Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selective oxidation fin channel MOSFET for source/drain series resistance reduction

A fin channel with a fin dimension as small as 14 nm and gradually increased source/drain extension regions are fabricated by using a selective oxidation. Process steps to implement the proposed device are explained briefly. We are demonstrating electrical characteristics of the selective oxidation fin channel MOSFET (SoxFET) compared with the conventional fin field effect transistor (FinFET) via three-dimensional device simulation. Compared to the FinFET, the SoxFET shows a larger drive current, higher linear transconductance, lower series resistance and improved scaling down characteristics.
Biologics in inflammatory bowel disease: what are the data?

Background Over the last decade, biologics have gained an important place for the treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and many randomized control trials have evaluated their efficacy. Aim The goal of this review is to analyze the results of these trials and to highlight the evidence and indications emerging from these studies for their implementation in the management of IBD patients. Methods A PubMed search was realized to screen high-quality clinical trials studying biologic agents currently available in clinics for the treatment of IBD. Words used were: “infliximab,” “adalimumab,” “certolizumab,” “golimumab,” “natalizumab,” “vedolizumab,” “ustekinumab,” “azathioprine,” “methotrexate,” “Crohn's disease,” and “ulcerative colitis. ” Results In Crohn's disease, studies supporting induction and maintenance therapies were documented for infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, natalizumab, vedolizumab, and ustekinumab. Infliximab, adalimumab, and certolizumab have evidences for fistulizing Crohn's disease and only infliximab and adalimumab have evidences for mucosal healing. In ulcerative colitis, studies supporting induction, maintenance, and mucosal healing were found with infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, and vedolizumab. Only infliximab was associated with evidences for combination therapy with thiopurine and acute severe colitis in ulcerative colitis. Conclusion Management with biologics in IBD patients is well validated by high-quality clinical trials.
NIX: A case for a manycore system for cloud computing

Virtualized cloud computing provides lower costs, easier system management and lower energy consumption. However high performance tasks are ill-suited for traditional clouds since commodity operating systems and hypervisors add cascading jitter to computation, slowing applications to a crawl. This paper presents an overview of NIX, an operating system for manycore central processing units (CPUs) which addresses the challenges of running high performance applications on commodity cloud systems. NIX features a heterogeneous CPU model and uses a shared address space. NIX has been influenced by our work on Blue Gene and more traditional clusters. NIX partitions cores by function: timesharing cores (TCs); application cores (ACs); and kernel cores (KCs). One or more TCs run traditional applications. KCs are optional, running kernel functions on demand. ACs are also optional, devoted to running an application with no interrupts; not even clock interrupts. Unlike traditional kernels, functions are not static: the number of TCs, KCs, and ACs can change as needed. Also unlike traditional systems, applications can communicate by sending messages to the TC kernel, instead of system call traps. These messages are “active” taking advantage of the shared-memory nature of manycore CPUs to pass pointers to data and code to coordinate cores. © 2012 Alcatel-Lucent.
Measurement Properties of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey in Stroke

ABSTRACT Background: The 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) was developed to measure perceived physical and mental health. Some studies of the psychometric properties, using classical test theory, of the SF-12 provide support for its use in patients with stroke, but it has not been scrutinized using recommended modern test theory approaches such as the Rasch measurement model among stroke survivors. Objectives: This study sought to explore the measurement properties of the SF-12 physical and mental health scales among people with stroke using the Rasch measurement model. Design: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. Methods: All patients discharged from a dedicated stroke unit in southern Sweden during 6 months were asked to participate 6 months later. Of 120 stroke survivors, 89 (74%) agreed to participate. Rasch analysis was used to assess the measurement properties of the SF-12 physical and mental component summary scores (PCS-12 and MCS-12, respectively). Results: For the PCS-12, we identified problems with targeting, overall and item-level fit, representing local response dependency, and multidimensionality. For the MCS-12, there were problems related to targeting (the persons felt better than the scale could conceptualize) and response categories that did not function as expected. However, MCS-12 items displayed reasonable model fit without indications of multidimensionality but with signs of local response dependency. Conclusion: The measurement properties of the MCS-12 in stroke appear reasonable unless milder mental health problems are of interest, whereas those of the PCS-12 are less acceptable. Given the interdependence between MCS-12 and PCS-12 that is inherent with the standard SF-12 scoring algorithm, such data should be interpreted with caution.
Technická výchova v Slovenskej republike v kontexte vzdelávania v krajinách Európskej únie

