Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nd:LiNbO/sub 3/ microchip laser with 20 GHz subcarrier

This paper reports on the development of a 20 GHz mode-locked Nd:LiNbO/sub 3/ microchip laser operating at 1.084 /spl mu/m with an output power greater than 35 mW (CW). With this configuration, a single device simultaneously generates the optical carrier and the microwave subcarrier. A modulation index of 96% was obtained for a driving microwave power of 12.6 dBm at 20 GHz. An information signal up to 8 GHz was also superimposed on the 20 GHz subcarrier using an external modulator.
Modification of fibrinogen with poly(ethylene glycol) and its effects on fibrin clot characteristics.

The suitability of existing topical fibrin glue preparations for tissue sealing or local drug delivery applications is greatly limited by their poor mechanical properties and the limited capacity of fibrinogen (Fgn) to actively bind growth factors or other therapeutic agents. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) offers potential solutions to these problems by providing a mechanism for increasing the number of crosslinks between adjacent fibrin monomer molecules or for covalently crosslinking Fgn to therapeutic agents. The feasibility of this approach requires the full biological activity, or clottability, of PE glycolated Fgn. This study characterizes the clot characteristics of Fgn modified to varying degrees with monofunctional succinimidyl propionate PEG (5000 Da). The data indicate that, although thrombin clotting times are significantly altered, Fgn maintains 90% of its capacity to clot upon the addition of up to 5 PEG/Fgn. Further derivatization significantly decreases the Fgn clottability. The addition of up to 5 PEG/Fgn has little, if any, effect on the kinetics of degradation by plasmin. The results suggest that limited modification of Fgn with lysine-reactive PEG allows therapeutic enhancement of fibrin glues.
SCADASim—A Framework for Building SCADA Simulations

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems control and monitor industrial and critical infrastructure functions, such as electricity, gas, water, waste, railway, and traffic. Recent attacks on SCADA systems highlight the need of stronger SCADA security. It is important to analyze the security risks and develop appropriate security solutions to protect such systems. However, a key problem is the lack of proper modeling tools to evaluate the security of SCADA systems. As widely accepted in academic and industrial communities, it is impractical to conduct security experiments on live systems. A modeling simulation tool would enable the simulation of SCADA systems with the benefit of testing different attack and security solutions. This paper proposes a simulation tool for building SCADA simulations that supports the integration of external devices and applications. A key benefit of this tool is the ability to test the effect of attacks on real devices and applications, even though using a simulated environment. The paper further describes two case studies that demonstrate how the tool can be efficiently used to create SCADA simulations and perform malicious attacks.
Treatment of venous thrombosis with intravenous unfractionated heparin administered in the hospital as compared with subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin administered at home. The Tasman Study Group.

