Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-MGy Radiation Hard CMOS Image Sensor: Design, Characterization and X/Gamma Rays Total Ionizing Dose Tests

A Radiation Hard CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor has been designed, manufactured and exposed to X and 60Co γ-ray sources up to several MGy of Total Ionizing Dose (TID). It is demonstrated that a Radiation-Hardened-By-Design (RHBD) CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) can still provide useful images after 10 MGy(SiO2) (i.e. 1 Grad). This paper also presents the first detailed characterizations of CIS opto-electrical performances (i.e. dark current, quantum efficiency, gain, noise, transfer functions, etc.) in the MGy range. These results show that it is possible to design a CIS with good performances even after having absorbed several MGy. Four different RHBD photodiode designs are compared: a standard photodiode design, two well known RHBD layouts and a proposed improvement of the gated photodiode design. The proposed layout exhibits the best performances over the entire studied TID range and further optimizations are discussed. Several original MGy radiation effects are presented and discussed at the device and circuit levels and mitigation techniques are proposed to improve further the radiation hardness of future Rad-Hard CIS developments for extreme TID applications (e.g. for nuclear power plant monitoring/dismantling, experimental reactors (e.g. ITER) or next generation particle physics experiments (e.g. CERN)).
Management of sleep apnea in the cleft population

Purpose of reviewObstructive sleep apnea is prevalent in children with facial clefts. As there are increasing concerns that sleep disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea may lead to cognitive difficulties, it is imperative that the otolaryngologist and cleft surgeon be aware of the concerns for sleep disorders and implement appropriate interventions for the management. Recent findingsMicrognathia associated with Robin Sequence has long been understood to have significant potential for sleep apnea. Positioning, nasopharyngeal airway, tongue–lip adhesion and mandibular distraction have been used to improve the breathing in this set of children. Screened by symptoms, a large proportion of children with clefts will have a positive sleep study. Syndromic children seem to be more prone to this, even though nonsyndromic children are also at risk. Children who have had secondary management of velopharyngeal insufficiency with pharyngeal flap and sphincter pharyngoplasty seem to be at greater risk of sleep disorder. Specific directed therapies should provide the optimum results for the correction including tonsillectomy with partial adenoidectomy, revision pharyngoplasty, maxillary advancement and continuous positive airway pressure for sleep. SummaryAwareness of the risk of sleep disorders and the possible treatments in children with cleft deformities is very important for the otolaryngologist.
Epidemic History and Iatrogenic Transmission of Blood-borne Viruses in Mid-20th Century Kinshasa.

BACKGROUND The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pandemic was ignited in Léopoldville (now known as Kinshasa), in the former Belgian Congo. Factors that jump-started its early expansion remain unclear. Nonlethal hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) can be used to investigate past iatrogenic transmission. METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study of elderly inhabitants of Kinshasa, with serological assays, amplification, and sequencing. Risk factors were assessed through logistic regression. Phylogenetic methods reconstructed the genetic history of HCV. RESULTS A total of 217 of 839 participants (25.9%) were HCV seropositive; 26 (3.1%) were HTLV-1-seropositive. Amplification products were obtained from 118 HCV-seropositive participants; subtypes 4k (in 47 participants) and 4r (in 38) were most common. Independent risk factors for HCV subtype 4r seropositivity were intramuscular tuberculosis therapy, intravenous injections at hospital A, intravenous injections before 1960, and injections at a colonial-era venereology clinic. Intravenous injections at hospital B and antimalarials were associated with HCV subtype 4k seropositivity. Risk factors for HTLV-1 seropositivity included intravenous injections at hospitals C or D and transfusions. Evolutionary analysis of viral sequences revealed independent exponential amplification of HCV subtypes 4r and 4k from the 1950s onward. CONCLUSIONS Iatrogenic transmission of HCV and HTLV-1 occurred in mid-20th century Kinshasa, at the same time and place HIV-1 emerged. Iatrogenic routes may have contributed to the early establishment of the pandemic.
Haplotype Effects on Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Gene Promoter Activity in Cancer Cells

Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) is associated with poor prognosis in cancers. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (−1607GG>G, −839G>A, −755G>T, −519A>G, −422T>A, −340C>T, and 320C>T) in the MMP1 gene promoter have recently been identified. In this study, we assessed the functional effects of these polymorphisms on MMP1 gene promoter activity in cell lines of melanoma (A2058 and A375), breast cancer (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231), lung cancer (A549 and H69), and colorectal cancer (HT-29, SW-620) by comparing the promoter strengths of 10 most common haplotypes deriving from these polymorphisms. In A2058 cells, the GG-G-G-A-T-T-T and GG-G-G-A-C-T haplotypes had 2-fold higher promoter activity than the GG-G-T-A-T-T-C, GG-G-G-A-A-T-T, GG-G-G-A-T-T-C, and GG-G-G-A-A-C-T haplotypes, which in turn, had 3-fold higher promoter activity than the G-G-T-A-A-C-T, G-A-T-G-T-T-T, G-A-T-G-A-C-T, and G-A-T-G-A-T-G haplotypes. In A375 and MDA-MB-231 cells, high expression haplotypes include not only the −1607GG-bearing haplotypes but also the G-A-T-G-A-T-T haplotype containing the −1607G allele. A similar trend was detected in A549 cells. In addition, in A549 cells, the GG-G-G-A-T-T-T haplotype had >2-fold higher promoter activity than several other −1607GG-bearing haplotypes. In MCF7 cells, the GG-G-G-A-T-T-T and G-G-T-A-A-C-T haplotypes had 1.5- to 4-fold higher promoter activity than the other haplotypes. These results suggest that the polymorphisms exert haplotype effects on the transcriptional regulation of the MMP1 gene in cancer cells, and indicate a need to examine haplotypes rather than any single polymorphism in genetic epidemiologic studies of the MMP1 gene in cancers. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(3):221–7)
Nerve Growth Factor Links Oral Cancer Progression, Pain, and Cachexia

Cancers often cause excruciating pain and rapid weight loss, severely reducing quality of life in cancer patients. Cancer-induced pain and cachexia are often studied and treated independently, although both symptoms are strongly linked with chronic inflammation and sustained production of proinflammatory cytokines. Because nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a cardinal role in inflammation and pain, and because it interacts with multiple proinflammatory cytokines, we hypothesized that NGF acts as a key endogenous molecule involved in the orchestration of cancer-related inflammation. NGF might be a molecule common to the mechanisms responsible for clinically distinctive cancer symptoms such as pain and cachexia as well as cancer progression. Here we reported that NGF was highly elevated in human oral squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell cultures. Using two validated mouse cancer models, we further showed that NGF blockade decreased tumor proliferation, nociception, and weight loss by orchestrating proinflammatory cytokines and leptin production. NGF blockade also decreased expression levels of nociceptive receptors TRPV1, TRPA1, and PAR-2. Together, these results identified NGF as a common link among proliferation, pain, and cachexia in oral cancer. Anti-NGF could be an important mechanism-based therapy for oral cancer and its related symptoms. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(9); 1667–76. ©2011 AACR.
Turnover of polyadenylate-containing ribonucleic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We examined the kinetics of incorporation of [3H]adenine into polyadenylate-containing ribonucleic acid [poly(A)-containing RNA] in yeast. The total poly(A)-containing RNA from spheroplasts and intact cells and the polysomal poly(A)-containing RNA exhibited similar incorporation kinetics. At 30 C half-saturation of the pool of poly(A)-containing RNA with label occurred in approximately 22 min. Since precursor pools appeared to require 5 min to saturate with label, we conclude that at 30 C messenger RNA molecules in yeast decay with an average half-life of 17 min.
Delay Spread Characteristics of Wideband MIMO Channels Based on Outdoor Non-Line-of-Sight Measurements

