Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An electrically-activated dynamic tissue-equivalent phantom for assessment of diffuse optical imaging systems

A novel design of solid dynamic phantom with tissue-like optical properties is presented, which contains variable regions of contrast which are activated electrically. Reversible changes in absorption are produced by localized heating of targets impregnated with thermochromic pigment. A portable, battery-operated prototype has been constructed, and its optical and temporal characteristics have been investigated. The phantom has been developed as a means of assessing the performance of diffuse optical imaging systems, such as those used to monitor haemodynamic changes in the brain and other tissues. Images of the phantom have been reconstructed using data acquired with a continuous wave optical topography system.
Nanoencapsulation of antitumor and antituberculosis drug preparations with biocompatible polymers

Controlled release of drugs at the locus of the targeted disease is one of the most challenging research areas in the pharmaceutical field. Nowadays novel drug delivery systems on the basis of polymers are attracting great attention since they can improve therapeutic efficiency of potent drug preparations decreasing the risk of side effects. By developing colloidal drug delivery systems such as liposomes/vesicles and polymeric nanoparticles and nanocapsules the pharmacokinetics of the drug can be changed and thus the therapeutic efficiency of the drug can be increased. Nanoparticles with their special characteristics such as small particle size, large surface area and high capacity of carrying biologically active substances offer a number of advantages compared to other colloidal drug delivery systems [1, 2]. Controlled drug release systems are constructed on the basis of natural and biocompatible synthetic polymers. Among the most promising biocompatible polymers human serum albumin (HSA), polyalkyl cyanoacrylates (PACA) and poly-D,L-lactic acid (PLA) are of great importance. Nanoparticles on their basis have been proven to be efficient in treatment of serious and long-termed diseases such as tumors, tuberculosis and bacterial infections [3-126]. Therefore this article is aimed to give a brief review on the research works devoted to the synthesis and investigation of polymeric nanoparticles and nanocapsules based on PACA, HSA and PLA for the past three decades.
Effect of conductivity uncertainties and modeling errors on EEG source localization using a 2-D model

This paper presents a sensitivity study electroencephalography-based source localization due errors in the head-tissue conductivities and to errors in modeling the conductivity variation inside the brain and scalp. The study is conducted using a two-dimensional (2-D) finite element model obtained from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a head cross section. The effect of uncertainty in the following tissues is studied: white matter, gray matter, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), skull, and fat. The distribution of source location errors, assuming a single-dipole source model, is examined in detail for different dipole locations over the entire brain region. We also present a detailed analysis of the effect of conductivity on source localization for a four-layer cylinder model and a four-layer sphere model. These two simple models provide insight into how the effect of conductivity on boundary potential translates into source location errors; and also how errors in a 2-D model compare to errors in a three-dimensional model. Results presented in this paper clearly point to the following conclusion: unless the conductivities of the head tissues and the distribution of these tissues throughout the head are modeled accurately, the goal of achieving localization accuracy to within a few millimeters is unattainable.
Zn2(+)-induced subconductance events in cardiac Na+ channels prolonged by batrachotoxin. Current-voltage behavior and single-channel kinetics

