Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration of 4F2 selector-less crossbar array 2Mb ReRAM based on transition metal oxides for high density memory applications

4F2 selector-less crossbar array 2Mb ReRAM test chip with 54nm technology has been successfully integrated for high cell efficiency and high density memory applications by implementing parts of decoders to row/column lines directly under the cell area. Read/write specifications for memory operation in a chip are presented by minimizing sneak current through unselected cells. The characteristics of memory cell (nonlinearity, Kw >;8, Iop <;10uA, Vop<;60;3V), TiOx/Ta2O5, are modified for its working in a chip by adopting appropriate materials for a resistor stack and spacer. Write condition in a chip makes a critical impact on read margin and read/write operation in a chip has been verified.
A comparison of polysomnographic variables between adolescents with polycystic ovarian syndrome with and without the metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND We aimed to determine the differences in polysomnographic variables between obese adolescents with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with and without metabolic syndrome, as the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is increased in adults with PCOS, OSAS has been regarded as a manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increased in patients with PCOS. METHODS Fourteen obese adolescents with PCOS and metabolic syndrome [15.7 years ± 1.9, body mass index (BMI) 36.2 kg/m(2) ± 6.2], 14 obese adolescents with PCOS without metabolic syndrome (15.7 years ± 1.1, BMI 33.8 kg/m(2) ± 6.2), 19 healthy, obese adolescents without PCOS or metabolic syndrome (15.3 years ± 1.0, BMI 34.4 kg/m(2) ± 6.5), and 14 healthy, normal-weight adolescents (15.4 years ± 0.7, BMI 21.1 kg/m(2) ± 2.2) underwent polysomnography to compare transcutaneous arterial oxygen saturation (Sat O(2)), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the absolute number of obstructive apneas (NOA), percentage sleep stages 3 and 4 of non REM-sleep (stages 3 and 4), percentage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (%REM), sleep-onset latency, and sleep efficiency. RESULTS We found no differences among the four groups concerning AI, HI, AHI, NOA, and stages 3 and 4. Significant differences among the groups were found regarding Sat O(2) (P = 0.04), %REM (P = 0.03), sleep-onset latency (P = 0.002), and sleep efficiency (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Weight status, PCOS, and metabolic syndrome do not seem to have significant effects on respiratory polysomnographic variables in adolescent girls with PCOS, suggesting that the pathomechanisms leading to OSAS in patients with PCOS develop in the later course of the disease.
Safety of power injector use in children as measured by incidence of extravasation.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of power injector use in peripheral IV injections for CT examinations of children by measuring the incidence of contrast extravasation and to review the management of extravasation as reported in the literature. SUBJECTS AND METHODS At a tertiary pediatric center, we prospectively collected data on 557 children undergoing CT with IV contrast injection by power injector through a peripheral venous line. Data collected included age, weight, angiocatheter size, location of venous access, flow rate, total contrast volume, maximum injector pressure, and incidence of extravasation. Adverse effects such as emesis, sensation of warmth, hives, and allergies and anaphylaxis also were recorded. RESULTS The patients' ages ranged from 13 days to 20 years (mean, 9.8 years). The size of angiocatheter most commonly used was 22 gauge (n = 443). The dorsum of the hand was the most common site of venous access (n = 373). The mean flow rate was 1.48 mL/s. When the patients were divided into groups on the basis of reaction or no reaction, statistical differences between the groups were found with respect to flow rate (p = 0.016) and pressure (p = 0.017) needed for injection. There were two episode of extravasation (0.3%), which were treated conservatively. CONCLUSION The use of power injectors through 18- to 24-gauge angiocatheters in children is safe when meticulous technique is used and personnel are appropriately trained. Our study showed a similar rate of extravasation as has been reported in other studies.
The practicalities of using tissue slices as preclinical organotypic breast cancer models

