Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct synthesis of microwave filters using inverse scattering TLM (transmission line matrix) method

This work proposes a new design procedure of planar microwave filters based on the inversion of the one-dimensional TLM (Transmission Line Matrix) method. The technique is based on the solution of the inverse scattering problem using a TLM based algorithm. The procedure consists of determining the geometry of the obstacle that generates the desired scattered field. In the case of filters this field is the time-domain input reflection coefficient and the geometry is the impedance profile of the filter. The procedure can be used to create filters with arbitrary characteristics.
Canonical transform for tracking with kinematic models

This paper presents a canonical transform that converts a kinematic model for target tracking into a decoupled dimensionless canonical form. The coupling is due to the nonzero off-diagonal terms in the covariance matrices of the process noise and/or the measurement noise, which can be used to model the coupling of motion and/or measurement between coordinates. An effective and efficient technique is presented to decouple the kinematic model by simultaneously diagonalizing the noise covariance matrices, followed by a space-time normalization procedure, so that the system is transformed into a decoupled dimensionless canonical form. This canonical form is independent of the physical specifications of an actual system. Each subsystem corresponding to a canonical coordinate is characterized by a parameter called the canonical kinematic index, which is a generalization of the tracking index. A number of applications of this canonical form are discussed. The usefulness of the canonical transform is illustrated via an example of the performance analysis of maneuvering target tracking in an air traffic control system.
User-oriented affective video content analysis

The article looks into a new direction in multimedia content analysis: the extraction and modeling of the affective content of an arbitrary video. The affective content is viewed as the amount of feeling/emotion contained in and mediated by a video toward a viewer. The ability to automatically extract video content of this nature will lead to a high level of personalization in broadcast delivery to private users, as well as considerably broadening the possibilities of efficiently handling and presenting large amounts of audio-visual data stored in emerging video databases. The technique we have developed uses the so-called "dimensional approach to affect" concept underlined by psychophysiology studies. Our computational method sets to represent the affective content as feature points in the so-called 2D emotion space. We manage to obtain time curves that represent the two affect dimensions (arousal and valence) for a video, considered respectively, from low-level video characteristics. Combining the two time curves results in the so-called affect curve that is regarded as a reliable representation of transitions from one feeling to another along a video, as perceived by a viewer. We illustrate the success of our technique on excerpts taken from an action movie and a typical soccer game, respectively.
3D-FRP: Direct Fourier reconstruction with Fourier reprojection for fully 3D PET

The direct Fourier method for 3D reconstruction of a 3D volume is based on the relationship between the 3D Fourier transform of the volume and the 2D FT of a parallel-ray projection of the volume. The direct Fourier method has the potential for very fast reconstruction, but a straightforward implementation of the method leads to unsatisfactory results. This paper presents an implementation (3D-FRP) of the direct Fourier method for fully 3D PET data with incomplete oblique projections that gives results as good as (or better than) those of a much slower method (3DRP), and in the same time as a fast but less accurate method (Fourier rebinning followed by slice-by-slice reconstruction). In common with filtered backprojection (3DRP), the Fourier method (3D-FRP) is based on a discretization of an inversion formula (so it is geometrically accurate for large oblique angles), and the method involves reprojection of an initial image. The critical two steps in the method are the estimations of the samples of the 3D transform of the image from the samples of the 2D transforms of the projections on the planes through the origin of Fourier space, and vice versa for reprojection. These steps use a gridding strategy, combined with new approaches for weighting in the transform and image domains. The authors' experimental results confirm that good image accuracy can be achieved together with a short reconstruction time.
Image Processing Library 98 Tutorial

This tutorial is aimed at new users of the Image Processing Library (IPL98) but can also be used as a reference for more experienced users. Every feature in the library is explained in detail accompanied with examples. This tutorial, the source code and other related information can be found in digital form at http://www.mip. sdu.dk/ipl98.
Courseware engineering methodology

THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE COURSEWARE is a complex process involving many forms of expertise. Several disciplines such as instructional design theories, software engineering principles, human-computer interaction and multimedia are involved. It is not always feasible for a novice to be familiar with such a range of expertise. A methodology integrating all of these various disciplines is urgently needed. The Courseware Engineering Methodology (CEM) has been developed by the author to guide novices in designing effective courseware, based on the integration of the various disciplines. CEM has been used successfully by over seventy students at an UK university to develop their courseware in the last few years. This paper describes the CEM development process.The CEM process consists of four models. The pedagogical model concerned with the pedagogical aspects of the courseware; the conceptual model, dealing with the software engineering aspects of the design; the interface model relating to the interface of the courseware, and the hypermedia modelling that deals with the navigational issues of the courseware. Each of the models will be briefly reviewed. The paper concludes by stating the benefits of using a modular approach to courseware development and reuse.
Neural Acceleration for General-Purpose Approximate Programs

