Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 1-V 10-MHz clock-rate 13-bit CMOS ΔΣ modulator using unity-gain-reset op amps

The problem of low-voltage operation of switched-capacitor circuits is discussed, and several solutions based on using unity-gain-reset of the opamps are proposed. Due to the feedback structure, the opamps do not need to be switched off during the reset phase of the operation, and hence can be clocked at a high rate. A low-voltage /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulator, incorporating pseudodifferential unity-gain-reset opamps, is described. A test chip, realized in a 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS process and clocked at 10.24 MHz, provided a dynamic range of 80 dB and a signal-to-noise+distortion (SNDR) ratio of 78 dB for a 20-kHz signal bandwidth, and a dynamic range of 74 dB and SNDR of 70 dB for a 50-kHz bandwidth, with a 1-V supply voltage.
Resonance energy transfer imaging of phospholipid vesicle interaction with a planar phospholipid membrane: undulations and attachment sites in the region of calcium-mediated membrane--membrane adhesion

Membrane fusion of a phospholipid vesicle with a planar lipid bilayer is preceded by an initial prefusion stage in which a region of the vesicle membrane adheres to the planar membrane. A resonance energy transfer (RET) imaging microscope, with measured spectral transfer functions and a pair of radiometrically calibrated video cameras, was used to determine both the area of the contact region and the distances between the membranes within this zone. Large vesicles (5-20 microns diam) were labeled with the donor fluorophore coumarin- phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), while the planar membrane was labeled with the acceptor rhodamine-PE. The donor was excited with 390 nm light, and separate images of donor and acceptor emission were formed by the microscope. Distances between the membranes at each location in the image were determined from the RET rate constant (kt) computed from the acceptor:donor emission intensity ratio. In the absence of an osmotic gradient, the vesicles stably adhered to the planar membrane, and the dyes did not migrate between membranes. The region of contact was detected as an area of planar membrane, coincident with the vesicle image, over which rhodamine fluorescence was sensitized by RET. The total area of the contact region depended biphasically on the Ca2+ concentration, but the distance between the bilayers in this zone decreased with increasing [Ca2+]. The changes in area and separation were probably related to divalent cation effects on electrostatic screening and binding to charged membranes. At each [Ca2+], the intermembrane separation varied between 1 and 6 nm within each contact region, indicating membrane undulation prior to adhesion. Intermembrane separation distances < or = 2 nm were localized to discrete sites that formed in an ordered arrangement throughout the contact region. The area of the contact region occupied by these punctate attachment sites was increased at high [Ca2+]. Membrane fusion may be initiated at these sites of closest membrane apposition.
SPECT Imaging Agents for Detecting Cerebral β-Amyloid Plaques

The development of radiotracers for use in vivo to image β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important, active area of research. The presence of Aβ aggregates in the brain is generally accepted as a hallmark of AD. Since the only definitive diagnosis of AD is by postmortem staining of affected brain tissue, the development of techniques which enable one to image Aβ plaques in vivo has been strongly desired. Furthermore, the quantitative evaluation of Aβ plaques in the brain could facilitate evaluation of the efficacy of antiamyloid therapies currently under development. This paper reviews the current situation in the development of agents for SPECT-based imaging of Aβ plaques in Alzheimer's brains.
Pathogenic and Saprophytic Leptospira Species in Water and Soils from Selected Urban Sites in Peninsular Malaysia

