Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bilinear Transform Implementation of the SC-PML for General Media and General FDTD Schemes

With the complex-frequency-shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS-PML) implemented based on both the stretched coordinates and the bilinear transform method as the absorbing boundary condition (ABC), a novel unified finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm is developed for general FDTD spatial schemes and general media. The proposed FDTD-PML algorithm employs a general expression for the permittivity of arbitrary linear dispersive media and also takes the nonlinear effects into account. The bilinear transform used in this paper has better accuracy than the frequently used forward, backward, and central difference schemes. Compared with the recursive convolution implementation of the CFS-PML, the bilinear transform implementation involves much simpler FDTD expressions and has better absorbing performance with the same computational cost. Several two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D simulations involving the anisotropic media, the Debye media, the Drude media, and the Kerr nonlinear media have been done to validate the presented algorithm, and indicate the advantages of the bilinear transform implementation of the CFS-PML. A simulation involving the Lorentz media calculated with the proposed algorithm adopting the wavelet-based high-order FDTD scheme is also included to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the developed method.
Upper Body Detection and Feature Set Evaluation for Body Pose Classification

This work investigates some visual functionalities required in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) to evaluate the intention of a person to interact with another agent (robot or human). Analyzing the upper part of the human body which includes the head and the shoulders, we obtain essential cues on the person's intention. We propose a fast and efficient upper body detector and an approach to estimate the upper body pose in 2D images. The upper body detector derived from a state-of-the-art pedestrian detector identifies people using Aggregated Channel Features (ACF) and fast feature pyramid whereas the upper body pose classifier uses a sparse representation technique to recognize their shoulder orientation. The proposed detector exhibits state-of-the-art result on a public dataset in terms of both detection performance and frame rate. We also present an evaluation of different feature set combinations for pose classification using upper body images and report promising results despite the associated challenges.
Design of a Low Cost 4 4 Butler Matrix Fed Antenna Array Partially Loaded with Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW)

A low cost 4  4 butler matrix fed antenna array has been proposed for Ku band applications. At high frequencies, the ohmic and dielectric losses are high and also the undesired feed radiation is more in the case of microstrip line feed, therefore substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) has been used to feed the antenna elements. The implementation of SIW technology improved the radiation performance of the antenna array system. More directive beams have been achieved than the conventional design. The gain improvement of 1.63 dB and 0.9 dB have been achieved for 2L and 2R beams respectively and the first nulls of all the four major beams have improved considerably. The proposed design is not realized completely either by microstrip or by SIW technique but it combines both the techniques to minimize the design complexity of SIW technique and to improvement in the radiation performance which degrades at high frequency for microstrip feeding network. The design also leads to symmetricity in the maximum gain values of the radiated major beams. FR-4 epoxy has been used as dielectric to build up the whole antenna array system, which makes the system less costly. The single layer implementation also makes the fabrication process simple. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation.
Mannose-Binding Lectin Genotypes and Susceptibility to Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in Infancy

ABSTRACT In a cohort study of children <4 years of age in Greenland, mannose-binding lectin (MBL2) genotypes and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels were determined. EBV seropositivity was significantly lower and time to seroconversion increased in MBL-insufficient compared with MBL-sufficient children, indicating that MBL may be involved in primary EBV infection in infancy.
The use of flow cytometry to study the impact of fluid mechanical stress on Escherichia coli W3110 during continuous cultivation in an agitated bioreactor.

Continuous culture fermentations of Escherichia coli W3110 have been carried out at controlled dissolved oxygen levels of 40% and 10% of saturation. Satisfactory and reproducible results were obtained. Agitation speeds of 400 and 1200 rpm at an aeration rate of 1 vvm have been used as well as an aeration rate of 3 vvm at 400 rpm. The upper levels of these variables represent much higher agitation and aeration intensities than those normally used in practical fermentations. The fermentations were monitored by mass spectrometry and optical density, and cell samples were studied by flow cytometry, SEM, and TEM. Protocols were developed so the state of both cell membranes and cell size could be measured by flow cytometry. Under all the conditions of agitation and aeration, flow cytometric analysis indicated that both cell membranes were intact and that a cytoplasmic membrane potential existed; also the cell size did not change, results confirmed by SEM and TEM. There were no detectable changes in off-gas analysis or optical density during the continuous fermentation nor in the cell structure as revealed by SEM or TEM, except at the highest agitation intensity. Under the latter conditions, after 7 h, the outer polysaccharide layer on the cell was stripped away. It is concluded that any changes in biological performance of this E. coli cell line due to variations in agitation or aeration intensity or scale of operation cannot be attributed to fluid dynamic stresses associated with the turbulence generated by impellers or with bursting bubbles.
Dual-band lumped element decoupling network design for two-antenna systems

