Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Night-time blood pressure is associated with the development of chronic kidney disease in a general population: the Ohasama Study

Objective: Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) is reportedly associated with target organ damage. However, whether ambulatory BP carries prognostic significance for the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been confirmed. Method: We measured ambulatory BP in 843 participants without CKD at baseline from a general Japanese population and examined the incidence of CKD defined as positive proteinuria or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 at health checks. The association between baseline ambulatory BP and CKD incidence was examined using the Cox proportional hazard regression model adjusted for sex, age, BMI, habitual smoking, habitual alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, a history of cardiovascular disease, antihypertensive medication, eGFR at baseline, the number of follow-up examinations, and the year of the baseline examination. Results: The mean age of the participants averaged 62.9 ± 8.1 years, 71.3% were women and 23.7% were under antihypertensive medication. During a median follow-up of 8.3 years, 220 participants developed CKD events. The adjusted hazard ratios for CKD in a 1-standard deviation increase in daytime and night-time SBP were 1.13 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97–1.30] and 1.21 (95% CI 1.04–1.39), respectively. When night-time and daytime BP was mutually adjusted into the same model, only night-time BP persisted as an independent predictor of CKD. Conclusion: Night-time BP is a better predictor of CKD development than daytime BP in the general population. Ambulatory BP measurement is considered useful for evaluating the risk of progression to CKD.
Energy/Power Breakdown of Pipelined Nanometer Caches (90nm/65nm/45nm/32nm)

As transistors continue to scale down into the nanometer regime, device leakage currents are becoming the dominant cause of power dissipation in nanometer caches, making it essential to model these leakage effects properly. Moreover, typical microprocessor caches are pipelined to keep up with the speed of the processor, and the effects of pipelining overhead need to be properly accounted for. In this paper, we present a detailed study of pipelined nanometer caches with detailed energy/power dissipation breakdowns showing where and how the power is dissipated within a nanometer cache. We explore a three-dimensional pipelined cache design space that includes cache size (16kB to 512kB), cache associativity (direct-mapped to 16-way) and process technology (90nm, 65nm, 45nm and 32nm). Among our findings, we show that cache bitline leakage is increasingly becoming the dominant cause of power dissipation in nanometer technology nodes. We show that subthreshold leakage is the main cause of static power dissipation, and that gate leakage is, surprisingly, not a significant contributor to total cache power, even for 32nm caches. We also show that accounting for cache pipelining overhead is necessary, as power dissipated by the pipeline elements is a significant part of cache power
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF TWO FLAVONOL GLYCOSIDES FROM CIRSIUM HYPOLEUCUM DC. THROUGH BIOASSAY- GUIDED FRACTIONATION

The flowers, roots and stems of Cirsium species are used as a folk remedy in Anatolia. In order to evaluate antioxidant activity of Cirsium hypoleucum which is an endemic plant, superoxide radical (hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system) and free radical scavenging activities (DPPH) using in vitro electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry of the different extracts, fractions and compounds obtained by Bioassay Guided Fractionation (BAGF) technique were studied. The bioassay guided fractionation of methanol extract led to the isolation flavonoid 1 and 2 from n–butanol fr. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using UV, IR, MS, 1 H- and 13 C-NMR techniques as quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin) (1) and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (nicotiflorin) (2). Flavonoid 1 showed more potent antioxidant activity than flavonoid 2.
HfO2 as gate dielectric on Si and Ge substrate

HfO2 AS GATE DIELETRIC ON Si AND Ge SUBSTRATE by Reenu Garg Hafnium oxide (HfO2) has been considered as an alternative to silicon dioxide (SiO2) in future nano-scale complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices since it provides the required capacitance at the reduced device size because of its high dielectric constant. HfO2 films are currently deposited by various techniques. Many of them require high temperature annealing that can impact device performance and reliability. In this research, electrical characteristics of capacitors with Hf02 as gate dielectric deposited by standard thermal evaporation and e-beam evaporation on Si and Ge substrates were investigated. The dielectric constant of HfO2 deposited by thermal evaporation on Si is in the range of 18-25. Al/HfO2/Si MOS capacitors annealed at 450 °C show low hysteresis, leakage current density and bulk oxide charges. Interface state density and low temperature charge trapping behavior of these structures were also investigated. Degradation in surface carrier mobility has been reported in Si field-effecttransistors with HfO2 as gate dielectric. To explore the possibility of alleviating this problem we have used germanium (Ge) substrate as this semiconductor has higher carrier mobility than Si. Devices fabricated by depositing Hfl02 directly on Ge by standard thermal evaporation were found to be too leaky and show significant hysteresis and large shift in flatband voltage. This deterioration in electrical performance is mainly due to the formation of unstable interfacial layer of GeO2 during the HfO2 deposition. To minimize this effect, Ge surface was treated with the beam of atomic nitrogen prior to the dielectric deposition. The effect of surface nitridation, on interface as well as on bulk oxide, trap energy levels were investigated using low temperature C-V measurements. They revealed additional defect levels in the nitrided devices indicating diffusion of nitrogen from interface into the bulk oxide. Impact of surface nitridation on the reliability of Ge/HfO2/A1 MOS capacitors has been investigated by application of constant voltage stress at different voltage levels for various time periods. It was observed that deeper trap levels in nitrided devices, found from low frequency and low temperature measurements, trap the charge carrier immediately after stress but with time these carriers detrap and create more traps inside the bulk oxide resulting in further devices deterioration. It is inferred that though nitrogen is effective in reducing interfacial layer growth it incorporates more defects at interface as well as in bulk oxide. Therefore, it is important to look into alternative methods of surface passivation to limit the growth of GeO2 at the interface. HfO2 AS GATE DIELETRIC ON Si AND Ge SUBSTRATE
GSTM1 copy number and promoter haplotype as predictors for risk of recurrence and/or second primary tumor in patients with head and neck cancer

