Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast illuminated Lock-In Thermography: An inline shunt detection measurement tool

This paper focuses on the fast spatially resolved detection of material and / or processing induced shunting using fast illuminated Lock-In Thermography (iLIT). With this technique shunting can be detected spatially resolved within a measurement time of only 1 s and thus the method in principle can be used for inline characterisation. Points addressed are the influence of Lock-In frequency on spatial resolution and the effect of a lowered illumination intensity for a better selectivity between shunting and recombination induced generation of heat. The method is tested for different common sources of shunting in standard industrial-type solar cells (points like shunts, cracks, poor edge isolation, contaminations) and all major types of shunts under investigation can be detected in times relevant for inline characterisation.
Causal Effect of Credit Guarantees for Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Evidence from Italy

We evaluate the effectiveness of a partial credit guarantee program, implemented in a large Italian region, that aimed to improve the access to credit of small and medium enterprises. Using unique microdata from a broad set of firms, we show that the policy increased the long&#8208;term loans for beneficiary firms, while the total volume of bank loans was unaffected. Furthermore, targeted firms benefited from a substantial decrease in interest rates. However, there is some evidence that firms are more likely to default as a consequence of the treatment. Conversely, the results do not point to any significant effect on investments.
The effect of statin therapy withdrawal on monocyte subsets

Three functionally distinct monocyte subsets have been identified. Statins are of undoubted effect in atherosclerosis and have numerous pleiotropic effects that contribute to their clinical success, but the effect of these drugs on monocyte subsets is unclear. We hypothesised a beneficial effect of statins on key receptor expression by monocyte subsets.
Predictors and outcomes of nurse leader job stress experienced by AWHONN members.

OBJECTIVE To measure the relationships among stressors (personal factors, job/role factors, hospital factors), job stress, and outcomes experienced by nurse leaders and examine moderation of autonomy and leadership style on outcomes of job stress. DESIGN A cross-sectional, quantitative design. SETTING Acute and nonacute care settings throughout North America. PARTICIPANTS A nonprobability convenience sample of 392 was drawn from a population of nurse leaders across the United States and Canada who were members of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). METHODS A mailing list was obtained from AWHONN, and a total of 3,986 recruitment and follow-up postcards were sent to nurse leaders. Participants were asked to complete the survey online or request a hard copy to return by mail. Study variables were measured using previously published scales with demonstrated psychometric properties. RESULTS Nurse leaders reported stress averages above the midpoint of the scales. Personal factors did not significantly predict stress, but role overload, organizational constraints, and role ambiguity were found to be the best predictors of stress. Job satisfaction, intent to quit, and mental health symptoms were the most significant outcomes of stress. Autonomy moderated relationships between perceptions of stress and outcomes with low autonomy showing greater negative outcomes when levels of stress are higher. CONCLUSION Nurse leaders experience significant job stress that may suggest a need to design and implement evidence-based interventions to reduce stress among this group.
Genes Involved in the Synthesis and Degradation of Matrix Polysaccharide in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Biofilms

ABSTRACT Biofilms are composed of bacterial cells embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. A major component of the Escherichia coli biofilm matrix is PGA, a linear polymer of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine residues in β(1,6) linkage. PGA mediates intercellular adhesion and attachment of cells to abiotic surfaces. In this report, we present genetic and biochemical evidence that PGA is also a major matrix component of biofilms produced by the human periodontopathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and the porcine respiratory pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. We also show that PGA is a substrate for dispersin B, a biofilm-releasing glycosyl hydrolase produced by A. actinomycetemcomitans, and that an orthologous dispersin B enzyme is produced by A. pleuropneumoniae. We further show that A. actinomycetemcomitans PGA cross-reacts with antiserum raised against polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, a staphylococcal biofilm matrix polysaccharide that is genetically and structurally related to PGA. Our findings confirm that PGA functions as a biofilm matrix polysaccharide in phylogenetically diverse bacterial species and suggest that PGA may play a role in intercellular adhesion and cellular detachment and dispersal in A. actinomycetemcomitans and A. pleuropneumoniae biofilms.
Perspectives of Stem Cell–Based Therapy for Age-Related Retinal Degenerative Diseases