This work proposes an approximate algorithmic transformation and a new class of accelerators, called neural processing units (NPUs). NPUs leverage the approximate algorithmic transformation that converts regions of code from a Von Neumann model to a neural model. NPUs achieve an average 2.3× speedup and 3.0× energy savings for general-purpose approximate programs. This new class of accelerators shows that significant performance and efficiency gains are possible when the abstraction of full accuracy is relaxed in general-purpose computing.
Seeing the noise Does visual noise affect visual sensitivity

Random fluctuations, visual noise, pervade every stage of our visual system, from eye to brain. Yet we are hardly ever aware of this noise, and there is great controversy as to whether it limits what we can see. We explored a special condition under which people see their own internal noise and we prove that this noise limits what they see, both under the special conditions and in normal conditions as well. This removes the main obstacle to establishing a simple comprehensive account of visual sensitivity.
Cost reduction and evaluation of a temporary faults detecting technique

IC technologies are approaching the ultimate limits of silicon in terms of channel width, power supply and speed. By approaching these limits, circuits are becoming increasingly sensitive to noise, which will result in unacceptable rates of soft-errors. Furthermore, defect behavior is becoming increasingly complex resulting in increasing number of timing faults that can escape detection by fabrication testing. Thus, fault tolerant techniques will become necessary even for commodity applications. This work considers the implementation and improvements of a new soft error and timing error detecting technique based on time redundancy. Arithmetic circuits were used as test vehicle to validate the approach. Simulations and performance evaluations of the proposed detection technique were made using time and logic simulators. The obtained results show that detection of such temporal faults can be achieved by means of meaningful hardware and performance cost.
Development of substrate integrated waveguide power dividers

Two classes of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) power divider are presented, namely, Y- and T-types. Using arrays of via, the SIW power dividers and microstrip transitions are integrated on the same substrate. Design models are presented respectively for the Y- and T-junctions. Experimental results over the Ka band are given for both structures. The Y-junction shows a bandwidth of 25.2% at -18.5 dB while the T-junction shows a bandwidth of 10.2% at -19.0 dB.
Wavelets for sign language translation

Wavelet techniques are applied to help extract the relevant parameters of sign language from video images of a person communicating in American Sign Language or Signed English. The compression and edge detection features of two-dimensional wavelet analysis are exploited to enhance the algorithms under development to classify the hand motion, hand location with respect to the body, and handshape. These three parameters have different processing requirements and complexity issues. The results are described for applying various quadrature mirror filter designs to a filterbank implementation of the desired wavelet transform. The overall project is to develop a system that will translate sign language to English to facilitate communication between deaf and hearing people.
Delayed Administration of Recombinant Plasma Gelsolin Improves Survival in a Murine Model of Penicillin-Sensitive and Resistant Pneumococcal Pneumonia.

Therapy to enhance host immune defenses may improve outcomes in serious infections, especially for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Recombinant human plasma gelsolin (rhu-pGSN), a normally circulating protein, has beneficial effects in diverse pre-clinical models of inflammation and injury. We evaluated delayed therapy (24-48h post-challenge) with rhu-pGSN in a mouse model of pneumococcal pneumonia. Rhu-pGSN without antibiotics increased survival and reduced morbidity and weight loss after infection with either penicillin-sensitive or resistant pneumococci (serotypes 3 and 14, respectively). Rhu-pGSN improves outcomes in a highly lethal pneumococcal pneumonia model when given after a clinically relevant delay, even in the setting of antimicrobial resistance.
Visual Comparison of Ranked Result Cumulated Gains

Ranking is fundamental in Information Retrieval (IR) and several measures have been developed over the years to assess the quality of a ranked result list, such as those based on the idea of computing the cumulative gain up to a given ranked position and taking into account multiple relevance levels. These measures allow for comparing the performances of different Information Retrieval System (IRS), giving credit to their ability to retrieve highly relevant documents and to rank them topmost in the result list. However, while this approach is able to assess the differences among two or more retrieval systems, it does not allow to easily understand and inspect the reasons of good or bad performances. To this end, this paper presents a Visual Analytics (VA) environment that allows for visually exploring the ranked retrieval results, pointing out the search failures and providing useful insights for improving the underlying IRS ranking algorithm.
Spt5 modulates cotranscriptional spliceosome assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

