Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards nano-computing blocks using room temperature double-gate single electron transistors

This paper explore the potential and the use of room temperature Double-Gate Single Electron Transistor (DG-SET) in digital logic circuits. For this purpose, we exploit the double gate nature of DG-SET nano-devices. Full-custom design of elementary blocks based on DG-SET such as SRAM, Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and Look-Up Table (LUT) are presented. Evaluation of the performances metrics is done in order to highlight the benefit of DG-SET in future ULSI.
Multi-Agent System-Based Microgrid Operation Strategy for Demand Response

The microgrid and demand response (DR) are important technologies for future power grids. Among the variety of microgrid operations, the multi-agent system (MAS) has attracted considerable attention. In a microgrid with MAS, the agents installed on the microgrid components operate optimally by communicating with each other. This paper proposes an operation algorithm for the individual agents of a test microgrid that consists of a battery energy storage system (BESS) and an intelligent load. A microgrid central controller to manage the microgrid can exchange information with each agent. The BESS agent performs scheduling for maximum benefit in response to the electricity price and BESS state of charge (SOC) through a fuzzy system. The intelligent load agent assumes that the industrial load performs scheduling for maximum benefit by calculating the hourly production cost. The agent operation algorithm includes a scheduling algorithm using day-ahead pricing in the DR program and a real-time operation algorithm for emergency situations using emergency demand response (EDR). The proposed algorithm and operation strategy were implemented both by a hardware-in-the-loop simulation test using OPAL-RT and an actual hardware test by connecting a new distribution simulator.
Full abstraction for a shared variable parallel language

Gives a new denotational semantics for a shared variable parallel programming language and proves full abstraction. The semantics gives identical meanings to commands if and only if they induce the same partial correctness behavior in all program contexts. The meaning of a command is a set of transition traces, which record the ways in which a command may interact with and be affected by its environment. It is shown how to modify the semantics to incorporate new program constructs, to allow for different levels of granularity or atomicity, and to model fair infinite computation, in each case achieving full abstraction with respect to an appropriate notion of program behavior. <<ETX>>
Improvement of transform-skip mode in lossy intra coding with 3-tap filters

Using transforms in video coding is an effective method in reducing the spatial redundancy. However, for some cases applying transforms does not reduce the spatial redundancy. For these cases, transforms are skipped and the prediction error is directly quantized and then entropy coded. To further reduce the spatial redundancy in the transform skipped blocks, a pixel-by-pixel lossy intra prediction method based on a two dimensional correlation model is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, three reconstructed neighboring pixels are used to obtain the prediction. Neighboring pixels and the prediction weights change depending on the selected intra mode. The results of the experiments on different test classes in HEVC version 1 and HEVC Range Extension (RExt) reference softwares show that the proposed method can achieve gains up to approximately 0.5% BD-rate for All-Intra lossy coding compared to HEVC version 1 and the Range Extensions of the HEVC.
On the Perception of Time

In this article, we review scientific work and present new results on the perception of time, that is, on the feeling of time as perceived by individuals. The phenomenon of time being felt passing faster with growing age is well known, and there are numerous interesting studies to shed light on the question why this is so. Many of these are based on studies in psychology and social sciences. Others range from symptoms of the ageing process to related symptoms of decreasing memory capacities. Again other explanations, quite different in nature from the preceding ones, involve event intensities in the life of individuals. The relative decrease of interesting new events as one grows older is seen as an important factor contributing to the feeling that time is thinned out. The last type of possible explanations can be made more explicit in a mathematical model. Quantitative conclusions about the rate of decrease of the feeling of time can be drawn, and, interestingly, without restrictive assumptions. It is shown that under this model the feeling of time is thinned out at least logarithmically. Numerical constants will depend on specific hypotheses which we discuss but the lower-bound logarithmic character of the thinning-out phenomenon does not depend much on these. The presented model can be generalized in several ways. In particular we prove that there are, a priori, no logical incompatibilities in a model leading to the very same distribution of time perception for individuals with completely different pace and style of life. Our model is built to explain long-time perception. No claim is made that the feeling of time being thinned out is omnipresent for very individual. However, this is typically the case and we explain why.
Cyclic Lowest Density MDS Array Codes

Three new families of lowest density maximum-distance separable (MDS) array codes are constructed, which are cyclic or quasi-cyclic. In addition to their optimal redundancy (MDS) and optimal update complexity (lowest density), the symmetry offered by the new codes can be utilized for simplified implementation in storage applications. The proof of the code properties has an indirect structure: first MDS codes that are not cyclic are constructed, and then transformed to cyclic codes by a minimum-distance preserving transformation.
In vivo knee biomechanics and implications for total knee arthroplasty implant design

