Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FPC Antennas : C-band point-to-point communication systems.

A high-gain wide-band Fabry-Perot cavity (FPC) antenna is presented for C-band point-to-point communication systems. The proposed antenna utilizes a broadband aperture-coupled microstrip antenna (ACMA) as the source and multilayer frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs) as the superstrate. The experimental result shows that the proposed antenna achieves an impedance band from 4 to 5.4 GHz (30%) for S11 ≤ -10 dB. The wide band is obtained through the merging of different resonance frequencies due to the patch, the coupling aperture, and the superstrate layer. The antenna also facilitates an enhanced broadside gain up to 14.2 dBi at 4.8 GHz with variations of less than 4 dB throughout the operating band by loading three layers of FSS superstrate. Furthermore, a parametric study is performed to provide antenna engineers with information about the design.
Dual cholesterol inhibition with ezetimibe/simvastatin in pre-treated hypercholesterolaemic patients with coronary heart disease or diabetes mellitus: prospective observational cohort studies in clinical practice

ABSTRACT Objective: Patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia and concomitant coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or diabetes mellitus (DM), who are at particularly high risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke or myocardial infarction, benefit from aggressive lipid lowering strategies. The present studies investigated the incremental efficacy and safety of dual cholesterol inhibition with ezetimibe/simvastatin in such high-risk patients pre-treated with statins but not reaching the 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) low density cholesterol (LDL‑C) cholesterol threshold in the primary care setting. Methods: Two open-label, prospective, non-randomised, observational studies (study 1 with n = 19 194 patients, predominantly with CHD; study 2 with n = 19 484 patients, predominantly with DM). Patients received – almost all after statin pre-treatment – ezetimibe 10 mg plus simvastatin 10 mg (study 1: 15%, study 2: 16%), 20 mg (in 68% each), 40 mg (12%/10%) or 80 mg (1%/1%) as fixed dose combinations over 3 months (dosage at investigator's discretion). Results: Mean LDL-C was reduced by 28%/27% (study 1/ study 2) compared with baseline values (on statin monotherapy). Mean total cholesterol was decreased by 22% in each study, mean triglycerides by 16/17%, and mean high density cholesterol (HDL‑C) was increased by 9/10%. Adverse events were reported in 0.3% and 0.2% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Dual cholesterol inhibition with ezetimibe/simvastatin was effective and well tolerated under real practice conditions in high-risk patients with CHD and/or DM.
A Multi-category Approach to Modeling Consumer Preference Evolution : The Case of Sporting Goods

In this research we examine how consumers' brand preferences and price sensitivities evolve as their levels of experience increase in outdoor sports gear categories. Using a Hidden Markov modeling framework, we investigate how consumers evolve along discrete latent states that represent their experience and knowledge levels, and how this corresponds to changes in preference parameters. In our empirical estimation and evaluation of the model we utilize customer membership data from a large outdoor and sporting goods retailer. Existing single-category Hidden Markov approaches require a rich purchase history and do not work well for the types of durable product categories in an area such as sport climbing, as typical customers make relatively few purchases in any single category, even over long periods of time. For this reason we use a multi-category framework in which unobservable experience levels are inferred by leveraging information from multiple categories. Using a Hierarchical Bayes estimation, we account for initial consumer heterogeneity as customers first take up the sport at different skill levels. This also allows us to account for consumer heterogeneity in transition probabilities as customers accumulate experience and knowledge at different rates. We model the latent states to follow a Markov chain with a transition probability matrix that is specific to individual customers, and is a function of their cumulative purchases in each category. Thus, we are able to identify the typical brand(s) purchased by customers at different stages of their experience. We find empirical evidence that customers who are beginners or are new to sport climbing will prefer certain brands while customers who have more experience or knowledge of the sport will prefer other brands. The multi-category approach allows us to determine which product category is most indicative of a stage of a consumer's evolution.
Approximation Algorithms for Non-Uniform Buy-at-Bulk Network Design

