Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance simulation and analysis of two kinds of cylindrical conformal microstrip Yagi antennas

Based on two kinds of traditional planar microstrip Yagi antennas, the radiation performances of corresponding cylindrical conformal microstrip Yagi antennas are discussed and simulated in this paper. In simulations, each kind of microstrip Yagi antenna has three directors. For each kind of microstrip Yagi antenna, the diameter of conductor cylinder is 300mm and two same antennas are symmetrically mounted on the surface of dielectric substrate, which is on the conductor cylinder. According to the simulated results, the working frequency of the first kind of antenna is about 1.6 GHz, the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is about 1.65 and the directivity is about 8.5dBi. For the second kind of antenna, when the working frequency is about 2.45GHz, the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is about 1.57 and the directivity is about 8.6dBi, and when the working frequency is about 5.26GHz, the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is about 1.69 and the directivity is about 9.3dBi. Under this cylindrical conformal condition, the microstrip Yagi antennas basically keep the radiation performace of planar microstrip Yagi antennas. The simulation and analysis can provide technical reference for the practical cylindrical conformal microstrip Yagi antennas.
The influence of triple pelvic osteotomy on birth canal size

Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of triple pelvic osteotomy on the internal pelvic dimensions and thus on the potential for normal vaginal delivery. Methods Data were acquired by processing fixed anatomical specimens of 19 female pelves with maintained sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments after unilateral and bilateral osteotomy, respectively. The specimens were measured and x-ray images and photographs were taken. Results The dimensions in the plane of the pelvic inlet and the plane of the greatest pelvic dimension after unilateral osteotomy increased in 51%, remained unchanged in 34% and in 15% of cases they decreased. The most critical locations for the passage of fetus decreased in average from 0.016 cm in distantia interspinalis in the plane of the least pelvic dimension to 0.695 cm in distantia intertuberositas in the plane of the pelvic outlet. After bilateral osteotomy are decreases more significant from 0.226 cm (2.05%) to 1.00 cm (9.51%). Decreases we observed in the monitored dimensions were not so big in comparison to other published studies. Conclusion Results of this study confirm our hypothesis that unilateral triple pelvic osteotomy does not significantly narrow the bony birth canal and so it does not impede the ability to deliver per vias naturales in female patients with this surgical procedure in anamnesis. After bilateral triple osteotomy we would rather recommend Caesarean section.
Availability of childcare support and nutritional status of children of non‐working and working mothers in urban Nepal

In many developing countries, poor women have multiple roles, and often their time constraints are so severe that their participation in income‐generating activities results in reduced childcare time, which in turn affects child health. Previous studies have tended to investigate how childcare support influences nutrition of children with working mothers' based on comparisons with non‐working mothers. However, non‐working mothers are not a homogeneous group, and we therefore need to distinguish between those who need not work and those who wish to but cannot, for example, due to a lack of substitute caregivers. We examined the association between availability of childcare support and the nutritional status of children of both non‐working and working mothers in poor areas of Pokhara, a submetropolitan city in Nepal. We recruited 150 children of age 10–24 months from the waiting lists of 17 daycare centers and measured their weights and heights. Those with height‐for‐age and weight‐for‐age Z scores of less than −2 were defined as stunted and underweight, respectively. To collect information on childcare practices and socioeconomic characteristics, mothers were interviewed using a pre‐tested structured questionnaire. Unavailability of adult childcare support was associated with increased risk of malnutrition among children of both non‐working and working mothers. Peer childcare was not significantly associated with child malnutrition among children of non‐working mothers, but it was associated with an increased risk of malnutrition among children of working mothers. Although further longitudinal research is required, we suggest that childcare support from adult substitute caregivers is essential for children of non‐working mothers with limited resources. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 18:169–181, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Speaking truth to power: political advisers’ and civil servants’ responses to perceived harmful policy proposals

How are civil servants and politically appointed advisers likely to respond to policy proposals that they believe will harm their countries severely even if they are legal? Based on the different loyalties and roles of political advisors (PA) and civil servants (CS), we hypothesise that (1) PAs are more likely to voice internally, (2) CSs are more likely to voice externally and (3) CSs in functionally politicised systems are more likely to stay silent. These hypotheses are tested on – and partially supported by – data collected through two surveys directed to the ministerial staffs in Denmark and Sweden. PAs are more likely to voice internally, but none of the two groups is particularly keen to voice externally. The propensity to voice concerns in case of perceived harmful policy proposals depends on the kind as well as the level of politicisation.
Data mining of magnetocardiograms for prediction of ischemic heart disease

Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is a major cause of death. Early and accurate detection of IHD along with rapid diagnosis are important for reducing the mortality rate. Magnetocardiogram (MCG) is a tool for detecting electro-physiological activity of the myocardium. MCG is a fully non-contact method, which avoids the problems of skin-electrode contact in the Electrocardiogram (ECG) method. However, the interpretation of MCG recordings is time-consuming and requires analysis by an expert. Therefore, we propose the use of machine learning for identification of IHD patients. Back-propagation neural network (BPNN), the Bayesian neural network (BNN), the probabilistic neural network (PNN) and the support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop classification models for identifying IHD patients. MCG data was acquired by sequential measurement, above the torso, of the magnetic field emitted by the myocardium using a J-T interval of 125 cases. The training and validation data of 74 cases employed 10-fold cross-validation methods to optimize support vector machine and neural network parameters. The predictive performance was assessed on the testing data of 51 cases using the following metrics: accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The results demonstrated that both BPNN and BNN displayed the highest and the same level of accuracy at 78.43 %. Furthermore, the decision threshold and the area under the ROC curve was -0.2774 and 0.9059, respectively, for BPNN and 0.0470 and 0.8495, respectively, for BNN. This indicated that BPNN was the best classification model, BNN was the best performing model with sensitivity of 96.65 %, and SVM employing the radial basis function kernel displayed the highest specificity of 86.36 %.
Ultrahigh Sensitivity DNA Detection Using Nanorods Incorporated ISFETs

Nanotextured gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistors have been realized for high-sensitivity DNA detection. The formation of doped poly-Si rods decorated with ultrafine features is believed to be responsible for higher sensitivities of such devices. Owing to their high sensitivities, such devices can detect charge variations during various functionalization, DNA immobilization, and hybridization steps. An analytical model has been proposed to correlate the high sensitivity with a structural parameter, β, varying between zero and one. For small values of β, high sensitivities have been obtained.
The Association between Diagnosed Glaucoma and Cataract and Cognitive Performance in very old People: Cross-sectional Findings from the Newcastle 85+ Study

ABSTRACT Purpose: Common age-related eye diseases including glaucoma, cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been proposed to be associated with dementia. Few studies have examined the relationship between cognition and cataract or glaucoma. We explored the association between cognition and cataract and glaucoma diagnoses in community-dwelling 85-year-olds. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Newcastle 85+ Study. Diagnoses of eye disease were extracted from family practice records. Cognitive performance was assessed by the standardized mini-mental state examination (sMMSE) and the sMMSE-blind (MMblind). Relationships between glaucoma diagnosis or cataract diagnosis and lower cognition were examined using ordinal logistic regression. Results: Complete data were available for 839 participants. Of these, 36.0% (302/839) had recorded previous cataract surgery, 11.2% (94/839) untreated cataract and 7.9% (66/839) diagnosed glaucoma. Glaucoma diagnosis was associated with lower sMMSE results (odds ratio [OR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–2.95); but not lower MMblind (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.65–2.12). When compared to no cataract, cataract diagnosis (treated and untreated combined) was associated with higher sMMSE (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.38–0.79) and MMblind (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34–0.76). Previously treated cataract was associated with higher sMMSE (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59–0.88) and MMblind (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55–0.85). Untreated cataract was not significantly associated with sMMSE (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.36–1.19) or MMblind (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.39–1.36). Conclusions: This large epidemiological study of 85-year-olds found that lower sMMSE but not MMblind was associated with glaucoma diagnosis, suggesting the association may be driven by poor vision. Cataract diagnosis was associated with higher sMMSE and MMblind. Reasons for this observation are unclear but may relate to enhanced help-seeking behavior in people with diagnosed cataract.
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein transactivates tumor necrosis factor beta gene expression through a TAR-like structure

We have previously shown that the Tat protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transactivates tumor necrosis factor alpha and beta (TNF alpha and TNF beta) gene expression in HIV-1-infected and in tat-transfected T-lymphocytic and monocytic cell lines. The product encoded by the first exon of the tat gene (amino acids 1 to 72) is sufficient for this transactivation. Here we show that (i) the NF-kappa B and Sp1 binding sites of the TNF beta promoter are required for Tat-mediated transactivation and (ii) a predicted stem-loop structure in the TNF beta mRNA leader region, which resembles the Tat-responsive element of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (TAR) and which is therefore termed TAR-like, is essential for TNF beta transactivation by Tat. These data suggest that similar promoter regulatory elements are necessary for Tat-mediated transactivation of both TNF beta and HIV-1 gene expression. This represents the first demonstration of a cellular gene with a regulatory element downstream of the transcriptional initiation site that, like TAR, may function as an RNA element.
Volatility Surface Calibration to Illiquid Options

