Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tuning the chiro-plasmonic response using high refractive index-dielectric templates

Chiral metamaterials have recently gained attention due to their applicability in developing polarization devices and in the detection of chiral molecules. A common approach towards fabricating plasmonic chiral nanostructures has been decorating metallic nanoparticles on dielectric chiral scaffolds, such as a helix. This resulted in the generation of a large chiro-optical response over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has been shown previously that the optical tunability of these chiral metamaterials depends on the geometrical aspects of the overall structure, as well as the nature of the plasmonic constituents. In this study, we have investigated the role of the underlying dielectric scaffold with numerical simulations, and experimentally demonstrated that it is possible to enhance and engineer their chiro-plasmonic response significantly by choosing dielectric scaffolds of appropriate materials.
A Power Efficient 12-bit and 25-MS/s Pipelined ADC for the ILC/Ecal Integrated Readout

The design of full integrated electronics readout for the future ILC ECAL presents many challenges. Low power dissipation is required, and it will be necessary to integrate the very front-end stages with an analog to digital converter. We present here a 12 bit 25 MHz analog to digital converter using a pipelined architecture. It is composed of ten 1.5 bit sub-ADCs along with a final 2 bit flash converter. A CMOS 0.35 μm process is used. The dynamic range is 2 V over a 3.3 V power supply and the total power dissipation is 37 mW. The analog part of the converter can be switched to a standby mode in only a couple of μs. This power management helps to reduce the DC power dissipation by three orders of magnitude. Therefore by switching the DC bias following the beam cycle time (1% of duty cycle), an average power consumption of only 0.2 μW is measured. The converter prototype occupies an active die area of 1.7 mm *0.6 mm.
Low-profile on-body communication antenna configuration with embedded electronics inside

The present paper proposes an on-body antenna for wearable sensor nodes/wireless body area networks (WBANs) at 10 GHz. The radiator configuration follows the recently introduced new antenna design philosophy where electronics are embedded inside the antenna. The suggested sensor node antenna structure has a low total profile of λ/3 in the x- and y-directions and λ/5 in the z-direction. The antenna radiator is designed by maintaining pure normal polarization with a body surface and omnidirectional radiation pattern in the tangential plane of a body.
Reduction of mutual coupling between closely-packed antenna elements using defected ground structure

A simple ground plane structure that can reduce mutual coupling between closely-packed antenna elements is proposed. The structure consists of a dumb-bell-like pattern etched in a single ground plane. It is found that isolation of more than −40 dB can be achieved between two parallel individual planar inverted F antennas (PIFAs) sharing a common ground plane. Comparison of the proposed dumb-bell-like defected ground structure (DGS) with other approaches shows its unique capability of reducing mutual coupling. Influence of the designed DGS on radiation pattern and surface current distribution on the ground plane is also investigated.
Development of biomedical applications of non-equilibrium plasmas and possibilities for atmospheric pressure nanotechnology applications

In this paper we discuss the synergisms between different realms of plasma supported nanotechnologies. First the developments in plasma etching for micro and later nanoelectronics have fueled immense growth of knowledge and tools in describing non-equilibrium plasmas. This has led to detailed predictive codes and that knowledge has been used to develop a large number of new sources of non-equilibrium plasmas operating at atmospheric pressure, even in air. With those tools a new front of plasma medicine has opened wide with new possibilities and a number of promising techniques for sterilization, cancer treatment, oral cavity treatment, dermatology and in a range of applications where deposition of thin films for biocompatibility is necessary. This new front opens new possibilities in the realm of nanotechnologies with atmospheric pressure deposition of nano-structures allowing direct application of new techniques in medicine and in cheaper technologies for other purposes.
Multi-objective optimization of plug-in electric vehicle charging prices

With the increasing penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), the operation of public charging stations becomes a more and more interesting business case. For such a public charging station a dynamic pricing scheme can help to react to varying operation costs and to encourage customers to extend their charging deadlines. We propose a framework for the selection of dynamic prices with respect to the following three objectives: maximizing the charging station operator's profit, minimizing the number of customers that decline charging due to too high prices and minimizing the number of PEVs that have to be rejected because of missing charging capacities. Two variants of the framework are proposed. In the first variant, the objectives are reduced to a single objective and CMA-ES is used for the optimization. In the second variant, the problem is solved with multi-objective optimization over NSGA-II in conjunction with desirability functions. Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach is able to yield a tradeoff between short-term profit and the number of declining and rejected PEVs. In this way the social welfare can be increased in comparison to choosing prices solely with the objective of maximizing the profit. It can be expected that this has a positive effect on the long-term profit of the public charging station.
Human Sebaceous Cis-6-Hexadecenoic Acid: Possible Application of an Innate Antimicrobial Substance to Cosmetic Products for Mucous Membrane

