Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A VHDL-based technique for an accurate estimation of leakage power in digital CMOS circuits

Accurate modeling and estimating of the leakage power dissipation in the early stages of the design flow is becoming more important, as the aggressive scaling of transistors results in higher leakage currents. In this work, we present a VHDL-based technique to estimate an accurate leakage power of a design considering the state-dependency of the leakage power. We develop the VHDL models of cells which trace the probability of the static levels of the signals in the course of a simulation. Then, these data are used to calculate the leakage power in the overall design. The leakage power of some benchmark circuits is estimated using the proposed approach and the results are compared with those obtained from SPICE simulation, in order to illustrate the viability of the proposed technique. It is shown that the values of the leakage power obtained by the proposed technique are comparable to those obtained by SPICE, with a reduction of about three orders of magnitude in the simulation time.
O ct 2 01 7 On generalized Stanley sequences

Let N denote the set of all nonnegative integers. Let k ≥ 3 be an integer and A0 = {a1, . , at} (a1 < . . . < at) be a nonnegative set which does not contain an arithmetic progression of length k. We denote A = {a1, a2, . } defined by the following greedy algorithm: if l ≥ t and a1, . , al have already been defined, then al+1 is the smallest integer a > al such that {a1, . , al}∪{a} also does not contain a k-term arithmetic progression. This sequence A is called the Stanley sequence of order k generated by A0. In this paper, we prove some results about various generalizations of the Stanley sequence. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 11B75.
Review of Lattice Supersymmetry and Gauge-Gravity Duality

We review the status of recent investigations on validating the gauge-gravity duality conjecture through numerical simulations of strongly coupled maximally supersymmetric thermal gauge theories. In the simplest setting, the gauge-gravity duality connects systems of D0-branes and black hole geometries at finite temperature to maximally supersymmetric gauged quantum mechanics at the same temperature. Recent simulations show that non-perturbative gauge theory results give excellent agreement with the quantum gravity predictions, thus proving strong evidence for the validity of the duality conjecture and more insight into quantum black holes and gravity.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients: Translation from sequence data into clinical practice.

133 Background: A considerable number of patients with mBC progress after exhausting all approved standard therapies but maintain an adequate performance status and could be candidates for further treatment. We aim at reviewing our experience with the use of a NGS platform in refractory mBC and its clinical utility. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed demographics, NGS results, and the suggested therapies received by patients undergoing NGS (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA): exonic sequencing of 315 genes and selective intronic sequencing from 28 genes for refractory mBC. Co-primary endpoints were the percentage of patients with targeted therapy options uncovered by mutational profiling and the percentage of them who received genotype-directed therapy. RESULTS Samples from 20 patients were tested. Histologic subtype consisted of triple negative (50%), HER 2 +, hormonal receptor [HR] - 15%, HR + and HER 2 - (35%). A targetable genomic alteration was identified in 14 (70%) patients, most frequently in TP53 (11 [55%]), PIK3CA (8 [40%]), FGFR1 (4 [20%]), CCND1 (3 [15%]), PTEN (3[15%]) and BRCA2 (2[10%]). Therapy could be personalized in 9 (45%) of 14 patients. Of the 9 patients who were received targeted therapy, 7 (77%) had an objective response and had stable disease for more than 3 months. CONCLUSIONS Mutational profiling using a targeted NGS panel identified potentially actionable alterations in the majority of advanced breast cancer patients. The assay provided clinical benefit in 35% of the patients.
Real time pedestrian detection and tracking for driver assistance systems

Real time pedestrian detection and tracking is considered as a critical application. Night time driving is more risky as compared to day time driving because of poor visibility especially in the case of senior citizens. While traditional methods of segmentation using thresholding, background subtraction and background estimation provide satisfactory results to detect single objects, noise is produced in case of multiple objects and in poor lighting conditions. To overcome these difficulties, a new method is proposed for detecting and tracking multiple moving objects on night-time lighting conditions. The method is performed by integrating both the wavelet-based contrast change detector and locally adaptive thresholding scheme. In the initial stage, to detect the potential moving objects contrast in local change over time is used. To suppress false alarms motion prediction and spatial nearest neighbor data association are used. A latest change detector mechanism is implemented to detect the changes in a video sequence and divide the sequence into scenes to be encoded independently. Using the change detector algorithm (CD), it was efficient enough to detect abrupt cuts and help divide the video file into sequences. With this we get a sufficiently good output with less noise. But in some cases noise becomes prominent. Hence, a method called correlation is used which gives the relation between two consecutive frames which have sufficient difference to be used as current and previous frame. This gives a way better result in poor light condition and multiple moving objects.
A compact PET detector readout using charge-to-time conversion

