Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the Processing Scheme for Space–Time Waveform Encoding SAR System Based on Two-Dimensional Digital Beamforming

The combination of space-time waveform encoding and digital beamforming (DBF) has been proposed as a novel concept to improve the performance of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems in the future. In this paper, we research one such new operational mode to reduce azimuth ambiguity in high-resolution wide-swath SAR image and present the processing scheme based on 2-D DBF for this mode. The main procedures and techniques are described in detail, and a complete mathematical derivation of the scheme is given; furthermore, a sample SAR system is provided, from which numerical simulation results are obtained to justify our derivations. In addition, an in-depth analysis of system performance associated with this mode, from the perspectives of both azimuth ambiguity-to-signal ratio (ASR) (AASR) and range ASR (RASR), is carried out. It is shown that a meaningful improvement of AASR can be attained at a small cost of raised RASR level, as compared with the performance of single-input multiple-output SAR.
A square‐shaped wrist as a predictor of carpal tunnel syndrome: A meta‐analysis

Introduction: This meta‐analysis aims to assess an association between wrist ratio (wrist thickness/wrist width) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods: Sixteen studies qualified for a random‐effects meta‐analysis. Results: Mean wrist ratio was higher in individuals with CTS compared with those without CTS [pooled mean difference 0.036, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.025–0.046]. Pooled odds ratio (OR) of CTS for mean wrist ratio was 4.56 (95% CI 2.97–6.99), and for wrist ratio ≥0.70 vs. <0.70 it was 2.73 (95% CI 1.49–5.01). In addition, the pooled OR for a 1‐unit (0.01) increase in wrist ratio was 1.12 (CI 1.09–1.16). The association between wrist ratio and CTS did not differ between men and women. Moreover, there was no evidence of publication bias. Conclusions: This meta‐analysis suggests that a square‐shaped wrist is a predictor for CTS in both men and women. Future studies should explore whether a square‐shaped wrist can potentiate the adverse effects of obesity and occupational workloads on CTS. Muscle Nerve 52: 709–713, 2015
Lessons learned in Germany

T he collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 marked the beginning of a global financial crisis that has since affected the world economy and nations’ finances. Even major economies such as the USA or Japan have been struggling with the aftermath of the events that started in 2008 while many European countries still suffer from high unemployment, recession and strained budgets. The crisis has also had a major impact on science as governments are forced to cut down on their investment into research and education. A few countries have escaped this predicament, however, and managed to maintain or even increase their investment into research, notably Germany as a major economy. In the past 10 years, Germany has invested heavily in its science system—and that was sorely needed. At the turn of the millennium, Germany’s research system was not in the best state: Universities were chronically underfunded and brain drain depleted the country of young talent. “Policymakers recognized that something clearly had to be done. A political consensus was found that crossed party lines and was agreed on by the federal and the state governments”, said Peter Gruss, former President of the Max Planck Society from 2002 to 2014. The red–green coalition government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder initiated crucial reforms about financing Germany’s research sector, realizing that knowledge and innovation fuel economic growth and are key elements to global competitiveness—especially in a country with few natural resources. The governments under Angela Merkel, who became chancellor after Schröder’s defeat in 2005, have largely implemented these reforms. Yet, some of the measures are scheduled to run out and German politicians and scientists debate on how to continue the success of the past decade. “At the turn of the millennium, Germany’s research system was not in the best state: universities were chronically underfunded and brain drain depleted the country of young talent” .
Validation of prognostic scores for clinical outcomes in cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding.

Background. The Rockall, Glasgow-Blatchford, and AIMS65 are useful and validated scoring systems for predicting the outcomes of patients with nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding. However, there are no validated evidence for using them to predict outcomes on variceal bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the prognostic accuracy of different nonvariceal bleeding scores with other liver-specific scoring systems in cirrhotic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective multicenter study that included 160 cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding. The AUROC's to predict in-hospital mortality, and rebleeding, were analyzed for each scoring system. RESULTS Overall in-hospital mortality occurred in 13% and in-hospital rebleeding in 12% of patients. The systems with the best AUROC value for predicting mortality were MELD (0.828; 95% CI 0.748-0.909), and AIMS65 (0.817; 95% CI 0.724-0.909). The best score systems for predicting rebleeding were Glasgow-Blatchford (0.756; 95% CI 0.640- 0.827), and Rockall (0.691; 95% CI 0.580-0.802). CONCLUSIONS In addition to liver-specific scores, the AIMS65 score is accurate for predicting in-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding. Other scoring systems might be useful for predicting significant clinical outcomes in these patients.
A miniaturized slotted ground fractal Koch multiband antenna for wireless applications

