Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Graphene-Coated Surface Core Fiber Polarizer

In this paper, we propose and numerically analyze a graphene-coated surface core fiber (SCF) polarizer. The loss characteristics of TE- and TM-modes are investigated. The results show that the graphene-coated SCF polarizer can produce either TE- or TM-polarized wave that can be tuned via altering the chemical potential with the external electric field. When the length of graphene sheet is 3 mm, the extinction ratios of 25.1 and 26.0 dB can be achieved at the wavelength of 1550 nm for TE- and TM-pass polarizer, respectively. The SCF has a high mechanical strength and can be made directly by chemical modifications on the core surface without destroying the fiber structure. The proposed polarizer provides a potential way to manipulate the polarization of light in all fiber-integrated devices and highly integrated optical circuits.
Sliding-mode control of boost-type unity-power-factor PWM rectifiers

A robust sliding-mode controller, suitable for the output voltage control of voltage-sourced unity-power-factor three-phase pulsewidth modulation (PWM) rectifiers, presenting no steady-state errors, is described. This "just-in-time" switching controller controls the output voltage and the line input currents, while providing bidirectional power flow, near-unity-power-factor operation, low harmonic content, fast dynamic response of the output voltage, and minimum switching frequency due to a new /spl alpha/-/spl beta/ space-vector current regulator. The voltage controller performance is compared with the behavior of the conventional proportional integral output voltage control, aided by PWM current-mode modulators, and with the nonrobust fast and slow manifold sliding-mode approach. The comparison shows that the proposed controller confers faster dynamics and does not present steady-state errors. Test results confirm that the performance of the controller is independent of system parameters and load and exceeds the performance of existing hysteretic current-mode control systems.
Fast 3D scene segmentation and classification with sequential 2D laser scanning data in urban environments

3D scene segmentation and classification are two challenging tasks for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) working in urban environments. According to the structured characters existing in urban scenes, a novel 3D scene segmentation approach is proposed based on region growing algorithm using sequential 2D laser scanning data. Since no iteration procedure is used in this approach, it can perform fast segmentation than traditional ones such as k-means based segmentation approach. A Conditional Random Field (CRF) model is utilized in our urban scene classification framework, in which each segmented patch is selected as a CRF node and the high-order cliques are generated by a clustering algorithm. The experimental results based on DUT2 dataset and KAIST dataset are given to demonstrate the validity and robustness of the proposed approach.
Identification of metastasis‐related microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as cancer‐related biomarkers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive cancer with a dismal outcome largely due to metastasis and postsurgical recurrence. We investigated whether the expression of certain miRNAs are associated with HCC metastasis. We examined the miRNA expression profiles of 482 cancerous and noncancerous specimens from radical resection of 241 patients with HCC. Using a supervised algorithm and a clinically well‐defined cohort of 131 cases, we built a unique 20‐miRNA metastasis signature that could significantly predict (P < 0.001) primary HCC tissues with venous metastases from metastasis‐free solitary tumors with 10‐fold cross‐validation. However, significant miRNAs could not be identified from the corresponding noncancerous hepatic tissues. A survival risk prediction analysis revealed that a majority of the metastasis‐related miRNAs were associated with survival. Furthermore, the 20‐miRNA tumor signature was validated in 110 additional cases as a significant independent predictor of survival (P = 0.009) and was significantly associated with both survival and relapse in 89 cases of early stage HCC (P = 0.022 and 0.002, respectively). These 20 miRNAs may provide a simple profiling method to assist in identifying patients with HCC who are likely to develop metastases/recurrence. In addition, functional analysis of these miRNAs may enhance our biological understanding of HCC metastasis. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Twinkle twinkle little DroidDream, How I wonder what you are?