The antimicrobial properties of cis-6-hexadecenoic acid (C16:1Δ6), a component of the innate human metabolome, were studied and its application to cosmetic products was investigated in detail. A variety of the resident and transient microbial flora of the skin, oral cavity, and intestine was applied to an investigation of the antimicrobial activity of C16:1Δ6. C16:1Δ6 showed selective antibacterial activity against human microbial pathogens such as Clostridium perfringens (one of the most common causes of food poisoning) and Streptococcus mutans (one of the tooth-decaying bacteria), as well as Staphylococcus aureus. C16:1Δ6 seemed to possess a “species-selective” antibacterial activity against bacteria belonging to the genera Staphylococcus and Clostridium. We performed a preliminary assessment of the application of C16:1Δ6 as an antimicrobial component in a liquid lip gloss by performing preservation efficacy and home-use tests. We noted that the amount of p-hydroxybenzoate was needed in an oily cosmetic, especially liquid lip gloss, could be reduced by replacing p-hydroxybenzoate with C16:1Δ6. We suggest that C16:1Δ6 may find application as a stable antimicrobial substance gentle enough for use in consumer products by its selective antimicrobial characteristics.
Influence of human papillomavirus infection on the vaginal microbiome of women with immunocompetency

The influence of vaginal infections on the natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) is still unclear. Objective: To determine if patientswith low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) and HPV have more vulvovaginitis than patients with normal liquid-based cervical cytology whowere negative for HPV. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including 322 patients who underwent cervical exams. One hundred and sixty-seven ofthese patients had LSILs on cervical cytology and were simultaneously hybrid capture 2 (HC2)-positive for HPV, and the remaining 155 patients were negative for malignancies and intraepithelial lesions by cytology and HC2-negative for HPV. The prevalence of vaginal infections in both groups was compared using the X2 test without Yates' correction. Results: Among the patients with HPV and LSILs, the most common vaginal infection was vaginosis(8.98%) compared to candidiasis (12.9%) in the patients without LSILs and HPV. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of vaginosisbetween the two groups (p=0.53). Candidiasis was statistically more prevalent in patients without LSILs and HPV (p<0.001). Conclusion: An associationwas found between the presence of Candida and the absence of HPV. Although vaginosis was more frequent among patients with LSILs and HPV, it wasnot statistically significant. (AU) A influencia das infeccoes vaginais na historia natural do papillomavirus humano (HPV) ainda e incerta. Objetivo: Determinar se pacientes com lesoes intraepiteliais escamosas de baixo grau (LIEBG) e HPV tem mais vulvovaginites que aquelas com citologia cervical em meio liquido normal e testes negativos para HPV. Metodos: Este e um estudo transversal, que incluiu 322 mulheres que fizeram exames de colo. Cento e sessenta e sete destas tinham LIEBG na citologia oncotica e foram simultaneamente positivas para HPV na captura hibrida 2 (CH2). As outras 155 tiveram citologias negativas para neoplasia intraepitelial e malignidade e eram CH2 negativas para HPV. A prevalencia de infeccao vaginal nos dois grupos foi comparada usando o teste do X2 sem correcao de Yates. Resultados: Entre as pacientes com HPV e LIEBG, a infeccao vaginal mais comum foi a vaginose (8,98%), enquantoque, no grupo sem LIEBG e sem HPV, foi a candidiase (12,9%). Nenhuma diferenca estatisticamente significante foi encontrada na prevalencia de vaginose entre os dois grupos (p=0,53). Candidiase foi estatisticamente mais prevalente nas pacientes sem LIEBG e HPV (p<0,001). Conclusao: Foi encontrada uma associacao entre a presenca de Candida e a ausencia de HPV. Embora a vaginose tenha sido mais frequente em pacientes com LIEBG e HPV, esse dado nao foi estatisticamente significante. (AU)
Look-ahead control of road vehicles for safety and economy purposes

The paper proposes a look-ahead cruise control method considering both energy efficiency and the safety of vehicle motion. Based on the curve radius of the road, a method is proposed for the calculation of the safe cornering velocity, which is used in the look-ahead control design process. If the speed limit is in conflict with the calculated safe cornering velocity, the latter is applied in the energy optimization process of the look-ahead control algorithm. Thus, the designed velocity is coherent with the terrain characteristics, the speed limits and the geometry of the road as well, enabling the vehicle to travel safely and energy efficiently along the path. The main novelty of the paper is the consideration of the safe cornering velocity in the look-ahead design, improving energy efficiency and the safety of the vehicle during various maneuvers.
A New Length-Based Algebraic Multigrid Clustering Algorithm

