Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolving diverse hardwares using speciated genetic algorithm

Evolvable hardware (EHW) has become an attractive topic recently because such hardware can reconfigure itself to adapt to the environment it is embedded in. EHW uses a genetic algorithm (GA), which is one of the evolutionary algorithms, to search for the goal hardware. In this paper, we propose EHW using a speciated GA that can evolve diverse circuits with single-step evolution. The speciation algorithm helps to find diverse solutions as the result of the evolution, and maintains the diversity during the evolution. We have applied a fitness-sharing method for speciation to the EHW of a 6-multiplexer, and have obtained diverse hardware structures. Also, we have found a circuit in 35% less generations than we did with a conventional genetic algorithm.
Vascular insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 resistance in female obese Zucker rats.

Because insulin resistance/diabetes may cause inordinate vascular complications in females, we have investigated the effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) on vascular reactivity in 12-week-old female Zucker obese (Ob) rats, a rodent model of insulin resistance and its lean (Ln) age-matched counterpart. Endothelium intact aortic rings from Ob animals and their Ln littermates (12 weeks of age) were subjected to contractile concentration responses to phenylephrine (PE) followed by relaxation to isoproterenol (Iso), with and without preincubation for 2 hours with cholera toxin (CTX; 1 microg/mL) or pertussis toxin (PTX; 2 microg/mL) and before and after incubation with either insulin or IGF-1 (100 nmol/L) for 1 hour. Systolic blood pressure was higher (138 +/- 3 v. 109 +/- 4 mm Hg; P <.0001) in the 12-week-old Ob rats. Contractile responses to PE were similar in both groups; however, both insulin and IGF-1 induced a paradoxical increase (P <.001) in contraction in Ob vasculature (929 +/- 92 v. 679 +/- 25 mg, respectively). CTX alone decreased contraction in the Ob (P <.02) and PTX in the Ln (P <.02), but there were no interactions between either IGF-1 or insulin and the toxins. Marked impairment of relaxation to Iso was seen in aortic rings of these female Ob rats (ED(50) = 2.6 micromol/L v. 418 nmol/L, P =. 0002), an effect exacerbated by preincubation with either insulin or IGF-1 (P =.0001). Again, no role for G-proteins could be demonstrated. Insulin-dependent glucose uptake was severely impaired (P <.05) in aortic segments of the Ob insulin-resistant rats. Insulin receptor binding, tyrosine kinase activity (TKA), and abundance of several G-protein alpha subunits (inhibitory and stimulatory) in solubilized arterial membrane preparations (assessed by Western blot) were comparable in the 2 groups. These results indicate that resistance to the vascular actions of insulin/IGF-1 in female Ob rats is a postreceptor event that parallels glucose uptake resistance and is independent of G-proteins.
Nonlinear fault tolerant control for a tri-rotor UAV against rear servo's stuck fault

This paper presents a fault tolerant control strategy to deal with the rear servo's stuck fault of tri-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An adaptive sliding mode based observer is utilized to estimate the rear servo's stuck fault which is unknown, and a feedback linearization based controller is designed to compensate for the rear servo's fault. To avoid the singularity associated with orientation representations, the unit quaternion representation is utilized to formulate the attitude controller. The composite stability is analysed via the Lyapunov-based method. Numerical Simulations show that the proposed fault tolerant control scheme has achieved good control performance against the rear servo's stuck fault.
Goiter in the sheep slaughtered in Tabriz slaughterhouse, Iran

Disease of the thyroid gland has been known for thousands of years. Both neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases affect the thyroid. This is the first report, as far as we are aware, of pathological lesions from the thyroid gland of sheep. The survey was conducted from March 2001 to March 2002.Thyroid glands were collected from 100 sheep during routine slaughter and inspection in Tabriz slaughterhouse, Iran. Thyroid glands were assessed histopathologically. Of all 100 thyroids examined, 33 showed various lesions. Of total samples, 4 (4%) showed colloid goiter, 27 (27%) showed hyperplastic goiter. Of total samples 2(2%) showed lymphocytic (immune-mediated) thyroiditis
The Behavioral Ecology and Evolution of Kleptoparasitism in Australian Gall Thrips

