Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A $4 \times 4$ Dual Polarized mm-Wave ACMPA Array for a Universal mm-Wave Chipless RFID Tag Reader

A 4 × 4 dual polarized (DP) aperture-coupled microstrip patch antenna (ACMPA) array for a universal millimeter (mm)-wave chipless RFID tag reader is presented. The mm-wave DP ACMPA array is capable of reading all types of frequency domain-based chipless RFID tags (linearly polarized, orientation insensitive, cross-polarized (CP), and DP) within its operating frequency bandwidth. The developed antenna is operating over the 22-26.5-GHz frequency band with 16-dBi realized gain and over 35-dB isolation. A systematic approach is followed up for designing the mm-wave antenna array where, first, a single antenna element is designed. Then, a 1-32-way corporate feed network for the dual offset feeding of cross slots is designed using multistage power dividers. After that, the 4 × 4 mm-wave DP ACMPA array is designed, optimized, fabricated, assembled, and tested. Simulation and measurement results for different development stages of the array are described in detail. Finally, the assembled antenna is used for measuring 10 orientation insensitive (OI) thermal printed mm-wave chipless RFID tags on a paper substrate to validate its functional accuracy. The developed mm-wave DP ACMPA array with high port-to-port isolation can be used in a universal commercial mm-wave chipless RFID tag reader due to its low cost, high gain, and low-profile structure.
Involvement of IL-1 in the Maintenance of Masseter Muscle Activity and Glucose Homeostasis

Physical exercise reportedly stimulates IL-1 production within working skeletal muscles, but its physiological significance remains unknown due to the existence of two distinct IL-1 isoforms, IL-1α and IL-1β. The regulatory complexities of these two isoforms, in terms of which cells in muscles produce them and their distinct/redundant biological actions, have yet to be elucidated. Taking advantage of our masticatory behavior (Restrained/Gnawing) model, we herein show that IL-1α/1β-double-knockout (IL-1-KO) mice exhibit compromised masseter muscle (MM) activity which is at least partially attributable to abnormalities of glucose handling (rapid glycogen depletion along with impaired glucose uptake) and dysfunction of IL-6 upregulation in working MMs. In wild-type mice, masticatory behavior clearly increased IL-1β mRNA expression but no incremental protein abundance was detectable in whole MM homogenates, whereas immunohistochemical staining analysis revealed that both IL-1α- and IL-1β-immunopositive cells were recruited around blood vessels in the perimysium of MMs after masticatory behavior. In addition to the aforementioned phenotype of IL-1-KO mice, we found the IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in MMs after masticatory behavior to be significantly lower in IL-1-KO than in WT. Thus, our findings confirm that the locally-increased IL-1 elicited by masticatory behavior, although present small in amounts, contributes to supporting MM activity by maintaining normal glucose homeostasis in these muscles. Our data also underscore the importance of IL-1-mediated local interplay between autocrine myokines including IL-6 and paracrine cytokines in active skeletal muscles. This interplay is directly involved in MM performance and fatigability, perhaps mediated through maintaining muscular glucose homeostasis.
A Prospective , Longitudinal Analysis of Division I Collegiate Football Injuries

Background: Injuries can have a serious impact on the quality of life and long-term health of college athletes. The NCAA has reported a rate of 8.1 injuries for every 1000 exposures in collegiate football between 2004 and 2009. Predictors of increased injury risk have been identified in adolescent athletes, but have not been thoroughly studied in collegiate athletes. Purpose: Report the types and rates of injuries in college football players over the course of the first year of a prospective epidemiological-biomechanical study aimed at identifying injury risk factors in collegiate football players. Methods and Study Design: The data is part of a prospective, longitudinal cohort study. All football players who were included in the official team roster on the first day of practiced were enrolled in the study. The season was divided into a preseason and the first and second halves of the regular season. An exposure was either a practice or game in which the athlete was cleared to participate by the team physician. An injury was defined as time missed secondary to not being cleared by the physician for exposure participation. The type of each injury was recorded. Injury rates (IR) were used in mid-p exact tests to test differences in each third of the season and among body parts. Comparative results are presented as Injury Rate Ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Significance was set at a p <0.05. Results: 103 athletes completed the study. 46 injuries were sustained in 9245 athletic exposures (IR of 4.98/1000 AE). The preseason IR was 5.80 and for the first and second halves of the season were 4.78 and 4.84 per 1000 AE, respectively. Concussions were the most common injury (IR 1.41). The IR of concussions was significantly greater in preseason (IR 3.09) than in the first half of the regular season (IR 0.28) (IRR 11; CI 1.38 to 87.9; p < 0.05). There were no differences in the IR of concussions between preseason and the second half of the regular season or between each halves of the season. Conclusions: A lower IR was seen compared to the NCAA records (4.98 to 8.1 /1000 exposures). The highest rate of concussion was in the preseason. Significance of Findings: Our prospective longitudinal biomechanical-epidemiological studies will seek to identify risk factors finding athletes at increased risk for injury.
Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow and volume with dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

