Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mo/Si Multilayers with Different Barrier Layers for Applications as Extreme Ultraviolet Mirrors

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputter deposition (MSD) have been used to prepare different types of Mo/Si multilayers for the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral range. In the case of PLD prepared Mo/Si multilayers the deposition of 0.3–0.5 nm thick carbon barrier layers at the interfaces leads to a substantial improvement of the interface quality. This can be deduced from Cu-Kα reflectivity measurements and HRTEM observations. Consequently the EUV reflectivity has been substantially increased. For pure Mo/Si-multilayers prepared by MSD the deposition parameters have been optimized so that a normal incidence reflectivity of REUV=68.7% could be realized. Although this is one of the best experimental results achieved so far, there is still a gap between this experimental value and the theoretical limit (REUV=75.5%). One of the main reasons for this discrepancy is the formation of intermixing zones at the interfaces. With B4C and C barrier layers at the interfaces interdiffusion can be reduced. The resulting EUV reflectivity of this new type of EUV multilayers is 69.8% (λ=13.42 nm, α=1.5°) and 71.4% (λ=12.52 nm, α=22.5°).
Effect of a home exercise training program in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Physical training in patients with pulmonary diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF), may improve exercise tolerance in these patients. Most training programs are performed in a clinical setting. Little information is available concerning the effect of home exercise training programs in CF patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a home exercise training program in CF patients. Ten adolescent patients (seven male and three female) with CF, mean (SD) age 20.6 (6.5) years, participated in a home exercise training program for 3 months. Pretraining condition was assessed during a control period of 2 months in which patients were asked to continue their normal daily activities. Home exercise training consisted of cycle training of 15 min at a submaximal workload once a day and was supervised by a physiotherapist two times a week. A follow-up period of 1 month, in which the patients were advised to continue cycling at home without supervision, was included after the training program. Pulmonary function, bicycle exercise test performance, and the degree of limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) were measured. No significant differences were found between the two pretraining assessments. After the training period we found significant improvement in maximal exercise capacity (Wmax) (mean [SEM]: 126 [10] W before and 146 [11] W after; p = 0.004), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) (mean [SEM]: 31.4 [2.1] ml.kg-1.min-1 before and 36.5 [2.5] ml.kg-1.min-1 after; p = 0.008), oxygen pulse (VO2/HR) (mean [SEM]: 10.9 [0.66] ml before and 11.9 [0.74] ml after; p = 0.047), and degree of limitation in ADL (mean [SEM]: 2.4 [0.43] before and 1.5 [0.48] after; p = 0.019) as compared with the initial values. Since no significant differences were found between the posttraining values and the results at the end of the follow-up period, the patients were apparently able to maintain the training effects during the follow-up period. We conclude that in CF patients, a home exercise training program, after clinical assessment of exercise tolerance, is an effective and relatively simple treatment to improve physical performance and decrease limitation in ADL and should be included in the maintenance treatment in these patients.
Diagnostic accuracy of 3D time-of-flight MR angiography compared with digital subtraction angiography for follow-up of coiled intracranial aneurysms: influence of aneurysm size.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 3D time-of-flight MR angiography (3D TOF MRA) may be used as noninvasive alternative to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the follow-up of patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs). We aimed to determine the influence of aneurysm size and location on diagnostic accuracy of 3D TOF MRA for follow-up of intracranial aneurysms treated with GDCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred and one 3D TOF MRAs in 127 consecutive patients with 136 aneurysms were compared with DSA as standard of reference. Sensitivity and specificity of 3D TOF MRA for detection of residual or reperfusion of the aneurysms was calculated with regard to aneurysm size and location. RESULTS Overall sensitivity and specificity of MRA was 88.5% and 92.9%, respectively. Sensitivity was lower for aneurysms <or=5 mm (72.2%) and <or=3 mm (63.6%). In addition to the small aneurysm size, interpretation of MR angiograms was compromised by susceptibility artifacts at the air-bone interface, arterial overlap, and pulsation-induced artifacts. The small number of disagreements between MRA and DSA hampered reliable interpretation of the possible influence of aneurysm location on MRA accuracy. CONCLUSION The sensitivity of 3D TOF MRA for detection of reperfusion or residual perfusion of coiled intracranial aneurysms varies considerably depending on the size of the aneurysms. No conclusions can be drawn regarding a possible influence of aneurysm location on diagnostic accuracy of 3D TOF MRA. These findings may influence the decision about whether to replace DSA by 3D TOF MRA for the follow-up of patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with GDCs.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes of azosemide after intravenous and oral administration of azosemide to uranyl nitrate‐induced acute renal failure rats

