Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Verification-Driven Design Across Abstraction Levels: A Case Study

For the development of complex systems - composed of hardware, software, or both - more and more high-level descriptions have been introduced over the past years. Starting from an informal specification, models of the system are created with the help of languages such as UML, SysML, or MARTE. Based on this model, an implementation is generated in a programming language such as C++, Java, etc. for software or SystemC, VHDL, etc. for hardware. Whereas various approaches for the verification of the single levels of abstraction exist, their application to a cross-level design flow is still to be considered. In this work, we evaluate this issue by providing a case study on a verification-driven design across abstraction levels. The results of this case study demonstrate the capabilities of existing methods as well as challenges and open issues to be addressed in future work.
Hybrid Extraction Method for Determining Circuit Elements of AlGaN / GaN HFETs

The developments in AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs) are beginning to allow harnessing of the great potential of this technology in high power RF applications. However, the integration of HFETs into a circuit environment requires accurate small and large signal modeling of the device operating under various biasing conditions. The conventional small signal equivalent circuit modeling methods consist of " cold " measurements for extracting parasitic elements, and on-bias measurements in determining the intrinsic device circuit elements. Also, the optimization routines are often explored directly using the " hot " measurement data to minimize errors. In this paper, an 18-element small signal equivalent circuit model for AlGaN/GaN HFETs is proposed and implemented, and contrasted to various de-embedding methods. Among the methods treated, the hot-FET optimization extraction based on the parasitic capacitances obtained from cold measurements leads to the smallest error between the simulated S-parameters and the measured ones at all bias points employed, with an average error of about 5%. This hybrid extraction algorithm is strengthened by imposing constraints to avoid any non-physical convergence. We note that the extrinsic parasitics determined by this method differ considerably from the values obtained by cold-FET measurements, which implies that the assumption on the bias independency for extrinsic parameters in the latter method might be questionable for AlGaN/GaN HFETs.
Non-linear invisible boundary detection

The human vision system can discriminate regions which differ up to the second order statistics only. We present an algorithm designed to reveal “hidden” boundaries in grey level images, by computing gradients in higher order statistics of the data. We demonstrate it by applying it to the identification of possible “hidden” boundaries of glioblastomas as manifest themselves in 3D MRI scans, using a model driven approach. We also demonstrate the method using a non-model driven approach where we have no prior information about the location of possible boundaries. In this case, we use 3D MRI data concerning schizophrenic patients and normal controls.
Study of SWG-method-of-moment solution of D-volume-integral-equation for plasmonic nano-particles at terahertz frequencies

This paper studies Schaubert-Wilton-Glisson method of moment for D-formulated volume integral equation applied to problems of scattering on plasmonic nanoparticles at THz frequencies. Numerical solution is compared against Mie series solution. Impact of mesh density on solution accuracy is studied. Demostration of convergence properties of pre-conditioned GMRES iterative solution is included in the study.
The Lack of Emx2 Causes Impairment ofReelin Signaling and Defects of Neuronal Migration in the Developing Cerebral Cortex

Neocorticogenesis in mice homozygous for an Emx2null allele is the topic of this article. The development of both main components of neocortex, primordial plexiform layer derivatives and cortical plate, was analyzed, paying special attention to radial migration of neurons forming the cortical plate. The products of theReelin gene, normally playing a key role in orchestrating radial migration of these neurons, display normal distribution at the beginning of the cortical neuronogenesis but are absent in the neocortical marginal zone of the mutant mice at the time when the cortical plate is laid down. As a consequence, the development of radial glia is impaired, and neurons making up the cortical plate display abnormal migration patterns. In addition, restricted defects along the rostrocaudal and the mediolateral axes are present in the subplate, suggesting an Emx2-specific role in priming the proper development of this layer.
SPAMMS: A sensor-based pipeline autonomous monitoring and maintenance system

Pipeline-based applications have become the indispensable part of life. Active monitoring and frequent inspections are critical to maintaining pipeline health. However, these tasks are highly expensive using the traditional maintenance systems, knowing that the pipeline systems can be largely deployed in an inaccessible and hazardous environment. In this paper, we propose a novel cost effective, scalable, customizable, and autonomous sensor-based system, called SPAMMS. It combines robot agent based technologies with sensing technologies for efficiently locating health related events and allows active and corrective monitoring and maintenance of the pipelines. SPAMMS integrates RFID systems with mobile sensors and autonomous robots. While the mobile sensor motion is based on the fluid transported by the pipeline, the fixed sensors provide event and mobile sensor location information and contribute efficiently to the study of health history of the pipeline. In addition, it permits a good tracking of the mobile sensors. Using the output of event analysis, a robot agent gets command from the controlling system, travels inside the pipelines for detailed inspection and repairing of the reported incidents (e.g., damage, leakage, or corrosion). The key innovations of SPAMMS are 3-fold: (a) the system can apply to a large variety of pipeline systems; (b) the solution provided is cost effective since it uses low cost powerless fixed sensors that can be setup while the pipeline system is operating; (c) the robot is autonomous and the localization technique allows controllable errors. The simulation experiments described in this paper along with prototyping activities demonstrate the feasibility of SPAMMS.
PRE-INFLATION IN THE PRESENCE OF CONFORMAL COUPLING