In this study we outline a design process for lumped element implementation of dual-band decoupling network for two coupled antennas. We justify by extensive numerical experimentation that the mutual admittance of the antennas can be transformed to purely imaginary values at two given frequencies simultaneously by very simple transmission line transformers at the antenna inputs. Our study shows that this conclusion is practically speaking independent on the antennas under consideration, and applies to many different frequency band pairs. The decoupling itself is carried out by appropriate lumped element resonators, the topology of which is selected according to the sign of the imaginary part of the mutual admittance at each band, to provide perfect reactive cancellation of the admittance at the center of each band. We propose practical optimization criteria for the decoupling network design that guarantee both a successful re-matching of the generally distorted impedance match, and a minimal influence of the matching network to the decoupling.
On Steiner tree problem with 45/spl deg/ routing

We consider Steiner minimal trees (SMT) in the plane where the orientations of interconnection are restricted to be either horizontal, vertical or of slopes +1 and -1. We derive a ratio, 1/4-2/spl radic/2 which we conjecture to be the Steiner ratio for 45/spl deg/-SMT. We provide a method to find an optimal 45/spl deg/-SMT for 3 or 4 points by analyzing its topological connections. For arbitrary point set of size n we present an O(n log n) time heuristic based on the notions of 45/spl deg/ minimum spanning tree and Delaunay triangulation. Empirical results compared with the rectilinear and Euclinear cases are given.
A survey on model versioning approaches

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a feature‐based characterization of version control systems (VCSs), providing an overview about the state‐of‐the‐art of versioning systems dedicated to modeling artifacts.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature study of existing approaches, a description of the features of versioning systems is established. Special focus is set on three‐way merging which is an integral component of optimistic versioning. This characterization is employed on current model versioning systems, which allows the derivation of challenges in this research area.Findings – The results of the evaluation show that several challenges need to be addressed in future developments of VCSs and merging tools in order to allow the parallel development of model artifacts.Practical implications – Making model‐driven engineering (MDE) a success requires supporting the parallel development of model artifacts as is done nowadays for text‐based artifacts. Therefore, model versioning ca.
Micro and nano device — Customer-Oriented Product e-Engineering in e-CoFrame

This paper discusses novel approach to micro device product engineering. The main objective is a customer-oriented methodology based on a real sample of MEMS vibration sensor engineering flow. Multi-site product development, virtual prototyping, rapid virtual wafer run with extended customer support and feedback are discussed. Specific set of software tools is also defined. Methodology visualization and it validation by the reference to real MEMS inertial sensor fabrication process are also presented.
Natriuretic Peptide Regulation of Endochondral Ossification

The natriuretic peptide family consists of three structurally related endogenous ligands: atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). The biological actions of natriuretic peptides are thought to be mediated through the activation of two guanylyl cyclase (GC)-coupled receptor subtypes (GC-A and GC-B). In this study, we examined the effects of ANP and CNP, which are endogenous ligands for GC-A and GC-B, respectively, on bone growth using an organ culture of fetal mouse tibias, an in vitro model of endochondral ossification. CNP increased the cGMP production much more potently than ANP, thereby resulting in an increase in the total longitudinal bone length. Histological examination revealed an increase in the height of the proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocyte zones in fetal mouse tibias treated with CNP. The natriuretic peptide stimulation of bone growth, which was mimicked by 8-bromo-cGMP, was inhibited by HS-142-1, a non-peptide GC-coupled natriuretic peptide receptor antagonist. The spontaneous increase in the total longitudinal bone growth and cGMP production was also inhibited significantly by HS-142-1. CNP mRNA was expressed abundantly in fetal mouse tibias, where no significant amounts of ANP and BNP mRNAs were detected. A considerable amount of GC-B mRNA was present in fetal mouse tibias. This study suggests the physiologic significance of the CNP/GC-B pathway in the process of endochondral ossification.
A Pathogenic Fungi Diphenyl Ether Phytotoxin Targets Plant Enoyl (Acyl Carrier Protein) Reductase[W]

Cyperin is a natural diphenyl ether phytotoxin produced by several fungal plant pathogens. At high concentrations, this metabolite inhibits protoporphyrinogen oxidase, a key enzyme in porphyrin synthesis. However, unlike its herbicide structural analogs, the mode of action of cyperin is not light dependent, causing loss of membrane integrity in the dark. We report that this natural diphenyl ether inhibits Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) enoyl (acyl carrier protein) reductase (ENR). This enzyme is also sensitive to triclosan, a synthetic antimicrobial diphenyl ether. Whereas cyperin was much less potent than triclosan on this target site, their ability to cause light-independent disruption of membrane integrity and inhibition of ENR is similar at their respective phytotoxic concentrations. The sequence of ENR is highly conserved within higher plants and a homology model of Arabidopsis ENR was derived from the crystal structure of the protein from Brassica napus. Cyperin mimicked the binding of triclosan in the binding pocket of ENR. Both molecules were stabilized by the π-π stacking interaction between one of their phenyl rings and the nicotinamide ring of the NAD+. Furthermore, the side chain of tyrosine is involved in hydrogen bonding with a phenolic hydroxy group of cyperin. Therefore, cyperin may contribute to the virulence of the pathogens by inhibiting ENR and destabilizing the membrane integrity of the cells surrounding the point of infection.
Sea surface wind field by X-band terrasar-X and tandem-X