This article shows the fragility of the widely-used Stochastic Volatility Inspired (SVI) methodology in option pricing. The results highlight the sensitivity of SVI to the fitting penalty function. The authors compare different weight functions and propose to use the implied vega weights. They then unveil the relationship between vega weights and the minimization task of observed and fitted price differences, and show that implied vega weights can stabilize the SVI fit to illiquid options.
THE IMPACT OF RISING FOOD PRICES ON FARMERS’ WELFARE IN INDONESIA

Food prices regularly change due to various factors such as the policy on imports. This paper analyzes the impact of changes in food prices including rice, red onions, and garlic, on farmers’ welfare. The Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) was used to estimate the demand function for food commodities, and the Compensating Variation (CV) was used to estimate the impact of price changes both immediately and in the short-term. This study contributes an idea of how the government makes its policies on food prices and imports, and how they provide benefits for farmers in Indonesia. Data were collected from the 2014 National Socio-economic Survey (SUSENAS). The research results indicated that income improvement led to the increase in rice, red onion and garlic consumption. The dynamics of income, own-price and cross-price elasticity varied, depending on demography, the social economic condition, and the geographic location of the household. The short-term impact of imported products on welfare changes was larger than the immediate impact.
Multiple cDNA clones encoding nuclear proteins that bind to the tax‐dependent enhancer of HTLV‐1: all contain a leucine zipper structure and basic amino acid domain.

A trans‐activator protein, p40tax, of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV‐1) activates its own promoter and cellular promoters of IL‐2, IL‐2 receptor alpha and GM‐CSF genes. We isolated three cDNA clones encoding cellular proteins that bind to the p40tax‐dependent enhancer of HTLV‐1 by screening a lambda gt11 cDNA library of an HTLV‐1 infected cell line. All three proteins, TREB5, TREB7 and TREB36, contained a leucine zipper structure and basic amino acid domain, which are conserved in FOS, JUN and CREB, and also had multiple potential phosphorylation sites. The proteins expressed in Escherichia coli bound to the p40tax‐dependent enhancer of the 21 bp sequence, but not to an inactive mutant carrying a mutation in the CRE region. In DNase I footprint analysis, all three proteins protected the 21 bp sequences in the LTR; however, the patterns were not identical to each other. TREB7 and TREB36 protected all three repeats of the 21 bp, but TREB5 protected only the second repeat. TREB7 and TREB36 protected the 5′ and middle portions of the 21 bp which are essential for p40tax‐mediated trans‐activation, whereas TREB5 and CREB1 protected a narrower part of the middle region of the second 21 bp repeat containing the CRE consensus sequence. These structural features and DNA binding properties suggest that TREB proteins are members of a CREB protein family and that some of them (i.e., TREB7 and TREB36) may be involved in p40tax‐mediated trans‐activation.
Efficacy of metal and plastic stents for transmural drainage of pancreatic fluid collections: A systematic review

Metal stents are being used more frequently for transmural endoscopic drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC) despite lack of data. The present systematic review was conducted to compare the rates of treatment success, adverse events and recurrence between patients undergoing metal versus plastic stent placement for endoscopic transmural drainage of PFC.
The institutional dimension of market failure

Motivation: At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, institutionalism was presented by T. Veblen as an alternative to neoclassical economics. On the basis of neoclassical economics, in addition to the explanation how an effectively functioning market leads to maximization of welfare, we also find a market failure analysis. The main theme of the presented study is an attempt to synthesize these concepts, in particular to show how the institutional approach modifies the perception of the market failure. Aim: The aim of the article is to analyze the market failure on the basis of institutional economics. In addition, an attempt was made to determine how institutional solutions can result in limiting certain types of market failure. Results: In the light of the analysis carried out, the analysis of market failure based on Veblen’s institutionalism is not justified. However, the relation between the New Institutional Economics and the neoclassical interpretation of market failure can be noticed, mainly, when it comes to explaining the reasons for the existence of markets and the methods used to counteract external effects.
Injection of Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 into the Preovulatory Follicle Disrupts Ovulation and Subsequent Luteal Function in Rhesus Monkeys1

