Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress Analysis and Junction Leakage of Sub-Melt Laser Annealed SiGe Epitaxial Layers

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the different post-epi process steps on the stress behavior of epitaxially grown Si1-x-Gex layers on Si substrates and the subsequent defectivity and device leakage. Stress measurements were performed by the in-line monitoring laser reflectance method to further investigate the intrinsic film stress dependence on the ion implantation conditions (atom size, depth of the implant, and dose) and the laser scan energy beam conditions during dopant activation (temperature, dwell time, and power). Moreover, the role of the millisecond laser anneal conditions on the area leakage current of embedded SiGe source/drain junctions is discussed. The analysis is complemented with structural characterization based on Nomarski microscopy.
Term Structures, Shape Constraints, and Inference for Option Portfolios

The illiquidity of options at long horizons has made it difficult to study the long-run properties of several key option portfolios, including the volatility index (VIX) and related measures. This paper proposes a new nonparametric framework to aid in the estimation of option portfolios at arbitrary maturities (even sparsely traded ones) and develops an asymptotic distribution theory for those portfolios. The distribution theory is used to quantify the estimation error induced by computing integrated option portfolios from a finite sample of noisy option data. Moreover, by relying on the method of sieves, the framework is nonparametric, adheres to economic shape restrictions for arbitrary maturities, yields closed-form option prices, and is easy to compute. The framework also permits the extraction of the entire term structure of risk-neutral distributions in closed-form. Monte Carlo simulations confirm the framework's performance in finite samples. An application to the term structure of the synthetic variance swap portfolio finds sizeable uncertainty around the swap's true fair value, particularly when the variance swap is synthesized from noisy long-maturity options. A nonparametric investigation into the term structure of the variance risk premium finds growing compensation for variance risk at long maturities.
Glycan Masking of Hemagglutinin for Adenovirus Vector and Recombinant Protein Immunizations Elicits Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies against H5N1 Avian Influenza Viruses

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, a known trigger of diseases in poultry and humans, is perceived as a serious threat to public health. There is a clear need for a broadly protective H5N1 vaccine or vaccines for inducing neutralizing antibodies against multiple clades/subclades. We constructed single, double, and triple mutants of glycan-masked hemagglutiinin (HA) antigens at residues 83, 127 and 138 (i.e., g83, g127, g138, g83+g127, g127+g138, g83+g138 and g83+g127+g138), and then obtained their corresponding HA-expressing adenovirus vectors and recombinant HA proteins using a prime-boost immunization strategy. Our results indicate that the glycan-masked g127+g138 double mutant induced more potent HA-inhibition, virus neutralization antibodies, cross-clade protection against heterologous H5N1 clades, correlated with the enhanced bindings to the receptor binding sites and the highly conserved stem region of HA. The immune refocusing stem-specific antibodies elicited by the glycan-masked H5HA g127+g138 and g83+g127+g138 mutants overlapped with broadly neutralizing epitopes of the CR6261 monoclonal antibody that neutralizes most group 1 subtypes. These findings may provide useful information in the development of a broadly protective H5N1 influenza vaccine.
Development and Experimental Validation of a Non-Linear, All-Elastomer In-Plane Capacitive Pressure Sensor Model

A large deformation mechanics model is applied to predict capacitance changes in an all-elastomer capacitive tactile sensor, and the predictive model is experimentally validated. The compressive model predicts a non-linear relationship between the contact normal force and resulting capacitance change due to changes in electrode gap and electrode layer thickness. Broad parametric studies demonstrate that higher sensitivities can be achieved with lower modulus materials and smaller electrode gaps. Sensors are fabricated using a reusable silicon mold and experimental results are compared to predictions from the capacitance model. Capacitance-force model predictions yielded by the calibrated capacitance analytical model are shown to be in remarkable agreement with experimental measurements. A fringe effects term included in the capacitance model highlights the limitations of the parallel plate model especially for sensors with large electrode layer gaps.
Heterogeneity of solid neutron‐star matter: transport coefficients and neutrino emissivity

Calculations of weak-interaction transition rates and of nuclear formation enthalpies show that in isolated neutron stars, the solid phase, above the neutron-drip threshold, is amorphous and heterogeneous in nuclear charge. The neutrino emissivities obtained are very dependent on the effects of proton shell structure but may be several orders of magnitude larger than the electron bremsstrahlung neutrino pair emissivity at temperatures ∼10 9 K. In this phase, electrical and thermal conductivities are much smaller than for a homogeneous bcc lattice. In particular, the reduced electrical conductivity, which is also temperature-independent, must have significant consequences for the evolution of high-multipole magnetic fields in neutron stars.
Automatic Abstraction in Symbolic Trajectory Evaluation

