Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photocatalytic Deposition of Metal Oxides on Semiconductor Particles: A Review

As it has been well recognized in the last decade, heterogeneous photocatalysis employing UV-irradiated titanium dioxide suspensions or films in aqueous or gas media, is now a mature field [Chong et al. 2010, Ohtani B. 2010, Paz Y. , 2010]. Semiconductor photocatalysis is considered as a green process that focuses basically on exploiting solar energy in many ways. Its investigations have been mainly targeted to the degradation/mineralization of organic pollutants and water splitting solar energy conversion, among others. However, there are other exciting applications such as metal photodeposition, organic synthesis, photoimaging, antibacterial materials, which have now an intense investigation [Wu et al. 2003, Chan S. & Barteau M. 2005, Litter M. 1999, Fagnoni et al. 2007, Choi W. 2006, Valenzuela et al. 2010, Zhang et al. 2010].
The 1:9 phased demultiplexer circuit

The behavior of the 1:9 phased demultiplexer (PDMUX9) circuit is analyzed. The circuit demultiplexes the input clock signal into nine phased output signals by streaming sets of eighteen clock phases. A phase difference equal to the half period of the clock is maintained between consecutive output transitions. The VHDL description of the PDMUX9 cell is given and the simulation and synthesis results are generated. A 2-level tree-like structure is built by applying the phased outputs of the PDMUX9 cell into the corresponding clock inputs of nine cell replicas that extend the circuit behavior. The EXOR9 gate is attached to the PDMUX9 cell output ports and is aggregating all the phases that the phased clock signals are carrying while preserving their phase associations.
Band Notched Semi-elliptic Slot antenna for UWB Systems

The design and testing of a planar semi-elliptic monopole slot antenna to operate in the 3.1-10.6 GHz ultra wide band (UWB) is proposed in this paper. The coplanar fed antenna has a 2:1 VSWR bandwidth from 2.85-20 GHz in which the 5.15-5.825 GHz IEEE802.11a and HIPERLAN/2 band is notched. Empirical relations connecting the resonances and the geometric parameters of the antenna are deduced and experimentally verified. Radiation patterns of the antenna are omni directional and there is appreciable gain throughout the band except at the notch. The antenna features excellent transient characteristics.
Study of agate using the OSL technique and application in

The possibility of using Brazilian stones in gamma high-dose dosimetry was investigated at IPEN using the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique. Agate samples were studied in relation to their OSL dosimetric properties, in this work. The samples were irradiated at a Gamma-Cell system (Co). The calibration curves show a sublinear behavior between 50 Gy and 300 kGy, and the lower detection limits for the OSL pellets were determined. The results were satisfactory for application in high-dose dosimetry.
Protective Effect of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate against Cortical Filamentous Actin Loss and Insulin Resistance Induced by Sustained Exposure of 3T3-L1 Adipocytes to Insulin*

Muscle and fat cells develop insulin resistance when cultured under hyperinsulinemic conditions for sustained periods. Recent data indicate that early insulin signaling defects do not fully account for the loss of insulin action. Given that cortical filamentous actin (F-actin) represents an essential aspect of insulin regulated glucose transport, we tested to see whether cortical F-actin structure was compromised during chronic insulin treatment. The acute effect of insulin on GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake was diminished in 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to a physiological level of insulin (5 nm) for 12 h. This insulin-induced loss of insulin responsiveness was apparent under both low (5.5 mm) and high (25 mm) glucose concentrations. Microscopic and biochemical analyses revealed that the hyperinsulinemic state caused a marked loss of cortical F-actin. Since recent data link phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to actin cytoskeletal mechanics, we tested to see whether the insulin-resistant condition affected PIP2 and found a noticeable loss of this lipid from the plasma membrane. Using a PIP2 delivery system, we replenished plasma membrane PIP2 in cells following the sustained insulin treatment and observed a restoration in cortical F-actin and insulin responsiveness. These data reveal a novel molecular aspect of insulin-induced insulin resistance involving defects in PIP2/actin regulation.
Mechanism of Regulation of Prokaryotic Tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ by Membrane Protein EzrA*

