Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Conyza triloba Extracts with High Chlorophyll Content and Free Radical Scavenging Activity Had Anticancer Activity in Cell Lines

The discovery of anticancer agents paradigm has been shifted to natural resources to overcome the toxicity of many synthetic agents at early clinical stages. In the present study, the antimutagenic, anticancer, phytochemistry, and free radical scavenging activities of five extracts of Conyza triloba were investigated. Extracts II (water : methanol), III (methylene chloride), and IV (methylene chloride : methanol) had the highest chlorophyll content and the highest superoxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities comparable to that of trolox. They also showed DPPH• scavenging activities better than that of α-tocopherol. Virtually all extracts exerted a strong (>40% reduction) antimutagenic activity against sodium azide and benzopyrene. Extracts II, III, and IV showed a remarkable growth inhibition profile with GI50 of 0.07–0.87 μg for Hepa1c1c7 and H4IIE1, A549, HT29, and PC3 cell lines and totally abated the growth of all cell lines, except for the breast cells, at 0.3–7.0 μg. The present study found a strong correlation between the chlorophyll content of Conyza extracts and their DDPH scavenging, metal chelating, and in vitro cytotoxic and cytostatic activities most probably through triggering apoptosis. This study could offer a platform for future studies and help selecting the vital features that identify the extract with potential anticancer activities.
The Impact of Renewable Energy Sources on Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions - a SVAR approach

We analyze how an increasing share of Renewable Energy Sources on Electricity generation (RES-E) affects Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions using a 3 variable Structural Vector Autoregressive (SVAR) methodology. We used a sample of four countries with different levels of economic development and social and economic structures but a common effort of investment in RES in the last decades. The period considered was 1960 to 2004. The existence of unit roots was tested to infer the stationarity of the variables. Through the impulse response functions (IRF), the SVAR estimation showed that, for all countries in the sample, except for the USA, the increasing RES-E share had economic costs in terms of GDP per capita. There was also an evident decrease of CO2 emissions per capita. The variance decomposition showed that a significant part of the forecast error variance of GDP per capita and a relatively smaller part of the forecast error variance of CO2 per capita were explained by the share of RES-E.
Frication compensation and disturbance observer design for a high acceleration precision direct drive motion stage

Friction compensation and disturbance observer design in velocity loop for a high acceleration precision motion stage actuated by linear motor is considered. The friction compensator divides the friction into linear and nonlinear part basing on LuGre model, linear part is treated as damping together with other part in system, and nonlinear part is compensated basing on the model. Internal state z in LuGre model is calculated according model and position real time instead of using state observer, which can reduce calculation and as far as possible to ensure the precision of friction model. The disturbance observer proposed here account for time delay in system which caused by discrete sampling, signal process, transport distance, and so on. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
New quasi-cyclic LDPC codes with girth at least eight based on Sidon sequences

A new family of quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes of girth at least eight is explicitly constructed from Sidon sequences. These codes can be encoded using simple shift-registers. Furthermore, for short to moderate lengths these quasi-cyclic codes perform close to random progressive edge-growth (PEG) LDPC codes in terms of bit-error probability and block-error probability, collectively.
Hierarchical Mrf and Random Forest Segmentation of Ms Lesions and Healthy Tissues in Brain Mri

In this paper, we present an automatic hierarchical framework for the segmentation of a variety healthy tissues and le-sions in brain MRI of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). At the voxel level, lesion and tissue labels are estimated through a Markov Random Field (MRF) segmentation framework that leverages spatial prior probabilities for 9 healthy tissues through multi-atlas fusion (MALF). A random forest classifier then provides region level lesion refinement. Validation is performed on the data provided by the ISBI 2015 Longitudinal Multiple Sclerosis Lesion Segmentation Challenge.
A Method for the Synchronized Acquisition of Cylindrical Range and Color Data

This paper presents a method of 3D human face measurement using a newly developed device that acquires 3D range data and surface color data at the same time. The cylindrical range data is measured by a laser light source and a CCD sensor with a resolution of 5 12 vertical scan lines, 256 points per scan line. The color data is acquired as a cylindrical projection image having 512 by 256 pixels, 24 bitslpixel (8 bits each for red, green, and blue). The scanner has been successfully applied to the measurement of human faces and other 3D objects.
Group Representations and Construction of Minimal Topological Groups

For every continuous biadditive mapping ! we construct a topological group M(! ) and establish its minimality under natural restrictions. Using the evaluation mapping GG ! Tof Pontryagin-van Kampen duality and the canonical duality EE ! R for a normed space E; we obtain some new results in the theory of minimal groups. In particular, it is shown that every locally compact Abelian group is a group retract of a minimal locally compact group. Every Abelian topological group is a quotient of a perfectly minimal group.
A search for changing-look AGN in the Grossan catalog