Clanok sa zaobera postavenim predmetu „technicka výchova" v slovenskom výchovno-vzdelavacom systeme. Autori sa snažia zdorazniť jeho doležitost pre spolocnosť založenu na vedomostiach a skumaju vzdelavacie systemy krajin Europskej unie, aby na ich prikladoch podporili progresivne myslienky zavedenia tohto predmetu do vseobecno-vzdelavacich stredných skol - gymnazii. Kladu doraz na kľucove kompetencie ako jednu z podmienok vytvarania moderných vzdelavacich systemov a oboznamuju citateľa s roznymi pristupmi pri ich zavadzani do skolstva v rozlicných krajinach EU. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF EU COUNTRIES EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS Abstract: This paper deals with the position of the subject Jechnical education" in Slovak educational system. Authors try to emphasise its importance for the knowledge-based society and they investigate for examples in countries of European Union to support progressive ideas of its implementation into secondary comprehensive grammar education. They also point out key competencies as a condition for modern education system, and show different attitudes towards their implementation into schooling systems in various European countries. Key words: technology education, technical training, European Union, educational systems, key competencies.
The association of childhood socioeconomic conditions with healthy longevity at the oldest-old ages in China

Based on unique data from the largest-ever sample of the Chinese oldest-old aged 80 and older, our multivariate logistic regression analyses show that either receiving adequate medical service during sickness in childhood or never/rarely suffering from serious illness during childhood significantly reduces the risk of being ADL (activities of daily living) impaired, being cognitively impaired, and self-reporting poor health by 18%–33% at the oldest-old ages. Estimates of effects for five other indicators of childhood conditions are similarly positive but mostly not statistically significant. Multivariate survival analysis shows that better childhood socioeconomic conditions in general tend to reduce the four-year period mortality risk among the oldest-old. But after additional controls for 14 covariates are put into the model, the effects are not statistically significant, thus suggesting that most of the effects of childhood conditions on oldest-old mortality are indirect—at least to the point of affecting current health status at the oldest-old ages, which itself is strongly associated with mortality. While acknowledging limitations of the present analyses due to a lack of information on childhood illness, the oldest-olds’ recollection errors, and other data problems, we conclude, based on this and other studies, that policies that enhance childhood health care and children’s socioeconomic wellbeing can have large and long-lasting benefits up to the oldest-old ages.
The multilayer regulation of the metaphase-to-anaphase transition

The fluctuating activity of the cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) is critical for the periodic phosphorylation of a given Cdk substrate. Previous studies have been focus on the positive role of Cdk-dependent protein phosphorylation in cell cycle progression. Recent studies indicate that, in budding yeast, highly active S-phase cyclin-associated Cdk not only promotes DNA synthesis but also inhibits the initiation of chromosome segregation. The FEAR (Cdc14 early anaphase release) pathway alleviates the negative effect of the S-phase cyclin on anaphase by promoting the dephosphorylation of S-phase cyclin-specific substrates, revealing a new layer of regulation in the metaphase-to-anaphase transition.
Identifying an In-Season Response Index and the Potential to Increase Wheat Yield with Nitrogen

Current nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of cereal crop production is estimated to be near 33%, indicating that much of the applied fertilizer N is not utilized by the plant and is susceptible to loss from the soil-plant system. Supplying fertilizer N only when a crop response is expected may improve use efficiency and profitability. A response index using harvest data was recently proposed that indicates the actual crop response to additional N within a given year. This response index, RI Harvest , is calculated by dividing the average grain yield of the highest yielding treatment receiving N by the average yield of a check treatment (0 N). Although theoretically useful, RI Harvest does not allow for in-season adjustment of N application. The objective of this work was to determine the relationship between RI Harvest and the response index measured in-season (RI NDV1 ) using the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI). Research was conducted in 23 existing field experiments in Oklahoma. Each field experiment evaluated crop response to varying levels of preplant N. At Feekes growth stages 5, 9, and 10.5, RI Harvest was accurately predicted using RI NDVI (r 2 > 0.56). These results indicated that the in-season response index based on sensor readings is a viable method for identifying environments (i.e., fields) where the potential to respond to additional N exists.
Depression, anxiety and socio-demographic factors among hospitalized patients in Gjakova region, Kosovo

Authors: Haxhi Kamberi, Naim Jerliu, Vanesa Sefa, Genc Burazeri Submitted: 20. April 2019 Published: 29. April 2019 Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Prishtina & National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo. Languages: English
Incidence and Control of Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) and American Plum Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Infesting Burrknots on Clonal Apple Rootstocks in New York

