Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions of the Cervix in a High‐Risk Population

Objectives We set out to examine our use of the squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) category, compare our SIL rate to rates reported by others, and determine the corre-lation between SIL and histologically proven cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in our population. Materials and Methods Reports from all Papanicolaou smears and associated histological specimens interpreted by the University of Florida Department of Pathology between 1992 and 1996 were reviewed. Results Of 39,484 Papanicolaou smears, 2,101 (5.3%) were classified as low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) and 1,366 (3.5%) were classified as high-grade (HGSIL). Of the LGSIL cases, 972 (46.3%) underwent timely biopsy: Findings were benign in 29.9%; 41.7% had CIN1,20.9% had CIN2, and 7.5% had CIN3. Of the HGSIL cases, 932 (68.2%) underwent timely biopsy: Findings were benign in 12.3%; 17.1% had CIN1, 26.7% had CIN2, 42.2% had CIN3, and 1.6% showed squamous cell carcinoma. Condusions. Our LGSIL rate is similar to reported rates, but our HGSIL rate of 3.5% is higher. We found good correlation between SIL on Papanicolaou smear and CIN on biopsy (70.1% for LGSIL and 86% for HGSIL).
Transformation of the Green Alga Haematococcus pluvialis with a Phytoene Desaturase for Accelerated Astaxanthin Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT Astaxanthin is a high-value carotenoid which is used as a pigmentation source in fish aquaculture. Additionally, a beneficial role of astaxanthin as a food supplement for humans has been suggested. The unicellular alga Haematococcus pluvialis is a suitable biological source for astaxanthin production. In the context of the strong biotechnological relevance of H. pluvialis, we developed a genetic transformation protocol for metabolic engineering of this green alga. First, the gene coding for the carotenoid biosynthesis enzyme phytoene desaturase was isolated from H. pluvialis and modified by site-directed mutagenesis, changing the leucine codon at position 504 to an arginine codon. In an in vitro assay, the modified phytoene desaturase was still active in conversion of phytoene to ζ-carotene and exhibited 43-fold-higher resistance to the bleaching herbicide norflurazon. Upon biolistic transformation using the modified phytoene desaturase gene as a reporter and selection with norflurazon, integration into the nuclear genome of H. pluvialis and phytoene desaturase gene and protein expression were demonstrated by Southern, Northern, and Western blotting, respectively, in 11 transformants. Some of the transformants had a higher carotenoid content in the green state, which correlated with increased nonphotochemical quenching. This measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence can be used as a screening procedure for stable transformants. Stress induction of astaxanthin biosynthesis by high light showed that there was accelerated accumulation of astaxanthin in one of the transformants compared to the accumulation in the wild type. Our results strongly indicate that the modified phytoene desaturase gene is a useful tool for genetic engineering of carotenoid biosynthesis in H. pluvialis.
Feature maps: a new approach in hierarchical interpretation of images

The paper introduces hierarchical image transformations that can be used for detecting various image features of gradually increased complexity. The major prospective application of the method is in (semi-) autonomous vision-guided robotic systems and, therefore, the local operators that can be prospectively hardware-implemented are the core component of the proposed algorithms. A feature map is a grey-level digital image with a vector attached to each pixel. Pixel intensities represent "the feature intensity", i.e. the estimated confidence that a feature of interest is located at the pixel. The vector components are characterizing the feature configuration. The low-level "intensity map" is the original grey-level image with the "feature intensity" being just the brightness value. A transformation from the current feature map to the map of a higher level is obtained by applying a local operator (with a circular scanning window). For each location of the window, the operator determines the template instance of a higher-level feature prospectively existing at this location. Then, the template is matched to the actual content of the window and - based on their similarity - the feature intensity value for the higher-level map pixel is determine. The associated vectors are containing the configuration parameters of the templates extracted by the operator. The paper contains the theoretical foundations of the proposed method, but exemplary results illustrating the method's principles are also provided.
Managing Heart Failure in the Long-Term Care Setting: Nurses’ Experiences in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundImplementation of heart failure guidelines in long-term care (LTC) settings is challenging. Understanding the conditions of nursing practice can improve management, reduce suffering, and prevent hospital admission of LTC residents living with heart failure. ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to understand the experiences of LTC nurses managing care for residents with heart failure. MethodsThis was a descriptive qualitative study nested in Phase 2 of a three-phase mixed methods project designed to investigate barriers and solutions to implementing the Canadian Cardiovascular Society heart failure guidelines into LTC homes. Five focus groups totaling 33 nurses working in LTC settings in Ontario, Canada, were audiorecorded, then transcribed verbatim, and entered into NVivo9. A complex adaptive systems framework informed this analysis. Thematic content analysis was conducted by the research team. Triangulation, rigorous discussion, and a search for negative cases were conducted. Data were collected between May and July 2010. ResultsNurses characterized their experiences managing heart failure in relation to many influences on their capacity for decision-making in LTC settings: (a) a reactive versus proactive approach to chronic illness; (b) ability to interpret heart failure signs, symptoms, and acuity; (c) compromised information flow; (d) access to resources; and (e) moral distress. DiscussionHeart failure guideline implementation reflects multiple dynamic influences. Leadership that addresses these factors is required to optimize the conditions of heart failure care and related nursing practice.
A Fully Integrated CMOS Sensor for Pico-current Measurement on Solid-state Nanopore Devices

