Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active gate control of series connected IGBTs using positive current feedback technique

Controllable devices like insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are very popular on account of their highly desirable features. This prompts their use in high-voltage applications. But high-voltage IGBT development is facing constraints and there is a requirement for series connection of these devices to enhance their voltage withstanding capability. The series connection of IGBTs, however, has its own problems (e.g., dynamic voltage imbalances leading to device break down etc.). Active gate control offers a good solution to this problem. In this brief, a novel scheme of "active gate control using a positive current feedback" is proposed. The system uses a current feed back network where the gate voltage is dependent on the current through the device but not on the overvoltage across the device (the existing trend). The scheme has been simulated using PSPICE and validated experimentally. Analytical and control aspects are discussed. All the results are included. It is concluded that the proposed technique leads to a simple modular control circuit, wider range of operating currents, and increased system stability.
A Scalable Bloom Filter for Membership Queries

Bloom filters allow membership queries over sets with allowable errors. It is widely used in databases, networks and distributed systems and it has great potential for distributed applications where systems need to share information about available data. However, the false positive errors are unavoidable, and the false positive rate increases intolerantly along with the date set expanding. To solve the scalability problem of Bloom filters, this paper presents a new design of a scalable Bloom filter (SBF) for an expanding data set. The SBF keeps a low false positive rate by adding Bloom filter vectors with double length when necessary. The paper proposes algorithms for element insertion and query operation of SBF by employing the H3 class of universal hash functions. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the new SBF provides false positive rate as low as 21.3% of the dynamic Bloom filter presented before and the querying CPU time increasing with logarithmic rather than linear. Therefore, the proposed SBF outperforms other current scalable Bloom filters significantly.
Facile Determination of Sodium Ion and Osmolarity in Artificial Tears by Sequential DNAzymes

Despite high relevance of tear osmolarity and eye abnormality, numerous methods for detecting tear osmolarity rely upon expensive osmometers. We report a reliable method for simply determining sodium ion-based osmolarity in artificial tears using sequential DNAzymes. When sodium ion-specific DNAzyme and peroxidase-like DNAzyme were used as a sensing and detecting probe, respectively, the concentration of Na+ in artificial tears could be measured by absorbance or fluorescence intensity, which was highly correlated with osmolarity over the diagnostic range (R2 > 0.98). Our approach is useful for studying eye diseases in relation to osmolarity.
Structural Nonparametric Cointegrating Regression ∗ Qiying Wang School of Mathematics and Statistics The University of Sydney

Nonparametric estimation of a structural cointegrating regression model is studied. As in the standard linear cointegrating regression model, the regressor and the dependent variable are jointly dependent and contemporaneously correlated. In nonparametric estimation problems, joint dependence is known to be a major complication that affects identification, induces bias in conventional kernel estimates, and frequently leads to ill-posed inverse problems. In functional cointegrating regressions where the regressor is an integrated time series, it is shown here that inverse and ill-posed inverse problems do not arise. Remarkably, nonparametric kernel estimation of a structural nonparametric cointegrating regression is consistent and the limit distribution theory is mixed normal, giving simple useable asymptotics in practical work. The results provide a convenient basis for inference in structural nonparametric regression with nonstationary time series. The methods may be applied to a wide range of empirical models where functional estimation of cointegrating relations is required.
A Roadside-to-vehicle Communication System for Vehicle Safety using Dual Frequency Channels

This paper addresses requirements for emergency communication in a roadside-to-vehicle communication (RVC) system for vehicle safety, and proposes a new media access control (MAC) protocol, which meets both providing multi-applications and prioritizing emergency communication. The proposed technique utilizes two channels. One uses 5.8 GHz band assigned for Dedicated Short Rage Communication (DSRC) system in Japan and the other one uses VHF/UHF band expecting more probability of signal arrival by diffraction around obstacles. This paper also presents some simulation results that explore the basic performance of the proposed technique.
Ieee Transactions on Communications, Accepted for Publication 1 a Gi/g/1 Model for 10 Gb/s Energy Efficient Ethernet Links

—The IEEE 802.3az standard provides a mechanism to build energy efficient Ethernet interfaces via a low power idle mode that they can enter when there is no data to transmit. Several competing algorithms have appeared that make use of this mode to minimize energy consumption with little disruption to the traffic. Two algorithms stand out among those because of their simplicity and performance: frame transmission and burst transmission. Although these algorithms have been shown to be very efficient in simulated scenarios, there is a lack of general analytical models for their behavior. In fact, to this date, the only analyzed traffic patterns have been variants of Poisson traffic. In this paper we provide a general GI/G/1 model for energy consumption and traffic delay for both algorithms. We then develop specializations of the general model for Poisson and deterministic traffic. Finally, we validate the model with the help of both synthetic traffic and real Internet traffic traces.
Residents and residence: factors predicting the health disadvantage of social renters compared to owner-occupiers

