Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection and quantification of carotid artery stenosis: efficacy of various Doppler velocity parameters.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the accuracies of the different Doppler velocity parameters used to grade stenoses of the carotid artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven velocity parameters determined with Doppler spectra were compared with angiographic findings in 138 carotid bifurcations: the peak systolic and peak end-diastolic velocities in the internal and common carotid arteries, the ratios of peak systolic and peak end-diastolic velocities between the internal and common carotid arteries, and the ratio of peak systolic velocity in the internal carotid artery to peak end-diastolic velocity in the common carotid artery. A receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed, with and without correction for the bias introduced by preferentially selecting patients for angiography, if the Doppler results indicated a lesion. Multiple regression analysis was performed to predict the percent stenosis and to predict the probability of a 70% or greater stenosis. RESULTS Of the Doppler parameters, the peak systolic velocity in the internal carotid artery and its ratio to the peak end-diastolic velocity in the common carotid artery were the most accurate and had equivalent test performance (ROC area = 0.94; after correction for verification bias, ROC area = 0.78). In multiple regression analysis, the peak systolic velocity in the internal carotid artery was the most significant parameter, although its ratio to the peak end-diastolic velocity in the common carotid artery had incremental value in detecting a 70% or greater stenosis, and the peak systolic velocity in the common carotid artery provided additional information for quantifying the stenosis. CONCLUSION The peak systolic velocity in the internal carotid artery is the best single velocity parameter for quantifying a stenosis and for detecting a 70% or greater stenosis.
Quarter-wavelength wideband slot antenna for 3-5 GHz mobile applications

In this letter, a quarter-wavelength ultra-wideband (UWB) slot antenna for 3-5 GHz mobile applications is proposed. Numerical results indicate that the performance of the antenna is insensitive to the size of the ground plane and an optimal performance of the antenna can be easily obtained by varying the dimensions of the slot and tuning stubs. Furthermore, a prototype of the antenna is made and a good agreement between simulation and measurement is achieved.
The Genetic Covariance Among Clinal Environments After Adaptation to an Environmental Gradient in Drosophila serrata

We examined the genetic basis of clinal adaptation by determining the evolutionary response of life-history traits to laboratory natural selection along a gradient of thermal stress in Drosophila serrata. A gradient of heat stress was created by exposing larvae to a heat stress of 36° for 4 hr for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days of larval development, with the remainder of development taking place at 25°. Replicated lines were exposed to each level of this stress every second generation for 30 generations. At the end of selection, we conducted a complete reciprocal transfer experiment where all populations were raised in all environments, to estimate the realized additive genetic covariance matrix among clinal environments in three life-history traits. Visualization of the genetic covariance functions of the life-history traits revealed that the genetic correlation between environments generally declined as environments became more different and even became negative between the most different environments in some cases. One exception to this general pattern was a life-history trait representing the classic trade-off between development time and body size, which responded to selection in a similar genetic fashion across all environments. Adaptation to clinal environments may involve a number of distinct genetic effects along the length of the cline, the complexity of which may not be fully revealed by focusing primarily on populations at the ends of the cline.
An Equipment Model and Its Role in the Interpretation of Nominal Compounds

For natural language understanding systems designed for domains including relatively complex equipment, it is not sufficient to use general knowledge about this equipment. We show problems which can be solved only if the system has access to a detailed equipment model. We discuss features of such models, in particular, their ability to simulate the equipment's behavior. As an illustration, we describe a simulation model for an air compressor. Finally, we demonstrate how to find referents in this model for nominal compounds.
A Curvature Based Method for Blind Mesh Visual Quality Assessment Using a General Regression Neural Network

No-reference quality assessment is a challenging issue due to the non-existence of any information related to the reference and the unknown distortion type. The main goal is to design a computational method to objectively predict the human perceived quality of a distorted mesh and deal with the practical situation when the reference is not available. In this work, we design a no reference method that relies on the general regression neural network (GRNN). Our network is trained using the mean curvature which is an important perceptual feature representing the visual aspect of a 3D mesh. Relatively to the human subjective scores, the trained network successfully assesses the visual quality, in addition, the experimental results show that the proposed method provides good correlations with the subject scores and competitive scores comparing to some influential and effective full and reduced reference existing metrics.
Quantitative detection of Helicobacter pylori in water samples by real‐time PCR amplification of the cag pathogenicity island gene, cagE

Aims: A new real‐time PCR assay that simultaneously amplifies a 102‐bp fragment of the cagE gene from Helicobacter pylori and a new internal positive control containing a specific sequence of the gyrB gene from Aeromonas hydrophila, was developed and validated for the detection of H. pylori in environmental samples.
Using the Hilbert–Huang transform to measure the electroencephalographic effect of propofol

