Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual-Band Dual Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antenna With Two Eccentric Rings and an Arc-Shaped Conducting Strip

In this letter, a novel low-profile dual-band and dual circularly polarized (CP) microstrip antenna is proposed. The antenna consists of two circular eccentric rings (CECRs) with different sizes. The two eccentric rings each work as a single-band circular polarization radiator and are simultaneously excited by an arc-shaped strip. A lumped equivalent circuit model is developed to analyze the operation mechanism of the antenna. In order to simplify the design procedure, empirical formulas are derived based on the physical parameters of the antenna. The proposed structure has been examined by both simulation and experiment, and both results agree very well.
Performance prediction of noncoherent detector for independent and nonidentically distributed NCG fluctuating targets

We address the performance prediction of the noncoherent detector (i.e., squared-law plus integrator) for independent but possibly nonidentically distributed (non-id) noncentral Gamma (NCG) fluctuating target model, which is more general and can describe more complex targets. Initially, we obtain the probability density function (pdf) of the sum of independent and non-id NCG random variables in terms of an infinite sum of Gamma pdfs. Furthermore, we develop an analytic expression of the detection probability in terms of converging series based on the generalized Marcum Q function. Finally, at the analysis stage, we first study the truncation error of the derived expression and then evaluate the impacts on the detection performance of the target fluctuating parameters via numerical simulations.
IN-PLANE SHEAR AND OUT-OF-PLANE BENDING CAPACITY INTERACTION IN BRICK MASONRY WALLS

Under seismic loading a wall is subjected to simultaneous in-plane and out-of-plane actions. Numerous research to-date have considered the separate effects of these two actions. In this paper, the results of a series of tests with different levels of simultaneous in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending loadings on brick walls are presented. The tests results indicate noticeable interaction between the in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending strengths of brick walls. The interaction curve appears to follow a circular trend. A simple analytical approach is also presented for evaluating the in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending interaction curve for unreinforced brick walls.
Transcriptional regulation of the virA and virG genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

We have used transcriptional and translational fusions between various vir gene promoters and the lacZ gene to study the regulation of vir genes. Like other vir promoters, the virA promoter was induced by acetosyringone in a virA virG-dependent fashion. In addition to being induced by acetosyringone, the virG promoter was partially induced by acidic growth conditions and by starvation for inorganic phosphate. These two conditions appeared to act synergistically. The response to low pH and to phosphate starvation occurred in the absence of the Ti plasmid and must therefore have been mediated by chromosomal genes. Two transposon-generated mutations were obtained which attenuated induction by low pH. One of these transposons was cloned along with flanking DNA; the flanking DNA was sequenced (858 base pairs total), and the predicted amino acid sequence showed homology with a family of proteins including the Rhizobium leguminosarum nodI gene, many of whose members bind ATP and have been implicated in active transport systems. These results are discussed as possible explanations for previous observations that the induction of the octopine vir regulon (i) occurs only in acidic media and (ii) shows hyperbolic kinetics after a long lag phase.
Over-Expression of Human Lipoprotein Lipase in Mouse Mammary Glands Leads to Reduction of Milk Triglyceride and Delayed Growth of Suckling Pups

Background The mammary gland is a conserved site of lipoprotein lipase expression across species and lipoprotein lipase attachment to the luminal surface of mammary gland vascular endothelial cells has been implicated in the direction of circulating triglycerides into milk synthesis during lactation. Principal Findings Here we report generation of transgenic mice harboring a human lipoprotein lipase gene driven by a mammary gland-specific promoter. Lipoprotein lipase levels in transgenic milk was raised to 0.16 mg/ml, corresponding to an activity of 8772.95 mU/ml. High lipoprotein lipase activity led to a significant reduction of triglyceride concentration in milk, but other components were largely unchanged. Normal pups fed with transgenic milk showed inferior growth performances compared to those fed with normal milk. Conclusion Our study suggests a possibility to reduce the triglyceride content of cow milk using transgenic technology.
Bi-Directional Effect of Cholecystokinin Receptor-2 Overexpression on Stress-Triggered Fear Memory and Anxiety in the Mouse

