Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved outcome in 445 patients with Wegener's granulomatosis in a German vasculitis center over four decades.

OBJECTIVE To determine the long-term outcome in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) over 4 decades in an academic hospital unit specializing in rheumatology. METHODS We included 290 patients, divided them into 2 cohorts, and compared them with the historical cohort of 155 patients. Comparisons were retrospective regarding disease manifestations, therapy, mortality, and incidence of malignancies. The historical cohort (cohort 1) included 155 patients diagnosed between 1966 and 1993, cohort 2 included 123 patients diagnosed between 1994 and 1998, and cohort 3 included 167 patients diagnosed between 1999 and 2002. RESULTS Over time, the interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was reduced by half (from 8 months to 4 months). Organ manifestations were similar in the 3 cohorts, and more than 80% of patients still required cyclophosphamide (CYC); however, the median cumulative dose was reduced significantly (from 67 gm in cohort 1 to 36 gm in cohort 2 and to 24 gm in cohort 3). The standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) declined (from 2.1 in cohort 1 to 1.41 in cohort 2 and to 1.03 in cohort 3), with fewer deaths related to WG and/or therapy (86.4% in cohort 1, 76.9% in cohort 2, 50% in cohort 3), decreasing relapse rates (63.9% in cohort 1, 51.2% in cohort 2, 35.3% in cohort 3), and no increased rate of malignancies. Compared with young females, young males had a considerably higher SMR (8.87 [95% confidence interval 4.05-16.8]) and more frequent renal manifestations (54.4% versus 33.8%). CONCLUSION Mortality of WG patients declined over the last 4 decades, probably due to improved diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and increased awareness of WG, which led to earlier diagnosis and therapy, reduction in relapse rates, and lower cumulative CYC dose with fewer deaths related to therapy.
Discovery of Culex pipiens pipiens Form Molestus in Chicago

Abstract A population of Culex pipiens pipiens form molestus was detected in a drainage sump in Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on the South Side of Chicago, IL. This is the first documented collection of a molestus population within the city of Chicago and the second collection of a molestus population in the Chicago metropolitan area in >60 years. Field-collected specimens were used to initiate a colony without bloodfeeding, and the colony is autogenous and stenogamous.
Systems biology of cyanobacterial secondary metabolite production and its role in drug discovery

Background: Cyanobacteria continue to be an important source of compounds that show unprecedented biological activities of pharmaceutical interest. Cyanobacterial metabolites show an interesting and exciting range of biological activities ranging from antimicrobial and immunosuppressant to anticancer and anti-HIV. Objective: This review explores the possibilities of applying systems biology approaches for harnessing these compounds as drug leads, primarily produced through large multimodular non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), polyketide synthase (PKS) and mixed NRPS–PKS enzymatic systems. Methods: A brief survey of the strategies for in silico analysis for drug target identification using genomic and high-throughput proteomics data, virtual screening and receptor–ligand docking based approaches are also discussed. Conclusion: We conclude with an outlook on how the field will evolve, especially in partnership with the new engineering-based, more endpoint exploitative paradigm of synthetic biology.
Malaria sporozoites actively enter and pass through rat Kupffer cells prior to hepatocyte invasion

Malaria sporozoites have to cross the layer of sinusoidal liver cells to reach their initial site of multiplication in the mammalian host, the hepatocytes. To determine the sinusoidal cell type sporozoites use for extravasation, endothelia or Kupffer cells, we quantified sporozoite adhesion to and invasion of sinusoidal cells isolated from rat liver. In vitro invasion assays reveal that Plasmodium berghei and P. yoelii sporozoites attach to and enter Kupffer cells, but not sinusoidal endothelia. Unlike hepatocytes and other nonphagocytic cells, which are invaded in vitro only within the first hour of parasite exposure, the number of intracellular sporozoites in Kupffer cells increases for up to 12 hours. By confocal and electron microscopy, sporozoites are enclosed in a vacuole that does not colocalize with lysosomal markers. Inhibition of phagocytosis with gadolinium chloride has no effect on Kupffer cell invasion, but abolishes phagocytosis of inactivated sporozoites. Furthermore, sporozoites traverse in vitro from Kupffer cells to hepatocytes where they eventually develop into exoerythrocytic schizonts. Thus, malaria sporozoites selectively recognize and actively invade Kupffer cells, avoid phagosomal acidification, and safely passage through these phagocytes.
Development of a width-changeable intelligent walking-aid robot

In this paper we develop an intelligent walking-aid robot to assist the elderly and handicapped people. The robot consists of a support frame, a width-adjustable mobile base, and an array of sensors. The robot is designed to be capable of moving in all directions and used in both wide and narrow spaces. In a wide street, the width-adjustable mobile base is controlled to become wider so as to make the robot more stable. During passing through narrow space, the robot can reduce the width of mobile base to adapt the environment. Motion control algorithm of the robot is proposed considering both the user intention and requirements of obstacle avoidance. In addition, we conduct experiments in real environment and the results illustrate the validity of the control algorithm.
PU.1 and an HLH family member contribute to the myeloid‐specific transcription of the Fc gamma RIIIA promoter.

