Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROCESSING STRATEGIES FOR PHASE UNWRAPPING FOR INSAR APPLICATIONS

One of the most challenging aspects in the successful application of SAR interferometry (INSAR) is unwrapping the interferometric phase. The difficulties arise in attempting to find global optimization procedures with the best possible cost criteria for data that are both noisy and incomplete. Recent progress in this problem includes introduction of network flow optimization, and the use of triangular irregular networks for sparse data. Interferograms differ greatly in the difficulty to unwrap depending on the interferogram fringe complexity and correlation. We examine the characteristics of these types and present phase unwrapping strategies for each of these.
Major dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to adulthood. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Studies on the impact of single nutrients on the risk of CVD have often given inconclusive results. Recent research on dietary patterns has offered promising information on the effects of diet as a whole on the risk of CVD. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study is an ongoing, prospective cohort study with a 21-year follow-up to date. The subjects were children and adolescents at baseline (3–18 years, n 1768) and adults at the latest follow-up study (24–39 years, n 1037). We investigated the associations between two major dietary patterns and several risk factors for CVD. In longitudinal analyses with repeated measurements, using multivariate mixed linear regression models, the traditional dietary pattern (characterised by high consumption of rye, potatoes, butter, sausages, milk and coffee) was independently associated with total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, apolipoprotein B and C-reactive protein concentrations among both genders, and also with systolic blood pressure and insulin levels among women and concentrations of homocysteine among men (P < 0·05 for all). A dietary pattern reflecting more health-conscious food choices (such as high consumption of vegetables, legumes and nuts, tea, rye, cheese and other dairy products, and alcoholic beverages) was inversely, but less strongly associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Our results support earlier findings that dietary patterns have a role in the development of CVD.
An evaluation of neurobehavioural problems as perceived by family members and levels of family stress 1–3 years following traumatic brain injury in Japan

Objective: To ascertain the proportion of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to a Japanese district hospital and to evaluate the levels of stress and anxiety in families living with those TBI patients. Design: A retrospective study of patients admitted to hospital from April 1995 to March 1997 and a questionnaire study of family members of survivors. Setting and subjects: All patients referred or transferred to the Emergency Department at the Saga Medical School Hospital, Japan with a primary diagnosis of TBI were studied. Family members living with TBI patients were sent questionnaires. Main outcome measures: The Barthel Index, the Patient Competency Rating Scale, the modified Caregiver Strain Index and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: There were 34 patients who required hospitalization for care relating to TBI. Of these, nine family members took part in the questionnaire study. Three carers reported fairly high levels of stress and another three carers were considered to be at risk of anxiety and depression. There was a tendency for family members who reported that patients had difficulties in performing behavioural tasks to have higher levels of stress themselves. Conclusion: These preliminary results showed that family members experienced certain levels of stress and were also at risk of anxiety and depression. The impact of TBI on families as well as patients should receive more attention.
CorE from Myxococcus xanthus Is a Copper-Dependent RNA Polymerase Sigma Factor

The dual toxicity/essentiality of copper forces cells to maintain a tightly regulated homeostasis for this metal in all living organisms, from bacteria to humans. Consequently, many genes have previously been reported to participate in copper detoxification in bacteria. Myxococcus xanthus, a prokaryote, encodes many proteins involved in copper homeostasis that are differentially regulated by this metal. A σ factor of the ECF (extracytoplasmic function) family, CorE, has been found to regulate the expression of the multicopper oxidase cuoB, the P1B-type ATPases copA and copB, and a gene encoding a protein with a heavy-metal-associated domain. Characterization of CorE has revealed that it requires copper to bind DNA in vitro. Genes regulated by CorE exhibit a characteristic expression profile, with a peak at 2 h after copper addition. Expression rapidly decreases thereafter to basal levels, although the metal is still present in the medium, indicating that the activity of CorE is modulated by a process of activation and inactivation. The use of monovalent and divalent metals to mimic Cu(I) and Cu(II), respectively, and of additives that favor the formation of the two redox states of this metal, has revealed that CorE is activated by Cu(II) and inactivated by Cu(I). The activation/inactivation properties of CorE reside in a Cys-rich domain located at the C terminus of the protein. Point mutations at these residues have allowed the identification of several Cys involved in the activation and inactivation of CorE. Based on these data, along with comparative genomic studies, a new group of ECF σ factors is proposed, which not only clearly differs mechanistically from the other σ factors so far characterized, but also from other metal regulators.
Magnetotransport characterization of epitaxial graphene on SiC

