Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopy with scanning near‐field optical microscopy using photon tunnelling mode

We have demonstrated Raman spectroscopy using scanning near‐field optical microscopy (SNOM). Photon tunnelling mode was employed, in which the sample is illuminated using an attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration and the evanescent wave perturbed by the sample is picked up by a sharpened optical fibre probe. By this experimental arrangement Raman scattering from the optical fibre probe was greatly reduced, therefore we were able to excite the sample using more intense laser light compared to the illumination mode SNOM. Raman spectra of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) were obtained in the off‐resonance condition and without using surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
Enabling and controlling diffusion processes in networks

Diffusion processes are important models for many real-world phenomena, such as the spread of disease or rumors. We studied different aspects of diffusion processes in networks, focusing on designing efficient distributed algorithms for positive diffusion processes and good intervention strategies to control harmful diffusions. First, we design and analyze various distributed algorithms for diffusion processes. We want to devise efficient distributed algorithms, which are easy to implement, to help the spreading of positive/useful information. We refer to these processes as positive diffusions. Earlier work has studied this for a variety of models, mainly based on static networks. The major point that separates our research with previous work is that we consider dynamically changing networks, which extends previous models to a larger range of real-life situations. Depending on the ways that networks are altered, we studied diffusion processes over the following two types of dynamic networks: (1) networks are changed due to individuals' decisions or behaviors; (2) networks are controlled by an adversary. Secondly, we study how to devise good intervention strategies to control diffusion processes. This problem is crucial when we deal with harmful information like human diseases or computer viruses. We refer to these processes as harmful diffusions. We distinguish between centralized and decentralized intervention strategies. In centralized intervention strategies, there is a controller who has a limited amount of intervention resources (e.g. vaccinations or antidotes in the case of diseases). We study the problem of allocating these limited resources among the network agents so that the spread of the diffusion process is minimized. In decentralized intervention strategies, each individual in the network makes their own decision on protecting themselves, based on their individual utility and local knowledge. In such settings, we are interested in questions such as: is there a stable set of intervention strategies? What's the cost of decentralized solutions compared with an optimal centralized one? Lastly, we augment our studies of intervention strategies with the consideration about individual behavior changes which would lead to a new kind of network dynamics. Earlier work has shown that the combination of behavior change and intervention failure (e.g. failed vaccination) can lead to perverse outcomes where less (intervention resources) is more (effective). However, the extent of the perversity and its dependence on network structure as well as the precise nature of the behavior change has remained largely unknown.
A Withered Tree Comes to Life Again: Enabling In-Network Caching in the Traditional IP Network

This article presents our work proposing in-network caching in IP-based networks by adding a content identifier into a newly defined IPv6 extension header, where the new architecture is named CAIP. CAIP abandons the complicated name-based forwarding table in ICN, and instead integrates IP routing lookup with cache index lookup, which is compatible with the IP network and also inherits the proven advantages of ICN. Cache index exchanging and cooperative caching are implemented between one-hop CAIP enabled neighboring routers, which is simple but efficient. Moreover, for per-chunk caching, as an extension, bitmap is introduced to merge multiple request packets into one. Performance analysis shows that CAIP gains significant performance improvement in terms of access delay and traffic load.
Optimization of radiography applications using x-ray beams emitted by compact accelerators. Part I. Monte Carlo study of the hard x-ray spectrum.

PURPOSE A 3-year project called LABSYNC has been recently funded by the European Commission, with the aim of designing a radiation facility based on a compact light source, i.e., a laboratory-sized commercial synchrotron, capable of accelerating electrons up to 6 or 20 MeV. An accurate spectral description of hard x rays emitted from thin targets, irradiated by electron beams circulating in the storage ring, is of primary interest for the design and the characterization of a beamline. This article, Part I, aims at optimizing some of the parameters which are critical for the design of medical applications based on the above compact light source. The goal was to evaluate the dependence of photon fluence and beam monochromaticity on electron-beam energy, target material, and thickness. METHODS The transport of 6 and 20 MeV electrons in a thin molybdenum, rhodium, and tungsten target is studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations using MCNPX. Configurations of the x-ray output port, different from the default forward-directed emission of the beam, are also investigated. A comparison with reference spectra for general diagnostic radiology and mammography is carried out. RESULTS It is shown that the emitted x-ray beams can be far more intense than those generated by conventional x-ray tubes for radiography applications. The profiles of the calculated polychromatic spectra resemble those generated by conventional x-ray tubes, with x-ray energies up to the energy of the incident-electron beam. An appreciable improvement in the monochromaticity of the beams can be obtained by viewing the x-ray emission from an output port antiparallel to the direction of the incident-electron beam. CONCLUSIONS The optimum target thickness for tungsten target spectra is practically constrained by a trade-off between bremsstrahlung efficiency and focal-spot size requirements. A larger margin for optimization of target thickness is probably available for mammographic spectra. The constraint of a backward-directed (or, to a lesser extent, orthogonal) output port is to be considered mandatory for minimizing the high-energy tail of the spectral distribution and keeping the radiation dose to a reasonable level. It is also fundamental to evaluate the impact of the high-energy tail of the emitted spectra in x-ray imaging applications, since the energy range involved is significantly beyond the diagnostic range. This topic will be dealt with in Part II of the article.
The impact of talent management and employee engagement on organisational performance

