Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Simple Method to Extract Source/Drain Series Resistance for Advanced MOSFETs

In this work, we developed a simple method for determining gate-bias dependent source and drain series resistances for advanced MOSFETs. Devices with gate lengths from 0.185 mum to 0.23 mum were measured and used to verify our theoretical derivation. Our result shows that the source/drain series resistance increases slightly then decreases moderately with gate bias. Simulation shows excellent agreement with the measurement. The improved method provides better efficiency and accuracy for modeling current-voltage characteristics of MOSFETs with LDD and pocket implants.
Specific Lymphoproliferation, Gamma Interferon Production, and Serum Immunoglobulin G Directed against a Purified 32 kDa Mycobacterial Protein Antigen (P32) in Patients with Active Tuberculosis

Twenty‐one patients treated for active tuberculosis were examined for immune reactivity to purified protein derivative (PPD) and to a purified 32‐kDa protein antigen (P32) from Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG. Lymphoproliferation of peripheral blood leucocytes to PPD and P32 was positive in 95% and 71% of the patients respectively. A positive IFN‐γ response was detected in 62% against PPD and in 48% against P32. Low blastogenesis and IFN‐γ production were observed, especially in patients with poor general health and advanced tuberculous lesions. Twelve out of twelve (100%) of the tuberculin‐positive healthy volunteers responded to PPD and P32 with mean lymphoproliferation and IFN‐γ values that were higher than in the patient group. Twelve tuberculin‐negative control subjects were completely unreactive to PPD and P32 antigen. On the other hand, IgG antibodies in the serum were detected in 95% of the patients against PPD, in 77% of the patients against P32 but in none of the tuberculin‐positive or negative healthy volunteers. The highest IgG levels against PPD were found in those patients with the lowest in vitro lymphoproliferation and IFN‐γ production (r=‐0.54; P<0.05). Nonspecific interferon production following induction with Newcastle disease virus, Corynebacterium parvum, or phytohaemagglutinin was comparable in the control and patient groups. Finally, low IFN‐α titres were detected in the serum of about 50% of the patients.
American College of Clinical Pharmacology Response to the Institute of Medicine Report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System”

The public press is laden with articles describing serious errors in medical care and treatment that are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In fact, a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies report estimates that as many as 98,000 people in the United States die each year from medical errors. This number is greater than the death toll from breast cancer, auto accidents, and AIDS. The total financial impact of these errors on the U.S. economy is estimated to be between $17 billion and $29 billion. This situation has prompted a heightened awareness and proposed actions by the federal government to control this epidemic of errors in medical care. The IOM report outlines four key areas of action:
Pollution Mobility, Productivity Disparity, and the Spatial Distribution of Polluting and Nonpolluting Firms

This paper first develops a model to characterize the equilibrium distribution of polluting and nonpolluting firms and then turns to the larger question of whether the equilibrium distribution is socially optimal. We find that the equilibrium distribution of polluting firms differs from the social optimum when they generate a large amount of stationary pollution and have much higher or lower productivity than clean firms. In these cases, conventional pollution control approaches generally do not bring about an optimal distribution. Consideration of transport costs along with productivity and pollution changes some of the classic results of the new economic geography literature.
Mortality rates after multifactorial primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Eleven-year mortality rates were studied in middle aged men who had participated in a randomised 5-year multifactorial primary prevention trial on cardiovascular diseases during 1974-1980. The men were given health education advice before the study. The 5-year trial markedly improved the risk factor status in the men in the intervention group (n = 612), but their 5-year incidence of total coronary events tended to be higher than in the randomised non-treated control group (n = 610) and significantly higher than in an non-randomised, non-treated low risk group (n = 593). During the six years following the discontinuation of the trial, 11 deaths from cardiovascular disease occurred both in the intervention and in the control groups and three in the non-randomised low risk group. Thus, the cumulative eleven-year cardiovascular mortality rates and their 95% confidence intervals (Cl95) were 2.45% (Cl95: 1.38, 3.67) in the intervention group and 1.97% (Cl95: 1.01, 3.34) in the randomised high risk control group. In the non-randomised low risk group the mortality rate was 0.51 (Cl95: 0.01, 1.46). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that overweight and hypercholesterolaemia, and smoking in the high risk controls, were the initial risk factors associated with the 11-year cardiovascular mortality. The latter was not accumulated in any treatment measure during the prevention period. Furthermore, despite the unfavourable effect of beta-blocking agents on total cardiac events during the intervention, beta-blockers were not associated with cardiac deaths in the 11-year follow up. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Type VI secretion apparatus and phage tail-associated protein complexes share a common evolutionary origin