We consider a massless scalar field, conformally coupled to the Ricci scalar curvature, in the pre-inflation era of a closed FLRW Universe. The scalar field potential can be of the form of the Coleman–Weinberg one-loop potential, which is flat at the origin and drives the inflationary evolution. For positive values of the conformal parameter ξ, less than the critical value ξc=(1/6), the model admits exact solutions with nonzero minimum scale factor and zero initial Hubble parameter. Thus these solutions can be matched smoothly to the so-called Pre-Big-Bang models. At the end of this pre-inflation era one can match inflationary solutions by specifying the form of the potential and the whole solution is of the class C(1).
Hairless is required for the development of adult sensory organ precursor cells in Drosophila.

Reduction of the wild-type activity of the gene Hairless (H) results in two major phenotypic effects on the mechanosensory bristles of adult Drosophila. Bristles are either 'lost' (i.e. the shaft and socket fail to appear) or they exhibit a 'double socket' phenotype, in which the shaft is apparently transformed into a second socket. Analysis of the phenotypes conferred by a series of H mutant genotypes demonstrates (1) that different sensilla exhibit different patterns of response to decreasing levels of H+ function, and (2) that the 'bristle loss' phenotype results from greater loss of H+ function than the 'double socket' phenotype. The systematic study of H allelic combinations enabled us to identify genotypes that reliably produce specific mutant defects in particular positions on the bodies of adult flies. This permitted us to investigate the cellular development of sensilla in these same positions in larvae and pupae and thereby establish the developmental basis for the mutant phenotypes. We have found that H is required for at least two steps of adult sensillum development. In positions where 'double socket' microchaetes appear on the notum of H mutant flies, sensillum precursor cells are present in the developing pupa and divide normally, but their progeny adopt an aberrant spatial arrangement and fail to differentiate correctly. In regions of the notum exhibiting 'bristle loss' in adult H mutants, we were unable at the appropriate stages of development to detect sensillum-specific cell types, the precursor cell divisions that generate them, or the primary precursor cells themselves. Thus, the H 'bristle loss' phenotype appears to reflect a very early defect in sensillum development, namely the failure to specify and/or execute the sensory organ precursor cell fate. This finding indicates that H is one of a small number of identified genes for which the loss-of-function phenotype is the failure of sensillum precursor cell development.
WIDE-FREQUENCY-RANGE CMOS VOLTAGE CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR FOR PHASE LOCK LOOP - A REVIEW

This paper describes a performance and comparison of a ring oscillator based VCO and an LC oscillator based VCO.The VCO is intended to operate in a PLL to generate local oscillator frequency (LO) for an acquisition system. This work proposes a differential VCO design that has a wide operating frequency tuning range with reduced area, low power consumption, , better phase-noise performance and good linearity between the frequency and control voltage. The circuit is to be designed and simulated in 0.18 µm IBM CMOS technology.
Partial similarity based nonparametric scene parsing in certain environment

In this paper we propose a novel nonparametric image parsing method for the image parsing problem in certain environment. A novel and efficient nearest neighbor matching scheme, the ANN bilateral matching scheme, is proposed. Based on the proposed matching scheme, we first retrieve some partially similar images for each given test image from the training image database. The test image can be well explained by these retrieved images, with similar regions existing in the retrieved images for each region in the test image. Then, we match the test image to the retrieved training images with the ANN bilateral matching scheme, and parse the test image by integrating multiple cues in a markov random field. Experiment on three datasets shows our method achieved promising parsing accuracy and outperformed two state-of-the-art nonparametric image parsing methods.
“ Not eager to fit in ” The collective work of creating an alternative cosmology of Heavy Metal

