Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction and characterization of an Azotobacter vinelandii strain with mutations in the genes encoding flavodoxin and ferredoxin I

Flavodoxin and ferredoxin I have both been implicated as components of the electron transport chain to nitrogenase in the aerobic bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii. Recently, the genes encoding flavodoxin (nifF) and ferredoxin I (fdxA) were cloned and sequenced and mutants were constructed which are unable to synthesize either flavodoxin (DJ130) or ferredoxin I (LM100). Both single mutants grow at wild-type rates under N2-fixing conditions. Here we report the construction of a double mutant (DJ138) which does not synthesize either flavodoxin or ferredoxin I. When plated on ammonium-containing medium, this mutant had a very small colony size when compared with the wild type, and in liquid culture with ammonium, this double mutant grew three times slower than the wild type or single mutant strains. This demonstrated that there is an important metabolic function unrelated to nitrogen fixation that is normally carried out by either flavodoxin or ferredoxin. If either one of these proteins is missing, the other can substitute for it. The double mutant phenotype can now be used to screen site-directed mutant versions of ferredoxin I for functionality in vivo even though the specific function of ferredoxin I is still unknown. The double mutant grew at the same slow rate under N2-fixing conditions. Thus, A. vinelandii continues to fix N2 even when both flavodoxin and ferredoxin I are missing, which suggests that a third as yet unidentified protein also serves as an electron donor to nitrogenase.
III–V/Si Chip-on-Wafer Direct Transfer Bonding technology (CoW DTB); process capabilities and bonded structure characterizations

Three-Dimensional (3D) integration of group III-V compound semiconductor devices on silicon (III-V/Si) is important for next-generation microsystems such as Si photonics or ultra-high-frequency electronics. We proposed a new “Chip-on-Wafer Direct Transfer Bonding” (CoW DTB) technology for III-V/Si applications. The technology concept was demonstrated using newly developed equipment and bond evaluation of InP diced chips with AlGaInAs Multiple Quantum Well (MQW) epitaxial layers on 200 mm diameter Si wafer. This paper describes process applicability for small die, structure analysis and electrical characteristic of InP/Si oxide bond interface.
Map-reduce Implementation of Belief Combination Rules

This paper presents a generic and versatile approach for implementing combining rules on preprocessed belief functions, issuing from a large population of information sources. In this paper, we address two issues, which are the intrinsic complexity of the rules processing, and the possible large amount of requested combinations. We present a fully distributed approach, based on a map-reduce (Spark) implementation.
Gate leakage in hafnium oxide high-k metal gate nMOSFETs

A quasi 1-D quantum mechanical compact model for the gate tunneling current of the metal gate(TiN)/high-k(HfO2)/SiO2/p-Si nMOS capacitor is presented. With this model, measured gate leakage data is investigated using direct tunneling, multiphonon inelastic tunneling, and the Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism. The thicker devices present a Poole-Frenkel like behaviour. The relative contributions of direct tunneling and the Poole-Frenkel like conduction to the gate leakage for intermediate thickness devices remain unresolved, while the thinner devices exhibit direct tunneling and inelastic tunneling as the dominant mechanisms.
US-guided core-needle biopsy of the breast: how many specimens are necessary?

PURPOSE To analyze the diagnostic yield for each specimen obtained at 14-gauge ultrasonography (US)-guided breast biopsy and compare these findings with mass, procedural, and specimen characteristics that could affect yield. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-three consecutive biopsies of breast masses were performed by using a 14-gauge handheld biopsy device. Each specimen was graded for whether it was nonfragmented or fragmented and for whether it sank or floated, and each pass was graded for whether or not the needle passed through the lesion. Each specimen was mounted on a separate slide. A pathologist who was unaware of the final diagnoses reviewed the slides in random order. A diagnosis was determined for each specimen whenever possible, and diagnostic yield was calculated as a function of number of passes. The Fisher exact test was used to compare yield for different specimen characteristics. RESULTS Fourteen (19%) lesions were malignant and 59 (81%) were benign. Cells indicating the final diagnosis were contained in 249 (75%) of 334 specimens. Cells indicating the diagnosis were contained in the first specimen in 51 (70%) lesions, in the second specimen in 67 (92%), in the third specimen in 70 (96%), and in the fourth specimen in 73 (100%). Of the 14 malignancies, 13 (93%) were diagnosed with cells contained in the first or second specimen; one cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ) was diagnosed with cells contained in the fourth specimen. Specimens that were nonfragmented (P <.001) and sank (P <.001) showed correlation with being diagnostic, but needle visualization within the lesion did not. CONCLUSION A minimum of four specimens, preferably those that are nonfragmented and that sink, should be obtained with 14-gauge US-guided breast biopsy.
ffi cient Signal Detection using QRD-M based on Channel Condition in MIMO-OFDM System

