Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanoscaled solder for low-temperature assembling processes

The change to lead-free soldering due to RoHS directive demands the search for alternative solder materials. At the moment the favorite lead-free solder for reflow processes is SnAgCu that in comparison to eutectic SnPb has higher melting and soldering temperature. The higher soldering temperature leads to more power consumption for the assembly process and can also lead to damage of some sensitive electronic components. By scaling of soldering material size down to nanometer scale the melting temperature can be reduced. For practical usage multilayer structure of alternating nanoscaled tin and temporary interlayer will be interesting. After soldering process at reduced temperature tin layers are melting together and final solder joint has the properties of bulk material that means the higher unsoldering temperature and accordingly higher stability. The properties of nanoscaled layers of pure tin have been studied. The layers were produced by sputtering in different thicknesses between 5 and 100 nm. The surface topography and the influence of process parameters on the sputtering rate were investigated using REM and AFM methods. For the protection from oxidation carbon and silicon nitride layers were RF-sputtered in the same process chamber. The layer thickness was varied between 2 and 10 nm. The function of this coating was tested by x-ray diffraction. The crystallographic structure of tin layer under silicon nitride was measured as sputtered, after melting and after cooling processes. The crystalline tin film after cooling down is a sign for impermeability of oxygen. For investigation of phase change the method of fast differential calorimetry was used. The prepared samples with tin layers scaled down to 15 nm were measured with this method. Measured values have certain deviation from theoretical model values that can be explained with another surface tension due to final preservation by silicon nitride layer.
Effect of Polymyxin B on Antibiotic-Resistant Proteus mirabilis

The surface properties of polymyxin B-resistant Proteus mirabilis are markedly altered by the antibiotic. The effects include the development of susceptibility to surface-active agents such as deoxycholate or tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and a marked increased osmotic fragility. However, cell wall impermeability to various agents such as erythromycin, actinomycin D, bacitracin, lysozyme, and triphenyltetrazolium chloride apparently remains intact. These results support the concept that the actions of the polymyxins on gram-negative bacteria are multiple; the action(s) of the antibiotic responsible for lethality in vitro, presumably at the level of the cytoplasmic membrane, may represent only a portion of the potential therapeutic effects of the antibiotic in vivo.
Aspergillus galactomannan detection in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in cancer patients.

PURPOSE To assess the Aspergillus galactomannan enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in adult and pediatric oncohematologic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study was conducted in four patient groups: those with fever of unknown origin (FUO) during neutropenia, suspected pulmonary infection (PI), or nonpulmonary aspergillosis (NPA) and those undergoing surveillance (S) after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). IA was classified as definite, probable, or possible, according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycosis Study Group definitions. RESULTS A total of 3,294 serum samples were collected during 797 episodes (FUO, 261; PI, 297; NPA, 28; and surveillance, 211), and 153 episodes of IA were diagnosed (31 definite, 67 probable, and 55 possible). Three episodes were first suspected from galactomannan ELISA; the remaining 150 cases were diagnosed from clinical or radiologic evidence. Sensitivity of the ELISA was 64.5%, 16.4%, and 25.5% in definite, probable, and possible episodes of IA, respectively, and was lower in patients positive for anti-Aspergillus antibodies than in antibody-negative patients. Most false-positive results occurred in children and in allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) patients. Overall specificity of the ELISA was 94.8%. It was lower in children compared with adults (P <.0001) and in allo-HSCT patients compared with non-allo-HSCT adults (P =.0002). Lowering the ELISA cutoff value from 1.500 to 0.700 seemed more relevant for non-allo-HSCT adults (sensitivity, 73.1%, 44.3%, and 44.7% in definite, probable, and possible IA, respectively; specificity, 94%). CONCLUSION Galactomannan ELISA seems less sensitive than previously described, and sensitivity can be further reduced by the presence of anti-Aspergillus antibodies. A new cutoff value for the ELISA of 0.700 is proposed for non-allo-HSCT adults.
Optical coherence tomography of outer retinal holes in senile retinoschisis and schisis-detachment

