Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Compact Operational Amplifier with Load-Insensitive Stability Compensation for High-Precision Transducer Interface

High-resolution electronic interface circuits for transducers with nonlinear capacitive impedance need an operational amplifier, which is stable for a wide range of load capacitance. Such operational amplifier in a conventional design requires a large area for compensation capacitors, increasing costs and limiting applications. In order to address this problem, we present a gain-boosted two-stage operational amplifier, whose frequency response compensation capacitor size is insensitive to the load capacitance and also orders of magnitude smaller compared to the conventional Miller-compensation capacitor that often dominates chip area. By exploiting pole-zero cancellation between a gain-boosting stage and the main amplifier stage, the compensation capacitor of the proposed operational amplifier becomes less dependent of load capacitance, so that it can also operate with a wide range of load capacitance. A prototype operational amplifier designed in 0.13-μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) with a 400-fF compensation capacitor occupies 900-μm2 chip area and achieves 0.022–2.78-MHz unity gain bandwidth and over 65∘ phase margin with a load capacitance of 0.1–15 nF. The prototype amplifier consumes 7.6 μW from a single 1.0-V supply. For a given compensation capacitor size and a chip area, the prototype design demonstrates the best reported performance trade-off on unity gain bandwidth, maximum stable load capacitance, and power consumption.
Osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome: Report of two cases and a manifesting carrier

ABSTRACT Background: Osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome is a very rare disease mainly characterized by severe eye abnormalities and osteoporosis but also causing a broader range of clinical features. The syndrome is associated with homozygous or compound heterozygous variations in the LRP5 gene. In this report, we describe two children with a severe early-onset form of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy associated with skeletal abnormalities. Materials and methods: Two probands (4 and 7 years of age respectively) and their parents were assessed by genetic analysis and comprehensive ophthalmic examination. Results: In both probands, the diagnosis of osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome was confirmed by detection of three new pathogenic LRP5 variants: p.(Asp379Asn), found in the homozygous state in one proband, and p.(Asp203Ala) in the compound heterozygous state with p.(Cys612Valfs*25) in the other. The clinical and genetic study was extended to their parents, confirming that heterozygous carriers may also have incomplete clinical manifestation of this syndrome. Conclusions: To our knowledge, these are the first two cases of the syndrome described in Italy. Genetic testing proved to be fundamental for definition of the syndrome and confirms the importance of early detection of LRP5 variants for management of systemic features of the disease in patients and carrier relatives.
Influence of Passive Stiffness of Hamstrings on Postural Stability

Abstract The aim of the study was to explore whether passive stiffness of the hamstrings influences the strategy of maintaining postural stability. A sample of 50 subjects was selected; the final analyses were based on data of 41 individuals (33 men, 8 women) aged 21 to 29 (mean = 23.3, SD = 1.1) years. A quasi- experimental ex post facto design with repeated measures was used. Categories of independent variables were obtained directly prior to the measurement of the dependent variables. In stage one of the study, passive knee extension was measured in the supine position to assess hamstring stiffness. In stage two, the magnitude of postural sway in antero-posterior direction was measured, while varying the body position on a stabilometric platform, both with and without visual control. The margin of safety was used as a measure of postural control. The magnitude of the margin of safety increased significantly between the open-eye and closed-eye trials. However, although we registered a visible tendency for a larger increase of the margin of safety associated with lower levels of passive hamstrings stiffness, no significant differences were found. Therefore, this study demonstrated that hamstring stiffness did not influence the strategy used to maintain postural stability.
Model Invertibility Regularization: Sequence Alignment With or Without Parallel Data

We present Model Invertibility Regularization (MIR), a method that jointly trains two directional sequence alignment models, one in each direction, and takes into account the invertibility of the alignment task. By coupling the two models through their parameters (as opposed to through their inferences, as in Liang et al.’s Alignment by Agreement (ABA), and Ganchev et al.’s Posterior Regularization (PostCAT)), our method seamlessly extends to all IBMstyle word alignment models as well as to alignment without parallel data. Our proposed algorithm is mathematically sound and inherits convergence guarantees from EM. We evaluate MIR on two tasks: (1) On word alignment, applying MIR on fertility based models we attain higher F-scores than ABA and PostCAT. (2) On Japanese-to-English backtransliteration without parallel data, applied to the decipherment model of Ravi and Knight, MIR learns sparser models that close the gap in whole-name error rate by 33% relative to a model trained on parallel data, and further, beats a previous approach by Mylonakis et al.
Meta-analysis of the prognostic value of long non-coding RNA AFAP1-AS1 for cancer patients in China

