Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel substrate integrated waveguide circular cavity bandpass filter loaded with complementary Split Ring Resonator

A novel substrate integrated waveguide bandpass filter with circular cavity is proposed in this paper. Two circular cavities based on Substrate Integrated Waveguide are connected via connect hole. The width of the hole can control the coupling between resonators. Two different complementary Split Ring Resonators are loaded at input and output feed line to produce transmission zeros and improve the characteristic of the stopband. All the design procedure are given and verified by the experimental results.
Changing incidence and outcome of infants with respiratory distress syndrome in the 1990s: a population‐based survey

Aim: To evaluate the trends in the incidence, clinical course and outcome of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the newborn in the Oulu University Hospital region in northern Finland. Methods: In the population of 58 990 infants, the incidence rates of RDS specific to gestational age and birthweight in two consecutive periods, 1990–95 and 1996–99, were calculated. Clinical course and other neonatal morbidities were reported. All surviving infants were followed up until 1 y of corrected age. Results: The overall incidence of RDS did not change significantly (8.7/1000 livebirths in 1990–95 vs 7.6 in 1996–99; p= 0.15), but the gestational age‐adjusted incidence decreased between the two consecutive periods (p= 0.005). The frequency of infants with gestational age below 28 wk tended to increase towards the late 1990s, while their RDS incidence remained unchanged. RDS‐related neonatal mortality decreased in parallel with neonatal mortality, accounting for 15% of all neonatal deaths. The duration of oxygen therapy shortened (8.0 vs 5.5 d) and the incidence of pneumothorax decreased (9.7 vs 4.1%), whereas the rate of chronic lung disease at 36 wk of postconceptional age (16.4 vs 16.7%) and at 1 y of corrected age (9.2 vs 8.2%) remained unchanged, as did also associated neurosensory morbidity (8.8 vs 9.5%).
Intermediated Surge Pricing

I study a market in which a profit-maximizing intermediary facilitates trade between buyers and sellers. The intermediary sets prices for buyers and sellers, and keeps the difference as her fee. Optimal prices increase with demand and, under plausible conditions, the optimal percent fee decreases with demand. However, if the intermediary keeps a constant percent fee regardless of demand, as is the case for some intermediaries, the price paid by buyers during high (low) demand increases (decreases) even further; that is, surge pricing is amplified.
C-Selection: A mechanism for structuring software agent conversation

This paper focuses on structuring a multi agent system's negotiation using C-Selection. It is a mechanism to facilitate the negotiation process that involves the combination of decision making, conversation protocol and communication language. The framework consists of components like negotiation parameters; negotiation phases; term distribution, interaction protocol and locution determination. Negotiation parameters are categorized as input to agents; negotiation phases are state transition of agents; term distribution relates to the agent communication language; interaction protocol concern rules for agent communication and locution determination involves locution determination and selection. Our negotiation phases consists of initialization, observation, planning, argumentation and conclusive. The planning receives incoming inputs from the observation phase as well as the argumentation phases in coming up with a decision. The planning component is based on the BDI architecture. Our BDI agent can communicate in a structure way from initialization phase, observation phase, argumentation phase and conclusive phase.
Fractals and Cosmological Large-Scale Structure

Observations of galaxy-galaxy and cluster-cluster correlations as well as other large-scale structure can be fit with a "limited" fractal with dimension D ≈ 1.2. This is not a "pure" fractal out to the horizon: the distribution shifts from power law to random behavior at some large scale. If the observed patterns and structures are formed through an aggregation growth process, the fractal dimension D can serve as an interesting constraint on the properties of the stochastic motion responsible for limiting the fractal structure. In particular, it is found that the observed fractal should have grown from two-dimensional sheetlike objects such as pancakes, domain walls, or string wakes. This result is generic and does not depend on the details of the growth process.
Quantification of nonlinear elastic constants using polynomials in quasi-incompressible soft solids

