Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal stresses in multilevel interconnections: Aluminum lines at different levels

Numerical results on the evolution of thermal stresses in multilevel interconnects are presented. Two levels of aluminum lines with an aspect ratio of unity, aligned vertically or arranged in a staggered manner, are considered by recourse to the finite element analysis. The stresses are found to be significantly higher in the lower-level lines than in the upper-level lines, for both the aligned and staggered arrangements. The stress magnitudes are generally smaller in lines of staggered arrangement, compared to the case of aligned lines. Implications of the present findings are discussed, with directions of future studies highlighted.
Dutch Translation and Psychometric Testing of the 9-Item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) and Shared Decision Making Questionnaire-Physician Version (SDM-Q-Doc) in Primary and Secondary Care

Purpose The SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc measure patient and physician perception of the extent of shared decision making (SDM) during a physician-patient consultation. So far, no self-report instrument for SDM was available in Dutch, and validation of the scales in other languages has been limited. The aim of this study was to translate both scales into Dutch and assess their psychometric characteristics. Methods Participants were patients and their treating physicians (general practitioners and medical specialists). Patients (N = 182) rated their consultation using the SDM-Q-9, 43 physicians rated their consultations using the SDM-Q-Doc (N = 201). Acceptability, reliability (internal consistency), and the factorial structure of the instruments were determined. For convergent validity the CPSpost was used. Results Reliabilities of both scales were high (alpha SDM-Q-9 0.88; SDM-Q-Doc 0.87). The SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc total scores correlated as expected with the CPSpost (SDM-Q-9: r = 0.29; SDM-Q-Doc: r = 0.48) and were significantly different between the CPSpost categories, with lowest mean scores when the physician made the decision alone. Principal Component Analyses showed a two-component model for each scale. A confirmatory factor analysis yielded a mediocre, but acceptable, one-factor model, if Item 1 was excluded; for both scales the best indices of fit were obtained for a one-factor solution, if both Items 1 and 9 were excluded. Conclusion The Dutch SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc demonstrate good acceptance and reliability; they correlated as expected with the CPSpost and are suitable for use in Dutch primary and specialised care. Although the best model fit was found when excluding Items 1 and 9, we believe these items address important aspects of SDM. Therefore, also based on the coherence with theory and comparability with other studies, we suggest keeping all nine items of the scale. Further research on the SDM-concept in patients and physicians, in different clinical settings and different countries, is necessary to gain a better understanding of the SDM-construct and its measurement.
Ethnic density of neighborhoods and incidence of psychotic disorders among immigrants.

OBJECTIVE A high incidence of psychotic disorders has been reported in immigrant ethnic groups in Western Europe. Some studies suggest that ethnic density may influence the incidence of schizophrenia. The authors investigated whether this increased incidence among immigrants depends on the ethnic density of the neighborhoods in which they live. METHOD This was a prospective first-contact incidence study of psychotic disorders in The Hague, by ethnicity and neighborhood of residence. Over a 7-year period, individuals who made contact with a physician for a suspected psychotic disorder underwent diagnostic interviews and received DSM-IV diagnoses. A comprehensive municipal registration system provided the denominator for incidence rates. Data were sufficient to examine incidence rates in native Dutch and in first- and second-generation immigrants from Morocco, Suriname, and Turkey. The ethnic density of a neighborhood was computed for each immigrant group as the proportion of residents belonging to that group. Multilevel regression analyses predicted the incidence of psychotic disorders as a function of individual ethnicity and neighborhood ethnic density. Models were fitted for all immigrants together and for each immigrant group separately. RESULTS A total of 226 native Dutch and 240 immigrants were diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder. Compared with native Dutch, the adjusted incidence rate ratio for immigrants was significantly increased in low-ethnic-density neighborhoods (2.36) but not in high-ethnic-density neighborhoods (1.25). There was a strong interaction between individual ethnicity and neighborhood ethnic density as predictors of incidence of illness. These findings were consistent across all immigrant groups. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of psychotic disorders was elevated most significantly among immigrants living in neighborhoods where their own ethnic group comprised a small proportion of the population.
Climatic impacts of fresh water hosing under Last Glacial Maximum conditions: a multi-model study