The mechanism of voltage-dependent substate production by external Zn2+ in batrachotoxin-modified Na+ channels from canine heart was investigated by analysis of the current-voltage behavior and single- channel kinetics of substate events. At the single-channel level the addition of external Zn2+ results in an increasing frequency of substate events with a mean duration of approximately 15-25 ms for the substate dwell time observed in the range of -70 to +70 mV. Under conditions of symmetrical 0.2 M NaCl, the open state of cardiac Na+ channels displays ohmic current-voltage behavior in the range of -90 to +100 mV, with a slope conductance of 21 pS. In contrast, the Zn2(+)- induced substate exhibits significant outward rectification with a slope conductance of 3.1 pS in the range of -100 to -50 mV and 5.1 pS in the range of +50 to +100 mV. Analysis of dwell-time histograms of substate events as a function of Zn2+ concentration and voltage led to the consideration of two types of models that may explain this behavior. Using a simple one-site blocking model, the apparent association rate for Zn2+ binding is more strongly voltage dependent (decreasing e-fold per +60 mV) than the Zn2+ dissociation rate (increasing e-fold per +420 mV). However, this simple blocking model cannot account for the dependence of the apparent dissociation rate on Zn2+ concentration. To explain this result, a four-state kinetic scheme involving a Zn2(+)-induced conformational change from a high conductance conformation to a substate conformation is proposed. This model, similar to one introduced by Pietrobon et al. (1989. J. Gen. Physiol. 94:1-24) for H(+)-induced substate behavior in L-type Ca2+ channels, is able to simulate the kinetic and equilibrium behavior of the primary Zn2(+)-induced substate process in heart Na+ channels. This model implies that binding of Zn2+ greatly enhances conversion of the open, ohmic channel to a low conductance conformation with an asymmetric energy profile for Na+ permeation.
Drivers of extinction: the case of Azorean beetles

Oceanic islands host a disproportionately high fraction of endangered or recently extinct endemic species. We report on species extinctions among endemic Azorean beetles following 97% habitat loss since AD 1440. We infer extinctions from historical and contemporary records and examine the influence of three predictors: geographical range, habitat specialization and body size. Of 55 endemic beetle species investigated (out of 63), seven can be considered extinct. Single-island endemics (SIEs) were more prone to extinction than multi-island endemics. Within SIEs restricted to native habitat, larger species were more extinction-prone. We thus show a hierarchical path to extinction in Azorean beetles: species with small geographical range face extinction first, with the larger bodied ones being the most threatened. Our study provides a clear warning of the impact of habitat loss on island endemic biotas.
Clinical Factors of Disease Reclassification or Progression in a Contemporary Cohort of Prostate Cancer Patients Elected to Active Surveillance

Objectives: To evaluate clinical predictors of disease reclassification or progression (DR/P) in prostate cancer patients elected to active surveillance (AS). Material and Methods: Patients were assessed on the basis of DR/P criteria. Predictors of DR/P were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards. Results: The median DR/P free time was 16.5 months. DR/P was detected in 30 out of 84 cases (35.7%). In DR/P cases, the median prostate volume (PV) was significantly lower (34.7 vs. 42.7 ml) and the percentage of cases with 2 or 3 vs. 1 initial biopsy positive cores (BPC) was significantly higher (36.7 vs. 7.4%). The multivariate logistic regression model showed that PV (OR 0.9; p = 0.021) and initial n >1 BPC (OR 9.8; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of DR/P. By Cox multivariate proportional hazards, only n >1 BPC predicted early DR/P (hazard ratio 3.1; p = 0.003). Conclusions: In a contemporary cohort of patients elected to AS, independent factors stratifying the risk of DR/P were PV and initial BPC, which also predicted early DR/P. In patients elected to AS, the identification of risk factors of DR/P require early re-biopsy. Confirmatory studies are required.
Relative changes in intelligence from 13 to 18. II. Results.

Harnqvist, K. Relative changes in intelligence from 13 to 18. II. Results. Scand. J. Psychol. , 1968, 9, 65–82. —Relative changes in intelligence from 13 to 18 are shown to be related to differences in education and to some extent also home background. The relationship is stronger for general intellectual level than for a component contrasting spatial with verbal performance. Alternative interpretations of results are discussed against the background described in Part I.
Study of GdCo/Si/Co/Si Multilayers by Polarized Neutron Reflectivity