Retinal degenerative diseases, which include age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, mostly affect the elderly population and are the most common cause of decreased quality of vision or even blindness. So far, there is no satisfactory treatment protocol to prevent, stop, or cure these disorders. A great hope and promise for patients suffering from retinal diseases is represented by stem cell–based therapy that could replace diseased or missing retinal cells and support regeneration. In this respect, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that can be obtained from the particular patient and used as autologous cells have turned out to be a promising stem cell type for treatment. Here we show that MSCs can differentiate into cells expressing markers of retinal cells, inhibit production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by retinal tissue, and produce a number of growth and neuroprotective factors for retinal regeneration. All of these properties make MSCs a prospective cell type for cell-based therapy of age-related retinal degenerative diseases.
Cytochromes P-450 in murine lung. An immunohistochemical study with monoclonal antibodies.

We have used a panel of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and immunofluorescence to investigate the distribution of species of cytochrome P-450 inducible by 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) and phenobarbital (PB) in the lungs of "responsive" C57BL/6 and "nonresponsive" DBA/2 mice. A Mab (1-7-1) specific for an epitope common to rat cytochromes P-450c (P450IA1) and P-450d (P450IA2) detected the corresponding murine species (P1-450/P3-450) in cells of the alveolar septa, including type II cells, as well as endothelial cells lining blood vessels. Cytochrome P1-450 (Mabs 1-31-2, 1-36-1) is localized in type II cells of the alveolar septa but is not found in endothelial cells. Patterns of immunoreactivity with the 3-MC-specific Mabs indicate that alveolar septal cells possess P1-450 and P3-450, whereas endothelial cells of the vasculature are not the sites of P1-450, but rather of P3-450. Similar immunoreactivities for the 3-MC-defined P-450s are demonstrated in the lungs of C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice. A Mab (2-66-3) which recognizes P-450b/P-450e (P450IIB1/P450IIB2) is reactive with P-450s localized in type II alveolar and bronchiolar epithelial cells, including nonciliated Clara cells. The epitope for cytochromes P-450b/P-450e is present in constitutive form within the lung and does not appear to be responsive to induction by PB. In contrast, epitopes for P1-450/P3-450 and P1-450 are not expressed constitutively but are only detected when induced by 3-MC. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
COP9 Signalosome Subunit 3 Is Essential for Maintenance of Cell Proliferation in the Mouse Embryonic Epiblast

ABSTRACT Csn3 (Cops3) maps to the mouse chromosome 11 region syntenic to the common deletion interval for the Smith-Magenis syndrome, a contiguous gene deletion syndrome. It encodes the third subunit of an eight-subunit protein complex, the COP9 signalosome (CSN), which controls a wide variety of molecules of different functions. Mutants of this complex caused lethality at early development of both plants and Drosophila melanogaster. CSN function in vivo in mammals is unknown. We disrupted the murine Csn3 gene in three independent ways with insertional vectors, including constructing a ≈3-Mb inversion chromosome. The heterozygous mice appeared normal, although the protein level was reduced. Csn3−/− embryos arrested after 5.5 days postcoitum (dpc) and resorbed by 8.5 dpc. Mutant embryos form an abnormal egg cylinder which does not gastrulate. They have reduced numbers of epiblast cells, mainly due to increased cell death. In the Csn3−/− mice, subunit 8 of the COP9 complex was not detected by immunohistochemical techniques, suggesting that the absence of Csn3 may disrupt the entire COP9 complex. Therefore, Csn3 is important for maintaining the integrity of the COP9 signalosome and is crucial to maintain the survival of epiblast cells and thus the development of the postimplantation embryo in mice.
Brain Magnetic Resonance Images Segmentation Based on Wavelet Method

