Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Printed frequency reconfigurable planar inverted-F antenna for ISM applications

Frequency reconfigurable antennas present an attractive alternative to meet Cognitive Radio (CR) system requirements. In this paper, a multiband planar inverted F-antenna (PIFA) with frequency agility characteristic was designed and numerically studied for ISM applications. A varactor diode was incorporated in the corner between the radiating patch and the added floating ground plane. By applying a reverse voltage V, three resonance frequencies can be electrically controlled. Wide tuning frequency ranges were obtained; F1 can be shifted from 650 to 896 MHz, F2 from 954 to 1379 MHz and F3 from 1502 to 2457 MHz. The reference and the active antennas were manufactured and characterized. Simulations and measurements are presented and discussed.
Towards a new fault diagnosis system for electric machines based on dynamic probabilistic models

This paper presents a new approach to diagnose faults in electrical systems based on probabilistic modelling and machine learning techniques. Our framework consist of two phases: an approximated diagnosis on the first phase and a refined diagnosis on the second phase. On the first phase the system behavior is modelled with a dynamic Bayesian network that generates a subset of most likely faulty components. In this phase the structure and parameters of the dynamic Bayesian network are learned off-line from raw data (discrete and continuous). On the second phase a particle filter algorithm is used to monitor suspicious components and extract the faulty components. The feasibility of this approach has been tested in a simulation environment using several interconnected electrical machines.
Why Genic and Multilevel Selection Theories Are Here to Stay*

I clarify the difference between pluralist and monist interpretations of levels of selection disputes. Lloyd has challenged my claim that a plurality of models correctly accounts for situations such as maintenance of the sickle‐cell trait, and I revisit this example to show that competing theories don’t disagree about the existence of ‘high‐level’ or ‘low‐level’ causes; rather, they parse these causes differently. Applying Woodward’s theory of causation, I analyze Sober’s distinction between ‘selection of’ versus ‘selection for’. My analysis shows that this distinction separates true causes from pseudocauses, but it also reveals that the distinction is irrelevant to the levels debate; it makes no sense to say true causes are at higher levels and not lower levels. The levels debate is not about separating real causes from pseudocauses; it’s about finding useful ways to parse and disentangle causes.
Outcomes of the Acrysof ReSTOR IOL in myopes, emmetropes, and hyperopes.

PURPOSE To evaluate the influence of preoperative ocular parameters on various parameters of postoperative outcome after implantation of the AcrySof ReSTOR intraocular lens (IOL) in myopic, hyperopic, and emmetropic patients. METHODS Phacoemulsification and IOL implantation was performed in 56 eyes of 32 patients. According to axial length, 28 eyes were classified as emmetropic, 16 as myopic, and 12 as hyperopic. Patients were examined after 8.2+/-1.8 months (range: 5.7 to 10.5 months) for uncorrected and best distance-corrected visual acuity for far, intermediate, and near vision. A defocus profile was recorded and individual reading distance and distance for lowest intermediate visual acuity were determined. The predictability of three different calculation formulas was evaluated. Patients were interviewed for photic phenomena, quality of night vision, spectacle independence, and satisfaction with visual outcome. RESULTS Predictability of IOL calculation was not statistically significant among groups using the SRK-T formula, but was significantly different with the Haigis (P=.01) or Holladay I (P=.02) formulas. Uncorrected and best distance-corrected visual acuity for near, intermediate, and far vision were not significantly different among groups. Mean uncorrected far visual acuity was 20/23+/-5.5 letters, 20/25+/-6 letters, and 20/25+/-4.5 letters and uncorrected near visual acuity was 20/25+/-5.5 letters, 20/26+/-4.5 letters, and 20/26+/-7.5 letters for the emmetropic, myopic, and hyperopic groups, respectively. The defocus profile significantly varied among groups; patients of the hyperopic group showed a closer reading distance (29.5 cm) than patients of the emmetropic (32.8 cm) and myopic (34.6 cm) groups. Reading distance was statistically significantly correlated to axial length and anterior chamber depth and thus can be estimated preoperatively. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that preoperative refractive status is a relevant factor influencing postoperative outcome after implantation of a ReSTOR IOL. Predictability of IOL calculation and defocus profile were significantly different for myopic, emmetropic, and hyperopic patients.
Understanding partitions and the 'no partition' assumption