Numerous studies have found that owner-occupiers live longer and stay healthier than renters. Epidemiologists often view housing tenure as a proxy for economic circumstances rather than as having directly health-promoting or damaging effects. Housing researchers, on the other hand, have tended to study physical and psychosocial aspects of housing that might directly impact upon health. Linking these two literatures, we analyzed nearly 3,000 postal questionnaires from a stratified random sample of Scottish adults. In particular, we examined differences between owners and social renters that might explain observed tenure differences in health. Personal characteristics explained much of the difference between owners and social renters, but some dwelling and neighborhood characteristics also played a role.
Smoothing-Evaluation Method in Delayed Reinforcement Learning

Another method of delayed reinforcement learning is proposed. There are two neural networks in a robot's brain, those are a evaluation network and a motion network. The evaluation network is trained so as to reduce the absolute value of the second order time derivative of the output of itself while the robot moves. The learning realize the evaluation by the necessary time until a robot gets a target and the route of a robot can be optimized under some conditions. In a simulation, a robot with an asymmetric motion characteristic could get a target along an almost optimal route, that is better than that in a comparison simulation that the evaluation function is given by the authors and only the motion is learned.
RNAither, an automated pipeline for the statistical analysis of high-throughput RNAi screens

SUMMARY We present RNAither, a package for the free statistical environment R which performs an analysis of high-throughput RNA interference (RNAi) knock-down experiments, generating lists of relevant genes and pathways out of raw experimental data. The library provides a quality assessment of the signal intensities, as well as a broad range of options for data normalization, different statistical tests for the identification of significant siRNAs, and a significance analysis of the biological processes involving corresponding genes. The results of the analysis are presented as a set of HTML pages. Additionally, all values and plots are available as either text files or pdf and png files. AVAILABILITY http://bioconductor.org/
Characterization of homologs of the small RNA SgrS reveals diversity in function

SgrS is a small RNA (sRNA) that requires the RNA chaperone Hfq for its function. SgrS is a unique dual-function sRNA with a base pairing function that regulates mRNA targets and an mRNA function that allows production of the 43-amino-acid protein SgrT. SgrS is expressed when non-metabolizable sugars accumulate intracellularly (glucose-phosphate stress) and is required to allow Escherichia coli cells to recover from stress. In this study, homologs of SgrS were used to complement an E. coli sgrS mutant in order elucidate the physiological relevance of differences among homologs. These analyses revealed that the base pairing function of E. coli and Yersinia pestis SgrS homologs is critical for rescue from glucose-phosphate stress. In contrast, base pairing-deficient SgrS homologs from Salmonella typhimurium, Erwinia carotovora and Klebsiella pneumoniae rescue E. coli cells from stress despite their failure to regulate target mRNAs. Compared with E. coli SgrS, S. typhimurium SgrS produces more SgrT and this rescues cell growth even when the base pairing function is inactivated. Genetic evidence suggests that a secondary structure in the E. coli SgrS 5′ region inhibits sgrT translation. This structure is not present in S. typhimurium SgrS, which explains its higher level of SgrT production.
Categorical abstract algebraic logic: The Diagram and the Reduction Operator Lemmas

The study of structure systems, an abstraction of the concept of first‐order structures, is continued. Structure systems have algebraic systems as their algebraic reducts and their relational component consists of a collection of relation systems on the underlying functors. An analog of the expansion of a first‐order structure by constants is presented. Furthermore, analogs of the Diagram Lemma and the Reduction Operator Lemma from the theory of equality‐free first‐order structures are provided in the framework of structure systems. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Genomic Sequence Analysis of the MHC Class I G/F Segment in Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World monkey that is used frequently as a model for various human diseases. However, detailed knowledge about the MHC is still lacking. In this study, we sequenced and annotated a total of 854 kb of the common marmoset MHC region that corresponds to the HLA-A/G/F segment (Caja-G/F) between the Caja-G1 and RNF39 genes. The sequenced region contains 19 MHC class I genes, of which 14 are of the MHC-G (Caja-G) type, and 5 are of the MHC-F (Caja-F) type. Six putatively functional Caja-G and Caja-F genes (Caja-G1, Caja-G3, Caja-G7, Caja-G12, Caja-G13, and Caja-F4), 13 pseudogenes related either to Caja-G or Caja-F, three non-MHC genes (ZNRD1, PPPIR11, and RNF39), two miscRNA genes (ZNRD1-AS1 and HCG8), and one non-MHC pseudogene (ETF1P1) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis suggests segmental duplications of units consisting of basically five (four Caja-G and one Caja-F) MHC class I genes, with subsequent expansion/deletion of genes. A similar genomic organization of the Caja-G/F segment has not been observed in catarrhine primates, indicating that this genomic segment was formed in New World monkeys after the split of New World and Old World monkeys.
The quaternion least mean magnitude phase adaptive filtering algorithm

