Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Regulation and Function of the Fas/Fas Ligand System in Human Trophoblast Cells1

Abstract Trophoblast rejection, which is characterized by increased apoptosis, is mediated by T helper (Th)-1, or proinflammatory, cytokines, whereas Th-2, or anti-inflammatory, cytokines confer immune protection and facilitate implantation. We investigated the role of both types of cytokines on the expression and function of the Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) apoptotic pathway in trophoblast cells. First-trimester human trophoblast primary-culture cells as well as A3 and HTR/8 trophoblast cell lines were treated with proinflammatory cytokines such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and with the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10. Sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis was measured using an activating anti-Fas monoclonal antibody. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and CellTiter 96 assay. Fas/FasL mRNA and protein expression levels were determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, respectively. Trophoblast cells normally express FasL, but low levels of Fas, and they are resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis. IFN-γ and TNFα promote Fas expression and sensitivity, whereas IL-6 and IL-10 increase the resistance of trophoblast cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, IL-10 treatment activates FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP), a downstream inhibitor of Fas apoptotic signaling. Although trophoblast cells express Fas, susceptibility to Fas does not necessarily correlate with its expression. In this study, we demonstrate that Th-2 cytokines increase the resistance of trophoblast cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis either by inhibiting Fas expression or by inducing FLIP activation. This “trophoblast-cytokine-Fas/FasL triad” determines the ability of the Fas/FasL system to regulate trophoblast viability and, consequently, the success or failure of pregnancy.
Street children in Latin America

Worldwide, millions of children live on the streets. These children typically have access to neither health care nor education. Sometimes subjected to violence in the home before taking to the street, street children are seen by many as worthless, and many countries have used violent and punitive measures to eliminate them. New approaches have recently been implemented to return these children to society and their families. In the case of South America, children who are on the street are home-based and spend much of the day on the street, but have some family support and usually return home at night. Children of the street are street-based children who spend most days and nights on the street and are functionally without family support. Studies suggest that 80-90% of street children in Latin America have some contact with their families. Surveys also indicate that street children in Latin America are 8-17 years old, with 9 years old being the average age upon entering the street. Girls comprise 10-15% of street children and Black and mixed race children may be over-represented among street children in the region. Both published and unpublished research findings are used to shed light upon the status of street children in South America. The authors consider how many street children there may be, why there are street children, the problems they encounter, and what can be done to help them.
Valorising the Samad Late Iron Age

The Late Iron Age (LIA) in Central Oman is known from the eponymous site of Samad al-Shān as well as al-Moyassar (formerly al-Maysar), which teams from Bochum and Heidelberg investigated from 1977 to 1996 in twelve campaigns. The chronology of this little known period has evoked much controversy but although this contribution contains critical comments, these regard mostly smaller issues or details and there is a general unspoken agreement about the basic chronological issues. The present study adds both new and old unpublished documentation to the discussion. What follows includes a re-examination of the original documentation of M42 and M43 sites which confirms the excavators' chronology. New LIA sites are added. M. Mouton's attempted deconstruction of the existing chronology and his new combined definition of the PIR and Samad LIA assemblages rest on slight inconsistencies in the original al-Moyassar site report of 1981. Despite the spotty nature of our sources, Oman's latest prehistoric facies shows a distinctive character separate from that known principally in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Simulation of MRAS-based Speed Sensorless Estimation of Induction Motor Drives using MATLAB/SIMULINK

Model reference adaptive system (MRAS) based techniques are one of the best methods to estimate the rotor speed due to its performance and straightforward stability approach. These techniques use two different models (the reference model and the adjustable model) which have made the speed estimation a reliable scheme especially when the motor parameters are poorly known or having large variations. The scheme uses the error vector from the comparison of both models as the feedback for speed estimation. Depending on the type of tuning signal driving the adaptation mechanism, there could be a number of schemes available such as rotor flux based MRAS, back e.m. f based MRAS, reactive power based MRAS and artificial neural network based MRAS. All these schemes have their own trends and tradeoffs. In this paper, the performance of the rotor flux based MRAS (RF-MRAS) and back e.m. f based MRAS (BEMF-MRAS) for estimating the rotor speed was studied. Both schemes use the stator equation and rotor equation as the reference model and the adjustable model respectively. The output error from both models is tuned using a PI controller yielding the estimated rotor speed. The dynamic response of the RF-MRAS and BEMF-MRAS sensorless speed estimation is examined in order to evaluate the performance of each scheme.
Evanescent-Mode Bandpass Filters Using Folded and Ridge Substrate Integrated Waveguides (SIWs)