Expression of the low‐affinity Fc receptor for IgG (murine Fc gamma RIIIA) is restricted to cells of myelomonocytic origin. We report here the promoter structure, the proximal DNA sequences responsible for transcription of Fc gamma RIIIA in macrophages and the protein factors which interact with these sequences. A 51 bp sequence, termed the myeloid restricted region (MRR), was both necessary and sufficient for conferring cell type‐specific expression in macrophages. Reporter constructs containing mutations in this sequence result in the loss of MRR activity upon transfection into the macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. Two cis‐acting elements have been identified and are required for full promoter function. These same elements analyzed by EMSA define two binding sites recognized by nuclear factors derived from macrophages. A 3′ purine tract (‐50 to ‐39) within the MRR binds the macrophage and B cell‐specific factor, PU.1, and a second E box‐like element, termed MyE, upstream of the PU.1 box (‐88 to ‐78) binds the HLH factors TFE3 and USF. EMSA studies using RAW cell extracts suggest that both PU.1 and MyE factors may bind simultaneously to the MRR resulting in a ternary complex that is responsible, in part, for the myeloid‐specific activity of the Fc gamma RIIIA promoter.
A Class of Globally Convergent Optimization Methods Based on Conservative Convex Separable Approximations

This paper deals with a certain class of optimization methods, based on conservative convex separable approximations (CCSA), for solving inequality-constrained nonlinear programming problems. Each generated iteration point is a feasible solution with lower objective value than the previous one, and it is proved that the sequence of iteration points converges toward the set of Karush--Kuhn--Tucker points. A major advantage of CCSA methods is that they can be applied to problems with a very large number of variables (say 104--105) even if the Hessian matrices of the objective and constraint functions are dense.
Compact modeling of offset sources in vertical hall-effect devices

Vertical Hall-effect devices are CMOS integrated sensors designed for the measurement of magnetic field in the plane of the chip. In such devices, systematic offset is a major issue which limits their performance. We recently developed a design-oriented compact model for such devices. In this paper, the model is improved and used to study the main features of the offset. There are two main phenomena that induce offset in the sensor: sensor imperfections (process deviation, mechanical stress.) which can be modeled by contact misalignments, and the modulation of the space charge region at the N-well/P-sub junction. Offset is modeled through 4 parameters which are extracted from offset measurement, and the model is validated with experimental results.
VeriNet: User Verification on Smartwatches via Behavior Biometrics

No longer reserved for nerdy geeks, nowadays smartwatches have gain their popularities rapidly, and become one of the most desirable gadgets that the general public would like to own. However, such popularity also introduces potential vulnerability. Until now, the de facto solution to protect smartwatches are passwords, i.e. either PINs or Android Pattern Locks (APLs). Unfortunately, those types of passwords are not robust against various forms of attacks, such as shoulder surfing or touch/motion based side channel attacks. In this paper, we propose a novel authentication approach for smartwatches, which adds another layer of security on top of the traditional passwords by considering the unique motion signatures when different users input passwords on their watches. It uses a deep recurrent neural networks to analyse the subtle motion signals of password input, and distinguish the legitimate users from malicious impostors. Following a privacy-preserving manner, our proposed approach does not require users to upload their passcodes for model training but only the motion data and identity labels. Extensive experiments on large-scale datasets collected real-world show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art significantly, even in the most challenging case where a user has multiple distinct passcodes.
Performance of three-phase WLS Distribution System State Estimation approaches

The roadmap towards the so-called Smart Grids calls for a clever and efficient management of the distribution systems. In this context, Distribution System State Estimation (DSSE) tools play a crucial role to acquire the knowledge about the effective operating conditions of the network and to enable the proper management and control functions operation. DSSE is usually performed by relying on a Weighted Least Squares (WLS) method. Different WLS formulations can be designed depending on the state variables used in the estimator. In this paper, an analysis concerning the two main classes of WLS approaches proposed for distribution systems is presented. Three-phase estimators with state variables based on both node voltages and branch currents have been considered. The performances in terms of accuracy, efficiency and numerical properties are analyzed and discussed. Results obtained on the 123 IEEE distribution network are presented and discussed.
Very low density lipoprotein overproduction in genetic forms of hypertriglyceridaemia

