Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of via-fabrication techniques for through-wafer electrical interconnect applications

Several techniques for fabrication of through-wafer vias in silicon have been compared in terms of achievable via diameter, shape and geometry and their influence on mechanical strength of silicon dies/wafers. The assessed techniques are: powder blasting, laser melt cutting, laser ablation, and deep reactive ion etching. The resolution of each method and influence on geometry was evaluated by fabrication of through-wafer holes and slots in 240 /spl mu/m-thick silicon wafers. The mechanical strength is measured using ring-on-ring (RoR) and four-point bending methods. Additional stress-relief post-processing was applied to improve mechanical strength. Comparing the performance of bipolar transistors, before and after fabrication of laser ablated vias, indicates that the electrically affected zone does not exceed 10-20 /spl mu/m around the via edge.
A Game Theory Based Planning Model and Analysis for Hybrid Power System with Wind Generators-Photovoltaic Panels-Storage Batteries

A planning model for the grid-connected hybrid power system based on the game theory is proposed through analysis of the characteristics of the wind power,photovoltaic generation and storage batteries in power industries.The players in the game model,i.e.wind power,photovoltaic generation and storage battery,maximize their own profits by choosing their capacities individually,taking into account the life cycle cost,the system reliability and the environment profits,etc.This paper discusses five different game scenarios,one non-cooperative game and four cooperative games,and illustrates the existence of their equilibriums.The analysis of the corresponding equilibriums indicates that the coalition values are all positive,and the payoffs of all the four cooperative games are larger than that of the non-cooperative game.It is also shown that the cooperation of wind power and photovoltaic generation is the best way to realize the reliable and cost effective generation.
Collateral Damage Intended—Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Vasculature Are Potential Targets in Cancer Therapy

After oncogenic transformation, tumor cells rewire their metabolism to obtain sufficient energy and biochemical building blocks for cell proliferation, even under hypoxic conditions. Glucose and glutamine become their major limiting nutritional demands. Instead of being autonomous, tumor cells change their immediate environment not only by their metabolites but also by mediators, such as juxtacrine cell contacts, chemokines and other cytokines. Thus, the tumor cells shape their microenvironment as well as induce resident cells, such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells (ECs), to support them. Fibroblasts differentiate into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which produce a qualitatively and quantitatively different extracellular matrix (ECM). By their contractile power, they exert tensile forces onto this ECM, leading to increased intratumoral pressure. Moreover, along with enhanced cross-linkage of the ECM components, CAFs thus stiffen the ECM. Attracted by tumor cell- and CAF-secreted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), ECs sprout from pre-existing blood vessels during tumor-induced angiogenesis. Tumor vessels are distinct from EC-lined vessels, because tumor cells integrate into the endothelium or even mimic and replace it in vasculogenic mimicry (VM) vessels. Not only the VM vessels but also the characteristically malformed EC-lined tumor vessels are typical for tumor tissue and may represent promising targets in cancer therapy.
Thymomas With Extensive Clear Cell Component:  A Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study of Nine Cases.

OBJECTIVES Nine cases of thymomas with an extensive clear cell component are presented. METHODS The patients were six men and three women aged between 45 and 62 years (mean, 52 years). Presenting symptoms included shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough. Diagnostic imaging revealed anterior mediastinal masses in all patients, and all underwent thymectomy. RESULTS Grossly, the tumors varied from 3 to 9 cm in the greatest dimension. Four cases were invasive and five encapsulated. Histologically, the tumors were characterized by an epithelial cell component with extensive clear cell change, admixed with lymphocytes in varying proportions. Immunohistochemically, the tumors demonstrated the typical immunophenotype of thymomas characterized by positive staining of the epithelial cells for pancytokeratin and cytokeratin 5/6, absent expression of CD5 and c-kit, and reactivity of the lymphocytes for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Clinical follow-up available for six patients showed that all were alive and well 12 to 24 months after surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS The cases herein presented highlight an unusual feature in thymoma that has more commonly been ascribed to thymic carcinoma. They also emphasize the importance of correct diagnosis to determine the appropriate treatment strategy and to accurately predict prognosis.
[The significance of circulating microparticles in physiology, inflammatory and thrombotic diseases].

