Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating medically at-risk drivers: A survey of assessment practices in Canada

Background. Assessing medical fitness to drive (FTD) can include both off- and on-road testing, although consistency of practice is unclear. Purpose. To examine actual practices being used to assess FTD at driver assessment centres (DACs) across Canada. Method. Surveys e-mailed to 90 DACs were returned by 47 assessors. Findings. The majority of respondents (89%) were occupational therapists. Assessors reported doing an average of eight FTD assessments per month (range = 1 to 40) at an average cost of $366 (SD = $225; range = $40 to $985). Referrals came from physicians (96%), other health professionals (70%), and licensing authorities (66%). Clients with stroke, dementia, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, and multiple sclerosis composed 62% of estimated caseloads. Assessments took 3 hr on average (range = 1.24 to 4.5 hr); 64% reported they always took clients on road regardless of clinic results. Implications. Evidence-based guidelines for training and assessment are clearly needed given the inconsistency in practice. Description. L’évaluation médicale de l’aptitude à la conduite automobile peut comprendre une épreuve hors route et sur route, bien que l’uniformité des pratiques ne soit pas clairement établie. But. Examiner les pratiques qui sont employées actuellement dans les centres d’évaluation des conducteurs (CEC) à travers le Canada pour évaluer l’aptitude à la conduite automobile. Méthodologie Les sondages envoyés par courriel à 90 CEC ont été retournés par 47 évaluateurs. Résultats. La majorité des répondants (89 %) étaient des ergothérapeutes. Les évaluateurs ont indiqué qu’ils effectuaient en moyenne huit évaluations de l’aptitude à la conduite automobile par mois (étendue = 1 à 40), au coût moyen de 366 $ (É-T = 225; étendue = 40 $ à 985 $). Les demandes de consultation provenaient de médecins (96 %), d’autres professionnels de la santé (70 %) et des autorités délivrant les permis (66 %). On estime que les clients ayant subi un accident vasculaire cérébral, atteints de démence, ayant subi un traumatisme crânien, ayant des troubles cognitifs modérés et atteints de sclérose en plaques composaient 62 % des nombres de cas. Les évaluations avaient une durée moyenne de trois heures (étendue = 1,24 à 4,5 heures); 64 % des répondants ont affirmé qu’ils faisaient toujours passer une épreuve sur route aux clients, peu importe leurs résultats cliniques. Conséquences. Des directives fondées sur les faits scientifiques sont requises, compte tenu du manque d’uniformité dans la pratique face à l’évaluation de l’aptitude à la conduite automobile.
Modeling and optimization of the baculovirus expression vector system in batch suspension culture

A mathematical model has been developed that predicts the cell population dynamics and production of recombinant protein and infective extracellular virus progeny by insect cells after infection with baculovirus in batch suspension culture. Infection in the model is based on the rate of virus attachment to suspended insect cells under culture conditions. The model links the events following infection with the sequence of gene expression in the baculovirus replicative cycle. Substrate depletion is used to account for the decrease in product yield observed when infecting at high cell densities. Model parameters were determined in shaker flasks for two media: serum‐supplemented IPL‐41 medium and serum free Sf900II medium. There was good agreement between model predictions and the results from an independent series of experiments performed to validate the mode. The model predicted: (1) the optimal time of infection at high multiplicity of infection: (2) the timing and magnitude of recombinant protein production in a 2‐L bioreactor; and (3) the timing and magnitude of recombinant protein production at multiplicities of infection from 0.01 to 100 plaque‐forming units per cell. Through its ability to predict optimal infection strategies in batch suspension culture, the model has use in the design and optimization of large‐scale systems for the production of recombinant products using the baculovirus expression vector system. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Homozygous deletion scanning of the lung cancer genome at a 100‐kb resolution

Whole genome scanning of 43 lung cancer cell lines at a 100‐kb resolution led to identification of 51 genomic regions with homozygous deletions (HDs). The regions contained 113 genes, including two known tumor suppressor genes, RBl (RB) and CDKN2A (p16), and eight genes previously reported as being candidate tumor suppressor genes, such as PTPRD and LRP1B. Three miRNA genes, MIRNLET7C (let‐7c), MIRN99A (hsa‐mir‐99a), and MIRN125B2 (hsa‐mir‐125b‐2), were also mapped in a region with HD at 21q11‐q21. The present study provides a list of protein‐ and miRNA‐encoding genes whose inactivation is possibly involved in lung carcinogenesis. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Well proximity effects on digital cells due to context-variability