Abstract. Very low density lipoprotein kinetic parameters were compared in familial hypertriglyceridaemia and familial combined hyperlipidaemia, two distinct genetic forms of hypertriglyceridaemia. Very low density lipoprotein apoprotein B turnover rate was greater in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects with familial combined hyperlipidaemia (099±0–27 mg/kg/h; n= 5; P < 0005) and also in familial hypertriglyceridaemia (0–74±0–10; n= 6; P < 0–005) than in age and weight matched non‐hyperlipidaemic controls (0–54±0–21; n= 6), suggesting that the hypertriglyceridaemia seen in both genetic disorders was due to very low density lipoprotein overproduction. Very low density lipoprotein apoprotein B turnover rate was greater in familial combined hyperlipidaemia than in familial hypertriglyceridaemia while plasma triglyceride turnover was higher in familial hypertriglyceridaemia. This disparity in the turnover rates of apoprotein B and triglyceride between these disorders was accompanied by a higher very low density lipoprotein triglyceride/apoprotein B ratio in familial hypertriglyceridaemia than in familial combined hyperlipidaemia (P < 0001) and in normals (P < 0–005).
LCD baseband noise modulation estimation for radio frequency interference in mobile phones

A method to predict the modulated noise coupling to an antenna is proposed and experimentally validated using a practical mobile phone. The baseband noise of a liquid crystal display (LCD) is modulated with the Tx carrier signal of cellular communication, resulting in a radio frequency desensitization problem. The modulation mechanism is understood and its circuit representation is proposed to estimate the modulated noise coupling to an antenna. The modulation coefficient, which represents a relationship between the coupled voltage and modulated current, is experimentally extracted from a stand-alone LCD panel. The proposed modulation model is successfully validated through comparison with measurements using a practical mobile phone.
A Novel Control Method for Piezoelectric-Transformer Based Power Supplies Assuring Zero-Voltage-Switching Operation

In this paper, a new control strategy that allows zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) operation of power converters using piezoelectric transformers (PTs) is proposed. The control circuit operates in a closed loop by measuring the phase between the PTs resonant current and the switching pattern and adjusting the switching frequency to the optimum value so that ZVS operation is assured. An innovative nonlinear regulator based on an analog multiplexer is presented. The regulator automatically swaps the signs of the sensed signal and the reference signal to allow generation of the adequate control action. A laboratory prototype for a 6 W resonant inverter was tested; obtained experimental results are also shown.
Bone morphogenetic protein 4, inhibitor of differentiation 1, and epidermal growth factor receptor regulate the survival of cochlear sensory epithelial cells

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is crucial for the development of the inner ear, but the mechanism of how BMP4 affects this process remains unknown. The focus of this research was to determine whether BMP4 can regulate the survival of cochlear sensory epithelial cells through inhibitor of differentiation 1 (Id1) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In this study, we first investigated the effects of BMP4, noggin, and dominant negative BMPR1B (dnBMPR1B) on the proliferation and survival of cochlear sensory epithelial cells. Subsequently, we investigated the influences of BMP4, noggin, and dnBMPR1B on the expression of Id1 and EGFR. We found that BMP4 had a negative effect on cell survival and on Id1 and EGFR expression in vitro, whereas noggin and dnBMPR1B treatment had positive effects. Knockdown of the Id1 gene with short interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced the expression of EGFR and cell proliferation. These data suggest that BMP4 may regulate survival through the Id1/EGFR pathway during development of the rat inner ear. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of temperature treatment on corn cob composting and reducing of composting time: a comparative study

This study focuses on the effect of temperature on the compost quality and the processing time. Two temperature, namely 46°C (high temperature) and 30°C (low temperature) were considered for the composting trials. A mixture of 60% ground corn cob, 30% dried sports grass and 10% bio-activator was used as composting material. The composting process lasted for 120 days. The maturity indices at the end of composting indicate that, for the high-temperature treatment, the compost show an improved quality as compared to the low-temperature treatment. The maturity indices, namely carbon to nitrogen ratio, water extractable organic carbon, ratio of cation exchange capacity to total organic carbon and germination index, determined for the high temperature treatment are: 13.9, 1.48 mg mL —1, 2.21, and 86%, respectively. On the basis of the compost characteristics, the processing time for the high- and low-temperature treatments was 75 days and 105 days, respectively. It can be concluded that treatment at the high-temperature level considered in this study presents a more suitable option for improvement of composting.
Caching and Coded Multicasting in Slow Fading Environment