Models considering breast cancer complexity cannot be easily or accurately replicated in routine cell line or animal models. We aimed to evaluate the practicality of organotypic tissue slice culture in breast cancer. Following ethical approval, 250 µm thick sections from surplus breast tumours (n=10) were prepared using a vibrating blade microtome. Triplicate tissue slices were placed in 6-well plates and cultured for up to 7 days±tamoxifen (1 nM) or doxorubicin (1 µM). Tissue slices were fixed and embedded before sectioning for morphological evaluation and immunohistochemistry. H&E showed good preservation of tissue morphology. Collagen production was evident. Biomarkers of proliferation and apoptosis could be evaluated using immunohistochemistry and used as surrogates to quantify drug effects. In summary, breast cancer tissue slices can be cultured in vitro as organotypic models. Nevertheless, although simple in concept, the delicacy of the model with regard to handling makes subsequent analytical processes challenging.
Overweight and Underweight Prevalence Trends in Children from Romania - Pooled Analysis of Cross-Sectional Studies between 2006 and 2015

Aim: High-quality national representative data on obesity in Romanian children are needed to shape public health policies. To provide a unified data landscape on national prevalence, trends and other factors associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity in Romanian children aged 6-19 years, across the last decade (2006-2015). Methods: Using a common protocol, we selected published and unpublished studies that measured Romanian children in schools between 2006 and 2015. Children's BMI was classified using the current WHO, IOTF, and CDC references. Results: 25,060 children from 8 Romanian counties were included in the analysis. The prevalence of underweight children was 5%/4.5%/8.5% (WHO/IOTF/CDC), while the prevalence of overweight (including obese) children was 28.3%/23%/23.2% (WHO/IOTF/CDC). The prevalence of overweight children did not change significantly over the last decade (chi-square test p = 0.6). Male gender (odds ratio (OR) 1.37; 95% CI 1.29-1.45, compared to female); prepubertal age (OR = 3.86; 95% CI 3.41-4.36,compared to postpubertal age), and urban environment (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01-1.26, compared to rural environment) had higher risk for overweight. Conclusion: While the prevalence of underweight children was low, almost one in four children in Romania was overweight or obese (according to WHO criteria) between 2006 and 2015. This prevalence remained relatively stable over the last decade. Male gender, prepubertal age, and urban environment, were the most relevant risk factors associated with overweight status in Romanian children.
QSAR Studies of Certain Novel Heterocycles Derived from Bis-1, 2, 4 Triazoles as Anti-Tumor Agents

: In this paper we report the quantitative structure activity relationship of novel bis-triazole derivatives for predicting the activity profile. The full model encompassed a dataset of 46 Bis- triazoles. Tripos Sybyl X 2.0 program was used to conduct CoMSIA QSAR modeling. The Partial Least-Squares (PLS) analysis method was used to conduct statistical analysis and to derive a QSAR model based on the field values of CoMSIA descriptor. The compounds were divided into test and training set. The compounds were evaluated by various CoMSIA parameters to predict the best QSAR model. An optimum numbers of components were first determined separately by cross-validation regression for CoMSIA model, which were then applied in the final analysis. A series of parameters were used for the study and the best fit model was obtained using donor, partition coefficient and steric parameters. The CoMSIA models demonstrated good statistical results with regression coefficient (r2) and the cross-validated coefficient (q2) of 0.575 and 0.830 respectively. The standard error for the predicted model was 0.16322. In the CoMSIA model, the steric descriptors make a marginally larger contribution than the electrostatic descriptors. The finding that the steric descriptor is the largest contributor for the CoMSIA QSAR models is consistent with the observation that more than half of the binding site area is occupied by steric regions.
Evaluation of Spermicidal Activity of Mi-Saponin A

