Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The MAP in LC concept for MTR decoding in multiple-head magnetic recording systems

The constrained capability of maximum-transitionrun (MTR) codes are well known in magnetic recording systems. Unfortunately, these codes possess just a modest error correcting ability and thus they have to be used in combination with proven and powerful error correcting codes. In modern, iterative decoding framework, two decoders exchange soft-information, in order to improve their decisions. Thus, the utilization of MTR codes in such framework requires some approaches for their soft-decision decoding. Recently, the MAP in LC method is proposed for such purpose, enabling propagation of soft-values through the MTR decoder. Substantial benefits have been noticed when the MAP in LC was used in a one-track MTR encoded E2PR4 magnetic recording channel. In this paper, performance and benefits of the MAP in LC, along with its two subversions, are considered over a multiple-track E2PR4 channel, encoded by the in-track MTR code. In case of the low-level inter-track interference, the subversion named as max-log MAP in LC shows nearly 0.85 dB of decoding gain, for BER = 10-5, when 4/5 (2, 8) MTR code was used.
Biopsy: considerations on surgical technique derived from a study of 749 cases of bone tumour.

Based on a study of 749 consecutive cases submitted to open biopsy over a 12 year period, the authors discuss the possible grave consequences that can arise out of wrong attitudes or faulty technique. The statistical analysis, together with illustrative cases, demonstrates the difficulties, mistakes and biological damage that can result. Biopsy should always be associated with other methods of investigation, such as C.A. T. scanning, scintigraphy and angiography. It is a delicate and sometimes difficult procedure which requires close collaboration with the radiologist and pathologist. At the present time, our tendency is towards biopsy at the time of operation (with frozen sections) or to needle biopsy.
Lateral discrete power MOSFET: enabling technology for next-generation, MHz- frequency, high-density DC/DC converters

DC/DC converters to power future CPU or DSP cores mandate low-voltage power MOSFETs with ultra low on-resistance and gate charge. Conventional trench MOSFETs cannot meet the challenge. We introduce an alternative device technology, the discrete lateral power MOSFETs, to overcome the limitations associated with the vertical trench or planar MOSFETs. We report a family of 7V, 20V, and 30V lateral discrete power MOSFETs with figures of merit 2-3 times better than the state-of-the-art trench MOSFETs. We have developed an innovative metal interconnect and chip-scale packaging approach to overcome the "scaling barrier" which limits the chip size and current rating of the traditional lateral power devices. The lateral MOSFETs were designed and fabricated with a simplified CMOS process, and packaged in flip-chip forms using a wafer bumping technology. Lateral discrete power MOSFETs will become a viable enabling technology for next-generation, MHz-frequency, high-density DC/DC converters.
A novel modulation scheme for visible light communication

In this paper a novel modulation scheme for visible light communication (VLC) using bright white LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) is introduced. Pulse Dual Slope Modulation (PDSM), an extension of Pulse Slope Modulation (PSM), is presented along with its properties. This modulation scheme attempts to addresses the three major issues in Physical Layer for VLC which are Intra-frame flicker compensation, Interframe flicker compensation and Light dimming.
Effect of peppermint oil on gastric emptying in man: a preliminary study using a radiolabelled solid test meal.

Carminatives such as peppermint oil (PM oil) are used to obtain symptomatic relief in flatulence. In the present study, we have tried to confirm the effect of PM oil on gastric emptying by using an accurate, safe, reproducible noninvasive radionuclide method (I). A solid test meal labelled with 99m Technetium Sulphur Colloid (99m TC) was used. Study was carried out in healthy male volunteers of two different age groups and in patients with dyspepsia.
A 600 MHz superscalar RISC microprocessor with out-of-order execution

A six-issue, four-fetch, out-of-order execution, 6OOMHz Alpha microprocessor achieves an estimated 40SpecInt95, 60SpecFP95 and 1800MB/s on McCalpin Stream. The 16.7x18. 8mm2 die contains 15.2M transistors and dissipates an estimated 72W. It is in 2.0V, 6-metal, 0.35/spl mu/m CMOS with CMP planarization. The chip is in a 587-pin ceramic IPGA with 198 pins for VDD/VSS that includes a CuW heat slug for low thermal resistance between die and detachable heat sink. An on-chip PLL performs frequency multiplication of a differential PECL reference and synchronizes I/O by phase-aligning a CPU clock to the reference.
Measuring Primary Care Expenses