BACKGROUND An intravenous course of standard (unfractionated) heparin with the dose adjusted to prolong the activated partial-thromboplastin time to a desired length is the standard initial in-hospital treatment for patients with deep-vein thrombosis, but fixed-dose subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin appears to be as effective and safe. Because the latter treatment can be given on an outpatient basis, we compared the two treatments in symptomatic outpatients with proximal-vein thrombosis but no signs of pulmonary embolism. METHODS We randomly assigned patients to adjusted-dose intravenous standard heparin administered in the hospital (198 patients) or fixed-dose subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin administered at home, when feasible (202 patients). We compared the treatments with respect to recurrent venous thromboembolism, major bleeding, quality of life, and costs. RESULTS Seventeen of the 198 patients who received standard heparin (8.6 percent) and 14 of the 202 patients who received low-molecular-weight heparin (6.9 percent) had recurrent thromboembolism (difference, 1.7 percentage points; 95 percent confidence interval, -3.6 to 6.9). Major bleeding occurred in four patients assigned to standard heparin (2.0 percent) and one patient assigned to low-molecular-weight heparin (0.5 percent; difference, 1.5 percentage points; 95 percent confidence interval, -0.7 to 2.7). Quality of life improved in both groups. Physical activity and social functioning were better in the patients assigned to low-molecular-weight heparin. Among the patients in that group, 35 percent were never admitted to the hospital at all, and 40 percent were discharged early. This treatment was associated with a mean reduction in hospital days of 67 percent, ranging from 29 percent to 86 percent in the various study centers. CONCLUSIONS In patients with proximal-vein thrombosis, treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin at home is feasible, effective, and safe.
Adherence to American Diabetes Association standards of care by rural health care providers.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether rural health care providers are compliant with American Diabetes Association (ADA) clinical practice guidelines for glycemic, blood pressure, lipid management, and preventative services. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was performed using a retrospective chart review of 399 patients 45 years of age and older, with a definitive diagnosis of diabetes seen for primary diabetes care at four rural health facilities in Montana between 1 January 1999 and 1 August 2000. RESULTS Glycemic testing was adequate (85%), and glycemic control (HbA(1c) 7.43 +/- 1.7%) was above the national average. Comorbid conditions of hypertension and dyslipidemia were not as well managed. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 139 +/- 18.8 mmHg and LDL was 119 +/- 33 mg/dl. Of 399 patients, 11 were considered as needing no additional treatment based on ADA guidelines of an HbA(1c) level <7%, a BP <130/85 mmHg, and a LDL level <100 mg/dl. Monofilament testing and dilated eye examinations were poorly documented, as were immunizations. There were few referrals for diabetic education. CONCLUSIONS Rural health care practitioners are not adequately following the ADA standards for comprehensive management of their patients with diabetes. Glycemic testing is being ordered, but HbA(1c) values indicate that patients do not have their diabetes under optimal control. The comorbid conditions of hypertension and dyslipidemia are not optimally managed according to the ADA guidelines.
Tuning and testing of a minimax tracking controller for aircraft dynamics

The paper presents the tuning and testing of an LQ optimal minimax tracking controller which is capable of attenuating low frequency deterministic, and all frequency stochastic disturbances. The controller - based on a multiple step solution - is developed for discrete time, LTI systems affected by the above mentioned disturbances. Its capabilities are demonstrated in an unmanned aircraft application example. The tracking and disturbance rejection properties are compared with a previous baseline control solution in simulations with linear and nonlinear aircraft models. The advantages of the proposed scheme are highlighted against the baseline design.
Physiological IRE-1-XBP-1 and PEK-1 Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Larval Development and Immunity

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activates the Unfolded Protein Response, a compensatory signaling response that is mediated by the IRE-1, PERK/PEK-1, and ATF-6 pathways in metazoans. Genetic studies have implicated roles for UPR signaling in animal development and disease, but the function of the UPR under physiological conditions, in the absence of chemical agents administered to induce ER stress, is not well understood. Here, we show that in Caenorhabditis elegans XBP-1 deficiency results in constitutive ER stress, reflected by increased basal levels of IRE-1 and PEK-1 activity under physiological conditions. We define a dynamic, temperature-dependent requirement for XBP-1 and PEK-1 activities that increases with immune activation and at elevated physiological temperatures in C. elegans. Our data suggest that the negative feedback loops involving the activation of IRE-1-XBP-1 and PEK-1 pathways serve essential roles, not only at the extremes of ER stress, but also in the maintenance of ER homeostasis under physiological conditions.
Diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infection by immunofluorescence

The utility of the indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique for diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection was examined by testing specimens for this agent from 31 patients with encephalitis or meningitis, 17 with conjunctivitis, 19 with genital disease, and 1 with genital disease and meningitis. Brain biopsy tissue from four patients with encephalitis was positive by IFA and virus culture for HSV. Leukocytes in cerebrospinal fluid from these four patients and one with HSV meningitis were also positive by IFA, but virus isolation attempts on the fluid were all negative. Conjunctival scrapings from two patients with conjunctivitis were positive for HSV by both IFA and virus culture. Eleven of 12 culture-positive lesions of herpes progenitalis were positive by IFA, and 1 dark field-positive syphilitic chancre was also positive for HSV by both IFA and culture. Evidence for specificity of the results was provided by internal controls in each test and negative results from patients with other diagnoses. Thus, the IFA technique constituted a rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic method for the diagnosis of HSV infections.
Overexpression of HER2/neu as a Prognostic Value in Iranian Women With Early Stage Breast Cancer; A Single Institute Study

