Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LGN Directs Interphase Endothelial Cell Behavior via the Microtubule Network

Angiogenic sprouts require coordination of endothelial cell (EC) behaviors as they extend and branch. Microtubules influence behaviors such as cell migration and cell-cell interactions via regulated growth and shrinkage. Here we investigated the role of the mitotic polarity protein LGN in EC behaviors and sprouting angiogenesis. Surprisingly, reduced levels of LGN did not affect oriented division of EC within a sprout, but knockdown perturbed overall sprouting. At the cell level, LGN knockdown compromised cell-cell adhesion and migration. EC with reduced LGN levels also showed enhanced growth and stabilization of microtubules that correlated with perturbed migration. These results fit a model whereby LGN influences interphase microtubule dynamics in endothelial cells to regulate migration, cell adhesion, and sprout extension, and reveal a novel non-mitotic role for LGN in sprouting angiogenesis.
Maskless manufacturing of through glass vias (TGVS) and their test structures

Through glass vias (TGVs) are a key component in glass-based interposers and microelectromechanical-system lid wafers. Magnetic-field-assisted self-assembly has been demonstrated earlier in fabrication of through silicon vias. Here we present an entirely maskless TGV fabrication process utilizing magnetic assembly. Femtosecond laser is used for ablative direct patterning of surface metal layers and for exposing the TGV conductors after wafer thinning. The proposed TGV structure is shown to be electrically functional by measuring the TGV resistance values.
Imagina : a cognitive abstraction approach to sketch-based image retrieval

As digital media become more popular, corporations and individuals gather an increasingly large number of digital images. As a collection grows to more than a few hundred images, the need for search becomes crucial. This thesis is addressing the problem of retrieving from a small database a particular image previously seen by the user. This thesis combines current ndings in cognitive science with the knowledge of previous image retrieval systems to present a novel approach to content based image retrieval and indexing. We focus on algorithms which abstract away information from images in the same terms that a viewer abstracts information from an image. The focus in Imagina is on the matching of regions, instead of the matching of global measures. Multiple representations, focusing on shape and color, are used for every region. The matches of individual regions are combined using a saliency metric that accounts for di erences in the distributions of metrics. Region matching along with con guration determines the overall match between a query and an image. Thesis Supervisor: Patrick H. Winston Title: Ford Professor of Arti cial Intelligence and Computer Science
ENVIRONMENTAL VISCOSITY DOES NOT AFFECT THE EVOLUTION OF COOPERATION DURING EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION OF COLICIGENIC BACTERIA

Cooperation should be favored under environmental conditions allowing the preferential interaction of cooperators among themselves and limiting interactions with defectors. Bacteria cooperating to kill competitors by secreting a toxin evolved during several hundred generations in two environments: a viscous environment that should promote cooperator assortment, and a nonviscous environment that should not allow such preferential interaction. A quantitative decrease in cooperation was observed in all populations, but as expected, cooperation was maintained at a higher level in the viscous environment. Mutants that are resistant against but not producing the toxin were identified at a low frequency in a few populations from the viscous environment and at a high frequency in all the populations from the nonviscous environment. The underlying mutations were identified. Relative fitness of the cooperator and mutant genotypes were obtained with bacteria that were isogenic, except for the identified mutations. Competition experiments indicated that cooperation is not favored by environmental viscosity as imposed in our system and suggested that when it comes to cooperation, environmental viscosity should be considered not only in terms of individual movement, but also in terms of the distribution of the public good.
Patient Preferences for CT Colonography, Conventional Colonoscopy, and Bowel Preparation

OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to determine patient pre-examination expectations and postexamination appraisals for CT colonography, conventional colonoscopy and bowel preparation.METHODS:Prospective evaluation of 120 patients at defined risk for colorectal neoplasia was performed with CT colonography followed by colonoscopy on the same day. Subjects were stratified by age and sex (67 women and 53 men) and were randomized to receive either manual air (n = 61) or CO2 (n = 59) insufflation during CT colonography. Patients’ expectations were assessed just before the two examinations, and appraisals were assessed 2 to 3 days afterward regarding pain/discomfort, embarrassment, difficulty, overall assessment, preference for future testing, and bowel preparation.RESULTS:No significant differences were found in appraisals of manual air versus CO2 insufflation techniques. For both CT colonography and colonoscopy, patients’ appraisals after the procedure were significantly more positive than prior expectations. Patients expressed more favorable appraisals of colonoscopy for pain (p < 0.001) and embarrassment (p < 0.001), with most responses being “none” to “a little” for both examinations. Overall appraisals of the tests were favorable and similar between CT and colonoscopy: patients mainly expressed “not unpleasant” to “a little unpleasant” (95%, 114/120 for both examinations). Overall, appraisal of the bowel preparation was the most negative. Preferences for future testing were more favorable toward CT: of the patients, 58% (69/120) preferred CT, 14% (17/120) preferred colonoscopy, and 28% (34/120) had no preference.CONCLUSIONS:Overall appraisals were similar and positive for both CT colonography and colonoscopy, with less favorable appraisals of the bowel preparation. Most patients stated that they would prefer CT for future evaluation.
Processing, Mechanical Properties, and Ballistic Impact Effects of Austempered Ductile Iron