Background: Significant investments and effort are being devoted to health care reform, yet little is known about the costs of improvements. Practical tools are needed to allow for systematic assessment of practice expenses. We report here a field trial of a standardized expenditure data collection instrument. Methods: Combining economic and primary care practice consultation, an expenditure data collection instrument was created. The instrument underwent observed feasibility testing and was fielded by 10 practice-based research networks in 30 practices conducting 10 different health behavior change interventions. Results: Start-up and operating expenses were successfully collected for 87% and 97% of the practices, respectively. Data collection time and effort were considerable but acceptable. Three elements were necessary to collect expenditure data: (1) an intervention-specific data collection instrument, (2) a field guide, and (3) economic oversight and assistance. Fully 90% of networks reported that they planned to collect expenditure data in the future and study participation increased the likelihood of their participation in a future expenditure study. Conclusions: It is feasible to systematically collect intervention-specific expenses in primary care using formal expenditure methods. However, most practices and researchers lack the knowledge, expertise, and resources to collect such data independently. Further assistance and education is necessary to obtain reliable information about the expenses to transform and improve primary care.
Total GaN solution to electrical power conversion

We present the first 600V-class, total GaN solution for electrical power conversion applications. A 220V–400V boost converter using a GaN transistor and a GaN diode with fast & clean hard-switched waveforms has been demonstrated. The conversion efficiency was >99.1% at 100 kHz and >98.2% at 800 kHz.
Study on effective camera images for mobile robot teleoperation

The effectiveness of different camera images for mobile robot teleoperation is investigated. During a robot teleoperation where the operator can only control the robot through observing the camera images rather than direct-view control, the information provided by the images must be sufficient enough to allow the operator to perform the remote control efficiently. In order to understand which kind of camera images are most effective for robot teleoperation, we have conducted several experiments to examine their validness. The experimental results indicated that an image where the robot is positioned in the center of the camera view with clear survey of the surroundings shows high efficiency in remote control of a mobile robot.
Influence of Elastic and Inelastic Electron–Phonon Interaction on Quantum Transport in Multigate Silicon Nanowire MOSFETs

This paper presents the effect of different elastic acoustic and inelastic optical electron-phonon interaction mechanisms on quantum transport and electrical characteristics of multigate silicon nanowire FETs. A 3-D quantum-mechanical device simulator based on the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism in the uncoupled mode space that can handle electron-phonon interactions has been developed to extract the physical parameters of the devices. The electron-phonon scattering has been treated by using the self-consistent Born approximation and deformation potential theory. Utilizing this simulator, we show that interaction of the carriers with optical phonons redistributes the energy and momentum of electrons in the transport direction, depending on the energy of the phonon. Optical phonons cause either a reduction of the electron density or an increase of the electron concentration in the channel region, depending on the phonon energy and coupling strength. Finally, we show that the critical length for carriers to get backscattered in the silicon nanowire is directly proportional to the phonon energy.
Site‐specific transgenesis in Xenopus

Transgenesis is an essential, powerful tool for investigating gene function and the activities of enhancers, promoters, and transcription factors in the chromatin environment. In Xenopus, current methods generate germ‐line transgenics by random insertion, often resulting in mosaicism, position‐dependent variations in expression, and lab‐to‐lab differences in efficiency. We have developed and tested a Xenopus FLP‐FRT recombinase‐mediated transgenesis (X‐FRMT) method. We demonstrate transgenesis of Xenopus laevis by FLP‐catalyzed recombination of donor plasmid cassettes into F1 tadpoles with host cassette transgenes. X‐FRMT provides a new method for generating transgenic Xenopus. Once Xenopus lines harboring single host cassettes are generated, X‐FRMT should allow for the targeting of transgenes to well‐characterized integration site(s), requiring no more special reagents or training than that already common to most Xenopus labs. genesis 50:325–332, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experimental analysis of ridge joint of steel C back-to-back with plate

A ridge joint of a cold-formed steel C section with plate is studied through experiment in this paper. Through the four specimens which subjected to the cyclic loading in the quasi-static test, we discuss the impact of the joints on mechanical properties and the strain distribution of components. In according to the test results, at last we analyze the effect of the gusset plate thickness and bolt spacing on the bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility and energy performance. The results of this paper can give a reference to the engineering application of cold-formed thin-walled steel structure.
The emergence of design research in information systems in North America

Information Systems (IS) is a relatively new field of study that investigates information and communications technology (ICT) in organisational settings. Originally a branch of management science, IS became an independent field in the late 1960s. Only recently in North America has IS design research (ISDR) become a distinct line of inquiry within the field. This paper details the emergence of ISDR within North American IS research and outlines its current state. ISDR, as currently conceived in North America, is narrower in scope than design research in fields where it has a longer history. With reference to the literature, we expose directions of research highly germane to ISDR that are precluded by the current common understanding, which requires an artefact as the output of all design research efforts. We propose suggestions for relaxing this constraint on research output while still retaining a focus on research relevance and ICT artefacts.
Shangri–La: A medical case–based retrieval tool