Low-temperature magnetotransport is used to characterize graphene grown epitaxially on the silicon face of 4H silicon carbide (SiC/G). Observation of half-integer quantum Hall effect (QHE) in large Hall bars, patterned across several terraces of the SiC substrate, suggest that monolayer graphene grows continuously over defects. Complete characterization was possible using carrier density control technologies developed for SiC/G, including organic dielectrics, photochemical gating and a solid electrolyte. The photochemical gating with organic polymers, achieved by using a spacer layer directly in contact with graphene that protects its integrity, followed by a layer that responds to light, is envisioned as a prototypical architecture for the development of graphene-based sensors. Fine details of electron scattering were found through measurement of quantum corrections to the conductivity of SiC/G, arising from weak localization (WL) and electron-electron interactions (E-E). It was found that scattering is determined by charged impurities under graphene, while the effect of terraces is proposed to manifests as intervalley scattering. The extracted temperature dependence of the decoherence rate allowed to identify E-E interactions and to suggest spin-flip centers as sources of dephasing in the system. The analysis of WL provided an indirect measurement of the spin relaxation time in SiC/G, at the level of 50 ps. Altogether, this work contributed to develop the first application in which graphene outperforms conventional semiconducors, in the field of quantum metrology. The half integer QHE in SiC/G is proposed as standard for electrical resistance to replace GaAs heterostructures. A direct comparison with the QHE in GaAs, the most strict universality test of the QHE ever performed, supports the hypothesis that the electrical resistance is quantized in units of h/e2, with an uncertainty of 0.084 parts per billion. The accuracy of the comparison was limited by the critical current in the GaAs sample, 4 times lower than in the SiC/G sample.
Advantages and limitations of particle‐mediated transfection (gene gun) in cancer immuno‐gene therapy using IL‐10, IL‐12 or B7‐1 in murine tumor models

Previous studies have shown that particle‐mediated transfection (PMT; gene gun) is an efficient method of non‐viral gene transfer. We have examined the advantages and limitations of PMT in cancer immuno‐gene therapy using IL‐10, IL‐12 or B7‐1, all of which have been shown to be effective in murine tumor models using retroviral vectors.
Multi-level Discriminative Dictionary Learning towards Hierarchical Visual Categorization

For the task of visual categorization, the learning model is expected to be endowed with discriminative visual feature representation and flexibilities in processing many categories. Many existing approaches are designed based on a flat category structure, or rely on a set of pre-computed visual features, hence may not be appreciated for dealing with large numbers of categories. In this paper, we propose a novel dictionary learning method by taking advantage of hierarchical category correlation. For each internode of the hierarchical category structure, a discriminative dictionary and a set of classification models are learnt for visual categorization, and the dictionaries in different layers are learnt to exploit the discriminative visual properties of different granularity. Moreover, the dictionaries in lower levels also inherit the dictionary of ancestor nodes, so that categories in lower levels are described with multi-scale visual information using our dictionary learning approach. Experiments on Image Net object data subset and SUN397 scene dataset demonstrate that our approach achieves promising performance on data with large numbers of classes compared with some state-of-the-art methods, and is more efficient in processing large numbers of categories.
Robust stochastic stabilization and H∞ control of uncertain stochastic interval time-delay systems

This paper establishes a new robust delay-dependent stabilization and H∞ control methods for a class of uncertain stochastic time-delay systems. The delays in state and control input are time-varying continuous functions varying in an interval and uncertainties are norm-bounded. An appropriate Lyapunov– Krasovskii functional is constructed and a new technique to estimate the upper bound of the stochastic differential of Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional is obtained. Based on the idea of delay decomposition and free-weighting matrices, new and less conservative solutions to the stabilization and H∞ control problem of uncertain stochastic time-delay systems are provided in terms of linear matrix inequalities. A robust state feedback controller is proposed to guarantee mean-square asymptotic stability as well as the prescribed H∞ performance for the closed-loop systems. The advantages of the results proposed in this paper, which differ greatly from most of the existing results, lie in their reduced conservatism by thinning the delay partitioning. Numerical examples are provided to show the advantages of the proposed technique.
Association between exposure in the cement production industry and non-malignant respiratory effects: a systematic review