Abstract : This study describes the resistance to penetration and the damage to austempered ductile iron (ADI) from ballistic impact. The resistance to penetration is determined with an average velocity with a 50% probability for complete penetration, the V-50 ballistic limit. The responses of the ADI material to impact are shown by observations of penetration modes, microstructural changes, and fracture topographies. Mechanical properties and ballistic limits are shown for two variations of the austemper process. ADI targets reveal a capability for multiple impacts without structural failures. Penetration modes include ductile hole growth, radial fracture, petaling, and scabbing. V-50 velocities of ADI with lower values of hardness and strength are equal or greater than the V-50 velocities of ADI with higher values of hardness and strength. Graphite spheroids of this ductile cast iron appear to affect plastic deformation and penetration modes by localizing stresses, microstructural changes, and fracture.
Influence of the rate of ethanol production and accumulation on the viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in "rapid fermentation"

Whereas "rapid fermentation" of diluted clover honey (25 degrees Brix) fortified with yeast nutrients using 8 X 10(8) brewers' yeast cells per ml resulted in an ethanol content of 9.5% (wt/vol; 12% vol/vol) in 3 h at 30 C, death rate of the yeast cells during this period was essentially logarithmic. Whereas 6 h was required to reach the same ethanol content at 15 C, the yeast cells retained their viability. Using a lower cell population (6 X 10(7) cells/ml), a level at which the fermentation was no longer "rapid," the yeast cells also retained their viability at 30 C. Ethanol added to the medium was much less lethal than the same or less quantities of ethanol produced by the cell in "rapid fermentation. " It was considered possible that ethanol was produced so rapidly at 30 C that it could not diffuse out of the cell as rapidly as it was formed. The hypothesis was postulated that ethanol accumulating in the cell was contributing to the high death rate at 30 C. It was found that the intracellular ethanol concentration reached a level of approximately 2 X 10(11) ethanol molecules/cell in the first 30 min of fermentation at 30 C. At 15 C, with the same cell count, intracellular ethanol concentration reached a level of approximately 4 X 10(10) ethanol molecules/cell and viability remained high. Also, at 30 C with a lower cell population (6 X 10(7) cells/ml), under which conditions fermentation was no longer "rapid," intracellular ethanol concentration reached a similar level (4 X 10(10) molecules ethanol/cell) and the cells retained their viability. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) lost its activity in brewers' yeast under conditions of "rapid fermentation" at 30 C but retained its activity in cells under similar conditions at 15 C. ADH activity was also retained in fermentations at 30 C with cell populations of 6 X 10(7)/ml. It would appear that an intracellular level of about 5 X 10(10) ethanol molecules/cell is normal and that this level does not damage either cell viability or ADH activity. Higher intracellular ethanol concentrations, such as 2 X 10(11) molecules ethanol/cell (a fourfold increase in intracellular ethanol concentration), are accompanied by inactivation of ADH and loss of cell viability.
Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Critical Appraisal of Gender Differences in Outcomes

In every year since 1984, cardiovascular disease has claimed the lives of more women than men. Data from randomized trials indicate that gender contributes to increased mortality after myocardial infarction independent of other risk factors, but additional confounding variables cannot be discounted. Data from registry databases indicate that women are less likely to receive medically proven therapies for myocardial infarction. Women experience more vague symptoms, which may account for underuse of effective therapies. In addition, they may benefit less from thrombolytic therapy than men. Increased use of thrombolytic therapy has resulted in a continued decrease in cardiovascular deaths for men, but not for women. It is unclear if this disparity is a result of inequitable access to therapy or decreased efficacy of these agents in women.
Materials and Methods Association between Hemochromatosis Genotype and Lead Exposure among Elderly Men: the Normative Aging Study

