Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Metal Wet Etch on Device Characteristics and Reliability for Dual Metal Gate/High-k CMOS

This paper presents a comparative study of the impact of metal wet etch on carrier mobility and metal gate/high-k device characteristics and reliability. A TaSiN metal wet etch process that is highly selective to the underlying HfO2 dielectric has been developed. While the metal wet etch slightly degraded the electron mobility, it did not affect hole mobility. It did not show any effect on fast transient charge trapping, and, in fact, improved negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and positive bias temperature instability (PBTI)
Vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth: diagnostic signs and clinical management

A most frustrating complication to root canal therapy is vertical root fracture (VRF) in an endodontically treated tooth. Prognosis most often is hopeless and differential diagnosis from other pathoses may be difficult at times. Nevertheless, proper diagnosis is critical to distinguish a fracture complication from clinical manifestations of periodontal and endodontic diseases. This review emphasizes the importance of the correct diagnosis of VRF, describes the more typical clinical and radiographic features of this disorder, and summarizes its prevalence and multifactorial etiology.
COMPETITION AND PRIVATIZATION AMIDST WEAK INSTITUTIONS : EVIDENCE FROM MONGOLIA

Mongolia’s mass privatization program was implanted in a country that lacked the very basic institutions of capitalism. This paper examines the effects of competition and ownership on the efficiency of the newly privatized enterprises, using a representative sample of enterprises and controlling for possible selection biases. Competition has quantitatively large effects; perfectly competitive firms having nearly double the efficiency of monopolies. Enterprises with residual state ownership appear to be more efficient than other enterprises, reflecting an environment where the government was pressured to focus on efficiency and institutions gave little voice to outsider owners. (JEL P0, L1, L33, O12)
Cost effectiveness of combined spa-exercise therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost effectiveness and cost utility of a 3-week course of combined spa therapy and exercise therapy in addition to standard treatment consisting of antiinflammatory drugs and weekly group physical therapy in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. METHODS A total of 120 Dutch outpatients with AS were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 40 patients each. Group 1 was treated in a spa resort in Bad Hofgastein, Austria; group 2 in a spa resort in Arcen, The Netherlands. The control group stayed at home and continued their usual activities and standard treatment during the intervention weeks. After the intervention, all patients followed weekly group physical therapy. The total study period was 40 weeks. Effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by functional ability using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI). Utilities were measured with the EuroQoL (EQ-5D(utility)). A time-integrated summary score defined the clinical effects (BASFI-area under the curve [AUC]) and utilities (EQ-5D(utility)-AUC) over time. Both direct (health care and non-health care) and indirect costs were included. Resource utilization and absence from work were registered weekly by the patients in a diary. All costs were calculated from a societal perspective. RESULTS A total of 111 patients completed the diary. The between-group difference for the BASFI-AUC was 1.0 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.4-1.6; P = 0.001) for group 1 versus controls, and 0.6 (95% CI 0.1-1.1; P = 0.020) for group 2 versus controls. The between-group difference for EQ-5D(utility)-AUC was 0.17 (95% CI 0.09-0.25; P < 0.001) for group 1 versus controls, and 0.08 (95% CI 0.00-0.15; P = 0.04) for group 2 versus controls. The mean total costs per patient (including costs for spa therapy) in Euros (euro;) during the study period were euro;3,023 for group 1, euro;3,240 for group 2, and euro;1,754 for the control group. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per unit effect gained in functional ability (0-10 scale) was euro;1,269 (95% CI 497-3,316) for group 1, and euro;2,477 (95% CI 601-12,098) for group 2. The costs per quality-adjusted life year gained were euro;7,465 (95% CI 3,294-14,686) for group 1, and euro;18,575 (95% CI 3,678-114,257) for group 2. CONCLUSION Combined spa-exercise therapy besides standard treatment with drugs and weekly group physical therapy is more effective and shows favorable cost-effectiveness and cost-utility ratios compared with standard treatment alone in patients with AS.
Exposure to light at night accelerates aging and spontaneous uterine carcinogenesis in female 129/Sv mice

