Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
InGaN-AlInGaN multiquantum-well LEDs

InGaN-GaN and InGaN-AlInGaN multiquantum-well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were both fabricated and their optical properties were evaluated by photoluminescence (PL) as well as electroluminescence (EL). We found that the PL peak position of the InGaN-AlInGaN MQW occurs at a much lower wavelength than that of the InGaN-GaN MQW. The PL intensity of the InGaN-AlInGaN MQW was also found to be larger. The EL intensity of the InGaN-AlInGaN MQW LED was also found to be larger than that of the InGaN-GaN MQW LED under the same amount of injection current. Furthermore, it was found that EL spectrum of the InGaN-AlInGaN MQW LED is less sensitive to the injection current. These observations all suggest that we can improve the properties of nitride-based LEDs by using AlInGaN as the barrier layer.
Toxicity of an α-Pore-forming Toxin Depends on the Assembly Mechanism on the Target Membrane as Revealed by Single Molecule Imaging*

Background: Equinatoxin II is a model α-pore-forming toxin that kills cells by porating the host plasma membrane. Results: On the membrane, equinatoxin II does not adopt a unique oligomeric state, but assembles into multiple coexisting species related to toxicity. Conclusion: Toxicity of Equinatoxin II depends on its assembly mechanism. Significance: A new molecular mechanism is proposed for α-pore-forming toxins action. α-Pore-forming toxins (α-PFTs) are ubiquitous defense tools that kill cells by opening pores in the target cell membrane. Despite their relevance in host/pathogen interactions, very little is known about the pore stoichiometry and assembly pathway leading to membrane permeabilization. Equinatoxin II (EqtII) is a model α-PFT from sea anemone that oligomerizes and forms pores in sphingomyelin-containing membranes. Here, we determined the spatiotemporal organization of EqtII in living cells by single molecule imaging. Surprisingly, we found that on the cell surface EqtII did not organize into a unique oligomeric form. Instead, it existed as a mixture of oligomeric species mostly including monomers, dimers, tetramers, and hexamers. Mathematical modeling based on our data supported a new model in which toxin clustering happened in seconds and proceeded via condensation of EqtII dimer units formed upon monomer association. Furthermore, altering the pathway of EqtII assembly strongly affected its toxic activity, which highlights the relevance of the assembly mechanism on toxicity.
How irritant is water? An overview

Water is a skin irritant which deserves attention because of its ubiqujty. During the Vietnam war, soldiers suffered from painful swollen feet, so‐called tropical immersion foot. In occupational dermatology, the importance of water as a skin irritant is especially appreciated. The irritancy of water has been demonstrated by occlusion experiments; occlusion with either closed chambers or water‐soaked patches has been shown to produce clinical and histopathological inflammation. Functional damage, as revealed by increased transepidermal water loss, bas also been shown. Repeated water exposure without occlusion caused an increase in blood flow on irritated skin; however, clinical evaluation did not show a difference in dryness or scaling. Several mechanisms such as osmolarity, pH, hardness and temperature might account for the irritancy of water. Extraction or dilution of natural moisturizing factors in the stratum corneum is another po sible explanation. Occlusion per se also changes the physiology of skin and may trigger the activation of potentially active substances. However, much remains to be done to clarify the risk factors and mechanisms of water‐induced irritation.
Advances in children's speech recognition with application to interactive literacy tutors

