Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magnetotransport and magnetocrystalline anisotropy studies of gallium manganese arsenide thin films

The ferromagnetic semiconductor gallium manganese arsenide is an important test-bed material for spintronics applications. Whilst a Curie temperature anywhere close to room temperature has yet to be demonstrated, the excellent micromagnetic properties, simple band structure and unusual combination of having both low moment densities and high spin-orbit coupling make this an interesting material to study from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. This thesis reports some experimental studies into the magnetic and magnetoresistive anisotropies in gallium manganese arsenide. In the first main chapter a study of the Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in thin (Ga,Mn)As films is reported, based on transport measurements of micro-scale devices, contributing to the first systematic study in this material. The Anisotropic Magnetoresistance comprises crystalline and non-crystalline components; this study shows that a uniaxial crystalline component can dominate over the whole range of temperatures from 2K up to the Curie temperature, the first time this has been seen in any material system to our knowledge. The following chapter shows that the magnetic anisotropy of gallium manganese arsenide thin films can be engineered by lithographically patterning the material into structures on length scales of a micron or less. Using electron beam lithography to define the structures and SQUID magnetometery to study the resulting magnetic configuration, it is shown that the magnetic anisotropy can be greatly modified, even resulting in a switching of the easy- and hard-axis directions. Finally a new technique based on Anisotropic Magnetoresistance measurements is presented to locate the crossover of competing magnetic anisotropy coefficients in the temperature domain. Conventionally performed by SQUID magnetometry, this new technique is cheaper and simpler whilst qualitatively reproducing the main features of the SQUID measurements.
Discrimination of faulty compressors and healthy one using Kohonen Maps

Kohonen's Self Organizing Map (SOM) is a very usable method for the classification problems. In this work SOM is used to classify the possible faults of Hermetic Compressors which are used in the refrigerators. In refrigerators the main cause of the annoying noise/sound is the compressor sound and different faults have different noise types. Classification of the types of the sounds produces valuable information both in the R/D phase and after the production chain. In order to make this classification, the sound pressure values of different compressors with definitive faults have been collected and the healthy one and the faulty compressors are identified using SOM.
TUNING OF TWO-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM PI / PID CONTROLLER FOR SECOND-ORDER UNSTABLE PROCESSES

⎯ The proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are still widely used in the process industries even though more advanced control techniques have been developed. The main reason is its relatively simple structure, which can be easily understood and implemented in practice. Over the years, there are many formulas derived to tune the PID controllers for stable processes. However, unstable systems are fundamentally and quantifiably, more difficult to control than stable ones. Despite these difficulties, research for unstable process control has been increasingly active. Many different approaches of controller design for unstable processes have been reported in the literature. However, they usually either show excessive overshoot and large settling time or have complicated formulas. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve all goal since control system design involves inherent conflicts and trade-offs. For example, a controller design that minimizes the effect of load disturbances tends to produce large overshoots for set-point changes. This paper presents a simple tuning method for twodegrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) controllers for second-order unstable processes. The proposed method obtains explicit expression of PID tuning parameters using specification of the desired closed-loop transfer function for disturbance responses. Although the PID are designed for disturbance rejection, the set-point responses are usually satisfactory and can be independently tuned. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method provides good control performance in terms of disturbance rejection, set-point tracking, and robustness. This paper assumes that a second-order plus time-delay (SOPTD) model of the underlying plant is available for control design. Keywords⎯ Unstable Process, PID Control, Two-degree-of-freedom Controller
Anemia and blood transfusion in critically ill patients.

