Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance analysis of 2D Graphene FET embedded with hexagonal boron nitride clusters

Recently focus has been on performance enhancement of Graphene sheets by introducing lattice matched impurities for creating hybrid nanomaterials. In this study, we have studied Graphene monolayer sheet doped with hexagonal shaped boron nitride (hBN) unit cells. With tight binding and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) we study transport in both zigzag or armchair directions of graphene sheets embedded with hexagonally shaped boron nitride (hBN) clusters. Our experimental simulation with 4 and 9 hBN unit cells reveals that the electronic properties have considerable variation depending not only upon transport direction but also with the pattern of unit cell doping in graphene sheet.
Identiﬁcation and Characterization of I 1 Imidazoline Receptors: Their Role in Blood Pressure Regulation

It has been shown that only imidazolines and related compounds cause a fall in blood pressure when administered at the site of the hypotensive action of clonidine; no phenylethylamine compounds were capable of producing such an effect at this site. Extensive biochemical and pharmacologic studies have conﬁrmed the involvement of imidazoline receptors in the regulation of vasomotor tone and in the mechanism of action of some centrally acting antihypertensive drugs. Imidazoline-speciﬁc binding sites (IBS) did not bind catecholamines. Functional studies using selective antagonists have conﬁrmed that the hypotensive effects of clonidine-like drugs are mediated by imidazoline-speciﬁc receptors, whereas their sedative action clearly involves a 2 -adrenergic receptors located in the locus coeruleus. Compared with clonidine, second-generation centrally acting antihypertensive drugs such as rilmenidine have been shown to be more selective for imidazoline receptors than for a 2 -adrenergic receptors. This selectivity may explain the reduced incidence of side effects of these drugs at hypotensive doses. Very recently, new imidazoline-like compounds have been synthesized that are highly selective for both subtypes of IBS (I 1 and I 2 ). Some of these compounds lowered blood pressure when injected centrally in animals, indicating that an action on imidazoline I 1 receptors alone is sufﬁcient to lower blood pressure. With the help of such selective tools, we have also shown that imidazoline receptors and a 2 -adrenoceptors might cooperate to control vasomotor tone, and might jointly be involved in the hypotensive action of centrally acting hybrid drugs (ie, drugs that bind to both types of receptor). Am J Hypertens 2000; ©
RILM: Reconfigurable inter-layer routing mechanism for 3D multi-layer networks-on-chip

In the context of the emerging 3D integration paradigm, chips are built as stacks of several (likely heterogeneous) 2D layers. The topology of their communication network is quite irregular, mainly due to the different topologies of the 2D layers and the partial vertical connection between these layers. In this paper, a reconfigurable inter-layer routing mechanism (RILM) for such topologies is proposed. We firstly present the mechanism of composing the routing algorithms in different layers, through the vertical links, in order to achieve a multi-layer routing algorithm. Reconfiguration of the routing can be done for multiple reasons: to achieve fault-tolerant capability, but also under dynamic changing of the communication requirements, or, simply, to avoid congestions. To obtain a complete routing reconfiguration for the entire stack of layers, we propose a reconfiguration algorithm of the inter-layer routes, as a complement to the 2D routing reconfiguration. Additionally, independently of the 2D routing algorithm properties, RILM tolerates multiple failures of vertical links, as long as the stack of layers is not partitioned.
Caffeine-induced behavioral stimulation is dose-dependent and associated with A1 adenosine receptor occupancy.