Early detection of pathological processes is crucial for the prognosis and treatment of patients, which can be facilitated through studying tissue biomechanical properties. Shear wave elastography is a technique to estimate the shear modulus of tissue. Such measurements quantify elasticity linearized around an immediate state of local stress condition, under applied nature of excitation. Stress-strain is known to be nonlinearly related in tissues, and the quantification of such nonlinearity may be utilized to facilitate diagnostic and image analytic approaches. In this work, we compare different methods for quantifying such nonlinear relationships, in particular the estimation of elasticity parameters, including third (A) and fourth (D) order nonlinear elastic constants, from measurements. We study the fitness and robustness in approximating these parameters, and compare those in terms of tissue differentiation, applied to ex-vivo liver and muscle tissues.
A fast routability-driven router for FPGAs

Three factors are driving the demand for rapid FPGA compilation. First, as FPGAs have grown in logic capacity, the compile computation has grown more quickly than the compute power of the available computers. Second, there exists a subset of users who are willing to pay for very high speed compile with a decrease in quality of result, and accordingly being required to use a larger FPGA or use more real-estate on a given FPGA than is otherwise necessary. Third, very high speed compile has been a long-standing desire of those using FPGA-based custom computing machines, as they want compile times at least closer to those of regular computers. This paper focuses on the routing phase of the compile process, and in particular on routability-driven routing (as opposed to timing-driven routing). We present a routing algorithm and routing tool that has three unique capabilities relating to very high-speed compile:For a “low stress” routing problem (which we define as the case where the track supply is at least 10% greater than the minimun number of tracks per channel actually needed to route a circuit) the routing time is very fast. For example, the routing phase (after the netlist is parsed and the routing graph is constructed) for a 20,000 LUT/FF pair circuit with 30% extra tracks is only 23 seconds on a 300 MHz Sparcstation. For low-stress routing problems the routing time is near-linear in the size of the circuit, and the linearity constant is very small: 1.1 ms per LUT/FF pair, or roughly 55,000 LUT/FF pairs per minute. For more difficult routing problems (where the track supply is close to the minimum needed) we provide a method that quickly identifies and subdivides this class into two sub-classes: (i) those circuits which are difficult (but possible) to route and will take significantly more time than low-stress problems, and (ii) those circuits which are impossible to route. In the first case the user can choose to continue or reduce the amount of logic; in the second case the user is forced to reduce the amount of logic or obtain a larger FPGA.
Lifelong robot-assisted mobility: Models, Tools, and Challenges

Increasing the autonomy of users with disabilities through robot-assisted mobility has the potential of facilitating their sensorimotor and social development, as well as reducing the burden of caring for such populations in both inpatient and outpatient settings. While techniques for task-specific assistance exist, they are largely focused on satisfying short-term goals, utilising stationary user models. For lifelong users and particularly for those with rapidly changing sensorimotor skills (for example very young children), adaptive models that take into consideration these developmental trajectories are becoming very important. In this paper, we present our approach to lifelong user models for robot-assisted mobility, and discuss existing models and tools, as well as challenges that remain ahead.
Maya: A Novel Block Encryption Function

We propose a novel methodology to design Block Cipher functions. This methodology is illustrated with the design of a specific block cipher function Maya. Our design philosophy is to derive the SBoxes themselves from the secret key. This makes breaking any round function equivalent to guessing all the key-bits. Advantages of our design include much larger key sizes in relation to the block size, an order of magnitude improvement in the hardware implementation efficiency together with the necessary resistance to cryptanalysis.
Satisfaction with surgery outcomes and the decision process in a population-based sample of women with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE To better understand medical decision making in the context of "preference sensitive care," we investigated factors associated with breast cancer patients' satisfaction with the type of surgery received and with the decision process. DATA SOURCES/DATA COLLECTION For a population-based sample of recently diagnosed breast cancer patients in the Detroit and Los Angeles metropolitan areas (N=1,633), demographic and clinical data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results tumor registry, and self-reported psychosocial and satisfaction data were obtained through a mailed survey (78.4 percent response rate). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional design in which multivariable logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with three satisfaction measures: low satisfaction with surgery type, low satisfaction with the decision process, and decision regret. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Overall, there were high levels of satisfaction with both surgery and the decision process, and low rates of decision regret. Ethnic minority women and those with low incomes were more likely to have low satisfaction or decision regret. In addition, the match between patient preferences regarding decision involvement and their actual level of involvement was a strong indicator of satisfaction and decision regret/ambivalence. While having less involvement than preferred was a significant indicator of low satisfaction and regret, having more involvement than preferred was also a risk factor. Women who received mastectomy without reconstruction were more likely to report low satisfaction with surgery (odds ratio [OR]=1.54, p<.05), low satisfaction with the process (OR=1.37, p<.05), and decision regret (OR=1.55, p<.05) compared with those receiving breast conserving surgery (BCS). An additional finding was that as patients' level of involvement in the decision process increased, the rate of mastectomy also increased (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS A significant proportion of breast cancer patients experience a decision process that matches their preferences for participation, and report satisfaction with both the process and the outcome. However, women who report more involvement in the decision process are significantly less likely to receive a lumpectomy. Thus, increasing patient involvement in the decision process will not necessarily increase use of BCS or lead to greater satisfaction. The most salient aspect for satisfaction with the decision making process is the match between patients' preferences and experiences regarding participation.
Topology control by controlling mobility for coverage in wireless sensor networks

