Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A DC-DC multi-output SEPIC converter for suburban power application

Non conventional sources of energy are those which are depleting day by day. Solar energy which is abundant in India has gained more importance hence. The energy produced by the sun, is harnessed with the help of PV panels and injected to converters and rectifiers. It is subsequently fed to an inverter that produces an AC power. In this paper, a PV panel fed modified dual output SEPIC converter is proposed. Dual outputs obtained from the modified multi output SEPIC converter is used to charge two batteries which in turn are fed to the cascaded multilevel DC/AC inverter. The simulation analysis of the system proves that it is well suited for both resistive and inductive loads; hence it is proposed for driving a motor load in rural areas agricultural applications. This system can be deployed in areas where grid connection is not possible such as in isolated or rural areas.
A method for normalizing pathology images to improve feature extraction for quantitative pathology.

PURPOSE With the advent of digital slide scanning technologies and the potential proliferation of large repositories of digital pathology images, many research studies can leverage these data for biomedical discovery and to develop clinical applications. However, quantitative analysis of digital pathology images is impeded by batch effects generated by varied staining protocols and staining conditions of pathological slides. METHODS To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a novel, fully automated stain normalization method to reduce batch effects and thus aid research in digital pathology applications. Their method, intensity centering and histogram equalization (ICHE), normalizes a diverse set of pathology images by first scaling the centroids of the intensity histograms to a common point and then applying a modified version of contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization. Normalization was performed on two datasets of digitized hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides of different tissue slices from the same lung tumor, and one immunohistochemistry dataset of digitized slides created by restaining one of the H&E datasets. RESULTS The ICHE method was evaluated based on image intensity values, quantitative features, and the effect on downstream applications, such as a computer aided diagnosis. For comparison, three methods from the literature were reimplemented and evaluated using the same criteria. The authors found that ICHE not only improved performance compared with un-normalized images, but in most cases showed improvement compared with previous methods for correcting batch effects in the literature. CONCLUSIONS ICHE may be a useful preprocessing step a digital pathology image processing pipeline.
A Preliminary Report on Tool Support and Methodology for Feature Interaction Detection

In this report, we describe our effort to create in Matlab’s Stateflow a set of non-proprietary advanced automotive feature design models, and to translate these design models into models that can be input to the model checker SMV. We are interested in verifying the absence of feature interactions in the integration of the automotive features, as well as the lack of errors in the design. In the automotive domain, a feature is a bundle of system functionality recognized by the driver and providing advanced functionality to the vehicle, for instance, Cruise Control (CC). Each feature is normally implemented in software and has a degree of control over the mechanical components that operate the dynamics of the vehicle. Examples of these mechanical components are brakes, throttle and steering. We have created our set of non-proprietary feature design models to assess different techniques and tools that analyze the integration of the features and their correctness. The translated models will allow us to verify properties of the automotive features at the same level of description as the design, so we can ensure that the findings of our analysis are applicable to the design of the automotive components.
Progesterone Receptor Status and Clinical Outcome in Breast Cancer Patients with Estrogen Receptor-Positive Locoregional Recurrence

Aims and background The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate the impact of progesterone receptor (PgR) loss on locoregional recurrence in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive primary breast cancer and ER-positive locoregional recurrence. Patients and Methods Eight Italian oncology centers collected data from consecutive patients with ER-positive breast cancer and a subsequent ER-positive locoregional recurrence. Results Data were available for 265 patients diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 2009. Median metastasis-free survival was 111 months in patients with PgR-positive primary tumors and locoregional recurrence (PgRpos), 38 months in patients with PgR-negative primary tumors and locoregional recurrence (PgRneg), and 63 months in patients with PgR-positive primary tumors and PgR-negative locoregional recurrence (PgRloss). In multivariate analysis, PgR status was independently associated with metastasis-free survival, with a hazard ratio of 2.84 (95% CI 1.34-6.00) for PgRneg compared with PgRpos, and 2.93 (95% CI: 1.51-5.70) for PgRloss compared with PgRpos. Conclusions PgR absence was found to be a negative prognostic factor in breast cancer patients with ER-positive locoregional recurrence. Thus, PgR status could be a biological marker in ER-positive recurrent breast cancer.
Survival and Immunogenicity of Mesenchymal Stem Cells From the Green Fluorescent Protein Transgenic Rat in the Adult Rat Brain