Recently, the multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMOOFDM) system has been used in wireless communication for its high capacity and high data rate. The QRD-M detection scheme has good bit error rate (BER) performance in MIMO-OFDM systems. However, the QRD-M detection scheme has high complexity depending on the number of transmit antennas, modulation order and number of survived branches ( M). In this paper, switching technique for the parameter M based on channel condition for reduced complexity of the QRD-M detection scheme is proposed. If channel condition is bad, the parameter M is set to high value to increase the accuracy of detection. If channel condition is good, the parameter M is s t to low value to reduce complexity of detection. The simulation result shows that the complexity of proposed detection scheme is lower than QRD-M detection scheme with similar BER performance. Key–Words:MIMO-OFDM, QRD-M, Channel condition
Applications of laser scanning microscopy for analysis of aquatic microhabitats

Laser scanning microscopy was used 1) to analyze Mn oxide‐encrusted biofilms and particles in marine Mn‐oxidizing enrichment cultures, 2) to optimize fluorescence in situ hybridization protocols of 16S ribosomal RNA‐targeted oligonucleotide signature probes for single bacterial cell identification in particles from a wetland, and 3) to develop a combined immunofluorescence‐microautoradiography procedure for analysis of the distribution of 14C‐labeled organic compounds and 14C‐mineralizing bacteria in groundwater seep sediments. The results demonstrated the wide applicability and benefits of using laser scanning microscopy for analysis of complex microbial assemblages. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Early acquisition of serum and saliva antibodies reactive to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence‐associated proteins by infants living in an endemic area

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is the most common etiological agent of acute diarrhea among infants living in poor social conditions in Brazil and other developing countries. This infection is rare in breast‐fed infants, as well as in children older than 2 years. Over the past few years, our group has attempted to identify antibodies to EPEC virulence proteins in human milk and to establish the in vitro protective role of these antibodies. In the present study, we report the identification of antibodies to EPEC virulence proteins in sera and saliva from children of different ages, living in slums in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Using EPEC and bacterial constructs (pET) for immunoblotting (IB) analysis, antibodies reacting to the main adhesins (intimin, bundle‐forming pilli) and cell‐signaling proteins (EPEC secreted proteins – Esp A, Esp B) were detected in sera from adults and children older than 1 year. Almost all children older than 1 year presented recognition patterns similar to those of adults in IB assays for serum IgG and secretory IgA antibodies, using EPEC outer membrane and other antigenic preparations. As previously observed for human milk, all samples from adults and older children recognized the 94 kDa molecular weight adhesin intimin strongly. In most children, previous EPEC symptomatic diarrhea could not be confirmed; however, almost all of them have presented one or more diarrhea episodes during their lifetime. These results suggest that reduction of EPEC infection frequency after 2 years of age may be associated with the development of anti‐EPEC antibody repertoires.
Highly reliable 50nm contact cell technology for 256Mb PRAM

Novel small contact fabrication technologies were proposed to realize reliable high density 256Mb PRAM(phase change memory) product. Introducing the 2-step CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) process and the ring-shaped contact structure, the contact area distribution was greatly improved even at the smallest contact diameter of 50nm node. The validity of this approach was directly confirmed by the evaluation of the functionality for the fabricated 256Mbit PRAM based on 0.10/spl mu/m CMOS technology.
Using Binary Trees for the Evaluation of Influence Diagrams

This paper proposes the use of binary trees for representing and managing the potentials involved in Influence Diagrams. This kind of tree allows representing context-specific independencies that are finer-grained compared to those encoded using other representations. This enhanced capability can be used to improve the efficiency of the inference algorithms used for Influence Diagrams. Moreover, binary trees allow computing approximate solutions when exact inference is not feasible. In this work we describe how binary trees can be used to perform this approximate evaluation and we compare them with other structures present in the literature.
Application of PSO method for maximum power point extraction in photovoltaic systems under partial shading conditions

This paper presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) method, which is applied to a photovoltaic (PV) system. It is well known that photovoltaic (PV) panel present a nonlinear relationship between its current and voltage quantities. Furthermore, when PV panels are under partial shading, the characteristic curve IpvxVpv can present, simultaneously, several local and global maximum power points. Therefore, the proposed MPPT-PSO algorithm deals to overcome the partial shading effects, tracking the global maximum power point in order to maximize the power extraction of the PV arrangements. Experimental and simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPPT-PSO algorithm, when it is compared with the well-known Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT technique.
Director Competencies for Effective Enterprise Technology Governance