Leptospira species were studied in water and soils from selected urban sites in Malaysia. A total of 151 water (n=121) and soil (n=30) samples were collected from 12 recreational lakes and wet markets. All samples were filtered and inoculated into semi-solid Ellinghausen and McCullough modified by Johnson and Harris (EMJH) media supplemented with additional 5-fluorouracil. The cultures were then incubated at 30°C and observed under a dark field microscope with intervals of 10 days. A PCR assay targeting the rrs gene was used to confirm the genus Leptospira among the isolates. Subsequently, the pathogenic status of the isolates was determined using primer sets G1/G2 and Sapro1/Sapro2, which target the secY and rrs genes, respectively. The isolates were identified at serogroup level using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) while their genetic diversity was assessed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Based on dark field microscopy, 23.1% (28/121) water and 23.3% (7/30) soil cultures were positive for Leptospira spp. Of the 35 positive cultures, only 8 were pure and confirmed as Leptospira genus by PCR assay. Two out of 8 isolates were confirmed as pathogenic, 5 were saprophytic and one was intermediate. These 8 isolates were negative for the 25 reference hyperimmune rabbit sera tested in the MAT. PFGE showed that all 8 of these environmental Leptospira spp. were genetically diverse. In conclusion, the presence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in the urban Malaysian environment may indicate and highlight the importance of water screening, especially in recreational lakes, in order to minimize any chance of Leptospira infection.
Synaptic organization of GABAergic neurons in the mouse SmI cortex

Immunocytochemical methods were used to examine GABAergic neurons in the barrel region of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex. GABAergic neurons occur in all layers of the barrel cortex but are more concentrated in the upper portion of layers II/III and in layers IV and VI. Nine cells in layer IV were examined with the electron microscope, and portions of their dendrites were reconstructed from serial thin sections. These cells are of the nonspiny, multipolar or bitufted varieties, and some of them have beaded dendrites. The labeled cell bodies and their reconstructed dendrites were postsynaptic at asymmetrical synapses with thalamocortical axon terminals labeled by lesion‐induced degeneration and with unlabeled axon terminals. Each cell also received symmetrical synapses from GABAergic axon terminals and from unlabeled axon terminals. Our results indicate that GABAergic cell bodies and processes receive synapses from thalamocortical axon terminals but that different cells display marked differences in the proportion of thalamocortical and other synapses they receive. These results indicate that GABAergic cells form a heterogeneous population with respect to their morphologies and patterns of synaptic inputs. The synaptic sequences revealed here for GABAergic neurons represent an anatomical substrate for various inhibitory processes known to occur within the cerebral cortex.
Isolation of an oocyte stimulatory peptide from the ovarian follicular fluid of water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Ovarian follicular fluid contains both stimulatory and inhibitory agents that influence the growth and maturation of oocyte. In the present study, an attempt was made to isolate and study the biological properties of ovarian follicular fluid peptide(s) in buffaloes. Bubaline ovarian follicular was made steroid- and cell-free. A protein fraction was obtained by saturation (30-35% level) of the follicular fluid with ammonium sulfate. The protein fraction was purified with Sephadex-G 50 gel filtration chromatography and a single peak was obtained in the eluant volume, which was lyophilized. SDS-PAGE of the lyophilized fraction revealed a single band and the molecular weight of the peptide was 26.6 kDa. The peptide stimulated the cumulus cell expansion and in vitro maturation rate of oocytes in buffaloes in a dose dependent manner when it was incorporated at different dose levels (0, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 1,000 ng ml -1 of maturation medium). The basic culture medium consisted of TCM 199 with Bovine serum albumin (0.3%). The in vitro maturation rates were comparable to those obtained with a positive control medium (TCM 199+20 ng EGF ml -1 +steer serum (20%)). Further purification and biological assays may throw more light on the nature and functions of this peptide. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 11 : 1557-1563)
“Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain: Epidemiological Evidence of the Relationship and Implications” (2005), by Arnaud Fauconnier and Charles Chapron

Arnaud Fauconnier and Charles Chapron published “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain: Epidemiological Evidence of the Relationship and Implications,” henceforth “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain,” in the journal Human Reproduction Update in 2005. In that article, the researchers studied the relationship between pelvic pain and endometriosis [9]. Endometriosis is the growth of endometrium [10], or tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus [11], outside of the uterus [11]. The authors review medical studies in order to determine how much evidence exists that endometriosis [9] causes chronic pelvic pain symptoms. Then, the authors describe specific relationships between different types of endometriotic lesions and pain symptoms. By establishing specific relationships between pain and endometriosis [9], “Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain” helped healthcare professionals diagnose and treat pelvic pain related to endometriosis [9].
Hair Toxic Metal Concentrations and Autism Spectrum Disorder Severity in Young Children