Caffeine's psychomotor stimulant effects may relate to its blockade of central adenosine receptors. We examined acute caffeine effects on motor activity, adenosine receptor occupancy in vivo, and receptor affinity and density ex vivo. Acute doses of caffeine-sodium benzoate (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [0, 0.10, 0.21, 0.31 mu mol/kg]) were given to CD-1 mice and their activity was measured in an animal activity monitor over a 1-hour period. Adenosine receptor occupancy in vivo was quantified in mice 1 hour postdosage, using the high-affinity, A1 receptor selective adenosine antagonist [3H]-8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine. Adenosine receptor binding affinities and densities were determined from analyses of binding studies in cortical, hippocampal, and brainstem membranes from treated mice (0 and 40 mg/kg caffeine). Caffeine doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg, corresponding to mean brain concentrations of 5 and 17 micrograms/g, increased all horizontal and vertical motor activity measures and stereotypy counts, as compared to doses of 0 and 60 mg/kg. Additionally, all acute caffeine doses significantly altered specific A1 binding in vivo (decreasing binding between 55% and 73% versus vehicle), presumably as it occupied A1 receptors. Therefore, at doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg, caffeine stimulated motor activity as it occupied A1 receptors; at a dose of 60 mg/kg (mean brain concentration of 26 micrograms/g) caffeine had no stimulant effect even though it appeared to occupy A1 receptors. Acute caffeine dosage did not alter ex vivo adenosine receptor binding affinity or density in any brain regions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clinicopathologic Analysis of Multiple (Five or More) Atypical Adenomatous Hyperplasias (AAHs) of the Lung: Evidence for the AAH-Adenocarcinoma Sequence

Objective: Clarification of the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with multiple atypical adenomatous hyperplasias (AAHs). Materials and Methods: The subjects were 1639 patients who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung tumors. The clinicopathologic features of the AAHs in the lung background and the main tumors were examined with regard to the number and the size of the AAHs, the incidence and histology of adenocarcinomas (ADs), and the outcome. Results: Thirty-two patients (2.0%) had 5 or more AAHs (ranging from 5 to 171), being present predominantly in the upper lobe (86%) and in women (75%). Among the 794 AAHs, 495 (62%) measured less than 1 mm, 170 (22%) measured 1 to less than 2 mm, 118 (15%) measured 2 to less than 5 mm, and 11 (1%) measured 5 to less than 10 mm. Twenty-eight patients (88%) had AD (1 in 18 patients and 2 to 6 in 10 patients). Thirty-two of the 51 patients with ADs (63%) had an AAH component. The incidence of ADs among the total of both AAHs and ADs was 6.0% (51 of 845). The 5-year cancer-free survival rate was 71.4%. Conclusion: Five or more AAHs were seen in the background in 2.0% of lung tumors. Most of the AAHs were small, measuring less than 2 mm, and few exceeded 5 mm. Most of the patients had ADs, which were histologically suggested to be derived from AAH. However, the incidence of the AAH-AD sequence was considered to be low at the tumor basis, and the outcome of ADs was not very favorable.
A Novel Hierarchical-Clustering-Combination Scheme Based on Fuzzy-Similarity Relations

Clustering-combination methods have received considerable attentions in recent years, and many ensemble-based clustering methods have been introduced. However, clustering-combination techniques have been limited to ¿flat¿ clustering combination, and the combination of hierarchical clusterings has yet to be addressed. In this paper, we address and formalize the concept of hierarchical-clustering combination and introduce an algorithmic framework in which multiple hierarchical clusterings could be easily combined. In this framework, the similarity-based description matrices of input hierarchical clusterings are aggregated into a transitive consensus matrix in which the final hierarchy could be formed. Empirical evaluation, by using popular available datasets, confirms the superiority of combined hierarchical clustering introduced by our method over the standard (single) hierarchical-clustering methods.
HIV testing in Denmark, a nominator–denominator study

