Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Compact Disc UltrawideBand (UWB) Antenna With Quintuple Band Rejections

A compact disc ultrawideband (UWB) antenna with quintuple band rejections is proposed and demonstrated, which has a portrait shape and is therefore “portrait antenna. ” The quintuple band-notched functions are achieved by utilizing C-shaped slots, nested C-shaped slots, U-shaped slots, and open-circuit stubs. It is demonstrated that the portrait antenna operating from 2.45 to 12 GHz (VSWR <; 2) has omnidirectional radiation patterns with a gain greater than 2 dBi, and also five stopbands (VSWR >; 2) of 3.27-3.57, 5.01-5.45, 5.55-6.05, 7.05-7.45 and 7.83-8.19 GHz are implemented simultaneously for rejecting WiMAX, WLAN, downlink of X-band satellite communication, and ITU 8-GHz band signals. Moreover, the antenna has a simple structure and a compact size.
Rules based automatic Linux Device Driver Verifier And Code Assistance

Development of Linux Device Drivers involves lot of complex data structures and functions. The developer should carefully apply these to the drivers otherwise code will misbehave in the Linux Kernel and degrades the performance of the system. Majorly Linux device driver code requires stability so as to provide correctness and reliability. To achieve this, the need of the hour is a proper and efficient verification tools. Linux driver code verification is a vast application area consisting of different verification methods on proper functional placement, safety and security usages. In this paper we are proposing a tool embedded into Eclipse IDE as a plug-in and this tool works on the principle of “Rules based Linux Device Driver Automatic Verifier and Code Assistance” for the bugs fixation. Majorly the rules are based on Kernel API violations, proper allocations & deallocations, synchronization mechanisms & usage, proper return type usage and interrupt context issues.
Short Day Lengths Skew Prenatal Sex Ratios toward Males in Siberian Hamsters

For decades, researchers have documented significant skews in the production of male versus female offspring in many species. Because males and females are differentially susceptible to environmental challenges and also represent different fitness benefits, it may be beneficial to exert control over the offspring sex ratio when environmental conditions become challenging. Some of the most dramatic environmental challenges occur on a seasonal basis. Indeed, seasonal variation in offspring sex ratios has been documented in both mammalian and nonmammalian species. The seasonal environmental factor (or factors) that drives the skews in sex ratios is unknown; however, it is essential that such a cue be predictable and reliable and that it does not vary from year to year. We hypothesized that photoperiod, a stable cue of seasonal changes in temperature and resource availability, may underlie seasonal variation in offspring sex ratios of mammals. We predicted that short day lengths in particular, which signal impending winter conditions and related energetic demands, would stimulate an anticipatory skew in the offspring sex ratio. We used Siberian hamsters as models because they are phenotypically responsive to photoperiod but up to 60% of females continue to breed during the winter. The sexes of weanling hamsters conceived and raised in short, winterlike day lengths were significantly skewed toward males. Furthermore, these skews occurred before birth; embryos collected from pregnant females maintained in short‐day conditions were also significantly male biased. Thus, photoperiod functions as an effective seasonal cue, stimulating sex ratio skews toward males when day lengths are short.
The beneficial effect of metformin on β‐cell function in non‐obese Chinese subjects with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

Studies with metformin suggest a favourable change in β‐cell function over sulphonylureas in the early course of obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but it remains unclear whether a similar effect is observed in non‐obese individuals. Here we investigated the effects of metformin or glipizide gastrointestinal therapeutics system extended‐release formulation (GITS) on β‐cell function in non‐obese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.
Seeking Safety: An Intervention for Trauma-Exposed Incarcerated Women?

Recent guidelines for incarcerated women's programming have called for interventions that address offenders' traumatic experiences, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use in an integrated manner. Seeking Safety (SS) is an empirically supported cognitive behavioral manualized treatment for individuals with PTSD and substance use disorders. This study examined the effectiveness of SS with 59 incarcerated women who completed the intervention and 55 who were waitlisted. Participants in SS demonstrated greater symptom improvement in PTSD and depression as well as improved interpersonal functioning and coping as compared to waitlisted offenders. These findings provide preliminary support for the use of this intervention with incarcerated women.
Translation, Adaptation, and Reliability of Modern Standard Arabic Version ofthe Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire

Purpose: To culturally translate and test the reliability and validity of the Modern Standard Arabic version of Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) for chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) in the Arabic-speaking population. Background: The RMDQ is a popular reliable and validated tool for measuring functional disability in low back pain. However, a reliable Modern Standard Arabic version is not available. Methods: The RMDQ Modern Standard Arabic translation and cross-cultural adaptation was performed using the “forward translation/backward translation” method. The final version was tested among Arabic-speaking chronic nonspecific LBP patients. The internal consistency was assessed by means of the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The convergent validity was assessed calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient comparing the RMDQ’s results with the amount of pain that was assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the range of movement of the spine by fingertip-floor length test (FFL). Results: A total of 40 participants (mean age 44.4 years (SD: 12.51), 65% female) were enrolled in the study. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) within a seven-day interval was 0.948 indicating adequate acceptance. The RMDQ's convergent validity showed positive correlation with the VAS (r: 0.299; P<0.061) and with the FFL (r: 0.292; P<0.067). Conclusion: The Modern Standard Arabic version of the RMDQ has good internal consistency and reliability to be a useful clinical and research tool for the assessment of functional disability caused by LBP among the Arabicspeaking population.
The Scottish First Episode Schizophrenia Study

Forty-four schizophrenic patients were followed up for five years after their first admission to hospital for a first episode of illness. Thirteen (30%) of 43 patients had not relapsed; 28 of the 30 patients who did relapse did so within the first 42 months. The relapses occurred despite antipsychotic drug therapy. Also, 24% of patients had at least one course of ECT. Only 19% of the patients at five years were in open employment; unemployment was strongly associated with relapse. Eighteen per cent had neither relapses nor schizophrenic symptoms at follow-up. Poor outcome at five years was associated with greater psychological distress among relatives at first admission. At five years 43% of relatives continued to show case level psychological stress.
Hybridization gap and Fano resonance in SmB6

Significance Quantum entanglement may give rise to emerging phenomena and new states of matter. In the intermediate-valence material SmB6, this is realized via hybridization between localized 4f and conduction band states that, at sufficiently low temperatures, results in the screening of the 4f local moments by the conduction electrons and produces a so-called Kondo resonance in the density of states. The latter is examined by scanning tunneling spectroscopy down to temperatures well below the Kondo temperature. This atomically resolved spectroscopy allows one to distinguish between reconstructed and pristine surfaces and different surface terminations, all of which influence the spectroscopic results. These insights are vital for other, less local spectroscopic tools in the context of possible topologically protected surface states. Hybridization between conduction electrons and the strongly interacting f-electrons in rare earth or actinide compounds may result in new states of matter. Depending on the exact location of the concomitant hybridization gap with respect to the Fermi energy, a heavy fermion or an insulating ground state ensues. To study this entanglement locally, we conducted scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STS) measurements on the “Kondo insulator” SmB6. The vast majority of surface areas investigated were reconstructed, but infrequently, patches of varying sizes of nonreconstructed Sm- or B-terminated surfaces also were found. On the smallest patches, clear indications for the hybridization gap with logarithmic temperature dependence (as expected for a Kondo system) and for intermultiplet transitions were observed. On nonreconstructed surface areas large enough for coherent cotunneling, we were able to observe clear-cut Fano resonances. Our locally resolved STS indicated considerable finite conductance on all surfaces independent of their structure, not proving but leaving open the possibility of the existence of a topologically protected surface state.
Contemporary technologies for 3D digitization of Maori and Pacific Island artifacts

Three‐dimensional (3D) digitization is a key aspect in the preservation and exhibition of museum artifacts. The objective of this article is to investigate contemporary technologies for creating accurate 3D digital models of artifacts from the Maori and Pacific heritage and to establish a generic digitization methodology so that the 3D models can be archived and exhibited both over the internet and within museum displays. This process involves procedures for selecting artifacts that are suitable for laser scanning and then setting up the artifact for scanning. This is followed by the actual scanning and postprocessing stages. To achieve this, the Polhemus FastSCAN laser scanner has been used to collect raw point cloud surface data from artifacts of various sizes, shapes, textures, colors, and materials. The article explains the generic steps developed for postprocessing of raw scan data in the form of a cloud of geometric data points to a completely rendered 3D model with colors mapped on to the model. These generic steps involve removal of background noise, enhancement of texture, filling of holes, merging of separate scans, and color mapping. The results from the scanning and postprocessing of a wahaika, (a Maori club‐like weapon) and a Polynesian stone pounder reveal that it is important to use a scanner that is flexible enough to capture all the surface information irrespective of the artifact's geometry, and one with the capability of capturing color information with high accuracy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 244–259, 2009
Development of Mobile Applications in Regional Companies - Status Quo and Best Practices

Within a few years, smartphones and tablet computers have spread dramatically. While their hardware has become more powerful, the versatility of devices is driven by applications for them. These so-called apps are increasingly developed for business purposes. We wanted to find out whether apps are interesting for all businesses, how they think apps can be useful for them, in which way they consider to use them, and what kinds of challenges and problems they see. Therefore, we worked with local companies and conducted interviews. By analysing the transcripts we got detailed insights of the practial relevance of using apps. We present the status quo of app development by local companies, highlight early best practices described by them, and discuss our findings. Thereby, we raise topics for future research.
Adaptive backstepping control for a convertible UAV