Speech technology offers great opportunity in the field of automated literacy and reading tutors for children. In such applications speech recognition can be used to track the reading position of the child, detect oral reading miscues, and even play an important, role in assessing comprehension or engaging the child in interactive dialogs for learning. Despite such promises, speech recognition systems exhibit higher error rates for children due to variabilities in vocal tract length, formant frequency, pronunciation, and grammar. In the context of recognizing speech while children are reading out loud, these problems are compounded by speech production behaviors affected by difficulties in recognizing words that cause pauses, repeated syllables, and other phenomena. This thesis presents advances in speech recognition that improve accuracy and modeling capability in the context of an interactive literacy tutor for children. This thesis presents a novel set of speech recognition techniques which can be applied to improve oral reading tracking. First, it is demonstrated that speech recognition error rates for interactive read-aloud can be reduced by more than 45% through a combination of advances in both statistical language and acoustic modeling. Next, this thesis proposes extending the baseline system by introducing a novel token-passing search architecture targeting subword-unit-based speech recognition. The proposed subword-unit-based speech recognition framework is shown to provide equivalent accuracy to a whole-word-based speech recognizer while enabling detection of oral reading events and finer grained speech analysis during recognition. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated using data collected from children in 3 rd through 5th grade: namely 39.4% of partial words with reasonable evidence in the speech signal are detected at a low false alarm rate of 0.9%. Subword-unit-based speech recognition is extended to a large vocabulary task and its advantages for tight search beams is demonstrated when compared to word-based recognition. Finally, Subword units are shown to represent a valuable pool of potential distractors in the language modeling part of pronunciation verification tasks.
Response to Time to resize the role of liver transplant for Budd‐Chiari syndrome

To the Editor: We thank Dr. Mancuso for the valuable comments on our manuscript regarding the long-term experience in patients receiving liver transplants for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms. In fact, the role of liver transplantation (OLT) in BCS has substantially changed over time. With increasing experience, transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic shunt (TIPS) has replaced OLT as treatment of first choice in advanced disease stages. Even fulminant BCS may respond well to TIPS placement (1, 2). However, a recent prospective multicenter trial showed that approximately 15% of medium-term survivors with BCS have received liver transplants, despite broad experience with TIPS in the participating centers (3, 4). Taking into account the often young age of patients with BCS, it is reassuring that immunosuppressive agents do not appear to accelerate the natural course of myeloproliferative neoplasms. With regard to the pathophysiological mechanisms of liver damage, BCS resembles liver congestion in right heart failure or pericardial disease: hepatic venous and sinusoidal pressure increases and hepatic circulation is impeded. In contrast to BCS, the hepatic effects of circulatory changes in cardiac disease have been analysed in detail (5). However, it is indeed tempting to speculate whether TIPS might reverse some of the detrimental effects of congestion. Acknowledgements Financial support. No funding sources. Conflict of interest. The authors do not have any disclosures to report.
Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa with early macular affectation caused by premature truncation in PROM1.

PURPOSE To identify the genetic basis of a large consanguineous Spanish pedigree affected with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) with premature macular atrophy and myopia. METHODS After a high-throughput cosegregation gene chip was used to exclude all known RP and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) candidates, genome-wide screening and linkage analysis were performed. Direct mutational screening identified the pathogenic mutation, and primers were designed to obtain the RT-PCR products for isoform characterization. RESULTS Mutational analysis detected a novel homozygous PROM1 mutation, c.869delG in exon 8 cosegregating with the disease. This variant causes a frameshift that introduces a premature stop codon, producing truncation of approximately two-thirds of the protein. Analysis of PROM1 expression in the lymphocytes of patients, carriers, and control subjects revealed an aberrant transcript that is degraded by the nonsense-mediated decay pathway, suggesting that the disease is caused by the absence of the PROM1 protein. Three (s2, s11 and s12) of the seven alternatively spliced isoforms reported in humans, accounted for 98% of the transcripts in the retina. Given that these three contained exon 8, no PROM1 isoform is expected in the affected retinas. CONCLUSIONS A remarkable clinical finding in the affected family is early macular atrophy with concentric spared areas. The authors propose that the hallmark of PROM1 truncating mutations is early and severe progressive degeneration of both rods and cones and highlight this gene as a candidate of choice to prioritize in the molecular genetic study of patients with noncanonical clinical peripheral and macular affectation.
Giant hydronephrosis in children.

