Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and Characterization of Micro-membrane GaN Light Emitting Diodes

Fabrication and Characterization of Micro-membrane GaN Light Emitting Diodes Hsien-Yu Liao Developing etching of GaN material system is the key to device fabrications. In this thesis, we report on the fabrication of high throughput lift-off of InGaN/GaN based micro-membrane light emitting diode (LED) from sapphire substrate using UV-assisted photoelectroless chemical (PEsC) etching. Unlike existing bandgap selective etching based on unconventional sacrificial layer, the current hydrofluoric acid based wet etching process enables the selective etching of undoped GaN layer already incorporated in standard commercial LED structures, thus attaining the leverage on high performance device design, and facile wet process technology. The lift-off micro-membrane LED showed 16% alleviated quantum efficiency droop under 200 mA/cm 2 current injection, demonstrating the advantage of LED epitaxy exfoliation from the lattice-mismatched sapphire substrate. The origin of the performance improvement was investigated based on non-destructive characterization methods. Photoluminescence (PL) characterization showed a 7nm peak emission wavelength shift in the micro-membrane LED compared to the GaN-on-Sapphire LED. The Raman spectroscopy measurements correlate well with the PL observation that a 0.86 GPa relaxed compressive biaxial strain was achieved after the lift-off process. The micro-membrane LED technology enables further heterogeneous integration for forming pixelated red, green, blue (RGB) display on flexible and transparent substrate. The development of discrete and membrane LEDs using nano-fiber paper as the current spreading layer was also explored for such integration.
Th17 cells are associated with protection from ventilator associated pneumonia

Background CD4+ T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and Interleukin (IL)-17A play an important role in clearing pathogens in mouse models of pneumonia. We hypothesized that numbers of Th17 cells and levels of IL-17A are associated with risk for nosocomial pneumonia in humans. Methods We collected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from mechanically ventilated (n = 25) patients undergoing quantitative bacterial culture to evaluate for ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). We identified Th17 cells by positive selection of CD4+ cells, stimulation with ionomycin and PMA, then staining for CD4, CD45, CCR6, IL-17A, and IFN-γ followed by flow cytometric analysis (n = 21). We measured inflammatory cytokine levels, including IL-17A, in BAL fluid by immunoassay. Results VAP was detected in 13 of the 25 subjects. We identified a decreased percentage of IL-17A producing Th17 cells in BAL fluid from patients with VAP compared to those without (p = 0.02). However, we found no significant difference in levels of IL-17A in patients with VAP compared to those without (p = 0.07). Interestingly, IL-17A levels did not correlate with Th17 cell numbers. IL-17A levels did show strong positive correlations with alveolar neutrophil numbers and total protein levels. Conclusions Th17 cells are found at lower percentages in BAL fluid from mechanically ventilated patients with VAP and IL-17A levels correlated with Th17 cell percentages in non-VAP subjects, but not those with VAP. These findings suggest that Th17 cells may be protective against development of nosocomial pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and that alveolar IL-17A in VAP may be derived from sources other than alveolar Th17 cells.
Roosting Ecology and the Evolution of Pelage Markings in Bats

Multiple lineages of bats have evolved striking facial and body pelage makings, including spots, stripes and countershading. Although researchers have hypothesized that these markings mainly evolved for crypsis, this idea has never been tested in a quantitative and comparative context. We present the first comparative study integrating data on roosting ecology (roost type and colony size) and pelage coloration patterns across bats, and explore the hypothesis that the evolution of bat pelage markings is associated with roosting ecologies that benefit from crypsis. We find that lineages that roost in the vegetation have evolved pelage markings, especially stripes and neck collars, which may function in crypsis through disruptive coloration and a type of countershading that might be unique to bats. We also demonstrate that lineages that live in larger colonies and are larger in size tend not to have pelage markings, possibly because of reduced predation pressures due to the predator dilution effect and a lower number of potential predators. Although social functions for pelage color patterns are also possible, our work provides strong support for the idea that roosting ecology has driven the evolution of pelage markings in bats.
Efficient Algorithms for Outlier-Robust Regression