Android is the most diffused environment for embedded systems. Not only mobile devices are Android powered, as matter of fact also in automotive and robotics fields, customized Android versions are currently employed. While Android offers several pro, from the stable kernel to the no usage of royalties, there are also cons, one of the most serious is related to the security of the operating systems. In particular, the official market has shown that is not able to block promptly the publication of malicious software. In this paper we discuss a model checking based approach to detect malware related to Android environment. In the evaluation we focus on the DroidDream threat, a malware able to evade the security mechanism provided by the Android official market, obtaining encouraging results.
Fusion of the NUP98 gene and the homeobox gene HOXC13 in acute myeloid leukemia with t(11;12)(p15;q13)

The NUP98 gene at 11p15 is known to be fused to DDX10, HOXA9, HOXA11, HOXA13, HOXD11, HOXD13, LEDGF, NSD1, NSD3, PMX1, RAP1GDS1, and TOP1 in various hematologic malignancies. The common theme in all NUP98 chimeras is a transcript consisting of the 5′ part of NUP98 and the 3′ portion of the partner gene; however, apart from the frequent fusion to different homeobox genes, there is no apparent similarity among the other partners. We here report a de novo acute myeloid leukemia with a t(11;12)(p15;q13), resulting in a novel NUP98/HOXC13 fusion. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses, by the use of probes covering NUP98 and the HOXC gene cluster at 12q13, revealed a fusion signal at the der(11)t(11;12), indicating a NUP98/HOXC chimera, whereas no fusion was found on the der(12)t(11;12), suggesting that the translocation was accompanied by a deletion of the reciprocal fusion gene. Reverse transcription‐PCR and sequence analyses showed that exon 16 (nucleotide 2290) of NUP98 was fused in‐frame with exon 2 (nucleotide 852) of HOXC13. Neither the HOXC13/NUP98 transcript nor the normal HOXC13 was expressed. The present results, together with previous studies of NUP98/homeobox gene fusions, strongly indicate that NUP98/HOXC13 is of pathogenetic importance in t(11;12)‐positive acute myeloid leukemia. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Capability of asymmetrical grid faults ride-through for DFIG-based Wind turbines

In order to meet the grid codes and ensure safe operation of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind energy conversion system (WECS) during asymmetrical grid faults, firstly, this paper designs low voltage ride-through (LVRT) control schemes for the back-to-back converters of DFIG-based WECS. Then, due to the converter capacity constraint, the controllable regions of DFIG during asymmetrical grid faults are analyzed by optimal method while the asymmetrical LVRT limitation of DFIG is given, which points out that DFIG-based WECS can achieve LVRT only under mild asymmetrical fault situations. At the last, a typical simulated system of a 9 MW DFIG-based wind farm connected into power system is used for case study. The simulation results validate the accuracy of the analysis for the asymmetrical LVRT capability of DFIG-based WECS.
Defects in the Acquisition of CD8 T Cell Effector Function after Priming with Tumor or Soluble Antigen Can Be Overcome by the Addition of an OX40 Agonist1

Several members of the TNFR superfamily, including OX40 (CD134), 4-1BB (CD137), and CD27 provide critical costimulatory signals that promote T cell survival and differentiation in vivo. Although several studies have demonstrated that OX40 engagement can enhance CD4 T cell responses, the mechanisms by which OX40-mediated signals augment CD8 T cell responses are still unclear. Previously, we and others have shown that OX40 engagement on Ag-specific CD8 T cells led to increased CD8 T cell expansion, survival, and the generation of greater numbers of long-lived memory cells. Currently, we demonstrate that provision of an OX40 agonist during the activation of naive CD8 T cells primed in vivo with either soluble or tumor-associated Ag significantly augments granzyme B expression and CD8 T cell cytolytic function through an IL-2-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, augmented CTL function required direct engagement of OX40 on the responding CD8 T cells and was associated with increased antitumor activity against established prostate tumors and enhanced the survival of tumor-bearing hosts. Thus, in the absence of danger signals, as is often the case in a tumor-bearing host, provision of an OX40 agonist can overcome defective CD8 T cell priming and lead to a functional antitumor response in vivo.
Advanced glycation end-products downregulating intervertebral disc cell production of proteoglycans in vitro.