There is increasing evidence from yeast to humans that pre-mRNA splicing occurs mainly cotranscriptionally, such that splicing and transcription are functionally coupled. Currently, there is little insight into the contribution of the core transcription elongation machinery to cotranscriptional spliceosome assembly and pre-mRNA splicing. Spt5 is a member of the core transcription elongation machinery and an essential protein, whose absence in budding yeast causes defects in pre-mRNA splicing. To determine how Spt5 affects pre-mRNA splicing, we used the auxin-inducible degron system to conditionally deplete Spt5 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and assayed effects on cotranscriptional spliceosome assembly and splicing. We show that Spt5 is needed for efficient splicing and for the accumulation of U5 snRNPs at intron-containing genes, and therefore for stable cotranscriptional assembly of spliceosomes. The defect in cotranscriptional spliceosome assembly can explain the relatively mild splicing defect as being a consequence of the failure of cotranscriptional splicing. Coimmunoprecipitation of Spt5 with core spliceosomal proteins and all spliceosomal snRNAs suggests a model whereby Spt5 promotes cotranscriptional pre-mRNA splicing by stabilizing the association of U5 snRNP with spliceosome complexes as they assemble on the nascent transcript. If this phenomenon is conserved in higher eukaryotes, it has the potential to be important for cotranscriptional regulation of alternative splicing.
Employing Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Co-Operative Path Planning

Abstract In this paper, we work to develop a path planning solution for a group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) approach. Co-operation among team members not only helps reduce mission time, it makes the execution more robust in dynamic environments. However, the problem becomes more challenging as it requires optimal resource allocation and is NP-hard. Since UAVs may be lost or may suffer significant damage during the course of the mission, plans may need to be modified in real-time as the mission proceeds. Therefore, multiple UAVs have a better chance of completing a mission in the face of failures. Such military operations can be treated as a variant of the Multiple Depot Vehicle Routing Problem (MDVRP). The proposed solution must be such that m UAVs start from multiple source locations to visit n targets and return to a set of destination locations such that (1) each target is visited exactly by one of the chosen UAVs (2) the total distance travelled by the group is minimized and (3) the number of targets that each UAV visits may not be less than K or greater than L.
Exploring cultural safety with Nurse Academics. Research findings suggest time to “step up”

Background: As the largest professional group employed within the health care system, the capacity for nurses to contribute to improving the health of Australian Indigenous people is substantial. Cultural safety has recently been incorporated into the national codes of conduct for nurses. Nurse academics have a key role in ensuring graduates are culturally safe practitioners. Staff capacity is a crucial consideration if cultural safety is to be embedded effectively within nursing curriculum. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore capability in relation to cultural safety with Nurse Academics at a regional university in New South Wales, Australia. Design: Mixed methods approach incorporating a survey and individual interviews. Methods: Casual and permanent nurse academics involved in teaching the undergraduate nursing program were eligible to participate. Results: Fifteen staff completed the survey and eight participated in an interview. Although the importance of cultural safety was recognised, there was a lack of comprehensive understanding and lack of confidence to teach the philosophy and practices of cultural safety. There was strong support cultural safety and anti-racism professional development. Impact statement: Building staff capacity is a crucial consideration if cultural safety is to be embedded within nursing curriculum. Conclusions: Cultural safety professional development is a starting point for nurses to develop their skills in providing culturally safe care and an essential step towards shifting the institutional and professional culture of the nursing profession. Research findings are clear it is time for Nurse Academics to “Step up” to effectively embed cultural safety in undergraduate nursing curriculum.
Long-term study of oral treprostinil to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension: dosing, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics

Oral treprostinil may be an option for low- and intermediate-risk patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare lung vascular disease. This open-label extension study collected data on participants who completed previously reported, placebo-controlled oral treprostinil studies. Eligible participants had completed the prospective parent studies and took increasing doses of oral treprostinil twice daily; some later transitioned to three times daily dosing. Investigators measured 6-minute walk distance at Month 12 as the sole efficacy measure but collected adverse events throughout the study. A single center measured pharmacokinetics in 13 subjects who changed dosing from twice daily to three times daily. Eight hundred and ninety-four participants enrolled and 71% completed one year of therapy, with a median total daily dose of 7 mg and a median 6-minute walk distance increase of 22 m (interquartile range, −14 to 67 m). Subjects achieving higher doses had larger increases in 6-minute walk distance; 42% of participants completed three years of therapy. Adverse events were typical for prostacyclin class therapy, but prostacyclin-type adverse events may have been better tolerated with three times daily dosing in 105 participants. In 13 participants transitioned to three times daily dosing with pharmacokinetic measurements before and after, trough drug levels were higher with three times daily dosing. Oral treprostinil is associated with modest but durable, dose-responsive effects on exercise tolerance for those who remained on therapy at one year in this prospective, uncontrolled study. Three times daily dosing was associated with higher trough levels and better tolerability. The recently completed Freedom-EV study will provide further insights into the utility of oral treprostinil (https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01560624).
[A job crafting measure: psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Job Crafting Scale].