BACKGROUND In multicellular organisms, apoptosis and subsequent microparticle shedding play a key role in homeostasis. Having long been considered as << cellular dust >>, microparticles released in biological fluids upon cell activation or apoptosis appear as multifunctional bioeffectors involved in the modulation of key functions including immunity, inflammation, hemostasis and thrombosis, angiogenesis. MP constitute reliable markers of vascular damage, accessible to biological detection whilst the cells they originate from remain sequestered in tissues or are promptly submitted to phagocytosis. RECENT FINDINGS MP modulate biological functions of target cells through the transfer of cytoplasmic content, lipids and membrane receptors. The pharmacological modulation of circulating levels of microparticles could be of particular interest in thrombotic or inflammatory diseases, cancer or hemophilia. CONCLUSION MP can now be viewed not only as a hallmark of cell damage but also as a true biological tool.
Molecular biology and immunoregulation of human neurotropic JC virus in CNS

The human polyomavirus, JC virus (JCV), provides an excellent model system to investigate the reciprocal interaction of the immune and nervous systems. Infection with JCV occurs during childhood and the virus remains in the latent state with no apparent clinical symptoms. However, under immunosuppressed conditions, the virus enters the lytic cycle and upon cytolytic destruction of glial cells, causes the fatal demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), named progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In this short review, we discuss the molecular pathogenesis of PML by highlighting the role of the immune system in modulating JCV gene activation and replication, and the latency/reactivation of this virus upon immunosuppression. Further, due to the higher incidence of PML among AIDS patients, we further elaborate on the cross‐talk between JCV and HIV‐1 by direct and indirect pathways that lead to enhanced expression of the JCV genome. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Open Innovation: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

OVERVIEW: The term “open innovation” was introduced in my 2003 book, which outlined a new model for industrial innovation. Since that time, the concept has been adopted by hundreds of academic articles and been incorporated into the innovation practices of a similarly large number of companies. At the editors' invitation, this article reviews this recent history and offers a perspective on where open innovation is going in the future.
Difference in glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations between C-peptide negative type 1 diabetes mellitus patients and healthy controls

Background The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has become a new scientific interest in the field of pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but the results of the published studies were contradictory. The aim of our study was therefore to measure fasting and postprandial GLP-1 concentrations in T1DM patients and in healthy controls and to examine the difference in those concentrations between the two groups of subjects. Methods The cross-sectional study included 30 C-peptide negative T1DM patients, median age 37 years (20–59), with disease duration 22 years (3–45), and 10 healthy controls, median age 30 years (27–47). Fasting and postprandial total and active GLP-1 concentrations were measured by ELISA (ALPCO, USA). The data were statistically analysed by SPSS, and significance level was accepted at P < 0.05. Results Both fasting total and active GLP-1 concentrations were significantly lower in T1DM patients (total 0.4 pmol/L, 0–6.4 and active 0.2 pmol/L, 0–1.9) compared with healthy controls (total 3.23 pmol/L, 0.2–5.5 and active 0.8 pmol/L, 0.2–3.6), P = 0.008 for total GLP-1 and P = 0.001 for active GLP-1. After adjustment for age, sex and body mass index, binary logistic regression showed that both fasting total and active GLP-1 remained significantly independently lower in T1DM patients (total GLP-1: OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.203–4.909 and active GLP-1: OR 8.73, 95% CI 1.472–51.787). Conclusions T1DM patients had independently lower total and active GLP-1 fasting concentrations in comparison with healthy people, which supports the potential therapeutic role of incretin therapy, along with insulin therapy, in T1DM patients.
High Seroprevalence of Jamestown Canyon Virus among Deer and Humans, Nova Scotia, Canada

