Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The two-dimensional metal photonic band gap structure consisting of a skew lattice in a nonorthogonal coordinate system

The metal photonic band gap structure has potentialities in the areas of high-energy accelerators,microwave vacuum electron devices, and terahertz radiation sources etc. The real space transfer matrix method in a nonorthogonal coordinate system is used to study the two-dimensional metal photonic band gap structure consisting of a skew lattice. A general formula for calculating the complete band gap structure is derived for transverse-electric and transverse magnetic modes, and the influences of the filling fraction, skew angle and cross section of the metal rod on band gap are analyzed. The results are in good agreement with results of other methods in some special cases.
Robust Design Space Modeling

Architectural design spaces of microprocessors are often exponentially large with respect to the pending processor parameters. To avoid simulating all configurations in the design space, machine learning and statistical techniques have been utilized to build regression models for characterizing the relationship between architectural configurations and responses (e.g., performance or power consumption). However, this article shows that the accuracy variability of many learning techniques over different design spaces and benchmarks can be significant enough to mislead the decision-making. This clearly indicates a high risk of applying techniques that work well on previous modeling tasks (each involving a design space, benchmark, and design objective) to a new task, due to which the powerful tools might be impractical. Inspired by ensemble learning in the machine learning domain, we propose a robust framework called ELSE to reduce the accuracy variability of design space modeling. Rather than employing a single learning technique as in previous investigations, ELSE employs distinct learning techniques to build multiple base regression models for each modeling task. This is not a trivial combination of different techniques (e.g., always trusting the regression model with the smallest error). Instead, ELSE carefully maintains the diversity of base regression models and constructs a metamodel from the base models that can provide accurate predictions even when the base models are far from accurate. Consequently, we are able to reduce the number of cases in which the final prediction errors are unacceptably large. Experimental results validate the robustness of ELSE: compared with the widely used artificial neural network over 52 distinct modeling tasks, ELSE reduces the accuracy variability by about 62%. Moreover, ELSE reduces the average prediction error by 27% and 85% for the investigated MIPS and POWER design spaces, respectively.
Expression of human soluble complement receptor 1 by a pig endothelial cell line inhibits lysis by human serum

Abstract: The importance of complement activation and naturally occurring anti‐pig antibodies in the hyperacute rejection (HAR) observed in models of pig‐to‐human xenotransplantation is well established. To overcome this, much effort has been dedicated to preparing transgenic pigs by knocking out Galα(1‐3)Gal expression in these animals, or knocking in the expression of human complement regulatory proteins (CRPs), such as CD59 or decay accelerating factor. A soluble form of another membrane CRP, complement receptor type 1 (CR1), has also been shown to inhibit complement activation. Here, we show that transfection of a pig endothelial cell line with a truncated form of human soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1) almost completely protected these cells from complement‐mediated lysis by human AB serum. Pigs genetically manipulated to express human sCR1 may represent an additional strategy to inhibit HAR of pig‐to‐human transplanted organs.
From collectivism towards segmentalism: Institutional change in German vocational training

This paper argues that the German system of vocational training is undergoing subtle but significant changes from a mainly collectivist system to a more segmentalist one. To make the argument, the paper first discusses the two logics of collectivism and segmentalism, and how the German system is characterized by longstanding tensions between competing collectivist and segmentalist interests. In the empirical section, recent trends in the German system are portrayed to show that the system's segmentalist dimension has been strengthened at the expense of its collectivist dimension. These trends can be seen from developments in the participation of firms in training and from the changing politics of vocational training reform. To buttress our argument, we present three case studies on the debate over the modularization and Europeanization of vocational training, on the (re)introduction of two-year apprenticeships and on the unfolding conflict on vocational exams respectively. Before we conclude, we highlight parallels in contemporary trends in vocational training and changes in other realms of the German political economy.
A qualitative study on trainees’ and supervisors’ perceptions of assessment for learning in postgraduate medical education

Introduction: Recent changes in postgraduate medical training curricula usually encompass a shift towards more formative assessment, or assessment for learning. However, though theoretically well suited to postgraduate training, evidence is emerging that engaging in formative assessment in daily clinical practice is complex. Aim: We aimed to explore trainees’ and supervisors’ perceptions of what factors determine active engagement in formative assessment. Methods: Focus group study with postgraduate trainees and supervisors in obstetrics and gynaecology. Results: Three higher order themes emerged: individual perspectives on feedback, supportiveness of the learning environment and the credibility of feedback and/or feedback giver. Conclusion: Engaging in formative assessment with a genuine impact on learning is complex and quite a challenge to both trainees and supervisors. Individual perspectives on feedback, a supportive learning environment and credibility of feedback are all important in this process. Every one of these should be taken into account when the utility of formative assessment in postgraduate medical training is evaluated.
RHEOLOGY OF DOUBLE (W/O/W) EMULSIONS PREPARED WITH SOYBEAN MILK AND FORTIFIED WITH CALCIUM

