Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the temperature dependence of electrical and mechanical properties of recyclable cable insulation materials based upon polyethylene blends

Crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) has been used as cable insulation since the 1960s, due to its favourable combination of electrical and mechanical properties. However, a fundamental consequence of crosslinking is limited recyclability. Although technologies are being developed to facilitate the re-use of XLPE at the end of its service life, such approaches are inferior to a fully recyclable alternative. In this paper, we report on the use of binary blends of linear (LPE) and branched (BPE)polyethylenes as possible replacement materials for XLPE, since such systems have the potential to combine comparable mechanical properties and enhanced breakdown strength with recyclability. Specifically, we consider the thin film AC ramp breakdown behaviour as a function of temperature up to 90 oC; the behaviour of a non-isothermally crystallized blend is contrasted with that of the constituent BPE in virgin and crosslinked states. These data are augmented with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. In concert, these data indicate that, with appropriate morphological control, the blended thermoplastic material can exhibits superior properties to XLPE within the temperature range studied.
WLC17-2: Performance of IEEE802.16 Random Access Protocol - Steady State Queuing Analysis

In this paper, we consider the queueing performance of a subscriber station for IEEE802.16e random access protocol with piggyback operation and an ARQ. The random access protocol of IEEE802.16 is based on orthogonal frequency-division-multiple-access and code-division-multiple-access with time division duplexing mode. It is a type of demand-assigned multiple access with piggyback, in which a bandwidth request can be allowed either before transmitting data or at the end of data transmission. The queueing model of our interest is an M/G/l type queue with set-up times and exhaustive service, which is solved by a generating function approach. From the queueing analysis, we obtain the piggyback probability and the output process from the queue. The performance is presented in terms of the first and second moments of queue-size by varying number of subscriber stations in a cell, number of PN codes for bandwidth request ranging and number of slot-subchannels.
Basal ganglia hypoactivity during grip force in drug naïve Parkinson's disease

The basal ganglia (BG) are impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), but it remains unclear which nuclei are impaired during the performance of motor tasks in early‐stage PD. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine which nuclei function abnormally, and whether cortical structures are also affected by early‐stage PD. The study also determined if cerebellar hyperactivity is found early in the course of PD. Blood oxygenation level dependent activation was compared between 14 early‐stage drug‐naïve PD patients and 14 controls performing two precision grip force tasks using functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. The grip tasks used in this study were chosen because both tasks are known to provide robust activation in BG nuclei, and the two tasks were similar except that the 2‐s task required more switching between contraction and relaxation than the 4‐s task. The 4‐s task revealed that PD patients were hypoactive relative to controls only in putamen and external globus pallidus, and thalamus. In the 2‐s task, PD patients were hypoactive throughout all BG nuclei, thalamus, M1, and supplementary motor area. There were no differences in cerebellar activation between groups during either task. Regions of interest analysis revealed that the hypoactivity observed in PD patients during the 2‐s task became more pronounced over time as patients performed the task. This suggests that a motor task that requires switching can accentuate abnormal activity throughout all BG nuclei of early‐stage, drug‐naive PD, and that the abnormal activity becomes more pronounced with repeated task performance in these patients. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stroke in the Very Old: A Systematic Review of Studies on Incidence, Outcome, and Resource Use

Background and Purpose. Stroke incidence increases with age and is likely to increase in the aging populations. We investigated incidence, outcome, and resource use in very old subjects with stroke. Methods. We performed a systematic review of available data through electronic search of the literature databases and manual search of reference lists. Data were extracted for the age groups of over 80, 80 to 84 years old, and over 85. Overall incidence rates, expressed as the number of first strokes per 1000 person-years, were estimated using Poisson regression analysis. Odds ratios for the comparisons between subjects over and under 80 were calculated with the Mantel-Haenszel method. Results. We found a high incidence of stroke in the very old. The estimated incidence rates were 20.78 (95% CI 19.69 to 21.87) in subjects over 80, 17.23 (95% CI 15.97 to 18.49) for those 80 to 85 years old, and 20.78 (95% CI 16.74 to 23.78) for those over 85. Subjects over 80 contributed 29.95% of strokes; rates were similar among genders. Thirty-day case fatality rate and occurrence of dependency were higher in subjects over 80, although associated with less frequent hospital and stroke unit admission and less diagnostic resource use. Conclusions. The contribution of very old subjects to the global burden of stroke is relevant and may require efficient dedicated stroke services.
Results of medium-term survival in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation: institutional experience