We observed with XMM- Newton 4 objects selected from the Grossan (1992, Ph.D. Thesis) catalog, with the aim to search for new “changing-look” AGN. The sample includes all the sources which showed in subsequent observations a flux much lower than the one measured with HEAO A-1: NGC 7674, NGC 4968, IRAS 13218+0552 and NGC 1667. None of the sources was caught in a high flux state during the XMM- Newton observations, whose analysis reveal they are all likely Compton-thick objects. We suggest that, for all the sources, potential problems with the HEAO A-1 source identification and flux measurement prevent us from being certain that the HEAO A-1 data represent a putative “high” state for these objects. Nonetheless, based on the high flux state and Compton-thin spectrum of its GINGA observation, NGC 7674 represents probably the sixth known case of a “changing-look” Seyfert 2 galaxy. From the X-ray variability pattern, we can estimate a likely lower limit of a few parsec to the distance of the inner walls of the torus in this object. Remarkably, IRAS 13218+0552 was not detected by XMM- Newton , despite being currently classified as a Seyfert 1 with a large [OIII] flux. However, the original classification was likely to be affected by an extreme velocity outflow component in the emission lines. The object likely harbors an highly obscured AGN and should be re-classified as a type 2 source.
Effect of material technologies on equivalent structural parasitic capacitance of high-voltage cascade rectifier

Progress in material technology in wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) enables increasing the operation frequency of high-voltage (HV) generators and using less series connected devices for the same voltage rating of the HV-generators, e.g. for x-ray applications. These generators are frequently equipped with HV multipliers, such as the Cockcroft-Walton cascade, a resonant inverter and a high voltage transformer. Power conversion at high frequency usually helps reducing the system size and cost and allows better efficiency at smaller size and lower weight. At high frequency and high voltage, however, the influence of parasitic effects of the multiplier, namely parasitic capacitance, becomes highly relevant to the feeding circuit. Experience from existing circuits indicates, that the total parasitic capacitance at secondary side is not only related to the HV transformer and the junction capacitance of the diodes, but also to the extension of the electric AC field in the rectifier circuit, which reflects the structural parasitic capacitance. It can happen that a substantial amount of driving current is required only for inverting the voltage across the parasitic capacitance, which puts a limit on the maximum useful frequency. In general it is to be expected that parasitic capacitance will increase with denser packaging of the components. In this paper an approach for the determination of the equivalent structural parasitic capacitance is given that is based on a 3D finite element (FE) analysis of the energy in the electric AC fields in the cascade circuit. The method is subsequently used to investigate effect of material technologies on the equivalent structural parasitical capacitance. These investigated technologies are: 1) the effect of the increased blocking voltage and associated reduced number of series connected devices, 2) the effect of the permittivity of isolating media and 3) the effect of a grounded box around the rectifier. The capacitance obtained by field simulation is validated by small signal measurements.
New phiomorph rodents from the latest Eocene of Egypt, and the impact of Bayesian “clock”-based phylogenetic methods on estimates of basal hystricognath relationships and biochronology

The Fayum Depression of Egypt has yielded fossils of hystricognathous rodents from multiple Eocene and Oligocene horizons that range in age from ∼37 to ∼30 Ma and document several phases in the early evolution of crown Hystricognathi and one of its major subclades, Phiomorpha. Here we describe two new genera and species of basal phiomorphs, Birkamys korai and Mubhammys vadumensis, based on rostra and maxillary and mandibular remains from the terminal Eocene (∼34 Ma) Fayum Locality 41 (L-41). Birkamys is the smallest known Paleogene hystricognath, has very simple molars, and, like derived Oligocene-to-Recent phiomorphs (but unlike contemporaneous and older taxa) apparently retained dP4∕4 late into life, with no evidence for P4∕4 eruption or formation. Mubhammys is very similar in dental morphology to Birkamys, and also shows no evidence for P4∕4 formation or eruption, but is considerably larger. Though parsimony analysis with all characters equally weighted places Birkamys and Mubhammys as sister taxa of extant Thryonomys to the exclusion of much younger relatives of that genus, all other methods (standard Bayesian inference, Bayesian “tip-dating,” and parsimony analysis with scaled transitions between “fixed” and polymorphic states) place these species in more basal positions within Hystricognathi, as sister taxa of Oligocene-to-Recent phiomorphs. We also employ tip-dating as a means for estimating the ages of early hystricognath-bearing localities, many of which are not well-constrained by geological, geochronological, or biostratigraphic evidence. By simultaneously taking into account phylogeny, evolutionary rates, and uniform priors that appropriately encompass the range of possible ages for fossil localities, dating of tips in this Bayesian framework allows paleontologists to move beyond vague and assumption-laden “stage of evolution” arguments in biochronology to provide relatively rigorous age assessments of poorly-constrained faunas. This approach should become increasingly robust as estimates are combined from multiple independent analyses of distantly related clades, and is broadly applicable across the tree of life; as such it is deserving of paleontologists’ close attention. Notably, in the example provided here, hystricognathous rodents from Libya and Namibia that are controversially considered to be of middle Eocene age are instead estimated to be of late Eocene and late Oligocene age, respectively. Finally, we reconstruct the evolution of first lower molar size among Paleogene African hystricognaths using a Bayesian approach; the results of this analysis reconstruct a rapid latest Eocene dwarfing event along the lineage leading to Birkamys.
Human Capital Development and Economic Growth: A Lesson from Nigeria