The objective of this work was to study the rheological behavior of water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) emulsions prepared with soybean milk and sunflower oil, with different calcium solutions as the internal aqueous phase, in order to evaluate them as a vegetable substitute of whipped dairy cream. The obtained systems exhibited a creamy texture, which was attributed to the swelling of w/o droplets because of the osmotic gradient generated by the inclusion of soluble salts in the internal aqueous phase. A secondary factor could be the flocculation of w/o droplets due to the interaction of released calcium with soybean proteins at the interface. Consequently, the increase of calcium chloride content produced emulsions with higher consistency. A pasteurization produced flocculation and coalescence of w/o droplets only at high calcium chloride content. These double emulsions could be a potential alternative to the whipped dairy cream, because of their texture, reduced fat content and calcium contribution. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This article deals with the formulation of novel calcium-fortified food emulsions prepared with soybean milk and sunflower oil. Because calcium needs to be isolated from soybean milk components (proteins and phospholipids), we proposed to include calcium salts in the internal aqueous phase of a water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) emulsion. The practical applications of this research could include the formulation of low lipid content emulsions and the isolation of a component which is incompatible with the continuous aqueous phase. Particularly, this work leads to the understanding of how the inclusion of calcium salts in the internal aqueous phase of a w/o/w emulsion prepared with soybean milk affects the rheology and microstructure of the system. The results led to the conclusion that these emulsions can work as a whipped dairy cream substitute with vegetal components, low lipid content and important calcium contribution.
Cylindrical simplified cloak with enhanced bandwidth

A simplified cloak design has been proposed with radial permeability as 1, whereas angular permeability and axial permittivity are radially varying within the cloak shell for transverse electric wave. The proposed simplified cloak is perfectly matched at the outer boundary (when the outer radius of the cloak is twice the inner radius of the cloak) with the free space. The proposed cloak shows approximately 11% bandwidth for 50% SCS reduction from 8.7 GHz to 9.7 GHz. There is a 10 dB and 5 dB reduction in the scattered field with respect to the perfect electric conductor (PEC) cylinder in the forward and backward directions, respectively.
The RWTH Aachen German and English LVCSR systems for IWSLT-2013

In this paper, German and English large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) systems developed by the RWTH Aachen University for the IWSLT-2013 evaluation campaign are presented. Good improvements are obtained with state-of-the-art monolingual and multilingual bottleneck features. In addition, an open vocabulary approach using morphemic sub-lexical units is investigated along with the language model adaptation for the German LVCSR. For both the languages, competitive WERs are achieved using system combination.
Name pronunciation in German text-to-speech synthesis

We describe the name analysis and pronunciation component in the German version of the Bell Labs multilingual text-to-speech system. We concentrate on street names because they encompass interesting aspects of geographical and personal names. The system was implemented in the framework of finite-state transducer technology, using linguistic criteria as well as frequency distributions derived from a database. In evaluation experiments, we compared the performances of the general-purpose text analysis and the name-specific system on training and test materials. The name-specific system significantly outperforms the generic system. The error rates compare favorably with results reported in the research literature. Finally, we discuss areas for future work.
Kinodynamic Planning in the Configuration Space via Admissible Velocity Propagation

We propose a method that enables kinodynamic planning in the configuration space (of dimension n) instead of the state space (of dimension 2n), thereby potentially cutting down the complexity of usual kinodynamic planning algorithms by an exponential factor. At the heart of this method is a new technique – called Admissible Velocity Propagation (AVP) – which, given a path in the configuration space and an interval of reachable velocities at the beginning of that path, computes exactly and efficiently the interval of all the velocities the system can reach after traversing the path while respecting the system kinodynamic constraints. Combining this technique with usual sampling-based methods gives rise to a family of new motion planners that can appropriately handle kinodynamic constraints while avoiding the complexity explosion and, to some extent, the conceptual difficulties associated with a move to the state space.
Declaration of medical writing assistance in international peer-reviewed publications.