Introduction The heart transplant became a consecrated therapy for patients with terminal heart failure, increasingly improving the survival. Objective To identify the medium-term results in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Methods This is a descriptive, documentary and retrospective study, using a quantitative approach, developed in a Unit of Transplant and Heart Failure, of a tertiary level public hospital, located in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. The data were obtained from a sample of 188 patients (154 men and 34 women), submitted to the heart transplant, in the period from October 1997 to March 2011. There were calculated survival rates based on Kaplan-Meier methods. Results There were identified information about the patient's gender (male 81.91%), medical diagnosis which determined the heart transplantation (idiopathic cardiomyopathies 23.98%, ischemic 23.4% and Chagasic 17.02%). The median age of patients was 48 years old (interquartile range = 17.25 years) and the median observation period was 877 days. During this period, 78 patients died, resulting in survival ratios of 72%, 59% and 47% after 1, 5 and 9 years of cardiac transplantation, respectively. Younger patients had longer survival (P=0.0418). Conclusion The medium-term survival of patients undergoing cardiac transplantation is significant, especially for younger patients.
Effects and Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Ameliorating Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease, which accounts for approximately 450,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Chinese herbal medicine, especially combined herbal formulations, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial infarction for hundreds of years. While the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine is well documented, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we highlight recent studies which are focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms using extracted compounds, single herbs, or herbal formulations in experimental settings. These studies represent recent efforts to bridge the gap between the enigma of ancient Chinese herbal medicine and the concepts of modern cell and molecular biology in the treatment of myocardial infarction.
A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Usefulness of Mobile Text Phone Messages to Improve the Quality of Care of HIV and AIDS Patients in Cameroon

Background: HIV and AIDS are major public health problems in the world and Africa. In Cameroon, the HIV prevalence is 5.1%. Cellphones have been found to be useful in the provision of modern health care services using short message services (SMS). This study assessed the effectiveness of SMS in improving the adherence of people living with HIV and AIDS to their treatment and care in Cameroon. Methods: This intervention study used a randomized controlled trial design. Ninety participants seeking treatment at the Nkwen Baptist Health Center were recruited between August and September 2011 using a purposive sampling method. They were randomly allocated into the intervention and control groups, each containing 45 participants. In the intervention group, each participant received four SMSs per week at equal intervals for four weeks. The patients were investigated for adherence to ARVs by evaluating the number of times treatment and medication refill appointments were missed. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire before and after intervention and analysed on STATA. Results: The baseline survey indicated that there were 55(61.1%) females and 35(38.9%) males aged 23 - 62 years; the mean age was 38.77 ± 1.08. Most participants were teachers [12 (13.3%)], farmers [11 (12.2%)], and businessmen [24 (26.7%)]. Adherence to ARVs was 64.4% in the intervention group and 44.2% in the control group (p = 0.05). 2(4.4%) patients in the control group failed to respect their drug refill appointments while all the 45(100%) participants in the intervention group respected their drug refill appointments. 54.17% of married people and 42.9% of the participants with primary and secondary levels of education missed their treatment. Key reasons for missing treatment were late home coming (54%), forgetfulness (22.5%), and travelling out of station without medication (17.5%). Other factors responsible for non-adherence included involvement in outdoor business (60.87%), ARV stock out (37.8%), and not belonging to a support group (10.23%). Twenty eight (62.22%) subjects in the intervention group were able to take their treatment regularly and on time. Conclusion: SMS improved adherence to ARVs. Key constraints which affect adhere to ARV medication can be addressed using SMS.
Fusion Similarity-Based Reranking for SAR Image Retrieval

A new reranking method, fusion similarity-based reranking, is proposed in this letter to improve the performance of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image retrieval. First, the top ranked SAR images within the initial retrieval results are picked for reranking. Considering the negative influence of the speckle noise, three SAR-oriented visual features are selected to represent them. In addition, the different relevance scores corresponding to an SAR image are estimated in various modalities (i.e., different feature spaces). Second, a fusion similarity is defined under the relevance score space to measure the resemblance between two SAR images. This fusion similarity is calculated using the modal-image matrix, which is construed by the estimated scores to integrate the contributions of all modalities. Finally, an existing reranking function is adopted to rerank the SAR images with the help of the estimated scores and calculated fusion similarities. The positive experimental results demonstrate that our reranking method is effective and efficient.
Japanese mimetic palatalisation revisited: implications for conflicting directionality*

