Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of high frequency gate driver by the use of LC self-excitation oscillator

The electronic circuits are miniaturized because the technique on integrated circuits has been developing. The reactance components of converters are miniaturized by using high switching frequency. The resonant converters are useful because of the low switching loss in semiconductor switches. At the resonant converters, raising or lowering output voltage is fundamentally controlled by the switching frequency. For high frequency switching in main switch, high frequency driver circuit is required. However, we have the difficult situation to obtain comparators capable of high frequency operation. Therefore, the self-excitation LC oscillation circuit is examined as the main switch drive circuit. The relatively large gate current must be poured or pulled at turn-on or turn-off. In this case, the capacitance at gate-source should be used as the component of resonant circuit. In the practical circuit, variable capacitance diodes can be included in the resonant circuit. The dc voltage from outside can control the output of the converter. In this paper, we researched about a self-excitation LC oscillation circuit by both the experiment and the simulation.
Definitions and validation criteria for biomarkers and surrogate endpoints: development and testing of a quantitative hierarchical levels of evidence schema.

OBJECTIVE There are clear advantages to using biomarkers and surrogate endpoints, but concerns about clinical and statistical validity and systematic methods to evaluate these aspects hinder their efficient application. Our objective was to review the literature on biomarkers and surrogates to develop a hierarchical schema that systematically evaluates and ranks the surrogacy status of biomarkers and surrogates; and to obtain feedback from stakeholders. METHODS After a systematic search of Medline and Embase on biomarkers, surrogate (outcomes, endpoints, markers, indicators), intermediate endpoints, and leading indicators, a quantitative surrogate validation schema was developed and subsequently evaluated at a stakeholder workshop. RESULTS The search identified several classification schema and definitions. Components of these were incorporated into a new quantitative surrogate validation level of evidence schema that evaluates biomarkers along 4 domains: Target, Study Design, Statistical Strength, and Penalties. Scores derived from 3 domains the Target that the marker is being substituted for, the Design of the (best) evidence, and the Statistical strength are additive. Penalties are then applied if there is serious counterevidence. A total score (0 to 15) determines the level of evidence, with Level 1 the strongest and Level 5 the weakest. It was proposed that the term "surrogate" be restricted to markers attaining Levels 1 or 2 only. Most stakeholders agreed that this operationalization of the National Institutes of Health definitions of biomarker, surrogate endpoint, and clinical endpoint was useful. CONCLUSION Further development and application of this schema provides incentives and guidance for effective biomarker and surrogate endpoint research, and more efficient drug discovery, development, and approval.
The race‐specific elicitor, NIP1, from the barley pathogen, Rhynchosporium secalis, determines avirulence on host plants of the Rrs1 resistance genotype.

NIP1, a small phytotoxic protein secreted by the barley pathogen Rhynchosporium secalis, is a race‐specific elicitor of defense responses in barley cultivars carrying the resistance gene, Rrs1. Co‐inoculation employing spores from a virulent fungal race together with the NIP1 protein converted the phenotype of the interaction from compatible to incompatible only on Rrs1‐containing plants. In addition, transformation of a virulent fungal race with the nip1 gene yielded avirulent transformants. This demonstrated that the protein is the product of a fungal avirulence gene. The fungal genome was found to contain a single copy of the nip1 gene. Sequence analysis of nip1 cDNA and genomic clones revealed that the gene consists of two exons and one intron. The derived amino acid sequence comprised a secretory signal peptide of 22 amino acids and a cysteine‐rich mature protein of 60 amino acids. All fungal races that were avirulent on barley cultivars of the Rrs1 resistance genotype carry and express the nip1 gene and secrete an elicitor‐active NIP1 polypeptide. In contrast, races lacking this gene were virulent. In addition, single nucleotide exchanges were detected in the coding region of the nip1 alleles in one virulent fungal race and in a race whose interaction with barley is not controlled by the Rrs1 gene. The resulting exchanges of single amino acids render the gene products elicitor‐inactive. Thus, the R.secalis‐barley interaction provides the first example of a pathosystem conforming to the gene‐for‐gene hypothesis in which a plant with a particular resistance gene recognizes a pathogen by a virulence factor, i.e. one of its offensive weapons. On the fungal side, in turn, recognition by the host plant is eluded by either deletion of the encoding gene or alteration of the primary structure of the gene product.
Colonic transit influences deoxycholic acid kinetics.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Prolonged large bowel transit, and an increase in the proportion of deoxycholic acid (DCA), have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones-including those developing in acromegalics treated with octreotide. However, there are few data on the effects of intestinal transit on bile acid kinetics. METHODS We therefore measured the kinetics of DCA and cholic acid (CA) using stable isotopes, serum sampling, and mass spectrometry. The results were related to mouth-to-caecum (MCTT) and large bowel transit times (LBTTs) in 4 groups of 8 individuals: (1) non-acromegalic controls, (2) acromegalics untreated with octreotide, (3) acromegalics on long-term octreotide, and (4) patients with constipation. Paired, before and during octreotide, studies were performed in 5 acromegalics. RESULTS In the unpaired and paired studies, octreotide significantly prolonged MCTT and LBTT. In the paired studies, the octreotide-induced prolongation of LBTT caused an increase in the DCA input rate (6.4 +/- 2.8 to 12 +/- 2.6 micromol. kg. d, P < 0.05) and pool size (18 +/- 12 to 40 +/- 13 micromol/kg, P < 0.05), and a decrease in CA pool size (45 +/- 15 to 25 +/- 11 micromol/kg, P < 0.05). Furthermore, during octreotide treatment, the mean conversion of 13C-CA to 13C-DCA (micromoles) was greater (P < 0.05) on study days 3, 4, and 5. There were also positive linear relationships between LBTT and DCA input rate (r = 0.78), pool size (r = 0.82, P < 0.001), and a weak (r = -0.49) negative linear relationship between LBTT and CA pool size (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS These data support the hypothesis that, by increasing DCA formation and absorption, prolongation of large bowel transit is a pathogenic factor in the formation of octreotide-induced gallstones.
Molecular-Based Analysis of Changes in Indigenous Milk Microflora during the Grazing Period