The readout of gamma detectors is considerably simplified when the event intensity is encoded as a pulse width (Pulse Width Modulation, PWM). Time-to-Digital-Converters (TDC) replace the conventional ADCs and multiple TDCs can be realized easily in one PLD chip (Programmable Logic Device). The output of a PWM stage is only one digital signal per channel which is well suited for transport so that further processing can be performed apart from the detector. This is particularly interesting for large systems with high channel density (e.g. high resolution scanners). In this work we present a circuit with a linear transfer function that requires a minimum of components by performing the PWM already in the preamp stage. This allows a very compact and also cost-efficient implementation of the front-end electronics.
Reference Group Data for the Functional Gait Assessment

Background and Purpose: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a clinical tool for evaluating performance in walking. The purpose of this study was to determine age-referenced norms for performance on the FGA in community-living older adults. Subjects: Subjects were 200 adults, ages 40 to 89 years, living independently. Methods: Each subject completed the FGA one time and was scored simultaneously by 2 testers. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient for interrater reliability was . 93. Mean scores for the FGA ranged from 29/30 for adults in their 40s to 21/30 for adults in their 80s. Discussion and Conclusion: Patient performance on the FGA can be compared with age-referenced norms for expected performance. Further research is needed to determine the FGA’s usefulness in tracking clinical changes or predicting falls. The FGA is a reliable test for people without disease, and it is able to detect decreases in gait performance among typical older adults.
Detecting Invasive Species via Hyperspectral Imagery using Sequential Projection Pursuits

In this paper, sequential parametric projection pursuits (SPPP) is investigated for dimensionality reduction of hyperspectral datasets, where the task is to discriminate between Cogongrass (imperata cylindrica) and other similar vegetation, such as Johnsongrass (sorghum halepense). This implementation of SPPP utilizes Bhattacharyya distance as a projection index and four potential projections: averaging, Gaussian-weighted averaging, principal component analysis (PCA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). A top-down approach is employed for forming groups of adjacent bands to which the projections are applied. The SPPP method is applied to a hyperspectral database, where each class contains 125 signatures (100 training and 25 testing signatures). When using SPPP with a nearest mean classifier, the method results in a 96% classification accuracy. The SPPP method is compared to stepwise-LDA in terms of overall accuracy as well as the regions of the spectrum that are determined to be most significant to the detection of Cogongrass. Index Terms—Invasive species, dimensionality reduction, hyperspectral, projection pursuit, feature extraction, classification.
Towards high-speed autonomous navigation of unknown environments

In this paper, we summarize recent research enabling high-speed navigation in unknown environments for dynamic robots that perceive the world through onboard sensors. Many existing solutions to this problem guarantee safety by making the conservative assumption that any unknown portion of the map may contain an obstacle, and therefore constrain planned motions to lie entirely within known free space. In this work, we observe that safety constraints may significantly limit performance and that faster navigation is possible if the planner reasons about collision with unobserved obstacles probabilistically. Our overall approach is to use machine learning to approximate the expected costs of collision using the current state of the map and the planned trajectory. Our contribution is to demonstrate fast but safe planning using a learned function to predict future collision probabilities.
Technology Licensing and the Performance of Firms in US Information and Communication Technology Industry: The Case of Licensees

This paper empirically investigates the effects of technology licensing on the licensee firm’s performance with the help of a unique data set of observed licensing transactions in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. We examine how intensity of licensing participation as a licensee affects the firm’s performance. This study also analyzes how relationship between the licensor and the licensee in a deal along with characteristics of participants and their industry influences the performance of the licensee firm. The findings suggest that frequent participation in technology licensing increase licensee firm’s sales growth. Also, transaction cost considerations and technology spillovers are important explanatory factors that influence licensee firms’ performance in licensing.
Key characteristics of successful quality improvement curricula in physician education: a realist review

Purpose Quality improvement (QI) is a common competency that must be taught in all physician training programmes, yet, there is no clear best approach to teach this content in clinical settings. We conducted a realist systematic review of the existing literature in QI curricula within the clinical setting, highlighting examples of trainees learning QI by doing QI. Method Candidate theories describing successful QI curricula were articulated a priori. We searched MEDLINE (1 January 2000 to 12 March 2013), the Cochrane Library (2013) and Web of Science (15 March 2013) and reviewed references of prior systematic reviews. Inclusion criteria included study design, setting, population, interventions, clinical and educational outcomes. The data abstraction tool included categories for setting, population, intervention, outcomes and qualitative comments. Themes were iteratively developed and synthesised using realist review methodology. A methodological quality tool assessed the biases, confounders, secular trends, reporting and study quality. Results Among 39 studies, most were before–after design with resident physicians as the primary population. Twenty-one described clinical interventions and 18 described educational interventions with a mean intervention length of 6.58 (SD=9.16) months. Twenty-eight reported successful clinical improvements; no studies reported clinical outcomes that worsened. Characteristics of successful clinical QI curricula include attention to the interface of educational and clinical systems, careful choice of QI work for the trainees and appropriately trained local faculty. Conclusions This realist review identified success characteristics to guide training programmes, medical schools, faculty, trainees, accrediting organisations and funders to further develop educational and improvement resources in QI educational programmes.
Valproic acid blocks adhesion of renal cell carcinoma cells to endothelium and extracellular matrix

