Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voltage Acceleration of TBD and Its Correlation to Post Breakdown Conductivity of N- and P-Channel MOSFETs

The gate oxide breakdown behavior of advanced n- and p-channel CMOS devices was thoroughly investigated from the time range of electrical overstress events (mus) to package level test conditions (106 s). The voltage acceleration follows the power-law-model over 12 decades in time. In addition the current-voltage driven wear out was studied for linear and non-linear driver elements. It was found that the evolution of the post breakdown conductivity strongly depends on the current limitation and the associated voltage drop across the driving stage. The post breakdown evolution can be described by the intrinsic voltage acceleration model
A Proxy-Based Solution for Asynchronous Telemedical Systems

Asynchronous telemedicine systems face many challenges related to information security as the patient's sensitive information and data on medicine dosage is transmitted over a network when monitoring patients and controlling asynchronous telemedical IoT devices. This information may be modified or spied on by a malicious adversary. To make asynchronous telemedicine systems more secure, the authors present a proxy-based solution against data modification and spying attacks in web-based telemedical applications. By obfuscating the executable code of a web application and by continuously dynamically changing obfuscation, the authors' solution makes it more difficult for a piece of malware to attack its target. They use a constructive research approach. They characterize the threat and present an outline of a proposed solution. The benefits and limitations of the proposed solution are discussed. Cyber-attacks targeted at the information related to patient's care are a serious threat in today's telemedicine. If disregarded, these attacks have negative implications on patient safety and quality of care.
Variability Analysis for sub-100nm PD/SOI Sense-Amplifier

In this paper we perform a comprehensive analysis of the robustness of PD/SOI sense amplifiers considering floating body effect and random dopant fluctuation effect. Our analysis shows that, minimization of effects of floating body and random dopant fluctuations impose conflicting sizing requirements for different transistors in a sense amplifier. We develop a methodology for sizing of different devices to minimize the input offset voltage of sense amplifier. The proposed analysis and sizing methodology improve the robustness of PD/SOI sense amplifiers and can better exploit the performance advantages of PD/SOI technology.
A similarity measure for time series of spatial lines intersection relations

Spatial lines are common in various spatial applications such as GIS (Geographical Information System). Topological relationship is one of important properties between spatial lines. Neglecting disjoint relations and adjacent relations between spatial lines, in this paper we focus on intersection relations. Time series of spatial lines intersection relations record each spatial line intersection relations at each time. The changes of intersection relationship are caused by deformations (translation, rotation, and length of spatial lines) and increasing or decreasing of the number of spatial lines neighbours. We propose a similarity measure for time series of spatial lines topological relations. By this measure, we can cluster these spatial lines on time series of their intersection relations.
Comparison of intraocular lens power calculation using the Binkhorst and SRK formulae: a clinical study.

Comparison of results of intraocular lens implants with IOL powers obtained by Binkhorst and SRK Linear Regression formulae was done using various models and brands of intraocular lenses. Of 887 pseudophakic patients. 415 patients received IOL's with their powers calculated for planned emmetropia, by means of theoretic formula devised by R.D. Binkhorst and in the remaining 472 eyes the IOL power was calculated with the SRK Linear Regression method. No significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between visual acuities, obtained with IOL's alone or after postoperative overcorrection of residual refractive errors between the two groups.
Switching performance optimization for high frequency high power 3-level neutral point clamped phase leg

A 3-level neutral point clamped (NPC) phase leg was designed and tested as modularized building block for renewable energy grid interface converter. To achieve high switching frequency and high efficiency, the phase leg was carefully designed and evaluated. Different operating modes and switching loops in the phase leg were identified. Double pulse tests were conducted for turn on and off transient of each loop. Various parameters like gate resistance and parasitic inductance were taken into consideration as influential factors to loss and stress. An in-depth analysis of their impact to the switching transient is also given. The distinctive switching characteristics of each switch provide guidance for its gate resistor selection and loss-stress tradeoff. The phase leg loss distribution and system loss for diode clamped and active clamped NPC under different power factors are calculated and compared based on the loss data from experiment. Based on the result, the overall switching performance for 3-level NPC phase leg can be optimized under various operating condition.
Non‐allergic rhinitis: Position paper of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

