Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acetaminophen inhibits hemoprotein-catalyzed lipid peroxidation and attenuates rhabdomyolysis-induced renal failure

Hemoproteins, hemoglobin and myoglobin, once released from cells can cause severe oxidative damage as a consequence of heme redox cycling between ferric and ferryl states that generates radical species that induce lipid peroxidation. We demonstrate in vitro that acetaminophen inhibits hemoprotein-induced lipid peroxidation by reducing ferryl heme to its ferric state and quenching globin radicals. Severe muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis) is accompanied by the release of myoglobin that becomes deposited in the kidney, causing renal injury. We previously showed in a rat model of rhabdomyolysis that redox cycling between ferric and ferryl myoglobin yields radical species that cause severe oxidative damage to the kidney. In this model, acetaminophen at therapeutic plasma concentrations significantly decreased oxidant injury in the kidney, improved renal function, and reduced renal damage. These findings also provide a hypothesis for potential therapeutic applications for acetaminophen in diseases involving hemoprotein-mediated oxidative injury.
A tri-stack buck converter with gate coupling control (GCC) and quasi adaptive dead time control (QADTC)

A DC-DC buck converter handling three times the nomal transistors' nominal voltage is implemented with 1.8V I/O devices in a 65nm digital process with the aim of creating an analog intellectual property that is robust, easily reconfigurable and cost effective. Moreover, the maximum current density and the efficiency of the powering block reach to 1.28A/mm2 and 93.8%, respectively, with the help of the high mobility of the transistor.
SUSTAINING THE CONTINUITY OF INTERACTION IN WEB-BASED EXPERIMENTATION FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Abstract This paper presents an innovative approach for sustaining the continuity of interaction in Web-based experimentation for engineering education. The approach is based on our work in Activity Theory and the CSCL’s shared artifacts concept. The theory is applied to the eJournal, the collaboration component within the Cockpit, a Web-based environment proposed to students for hands-on experimentation sessions. The eJournal has been developed using the new information and communication technologies such as XML, JSP, and Java. The proposed approach and environment are currently implemented and tested in different courses at the School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). INTRODUCTION Nowadays, one of the useful and interesting trends to support engineering education is to expand the available resources by providing Web-based experimentation facilities (Gillet et al. 2003). Web-based experimentation turns to be a key feature in the deployment of e-Learning solutions for engineering education. It offers a tremendous opportunity to add flexibility in traditional curriculum by providing students with versatile access to the learning material from both a time and a location perspective. In addition, in practical work, engineering students need tools and services to be able to collaborate with one another. The collaboration between the students themselves, and also between students and professors, while carrying out an experiment allows the (co-)construction of knowledge. This is a form of collaborative learning. As a consequence, CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) is now considered as an important research domain, which could help developing methods and tools to make teaching and learning processes, especially in engineering hands-on sessions, much more effective and efficient. In order to fulfill the requirements for the new engineering education paradigm presented above, the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology has launched the
Is interleukin-17 involved in the interaction between polycystic ovary syndrome and gingival inflammation?

BACKGROUND Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder of females of reproductive age that impacts their oral and systemic health. The aim of this study is to evaluate interleukin-17A (IL-17A), IL-17F, IL-17A/F, and IL-17E (IL-25) levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva, and serum of non-obese females with PCOS and with either a clinically healthy periodontium or gingivitis. METHODS Thirty-one females with PCOS, 30 females with PCOS and gingivitis, and 12 systemically and periodontally healthy females participated in the study. Clinical periodontal measurements, body mass index, and Ferriman-Gallwey score (FGS) (a measure of hirsutism in females) were recorded. Circulating levels of sex hormones, cortisol, and insulin were also determined. Levels of IL-17 cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The general linear model multivariate analysis, adjusting for age or plaque index, showed that the two groups with PCOS had higher concentrations of IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17A/F in serum and higher levels of IL-17A and IL-17F in GCF and saliva but lower serum IL-17E than systemically healthy females. Levels of IL-17E were lowest in females with PCOS and gingivitis who also had the highest FGS. Serum IL-17A and IL-17F levels correlated positively with FGS and periodontal probing depth (all ρ >0.33; P <0.005). Serum IL-17E showed the reverse relationship and also correlated negatively with IL-17A (ρ >-0.28; P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS IL-17 levels are altered in non-obese females with PCOS and may influence gingival inflammation. Additional studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between PCOS and gingivitis.
A discrete-time control strategy for dynamic walking of a planar under-actuated biped robot

This paper deals with a discret-time control approach, proposed for the control of a five-link, four-actuator planar biped walker. The approach is based on the choice of a particular class of walk configurations that enables a full state controllability avoiding the need to use Poincaré-like argumentation in the proof of motion's reproducibility (stability of limit cycles). Simulation results attest the efficiency of the proposed control approach.
Uplink Spectral Efficiency Analysis of Decoupled Access in Multiuser MIMO Communications

