Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nitrous Oxide and Supplementary Oxygen : Let ’ s Give Moderation a Chance

To the Editor:—We read with interest the two case reports by Dr. Heavner et al. in which the introduction of an epiduroscope for placement of hyaluronidase, local anesthetic, and steroids in the lower lumbar epidural space led to the apparent disruption of venous wall integrity. Unintended vascular uptake of dye was documented on fluoroscopy. The case reports raise several concerns about the value of using an epiduroscope to place medication in this manner. The evidence in the literature does not support the practice of using an epiduroscope to perform a caudal injection as a means to improve outcome, when compared with a fluoroscopically guided injection via a catheter or needle. As these case reports portray, use of an epiduroscope clearly offers no protection against vascular trauma. Indeed, the view through the scope gave no indication in either case that vascular wall integrity had been broached. It was fluoroscopic imaging in conjunction with dye administration that diagnosed the inadvertent injection. Rather than protecting against trauma, it is reasonable to assume that the larger instrument (the epiduroscope is blunt, rigid, and 2.8 mm in diameter; a 20-gauge epidural catheter is softer and less than 0.9 mm in diameter) would be more likely to cause trauma. Indeed, Heavner et al. suggest that it is the lack of a low-pressure alternative route for the injectate to escape around the vessel that drives injectate into the vein. An epidural catheter, taking up less space, would allow more avenues of egress for the injectate and would be less likely to traumatize the vessel (smaller and softer) or lead to a high-pressure environment that would distend the vessel breach and induce this unwanted vascular ingress of medication. The cost and charge to the patient of the fluoroscopically guided epiduroscope-based epidural injection is higher than a fluoroscopically guided needle or catheter injection. Because a catheter is as effective, is less expensive, is less traumatic, and uses the only imaging technique (fluoroscopy) that provides safety in this injection, we must ask: Where is the value in using an epiduroscope to inject medication into the lumbar epidural canal? The concept of introducing a flexible fiberoptic scope into the epidural space to directly visualize structures is appealing. Ideally, we could accomplish this safely, be able to clearly define normal and abnormal anatomy, and use the anatomical information to improve treatment by providing directed therapy. These goals have been elusive, despite the availability of this technique for more than 20 yr. The current case reports are a clear reminder that the risks and benefits of this technique have yet to be clearly established. We believe that safety and cost dictate that the routine use of epiduroscopy to “guide” caudal injection not be used until evidence generated by randomized controlled trials proves that it provides benefit sufficient to warrant the additional trauma, risk, and cost it obviously incurs.
A novel crop water analysis system: identification of water stress tolerant genotypes of canola (Brassica napus L.) using non-invasive magnetic turgor pressure probes

Changing global climatic conditions and irrigation water shortages impose water stress conditions on crops. To develop genotypes tolerant to water stress necessitates reliable high-throughput methods to study plant water status and water stress tolerance mechanisms. We report the use of a non-destructive, automated, precise and rapid system for assessing real-time water status in canola plants. Leaf patch clamp pressure probes were clamped on the leaves of four different genotypes of canola grown under field conditions. The data generated diurnal curves characterizing the pattern of turgor pressure maintenance within the leaves. A novel methodology termed ‘inverse hysteresis’ was developed to measure relative water stress levels in plants using the probe-derived data. The inverse hysteresis data show that genotypes CT12 and CT15 had a higher ability to withstand water stress and were more tolerant to water stress than DS23 and DS35. The chlorophyll content and seed yield were also higher in CT12 and CT15. This novel analytical tool for monitoring water status in canola plants will be of great benefit in other crop species to efficiently screen genotypes for water stress tolerance.
Interrill Soil Erosion – Part II: Testing and Use of Model Equations

ABSTRACT LABORATORY measurements were made of interrill erosion as affected by varying overland flow discharge and slope steepness. Soil detachment and sediment transport capacity relations were then evaluated using experimentally obtained information. The model equations were utilized to further characterize interrill soil erosion. The overland flow region over which the model equations are applicable for a disturbed Nunn clay loam soil was determined from laboratory tests and critical shear stress analyses. The influence of slope length on interrill erosion was also examined.
Optical coherence tomography findings of quinine poisoning