Monitoring the effect of anesthetic drugs on the central nervous system is a major ongoing challenge in anesthesia research. A number of electroencephalogram (EEG)-based monitors of the anesthetic drug effect such as the bispectral (BIS) index have been proposed to analyze the EEG signal during anesthesia. However, the BIS index has received some criticism. This paper offers a method based on the Hilbert–Huang transformation to calculate an index, called the Hilbert–Huang weighted regional frequency (HHWRF), to quantify the effect of propofol on brain activity. The HHWRF and BIS indices are applied to EEG signals collected from nine patients during a controlled propofol induction and emergence scheme. The results show that both the HHWRF and BIS track the gross changes in the EEG with increasing and decreasing anesthetic drug effect (the prediction probability Pk of 0.85 and 0.83 for HHWRF and BIS, respectively). Our new index can reflect the transition from unconsciousness to consciousness faster than the BIS, as indicated from the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeled parameters and also from the analysis around the point of reawakening. This method could be used to design a new EEG monitoring system to estimate the propofol anesthetic drug effect.
Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Activates Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in Cultured Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells

ABSTRACT Trypanosoma cruzi infection causes cardiomyopathy and vasculopathy. We examined the consequence of this infection for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which regulate cell proliferation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Infection of these cells resulted in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1and 2 (ERK1/2) but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase or p38 MAPK. Treatment of these cells with the MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 prior to infection blocked the increase in phosphorylated ERK1/2 seen with infection. Heat-killed parasites did not activate ERK1/2, indicating that activation of ERK1/2 was dependent on infection of these cells by live parasites. Furthermore, transfection with dominant-negative Raf(301) or Ras(N17) constructs reduced the infection-associated levels of phospho-ERK1/2, indicating that the activation of ERK1/2 involved the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway. Infection also resulted in an increase in activator protein 1 (AP-1) activity, which was inhibited by transfection with a dominant-negative Raf(301) construct. T. cruzi-infected endothelial cells secreted endothelin-1 and interleukin-1β, which activated ERK1/2 and induced cyclin D1 expression in uninfected smooth muscle cells. These data suggest a possible molecular paradigm for the pathogenesis of the vasculopathy and the cardiovascular remodeling associated with T. cruzi infection.
Reversible Image Data Hiding With The Fuzzy Histogram Equalization For Contrast Enhancement

Data hiding are most popular techniques used to secure data in a host media (like images) with small deterioration in host and thereafter to extract the secure data afterwards. Steganography is one such pro-security innovation in which secret message is embedded in a cover image. But, in this paper we are employing Reversible Data Hiding (RDH). RDH insert information bits by altering the host signal, but extracting the exact (lossless) restoration of the original host signal after extracting the embedded information. Reversible data hiding is a type of data hiding techniques wherein the host image can be recovered exactly. Being lossless makes this technique suitable for medical and military applications. One of the most important techniques which are used for reversible data hiding is Difference expansion (DE). By using fuzzy histogram equalization image contrast enhancement can be achieved. In order to perform information embedding and contrast enhancement at the same time, the proposed algorithm is performed by modifying the Fuzzy histogram of pixel values. Firstly, the two peaks (i.e. the highest two bins) in the histogram are found out. The bins between the peaks are unchanged if any while the outer bins are shifted outward so that each of the peaks can be split into two adjacent bins. To increase the embedding capacity, the modified histogram can be further chosen to be split in order to gain highest two bins, and so on until satisfactory contrast enhancement effect is achieved. Abstract: Nowadays data security becomes very important task, for that, the community of signal processing has been thoroughly studied on Reversible Data Hiding (RDH), which can also pointing as invertible or lossless data hiding. In order to generate the marked signal the RDH is to embed a piece of data into a host signal, from the marked signal the original signal can be exactly recovered only after extracting the embedded data. This paper proposed algorithm which enhances the contrast of a host image to improve its visual quality. By splitting the highest two histogram bins into four, data embedding and histogram equalization are performed simultaneously, in order to handle the inexactness of grey level values in a best way. For image contrast enhancement Fuzzy histogram equalization (FHE) has been used. Furthermore, the obtained results show that the visual quality can be preserved after a considerable amount of message bits have been embedded into the contrast-enhanced images, even better than three specific MATLAB functions used for image contrast enhancement. This proposed method contains optimum results by giving best contrast enhancement and maintaining the local information of the original image and this method has been tested using several images and gives better visual quality as compared to the other conventional methods.
Design and Experiment of a 220/420-GHz Gyrotron for Nondestructive Evaluation

