Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ReRAM-based 4T2R nonvolatile TCAM with 7x NVM-stress reduction, and 4x improvement in speed-wordlength-capacity for normally-off instant-on filter-based search engines used in big-data processing

This study proposes an RC-filtered stress-decoupled (RCSD) 4T2R nonvolatile TCAM (nvTCAM) to 1) suppress match-line (ML) leakage current from match cells (IML-M), 2) reduce ML parasitic load (CML), 3) decouple NVM-stress from wordlength (WDL) and IML-MIS. RCSD reduces NVM-stress by 7+x, and achieves a 4+x improvement in speed-WDL-capacity-product. A 128×32b RCSD nvTCAM macro was fabricated using HfO ReRAM and an 180nm CMOS. This paper presents the first ReRAM-based nvTCAM featuring the shortest (1.2ns) search delay (TSD) among nvTCAMs with WDL≥32b.
The US Air Force suicide prevention program: implications for public health policy.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the effectiveness of the US Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) in reducing suicide, and we measured the extent to which air force installations implemented the program. METHODS We determined the AFSPP's impact on suicide rates in the air force by applying an intervention regression model to data from 1981 through 2008, providing 16 years of data before the program's 1997 launch and 11 years of data after launch. Also, we measured implementation of program components at 2 points in time: during a 2004 increase in suicide rates, and 2 years afterward. RESULTS Suicide rates in the air force were significantly lower after the AFSPP was launched than before, except during 2004. We also determined that the program was being implemented less rigorously in 2004. CONCLUSIONS The AFSPP effectively prevented suicides in the US Air Force. The long-term effectiveness of this program depends upon extensive implementation and effective monitoring of implementation. Suicides can be reduced through a multilayered, overlapping approach that encompasses key prevention domains and tracks implementation of program activities.
Inhaled Colistin for Treatment of Pneumonia due to Colistin-Only-Susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii

Purpose Colistin is used for the treatment of pneumonia associated with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the best route of administration and dosage is not known. We report our experience with aerosolized colistin in twelve patients with pneumonia caused by colistin-only-susceptible (COS) A. baumannii. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients' medical records who were treated with aerosolized colistin for the treatment of pneumonia. Results Ten patients were treated only with aerosolized colistin inhalation and two patients received a 3-day course intravenous colistin, and then switched to colistin inhalation therapy. The median duration of aerosolized colistin therapy was 17 days (5-31 days). Four patients were treated only with aerosolized colistin, whereas 4 patients received concomitant glycopeptides, and 4 received concomitant levofloxacin or cefoperazone/sulbactam. At the end of the therapy, the clinical response rate and bacteriological clearance rate was 83% and 50%, respectively. Colistin-resistant strains were isolated from 3 patients after aerosolized colistin therapy; however, all of them showed favorable clinical response. The median interval between inhalation therapy and resistance was 7 days (range 5-19 days). Acute kidney injury developed in 3 patients. Two patients experienced Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea. One patient developed fever and skin rash after aerosolized colistin therapy. No patient developed neurotoxicity or bronchospasm. Conclusion Colistin inhalation therapy is deemed tolerable and safe, and could be beneficial as an adjuctive therapy for the management of pneumonia due to COS A. baumannii. However, the potential development of colistin resistance cannot be overlooked.
An entropy based classification scheme for land applications of polarimetric SAR

The authors outline a new scheme for parameterizing polarimetric scattering problems, which has application in the quantitative analysis of polarimetric SAR data. The method relies on an eigenvalue analysis of the coherency matrix and employs a three-level Bernoulli statistical model to generate estimates of the average target scattering matrix parameters from the data. The scattering entropy is a key parameter is determining the randomness in this model and is seen as a fundamental parameter in assessing the importance of polarimetry in remote sensing problems. The authors show application of the method to some important classical random media scattering problems and apply it to POLSAR data from the NASA/JPL AIRSAR data base.
Working memory in schizophrenia