Purpose To report a case of acute quinine poisoning, document acute and chronic macular changes with optical coherence tomography imaging and fluorescein angiography (FA), and to review the literature on ocular toxicity of quinine. Methods A 32-year-old white female presented to our Emergency Department after ingesting over 7.5 g of quinine. She underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, fluorescein angiography, Stratus time-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and electroretinography at 72 hours and 15 months postingestion. Stratus time-domain and Cirrus spectral-domain OCT, fundus autofluorescence, and FA were obtained at 28 months postingestion. Results Fluorescein angiography at 72 hours postingestion revealed normal filling times and vasculature. OCT showed marked thickening of the inner retina bilaterally. At 15 and 28 months follow-up, fundus photography and fluorescein angiography demonstrated optic nerve pallor, severely attenuated retinal vessels while OCT showed inner retinal atrophy. Fundus autofluorescence did not reveal any retinal pigmentary abnormalities. Conclusions Quinine toxicity as seen by OCT reveals increased thickness with inner retinal hyperreflectivity acutely with development of significant retinal atrophy in the long-term. Fundus autofluorescence reveals an intact retinal pigment epithelial layer at 28 months. These findings suggest that quinine poisoning may produce a direct toxic effect on the inner retina in the acute phase resulting in long-term retinal atrophy.
Inequalities in diet and physical activity in Europe

Abstract The contribution of food, nutrition and physical activity to inequalities in health across Europe is largely unexplored. This paper summarizes cross sectional survey data on food patterns and nutrient intakes, and briefer data on physical activity, by various indicators of socio-economic status for countries across Europe. Factors are examined which underlie the outcome data seen. These include structural and material conditions and circumstances which contribute to excluding sociodemographic groups from participating in mainstream patterns of living. Trends in social and economic conditions, and their implications for nutritional and physical wellbeing are briefly outlined.
Modeling of NBTI Kinetics in Replacement Metal Gate Si and SiGe FinFETs—Part-II: AC Stress and Recovery

An ultrafast (10-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> delay) measurement technique is used to characterize ac negative-bias temperature instability-induced threshold voltage shift (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \text {V}_\text {T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) in replacement metal-gate-based high-K metal gate Si and SiGe p-FinFETs. Time kinetics of stress and recovery, voltage acceleration factor, temperature activation energy (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {E}_\text {A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), frequency (f), and pulse duty cycle (PDC) dependence are shown for different germanium percentages (Ge%) in the channel and nitrogen percentages (N%) in the gate insulator. A comprehensive physical model framework based on uncorrelated contributions from interface (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \text {V}_\text {IT}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and bulk oxide (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \text {V}_\text {OT}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) trap generation and hole trapping in preexisting defects (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \text {V}_\text {HT}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) is used to explain the measured data at different stress biases (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {V}_\text {GSTR}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), temperatures (T), f, and PDCs. Direct-current I–V measurements are used to independently verify the interface-trap generation component for ac stress. End-of-life degradation for different processes under dc and ac conditions is estimated by using the calibrated model and compared to predictions from conventional analytical methods.
Superconductivity of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 at high pressure

The pressure-induced superconductivity and structural evolution of Bi2Se3 single crystals are studied. The emergence of superconductivity at an onset transition temperature (Tc) of about 4.4 K is observed at around 12 GPa. Tc increases rapidly to a maximum of 8.2 K at 17.2 GPa, decreases to around 6.5 K at 23 GPa, and then remains almost constant with further increases in pressure. Variations in Tc with respect to pressure are closely related to the carrier density, which increases by over two orders of magnitude from 2 to 23 GPa. High-pressure synchrotron radiation measurements reveal structural transitions at around 12, 20, and above 29 GPa. A phase diagram of superconductivity versus pressure is also constructed.
Temporal Judgments: The Effects of Sensory Interference and Limited Attention

Based on theories of sensory interference and limited attention and on the previous finding of Brown and Stubbs (1992), it was hypothesized that (a) timing judgments are more accurate when prospective rather than retrospective, (b) timing judgments and text comprehension are worse when both tasks must be done using the same sensory mode rather than different modes, and (c) text comprehension is worse when another task competes for attention. The results definitely confirm (c) and give mild support to (a). The validity of (b) is ambiguous, but a limited domain for sensory interference is proposed along with other explanations. Two popular areas of study are dual task interference and limited attention. The concept of task interference was first proposed Stroop, and this involved recognition of the semantic meanings of words interfering with the naming of the physical colors of words. In the Stroop task, subjects were presented with lists of words printed in different colors of ink and asked to name the ink color for each word. The subjects had no difficulty with this task if the stimulus words were neutral, but if the words were semantic color words, the semantic meaning of the word and the actual color of the ink would interfere, causing the subject to slow down and generate more errors. Similar studies using both visual and auditory stimuli have been used to study task interference, and the prominent result has been that multiple tasks involving the same sensory modality lead to a general degradation of performance on the tasks. Cherry initiated the research on limited attention in studying the "cocktail effect. " Cherry demonstrated that when two different auditory messages were presented to a subject who shadowed one of the messages, his or her ability to recall anything about the unattended message was extremely limited. Subjects were completely unable to describe anything about the unattended message, and they did not even realize if the speaker switched to a foreign language. This led Cherry to propose that attention is a limited resource. Subsequent studies have demonstrated that attention is not quite as
A Read–Write Circuit for STT-MRAM With Stochastic Switchings