The effect of the constant illumination on the development of spontaneous tumors in female 129/Sv mice was investigated. Forty-six female 129/Sv mice starting from the age of 2 mo were kept under standard light/dark regimen [12 h light (70 lx):12hr dark; LD, control group], and 46 of 129/Sv mice were kept under constant illumination (24 h a day, 2,500 lx, LL) from the age of 5 mo until to natural death. The exposure to the LL regimen significantly accelerated body weight gain, increased body temperature as well as acceleration of age-related disturbances in estrous function, followed by significant acceleration of the development of the spontaneous uterine tumors in female 129/Sv mice. Total tumor incidence as well as a total number of total or malignant tumors was similar in LL and LD group (p > 0.05). The mice from the LL groups survived less than those from the LD group (χ2 = 8.5; p = 0.00351, log-rank test). According to the estimated parameters of the Cox’s regression model, constant light regimen increased the relative risk of death in female mice compared with the control (LD) group (p = 0.0041). The data demonstrate in the first time that the exposure to constant illumination was followed by the acceleration of aging and spontaneous uterine tumorigenesis in female 129/Sv mice.
Structural Factor-Augmented VAR (Sfavar) and the Effects of Monetary Policy

Factor-augmented VARs (FAVARs) have combined standard VARs with factor analysis to exploit large data sets in the study of monetary policy. FAVARs enjoy a number of advantages over VARs: they allow a better identification of the monetary policy shock; they can avoid the use of a single variable to proxy theoretical constructs, such as the output gap; they allow researchers to compute impulse responses for hundreds of variables. Their shortcoming, however, is that the factors are not identified and, therefore, lack any economic interpretation. This paper seeks to provide an interpretation to the factors. We propose a novel Structural Factor-Augmented VAR (SFAVAR) model, where the factors have a clear meaning: 'Real Activity' factor, 'Price Pressures' factor, 'Financial Market' factor, 'Credit Conditions' factor, 'Expectations' factor, etc. The paper employs a Bayesian approach to extract the factors and jointly estimate the model. This framework is then suited to study the effects on a wide range of macroeconomic variables of monetary policy and non-policy shocks.
Symptomatic lumbar facet joint synovial cysts: clinical assessment of facet joint steroid injection after 1 and 6 months and long-term follow-up in 30 patients.

PURPOSE To study the results of facet joint intraarticular steroid injections in patients with symptomatic lumbar facet joint synovial cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from 30 patients (age range, 44-82 years; mean age, 67 years) with nerve root pain due to a lumbar facet joint synovial cyst and treated with facet joint steroid injection were retrospectively studied. On the basis of MacNab criteria, the clinical course of nerve root pain was evaluated after 1 (n = 30) and 6 (n = 28) months. Data from long-term follow-up (mean, 26 months) were also available in 14 nonsurgically treated patients. RESULTS After 1 month, the nerve root pain outcome was excellent or good in 20 patients (67%) and fair or poor in 10 (33%). After 6 months, 10 (50%) of these 20 patients still had excellent or good results, and 18 (60%) of the 30 patients had a fair or poor clinical status, 14 of whom underwent surgery; two patients (7%) were lost to follow-up. Excellent and good results were maintained at further follow-up (range, 9-50 months). CONCLUSION One-third of patients with symptomatic lumbar facet joint synovial cysts had long-lasting acceptable benefit from facet joint steroid injections in this study. Steroid injection should be indicated before surgery.
Functional analysis of the pediocin operon of Pediococcus acidilactici PAC1.0: PedB is the immunity protein and PedD is the precursor processing enzyme

