Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Behavioral Simulation of Charge-Pump Phase-Locked Loops

The simulation of the full netlist of a phase locked loop (PLL) is resource demanding due to the prohibitive time needed to derive output noise, spurs, and transient performance from detailed transistor-level simulations. To overcome this limitation, behavioral models are needed but they must be accurate and time-efficient. This paper introduces a new behavioral macro-model of the charge-pump PLL, addressing both spectral analysis and lock-in transient computation. To meet both accuracy and simulation efficiency, the model accounts for the time-variant transfer of noise and disturbances, and a novel procedure is introduced to extract the model parameters via transistor-level periodic steady-state simulations. To describe the nonlinear dynamics, the model also includes the voltage-controlled oscillator and charge-pump nonlinear characteristic computed via transistor-level simulations. The proposed macro-model has been tested on a 2.765-GHz PLL, and the results are compared against the noise transient simulation of the PLL full netlist. Phase noise and amplitude of spurious tones, both inherently generated and induced by external disturbances, are predicted within ±2 dB. Lock-in transients are also described with an accuracy within a few percent. On the other hand, the simulation time reduction is two/three orders of magnitude for both spectral analyses and transient simulations, depending on the PLL parameters.
Time Reusing in D2D-Enabled Cooperative Networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication has become one important part of next-generation mobile networks particularly due to the booming of proximity-based services, e.g. the ProSe standardized in LTE. However, D2D communications may create strong interference to nearby users that are sharing the same spectrum. Thus, interference management in a D2D-enabled cooperative network is critical. In this paper, the time reuse problem and its distributed solution in a D2D-enabled cooperative network are investigated. Even though the total number of possible time reuse patterns increases exponentially with the quantity of the users, the authors first show that the optimal network performance can be achieved by only activating a limited number of time reuse patterns. The effects of the incentive mechanism on the reuse pattern selection are also investigated. Meanwhile, the set of active reuse patterns are determined efficiently with the Frank-Wolfe method. For a specific set of active time reuse patterns, the authors further show that the optimal resource allocation problem can be formulated as one consensus-building problem. Based on the alternating-direction method of multipliers, one low-complexity algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal resource allocations in a distributed fashion. Numerical simulations are carried out to corroborate our designs.
Evaluation of flowering cherry species, hybrids, and cultivars using simple sequence repeat markers.

Flowering cherries belong to the genus Prunus, consisting primarily of species native to Asia. Despite the popularity of ornamental cherry trees in the landscape, most ornamental Prunus planted in the United States are derived from a limited genetic base of Japanese flowering cherry taxa. A diverse collection of ornamental Prunus germplasm is maintained at the U.S. National Arboretum as part of an ongoing flowering cherry improvement program, but the genetic backgrounds of many trees are unclear. We characterized this germplasm using five simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs, including one chloroplast primer pair. These primers generated 140 unique alleles that were used to assess genetic relationships among species, hybrids, and cultivars in this collection. We found that these markers followed expected Mendelian inheritance from parents to progeny in controlled hybridizations. In general, species clustered according to published taxonomic groupings, including a distinct separation of the ornamental cherries (PrunussubgenusCerasussectionPseudocerasus) fromother subgenera. Individual accessions of several taxa did not cluster with other samples of the species, indicating possible misidentification or interspecific combinations. The resulting information will be useful in guiding decisions on breeding methodology and germplasm preservation.
Development of a User-Friendly Neuron Analyzer and Simulator (NAS)

In this work we present a software named Neuron Analyzer and Simulator (NAS). There are some other programs in the field of computational neuroscience which are widely used and had and still have a huge scientific importance. Nevertheless, we feel that many newcomers to the field would benefit from a simpler visual user-friendly software for modeling and simulating realistic reconstructed neurons. Therefore, this work represents an effort to bring neuronal computer simulation to prospective researchers in the field.
Comparative Genomics and Mutational Analysis Reveals a Novel XoxF-Utilizing Methylotroph in the Roseobacter Group Isolated From the Marine Environment

The Roseobacter group comprises a significant group of marine bacteria which are involved in global carbon and sulfur cycles. Some members are methylotrophs, using one-carbon compounds as a carbon and energy source. It has recently been shown that methylotrophs generally require a rare earth element when using the methanol dehydrogenase enzyme XoxF for growth on methanol. Addition of lanthanum to methanol enrichments of coastal seawater facilitated the isolation of a novel methylotroph in the Roseobacter group: Marinibacterium anthonyi strain La 6. Mutation of xoxF5 revealed the essential nature of this gene during growth on methanol and ethanol. Physiological characterization demonstrated the metabolic versatility of this strain. Genome sequencing revealed that strain La 6 has the largest genome of all Roseobacter group members sequenced to date, at 7.18 Mbp. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) showed that whilst it displays the highest core gene sequence similarity with subgroup 1 of the Roseobacter group, it shares very little of its pangenome, suggesting unique genetic adaptations. This research revealed that the addition of lanthanides to isolation procedures was key to cultivating novel XoxF-utilizing methylotrophs from the marine environment, whilst genome sequencing and MLSA provided insights into their potential genetic adaptations and relationship to the wider community.
Identifying and correcting pixel locking errors with the SPIFF algorithm

