Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methodologies for sub-1nm EOT TDDB evaluation

Measuring and understanding TDDB reliability in sub-1nm EOT dielectrics is both a practical and scientific challenge. We present three different methods for the experimental determination of the SBD and wearout parameters needed to construct an all-in-one TDDB reliability prediction consisting of a SBD-free region, a leakage current-dominated region and a HBD-limited region. We demonstrate these methods on several sub-1nm EOT high-k/metal gate nMOS and pMOS devices and evaluate their advantage and disadvantages. We also discuss the validity and interpretation of the SBD/wearout model, confronting it with experiments that demonstrate how SBD paths can be annealed by reversing the stress polarity.
The Effect of High‐Load vs. High‐Repetition Training on Endurance Performance

&NA; Ebben, W.P., A.G. Kindler, K.A. Chirdon, N.C. Jenkins, A.J. Polichnowski, and A.V. Ng. The effect of high‐load vs. high‐repetition training on endurance performance. J. Strength Cond. Res. 18(3):513–517. 2004. —The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of high‐load (H‐load) periodized resistance training and high‐repetition (H‐rep) reverse step loading periodized resistance training on endurance performance. Twenty‐six female university rowers (age = 20 ± 1 year) were randomly assigned to H‐load (5 novice, 8 varsity) or H‐rep (7 novice, 6 varsity) groups. Subjects were pre‐ and posttested using a 2,000‐m rowing ergometer test. Outcome variables included SymbolO2 peak, time to test completion, total power, average power per stroke, total number of strokes, stroke rate, and body mass. Subjects trained for 8 weeks using identical exercises. Varsity rowers who performed H‐load training demonstrated greater improvement compared with those who performed H‐rep training. Novice rowers who performed H‐rep training demonstrated greater improvement compared with those who performed H‐load training. High‐load periodized training appears to be more effective for athletes with advanced training status, and H‐rep reverse step loading periodized training is more effective for those who are relatively untrained. Symbol. No caption available.
The Escherichia coli SLC26 homologue YchM (DauA) is a C4‐dicarboxylic acid transporter

The SLC26/SulP (solute carrier/sulphate transporter) proteins are a ubiquitous superfamily of secondary anion transporters. Prior studies have focused almost exclusively on eukaryotic members and bacterial members are frequently classified as sulphate transporters based on their homology with SulP proteins from plants and fungi. In this study we have examined the function and physiological role of the Escherichia coli Slc26 homologue, YchM. We show that there is a clear YchM‐dependent growth defect when succinate is used as the sole carbon source. Using an in vivo succinate transport assay, we show that YchM is the sole aerobic succinate transporter active at acidic pH. We demonstrate that YchM can also transport other C4‐dicarboxylic acids and that its substrate specificity differs from the well‐characterized succinate transporter, DctA. Accordingly ychM was re‐designated dauA (dicarboxylic acid uptake system A). Finally, our data suggest that DauA is a protein with transport and regulation activities. This is the first report that a SLC26/SulP protein acts as a C4‐dicarboxylic acid transporter and an unexpected new function for a prokaryotic member of this transporter family.
A Lectin from Platypodium elegans with Unusual Specificity and Affinity for Asymmetric Complex N-Glycans*