Background: Patients with early stage breast cancer with same treatment strategy can have markedly different outcomes. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/nue) gene amplification or the subsequent overexpression of protein has been proved to be associated with patient's outcome and response to anthracyclins-based regimens. Objectives: This study assessed prognostic value of HER2/nue marker in patients with early stage breast cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclins-based regimens. Materials and Methods: Fifty tissue samples from patients with primary breast cancer of moderate risk receiving sequential adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclins-based regimens were assessed to evaluate HER2/nue gene status (quantified by Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization) retrospectively. Besides, correlation of HER2/neu with patients' characteristics and outcome was studied. Results: HER2/neu amplification was identified in 19 (38%) of 50 patients. No significant difference regarding HER2/neu status was seen in clinic pathological characteristics of patients. Although Progression Free Survival (PFS) was shorter in HER2 overexpressed group, but uni/multivariate analysis adjusted for HER2 overexpression, nodal involvement, hormone receptor status, age and tumor size revealed no significant predictive and/or prognostic value for HER2 regarding PFS. Conclusions: This study on a limited number of patients treated with adjutant anthracyclins-based regimens, revealed that HER2/neu is not a unique strong predictor for outcome, thus according to combination of HER2/neu status and other clinical factors, it is necessary to distinguish patients at high risk of recurrence.
Pengembangan Perangkat Pembelajaran Berorientasi Konstruktivisme Untuk Mengajarkan Konsep Perbandingan Trigonometri Siswa Kelas X SMA

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan yang bertujuan untuk (1) menghasilkan perangkat pembelajaran berorientasi konstruktivisme yang valid dan praktis untuk mengajarkan konsep perbandingan trigonometri siswa kelas X SMA ; (2) mengetahui efek potensialnya terhadap kemampuan pemahaman konsep dan aktivitas siswa SMA kelas X. Metode penelitian terdiri dari 3 tahap yaitu (1) self evaluation, meliputi tahap analisis dan desain perangkat pembelajaran; (2) prototyping, meliputi tahap evaluasi dan revisi; dan (3) field test. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan cara tes, observasi dan dokumentasi. Dari hasil tes diperoleh nilai rata-rata siswa mencapai 17,61 dalam interval 7 – 21 dikategorikan memiliki kemampuan pemahaman konsep yang sangat baik. Hasil observasi menunjukkan bahwa semua indikator aktivitas berada dalam batas waktu toleransi kesesuaian artinya pembelajaran yang menggunakan perangkat pembelajaran berorientasi konstruktivisme dinyatakan efektif artinya terlaksana sesuai dengan rencana. Dari data dokumentasi disimpulkan bahwa untuk penggunaan Lembar Kerja Siswa (LKS) telah mencapai kriteria kepraktisan. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah (1) perangkat pembelajaran berorientasi konstruktivisme yang dikembangkan dalam penelitian ini dikategorikan valid dan praktis; (2) dari hasil analisis data tes hasil belajar dengan menggunakan perangkat pembelajaran berorientasi konstruktivisme diketahui bahwa nilai rata-rata siswa telah mencapai 17,61 dalam kategori memiliki kemampuan pemahaman konsep yang sangat baik. Hal ini berarti bahwa perangkat pembelajaran berorientasi konstruktivisme yang digunakan sudah termasuk kategori efektif.
Lead‐induced cell death in testes of young rats

Lead is a well‐documented testicular toxicant. The present work was planned to study the occurrence of germ cell death after lead administration. Young growing rats were treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg kg−1 body weight of lead for 2 weeks. Cell death was assessed by employing in situ TUNEL staining, DNA electrophoresis and morphological examination of the tubules. The results showed that Pb induced significant numbers of germ cells to undergo apoptosis in the seminiferous tubules of rats treated with 20 mg kg−1 body weight. However, DNA fragmentation was not detected at any of the doses. The level of lead accumulation in the testis increased in a dose‐dependent manner. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Audio augmentation for speech recognition