Using residual serum samples from Nova Scotia, Canada, we found that 87.8% of tested deer and an estimated 20.6% of the human population were infected with Jamestown Canyon virus. Human seropositivity reached 48.2% in 1 region. This virus may be an underrecognized cause of disease in Nova Scotia.
P-Glycoprotein and an Unstirred Water Layer Barring Digoxin Absorption in the Vascularly Perfused Rat Small Intestine Preparation: Induction Studies with Pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile

Digoxin, a substrate of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and cytochrome P450 3a (Cyp3a), was used to illustrate the inductive effects of pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN), a ligand of the pregnane X receptor, on the absorption and disposition of [3H]digoxin in the vascularly perfused rat small intestine preparation. Although increased Cyp3a protein was observed with Western blotting analysis after PCN treatment, metabolism of digoxin to the digoxigenin bis-digitoxoside metabolite in the rat small intestine remained insignificant (<4% dose). PCN pretreatment significantly decreased blood perfusate [3H]digoxin concentrations for both systemic and intraluminal administrations of [3H]digoxin due to increased Pgp levels. The apical secretion by Pgp increased at 90 min with PCN treatment, from 11.2 ± 5.1% of dose to 20.1 ± 8.6% of dose after systemic administration of [3H]digoxin; this increase was, however, statistically insignificant (P = 0.13) because of the high variability among preparations. When the composite data for the control and PCN-treated preparations were fit to published physiologically based pharmacokinetic models: the traditional model and the segregated flow model, suboptimal parameters were obtained. The data were further fit to expanded models with a bilayer membrane compartment housing the Pgp adjacent to the apical membrane, or an unstirred water layer (UWL) external to the apical membrane. The models with the UWL yielded improved fits and reasonable parameters associated with digoxin absorption, suggesting that the UWL posed as a barrier for digoxin absorption. Similar results were obtained with the segmental models (the segmental traditional model and the segmental segregated flow model) using the UWL, when heterogeneous distributions of Pgp in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were considered.
Stratified Platelet-to-lymphocyte Ratio: A Novel Target for Prognostic Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Curative Liver Resection

Abstract Background and Aims: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been shown to predict prognosis of cancers. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of stratification of PLR in patients after curative liver resection (CLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 1804 patients who underwent CLR for suspected HCC between January 2007 and January 2014 were screened for the study. All of the patients were categorized into equal tertiles according to the number of patients and the distribution of PLR. Prognostic significance was determined for overall survival (OS) and was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were evaluated for association of all independent parameters with disease prognosis. Results: The optimal cut-off points of preoperative PLR were: (T1) 11.98–75.00, (T2) 75.00–113.33 and (T3) 113.33–567.50. There were obvious differences in each PLR tertile with mortality within 36 months of CLR (plog-rank < 0.001). Multivariable analysis suggested that the level of PLR (HR = 1.004, 95%CI: 1.001–1.008, p = 0.006), portal vein thrombosis (HR = 3.406, 95%CI: 1.185–9.794, p = 0.023), number of nodules (HR = 1.810, 95%CI: 1.345–2.437, p < 0.001), Child-Turcotte-Pugh score (HR = 1.741, 95%CI: 1.129–2.684, p = 0.012) and microvascular invasion (HR = 2.730, 95%CI: 1.777–4.196, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of mortality. Kaplan–Meier analysis of overall survival (OS) demonstrated that each PLR tertile showed a progressively worse OS and apparent separation (plog-rank = 0.016). The highest 5-year OS rate following CLR (58%) was revealed in tertile 1. In contrast, the lowest 5-year OS rate (30%) was revealed in tertile 3. Conclusion: Stratified preoperative PLR could strengthen the predictive power for OS in HCC patients with CLR.
Necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality for stochastic integral systems with partial information

This paper is concerned with a partial information control problem in which the controlled system is described by a nonlinear stochastic Volterra integral equation. We give necessary as well as sufficient conditions in the form of maximum principle for optimal solutions of the foregoing problem respectively. To further explain the theoretical results, we study a linear quadratic problem with partial information and a dynamic advertising problem in the stochastic setting.
Housewife or working mum--each to her own? The relevance of societal factors in the association between social roles and alcohol use among mothers in 16 industrialized countries.