At initiation of cell division, FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase, assembles into a so-called Z-ring structure at the site of division. The formation of Z ring is negatively regulated by EzrA, which ensures only one ring at the midcell per cell cycle. The mechanism leading to the negative regulation of Z-ring formation by EzrA has been analyzed. Our data reveal that the interaction between EzrA and FtsZ not only reduces the GTP-binding ability of FtsZ but also accelerates the rate of GTP hydrolysis, both of which are unfavorable for the polymerization of FtsZ. Moreover, the acceleration in rate of GTP hydrolysis by EzrA is attributed to stabilization of the transition state for GTP hydrolysis and reduction in the affinity of GDP for FtsZ. Clearly, EzrA is able to modify the GTP hydrolysis cycle of FtsZ. On the basis of these results, a model for how EzrA acts to negatively regulate Z-ring formation is proposed.
“Ready-to-Recruit” or “Ready-to-Consent” Populations? Informed Consent and the Limits of Subject Autonomy

This article queries the pharmaceutical industry's concept of “ready-torecruit” populations by examining its recruitment strategies for clinical trials and the types of human subjects who participate in these drug studies. The argument is that the pharmaceutical industry has profited from a system composed of what can more aptly be characterized as ready-to-consent populations, meaning populations who do not have better alternatives than participation in clinical trials. Furthermore, through qualitative research, this article aims to highlight some of the limitations of current U.S. federal regulation and to show how these limits signal problems that are not normally discussed in the medical ethics literature about research on human subjects. It does this by examining the impotence of informed consent—both as a concept and as a practice—in light of recruitment strategies and the structural reasons motivating individuals to participate in clinical trials.
A block-level optimization of comprehensive thermal-aware power management for SoC integration in nano-scale CMOS technology

Modern SoC integrations and mobile systems have emphasized low power techniques due to shortage of battery life. Conventional power management designs focused on the reduction of dynamic power consumption, recent designs begin to take leakage power into consideration since it becomes an important factor in nano-scale CMOS technology. Latest development has taken advantage of modularity in SoC design methodology to develop the block-level control technique for power reductions. However, thermal gradient over the system and its impacts to SoC designs are barely discussed. In this research, a block-level optimization of comprehensive thermal-aware power management is presented. The proposed design applies several low power techniques to control different power sources and handles thermal impacts to provide performance coherence. As a result, optimal power-reductions and performance coherence can be guaranteed within the whole system. The simulation results show a significant improvement in stability and leakage power reduction for most circuitries. The results are based on TSMC 100 nm CMOS technology.
Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: Expansion of the tumor size limits does not adversely impact survival

The precise staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the size and number of lesions that predict recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has not been clearly established. We therefore analyzed the outcome of 70 consecutive patients with cirrhosis and HCC who underwent OLT over a 12‐year period at our institution. Pathologic tumor staging of the explanted liver was based on the American Tumor Study Group modified Tumor‐Node‐Metastases (TNM) Staging Classification. Tumor recurrence occurred in 11.4% of patients after OLT. The Kaplan‐Meier survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 91.3% and 72.4%, respectively, for patients with pT1 or pT2 HCC; and 82.4% and 74.1%, respectively, for pT3 tumors (P = .87). Patients with pT4 tumors, however, had a significantly worse 1‐year survival of 33.3% (P = .0001). An α‐fetoprotein (AFP) level > 1,000 ng/mL, total tumor diameter > 8 cm, age ≥ 55 years and poorly differentiated histologic grade were also significant predictors for reduced survival in univariate analysis. Only pT4 stage and total tumor diameter remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Patients with HCC meeting the following criteria: solitary tumor ≤ 6.5 cm, or ≤ 3 nodules with the largest lesion ≤ 4.5 cm and total tumor diameter ≤ 8 cm, had survival rates of 90% and 75.2%, at 1 and 5 years, respectively, after OLT versus a 50% 1‐year survival for patients with tumors exceeding these limits (P = .0005). We conclude that the current criteria for OLT based on tumor size may be modestly expanded while still preserving excellent survival after OLT.
Photo-Induced Damages of Cytoplasmic and Mitochondrial Membranes by a [C60]Fullerene Malonic Acid Derivative

