Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of 300 mm magnetic Czochralski wafers for the fabrication of IGBTs

As in other semiconductor industries, there is a strong trend to use larger wafer diameters for the fabrication of power devices. However, for wafer diameters above 200 mm float-zone (FZ) silicon which is traditionally used for IGBTs is not available. Therefore, there is a need to use silicon material which has been fabricated by the magnetic Czochralski (Cz) method to make use of 300 mm wafers for IGBT-production. As this material contains a relatively high concentration of oxygen, the influence of carbon/oxygen-complexes has to be taken into account. CIOI-complexes can be decorated with hydrogen atoms resulting in donor-like complexes. Particularly, the application of proton-irradiation for the doping of the field-stop zone results in a relatively high concentration of interstitial carbon which is continuatively associated with the generation of undesired donors.
PARASITISM IN A DECLINING POPULATION OF SNOWSHOE HARES

Prevalence and intensity of six endoparasites were determined in 346 snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) obtained at Rochester, Alberta, during December–April 1981–1982, the second winter of a cyclic population decline. The data were analyzed for (1) differences among host sex and age classes, and among months and sample sources, and (2) evidence that parasitism was of demographic significance to the hare population. Prevalence and intensity of Obeliscoides cuniculi were consistently highest among adult hares, but rose most sharply from February to March among juveniles. In contrast, prevalence and intensity of Nematodirus triangularis were highest among juveniles; prevalence reached 90–100% by January, whereas intensity continued to rise through April. Prevalence and intensity of both Trichuris leporis and Protostrongylus boughtoni were highest also among juvenile hares; neither parameter exhibited a definite trend over time. Prevalences of Taenia pisiformis (cysticerci) and Eimeria spp. were unrelated to sex, age or month; but Taenia intensity was highest among juveniles, and Eimeria intensity tended to decrease from December to April. Intensities of Nematodirus, Protostrongylus and Eimeria were higher in male hares than in females. Prevalence and intensity were correlated directly in Obeliscoides, Nematodirus, Trichuris and Eimeria. Hares that died during trapping and handling, or from natural predation, had greater intensities of Obeliscoides than did animals killed on purpose. There was no indication, however, that risk of death was increased by the other parasitic infections. Age-related immune responses to parasitism (except Obeliscoides) were evidenced by reduced or stabilized prevalence and/or intensity among older hares. A multiple-regression model predicted depressed body weight with increasing intensities of Nematodirus, Trichuris or Protostrongylus. Other body-condition and reproductive indices were unassociated with parasite intensities. Within the hare population, Obeliscoides, Trichuris, Protostrongylus and Taenia had overdispersed distributions (typical of many endoparasites) that did not differ from a negative binomial. The frequency with which each possible combination of helminth species occurred within individual hares was consistent with the assumption that such infections occurred independently. There was no compelling reason to believe parasitism was a significant factor in the overwinter decline of this population of snowshoe hares.
Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase: Dose-dependent suppression of leukocyte and endothelial response after endotoxin challenge in humans*

Objective We studied the activity of a single oral dose of RWJ-67657, a synthetic p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, in preventing dual leukocyte/endothelial activation after endotoxin infusion in healthy volunteers. Design Prospective placebo-controlled study. Setting Intensive care unit at a university medical center. Subjects Twenty-one healthy male volunteers. Interventions Endotoxin (4 ng/kg) as a 1-min infusion. According to randomization, the volunteers received placebo (n = 6) or 1400 mg (n = 4), 700 mg (n = 6), or 350 mg (n = 5) of RWJ-67657. Measurements and Main Results Neutrophil activation was investigated by analyzing the extent of membrane expression of adhesion markers by calibrated flow cytometry. Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The endotoxin-induced shedding of L-selectin was diminished in a dose-dependent manner (p < .0001). High-dose RWJ-67657 prevented up-regulation of the integrins CD11b (p < .01) and CD 66b (p < .01) on neutrophils. The endotoxin-induced increase in circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and circulation E-selectin was almost completely prevented by high-dose RWJ-67657. Conclusion A single oral dose of RWJ-67657 prevented neutrophil and endothelial activation after endotoxin infusion.
Management options in multiple sclerosis-associated fatigue