Medical researchers have an ethical and scientific obligation to publish, but between one third and two thirds of research may remain unpublished. A major reason for nonpublication is lack of time, which may lead researchers to seek medical writing assistance. Guidelines from journal editors and medical writers encourage authors to acknowledge medical writers. We quantified the proportion of articles from international, peer-reviewed, high-ranking journals that reported medical writing assistance. ; ;
Bayesian Perception Is Ecological Perception

There is a certain excitement in vision science concerning the idea of applying the tools of bayesian decision theory to explain our perceptual capacities. Bayesian models are thought to be needed to explain how the inverse problem of perception is solved, and to rescue a certain constructivist and Kantian way of understanding the perceptual process. Anticlimactically, I argue both that bayesian outlooks do not constitute good solutions to the inverse problem, and that they are not constructivist in nature. In explaining how visual systems derive a single percept from underdetermined stimulation, orthodox versions of bayesian accounts encounter a problem. The problem shows that such accounts need to be grounded in Natural Scene Statistics (NSS), an approach that takes seriously the Gibsonian insight that studying perception involves studying the statistical regularities of the environment in which we are situated. Additionally, I argue that bayesian frameworks postulate structures that hardly rescue a constructivist way of understanding perception. Except for percepts, the posits of bayesian theory are not representational in nature. bayesian perceptual inferences are not genuine inferences. They are biased processes that operate over nonrepresentational states.
Viral and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in exacerbations of chronic lung disease.

Recent studies have indicated that viral and certain nonbacterial agents may initiate exacerbations of symptoms in patients with chronic lung disease. The present study further establishes the role of viruses in exacerbation of symptoms and offers evidence that Mycoplasma pneumoniae is also a likely offender. Of the 42 exacerbations studied in 29 patients with moderate to severe obstructive airway disease, 64.2 per cent were associated with one of three agents: rhinoviruses (42.8 per cent), respiratory syncytial (RS) virus (11.9 per cent), and M. pneumoniae (9.5 per cent). Patients with chronic lung disease appear more susceptible than normal persons to severe disease from infection with these agents.
Pulse pressure and cardiovascular mortality in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.

There is now increasing evidence that high pulse pressure, which is an indicator of large artery stiffness, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, especially coronary mortality, in different populations. We have recently shown in a large French population that in male subjects aged 40 to 69 years, increased pulse pressure was a strong predictor of cardiovascular mortality, especially coronary mortality. In the present report, we analyzed the effect of pulse pressure in men and women of the same cohort after classifying them as normotensive (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <140 mm Hg and DBP <90 mm Hg) or hypertensive (SBP >/=160 mm Hg or DBP >/=95 mm Hg). After adjustment for age, mean blood pressure, and other risk factors, the relative risk (95% confidence limits) for cardiovascular mortality for an increase of 10 mm Hg of pulse pressure was 1.20 (1.01 to 1.44) in normotensives and 1.09 (1.03 to 1.14) in hypertensives. Cardiovascular and coronary death rates were similar in the group of normotensive men with a pulse pressure >50 mm Hg and in the group of hypertensive men with a pulse pressure <45 mm Hg. No association between cardiovascular mortality and pulse pressure was observed in either normotensive or hypertensive women (0.85 [0.60 to 1.21] and 1.0 [0. 91 to 1.11], respectively). Low mortality rates could explain this observation in normotensive but not in hypertensive women, in whom cardiovascular mortality rates were relatively high. Because a high pulse pressure in men is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in both hypertensives and in those considered as having normal blood pressure, this parameter could aid in evaluating cardiovascular risk.
Fold-change detection and scalar symmetry of sensory input fields

Recent studies suggest that certain cellular sensory systems display fold-change detection (FCD): a response whose entire shape, including amplitude and duration, depends only on fold changes in input and not on absolute levels. Thus, a step change in input from, for example, level 1 to 2 gives precisely the same dynamical output as a step from level 2 to 4, because the steps have the same fold change. We ask what the benefit of FCD is and show that FCD is necessary and sufficient for sensory search to be independent of multiplying the input field by a scalar. Thus, the FCD search pattern depends only on the spatial profile of the input and not on its amplitude. Such scalar symmetry occurs in a wide range of sensory inputs, such as source strength multiplying diffusing/convecting chemical fields sensed in chemotaxis, ambient light multiplying the contrast field in vision, and protein concentrations multiplying the output in cellular signaling systems. Furthermore, we show that FCD entails two features found across sensory systems, exact adaptation and Weber's law, but that these two features are not sufficient for FCD. Finally, we present a wide class of mechanisms that have FCD, including certain nonlinear feedback and feed-forward loops. We find that bacterial chemotaxis displays feedback within the present class and hence, is expected to show FCD. This can explain experiments in which chemotaxis searches are insensitive to attractant source levels. This study, thus, suggests a connection between properties of biological sensory systems and scalar symmetry stemming from physical properties of their input fields.
Sex determination by mandibular ramus: A digital orthopantomographic study

