Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Refining Space Object Radiation Pressure Modeling with Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions

High-fidelity orbit propagation requires detailed knowledge of the solar radiation pressure on a space object. The solar radiation pressure depends not only on the space object’s shape and attitude, but also on the absorption and reflectance properties of each surface on the object. These properties are typically modeled in a simplistic fashion, but are here described by a surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function. Several analytic bidirectional reflectance distribution function models exist, and are typically complicated functions of illumination angle and material properties represented by parameters within the model. In general, the resulting calculation of the solar radiation pressure would require a time-consuming numerical integration. This might be impractical if multiple solar radiation pressure calculations are required for a variety of material properties in real time; for example, in a filter where the particular surface parameters are being estimated. This paper develops a method.
Probing actin polymerization by intermolecular cross-linking

We have used N,N'-1,4-phenylenebismaleimide, a bifunctional sulfhydryl cross-linking reagent, to probe the oligomeric state of actin during the early stages of its polymerization into filaments. We document that one of the first steps in the polymerization of globular monomeric actin (G-actin) under a wide variety of ionic conditions is the dimerization of a significant fraction of the G-actin monomer pool. As polymerization proceeds, the yield of this initial dimer ("lower" dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 86 kD by SDS-PAGE [LD]) is attenuated, while an actin filament dimer ("upper" dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 115 kD by SDS-PAGE [UD] as characterized [Elzinga, M., and J. J. Phelan. 1984. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 81:6599-6602]) is formed. This shift from LD to UD occurs concomitant with formation of filaments as assayed by N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide fluorescence enhancement and electron microscopy. Isolated cross-linked LD does not form filaments, while isolated cross-linked UD will assemble into filaments indistinguishable from those polymerized from unmodified G-actin under typical filament-forming conditions. The presence of cross-linked LD does not effect the kinetics of polymerization of actin monomer, whereas cross-linked UD shortens the "lag phase" of the polymerization reaction in a concentration-dependent fashion. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that, although accounting for a significant oligomeric species formed during early polymerization, the LD is incompatible with the helical symmetry defining the mature actin filament; however, it could represent the interfilament dimer found in paracrystalline arrays or filament bundles. Furthermore, the LD is compatible with the unit cell structure and symmetry common to various types of crystalline actin arrays (Aebi, U., W. E. Fowler, G. Isenberg, T. D. Pollard, and P. R. Smith. 1981. J. Cell Biol. 91:340-351) and might represent the major structural state in which a mutant beta-actin (Leavitt, J., G. Bushar, T. Kakunaga, H. Hamada, T. Hirakawa, D. Goldman, and C. Merril. 1982. Cell. 28:259-268) is arrested under polymerizing conditions.
The Influence of Selected Material and Transport Parameters on the Accuracy of Modeling Early Voltage in SiGe-Base HBT

Using a new model of Early voltage (VA), it is demonstrated that diffusion coefficient dependence on electric field and carrier velocity saturation at the collector end of the base has to be taken into account for accurate modeling of VA in SiGe-based heterojunction bipolar transistors. The need to incorporate the dependence of SiGe material parameters on the local Ge content in the base is also addressed
Evaluation of Crater Width in Nanosecond Laser Ablation of Ti in Liquids and the Effect of Light Absorption by Ablated Nano-Particles

Micro size craters were created by interaction of nanosecond laser beam with titanium target in liquid media. The dimension of crater i.e. depth and width is important in some applications such as micromachining. When the interaction occurs in liquid environment, the ablated materials from the target expand into the liquid. The ablated material can affect the interaction process if the ablated material concentration increases. In this paper, we study the effect of ablated materials in liquids on the crater width. The crater dimension was characterized by using an optical microscope. The results show that not only the type of environment liquid is important in the final size of the created craters, but also the laser fluence and the liquid depth in which the interaction takes place is important in the crater size.
Effect of Hepatic Steatosis on Bioenergetic Function During HepaticIschemia-reperfusion: A Systematic Review

Background: The impact of hepatic steatosis on bioenergetics following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains controversial and is associated with variable reports on its outcome. Large numbers of studies have been published examining the relationship between hepatic steatosis and cellular bioenergetics following hepatic IRI. This sys- tematic review evaluates these studies. Methods: An electronic search of the Medline and Embase databases (January 1946 to June 2012) was performed to select studies that reported relevant outcomes in animal models or patients with hepatic steatosis subjected to IRI. Results: A total of 489 articles were identified, of which 63 animal studies met the predefined criteria and were included in the study. There was large variation in the type of animal model, duration and type of IRI utilized and histological de- scription of hepatic steatosis. Bioenergetic impairments appear to increase the susceptibility of steatotic livers to IRI. The most common impairment was decreased adenosine triphosphate recovery with increased oxidative stress following IRI. Impaired mitochondrial function play a key role in the susceptibility of steatotic livers to IRI. Conclusions: Animals with >30% hepatic steatosis have been shown to have poor outcome following IRI. Despite limita- tions of different experimental models and inconsistency in histological description, impaired mitochondrial function and bioenergetics appear to be important mediators in the decreased tolerance of steatotic livers to IRI. Future studies need to be consistent and clinically relevant to further improve our understanding of this issue.
The Prevalence of Premonitory Symptoms in Paediatric Migraine: A Questionnaire Study in 103 Children and Adolescents

