Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A High-Performance Piezoelectric Vibration Sensor

We are reporting on the design, fabrication, and characterization of wideband, piezoelectric vibration microsensors. Prototypes were fabricated in a commercial foundry process. The entire thickness of the handle wafer was employed to carve the proof-mass of the device, leading to high sensitivity at a reduced chip area. A thin layer of aluminum nitride was used for sensing the displacements of the proof-mass. A continuous membrane was employed for the device structure in order to push undesired modes to high frequencies. Sensors with different geometries were designed and fabricated. Analytic and finite element analyses were conducted to study device response. A lump element model was developed for the piezoelectric vibration sensor and used for the noise modeling of the complete sensor system. Various performance metrics for the devices were characterized experimentally. Fabricated prototypes exhibited sensitivities as high as 350 mV/g with first resonant frequencies of more than 10 kHz. These devices are particularly suited for emerging applications in high-frequency vibration sensing.
Inducible human immunodeficiency virus type 1 packaging cell lines

Packaging cell lines are important tools for transferring genes into eukaryotic cells. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-based packaging cell lines are difficult to obtain, in part owing to the problem that some HIV-1 proteins are cytotoxic in a variety of cells. To overcome this, we have developed an HIV-1-based packaging cell line which has an inducible expression system. The tetracycline-inducible expression system was utilized to control the expression of the Rev regulatory protein, which in turn controls the expression of the late proteins including Gag, Pol, and Env. Western blotting (immunoblotting) demonstrated that the expression of p24gag and gp120env from the packaging cells peaked on days 6 and 7 postinduction. Reverse transcriptase activity could be detected by day 4 after induction and also peaked on days 6 and 7. Defective vector virus could be propagated, yielding titers as high as 7 x 10(3) CFU/ml, while replication-competent virus was not detectable at any time. Thus, the cell line should enable the transfer of specific genes into CD4+ cells and should be a useful tool for studying the biology of HIV-1. We have also established an inducible HIV-1 Env-expressing cell line which could be used to propagate HIV-1 vectors that require only Env in trans. The env-minus vector virus titer produced from the Env-expressing cells reached 2 x 10(4) CFU/ml. The inducible HIV-1 Env-expressing cell line should be a useful tool for the study of HIV-1 Env as well.
How Effective Is Monetary Policy at the Zero Lower Bound? Identification through Industry Heterogeneity

US monetary policy was constrained from 2008 to 2015 by the zero lower bound, during which the Federal Reserve would likely have lowered the federal funds rate further if it were able to. This paper uses industry-level data to examine how growth was affected. Despite the zero bound constraint, industries historically more sensitive to interest rates, such as construction, performed relatively well in comparison to industries not typically affected by monetary policy. Further evidence suggests that unconventional policy lowered the effective stance of policy below zero.
Compact modular Doppler system with digital RF processing

Doppler instruments are widely used for evaluation of the hemodynamic of vascular circulation. The objective of the work was to develop a modular acquisition and processing system to enable the construction of various ultrasound instruments. The developed system consists of two electronic boards with dimensions of 130×82mm in sandwich configuration. Digital signal processing was based on an efficient DSP (Blackfin BF537, Analog Devices, USA) with 128MB RAM and an FPGA (Cyclone III EP3C25, Altera, USA). The system can work as a standalone device with the limited user interface or as a PC peripheral under the control of the application software. The dual channel transcranial PW Doppler flowmeter with multi-gate processing has been the first application of the developed platform. The acquisition module provides the A/D sampling at 64 MSPS rate with 14-bits resolution and supports ultrasonic transducers within the range of 1–16 MHz. The PC software performs signal processing and visualization of color Doppler, spectrum, flow profile and audio. The developed system is a modern technical solution which enables to build portable Doppler instruments of different classes. The developed prototype of transcranial Doppler will be introduced into production soon.
Colinear and segmental expression of amphioxus Hox genes.

The cephalochordate amphioxus has a single Hox gene cluster. Here we describe the genomic organization of four adjacent amphioxus genes, AmphiHox-1 to AmphiHox-4, together with analysis of their spatiotemporal expression patterns. We demonstrate that these genes obey temporal colinearity and that three of the genes also obey spatial colinearity in the developing neural tube. AmphiHox-1, AmphiHox-3, and AmphiHox-4 show segmental modulation of their expression levels, a two-segment phasing of spatial colinearity, and, at least for AmphiHox-4, asymmetrical expression. AmphiHox-2 is unlike other amphioxus Hox genes: it does not obey spatial colinearity and it has no positional expression in the neural tube. AmphiHox-2 is expressed in the preoral pit of larvae, from which the homologue of the anterior pituitary develops. We suggest that the ancestral role of chordate Hox genes was primarily in the neural tube and that chordate Hox genes can functionally diverge in a manner analogous to that of Drosophila ftz or zen.
A Study of the Personal Radiation Dose Received By Nuclear Medicine Technologists Working in a Dedicated PET Center