The biological activities of fullerene derivatives have attracted much attention in the last decade. In this paper, effects of dimalonic acid C60 (DMA C60) on cytoplasmic membrane, intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), and mitochondrial membrane in HeLa cells were studied by using laser scanning confocal microscopy together with fluorescent probes propidium iodide (PI), fluo-3 acetoxymethyl ester (fluo-3 AM), and tetramethyl rhodamine methyl ester (TMRM). The data showed that under laser irradiation produced by a Kr/Ar laser source with a low power less than 1 mW, DMA C60 might induce damages against both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial membranes in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Prior to leakage of cytoplasmic membrane, a transient increase in [Ca2+]i occurred due to influx of calcium from the culture medium. These data provided some novel clues to explain the mechanisms involved in the photo-induced cytotoxicity of fullerene derivatives.
Effects of Drought on Microbial Activity in Rhizosphere, Soil Hydrophobicity and Leaching of Mineral Nitrogen from Arable Soil Depending on Method of Fertilization

: This work presents the first results from the long-term laboratory experiment dealing with impact of drought on soil properties. Three groups of the treatment (A, B and C) with different regime of irrigation were prepared. The soil water content was maintained at 70 % of soil water holding capacity in group A, at 40 % in group B. In group C, soil water regime was maintained in the range of wilting point. Each group of the experiment was divided into three variants (A1 = B1, C1; A2 = B2, C2 etc.) with three repetitions: Variants A1 (B1, C1) were controls without addition of another fertilizer. Variants A2 (B2, C2) were fertilized with mineral nitrogen fertilizer DAM 390 (0.140 Mg of N per ha) and variants A3 (B3, C3) contained 45 g of Cp per a pot. The significant differences (ANOVA, P<0.05) in the leaching of mineral nitrogen and values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) were found. The highest values of Ksat were found in variants (within each group) with addition of compost (A3, B3, C3). Conversely, the lowest values of Ksat were found in variants with addition of mineral nitrogen. Low values of Ksat indicate an increased level of hydrophobicity in individual groups of the experiment. Moreover, all variants with compost addition showed lower amount of mineral nitrogen leaching and high level of microbial activity than variants without. This decrease of mineral nitrogen leaching was about 200 % in comparison with the control variant and about 300 % with variant, where mineral nitrogen was added. Based on these results, we can conclude that changes of soil water content directly have impact on microbial activity, soil hydrophobicity and loss of mineral nitrogen from the soil.
Reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a new live attenuated combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in healthy children.

OBJECTIVE To compare the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a novel live attenuated measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, SB MMR (Priorix; SmithKline Beecham Biologicals), with a widely used MMR vaccine, Merck MMR (M-M-R II; Merck & Co. Inc). METHODS A total of 4702 healthy children, ages 9 to 24 months, were enrolled in 8 single blind, randomized, controlled trials. Reactogenicity (local and general solicited symptoms and all unsolicited symptoms) was assessed for up to 42 days postvaccination. Immunogenicity [seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers (GMT)] was assessed at 42 or 60 days postvaccination in 1912 subjects in 7 studies. In two studies the persistence of the antibodies at Month 12 postvaccination was assessed in 201 subjects. RESULTS Local symptoms (pain on or immediately after injection; pain, redness and swelling within 4 days of injection) were reported less frequently after SB MMR than Merck MMR (P < 0.0001). General symptoms and all other events were similar between the two groups. Fever >39.5 degrees C was reported after 9.5 and 11.9% of the SB MMR and Merck MMR doses, respectively. At Days 42 to 60 postvaccination seroconversion rates for antimeasles antibodies were higher with SB MMR than with Merck MMR (98.7% vs. 96.9%, P < 0.031) but similar in both groups for anti-mumps and anti-rubella antibodies, GMTs being approximately 10% higher (P < 0.05) with Merck MMR than with SB MMR. At the Month 12 assessment the seropositivity rates and GMTs were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION When administered as primary vaccination in children in the second year of life, the new SB MMR vaccine has been shown to be superior to a comparator vaccine in terms of local reactogenicity, with equivalent immunogenicity.
High efficiency CMOS rectifier circuit with self-Vth-cancellation and power regulation functions for UHF RFIDs