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the CNS. Its characteristic early clinical course includes exacerbations and remissions of neurologic disability. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS and is associated with a reduced quality of life; it is described as the worst symptom of the disease by 50 – 60% of patients. Yet, due to limitations of available evidence, current therapeutic approaches for treating fatigue are based mainly on preliminary studies and expert consensus. Areas covered: This review summarizes current knowledge on the physiopathology, diagnosis and therapeutic options for MS-associated fatigue, including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. Expert opinion: Large, rigorously designed trials can provide more reliable results on the efficacy of interventions for fatigue, their functional impact on everyday activities and patient quality of life. Future research should also address a better understanding of the physiopathologic mechanisms of fatigue and the development and validation of objective assessment tools to be used together with patient self-ratings.
Evidence for an immunological relationship between Streptococcus mutans and human cardiac tissue

Two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, indirect immunofluorescence, and radioimmunoassay were used to demonstrate that antisera from rabbits immunized with some strains of Streptococcus mutans contain antibodies that cross-react with human cardiac tissue. These rabbits were sensitized to a shocking dose of human heart antigen, and anaphylactic deaths were sometimes produced. Myocarditis was also a result of the immunization procedure. Data obtained with all five techniques were comparable. Cross-reactivity could be associated with three antigens designated ID, IF, and HL. Antigens ID and IF were major immunogens of S. mutans Ingbritt, but HL antibodies were produced only after hyperimmunization. Corss-reactivity was of an immunological nature and not the result of nonspecific factors such as bacterial Fc reactive components or antibody elicited to growth medium constituents. These findings support the hypothesis that immunization with S. mutans can induce autoimmune reactions and indicate that antigens must be selected with caution before formulating any dental caries vaccine.
Systematic review of microsatellite instability and colorectal cancer prognosis.

PURPOSE A number of studies have investigated the relationship between microsatellite instability (MSI) and colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis. Although many have reported a better survival with MSI, estimates of the hazard ratio (HR) among studies differ. To derive a more precise estimate of the prognostic significance of MSI, we have reviewed and pooled data from published studies. METHODS Studies stratifying survival in CRC patients by MSI status were eligible for analysis. The principal outcome measure was the HR. Data from eligible studies were pooled using standard techniques. RESULTS Thirty-two eligible studies reported survival in a total of 7,642 cases, including 1,277 with MSI. There was no evidence of publication bias. The combined HR estimate for overall survival associated with MSI was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.71; heterogeneity P = .16; I(2) = 20%). This benefit was maintained restricting analyses to clinical trial patients (HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.85) and patients with locally advanced CRC (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.78). In patients treated with adjuvant fluorouracil (FU) CRCs with MSI had a better prognosis (HR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.84). However, while data are limited, tumors with MSI derived no benefit from adjuvant FU (HR = 1.24; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.14). CONCLUSION CRCs with MSI have a significantly better prognosis compared to those with intact mismatch repair. Additional studies are needed to further define the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced tumors with MSI.
A Comparison of Ropivacaine and Bupivacaine for Cervical Plexus Block

We compared bupivacaine 0.5% and ropivacaine 0.75% for cervical plexus block (CB). Forty patients scheduled for carotid artery surgery were allocated randomly to undergo superficial and deep CB with 30 mL of one of the two anesthetic solutions. We evaluated the onset of anesthetic block; the requirement for supplementation during the surgery; the patients’ satisfaction; postoperative pain on a visual analog scale at 1, 2, and 3 h; and the use of paracetamol as a rescue analgesic medication. Arterial blood was sampled immediately and 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after CB for measurements of bupivacaine or ropivacaine concentrations. Patients in both groups had equivalent onset of CB, local infiltration with lidocaine during surgery, and satisfaction scores. In the Bupivacaine group, visual analog scale scores were lower at 2 and 3 h, and the delay before paracetamol administration was prolonged. Observed peak concentrations were larger in the Ropivacaine group (4.25 [2.07–6.59 mg/L] vs 3.02 [0.98–5.82 mg/L]), but time to reach peak concentrations was comparable (5 [1–15 min] vs 5 [0–45 min] in the Ropivacaine and Bupivacaine groups, respectively). We conclude that ropivacaine has no advantage over bupivacaine for CB.
Gate Tunneling in Nanowire MOSFETs