We used a combination of behavioral-ecological and molecular-phylogenetic data to analyze the origin and diversification of kleptoparasitic (gall-stealing) thrips in the genus Koptothrips, which comprises four described species that invade and breed in galls induced by species of Oncothrips and Kladothrips on Australian Acacia. The genus Koptothrips is apparently monophyletic and not closely related to its hosts. Two of the species, K. dyskritus and K. flavicornis, each appears to represent a suite of closely-related sibling species or host races. Three of the four Koptothrips species are facultatively kleptoparasitic, in that females can breed within damaged, open galls by enclosing themselves within cellophane-like partitions. Facultative kleptoparasitism may have served as an evolutionary bridge to the obligately kleptoparasitic habit found in K. flavicornis. Evidence from phylogenetics, and Acacia host-plant relationships of the kleptoparasites and the gall-inducers, suggests that this parasite-host system has undergone some degree of cospeciation, such that speciations of Koptothrips have tracked the speciations of the gall-inducers. Quantification of kleptoparasitism rates indicates that Koptothrips and other enemies represent extremely strong selective pressures on most species of gall-inducers. Although the defensive soldier morphs found in some gall-inducing species can successfully defend against Koptothrips invasion, species with soldiers are still subject to high rates of successful kleptoparasite attack. Gall-inducing thrips exhibit three main types of life-history adaptation that have apparently evolved in response to kleptoparasite pressure: (1) "fighters", which exhibit long-lived galls and soldier morphs, (2) "runners", which have quite short-lived galls, from which offspring disperse as second instar larvae, and (3) "hiders", whose galls are long-lived, especially tight-sealing, and induced on a taxonomically-distinct group of Acacia host plants that is seldom attacked.
Functional Properties of Neurons in the Anterior Bank of the Parieto‐occipital Sulcus of the Macaque Monkey

Extracellular recordings were made in the anterior bank of the parieto‐occipital sulcus of two waking monkeys trained to perform fixation tasks in normal illumination or in complete darkness. Of the recorded neurons, 73% (251/343) were responsive to visual stimulation, but their overall organization did not conform to a simple, continuous retinotopic map. Most of the visual neurons showed a high degree of orientation and direction sensitivity, higher than that found in areas V1, V2 and V3A under the same experimental conditions. Whether they had a resolvable receptive field or not, the discharge rate of many neurons in the anterior bank of the parieto‐occipital sulcus was influenced by oculomotor activity. The animals were required to execute pursuit or saccadic eye movements in darkness. Saccadic eye movements were found to influence 19% of the neurons tested (29/156); by contrast, pursuit eye movements were without effect (0/64). Saccade responses were direction‐tuned and, in several cases, the neuronal discharge started before the onset of eye movement. The animals were also required to gaze, in darkness, at nine different positions on the screen they faced. Of the neurons tested, 59% (102/174) were affected by the direction of gaze. Higher discharge rates were generally observed when the animals looked towards the lower part of the field of view. Given the functional properties of its neurons, its connections with area V3A—where neural signals appropriate for building an objective map of the visual space are present (Galletti and Battaglini, 1989, J. Neurosci., 9, 1112–1125)—and its output to the visuomotor centres involved in the generation of saccades (frontal eye fields and superior colliculus), we infer that the cortex of the anterior bank of the parieto‐occipital sulcus might be part of the network involved in the control of gaze in order to locate objects in visual space.
Association of viral factors with non‐familial breast cancer in Taiwan by comparison with non‐cancerous, fibroadenoma, and thyroid tumor tissues

To study the etiologic factors of non‐familial breast cancer, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern hybridization were used to detect six viruses including human papillomavirus (HPV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐1, HSV‐2, and human herpesvirus (HHV)‐8 DNA in 69 patients with breast cancer and 60 specimens from non‐cancerous or other individuals with thyroid tumors or fibroadenoma (non‐breast cancer controls). Two specimens from patients with a familial history of breast cancer and five breast cancer specimens with negative results for β‐globin, which was used as internal control, were excluded from this study. Eight (12.9%) HSV‐1, 28 (45.2%) EBV, 47 (75.8%) CMV, 8 (12.9%) HPV, and 28 (45.2%) HHV‐8 positive samples out of the 62 breast cancer specimens were detected; no HSV‐2 DNA was detected in any group. Among the viral gene‐positive breast cancer samples, 12 (23.1%) were positive for 1 virus, 16 (30.8%) were positive for 2 viruses, 21 (40.4%) were positive for 3 viruses, and 3 (5.8%) were positive for 4 viruses. Among the viral gene‐positive specimens of the control groups, only one virus, CMV, was found in the non‐cancerous and thyroid tumor specimens, while multiple viruses were found in the fibroadenoma specimens. The viruses associated with breast cancer were HHV‐8 > EBV (P < 0.01). The viruses associated with fibroadenoma were HSV‐1 and HHV‐8 > EBV (P < 0.01). The presence of more than one virus was found predominantly in breast cancer and exclusively found in fibroadenoma. CMV was the only virus associated with thyroid tumors. J. Med. Virol. 75:276–281, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Progressive familial encephalopathy in infancy with calcifications of the basal ganglia and chronic cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis

Eight infants developed a progressive disorder of the central nervous system with bilateral spasticity and dystonia, acquired microcephaly, and a rapid course toward profound deterioration and death. All the patients had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid with mild but persistent lymphocytosis. Computed tomography showed various combinations of bilateral symmetrical calcifications in the basal ganglia, progressive brain atrophy, and deep white matter hypodensities, the first two being present in all families but not in every individual patient. The disorder is familial and probably genetic in origin, although some features, especially the pleocytosis, may erroneously suggest an inflammatory condition.
A Phylogenetically Conserved Stem-Loop Structure at the 5′ Border of the Internal Ribosome Entry Site of Hepatitis C Virus Is Required for Cap-Independent Viral Translation

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) initiates translation of its polyprotein under the control of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that comprises most of the 341-nucleotide (nt) 5′ nontranslated RNA (5′NTR). A comparative analysis of related flaviviral sequences suggested that an RNA segment for which secondary structure was previously ill defined (domain II, nt 44 to 118) forms a conserved stem-loop that is located at the 5′ border of the HCV IRES and thus may function in viral translation. This prediction was tested by a mutational analysis of putative helical structures that examined the impact of both covariant and noncovariant nucleotide substitutions on IRES activity in vivo and in vitro. Results of these experiments provide support for predicted base pair interactions between nt 44 to 52 and 111 to 118 and between nt 65 to 70 and 97 to 102 of the HCV 5′NTR. Substitutions at either nt 45 and 46 or nt 116 and 117 resulted in reciprocal changes in V1 nuclease cleavage patterns within the opposing strand of the putative helix, consistent with the predicted base pair interactions. IRES activity was highly dependent on maintenance of the stem-loop II structure but relatively tolerant of covariant nucleotide substitutions within predicted helical segments. Sequence alignments suggested that the deduced domain II structure is conserved within the IRESs of pestiviruses as well as the novel flavivirus GB virus B. Despite marked differences in primary nucleotide sequence within conserved helical segments, the sequences of the intervening single-stranded loop segments are highly conserved in these different viruses. This suggests that these segments of the viral RNA may interact with elements of the host translational machinery that are broadly conserved among different mammalian species.
Health care expenditures for people with diabetes mellitus, 1992.

The purpose of this report is to estimate diabetes prevalence and annual health care costs for people with diabetes in 1992, compare average annual costs for diabetics and nondiabetics, and estimate the portion of total U.S. health care expenditures incurred by people with the disease. Data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey were used to estimate diabetes prevalence and health care expenditures for diabetics in 1992. Diabetics were identified based on self-reports of a physician diagnosis of diabetes, a history of taking diabetic medications, or an encounter with the health care system specifically related to diabetes. Identified diabetics were classified as confirmed if they had a history of taking diabetic medications, had a diabetes-specific encounter with the health care system, or purchased diabetic equipment. Estimates of diabetes prevalence and health care expenditures were calculated separately for identified and confirmed diabetics using the National Medical Expenditure Survey database. Total health care expenditures included costs associated with inpatient hospital care, outpatient hospital care, office visits to a physician or other provider, emergency room visits, home health care, prescription drugs, dental care, and durable medical equipment purchases. We estimate that percapita annual health care expenditures in 1992 were more than three times greater for diabetics ($9,493) than for nondiabetics ($2,604). Percapita expenditures for confirmed diabetics ($11,157) were more than four times greater than for nondiabetics. In 1992, diabetics constituted 4.5% of the U.S. population but accounted for 14.6% of total U.S. health care expenditures ($105 billion). Confirmed diabetics constituted 3.1% of the U.S. population but accounted for 11.9% of total U.S. health care expenditures ($85 billion). This study found that health care expenditures for people with diabetes constituted about one in seven health care dollars spent in 1992. Health care reform and insurers should take note of these findings and structure benefit packages to promote care likely to reduce the costs of caring for diabetics.
Modulatory Effects of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 on Human B Cell Differentiation

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) can modulate immune responses, but whether it directly affects B cell function is unknown. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, especially those with antinuclear Abs and increased disease activity, had decreased 1,25(OH)2D3 levels, suggesting that vitamin D might play a role in regulating autoantibody production. To address this, we examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on B cell responses and found that it inhibited the ongoing proliferation of activated B cells and induced their apoptosis, whereas initial cell division was unimpeded. The generation of plasma cells and postswitch memory B cells was significantly inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3, although the up-regulation of genetic programs involved in B cell differentiation was only modestly affected. B cells expressed mRNAs for proteins involved in vitamin D activity, including 1α-hydroxylase, 24-hydroxylase, and the vitamin D receptor, each of which was regulated by 1,25(OH)2D3 and/or activation. Importantly, 1,25(OH)2D3 up-regulated the expression of p27, but not of p18 and p21, which may be important in regulating the proliferation of activated B cells and their subsequent differentiation. These results indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3 may play an important role in the maintenance of B cell homeostasis and that the correction of vitamin D deficiency may be useful in the treatment of B cell-mediated autoimmune disorders.
A CMOS bandgap and sub-bandgap voltage reference circuits for nanowatt power LSIs