In order to better understand the interesting magnetic behaviour found in the Rare Earth-transition metal/(spacer)/transition metal multilayers, a multilayer of Co/[Si/Gd0.36Co0. 64/Si/Co]4/glass was studied by SQUID magnetic measurements and polarized neutron reflectivity. A model for the magnetic profile of the sample was proposed, which fitted well the polarized neutron reflectivity measurements at different magnetic states: ferrimagnetic/antiparallel state, under an applied field of 55 Oe, canted states (315 and 675 Oe) and saturation state (1700 Oe). It was found that even at the expected collinear states (ferrimagnet and saturation states), the magnetization was not totally collinear and there was a small component of the magnetization perpendicular to the applied field
CFD modelling of nitrogen gas flow pattern during sintering of Al–7Zn–2.5Mg–1Cu alloy and its effect on distortion

The effects of gas flow pattern on the distortion in Al–7Zn–2.5Mg–1Cu alloy were experimentally examined by sintering three rectangular samples, equally spaced 2–40 mm, in each batch at 620°C for 45 min under flowing nitrogen. A three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to investigate the gas flow behaviour surrounding three samples during isothermal sintering. Streamlines, gas flowrate into each cavity between two adjacent samples and wall shear stress distribution along the surfaces of each sample were found dependent on sample separation distance. The flow patterns could affect the distortion levels of the three samples by changing the oxygen content in the local sintering atmosphere and the evaporation rates of Mg and Zn from the sintering surfaces. The 3D CFD model developed was also applied to the experimental design of the sintering of six samples to ensure minimum distortion as well as maximum densification.
ACT TAGGER FROM UNLABELED DATA

Dialog act tagging is an important step toward speech unders tanding, yet training such taggers usually requires large amoun ts of data labeled by linguistic experts. Here we investigate the use of unlabeleddata for training HMM-based dialog act taggers. Three techniques are shown to be effective for bootstrapping a tag ger from very small amounts of labeled data: iterative relabeli ng and retraining on unlabeled data; a dialog grammar to model dial og act context, and a model of the prosodic correlates of dialog cts. On the SPINE dialog corpus, the combined use of prosodic info rmation and unlabeled data reduces the tagging error between 12% and 16%, compared to baseline systems using word informatio n and various amounts of labeled data only.
Prevalence and prognostic value of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias (EIVAs) in patients referred for exercise testing, considering the arrhythmic substrate and exercise-induced ischemia. BACKGROUND EIVAs are frequently observed during exercise testing, but their prognostic significance is uncertain. The design of this study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, and it took place in 2 university-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Patients comprised 6213 consecutive males referred for exercise tests. We measured clinical exercise test responses and all-cause mortality after a mean follow-up of 6 +/- 4 years. EIVAs were defined as frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) constituting >10% of all ventricular depolarizations during any 30 second electrocardiogram recording, or a run of > or =3 consecutive PVCs during exercise or recovery. RESULTS A total of 1256 patients (20%) died during follow-up. EIVAs occurred in 503 patients (8%); the prevalence of EIVAs increased in older patients and in those with cardiopulmonary disease, resting PVCs, and ischemia during exercise. EIVAs were associated with mortality irrespective of the presence of cardiopulmonary disease or exercise-induced ischemia. In those without cardiopulmonary disease, mortality differed more so later in follow up than earlier. In those without resting PVCs, EIVAs were also predictive of mortality, but in those with resting PVCs, poorer prognosis was not worsened by the presence of EIVAs. CONCLUSIONS Exercise induced ischemia does not affect the prognostic value of EIVAs, whereas the arrhythmic substrate does. EIVAs and resting PVCs are both independent predictors of mortality after consideration of other clinical and exercise-test variables. These findings are of limited clinical significance because of the modest change in risk and the lack of any established intervention. However, they explain some of the previous controversy and highlight the need to consider resting PVCs and follow-up duration in assessing the clinical implications of EIVAs.
Committed carbon emissions, deforestation, and community land conversion from oil palm plantation expansion in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Industrial agricultural plantations are a rapidly increasing yet largely unmeasured source of tropical land cover change. Here, we evaluate impacts of oil palm plantation development on land cover, carbon flux, and agrarian community lands in West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. With a spatially explicit land change/carbon bookkeeping model, parameterized using high-resolution satellite time series and informed by socioeconomic surveys, we assess previous and project future plantation expansion under five scenarios. Although fire was the primary proximate cause of 1989–2008 deforestation (93%) and net carbon emissions (69%), by 2007–2008, oil palm directly caused 27% of total and 40% of peatland deforestation. Plantation land sources exhibited distinctive temporal dynamics, comprising 81% forests on mineral soils (1994–2001), shifting to 69% peatlands (2008–2011). Plantation leases reveal vast development potential. In 2008, leases spanned ∼65% of the region, including 62% on peatlands and 59% of community-managed lands, yet <10% of lease area was planted. Projecting business as usual (BAU), by 2020 ∼40% of regional and 35% of community lands are cleared for oil palm, generating 26% of net carbon emissions. Intact forest cover declines to 4%, and the proportion of emissions sourced from peatlands increases 38%. Prohibiting intact and logged forest and peatland conversion to oil palm reduces emissions only 4% below BAU, because of continued uncontrolled fire. Protecting logged forests achieves greater carbon emissions reductions (21%) than protecting intact forests alone (9%) and is critical for mitigating carbon emissions. Extensive allocated leases constrain land management options, requiring trade-offs among oil palm production, carbon emissions mitigation, and maintaining community landholdings.
Consequences of Hierarchical Allocation for the Evolution of Life‐History Traits