The objective of this study was to determine copy number variant (CNV) and promoter genetic variants in glutathione S-transferase Mu class 1 (GSTM1) and the risk of recurrence (REC)/second primary tumor (SPT) in patients with previously diagnosed early stage head and neck cancer. Among 441 subjects, 133 experienced REC and/or an SPT, while 308 had single primary disease. TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the exact copy number of GSTM1 and direct sequencing was used to determine genetic variants in the GSTM1 promoter region. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) associated with copy number and genetic variants. REC/SPT-free survival times were compared by constructing Kaplan–Meier curves and differences between curves were tested by logrank test. Results showed a significantly decreased REC/SPT (HR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.35–0.95) and longer REC/SPT-free survival in subjects with at least two copies of GSTM1 compared with the GSTM1 homozygous deletion, but not in those with one copy of GSTM1. The −498G, −426G, and −339T alleles were significantly associated with REC/SPT, with HRs of 0.11 (0.02–0.85), 0.28 (0.11–0.74) and 2.02 (1.07–3.82), respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the −498G, −426G, and −339C alleles were also significantly associated with increased REC/SPT-free survival. Further haplotype analysis showed the haplotype P−498G-−426G-−339C carriers had decreased REC/SPT with a HR of 0.09 (95% CI 0.01–0.71) and increased REC/SPT-free survival compared with those with haplotype P−498C-−426A-−339T. The P−498C-−426A-−339T-containing reporter construct had significantly increased luciferase expression. These results suggest that the GSTM1 CNV and promoter haplotype are better predictors of REC/SPTs of head and neck cancer than just measuring the presence/absence of GSTM1.
Band ligation versus propanolol and isosorbide mononitrate for primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding

Lui et al. performed a randomized trial to compare endoscopic variceal band ligation (EVL) with pharmacological treatment, using propanolol (PPL) or isosorbide mononitrate (IMN), for primary prevention of esophageal variceal bleeding. A total of 172 cirrhotic patients with Grade II–III esophageal varices were randomly assigned to receive either esophageal banding (44 patients) or pharmacological monotherapy with PPL (66 patients) or IMN (62 patients). The main endpoint evaluated was primary hemorrhage. Bleeding outcomes were calculated as 2-yr actuarial risks. Eradication of varices was defined as complete absence of varices or a regression to Grade I varices. EVL sessions were performed on a schedule of biweekly endoscopies and band ligations until eradication was achieved. Varices were eradicated after a mean of 3.1 ± 2.5 endoscopy sessions. PPL administration was started at a dose of 40 mg b.i. d. and increased incrementally every 3 days to a target dose of 160 mg/day. IMN dosage began at 20 mg b.i. d. and was increased after 3 days to a target dose of 80 mg per day.Two-year actuarial risks for primary variceal bleed were 6.2% for the EVL group, 19.4% for the PPL group, and 27.7% for the IMN group. One patient in the EVL group had a complication consisting of perforation of the upper esophagus secondary to insertion of the overtube. Of patients in the PPL group, 45% complained of adverse effects from treatment, resulting in a 30% withdrawal rate. Of IMN-receiving patients, 42% reported adverse effects, causing a 21% withdrawal rate. The most often encountered adverse effects of pharmacological monotherapy include breathlessness, headache, and fatigue. The only statistically significant difference between therapies showed less variceal bleeding with EVL when compared with IMN therapy. No statistical significance was achieved when comparing EVL with PPL or PPL with IMN. Pharmacological monotherapy produced a considerable adverse effect profile. Significantly fewer treatment withdrawals were observed with EVL compared with pharmacotherapy (p = 0.00). The authors concluded that EVL was as effective as PPL and more effective than IMN in prophylaxis of first variceal bleed in patients with esophageal varices. The authors suggested that EVL be considered as first-line therapy alongside PPL monotherapy in prevention of first variceal bleed in cirrhotic patients, given the extensive adverse effects of pharmacotherapy resulting in withdrawal from treatment.
A Block Preconditioner for High-Order Mixed Finite Element Approximations to the Navier-Stokes Equations

