Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Compact Multiband Frequency-Agile Microstrip Slot Antenna

A compact multiband frequency-agile micro strip slot antenna is presented. The antenna is switchable between 6.23-8.09 GHz at nine different frequencies and capable to operates multi frequency at a time. The proposed antenna has a micro strip patch and two slots, one slot is at patch and other is at ground plane. The two p-i-n diode is used in the patch slot to achieve multi frequency agility. Results such as return losses, radiation patterns, gain and bandwidth are used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed antenna.
Deriving requirements for social media based community policing: insights from police

Community policing helps curb high crime rate and overcome limited police resources. The success of community policing depends on active citizen participation. Previous research shows Online Social Networks (OSN) such as Facebook encourage active citizen participation during law and order situations. However, little is known about role of OSN in developing community relations between police and citizens. Developing countries such as India have limited police personnel which increases the need of community policing. This project explores perceptions of senior police officers on the role of OSN and develops a set of requirements for an OSN based system that can enhance citizens' interaction with police. From the interview of twenty officers of Indian Police Services (IPS), we show four broad aspects in which OSN helps community policing: (1) strengthen social ties, (2) enforce social norms, (3) enable citizen reporting, and (4) keep citizens informed.
Polylingual Dependency Analysis Using Island Grammars: A Cost Versus Accuracy Evaluation

Software dependency analysis is an important step in determining the potential impact of changes. Existing tool support for conducting dependency analysis does not sufficiently support systems written in more than one language. Tools based on semantic analyses are expensive to create for combinations of multiple languages, while lexical tools provide poor accuracy and rely heavily on developer skill. This paper reports on an investigation into the application of a series of incrementally-better island grammars to an industrial, open-source polylingual system to determine the cost-to-accuracy relationship involved in developing and applying island grammars for dependency analysis. The results of our study suggest the effort-cost in writing richer island grammars rises faster than the resulting accuracy.
A Rough Programming Approach to Power-Balanced Instruction Scheduling for VLIW Digital Signal Processors

The focus of this paper is on VLIW instruction scheduling that minimizes the variation of power consumed by the processor during the execution of a target program. We use rough set theory to characterize the imprecision inherent in the instruction-level power model that is obtained through empirical measurements. The optimal instruction scheduling problem based on such a power model is formulated as a chance-constrained rough program which is solved by a problem-specific genetic algorithm. Efficiency of the algorithm is greatly improved through a novel rule-based approach to rank the intermediate candidate schedules. Experimental results using the MediaBench and Trimaran benchmarks show that the near-optimal schedules obtained are significantly better than those obtained through the mixed-integer programming approach. Computational requirements are low enough for the technique to be adopted by practical compilers.
Current perspectives on combination therapy in the management of hypertension

Hypertension (HTN) is a worldwide health problem and a major preventable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events. Achieving an optimal blood pressure (BP) target for patients with HTN will often require more than one BP-lowering drug. Combination therapy is not only needed, but also confers many advantages such as better efficacy and a better tolerability. A better compliance and simplicity of treatment is noted with the single-pill combination (SPC). In addition, for those patients who do not achieve BP target when receiving dual combinations, triple SPCs are now available, and their efficacy and safety have been tested in large clinical trials. BP-lowering drugs used in combination therapy should have complementary mechanisms of action, leading to an additive BP-lowering effect and improvement in overall tolerability, achieved by decreasing the incidence of adverse effects. On the basis of large, outcome-driven trials, preferred dual combinations include an angiotensin receptor antagonist (ARB) or an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) combined with a calcium channel blocker (CCB), or an ARB or ACEI combined with a diuretic. Acceptable dual combinations include a direct rennin inhibitor (DRI) and a CCB, a DRI and a diuretic, a beta-blocker and a diuretic, a CCB and a diuretic, a CCB and a beta-blocker, a dihydropyridine CCB and a non-dihydropyridine CCB, and a thiazide diuretic combined with a potassium-sparing diuretic. Some combinations are not recommended and may even be harmful, such as dual renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibition. Currently available triple SPCs combine a renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitor with a CCB and a diuretic. Combination therapy as an initial approach is advocated in patients with a systolic BP more than 20 mmHg and/or a diastolic BP more than 10 mmHg above target and in patients with high CV risk. In addition, using SPCs has been stressed and favored in recent international guidelines. Recently, triple SPCs have been approved and provide an attractive option for patients not achieving BP target on dual combination. The effect of such a strategy in the overall management of HTN, especially on further reducing the incidence of CV events, will have to be confirmed in future clinical and population-based studies.
Mathematical Simulations in Combinatorial Chemistry

A novel technique for chemical synthesis in drug research is combinatorial chemistry, where usually a set of building-block molecules is attached to a core structure in all the combinatorially possible ways. The resulting set of compounds (called a library) can then be systematically screened for a desired biological activity. In this paper we discuss ways and limits of a mathematical simulation of this procedure. At first, two methods for selecting the building-blocks from a given structure pool are presented with the objective to obtain only dissilimar library entries. Next an algorithm is described for the exhaustive and redundancy-free generation of a combinatorial library, illustrated by a single-step and a multi-component reaction. Finally equations for the enumeration of the library sizes are derived and the limits of the virtual combinatorial chemistry, i.e. purely in computer and without experiment, are discussed.
Is CSMA able to coordinate multiple access in vehicular radio channels effectively?