This EAACI position paper aims at providing a state‐of‐the‐art overview on nonallergic rhinitis (NAR). A significant number of patients suffering from persistent rhinitis are defined as nonallergic noninfectious rhinitis (NANIR) patients, often denominated in short as having NAR. NAR is defined as a symptomatic inflammation of the nasal mucosa with the presence of a minimum of two nasal symptoms such as nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, sneezing, and/or itchy nose, without clinical evidence of endonasal infection and without systemic signs of sensitization to inhalant allergens. Symptoms of NAR may have a wide range of severity and be either continuously present and/or induced by exposure to unspecific triggers, also called nasal hyperresponsiveness (NHR). NHR represents a clinical feature of both AR and NAR patients. NAR involves different subgroups: drug‐induced rhinitis, (nonallergic) occupational rhinitis, hormonal rhinitis (including pregnancy rhinitis), gustatory rhinitis, senile rhinitis, and idiopathic rhinitis (IR). NAR should be distinguished from those rhinitis patients with an allergic reaction confined to the nasal mucosa, also called “entopy” or local allergic rhinitis (LAR). We here provide an overview of the current consensus on phenotypes of NAR, recommendations for diagnosis, a treatment algorithm, and defining the unmet needs in this neglected area of research.
Age-Associated Differences in Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2 Subclass Antibodies to Pneumococcal Polysaccharides following Vaccination

ABSTRACT Immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccines were determined for human subjects in four age groups. The ratios of IgG1/IgG2 antibody concentrations declined with advancing age for all five of the serotypes tested. Protein-conjugate vaccines elicited enhanced IgG antibody responses over plain polysaccharide vaccines in infants but not in adult groups.
Interferon-gamma therapy reduces blood leukocyte levels in patients with atopic dermatitis: correlation with clinical improvement.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with abnormalities of both cellular and humoral immunity. Subcutaneous recombinant human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) provides therapeutic benefit to AD patients. In contrast to expectations, IFN-gamma does not cause a decrease in the elevated levels of circulating IgE levels in AD patients. We sought to determine cellular targets of IFN-gamma treatment that might explain its clinical benefit. Therefore, we evaluated blood leukocyte subsets by multiparameter flow cytometry in AD patients receiving IFN-gamma (n = 10) or placebo (n = 11) therapy compared to untreated normal volunteers (n = 14). Treated patients demonstrated reductions in WBC, eosinophil, and lymphocyte counts. Compared to normals, there was a reduced CD4/CD8 ratio in AD patients among activated, large mononuclear cells that was partially corrected with IFN-gamma treatment. Clinical improvement correlated with reductions in WBC (r = 0.9, P = 0.0003), eosinophil (r = 0.7, P = 0.035) and lymphocyte (r = 0.8, P = 0.013) counts, and with normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio among large lymphocytes (r = 0.9, P = 0.04). The data indicate two potential modes of action for INF-gamma in AD. One mechanism represents normalization of selected immunologic abnormalities in AD; a second mechanism may be the modest reduction of circulating inflammatory cells. Adequacy of IFN-gamma therapy of AD may depend on bringing about these changes.
Upward Spirality and Upward Planarity Testing

The upward planarity testing problem is known to be NP-hard. We describe an O(n4)-time upward planarity testing and embedding algorithm for the class of digraphs that do not contain rigid triconnected components. We also present a new FPT algorithm that solves the upward planarity testing and embedding problem for general digraphs.
CREN 499 R target position ( E . coli numbering ) oligonucleotide sequence target region Saccharomyces cerevisiae Escherichia coli

Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were designed for the archaeal kingdoms Euyarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. Probe specificities were evaluated by nonradioactive dot blot hybridization against selected reference organisms. The successful application of fluorescent-probe derivatives for whole-cell hybridization required organism-specific optimizations of fixation and hybridization conditions to assure probe penetration and morphological integrity of the cells. The probes allowed preliminary grouping of three new hyperthermophilic isolates. Together with other group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, these probes will facilitate rapid in situ monitoring of the populations present in hydrothermal systems and support cultivation attempts.
The Anatomy of Mastication in Extant Strepsirrhines and Eocene Adapines

THE ANATOMY OF MASTICATION IN EXTANT STREPSIRRHINES AND EOCENE ADAPINES by Jonathan Marcus Glen Perry Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Richard F. Kay, Supervisor ___________________________ Kenneth E. Glander ___________________________ Elwyn L. Simons ___________________________ Christine E. Wall An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy in the Graduate School of Duke University 2008 Copyright by Jonathan Marcus Glen Perry 2008
Design and comparison of very low-voltage CMOS output stages

This paper analyzes and compares CMOS output stages for very low-voltage operational amplifiers. The analysis was carried out by taking into account output stage performance parameters which also affect the characteristics of the overall amplifier. In particular, three quality factors were defined to afford the designer a better understanding of the relationships between current dissipation, area consumption, bandwidth, and linearity. Exploiting these new parameters, four output stages were analyzed in detail and compared. Finally, comparison results were validated by simulations.
Clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in India: starting criteria and second-line therapy