Resource allocation within individuals may often be hierarchical, and this may have important effects on genetic correlations and on trait evolution. For example, organisms may divide energy between reproduction and somatic growth and then subdivide reproductive resources. Genetic variation in allocation to pathways early in such hierarchies (e.g., reproduction) can cause positive genetic correlations between traits that trade off (e.g., offspring size and number) because some individuals invest more resources in reproduction than others. We used quantitative‐genetic models to explore the evolutionary implications of allocation hierarchies. Our results showed that when variation in allocation early in the hierarchy exceeds subsequent variation in allocation, genetic covariances and initial responses to selection do not reflect trade‐offs occurring at later levels in the hierarchy. This general pattern was evident for many starting allocations and optima and for whether traits contributed multiplicatively or additively to fitness. Finally, artificial selection on a single trait revealed masked trade‐offs when variation in early allocation was comparable to subsequent variation in allocation. This result confirms artificial selection as a powerful, but not foolproof, method of detecting trade‐offs. Thus, allocation hierarchies can profoundly affect life‐history evolution by causing traits to evolve in the opposite direction to that predicted by trade‐offs.
Lifecycle marriage matching: Theory and Evidence

estimated model shows that a concern for accumulating marriage specific capital is quantitatively significant in generating positive assortative matching in spousal ages at marriage, gender differences in spousal ages at marriage, and a preference for early marriage. Gender variations in population supplies due to gender specific mortality rates and entry cohort sizes have offsetting quantitative effects.
A 6.5kV ESD-protected low noise amplifier in 65-nm CMOS

A new ESD topology is proposed for RF low-noise amplifier (LNA). By using the modified silicon-controlled rectifier (MSCR) in conjunction with a P+/N-well diode clamp, a 5.8-GHz LNA with 6.5-kV ESD protection circuit is demonstrated by a 65-nm CMOS technology. Compared with the reference design, the new topology enhances the ESD level from 3.5 kV to 6.5 kV for human body model (HBM) while the noise figure (NF) is only 0.13 dB higher. Under a supply voltage of 1.2 V and drain current of 6.5 mA, the proposed ESD-protected LNA has a NF of 2.57 dB with an associated power gain of 16.7 dB. The input third-order intercept point (IIP3) is −11 dBm and the input and output return losses are below −15.9 dB and −20 dB, respectively.
Predicting healthcare costs using GAs