A novel evanescent-mode bandpass filter (BPF) is presented using folded and ridge substrate integrated waveguides (FSIWs & RSIWs). Both measured and simulated S-parameters are presented to show the characteristics, with good agreements achieved between them. It is experimentally validated that such a BPF has better performance in spurious suppression and much smaller size than those of conventional SIW cavity-coupled counterparts.
Multi-frontal multi-thread direct solver with GALOIS system for adaptive finite element method

In this paper we present a new multi-thread multi-frontal solver desigined with the help of graph grammars and implemented in the GALOIS system [1]. The multi-frontal solver algorithm has been expressed a sequence of basic undividable tasks called graph grammar productions [2]. Next, we identify dependency relation between these tasks, and construct a dependency graph. By coloring the graph we obtain sets of tasks that can be executed in parallel over the shared memory machine. The input to the solver algorithm is an elimination tree defined on the level of mesh elements. We obtain the optimal elimination trees from dynamic programming algorithm [3] as well as from heuristic algorithm [4]. The efficiency of our multithread solver has been tested on a number of two and three dimensional meshes, with h refinements towards point, edge and face singularities. We also compare our solver with state of the art MUMPS solver [5, 6] interfaced with different ordering algorithm, such as nested-dissection, Approximate Minimum Degree (AMD), Approximate Minimum Fill (AMF), quasi-AMD, PORD, METIS. We also compare our solver with parallel version of the MUMPS solver. In all the considered cases we outperform MUMPS solver both in execution time, number of floating point operations (FLOPs) as well as parallel efficiency and speedup. Acknowledgement. The work presented in this paper is supported by Polish National Science Center grant no. DEC-2012/07/B/ST6/01229.
(μ-trans-1,2-Di-4-pyridylethylene-κ2 N:N′)bis[bis(N,N-diisopropyldithiocarbamato-κ2 S,S′)zinc(II)]

The dinuclear title compound, [Zn2(C7H14NS2)4(C12H10N2)], is centrosymmetric about the central C=C bond. The five-coordinate Zn atom is bonded to two asymmetrically chelating dithiocarbamate ligands and a pyridine N atom to define an NS4 coordination geometry tending towards a square pyramid, with the N atom in the apical site. In the crystal structure, C—H⋯S contacts lead to supramolecular chains.
A Model for the Stability Analysis of Maintenance Stragies for Linear List

We present a fluid approximation model to analyse the stability of two frequently used data structure maintenance strategies in client-server distributed environments, namely, concurrent and periodic maintenance strategies. We give a detailed analysis for a linear list data structure and derive the maximum allowable value of the input arrival rate under which a stable system can be obtained when these maintenance strategies are used. Conditions under which one strategy may be more preferable than the other in terms of the system throughput and the variance of the service time distribution are identified. The stability behaviour of these two maintenance strategies under high traffic situation is also investigated
Ballistic Phonon Transport in Ultra-Thin Silicon Layers: Effects of Confinement and Orientation

We investigate the effect of confinement and orientation on the phonon transport properties of ultra-thin silicon layers of thicknesses between 1 nm-16 nm. We employ the modified valence force field method to model the lattice dynamics and the ballistic Landauer transport formalism to calculate the thermal conductance. We consider the major thin layer surface orientations {100}, {110}, {111}, and {112}. For every surface orientation, we study thermal conductance as a function of the transport direction within the corresponding surface plane. We find that the ballistic thermal conductance in the thin layers is anisotropic, with the {110}/ channels exhibiting the highest and the {112}/ channels the lowest thermal conductance with a ratio of about two. We find that in the case of the {110} and {112} surfaces, different transport orientations can result in ~50% anisotropy in thermal conductance. The thermal conductance of different transport orientations in the {100} and {111} layers, on the other hand, is mostly isotropic. These observations are invariant under different temperatures and layer thicknesses. We show that this behavior originates from the differences in the phonon group velocities, whereas the phonon density of states is very similar for all the thin layers examined. We finally show how the phonon velocities can be understood from the phonon spectrum of each channel. Our findings could be useful in the design of the thermal properties of ultra-thin Si layers for thermoelectric and thermal management applications.
Sometimes a name is just a name : Tacitus' use of 'Augustus'

Against the thesis of Thom, that whenever Tacitus uses the word 'Augustus' in his works, particularly those written before the Annales, its function is to cast doubt on the institution of the principate as well as on the first emperor, this article argues that Augustus is predominantly used as a name rather than an imperial title and that there is no overarching design in Tacitus' uses of the word to denigrate the imperial institution or the first emperor. When Tacitus' references to Augustus are understood with appropriate nuance and with appreciation of the rhetorical or contextual situation in which the author has placed them, differing emphases and lights on the first emperor emerge, as is to be expected from the diversity of those referring to him. No change in Tacitus' use of Augustus and other descriptors of the first emperor is discernible from Tacitus' earliest extant works to his latest.
Selenoprotein P protects endothelial cells from oxidative damage by stimulation of glutathione peroxidase expression and activity