The bacteriocin pediocin PA‐1 operon of Pediococcus acidilactici PAC1.0 encompasses four genes: pedA, pedB, pedC and pedD. Transcription of the operon results in the formation of two overlapping transcripts, probably originating from a single promoter upstream of pedA. The major transcript comprises pedA, pedB, and pedC, while a minor transcript encompasses all of these genes and pedD. By deletion analysis and overexpression of pedB in Pediococcus pentosaceus we demonstrate that this gene encodes the pediocin PA‐1 immunity protein. Prepediocin is active in Escherichia coli and when pedA was expressed concomitantly with pedD both the precursor and the mature form of pediocin were observed intracellularly. Extracellular pediocin was only detected if both pedC and pedD were present. The N‐terminal domains of PedD and a subgroup of bacteriocin ABC‐transporters are conserved. Expression of only this domain of PedD in cells producing prepediocin was sufficient for prepediocin processing. From these results we conclude that both PedC and PedD are essential for pediocin transport, and that PedD is capable of processing prepediocin.
The 2014 Mw 6.1 South Napa Earthquake: A Unilateral Rupture with Shallow Asperity and Rapid Afterslip

The Mw 6.1 South Napa earthquake occurred near Napa, California, on 24 August 2014 at 10:20:44.03 (UTC) and was the largest inland earthquake in northern California since the 1989 Mw 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake. The first report of the earthquake from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) indicates a hypocentral depth of 11.0 km with longitude and latitude of (122.3105° W, 38.217° N). Surface rupture was documented by field observations and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) imaging (Brooks et al., 2014; Hudnut et al., 2014; Brocher et al., 2015), with about 12 km of continuous rupture starting near the epicenter and extending to the northwest. The southern part of the rupture is relatively straight, but the strike changes by about 15° at the northern end over a 6 km segment. The peak dextral offset was observed near the Buhman residence with right‐lateral motion of 46 cm, near the location where the strike of fault begins to rotate clockwise (Hudnut et al., 2014). The earthquake was well recorded by the strong‐motion network operated by the NCEDC, the California Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). There are about 12 sites within an epicentral distance of 15 km that had relatively good azimuthal coverage (Fig. 1). The largest peak ground velocity (PGV) of nearly 100 cm/s was observed on station 1765, which is the closest station to the rupture and lies about 3 km east of the northern segment (Fig. 1). The ground deformation associated with the earthquake was also well recorded by the high resolution COSMO–SkyMed (CSK) satellite and Sentinel-1A satellite, providing independent static observations.
Differences in nuclear positioning of 1q12 pericentric heterochromatin in normal and tumor B lymphocytes with 1q rearrangements

The frequent rearrangement of chromosome band 1q12 constitutive heterochromatin in hematologic malignancies suggests that this rearrangement plays an important pathogenetic role in these diseases. The oncogenic mechanisms linked to 1q12 heterochromatin are unknown. Constitutive heterochromatin can epigenetically regulate gene function through the formation of transcriptional‐silencing compartments. Thus, as a first step toward understanding whether 1q12 rearrangements might compromise such activity in tumor cells, we investigated the 3‐D organization of the 1q12 heterochromatin domain (1q12HcD) in normal and tumor B lymphocytes. Strikingly, in normal B cells, we showed that the 1q12HcD dynamically organizes to the nuclear periphery in response to B‐cell receptor engagement. Specifically, we observed an almost twofold increase in 1q12Hc domains at the extreme nuclear periphery in activated versus resting B lymphocytes. Remarkably, 1q12Hc organization was noticeably altered in tumor cells that showed structural alterations of 1q12; the 1q12Hc domains were significantly displaced from the extreme nuclear periphery compared to normal activated B lymphocytes (P > 0.0001), although overall peripheral localization was maintained. In a case in which there was a translocation of IGL enhancer to 1q, the altered nuclear positioning of the 1q12HcD was even more pronounced (5% of the 1q12Hc domains at the nuclear periphery compared to 20% in other lymphoma lines), and we were able to mimic this effect in two additional B‐cell tumor lines by treatment with trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Taken together, these results point to the 1q12HcD having a specific, nonrandom, and regulated peripheral organization in B lymphocytes. This organization is significantly disrupted in lymphoma cells harboring 1q rearrangements. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Value of Indian Diabetes Risk Score among Medical Students and Its Correlation with Fasting Plasma Glucose, Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile.