Abstract Surveys were conducted in the major apple growing regions of New York state to determine the incidence of borers infesting burrknots on clonal apple rootstocks. Dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), was generally prevalent throughout the state, but American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker), was limited to western New York apple orchards near infested stone fruit trees. Insecticides evaluated in the field for efficacy against both borers were chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, indoxacarb plus oil, methoxyfenozide, fenpropathrin, and kaolin clay. Also, white latex paint was tested alone and mixed with chlorpyrifos. One application of chlorpyrifos applied at the petal fall developmental stage was equivalent to chlorpyrifos applied at petal fall and again in mid-July, and it provided season-long control of dogwood borer and American plum borer. One application of chlorpyrifos applied any time between the half-inch green developmental stage and petal fall, or after harvest the previous season, controlled both overwintered and summer brood larvae of dogwood borer. Multiple applications of fenpropathrin, indoxacarb plus oil, and endosulfan applied during the dogwood borer flight period controlled the summer brood.
Electroacoustic Process Study of Plasma Sparker Under Different Water Depth

The plasma sparker has been applied in oceanic high-resolution seismic exploration for decades. Normally it is towed on the water surface. This is suitable for shallow water, but if the water depth is great, the resolution will decrease dramatically, especially in the horizontal direction. This paper proposes the concept of a deep-towed plasma sparker and presents an experimental study of plasma sparker performance in terms of electric parameters, bubble behavior, and acoustic characteristics. The results show that hydrostatic pressure at a source depth ranging from 1 to 2000 m has a negligible influence on the electric parameters but a strong influence on bubble behavior, wherein both the maximum bubble radius and oscillation period are decreased. The collapse pulse vanishes when the source depth reaches 1000 m or deeper, and no bubble oscillation can be distinguished. The source level (evaluated by the expansion pulse) is also decreased as the source depth increases; moreover, the greater the discharge energy, the smaller the source level loss. The discharge energy per electrode should be greater than 20 J for the deep-towed plasma sparker, which can make the source level loss induced by hydrostatic pressure smaller than the transmission loss. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) results show that the dominant energy is around 20 kHz, which is mainly induced by the expansion pulse and its oscillation. According to the simulation results, the fundamental frequency of the acoustic waveform increases with source depth in accord with a log linear trend, and also reaches tens of kilohertz in deep water. So, before the development of deep-towed plasma sparker, a new technical solution will need to be developed to solve this problem.
Simple modification of CURB-65 better identifies patients including the elderly with severe CAP.

We read with interest the article by Barlow et al . 1 The CURB-65 criteria currently recommended by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) based on the study by Lim et al 2 are useful and more pragmatic than other criteria, as shown in their study. However, CURB has a lower specificity in older patients and addition of the age 65 criterion to CURB adds nothing to the sensitivity and little to the specificity in hospitalised patients.3 Increasing the urea cut off point by 2 units produces better specificity but at the expense of reduced sensitivity.4 Recently proposed SOAR criteria (systolic BP, oxygenation, age and respiratory rate) are at least as useful as CURB-65 in older patients …
Binding of Ca2+ to the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum: equilibrium studies.

Equilibrium fluorescence methods have been used to establish a model for Ca2+ binding to the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum and to define the effects of H+ and Mg2+ on Ca2+ binding. The basic scheme proposed is: E2 <--> E1 <--> E1Ca <--> El'Ca <--> E1'Ca2. The E1 conformation of the ATPase initially has one high-affinity binding site for Ca2+ exposed to the cytoplasmic side of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, but in the E2 conformation this site is unable to bind Ca2+; Ca2+ does not bind to luminal sites on E2. The second, outer, Ca(2+)-binding site on the ATPase is formed after binding of Ca2+ to the first, inner, site on E1 and the E1Ca <--> E1'Ca conformation change. The pH- and Mg(2+)-dependence of the E2 <--> E1 equilibrium has been established after changes in the fluorescence of the ATPase labelled with 4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole. It is proposed that Mg2+ from the cytoplasmic side of the sarcoplasmic reticulum can bind to the first Ca(2+)-binding site on both E1 and E2. It is proposed that the change in tryptophan fluorescence intensity after binding of Ca2+ follows from the E1Ca <--> E1'Ca change. The pH- and Mg(2+)-dependence of this change defines H(+)- and Mg(2+)-binding constants at the two Ca(2+)-binding sites. It is proposed that the change in tryptophan fluorescence observed on binding Mg2+ follows from binding at the second Ca(2+)-binding site. Effects of pH and Mg2+ on the fluorescence of the ATPase labelled with 4-(bromomethyl)-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin are proposed to follow from binding to a site on the ATPase, the 'gating' site, which affects the affinity of the first Ca(2+)-binding site for Ca2+ and affects the rate of dissociation of Ca2+ from the ATPase.
Dorsal medullary 5‐HT3 receptors and sympathetic premotor neurones in the rat