In this paper, an integrated high-sensitivity patch-clamp sensor is proposed to measure the ultra-low current variation of a solid-state nanopore device. This sensor amplifier consists of three stages: 1) a headstage, 2) a difference amplifier and 3) a unity-gain buffer. For the headstage, a resistive-feedback transimpedance amplifier is employed to convert the small current to a readable voltage. The addition of a programmable gain to the second-stage difference amplifier allows the maximum gain to be increased to 168dBΩ. This sensor is fabricated in a 0. 35μm CMOS process and is tested with an 80nm-diameter solid-state nanopore. We present a detailed circuit analysis for the low-noise patch-clamp design and its noise measurement result in this paper.
Us9-Independent Axonal Sorting and Transport of the Pseudorabies Virus Glycoprotein gM

ABSTRACT Axonal sorting and transport of fully assembled pseudorabies virus (PRV) virions is dependent on the viral protein Us9. Here we identify a Us9-independent mechanism for axonal localization of viral glycoprotein M (gM). We detected gM-mCherry assemblies transporting in the anterograde direction in axons. Furthermore, unlabeled gM, but not glycoprotein B, was detected by Western blotting in isolated axons during Us9-null PRV infection. These results suggest that gM differs from other viral proteins regarding axonal transport properties.
A simple procedure to synthesize input and output matching networks with short stub for class F−1 PAs

This paper deals with an analytical methodology to synthesize microstrip input and output (I/O) matching networks for class F-1 PAs up to the third harmonic using short stubs. Physical dimensions of the microstrip are determined by means of T-parameters. To verify the proposed method, a GaN class F-1 PA was designed at 2.5 GHz. Experimental results show high correlation with simulated data.
Full-potential photoemission theory.

The one-step model of photoemission is generalised to the case of space-filling potential cells of arbitrary shape. The resulting method differs from the usual muffin-tin formalism in an improved treatment of the single-center scattering, already successfully employed in full-potential KorringaKohn-Rostoker band-structure calculations. Finally it results in generalized matrix elements for the four contributions to the photocurrent that the the full nonspherical crystal potential into account. This generalised photoemission theory will be useful for the calculation of (inverse) photoemission spectra of ordered systems, such as pure elemental solids, compounds, and alloys, in a unified manner
Technical Note - Solving Linear Cost Dynamic Lot-Sizing Problems in O(n log n) Time

In this paper, we study capacitated dynamic lot-sizing problems with or without backorders, under the assumption that production costs are linear, that is, there are no setup costs. These two dynamic lot-sizing problems (with or without backorders) are minimum-cost flow problems on an underlying network that possess a special structure. We show how the well-known successive shortest-path algorithm for the minimum-cost flow problem can be used to solve these problems in O(n2) time, where n is the number of periods in the dynamic lot-sizing problems, and how, with the use of dynamic trees, we can solve these problems in O(n log n) time. Our algorithm also extends to the dynamic lot-sizing problem with integer variables and convex production costs with running time O(n log n log U), where U is the largest demand value.
A novel weighted update position mechanism to improve the performance of sine cosine algorithm

Sine cosine algorithm (SCA) is one of the most recent population-based optimization algorithms proposed for solving optimization problems. In the present study, in order to improve the performance of this algorithm, a new weighted update position mechanism (WUPM) was employed instead of the position update method of search agents in SCA. In the proposed method, in addition to a position and fitness, each search agent is assigned a weight based on its fitness. The position of each search agent is updated based on the average position of some of the other agents, the best solution obtained, and the previous weighted position of the search agent. In order to assess the performance of the proposed method, a set of benchmark functions was used. Comparison of the results indicated that in addition to a higher accuracy achieving the global optimum, the proposed method is able to converge faster compared to standard SCA.
Interaction of the Erythrocyte Lactate Transporter (Monocarboxylate Transporter 1) with an Integral 70-kDa Membrane Glycoprotein of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily*

