Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of the von Willebrand Factor–ADAMTS13 Ratio With Incident Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease

Background: Platelet adhesion is mediated by von Willebrand factor (vWF), and disintegrin-like and metalloprotease domain with thrombospondin type-1 motif, number 13 (ADAMTS13) is a protease that cleaves vWF. A change in the balance between vWF and ADAMTS13 in favor of thrombosis might occur shortly before ischemic cardiovascular (CV) events. Objective: To determine whether vWF, ADAMTS13, and the ratio of vWF and ADAMTS13 change during the months preceding an acute CV event. Design: Prospective longitudinal observational study. Setting: Outpatient. Patients: A total of 595 participants with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Measurements: Blood samples were obtained every 2 months for up to 3 years and hemostatic factors examined at intervals preceding events. Results: Sixty-one participants (cases) experienced events and were matched to 122 PAD controls. During the 2-month interval prior to an event, cases (n = 48) had higher levels of the vWF and ADAMTS13 than controls (n = 95; P = .05), but significance was lost after adjusting for the baseline differences in myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and stroke. During the 10 months prior to an event, median values for vWF and the ratio of vWF and ADAMTS13 were higher in cases than in controls, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, in a subset of 20 patients with complete bimonthly data, there was a trend toward an increase in the ratio in the 10 months prior to a CV event (P = .04). Conclusion: In patients with PAD experiencing an ischemic CV event, a significant increase in the ratio of vWF to ADAMTS13 prior to the event could not be confirmed, although there was a weak trend in this direction.
Colpitts current-reused QVCO based on capacitor coupling

This paper presents a Colpitts current-reused quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) based on capacitor coupling in TSMC 0.18um CMOS 1P6M process technology. Comparing to conventional parallel-coupled QVCO (P-QVCO), the proposed QVCO achieves a better phase noise and phase accuracy. The proposed QVCO operates from 4.57GHz to 5.02GHz. The measured phase noise at 1MHz offset frequency is −119 dBc/Hz and the measured phase error of quadrature signals are 5° at 5GHz. With 1.8V power supply, the power consumption is 8.46mW. The figure of merit (FOM) of proposed QVCO is 183.7 dBc/Hz. The die area is 1×0.78mm2
Two New Techniques Integrated for Energy-Efficient TLB Design

The translation lookaside buffer (TLB) is an essential component used to speed up the virtual-to-physical address translation. Due to frequent lookup, however, the power consumption of the TLB is usually considerable. This paper presents an energy-efficient TLB design for the embedded processors. In our design, we first propose a real-time filter scheme to facilitate the block buffering to eliminate the redundant TLB accesses without comparator delay. By modifying the address registers to be sensitive to the contents variation, the proposed real-time filter can distinguish the redundant TLB access as soon as the virtual address is generated. The second technique is a banking-like design, which aims to reduce the energy consumption per TLB access in case of block buffer miss. To alleviate the performance penalty introduced by the conventional banking technique, we develop two adaptive variants of the banked TLB. Both variants can achieve the high energy efficiency as the banked TLB while maintaining the low miss ratio as the nonbanked TLB. The experimental results show that by filtering out all the redundant TLB accesses and then minimizing the energy consumption per access, without any performance penalty our design can effectively improve the Energy* Delay product of the TLB, especially for the data TLB with poor locality
A Multi-Atlas-Based Segmentation Framework for Prostate Brachytherapy

Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is a radiation treatment method for localized prostate cancer. The standard of care for this treatment procedure is to acquire transrectal ultrasound images of the prostate in order to devise a plan to deliver sufficient radiation dose to the cancerous tissue. Brachytherapy planning involves delineation of contours in these images, which closely follow the prostate boundary, i.e., clinical target volume. This process is currently performed either manually or semi-automatically, which requires user interaction for landmark initialization. In this paper, we propose a multi-atlas fusion framework to automatically delineate the clinical target volume in ultrasound images. A dataset of a priori segmented ultrasound images, i.e., atlases, is registered to a target image. We introduce a pairwise atlas agreement factor that combines an image-similarity metric and similarity between a priori segmented contours. This factor is used in an atlas selection algorithm to prune the dataset before combining the atlas contours to produce a consensus segmentation. We evaluate the proposed segmentation approach on a set of 280 transrectal prostate volume studies. The proposed method produces segmentation results that are within the range of observer variability when compared to a semi-automatic segmentation technique that is routinely used in our cancer clinic.
Quantification and automatized adaptive detection of in vivo and in vitro neuronal bursts based on signal complexity

In this paper, we propose employing entropy values to quantify action potential bursts in electrophysiological measurements from the brain and neuronal cultures. Conventionally in the electrophysiological signal analysis, bursts are quantified by means of conventional measures such as their durations, and number of spikes in bursts. Here our main aim is to device metrics for burst quantification to provide for enhanced burst characterization. Entropy is a widely employed measure to quantify regularity/complexity of time series. Specifically, we investigate the applicability and differences of spectral entropy and sample entropy in the quantification of bursts in in vivo rat hippocampal measurements and in in vitro dissociated rat cortical cell culture measurement done with microelectrode arrays. For the task, an automatized and adaptive burst detection method is also utilized. Whereas the employed metrics are known from other applications, they are rarely employed in the assessment of burst in electrophysiological field potential measurements. Our results show that the proposed metrics are potential for the task at hand.
Event-Triggering Load Frequency Control for Multiarea Power Systems With Communication Delays

This paper studies the load frequency control (LFC) for power systems with communication delays via an event-triggered control method to reduce the amount of communications required. The effect of the load disturbances on the augmented output is defined as a robust performance index of the augmented LFC scheme. By utilizing a time-delayed system design approach, a new model of the LFC scheme with delays is formulated, where the communication delays and event-triggered control are integrated for the LFC scheme. Based on the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method, the criteria for the event-triggered stability analysis and control synthesis of the LFC scheme are derived. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation studies.
[A study of the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and its application to noise stress].

By using the STAI developed by Spielberger et al. we have investigated the validity and reliability of two scales, that is, State Anxiety (A-State) and Trait Anxiety (A-Trait), and at the same time have examined them under various conditions. The results obtained are as follows: 1) As a result of factor analysis concerning 40 items of the STAI used in this research, we have confirmed that both A-State and A-Trait have independent factor structures of their own, and that the items of the scales also carry their own validity. 2) After due consideration of the test-retest reliability of the two scales, we have found that A-Trait has rather high stability. Moreover, we have noticed that Cronbach's alpha coefficients, which show the reliability of the two scales, are high. In consequence, we have confirmed the high reliability of the two scales. 3) In comparing the scores of A-State and A-Trait obtained from young healthy people with those from healthy aged people, we have noticed that the aged get low scores on each of the two scales, and that each score distribution shows an excellent fit to the normal one. 4) We have found that A-State scores go up significantly when people are in a condition of emotional stress, but that there is not any change of A-Trait scores. 5) We have observed a significant increase of A-State scores at each noise level over 75 dB(A). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Application of bootstrap technique in power system risk assessment

This paper presents the risk assessment of power system that takes into account the system failure indices and uncertainty of unavailable load variations estimated by using the bootstrap technique. The risk of the system is measured by using the expected energy not supplied (EENS) index as well as the probability of load curtailment (PLC). The bootstrap technique is a tool which provides simplest way to perform risk assessment of a power system. Furthermore, it also requires very little assumptions to carry-out the risk analysis and it is imperative for a small size of available information. The application of bootstrap technique is important to assess the risk indices at every level of system uncertainty. The IEEE 24-bus Reliability Test System (RTS) is used as a case study in the analysis of system risk severity based EENS and PLC. Comparative studies have been made on the risk assessment of the power system determined by using the bootstrap technique and fuzzy set.
創業教育的典範：Babson College模式