Predicting prospective healthcare costs is of increasing importance. Genetic search is used to discover attribute sets and associated posterior probability classifiers that predict the top 0.5% most costly individuals in year N + 1 based on previous medical conditions and costs in year N. The predictive performance of single-variable classifiers (cost-drivers), found using statistical measures familiar from datamining, as well as Naive Bayesian analysis, are compared and contrasted with that of classifiers found using genetic search. Comparison is also made with two well known benchmarks from the healthcare literature.
PREY PREFERENCE BY DELPHASTUS CATALINAE (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) ON BEMISIA ARGENTIFOLII (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE): EFFECTS OF PLANT SPECIES AND PREY STAGES

Abstract Plant species and insect stages were studied for their effects on feeding by predator Delphastus catalinae (Horn) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). To study the influence of plant species, immature whitefly prey were presented simultaneously to starved predator adults on leaf cuttings of five different plant species: cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller), hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.], Walpers ssp. unguiculata), and collard (Brassica oleracea var. acephala DC). Percentage predation over 24 h was significantly highest on cotton, followed in rank order by collards, cowpea, tomato, and hibiscus. Different predation rates may have been caused by differential response to volatile secondary compounds released by the leaf cuttings. Host stage preference was studied by presenting individual adult predators with equal numbers of prey (200 per replicate) in three aggregate life stages: eggs, small nymphs (1st to 3rd instars) and large nymphs (4th instar to pupae). Adults consumed significantly higher numbers of eggs in a 24-h predation period compared with small or large nymphs. These findings suggest that among the plant species tested, Delphastus catalinae may be most effective on early-season cotton or immediately after whitefly infestation when eggs are predominant.
Development of simplified process for KrF excimer halftone mask with chrome-shielding method

New simplified process is developed successfully for KrF excimer half-tone mask with chrome shielding method. Process times are reduced to half compared with conventional process in which resist coating and exposure is performed twice. New simplified process is characterized by adopting half-exposure of electron beam, thin chrome film on a half-tone film, and endpoint detection in dry etching process. It is confirmed in this paper that half-tone masks fabricated by simplified process have mask quality and optical capability, which are required in 0.18 micrometer generation devices.
Risk Factors and Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease: A Report from the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS)

The findings for 14 risk variables were correlated with the results of coronary arteriography in 8807 patients registered in the interinstitutional Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS). Discriminantfunction analysis revealed that age, sex, cigarette smoking and the level of blood cholesterol best distinguished between the groups with (6688 patients) and without (2119 patients) coronary artery disease. A family history of coronary artery disease and the presence of hypertension or diabetes were of additional, but less, discriminating value. The relative risk for coronary artery disease in patients with the combination of cigarette smoking and an elevated cholesterol level was high (> 4) in females age 55 years or younger and in males age 35 years or younger. Few females age 45 years or younger (seven of 97) had coronary artery disease when both of these risk factors were absent. In spite of these correlations, only limited gains accrued from the use of discriminant-function analysis in correctly allocating patients into disease and nondisease groups. This indicates that, while certain factors are significantly correlated with coronary arteriographic findings, their value for predicting the presence of coronary artery disease is limited.
Hybrid behaviour orchestration in a multilayered cognitive architecture using an evolutionary approach

Managing and arbitrating behaviours, processes and components in multilayered cognitive architectures when a huge amount of environmental variables are changing continuously with increasing complexity, ensue in a very comprehensive task. The presented framework proposes an hybrid cognitive architecture that relies on subsumption theory and includes some important extensions. These extensions can be condensed in inclusion of learning capabilities through bio-inspired reinforcement machine learning systems, an evolutionary mechanism based on gene expression programming to self-configure the behaviour arbitration between layers, a co-evolutionary mechanism to evolve behaviour repertories in a parallel fashion and finally, an aggregation mechanism to combine the learning algorithms outputs to improve the learning quality and increase the robustness and fault tolerance ability of the cognitive agent. The proposed architecture was proved in an animat environment using a multi-agent platform where several learning capabilities and emergent properties for self-configuring internal agentpsilas architecture arise.