As VLSI technology scales toward 45nm and beyond, both timing and power performance of integrated circuits are increasingly affected by process variations. Well proximity effects contribute with a non-negligible amount of time and power variation on recent technology. Therefore the well proximity-based extraction flow has become a candidate to accurately capture the process variations and hence more accurate timing and power results. The more accurate modelling of all digital cell variations effects, the less value of On Chip Variation (OCV) specifically in recent technologies. Reducing OCV value has dramatic effect on timing constrains from design perspective, as reducing OCV means less constraints and hence less power, area and reduce design phase. This paper presents a proposal for a design flow to enhance the manufacturability of the traditional standard cell library. The novel method comprises fully automated well proximity-aware techniques for measuring timing variations in digital cells. The results indicate a ±2% variation across whole library contexts with respect to mean value. Without context awareness, the variations can reach ±20% which implies context aware characterization is a very important factor for achieving accurate results in cell characterization process. This shows the importance of having a variability-aware method that qualifies the libraries to be adopted for circuit designs.
30% Increase in Available Photons per Cell Area Using Nanoelement Array Light Trapping in 700-nm-Thick nc-Si Solar Cells

We fabricated nc-Si light trapping cells that produced photocurrents 30% higher than those of controls. Computer studies using experimentally determined, self-consistent TCO and nc-Si thicknesses showed this nanodome design is capable of producing $J_{{\rm sc}}\sim30$ mA/cm 2 with only 10% of the nc-Si absorber volume needed by the corresponding planar cell. Interestingly, these experimental and computer modeling results were both attained with a nanodome spacing of 1250 nm, a value almost twice that suggested in other studies of similar structures. The fabricated cells had photocurrents that were reverse bias dependent. FESEM studies showed this effect correlated with the presence of a curtain of nc-Si defects surrounding each nanodome. These defects are similar to those seen earlier by other workers using nc-Si cells with larger feature sizes. A model for this voltage dependent photocurrent behavior is presented. This model and a discussion of the Voc performance origins show that deposition procedures and material defects are holding this architecture back from its potential.
Function of Multiple Heme c Moieties in Intramolecular Electron Transport and Ubiquinone Reduction in the Quinohemoprotein Alcohol Dehydrogenase-Cytochrome c Complex of Gluconobacter suboxydans(*)

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) of acetic acid bacteria functions as the primary dehydrogenase of the ethanol oxidase respiratory chain, where it donates electrons to ubiquinone. ADH is a membrane-bound quinohemoprotein-cytochrome c complex which consists of subunits I (78 kDa), II (48 kDa), and III (14 kDa) and contains several hemes c as well as pyrroloquinoline quinone as prosthetic groups. To understand the role of the heme c moieties in the intramolecular electron transport and the ubiquinone reduction, the ADH complex of Gluconobacter suboxydans was separated into a subunit I/III complex and subunit II, then reconstituted into the complex. The subunit I/III complex, probably subunit I, contained 1 mol each of pyrroloquinoline quinone and heme c and exhibited significant ferricyanide reductase, but no Q1 reductase activities. Subunit II was a triheme cytochrome c and had no enzyme activity, but it enabled the subunit I/III complex to reproduce the Q1 and ferricyanide reductase activities. Hybrid ADH consisting of the subunit I/III complex of G. suboxydans ADH and subunit II of Acetobacter aceti ADH was constructed and it had showed a significant Q1 reductase activity, indicating that subunit II has a ubiquinone-binding site. Inactive ADH from G. suboxydans exhibiting only 10% of the Q1 and ferricyanide reductase activities of the active enzyme has been isolated separately from active ADH (Matsushita, K., Yakushi, T., Takaki, Y., Toyama, H., and Adachi, O(1995) J. Bacteriol. 177, 6552-6559). Using these active and inactive ADHs and also isolated subunit I/III complex, we performed kinetic studies which suggested that ADH contains four ferricyanide-reacting sites, one of which was detected in subunit I and the others in subunit II. One of the three ferricyanide-reacting sites in subunit II was defective in inactive ADH. The ferricyanide-reacting site remained inactive even after alkali treatment of inactive ADH and also after reconstituting the ADH complex from the subunits, in contrast to the restoration of Q1 reductase activity and the other ferricyanide reductase activities. Thus, the data suggested that the heme c in subunit I and two of the three heme c moieties in subunit II are involved in the intramolecular electron transport of ADH into ubiquinone, where one of the two heme c sites may work at, or close to, the ubiquinone-reacting site and another between that and the heme c site in subunit I. The remaining heme c moiety in subunit II may have a function other than the electron transfer from ethanol to ubiquinone in ADH.
Neotectonics of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, northeastern Caribbean, from GPS geodesy

The boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates is characterized primarily by left‐lateral motion along predominantly east‐west striking faults. Seismicity and marine geophysical survey data are consistent with at least two, and possibly three, microplates in the diffuse boundary zone in the northeastern Caribbean: (1) the Gonave, (2) the Hispaniola, and (3) the Puerto Rico‐northern Virgin Islands (PRVI). We discuss results from GPS geodetic measurements acquired since 1994 to test the microplate hypothesis, define PRVI translation and rotation within the boundary zone, and constrain PRVI neotectonics. GPS‐derived velocities are analyzed with respect to both North American and Caribbean plate reference frames. Integrated displacements across PRVI are limited to a few millimeters per year, consistent with a rigid PRVI and permitting calculation of an average velocity for PRVI. The motions of PRVI relative to North America and the Caribbean are 16.9±1.1 mm/yr toward N68°E±3° (1σ) and 2.4±1.4 mm/yr toward S79°W±26° (1σ), respectively. In contrast with some recent models, ongoing rotation of PRVI about a nearby (< 25° distant) vertical axis is not supported by the geodetic data. In addition, we argue against eastward tectonic escape of PRVI and favor a simple, progressive increase in velocity across the plate boundary zone, requiring that the summed magnitude of strike‐slip fault slip rates will equal the total plate motion rate between the Caribbean and North America. GPS data are consistent with components of left‐lateral strike‐slip faulting along the Muertos trough south of Puerto Rico and shortening across the Puerto Rico trench. Comparison of GPS velocities for PRVI with respect to North America with total North America‐Caribbean relative motion suggests up to 85% of North American‐Caribbean plate motion is accommodated by the Puerto Rico trench and offshore faults north of Puerto Rico. Differences in GPS‐derived velocities from Hispaniola and PRVI yield east‐west extension across the N‐S trending Mona rift of a few millimeters per year when estimated elastic strain accumulation effects along the north Hispaniola deformed belt and the Septentrional fault zone are considered. The opening rate implies an age of the Mona rift of 2–3 million years, agreeing with marine geophysical data that support a young age for the structure.
Comparison of smoking cessation between education groups: findings from 2 US National Surveys over 2 decades.

OBJECTIVES We examined smoking cessation rate by education and determined how much of the difference can be attributed to the rate of quit attempts and how much to the success of these attempts. METHODS We analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 1991-2010) and the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS, 1992-2011). Smokers (≥ 25 years) were divided into lower- and higher-education groups (≤ 12 years and >12 years). RESULTS A significant difference in cessation rate between the lower- and the higher-education groups persisted over the last 2 decades. On average, the annual cessation rate for the former was about two thirds that of the latter (3.5% vs 5.2%; P<.001, for both NHIS and TUS-CPS). About half the difference in cessation rate can be attributed to the difference in quit attempt rate and half to the difference in success rate. CONCLUSIONS Smokers in the lower-education group have consistently lagged behind their higher-education counterparts in quitting. In addition to the usual concern about improving their success in quitting, tobacco control programs need to find ways to increase quit attempts in this group.
CRISPR‐Cas systems and RNA‐guided interference