The paper studies the impact of talent management on organisational performance in multinational corporations through applying management development and strategic HR inputs, and to evaluate the mediating role of employee engagement in the strategic HR inputs and organisational performance relationship. An online survey was distributed among managers of the first ten global multinational corporations listed by Fortune magazine 2013 and 498 responses were collected. The respondents were selected through LinkedIn using stratified sampling. PLS-SEM was used to test the hypothesised relationships of the model. The result shows a positive relationship between (1) MD Index and organisational performance, (2) strategic HR and organisational performance, and (3) employee engagement and organisational performance. Utilising PLS path modelling to evaluate structural model including higher-order component (MD Index) is highly original. The paper emphasises the importance of engagement as a mediator of the relationship between strategic HR and organisational performance in the talent management context.
A Distributed Linkage Method for a Large Amount of Event Data

In this paper, we propose a new distributed linkage method for the great amount of event data. This method is used for event-data processing such as system behavior visualization, which can diagnose and provide information about complex distributed IT system behavior from communication messages. In this method, we use two techniques: probe and data distribution by ¿source¿. The probe links event data based on the linkage model, which expresses the transaction of communication messages. In distributed computing environment, the counts of probe communication are very important for scalability. In our method, event data are allocated based on their ¿source¿ information because this can reduce the counts of probe communication. However, this approach is hard to link effectively in case of Gap model. Gap model means that it has a lack of the relation between message and next message. For Gap model, our method divides linkage processing based on the gap point. Each linkage processing runs concurrency and merged individually. We evaluate our method from the view-points of the throughput related with the load and the number of event processing servers. By using this method, the event-data processing can perform highly in the distributed computing environment. Experimental data demonstrated the viability of our propose method.
High frame rate adaptive imaging using coherence factor weighting and the MVDR method

Adaptive imaging has been extensively studied. Although some success has been demonstrated, these approaches generally are not suitable for high frame rate (HFR) imaging where broad transmit beams are required. In this study, we propose an effective adaptive imaging method suitable for HFR imaging based on coherence factor (CF) weighting and the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) method. The CF is a focusing quality index estimated from receive-channel data. It is the ratio between the energy of the coherent sum to the total incoherent energy. This method is an adaptive weighting technique in which the amplitude of each image pixel is weighted by the corresponding CF such that the unwanted side lobes are reduced. Direct implementation of the CF weighting in HFR imaging does not provide satisfactory results because broad transmit beams required for HFR imaging affect accuracy of CF calculations. In this study, we overcome this problem by applying the MVDR method to the delayed channel data. Specifically, the MVDR method is used for angle of arrival estimation. The beam sum data are then weighted by the estimated CF. A synthetic transmit aperture method is used for HFR imaging. Only 8 firings are required to form an image. Both simulations and clinical breast imaging data are used. In the experiments, clinical breast data are acquired using a programmable array system. With the proposed method, the average contrast enhancement is 4.59 dB and the average CNR enhancement is 20.19%. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can improve image quality. Even for HFR imaging with only 8 firings per image, effective contrast enhancement and better lesion boundary can be achieved. Efficacy of the proposed method is clearly demonstrated.
Machine-Driven Versus Manual Insertion Mode: Influence on Primary Stability of Orthodontic Mini-Implants