We give the first polynomial-time algorithm for performing linear or polynomial regression resilient to adversarial corruptions in both examples and labels. Given a sufficiently large (polynomial-size) training set drawn i.i. d. from distribution D and subsequently corrupted on some fraction of points, our algorithm outputs a linear function whose squared error is close to the squared error of the best-fitting linear function with respect to D, assuming that the marginal distribution of D over the input space is \emph{certifiably hypercontractive}. This natural property is satisfied by many well-studied distributions such as Gaussian, strongly log-concave distributions and, uniform distribution on the hypercube among others. We also give a simple statistical lower bound showing that some distributional assumption is necessary to succeed in this setting. These results are the first of their kind and were not known to be even information-theoretically possible prior to our work. Our approach is based on the sum-of-squares (SoS) method and is inspired by the recent applications of the method for parameter recovery problems in unsupervised learning. Our algorithm can be seen as a natural convex relaxation of the following conceptually simple non-convex optimization problem: find a linear function and a large subset of the input corrupted sample such that the least squares loss of the function over the subset is minimized over all possible large subsets.
The Effect of Dynamic Pitch on Speech Recognition in Temporally Modulated Noise.

Purpose This study investigated the effect of dynamic pitch in target speech on older and younger listeners' speech recognition in temporally modulated noise. First, we examined whether the benefit from dynamic-pitch cues depends on the temporal modulation of noise. Second, we tested whether older listeners can benefit from dynamic-pitch cues for speech recognition in noise. Last, we explored the individual factors that predict the amount of dynamic-pitch benefit for speech recognition in noise. Method Younger listeners with normal hearing and older listeners with varying levels of hearing sensitivity participated in the study, in which speech reception thresholds were measured with sentences in nonspeech noise. Results The younger listeners benefited more from dynamic pitch for speech recognition in temporally modulated noise than unmodulated noise. Older listeners were able to benefit from the dynamic-pitch cues but received less benefit from noise modulation than the younger listeners. For those older listeners with hearing loss, the amount of hearing loss strongly predicted the dynamic-pitch benefit for speech recognition in noise. Conclusions Dynamic-pitch cues aid speech recognition in noise, particularly when noise has temporal modulation. Hearing loss negatively affects the dynamic-pitch benefit to older listeners with significant hearing loss.
Multi-Target localization in asynchronous MIMO radars using sparse sensing

Multi-target localization, warranted in emerging applications like autonomous driving, requires targets to be perfectly detected in the distributed nodes with accurate range measurements. This implies that high range resolution is crucial in distributed localization in the considered scenario. This work proposes a new framework for multi-target localization, addressing the demand for the high range resolution in automotive applications without increasing the required bandwidth. In particular, it employs sparse stepped frequency waveform and infers the target ranges by exploiting sparsity in target scene. The range measurements are then sent to a fusion center where direction of arrival estimation is undertaken. Numerical results illustrate the impact of range resolution on multi-target localization and the performance improvement arising from the proposed algorithm in such scenarios.
Liddle Syndrome: Review of the Literature and Description of a New Case

Liddle syndrome is an inherited form of low-renin hypertension, transmitted with an autosomal dominant pattern. The molecular basis of Liddle syndrome resides in germline mutations of the SCNN1A, SCNN1B and SCNN1G genes, encoding the α, β, and γ-subunits of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC), respectively. To date, 31 different causative mutations have been reported in 72 families from four continents. The majority of the substitutions cause an increased expression of the channel at the distal nephron apical membrane, with subsequent enhanced renal sodium reabsorption. The most common clinical presentation of the disease is early onset hypertension, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, suppressed plasma renin activity and low plasma aldosterone. Consequently, treatment of Liddle syndrome is based on the administration of ENaC blockers, amiloride and triamterene. Herein, we discuss the genetic basis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of Liddle syndrome. Finally, we report a new case in an Italian family, caused by a SCNN1B p.Pro618Leu substitution.
VIIRS Day-Night Band (DNB) calibration methods for improved uniformity

The Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day-Night Band (DNB) offers quantitative measurements of visible and near-infrared light over a dynamic range from full daylight to the dimmest nighttime scenes. This range presents a challenge to radiometric calibration, but the instrument has exceeded all of its absolute radiometric requirements. Nevertheless, striping and banding are still visible, day or night, but especially in low-light scenes. The causes may be cross talk, stray light or hysteresis in the data used for calibration. These issues combine to reduce the utility of these unique observations for gaining new insight on the nocturnal environment. This paper presents methods for improving gain and offset uniformity for both day and night scenes while maintaining absolute radiometric accuracy. We evaluate removal of fixed-pattern non-uniformity in dark scenes on a per orbit basis using three different techniques: i) tracking the darkest 25th percentile calibration sector signal; ii) taking the mean of filtered dark Earth-view scenes to determine offset; iii) minimizing correlated error for dark scenes within an aggregation zone. For gain uniformity we discuss some problems with the current calibration methods, and demonstrate a technique to minimize the correlated error between detectors and aggregation zones using the moment matching technique for moonlit scenes. A similar technique can be used for daytime and twilight scenes. An alternative cross-calibration technique between gain stages uses indirect illumination of solar diffuser view. The use of the space view and blackbody view for cross-calibration is also discussed. Histogram equalization is discussed for minimizing striping and banding. In all cases, data with stray light is filtered out to prevent contamination of the destriping process.
Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence to Determine Factors Leading to Late Presentation for Antiretroviral Therapy in Malawi