We consider approximation algorithms for non-uniform buy-at-bulk network design problems. The first non-trivial approximation algorithm for this problem is due to Charikar and Karagiozova (STOC 05); for an instance on h pairs their algorithm has an approximation guarantee of exp(O(radic(log h log log h)))for the uniform-demand case, and log D middot exp(O(radic(log h log log h))) for the general demand case, where D is the total demand. We improve upon this result, by presenting the first poly-logarithmic approximation for this problem. The ratio we obtain is O(log3 h middot min{log D, gamma(h2)}) where his the number of pairs and gamma(n) is the worst case distortion in embedding the metric induced by a n vertex graph into a distribution over its spanning trees. Using the best known upper bound on gamma(n) we obtain an O(min{log3 h middot log D, log5 h log log h}) ratio approximation. We also give poly-logarithmic approximations for some variants of the single-source problem that we need for the multicommodity problem
Trace element geochemistry and Nd-Sr isotope systematics of Scheelite from the Thunder Creek and 144 Gap deposits, Timmins, Ontario: implications for timing and genesis of gold

The age of the youngest gold event at the Timmins West Mine is unknown. Scheelite geochemistry and geochronology at the TWM were constrained using WDS and EDS mapping, LA-ICPMS and MC-ICPMS analytical techniques. Trace element analyses by LA-ICPMS revealed scheelites mineralized from a common and oxidized fluid. Samarium-Neodymium isotopic analyses of 15 scheelite grains yielded a linear regression isochron with a corresponding age of 2587  49 Ma (MSWD = 2.5) and εNdi, calculated from CHUR, of 1.01 ± 0.11 (2SD). A second internal isochron from a single scheelite grain yielded an age of 2516  88 Ma (MSWD = 0.64). Strontium isotopic compositions of scheelites have Sr/Sri at 2.6 Ga varying from 0.70116 to 0.70178, corresponding to εSri, calculated from CHUR, of -0.05 ± 3.97 (2SD). Scheelite formation, and possibly gold, at the TWM was late compared to magmatic intrusions in the southern Abitibi.
Recognizing Hand-written Digits Using Hierarchical Products of Experts

The product of experts learning procedure [1] can discover a set of stochastic binary features that constitute a non-linear generative model of handwritten images of digits. The quality of generative models learned in this way can be assessed by learning a separate model for each class of digit and then comparing the unnormalized probabilities of test images under the 10 different class-specific models. To improve discriminative performance, it is helpful to learn a hierarchy of separate models for each digit class. Each model in the hierarchy has one layer of hidden units and the nth level model is trained on data that consists of the activities of the hidden units in the already trained (n - 1)th level model. After training, each level produces a separate, unnormalized log probabilty score. With a three-level hierarchy for each of the 10 digit classes, a test image produces 30 scores which can be used as inputs to a supervised, logistic classification network that is trained on separate data. On the MNIST database, our system is comparable with current state-of-the-art discriminative methods, demonstrating that the product of experts learning procedure can produce effective generative models of high-dimensional data.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Antagonists Decrease Na+ Transport via the Epithelial Na+ Channel

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is believed to represent the rate-limiting step for sodium absorption in the renal collecting duct. Consequently, ENaC is a central effector affecting systemic blood volume and pressure. Sodium and water transport are dysregulated in diabetes mellitus. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonists are currently used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, although their use remains limited by fluid retention. The effects of PPARγ agonists on ENaC activity remain controversial. Although PPARγ agonists were shown to stimulate ENaC-mediated renal salt absorption, probably via the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1, other studies reported that the PPARγ agonist-induced fluid retention is independent of ENaC activity. Here we confirmed that four chemically distinct PPARγ agonists [pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, troglitazone, and 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (PGJ2)] do not enhance Na+ transport in cultured renal collecting duct principal mpkCCDc14 cells, as assessed by short-circuit current measurements. However, the PPARγ antagonist 2-chloro-5-nitro-N-4-pyridinyl-benzamide (T0070907), and to a lesser extent 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzanilide (GW9662), were found to decrease Na+ reabsorption across mpkCCDc14 cell layers. Furthermore, pretreatment of monolayers with T0070907 diminished the insulin-stimulated sodium transport. PPARγ agonist PGJ2 did not enhance insulin-stimulated Na+ flux via ENaC. We also show that PPARγ enhances ENaC activity when all three subunits are reconstituted in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. GW9662 inhibits ENaC activity when ENaC subunits are coexpressed in CHO cells with PPARγ. In contrast, rosiglitazone has no effect on ENaC activity. We conclude that PPARγ activity is important for maintaining basal and insulin-dependent transepithelial Na+ transport and ENaC activity.
Everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds for treatment of patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: BVS STEMI first study.