Background: Legume lectins with new glycan specificity can be discovered in the Dalbergieae tribe. Results: We determined the sequence, specificity, and crystal structures of a new Man/Glc lectin (PELa) from Platypodium elegans seeds. Conclusion: The unusual affinity of PELa for asymmetrical complex N-glycans is related to the extended binding site and conformational constraints on oligosaccharides. Significance: Dalbergieae lectins are of interest for biotechnological applications. Lectin activity with specificity for mannose and glucose has been detected in the seed of Platypodium elegans, a legume plant from the Dalbergieae tribe. The gene of Platypodium elegans lectin A has been cloned, and the resulting 261-amino acid protein belongs to the legume lectin family with similarity with Pterocarpus angolensis agglutinin from the same tribe. The recombinant lectin has been expressed in Escherichia coli and refolded from inclusion bodies. Analysis of specificity by glycan array evidenced a very unusual preference for complex type N-glycans with asymmetrical branches. A short branch consisting of one mannose residue is preferred on the 6-arm of the N-glycan, whereas extensions by GlcNAc, Gal, and NeuAc are favorable on the 3-arm. Affinities have been obtained by microcalorimetry using symmetrical and asymmetrical Asn-linked heptasaccharides prepared by the semi-synthetic method. Strong affinity with Kd of 4.5 μm was obtained for both ligands. Crystal structures of Platypodium elegans lectin A complexed with branched trimannose and symmetrical complex-type Asn-linked heptasaccharide have been solved at 2.1 and 1.65 Å resolution, respectively. The lectin adopts the canonical dimeric organization of legume lectins. The trimannose bridges the binding sites of two neighboring dimers, resulting in the formation of infinite chains in the crystal. The Asn-linked heptasaccharide binds with the 6-arm in the primary binding site with extensive additional contacts on both arms. The GlcNAc on the 6-arm is bound in a constrained conformation that may rationalize the higher affinity observed on the glycan array for N-glycans with only a mannose on the 6-arm.
Alpha ganglion cells of the rabbit retina lose antagonistic surround responses under dark adaptation

Abstract Alpha ganglion cells from the midperiphery of the rabbit retina were recorded intracellularly under visual control, in a superfused everted eyecup, and labeled with HRP. Their physiology and large somata with broad dendritic arbors identified them as uniform populations of ON- and OFF-center alpha ganglion cells, which typically displayed transient/sustained light-evoked responses. When dark adapted, the light-evoked responses from both ON- and OFF-center alpha ganglion cells were more sustained than those generally seen under light-adapted conditions. During dark-adapted (scotopic) conditions, stimulation with dim full-field illumination and small spots, either positioned over the soma or displaced 450 μm from the soma, all elicited pure center responses. After light adaptation (photopic conditions), the displaced small spots that previously evoked center responses elicited antagonistic surround responses from both ON- and OFF-center cells. Thus, as originally described in cat retina (Barlow et al., 1957), the receptive-field organization of ganglion cells changed between dark and light adaptation, and an absence or presence of surround antagonism was indicative of scotopic versus photopic states.
Efferent connections of septal nuclei of the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus): An anterograde pathway tracing study with a bearing on functional circuits

Small iontophoretic injections of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin were placed in different subregions of the septum of domestic chicks. The main targets of septal projections comprised the ipsi‐ and contralateral septal nuclei, including the nucleus of the diagonal band, basal ganglia, including the ventral paleostriatum, lobus parolfactorius, nucleus accumbens, and olfactory tubercle, archistriatum, piriform cortex, and anterior neostriatum. Further diencephalic and mesencephalic septal projections were observed in the ipsilateral preoptic region, hypothalamus (the main regions of afferentation comprising the lateral hypothalamic nuclei, ventromedial, paraventricular and periventricular nuclei, and the mammillary region), dorsal thalamus, medial habenular and subhabenular nuclei, midbrain central gray, and ventral tegmental area. Contralateral projections were also encountered in the septal nuclei, ventral paleostriatum, periventricular and anteromedial hypothalamic nuclei, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and the lateral hypothalamic area. Avian septal efferents are largely similar to those of mammals, the main differences being a relatively modest hippocampal projection arising mainly from the nucleus of the diagonal band (as confirmed by a specific experiment with the retrograde pathway tracer True blue), the lack of interpeduncular projection, and a greater contingent of amygdalar efferents arising from the lateral septum rather than the nucleus of the diagonal band. This pattern of connectivity is likely to reflect an important role of the avian septal nuclei in the coordination of limbic circuits and the integration of a wide variety of information sources modulating the appropriate behavioral responses: attention and arousal level, memory formation, hormonally mediated behaviors, and their affective components (such as ingestive, reproductive, and parental behaviors), social interaction, locomotor modulation, and circadian rhythm. J. Comp. Neurol. 469:437–456, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dose calculation from photoneutrons emitted in radiotherapy treatments by means of MCNP6 simulation and unstructured mesh