Fear, an emotional response of animals to environmental stress/threats, plays an important role in initiating and driving adaptive response, by which the homeostasis in the body is maintained. Overwhelming/uncontrollable fear, however, represents a core symptom of anxiety disorders, and may disturb the homeostasis. Because to recall or imagine certain cue(s) of stress/threats is a compulsory inducer for the expression of anxiety, it is generally believed that the pathogenesis of anxiety is associated with higher attention (acquisition) selectively to stress or mal-enhanced fear memory, despite that the actual relationship between fear memory and anxiety is not yet really established. In this study, inducible forebrain-specific cholecystokinin receptor-2 transgenic (IF-CCKR-2 tg) mice, different stress paradigms, batteries of behavioral tests, and biochemical assays were used to evaluate how different CCKergic activities drive fear behavior and hormonal reaction in response to stresses with different intensities. We found that in IF-CCKR-2 tg mice, contextual fear was impaired following 1 trial of footshock, while overall fear behavior was enhanced following 36 trials of footshock, compared to their littermate controls. In contrast to a standard Yerkes-Dodson (inverted-U shaped) stress-fear relationship in control mice, a linearized stress-fear curve was observed in CCKR-2 tg mice following gradient stresses. Moreover, compared to 1 trial, 36 trials of footshock in these transgenic mice enhanced anxiety-like behavior in other behavioral tests, impaired spatial and recognition memories, and prolonged the activation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and glucocorticoids (CORT) following new acute stress. Taken together, these results indicate that stress may trigger two distinctive neurobehavioral systems, depending on both of the intensity of stress and the CCKergic tone in the brain. A “threshold theory” for this two-behavior system has been suggested.
Peroxisomal polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis is a promising strategy for bioplastic production in high biomass crops.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bacterial carbon storage polymers with diverse plastic-like properties. PHA biosynthesis in transgenic plants is being developed as a way to reduce the cost and increase the sustainability of industrial PHA production. The homopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the simplest form of these biodegradable polyesters. Plant peroxisomes contain the substrate molecules and necessary reducing power for PHB biosynthesis, but peroxisomal PHB production has not been explored in whole soil-grown transgenic plants to date. We generated transgenic sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) with the three-enzyme Ralstonia eutropha PHA biosynthetic pathway targeted to peroxisomes. We also introduced the pathway into Arabidopsis thaliana, as a model system for studying and manipulating peroxisomal PHB production. PHB, at levels up to 1.6%-1.8% dry weight, accumulated in sugarcane leaves and A. thaliana seedlings, respectively. In sugarcane, PHB accumulated throughout most leaf cell types in both peroxisomes and vacuoles. A small percentage of total polymer was also identified as the copolymer poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) in both plant species. No obvious deleterious effect was observed on plant growth because of peroxisomal PHA biosynthesis at these levels. This study highlights how using peroxisomal metabolism for PHA biosynthesis could significantly contribute to reaching commercial production levels of PHAs in crop plants.
Cultural Archipelagos: New Directions in the Study of Sexuality and Space

Research on sexuality and space makes assumptions about spatial singularity: Across the landscape of different neighborhoods in the city, there is one, and apparently only one, called the gayborhood. This assumption, rooted in an enclave epistemology and theoretical models that are based on immigrant migration patterns, creates blind spots in our knowledge about urban sexualities. I propose an alternative conceptual framework that emphasizes spatial plurality. Drawing on the location patterns of lesbians, transgender individuals, same–sex families with children, and people of color, I show that cities cultivate “cultural archipelagos” in response to the geo–sexual complexities that arise from within–group heterogeneity. Rather than inducing spatially singular or scholastic outcomes, as some scholarship predicts, subgroup variations produce diverse yet distinct types of queer spaces. The analytic frame of cultural archipelagos suggests more generally that we cannot categorize urban or social worlds using simple binaries such as “the gayborhood” versus all other undifferentiated straight spaces. Thinking in terms of plurality provides a more generative approach to advance the study of sexuality and space.
Reporting of the incidence of hospitalised injuries: numerator issues

Objectives: To examine and discuss the implications on the incidence of hospitalised injuries of selecting cases from principal diagnosis field only compared with considering all diagnosis fields, the inclusion compared with the exclusion of medical injuries, and the impact of identifying multiple admissions. Methods: Analysis of data from the 1999–2000 New South Wales Inpatient Statistics Collection, Australia, including an internal linkage of the same dataset. Results: Approximately 27.5% of records with a non-injury primary diagnosis include a nature of injury diagnosis in a subsequent diagnostic field. This figure increased to more than half (53%) of discharges for medical injuries. The internal linkage showed that 6.5% of discharges were repeat admissions for the same International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) injury code and that 13.8% were repeat admissions for any ICD-10 injury code. The proportions of repeat admissions varied according to the type and the mechanism of injury. Conclusions: Selecting hospitalised injury cases from the principal diagnosis alone would underestimate medical injury cases as well as other injuries occurring in hospital. Repeat admissions should always be considered particularly in the case of thermal injuries, self harm, and medical injuries. Due to the limitations of data linkage, alternative methods need to be developed to identify repeat admissions. Other areas in which further research would be beneficial to a more uniform reporting of injury hospitalisations include better identification of injuries occurring in hospital, a review of ICD-10 injury codes, and the development an ICD-10 based severity measure which can be readily used with hospital discharge data.
Development of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer after neoadjuvant paclitaxel chemotherapy.

