Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electro-Quasistatic High Voltage Field Simulations of Large Scale Insulator Structures Including 2-D Models for Nonlinear Field-Grading Material Layers

Resistive field-grading material is applied to nonceramic insulators. For the design of insulator structures, these resistive field-dependent and thus nonlinear material layers are considered as 2-D layers within 3-D transient finite element method (FEM) simulations of electro-quasistatic fields. The 2-D layer modeling approach is validated and compared to conventional 3-D layer modeling for various layer thicknesses. Numerical results for realistic structures are shown herein.
A Novel Integration Signal That Is Composed of Two Transmembrane Segments Is Required to Integrate the Neurospora Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase into Microsomes (*)

The Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase belongs to a family of cation-motive porters called P-type ATPases. Putative transmembrane segments of these enzymes contain one or more charged residues. Conditions were determined by which a transmembrane segment with charged residues is integrated into its cognate membrane. We constructed fusion proteins flanked by the hydrophilic domains of the amino and carboxyl termini of the H+-ATPase that contained either one or two transmembrane segments. Neurospora in vitro translation system supplemented with homologous microsomes was programmed with RNA transcripts of these constructs. When transmembrane segment number one (M1) or number two (M2) of the H+-ATPase was engineered into the construct, the resultant protein did not integrate into microsomes. When M1 and M2 were placed in tandem, the resultant protein integrated into microsomes as judged by the criteria of resistance to extraction at pH 11.5 and protection from protease digestion. The integration event depended on ATP and GTP and on microsomal protein(s). We posited that membrane topology of the amino-terminal third of the H+-ATPase, and perhaps of other P-type ATPases is achieved by inserting transmembrane segments into membrane in pairs.
The influence of trap type on evaluating population structure of the semifossorial and social rodent Octodon degus

Trap type may influence captures of individuals in different age-sex categories in small mammal studies, resulting in biased population and demographic information. We deployed 4 live trap types at burrow systems of the rodent, Octodon degus Molina, 1782, in central Chile to determine trap efficacy in capturing individuals of 6 demographic categories. We captured 2672 individuals in 17 709 trap days (15.1% trapping success). Tomahawks were the most efficient trap capturing half of individuals during both years, followed by mesh Sherman traps, large Sherman traps, and medium Sherman traps in 2005. All trap types equally sampled sexes. Large and medium Sherman traps provided similar demographic structure, where half of the individuals captured were pups; Tomahawk traps sampled more adults than pups. Relative captures of pups were similar across different trap types, suggesting that pups are equally sampled by each of the deployed trap types. Relative captures of adults were lower in Sherman traps, suggesting that this age class avoided solid-walled traps. For Octodon degus, the sole use of Tomahawk traps may produce sufficient, unbiased demographic data. Only 4 trap mortalities occurred (0.15%). Researchers may minimize trap mortality without compromising sufficient demographic sampling by trapping during peak animal activity.
Role of Plant-Derived Omega–3 Fatty Acids in Human Nutrition

An international workshop on the role of plant-derived omega–3 fatty acids in human nutrition took place in Milan on February 9, 2000. The meeting was sponsored by the Nutrition Foundation of Italy and was organized by its Scientific Director, Dr. Andrea Poli. It was attended by experts in polyunsaturated fatty acids and human lipid nutrition. This is the first meeting devoted to the health aspects of alpha-linolenic acid, the omega–3 fatty acid contained in plant-derived edible products, as distinct from the more widely studied long-chain omegy–3 products typically present in fish and fish-derived products. This report, which is based on updated scientific evidence presented and discussed at the workshop, was prepared by the international expert panel.
Compulsiveness and Impulsiveness: Unidimensional or Bidimensional Constructs?

The correlation of scores on the Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Barrett Impulsiveness Scale for 148 men and 255 women (18–84 years) was −. 07, and both scores decreased across age groups, but age accounted for only 3% and 1.8% of the variance.
D2-40 is Not a Specific Marker for Cells of Mesothelial Origin in Serous Effusions

The presence of effusion in a patient with a history of primary malignant tumor elsewhere in the body is generally accepted as a clinical manifestation of metastatic disease. Even in those cases, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate reactive mesothelial cells from carcinoma cells. Another challenging issue especially in the field of serous effusions is the differential diagnosis between malignant mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of the D2-40 antibody detecting the M2A oncofetal antigen in the diagnosis of malignant serous effusions. Two hundred and ninety effusion specimens (169 ovarian carcinomas, 44 breast carcinomas, 32 malignant mesotheliomas, 6 lung carcinomas, 8 reactive specimens, and 31 tumors of other origin) were assessed. Expression in reactive mesothelial cells was additionally assessed on 145 malignant effusions. Immunohistochemical analysis using the EnVision system was performed. M2A antigen was expressed in malignant mesotheliomas and reactive mesothelial cells in all specimens. Positive membranous staining was observed in 58% of ovarian carcinomas, 33% of lung carcinomas, and 30% of breast carcinomas. Pulmonary, breast, and nonovarian gynecologic tumors usually showed weak focal membranous staining, whereas the ovarian adenocarcinomas showed an expression pattern more similar to mesotheliomas.The results from the present study suggest low specificity for D2-40 as a mesothelial marker, especially in the context of differentiating mesothelial cells from ovarian carcinoma, and argue against its inclusion in the diagnostic panel of serous effusions.
Triadic Relationship of Icon Design for Semi-Literate Communities

