Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration of propagation modeling in simulation of CDMA communication systems

The development of a propagation software package for characterizing both indoor and outdoor realistic wireless communication environments is described. The developed software is based on a ray-tracing method that provides channel parameters including path loss, delay spread, and angle of arrival/departure. Through a graphical user interface (GUI), propagation environments downloaded directly from . dxf files can be processed automatically. The obtained propagation results are then incorporated in Matlab (Simulink block) to simulate the performance of CDMA systems in realistic communications environments. The developed block is used to evaluate the interference suppression and SNR maximization of a maximum ratio combining scheme in RAKE receivers.
A Review on Medicinal Plants of Gujarat with Anti-diabetic Potential

Diabetes Mellitus is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), caused by defects in either insulin secretion or its action in the body. A diabetes epidemic is underway and currently available therapeutic options for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are dietary modifications, oral hypoglycemic or insulin administration, which though have a lot many potentials to cure diabetes, but, may result in unwanted side effects. However, recent updates suggest that natural products and herbal medicines are more recommended for the treatment of diabetes. The present review attempts to list all plants and their preparations used for cure of diabetes along with their ethnomedicinal backgrounds and list of plants experimental or clinically listed from Gujarat State, India, with antidiabetic potential. It also includes the various preparations which can be safely used to cure diabetes in the form of daily diet as plant potentials for future generations. The studies are a move towards awareness in changing our diet system with a potential input of Ethnomedicinal knowledge for cure of incidence of diabetes.
Broad‐complex, tramtrack, and bric‐à‐brac (BTB) proteins: Critical regulators of development

Broad‐complex, Tramtrack, and Bric‐à‐brac/poxvirus and zinc finger (BTB/POZ) family proteins are a diverse family of proteins that are characterized by the presence of a common protein‐protein interaction domain, known as the BTB domain. BTB proteins have been identified in poxviruses and many eukaryotes, and have diverse functions, ranging from transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling to protein degradation and cytoskeletal regulation. Specificity of function is determined in part by additional domains present in BTB family proteins, as well as by interaction partners. Studies of BTB proteins in Drosophila and mammalian systems have revealed the importance of these genes in multiple developmental contexts, as well as in cancer and neurological and musculoskeletal diseases. In this review, we discuss the functions of BTB/POZ proteins during development with an emphasis on BTB‐zinc finger (BTB‐ZF) proteins, which play critical roles in transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling.
The C-terminal Region of Membrane Type Matrix Metalloproteinase Is a Functional Transmembrane Domain Required for Pro-gelatinase A Activation (*)

We identified a new matrix metalloproteinase (membrane type matrix metalloproteinase (MT-MMP)) that has a potential transmembrane (TM) domain at the C terminus and reported its expression on the surface of invasive tumor cells. The expression of MT-MMP induced specific activation of 72-kDa pro-gelatinase A (Sato, H., Takino, T., Okada, Y., Cao, J., Shinagawa, A., Yamamoto, E., and Seiki, M.(1994) Nature 370, 61-65). Thus, MT-MMP on the cell surface is thought to play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes accompanying tissue remodeling. In this study, we demonstrated that the potential TM domain deduced from the amino acid sequence functions as a membrane linker when it is fused to a secretory protein, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1. The pro-gelatinase A activation function of MT-MMP was abolished by truncation of the TM domain and recovered by fusing the MT-MMP mutant with the TM domain of interleukin 2 receptor α-chain. The truncated MT-MMP was released from the cells into the medium and detected as processed or modified forms. In spite of the deletion of the TM domain some portions of the mutant MT-MMP were still retained on the surface of cells. Thus, MT-MMP has an additional device to keep it on the cell surface. The TM domain however, plays an essential role in the pro-gelatinase A activation function of MT-MMP, probably regulating its fine orientation or the localization that is necessary to interact with substrate.
Recent developments of molybdenum and tungsten sulfides as hydrogen evolution catalysts

Recent work shows that nanoparticulate and amorphous molybdenum and tungsten sulfide materials are active catalysts for hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution. These materials hold promise for applications in clean hydrogen production technologies. In this perspective, the syntheses, structures and catalytic activities of nanoparticulate MoS2 and WS2, incomplete cubane-type [Mo3S4]4+ and amorphous MoSx films are summarized, compared, and discussed.
Recognition of self, balance of growth and competition: Horizontal networks regulate immune responsiveness

This report addresses itself to two fundamental questions: the generation of immunologic specificity, and the regulation of cellular growth. The classical clonal selection theory and later schemes involving lymphocyte networks or “circuits” postulate sets of specific “recognition” events which directly determine the nature of the immune response. An alternative principle is offered to apply to the analysis of immune phenomena: namely, that of a Darwinian dynamic selection among lymphocyte populations differing in their relative “fitness”. Incremental selection pressure upon a diverse population is, in theory, capable of producing a precisely specific outcome, and this can account for the fine specificity of the immune response.
Regulation by salt of vacuolar H+-ATPase and H+-pyrophosphatase activities and Na+/H+ exchange