Protein secretion is a common property of pathogenic microbes. Gram-negative bacterial pathogens use at least 6 distinct extracellular protein secretion systems to export proteins through their multilayered cell envelope and in some cases into host cells. Among the most widespread is the newly recognized Type VI secretion system (T6SS) which is composed of 15–20 proteins whose biochemical functions are not well understood. Using crystallographic, biochemical, and bioinformatic analyses, we identified 3 T6SS components, which are homologous to bacteriophage tail proteins. These include the tail tube protein; the membrane-penetrating needle, situated at the distal end of the tube; and another protein associated with the needle and tube. We propose that T6SS is a multicomponent structure whose extracellular part resembles both structurally and functionally a bacteriophage tail, an efficient machine that translocates proteins and DNA across lipid membranes into cells.
Immunogenicity and Protective Efﬁcacy of Oligomeric Human Immunodeﬁciency Virus Type 1 gp140

The biologically active form of the human immunodeﬁciency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) glycopro- tein is oligomeric. We previously described a soluble HIV-1 IIIB Env protein, gp140, with a stable oligomeric structure composed of uncleaved gp120 linked to the ectodomain of gp41 (P. L. Earl, C. C. Broder, D. Long, S. A. Lee, J. Peterson, S. Chakrabarti, R. W. Doms, and B. Moss, J. Virol. 68:3015–3026, 1994). Here we compared the antibody responses of rabbits to gp120 and gp140 that had been produced and puriﬁed in an identical manner. The gp140 antisera exhibited enhanced cross-reactivity with heterologous Env proteins as well as greater neutralization of HIV-1 compared to the gp120 antisera. To examine both immunogenicity and protective efﬁcacy, we immunized rhesus macaques with oligomeric gp140. Strong neutralizing antibodies against a homologous virus and modest neutralization of heterologous laboratory-adapted isolates were elicited. No neutralization of primary isolates was observed. However, a substantial fraction of the neutralizing activity could not be blocked by a V3 loop peptide. After intravenous challenge with simian-HIV virus SHIV-HXB2, three of the four vaccinated macaques exhibited no evidence of virus replication. of SHIV RNA. Determination of the concentration of viral RNA in the plasma was performed as described (74).
Performance on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test Is Significantly Related to Nonverbal IQ.

PURPOSE The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test (FM100) is a standardized measure of chromatic discrimination, based on colored cap-sorting, which has been widely used in both adults and children. Its dependence on seriation ability raises questions as to its universal suitability and accuracy in assessing purely sensory discrimination. This study investigates how general intellectual ability relates to performance on both the FM100 and a new computer-based chromatic discrimination threshold test, across different age groups in both typical and atypical development. METHODS Participants were divided into two main age groups, children (6-15 years) and young adults (16-25 years), with each group further subdivided into typically developing (TD; three groups; TD 6-7 years, TD 8-9 years, TD Adult) individuals and atypically developing individuals, all but one carrying a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD; two groups; atypically developing [ATY] child 7-15 years, ASD Adult). General intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. All participants completed the FM100. Both child groups also completed a computer-based chromatic discrimination threshold test, which assessed discrimination along cone-opponent ("red-green," "blue-yellow") and luminance cardinal axes using a controlled staircase procedure. RESULTS Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test performance was better in adults than in children. Furthermore, performance significantly positively correlated with nonverbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) for all child groups and the young adult ASD group. The slope of this relationship was steeper for the ASD than TD groups. Performance on the chromatic discrimination threshold test was not significantly related to any IQ measure. Regression models reveal that chromatic discrimination threshold, although a significant predictor of FM100 performance when used alone, is a weaker predictor than NVIQ used alone or in combination. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that FM100 performance is not purely a measure of color discrimination but instead also reflects general nonverbal ability. Other measures of chromatic discrimination ability are therefore required for its accurate assessment, particularly in early or atypical development.
Sentiment learning using Twitter ideograms

It has been extremely important to know what the audience feels. With the growing technologies, people get to know what the majority thinks about a particular subject through review sites, people opinion voting sites, campaigns. Thus, it becomes necessary to get a conclusion on this so that the opinion-affected organization or individual gets a clear idea and works further. This survey introduces techniques and approaches that would directly help information-gathering systems. The present study focuses on methods that seek to address the new challenges raised by sentiment-aware applications, as compared to those that are already present in a more traditional-approach. Hence, we have tried to make the system more accurate by analyzing symbols which play a major role in sentiment learning. Proposed algorithm is compared and findings are presented in that explains each algorithm and its use in mining and analysis of Twitter textual data and provides deep insights as to what is the accuracy level in the mining process. We include a brief summary on broader issues such as privacy, manipulation and other related issues that opinion-access services gives rise to.
A research proposal for a GCSE maths tutoring game using neural networks