— Icons, or pictorial and graphical objects, are commonly used in human-computer interaction (HCI) fields as the mediator in order to communicate information to users. Yet there has been little studies focusing on a majority of the world’s population – semi-literate communities – in terms of the fundamental knowhow for designing icons for such population. In this study, two sets of icons belonging in different icon taxonomy – abstract and concrete – are designed for a mobile application for semi-literate agricultural communities. In this paper, we propose a triadic relationship of an icon, namely meaning, task and mental image, which inherits the triadic relationship of a sign. User testing with the application and a post-pilot questionnaire are conducted as the experimental approach in two rural villages in India. Icons belonging to concrete taxonomy perform better than abstract icons on the premise that the design of the icon fulfills the underlying rules of the proposed triadic relationship.
The Effects of Faking on the Construct Validity of Personality Questionnaires: A Direct Faking Measure Approach

Some authors clearly showed that faking reduces the construct validity of personality questionnaires, whilst many others found no such effect. A possible explanation for mixed results could be searched for in a variety of methodological strategies in forming comparison groups supposed to differ in the level of faking: candidates vs. non-candidates; groups of individuals with "high" vs. "low" social desirability score; and groups given instructions to respond honestly vs. instructions to "fake good". All three strategies may be criticized for addressing the faking problem indirectly – assuming that comparison groups really differ in the level of response distortion, which might not be true. Therefore, in a within-subject design study we examined how faking affects the construct validity of personality inventories using a direct measure of faking. The results suggest that faking reduces the construct validity of personality questionnaires gradually – the effect was stronger in the subsample of participants who distorted their responses to a greater extent.
Security and Vulnerability of SCADA Systems over IP-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

An overview of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems is presented and relevant security concerns are addressed. To secure IP-based SCADA systems, it is vital to implement secure architectures which prevent access to the SCADA from corporate IT, in addition to excellent management practices in managing IP-based networks. We give an overall explanation of SCADA systems along with their security concerns and vulnerability. In the case of legacy SCADA systems, the concerns regarding security were minimal since it used proprietary networks; however, since the move of SCADA systems to the Internet, security problems have become an imperative issue, especially problems regarding IP-based systems. We also discuss various forms of threats and vulnerabilities on future SCADA systems applied with IPv6 over low-power, wireless personal area networks (6LoWPANs) and suggest security management methods to overcome these concerns. In order to identify and remove various vulnerabilities and threats to SCADA systems over IP-based wireless sensor networks, especially for 6LoWPAN applications, we examine possible threats and propose proper and precise security management methods.
Retrospective study of the medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in Portugal

Medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is the commonest genetic defect of mitochondrial fatty acid β‐oxidation. About 60% of MCADD patients are homozygous for the c.985A>G (p.Lys329Glu) mutation in the ACADM gene (G985 allele). Herein, we present the first report on the molecular and biochemical spectrum of Portuguese MCADD population. From the 109 patients studied, 83 were diagnosed after inclusion of MCADD in the national newborn screening, 8 following the onset of symptoms and 18 through segregation studies. Gypsy ancestry was identified in 85/109 patients. The G985 allele was found in homozygosity in 102/109 patients, in compound heterozygosity in 6/109 and was absent in one patient. Segregation studies in the Gypsy families showed that 93/123 relatives were carriers of the G985 allele, suggesting its high prevalence in this ethnic group. Additionally, three new substitutions—c.218A>G (p.Tyr73Cys), c.503A>T (p.Asp168Val) and c.1205G>T (p.Gly402Val)—were identified. Despite the particularity of the MCADD population investigated, the G985 allele was found in linkage disequilibrium with H1(112) haplotype. Furthermore, two novel haplotypes, H5(212) and H6(122) were revealed.
Dynamic Exercise Leads to an Increase in Circulating ICAM-1: Further Evidence for Adrenergic Modulation of Cell Adhesion