A fractal Koch shaped slot antenna for multiband wireless applications is presented in this paper. The fractal Koch shape monopole and slots in the ground plane disturbs the capacitance and inductance of the patch, thereby increasing the total current length patch. As a result of this, miniaturization and seven resonant frequency bands are obtained. The simulated −10 dB impedance bandwidth at resonant frequency 1.7, 2.4, 3.5, 4.8, 5.9, 6.1 and 6.7 GHz are 9.8%, 6.8%, 5.4%, 4.3%, 2.92%, 1.6% and 4.5% respectively. The total dimension of the proposed design is only 55mm × 56mm and is intended for GPS, WLAN, WiMAX and Satellite applications.
Genome wide assessment of mRNA in astrocyte protrusions by direct RNA sequencing reveals mRNA localization for the intermediate filament protein nestin

Subcellular RNA localization plays an important role in development, cell differentiation, and cell migration. For a comprehensive description of the population of protrusion localized mRNAs in astrocytes we separated protrusions from cell bodies in a Boyden chamber and performed high‐throughput direct RNA sequencing. The mRNAs with localization in astrocyte protrusions encode proteins belonging to a variety of functional groups indicating involvement of RNA localization for a palette of cellular functions. The mRNA encoding the intermediate filament protein Nestin was among the identified mRNAs. By RT‐qPCR and RNA FISH analysis we confirmed Nestin mRNA localization in cell protrusions and also protrusion localization of Nestin protein. Nestin mRNA localization was dependent of Fragile X mental retardation syndrome proteins Fmrp and Fxr1, and the Nestin 3'‐UTR was sufficient to mediate protrusion mRNA localization. The mRNAs for two other intermediate filament proteins in astrocytes, Gfap and Vimentin, have moderate and no protrusion localization, respectively, showing that individual intermediate filament components have different localization mechanisms. The correlated localization of Nestin mRNA with Nestin protein in cell protrusions indicates the presence of a regulatory mechanism at the mRNA localization level for the Nestin intermediate filament protein with potential importance for astrocyte functions during brain development and maintenance. GLIA 2013;61:1922–1937
Activation of the STAT Pathway by Angiotensin II in T3CHO/AT1A Cells

We recently reported that angiotensin II (AII), acting through the STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) pathway, stimulated a delayed SIF (sis-inducing factor)-like DNA binding activity (maximal at 2-3 h) (Bhat, G. J., Thekkumkara, T. J., Thomas, W. G., Conrad, K. M., and Baker, K. M.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 31443-31449). Using a cell line transfected with the AT1A receptor (T3CHO/AT1A), we further characterized the AII-induced SIF response and explored the possible reasons for the delay in stimulated SIF activity. In cells transfected with a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmid, under the control of a SIE (sis-inducing element), AII markedly stimulated chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity. The delayed SIF activation by AII was not due to a requirement for the release of other SIF inducing factors into the medium and contrasts with the rapid (5 min) induction elicited by the cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6). Interestingly, both agents stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat92 and predominantly the formation of SIF complex A. We tested the hypothesis that AII initially activated an inhibitory pathway, which was responsible for delaying the maximal SIF stimulation until 2 h. Pretreatment of cells for 15 min with AII resulted in significant inhibition of the IL-6-induced nuclear SIF response (10 min) and Stat92 tyrosine phosphorylation, which was blocked by EXP3174, an AT1 receptor antagonist. This inhibition was transient with return of the IL-6-induced SIF response at 2 h, suggesting that the delayed maximal activation of SIF by AII occurs following an initial transient inhibitory phase. Pretreatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate for 15 min, to activate protein kinase C, resulted in inhibition of the IL-6-induced SIF response (10 min). However, down-regulation of protein kinase C activity prevented phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, but not AII mediated inhibition of the IL-6-induced SIF response. Although the mechanism is not clear, the results presented in this paper raise the interesting possibility that the activation of SIF/Stat92 by AII is characterized by an initial inhibitory phase, followed by the induction process. The observation that AII and IL-6 utilize similar components of the STAT pathway and that AII can cross-talk with IL-6 signaling through inhibition of IL-6-induced SIF/Stat92, implies a modulatory role for AII in cellular responses to cytokines.
Nuclear DNA content‐derived parameters correlated with heterogeneous expression of p53 and bcl‐2 proteins in clear cell renal carcinomas

p53 and bcl‐2 are two key genes involved in cell cycle and cell death regulation. Altered expression or mutation of these genes has been found in human cancers and also has been identified in clear cell renal carcinoma (RCC). Their role in RCC progression, however, is still unclear. By contrast, the prognostic significance of ploidy and S‐phase fraction (SPF) have been studied extensively in RCC. To better characterize the biologic role of p53 and bcl‐2 oncoproteins in RCC, we offer a multisample correlative analysis of the expression of these two proteins with ploidy and SPF.
Exome resequencing reveals signatures of demographic and adaptive processes across the genome and range of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

