Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DRAM Retention at Cryogenic Temperatures

The lack of memory operating at the temperature of cryogenic processors is generally seen as an obstacle for the realization of cryogenic computers, e.g. quantum computers (mK range) or computers utilizing Josephson junctions (around 4K). DRAM operated at a temperature between room temperature and the temperature of the CPU might be one possible memory solution. To utilize DRAM at cryogenic temperatures, understanding of its retention behavior is required. We have tested the functionality and retention behavior of unmodified commercially available DRAM parts at temperatures between 360K and 77K. All parts are functional in the temperature range. The retention time increases strongly when reducing the temperature from 360K to a temperature between 260K and 290K. At lower temperatures, all devices except one continue to show a small number of single cell retention fails. Activation energy analysis shows that the main distribution of retention are junction and subthreshold leakage. The residual fails occurring down to 77K are likely due to a tunneling process like gate-induced-drain leakage (GIDL). The number of these residual fails is small enough that redundancy or error correcting codes will make the use of DRAM at temperatures down to 77K feasible.
Directional Sensitivity of a MEMS-Based Fiber-Optic Extrinsic Fabry–Perot Ultrasonic Sensor for Partial Discharge Detection

Extrinsic Fabry–Perot (FP) interferometric sensors are being intensively applied for partial discharge (PD) detection and localization. Previous research work has mainly focused on novel structures and materials to improve the sensitivity and linear response of these sensors. However, the directional response behavior of an FP ultrasonic sensor is also of particular importance in localizing the PD source, which is rarely considered. Here, the directional sensitivity of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based FP ultrasonic sensor with a 5-μm-thick micromechanical vibrating diaphragm is experimentally investigated. Ultrasonic signals from a discharge source with varying incident angles and linear distances are measured and analyzed. The results show that the sensor has a 5.90 dB amplitude fluctuation over a ±60° incident range and an exciting capability to detect weak PD signals from 3 m away due to its high signal–noise ratio. The findings are expected to optimize the configuration of a sensor array and accurately localize the PD source.
Engineering Student Retention and Attrition Literature Review

The University of Saskatchewan, similar to many engineering colleges, would like to improve student retention. With that in mind, a literature review was undertaken to summarize current peer reviewed literature related to engineering student retention and attrition in an attempt to better understand the potential structural causes, processes, and student characteristics that may contribute to student success or attrition. Through a systematic search of several major databases using the keywords “engineering and attrition or retention,” and after narrowing the scope to peer reviewed articles written between 2005 and the present, each article’s abstract was read and evaluated. Forty-five papers were deemed to be highly relevant, and were thus included in the literature review. Preliminary trends that have emerged in this review are: the potential causes of high attrition rates in engineering schools, various methods that have been used to determine the causes of attrition, interventions that have been implemented and stories of their success/failure, and attributes that have been found to correlate with student attrition or success. This paper is an attempt to organize this body of research into a singular source that can be referenced by engineering educators or researchers who wish to increase student retention and improve the educational experience of their students.
Motivators and Barriers to Exercise in an Older Community-Dwelling Population

This study aimed to ascertain perceived barriers and motivators to exercise in people age 74–85 and to clarify the meaning of these barriers and motivators by examining participant characteristics that relate to them. 324 community-dwelling participants age 74–85 completed a health questionnaire that included items on barriers and motivators to exercise, as well as questions on demographic variables, health, and exercise. Selected participants then completed a physical-performance battery to measure functional performance. Barriers and motivators were related internally, as well as to many other factors including pain and depressed affect on the Geriatric Depression Scale. The findings suggest a need for individualized and comprehensive approaches to the presentation of exercise programs. Health interventions are needed that will address both physical pain and depressed affect and explain the importance of exercise even in the presence of health problems. An understanding of the context of reported barrie.
Central Venous Oxygen Saturation as a Predictor of the Outcome of Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation

Weaning from mechanical ventilation represents a corner stone of management of critically ill patients. Successful weaning represents a great achievement in patient's critical course in the ICU. This makes the process of weaning one of the most difficult steps in ICU care, for those reason, such a study was done to create a new thinking about the predictors that facilitate patient weaning from mechanical ventilator. The aim of this study is to evaluate the central venous saturation as a predictor of the outcome of weaning from mechanical ventilation. Cohort, unicentric, clinical study research design was utilized in the current study. Sample consists of one hundred and twenty patients over a one year period, all patients passed the first SBT (spontaneous breathing trial) and weaned successfully from mechanical ventilation were extubated after undergoing a two-step weaning protocol (measurements of predictors followed by a T-tube trial). Extubation failure was defined as the need of re-intubation within 48 hrs. The weaning protocol evaluated hemodynamic, ventilation parameters, arterial and venous gases during mechanical ventilation (Immediately before T-tube trial), and at the 30 th min of spontaneous breathing trial. Findings of this study show that re-intubation rate was 30%. Analysis by logistic regression revealed that central venous saturation was the only variable able to discriminate outcome of extubation. Reduction of central venous saturation by >5% was an independent predictor of re-intubation, with odds ratio of 52.6 (95% confidence interval =16.34–169.42), a sensitivity of 87%, and a specificity of 90%. Reduction of central venous saturation during spontaneous breathing trial was associated with extubation failure and could reflect the increase of respiratory muscles oxygen consumption. Results of the present study indicated that central venous saturation was an early and independent predictor of extubation failure and may be a valuable accurate parameter to be included in weaning protocols. Keywords: Central Venous Saturation - Mechanical Ventilation - Extubation.
The evolution of juvenile susceptibility to infectious disease

