Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel ultra-wideband directional antennas for microwave breast cancer detection

This paper presents two novel designs of elliptical ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas with voltage standing wave ratios (VSWRs) less than 1.96 and return loss lower than −10 dB across a broad frequency range of 3 GHz to 20 GHz. The directive gains of one design range from 7.4 dBi to 8.81 dBi, while for the other, they range from 7.15 dBi to 9.08 dBi. The key feature of these two designs is the careful engineering of the ground planes and the major and minor axes of the elliptical patches, which permits the operational bandwidth to span over an UWB range. As a result, directional beam patterns can be achieved even for low-profile, miniaturized designs. These antennas may find useful applications in microwave breast imaging due to their desirable directional properties and compact sizes.
The effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on cervical cytologic changes associated with oncogenic HPV among HIV-infected women

ObjectiveCervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), a common condition among HIV-infected women, has been linked to HIV load and immune status. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) improves immunologic and virologic status. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between HAART use and CIN. DesignCohort study. The Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) in five cities in the USA (Bronx/Manhattan, New York; Brooklyn, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco Bay area, California; Washington, District of Columbia). MethodsHIV-infected women were followed every 6 months with Papanicolaou smears and cervicovaginal lavage for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing. To characterize exposures that changed over time and to capture the dynamic nature of cytologic changes, Papanicolaou smear findings from each participant's consecutive visits were defined as a pair. We determined the proportion of all pairs that exhibited either regression or progression, according to HAART exposure, HPV results and Papanicolaou smear status. As participants could contribute multiple pairs, inferences were based on robust methods to adjust for correlated observations. ResultsWomen with persistent HPV infection were more likely to have progression of their lesions. After adjustment for CD4 cell count and Papanicolaou smear status, women on HAART were 40% (95% confidence interval, 4–81%) more likely to demonstrate regression and less likely (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.88) to demonstrate progression ConclusionsHAART altered the course of HPV disease in HIV-infected women, reducing progression and increasing regression. As HPV disease is a common sex-specific manifestation of HIV disease this effect of HAART would be a major additional benefit from this modality of therapy.
Poliovirus Escape from RNA Interference: Short Interfering RNA-Target Recognition and Implications for Therapeutic Approaches

ABSTRACT Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) directed against poliovirus and other viruses effectively inhibit viral replication. Although RNA interference (RNAi) may provide the basis for specific antiviral therapies, the limitations of RNAi antiviral strategies are ill defined. Here, we show that poliovirus readily escapes highly effective siRNAs through unique point mutations within the targeted regions. Competitive analysis of the escape mutants provides insights into the basis of siRNA recognition. The RNAi machinery can tolerate mismatches but is exquisitely sensitive to mutations within the central region and the 3′ end of the target sequence. Indeed, specific mutations in the target sequence resulting in G:U mismatches are sufficient for the virus to escape siRNA inhibition. However, using a pool of siRNAs to simultaneously target multiple sites in the viral genome prevents the emergence of resistant viruses. Our study uncovers the elegant precision of target recognition by the RNAi machinery and provides the basis for the development of effective RNAi-based therapies that prevent viral escape.
Scaling and the Effects of Plant, Soil, and Landscape Characteristics on Sap-Feeding Herbivores in Cotton