Extant variation in temperate and boreal plant species has been influenced by both demographic histories associated with Pleistocene glacial cycles and adaptation to local climate. We used sequence capture to investigate the role of these neutral and adaptive processes in shaping diversity in black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). Nucleotide diversity and Tajima's D were lowest at replacement sites and highest at intergenic sites, while LD showed the opposite pattern. With samples grouped into three populations arrayed latitudinally, effective population size was highest in the north, followed by south and centre, and LD was highest in the south followed by the north and centre, suggesting a possible northern glacial refuge. FST outlier analysis revealed that promoter, 5′‐UTR and intronic sites were enriched for outliers compared with coding regions, while no outliers were found among intergenic sites. Codon usage bias was evident, and genes with synonymous outliers had 30% higher average expression compared with genes containing replacement outliers. These results suggest divergent selection related to regulation of gene expression is important to local adaptation in P. trichocarpa. Finally, within‐population selective sweeps were much more pronounced in the central population than in putative northern and southern refugia, which may reflect the different demographic histories of the populations and concomitant effects on signatures of genetic hitchhiking from standing variation.
Explorer Predator Evasion by a Robocrab

We describe the first robot designed to emulate specific perceptual and motor capabilities of the fiddler crab. An omnidirectional robot platform uses onboard computation to process images from a 360◦ camera view, filtering it through a biological model of the crab’s ommatidia layout, extracting potential ‘predator’ cues, and executing an evasion response that also depends on contextual information. We show that, as for real crabs, multiple cues are needed for effective escape in different predator-prey scenarios.
Urban change detection in SAR images by interactive learning

This paper focuses on finding changes in an urban environment (new or demolished buildings, activity monitoring) using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. We propose a novel approach to characterize changes between two registered images. First, “what is a change” is learned interactively using user-provided examples in order to adapt the detection to the query context. Second, we propose the Change-Index Histogram of Oriented Gradients (CI-HOG), a new change descriptor that captures local statistics of change indices. We assess our system on TerraSAR-X data captured over challenging locations.
CWAS: A Hybrid Solution for Collision Warning and Avoidance

Driving assistance is becoming an increasingly important matter nowadays, due to the advancements in technology in fields of communication and signal processing. Helping the driver detect and avoid incoming hazards while driving can save lives and decrease road fatalities. For that purpose, this paper describes a hybrid solution based on hardware modules that can be installed on curvy and/or mountainous roads, and on a mobile app. Any driver, with any vehicle model, can become a part of the proposed system by installing and using the app without the need to purchase any additional hardware. Drivers get real time voice warnings on their mobile phones about incoming hazards and vehicle speeds.
Phosphorylation and activation of tryptophan hydroxylase 2: identification of serine‐19 as the substrate site for calcium, calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II

Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the initial and rate‐limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin. TPH was once thought to be a single‐gene product but it is now known to exist in two isoforms. TPH1 is found in the periphery and pineal gland whereas TPH2 is expressed specifically in the CNS. Both TPH isoforms are known to be regulated by protein kinase‐dependent phosphorylation and the sites of modification of TPH1 by protein kinase A have been identified. While TPH2 is activated by calcium, calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), the sites at which this isoform is modified are not known. Treatment of wild‐type TPH2 with CaMKII followed by mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the enzyme was activated and phosphorylated at a single site, serine‐19. Mutagenesis of serine‐19 to alanine did not alter the catalytic function of TPH2 but this mutant enzyme was neither activated nor phosphorylated by CaMKII. A phosphopeptide bracketing phosphoserine‐19 in TPH2 was used as an antigen to generate polyclonal antibodies against phosphoserine‐19. The antibodies are highly specific for phosphoserine‐19 in TPH2. The antibodies do not react with wild‐type TPH2 or TPH1 and they do not recognize phophoserine‐58 or phosphoserine‐260 in TPH1. These results establish that activation of TPH2 by CaMKII is mediated by phosphorylation of serine‐19 within the regulatory domain of the enzyme. Production of a specific antibody against the CaMKII phosphorylation site in TPH2 represents a valuable tool to advance the study of the mechanisms regulating the function of this important enzyme.
Alternative Methods for Assessing Mediation in Multilevel Data: The Advantages of Multilevel SEM

