Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A RESURF-Enhanced p-Channel Trench SOI LDMOS With Ultralow Specific on-Resistance

A low specific ON-resistance (RON,sp) silicon-oninsulator (SOI) p-channel LDMOS (pLDMOS) with an enhanced reduced surface field (RESURF) effect and self-shielding effect of the back-gate (BG) bias is proposed and investigated. It features an oxide trench and the p-drift region surrounding the trench, which is built on the n-SOI layer. In the OFFstate, first, the extended trench gate also acts as a gate field plate; second, the p-drift and the n-SOI layer forms a folded RESURF structure. Both increase the doping dose of the p-drift and modulate electric field (E-field) distribution; third, the oxide trench not only reduces the device pitch but also enhances the E-field strength. All of them result in a low RON,SP and a high breakdown voltage (BV) with a reduced device pitch. The free charges induced on the SOI/buried oxide (BOX) interface not only enhance the E-field strength in the BOX but also effectively shield the influence of BG bias effect in a wide range. The proposed pLDMOS achieves state-of-the-art improvement in the tradeoff between BV and RON,SP. Compared with the p-top SOI pLDMOS, the proposed device reduces the RON,SP by 79% at the same BV. A strong immunity to the BG bias effect is demonstrated and analyzed in detail.
Kinetics of simazine advanced oxidation in water

Abstract Comparison of the effects and kinetics of UV photolysis and four advanced oxidation systems (ozone, ozone/hydrogen peroxide, ozone/UV radiation and UV radiation/hydrogen peroxide) for the removal of simazine from water has been investigated. At the conditions applied, the order of reactivity was ozone < ozone/hydrogen peroxide < UV radiation < ozone/UV radiation and UV radiation/hydrogen peroxide. Rate constants of the reactions between ozone and simazine and hydroxyl radical and simazine were found to be 8.7 M‐1s‐1 and 2.1x109 M‐1s‐1, respectively. Also, a quantum yield of 0.06 mol.photon‐1 was found for simazine at 254 nm UV radiation. The high value of the quantum yield corroborated the importance of the direct photolysis process. Percentage contributions of direct reaction with ozone, reaction with hydroxyl radicals and direct photolysis were also quantified.
Performance of Handicapped Students on the North Carolina Minimum Competency Test

The use of minimum competency tests (MCT) to set uniform standards for high school graduation is now a matter of educational policy in over three-fourths of the states (Gallager, 1979; McCarthy, 1980; Pipho, 1978). Since 1978, all high school students in North Carolina have been required to take an MCT in reading and mathematics (Gallagher, 1979; McKinney & Haskins, 1980). The present research addressed three questions about the performance of handicapped students on the 1978 North Carolina MCT: (a) What were the sociademographic characteristics of handicapped students who passed and failed the MCT? ; (b) What were the conditions of test administration, and were they related to student performance? ; and (c) What were the attitudes of teachers and school administrators toward competency testing of handicapped students? The North Carolina MCT is administered each November to all 11th grade students, excluding those who are trainably or severely retarded. Handicapped students in special education programs are eligible for modified test administration. These test modifications include braille, large print and audiocassette editions, extended time limits, permission to write in the test booklet, instructions in sign language, and recording of answers by a proctor. Specific
Projective Reed-Muller codes

A class of codes in the Reed-Muller family, the projective Reed-Muller codes (PRM codes), is studied. The author defines the PRM codes of all orders and discusses their relation to polynomial codes. The exact parameters of PRM codes are given. The duals are characterized, and, in parallel to the classical works on generalized Reed-Muller codes, the cyclic properties are studied. Tables over parameters of the codes are given. >
Mobile‐initiated network‐executed SIP‐based handover in IMS over heterogeneous accesses

