Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An efficient design method of microstrip filtering antenna suitable for circuit synthesis theory of microwave bandpass filters

This paper proposes an efficient design method of filtering antennas, enabling to apply a well-established filter design theory to the antenna design. In the design of filtering antenna, an external Q factor at input port, coupling coefficients, and a radiation Q factor of antenna need to be evaluated. However, conventional design methods have a time-consuming procedure, since a time domain response from the overall structure is required for the evaluation of coupling coefficient between resonator and antenna. For an efficient design, we propose a parameter extraction technique using only amplitude property of input reflection responses for the evaluation of both the coupling coefficient and the radiation Q factor. As an example, a third-order filtering antenna is synthesized, designed, and tested, which numerically and experimentally validates the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Inflammatory bowel diseases activity in patients undergoing pelvic radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND Few studies with contradictory results have been published on the safety of pelvic radiation therapy (RT) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS From 1989 to 2015, a single center retrospective analysis was performed including all IBD patients who received pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT) for a pelvic malignancy. Treatment characteristics, IBD activity and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity were examined. RESULTS Overall, 28 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) (n=13) or ulcerative colitis (n=15) were included in the present study. Median follow-up time after irradiation was 5.9 years. Regarding IBD activity, only one and two patients experienced a severe episode within and after 6 months of follow-up, respectively. Grade 3/4 acute GI toxicity occurred in 3 (11%) patients, whereas one (3.6%) patient experienced late grade 3/4 GI toxicity. Only patients with rectal IBD location (P=0.016) or low body mass index (BMI) (P=0.012) experienced more severe IBD activity within or after 6 months following RT, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We report an acceptable tolerance of RT in IBD patients with pelvic malignancies. Specifically, a low risk of uncontrolled flare-up was observed.
Electron emission processes in photocathodes and dynodes

The Timed Photon Counter 'Tipsy' detector relies on electron-emitting thin films for generation of primary electrons from a photocathode and the subsequent amplification via SiN dynodes. Both of these films represent materials challenges, and both are being investigated using synchrotrons to optimize their performance. For the dynodes, a program of soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to measure the performance of the films and to understand film stoichiometry and the effects of surface termination. The secondary electron yield is estimated by measuring the low energy tail of the XPS spectrum and comparing it to the rate of high energy electron emission. For photocathodes, time resolved x-ray analysis during growth has provided insight into the formation chemistry of these materials. This has allowed optimization beyond Quantum Efficiency (QE) to produce cathodes which are far less rough than traditional alkali antimonides, while retaining reasonable QE.
The Need for Updated Clinical Practice Guidelines for Preservation of Upper Extremities in Manual Wheelchair Users: A Position Paper

ABSTRACT The purposes of this article were to examine the existing 2005 Clinical Practice Guidelines for preservation of the upper extremities in spinal cord injury and explore the literature to determine what might need to be included in an update. This is a consensus position article based on a literature review and the expertise of the authors. The findings support the original recommendations of the Clinical Practice Guidelines and provide evidence that suggests that information regarding equipment and skills training as well as impact to caregivers is needed.
Example-based synthesis of three-dimensional clouds from photographs

In this paper, we propose a modeling method of clouds from a single photograph. To synthesize realistic images of outdoor scenes, modeling of 3D clouds is necessary. However, synthesizing realistic clouds is still a difficult task. To address this problem, we propose an example-based volume texture synthesis to model nonhomogeneous density volumes. Our method prepares an example cloud volume data using a physically-based fluid simulator. Then the output cloud volume is automatically synthesized from the example cloud volume data so that its rendered image becomes similar to the clouds in the input photograph. In contrast to the previous texture synthesis methods, our method synthesizes density volumes taking into account scattering and transmittance of light. We show several cloud volumes whose rendered images are similar to the input photograph.
Identification of the novel KI polyomavirus in the respiratory tract of an Italian patient