Fresh water hosing simulations, in which a fresh water flux is imposed in the North Atlantic to force fluctuations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, have been routinely performed, first to study the climatic signature of different states of this circulation, then, under present or future conditions, to investigate the potential impact of a partial melting of the Greenland ice sheet. The most compelling examples of climatic changes potentially related to AMOC abrupt variations, however, are found in high resolution palaeo-records from around the globe for the last glacial period. To study those more specifically, more and more fresh water hosing experiments have been performed under glacial conditions in the recent years. Here we compare an ensemble constituted by 11 such simulations run with 6 different climate models. All simulations follow a slightly different design, but are sufficiently close in their design to be compared. They all study the impact of a fresh water hosing imposed in the extra-tropical North Atlantic. Common features in the model responses to hosing are the cooling over the North Atlantic, extending along the sub-tropical gyre in the tropical North Atlantic, the southward shift of the Atlantic ITCZ and the weakening of the African and Indian monsoons. On the other hand, the expression of the bipolar see-saw, i.e., warming in the Southern Hemisphere, differs from model to model, with some restricting it to the South Atlantic and specific regions of the southern ocean while others simulate a widespread southern ocean warming. The relationships between the features common to most models, i.e., climate changes over the north and tropical Atlantic, African and Asian monsoon regions, are further quantified. These suggest a tight correlation between the temperature and precipitation changes over the extra-tropical North Atlantic, but different pathways for the teleconnections between the AMOC/North Atlantic region and the African and Indian monsoon regions.
Liquid and solid-state Cl- -sensitive microelectrodes. Characteristics and application to intracellular Cl- activity in Balanus photoreceptor

When intracellular chloride activity (aiCl) was monitored with chloride- sensitive liquid ion exchanges (CLIX) microelectrodes in Balanus photoreceptors, replacement of extracellular chloride (Cl0) by methanesulfonate or glutamate was followed by a rapid but incomplete loss of aiCl. When propionate was used as the extracellular anion substitute, CLIX electrodes detected an apparent gain in aiCl, while a newly designed Ag-AgCl wire-in glass microelectrode showed a loss of aiCl under the same conditions. This discrepancy in Cl- washout when propionate replaced Cl0 is explained by the differences in selectivity of CLIX and Ag-AgCl electrodes for native intracellular anions and for the extracellular anion substitute which also replaces Cli and interferes in the determination of aiCl. Both electrodes indicate that ECl approximately Em when the cells are bathed in normal barnacle saline, and both electrodes showed the rate of Cl washout (tau approximately 5 min) to be independent of Cli when Cl0 was replaced by glutamate. Details of Ag-AgCl microelectrode construction are presented. These electrodes were tested and found to be insensitive to the organic anion substitutes used in this study. Selectivity data of CLIX electrodes for several anions of biological interest are described.
Towards hardware-friendly retinex algorithms

Retinex theory was among the first to introduce a model for simultaneous brightness adjustment and removal of illumination influence on image colors by supposedly emulating some aspects of the human visual system's behaviour. The main idea of most Retinex methods is to readjust color channel values of individual pixels with respect to their local white references. Recently the Smart Light Random Memory Sprays Retinex (SLRMSR) method with a O(1) per-pixel complexity was proposed. Although theoretically fast, like with many other Retinex methods, the problem is that its local pixel sampling scheme and some of its local maximum calculation structures common to other Retinex methods as well are not particularly hardware-friendly. In this paper a reduced sampling scheme and an approximated local maxima calculation are proposed and included into a modified SLRMSR. While the resulting images are visually very similar to the ones obtained by the original SLRMSR, the modified SLRMSR is structurally simpler and more hardware friendly. The results are presented and discussed.
Reactive oxygen species-dependent Toll/NF-κB activation in the Drosophila hematopoietic niche confers resistance to wasp parasitism