OBJECT The authors sought to clarify the role, if any, of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in disc degeneration. METHODS Intervertebral discs were analyzed for the presence of AGEs and of their receptor (RAGE) by immunohistochemical analysis. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect any RAGE gene expression, and real-time PCR was used to quantify messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of aggrecan and collagen types I and II in nucleus pulposus cells treated with AGEs. Aggrecan protein concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AGEs and RAGE were localized in the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc. Advanced glycation end-products were found to significantly suppress the expression of aggrecan at both mRNA and protein levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The levels of collagen types I and II remained unchanged after treatments with AGEs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the accumulation of AGEs and their interaction with their receptor in the nucleus pulposus might result in the downregulation of aggrecan production responsible for disc degeneration.
Role of miR-19a targeting TNF-α in mediating ulcerative colitis

Abstract Objective. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a widely studied inflammatory disease associated with differential expression of genes involved in immune function, wound healing, and tissue remodeling. MicroRNAs have been reported to play a role in various cancer types. However, the mechanism of how microRNAs regulate UC remains unclear. Methods. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-19a and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in human colon tissues with UC and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced experimental colitis. Results. We identified that the expression of miR-19a was significantly reduced and TNF-α was remarkably increased in human colon tissue with UC. Moreover, this observation of miR-19a and TNF-α was also occurred in DSS-treated mice colitis. Further, we observed that miR-19a directly regulated TNF-α expression because miR-19a can suppress the expression of wild-type TNF-α reporter, but not the mutant form. The expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-8, and GM-GSF were significantly elevated upon application of miR-19a inhibitor. Conclusion. Taken together, this study determines the levels of miR-19a and TNF-α in both DSS-induced experimental murine colitis and human UC and further demonstrates that miR-19a might directly regulate TNF-α. The findings may provide a new insight in the clinical treatment of UC.
Inorganic phosphate as a signaling molecule in osteoblast differentiation

The spatial and temporal coordination of the many events required for osteogenic cells to create a mineralized matrix are only partially understood. The complexity of this process, and the nature of the final product, demand that these cells have mechanisms to carefully monitor events in the extracellular environment and have the ability to respond through cellular and molecular changes. The generation of inorganic phosphate during the process of differentiation may be one such signal. In addition to the requirement of inorganic phosphate as a component of hydroxyapatite mineral, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, a number of studies have also suggested it is required in the events preceding mineralization. However, contrasting results, physiological relevance, and the lack of a clear mechanism(s) have created some debate as to the significance of elevated phosphate in the differentiation process. More recently, a number of studies have begun to shed light on possible cellular and molecular consequences of elevated intracellular inorganic phosphate. These results suggest a model in which the generation of inorganic phosphate during osteoblast differentiation may in and of itself represent a signal capable of facilitating the temporal coordination of expression and regulation of multiple factors necessary for mineralization. The regulation of protein function and gene expression by elevated inorganic phosphate during osteoblast differentiation may represent a mechanism by which mineralizing cells monitor and respond to the changing extracellular environment. J. Cell. Biochem. 90: 234–243, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Digitally assisted RF filter Self Interference cancellation system

In FDD radios, the problem of Self Interference, where the transmitter's own noise and distortion can desensitize the receiver is traditionally solved by RF filtering. For bands with narrow duplex spacing, this selectivity comes at the cost of bulky filters and insertion loss with an associated power loss in the front end. Moreover, with the drive towards, cheaper, smaller, integrated duplexers and ultimately towards Full Duplex systems, conventional RF filtering is becoming less viable. In this paper, we described a digitally assisted RF filter system that addresses the isolation problem by means of a novel, sub band, self interference cancellation system. Sub band adaptation allows the canceller train in the presence of both blockers and on-channel wanted signals. Lab bench proof-of-concept results showing desense levels better than 0.1dB and cancellations gains > 35dB are presented for a 3GPP Band 1 cellular base station radio incorporating a ceramic duplexer with ~55dB isolation.
An optical error-correction code with spectrum domain decoding