Particle tracking is an important tool in a wide range of experimental fields in which optical imaging systems are used. Unfortunately, tracking algorithms are susceptible to pixel-locking when a tracked object occupies a small number of pixels on the detector or is near other particles, in which the particle localization is biased towards the pixel center. In this proceedings paper we demonstrate this effect and show how these errors can be ameliorated using the Single Pixel Interior Fill Function (SPIFF) algorithm, improving the fidelity of any metrics obtained from particle tracking (e.g interparticle separation). We analyze the severity of pixel bias inherent in optical systems of different magnification values and the effect that the SPIFF algorithm has on them. Our analysis demonstrates a tradeoff between the severity of the pixel locking and the signal-to-noise ratio of optical systems with different magnification.
Stylized line rendering for three-dimensional models

Line rendering is an important issue in the field of Non-Photorealistic Rendering. How to use lines to describe the features of 3D models properly has long been a challenging goal for researchers, especially when some artistic rules have to be obeyed. In this article, a new method has been proposed for illustrating loose line style. We proposed a mathematical model according to the features of loose lines, our main work focus on three aspects as follows: silhouette artistic thickness performance, silhouette loose style display, and the temporal coherence of line texture performance.
Towards a General Parametric Model for Perceptual Video Quality Estimation

During the last few years, different parametric models were proposed for video quality estimation. Each model uses different parameters as inputs, such as bit rate, frame rate and percentage of packet loss, and each model was designed and tested by their authors for a particular codec, display resolution and/or application. This paper presents a review of the parametric models published by ten different groups of authors. Each model is briefly described, and the relevant parametric formulas are presented. The performance of each model is evaluated and contrasted to the other models, using a common video clips set, in different coding and transmission scenarios. Based on the results, a new and more general parametric model is presented, which takes into account bit rate, frame rate, display resolution, video content and the percentage of packet loss.
IS MODAL RESONANCE A PRECURSOR TO POWER SYSTEM OSCILLATIONS

Urbana IL 61801 USA Abstract: The power system linearization and its modes vary as power transfers, redispatch or other power system parameters change. We suggest a new mechanism for interarea power system oscillations in which two oscillatory modes interact near a nondiago- nalizable resonance to cause one of the modes to sub- sequently become unstable. The two modes are near resonance when they have nearly the same damping and frequency. The possibility of this mechanism for oscillations is shown by theory and computational ex- amples. Theory suggests that passing near nondiago- nalizable resonance could be expected in general power system models. The mechanism for oscillations is illus- trated in 3 and 9 bus examples with detailed generator models.
LEIA: A 2.05mm2 140mW lattice encryption instruction accelerator in 40nm CMOS

The recent rapid steps towards commercialization of quantum computing services have been calling for the deployment of post-quantum (PQ) security schemes at a large scale. This work presents a high-performance, programmable lattice encryption instruction accelerator named LEIA that supports all the recent popular ring learning with errors (ring-LWE) schemes, with parameter N from 64 to 2048, and q from 2 to 232-1. LEIA is prototyped in a 2.05mm2 40nm CMOS test chip. It achieves significant speedup and energy efficiency in core operations required by ring-LWE: above 1000× acceleration and 2000× better energy efficiency in number theoretic transform (NTT), and above 10× acceleration and 50× better energy efficiency in high-σ, high-precision discrete Gaussian (DG) generation over state-of-the-art designs using the most challenging published parameter settings. As the first silicon-proven lattice encryption accelerator, LEIA is the fastest, most energy-efficient, and most configurable solution to date.
The similarity of the structure of DSM-IV criteria for major depression in depressed women from China, the United States and Europe

Background Do DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depression (MD) in Chinese and Western women perform in a similar manner? Method The CONVERGE study included interview-based assessments of women of Han Chinese descent with treated recurrent MD. Using Mplus software, we investigated the overall degree of between-sample measurement invariance (MI) for DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for MD in the CONVERGE sample and samples selected from four major Western studies from the USA and Europe matched to the inclusion criteria of CONVERGE. These analyses were performed one pair at a time. We then compared the results from CONVERGE paired with Western samples to those obtained when examining levels of MI between pairs of the Western samples. Results Assuming a single factor model for the nine diagnostic criteria for MD, the level of MI based on global fit indexes observed between the CONVERGE and the four Western samples was very similar to that seen between the Western samples. Comparable results were obtained when using a two-factor structure for MI testing when applied to the 14 diagnostic criteria for MD disaggregated for weight, appetite, sleep, and psychomotor changes. Conclusions Despite differences in language, ethnicity and culture, DSM criteria for MD perform similarly in Chinese women with recurrent MD and comparable subjects from the USA and Europe. The DSM criteria for MD may assess depressive symptoms that are relatively insensitive to cultural and ethnic differences. These results support efforts to compare findings from depressed patients in China and Western countries.
A social haptic device to create continuous lateral motion using sequential normal indentation

