Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Auditory steady-state responses to MM and exponential envelope AM2/FM stimuli in normal-hearing adults

The present study utilized a commercially available multiple auditory steady-state response (ASSR) system to test normal hearing adults (n=55). The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of the mixed modulation (MM) and the novel proposed exponential AM2/FM stimuli on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and threshold estimation accuracy, through a within-subject comparison. The second aim was to establish a normative database for both stimulus types. The results demonstrated that the AM2/FM and MM stimulus had a similar effect on the SNR, whereas the ASSR threshold results revealed that the AM2/FM produced better thresholds than the MM stimulus for the 500, 1000, and 4000 Hz carrier frequency. The mean difference scores to tones of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz were for the MM stimulus: 20±12, 14±9, 10±8, and 12±8 dB; and for the AM2/FM stimulus: 18±13, 12±8, 11±8, and 10±8 dB, respectively. The current research confirms that the AM2/FM stimulus can be used efficiently to test normal hearing adults.
Study of patients with hip arthroplasty at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The late results of mold arthroplasty for disease of the hip were studied in 171 patients who were available for reexamination five or more years after the operation. Among these patients there were 201 mold arthroplasties to be reviewed, 81 (the largest group) for degenerative arthritis and 51 for congenital dislocation and subluxation. Ability to function and freedom from pain were assessed for each patient. Results were classified as excellent, good, or satisfactory in 164 hips (81.5% of operations among the 171 patients) and unsatisfactory in 37. The analysis showed that all the results classified as excellent were in patients in whom the disease had been unilateral and that bilateral disease was a severe handicap. Supplementary surgery was necessary in 12% of patients. These difficulties must be balanced against the excellent results frequently obtained with complete relief from pain in 27 % and unlimited walking in 24 % of patients.
Form of the quantum potential for use in hydrodynamic equations for semiconductor device modeling.

We solve a form of the Bloch equation for the density matrix in a manner that identifies a «quantum» correction to the classical potential. This correction is given by the difference between the Bohm self-potential and a form of the Wigner potential that have both been used in previous simulations of semiconductor devices. The net potential appearing in the density is then a nonlocally smoothed average of the total semiclassical potential, which itself is composed of the classical potential and the quantum correction. However, the effective potential, which appears in hydrodynamic equations for device modeling, is shown to be the difference between this nonlocally smoothed potential and the local value of the potential
A consumer's guide to nestedness analysis

Nestedness analysis has become increasingly popular in the study of biogeographic patterns of species occurrence. Nested patterns are those in which the species composition of small assemblages is a nested subset of larger assemblages. For species interaction networks such as plantpollinator webs, nestedness analysis has also proven a valuable tool for revealing ecological and evolutionary constraints. Despite this popularity, there has been substantial controversy in the literature over the best methods to define and quantify nestedness, and how to test for patterns of nestedness against an appropriate statistical null hypothesis. Here we review this rapidly developing literature and provide suggestions and guidelines for proper analyses. We focus on the logic and the performance of different metrics and the proper choice of null models for statistical inference. We observe that traditional ‘gap-counting’ metrics are biased towards species loss among columns (occupied sites) and that many metrics are not invariant to basic matrix properties. The study of nestedness should be combined with an appropriate gradient analysis to infer possible causes of the observed presence absence sequence. In our view, statistical inference should be based on a null model in which row and columns sums are fixed. Under this model, only a relatively small number of published empirical matrices are significantly nested. We call for a critical reassessment of previous studies that have used biased metrics and unconstrained null models for statistical inference.
Does Priming Implementation with Low-dose Albumin Reduce Postoperative Bleeding following Cardiopulmonary Bypass?