Quaternion-valued adaptive filters based on the mean square error (MSE) criterion have been extensively studied in recent years. However, the MSE cost function has only one degree of freedom, and to circumvent this problem, we propose another criterion which enables separate control of the magnitude and phase. Next, a quaternion least mean magnitude phase (QLMMP) filtering algorithm is introduced and is shown to provide a unified form for the quaternion least mean square (QLMS) algorithm, a magnitude-only filtering algorithm, and a phase filtering algorithm. The convergence analysis of the normalised version of the QLMMP employs a connection to the normalised QLMS with a quaternion-valued stepsize. The proposed algorithms are validated over case studies of the identification in three-phase power systems.
The occurrence of depressive symptoms in the preclinical phase of AD

Objective: To examine preclinical depressive symptoms 3 years before the diagnosis of AD. Methods: The authors compared incident AD patients and nondemented individuals in terms of baseline mood- and motivation-related symptoms of depression, and assessed whether depressive symptoms in preclinical AD are related to self-perceived memory problems. Participants came from a population-based longitudinal study on aging and dementia in Stockholm, Sweden. The sample consisted of 222 persons older than 74 years who were followed for a 3-year interval. Thirty-four individuals had developed AD at follow-up, whereas 188 remained nondemented. Dementia diagnosis was made according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition, revised. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. Results: The incident AD patients had more depressive symptoms than the nondemented persons at baseline. There was a dominance of motivation-related symptoms of depression (e.g., lack of interest, loss of energy, concentration difficulties) in preclinical AD. This association remained when adjusting for subjective memory complaints. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are elevated preclinically in AD, and this elevation is not merely a by-product of self-perceived cognitive difficulties. Thus, depressive symptoms may be part of the preclinical phase in AD.
Fourier Analysis: A New Method for Describing Primate Tooth Shapes

that the reduction in the face and jaws is perhaps most responsible for reduction in tooth size (after Sofaer 1973), reduction in body size may be an important factor. Several investigators have demonstrated strong body-size/ tooth-size correlations in a number of primate taxa, including Homo sapiens (cf. Gould 1975, Kay 1975, Johnson 1978, Gingerich and Schoeninger 1979, Garn, Lewis, and Walenga 1968). Thus, with a reduction in body size, a reduction in tooth size is to be expected regardless of the reduction in face and jaw size. The reduction in postcranial size also represents a complex issue. Change in functional demand seems a likely explanation, particularly in light of the decrease in degenerative joint disease and change in postcranial indices. These size reductions, however, may in fact be related to a reduction in protein sources with a concomitant increase in dietary carbohydrates. Corn is very low in two essential amino acids: lysine and tryptophan (Orr and Watt 1957). Stini (1971), Yesner (1980), and others have pointed out that a reliance on one or a combination of foods that contain insufficient quantities or balance of even one essential amino acid precludes the utilization of the rest of the amino-acid group. The result is an overexcretion of nitrogen without a compensatory intake and a restriction on body-tissue metabolism and growth (Stini 1971), including metabolism and growth of skeletal tissue. This phenomenon is, moreover, compounded by the presence of infection (Scrimshaw 1967). In sum, a decrease in mechanical stress and an increase in nutritional stress may be acting concurrently to produce the observed preagricultural-to-agricultural postcranial size reductions.
Associations Between Egg Capsule Morphology and Predation Among Populations of the Marine Gastropod, Nucella emarginata.

Intraspecific variation in the morphology of egg capsules is ideal for assessing the costs and benefits of encapsulation, yet little is known about the extent of such variation among populations of a single species. In the present study, I compared capsule morphology among three populations of the intertidal gastropod, Nucella emarginata. Significant differences were found both in capsule wall thickness and capsule strength. Mean capsule wall thickness varied as much as 25% among populations, with the dry weight of capsular cases differing accordingly. Capsule strength, measured as resistance to puncturing and squeezing forces, also varied among populations, but did not directly reflect differences in capsule wall thickness. Despite extensive variation in capsule morphology within this species, the number and size of eggs contained within capsules of equal volume did not differ significantly among populations. I also compared the type of capsule-eating predators that were present at each site. Shore crabs, Hemigrapsus spp. , were abundant at all three sites; however, the predatory isopods Idotea wosnesenskii were only present at sites containing relatively thick-walled capsules. Although Hemigrapsus and Idotea were able to chew through both thick- and thin-walled capsules, laboratory experiments revealed that Idotea preferentially opened thin-walled capsules. These results suggest that variation in capsule morphology among populations of N. emarginata may, at least in part, reflect selection for the protection of embryos against predation.
Real-time footstep planning in 3D environments