In a heterogeneous network consisting of macro base stations (MBSs) and small base stations (SBSs), the traditional cell association policy, i.e., coupled access (CA), is far from optimal, due to the significant difference between the coverage and transmit powers of MBSs and SBSs. Hence, users may choose to associate with different types of BSs in downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), i.e., decoupled access (DA), to enhance spectral efficiency. In this paper, DA in multiuser MIMO communications is investigated in terms of UL spectral efficiency. Firstly, we obtain the UL association probabilities. In contrast to the CA scenario, association probabilities for DA scenario only depend on the densities of BSs. Hence, DA allows UL and DL to be totally independent. Secondly, we derive lower bounds on the spectral efficiency. The lower bounds show that, different from CA, the UL spectral efficiency for DA scenario is irrelative with the transmit powers of BSs, which implies DA allows users to associate with any BSs that can achieve the highest UL spectral efficiency. Finally, the spectral efficiencies for DA and CA scenarios are compared via simulation results, where it can be concluded that the spectral efficiency in multiuser MIMO systems is improved by DA.
Improving learning efficiency in multi-objective simulated annealing programming for sound environment classification

In this work, a classifier that jointly optimises the expected total classification cost and the energy consumption is presented. A numerical study is provided, where different alternatives are implemented on a hearing aid. Our proposal is capable of automatically classifying the acoustic environment that surrounds the user and choosing the parameters of the amplification that are best adapted to the user's comfort, while attaining relevant improvements in both classification and learning-related energy consumptions with small to negligible loss in classification accuracy.
Deterministic Equivalent for the Analysis of MIMO Multiple Access Channel Capacity

In this paper we consider the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple access channel with antenna correlation at the transmitter and receiver. The propagation channels between transmitters and receivers are modelled according to the Kronecker model. We derive the specific deterministic equivalent of ergodic capacity and the optimal precoding matrices based on large dimensional random matrix theory (RMT). Simulations confirm the theoretical claims and also indicate that in different fading scenarios the results applied to a finite number of antennas give good approximations.
“Homeless Killer”: An Analysis of the Media’s Portrayal of the Victims of a Serial Killer

ABSTRACT Previous research has examined the newsworthiness of homicide victims and explored many characteristics of victims. To date, there is no research examining homeless homicide victims even though homeless individuals are more susceptible to being victims of violent crimes. This study examines the online media coverage of four homeless homicide victims murdered by a serial killer in 2012 to ascertain how housing status impacts media coverage. Specifically, this study explores through content analysis what kind of coverage homeless individuals receive and how they are portrayed. Findings suggest that housing status is a salient characteristic in the newsworthiness of victims.
Performance Analysis of L-Band Geosynchronous SAR Imaging in the Presence of Ionospheric Scintillation

An L-band geosynchronous synthetic aperture radar (GEO SAR) will be inevitably affected by ionosphere scintillation because of its low carrier frequency. Meanwhile, compared with the low Earth orbit (LEO) SAR, a higher orbit of GEO SAR makes it have a longer integration time and a longer operation time within the susceptible regions of ionospheric scintillation. Thus, its imaging is more sensitive to ionospheric scintillation, and the corresponding degradation will have a different pattern. However, few works are focused on the quantitative analysis of the ionospheric scintillation impacts on L-band SAR. Moreover, the parameters of ionospheric irregularities utilized in the analyses are hard to be determined. In this paper, we first deduced the azimuth point-spread function with the consideration of both the amplitude and phase scintillation. Then, based on the measurable statistical parameters of ionospheric scintillation, performance specifications, including azimuth resolution, azimuth peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSLR), and azimuth integrated sidelobe ratio (ISLR) are obtained to fully evaluate the impacts. The analysis suggests that in GEO SAR imaging, the azimuth ISLR severely deteriorates, whereas degradations of the azimuth resolution and PSLR are negligible. Finally, the simulations and a real ionospheric scintillation monitoring experiment by employing Global Positioning System satellites receivers were conducted, verifying the conclusions that the serious degraded contrast and focus quality of the images are brought by the raised azimuth ISLR.
Glyphosate resistance in perennial Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass), endowed by reduced glyphosate translocation and leaf uptake.

