Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Gate Electrodes on $\hbox{1}/f$  Noise of Gate-All-Around Silicon Nanowire Transistors

The low-frequency (1/f) noise of gate-all-around silicon nanowire transistors (SNWTs) with different gate electrodes (poly-Si gate, doped fully silicided (FUSI) gate, and undoped FUSI gate) is studied in the strong-inversion linear region. It shows that the gate electrodes have a strong impact on the 1/f noise of the SNWTs. The highest noise is observed in the SNWTs with a poly-Si gate, compared to their FUSI-gate counterparts. The observations are explained according to the number fluctuation with correlated mobility fluctuation theory by assuming that the correlated mobility scattering is better screened in the case of an undoped FUSI gate. However, the doped FUSI gate with silicidation-induced impurity segregation at the gate/SiO2 interface gives rise to extra mobility scattering.
Muscle strength, resting muscle tone and EMG activation in untrained men: interaction effect of time of day and test order-related confounding factors.

AIM This article was designed to study an interaction effect of time of day and test order-related confounding factors on daily variation in maximum muscle strength and power. METHODS Seventeen untrained men were randomized into four groups and measured at four time points (08:00 a.m., 12:00 a.m., 04:00 p.m. and 08:00 p.m.) throughout one or two days. Each groups started at different time of day in a counter-balanced order. Peak force and myoelectrical activity (EMG) of vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles during bilateral isometric leg extension and power output during explosive dynamic leg extension was measured. Computerized muscle tonometer was used to assess resting muscle tone. RESULTS Resting muscle tone did not change significantly regardless of time of day or test order. In contrast, time-of-day effect was found in force and EMG during isometric leg extension and in power output; all variables were significantly lower in the morning compared to the individual best performance/highest value achieved at any time point. In addition, the above variables were also affected by test order. Regardless of time of day, isometric force and EMG were typically highest during the first test session, while the dynamic power output gradually improved with test order. CONCLUSION Daily variation in maximum voluntary strength and power performance could be detected despite the test order-related confounding factors.
A Comparative Study of a New ZCS DC–DC Full-Bridge Boost Converter With a ZVS Active-Clamp Converter

Pulse width modulation (PWM) current-fed full-bridge dc-dc boost converters are typically used in applications where the output voltage is considerably higher than the input voltage. In this paper, a comparison is made between two converter topologies of this type-the standard zero-voltage switching (ZVS) active-clamp topology and a new zero-current switching (ZCS) topology. This paper begins with a review of the operation of the ZVS active-clamp converter and that of ZCS converters in general; the advantages and disadvantages of each approach are stated. A new ZCS-PWM current-fed dc-dc boost full-bridge converter is then introduced. The operation of the new converter is explained and analyzed, and a procedure for the design of its key components is given and demonstrated with an example. Experimental results obtained from a prototype of a ZVS active-clamp converter and the new ZCS converter are presented. Finally, a comparison of the performance of the two converters is made and conclusion based on this comparison is stated.
Variation in cancer incidence in northeastern Belgium and southeastern Netherlands seems unrelated to cadmium emission of zinc smelters

Exposure to cadmium has been established to be carcinogenic for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but this is mainly based on studies with occupational exposures. The substantial 100 year long emission of cadmium by three zinc smelters in the Kempen area across the Dutch–Belgian border might have affected the incidence of cancer in this region. Following a study of increased risks of lung cancer due to cadmium emission (hazard ratio was 4.2 for high vs. low cadmium exposure areas in that study), we used data from the three regional population-based cancer registries, covering an area with 2.9 million inhabitants. Analyses of observed incidence were carried out for all cancers and cancer of the lung, kidney, bladder, prostate, testis, and breast separately. At the municipality level standardized incidence ratios were calculated and smoothed using a Poisson-gamma or a conditional autoregressive model. To detect clusters and to calculate an observed/expected ratio (O/E ratio) for each cluster a spatial scan statistic was applied. Significantly increased cancer incidence rates were found at a multimunicipality level for female lung cancer (O/E ratio=1.2), male and female bladder cancer (O/E ratio male=1.8, O/E ratio female=1.7), and prostate cancer (O/E ratio=1.3), none of these clusters being located specifically around the area of the zinc smelters. Therefore, the long term emission of cadmium by the zinc smelters in the Kempen area did not seem to lead to an increase in the incidence of all cancers, and lung, kidney, bladder, prostate, testicular, or breast cancer.
Congestion performance improvement in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have expanded their monitoring and tracking applications into wide areas, such as civil, military, and aerospace fields. Despite their important role, their performance under harsh conditions still remains to be improved. Specifically, when a WSN suffers congestion, the base station (BS) can hardly receive any data from the faraway sensor nodes while it still gets a moderate amount of data from the near-by nodes. Since the goal of WSN applications is to monitor the whole designated area, such unfairness is not acceptable. In addition, the average latency during congestion is intolerably long, failing the data freshness requirement of WSN applications. Although the fairness and latency performance of congested WSNs is very crucial for WSN applications, their degradation during congestion is usually ignored by most current congestion control methods which focus more on avoiding or recovering from congestion rather than on the congestion process itself. To improve the performance during congestion, we propose a multi-queue-LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) approach. Instead of the intuitively and frequently employed FIFO (First-In, First-Out), we are the first to use LIFO to improve delay and fairness in congested WSNs. To further enhance the fairness performance, we divide the single queue in each node into multiple weighted sub-queues logically, and forward packets in each sub-queue based on its weight. This method balances the data reception from other nodes at the BS. Both theoretical analysis and extensive experiments verify the performance improvement of our approach.
Genetic Heterogeneity in Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms in Response to Victimization