The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences of azosemide were investigated after intravenous (IV) and oral administration of azosemide, 10 mg kg−1, to the control and uranyl nitrate‐induced acute renal failure (U‐ARF) rats. After IV administration, the plasma concentrations of azosemide were significantly higher in the U‐ARF rats and this resulted in a significant increase in AUC (2520 versus 3680 μg min mL−1) and significant decrease in Cl (3.96 versus 2.72 mL min−1 kg−1) of azosemide. The significant decrease in Cl in the U‐ARF rats was due to the significant decrease in Clr of azosemide (1.55 versus 0.00913 mL min−1 kg−1) due to the decrease in kidney function in the U‐ARF rats. After IV administration, the urine output (38.5 versus 8.45 mL 100 g−1 body weight) and urinary excretion of sodium (4.60 versus 0.420 mmol 100 g−1 body weight) decreased significantly in the U‐ARF rats. After oral administration, the AUC0–8 h of azosemide decreased significantly (215 versus 135 μg min mL−1) in the U‐ARF rats possibly due to the decreased GI absorption of azosemide. After oral administration, the 24‐h urine output decreased considerably (16.1 versus 11.2 mL 100 g−1 body weight, p <0.098) and the 24‐h urinary excretion of sodium (1.74 versus 0.777 mmol 100 g−1 body weight) decreased significantly in the U‐ARF rats. The IV and oral doses of azosemide needed to be modified in the acute renal failure patients if the present rat data could be extrapolated to humans. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Remineralizing Efficacy of a CPP-ACP Cream on Enamel Caries Lesions in situ

The aim of this double-blind, randomized, cross-over in situ study was to compare the remineralizing effects induced by the application of casein phosphopeptide-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate complexes (CPP-ACP)-containing cream (without fluoride) after the use of fluoride toothpaste with the prolonged use of fluoride toothpaste on enamel caries lesions in situ. During each of three experimental legs of 4 weeks, 13 participants wore intra-oral mandibular appliances with 8 pre-demineralized bovine enamel specimens in the vestibular flanges mimicking either ‘easily cleanable' or ‘proximal' surfaces (n = 312). The three randomly allocated treatments were as follows: (1) application of CPP-ACP-containing cream (GC Tooth Mouse, non-fluoride) after the use of fluoride toothpaste (1,400 ppm NaF; TM), (2) prolonged application of fluoride toothpaste (1,400 ppm NaF; positive control, PC) and (3) prolonged application of fluoride-free toothpaste (negative control, NC). Additionally, one of each of the two flanges was brushed twice daily with the respective toothpaste. The differences in integrated mineral loss as assessed by transversal microradiography were calculated between values before and after the in situ period. Changes in mineral loss were analysed for those pairs of subgroups differing in only one of the three factors (intervention, brushing and position). The PC treatment induced a significantly higher mineral gain compared with the TM and NC treatments. No significant differences between TM and NC for both positions were observed. In conclusion, the additional use of a CPP-ACP-containing cream seems to be less efficacious in remineralizing caries lesions than the prolonged application of fluoride toothpaste. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Adaptive interferer cancellation using a sampled analog signal processor

Software defined radios are developed with the aim to demodulate any standard. However, constraints make this practically unfeasible. A sampled analog signal processor was developed performing a fast Fourier transform using voltage samples. The idea is to process any RF signal 0 to 5 GHz using the fast Fourier transform to obtain frequency shifting and filtering, presenting a new approach to bring software radio closer to reality. A second version of the analog signal processor using 65 nm CMOS technology from STMicroelectronics is presented and measured. Further, the concept of an active interferer-cancelling system using the analog signal processor in a feed-forward loop is presented.
Bacteriophage use to control Salmonella biofilm on surfaces present in chicken slaughterhouses

ABSTRACT Foodborne diseases represent a major risk to public health worldwide. Pathogenic bacteria can live in the form of biofilm within the food industry, providing a permanent source of contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the types of adhesion surfaces on Salmonella biofilm formation at eight different times, and analyze the action time of a bacteriophage pool on established biofilms. Most of the samples used were classified as weak biofilm producers, with serovars Enteritidis and Heidelberg showing the highest frequency of biofilm formation. Glass and stainless steel surfaces significantly favored biofilm formation at 60 and 36 h of incubation respectively, but the polyvinyl chloride surface did not favor biofilm production, suggesting that the type of material may interfere with production. The bacteriophage pool action period focused on 3 h, but treatment of 9 h on glass surface biofilms was superior to other treatments because it affected the largest number of samples. These results suggests that some surface types and Salmonella serotypes may promote biofilm formation and indicate bacteriophages as an alternative to control biofilms. But further studies are required to prove the effectiveness and safety of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative in the antimicrobial control in the processing plants.
ISO／IEC JTC1全会动态

