Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multistage Amplifier Topologies with Nested-Compensation

This paper presents a multistage amplifier for low-voltage applications (<2 V). The amplifier consists of simple (noncascode) low gain stages and is stabilized using a nested transconductance-capacitance compensation (NGCC) scheme. The resulting topology is similar to the well known nested Miller compensation (NMC) multistage amplifier, except that the proposed topology contains extraGm feedforward stages which are used to enhance the amplifier performance. The NGCC simplifies the transfer function of the proposed multistage amplifier which, in turn, simplifies its stability conditions. A comparison between the NGCC and NMC shows that the NGCC has wider bandwidth and is easier to stabilize. A four-stage NGCC amplifier has been fabricated using a 2m CMOS process and is tested using a 1.0 V power supply. A dc gain of 100 dB has been measured. A gain bandwidth product of 1 MHz with 58 of phase margin and power of 1.4 mW can be achieved. The op amp occupies an active area of 0.22 mm 2. Step response shows that the op amp is stable.
Eye movements in action disorganization syndrome: A single case analysis

This study examines eye movements made by a patient with action disorganization syndrome (ADS) as everyday tasks are performed. Relative to both normal participants and control patients, the ADS patient showed normal time-locking of eye movements to the subsequent use of objects. However, there were proportionately more unrelated fixations, and more fixations concerned with locating objects irrelevant to the immediate action, compared with control participants. The data suggest a dissociation between normal eye movement patterns for control of visually guided actions such as reaching and grasping, and abnormal eye movements between object-related fixations. The implications for understanding ADS are discussed.
Qualitative route scene description using autonomous landmark detection

This paper introduces an approach to build a qualitative description of scenes along a route, which is used in route recognition by a mobile robot. The description consists of a series of landmarks autonomously selected by the robot from a panoramic view, which has been generated as a visual memory of scenes along routes. The basic idea to bridge the quantitative panoramic view to qualitative landmarks is to examine the 'distinctiveness' of patterns in the image and select landmarks from unique patterns that are remarkably by which to navigate. <<ETX>>
REX: Secure, Extensible Remote Execution

The ubiquitous SSH package has demonstrated the importance of secure remote login and execution. As remote execution tools grow in popularity, users require new features and extensions, which are difficult to add to existing systems. REX is a remote execution utility with a novel architecture specifically designed for extensibility as well as security and transparent connection persistence in the face of network complexities such as NAT and dynamic IP addresses. To achieve extensibility, REX bases much of its functionality on a single new abstraction--emulated file descriptor passing across machines. This abstraction is powerful enough for users to extend REX's functionality in many ways without changing the core software or protocol. REX addresses security in two ways. First, the implementation internally leverages file descriptor passing to split the server into several smaller programs, reducing both privileged and remotely exploitable code. Second, REX selectively delegates authority to processes running on remote machines that need to access other resources. The delegation mechanism lets users incrementally construct trust policies for remote machines. Finally, REX provides mechanisms for accessing servers without globally routable IP addresses, and for resuming sessions when a TCP connection aborts or an endpoint's IP address changes. Measurements of the system demonstrate that REX's architecture does not come at the cost of performance.
Application of Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Ergonomics and Human Factors: A Discussion Panel

This panel presents near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) theory and its principles, and applicability of NIRS on a variety of muscle and cerebral regions during activities that demand considerable physical and mental effort. Five presentations will cover: (1) theoretical basis of NIRS; (2) NIRS-derived hemodynamic measurements in shoulder muscles during repetitive tasks; (3) development of NIRS for use in evaluating long term standing fatigue; (4) monitoring training-related changes in prefrontal cortex activation with functional NIRS; and (5) simultaneous evaluation of physical and mental work.
Whose social economy? Debating new state practices in Qu¥ebec

Despite the pressures of globalization, states remain relevant and maintain significant social policy capacities. Fulfilling these capacities has required innovation, with states increasingly acting on a local scale and seeking to leverage other actors’ resources to meet their ends. The study of the state–community interface in the construction of the social economy in QuÈbec highlights that the renewed state remains as much an object of social struggle as before. The question for communities in QuÈbec, as elsewhere, is whether they can organize to advance democracy, or whether they will be harnessed to underwrite national accumulation strategies.
Assessment of Young Learners' Achievement in ESL Classes in the Lebanon