This paper focused on the brain magnetic resonance (MR) images, which is one of the key problems in image processing. A novel segmentation method based on watershed transform and wavelets transform is presented for white matter in thin sliced single-channel brain magnetic resonance scans. The original image is smoothed by using anisotropic filter and over-segmented by the watershed algorithm. Finally, the brain MR image is segmented automatically by using the multicontext wavelets-based thresholding (MCWT) method. The result of the experiment indicates that the algorithm can obtain segmentation result fast and accurately
Two Putative RNA-Binding Proteins Function with Unequal Genetic Redundancy in the MOS4-Associated Complex1[C][W][OA]

The MOS4-associated complex (MAC) is a highly conserved nuclear protein complex associated with the spliceosome. We recently purified the MAC from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) nuclei, identified its potential components by mass spectrometry, and showed that at least five core proteins in the MAC are required for defense responses in plants. Here, we report the characterization of a putative RNA-binding protein identified in the MAC named MAC5A and its close homolog MAC5B. We confirmed that MAC5A is a component of the MAC through coimmunoprecipitation with the previously described MAC protein CELL DIVISION CYCLE5 from Arabidopsis. In addition, like all other characterized MAC proteins, MAC5A fused to the Green Fluorescent Protein localizes to the nucleus. Double mutant analysis revealed that MAC5A and MAC5B are unequally redundant and that a double mac5a mac5b mutant results in lethality. Probably due to this partial redundancy, mac5a and mac5b single mutants do not exhibit enhanced susceptibility to virulent or avirulent pathogen infection. However, like other MAC mutations, mac5a-1 partially suppresses the autoimmune phenotypes of suppressor of npr1-1, constitutive1 (snc1), a gain-of-function mutant that expresses a deregulated Resistance protein. Our results suggest that MAC5A is a component of the MAC that contributes to snc1- mediated autoimmunity.
Analysis of mutual coupling in finite planar arrays of dielectric covered rectangular waveguides

The merits of phased array antennas in communications and radar applications are well known. In the design of such an array, the mutual coupling between closely spaced apertures must be taken into account since this affects the radiation pattern shape and the active reflection coefficient of the radiating aperture. These apertures are usually covered with some dielectric material for environmental protection. Therefore the mutual coupling effects between these apertures must be calculated in the presence of the dielectric sheet. These apertures have usually been circular, rectangular or square. Expressions for the coupling between elements in a finite planar array of circular apertures, without the dielectric coverings have been given by Bird (1987) and have subsequently been verified elsewhere. Various methods are available to compute the mutual coupling, even with the higher order mode coupling between them but without the dielectric covering. A number of publications have included the effect of the dielectric covering but the coupling values are an approximation based on an infinite array approach. We present exact expressions for the mutual coupling between rectangular apertures, with or without the dielectric sheet. The analysis allows any orientation of the rectangular apertures as well as the coupling between any number of waveguide modes.
An anatomical subject-specific FE-model for hip fracture load prediction

In order to reduce the socio-economic burden induced by osteoporotic hip fractures, finite element models have been evaluated as an additional diagnostic tool for fracture prediction. For a future clinical application, the challenge is to reach the best compromise between model relevance and computing time. Based on this consideration, the current study focused on the development and validation of a subject-specific FE-model using an original parameterised generic model and a specific personalization method. A total of 39 human femurs were tested to failure under a quasi-static compression in stance configuration. The corresponding FE-models were generated and for each specimen the numerical fracture load (F FEM) was compared with the experimental value (F EXP), resulting in a significant correlation (F EXP = 1.006 F FEM with r 2 = 0.87 and SEE = 1220 N, p < 0.05) obtained with a reasonable computing time (30 mn). Further in vivo study should confirm the ability of this FE-model to improve the fracture risk prediction.
H/sub /spl infin// control of the magnetic bearing considering initial state uncertainties

