Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A microwave scattering model for layered vegetation

A microwave scattering model was developed for layered vegetation based on an iterative solution of the radiative transfer equation up to the second order to account for multiple scattering within the canopy and between the ground and the canopy. The model is designed to operate over a wide frequency range for both deciduous and coniferous forest and to account for the branch size distribution, leaf orientation distribution, and branch orientation distribution for each size. The canopy is modeled as a two-layered medium above a rough interface. The upper layer is the crown, containing leaves, stems, and branches. The lower layer is the trunk region, modeled as randomly positioned cylinders with a preferred orientation distribution above an irregular soil surface. Comparisons of results obtained using this model with measurements from deciduous and coniferous forests show good agreement at several frequencies for both like and cross polarizations. >
HVDC, the next generation of transmission highlights with focus on extruded cable systems

Our world carries an increasing burden of increasing CO2 emissions. Rather than rationing the use of electric power we should all together organize ourselves towards a positive solution that benefits growth and a sustainable society. A corner stone is the HVDC technology that makes it possible to transport sustainable energy to the regions of consumptions that are often far away from each other. Todaypsilas commercially available highest HVDC transmission voltage is 800 kV. This system makes use of classic converter stations. The newer HVDC light technology, VSC converters and extruded cable systems that are commercially available, are characterized today by a highest voltage of 320 kV and 1000-1200 MW of transmission power. This article describes the need for higher HVDC transmission powers, the general technology of the VSC converter stations and an in-depth description of HVDC technology with a focus on extruded cable systems.
Representations of Disability within Occupational Therapy Literature – A discourse analysis

The aim of this thesis is to explore what understandings of disability are evident in the literature used at Bachelor programs in Occupational Therapy in Norway. A therapist’s understanding of disability can be assumed to affect how they work, consequently affecting disabled people as their clients. This, coupled with financial saving measures in the healthcare sector (such as utilising different professionals according to their expertise) makes it relevant to know what understanding of disability is present within a profession. Two research questions have been formulated to explore the understandings in the literature: How is disability represented in occupational therapy literature used at Bachelor programs in Occupational Therapy in Norway? and Which is the dominant discourse concerning disability conveyed through course literature at Bachelor programs in Occupational Therapy in Norway? This thesis is a literature study and the method used to explore the subject is Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. Literature lists were collected from the five schools that offer Bachelor programs in occupational therapy in Norway. The most frequently used literature/chapters at all schools are included in the study.Two understandings of disability were found in the texts; a traditional OT (occupational therapy) understanding and an understanding based on ICF. Three discourses were found, the medical, relational and individual, which all explain different aspects of the understandings. Within the traditional OT understanding, disability is understood as a problem, defined by the individual, with performing an activity or participating. It is caused by or in the interaction between the activity, the environment and the person. Within the ICF understanding disability is understood as resulting from the relationship between a person’s possible impairment and their level of activity and participation. Disability is positively or negatively affected by the person’s health, the environment and personal factors.The traditional OT understanding is stronger within the analysed literature. The understandings cannot replace one another, and with support from other research, the conclusion is drawn that the understandings should complement and learn from each other while they continue to develop.
Use of Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Typing To Differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Family Isolates from Hong Kong and Comparison with IS6110 Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Typing and Spoligotyping

ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing family isolates may cause more than a quarter of all tuberculosis cases worldwide, are emerging in some areas, and are often associated with drug resistance. Early recognition of transmission of this genotype is therefore important. To evaluate the usefulness of variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) typing to discriminate and recognize strains of the Beijing family, M. tuberculosis isolates from Hong Kong were subjected to VNTR analysis, spoligotyping, and IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing. The allelic diversity of the 14 VNTR loci included in the analysis varied from 0 to 0.618 among Beijing strains. The discriminatory power of VNTR analysis was slightly lower than that of IS6110 RFLP. Our analysis shows that VNTR typing, which has many practical advantages over RFLP typing, can be used for epidemiological studies of Beijing strains. However, VNTR-defined clusters should be subtyped with IS6110 RFLP for maximal resolution.
Medical Homes: Challenges in Translating Theory Into Practice

The concept of the medical home has existed since the 1960s, but has recently become a focus for discussion and innovation in the health care system. The most prominent definitions of the medical home are those presented by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and the Commonwealth Fund. These definitions share: adoption of health information technology and decision support systems, modification of clinical practice patterns, and ensuring continuity of care. Each of these components is a complex undertaking, and there is scant evidence to guide assessment of diverse strategies for achieving their integration into a medical home. Without a shared vocabulary and common definitions, policy-makers seeking to encourage the development of medical homes, providers seeking to improve patient care, and payers seeking to develop appropriate systems of reimbursement will face challenges in evaluating and disseminating the medical home model.
Inflammation Induces TDP-43 Mislocalization and Aggregation