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) together with associated sequences (cas) form the CRISPR‐Cas system, which provides adaptive immunity against viruses and plasmids in bacteria and archaea. Immunity is built through acquisition of short stretches of invasive nucleic acids into CRISPR loci as ‘spacers'. These immune markers are transcribed and processed into small noncoding interfering CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) that guide Cas proteins toward target nucleic acids for specific cleavage of homologous sequences. Mechanistically, CRISPR‐Cas systems function in three distinct stages, namely: (1) adaptation, where new spacers are acquired from invasive elements for immunization; (2) crRNA biogenesis, where CRISPR loci are transcribed and processed into small interfering crRNAs; and (3) interference, where crRNAs guide the Cas machinery to specifically cleave homologous invasive nucleic acids. A number of studies have shown that CRISPR‐mediated immunity can readily increase the breadth and depth of virus resistance in bacteria and archaea. CRISPR interference can also target plasmid sequences and provide a barrier against the uptake of undesirable mobile genetic elements. These inheritable hypervariable loci provide phylogenetic information that can be insightful for typing purposes, epidemiological studies, and ecological surveys of natural habitats and environmental samples. More recently, the ability to reprogram CRISPR‐directed endonuclease activity using customizable small noncoding interfering RNAs has set the stage for novel genome editing and engineering avenues. This review highlights recent studies that revealed the molecular basis of CRISPR‐mediated immunity, and discusses applications of crRNA‐guided interference. WIREs RNA 2013, 4:267–278. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1159
Calculation of the surface segregation of Ni-Cu alloys with the use of the embedded-atom method.

The surface composition of Ni-Cu alloys has been calculated as a function of atomic layer, crystal face, and bulk composition at a temperature of 800 K. The results show that the composition varies nonmonotonically near the surface with the surface layer strongly enriched in Cu while the near-surface layers are enriched in Ni. The calculations use the embedded-atom method (M. S. Daw and M. I. Baskes, Phys. Rev. B 29, 6443 (1984)) in conjunction with Monte Carlo computer simulations. The embedding functions and pair interactions needed to describe Ni-Cu alloys are developed and applied to the calculation of bulk energies, lattice constants, and short-range order. The heats of segregation are computed for the dilute limit, and the composition profile is obtained for the (100), (110), and (111) surfaces for a variety of bulk compositions. The results are found to be in accord with experimental data.
Position Estimation and Smooth Tracking With a Fuzzy-Logic-Based Adaptive Strong Tracking Kalman Filter for Capacitive Touch Panels

This paper presents a novel 7-in capacitive touch panel (CTP) system with a smooth tracking algorithm that accurately estimates the position where the panel is touched and tracks the trajectory of touch. The proposed CTP system consists of a microcontroller unit, a sensor IC, and an interface board. When a user draws at different speeds, the measurement noise caused by the sensor IC induces an error in the touched position and zigzag trajectory, especially when the motion is slow. The fuzzy-logic-based adaptive strong tracking Kalman filter method is implemented in a CTP system to mitigate the effect of measurement noise and provide a smooth tracking trajectory at different speeds. Moreover, the approach effectively measures and quantifies the “smoothness” of the touched trajectory. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method reduces the measurement noise and decreases the mean tracking error by 85.4% over that achieved using the moving average filter.
Regularization Preconditioners for Frame-Based Image Deblurring with Reduced Boundary Artifacts

Thresholding iterative methods were recently successfully applied to image deblurring problems. In this paper, we investigate the modified linearized Bregman algorithm (MLBA) used in image deblurring problems, with a proper treatment of the boundary artifacts. We consider two standard approaches: the imposition of boundary conditions and the use of the rectangular blurring matrix. The fast convergence of the MLBA depends on a regularizing preconditioner that could be computationally expensive and hence it is usually chosen as a block circulant circulant block (BCCB) matrix, diagonalized by the discrete Fourier transform. We show that the standard approach based on the BCCB preconditioner may provide low-quality restored images and we propose different preconditioning strategies that improve the quality of the restoration and save some computational cost at the same time. Motivated by a recent nonstationary preconditioned iteration, we propose a new algorithm that combines such a method with the MLBA. We p.
Behavior of task scheduling algorithms with probabilistic module execution times