AIMS To investigate whether differences in gender-income equity at country level explain national differences in the links between alcohol use, and the combination of motherhood and paid labour. DESIGN Cross-sectional data in 16 established market economies participating in the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GenACIS) study. SETTING Population surveys. PARTICIPANTS A total of 12,454 mothers (aged 25-49 years). MEASUREMENTS Alcohol use was assessed as the quantity per drinking day. Paid labour, having a partner, gender-income ratio at country level and the interaction between individual and country characteristics were regressed on alcohol consumed per drinking day using multi-level modelling. FINDINGS Mothers with a partner who were in paid labour reported consuming more alcohol on drinking days than partnered housewives. In countries with high gender-income equity, mothers with a partner who were in paid labour drank less alcohol per occasion, while alcohol use was higher among working partnered mothers living in countries with lower income equity. CONCLUSION In countries which facilitate working mothers, daily alcohol use decreases as female social roles increase; in contrast, in countries where there are fewer incentives for mothers to remain in work, the protective effect of being a working mother (with partner) on alcohol use is weaker. These data suggest that a country's investment in measures to improve the compatibility of motherhood and paid labour may reduce women's alcohol use.
A Prospective Randomized Crossover Study on the Comparison of Cotton Versus Waterproof Cast Liners

Background: Many fractures are treated with casting which can cause complications likely from inability to wash the extremity. Gore-Tex-based waterproof cast liner has been compared with cotton liner and shown to be superior in physician and patient scoring but also has high cost and difficult application. The purpose of this study is to compare newer generation waterproof liners with traditional cotton liner. It is the first study to compare this new waterproof liner and cotton liner in a crossover model, allowing patients to swim in the pool with the cast. Methods: Twenty patients (ages 3-30) with upper extremity injuries were randomized to waterproof-liner or cotton-liner casts made of fiberglass. Patients would switch cast liners halfway between their treatments to fulfill crossover criteria. All fractures were within a 2-week period from original incident. At each clinic visit, patients evaluated comfort parameters through questionnaires, and physicians rated skin condition. Patients were also asked which cast liner they preferred at the end of the study. Results: There were no unscheduled cast changes. The waterproof-liner group had better scores for odor (P = .041), sweat (P = .016), and overall physician-rated score (P = .038). There was no significant difference in other patient-rated parameters. Seventy-five percent of patients preferred waterproof casting to the cotton liner. Conclusions: This new waterproof cast liner, compared with cotton cast liner, had better odor, sweat, and overall physician scores. The waterproof liners allow patients to rinse casts daily, and the majority of patients prefer waterproof to cotton liner.
Relationship between race and outcome in Asian, Black, and Caucasian patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: Data from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive and Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke trial

Background and purpose Although poor prognosis after intracerebral hemorrhage relates to risk factors and hematoma characteristics, there is limited evidence for the effect of race–ethnicity. Methods Data from 1011 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage enrolled into hyperacute trials and randomized to control were obtained from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive and Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke Trial. Clinical characteristics and functional outcome were compared among three racial groups – Asians, Blacks, and Caucasians. Results The majority of patients were Caucasian (78.1%) followed by Asians (14.5%) and Blacks (5.5%). At baseline, Caucasians were older and had larger hematoma volumes; Blacks had lower Glasgow Coma Scale and higher systolic blood pressure (all p < 0.05). Although the primary outcome of modified Rankin Scale did not differ at 90 days (p = 0.14), there were significant differences in mortality (p < 0.0001) and quality of life (EQ-5D p < 0.0001; EQ-VAS p 0.015). In test of multiple comparisons, Caucasians were more likely to die (p = 0.0003) and had worse quality of life (EQ-5D p = 0.003; EQ-VAS p < 0.0001) as compared to Asians. Conclusion Race–ethnicity appears to explain some of the variation in clinical characteristics and outcomes after acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Factors that explain this variation need to be identified.
Estimation of oblique structure via penalized likelihood factor analysis