Giant hydronephrosis in children, and particularly in infants, is frequently responsible for abdominal masses. High dose intravenous urography has proved very useful in studying the degree of pyelocalyceal dilatation, as well as the amount of residual renal parenchyma and the possible recovery of these kidneys. Reparative surgery, rather than primary nephrectomy, should always be considered. Renal transplantation may save those with giant bilateral hydronephrosis who appear now to be beyond the possibility of surgical repair.
A randomized effectiveness trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed women with sexual abuse histories.

OBJECTIVES Many depressed women seen in community mental health centers (CMHCs) have histories of childhood sexual abuse and are economically disadvantaged. Randomized trials are needed to test the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions in this population and setting. This study compared interpersonal psychotherapy with usual care psychotherapy among women in a CMHC. METHODS Among 1,100 women seeking treatment in a CMHC, 230 (21%) had major depression and histories of childhood sexual abuse. Seventy women with major depression and sexual abuse before age 18 were randomly assigned to interpersonal psychotherapy (N=37) or usual care psychotherapy (N=33). Staff clinicians provided all treatments. Participants were assessed at study entry and at ten, 24, and 36 weeks after random assignment. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine change over time. RESULTS Compared with women assigned to usual care, women who received interpersonal psychotherapy had greater reductions in depressive symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale, p=.05, d=.34; Beck Depression Inventory-II, p=.01, d=.29), posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (p=.04, d=.76), and shame (p=.002, d=.38). Interpersonal psychotherapy and usual care yielded comparable improvements in social and mental health-related functioning. CONCLUSIONS Interpersonal psychotherapy compared favorably to usual care psychotherapy in a CMHC in improving psychiatric symptoms and reducing shame among sexually abused women. However, there is a critical need for continued research to develop more effective treatments for the social and psychiatric sequelae of interpersonal trauma and socioeconomic disadvantage.
Prevalence and determinants of headaches in Hawaii: The Hilo Women's Health Study

Background: Headache frequency has been associated with ethnicity, menopause, abdominal obesity and stress. Aim: To examine the prevalence and determinants of headaches in the multi-ethnic community of Hilo, Hawaii. Subjects and methods: A random sample of 1824 women aged 16–100 was recruited by postal survey; 206 women aged 45–55 were recruited for clinical measures. Both studies queried the presence/absence of headaches during the past 2 weeks. The clinical study also examined migraines and tension headaches. Headaches were examined in relation to demographic, reproductive and lifestyle variables, stress, symptoms and anthropometric measures. Results: Headache prevalence was 47%. Japanese women were less likely to report headaches compared to women of European descent, but, after controlling for measures of stress, Japanese women were at a higher risk for headaches. Post-menopausal women were half as likely to report headaches compared with pre-menopausal women. Women with children younger than 18 were 4-times as likely to report migraines compared with women who did not have children younger than 18. Conclusion: Standardized measures of daily hassles, life and job satisfaction were not associated with headaches. The relationship between headaches and having young children suggests that the everyday stress of family life is a headache risk. This may be particularly true in Hilo, Hawaii, where the value of family is culturally prioritized.
Notes sur la phonologie du Beembe (Congo)

A langue [BbEsmbe] est parlee sur le territoire de la Republique du Congo (anciennement Moyen-Congo, Afrique Equatoriale Pranpaise) par les [babEsmbe] (au singulier [mubEsmb&]) qui, au nombre d’environ 35.000, peuplent la region de hauts plateaux vallonnes entourant l’agglomeration de Mouyondzi, sur la rive droite du Niari, -riviere qui marque la limite meridionale de leur habitat -, et ceci avec une densite assez forte pour le pays (20 a 29,9 au Km2 autour de Mouyondzi et 15 a 19@‘au Km2 dans le reste de l’aire). C’est une langue bantoue, classee habituellement dans le groupeK0~~01rnais qui possede un certain nombre de caracteristiques n’apparaissant pas dans les langues egalement classees dans ce groupe (LAMAN ecrit que ‘ ce dialecte a fortement subi l’influence du Teke ‘, Dictionnaire Kikongo-Frangais, page LXVII). Nous avons deja signale ailleurs2 la precarite de cette classia lorsque le sommet de syllabe comporte deux mores de hauteurs differentes, les signes h et ” sont utilises dans la transcription phonologique, . la notation phonetique comportant dans ce cas l’usage des accents grave et aigu places dans l’ordre qui convient au dessus de la graphie double notant un sommet de syllabe long.5 Lorsque les deux more sont de meme registre, un seul accent grave ou aigu est place sur le premier element de la graphie double.
Prevalence of Fimbrial Antigen (K88 variants, K99 and 987P) of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli from Neonatal and Post-weaning Piglets with Diarrhea in Central China

