Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of the Potential Barrier in the Electrical Performance of the Graphene/SiC Interface

In spite of the great expectations for epitaxial graphene (EG) on silicon carbide (SiC) to be used as a next-generation high-performance component in high-power nano- and micro-electronics, there are still many technological challenges and fundamental problems that hinder the full potential of EG/SiC structures and that must be overcome. Among the existing problems, the quality of the graphene/SiC interface is one of the most critical factors that determines the electroactive behavior of this heterostructure. This paper reviews the relevant studies on the carrier transport through the graphene/SiC, discusses qualitatively the possibility of controllable tuning the potential barrier height at the heterointerface and analyses how the buffer layer formation affects the electronic properties of the combined EG/SiC system. The correlation between the sp2/sp3 hybridization ratio at the interface and the barrier height is discussed. We expect that the barrier height modulation will allow realizing a monolithic electronic platform comprising different graphene interfaces including ohmic contact, Schottky contact, gate dielectric, the electrically-active counterpart in p-n junctions and quantum wells.
Minimal residual disease quantification in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and inv(16)/CBFB‐MYH11 gene fusion

Summary. We have designed a real‐time CBFB‐MYH11 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay to quantify minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with inv(16)‐positive acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Six patients were followed for a median of 17·5 months after diagnosis during which 120 evaluable samples were analysed. The CBFB‐MYH11 expression at diagnosis varied only fourfold between the six patients and was virtually identical to that observed in the CBFB‐MYH11‐positive cell line ME‐1. For two cases, a patient‐specific real‐time PCR for CBFB‐MYH11 quantification at genomic DNA level was designed. Similar disease levels were found at the RNA and genomic DNA level during and after treatment, indicating that CBFB‐MYH11 gene expression was unaltered during treatment and that the percentage of malignant cells can be accurately quantified at the RNA level. Following successive courses of chemotherapy, the reduction of malignant cells was found to be significantly more pronounced (80–250‐fold greater) in peripheral blood compared with bone marrow in five out of six cases tested. Treatment with gemtuzumab ozogamicin as sole agent at relapse did not result in a selective decrease of tumour cells in three cases analysed. We conclude that real‐time PCR is a powerful method of monitoring MRD levels and quantifying the antileukaemic effect of separate (experimental) courses of chemotherapy.
Avian neural crest cells express a melanogenic trait during early migration from the neural tube : observations with the new monoclonal antibody , " MEBL-1 "

A new monoclonal antibody, MEBL-1, which specifically recognizes melanocytes and their precursors, was used to examine the differentiation of neural crest cells into melanocytes in situ. MEBL-1-positive precursors of melanocytes in the trunk were first detected in mesenchyme located above the neural tube at the level of a wing bud at stage 19, when active migration of neural crest cells along the ventral route was almost complete. DiO-labelled neural crest cells, which begin to emigrate from the neural tube at stages 17-18 and then migrate along the dorsolateral route, were found to become MEBL-1-positive. This indicates that MEBL-1 antigens are expressed by neural crest cells immediately following their emigration and neural crest cells become melanogenic. Expression of the MEBL-1 antigens was followed by decrease in, and finally the loss of, HNK-1 antigen expression. At the cephalic level, MEBL-1-positive precursors of melanocytes were first detected in mesenchyme located above the dorsal side of the mesencephalic neural tube at stage 16. At the vagal level, the precursors were noted first in mesenchyme located above the dorsal side of the rhombencephalic neural tube at stage 18. MEBL-1 reacted with the cell membrane and premelanosome-like granules in addition to the nuclear membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus of the migratory precursors. The antigens recognized by MEBL-1 were proteins with relative molecular masses of 135 x 10 and 115 x 10. We suggest that MEBL-1 may be the earliest marker for melanogenic neural crest cells.
Westmere: A family of 32nm IA processors

The Westmere processor is implemented on a high-к metal-gate 32nm process technology [1] as a compaction of the Nehalem processor family [2]. Figure 5.1. 1 shows the 6-core dual-socket server processor and the 2-core single-socket processor for mainstream client. This paper focuses on innovations and circuit optimizations made to the 6-core processor. The 6-core design has 1.17B transistors including the 12MB shared L3 Cache and fits in approximately the same die area as its 45nm 4-core 8MB-L3-cache Nehalem counterpart. The core supports new instructions for accelerating encryption/decryption algorithms, speeds up performance under virtualized environments, and contains a host of other targeted performance features.
Adaptive fault diagnosis for robot manipulators with multiple actuator and sensor faults

