Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ESD robustness of AlGaN/GaN HEMT devices

We have investigated the robustness of GaN-HEMT devices submitted to ESD events in different configurations. A good scaling of the failure current with the device width has been observed for both drain and gate TLP stresses. We have identified two failure mechanisms, related to the gate-source diode degradation and drain to gate filaments formation. Filaments formation was identified by means of emission microscopy, both while applying DC bias and during the TLP measurement itself. We have also found that the traditional TLP leakage measurement can not be used as a valid failure criterion. On the contrary, the gate-source diode measurement can provide interesting information on the device life-state.
A track-to-track association algorithm with chaotic neural network

A great deal of attentions is currently focused on multisensor data fusion. A very important aspect of it is track-to-track association and track fusion in distributed multisensor-multitarget environments. The approach based on Hopfield neural network has been developed. But the performance of this approach is limited because Hopfield neural network is often trapped in the local minima. This paper try to solve this problem with an approach based on chaotic neural network (CNN). Furthermore, in order to improve the performance of neural network, the association statistic between tracks from different sensors is modified. Computer simulation results indicate that this approach is more efficient than the algorithm based on continuous Hopfield neural network (CHNN).
Sustained high coverage of insecticide‐treated bednets through combined Catch‐up and Keep‐up strategies

Background Mass, free distribution (Catch‐up) of insecticide‐treated bednets (ITNs) during measles vaccination campaigns achieves immediate, high and equitable coverage for both ITNs and measles vaccine. Maintaining high coverage over time requires long‐term, routine access to new nets (Keep‐up). In many settings, only one approach – either campaign or routine delivery – has been available and have been seen as competing methods. Relying only on campaigns achieves high coverage at the cost of lack of later access. Relying solely on routine coverage builds a delivery infrastructure but may lead to slower rates of coverage and inequities. A combined Catch‐up/Keep‐up approach has been a common feature of vaccination programs for many years. We assessed the 3‐year effects of a one‐time Catch‐up campaign followed by clinic‐based social marketing for routine Keep‐up on ITN coverage and use.
Endometrial assessment by transvaginal sonography and histological findings after D & C in women with postmenopausal bleeding

A total of 149 women with postmenopausal bleeding underwent transvaginal sonography, hysteroscopy and dilatation and curettage in order to study the diagnostic accuracy of several ultrasound parameters in assessing endometrial pathology and to determine the most sensitive cut‐off value of endometrial thickness for the exclusion of endometrial lesions. In distinguishing pathological from normal endometrium, transvaginal sonography showed a sensitivity of 69.3%, specificity of 82.7%, positive predictive value of 74.1% and negative predictive value of 72.1%. In detecting premalignant and malignant endometrial pathology, transvaginal sonography showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 55%, 96.1%, 68.7% and 93.2%, respectively. Considering endometrial thickness as a single parameter, the most sensitive cut‐off for defining normality was 4 mm; nevertheless, in the group of patients that had an endometrial thickness less than 4 mm, there was one case of malignancy (sensitivity, 95.2%, specificity, 49.4%; positive predictive value, 57.3%; and negative predictive value, 93.5%). Transvaginal sonography combined evaluation (morphology, thickness and color Doppler) showed a poor diagnostic accuracy in detecting endometrial pathology and in differentiating between endometrial benign lesions, endometrial polyps and adenocarcinoma in women with postmenopausal bleeding. Endometrial thickness evaluated with transvaginal sonography was preferable but not sensitive enough to exclude endometrial pathology. Copyright © 1995 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Postoperative Analgesia in Children Using Preemptive Retrobulbar Block and Local Anesthetic Infiltration in Strabismus Surgery

Background and Objectives Postoperative pain management in pediatric strabismus patients is infrequently studied. Pediatric patients can be mobilized earlier if postoperative pain is minimized. In this study, two different regional anesthetic techniques, retrobulbar block and local infiltration, were compared with a “no block” control group for the postoperative management of pain in pediatric patients undergoing elective strabismus surgery. Methods Thirty patients were randomly allocated to one of the study groups: group 1 (n = 10) control, group 2 (n = 10) retrobulbar block, and group 3 (n = 10) subconjunctival bupivacaine infiltration. The parameters that were evaluated during the early postoperative period (6 hours) were circulatory, pain scores by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Modified Pediatric Objective Pain Scale (MPOPS), additional analgesic requirement, nausea, and vomiting. The parameters that were evaluated after discharge from the hospital (on postoperative days 1 and 2) through questionnaires were additional analgesic requirement, nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbances, activity, and appetite. Results Group 3 had significantly higher VAS and MPOPS scores at postoperative 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 minutes than groups 1 and 2 (P < .05). Patients in group 2 seemed to have a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting both in the early (6 hours) and late postoperative (postoperative days 1 and 2) periods; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Group 2 required less analgesic compared with groups 1 and 3 during the late postoperative period. Late postoperative activity and appetite were better in groups 2 and 3. Conclusions Because there was no significant difference in terms of postoperative analgesia in the retrobulbar block or subconjunctival local anesthetic infiltration groups compared with the control group, we suggest that conventional methods of pain treatment are adequate for postoperative analgesia in strabismus surgery.
Statistical comparison of (brain) networks