In this letter, we report for the first time the impact of gate dielectric geometry on gate tunneling in a cylindrical-gate (CG) nanowire (NW) transistor. An analytical 2-D gate tunneling model is developed and used to assess quantitatively the tunneling probability in the CG NW transistor. A reduction in gate tunneling probability is predicted in the CG NW transistor compared with a planar-gate (PG) transistor with the same dielectric thickness. This effect can be very significant when the dielectric curvature is large as in practical NW devices. A high- k gate dielectric is more effective in suppressing the gate tunneling in CG transistors than in PG transistors.
Expanding Automotive Electronic Systems

A vast increase in automotive electronic systems, coupled with related demands on power and design, has created an array of new engineering opportunities and challenges. Today's high-end vehicles may have more than 4 kilometers of wiring, compared to 45 meters in vehicles manufactured in 1955. Reducing wiring mass through in-vehicle networks will bring an explosion of new functionality and innovation. Our vehicles will become more like PCs, creating the potential for a host of plug-and-play devices. On average, US commuters spend 9 percent of their day in an automobile. Thus, introducing multimedia and telematics to vehicles will increase productivity and provide entertainment for millions. Further, X-by-wire solutions will make computer diagnostics a standard part of mechanics' work and may even create an electronic chauffeur.
Real-time daytime road marker recognition using features vectors and neural network

Road markers provide vital information to ensure traffic safety. Different sets of markers are normally used between the highways and the normal road. At the normal road for example, the double lane markers are used to indicate the hazardous area, where overtaking is prohibited while broken marker lane indicate otherwise. To avoid traffic accidents and provide safety, these markers should be accurately detected and classified, which is best solved via vision detection approach. Marker type classification is however affected by the changing sun illumination throughout the day. In this paper, real-time recognition of these markers is developed using the artificial neural network (ANN) to alert the users while driving. The accuracy of the scheme is observed when different input features (geometrical and texture) and image pixels are fed for recognizing broken and double lane markers. A very high accuracy result with low error rate is obtained at 98.83% (10-fold cross validation) accuracy detection using additional features, compared with ~95% by using only the image pixels as the input vector and average processing time is at ~30ms per frame.
Real-world experience with a novel biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent: twelve-month results of the BIOFLOW-III registry.

AIMS We aimed to assess the safety and performance of a novel sirolimus-eluting stent with biodegradable polymer under real-world conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS This prospective, multicentre, observational, all-comers registry enrolled 1,356 patients. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure at 12 months: it occurred in 5.1% (95% CI: 4.0-6.4) of patients in the overall population and in 7.7% (95% CI: 5.5-10.9), 5.8% (95% CI: 4.2-8.1), 1.8% (95% CI: 0.2-11.8) and 7.2% (95% CI: 5.1-10.0) of patients with diabetes mellitus, small vessels, chronic total occlusion and acute myocardial infarction, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This novel stent platform demonstrated good clinical outcomes in an all-comers population, even in predefined high-risk groups. ClinialTrials.gov identifier: NCT01553526
Cerebellar Tumor Extension as a Late Event of Long-standing, Supratentorial Low-grade Gliomas: Case Report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE:Nonpilocytic low-grade glial tumors in adults occur mostly in the supratentorial compartment. However, a few cases of infratentorial low-grade gliomas (LGG) have been described. The occurrence of LGG in the cerebellum in the setting of a previously existing supratentorial glioma is rare. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:We present three young patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of long-standing supratentorial LGG. All three patients presented years after their initial diagnosis with a second, nonenhancing lesion in the cerebellum, compatible with the radiological appearance of LGG. Two patients subsequently became symptomatic from these lesions and underwent surgical resection of the cerebellar lesions that were found to have similar pathological features to the original supratentorial tumors. This was confirmed by histology (both patients) and genetic markers (one patient). INTERVENTION:Magnetic resonance imaging did not demonstrate tumor continuity between the supratentorial and infratentorial lesions in any of the patients. The third patient has shown no cerebellar symptoms to date and is only followed with periodic magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSION:The anatomic/pathological basis of these rare cases may include a primary, multicentric tumor formation, or a secondary tumor infiltration of the cerebrocerebellar pathways, leading to the formation of the cerebellar tumor.
Evidence That Tubulobulbar Complexes in the Seminiferous Epithelium Are Involved with Internalization of Adhesion Junctions1