Background: Working memory has been reported to be impaired in schizophrenia, but there are inconsistencies in the literature. Therefore, we undertook the current study with the objective of assessing both auditory and visuospatial working memory tasks in a sample of schizophrenia patients in comparison to normal controls, and its correlation with psychopathology. Method: The sample comprised of 78 drug naive or drug free patients of either sex, aged between 18–45 years, fulfilling diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research, and 35 age, sex and education matched normal controls. SAPS and SANS were used to assess positive and negative symptoms in patients, respectively. To assess working memory, Letter-Number Sequencing and Spatial Span subtests of Wechsler Memory Scale, Third edition (WMS-III) were used. Results: There were significantly lower scores in schizophrenia patients compared to normal controls in spatial span forward (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 2.51), backward (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 2.62) and total scores (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 2.78) as well as letter-number sequencing scores (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 1.87). In the patient group, there was significant negative correlation between SANS total score with spatial span forward (τ = -.227, p<.01) and total scores (τ = -.164, p<.05). Conclusion: Our study suggests impairment of both visuospatial as well as auditory memory in patients of schizophrenia as compared to controls. Furthermore, visuospatial working memory correlated inversely with negative symptoms (German J Psychiatry 2010; 13 (3) 116–120).
Micro-impression de BMP-2 et fibronectine sur des matériaux mous : un outil pour recréer la niche de cellules souches in vitro

In vivo, les cellules souches resident au sein de niches, des microenvironnements extremement specialises qui leur permettent de reguler leur proliferation ainsi que leur differentiation en cellules matures et fonctionnelles. Ces microenvironnements sont caracterises par des interactions cellules-cellules, la presence de facteurs de croissance et de cytokines, et une matrice extracellulaire, qui fournissent des signaux qui permettent de controler le comportement des cellules souches.Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) est un facteur de croissance osteoinductif qui est implique dans toutes les etapes de la differentiation osteoblastique, ainsi que dans la transdifferentiation de myoblastes vers une lignee osteogenique. In vivo, ce facteur existe a la fois en solution et lie a la matrice extracellulaire. Bien que ces deux modes de presentation influencent les comportements cellulaires de facon distincte, leur role dans le microenvironnement de la niche et leur pertinence fonctionnelle dans la genese de la reponse biologique n’a presque pas ete etudie a l’echelle cellulaire. Ici nous avons utilise l’affinite naturelle de la BMP-2 pour la fibronectine afin de creer des micromotifs de BMP-2 de taille cellulaire sur des biomateriaux mous.Cette technique nous a permis de controler simultanement la presentation spatiale de la BMP-2 liee a la fibronectine, ainsi que l’etalement cellulaire. Ces micromotifs ont induit une organisation d’actine et d’adhesions focales autour du noyau, et a declenche la phosphorylation et la translocation nucleaire de SMAD1/5/8 dans des myoblastes murins C2C12 et des cellules souches mesenchymateuses. Ceci est un indicateur precoce de leur transdifferentiation osteoblastique. Nous avons trouve que l’etalement cellulaire lui-meme facilitait la phosphorylation de SMAD1/5/8 dependante de la BMP-2, et avons demontre que la signalisation SMAD mediee par la fibronectine et la BMP-2 dependait de LIM kinase 2 et de ROCK, plutot que d’une activation de la myosine II.Nous avons egalement pu utiliser cet outil pour etudier les cinetiques d’adhesion et d’etalement, les changements d’organisation du cytosquelette dependants du mode de presentation de la BMP-2, et la signalisation entre la matrice et la cellule, mediee par les integrines. Nous avons obtenu des resultats preliminaires suggerant un effet du mode de presentation de la BMP-2 sur les forces cellulaires, suggerant que le mode de presentation des facteurs de croissance pourrait etre pertinent a d’autres mecanismes cellulaires tels que la mecanotransduction.Dans l’ensemble, nous resultats montrent que les patterns de BMP-2 liee a la fibronectine sont un outil utile a l’etude de mecanismes cellulaires. De facon plus large, notre approche pourrait etre adaptee a d’autres combinaisons de proteines de la matrice et de facteurs de croissance, ouvrant ainsi une avenue fascinante pour recreer in vitro des niches specifiques aux tissus.
Exploring daily variations of drinking in the Swiss general population. A growth curve analysis

