Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GaAsSbN/GaAs long wavelength PIN detectors

We report the fabrication of dilute nitride GaAsSbN/GaAs PIN detector with a cut-off wavelength over 1.5 mum. Effect of thermal annealing on the device characteristics is also presented. We found that the thermal treatment increases the acceptor concentration of the GaAsSbN epilayer. The increment leads to the change of conduction type in undoped and Si-doped GaAsSbN and results in low quantum efficiency for the homojunction p-i-n GaAsSbN detector. A heterojunction n-GaAs/i-GaAsSbN/p-GaAsSbN detector was designed to avoid the problem of type conversion. The quantum efficiency of the heterojunction device can reach to 0.13 at 1.1 mum.
Predictors for caesarean delivery and neonatal admission after trial of labour in women with one previous lower segment caesarean scar.

INTRODUCTION Caesarean delivery rates are still increasing, and reliable predictors of adverse outcomes at a subsequent trial of scar are important as they guide decision-making on the best mode of delivery. We aimed to evaluate whether there are any predictors for caesarean delivery and neonatal admission, following trial of labour after one lower transverse caesarean section. METHODS 768 women at term with singleton gestation and who had undergone a trial of labour between June 2002 and December 2005, were retrospectively identified using the labour ward register. 51 infants were admitted to a neonatal unit. Case notes for these cases were retrieved. Emergency repeat caesarean delivery and neonatal admission were the main outcome measures. RESULTS Following multivariate logistic regression analysis, no previous vaginal birth (adjusted odds-ratio [AOR] 3.4), diabetes mellitus or hypertension in pregnancy (AOR 1.7), induction of labour (AOR 2.0), oxytocin use in labour (AOR 2.4), and meconium-stained liquor (AOR 4.9) were independent predictors of emergency caesarean delivery. Diabetes mellitus or hypertension in pregnancy (AOR 3.1), prelabour rupture of membranes (AOR 4.7) and caesarean delivery (AOR 6.0) were independent predictors of neonatal admission. CONCLUSION Predictors for emergency caesarean delivery and neonatal admission following a trial of labour can be identified. This information should be incorporated into the counselling of women contemplating a trial of labour. The strongest predictor for neonatal admission was emergency caesarean delivery, further emphasising the need for careful case selection in a trial of labour to minimise the risk of failure.
Weak and absent peristalsis

Background Weak and absent esophageal peristalsis are frequently encountered esophageal motility disorders, which may be associated with dysphagia and which may contribute to gastroesophageal reflux disease. Recently, rapid developments in the diagnostic armamentarium have taken place, in particular, in high‐resolution manometry with or without concurrent intraluminal impedance monitoring.
The SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey : the nature of bright submm galaxies from 2 deg2 of 850-μm imaging.

We present physical properties [redshifts (z), star-formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses (Mstar)] of bright (S850 ≥ 4 mJy) submm galaxies in the 2 deg2 COSMOS and UDS fields selected with SCUBA-2/JCMT. We complete the galaxy identification process for all (2000) S/N ≥ 3.5 850-µm sources, but focus our scientific analysis on a high-quality subsample of 651 S/N ≥ 4 sources with complete multiwavelength coverage including 1.1-mm imaging. We check the reliability of our identifications, and the robustness of the SCUBA-2 fluxes by revisiting the recent ALMA follow-up of 29 sources in our sample. Considering >4 mJy ALMA sources, our identification method has a completeness of 86 per cent with a reliability of 92 per cent, and only 15–20 per cent of sources are significantly affected by multiplicity (when a secondary component contributes >1/3 of the primary source flux). The impact of source blending on the 850-µm source counts as determined with SCUBA-2 is modest; scaling the single-dish fluxes by 0.9 reproduces the ALMA source counts. For our final SCUBA- 2 sample, we find median z = 2.40+0.10 −0.04, SFR = 287 ± 6 M� yr−1 and log(Mstar/M�) = 11.12 ± 0.02 (the latter for 349/651 sources with optical identifications). These properties clearly locate bright submm galaxies on the high-mass end of the ‘main sequence’ of starforming galaxies out to z 6, suggesting that major mergers are not a dominant driver of the high-redshift submm-selected population. Their number densities are also consistent with the evolving galaxy stellar mass function. Hence, the submm galaxy population is as expected, albeit reproducing the evolution of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies remains a challenge for theoretical models/simulations. Key
Impaired Executive Function by Interictal Epileptiform Discharges in Patients with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy

Objective: Many patients with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE) exhibit cognitive deficits. Interictal Epileptiform Discharges (IEDs) may contribute to cognitive impairment in epilepsy; however, the relationship between IEDs and cognitive impairment is unclear. Methods: In this study, we analysed executive function in three groups: IGE patients with IEDs, IGE patients without IEDs and healthy controls. Executive function was assessed using the Stroop Test, the Verbal Fluency Test, the Digit Span Test and Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test. Results: The IGE patients with IEDs performed worse on executive function tests compared with patients without IEDs. Furthermore, the IGE patients without IEDs performed worse compared with healthy controls. There were significant differences between the three groups in performance on the Stroop Test, the Digit Span Test (forward and backward), Verbal Fluency Test (animals, fruits) and the subscales of WCST (Categories Completed, Correct Response, Total Errors and Preservative Errors). Conclusion: These results suggest that executive function in patients with IGE is impaired and is further impaired by IEDs. Future studies should determine whether well-controlled patients with IGE could benefit from antiepileptic treatment.
Quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with related controls within a unique African American population

The patient’s perspective of how their health affects their function is health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL is poorer in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Few HRQOL studies in SLE patients have focused on African Americans despite an increased disease burden compared with Caucasians. The African American Gullah population of South Carolina has a homogeneous genetic and environmental background and a high prevalence of multi-patient families with SLE. Demographics, medical history, and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) were measured within a cohort of Gullah SLE cases and related controls. Compared with related controls (n = 37), cases (n = 89) had a lower Physical Component Summary (PCS, 41.8 vs. 52.3, p < 0.01), but not Mental Component Summary (MCS, 55.0 vs. 56.0, p = 0.70). The difference in PCS was no longer significant upon adjustment for working status, disability, and medical conditions. None of the 11 SLE American College of Rheumatology criteria, disease duration, or Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index were associated with either PCS or MCS. Cases and controls had similar MCS scores. We hypothesize that this lack of effect of SLE on MCS may be due to disease-coping mechanisms interplaying with cultural factors unique to the Gullah.
Species Abundance and Identification of Forensically Important Flies of Saudi Arabia by DNA Barcoding

Abstract Because they may demonstrate characteristics of the environment where a body has been laying prior to the discovery, flies are insects of forensic interest. We investigated the fly abundance and the effect of location in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on fly species diversity that attack decomposing human and animal remains. Using baited traps deployed in each location, we collected 3,697 flies of seven species belonging to three families. Chrysomya albiceps Wiedmann represented 60.86% of the collected flies, whereas Musca domestica L. represented 25.8%; the other species made up < 6% each. To facilitate species identification by DNA barcoding, we sequenced a 710-bp “Folmer region” of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene for 22 samples from collection sites distributed through entire Saudi Arabia. The COI sequences from Musca albina Wiedmann, Musca lucidula Loew, Musca calleva Walker, Musca sorbens Wiedmann, and Physiphora alceae Preyssler were obtained for the first time. This primary study indicates that even when Folmer primers were widely used in DNA barcoding, the Folmer's region is not adequate when discriminating between Musca species, and sequencing the whole COI or other genes is required for forensic purpose.
Pharmacokinetics of thalidomide in patients with impaired renal function and while on and off dialysis