The prevalence and characterization of premonitory symptoms have not been rigorously studied in children and adolescents. Using a questionnaire, we retrospectively studied the prevalence of 15 predefined premonitory symptoms in a clinic-based population. In 103 children and adolescents fulfilling the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn criteria for paediatric migraine, at least one premonitory symptom was reported by 69 (67%). The most frequently reported premonitory symptoms were face changes, fatigue and irritability. The mean number of premonitory symptoms reported per subject was 1.8 (median 2.2). Age, migraine subtype (with or without aura) and mean attack frequency per month had no effect on the mean number of premonitory symptoms reported per subject. In conclusion, premonitory symptoms are frequently reported by children and adolescents with migraine. Face changes seem to be a premonitory symptom peculiar to paediatric migraine.
Prospective Population-Based Study of the Association between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin-D Levels and the Incidence of Specific Types of Cancer

Background: Observational studies have suggested an inverse association between vitamin D status and cancer. We investigated the prospective associations between vitamin D status and the total and specific type of cancer in three cohorts from the general Danish population. Methods: A total of 12,204 individuals 18 to 71 years old were included. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured at baseline, and information about cancer was obtained from the Danish Cancer Registry. Results: During the 11.3-year median follow-up time, there were 1,248 incident cancers. HRs [95% confidence intervals (CI)] per 10 nmol/L higher baseline vitamin D level were: for all cancers (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.99–1.04), all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, NMSC (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97–1.03), head and neck cancer (HR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.84–1.12), colorectal cancer (HR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.88–1.02), cancer of bronchus and lung (HR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.91–1.05), breast cancer (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96–1.09), cancer of the uterus (HR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.95–1.27), prostate cancer (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93–1.08), cancer of the urinary organs (HR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.90–1.14), NMSC (HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.10), and malignant melanoma (HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95–1.17). Conclusions: Apart from a significantly higher risk for NMSC with higher vitamin D status, we found no statistically significant associations between vitamin D status and total or specific cancers. Impact: Our results do not indicate that there is an impact of vitamin D on total cancer incidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(7); 1220–9. ©2014 AACR.
Decidability of Weak Simulation on One-Counter Nets

One-counter nets (OCN) are Petri nets with exactly one unbounded place. They are equivalent to a subclass of one-counter automata with only a weak test for zero. We show that weak simulation preorder is decidable for OCN and that weak simulation approximants do not converge at level ω, but only at ω2. In contrast, other semantic relations like weak bisimulation are undecidable for OCN [1], and so are weak (and strong) trace inclusion (Sec. VII).
Death Resulting from Ruptured Cerebral Artery Aneurysm: 219 Cases

To characterize the demographics of ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm as a cause of death and to examine the effect of improved diagnostic and therapeutic techniques on the incidence of sudden death associated with the condition, the authors reviewed 219 autopsies performed at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office between 1977 and 1997 in which the cause of death was ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm. Ruptured cerebral artery aneurysms accounted for 1.5% of 15,033 natural deaths and 0.4% of all deaths (45,492) followed by autopsy during this period. The majority (56%) of cases occurred in females, with Caucasian females composing the largest group (38%). Seventy-seven percent of cases occurred in individuals between the ages of 31 and 70 years, with the highest concentration in the 41- to 50-year decade (29%). The most common location for ruptured aneurysms was the middle cerebral artery distribution (39%). Multiple aneurysms occurred in 22 (9.1%) cases. Other factors, such as medical history, coexisting disease, symptoms, activity at onset of symptoms, survival time, and toxicology results are also presented. Compared with literature reports before 1980, when ruptured cerebral artery aneurysms were reported as the cause of death in approximately 4% to 5% of sudden natural deaths, the results of this study suggest that despite improved diagnostic and therapeutic techniques during the past two decades, morbidity and mortality from ruptured aneurysms remain a significant health problem.
Strong genetic differentiation and postglacial origin of populations in the marine midge Clunio marinus (Chironomidae, Diptera)