Purpose On clinical examination, it can be challenging to differentiate retinoschisis with outer retinal hole from schisis-detachment. This study examined the role of outer retinal hole spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging in conjunction with imaging of the posterior schisis cavity edge in differentiating between these conditions. Methods This is a retrospective case series. Out of 500 subjects with ICD-9 diagnoses of senile retinoschisis (361.10, 361.11, 361.12, 361.19) from January 2004 to December 2014, 62 had evidence of retinoschisis on fundus photography or optical coherence tomography (OCT). Six eyes of five patients had outer retinal holes documented by fundus photography (Optos, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA) and SD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California, USA). The OCT morphology of outer retinal holes, subjects' symptomology, visual acuity, fundus examination, diagnosis and progression of the disease were analysed. Results All five patients were women; the mean age was 67.4 years. The correct diagnosis was recorded in the chart in 50% of cases. All, but one, were asymptomatic with visual acuity ranging from 20/20 to 20/200. Three types of outer retinal hole OCT morphology in conjunction with imaging of the posterior schisis cavity edge were established. (1) Outer retinal hole with both edges down and attached to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the edge of the cavity showing a split in neurosensory retina corresponded to isolated retinoschisis. The outer retinal hole with (2) one or (3) both edges detached from the RPE and the edge of the cavity showing complete separation of retina from RPE corresponded to schisis-detachment. One patient underwent scleral buckle surgery for schisis-detachment. Otherwise, no treatment was performed and no progression was noted with the longest OCT-documented follow-up of 26 months. Conclusions The OCT morphology of outer retinal holes in conjunction with imaging of the posterior schisis cavity edge aids in the diagnosis of retinoschisis and schisis-detachment.
A generic model for NFC-based mobile commerce

Near Field Communication is a short-range wireless communication technology. The majority of handset manufacturers showed interests in it and invested in developing NFC-enabled devices. Several NFC trials and researches have been launched all over the world. However, these trials only used NFC-enabled handset as a contactless smart card. It did not really reveal the ability of NFC technology. In order to adapt to the verity of commerce process for NFC-based mobile environment, we propose a generic model for NFC-based mobile commerce (NMC). The model characterizes the issues and technologies involved in the processes, including service initialization, ordering, payment, shipping/collection, loyalty management, and customer service. Based on NMC model, we implement in a traditional meal service to verify the feasibility and flexibility of the model.
Extensions to the OLAP Framework for Business Analysis

In this paper, we describe extensions to the OnLine Analytical Processing (OLAP) framework for business analysis. This paper is part of our continued work on extending multi-dimensional databases with novel functionality for diagnostic support and sensitivity analysis. Diagnostic support offers the manager the possibility to automatically generate explanations for exceptional cell values in an OLAP database. This functionality can be built into conventional OLAP databases using a generic explanation formalism, which supports the work of managers in diagnostic processes. The objective is the identification of specific knowledge structures and reasoning methods required to construct computerized explanations from multi-dimensional data and business models. Moreover, we study the consistency and solvability of OLAP systems. These issues are important for sensitivity analysis in OLAP databases. Often the analyst wants to know how some aggregated variable in the cube would have been change d if a certain underlying variable is increased ceteris paribus (c.p.) with one extra unit or one percent in the business model or dimension hierarchy. For such analysis it is important that the system of OLAP aggregations remains consistent after a change is induced in some variable. For instance, missing data, dependency relations, and the presence of non-linear relations in the business model can cause a system to become inconsistent.
Block Projection Based Feature Extraction for Biometric Recognition with Multi-lead ECG

In order to reveal discriminant information from the multi-lead ECG to facilitate the ECG biometric recognition, two novel feature extraction algorithms are proposed in this paper. As opposed to the existing singlelead based techniques, the proposed algorithms which rely on the idea of block projection allow the features to be extracted without breaking the structure between the leads so that more information can be exploited for recognition. In addition, the algorithms require only one fiducial point (i.e., R peaks) to be determined and are applicable to any multi-lead ECG regardless of its number of leads. Detailed experiments show that the proposed algorithms outperform the existing single-lead based approaches. 
A Threat to Food Safety BIOFILMS

What is causing the sticky film on that melon? Or the dull varnish of that apple? Might it be a layer of gooey goodness akin to that of a glazed donut? Not likely, but it could be a biofilm. A biofilm is a thin layer of densely packed microorganisms encapsulated within an aqueous matrix of proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides. Microbes in biofilms tend to flourish on moist surfaces, aggregating and forming colonies. The plaque that forms on the teeth of a person with poor dental hygiene is a type of biofilm as is the slime that coats rocks near a stream or pond. Other types of biofilms serve as nourishment for larger organisms or as a component of sewage treatment systems that clean wastewater (MSU, 2008b, 2008c). In essence, any surface that combines an abundance of moisture and nutrients is susceptible to biofilm formation if microorganisms are present. This means that biofilms can affect virtually any industry that involves a water-based process: nautical shipping, paper manufacturing, cooling systems, drinking water facilities, health care, medical devices, and food processing (MSU, 2008a, 2008b). Although biofilms can contain only one single-celled species, it is more common for them to comprise many bacterial species. Unlike humans from different ethnicities who often struggle to understand each other, the different bacteria forming a biofilm communicate well with each other. Through cellto-cell signaling known as quorum sensing, bacterial cells coordinate biofilm formation. Biofilms enable bacteria to survive unpredictable environmental stressors such as temperature changes, desiccation, ultraviolet rays, and so on.
Cardiac and Renal Effects of Levosimendan, Arginine Vasopressin, and Norepinephrine in Lipopolysaccharide-treated Rabbits