There is a renewed interest in thalidomide for use in malignancies and systemic inflammatory diseases. Reduced renal function is not uncommon among patients with these disease states but the pharmacokinetics has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of thalidomide in haemodialysis patients while on and off dialysis and in myeloma patients with varying degrees of renal function.
IFN-regulatory factor 3-dependent gene expression is defective in Tbk1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts

Virus infection, double-stranded RNA, and lipopolysaccharide each induce the expression of genes encoding IFN-α and -β and chemokines, such as RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) and IP-10 (IFN-γ inducible protein 10). This induction requires the coordinate activation of several transcription factors, including IFN-regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). The signaling pathways leading to IRF3 activation are triggered by the binding of pathogen-specific products to Toll-like receptors and culminate in the phosphorylation of specific serine residues in the C terminus of IRF3. Recent studies of human cell lines in culture have implicated two noncanonical IκB kinase (IKK)-related kinases, IKK-ε and Traf family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK)-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), in the phosphorylation of IRF3. Here, we show that purified recombinant IKK-ε and TBK1 directly phosphorylate the critical serine residues in IRF3. We have also examined the expression of IRF3-dependent genes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Tbk1-/- mice, and we show that TBK1 is required for the activation and nuclear translocation of IRF3 in these cells. Moreover, Tbk1-/- MEFs show marked defects in IFN-α and -β, IP-10, and RANTES gene expression after infection with either Sendai or Newcastle disease viruses or after engagement of the Toll-like receptors 3 and 4 by double-stranded RNA and lipopolysaccharide, respectively. Finally, TRIF (TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing IFN-β), fails to activate IRF3-dependent genes in Tbk1-/- MEFs. We conclude that TBK1 is essential for IRF3-dependent antiviral gene expression.
How to estimate bleeding risk in mild bleeding disorders

Summary. The concept of mild bleeding disorders (MBD) has evolved in contrast to severe hemophilia A and B to indicate less severe disorders, characterized by the presence of more frequent and/or more prominent bleeding symptoms than in the normal population. These symptoms occur mostly after a recognizable challenge and do not lead to major discomfort or organ damage, even in the absence of specific medical intervention. However, it has become clear that, from the most severe to the mildest hemostatic disorders, there is a continuous spectrum of bleeding manifestations, which overlap with the occasional bleeding occurring in people without any identifiable hemostatic abnormality. By reviewing the principal hemorrhagic disorders we have tried to identify those entities that could fit a diagnosis of MBD and result, at the same time, in a net benefit for treatment or prophylaxis of patients rather than being simply accurate. This goal can usually be achieved by comparing the patient’s phenotype with known nosological entities. However, limitations of this approach are evident, considering the paucity of clinical data and the biases of most published reports on the different disorders. In addition, in a partial deficiency of a clotting factor, a reliable relationship between the residual activity and bleeding severity is not invariably found. Molecular characterization of the defects is also generally useless. Accordingly, an accurate bleeding history in the propositus and his/her family remains of major importance. For this purpose, new standardized and possibly quantitative tools are being developed in several institutions. Innovative approaches, combining into a single probability phenotypic and genetic data, could possibly estimate better the bleeding risk in specific disorders.
Leptin upregulates aquaporin 9 expression in human placenta in vitro

Abstract Aquaporins are integral membrane proteins that have permeability functions in many tissues. Aquaporin 9 may transport not only water but also small molecules, such as glycerol, monocarboxylates, purines and pyrimidines. Aquaporin 9 is expressed in syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta, and it may contribute to the embryonic/fetal growth and survival. We have previously found that Aquaporin 9 expression levels seem to be increased in placenta from gestational diabetes. Since leptin plasma levels and leptin expression are increased in placenta from gestational diabetes, we aimed to study the possible role of leptin on Aquaporin 9 expression in human placenta in vitro. The present work shows that leptin produces a dose-dependent increase of Aquaporin 9 expression, resulting in an increase in Aquaporin-9 protein in human trophoblast explants.
Nutrient acquisition by female Harlequin Ducks prior to spring migration and reproduction: evidence for body mass optimization