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in the adult mammalian bone marrow ensure blood cell renewal. Their cellular microenvironment, called ‘niche’, regulates hematopoiesis both under homeostatic and immune stress conditions. In the Drosophila hematopoietic organ, the lymph gland, the posterior signaling center (PSC) acts as a niche to regulate the hematopoietic response to immune stress such as wasp parasitism. This response relies on the differentiation of lamellocytes, a cryptic cell type, dedicated to pathogen encapsulation and killing. Here, we establish that Toll/NF-κB pathway activation in the PSC in response to wasp parasitism non-cell autonomously induces the lymph gland immune response. Our data further establish a regulatory network where co-activation of Toll/NF-κB and EGFR signaling by ROS levels in the PSC/niche controls lymph gland hematopoiesis under parasitism. Whether a similar regulatory network operates in mammals to control emergency hematopoiesis is an open question.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT , CAPITAL FORMATION AND LABOUR COSTS : EVIDENCE FROM BRITAIN AND GERMANY

This paper argues that the liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI) has made labour costs more important to domestic investment and long-run labour demand. It provides evidence from British and German data that is consistent with this view. First, high unit labour costs increase FDI outflows and lower FDI inflows. Second, the effect of unit labour costs on domestic manufacturing investment was more negative in the high-FDI 1980s than in the low-FDI 1970s, and this change was concentrated in high-FDI industries. The implied effect on longrun labour demand is substantial. This paper was produced as part of the Centre’s Programme on International Economic Performance Published by Centre for Economic Performance London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE
Surfactant Administration via Thin Catheter during Spontaneous Breathing: Randomized Controlled Trial in Alzahra hospital

Introduction Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a current cause of morbidity in premature infants resulted from surfactant deficiency. The primary aim of this randomized study was to describe the feasibility of early administration of surfactant via a thin catheter during spontaneous breathing (TEC) and compare its outcomes with the InSurE (Intubate, Surfactant, Extubate) procedure Materials and Methods Premature infants with RDS, who were ≤ 32 weeks old and stabilized with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP), were randomized to receive surfactant either by the TEC or InSurE technique. Tracheal instillation of 200 mg/kg Curosorf via 5-F catheter during spontaneous breathing under nCPAP was performed in the intervention group (n=38). In the InSurE group (n=40), infants were intubated, received positive pressure ventilation for 30 seconds after surfactant instillation, and placed on nCPAP immediately Results Necrotizing enterocolitis rate was significantly lower in TEC group, than InSurE group, [p<0.02, RR=0.49, CI=%95(0.39_0.62)]. But rate of other morbidities did not significant difference between two groups. Although Mechanical ventilation duration did not significant different between two groups (p=0.2), but Total CPAP duration was shorter in TEC group, significantly [P<0.01, RR=8.2, CI=%95 (-37.9_-4.8)]. Need for O2 supplement and mean of total hospital duration was also lower in TEC group, but was not significant, statistically Conclusion The TEC technique is feasible for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in infants with very low birth weight and decreases total nCPAP duration, significantly. But Judgment of substitution TEC instead of InSurE as a routine technique need to more studies.
Mitochondrial Distribution and ATP Content of Vitrified, In vitro Matured Mouse Oocytes