Symbolic trajectory evaluation (STE) is a model checking technology based on symbolic simulation over a lattice of abstract state sets. The STE algorithm operates over families of these abstractions encoded by Boolean formulas, enabling verification with many different abstraction cases in a single modelchecking run. This provides a flexible way to achieve partitioned data abstraction. It is usually called "symbolic indexing' and is widely used in memory verification, but has seen relatively limited adoption elsewhere, primarily because users typically have to create the right indexed family of abstractions manually. This work provides the first known algorithm that automatically computes these partitioned abstractions given a reference-model specification. Our experimental results show that this approach not only simplifies memory verification, but also enables handling completely different designs fully automatically.
Evaluation of post-surface conditioning to improve interfacial adhesion in post-core restorations

Aim: To examine the influence of different post-surface treatments on the interfacial strength between epoxy resin-based fiber posts and methacrylate-based resin composites that are employed as core build-up materials. Materials and Methods: Forty clear posts were divided into four groups of 10 each. The different surface treatments used were etching with alkaline potassium permanganate, 10% hydrogen peroxide, 37% phosphoric acid, and silanization alone. After etching and thorough rinsing, a single layer of silane was applied to the post surface. Then the post was placed in a rectangular plastic matrix and core bulid-up was done using Multi Core, a dual cured composite resin. A slab of uniform thickness, with the post in the center and the core build-up composite on either side was created. The specimens were cut so as to obtain microtensile sticks that were loaded in tension at a cross-head speed of 1 mm/min until failure. The statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA and the paired T test for post-hoc comparisons. Results: The results achieved with potassium permanganate had a significant influence on microtensile interfacial bond strength values with the tested material. Conclusion: Surface chemical treatments of the resin phase of fiber posts enhance the silanization efficiency of the quartz fiber phase, so that the adhesion in the post/core unit may be considered as a net sum of chemical and micromechanical retention.
Effects of Liming on Forage Availability and Nutrient Content in a Forest Impacted by Acid Rain

Acidic deposition and subsequent forest soil acidification and nutrient depletion can affect negatively the growth, health and nutrient content of vegetation, potentially limiting the availability and nutrient content of forage for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other forest herbivores. Liming is a mitigation technique that can be used to restore forest health in acidified areas, but little is known about how it affects the growth or nutrient content of deer forage. We examined the effects of dolomitic limestone application on the growth and chemical composition of understory plants in an acidified forest in central Pennsylvania, with a focus on vegetative groups included as white-tailed deer forage. We used a Before-After-Control-Impact study design with observations 1 year before liming and up to 5 years post-liming on 2 treated and 2 untreated 100-ha sites. Before liming, forage availability and several nutrients were below levels considered optimal for white-tailed deer, and many vegetative characteristics were related to soil chemistry. We observed a positive effect of liming on forb biomass, with a 2.7 fold increase on limed sites, but no biomass response in other vegetation groups. We observed positive effects of liming on calcium and magnesium content and negative effects on aluminum and manganese content of several plant groups. Responses to liming by forbs and plant nutrients show promise for improving vegetation health and forage quality and quantity for deer.
Fibronectin concentrations in catheter sepsis.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the role of fibronectin in the pathogenesis of biomaterial-related infections and the influence of catheter sepsis on the concentration of plasma fibronectin during various stages of bacteremia. METHODS Plasma fibronectin concentrations were determined by the simple radial immunodiffusion method. Four groups of subjects were used: one group comprised patients with catheter sepsis, the second patients with local inflammation of the catheter insertion site caused by slime-positive, coagulase-negative staphylococci, the third patients with slime-negative, coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from the catheter, and the fourth demonstrably healthy persons. RESULTS In patients with catheter sepsis, fibronectin concentrations were found after the disappearance of catheter sepsis and 3--5 days after the removal of the catheter. A statistically significant decrease in fibronectin concentration was detected in the plasma of patients with catheter sepsis compared with other groups of patients and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS The above results indicate a pathogenic role for fibronectin in biomaterial-related infections.
The Big March: Migratory Flows after the Partition of India

The partition of India in 1947 along ostensibly religious lines into India, Pakistan, and what eventually became Bangladesh resulted in one of the largest and most rapid migrations in human history. We compile district level census data from archives to quantify the scale of migratory flows across the sub-continent. We estimate total migratory inflows of 14.5 million and outflows of 17.9 million, implying 3.4 million "missing" people. We also uncover a substantial degree of regional variability. Flows were much larger along the western border, higher in cities and areas close to the border, and dependent heavily on the size of the "minority" religious group. The migratory flows also display a "relative replacement effect" with in-migrants moving to places that saw greater out-migration.
The Microbial Diversity of Traditional Spontaneously Fermented Lambic Beer