Abstract Soil physical and chemical properties can affect plant growth and nutrition, which in turn can affect a plant’s attractiveness and susceptibility to insect herbivores. A further source of variation in these relationships is the spatial scale at which patterns are measured. Both the size of the area being sampled, or scale, and the distance between measurements, or grain, are parameters that affect interpretation of insect abundance patterns. Our objectives in this study were to determine both the relationship of various landscape, plant, and soil characteristics to densities of sap-feeding insect herbivores in cotton and to determine the effects of sampling scale and sampling grain on these relationships. We included three sap-feeding herbivores in our study: Aphis gossypii Glover, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and Bemisia tabaci Gennadius. We found that abundance of each insect species was related to several single factors within the cotton field and that these relationships were always dependent on the scale and grain of the measurements. No one variable or set of variables was related to a particular insect density for each scale and grain examined. However, some variables were significantly correlated with insect densities at the larger scale (622 by 31 m), although none were significantly correlated for all plots at the smaller scale (154 by 31 m). In comparing the separate effects of each variable using partial correlations, elevation was negatively correlated with A. gossypii density at both grains (samples taken 25 m apart and samples taken 50 m apart), whereas in multiple regression analyses including all variables, plant moisture and soil nitrates were positively correlated and plant height and clay negatively correlated with A. gossypii density. In examining the separate effect of each variable on F. occidentalis density, plant moisture was negatively associated with F. occidentalis density at each grain. In multiple regression analyses, no variable was associated with F. occidentalis density at each grain. For B. tabaci, soil salinity was positively associated when variables were examined separately or in multiple regression. We discuss the possible reasons for why particular variables are related to the densities of each species.
Impulsive Behavior in Competition: Testing Theories of Overbidding in Rent-Seeking Contests

Researchers have proposed various theories to explain overbidding in rent-seeking contents, including mistakes, systematic biases, the utility of winning, and relative payoff maximization. Through an eight-part experiment, we test and find significant support for the existing theories. Also, we discover some new explanations based on cognitive ability and impulsive behavior. Out of all explanations examined, we find that impulsivity is the most important factor explaining overbidding in contests.
Qualitative analysis for single-phase grid-tie power inverter structures

This paper presents comparisons among non-isolated DC to AC double-stage single-phase structures, including one integrated single-stage, for photovoltaic (PV) distributed generation applications, and suitable to operate connected to the AC power distribution network. Considering the ideal application for PVs this paper has focused on converters with natural characteristic of current source as input, which decreases the capacitance required for PV power decoupling. Simulation results and qualitative analysis are presented related to the power stage structures and experimental results of an application are discussed in order to confirm the feasibility of the proposal. The developed prototype is digitally controlled by a DSC, considering the designed firmware for MPPT (P&O), and in agreement with IEC and Brazilian standards for island and electrical protections.
Predictors of attrition in HIV-positive subjects with peripheral neuropathic pain

The objective of this paper was to identify predictors of attrition in a study designed to assess whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was more helpful than supportive therapy (SP) in reducing pain associated with peripheral neuropathy in HIV-positive patients. Sixty-one subjects were randomized into either CBT or SP for six weekly one-hour sessions. Twenty-eight subjects dropped out before week six. Demographic variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and level of education were not predictive of attrition. However, higher scores on the Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAM-D, 17-item) (t (59)=−0.09, p<0.05) were predictive. These findings suggest that while dropouts were not more physically ill (e.g. CD4 counts, viral loads and opportunistic infections were not statistically higher), they reported greater psychological distress.
The "oligoanalgesia problem" in the emergency care.

INTRODUCTION Pain is a common occurrence in trauma victims that provokes harmful effects on the body. However, there is a gap in the literature about this problem, which is still underevaluated and undertreated in Brazil, especially concerning the use of opioids. OBJECTIVES To estimate pain intensity and the use of analgesia in traffic accident victims. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study, involving 100 accident victims (traffic accidents), who were interviewed at 2 separate posttraumatic moments, in a reference hospital of the city of São Paulo. All the medications used for these victims were recorded. All patients displayed a Glasgow Coma Scale (ECGl) of 15, had stable hemodynamic parameters, and were brought directly from the scene of the accident. RESULTS Pain of moderate and severe intensity (in 90% of cases) was the most noted. After a 3-hour period, a significant number of patients with pain (48%) continued without analgesia, and few opioids were used. CONCLUSION Pain is a common event associated with trauma. It is still undertreated and underevaluated in Brazil, and the use of opioids for admittedly very severe pain is not frequently employed in the Emergency Service even in hemodynamically stable patients and with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15.
A small-scale procedure for the rapid isolation of plant RNAs.