Background. A major technical limitation in preclinical cell replacement research is the ability to discriminate between donor and host tissue after transplantation. This problem has been lessened by the availability of transgenic animals that express “reporter” genes, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP). Objective. We determined the usefulness of one such transgenic reporter rat to assess the survival of bone marrow—derived rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) following direct transplantation into the intact adult brain. We also sought to determine if the expression of GFP in the brain affected the survival of the MSCs or the host’s neuroimmune response to the cells. Methods. Rats received intrastriatal injections of sterile transplantation medium, 100 000 normal MSCs, or 100 000 GFP-MSCs and were killed humanely 1, 4, 7, 28, and 42 days posttransplantation for astrocyte and microglial immunohistochemical staining. Results. GFP-MSCs were evident at each examination, although their survival declined over time. Graft volume estimates comparing normal and GFP-MSCs revealed that GFP expression did not adversely affect the survival of the stem cells in the brain. Furthermore, immunostaining for astrocytes and microglia revealed that expression of the reporter protein did not affect the immunogenicity of the stem cells. Conclusions. These data indicate the usefulness of GFP for investigating the survival of MSCs following transplantation to the brain. However, the mechanisms responsible for the poor survival of the stem cells must be elucidated if these cells are to serve cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
Predictors of Professional and Personal Satisfaction with a Career in Psychiatry

Background: Many factors, including personal experience and personality traits, contribute to the emotional difficulties that psychiatrists experience in their professional work. The nature of the work itself also plays a significant role. Objective: To determine those personal and professional characteristics that predict satisfaction with the practice of psychiatry. Method: We mailed a questionnaire that included items pertaining to aspects of personal and professional life to the entire population of psychiatrists in Ontario (N = 1574). Results: Of the 1574, 52% (n = 802) responded. We conducted a series of regression analyses to determine factors related to career satisfaction or regret. A belief in the intrinsic value of psychiatry, a low perceived degree of emotional burden from patients, financial success, and satisfaction with psychotherapeutic work emerged consistently as significant predictors. A subsequent discriminant function analysis indicated that all 4 of these variables accurately predicted those psychiatrists with extreme satisfaction or dissatisfaction with work. Conclusions: These results reveal several variables associated with career satisfaction in the practice of psychiatry that might be useful to discuss with residents who are beginning their careers.
MicroRNA Gene Dosage Alterations and Drug Response in Lung Cancer

Chemotherapy resistance is a key contributor to the dismal prognoses for lung cancer patients. While the majority of studies have focused on sequence mutations and expression changes in protein-coding genes, recent reports have suggested that microRNA (miRNA) expression changes also play an influential role in chemotherapy response. However, the role of genetic alterations at miRNA loci in the context of chemotherapy response has yet to be investigated. In this study, we demonstrate the application of an integrative, multidimensional approach in order to identify miRNAs that are associated with chemotherapeutic resistance and sensitivity utilizing publicly available drug response, miRNA loci copy number, miRNA expression, and mRNA expression data from independent resources. By instigating a logical stepwise strategy, we have identified specific miRNAs that are associated with resistance to several chemotherapeutic agents and provide a proof of principle demonstration of how these various databases may be exploited to derive relevant pharmacogenomic results.
Obstacle avoidance in a dynamic environment: a collision cone approach