Recently, a new human polyomavirus, KIV, was detected in respiratory specimens of patients with acute respiratory tract infection. Whether this reflects a causal role of the virus in the respiratory tract is still debated. To investigate the presence of KIV in respiratory samples of Italian patients and to determine the degree of similarity with other known polyomaviruses, 222 respiratory specimens collected by general practitioners between 2006 and 2007 were screened. The entire VP1 gene region was amplified and sequenced. Maximum Likelihood tree was generated by PAUP* software. One out of 222 samples tested was positive for KIV. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this isolate clustered with other KIV isolates, while the WUV isolates seem to belong to a different lineage. The phylogenetic tree also showed that all other known polyomaviruses are quite distant from this isolate. This is the first report describing the presence of KIV in the respiratory tract of a 5‐year‐old Italian child with acute respiratory symptoms. Further investigations are needed to establish an etiological link of KIV with acute respiratory illness. J. Med. Virol. 80:2012–2014, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Foreground-based depth map generation for 2D-to-3D conversion

This paper proposes a foreground-based approach to generating a depth map which will be used for 2D-to-3D conversion. For a given input image, the proposed approach determines if the image is an object-view (OV) scene or a non-object-view (NOV) scene, depending on the existence of foreground objects which are clearly distinguishable from the background. If the input image is an OV scene, the proposed approach extracts a foreground using block-wise background modeling and performs segmentation using adaptive background region selection and color modeling. Then, it performs segment-wise depth merging and cross bilateral filtering (CBF) to generate a final depth map. On the other hand, for the NOV scene, the proposed approach uses a conventional color-based depth map generation method [9] which has simple operations but provides a 3D depth map of good quality. Human beings are usually more sensitive to depth map quality, and 3D images, for OV scenes than for NOV scenes. With the proposed approach, it is possible to improve the quality of a depth map for OV scenes than using the conventional methods only. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated through the subjective evaluation after 2D-to-3D conversion using a 3D display, and the proposed one provided the best depth quality and visual comfort among the benchmark methods.
BMAL1 Shuttling Controls Transactivation and Degradation of the CLOCK/BMAL1 Heterodimer

ABSTRACT CLOCK and BMAL1 are bHLH-PAS-containing transcription factors that bind to E-box elements and are indispensable for expression of core circadian clock components such as the Per and Cry genes. A key step in expression is the heterodimerization of CLOCK and BMAL1 and their accumulation in the nucleus with an approximately 24-h periodicity. We show here that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of BMAL1 is essential for transactivation and for degradation of the CLOCK/BMAL1 heterodimer. Using serial deletions and point mutants, we identified a functional nuclear localization signal and Crm1-dependent nuclear export signals in BMAL1. Transient-transfection experiments revealed that heterodimerization of CLOCK and BMAL1 accelerates their turnover, as well as E-box-dependent clock gene transcription. Moreover, in embryonic mouse fibroblasts, robust transcription of Per2 is tightly associated with massive degradation of the CLOCK/BMAL1 heterodimer. CRY proteins suppressed this process during the transcription-negative phase and led to nuclear accumulation of the CLOCK/BMAL1 heterodimer. Thus, these findings suggest that the decrease of BMAL1 abundance during the circadian cycle reflects robust transcriptional activation of clock genes rather than inhibition of BMAL1 synthesis.
Automated Solution of Partial Differential Equations with Discontinuities using the Partition of Unity Method