Purpose:The study aimed to explore the effect of the insertion method on maximal insertion torque as a measure of primary stability while controlling for the effect of cortical bone thickness, mini-implant length and diameter, and vertical insertion force on insertion torque. Methods:Six types of mini-implants (Dual Top; Jeil Medical, Corp.) with diameters of 1.4, 1.6, and 2.0 mm and lengths of 6 and 8 mm were inserted manually and in a machine-driven mode into pig rib bone samples, and experiments were repeated 10 times, which totaled 120 tested implants in 120 pig rib samples. Cortical bone thickness was measured with a sliding caliper, whereas insertion torque and vertical insertion forces were recorded with a specially designed device. Results:Significant predictors of better primary stability are thicker cortical bone (explaining 24.2% of variability), wider diameter (20.6%), manual insertion (9.9%), greater length (3.7%), higher maximal vertical insertion force (2.2%), and lower vertical force at maximal insertion torque (1.4%). Conclusions:Manual insertion is associated with higher primary stability of orthodontic mini-implants than mechanical insertion, but thicker cortical bone and larger implant diameter seem to be stronger predictors of primary stability.
The effect of oral alpha‐lipoic acid on oxidative stress in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetic complications. Alpha‐lipoic acid (LA), a potent antioxidant, has been shown to be an effective treatment for diabetic neuropathy when given intravenously. Recently, an oral controlled‐release formulation of alpha‐lipoic acid (CRLA) was developed, and a pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that CRLA maintained significant plasma levels for 67% longer than a common quick‐release formulation.
Martynia annua L.: A Review on Its Ethnobotany, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile

Martynia annua L. is a well-known small herbaceous annual plant in Ayurveda as kakanasika, which is being used in Indian traditional medicines for epilepsy, inflammation and tuberculosis. This weed has been known to possess anthelmintic, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, anti-convulsant, antifertility, antinociceptive, antioxidant, CNS depressant and wound healing activity. A wide range of chemical compounds including oleic acid, arachidic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, gentisic acid, stearic acid, pelargonidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-galactoside, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, apigenin, apigenin-7-oglucuronide have been isolated from this plant. The aim of this review article was to summarize the information related to botany, phytochemistry, traditional and pharmacological activity of the Martynia annua plant. Keyword: Martynia annua, Martyniaceae, Kakanasika, Antifertility, Antibacterial, Wound healing.
Magnetotactic bacteria penetration into multicellular tumor spheroids for targeted therapy

Preliminary experiments showed that MC-1 magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) could be used for the delivery of therapeutic agents to tumoral lesions. Each bacterium can provide a significant thrust propulsion force generated by two flagella bundles exceeding 4pN. Furthermore, a chain of single-domain magnetosomes embedded in the cell allows computer directional control and tracking using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. Although these embedded functionalities suggest that MTB when under the influence of an external computer could be considered as biological microrobots with the potential of targeting tumors, little is known about their level of penetration in tumoral tissues. In this paper, in vitro experiments were performed to assess the capability of these bacteria to penetrate tumor tissue for the delivery of therapeutic agents. Multicellular tumor spheroids were used since they reproduce many properties of solid tumors. The results show the ability of these MTB when submitted to a directional magnetic field to penetrate inside a 3D multicellular tumor spheroid through openings present in the tissue.
Cost-Effective Targeting for Reducing Soil Erosion in a Large Agricultural Watershed

Erosion of agricultural croplands is a significant contributor of sedimentation to reservoirs. Here, physiographic and economic models for a large agricultural watershed (2377 square miles with 27 subwatersheds) are integrated for the reduction of sedimentation of one Midwestern reservoir. Sediment reduction and the cost-effectiveness of three agricultural best management practices (no-till, filter strip, and permanent vegetation) implementation were considered under three modeling scenarios: random assignment; the globally most cost-effective approach; and a cost-effective targeting approach. This study demonstrates how physiographic and economic data can be harnessed to yield readily comprehendible cost-effective targeting maps. Cost-effective targeting may be preferable to watershed managers for its “user-friendliness” without too great a sacrifice of the globally most cost-efficient solution.
A History of the Federal Reserve, Volume 2, Book 2, 1970-1986

Allan H. Meltzer’s critically acclaimed history of the Federal Reserve is the most ambitious, most intensive, and most revealing investigation of the subject ever conducted. Its first volume, published to widespread critical acclaim in 2003, spanned the period from the institution’s founding in 1913 to the restoration of its independence in 1951. This two-part second volume of the history chronicles the evolution and development of this institution from the Treasury–Federal Reserve accord in 1951 to the mid-1980s, when the great inflation ended. It reveals the inner workings of the Fed during a period of rapid and extensive change. An epilogue discusses the role of the Fed in resolving our current economic crisis and the needed reforms of the financial system. In rich detail, drawing on the Federal Reserve’s own documents, Meltzer traces the relation between its decisions and economic and monetary theory, its experience as an institution independent of politics, and its role in tempering inflation. He explains, for example, how the Federal Reserve’s independence was often compromised by the active policy-making roles of Congress, the Treasury Department, different presidents, and even White House staff, who often pressured the bank to take a short-term view of its responsibilities. With an eye on the present, Meltzer also offers solutions for improving the Federal Reserve, arguing that as a regulator of financial firms and lender of last resort, it should focus more attention on incentives for reform, medium-term consequences, and rule-like behavior for mitigating financial crises. Less attention should be paid, he contends, to command and control of the markets and the noise of quarterly data. At a time when the United States finds itself in an unprecedented financial crisis, Meltzer’s fascinating history will be the source of record for scholars and policy makers navigating an uncertain economic future.
Impaired lymphatic function accelerates cancer growth