In order to describe prevalence and trends of HIV infection, demographic variables, risk factors, and reasons for seeking testing, and self-administered anonymous questionnaire was distributed to approximately 75% of all individuals tested for antibodies to HIV on a voluntary basis, in all parts of the Danish health-care system, in November 1987 and in April 1988. The number of questionnaires returned was 2143 (55%). Overall, HIV prevalence was 1.2% and was highest among homosexual and bisexual men: 6% in November and 9% in April, with no statistical difference. Sixteen per cent of the men reported homosexual behaviour, 7% reported intravenous drug use, and 60% more than one opposite-sex partner within the last 12 months. No substantial difference was observed between reported risk factors in November and April. Overall, 18% had been tested at least once before; this figure rose to approximately 50% among homosexual men and intravenous drug abusers, a substantial number of whom had engaged in risk behaviour since the latest test. Sixty percent of men and 75% of women were tested at general practitioners', and 22% and 13% at sexually transmitted disease clinics; only 6% of men and 3% of women had used alternative test sites. It is concluded that studies of anti-HIV-tested people can give detailed information about patterns of HIV testing and indications of trends in HIV infection rates, thereby supplementing other forms of HIV surveillance.
Family-based psychosocial support and education as part of pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Involving family as part of the patient's rehabilitation plan of care might enhance the management of COPD. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a family-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program on patients and family members' coping strategies to manage COPD. METHODS Family dyads (patient and family member) were randomly assigned to family-based (experimental) or conventional (control) PR. Patients from both groups underwent exercise training three times a week and psychosocial support and education once a week, during 12 weeks. Family members of the family-based PR attended the psychosocial support and education sessions together with patients. In the conventional PR, family members did not participate. Family coping and psychosocial adjustment to illness were assessed in patients and family members of both groups. Patients' exercise tolerance, functional balance, muscle strength, and health-related quality of life were also measured. All measures were collected pre/post-program. RESULTS Forty-two dyads participated (patients: FEV1, 70.4% ± 22.1% predicted). Patients (P = .048) and family members (P = .004) in the family-based PR had significantly greater improvements in family coping than the control group. Family members of the family-based PR had significantly greater changes in sexual relationships (P = .026) and in psychologic distress (P = .033) compared with the control group. Patients from both groups experienced significant improvements in exercise tolerance, functional balance, knee extensors strength, and health-related quality of life after intervention (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS This research supports family-based PR programs to enhance coping and psychosocial adjustment to illness of the family system. TRIAL REGISTRY ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02048306; URL: www.clinicaltrials. gov.
Allocation des Ressources pour la Gestion Dynamique du Spectre dans les Réseaux Ad hoc Clustérisés

L’objectif de cette these concerne l’allocation des canaux frequentiels dans les reseaux ad hoc organises en clusters. Les terminaux du reseau sont assembles localement en clusters afin de garder les avantages des reseaux ad hoc tout en reduisant la quantite de signalisation necessaire a son fonctionnement. Dans chaque cluster, un chef de cluster (CH en anglais) est designe parmi les terminaux dont le role est de gerer localement les ressources ainsi que les communications. Un des problemes concerne l'allocation des bandes de frequence de maniere distribuee a chaque cluster pour leur permettre d'operer correctement. Les frequences sont une ressource rare ce qui implique que plusieurs clusters sont amenes a utiliser les memes et donc a interferer entre eux. Le CH base ses decisions sur une fonction d'utilite qui prend en compte des mesures de performance des communications. Ces dernieres peuvent etre perturbees a cause des diverses variations dynamiques auxquels sont soumis les reseaux ad hoc. Parmi les algorithmes d'apprentissage distribues, nous avons identifie des methodes basees sur le paradigme "d'essais erreur'' (TE en anglais) comme des solutions potentielles. Ces algorithmes ont la particularite d'avoir des proprietes de convergence globale interessantes bien que le probleme soit non cooperatif.Dans un premier temps, nous avons etudie la convergence theorique de ces algorithmes en realisant des approximations de chaines de Markov dans des cas particuliers. Ensuite, nous avons montre theoriquement et numeriquement que le principal defaut des approches TE est leur sensibilite aux variations aleatoires de la mesure d'utilite. Nous avons donc propose des solutions, avec des preuves theoriques a l’appui, pour adapter ces algorithmes aux cas ou l'utilite serait perturbee par des phenomenes aleatoires. Enfin, nous avons analyse de maniere plus approfondie l’influence des evanouissements de Rayleigh sur les statistiques de l’utilite.
Resource-Aware Just-in-Time OpenCL Compiler for Coarse-Grained FPGA Overlays