INTRODUCTION The Indian Diabetes Risk Score is a tool which was devised by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation to screen people for the risk of developing Diabetes mellitus; it comprises of the family history, the abdominal circumference, age and the physical activity. AIM OF THE STUDY This study was aimed at finding out whether the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (MDRF) correlated with the blood sugar levels, the lipid profile and the blood pressure readings of medical students. METHODS Seventy five female and 75 male students who signed the informed consent were selected for the study. Their IDRS was calculated by using a validated questionnaire which involved the family history, the abdominal circumference, age and the details of the physical activity. All of them had their blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and lipid profiles measured. RESULTS There were 101 students with an IDRS of <30, 42 students with a moderate IDRS (30-50) and 7 who had a high IDRS of ≥60. The fasting plasma glucose was significantly correlated with the IDRS (P=0.001, r = 0.472), with a mean FPG of 84 ± 3.63mg/dl in the low risk groups, of 88 ± 4.93mg/dl in the moderate risk groups and of 94 ± 6.50mg/dl in the high risk groups. The total cholesterol value was r = 0.420 (P= 0.001), the total triglycerides value was r = 0.373 (P=0.001), the LDL cholesterol value was r = 0.578 (P=0.001) and the VLDL value was r = 0.566 (P=0.001), which positively correlated with the risk score and the HDL value r = -0.480 (P=0.001) correlated negatively with the risk score. There was no correlation between the IDRS and the blood pressure. CONCLUSION Our study showed that nearly 40% of the medical students had a moderate to a high IDRS. The IDRS significantly correlated with the fasting plasma glucose and with all the components of the lipid profile. The IDRS did not correlate with the blood pressure readings.
Safety of efavirenz in the first trimester of pregnancy: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction:Primate studies and some observational human data have raised concern regarding an association of first-trimester efavirenz exposure with central nervous system congenital anomalies. The objective of this review is to update evidence on efavirenz safety in HIV-infected pregnant women to inform revision of the 2013 WHO guidelines for antiretroviral therapy in low and middle-income countries. Design:A systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods:We searched for studies reporting birth outcomes among women exposed to efavirenz during the first trimester of pregnancy up to 10 January 2014. Relative risks of congenital anomalies comparing women exposed to efavirenz and nonefavirenz-based antiretroviral regimens were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Results:Twenty-three studies were included in this review, among which 21 reported the birth outcomes of 2026 live births among women exposed to efavirenz during the first trimester of pregnancy. Forty-four congenital anomalies were reported, giving a pooled proportion of 1.63% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.78–2.48], with only one neural tube defect. Twelve studies reported birth outcomes of women exposed to efavirenz or nonefavirenz-containing regimens during the first trimester of pregnancy. Pooled analysis found no differences in overall risks congenital anomalies between these two groups (relative risk 0.78, 95% CI 0.56–1.08). The incidence of neural tube defects was low, 0.05% (95% CI <0.01–0.28), and similar to incidence in the general population. Discussion:This updated analysis found no evidence of an increased risk of overall or central nervous system congenital anomalies associated with first-trimester exposure to efavirenz, similar to previous systematic reviews. This review contributed to the evidence base for the revised 2013 WHO guidelines on antiretroviral therapy, which recommend that efavirenz can be included as part of first-line therapy in adults regardless of sex, and that it can be used throughout pregnancy, including during the first trimester. However, because of the low incidence of central nervous system anomalies in the overall population and relatively small number of exposures in the current literature, continued birth outcomes prospective surveillance is warranted.
Scatterometer Backscatter Uncertainty Due to Wind Variability

Wind retrieval from scatterometer backscatter measurements is not trivial. A good assessment of the different measurement uncertainties inherent in scatterometer systems is very important for successful wind retrieval and quality control. One source of these uncertainties, i.e., geophysical noise, is dominated by the subcell wind variability. Although the latter is known to dominate the total measurement noise at low winds, no attempt to fully model such effect has yet been performed. In this paper, a simple method to derive a model of geophysical noise for the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS) scatterometer is proposed. It is assumed that this noise is mainly due to the spatial distribution of the backscatter footprints and the wind variability within the wind vector cell. In a simulation experiment these parameters were varied, and the values for which the simulation compares best to real data in the three-dimensional measurement space were selected. The resulting geophysical noise model is dependent on wind speed and across subsatellite track location. The empirical method presented here is straightforward and could be applied to other scatterometer systems
Response to emotional stimuli in boys with conduct disorder.