PURPOSE Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer creates new possibilities for the analysis of biological factors in the tumor and/or host, which may play a role in the response to treatment. In this study we analyzed whether changes in local antitumor immunity take place after neoadjuvant paclitaxel therapy and if they correlate with response to treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (paclitaxel, 200 mg/m2 q2w, 4 treatments) was followed by definitive surgical management. Histological sections from the pre- and post-treatment surgical specimens of 25 patients were analyzed for the extent of lymphocytic infiltration and presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The cumulative apoptotic response in the tumor after the first dose of paclitaxel was also studied in 10 of 25 patients. RESULTS Pretreatment lymphocytic infiltrate in the tumor was minimal in the majority of patients and showed no relationship with clinical response. In the patients without TILs before treatment, development of TILs after treatment was noted in 0/3 (0%) patients with stable disease, 3/12 (25%) patients with clinical partial response, and 4/6 (67%) patients with clinical complete response and pathological residual disease. These correlated with the tumor cell apoptotic response to the first dose of paclitaxel. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that development of TILs after treatment correlates with clinical response to neoadjuvant paclitaxel therapy. The possible mechanism(s) whereby neoadjuvant chemotherapy may lead to induction of antitumor T cells is discussed. Immunological processes may influence the response of breast cancer patients to neoadjuvant treatment.
Serine-910 phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase is critical for sarcomere reorganization in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

AIMS Tyrosine-phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is required for the hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes to growth factors and mechanical load, but the role of FAK serine phosphorylation in this process is unknown. The aims of the present study were to characterize FAK serine phosphorylation in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM), analyse its functional significance during hypertrophic signalling, and examine its potential role in the pathogenesis of human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS AND RESULTS Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and other hypertrophic factors induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in FAK-S910 phosphorylation. ET-1-induced FAK-S910 phosphorylation required ET(A)R-dependent activation of PKCδ and Src via parallel Raf-1 → MEK1/2 → ERK1/2 and MEK5 → ERK5 signalling pathways. Replication-deficient adenoviruses expressing wild-type (WT) FAK and a non-phosphorylatable, S910A-FAK mutant were then used to examine the functional significance of FAK-S910 phosphorylation. Unlike WT-FAK, S910A-FAK increased the half-life of GFP-tagged paxillin within costameres (as determined by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) and increased the steady-state FAK-paxillin interaction (as determined by co-immunoprecipitation and western blotting). These alterations resulted in reduced NRVM sarcomere reorganization and cell spreading. Finally, we found that FAK was serine-phosphorylated at multiple sites in non-failing, human left ventricular tissue. FAK-S910 phosphorylation and ERK5 expression were dramatically reduced in patients undergoing heart transplantation for end-stage DCM. CONCLUSION FAK undergoes S910 phosphorylation via PKCδ and Src-dependent pathways that are important for cell spreading and sarcomere reorganization. Reduced FAK-S910 phosphorylation may contribute to sarcomere disorganization in DCM.
Lateral Squats Significantly Decrease Sprint Time in Collegiate Baseball Athletes

The purpose was to examine the effect of prior performance of dumbbell lateral squats (DBLS) on an agility movement-into-a-sprint (AMS) test. Twelve collegiate, resistance-trained, baseball athletes participated in three sessions separated by three days. Session One consisted of AMS baseline test, DBLS 5-RM test, and experimental protocol familiarization. Subjects were randomly assigned the protocol order for Sessions Two and Three, which consisted of warm up followed by 1-min sitting (no-DBLS) or performing the DBLS for 1 × 5 repetitions @ 5RM for each leg. Four minutes of slow recovery walking preceded the AMS test, which consisted of leading off a base and waiting for a visual stimulus. In reaction to stimulus, subjects exerted maximal effort while moving to the right by either pivoting or drop stepping and sprinting for 10 yards (yd). In Session Three, subjects switched protocols (DBLS, no-DBLS). Foot contact time (FCT), stride frequency (SF), stride length (SL), and 10-yd sprint time were measured. There were no differences between conditions for FCT, SF, or SL. Differences existed between DBLS (1.85 ± 0.09 s) and no-DBLS (1.89 ± 0.10 s) for AMS (p = 0.03). Results from the current study support the use of DBLS for performance enhancement prior to performing the AMS test.
Deficient interleukin‐10 production by neonatal T cells does not explain their ineffectiveness at promoting neonatal B cell differentiation