Although computers were invented to automate tedious and error-prone tasks, computer programming is a tedious and error-prone task itself. This is a well-known paradox in the field of computational mathematical modelling. Recently, automatic code generation has been proposed to solve this paradox. In this approach, a required code to model physical problems is generated by compiling an input file which mimics mathematical notations. In this thesis, the automatic code generation has been extended to support developing models for problems with discontinuities. Examples of this kind of problems in real world are cracks, slip planes and singularities in materials as well as phase interfaces in multiphase flows. This framework is designed in the context of the FEniCS project, an open source project in the Automation of Computational Mathematical Modelling (ACMM). The automated framework has been implemented in two packages which are licensed as open source software and they can be downloaded for free. - A compiler (in Python) for generating C++ low-level code to model discontinuities from the high-level code close to mathematical notations https://launchpad.net/ffc-pum - A solver library (in C++) to use the generated code from the PUM compiler in combination with other reusable components of DOLFIN to model discontinuities https://launchpad.net/dolfin-pum This framework provides required tools and functionalities to fast and efficient development of the partition of unity models for physical problems represented by partial differential equations in domains with discontinuity surfaces. Developing such models especially for coupled problems, in which different combinations of continuous/discontinuous spaces may exist, is a time consuming and difficult task. Using the automated framework moves the focus from implementation to modeling. Therefore, different models can be simulated and tested quickly with minimum reworks. The examples, presented in this thesis, were limited to non-branching discontinuity surfaces with the Heaviside enrichment function. A novel algorithm is also proposed to keep track of three-dimensional propagating surfaces. However, the solver library is designed such that it can be relatively easily extended to support other types of problems.
Increased levels of sST2 in patients with mitral annulus disjunction and ventricular arrhythmias

Objective Displacement of the mitral valve, mitral annulus disjunction (MAD), is described as a possible aetiology of sudden cardiac death. Stress-induced fibrosis in the mitral valve apparatus has been suggested as the underlying mechanism. We aimed to explore the association between stretch-related and fibrosis-related biomarkers and ventricular arrhythmias in MAD. We hypothesised that soluble suppression of tumourigenicity-2 (sST2) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) are markers of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with MAD. Methods We included patients with ≥1 mm MAD on cardiac MRI. We assessed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia, defined as aborted cardiac arrest, sustained or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, was retrospectively assessed. We assessed circulating sST2 and TGFβ1 levels. Results We included 72 patients with MAD, of which 22 (31%) had ventricular arrhythmias. Patients with ventricular arrhythmias had lower LVEF (60 % (±6) vs 63% (±6), p = 0.04), more frequently papillary muscle fibrosis (14 (64%) vs 10 (20%), p < 0.001) and higher sST2 levels (31.6 ± 10.1 ng/mL vs 25.3 ± 9.2 ng/mL, p = 0.01) compared with those without, while TGFβ1 levels did not differ (p = 0.29). Combining sST2 level, LVEF and papillary muscle fibrosis optimally detected individuals with arrhythmia (area under the curve 0.82, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.92) and improved the risk model (p < 0.05) compared with single parameters. Conclusion Circulating sST2 levels were higher in patients with MAD and ventricular arrhythmias compared with arrhythmia-free patients. Combining sST2, LVEF and LGE assessment improved risk stratification in patients with MAD.
Challenges One Staff Member Management Faces in Managing a Regional Centre in ODL: A Case for Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia

Managing distance education regional centres as one staff member in Namibia is a challenge that calls for greateradministrative and academic interventions. Although much work on student support by researchers and practitionershas been published, few scholars have recently begun to explore, through qualitative research, the challenges ofmanaging regional centres alone. This paper contributes to the endeavour by first identifying the challenges of a casefor the three regional administrative and student support officers (RASSOs) of the Centre for External Studies,University of Namibia. It then narrates and interprets the challenges collected through in-depth interviews viatelephones supported by written documents. Main themes from the challenges include poor communication andisolation from the main campus, inconveniences caused to the RASSOs and loneliness. The conclusion of the studyfocuses on implications for student support services.
Orientation and immersion depth of a helical lipopeptaibol in membranes using TOAC as an ESR probe.