LncRNA actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) is often dysregulated in cancer. We performed this meta-analysis to clarify the usefulness of AFAP1-AS1 as a prognostic marker in malignant tumors. The PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to Augest 7, 2017. Sixteen studies with a total of 1,386 patients were included in the study. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) suggested high AFAP1-AS1 expression correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.71–2.28), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.22–1.95), and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 2.17, 95% CI:1.64–2.88) in cancer patients, without obvious heterogeneity. High AFAP1-AS1 expression also correlated with larger tumor size (odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.54–2.72), advanced tumor stage (OR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.70–3.26), poor histological grade (OR =1.39, 95% CI: 1.02–1.90), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.98–3.72) and distant metastasis (OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 2.03–4.32). Thus high AFAP1-AS1 expression is predictive of poor OS, DFS, PFS, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, histological grade, larger tumor size and tumor stage, which suggests high AFAP1-AS1 expression may serve as a novel biomarker of poor prognosis in cancer.
Multiple roles, multiple teams, dynamic environment: autonomous Netrek agents

We describe the architecture and performance of autonomous agents that play the complex, multi-faceted internet game called Netrek. To perform competently within Netrek, an agent must be capable of 1) reacting in real-time to arcade-like tasks and environment changes within the local surroundings, 2) reasoning about strategy and long-term tasks at a slower pace and on a global scale, and 3) coordinating both with teammates and against members of the opposing team. Agents capable of operating within the Netrek environment, therefore, require a reactive, exible, multi-level framework. We describe in detail our current agent implementation, which is based upon the UMPRS (University of Michigan Procedural Reasoning System) architecture. As multi-agent coordination plays a signi cant role within the Netrek domain, we describe recent research in extending the current communication-based intra-team coordination scheme with a plan recognition scheme that enhances both intraand inter-team coordination.
Improved clinical outcomes of patients with ovarian carcinoma arising in endometriosis

Background Despite enormous efforts to dissect the role of endometriosis in ovarian cancer development, the difference in prognosis between ovarian cancer patients with or without endometriosis remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between endometriosis and the prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Results Ovarian cancer arising in endometriosis tended to be presented as clear cell histology, early stage, less intraperitoneal metastasis and ascites, and lower CA125 level compared with those without endometriosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified endometriosis as an independent prognostic factor for progression free survival (P = 0.002) and overall survival (P = 0.009) in all patients and especially for early stage. A nomogram integrating endometriosis, FIGO stage and CA125 was established to predict progression free survival and overall survival. Materials and methods This study retrospectively enrolled 196 ovarian cancers arising or not in endometriosis judged by adjunctive use of CD10 immunohistochemistry in conjunction with H&E staining specimens. Clinicopathologic variables, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare survival curves. Cox regression models were used to analyze the effect of endometriosis on PFS and OS. A prognostic nomogram was constructed based on the independent prognostic factors identified by multivariate analysis. Conclusions Endometriosis is an independent predictor of prognosis in ovarian cancer patients.
Faster Algorithms for some Optimization Problems on Collinear Points

We propose faster algorithms for the following three optimization problems on $n$ collinear points, i.e., points in dimension one. The first two problems are known to be NP-hard in higher dimensions. 1- Maximizing total area of disjoint disks: In this problem the goal is to maximize the total area of nonoverlapping disks centered at the points. Acharyya, De, and Nandy (2017) presented an $O(n^2)$-time algorithm for this problem. We present an optimal $\Theta(n)$-time algorithm. 2- Minimizing sum of the radii of client-server coverage: The $n$ points are partitioned into two sets, namely clients and servers. The goal is to minimize the sum of the radii of disks centered at servers such that every client is in some disk, i.e., in the coverage range of some server. Lev-Tov and Peleg (2005) presented an $O(n^3)$-time algorithm for this problem. We present an $O(n^2)$-time algorithm, thereby improving the running time by a factor of $\Theta(n)$. 3- Minimizing total area of point-interval coverage: The $n$ input points belong to an interval $I$. The goal is to find a set of disks of minimum total area, covering $I$, such that every disk contains at least one input point. We present an algorithm that solves this problem in $O(n^2)$ time.
Reaction phenotyping to assess victim drug-drug interaction risks

ABSTRACT Introduction: Reaction phenotyping provides critical information regarding the fraction metabolized (fm) of drug candidates. It has become increasingly important in drug discovery and development as it can be used to assess victim drug-drug interaction potential, guide structural modification to reduce fm, inform clinical study design, predict individual variability in pharmacokinetics, and evaluate the impact of genetic polymorphisms. Areas covered: The currently available in vitro and in vivo methods for reaction phenotyping are summarized along with their advantages, limitations and timings for application during the different stages of drug discovery and development. Challenges of reaction phenotyping for low clearance compounds, non-Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, extrahepatic contribution and atypical kinetics are highlighted and various approaches are discussed. Expert opinion: Certain areas of reaction phenotyping remain challenging with the current state of the science. In order to better define fm in this challenging space, there needs to be future advances in selective inhibitors and specific substrate reactions for non-CYP enzymes, availability of high quality and low cost recombinant enzymes, tissue distribution and in vitro-in vivo correlation, scaling factors for extrahepatic enzymes and the next generation of low clearance tools.
Ephedra alkaloid contents of Chinese herbal formulae sold in Taiwan.