In the present study, we present the newly developed Geophysical Model Function (GMF), denoted XMOD2, to retrieve the sea surface wind field from X-band TerraSAR-X/Tandem-X (TS-X/TD-X) data. In contrary to the previous XMOD1, XMOD2 is based on a nonlinear GMF, and moreover it also depicts the difference between upwind and downwind of the sea surface backscatter. By exploiting 371 collocations, the retrieved TS-X/TD-X sea surface wind speed by XMOD2 agrees well with in situ buoy measurements with a bias of 0.39 m/s, an RMSE of 1.52 m/s and a scatter index (SI) of 16.1%. To evaluate the sea surface wind field retrieved from X-band SAR, we conducted a joint campaign in the South China Sea in August, 2011. Examples of sea surface wind field retrieved from the TS-X/TD-X data acquired in the campaign are shown for demonstration.
Fourier temporal interpolation improves electrocardiograph-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.

UNLABELLED The optimal temporal sampling rate in electrocardiograph-gated myocardial SPECT is questionable: low rates, typically 8 frames per cardiac beat (8fr/cb), favor image quality, whereas high rates, typically 16 frames per cardiac beat (16fr/cb), favor the accuracy of left ventricular (LV) functional parameters. We examined whether Fourier temporal interpolation (FTI) from 8fr/cb to 16fr/cb can combine the advantages of low and high rates. METHODS In 34 patients imaged after stress injection of (99m)Tc-sestamibi, 4 sets of reconstructed gated slices were compared: a raw 16fr/cb acquisition (R16), a raw 8fr/cb acquisition (R8), a 16fr/cb set obtained by FTI of 8fr/cb projections (IP), and a 16fr/cb set obtained by FTI of 8fr/cb reconstructed slices (IS). LV ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV) obtained from the final LV volume curve were compared for the 4 datasets. Deviation of the whole LV volume curve was quantified for IP and IS with respect to R16. Image quality was evaluated by consensus reading of end-diastolic slices of the 4 sets. For R16, IP, and IS, cine display fluidity was quantified by a roughness index calculated from the LV volume curve. RESULTS No differences in EDVs or ESVs were found among R16, IP, and IS, whereas R8 gave smaller EDVs and larger ESVs. LVEF was lower with R8, IP, and IS than with R16: -3.9%, -1.2%, and -1.3%, respectively. The LV volume curve was closer to R16 with IP than with IS. Image quality was better with IP and IS than with R8 and better with R8 than with R16. Cine display fluidity was better with IP than with R16 and better with R16 than with IS. CONCLUSION FTI improved image quality not only over that provided by R16 but even over that provided by R8. The sole worsened LV functional parameter was LVEF, which was slightly underestimated with respect to that estimated by R16. Of the 2 FTI variants, IP was superior to IS for cine display fluidity and accuracy of the LV volume curve with respect to the data obtained with R16. Therefore, FTI to 16fr/cb performed before reconstruction on a pixel-by-pixel basis on 8fr/cb projections improves image quality and cine display fluidity over those of both R8 and R16 acquisitions at the sole cost of a 1% underestimation of LVEF.
Conditioned taste preferences based on caloric density.

Conditioning involved adding one flavor (e.g., vanilla) to an artificial diet of high caloric density and a second flavor (e.g., anise) to a similar low-calorie diet. When the rats were tested with identical foods to which the flavors were added, they showed a strong preference for the high-calorie flavor. The parameters of conditioning were varied in four experiments, which showed that the conditioning of taste preferences is rapid and powerful and has generality over a range of conditioned stimulus parameters. The last experiment indicated that the unconditioned stimulus for this conditioning is probably some oral cue, such as the taste of starch, which is correlated with caloric benefit, rather than caloric benefit per se.
The performance of NoCs for very large manycore systems under locality-based traffic

The scaling of semiconductor technologies is leading to processors with increasing numbers of cores. A key enabler in manycore systems is the use of Networks-on-Chip (NoC) as a global communication mechanism. The adoption of NoCs in manycore systems requires a shift in focus from computation to communication, as communication is fast becoming the dominant factor in processor performance. In large manycore systems, performance is predicated on the locality of communication. In this work, we investigate the performance of three NoC topologies for systems with thousands of processor cores under two types of localised traffic models. We present latency and throughput results comparing fat quadtree, concentrated mesh and mesh topologies under different degrees of localisation. Our results, obtained using a modified version of the HNOCS NoC simulator and based on the ITRS physical data for 2023, show that the type of locality traffic and the degree of localisation significantly affects the NoC performance, and that scale-invariant topologies perform worse than flat topologies.
A 2μW biomedical frontend with ΣΔ ADC for self-powered U-healthcare devices in 0.18μm CMOS technology