Neonatal T cells are poor promoters of Ig secretion by neonatal B cells. Since IL‐10 has been shown to play a role in B cell differentiation, we investigated the relationship of IL‐10 production by neonatal T cells and their ability to provide B cell help. Neonatal CD4+(CD8−) T cells and adult naive CD4+ (CD8− / CD45RO−) T cells activated with immobilized anti‐CD3 produced consistently less IL‐10 than adult memory CD4+(CD8− / CD45RA−) T cells. Production of IL‐10 by adult and neonatal T cells was dependent on IL‐2, but was unaffected by supplemental IL‐4. Despite diminished IL‐10 production, supplemental IL‐10 increased neonatal T cell‐dependent Ig secretion only modestly, but did not increase Ig heavy chain isotype switching. This contrasted with the ability of IL‐10 to enhance the secretion of all Ig isotypes by adult B cells stimulated in the presence of either IL‐2 or IL‐4. These results suggest that IL‐10 can promote T cell‐dependent Ig secretion but not Ig heavy chain isotype switching by neonatal B cells. However, deficient IL‐10 production alone does not account for the poor ability of neonatal T cells to support neonatal B cell Ig production.
Vitamin D analogs in the treatment of psoriasis

Vitamin D and analogs exert in the skin and other tissues potent effects on cellular differentiation and proliferation. Moreover, these compounds regulate apoptosis and exert immunomodulatory effects. During the last decades, it has convincingly been shown that vitamin D compounds are effective and safe in the topical treatment of psoriasis, where they nowadays represent a standard therapy. This review summarizes laboratory and clinical investigations related to the treatment of psoriasis with calcitriol or analogs. Additionally, promising concepts for the development of new vitamin D analogs are discussed. As a matter of fact, the final goal to create strong antiproliferative or antiinflammatory acting vitamin D analogs that exert only minor calcemic activity has not been reached until today. New agents that may activate selective vitamin D signalling pathways but may exert only negligible calcemic activity would declare a new era in dermatologic therapy and may also be effective in the topical or systemic treatment of various inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis and in various cutaneous malignancies, including lymphomas, squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma.
The Role of Political Agreement and Disagreement of News and Political Discussion on Social Media for Political Participation

This study investigates the mobilizing function of political agreement and disagreement in communition mediated by social media. Analyses of a survey found that reception of news consistent with individual political predispositions through social networking sites (SNS) positively related to political participation, whereas reception of counterattitudinal news was unrelated. Similarly, SNSbased discussion with politically agreeing others predicted political participation, whereas discussion with disagreeing people did not contribute to participation. Moreover, attitude-consistent news reception and agreement in political discussion had interactive influences, as the effects of attitude-consistent news on participation become stronger with increases in discussion with agreement. The results suggest that the mobilizing effects of social media mainly work through political agreement rather than disagreement in communication.
Representing and Discovering Adversarial Team Behaviors Using Player Roles

In this paper, we describe a method to represent and discover adversarial group behavior in a continuous domain. In comparison to other types of behavior, adversarial behavior is heavily structured as the location of a player (or agent) is dependent both on their teammates and adversaries, in addition to the tactics or strategies of the team. We present a method which can exploit this relationship through the use of a spatiotemporal basis model. As players constantly change roles during a match, we show that employing a "role-based" representation instead of one based on player "identity" can best exploit the playing structure. As vision-based systems currently do not provide perfect detection/tracking (e.g. missed or false detections), we show that our compact representation can effectively "denoise" erroneous detections as well as enabling temporal analysis, which was previously prohibitive due to the dimensionality of the signal. To evaluate our approach, we used a fully instrumented field-hockey pitch with 8 fixed high-definition (HD) cameras and evaluated our approach on approximately 200,000 frames of data from a state-of-the-art real-time player detector and compare it to manually labelled data.
International Journal of Web Information Systems Roles of interactivity and usage experience in e-learning acceptance : a longitudinal study

Purpose – This study’s purposes were to longitudinally examine how interactivity factors as the antecedents to learner beliefs affected learners’ intention to use the e-learning system and explore whether the effects on learners’ usage intention of the e-learning system would change over time with increasing learners’ usage experience of the system. Design/methodology/approach – This study gathered sample data from students at a comprehensive university in Taiwan. The sample data were collected in a two-stage survey and were analyzed by using the longitudinal methodology. A total of 252 students agreed to participate in this study, and 225 students effectively participated in both data collections, with a usable response rate of 89.29 percent. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modelling and multiple group analysis. Findings – Interactivity factors (controllability, responsiveness, two-way communication, and personalization) indirectly affected students’ intention to use the e-learning system via the extrinsic motivators (perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU)) and intrinsic motivator (perceived enjoyment (PE)). Besides, students’ experience in using the e-learning system moderated the effects of PU, PEOU, and PE on intention to use the system. Originality/value – Based on the extended technology acceptance model, the empirical evidence on capturing both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for completely explaining interactivity antecedents of learners’ e-learning acceptance is well documented in this study. Besides, it should be noted that this study contributes significantly to the body of research on evaluating whether the effects of learners’ beliefs on their usage intention of the e-learning system may change over time with increasing experience in using the system.