult idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing long instrumented spinal fusion (.5 vertebrae). A new classification is also projected. Summary of Background Data. Maintaining both coronal and sagittal balance is essential in the surgical treatment of adult deformity patients. PJK is a well-recognized postoperative phenomenon in adults and adolescents after scoliosis surgery. Despite recent reports, the prevalence, clinical outcomes, and the risk factors of PJK are still controversial. Materials and Methods. This study is a retrospective review of the charts and radiographs of 157 consecutive patients with adult scoliosis treated with long instrumented spinal fusion. PJK was defined by a proximal junctional angle greater than 108 and at least 108 greater than the corresponding preoperative measurement. Radiographic measurements included sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL) and pelvic incidence (PI) on preoperative, immediate postoperative and at follow-up. Bone mineral density (BMD), Body mass index (BMI), age, sex, instrumentation type, surgery type, and fusion to sacrum were reviewed. Postoperative SRS outcome scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were also evaluated. PJK was graded by the severity and type. Means were compared with Student's t test and &khgr;2 test. P value of less than 0.05 with confidence interval 95% was considered significant. Results. The average age was 46.9 years (22–81 years) and the average Follow-up was 4.3 years (2–12 years). PJK occurred in 32 patients (20%) and were mostly classified as 1A (Ligamentous & mild) deformity. The SRS outcome scores and ODI did not demonstrate significant differences between PJK group and non-PJK group, four patients had additional surgeries performed for local pain. Fusion to the sacrum and posterior fusion with segmental instrumentation were significant risk for PJK (P = 0.03, P < 0.01). BMD, BMI, age, sex, and instrumentation type showed no difference. Eighty-four percent of PJK group was associated with TK 1 LL 1 PI . 458 or preoperation to postoperation SVA more than 50 mm vs. 6.4% of non-PJK group (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). Conclusion. Despite the occurrence of PJK in 20% of adult scoliosis patients undergoing long fusion, no significant differences were found in SRS outcome scores and ODI in PJK and non-PJK patients. Fusion to the sacrum and posterior fusion with segmental instrumentation were identified as risk factors. PJK can be minimized by post-operative normalization of global sagittal alignment. A simplified classification based in severity type of PJK showed the majority in class 1A (ligamentous lesion and mild deformity).
Quality control of the blood pressure phenotype in the Gaoyou population study

Abstract The Korotkoff approach is the only blood pressure (BP) measurement technique that allows contemporary data to be compared with decades of research. We randomly recruited 4483 people (53.3% women; mean age 52.1 years) from Gaoyou County, Jiangsu Province, China. Nine observers recorded the participants™ BP three times consecutively following Chinese Society of Hypertension guidelines. We assessed the BP phenotype based on five criteria: completeness of readings, percentage of identical BP readings, odd BP readings, end-digit preference and trends in BP from the first to the third reading. The proportion of participants with identical readings were 2.0% and 3.1% for systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), respectively. Among 26,898 BP values, 0.3% ended in an odd number. Among observers, the prevalence of identical readings varied from 0% to 5.3% for SBP and from 0% to 6.8% for DBP. Compared with the expected frequency of 20%, those ending in 0 had a lower frequency (17.2%; p < 0.001), whereas those ending in 8 had a higher frequency (22.4%; p < 0.001). From the first to the third measurement, SBP and DBP decreased (p < 0.001) by 0.87 and 0.55 mmHg, respectively. In conclusion, the procedures set up in the Gaoyou study produced a high-quality BP phenotype.
Organizational Socialization Levels in Nurses

The research was conducted in order to determine the organizational socialization levels of nurses working in hospitals in the form of a descriptive study. The research population was composed of nurses employed in public and private sector hospitals in the province of Konya with 0-3 years of professional experience in the hospitals (N=1200); and the sample was composed of 495 nurses that accepted to take part in the study voluntarily. Statistical evaluation of data was conducted in SPSS.16 software. The results of the study revealed that the total score taken by nurses at the organizational socialization scale was 262.95; and this was close to the maximum score. Particularly the departmental socialization sub-dimension proved to be higher in comparison to the other two dimensions (organization socialization and task socialization). Statistically meaningful differences were found in the levels of organization socialization in relation to the status of organizational orientation training, level of education and age group. Keywords— Nurses, Newcomers, Organizational Socialization
Micromachined 28-GHz power divider in CMOS technology

A broad-band power divider is presented in CMOS technology. The devices are realized by postprocessing chips that are fabricated in a standard 1.2-μm CMOS process. Developed postprocessing includes wire bonding for ground equalization, deposition of a stress-compensation layer, and selective etching of the silicon substrate. By employing coupled coplanar transmission lines, the area of dividers is minimized to 0.8 mm×2.1 mm. A 20-35 GHz power divider exhibits a coupling of -3.8 dB/spl plusmn/0.6 dB.
Can antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody levels be used to inform treatment of pauci-immune vasculitis?