The use of dedicated PET scanners is becoming more widespread throughout Australia and the world. PET imaging utilizes short-lived (∼108 min), high-energy (511 keV) gamma-ray emitters that could result in a high radiation dose being received by staff. As part of a larger staff and area monitoring project, this paper discusses the personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), received by PET staff working in a dedicated PET center. The typical Hp(10) received by staff was approximately 1 &mgr;Sv per minute of close contact with patients, which resulted in an average daily dose for nuclear medicine technologists of approximately 31 &mgr;Sv. The average daily administered activity to patients at Austin Health was 1,280 MBq.
The Impact of Information upon the Exploitation Sequence of Exhaustible Resources: A Searching Model and the Factor Analysis

Many scholars have studied the optimum exploitation sequence of the exhaustible resource, but one of its common characteristics is to establish a planning model and to seek the optimum solution under different bound conditions. This paper establishes a model from the angle of information searching and reveals the motives of the arrangement of exploitation sequence for the contemporary people. This model analyzes the mechanism of technical progress, exploitation reserves, information symmetry and searching cost in the system. The study finds out there is common influence of technology and reserves in the allocation of the exhaustible resources. The best degree of information symmetry in the exploitation sequence system is a special value decided by the increasing technical progress, the increasing exploitation reserves and single phase searching cost. Keywords-information; exploitation sequence; exhaustible resources; searching model
Cryo-Fracturing and Cryo-Planing for In-Lens Cryo-SEM, Using a Newly Designed Diamond Knife

High-pressure frozen rat pancreas tissue samples were cryo-fractured and cryo-sectioned with a diamond knife in the microtome of a freeze-etching device. The bulk fracture faces and block faces were investigated in the frozen-hydrated state by use of a cryo-stage in an in-lens SEM. With this combination, relevant biological structures can be investigated with a few nanometers resolution in a near lifelike state, preventing the artifacts of conventional fixation techniques. Compared to TEM replica techniques, the presented method is more versatile since no replica cleaning is necessary. Additional structures can be made visible by controlled sublimation of ice, leading to a better understanding of the three-dimensional organization of organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum.
Lateralized cortical perfusion in women with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE To define the pathophysiologic substrate of gender differences in cognition and behavior in Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN Hemispheric regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied in a consecutive series of dementia patients using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). PARTICIPANTS Subjects included 300 outpatients who were studied with SPECT as part of a diagnostic evaluation for degenerative dementia or memory disorder. METHOD Based on qualitative descriptions by a radiologist, subjects were classified as having unilateral left, unilateral right, bilateral, or no perfusion defects. Semiquantitative analysis of SPECT images was also performed using region of interest radionuclide counts normalized to the cerebellum. RESULTS Among 174 females and 126 males, unilateral left hemisphere defects were found more commonly in women than men (24% vs 10%; chi 2 = 9.4; P = .009). This observation was most significant for the 103 females and 62 males regarded as having probable AD (26% vs 8%; chi 2 = 9.3; P = .01). In a multiple regression model of clinical variables, shorter duration of disease and female gender were significant independent predictors of the unilateral left hemisphere pattern among those with probable AD. Age, family history, education, handedness, and severity of cognitive impairment were not significant contributors. CONCLUSIONS Women with AD exhibit greater heterogeneity in rCBF than men. Asymmetry in rCBF occurs more often in women. In some cases, this is related to relative preservation of right hemisphere function in women.
Methods for the collection of resource use data within clinical trials: a systematic review of studies funded by the UK Health Technology Assessment program.

BACKGROUND The UK Health Technology Assessment (HTA) program funds trials that address issues of clinical and cost-effectiveness to meet the needs of the National Health Service (NHS). The objective of this review was to systematically assess the methods of resource use data collection and costing; and to produce a best practice guide for data capture within economic analyses alongside clinical trials. METHODS All 100 HTA-funded primary research papers published to June 2009 were reviewed for the health economic methods employed. Data were extracted and summarized by: health technology assessed, costing perspective adopted, evidence of planning and piloting, data collection method, frequency of data collection, and sources of unit cost data. RESULTS Ninety-five studies were identified as having conducted an economic analysis, of which 85 recorded patient-level resource use. The review identified important differences in how data are collected. These included: a priori evidence of analysts having identified important cost drivers; the piloting and validation of patient-completed resource use questionnaires; choice of costing perspective; and frequency of data collection. Areas of commonality included: the extensive use of routine medical records and reliance on patient recall; and the use of standard sources of unit costs. CONCLUSION Economic data collection is variable, even among a homogeneous selection of trials designed to meet the needs of a common organization (NHS). Areas for improvement have been identified, and based on our findings and related reviews and guidelines, a checklist is proposed for good practice relating to economic data collection within clinical trials.
Changes in smoking prevalence and cessation support, and factors associated with successful smoking cessation in Swedish patients with asthma and COPD