This paper proposes CMOS bandgap reference (BGR) and sub-BGR circuits without resistors for nanowatt power LSIs. The BGR circuit consists of a nano-ampere current reference, a bipolar transistor, and a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage generator. The PTAT voltage generator consists of source-coupled differential pairs and generates a positive temperature dependent voltage. The PTAT voltage generator compensates for negative temperature dependence of a base-emitter voltage in a PNP bipolar transistor. The circuit generates a bandgap voltage of silicon. The sub-BGR circuit uses a voltage divider to generate low-voltage sub-bandgap reference. Experimental results demonstrated that the BGR and sub-BGR circuits can generate a 1.18-V and 553-mV reference voltages, respectively. The power dissipation of the BGR and sub-BGR circuits were 108-nW and 110-nW, respectively.
Large Area Convex Holes in Random Point Sets

Let $K, L$ be convex sets in the plane. For normalization purposes, suppose that the area of $K$ is $1$. Suppose that a set $K_n$ of $n$ points are chosen independently and uniformly over $K$, and call a subset of $K$ a {\em hole} if it does not contain any point in $K_n$. It is shown that w.h. p. the largest area of a hole homothetic to $L$ is $(1+o(1)) \log{n}/n$. We also consider the problems of estimating the largest area convex hole, and the largest area of a convex polygonal hole with vertices in $K_n$. For these two problems we show that the answer is $\Theta\bigl(\log{n}/n\bigr)$.
Water and Solutions at Negative Pressure: Raman Spectroscopic Study to -80 Megapascals

Microscopic inclusions of aqueous fluids trapped in interstices in quartz and other crystals provide novel systems for the deliberate study of liquids under tension. Liquids under tension should differ in interesting ways from those at ambient pressure or compressed liquids because attractive, rather than repulsive, forces should dominate their behavior. Static tensions in excess of 100 megapascals (~1000 atmospheres) have been obtained reproducibly. Video-recorded observations of the final liquid rupture process, coupled with extrapolations of data at positive pressure, suggest that the homogeneous vapor nucleation point was reached in two of the cases studied. Raman spectra of the fluids at -80 megapascals show that an isothermal volume stretch of -5 percent by volume has only a weak effect on the spectral features and is similar to the effect of isobaric heating.
Intracellular signaling pathways of inflammation modulated by dietary flavonoids: The most recent evidence

ABSTRACT Dietary flavonoids, which occur in many plant foods, are considered as the most active constituents among the plant-derived ones in vitro and in vivo. To date, many studies have addressed the anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids. However, their considerable structural diversity and in vivo bioavailability make them able to modulate different signaling pathways. The present review attempted to summarize and highlight a broad range of inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulated by flavonoids. Finally, based on the current scientist's literature, structure-activity relationships were concluded. Dietary flavonoids have the ability to attenuate inflammation by targeting different intracellular signaling pathways triggered by NF-κB, AP-1, PPAR, Nrf2, and MAPKs. Identification of the main structural features required for the modulation of these inflammation-related pathways (hydroxylation pattern, C2=C3 double bond) have an important role to play in the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs.
Guideline-recommended management of community-acquired pneumonia in veterans with spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), but little is known about guideline-based management for this disease in persons with SCI/D. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to describe guideline-based medical care for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in veterans with SCI/D. METHODS A retrospective medical record review was conducted at 7 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers where veterans with SCI/D and CAP between 2005 and 2008 were included. Outcomes assessed were receipt of blood or sputum culture, antibiotic timeliness, appropriateness of empiric antibiotic treatment, and vaccination. RESULTS In 70 patients, 77 CAP episodes occurred and 83.1% were treated in the inpatient setting. The average age was 70.0 years and 64.9% had tetraplegia. Sputum culture was completed in 24.7% and blood culture in 59.7% of cases. Of inpatients, 79.7% had antibiotic treatment within 8 hours and 45.1% received guideline-recommended empirical antibiotics. More than 90% of inpatients received antibiotic treatment within 3 days of presentation and 78.1% received recommended treatment. The rates of pneumococcal pneumonia (89.9%) and influenza (79.7%) vaccinations were high in CAP cases. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic testing and early guideline-recommended treatment is variable in veterans with SCI/D and CAP. However vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia is high. Specific guidelines for management of CAP in SCI/D patients may be needed, which reflect the unique risk factors and needs of this population. These data can be used as a benchmark for improvements in care processes for treating and managing CAP in persons with SCI/D.