We study the delay-outage tradeoff in a shared link caching network formed by one source node and $n$ users over a wireless slow fading channel. Each user requests an arbitrary file from a library of $m$ files, each of entropy $F$ bits. The users can locally cache up to $MF$ information bits. Under a single-input single-output (SISO) multi-user system, we present a closed form expression of the delay- outage tradeoff under any i.i. d. channel distributions by using the classical caching and coded multicasting scheme presented by Maddah-Ali and Niesen in [1], where outage probability is regarded as the probability that a user cannot decode the requested file. In addition, when the channel gains follow a Gaussian distribution, we show that for a large range of vanishing outage probability $p$, the average delay scales as$\Omega\left(\min\left\{n^{2-\varepsilon_1}, n^{1- \varepsilon_2}#x002F;p\right\}\right)$, where $\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2amp;#62;0$ are some arbitrarily small constants. This means that the multiplicative caching gain introduced by Maddah-Ali and Niesen is lost. To overcome this problem, we modify the network to a single-input multiple-output system (SIMO) system and find the required number of receive antennas per user such that the promised multiplicative caching gain can be preserved.
Numerical modeling of thick conducting irises using FDTD method-comparison with the modified residue-calculus method

In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for approximating a waveguide consisting of a periodic structure with a conducting iris of nonzero thickness. We consider a model for a single stage of a periodic structure - an individual conducting iris of nonzero thickness - and determine optimal grid spacings for FDTD calculations. We determine the optimal grid spacings using benchmark numerical solutions obtained with the modified residue-calculus method (MRCM), an accurate solution procedure that incorporates boundary conditions. We obtain agreement by choosing a grid spacing on the order of 1/100th of the wavelength λg.
Trajectory matching of ozonesondes and MOZAIC measurements in the UTLS – Part 2: Application to the global ozonesonde network

Abstract. Both balloon-borne electrochemical ozonesondes and MOZAIC (measurements of ozone, water vapour, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides by in-service Airbus aircraft) provide very valuable data sets for ozone studies in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS). Although MOZAIC's highly accurate UV-photometers are regularly inspected and recalibrated annually, recent analyses cast some doubt on the long-term stability of their ozone analysers. To investigate this further, we perform a 16 yr comparison (1994–2009) of UTLS ozone measurements from balloon-borne ozonesondes and MOZAIC. The analysis uses fully three-dimensional trajectories computed from ERA-Interim (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-analysis) wind fields to find matches between the two measurement platforms. Although different sensor types (Brewer-Mast and Electrochemical Concentration Cell ozonesondes) were used, most of the 28 launch sites considered show considerable differences of up to 25% compared to MOZAIC in the mid-1990s, followed by a systematic tendency to smaller differences of around 5–10% in subsequent years. The reason for the difference before 1998 remains unclear, but observations from both sondes and MOZAIC require further examination to be reliable enough for use in robust long-term trend analyses starting before 1998. According to our analysis, ozonesonde measurements at tropopause altitudes appear to be rather insensitive to changing the type of the Electrochemical Concentration Cell ozonesonde, provided the cathode sensing solution strength remains unchanged. Scoresbysund (Greenland) showed systematically 5% higher readings after changing from Science Pump Corporation sondes to ENSCI Corporation sondes, while a 1.0% KI cathode electrolyte was retained.
Robustness Over Time-Varying Channels in DNN-HMM ASR Based Human-Robot Interaction

This paper addresses the problem of time-varying channels in speech-recognition-based human-robot interaction using Locally-Normalized Filter-Bank features (LNFB), and training strategies that compensate for microphone response and room acoustics. Testing utterances were generated by re-recording the Aurora-4 testing database using a PR2 mobile robot, equipped with a Kinect audio interface while performing head rotations and movements toward and away from a fixed source. Three training conditions were evaluated called Clean, 1-IR and 33-IR. With Clean training, the DNN-HMM system was trained using the Aurora-4 clean training database. With 1-IR training, the same training data were convolved with an impulse response estimated at one meter from the source with no rotation of the robot head. With 33-IR training, the Aurora-4 training data were convolved with impulse responses estimated at one, two and three meters from the source and 11 angular positions of the robot head. The 33-IR training method produced reductions in WER greater than 50% when compared with Clean training using both LNFB and conventional Mel filterbank features. Nevertheless, LNFB features provided a WER 23% lower than MelFB using 33-IR training. The use of 33-IR training and LNFB features reduced WER by 64% compared to Clean training and MelFB features.
Probe configuration study for the metamaterial aperture imager

We investigate a metamaterial imager (metaimager) consisting of one transmitting metamaterial panel and a collection of broadband receiving probes. Image reconstruction is performed by interrogating a scene with a set of radiative measurement modes encoded in the frequency response of the metamaterial panel. The image quality is a function of the ability of the receiving probes to capture the reflected energy. Here, the number and configuration of the receiving probe antennas is investigated. It is demonstrated that increasing the number of probe antennas and distributing their placement in space increases the effective receiver aperture size and the number of measurement modes, enhancing the image reconstruction for the metamaterial imager. The imaging of a smiley face target is performed using one-probe and five-probe metaimager configurations and successfully reconstructed images are demonstrated.