OBJECTIVE Boys with conduct disorder are at risk of persistently showing antisocial behavior in adult life, particularly if they have an additional diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the search for biological risk factors that predispose children to the development of antisocial personality disorder, research has provided substantial data suggesting that autonomic hyporesponsiveness indicates a greater likelihood of future antisocial behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine autonomic arousal in boys with conduct disorder, comorbid conduct disorder and ADHD, and ADHD only. METHOD In addition to self-ratings, electrodermal responses to pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant slides were obtained for 21 boys with conduct disorder and 54 boys with ADHD plus conduct disorder. Forty-three boys with a diagnosis of ADHD only were recruited as a clinical comparison group, and 43 boys with no conduct disorder or ADHD were included as a healthy comparison group. All subjects were ages 8-13 years. RESULTS Compared to the healthy subjects and the subjects with ADHD only, the boys with conduct disorder and with ADHD plus conduct disorder reported lower levels of emotional response to aversive stimuli and lower autonomic responses to all slides independent of valence. CONCLUSIONS Although the self-report data supported a deficit in reactivity to explicit fear cues, the psychophysiological data indicated that boys with conduct disorder both with and without a comorbid condition of ADHD are characterized by a generalized deficit in autonomic responsivity in an experimental situation in which children were exposed to complex visual stimuli of unpredictable affective quality. Psychophysiological findings may point to a deficit in associative information processing systems that normally produce adaptive cognitive-emotional reactions.
Comparison of the phenotype of NK1R−/− mice with pharmacological blockade of the substance P (NK 1 ) receptor in assays for antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs

The phenotype of NK1R−/− mice was compared with that of acute pharmacological blockade of the tachykinin NK 1 receptor on sensorimotor function and in assays relevant to depressive illness and anxiety. The dose range for L‐760735 and GR205171 that was associated with functional blockade of central NK 1 receptors in the target species was established by antagonism of the behavioural effects of intracerebroventricular NK 1 agonist challenge in gerbils, mice and rats. The caudal grooming and scratching response to GR73632 was absent in NK1R−/− mice, confirming that the receptor had been genetically ablated. There was no evidence of sedation or motor impairment in NK1R−/− mice or following administration of L‐760735 to gerbils, even at doses in excess of those required for central NK 1 receptor occupancy. In the resident–intruder and forced swim test, the behaviour of NK1R−/− mice, or animals treated acutely with L‐760735 or GR205171, resembled that seen with the clinically used antidepressant drug fluoxetine. However, the effects of GR205171 were not clearly enantioselective in mice. In contrast, although NK1R−/− mice also exhibited an increase in the duration of struggle behaviour in the tail suspension test, this was not observed following pharmacological blockade with L‐760735 in gerbils or GR205171 in mice, suggesting that this may reflect a developmental alteration in the knockout mouse. There was no effect of NK 1 receptor blockade with L‐760735 in guinea‐pigs or GR205171 in rats, or deletion of the NK 1 receptor in mice, on behaviour in the elevated plus‐maze test for anxiolytic activity. These findings extend previous observations on the phenotype of the NK1R−/− mouse and establish a broadly similar profile following acute pharmacological blockade of the receptor. These studies also serve to underscore the limitations of currently available antagonists that are suitable for use in rat and mouse behavioural assays.
A bug reproduction approach based on directed model checking and crash traces

Reproducing a bug that caused a system to crash is an important task for uncovering the causes of the crash and providing appropriate fixes. In this paper, we propose a novel crash reproduction approach that combines directed model checking and backward slicing to identify the program statements needed to reproduce a crash. Our approach, named JCHARMING (Java CrasH Automatic Reproduction by directed Model checkING), uses information found in crash traces combined with static program slices to guide a model checking engine in an optimal way. We show that JCHARMING is efficient in reproducing bugs from 10 different open source systems. Overall, JCHARMING is able to reproduce 80% of the bugs used in this study in an average time of 19 min. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.