Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HEMT-Based Readout Technique for Dark- and Photon-Count Studies in NbN Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors

Dark counts in superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) manifest themselves as spontaneous, transient voltage pulses, typically indistinguishable from photon counts. We present here a new readout technique based on integrating the SSPD with a low-noise, cryogenic high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) with high-input impedance. This arrangement allowed us to achieve amplitude resolution of the recorded output transients. In two-dimensional superconducting nanostripes, the physics of photon counting is based on the hotspot formation mechanism, while the dark counts correspond to voltage transients triggered by the vortex-antivortex motion and/or phase-slip centers. Thus, their respective transients can be distinguished by comparing the output pulse amplitude distributions. Our scheme also allowed us to perform photon-energy-resolution studies by comparing the SSPD output pulse amplitude distributions (the mean pulse amplitude and the distribution width) collected for incident single photons with different energies.
Adaptive small target detection based on least squares and human visual system

The detection of small target in sequential images is an importance part of infrared technology. Sequential images with heavy cutter is vulnerable to influences such as mismatch and stray light of the sun, which can lower the detection rate. Consequently, adaptive small target detection based on least squares and human visual system is proposed in this paper. First, weighted coefficient for each frame and the minimum residual image are calculated by least squares algorithm. Then a contrast value is weighted to residual image according to the principle of extensive human visual system. Experimental evaluation results show that, the proposed method has better adaptability, when sequential images with heavy clutter is influenced by mismatch or stray light of the sun. And compared with median filtering, the proposed method has higher detection rate and lower false alarm rate.
Cancer Screening : A Proposal for Renal Cancer Screening with Computed Tomography

It has been estimated that every year in Europe and in the USA about 26,000 and 13,000 people die of renal cell carcinoma, respectively. For localized disease 5-year relative survival rate is 92.8% whereas for regional and metastatic disease is 64, 2% and 11.9% respectively. Thus, there are conditions to elaborate a screening program for renal cancer, in particular for a subset of population which is at high risk (eg smokers, obese), in which the prevalence of the disease is higher.
Building Open Javanese and Sundanese Corpora for Multilingual Text-to-Speech

We present multi-speaker text-to-speech corpora for Javanese and Sundanese, the second and third largest languages of Indonesia spoken by well over a hundred million people. The key objectives were to collect high-quality data in an affordable way and to share the data publicly with the speech community. To achieve this, we collaborated with two local universities in Java and streamlined our recording and crowdsourcing processes to produce corpora consisting of 5,800 (Javanese) and 4,200 (Sundanese) mixed-gender recordings. We used these corpora to build several conﬁgurations of multi-speaker neural network-based text-to-speech systems for Javanese and Sundanese. Subjective evaluations performed on these conﬁgurations demonstrate that multilingual conﬁgurations for which Javanese and Sundanese are trained jointly with a larger corpus of Standard Indonesian signiﬁcantly outperform the systems constructed from a single language. We hope that sharing these corpora publicly and presenting our multilingual approach to text-to-speech will help the community to scale up text-to-speech technologies to other lesser resourced languages of Indonesia.
Vivaldi-based UWB Monopulse-Antenna

This article describes a design of an UWB-Monopulse Antenna. A creation of the sum and difference beams is achieved over the large bandwidth from 3 GHz till 11 GHz. The distribution of the peak value of the impulse response over the angle around the antenna is calculated from the measurements. This information serves as an input data for the creation of the look-up table, which assigns the processed amplitudes and phases at both ports of the antenna to the certain angle. This allows for a sensing with very high range resolution with simultaneous determination of the angular direction of the target. The combination of UWB and Monopulse-Technique offers a solution for a precise target localization, where no antenna movement or beam steering technique must be applied.
Association of Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Hypersomnolence in Two Clinic-Based Adult Cohorts