The analysis of RNA levels in large numbers of (transgenic) plants is elaborate and time consuming. In the conventional set up (ref.), RNA is prepared from whole leaves of mature plants by grinding in a mortar in relatively large volumes. This increases the risk of RNase contamination and the number of samples that can be handled is limited. We adapted this method to allow the rapid isolation of total RNA from as little as 100 mg of leaf material. All steps are performed in eppendorf tubes so many samples can be handled simultaneously.
A Krüppel-Associated Box-Zinc Finger Protein, NT2, Represses Cell-Type-Specific Promoter Activity of the α2(XI) Collage Gene

Type XI collagen is composed of three chains, α1(XI), α2(XI), and α3(XI), and plays a critical role in the formation of cartilage collagen fibrils and in skeletal morphogenesis. It was previously reported that the −530-bp promoter segment of the α2(XI) collagen gene (Col11a2) was sufficient for cartilage-specific expression and that a 24-bp sequence from this segment was able to switch promoter activity from neural tissues to cartilage in transgenic mice when this sequence was placed in the heterologous neurofilament light gene (NFL) promoter. To identify a protein factor that bound to the 24-bp sequence of the Col11a2 promoter, we screened a mouse limb bud cDNA expression library in the yeast one-hybrid screening system and obtained the cDNA clone NT2. Sequence analysis revealed that NT2 is a zinc finger protein consisting of a Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) and is a homologue of human FPM315, which was previously isolated by random cloning and sequencing. The KRAB domain has been found in a number of zinc finger proteins and implicated as a transcriptional repression domain, although few target genes for KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins has been identified. Here, we demonstrate that NT2 functions as a negative regulator of Col11a2. In situ hybridization analysis of developing mouse cartilage showed that NT2 mRNA is highly expressed by hypertrophic chondrocytes but is minimally expressed by resting and proliferating chondrocytes, in an inverse correlation with the expression patterns of Col11a2. Gel shift assays showed that NT2 bound a specific sequence within the 24-bp site of the Col11a2 promoter. We found that Col11a2 promoter activity was inhibited by transfection of the NT2 expression vector in RSC cells, a chondrosarcoma cell line. The expression vector for mutant NT2 lacking the KRAB domain failed to inhibit Col11a2 promoter activity. These results demonstrate that KRAB-zinc finger protein NT2 inhibits transcription of its physiological target gene, suggesting a novel regulatory mechanism of cartilage-specific expression of Col11a2.
Differential Diagnosis of Supraventricular Tachycardia with Ventriculoatrial Dissociation during Ventricular Overdrive Pacing

Case Presentation A 72-year-old man with a history of multiple episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia underwent electrophysiologic studies and a catheter ablation procedure. The 12-lead electrocardiogram during tachycardia showed long RP’ tachycardia with negative P waves in leads II, III, and aVF. Ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction with a shortest 1:1 pacing cycle length of 780 ms and earliest atrial activation at the ostium of coronary sinus was observed during ventricular overdrive pacing. A narrow QRS tachycardia documented previously was reproducibly induced by programmed atrial, though not ventricular, stimulation. During tachycardia, the His-atrial (HA) and atrial-His (AH) intervals were 381 and 156 ms, respectively. The atrial activation sequence during tachycardia seemed identical to that during ventricular pacing. A 2-mg bolus injection of adenosine triphosphate reproducibly terminated the tachycardia after a last ventricular event, following progressive prolongation of the atrial cycle length. Overdrive ventricular pacing for >30 seconds during tachycardia, at a cycle length 10‐30 ms shorter than the tachycardia cycle length, invariably caused VA dissociation without atrial capture or termination of the tachycardia (Fig. 1). What is the tachycardia mechanism? Comment
Optimized survivability scheme to safeguard end-to-end QoS in the next generation optical networks