This article, mainly based on the first author' personal participation in the ＂Teaching Entrepreneurial Thought and Action＂ workshop of Babson College and partially supplemented with materials from secondary data, introduces readers with the student-centered curriculum design and action learning philosophy in Babson College, which place an emphasis on how to educate their students to become a entrepreneurial leader. When students learn to start their business, their ambidexterity thinking skills, sustainable development and self-exploration are emphasized, enabling them to face unpredictable challenges in the future. The college also provides students with strong faculty mentor system and administrative support to run an enterprise, so they can explore their interests and specialty. Lastly, recommendations are provided for entrepreneurship educators on developing their own unique entrepreneurship education program.
Role of hepatic desaturases in obesity-related metabolic disorders

Purpose of reviewThis review aims to address the latest research on hepatic desaturases and metabolic disorders, with focus on stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) indices in observational studies. Recent findingsIn animal studies, SCD-1 inhibition protects against features of the metabolic syndrome and is associated with improved hepatic insulin resistance and decreased steatosis. In human observational studies, higher estimated hepatic SCD-1 and Δ6-desaturase activities predict the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and mortality whereas Δ5-desaturase index is often inversely related. However, because the desaturase activities in the liver and adipose tissue may not be regulated in parallel, it is important to define used lipid fractions when comparing studies. It is also important to take the background diets of the populations into account when comparing studies. Moreover, there may be a divergence in desaturase regulation depending on glycaemic control among individuals. SummaryIncreased SCD-1 indices reflecting liver desaturase activity have been associated with insulin resistance, fatty liver, the metabolic syndrome and mortality. However, it remains to be determined if high hepatic SCD-1 activity plays a direct role in the development of metabolic disorders or rather is a marker for an unfavourable diet or hepatic insulin resistance.
Assessment of the economic impacts of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in the United States

ABSTRACT Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), which first emerged in the United States in 2013, spread throughout the U.S. hog population. Limited preemptive knowledge impeded the understanding of PEDV introduction, spread, and prospective economic impacts in the United States. To assess these impacts, this article reviews the timeline of PEDV in the United States and the corresponding impacts. PEDV is a supply-impacting disease and is not demand inhibiting, as pork demand remained strong since PEDV first appeared. Pig losses reached significant levels during September 2013 through August 2014, with the majority of pork production impacts occurring in 2014. PEDV had differing impacts for subsectors of the pork industry. A budget model demonstrates that producers could have had pig losses and decreases in productivity proportionally smaller than price increases, resulting in net returns above what was expected before the major outbreak of PEDV. Previous literature is reviewed to identify the potential main industry beneficiaries of the PEDV outbreaks in the United States. As a result of reduced volumes of available pig and hog supplies, reductions in annual returns likely occurred for packers, processors, distributors, and retailers. In addition, pork consumers who experienced reduced-supply-induced pork-price increases were likely harmed directly by higher prices paid for pork and indirectly as prices of competing meats were also likely strengthened by PEDV. This article also identifies future considerations motivated by the appearance of PEDV in the United States, such as discussions of industry-wide efficiency and competitive advantage, the future role of PEDV vaccines, enhancement in biosecurity measures, and consumer perceptions of food safety and insecurity.
Reconciling Legal-Institutional and Behavioral Perspectives on Voter Turnout