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a major component in aggregates of ubiquitinated proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Here we report that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation can promote TDP-43 mislocalization and aggregation. In culture, microglia and astrocytes exhibited TDP-43 mislocalization after exposure to LPS. Likewise, treatment of the motoneuron-like NSC-34 cells with TNF-alpha (TNF-α) increased the cytoplasmic levels of TDP-43. In addition, the chronic intraperitoneal injection of LPS at a dose of 1mg/kg in TDP-43A315T transgenic mice exacerbated the pathological TDP-43 accumulation in the cytoplasm of spinal motor neurons and it enhanced the levels of TDP-43 aggregation. These results suggest that inflammation may contribute to development or exacerbation of TDP-43 proteinopathies in neurodegenerative disorders.
Brief Reviews Exchange of Calcium Ions in the Mammalian Myocardium: Mechanisms and Physiological Significance

• Calcium ions are essential for coupling between excitation of the cardiac cell membrane and activation of the contractile proteins (excitation-contraction coupling). This process can be summarized in the following way (1-3). During membrane depolarization, i.e., during the cardiac action potential, calcium (Ca) ions flow across the membrane into the cardiac muscle fiber. This influx directly and indirectly (possibly by a regenerative release of Ca from the sarcoplasmic reticulum) causes an increase in the concentration of free Ca ions in the myoplasm. In the relaxed muscle, this concentration is on the order of 10~M. During excitation, the free myoplasmic Ca concentration increases by one to two orders of magnitude, which permits binding of Ca ions to the protein troponin and ultimately leads to a contraction of the myofibrils. However, a transport system of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with a high affinity for Ca ions reduces the free myoplasmic Ca concentration again and therefore causes relaxation of the contractile proteins. Ca ions are then stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. To avoid an overload of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria with Ca, these ions are pumped out of the cell across the cell membrane (sarcolemma) apparently by a transport mechanism involving exchange of external sodium (Na) ions for internal Ca ions (Na-Ca exchange). Obviously, the sarcolemma plays an important role in the regulation of intracellular Ca concentration. Only recently, some information has become available about the mechanisms of inward Ca movement during the action potential and outward Ca transport (4-6). The following discussion summarizes the available information about the mechanisms of these Ca movements across the sarcolemma of cardiac cells. Also some basic relations between Ca movements and contractile activation are presented.
The Epithelial Calcium Channel TRPV5 Is Regulated Differentially by Klotho and Sialidase*

Background: The epithelial Ca2+ channel TRPV5 facilitates Ca2+ reabsorption in the kidney and is regulated by sialidase and the hormone klotho. Results: Sialidase stimulates TRPV5 plasma membrane stabilization in a lipid raft-dependent manner, while klotho increased cell surface expression of the channel via its N-glycan. Conclusion: Klotho and sialidase regulate TRPV5 membrane stabilization in a different manner. Significance: Understanding the regulation of TRPV5 is crucial to treat patients with Ca2+-related disorders. The transient receptor potential vanilloid type 5 (TRPV5) Ca2+ channel facilitates transcellular Ca2+ transport in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) of the kidney. The channel is glycosylated with a complex type N-glycan and it has been postulated that hydrolysis of the terminal sialic acid(s) stimulate TRPV5 activity. The present study delineates the role of the N-glycan in TRPV5 activity using biochemical assays in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells expressing TRPV5, isoelectric focusing and total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy. The anti-aging hormone klotho and other glycosidases stimulate TRPV5-dependent Ca2+ uptake. Klotho was found to increase the plasma membrane stability of TRPV5, via the TRPV5 N-glycan. Sialidase mimicked this stimulatory action. However, this effect was independent of the N-glycosylation state of TRPV5, since the N-glycosylation mutant (TRPV5N358Q) was activated to the same extent. We showed that the increased TRPV5 activity after sialidase treatment is caused by inhibition of lipid raft-mediated internalization. In addition, sialidase modified the N-glycan of transferrin, a model glycoprotein, differently from klotho. Previous studies showed that after klotho treatment, galectin-1 binds the TRPV5 N-glycan and thereby increases TRPV5 activity. However, galectin-3, but not galectin-1, was expressed in the DCT. Furthermore, an increase in TRPV5-mediated Ca2+ uptake was detected after galectin-3 treatment. In conclusion, two distinct TRPV5 stimulatory mechanisms were demonstrated; a klotho-mediated effect that is dependent on the N-glycan of TRPV5 and a sialidase-mediated stimulation that is lipid raft-dependent and independent of the N-glycan of TRPV5.
Tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina.