The services of next generation networks are envisioned to be potentially capable of seamless mobility in spite of the heterogeneity in underlying access technologies. It is undoubted that to accomplish seamless services across heterogeneous networking environments gets harder in case of simultaneous mobility. In this article, we propose a mobile‐initiated network‐executed (MINE) session initial protocol (SIP)‐based handover mechanism to facilitate simultaneous mobility in IP multimedia subsystem over heterogeneous accesses. The novelty of the proposed approach is that no changes are required to the existing network infrastructure since handover decision is fully made by the mobile host (MH) and handover execution is performed by a new‐added application server called mobility server (MS). When the MH decides to initiate a handover and obtains a new IP address, it will send a SIP Publish message to trigger the MS to carry out the handover execution. With the network‐executed design of the MINE, the MS can perform third‐party registration for security re‐association and third‐party call control for session re‐establishment in parallel. Moreover, the Master–Slave Determination procedures derived from H.245 are used in the MS to handle fairly the racing conditions resulting from simultaneous mobility such that redundant message flows are eliminated. Mathematical analyses present that the MINE can shorten the handover latency and reduce power consumption, as observed from a comparison with the integrated solution of an optimized macro‐mobility mechanism and a receiver‐side simultaneous mobility approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effects of Glutathione and Its Derivatives on the Survival of Mycobacterium bovis-BCG Vegetative and Persistent Organisms

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for nearly 2 million deaths yearly. Upon inhalation, mycobacteria are engulfed by alveolar macrophages. These cells produce reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates (ROI’s and RNI’s), which normally kill pathogens, but are ineffective against invading mycobacteria. What ensues, is the formation of a tubercle to sequester the infected macrophages, and the initiation of a latent tuberculosis infection, in which the mycobacteria enter a state of non-replicative persistence (NRP). Glutathione (GSH), a host tripeptide thiol-based detoxification molecule, protects host cells from ROI/RNI toxicity. Recently, it has been demonstrated that GSH is toxic to in vitro and early infection mycobacteria, but no studies determined whether GSH is toxic to latent mycobacteria. To further elucidate the impact of GSH on mycobacteria, we exposed mid-logarithmic (mid-log) and NRP-induced M. bovis-BCG to glutathione in its reduced (GSH), oxidized (GSSG), and nitric oxide associated (GSNO) forms, for five days. We have demonstrated that the growth of mid-log M. bovis-BCG (BCG) is inhibited by 4 mM GSH, and killed by 8 mM GSH. The growth of NRP mycobacteria exposed to 4 mM GSH was inhibited similar to that of unexposed NRP mycobacteria. In contrast, the growth of NRP BCG is stimulated four fold following exposure to 8 mM GSH. We conclude that exposure of NRP BCG to 8 mM GSH stimulates exit from the NRP state into an actively metabolizing state. 4 and 8 mM GSSG and GSNO inhibited the growth of mid-log BCG; however, NRP BCG exposed to GSSG and GSNO inhibited growth similar to that of unexposed NRP BCG. These results were confirmed by performing viability studies, and analysis of free-intracellular cytoplasmic ATP concentrations. Initially hypothesized, the toxicity to GSH was due to redox potential imbalances within mycobacterial cytoplasm. Mycobacteria contain MSH detoxification system (5), to cope with GSH. However, the mechanism of interaction between the activation of the system and growth inhibition in mycobacteria is poorly understood. HPLC analyses on mid-log and NRP BCG cytoplasms exposed to 4 and 8 mM GSH demonstrated that the activation of the detoxification system and the oxidative stress of the mid-log and NRP cytoplasms were similar. This suggests that the activation of the detoxification system and the oxidative state of the mycobacterial cytoplasm may not play a direct role in mycobacterial growth inhibition and/or exit from the NRP state.
Electronic Surveillance System for Monitoring Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis

Objectives. Antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis comprises one third of all antibiotic use in pediatric hospitals and 80% of all antibiotic use in surgery. Previous studies reported that antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis is often inconsistent with recommended guidelines. An electronic surveillance system was developed to measure antimicrobial utilization and to identify opportunities to improve and monitor the administration of antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with selected inpatient surgical procedures performed from May 1999 to April 2000 at 4 US children’s hospitals. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision surgical procedure codes were divided into clean or unclean categories, and an electronic surveillance system was designed using antibiotic and microbiologic culture utilization data to measure appropriate antimicrobial use associated with the surgical procedure. A medical chart review was conducted to validate the electronic system. Results. Ninety percent of cases were classified properly by the electronic surveillance system as confirmed by medical chart review. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis was not in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for almost half of all procedures. Prolonged antimicrobial administration in clean surgical procedures was the most frequent deviation from guidelines. Statistical differences between the index hospital and the comparison hospitals reflect both over- and underutilization of surgical prophylaxis with significant opportunity to improve prophylaxis for all hospitals. Conclusions. Antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis at the children’s hospitals studied is not always consistent with published AAP guidelines. This electronic surveillance system provides a rapid, reproducible, and validated tool to measure easily the efforts to improve adherence to AAP surgical prophylaxis guidelines.
A Broadband Low-Cost Direct-Conversion Receiver Front-End in 90 nm CMOS

Transistors in aggressively scaled CMOS technologies have fT greater than 150 GHz, which exceeds requirements for most existing commercial applications below 10 GHz. Excess transistor performance can be traded-off for cost by designing out inductors. This paper presents a prototype which exploits the speed of transistors to design highly integrated broadband receiver front-ends. The inductor-less prototype operates from 2 to 5.8 GHz and dissipates 85 mW at 5 GHz while occupying 0.2 mm2 active area. It provides 44 dB of gain, 3.4 dB double side band noise figure, 21 dBm in-band IIP3 in the highest gain mode and 15 dB input matching.
Heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 is associated with high plasma viral load levels and a positive viral isolation in the infected partner.

Risk factors for heterosexual HIV transmission are not fully understood. In fact, a proportion of people with sexual exposure to HIV remain uninfected despite multiple and continuous intercourse with HIV-infected partners. In this work, we have analyzed those virologic parameters potentially involved in the transmission of HIV through heterosexual contact. Thirty-eight couples with continuous unprotected sexual intercourse were included. HIV transmission occurred in 10 of 38 couples. No differences in clinical characteristics, exposure time, sexual practices, CD4 counts, or polymorphism in CCR5 were found between transmitter and nontransmitter groups. In contrast, virologic data were different between both groups; median values of viral load were 21.139 and 5.484 RNA copies/ml of plasma in the transmitter and nontransmitter groups, respectively, and a significant difference was found in mean viral load values (p = .03, Mann-Whitney test). Viral isolation was obtained in 90% of transmitters, but in only 44% of nontransmitter subjects (p = .02, Fisher's exact test). These data show that viral load levels and a positive viral isolation in culture must be considered as risk factors for heterosexual transmission of HIV-1.
In vitro toxic effects of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets on lung cancer cells

The intriguing properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have paved the way for a number of potential biomedical applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, gene delivery and bio-sensing. Over the last decade, there have been escalating concerns regarding the possible toxic effects, behaviour and fate of rGO in living systems and environments. This paper reports on integrative chemical-biological interactions of rGO with lung cancer cells, i.e. A549 and SKMES-1, to determine its potential toxicological impacts on them, as a function of its concentration. Cell viability, early and late apoptosis and necrosis were measured to determine oxidative stress potential, and induction of apoptosis for the first time by comparing two lung cancer cells. We also showed the general trend between cell death rates and concentrations for different cell types using a Gaussian process regression model. At low concentrations, rGO was shown to significantly produce late apoptosis and necrosis rather than early apoptotic events, suggesting that it was able to disintegrate the cellular membranes in a dose dependent manner. For the toxicity exposures undertaken, late apoptosis and necrosis occurred, which was most likely resultant from limited bioavailability of unmodified rGO in lung cancer cells.
Insulin gene VNTR genotype is associated with insulin sensitivity and secretion in infancy

aims We have previously demonstrated that insulin sensitivity and secretion at age 1 year was in part related to variation in weight and height gain during infancy. In order to determine whether genetic variation at the insulin gene could also influence these associations, we have studied the relationship between insulin gene variable number of tandem repeat (INS VNTR) genotypes, insulin secretion and early postnatal growth.
ADAMTS1 Interacts with, Cleaves, and Modifies the Extracellular Location of the Matrix Inhibitor Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2*

