Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demonstration, using sliding-frequency guiding filters, of error-free soliton transmission over more than 20 Mm at 10 Gbit/s, single channel, and over more than 13 Mm at 20 Gbit/s in a two-channel WDM

By transmitting trains of 2 14 bit pseudorandom words in a recirculating loop containing strong, sliding-frequency guiding filters, «error-free» (measured BER≤10 -9 ) soliton transmission at 10 Gbit/s, single channel, and at 20 Gbit/s in a two channel WDM is demonstrated, over paths as great as 20 000 km and 13 000 km, respectively
An extended correlation function of two random variables applied to mobile radio transmission

The definition, properties, and application of an extended correlation function of two random variables involving two common parameters are described and applied to mobile radio systems. The correlation functions of a predetection diversity combined signal (using a scheme of phase equalizing by multiple heterodyning) and of a directional antenna array signal are derived with the help of the extended correlation function. These correlation functions can be used to determine parameter values giving minimum correlation between two signals desirable for diversity systems. One can also obtain the power spectra by taking the Fourier transform of these correlation functions. Thus extended correlation functions promise to be useful.
Time series analysis on precipitation with missing data using stochastic SARIMA

This paper presents an application of the Box-Jenkins methodology for modeling the precipitation in Iran. Linear stochastic model known as multiplicative seasonal ARIMA was used to model the monthly precipitation data for 44 years. Missing data occurred in between for 34 months for some reason. To fill the gap a SARIMA model was fitted based on the first 180 available observations and the missing observations were substituted by the forecasts for the next 34 months. Then a SARIMA model was fitted for the full data. The result showed that the fitted model represent the full data well.
Cost-effective overlay and CD metrology on phase-shifting masks

This paper presents the use of specially designed electrically testable structures to measure characteristics of alternating aperture phase-shifting masks (altPSM). The linewidths of chrome features on the mask are measured using modified cross-bridge structures, the technique behind this is explained together with the specific designs used to characterise both dense and isolated features. A practical, manufacturable solution to overcoming the problem of the non-conductive anti-reflective chromium oxy-nitride is given and results shown to prove its success. Correlation to more conventional CD measurements reinforce this result. A new technique, to measure the overlay of the second laye, used in the mask manufacture as the mask for the quartz etch establishing the phase shifted areas, is discussed. This entails using capacitive test structures in a progressional offset array to establish the minimum capacitance, indicating the overlay achieved. This technique has the added advantage of removing the errors created by mask sag in overlay metrology tools where the mask is held only at the edge. Results are presented indicating the success of this technique.
LRRC15 suppresses SARS-CoV-2 infection and controls collagen production

Although ACE2 is the primary receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, a systematic assessment of factors controlling SARS-CoV-2 host interactions has not been described. Here we used whole genome CRISPR activation to identify host factors controlling SARS-CoV-2 Spike binding. The top hit was a Toll-like receptor-related cell surface receptor called leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15). LRRC15 expression was sufficient to promote SARS-CoV-2 Spike binding where it forms a cell surface complex with LRRC15 but does not support infection. Instead, LRRC15 functioned as a negative receptor suppressing both pseudotyped and live SARS-CoV-2 infection. LRRC15 is expressed in collagen-producing lung myofibroblasts where it can sequester virus and reduce infection in trans. Mechanistically LRRC15 is regulated by TGF-β, where moderate LRRC15 expression drives collagen production but high levels suppress it, revealing a novel lung fibrosis feedback circuit. Overall, LRRC15 is a master regulator of SARS-CoV-2, suppressing infection and controlling collagen production associated with "long-haul" COVID-19.
Pedal Curves of the Mixed-Type Curves in the Lorentz-Minkowski Plane

In this paper, we consider the pedal curves of the mixed-type curves in the Lorentz–Minkowski plane R12. The pedal curve is always given by the pseudo-orthogonal projection of a fixed point on the tangent lines of the base curve. For a mixed-type curve, the pedal curve at lightlike points cannot always be defined. Herein, we investigate when the pedal curves of a mixed-type curve can be defined and define the pedal curves of the mixed-type curve using the lightcone frame. Then, we consider when the pedal curves of the mixed-type curve have singular points. We also investigate the relationship of the type of the points on the pedal curves and the type of the points on the base curve.
Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT in esophageal cancer and vascular graft infections