The first generation of inter-vehicle communication networks will most likely be based on the IEEE 802.11p standard. That is, they are going to deploy Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) to coordinate channel access among neighboring vehicles. Recently, concerns have been raised that fast-fading propagation conditions, i.e. a time- and frequency-selective fading as reported by several measurement campaigns in highway environments, might challenge the effectiveness of CSMA. These concerns also lead to the situation that alternative medium access control solutions are being discussed in standardization bodies. In this paper, we evaluate whether these concerns are justified or not. In comparison to previous studies, we use a high fidelity network simulator to study the extent by which the effectiveness of CSMA is reduced if such fading propagation conditions are considered. We also resolve the two reasons that may cause incoordination - either simultaneous transmission times or hidden terminal situations - and conclude that CSMA is able to effectively coordinate multiple access in vehicular radio channels as long as the load offered to the channel does not approach the maximum capacity.
Guest EditorialIntroduction to the Focused Section on Anthropomorphism in Mechatronic Systems

This focused section is dedicated to new advances in modeling, design, analysis, control, implementation, and validation of such anthropomorphic mechatronic systems as we pursue the dream of reaching the level of mobility, manipulation, fluidity, and expressivity of humans. This collection of nine multidisciplinary papers examines the role of anthropomorphism in inspiring and informing the design and control of mechatronic systems.
Toward Automatic Transcription - Pitch Tracking In Polyphonic Environment

Accessing the perceptually relevant information contained in music signals is a classical multidimensional signal processing problem. Applications like automatic transcription, content based audio classification, music indexing etc. require identification and tracking of notes played by polyphonic instruments under noisy conditions. An important step in the direction of generic automatic transcription is the process of pitch tracking. The ease of pitch tracking depends on the clarity with which the instrument can be recognized in “ecological” music signals. Intuitively, identification of the perceptually significant parameters of an instrument must facilitate the process of pitch tracking of polyphonic instruments. Popular approaches for pitch tracking are use of sinusoidal models and auditory models. Previous methods of pitch tracking are discussed and analyzed for performance under polyphonic conditions. Possibility of integration of the knowledge about non-sinusoidal features music, and the process of pitch tracking is explored.
Citogenotoxicidade de aromatizantes utilizados na fabricação de alimentos industrializados

Objetivou-se no presente estudo avaliar a toxicidade em nivel celular de aromatizantes de baunilha (AB), nas doses 0,2, 0,4, 0,8 e 1,6 mL, e de Tutti-frutti (ATF), nas doses 0,3; 0,6, 1,2 e 2,4 mL, combinados entre si, por meio de quatro associacoes, AB 0,2 mL/ATF 0,3 mL; AB 0,4mL/ATF 0,6 mL; AB 0,8 mL/ATF 1,2 mL e AB 1,6 mL/ATF 2,4 mL. Para a analise da toxicidade utilizou-se as celulas meristematicas de raizes de Allium cepa, que apos a exposicao as solucoes aromatizantes, foram fixadas, hidrolisadas, coradas e analisadas em microscopio optico. Os resultados obtidos foram avaliados pelo teste Qui-quadrado, a 5%. Com base nos resultados obtidos verificou-se que todas as associacoes causaram efeito antiproliferativo as celulas do tecido analisado, bem como, numero significativo de alteracoes de fuso mitotico. Dessa forma, as associacoes de baunilha e tutti-frutti, nas condicoes de analises estabelecidas para este estudo, foram citotoxicas e genotoxicas aos meristemas de raizes.
MWPSNR: A new image fidelity metric

Researchers in the field of image and video processing use MSE (Mean Square Error) based fidelity metrics to validate their research results. The most popular MSE-based metrics are PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) and WPSNR (Weighted Peak Signal to Noise Ratio). When large quantities of data are to be assessed, subjective metric such as MOS (Mean Opinion Score) is not pragmatic since it needs experts and inordinate amount of time. PSNR and WPSNR are independent of Human Visual System (HVS) parameters and hence they are inappropriate scales to measure potential research results. This paper brings out their inappropriateness and propose a new image fidelity metric called Modified Weighted Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (MWPSNR). This metric has been experimentally proven to be better than PSNR and WPSNR.
Hydrogen Production from Dairy Waste by Fermentation using Thermophilic Bacteria Thermatoga Maritima