ADAMTS1 is an extracellular metalloproteinase known to participate in a variety of biological processes that includes inflammation, angiogenesis, and development of the urogenital system. Many of its functions rely on its catalytic activity, which thus far has been limited to the cleavage of the matrix proteoglycans aggrecan and versican. However, it is likely that other substrates exist. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified the Kunitz-type inhibitor, tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2), as a binding partner of ADAMTS1. The interaction was confirmed by several biochemical and cell-based assays. In addition, our studies revealed alterations in the pattern of TFPI-2-secreted isoforms and in its extracellular location caused by the specific action of ADAMTS1. Interestingly, we found that TFPI-2 is a novel substrate of ADAMTS1. The cleavage removes a protease-sensitive C-terminal region in TFPI-2, altering its binding properties. The proposed role of TFPI-2 as a maintenance factor of extracellular remodeling suggests the indirect function of ADAMTS1 as an additional homeostatic player by its ability to alter the extracellular location of TFPI-2 and, therefore, to disrupt the remodeling machinery, a phenomenon directly associated to pathologies such as atherosclerosis and tumor progression.
alpha-Synuclein and Parkinson disease susceptibility.

BACKGROUND Mutations in the alpha-synuclein (SNCA) gene have been shown to be responsible for a rare familial form of Parkinson disease (PD). Furthermore, polymorphic variants in multiple regions of the gene have been associated with susceptibility to idiopathic PD in different populations. OBJECTIVE To evaluate and to confirm the role of SNCA variants in PD pathogenesis. METHODS We included 667 subjects (397 cases with idiopathic PD and 270 healthy, ethnically matched controls) of Northern Central and Southeastern European origin. We analyzed genotypes at 14 markers spanning the SNCA locus and its major haplotype blocks and conducted a haplotype analysis for four promoter markers including the microsatellite marker Rep1. RESULTS The three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the promoter region (rs2583988, rs2619364, rs2619363) and a SNP in the 3'UTR (rs356165) of the SNCA gene showed the greatest evidence for an association with PD (p <or= 0.003), with significant pairwise values for linkage disequilibrium (D' >or= 0.74, r (2) >or= 0.29). The promoter haplotype "261-T-G-T" (Rep1-rs2583988-rs2619364-rs2619363) was associated with disease (p = 0.032). The most significant association with PD was generated by excluding Rep1 (p = 0.008). This association remained significant when analyzing the Serbian patients separately and was of borderline significance for the German patients. CONCLUSIONS Our findings confirm that genetic variability within the SNCA locus is associated with susceptibility to idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD). We found evidence for disease association with single nucleotide polymorphisms at both the 5' and the 3' end of the gene with pairwise linkage disequilibrium between them. The association was independent of the Rep1 status, and one major SNCA promoter haplotype class seems to be associated with PD susceptibility.
P300 latency and amplitude in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review

The P300 plays a key role as a method for monitoring and evaluating dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Objective: The goal of this study was to search for articles which analyzed P300 latency and amplitude values in Alzheimer's disease. Methods: We searched in the following databases: Web of Science, Pub Med, Psyc Info, Medline, Biological Abstracts and Scielo using the following keywords: speed of information processing, processing speed, information processing, aged, older, elderly, older people, alzheimer dementia, alzheimer disease, Alzheimer and cross-references of selected articles. Results: We found eight studies matching the inclusion criteria. These studies showed that there is a consensus on a P300 latency increase of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease compared with subjects without the disease. However, it appears that, with respect to the P300 amplitude, there is still no consensus; however, it may be related to different methodological variables adopted in the reviewed studies. Conclusion: There is a need to standardize the variables involved in P300 measurement for senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease in order to be able to compare P300 latency and amplitude values for this population.
Scintillation Properties and Internal Background Study of $^{40}$Ca$^{100}$MoO$_{4}$ Crystal Scintillators for Neutrino-Less Double Beta Decay Search

