Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
167 MHz radix-4 floating point multiplier

An IEEE floating point multiplier with partial support for subnormal operands and results is presented. Radix-4 or modified Booth encoding and a binary tree of 4:2 compressors are used to generate the 53/spl times/53 double-precision product. Delay matching techniques were used in the binary tree stage and in the final addition stage to reduce cycle time. New techniques in rounding and sticky-bit generation were also used to reduce area and timing. The overall multiplier has a latency of 3 cycles a throughput of 1 cycle, and a cycle time of 6.0 ns. This multiplier has been implemented in a 0.5 /spl mu/m static CMOS technology in the UltraSPARC RISC microprocessor. <<ETX>>
Isolation in high frequency of rough variants of Mycobacterium intracellulare lacking C-mycoside glycopeptidolipid antigens

Rough variants of serovars from the Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare-Mycobacterium scrofulaceum complex were isolated in high frequency from pellicle growth of the wild-type strains. Rough morphology could be correlated with the lack of an outer cell wall sheath and its constituent C-mycoside glycopeptidolipids of both the serologically active and inactive types.
Changes in murine hyalocytes are valuable early indicators of ocular disease.

PURPOSE The distribution, density, and phenotype of hyalocytes or vitreous macrophages in mouse eyes was examined during normal aging and in models of background diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular proliferation, and exposure to TLR4 and TLR9 ligands. METHODS The phenotype and density of hyalocytes were investigated in retinal and ciliary body wholemounts of normal wild-type (WT; C57BL/6) mice at 7, 17, and 120 weeks of age, Ins2(Akita) mice, transgenic Kimba mice (VEGF-induced retinal neovascularization), and WT mice 24 hours after single intraperitoneal injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 1 week after three identical doses administered 2 weeks apart. Another group of mice each received a single topical drop of 20 μg CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) to the abraded corneal surface and were euthanized 1 week later. RESULTS The data revealed an approximately fivefold increase in the density of preretinal hyalocytes in 120-week-old mice. Some hyalocytes in older eyes contained phagocytosed melanin. Hyalocyte density was doubled in Ins2(Akita) mice after only 3 to 4 weeks of hyperglycemia. Kimba mice had an eightfold increase in the density of hyalocytes, and many displayed signs of activation. WT mice exposed to single or multiple systemic doses of LPS showed a twofold to threefold increase in hyalocytes. Topical CpG-ODN treatment led to a very marked (sevenfold) increase in preretinal hyalocyte density. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that murine hyalocytes were responsive to aging, hyperglycemia, locally produced VEGF, and both systemic and ocular-derived TLR ligands. Thus hyalocytes or vitreous macrophages may be a valuable and previously unrecognized sensitive indicator of pathologic changes in the eye.
Numerical analysis on magnetic field of HTS transformer with different geometry

In a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer leakage magnetic field, especially its radial component, decreases the critical current and increases the ac losses in the tapes. Because of zero resistance of HTS tapes a slight unbalance among the branch inductances of the windings may result in heavy circulating current, however, an accurate calculation of it must depend on the magnetic field analysis. Thus, a numerical analysis of the leakage magnetic field is especially necessary for an HTS transformer design. In this paper the leakage magnetic field of several transformer geometries is studied by finite element method, and based on it, the circulating current distribution is calculated. Some suggestions for improving the leakage field and circulating current distribution are presented to make HTS transformers more efficient
Analysis of Irradiation on the Clinical Effectiveness of Allogenic Tissue When Used for Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: It is unclear whether the use of low-dose irradiation or other tissue-processing methods, such as preservation by fresh-frozen (FF), freeze-drying (FD), or cryopreservation (CP) methods, affects the clinical outcomes of primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using allograft. Hypothesis: Low-dose gamma irradiation (<2.5 Mrad) and method of allograft preservation do not affect subjective and objective clinical outcomes after primary ACLR in studies reviewed between November 2010 and September 2012. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A computerized search of multiple electronic databases was conducted from November 2010 to September 2012 for prospective and retrospective studies involving primary allograft ACLR. Inclusion criteria were English-language publications with a minimum average of 2 years’ follow-up. Studies were excluded if they involved revision surgery, open surgery, multiple ligament procedures, autograft, xenograft, meniscal allograft, skeletally immature patients, or grafts treated with ethylene oxide, Tutoplast, or irradiation >2.5 Mrad or if the tissue-processing methods were not specified. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Lysholm score, Tegner score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, KT-1000/2000 arthrometer score, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test, as well as by assessing complications related to graft rupture, revision surgery, and infections. Results: A total of 21 publications met the criteria, involving a total of 1453 patients, with 415 irradiated and 1038 nonirradiated allografts. Mean follow-up was 49.8 months (range, 12-170 months). Mean age of the patients was 32.2 years. Knees with nonirradiated allografts had higher mean Lysholm scores (89.8 vs 84.4; P < .05), and a higher proportion of <5-mm difference on KT-1000/2000 arthrometer (0.97 vs 0.84; P < .0001), grade 0 and 1 pivot-shift (0.99 vs 0.94; P < .0001), and grade 0 and 1 Lachman (0.94 vs 0.89; P < .01) than those with irradiated grafts. Knees with irradiated allografts had a higher proportion of grade A and B IKDC outcomes (0.91 vs 0.86; P < .05) and revision surgery (0.0250 vs 0.0022; P < .001) compared with those with nonirradiated allografts. The lack of data for FD and CP allografts meant no statistical analysis could be made comparing FF versus FD versus CP allografts. The effect of irradiation was similar within FF allografts. The effect of graft type and surgical technique could not be determined because of insufficient data. Conclusion: These results suggest that primary ACLRs using nonirradiated allografts may provide superior clinical outcomes than those using low-dose (<2.5 Mrad) irradiated grafts.
Fine granularity scalability for MP-CELP based speech coding with HPDR technique