Trichogin GA IV is a lipopeptaibol antibiotic characterized by the sequence nOct-Aib1-Gly-Leu-Aib4-Gly-Gly-Leu-Aib8-Gly-Ile- Lol (nOct: n-octanoyl; Aib: alpha-aminoisobutyric acid; Lol, leucinol), which exhibits membrane-modifying properties. We synthesized step-by-step by solution methods three trichogin analogues, each with a single Aib --> 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid (TOAC) substitution. The similarity in the conformational propensities of the Calpha-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acids Aib and TOAC allowed us to exploit these analogues to investigate the orientation and therefore the mechanism of action of trichogin in the membranes by the electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. A conformational analysis by Fourier transform ir absorption and CD in different organic solvents and in a membrane-mimetic environment indicated that the conformation of the natural lipopeptaibol remains almost unchanged in the three analogues. Moreover, for all of the analogues permeability measurements revealed membrane-modifying properties comparable to those of trichogin. Our ESR investigation demonstrated that, in liposomes based on phosphatidylcholine, trichogin lays parallel to the membrane surface with its hydrophobic face oriented toward the membrane interior. These results suggest that trichogin might modify membrane permeability via a carpet-like mechanism, at least in liposomes and in the absence of a transmembrane potential.
Regional competition and regulatory decentralization: the case of China

The Chinese regulatory decentralization has evolved since regulation was introduced in the transition process. The quota system is an important instrument in China's regulatory regimes. Stock issuance quota system for regulating public offerings in securities markets is a major example. We argue that under certain conditions quotas can generate proper incentives to induce regional governments to cooperate in implementing regulations nationwide. Four groups of evidence are provided that regulatory decentralization in China's financial market has created incentives for regional competition and decentralized information collection in stock issuance. Weaknesses and limitations of the Chinese regulatory decentralization are discussed. JEL Classification Codes: H77, G18, G38, O16, P34, P37, P52 1 Comments from participants in conferences and seminars at the Asian Law and Economics Annual Meetings, the Asia-Pacific Corporate Governance Conference, the Brookings Institution, the CEU (Budapest), CUHK, the ESF CEPR Workshop (Bristol), the FIRS (Financial Intermediation Research Society) meeting, Fudan, the Hongfan Institute (Beijing), IEA Round Tables (Hong Kong), Leicester, the LSE-PKU Conference, NBER and Tsinghua are greatly appreciated. We are also grateful for helpful comments from Badi Baltagi, Stijn Claessens, Panicos Demetriades, István Kónya, Xiqing Gao, David D. Li, Peter Murrell, Katharina Pistor, Marcia Schafgans, Zhigang Tao, Kai Yuen Tsui, Geoffrey Underhill and Paul Wachtel. Financial support from the World Economy & Finance Research Program of the ESRC is sincerely acknowledged.
Role of market sentiment, economic condition and accounting indicators on initial public offerings (IPO): A hierarchical analysis

The IPO market plays an important role in an economy, enabling companies to raise capital through the issuance and sales of shares. Extensive research on IPOs initial return (under/over pricing) has been undertaken all over the world, and it has been widely documented that underpricing exist at different levels and is said to be a compensation for post-IPO uncertainty. This study looks in depth into the initial returns of IPOs over the period 2001 – 2010. A correlation, multiple linear regression and step-wise regression is undertaken to identify the impact of economic factors, market sentiments and projected financial variables on the over/under pricing of IPO. The results indicate that the extent of underpricing of IPOs have significantly decreased compared to the 80’s and 90’s. There isn't any clear trend in the under or over pricing of IPOs for the period of study (2001 – 2010) except that 2004 shows an underpricing of 22.47%, whilst 2009 shows an overpricing of 15.09%. Generally, no correlation or association were found between the economic variables (gross domestic product, Import, Export & Foreign Portfolio Investments), Market Sentiments (Kuala Lumpur Composite Index & Turnover) and Companies Financial Variables (Dividend Yield, Price-earnings ratio, Earnings per share & Net Tangible Assets).
Quantitative flow measurement after placing a flow diverter for a distal internal carotid artery aneurysm