High efficiency CMOS rectifier circuit for UHF RFID applications has been developed. The rectifier utilizes self Vth cancellation (SVC) scheme in which threshold voltage of MOSFETs is cancelled by applying gate bias voltage generated by output voltage of the rectifier itself. Very simple circuit configuration and no power dissipation feature of the scheme enable excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) especially in small RF input power conditions. At higher RF input power conditions, PCE of the rectifier automatically decreases. This is the built-in self-power-regulation function. Proposed SVC CMOS rectifier has been fabricated with 0.35 mum CMOS process and the measured performance has been compared with other types of rectifiers. The SVC CMOS rectifier achieves 29% PCE at -9.9 dBm RF input power condition. This PCE is larger than ever reported rectifiers under the condition.
Ethanol Production using Zymomonas mobilis cells immobilized on Cane Bagasse

With rising oil prices and decreasing availability, as well as damage to the environment, it is necessary to look alternatives for the production of liquid fuels such as ethanol. For its production several supports have been used, in this work was carried out a study of the ethanol production using cells of Zymomonas mobilis immobilized on bagasse of cane as support which showed a good ability to adsorb bacterial cells, so the system was operated at continuous culture at different dilution rates D (from 0.05 to 0.33 h -1 ) and different concentrations of sucrose (from 50 to 300 g L -1 ). The best results were achieved at a sucrose concentration of 200 g L -1 operating at a dilution rate of 0.262 h -1 , reaching an ethanol production of 78.2 g L -1 , having a sucrose consumption of 97 % and a yield of bioethanol from sucrose of 0.40 g EtOH /g sucrose, representing 78.4% with respect to the maximum theoretical yield.
Linguistic analysis of textual commercial content for information resources processing

The article content lies in solving the important applied scientific problem of the informational resources processing intellectual systems (IRPISes) with textual commercial content linguistic analysis usage creation. The IRPISes functioning mathematical ensuring was developed. The IRPISes construction means and methods will be developed on the basis of created mathematical models. Such systems have the widespread usage, in particular for the forming, managing and maintenance of the expanding content volume in Internet, running e-business, during the online and offline content realization systems, cloud storage and cloud computing.
Variation aware control for reliability

It has been proved that there is a bias-variance-covariance trade-off among the trained neural network ensembles. In this paper, extra learning on random data points was proposed to control the variations of the correlations in the negative correlation learning (NCL). Without the control of the correlations, NCL might have arbitrary values on the unknown data points after learning too much on the training data points. With learning on random data points, the individual neural networks in an ensemble trained by NCL could become even more different by having the lower overlapping rates. Such lower overlapping rates imply that learning on random data could control the variation of the correlations among the individual neural networks. It is necessary to have such variation awareness in learning when the correlations have a great impact on the performance of the learned ensemble.
DNA methylation and mammalian epigenetics