This article re-examines ‘conflicting directionality’ in Japanese mimetic words, a distributional pattern in which palatalisation is preferentially realised on the rightmost of two coronal consonants, but on the leftmost consonant in a word without coronals. Analysis of the original dictionary evidence given in support of this generalisation and an exhaustive search of the Japanese mimetic stratum reveal both several counterexamples to conflicting directionality and the fact that the datasets are far too small to support linguistic generalisation. The theoretical assumptions employed to account for Japanese mimetic palatalisation are thus re-examined, with a focus on clarifying the predictions for future valid examples of conflicting directionality.
Role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient values in the detection of gastric carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE The study evaluated the applicability of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the diagnosis and staging of gastric carcinoma (GC). METHODS From December, 2013 to December, 2014, 35 GC patients were selected from the Department of Oncology. Carcinomatous gastric tissues were collected as the case group, and normal gastric tissues were collected as the control group. The DW-MRI examination was performed on a 3.0-T GE Signa Excite MRI scanner. The ADC values of carcinomatous and normal gastric tissues were measured. A statistical meta-analysis was further performed. RESULTS DW-MRI identified 75.0% (3/4) patients with T1, 75.0% (6/8) patients with T2, 86.4% (19/22) patients with T3, and 100.0% (1/1) patient with T4, showing an accuracy for T staging of 82.9% (29/35); identified 92.9% (13/14) patients of N0, 58.3% (7/12) patents of N1, 62.5% (5/8) patents of N2, and 100.0% (1/1) patients of N3, showing an accuracy for N staging of 74.3% (26/35). The average ADC value in the case group was apparently lower than the control group (P < 0.001); in the poorly differentiated group was lower than the moderately and well differentiated groups (F = 111.1, P < 0.001). Pairwise comparison of the average ADC value between the poorly, moderately and well differentiated groups showed statistical significance (all P < 0.05). Meta-analysis further confirmed a higher average ADC value in the case group than the control group (SMD = -4.136, 95% CI = -5.344~-2.928, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION DW-MRI is proved to be an attractive, noninvasive, quantitative and useful technique in the diagnosis and staging of GC.
MEMS test structure for measuring thermal conductivity of thin films

A novel MEMS test structure and measurement procedure is presented with which the lateral thermal conductivity of thin films can be easily and accurately extracted. The extraction procedure is discussed in detail and supported by numerical simulations. Experimental examples are given for the determination of the lateral thermal conductivity of aluminium (Al), aluminium nitride (AlN), and p-doped polysilicon (polySi) thin films.
Multimodal Evoked Potentials in Primary Sjogren's Syndrome Without Neurological Manifestations

Multimodal Evoked Potentials in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Without Neurological Manifestations Figen GÖKÇAY, Neşe ÇELEBİSOY, Ahmet GÖKÇAY, Gonca ÖDER, Yasemin KABASAKAL, Kenan AKSU, Timur KÖSE Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, İzmir, Türkiye Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, İzmir, Türkiye Ege University Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, İzmir, Türkiye
Neuronal Migration and Lamination in the Vertebrate Retina

In the retina, like in most other brain regions, developing neurons are arranged into distinct layers giving the mature tissue its stratified appearance. This process needs to be highly controlled and orchestrated, as neuronal layering defects lead to impaired retinal function. To achieve successful neuronal layering and lamination in the retina and beyond, three main developmental steps need to be executed: First, the correct type of neuron has to be generated at a precise developmental time. Second, as most retinal neurons are born away from the position at which they later function, newborn neurons have to move to their final layer within the developing tissue, a process also termed neuronal lamination. Third, these neurons need to connect to their correct synaptic partners. Here, we discuss neuronal migration and lamination in the vertebrate retina and summarize our knowledge on these aspects of retinal development. We give an overview of how lamination emerges and discuss the different modes of neuronal translocation that occur during retinogenesis and what we know about the cell biological machineries driving them. In addition, retinal mosaics and their importance for correct retinal function are examined. We close by stating the open questions and future directions in this exciting field.
HALO GAS CROSS SECTIONS AND COVERING FRACTIONS OF Mg ii ABSORPTION SELECTED GALAXIES

We examine halo gas cross sections and covering fractions, fc, of intermediate-redshift Mg ii absorption selected galaxies. We computed statistical absorber halo radii, Rx, using current values of dN/dz and Schechter luminosity function parameters, and have compared these values to the distribution of impact parameters and luminosities from a sample of 37 galaxies. For equivalent widths Wr(2796) ⩾ 0.3 Å, we find 43 ⩽ Rx ⩽ 88 kpc, depending on the lower luminosity cutoff and the slope, β, of the Holmberg-like luminosity scaling, R ∝ Lβ. The observed distribution of impact parameters, D, are such that several absorbing galaxies lie at D>Rx and several non-absorbing galaxies lie at D < Rx. We deduced that fc must be less than unity and obtain a mean of ∼ 0.5 for our sample. Moreover, the data suggest that halo radii of Mg ii absorbing galaxies do not follow a luminosity scaling with β in the range of 0.2–0.28, if fc = 1 as previously reported. However, provided fc ∼ 0.5, we find that halo radii can remain consistent with a Holmberg-like luminosity relation with β ≃ 0.2 and kpc. No luminosity scaling (β = 0) is also consistent with the observed distribution of impact parameters if fc ⩽ 0.37. The data support a scenario in which gaseous halos are patchy and likely have non-symmetric geometric distributions about the galaxies. We suggest that halo gas distributions may not be governed primarily by galaxy mass/luminosity but also by stochastic processes local to the galaxy.
Preclinical Systolic and Diastolic Dysfunctions in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Individuals