BACKGROUND In a large cropping area of northern Argentina, Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) has evolved towards glyphosate resistance. This study aimed to determine the molecular and biochemical basis conferring glyphosate resistance in this species. Experiments were conducted to assess target EPSPS gene sequences and (14)C-glyphosate leaf absorption and translocation to meristematic tissues. RESULTS Individuals of all resistant (R) accessions exhibited significantly less glyphosate translocation to root (11% versus 29%) and stem (9% versus 26%) meristems when compared with susceptible (S) plants. A notably higher proportion of the applied glyphosate remained in the treated leaves of R plants (63%) than in the treated leaves of S plants (27%). In addition, individuals of S. halepense accession R(2) consistently showed lower glyphosate absorption rates in both adaxial (10-20%) and abaxial (20-25%) leaf surfaces compared with S plants. No glyphosate resistance endowing mutations in the EPSPS gene at Pro-101-106 residues were found in any of the evaluated R accessions. CONCLUSION The results of the present investigation indicate that reduced glyphosate translocation to meristems is the primary mechanism endowing glyphosate resistance in S. halepense from cropping fields in Argentina. To a lesser extent, reduced glyphosate leaf uptake has also been shown to be involved in glyphosate-resistant S. halepense.
On wooden pillows: multiple classification and children's category-based inductions.

Previous research has indicated that preschoolers do not distinguish between properties that are generalizable within a given category and those that are not. 2 possible general constraints on children's cognition are proposed to account for these findings. 3 studies are reported that argue against the presence of such general constraints. We examine preschoolers' understanding of the properties associated with material (e.g., wood, cotton) and object (e.g., chair, pillow) categories. In Study 1, subjects consistently made inductions based on the material compositions of items when asked to predict texture and fragility. In Study 2, the same subjects judged that items that shared material would share an unfamiliar dispositional property (e.g., gets sodden in water), but items that shared object kind would share a novel functional property (e.g., used for accelerating). Study 3 tested a younger sample of 3-year-olds and found the same sensitivity to category type, albeit with larger individual differences. By age 3, children use different modes of categorization to generalize different kinds of phenomena. These results argue against general limitations on children's abilities to use categories to make inductions. Even when children lack specific theoretical knowledge, the ability to organize phenomena into domains allows children to recognize which categories are relevant in different situations. This understanding can provide a basis for the development of more specific theories.
Cytotoxicity and inhibitory properties against topoisomerase II of doxorubicin and its formamidine derivatives.

UNLABELLED This work was undertaken to compare cytotoxicity, DNA damaging properties and effect on DNA cleavage by topoisomerase II of the anthracycline drug doxorubicin (DOX) and its two derivatives with a formamidino group containing a cyclic amine moiety such as morpholine (DOXM) or hexamethyleneimine (DOXH). The tetrazolium dye colorimetric assay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of anthracyclines toward L1210 leukemia cells. DNA damage was measured by alkaline elution technique. The effect of anthracyclines on DNA cleavage was studied in a cell-free system containing supercoiled pBR322 DNA and purified human topoisomerase II. The cytotoxicity data and the results of studies on the mechanism of DNA break formation by anthracyclines at the cellular level and in the cell-free system showed that the presence of the formamidino group in the doxorubicin molecule reduced its ability to stimulate DNA cleavage by DNA topoisomerase II. CONCLUSION DNA topoisomerase II is not a primary cellular target for DOXM or DOXH. An advantageous feature of formamidinoanthracyclines is their mechanism of cytotoxic action which is not related to the inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II. Therefore this class of anthracyclines seems to be a good source for selection of an anticancer drug directed toward cancer cells with the developed multidrug resistance attributed to the presence of altered DNA topoisomerase II.
Determinants of effective clinical learning: a student and teacher perspective in Saudi Arabia.

CONTEXT Graduating clinically competent medical students is probably the principal objective of all medical curricula. Training for clinical competence is rather a complex process and to be effective requires involving all stakeholders, including students, in the processes of planning and implanting the curriculum. This study explores the perceptions of students of the College of Medicine at King Abdul-Aziz Bin Saud University for Health Sciences (KASU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia of the features of effective clinical rotations by inviting them to answer the question: "Which experiences or activities in your opinion have contributed to the development of your clinical competence? This college was established in 2004 and adopted a problem-based learning curriculum. METHODS This question was posed to 24 medical students divided into three focus groups. A fourth focus group interview was conducted with five teachers. Transcriptions of the tape-recorded focus group interviews were qualitatively analyzed using a framework analysis approach. FINDINGS Students identified five main themes of factors perceived to affect their clinical learning: (1) the provision of authentic clinical learning experiences, (2) good organization of the clinical sessions, (3) issues related to clinical cases, (4) good supervision and (5) students' own learning skills. These themes were further subdivided into 18 sub-themes. Teachers identified three principal themes: (1) organizational issues, (2) appropriate supervision and (3) providing authentic experiences. CONCLUSION Consideration of these themes in the process of planning and development of medical curricula could contribute to medical students' effective clinical learning and skills competency.
SYNTAGMA. A Linguistic Approach to Parsing