The seed extracts of Madhuca latifolia were reported to have spermicidal activity. The current investigation identified the spermicidal component of the extracts and evaluated its spermicidal potential in vitro. As characterized by infrared, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral analyses, Mi-saponin A (MSA) was found to be the most potent component among a mixture of saponins. The mean effective concentrations of MSA that induced irreversible immobilization were 320 μg/mL for rat and 500 μg/mL for human sperm, as against the respective concentrations of 350 and 550 μg/mL of nonoxynol 9 (N-9). The mode of spermicidal action was evaluated by a battery of tests including (a) double fluoroprobe staining for sperm viability, (b) hypoosmotic swelling test and, assays for 5’ nucleotidase and acrosin for physiological integrity of sperm plasma membrane, (c) scanning and transmission electron microscopy for sperm membrane ultrastructure, and (d) plasma membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO). The observations, taken together, were interpreted to mean that the spermicidal effect of MSA involved increased membrane LPO leading to structural and functional disintegration of sperm plasma membrane and acrosomal vesicle. A comparative in vitro cytotoxicity study in human vaginal keratocyte (Vk2/E6E7) and endocervical (End/E6E7) cell lines demonstrated that the 50% cell cytotoxicity (CC50) values, and consequently the safety indices, for MSA were ≥ 8-fold higher as compared to those of N-9. In conclusion, MSA is a potent spermicidal molecule that may be explored further for its suitability as an effective component of vaginal contraceptive.
Glucose is toxic to glycosome-deficient trypanosomes

Trypanosomatids, the etiologic agents of sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, and Chagas' disease, compartmentalize glycolysis within glycosomes, metabolic organelles related to peroxisomes. Here, we identify a trypanosome homologue of PEX14, one of the components of the peroxisomal protein import docking complex. We have used double-stranded RNA interference to target the PEX14 transcript for degradation. Glycosomal matrix protein import was compromised, and both glycolytic bloodstream stage parasites and mitochondrially respiring procyclic stage parasites were killed. Thus, unlike peroxisomes, glycosomes are essential organelles. Surprisingly, procyclic forms, which can grow in the absence of glucose, were killed by PEX14 RNA interference only when simple sugars were present. Thus, interference with glycosome protein import makes glucose toxic to trypanosomes.
P-selectin-dependent macrophage migration into the tubulointerstitium in unilateral ureteral obstruction.

BACKGROUND Interstitial infiltration of macrophages (Mø) is one of the main causal factors for the tubulointerstitial injury. However, precise mechanisms of Mø infiltration into tubulointerstitium have not been fully explored. The purposes of this study were to assess the role of selectins in the acute infiltration of Mø in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and to evaluate the role of vasa recta, that is, whether they facilitate massive influx of Mø into the interstitium by functioning as specialized vessels. METHODS To evaluate the role of selectins in Mø infiltration into tubulointerstitium, the expression of selectins and L-selectin ligands was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. The functional role of P-selectin in vasa recta was studied by Stamper-Woodruff assay, in vivo p-Mø migration assay and in vivo blocking experiments with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) ARP2-4. RESULTS Selective expression of P-selectin was detected in vasa recta as early as one hour after UUO, and the expression increased thereafter for 96 hours. In contrast, endothelial expression of L-selectin ligands and E-selectin were not detectable. In the Stamper-Woodruff assay on kidney sections of rats with UUO, the adhesion of isolated rat peritoneal Mø (p-Mø) to vasa recta was significantly inhibited by the mAb ARP2-4 (P-selectin blocker; P < 0.01), but not by mAb ARE-5 (E-selectin blocker) or rLECIg (rat L-selectin chimeric protein). In the in vivo transfer experiments with fluorescein-labeled p-Mø into rats 48 hours after UUO, labeled p-Mø had accumulated around vasa recta at three minutes and had infiltrated predominantly into the outer medulla at 180 minutes. The number of labeled p-Mø was reduced when the rats were pretreated with ARP2-4 (P < 0.01). Finally, ARP2-4 (10 mg/kg), injected 15 minutes before UUO, reduced the number of infiltrated Mø (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The results suggest that vasa recta, which express P-selectin, contribute to massive infiltration of Mø into the interstitium by functioning as specialized post-capillary venules.
Activation of Casein Kinase II by Gallic Acid Induces BIK–BAX/BAK-Mediated ER Ca++-ROS-Dependent Apoptosis of Human Oral Cancer Cells

