Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Parameter Scaling for Low-Power Applications Using CNTFET (Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor) Models: A Comparative Assessment

This paper provides an extension to the earlier work wherein a comparison between different models that had studied the effects of several parameters scaling on the performance of carbon nano tube field-effect transistors was presented. The evaluation for the studied models, with regard to the scaling effects, was to determine those which best reflect the very essence of carbon nano-tube technologies. Whereas the models subject this comparison (Fettoy, Roy, Stanford, and Southampton) were affected to varying degrees due to such parametric variations, the Stanford model was shown as still being valid for a wide range of chiralities and diameter sizes; a model that is also applicable for circuit simulations. In this paper, we present a comparative assessment of the various models subject to the study with regard to the effect of incorporating multiple carbon nanotubes in the channel region. We also assess the effect of oxide thickness on transistor performance in terms of the supply voltage threshold effects. Results leveraging our findings in this ongoing research endeavor reveal that many research efforts were not efficient to high degree due to high delay and not valid for circuit simulations.
Isolated Effects of Indian Ocean Basin-Wide and El Niño–Southern Oscillation on Austral Winter Rainfall over South America

Contrasting effects of the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans on the atmospheric circulation and rainfall interannual variations over South America during southern winter are assessed considering the effects of the warm Indian Ocean basin-wide (IOBW) and El Niño (EN) events, and of the cold IOBW and La Niña events, which are represented by sea surface temperature-based indices. Analyses are undertaken using total and partial correlations. When the effects of the two warm events are isolated from each other, the contrasts between the associated rainfall anomalies in most of South America become accentuated. In particular, EN relates to anomalous wet conditions, and the warm IOBW event to opposite conditions in extensive areas of the 5° S–25° S band. These effects in the 5° S–15° S sector are due to the anomalous regional Hadley cells, with rising motions in this band for the EN and sinking motions for the warm IOBW event. Meanwhile, in subtropical South America, the opposite effects of the EN and warm IOBW seem to be due to the presence of anomalous anticyclone and cyclone and associated moisture transport, respectively. These opposite effects of the warm IOBW and EN events on the rainfall in part of central South America might explain the weak rainfall relation in this region to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Our results emphasize the important role of the tropical Indian Ocean in the South American climate and environment during southern winter.
Polymer integrated modulators for photonic data link applications

Nonlinear optical polymers are gaining increasing research interests for high frequency photonic device applications, in particular, broadband modulators in commercial communication systems. the unique features of these materials allows the fabrication of integrated optical modulator chips that are compact, lightweight, and broadband at a low cost. With the advances in material synthesis and device fabrication, the application of polymer electro-optic modulators in commercial fiber-optic data links becomes increasingly realistic. We report our design, fabrication and packaging of polymeric integrated electro-optic Mach- Zehnder intensity modulators, as well as their test results including halfwave voltage, frequency response, optical insertion loss, on-off ratios, etc. We have inserted our packaged modulators into commercial fiber optical data links for applications tests. The standard tests procedures for the cable television industry are used and the results are compared to current commercial NTSC multi-channel cable television transmitter units with directly modulated lasers or LiNbO3 external modulators. The stability issues including thermal stability, photochemical stability and bias control stability have been investigated and will be discussed. The bottle-neck technical issues that may affect device design, fabrication, and applications will also be discussed.
Joint Transceiver and Passive Beamforming Optimization for RIS-Assisted MIMO Systems

This paper investigates the transceiver and beamforming design for a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted multiple-antenna communication system. We aim to minimize the weighted mean-squared error of the received data by jointly optimizing the precoder, the passive RIS beamforming, and the receiving filter of the system, subject to a transmit power constraint and unit-modulus constraints imposed on the RIS reflection coefficients. In order to tackle the nonconvexity of this design problem, we propose a computationally-efficient algorithm based on alternating optimization, where the solutions to the precoder, the RIS beamforming, and the receiving filter are derived in semi-closed forms and closed-form, respectively. The convergence of the proposed algorithm is theoretically proved. Numerical results validate the performance superiority of the proposed algorithm over various existing benchmark schemes.
A group theory approach to RF coil design

A method for finding closed-form solutions corresponding to the normal modes of Kirchhoff systems with a modicum of symmetry has been investigated. This method can be particularly useful for the questions of degeneracy that arise when considering parallel imaging techniques, such as SENSE and SMASH in MRI. It is applicable to systems that include birdcage coils and birdcage-like coils, as well as planar coils with some symmetry. As an example, closed-form solutions for the normal mode frequencies of a three-ring birdcage coil have been obtained. These solutions have been tested against measurements made on an eight-element three-ring birdcage coil. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 25B: 42–52, 2005
Monocular 3D Body Shape Reconstruction under Clothing