We report the design and experiment of a 220/420-GHz gyrotron oscillator for nondestructive evaluation which operates at the fundamental near 220 GHz and the second harmonic near 420 GHz of the electron cyclotron resonance frequency. Through optimizing electron gun for both operation modes, the TE26 mode at 423.1 GHz and the TE03 mode at 221 GHz are observed at output powers up to 8 and 6 kW, respectively, by only changing the beam voltage at a magnetic field of 8.2 T. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with the design and simulation. In addition, the measurements of potential operation modes with peak output power are also presented in this paper.
Impact of overmodulation methods on inverter and machine losses in voltage-fed induction motor drives

The modulation methods Space Vector PWM (SVPWM), Discontinuous PWM (DPWM1, DPWMMAX) and six-step mode are investigated in the overmodulation range of a voltage-fed induction motor drive. This area enables an increase of inverter output voltage so that drive performance can be enhanced. Though, pulse dropping occurs which results in increased iron losses and current waveform quality degradation. Due to differences in harmonic distortion the modulation methods cause various torque oscillations and power losses in induction motors and inverter drives. To quantify these effects in a squirrel cage induction motor drive a simulation model containing a finite element machine model and an analytic inverter model is developed, in order to find the PWM scheme offering maximum torque and minimal power losses. Additionally, the holistic investigation of machine and inverter losses allows for making statements concerning total losses of drive systems and the most suitable overmodulation scheme for the application.
Robust specification of sensory neurons by dual functions of charlatan, a Drosophila NRSF/REST‐like repressor of extramacrochaetae and hairy

Sensory bristle formation in Drosophila is a well‐characterized system for studying sensory organ development at the molecular level. The master proneural genes of the achaete‐scute (ac‐sc) complex, which encode basic‐helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) transcription factors, are necessary and sufficient for sensory bristle formation. charlatan (chn) was originally identified as a transcriptional activator of ac‐sc gene expression through interaction with its enhancer, an activity that promotes sensory bristle development. In contrast, Chn was also identified as a functional homologue of mammalian neuron‐restrictive silencing factor or RE1 silencing transcription factor (NRSF/REST), an important transcriptional repressor during vertebrate neurogenesis and stem cell development that acts through epigenetic gene silencing. Here, we report that Chn acts as a repressor of extramacrochaetae (emc) and hairy, molecules that inhibit ac‐sc expression. This double‐negative mechanism, together with direct activation via the achaete enhancer, increases expression of achaete and ensures robust development of sensory neurons. A mutation in the C‐terminal repressor motif of Chn, which causes Chn to lose its repression activity, converted Chn to an activator of emc and hairy, suggesting that Chn is a dual functional regulator of transcription. Because chn‐like sequences are found among arthropods, regulation of neuronal development by Chn‐like molecules may be widely conserved.
Enhanced Microbial Utilization of Recalcitrant Cellulose by an Ex Vivo Cellulosome-Microbe Complex

ABSTRACT A cellulosome-microbe complex was assembled ex vivo on the surface of Bacillus subtilis displaying a miniscaffoldin that can bind with three dockerin-containing cellulase components: the endoglucanase Cel5, the processive endoglucanase Cel9, and the cellobiohydrolase Cel48. The hydrolysis performances of the synthetic cellulosome bound to living cells, the synthetic cellulosome, a noncomplexed cellulase mixture with the same catalytic components, and a commercial fungal enzyme mixture were investigated on low-accessibility recalcitrant Avicel and high-accessibility regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC). The cell-bound cellulosome exhibited 4.5- and 2.3-fold-higher hydrolysis ability than cell-free cellulosome on Avicel and RAC, respectively. The cellulosome-microbe synergy was not completely explained by the removal of hydrolysis products from the bulk fermentation broth by free-living cells and appeared to be due to substrate channeling of long-chain hydrolysis products assimilated by the adjacent cells located in the boundary layer. Our results implied that long-chain hydrolysis products in the boundary layer may inhibit cellulosome activity to a greater extent than the short-chain products in bulk phase. The findings that cell-bound cellulosome expedited the microbial cellulose utilization rate by 2.3- to 4.5-fold would help in the development of better consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms (e.g., B. subtilis) that can hydrolyze recalcitrant cellulose rapidly at low secretory cellulase levels.
Local Changes in Vascular Architecture Following Partial Spinal Cord Lesion in the Rat

Lesions of the CNS induce a complex cascade of tissue reactions. The purpose of this study was to determine the response of the vasculature to partial spinal cord transection. Adult rat spinal cords were lesioned and then examined during acute, subacute, and chronic periods for the presence of endothelial cells and blood vessels at the lesion site. The association of endothelial cells and astrocytes was examined immunohistochemically (RECA-1 and glial fibrillary associated protein, respectively). During the first 48 h following an incision lesion of the dorsal spinal cord, the vasculature was significantly decreased, concurrently with the tissue loss due to primary and secondary degeneration. Subsequently, at 4 days postlesion, vasculature repair processes were evidenced by a significant increase in the number of vessels present at the lesion center. Blood vessels even formed in areas densely packed with macrophages and tissue debris. After 1 week, the number of blood vessels declined in the lesion center and at the place of the forming caverns. These results show significant initial attempts at repair of the vasculature which do not, however, lead to the restoration of a compact tissue and cannot prevent the subsequent formation of caverns.
Comparison of Wireless MIMO System Under Alamouti's Scheme and Maximum Ratio Combining Technique