This study aimed to assess whether low doses of albumin in the priming solution for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) reduce postoperative bleeding. Three-hundred and seventy-seven patients undergoing CPB were retrospectively assigned to group A (154 patients, CPB primed with 20 ml/kg Ringer Lactate solution + 0.75mg/kg albumin 20%) and group B (223 patients with 20 ml/kg Ringer Lactate). A significant difference was found in terms of reoperations for bleeding (group A 0/154 versus group B 9/223; P=0.033). The mean number of blood derivatives transfused per patient was higher in group B than in group A (p <0.001). Platelet count after CPB was higher in group A than in group B (175±52×103/μl versus 131±70×103/μl; P=0.045). The amount of postoperative bleeding was 525ml versus 680ml at 24hrs (p <0.001), 819ml versus 1102ml at 48hrs, (p <0.001), 963ml versus 1294ml at 72hrs, (p <0.045) (group A versus group B respectively). Crystalloid priming with low-dose albumin reduces postoperative bleeding.
Closing the Gap Between Watershed Modeling, Sediment Budgeting, and Stream Restoration

Stream Restorat Approaches, Anal Geophysical Mon Copyright 2011 b 10.1029/2011GM The connection between stream restoration and sediment budgeting runs both ways: stream restoration is proposed as a means to reduce sediment yields, but an accurate understanding of sediment supply is necessary to design an effective project. Recent advances in monitoring technology, geochemical techniques, high-resolution topography data, and numerical modeling provide new opportunities to estimate sediment erosion, transport, and deposition rates; upscale them in a geomorphically relevant fashion; and synthesize sediment dynamics at watershed scales. For practical application at large scale, watershed models used to predict yield often do not resolve lower-order channels, leaving an essential “blind spot” regarding sediment processes. We illustrate the challenges and emerging approaches for estimating sediment budgets using examples from two very different physiographic settings: the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and the agricultural plains of southern Minnesota. We highlight common challenges and themes in defining an effective watershed sediment model. In both cases, reliable estimates of sediment yield depend essentially on the accurate identification of sediment sources and sinks and, hence, require careful delineation of landscape units and identification of dominant sediment sources and sinks. The primary elements needed to bridge the gap between sediment budgeting, watershed modeling, and stream restoration are (1) specificity regarding location, mechanism, and rates of erosion, (2) accurate accounting of sediment storage, (3) appropriate methods for upscaling local observations, (4) efficient means for incorporating multiple lines of evidence to constrain budget estimates, and (5) stream restoration methods that incorporate sediment supply in assessment and design procedures.
Relationship between hyperuricemia and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aims/Introduction: To research the relationship between Serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the Neutrophilto-lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients. Materials and methods: 290 newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients are selected in accordance with the WHO diagnostic criteria: Male subjects with SUA levels ≥416 μmol/L (60 mg/L), and female subjects with SUA levels ≥357 μmol/L (70 mg/L), a total of 234 subjects, are sorted into the high SUA (HUA) group, and the rest, a total of 56 subjects, into the normal SUA (NUA) group. 130 subjects were selected as a control group. One-Way analysis of variance (etc) was applied to the data of the three groups; Pearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation of SUA levels, NLR and IR; risk factors influencing SUA levels were analyzed with Logistic regression analysis; ROC curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic value of NLR to HUA, and the optimal threshold value of NLR. Result: (1) The NLR and IR of the HUA group was significantly higher than those of the NUA group (2.54±0.64 vs. 2.06±0.62, P<0.001; 3.70±1.83 vs. 2.71±1.54, P<0.001); (2) In the HUA group, UA was positively correlated with NLR and IR (respectively r=0.512, P<0.001; r=0.357, P<0.001). (3) NLR (P=0.011, EXP(B)=5.237, 95% CI=1.465-18.719) was a risk factor of Hyperuricemia. Conclusion: Our results suggest that NLR may be an independent risk factor of Hyperuricemia.
PU.1, Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) 2, and the Interferon Consensus Sequence-binding Protein (ICSBP/IRF8) Cooperate to Activate NF1 Transcription in Differentiating Myeloid Cells*