FPGA vendors have recently started focusing on OpenCL for FPGAs because of its ability to leverage the parallelism inherent to heterogeneous computing platforms. OpenCL allows programs running on a host computer to launch accelerator kernels which can be compiled at run-time for a specific architecture, thus enabling portability. However, the prohibitive compilation times (specifically the FPGA place and route times) are a major stumbling block when using OpenCL tools from FPGA vendors. The long compilation times mean that the tools cannot effectively use just-in-time (JIT) compilation or runtime performance scaling. Coarse-grained overlays represent a possible solution by virtue of their coarse granularity and fast compilation. In this paper, we present a methodology for run-time compilation of OpenCL kernels to a DSP block based coarse-grained overlay, rather than directly to the fine-grained FPGA fabric. The proposed methodology allows JIT compilation and on-demand resource-aware kernel replication to better utilize available overlay resources, raising the abstraction level while reducing compile times significantly. We further demonstrate that this approach can even be used for run-time compilation of OpenCL kernels on the ARM processor of the embedded heterogeneous Zynq device.
The effect of host age on feeding performance of fleas

SUMMARY We asked whether the age of a rodent host affects the feeding performance of fleas. We predicted that fleas would perform better on young and old than on adult rodents. To test this prediction, we determined bloodmeal size, rate of digestion and time of survival after a single bloodmeal in Xenopsylla ramesis feeding on Meriones crassus of different ages. Fleas took less blood from subadult and adult than from juvenile and old animals. Fleas digested blood of old hosts at the highest rate and blood of juvenile hosts most slowly. After a bloodmeal, fleas survived the longest if fed on a juvenile host. The effect of host gender on bloodmeal size and survival after a bloodmeal was manifested only in (a) subadult and adult hosts and (b) subadult hosts, respectively. Host gender affected the rate of digestion differently among digestion stages and host age cohorts. We explain the observed patterns in flea performance in terms of changes in the host's immune defences and nutritional quality of blood during the host's individual life. Our observations suggested that a host of a particular age could not be unequivocally predicted to be more or less beneficial for a parasite than a younger or an older host.
Mitigation of malathion's acute toxicity by four submersed macrophyte species

Some submersed macrophyte species rapidly sorb some insecticides from the water, potentially reducing exposure for aquatic species. The rates at which macrophytes remove insecticides, however, can differ widely among plant species. Furthermore, few studies have examined how much macrophytes actually influence insecticide toxicity to sensitive animals. The authors quantified the ability of several macrophyte species to mitigate insecticide toxicity by comparing the survival of the aquatic herbivore, Daphnia magna, following exposure to a factorial combination of 3 malathion concentrations (0 µg/L, 3 µg/L, and 24 µg/L) and 7 macrophyte treatments (no macrophytes, 4 different macrophyte monocultures, and 2 inert substrates: plastic plants and polypropylene rope). The authors also quantified the rate that different macrophytes reduced malathion's toxicity by exposing D. magna to water samples collected from each treatment after 2 h, 8 h, and 48 h of exposure. The results revealed that whereas 3 µg/L and 24 µg/L of malathion decimated D. magna in the no‐macrophyte, plastic plant, and rope treatments, all 4 macrophyte species strongly mitigated these effects. When the authors compared the rate at which malathion's toxicity decreased, they found that all macrophytes negated malathion's toxicity within 2 h, whereas it took more than 8 h in the absence of macrophytes or in the presence of inert substrates. These results demonstrate that numerous macrophyte species can equally and strongly mitigate insecticide toxicity, whereas inert substrates cannot. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1535–1543. © 2013 SETAC
Risk factors for Barrett's esophagus: A case‐control study