In wireless communication fading of channels is the serious cause of the received degraded signals. The effect of fading can be minimized by using various time and space domain techniques. However, space domain techniques are preferred over the others due to its advantages. In this paper, comparison of the wireless MIMO system under Almouti's and maximum ratio combining schemes is presented. Basic idea in these schemes is to transmit and receive more than one copy of the original signals. Using two transmitter antennas and one receiver antenna, the scheme provides the nearly same diversity order as the maximal-ratio receiver combining (MRRC) with one transmitter antenna, and two receiver antennas. Results for one transmitter and four receivers under MRRC is also presented and compared. Finally, results are presented while varying the average transmitted power.
Multi-layered periodontal pocket epithelium reconstituted in vitro: histology and cytokeratin profiles.

BACKGROUND In order to study inter-individual differences in bacterial adhesion/invasion of periodontal tissues, an in vitro model for culturing multi-layered pocket epithelium without feeder layers or stromal equivalents (including the evaluation of their cytokeratin profiles) was developed. METHODS Pocket epithelium was collected and grown until confluent in Falcon flasks using keratinocyte-serum free medium (KSFM), without a feeder layer. In the second passage, oral keratinocytes were re-grown in a 2 compartment system using either a clear polyester (transwell-clear [TCL]) or a collagen (transwell-col [TCO]) membrane as culture surface. After the first week, the calcium concentration was raised to 1.2 mM and in half the wells, the KSFM was supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Histology and immunohistochemistry were performed after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of additional growth. RESULTS In general, all conditions resulted in a structured epithelium consisting of 3 to 5 layers, but important differences were observed between the membrane types and between the media. CK4 was rarely and only lightly expressed while CK18 and 19 (characteristic of junctional epithelium) were very strongly expressed in the older (2 and 3 weeks) cultures. CK13 and 14 (characteristic of any stratifiable epithelial cell) also tended to increase over time; CK13 seemed to be stronger in KSFM with FCS while the contrary was true for CK14. The multi-layer created by the combination TCL/KSFM + 10% FCS resembled a junctional epithelium most, while that grown on TCO without FCS mimicked the sulcular epithelium. CONCLUSIONS It seems possible to create a histiotypic culture resembling either periodontal pocket or junctional epithelium without the use of stromal equivalents or feeder layers which make this approach more cumbersome. This multi-layered culture offers a model to investigate the permeability of pocket epithelium and the adhesion and penetration of bacteria under well-defined environmental conditions.
Privilege Leakage and Information Stealing through the Android Task Mechanism

To facilitate apps to collaborate in finish complex jobs, Android allows isolated apps to communicate through explicit interfaces. However, the communication mechanisms often give additional privilege to apps, which can be exploited by attackers. The Android Task Structure is a widely-used mechanism to facilitate apps' collaboration. Recent research has identified attacks to the mechanism, allowing attackers to spoof UIs in Android. In this paper, we present an analysis on the security of Android task structure. In particular, we analyze the system/app conditions that can cause the task mechanism to leak privilege. Furthermore, we identify new end-to-end attacks that enable attackers to actively interfere with victim apps to steal sensitive information. Based on our findings, we also develop atask interference checking app for exploits to the Android task structure.
Early events in the assembly of major histocompatibility complex class II heterotrimers from their free subunits

Endogenous antigen presentation by major histocompatibility complex class II molecules can be understood if class II αβ heterodimers bind peptide in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before they associate with the invariant chain (Ii). We have studied the assembly of class II molecules from the free α, β and Ii subunits to examine the existence of a class II αβ heterotrimer as an intermediate in the assembly of class II αβIi heterotrimers in the ER. In human kidney cell transfectants, the free class II α and β subunits and the class II αβ heterodimer are retained in the ER by association with the chaperonin immunoglobulin binding protein (BiP) and Ii is retained through its cytoplasmic tail. Co‐expression of Ii results in release of BiP from class II αβ complexes and exit of class II αβIi heterotrimers from the ER. We show that the cytoplasmic tail and the transmembrane region of the class II α and β chain is not essential for proper assembly of the class II αβ heterodimer. We followed assembly of the class II αβIi heterotrimers in wild‐type cells. The class II subunits assemble post‐translationally. No class II αβ heterodimers could be isolated as intermediates in the formation of class II αβIi heterotrimers, suggesting that peptide binding by class II molecules in the ER is necessarily inefficient.