Acute mental and physical stress lead to a marked lymphocytosis, with circulating natural killer cell numbers showing the most prominent increase. Many studies have linked these acute stress effects on lymphocytes with an increase in catecholamine levels. However, the molecular mechanisms which mediate this redistribution of lymphocytes from lymphocyte reservoirs into the circulation remain unknown. We hypothesized that this form of lymphocytosis was in part due to shedding of cell adhesion molecules from the cell surface and a subsequent detachment of lymphocytes adhering to the vascular endothelium in lymphocyte reservoirs. In this study, healthy human volunteers (n = 12) were exercised on a treadmill until exhaustion. The circulating levels of the soluble cell adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and E-Selectin were determined by ELISA. The subjects were then randomly assigned to treatment with either propranolol or metoprolol and repeated the exercise protocol after 1 week of treatment. Prior to drug treatment, soluble ICAM-1 levels rose from 258 +/- 19 to 321 +/- 28 ng/ml following exercise and returned to approximate baseline levels of 263 +/- 22 ng/ml after 1 h of rest. This highly significant effect of exercise on circulating ICAM-1 levels (p < .005) was mitigated after treatment with the beta-adrenergic antagonists. Soluble E-Selectin levels were not significantly affected by exercise. These results suggest that dynamic exercise leads to shedding of the cell adhesion molecule ICAM-1 via adrenergic mechanisms. We believe that these findings will contribute to the understanding of how physical and mental stress modulate lymphocyte migration and adhesion.
Enhanced Surface Colonization by Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Biofilms Formed by an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Isolate from Meat-Processing Environments

ABSTRACT A meat factory commensal bacterium, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, affected the spatial distribution of Escherichia coli O157:H7 surface colonization. The biovolume of E. coli O157:H7 was 400-fold higher (1.2 × 106 μm3) in a dynamic cocultured biofilm than in a monoculture (3.0 × 103 μm3), and E. coli O157:H7 colonized spaces between A. calcoaceticus cell clusters.
Parameter selection of a Particle Swarm Optimisation dynamics by closed loop stability analysis

The paper addresses the issues of parameter selection of a Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm by a thorough stability analysis of the swarm dynamics. The effectiveness of the work lies in considering the dynamic behaviour of the local best position of a given particle. The behaviour of an individual particle here is modelled as a closed loop control system, where the forward path describes the particle dynamics, and the feedback path adapts the local best position of the particle over the iterations of the algorithm. The stability analysis of the closed loop system is undertaken using Jury's test, and optimal parameter setting of the dynamics is performed by the root locus technique of the classical control theory.
Meningococcal Sepsis Complicating Eculizumab Treatment Despite Prior Vaccination

Recently, the monoclonal antibody against complementfactor C5, eculizumab, was successfully applied in the treatment of recurrent atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (aHUS) in renal transplant recipients (RTR) (1). Guidelines for its use include meningococcal vaccination prior to treatment. Late complement–pathway– component deficiencies predispose to meningococcal infections by the absence of meningococcal lysis via classical and alternative pathways (2). Consequently, protection against meningococcal disease by antibody-mediated killing becomes essential. However, vaccination of patients using immunosuppressive drugs may be ineffective (3,4). Different immunosuppressive regimens vary in their effects on humoral responses after vaccination. Previously, we demonstrated that RTR treated with prednisolone and everolimus mount adequate humoral vaccination responses, measured by ELISA, against immunocyanin, tetanus-toxoid (TT) and pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS). In contrast, treatment with mycophenolic mofetil (MMF) and prednisolone completely disturbed vaccination responses against these same antigens (3). Although immune responses after vaccination are generally used as markers of efficacy of vaccination, they are not synonymous with protection. Furthermore, in immunocompromised patients vaccination-induced responses may wane rapidly. Protection provided by vaccines after renal transplantation may be limited in quality and/or duration. This is illustrated by the following case.
Can hepatocellular carcinoma cause complex regional pain syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disorder which has variable clinical manifestations. CRPS type I is characterized by an initiating noxious situation, like a crush or soft tissue injury; or by immobilization, such as a tight cast. CRPS type II is characterized by the existence of a defined nerve damage. Among widespread causative factors soft tissue traumas and fractures had been reported as the most common reason of CRPS. Primary pathologies of the central nervous system and malignancies would also be seen as a causative factor. Because of complex presentations in cancer patients, signs of CRPS may be unrecognised or misdiagnosed. These cases may present before malignancy or as a complication of primary neoplasia. In this report an unusual and different CRPS patient associated with hepatocellular carcinoma is presented.
Semisupervised Hyperspectral Image Classification Based on Generative Adversarial Networks