Touch is an essential method for communicating emotions between individuals. Humans use a variety of different gestures to convey these emotions, including squeezes, pats, and strokes. This paper presents a device for creating a continuous lateral motion on the arm to mimic a subset of the gestures used in social touch. The device is composed of a linear array of voice coil actuators that is embedded in a fabric sleeve. The voice coils are controlled to sequentially press into the user's arm to create the sensation of linear travel up the arm. We evaluate the device in a human-subject study to confirm that a linear lateral motion can be created using only normal force, and to determine the optimal actuation parameters for creating a continuous and pleasant sensation. The results of the study indicated that the voice coils should be controlled with a long duration for each indentation and a short delay between the onset of indentation between adjacent actuators to maximize both continuity and pleasantness.
Virtual Reality and the Rehabilitation of Executive Functions: An Annotated Bibliography

The purpose of this paper is to present an annotated bibliography and summary of selected studies that used virtual reality (VR) technology for the assessment and/or rehabilitation of executive functions (EF). Executive functions are defined as higher-level cognitive abilities that are needed to perform complex or novel daily tasks. The recommended way of assessing and treating executive function deficits is by using complex functional tasks. To date, due to both time and economic constraints, clinicians have limited opportunities to observe patients performing complex daily tasks, such as shopping in a supermarket. A possible way to overcome these limitations is to use VR technology. The studies described in this paper illustrate the application of various functional virtual environments, created and presented via a variety of VR equipment, including desktop based and video capture platforms. These are used for the rehabilitation of a range of components of EF such as planning and dual tasking. The number of studies is small and the strength of the results is still limited, due mainly to the limited number of participants tested. Nevertheless, the results point to the ecological validity of the virtual environments and to the potential of using this technology for rehabilitation of executive functions in clinical settings.
Bax Induction Activates Apoptotic Cascade via Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Release and Bax Overexpression Enhances Apoptosis Induced by Chemotherapeutic Agents in DLD‐1 Colon Cancer Cells

Cancer cells express different levels of apoptosis‐promoting Bax protein. The present study evaluated whether induction of Bax initiates apoptosis and whether Bax overexpression enhances apoptosis induced by several chemotherapeutic agents in DLD‐1 colon cancer cells, which originally express a high level of endogenous Bax protein and a low level of Bcl‐2 protein. To investigate these two points, parental DLD‐1 cells were transfected with the Tet‐On Bax induction system (pTet‐On and pTRE‐Bax plasmids), and stable transduced cells were obtained. Induction of Bax by the Tet‐On system initiated cytochrome c release from mitochondria, caspase‐3 activation, and apoptosis to some extent in DLD‐1 cells. Apoptosis induced by a chemotherapeutic agent, 5‐fluorouracil, mitomycin C, paclitaxel, doxorubicin, or cisplatin, was enhanced by Bax overexpression. These findings suggest that Bax‐overexpression‐based gene therapy combined with chemotherapy would be effective in the treatment of colon cancer.
Asynchronous Detection and Identification of Multiple Users by Multi-Carrier Modulated Complementary Set of Sequences

The correct detection of arrivals is a crucial step in any communication system, in order to achieve frame synchronization. This step is even more relevant in underwater acoustic communications, as the medium is characterized by hazardous phenomena such as long multipath delays and non-uniform Doppler shifts, which hinder the detection process. All these phenomena make the detection of arrivals and identification of multiple users in underwater communication systems a challenging task. In this paper, a multi-user detector is presented. The detection is based on the direct-sequence code-division multiple access technique, by using a combination of two sequences as a preamble: a Zadoff-Chu sequence that provides candidate peaks and frame synchronization, and a complementary set of sequences (CSS) that validates the true Zadoff-Chu arrival while at the same time identifies the user. Both sequences are modulated using multi-carrier techniques, and the users can transmit asynchronously to the channel. In the case of CSS, multi-carrier modulation techniques allow performing channel equalization and demodulation at the receiver in a simple manner, enabling the correlation of the CSS at bit level, thus keeping its ideal correlation properties. Sea trials were conducted in February 2017 at Suruga Bay, Japan, in which the reception of two different users was analyzed under different noise and multipath conditions, as well as uniform and non-uniform Doppler shifts. The results show that, even under strong multipath and non-uniform Doppler shifts caused by roll and pitch motions, the receiver is able to detect and identify the user in 98% of the transmitted packets.
Parasitic-aware gm/ID-based many-objective analog/RF circuit sizing