1 Our aim was to determine whether the cardiovascular neurones in the rostro‐ventrolateral medulla (CV‐RVLM neurones) were involved in the sympathoexcitation induced by stimulation of 5‐HT3 receptors in the region of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Experiments were performed in pentobarbitone‐anaesthetized rats, artificially ventilated and paralysed with pancuronium bromide. 2 Using extracellular recordings, different types of RVLM neurones were characterized: cardiovascular (CV), ventilation‐related and baroreflex‐insensitive (unidentified) neurones. The CV‐RVLM cells were further subdivided into three populations according to their axonal conduction velocities: A (1.2 ± 0.1 m s−1), B (2.5 ± 0.2 m s−1) and C (6.8 ± 1.1 m s−1). 3 Only the CV‐RVLM neurones of the A and B categories were partially inhibited (‐30 %) by a hypotensive dose (2.5 μg kg−1 i.v.) of clonidine. 4 Microinjections into the region of the commissural NTS of 1‐(m‐chlorophenyl)‐biguanide (CPBG, 2 nmol), a selective 5‐HT3 receptor agonist, elicited an increase in both lumbar sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) and arterial pressure. In addition, this treatment produced a marked excitation of CV‐RVLM neurones of the A and B categories, without affecting those of the C type, as well as ventilation‐related and unidentified RVLM cells. 5 The activity of the CV neurones in the caudo‐ventrolateral part of the medulla oblongata (CV‐CVLM) was not modified by 5‐HT3 receptor stimulation in the NTS. 6 Prior intra‐NTS microinjections of ondansetron (300 pmol, a selective 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist) into the region of the commissural NTS prevented the excitation of A and B CV‐RVLM neurones induced by CPBG. 7 Intracarotid administration of saline saturated with CO2 (chemoreceptor activation) elicited both an increase in the SND and an excitation of the clonidine‐insensitive CV‐RVLM neurones of the C type, without affecting A and B neurones. 8 In conclusion, the sympathoexcitation elicited following 5‐HT3 receptor stimulation in the region of the commissural NTS of pentobarbitone‐anaesthetized rats seems to result from the excitation of two different pools of clonidine‐sensitive CV‐RVLM neurones. These neurones are apparently not involved in the sympathetic component of the chemoreceptor reflex.
Introducing AlienScenarios: a project to develop scenarios and models of biological invasions for the 21 st century

AlienScenarios, a three-year project starting in March 2019, will evaluate for the first time the range of plausible futures of biological invasions for the 21st century. AlienScenarios consists of seven project partners and seven integrated complementary subprojects. We will develop the qualitative narratives for plausible futures of global alien species richness and impacts in the 21st century – the Alien Species Narratives (ASNs). The ASNs further serve as overarching concept to parameterize quantitative models of global, continental and regional futures of biological invasions. We will also establish the first global mechanistic invasion model considering major processes of biological invasions such as source pools, driver dynamics and establishment rates. Further, we will assess the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) in terms of economic costs according to the different ASNs. In addition, we will assess the consequences of different levels of implementation of the European Union Regulation on IAS. Providing some more detailed regional information, we will analyse changes of the functional composition of communities in mountain regions under different scenario storylines and will extend the analyses to the Global South using Panama as a country-level case study. Finally, the results of the other WPs will be synthesized, and the approach and results of AlienScenarios will be discussed with and communicated to stakeholders and the wider community. AlienScenarios will provide crucially needed insights for pro-active alien species management and policy. It will thus make an important contribution to global assessments and projections of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as regional policies (e.g. EU regulation on IAS).
Can Clinicians Predict Readmissions? A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Current risk-stratification models insufficiently identify readmission risk. Setting: Academic medical center in Boston, MA. Patients: One hundred seventy-seven medicine inpatients. Methods: We prospectively interviewed clinicians about whether they would be surprised if patients scheduled for discharge were readmitted within 30 days and to identify one patient at the highest risk. Multivariate models examined the impact of clinicians' judgment on readmission. Results: The 30-day same-hospital readmission rate was 10.7%. The number of hospitalizations (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.30), emergency department visits (1.10, 1.02–1.19), and discharge medications (1.07, 1.00–1.14) were associated with readmission in bivariate models. The negative-predictive value when clinicians would be surprised about a readmission was high (95%). Conclusion: Clinicians are better at predicting those not readmitted than those who are.