Nf1 (neurofibromin 1) is a Ras-GAP protein that regulates cytokine-induced proliferation of myeloid cells. In previous studies, we found that the interferon consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP; also referred to as interferon regulatory factor 8) activates transcription of the gene encoding Nf1 (the NF1 gene) in differentiating myeloid cells. We also found that NF1 activation requires cytokine-stimulated phosphorylation of a conserved tyrosine residue in the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) domain of ICSBP/IRF8. In this study, we found that ICSBP/IRF8 cooperates with PU.1 and interferon regulatory factor 2 to activate a composite ets/IRF-cis element in the NF1 promoter. We found that PU.1 binds directly to the NF1-cis element, and DNA-bound PU.1 interacts with IRF2, recruiting IRF2 to the cis element. This interaction requires cytokine-induced phosphorylation of specific serine residues in the PU.1 PEST domain and of a conserved tyrosine residue in the IRF domain of IRF2. We found that ICSBP/IRF8 interaction with the NF1-cis element requires pre-binding of PU.1 and IRF2. The conserved IRF domain tyrosine in ICSBP/IRF8 is required for interaction with the DNA-bound PU.1-IRF2 heterodimer. NF1 deficiency in myeloid progenitor cells results in cytokine hypersensitivity and myeloproliferation. Therefore, these studies identify a target gene for the previously observed tumor-suppressor effect of PU.1. Additionally, these studies identify a tumor-suppressor function for the “oncogenic” transcription factor, IRF2.
Asymmetric Dual-Passband Coplanar Waveguide Filters Using Periodic Composite Right/Left-Handed and Quarter-Wavelength Stubs

A novel dual-passband coplanar waveguide (CPW) filter periodically loaded with the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) short-circuited stubs and the quarter-wavelength open-circuited stubs in asymmetric configuration is presented. The unit-cell equivalent circuit of the periodic structure in conjunction with Floquet's theorem is employed to find the propagation characteristics of passband and stopband regions. Unlike the conventional quarter-wavelength transmission-line inverter suitable only for a narrow frequency range, the dual-band inverter is adopted in the dual-passband filter to achieve a better frequency response within two operating bands. The performance of the 2.4/5.8-GHz third-order CRLH CPW dual-passband filter with 52% and 23% bandwidths is measured and validated by full-wave simulation. Two arbitrary passband regions are presented and the stopband within the passbands can be controlled by varying the length of open-circuited stub, supporting the flexibility and compactness of the proposed dual-passband filter
Comparative Performance Evaluation of Orthogonal-Signal-Generators-Based Single-Phase PLL Algorithms—A Survey

The orthogonal-signal-generator-based phase-locked loops (OSG-PLLs) are among the most popular single-phase PLLs within the areas of power electronics and power systems, mainly because they are often easy to be implemented and offer a robust performance against the grid disturbances. The main aim of this paper is to present a survey of the comparative performance evaluation among the state-of-the-art OSG-PLLs (include Delay-PLL, Deri-PLL, Park-PLL, SOGI-PLL, DOEC-PLL, VTD-PLL, CCF-PLL, and TPFA-PLL) under different grid disturbances such as voltage sags, phase, and frequency jumps, and in the presence of dc offset, harmonic components, and white noise in their input. This analysis provides a useful insight about the advantages and disadvantages of these PLLs. The performance enhancement of Delay-PLL, Deri-PLL, and CCF-PLL by including a moving average filter into their structure is another goal of this paper.
Coarse Graining for Upscaling of Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media

This paper focuses on upscaling of permeability and flow in heterogeneous porous media. We develop a new upscaling method which considers the local permeability K(x) being a stationary random field of lognormal distribution and which is based on filtering procedures introduced in Attinger, Eberhard, and Neuss [Comput. Vis. Sci., 5 (2002), pp. 67--72]. The so-called coarse graining method is used to obtain an effective permeability tensor $K^{\text{eff}}(\lam)$ which depends on the given length scale $\lambda$. We formulate and extend the coarse graining method in Fourier space and give explicit results for the effective permeability tensor for a correct projector $P^\pm_\lambda$ in Fourier space. Furthermore, we develop a numerical upscaling scheme based on coarse graining which allows us to test the theoretical results. We compare the new method with simple upscaling methods such as arithmetic or geometric upscaling by evaluating fluxes $Q_\lambda$ and the solutions $u_\lambda$ of the flow equation itsel.
Minimum Reporting Standards for Endovascular AAA Repair: Practical, Clinically-Relevant, and Easy to Use