Induction of the generation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca++)-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) by gallic acid (GA) has been implicated in the mitochondrial apoptotic death of human oral cancer (OC) cells, but the molecular mechanism by which GA causes ER Ca++ release of OC cells to undergo cell death remains unclear. Here, we report that GA-induced phosphorylation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)-interacting killer (BIK) (threonine (Thr) 33/Serine (Ser) 35) and p53 (Ser 15 and Ser 392), Bcl-2-associated x protein (BAX)/BCL-2 antagonist killer 1 (BAK) oligomerization on the ER and mitochondria, rising of cytosolic Ca++ and ROS, cytochrome c (Cyt c) release from the mitochondria, Ψm loss, and apoptosis were suppressed in cells co-treated with a specific inhibitor of casein kinase II (CK II) (4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole). Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated suppression of BIK inhibited GA-induced oligomeric complex of BAX/BAK in the ER and mitochondria, increase of cytosolic Ca++ and ROS, and apoptosis, but did not attenuate the increase in the level of Ser 15-phosphated p53 induced by GA. Blockade of p53 expression by short hairpin RNA suppressed BAX/BAK oligomerization and ER Ca++–ROS-associated apoptosis induced by GA but did not affect GA-induced phospho-BIK (Thr 33/Ser 35) levels. Induction of mitochondrial Cyt c release and ROS generation, increased cytosolic Ca++ level, and apoptosis by GA was attenuated by expression of the BAX or BAK siRNA. Over-expression of BCL-2 (but not BCL-XL) inhibited formation of ER oligomeric BAX/BAK by GA. Our results demonstrated that activation of the CK II by GA is required for the BIK-mediated ROS-dependent apoptotic activity of ER-associated BAX/BAK.
Multi Relational Mining in Network Intrusion Detection

The network intrusion detection (NIDS) is faced with the question to detect many kinds of intrusion. In order to detect the complex attack, network intrusion detection system need to analysis massive data captured form different network safety equipments. So a new multi relational mining algorithm MRA2 is proposed. MRA2 depend on the association rules mining technology and the probability function dependency method which is proposed through extending the theory of function dependency. MRA2 is able to synthesize the various datalog resources to detect intrusion effectively and reappear to the complex network attack scenario.
Anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibody is an early diagnostic marker for childhood primary Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE alpha-fodrin is a recently identified autoantigen associated with adult primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We tested whether anti-alpha-fodrin antibody could also be used as a diagnostic marker for childhood SS. METHODS We performed immunoblot analysis of sera from 7 patients with childhood primary SS using glutathione-S-transferase alpha-fodrin fusion protein as an antigen. RESULTS Anti-alpha-fodrin antibody was detected in sera from all 7 patients with childhood primary SS, 2 of 4 with secondary SS, and one of 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, but in no other healthy controls. CONCLUSION The anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibody was detected before anti-SSA or SSB antibody became positive; thus anti-alpha-fodrin antibody could be a useful marker for the early diagnosis of SS.
Characterization of ecological risks from environmental releases of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5)

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) is used in personal care products and industrial applications. The authors summarize the risks to the environment from D5 based on multiple lines of evidence and conclude that it presents negligible risk. Laboratory and field studies show that D5 is not toxic to aquatic organisms or benthic invertebrates up to its solubility limit in water or porewater or its sorptive capacity in sediment. Comparison of lipid‐normalized internal concentrations with measured concentrations in benthos indicates that field‐collected organisms do not achieve toxic levels of D5 in their tissues, suggesting negligible risk. Exposure to D5 resulted in a slight reduction of root biomass in barley at test concentrations 2 orders of magnitude greater than measured D5 levels in biosolids‐amended soils and more than twice as high as the maximum calculated sorptive capacity of the soil. No effects were observed in soil invertebrates exposed to similar concentrations, indicating that D5 poses a de minimis risk to the terrestrial environment. High rates of metabolism and elimination of D5 compared with uptake rates from food results in biodilution in the food web rather than biomagnification, culminating in de minimis risk to higher trophic level organisms via the food chain. A fugacity approach substantiates all conclusions that were made on a concentration basis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2715–2722. © 2015 SETAC
Latching control of wave energy converters using derivative-free optimization