Background: India has more than 5.7 million people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In 2004, the Indian government began providing antiretroviral therapy (ART), and there are now an estimated 56 500 people receiving ART. Objective: To project the life expectancy, cost, and cost-effectiveness associated with different strategies for using ART in India, to inform treatment programs. Methods: We utilized an HIV disease simulation model, incorporating data on natural history, treatment efficacy, and costs of care from India. Input parameters for the simulated cohort included mean age 32.6 years and mean CD4 count 318 cells/μl (SD 291 cells/μl). We examined different criteria for starting and stopping ART with a first-line regimen of stavudine/lamivudine/nevirapine, and the impact of a second-line protease-inhibitor-based regimen. Cost-effectiveness in US dollars per year of life saved (US$/YLS) was compared incrementally among alternative starting, sequencing, and stopping criteria. Results: Discounted (undiscounted) mean survival ranged from 34.5 (37.5) months with no ART to 64.7 (73.6) months with one line of therapy initiated at CD4 <350 cells/μl, to 88.9 (106.5) months with two lines of therapy initiated at CD4 <350 cells/μl. Lifetime medical costs ranged from US$530 (no ART) to US$5430 (two ART regimens) per person. With one line of therapy, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from US$430/YLS to US$550/YLS as the CD4 starting criterion was increased from CD4 <250 cells/μl to <350 cells/μl. Use of two lines of therapy had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$1880/YLS compared with the use of first-line therapy alone. Results were sensitive to the costs of second-line therapy and criteria for stopping therapy. Conclusions: In India, antiretroviral therapy will lead to major survival benefits and is cost-effective by World Health Organization criteria. The availability of second-line regimens will further increase survival, but their cost-effectiveness depends on their relative cost compared with first-line regimens.
Comment A Reduced Elastic Modulus of Vascular Wall Components in Hypertension

In an elegant study, Hayoz and colleagues 1 have demonstrated two features of a conduit artery in the vasculature of essential hypertensive patients. First, that the diameter of the radial artery of essential hypertensive patients is similar to or greater than that of well-matched, normotensive control subjects. Second, if compared under conditions of similar transmural pressure, the compliance and distensibility of the artery (for definitions see "Appendix") are not decreased in the essential hypertensive patients. The finding that the diameter of this conduit artery is normal or increased in essential hypertension confirms a number of previous reports, in particular those concerning the brachialartery. However, the results reported by Hayoz et al seem particularly clear-cut, for the measurements have been made with a resolution (based on signal averaging) of 1 fim. The finding that compliance and distensibility characteristics of conduit arteries are not decreased in essential hypertension is more controversial.Most previous measurements in vivo of arterial compliance have, however, been made indirectly on the basis of measurements of pulse-wave velocity with the classic Moens-Kortewig equation for tubes with perfectly elastic walls. By contrast, Hayoz et al measured compliance by determining the time course of the diameter change throughout the cardiac cycle and plotting this against the corresponding pressure change, measured with a finger plethysmograph, to obtain a direct assessment of the diameter-pressure relation and thus of compliance and distensibility. The experimental basis for the finding seems therefore strong, and Hayoz et al obtained further support for their finding by also showing that in the carotid artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), compliance and distensibility were similar to or greater than those of arteries from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats if compared at the same transmural pressure. The implication is therefore that the mechanical properties of conduit arteries are not functionally altered in hypertension; this editorial comment will consider briefly the consequences of this implication regarding vascular development in hypertension.
Evidence for predominance of CCR5-using HIV-1 strains during highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Very little is known about the influence of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the surface expression of CCR5 and CXCR4 with respect to receptor tropism and replication kinetics of autologous HIV strains, during continuous therapy and structured treatment interruption (STI) regimens. OBJECTIVES The main objectives of this study were to assess whether continuous therapy and STI regimens had any modulatory effects on expression of CCR5 and CXCR4 on T lymphocytes. STUDY DESIGN We studied 6 patients on continuous HAART, 4 patients on STI and 1 treatment-naïve patient. Sequential peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) samples were analyzed to determine viral replication kinetics, the genotype influencing tropism of the autologous strain, in vitro co-receptor usage patterns in relation to the surface expression of each co-receptor. RESULTS Our data suggest that predominant CCR5 expression and tropism, during therapy, but significant down-modulation of CXCR4 expression. During the off-therapy phases of STI, CXCR4 expression increased, which correlated with increased CXCR4 tropism of isolates from these time points. In-vitro tropism during therapy was consistent with the HIV-1 V3 genotype, which was characteristic of CCR5 using strains. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that certain HAART regimens influence the surface expression of CXCR4, which may have profound implications for antiretroviral treatment.
The role of callous and unemotional traits in the diagnosis of conduct disorder.