Discusses partitions in asynchronous message-passing systems. In such systems, slow processes and slow links can lead to virtual partitions that are indistinguishable from real ones. To overcome the impossibility of detecting crashed processes in an asynchronous system, the system model incorporates a failure suspector to detect (possibly erroneously) process failures. Based on failure suspicions, the authors give a definition of partitions that accounts for real partitions as well as virtual ones. It is shown that under certain assumptions about the process behavior, any incorrect failure suspicion inevitably partitions the system. It is then shown how to interpret the absence-of-partition assumption. <<ETX>>
Development and Evaluation of Chitosan-Coated Liposomes for Oral DNA Vaccine: The Improvement of Peyer’s Patch Targeting Using a Polyplex-Loaded Liposomes

The aim of this study was to develop chitosan-coated and polyplex-loaded liposomes (PLLs) containing DNA vaccine for Peyer’s patch targeting. Plain liposomes carrying plasmid pRc/CMV-HBs were prepared by the reverse-phase evaporation method. Chitosan coating was carried out by incubation of the liposomal suspensions with chitosan solution. Main lipid components of liposomes were phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol. Sodium deoxycholate and dicetyl phosphate were used as negative charge inducers. The zeta potentials of plain liposomes were strongly affected by the pH of the medium. Coating with chitosan variably increased the surface charges of the liposomes. To increase the zeta potential and stability of the liposome, chitosan was also used as a DNA condensing agent to form a polyplex. The PLLs were coated with chitosan solution. In vivo study of PLLs was carried out in comparison with chitosan-coated liposomes using plasmid encoding green fluorescence protein as a reporter. A single dose of plasmid equal to 100 μg was intragastrically inoculated into BALB/c mice. The expression of green fluorescence protein (GFP) was detected after 24 h using a confocal laser scanning microscope. The signal of GFP was obtained from positively charged chitosan-coated liposomes but found only at the upper part of duodenum. With chitosan-coated PLL540, the signal of GFP was found throughout the intestine. Chitosan-coated PLL demonstrated a higher potential to deliver the DNA to the distal intestine than the chitosan-coated liposomes due to the increase in permanent positive surface charges and the decreased enzymatic degradation.
Hydralazine and Organic Nitrates Restore Impaired Excitation-Contraction Coupling by Reducing Calcium Leak Associated with Nitroso-Redox Imbalance*

Background: Hydralazine and organic nitrates have clinical benefits for heart failure, but the underlying mechanism is controversial. Results: Hydralazine reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak and improved Ca2+ cycling and contractility; nitroglycerin enhanced contractile efficiency; both were impaired by nitroso-redox imbalance. Conclusion: These agents exert complementary effects on nitroso-redox imbalance. Significance: New mechanistic insights for redox-targeted treatments of heart failure. Although the combined use of hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate confers important clinical benefits in patients with heart failure, the underlying mechanism of action is still controversial. We used two models of nitroso-redox imbalance, neuronal NO synthase-deficient (NOS1−/−) mice and spontaneously hypertensive heart failure rats, to test the hypothesis that hydralazine (HYD) alone or in combination with nitroglycerin (NTG) or isosorbide dinitrate restores Ca2+ cycling and contractile performance and controls superoxide production in isolated cardiomyocytes. The response to increased pacing frequency was depressed in NOS1−/− compared with wild type myocytes. Both sarcomere length shortening and intracellular Ca2+ transient (Δ[Ca2+]i) responses in NOS1−/− cardiomyocytes were augmented by HYD in a dose-dependent manner. NTG alone did not affect myocyte shortening but reduced Δ[Ca2+]i across the range of pacing frequencies and increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity thereby enhancing contractile efficiency. Similar results were seen in failing myocytes from the heart failure rat model. HYD alone or in combination with NTG reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) leak, improved SR Ca2+ reuptake, and restored SR Ca2+ content. HYD and NTG at low concentrations (1 μm), scavenged superoxide in isolated cardiomyocytes, whereas in cardiac homogenates, NTG inhibited xanthine oxidoreductase activity and scavenged NADPH oxidase-dependent superoxide more efficiently than HYD. Together, these results revealed that by reducing SR Ca2+ leak, HYD improves Ca2+ cycling and contractility impaired by nitroso-redox imbalance, and NTG enhanced contractile efficiency, restoring cardiac excitation-contraction coupling.
Late Stromal Rejection in Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty: A Case Series