The marine midge Clunio marinus (Chironomidae, Diptera) is characterized by a one‐dimensional distribution along the European Atlantic coast, where its lunar and circadian emergence rhythms are genetically adapted to the local tidal regimes, resulting in a series of ‘temporal races’. Clunio marinus is restricted to rocky coasts and thus the temporal races occur in different rocky patches. We studied 10 populations of Clunio marinus from five different regions, spanning the major rocky mainland coasts from Spain to Norway, using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP), microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences. Star‐like patterns of COI haplotypes within regions indicate postglacial colonization. A high degree of shared polymorphisms in AFLP markers suggests colonization from a single source, implying postglacial evolution of timing adaptations in relation to the local tidal regime. In contrast, no COI haplotypes are shared among regions. We hypothesize that different levels of differentiation of nuclear vs. mitochondrial markers in the source region were carried forward during postglacial expansion. Despite the recent origin of populations, all markers reveal distinct genetic differentiation between rocky coasts on a scale of 650–1150 km. Differentiation between rocky coasts is not correlated to timing adaptations, suggesting that geographic isolation is prevalent between rocky coasts and that this facilitated the evolution of local timing adaptations. At the same time there is little genetic differentiation within rocky coasts on a scale of 2–6 km; leaving open the possibility that within rocky coasts with large variation in tidal regimes, temporal adaptations evolved in the face of gene flow.
Volume Reabsorption, Transepithelial Potential Differences, and Ionic Permeability Properties in Mammalian Superficial Proximal Straight Tubules

This paper describes experiments designed to evaluate Na+ and Cl- transport in isolated proximal straight tubules from rabbit kidneys. When the perfusing solution was Krebs-Ringer buffer with 25 mM HCO3 - (KRB) and the bath contained KRB plus 6% albumin, net volume reabsorption (Jv, nl min-1 mm-1 was -0.46 ± 0.03 (SEM); Ve, the spontaneous transepithelial potential difference, was -1.13 ± 0.05 mV, lumen negative. Both Jv, and Ve, were reduced to zero at 21°C or with 10-4 M ouabain, but Jv, was not HCO3 - dependent. Net Na+ reabsorption, measured as the difference between 22Na+ fluxes, lumen to bath and bath to lumen, accounted quantitatively for volume reabsorption, assuming the latter to be an isotonic process, and was in agreement with the difference between lumen to bath 22Na+ fluxes during volume reabsorption and at zero volume flow. The observed flux ratio for Na+ was 1.46, and that predicted for a passive process was 0.99; thus, Na+ reabsorption was rationalized in terms of an active transport process. The Cl- concentration of tubular fluid rose from 113.6 to 132.3 mM during volume reabsorption. Since Ve, rose to +0.82 mV when tubules were perfused with 138.6 mM Cl- solutions, Ve may become positive when tubular fluid Cl- concentrations rise during volume reabsorption. The permeability coefficients P Na and P Cl computed from tracer fluxes were, respectively, 0.23 x 10-4 and 0.73 x 10-4 cm s-1. A P Na/P Cl ratio of 0.3 described NaCl dilution potentials at zero volume flow. The magnitudes of the potentials were the same for a given NaCl gradient in either direction and P Na/P Cl was constant in the range 32–139 mM NaCl. We infer that the route of passive ion permeation was through symmetrical extracellular interfaces, presumably tight junctions, characterized by neutral polar sites in which electroneutrality is maintained by mobile counterions.
EEG in Silent Small Vessel Disease: sLORETA Mapping Reveals Cortical Sources of Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia in the Default Mode Network

Introduction: Vascular cognitive impairment, no dementia (vCIND) is a prevalent and potentially preventable disorder. Clinical presof the small vessel subcortical subtype may be insidious and difficult to diagnose in the initial stage. We investigated electroencephalographic sources of subcortical vCIND in comparison to amnesic multidomain mild cognitive impairment (amdMCI) to determine the additional diagnostic value of quantitative electroencephalograhy (EEG) in this setting. Methods: Fifty-seven community residing patients with an uneventful central neurological history and first presentation of cognitive decline without dementia were included, 35 patients were diagnosed with vCIND and 22 with amdMCI. A cognitive control group, deliberately recruited from a cerebrovascular impaired cohort, consisted of cognitively healthy participants who experienced a fully recovered first ever transient ischemic attack (TIA) without clinical or magnetic resonance imaging evidence of stroke. From standard EEGs, the differences in standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) sources were determined for the discrete frequency ranges 1–4 (delta), 4–8 (theta), 8–10.5 (alpha1), 10.5–13 (alpha2), 13–22 (beta1), and 22–30 (beta2) Hz. Results: In vCIND, a statistically significant decrease in parietooccipital alpha1 relative power current density compared with TIA and mild cognitive impairment patients was found. There was a significant decrease in frontal and parietooccipital beta1 relative power current density in vCIND compared with TIA patients. A significant increase in (pre) frontal delta relative power current density in vCIND compared with amdMCI was found as well. In amdMCI, delta relative power current density was significantly increased in the core limbic system. Discussion: Cortical sources of abnormal EEG activity in regions implicated in the default mode network are revealed by sLORETA at an early stage in vascular cognitive impairment. Mapping of parietooccipital alpha1, frontoparietooccipital beta1 and (pre) frontal delta loci in vCIND may reflect early executive and visuospatial dysfunction in this cohort. Standard EEG with sLORETA mapping might be an additional, noninvasive, and cost-effective tool in the diagnostic workup of patients presenting with a cognitive decline.
Negative Affect Heightens Opiate Withdrawal-Induced Hyperalgesia in Heroin Dependent Individuals