Previous studies have found a higher body-burden of toxic metals, particularly mercury (Hg), among subjects diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to neurotypical controls. Moreover, Hg body-burden was associated with ASD severity. This cross-sectional study examined the potential correlation between hair toxic metal concentrations and ASD severity in a prospective cohort of participants diagnosed with moderate to severe ASD. The Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (Dallas, TX) approved the present study. Qualifying study participants (n = 18) were evaluated for ASD severity using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and quantitatively for arsenic, Hg, cadmium, lead, chromium, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, tin, uranium, and manganese using hair toxic element testing by Doctor’s Data (a CLIA-approved laboratory). CARS scoring and hair toxic element testing were blinded to one another. Increasing hair Hg concentrations significantly correlated with increased ASD severity. In contrast, no significant correlations were observed between any other of the hair toxic metals examined and ASD severity. This study helps to provide additional mechanistic support for Hg in the etiology of ASD severity, and is supported by an increasing number of recent critical reviews that provide biological plausibility for the role of Hg exposure in the pathogenesis of ASDs.
Some results with a trainable speech translation and understanding system

The problems of limited-domain spoken language translation and understanding are considered. A standard continuous speech recognizer is extended for using automatically learnt finite-state transducers as translation models. Understanding is considered as a particular case of translation where the target language is a formal language. From the different approaches compared, the best results are obtained with a fully integrated approach, in which the input language acoustic and lexical models, and (N-gram) language models of input and output languages, are embedded into the learnt transducers. Optimal search through this global network obtains the best translation for a given input acoustic signal.
The effects of oral sumatriptan, a 5-HT1 receptor agonist, on circulating ACTH and cortisol concentrations in man.

1. The effects of oral sumatriptan (50, 100 and 200 mg), a 5-HT1 receptor agonist, and placebo, on circulating adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations were determined over 24 h after dosing, in 26 healthy male subjects. ACTH was measured by immunoradiometric assay and cortisol by radioimmunoassay. 2. After sumatriptan all subjects displayed a normal diurnal rhythm for circulating ACTH and cortisol compared with placebo. 3. There was a reduction in the trough circulating ACTH concentration over 0-4 h which was 18% with 100 mg (P = 0.002), and 25% with 200 mg (P < 0.001). The 5 h, post-prandial, peak ACTH concentration was reduced by 21% with 100 mg (P = 0.018) and by 20% with 200 mg (P = 0.024). The weighted mean ACTH over 24 h was reduced by 8% with 100 mg (P = 0.029) and by 8% with 200 mg (P = 0.018). The nadir concentration of ACTH over the 24 h and the ACTH concentration 24 h after sumatriptan were not, however, significantly reduced. All results are compared with placebo. 4. There was a reduction in the trough circulating cortisol concentration over 0-4 h which was 15% with 50 mg (P = 0.015), 14% with 100 mg (P = 0.022) and 24% with 200 mg (P < 0.001). The 5 h, post-prandial, peak cortisol concentration was reduced by 16% with 100 mg (P = 0.012) and by 15% with 200 mg (P = 0.017). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Three strains of influenza A virus (H3N2): interferon sensitivity in vitro and interferon production in volunteers

Three antigenic variants of the H3N2 subtype of wild-type influenza A virus (representing the years 1968, 1972, and 1974) were examined for their sensitivity to interferon and for their ability to induce local respiratory tract interferon in volunteers. In addition, the time of appearance of symptoms in infected volunteers was correlated with the patterns of virus shedding and interferon production. The sensitivity to interferon and the ability to stimulate nasopharyngeal interferon were similarly high for all three strains. Symptomatic illness, peak virus shedding, and peak interferon response all occurred within a 26-h period. These findings imply that interferon or its inducers theoretically could be protective if applied prophylactically, but would be less efficacious when used therapeutically.
The influence of viscosity on the frozen wave instability: theory and experiment