Static task scheduling in distributed computing systems is a very complex problem and known to be NP-hard. This problem is even harder when the module execution times become probabilistic. In this paper we study the effect of probabilistic module execution times on the performance of task-scheduling algorithms. We show that in static task scheduling, for probabilistic module execution times, and in the existence of some factors there is no need to use an expensive task-scheduling algorithm. Given any two static task-scheduling algorithms that use deterministic module execution times in assigning task modules to the distributed system, the performance of these two algorithms will not remain the same when these module execution times become probabilistic rather than deterministic. We also study the effects of some factors an our results.
Curl and spiral antennas without horizontal straight sections

This paper is a sequel to the previous paper (K. Hirose et al., 2004), and demonstrates the effects of the HS sections on the radiation characteristics. For this, the method of moments is applied to the analyses of curl and spiral antennas whose HS sections are removed. Using the analyzed current distributions, the radiation characteristics are calculated and compared with those of curl and spiral antennas with HS sections.
Optical and Photoluminescence Properties of Erbium-Doped Chalcogenide Glasses (GeGaS:Er)

We have examined the optical and photoluminescence (PL) properties of Er<sup>3+</sup>-doped GeGaS glasses of near-stoichiometric composition Ge<sub>28</sub>Ga<sub>6.2</sub>S<sub>65.3</sub>:Er<sub>0.5</sub>. We have also used powdered samples of various mean sizes (L) to examine the dependence of the 1.54 -mum PL emission spectrum and the PL decay time on the average sample size. Optical absorption spectra of Er<sup>3+</sup> ions arising from transitions between different energy manifolds, such as 4 I<sub>15</sub> <sub>/2</sub> -<sup>4</sup> I<sub>13/2</sub>,<sup>4</sup> I<sub>15</sub> <sub>/2</sub> -<sup>4</sup> I<sub>11</sub> <sub>/2</sub> , etc., have been used to extract Omega<sub>2</sub>, Omega<sub>4</sub>, and Omega<sub>6</sub> values using the Judd-Ofelt analysis and a Judd-Ofelt radiative lifetime T<sub>JO</sub> = 2.6 ms for the <sup>4</sup> I<sub>13</sub> <sub>/</sub> <sub>2</sub> -<sup>4</sup> I<sub>15</sub> <sub>/</sub> <sub>2</sub> transition. The PL emission spectra and the decay time have been found to depend on the mean sample size. The spectra are broader and the decay times are longer for larger sample sizes, due to photon trapping occurring in the sample. The extrapolated decay time to zero particle size yields a decay time that matches the Judd-Ofelt radiative lifetime almost perfectly, and confirms the argument that the true PL lifetime needs to be measured in fine powders to avoid reabsorption effects. We have estimated the maximum emission cross section as 15.5 X 10<sup>-21</sup> cm<sup>2</sup>.
Resistance Training Improves Insulin Sensitivity in NIDDM Subjects Without Altering Maximal Oxygen Uptake

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of resistance training on insulin sensitivity in nonobese NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Previously sedentary nonobese NIDDM patients were enrolled in a resistance training group (RT; n = 9) or used as sedentary control subjects (SED; n = 8). SED subjects did not perform exercise training because of orthopedic disorders. The training program consisted of two sets of nine exercises with 10–20 repetitions. Subjects trained five times a week for 4–6 weeks. Insulin sensitivity, as assessed by the hyper-insulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique, HbAIc, and body composition, was measured before and after the training period. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and quadriceps strength were measured in the RT group. RESULTS The two groups did not differ significantly on any variables before participation in the program. The glucose disposal rate during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp increased 48% in the RT group (6.85 ± 1.86 to 10.12 ± 3.15 mg · kg−1 lean body mass · min−1; P < 0.05), but remained unchanged in the SED group (5.95 ± 1.63 to 6.36 ± 1.61 mg · kg−1 lean body mass · min−1). There was no significant change in body composition in either group. In the RT group, a 16% increase in quadriceps strength (191.1 ± 45.8 to 216.9 ± 42.8 Nm; P < 0.05) but no significant change (27.6 ± 5.0 to 28.6 ± 6.5 ml · kg−1 · min−1) in VO2max was observed. CONCLUSIONS Moderate-intensity, high-volume resistance training improves insulin sensitivity in nonobese NIDDM without altering VO2max.