Background The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vitrification and in vitro maturation on the mitochondrial distribution and ATP content of oocytes. Methods The oocytes at Germinal Vesicle (GV) and Metaphase II (MII) stages were recovered from 6-8 week old NMRI strain female mice. The oocytes were divided into vitrified and non-vitrified groups. Vitrification was done by the cryotop method using ethylene glycol, dimethylsulfoxide and sucrose as cryoprotectants. The GV oocytes were cultured in maturation medium for 24 hrs. The collected in vitro matured oocytes (IVM-MII) and ovulated metaphase II (OV-MII) oocytes were inseminated with capacitated sperm. The ATP content of the oocytes was measured by luciferin-luciferase reaction. Distribution of oocyte mitochondria was studied using Mito Tracker Green staining under fluorescent microscope. Results The survival rates of vitrified oocytes at GV and MII stages were 87.39 and 89.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the developmental and hatching rates of vitrified and non-vitrified oocytes. The ATP content of GV and MII oocytes derived from in vivo and in vitro condition was not significantly different in vitrified and non-vitrified samples. The pattern of mitochondrial distribution in vitrified and non-vitrified GV and MII oocytes was similar but it was different between MII oocytes collected from fallopian tube and in vitro matured MII oocytes. However, the florescent intensity of mitochondrial staining was different in all the groups in the study. Conclusion Vitrification did not affect mouse oocyte developmental competence, ATP content at different developmental stages but some alteration was seen in mitochondria distribution of in vitro matured oocytes in comparison to their controls.
Comparison of continuous brachial plexus infusion of butorphanol, mepivacaine and mepivacaine-butorphanol mixtures for postoperative analgesia.

We have reported recently that continuous administration of butorphanol into the brachial plexus sheath provided analgesia of a quality superior to that of continuous i.v. administration. In the present study, we have compared postoperative pain relief produced by continuous infusion of one of three types of solution into the axillary sheath: opioid alone, local anaesthetic alone or a mixture of local anaesthetic and opioid. In patients undergoing upper extremity surgery with continuous axillary brachial plexus block, we injected one of the three solutions into the axillary neurovascular sheath: butorphanol 2 mg (group B), 0.5% mepivacaine alone (group M) and 0.5% mepivacaine-butorphanol (group MB); the volume of each solution was 50 ml, administered at a rate of 50 ml per 24 h. At 3 h after operation, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were significantly higher in group M than in group MB (P < 0.01), and higher in group B than in group MB (P < 0.05).
Vibration Reduction of Inductors Under Magnetostrictive and Maxwell Forces Excitation

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of vibrations in U-shaped (two-limb) inductors with distributed air gaps due to both Maxwell and magnetostriction forces. A weak 2-D magnetomechanical finite-element model (FEM), including magnetostrictive tensor, is developed under the GetDP open-source simulation environment. A simple analytical model of the reactor core vibration under magnetic forces is established and validated using the FEM model. The resonance effect of magnetostriction and Maxwell forces on the inductor structure is analyzed, and a sensitivity analysis is run on some of the inductor geometrical parameters. An example of inductor is presented, and a methodology to reduce vertical vibrations under magnetic force excitation is proposed by opposing the magnetostrictive and Maxwell forces. This technique is validated using both the analytical and the FEM models.
Contractile properties of small arterial resistance vessels in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

The small arteries play an important functional role in establishing the increased peripheral resistance found in essential hypertension. This paper concerns the direct measurement of the intrinsic mechanical and contractile properites of two categories of small arterial resistance vessels in the mesenteric bed of 5-month-old normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The vessels had mean internal diameters of 246 fim and 153 /*m when relaxed at 100 mm Hg effective transmural pressure. Segments (1 mm) were mounted in such a way that internal circumference could be controlled and the circumferential wall tension (T) measured. After mounting, each vessel was maximally activated (by K* depolarization at 37°C in the presence of 5 mM Ca) at an internal circumference for which AT was approximately maximal, where AT = Tactlve Trelaxed. From the average values of AT measured we have estimated (on the basis of Laplace's equation) that the SHR vessel would average values of AT measured we have estimated (on the basis of Laplace's equation) that the SHR vessels would have been able to contract against 34% greater pressures than the WKY vessels (P < 0.001). Optical measurements of the dimensions of these vessels showed a 23% greater wall thickness in the SHR vessels (P < 0.02). There were no significant differences in the calculated active wall stresses of the SHR and WKY vessels; this suggests that the greater contractility found in the SHR vessels may be due to their having a greater smooth muscle cell content. These vessel measurements have been examined as well as the rats' blood pressures and heart to body weight ratios. The comparison points to the possibility that the disturbance to the cardiovascular regulatory system which results in hypertension produces similar cellular responses in both the myocardium and the peripheral vasculature.
Evolutionary and Structural Features of the C2, V3 and C3 Envelope Regions Underlying the Differences in HIV-1 and HIV-2 Biology and Infection