AIMS We evaluated the feasibility and the acute performance of the everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) for the treatment of patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS AND RESULTS The present investigation is a prospective, single-arm, single-centre study, reporting data after the BVS implantation in STEMI patients. Quantitative coronary angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data were evaluated. Clinical outcomes are reported at the 30-day follow-up. The intent-to-treat population comprises a total of 49 patients. The procedural success was 97.9%. Pre-procedure TIMI-flow was 0 in 50.0% of the patients; after the BVS implantation, a TIMI-flow III was achieved in 91.7% of patients and the post-procedure percentage diameter stenosis was 14.7 ± 8.2%. No patients had angiographically visible residual thrombus at the end of the procedure. Optical coherence tomography analysis performed in 31 patients showed that the post-procedure mean lumen area was 8.02 ± 1.92 mm(2), minimum lumen area 5.95 ± 1.61 mm(2), mean incomplete scaffold apposition area 0.118 ± 0.162 mm(2), mean intraluminal defect area 0.013 ± 0.017 mm(2), and mean percentage malapposed struts per patient 2.80 ± 3.90%. Scaffolds with >5% malapposed struts were 7. At the 30-day follow-up, target-lesion failure rate was 0%. Non-target-vessel revascularization and target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI) were reported. A non-target-vessel non-Q-wave MI occurred. No cases of cardiac death or scaffold thrombosis were observed. CONCLUSION In the present series, the BVS implantation in patients presenting with acute MI appeared feasible, with high rate of final TIMI-flow III and good scaffold apposition. Larger studies are currently needed to confirm these preliminary data.
Selective Radiofrequency Ablation of the Slow Pathway for the Treatment of Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia: Evidence for Involvement of Perinodal Myocardium Within the Reentrant Circuit

BackgroundThe circuit of atrioventricular (AV) nodal reentrant tachycardia may include perinodal atrial myocardium. Furthermore, in patients with dual AV nodal pathways, the atrial insertion of the slow pathway is likely to be located near the ostium of the coronary sinus, caudal to the expected location of the AV node. The present study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective catheter ablation of the slow pathway using radiofrequency energy applied along the tricuspid annulus near the coronary sinus ostium as definitive therapy for AV nodal reentrant tachycardia. Methods and ResultsAmong 34 consecutive patients who were prospectively enrolled in the study, the slow pathway was selectively ablated in 30, and the fast pathway was ablated in four. Antegrade conduction over the fast pathway remained intact in all 30 patients after successful selective slow pathway ablation. There was no statistically significant change in the atrio-His interval (68.5±21.8 msec before and 69.6±23.9 msec after ablation) or AV Wenckebach rate (167±27 beats per minute before and 178±50 beats per minute after ablation) after selective ablation of the slow pathway. However, the antegrade effective refractory period of the fast pathway decreased from 348±94 msec before ablation to 309±79 msec after selective slow pathway ablation (p = 0.005). Retrograde conduction remained intact in 26 of 30 patients after selective ablation of the slow pathway. The retrograde refractory period of the ventriculoatrial conduction system was 285±55 msec before and 280±52 msec after slow pathway ablation in patients with intact retrograde conduction (p = NS). There were three complications in two patients, including an episode of pulmonary edema and the development of spontaneous AV Wenckebach block during sleep in one patient after slow pathway ablation and the late development of complete AV block in another patient after fast pathway ablation. Over a mean follow-up period of 322±73 days, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia recurred in three patients, all of whom were successfully treated in a second ablation session. ConclusionsRadiofrequency ablation of the slow AV pathway is highly effective and is associated with low rate of complications.
THE FIRST RESULTS OF Y-DNA HAPLOGROUP TESTING FOR A MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN BURIAL OF THE 16TH – 17TH CENTURIES IN RADONEZH (MOSCOW AREA)