In this work, based on the MP-CELP speech coding with HPDR technique, fine granularity scalability (FGS) is introduced by adjusting the amount of transmitted fixed excitation information. The FGS feature aim at changing the bit rate of the conventional coding more finely and more smoothly. Through performance analysis and computer simulation, the quality of scalability of the MP-CELP coding is presented with an improvement from conventional scalable MP-CELP. The HPDR technique is also applied to the MP-CELP to use for tonal language, meanwhile it can support the core coding rate of 4.2, 5.5, 7.5 kbps and additional scaled bit rates.
Association between baseline radiographic damage and improvement in physical function after treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: To identify factors associated with poor physical function in rheumatoid arthritis and to assess whether baseline joint damage has an impact on improvement in physical function during infliximab treatment. Methods: 428 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment received methotrexate alone or with infliximab (3 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg every four or eight weeks) for 54 weeks (the ATTRACT trial). Data on clinical outcomes and physical function (assessed by the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ)) were collected. Structural damage was assessed using the van der Heijde modification of the Sharp score. Odds ratios (OR) for factors associated with severe functional disability (HAQ ⩾2.0) at baseline were estimated using multiple logistic regression analyses, and baseline factors related to the change in physical function after treatment at week 54 were determined. Results: Baseline radiographic scores were correlated with baseline HAQ scores. After adjustment for demographic characteristics in the logistic regression model, baseline disease activity scores, radiological joint damage, fatigue, and morning stiffness were found to be associated with severe functional disability (HAQ >2.0), with OR values of 2.00 (1.53 to 2.63), 1.82 (1.15 to 2.87), 1.19 (1.05 to 1.34), and 1.07 (1.01 to 1.13), respectively. In multiple linear regression analysis, physical disability, joint damage, and fatigue at baseline were correlated with less improvement in physical function after treatment. Infliximab treatment was associated with greater improvement in physical function. Conclusions: Greater joint damage at baseline was associated with poorer physical function at baseline and less improvement in physical function after treatment, underlining the importance of early intervention to slow the progression of joint destruction.
Coactivator/corepressor ratios modulate PR-mediated transcription by the selective receptor modulator RU486

Selective receptor modulators, such as the antiprogestin RU486, are known to exhibit partial agonist activities in a cell-type-dependent manner. Employing an in vitro chromatin transcription system that recapitulates progesterone receptor (PR)-mediated transcription in vivo, we have investigated the molecular basis by which the antiprogestin RU486 regulates transcription in a cell-type-specific manner. We have compared the effects of RU486 on PR-dependent transcription in vitro using T47D and HeLa cell nuclear extracts. RU486 exhibits a differential ability to activate transcription within these two cell types. The differential effect on transcription correlates with different ratios of endogenous coactivators/corepressors in these cells. Unlike agonist-bound PR that interacts only with coactivators such as steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), RU486-bound PR binds to both coactivator SRC-1 and corepressor silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT) in vitro. Both SRC-1 and SMRT have the capacity to modulate RU486-dependent activity. Moreover, a change in the relative levels of SRC-1 and SMRT contained in our chromatin transcription system modulates agonist/antagonist effects of RU486 on transcription by PR. Our data indicate that the ability of RU486 to activate transcription is modulated by the ratio of coactivators to corepressors and substantiate the important roles of coregulators in the regulation of steroid receptor mediated transactivation in response to selective receptor modulators.
Phase behaviour of inverse patchy colloids: effect of the model parameters