CONTEXT Anemia is a common problem in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), but the consequences of anemia on morbidity and mortality in the critically ill is poorly defined. OBJECTIVES To prospectively define the incidence of anemia and use of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in critically ill patients and to explore the potential benefits and risks associated with transfusion in the ICU. DESIGN Prospective observational study conducted November 1999, with 2 components: a blood sampling study and an anemia and blood transfusion study. SETTING AND PATIENTS The blood sampling study included 1136 patients from 145 western European ICUs, and the anemia and blood transfusion study included 3534 patients from 146 western European ICUs. Patients were followed up for 28 days or until hospital discharge, interinstitutional transfer, or death. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Frequency of blood drawing and associated volume of blood drawn, collected over a 24-hour period; hemoglobin levels, transfusion rate, organ dysfunction (assessed using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score), and mortality, collected throughout a 2-week period. RESULTS The mean (SD) volume per blood draw was 10.3 (6.6) mL, with an average total volume of 41.1 (39.7) mL during the 24-hour period. There was a positive correlation between organ dysfunction and the number of blood draws (r = 0.34; P<.001) and total volume drawn (r = 0.28; P<.001). The mean hemoglobin concentration at ICU admission was 11.3 (2.3) g/dL, with 29% (963/3295) having a concentration of less than 10 g/dL. The transfusion rate during the ICU period was 37.0% (1307/3534). Older patients and those with a longer ICU length of stay were more commonly transfused. Both ICU and overall mortality rates were significantly higher in patients who had vs had not received a transfusion (ICU rates: 18.5% vs 10.1%, respectively; chi(2) = 50.1; P<. 001; overall rates: 29.0% vs 14.9%, respectively; chi(2) = 88.1; P<. 001). For similar degrees of organ dysfunction, patients who had a transfusion had a higher mortality rate. For matched patients in the propensity analysis, the 28-day mortality was 22.7% among patients with transfusions and 17.1% among those without (P =.02); the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test confirmed this difference. CONCLUSIONS This multicenter observational study reveals the common occurrence of anemia and the large use of blood transfusion in critically ill patients. Additionally, this epidemiologic study provides evidence of an association between transfusions and diminished organ function as well as between transfusions and mortality.
MPI Derived Datatypes: Performance Expectations and Status Quo

We examine natural expectations on communication performance using MPI derived datatypes in comparison to the baseline, "raw" performance of communicating simple, non-contiguous data layouts. We show that common MPI libraries sometimes violate these datatype performance expectations, and discuss reasons why this happens, but also show cases where MPI libraries perform well. Our findings are in many ways surprising and disappointing. First, the performance of derived datatypes is sometimes worse than the semantically equivalent packing and unpacking using the corresponding MPI functionality. Second, the communication performance equivalence stated in the MPI standard between a single contiguous datatype and the repetition of its constituent datatype does not hold universally. Third, the heuristics that are typically employed by MPI libraries at type-commit time are insufficient to enforce natural performance guidelines, and better type normalization heuristics may have a significant performance impact. We show cases where all the MPI type constructors are necessary to achieve the expected performance for certain data layouts. We describe our benchmarking approach to verify the datatype performance guidelines, and present extensive verification results for different MPI libraries.
Ionizable groups and conductances of the rod photoreceptor membrane

The ionizable groups and conductances of the rod plasma membrane were studied by measuring membrane potential and input impedance with micropipettes that were placed in the rod outer segments. Reduction of the pH from 8.0 to 6.8 or from 7.8 to 7.3 resulted in membrane depolarization in the dark from 8.0 to 6.8 or from 7.8 to 7.3 resulted in membrane depolarization in the dark (by 2- 3 mV) and an increased size of the light response (also by 2-3 mV). The dark depolarization was accompanied by and increased resting input impedance (by 11-35 Mω). When the pH was decreased in a perfusate in which Cl(-) was replaced by isethionate, the membrane depolarized. When the pH was decreased in a perfusate in which Na(+) was replaced by choline, an increase of input impedance was observed (11-50 Mω) even though a depolarization did not occur. These results are consistent with the interpretation that the effects of decreased extracellular pH result mainly from a decrease in rod membrane K(+) conductance that is presumably cause by protonation of ionizable groups having a pK(a) between 7.3 and 7.8. Furthermore, from these results and results obtained by using CO(2) and NH(3) to affect specifically the internal pH of the cell, it seems unlikely that altered cytoplasmic [H(+)] is a cytoplasmic messenger for excitation of the rod. When the rods were exposed to perfusate in which Na(+) was replaced by choline, the resting (dark) input impedance increased (by 26 Mω +/- 5 Mω SE), and the light-induced changes in input impedance became undetectable. Replacement of Cl(-) by isethionate had no detectable effect on either the resting input impedance or the light-induced changes in input impedance. These results confirm previous findings that the primary effect of light is to decrease the membrane conductance to Na(+) and show that, if any other changes in conductance occur, they depend upon the change in Na(+) conductance. The results are consistent with the following relative resting conductances of the rod membrane: G(Na(+)) similar to G(K(+)) more than 2-5 G(Cl(-)).
BEACH family of proteins: Phylogenetic and functional analysis of six Dictyostelium BEACH proteins