We propose an optically (though not all-optically) decodable error-correction code. The structure of the proposed code is defined in the Fourier spectrum domain. The Fourier spectrum of the codewords has zeros. Thus, we can view any signal appearing in these spectrum zeros as the "syndrome", since the codewords have no energy in these spectrum zeros. The optical technique of the Fourier transform is used for fast decoding speed. The proposed code is nonlinear and of length eight. This code has a total of eight codewords (so the code rate is (log/sub 2/8)/8=3/8) and can correct 1.75 consecutive bit errors on average.
Glyphosate-resistant and -susceptible soybean (Glycine max) and canola (Brassica napus) dose response and metabolism relationships with glyphosate.

Experiments were conducted to determine (1) dose response of glyphosate-resistant (GR) and -susceptible (non-GR) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] and canola (Brassica napus L.) to glyphosate, (2) if differential metabolism of glyphosate to aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA) is the underlying mechanism for differential resistance to glyphosate among GR soybean varieties, and (3) the extent of metabolism of glyphosate to AMPA in GR canola and to correlate metabolism to injury from AMPA. GR50 (glyphosate dose required to cause a 50% reduction in plant dry weight) values for GR (Asgrow 4603RR) and non-GR (HBKC 5025) soybean were 22.8 kg ae ha-1 and 0.47 kg ha-1, respectively, with GR soybean exhibiting a 49-fold level of resistance to glyphosate as compared to non-GR soybean. Differential reduction in chlorophyll by glyphosate was observed between GR soybean varieties, but there were no differences in shoot fresh weight reduction. No significant differences were found between GR varieties in metabolism of glyphosate to AMPA, and in shikimate levels. These results indicate that GR soybean varieties were able to outgrow the initial injury from glyphosate, which was previously caused at least in part by AMPA. GR50 values for GR (Hyola 514RR) and non-GR (Hyola 440) canola were 14.1 and 0.30 kg ha-1, respectively, with GR canola exhibiting a 47-fold level of resistance to glyphosate when compared to non-GR canola. Glyphosate did not cause reduction in chlorophyll content and shoot fresh weight in GR canola, unlike GR soybean. Less glyphosate (per unit leaf weight) was recovered in glyphosate-treated GR canola as compared to glyphosate-treated GR soybean. External application of AMPA caused similar injury in both GR and non-GR canola. The presence of a bacterial glyphosate oxidoreductase gene in GR canola contributes to breakdown of glyphosate to AMPA. However, the AMPA from glyphosate breakdown could have been metabolized to nonphytotoxic metabolites before causing injury to GR canola. Injury in GR and non-GR canola from exogenous application of AMPA was similar.
Involvement of mitochondrial signaling pathways in the mechanism of Fas‐mediated apoptosis after spinal cord injury

Activation of the Fas receptor has been recently linked to apoptotic cell death after spinal cord injury (SCI). Although it is generally considered that Fas activation mediates apoptosis predominantly through the extrinsic pathway, we hypothesized that intrinsic mitochondrial signaling could be involved in the underlying mechanism of Fas‐induced apoptosis after SCI. In the present study, we utilized the FejotaTM clip compression model of SCI at T5–6 in C57BL/6 Fas‐deficient (lpr) and wild‐type mice. Complementary studies were conducted using an in vitro model of trauma or a Fas‐activating antibody to induce apoptosis in primary neuronal–glial mixed spinal cord cultures. After in vivo SCI, lpr mice, in comparison with wild‐type mice, exhibited reduced numbers of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)‐positive cells at the lesion, reduced expression of truncation of Bid (tBid), apoptosis‐inducing factor, activated caspase‐9 and activated caspase‐3, and increased expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL. After in vitro neurotrauma or the induction of Fas signaling by the Jo2 activating antibody, lpr spinal cord cultures showed an increased proportion of cells retaining mitochondrial membrane integrity and a reduction of tBid expression, caspase‐9 and caspase‐3 activation, and TUNEL‐positive cells as compared to wild‐type spinal cord cultures. The neutralization of Fas ligand (FasL) protected against traumatically induced or Fas‐mediated caspase‐3 activation and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and tBid expression in wild‐type spinal cord cultures. However, in lpr spinal cord cultures, FasL neutralization had no protective effects. In summary, these data provide direct evidence for the induction of intrinsic mitochondrial signaling pathways following Fas activation after SCI.
Compact directive parasitic element antenna for wireless communications systems