Large amounts of medical visual data are produced in hospitals daily and made available continuously via publications in the scientific literature, representing the medical knowledge. However, it is not always easy to find the desired information and in clinical routine the time to fulfil an information need is often very limited. Information retrieval systems are a useful tool to provide access to these documents/images in the biomedical literature related to information needs of medical professionals. Shangri–La is a medical retrieval system that can potentially help clinicians to make decisions on difficult cases. It retrieves articles from the biomedical literature when querying a case description and attached images. The system is based on a multimodal retrieval approach with a focus on the integration of visual information connected to text. The approach includes a query–adaptive multimodal fusion criterion that analyses if visual features are suitable to be fused with text for the retrieval. Furthermore, image modality information is integrated in the retrieval step. The approach is evaluated using the ImageCLEFmed 2013 medical retrieval benchmark and can thus be compared to other approaches. Results show that the final approach outperforms the best multimodal approach submitted to ImageCLEFmed 2013.
Evolution of increased competitiveness in cows trades off with reduced milk yield, fertility and more masculine morphology

In some species females compete for food, foraging territories, mating, and nesting sites. Competing females can exhibit morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations typical of males, which are commonly considered as secondary sexual traits. Competition and the development of traits increasing competitiveness require much energy and may exert adverse effects on fecundity and survival. From an evolutionary perspective, positive selection for increased competitiveness would then result in evolution of reduced values for traits related to fitness such as fecundity and survival. There is recent evidence for such evolutionary trade‐offs involving male competition, but no study has considered competing females so far. Using data from competitions for dominance in cows (Bos taurus), we found negative genetic correlations between traits providing success in competition, that is, fighting ability and fitness traits related to milk production and with fertility (the inverse of parity‐conception interval). Fighting ability also showed low but positive genetic correlations with “masculine” morphological traits, and negative correlations with “feminine” traits. A genetic change in traits over time has occurred due to selection on competitiveness, corresponding to an evolutionary process of “masculinization” counteracting the official selection for milk yield. Similar evolutionary trade‐off between success in competition and fitness components may be present in various species experiencing female competition.
IL-7 potential function in pulmonary TB

The study aims to find some other functions of IL-7 in control TB and screen a new host marker in small groups of TB patients and controls to identify promising markers for large-scale testing. Real-time RT-PCR is used to evaluate the stability of IL-4 and IL-7 mRNA in the presence of Actinomycin D in whole blood from active TB cases and uninfected healthy controls. Flow cytometry and cytokine secretion assays were used to study the IL-7 potential function. The Th2/Th1 (IL-4/IFN-γ) mRNA ratio in unstimulated cells in whole blood was higher in TB subjects than that in controls. The mRNA half-life of Th2 agonist IL-4, but not Th1 agonist-like IL-7, was prolonged in subjects with TB compared to healthy volunteers (∼ 5-fold, p =0.001), and the IL-4/IL-7 ratio was higher in TB patients compared to controls (p=0.001). IL-7 can mediate the level of multifunction PPD-specific CD4+ T cells secreting any one of IFN-γ and IL-2 or both of them to increase host protective immunity. The IL-4/IL-7 ratio may be an important biomarker of prognosis in human tuberculosis.
Kinase Signaling Initiates Coat Complex II (COPII) Recruitment and Export from the Mammalian Endoplasmic Reticulum*

The events regulating coat complex II (COPII) vesicle formation involved in the export of cargo from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are unknown. COPII recruitment to membranes is initiated by the activation of the small GTPase Sar1. We have utilized purified COPII components in both membrane recruitment and cargo export assays to analyze the possible role of kinase regulation in ER export. We now demonstrate that Sar1 recruitment to membranes requires ATP. We find that the serine/threonine kinase inhibitor H89 abolishes membrane recruitment of Sar1, thereby preventing COPII polymerization by interfering with the recruitment of the cytosolic Sec23/24 COPII coat complex. Inhibition of COPII recruitment prevents export of cargo from the ER. These results demonstrate that ER export and initiation of COPII vesicle formation in mammalian cells is under kinase regulation.
A probabilistic framework for time-frequency detection of burst suppression