In relation to enterprise technology governance (ETG), opinions differ between there being no need for board of director involvement to there being an urgent need for such involvement. This research highlights the need for boards to provide ETG oversight of technology-related strategy, investment and risk, and to be competent in doing so. We identify a large gap between board’s awareness of the importance of ETG, their taking action and the competency requirements for effective ETG. Further, while there is considerable research and literature about operational IT governance frameworks and operational IT competencies, there is no known research into the specific competencies boards of directors need to effectively govern enterprise technology. This research focuses on and develops a board-level ETG competency set using a mixed methods approach within a recognised competency development framework. Further development is tracked using a rigour scale to demonstrate a medium to high level of competency validity for the derived set. This research contributes to practice by providing the first known industry validated ETG competency set situated within new and emerging technology. It contributes to the body of knowledge in the modification and application of competency development and competency validation frameworks not previously applied to the role of board director.
Treatment of Barrett’s esophagus with a novel focal cryoablation device: a safety and feasibility study

Background and aims: Currently, eradication of Barrett’s epithelium is preferably achieved using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or spray cryoablation (SCA). However, both modalities suffer from drawbacks such as the need for sizing, multiple deployment steps, large controller units (RFA), imprecise dosing and need for gas-venting (SCA). The new Cryoballoon Focal Ablation System (CbFAS) may address these limitations. This study assessed the safety, feasibility, and dose response of the CbFAS in patients with flat Barrett’s epithelium with or without dysplasia. Patients and methods: In this multicenter, prospective non-randomized trial, 39 patients were each treated with one or two ablations of 6, 8, or 10 seconds. Symptoms were assessed immediately and 2 days post-cryoablation. Follow-up endoscopy was performed 6 – 8 weeks post-procedure to assess response. Outcome parameters were incidence of adverse events, pain, esophageal stricture formation, and ablation response by cryogen dose. Results: Of 62 ablations, 56 (10 with 6 seconds, 28 with 8 seconds, 18 with 10 seconds) were successfully performed. Six ablations failed because of device malfunction (n = 3) and procedural or anatomic issues (n = 3). Median procedure time was 7 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 4 – 10). No major adverse events occurred; six patients experienced a minor mucosal laceration requiring no intervention. Mild pain was reported by 27 % of patients immediately after cryoablation and by 14 % after 2 days. No strictures were evident at follow-up. Full squamous regeneration was seen in 47 treated areas (6 [60 %] of the 6-second areas; 23 [82 %] of the 8-second areas; 18 [100 %] of 10-second areas). Conclusions: Focal cryoablation of Barrett’s epithelium with the CbFAS is feasible and safe, resulting in squamous regeneration in the majority of patients.
Efficient shape modeling using occupancy reasoning with reconstruction scheduling for interactive virtual environments

An interactive virtual environment (IVE) is a world where virtual objects and real world objects communicate interactively with each other like in AR or AV worlds. In terms of interaction, reasonable response time is a key aspect for real-time reaction. To achieve it, reconstruction of real world objects in a virtual world should be done as efficient as possible. The conventional multiple camera based approaches for shape modeling are not proper for a visual sensor network (VSN), because limited resources such as the lack of power, memory capacity, and computing performance were not under the consideration and the space covered by cameras gets even much larger. In IVE with VSNs, two problems for the reconstruction take place as follows. First, performance for reconstruction decreases due to increasing scanning space. Second, energy consumption for communicating silhouette images increases. In order to solve those two problems, first we build up a probability map which represents three-dimensional occupancy of multiple moving objects in the ground plane. This helps restrict the scanning space only within the occupancy region. Second, we make a schedule of reconstruction, which means to decide which cameras reconstruct which objects. With our method, shape modeling in IVE with VSNs can be done in an efficient manner.
A T-Intersection street model of MIMO vehicle-to-vehicle fading channel

In future, cars will form a network with other cars and roadside data systems to exchange information that alerts the driver on traffic congestion, road conditions, and accidents. It is expected that vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems will play an important role in intelligent transportation systems. MIMO systems employ multiple transmit and multiple receive antennas, combined with the opportunities opened by large vehicle surfaces on which multielement antennas can be placed, makes MIMO techniques very attractive for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. In this paper, we propose an original T-Intersection street model for MIMO vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) fading channels, derived from this model, the analysis of statistical properties of transmit and the receive correlation functions are given, and some numerical results for the special case of isotropic scattering are presented. Our procedure adopted a special case to emulate the street scenario in studying the channel characteristics of MIMO V2V channels, and also a framework for future wireless intelligent transportation systems.
Estimates of dietary overlap for six species of Amazonian manakin birds using stable isotopes

