Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deoxyribonucleic acid content in delayed mouse blastocysts.

It has been demonstrated that mouse blastocysts in delay, either lactational or following ovariectomy, are metabolically quite inactive (see McLaren, 1972). Although cell division continues in the first few days following the onset of delay (McLaren, 1968), mitotic figures are not seen in blastocysts held in delay for several days (McLaren, 1968; see Table 1). Just as trophoblast outgrowth characteristic of the implantation event may be reproduced in the appropriate culture media (Mintz, 1964; Cole & Paul, 1965), so too can delay of this event be achieved in vitro. Gwatkin (1966) has shown that omission of arginine and leucine from Eagle's medium can prevent trophoblast outgrowth from blastocysts for several days. Viability is apparently unaffected, as restoration of the missing amino acids to the medium after 7 days results in trophoblast outgrowth (Gwatkin, 1966); furthermore, two normal 10th day embryos were found 6? days after transfer to pseudopregnant mothers of twelve blastocysts delayed in vitro for 4 days (C. F. Graham and M. I. Sherman, unpublished). Because cell division is depressed in delayed blastocysts in vivo and in vitro, nuclear DNA contents were measured to determine the stage in the cell cycle at which blockage had occurred. Table 1 shows that at the time of measure¬ ment {7\ days post coitum {p.c. ) for blastocysts maintained in delay in culture, 9£ days p.c. for blastocysts in ovariectomized hosts), mitotic figures were absent. Cultured blastocysts showed no increase in cell number (cf. Sample 2 with Sample 1, normal blastocysts obtained at noon on the 4th day of pregnancy), suggesting that introduction into the delay medium caused a relatively rapid cessation of cell division. On the other hand, some blastocysts in ovariec¬ tomy delay (Sample 3) showed substantial increases in cell number before cell division ceased. This has been previously reported by McLaren (1968) for blastocysts in lactational delay. The DNA contents of nuclei from normal and delayed blastocysts can be seen in the histograms in Text-fig. 1. The absorbance of Feulgen-stained euploid 2C and 4C nuclei (where C is the haploid amount of DNA) has been determined by measurements on adult liver nuclei (Text-fig. ID). Text-figure 1A shows that the large majority of nuclei in ovariectomydelayed blastocysts contain less than 2-5 times the haploid amount of DNA. It is, thus, assumed that the block in the cell cycle is mainly in the Gl phase * Present address : Department of Cell Biology, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, U.S.A. f Present address: Unit of Developmental Botany, University of Cambridge, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge.
Liver transplant waiting time does not correlate with waiting list mortality: Implications for liver allocation policy

Factors associated with the risk for mortality once placed on the liver transplant waiting list and how this risk relates to center‐specific waiting time and transplant activity have not been adequately evaluated. We performed this study to determine the association between center‐specific waiting time and waiting list mortality among liver transplant candidates stratified by medical urgency at the time of registration. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate 2‐year mortality risk for a cohort of 16,414 registrants added to the United Network for Organ Sharing liver transplant waiting list between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 1997. After controlling for confounding variables, we calculated the mortality risk for centers, organ procurement organizations (OPOs), and states. The relation between center‐specific waiting list mortality risk and median waiting time or transplant activity was determined by linear regression. In multivariate analyses, higher initial medical urgency status (relative risk [RR] = 12.8; P < .001), increasing age (P < .001), black ethnicity (RR = 1.29; P < .001), history of previous transplant (RR = 1.2; P = .009), certain liver diagnoses, and smaller center size (RR = 1.39; P = .008) were associated with significantly increased waiting list mortality. Candidates with blood type A (RR = 0.87; P < .001) and those with cholestatic cirrhosis as the primary diagnosis (RR = 0.73; P < 0.001) had a reduced risk for dying. There were significant variations in 2‐year waiting list mortality risk among centers, OPOs, and states. However, when stratified by medical urgency status at waiting list entry, center‐specific waiting time and transplantation rates accounted for almost none of the center‐specific waiting list mortality. Although there are variations in waiting list mortality risk among centers, OPOs, and states, there is very little relation between center‐specific waiting list mortality and center‐specific median waiting time or center‐specific transplantation rates when stratified by medical urgency. Waiting time and center transplant rates should not influence liver allocation policy.
Evaluation of optimal and sub-optimal speech noise reduction wiener filters

This paper presents a comparative evaluation of Wiener optimal and sub-optimal finite impulse response filters, which allows a balance between noise reduction and distortion insertion, by setting a parameter α. This is done observing an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system error rate. The ASR system in these paper is tested for Brazilian Portuguese. The percentage of correctly recognized words is obtained for speech signals subject to Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN), for an SNR ranging from zero to 20 dB, using filtered speech signals. To evaluate the distortion effect caused by filtering, the filtered version of clean speech signals is processed by the recognizer, and it is observed that the error rate decreases with the reduction of the parameter α. The application of a suboptimal filter, with α = 0.7, produces the highest recognition rate. The observed improvement is 10% for the lowest SNR and 14% for the highest SNR. It is observed that the output SNR increases with parameter α.
Multifrequency Method for Measuring Properties of Shock Tube Produced Plasma