We present the results of an experimental and linear stability study of the influence of viscosity on the frozen wave (FW) instability, which arises when a vessel containing stably stratified layers of immiscible liquids is oscillated horizontally. Our linear stability model consists of two superposed fluid layers of arbitrary viscosities and infinite lateral extent, subject to horizontal oscillation. The effect of the endwalls of the experimental vessel is simulated by enforcing the conservation of horizontal volume flux, so that the base flow consists of counterflowing layers. We perform experiments with four pairs of fluids, keeping the viscosity of the lower layer (ν1) constant, and increasing the viscosity of the upper layer (ν2), so that 1.02 × 102 ≤ N1 = ν2/ν1 ≤ 1.21 × 104. We find excellent quantitative agreement between theory and experiment despite the simple model geometry, for both the critical onset parameter and wavenumber of the FW. We show that the model of lyubimov:1987 (Fluid Dyn. vol. 86, 1987, p. 849), which is valid in the limit of inviscid fluids, consistently underestimates the instability threshold for fluids of equal viscosity, but generally overestimates the threshold for fluids of unequal viscosity. We extend the experimental parameter range numerically to viscosity contrasts 1 ≤ N1 ≤ 6 × 104 and identify four regions of N1 where qualitatively different dynamics occur, which are reflected in the non-monotonic dependence of the most unstable wavenumber and the critical amplitude on N1. In particular, we find that increasing the viscosity contrast between the layers leads to destabilization over a wide range of N1, 10 ≤ N1 ≤ 8 × 103. The intricate dependence of the instability on viscosity contrast is due to considerable changes in the time-averaged perturbation vorticity distribution near the interface.
Genetic Variation in Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase (EPHX2) Is Associated With Forearm Vasodilator Responses in Humans

Cytochrome P450-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids are potent vasodilators in preclinical models and are hydrolyzed by soluble epoxide hydrolase (EPHX2). Associations between the EPHX2 Lys55Arg and Arg287Gln polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease risk have been reported; however, their impact on vascular function in humans has not been investigated. In 265 volunteers (198 white, 67 black American), forearm blood flow was measured by strain-gauge venous occlusion plethysmography at baseline and in response to bradykinin, methacholine, and sodium nitroprusside. Forearm vascular resistance was calculated as mean arterial pressure/forearm blood flow. In white Americans, Lys55Arg genotype was associated with vasodilator response to bradykinin, such that forearm blood flow was significantly lower (P=0.043) and forearm vascular resistance was significantly higher (P=0.013) in Arg55 variant allele carriers compared to wild-type individuals. Significant associations were also observed with methacholine and sodium nitroprusside. In contrast, no relationship was observed in black Americans. In black Americans, Arg287Gln genotype was associated with vasodilator response to bradykinin. Although the difference in forearm blood flow did not reach statistical significance (P=0.058), forearm vascular resistance was significantly lower (P=0.037) in Gln287 variant allele carriers compared to wild-type individuals. Significant associations were also observed with methacholine and sodium nitroprusside. In white Americans, Gln287 variant allele carriers did not exhibit significantly higher forearm blood flow (P=0.128) or lower forearm vascular resistance (P=0.080). Genetic variation in EPHX2 is associated with forearm vasodilator responses in a bradykinin receptor- and endothelium-independent manner, suggesting an important role for soluble epoxide hydrolase in the regulation of vascular function in humans.
Does Television Rot Your Brain? New Evidence from the Coleman Study