This paper deals with an application of H/sub /spl infin// control attenuating initial-state uncertainties to the magnetic bearing and examines the H/sub /spl infin// control problem, which treats a mixed Disturbance and an Initial-state uncertainty Attenuation (DIA) control. The mixed H/sub /spl infin// DIA problem supplies H/sub /spl infin// controls with good transients and assures H/sub /spl infin// controls of robustness against initial-state uncertainty. On the other hand, active magnetic bearings allow contact-free suspension of rotors and they are used for various industrial purposes. We derive a mathematical model of the magnetic bearing which has complicated rotor dynamics and nonlinear magnetic property. Then we apply this proposed H/sub /spl infin// DIA control for the magnetic bearing, and design a robust H/sub /spl infin// controller both for exogenous disturbances and for initial state uncertainties of the plant. Experimental results show that the proposed robust control approach is effective for improving transient response and robust performance.
A 3-TFT hybrid active-passive pixel with correlated double sampling CMOS readout circuit for real-time medical x-ray imaging

This paper presents a new hybrid current-programmed, current-output active pixel sensor (APS) suitable for real time X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) and an off-panel CMOS readout circuit. The pixel circuit is designed using hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistor (TFT) technology. Measurements show that the proposed pixel circuit can successfully compensate for characteristic variations (e.g. mobility and threshold voltage shift) in a-Si:H TFTs under prolonged gate voltage stress. The readout circuit exploits correlated double sampling (CDS) technique to reduce the offset current, low frequency noise and fixed-pattern noise (FPN) on the array operation. Measurements show less than 5% change in the output current of the APS for 3 V shift in the threshold voltage.
Development and testing of the parental coping strategy inventory (PCSI) with children with cancer in Taiwan.

RATIONALE This study describes the development and psychometric testing of the parental coping strategy inventory (PCSI). METHODS The PCSI was developed on the basis of previous qualitative study on the Taiwanese parental adaptation process, when caring for children with cancer. In order to develop the measure of parental coping strategy inventory (PCSI), relevant parameters or items for the assessment subscales were then identified and tested in a three-stage process: item development, content validity testing and reliability testing. The PCSI consisted of 48 items in 12 scales after item selection, and the internal consistency of the scales were acceptable. In order to test the psychometric characteristics of the PCSI, data were collected from 183 mothers with children with cancer. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis supported a good overall model fit of the construct validity of PCSI. In order to test the generalizability of the factor structure, mothers with children with epilepsy were used. The factorial validity of PCSI was supported from the population of those mothers with children with epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS This version of the PCSI was developed with an explicit prior conceptual model based on grounded qualitative study findings. The PCSI is a specified coping behaviour measure with the conceptual framework that adaptation problems can be solved through specific coping strategies. It can be administered in 20 minutes and is the first documented measure of the adaptation process administered directly to Taiwanese parents. It demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties and could be used as a quick screening instrument in evaluating parental problems when caring for children with cancer as well as chronic illness (such as epilepsy, as tested). It could also be used as a predictor of parental adaptation outcome. This report presents preliminary data on the initial instrument development and psychometric properties of PCSI.
Fetal femur length as a predictor of menstrual age: sonographically measured.

The relation between fetal femur length and menstrual age was determined by cross-sectional analysis of 338 normal fetuses (12--40 weeks) using real-time sonography. Mathematical modeling of the data demonstrated that the femur growth curve is nonlinear, similar to the biparietal diameter growth curve. Predicted femur length values at various points in gestation were comparable to the results of other investigators. Predicted menstrual age values in weeks for specific femur length measurements in millimeters were calculated and are reported in tabular form. The variability (+/- 2 SD) associated with predicting menstrual age from femur length is +/- 9.5 days between 12--23 weeks, but between 23--40 weeks the variability is +/- 22 days. Fetal femur length can be used as an adjunct in estimating menstrual age, and as a screening device for diseases that affect fetal limb growth (e.g., dwarfism, osteogenesis imperfecta).
Transfemoral contralateral technique to retrieve knotted coronary artery catheter using Amplatz Goose Neck snare catheter