This paper presents an ultra-low power analog front end (AFE) with ΣΔ modulator ADC meant for acquisition of biopotential signals. The system consists of a signal conditioning stage with programmable gain and bandwidth, a mixed signal automatic gain control (AGC), and a ΣΔ ADC. The full system is designed in UMC 18μm CMOS. The AFE achieves an overall linearity of more 10 bits with 0. 47μW power consumption. The ADC provides 2nd order noise shaping while using single integrator and an ENOB of ~12 bits with 1. 4μW power consumption. The system was successfully tested for a ECG signal from PTB database.
Design Algorithm for High-Current Gapped Foil-Wound Inductors in Low-to-Medium Frequency DC-DC Converters

The low component count, high full-load efficiency, and simplicity of hard-switched dc-dc converters in the low-to- medium frequency range lead to a low-cost and low weight/volume solution for high-power dc-dc converters. The choice of the magnetic material is critical in order to optimise the size of the inductor. In this paper, a novel inductor-design algorithm is developed and automated in order to contrast and compare various magnetic materials, such as iron-based amorphous metal, 6.5% silicon steel, nanocrystalline, and ferrite, for use in a gapped CC-core inductor. The algorithm considers skin and layer effects for the foil, core losses, and gap losses for the laminated materials.
Global Mapping of Fire-affected Areas using Multitemporal MODIS Data: The MCD45 Product

Remote sensing algorithms developed to map fire- affected areas, also known as burned areas or fire scars, are difficult to implement reliably at global scale because of variations in the surface state and variations imposed by the sensing system. The availability of robustly calibrated, atmospherically corrected, cloud-screened, geolocated data provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) allows for major advances in satellite mapping of fire-affected area. This paper presents the main characteristics of the MODIS burned area product (MCD45) which is part of the standard MODIS land product suite. The paper overviews the theoretical basis of the algorithm and the product specification, and provides examples of the product over test areas.
Modulation bandwidth, noise, and stability of a semiconductor laser subject to strong injection locking

Operating conditions for modulation bandwidth enhancement, noise reduction, and stable locking to be simultaneously fulfilled in a semiconductor laser subject to strong optical injection are investigated. When the strength of the injection signal is fixed, the optimum detuning of the injection frequency exists as a tradeoff between bandwidth enhancement and noise reduction. When the laser is injection-locked at a given value of frequency detuning in the stable locking region, both bandwidth enhancement and noise reduction are improved as the injection parameter is increased over a wide range.
Glutamate‐Stimulated Activation of DNA Synthesis via Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase in Primary Astrocytes

Abstract: Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Although its role in neurons has been studied extensively, little is known about its function in astrocytes. We studied the effects of glutamate on signaling pathways in primary astrocytes. We found that the tyrosine kinase related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase (RAFTK) is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to glutamate in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. This phosphorylation was pertussis toxin (PTX) sensitive and could be attenuated by the depletion of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. RAFTK tyrosine phosphorylation was mediated primarily by class I/II metabotropic glutamate receptors and depends on protein kinase C (PKC) activation. Glutamate treatment of primary astrocytes also results in a significant increase in the activity of the mitogen‐activated protein kinases [extracellular signal‐related kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2)]. Like RAFTK phosphorylation, ERK1/2 activation is PTX sensitive and can be attenuated by the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ and by PKC inhibition, suggesting that RAFTK might mediate the glutamate‐dependent activation of ERK1/2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that glutamate stimulation of primary astrocytes leads to a significant increase in DNA synthesis. Glutamate‐stimulated DNA synthesis is PTX sensitive and can be inhibited by the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059, suggesting that in primary astrocytes, glutamate might signal via RAFTK and MAP kinase to promote DNA synthesis and cell proliferation.
Soft output diversity combining for CPM signals over space-time correlated Rayleigh fading channels

Soft output detection algorithms are useful in systems where soft-decision metrics are important, e.g., systems with interleaved coded modulation. Receive diversity techniques can provide significant performance improvement for fading channels encountered in mobile communication systems. A soft-output receive diversity combining algorithm for the demodulation of continuous phase modulated (CPM) signals over space-time correlated frequency flat Rayleigh fading channels in the absence of perfect channel state information (CSI) is developed. The derived soft output algorithm is used in the iterative detection of interleaved TC-CPM. The performance of the algorithm is extensively characterized by means of Monte-Carlo simulations.