Medical Linear Accelerators (LINAC) often make use of high energies that are able to generate photoneutrons. Most 3D conformed radiotherapy treatments use LINAC emitting photons or electrons to provide the needed dose to the patient's tumor. When the LINAC operates with energies higher than 8-10 MeV, undesirable neutrons are generated by means of photonuclear reactions (γ, n) with collimators, flattening filters, target, multi leaf collimators (MLC) and remainder of shielding, which are composed of high atomic number materials such as lead and tungsten. Thus, external therapeutic beams from LINAC are contaminated by neutrons. This work, uses the last version of Monte Carlo code MCNP6.1. 1 to determinate neutron dose received by a patient. The Monte Carlo model of the anthropomorphic RANDO phantom is generated with finite element modeler software Abaqus/CAE using unstructured meshes to simulate a real patient. The purpose of this work is to reveal the non-negligible dose received by a patient during his treatment due to induced neutrons and not considered by most current radiotherapy treatment planners.
Behavior of Personality Type Toward Stress and Job Performance: A Study of Healthcare Professionals

Background: The present paper has examined the sources of stress among the healthcare professionals and the difference between responses of personality type A and type B healthcare professionals toward stressful situations. Further, the difference in the performance of both the personality types has been studied. The relationship between stress and performance among the healthcare professionals in general and with respect to personality type A and type B healthcare professionals in particular has also been investigated. Methods: A total of 160 healthcare professionals of Post Graduate Institute (PGI), Chandigarh, were subjects of this study. Results: Identification with patients, deterioration and complication in the patient condition, and job criticism emerged to be the sources of stress. Significant difference between personality type A and personality type B professionals’ response pertaining to identification with the patients only has been reported. However, type A individuals showed slightly higher inclination as compared to type B individuals on majority of stressful situations. It was further noted that type A individuals had scored higher on almost all the performance indicators as compared to personality type B individuals. The mean difference between the personality types was found to be significant for two performance dimensions, i.e., relationship with colleagues, and teaching and training. Conclusions: The stressful situation relationship with patients was found to have significantly negative impact on the performance factors such as good clinical care and rapport with patients. Daily work was also found to be negatively related to good medical practice.
IMPACT OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM (BRT) ON PASSENGERS' SATISFACTION IN LAGOS METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

As cities attempt to address their urban mobility problems, the alternative transportation options emerge. In recent years, one of these options is the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT). It is in the light of this, that the paper examined the impact of BRT on passengers' satisfaction in Lagos Metropolis. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire that was administered using simple random sampling technique. Also, secondary data were used. Findings revealed that less than average of the passengers were satisfied with the BRT system while some were fully dissatisfied. The paper concluded that BRT can be a practical and technical alternative to highway reconstruction. Therefore there is need to: ensure greater coordination with local planning and operating agencies for the purpose of identifying BRT potentials; conduct research, develop operational techniques and promote the use of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) technology to enable safe and efficient deployment of BRT.
Sagittal accuracy of tibial osteotomy position during in vivo tibial plateau levelling osteotomy performed without an alignment jig and cutting guide

Summary Objectives: To assess the accuracy of tibial osteotomy location for tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) in the sagittal plane and its effect on the postoperative tibial plateau angle (TPA), when performed without an alignment jig and saw guide. Also, to document the improvement gained with experience. Methods: Medical records and stifle radio-graphs of dogs undergoing TPLO, without the use of an alignment jig and saw guide, by one surgeon were reviewed (2010–2014). Postoperative radiographs were reviewed to record the distance and direction of eccentricity. Postoperative TPA was also recorded. Results: In a series of 401 TPLO procedures, 231 met the inclusion criteria. The absolute distance of eccentricity (DOE) for all dogs was 3.0 ± 1.6 mm. When evaluating surgical experience, the DOE for the final 77 cases (2.72 ± 1.43 mm), the middle 77 cases (3.18 ± 1.49 mm), and the first 77 cases (3.24 ± 1.7 mm) were not significantly different (p = 0.07157). There was a very weak correlation between DOE and postoperative TPA (R = 0.029). Clinical significance: The location of the tibial osteotomy when performing TPLO without an alignment jig and saw guide compared favourably with previously documented use of an alignment jig and saw guide. Whilst the location of the tibial osteo -tomy has a theoretical impact on the post -operative TPA, other factors appear to be of greater importance. Surgeon experience did not result in significant improvement in accuracy up to 231 procedures.
Collapsin Response Mediator Protein 2 (CRMP2) Interacts with N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor and Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger and Regulates Their Functional Activity*