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), the nodes mobility model determines the network functionality which strongly influences the network lifetime, coverage and the energy consumption as well. So, the mobility strategy choice is very important in several critical application areas. The present paper proposes a mobility model that respects the network coverage while efficiently managing the spent energy. This model uses a controlled placement of sensors (deterministic node deployment method) based on scanning grid in order to achieve the target sensing field coverage and the nodes connectivity.
Parental consanguinity as a cause of increased incidence of birth defects in a study of 131,760 consecutive births.

The risk for birth defects in the offspring of first cousin parents is substantially higher than in the offspring of non-consanguineous parents. As a general decline in the frequency of consanguineous marriages was observed in this century, one wonders whether consanguinity is still a factor in the appearance of birth defects in developed countries. Based on our registry of congenital anomalies, we think that the answer to this question is "yes. " In the population studied in Northeastern France, consanguineous matings were known in 1.08% of the cases with congenital anomalies, vs. 0.28% in controls (P < 0.001). The frequency of the malformations recorded paralleled the degree of consanguinity: out of 38 malformed children, 24 were seen in first cousin matings (10.5 times more frequent than in offspring of nonconsanguineous couples), 8 in second cousin marriages, and 6 in more distantly consanguineous matings. Consanguineous mothers were more often pregnant than nonconsanguineous mothers (P < 0.01) and they had more stillbirths than nonconsanguineous mothers. These results must be taken into account when counseling consanguineous couples.
Clinical pharmacokinetics of remoxipride

Abstract The clinical pharmacokinetics of remoxipride, a pure enantiomer, have been studied in healthy volunteers and patients. After oral administration the drug is rapidly and almost completely absorbed with a bioavailability above 90%. Thus remoxipride is a low clearance drug, with a systemic plasma clearance of about 120 ml/min, and without any first‐pass metabolism. The apparent volume of distribution is 0.7 1/kg, about 80% being bound to plasma proteins (mainly alphai‐acid glycoprotein). Remoxipride has a plasma half‐life in the range of 4–7 h and is eliminated by both hepatic metabolism and renal excretion. Slightly more than 70% of the dose is recovered as urinary metabolites and about 25% is excreted unchanged. Steady‐state plasma levels are reached within 2 days, and they increase linearly with doses up to 600 mg daily. There is no evidence that active metabolites of remoxipride are present in the blood. Decreased renal function is associated with increased levels of remoxipride, whereas moderate cirrhosis of the liver only slightly affects elimination. There are no pharmacokinetic interactions between remoxipride and diazepam, ethanol, biperiden, or warfarin.
Efficacy of methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities: a randomized crossover trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities respond differently to methylphenidate (MPH) compared with children with ADHD only. METHODS We conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, 2-week crossover trial of MPH, during which response to MPH was assessed. Learning ability was appraised using the Wide Range Achievement Test, Revised (WRAT-R), for English-speaking students and the Test de rendement pour francophones for French-speaking students. The study was conducted at the Douglas Hospital, a McGill University-affiliated teaching hospital in Montréal. Ninety-five children, aged 6-12 years, who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), criteria for ADHD participated in the study, which ran from 2001 to 2004. The outcome measure used was the Consensus Clinical Response, an indicator of the degree of clinical improvement shown when taking MPH. RESULTS The proportion of children with learning disabilities who responded to MPH (55%) was significantly smaller (chi(2)1 = 4.5, p = 0.034) than the proportion of children without learning disabilities who responded adequately to MPH (75%). This difference was mainly because of children with mathematics disability being particularly unresponsive to MPH (chi(2)1 = 4.5, p = 0.034). Children with reading disability did not show this pattern of poor response (chi(2)1 = 1.0, p = 0.33). CONCLUSION Children with ADHD and comorbid learning disability tended to respond more poorly to MPH. In particular, children with disability in mathematics responded less to MPH than those without disability in mathematics. Additional therapy may be indicated for this group of patients.
What should the genome-wide significance threshold be? Empirical replication of borderline genetic associations.