Estimating the 3D shape of objects from monocular images is a well-established and challenging task in the computer vision field. Further challenges arise when highly deformable objects, such as human faces or bodies, are considered. In this work, we address the problem of estimating the 3D shape of a human body from single images. In particular, we provide a solution to the problem of estimating the shape of the body when the subject is wearing clothes. This is a highly challenging scenario as loose clothes might hide the underlying body shape to a large extent. To this aim, we make use of a parametric 3D body model, the SMPL, whose parameters describe the body pose and shape of the body. Our main intuition is that the shape parameters associated with an individual should not change whether the subject is wearing clothes or not. To improve the shape estimation under clothing, we train a deep convolutional network to regress the shape parameters from a single image of a person. To increase the robustness to clothing, we build our training dataset by associating the shape parameters of a “minimally clothed” person to other samples of the same person wearing looser clothes. Experimental validation shows that our approach can more accurately estimate body shape parameters with respect to state-of-the-art approaches, even in the case of loose clothes.
Empirical validation of characteristics of design-based learning in higher education

Design-based learning (DBL) is an educational approach in which students gather and process theoretical knowledge while working on the design of artifacts, systems, and innovative solutions in project settings. Whereas DBL has been employed in the practice of teaching science in secondary education, it has barely been defined, let alone investigated empirically, at the level of the higher education setting. The purpose of this study is to investigate empirically to what extent pre-defined DBL characteristics are present in an exemplary DBL practice in technical studies. As an exemplary case, we took four different engineering departments from a technical university in which DBL has been implemented as a central form of instruction. First, we conducted a survey to collect teachers’ and students’ perceptions on whether DBL characteristics were, in fact, present in assignments and projects. Second, teaching materials and student products from three projects were analyzed qualitatively. We found that teachers and students recognized DBL characteristics as part of the instruction, albeit to a varied extent. We found considerable differences between departments, particularly in the characteristics of the projects, the role of the teacher, and the design elements. Analysis of DBL teaching materials and student products revealed that not all DBL characteristics are embedded in the projects over all departments. Implications for further research are discussed to optimize the instructional design of DBL environments.
Synthesis, Characterization and Sorption Ability of Epoxy Resin-Based Sorbents with Amine Groups

Water pollution by toxic substances, such as azo dyes, is a serious environmental problem that needs to be addressed. This study presents the synthesis and characterization of new polymeric sorbents, based on the epoxy resin Epidian® 5 (Ep5), as a potential adsorbent for the removal of the toxic azo dye C.I. Acid Violet 1 (AV1). Triethylenetetramine (TETA) was applied as a cross-linking agent in the amounts of 1 g (6.67 wt %), 1.5 g (10 wt %), and 2 g (13.33 wt %). The use of a compound with amino groups allows for the simultaneous functionalization of the obtained material. The reaction was carried out in an environment of ethylene glycol, with the addition of a porophore solvent (toluene) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (S). The attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) revealed the existence of a strong band in the 828–826 cm−1 range corresponding to the second-order amine group, which indicates their incorporation into the epoxy structure. The glass transition and decomposition temperatures of the resins decreased with the increasing amounts of amine in the material. The thermogravimetry (TGA) analysis demonstrated that all products are thermally stable up to 340 °C. The surface morphology and microstructural properties of the obtained sorbents were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and showed an irregular star shape, with dimensions ranging from 400 to 1000 µm. The adsorption capacities of Ep5-TETA1, Ep5-TETA1.5, Ep5-TETA2 and Ep5-TETA1.5 + S for AV1 evaluated during batch experiments were found to be 2.92, 3.76, 7.90 and 3.30 mg/g, respectively.
Efficient Visual Place Recognition by Adaptive CNN Landmark Matching

Visual place recognition (VPR) is a fundamental yet challenging task of mobile robot navigation and localization. The existing VPR methods are usually based on some pairwise similarity of image descriptors, so they are sensitive to visual appearance change and also computationally expensive. This paper proposes a simple yet effective four-step method that achieves adaptive convolutional neural network (CNN) landmark matching for VPR. First, based on the features extracted from existing CNN models, the regions with higher significance scores are selected as landmarks. Then, according to the coordinate positions of potential landmarks, landmark matching is improved by removing mismatched landmark pairs
Evaluating knowledge retention and perceived benefits of medical webinar for professional development among Indonesian physicians