This paper presents an application in which a feedforward Neural Network is trained by mathematics students to solve mathematical problems. The interface is designed as an educational computer game to help the students understand GCSE mathematics. A demonstration of the idea, using MATLAB, is discussed and the results show that the idea is workable. The possibility of using Evolutionary Neural Networks is investigated.
Early and Late Results of Partial Left Ventriculectomy: Single Center Experience and Review of the Literature

Abstract Aim: To evaluate early and late outcome of partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) in a single center and to conduct a review of the literature. Methods: From February 1996 to August 2001, 24 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (12 idiopathic, 12 ischemic) underwent PLV. Perioperative and follow‐up data were prospectively entered into a database and analyzed. An observational analysis of the literature was carried out of all the published series of PLV reporting on ≥15 patients. Results: In our series there were 22 males with amean age of 65 years (range 49 to73]). Of the 22, there were 3 (12.5%) in‐hospital deaths. Mean duration of follow‐up was 26 months (range 3 to 71) with 9 late deaths (38%), 6 in the idiopathic group. The five‐year actuarial survival was 74% in the ischemic group and 33% in the idiopathic group. The observational analysis of literature included a total of 506 patients (425 males, age 50.2 ± 5.2 years)]. The etiology was idiopathic in 255 (50.4%), and ischemic in 89 (17.6%) patients. Baseline characteristics of the whole population include: ejection fraction 18.9 ± 3.9%, NYHA functional class 3.7 ± 0.2, and LVEDD of 7.7 ± 0.4 cm. Severe mitral regurgitation was present in 368 (72.7%) patients. There were 88 (17.4%) in‐hospital deaths. Cause of death included 55 due to (62.5%) low cardiac output, 10 (11.3%) due to severe bleeding, 7 (7.95%) caused by malignant arrhythmias, 8 (9%) due to sepsis, and 5 (5.7%) as a result of stroke. Ten of the selected series (overall 386 patients) reported late outcome. There were 89 (22.9%) late deaths, 12 (13.5%) were not cardiac‐related, 50 (56.2%) were due to recurrence of congestive heart failure (CHF), 20 (22.5%) caused by sudden arrhythmias, 5 (5.6%) due to infections, and 2 (2.2%) from strokes. Overall, there were 248 (64.2%) survivors, of whom 179 (72.17%) were reported to be in NYHA functional class I or II. All 10 papers reported one‐year survival ranging from 50% to 85%. Seven reported a two‐year survival of 45% to 72%, and 4 reported a three‐year survival of 33% to 64%. Conclusions: Our results and the review of the literature seem to suggest a relatively high early mortality with satisfactory late results of PLV in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. (J Card Surg 2003;18:190‐196)
Monitoring Insect Pests in Retail Stores by Trapping and Spatial Analysis

Abstract Stored-product insects are a perennial problem in retail stores, where they damage and contaminate susceptible merchandise such as food products and animal feed. Historically, pest management in these stores has relied heavily on chemical insecticides, but environmental and health issues have dictated use of safer methods, and these require better monitoring. A monitoring procedure that employs an array of moth and beetle traps combined with spatial (contour) analysis of trap catch was tested in three department stores and two pet stores. The rate of capture increased with the level of infestation but was essentially constant over 4- to 5-d trapping periods. Contour analysis effectively located foci of infestation and reflected population changes produced by applications of the insect growth regulator (S)-hydroprene. The most abundant insects were Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), Lasioderma serricorne (F.), Oryzaephilus mercator (Fauvel), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Cryptolestes pusillus (Schönherr). The results indicate that contour analysis of trap counts provides a useful monitoring tool for management of storage pests in retail stores. It identifies trouble spots and permits selection, timing, and precision targeting of control measures to achieve maximum pest suppression with minimum pesticide risk. It permits managers and pest control operators to visualize pest problems over an entire store, to monitor changes over time, and to evaluate the effectiveness of control intervention. The contour maps themselves, along with records of control applications and stock rotation, provide permanent documentation of pest problems and the effectiveness of pest management procedures.
A Conserved Tryptophan-Rich Motif in the Membrane-Proximal Region of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp41 Ectodomain Is Important for Env-Mediated Fusion and Virus Infectivity