Data augmentation is a common strategy adopted to increase the quantity of training data, avoid overfitting and improve robustness of the models. In this paper, we investigate audio-level speech augmentation methods which directly process the raw signal. The method we particularly recommend is to change the speed of the audio signal, producing 3 versions of the original signal with speed factors of 0.9, 1.0 and 1.1. The proposed technique has a low implementation cost, making it easy to adopt. We present results on 4 different LVCSR tasks with training data ranging from 100 hours to 1000 hours, to examine the effectiveness of audio augmentation in a variety of data scenarios. An average relative improvement of 4.3% was observed across the 4 tasks.
Manganese potentiates nuclear factor‐κB‐dependent expression of nitric oxide synthase 2 in astrocytes by activating soluble guanylate cyclase and extracellular responsive kinase signaling pathways

Inflammatory activation of glial cells is associated with neuronal injury in several degenerative movement disorders of the basal ganglia, including manganese neurotoxicity. Manganese (Mn) potentiates the effects of inflammatory cytokines on nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB)‐dependent expression of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) in astrocytes, but the signaling mechanisms underlying this effect have remained elusive. It was postulated in the present studies that direct stimulation of cGMP synthesis and activation of mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways underlies the capacity of Mn to augment NF‐κB‐dependent gene expression in astrocytes. Exposure of primary cortical astrocytes to a low concentration of Mn (10 μM) potentiated expression of NOS2 mRNA and protein along with production of NO in response to interferon‐γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα), which was prevented by overexpression of dominant negative IκBα. Mn also potentiated IFNγ‐ and TNFα‐induced phosphorylation of extracellular response kinase (ERK), p38, and JNK, as well as cytokine‐induced activation of a fluorescent NF‐κB reporter construct in transgenic astrocytes. Activation of ERK preceded that of NF‐κB and was required for maximal activation of NO synthesis. Independently of IFNγ/TNFα, Mn‐stimulated synthesis of cGMP in astrocytes and inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) abolished the potentiating effect of Mn on MAP kinase phosphorylation, NF‐κB activation, and production of NO. These data indicate that near‐physiological concentrations of Mn potentiate cytokine‐induced expression of NOS2 and production of NO in astrocytes via activation of sGC, which promotes ERK‐dependent enhancement of NF‐κB signaling. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Astronaut-Athlete: Optimizing Human Performance in Space

Abstract Hackney, KJ, Scott, JM, Hanson, AM, English, KL, Downs, ME, and Ploutz-Snyder, LL. The astronaut-athlete: optimizing human performance in space. J Strength Cond Res 29(12): 3531–3545, 2015—It is well known that long-duration spaceflight results in deconditioning of neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems, leading to a decline in physical fitness. On reloading in gravitational environments, reduced fitness (e.g., aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and endurance) could impair human performance, mission success, and crew safety. The level of fitness necessary for the performance of routine and off-nominal terrestrial mission tasks remains an unanswered and pressing question for scientists and flight physicians. To mitigate fitness loss during spaceflight, resistance and aerobic exercise are the most effective countermeasure available to astronauts. Currently, 2.5 h·d−1, 6–7 d·wk−1 is allotted in crew schedules for exercise to be performed on highly specialized hardware on the International Space Station (ISS). Exercise hardware provides up to 273 kg of loading capability for resistance exercise, treadmill speeds between 0.44 and 5.5 m·s−1, and cycle workloads from 0 and 350 W. Compared to ISS missions, future missions beyond low earth orbit will likely be accomplished with less vehicle volume and power allocated for exercise hardware. Concomitant factors, such as diet and age, will also affect the physiologic responses to exercise training (e.g., anabolic resistance) in the space environment. Research into the potential optimization of exercise countermeasures through use of dietary supplementation, and pharmaceuticals may assist in reducing physiological deconditioning during long-duration spaceflight and have the potential to enhance performance of occupationally related astronaut tasks (e.g., extravehicular activity, habitat construction, equipment repairs, planetary exploration, and emergency response).
ESTIMATION OF GENERALIZATION ERROR: RANDOM AND FIXED INPUTS