This paper discusses student evaluation policies and practices that should go hand in hand with the new Lebanese English language curriculum that was introduced in 1997. The focus of the paper is on new methods and techniques of assessment in pre-school and elementary school classes. The main argument in the paper is that the evaluation of the achievement of young learners in ESL classes has to reflect the objectives of the curriculum and its suggested methods of teaching. As the curriculum has adopted a thematic content-based approach whose major features are integration of language and content as well as language skill integration, the traditional paper and pencil tests cannot cover the great variety of activities and performance tasks that take place in the elementary ESL classroom. Therefore, this paper considers alternative forms of assessment, mainly performance-based assessment and portfolios, which, in congruence with the principles and dynamics of the new curriculum, treat assessment as an integral part of teaching culminating in formative rather than summative evaluation.
Contributions from mood research

In this article definitions of mood and the behavioral effects of negative moods are reviewed and scrutinized. This is an important task for two reasons. First, in prior studies, consumer researchers have treated concepts such as affect, mood, feeling, and emotion vaguely and arbitrarily. This has resulted in confusion regarding the substance of mood. In an attempt to dispel a part of this confusion, this article offers a conceptual analysis of mood. Second, a large part of prior consumer behavior- and advertising-related mood research has addressed the relation between mood and mental constructs. The relation between mood and actual consumer behaviors is a more neglected research area. The behavioral effects of negative moods are an especially interesting phenomenon, because past studies have produced mixed and contradictory results. Thus, to offer novel insights, the key conclusion of the conceptual analysis of mood is harnessed to explain the inconsistent findings regarding the negative mood–(consumer) behavior relation. Another theoretical contribution is the provision of starting points for conceptualizing mood-alleviative consumer behavior. Suggestions for future research are also briefly outlined in the concluding section of this article. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Young children's understanding of division: The relationship between division terms in a noncomputational task.

The authors investigated development of the concept of division in young children. Experiment 1 examined whether children who can share are able to understand the inverse divisor-quotient relationship in partitive division tasks when asked to judge the relative size of 2 shared sets. Experiment 2 investigated whether young children understand the same inverse relation in quotitive tasks in which they were asked to judge the relative number of sets to be formed. The ability to compare share-outs and to take into account the inverse divisor-quotient relationship was present in approximately half of the 6-year-olds; age improvements were significant between 5 and 7 years. Partitive tasks, which are more similar to sharing, were easier than quotitive tasks, which seem to involve the coordination between sharing and part-whole concepts. This is evidence that children's initial understanding of division might be based on the action schema of sharing.
Relationship between Afferent and Central Temporal Patterns in the Locust Olfactory System

Odors evoke synchronized oscillations and slow temporal patterns in antennal lobe neurons and fast oscillations in the mushroom body local field potential (LFP) of the locust. What is the contribution of primary afferents in the generation of these dynamics? We addressed this question in two ways. First, we recorded odor-evoked afferent activity in both isolated antennae and intact preparations. Odor-evoked population activity in the antenna and the antennal nerve consisted of a slow potential deflection, similar for many odors. This deflection contained neither oscillatory nor odor-specific slow temporal patterns, whereas simultaneously recorded mushroom body LFPs exhibited clear 20–30 Hz oscillations. This suggests that the temporal patterning of antennal lobe and mushroom body neurons is generated downstream of the olfactory receptor axons. Second, we electrically stimulated arrays of primary afferents in vivo. A brief shock to the antennal nerve produced compound PSPs in antennal lobe projection neurons, with two peaks at an ∼50 msec interval. Prolonged afferent stimulation with step, ramp, or slow sine-shaped voltage waveforms evoked sustained 20–30 Hz oscillations in projection neuron membrane potential and in the mushroom body LFP. Projection neuron and mushroom body oscillations were phase-locked and reliable across trials. Synchronization of projection neurons was seen directly in paired intracellular recordings. Pressure injection of picrotoxin into the antennal lobe eliminated the oscillations evoked by electrical stimulation. Different projection neurons could express different temporal patterns in response to the same electrical stimulus, as seen for odor-evoked responses. Conversely, individual projection neurons could express different temporal patterns of activity in response to step stimulation of different spatial arrays of olfactory afferents. These patterns were reliable and remained distinct across different stimulus intensities. We conclude that oscillatory synchronization of olfactory neurons originates in the antennal lobe and that slow temporal patterns in projection neurons can arise in the absence of temporal patterning of the afferent input.
Personality and personality disorders among patients with major depression in combination with dysthymic or cyclothymic disorders *

ABSTRACT– Personality traits and personality disorders in 298 consecutive outpatients with pure major depression, major depression with dysthymic or cyclothymic disorder, pure dysthymic or cyclothymic disorder and other disorders were investigated. Patients with dysthymic or cyclothymic disorder alone or in combination with major depression showed more self‐doubt, insecurity, sensitivity, compliance, rigidity and emotional instability. They were more schizoid, schizotypal, borderline and avoidant according to MCMI and had a higher prevalence of DSM‐III Axis II diagnoses, and more borderline, avoidant, and passive‐aggressive personality disorders, as measured by SIDP. All in all, dramatic and anxious clusters of personality disorders were more frequent among patients with dysthymic‐cyclothymic disorders in addition to major depression than among patients with major depression only. The findings elucidated the close connection between the more chronic affective disorders and the personality disorders, irrespective of any concomitant diagnosis of major depression.
Community Evolution in Dynamic Social Networks -- Challenges and Problems