Aims and Objectives: (1) To determine the usefulness of mandibular ramus as an aid in sex determination. (2) To evaluate Anteroposterior,superioinferior angle of mandibular condyle. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using orthopantomographs of 60 males and 60 females,which were taken using Kodak 8000C Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric System (73 kVp, 12 mA, 13.9 s). The age group ranged between 18 – 45 years. Mandibular ramus measurements were carried out using Master View 3.0 software. The measurements of the mandibular ramus will be subjected to Discriminant function analysis. Results: Maximum ramus breadth, Minimum ramus breadth, Condylar height, Projective height of ramus Coronoid height were calculated for both the sexes differently with the formula & analyzed with Discriminant function analysis using Fischer exact test. The P value was statistically significant with the P value < 0.05 for the following parameters Max. ramus breadth, Condylar height and Projective height of ramus. Conclusion: Mandibular ramus measurements can be a useful tool for gender determination.
DETERMINANTS OF LAY-OFFS DURING INDONESIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SPATIAL EFFECTS 1 Introduction

Seeking the determinants of the lay-off process that takes place at the onset of Indonesian economic crisis in Java island, this study robustly shows that the lay-off rate, i.e., the ratio of number of lay-offs to the size of the labor force, is negatively related to the economic growth rate and share of labor in informal sector; and is positively related to the unemployment rate at the district and municipality level. Further, this study also confirms the empirical significance of spatial effects. Suggesting the existence of interregional spillover effect, the latter implies some degree of integration in the districtlevel lay-off process as well as, most likely, labor market.
Optical Microscopy

binocular microscopes with image-erecting prisms, and the first stereomicroscope (14). Early in the twentieth century, microscope manufacturers began parfocalizing objectives, allowing the image to remain in focus when the microscopist exchanged objectives on the rotating nosepiece. In 1824, Zeiss introduced a LeChatelier-style metallograph with infinitycorrected optics, but this method of correction would not see widespread application for another 60 years. Shortly before World War II, Zeiss created several prototype phase contrast microscopes based on optical principles advanced by Frits Zernike. Several years later the same microscopes were modified to produce the first time-lapse cinematography of cell division photographed with phase contrast optics (14). This contrast-enhancing technique did not become universally recognized until the 1950s and is still a method of choice for many cell biologists today. Physicist Georges Nomarski introduced improvements in Wollaston prism design for another powerful contrast-generating microscopy theory in 1955 (15). This technique is commonly referred to as Nomarski interference or differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy and, along with phase contrast, has allowed scientists to explore many new arenas in biology using living cells or unstained tissues. Robert Hoffman (16) introduced another method of increasing contrast in living material by taking advantage of phase gradients near cell membranes. This technique is now termed Hoffman Modulation Contrast, and is available as optional equipment on most modern microscopes. The majority of microscopes manufactured around the world had fixed mechanical tube lengths (ranging from 160 to 210 millimeters) until the late 1980s, when manufacturers largely migrated to infinity-corrected optics. Ray paths through both finite tube length and infinity-corrected microscopes are illustrated in Figure 1. The upper portion of the figure contains the essential optical elements and ray traces defining the optical train Introduction
Sleep problems during the menopausal transition: prevalence, impact, and management challenges

A substantial number of women experience sleep difficulties in the approach to menopause and beyond, with 26% experiencing severe symptoms that impact daytime functioning, qualifying them for a diagnosis of insomnia. Here, we review both self-report and polysomnographic evidence for sleep difficulties in the context of the menopausal transition, considering severity of sleep complaints and links between hot flashes (HFs) and depression with poor sleep. Longitudinal population-based studies show that sleep difficulties are uniquely linked with menopausal stage and changes in follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol, over and above the effects of age. A major contributor to sleep complaints in the context of the menopausal transition is HFs, and many, although not all, HFs are linked with polysomnographic-defined awakenings, with HF-associated wake time contributing significantly to overall wakefulness after sleep onset. Some sleep complaints may be comorbid with depressive disorders or attributed to sleep-related breathing or movement disorders, which increase in prevalence especially after menopause, and for some women, menopause, age, and environmental/behavioral factors may interact to disrupt sleep. Considering the unique and multifactorial basis for sleep difficulties in women transitioning menopause, we describe clinical assessment approaches and management options, including combination treatments, ranging from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia to hormonal and nonhormonal pharmacological options. Emerging studies suggest that the impact of severe insomnia symptoms could extend beyond immediate health care usage and quality of life issues to long-term mental and physical health, if left untreated in midlife women. Appropriate treatment, therefore, has immediate benefit as well as advantages for maintaining optimal health in the postmenopausal years.
Faster and simpler algorithms for multicommodity flow and other fractional packing problems

This paper considers the problem of designing fast, approximate, combinatorial algorithms for multicommodity flows and other fractional packing problems. We provide a different approach to these problems which yields faster and much simpler algorithms. Our approach also allows us to substitute shortest path computations for min-cost flow computations in computing maximum concurrent flow and min-cost multicommodity flow; this yields much faster algorithms when the number of commodities is large.