BACKGROUND Callous and unemotional (CU) traits might usefully subtype DSM-IV conduct disorder (CD). We investigate this hypothesis in a large, nationally representative sample of 5-16-year-olds. We also examine the characteristics of children with high CU traits but without CD. METHODS Data come from the 2004 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey including 7,977 children, 5,326 of whom were followed up after 3 years. DSM-IV diagnoses of psychiatric disorder were based on parent, teacher and child report. CU traits were assessed by parent report. RESULTS Of the 2% of the sample who were diagnosed with DSM-IV CD, 46.1% were high on CU traits. In addition, 2.9% of the sample were high on CU traits without CD. Children with CD and CU traits showed more severe behavioural disturbance and were at substantially higher risk of CD diagnosis 3 years later. Children high on CU traits without CD showed evidence of disturbed functioning. CONCLUSIONS Subtyping CD using CU traits identifies children with more severe and persistent psychopathology. Children with high CU traits but no CD diagnosis require further investigation.
A programmable high-speed pulse swallow divide-by-N frequency divider for PLL frequency synthesizer

The implementation of a high-speed pulse swallow frequency divider for a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) frequency synthesizer, using a 0. 18μm CMOS technology and operating with a 1.8V power supply, is described. The frequency divider is used as a scalable programmable divide-by-N frequency divider. It employs a divide-by-8/9 dual-modulus prescaler, two programmable counters, and a control circuit necessary for the time sequence and operation of the division. In the pulse swallow frequency divider, the divider circuit is attractive for the large range of programmable divide ratio from 120 to 400 since the architecture is based on using an original design of D-type Flip-Flop (DFF) with synchronous number-set and clear. Post-simulated results show that the programmable divider's operation frequency is from 0.75 GHz to 2.2 GHz with steep pulse output wave-form, providing a stable clock edge of the required frequency for the PLL frequency synthesizer.
Distortion Correction and Geometric Calibration for X-Ray Angiography System

Based on the knowledge that distortion is the result of pixel movement, a distortion correction method is developed by analyzing the principle of distortion change with imaging orientation, which can be used to correct the imaging distortion of a conventional X-ray angiography (XRA) system with an image intensifier. Distortion at any arbitrary imaging orientation can be corrected by integrating the movement model of every single pixel. Experiments show that the method is fast with subpixel accuracy. Meanwhile, for achieving the geometric calibration for the XRA imaging system, we propose a novel method with the kernel of a C-arm movement model which represents C-arm movement without any assumption for simplification purposes. Then extended models with high flexibility are obtained by taking into account the influence of C-arm movement on intrinsic parameters, which are applicable even for the situation with varying source-intensifier distance. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to calculate the accurate imaging parameters, including intrinsic and extrinsic parameters.
Omni-directional stereo for making global map

A novel imaging method is presented for acquiring an omni-directional view with range information using a single camera. The difficult correspondence problem is solved by tracking each feature in the image sequence in the same manner as in epipolar plane image analysis. Although the equivalent camera distance is not long, the authors can obtain reliable estimates because of the high resolution of the panoramic views. The authors expect the resolution in locating sharp edges to be very fine, up to the resolution of camera rotation, 0.005 degree. A global map making procedure is also proposed which uses omni-directional views at different locations. Omni-directional binocular stereo is used to acquire a path-centered local map with direction-dependent uncertainty. By combining multiple local maps, it is possible to build a more reliable global map. Also explored is the possibility for using the panoramic stereo for map making by a robot. <<ETX>>
Adaptación del cuestionario de sensibilidad al rechazo de la intimidad emocional para adultos jóvenes mexicanos

Existen diferencias individuales en la Sensibilidad al Rechazo: la forma en que los individuos perciben, reaccionan e intentan evitar el rechazo de sus seres queridos. Tales diferencias estan basadas en las creencias que sostienen sobre si mismos y los demas. Downey y Feldman (1996) desarrollaron un cuestionario para medir esta sensibilidad en adultos jovenes. El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar el instrumento para ser utilizado en jovenes mexicanos. Como parte de la validacion psicometrica se realizaron analisis de sesgo, poder discriminante, correlacion y confiabilidad de todos los reactivos. A traves de un analisis factorial de componentes principales se observo que el cuestionario adaptado se organiza en dos factores: preocupacion y ansiedad por el rechazo y expectativas del mismo,exactamente los mismos obtenidos en la escala original y que corresponden a las areas consideradas en el modelo teorico del instrumento. El coeficiente de confiabilidad Alfa de Cronbach para la escala total fue de . 826.