Infection prior to reproduction usually carries greater fitness costs for hosts than infection later in life, suggesting selection should tend to favour juvenile resistance. Yet, juveniles are generally more susceptible than adults across a wide spectrum of host taxa. While physiological constraints and a lack of prior exposure can explain some of this pattern, studies in plants and insects suggest that hosts may trade off juvenile susceptibility against other life-history traits. However, it is unclear precisely how trade-offs shape the evolution of juvenile susceptibility. Here, we theoretically explore the evolution of juvenile susceptibility subject to trade-offs with maturation or reproduction, which could realistically occur due to resource allocation during development (e.g. prioritizing growth over immune defence). We show how host lifespan, the probability of maturation (i.e. of reaching the adult stage) and transmission mode affect the results. Our key finding is that elevated juvenile susceptibility is expected to evolve over a wide range of conditions, but should be lowest when hosts have moderate lifespans and an intermediate probability of reaching the adult stage. Our results elucidate how interactions between trade-offs and the epidemiological-demographic structure of the population can lead to the evolution of elevated juvenile susceptibility.
Achilles tendon structure is negatively correlated with body mass index, but not influenced by statin use: A cross-sectional study using ultrasound tissue characterization

Introduction Statins are widely used to inhibit cholesterol production in the liver among people with hypercholesterolemia. A recent epidemiological study in the UK has shown that statin use (unlike elevated BMI) is not associated with an increased risk of Achilles tendon rupture. However, because of laboratory reports suggesting a negative influence of statins on tenocyte metabolism, we decided to directly compare the Achilles tendon structure (cross-sectional area and longitudinal collagen organization) in regular statin users compared to non-users. Methods We conducted ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) of the Achilles tendon in statin users and a comparison group of similar age and gender. Statin users and control participants were recruited from May 10 2015 to February 17 2017 through a cardiovascular health centre and from the general community. Cross-sectional area of the Achilles tendon and longitudinal collagen organization (% type I echoes) were assessed using quantitative ultrasound tissue characterization by a blinded observer at a predetermined location (2 cm proximal to the calcaneus). Results Sixty-six individuals who were either taking statins for at least one year (ST, n = 33) or a comparison group who had never taken statins (CG, n = 33) were included in the study. The Achilles tendon cross-sectional area (ST 59.7 (13) mm2, CG 59.9 (8.5) mm2) and proportion of echo-type I patterns [ST 70 (10)%, CG 74 (13)%] were equivalent in the two groups. In contrast, there was a negative correlation between BMI (rs = -0.25, p = 0.042) and type I echo values. Obese individuals demonstrated a significantly lower percentage of type I echoes (62 (11)%) than individuals of normal body mass index (73 (10)% p<0.05). Conclusion These findings demonstrate that there is no evidence of a negative statin influence on Achilles tendon structure. Given earlier reports that the risk of Achilles injury is equivalent in statin users and non-users, weightbearing exercise may be prescribed without placing the Achilles tendon at a higher risk of injury than among the general population. The results of this study are consistent with the known negative effects of elevated BMI on tendon structure, suggesting that an assessment of the Achilles tendons prior to prescribing weightbearing exercise may be prudent in obese individuals.
European Pension Systems: A Simulation Analysis

Pension systems in different countries vary widely in such aspects as the dependence of benefits on earlier labour income, the minimum permitted retirement age and limits on labour supply after retirement. This paper uses a simulation model of a rational, utility-maximising household facing the detailed pension provisions of eight European countries to study microeconomic distortions induced by the different rules and regulations. We examine in particular the impact on savings, labour supply, retirement age decisions and welfare.
On the total variation distance between the binomial random graph and the random intersection graph