The phase behaviour of inverse patchy colloid systems composed of spherical particles with two oppositely charged patches at the poles is investigated by simulation-based thermodynamic integration schemes. The interaction between the particles is derived via a coarse-grained model characterized by three system parameters: the charge imbalance between the bare colloid and the patches, the patch surface extension and the particle interaction range. Starting from a set of parameters for which a stacking of parallel layers is thermodynamically stable, the effect of each of these three parameters on the phase diagram is studied. Our results show that the region of stability of the layered solid phase can be expanded by increasing the charge imbalance and/or by reducing the interaction range. A larger patch size, on the other hand, stabilizes the layered structure with respect to the competing face centered cubic solid at high pressures but destabilizes it with respect to the fluid phase at low pressures. The location of the liquid-vapour critical point in the temperature versus density plane is also investigated: while the charge imbalance and the patch size affect mainly the critical density, a change of the interaction range has a substantial impact also on the critical temperature.
The genetic basis of circadian behavior

In most species, an endogenous timing system synchronizes physiology and behavior to the rhythmic succession of day and night. The mammalian circadian pacemaker residing in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus controls peripheral clocks throughout the brain and the body via humoral and neuronal transmission. On the cellular level, these clockworks consist of a set of interwoven transcriptional/translational feedback loops. Recent work emphasizes the tissue specificity of some components of these molecular clockworks and the differential regulation of their rhythmicity by the SCN.
Assessment of free fetal DNA concentration in maternal plasma during the first trimester of pregnancy: comparative study between EDTA and PPT tubes – pilot study

Abstract Objective: To compare ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes and plasma preparation tubes (PPT) for evaluating maternal plasma during the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 24 male fetuses in women between 6 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. Blood samples (10 mL) were collected and stored in EDTA and PPT tubes. Subsequently, the samples were centrifuged and sent for free fetal DNA extraction by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The reactions were performed in a real time PCR machine for detecting the amplification products. The genome region chosen for performing the PCR reactions was a target specific for the Y chromosome, in which the DYS-14 marker was amplified only when the DNA was of male sex. The free fetal DNA concentration was given by the threshold cycle (TC). To compare the tubes, the paired Student t-test was used. Results: The mean gestational age was 11.08 ± 2.30 weeks (range: 6–14). The mean TC for PPT was 30.08 ± 1.05 (range: 27.08–32.61) and for EDTA, 30.23 ± 0.96 (range: 28.01–32.09), but without statistical significance (p = 0.357). Conclusion: We did not observe any statistically significant difference in free fetal DNA concentration between the EDTA and PPT tubes.
Self-Report Assessment of Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Critical Evaluation

SUMMARY Fatigue is among the most common and disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Clinicians usually assess fatigue by asking people to describe and rate their fatigue in a self-report instrument. This paper evaluates the clinical usefulness and the scientific properties of a selection of various self-report instruments for fatigue. To be selected, instruments had to assess fatigue or a related concept, have some published information on reliability and validity, be used in at least one clinical trial of fatigue with people with multiple sclerosis, and demonstrate validity in people with MS. Five fatigue specific scales and four subscales of quality of life instruments were selected and evaluated. In occupational therapy, the fatigue subscales or items of quality of life measurements give limited information about the quality of fatigue. The selection of an instrument may depend on the clinical setting or trial design.
At the north-eastern extremity: variation in Cepaea nemoralis around Gdańsk, northern Poland

Variation in the shell colour and banding polymorphism in the land snail Cepaea nemoralis was studied in 260 populations in the region of Gdańsk, northern Poland. Unlike in other regions of Poland, many populations contain brown shells. Populations from shaded habitats have higher frequencies of brown than those from open and intermediate habitats, largely at the expense of yellow shells. Nearly all brown shells are also unbanded. Apart from this disequilibrium, banding morphs among yellow and pink shells show no relationship to habitat. There are no broad geographical trends in morph-frequencies, but there are very strong correlations among populations very close together, revealed both by pairwise analysis and Moran’s I. Principal Component Analyses show that these correlations relate to overall genetic similarity at the loci involved. The populations are at the north-eastern limits of the species’ range; habitats are mostly anthropogenic, and comparisons with studies in two urban areas (Wrocław, SW Poland, and Sheffield, central England) suggest that the patterns of variation seen are a product of human transport of propagules followed by local dispersal. The effect of habitat here is much less marked than in regions much further west, but it indicates that natural selection has occurred.
PSO optimization algorithm for multilevel biphase codes in radar systems