A major fraction of the essential trace element selenium circulating in human blood plasma is present as selenoprotein P (SeP). As SeP associates with endothelial membranes, the participation of SeP in selenium-mediated protection against oxidative damage was investigated, using the human endothelial cell line Ea.hy926 as a model system. Hepatocyte-derived SeP prevented tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative cell death of Ea.hy926 cells in a similar manner as did sodium selenite, counteracting a t-BHP-induced loss of cellular membrane integrity. Protection was detected after at least 10 h of SeP supplementation and it peaked at 24 h. SeP time-dependently stimulated the expression of cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (cGPx) and increased the enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and thioredoxin reductase (TR). The cGPx inhibitor mercaptosuccinate as well as the γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine counteracted the SeP-mediated protection, while the TR inhibitors cisplatin and auranofin had no effect. The presented data suggest that selenium supplementation by SeP prevents oxidative damage of human endothelial cells by restoring expression and enzymatic activity of GPx.
Impact of geometry aspect ratio on 10-nm gate-all-around silicon-germanium nanowire field effect transistors

In this paper, we study electrical characteristics of gate-all-around (GAA) silicon-germanium (SiGe) nanowire field effect transistors (NWFETS) with different aspect ratio (AR) of channel. Device characteristics: the subthreshold swing (SS), the drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL), and the ION/IOFF ratio are simulated by using three-dimensional quantum mechanically corrected device simulation. Electrical characteristics of 10-nm-gate GAA Si1-xGex NWFET devices are explored with respect to different thickness of SiGe and Ge's mole fraction. It is investigated that an ellipse-shaped channel with a small aspect ratio possesses better DC characteristics, compared with the one which has large AR due to its good gate controllability.
On the advantages of symptoms: exploring the client's construing.

From the perspective of George A. Kelly's Personal construct theory the article outlines points of view concerning “advantages of symptoms” A procedure for eliciting possible advantages is presented (“The ABC-model”) and compared with a more conventional psychoanalytic approach as exemplified in a previously published case story. From a Kellyan view people are “personal scientists”, seeking—by testing their hypotheses—to predict and control events. Personal scientists may, however, get stuck with their hypotheses, possibly resulting in “symptoms”, and may need a fellow scientist (e.g. therapist) to encourage them to see and try out alternative procedures. The authors underscore that the therapist should beware of imposing own interpretations on the clients, but rather invite them to participate in a joint effort to elaborate and understand (analyze). This is a joint process, but principally based on the client's own personal meaning structure (construction). Since there is more than one alternative or one answer to the client's situation, the therapeutic process will probably call for frequent reconstructions.
The implementation of optical frequency standard based on direct frequency comb and Rb two-photon transitions

The authors demonstrate a method to implement optical frequency standard based on frequency comb and Rb two-photon transitions. This scheme is simple and robust, which can operate for more than two hours. It can also eliminate 95% of the Doppler-broadening background, and the fractional stability can reach 8.4×10-12 and 7.1×10-13 at 1 s and 1000 s. This frequency standard may be utilized in many applications, such as optical clock.
Parallel Symmetric Class Expression Learning

In machine learning, one often encounters data sets where a general pattern is violated by a relatively small number of exceptions (for example, a rule that says that all birds can fly is violated by examples such as penguins). This complicates the concept learning process and may lead to the rejection of some simple and expressive rules that cover many cases. In this paper we present an approach to this problem in description logic learning by computing partial descriptions (which are not necessarily entirely complete) of both positive and negative examples and combining them. Our Symmetric Parallel Class Expression Learning approach enables the generation of general rules with exception patterns included. We demonstrate that this algorithm provides significantly better results (in terms of metrics such as accuracy, search space covered, and learning time) than standard approaches on some typical data sets. Further, the approach has the added benefit that it can be parallelised relatively simply, leading to much faster exploration of the search tree on modern computers.
Novel passivation process for the mirror facets of Al-free active-region high-power semiconductor diode lasers

A novel process for the passivation of mirror facets of Al-free active-region high-power semiconductor diode lasers is presented. Designed for technological simplicity and minimum damage generated within the facet region, it combines laser bar cleaving in air with a two-step process consisting of 1) removal of thermodynamically unstable species and 2) facet sealing with a passivation layer. Impurity removal is achieved by irradiation with beams of atomic hydrogen, while zinc selenide is used as the passivating medium. The effectiveness of the process is demonstrated by operation of 808-nm GaAsP-active ridge-waveguide diode lasers at record optical powers of 500 mW for several thousand hours limited only by bulk degradation.
Two forms of Drosophila melanogaster Gs alpha are produced by alternate splicing involving an unusual splice site