Background Treatment seeking delays among people living with HIV have adverse consequences for outcome. Gender differences in treatment outcomes have been observed in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective To better understand antiretroviral treatment (ART) seeking behaviour in HIV-infected adults in rural Malawi. Methods Qualitative interviews with male and female participants in an ART cohort study at a treatment site in rural northern Malawi triangulated with analysis of baseline clinical and demographic data for 365 individuals attending sequentially for ART screening between January 2008 and September 2009. Results 43% of the cohort presented with late stage HIV disease classified as WHO stage 3/4. Respondents reported that women's frequency of testing, health awareness and commitment to children led to earlier ART uptake and that men's commitment to wider social networks of influence, masculine ideals of strength, and success with sexual and marital partners led them to refuse treatment until they were sick. Quantitative analysis of the screening cohort provided supporting evidence for these expressed views. Overall, male gender (adjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI1.3–3.9) and never being married (adjusted OR 4.1, 95% CI1.5–11.5) were risk factors for late presentation, whereas having ≥3 dependent children was associated with earlier presentation (adjusted OR 0.31, 95% CI0.15–0.63),compared to those with no dependent children. Conclusion Gender-specific barriers and facilitators operate throughout the whole process of seeking care. Further efforts to enrol men into care earlier should focus on the masculine characteristics that they value, and the risks to these of severe health decline. Our results emphasise the value of exploring as well as identifying behavioural correlates of late presentation.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in two Latin American populations

Abstract Pregnancy complications and obstetric outcomes were compared in 80 Chilean (PPCOSCh) and 70 Argentinian (PPCOSAr) pregnant women. Reference groups of Chilean and Argentinian normal pregnant women from the same antenatal care units were also compared. PPCOSCh showed a higher prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (OR, 2.28, 95% CI: 1.08–4.77, p = .030) and a lower prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) (OR, 0.20, 95% CI: 0.07–0.54, p = .001) compared to PPCOSAr. In the normal pregnant groups, the prevalence of PIH was lower in Chilean women compared to Argentinian women (OR, 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10–0.62, p = .001). Similar to the pattern observed in the normal populations, newborns from PPCOSCh had higher birth weight and length compared with the newborns of PPCOSAr (p = .006 and .014, respectively). In conclusion, differences in pregnancy complications and obstetric outcomes between Chilean and Argentinian pregnant women with PCOS could be determined by ethnic diversity together with environmental factors of both populations. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject: The reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of women with polycystic ovary syndrome vary between different populations, which could significantly influence the obstetric and neonatal outcomes in this syndrome. What the results of this study add: Pregnant women with PCOS from two Latin American countries (Chile and Argentina) exhibit differences in the prevalence of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension, and in the birth weight of their newborns. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: Ethnic diversity together with environmental factors are fundamental elements that must be considered in the management of pregnant women with PCOS.
Robust Features and Accurate Inliers Detection Framework: Application to Stereo Ego-motion Estimation

In this paper, an innovative robust feature detection and matching strategy for visual odometry based on stereo image sequence is proposed. First, a sparse multiscale 2D local invariant feature detection and description algorithm AKAZE is adopted to extract the interest points. A robust feature matching strategy is introduced to match AKAZE descriptors. In order to remove the outliers which are mismatched features or on dynamic objects, an improved random sample consensus outlier rejection scheme is presented. Thus the proposed method can be applied to dynamic environment. Then, geometric constraints are incorporated into the motion estimation without time-consuming 3-dimensional scene reconstruction. Last, an iterated sigma point Kalman Filter is adopted to refine the motion results. The presented ego-motion scheme is applied to benchmark datasets and compared with state-of-the-art approaches with data captured on campus in a considerably cluttered environment, where the superiorities are proved.
Enlarging the discriminability of bag-of-words representations with deep convolutional features