This study aims to address the underlying trajectories of weekly individual drinking patterns by growth models and to relate differences in drinking patterns to socio‐demographic and drinking characteristics of respondents. Data came from a two‐stage stratified random subsample of 747 persons aged 15 years or more from a Swiss study on alcohol consumption using a within‐subject design conducted between March 1999 and July 1999. Beverage specific assessment of daily alcohol consumption was obtained by a weekly drinking diary and other characteristics via telephone interviews. The diary had to be filled out on seven consecutive days. The growth models accounted for up to 37.6% of the initial error variance and provided evidence for two distinct, negatively correlated underlying trajectories of drinking patterns. The first trajectory described an increase in consumption from Monday to Sunday. The second trajectory was about a specific weekend consumption culminating on Saturday with a significantly higher growth rate among young people and heavy episodic drinkers than in other subgroups. Therefore, young and heavy episodic drinkers may be exposed to sudden adverse consequences of alcohol consumption during the weekend. Prevention efforts which are targeted to this subgroup should take its specific drinking pattern into account. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple binding modes for palmitate to barley lipid transfer protein facilitated by the presence of proline 12

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to characterise the binding of the fatty acid ligand palmitate in the barley lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP) internal cavity. Two different palmitate binding modes (1 and 2), with similar protein–ligand interaction energies, have been identified using a variety of simulation strategies. These strategies include applying experimental protein–ligand atom–atom distance restraints during the simulation, or protonating the palmitate ligand, or using the vacuum GROMOS 54B7 force‐field parameter set for the ligand during the initial stages of the simulations. In both the binding modes identified the palmitate carboxylate head group hydrogen bonds with main chain amide groups in helix A, residues 4 to 19, of the protein. In binding mode 1 the hydrogen bonds are to Lys 11, Cys 13, and Leu 14 and in binding mode 2 to Thr 15, Tyr 16, Val 17, Ser 24 and also to the OH of Thr 15. In both cases palmitate binding exploits irregularity of the intrahelical hydrogen‐bonding pattern in helix A of barley LTP due to the presence of Pro 12. Simulations of two variants of barley LTP, namely the single mutant Pro12Val and the double mutant Pro12Val Pro70Val, show that Pro 12 is required for persistent palmitate binding in the LTP cavity. Overall, the work identifies key MD simulation approaches for characterizing the details of protein–ligand interactions in complexes where NMR data provide insufficient restraints.
Members of a Readily Enriched β-Proteobacterial Clade Are Common in Surface Waters of a Humic Lake

ABSTRACT Humic lakes are systems often characterized by irregular high input of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the catchment. We hypothesized that specific bacterial groups which rapidly respond to changes in DOC availability might form large populations in such habitats. Seasonal changes of microbial community composition were studied in two compartments of an artificially divided bog lake with contrasting DOC inputs. These changes were compared to community shifts induced during short-term enrichment experiments. Inocula from the two compartments were diluted 1:10 into water from the more DOC-rich compartment, and inorganic nutrients were added to avoid microbial N and P limitation. The dilutions were incubated for a period of 2 weeks. The microbial assemblages were analyzed by cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and by fluorescence in situ hybridization with specific oligonucleotide probes. β-Proteobacteria from a cosmopolitan freshwater lineage related to Polynucleobacter necessarius (beta II) were rapidly enriched in all treatments. In contrast, members of the class Actinobacteria did not respond to the enhanced availability of DOC by an immediate increase in growth rate, and their relative abundances declined during the incubations. In lake water members of the beta II clade seasonally constituted up to 50% of all microbes in the water column. Bacteria from this lineage annually formed a significantly higher fraction of the microbial community in the lake compartment with a higher allochthonous influx than in the other compartment. Actinobacteria represented a second numerically important bacterioplankton group, but without clear differences between the compartments. We suggest that the pelagic microbial community of the studied system harbors two major components with fundamentally different growth strategies.
Stability and Traction Optimization of a Reconfigurable Wheel-Legged Robot