Clustering algorithms have been used to improve the speed and quality of placement. Traditionally, clustering focuses on the local connections between cells. In this paper, a new clustering algorithm that is based on the estimated lengths of circuit interconnects and the connectivity is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, first an a priori length estimation technique is used to estimate the lengths of nets. Then, the estimated lengths are used in a clustering framework to modify a clustering technique based on algebraic multigrid (AMG), that finds the cells with the highest connectivity. Finally, based on the results from the AMG-based process, clusters are made. In addition, a new physical unclustering technique is proposed. The results show a significant improvement, reductions of up to 40%, in wire length can be achieved when using the proposed technique with three academic placers on industry-based circuits. Moreover, the runtime is not significantly degraded and can even be improved.
Information Constraints on Auto-Encoding Variational Bayes

Parameterizing the approximate posterior of a generative model with neural networks has become a common theme in recent machine learning research. While providing appealing flexibility, this approach makes it difficult to impose or assess structural constraints such as conditional independence. We propose a framework for learning representations that relies on Auto-Encoding Variational Bayes and whose search space is constrained via kernel-based measures of independence. In particular, our method employs the $d$-variable Hilbert-Schmidt Independence Criterion (dHSIC) to enforce independence between the latent representations and arbitrary nuisance factors. We show how to apply this method to a range of problems, including the problems of learning invariant representations and the learning of interpretable representations. We also present a full-fledged application to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). In this setting the biological signal is mixed in complex ways with sequencing errors and sampling effects. We show that our method out-performs the state-of-the-art in this domain.
Towards low-cost resolution optimized passive UHF RFID light sensing

This paper presents a low-cost, fully passive UHF RFID light sensor. We demonstrate how our design makes use of off-the-shelf photoresistors and LC components to establish a power frequency dependence which is used for improved sensor precision. Preliminary results show we can successfully identify 4 light intensity states between 0 to 1000 lux.
Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance among Enterobacter spp. Isolated from Infection in Animals

Nosocomial infections are frequent complications of hospitalization, caused by opportunistic pathogens that gain access to hosts undergoing invasive procedures, such as surgery, intubation, and placement of deep vein lines. Nosocomial infections in animal hospitals can infect other animals, as well as be transmitted to human personnel. Enterobacter is a genus of common gram-negative bacteria, which can be associated with antibiotic resistant hospital infections. Because of an outbreak in antibiotic resistance in the genus, we decided to investigate five years of Enterobacter infections in the Large Animal Services of the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital (LBAVTH) at Oregon State University. The demographics from 37 Enterobacter-infected patients of the LBAVTH were obtained from charts and analyzed. The identified clusters of infections suggested possible patient-environment sources of infection. The environment of the hospital was sampled in an attempt to determine the source of infection. Although Enterobacter was not isolated, three of the collected samples contained bacteria with resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. Enterobacter isolates from six of the 37 patients were further analyzed for presence of specific ESBL resistance genes. All six of the isolates harbored multiple extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes, i.e., CTX-M-15, TEM-80, SHV-2 and AmpC. In summary, Enterobacter infection in the veterinary hospital was caused by beta-lactam-resistant strains, carrying ESBL-resistant genes. Veterinary hospital personnel should be aware of the potential for transmission, to both humans and animals, of ESBL-gene-containing bacteria.
Milne universe, tachyons, and quantum group

We analyze the spectrum of the bosonic and superstring on the orbifold of the space-time by a boost, leading to the cosmological singularity. We show that the modular invariance leads to the spectrum where the twisted sector tachyon, together with all other twisted sector fields, present in the Euclidean version of the orbifold, is absent. This makes it impossible to resolve the singularity by a marginal deformation of the worldsheet CFT. We also establish a relation between the resolution of rotational orbifolds in Euclidean and Lorentzian setups, and quantum groups. The analysis confirms the impossibility of resolving the cosmological orbifold singularity.
Information Flow Investigations (CMU-CS-13-118)

Information-flow analysis has largely ignored the setting where the analyst has neither control over nor a complete model of the analyzed system. We formalize such limited information flow investigations and study it in three domains: (1) the determination of what third-party web trackers do with the information they collect, (2) the identification of copyright violators, and (3) the detection of insiders leaking data. We use a common framework based on information flow analysis to relate these three problems while pushing beyond traditional information flow analysis. Viewing these seemingly disparate problems in a common framework allows us to identify the assumptions underlying analyses used for these problems and to show where each area could benefit from the other. Our systematic study leads to practical advice for improving work on tracking web trackers, a previously unformalized area.
A Real-Time NDGPS/INS Navigation System Based on Artificial Vision for Helicopter