ABSTRACT Introduction: Our aim was to investigate changes in smoking prevalence, smoking cessation support and factors associated with successful smoking cessation in patients with asthma and COPD. Methods: Questionnaires about available smoking cessation resources were completed by 54 primary health-care centers and 14 hospitals in central Sweden in 2005 and 2012. Patient data were collected using record reviews and patients questionnaires for two cohorts of randomly selected asthma and COPD patients in 2005 (n = 2306; with a follow up in 2012), and in 2014/2015 (n = 2620). Smoking prevalence, available individual and group smoking cessation support, and factors associated with successful smoking cessation were explored. Results: Smoking prevalence decreased from 11% to 6% (p < 0.0001) in patients with asthma but was almost unchanged in patients with COPD (28 to 26%, p = 0.37). Smoking cessation support increased from 53% to 74% (p = 0.01). A high cardiovascular risk factor level, including diabetes mellitus and hypertension was associated with improved smoking cessation in patients with asthma (OR (95% CI) 3.87 (1.04–14.4), p = 0.04). A higher magnitude success was observed in men with asthma (OR (95% CI) 27.9 (1.73–449), p = 0.02). More highly educated women with asthma had successful greater smoking cessation (4.76 (1.22–18.7), p = 0.04). No significant associations were found in COPD. Conclusions: The smoking prevalence in patients with asthma but not in COPD has almost halved in Sweden during a 7-year period. The availability of smoking cessation support has increased. Suggested factors related to successful smoking cessation are higher level of education in women with asthma and cardiovascular risk factors in men and women with asthma.
A Novel Technique to Measure Interface Trap Density in an MIS Capacitor Using Time-Varying Magnetic Fields

We report a technique to probe a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitor's interface using time-varying magnetic fields. A semiconductor's Fermi level is magnetic field dependent, unlike that of a gate metal; this gives rise to a magnetic electromotive force (EMF) across an MIS capacitor when it is subjected to an externally applied magnetic field. This magnetic EMF can access terminals in the MIS electrical equivalent circuit that are otherwise inaccessible to a standard ac electrical voltage source. Thus, one can get a fresh pair of equations, describing the MIS interface, from an impedance measurement using periodically varying magnetic fields. When combined with the commonly used pair that is obtained from a standard electrical impedance measurement, this adds a new dimension to the possibility of extracting the interface trap parameters directly from impedance measurements. Using this technique, one should be able to extract the interface trap parameters at any given frequency, with high accuracy and precision; subsequently, deriving the interface trap model and interface physics from the data should also be possible for a given MIS capacitor. Otherwise, the opposite is usually done; i.e., first an interface model is assumed and then the lumped interface parameters are obtained from impedance data using curve fitting or assumptions. This latter method is comparatively inefficient for most MIS interfaces and yields imprecise values for the interface parameters.
HDL atheroprotection by aerobic exercise training in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE In this study we analyzed the role played by aerobic exercise training in the plasma lipoprotein profile, prebeta 1-HDL concentration, and in the in vitro HDL3 ability to remove cholesterol from macrophages and inhibit LDL oxidation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and control subjects, in the fasting and postprandial states. METHODS Healthy controls (HTC, N = 11; 1 M/10 F) and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMT, N = 11; 3M/8F) were engaged in a 4-month aerobic training program, and compared with a group of sedentary subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMS, N = 10; 4 M/6 F). All groups were submitted to an oral fat load test to analyze all parameters, both at the beginning of the investigation protocol (basal) and at the end of the study period (final). RESULTS Exercising did not modify body weight, BMI, plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin, or HOMA-IR, but it reduced the waist circumference. The HDL3 composition did not change, and its ability to remove cell cholesterol was unaltered by aerobic training. In DMT but not in HTC, aerobic training improved 15% the HDL3 protective effect against LDL maximal oxidation rate in the fasting state, and reduced 24% the plasma prebeta 1-HDL concentration in the postprandial state, suggesting an enhanced prebeta 1-HDL conversion into larger, more mature HDL particles. In this regard, regular aerobic exercise enriched HDL2 with TG in the fasting and postprandial states in HTC and in the fasting phase in DMT. CONCLUSION Our results show that aerobic exercise training in diabetes mellitus improves the HDL efficiency against LDL oxidation and favors HDL maturation. These findings were independent of changes in insulin resistance and of the rise of plasma HDL cholesterol concentration.
Modelling of a high count rate energy resolving CdTe pixel detector for the performance characterisation of a medical imaging system