Objective: To assess the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), inattention, and hyperactivity/impulsivity in adults with ADHD and central hypersomnia. Method: Drug-free adult patients with ADHD (n = 100) or hypersomnia (n = 100) were evaluated using a structured clinical interview and self-report questionnaires on ADHD symptoms and EDS. Results: In all, 61% of patients with hypersomnia had clinically significant ADHD symptoms with 25% having an ADHD diagnosis (with both childhood and adulthood ADHD symptoms) and 36% ADHD-like symptoms, without history of childhood ADHD. EDS was reported in 47% of patients with ADHD, among whom 22% had a hypersomnolence disorder. Conclusion: We confirmed the high frequency of ADHD and ADHD-like symptoms in central hypersomnia, and of EDS and hypersomnolence in ADHD in adults. The nature of the link between EDS, inattention, and hyperactivity appears to be complex that may involve either a cause–effect relationship or intrinsic features of a similar neurodevelopmental dysfunction.
Hardware implementation of balance control for three-phase grid connection 5-level Cascaded H-Bridge converter using DSP

The objective of this paper is the implementation of a three phase 5-level cascaded H-bridge inverter connected to the grid. A voltage oriented control (VOC) based on space vector pulse width modulation technique (SV-PWM) is used for the control of the converter by using only a single DSP. A feedforward modulation index compensation is applied to overcome the problem of voltage imbalance among the different phases. Simulation and experimental results of a system with a 5-level CHB (Cascaded H-Bridge) inverter and grid connection are presented to validate the proposed topology and control method.
The Herschel-HIFI view of mid-IR quiet massive protostellar objects

We present Herschel/HIFI observations (WISH KP) of 14 water lines in a small sample of galactic massive protostellar objects: NGC6334I(N), DR21(OH), IRAS16272-4837, and IRAS05358+3543. We analyze the gas dynamics from the line profiles. Through modeling of the observations using RATRAN, we estimate outflow, infall, turbulent velocities, molecular abundances, and investigate any correlation with the evolutionary status of each source. The molecular line profiles exhibit a broad component coming from the shocks along the cavity walls associated with the protostars, and an infalling (or expansion for IRAS05358+3543) and passively heated envelope component, with highly supersonic turbulence likely increasing with the distance from the center. Accretion rates between 6.3 10^{-5} and 5.6 10^{-4} \msun yr^{-1} are derived from the infall observed in three of our sources. The outer water abundance is estimated to be at the typical value of a few 10^{-8} while the inner abundance varies from 1.7 10^{-6} to 1.4 10^{-4} with respect to H2 depending on the source. We confirm that regions of massive star formation are highly turbulent and that the turbulence likely increases in the envelope with the distance to the star. The inner abundances are lower than the expected 10^{-4} perhaps because our observed lines do not probe deep enough into the inner envelope, or because photodissociation through protostellar UV photons is more efficient than expected. We show that the higher the infall/expansion velocity in the protostellar envelope, the higher is the inner abundance, maybe indicating that larger infall/expansion velocities generate shocks that will sputter water from the ice mantles of dust grains in the inner region. High-velocity water must be formed in the gas-phase from shocked material.
Lung Structure and Function

Many aspects of cardiopulmonary life support are rooted in understanding the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system. The purpose of this chapter is to review those aspects of normal structure and function of the lungs and chest wall that impact most directly on daily practice. Intentionally, we have only dipped tentatively into the physiology of pathologic conditions, as to attempt to do so would clearly exceed our page allocation and scope of this assignment. Nonetheless, we hope that this overview serves as a starting point by underlining the principles of undeniable clinical relevance.
Effects of Ge Co-Doping on P-Related Radiation-Induced Absorption in Er/Yb-Doped Optical Fibers for Space Applications