Over the last decades several efforts have been carried out to find out the mechanisms of salt homeostasis in plants and, more recently, to identify genes implicated in salt tolerance, with some plants being successfully genetically engineered to improve resistance to salt. It is well established that the efficient exclusion of Na+ excess from the cytoplasm and vacuolar Na+ accumulation are the most important steps towards the maintenance of ion homeostasis inside the cell. Therefore, the vacuole of plant cells plays a pivotal role in the storage of salt. After the identification of the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter Nhx1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the first plant Na+/H+ antiporter, AtNHX1, was isolated from Arabidopsis and its overexpression resulted in plants exhibiting increased salt tolerance. Also, the identification of the plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger SOS1 and how it is regulated by a protein kinase SOS2 and a calcium binding protein SOS3 were great achievements towards the understanding of plant salt resistance. Both tonoplast and plasma membrane antiporters exclude Na+ from the cytosol driven by the proton-motive force generated by the plasma membrane H+-ATPase and by the vacuolar membrane H+-ATPase and H+-pyrophosphatase and it has been shown that the activity of these proteins respond to salinity. In this review we focus on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation by salt of tonoplast proton pumps and Na+/H+ exchangers and on the signalling pathways involved in salt sensing.
Full-time workers with precarious employment face lower protection for receiving annual health check-ups.

BACKGROUND Precarious employment is one of the social determinants of health. In 2010, 34.4% of Japanese workers fell into this employment category. The purpose of our study was to assess whether the use of annual health check-ups varied by worker contract type. METHODS Using 2007 nationally representative survey data, we compared the annual health check-up compliance of permanently employed full-time workers versus that of precariously employed workers (hourly, dispatched, and fixed-term workers). RESULTS Dispatched workers and hourly workers received health check-ups less often compared with permanent workers. Hourly young male workers received health check-ups five times less frequently than permanent workers. The percentage of workers who consulted a physician after receiving advice to do so did not differ by employment types, except in older men. CONCLUSIONS In Japan, workers with precarious employment, most notably hourly and dispatched workers, had a lower rate of health check-ups compared with full-time workers in permanent positions.
Predictors of cognitive and functional progression in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease

We followed 65 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, who were initially mildly to moderately impaired, with semiannual assessments of cognitive and functional performance for up to 4 years. Scores on the Mini Mental State Examination and a combination of instrumental and self-maintenance scales of activities of daily living were regressed on time of examination (measured in 6-month increments) to estimate cognitive and functional progression rates in individual patients. Lower scores on the verbal neuropsychological tests at the time of study entry, more aggressive behavior, and sleep disturbance during the first year of observation predicted faster cognitive progression. Faster functional progression was predicted by paranoid behavior, hallucinations, and activity disturbances during the first year and the presence of extrapyramidal signs and lower scores on nonverbal neuropsychological tests at the time of entry into the study. Hallucinations occurred independently of cognitive severity and may identify a distinct subgroup of patients with rapid functional progression. Because of the greater significance of functional progression for caregivers' ability to manage patients, the presence of specific behavior problems early in the disease course may help to identify individuals who will experience greater functional decline and be at risk for earlier institutionalization.
Human hepatocellular carcinoma: Cross‐reactive and idiotypic antigens associated with malignant transformation of epithelial cells

Monoclonal antibodies were isolated following immunization with the HBsAg and α‐fetoprotein‐secreting human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 (“Alexander”) cell line. Three antibodies (K‐PLC1, K‐PLC2 and K‐PLC3) showed evidence of carcinoma‐associated reactivity by indirect immunofluorescence. Antibodies K‐PLC2 and K‐PLC3 reacted only with PLC/PRF/5 cells, but not with any other normal or malignant cell type tested, including the Hep/G2 hepatoma cell line. The reactivity of these antibodies was not removed by absorption with homogenates of either normal liver or a primary hepatocellular carcinoma. These results suggest that K‐PLC2 and K‐PLC3 identify PLC/PRF/5 idiospecific determinants. Following surface iodination of PLC/PRF/5 cells, immunoprecipitation and analysis on polyacrylamide gels, these specific determinants were found to be of 200,000 and 76,000 daltons, respectively. On the other hand, antibody K‐PLC1, although unreactive by immunofluorescence on the majority of normal cell types, including those of lymphoid organs and bone marrow liver cells and most epithelia, was weakly positive on some normal ductal secretory epithelia and was positive on vascular endothelium. However, K‐PLC1 reacted strongly with all carcinoma specimens tested, and with most carcinoma‐derived cell lines, indicating a large increase in K‐PLC1 antigen expression by epithelial cells after malignant transformation. Absorption of K‐PLC1 with normal liver homogenate had no affect, but absorption with a hepatocarcinoma homogenate abolished its activity. The K‐PLC1 antigen could not be immunoblotted or immunoprecipitated and resolved on polyacrylamide gels; yet it showed the properties of a phospholipid, namely resistance to proteases, extractability with organic solvents and sensitivity to phospholipase C.
Mammary epithelial stem cells