Lambic sour beers are the products of a spontaneous fermentation that lasts for one to three years before bottling. The present study determined the microbiota involved in the fermentation of lambic beers by sampling two fermentation batches during two years in the most traditional lambic brewery of Belgium, using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. From 14 samples per fermentation, over 2000 bacterial and yeast isolates were obtained and identified. Although minor variations in the microbiota between casks and batches and a considerable species diversity were found, a characteristic microbial succession was identified. This succession started with a dominance of Enterobacteriaceae in the first month, which were replaced at 2 months by Pediococcus damnosus and Saccharomyces spp. , the latter being replaced by Dekkera bruxellensis at 6 months fermentation duration.
Ocular aberrations after wavefront optimized LASIK for myopia

Purpose: To study the change in ocular aberrations after wavefront optimized (WFO) laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for correction of myopia and to analyze causative factors that may influence them. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective case series. WFO LASIK was performed for the correction of myopia, using the hansatome (Bausch and Lomb) microkeratome to create the flap and the Allegretto laser (Wavelight Technologie) to perform the ablation. The Allegretto wave analyser (Tscherning-type) measured the ocular aberrations prior to LASIK , one month and six months postoperatively. Results: The mean age of the 59 patients included in the study was 25±5.64 years and the mean spherical equivalent of the 117 eyes that underwent LASIK was ‒5.33±1.22 preoperatively and ‒0.21±0.38 postoperatively. Hundred and two eyes of 117 (87%) achieved uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20/20 or better after WFO LASIK and 104 of 117 eyes (89%) were within ±0.5D of the attempted refractive correction. There was a 1.96-fold increase in total root-mean-square of higher order aberrations. Induced changes in seven of the 22 higher order Zernike terms showed a significant linear correlation with the refractive correction attempted. Larger ablation zones induced less spherical aberration. Conclusion: In spite of an excellent visual outcome, WFO LASIK induces significant higher order aberrations. Large ablation zones reduce the induction of spherical aberration.
The role of PTEN/Akt/PI3K signaling in the maintenance and viability of prostate cancer stem-like cell populations

Characterization of the molecular pathways that are required for the viability and maintenance of self-renewing tumor-initiating cells may ultimately lead to improved therapies for cancer. In this study, we show that a CD133+/CD44+ population of cells enriched in prostate cancer progenitors (PCaPs) has tumor-initiating potential and that these progenitors can be expanded under nonadherent, serum-free, sphere-forming conditions. Cells grown under these conditions have increased in vitro clonogenic and in vivo tumorigenic potential. mRNA expression analysis of cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, compared with long-term monolayer cultures, revealed preferential activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. PI3K p110α and β-protein levels were higher in cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) knockdown by shRNA led to an increase in sphere formation as well as increased clonogenic and tumorigenic potential. Similarly, shRNA knockdown of FoxO3a led to an increase in tumorigenic potential. Consistent with these results, inhibition of PI3K activity by the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 led to growth inhibition of PCaPs. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways are critical for prostate cancer stem-like cell maintenance and that targeting PI3K signaling may be beneficial in prostate cancer treatment by eliminating prostate cancer stem-like cells.
Exploiting additional actuators and sensors for nano-positioning robust motion control

The ongoing need for miniaturization and an increase of throughput in IC-manufacturing is obstructed by performance limitations in motion control of nano-positioning wafer stages. These limitations are imposed by flexible dynamical behavior, associated with structural deformations of the nano-positioning stages. The aim of this research is to investigate limits on achievable performance in a conventional control configuration and to mitigate these limits through the use of additional actuators and sensors. To this end, a systematic framework for control design using additional actuators and sensors in the generalized plant configuration is presented, which leads to a well-posed ℋ∞-control optimization problem that extends conventional design approaches in a natural way and exploits physical insight to address structural deformations in weighting filter design. Through an experimental confrontation of the design framework with a prototype next-generation nano-positioning motion system, successful performance enhancement beyond the conventional limits is demonstrated.
Distribution of endosomal, lysosomal, and major histocompatability complex markers in a monocytic cell line infected with Chlamydia psittaci