The use of alternative and renewable sources of power production is now a mainstream concept in the global energy discussion, and the concept of transportation fuels, such as ethanol, from non-petroleum sources is becoming familiar to a majority of consumers. Hydrogen has the potential to provide energy for stationary conversion devices such as fuel cells, as well as for transportation needs. This paper focuses on production of bio-hydrogen by fermentation of organic waste sourced from dairy industry using a hyper thermophilic bacteria Thermatoga maritima and to study the bacterial growth conditions for optimizing the H2 yield. A laboratory scale batch fermentation unit was set-up and inoculation of the bacteria was done under sterile conditions with strict anaerobic conditions. T. maritima was cultured at an optimum temperature of 70 o C. The gas collected at the end of fermentation process was analyzed using gas chromatography. A yield of 25.95% ( v / v ) o f hydrogen gas was reported with standard ATCC medium and a yield of 19.46% (v/v) is reported with medium formulated with dairy waste.
Differential induction of plant volatile biosynthesis in the lima bean by early and late intermediates of the octadecanoid-signaling pathway.

Plants are able to respond to herbivore damage with de novo biosynthesis of an herbivore-characteristic blend of volatiles. The signal transduction initiating volatile biosynthesis may involve the activation of the octadecanoid pathway, as exemplified by the transient increase of endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) in leaves of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) after treatment with the macromolecular elicitor cellulysin. Within this pathway lima bean possesses at least two different biologically active signals that trigger different biosynthetic activities. Early intermediates of the pathway, especially 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (PDA), are able to induce the biosynthesis of the diterpenoid-derived 4,8, 12-trimethyltrideca-1,3,7,11-tetraene. High concentrations of PDA result in more complex patterns of additional volatiles. JA, the last compound in the sequence, lacks the ability to induce diterpenoid-derived compounds, but is highly effective at triggering the biosynthesis of other volatiles. The phytotoxin coronatine and amino acid conjugates of linolenic acid (e.g. linolenoyl-L-glutamine) mimic the action of PDA, but coronatine does not increase the level of endogenous JA. The structural analog of coronatine, the isoleucine conjugate of 1-oxo-indanoyl-4-carboxylic acid, effectively mimics the action of JA, but does not increase the level of endogenous JA. The differential induction of volatiles resembles previous findings on signal transduction in mechanically stimulated tendrils of Bryonia dioica.
Early appropriate parenteral antimicrobial treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND Complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) are a major clinical problem, in part because of the increasing resistance of infecting bacteria to our current antibiotic therapies. Prompt appropriate treatment of infections in hospitalized patients reduces the mortality rate. Furthermore, appropriate and timely antibiotic therapy improves outcomes for cSSTIs caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This review delineates factors to consider in the choice of initial antibiotic treatment for cSSTIs and describes the antimicrobial agents available or under clinical development for the treatment of cSSTIs caused by MRSA. METHODS Review of the pertinent literature and recommendations. RESULTS The choice of antimicrobial agent for empiric treatment of cSSTIs should be guided by the site and type of infection, the presence of an immunocompromised state or neutropenia, and risk factors for hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) or community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infection. Most CA-MRSA strains remain susceptible to ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, gentamicin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, although resistance to clindamycin can emerge during treatment. Of the agents available for the treatment of HA-MRSA cSSTIs, vancomycin has been the reference standard, but clinical failures have been reported increasingly. Alternative agents for HA-MRSA include linezolid, which has been well-studied for treatment of cSSTIs, as well as daptomycin and tigecycline. A number of antibiotic agents are undergoing clinical trials or are under development for the treatment of cSSTIs caused by MRSA. CONCLUSIONS Severe and progressive cSSTIs should be treated promptly with appropriate antibiotic agents. The choice of agent should be guided by a number of factors, including suspected CA-MRSA or HA-MRSA infection. Available agents should be evaluated carefully for efficacy in the treatment of MRSA cSSTIs.
Mean Time To Failure in Wafer Level-CSP Packages with SnPb and SnAgCu Solder Bumps

A document production system is provided for preparing documents and managing a database of information pertaining to investigational studies of medical products. The document production system includes a data management user interface for providing user access to the database and for retrieving information from the database as specified by selected document templates for placement into word processor-compatible documents. Additionally, the data management user interface is capable of updating information stored within the database in accordance with information specified within a previously-prepared document.
Assessment of Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Activity of the Extracts Collected from the Leaves and Flowers of Hypericum scabrum