Increased lymphangiogenesis is a common feature of cancer development and progression, yet the influence of impaired lymphangiogenesis on tumor growth is elusive. C3HBA breast cancer and KHT-1 sarcoma cell lines were implanted orthotopically in Chy mice, harboring a heterozygous inactivating mutation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3, resulting in impaired dermal lymphangiogenesis. Accelerated tumor growth was observed in both cancer models in Chy mice, coinciding with reduced peritumoral lymphangiogenesis. An impaired lymphatic washout was observed from the peritumoral area in Chy mice with C3HBA tumors, and the number of macrophages was significantly reduced. While fewer macrophages were detected, the fraction of CD163+ M2 macrophages remained constant, causing a shift towards a higher M2/M1 ratio in Chy mice. No difference in adaptive immune cells was observed between wt and Chy mice. Interestingly, levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophage-associated cytokines were reduced in C3HBA tumors, pointing to an impaired innate immune response. However, IL-6 was profoundly elevated in the C3HBA tumor interstitial fluid, and treatment with the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab inhibited breast cancer growth. Collectively, our data indicate that impaired lymphangiogenesis weakens anti-tumor immunity and favors tumor growth at an early stage of cancer development.
Psychographics: mind over matter.

The marketing director of a national restaurant chain proudly reported that sales had jumped by 25 percent since the launch of a new marketing program. Moreover market research indicated that the sales of the major competitor during the same period had declined by 10 percent. Both firms campaigns appealed to the same demographic segment of the population in their area - white-collar middle-class families who own their homes and have an average of two young children. But the successful firm added another dimension: a psychographic analysis of the market. The companys research revealed that people who patronize such restaurants value cleanliness and frugality as well as good quality food. So the firm modified its advertising to stress good value and hygienic preparation of food as well as quality The competitor continued to emphasize only quality and some patrons switched restaurants. Interest in psychographics stems from the fact that consumers who share demographic characteristics may differ in purchasing behavior. "Demographic analysis as a market segmentation tool may be helpful for identifying market potential but it appears too insensitive for predicting specific brand choice" Norman L. Barnett wrote in the Harvard Business Review a decade ago. (excerpt)
Design and Microfabrication of Innovated FBAW Filters Based on an OOK Receiver Using 0.18um CMOS Technology

This paper presents the design and microfabrication of innovated film bulk acoustic wave (FBAW) filters based on a low voltage low power on-off keying (OOK) miniaturized monolithic receiver using 0.18mum CMOS technology. FBAW filters have the potential to enable the fabrication of high quality filters integrated with RF CMOS circuitry on a chip. To match the specifications of OOK receiver, an 866MHz 167ohms FBAW filter would be implemented in this research to demonstrate the process compatibility between the FBAW filter and the 0.18mum CMOS standard IC. This integrated device could be used as part of a wireless local area sensor network, and helpful to integrate RF system into a single chip.
Total Quality Management for Information Systems : An Empirical Investigation

Abstract In recent years, there has been an increasing interest by both academics and practitioners in improving the quality of information systems (IS). Past literature includes several conceptual frameworks and models proposing principles of applying TQM and other quality methodologies. In addition, case studies describing the experiences of individual companies have been published. Empirical evidence, however, on the effectiveness of TQM programs in the IS area is sparse. This paper attempts to provide a benchmark of current TQM practices for IS. A detailed exploratory analysis of survey responses from 142 Korean companies indicates the awareness, usage, length of experience, and the extent of top management support for IS TQM programs. The study also provides information on the realized benefits from TQM and tests their relationship to the implemented TQM principles. The relationship between the extent of top management support and the realized benefits from TQM in IS is also tested. Global applicability and implications are discussed.
Collective behavior of kinesin-5 motors during anaphase

At the individual molecule level, the relationship between applied force and steady-state velocity for processive molecular motors is a fundamental characteristic of the processive motor’s enzyme mechanism itself. For an ensemble of motors, the relationship between applied force and steady-state velocity is not known. Questions arise as to whether motors as part of ensembles in cells do act in coordinated fashion or act individually, and whether they operate close to force limits in the intracellular milieu. We made direct measurements of coherent motions during mitotic division in the nucleus of yeast cells to address these questions. We demonstrate application of a new quantitative method using a model that is germane to single motors to describe the collective behavior of ensembles of motors in the living cell.