An iterative solver for the linear system arising from a discretization by high-order mixed finite elements for the linearized steady state Navier--Stokes problem is presented. Two mixed finite elements are considered: $\mathbf{P}_{k+1} P_{k}$ and $\mathbf{P}_{k+2} P_{k}$. The iterative solver is based on the GMRES method with right preconditioning where the preconditioner has a block upper triangular form. Computational results show that the convergence rate seems to be independent of the grid size parameter $h$ and the polynomial degree $k$ but is slightly affected by the increasing of the Reynolds number.
Helping Parents to Motivate Adolescents in Mathematics and Science

The pipeline toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) begins to leak in high school, when some students choose not to take advanced mathematics and science courses. We conducted a field experiment testing whether a theory-based intervention that was designed to help parents convey the importance of mathematics and science courses to their high school–aged children would lead them to take more mathematics and science courses in high school. The three-part intervention consisted of two brochures mailed to parents and a Web site, all highlighting the usefulness of STEM courses. This relatively simple intervention led students whose parents were in the experimental group to take, on average, nearly one semester more of science and mathematics in the last 2 years of high school, compared with the control group. Parents are an untapped resource for increasing STEM motivation in adolescents, and the results demonstrate that motivational theory can be applied to this important pipeline problem.
Priors and Posterior Computation in Linear Endogenous Variable Models with Imperfect Instruments

Estimation in models with endogeneity concerns typically begins by searching for instruments. This search is inherently subjective and identification is generally achieved upon imposing the researcher's strong prior belief that such variables have no conditional impacts on the outcome. Results obtained from such analyses are necessarily conditioned upon the untestable opinions of the researcher, and such beliefs may not be widely shared. In this paper we, like several studies in the recent literature, employ a Bayesian approach to estimation and inference in models with endogeneity concerns by imposing weaker prior assumptions than complete excludability. When allowing for instrument imperfection of this type, the model is only partially identified, and as a consequence, standard estimates obtained from the Gibbs simulations can be unacceptably imprecise. We thus describe a substantially improved \semi-analytic" method for calculating parameter marginal posteriors of interest that only requires use of the well-mixing simulations associated with the identifiable model parameters and the form of the conditional prior. Our methods are also applied in an illustrative application involving the impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on earnings.
Associations among Alexithymia, Positive and Negative Emotions, and Self-Defeating Personality

This study examined the associations among 210 college students' alexithymia scores and three emotional orientation scores. Students completed the following three self-report instruments: 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and 24-item Self-defeating Personality Scale. As predicted, a linear regression model indicated that alexithymia was associated with negative emotional activation, self-defeating personality, and inversely associated with positive emotional activation. These three affect orientations accounted for 27% of the variance associated with subjects' cognitive-affective communication difficulties expressing their emotions. A second linear regression model indicated that negative emotion activation was significantly associated with self-defeating personality, and positive emotion activation was significantly inversely associated with self-defeating personality.
Regional Competition, Heterogeneous Factors and Pollution Intensity in China: A Spatial Econometric Analysis

Regional competition may play an important role in the balance of environmental protection and economic growth. However, it is a pending issue of whether the competition among Chinese local governments leads to a race to black development or green development. This paper aims to explore the strategic interactions in provincial development in terms of an environment-economic indicator, i.e. , the pollution intensity in China from 2000 to 2013. We divide four predominant industrial pollutants into two groups according to whether the pollutant is regulated, and then test the strategic interactions among regions based on the spatial lag term by employing the spatial Durbin model. The results show that the heterogeneous factors, such as various pollutants and regional difference, may give rise to diversified competition strategies. We find that the “race to black development” hypothesis is not supported at the national level, and the “race to green development” hypothesis is established in the developed eastern regions only in terms of the regulated industrial pollutants. We also detect how pollution intensity is influenced by the direct and spatial spillover effects of environmental regulation and find that environmental legislation has been effective in reducing regulated pollutants’ pollution intensity, while the effects of environmental staff and investment are weak. Finally, some policy suggestions are discussed.
Time course of the response of mitochondria from oxidative muscle during thermal acclimation of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