Foundational studies in political science endeavored to explain the dynamics of voter turnout in America over time. Two theories, one focused on legal-institutional factors and the other on behavioral elements such as party mobilization strategies, were born from the need to account for temporal fluctuations in aggregate voter turnout. A comprehensive test of these competing theories has been hindered by the fact that reliable measures of the behavioral factors driving turnout have proven elusive. In this article, I develop and test an interactive theory of voter turnout that focuses on the impact of legal-institutional barriers to the franchise conditional on party organizational strength and mobilization efforts. To this end, I use data on the circulation of party-sponsored newspapers, coupled with information on the spread of voter registration requirements, to capture the effects of both behavioral and legal-institutional factors in Pennsylvania between 1876 and 1948. My results offer modest empirical support for an interactive theory of aggregate voter turnout. In isolation, however, the effects of behavioral factors are quite limited. On the contrary, legal-institutional variables exert a sizable impact on voter turnout in the state. Contrary to other recent work on the subject, careful analysis of the Pennsylvania case therefore provides a great deal of evidence in favor of legal-institutional accounts of the changes in aggregate voter turnout that were witnessed at the beginning of the twentieth century while demonstrating that behavioral factors, such as the decline of the partisan press, served to enhance the deleterious effects of legal reforms on turnout.
Control of lysogeny and immunity of Bacillus subtilis temperate bacteriophage SP beta by its d gene

The d gene from the Bacillus subtilis temperate bacteriophage SP beta was isolated. When introduced into an SP beta-sensitive strain of B. subtilis, the cloned d gene directed the synthesis of a 22-kilodalton protein and conferred on the host immunity to SP beta phage. A frameshift mutation, designated d2, was introduced into the cloned d gene, and it was subsequently crossed back into the SP beta phage genome. The resulting SP beta phage grew lytically and formed clear plaques on sensitive bacteria. Although the cloned d gene confers immunity to the host, we could not detect complementation of the d gene by mixed infection with SP beta d2 and various SP beta c mutants. The nucleotide sequence of the 1,033-base-pair PstI-to-EcoRI fragment containing the d gene was determined; it includes an open reading frame that could potentially encode a protein of 227 amino acids. The gene was mapped within the PstI H fragment on the phage genome, which positions the d gene about 25 kilobases from the right end of the phage genome. It is transcribed from right to left.
Multiple voices: Negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy

This paper reports an innovative project to develop negotiated, collaborative teaching and learning in higher education as a model for continuing personal and professional development. In foregrounding the ‘voices’ of the various participants in the development of autonomy at three interacting levels, it investigates the design and delivery of a postgraduate programme in ‘Learner Autonomy’ for overseas teachers of English at the University of Nottingham. The paper investigates institutional and contextual constraints, the concept of ‘autonomies’ in in-service teacher education, and the framework and processes of negotiation that evolved. Research data on course participants’ own levels of autonomy were used to uncover and explore issues arising from the personal, cultural and social backgrounds of the course participants, their own students and the module lecturer.
Homoclinic Cycle Bifurcations in Planar Maps

In this study, bifurcations of an invariant closed curve (ICC) generated from a homoclinic connection of a saddle fixed point are analyzed in a planar map. Such bifurcations are called homoclinic cycle (HCC) bifurcations of the saddle fixed point. We examine the HCC bifurcation structure and the properties of the generated ICC. A planar map that can accurately control the stable and unstable manifolds of the saddle fixed point is designed for this analysis and the results indicate that the HCC bifurcation depends upon a product of two eigenvalues of the saddle fixed point, and the generated ICC is a chaotic attractor with a positive Lyapunov exponent.
Meconium Aspiration Stimulates Cyclooxygenase-2 and Nitric Oxide Synthase-2 Expression in Rat Lungs