A novel multifrequency method is introduced in this paper for measuring the plasma produced by a Φ800-mm shock tube. The core of the measured object is a volume of relatively uniform plasma contained by the rectangular test section, and the dual-frequency or multifrequency configuration of the measuring system enables the coherent cancellation of measurement deviations. Based on the Lorentz model of plasma, the obvious correspondence exists between the plasma parameters and the transmittance variation with different frequencies of the electromagnetic wave; hence, the electron density Ne and the collision frequency ν of the plasma could be retrieved according to the measured transmittance. A dual-frequency system is established as the verification of the proposed method. The measured values of the electron density by the proposed method are compared with those obtained by other means, and the results are in good agreement.
Remote estimation of carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio in vertical layers using canopy multi-angle spectral data

Precise estimation of the ratio of carotenoid to chlorophyll (Car/Chl) in crop is very important in precision agriculture and early detection of stress. Car/Chl value in leaves is considered as an indicator of stress, especially in the middle-layer and bottom-layer of crop. Traditional remote estimation of Car/Chl was based on the data obtained from the nadir. However, there are few studies focusing on the monitoring of Car/Chl in middle-layer and bottom-layer of crop. The objective of this study was to accurately estimate the Car/Chl in vertical layers, especially in the middle-layer and bottom-layer, using in-situ canopy multi-angle spectral data. We took the winter wheat as the research target, the spectral reflectance at nadir, ±20°, ±40°, ±60° viewing angles and leaf carotenoid and chlorophyll content of the bottom-layer, middle-layer and upper-layer measurement were measured, respectively. Two types of models, vegetation indices (VIs) and neural neural network (NN) were employed. It was concluded that -20° observing angle performed best for Car/Chl estimation in the middle-layer, with highest R2 of 0.68 for the MTCI model, and 0.86 for the ANN model, respectively. As for the bottom-layer, the NN achieved better results than the PRI model, corresponding R2 values were 0.76 and 0.60, and viewing angles were nadir and +40°, respectively. Additionally, the NN and SIPI models also performed well for Car/Chl assessment in the upper-layer, corresponding viewing angles were nadir and +60°. The results support the use of multi-angle observations for a quick crop Car/Chl estimation in vertical layers and contribute to the precise fertilizer and production management.
Ga-Optimized Parameters of Sliding-Mode Controller Based on Both Output voltage and Input Current With an Application in the PFC of AC/DC Converters

In this work, analysis and optimization of sliding-mode controller parameters are treated, in order to govern a static power converter. In this case, an ac-dc boost power factor corrector is used; generally, these kinds of converters are applied to obtain a power factor near to unity. Advantage that the designed controller can give is the improvement of dynamic and static performances in cases of large disturbances. Simple sliding surface contains, in most cases, only one variable; in this study, analyzed surface includes two variables, which are continuous output voltage and rectified sinusoidal input current; the benefit of this surface is getting react against various disturbances, as be at the input power parameters, or the value of the load. The whole controller and converter is tested by simulation and experimentally for steady-state and transient responses.
A phase-shift self-oscillating stereo class-D amplifier for battery-powered applications

This paper presents a highly efficient stereo audio amplifier, based on a self-oscillating modulator. This modulation scheme has been analyzed and shows to have a higher bandwidth and error correction than standard Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). A practical implementation in CMOS 0.25um technology has been done to validate our theoretical and simulation results, based on a modified PWM amplifier. Our amplifier demonstrated a Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise (THD+N) as low as 0.007%, current consumption is 3.88mA at 3.6V (stereo) and the efficiency reaches 88% into 8Ohms. The integrated circuit measures 1.6×1.6mm and is able to work at supply voltages from 2.3V to 5.5V.
Curability of Recurrent Disseminated Disease After Surgery Alone for Local-Regional Neuroblastoma Using Intensive Chemotherapy and Anti-GD2 Immunotherapy