Because the collection of ground-truth labels is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, classifying hyperspectral images (HSIs) with few training samples is a challenging problem. In this letter, we propose a novel semisupervised algorithm for the classification of hyperspectral data by training a customized generative adversarial network (GAN) for hyperspectral data. The GAN constructs an adversarial game between a discriminator and a generator. The generator generates samples that are not distinguishable by the discriminator, and the discriminator determines whether or not a sample is composed of real data. We design a semisupervised framework for HSI data based on a 1-D GAN (HSGAN). This framework enables the automatic extraction of spectral features for HSI classification. When HSGAN is trained using unlabeled hyperspectral data, the generator can generate hyperspectral samples that are similar to the real data, while the discriminator contains the features, which can be used to classify hyperspectral data with only a small number of labeled samples. The performance of the HSGAN is evaluated on the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer image data, and the results show that the proposed framework achieves very promising results with a small number of labeled samples.
A single application of MK801 causes symptoms of acute psychosis, deficits in spatial memory, and impairment of synaptic plasticity in rats

Schizophrenia is mostly a progressive psychiatric illness. Although cognitive changes in chronic schizophrenia have been investigated, little is known about the consequences of a single psychotic episode on memory mechanisms and formation. We investigated changes in hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) and spatial memory in a rat model of an acute psychotic episode. Application of NMDA receptor antagonists, such as MK801 (dizolcilpine) in rats, have been shown to give rise to an acute and short‐lasting behavioral state, which mirrors many symptoms of schizophrenia. Furthermore, NMDA antagonist‐intake in humans elicits symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations, delusions, and affective blunting. We therefore treated animals with a single systemic injection of MK801 (5 mg/kg). Increased stereotypy, locomotion, and ataxia were evident immediately after MK801‐treatment, with effects disappearing within 24 h. MK801‐treatment caused a disruption of prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex, 1 day but not 7 or 28 days after treatment. These effects were consistent with the occurrence of an acute psychotic episode. LTP was profoundly impaired in freely moving rats 7 days after MK801 application. Four weeks after treatment, a slight recovery of LTP was seen, however marked deficits in long‐term spatial memory were evident. These data suggest that treatment with MK801 to generate an acute psychotic episode in rats, gives rise to grave disturbances in synaptic plasticity and is associated with lasting impairments with the ability to form spatial memory. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection

Probiotics have been claimed as a valuable tool to restore the balance in the intestinal microbiota following a dysbiosis caused by, among other factors, antibiotic therapy. This perturbed environment could favor the overgrowth of Clostridium difficile and, in fact, the occurrence of C. difficile-associated infections (CDI) is being increasing in recent years. In spite of the high number of probiotics able to in vitro inhibit the growth and/or toxicity of this pathogen, its application for treatment or prevention of CDI is still scarce since there are not enough well-defined clinical studies supporting efficacy. Only a few strains, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii have been studied in more extent. The increasing knowledge about the probiotic mechanisms of action against C. difficile, some of them reviewed here, makes promising the application of these live biotherapeutic agents against CDI. Nevertheless, more effort must be paid to standardize the clinical studied conducted to evaluate probiotic products, in combination with antibiotics, in order to select the best candidate for C. difficile infections.
A voltage-mode class-s power amplifier for the 450MHz band

This paper reports on a novel voltage-mode class-S power amplifier for the 450 MHz band, based on GaN-HEMT MMICs. It achieves a peak output power of 3.4 W for a single tone at 400 MHz, encoded in standard band-pass delta-sigma modulation with 1.6 Gbps sampling frequency. The corresponding efficiency is 38%, peaking at 52% for 0.5 W output power. In order to demonstrate the influence of coding efficiency, additional measurements using a periodic square-wave signal were performed (class-D operation), which yield a maximum output power of 6.5 W with 64% efficiency. To the authors knowledge, these are the best results in this frequency range achieved so far with the voltage-mode class-S configuration.
Antioxidant activity and quantitative estimation of azadirachtin and nimbin in Azadirachta Indica A. Juss grown in foothills of Nepal

The leaf and bark fraction extracts of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem) grown in the foothills (subtropical region) of Nepal were evaluated for their antioxidant activity, total phenolic (TP) and total flavonid (TF) contents. HPLC method was employed to quantify the amount of azadirachtin and nimbin present in the seed, leaf and the bark extracts of neem. The result showed that the highest azadirachtin content was found in the methanolic extract of the seed (3300 ig/g dw). Similarly, the hexane fraction of bark showed the highest nimbin content (271 ig/g dw) followed by the methanolic extract (260 ig/g dw). Antioxidant activity was determined by measuring 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, DNA protection assay, metal chelating and the inhibition of peroxidation using linoleic acid system and their results were found at different magnitudes of potency. The results of TP content expressed in tannic acid equivalents ranged from 66.63 to 629.04 ig/mg in the bark extracts and 23.85 to 237.00 ig/mg in the leaf extracts. Likewise, the content of TF expressed in quercetine equivalents ranged from 12.87 to 17.07 ig/mg in the bark and 13.72 to 93.17 ig/mg in the leaf extracts.