The celebration of a White heteronormative masculinity is still vivid in Heavy Metal. This has embodied and discursive consequences that are visible in the domination of Metal spaces or the marginalisation of female, trans* or non-binary musicians, but also in an aesthetics of (heteroand cis-) sexism and racism that is often apparent. Nevertheless, Metal is still empowering and joyful for those who experience exclusion and marginalisation. They have found ways to react and organise an alternative participation in Heavy Metal. Using a queered approach to Cultural Studies, this study aims at intervening in the continuous reproduction of a normative White and straight Metal masculinity. Collecting data from five ethnographic interviews with queer Metalheads and additional autoethnographic data, it shows how queer Metalheads organise their participation in Heavy Metal and create an alternative Metal cosmology. This study is not only a theoretical intervention. As a result of the interview project, a new community of queer Metalheads was created.
Gene Expression Changes for Antioxidants Pathways in the Mouse Cochlea: Relations to Age-related Hearing Deficits

Age-related hearing loss – presbycusis – is the number one neurodegenerative disorder and top communication deficit of our aged population. Like many aging disorders of the nervous system, damage from free radicals linked to production of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) may play key roles in disease progression. The efficacy of the antioxidant systems, e.g., glutathione and thioredoxin, is an important factor in pathophysiology of the aging nervous system. In this investigation, relations between the expression of antioxidant-related genes in the auditory portion of the inner ear – cochlea, and age-related hearing loss was explored for CBA/CaJ mice. Forty mice were classified into four groups according to age and degree of hearing loss. Cochlear mRNA samples were collected and cDNA generated. Using Affymetrix® GeneChip, the expressions of 56 antioxidant-related gene probes were analyzed to estimate the differences in gene expression between the four subject groups. The expression of Glutathione peroxidase 6, Gpx6; Thioredoxin reductase 1, Txnrd1; Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1, Idh1; and Heat shock protein 1, Hspb1; were significantly different, or showed large fold-change differences between subject groups. The Gpx6, Txnrd1 and Hspb1 gene expression changes were validated using qPCR. The Gpx6 gene was upregulated while the Txnrd1 gene was downregulated with age/hearing loss. The Hspb1 gene was found to be downregulated in middle-aged animals as well as those with mild presbycusis, whereas it was upregulated in those with severe presbycusis. These results facilitate development of future interventions to predict, prevent or slow down the progression of presbycusis.
EFFICIENCY AND REDISTRIBUTIONAL ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TAX POLICY IN A SMALL OPEN ECONOMY

1. ABSTRACT We study the effects of environmental tax policy in a dynamic overlapping-generations model of a small open economy with environmental quality incorporated as a durable consumption good. Raising the environmental tax may deliver an efficiency gain if agents care enough about the environment. The benefits are unevenly distributed across generations since capital ownership, and the capital loss induced by a tax increase, rises with age. A suitable egalitarian bond policy can be employed in order to ensure everybody gains to the same extent. With this additional instrument the resulting efficiency gain coincides with the one obtained in the corresponding representative agent model. We further consider a tax reform that simultaneously lowers labour taxation and raises the environmental tax. This policy delivers qualitatively similar consequences as the first scenario, though all changes are less pronounced. A double dividend appears soon after the reform but vanishes in the course of the transition.
SEISMIC DATA COMPRESSION AND INTEGRATED STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM

This paper presents a new concept for an integrated structural health monitoring (SHM) system and its potential use in seismic application. The integrated SHM system incorporates sensor data compression, interactive data retrieval and structural system identification to address the challenging issues arising from current SHM practice. Since rapid data analysis is highly desired during or immediately after strong earthquakes to enable rapid emergency relief and disaster assistance efforts, innovative sensor data compression techniques are needed to facilitate fast and reliable remote transmission of seismic data from monitored structures to central information processing station. Real sensor data measured from a prototype integrated SHM system which is comprised of a model steel bridge, a real-time data acquisition system with remote access were used in this study to demonstrate the concept for the integrated SHM system. The performance of the integrated SHM system with lossy data compression is also discussed in this paper.
Antihypertensive and Antioxidant Action of Amlodipine and Vitamin C in Patients of Essential Hypertension

The etiology of essential hypertension includes increased oxidative stress. The role of antihypertensive drug amlodipine as an antioxidant and the benefit of addition of vitamin C, an antioxidant to antihypertensive therapy were studied. Forty male patients of essential hypertension were randomly divided into two groups and treated with 5 mg amlodipine. In addition one group also received 1000 mg vitamin C (as two 500 mg tablets) once daily for three months. Although blood pressure decreased in both groups, the systolic blood pressure in patients given vitamin C was less (126.4 ± 7.47) compared to the other group (130.9 ± 7.27). A decrease in malondialdehyde, an increase in erythrocyte sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+ K+ ATPase) and an increase in the superoxide dismutase levels were observed in both groups. The increase in SOD was statistically more in the patients given vitamin C in addition to amlodipine (0.1717 ± 0.0150 compared to 0.152 ± 0.0219 units/100 ml assay). In spite of the known antihypertensive, antioxidant activity, similarity in correcting endothelial dysfunction independently, giving the two drugs together and early introduction of vitamin C perhaps decreases oxidative stress and augments the antioxidant status. This may prevent further vascular damage due to oxidative stress, leading to a better prognosis in essential hypertension patients.
A high-fat diet induces lower expression of retinoid receptors and their target genes GAP-43/neuromodulin and RC3/neurogranin in the rat brain