Objectives Based on findings from a systematic literature search, we present and discuss the evidence for an association between exposure to cement dust and non-malignant respiratory effects in cement production workers. Design and setting Systematic literature searches (MEDLINE and Embase) were performed. Outcomes were restricted to respiratory symptoms, lung function indices, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumoconiosis, induced sputum or fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements. Participants The studies included exposed cement production workers and non-exposed or low-exposed referents. Primary and secondary outcomes The searches yielded 594 references, and 26 articles were included. Cross-sectional studies show reduced lung function levels at or above 4.5 mg/m3 of total dust and 2.2 mg/m3 of respiratory dust. ORs for symptoms ranged from 1.2 to 4.8, while FEV1/FVC was 1–6% lower in exposed than in controls. Cohort studies reported a high yearly decline in FEV1/FVC ranging from 0.8% to 1.7% for exposed workers. 1 longitudinal study reported airflow limitation at levels of exposure comparable to ∼1 mg/m3 respirable and 3.7–5.4 mg/m3 total dust. A dose–response relationship between exposure and decline in lung function has only been shown in 1 cohort. 2 studies have detected small increases in FeNO levels during a work shift; 1 study reported signs of airway inflammation in induced sputum, whereas another did not detect an increase in hospitalisation rates. Conclusions Lack of power, adjustment for possible confounders and other methodological issues are limitations of many of the included studies. Hence, no firm conclusions can be drawn. There are few longitudinal data, but recent studies report a dose–response relationship between cement production dust exposure and declining lung function indicating a causal relationship, and underlining the need to reduce exposure among workers in this industry.
Long-Term Doxycycline Is More Effective Than Atenolol to Prevent Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in Marfan Syndrome Through the Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -9

β-Blockers, eg, atenolol, are the cornerstone therapy for thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in patients with Marfan syndrome; however, continued aortic dilatation has been reported. We have demonstrated that matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 were upregulated during progression of TAA in Marfan syndrome, accompanied with degenerated elastic fibers and vasomotor dysfunction. We hypothesized that doxycycline, a nonspecific inhibitor of MMPs, would ameliorate TAA by attenuating elastic fiber degeneration and improving vasomotor function. A well-characterized mouse model of Marfan syndrome (Fbn1C1039G/+) was used. Mice were untreated (n=40), given doxycycline (0.24g/L, n=30), or given atenolol (0.5g/L, n=30) in drinking water at 6 weeks of age. The Fbn1+/+ mice served as control (n=40). At 3, 6, and 9 months, aortic segments from the ascending, arch, and descending portions were used to obtain the “average” value of the whole thoracic aorta. TAA was prevented in the doxycycline group, whereas mild aneurysm was evident in the atenolol group. Doxycycline improved elastic fiber integrity, normalized aortic stiffness, and prevented vessel weakening. The impairment of vasocontraction and endothelium-dependent relaxation in the untreated and atenolol groups were improved by doxycycline. The upregulation of transforming growth factor-β in the Marfan aorta was suppressed by doxycycline. Doxycycline augmented expression ratios of tissue inhibitors of MMP to MMPs. Intraperitoneally injected neutralizing antibodies against MMP-2 and -9 yielded similar effects to doxycycline. We concluded that long-term treatment with doxycycline, through the inhibition of MMP-2 and -9, is more effective than atenolol in preventing TAA in Marfan syndrome by preserving elastic fiber integrity, normalizing vasomotor function, and reducing transforming growth factor-β activation.
Gel, thermal, and X‐ray diffraction characterization of virgin, scrapped polyethylene and its blends

The characterizations of virgin and scrapped polyethylene samples (VPE and SPE) and VPE/SPE blends were studied using different analytical techniques. The obtained data regarding crosslink density demonstrated that the radiation-induced crosslinking of VPE, SPE, and VPE/SPE samples increased as a result of increasing irradiation dose, blending VPE with SPE, and loading the VPE/SPE blend with trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA). The use of differential scanning calorimetry technique was aimed at revealing the effect of sample composition (VPE, SPE, and VPE/SPE) and also the effect and type of irradiation on the melting temperature (Tm) and the heat of transformation (ΔHf). The melting temperature and heat of transformation increased with increasing either irradiation dose or loading the polymeric samples with TMPTA. In addition, the application of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the degradation characteristics of the polymeric samples in terms of onset temperature (Ti), temperature at maximum weight loss (Ts), and activation energy (Ea). The TGA results showed that the irradiation (EB and γ-rays) and loading of polymeric samples with TMPTA led to a thermally stable polymeric matrix with higher Ti, Ts, and Ea values. The blank SPE sample or those blend rich in SPE matrix were highly thermally stable than that blank VPE one. The X-ray diffraction investigation illustrated that VPE samples undergoes phase transformation between orthorhombic, monomclinic, and/or hexagonal as a result of irradiation. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:709–717, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers
Processing and mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites based on cellulose fibers and ethylene—acrylic acid copolymer