Compound semiconductors detectors, such as Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe), have demonstrated spectroscopic performances for X- and Gamma-ray detection at room temperature operation. Several groups are working on using these detector materials for use in high rate photon counting / energy resolving pixelated detector systems. This paper is focused on the modelling from source to pixel output for the evaluation of the material and the architecture of such detectors. A complete three-dimensional numerical model is presented, coupling the GEANT4 Monte-Carlo modelling of the interaction of incident photons with detector material and computation of applied potential, weighting field and free charge carriers transport including trapping using Finite Elements Method in COMSOL. A 3D mapping of Charge Induction Efficiency (CIE) into the volume of the detector is obtained. The GEANT4 and COMSOL interface has been implemented into Matlab for convenient input into a generic model developed in parallel for the read-out electronics. Simulated detection spectra at pixel ouput are obtained and discussed for various detector thicknesses.
Intravenous gamma-globulin treatment and retreatment in Kawasaki disease. US/Canadian Kawasaki Syndrome Study Group.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and outcome of intravenous gamma-globulin (IVIG) retreatment in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). METHOD Multicenter, retrospective survey of all children with KD evaluated at nine clinical centers across North America during a 15-month period. RESULTS Data were available for 378 patients. At 48 h after completion of the initial IVIG infusion, 50 patients (13.2%) remained febrile, 29 (58.0%) of whom were retreated with IVIG, including 4 (13.8%) with coronary artery abnormalities before their first IVIG infusion. Among 25 retreated patients with a normal baseline echocardiogram, 5 (20.0%) developed coronary abnormalities and were termed "treatment failures. " Among the 323 patients with a normal baseline echocardiogram, only 9 (2.8%) were treatment failures; treatment failure occurred in 4 of 282 (1.4%) patients who became afebrile post-IVIG and in 5 of 41 (12.2%) patients with persistent or recrudescent fever after their first course of IVIG therapy (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS The overall prevalence of new coronary abnormalities in KD patients treated with IVIG and aspirin remains low. Persistent or recrudescent fever after the first course of IVIG was associated with an increased risk of treatment failure (P=0.002). IVIG retreatment in patients who remain febrile after the first course of IVIG is now common (58.0%), although the efficacy of this practice requires assessment with a randomized trial.
A CMOS STI-Bound Single-Photon Avalanche Diode With 27-ps Timing Resolution and a Reduced Diffusion Tail

Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) measure individual photons' time of arrival. Low detector jitter is required in many SPAD applications. This letter describes a method for significantly reducing SPAD jitter using an area-efficient shallow-trench-isolation guard ring. The structure prevents lateral drift and diffusion of charge carriers, resulting in improved timing resolution. Experimental results of the device, fabricated in a 0.18-mum CMOS technology, are presented. The timing resolution of the SPAD is 27-ps full-width at half-maximum. Importantly, the diffusion tail exhibits only 96-ps full-width at hundredth-maximum, a three times improvement over previously published SPAD results. The reduced jitter can be translated to improved bit error rates in quantum key distribution systems, faster bit rates in pulse position modulation optical links, and greater contrast in high-resolution fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.
Common measures of immune function vary with time of day and sampling protocol in five passerine species

ABSTRACT Ecological immunology is a rapidly growing field of study that focuses on understanding variation in immune systems across species and how this relates to species ecology and evolution. Newly developed field methods aimed at studying variation in immune function in a field setting have yielded many insights. Nonetheless, there continues to be much debate regarding the interpretation of field measures of immune function. There is substantial evidence to suggest that handling stress could introduce variation into measures of immune function, yet no study has examined the impacts of incremental changes in handling times under 30 min on immune measures. Nor has any study examined variation in immune function with time of day, though other physiological measures, including glucocorticoids known to impact immune function, vary with time of day. Here, I used observational field data to test the hypothesis that innate immune function varies with handling stress. Furthermore, I tested the hypothesis that innate immune function changes over the course of the day. I show that measures of innate immune function vary with (1) handling stress over short time periods typical of sample collection in the field, and (2) the time of day that an individual is sampled. I discuss these findings from an ecological perspective and suggest that the observed variation is not random, but is likely to have important adaptive functions. I end with a summary of the practical implications of these findings for field studies of ecological immunology. Summary: Measures of innate immune function vary with (1) handling stress over short time periods typical of field sample collection, and (2) the time of day that an individual is sampled.