Consumption of Ephedra alkaloids is prohibited in-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In Taiwan, colds are often treated with Chinese herbal formulae containing Herba Ephedrae. We screened products sold in Taiwan and preliminarily assessed their relationships with WADA threshold violations. Fifty-six concentrated powder products, including 19 Chinese herbal formulae that contained Herba Ephedrae, were collected. The content of Ephedra alkaloids, namely ephedrine (E), methylephedrine (ME), norpseudoephedrine (NPE; cathine), pseudoephedrine (PE), and norephedrine (NE; phenylpropanolamine), was determined using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method. The results revealed that the phenotypic indicators of the collected products, E/PE and E/total ratios, were 1.52-4.70 and 0.49-0.72, respectively, indicating that the Herba Ephedrae species in these products was probably E. sinica or E. equisetina, but not E. intermedia. The contents of E, ME, NPE, PE, and NE and the total alkaloid contents in the daily doses of the products were 0.45-34.97, 0.05-4.87, 0.04-3.61, 0.15-12.09, and 0.01-2.00 mg and 0.68-53.64 mg, respectively. The alkaloid contents followed a relatively consistent order (E > PE > ME ≈ NPE > NE), even for products from different manufacturers. We calculated that single doses of 50.0% and 3.6% of the products would result in the WADA thresholds of E and NPE being exceeded, respectively. Our data provide critical information for athletes and medical personnel, who should be wary of using complex Chinese herbal formulae in addition to over-the-counter products.
Analysis of inverter effects on machine iron losses in a traction drive

This paper presents an analysis of iron losses for an inverter-fed permanent synchronous electric machine. The iron loss computation is based on the coupling between an analytical inverter model and a 2D finite element simulation. For theoretical explanation of the considered effects the magneto motive force of the machine with non-sinusoidal supply is derived. These impacts are analyzed in detail for one operating point, while using two different iron loss models. It is shown that the iron losses are much higher with inverter supply caused by high harmonic flux content in the rotor finite elements. At the end the iron losses for the whole operating range are computed to verify the single point calculation.
Employing static information in the generation of test cases

A commonly used approach for detecting defects in a program is to generate a suite of test inputs which exercises the entire program under a given testing criterion. Current techniques to generate test cases automatically that satisfy a testing criterion choose test input data by considering the testing requirements in an arbitrary order. In this paper, a technique is presented that groups the requirements and orders the generation of the test cases to reduce the number of test cases generated. The grouping is based on the statically determined property of post‐dominance. Test cases for each group are generated taking into account requirements for other groups. The use of this technique to generate test cases can be expected to produce fewer test cases that have to be retained with the software. A smaller number of test cases will require less effort and resources to test the software. The technique is especially useful in the maintenance environment, whether retesting of a changed program is done exhaustively or incrementally. The technique not only attempts to minimize the number of test cases generated but also reduces the effort to generate the test cases using the concept of a program slice.
Applying theory-building techniques to the design of modelling languages

In their 2004 paper Hevner et. al proposed a set of guidelines for conducting design science research projects in the IS discipline. While useful, these guidelines have a relatively high level of abstraction. However, various IT artifacts such as models, methods, techniques and implementations require IS researchers to apply differing methods in order to construct and evaluate purposeful artifacts respectively. In this paper we discuss a particular class of IT artifacts: conceptual modeling languages. As constituent parts of software development methods, a multitude of such languages has been proposed and discussed. Yet, in the related literature on method design only little guidance is provided on how to derive appropriate conceptual modeling languages from empirical data. We believe that “good methods” need to be rigorously grounded in empirical findings. Taking a look at the related literature on inductive theory building reveals that at there are prominent similarities between the elements that constitute theories and those that constitute conceptual modeling languages: whereas theories comprise of constructs and relationships between these, conceptual modeling languages comprise of language constructs and relationships among these. We draw from the body of literature on grounded theory building and propose a new approach to designing conceptual modeling languages.
Association of Genetic Variants of Small Non-Coding RNAs with Survival in Colorectal Cancer