OBJECTIVE To compare levels of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina in order to understand the use of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), coagulation and fibrinolysis markers for cardiovascular risk assessment. METHODS The cross-sectional case-control study compared circulating concentrations of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) between patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n = 67), Unstable Angina Pectoris (UA) (n = 35) and healthy control subjects (n = 39) at the King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June 2006 to August 2007. RESULTS The patients had significantly higher hsCRP (1.06 +/- 0.11 vs 0.52 +/- 0.14, p < 0.01), fibrinogen (426.21 +/- 24.09 vs 329.32 +/- 13.93, p < 0.05), PAL-1 (44.02 +/- 6.05 vs 19.35 +/- 3.94, p < 0.01) and tPA (12.31 +/- 1.16 vs 9.49 +/- 0.86, p < 0.05) compared to the controls. Fibrinogen (329.32 +/- 13.93) and PAL-1 (19.35 +/- 3.94) were higher in both angina and infarction groups compared to the healthy subjects (p < 0.01). Between the two categories of patients the difference between Fibrinogen (449.60 +/- 52.98 vs 419.46 +/- 23.42) and PAL-1 (52.00 +/- 17.34 vs 43.19 +/- 6.10) levels were non-significant. Also, the difference in tPA levels between the controls and angina patients was nonsignificant (9.49 +/- 0.86 vs 9.91 +/- 1.24 p > 0.05). It was higher in infarction patients (14.79 +/- 3.14) compared to angina patients and the controls, (p < 0.05). Compared to the controls, hsCRP levels were significantly higher in both the patient groups (0.52 +/- 0.14, 1.05 +/- 0.28, 1.40 +/- 0.20, p < 0.01). Moreover, they were significantly higher in infarction patients than those suffering from angina (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS CAD patients had a procoagulant state and presented with higher levels of hsCRP compared to the healthy individuals. Moreover, there were significant differences in coagulation markers and hsCRP between angina and infarction patients.
Recovery of components of memory in post-traumatic amnesia

Primary objective: Post-traumatic amnesia by definition indicates significant impairment of new learning ability, however very few studies have, examined the natural history and resolution of memory and new learning during PTA. Those studies which have, tended to examine orientation separately from the memory processes required to achieve orientation. Analysis of the order of recovery of the items of the Westmead PTA scale was used to examine recovery of memory and new learning capacity. Methods: The results of daily assessment of 34 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) on the Westmead PTA scale were analysed for order of recovery. Results: The pattern of rank order of item recovery indicated that Date of Birth recovered consistently first. There was variability in the remaining items, however items reflecting long-term memory tended to recover second and items reflecting simple new learning followed. Recall of all three pictures reflecting complex new learning recovered last. Conclusion: The pattern of recovery of memory and new learning during PTA reflects a number of complex, inter-related variables including; the familiarity with the information, amount of rehearsal both before and since the accident and the number of cues available in the environment.
Regulation of kinetic and pharmacological properties of synaptic NMDA receptors depends on presynaptic exocytosis in rat hippocampal neurones

1 Using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings of NMDA EPSCs from co‐cultured rat hippocampal (CA region) neurones, developmental changes in the kinetic and pharmacological properties of synaptic NMDA receptors were investigated. During in vitro differentiation a fast decaying component increasingly contributed to NMDA EPSCs. 2 Extracellular Mg2+ (1 mM) strongly blocked NMDA EPSCs at all stages in culture. Using the NR2B subunit‐specific NMDA receptor antagonist ifenprodil (3 μM), we observed a developmental decrease in ifenprodil sensitivity of NMDA EPSCs. This suggests developmental changes in the expression of NMDA receptor subtypes. 3 To transiently block presynaptic exocytosis, we incubated presynaptic explants with tetanus toxin (TeTx) prior to cultivation. In TeTx‐pretreated cultures the occurrence of fast decaying components of NMDA EPSCs and the developmental decrease in ifenprodil sensitivity was inhibited. Our results indicate a regulatory role of presynaptic exocytosis in the expression of NMDA receptor subtypes.
Epidural Steroid Injection Therapy , Complications and Experimental Approaches Simulating Accidental Intra-Arterial Injection

Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) as minimally invasive procedures have been widely used for the relief of neck, arm, back, and leg pain potentially due to spinal stenosis, spondylolysis, or disc herniation. In rare instances, ESI therapy may cause clinical complications, some of which can be catastrophic. The surgical procedure itself including needle penetration, the potential use of contrast media, the injected medications (i.e., conventional steroids), or a combination of these in association with the original cause of the targeted pain which may include local inflammation, may account for such adverse complications. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence indicating that ischemia and/or hemorrhage (stroke) in the brain and/or spinal cord, following accidental intra arterial injection of the medication is a primary contributor to the severe neurologic events. Descriptions of experimental intra arterial injections simulating the noted catastrophic outcomes associated with ESI therapy are very limited in the literature. Identifying and describing the cause of severe ESI complications will likely rely on the establishment of new experimental models simulating intra vertebral artery or intra-radiculomedullary artery steroid injections.
Sources of Practice Knowledge Among Nurses

Several studies have been published listing sources of practice knowledge used by nurses. However, the authors located no studies that asked clinicians to describe comprehensively and categorize the kinds of knowledge needed to practice or in which the researchers attempted to understand how clinicians privilege various knowledge sources. In this article, the authors report findings from two large ethnographic case studies in which sources of practice knowledge was a subsidiary theme. They draw on data from individual and card sort interviews, as well as participant observations, to identify nurses’ sources of practice knowledge. Their findings demonstrate that nurses categorize their sources of practice knowledge into four broad groupings: social interactions, experiential knowledge, documents, and a priori knowledge. The insights gained add new understanding about sources of knowledge used by nurses and challenge the disproportionate weight that proponents of the evidence-based movement ascribe to research knowledge.
Solving Navigational Uncertainty Using Grid Cells on Robots

To successfully navigate their habitats, many mammals use a combination of two mechanisms, path integration and calibration using landmarks, which together enable them to estimate their location and orientation, or pose. In large natural environments, both these mechanisms are characterized by uncertainty: the path integration process is subject to the accumulation of error, while landmark calibration is limited by perceptual ambiguity. It remains unclear how animals form coherent spatial representations in the presence of such uncertainty. Navigation research using robots has determined that uncertainty can be effectively addressed by maintaining multiple probabilistic estimates of a robot's pose. Here we show how conjunctive grid cells in dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dMEC) may maintain multiple estimates of pose using a brain-based robot navigation system known as RatSLAM. Based both on rodent spatially-responsive cells and functional engineering principles, the cells at the core of the RatSLAM computational model have similar characteristics to rodent grid cells, which we demonstrate by replicating the seminal Moser experiments. We apply the RatSLAM model to a new experimental paradigm designed to examine the responses of a robot or animal in the presence of perceptual ambiguity. Our computational approach enables us to observe short-term population coding of multiple location hypotheses, a phenomenon which would not be easily observable in rodent recordings. We present behavioral and neural evidence demonstrating that the conjunctive grid cells maintain and propagate multiple estimates of pose, enabling the correct pose estimate to be resolved over time even without uniquely identifying cues. While recent research has focused on the grid-like firing characteristics, accuracy and representational capacity of grid cells, our results identify a possible critical and unique role for conjunctive grid cells in filtering sensory uncertainty. We anticipate our study to be a starting point for animal experiments that test navigation in perceptually ambiguous environments.
STATISTICAL CONTROL OF GROWING AND PRUNING IN RBF-LIKE NEURAL NETWORKS

Abstract: Incremental Net Pro (IncNet Pro) with local learning feature and statistically controlled growing and pruning of the network is introduced. The architecture of the net is basedon RBF networks. Extended Kalman Filter algorithm and its new fast version is proposed and used as learning algorithm. IncNet Pro is similar to theResource Allocation Network described by Platt in the main idea of the growing. The statistical novel criterion is used to determine the growing point. IncNet Pro use pruning method similar toOptimal Brain Surgeon by Hassibi, but based on Extended Kalman Filter algorithm. The Bi-radial functions are used instead of radial basis functions to obtain more flexible network.
A network-patch methodology for adapting agent-based models for directly transmitted disease to mosquito-borne disease

Mosquito-borne diseases cause significant public health burden and are widely re-emerging or emerging. Understanding, predicting, and mitigating the spread of mosquito-borne disease in diverse populations and geographies are ongoing modelling challenges. We propose a hybrid network-patch model for the spread of mosquito-borne pathogens that accounts for individual movement through mosquito habitats, extending the capabilities of existing agent-based models (ABMs) to include vector-borne diseases. The ABM are coupled with differential equations representing ‘clouds’ of mosquitoes in patches accounting for mosquito ecology. We adapted an ABM for humans using this method and investigated the importance of heterogeneity in pathogen spread, motivating the utility of models of individual behaviour. We observed that the final epidemic size is greater in patch models with a high risk patch frequently visited than in a homogeneous model. Our hybrid model quantifies the importance of the heterogeneity in the spread of mosquito-borne pathogens, guiding mitigation strategies.