Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mesures de compositions locales par spectroscopie de plasma induit par laser

La mesure de concentration de carburant dans des configurations pratiques reste une information importante pour la bonne comprehension des phenomenes et pour l'optimisation de la combustion. Cet article presente les avancees recentes dans le domaine de la spectroscopie de plasma induit par laser. D'une part, des experiences menees jusqu'a 5~MPa permettent de montrer que les emissions atomiques sont toujours detectables. Une analyse temporelle fine permet de comparer l'evolution spectrale d'un plasma d'air et d'un plasma d'air-dioxyde de carbone, avec notamment la mise en avant d'emission reliee au carbone. Des strategies sont proposees pour l'analyse effective des spectres en fonction de la pression des gaz. Il est montre que pour de fortes pressions, superieures a 1~MPa, des analyses basees sur des emission autour de 833~nm sont preferables pour decrire le fuel alors qu'a plus faible pression, il vaut mieux prendre le signal aux alentours de 710~nm. En parallele, une extension de la technique LIPS a la mesure en deux dimensions est presentee. L'analyse temporelle fine permet la aussi de definir la meilleure strategie de mesure. Un exemple d'application pour la determination d'une couche de melange entre de l'azote et de l'air permet de demontrer la faisabilite de la technique a la mesure effective en deux dimensions.
Comparison of Neosaxitoxin Versus Bupivacaine via Port Infiltration for Postoperative Analgesia Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial

Background and Objectives: Wound infiltration with available local anesthetics generally provides analgesia for less than 8 hrs. The site 1 sodium-channel toxin neosaxitoxin (neoSTX) produced analgesia for over 24 hrs in animals and human volunteers. In this randomized, double-blind trial, we examined the postoperative course of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under a standardized general anesthesia with wound infiltration using either neoSTX or bupivacaine. We hypothesized that neoSTX would reduce pain compared with bupivacaine at 12 hrs postoperatively. Methods: Patients received preincisional infiltration of laparoscope entry sites with 20 mL containing either neoSTX (total dose, 100 &mgr;g) or bupivacaine 0.25% (total dose, 50 mg). The primary outcome measure was the visual analog pain score at 12 hrs postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included repeated pain scores at rest and with movement, analgesic use, functional recovery, and adverse effects. Groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests for pain scores, Fisher exact test for proportions of patients with severe pain and complete analgesia, and Kaplan-Meier curves for time to full recovery. Results: Among 137 subjects, 69 were randomized to neoSTX and 68 to bupivacaine. Median pain scores at rest and with movement 12 hrs postoperatively were lower in the neoSTX group compared with the bupivacaine group (P < 0.01). Additional pain measures and recovery parameters also favored neoSTX. No serious adverse events occurred, and no adverse events were more frequent in the neoSTX group. Conclusions: NeoSTX shows promise as a long-acting local anesthetic. Future studies will examine dose response, combination formulations, and safety with dose escalation.
Comment on "AC frequency characteristics of coplanar impedance sensors as design parameters" by Jongin Hong, Dae Sung Yoon, Sung Kwan Kim, Tae Song Kim, Sanghyo Kim, Eugene Y. Pak and Kwangsoo No, Lab Chip, 2005, 5, 270.

In their article, ‘‘AC frequency characteristics of coplanar impedance sensors as design parameters’’, Hong et al.1 present an analytical model for the calculation of the resistance between two electrodes in a microchannel. However, their measurements fit poorly with their suggested model, and they attribute the discrepancies to electrode thickness and a ‘fringing effect’. In this note we show that the discrepancies are due to the neglected channel height in their model, and that by including two additional transforma ions, the resistance between two
Disturbances of Gastric Electrical Control Activity after Laparotomic Cholecystectomy Are Related to Interleukin-6 Concentrations

Background: The aim of the present study was to characterize the disturbances of gastric electrical control activity after cholecystectomy and to correlate electrogastrographic (EGG) findings with inflammatory markers. Patients and Methods: 52 adult patients were examined in conjunction with planned laparotomic or laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Gastric myoelectrical activity was recorded with a MicroDigitrapper device using three Ag-AgCl disposable skin electrodes. The dominant frequency was calculated using computerized algorithms. Repeated EGG records were correlated with inflammatory parameters – interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein. Results: Both basal and stimulated gastric electrical frequency decreased significantly in the postoperative phase measured 6 h after the start of surgery (p < 0.01). Postoperative bradygastria (electrical control activity frequency <2.4 cpm) was relatively more expressed after open cholecystectomy. Among the patients with a laparotomic cholecystectomy, IL-6 maximal postoperative concentrations correlated positively with a prolonged restitution of normal gastric activity. Conclusions: EGG examination showed a high sensitivity in the evaluation of gastric electrical activity after both laparotomic and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A significant correlation of prolonged bradygastria and IL-6 plasma levels supports the role of the inflammatory milieu in the pathogenesis of impaired gastric electrical activity in the postoperative period.
BAG4/SODD Protein Contains a Short BAG Domain*