Background—Despite the substantial overlap of obesity and metabolic disease, there is heterogeneity with respect to cardiovascular risk. We sought to investigate preclinical differences in systolic and diastolic function in obesity, and specifically compare obese individuals with and without metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods and Results—Obese individuals without cardiac disease with (OB/MS+, n=124) and without (OB/MS−, n=37) MS were compared with nonobese controls (n=29). Diastolic function was assessed by transmitral and tissue Doppler. Global longitudinal strain (LS) and time-based dyssynchrony were assessed by speckle tracking. Both OB/MS− and OB/MS+ groups had similar ejection fraction but worse systolic mechanics as assessed by LS and dyssynchrony when compared with nonobese controls. Specifically, OB/MS− had 2.5% lower LS (SE, 0.7%; P=0.001 in multivariable-adjusted analyses) and 10.8 ms greater dyssynchrony (SE, 3.3 ms; P=0.002), and OB/MS+ had 1.0% lower LS (SE, 0.3%; P<0.001) and 7.8 ms greater dyssynchrony (SE, 1.5 ms; P<0.001) when compared with controls. Obesity was associated with impaired diastolic function regardless of MS status, as evidenced by greater left atrial diameter and left ventricular mass although diastolic dysfunction was more pronounced in OB/MS+ than in OB/MS− individuals. Conclusions—Obesity is associated with subclinical differences in both systolic and diastolic function regardless of the presence or absence of MS although MS seems to be associated with worse diastolic dysfunction. When compared with controls, metabolically healthy obese had lower LS, greater dyssynchrony, and early diastolic dysfunction, supporting the notion that obesity per se may have adverse cardiovascular effects regardless of metabolic disease.
Comment After Hrs with HIV

To efficiently bud off from infected cells, HIV and other enveloped viruses hijack the host cellular machinery that is normally involved in vacuolar protein sorting and multivesicular body (MVB) biogenesis. The HIV Gag protein mimics hepatocyte growth factor–regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (Hrs), a modular adaptor protein that links membrane cargo recognition to its degradation after delivery to MVBs. In contrast to T cells, where HIV budding occurs at the plasma membrane, virus buds into vacuoles of macrophages, a process that may facilitate its spread within the infected host.
Nitrogen diffusion and nitrogen depth profiles in expanded austenite: experimental assessment, numerical simulation and role of stress

Abstract The present paper addresses the experimental assessment of the concentration dependent nitrogen diffusion coefficient in stress free expanded austenite foils from thermogravimetry, the numerical simulation of nitrogen concentration depth profiles on growth of expanded austenite into stainless steel during gaseous nitriding, a qualitative discussion of the role of stress on local equilibrium conditions of growing expanded austenite and a discussion of the erroneous concentration dependent diffusivity of nitrogen in expanded austenite as obtained from applying the Boltzmann–Matano method to composition–depth profiles.
Inhibitory effects of H2 on growth of Clostridium cellobioparum

Hydrogen inhibits the growth of hydrogen-producing Clostridium cellobioparum, but not of Escherichia coli or Bacteroides ruminicola. The inhibition is reversible. When hydrogen was removed either by palladium black or by gassing out the tube, glucose utilization increased as did optical density and hydrogen production of C. cellobioparum. Removal of the H2 by methanogenic bacteria favors the growth of C. cellobioparum. Grown with Methanobacterium ruminantium in various concentrations of glucose, the Clostridium reaches a higher optical density and produces more H2 and a higher viable cell count. The cell yield is also higher than in pure culture. In mixed culture, C. cellobioparum produces more acetic acid and less lactic acid, ethanol, and butyric acid than in pure culture. The significance of this metabolic shift and hydrogen utilization in methanogenesis is discussed.
Testable Design for Advanced Serial-Link Transceivers

This paper describes a DfT solution for modern serial-link transceivers. We first summarize the architectures of the crosstalk canceller and the equalizer used in advanced transceivers to which the proposed solution can be applied. The solution addresses the testability and observability issues of the transceiver for both characterization and production testing. Without using sophisticated testing instrument setting, the proposed solution could test the clock and data recovery circuit and characterize the decision-feedback equalizer in the receiver. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed method has significant higher fault coverage and lower hardware requirement than the conventional approach of probing the eye-opening of the signals inside the transceiver