Personalized treatment is one of the major challenges in modern medicine. To enable individually tailored treatments, medical imaging has become part of the standard diagnostic work-up, allowing a non-invasive anatomical and functional representation of organs. In the last decades, anatomy-based computed tomography (CT) and functional-based 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) have been two corner stones in medical imaging. However, clinical evaluation of imaging data remains subject to intra-observer and inter-observer variation. Moreover, most imaging data contain subtle information reflecting underlying pathophysiological properties, which cannot be detected visually. Quantifying medical imaging improves reliability, precision, and speed of the assessment and may contribute to overcome such limitations. The rapidly emerging field of radiomics generally quantifies large amounts of medical imaging data and applies a large number of quantitative image features to characterize these underlying pathophysiological properties. In this thesis, these quantitative radiomic features were validated and applied to objectively evaluate and adjust the clinical decision-making in the treatment of patients with esophageal cancer and vascular graft infections. This thesis resolved the initial lack of standardization for feature extraction and image processing. Moreover, we exposed the mechanisms of confounding factors which drive the reliability of 18F-FDG PET radiomic features. We constructed several prediction models based on 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomic features along with clinical markers and biological tumor markers to adjust the clinical decision-making in patients with esophageal cancer. Some of these prediction models were able to provide up to a 30% absolute improvement in discriminatory accuracy beyond the current standard prediction methods. Furthermore, 18F-FDG PET radiomic features were applied to improve the non-invasive diagnosis of aorta-iliac graft infections after vascular graft reconstructions. We concluded that quantitative PET may be a potential tool in improving PET interpretation of patients suspected of aorta-iliac graft infections.
Dissimilarity of individual microsatellite profiles under different mutation models: Empirical approach

Abstract Microsatellites (simple sequence repeats, SSRs) still remain popular molecular markers for studying neutral genetic variation. Two alternative models outline how new microsatellite alleles evolve. Infinite alleles model (IAM) assumes that all possible alleles are equally likely to result from a mutation, while stepwise mutation model (SMM) describes microsatellite evolution as stepwise adding or subtracting single repeat units. Genetic relationships between individuals can be analyzed in higher precision when assuming the SMM scenario with allele size differences as a proxy of genetic distance. If population structure is not predetermined in advance, an empirical data analysis usually includes (a) estimating proximity between individual SSR profiles with a selected dissimilarity measure and (b) determining putative genetic structure of a given set of individuals using methods of clustering and/or ordination for the obtained dissimilarity matrix. We developed new dissimilarity indices between SSR profiles of haploid, diploid, or polyploid organisms assuming different mutation models and compared the performance of these indices for determining genetic structure with population data and with simulations. More specifically, we compared SMM with a constant or variable mutation rate at different SSR loci to IAM using data from natural populations of a freshwater bryozoan Cristatella mucedo (diploid), wheat leaf rust Puccinia triticina (dikaryon), and wheat powdery mildew Blumeria graminis (monokaryon). We show that inferences about population genetic structure are sensitive to the assumed mutation model. With simulations, we found that Bruvo's distance performs generally poorly, while the new metrics are capturing the differences in the genetic structure of the populations.
The role of integrated performance model in sustainable envelope design and assessment

The issue of sustainable design and assessment of the residential building envelope is a complex process that requires considering many factors including life cycle performance. As such, in an effort to develop an integrated approach that combines relevant sustainable development factors and life cycle concepts for sustainable designs, an integrated performance model (IPM) was developed. The IPM is an essential tool to aid the sustainable design of the residential building envelope, reduce the carbon emission and the whole residential building energy consumption, thereby ensuring sustainable performance of the building envelope and building sustainability. The IPM application indicates that sustainable performance of the building envelope in extreme weather and climatic condition is significantly influenced by the energy efficiency performance of the development.
Traffic Signal Luminance and Visual Discomfort at Night

The visual discomfort from simulated traffic signals under nighttime viewing conditions was assessed. Discomfort increased with increasing signal luminance and decreasing viewing distance. Color identification of signals was very high for all signal colors and luminances studied. Red signals meeting luminous intensity specifications of ITE and specifications being drafted in Europe were unlikely to cause visual discomfort under the conditions tested. Green and yellow signals meeting ITE and European specifications were more likely to cause visual discomfort. Dimming signals using light-emitting diodes might be a feasible strategy for minimizing discomfort under some nighttime viewing conditions.
Heat Shock-Related Protein Responses and Inflammatory Protein Changes Are Associated with Mild Prolonged Hypoglycemia