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is a major cause of diarrhea in neonatal and post-weaning piglets. To determine the most common fimbrial antigens of ETEC in piglets with diarrhea, two investigations were carried out on intensive pig farms in Hubei province, central China. In 2002-2003, 227 fecal samples from neonatal and post-weaning piglets with diarrhea were tested for the presence of the fimbrial antigen K88 and K99 of ETEC by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-three (10.1%) of 227 fecal samples were found to contain fimbrial antigen K88, which was identified as K88ac variant; and 13 (5.7%) samples containing K99. In 2004, another 179 fecal samples from diarrheic piglets, 1 day to 6 weeks of age, were tested for prevalence of fimbrial antigen K88, K99 and 987P. Forty-seven (26.3%) of the 179 samples carried at least one of the ETEC fimbrial antigens. K88 antigen was detected in 20.1%. In the 36 samples known to carry fimbrial antigen K88, 32 (88.9%) contained K88ad; and 4 (11.1%) contained K88ac; none of them carried K88ab. Fimbrial antigens K99 and 987P were detected in 1.1% and 6.1%, respectively. Our data indicate that K88 is the most common fimbrial antigen of ETEC associated with diarrhea in piglets in Central China.
The Effect of Obesity on Echocardiographic and Metabolic Parameters in Childhood

BACKGROUND Obese children are predisposed to left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. We evaluated ventricular function of obese children with conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and correlated these with fasting serum glucose, lipid and insulin levels. METHODS Thirty obese children were examined by conventional echocardiography and TDI and compared with an age-matched control group. In the obese children, fasting serum glucose, lipid, and insulin levels were obtained. RESULTS Systolic and diastolic function of the LV was normal in obese children. LVM/ht2.7 (LVM normalized for height), relative wall thickness (RWT), and LV end-diastolic diameter were significantly greater in obese children. The early to late relaxation velocity ratio (E/A) determined by TDI for the right ventricle and interventricular septum (IVS) were significantly lower in the obese group, LVM/ht2.7 and RWT correlated with body mass index (BMI). In the obese group, IVS and LV posterior wall thickness correlated with insulin, very low density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels. However, we failed to show this correlation when these measurements were indexed to height. CONCLUSION Left ventricular hypertrophy, as evidenced by increased LV mass, was present in obese children. Higher BMI, insulin, very low density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels were associated with LV hypertrophy. TDI revealed subclinical changes in diastolic function of the right ventricle and IVS.
LPI based resource management for target tracking in distributed radar network

This paper presents a novel low probability of intercept (LPI) based resource management algorithm for target tracking in distributed radar network, which consists of a dedicated radar netting station and multiple netted radars. Firstly, the intercept probability for radar network is calculated. Then, an adaptive resource management scheme based on LPI is formulated, in which a novel objective function for LPI performance is defined and minimized by optimizing the revisit interval, dwell time, and transmitting power in radar network to guarantee a predetermined target tracking accuracy with passive time difference of arrival (TDOA) cooperation. The performance of the proposed algorithm is validated by Monte Carlo simulations.
Relative Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility and Speciation of Arsenic in Contaminated Soils