There is considerable variability in the development of toxicity in response to lead exposure in the general population. Genetic factors that modify the absorption, metabolism , or excretion of lead may influence lead toxicity. Genetic variants that predispose individuals to accumulation of lead could occur in enzymes known to influence or regulate lead metabolism. For example, lead is known to bind to the enzyme aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), and the absorption of lead is inversely related to calcium stores and dietary vitamin D intake (Chisolm et al. 1985; Mahaffey et al. 1986). Genetic variants in the ALAD and vitamin D receptor genes have been associated with lead exposure bio-Another potential candidate gene for susceptibility to lead exposure is the gene that is altered in hemochromatosis (Onalaja and Claudio 2000; Wright 1999). Hemochroma-tosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that produces an increase in the absorption of ingested iron. Affected subjects may develop iron overload, leading to diabetes, heart disease , and liver disease, but generally do not present until mid-to late adulthood. A hemo-chromatosis gene (HFE) variant (C282Y) accounts for most cases (Feder et al. 1996). The HFE variant H63D is also associated with hemochromatosis but with a lower penetrance (Waheed et al. 1997). Both polymorphisms are very common in the U.S. population. Approximately 7–17% of the U.S. general population are heterozy-and the prevalence of the H63D heterozygous genotype in the general population has been estimated to be 10–32% (Beutler 1997; Jouanolle et al. 1997). The recent cloning of the HFE gene has made available rapid screening tests using poly-merase chain reaction (PCR) techniques to identify subjects who carry either the C282Y or the H63D allele (Burke et al. 1998; Merryweather-Clarke et al. 1999). The high combined prevalence of the two alleles suggests that these two polymorphisms could play a major role in the general population in both the distribution of body iron and the distribution of any metals that share absorptive pathways with iron, such as lead. Given the high prevalence of HFE variants in the general population and the known association between iron absorption and lead absorption, we hypothesized that these genetic variants may be important modifiers of lead toxicodynamics among heterozygotes. Previous reports suggested that subjects with clinical hemochromatosis had higher lead levels or equivalent blood lead levels (Akesson et al. 2000; Barton et al. 1994). However, a pilot study on 100 subjects we conducted for a …
Techniques Of Measurement Of Reflectance And Transmittance Of Thin Film Coatings As A Function Of Temperature

Optical reflectance and transmittance are frequently employed in the evaluation of thin film materials and components. Accurate measurement of these quantities is an experimental problem with numerous subtle sources of systematic error. For precise analysis, it is essential that these measurements be performed at the actual temperatures of use - in many modern applications, this implies temperatures substantially different from room temperature. This paper describes methods generally employed for both absolute and relative measurements, including optical and electronic signal processing implications. Although detector spatial nonuniformity is widely recognized as a serious concern, equally so and often totally neglected are variations in transmission of windows employed in elevated or cryogenic temperature measurements. Another serious problem, often not adequately recognized, concerns the degradation of the sample from condensed contaminants at cryogenic temperatures or oxides at high temperatures. An instrument will be described which successfully addresses these problems and is capable of providing measurements of sample reflectance or transmittance while protecting the sample under ultrahigh vacuum (< 10-9 torr). Relative reflectance data taken with this instrument are presented and analyzed which have an accuracy of ±3 x 10 -5.
Recognizing surfaces using three-dimensional textons

We study the recognition of surfaces made from different materials such as concrete, rug, marble or leather on the basis of their textural appearance. Such natural textures arise from spatial variation of two surface attributes: (1) reflectance and (2) surface normal. In this paper, we provide a unified model to address both these aspects of natural texture. The main idea is to construct a vocabulary of prototype tiny surface patches with associated local geometric and photometric properties. We call these 3D textons. Examples might be ridges, grooves, spots or stripes or combinations thereof Associated with each texton is an appearance vector, which characterizes the local irradiance distribution, represented as a set of linear Gaussian derivative filter outputs, under different lighting and viewing conditions. Given a large collection of images of different materials, a clustering approach is used to acquire a small (on the order of 100) 3D texton vocabulary. Given a few (1 to 4) images of any material, it can be characterized using these textons. We demonstrate the application of this representation for recognition of the material viewed under novel lighting and viewing conditions.
The Effect of Labor on the Rheologic Response of Chorioamniotic Membranes