This paper reports about the result of defining Y-DNA haplogroup for a medieval Russian man, whose remains were excavated in Radonezh area. The burial is dated by the 16th – 17th centuries, which was the periods of Russian Tsardom and the Time of Troubles. Radonezh was the centre of the Orthodox Church. The paper describes the burials, genotyping method, and the results. The obtained Y-DNA haplogroup is R1a1, typical for the Slavic population of Russia.
Consciousness: Natural and Artificial

Based on results from evolutionary psychology, we discuss important functions that can be served by consciousness in autonomous robots. These include deliberately controlled action, conscious awareness, self-awareness, metacognition, and ego consciousness. We distinguish intrinsic intentionality from consciousness, but argue it is also important to understanding robot cognition. Finally, we explore the Hard Problem for robots (i.e., whether they can experience subjective awareness) from the perspective of the theory of protophenomena.
INTERNATIONAL PRICE SIGNALS IN AGRICULTURAL MARKETS : DO GOVERNMENTS CARE ?

Widespread international price signals. Based on information from 78 countries over the 1966-1991 period, domestic markets. Unlike previous findings, we conclude that in 60 countries price transmission takes place. A dynamic maximization model shows these results to be consistent with policy makers following international price signals. Results have implications for price instability in world
Up-front and Salvage Transoral Robotic Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer: A Belgian Multicenter Retrospective Case Series

Introduction/aim We analyzed the functional and oncologic outcomes of primary and salvage transoral robotic surgery (TORS) procedures, performed in three Belgian institutions with a similar philosophy. Patients and methods A total of 86 patients who underwent TORS between 24-12-2009 and 25-09-2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive statistics, overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS; Kaplan–Meier), and the variation of these outcomes according to whether patients had primary or salvage TORS were evaluated (univariate log-rank analysis). Results Of 86 patients, 56 (65.1%) underwent TORS as a primary treatment and 30 (34.9%) as a salvage procedure for recurrent or second primary cancer. Tumor location was mainly oropharynx (N = 63; 73.3%) followed by supraglottic larynx (N = 11; 12.8%), hypopharynx (N = 11; 12.8%), and glottic larynx (N = 1; 1.2%). In the up-front TORS group, most tumors were classified as cT1 (N = 23; 41.1%)/pT1 (N = 24; 42.9%) or cT2 (N = 27; 48.2%)/pT2 (N = 27; 48.2%) and cN0 (N = 18; 32.1%), cN1 (N = 13; 23.2%), or cN2 (N = 25; 44.6%). In the salvage TORS group, most tumors were cT1-rT1 (N = 18; 60.0%)/pT1-rpT1 (N = 18; 60.0%) or cT2-rT2 (N = 12; 40.0%)/pT2-rpT2 (N = 7; 23.3%) and cN0 (N = 25; 83.3%). Neck dissection was performed in 87.5% of primary cases and 30.0% of salvage cases. In the up-front TORS group, patients were postoperatively submitted to follow-up (N = 13; 23.2%) or received adjuvant radiotherapy, either as single modality (N = 26; 46.4%) or with concomitant cisplatin (N = 15; 26.8%). On the other hand, most salvage TORS patients did not receive any adjuvant therapy (N = 19; 63.3%). Mean and median follow-up was 23.1 and 21.2 months, respectively. Functional results were excellent (no definitive tracheostomy, long-term tube feeding in 1.8% of primary cases, and 20% of salvage cases). In the up-front TORS group, estimated 2-year OS was 88.5% (SE = 5.0%), 2-year DSS was 91.8% (SE = 4.6%) and 2-year DFS was 86.1% (SE = 5.3%). In the salvage TORS group, estimated 2-year OS was 73.5% (SE = 10.9%), 2-year DSS was 93.3% (SE = 6.4%), and 2-year DFS was 75.8% (SE = 9.7%). Comparing outcome of primarily treated patients to salvage patients, a non-statistically significant trend toward better OS (p = 0.262) and DFS (p = 0.139) was observed. Conclusion This retrospective study confirms favorable oncologic and functional outcomes of TORS for selected head and neck malignancies, both in the primary and in the salvage setting.
Fatty acid synthase is up‐regulated during hepatitis C virus infection and regulates hepatitis C virus entry and production