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) can influence sncRNA function and target gene expression to mediate the risk of certain diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic relevance of sncRNA SNPs for colorectal cancer, which has not been well characterized to date. Methods: We comprehensively examined 31 common SNPs of sncRNAs, and assessed the impact of these variants on survival in a cohort of 188 patients with colorectal cancer. Results: Three SNPs were significantly associated with survival of patients with colorectal cancer after correction for multiple testing, and two of the SNPs (hsa-mir-196a-2 rs11614913 and U85 rs714775) remained significant in multivariate analyses. Additional in silico analysis provided further evidence of this association, since the expression levels of the target genes of the hsa-miR-196a (HOXA7, HOXB8, and AKT1) were significantly correlated with colorectal cancer progression. Furthermore, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses indicated that hsa-miR-196a is associated with well-known oncogenic pathways, including cellular protein modification process, mitotic cell cycle, adherens junction, and extracellular matrix receptor interaction pathways. Conclusion: Our results suggest that SNPs of sncRNAs could play a critical role in cancer progression, and that hsa-miR-196a might be a valuable biomarker or therapeutic target for colorectal cancer patients.
The AdobeIndoorNav Dataset: Towards Deep Reinforcement Learning based Real-world Indoor Robot Visual Navigation

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) demonstrates its potential in learning a model-free navigation policy for robot visual navigation. However, the data-demanding algorithm relies on a large number of navigation trajectories in training. Existing datasets supporting training such robot navigation algorithms consist of either 3D synthetic scenes or reconstructed scenes. Synthetic data suffers from domain gap to the real-world scenes while visual inputs rendered from 3D reconstructed scenes have undesired holes and artifacts. In this paper, we present a new dataset collected in real-world to facilitate the research in DRL based visual navigation. Our dataset includes 3D reconstruction for real-world scenes as well as densely captured real 2D images from the scenes. It provides high-quality visual inputs with real-world scene complexity to the robot at dense grid locations. We further study and benchmark one recent DRL based navigation algorithm and present our attempts and thoughts on improving its generalizability to unseen test targets in the scenes.
Typical Approximation Performance for Maximum Coverage Problem

This study investigated the typical performance of approximation algorithms known as belief propagation, the greedy algorithm, and linear-programming relaxation for maximum coverage problems in sparse biregular random graphs. After we used the cavity method for a corresponding hard-core lattice-gas model, results showed that two distinct thresholds of replica-symmetry and its breaking exist in the typical performance threshold of belief propagation. In the low-density region, the superiority of three algorithms in terms of a typical performance threshold is obtained by some theoretical analyses. Although the greedy algorithm and linear-programming relaxation have the same approximation ratio in worst-case performance, their typical performance thresholds are mutually different, indicating the importance of typical performance. Results of numerical simulations validate the theoretical analyses and imply further mutual relations of approximation algorithms.
Battery Energy Storage System in smoothing control application of photovoltaic power fluctuations caused by clouds passing

This paper describes the power smoothing control of a hybrid system. The hybrid system is composed of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and a Photovoltaic (PV) generator connected to the grid. The control allows to limit the ramp of the power fluctuations defined by system limits or standard specifications. The different tests shown in the paper demonstrate the relationship between the battery usage and the magnitude of the smoothing. A description of the main parameters for the smoothing control configuration is included. The study case describes the response of a smoothing control on real photovoltaic power fluctuations caused by a one-day clouds passing.
Association of high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein E genetic variants with age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with apolipoprotein E (APOE) variants and serum lipid profiles, including levels and fractions of total serum cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), and triglycerides (TG). METHODS Genotyping of APOE-HhaI was performed in 134 patients (study group, SG) and 164 individuals without AMD (control group, CG), aged 50-89 years. Lipid profiles were analyzed in a subgroup of 30 subjects of both groups, matched according to age and sex. The significance level was set at P<0.05. RESULTS APOE E3/E3 was more prevalent (SG=74.6%; CG=77.4%), with no difference between both groups (P=0.667). The same result was observed for risk genotypes (APOE E -/2: SG=7.4%; CG=10.3%, P=0.624). Serum levels of TC, LDLc, and TG revealed similar median values between SG (193.5, 116, and 155 mg/dL, respectively) and CG (207.5, 120, and 123.5 mg/dL, respectively; P >0.05). For HDLc, a higher median value was observed in SG (53.3 mg/dL) versus CG (42.5 mg/dL; P=0.016). Logistic regression analysis showed the same value, and the HDLc/TC ratio was -11.423 (P=0.014), as also confirmed by an increase in HDLc in SG. The association between lipid profiles and apolipoprotein E genotypes was similar in both groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION APOE-HhaI is not associated with AMD. However, an increase in serum HDLc level appears to exert a protective effect against the disease, irrespective of the genetic variants of apoE.