We used stable isotope ratios to determine the metabolic routing fraction of carbon and nitrogen in feathers in addition to faecal analysis to estimate diet overlap of six sympatric species of manakins in the eastern lowland forest of Ecuador. Collectively, all species varied from−23.7 to−32.7 ‰ for δ13C, and from 6.0 to 9.9‰ for δ15N, with Machaeropterus regulus showing isotopic differences from the other species. We developed a mixing model that explicitly addresses the routing of carbon and nitrogen to feathers. Interestingly, these results suggest a higher proportion of nitrogen and carbon derived from insects than anticipated based on feeding observations and faecal analysis. A concentration-dependent mixing isotopic model was also used to look at dietary proportions. While larvae and arachnids had higher δ15N values, these two groups may also be preferred prey of manakins and may be more assimilated into tissues, leading to a potential overestimation of the contribution to diet. This study supports the finding that manakin species, previously thought be primarily frugivorous, contain a significant amount of arthropods in their diet.
Compressed ion temperature gradient turbulence in diverted tokamak edge

It is found from a heat-flux-driven full-f gyrokinetic particle simulation that there is ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulence across an entire L-mode-like edge density pedestal in a diverted tokamak plasma in which the ion temperature gradient is mild without a pedestal structure, hence the normalized ion temperature gradient parameter ηi=(d log Ti/dr)/(d log n/dr) varies strongly from high (>4 at density pedestal top/shoulder) to low (<2 in the density slope) values. Variation of density and ηi is in the same scale as the turbulence correlation length, compressing the turbulence in the density slope region. The resulting ion thermal flux is on the order of experimentally inferred values. The present study strongly suggests that a localized estimate of the ITG-driven χi will not be valid due to the nonlocal dynamics of the compressed turbulence in an L-mode-type density slope. While the thermal transport and the temperature profile saturate quickly, the E×B rotation shows a longer time damping during.
Genomic screen and follow-up analysis for autistic disorder.

Autistic disorder (AutD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in social, communicative, and behavioral functioning. A genetic basis for AutD is well established with as many as 10 genes postulated to contribute to its underlying etiology. We have completed a genomic screen and follow-up analysis to identify potential AutD susceptibility loci. In stage one of the genome screen, 52 multiplex families (two or more AutD affected individuals/family) were genotyped with 352 genetic markers to yield an approximately 10 centimorgan (cM) grid, inclusive of the X chromosome. The selection criterion for follow-up of interesting regions was a maximum heterogeneity lod score (MLOD) or a maximum nonparametric sib pair lod score (MLS) of at least 1.0. Eight promising regions were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 7, 15, 18, 19, and X. In the stage two follow-up study we analyzed an additional 47 multiplex families (total=99 families). Regions on chromosomes 2, 3, 7, 15, 19, and X remained interesting (MLOD> or =1.0) in stage two analysis. The peak lod score regions on chromosomes 2, 7, 15, 19, and X overlap previously reported peak linkage areas. The region on chromosome 3 is unique.
Scheduling to Minimize Context Switches for Reduced Power Consumption and Delay in the Cloud

Cloud computing is an emerging technology to increase the efficient utilization of huge collection of high-end resources at low cost. One of the major problems associated with cloud environment is that these high-end systems need huge power consumption. Several methods are proposed and available for reducing the power consumption in datacenters. But most of these methods do not meet the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements such as minimum delay during packet transfer with reduced power consumption. Data center contains many physical machines each of which can be virtualized into several virtual machines (VM) according to the needs. Virtualization technique virtualizes the physical resources for satisfying the user requests. Proposed system considers power consumption and delay during packet transfer in a single physical machine. Two schedulers work concurrently to schedule both Virtual Machines and processes. A new scheduling algorithm is implemented for both VM Scheduling and process scheduling based on the buffer size of the port. Proposed algorithm tries to reduce the waiting time as well as the number of context switches. By reducing the waiting time and context switches, system can reduce delay and power consumption during the packet transfer between VMs.
Lunar Topography: First Radar-Interferometer Measurements of the Alphonsus-Ptolemaeus-Arzachel Region

Radar interferometry is a new technique for accurately measuring the topography of the lunar surface from the earth. Measurements have been made with this technique of an area including the craters Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel and a portion of Mare Nubium. There is evidence for a late episode of volcanism that partially filled two of the craters through a crustal fault of Imbrian origin. Several other features of the topography, particularly those coinciding with local gravitational anomalies, can be correlated with flow events.
Adhesive strength of the luting technique for passively fitting screw-retained implant-supported prostheses: an in vitro evaluation.

PURPOSE This in vitro study evaluated the adhesive strength of a technique to lute implant cylinders to metal frameworks in implant-supported prostheses and ensure a good passive fit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Different height samples were tested: In group 1, implant cylinders were 5 mm long; in group 2, they were 10 mm long. A universal testing machine (Instron) was used to perform pullout tests. RESULTS The luting technique provided enough adhesive strength for clinical use with greater adhesive strength in group 2 (mean pull-out strength: 2.85 kN in group 1 versus 3.79 kN in group 2). CONCLUSIONS The luting technique provides enough adhesive strength for clinical use. Moreover, specimens with a larger surface for adhesion demonstrated higher adhesive strength compared with shorter specimens.