Treatment of intact erythrocytes with 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonate (DIDS) causes irreversible inhibition and chemical labeling of the lactate transporter, monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) (Poole, R. C., and Halestrap, A. P. (1992) Biochem. J. 283, 855–862). In rat eythrocytes DIDS also causes cross-linking of MCT1 to another protein in the membrane to give a product of 130 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cross-linking is markedly reduced by those compounds that protect against irreversible inhibition of lactate transport by DIDS and enhanced by imposition of a pH gradient across the plasma membrane to recruit the substrate binding site of MCT1 to an exofacial conformation. These data indicate that DIDS cross-linking is via the same site on MCT1 as is responsible for inhibition of transport. Antibodies raised against the cross-linked conjugate react with proteins of approximately 40 kDa (MCT1) and 70 kDa on Western blots of erythrocyte membranes and an additional band of 130 kDa after treatment of erythrocytes with 100 μm DIDS. The 70-kDa protein that is cross-linked to MCT1 was purified and shown to containN-linked carbohydrate; the apparent core molecular mass is 40 kDa. Amino acid sequencing showed that the protein is the rat equivalent of the membrane-spanning mouse teratocarcinoma glycoprotein GP-70, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily related to basigin (Ozawa, M., Huang, R. P., Furukawa, T., and Muramatsu, T. (1988)J. Biol. Chem. 263, 3059–3062). Possible implications of the specific interaction between MCT1 and this protein are discussed.
Second-site suppressor mutations assist in studying the function of the 3' noncoding region of turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA

The 3' noncoding region of turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA includes an 82-nucleotide-long tRNA-like structure domain and a short upstream region that includes a potential pseudoknot overlapping the coat protein termination codon. Genomic RNAs with point mutations in the 3' noncoding region that result in poor replication in protoplasts and no systemic symptoms in planta were inoculated onto Chinese cabbage plants in an effort to obtain second-site suppressor mutations. Putative second-site suppressor mutations were identified by RNase protection and sequencing and were then introduced into genomic cDNA clones to permit their characterization. A C-57----U mutation in the tRNA-like structure was a strong suppressor of the C-55----A mutation which prevented both systemic infection and in vitro valylation of the viral RNA. Both of these phenotypes were rescued in the double mutant. An A-107----C mutation was a strong second-site suppressor of the U-96----G mutation, permitting the double mutant to establish systemic infection. The C-107 and G-96 mutations are located on opposite strands of one helix of a potential pseudoknot, and the results support a functional role for the pseudoknot structure. A mutation near the 5' end of the genome (G + 92----A), at position -3 relative to the initiation codon of the essential open reading frame 206, was found to be a general potentiator of viral replication, probably as a result of enhanced expression of open reading frame 206. The A + 92 mutation enhanced the replication of mutant TYMC-G96 in protoplasts but was not a sufficiently potent suppressor to permit systemic spread of the A + 92/G-96 double mutant in plants.
Particle Swarms for Linearly Constrained Optimisation

Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) has proved to be a very useful algorithm to optimise unconstrained functions. This paper extends PSO to a Linear PSO (LPSO) to optimise functions constrained by a set of equality constraints of the form Ax=b. By initialising particles within a constrained hyperplane, the LPSO is guaranteed to 'fly' only through this hyperplane. A criterion on the initial swarm stipulates when the optimum solution can possibly be reached. The Linear PSO is modified to the Converging Linear PSO, for which it is proved to always find at least a local minimum. Experimental results are given, which compare the LPSO and CLPSO with Genocop II.
The association between childhood feeding problems and maternal eating disorder: a community study

Background. A possible association between childhood feeding problems and maternal eating disorder has been suggested by a clinic-based self-report questionnaire study. A community study was conducted, using standardized psychiatric interviews, to investigate the strength and specificity of this putative association. Methods. Four-year-old children were screened using a self-report version of the Behaviour Screening Questionnaire, completed by mothers, and the Pre-School Behaviour Checklist, completed by teachers. Three groups of children were identified for follow-up: children with feeding problems (N = 42), children with a non-feeding form of disturbance (i.e. shyness, fearfulness or behavioural disturbance; N = 79), and a random sample of children with no disturbance (N = 29). The presence of feeding problems was confirmed by assessment of a filmed family meal, with ratings made blind to child group and maternal mental state. Maternal current and past affective disorder and current and past eating disorder were systematically assessed, blind to child status, using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule and the Eating Disorder Examination respectively. Results. Compared with the mothers of the two comparison groups of children, the mothers of the children with feeding problems had no raised rate of any affective disorder, either current or past, but they did have a markedly raised rate of both current and past DSM-IV eating disorder. The odds ratio of maternal eating disorder for the children with feeding problems was significantly raised at 11·1 (CI 1·4–91·8). Conclusion. There is a strong and specific association between childhood feeding problems and maternal eating disorder.
Torque dynamics in sensorless PMSM drives