The overall objective of this thesis was to determine the limitations of contemporary Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and to identify areas for future improvements. In line with this objective, the first goal was to quantify the ability of current TKA systems to restore normal knee kinematics and anatomy. Recently, proposals for gender specific TKA have generated much controversy, with little scientific information being available to support or refute the need for such implants. Therefore, a second goal of this thesis was to investigate similarities and differences between male and female knee kinematics and anatomy, to determine if significant benefits can be obtained by incorporating gender specific variations into TKA designs. With regards to the first objective, significant differences were noted between the trochlear groove geometry of standard TKA implant and the normal knee, which could lead to non-physiologic patellar tracking post-TKA. Additionally, following TKA the knee joints were overstuffed in flexion, which may in part be responsible for limited post-operative range of knee flexion. Finally, standard TKA did not restore the kinematics of osteoarthritic knees towards normal, and normal kinematics patterns such as posterior femoral translation and internal tibial rotation were substantially reduced after TKA. With regards to gender differences, majority of the tibiofemoral and all patellofemoral kinematic parameters were similar between male and female knees. However, females had more externally rotated tibia in early flexion and greater range of tibial rotation. This difference was also associated with a more medially oriented patellar tendon in the coronal plane and more externally twisted patellar tendon in the transverse plane, in females. Regarding knee anatomy, the only gender difference was the narrower width of the femoral sulcus and lateral femoral condyle in females. Thus, compared to differences between current TKA and the average normal knee, these gender differences were relatively subtle. Therefore, the focus for future TKA designs should be restoring the average normal knee biomechanics. Additionally, a greater range of implant sizes may be desirable to accommodate morphological variations in the widths of male and female knees. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Guoan Li, PhD Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School Committee Chair: Prof. Derek Rowell, PhD Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Committee Member: Prof. Alan Grodzinsky, PhD
An Extensible and Secure Framework for Distributed Applications

Availability, Scalability, Reliability, Security and resource sharing are the key issues for success of any application, that are well addressed by distributed applications. Distributed applications provide services to different computers located at various locations that are connected by some means of communication network. In distributed systems a particular site consists of various computing facilities and an interface to local users and to a communication network. This paper provides various issues that must be taken into consideration while developing distributed systems. The issues discussed in this paper offer a secure framework for developing any distributed application on the top. Of these issues there are certain most commonly occurring issues that a distributed system fall victim to.
Remittances: Transaction Costs, Determinants, and Informal Flows

Recorded workers' remittances to developing countries have grown rapidly, to more than $100 billion in 2004, bringing increasing attention to these flows as a potential tool for development. But even these statistics are likely to significantly understate true remittances, as a large share is believed to flow through informal channels. Estimates of the importance of the informal sector vary widely, ranging from 35 percent to 250 percent of recorded flows. The primary motivation of the study is to develop the first empirical methodology to estimate informal flows. We use insights from the literature on shadow economies and empirically estimate informal remittances for more than 100 countries, using historical data on workers' remittances from the Balance of Payments (BOP), as well as data on migration, transaction costs, and various country characteristics. Our results imply that informal remittances amount to about 35-75 percent of official remittances to developing countries. There is significant regional variation: informal remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe and Central Asia are relatively high, while those to East Asia and the Pacific are relatively low. These estimates are supplemented with detailed household survey data on remittance receipts in a number of countries. Our results also shed light on the determinants of recorded remittances and the associated fees in the formal sector. We find that the stock of migrants in OECD countries is the primary determinant of remittances. In addition, money transfer fees and the presence of dual exchange rates reduce the share of remittances reported in national accounts. In turn, transaction costs are systematically related to concentration in the banking sector, lack of financial depth, and exchange rate volatility. There is also evidence that remittances are misrecorded in the BOP as "Errors and Omissions".
Drone Small Cells in the Clouds: Design, Deployment and Performance Analysis

The use of drone small cells (DSCs) which are aerial wireless base stations that can be mounted on flying devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is emerging as an effective technique for providing wireless services to ground users in a variety of scenarios. The efficient deployment of such DSCs while optimizing the covered area is one of the key design challenges. In this paper, considering the low altitude platform (LAP), the downlink coverage performance of DSCs is investigated. The optimal DSC altitude which leads to a maximum ground coverage and minimum required transmit power for a single DSC is derived. Furthermore, the problem of providing a maximum coverage for a certain geographical area using two DSCs is investigated in two scenarios; interference free and full interference between DSCs. The impact of the distance between DSCs on the coverage area is studied and the optimal distance between DSCs resulting in maximum coverage is derived. Numerical results verify our analytical results on the existence of optimal DSCs altitude/separation distance and provide insights on the optimal deployment of DSCs to supplement wireless network coverage.
A Fluorophore‐Doped Polymer Nanomaterial for Referenced Imaging of pH and Temperature with Sub‐Micrometer Resolution