Numerous studies have reported an association between cognitive impairment in old age and nutritional factors, including dietary fat. Retinoic acid (RA) plays a central role in the maintenance of cognitive processes via its nuclear receptors (NR), retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR), and the control of target genes, e.g. the synaptic plasticity markers GAP-43/neuromodulin and RC3/neurogranin. Given the relationship between RA and the fatty acid signalling pathways mediated by their respective NR (RAR/RXR and PPAR), we investigated the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on (1) PUFA status in the plasma and brain, and (2) the expression of RA and fatty acid NR (RARβ, RXRβγ and PPARδ), and synaptic plasticity genes (GAP-43 and RC3), in young male Wistar rats. In the striatum of rats given a HFD for 8 weeks, real-time PCR (RT-PCR) revealed a decrease in mRNA levels of RARβ ( − 14 %) and PPARδ ( − 13 %) along with an increase in RXRβγ (+52 %). Concomitantly, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed (1) a clear reduction in striatal mRNA and protein levels of RC3 ( − 24 and − 26 %, respectively) and GAP-43 ( − 10 and − 42 %, respectively), which was confirmed by in situ hybridisation, and (2) decreased hippocampal RC3 and GAP-43 protein levels (approximately 25 %). Additionally, HFD rats exhibited a significant decrease in plasma ( − 59 %) and brain ( − 6 %) n-3 PUFA content, mainly due to the loss of DHA. These results suggest that dietary fat induces neurobiological alterations by modulating the brain RA signalling pathway and n-3 PUFA content, which have been previously correlated with cognitive impairment.
Language Support for Exploiting Software Structure Specifications

Precise specification of the architecture and design of software is a good practice. Such specifications contain a lot of information about the software that can potentially be exploited by tools, to reduce redundancy in software writing by automating routine tasks, as well as giving valuable feedback on the software. In this synopsis we introduce the domain of ‘exploiting software structure specifications’, and classify exploitations based on their intent, and look at some of the issues involved in writing them. Most of these exploitations are programmed using conventional programming languages that do not provide primitives that are routinely required. We identify some patterns that are seen while exploiting software structure specifications and abstract them out into a language specially designed for the purpose. Our effort is a language called LEADS, where we attempt to make writing such tools a lot easier, modular, organized and portable. LEADS is based on the Pattern-Action approach, where one specifies the pattern of information of interest and the actions to be taken when it is found. The patterns are specified using a custom declarative language that is enriched with special primitives for routinely occurring constructs. LEADS also decouples itself from the specification environments and formats thereby ensuring wide applicability. This enables LEADS scripts to be ported across design environments with minimal effort. The following sections in the synopsis provide an overview of the thesis, and highlight the various issues dealt in detail in the thesis. Exploiting software structure specifications Software engineering as a discipline has progressed a lot in the past decades. The need to build software in an organized and coordinated manner has encouraged modelling of the software system at varying degrees of detail before it is actually developed. To enable accurate and precise modelling, several modelling and description languages have been proposed over the years. Models assist decomposition of a complex problem, and make the responsibilities of the various constituents of the software system clear. A software system can be modelled at various levels. Models can capture the early thought process in the conception of a software product, the issues
A Hypertension Gene: Are We There Yet?

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Essential hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of other cardiovascular diseases and is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors, with up to 50% of blood pressure variance currently attributed to an individual's genetic makeup. By studying genes that cause monogenic forms of hypertension and pathways relevant to blood pressure control, a number of polymorphisms have been identified that increase an individual's risk of developing high blood pressure. We report on candidate gene association studies and genome-wide association studies that have been performed to date in the field of hypertension research. It is becoming clear that for the majority of people there is no single gene polymorphism that causes hypertension, but rather a number of common genetic variants, each having a small effect. Using pharmacogenomics to personalize the treatment of hypertension holds promise for achieving and sustaining normotensive pressures quickly, while minimizing the risk of adverse reactions and unwanted side-effects. This will decrease the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction in individuals and lead to a reduced burden of disease upon society as a whole.