We consider the problem of sparse estimation via a lasso-type penalized likelihood procedure in a factor analysis model. Typically, the model estimation is done under the assumption that the common factors are orthogonal (uncorrelated). However, the lasso-type penalization method based on the orthogonal model can often estimate a completely different model from that with the true factor structure when the common factors are correlated. In order to overcome this problem, we propose to incorporate a factor correlation into the model, and estimate the factor correlation along with parameters included in the orthogonal model by maximum penalized likelihood procedure. An entire solution path is computed by the EM algorithm with coordinate descent, which permits the application to a wide variety of convex and nonconvex penalties. The proposed method can provide sufficiently sparse solutions, and be applied to the data where the number of variables is larger than the number of observations. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to investigate the effectiveness of our modeling strategies. The results show that the lasso-type penalization based on the orthogonal model cannot often approximate the true factor structure, whereas our approach performs well in various situations. The usefulness of the proposed procedure is also illustrated through the analysis of real data.
Expression of a fused fpg gene in E. coli and engineering a strain Comamonas testosteroni ZD4-1-fpg for environmental application

A fused fpg gene composed of phe B and gfp gene, which encoded catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) and green fluorescence protein (GFP), respectively, was expressed in E. coli to investigate its functional intactness. The expression results showed that C23O activity was detected in the induced bacterial cells and the E. coli cells containing the fusion protein emitted green fluorescence under epifluorescence microscopy, indicating that the fused fpg gene expressed correctly in E. coli. After expressed in E. coli, the fpg gene was transferred into the chromosome of a wild-type strain Comamonas testosteroni ZD4-1 by a pUT mini-Tn5 type vector pUT-Hg-fpg. The constructed genetically engineered bacterium strain C. testosteroni ZD4-1-fpg was also able to emit green fluorescence under epifluorescence microscopy. The stability assay showed that fpg gene could be detected in the host strain after 10 times of transfer inoculation, indicating the fpg gene is very stable. These results revealed that the Comamona testosteroni ZD4-1-fpg maybe used as not only an aromatic compound-biodegrading strain but also as an indicator strain to monitor the fate of the bacterial strains in the bioremediation.
Solubilization of Peripheral‐Type Benzodiazepine Binding Sites from Cat Cerebral Cortex

Abstract: The present study demonstrates for the first time the solubilization of peripheral‐type benzodiazepine binding sites (PBS) from cat cerebral cortex. Of all detergents tested {digitonin, 3‐[(3‐cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]‐1‐propane sulfonate (CHAPS), Tween 20, deoxycholate, and Triton X‐100 in the presence of NaCl, the best solubilization (15% of initial activity) was obtained using 0.5% of the zwitterionic detergent CHAPS plus 2 M NaCl. Specific binding of [3H]PK 11195 to membrane‐bound and solubilized PBS was saturable, yielding equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) of 1.3 ± 0.2 and 1.9 ± 0.3 nM, respectively, and maximal numbers of binding sites of 1,435 ± 150 and 980 ± 126 fmol/mg protein, respectively. The KD value of PK 11195 binding to solubilized PBS obtained from experimental kinetic analysis was 0.95 ± 0.09 nM. The relative potencies of various compounds (PK 11195, Ro 5–4864, diazepam, flunitrazepam, clonazepam, methyl‐β‐carboline‐3‐carboxylate, and Ro 15–1788) in displacing [3H]PK 11195 specific binding from membrane‐bound and solubilized PBS were similar. Most of the solubilized binding activity was destroyed by heating at 60°C for 30 min or by treatment with 2 M guanidinium chloride, which indicates the presence of a protein‐binding site in the solubilized preparation. Over 85% of the solubilized binding activity was retained after 1 week at 4°C, which will enable future application of purification procedures without major concern for stability of the material.