Background: NMDA receptor and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger are involved in glutamate-induced calcium dysregulation in neurons. Results: CRMP2 interacts with and modulates activity of the NMDA receptor and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. Conclusion: CRMP2 is involved in regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons exposed to glutamate. Significance: CRMP2 interaction with NMDA receptor and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger affects their activity and is important for glutamate-induced Ca2+ dysregulation. Collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) is traditionally viewed as an axonal growth protein involved in axon/dendrite specification. Here, we describe novel functions of CRMP2. A 15-amino acid peptide from CRMP2, fused to the TAT cell-penetrating motif of the HIV-1 protein, TAT-CBD3, but not CBD3 without TAT, attenuated N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity and protected neurons against glutamate-induced Ca2+ dysregulation, suggesting the key contribution of CRMP2 in these processes. In addition, TAT-CBD3, but not CBD3 without TAT or TAT-scramble peptide, inhibited increases in cytosolic Ca2+ mediated by the plasmalemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) operating in the reverse mode. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed an interaction between CRMP2 and NMDAR as well as NCX3 but not NCX1. TAT-CBD3 disrupted CRMP2-NMDAR interaction without change in NMDAR localization. In contrast, TAT-CBD3 augmented the CRMP2-NCX3 co-immunoprecipitation, indicating increased interaction or stabilization of a complex between these proteins. Immunostaining with an anti-NCX3 antibody revealed that TAT-CBD3 induced NCX3 internalization, suggesting that both reverse and forward modes of NCX might be affected. Indeed, the forward mode of NCX, evaluated in experiments with ionomycin-induced Ca2+ influx into neurons, was strongly suppressed by TAT-CBD3. Knockdown of CRMP2 with short interfering RNA (siRNA) prevented NCX3 internalization in response to TAT-CBD3 exposure. Moreover, CRMP2 down-regulation strongly attenuated TAT-CBD3-induced inhibition of reverse NCX. Overall, our results demonstrate that CRMP2 interacts with NCX and NMDAR and that TAT-CBD3 protects against glutamate-induced Ca2+ dysregulation most likely via suppression of both NMDAR and NCX activities. Our results further clarify the mechanism of action of TAT-CBD3 and identify a novel regulatory checkpoint for NMDAR and NCX function based on CRMP2 interaction with these proteins.
Permittivity and Permeability Tensor Extraction Technique for Arbitrary Anisotropic Materials

Computing the permittivity and permeability of complex materials has previously relied on a series of simplifying assumptions to enable analysis. The most restricting requirement is that the optical axes of the material must align with the laboratory frame of reference. This requirement cannot be met for a large group of materials, including crystalline structures and metamaterials such as tilted nanorods. Currently, designing the optical characteristics of these structures would require ellipsometric analysis, which uses an error-correction-based technique. Here, a new technique built upon the underlying physics of ellipsometry is proposed to extract arbitrary permittivity and permeability tensors using a set of off-axis measurements. This new permittivity and permeability tensor extraction technique allows all 18 elements of the permittivity and permeability tensors to be nonzero and extracts them, given a set of reflectance and transmittance measurements. Several materials are analyzed here, including a) an isotopic plane of known permittivity, b) an anisotropic aligned structure, and c) a tilted-nanorod-based sample that cannot be measured using traditional methodologies. The isotropic plane shows very low error (<; 10-4%) in the x and y tensor measurements and around 1% error in the z tensor measurement at higher (metallic) permittivities. The aligned structure's characteristics are compared to measurements made with traditional techniques and show excellent agreement between the techniques. The tilted nanorod characteristics are analyzed and used to predict the reflection and transmission coefficients at other angles. The predictions compare very well with the computational electromagnetic simulations, showing at most 5% error over the range examined.
The GRM: landmarks on a historic route