The efficacy of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the treatment of infrarenal aneurysms has generated ambitions to apply endovascular techniques to more advanced, hostile aortic morphologies. Surgical research has been criticized in the past for an over-reliance on uncontrolled, poor-quality case series. The endovascular literature is no exception. A systematic review of articles comparing thoracic aortic stent-grafting to open repair found that the majority of reports were retrospective and of only moderate quality when assessed by the Downs and Black score. In this issue of JEVT, the British Society of Endovascular Therapy (BSET) sets reporting standards that should guide authors of future endovascular articles and hopefully improve reporting standards. The initial reporting standards for EVAR were published by Chaikof et al. in 2002. The combination of clinical, morphological, and technological criteria was logical and obtainable. However, the breadth of data rendered the standards unwieldy, and their application has been inconsistent. The BSET authors have developed a set of pragmatic minimum reporting standards to aid reporting and comparison of published results. A standard is an authoritative principal or model, and so the criteria necessary should be important and evidence based. These requirements must be balanced with practicality and ease of use. The BSET standards achieve this goal, pragmatically selecting only the patient and device characteristics proven to be of clinical significance. The new standards abandon the traditional reliance on comparisons of patient comorbidity, which is often subjective and poorly quantifiable, in favor of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) rating scale. Detractors would argue that this is a subjective assessment. However, it is an internationallyrecognized parameter that facilitates comparisons of different populations. Importantly, it is also a scoring system that will have been recorded and therefore is available for all patients. In terms of clinical factors, age and sex are also rightfully included, as is estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a more useful criterion for renal dysfunction than creatinine levels alone, especially given the ever-widening age spread of patients included in these studies. Aneurysm morphology is clearly a necessary reporting standard. Other factors could have been included, e.g., Crawford grading for thoracoabdominal aneurysms and the proportions of supra, juxta-, and infrarenal aneurysms treated. The original Chaikof standards included the etiological origins of the aneurysm as well as the symptomatology, again notably absent from the BSET standards; while etiology and symptoms may not have a clear evidence base for inclusion, they are of clinical significance. For rupture patients, the point about the variable recording of blood pressure and hemoglobin is well made; however, like the ASA grading, a simple classification into stable/unstable/ arrest would be a logical way to stratify patient groups. That said, exhaustive reporting
Light Trapping and Surface Passivation of Micron-Scaled Macroporous Blind Holes

We fabricate a blind hole surface texture by anodic etching of macroporous Si. The blind holes, i.e., pores that do not penetrate the wafer completely, have an average diameter of 2.7 μm, a distance of 4 μm, and a depth of 9 μm. This texture is capable of reducing the AM1.5G photon flux-weighted front reflectance to 1.5% without depositing an antireflection coating. The μm-feature size makes it a less fragile alternative to common nm-sized black silicon structures. We passivate the blind holes by atomic layer deposited AlOx. The blind hole texture allows for a carrier lifetime of (2.2 ± 0.25) ms corresponding to an effective surface recombination velocity of (8 ± 1.5) cm/s with respect to the macroscopic front surface. A direct comparison of the optical performance and the surface passivation quality with a standard SiNx-coated random pyramid surface shows that blind holes allow for a relative efficiency gain of (3 ± 0.2)% when applied, e.g., in an otherwise perfect back-contacted solar cell.
An efficient dynamic group key agreement protocol for imbalanced wireless networks