Treatment strategies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been limited due to chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance. The development of targeted drugs has now opened novel therapeutic options. In the present study, anti‐tumoral properties of the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) were tested in vitro and in vivo on pre‐clinical RCC models. RCC cell lines Caki‐1, KTC‐26 or A498 were treated with various concentrations of VPA to evaluate tumour cell adhesion to vascular endothelial cells or to immobilized extracellular matrix proteins. In vivo tumour growth was conducted in subcutaneous xenograft mouse models. VPA was also combined with low dosed interferon‐α (IFN‐α) and the efficacy of the combination therapy, as opposed to VPA monotherapy, was compared. VPA significantly and dose‐dependently prevented tumour cell attachment to endothelium or matrix proteins, accompanied by elevated histones H3 and H4 acetylation. VPA altered integrin‐α and ‐β subtype expression, in particular α3, α5 and β3, and blocked integrin‐dependent signalling. In vivo, VPA significantly inhibited the growth of Caki‐1 in subcutaneous xenografts with the 200 mg/kg being superior to the 400 mg/kg dosing schedule. VPA‐IFN‐α combination markedly enhanced the effects of VPA on RCC adhesion, and in vivo tumour growth was further reduced by the 400 mg/kg but not by the 200 mg/kg VPA dosing schedule. VPA profoundly blocked the interaction of RCC cells with endothelium and extracellular matrix and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Therefore, VPA should be considered an attractive candidate for clinical trials.
Improving effectiveness in communicating risk to patients.

OBJECTIVE To review approaches and tools that pharmacists may use in communicating evidence of risk to older patients and their caregivers. DATA SOURCES Relevant publications related to tools to communicate evidence to patients were identified through a systematic MEDLINE and Internet search engines using key words: evidence-based medicine/practice, patient, and risk communication. Additional articles were identified through use of the PubMed "related articles" feature and a review of citations of previously identified articles. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION Relevant English language publications were reviewed, with particular focus on articles about older adults. DATA SYNTHESIS Communicating evidence from clinical trials to patients remains a challenge because of patient- and clinician-related barriers. Communicating with older adults faces additional challenges: perceptions of patient involvement in care and uncertainty of drug benefit-to-risk ratio because of the potential increase in adverse events. This is especially true in this population because of their multiple medical conditions. To actively involve patients in health care decisions, an ordered approach to teaching risks and benefits can be valuable. Evidence presented as a general risk estimate should be reinforced with specific numbers to depict patient-specific risk. Understanding may be strengthened with visual aids such as risk ladders or perspective scales. Each step in the process serves as a framework and should consider patients' individual values and beliefs. CONCLUSIONS For patients to fully understand medications' risks and benefits, clinicians must use a systematic approach to present data from clinical trials and reinforce patients' comprehension using visual aids. Ultimately, these approaches and tools aim to support patient involvement in health care decisions.
Influence of a Moving Endwall on the Tip Clearance Vortex in an Axial Compressor Cascade.

Abstract : This experiment involved the design, construction, validation and testing of a new facility for the investigation of vortices generated by compressor rotor blade tip clearance with a moving endwall. A five-tube pressure rake placed downstream of the trailing edge of a cascade of blades measured the pressure field for flow coefficients ranging from 20 to 1.66 and tip clearances of 0.33, 1.0, 1.7 and 2.4 percent chord. Contour plots of mass averaged pressure loss coefficient appear to show the no-flow tip vortex becomes entrained and diffused by the moving wall boundary layer. The high loss region near the moving wall contracts toward and extends toward the pressure side of the adjacent blade. This contraction results in a reduction in overall blockage in the passage with a corresponding reduction in passage losses, toward an apparent steady-state value, for increasing end wall speed and decreasing tip clearance.
Dynamic Stability of Power Systems with Power Electronic Interfaced DG

In this paper, the transient stability of power systems with a high penetration level of power electronic interfaced (converter connected) distributed generation is explored by means of computer simulations. Small 2 and 3 bus test systems are used. The converter is modeled as a three-phase full-bridge IGBT voltage source converter (VSC). The control setting is such that during the actual disturbance the converter connected DG stays connected to the system but with a current limiter. The simulations are performed by using MATLAB SimPowerSystems
New Data on Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia

Summary Little platelet acid phosphatase or platelet factor 4 was made available from thrombasthenic platelets by adrenaline or ADP. Conversely, collagen induced marked but subnormal availability of platelet acid phosphatase and normal availability of platelet factor 4. Normal or increased amounts of ADP were released from thrombasthenic platelets in plasma by thrombin and by kaolin. It was concluded that the absence of release by ADP and epinephrine was the direct consequence of the lack of formation of large aggregates. An hypothesis is suggested to explain the abnormalities found in thrombasthenia which is a defective thrombosthenin responsible for abnormal fibrinogen-thrombosthenin affinity, involved in platelet aggregation and clot retraction.
Safety of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Therapy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 5 Year Follow-Up

Aim: To compare safety profile of therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease (ÐiD), receiving anti-inflammatory therapy, using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and standard therapy with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), glucocorticosteroids (GCS) and immunosuppressive agents (IS). Materials and methods: Adverse events were analyzed in 103 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after administration MSCs (56 patients UC and 47 patients CD). The findings were compared with data obtained in 208 patients with UC and CD, receiving standard anti-inflammatory therapy. All analyzed patients were similar in demographic characteristics, the duration of disease, the extent of disease, course of disease, phenotype and degree of disease. The analyzed groups did not include patients, treated with anti-TNF therapy. The safety of therapy was evaluated by presence of complications, developed during follow-up period. Results: We conducted analysis of side effects in 103 IBD patients, treated with mesenchymal stem cells, comparing with 208 UC and CD patients, treated with standard anti-inflammatory therapy and finally we did not reveal any differences in developing acute post-transfusional toxicity, infectious complications, exacerbation of chronic inflammatory diseases, serious infectious complications, malignancy and death in UC and CD patients, besides transitive febrile. Conclusion: Results of our study show that innovative method of cell therapy is safe in clinical practice.
Preschool children with developmental coordination disorder: a short‐term follow‐up of motor status at seven to eight years of age

At a population‐based screening of 5–6‐y‐old children, 37 children were identified as having definite or borderline motor difficulties consistent with developmental coordination disorder. When 7–8 y old they were re‐examined to determine their current motor status and to compare it with that at the age of 5–6 y. The motor status was investigated from three perspectives: by a motor test, by the use of a self‐perceived motor competence scale, and from the parents' descriptions. On a group level the children had not changed their motor status when 7–8 y old, according to the total scores in the Movement ABC motor test and the Perceived Motor Competence scale. On an individual level most children with definite motor difficulties remained in their category regarding motor difficulties at the follow‐up, while most children with borderline motor difficulties did not. The parents' descriptions indicated an association between willingness to engage in physical activities and degree of motor difficulties.
Uric Acid, Microalbuminuria and Cardiovascular Events in High-Risk Patients

Background: Elevated levels of serum uric acid and albuminuria are associated with cardiovascular disease, but the relationships have not consistently been demonstrated to be independent of hypertension, other risk factors, or each other. The purpose of this study was to evaluate people at high risk for cardiovascular disease for the influence of uric acid and microalbuminuria on cardiovascular events. Methods: Consecutive consenting patients undergoing elective angiography (n = 316) had coronary artery disease, risk factors, renal function and diuretic use assessed at baseline. Cardiovascular mortality and major clinical events (myocardial infarction, stroke, amputation, and kidney failure) were ascertained over 5 years. Results: Cardiovascular events occurred in 10% of the patients. Significant correlates (p < 0.05) of cardiovascular events with baseline measures included uric acid ≧5.2 mg/dl, total cholesterol ≧200 mg/dl, severe angiographic coronary artery disease, loop diuretic therapy, and diagnosis of hypertension. A stepwise Cox modeling procedure identified uric acid (p = 0.040), the interaction of hypertension and uric acid (p = 0.029), the interaction of total cholesterol and severe coronary artery disease (p = 0.001) and loop diuretic therapy (p = 0.009) as significant independent predictors of events. Although microalbuminuria was not retained in the final multivariate model, it was associated with poorer cardiovascular disease outcomes. The mean event-free survival for albumin-to-creatinine >30 mg/g was 51 months and for albumin-to-creatinine <30 mg/g the mean was 57 months (p = 0.021). Conclusions: Uric acid ≧5.2 mg/dl independently imparted a 3.5-fold increased risk (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.0–11.9) for cardiovascular death and major clinical events over a 5-year period. Uric acid may be a contributing factor to the progression of atherosclerosis and its complications.