ABSTRACT Mutations were introduced into the ectodomain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmembrane envelope glycoprotein, gp41, within a region immediately adjacent to the membrane-spanning domain. This region, which is predicted to form an α-helix, contains highly conserved hydrophobic residues and is unusually rich in tryptophan residues. In addition, this domain overlaps the epitope of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody, 2F5, as well as the sequence corresponding to a peptide, DP-178, shown to potently neutralize virus. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create deletions, substitutions, and insertions centered around a stretch of 17 hydrophobic and uncharged amino acids (residues 666 to 682 of the HXB2 strain of HIV-1) in order to determine the role of this region in the maturation and function of the envelope glycoprotein. Deletion of the entire stretch of 17 amino acids abrogated the ability of the envelope glycoprotein to mediate both cell-cell fusion and virus entry without affecting the normal maturation, transport, or CD4-binding ability of the protein. This phenotype was also demonstrated by substituting alanine residues for three of the five tryptophan residues within this sequence. Smaller deletions, as well as multiple amino acid substitutions, were also found to inhibit but not block cell-cell fusion. These results demonstrate the crucial role of a tryptophan-rich motif in gp41 during a post-CD4-binding step of glycoprotein-mediated fusion. The basis for the invariant nature of the tryptophans, however, appears to be at the level of glycoprotein incorporation into virions. Even the substitution of phenylalanine for a single tryptophan residue was sufficient to reduce Env incorporation and drop the efficiency of virus entry approximately 10-fold, despite the fact that the same mutation had no significant effect on syncytium formation.
Self assembly based high frequency 3D heatsink antenna

The wireless transmission circuit consists of power amplifier and heatsinks which is a 3D structure. Heatsinks are normally designed to be near power amplifier circuit. The heatsink radiations are undesirable for some applications and should be minimized to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI). However in certain applications the design of heatsinks are unavoidable. The use of heatsink as a radiating or receiving electromagnetic radiation will be of significant value if heatsink is designed as an antenna. The fabrication of 3D antennas depends on the designed resonant frequency. As the antennas are made smaller physically, their resonant frequency increases, so building millimeter-wave capable antennas using conventional semiconductor processing techniques becomes feasible. The fabrication of on-chip antenna heatsinks for high frequency radiations can be visualized using a novel self assembly process. The self assembly(SA) technique is driven by surface tension property to pull the 2D metal patterns into 3D structures. The SA method involves conventional semiconductor steps with an additional dip soldering and reflow steps to develop 3D antennas. In our previous paper we have investigated antenna properties of 3D structures as an antenna for two different frequencies: low (2.4 GHz) and high (23.78 GHz) frequencies. This paper provides the simulation of truncated square pyramid (TSP) 3D structures which has high fabrication yield among all other structures. The simulation of TSP structures as an antenna is also demonstrated.
Low-dose 1GHz exposure in controlled conditions for the study of cellular effects of in vitro irradiated blood

A commercial Transverse Electromagnetic Mode (TEM) cell is used for the exposure, dosimetry and investigation of the in-vitro cellular effects in blood samples. A continuous wave of 1 GHz was used as excitation for the input port of the TEM cell, six different incident power levels and three values of exposure duration. Experimental and numerical dosimetry was applied to characterize the exposure conditions. Measurement of absorbed power was seconded by a more in-depth dosimetric approach by using an afore-developed and validated model of the TEM cell. The specific absorption rate (SAR) of energy inside the samples was determined in each case and the biological effects were analyzed by complete blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate tests. At low SAR levels, as we presently used (bellow 3.7W/kg), no statistical significant effects at cellular level were obtained. Present work enables further planning of targeted irradiation for bioelectromagnetics experiments considering the robustness of the computational dosimetry in the modeled TEM cell.
A Constitutive, Transient Receptor Potential-like Ca2+ Influx Pathway in Presynaptic Nerve Endings Independent of Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels and Na+/Ca2+ Exchange*

Calcium levels in the presynaptic nerve terminal are altered by several pathways, including voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, Ca2+-ATPase, and the mitochondria. The influx pathway for homeostatic control of [Ca2+]i in the nerve terminal has been unclear. One approach to detecting the pathway that maintains internal Ca2+ is to test for activation of Ca2+ influx following Ca2+ depletion. Here, we demonstrate that a constitutive influx pathway for Ca2+ exists in presynaptic terminals to maintain internal Ca2+ independent of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and Na+/Ca2+ exchange, as measured in intact isolated nerve endings from mouse cortex and in intact varicosities in a neuronal cell line using fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal imaging. The Mg2+ and lanthanide sensitivity of the influx pathway, in addition to its pharmacological and short hairpin RNA sensitivity, and the results of immunostaining for transient receptor potential (TRP) channels indicate the involvement of TRPC channels, possibly TRPC5 and TRPC1. This constitutive Ca2+ influx pathway likely serves to maintain synaptic function under widely varying levels of synaptic activity.
A low-overhead monitoring ring interconnect for MPSoC parameter optimization

MPSoCs need to integrate self-x properties in order to get rid of the worst-case design style which is no longer affordable in large SoCs. Integrating self-x properties in SoCs is possible through a monitoring interconnect which carries monitor information to evaluators that decide on actions that will tune the SoC operation mode. We have designed a customized interconnect for SoC monitoring/actuation. We have implemented it in VHDL and tested it in FPGA. The prototype proved that this customized interconnect provides good results regarding latency and area overheads and is a key component in enabling self-optimization in our FPGA MPSoC prototype.