This paper presents the delay spread characteristics based on the measurements of the wideband multiple-input multiple-output radio channels in outdoor environments. Measurement data were collected by a channel testbed which consists of four transmitters and eight receivers, and operates at a carrier frequency of 1.8 GHz with a bandwidth of 2.5 MHz. The four transmitting antennas and eight receiving antennas can work simultaneously. The experiments were originally conducted within the J. J. Pickle Research Campus, University of Texas at Austin. Based on the measurement data in the non-line-of-sight environments, the channel features such as multipath intensity profiles, root-mean-square delay spreads and their distributions were examined. It was found that the empirical probability density function of the rms delay spread in the non-line-of-sight MIMO channels roughly follows Gaussian distribution.
Prevalence of war-related mental health conditions and association with displacement status in postwar Jaffna District, Sri Lanka.

CONTEXT Nearly 2.7 million individuals worldwide are internally displaced (seeking refuge in secure areas of their own country) annually by armed conflict. Although the psychological impact of war has been well documented, less is known about the mental health symptoms of forced displacement among internally displaced persons. OBJECTIVES To estimate the prevalence of the most common war-related mental health conditions, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, and to assess the association between displacement status and these conditions in postwar Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Between July and September 2009, a cross-sectional multistage cluster sample survey was conducted among 1517 Jaffna District households including 2 internally displaced persons camps. The response rate was 92% (1448 respondents, 1409 eligible respondents). Two percent of participants (n = 80) were currently displaced, 29.5% (n = 539) were recently resettled, and 68.5% (n = 790) were long-term residents. Bivariable analyses followed by multivariable logistic regression models were performed to determine the association between displacement status and mental health. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Symptom criteria of PTSD, anxiety, and depression as measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. RESULTS The overall prevalences of symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression were 7.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.1%-9.7%), 32.6% (95% CI, 28.5%-36.9%), and 22.2% (95% CI, 18.2%-26.5%), respectively. Currently displaced participants were more likely to report symptoms of PTSD (odds ratio [OR], 2.71; 95% CI, 1.28-5.73), anxiety (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.89-4.48), and depression (OR, 4.55; 95% CI, 2.47-8.39) compared with long-term residents. Recently resettled residents were more likely to report symptoms of PTSD (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.11-3.47) compared with long-term residents. However, displacement was no longer associated with mental health symptoms after controlling for trauma exposure. CONCLUSION Among residents of Jaffna District in Sri Lanka, prevalence of symptoms of war-related mental health conditions was substantial and significantly associated with displacement status and underlying trauma exposure.
UWB short-range radar sensing - The architecture of a baseband, pseudo-noise UWB radar sensor

The pioneers of radio science made their first trials of wireless information transmission and demonstrated localization of a steel vessel by radio waves more than 100 years ago. Back then, the world of radio frequencies was organized in a very simple way. The researchers could use any frequency band. There was no interference by others and no controlling government bodies. Since then, governmental authorities have established tight regulations that have split up the available frequency band into small partitions for exclusive use. This article discusses the architecture of a baseband, pseudo-noise UWB radar and gives some examples of applications
Evaluation of Human Resources Development Cost and Operational Performance of The Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector

This study investigates into human resource development cost and operating performance of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. A sample of five oil and gas firms listed in Nigeria Stock Exchange from 2006 to 2015 was selected out of 8 largely because of completeness of data. These companies comprise of Texaco, Mobil, AGIP, Chevron and Total. The study makes use of secondary data obtained from annual report and accounts of the sampled oil and gas firms. However, panel data and regression analysis were used to ascertain the nature and magnitude of association between the dependent variable total debt to total asset (TD/TA) and the independent variables capital expenses, revenue expenses and total expenses. Hence, the major findings arising from this study suggest that operating performances proxied by total debt to total asset of the sampled oil and gas firms are influenced negatively by capital expenses. It is concluded that the volume of investments on human resources usually made by corporate entities and the impact of such investments on the productivity level justify their treatment and recognition as assets rather than expenses. Finally the study recommends that the oil and gas sector should comply with relevant policy guiding human resource development in Nigeria. They should also maximize their revenue expenditure in order to boost their operational performances.
Automated cold temperature cycling improves in vitro platelet properties and in vivo recovery in a mouse model compared to continuous cold storage