The study of random networks in a neuroscientific context has developed extensively over the last couple of decades. By contrast, techniques for the statistical analysis of these networks are less developed. In this paper, we focus on the statistical comparison of brain networks in a nonparametric framework and discuss the associated detection and identification problems. We tested network differences between groups with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test we developed specifically for networks. We also propose and analyse the behaviour of a new statistical procedure designed to identify different subnetworks. As an example, we show the application of this tool in resting-state fMRI data obtained from the Human Connectome Project. Finally, we discuss the potential bias in neuroimaging findings that is generated by some behavioural and brain structure variables. Our method can also be applied to other kind of networks such as protein interaction networks, gene networks or social networks.
Selective Contribution of Eukaryotic Prefoldin Subunits to Actin and Tubulin Binding*

Eukaryotic prefoldin (PFD) is a heterohexameric chaperone with a jellyfish-like structure whose function is to deliver nonnative target proteins, principally actins and tubulins, to the eukaryotic cytosolic chaperonin for facilitated folding. Here we demonstrate that functional PFD can spontaneously assemble from its six constituent individual subunits (PFD1–PFD6), each expressed as a recombinant protein. Using engineered forms of PFD assembled in vitro, we show that the tips of the PFD tentacles are required to form binary complexes with authentic target proteins. We show that PFD uses the distal ends of different but overlapping sets of subunits to form stable binary complexes with different target proteins, namely actin and α- and β-tubulin. We also present data that suggest a model for the order of these six subunits within the hexamer. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that PFD, like the eukaryotic cytosolic chaperonin, has co-evolved specifically to facilitate the folding of its target proteins.
Quality control of B-mode ultrasonic measurement of carotid artery intima–media thickness: the European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis

Background The European Lacidipine Study of Atherosclerosis (ELSA) was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, multinational interventional trial using B-mode ultrasound measurement of carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) in 2259 hypertensive individuals. ELSA showed that 4-year treatment with the calcium antagonist, lacidipine, significantly slowed down progression of carotid atherosclerosis as compared with treatment with the β-blocker, atenolol. Objective To report data on cross-sectional and longitudinal quality control of the ultrasound measurements implemented throughout ELSA. Methods Patients underwent scans at baseline and at each annual visit. All endpoints were measured while the study was in progress (initial measurements). In addition to the cross-sectional quality control procedures, a longitudinal quality control procedure of re-reading 250 baseline scans at yearly intervals was implemented, to control possible reader drift. After the study had been completed, the primary endpoint was measured again under the same condition of cross-sectional quality control. Results Cross-sectional quality control data showed high reliability for all endpoints at all time points except for single maximum IMT (Tmax) and internal carotid IMT. Within-reader reliability was constantly better than between-reader reliability but, for the primary endpoint, between-reader reliability remained excellent. Initial and longitudinal quality control measurements showed a time trend toward lower IMT values. After application of a correction factor calculated from longitudinal quality control, all initial measurements no longer decreased with time, and the corrected IMT measurements were reasonably similar to those made after completion of the study. Conclusion For long-term epidemiological studies and clinical trials, both cross-sectional and longitudinal quality control are critical to the reliability of measurements. In order to evaluate the absolute change in IMT and interpret study results without bias, both must be implemented.
Discrete-Time Cycle-to-Cycle Fuzzy Logic Control of FES-Induced Swinging Motion

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can be used to restore motor function to individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). FES involves artificially inducing a current in specific motor neurons to generate a skeletal muscle contraction. FES induced movement control is a significantly challenging area for researchers. The challenge mainly arises due to muscle response characteristics such as fatigue, time-varying properties and nonlinear dynamics of paralyzed muscles [1]. Another challenge is due to certain motor reflexes such as spasticity. Spasticity is a reflex or uncontrolled response to something that excites the nerve endings and produces muscle contractions. These reflexes are often unpredictable and may impede joint movements [2].
Deciduomal responses in the uteri of ovariectomized golden hamsters, comparing progesterone and three closely related steroids applied in utero.