SUMMARY The time course of changes in the properties of mitochondria from oxidative muscle of rainbow trout was examined during warm (15°C) and cold (5°C) acclimation. Mitochondrial oxidative capacities showed a biphasic response during thermal acclimation: at a given assay temperature, capacities first increased and then decreased during warm acclimation and showed the inverse pattern during cold acclimation. This was most apparent for maximal rates of state 3 oxygen consumption expressed per mg mitochondrial protein. Rates expressed per nmol ADP-ATP translocase (ANT) showed this pattern during cold acclimation. A biphasic pattern was also apparent for state 4 and oligomycin-inhibited (state 4ol) rates of oxygen uptake expressed per mg protein. Changes in states 4 and 4ol were smaller during cold than warm acclimation. Warm acclimation reduced the proportion of cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase needed during mitochondrial substrate oxidation. Phospholipid concentrations per mg mitochondrial protein changed little with thermal acclimation. Mitochondrial properties changed more quickly during warm than cold acclimation. While the biochemical modifications during thermal acclimation may eventually compensate for the thermal change, compensation did not occur at its onset. Rather, the initial changes of mitochondrial oxidative capacity in response to temperature change accentuated the functional impact of the thermal change, and prolonged exposure to the new temperature was required to attain a degree of thermal compensation.
Radiographic evaluation of third molar development in 6- to 24-year-olds

Purpose This study investigated the developmental stages of third molars in relation to chronological age and compared third molar development according to location and gender. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of panoramic radiographs of 2490 patients aged between 6 and 24 years was conducted, and the developmental stages of the third molars were evaluated using the modified Demirjian's classification. The mean age, standard deviation, minimal and maximal age, and percentile distributions were recorded for each stage of development. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to test the developmental differences in the third molars between the maxillary and mandibular arches and between genders. A linear regression analysis was used for assessing the correlation between the third molar development and chronological age. Results The developmental stages of the third molars were more advanced in the maxillary arch than the mandibular arch. Males reached the developmental stages earlier than females. The average age of the initial mineralization of the third molars was 8.57 years, and the average age at apex closure was 21.96 years. The mean age of crown completion was 14.52 and 15.04 years for the maxillary and the mandibular third molars, respectively. Conclusion The developmental stages of the third molars clearly showed a strong correlation with age. The third molars developed earlier in the upper arch than the lower arch; further, they developed earlier in males than in females.
Watermarking cryptographic capabilities

A watermarking scheme for programs embeds some information called a mark into a program while preserving its functionality. No adversary can remove the mark without damaging the functionality of the program. In this work, we study the problem of watermarking various cryptographic programs such as pseudorandom function (PRF) evaluation, decryption, and signing. For example, given a PRF key K, we create a marked program C that evaluates the PRF F(K,). An adversary that gets C cannot come up with any program C* in which the mark is removed but which still evaluates the PRF correctly on even a small fraction of the inputs. The work of Barak, Goldreich, Impagliazzo, Rudich, Sahai, Vadhan, and Yang (CRYPTO'01 and Journal of ACM 59(2)) shows that, assuming indistinguishability obfuscation (iO), such watermarking is impossible if the marked program C evaluates the original program with perfect correctness. In this work we show that, assuming iO, such watermarking is possible if the marked program C is allowed to err with even a negligible probability, which would be undetectable to the user. Our watermarking schemes are public key, namely we use a secret marking key to embed marks in programs, and a public detection key that allows anyone to detect marks in programs. Our schemes are secure against chosen program attacks, that is even if the adversary is given oracle access to the marking functionality. We emphasize that our security notion of watermark non-removability considers arbitrary adversarial strategies to modify the marked program, in contrast to the prior works (Nishimaki, EUROCRYPT '13).
Friction Modification within Wheel-Rail Contact

In the last few years, top-of-rail friction modifiers have been designed and used in many railway systems all over the world. These adhesion enhancers are applied by either off-board or on-board system in order to achieve the intermediate level of friction and positive adhesion curve. Previous scientific effort was mainly focused on the effects of water-based friction modifier on adhesion, rolling contact fatigue, railway noise and corrugation formation. The objective of this study is to investigate the abilities of oilbased friction modifiers to control adhesion and reduce wear at wheel rail interface. For this purpose, two commercial oil-based friction modifiers were particularly utilised. A ball-on-disc tribometer was employed to investigate their traction and braking performance for various slip ratios under dry conditions. Furthermore, the effect of friction modifier amount has been studied. At the end of the performed tests, wear rate, surface damage and changes of surface topography were determined and compared to dry and oil-contaminated contact. The results indicate that oil-based friction modifiers are able to control adhesion in wheel-rail contact but it is strongly dependent on the applied amount of friction modifiers. Regarding to the friction behaviour and wear, the content of metal particles seems to be the crucial parameter. & 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.