Purpose To assess knowledge retention of physicians after participating in a webinar series and its perceived benefits on daily practice and career development. Methods The webinar series comprised six separate webinars about daily practice. Online questionnaires were sent to all participating physicians via email 3 months after the webinars. The questionnaire assessed knowledge retention through the difference between initial and follow-up post-test as well as the webinar series’ benefits on daily practice and career development. Participants’ demographic information, including their age, gender, education, year of graduation, and work details, were collected to compare outcomes between demographic groups. Results A total of 689 responses were gathered, and 622 were analyzed. At follow-up, the median knowledge score was significantly lower than the initial median knowledge score (Z=-6.973, p<0.001). Participants’ perception of the webinar series’ benefits on daily practice and career development was very positive. A significant weak negative correlation was found between age and knowledge score at follow-up (rs=-0.157, p<0.001). Physicians who graduated more recently and worked for less than 3 years scored significantly higher on knowledge tests at follow-up. Meanwhile, perception score towards webinar series’ benefits on daily practice was significantly higher among physicians with more extended work history. Male physicians scored significantly higher on perception score towards webinar series’ benefits on career development. Conclusion Online continuing medical education programs like webinars can encourage physicians to maintain their competence, but further research on improving knowledge retention over time is necessary. Overall, physicians perceived webinars to be beneficial for their professional development.
Early T-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Diagnosis, Updates in Molecular Pathogenesis, Management, and Novel Therapies

Early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) is a distinct subtype of T lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) identified in 2009, due to its unique immunophenotypic and genomic profile. The outcome of patients was poor in earlier studies, and they were prone to have induction failure, with more frequent relapse/refractory disease. Recent advances had been made in discoveries of genetic aberrations and molecular pathogenesis of ETP-ALL. However, the diagnosis and management of ETP-ALL is still challenging. There are limited choices of novel therapies so far. In this review article, it highlighted the diagnostic issue of ETP-ALL, pitfall in diagnosis, and strategy of accurate diagnosis. The review also summarized current understanding of molecular mechanism of leukemogenesis. The emerging role of risk-adapted therapy and allogenic stem cell transplant in optimizing the outcome of patients with ETP-ALL was discussed. Finally, some potential novel therapies were proposed based on the current understanding of molecular pathogenesis.
Bridging the Model-Reality Gap With Lipschitz Network Adaptation

As robots venture into the real world, they are subject to unmodeled dynamics and disturbances. Traditional model-based control approaches have been proven successful in relatively static and known operating environments. However, when an accurate model of the robot is not available, model-based design can lead to suboptimal and even unsafe behaviour. In this work, we propose a method that bridges the model-reality gap and enables the application of model-based approaches even if dynamic uncertainties are present. In particular, we present a learning-based model reference adaptation approach that makes a robot system, with possibly uncertain dynamics, behave as a predefined reference model. In turn, the reference model can be used for model-based controller design. In contrast to typical model reference adaptation control approaches, we leverage the representative power of neural networks to capture highly nonlinear dynamics uncertainties and guarantee stability by encoding a certifying Lipschitz condition in the architectural design of a special type of neural network called the Lipschitz network. Our approach applies to a general class of nonlinear control-affine systems even when our prior knowledge about the true robot system is limited. We demonstrate our approach in flying inverted pendulum experiments, where an off-the-shelf quadrotor is challenged to balance an inverted pendulum while hovering or tracking circular trajectories.
Novel automated inspection methods, tools and technologies

There are many methods and solutions to improve any process, and stay within the established control limits. Statistically analyzed data, received from inspection sensors and other devices, are one of them. Automated inspection sensors and systems are effective tools for controlling variation and obtaining process related knowledge. Automated inspection methods, discussed in this paper, represent an important, nevertheless not the only methods, that lead to process improvement, the ultimate goal of total quality management and control (TQM/TQC). Inspection, as part of the feedback control loop of the overall TQM/TQC process, involves the continual satisfaction of customer requirements at lowest cost by harnessing the efforts of everybody in the company. The key question in any inspection system is as follows: Are the measured values within tolerance, or not, and if they are outside the tolerance limits, why did we produce those parts in the first place?
Effects of Dietary Tributyrin on Growth Performance, Biochemical Indices, and Intestinal Microbiota of Yellow-Feathered Broilers