Variations in milk microflora caused by changes in the cow feeding environment (from inside to outside grazing) were analyzed using a molecular-based approach comprising denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time PCR. After 8 d of outside grazing, changes in milk microflora were observed. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the predominant bacterial group in the milk belonged to the Lactobacillus species during the experimental period, whereas the genus Staphylococcus gained in numbers during the outside grazing period in addition to Lactobacillus. To investigate the quantitative dynamics of staphylococci, real-time PCR was performed using staphylococcal-specific primers. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that the population of staphylococci increased during the outside grazing period. Our combined denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time PCR approach enables precise monitoring of the dynamics of both total bacteria and specific bacterial species in milk. Our results provide information on grazing management and the manufacture of dairy products.
Thrombus formation on a left atrial appendage closure device.

For patients with contraindications to chronic oral anticoagulation, new therapeutic approaches have been developed.1 Transcatheter closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is becoming more common as an interventional therapy to prevent thromboembolic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and contraindications to chronic oral anticoagulation. Most of the studies about this new technique demonstrated its safety as an alternative method to oral anticoagulation in this group of patients.1 One of the feared complications is thrombus formation in relation with the device. To prevent this, patients are medicated with long-term antiplatelet treatment.1 A case is reported in which a thrombus was noted on the left side of an Amplatzer Cardiac Plug by transesophageal echocardiography, and anticoagulation had to be started. A 75-year-old man with chronic AF, previous ischemic stroke, known ischemic cardiomyopathy (with previous coronary bypass grafting surgery after myocardial infarction), medicated hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a CHADS2 score of 6 had to stop oral anticoagulation because of persistent hematuria.In March 2010, a percutaneous closure of the LAA with a 28-mm Amplatzer Cardiac Plug device was performed. The procedure to implant the device was free of complications and had no residual flow at the end. …
A study of nonlinear dynamic data reconciliation

Data reconciliation is based on spatial redundancy to adjust process data to improve the quality of measurement corruption due to measurement noise. Based on the analysis of characteristic of moving window, we proposed in this paper to use temporal redundancy in nonlinear dynamic data reconciliation to improve accuracy of reconciled value. The reconciled value by using the proposed approach is closer to true data compared with the reconciled value by using the conventional method. The mathematical formulation of outlier detection strategy is given in this paper also. Simulation results on a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) process verified its effectiveness.
Eliminating discard volumes in neonatal and pediatric blood sampling from arterial catheters: A comparison of three simple blood-conserving aspiration techniques

Objective To compare different blood aspiration techniques to eliminate discarding of blood in arterial blood sampling from critically ill neonates and children. Design Prospective, randomized controlled trial. Setting A 19-bed tertiary neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit. Patients Critically ill neonates and children with existing arterial and central venous access. Interventions Paired blood samples were obtained by using conventional blood discarding techniques and one of the following blood-conserving aspiration techniques: passive extracorporeal arteriovenous backflow, free passive backflow to ambient pressure, and active aspiration backflow to a distance of 10 or 20 cm proximal to the sampling port of the arterial pressure catheter. Repetitive conventional sampling served as a control and as the standard. The order of sampling was randomly allocated. We determined arterial blood gases, electrolytes, blood glucose, and hemoglobin concentration. Measurement and Results Bland-Altman bias analysis of the variability among the techniques revealed that the passive backflow and the active aspiration backflow technique with a backflow distance of 20 cm yielded identical results to repetitive conventional sampling with a standardized discard volume of 0.6 mL. In contrast, the extracorporal arteriovenous backflow technique carried the risk of overestimating blood glucose levels (mean bias, 0.96 mmol/L.). A backflow distance of 10 cm (active aspiration) proved insufficient to eliminate contamination by the catheters’ flushing solution. Conclusions At a backflow distance of 20 cm, the passive backflow and the active aspiration backflow techniques produce, with the used monitoring set, reliable and precise results in critically ill newborns and children and eliminate discard volumes.
From HSC to B-Lymphoid Cells in Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis

Development of B-lymphoid cells is a highly ordered multi-step process that, in adult mammals, starts in bone marrow in a pool of self-renewing multipotential hematopoietic stem cells, which gradually commit to the lymphoid lineage and advance through high regulated differentiation pathways until formation of mature functional cells. Over the last few years, exceptional advances have been recorded in identifying primitive progenitors that lay the foundations of the lymphoid program while losing myeloid potential, along with patterns of transcriptional activity controlling lineage fate decisions and environmental cues that influence the differentiation pathway during normal hematopoiesis. Multicolor flow cytometry, controlled cell cultures, genetic marking systems, microarray technologies and xenotransplantation approaches are being extensively used to address fundamental questions on this regard. Of special interest is the stem cell research with relevance to hierarchy and early events in malignant lymphopoiesis, and to new insights into perspectives that may allow progress in means to protect and sustain the immune system during chemotherapy, inflammation, infection, and following hematopoietic transplantation. In this book chapter, we focus on the hierarchical structure of the early lymphoid system, the current knowledge about intrinsic and microenvironmental factors regulating the differentiation of lymphoid progenitors, and the emerging research to understand malignant lymphoid development.
Imaging the Microscopic Structure of Shear Thinning and Thickening Colloidal Suspensions

Confocal microscopy reveals changes in structures formed by suspended particles under different flow conditions. The viscosity of colloidal suspensions varies with shear rate, an important effect encountered in many natural and industrial processes. Although this non-Newtonian behavior is believed to arise from the arrangement of suspended particles and their mutual interactions, microscopic particle dynamics are difficult to measure. By combining fast confocal microscopy with simultaneous force measurements, we systematically investigate a suspension’s structure as it transitions through regimes of different flow signatures. Our measurements of the microscopic single-particle dynamics show that shear thinning results from the decreased relative contribution of entropic forces and that shear thickening arises from particle clustering induced by hydrodynamic lubrication forces. This combination of techniques illustrates an approach that complements current methods for determining the microscopic origins of non-Newtonian flow behavior in complex fluids.
The male breast and malignant neoplasms diagnosis by aspiration biopsy cytology

Fine‐needle aspiration biopsy is now an established procedure for the evaluation of breast masses in women. On the other hand, there are only occasional reports of aspirates from male breast masses. During the past 19 years from more than 14,000 mammary aspirates, the authors examined the aspiration biopsy cytology (ABC) from 14 cases of malignant mammary tumors in men. There were ten infiltrating ductal carcinomas, one mucinous carcinoma, two metastatic carcinomas, and one leiomyosarcoma. The cytologic and clinicopathologic feature of these cases are presented. Because these specimens can be readily differentiated from gynecomastia, aspiration biopsy is recommended as the initial procedure for all breast masses in men.
SELECTIVE INHIBITION OF HUMAN CYTOCHROME P4502C8 BY MONTELUKAST

The leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast was examined for its inhibition of the human drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P4502C8 (CYP2C8). Montelukast was demonstrated to be a potent inhibitor of CYP2C8-catalyzed amodiaquine N-deethylase, rosiglitazone N-demethylase, and paclitaxel 6α-hydroxylase in human liver microsomes. Inhibition was also observed when the reaction was catalyzed by recombinant heterologously expressed CYP2C8. The mechanism of inhibition was competitive, with Ki values ranging from 0.0092 to 0.15 μM. Inhibition potency was highly dependent on the microsomal protein concentration. Increasing the microsomal protein concentration by 80-fold yielded a 100-fold decrease in inhibition potency. Preincubation of montelukast with human liver microsomes and NADPH did not alter the inhibition potency, suggesting that montelukast is not a mechanism-based inactivator. Montelukast was a selective inhibitor for human CYP2C8; inhibition of other human cytochrome P450 enzymes was substantially less. These in vitro data support the use of montelukast as a selective CYP2C8 inhibitor that could be used to determine the contribution of this enzyme to drug metabolism reactions. These data also raise the possibility that montelukast could have an effect on the metabolic clearance of drugs possessing CYP2C8-catalyzed metabolism as a major clearance pathway, thereby eliciting pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions.
How do we design CoMP to achieve its promised potential?