Multilevel modeling (MLM) is a popular way of assessing mediation effects with clustered data. Two important limitations of this approach have been identified in prior research and a theoretical rationale has been provided for why multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) should be preferred. However, to date, no empirical evidence of MSEM's advantages relative to MLM approaches for multilevel mediation analysis has been provided. Nor has it been demonstrated that MSEM performs adequately for mediation analysis in an absolute sense. This study addresses these gaps and finds that the MSEM method outperforms 2 MLM-based techniques in 2-level models in terms of bias and confidence interval coverage while displaying adequate efficiency, convergence rates, and power under a variety of conditions. Simulation results support prior theoretical work regarding the advantages of MSEM over MLM for mediation in clustered data.
Group-Decodable Diversity Embedded Space-Time Codes

Diversity embedded space-time code can be used to simultaneously transmit data streams with quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. However, the decoding complexity of existing diversity embedded codes is high since these codes are fully non-orthogonal. In this paper, group-decodable diversity embedded space-time code is proposed and constructed systematically. A code construction is presented for high Scalability in term of diversity levels and decoding complexity. Code examples are shown to achieve very low decoding complexity.
Miniaturized I-shaped slot circularly polarized RFID antenna

In this paper, we proposed a novel single feed circularly polarized (CP) microstrip antenna with a I-shaped slot. By means of I-shaped slot technique, good axial ratio is obtained. In addition, to reduce the antenna size, four slits were cut on the patch. The optimal parameters of proposed antenna in this paper are achieved through HFSS software simulation. The results of simulation show that the proposed miniaturized CP antenna has an impedance bandwidth (return loss ≤10dB) get to 100 MHz (2.4-2.5 GHz), the 3dB axial ratio bandwidth get to 20 MHz (2.44-2.46 GHz), and the axial gain level get to 6.43 dBi.
Contrasting spatial, temporal and Spatio-Temporal ICA applied to ictal EEG recordings

In this paper we contrast three implementations of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) as applied to epileptic scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, these are; Spatial (Ensemble) ICA, Temporal (single-channel) ICA and Spatio-Temporal ICA. These techniques are based on information derived from both multi-channel as well as single channel biomedical signal recordings. We assess the suitability of the three techniques in isolating and extracting out epileptic seizure sources. Although our results are preliminary in nature, we show that standard implementations of ICA (ensemble ICA) are lacking when attempting to extract complex underlying activity such as ictal activity in the EEG. Temporal ICA performs well in separating underlying sources, although it is clearly lacking in spatial information. Spatio-Temporal ICA has the advantage of using temporal information to inform the ICA process, aided by the spatial information inherent in multi-channel recordings. This work is being expanded for seizure onset analysis through scalp EEG.
Vertical structure of tropical oceanic convective clouds and its relation to precipitation

Cloudsat cloud radar data are used to investigate the vertical structure of cloud systems of the ITCZ across the West and East Pacific and its contribution to precipitation. Cloud radar data are collocated with precipitation rates from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) to examine differences in cloud top PDFs for different rain rate regimes. Heavily precipitating clouds have high tops that are nearly two km deeper than moderately raining or non‐raining high clouds. Rain rate increases with cloud height, especially for clouds higher than 12 km, with nearly a tenfold rain rate increase from 12 km to the tropical tropopause. Clouds with tops below 9.5 km contribute 38% to total rainfall in the West Pacific and 47% in the East Pacific, but they contribute 60% and 74% to total rain area, respectively.
Association between school absence and physical function in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy

Objective: To investigate factors associated with school attendance and physical function in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Regional specialist CFS/ME service. Patients: Children and young people aged under 18 years. Outcome measures: Self-reported school attendance and physical function measured using the physical function subscale of the Short Form 36. Methods: Linear and logistic regression analysis of data from self-completed assessment forms on children attending a regional specialist service between 2004 and 2007. Analyses were done in two groups of children: with a completed Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and with a completed Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Of 211 children with CFS/ME, 62% attended 40% of school or less. In children with completed SCAS, those with better physical function were more likely to attend school (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.70; 95% CI 1.36 to 2.13). This was also true for those with completed HADS (adjusted OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.01). Increasing fatigue and pain and low mood were associated with worse physical function. There was no evidence that anxiety, gender, age at assessment, family history of CFS/ME or time from onset of symptoms to assessment in clinic were associated with school attendance or physical function. Implications: Paediatricians should recognise that reduced school attendance is associated with reduced physical function rather than anxiety. Improving school attendance in children with CFS/ME should focus on evidence-based interventions to improve physical function, particularly concentrating on interventions that are likely to reduce pain and fatigue.