Purpose: To report a series of 4 cases (3 patients) with late stromal graft rejection 32 to 46 months after an uneventful deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK). Methods: Three patients (4 eyes), who had undergone an uneventful DALK for keratoconus (3 eyes) and infectious keratitis (1 eye) 32 to 46 months previously presented with a history of ocular discomfort and redness, with reduced visual acuity in 3 eyes. In all cases, all sutures had been removed at least 18 months previously. On examination, there was superficial and in 2 eyes deep neovascularization. In 2 eyes, the vessels extended within the interface between the donor and host corneas. The stroma of the donor cornea adjacent to the areas of vascularization was edematous. A diagnosis of stromal graft rejection was made, and the patients were administered intensive topical corticosteroids. Results: All eyes responded well to treatment, becoming more comfortable, with decreasing redness, reversal of corneal edema, and return of prerejection best corrected visual acuity with up to 18 months follow-up. The patients continued to receive tapering dosage of topical corticosteroid for 12 months. In 1 eye topical steroids were reintroduced at 13 months because of a further rejection episode. Conclusions: These cases of late stromal rejection after DALK provide clinical evidence that donor keratocytes may persist in such lamellar grafts for extended periods and that patients should be warned that rejection may occur years after surgery.
Cellular Mechanisms in the Amygdala Involved in Memory of Fear Conditioning

Fear is a conserved emotion in response to danger and triggers some defensive mechanisms for adapting to threatening events for survival. Moreover, fear can lead to a number of anxiety disorders when aberrantly expressed. Defining the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying fear memory will enhance our understanding of biological mechanism to enemies, as well as our ability to develop treatments for individual afflicted with anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Gerenciamento autônomo de redes na Internet do futuro

A pesquisa em redes autonomas aplica a teoria de agentes inteligentes e sistemas multiagente em mecanismos de controle de redes. Implantar esse mecanismos autonomos e racionais na rede pode melhorar seu comportamento na presenca de cenarios de controle muito complexos e dinâmicos. Infelizmente, a construcao de mecanismos baseados em agentes para redes nao e uma tarefa facil. A principal dificuldade e criar representacoes concisas de conhecimento sobre os dominios de redes e mecanismos de raciocinio para lidar com elas. Alem disso, a Internet faz com que o projeto de sistemas multiagente para o controle da rede seja uma atividade intrincada envolvendo a modelagem de diferentes participantes com diversas crencas e intencoes. Esses tipos de sistemas geralmente apresentam problemas de escalabilidade devido a falta de incentivos para cooperacao entre dominios administrativos. Finalmente, como a estrutura corrente da Internet geralmente impede inovacoes, mecanismos de redes autonomas construidos nao sao totalmente implantados em cenarios de larga escala. O paradigma das redes definidas por software (SDN) esta na esfera dos esforcos da Internet do Futuro. No paradigma SDN, o hardware de repasse de pacotes e controlado por software sendo executado como um plano de controle separado. Softwares de gerenciamento utilizam um protocolo aberto que programa as tabelas de uxo em diferentes switches e roteadores. Este trabalho apresenta uma discussao geral sobre a integracao de redes autonomas e redes definidas por software. Baseado no conhecimento oferecido por essa discussao, e apresentado um arcabouco que prove autonomia para dominios SDN, permitindo que eles atuem cooperativamente quando implantados em cenarios com gerenciamento distribuido. Dois estudos de caso sao apresentados para importantes questoes em aberto na Internet: (1) o problema da mitigacao de ataques DDoS quando milhares de atacantes realizam inundacao por pacotes e os dominios SDN precisam cooperar para lidar com o filtro de pacotes na origem; (2) o problema do gerenciamento de trafego da rede quando multiplos dominios devem cooperar e realizar modificacoes nas primitivas de roteamento de redes.
TAT Peptides Mediated Small Interfering RNA Delivery to Huh-7 Cells and Efficiently Inhibited Hepatitis C Virus RNA Replication

