Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transients in reconfigurable digital signal processing systems

To solve measurement and control problems, the processing of input data is performed typically by model-based digital signal processing (DSP) systems, which contain a representation of our knowledge about the nature and the actual circumstances of the problem at hand. If the nature or the actual circumstances change, the corresponding model should also be changed. Similarly, if the amount of knowledge about the problem increases due to measurements, an improved model can be suggested which provides better performance. As a consequence, the real-time adaptation or reconfiguration of the DSP system to be applied can hardly be avoided. The transients caused by these adaptations/reconfigurations is investigated. It is shown that for feedback systems, i.e., for infinite impulse response (IIR) filters, these transients are strongly structure-dependent and that the so-called orthogonal filter structures also provide good performance in this respect.
Fixed-Point Implementation of Noise Reduction Using StarCore- SC3400

The presence of relatively high-level background noise in a telecommunication channel may lower the perceived voice quality of speech signals as well as degrade in-band signaling. The challenge is to reduce the noise to a satisfactory level while minimizing the use of computational resources. This paper describes an efficient noise reduction algorithm and its implementation on a high-performance Digital Signal Processor (DSP) based on the Freescale StarCore SC3400 core. The NR implementation methodology takes advantage of the StarCore architecture and Code Warrior development tools to reduce engineering efforts. After performing code optimization by exploring a mix of high-level and machine-level languages, the NR computational cost is reduced to approximately 0.6 Millions of Cycles Per Second for the narrow-band applications (i.e., G. 711 with 8kHz sampling rate). The algorithm has been evaluated using different approaches, including subjective evaluation by expert listeners. An overall noise reduction of 10-12dB (for standard setting of 13dB noise reduction threshold) has been achieved for most natural-speech signals polluted with stationary noise. The noise reduction component has also been evaluated using wideband signals (16kHz sampling rate). The machine cycle count increased to 1 MCSP (approximately) while the overall noise reduction of 9-12dB was achieved without observing adverse side effects related to voice quality.
Assertive behavior in a man's life and the risk of developing an oncological disease

Problem choroby nowotworowej œciœle 31czy siê z osobowoœci1 chorego, jego zachowaniem predysponuj1cym do choroby (styl ¿ycia) oraz zasobami, jakie uruchamia w celu zmagania siê z ni1. Niniejsza praca zwraca uwagê na problem psychicznej predyspozycji do choroby nowotworowej, zwi1zanej z brakiem umiejêtnoœci asertywnych oraz podkreœla znaczenie tych¿e umiejêtnoœci w procesie zmagania siê z ni1.
Decay towards the overall-healthy state in SIS epidemics on networks

The decay rate of SIS epidemics on the complete graph KN is computed analytically, based on a new, algebraic method to compute the second largest eigenvalue of a stochastic three-diagonal matrix up to arbitrary precision. The latter problem has been addressed around 1950, mainly via the theory of orthogonal polynomials and probability theory. The accurate determination of the second largest eigenvalue, also called the decay parameter, has been an outstanding problem appearing in general birth-death processes and random walks. Application of our general framework to SIS epidemics shows that the maximum average lifetime of an SIS epidemics in any network with N nodes is not larger (but tight for KN) than
Non-Gaussian Features of Linear Cosmic String Models

We investigate the non-Gaussian properties of cosmic string-seeded linear density perturbations with cold and hot dark matter backgrounds using high-resolution numerical simulations. We compute the one-point probability density function of the resulting density field and its skewness, kurtosis, and genus curves for different smoothing scales. A semianalytic model is then invoked to provide a physical interpretation of our results. We conclude that on scales smaller than 1.5(Ωh2)-1 Mpc, perturbations seeded by cosmic strings are very non-Gaussian. These scales may still be in a linear or mildly nonlinear regime in an open or Λ universe with Γ=Ωh≲0.2.
Asymptotic Effect of Interleaver Structure on the Performance of Turbo-codes