Platelets (PLTs) stored at cold temperatures (CTs) for prolonged time have dramatically reduced bacterial growth but poor survival when infused. A previous study demonstrated that human PLTs stored with manual cycling between 4°C (12 hr) and 37°C (30 min) and infused into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice had survivals similar to or greater than those stored at room temperature (RT). In this study, the in vitro and in vivo properties of PLTs stored in an automated incubator programmed to cycle between 5°C (11 hr) and 37°C (1 hr) were evaluated.
Evaluation of power cut-off techniques in the presence of gate leakage

We consider gate leakage next to subthreshold leakage currents in power-saving techniques for future CMOS circuits. Two recently introduced power cut-off techniques are analyzed and compared with respect to the total leakage current using Berkeley PTM. The results show that the efficiency of techniques having logic circuits alternately connected to external supply and ground can drastically degrade when gate tunneling currents become significant.
Academic anxiety, academic procrastination, and parental involvement in students and their parents.

OBJECTIVES The study investigated the relationship between academic anxiety and procrastination in children and parents, and parents' direct involvement in their children's schoolwork. DESIGN Children reported their current anxiety and procrastination and parents reported their anxiety and procrastination when they were children (a measure of indirect influence on their children's schoolwork habits), and on their current involvement in their children's schoolwork (a measure of direct influence). METHODS Self-report measures were administered to 354 Israeli adolescents (ages 13, 14, and 16) and their parents. RESULTS Students were less anxious about homework than the other academic assignments. Older adolescents were less anxious about their schoolwork overall and procrastinated more than younger on homework. Parents of late adolescents were less involved in their children's schoolwork than parents of younger adolescents. Parents participated equally in school-related interactions that demanded high investment of time and effort, but mothers engaged more than fathers in low investment activities. These direct and indirect parental influences on their children's procrastination were of low magnitude overall, but appeared relatively stronger for mothers. CONCLUSIONS The more students were anxious about preparing for examinations and writing papers, the more they procrastinated on these assignments, confirming the appraisal-anxiety avoidance (AAA) model. The inverse relationship of anxiety and procrastination with regard to homework led to our making a post hoc distinction between task-centred and consequence-centred anxiety.
Mono-iodoacetate-induced experimental osteoarthritis: a dose-response study of loss of mobility, morphology, and biochemistry.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the dose-responsiveness of morphologic and biochemical chondral changes relative to mobility in mono-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) in rats. METHODS Rat mobility was assessed by biotelemetry. Articular lesions were characterized by macroscopic and histologic examinations. Cartilage proteoglycan metabolism was evaluated by the 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue dye binding assay and by radiosulfate incorporation in patellar cartilage. RESULTS Spontaneous locomotor activity was rapidly, transiently, and dose-dependently decreased after MIA injection into rat knees (primary response). Thereafter, only high doses (0.3 mg and 3.0 mg) led to a secondary progressive long-term loss of spontaneous mobility on day 15, when subchondral bone was exposed. These 2 doses resulted in significant changes in cartilage proteoglycan concentration at day 15 and a strong inhibition of anabolism in the peripheral patellae by day 2, contrasting with the effects of lower doses (0.01, 0.03, and 0.1 mg). CONCLUSION When a sufficient dose of MIA is used, this model can easily and quickly reproduce OA-like lesions and functional impairment in rats, similar to that observed in human disease. These parameters, as well as proteoglycan metabolism, could serve as indicators for studying chondroprotective drugs, or for evaluating the ability of imaging techniques to detect and evaluate chondral lesions.
A framework for estimating and testing qualitative interactions with applications to predictive biomarkers