Actively articulated locomotion systems such as hybrid wheel-legged vehicles are a possible way to enhance the locomotion performance of an autonomous mobile robot. In this paper, we address the control of the wheel-legged robot Hylos traveling on irregular sloping terrain. The redundancy of such a system is used to optimize both the balance of traction forces and the tipover stability. The general formulation of this optimization problem is presented, and a suboptimal but computationally efficient solution is proposed. Then, an algorithm to control the robot posture, based on a velocity model, is described. Finally, this algorithm is validated through simulations and experiments that show the capabilities of such a redundantly actuated vehicle to enhance its own safety and autonomy in critical environments.
Assessment of sun-related behaviour in individuals with dysplastic naevus syndrome: a comparison between diary recordings and questionnaire responses

In Sweden, individuals with dysplastic naevus syndrome (DNS-D2), a high risk group for malignant melanoma, are regularly screened and informed about self-examination and sun protection. During the summer of 1994, 54 out of 65 consecutive patients completed 1 month of daily selfrecordings of sun-related behaviour. The diary report was compared with questionnaire responses obtained 6 months later concerning sun-related behaviour, both habitual and during the month of self-recording. The correspondence between the sun-related behaviour recorded in the diary and given in response to the questionnaire was fairly high, but 48% underestimated and 29% overestimated their actual number of sunbathing occasions in the questionnaire. Few patients indicated habitual high frequencies of sunbathing, although some of them recorded six or more occasions during 1 month in the diary. Those who recorded multiple sunburns reported the highest number of sunburns in the questionnaire. Patients who scored high on sunbed use also recorded high numbers of sunbathing occasions. Diaries should be used when detailed information about the magnitude of sun-related behaviour is essential, whereas questionnaires should be sufficient in studies aiming to differentiate between high and low frequencies of such behaviour.
Genetic Characterization of vanG, a Novel Vancomycin Resistance Locus of Enterococcus faecalis

ABSTRACT Enterococcus faecalis strain WCH9 displays a moderate level of resistance to vancomycin (MIC = 16 μg/ml) and full susceptibility to teicoplanin but is negative by PCR analysis using primers specific for all known enterococcal vancomycin resistance genotypes (vanA, vanB,vanC, vanD, and vanE). We have isolated and sequenced a novel putative vancomycin resistance locus (designated vanG), which contains seven open reading frames, from this strain. These are organized differently from those of all the other enterococcal vanloci, and, furthermore, the individual vanG gene products exhibit less than 50% amino acid sequence identity to othervan gene products.
Complexation with dissolved organic matter and solubility control of heavy metals in a sandy soil.

The complexation of heavy metals with dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the environment influences the solubility and mobility of these metals. In this paper, we measured the complexation of Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Pb with DOM in the soil solution at pH 3.7-6.1 using a Donnan membrane technique. The results show that the DOM-complexed species is generally more significant for Cu and Pb than for Cd, Zn, and Ni. The ability of two advanced models for ion binding to humic substances, e.g., model VI and NICA-Donnan, in the simulation of metal binding to natural DOM was assessed by comparing the model predictions with the measurements. Using the default parameters of fulvic and humic acid, the predicted concentrations of free metal ions from the solution speciation calculation using the two models are mostly within 1 order of magnitude difference from the measured concentrations, except for Ni and Pb in a few samples. Furthermore, the solid-solution partitioning of the metals was simulated using a multisurface model, in which metal binding to soil organic matter, dissolved organic matter, clay, and iron hydroxides was accounted for using adsorption and cation exchange models (NICA-Donnan, Donnan, DDL, CD-MUSIC). The model estimation of the dissolved concentration of the metals is mostly within 1 order of magnitude difference from those measured except for Ni in some samples and Pb. The solubility of the metals depends mainly on the metal loading over soil sorbents, pH, and the concentration of inorganic ligands and DOM in the soil solution.
Is Binge Drinking Onset Timing Related to Academic Performance, Engagement, and Aspirations Among Youth in the COMPASS Study?