A new kind of pH and temperature sensitive material is reported. It is composed of dye‐doped polymer nanoparticles incorporated into a thin film of a polyurethane hydrogel. The new pH/temperature‐sensitive nanoparticles are obtained by post‐staining oxygen‐impermeable amino‐functionalized polyacrylonitrile nanoparticles with a long‐lifetime reference dye. Staining is followed by covalently linking fluorescein isothiocyanate onto the surface of the nanoparticle. The new sensor material has several distinct features: a) it enables imaging of pH via time domain dual‐lifetime referencing; b) effects of temperature on pH sensing may be compensated for; and c) temperature can simultaneously be visualized via rapid lifetime imaging. The new material enables referenced and temperature‐compensated pH imaging with superior spatial resolution due to the use of nanosized sensor nanoparticles.
Electrooptic Properties Of High Refractive Index Glasses

The electrooptic Kerr effect and its wavelength dispersion have been measured in glasses representing several compositional systems. The measured Kerr effect was large for glasses having large refractive indices, including 1) glasses containing high concentrations of the heavy metals Pb, Bi, and Tl; 2) glasses with high Nb, Ta, and Ti content; and 3) tellurite glasses. Comparison of Xeff(w=w+0+0), obtained from the measured electrooptic data, to values computed from literature values of Xeff(w=w+w-w) suggest an opposition of the electronic and nuclear contributions to the DC effect.
Phosphorylation of Serine 18 Regulates Distinct p53 Functions in Mice

ABSTRACT The p53 protein acts a tumor suppressor by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to DNA damage or oncogene activation. Recently, it has been proposed that phosphorylation of serine 15 in human p53 by ATM (mutated in ataxia telangiectasia) kinase induces p53 activity by interfering with the Mdm2-p53 complex formation and inhibiting Mdm2-mediated destabilization of p53. Serine 18 in murine p53 has been implicated in mediating an ATM- and ataxia telangiectasia-related kinase-dependent growth arrest. To explore further the physiological significance of phosphorylation of p53 on Ser18, we generated mice bearing a serine-to-alanine mutation in p53. Analysis of apoptosis in thymocytes and splenocytes following DNA damage revealed that phosphorylation of serine 18 was required for robust p53-mediated apoptosis. Surprisingly, p53Ser18 phosphorylation did not alter the proliferation rate of embryonic fibroblasts or the p53-mediated G1 arrest induced by DNA damage. In addition, endogenous basal levels and DNA damage-induced levels of p53 were not affected by p53Ser18 phosphorylation. p53Ala18 mice developed normally and were not susceptible to spontaneous tumorigenesis, and the reduced apoptotic function of p53Ala18 did not rescue the embryo-lethal phenotype of Mdm2-null mice. These results indicate that phosphorylation of the ATM target site on p53 specifically regulates p53 apoptotic function and further reveal that phosphorylation of p53 serine 18 is not required for p53-mediated tumor suppression.
On The Relationship between Suspended Solids of Different Size, the Observed Boundary Flux and Rejection Values for Membranes Treating a Civil Wastewater Stream

Membrane fouling is one of the main issues in membrane processes, leading to a progressive decrease of permeability. High fouling rates strongly reduce the productivity of the membrane plant, and negatively affect the surviving rate of the membrane modules, especially when real wastewater is treated. On the other hand, since selectivity must meet certain target requirements, fouling may lead to unexpected selectivity improvements due to the formation of an additional superficial layer formed of foulants and that act like a selective secondary membrane layer. In this case, a certain amount of fouling may be profitable to the point where selectivity targets were reached and productivity is not significantly affected. In this work, the secondary clarifier of a step sludge recirculation bioreactor treating municipal wastewater was replaced by a membrane unit, aiming at recovering return sludge and producing purified water. Fouling issues of such a system were checked by boundary flux measurements. A simple model for the description of the observed productivity and selectivity values as a function of membrane fouling is proposed.
Silicone encapsulating and potting materials