Background: Assessment of soil arsenic (As) bioavailability may profoundly affect the extent of remediation required at contaminated sites by improving human exposure estimates. Because small adjustments in soil As bioavailability estimates can significantly alter risk assessments and remediation goals, convenient, rapid, reliable, and inexpensive tools are needed to determine soil As bioavailability. Objectives: We evaluated inexpensive methods for assessing As bioavailability in soil as a means to improve human exposure estimates and potentially reduce remediation costs. Methods: Nine soils from residential sites affected by mining or smelting activity and two National Institute of Standards and Technology standard reference materials were evaluated for As bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and speciation. Arsenic bioavailability was determined using an in vivo mouse model, and As bioaccessibility was determined using the Solubility/Bioavailability Research Consortium in vitro assay. Arsenic speciation in soil and selected soil physicochemical properties were also evaluated to determine whether these parameters could be used as predictors of As bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Results: In the mouse assay, we compared bioavailabilities of As in soils with that for sodium arsenate. Relative bioavailabilities (RBAs) of soil As ranged from 11% to 53% (mean, 33%). In vitro soil As bioaccessibility values were strongly correlated with soil As RBAs (R2 = 0.92). Among physicochemical properties, combined concentrations of iron and aluminum accounted for 80% and 62% of the variability in estimates of RBA and bioaccessibility, respectively. Conclusion: The multifaceted approach described here yielded congruent estimates of As bioavailability and evidence of interrelations among physicochemical properties and bioavailability estimates.
HIV prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics, and sexual behaviors among transwomen in Mexico City.

OBJECTIVE To present results from HIV testing, knowledge of HIV status and socioeconomic factors associated with the probability of having a HIV positive result among transwomen (TW) in Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 2012, we conducted an HIV seroprevalence survey to 585 TW in Mexico City in three strata: gathering places, the Condesa HIV Clinic and in four detention centers. We estimated the prevalence of HIV in each strata and applied a probit model to the overall sample to analyze factors associated with the probability of a HIV positive result. RESULTS The prevalence of HIV was 19.8% in meeting places; 31.9% in detention centers and 64% among the participants of the clinic. Age, low education and number of sexual partners was positively associated with HIV. CONCLUSIONS Results from the study provide relevant information to design HIV prevention interventions tailored to the needs of the TW population.
Managing Mastitis in Heifers: An Initial Step in Improving Dairy Herd Health

Replacement heifers are critical to dairy herd productivity because they represent the future milking and breeding stock of all dairy operations. The goal should be to provide an environment for heifers to develop full lactation potential at the desired age with minimal expense. Animal health and well-being play vital roles in achieving this potential, and one disease that can influence future productivity is heifer mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, the coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), and the environmental streptococci (Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae).
Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young females playing soccer at senior levels

The aim of this investigation was to study the consequences of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female soccer players. Special interest was focused on young female soccer players (< 16 years) sustaining anterior cruciate ligament injuries when playing at a senior level, which means playing together with players 19 years or older. In Sweden, all players belonging to an organized soccer club are insured by the same insurance company, the Folksam Insurance Company. Data of all soccer‐related knee injuries in females reported to the Folksam Insurance Company between 1994 and 1998 were collected. A questionnaire was sent to 978 females who were registered to have sustained a knee injury before the age of 20 years. The response rate was 79%. Three hundred and ninety‐eight female soccer players who had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury before the age of 19 years were analysed. Most of their anterior cruciate ligament injuries had been diagnosed using arthroscopy or magnetic resonance imaging (84%). Thirty‐eight percent of the players had been injured before the age of 16 years. Of these, 39% were injured when playing in senior teams. When playing in senior teams 59% of the players below the age of 16 years and 44% of the players 16 years or older sustained their ACL injuries during contact situations. At the time of this investigation (2–7 years after the anterior cruciate ligament injury), altogether 78% (n = 311) reported that they had stopped playing soccer. The most common reason (80%) was symptoms from their anterior cruciate ligament‐injured knee. It appears that many young female soccer players injure their anterior cruciate ligament when playing at a senior level. Therefore, we suggest that female soccer players under the age of 16 years should be allowed to participate only in practice sessions but not games at a senior level.