This study had two objectives: first, to determine the degree to which experiences of victimization by peers during adolescence led to a subsequent rise in depressive symptoms, and second, to identify genetic markers that predict depressive reactivity to victimization. We used a cohort sequential design to obtain a longitudinal sample of 1,475 adolescents (3,263 observations) in Grades 8 to 12 (56% female; 47% Black, 46% White). Multilevel growth curve models were used to assess whether victimization predicted depressive symptoms 6 months later, beyond baseline trajectories for depressive symptoms. We modeled the interactive effects of peer victimization with three genetic polymorphisms (on 5-HTTLPR, DRD2 TaqIA, and BDNF Val66Met) on depressive symptoms. Although victimization predicted subsequent depressive symptoms, there was substantial heterogeneity in the magnitude of the effect of victimization. Val alleles, associated with higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) functioning, predicted more sensitivity to victimization. Neither DRD2 TaqIA, a marker associated with dopaminergic functioning, nor 5-HTTLPR, a marker associated with serotonin activity, was associated with sensitivity to victimization. The social stress of peer victimization triggers depressive symptoms most strongly in individuals who are homozygous for the Val allele on the BDNF Val/Met polymorphism. This polymorphism has been linked with sensitivity to social defeat in animal models. Future research should explore behavioral, cognitive, and emotional explanations of the effects of BDNF Val/Met on responsivity to victimization.
Plasma membrane permeabilization by 60‐ and 600‐ns electric pulses is determined by the absorbed dose

We explored how the effect of plasma membrane permeabilization by nanosecond‐duration electric pulses (nsEP) depends on the physical characteristics of exposure. The resting membrane resistance (Rm) and membrane potential (MP) were measured in cultured GH3 and CHO cells by conventional whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique. Intact cells were exposed to a single nsEP (60 or 600 ns duration, 0–22 kV/cm), followed by patch‐clamp measurements after a 2–3 min delay. Consistent with earlier findings, nsEP caused long‐lasting Rm decrease, accompanied by the loss of MP. The threshold for these effects was about 6 kV/cm for 60 ns pulses, and about 1 kV/cm for 600 ns pulses. Further analysis established that it was neither pulse duration nor the E‐field amplitude per se, but the absorbed dose that determined the magnitude of the biological effect. In other words, exposure to nsEP at either pulse duration caused equal effects if the absorbed doses were equal. The threshold absorbed dose to produce plasma membrane effects in either GH3 or CHO cells at either pulse duration was found to be at or below 10 mJ/g. Despite being determined by the dose, the nsEP effect clearly is not thermal, as the maximum heating at the threshold dose is less than 0.01 °C. The use of the absorbed dose as a universal exposure metric may help to compare and quantify nsEP sensitivity of different cell types and of cells in different physiological conditions. The absorbed dose may also prove to be a more useful metric than the incident E‐field in determining safety limits for high peak, low average power EMF emissions. Bioelectromagnetics 30:92–99, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Blood Flow with a Phase Subtraction Technique: In Vitro and In Vivo Validation

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES.One promising approach to flow quantification uses the velocity-dependent phase change of moving protons. A velocity-encoding phase subtraction technique was used to measure the velocity and flow rate of fluid flow in a phantom and blood flow in volunteers. METHODS.In a model, the authors measured constant flow velocities from 0.1 to 270.0 cm/second with an accuracy (95% confidence intervals) of ±12.5 cm/second. There was a linear relationship between the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement and the actual value (r2 = .99; P = .0001). RESULTS.Measuring mean pulsatile flow from 125 to 1,900 mL/minute, the accuracy of the MRI pulsatile flow measurements (95% confidence intervals) was ±70 mL/minute. There was a linear relationship between the MRI pulsatile flow measurement and the actual value (r2 =.99;P = .0001). In 10 normal volunteers, the authors tested the technique in vivo, quantitating flow rates in the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The average difference between the two measurements was 5%. In vivo carotid flow waveforms obtained with MRI agreed well with the shape of corresponding ultrasound Doppler waveforms. CONCLUSIONS.Velocity-encoding phase subtraction MRI bears potential clinical use for the evaluation of blood flow. Potential applications would be in the determination of arterial blood flow to parenchymal organs, the detection and quantification of intra- and extra-cardiac shunts, and the rapid determination of cardiac output and stroke volume.
New Evidence on Casual Relationships between the Money Supply, Prices and Wages in the UK.