Performing coronary angiography in very older patients can prove a challenge due to vessels calcification and torturousity. Manipulation of coronary catheters to engage the artery ostium may result in over twisting and can result in complications ranging from a minor ‘kink’ to a complex ‘knot’. The authors describe a novel method to retrieve the complex twisted coronary catheter using snare technique, after usual steps to remove the coronary catheter failed.
Criminal Justice Legitimacy in United States in the Light of Post-Conviction DNA Testing

Criminal justice system is an institution which ensures that the moral balance of the society is not disrupted by the malfeasance of any of its members. When an imbalance so feared is created, the system attempts to correct it by punishing the offender. But this punishment system has become a dragnet for both the guilty and the innocent. No one is sure how many innocent people are incarcerated in both federal and state prisons in the United States. This paper examines criminal justice in the light of post-conviction Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing and exoneration in the United States. The outcome is that post-conviction DNA testing has helped to exonerate not less than 438 convicted individuals in the United States who served an average of 15 years in prison between 1989 and 2016. This number casts doubt over the legitimacy of the criminal justice system in the country. As a result, this paper makes a case for mandatory post-conviction DNA testing in all crimes where human material samples are available and where accused persons claim innocence. Keywords: Criminal justice, DNA, Post-conviction, Exoneration, Credibility
Peer-to-Peer Compressive Sensing for Network Monitoring

Monitoring large-scale networks is a critical yet challenging task. Enormous number of nodes and links, limited power, and lack of direct access to the entire network are the most important difficulties. In applications such as network routing, where all nodes need to monitor the status of the entire network, the situation is even worse. In this letter, a collaborative model in which nodes pick up information from measurements generated by other nodes is proposed. Using this model, for the first time, an upper bound is derived for the number of measurements that each node must generate, such that the expected number of measurements observed by each node is sufficient to provide a global view of the entire networked data. Finally, by using this upper bound, an efficient optimization method is introduced to minimize the total number of measurements. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method is verified through extensive numerical simulations.
Intraspecific Variation in Thermal Tolerance and Acclimation Capacity in Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis): Physiological Implications for Climate Change*

Cold-water fishes are becoming increasingly vulnerable as changing thermal conditions threaten their future sustainability. Thermal stress and habitat loss from increasing water temperatures are expected to impact population viability, particularly for inland populations with limited adaptive resources. Although the long-term persistence of cold-adapted species will depend on their ability to cope with and adapt to changing thermal conditions, very little is known about the scope and variation of thermal tolerance within and among conspecific populations and evolutionary lineages. We studied the upper thermal tolerance and capacity for acclimation in three captive populations of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from different ancestral thermal environments. Populations differed in their upper thermal tolerance and capacity for acclimation, consistent with their ancestry: the northernmost strain (Lake Nipigon) had the lowest thermal tolerance, while the strain with the most southern ancestry (Hill’s Lake) had the highest thermal tolerance. Standard metabolic rate increased following acclimation to warm temperatures, but the response to acclimation varied among strains, suggesting that climatic warming may have differential effects across populations. Swimming performance varied among strains and among acclimation temperatures, but strains responded in a similar way to temperature acclimation. To explore potential physiological mechanisms underlying intraspecific differences in thermal tolerance, we quantified inducible and constitutive heat shock proteins (HSP70 and HSC70, respectively). HSPs were associated with variation in thermal tolerance among strains and acclimation temperatures; HSP70 in cardiac and white muscle tissues exhibited similar patterns, whereas expression in hepatic tissue varied among acclimation temperatures but not strains. Taken together, these results suggest that populations of brook trout will vary in their ability to cope with a changing climate.