Purpose of reviewThe role of serial antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) measurements to guide immunosuppressive therapy in pauci-immune vasculitis is an area of ongoing controversy. Evidence elucidating the relationship between ANCA levels and disease activity continues to grow. Recent findingsThe finding that proteinase 3-ANCA and myeloperoxidase-ANCA-associated diseases differ genetically has challenged the traditional classification and study of pauci-immune vasculitis. Multiple studies have also found that the clinical features and course of disease differ by ANCA antigen specificity more than clinical diagnosis. Advances in diagnostic assays and new techniques for the evaluation of ANCA levels over time have yielded improved assay performance in specific subsets of patients. In addition, increasing use of rituximab has added to our understanding of the relationship of ANCA levels to B-cell counts and disease relapse, which may differ by treatment regimen. SummaryThe relationship between ANCA levels and disease activity is impacted by multiple factors, including antigen specificity, disease manifestations, clinical assay, and therapeutic regimen. Each of these must be taken into account when determining the significance of ANCA levels during long-term follow-up of pauci-immune vasculitis.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and Frabin Mediate Cryptosporidium parvum Cellular Invasion via Activation of Cdc42*

Cryptosporidium parvum invades target epithelia via a mechanism that involves host cell actin reorganization. We previously demonstrated that C. parvum activates the Cdc42/neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein network in host cells resulting in actin remodeling at the host cell-parasite interface, thus facilitating C. parvum cellular invasion. Here, we tested the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and frabin, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor specific for Cdc42 in the activation of Cdc42 during C. parvum infection of biliary epithelial cells. We found that C. parvum infection of cultured human biliary epithelial cells induced the accumulation of PI3K at the host cell-parasite interface and resulted in the activation of PI3K in infected cells. Frabin also was recruited to the host cell-parasite interface, a process inhibited by two PI3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002. The cellular expression of either a dominant negative mutant of PI3K (PI3K-Δp85) or functionally deficient mutants of frabin inhibited C. parvum-induced Cdc42 accumulation at the host cell-parasite interface. Moreover, LY294002 abolished C. parvum-induced Cdc42 activation in infected cells. Inhibition of PI3K by cellular overexpression of PI3K-Δp85 or by wortmannin or LY294002, as well as inhibition of frabin by various functionally deficient mutants, decreased C. parvum-induced actin accumulation and inhibited C. parvum cellular invasion. In contrast, the overexpression of the p85 subunit of PI3K promoted C. parvum invasion. Our data suggest that an important component of the complex process of C. parvum invasion of target epithelia results from the ability of the organism to trigger host cell PI3K/frabin signaling to activate the Cdc42 pathway, resulting in host cell actin remodeling at the host cell-parasite interface.
An Outdoor Evaluation of 1-Gbps Optical Wireless Communication using AlGaN-based LED in 280-nm Band

The performance of solar-blind optical wireless communication using AIGaN-based LED at 280 nm-band was evaluated experimentally over a 1.5-m outdoor Line-of-Sight channel. Even under the summer sun, 1.18-Gbps error-free transmission was achieved. © 2019 The Author(s)
Development of a Millimeter-Wave Measurement Setup and Dedicated Techniques to Characterize the Matching and Radiation Performance of Probe-Fed Antennas [Measurements Corner]