Abstract Tubulobulbar complexes may be part of the mechanism by which intercellular adhesion junctions are internalized by Sertoli cells during sperm release. These complexes develop in regions where Sertoli cells are attached to adjacent cells by intercellular adhesion junctions termed ectoplasmic specializations. At sites where Sertoli cells are attached to spermatid heads, tubulobulbar complexes consist of fingerlike processes of the spermatid plasma membrane, corresponding invaginations of the Sertoli cell plasma membrane, and a surrounding cuff of modified Sertoli cell cytoplasm. At the terminal ends of the complexes occur clusters of vesicles. Here we show that tubulobulbar complexes develop in regions previously occupied by ectoplasmic specializations and that the structures share similar molecular components. In addition, the adhesion molecules nectin 2 and nectin 3, found in the Sertoli cell and spermatid plasma membranes, respectively, are concentrated at the distal ends of tubulobulbar complexes. We also demonstrate that double membrane bounded vesicles are associated with the ends of tubulobulbar complexes and nectin 3 is present on spermatids, but is absent from spermatozoa released from the epithelium. These results are consistent with the conclusion that Sertoli cell and spermatid membrane adhesion domains are internalized together by tubulobulbar complexes. PKCα, a kinase associated with endocytosis of adhesion domains in other systems, is concentrated at tubulobulbar complexes, and antibodies to endosomal and lysosomal (LAMP1, SGP1) markers label the cluster of vesicles associated with the ends of tubulobulbar complexes. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that tubulobulbar complexes are involved with the disassembly of ectoplasmic specializations and with the internalization of intercellular membrane adhesion domains during sperm release.
Surgical Correction of Equinus Deformity in Cerebral Palsy

Sixty‐seven children who had been operated on for equinus deformity due to spastic cerebral palsy were studied retrospectively. The recurrence rate of equinus after 51 Baker‐Strayer gastrocnemius lengthenings was 29 per cent, and after the sliding Hoke type of tendo calcaneus lengthenings it was 9 per cent. In both groups the postoperative care was the same: no bracing, no night splints, and no stretching. The recurrence rate of equinus after tendo calcaneus lengthening is comparable with other reported series.
Factors affecting delignification of oil palm empty fruit bunch by microwave-assisted dilute acid/alkali pretreatment

Microwave-assisted dilute acid/alkali pretreatment is an efficient and rapid method of removing lignin and hemicellulose, however, the optimized parameters for the maximum efficiency have to date not been presented in the literature. The purpose of this study was to determine those conditions by examining the effects of three factors: microwave power, temperature, and time on delignification in microwave-assisted dilute acid/alkali pretreatment. For the control condition of conventional pretreatment (CP), empty fruit bunches (EFBs) were soaked in 2.5 M NaOH for two hours in the autoclave. In the experimental condition, EFB were first soaked in dilute sulfuric acid with conventional autoclave heating, which removed 90% of their hemicellulose. The acid-treated EFBs were then soaked in 2.5 M NaOH solution and microwaved at different conditions: microwave power (700 - 100 watts), time (60 - 90 min), and temperature (80 -110 °C). The amount of acid-insoluble lignin was determined by Klason method. Microwave-Alkali (Mw-A) pretreatment was modeled until it attained maximum delignification. More than twice the rate of delignification that is, 71.9% was attained with microwave-assisted alkali/acid pretreatment of 900 W microwave power at 110 °C for 80 min compared to 34.6% with conventional pretreatment.
Calcul de pose dynamique avec les caméras CMOS utilisant une acquisition séquentielle. (Dynamic pose estimation with CMOS cameras using sequential acquisition)