Spin-transfer torque magnetic random memory (STT-MRAM) is a promising candidate for universal memory due to its non-volatility, fast access speed, high density, and low power consumption. In this paper, we propose a read-and-write circuit for STT-MRAMs, which decreases energy consumption and improves the endurance of STT-MRAM cells. The proposed circuit is capable of terminating write operations when the state of the cell has been switched to the desired one. In the circuit, the read and write operations share a single current driver. The proposed circuit including all the digital logic parts has been implemented using a CMOS process and validated using SPICE-level simulations.
The Analysis and Construction of Perfectly Matched Layers for Linearized Euler Equations

We present a detailed analysis of a recently proposed perfectly matched layer (PML) method for the absorption of acoustic waves. The split set of equations is shown to be only weakly well-posed, and ill-posed under small, low order, perturbations. This analysis provides an explanation for the stability problems associated with the spilt field formulation and illustrates why applying a filter has a stabilizing effect. Utilizing recent results obtained within the context of electromagnetics, we develop strongly well-posed absorbing layers for the linearized Euler equations. The schemes are shown to be perfectly absorbing independent of frequency and the angle of incidence of the wave in the case of a quiescent mean flow. In the general case of a convecting mean flow, a number of techniques are combined to obtain an absorbing layer exhibiting PML-like behavior. The efficiency of the proposed absorbing layer is illustrated through the computation of benchmark problems in aero-acoustics.
Role of Outage Management Strategy in Reliability Performance of Multi-Microgrid Distribution Systems

This paper develops a general framework for reliability assessment of multi-microgrid (MMG) distribution systems. It also investigates reliability impacts of coordinated outage management strategies in a MMG distribution network. According to the proposed reliability evaluation framework, which is based on sequential Monte Carlo simulation method, distribution system is divided into smaller sections/microgrids based on protection system configuration and operating measures are efficiently simulated considering different operation modes. In order to demonstrate the role of outage management strategy in reliability performance of MMG distribution systems, at first, the required features of an outage management strategy are identified. Then, suitable centralized and hierarchical schemes are introduced for operation of such systems during outage events. The proposed schemes, which are based on model predictive control approach, minimize total load curtailments in the system. Moreover, they are flexible and can effectively deal with multiple contingencies as well as uncertainties of outage duration. The developed reliability assessment framework is applied to a test system and performance of the presented outage management schemes are explored through extensive case studies. Obtained results suggest that implementation of an appropriate coordinated scheme is crucial to reliable operation of MMG distribution systems.
Primordial synthesis of amines and amino acids in a 1958 Miller H2S-rich spark discharge experiment

Archived samples from a previously unreported 1958 Stanley Miller electric discharge experiment containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) were recently discovered and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We report here the detection and quantification of primary amine-containing compounds in the original sample residues, which were produced via spark discharge using a gaseous mixture of H2S, CH4, NH3, and CO2. A total of 23 amino acids and 4 amines, including 7 organosulfur compounds, were detected in these samples. The major amino acids with chiral centers are racemic within the accuracy of the measurements, indicating that they are not contaminants introduced during sample storage. This experiment marks the first synthesis of sulfur amino acids from spark discharge experiments designed to imitate primordial environments. The relative yield of some amino acids, in particular the isomers of aminobutyric acid, are the highest ever found in a spark discharge experiment. The simulated primordial conditions used by Miller may serve as a model for early volcanic plume chemistry and provide insight to the possible roles such plumes may have played in abiotic organic synthesis. Additionally, the overall abundances of the synthesized amino acids in the presence of H2S are very similar to the abundances found in some carbonaceous meteorites, suggesting that H2S may have played an important role in prebiotic reactions in early solar system environments.
Properties of Nitrogen/Silicon Doped Vertically Oriented Graphene Produced by ICP CVD Roll-to-Roll Technology