The melt processing and the tensile mechanical properties of composites consisting of 30 wt% softwood kraft pulp cellulose fibers and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) with 7% acrylic acid content were studied. The compounding techniques used were extrusion mixing performed with a single screw extruder and elongation dispersive mixing performed with the injection-molding machine. All blends were injection-molded in a final step. Fiber length, fiber content, and mechanical properties were measured and the number and the size of the fiber aggregates were determined by microscopy analysis. It was concluded that two passes of elongation dispersive mixing had a beneficial effect on the mechanical properties, which could be related to the fewer and smaller amounts of aggregates. The different types of processing performed had a small or insignificant effect on the fiber length since the fiber lengths measured were within the same range as that of the starting material. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 52:1951-1957, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers Copyright © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Credit Constraints and the Cyclicality of R&D Investment: Evidence from France

We use a French firm-level panel data set over the period 1993-2004 to analyze the relationship between credit constraints and firms' RD (ii) the result is magnified for firms in sectors that depend more heavily upon external finance; (iii) in more credit constrained firms, RD (iv) average R&D investment and productivity growth are more negatively correlated with sales volatility in more credit constrained firms.
An integrated metagenomics pipeline for strain profiling reveals novel patterns of bacterial transmission and biogeography

We present the Metagenomic Intra-species Diversity Analysis System (MIDAS), which is an integrated computational pipeline for quantifying bacterial species abundance and strain-level genomic variation, including gene content and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), from shotgun metagenomes. Our method leverages a database of more than 30,000 bacterial reference genomes that we clustered into species groups. These cover the majority of abundant species in the human microbiome but only a small proportion of microbes in other environments, including soil and seawater. We applied MIDAS to stool metagenomes from 98 Swedish mothers and their infants over one year and used rare SNPs to track strains between hosts. Using this approach, we found that although species compositions of mothers and infants converged over time, strain-level similarity diverged. Specifically, early colonizing bacteria were often transmitted from an infant’s mother, while late colonizing bacteria were often transmitted from other sources in the environment and were enriched for spore-formation genes. We also applied MIDAS to 198 globally distributed marine metagenomes and used gene content to show that many prevalent bacterial species have population structure that correlates with geographic location. Strain-level genetic variants present in metagenomes clearly reveal extensive structure and dynamics that are obscured when data are analyzed at a coarser taxonomic resolution.
Control of port-interconnected driftless systems

We use a recently reported extended Matrosov's theorem to establish sufficient and necessary conditions to stabilize a chain of driftless systems. This benchmark can be regarded as a problem of controlling a communication channel and is a generalization of the well known chained-form non holonomic systems benchmark. Roughly speaking our extended Matrosov's theorem is an extension of La Salle's invariance principle to the case of non autonomous systems.
Function and structure of H-K-ATPase in the kidney.

The present review summarizes recent functional and structural evidence indicating that the kidney possesses at least one and probably more than one isoform of a proton- and potassium-activated adenosinetriphosphatase (H-K-ATPase). Functional studies have examined in detail the mechanism of luminal acidification and K/Rb absorption by the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) from the inner stripe, a high-capacity distal site of urinary acidification. These studies indicate that the mechanism of proton secretion in this segment is similar to a model proposed for gastric acid secretion. Specifically, the profound effect of H-K-ATPase inhibitors or luminal K removal on net bicarbonate (HCO3) absorption indicates a major role for an H-K pump in luminal acidification by the OMCD. The importance of an H-K-ATPase is further supported by the finding that nanomolar concentrations of bafilomycin A1, which specifically inhibit vacuolar-type H-ATPase, have significantly smaller effects on net HCO3 absorption than do H-K-ATPase inhibitors. Studies on the perfused inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) and cultured IMCD cells also suggest a significant role for H-K-ATPase in luminal acidification by the IMCD. Evidence has accrued from studies in the cortical CD and OMCD that the mechanism of H-K-ATPase-mediated luminal proton secretion differs under K-replete and K-restricted conditions. In K repletion, luminal K ions transported by the pump recycle back into the lumen by a Ba-sensitive mechanism. However, in K restriction, the mechanism of the H-K-ATPase involves luminal proton secretion and K absorption that is insensitive to luminal Ba and, by inference, apical K recycling. Moreover, in K restriction, K/Rb absorption is inhibited by basolateral Ba, indicating that the pump operates to reabsorb K/Rb across the epithelium. The structural evidence reviewed here indicates the presence of mRNA within the mammalian kidney that is either identical or highly homologous to mRNAs for gastric and putative colonic H-K-ATPase alpha-subunits and gastric H-K-ATPase beta-subunit. Localization of these transcripts by in situ hybridization demonstrates gastric alpha- and beta-subunit mRNAs in intercalated cells of both the cortical and medullary CD, principal cells of the CD, and IMCD cells. Additional studies in transgenic mice indicate that regulatory sequences upstream to the H-K-ATPase beta-subunit gene direct transcription in both gastric parietal cells and the renal CD. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)