This article presents a design of a new compact planar Yagi-Uda antenna with three parasitic element fed by coplanar waveguide (CPW). The antenna is realized on multi-layer substrate (FR4) with 1.58mm of thickness and a relative permittivity of 4.4. The antenna is intended to operate at the ISM band with an obtained realized gain of 6.7 dB and a 184 MHz of bandwidth. The design of the antenna is carried out using the commercial electromagnetic simulator CST Microwaves Studio. The measured results of the whole system satisfied the simulated performances.
Analysis of seafloor depth anomalies between the ascension and St. Helena Islands, South Atlantic

Observed seafloor depths from 12 kHz bathymetry coupled with seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies were used to obtain depth anomalies across the Mid-Atlantic ridge axis between 2oS and 18oS. The theoretical seafloor depths were calculated from the plate cooling model and crustal ages depicted from seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies between 0 to 25 Ma. We noticed that the seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies are symmetric with respect to the ridge axis between Ascension and St. Helena Islands, but the depth anomalies are quite asymmetric. The east side of the ridge axis is shallower (~ 1,000 meters) than the west side, probably as a result of a thermal upwelling of the lithosphere. We suggest that a mantle plume located on the African Plate, which could represent a larger swell linked to Ascension, St. Helena and Fernando Po-Annobon Volcanic Lineament, might cause this type of anomaly.
Recognition of Lexical tones for isolated syllables and disyllables in Mandarin speech

This study purposes a method for recognizing the lexical tones in Mandarin speech. The method is based on Vector Quantization (VQ) and Hidden Markov Models (HMM). The pitch periods are extracted to derive the feature vectors which represent pitch height and pitch contour slope. One HMM is trained by the feature vectors of monosyllables for each tone. Then the HMMs are used to recognize the tone of monosyllables and disyllables. For the monosyllables, the accuracy rate can be 93.75% for speaker-independent cases. For the disyllables, the accuracy rates are 93% for the first syllables and 90% for the second syllables. It shows that the tone of the second syllable may be affected by the preceding syllable. This degradation also reveals the fact of tone variation in Mandarin speech.
Is the Role of External Feedback in Auditory Skill Learning Age Dependent?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of external feedback in auditory perceptual learning of school-age children as compared with that of adults. Method Forty-eight children (7-9 years of age) and 64 adults (20-35 years of age) conducted a training session using an auditory frequency discrimination (difference limen for frequency) task, with external feedback (EF) provided for half of them. Results Data supported the following findings: (a) Children learned the difference limen for frequency task only when EF was provided. (b) The ability of the children to benefit from EF was associated with better cognitive skills. (c) Adults showed significant learning whether EF was provided or not. (d) In children, within-session learning following training was dependent on the provision of feedback, whereas between-sessions learning occurred irrespective of feedback. Conclusions EF was found beneficial for auditory skill learning of 7-9-year-old children but not for young adults. The data support the supervised Hebbian model for auditory skill learning, suggesting combined bottom-up internal neural feedback controlled by top-down monitoring. In the case of immature executive functions, EF enhanced auditory skill learning. This study has implications for the design of training protocols in the auditory modality for different age groups, as well as for special populations.
Fault Detection and Diagnosis for GTM UAV with Dual Unscented Kalman Filter

This paper presents an applicable procedure for Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD) in a realistic nonlinear six degree-of-freedom unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) model. The work has been developed based on the Matlab/Simulink environment of the NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM) UAV under the NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP). By introducing the partial loss fault in aircraft actuators into the GTM model, the dual Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) algorithm is implemented for online estimation of both flight states and fault parameters, and for making statistical decisions associated with fault detection and diagnosis.