Purpose A reluctance to treat local-regional neuroblastoma by surgery alone derives partly from concern that if widespread neuroblastoma develops, the chance for cure is small, and partly from hope that mild chemotherapy will prevent relapse. The authors report on a series of patients who had distant recurrences after surgery alone for local-regional neuroblastoma. Methods Seven patients treated with surgery alone for local-regional neuroblastoma had widespread relapses 2.5 to 25 (median 7) months later and were treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). During the period of this study (1995–1999), MSKCC patients with high-risk neuroblastoma received the N7 protocol (dose-intensive chemotherapy, immunotherapy with the anti-GD2 3F8 antibody, targeted radiotherapy using 131I-3F8, local radiotherapy) if they had assessable disease, or 3F8 plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) followed by 13-cis-retinoic acid if they were in remission after treatment elsewhere. Results Five patients were in complete remission 3 years 11 months to 7 years 4 months from the start of retrieval therapy, including three who received all of their N7 treatment of relapsed neuroblastoma at MSKCC, one who received two cycles of chemotherapy elsewhere before starting N7, and one who was referred for 3F8/GM-CSF because of neuroblastoma cells in pretransplantation bone marrow. Conclusions The encouraging survival results of our cohort are consistent with the concept that surgery alone for local-regional neuroblastoma might be beneficial to the overall neuroblastoma population because many patients will never need chemotherapy (and will therefore be spared its potential toxicities), and most of those who do have widespread relapses are likely to be cured with contemporary treatments.
Cryo‐protective effect of an ice‐binding protein derived from Antarctic bacteria

Cold environments are populated by organisms able to contravene deleterious effects of low temperature by diverse adaptive strategies, including the production of ice binding proteins (IBPs) that inhibit the growth of ice crystals inside and outside cells. We describe the properties of such a protein (EfcIBP) identified in the metagenome of an Antarctic biological consortium composed of the ciliate Euplotes focardii and psychrophilic non‐cultured bacteria. Recombinant EfcIBP can resist freezing without any conformational damage and is moderately heat stable, with a midpoint temperature of 66.4 °C. Tested for its effects on ice, EfcIBP shows an unusual combination of properties not reported in other bacterial IBPs. First, it is one of the best‐performing IBPs described to date in the inhibition of ice recrystallization, with effective concentrations in the nanomolar range. Moreover, EfcIBP has thermal hysteresis activity (0.53 °C at 50 μm) and it can stop a crystal from growing when held at a constant temperature within the thermal hysteresis gap. EfcIBP protects purified proteins and bacterial cells from freezing damage when exposed to challenging temperatures. EfcIBP also possesses a potential N‐terminal signal sequence for protein transport and a DUF3494 domain that is common to secreted IBPs. These features lead us to hypothesize that the protein is either anchored at the outer cell surface or concentrated around cells to provide survival advantage to the whole cell consortium.
Feasibility Study of 4G Cellular Antennas for Eyewear Communicating Devices

A feasibility study of 4G cellular antennas operating in the LTE, GSM, DCS, PCS, and WLAN2400 standards for wirelessly connected eyewear is presented. The target bands are 700-960 MHz and 1.7-2.7 GHz. The antenna designs are capacitive coupling element types, with simple layout printed on one side of the printed circuit board (PCB) substrate. Three different antennas are examined in terms of obtainable bandwidth potential, reflection coefficient, and specific absorption rate (SAR) values considering two human-head models (SAM and Visible Human). The best antenna is -6 dB matched and has radiation efficiencies around 14% and 36% in respectively low and high frequency bands. Based on simulation data, SAR values could be above the 1-g standards.
A mills cross multiplicative array with the power pattern of a conventional planar array

The Mills Cross can be used to obtain a multiplicative pattern equal to the power pattern of a conventional planar array but with fewer elements. As the array sizes increase the saving in elements as given by the thinning factor TM, also increases, with significant savings for large arrays. Moreover, the multiplicative T-array can do the same but with approximately frac34 of the number of elements needed by the Mills Cross. Finally, those arrays can be used to simulate a planar array with any power pattern of the factorable form given by equation in Elliot, R. S. (1981).
Mode Analysis of Phase-Constant Nonreciprocity in Ferrite-Embedded CRLH Metamaterials

SUMMARY Phase-nonreciprocal e-negative and CRLH metamaterials are analyzed using a new approach in which field analysis and transmission line model are combined. The examined one-dimensional nonreciprocal metamaterials are composed of a ferrite-embedded microstrip line periodically loaded with shunt stubs. In the present approach, the phase constant nonreciprocity is analytically estimated and formulated under the assumption of operating frequency far above the ferromagnetic resonant frequency. The present approach gives a good explanation to the phenomenon in terms of ferromagnetic properties of the ferrite and asymmetric geometry of the metamaterial structure, showing a good agreement with numerical simulations and experiment.
Fine genetic mapping using haplotype analysis and the missing data problem