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen that causes serious illness, including acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Using a mass spectrometry–based proteomics approach, we have identified 175 proteins from a cell culture supernatant fraction containing the HCV genotype 2a (JFH1) virus, among which fatty acid synthase (FASN), the multifunctional enzyme catalyzing the de novo synthesis of fatty acids, was confirmed to be highly enriched. Subsequent studies showed that FASN expression increased in the human hepatoma cell line, Huh7, or its derivative, upon HCV infection. Blocking FASN activity by C75, a pharmacological FASN inhibitor, led to decreased HCV production. Reduction of FASN by RNA interference suppressed viral replication in both replicon and infection systems. Remarkably, FASN appeared to be selectively required for the expression of claudin‐1, a tight junction protein that was recently identified as an entry coreceptor for HCV, but not for the expression of another HCV coreceptor, CD81. The decrease in Claudin‐1 expression resulting from FASN inhibition was accompanied by a decrease in transepithelial electric resistance of Huh7 cells, implying a reduction in the relative tightness of the cell monolayer. Consequently, the entry of human immunodeficiency virus–HCV pseudotypes was significantly inhibited in C75‐treated Huh7 cells. Conclusion: As far as we know, this is the first line of evidence that demonstrates that HCV infection directly induces FASN expression, and thus suggests a possible mechanism by which HCV infection alters the cellular lipid profile and causes diseases such as steatosis. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Scale Effects of Footings on Geocell Reinforced Sand Using Large-Scale Tests

The scale effect on bearing capacity of shallow footings supported by unreinforced granular soils has been evaluated extensively. However, the subject has not been addressed for shallow footings on geocell-reinforced granular soils. In this study, load-settlement characteristic of large square footings is investigated by performing large-scale loading tests on unreinforced and geocell-reinforced granular soils. The effects of footing width (B), soil relative density of soil (D r ), and reinforcement depth (u) have been investigated. The test results show that the scale effects exist in geocell-reinforced soils, like unreinforced soils, and the behavior of small-scale models of footings cannot be directly related to the behavior of full-scale footings due to the difference between initial conditions of tests and the initial state of mean stresses in the soil beneath the footings having different dimensions. Large footings create higher mean stresses in the soil, resulting in low soil friction angle and initial conditions of the test approach to the critical state lines. The results of tests indicate that model experiments should be conducted on low-density soil for better prediction of the behavior of full-scale footings, otherwise, the predicted behavior of full-scale footings does not seem conservative.
The Transport of Sugars to Developing Embryos Is Not via the Bulk Endosperm in Oilseed Rape Seeds1[W][OA]

The fate of sucrose (Suc) supplied via the phloem to developing oilseed rape (Brassica napus) seeds has been investigated by supplying [14C]Suc to pedicels of detached, developing siliques. The method gives high, sustained rates of lipid synthesis in developing embryos within the silique comparable with those on the intact plant. At very early developmental stages (3 d after anthesis), the liquid fraction that occupies most of the interior of the seed has a very high hexose-to-Suc ratio and [14C]Suc entering the seeds is rapidly converted to hexoses. Between 3 and 12 d after anthesis, the hexose-to-Suc ratio of the liquid fraction of the seed remains high, but the fraction of [14C]Suc converted to hexose falls dramatically. Instead, most of the [14C]Suc entering the seed is rapidly converted to products in the growing embryo. These data, together with light and nuclear magnetic resonance microscopy, reveal complex compartmentation of sugar metabolism and transport within the seed during development. The bulk of the sugar in the liquid fraction of the seed is probably contained within the central vacuole of the endosperm. This sugar is not in contact with the embryo and is not on the path taken by carbon from the phloem to the embryo. These findings have important implications for the sugar switch model of embryo development and for understanding the relationship between the embryo and the surrounding endosperm.