To study the impact of meconium aspiration on the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and nitric oxide, we investigated the effects of intratracheal meconium instillation on the expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and -2 (COX-2) and endothelial (NOS-3) and inducible (NOS-2) nitric oxide synthase in rat lungs. Anesthetized, tracheotomized, and ventilated rats received 3 mL/kg human meconium suspension intratracheally (n = 19), and 14 control rats received an equal volume of saline. Ten rats were pretreated with indomethacin, and 13 rats were pretreated with dexamethasone. The lungs were ventilated with 70% oxygen for 3 h after the insult, and the level of COX-1, COX-2, NOS-2, and NOS-3 mRNA in lung tissue was analyzed by Northern blot hybridization. Furthermore, the expression and localization of the enzyme proteins was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. COX-1 and NOS-3 were clearly expressed in the lungs of control rats, whereas the level of COX-2 and NOS-2 expression was minimal. Meconium administration did not affect the expression of COX-1, but COX-2 expression was up-regulated in the respiratory epithelium and alveolar macrophages. Meconium also induced up-regulation of NOS-2 in the pulmonary epithelium, vascular endothelium, and macrophages. Indomethacin pretreatment did not affect the enzyme expressions, whereas dexamethasone administration significantly inhibited the meconium-induced COX-2 and NOS-2 up-regulation. Our data thus indicate that intrapulmonary meconium up-regulates lung COX-2 and NOS-2 gene expression, suggesting an important role for prostaglandins and nitric oxide in the meconium aspiration-induced pulmonary inflammation and hemodynamic changes.
Stop and go extraction tips for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, nanoelectrospray, and LC/MS sample pretreatment in proteomics.

Proteomics is critically dependent on optimal sample preparation. Particularly, the interface between protein digestion and mass spectrometric analysis has a large influence on the overall quality and sensitivity of the analysis. We here describe a novel procedure in which a very small disk of beads embedded in a Teflon meshwork is placed as a microcolumn into pipet tips. Termed Stage, for STop And Go Extraction, the procedure has been implemented with commercially available material (C18 Empore Disks (3M, Minneapolis, MN)) as frit and separation material. The disk is introduced in a simple and fast process yielding a convenient and completely reliable procedure for the production of self-packed microcolumns in pipet tips. It is held in place free of obstacles solely by the narrowing tip, ensuring optimized loading and elution of analytes. Five disks are conveniently placed in 1 min, adding <0.1 cent in material costs to the price of each tip. The system allows fast loading with low backpressure (>300 micro/min for the packed column using manual force) while eliminating the possibility of blocking. The loading capacity of C18-StageTips (column bed: 0.4 mm diameter, 0.5 mm length) is 2-4 microg of protein digest, which can be increased by using larger diameter or stacked disks. Five femtomole of tryptic BSA digest could be recovered quantitatively. We have found that the Stage system is well-suited as a universal sample preparation system for proteomics.
Durability Against Contact Wear of Nonlubricated Disks in the Head–Disk Interface of Disk Drives

Ever decreasing magnetic spacing in the hard disk drive requires each contribution to the magnetic spacing to be examined for possible reduction. Currently, the lubricant layer on top of the disk carbon overcoat is typically 10-20 Å thick. This paper studies the contact resistance of nonlubricated disks with the aim of seeking a way to reduce the lubricant thickness contribution to the magnetic spacing. We prepared normally lubricated (thickness >; 7 Å), partially lubricated (thickness 3.5 Å), and barely lubricated (thickness 0.5 Å) disks. Partially lubricated disks showed contact wear resistance as good as normally lubricated disks when they were baked in a dry oven. We suggest that this enhanced contact wear resistance comes from the softening (graphitization) of the carbon overcoat and/or reduced number of active sites on the overcoat for water adsorption due to oxidation during the baking. However, corrosion resistance of partially lubricated disks became worse after baking and the amount of lubricant transfer from partially lubricated disk to slider surface did not decrease compared to normally lubricated disks. Barely lubricated disks showed very bad contact wear resistance even after baking, showing that it is necessary to have at least partial lubrication on the disk surface.
Mendocino motor and a different approaches to its control

Design and principle of Mendocino motor. Speed of Mendocino motor is controlled via intensity of incident light. The halogen lights voltage is changed using PWM. A device called “Control unit” is designed to set the PWM, measure speed of Mendocino motor and communicate with computer. Software Matlab Simulink is used to create different approaches to control Mendocino motor, with using Matlab S-function as a bridge between Simulink and Control unit.