When each vertex is assigned a set, the intersection graph generated by the sets is the graph in which two distinct vertices are joined by an edge if and only if their assigned sets have a nonempty intersection. An interval graph is an intersection graph generated by intervals in the real line. A chordal graph can be considered as an intersection graph generated by subtrees of a tree. In 1999, Karoński, Scheinerman, and Singer‐Cohen introduced a random intersection graph by taking randomly assigned sets. The random intersection graph G(n,m;p) has n vertices and sets assigned to the vertices are chosen to be i.i. d. random subsets of a fixed set M of size m where each element of M belongs to each random subset with probability p, independently of all other elements in M. In 2000, Fill, Scheinerman, and Singer‐Cohen showed that the total variation distance between the random graph G(n,m;p) and the Erdös‐Rényi graph G(n,p̂) tends to 0 for any 0≤p=p(n)≤1 if m=nα, α>6 , where p̂ is chosen so that the expected numbers of edges in the two graphs are the same. In this paper, it is proved that the total variation distance still tends to 0 for any 0≤p=p(n)≤1 whenever m≫n4 .
Comment on “Seismic gap hypothesis: Ten years after” by Y. Y. Kagan and D. D. Jackson

Kagan and Jackson [1991] recently published statistical tests of the seismic gap hypothesis, as presented by Kelleher et al. [1973] and McCann et al. [1979], stating [Kagan and Jackson, 1991, p. 21,419] that "the hypothesis of increased earthquake potential after a long quiet period can be rejected with a large confidence. " Hereafter, Kagan and Jackson [1991], Kelleher et al. [1973], and McCann et al. [1979], will be referred to as KJ, KSO, and MNSK, respectively. On the basis of these test results, KJ concluded that the seismic gap hypothesis is invalid and proposed a clustering model of earthquake occurrence as a replacement. If valid, this conclusion would have major implications for ongoing evaluations of seismic hazards, long-term earthquake prediction, and the physical basis for strain buildup and release in large earthquakes. In addition, this conclusion could dramatically change the rational for assigning priority to the study of certain faults and fault segments in populated areas as part of the U.S. National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction.
Considerations for the Development of Mobile Phone Apps to Support Diabetes Self-Management: Systematic Review

Background There is increased research interest in the use of mobile phone apps to support diabetes management. However, there are divergent views on what constitute the minimum standards for inclusion in the development of mobile phone apps. Mobile phone apps require an evidence-based approach to development which will consequently impact on their effectiveness. Therefore, comprehensive information on developmental considerations could help designers and researchers to develop innovative and effective patient-centered self-management mobile phone apps for diabetes patients. Objective This systematic review examined the developmental considerations adopted in trials that engaged mobile phone applications for diabetes self-management. Methods A comprehensive search strategy was implemented across 5 electronic databases; Medline, Scopus, Social Science Citation Index, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINALHL) and supplemented by reference list from identified studies. Study quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Critical appraisal checklist for trials. Information on developmental factors (health behavioral theory, functionality, pilot testing, user and clinical expert involvements, data privacy and app security) were assessed across experimental studies using a template developed for the review. Results A total of 11 studies (10 randomized controlled trials and 1 quasi-experimental trial) that fitted the inclusion criteria were identified. All the included studies had the functionality of self-monitoring of blood glucose. However, only some of them included functions for data analytics (7/11, 63.6%), education (6/11, 54.5%) and reminder (6/11, 54.5%). There were 5/11(45.5%) studies with significantly improved glycosylated hemoglobin in the intervention groups where educational functionality was present in the apps used in the 5 trials. Only 1 (1/11, 9.1%) study considered health behavioral theory and user involvement, while 2 (2/11, 18.1%) other studies reported the involvement of clinical experts in the development of their apps. There were 4 (4/11, 36.4%) studies which referred to data security and privacy considerations during their app development while 7 (7/12, 63.6%) studies provided information on pilot testing of apps before use in the full trial. Overall, none of the studies provided information on all developmental factors assessed in the review. Conclusions There is a lack of elaborate and detailed information in the literature regarding the factors considered in the development of apps used as interventions for diabetes self-management. Documentation and inclusion of such vital information will foster a transparent and shared decision-making process that will ultimately lead to the development of practical and user-friendly self-management apps that can enhance the quality of life for diabetes patients.
Collagen VI Contains Multiple Host Defense Peptides with Potent In Vivo Activity