A novel collision cone approach is proposed as an aid to collision detection and avoidance between irregularly shaped moving objects with unknown trajectories. It is shown that the collision cone can be effectively used to determine whether collision between a robot and an obstacle (both moving in a dynamic environment) is imminent. No restrictions are placed on the shapes of either the robot or the obstacle, i.e., they can both be of any arbitrary shape. The collision cone concept is developed in a phased manner starting from existing analytical results that enable prediction of collision between two moving point objects. These results are extended to predict collision between a point and a circular object, between a point and an irregularly shaped object, between two circular objects, and finally between two irregularly shaped objects. Using the collision cone approach, several strategies that the robot can follow in order to avoid collision, are presented. A discussion on how the shapes of the robot and obstacles can be approximated in order to reduce computational burden is also presented. A number of examples are given to illustrate both collision prediction and avoidance strategies of the robot.
Scleral structural alterations associated with chronic experimental intraocular pressure elevation in mice

Purpose To study changes in scleral structure induced by chronic experimental intraocular pressure elevation in mice. Methods We studied the effect of chronic bead-induced glaucoma on scleral thickness, collagen lamellar structure, and collagen fibril diameter distribution in C57BL/6 (B6) and CD1 mice, and in collagen 8α2 mutant mice (Aca23) and their wild-type littermates (Aca23-WT) using electron and confocal microscopy. Results In unfixed tissue, the control B6 peripapillary sclera was thicker than in CD1 mice (p<0.001). After 6 weeks of glaucoma, the unfixed CD1 and B6 sclera thinned by 9% and 12%, respectively (p<0.001). The fixed sclera, measured by electron microscopy, was significantly thicker in control Aca23 than in B6 or CD1 mice (p<0.05). The difference between fresh and fixed scleral thickness was nearly 68% in untreated control B6 and CD1 mice, but differed by only 10% or less in fresh/fixed glaucoma scleral comparisons. There were 39.3±9.6 lamellae (mean, standard deviation) in control sclera, categorized as 41% cross-section, 24% cellular, 20% oblique, and 15% longitudinal. After glaucoma, mean peripapillary thickness significantly increased in fixed specimens of all mouse strains by 10.3 ±4.8 µm (p=0.001) and the total number of lamellae increased by 18% (p=0.01). The number of cellular and cross-section lamellae increased in glaucoma eyes. After glaucoma, there were more small and fewer large collagen fibrils (p<0.0001). Second harmonic generation imaging showed that the normal circumferential pattern of collagen fibrils in the peripapillary sclera was altered in significantly damaged glaucomatous eyes. Conclusions Dynamic responses of the sclera to experimental mouse glaucoma may be more important than baseline anatomic features in explaining susceptibility to damage. These include decreases in nonfibrillar elements, alterations in lamellar orientation, an increased number of smaller collagen fibrils and fewer larger fibrils, and relative increase in the number of scleral fibroblast layers.
Nonlinear disturbance observer based control for nonlinear dissipative PDE systems

A design method of finite dimensional nonlinear disturbance observer based control (NLDOBC) is proposed for a class of nonlinear dissipative partial differential equation (PDE) systems, where the disturbance is modeled by an exosystem of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Motivated by the fact that the dominant structure of the dissipative PDE is usually characterized by a finite number of degrees of freedom, the modal decomposition technique is initially applied to the PDE system to give a slow subsystem of low dimensional nonlinear ODEs. By using the nonlinear slow subsystem and exosystem, a nonlinear disturbance observer (NLDO) is constructed to estimate the disturbance. Then, on the basis of NLDO, an NLDOBC method is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequality (LMI) to ensure the exponential stability of the closed-loop PDE system in the presence of the modeled disturbance. Finally, the simulation results on control of one dimensional Fisher diffusion-reaction system show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Coincidence avoidance principle in surface haptic interpretation