Abstract The year 1958 witnessed the birth of the institution GRM, nurtured by the French Radio and Television service (RTF). However, the fifty years of the GRM cannot be dissociated from the preceding period, datable from 1942, when Pierre Schaeffer began experiments with radiophonic sound which led him to musique concrète while bringing into existence the institutional infrastructure of the group. We can therefore see the Studio d'Essai (1942–46), the Club d'Essai (1946–60) with its Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète (GRMC, 1951–58) as forebears of the GRM. The fundamental principle, which lies in working with sonic material directly on the recording media through a precise listening to recorded elements, led Schaeffer to affirm that there is another way to access music other than from notation. He used this powerful idea as the fixed point on the compass for all his research. Linked from its origins to the broadcasting services – RTF until 1964, ORTF up to 1974, then INA ever since – the GRM has constantly adapted its theories and its ideas to successive technological developments: smooth disks (shellac records), magnetic tape, computer memory. A fruitful period at the Service de la Recherche (1960–75) allowed Schaeffer and his team to systematically examine the world of sounds from their own listening experience. The Traité des Objets Musicaux (Treatise of Musical Objects) bears witness to this research. Since 1975 another adventure has been under way: that of the preservation and making available of works and discoveries gathered over the years – an exceptional heritage which continues to grow and interest an ever larger public.
Performance breakdown in optimal stimulus decoding

Objective. One of the primary goals of neuroscience is to understand how neurons encode and process information about their environment. The problem is often approached indirectly by examining the degree to which the neuronal response reflects the stimulus feature of interest. Approach. In this context, the methods of signal estimation and detection theory provide the theoretical limits on the decoding accuracy with which the stimulus can be identified. The Cramér–Rao lower bound on the decoding precision is widely used, since it can be evaluated easily once the mathematical model of the stimulus–response relationship is determined. However, little is known about the behavior of different decoding schemes with respect to the bound if the neuronal population size is limited. Main results. We show that under broad conditions the optimal decoding displays a threshold-like shift in performance in dependence on the population size. The onset of the threshold determines a critical range where a small increment in size, signal-to-noise ratio or observation time yields a dramatic gain in the decoding precision. Significance. We demonstrate the existence of such threshold regions in early auditory and olfactory information coding. We discuss the origin of the threshold effect and its impact on the design of effective coding approaches in terms of relevant population size.
Color image enhancement through 3-D histogram equalization

The method of histogram equalization for grey-level image enhancement is extended to color images in the paper. A method of direct 3-D histogram equalization is proposed which results in a uniform histogram of the RGB values. Due to the correlation between the bands, the principle on which grey-level (1-D) histogram equalization is based is not valid in the case of color images (3-D). This problem is alleviated by employing a histogram specification method where a uniform histogram is specified. <<ETX>>
Privacy preserving mining of association rules on horizontallydistributed databases

These protocols are based on two main approaches named as: the Randomization approach and the Cryptographic approach. The first one is based on perturbation of the valuable information while the second one uses cryptographic techniques. The randomization approach is much more efficient with reduced accuracy while the cryptographic approach can provide solutions with perfect accuracy. However, the cryptographic approach is a much slower method and requires considerable computation and communication overhead. In this paper, a new protocol is proposed which combines the advantages of the two previous approaches to perform privacy preserving in distributed mining of association rules. Both the privacy and performance characteristics of the proposed protocol are studied and compared with the randomization and cryptographic approaches. The approach introduced in this paper has great advantages, such as higher flexibility and resistance against conspiracy, over the similar methods.