General anesthesia is a drug-induced, reversible condition comprised of hypnosis, amnesia, analgesia, akinesia, and autonomic stability. During the deepest levels of anesthesia, burst suppression is observed in the EEG, which consists of alternating periods of bursting and isoelectric activity. By accurately tracking anesthesia-induced burst suppression, it may be possible to provide a higher level of care for patients receiving general anesthesia. We develop a probabilistic framework for detecting burst suppression events. The algorithm uses multinomial regression to estimate the probability of burst, suppression, and artifact states at each time given EEG frequency-domain data. We test the efficacy of this method on clinical EEG acquired during operating room surgery with GA under propofol.
Localization in wireless sensor networks with cognitive small world characteristics

In this paper, a method for node localization in a novel small world - wireless sensor network (SW-WSN) is proposed. A SW-WSN is created by introducing small world characteristics into a conventional wireless sensor network (WSN). Introduction of long-ranged links between selected nodes in a WSN reduces average path length (APL) of the network without affecting the clustering coefficient (CC) significantly. Localization performance and anchor requirement is made more efficient by the introduction of newer links with an optimal probability of link addition (PLA). In this work a cognitive approach for computing the optimal PLA according to bandwidth availability is also developed. This helps in minimizing energy consumption and bandwidth requirement in the network during localization. Extensive localization experiments are conducted on U. of Michigan WSN repository. The proposed localization indicates significant improvements over conventional methods in terms of localization error and bandwidth utilization.
Comparison of current distribution based on tissue inhomogeneity in magnetic stimulation for treatment of urinary incontinence

Four experimental models having different body part structures and two computer models of the female pelvic region were constructed and used to measure the distribution of induced current based on tissue conductivity. This paper reports the current distribution in the female abdomen obtained using experimental and computer models in the magnetic stimulation method for the treatment of urinary incontinence. In addition, the influences of tissue inhomogeneity are discussed. Magnetic stimulation has been reported to be effective for the treatment of urinary incontinence. However, little is known about the distribution of current in the body, and it is necessary to develop magnetic stimulators that more efficiently stimulate muscles and nerves and that are more convenient compared to presently available stimulators.
Tools for assessing student learning in mechanical design courses

Assessing student learning and evaluating the effects of innovation in teaching remain a challenge for design educators and researchers. This paper describes the development of a set of assessment tools for use in evaluating pedagogical improvements in project-based mechanical design courses. An ethnographic study was undertaken to identify the design concepts and skills that students struggle to learn or apply. Four categories of concepts were identified as difficult for students: problem definition, evaluation of concepts, communication and comprehension, and prototyping strategies. In order to support interventions to improve studentsâ learning in these areas, an assessment tool was designed and pilot tested with expert and novice participants. The results from this test will be used to develop an inventory of questions that can be used by educators and researchers to monitor student learning in mechanical design courses, and evaluate the efficacy of new teaching methods and tools.
Physical modelling of buoyant effluents discharged into a cross flow

This study focuses on physical modelling of turbulent vertical buoyant jets, discharged into a transversal current and interacting with localized background turbulence. The physical model was developed in the Coastal Engineering Laboratory of the Technical University of Bari. The physical model consists of a sophisticated system that allows to monitor and adjust all the characteristic parameters of both the channel flow (e.g. discharge, flow depth) and the buoyant jets (e.g. flow rate, temperature, salinity). Positively and negatively buoyant jets are realized by discharging water respectively at a temperature and salinity higher than that of the receiving environment. Due to the complexity of the jet-current hydrodynamic phenomena, a set of sophisticated instruments to measure the jet spreading within the cross flow is used. The average jet dilution is measured by (i) four different Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTD) for the positively buoyant jet, and (ii) a MicroScale Conductivity Temperature Instrument (MSCTI) of high resolution for the negatively buoyant jet. Whereas, a Nortek Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) system is used to measure the field flow velocities, together with CollectV software for data acquisition and ExploreV software for data analysis. The measured scalar and vector fields will be illustrated in this paper, with the aim to emphasize that a well-set physical model is able to explain the behavior of buoyant jets in an open channel with ambient factors, such as cross flow and vegetation.
Computerised assessment of depression in the medically ill

translation for the Chinese word si. Even si has no connotation of any emotional state at all in the Chinese language. Interestingly, Kaptchuk (1983) used the word â€ ̃¿ pensiveness' for the word si, which does carry an emotional meaning of melancholy and sadness. How he came to use pensiveness to trans late si is interesting indeed. In the Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Beijing Medical College, 1984), si is translated into the word â€ ̃¿ anxiety'. Furthermore, not all ofthe seven emotions were brought into clinical use. Before the sinologists can translate the Chinese words correctly, and the lexicologists interpret the exact meaning of these words, we are just a group of armchair transcultural psychiatrists studying tautology, philology, analogy, and end up with pleonastic epistemology.