Background Unlike in HIV-1 infection, the majority of HIV-2 patients produce broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies, control viral replication and survive as elite controllers. The identification of the molecular, structural and evolutionary footprints underlying these very distinct immunological and clinical outcomes may lead to the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of HIV infection. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a side-by-side molecular, evolutionary and structural comparison of the C2, V3 and C3 envelope regions from HIV-1 and HIV-2. These regions contain major antigenic targets and are important for receptor binding. In HIV-2, these regions also have immune modulatory properties. We found that these regions are significantly more variable in HIV-1 than in HIV-2. Within each virus, C3 is the most entropic region followed by either C2 (HIV-2) or V3 (HIV-1). The C3 region is well exposed in the HIV-2 envelope and is under strong diversifying selection suggesting that, like in HIV-1, it may harbour neutralizing epitopes. Notably, however, extreme diversification of C2 and C3 seems to be deleterious for HIV-2 and prevent its transmission. Computer modelling simulations showed that in HIV-2 the V3 loop is much less exposed than C2 and C3 and has a retractile conformation due to a physical interaction with both C2 and C3. The concealed and conserved nature of V3 in the HIV-2 is consistent with its lack of immunodominancy in vivo and with its role in preventing immune activation. In contrast, HIV-1 had an extended and accessible V3 loop that is consistent with its immunodominant and neutralizing nature. Conclusions/Significance We identify significant structural and functional constrains to the diversification and evolution of C2, V3 and C3 in the HIV-2 envelope but not in HIV-1. These studies highlight fundamental differences in the biology and infection of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and in their mode of interaction with the human immune system and may inform new vaccine and therapeutic interventions against these viruses.
Exploiting Short-Run Predictability

This paper measures the utility gains from exploiting short-run predictability in stock returns in the presence of transaction costs, short-selling constraints and parameter uncertainty. We consider predictability in both the risk premium and the volatility of stock returns. The utility gains from exploiting predictability in the risk premium are quite small once we take into account transaction costs or short-selling constraints. Furthermore, they quickly vanish as we consider small deviations from the estimated parameter values or from the data generating process itself. The case in favor of volatility timing is stronger. In the presence of frictions the corresponding utility gains are actually larger and they are also fairly robust to structural uncertainty.
Localized control of oxidized RNA

Abstract The oxidation of biological molecules by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can render them inactive or toxic. This includes the oxidation of RNA, which appears to underlie the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, aging and certain neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigate the management of oxidized RNA in the chloroplast of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Our immunofluorescence microscopy results reveal that oxidized RNA (with 8-hydroxyguanine) is localized in the pyrenoid, a chloroplast microcompartment where CO2 is assimilated by the Calvin cycle enzyme Rubisco. Results of genetic analyses support a requirement for the Rubisco large subunit (RBCL), but not Rubisco, in the management of oxidized RNA. An RBCL pool that can carry out such a ‘moonlighting’ function is revealed by results of biochemical fractionation experiments. We also show that human (HeLa) cells localize oxidized RNA to cytoplasmic foci that are distinct from stress granules, processing bodies and mitochondria. Our results suggest that the compartmentalization of oxidized RNA management is a general phenomenon and therefore has some fundamental significance. Summary: Oxidized RNA is controlled by a Calvin cycle enzyme subunit and is compartmentalized in chloroplasts and human cells.