Objective: To observe whether or not the small-interfering RNA (siRNA) that conjugated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) TAT47–57 peptides can enter Huh-7 cells and efficiently silence hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in cell culture. Methods: siRNA targeting the highly conserved stem loop IV of the HCV 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR) was conjugated to TAT47–57 peptides via the crosslinker sulfosuccinimidyl-4-(p-maleimidophenyl)-butyrate, and then the conjugates were added to the Huh-7 cell culture. Firefly luciferase activity and HCV RNA were asssessed using a luciferase assay reagent and real-time reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results: The expression of firefly luciferase in HCV replicons and the concentration of HCV RNA were downregulated by siRNA-TAT47–57, and siRNA-TAT47–57 mediated RNA interfering activity which was directly correlated with increasing concentrations of the siRNA-TAT47–57 conjugate used. Conclusion: Cell-penetrating peptides such as HIV-1 TAT are an effective method for the delivery of siRNA targeted at 5′UTR of HCV in mammalian cells.
How Age, Linguistic Status, and the Nature of the Auditory Scene Alter the Manner in Which Listening Comprehension Is Achieved in Multitalker Conversations.

PURPOSE We investigated how age and linguistic status affected listeners' ability to follow and comprehend 3-talker conversations, and the extent to which individual differences in language proficiency predict speech comprehension under difficult listening conditions. METHOD Younger and older L1s as well as young L2s listened to 3-talker conversations, with or without spatial separation between talkers, in either quiet or against moderate or high 12-talker babble background, and were asked to answer questions regarding their contents. RESULTS After compensating for individual differences in speech recognition, no significant differences in conversation comprehension were found among the groups. As expected, conversation comprehension decreased as babble level increased. Individual differences in reading comprehension skill contributed positively to performance in younger EL1s and in young EL2s to a lesser degree but not in older EL1s. Vocabulary knowledge was significantly and positively related to performance only at the intermediate babble level. CONCLUSION The results indicate that the manner in which spoken language comprehension is achieved is modulated by the listeners' age and linguistic status.
Evaluation of Biological Control Traits in Some Isolates of Fluorescent Pseudomonads and flavobacterium

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) consisting a wide range of beneficial soil bacteria inhabiting rhizosphere of plant. Fluorescent pseudomondas are the most important plant growth promoting rhizosphere bacteria in different crop plants. In this research, twenty-five isolates of fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from forty soil samples of wheat rhizosphere and forty four isolates of Flavobacterium selected from the bacterial strains collection were employed. The ability of these isolates for production of chitinase, Salicylic acid, siderophore and hydrogen cyanide and antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani were determined. Results revealed that all the fluorescent pseudomonads isolates were able to produce siderophore on Chrome Azurol S (CAS) agar plates and siderophore is an important secondary metabolite in plant growth promotion and antifungal activity. In CAS agar method, the range of siderophore production was 0.34-1.21 halo diameter per colony diameter. None of these isolates were capable for chitinase production. Salicylic acid (SA) production by the isolates ranging from 0-10.91 g.ml -1
Service Orient Stream Cipher Based Key Management Scheme for Secure Data Access Control Using Elliptic Curve Cryptography in Wireless Broadcast Networks

Wireless broadcast network has various services being transmitted in the network, which can be received by various users based on their registration and possession of the keys. There are many approaches has been discussed in the literature which suffers with the problem of overhead in generating in keys and distributing them to the users of the network. We propose a novel approach, which generates keys based on services and distribute them to the user who have been registered. For each service being available in the network, the controller generates a group key which is unique for the service users which is generated using elliptic curve cryptography and proposes a stream cipher based hash function which generates the key for the service stream and will be unique and useful for only the concern stream. The key will be changed for each stream of the service data which can be computed with the help of previous stream keys and values of elliptic curve. The proposed method has reduces the overhead of key generation and distribution to the users and the method has reduces the time complexity also.
Soil moisture retrieval in the North Slope of Alaska from GCOM-W1/AMSR2 and Meteor-M No. 2/MTVZA-GYa radiometers data