Mild hypoglycemia is common in clinical practice. Severe hypoglycemia results in heat shock protein and associate co-chaperone changes. Whether mild prolonged hypoglycemia elicits a similar response with inflammatory and oxidative-stress responses compared with a severe hypoglycemic event is unclear; therefore, this pilot exploratory study was undertaken. We performed a case–control induced hypoglycemia clamp study, maintaining blood glucose at 2.8 mmol/L (50 mg/dL) for 1 h in 17 subjects (T2D (n = 10); controls (n = 7)). Blood sampling was performed at baseline, hypoglycemia, and 24 h; slow off-rate modified aptamer (SOMA)-scan plasma protein analysis of HSP-related proteins, inflammatory stress markers, and oxidative stress markers was performed. In total, 16 HSPs were analyzed. At baseline, TLR4:MD-2 complex was elevated (p = 0.01), whilst HSPA8 was lower (p < 0.05) in T2D. At hypoglycemia, UBE2N, STIP1, and UBE2L3 increased (all p < 0.05), whilst TLR4:MD-2 and HSPA8 decreased (p < 0.05) in T2D versus baseline. In follow-up after hypoglycemia, HSPs normalized to baseline by 24 h, except UBE2L3 (p < 0.05), which was decreased in controls versus baseline. Correlation of altered inflammatory markers with HSPs revealed the following: at baseline, TLR4:MD-2 correlated with CXCL10 (p < 0.01) and SIGLEC1 (p < 0.05) in controls; HSPA8 negatively correlated with IL5 (p < 0.05) in T2D. A negative correlation between urinary isoprostane 8-iso PGF2α, a marker of oxidative stress, and HSPA1A was seen at 24 h in T2D only (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the HSP changes seen for mild prolonged hypoglycemia were similar to those previously reported for a severe event. However, mild prolonged hypoglycemia appeared to elicit an increased inflammatory response that was associated with heat shock and related proteins.
The role of phase transformation in the rate performance limited Lix̳ V₂ O₅ battery cathode

It has recently been reported that the rate performance of LixV 20s, a widely studied candidate Li-ion battery cathode material, can be significantly improved through a variety of particle size reduction techniques, (e.g. nanotemplating). It is widely believed that the microscale mechanism responsible for this improvement in rate performance is a reduction in the Li + diffusion path length. Yet, the experimentally observed discharge performance of LixV 205 cathode films comprised of active material particles of varying sizes (between films) and subject to variable rates of discharge deviates sharply from results predicted by Fickian scaling laws. In a crystalline Li+ insertion host the incorporation of ionic volume commensurate with electrochemical discharge often leads to phase transformation. While the consequent phase coexistence is largely responsible for the high energy densities reported in many crystalline insertion hosts, its effect upon rate performance, (or power density), is not well understood. Recently, researchers identified facilitated phase boundary motion as the mechanism responsible for improved high-rate performance in one nanoscaled insertion compound. The preservation of a coherent phase boundary between differentially lithiated, coexistent end-member phases that would normally relax the interfacial strain associated with biphasic volumetric mismatch by forming incoherent phase boundaries, they reasoned, lead to the observed improvement in high-rate performance. A number of discrete structural and electrochemical signatures have subsequently been identified that are believed to correlate with facilitated phase-boundary-motion in nanoscaled insertion hosts. These equilibrium signatures, which include; enhanced Li+ solubility in end-member phases, decreased volumetric mismatch between coexistent end-member phases, increased interfacial strain between coexistent end-member phases, and reduced cycling hysteresis, have been identified in the dimensionally graded LixV 2 0 5 system, suggesting that rate performance in this system may, in fact, also be gated by sluggish phase boundary motion. Finally, a non-equilibrium experimental technique, (modified GITT), designed to identify regimes in which phase-boundary motion is rate-limiting, is described. This modification entails the suppression of several assumptions governing the conventional application of the GITT technique to kinetic parameter extraction, namely, the use of "small" current pulses and the violation of the implicit monophasic constraint. It is observed that this variable rate-technique can identify regimes of phase boundary motion control in dimensionally graded LixV 2 s. Further, it is proposed that this technique might allow the microscale phenomenology of rate-limiting phase evolution to be modeled. Thesis Supervisor: Donald R. Sadoway Title: John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry
A Conceptual Framework for Mobile Learning

Several technology projects have been launched to explore the opportunities that mobile technologies bring about when tackling issues of democratic participation and social inclusion through mobile learning. Mobile devices are cheaper than for instance a PC, and their affordance, usability and accessibility are such that they can potentially complement or even replace traditional computer technology. The importance of communication and collaboration features of mobile technologies has been stressed in the framework of ICT-mediated learning. In this paper, a theoretical framework for mobile learning and e-inclusion is developed for people outside the conventional education system. The framework draws upon the fields of pedagogy (constructivist learning in particular), mobile learning objects and sociology.
Luo-Converters, a series of new DC-DC step-up (boost) conversion circuits

Luo-Converters are a series of new DC-DC step-up (boost) power conversion circuits, which are developed from a prototype of the author's research work. These converters perform positive to positive DC-DC voltage increasing conversion. The developed circuits (self-lift, re-lift and multiple-lift circuits) offer higher step-up DC-DC conversion. Luo-Converters possess interesting features such as simple circuit structure, high efficiency and near-zero output voltage and current ripples.
Enclosed SU-8 and PDMS microchannels with integrated interconnects for chip-to-chip and world-to-chip connections