To study the bioactive substances of the H. scabrum, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves and flowers were analyzed for their phytochemical contents and antioxidant actings. The antioxidant potiential was estimated using four methods, including DPPH radical, ABTS decolorization assay, reducing power and total antioxidant capacity. The results exhibited that the ethanolic flower contain higher amounts of total flavonoids (4.675 mg. g-1) and saponin (29.572 mg.g -1) contents, whereas, the water flower extract hold less amount of total flavonoids compounds (1.223 mg. g-1). Similarly, our results exposed that the antioxidant activities detected by DPPH and ABTS methods of the ethanolic extract of flower, were evidently better than the rest of extracts. Significant high relationship were noticed between total phenolic amount and total antioxidant activity, and between total flavonoid content and DPPH inhibition assay. Principal component analysis reveals 91.49 of total variance which indicates that the different extracts were well distinguished by their phytochemical substance contents and antioxidant effects.
Historical biogeography of Western Palaearctic pelobatid and pelodytid frogs: a molecular phylogenetic perspective

A garbage pickup tool includes a handle having a threaded tubular neck and a circular groove, a C-shaped retainer ring fitted within the circular groove, a tubular shaft having an end inserted into the handle, a cable having two ends provided with two nipples, a trigger mounted within the handle, a collar threadedly engaged with the threaded tubular neck, a stationary jaw fixedly mounted on another end of the tubular shaft and having an intermediate portion formed with a recess, an end of the movable jaw being fitted within the recess, a movable jaw having an end fitted within the recess, a top of the movable jaw being formed with a second groove in which is fitted a head having a groove, a needle rod extending from an end of the head and being able to be kept at two different positions by a spring, and a link having an end pivotally connected with the movable jaw and another end pivotally connected with a slider which is sleeved over the needle rod, whereby various kinds of garbage can be easily picked up the garbage pickup clamp.
Evaluating the Energy Efficiency of Trace Caches

Sequential trace caches are highly energy and power-efficient. Fetch engines which include a sequential trace cache provide higher performance for approximately equal area at a significant energy and power savings. The results of our preliminary experiments show that sequential trace caches are a power-efficient design. Previous work has evaluated the trace cache design space with respect to performance. In addition, some previous work has evaluated power-efficiency techniques for trace caches. This work evaluates the trace cache design space considering not only performance but also energy and power. In addition, we compare fetch engine designs which include trace caches with fetch engine designs have instruction caches only. We perform a set of fetch engine area and associativity experiments as well as a next trace predictor design space exploration. We find that when examining performance and average fetch power, fetch engines with trace caches may not seem appealing, but when examining energy-delay and energy-delay-squared, the benefits of a trace cache become clear. Even if average fetch power is increased due to the increased fetch engine area, the energy-efficiency is still improves with a trace cache due to faster execution and more opportunities for clock gating, making the trace cache superior in terms of energy-delay and energy-delay-squared products. Results of current experiments show that sequential trace cache designs compare very favorably to instruction-cache-only designs with respect to power and energy consumption. Our preliminary results show that overall sequential trace caches clearly outperform instruction-cache-only designs with better energy-efficiency. In examining the best design points of the fetch engines examined, a 343KB, 4-way set associative trace cache fetch engine outperforms a 292KB instruction-cacheonly fetch engine by 5% for integer benchmarks and 1% for floating point benchmarks. In addition, it does so using 68.3% less average fetch power, 70.3% less energy, 67.7% less energy-delay, and 69.1% less energy-delay-squared than a 292KB, 2-way set associative instruction-cache-only fetch engine. Our exploration of the Jacobson next trace predictor design space indicates that a hybrid next trace predictor consisting of a 1KB correlating table, 8KB secondary table, and 4-entry return history stack would be the best choice in terms of power, performance, and energy.
Kinematics analysis and mechatronics system design of a 3-DOF in-parallel actuated mechanism

The paper aims to analyze the kinematics of a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) in-parallel actuated mechanism, which can be used as a wrist robotic device. Basic kinematic models are given. Due to symmetry in mechanism geometry, the input-output polynomial degree derived in position forward kinematics can be considerably reduced. By analyzing the relationship between the independent and dependent motion parameters, 3 by 3 Jacobian matrices can be obtained. This will enable further real time control of the mechanism. A prototype mechanism is designed and fabricated based on the kinematics analysis and the simulation result of workspace volume computation.
Static Multi-device Load Balancing for OpenCL

This paper presents the Load Balancing for OpenCL (lbcl) library, devoted to automatically solve load balancing issues on both multi-platform and heterogeneous environments. Using this library, a single kernel can be executed on a set of heterogeneous devices, giving each device an amount of work proportional to its computing power. A wrapper has been developed so the library can balance the workload of an existing application not only without introducing any changes into its source code, but without any recompilation stage. Also a general OpenCL profiler has been developed to easily do a detailed profiling of the obtained results.