Background:Because sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction related to sepsis is at least partially related to a decrease in cardiac myofilament response to calcium, the use of the new myofilament-calcium sensitizer, levosimendan, has been proposed. In addition, arginine vasopressin is increasingly proposed as a vasopressor in septic patients, although data on its effects on cardiac function are still scarce. The aim of the current study was to assess, invasively and noninvasively, whether levosimendan, arginine vasopressin, and norepinephrine, either alone or combined, may modify sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction and renal hemodynamics. Methods:Thirty-six hours after lipopolysaccharide or saline administration, rabbits were studied either after slight sedation for echocardiography or after general anesthesia with sodium pentobarbital for the following measurements: aortic flow velocity and maximum acceleration of blood flow in the ascending aorta and renal macrocirculation and microcirculation. Results:Levosimendan improved, within 30 min of administration, both maximum acceleration of blood flow by 20 ± 12% (n = 8; P < 0.05) and left ventricular shortening fraction by a similar extent. Furthermore, low doses of arginine vasopressin markedly deteriorated cardiac function via an afterload-independent mechanism, even when animals were pretreated with levosimendan, whereas norepinephrine showed no detrimental effects on cardiac function. The study also showed that norepinephrine often improved renal medullary blood flow, whereas arginine vasopressin consistently decreased it. Conclusion:Levosimendan and norepinephrine both exert beneficial effects in endotoxemic animals and should be further explored in human sepsis trials.
Osteogenic Protein-1 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7) in the Treatment of Tibial Nonunions: A Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing rhOP-1 with Fresh Bone Autograft*

Background: The role of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in osseous repair has been demonstrated in numerous animal models. Recombinant human osteogenic protein-1 (rhOP-1 or BMP-7) has now been produced and was evaluated in a clinical trial conducted under a Food and Drug Administration approved Investigational Device Exemption to establish both the safety and efficacy of this BMP in the treatment of tibial nonunions. The study also compared the clinical and radiographic results with this osteogenic molecule and those achieved with fresh autogenous bone. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-two patients (with 124 tibial nonunions) were enrolled in a controlled, prospective, randomized, partially blinded, multi-center clinical trial between February, 1992, and August, 1996, and were followed at frequent intervals over 24 months. Each patient was treated by insertion of an intramedullary rod, accompanied by rhOP-1 in a type I collagen carrier or by fresh bone autograft. Assessment criteria included the severity of pain at the fracture site, the ability to walk with full weight-bearing, the need for surgical re-treatment of the nonunion during the course of this study, plain radiographic evaluation of healing, and physician satisfaction with the clinical course. In addition, adverse events were recorded, and sera were screened for antibodies to OP-1 and type-I collagen at each outpatient visit. Results: At 9 months following the operative procedures (the primary end-point of this study), 81% of the OP-1-treated nonunions (n = 63) and 85% of those receiving autogenous bone (n = 61) were judged by clinical criteria to have been treated successfully (p = 0.524). By radiographic criteria, at this same time point, 75% of those in the OP-1-treated group and 84% of the autograft-treated patients had healed fractures (p = 0.218). These clinical results continued at similar levels of success throughout 2 years of observation, and there was no statistically significant difference in outcome between the two groups of patients at this point (p = 0.939). All patients experienced adverse events. Forty-four percent of patients in each treatment group had serious events, none of which were related to their bone grafts. More than 20% of patients treated with autografts had chronic donor site pain following the procedure. Conclusions: rhOP-1 (BMP-7), implanted with a type I collagen carrier, was a safe and effective treatment for tibial nonunions. This molecule provided clinical and radiographic results comparable with those achieved with bone autograft, without donor site morbidity.
REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT IN CALOPTERYX (ODONATA: CALOPTERYGIDAE)