Abstract Remarkable changes in vascular permeability and neovascularization occur within the ovulatory, luteinizing follicle. To evaluate the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF) in periovulatory events, sequential experiments were designed in which vehicle (PBS/0.1% BSA; controls, n = 13) or a low dose (1.5 μg; n = 4) or a high dose (7.5 μg; n = 4) of a VEGF antagonist, soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sVEGFR1) chimera, was injected directly into the preovulatory follicle of rhesus monkeys the day before (Day −1) or the day of (Day 0) the midcycle LH surge during spontaneous menstrual cycles. After vehicle injection, animals typically exhibited patterns and levels of serum progesterone (P4) that were comparable to those of untreated animals in our colony. Following low-dose sVEGFR1 injection, serum P4 levels were diminished in two of four animals from the early to midluteal phase, but were similar to vehicle controls thereafter. In contrast, high-dose sVEGFR1 injection decreased serum P4 levels throughout the luteal phase compared with levels in controls (P < 0.05), but it did not cause premature menstruation. Control follicles displayed indices of rupture (protruding stigmata) and luteinization. However, sVEGFR1-injected follicles exhibited signs of distension (torn surface epithelium/tunica albuginea) and luteinization, but not necessarily timely ovulation. Histological evaluation of serial sections from ovaries removed on Day 3 after treatment revealed that all (n = 3) vehicle-injected follicles ovulated, whereas half (n = 3 of 6) the sVEGFR1-injected follicles failed to ovulate and still contained an oocyte in the antrum. No appreciable differences were apparent between treatment groups in numbers of cells in luteal tissue (Day 3 or 6 after treatment) that stained positive for immunochemical or histochemical markers of proliferative (Ki67), endothelial (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1), and steroidogenic (3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) cells. However, there was a dose-dependent increase (P < 0.05) in extracellular space in the corpus luteum by midluteal phase in sVEGFR1-treated animals. The data suggest that acute exposure to a VEGF antagonist can impair ovulation, and the subsequent development and functional capacity of the primate corpus luteum. The results are consistent with a critical role for VEGF in normal ovarian function during the periovulatory interval in primates.
Neuropathogenesis of Chimeric Simian/Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection In Pig‐tailed and Rhesus Macaques

We recently reported that a chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIVKU‐1) developed in our laboratory caused progressive depletion of CD4+T lymphocytes and AIDS within 6 months of inoculation into pig‐tailed macaques (M.nemestrina). None of the pig‐tailed macaques showed productive SHIV infection in the central nervous system (CNS). In this report, we show that by further passage of the pathogenic virus in rhesus macaques [M. mulatta], we have derived a new strain of SHIV (SHIVKU‐2) that has caused AIDS and productive CNS infection in 3 of 5 rhesus macaques infected with the virus. Productive replication of SHIV in the CNS was clearly shown by high infectivity titers and p27 protein levels in brain homogenates, and in 2 of the 3 rhesus macaques this was associated with disseminated, nodular, demyelinating lesions, including focal multinucleated giant cell reaction, largely confined to the white matter. These findings were reminiscent of HIV‐1 associated neurological disease, and our immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization data indicated that the neuropathological lesions were associated with the presence of SHIV‐specific viral antigens and nucleic acid respectively. However, the concomitant reactivation of opportunistic infections in these macaques suggested that such pathogens may have influenced the replication of SHIV in the CNS, or modified the neuropathological sequelae of SHIV infection in the rhesus species, but not in pig‐tailed macaques. Our findings in the two species of macaques highlight the complexities of lentiviral neuropathogenesis, the precise mechanisms of which are still elusive.
A multitargeted, metronomic, and maximum-tolerated dose "chemo-switch" regimen is antiangiogenic, producing objective responses and survival benefit in a mouse model of cancer.

PURPOSE A transgenic mouse model has revealed parameters of the angiogenic switch during multistep tumorigenesis of pancreatic islets, and demonstrated efficacy of antiangiogenic therapies. Pericytes have been revealed as functionally important for tumor neovasculature, using kinase inhibitors targeting their platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs). Additionally, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors and metronomic chemotherapy show modest benefit against early- but not late-stage disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seeking to improve efficacy against otherwise intractable end-stage pancreatic islet tumors, two receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, imatinib and SU11248, were used to disrupt PDGFR-mediated pericyte support of tumor endothelial cells in concert with maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) or metronomic chemotherapy and/or VEGFR inhibition. RESULTS Imatinib, despite equivocal efficacy as monotherapy, reduced pericyte coverage of tumor vessels and enhanced efficacy in combination with metronomic chemotherapy or VEGFR inhibition. A regimen involving all three was even better. MTD using cyclophosphamide caused transitory regression, but then rapid regrowth, in contrast to metronomic cyclophosphamide plus imatinib, which produced stable disease. The MTD regimen elicited apoptosis of tumor cells but not endothelial cells, whereas the other regimens increased endothelial cell apoptosis concordant with efficacy. A "chemo-switch" protocol, involving sequential MTD and then metronomic chemotherapy, overlaid with multitargeted inhibition of PDGFR and VEGFR, gave complete responses and unprecedented survival advantage in this model. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a potentially tractable clinical strategy in a stringent preclinical model, wherein standard-of-care chemotherapy is followed by a novel maintenance regimen: PDFGR is targeted to disrupt pericyte support, while metronomic chemotherapy and/or VEGFR inhibitors target consequently sensitized endothelial cells, collectively destabilizing pre-existing tumor vasculature and inhibiting ongoing angiogenesis.