The study examined the effect of human capital development and capabilities on economic growth and development in Nigeria. This included the analysis of the impact of heath care delivery and education. Secondary data were used for the study and study covered a period of year 2000-2009. Statistical tools used in analyzing the date was correlation which revealed that investment in education and health has positive correction with economic growth and development. Conclusively, the study posits that formal education is highly instrumental and even necessary to improve the productive capacity of a nation. Keywords: Human Capital, Human Development, Economic Growth
Snow thickness retrieval over thick Arctic sea ice using SMOS satellite data

Abstract. The microwave interferometric radiometer of the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission measures at a frequency of 1.4 GHz in the L-band. In contrast to other microwave satellites, low frequency measurements in L-band have a large penetration depth in sea ice and thus contain information on the ice thickness. Previous ice thickness retrievals have neglected a snow layer on top of the ice. Here, we implement a snow layer in our emission model and investigate how snow influences L-band brightness temperatures and whether it is possible to retrieve snow thickness over thick Arctic sea ice from SMOS data. We find that the brightness temperatures above snow-covered sea ice are higher than above bare sea ice and that horizontal polarisation is more affected by the snow layer than vertical polarisation. In accordance with our theoretical investigations, the root mean square deviation between simulated and observed horizontally polarised brightness temperatures decreases from 20.9 K to 4.7 K, when we include the snow layer in the simulations. Although dry snow is almost transparent in L-band, we find brightness temperatures to increase with increasing snow thickness under cold Arctic conditions. The brightness temperatures' dependence on snow thickness can be explained by the thermal insulation of snow and its dependence on the snow layer thickness. This temperature effect allows us to retrieve snow thickness over thick sea ice. For the best simulation scenario and snow thicknesses up to 35 cm, the average snow thickness retrieved from horizontally polarised SMOS brightness temperatures agrees within 0.1 cm with the average snow thickness measured during the IceBridge flight campaign in the Arctic in spring 2012. The corresponding root mean square deviation is 5.5 cm, and the coefficient of determination is r2 = 0.58.
Effective Change Detection in Large Repositories of Unsolicited Traffic

When monitoring unsolicited network traffic automated detection and characterization of abrupt changes in the traffics statistical properties is important. These abrupt changes can either be due to a single or multiple anomalous activities taking place at the same time. The start of a new anomalous activity while another anomalous activity is in operation will result in a new change nested within the previous change. Although detection of abrupt changes to identify malicious activities has received considerable attention in the past, automated detection of nested changes has not been addressed. In this paper a dynamic sliding window cumulative sum (CUSUM) algorithm is proposed to automatically identify these nested changes. The novelty of the proposed technique lies in its ability to automatically detect nested changes, without which interesting activities may go undetected, and its effectiveness in identifying both the start and the end of the individual changes. Using an analysis of real network traces, we show that the identified nested changes were indeed due to distinct malicious behaviours taking place in parallel.
A Mach-Zehnder phasing sensor for extremely large segmented telescopes: laboratory results and close-loop algorithm

Alignment of the segmented telescopes requires an accurate phase measurement at the segment borders using an optical sensor. We develop such a sensor based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The operation of this system was previously demonstrated in computer simulation and through the detailed theoretical analysis. In this paper we show the results of the laboratory experiment, which confirms the main predictions we have made. The close loop control for optical phasing of segmented mirrors, analogous to the one with the use of the edge sensors, is also described and illustrated.
Growing through external relationships- A case study of small furniture manufacturers' network