Applications of silicone materials for potting and encapsulation are discussed. After introductory notes on general requirements and alternative materials, a description is given of the good dielectric characteristics and thermal endurance of the silicones. Reference is made to their comparatively high cost and, for some applications, limited physical strength. Silicone fluids are then described, with a note on their chemical structure. Graphs illustrate the variation of permittivity and vapour pressure with viscosity, and the effects of frequency and temperature on power factor and permittivity. Following a section on compounds, an account is given of silicone rubbers, especially of the cold-curing types. The lengthening of pot life for the catalyzed materials by adding solvent or silicone fluid is illustrated graphically. A newly developed silicone gel with novel self-healing characteristics is then described. After describing the use of silicone resin-based cements to encapsulate wire-wound resistors, and solventless silicone resins for encapsulating and potting other components, the paper concludes by referring to present and future requirements. It is considered that improved physical properties which are expected to arise from current research are the most important requirement.
Frailty and Old Age

A major problem confronting American society is our aging population with its attendant issues of frailty and physical and mental decline. Our secular zeitgeist downplays most references to our ultimate, final, and unavoidable mortality. Yet many of us, as we approach our final end, begin to slow down, lose strength, have diminished mental acuity, and experience frailty. “Life is nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes, Part III). This is the famous quotation of Thomas Hobbes, the seventeenth-century, English philosopher. Being, by nature, optimistic, we tend to ignore Hobbes’s observation on the nature of life, and this is easy to do when we are relatively young. Eventually we will become ill or frail and will observe others as they become sick and approach death. Frailty and old age will confront us all, unless we die at a young age without becoming ill. This brief essay is an inquiry into human life and the troubling aspects of old age including frailty and finally death. Death, although inevitable, need not be a time of despair, but if we appreciate the God-given purpose of our life, a time of hope. Humans are possessed of many organ systems all of which usually function harmoniously. When any one malfunctions the others can often take up the slack until the diseased one recovers. As we age other systems malfunction before the previously impaired ones can heal. The gradual cumulative breakdown leads to frailty. Frailty is the name commonly given to the condition of becoming weak and delicate. Frailty afflicts elderly patients in decline as they advance in age. The elderly can broadly be defined as individuals sixty-five years or older (Miller 2003, 3–15). The outset of frailty may occur earlier or be delayed until later, say to seventy years, or even hundred, depending on the medical condition of the individual. Oftentimes, frailty may be the result of one or more other systemic or acquired conditions such as diabetes, cardiac failure, or injuries such as war-related disabilities. Frailty will confront almost everyone. Despite media and literature reports, some even from medical sources, announcing approaching scientific breakthroughs that will prevent or reverse aging and suggesting a limitless future, aging is inevitable. Replacement therapies (islet cell transplants, titanium joint replacement, and even heart transplants) are examples of breakthroughs. Cardiac extenders, pacemakers, and ventricular assist devices are even more contemporary examples, but they all also have half-lives and eventually will no longer function and cannot prevent other biologic The Linacre Quarterly 83 (2) 2016, 131–133
Predictive Models of Economic Systems Based on Data Mining

Data election to build a representative model able to explain socio-economic phenomena is a challenge within the model construction stage itself. Knowing what data to include within the studies and what to discard is a challenge, and again, at the same time, a great amount of possible factors affecting each variable behavior must be found. In complex phenomena, the number of factors affecting a variable is enormous, and isolating a variable can become a hopeless effort. Besides, there are also factors that are difficultly observable or inherently not observable that must be considered, those ones known as errors or perturbations in a relation that have influence in the constructed model outputs. Techniques applied in data mining can give support to the studies in the moment of analyzing the socio-economic phenomena and demonstrate results obtained through a scientific and reliable way. Data mining is proposed as a valid option in the study of indicators contrasting the traditional methodology (econometrics). An experiment was conducted to contrast two cultures in the use of statistical modeling. One assumes that the data are generated by stochastic GIVEN data model (Data Modeling Culture). The other one uses algorithmic models and treats the data as unknown mechanism (Algorithmic Modeling Culture).
IT consultants, salesmanship and the challenges of packaged software selection in SMEs

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyse the process of packaged software selection in a small organization, focussing particularly on the role of IT consultants as intermediaries in the process.Design/methodology/approach – This is based upon a longitudinal, qualitative field study concerning the adoption of a customer relationship management package in an SME management consultancy.Findings – The authors illustrate how the process of “salesmanship”, an activity directed by the vendor/consultant and focussed on the interests of senior management, marginalises user needs and ultimately secures the procurement of the software package.Research limitations/implications – Despite the best intentions the authors lose something of the rich detail of the lived experience of technology in presenting the case study as a linear narrative. Specifically, the authors have been unable to do justice to the complexity of the multifarious ways in which individual perceptions of the project were influenced and shaped by the o.