ABSTRACT Background: Some evidence suggests early initiation of alcohol use is associated with academic underachievement; however, substance use onset is an ambiguous concept, resulting in mixed findings across studies. Moreover, the quantity of early use is likely an important determinant. Binge drinking is a common pattern among younger cohorts, and is shown to magnify the risk of related problems. Objectives: The current study explored how students who initiated binge drinking early (grade 10 or earlier) or later in high school (grade 11 or 12) differed in relation to a variety of academic indices. Methods: The sample consisted of 19,764 grade 9 to 12 students with at least 2 years of linked-longitudinal data from Year 1(Y1: 2012-2013), Year 2(Y2: 2013-2014), and Year 3(Y3: 2014-2015) of the COMPASS study. Separate multinomial GEE models tested the likelihood of different responses to outcome measures of academic goals, engagement, preparedness, and performance based on the timing of binge drinking onset. Models adjusted for binge drinking initiation in varying frequencies, gender, grade, race/ethnicity, and smoking. Results: Compared to students with earlier onsets of binge drinking, youth with later onsets were more likely to regularly attend class, complete their homework, value good grades, achieve high English or Math marks, have graduate/professional degree ambitions, and expect to obtain a college/trade school diploma after high school, yet they were less likely to expect to achieve a bachelor's degree. Conclusion: Results highlight the importance of substance use prevention programs targeting early adolescents. Both delaying and preventing binge drinking have the potential to improve scholastic outcomes.
Harnessing smartphone sensors for tracking location to support travel data collection

There has been growing interest in using smartphones for the collection of travel data. These devices are being used by an increasing proportion of the population overcoming one of the barriers to GPS travel surveys. Nonetheless, several barriers remain before smartphones can effectively replace dedicated GPS devices. This paper describes the development of a smartphone app that balances the need for quality data with battery life, which was used for a seven-day travel survey in Sydney, Australia. A stop-detection algorithm developed to automatically identify locations to study participants is discussed. The paper then compares the performance of the smartphone app with that of a widely-used GPS device, using data collected from the same trips during the seven-day travel survey. The results indicate that the smartphone app provides data of equal, and in many cases, better quality than the GPS device. This is particularly true in heavily built-up areas and on short trips, both situations in which GPS struggles to provide accurate data.
Document integrity through mediated interfaces

End-to-end integrity for documents is provided by wrapping the tools that manipulate those documents and mediating their operation to cryptographically integrity mark those documents as they are being saved, to check those cryptographic integrity marks as those documents are loaded, and to record an application-level history of the changes to the document. Corrupted documents (those failing to match their crytographic integrity mark) are automatically repaired by replaying the recorded history of the application-level changes to the document. That recorded history is also used to identify all modifications (including date and author) to any selected portion of the document. A document integrity manager embodying these capabilities has been developed for Microsoft Word.
A protocol to remove colored metabolites and other inhibitors from plant tissues to facilitate RNA isolation suitable for downstream applications

This work developed a protocol to remove colored metabolites and other interfering substances to facilitate RNA isolation. These metabolites otherwise hinder RNA isolation and downstream applications. The developed protocol used sodium dodecyl sulphate, ethylenediamine tetra‐acetic acid, and ethanol in a definite ratio that removed the said metabolites from the tissue and aided isolation of RNA using the existing methods. The protocol was developed for red colored roots of Arnebia euchroma and was extended to other colored tissues [rhizome of Rheum australe (Himalayan Rhubarb) and taproot of Daucus carota (purple carrot)] with success. Without inclusion of our protocol, the existing methods could not isolate good quality RNA from these tissues. RNA isolated by the developed protocol had A260/280 ratio of 1.88–1.93, A260/230 ratio of 1.94–2.0, and RNA integrity number of 6.3–8.0. RNA was amenable to downstream applications such as reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and primer extension assay. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2012