Simultaneous mass production of high quality vertically oriented graphene nanostructures and doping them by using an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP CVD) is a technological problem because little is understood about their growth mechanism over enlarged surfaces. We introduce a new method that combines the ICP CVD with roll-to-roll technology to enable the in-situ preparation of vertically oriented graphene by using propane as a precursor gas and nitrogen or silicon as dopants. This new technology enables preparation of vertically oriented graphene with distinct morphology and composition on a moving copper foil substrate at a lower cost. The technological parameters such as deposition time (1–30 min), gas partial pressure, composition of the gas mixture (propane, argon, nitrogen or silane), heating treatment (1–60 min) and temperature (350–500 °C) were varied to reveal the nanostructure growth, the evolution of its morphology and heteroatom’s intercalation by nitrogen or silicon. Unique nanostructures were examined by FE-SEM microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-Ray scattering techniques. The undoped and nitrogen- or silicon-doped nanostructures can be prepared with the full area coverage of the copper substrate on industrially manufactured surface defects. Longer deposition time (30 min, 450 °C) causes carbon amorphization and an increased fraction of sp3-hybridized carbon, leading to enlargement of vertically oriented carbonaceous nanostructures and growth of pillars.
Alternative to Extended Block Sparse Bayesian Learning and Its Relation to Pattern-Coupled Sparse Bayesian Learning

We consider the problem of recovering block sparse signals with unknown block partition and propose a better alternative to the extended block sparse Bayesian learning (EBSBL). The underlying relationship between the proposed method EBSBL and pattern-coupled sparse Bayesian learning (PC-SBL) is explicitly revealed. The proposed method adopts a cluster-structured prior for sparse coefficients, which encourages dependencies among neighboring coefficients by properly manipulating the hyperparameters of the neighborhood. Due to entanglement of the hyperparameters, a joint sparsity assumption is made to yield a suboptimal analytic solution. The alternative algorithm avoids high dictionary coherence in EBSBL, reduces the unknowns of EBSBL, and explains the effectiveness of EBSBL. The proposed algorithm also avoids the vulnerability of parameter choice in PC-SBL. Results of comprehensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves performance that is close to the best performance of PC-SBL. In addition, it outperforms EBSBL and other recently reported algorithms particularly under noisy and low sampling scenarios.
Agreement for depression diagnosis between DSM-IV-TR criteria, three validated scales, oncologist assessment, and psychiatric clinical interview in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer

Background: Depression, a major outcome in cancer patients, is often evaluated by physicians relying on their clinical impressions rather than patient self-report. Our aim was to assess agreement between patient self-reported depression, oncologist assessment (OA), and psychiatric clinical interview (PCI) in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). Methods: This analysis was a secondary endpoint of the Elderly Women AOC Trial 3 (EWOT3), designed to assess the impact of geriatric covariates, notably depression, on survival in patients older than 70 years of age. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, the distress thermometer, the mood thermometer, and OA. The interview guide for PCI was constructed from three validated scales: the GDS, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (DSM) criteria for depression were used as a gold standard. Results: Out of 109 patients enrolled at 21 centers, 99 (91%) completed all the assessments. Patient characteristics were: mean age 78, performance status  2: 47 (47%). Thirty six patients (36%) were identified as depressed by the PCI versus 15 (15%) identified by DSM. We found moderate agreement for depression identification between DSM and GDS ( κ= 0.508) and PCI ( κ= 0.431) and high agreement with MADRS ( κ= 0.663). We found low or no agreement between DSM with the other assessment strategies, including OA ( κ=- 0.043). Identification according to OA (yes/no) resulted in a false-negative rate of 87%. As a screening tool, GDS had the best sensitivity and specificity (94% and 80%, respectively). Conclusion: The use of validated tools, such as GDS, and collaboration between psychologists and oncologists are warranted to better identify emotional disorders in elderly women with
A new gate drive technique for superjunction MOSFETs to compensate the effects of common source inductance

It is well known that in fast-and hard-switching power systems the switching transients are essentially influenced by a common source inductance LSc, i.e. any inductance common to gate and power loop. Particularly for Superjunction (SJ) MOSFETs without Kelvin source connection significantly increased switching losses and a strong oscillation tendency may result. In this paper two different LSc-related effects associated with “on” and “off” switching are identified, and their dependence on transistor parameters (transconductance, nonlinear capacitances) is analyzed. A new technique based on an inductive rather than resistive gate drive impedance is proposed to mitigate or even completely compensate the effects of LSc; experimental results are given that clearly verify simulations.