A study of chorioamniotic membranes was undertaken in 2 term populations. One group of women delivered vaginally after normal labor (,N=41), the other by elective cesarean section (N=41). Rheologic properties were measured in an experimental environment. The membranes in each group responded similarly while intact. Those membranes subject to labor, however, ruptured earlier in cyclic testing. They also required more time to dissipate applied stress. This stress response pattern is similar to that seen with rupture of amorphous materials in which multiple flaws or cracks are aggravated by stress testing. The clinical problem of premature rupture of the membranes may occur by a phenomenon that produces flaws in their structure. The data suggest that these flaws may be aggravated by labor-like uterine activity.
A high density, low on-resistance 700V class trench offset drain LDMOSFET (TOD-LDMOS)

We present a low on-resistance 700 V class trench offset drain LDMOSFET. A Noffset drain region is formed around the oxide-filled trench whose width and depth are both 20 /spl mu/m. The fabricated MOSFET exhibits a specific on-resistance of 10.4 /spl Omega/ mm/sup 2/, which is about 30% lower than the experimental best record so far.
Attention to Critical Acoustic Features for L 2 Phonemic Identification and its Implication on L 2 Perceptual Training

This study examined whether native speakers of Japanese could attend to critical acoustic features while identifying lenis and aspirated among Korean alveolar stops. Most Japanese participants had studied Korean for more than one year at a university language center in Korea. Native speakers of Korean were also tested with the same task for comparison. Korean participants discriminated the phonemic contrast according to both VOT and F0 or just F0. In contrast, Japanese participants identified lenis and aspirated mostly based on VOT information. They correctly identified stimuli of the phonemes which a speaker produced distinctively in terms of VOT. When stimuli weren’t noticeably different in VOT, they confused the two phonemes. Unlike Korean participants, they hardly considered F0 information. This result suggests that some training materials, although they were produced by native speakers, can’t lead L2 learners to catch critical acoustic information of L2 phonemes. If learners can identify L2 sounds accurately without attention to critical features, they may stick to wrong information in the sounds.
Mcp1 and Mcp2, two novel proteins involved in mitochondrial lipid homeostasis

Summary The yeast mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) protein Mdm10 is involved in at least three different processes: (1) association of mitochondria with the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial lipid homeostasis (2) membrane assembly of MOM proteins, and (3) inheritance and morphogenesis of mitochondria. To decipher the precise role of Mdm10 in mitochondrial function, we screened for high-copy suppressors of the severe growth defect of the mdm10&Dgr; mutant. We identified two novel mitochondrial proteins (open reading frames YOR228c and YLR253w) that we named Mdm10 complementing protein (Mcp) 1 and Mcp2. Overexpression of Mcp1 or Mcp2 restores the alterations in morphology and stability of respiratory chain complexes of mitochondria devoid of Mdm10, but the observed defect in assembly of MOM proteins is not rescued. Lipid analysis demonstrates that elevated levels of Mcp1 and Mcp2 restore the alterations in mitochondrial phospholipid and ergosterol homeostasis in cells lacking Mdm10. Collectively, this work identifies two novel proteins that play a role in mitochondrial lipid homeostasis and describes a role of Mdm10 in ergosterol trafficking.
Quantum t-designs: t-wise Independence in the Quantum World

A t-design for quantum states is a finite set of quantum states with the property of simulating the Haar-measure on quantum states w.r. t. any test that uses at most t copies of a state. We give efficient constructions for approximate quantum t-designs for arbitrary t. We then show that an approximate 4-design provides a derandomization of the statedistinction problem considered by Sen (quant-ph/0512085), which is relevant to solving certain instances of the hidden subgroup problem.
Hydration of biopolymer-chlorophyllin complexes measured by microwave differential dielectrometry

We show that the microwave differential dielectrometry can be used to investigate biopolymer-drug complexation. The present study was designed to examine the hydration effects accompanying the interaction between chlorophyllin, a potent inhibitor of carcinogenesis, and its possible biopolymer targets: DNA and plasma proteins (human and bovine serum albumins) in aqueous solutions. We show that for all complexes the process of complex formation is accompanied by changes of dielectric parameters. We also present calculations of the hydration of the investigated biopolymers and their complexes with ligand, which were carried out basing on model concepts.
Neonatal sepsis: an international perspective

Neonatal infections currently cause about 1.6 million deaths annually in developing countries. Sepsis and meningitis are responsible for most of these deaths. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics is emerging and constitutes an important problem world wide. To reduce global neonatal mortality, strategies of proven efficacy, such as hand washing, barrier nursing, restriction of antibiotic use, and rationalisation of admission to neonatal units, need to be implemented. Different approaches require further research.