The search for examples of reproductive character displacement (as redefined by Grant, 1972) is motivated by the desire to reveal the role natural selection plays in the establishment and/or improvement of premating barriers to gene exchange between speciating populations. The search is severely limited by the need to examine closely related species whose geographic ranges overlap extensively but not completely (Walker, 1974) and by the difficulty in documenting expected examples (Grant, 1972). Considerable attention has been focused on the acoustical pair-forming signals of birds, anurans, and singing insects. Despite the suitability of these signals in quantitative surveys for patterns suggesting reproductive character displacement, few examples have been found (Alexander, 1969; Blair, 1974; Fouquette, 1975; Grant, 1972; Thielcke, 1969; Walker, 1974). To date only a few studies have focused on the displacement of: 1) pair-forming displays (Ferguson, 1973), 2) morphology associated with species discrimination (Grant, 1975), or 3) discrimination abilities within a species (Waage, 1975; Wasserman and Koepfer, 1977). This paper presents an example of displacement of morphological characters used in species discrimination for two species of damselflies, Calopteryx maculata (De Beauvois) and C. aequabilis (Say), and deals with the problems affecting previous efforts to document character displacement. Grant (1972, 1975) provided a critical review of these problems and presented an example of careful documentation in the classic case of the rock nuthatches (Sitta). There are four basic stages in the documentation of reproductive character displacement. These stages were stated or implied by Grant (1972, 1975) and others (e.g. Alexander, 1969; Littlejohn, 1965; Littlejohn and Loftus-Hills, 1968) and are summarized as follows:
ON THE ABUNDANCE OF POLYPLOIDS IN FLOWERING PLANTS

Abstract The wide distribution of polyploidy among plants has led to a variety of theories for the evolutionary advantages of polyploidy. Here we claim that the abundance of polyploidy may be the result of a simple ratcheting process that does not require evolutionary advantages due to the biological properties of organisms. The evolution of polyploidy is a one-way process in which chromosome number can increase but not decrease. Using a simple mathematical model, we show that average ploidal level within a plant lineage can continually increase to the levels observed today, even if there are ecological or physiological disadvantages to higher ploidy. The model allowed us to estimate the average net speciation and polyploidy rates for ten angiosperm genera. Based on these estimates, the model predicts distributions of ploidal levels statistically similar to those observed in nine of the 10 genera.
Effectiveness of venlafaxine in patients hospitalized for major depression and melancholia.

BACKGROUND This study was undertaken to compare the antidepressant efficacy and short-term safety of venlafaxine with those of placebo in hospitalized patients with major depression and melancholia. METHOD Ninety-three inpatients with a minimum prestudy Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of 25 were treated for up to 4 weeks with either venlafaxine or placebo. Dosage averaged approximately 350 mg/day during Weeks 2 to 4. Efficacy and safety were assessed throughout the study. Efficacy was evaluated using the MADRS, the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale. Recorded study events, vital signs and body weight measurements, laboratory determinations, physical examinations, and ECG recordings were used to assess safety. RESULTS Venlafaxine provided significantly greater improvement in the MADRS scores after 4 days and in the HAM-D scores after 1 week than did placebo. Response rate (based on a 50% decrease in MADRS scores) was 65% (30 of 46 patients) for venlafaxine and 28% (13 of 47 patients) for placebo. Significantly more placebo-treated patients (40%; N = 19) than venlafaxine-treated patients (9%; N = 4) discontinued treatment early because of lack of efficacy. Nausea and sweating were the most common events, occurring at a significantly higher rate in the venlafaxine group. CONCLUSION Venlafaxine is an effective and well-tolerated antidepressant in hospitalized patients with major depression and melancholia.
Mechanism of Nitric Oxide Release from S-Nitrosothiols*

S-Nitrosothiols have many biological activities and have been suggested to be intermediates in signal transduction. The mechanism and products of S-nitrosothiol decomposition are of great significance to the understanding of nitric oxide (·NO) biochemistry. S-Nitrosothiols are stable compounds at 37°C and pH 7.4 in the presence of transition metal ion chelators. The presence of trace transition metal ions (present in all buffers) stimulates the catalytic breakdown of S-nitrosothiols to ·NO and disulfide. Thiyl radicals are not formed as intermediates in this process. Photolysis of S-nitrosothiols results in the formation of ·NO and disulfide via the intermediacy of thiyl radicals. Reduced metal ion (e.g. Cu+) decomposes S-nitrosothiols more rapidly than oxidized metal ion (e.g. Cu2+) indicating that reducing agents such as glutathione and ascorbate can stimulate decomposition of S-nitrosothiol by chemical reduction of contaminating transition metal ions. Transnitrosation can also stimulate S-nitrosothiol decomposition if the product S-nitrosothiol is more susceptible to transition metal ion-catalyzed decomposition than the parent S-nitrosothiol. Equilibrium constants for the transnitrosation reactions of reduced glutathione, either with S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine or with S-nitroso-L-cysteine indicate that S-nitrosoglutathione formation is favored. The biological relevance of S-nitrosothiol decomposition is discussed.