G proteins are responsible for modulating the activity of intracellular effector systems in response to receptor activation. The stimulatory G protein Gs is responsible for activation of adenylate cyclase in response to a variety of hormonal signals. In this report, we describe the structure of the gene for the alpha subunit of Drosophila melanogaster Gs. The gene is approximately 4.5 kilobases long and is divided into nine exons. The exon-intron structure of the Drosophila gene shows substantial similarity to that of the human gene for Gs alpha. Alternate splicing of intron 7, involving either use of an unusual TG or consensus AG 3' splice site, results in transcripts which code for either a long (DGs alpha L) or short (DGs alpha S) form of Gs alpha. These subunits differ by inclusion or deletion of three amino acids and substitution of a Ser for a Gly. The two forms of Drosophila Gs alpha differ in a region where no variation in the primary sequence of vertebrate Gs alpha subunits has been observed. In vitro translation experiments demonstrated that the Drosophila subunits migrate anomalously on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with apparent molecular weights of 51,000 and 48,000. Additional Gs alpha transcript heterogeneity reflects the use of multiple polyadenylation sites.
Predictive Control of a Flying Capacitor Converter

This paper presents a predictive control strategy for single phase flying capacitor converters. The proposed method allows for the regulation of both the output current and the intermediate flying capacitor voltages, achieving transient dynamics that are superior to those in standard pulse width modulation based strategies. By means of an appropriate choice of the associated cost function, the designer is allowed to tradeoff the load current harmonic content, the capacitor voltage balancing and the total number of commutations in a simple fashion. In addition, the strategy permits the enforcement of an arbitrary output voltage spectrum.
Robust model-based neural network control

A particular type of robust model-based control, the robust model-based neural-network controller (RMBNNC), is proposed and experimentally evaluated. It combines feedforward payload adaptation based on multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks with a robust feedback controller design based on pseudocontinuous-time analog quantitative feedback theory (QFT). The neural network payload estimator adapts the controller to payload variations while the QFT design process implicitly accounts for the uncertainty in manipulator dynamics due to unmodeled drive system effects. The artificial neural networks are trained through repetitive training on multijoint trajectory tracking error data to provide an estimate of payload. QFT feedback is implemented by a series of simple backwards difference equations. The result is a computationally efficient direct form of robust adaptive control. Tracking performance was experimentally validated on the first three links of a PUMA-560 robot over a standard set of test conditions. The performance improvement potential and limitations of the RMBNNC approach are illustrated
Building Transcultural Knowledge through Intercollegiate Collaboration

Although the importance of providing culturally congruent care is widely recognized among nurses, many nurses lack the skill and knowledge necessary to successfully provide culturally competent care. Nursing programs need to better prepare students in transcultural nursing. This article describes an innovative collaborative learning activity that was implemented between two different nursing programs in different states aimed at improving students’transcultural knowledge. Students worked in small groups and used the Internet to collaborate on case studies that focused on transcultural health care issues. Responses collected by anonymous evaluations at the end of three semesters identified both strengths and weaknesses of the project. Results and suggestions for improvement are reported.
High performance stereo computation architecture

A simple and fast technique for depth estimation, based on phase measurement has been adopted for the implementation of a real-time stereo system with subpixel resolution on a FPGA device. The technique avoids the attendant problem of phase warping. The designed system takes full advantage of the inherent processing parallelism of FPGA devices to achieve a computation speed of 65 Megapixels per second that can be arranged with a customized frame grabber module to process 52 frames per second of 1280 /spl times/ 960 pixel resolution. The achieved processing speed is higher than existing approaches. This allows the system to extract real-time disparity values for very high resolution images or use several cameras to improve the system accuracy.
Application of Radial Basis Function Network and Locality Preserving Projections for Face Recognition

Locality preserving projections (LPP) is a linear method that optimally preserves the local structure of the data set. However, because of the continuing existence of transformation difference, LPP subspace is failed to detect the important nonlinear variations of the face manifold. In order to improve the recognition performance, we propose to use radial basis function network (RBFN) to classify the features in the LPP subspace. The multi-quadrics function is taken as the activation function of the RBFN and the hidden layer of RBFN is trained via the gradient descent algorithm in our approach. The experimental results show that the LPP+RBFN method has achieved a better rate than Laplacianfaces, Fisherfaces and Eigenfaces.