The genetic basis of many human diseases, especially those with substantial genetic determinants, has been identified. Notable amongst others are cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease and some forms of cancer. However, the detection of genetic factors with more modest effects such as in bipolar disorders and a majority of the cancers, has been more complicated. Standard linkage analysis procedures may not only have little power to detect such genes but they do, at best, only narrow the location of the disease susceptibility gene to a rather large region. Association studies are therefore necessary to further unveil the aetiological relevance of these factors to disease. However, the number of tests required if such procedures were used in extended genome‐wide screens, is prohibitive and as such association studies have seen limited application, except in the investigation of candidate genes. In this paper, we discuss a logistic regression approach as a generalization of this procedure so that it can accommodate clusters of linked markers or candidate genes. Furthermore, we introduce an expectation maximization (E–M) algorithm with which to estimate haplotype frequencies for multiple locus systems with incomplete information on phase.
FAK Is the Upstream Signal Protein of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Akt Survival Pathway in Hydrogen Peroxide-induced Apoptosis of a Human Glioblastoma Cell Line*

Protein phosphorylation in a human glioblastoma cell line, T98G, was examined after exposure to oxidative stressin vitro. Hydrogen peroxide (1 mm) markedly induced tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and serine phosphorylation of Akt at 1 h after stimulation. Concommitantly, the association of FAK with phosphatidylinositide 3′-OH-kinase (PI 3-kinase) was also observed by the hydrogen peroxide stimulation. When T98G cells were incubated with wortmannin, a PI 3-kinase inhibitor, both PI 3-kinase activity and phosphorylation of Akt were inhibited, whereas apoptosis by oxidative stress was accelerated. Concomitant with apoptosis, elevated level of CPP32 protease activity (caspase-3) was observed, with decreases in Bcl-2 protein and increases in Bax protein. These results suggested that in the signal transduction pathway from FAK to PI 3-kinase, Akt promotes survival. Thus, it became apparent that FAK is the upstream signal protein of the PI 3-kinase-Akt survival pathway in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in T98G cells.
A Measurement-Based Approach for Speed Control of Induction Machines

This paper presents an approach to design a measurement-based controller for induction machines. The proposed control approach is motivated by the fact that developing an appropriate mechanical model of such induction machines is a challenging task. Since our proposed control methodology is only on the basis of measured data, the controller design does not require any information about the model of the mechanical part. The control of motor drive is often based on sensorless field-oriented control techniques because of their advantages such as noise and cost reductions and high reliability. Hence, we assume here that measurements used for the controller design are collected using an estimator based on the electrical equations of the induction machine. A practical application to control the speed of an induction machine is presented to validate and demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Feeling, learning from and being aware of inner states: interoceptive dimensions in neurodegeneration and stroke

Interoception is a complex process encompassing multiple dimensions, such as accuracy, learning and awareness. Here, we examined whether each of those dimensions relies on specialized neural regions distributed throughout the vast interoceptive network. To this end, we obtained relevant measures of cardiac interoception in healthy subjects and patients offering contrastive lesion models of neurodegeneration and focal brain damage: behavioural variant fronto-temporal dementia (bvFTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and fronto-insular stroke. Neural correlates of the three dimensions were examined through structural and functional resting-state imaging, and online measurements of the heart-evoked potential (HEP). The three patient groups presented deficits in interoceptive accuracy, associated with insular damage, connectivity alterations and abnormal HEP modulations. Interoceptive learning was differentially impaired in AD patients, evidencing a key role of memory networks in this skill. Interoceptive awareness results showed that bvFTD and AD patients overestimated their performance; this pattern was related to abnormalities in anterior regions and associated networks sub-serving metacognitive processes, and probably linked to well-established insight deficits in dementia. Our findings indicate how damage to specific hubs in a broad fronto-temporo-insular network differentially compromises interoceptive dimensions, and how such disturbances affect widespread connections beyond those critical hubs. This is the first study in which a multiple lesion model reveals fine-grained alterations of body sensing, offering new theoretical insights into neuroanatomical foundations of interoceptive dimensions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Interoception beyond homeostasis: affect, cognition and mental health’.
An innovation capability evaluation model based on AHP and training strategy of college students

As we all know, innovation is an inexhaustible driving force for social progress and technological development. For higher education carrying train qualified person to meet the social demand, an important task it must face is innovation education. This paper has determined the capacity of research and innovation through 15 universities investigation, they are learning ability, practical ability and innovation ability. With the help of AHP to build evaluation model of college students' ability to innovate, and to determine the weight of each indicator, and on this basis, the paper pointed out the universities need to establish a social demand, build practice platform, developed to enhance research and innovation capacity of university students new initiatives.
Can complex structures be generically stable in a noisy world?

Toom's "NEC" cellular automaton is a simple model or dynamical "rule" that succeeds in producing two-phase coexistence generically, i.e., over a nonzero fraction of its two-dimensional parameter space. This paper reviews and explains the behavior of the NEC rule and discusses the implications of the rule for the generic stabilization of complex structures. Much of the discussion is based on work performed almost twenty years ago by Charles Bennett and the author.