Information networks that describe the relationship between individuals are called social networks and are usually modeled by a graph structure. Social network analysis is the study of these information networks which leads to uncover patterns of interaction among the entities. Most social networks are dynamic, and studying the evolution of these networks over time could provide insight into the changes that occurred in the iteration patterns and also the future trends of the networks. Furthermore, in a dynamic scenario, communities, which are groups of densely interconnected nodes, are affected by changes in the underlying population. The analysis of communities and their evolutions can help determine the characteristics and structural properties of the network. Here, we provide a brief overview of the existing research in the area of dynamic social network analysis, their limitations, and the challenges that are exists for further analysis.
Efficient implementation of a cubic-convolution based image scaling engine

In video applications, real-time image scaling techniques are often required. In this paper, an efficient implementation of a scaling engine based on 4×4 cubic convolution is proposed. The cubic convolution has a better performance than other traditional interpolation kernels and can also be realized on hardware. The engine is designed to perform arbitrary scaling ratios with an image resolution smaller than 2560×1920 pixels and can scale up or down, in horizontal or vertical direction. It is composed of four functional units and five line buffers, which makes it more competitive than conventional architectures. A strict fixed-point strategy is applied to minimize the quantization errors of hardware realization. Experimental results show that the engine provides a better image quality and a comparatively lower hardware cost than reference implementations.
Multiple interactions and the structure of beam remnants

Recent experimental data have established some of the basic features of multiple interactions in hadron-hadron collisions. The emphasis is therefore now shifting, to one of exploring more detailed aspects. Starting from a brief review of the current situation, a next-generation model is developed, wherein a detailed account is given of correlated flavour, colour, longitudinal and transverse momentum distributions, encompassing both the partons initiating perturbative interactions and the partons left in the beam remnants. Some of the main features are illustrated for the Tevatron and the LHC.
Dynamics of brain structure and cognitive function in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative

Background On average, cognition declines as people age, but improvement can also occur. Objective To evaluate the dynamics of age-related changes in brain structure and cognitive function in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy control (HC) older adults. Methods High-resolution 3-Tesla MRI and clinical data were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative in 187 subjects (a cohort aged 55–91 years; AD=43, MCI=84, HC=60). At 24 months, 151 people had clinical and 128 had MRI follow-up. Brain structure was assessed using the Medial Temporal Atrophy Scale (MTAS) and the Brain Atrophy and Lesion Index (BALI). Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog). Responsiveness was tested. Changes were analysed using a multistate dynamic model, adjusted for age, gender, ApoE4 genotype and vascular risk factors. Results Over 2 years, decline in brain structure and cognition predominated, each showing detectable effect sizes (Cohen's d=0.33 for MTAS, 0.32 for BALI, 0.41 for MMSE, 0.38 for ADAS-cog; standard response mean=0.71, 0.69, 0.50 and 0.47, respectively). Structural improvement was observed (10.2% in BALI and 0.8% in MTAS), as was cognitive improvement (23.2% MMSE, 27.2% ADAS-cog). Most people (66.7%) whose BALI score improved also improved in either the MMSE or ADAS-cog. No patient with MCI whose MTAS or BALI improved converted to AD. Conclusions Despite average decline in brain structure, improvement was observed and related to cognition and MCI–AD conversion. Ageing-related brain changes reflect a dynamic process.
Bidirectional Modulation of Transmitter Release by Calcium Channel/Syntaxin Interactions In Vivo