An artificial vision aided NDGPS/INS system has been developed and tested in the dynamic environment of a ground and flight vehicle to evaluate the overall system performance. The results show the significant advantages in position accuracy and situation awareness. Accuracy meets the CAT-I precision approach and landing using NDGPS/INS integration. Also we confirm the proposed system is effective to increase situational awareness and improve flight safety by using artificial vision. The system design, software algorithm, and flight test results are presented. We show our efforts of developing the capability of situation awareness in helicopter navigation.
Novel ripple reduced Direct Model Predictive Control of three-level NPC active front end with reduced computational effort

Three-level neutral-point clamped (NPC) power converter seems promising for high power grid-tied renewable applications. Direct Model Predictive Control (DMPC) is an attractive control method, in particular for multi-level converters. However, relatively big ripples of the control variables and heavy computational efforts are regarded as two of the shortcomings for DMPC schemes due to its cost enumeration and one-vector-per-control-interval characters. This work proposes a computational efficient ripple-reduced DMPC scheme for three level NPC Active-Front-End (AFE). By combining a deadbeat concept the targeted switching vectors are allocated efficiently and the respective actuating times of the vectors are on-line optimally calculated. Compared to the classical DMPC scheme, computational efforts are reduced efficiently and much smaller ripples of the control variables are achieved. Simulation results emphasize the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
A novel proposed deer algorithm

Deer is a social animal though it is wild animal. Its behaviour is to be in groups. Many activities are done in groups. There is specific pattern in the activities performed by the deer. It was felt that these activities can be modeled and used to obtain solution of non linear problems. The social activities of deer to form as group motivated us to propose algorithm, called Deer Algorithm. (DA). This proposed Deer algorithm shares many features of the Genetic Algorithms (GA). In this paper we are performing clustering is unsupervised classification on newly proposed algorithms Deer algorithm for the reproduction activity of Deer. Deer algorithms is based on the optimization of some objective function (fitness function). Experimental results are compared with the evolutionary-based clustering algorithm and swarm based clustering algorithms such as PSO, GA, FA, BA. It is shown that the proposed algorithm can achieve the optimal number of clusters and, in most cases, outperforms the other methods on several benchmark datasets in terms of intra cluster and inter cluster distances, robustness, convergence speed and accuracy.
Learning bilingual distributed phrase represenations for statistical machine translation

Following the idea of using distributed semantic representations to facilitate the computation of semantic similarity between translation equivalents, we propose a novel framework to learn bilingual distributed phrase representations for machine translation. We ﬁrst induce vector representations for words in the source and target language respectively, in their own semantic space. These word vectors are then used to create phrase representations via composition meth-ods. In order to compute semantic similarity of phrase pairs in the same semantic space, we project phrase representations from the source-side semantic space onto the target-side semantic space via a neural network that is able to conduct nonlinear transformation between the two spaces. We integrate the learned bilingual distributed phrase representations into a hierarchical phrase-based translation system to validate the effectiveness of our proposed framework. Experiment results show that our method is able to signiﬁcantly improve translation quality and outperform previous methods that only use word representations or linear semantic space transformation.
Private Intersection-Sum Protocol with Applications to Attributing Aggregate Ad Conversions

In this work, we consider the Intersection-Sum problem: two parties hold datasets containing user identifiers, and the second party additionally has an integer value associated with each user identifier. The parties want to learn the number of users they have in common, and the sum of the associated integer values, but “nothing more”. We present a novel protocol tackling this problem using Diffie-Hellman style Private Set Intersection techniques together with Paillier homomorphic encryption. We prove security of our protocol in the honest-but-curious model. We also discuss applications for the protocol for attributing aggregate ad conversions. Finally, we present a variant of the protocol, which allows aborting if the intersection is too small, in which case neither party learns the intersection-sum.
Accumulation-layer electron mobility in n-channel 4H-SiC MOSFETs

Accumulation-layer electron mobility in n-channel depletion-mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) fabricated in 4H-SiC was investigated using Hall-measurements. The accumulation-layer mobility showed a smooth transition from the bulk value (/spl sim/350 cm/sup 2//V-s) in the depletion regime into accumulation (/spl sim/200 cm/sup 2//V-s). In contrast, the field-effect mobility, extracted from the transconductance, was found to be much lower (/spl sim/27 cm/sup 2//V-s), due to the trapping of the field-induced carriers by interface states. Though the current in depletion/accumulation-mode MOSFETs can be high due to the contribution of bulk conduction resulting in low on-resistance, carrier trapping will cause the transconductance to be low in the accumulation regime.