Scintillation properties and radioactive contamination of calcium molybdate scintillating crystals depleted in <sup>48</sup>Ca and enriched in <sup>100</sup>Mo (<sup>40</sup>Ca<sup>100</sup>MoO<sub>4</sub> ) have been studied to prepare a <sup>100</sup>Mo-based neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. The prospects of a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment using <sup>40</sup>Ca<sup>100</sup>MoO<sub>4</sub> crystals are discussed.
Dissociation Between Results of In Vitro and In Vivo Antibiotic Susceptibility Tests for Some Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The relative efficacy in vivo of the polymyxin and aminoglycoside antibiotics in experimental Pseudomonas infection has apparently never been established. This study was designed to determine such efficacy in experimental infection of mice. Eleven strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected for the study, representing six of the seven recognized immunotypes. All strains were susceptible to colistin, gentamicin, and tobramycin in vitro, and all were virulent for mice. None was lethal because of preformed toxins. Infections were established in mice by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 100 ID50 of bacteria (infectious doses that would kill 50% of the mice). Graduated doses of antibiotics or saline were given subcutaneously 1 h later. Infections by three strains of P. aeruginosa were cured by low doses of all three antibiotics. Infections by two strains were relatively resistant in vivo to all three antibiotics. Infections by seven strains were relatively resistant in vivo to colistimethate. For most strains, colistimethate was less effective in vivo than gentamicin or tobramycin. To determine the influence of the size of the bacterial inoculum upon the results of chemotherapy, groups of mice were infected with serial dilutions of bacterial suspensions and treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics were more effective when a lighter bacterial inoculum was used. However, colistimethate at 30 mg/kg failed to cure some infections established with an inoculum of only 10 ID50. To examine the possibility that death despite apparently adequate chemotherapy might be due to bacterial lysis and delayed release of toxins, numbers of viable bacteria in the peritoneal cavity of treated animals were determined by colony count. Antibiotic failure by colistimethate was associated with a steady rise in the number of i.p. bacteria. The findings support the conclusion that i.p. infections in mice with some strains of P. aeruginosa that are fully susceptible in vitro are relatively resistant to chemotherapy in vivo. The dissociation between in vitro and in vivo results was greatest for colistimethate.
The Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being

As part of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) biennial strategy, the provincial survey component of the first CCHS cycle (Cycle 1.2) focused on different aspects of the mental health and well-being of Canadians living in private dwellings. Moreover, the survey collected data on prevalences of specific mental disorders and problems, use of mental health services, and economic and personal costs of having a mental illness. Data collection began in May 2002 and extended over 8 months. More than 85% of all interviews were conducted face-to-face and used a computer-assisted application. The survey obtained a national response rate of 77%. This paper describes several key aspects of the questionnaire content, the sample design, interviewer training, and data collection procedures. A brief overview of the CCHS regional component (Cycle 1.1) is also given.
Work-life balancing: challenges and strategies.

BACKGROUND Balancing the personal and the professional is an ongoing struggle for most professionals, and palliative care clinicians are no exception. A sustained lack of balance can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and guilt. Palliative care physicians may find this balance particularly difficult due to the nature of their work: caring for patients and families who are often suffering and in crisis. DISCUSSION In this article, we describe challenges to work-life balancing and strategies that may promote balance, including "timeshifting," goal setting, cognitive reframing, and self-care. We argue that the search for balance is a lifelong endeavor that entails self-reflection and continuing examination of one's values and goals.