This work studies the effect of the interleaver optimization on the performance of Turbocodes for large block lengths, N → ∞. For N → ∞, the weight of the systematic and parity check sequences, denoted by w1, w2 and w3, respectively, tend to a jointly Gaussian distribution for typical values of wi, i = 1, 2, 3 (typical values of wi are defined as lim N→∞ wi N 6= 0, 1 for i = 1, 2, 3). To optimize the code performance, it is desirable that the corresponding correlation coefficients, denoted as ρij, i, j = 1, 2, 3, to be as small as possible. It is however shown that: (i) ρij > 0, i, j = 1, 2, 3, (ii) ρ12, ρ13 → 0 as N →∞, and (iii) ρ23 → 0 as N → ∞ for almost any random interleaver. This means that for N → ∞, the optimization of the interleaver has a diminishing effect on the distribution of large weight error events. We discuss methods to expurgate the low weight code-words (lower the error floor) without affecting the code rate. The resulting expurgated code has an “average spectrum” [1] and consequently meets the best known random coding error exponent (i.e., achieves the channel capacity). We also present a condition on the channel Signalto-Noise-Ratio (SNR) such that the dominant error events satisfy the Gaussian assumption and show that this condition is satisfied in cases of practical interest. This means that the asymptotic performance of the expurgated code is not affected by the choice of the interleaver for values of channel SNR of practical interest.
Rediscovering workflow models from event-based data

Contemporary workflow management systems are driven by explicit process models, i.e., a completely specified workflow design is required in order to enact a given workflow process. Creating a workflow design is a complicated time-consuming process and typically there are discrepancies between the actual workflow processes and the processes as perceived by the management. Therefore, we propose a technique for rediscovering workflow models. This technique uses workflow logs to discover the workflow process as it is actually being executed. The workflow log contains information about events taking place. We assume that these events are totally ordered and each event refers to one task being executed for a single case. This information can easily be extracted from transactional information systems (e.g., Enterprise Resource Planning systems such as SAP and Baan). The rediscovering technique proposed in this paper can deal with noise and can also be used to validate workflow processes by uncovering and measuring the discrepancies between prescriptive models and actual process executions.
Putty-Clay Technology and Stock Market Volatility November

I derive a production-based asset pricing formula to infer aggregate stock market returns from macroeconomic time series when the technology is putty-clay. Capital heterogeneity leads to variation in the aggregate stock market value through a new compositional e¤ect. The asset pricing formula, which holds regardless of the stochastic discount factor, predicts that the stock market value is high when the ratio of investment to gross job creation is low. This contrasts with the adjustment cost model which predicts that the stock market value is high when the investment-capital ratio is high. Incorporating the putty-clay technology substantially increases the ability of the adjustment cost model to match the data on U.S. stock returns.
Glycol Chitosan-Based Fluorescent Theranostic Nanoagents for Cancer Therapy

Theranostics is an integrated nanosystem that combines therapeutics with diagnostics in attempt to develop new personalized treatments with enhanced therapeutic efficacy and safety. As a promising therapeutic paradigm with cutting-edge technologies, theranostic agents are able to simultaneously deliver therapeutic drugs and diagnostic imaging agents and also monitor the response to therapy. Polymeric nanosystems have been intensively explored for biomedical applications to diagnose and treat various cancers. In recent years, glycol chitosan-based nanoagents have been developed as dual-purpose materials for simultaneous diagnosis and therapy. They have shown great potential in cancer therapies, such as chemotherapeutics and nucleic acid and photodynamic therapies. In this review, we summarize the recent progress and potential applications of glycol chitosan-based fluorescent theranostic nanoagents for cancer treatments and discuss their possible underlying mechanisms.
Thermal niches are more conserved at cold than warm limits in arctic-alpine plant species.

AIM Understanding the stability of realized niches is crucial for predicting the responses of species to climate change. One approach is to evaluate the niche differences of populations of the same species that occupy regions that are geographically disconnected. Here, we assess niche conservatism along thermal gradients for 26 plant species with a disjunct distribution between the Alps and the Arctic. LOCATION European Alps and Norwegian Finnmark. METHODS We collected a comprehensive dataset of 26 arctic-alpine plant occurrences in two regions. We assessed niche conservatism through a multispecies comparison and analysed species rankings at cold and warm thermal limits along two distinct gradients corresponding to (1) air temperatures at 2 m above ground level and (2) elevation distances to the tree line (TLD) for the two regions. We assessed whether observed relationships were close to those predicted under thermal limit conservatism. RESULTS We found a weak similarity in species ranking at the warm thermal limits. The range of warm thermal limits for the 26 species was much larger in the Alps than in Finnmark. We found a stronger similarity in species ranking and correspondence at the cold thermal limit along the gradients of 2-m temperature and TLD. Yet along the 2-m temperature gradient the cold thermal limits of species in the Alps were lower on average than those in Finnmark. MAIN CONCLUSION We found low conservatism of the warm thermal limits but a stronger conservatism of the cold thermal limits. We suggest that biotic interactions at the warm thermal limit are likely to modulate species responses more strongly than at the cold limit. The differing biotic context between the two regions is probably responsible for the observed differences in realized niches.
Performance analysis for decode-and-forward relay system with HARQ in Nakagami-m fading channels