PURPOSE Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and volume (rCBV) with dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS After bolus administration of a paramagnetic contrast medium, rapid T2*-weighted gradient-echo images of two sections were acquired for the simultaneous creation of concentration-time curves in the brain-feeding arteries and in brain tissue. Absolute rCBF and rCBV values were determined for gray and white brain matter in 12 subjects with use of principles of the indicator dilution theory. RESULTS The mean rCBF value in gray matter was 69.7 mL/min +/- 29.7 per 100 g tissue and in white matter, 33.6 mL/min +/- 11.5 per 100 g tissue; the average rCBV was 8.0 mL +/- 3.1 per 100 g tissue and 4.2 mL +/- 1.0 per 100 g tissue, respectively. An age-related decrease in rCBF and rCBV for gray and white matter was observed. CONCLUSION Preliminary data demonstrate that the proposed technique allows the quantification of rCBF and rCBV. Although the results are in good agreement with data from positron emission tomography studies, further evaluation is needed to establish the validity of method.
A Novel Inhibitor of 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase in Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Higher Plants1

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major regulator in the adaptation of plants to environmental stresses, plant growth, and development. In higher plants, the ABA biosynthesis pathway involves the oxidative cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids, which may be the key regulatory step in the pathway catalyzed by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). We developed a new inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis targeting NCED and named it abamine (ABA biosynthesis inhibitor with an amine moiety). Abamine is a competitive inhibitor of NCED, with a Ki of 38.8 μm. In 0.4 m mannitol solution, which mimics the effects of osmotic stress, abamine both inhibited stomatal closure in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaves, which was restored by coapplication of ABA, and increased luminescence intensity in transgenic Arabidopsis containing the RD29B promoter-luciferase fusion. The ABA content of plants in 0.4 m mannitol was increased approximately 16-fold as compared with that of controls, whereas 50 to 100 μm abamine inhibited about 50% of this ABA accumulation in both spinach leaves and Arabidopsis. Abamine-treated Arabidopsis was more sensitive to drought stress and showed a significant decrease in drought tolerance than untreated Arabidopsis. These results suggest that abamine is a novel ABA biosynthesis inhibitor that targets the enzyme catalyzing oxidative cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids. To test the effect of abamine on plants other than Arabidopsis, it was applied to cress (Lepidium sativum) plants. Abamine enhanced radicle elongation in cress seeds, which could be due to a decrease in the ABA content of abamine-treated plants. Thus, it is possible to think that abamine should enable us to elucidate the functions of ABA in cells or plants and to find new mutants involved in ABA signaling.
Aldosterone and potassium secretion by the cortical collecting duct.

BACKGROUND : Aldosterone has been implicated in the regulation of both Na and K concentrations in the plasma. Release of the hormone is known to be stimulated by high plasma K, and infusion of aldosterone lowers plasma K. However, the correlation between changes in mineralocorticoid levels and rates of K secretion is not perfect, suggesting that other factors may be involved. METHODS : Patch-clamp recordings were made of K-channel activity in the split-open cortical collecting tubule of the rat. Estimates of channel density were made in cell-attached patches on the luminal membrane of principal cells of this segment. RESULTS : Most of the K conductance of the apical membrane is mediated through low-conductance "SK" channels. The number of conducting SK channels is increased when animals are placed on a high-K diet. However, increasing plasma aldosterone levels by infusion of the hormone or by sodium restriction failed to change the number of active channels. CONCLUSIONS : At least two circulating factors are required for the regulation of renal K secretion by the cortical collecting tubule. Aldosterone mainly stimulates secretion by increasing the driving force for K movement through apical channels. A second, as yet unidentified, factor increases the number of conducting K channels.
Redox‐responsive regulation of denitrification genes in Brucella