ABSTRACT This study examined the effect of emotion on opiate withdrawal induced hyperalgesia to determine whether emotional states modulate the magnitude of hyperalgesia. One hundred Hispanic men were recruited into one of three groups: heroin withdrawal, long-term heroin abstinence, and control. Participants were presented with pictures to induce neutral, positive, and negative emotional states. Affective valence, arousal, pain threshold, and tolerance to ischemic pain were measured. When pain threshold and tolerance were compared, the withdrawal group displayed significant heightened pain sensitivity when negative affect was induced. The authors also found that former heroin addicts showed heightened pain sensitivity following months of abstinence.
Agonist-induced endocytosis of lysophosphatidic acid-coupled LPA1/EDG-2 receptors via a dynamin2- and Rab5-dependent pathway

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a serum-borne phospholipid that exerts a pleiotropic range of effects on cells through activation of three closely related G-protein-coupled receptors termed LPA1/EDG-2, LPA2/EDG-4 and LPA3/EDG-7. Of these receptors, the LPA1 receptor is the most widely expressed. In this study, we investigated the agonist-induced endocytosis of the human LPA1 receptor, bearing an N-terminal FLAG epitope tag, in stably transfected HeLa cells. Treatment with LPA induced the rapid endocytosis of approximately 40% of surface LPA1 within 15 minutes. Internalization was both dose dependent and LPA specific since neither lysophophatidylcholine nor sphingosine-1-phosphate induced LPA1 endocytosis. Removal of agonist following 30 minutes incubation resulted in recycling of LPA1 back to the cell surface. LPA1 internalization was strongly inhibited by dominant-inhibitory mutants of both dynamin2 (K44A) and Rab5a (S34N). In addition, both dynamin2 K44A and Rab5 S34N mildly inhibited LPA1-dependent activation of serum response factor. Finally, our results also indicate that LPA1 exhibits basal, LPA-dependent internalization in the presence of serum-containing medium.
Prevalence of myopia and its association with diabetic retinopathy in subjects with type II diabetes mellitus: A population-based study

Objective: To report the prevalence of myopia and its association with diabetic retinopathy in subjects with type II diabetes mellitus and compare the diabetic retinopathy status in the myopic group vs the emmetropic group. Design: Population-based study. Materials and Methods: The population-based study estimated the prevalence of myopia from 1058 subjects, who were more than 40 years old and had type II diabetes mellitus; the patients were enrolled from a cross-sectional study. Participants answered a detailed questionnaire and underwent biochemical, physical and comprehensive ocular examination which included grading of nuclear sclerosis by lens opacities classification system III (LOCS III), seven field fundus photography and ultrasonography. Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic maculopathy were graded using the Klein's classification and early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) criteria respectively. Results: The prevalence of mild, moderate and high myopia in type 2 diabetes was 15.9, 2.1 and 1.9% respectively. The prevalence of any myopia was found to be 19.9% in our study population. After adjusting the age, gender, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c and other factors, increasing age was associated with mild and moderate myopia [OR 1.11 (95% CI 1.05 – 1.18)]. Compared to emmetropia, complete posterior vitreous detachment (CPVD) was associated with high myopia (50% Vs 12.2%, P < 0.0001). Myopia had no association with diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia and high myopia was found to be 19.9 and 1.9% respectively among subjects with type II diabetes. Myopia was not associated with diabetic retinopathy, thereby, suggesting the need for a longitudinal study.
Double-Binary Circular Turbo Decoding Based on Border Metric Encoding

This brief presents an energy-efficient soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoder based on border metric encoding, which is especially suitable for nonbinary circular turbo codes. In the proposed method, the size of the branch memory is reduced to half and the dummy calculation is removed at the cost of a small-sized memory that holds encoded border metrics. Due to the infrequent accesses to the border memory and its small size, the energy consumed for SISO decoding is reduced by 26.2%. Based on the proposed SISO decoder and the dedicated hardware interleaver, a double-binary tail-biting turbo decoder is designed for the WiMAX standard using a 0.18-mum CMOS process, which can support 24.26 Mbps at 200 MHz.