This study demonstrates that phosphorus-related radiation-induced absorption (RIA) bands such as P-OHC and P1 in erbium/ytterbium-doped optical fibers (EYDFs) are effectively decreased by germanium (Ge) co-doping. The suppression of the generation of both P-OHC during X-ray irradiation of glass preforms and P1 during gamma-ray irradiation of optical fibers was measured for Ge concentrations between 0 wt% and 6.7 wt%. For the 10 krad X-ray irradiation of glass preforms, it was found that the RIA decreased from 5.6 dB/cm to 1.3 dB/cm when the Ge concentration was increased from 0.79 wt% to more than 4.4 wt%. Furthermore, in multimode optical fibers (MMFs) exposed to 100 krad of gamma-ray irradiation, the RIA decreased from 3.7 dB/m to 0.90 dB/m when the Ge concentration was increased from 0.0 wt% to 4.0 wt%, whereas it was 0.35 dB/m for a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) with a Ge concentration of 6.7 wt%. These results demonstrate that Ge concentrations up to 4.4 wt% are strongly correlated with improved radiation tolerance for both glass preforms and optical fibers. This effect was more prominent for SMFs than MMFs and became saturated with excess co-doping in both cases. Therefore, Ge co-doping may represent a good solution for reducing P-related RIA in EYDFs for space applications.
Body composition during early infancy and developmental progression from 1 to 5 years of age: the Infant Anthropometry and Body Composition (iABC) cohort study among Ethiopian children

Abstract Early nutrition and growth have been found to be important early exposures for later development. Studies of crude growth in terms of weight and length/height, however, cannot elucidate how body composition (BC) might mediate associations between nutrition and later development. In this study, we aimed to examine the relation between fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM) tissues at birth and their accretion during early infancy, and later developmental progression. In a birth cohort from Ethiopia, 455 children who have BC measurement at birth and 416 who have standardised rate of BC growth during infancy were followed up for outcome variable, and were included in the statistical analysis. The study sample was restricted to mothers living in Jimma town who gave birth to a term baby with a birth weight ≥1500 g and no evident congenital anomalies. The relationship between the exposure and outcome variables was examined using linear-mixed regression model. The finding revealed that FFM at birth was positively associated with global developmental progression from 1 to 5 years (β=1·75; 95 % CI 0·11, 3·39) and from 4 to 5 years (β=1·34; 95 % CI 0·23, 2·44) in the adjusted model. Furthermore, the rate of postnatal FFM tissue accretion was positively associated with development at 1 year of age (β=0·50; 95 % CI 0·01, 0·99). Neither fetal nor postnatal FM showed a significant association. In conclusion, fetal, rather than postnatal, FFM tissue accretion was associated with developmental progression. Intervention studies are needed to assess whether nutrition interventions increasing FFM also increase cognitive development.
FOXP3 interacts with hnRNPF to modulate pre-mRNA alternative splicing

FOXP3 promotes the development and function of regulatory T cells mainly through regulating the transcription of target genes. RNA alternative splicing has been implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. We report here that FOXP3 associates with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) F through the exon 2–encoded region of FOXP3 and the second quasi-RNA recognition motif (qRRM) of hnRNPF. FOXP3 represses the ability of hnRNPF to bind to its target pre-mRNA and thus modulates RNA alternative splicing. Furthermore, overexpression of mouse hnRNPF in in vitro-differentiated regulatory T cells (Tregs) reduced their suppressive function. Thus, our studies identify a novel mechanism by which FOXP3 regulates mRNA alternative splicing to modulate the function of regulatory T cells.
SMEs and public sector procurement: Does entrepreneurial orientation make a difference?