Optical technology is employed in modern telecommunication networks especially for backbone networks. An optical fiber cable consists of a bundle of glass threads and is capable of sending messages into several lightpaths. Therefore, the failure of an optical fiber affects all the lightpaths, causing multiple failures, which impacts severely on the entire network performance. As a result, the network will fail to meet the end-to-end quality of service (QoS) requirements. The failure of the backbone may lead to social and economic damages which may be catastrophic. Survivability in the Next Generation Optical Networks (NGONs) is critical for the success of the next generation optical networks. Survivability is therefore a critical aspect in the delivery of data in achieving end-to-end QoS requirements in the next generation optical networks. In this paper, we implement a hybrid dedicated path protection (HDPP) differential survivability scheme to safeguard end-to-end QoS in the NGONs. Hybrid dedicated path protection scheme is based on dedicated path protection. The results of the investigation show that unprotected path, shared path protection and hybrid dedicated path protection, HDPP show that the differential survivability scheme is a promising scheme to provision end-to-end QoS in the NGONs.
Plantar tissue stiffness in patients with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE To determine if a difference exists in the plantar soft tissue of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral neuropathy (PN) compared with age-matched controls. DESIGN Case-control study with a parallel 3-element 1-dimensional viscoelastic model developed to characterize indentation data. SETTING Data collection performed in an academic physical therapy laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Forty subjects were recruited into 2 groups (20 subjects with DM, PN, and history of plantar ulcers; 20 control subjects), matched for age (DM: 55.22+/-9.39 y; control: 55.91+/-10.97 y), gender (DM: 14 men, 6 women; control: 14 men, 6 women), and body mass index (DM: 32.96+/-8.39 kg/m(2); control: 32.58+/-7.69 kg/m(2)). INTERVENTIONS The plantar soft tissue stiffness was measured over the first, third, and fifth metatarsals, and heel of each subject using an indentor system that accurately measures force/displacement (F/D) data. A parallel 3-element viscoelastic mechanical model was then used to transform the F/D data into values that were used to make stiffness assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The element coefficients of our model indicated the stiffness of the plantar tissue. RESULTS The plantar tissue of the subjects with DM over the metatarsal heads was stiffer than the control population as indicated by one of the spring constants in the parallel 3-element model (first: 1.13+/-0.55 N/mm vs.72+/-.32 N/mm; third:.96+/-.32 N/mm vs.79+/-.17 N/mm; fifth:.90+/-.31 N/mm vs.69+/-.28 N/mm; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS The plantar tissue of subjects with DM, PN, and a history of ulcers was stiffer than control subjects. However, additional research is needed to determine the relationship among increased soft tissue stiffness, plantar pressures, and skin breakdown.
Depression in adult women: age changes and cohort effects.

OBJECTIVES We sought to separate age and cohort associations with depression, assessed 3 times within a 10-year period in 701 women born between 1928 and 1958. METHODS We used regression analysis to examine age differences in women with depression in 2 birth cohorts, pre-1945 and post-1944, who were assessed at comparable ages. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate changes with age in successive birth year cohorts. RESULTS An age by cohort interaction indicated more depression among younger than older women in the post-1944 cohort but a flat age profile in the pre-1945 cohort. Longitudinal analyses indicated declines in depression with age in more recent cohorts but increases in earlier ones. CONCLUSIONS Increases in depression in younger women in successive cohorts may be offset by decreases in middle age.
Direct and Indirect Climate Change Effects on Photosynthesis and Transpiration