Four closely related steroids were tested for their decidualizing effect in uteri of golden hamsters. These compounds were progesterone, 5o-pregnane-3,20-dione (DHP), deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and A5�pregnen�3L3�ol�20.one (pregnenolone). Intrauterine application was done by dissolving each compound in a semisolid wax-sesame oil mixture and injecting the material intraluminally by means of an 18 gauge trocar. All hamsters were ovariectomized except for I group of pseudopregnant controls. Treatment was on Days 1 and 4 after ovariectomy and decidual development was judged on Day 7. All treatments which included progesterone gave the largest deciduomata, including the pseudopregnant group. Both DOC and DHP gave less decidual response, with some DHP uteri merely showing lack of atrophy. Pregnenolone and plain wax gave no responseand permitted uterineatrophyafterovariectomy. The relative effectiveness of the several steroids in promoting deciduomata was correlated with their relative binding affinities for uterine progesterone receptor proteins as indicated by previous studies.
Coverage of academic citation databases compared with coverage of scientific social media: Personal publication lists as calibration parameters

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how the coverage of publications is represented in information services. Academic citation databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar) and scientific social media (Mendeley, CiteULike, BibSonomy) were analyzed by applying a new method: the use of personal publication lists of scientists. Design/methodology/approach – Personal publication lists of scientists of the field of information science were analyzed. All data were taken in collaboration with the scientists in order to guarantee complete publication lists. Findings – The demonstrated calibration parameter shows the coverage of information services in the field of information science. None of the investigated databases reached a coverage of 100 percent. However Google Scholar covers a greater amount of publications than other academic citation databases and scientific social media. Research limitations/implications – Results were limited to the publications of scientists working at an information .
Effects of glucocorticoids on hippocampal long‐term potentiation

The effects of chronic and acute corticosterone (CORT) administration were investigated on hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus granule cell layer of the rat. Electrophysiological experiments were performed in vivo under urethane anesthesia. Chronic CORT treatment (40 mg/kg/day) over 21 days decreased LTP compared to vehicle controls, even when LTP was measured 48 hours after cessation of CORT treatment, when serum CORT levels had returned to baseline. A single injection of CORT also decreased LTP compared to vehicle controls, but only when CORT levels were high, since at 48 hours after a single acute CORT injection LTP was not depressed. The decrements in LTP were seen both for the slope of the excitatory postsynaptic potential and for the population spike. Yet CORT had no effects on posttetanic potentiation or neuronal excitability. These findings are consistent with previous reports showing a reduction in LTP in the CAI field of animals exposed to stress or acute CORT administration.
Effect of annealing duration on the memristive behavior of Pt/TiO2/ITO memristive device

A titanium dioxide (TiO2) based memristive device was fabricated and investigated for its memristive behavior. In this paper, the effect of annealing duration on the memristive behavior of device was studied. TiO2 thin films were deposited on ITO substrate using RF magnetron sputtering method and then annealed in nitrogen at 450°C for 10, 30 and 60min. Characterization of current-voltage (I-V) measurement and surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) between annealed and nonannealed samples were investigated. From the result, it shows that sample annealed at 450°C for 60min resulted in switching loop with high conductivity when negative bias is applied probably due to the presence of high oxygen vacancies.
Aspirin to prevent growth of vegetations and cerebral emboli in infective endocarditis

Abstract. The incidence of stroke on cranial computed tomography (CT) and change in echocardiographic vegetation area was prospectively compared in a preliminary observational study involving nine patients with infective endocarditis randomized to either low‐dose aspirin (75 mg d‐1, Group I, n = 4) or no aspirin (Group II, n = 5). Two symptomatic cerebral infarcts and one myocardial infarct occurred in the controls, compared to no events in patients on aspirin during a total observation period of 343 d (range 28–49 d). The mean vegetation area decreased in the aspirin group (mean change = ‐0.24 cm2), compared to an increase in controls (mean change = ± 0.35 cm2). The platelet half‐life (normal range 5–6 d), which was measured using Indium‐111 radiolabelling, tended to be lower in Group II (4.6 ± 0.2 vs. 3.9 ± 0.5 d). No side‐effects or complications attributable to aspirin were observed. A possible role for adjunctive aspirin therapy in the prevention of embolic complications in infective endocarditis is suggested, and warrants further study.
Designing a New Integrated IT Governance and IT Management Framework Based on Both Scientific and Practitioner Viewpoint

IT Governance (ITG) has been recognized as a CIO top-10 issue for more than five years and has risen in priority between 2007 and 2009. There are several Frameworks to help organizations in ITG implementation but these lack scientific viewpoint, are complex, and also overlap each other. However, besides the existence of several frameworks to help organizations in ITG implementation, most organizations keep designing their own Framework. Such statements reinforce the possibility of improvements in the existing Frameworks. In this paper the authors make a literature review to leverage ITG Contingency factors, ITG general guidelines and main ITG and IT Management (ITM) areas in order to provide a scientific viewpoint validation. Therefore, they integrate their artefacts and propose a new integrated ITG framework. The authors then evaluate their artefacts with expertâ€™s interviews so as to provide practitioner viewpoint validation and also map the authorsâ€™ artefacts with current theories. Finally, they conclude their research with main contributions and future work.
Quantitative studies on amyloid in the islets of Langerhans.