The paper re-examines empirically the causal relationship between money stock, prices and wages in the United Kingdom. Using a vector error-correction modelling technique with suitable diagnostics, such as Akaike's FPE statistics and `F' tests for under-fitting the causal model, the results indicate a feedback relationship between money and prices, prices and wages, and wages and money stock. The results are supportive of the expectations- augmented Phillips-curve view of inflation and the monetary accommodation hypothesis.
Scanning Laser Polarimetry Quantification of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thinning Following Optic Neuritis

Abstract: Background: Several studies with optical coherence tomography (OCT) have demonstrated thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis. Similar studies have not been performed with scanning laser polarimetry (SLP), which relies on different physical phenomena. This study was designed to use SLP to measure axonal loss following a single episode of optic neuritis and to determine if there is a relationship between the degree of axonal loss and the degree of residual visual dysfunction. Methods: Twenty-five patients with a single episode of optic neuritis and 15 control subjects were studied with SLP using the GDxVCC device to determine RNFL thickness in relation to visual acuity, visual fields, color vision, visual evoked potentials (VEPs), and previously published OCT data. Results: SLP detected significant RNFL thinning in affected eyes compared to clinically unaffected fellow eyes in patients and in control eyes (P < 0.001). Reduced RNFL thickness was associated with significantly worse logMAR visual acuity, visual field mean deviation, and color vision. RNFL thinning correlated with reduced whole visual field and central visual field measures and VEP amplitudes. Superior and inferior quadrant RNFL thinning was related to corresponding regional visual field loss. There was a scaling factor between SLP and OCT RNFL measurements but only modest agreement. Conclusions: SLP detected functionally relevant axonal loss in eyes affected by optic neuritis. There was a scaling factor between RNFL measurements obtained with SLP and OCT but only modest agreement. Care should therefore be taken when comparing RNFL data from studies using these different devices.
Chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose mesenchimal stem cells: Influence of a biomimetic gelatin genipin crosslinked porous scaffold

Human adipose derived stem cells have shown chondrogenic differentiation potential in cartilage tissue engineering in combination with biomimetic materials. In this study, the chondrogenic potential of a porous gelatin based scaffold genipin (GNP) crosslinked was investigated in human mesenchymal stem cells obtained from adipose tissue. Cells were cultured up to 4 weeks on the scaffold and on monolayer, MTT assay was performed to evaluate cell viability, light, and transmission electron microscopy were carried out to demonstrate cell proliferation, scaffold adhesion, and cell colonization inside the porous architecture of the biomaterial. The expression of chondrogenic markers such as SOX9, collagen type II, aggregan, and versican was investigated by Real Time PCR. Results showed an high cell viability, adhesion, and colonization of the scaffold. Real Time PCR data demonstrated an upregulation of all the chondrogenic markers analyzed. In conclusion, 3D gelatin GNP crosslinked porous scaffold provides an improved environment for chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells compared with cell monolayer culture system. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:928–934, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Citation Networks Analysis: A New tool for Understanding Science Dynamics with Implications Towards Science Policy

The advancement of the scientific fields through accumulation of knowledge is tremendous so that in order to remain updated, the researchers are forced to rely on comprehensive surveys and literature reviews. [1] Published articles are valuable resources which can be treated as a proxy measure of the volume of scientific activity and innovative researches in the scientific community. Many models of scientific progress had been postulated in the past and Kuhnian-model[7] is regarded as a prominent one.
CDK‐ and Cdc45‐dependent priming of the MCM complex on chromatin during S‐phase in Xenopus egg extracts: possible activation of MCM helicase by association with Cdc45

Background: MCM and Cdc45 are required for the initiation and elongation stages of eukaryotic DNA replication. Recent studies show that a purified Mcm4/6/7 complex has DNA helicase activity. However, the biochemical function of the MCM complex and Cdc45 bound to chromatin has not been elucidated.
Survey on the Shadow Economy and Undeclared Earnings in OECD Countries

Abstract In most OECD countries the policy instrument of choice to prevent people from working in the shadows has been deterrence. While deterrence is well founded from a theoretical point of view, the empirical evidence on its success is weak: tax policies and state deregulation appear to work much better. The discussion of the recent literature underlines that in addition to economic opportunities, the overall situation in the labor market and unemployment are crucial for an understanding of the dynamics of the shadow economy.
Life table construction on the basis of two enumerations of a closed population.