This paper investigates the fault detection and isolation (FDI) problem for robot manipulators with actuator and sensor faults. The considered manipulators are modeled by a class of nonlinear systems with Lipschitz-like nonlinearities and modeling uncertainties. The simultaneous occurrence of actuator and sensor faults is considered, which results in that feedback information for FDI is corrupted and the residual signals might be sensitive to both actuator faults and sensor faults. Under a mild persistent excitation condition, a nonlinear adaptive observers is constructed to exponentially converge with a pre-specified estimation error bound. The performances of the proposed FDI scheme, including robustness of fault estimate to the uncertainties, accuracy of fault estimation and rapidity of fault diagnosis, are rigorously analyzed.
Protoenzymes: the case of hyperbranched polyesters

Enzymes are biopolymeric complexes that catalyse biochemical reactions and shape metabolic pathways. Enzymes usually work with small molecule cofactors that actively participate in reaction mechanisms and complex, usually globular, polymeric structures capable of specific substrate binding, encapsulation and orientation. Moreover, the globular structures of enzymes possess cavities with modulated microenvironments, facilitating the progression of reaction(s). The globular structure is ensured by long folded protein or RNA strands. Synthesis of such elaborate complexes has proven difficult under prebiotically plausible conditions. We explore here that catalysis may have been performed by alternative polymeric structures, namely hyperbranched polymers. Hyperbranched polymers are relatively complex structures that can be synthesized under prebiotically plausible conditions; their globular structure is ensured by virtue of their architecture rather than folding. In this study, we probe the ability of tertiary amine-bearing hyperbranched polyesters to form hydrophobic pockets as a reaction-promoting medium for the Kemp elimination reaction. Our results show that polyesters formed upon reaction between glycerol, triethanolamine and organic acid containing hydrophobic groups, i.e. adipic and methylsuccinic acid, are capable of increasing the rate of Kemp elimination by a factor of up to 3 over monomeric triethanolamine. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Reconceptualizing the origins of life’.
High-speed and high-power GaN-based cascade green Light-Emitting-Diode arrays for in-car data communication

We demonstrate cascade green light-emitting-diode (LED) arrays, which have superior output-power to single LED without sacrificing modulation-bandwidth. 80 Mbit/sec eye-opening with a 0.65 mW coupled power to plastic-optical-fiber is achieved under the output of in-car battery (12 V).
Intra- and interobserver variability of board-certified veterinary radiologists and veterinary general practitioners for pulmonary nodule detection in standard and inverted display mode images of digital thoracic radiographs of dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine intra- and interobserver variability of 2 veterinary radiologists and 2 veterinary general practitioners for detection of pulmonary nodules in standard and inverted (reversed grayscale) displays of digital thoracic radiographs of dogs. DESIGN Evaluation study. SAMPLE 114 sets of 3-view (right lateral, left lateral, and ventrodorsal or dorsoventral views) digital thoracic radiographs from 114 dogs. PROCEDURES 2 experienced board-certified veterinary radiologists and 2 experienced veterinary general practitioners individually evaluated 114 randomized sets of radiographs. Pulmonary nodules were present in radiographs of 60 of 114 dogs. Each reviewer examined all images in standard or inverted display mode and scored nodule detection on a confidence scale of 1 to 5. After ≥ 2 months, the same individuals evaluated the same images in the remaining display mode. Intraobserver agreement for each display mode was determined via a κ statistic; results between the 2 groups of reviewers were compared via receiver operator curve analysis. RESULTS There was no significant intraobserver variability in pulmonary nodule detection between the 2 display modes. Detection accuracy for board-certified radiologists was significantly greater than that of veterinary general practitioners for both display modes. Near-perfect intraobserver agreement was detected between the 2 display modes for board-certified radiologists, whereas moderate to slight intraobserver agreement was detected for the veterinary general practitioners. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Detection of pulmonary nodules in digital thoracic radiographs was comparable, whether a standard or inverted mode was used for evaluations. However, the board-certified radiologists had greater detection accuracy than did veterinary general practitioners.
Automotive DC-DC bidirectional converter made with many interleaved buck stages

Interleaving technique is used in some applications due to its advantages regarding filter reduction, dynamic response, and power management. In dual battery system vehicles, the bidirectional dc-dc converter takes advantage of this technique using three-to-five paralleled buck stages. In this paper, we propose the use of a much higher number of phases in parallel together with digital control. It will be shown that this approach opens new possibilities since changes in the technology are possible. Thus, two 1000-W prototypes have been designed using surface mount technology devices (SO-8 transistors). An additional important feature is that due to the accuracy of the digital device [field-programmable gate array (FPGA)], current loops have been eliminated, greatly simplifying the implementation of the control stage
Multinomial Logit Models with Continuous and Discrete Individual Heterogeneity in R: The gmnl Package