In this work, we propose an extension of established image retrieval models which are based on the bag-of-words representation, i.e. on models which quantize local features such as SIFT to leverage an inverted file indexing scheme for speedup. Since the quantization of local features impairs their discriminability, the ability to retrieve those database images which show the same object or scene to a given query image is decreasing with the growing number of images in the database. We address this issue by extending a quantized local feature with information from its local spatial neighborhood incorporating a representation based on pooling features from deep convolutional neural network layer outputs. Using four public datasets, we evaluate both the discriminability of the representation and its overall performance in a large-scale image retrieval setup.
Occlusion of LTP-Like Plasticity in Human Primary Motor Cortex by Action Observation

Passive observation of motor actions induces cortical activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) of the onlooker, which could potentially contribute to motor learning. While recent studies report modulation of motor performance following action observation, the neurophysiological mechanism supporting these behavioral changes remains to be specifically defined. Here, we assessed whether the observation of a repetitive thumb movement – similarly to active motor practice – would inhibit subsequent long-term potentiation-like (LTP) plasticity induced by paired-associative stimulation (PAS). Before undergoing PAS, participants were asked to either 1) perform abductions of the right thumb as fast as possible; 2) passively observe someone else perform thumb abductions; or 3) passively observe a moving dot mimicking thumb movements. Motor evoked potentials (MEP) were used to assess cortical excitability before and after motor practice (or observation) and at two time points following PAS. Results show that, similarly to participants in the motor practice group, individuals observing repeated motor actions showed marked inhibition of PAS-induced LTP, while the “moving dot” group displayed the expected increase in MEP amplitude, despite differences in baseline excitability. Interestingly, LTP occlusion in the action-observation group was present even if no increase in cortical excitability or movement speed was observed following observation. These results suggest that mere observation of repeated hand actions is sufficient to induce LTP, despite the absence of motor learning.
Impact of a Comprehensive Workplace Hand Hygiene Program on Employer Health Care Insurance Claims and Costs, Absenteeism, and Employee Perceptions and Practices

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a multimodal hand hygiene intervention program in reducing health care insurance claims for hygiene preventable infections (eg, cold and influenza), absenteeism, and subjective impact on employees. Methods: A 13.5-month prospective, randomized cluster controlled trial was executed with alcohol-based hand sanitizer in strategic workplace locations and personal use (intervention group) and brief hand hygiene education (both groups). Four years of retrospective data were collected for all participants. Results: Hygiene-preventable health care claims were significantly reduced in the intervention group by over 20% (P < 0.05). Absenteeism was positively impacted overall for the intervention group. Employee survey data showed significant improvements in hand hygiene behavior and perception of company concern for employee well-being. Conclusion: Providing a comprehensive, targeted, yet simple to execute hand hygiene program significantly reduced the incidence of health care claims and increased employee workplace satisfaction.
Password-protected secret sharing scheme with the same threshold in distribution and restoration

Conventional password-protected secret sharing (PPSS) based on Shamir's (k, n) secret sharing scheme requires 2k − 1 shares for reconstructing a search result. However, it can reconstruct the secret by leveraging k shares, because it performs secure multiplication. In this case, it is easier to restore the secret than the search result. In this paper, we propose a novel PPSS with the same distribution threshold for the secret as well as the restoration of the search result. We use the TUS2 method proposed by Aminuddin et al. However, it cannot include 0 as a secret. Therefore, we improve the TUS2 method such that it can include 0 as secret. In addition, we evaluate the security of our scheme, and prove that it is secure. Furthermore, we compare the computational cost of the conventional PPSS and our scheme.
Impact of Employee Assistance Services on Depression, Anxiety, and Risky Alcohol Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Objective: To test the impact of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) on reducing employee depression, anxiety, and risky alcohol use, and whether improvements in clinical symptoms lead to improved work outcomes. Methods: The study used a prospective, quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching. Participants (n = 344) came from 20 areas of state government. EAP (n = 156) and non-EAP (n = 188) employees were matched on baseline demographic, psychosocial, and work-related characteristics that differentiate EAP from non-EAP users. Follow-up surveys were collected 2 to 12 months later (M = 6.0). Results: EAP significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not at-risk alcohol use. EAP reductions in depression and anxiety mediated EAP-based reductions in absenteeism and presenteeism. Conclusions: EAPs provide easy-to-access work-based services that are effective at improving employee mental health.