Owing to the popularity of wireless networks, the group key agreement (GKA) design is critical for providing secure group communications over an insecure wireless channel. In 2005, Nam et al. proposed a GKA protocol for imbalanced wireless networks in which an imbalanced wireless network consists of many mobile nodes with limited computing capability and a powerful node with less restriction. In 2007, Tseng showed that Nam et al.'s protocol is not a contributory GKA, while he also proposed a new GKA protocol. However, neither GKA protocol is concerned with dynamic member joining/leaving. This is an important functionality of GKA, especially for a wireless network environment. In this paper, we propose a dynamic group key agreement protocol for imbalanced wireless networks, and show that it requires less computation cost for dynamic member joining/leaving as compared to the previously proposed protocols. We also show that the proposed protocol is provably secure against passive attacks under the decision Diffie–Hellman problem and the hash function assumptions. Furthermore, by the pre‐shared two‐party key between a mobile node and the powerful node in the existing imbalanced wireless networks, we propose a generalized GKA protocol that requires only several hash functions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deoxynivalenol, acetyl deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone formation by Canadian isolates of Fusarium graminearum on solid substrates

Three isolates of Fusarium graminearum (DAOM 180377, 180378, and 180379) were screened for their ability to produce mycotoxins on the solid substrates corn and rice. They all produced deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on corn. On rice, only DAOM 180378 and 180379 produced significant amounts of these mycotoxins, with levels of deoxynivalenol being much higher than those of zearalenone. The effects of the initial moisture content before autoclaving, incubation temperature, and time were studied with isolate DAOM 180378. At 19.5 degrees C the main product was zearalenone, whereas at 25 degrees C both deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were formed. Higher incubation temperatures (28 degrees C) favored deoxynivalenol formation, the maximum amount being 515 ppm (515 micrograms/g) formed after 24 days at an initial moisture content of 40%. The maximum level of zearalenone produced at the same temperature was 399 ppm, but at an initial moisture content of 35%. Other factors, such as pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations, and size of the culture flask also appeared to affect the production of mycotoxins.
Power flow control of a triple active bridge DC-DC converter using GaN power devices for a low-voltage DC power distribution system

This paper describes the power flow control of a triple active bridge (TAB) DC-DC converter for a DC power distribution system. The proposed phase shift control utilized in power distribution is based on varying the phase shift angle among three ports of the converter. First the simulation system is a prototype 200-V TAB converter with double loads for low-voltage DC power distribution systems using the closed-loop phase shift control. In the experiment, an open-loop TAB converter rated at 500 W power was constructed and tested with double loads, using a three-winding transformer and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices. The smooth output waveforms indicate the good controllability of the power flow as well as functional performance in the low-voltage DC power distribution system.
Subresolution placement using IR image to CAD database alignment: an algorithm for silicon-side probing

With the advent of flip-chips, internal debug tools need to image the active regions of devices through their silicon substrates. Infrared (IR) optics can 'see' through silicon, but accurate navigation to a particular node is challenged because IR resolution is often lower than the feature size to be probed. To meet this accuracy requirement, we have developed an automated sub-resolution alignment of a device's computer-aided design (CAD) to its through silicon IR image. Automated image alignment is not straightforward because CAD and IR images differ significantly in magnification, rotation, intensity, and resolution, causing standard alignment algorithms to fail. The light diffraction of the optical system blurs and distorts the shape and size of features, causing both edge-based and intensity-based cross-correlation techniques to fail. The alignment methodology we present, consists of pre-processing (equalization) of the two images, followed by sub-resolution offset computation along with x-y confidence factors. We apply a modeled point spread function (PSF) of the optical system to the CAD image to increase its resemblance to the optical image. The application of the PSF is important in resolution-equalization, and becomes critical if 'ghosting' is present in the optical image. Using our alignment algorithm which combines image equalization, over-sampling, and cross-correlation, we demonstrate the ability to achieve 0.1 micron placement accuracy with a 1 micron resolution optical system.