The beige and Chediak‐Higashi syndrome (BEACH)‐domain containing proteins constitute a new family of proteins found in all eukaryotes. The function of these proteins, which include the Chediak‐Higashi syndrome (CHS) protein, Neurobeachin, LvsA, and FAN, is still poorly understood. To understand the diversity of this novel protein family, we analyzed a large array of BEACH‐family protein sequences from several organisms. Comparison of all these sequences suggests that they can be classified into five distinct groups that may represent five distinct functional classes. In Dictyostelium we identified six proteins in this family, named LvsA‐F, that belong to four of those classes. To test the function of these proteins in Dictyostelium we created disruption mutants in each of the lvs genes. Phenotypic analyses of these mutants indicate that LvsA is required for cytokinesis and osmoregulation and LvsB functions in lysosomal traffic. The LvsC‐F proteins are not required for these or other processes such as growth and development. These results strongly support the concept that BEACH proteins from different classes have distinct cellular functions. Having six distinct BEACH proteins, Dictyostelium should be an excellent model system to dissect the molecular function of this interesting family of proteins. J. Cell. Biochem. 86: 561–570, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A PHYLOGENETIC HYPOTHESIS FOR SPECIES OF THE GENUS TAENIA (EUCESTODA: TAENIIDAE)

Cladistic analysis of a numerical data matrix describing 27 characters for species of Taenia resulted in 4 most parsimonious phylogenetic trees (174 steps; consistency index = 0.28; homoplasy index = 0.72; retention index = 0.48). Monophyly for Taenia is diagnosed by the metacestode that is either a cysticercus or a form derived from a bladder-like larva; no other unequivocal synapomorphies are evident. Tree structure provides no support for recognition of a diversity of tribes or genera within the Taeniinae: Fimbriotaeniini and Taeniini have no phylogenetic basis. Hydatigera, Fimbriotaenia, Fossor, Monordotaenia, Multiceps, Taeniarhynchus, Tetratirotaenia must be subsumed within Taenia as synonyms. Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica are sister species and distantly related to Taenia solium. Cospeciation with respect to carnivorous definitive hosts and Taenia appears to be limited. Although felids are putative ancestral hosts, contemporary associations appear to have resulted from extensive host-switching among felids, canids, hyaenids, and others. In contrast, relationships with herbivorous intermediate hosts are indicative of more pervasive coevolution; rodents as intermediate hosts are postulated as ancestral for the Taeniidae, Taenia + Echinococcus. Patterns appear consistent with rapid shifts between phylogenetically unrelated carnivores but among those that historically exploited a common prey resource within communities in specific biogeographic regions.
Initiating insulin therapy in type 2 Diabetes: a comparison of biphasic and basal insulin analogs.