This paper presents the simulation, fabrication and testing of fluid-tight enclosed microchannels with integrated interconnects for modular snap-together chip-to-chip and world-to-chip connections. Components consisting of microchannels with integrated interconnect were fabricated in SU-8 photopolymer and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Simulations were performed in ANSYS for component microchannels with chip-to-chip and world-to-chip interconnects in order to determine the expected flow profile and pressure drop. Components with world-to-chip structures were then experimentally pressurized to 252 kPa and 148 kPa for SU-8 and PDMS respectively, without leakage. Components with chip-to-chip interconnects were assembled in a hybrid configuration utilizing SU-8 and PDMS for individual components assembled in a chain, and pressurized to 124 kPa before leakage. The duality of these structures as both world-to-chip and chip-to-chip connections increases their usability since they can provide micro- to macro-connections, as well as chip-to-chip connections without needing to redesign the interconnection scheme.
Critical path identification method of intersection group considering path relevance

As urban traffic congestion lengthens, the road network is likely to form a saturation cycle gradually. Solving the traffic congestion problem of the intersection group can effectively alleviate the overall congestion problem of the road network. The critical path is the entry point for the signal coordination controlling of the intersection group. In order to improve the existing critical path identification methods in which the number of intersections within a path is small and tend to fall into local critical path, this paper proposes a critical path identification method for intersection group considering path relevance. Firstly, the intersection group is abstracted as a road network undirected graph. Secondly, this paper improves the traditional ant colony algorithm including the state transfer probability criterion and the pheromone update mechanism. Finally, a case study is conducted for a local road network intersection group in the main urban area of Yiwu City. The result presents that the method proposed in this paper is significantly better than the breadth-first search algorithm in terms of the total number of paths identified and relevance degree values of critical paths. This method increases the convergence speed and can identify the global critical paths accurately.
Construction safety assessment of high-piled wharf based on BIM technology

A safety assessment method for high-piled wharf construction was developed based on BIM technology. Firstly, the Revit component library of the high-piled wharf was established and the corresponding three-dimensional visual model with geometric and engineering information was constructed. Then, combined with the actual requirements of safety management of high-piled wharf construction, four safety assessment indexes were determined, and analytic hierarchy process was introduced to quantify the four indexes. Finally, the risk level of each subproject of the wharf construction was displayed by the Revit model. The results showed that the established method to assess the construction safety of highpiled wharf realized the visualization and informalization of construction safety assessment of high-piled wharf project, which helped to improve the efficiency of construction safety management and broaden the application of BIM technology in the field of hydraulic engineering, and had practical significance for further promotion.
From Simulation to FPGA Control Circuit Implementation for Wind Power with Battery Charging

While application of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip has been extensively investigated, the charging control is relatively unexplored. This paper proposes a flow chart of energy storage for wind power system with Lead-Acid battery whose charging control is constructed by Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) code. This research focuses on the proposed digital control algorithm can be directly downloaded into field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip after simulation finishing. This saves greatly time on hardware circuit design. A simulation is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed charging flow chart.
Biocide formulation and method for treating water

The present invention provides a biocide formulation comprising a biocide in a micelle, wherein the micelle comprises a block copolymer having a biocide- solubilizing part and a water-soluble part, and a quaternary ammonium stabilizing compound. The present invention also provides a method for controlling microorganisms by eliminating and/or preventing biofilm formation in an aqueous environment.
RT3D tutorials for GMS users

RT3D (Reactive Transport in 3-Dimensions) is a computer code that solves coupled partial differential equations that describe reactive-flow and transport of multiple mobile and/or immobile species in a three dimensional saturated porous media. RT3D was developed from the single-species transport code, MT3D (DoD-1.5, 1997 version). As with MT3D, RT3D also uses the USGS groundwater flow model MODFLOW for computing spatial and temporal variations in groundwater head distribution. This report presents a set of tutorial problems that are designed to illustrate how RT3D simulations can be performed within the Department of Defense Groundwater Modeling System (GMS). GMS serves as a pre- and post-processing interface for RT3D. GMS can be used to define all the input files needed by RT3D code, and later the code can be launched from within GMS and run as a separate application. Once the RT3D simulation is completed, the solution can be imported to GMS for graphical post-processing. RT3D v1.0 supports several reaction packages that can be used for simulating different types of reactive contaminants. Each of the tutorials, described below, provides training on a different RT3D reaction package. Each reaction package has different input requirements, and the tutorials are designed to describe these differences. Furthermore, the tutorials illustrate the various options available in GMS for graphical post-processing of RT3D results. Users are strongly encouraged to complete the tutorials before attempting to use RT3D and GMS on a routine basis.