In this paper, we analyze the outage probability and the long-term average throughput (LAT) of a decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative scheme with hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) over Nakagami-m fading channels. To derive the outage probability, the distribution of the weighted sum of two independent gamma random variables is needed. We approximately obtain the distribution by using gamma approximation and derive a closed-form expression of the outage probability of the DF cooperative scheme with high SNR assumption. By exploiting the outage probability, we obtain the LAT of the DF cooperative scheme. Numerical results show that the derived LAT of the DF cooperative scheme is able to predict the average throughput and the DF cooperative scheme achieves higher LAT than the direct transmission scheme because of higher diversity gains.
Molecular communication: Physically realistic models and achievable information rates

Molecular communication is a biologically-inspired method of communication with attractive properties for microscale and nanoscale devices. In molecular communication, messages are transmitted by releasing a pattern of molecules at a transmitter, which propagate through a fluid medium towards a receiver. In this paper, molecular communication is formulated as a mathematical communication problem in an information-theoretic context. Physically realistic models are obtained, with sufficient abstraction to allow manipulation by communication and information theorists. Although mutual information in these channels is intractable, we give sequences of upper and lower bounds on the mutual information which trade off complexity and performance, and present results to illustrate the feasibility of these bounds in estimating the true mutual information.
The Biological Basis of a Universal Constraint on Color Naming: Cone Contrasts and the Two-Way Categorization of Colors

Many studies have provided evidence for the existence of universal constraints on color categorization or naming in various languages, but the biological basis of these constraints is unknown. A recent study of the pattern of color categorization across numerous languages has suggested that these patterns tend to avoid straddling a region in color space at or near the border between the English composite categories of “warm” and “cool”. This fault line in color space represents a fundamental constraint on color naming. Here we report that the two-way categorization along the fault line is correlated with the sign of the L- versus M-cone contrast of a stimulus color. Moreover, we found that the sign of the L-M cone contrast also accounted for the two-way clustering of the spatially distributed neural responses in small regions of the macaque primary visual cortex, visualized with optical imaging. These small regions correspond to the hue maps, where our previous study found a spatially organized representation of stimulus hue. Altogether, these results establish a direct link between a universal constraint on color naming and the cone-specific information that is represented in the primate early visual system.
Real Time People Counting System with Wireless Network

- In this paper, we describe an automatic people-counting system based on a wireless sensor network at a mountain area. Several people-counting systems have been proposed separately. However, these systems are not suitable to a place such as the mountain area because of a few problems. In this paper, we develop a system which can count the number of visiting people and sense environment information to protect an ecosystem of the mountain area. For people-counting in the mountain area, our system uses two photo-beam sensors, a big rechargeable power and a solar power. Our people-counting method can automatically count the number of incoming and outgoing people at a special point in real time. Moreover, the environment sensors measure environment information at the mountain area, and constitute the wireless sensor network with photo-beam sensors. To establish this system in Korea Mountain, we did tests on the wireless communications range and the reliability of people counting. By the testing results, we found that the developed system is suitable within 200 meters for effective wireless communications in Korea Mountain. When the width of a path up a mountain is within 1.5m, the reliability of people-counting in our system is over 90%. The number of visiting people and the measured environment information are used to manage and control the mountain.
Altered Subcellular Distribution of Na+, K+-ATPase in Proximal Tubules in Young Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

During early development of hypertension, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) demonstrates increased proximal tubule sodium reabsorption. Our previous observations of reduced Na+, K+-ATPase catalytic α1 and γ subunit transcript abundance in SHR proximal tubule led us to test the hypothesis that increased proximal tubule sodium reabsorption may be attributable to altered subunit protein abundance, post-translational modification, or a shift in subcellular α1 and γ distribution toward the basolateral membrane. We now extend previous gene expression studies by analyzing total cellular α1 and γ protein abundance in proximal tubule from SHR compared with matched Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) controls. We also used sucrose density-gradient centrifugation to isolate basolateral, early, and late endosomal membrane–enriched fractions as well as cell surface biotinylation to test the hypothesis of altered subunit subcellular distribution in the SHR proximal tubule. At 4 weeks of age, significantly greater amounts of α1 were present in basolateral membrane–enriched fractions of SHR than WKY (21.1±1.8% versus 12.3±1.8%; P < 0.005), and there was a concomitant reduction of α1 in late endosomal membrane–enriched fractions of SHR (63.3±2.7% versus 74.8±4.3%; P < 0.05). This finding was confirmed in cell surface biotinylation studies that showed higher α1 (1.45±0.1-fold greater; P < 0.05) and γ-subunit (3.48±0.7-fold greater; P < 0.01) abundance in 4-week-old SHR proximal tubule plasma membrane compared with matched WKY samples. These studies support the hypothesis that development of hypertension in SHR may involve an altered subcellular distribution of proximal tubule Na+,K+-ATPase subunits.
Motor Energy Management based on Non-Intrusive Monitoring Technology and Wireless Sensor Networks