BACKGROUND Robust replication is a sine qua non for the rigorous documentation of proposed associations in the genome-wide association (GWA) setting. Currently, associations of common variants reaching P ≤ 5 × 10(-8) are considered replicated. However, there is some ambiguity about the most suitable threshold for claiming genome-wide significance. METHODS We defined as 'borderline' associations those with P > 5 × 10(-8) and P ≤ 1 × 10(-7). The eligible associations were retrieved using the 'Catalog of Published Genome-Wide Association Studies'. For each association we assessed whether it reached P ≤ 5 × 10(-8) with inclusion of additional data from subsequent GWA studies. RESULTS Thirty-four eligible genotype-phenotype associations were evaluated with data and clarifications contributed from diverse investigators. Replication data from subsequent GWA studies could be obtained for 26 of them. Of those, 19 associations (73%) reached P ≤ 5 × 10(-8) for the same or a related trait implicating either the exact same allele or one in very high linkage disequilibrium and 17 reached P < 10(-8). If the seven associations that did not reach P ≤ 5 × 10(-8) when additional data were considered are assumed to have been false-positives, the false-discovery rate for borderline associations is estimated to be 27% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12-48%]. For five associations, the current P-value is > 10(-6) [corresponding false-discovery rate 19% (95% CI 7-39%)]. CONCLUSION A substantial proportion, but not all, of the associations with borderline genome-wide significance represent replicable, possibly genuine associations. Our empirical evaluation suggests a possible relaxation in the current GWS threshold.
The inhibitory effects of hull polysaccharides and tannins of field beans (Vicia faba L.) on the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid and on digestive enzyme activities in young chicks

The effects of polysaccharides and tannins present in the hulls of field beans (Vicia faba L.) on the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid were studied in poultry. A control diet without hulls and the same diet substituted with 400 g hulls/kg diet from three different varieties of beans were fed to 3-week-old chicks for 4 d. Digestibility coefficients for amino acids, starch and lipid were calculated from measurements made of these nutrients in the diets and the freeze-dried excreta with the aid of titanium dioxide as a marker. Activities of trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4), α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), and lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) in digesta removed from the upper jejunum, sucrase (EC 3.2.1.48) in the gut mucosa from the upper jejunum, and α-amylase and lipase in the pancreas were measured. The hulls were analysed for their polysaccharide and tannin contents. Results showed that the hulls were mostly carbohydrate in composition, with cellulose the predominant polysaccharide. Tannins present in the hulls of two coloured-flowering varieties (Brunette and Minica) were of the condensed type. The diet with tannin-free hulls (white-flowering variety Medes) lowered slightly the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid compared with the control diet. This effect was believed to be due to inhibition of digestive enzymes, possibly through their adsorption onto the hulls. Diets with tannin-rich hulls (varieties Brunette and Minica) caused a large reduction in the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid compared with the control diet mainly due to inactivation of digestive enzymes by the formation of tannin–enzyme complexes in the digestive tract. Enzyme activities could be partially restored by the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone to the digesta. Tannins inactivated trypsin the most, α-amylase to a lesser extent and lipase the least and as a consequence lowered the digestion of amino acids the most, starch to a lesser extent and lipid the least. Tannins did not induce an increased pancreatic production of digestive enzymes, nor did they affect activity of jejunum mucosal sucrase. Condensed tannins from Brunette and Minica hulls were partially extractable in methanol alone, but required acidic methanol for fuller extraction. The vanillin: anthocyanidin ratio suggested that tannins were polymerized to the same degree in the Brunette and Minica varieties, both in the methanol and acidic methanol extracts. Hulls from the variety Minica contained a greater amount of methanol-extractable tannins, the quantity of remaining tannins that required acidic methanol for extraction being the same for both varieties.