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is an acquired disorder due to chronic gastroesophageal reflux. Environmental factors seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of BE, especially in Western society. A multicenter case‐control study was carried out between February 1995 and April 1999 in 8 Italian Departments of Gastroenterology gathered in a study group (GOSPE), in order to analyze the influence of some individual characteristics and life‐style habits on the occurrence of BE. Three groups of patients were studied: 149 patients with BE, 143 patients with esophagitis (E) and 308 hospital controls (C) with acute, non‐neoplastic, non‐gastroenterological conditions. The diagnosis of BE was based on endoscopy and histology. E was defined by the Savary classification (grade I–III). Data collection was performed by using a questionnaire that focused on smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption, medical history, drugs history, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation) and socio‐economic status. Multivariate analysis showed that the frequency of weekly GERD symptoms was significantly associated with both BE and E (p<0.0001), such as the presence of hiatal hernia (p≤0.001). Ulcer was significantly associated with BE (p=0.001). Among patients with E, the risk was directly related to spirits consumption (p=0.03). Patients with GERD symptoms that lasted more than 13 years were more likely to have BE than E (p=0.01). In conclusion, results from our study point out that long‐standing GERD symptoms, hiatal hernia and possibly alcohol consumption are risk factors in the development of the BE and E. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cognitive functional therapy for the management of low back pain in an adolescent male rower: a case report.

STUDY DESIGN Case report. BACKGROUND Contemporary low back pain models propose that the experience of and responses to pain result from a complex interaction of biopsychosocial factors. This supports the need for a management approach that addresses the biological, psychological, and social components that may be related to the pain disorder. This case report demonstrates the application of, and outcomes associated with, a cognitive functional intervention that considers neurophysiological, physical, psychosocial, cognitive, and lifestyle dimensions for the management of a rower with nonspecific chronic low back pain. CASE DESCRIPTION An adolescent male club-level rower with nonspecific chronic low back pain was classified as having a motor control impairment with a lower lumbar compressive-loading pattern in flexion. Evaluation of this patient included ergometer rowing analysis (clinical and laboratory) before and after an 8-week intervention, and outcome measures at a 12-week follow-up. The intervention consisted of a cognitive functional approach that targeted optimization of movement behavior, providing the rower with alternative movement strategies to minimize sustained flexion loading. OUTCOMES Reduced temporal summation of pain while ergometer rowing and reduced functional disability were observed preintervention to 12 weeks postintervention by changes in Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire score (12/24 to 1/24) and the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (4/30 to 26/30), and associated improvements in lower-limb and back muscle endurance and changes in hip and spinopelvic kinematics during ergometer rowing. In particular, there was a greater use of available range of movement in the lumbar spine postintervention. DISCUSSION The cognitive functional intervention for this patient resulted in reduced pain and functional disability related to ergometer rowing, which was associated with a change in lumbar kinematics and improved lower-limb and back muscle endurance. The results suggest that providing the rower with greater use of his available range of movement may enhance load distribution during the drive phase of rowing. Registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12609000565246). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapy, level 4.
Improving the Electrical Performance of a Quantum Well FET With a Shell Doping Profile by Heterojunction Optimization

This paper investigates the impacts of typical semiconductor material properties—electron affinity, bandgap, and dielectric constant, on the electrical performance of a p-type core–shell heterojunction nanowire FET by numerical simulations. At the heterojunction, a valence band offset of 200 meV forms a sufficient energy barrier confining the holes in the quantum well, resulting in the optimal OFF-state current. A higher dielectric constant of the shell region is found to be able to decrease the leakage current of the device. The optimum conditions from the parameter analysis are demonstrated by a realistic and achievable material combination of Si/SiGe for the core–shell configuration. This paper provides physical insights into the materialwise impacts for designing the proposed transistor showing the reduced OFF-current and a better subthreshold swing for low-power applications.
Headhunting among extremist organizations: An empirical assessment of talent spotting

In recent years, terrorism scholars have proposed that more established and popular extremist organizations make pragmatic assessments of their human capital needs and modify operating standards to acquire members with advanced training and expertise such as medical, religious, or military backgrounds that may benefit extremist activities. To examine these claims, we rely on data pertaining to 105 extremist organizations gathered throughout the Leadership of the Extreme and Dangerous for Innovative Results (LEADIR) project. The results provide empirical support for these propositions by suggesting that older and more publicly supported extremist organizations contain membership populations that possess expertise, and these organizations also become increasingly diverse across demographic characteristics of members. We conclude with suggestions for future research that extend the study of extremist recruitment and provide recommendations for practitioners in terms of addressing terrorism prevention initiatives.