We use heterogeneity in the timing of television's introduction to different local markets to identify the effect of preschool television exposure on standardized test scores later in life. Our preferred point estimate indicates that an additional year of preschool television exposure raises average test scores by about . 02 standard deviations. We are able to reject negative effects larger than about . 03 standard deviations per year of television exposure. For reading and general knowledge scores, the positive effects we find are marginally statistically significant, and these effects are largest for children from households where English is not the primary language, for children whose mothers have less than a high school education, and for non-white children. To capture more general effects on human capital, we also study the effect of childhood television exposure on school completion and subsequent labor market earnings, and again find no evidence of a negative effect.
12 SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH An Introduction to Maximally-Localized Wannier Functions

The electronic ground state of a periodic system is usually described in terms of extended Bloch orbitals, simultaneous eigenstates of the periodic Hamiltonian and of the direct lattice translations. An alternative representation in terms of localized orbitals has been introduced by Gregory Wannier in 1937; besides its theoretical relevance in several areas of solid-state theory, it has gained recent prominence due to its connection with the Berry-phase theory of bulk polarization, the interest in linear-scaling approaches, and with the development of general algorithms to derive Wannier functions in the framework of first-principles electronic structure calculations. The connection between the Bloch representation and the Wannier representation is realized by families of transformations in a continuous space of unitary matrices, carrying a large degree of arbitrariness. A few years ago we have developed a localization algorithm that allows one to iteratively transform the extended Bloch orbitals of a first-principles calculation into a unique set of maximally-localized Wannier functions (MLWFs), extending and encompassing Boys formulation for molecules to the solid-state case. The localization algorithm is independent of the single-particle electronic structure approach adopted, or the choice of basis set, and it is straightforwardly applied to extended or periodic solids and to isolated systems. Additionally, a novel disentanglement procedure allows to extract a maximally-connected manifold of any chosen dimension from a given energy window, leading to the extension of the original algorithm to the case of systems without gaps (e.g., metals) and removing the limitation to isolated groups of bands separated by gaps from higher and lower manifolds. In this Highlight we will outline and summarize the main results of the theory and algorithm underlying the maximally-localized Wannierfunctions representation, and review some of the applications that have since appeared in the literature.
Imaging and extent of surgical resection predict risk of meningioma recurrence better than WHO histopathological grade.

BACKGROUND Risk stratification of meningiomas by histopathological grade alone does not reliably predict which patients will progress/recur after treatment. We sought to determine whether preoperative imaging and clinical characteristics could predict histopathological grade and/or improve prognostication of progression/recurrence (P/R). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed preoperative MR and CT imaging features of 144 patients divided into low-grade (2007 WHO grade I; n = 118) and high-grade (2007 WHO grades II/III; n = 26) groups that underwent surgery between 2002 and 2013 (median follow-up of 49 months). RESULTS Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the risk factors most strongly associated with high-grade histopathology were male sex, low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), absent calcification, and high peritumoral edema. Remarkably, multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that, in combination with extent of resection, ADC outperformed WHO histopathological grade for predicting which patients will suffer P/R after initial treatment. Stratification of patients into 3 risk groups based on non-Simpson grade I resection and low ADC as risk factors correlated with the likelihood of P/R (P < .001). The high-risk group (2 risk factors; n = 39) had a 45% cumulative incidence of P/R, whereas the low-risk group (0 risk factors; n = 31) had no P/R events at 5 years after treatment. Independent of histopathological grade, high-risk patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy had a lower 5-year crude rate of P/R than those without (17% vs 59%; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Patients with non-Simpson grade I resection and low ADC meningiomas are at significantly increased risk of P/R and may benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy and/or additional surgery.
Optimal Fiscal Policy with Recursive Preferences

I study the implications of recursive utility, a popular preference specification in macro-finance, for the design of optimal fiscal policy. Standard Ramsey tax-smoothing prescriptions are substantially altered. The planner over-insures by taxing less in bad times and more in good times, mitigating the effects of shocks. At the intertemporal margin, there is a novel incentive for introducing distortions that can lead to an ex-ante capital subsidy. Overall, optimal policy calls for a much stronger use of debt returns as a fiscal absorber, leading to the conclusion that actual fiscal policy is even worse than we thought.