Utilising external relationships is one of the most important strategies and tools for small- and medium-sized firms to expand their business in a flexible way. The entrepreneurial search for new advantages and growth through cooperation has resulted in new hybrid forms of organizing. The objectives of the paper are threefold: (1) To briefly review the previous literature dealing with interfirm cooperation and growth processes of SMEs, (2) to illustrate the phenomenon with one empirical case where a special hybrid mode of interfirm cooperation has been built, and 3) to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of external growth strategy based on longitudinal qualitative data. The empirical part illustrates how one furniture firm has utilised a growth strategy through external relationships. It has built a special hybrid mode of interfirm cooperation, a hotel of small furniture manufacturing firms, where it operates as a leader. The leading firm takes care of marketing and selling the products, and it also bears the responsibility for the product development, quality control and strategic planning and for the organizing the whole group. The manufacture of products which a hotel of small firms has concentrated on has been divided into different stages of the production chain, and each of the ten subcontracting small firms takes care of one stage, e.g. sewing, upholstering, and surface coating. All the firms operate in the same building. In addition to the subcontractors inside the hotel, the leading firm has utilised many other external relationships in its growing process. The annual growth of the turnover of the leading firm has been 15-30 per cent during the last six years. In spite of constant growth, it has not hired more employees, but only new subcontractors. The empirical data has been collected by close observation and interviews during six years’ time, i.e., from the early planning phase of a hotel until these days.
A High Throughput Amenable Arabidopsis-P. aeruginosa System Reveals a Rewired Regulatory Module and the Utility to Identify Potent Anti-Infectives

We previously demonstrated that in a metasystem consisting of Arabidopsis seedlings growing in liquid medium (in 96 well plates) even microbes considered to be innocuous such as laboratory strains of E. coli and B. subtilis can cause potent damage to the host. We further posited that such environment-induced adaptations are brought about by ‘system status changes’ (rewiring of pre-existing cellular signaling networks and components) of the host and the microbe, and that prolongation of such a situation could lead to the emergence of pathogenic states in real-life. Here, using this infection model, we show that the master regulator GacA of the human opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa (strain PA14) is dispensable for pathogenesis, as evidenced by three independent read-outs. The gene expression profile of the host after infection with wild type PA14 or the gacA mutant are also identical. GacA normally acts upstream of the quorum sensing regulatory circuit (that includes the regulator LasR) that controls a subset of virulence factors. Double mutants in gacA and lasR behave similar to the lasR mutant, as seen by abrogation of a characteristic cell type specific host cell damage caused by PA14 or the gacA mutant. This indicates that a previously unrecognized regulatory mechanism is operative under these conditions upstream of LasR. In addition, the detrimental effect of PA14 on Arabidopsis seedlings is resistant to high concentrations of the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. These data suggest that the Arabidopsis seedling infection system could be used to identify anti-infectives with potentially novel modes of action.
Immediate Provisionalization and Nonfunctional Loading of a Single Implant in the Maxillary Esthetic Zone: A Clinical Presentation and Parameters for Consideration

Restoration of single tooth loss with implant supported prosthesis is now considered a highly predictable treatment. However, the maxillary anterior region still presents a challenge for both the prosthodontist and the periodontist because of the inherent difficulties encountered in the provisionalization and harmonic incorporation of the definitive prosthesis into patient's dentogingival complex. This paper presents a clinical case of a single implant placed immediately after the extraction of a maxillary central incisor, followed by immediate provisionalization and nonfunctional loading. The surgical and the restorative techniques are described, and the parameters of consideration for this approach are presented.
The design of a 1 V, 1 GHz CMOS VCO circuit with in-phase and quadrature-phase outputs

A CMOS ring-oscillator type VCO circuit with inphase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) outputs has been designed by using 0.6 /spl mu/m MOS devices. This VCO has demonstrated 1 V and 1 GHz operational capabilities. Two differential delay cells has been used as one delay section and the transitions of the delay cell outputs have been combined, and thus the 1 GHz 1/Q output generation has been realized. The current-mode approach throughout the design has resulted in the extremely low voltage operation. The simulation results show more than 1.4 GHz oscillation frequency from a 1 V power supply, and less than /spl plusmn/1 phase error for I/Q outputs when Vth variation is 10 mV.
3D morphable model fitting for low-resolution facial images

This paper proposes a new algorithm for fitting a 3D morphable face model on low-resolution (LR) facial images. We analyse the criterion commonly used by the main fitting algorithms and by comparing with an image formation model, show that this criterion is only valid if the resolution of the input image is high. We then derive an imaging model to describe the process of LR image formation given the 3D model. Finally, we use this imaging model to improve the fitting criterion. Experimental results show that our algorithm significantly improves fitting results on LR images and yields similar parameters to those that would have been obtained if the input image had a higher resolution. We also show that our algorithm can be used for face recognition in low-resolutions where the conventional fitting algorithms fail.