The intracellular fate of Chlamydia psittaci during infection of a monocytic cell line, THP1, was characterized. Cytochalasin D inhibited phagocytosis of latex beads but had no effect on infection by C. psittaci, and vacuoles expressed the transferrin receptor, suggesting accessibility to the endocytic pathway. Early Chlamydia-containing vacuoles expressed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, and most vacuoles fused with host cell lysosomes, since they expressed LAMP-1 and had acidic pHs. In cells prestimulated with gamma interferon, vacuoles also expressed MHC class II molecules, suggesting that the monocytes might effectively process Chlamydia-derived antigens for presentation by MHC class I and class II molecules.
Outcome of Glansectomy and Skin Grafting in the Management of Penile Cancer

Purpose. To report outcome data for patients with penile cancer treated surgically with glansectomy and skin grafting. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed data on all patients undergoing surgical management of penile cancer by a single surgeon between 1998 and 2008. Outcomes in patients who underwent glansectomy and skin grafting were analysed. Results. Between 1998 and 2008 a total of 25 patients with a mean age 60 (39–83) underwent glansectomy and skin grafting. Six patients had carcinoma in situ (CIS); the stage in the remaining patients ranged from T1G1 to T3G3. Mean followup for patients was 28 months (range 6–66). Disease specific survival was 92% with 2 patients who had positive nodes at lymph node dissection developing groin recurrence. One patient developed a local recurrence requiring a partial penectomy. Conclusions. Penile preserving surgery with glansectomy and skin grafting is a successful technique with minimal complications for local control of penile carcinoma arising on the glans. Careful followup to exclude local recurrence is required.
The Neisseria gonorrhoeae lpxLII gene encodes for a late‐functioning lauroyl acyl transferase, and a null mutation within the gene has a significant effect on the induction of acute inflammatory responses

LPS is a fundamental constituent of the outer membrane of all Gram‐negative bacteria, and the lipid A domain plays a central role in the induction of inflammatory responses. We identified genes of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipid A biosynthetic pathway by searching the complete gonococcal genome sequence with sequences of known enzymes from other species. The lpxLII gene was disrupted by an insertion–deletion in an attenuated aroA mutant of the gonococcal strain MS11. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipid A analysis demonstrated that the lpxLII mutant had synthesized an altered LPS molecule lacking a single lauric fatty acid residue in the GlcN II of the lipid A backbone. LPS of the lpxLII mutant had a markedly reduced ability to induce the proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐8 from human macrophages and IL‐8 from polymorphonuclear cells. This study demonstrates that the lpxLII gene in gonococci encodes for a late‐functioning lauroyl acyl transferase that adds a lauric acid at position 2′ in the lipid A backbone. The presence of lauric acid at such a position appears to be crucial for the induction of full inflammatory responses by N. gonorrhoeae LPS.
UPV-SI: Word Sense Induction using Self Term Expansion

In this paper we are reporting the results obtained participating in the "Evaluating Word Sense Induction and Discrimination Systems" task of Semeval 2007. Our totally unsupervised system performed an automatic self-term expansion process by mean of co-ocurrence terms and, thereafter, it executed the unsupervised KStar clustering method. Two ranking tables with different evaluation measures were calculated by the task organizers, every table with two baselines and six runs submitted by different teams. We were ranked third place in both ranking tables obtaining a better performance than three different baselines, and outperforming the average score.
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell-Derived IFN-α Induces TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/Apo-2L-Mediated Antitumor Activity by Human Monocytes Following CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide Stimulation1

Immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing the CpG motif are being tested as immune adjuvants in many disease settings. Of the human PBMC examined, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are a major source of type I IFN upon stimulation with CpG ODN. IFNs have numerous immunostimulatory effects, including the induction of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)/Apo-2L on monocytes, NK cells, and T cells. Importantly, IFN has also been linked to antitumor responses. Thus, we tested whether CpG ODN stimulation of PBMC led to TRAIL/Apo-2L-induced tumor cell death. When PBMC were stimulated with CpG ODN, TRAIL/Apo-2L-dependent tumor cell death was observed. Further examination of CpG ODN-stimulated PBMC revealed that TRAIL/Apo-2L expression was limited to CD14+ cells, which, when depleted, led to a loss of the TRAIL/Apo-2L-mediated tumor cell killing. Moreover, pDC depletion also abolished the TRAIL/Apo-2L-mediated killing of tumor cell targets. Analysis of the pDC showed IFN-α production after CpG ODN stimulation. Finally, inclusion of neutralizing IFN-α antiserum with the PBMC during CpG ODN stimulation abrogated TRAIL/Apo-2L-mediated tumor cell killing. These results define a mechanism by which CpG ODN induces TRAIL/Apo-2L-dependent killing of tumor cells by CD14+ PBMC, in which CpG ODN-activated pDC produce IFN-α that stimulates CD14+ PBMC to express functional TRAIL/Apo-2L.