Brucella strains encounter oxygen deprivation during their intracellular replication in host cells, and the capacity of these bacteria to utilize NO3 as an alternative electron acceptor for respiration plays an important role in their successful adaption to their intracellular niche. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Carrica et al (2012 ). report that NtrY and NtrX comprise a redox‐responsive two‐component regulator in Brucella abortus 2308 that responds to decreasing levels of O2 and induces the expression of this strain's denitrification genes. Thus, NtrYX joins the increasing number of genetic regulators that contribute to the metabolic versatility required for the virulence of Brucella strains in their mammalian hosts.
Scaling laws for coastal overwash morphology

Overwash is a physical process of coastal sediment transport driven by storm events and is essential to landscape resilience in low‐lying barrier environments. This work establishes a comprehensive set of scaling laws for overwash morphology: unifying quantitative descriptions with which to compare overwash features by their morphological attributes across case examples. Such scaling laws also help relate overwash features to other morphodynamic phenomena. Here morphometric data from a physical experiment are compared with data from natural examples of overwash features. The resulting scaling relationships indicate scale invariance spanning several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, these new relationships for overwash morphology align with classic scaling laws for fluvial drainages and alluvial fans.
Individual Effect-Site Concentrations of Propofol Are Similar at Loss of Consciousness and at Awakening

Reported effect-site concentrations of propofol at loss of consciousness and recovery of consciousness vary widely. Thus, no single concentration based on a population average will prove optimal for individual patients. We therefore tested the hypothesis that individual propofol effect-site concentrations at loss and return of consciousness are similar. Propofol effect-site concentrations at loss and recovery of consciousness were estimated with a target-control infusion system in 20 adults. Propofol effect-site concentrations were gradually increased until the volunteers lost consciousness (no response to verbal stimuli); unconsciousness was maintained for 15 min, and the volunteers were then awakened. This protocol was repeated three times in each volunteer. Our major outcomes were the concentration producing unconsciousness and the relationship between the estimated effect-site concentrations at loss and recovery of consciousness. The target effect-site propofol concentration was 2.0 ± 0.9 at loss of consciousness and 1.8 ± 0.7 at return of consciousness (P < 0.001). The average difference between individual effect-site concentrations at return and loss of consciousness was only 0.17 ± 0.32 &mgr;g/mL (95% confidence interval for the difference 0.09–0.25 &mgr;g/mL). Our results thus suggest that individual titration to loss of consciousness is an alternative to dosing propofol on the basis of average population requirements.
Menopausal hot flush: Is it only a nuisance or also a marker of cardiovascular disease risk?

Hot flush is one of the most commonly reported symptoms during menopause; however, it is not experienced by all menopausal women, for reasons that remain unclear. In this review, we present current evidence that link hot flushes with cardiovascular disease, suggesting that the persistence of hot flushes many years after the menopause may represent a marker of an underlying disorder that increases the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Tangential derivative of singular boundary integrals with respect to the position of collocation points

This paper investigates the evaluation of the sensitivity, with respect to tangential perturbations of the singular point, of boundary integrals having either weak or strong singularity. Both scalar potential and elastic problems are considered. A proper definition of the derivative of a strongly singular integral with respect to singular point perturbations should accommodate the concomitant perturbation of the vanishing exclusion neighbourhood involved in the limiting process used in the definition of the integral itself. This is done here by esorting to a shape sensitivity approach, considering a particular class of infinitesimal domain perturbations that ‘move’ individual points, and especially the singular point, but leave the initial domain globally unchanged. This somewhat indirect strategy provides a proper mathematical setting for the analysis. Moreover, the resulting sensitivity expressions apply to arbitrary potential-type integrals with densities only subjected to some regularity requirements at the singular point, and thus are applicable to approximate as well as exact BEM solutions. Quite remarkable is the fact that the analysis is applicable when the singular point is located on an edge and simply continuous elements are used. The hypersingular BIE residual function is found to be equal to the derivative of the strongly singular BIE residual when the same values of the boundary variables are substituted in both SBIE and HBIE formulations, with interesting consequences for some error indicator computation strategies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aeration selects for mucoid phenotype of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A mucoid strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a patient with cystic fibrosis and its nonmucoid revertant were grown in a chemically defined alginate-promoting medium under batch and continuous culture conditions. Selection for the mucoid and nonmucoid phenotype was accomplished by varying the levels of air available to the culture. The addition of air at a rate of 0.5 liters/min to the nonmucoid revertant growing under batch or continuous culture conditions resulted in a greater than 50% decrease in viability over a 10-h incubation period. In contrast, aeration of the mucoid culture maintained a totally mucoid population and there was no decrease in viability over a 55-h incubation. Aeration of a mixed population of the mucoid and nonmucoid phenotype (1:1) resulted in selection for the mucoid phenotype within the first 20 h of cocultivation. The correlation between the mucoid phenotype and alginic acid was demonstrated by the production of 580 micrograms of uronic acid per mg (dry weight) of cells by the mucoid phenotype and less than 1 microgram of uronic acid per mg (dry weight) of cells by the nonmucoid revertant. These results suggest that nonmucoid revertants may have an unusual sensitivity to aeration, which may indicate a mechanism for natural selection of the mucoid phenotype in vivo.
Activated T lymphocytes support osteoclast formation in vitro.