Epigenetic modifications of DNA such as methylation are important for genome function during development and in adults. DNA methylation has central importance for genomic imprinting and other aspects of epigenetic control of gene expression, and during development methylation patterns are largely maintained in somatic lineages. The mammalian genome undergoes major reprogramming of methylation patterns in the germ cells and in the early embryo. Some of the factors that are involved both in maintenance and in reprogramming, such as methyltransferases, are being identified. Epigenetic changes are likely to be important in animal cloning, and influence the occurrence of epimutations and of epigenetic inheritance. Environmental factors can alter epigenetic modifications and may thus have long lasting effects on phenotype. Epigenetic engineering is likely to play an important role in medicine in the future.
An Adaptive Particle Filter Based Method for Real Time Face Tracking

The video surveillance systems of recent years, usually major focus on the Human-Face of observation and detection. Human-Face is the most characteristic and prominent feature of a human, therefore, detection and tracking of Human-Face has become an important indicator of the study. This paper discusses video surveillance of public places and majors in automated face detection and face tracking. The main detection method is the use of Haar-Like Feature-based and through the Cascade classifier of the Adaboost face detection. In the tracking mechanism is based on particle filter and we modified SURF (Speeded Up Robust Features) particle filter tracking, and thus enhance the detection and tracking accuracy.
Adenosine 5[prime]-Diphosphate-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase from Potato Tuber (Significance of the N Terminus of the Small Subunit for Catalytic Properties and Heat Stability)

cDNAs encoding the large subunit and a possibly truncated small subunit of the potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) adenosine 5[prime]-diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase have been expressed in Escherichia coli (A.A. Iglesias, G.F. Barry, C. Meyer, L. Bloksberg, P.A. Nakata, T. Greene, M.J. Laughlin, T.W. Okita, G.M. Kishore, J. Preiss, J Biol Chem [1993] 268: 1081–1086). However, some properties of the transgenic enzyme were different from those reported for the enzyme from potato tuber. In this work, extension of the cDNA was performed to elongate the N terminus of the truncated small subunit by 10 amino acids. This extension is based on the almost complete conservation seen at the N-terminal sequence for the potato tuber and the spinach leaf small subunits. Expressing the extended cDNA in E. coli along with the large subunit cDNA yielded a transgenic heterotetrameric enzyme with similar properties to the purified potato tuber enzyme. It was also found that the extended small subunit expressed by itself exhibited high enzyme activity, with lower affinity for activator 3-phosphoglycerate and higher sensitivity toward inorganic phosphate inhibition. It is proposed that a major function of the large subunit of adenosine 5[prime]-diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylases from higher plants is to modulate the regulatory properties of the native heterotetrameric enzyme, and the small subunit's major function is catalysis.
Toward Understanding the B[e] Phenomenon. I. Definition of the Galactic FS CMa Stars

The B[e] phenomenon is defined as the simultaneous presence of low-excitation forbidden line emission and strong infrared excess in the spectra of early-type stars. It was discovered in our Galaxy 30 years ago in the course of the early exploration of the infrared sky and initially identified in 65 Galactic objects, of which nearly half remained unclassified. The phenomenon is associated with objects at different evolutionary stages, ranging from the pre-main-sequence to the planetary nebula stage. We review the studies of both the original 65 and subsequently identified Galactic stars with the B[e] phenomenon. A new classification is proposed for stars with the B[e] phenomenon based on the time of dust formation in their environments. Properties of the unclassified Galactic B[e] stars are analyzed. We propose that these objects are binary systems that are currently undergoing or have recently undergone a phase of rapid mass exchange, associated with a strong mass loss and dust formation. A new name, FS CMa stars, and classification criteria are proposed for the unclassified B[e] stars.
Sedimentation Levels of Red Blood Cells (ESR) and its Effect on Viscosity of Blood Cells (PVC) and Glucose in Elderly People

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is commonly used to assess the acute phase of the inflammatory response and to diagnose conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases. Packed Cell Volume (PCV) is the height of the red cell column to the total height of the column of whole blood. This study included 100 healthy subject divided into two groups: females group (50) and males group (50). The increase in Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (E.S.R) was higher in women group than in men group. The result showed a negative correlation between the Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and ESR while there was a positive correlation between ESR with age and glucose.