OBJECTIVE Safety and efficacy of biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (BIAsp 70/30, prebreakfast and presupper) were compared with once-daily insulin glargine in type 2 diabetic subjects inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This 28-week parallel-group study randomized 233 insulin-naive patients with HbA(1c) values >/=8.0% on >1,000 mg/day metformin alone or in combination with other OADs. Metformin was adjusted up to 2,550 mg/day before insulin therapy was initiated with 5-6 units BIAsp 70/30 twice daily or 10-12 units glargine at bedtime and titrated to target blood glucose (80-110 mg/dl) by algorithm-directed titration. RESULTS A total of 209 subjects completed the study. At study end, the mean HbA(1c) value was lower in the BIAsp 70/30 group than in the glargine group (6.91 +/- 1.17 vs. 7.41 +/- 1.24%, P < 0.01). The HbA(1c) reduction was greater in the BIAsp 70/30 group than in the glargine group (-2.79 +/- 0.11 vs. -2.36 +/- 0.11%, respectively; P < 0.01), especially for subjects with baseline HbA(1c) >8.5% (-3.13 +/- 1.63 vs. -2.60 +/- 1.50%, respectively; P < 0.05). More BIAsp 70/30-treated subjects reached target HbA(1c) values than glargine-treated subjects (HbA(1c) </=6.5%: 42 vs. 28%, P < 0.05; HbA(1c) <7.0%: 66 vs. 40%, P < 0.001). Minor hypoglycemia (episodes/year) was greater in the BIAsp 70/30 group than in the glargine group (3.4 +/- 6.6 and 0.7 +/- 2.0, respectively; P < 0.05). Weight gain and daily insulin dose at study end were greater for BIAsp 70/30-treated subjects than for glargine-treated subjects (weight gain: 5.4 +/- 4.8 vs. 3.5 +/- 4.5 kg, P < 0.01; insulin dose: 78.5 +/- 39.5 and 51.3 +/- 26.7 units/day, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In subjects with type 2 diabetes poorly controlled on OADs, initiating insulin therapy with twice-daily BIAsp 70/30 was more effective in achieving HbA(1c) targets than once-daily glargine, especially in subjects with HbA(1c) >8.5%.
Motor learning of novel dynamics is not represented in a single global coordinate system: evaluation of mixed coordinate representations and local learning

Successful motor performance requires the ability to adapt motor commands to task dynamics. A central question in movement neuroscience is how these dynamics are represented. Although it is widely assumed that dynamics (e.g., force fields) are represented in intrinsic, joint-based coordinates (Shadmehr R, Mussa-Ivaldi FA. J Neurosci 14: 3208–3224, 1994), recent evidence has questioned this proposal. Here we reexamine the representation of dynamics in two experiments. By testing generalization following changes in shoulder, elbow, or wrist configurations, the first experiment tested for extrinsic, intrinsic, or object-centered representations. No single coordinate frame accounted for the pattern of generalization. Rather, generalization patterns were better accounted for by a mixture of representations or by models that assumed local learning and graded, decaying generalization. A second experiment, in which we replicated the design of an influential study that had suggested encoding in intrinsic coordinates (Shadmehr and Mussa-Ivaldi 1994), yielded similar results. That is, we could not find evidence that dynamics are represented in a single coordinate system. Taken together, our experiments suggest that internal models do not employ a single coordinate system when generalizing and may well be represented as a mixture of coordinate systems, as a single system with local learning, or both.
An Ontology Based Tool for Competency Management and Learning Paths

Ontologies have already been created in different scientific areas, including knowledge and competency management, however few ontological applications are available at the moment. In this paper we present an ontology based application that we have developed for competency management and learning paths. Specifically, we provide an overview of competency management and related work in this area, a description of the competency ontology and a functional and architectural analysis. This system is being currently deployed for research purposes in a national subsidiary of Microsoft, the IT services multinational firm, with a Microsoft . NET implementation communicating with the competency ontology.
Green synthesis and Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extracts of Withania somnifera (Linn.) (Ashwagandha)