This paper introduces the package gmnl in R for estimation of multinomial logit models with unobserved heterogeneity across individuals for cross-sectional and panel (longitudinal) data. Unobserved heterogeneity is modeled by allowing the parameters to vary randomly over individuals according to a continuous, discrete, or discrete-continuous mixture distribution, which must be chosen a priori by the researcher. In particular, the models supported by gmnl are the multinomial or conditional logit, the mixed multinomial logit, the scale heterogeneity multinomial logit, the generalized multinomial logit, the latent class logit, and the mixed-mixed multinomial logit. These models are estimated using either the maximum likelihood estimator or the maximum simulated likelihood estimator. This article describes and illustrates with real databases all functionalities of gmnl, including the derivation of individual conditional estimates of both the random parameters and willingness-to-pay measures.
The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17β-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders

The bioprecursor prodrug 10β, 17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED) allows 17β-estradiol to form in the female brain for neuroprotection and to treat neurological and psychiatric symptoms of menopause. Estrogen prodrug protects the brain Although estrogen is considered to heal the brain of many neurological and psychiatric symptoms, targeting the hormone to the brain only—and avoiding activity in other tissues—is no trivial feat. Prokai et al. discovered a “prodrug,” called DHED (10β, 17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one), that is selectively converted to one main estrogen, 17β-estradiol, only in the brain. Similar to 17β-estradiol itself, DHED protected menopausal female rodents from neurological symptoms of estrogen deprivation, and also provided neuroprotection to rats after stroke, but without the negative systemic (specifically uterotrophic and cancerous) effects of the free hormone. With an efficacious and safe profile in vivo, this prodrug has the opportunity to provide positive estrogenic effects on the brain and relieve symptoms in patients with a broad range of central nervous system diseases. Many neurological and psychiatric maladies originate from the deprivation of the human brain from estrogens. However, current hormone therapies cannot be used safely to treat these conditions commonly associated with menopause because of detrimental side effects in the periphery. The latter also prevents the use of the hormone for neuroprotection. We show that a small-molecule bioprecursor prodrug, 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), converts to 17β-estradiol in the brain after systemic administration but remains inert in the rest of the body. The localized and rapid formation of estrogen from the prodrug was revealed by a series of in vivo bioanalytical assays and through in vivo imaging in rodents. DHED treatment efficiently alleviated symptoms that originated from brain estrogen deficiency in animal models of surgical menopause and provided neuroprotection in a rat stroke model. Concomitantly, we determined that 17β-estradiol formed in the brain from DHED elicited changes in gene expression and neuronal morphology identical to those obtained after direct 17β-estradiol treatment. Together, complementary functional and mechanistic data show that our approach is highly relevant therapeutically, because administration of the prodrug selectively produces estrogen in the brain independently from the route of administration and treatment regimen. Therefore, peripheral responses associated with the use of systemic estrogens, such as stimulation of the uterus and estrogen-responsive tumor growth, were absent. Collectively, our brain-selective prodrug approach may safely provide estrogen neuroprotection and medicate neurological and psychiatric symptoms developing from estrogen deficiency, particularly those encountered after surgical menopause, without the adverse side effects of current hormone therapies.
WEREWOLF, a Regulator of Root Hair Pattern Formation, Controls Flowering Time through the Regulation of FT mRNA Stability1[C][W][OA]

A key floral activator, FT, integrates stimuli from long-day, vernalization, and autonomous pathways and triggers flowering by directly regulating floral meristem identity genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Since a small amount of FT transcript is sufficient for flowering, the FT level is strictly regulated by diverse genes. In this study, we show that WEREWOLF (WER), a MYB transcription factor regulating root hair pattern, is another regulator of FT. The mutant wer flowers late in long days but normal in short days and shows a weak sensitivity to vernalization, which indicates that WER controls flowering time through the photoperiod pathway. The expression and double mutant analyses showed that WER modulates FT transcript level independent of CONSTANS and FLOWERING LOCUS C. The histological analysis of WER shows that it is expressed in the epidermis of leaves, where FT is not expressed. Consistently, WER regulates not the transcription but the stability of FT mRNA. Our results reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of FT that is non cell autonomous.
Fasting triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and risk of myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Recent data suggest that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins may play a role in atherogenesis. However, whether triglycerides, as a marker for these lipoproteins, represent an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease remains unclear, despite extensive research. Several methodological issues have limited the interpretability of the existing data. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined the interrelationships of fasting triglycerides, other lipid parameters, and nonlipid risk factors with risk of myocardial infarction among 340 cases and an equal number of age-, sex-, and community-matched control subjects. Cases were men or women of <76 years of age with no prior history of coronary disease who were discharged from one of six Boston area hospitals with the diagnosis of a confirmed myocardial infarction. In crude analyses, we observed a significant association of elevated fasting triglycerides with risk of myocardial infarction (relative risk [RR] in the highest compared with the lowest quartile=6.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.8 to 12.1; P for trend <.001). Results were not materially altered after control for nonlipid coronary risk factors. As expected, the relationship was attenuated after adjustment for HDL but remained statistically significant (RR in the highest quartile=2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.4 to 5.5; P for trend=.016). Furthermore, the ratio of triglycerides to HDL was a strong predictor of myocardial infarction (RR in the highest compared with the lowest quartile=16.0; 95% CI=7.7 to 33.1; P for trend <.001). CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that fasting triglycerides, as a marker for triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, may provide valuable information about the atherogenic potential of the lipoprotein profile, particularly when considered in context of HDL levels.
Intravenously Infused F3.Olig2 Improves Memory Deficits via Restoring Myelination in the Aged Hippocampus following Experimental Ischemic Stroke