We analysed variation in body mass of adult female Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus (L., 1758)) on coastal wintering sites in southern British Columbia, Canada, to investigate nutrient acquisition prior to migration and reproduction. On average, female mass increased by 7% from late winter to premigration; however, the chronology of mass gain varied depending on prey type. Females feeding on superabundant roe from spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii Valenciennes, 1847) became considerably heavier than they had been before the herring spawning period (March) and appeared to be heavier than females eating marine invertebrates such as crabs, limpets, and snails during the herring spawning period. By mid-April, prior to migration, females at all sites had similar body masses, with birds at sites without spawn gaining mass and those at sites with spawn maintaining their earlier mass gain. Stable isotope analyses confirmed that birds at these different sites consumed very different diets. These .
Antidepressants and the risk of suicidal behaviors.

Letter: The study by Dr Jick and colleagues found that 'the risk of suicidal behavior is increased in the first month after starting antidepressants, especially during the first 1 to 9 days. ' However, the larger current debate concerning the risk of suicidal behavior associated with antidepressant treatment, which is usually framed as a newly discovered phenomenon, appears to ignore the history of medical literature.
Outbreak of acquired ocular toxoplasmosis involving 248 patients.

OBJECTIVE To describe the demographic profile and clinical and laboratory findings of 248 patients with acquired retinitis caused by systemic infection with toxoplasmosis in a presumed outbreak of the disease. DESIGN Retrospective observational case series. RESULTS Most patients (209) were residents of one city in Southern India. A total of 35 patients had a prodrome of fever, and 242 patients had unilateral retinitis without associated old retinochoroidal scars. All had laboratory evidence of acquired systemic infection with Toxoplasma gondii, and all favorably responded to antitoxoplasma therapy. Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies were detected, suggesting recently acquired systemic disease. Complications seen were macular scars in 50 eyes (25.1%); epiretinal membranes, 23 eyes (11.5%); cataract, 5 eyes (2.5%); posterior vitreous detachment, 12 eyes (6%); and retinal detachment, 12 eyes (6%). One recurrence has been seen. The suspected source of infection is municipal drinking water. CONCLUSION Large numbers of residents of any age in a population are at risk of acquiring ocular disease during an outbreak of toxoplasmosis, which can go unnoticed, and can cause significant ocular morbidity.
WikTDV: Data extraction and vector representation resource for Wiktionary senses

Effective use of collaborative web resources, such as Wikipedia and Wiktionary, has been a recurrent topic of research in the Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval communities. The same can be said about the use of vector-based language representations, e.g., word, sentence, document embeddings. However, there is currently a shortage of resources that offer vector representations that can take advantage of the structural properties of web resources. This paper describes a system for extracting information from Wiktionary to a machine-readable format and using this information to obtain vector representations that can be used for semantic similarity computation and basic word sense disambiguation. The methodology used to build the system is also discussed. Experimental evaluation on the semantic similarity task indicate efficiency close to the reference method applied in this work. A web service and visualization facilities complete the set of contributions.
Our experience with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and the Wisconsin Hip.