En informatique, la vision par ordinateur s’attache a extraire de l’information a partir de cameras. Les capteurs de celles-ci peuvent etre produits avec la technologie CMOS que nous retrouvons dans les appareils mobiles en raison de son faible cout et d’un encombrement reduit. Cette technologie permet d’acquerir rapidement l’image en exposant les lignes de l’image de maniere sequentielle. Cependant cette methode produit des deformations dans l’image s’il existe un mouvement entre la camera et la scene filmee. Cet effet est connu sous le nom de «Rolling Shutter» et de nombreuses methodes ont tente de corriger ces artefacts. Plutot que de le corriger, des travaux anterieurs ont developpe des methodes pour extraire de l’information sur le mouvement a partir de cet effet. Ces methodes reposent sur une extension de la modelisation geometrique classique des cameras pour prendre en compte l’acquisition sequentielle et le mouvement entre le capteur et la scene, considere uniforme. A partir de cette modelisation, il est possible d’etendre le calcul de pose habituel (estimation de la position et de l’orientation de la scene par rapport au capteur) pour estimer aussi les parametres du mouvement. Dans la continuite de cette demarche, nous presenterons une generalisation a des mouvements non-uniformes basee sur un lissage des derivees des parametres de mouvement. Ensuite nous presenterons une modelisation polynomiale du «Rolling Shutter» et une methode d’optimisation globale pour l’estimation de ces parametres. Correctement implemente, cela permet de realiser une mise en correspondance automatique entre le modele tridimensionnel et l’image. Pour terminer nous comparerons ces differentes methodes tant sur des donnees simulees que sur des donnees reelles et conclurons.
Small mammal community structure and microhabitat use in the austral boundary of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

We investigated the richness, composition, and species relative abundance of a terrestrial small mammal community in a Deciduous Forest area in the austral boundary of the Atlantic Forest. The microhabitat use of the most common species was also investigated. Six rodents - Akodon montensis (Thomas, 1913), Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers, 1818), Sooretamys angouya (Thomas, 1913), Thaptomys nigrita (Lichtenstein, 1829), Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Juliomys sp. - and one marsupial - Didelphis albiventris (Lund, 1840) - were captured. Thaptomys nigrita is recorded in the state of Rio Grande do Sul for the first time. Species richness was poor when compared with communities in the central portions of the Atlantic Forest, but equivalent to that found in the Araucaria and Dense Ombrophilous forests of southern Brazil. The species most often captured in our study, A. montensis and O. nigripes, are also the most common in the majority of faunistic studies carried out in the Atlantic Forest. Akodon montensis and S. angouya used places with high abundance of bamboo, possibly to avoid predators. Oligorizomys nigripes used areas with a high density of scrubs, what could facilitate aboveground movements, and was negatively correlated to mature forest indicators, which reinforce the idea that this species has opportunistic habits.
Three-dimensional diffuse optical tomography: System implementation and validation of reconstruction algorithms

We present the development of an experimental three-dimensional (3-D) diffuse optical tomographic image reconstruction system for imaging of highly scattering tissue-mimicking material using near infrared laser light and the validation of 3-D reconstruction algorithms. The algorithm reconstructs the spatial distribution of the optical parameters of a volume from trans-illumination measurements on the boundary of the object under study. The emphasis is on system development and validation of 3-D model based iterative image reconstruction (MOBIIR) algorithms. We test the performance of the method for a cylindrical phantom with embedded absorbing perturbation. The system is based on frequency domain approach. The amplitude and phase measurements of modulated laser light exiting the object at multiple detector planes are carried out. We examine a 3-D finite element algorithm with cylindrical mesh to provide forward diffusion model to reconstruct 3-D and 2-D images of the interior absorption coefficient. The experimental photon intensity data in different planes have been compared with 3-D predicted measurement data. A good match has been observed between experimental measurements and the model prediction of light transport in tissue.