This paper focuses on a convertible unmanned aerial vehicle (CUAV) whose main characteristics is to perform hover flight for launch or recovery, and horizontal mode during cruise. The dynamic model is obtained using the Newton-Euler approach and it considers the aerodynamic effects. An adaptive backstepping control, based on quaternions, is proposed for the complete operation of the CUAV. The closed-loop system guarantees the stability under a singularity-free representation. Numerical simulations show the performance of the aerial vehicle and the stabilization of the closed-loop system, and finally the avionics of the CUAV is described.
Voltage-based adaptive impedance force control for a lower-limb rehabilitation robot

This paper presents a novel voltage-based adaptive impedance force control for a lower limb rehabilitation robot. The impedance parameters are adaptively regulated by a gradient descent algorithm for adjusting the human force in performing therapeutic exercises. Although the proposed control is based on voltage control strategy, it differs from the common torque control strategy. One of the advantages is that it is free from the dynamical models of the robot and patient. Compared with a torque control scheme, it is simpler, less computational, and more efficient while it considers the actuators. The control approach is verified by stability analysis. Simulation results show the efficiency of the control approach applied on a lower limb rehabilitation robot driven by an electric motor. A comparison on performing isometric exercise shows that the voltage-based adaptive impedance force control is superior to both voltage-based impedance control and torque-based impedance control.
Dual-Energy Computed Tomography in Stroke Imaging: Technical and Clinical Considerations of Virtual Noncontrast Images for Detection of the Hyperdense Artery Sign

Objective The technical feasibility of virtual noncontrast (VNC) images from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for the detection of the hyperdense artery sign (HAS) in ischemic stroke patients was investigated. Methods True noncontrast (TNC) scans of 60 patients either with or without HAS (n = 30 each) were investigated. Clot presence and characteristics were assessed on VNC images from DECT angiography and compared with TNC images. Clot characterization included the level of confidence for diagnosing HAS, a qualitative clot burden score, and quantitative attenuation (Hounsfield unit [HU]) measurements. Results Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of VNC for diagnosing HAS were 97%, 90%, and 93%, respectively. No significant differences were found regarding the diagnostic confidence (P = 0.18) and clot burden score (P = 0.071). No significant HU differences were found among vessels with HAS in VNC (56 ± 7HU) and TNC (57 ± 8HU) (P = 0.691) images. Conclusions Virtual noncontrast images derived from DECT enable an accurate detection and characterization of HAS.
Vagally evoked synaptic currents in the immature rat nucleus tractus solitarii in an intact in vitro preparation

1 Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings in an in vitro brainstem‐cranial nerve explant preparation were used to assess the local circuitry activated by vagal input to nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurones in immature rats. 2 All neurones that responded to vagal stimulation displayed EPSCs of relatively constant latency. Approximately 50 % of these also demonstrated variable‐latency IPSCs, and ∼31 % also displayed variable‐latency EPSCs to vagal stimulation. All neurones also had spontaneous EPSCs and IPSCs. 3 Evoked and spontaneous EPSCs reversed near 0 mV and were blocked by the glutamate AMPA/kainate receptor antagonists 6,7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (DNQX) or 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX) at rest. Evoked EPSCs had rapid rise times (< 1 s) and decayed monoexponentially (τ= 2.04 ± 0.03 ms) at potentials near rest. 4 At holding potentials positive to ∼−50 mV, a slow EPSC could be evoked in the presence of DNQX or CNQX. This current peaked at holding potentials near −25 mV and was blocked by the NMDA receptor antagonist dl‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovaleric acid (AP5). It was therefore probably due to activation of NMDA receptors by vagal afferent fibres. 5 Fast IPSCs reversed near −70 mV and were blocked by the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline. In addition, bicuculline enhanced excitatory responses to vagal stimulation and increased spontaneous EPSC frequency. Antagonists to AMPA/kainate receptors reversibly blocked stimulus‐associated IPSCs and also decreased the frequency of spontaneous IPSCs. 6 These findings suggest that glutamate mediates synaptic transmission from the vagus nerve to neurones in the immature NTS by acting at non‐NMDA and NMDA receptors. NTS neurones may also receive glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic input from local neurones that can be activated by vagal input and/or regulated by amino acid inputs from other brainstem neurones.1. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings in an in vitro brainstem‐cranial nerve explant preparation were used to assess the local circuitry activated by vagal input to nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurones in immature rats.
Portal vein obstruction after liver transplantation in children treated by simultaneous minilaparotomy and transhepatic approaches: Initial experience