AbstractThe relationship between the degree of amyloidosis in pancreatic islet tissue and the frequency of islets containing amyloid was studied in an autopsy material. A very strong positive correlation was found between these two variables in both the head and the tail of the pancreas. There was also a positive correlation between the degree of amyloidosis in islets containing amyloid and their frequency. This may indicate that the deposition of amyloid in the islets of Langerhans is a continuous process affecting progressively increasing numbers of islets. It is probable that the amyloid formation in the islets is influenced by some factor or factors that affect the different islets to different degrees. It is conceivable that one such factor may be vascular changes. The strong correlation between the frequency of islets containing amyloid and the degree of amyloidosis can be utilized as a simple and rapid method of determining the latter.
The modulating effect of bacterial volatiles on plant growth

Bacteria interact with plants in many different ways. In recent years, bacterial production of volatiles has emerged as a novel process by which bacteria modulate plant growth. Exposure to the volatiles produced by certain bacterial strains has been shown to lead to up to 5-fold increased plant biomass or to plant death. Despite these drastic growth alterations, the elucidation of the molecules responsible, of the mechanisms of perception by the plant and of the specific metabolic changes induced in planta is still in its infancy. This review summarizes the current knowledge and highlights future lines of research that should increase our knowledge of the volatile-mediated dialog between bacteria and plants.
The pruritus of cholestasis and the opioid system.

SELECTED CASE A year after being told that she had abnormal liver test results, a 52-year-old white woman presented with increasing fatigue, pruritus, diffuse abdominal pain, and jaundice. Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was indicated, a diagnostic laparotomy was undertaken. An intraoperative cholangiogram revealed beading and narrowing of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts characteristic of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Cholecystectomy, exploration of the common bile duct, and endoscopic dilation of large-duct biliary strictures were performed. During the ensuing 12 months the pruritus became severe. Her entire body itched; she slept poorly and felt like she was "on a cactus bed. " She scratched until she bled, but scratching did not relieve the pruritus. Conventional doses and schedules of cholestyramine, hydroxyzine hydrochloride, and ursodeoxycholic acid had failed to provide her with relief and her pruritus was considered to be intractable. When referred to the National Institutes of Health, she was scratching continuously and was
Autophagy induction by tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiency is a genetic disorder associated with a variety of metabolic syndromes such as phenylketonuria (PKU). In this article, the signaling pathway by which BH4 deficiency inactivates mTORC1 leading to the activation of the autophagic pathway was studied utilizing BH4-deficient Spr−/− mice generated by the knockout of the gene encoding sepiapterin reductase (SR) catalyzing BH4 synthesis. We found that mTORC1 signaling was inactivated and autophagic pathway was activated in tissues from Spr−/− mice. This study demonstrates that tyrosine deficiency causes mTORC1 inactivation and subsequent activation of autophagic pathway in Spr−/− mice. Therapeutic tyrosine diet completely rescued dwarfism and mTORC1 inhibition but inactivated autophagic pathway in Spr−/− mice. Tyrosine-dependent inactivation of mTORC1 was further supported by mTORC1 inactivation in Pahenu2 mouse model lacking phenylalanine hydroxylase (Pah). NIH3T3 cells grown under the condition of tyrosine restriction exhibited autophagy induction. However, mTORC1 activation by RhebQ64L, a positive regulator of mTORC1, inactivated autophagic pathway in NIH3T3 cells under tyrosine-deficient conditions. In addition, this study first documents mTORC1 inactivation and autophagy induction in PKU patients with BH4 deficiency.
Insulin‐like growth factors.

The insulin‐like growth factors I and II are single chain polypeptides homologous to proinsulin. IGF I and IGF II contribute to cell regulation and stimulate protein synthesis via signaling through type I receptors which are homologous to insulin receptors and activate phosphorylation cascades. IGFs enhance the proliferation of chondocytes and the proliferation of their collagen and proteoglycan matrix; IGFs stimulate longitudinal (endochondral) bone growth. Throughout life, IGFs are constitutvely expressed ubiquitous factors which help to maintain the survival of differentiated cells, Increased expression is found during growth and tissue repair, Six specific binding proteins, IGFBP 1‐6, allow additional tissue compartment specific control of IGF activity; IGFBP production favours storage and IGFBP cleavage leads to activation.