In multicategory classication, an estimated generalization error is often used to quantify a classier's generalization ability. As a result, quality of estimation of the generalization error becomes crucial in tuning and combining classiers. This article proposes an estimation methodology for the generalization error, permitting a treatment of both xed and random inputs, which is in contrast to the conditional classication error commonly used in the statistics literature. In particular, we derive a novel data perturbation technique, that jointly perturbs both inputs and outputs, to estimate the generalization error. We show that the proposed technique yields optimal tuning and combination, as measured by generalization. We also demonstrate via simulation that it outperforms cross-validation for both xed and random designs, in the context of margin classication. The results support utility of the proposed methodology.
I wanna live my life: Locus of Control and Support for the Welfare State

The purpose of this paper is to propose a general informal institution determining human ways of thinking and codes of behaviour, thus, in our case, individual support for the Welfare State. For that reason, we recommend employing the two closely related and complementary psychological concepts - locus of control and self-efficacy. We follow a comprehensive concept of the Welfare State, measuring attitudes towards government intervention and income redistribution, using the survey data from the World Values Survey, as well as different indicators for perceived governance quality. Our empirical results show that people with an internal locus of control and high self-efficacy believing in their ability to control their own lives report substantially less positive attitudes towards income equalization and government interventions. Additionally, a higher confidence in government actors and low confidence in major private companies amplify the Welfare State preferences under an external locus of control.
Clinical Research Into Anesthetic Neurotoxicity: Does Anesthesia Cause Neurological Abnormalities in Humans?

General anesthetics mitigate distress and exaggerated hemodynamic responses to pain and stressful stimulation, allowing surgery and diagnostic procedures to be performed worldwide in millions of children every year. Emerging studies, mainly carried out in early postnatal laboratory animals, demonstrate widespread neuronal elimination, alteration in neuronal circuitry, and long-term neurological disabilities following exposure to all commonly used sedatives and anesthetics. These findings have raised concerns among parents, anesthesiologists, neuroscientists, and government regulators about the safety of anesthetic drugs in children, especially infants. Accumulating evidence from epidemiological studies suggests an association between surgery with anesthesia in early childhood and subsequent behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. During the Fourth Pediatric Anesthesia NeuroDevelopmental Assessment (PANDA) symposium, a meeting attended by many stakeholders, the most recent findings in the field were presented and discussed. This review summarizes the current state of clinical research into the effects of anesthetic exposure in human brain development, addresses some of the difficulties in examining the phenomenon, and introduces the most recent clinical findings presented at the PANDA symposium. The unanimous consensus among participants was that additional preclinical and clinical research efforts are urgently required to address this important concern for child health.
Antenatal Exposure to Magnesium Sulfate and Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation and Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Extremely Preterm Neonates

Abstract Background There have been recent concerns regarding the higher rates of spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) in preterm infants that have been exposed to intrapartum magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). Objective To assess the association between intrapartum MgSO4 exposure and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and/or SIP in extremely preterm neonates. Design A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Canadian Neonatal Network database. Infants born at < 28 weeks' gestation admitted to neonatal units in Canada between 2011 and 2014 were divided into two groups: those exposed antenatally to MgSO4 and those unexposed. Stratified analyses for infants born between 22 and 25 weeks' gestation and those born between 26 and 27 weeks' gestation were conducted. The primary outcome was intestinal injury, identified as either NEC or SIP. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression. Results We compared 2,300 unexposed infants with 2,055 exposed infants. There was no difference in the odds of NEC (9.88% exposed vs. 9.59% unexposed; aOR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.75–1.14) or SIP (3.4% exposed vs. 3.39% unexposed; aOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.75–1.48) between the two groups. Conclusion Antenatal exposure to MgSO4 was not associated with NEC or SIP in extremely preterm infants.