2009年10月在以色列特拉维夫召开了“2009年第73届IEC年会”，中国代表团参加了部分会议。 为了使读者了解此次会议的详细情况，我们特邀参加ISO/IEC JTC1，IEC/TC46，TC47，TC56，TC86，TC100，TC108，TC111会议的国内技术对口单位的专家撰稿，介绍会议的主要技术内容。
Association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and propensity to anxiety in an Australian population-based longitudinal study of adolescent health

Objectives Catechol-O-methyltransferase plays a central role in the metabolism of biogenic amines such as norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Functional studies have demonstrated a dose relationship between Val158Met genotypes and catechol-O-methyltransferase activity. Compared with the Val158Val genotype, the Val158Met and Met158Met genotypes result in two- and four-fold reductions in catechol-O-methyltransferase activity, respectively. Two recent reports have observed the association between the Met158Met genotype and risk of anxiety in adult populations. We examined the association between the Val158Met genotypes and propensity to anxiety across adolescence. Methods Participants were drawn from an eight-wave study of the mental and behavioural health of over 2000 young Australians followed from 14 to 24 years of age (Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, 1992 to present). DNA was received from 962 participants using a cheek swab collection method. Results The odds of reporting persistent episodic anxiety (phobic avoidance, panic attacks) were doubled among carriers of the Met158Met genotype (odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1–3.4, P=0.014). A dose relationship between additional copies of the Met158 allele and persistent episodic anxiety was also observed (1.5, 1.1–1.94, P=0.007). Stratification by sex showed that the risk effect of the Met158 allele was among females only. No association was observed for measures of neuroticism, persistent generalized anxiety, or a composite measure of psychiatric distress. Conclusion These data replicate previous findings suggesting association between the Val158Met polymorphism and specific expressions of anxiety among females.
Erythroid colony formation in cultures of mouse and human bone marrow: Analysis of the requirement for erythropoietin by gel filtration and affinity chromatography on agarose‐concanavalin A

Assay of red cell progenitors by colony formation in culture is expected to allow study of early events in erythroid differentiation in animal models and in man. In this communication, a simplification of the culture method for mouse bone marrow cells originally reported by Stephenson et al. ('71) is described. In the modified procedure, plasma clot is replaced by methyl cellulose, and scoring of erythroid colonies is done directly in the plates without staining. With additional modification the system proved applicable to the culture of erythroid colonies from human bone marrow as well. The development of both mouse and human erythroid colonies was dependent on “erythroid colony stimulating activity” (E‐CSA) supplied by extracts of anemic sheep plasma, or by extracts of urine from anemic patients. Over a certain range, the number of colonies was a function of dose of E‐CSA.
Excess use of general practitioners by obese adults: Does health-related quality of life account for the association?

Abstract As general practitioners (GP) are seeing, and are likely to continue to see, increasing numbers of obese patients in their practices, it is relevant to know with which needs these patients enter general practice. The present study aims to determine whether besides physical comorbidities, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) accounts for associations of obesity with GP use. In a general population survey in Augsburg, Germany (KORA-Survey S4 1999/2001), anthropometric body mass (BMI in kg/(m2)), physical comorbidities, HRQOL (the 12-item Short Form; SF-12), and visits to GP were assessed, and analyzed by logistic and zero-truncated negative binomial regressions (two-part model). Gender, age, socio-economic status, marital status, health insurance, and place of residence were adjusted for. The sample consisted of N = 942 residents aged 25 – 74, who had been randomly sampled from 17 cluster-sampled communities, and were either normal-weight, overweight, moderately obese, or severely obese. The moderately obese group had higher odds than the normal-weight to report any GP use; however, while being predictive, neither physical comorbidity nor HRQOL mediated this. In contrast, with regard to number of GP visits among users, the severely obese group (BMI ≥ 35) reported significantly more visits than the normal-weight group, and both physical comorbidity and physical (but not mental) HRQOL accounted for this. In conclusion, physical comorbidity and HRQOL mediate excess use of GP by severely obese users in terms of number of visits. Thus, for this group, subjective physical health seems to be important besides physical comorbidities, suggesting for general practice to focus both on evaluated and perceived needs of these patients.
Association of the serotonin transporter gene with sudden infant death syndrome: A haplotype analysis