Simple Summary Various antibiotic products in poultry production are gradually being banned around the world due to the adverse problems including the antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance. Tributyrin was a potential alternative to antibiotics. The results of the present study indicated that tributyrin could improve the growth performance by modulating blood biochemical indices and the cecal microflora composition of yellow-feathered broilers. To the best of our knowledge, few studies investigated the effects of tributyrin on intestinal microbiota and its relationship with growth performance in broilers. This will provide a scientific basis for the application of tributyrin in animal husbandry in this post-antibiotic era. Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tributyrin on growth performance, biochemical indices and intestinal microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers. 360 one-day-old chicks were randomly allocated to three treatments with six replicates of 20 chicks each, including a normal control group (NC), an antibiotic group (PC), and a tributyrin (250 mg/kg) group (TB) for 63 days. The results showed that compared with the control, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the TB group decreased during the d22 to d42 (p < 0.05) and overall, the final weight and FCR of broilers tended to increase and decrease, respectively. Moreover, the TB group showed the highest creatine concentrations at the entire period (p < 0.05). TB treatment increased the Bacteroidetes relative abundance and decreased Firmicutes. Principal coordinates analysis yielded clear clustering of the three groups. Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis found seven differentially abundant taxa in the TB group, including several members of Bacteroidedetes. The relative abundance of Eisenbergiella, Phascolarctobacterium, Megasphaera and Intestinimonas increased in tributyrin-treated broilers. Spearman correlation analysis identified a correlation between Eisenbergiella abundance and overall feed efficiency. These results demonstrated that tributyrin could improve the growth performance by modulating blood biochemical indices and the cecal microflora composition of broilers.
Microring resonator channel dropping filters

Microring resonators side coupled to signal waveguides provide compact, narrow band, and large free spectral range optical channel dropping filters. Higher order filters with improved passband characteristics and larger out-of-band signal rejection are realized through the coupling of multiple rings. The analysis of these devices is approached by the novel method of coupling of modes in time. The response of filters comprised of an arbitrarily large dumber of resonators may be written down by inspection, as a continued fraction. This approach simplifies both the analysis and filter synthesis aspects of these devices.
CHFR and Paclitaxel Sensitivity of Ovarian Cancer

Simple Summary Studies in tissue culture cell lines have indicated that silencing of the mitotic regulator CHFR is associated with increased paclitaxel sensitivity. More recently, it has been suggested that a UBC13-DNMT1-CHFR pathway also modulates sensitivity of ovarian cancer to paclitaxel in the clinic. Here we have credentialed an anti-CHFR monoclonal antibody for immunohistochemistry and directly examined the association of CHFR expression with outcome of paclitaxel-containing ovarian cancer therapy. While CHFR levels were higher in high grade, high stage ovarian cancer, after correction for stage and debulking status there was no association between CHFR levels and progression-free survival in high grade serous ovarian cancer treated with surgery followed by platinum/taxane therapy. Moreover, there was no association between CHFR expression and response of patient-derived ovarian cancer xenografts treated with paclitaxel monotherapy. These studies indicate that CHFR varies among ovarian cancers but is unlikely to be an independent biomarker for poor response to taxanes. Abstract The poly(ADP-ribose) binding protein CHFR regulates cellular responses to mitotic stress. The deubiquitinase UBC13, which regulates CHFR levels, has been associated with better overall survival in paclitaxel-treated ovarian cancer. Despite the extensive use of taxanes in the treatment of ovarian cancer, little is known about expression of CHFR itself in this disease. In the present study, tissue microarrays containing ovarian carcinoma samples from 417 women who underwent initial surgical debulking were stained with anti-CHFR antibody and scored in a blinded fashion. CHFR levels, expressed as a modified H-score, were examined for association with histology, grade, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). In addition, patient-derived xenografts from 69 ovarian carcinoma patients were examined for CHFR expression and sensitivity to paclitaxel monotherapy. In clinical ovarian cancer specimens, CHFR expression was positively associated with serous histology (p = 0.0048), higher grade (p = 0.000014) and higher stage (p = 0.016). After correction for stage and debulking, there was no significant association between CHFR staining and overall survival (p = 0.62) or time to progression (p = 0.91) in patients with high grade serous cancers treated with platinum/taxane chemotherapy (N = 249). Likewise, no association between CHFR expression and paclitaxel sensitivity was observed in ovarian cancer PDXs treated with paclitaxel monotherapy. Accordingly, differences in CHFR expression are unlikely to play a major role in paclitaxel sensitivity of high grade serous ovarian cancer.