SUMMARY An effective treatment may only benefit a subset of patients enrolled in a clinical trial. We translate the search for patient characteristics that predict treatment benefit to a search for qualitative interactions, which occur when the estimated response‐curve under treatment crosses the estimated response‐curve under control. We propose a regression‐based framework that tests for qualitative interactions without assuming linearity or requiring pre‐specified risk strata; this flexibility is useful in settings where there is limited a priori scientific knowledge about the relationship between features and the response. Simulations suggest that our method controls Type I error while offering an improvement in power over a procedure based on linear regression or a procedure that pre‐specifies evenly spaced risk strata. We apply our method to a publicly available dataset to search for a subset of HER2+ breast cancer patients who benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. We implement our method in Python and share the code/data used to produce our results on GitHub (https://github.com/jhroth/data‐example).
Cross layer consideration for improved reliability of vehicular safety messaging

This paper presents a theoretical foundation for a new collision correcting medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) cross layer design (CLD) for safety messages in dedicated short range communications (DSRC). The concept relies on repetition messaging and the fact that DSRC safety messages are relatively short in length. Hence our design requires a cache of previously received packets, and pre informed packet repetitions. An example scenario is provided with a step by step description of how our proposed system will behave. Unified modeling language (UML) use case diagram is used to help describe functionality of the CLD. The operation of the collision correcting (CC) channel estimator (CE) and equalizer (EQ) is explained. Simulation results show reception reliability and PER performance is improved when our CLD is used as opposed to standard safety message broadcasting, especially in high repetition scenarios.
An ECPT system with complementary symmetric LCC resonant network

Aiming at the problem of short transmission distance and low transmission efficiency, a parameter configuration method for the complementary symmetric LCC networks is proposed on the basis of the ECPT system with double-sided LC resonant network. The equivalent capacitance Cs is introduced into LC network to form LCC resonant network. Through the mechanism analysis and the parameter design of the forward LCC network, the constant voltage output of the forward LCC network is achieved; with the symmetric design of the inverse LCC network, the system characteristics including ZPA (zero phase angle) and constant current operation are obtained. The analytic relationship between the resonant operating point and system parameters is obtained by the stroboscopic map modeling method. Combining with the identification of Cs and variable frequency control, the system can still work steadily in ZPA state after Cs changes. The simulation and experimental results are in good agreement.
Epithelial Immune Response in Drosophila Malpighian Tubules: Interplay Between Diap2 and Ion Channels

Systemic immune response via the Immune deficiency pathway requires Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 to activate the NF‐κB transcription factor Relish. Malpighian tubules (MTs), simple epithelial tissue, are the primary excretory organs, performing additional role in providing protection to Drosophila against pathogenic infections. MTs hold a strategic position in Drosophila as one of the larval tissues that are carried over to adults, unlike other larval tissues that are histolysed during pupation. In this paper we show that Diap2 is an important regulator of local epithelial immune response in MTs and depletion of Diap2 from MTs, increases susceptibility of flies to infection. In the absence of Diap2, activation and translocation of Relish to the nucleus is abolished and as a consequence the production of IMD pathway dependent AMPs are reduced. Ion channels, (Na+/K+)‐ATPase and V‐ATPase, are important for the immune response of MTs and expression of AMPs and the IMD pathway genes are impaired on inhibition of transporters, and they restrict the translocation of Relish into the nucleus. We show that Diap2 could be regulating ion channels, as loss of Diap2 consequently reduces the expression of ion channels and affects the balance of ion concentrations which results in reduced uric acid deposition. Thus Diap2 seems to be a key regulator of epithelial immune response in MTs, perhaps by modulating ion channels. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 1078–1095, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.