Serotonergic receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus, n. raphé obscurus, and other medullary regions is decreased in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases. Further, an insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter protein (5‐HTT) gene has recently been associated with risk of SIDS. This polymorphism differentially regulates 5‐HTT expression, with the long allele (L), the SIDS‐associated allele, being a more effective promoter than the short allele (S). To further elucidate the role of the 5‐HTT gene in SIDS, we investigated the 5‐HTT intron 2 polymorphism, which also differentially regulates 5‐HTT expression with the 12 repeat allele being the more effective promoter. In a cohort of 90 SIDS cases (44 African‐American and 46 Caucasian) and gender/ethnicity‐matched controls, significant positive associations were found between SIDS and the intron 2 genotype distribution (P‐value = 0.041) among African‐American SIDS vs. African‐American controls, specifically with the 12/12 genotype (P‐value = 0.03), and with the 12 repeat allele (P‐value=0.018). The frequency of the 12/12 genotype and 12‐repeat allele was significantly different (P < 0.001) between the African‐American and Caucasian SIDS cases. Furthermore, the promoter and intron 2 loci were in significant linkage disequilibrium, and the L‐12 haplotype was significantly associated with SIDS in the African‐American (P = 0.002) but not Caucasian (P = 0.117) subgroups. These results indicate a relationship between SIDS and the 12‐repeat allele of the intron 2 variable number tandem repeat of the 5‐HTT gene in African‐Americans, and a significant role of the haplotype containing the 12‐repeat allele and the promoter L‐allele in defining SIDS risk in African‐Americans. These data, if confirmed in larger studies, may begin to explain the differences in SIDS incidence by ethnicity, suggest a role for levels of 5‐HTT expression in generation of SIDS susceptibility, and provide an important tool for identifying at‐risk individuals and estimating the risk of recurrence. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Constructing multiple test procedures for partially ordered hypothesis sets

A popular method to control multiplicity in confirmatory clinical trials is to use a so‐called hierarchical, or fixed sequence, test procedure. This requires that the null hypotheses are ordered a priori, for example, in order of clinical importance. The procedure tests the hypotheses in this order using α‐level tests until one is not rejected. It then stops, so that no subsequent hypotheses are eligible for rejection. This procedure strongly controls the familywise error rate (FWE), that is to say, the probability that any true hypotheses are rejected.
Design and implementation of a distributed system for transparent remote memory accessing

In order to improve the system memory utilization ratio and the I/O performance, we should implement distributed system of initiative to access remote memory by ways of extending swap's capacity and improving paging speed because of the transmission characteristics of high bandwidth and low latency in high-speed LAN. In this paper, we put forward the client-the server conversion strategy which makes each node's load balance through role judgment and service's switching in this system. The realization of the system for applications does not require any particular API and function library. Experiments show that, for a large disk access and the application of the page exchange, the system can effectively improve overall performance.
A Comparative Study of Locality Preserving Projection and Principle Component Analysis on Classification Performance Using Logistic Regression

There are a variety of classification techniques such as neural network, decision tree, support vector machine and logistic regression. The problem of dimensionality is pertinent to many learning algorithms, and it denotes the drastic raise of computational complexity, however, we need to use dimensionality reduction methods. These methods include principal component analysis (PCA) and locality preserving projection (LPP). In many real-world classification problems, the local structure is more important than the global structure and dimensionality reduction techniques ignore the local structure and preserve the global structure. The objectives is to compare PCA and LPP in terms of accuracy, to develop appropriate representations of complex data by reducing the dimensions of the data and to explain the importance of using LPP with logistic regression. The results of this paper find that the proposed LPP approach provides a better representation and high accuracy than the PCA approach.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of malaria rapid diagnostic tests for appropriate treatment of malaria at the community level in Uganda

Abstract In Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under 5, due to lack of access to prompt and appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Many countries have scaled-up community health workers (CHWs) as a strategy towards improving access. The present study was a cost-effectiveness analysis of the introduction of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) performed by CHWs in two areas of moderate-to-high and low malaria transmission in rural Uganda. CHWs were trained to perform mRDTs and treat children with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in the intervention arm while CHWs offered treatment based on presumptive diagnosis in the control arm. Data on the proportion of children with fever ‘appropriately treated for malaria with ACT’ were captured from a randomised trial. Health sector costs included: training of CHWs, community sensitisation, supervision, allowances for CHWs and provision of mRDTs and ACTs. The opportunity costs of time utilised by CHWs were estimated based on self-reporting. Household costs of subsequent treatment-seeking at public health centres and private health providers were captured in a sample of households. mRDTs performed by CHWs was associated with large improvements in appropriate treatment of malaria in both transmission settings. This resulted in low incremental costs for the health sector at US$3.0 per appropriately treated child in the moderate-to-high transmission area. Higher incremental costs at US$13.3 were found in the low transmission area due to lower utilisation of CHW services and higher programme costs. Incremental costs from a societal perspective were marginally higher. The use of mRDTs by CHWs improved the targeting of ACTs to children with malaria and was likely to be considered a cost-effective intervention compared to a presumptive diagnosis in the moderate-to-high transmission area. In contrast to this, in the low transmission area with low attendance, RDT use by CHWs was not a low cost intervention.