Induction motors are widely used in industry as essential driving machines. There are many motor driven systems in plants, such as pumping systems, compressed air systems, and fan systems, etc. These motor driven systems use over 70% of the total electric energy consumed by industry. Because of the oversized installation or under-loaded conditions, motors generally operate at low efficiency which results in wasted energy. To improve the motor energy usage in industry, motor energy management should be done. The motor energy management is based on the motor energy usage evaluation and condition monitoring. Over the years, many methods have been proposed. But these methods are too intrusive for in-service motor monitoring, because they need either expensive speed and/or torque transducers, or an accurate motor equivalent circuit. Nonintrusive methods should be developed. Another problem comes from the communication network. Energy usage evaluation and condition monitoring systems in industrial plants are usually implemented with wired communication networks. Because of the high cost of installation and maintenance of these cables, it is desired to look for a low-cost, robust, and reliable communication network. This paper presents a motor energy management system based on non-intrusive monitoring technologies and wireless sensor networks. In the following sections, some key technologies for motor energy management are discussed. At first, a three-layer system architecture is proposed to build a motor energy management system. And an in-service motor condition monitoring system based on non-intrusive monitoring technologies and wireless sensor networks is presented. Then wireless sensor networks and its application in motor energy management are discussed. The design and implementation of a WSN node are presented. Thirdly, non-intrusive motor current signature analysis technology is introduced to make motor energy usage evaluation. Applying the efficiency estimation method introduced, a front-end device used to monitor motors is developed. At last, the motor monitoring and energy management system is deployed in a laboratory and some tests are made to verify the design. The system is also applied in a plant to monitor four pumping motors. 4
The Spatial Distribution of the λ Orionis Pre-Main-Sequence Population

The λ Ori star-forming region presents a snapshot of a moderate-mass giant molecular cloud 1–2 Myr after cloud disruption by OB stars, with the OB stars, the low-mass stellar population, remnant molecular clouds, and the dispersed gas all still present. We have used optical photometry and multiobject spectroscopy for lithium absorption to identify 266 pre–main-sequence stars in 8 deg2 of the region. We also present new Strömgren photometry for the massive stars, from which we derive a distance of 450 pc and a turnoff age of 6–7 Myr. Using these parameters and pre–main-sequence evolutionary models, we map the star formation history of the low-mass stars. We find that low-mass star formation started throughout the region at about the same time as the birth of the massive stars, and thereafter the birth rate accelerated. Within the last 1–2 Myr star formation ceased in the center of the star-forming region, near the concentration of OB stars, while it continues in dark clouds 20 pc away. We suggest that a supernova 1–2 Myr ago destroyed the molecular cloud core from which the OB stars formed, but it did not terminate star formation in more distant reaches of the giant molecular cloud. We find no secure evidence for triggered or sequential star formation in the outer molecular clouds. The global star formation of the λ Ori region has generated the field initial mass function, but local star formation in subregions shows large deviations from the expected ratio of high- to low-mass stars.
Teenage pregnancies that end in abortion: what can they tell us about contraceptive risk-taking?

Background and methodology In 1999, the Government set the ambitious target of halving the number of under-18 conceptions by 2010. It is now clear that this target will not be met. Much media and policy attention has been paid to teenage mothers, and yet approximately 50% of teenage conceptions end in abortion not motherhood. In London, where the present research was based, the percentage is significantly higher. The research into teenage abortion and repeat abortion, though based in London, generated insights that could potentially help different areas reduce the number of under-18 conceptions ending in abortion. A qualitative research methodology was adopted and a wide range of interviews were conducted with young women, and professionals, in 10 London primary care trusts. Results Our analysis adds to a substantial body of qualitative research that points to the complexity of sexual decision-making for young women. Contraceptive risk-taking was evident as some young women spoke of the difficulties they experienced with user-dependent methods (primarily the condom and the pill) in often unplanned, sexual encounters. They were also generally poorly informed about different contraceptive methods. Misunderstandings about fertility also emerged as an important issue that can lead young women to draw the wrong conclusions if they do not become pregnant following unprotected sex. Conclusions Young people need improved access to, and informed understanding of, the full range of contraceptive methods available to them. In addition, efforts should be made to enable young women to have a better understanding of their own likely fertility.