The author demonstrates that an accurate detailed life table that represents average mortality experience between two censuses can be constructed if the censuses provide accurate records of the single-year age distribution of a closed population. This life table can begin at age zero if accurate data on the annual number of births during the inter-censal period are available; otherwise the first age in the life table must equal the duration of time between the censuses. "The estimation technique involves the calculation of the number of persons attaining each age during the period between the censuses and the determination of the average rate of increase in the number at each individual age. The success of the technique comes from the use of interpolation to calculate how many in each cohort attain each exact age the cohort passes through between the censuses. " The estimation technique is tested using two alternative methods of interpolation. Some illustrations based on data for Sweden and China are included.
Feature‐space clustering for fMRI meta‐analysis

Clustering functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series has emerged in recent years as a possible alternative to parametric modeling approaches. Most of the work so far has been concerned with clustering raw time series. In this contribution we investigate the applicability of a clustering method applied to features extracted from the data. This approach is extremely versatile and encompasses previously published results [Goutte et al., 1999 ] as special cases. A typical application is in data reduction: as the increase in temporal resolution of fMRI experiments routinely yields fMRI sequences containing several hundreds of images, it is sometimes necessary to invoke feature extraction to reduce the dimensionality of the data space. A second interesting application is in the meta‐analysis of fMRI experiment, where features are obtained from a possibly large number of single‐voxel analyses. In particular this allows the checking of the differences and agreements between different methods of analysis. Both approaches are illustrated on a fMRI data set involving visual stimulation, and we show that the feature space clustering approach yields nontrivial results and, in particular, shows interesting differences between individual voxel analysis performed with traditional methods. Hum. Brain Mapping 13:165–183, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fundectomy-Evoked Osteopenia in Pigs Is Mediated by the Gastric-Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of gastric impairment in pigs on the axial and peripheral skeletal system properties and to test the hypothesis that fundectomy-evoked osteopenia is related to disturbed gastric-hypothalamic-pituitary axis function. Forty-day-old male piglets were subjected to experimental fundectomy (FX group, n = 6) to induce osteopenia, while sham operation was performed in the controls (SHO group, n = 6). At the age of 8 months, serum samples were collected, and the animals were sacrificed to obtain lumbar vertebrae (L1–L6) and right humerus for analysis. Using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) methods, bone mineral density and bone mineral content of the vertebrae and humerus were measured. The compression and three-point bending tests were applied to determine mechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae and humerus, respectively. Furthermore, geometric properties of humerus were assessed. Serum concentrations of ghrelin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and selected macro- and microelements were also determined. Performed fundectomy decreased body weight in pigs by 66% compared with pair-fed sham operated pigs (P < 0.0001). Bone weight, bone mineral density, and bone mineral content of the lumbar vertebrae and humerus were significantly decreased in the fundectomized pigs (P < 0.01). Mechanical parameters of the lumbar spine and humerus were decreased after the fundectomy, as well. Serum concentrations of ghrelin, GH, and IGF-1 were lowered by 74.4%, 90.6%, and 54.6% in the fundectomized pigs, respectively (all P < 0.001). Moreover, the serum concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron and copper in the fundectomized animals were significantly decreased by 15.5%, 45.3%, 26.7%, and 26.2%, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the results obtained showed that both the disturbed gastric-hypothalamic-pituitary axis function and impaired mineral metabolism are associated with development of postfundectomy osteopenia of axial and peripheral skeleton in pigs.
A signalling role for 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal in regulation of mitochondrial uncoupling

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with disease and aging. Oxidative stress results from overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), often leading to peroxidation of membrane phospholipids and production of reactive aldehydes, particularly 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal. Mild uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation protects by decreasing mitochondrial ROS production. We find that hydroxynonenal and structurally related compounds (such as trans‐retinoic acid, trans‐retinal and other 2‐alkenals) specifically induce uncoupling of mitochondria through the uncoupling proteins UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3 and the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT). Hydroxynonenal‐induced uncoupling was inhibited by potent inhibitors of ANT (carboxyatractylate and bongkrekate) and UCP (GDP). The GDP‐sensitive proton conductance induced by hydroxynonenal correlated with tissue expression of UCPs, appeared in yeast mitochondria expressing UCP1 and was absent in skeletal muscle mitochondria from UCP3 knockout mice. The carboxyatractylate‐sensitive hydroxynonenal stimulation correlated with ANT content in mitochondria from Drosophila melanogaster expressing different amounts of ANT. Our findings indicate that hydroxynonenal is not merely toxic, but may be a biological signal to induce uncoupling through UCPs and ANT and thus decrease mitochondrial ROS production.