In this paper, for the Arctic tundra region in the North Slope of Alaska, calibration of microwave emission model on the basis of AMSR2 and MTVZA-GYa radiometric data of the GCOM-W1 and Meteor-M No. 2 satellites, respectively were carried out. The GCOM-W1 and Meteor-M No. 2 brightness temperature data covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 and January 1 to December 31, 2015, respectively. The peculiarity of the proposed calibration lies in the use of biomass vegetation and soil temperature estimations from the AMSR2 and the MTVZA-GYa radiometers observations with using empirical relationships. To estimate the vegetation biomass and soil temperature were proposed calibration curves linking brightness temperatures, measured by the radiometers, with the aboveground phytomass which was estimated from MODIS NDVI data, and with soil temperature which was measured by weather stations in-situ. As a result was shown that the proposed calibration allows to retrieve soil moisture at the test sites in North Slope of Alaska with determination coefficient of 0.46–0.52 and RMSE of 0.06–0.1 cm3/cm3. The study shows the potential possibility of carrying out the calibration of emission model, which improves the accuracy of the measurement of soil moisture in the Arctic region compared to existing satellite information products. This study demonstrates the possibility of using radiometer MTVZA-GYa on aboard of the Russian satellite Meteor-M No. 2 to measure soil moisture in the Arctic region. Found empirical relationships between brightness temperatures and surface soil temperature and aboveground phytomass at the test sites allows to predict these values from GCOM-W1 and Meteor-M No. 2 observations in the range of RMSE 53–54g/m2 and 1–1.5K, respectively.
Microsatellite null alleles and estimation of population differentiation.

Microsatellite null alleles are commonly encountered in population genetics studies, yet little is known about their impact on the estimation of population differentiation. Computer simulations based on the coalescent were used to investigate the evolutionary dynamics of null alleles, their impact on F(ST) and genetic distances, and the efficiency of estimators of null allele frequency. Further, we explored how the existing method for correcting genotype data for null alleles performed in estimating F(ST) and genetic distances, and we compared this method with a new method proposed here (for F(ST) only). Null alleles were likely to be encountered in populations with a large effective size, with an unusually high mutation rate in the flanking regions, and that have diverged from the population from which the cloned allele state was drawn and the primers designed. When populations were significantly differentiated, F(ST) and genetic distances were overestimated in the presence of null alleles. Frequency of null alleles was estimated precisely with the algorithm presented in Dempster et al. (1977). The conventional method for correcting genotype data for null alleles did not provide an accurate estimate of F(ST) and genetic distances. However, the use of the genetic distance of Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards (1967) corrected by the conventional method gave better estimates than those obtained without correction. F(ST) estimation from corrected genotype frequencies performed well when restricted to visible allele sizes. Both the proposed method and the traditional correction method have been implemented in a program that is available free of charge at http://www.montpellier. inra.fr/URLB/. We used 2 published microsatellite data sets based on original and redesigned pairs of primers to empirically confirm our simulation results.
Thinned MIMO frame-arrays for radar imaging

Thinned multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frame-arrays are proposed for 3-dimensional imaging radars. Their elements are placed on the perimeter of a square, thus allowing for simplified front-end architectures. A synthesis method for large arrays is described. A deconvolution algorithm is implemented for image enhancement. The principle is verified with a 12-transceiver array in a Ka-band radar.
GrayWulf: Scalable Software Architecture for Data Intensive Computing

Big data presents new challenges to both cluster infrastructure software and parallel application design. We present a set of software services and design principles for data intensive computing with petabyte data sets, named GrayWulf. These services are intended for deployment on a cluster of commodity servers similar to the well-known Beowulf clusters. We use the Pan-STARRS system currently under development as an example of the architecture and principles in action.