Collagen VI is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix component that forms extensive microfibrillar networks in most connective tissues. In this study, we describe for the first time, to our knowledge, that the collagen VI von Willebrand factor type A–like domains exhibit a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in human skin infections in vivo. In silico sequence and structural analysis of VWA domains revealed that they contain cationic and amphipathic peptide sequence motifs, which might explain the antimicrobial nature of collagen VI. In vitro and in vivo studies show that these peptides exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa through membrane disruption. Our findings shed new light on the role of collagen VI–derived peptides in innate host defense and provide templates for development of peptide-based antibacterial therapies.
Title microRNA-29b prevents liver fibrosis by attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation and inducing apoptosis through targeting PI3K/AKT pathway

microRNA-29b (miR-29b) is known to be associated with TGF-β-mediated fibrosis, but the mechanistic action of miR-29b in liver fibrosis remains unclear and is warranted for investigation. We found that miR-29b was significantly downregulated in human and mice fibrotic liver tissues and in primary activated HSCs. miR-29b downregulation was directly mediated by Smad3 through binding to the promoter of miR-29b in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line LX1, whilst miR-29b could in turn suppress Smad3 expression. miR-29b transduction in the liver of mice prevented CCl4 inducedfibrogenesis, concomitant with decreased expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TIMP-1. Ectopic expression of miR-29b in activated HSCs (LX-1, HSC-T6) inhibited cell viability and colony formation, and caused cell cycle arrest in G1 phase by downregulating cyclin D1 and p21cip1. Further, miR-29b induced apoptosis in HSCs mediated by caspase-9 and PARP. miR-29b inhibited its downstream effectors of PIK3R1 and AKT3 through direct targeting their 3’UTR regions. Moreover, knockdown of PIK3R1 or AKT3 suppressed α-SMA and collagen I and induced apoptosis in both HSCs and in mice. In conclusion, miR-29b prevents liver fibrogenesis by inhibiting HSC activation and inducing HSC apoptosis through inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. These results provide novel mechanistic insights for the anti-fibrotic effect of miR-29b.
Improving the apostate detergent stability of NTS 1 with CHESS for pharmacological and structural studies

Abbreviations: GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor; IM CHESS, cellular high-throughput encapsulation solub neurotensin peptide; FACS,fluorescence-activated cell sort raacetic acid; DDM, n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside; DM OG, n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside; CHAPS, 3-[(3-cholamid 1-propanesulfonate; CHS, cholesteryl hemisucc thioglucopyranoside; HTS, high-throughput screeni saline; sfGFP, super-folder green fluorescent protein ⁎ Corresponding author at: Biochemisches Institut, Univ 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. Tel. : +41 44 635 5570 E-mail address: plueckthun@bioc.uzh. ch (A. Plückthun
Independent evolution of functionally exchangeable mitochondrial outer membrane import complexes

Assembly and/or insertion of a subset of mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) proteins, including subunits of the main MOM translocase, require the fungi-specific Mim1/Mim2 complex. So far it was unclear which proteins accomplish this task in other eukaryotes. Here, we show by reciprocal complementation that the MOM protein pATOM36 of trypanosomes is a functional analogue of yeast Mim1/Mim2 complex, even though these proteins show neither sequence nor topological similarity. Expression of pATOM36 rescues almost all growth, mitochondrial biogenesis, and morphology defects in yeast cells lacking Mim1 and/or Mim2. Conversely, co-expression of Mim1 and Mim2 restores the assembly and/or insertion defects of MOM proteins in trypanosomes ablated for pATOM36. Mim1/Mim2 and pATOM36 form native-like complexes when heterologously expressed, indicating that additional proteins are not part of these structures. Our findings indicate that Mim1/Mim2 and pATOM36 are the products of convergent evolution and arose only after the ancestors of fungi and trypanosomatids diverged.
Educational video: a training strategy for caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate Vídeo educativo: estratégia de treinamento para

Abstract Objective: To check the knowledge informal caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate acquire about the postoperative care of cheiloplasty and palatoplasty through the use of an educational video.Methods: Randomized clinical trial conducted with 80 caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate, arranged into two groups: experimental (G1) and control (G2). Data collection occurred during the child’s hospital stay, in three stages, using a structured questionnaire and an educational video developed and validated for this study.Results: There was evidence of improvement in the acquisition of knowledge about postoperative care in both groups (p <0.001), but it was higher in G1 compared to G2.Conclusion: The educational video was shown to be effective to train caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate after cheiloplasty and palatoplasty. Resumo Objetivo: Verificar o conhecimento adquirido por cuidadores informais de criancas com fissura labiopalatina sobre os cuidados pos-operatorios de queiloplastia e palatoplastia por meio da utilizacao de um video educativo.Metodos: Ensaio clinico randomizado, realizado com 80 cuidadores de criancas com fissura labiopalatina, dispostos em dois grupos: experimental (G1) e controle (G2). A coleta de dados ocorreu durante o periodo de hospitalizacao da crianca, em tres etapas, utilizando um questionario estruturado e um video educativo construido e validado para o presente estudo.Resultados: Foi evidenciada melhora na aquisicao de conhecimento sobre os cuidados pos-operatorios em ambos os grupos (p<0,001), porem, foi maior o G1 em comparacao a G2.Conclusao: O video educativo mostrou-se eficaz no treinamento de cuidadores de criancas com fissura labiopalatina em situacao pos-operatoria de queiloplastia e palatoplastia.