This article illustrates how the proactivity/innovativeness dimension of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) influences how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) search for information on public sector tender opportunities and their subsequent bidding activity. From an analysis of the contemporary literature and our findings, we demonstrate how successful SME participation in public procurement can be encouraged and increased.
Supporting Coordination in Crowdsourced Software Testing Services

Crowdsourcing is a new phenomenon with great opportunities and benefits; it refers to outsourcing a task to the internet crowds. Crowdsourced Software Testing (CST) is a specific, valuable crowdsourcing service. Its scale, flexibility, cost effectiveness and fast turnaround times are just a few reasons why web-based crowdsourced testing services have recently received a great deal of attention. Major software companies have used CST to test their applications. However, CST has its own challenges and limitations (e.g., tester selection dilemmas, test report processing, overall test quality). The lack of coordination support in CST activities is causing delays and missed opportunities; hence, the best test results may not be guaranteed. This paper presents ongoing research that aims to support coordination in CST activities by identifying coordination challenges in the current practices. The quantitative comparison of 15 CST platforms reveals a lack of computer-based support for testers, project managers and clients.
Conformal Quasicrystals and Holography

Recent studies of holographic tensor network models defined on regular tessellations of hyperbolic space have not yet addressed the underlying discrete geometry of the boundary. We show that the boundary degrees of freedom naturally live on a novel structure, a conformal quasicrystal, that provides a discrete model of conformal geometry. We introduce and construct a class of one-dimensional conformal quasicrystals, and discuss a higher-dimensional example (related to the Penrose tiling). Our construction permits discretizations of conformal field theories that preserve an infinite discrete subgroup of the global conformal group at the cost of lattice periodicity.
Early Detection of Subclinical Atrial Flutter-Fibrillation in Patients with Unexplained Palpitation Using a Novel VDD Defibrillator with Integrated Atrial-Sensing Rings

A significant proportion of patients who receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) at the time of the initial procedure, or new-onset AF episodes during follow-up. In a subanalysis of the PainFree SmartShock® Technology study, new-onset AF was detected in approximately 22% of patients with ICDs in the first 12 months of follow-up.1,2 Device-detected AF, even if asymptomatic, has been closely associated with an increased risk for stroke or systemic embolism.3,4 In addition, subclinical AF has been detected in almost 30% of patients with cryptogenic stroke when continuously monitored using implantable cardiac devices.5 We report the case of a patient with subclinical AF detected only after ICD analysis with integrated atrial-sensing rings. Case
Articles Predictors of LoveAttitudes: TheContribution of Cultural Orientation, Gender Attachment Style, Relationship Length and Age in Participants From the UK and Hong Kong

The aim of this research was to explore whether a model including psychological predictors at the individual, interpersonal and cultural level could predict romantic attitudes. Attachment style, cultural orientation, gender, and relationship length were tested as predictors for each of the six love styles conceptualized by Lee (1977). Adults from Britain (N = 56) and Hong Kong (N = 52) who were in a romantic relationship completed four self-report measures; a demographic questionnaire, The Individualism and Collectivism Scale (IC-S), The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form (ECR-S) and The Love Attitude Scale short form (LAS). The model successfully predicted each love style and in one case (Mania) accounted for 52% of the variance in this love style. Each love attitude had a different profile, and no one predictor dominated any one style which supports Lee’s original idea that the styles are qualitatively different.
Evaluation of Malondialdehyde and Nitric Oxide and its Impact on Sperm Quality Parameters in Oligospermic Infertile Men

Male reproductive function is found to be defective in 50% of infertile couples. Oxidative stress induced lipid peroxidation is one of the potential cause of the male infertility. Present study was aimed to evaluate malondialdehyde and nitric oxide in oligospermic infertile and fertile men and to study correlation of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide with sperm parameters. The study is prospective, comprises 30 oligospermic infertile men and 30 fertile men. Seminal MDA and NO levels were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The levels of MDA and NO were found to be significantly increased in oligospermic infertile men as compared to fertile men. MDA and NO levels were negatively correlated with sperm count and sperm motility. This suggests that oxidative stress induced lipid peroxidation can cause poor semen quality. Therefore assessment of MDA and nitric oxide will help to understand an etiology of infertile men and to decide treatment strategies.
1808 Fusarium wilt of Arabidopsis thaliana