We propose a control algorithm for wave energy converters (WECs) using derivative-free optimization (DFO), with relatively low computational burden and significant improvement in energy generation. The main idea is to consider the energy generation over a time horizon as a function of the latching time and formulate a suitable optimization problem. We demonstrate that the cost function can be discontinuous, which is the main reason for using DFO. A novel convergence proof is given for univariate discontinuous functions. We study two problem formulations, one that uses the past wave information to estimate the optimal latching time which can achieve at least 5 times more energy absorption than uncontrolled case. The other formulation obtains the optimal latching time by predicting the future wave information and results another 2-fold energy absorption over the first formulation.
Estimating Mixture Entropy with Pairwise Distances

Mixture distributions arise in many parametric and non-parametric settings—for example, in Gaussian mixture models and in non-parametric estimation. It is often necessary to compute the entropy of a mixture, but, in most cases, this quantity has no closed-form expression, making some form of approximation necessary. We propose a family of estimators based on a pairwise distance function between mixture components, and show that this estimator class has many attractive properties. For many distributions of interest, the proposed estimators are efficient to compute, differentiable in the mixture parameters, and become exact when the mixture components are clustered. We prove this family includes lower and upper bounds on the mixture entropy. The Chernoff α -divergence gives a lower bound when chosen as the distance function, with the Bhattacharyaa distance providing the tightest lower bound for components that are symmetric and members of a location family. The Kullback–Leibler divergence gives an upper bound when used as the distance function. We provide closed-form expressions of these bounds for mixtures of Gaussians, and discuss their applications to the estimation of mutual information. We then demonstrate that our bounds are significantly tighter than well-known existing bounds using numeric simulations. This estimator class is very useful in optimization problems involving maximization/minimization of entropy and mutual information, such as MaxEnt and rate distortion problems.
A Genetic Algorithm Feature Selection Approach to Robust Classification between "Positive" and "Negative" Emotional States in Speakers

The aim of acquiring knowledge about the emotional state of a speaker is to improve the robustness of speech recognition systems, as the mechanisms producing speech vary in the presence of emotions, and also to improve the machine's perception of a speaker's emotional state so as to respond to his/her requests more appropriately. The paper proposes an approach based on genetic algorithms to determine a set of features that will allow robust classification of positive and negative emotional states. Starting from a vector of 414 features, a subset of features is obtained providing a good discrimination between positive and negative slates, while maintaining low computational complexity
Telomeres and life histories: the long and the short of it

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of eukaryote chromosomes. Telomere loss limits the number of times cells can divide and is intimately involved in cell loss and renewal. Average telomere length in cell samples generally declines with donor age but shows substantial intraspecific variation. Telomeres are potentially of great interest to evolutionary biologists since the balance of fitness costs and benefits associated with loss and restoration is linked to the biology of life span. Most telomere research is done in the context of human disease. Recently, however, there has been a burgeoning of interest in telomere dynamics in healthy organisms. The extent to which variation in telomere loss might be involved in the evolution of life histories, and constrain or underpin life history trade‐offs, is a growing field of research. I discuss what we do and do not know about the links between telomere length and life histories and the extent to which variations in telomere length and loss rate are useful indicators of aging‐related changes and/or the biological state of individuals.
Deterministic simulation of SiGe HBTs based on the Boltzmann equation

In this paper, a deterministic approach to electron transport based on the spherical harmonics expansion of the Boltzmann equation is presented for SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors. In order to take into account the position-dependent minima of the valleys of the conduction band, a new formulation of the discretized scattering integral for non-aligned and non-equidistant energy grids is developed. The Early voltage and the cutoff frequency are calculated for an HBT with a realistic doping profile. The difference between the results of the Boltzmann equation and the momentum-based transport models is analyzed.