Significance When multiple fingertips experience force sensations during movement, how does the brain decide whether to interpret the forces separately or as an integrated whole? To investigate this question, a force feedback device was used to display forces to two fingertips as they moved collinearly. The force patterns on each finger were constructed to produce illusory virtual bumps, and the distance between these bumps was varied across trials. When bump and finger spacing were identical, subjects tended to report only one bump. This result suggests that the brain selects interpretations of touch sensations that rely on the fewest coincidental alignments between the fingertips and environmental features. This result also has significance for the design of advanced multitouch displays with haptic feedback. When multiple fingertips experience force sensations, how does the brain interpret the combined sensation? In particular, under what conditions are the sensations perceived as separate or, alternatively, as an integrated whole? In this work, we used a custom force-feedback device to display force signals to two fingertips (index finger and thumb) as they traveled along collinear paths. Each finger experienced a pattern of forces that, taken individually, produced illusory virtual bumps, and subjects reported whether they felt zero, one, or two bumps. We varied the spatial separation between these bump-like force-feedback regions, from being much greater than the finger span to nearly exactly the finger span. When the bump spacing was the same as the finger span, subjects tended to report only one bump. We found that the results are consistent with a quantitative model of perception in which the brain selects a structural interpretation of force signals that relies on minimizing coincidence stemming from accidental alignments between fingertips and inferred surface structures.
Taking the nation to heart: A musical exploration of the role and significance of emotional geographies in the (re)production of Scottish national identities

1 List of Figures . ii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER TWO: WHAT IS "SCOTTISHNESS? 7 2.1 Terminological Problems . 8 2.2 `Traditional' Divisions in Theories of Nation and Nationalism . 12 Perennialism . 14 Prim ordialism . 16 Modemism . 23 Instrumentalism . 28 2.3 Transcending Theoretical Divisions . 31 2.4 What and When is Scotland? Representations of'Scottishness. 38 2.5 Expressing and Experiencing `Scottishness. 50 CHAPTER THREE: MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND THE ̀DOINGS' OF (NATIONAL) IDENTITY . 57 3.1 Music, Emotion and the Study of National Identities. , . o. 58 3.2 Performing Identities . 76 3.3 Non-Representational Thinking . 81 3.4 Performance as Theory and Practice? 85 3.5 Non-Representational Thinking in Action . 93 CHAPTER FOUR: CREATING (FESTIVE) SPACES FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES . 107 4.1 Festival Contexts: Organisational Backgrounds . 108 4.2 Festival Contexts: Celtic Connections . 109 4.3 Festival Contexts: T in the Park . 129 4.4 Heterogeneous Experiences of `Scottishness' . 140 CHAPTER FIVE: 'SCOTTISH SOUNDS': (RE)PRESENTING `SCOTTISHNESS'. 147 5.1 'Scottish' Sounds . 148 'Scottish'Melodies and Rhythms. s 153 . `Scottish'Languages 159 . Scottish'Instruments . 174 5.2 Categorising 'Scottish' Music . 181 5.3 Playing with ̀ Scottishness. 194 CHAPTER SIX: EXPERIENCING SCOTTISH) MUSICAL TI MESPACES . 207 6.1 Musical Motivations . 211 6.2 Setting the Scene . 216 Gettino Festive: Audiences . 217 Preparing Performances: Musicians . 220 6.3 Entering Timespaces of Musical Performance . 224 6.4 Capturing the Experiences of Performers and Audiences . 226 6.5 'Going Through the Motions' at Musical Performances . 231 6.6 Being in the 'Moment' of Musical Performances . 239 CHAPTER SEVEN: EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENTS, INIMATE ENCOUNTERS AND THE (RE)PRODUCTION OF'SCOTTISHNESS. 259 7.1 Being Emotional . 260 What are Emotions . 262 Self, (National) Identity and Emotion . 269 7.2 Feeling "Scottish . 274 7.3 'Scottishness' and the Experience of Wellbeing . 292 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONCLUSION . 311 8.1 Summary of Research Findings . 313 8.2 Reconceptualising Theories of Nation and Nationalism . 316 8.3 Future Research . 319 REFERENCES . 323 APPENDIX ONE: PERFORMANCES ATTENDED DURING FIELDWORK . 355 APPENDIX TWO: LETTER GIVEN TO 'ON-THE-SPOT' INTERVIEWEES . 357 APPENDIX THREE: SAMPLE OF FLYER USED TO RECRUIT AUDIENCE MEMBER INTERVIEWEES . 359 APPENDIX FOUR: "INFORMAL QUESTIONNAIRE' SENT TO THE CO-ORDINATOR OFT IN THE PARK . 361 APPENDIX FIVE: DETAILS OF FEATURED INTERVIEWS/INTERVIEWEES. 369 APPENDIX SIX: EXAMPLES OF FESTIVAL PRMOTIONAL MATERIAL . 373 APPENDIX SEVEN: OTHER FESTIVAL APPEARANCES BY BANDS WHO PLAYED T IN THE PARK . 375 APPENDIX EIGHT: TRACKS FEATURED ON ACCOMPANYING CD . 377 APPENDIX NINE: PUBLISHED WORKS BASED ON THESIS . 379
An efficient memristor-based distance accelerator for time series data mining on data centers