Oligodendrocytes play a crucial role in creating the myelin sheath that is an important component in neural transmission. In an animal model of transient cerebral ischemia, application of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) has not yet been reported. In this study, the effects of F3.Olig2 transplantation on memory and cognitive dysfunction were investigated in the aged gerbil in which ischemic stroke was induced. To investigate the possible mechanisms underlying repair, changes in the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), oligodendrocyte-specific protein (OSP), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were examined. Experimental ischemic stroke was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries in aged gerbils. Gerbils (n = 31 per group) were randomly divided into three groups: (1) vehicle sham group, (2) vehicle ischemia group, and (3) F3.Olig2 ischemia group. After 1, 3, and 7 days of ischemia–reperfusion (I-R), saline or F3.Olig2 cells (1 × 10 6 cells in 100 μl) were injected into the gerbils intravenously. The gerbils were sacrificed 10 days after I-R for identification of grafted F3.Olig2 cells, and 15 and 30 days after I-R for tissue analysis after conducting passive avoidance and novel object recognition test. Injected F3.Olig2 cells and MBP, OSP, and BDNF were detected by specific antibodies using immunohistochemistry and/or Western blots. Memory and cognition were significantly increased in the F3.Olig2 ischemia group compared with the vehicle ischemia group. In the F3.Olig2 ischemia group, the neurons were not protected from ischemic damage; however, MBP, OSP, and BDNF expressions were significantly increased. Our results show that injection of F3.Olig2 cells significantly improved impaired memory and cognition, which might be related to increased MBP expression via increasing OSP and BDNF expression in the aged gerbil hippocampus following transient cerebral ischemia.
Regularization Parameter Selection for Total Variation Model Based on Local Spectral Response

In the past decades, various image regularization methods have been introduced. Among them, total variation model has drawn much attention for the reason of its low computational complexity and well-understood mathematical behavior. However, regularization parameter estimation of total variation model is still an open problem. To deal with this problem, a novel adaptive regularization parameter selection scheme is proposed in this paper, by means of using the local spectral response, which has the capability of locally selecting the regularization parameters in a content-aware way and therefore adaptively adjusting the weights between the two terms of the total variation model. Experiment results on simulated and real noisy image show the good performance of our proposed method, in visual improvement and peak signal to noise ratio value.
Podocyte‐specific expression of cre recombinase in transgenic mice

Summary: We report a transgenic mouse line that expresses Cre recombinase exclusively in podocytes. Twenty‐ four transgenic founders were generated in which Cre recombinase was placed under the regulation of a 2.5‐kb fragment of the human NPHS2 promoter. Previously, this fragment was shown to drive beta‐galactosidase (β‐gal) expression exclusively in podocytes of transgenic mice. For analysis, founder mice were bred with ROSA26 mice, a reporter line that expresses β‐gal in cells that undergo Cre recombination. Eight of 24 founder lines were found to express β‐gal exclusively in the kidney. Histological analysis of the kidneys showed that β‐gal expression was confined to podocytes. Cre recombination occurred during the capillary loop stage in glomerular development. No evidence for Cre recombination was detected in any of 14 other tissues examined. genesis 35:39–42, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection on Resources Consumption Drag of Urbanization in China

A unique model of resources consumption drag of urbanization is developed by employing the neo-classical production model and the urbanization relation model. By using this model, it is viable to estimate the resources consumption drag, measured as the reduced speed of urbanization from resources consumption and environmental services. In terms of reduced urbanization process, the aggregated and disaggregated effects from some crucial resources, such as energy, land and water, are calculated and presented. The results show that the drags from energy consumption, land and water in process of China’s urbanization are 0.1061, 0.0036 and 0.1914 percent point respectively and the aggregate drag arrives 0.3010 percent point. With the increasing population and the developing urbanization process in China, the constraints of resources, water and energy in particular cannot be eliminated and the drags will be enhanced and hence the pressure of further urbanization process is still a relatively serious problem.