It has recently been shown that the progeny from a single cell may comprise the epithelial population of a fully developed lactating mammary outgrowth in mice. Serial transplantation of epithelial fragments from this clonally derived gland demonstrates that the subsequently generated outgrowths are also comprised of progeny from the original antecedent. All epithelial cell types were found to be present within these clonal normal populations including luminal, myoepithelial, ductal, and lobule‐committed epithelial progenitors and fully competent mammary epithelial stem cells. These observations demonstrate the presence of multipotent tissue‐specific epithelial stem cells among the parenchyma of the murine mammary gland. Similarly, genetic analysis of contiguous portions of individual human mammary ducts within the same breast indicates their clonal derivation. Here, we discuss the properties, location, division‐potential, senescence, and plasticity associated with mammary epithelial stem cells and present the developing evidence for their presence in human breast and their important role in the risk for breast cancer development. Further, we review the present morphologic and genetic evidence for the characterization of specific stem cell markers and lineage‐limited progenitor cells in human and rodent mammary epithelium. Microsc. Res. Tech. 52:190–203, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of Urinary Biomarkers for the Prognosis of Drug-associated Chronic Tubulointerstitial Nephritis

Background:The efficacy of urinary biomarkers for predicting adverse clinical outcomes in drug-induced chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis (D-CTIN) has not been well described. Methods:A total of 54 patients with D-CTIN were prospectively followed-up in this study. The urinary excretion of &agr;1-microglobulin and transforming growth factor-&bgr;1 and the activity of urinary N-acetyl-&bgr;-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9 at baseline were measured. Changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) over a period of 11 to 54 months (median, 38 months) of follow-up were recorded. The efficacy of urinary biomarkers for differentiating patients with various outcomes was tested. Ten patients with IgA nephropathy and 20 healthy volunteers were enrolled as controls. Results:The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for urinary NAG, MMP-9, MMP-2 and &agr;1-microglobulin for predicting deterioration of the estimated GFR were 0.879, 0.867, 0.735 and 0.709, respectively (P < 0.05 for all). Partial regression coefficient results demonstrated that urinary NAG (P = 0.02), MMP-2 (P = 0.046) and MMP-9 (P = 0.041) were inversely correlated with the rate of GFR decline. Conclusions:Urinary NAG, MMP-2 and MMP-9 may be considered as possible candidates for forecasting the progression rate of D-CTIN.
Charged residues in the M2 region of α-hENaC play a role in channel conductance

The epithelial Na+channel (ENaC) is a low-conductance channel that is highly selective for Na+ and Li+ over K+ and impermeable to anions. The molecular basis underlying these conduction properties is not well known. Previous studies with the ENaC subunits demonstrated that the M2 region of α-ENaC is critical to channel function. Here we examine the effects of reversing the negative charges of highly conserved amino acids in α-subunit human ENaC (α-hENaC) M1 and M2 domains. Whole cell and single-channel current measurements indicated that the M2 mutations E568R, E571R, and D575R significantly decreased channel conductance but did not affect Na+:K+permeability. We observed no functional perturbations from the M1 mutation E108R. Whole cell amiloride-sensitive current recorded from oocytes injected with the M2 α-hENaC mutants along with wild-type (wt) β- and γ-hENaC was low (46–93 nA) compared with the wt channel (1–3 μA). To determine whether this reduced macroscopic current resulted from a decreased number of mutant channels at the plasma membrane, we coexpressed mutant α-hENaC subunits with green fluorescent protein-tagged β- and γ-subunits. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of oocytes demonstrated that plasma membrane localization of the mutant channels was the same as that of wt. These experiments demonstrate that acidic residues in the second transmembrane domain of α-hENaC affect ion permeation and are thus critical components of the conductive pore of ENaC.
Intracellular calcium signalling in magnocellular neurones of the rat supraoptic nucleus: understanding the autoregulatory mechanisms