Climate change affects plants in many different ways. Increasing CO(2) concentration can increase photosynthetic rates. This is especially pronounced for C(3) plants, at high temperatures and under water-limited conditions. Increasing temperature also affects photosynthesis, but plants have a considerable ability to adapt to their growth conditions and can function even at extremely high temperatures, provided adequate water is available. Temperature optima differ between species and growth conditions, and are higher in elevated atmospheric CO(2). With increasing temperature, vapour pressure deficits of the air may increase, with a concomitant increase in the transpiration rate from plant canopies. However, if stomata close in response to increasing CO(2) concentration, or if there is a reduction in the diurnal temperature range, then transpiration rates may even decrease. Soil organic matter decomposition rates are likely to be stimulated by higher temperatures, so that nutrients can be more readily mineralised and made available to plants. This is likely to increase photosynthetic carbon gain in nutrient-limited systems. All the factors listed above interact strongly so that, for different combinations of increases in temperature and CO(2) concentration, and for systems in different climatic regions and primarily affected by water or nutrient limitations, photosynthesis must be expected to respond differently to the same climatic changes.
Powerful Tool to Expand Business Intelligence: Text Mining

— With the extensive inclusion of document, especially text, in the business systems, data mining does not cover the full scope of Business Intelligence. Data mining cannot deliver its impact on extracting useful details from the large collection of unstructured and semi-structured written materials based on natural languages. The most pressing issue is to draw the potential business intelligence from text. In order to gain competitive advantages for the business, it is necessary to develop the new powerful tool, text mining, to expand the scope of business intelligence. In this paper, we will work out the strong points of text mining in extracting business intelligence from huge amount of textual information sources within business systems. We will apply text mining to each stage of Business Intelligence systems to prove that text mining is the powerful tool to expand the scope of BI. After reviewing basic definitions and some related technologies, we will discuss the relationship and the benefits of these to text mining. Some examples and applications of text mining will also be given. The motivation behind is to develop new approach to effective and efficient textual information analysis. Thus we can expand the scope of Business Intelligence using the powerful tool, text mining.
The partial oxidation of propane under mild aqueous conditions with H2O2 and ZSM-5 catalysts

We report the oxidation of propane under mild aqueous conditions using H2O2 as the oxidant. Various reaction conditions have been studied with a view to optimising the conversion of propane in the presence of a Fe/ ZSM-5 (30) catalyst. Process optimisation afforded 52% propane conversion in 0.5 h at a temperature of 70 oC. C3 products are shown to undergo sequential catalytic C-C scission and oxidation reactions in the presence of the catalysts, yielding C2 and C1 products. This leads to an inverse relationship between propane conversion and reaction selectivity. Addition of Cu to Fe /ZSM-5 (30) shifted reaction selectivity towards propene (≤ 34 %) with increasing conversion.
Retrospective analysis of the clinical efficacy of definitive chemoradiotherapy for patients with hypopharyngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of definitive chemoradiotherapy including intensity-modulated radiotherapy for patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. METHODS Previously untreated 204 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer were treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Of note, 66-70 Gy was delivered to the primary and involved nodes and 36-54 Gy was delivered to the prophylactic lymph node using standard fractionated radiotherapy. One hundred and forty-six patients received induction chemotherapy as a larynx preservation strategy, followed by definitive radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy was also performed after 2006. RESULTS The median follow-up time of this cohort was 43.4 months (range; 6.9-151.0). The 3-year overall survival, progression-free survival and larynx preservation survival rates were 78.8% (95% confidence interval; 73.0-85.0), 58.4% (95% confidence interval; 51.8-65.9) and 67.5% (95% confidence interval; 61.0-74.7), respectively. Multivariate analyses identified the following significant prognostic factors: an advanced age, the T category and N category for overall survival, the T category and N category for progression-free survival and the T category for larynx preservation survival. Acute toxicities of Grade 3 or higher were observed in 47 patients (23.0%). Two patients (1.0%) had Grade 4 pharyngeal edema. Suspicious treatment-related death due to lethal pharyngeal hemorrhage occurred in 1 (0.4%) patient. The rates of Grade 2 xerostomia in patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy were 28.1, 17.4 and 9.5% at 6 months, 1 and 2 years after the completion of radiotherapy, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy and safety of definitive chemoradiotherapy are considered feasible with sufficient laryngeal preservation.