In automotive drivetrains used in hybrid electric vehicles, the transmission connecting the electric machine(s) and the combustion engine often introduce non linear phenomena such as gear play and backlash. These non-ideal effects can result in drivetrain oscillations which, in turn, can be mitigated by a controller manipulating the torque reference of the electric machine. If a permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) is operated without using a position sensor (sensorless), the resulting torque dynamics (from the torque reference to the shaft torque) is different compared to the situation when the rotor position is known. Hence, it is desirable to know the torque dynamics for PMSMs operating sensorless when the drivetrain torque oscillation controller is tuned. This paper presents a number of models, evaluated using simulations, describing the torque dynamics of PMSM drives with and without the use of a position sensor.
The roles of behavioral adjustment and conceptions of peers and emotions in preschool children's peer victimization

Ninety-four low- and middle-income preschoolers (48 boys, 46 girls) were recruited from two sites in a large southwestern city. Children's positive attributions of peer intent, social problem-solving decisions, and attributions of peers' feelings about the provocation were evaluated from individual interviews. In addition, children's anger perception accuracy and their global emotion situation knowledge were assessed. Teachers and their assistants reported on the children's social competence, internalizing and externalizing behavior, and the degree to which children were physically and relationally victimized. Social competence was a negative predictor of relational and physical victimization, and externalizing behavior was a positive predictor of both types of victimization. Anger perception accuracy was negatively related to physical victimization, and global emotion situation knowledge and attributions of sorrow to provoking peers were positive predictors. Results support a conceptual framework that emphasizes the importance of social and emotion-related social cognitive variables for understanding young children's peer-related victimization.The authors thank the children and families for their participation and the preschool teachers for their cooperation. Thanks are also due to the many undergraduate and graduate students who helped with this research. Special thanks to Kimberly Estep and Courtney Hunter for their help with data collection and coding.
Damping rates of the atomic velocity in Sisyphus cooling

We present a theoretical and experimental study of the damping process of the atomic velocity in Sisyphus cooling. The relaxation rates of the atomic kinetic temperature are determined for a three-dimensional lin⊥lin optical lattice. We find that the damping rates of the atomic temperature depend linearly on the optical pumping rate, for a given depth of the potential wells. This is at variance with the behavior of the friction coefficient as calculated from the spatial diffusion coefficients within a model of Brownian motion. The origin of this different behavior is identified by distinguishing the role of the trapped and traveling atoms.
Effect of Chenodeoxycholic Acid Feeding during Gestation in the Rat on Bile Acid Metabolism and Liver Morphology 1

Abstract Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) was fed to pregnant rats at the 0.25% level in the diet from Day 11 of gestation to delivery in order to evaluate the effects on (1) maternal tissue bile acid composition, (2) neonatal tissue bile acid composition and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase activity, and (3) maternal, neonatal, and postnatal liver morphology. Feeding CDCA increased maternal lithocholic acid while significantly decreasing deoxycholic acid, cholic acid, and total bile acids. Feeding CDCA resulted in a significantly higher chenodeoxycholic acid pool in the neonates while neonatal plasma cholesterol and the 7α-hydroxylation of cholesterol was not significantly affected. Morphological examination of maternal, neonatal, and postnatal rat liver revealed no significant hepatotoxicity. This investigation has shown that (a) neonates of CDCA fed dams have a significantly greater pool of CDCA, suggesting maternal-to-fetal transfer of dihydroxy bile acids, (b) neonatal cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase activity and total tissue bile acid pools are not significantly altered by increased pool of CDCA, and (c) no hepatotoxic effects on maternal, neonatal, and postnatal livers were evident with gestational feeding of CDCA at the 0.25% level in the rat.
A low-voltage voltage doubler without body effect

A voltage doubler, which avoids body effect and then improves rise time and efficiency even with 1 V power supply, is presented. This art is designed for word line boosting, using 0.18 um EEPROM technology. Not only the voltage doubler can work with capacitive load normally, but also it can supply load current and achieve higher efficiency. The whole circuit can be implemented on chip and is suitable for low voltage application. In addition, theoretical analysis and simulation results have been given.
Testing for gate oxide short defects using the detectability interval paradigm

Abstract This paper addresses the detection improvement of Gate Oxide Short defect using a delay test strategy. To achieve this objective, the concept of detectability interval is first introduced in the context of detection of short defects using Boolean test technique. Then this paradigm is extended to the detection of Gate Oxide Short defects using delay testing. Finally, it is shown that it is possible to significantly improve the detection of this kind of defect.