Carnevale FC, Santos ACB, Seda‐Neto J, Zurstrassen CE, Moreira AM, Carone E, Marcelino ASZ, Porta G, Pugliese R, Miura I, Baggio VD, Guimarães T, Cerri GG, Chapchap P. Portal vein obstruction after liver transplantation in children treated by simultaneous minilaparotomy and transhepatic approaches: Initial experience. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 47–52. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Biochemical characterization of argininosuccinate lyase from M. tuberculosis: significance of a c‐terminal cysteine in catalysis and thermal stability

Arginine biosynthesis pathway is crucial to the survival and pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Arginine is a critical amino acid that contributes to the inflection of cellular immune responses during pathogenesis. Argininosuccinate lyase from Mtb (MtArgH), the last enzyme in the pathway, catalyzes the production of arginine from argininosuccinic acid. MtArgH is an essential enzyme for the growth and survival of M. tuberculosis. We biochemically characterized MtArgH and deciphered the role of a previously unexplored cysteine (Cys441) residue at the C‐terminal region of the protein. Chemical modification of Cys441 completely abrogated the enzymatic activity suggesting its involvement in the catalytic mechanism. Replacement of Cys441 to alanine showed a striking decrease in the enzymatic activity, while retaining the overall secondary to quaternary structure of the protein, hence corroborating the involvement of Cys441 in the process of catalysis. Interestingly, replacement of Cys441 to serine, showed significant increase in activity, as compared to the wild‐type MtArgH. Inactivity of C441A and elevated activity of its conservative mutant (C441S) confirmed the participation of Cys441 in the MtArgH activity. We also, observed that C441S mutant has higher thermal stability and maintains significant activity at high temperatures. This is in concordance with our observation that Cys441 in Mtb is replaced by a serine in the ArgH from thermophilic microorganisms. Furthermore, we also propose a potential feedback mechanism, wherein the Cys441 is covalently modified to S‐(2‐succinyl) cysteine (succination) by one of the products, fumarate, thereby inactivating MtArgH. These insights into the mechanism of MtArgH activity unravel novel regulations of arginine biosynthetic pathway in Mtb. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(11):896–907, 2017
Dynamical firewall for directional spike propagation in a recurrent network : its directional selectivity and ubiquity

We show firewall causing directional spike propagation in a recurrent network. The firewall is inhibition that dynamically and ubiquitously emerges in a recurrent network and is selectively activated by spike propagation in a particular direction. Therefore, the dynamical firewall can control spike propagation emerging from any site in a network. Keywords— Dynamical Firewall, Directional Spike Propagation, Recurrent Network, Inhibition, CA3
Dementia Screening in Primary Care: Not Too Fast!

A fundamental tenet of any screening program is that it should “reduce individual and societal burden from specific disorders. ”1 Screening is predicated on the assumption that early detection and subsequent treatment will improve the clinical course for individuals without symptoms. Conversely, when an individual presents with complaints of memory problems, the physician engages in case-finding. 1 Screening for some conditions in some populations has resulted in improvements in individual and societal burdens of diseases (e.g., colon and breast cancer), but screening can also cause individual and societal harm (e.g., prostate-specific antigen testing). According to the 2003 report of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for dementia in primary care.2
Upper Urinary Tract Tumors: Which Diagnostic Methods Are Needed?

Objectives: We reviewed the data of patients with upper urinary tract (UUT) tumors to evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic procedures. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated tumor characteristics, imaging procedures, epidemiological and follow-up data of 113 patients. We analyzed the importance of non-invasive and endoscopic diagnosis in addition to imaging as well as the influence of stage and grade on recurrence rate. Results: Most tumors were urothelial carcinomas (92.9%). The cardinal symptoms were hematuria (40.7%), flank pain (2.7%), and urinary obstruction (14.2%). Forty-seven patients received intravenous urograms (IVUs), 57 retrograde ureteropyelography (RUP), 89 CTs, 6 an MRI. The correct positive tumor identification was reached by IVU in 27/47 patients, by RUP in 50/57, by CT in 74/89, and by MRI in 3/6 patients representing sensitivities of 57.4% (IVU), 87.7% (RUP), 83.1% (CT), and 50% (MRI). Sixty-four patients had urine cytology, which was correctly positive in 60.9% and 56 had a diagnostic ureterorenoscopy, which was correctly positive in 83.9%. During follow-up more than 20% of patients developed a recurrence. Conclusion: In patients with hematuria and flank pain, UUT must be considered a differential diagnosis. UUT to the extent of 76.6% showed more invasive growth (>Ta). Thus, rapid and efficient diagnosis based primarily on imaging is required. Contrast CT scan seems to be the imaging modality with the best performance. However, often only a combination of diagnostic procedures gives a certain diagnosis. Due to the high recurrence rate, close follow-up is needed.