The rapid development of Internet-of-Things (IoT) is yielding a huge volume of time series data, the real-time mining of which becomes a major load for data centers. The computation bottleneck in time series data mining is the distance function, which has been tackled by various software optimization and hardware acceleration techniques recently. However, each of these techniques is only designed or optimized for a specific distance function. To address this problem, in this paper we propose an efficient and reconfigurable memristor-based distance accelerator for real-time and energy-efficient data mining with time series on data centers. Common circuit structure is extracted to save chip areas, and the circuit can be configured to any specific distance functions. Experimental results show that compared with existing works, our work has achieved a speedup of 3.5x–376x on performance and an improvement of 1–3 orders of magnitude on energy efficiency.
Selling through "reflections": mirror neurons and anthropomorphic advertisements.

It is well recognized that the brain is uniquely tuned to detect ani- macy automatically and that human infants start demonstrating this ability to preferentially track moving objects very early in life. By 18 months, a human child probably knows about 'mental states' (Pineda, 2005). Serendipitous discovery in this regard, of special kind of neu- rons in the F5 sector of the ventral premotor cortex (Rizzolatti, Lup- pino, & Matelli, 1988) of macaque monkeys, led to newer insights into the phenomenon. They have been termed the mirror neurons and they form a network involved in the automatic understanding of the motor acts performed by others (Rizzolatti, Luppino, & Matelli, 1988). � Refineddatapointtowardsanextremelycomplexfunction� of this system. Two main cortical networks with mirror properties have been described in humans: the parieto-frontal mirror system involved in recognition of voluntary behavior, and limbic mirror system in recognition of affective behaviour (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009). It has been reported that observation of motor acts performed by others causes 'subliminal motor activation' (Fadiga, Craighero, & Olivier, 2005) in respective cortical areas in observer's brain, in a way as if she is actually involved in the task, without inducing obvious movements. Called the "simulation theory", it assumes that this ability enables the observer to "experience" sensations, movements and emotions associated with others' acts as if they were her own (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009). It has been hypothesised that this mirror neurons system is essential to the successful organization and functioning of human society; for ability to attribute mental states to others and predict their intentions and for "having a theory of mind" (ToM) (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009). This system has also been shown to facilitate 'learning by imitation', with an increase in the plasticity of the motor cortex (Catmur, Walsh, & Heyes, 2007) for such tasks. they are projected as being successful, happy or complacent. While watching these, viewer feels "as if" she is a part of the scene, with her motor cortex activated in a fashion which simulates her experiencing the phenomenon. Associated pleasures (soothing music, beautiful depiction of nature, feeling of bliss or being successful) are transmitted across media interface and are then integrated, perhaps unconsciously, with the product. Thus she "realizes" how beautiful life would be if she had the product, and repeated realizations on her part strengthens this association through Pavlovian learning and probably through modulation in brain plasticity. Gradually, product becomes an integral part of her daily well-being, and she decides to buy it. Thus the point is made, and the product is sold.