Accurate parasitic consideration in analog/RF circuit synthesis becomes more essential since layout-dependent effects become more influential in the advanced technologies. In this paper, a gm/ID-based circuit sizing method, which takes into account both device intrinsic parasitics and interconnect parasitics, is proposed as the first stage of a hybrid sizing optimization. In the second stage, a many-objective evolutionary algorithm is applied to refine the sizing solutions. The proposed methodology has been utilized to optimize multiple performances of an analog dynamic differential comparator and a RF circuit in the advanced CMOS technology. The experimental results have exhibited high efficacy of our proposed parasitic-aware hybrid sizing methodology.
Apoptosis resulted from radiofrequency radiation exposure of pregnant rabbits and their infants

The purpose of this study was to reveal the apoptotic cell formation, using histopathological and immunohistochemical methods, in non-pregnant and pregnant New Zealand White rabbits, and in offspring of the pregnant group exposed to GSM modulated signal in 1,800 MHz frequency. Apoptotic cells were detected in the brain, eyes, kidneys, liver, lung, heart, and spleen by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) staining. Histopathological changes were observed in the examined organs. TUNEL positivity was seen in the brain (group VI) and eyes (groups IV and VI). In groups I, II, III, and V, the positivity was lesser than 5% and was not taken into account.
Addressing Youth Bias Crime

Bias crime statistics legislation does not require law enforcement agencies to collect data on the ages of bias crime perpetrators, and bias crime penalty enhancements do not distinguish between youth and adult offenders. As a result, little data exists on youth bias crime, and the consequences of applying bias crime penalty enhancements to adult and youth offenders are generally the same: increased incarceration or additional fines. This Comment unveils the troublesome frequency of youth bias crimes and illustrates that the justifications underlying the application of bias crime penalty enhancements to adult offenders do not apply similarly to youth bias crime offenders. A synthesis of the limited existing data on youth bias crime reveals that, on average, one in every four bias crimes involve at least one youth offender and approximately three in every five bias crimes committed against youth victims are perpetrated by youth offenders. Rather than increase incarceration sentences or impose additional fines, I propose that bias crime penalty enhancements, as applied to youth bias crime offenders, should mandate rehabilitation programs to force youth offenders to confront the biases that motivate their crimes. I contend that requiring youth bias crime offenders to complete these programs is more consistent with the goals of juvenile justice than more punitive penalty-enhancement alternatives.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OLD SOUTH ARABIAN COINS, FOURTH CENTURY BCE TO THIRD CENTURY CE

Studies on Old South Arabian (OSA) coinage are rare and state-of-the-art materials analysis for them lags far behind that of ancient Greece and Rome. Understandably, numismatists responsible for preserving their collections discourage destructive analyses. We have selected coins of the aesthetically and technically developed Himyarite Royal Raydan series (early first to late second century ce), so-called Old and New Style Athenian Imitations, among others to provide a wide spectrum of information on OSA coinage. We used non-destructive neutron diffraction to ascertain the metal compositions and corrosion products. Density determinations using gas-pycnometry support these experiments. The results provide detailed information with regard to a small, apparently homogeneous, selection of 10 Himyarite period specimens and first insights into the actual and the original metal compositions of about 90 coins of the three main OSA numismatic groups. The analytical results make clear which OSA coins originally were struck and which ones were cast. The analyses provide not only detailed information concerning the manufacture of the selected representative coins, but also suffice to cast a shadow on the reliability of commonplace macro-optical classification, which proves often to be inaccurate.
Bacterioplankton abundance and growth in a river-dominated estuary: relationships with temperature and resources

We measured bacterial abundance and productivity, along with other biological, chemi- cal, and physical variables, during a 17 mo study in Mobile Bay, USA. Mobile Bay is a shallow, river- dominated estuary, with highly variable freshwater inputs and relatively short freshwater residence time (ca. 2 to 3 wk). In addition to the field measurements, we performed bioassay experiments to evaluate the degree of resource limitation of the bacterioplankton. As in other seasonally variable estuaries, temperature appeared to be an important regulator of bacterioplankton in Mobile Bay, with minima in abundance and growth rates occurring during winter. The bioassay experiments, in which an inoculum of the natural bacterioplankton community was diluted into filtered bay water and incubated for 4 d, always resulted in rapid net growth, indicating the presence of labile sub- strates. The net yield of bacterial cells in these assays was always equal to or greater than the abun- dance of in situ populations, suggesting that an amount of substrate about equal to in situ biomass di- vided by growth efficiency was present year round. During winter, the yields in the bioassays were highest, suggesting an accumulation of resources when bacterial growth was limited by temperature.