Objectives To evaluate the differences in arterial flow after flow diverter placement using quantitative flow measurements based on digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Methods Between November 2013 and November 2015, all patients who had flow diverters placed for distal internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms were reviewed. Patients in whom the stent was placed across the ostia of the ophthalmic artery (OphA) and anterior choroidal artery (AChA) were enrolled. Five regions of interest were selected: the proximal ICA (as a reference), terminal ICA, middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA), OphA, and AChA. The values of the peak, time-to-peak (TTP), and area under the curve (AUC) were analyzed using a quantitative DSA technique. Results The study enrolled 13 patients. The quantitative flow analysis showed improved flow in the terminal ICA (peak and AUC, p=0.036 and p=0.04, respectively), MCA (AUC, p=0.023), and ACA (AUC, p=0.006), and decreased flow in the OphA (peak and AUC, p=0.013 and p=0.005, respectively) and AChA (peak and subtracted TTP, p=0.023 and p=0.050, respectively) after flow diverter placement. Larger aneurysm volume was significantly correlated with decreased OphA flow after the procedure (peak and AUC, p=0.049 and p=0.037, respectively). Larger aneurysm volume also had a marginal correlation with increased distal ICA flow after the procedure, but this did not reach significance (peak and AUC, p=0.195 and p=0.060, respectively). Conclusions Without using extra contrast medium or radiation dosages, color-coded DSA enables quantitative monitoring of the cerebral circulation after flow-diverting treatment.
Cytochrome c mediates apoptosis in hypertensive nephrosclerosis in Dahl/Rapp rats.

BACKGROUND Renal damage from hypertension is the second most common cause of end-stage renal failure in the United States. The pathogenesis of this process is incompletely understood. The Dahl/Rapp salt-sensitive (S) rat is a model of low-renin hypertension, but these rats also develop renal lesions that are virtually identical to human hypertensive nephrosclerosis. METHODS To explore apoptosis as a mechanism of progressive renal injury in S rats, age- and sex-matched S and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were placed on either 0.3 or 8.0% NaCl diets, which were continued for 21 days. RESULTS At day 7, renal histology appeared relatively normal, but by day 21 on the high-salt diet, S rats displayed morphological evidence of severe renal injury that included glomerulosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and tubulointerstitial damage. Apoptosis was demonstrated in kidneys of hypertensive S rats by day 7. Cytoplasmic content of cytochrome c was increased in the kidney cortex of hypertensive S rats, and isolated mitochondria showed inappropriate release of cytochrome c sufficient to activate caspase-3 in vitro. Activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 was observed only in kidney cortex from hypertensive S rats. CONCLUSIONS Kidneys from hypertensive S rats display apoptosis related to mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. The findings support a primary role of cytochrome c release and apoptosis in the pathogenesis of hypertensive nephrosclerosis in S rats.
Proteomic Analysis of Trichoderma atroviride Reveals Independent Roles for Transcription Factors BLR-1 and BLR-2 in Light and Darkness

ABSTRACT The genus Trichoderma is one of the most widely used biological control agents of plant-pathogenic fungi. The main mechanism for survival and dispersal of Trichoderma is through the production of asexual spores (conidia). The transition from filamentous growth to conidiation can be triggered by light, nutrient deprivation, and mechanical damage of the mycelium. We conducted proteomic profiling analyses of Trichoderma atroviride after a blue light pulse. The use of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis allowed us to identify 72 proteins whose expression was affected by blue light. Functional category analysis showed that the various proteins are involved in metabolism, cell rescue, and protein synthesis. We determined the relationship between mRNA levels of selected genes 30 min after a light pulse and protein expression levels at different times after the pulse and found this correlation to be very weak. The correlation was highest when protein and mRNA levels were compared for the same time point. The transcription factors BLR-1 and BLR-2 are vital to the photoconidiation process; here we demonstrate that both BLR proteins are active in darkness and affect several elements at both the transcript and protein levels. Unexpectedly, in darkness, downregulation of proteins prevailed in the Δblr-1 mutant, while upregulation of proteins predominated in the Δblr-2 mutant. Our data demonstrate that the BLR proteins play roles individually and as a complex.