SYNTAGMA is a rule-based parsing system, structured on two levels: a general parsing engine and a language specific grammar. The parsing engine is a language independent program, while grammar and language specific rules and resources are given as text files, consisting in a list of constituent structuresand a lexical database with word sense related features and constraints. Since its theoretical background is principally Tesniere's Elements de syntaxe, SYNTAGMA's grammar emphasizes the role of argument structure (valency) in constraint satisfaction, and allows also horizontal bounds, for instance treating coordination. Notions such as Pro, traces, empty categories are derived from Generative Grammar and some solutions are close to Government&Binding Theory, although they are the result of an autonomous research. These properties allow SYNTAGMA to manage complex syntactic configurations and well known weak points in parsing engineering. An important resource is the semantic network, which is used in disambiguation tasks. Parsing process follows a bottom-up, rule driven strategy. Its behavior can be controlled and fine-tuned.
Prion Protein-Detergent Micelle Interactions Studied by NMR in Solution*

Cellular prion proteins, PrPC, carrying the amino acid substitutions P102L, P105L, or A117V, which confer increased susceptibility to human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are known to form structures that include transmembrane polypeptide segments. Herein, we investigated the interactions between dodecylphosphocholine micelles and the polypeptide fragments 90–231 of the recombinant mouse PrP variants carrying the amino acid replacements P102L, P105L, A117V, A113V/A115V/A118V, K110I/H111I, M129V, P105L/M129V, and A117V/M129V. Wild-type mPrP-(90–231) and mPrP[M129V]-(91–231) showed only weak interactions with dodecylphosphocholine micelles in aqueous solution at pH 7.0, whereas discrete interaction sites within the polypeptide segment 102–127 were identified for all other aforementioned mPrP variants by NMR chemical shift mapping. These model studies thus provide evidence that amino acid substitutions within the polypeptide segment 102–127 affect the interactions of PrPC with membranous structures, which might in turn modulate the physiological function of the protein in health and disease.
Energy-Sustainable Traffic Steering for 5G Mobile Networks

Renewable EH technology is expected to be pervasively utilized in 5G mobile networks to support sustainable network developments and operations. However, the renewable energy supply is inherently random and intermittent, which could lead to energy outage, energy overflow, QoS degradation, and so on. Accordingly, how to enhance renewable energy sustainability is a critical issue for green networking. To this end, an energy-sustainable traffic steering framework is proposed in this article, where the traffic load is dynamically adjusted to match energy distributions in both the spatial and temporal domains by means of interand intra-tier steering, caching, and pushing. Case studies are carried out, which demonstrate that the proposed framework can reduce on-grid energy demand while satisfying QoS requirements. Research topics and challenges of energy-sustainable traffic steering are also discussed.
Power Aware Scheduling for Parallel Tasks via Task Clustering

It has been widely known that various benefits can be achieved by reducing energy consumption for high end computing. This paper aims to develop power aware scheduling heuristics for parallel tasks in a cluster with the DVFS technique. In this paper, formal models are presented for precedenceconstrained parallel tasks, DVFS enabled clusters, and energy consumption. This paper studies the slack time for non-critical jobs, extends their execution time and reduces the energy consumption without increasing the task’s execution time as a whole. This paper develops a power aware task clustering algorithm for parallel task scheduling Simulation results justify the design and implementation of proposed energy aware scheduling heuristics in the paper.
Decentralized Formation Tracking of Multi-vehicle Systems with Nonlinear Dynamics

The problem of formation tracking can be stated as multiple vehicles are required to follow spatial trajectories while keeping a desired inter-vehicle formation pattern in time. This paper considers vehicles with nonlinear dynamics and nonholonomic constraints and very general trajectories that can be generated by some reference vehicles. We specify formations using the vectors of relative positions of neighboring vehicles and use consensus-based controllers in the context of decentralized formation tracking control. The key idea is to combine consensus-based controllers with the cascaded approach to tracking control, resulting in a group of linearly coupled dynamical systems. We examine the stability properties of the closed loop system using cascaded systems theory and nonlinear synchronization theory. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the proposed method
A New Optimized Approach for Detection of Caries in Panoramic Images

Nowadays, support vector machines (SVMs) has been used broadly to solve numerous mind boggling issues in various fields because of its capacity to sum up and classify perfectly. One of these fields is the medicinal image preparing for diagnosing purposes. In this paper, tooth caries identification system is presented in light of SVMs that trained by using practical swarm optimization (PSO). The proposed approach utilizes inter-pixel autocorrelation as input features. Experimental results prove that the proposed approach can detect tooth caries efficiently. Furthermore, it is clear that the classification accuracy is very good. In addition, the proposed approach of tooth caries detection outperforms the diagnosing process performed by a rule-based computer assisted program and a group of dentists.