BACKGROUND The interest among researchers and practitioners in job crafting has been growing for the last dozen of years. Job crafting refers to behaviors that employees engage in to align aspects of their jobs with their own skills and needs. The aim of this paper was to analyze psychometric properties of the Polish version of a job crafting measure - the Job Crafting Scale (JCS). MATERIAL AND METHODS The original JCS consists of 21 items and has 4 subscales: Increasing Structural Job Resources, Increasing Social Job Resources, Increasing Challenging Job Demands, and Decreasing Hindering Job Demands. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency analysis, theoretical validity analysis and test-retest stability analysis were carried out among 249 white collar workers who use information and communication technology (ICT) in their daily work. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and invariance test were carried out among 228 white collar workers using ICT and additionally working in a team for most of the week. RESULTS The Polish version of the JCS displays satisfactory internal consistency, theoretical validity, and test-retest stability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed a 4-dimensional structure of the JCS. Four items were excluded from the Polish version of the JCS because of low factor loadings. The results of invariance test showed that factor loadings were invariant across groups. CONCLUSIONS The Polish version of the JCS consists of 17 items and - like the original scale - has 4 subscales. Additional studies are recommended to confirm the internal structure of the JCS and measurement invariance across different occupational groups. Med Pr. 2019;70(4).
BMI and related risk factors among U.S. Marshallese with diabetes and their families

ABSTRACT Objective: Examine cross-sectional associations between body mass index (BMI) and related health behaviors, barriers and facilitators to health care, and perceived health status among a sample of U.S. Marshallese adults with Type 2 diabetes and evaluate associations of interest between participants and their family members. Design: Cross-sectional baseline data were analyzed from participants in a diabetes self-management education intervention trial. Setting: Data collection took place in home or community settings through a community-academic partnership in Arkansas. Participants: Study participants consisted of U.S. Marshallese adults with Type 2 diabetes (N = 221) and their family members (N = 211) recruited through community settings. Intervention(s): N/A. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants’ height and weight were measured using standard protocols to calculate BMI (kg/m2). Diet, physical activity, health care access, financial strain related to health care, perceived health status, and health care satisfaction were measured using self-report surveys. Results: Participants’ mean BMI was 31.0 (95% CI: 30.2–31.7), with over half of study participants and their family members’ BMI falling in the obese category. Participants’ BMI was positively associated with spreading health care bill payments over time (β = 1.75 (SE = 0.87); p = 0.045). Positive associations between participants and their family members were observed for self-reported health status conditions, health care coverage, health care utilization, and health care satisfaction. Conclusion: Study findings highlight the high prevalence of obesity and related risk factors among U.S. Marshallese adults with Type 2 diabetes and emphasize the need for intervention strategies that build upon cultural strengths and target community, policy, systems, and environmental changes to address obesity and chronic disease in this marginalized community.
Monitoring Surface Defects Deformations and Displacements in Hot Steel Using Magnetic Induction Tomography †

Magnetic Induction Tomography (MIT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that has been widely applied for imaging materials with high electrical conductivity contrasts. Steel production is among an increasing number of applications that require a contactless method for monitoring the casting process due to the high temperature of hot steel. In this paper, an MIT technique is proposed for detecting defects and deformations in the external surfaces of metal, which has the potential to be used to monitor the external surface of hot steel during the continuous casting process. The Total Variation (TV) reconstruction algorithm was developed to image the conductivity distributions. Nonetheless, the reconstructed image of the deformed square metal obtained using the TV algorithm directly does not yield resonable images of the surface deformation. However, differential images obtained by subtracting the image of a perfect square metal with no deformations from the image obtained for a deformed square metal does provide accurate and repeatable deformation information. It is possible to obtain a more precise image of surface deformation by thresholding the differential image. This TV-based threshold-differencing method has been analysed and verified from both simulation and experimental tests. The simulation results reported that 0.92% of the image region can be detected, and the experimental results indicated a 0.57% detectability. Use of the proposed method was demonstareted in a MIT device which was used in continuous casting set up. The paper shows results from computer simulation, lab based cold tests, and real life data from continoeus cating demonstating the effectiveness of the proposed method.