More than 30 years ago, Sir John Charnley laid the foundation for current total hip replacement with his monumental work on low friction arthroplasty2. Numerous variations and modifications in design followed, reflecting the emerging knowledge of implant design, metallurgy, biomechanics, and chemistry. Failure of THA, due to loosening of aseptic components with associated osteolysis, was first reported in the 1970s and continues to be the major long-term complication of the procedure. Loosening of cemented prosthetic components led many orthopedic surgeons and scientists to investigate the feasibility of alternative fixation methods for prosthetic devices while others perfected cement techniques. Investigations in the late 1970s led to the development of a wide variety of porous coated implants. Basic science work has provided an understanding of the many issues concerning the use of porous materials and their ability for fixation by means of tissue ingrowth. All hip implants cause remodeling of the surrounding bony tissue. Grossly accelerated bone remodeling and huge loss of mineral in the proximal femoral cortex have been demonstrated in animals models with some cementless implants. In humans, the remodeling changes that are observed around some cementless femoral stems tend to appear in a shorter period of time and can be more severe than those observed around cemented stems"'13. This potentially adverse bone remodeling, causing bone loss around the cementless prosthesis, is thought to be the result of diminished stresses in the bone secondary to stress shielding. Bone loss can have potentially deleterious effects and can present formidable problems for eventual revision. A number of risk factors for bone loss have been identified clinically; they include the patient's age, gender, pre-existing osteopenia, extent of the implant porous coating, and the diameter of the stem3. A stem causing minimal atrophy is probably advantageous. A thorough understanding of the biological adaptation between the bone-prosthetic interface will assist in the success of a particular prosthetic component. Previous efforts to quantify bone resorption around femoral stems have been troublesome and inexact. Plain
A new approach for fast identification of distribution system dynamic model from measured data

Study of distribution system's dynamic response from the perspective of M.V and H. V networks, especially in presence of DGs is one of the important issues in integrating distributed generation. This paper presents the modeling of distribution system dynamics during voltage drops, from the data provided by phasor measurement units, through a seventh order induction motor and a ZIP load model and initializes the dynamic parameters of this model using a linear state space model. Using subspace methods for estimation of linear state space model, the initial guess for nonlinear state space model parameters is obtained and then the model parameters are tuned for the closest possible resemblance to the actual measured response. This method is verified on IEEE 37 bus distribution test system and the results shows the effectiveness of this approach.
Medial gastrocnemius motor nucleus in the rat: Age‐related changes in the number and size of motoneurons

The age‐related alterations in the number and size of alpha‐ and gamma‐motoneurons were studied in the medial gastrocnemius (MG) motor nuclei in rats at four ages: young (5 months), middle aged (10–13 months), old (26 months), and very old (31 months). Small volumes (0.1–0.5 μl) of 40% horseradish peroxidase (HRP) solution were injected into the cut MG nerve bilaterally by using glass micropipettes and a pressure injection system. The number, position, and soma size (average soma diameter) of MG motoneurons were determined by using photographic maps of each TMB‐stained section. The total number of myelinated axons was counted in seven MG nerves from the same animals.
Nicotinylalanine Increases the Formation of Kynurenic Acid in the Brain and Antagonizes Convulsions

Abstract: Kynurenic acid (KYNA) was quantified in the extracellular spaces of the rat hippocampus using microdialysis and HPLC (fluorimetric detection) to study the possible role of this tryptophan metabolite in the modulation of the function of the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Addition of probenecid (1 mM), which is an inhibitor of the organic acid transport system, to the Ringer's solution perfusing the dialysis probe increased the KYNA concentration in the dialysate from 10.4 ± 0.9 to 48 ± 6 nM. Addition of 2 mM aminooxyacetic acid, a nonspecific inhibitor of KYNA synthesis, reduced this concentration by 50%. These data suggest that KYNA is continuously synthesized in the rat hippocampus. Nicotinylalanine (NAL), 200–400 mg/kg i.p., an analogue of kynurenine that is able to direct the flow of tryptophan metabolites toward the synthesis of KYNA, significantly increased the KYNA concentration in the hippocampal dialysate and significantly potentiated the effect of tryptophan on the accumulation of KYNA in the brain and other organs. This increase resulted in pharmacological actions compatible with an antagonism of the NMDA receptors. In fact, NAL antagonized sound‐induced seizures and prevented death in DBA/2 mice. Pretreatment of the mice with D‐serine (100 μg intracerebroventricularly), a glycine agonist and a competitive antagonist of KYNA, completely prevented the anticonvulsive action of NAL. These data suggest that changes in the extracellular concentration of KYNA in the brain are associated with a modulation of NMDA receptor function.