Oxytocin and vasopressin, released at the soma and dendrites of neurones, bind to specific autoreceptors and induce an increase in [Ca2+]1. In oxytocin cells, the increase results from a mobilisation of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, whereas in vasopressin cells, it results mainly from an influx of Ca2+ through voltage‐dependent channels. The response to vasopressin is coupled to phospholipase C and adenylyl‐cyclase pathways which are activated by V1 (V1a and V1b)‐ and V2‐type receptors respectively. Measurements of [Ca2+]1 in response to V1a and V2 agonists and antagonists suggest the functional expression of these two types of receptors in vasopressin neurones. The intracellular mechanisms involved are similar to those observed for the action of the pituitary adenylyl‐cyclase‐activating peptide (PACAP). Isolated vasopressin neurones exhibit spontaneous [Ca2+]1 oscillations and these are synchronised with phasic bursts of electrical activity. Vasopressin modulates these spontaneous [Ca2+]1 oscillations in a manner that depends on the initial state of the neurone, and such varied effects of vasopressin may be related to those observed on the electrical activity of vasopressin neurones in vivo.
Protection of Wireless Microphones in IEEE 802.22 Cognitive Radio Network

To improve the utilization of licensed spectrums, the IEEE 802.22 standard is designed to reuse the bandwidths allocated for TV and Wireless Microphones opportunistically for data communication. To avoid interference from equipments of 802.22 networks, beacon devices are designed to protect the Wireless Microphones. They generate beacons so that the devices in 802.22 networks can detect their existence. In this paper, we explore the details of beacon design in the IEEE 802.22 Task Group 1. As an active member of the group, we have made contributions on FEC design of the beacon. We also provide some simulation results of the designed beacon.
Osteopontin expression and serum levels in metastatic uveal melanoma: a pilot study.

PURPOSE This was a pilot study conducted to examine the expression of osteopontin in uveal melanoma and to determine whether serum osteopontin can be used in detecting metastatic uveal melanoma. METHODS Osteopontin mRNA was measured in three uveal melanoma cell lines of various invasive potential by real-time PCR. Tissue sections of primary and metastatic uveal melanomas were stained for osteopontin. Serum osteopontin levels were measured by ELISA assays in 15 patients with metastatic uveal melanoma and in 37 patients who were disease-free for at least 10 years after treatment of the primary tumor. Paired serum samples drawn from eight patients before and after development of metastasis were analyzed. RESULTS By real-time PCR, highly invasive primary and metastatic uveal melanoma cells expressed 6- and 250-fold excess osteopontin mRNA, respectively, compared with poorly invasive primary uveal melanoma cells. Tissue sections of primary uveal melanomas lacking looping vasculogenic mimicry patterns either did not stain for osteopontin or exhibited weak, diffuse staining. In primary melanomas containing looping vasculogenic mimicry patterns, strong osteopontin staining was detected in the tumor periphery where patterns were located. Diffuse strong expression of osteopontin was detected in eight samples of uveal melanomas metastatic to the liver. Serum osteopontin levels were significantly higher in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma than in patients who had been disease free for at least 10 years after treatment (P = 0.0001) or in age-matched control subjects. Serum osteopontin levels were significantly higher (P = 0.008) after metastasis than before the detection of metastasis in eight patients. When a cutoff of 10 ng/mL was used, the sensitivity and specificity of serum osteopontin in detecting metastatic melanoma was 87.5%, and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 96%. CONCLUSIONS Osteopontin is expressed diffusely in tissue sections of hepatic metastases from uveal melanoma, and increased serum osteopontin levels correlate with melanoma metastasis to the liver with high specificity and sensitivity.
A Groebner Bases Theory-Based Method for Selective Harmonic Elimination

An algebraic method is proposed for selective harmonic elimination PWM (SHEPWM). By computing its Groebner bases under the pure lexicographic monomial order, the nonlinear high-order SHE equations are converted to an equivalent triangular form, and then a recursive algorithm is used to solve the triangular equations one by one. Based on the proposed method, a user-friendly software package has been developed and some computation results are given. Unlike the commonly used numerical and intelligent methods, this method does not need to choose the initial values and can find all the solutions. Also, this method can give a definite answer to the question of whether the SHE equations have solutions or not, and the accuracy of the solved switching angles are much higher than that of the reference method. Compared with the existing algebraic methods, such as the resultant elimination method, the calculation efficiency is improved. Experimental verification is also shown in this paper.
A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Test of Protection Motivation Theory in Information Security Literature

The study of information security behavior has been increasing in information systems (IS) literature with Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) serving as one the most important theoretical contributions. However, there are inconsistent findings on the relationships among the variables derived from PMT. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationships among PMT. 71 previously published studies were analyzed. We found coping appraisal variables of response-efficacy and self-efficacy to have the largest average effects on security behavior. In addition, we found security context and culture to moderate some of the pair-wise correlations. The findings showed non-significant correlations among perceived vulnerability—self-efficacy, perceived severity-response cost, self-efficacy—perceived threat, and response efficacy—perceived threat. For the SEM analysis, we could not confirm the significant effect of response cost as a coping appraisal on behavior intention. Results are important to guiding future researchers wishing to employ PMT as a theoretical lens in the study of information security.