A variety of approaches exist that tackle the problem of humanoid locomotion. The spectrum ranges from dynamic walking controllers that allow fast walking to systems that plan longer footstep paths through complicated scenes. Simple walking controllers do not guarantee collision-free steps, whereas most existing footstep planners are not capable of providing results in real time. Thus, these methods cannot be used, not even in combination, to react to sudden changes in the environment. In this paper, we propose a new fast search method that combines A* with an adaptive 3D action set. When expanding a node, we systematically search for suitable footsteps by taking into account height information. As we show in various experiments, our approach outperforms standard A*-based footstep planning in both run time and path cost and, combined with an efficient map segmentation, finds valid footstep plans in 3D environments in under 50 ms.
On Symmetric Continuum Opinion Dynamics

This paper investigates the asymptotic behavior of some common opinion dynamic models in a continuum of agents. We show that as long as the interactions among the agents are symmetric, the distribution of the agents' opinion converges. We also investigate whether convergence occurs in a stronger sense than merely in distribution, namely, whether the opinion of almost every agent converges. We show that while this is not the case in general, it becomes true under plausible assumptions on inter-agent interactions, namely that agents with similar opinions exert a non-negligible pull on each other, or that the interactions are entirely determined by their opinions via a smooth function.
The practice of business ethics in China: we need a parent

This paper addresses the practice of business ethics in China. It begins with a literature review. Using a traditional cultural framework it then analyses the role of the state in China. A comparison is made between the evolution of Chinese social and political forms and those of the West, and the consequences of those differences for the question of auto-organisation in China are described. After commenting on the reality of business ethics in China, the paper concludes that the practice of business ethics in China needs the guiding ‘parental’ hand of government.
Income, education, and class gradients in health in global perspective

Abstract It is well known that socioeconomic status (SES) is highly correlated with health. An important question is whether SES is, in this regard, a single, unified concept or a collection of related but distinct statuses. This study disaggregates SES into constituent components of income, education, and occupational class to investigate whether or not these correlate with health independently of each other. A series of multilevel regression models are estimated to predict self-rated health (SRH) as reported by 15,022 individuals in 44 countries participating in the World Values Survey. It turns out that it is possible to distinguish independent income, education, and class gradients in SRH. Two interpretations of this result are possible: each component of SES may affect health independently of the others, or each may simply capture additional information about SES that is not captured by the others. Either way, all three components of SES are clearly closely connected with SRH.
Initial evaluation of vascular ingrowth into superporous hydrogels

There is a need for new materials and architectures for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Based upon our recent results developing novel scaffold architecture, we hypothesized that this new architecture would foster vascularization, a particular need for tissue engineering. We report on the potential of superporous hydrogel (SPH) scaffolds for in vivo cellular infiltration and vascularization. Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) SPH scaffolds were implanted in the dorsum of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice and harvested after 4 weeks of in vivo implantation. The SPHs were visibly red and vascularized, as apparent when compared to the non‐porous hydrogel controls, which were macroscopically avascular. Host cell infiltration was observed throughout the SPHs. Blood cells and vascular structures, confirmed through staining for CD34 and smooth muscle α‐actin, were observed throughout the scaffolds. This novel soft material may be utilized for cell transplantation, tissue engineering and in combination with cell therapies. The neovasularization and limited fibrotic response suggest that the architecture may be conducive to cell survival and rapid vessel development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation methods for Value at Risk 1

In the last few decades, risk managers have truly experienced a revolution. The rapid increase in the usage of risk management techniques has spread well beyond derivatives and is totally changing the way institutions approach their financial risk. In response to the financial disasters of the early 1990s a new method called VaR (Value at Risk) was developed as a simple method to quantify market risk (In recent years, VaR has been used in many other areas of risk including credit risk and operational risk). Some of the financial disasters of the early 1990s are:
Solution Level Parallelization of Local Search Metaheuristic Algorithm on GPU

— Local search metaheuristic algorithms are proven & powerful combinatorial optimization strategies to tackle hard problems like traveling salesman problem. These algorithms explore & evaluate neighbors of a single solution. Time Consuming LSM algorithms can be improved by parallelizing exploration & evaluation of neighbors of a solution. GPU architecture is suitable for algorithms of