In this paper multirate biphase pulse compression codes optimization using particle swarm algorithm, has been considered. Amplitude and phase of code elements has been optimized so that minimum side lobe level (SLL) for ambiguity function (AF) is achieved while preserving energy efficiency. After optimization, the phase of each chip of the codes will be other 0 or 180 and its amplitude will be between 0 and 1.The method's ability to decrease SLL in an arbitrary range of AF has been considered. Simulation results show that appropriate energy with SLL of lower than -30dB can be obtained. Also this results show that with appropriate energy in the specified AF range, SLL can be reduced to lower than -90dB.
A 1.25 GHz 32-bit tree-structured carry lookahead adder

In this paper, a 32-bit tree-structured carry lookahead adder (CLA) is proposed by using the modified all-N-transistor (ANT) design. The 32-bit CLA not only possesses few transistor count, but also occupies small area size. Moreover, the post-layout simulation results given by TimeMill show that the clock used in this 32-bit CLA can run up to 1.25 GHz. The proposed architecture is also easily expanded for long data additions.
Conductor limited quenches of LHC superconducting main dipoles

In the framework of the series tests of superconducting magnets for the LHC, a special procedure was developed at CERN to perform conductor limited quenches at temperatures around 4.4 K. All results obtained on pre-series and series main dipoles tested to date will be presented with their analysis. These quenches allow fine diagnostics concerning the electrical integrity of the conductors and of the splices. They also allow the determination for each magnet of the temperature margin at nominal operating conditions of the LHC at superfluid helium. The comparison between the quench current and the critical current directly measured on short samples of superconducting cables used for the winding is discussed.
Regulation of Interleukin-10 Receptor Ubiquitination and Stability by Beta-TrCP-Containing Ubiquitin E3 Ligase

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) initiates potent anti-inflammatory effects via activating its cell surface receptor, composed of IL-10R1 and IL-10R2 subunits. The level of IL-10R1 is a major determinant of the cells' responsiveness to IL-10. Here, via a series of biochemical analyses using 293T cells reconstituted with IL-10R1, we identify the latter as a novel substrate of βTrCP-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase. Within the intracellular tail of IL-10R1, a canonical (318DpSGFGpS) and a slightly deviated (369DpSGICLQEP) βTrCP recognition motif can additively recruit βTrCP in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. βTrCP recruitment leads to ubiquitination, endocytosis and degradation of IL-10R1, subsequently reducing the cellular responsiveness to IL-10. Our study uncovers a novel negative regulatory mechanism that may potentially affect IL-10 function in target cells under physiological or pathological conditions.
Damping tie line oscillation using permanent magnet wind generators in the Libyan power system

In this paper we consider the Libyan power system and its two interconnected areas. The interest in this system is because one of its power areas is expected, in the near future, to host a significant quantity of wind turbines to bolster the local conventional generation. A dynamic model is presented in the paper for the two-area system including a detailed aggregate model of the wind generation system and its controls. Simulation results presented in the paper show that certain disturbances including wind velocity changes can potentially give rise to undamped tie line power oscillations. Subsequently, a control method is proposed to deal with these oscillations by utilizing the fast power modulation capabilities of the wind generator dc link. The proposed method uses the energy stored in the dc link capacitors rather than modifying the power output of the wind turbine. Therefore, secondary torsional oscillations introduced from the wind turbine and potential instability can be avoided. Simulation results using the proposed method show that adequate and effective damping is possible without perturbing the operation of the wind turbine.
Chapter 26 STRIKE : A Protein – Protein Interaction Classification Approach

Protein–protein interaction has proven to be a valuable biological knowledge and an initial point for understanding how the cell internally works. In this chapter, we introduce a novel approach termed STRIKE which uses String Kernel to predict protein–protein interaction. STRIKE classifies protein pairs into “interacting” and “non-interacting” sets based solely on amino acid sequence information. The classification is performed by applying the string kernel approach, which has been shown to achieve good performance on text categorization and protein sequence classification. Two proteins are classified as “interacting” if they contain similar substrings of amino acids. Strings’ similarity would allow one to infer homology which could lead to a very similar structural relationship. To evaluate the performance of STRIKE, we apply it to classify into “interacting” and “non-interacting” protein pairs. The dataset of the protein pairs are generated from the yeast protein interaction literature. The dataset is supported by different lines of experimental evidence. STRIKE was able to achieve reasonable improvement over the existing protein–protein interaction prediction methods.
Sketching MLS Image Deformations On the GPU

In this paper, we present an image editing tool that allows the user to deform images using a sketch‐based interface. The user simply sketches a set of source curves in the input image, and also some target curves that the source curves should be deformed to. Then the moving least squares (MLS) deformation technique [ SMW06 ] is adapted to produce realistic deformations while satisfying the curves' positional constraints. We also propose a scheme to reduce image fold‐overs in MLS deformations. Our system has a very intuitive user interface, generates physically plausible deformations, and can be easily implemented on the GPU for real‐time performance.