Osteoblastic stromal cells are capable of supporting osteoclast formation from hematopoietic precursors in the presence of osteotropic factors such as 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), PTH, and IL-11. Osteoblastic stromal cells produce receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL), a type II membrane protein of the TNF ligand family, in response to these agents. Activated T lymphocytes also produce RANKL; however, the ability of this cell type to support osteoclast formation in vitro is unknown. Human PBMC-derived T cells, extracted using alphaCD3-coated magnetic beads, were cocultured with adherent murine spleen cells in the presence of Con A and a panel of cytokines. In the presence of Con A, bona fide osteoclasts were formed in vitro with activated T cells: IL-1alpha and TGFbeta further enhanced osteoclast numbers. PBMC-derived lymphocytes showed an increase in the mRNA expression of RANKL within 24 h of treatment with the same agents that were used to induce osteoclast formation. In synovial tissue sections with lymphoid infiltrates from RA patients, the expression of RANKL was demonstrated in CD3(+) T cells. The ability of activated T lymphocytes to support osteoclast formation may provide a mechanism for the potentiation of osteoclast formation and bone resorption in disease states such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Redistribution of the sheep neonatal Fc receptor in the mammary gland around the time of parturition in ewes and its localization in the small intestine of neonatal lambs

Maternal immunity is mediated exclusively by colostral immunoglobulins in ruminants. As the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is suggested to be involved in the transport of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the mammary gland, we cloned this receptor from sheep and analysed its expression in the mammary gland around the time of parturition and also in the small intestine from the newborn lamb. FcRn heavy‐chain mRNA was detected (by using in situ hybridization) exclusively in the acinar and ductal epithelial cells in mammary gland biopsies both before and after parturition. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells of the acini and ducts in the mammary gland biopsies stained homogeneously before parturition. A remarkable difference was observed in the pattern after lambing, where the apical side of the cells was strongly stained. The presence of the FcRn in the acinar and ductal epithelial cells of the mammary gland, and the obvious change in distribution before and after parturition, indicate that the FcRn plays an important role in the transport of IgG during colostrum formation in ruminants. Immunohistochemical analysis detected a strong apical and a weak basal FcRn signal in the duodenal crypt cells of a neonatal lamb, which have been previously demonstrated to secrete IgG1 in newborn ruminants. The FcRn was not detected in the duodenal enterocytes, which absorb intact IgG from the colostrum in a non‐specific manner. These data suggest that FcRn is involved in IgG1 secretion in ruminant epithelial cells.
Theoretical studies of the historical development of the accounting discipline: A review and evidence

Abstract Many existing studies of the development of accounting thought have either been atheoretical or have adopted Kuhn's model of scientific growth. The limitations of this 35-year-old model are discussed. Four different general neo-Kuhnian models of scholarly knowledge development are reviewed and compared with reference to an analytical matrix. The models are found to be mutually consistent, with each focusing on a different aspect of development. A composite model is proposed. Based on a hand-crafted database, author co-citation analysis is used to map empirically the entire literature structure of the accounting discipline during two consecutive time periods, 1972–81 and 1982–90. The changing structure of the accounting literature is interpreted using the proposed composite model of scholarly knowledge development.
R-READER: A lightweight algorithm for rapid detection of ECG signal R-peaks

ECG analysis represents a key way of determining the condition of a patient's heart and the accurate detection of the R-peak in the QRS complex of an ECG signal is one of the most important steps for proper diagnosis. In this paper we present R-READER: a Rapid-Ramp Effective Algorithm for Detection of ECG R-peaks; it uses the slopes between adjacent signals to determine the occurrence of the R-peak in effective way that obviates the resource and latency problems of many existing techniques. We have used some extreme ECG signal cases from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database and compared our R-READER with the hardware implementation of the Pan & Tompkin's algorithm and the modified combination of the So & Chan and the Tompkin's algorithm. We got an average accuracy of 96.614%, compared to 94.467% and 77.930% respectively for the other algorithms at a fraction of the latency and resource demands.