In this study, a novel technique for biosynthesizing of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using Withania somnifera as reductants and stabilizers is reported. Biosynthesis of anisotropic gold nanoparticles using ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera leaf and their potential as IR blockers has been demonstrated. The phenolic groups (–OH) residue was identified as the active functional group for gold ion reduction. These gold nanoparticles were characterized by of UV–Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, TEM. The presence of proteins was identified by FTIR, UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The micrograph revealed the formation of anisotropic gold nanoaprticles. The characteristics of the nanoparticles formed suggest application of gold and gold nanoparticles as chemical sensors in the future. Given the simple and eco-friendly approach for synthesis, these nanoparticles could easily be commercialized for large scale production. The present research opens a new avenue for the green synthesis of nanomaterials.
Combining machine learning and clinical rules to build an algorithm for predicting ICU mortality risk

In this study we aim to develop a decision support application for predicting ICU mortality risk that starts with a clinical analysis of the problem that also leverages machine learning to help create an algorithm with good performance characteristics. By starting from a clear basis in clinical practice we hope to improve algorithm development and the transparency of the resulting system. We start with a general model structure for a fuzzy rule based system (FIS). The model can be specified by clinicians who identify the inputs and the rules. An optimizer based on a genetic algorithm generates the coefficients for the final solution. Using the 2012 PhysioNet/CinC Challenge data set we constructed a Phase 1 system using minimal clinical guidance. Our initial FIS's achieved scores of 0.39 for Event 1 and 94 for Event 2. In Phase 2 we updated the FIS based on clinician interviews. At the end of Phase 2 we achieved 0.40 for Event 1 and 60 for Event 2. We hope to show that machine learning techniques that are modeled on the clinical understanding of a problem can be competitive with more abstract machine learning approaches but may be preferable because of their explainability and transparency.
Domestic Violence Against Women: A Qualitative Study in a Rural Community

Domestic violence is a major contributor to physical and mental ill health of women and is evident, to some degree, in every society in the world. The World Health Organization reports that globally 29% to 62% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Ending gender discrimination and all forms of violence against women requires an understanding of the prevailing culture of bias and violence. The present study was conducted in a rural area in India. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among married women in the age group of 18 to 35 years. Physical violence was a major cause of concern among these women. Some women had to suffer even during pregnancy. An alcoholic husband emerged as the main cause for domestic violence. Husbands’ relatives instigating wife beating was also common. Majority of the women preferred to remain silent despite being victimized. The women feared to resort to law because of implications such as social isolation. To address this, all sectors including education, health, legal, and judicial must work in liaison. Gender inequality must be eliminated and equal participation of women in the decision-making and development processes must be ensured.
A Hierarchical Approach to 3D Scattered Data Interpolation with Radial Basis Functions

Based on globally supported radial basis functions, this paper presents a hierarchical approach to 3D scattered data interpolation. Given a scattered data set distributed along a surface, we first obtain a sparse approximation of the scattered data set by filtering the scattered data with two different steps, and identify the characteristic points by the measurements of bounding cube and the distance between the points and the interpolating surface. Then using multi-level hierarchy of point sets, the accuracy of interpolating surface can be gradually improved. On the basis of effective selection of the off-surface normal points, the number of constraint conditions is reduced, and trivial solutions of the interpolating equations can be avoided. Above all, we can identify the characteristic points in the model with less data points, and obtain interpolating surface with higher fitting accuracy by solving equations with lower order. The numerical experiments show that the method is more efficient and easy to implement.
In Search of the Silver Lining

Past research has demonstrated that people’s need to perceive the world as fair and just leads them to blame and derogate victims of tragedy. The research reported here shows that a positive reaction—bestowing additional meaning on the lives of individuals who have suffered—can also serve people’s need to believe that the world is just. In two studies, participants whose justice motive was temporarily heightened or who strongly endorsed the belief that reward and punishment are fairly distributed in the world perceived more meaning and enjoyment in the life of someone who had experienced a tragedy than in the life of someone who had not experienced tragedy, but this pattern was not found for participants whose justice motive was not heightened or who did not strongly endorse a justice belief. These results suggest that being motivated to see the world as just—a motivation traditionally associated with victim derogation—also leads people to perceive a “silver lining” to tragic events.