The measurement of the radiation and matching performance of millimeter-wave antennas is a very challenging topic. As a single antenna usually has a size of a few square millimeters, the feeding scheme can't be as simple as a connector, especially if high measurement accuracy is needed. That's why a microelectronic probe-feeding technique is a possible improvement. However, the final choice depends on the antenna technology, and also on the way the antenna is integrated. On-chip antennas using silicon substrates, or antennas integrated into ceramics or organic packages, are today the most popular solutions, the latter being the most efficient. The measurement setup we present has been developed from a classical microelectronic-probe measurement setup, but has been mechanically modified to operate in almost a metal-free environment, especially around the antenna under test (AUT). It is then possible to measure the gain of linearly and circularly polarized radiators in several cut planes with a computed accuracy of ±0.8 dB at 60 GHz. It is also possible to measure the radiated field over a quasi-three-dimensional sphere, the microelectronic probe being the only object blocking the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the AUT. Therefore, several methods have been implemented to be able to compute the axial ratio, and the total and radiation efficiencies from these radiation measurements. Several examples are presented in this paper to demonstrate the capabilities of the setup.
A reference model for the combination of an arbitrary number of drugs: A generalization of the Bliss independence model

It is commonplace to determine the effectiveness of the combination of drugs by comparing the observed effects to a reference model that describes the combined effect under the assumption that the drugs do not interact. Depending on what is to be understood by non-interacting behavior, several reference models have been developed in the literature. One of them is the celebrated Bliss independence model, which assimilates non-interaction with statistical independence. Intuitively, this requires the dose-response curves to have zero as minimal effect and one as maximal effect, a restriction that was indeed adopted by Bliss. However, we show how non-interaction can be interpreted in terms of statistical independence, while nevertheless allowing arbitrary values for the minimal and the maximal effect. Furthermore, our reference model allows the maximal effects of the dose-response curves to be different. In a first step, we construct a basic reference model for the case of two drugs and where the maximal effects of the two individual dose-response curves are assumed to be equal. By relying on the notion of non-interaction in terms of statistical independence, and by introducing two consistency principles, we show how a unique reference model can be derived. In a second step, a more general reference model, allowing the maximal effects to be different while still restricting to two drugs, is then easily constructed from the basic reference model. Finally, an induction step is applied to generalize the reference model to the case of an arbitrary number of drugs, allowing each dose-response curve to have a possibly different maximal effect. Although the minimal effect of the dose-response curves are restricted to be equal, which we show to be a necessary consequence of consistency rules, its value is arbitrary. Author summary The Bliss independence model is a very popular reference model for drug combinations, meaning that it predicts the combined effect of doses of given drugs under the assumption of non-interaction between these drugs. However, because Bliss described non-interaction as statistical independence, he thought that he had to assume that the minimal effect of all dose-response curves are zero, while the maximal effect of all dose-response curves are one. While it is acceptable that all dose-response curves have minimal effect zero, because this amounts to having a common reference state (i.e. the response when no drug at all is given), it is a severe restriction to force all dose-response curves to have maximal effect one. On the other hand, the Bliss independence model has the advantage that it relies on sound statistical theory, and the assimilation of non-interaction with statistical independence is rather intuitive. We have extended the Bliss independence model to allow the involved dose-response curves to have different maximal effects. This has been done in a rigorous way, where the statistical underlying theory that was used by Bliss remains essentially intact.
A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the cyclooxygenase‐2 gene is not associated with asthma and atopy in an Australian population

Background Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 is a key inducible enzyme that regulates the production of anti‐inflammatory prostaglandin E2. A single‐nucleotide polymorphism, −765G>C, located within a stimulatory protein‐1 binding site in the COX‐2 promoter region, has been shown to have significantly lower promoter activity in vitro compared with the wild‐type and was associated with decreased plasma levels of C‐reactive protein after coronary artery bypass surgery. We hypothesized that this polymorphism, which may result in decreased COX‐2 transcription, could be associated with more severe asthma, and/or aspirin‐intolerant asthma (AIA).
Network Virtualization from a Signaling Perspective

The use of network virtualization promises additional flexibility and opens up many opportunities for deploying future network architectures. But the increased flexibility creates additional costs with respect to management and control as well as new issues that need to be addressed. In this paper, we describe a framework that allows for dynamic setup of virtual networks and we point out required mechanisms, interfaces, and protocols. Additionally, we take into account runtime aspects by examining control interfaces and signaling protocols necessary for the management of virtual networks and the attachment of end users.
The Role of Trophoblast Interferons in the Maintenance of Early Pregnancy in Ruminants

PROBLEM: Are the effects of ruminant trophoblast interferon‐tau (IFN‐τ) on uterine prostaglandin (PG) secretion a specific action of this cytokine and what are the effects of IFN‐τ on expression of uterine genes not generally associated with pregnancy maintenance?