Rationale Host-specific strains of soil-borne Fusarium oxysporum are vascular pathogens and cause wilt diseases in variety of cultivated plants including cotton. For a number of hosts, a comprehensive literature describes the pathology of Fusarium wilt and the genetic and environmental factors contributing to disease severity. However, studying the molecular genetic basis of wilt disease in crop plants is constrained by inherent experimental limitations. Objectives A tractable experimental pathosystem combines a host and pathogen that are amenable to routine molecular genetic analysis. Methods Using a soil drench assay, pathogenic F. oxysporum isolates produce characteristic Fusarium wilt disease symptoms in Arabidopsis thaliana. Results Disease severity among Arabidopsis accessions and mutants suggests that F. oxysporum promotes wilt disease as a biotroph. As well, the F. oxysporum fmk1 insertion mutant exhibits an attenuate virulence in the Fusarium-Arabidopsis pathosystem. Conclusions Fusarium wilt disease of Arabidopsis provides an experimental platform for gene discovery in both plant host and soil-borne pathogen. Ultimately, this pathosystem may provide a molecular description of disease outcome in terms of interactions among plant and fungal genes.
Obstacle Game About Gross Motor Skills Among Preschool Obese Children

Aim. Gross motor development becomes important because by mastering the ability to move children will be able to interact with their environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the obstacle game against gross motoric children. The effectiveness of the obstacle game was evaluated by designing learning activities conducted by quasi-experimental method for 15 children. Two variables: the obstacle course and gross motor development. The results show that there is a significant increase in gross motoric development of early childhood by 66.7%. Keywords—obstacle game, gross motor skill, childhood obesity.
Factors associated with time between using a drug and injection initiation among people who inject drugs in Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract Background The transition from non-injection to injection drug use dramatically increases the risk of transmitting HIV and other blood borne infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with the transition from first illicit drug use to first injection among drug users. Methods Using snowball sampling and convenience sampling through needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), we recruited 500 people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kermanshah, between September and December 2014. Trained interviewers collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV testing and drug-related risk behaviors over the last month prior to interview using a structured questionnaire. Our main outcome variable was first illicit drug use to first injection (TIJ). TIJ was calculated by subtracting age at first drug injection from age of first illicit drug use. Results Overall, the average age at first drug use and injection were 21.4 [standard deviation (SD 5.6)] and 22.8 (SD 8.9), respectively. The average duration of injection was 6.0 (SD 4.6) years. Overall, the mean of TIJ for participants was 1.4 (IQR = 2, 4) years. Age of first injecting drug use negatively correlated with TIJ (R2 = 0.219, p = 0.001). Education level and socioeconomic status (SES), and negatively correlated with TIJ. Conclusion Some demographic factors and drug use characteristics including educational level, SES, knowledge of HIV status, age of initiating drug use, being a poly drug user and using methamphetamine were predictors of the time to transition.
UnisonFlow: A Software-Defined Coordination Mechanism for Message-Passing Communication and Computation

Message passing interface (MPI) communication performance is becoming one of the key factors heavily affecting the total performance of data-intensive applications running on computer clusters. Our software-defined networking (SDN)-enhanced MPI improves the performance of communication over interconnects by integrating flexible and dynamic network controllability of SDN into MPI. We have demonstrated that the acceleration of individual MPI communication primitives is feasible through our past work on the SDN-enhanced MPI. However, real-world MPI applications have not benefited from such accelerated communication primitives through our research achievements to date, because each of the distinct network control algorithms designed for various MPI communication primitives cannot be activated and coordinated with the execution of the MPI application. Therefore, this paper proposes UnisonFlow, a software-defined coordination mechanism for the SDN-enhanced MPI that performs network control in synchronization with the execution of applications. An experiment conducted on a real-computer cluster verifies that the interconnect control can be successfully performed in synchronization with the execution of the application. Furthermore, the synchronization is performed with a low overhead and its performance penalty is practically negligible.