Coordinated multipoint, or CoMP, transmission has been recognized as a spectrally efficient technique for full frequency reuse cellular systems, in which base stations cooperate to reduce or eliminate intercell interference. However, there are still many obstacles before it can be put into practical use. In this article, we first discuss the features of CoMP systems and channels that are distinct from single-cell multi-antenna systems. We then give an overview of state-of-the-art approaches for coping with the factors that limit the potential of CoMP. A major issue is the acquisition of channel state information, which creates different challenges for TDD and FDD systems. Another set of challenges arises from the limited capacity available on the backhaul connections between the cooperating base stations. Both the fundamentals of possible solutions and their relations to cellular standards are discussed.
EasyT: Apoiando a Construção de Objetos de Aprendizagem para uma Linha de Produtos de Software

O cenario da tecnologia disponivel atualmente favorece cada vez mais a criacao de componentes para apoiar a construcao de ferramentas para apoiar o ensino e a aprendizagem. Tais componentes sao frequentemente denominados de Objetos de Aprendizagem (OAs). Entretanto, a construcao de OAs torna-se cada vez mais complexa considerando-se as necessidades que as ferramentas demandam. Para tratar essa complexidade a abordagem de Linha de Produtos de Software (LPS) tem sido frequentemente proposta. LPS e caracterizada como um conjunto de componentes que compartilham caracteristicas comuns e sao gerenciadas com o objetivo de satisfazer um determinado cenario de segmento de mercado ou missao. Este trabalho utiliza a abordagem de LPS para apoiar o reuso sistematico de OAs, bem como propoe uma solucao para a criacao semiautomatica de um tipo de OA que ira compor a LPS. Este e um passo em direcao a construcao de uma LPS para apoiar a reutilizacao de Objetos de Aprendizagem.
Volume changes of individual melanosomes measured by scanning force microscopy.

Black pigment cells, melanophores, e.g. located in the epidermis and dermis of frogs, are large flat cells having intracellular black pigment granules, called melanosomes. Due to a large size, high optical contrast, and quick response to drugs, melanophores are attractive as biosensors as well as for model studies of intracellular processes; e.g. organelle transport and G-protein coupled receptors. The geometry of melanosomes from African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, has been measured using scanning force microscopy (SFM). Three-dimensional images from SFM were used to measure height, width, and length of the melanosomes (100 from aggregated cells and 100 from dispersed cells). The volumes of melanosomes isolated from aggregated and dispersed melanophores were significantly different (P < 0.05, n=200). The average ellipsoidal volume was 0.14+/-0.01 (aggregated) and 0.17+/-0.01 microm3 (dispersed), a difference of 18%. The average major diameter was 810+/-20 and 880+/-20 nm for aggregated and dispersed melanosomes, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first time SFM has been used to study melanosomes. This may provide an alternative non-destructive technique that may be particularly suitable for studying morphological aspects of various melanin granules.
Agmatine attenuates methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotyped behavior in mice

We investigated whether pretreatment with the neurotransmitter/neuromodulator agmatine (decarboxylated L-arginine) affected methamphetamine (METH)-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotypy in male ICR mice. Agmatine pretreatment alone had no effects on locomotion or stereotypy, but it produced a dose-dependent attenuation of locomotion and the total incidence of stereotyped behavior induced by a low dose of METH (5 mg/kg). The stereotypy induced by this dose was predominantly characterized by stereotyped sniffing. By contrast, agmatine did not affect the total incidence of stereotypy induced by a higher dose of METH (10 mg/kg). However, the nature of stereotypy induced by this dose of METH was substantially altered; agmatine pretreatment significantly reduced stereotyped biting but significantly increased stereotyped sniffing and persistent locomotion. Agmatine pretreatment therefore appears to produce a rightward shift in the dose–response curve for METH. Pretreatment of mice with piperazine-1-carboxamidine (a putative agmatinase inhibitor) had no effect on locomotion or stereotypy induced by a low dose of METH, suggesting that endogenous agmatine may not regulate the METH action.
Low-Noise and High-Frequency Resolution Electrooptic Sensing of RF Near-Fields Using an External Optical Modulator

We developed an electrooptic (EO) sensing system using an external optical intensity modulator for radio frequency (RF) electric near-field measurements. This low-noise, high-frequency resolution system is based on the photonic heterodyning technique in which a RF near-field signal is mixed with modulated light by an EO crystal and downconverted to the difference frequency. Because the optical modulator has a bandwidth extending from DC to several gigahertz, the frequency resolution of this system is determined by that of the RF synthesizer it uses. The intensity noise of the modulated light is quite low, and the noise level of the EO signal can be reduced to almost the shot-noise level by using a balanced detection scheme.