Protein interactions within the active zone of the nerve terminal are critical for regulation of transmitter release. The SNARE protein syntaxin 1A, primarily known for important interactions that control vesicle fusion, also interacts with presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels. Based on recordings of calcium channel function in vitro, it has been hypothesized that syntaxin 1A–calcium channel interactions could alter calcium channel function at synapses. However, results at synapses in vitro suggest two potentially opposing roles: enhancement of neurotransmitter release by positioning docked vesicles near calcium channels and inhibition of calcium channel function by interaction with SNARE proteins. We have examined the possibility that these two effects of syntaxin can occur at synapses by studying the effects on transmitter release of manipulating syntaxin 1A–calcium channel interactions at Xenopus tadpole tail neuromuscular synapses in vivo. Introduction of synprint peptides, which competitively perturb syntaxin 1A–calcium channel interactions, decreased quantal content at these synapses and increased paired-pulse and tetanic facilitation. In contrast, injecting mRNA for mutant (A240V, V244A) syntaxin 1A, which reduces calcium channel modulation but not binding in vitro, increased quantal content and decreased paired-pulse and tetanic facilitation. Injection of wild-type syntaxin 1A mRNA had no effect. The opposing effects of synprint peptides and mutant syntaxin 1A provide in vivo support for the hypothesis that these interactions serve both to colocalize calcium channels with the release machinery and to modulate the functional state of the calcium channel. As such, these two effects of syntaxin on calcium channels modulate transmitter release in a bidirectional manner.
Ranking Practices and Distinction in League of Legends

Player ranking is a common feature of competitive online games, but little research work has closely examined the ways it mediates player practices within this game genre. In this paper, we present a qualitative study of player practices around ranking in League of Legends (LoL), published by Riot Games and currently one of the most popular eSports games. We found that ranking is a cornerstone of LoL's competitive gaming practices, shaping the ways players distinguished and narrated their game experiences, thus engendering a culture of collaboration and competition through distinction.
Postcolonial Bombay: Decline of a Cosmopolitanism City?

Discussions of cosmopolitanism in Bombay often focus on the rubrics of communal tension, tolerance, and violence, and frequently report the decline of a once cosmopolitan city, especially as a result of the communal riots and bombings that occurred in the early 1990s. However, claims that the city has undergone a general social transformation since the 1990s need to be tempered by the multiple forms of cosmopolitan imaginations and practices that exist in the city. There is a wide variety of alternative cosmopolitan formations—not all of them progressive—reflected in civil society organizations and lifestyle changes for different groups, and often vividly reflected in film. This paper will chart two examples of contemporary cosmopolitanism. The first part of the paper explores the cautious optimism of film in the promise of cosmopolitan Bombay during the early years of Independence, before briefly discussing how cinema later attempted to reflect the destabilizing of the postcolonial vision of urban national development. The second part of the paper begins with discussion of the contemporary cinematic portrayal of elite-oriented global cosmopolitan modernity, and then contrasts this with a different form of global cosmopolitan modernity articulated through the work of the Slum/Shack Dwellers International network. This discussion conceives of cosmopolitanism as social, marking a counterpoint to the tendency in discourses of liberal cosmopolitanism that emphasizes the agency of the globally aware individual. Methodologically, the paper seeks to demonstrate that relating often analytically separate realms such as film and civil society can provide a wider politicocultural lens through which to examine urban change.
The duration of pre-ovulatory serum progesterone elevation before hCG administration affects the outcome of IVF/ICSI cycles.

STUDY QUESTION During controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), does the duration of premature serum progesterone (P) elevation before administration of hCG affect the outcomes of IVF/ICSI embryo transfer (-ET) cycles? SUMMARY ANSWER The duration of the premature serum P elevation is inversely related to the clinical pregnancy rate of IVF/ICSI-ET cycles. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS The majority of the previous studies only considered a single serum P measurement made on the day of hCG administration and the results of attempts to relate this to IVF/ICSI-ET outcomes were controversial. However, the effect of the duration of premature serum P elevation before the hCG administration on the outcomes of IVF/ICSI-ET cycles has not been studied well. Here we demonstrate that the duration of premature serum P elevation has a more significant inverse correlation than the absolute serum P concentration on the day of hCG administration with IVF/ICSI-ET outcomes. DESIGN It is a retrospective, single-centre cohort study. A total of 1784 IVF and/or ICSI-ET cycles were included from October 2005 to June 2011. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING A total of 1784 patients underwent their IVF and/or ICSI-ET cycles in a university hospital IVF unit. The inclusion criteria include (i) age between 20 and 42 years and (ii) eligible indications for COS before IVF/ICSI. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The duration of premature serum P elevation to >1 ng/ml is significantly inversely associated with the probability of clinical pregnancy (odds ratio = 0.773, 95% confidence interval: 0.660-0.891, P < 0.001), after adjustment for possible confounders with multivariate logistic regression analysis. However, the significance of inverse correlation between the absolute serum P concentration on the day of hCG administration with clinical pregnancy rate decreased after adjustment. BIAS, CONFOUNDING AND OTHER REASONS FOR CAUTION The cutoff value we chose to define premature serum P elevation (P > 1.0 ng/ml) might not be able to be applied to different immunoassay kits and study population. The retrospective nature of this study inevitably might be influenced by some selection bias. GENERALIZABILITY TO OTHER POPULATIONS Older patients (>42 years) are excluded from our study.