BAG (Bcl-2-associated athanogene) proteins are molecular chaperone regulators that affect diverse cellular pathways. All members share a conserved motif, called the BAG domain (BD), which binds to Hsp70/Hsc70 family proteins and modulates their activity. We have determined the solution structure of BD from BAG4/SODD (silencer of death domains) by multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance methods and compared it to the corresponding domain in BAG1 (Briknarová, K., Takayama, S., Brive, L., Havert, M. L., Knee, D. A., Velasco, J., Homma, S., Cabezas, E., Stuart, J., Hoyt, D. W., Satterthwait, A. C., Llinás, M., Reed, J. C., and Ely, K. R. (2001) Nat. Struct. Biol.8, 349–352). The difference between BDs from these two BAG proteins is striking, and the structural comparison defines two subfamilies of mammalian BD-containing proteins. One subfamily includes the closely related BAG3, BAG4, and BAG5 proteins, and the other is represented by BAG1, which contains a structurally and evolutionarily distinct BD. BDs from both BAG1 and BAG4 are three-helix bundles; however, in BAG4, each helix in this bundle is three to four turns shorter than its counterpart in BAG1, which reduces the length of the domain by one-third. BAG4 BD thus represents a prototype of the minimal functional fragment that is capable of binding to Hsc70 and modulating its chaperone activity.
Plasma membrane nanoporation as a possible mechanism behind infrared excitation of cells

Objective. Short infrared (IR) laser pulses have been used to stimulate action potentials in neurons both in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanism(s) underlying this phenomenon has remained elusive. In vitro studies have found that pulsed IR exposure generates a nearly instant change in capacitance in the plasma membrane, characterized by inward rectification, a common feature in pore-forming exposures, such as electrical pulses and acoustic shock waves. Based on this similarity, we hypothesize that the mechanism of IR stimulation is the formation of short-lived nanopores in the plasma membrane. These transient, small-diameter pores allow the influx of extracellular ions that lead to action potential generation, possibly through activation of secondary messenger pathways or depolarization of the cell membrane resulting in activation of voltage-gated ion channels. Approach. A variety of fluorescent markers are used to observe the cell response to IR stimulation to monitor for effects indicative of nanoporation in other modalities. Main results. We observe rapid, transient rises in intracellular Ca2+, influx of YO-PRO-1 and propidium iodide into the cell signifying membrane permeabilization, cellular blebbing and swelling, and activation of the intracellular phosphoinositides lipid signaling pathway. Significance. This conclusion better explains the experimental observations and limitations of IR-induced neurological stimulation and represents a distinct theoretical shift in the understanding of the mechanism of IR-induced stimulation.
Multisensor biometric evidence fusion of face and palmprint for person authentication using Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO)

This paper presents a novel biometric sensor fusion technique for face and palmprint images using Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO). The proposed method can be visualised in the following steps: we first decompose the face and palmprint image obtained from different sensors using wavelet transformation and then, we employ PSO to select most informative wavelet coefficients from face and palmprint to produce a new fused image. We then employed Kernel Direct Discriminant Analysis (KDDA) for feature extraction and the decision about accept/reject is carried out using Nearest Neighbour Classifier (NNC). Extensive experiments carried out on a virtual multimodal biometric database of 250 users indicate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Effects of a Behavioral Sleep Medicine Intervention on Trauma Symptoms in Adolescents Recently Treated for Substance Abuse

This study tested whether improvement in sleep by an integrative, behavioral sleep intervention was associated with improvement in traumatic stress (TS) symptoms in a sample of 20 adolescents who were recently treated for substance abuse. Sleep was measured throughout the intervention via daily sleep diaries, and traumatic stress symptoms were assessed by the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) at baseline, post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, and 12-months post-intervention. Individuals with more time in bed and more total sleep time at the beginning of the intervention had more improvement in TS symptom trajectories across the intervention and at the 12-month follow-up assessment. Interaction trends also emerged indicating that adolescents who, throughout the sleep intervention, went to bed later and fell asleep faster had greater improvements in TS symptoms over time. Overall, these results indicate that stimulus control, a therapy that encourages patients to attempt sleep only when they are sleepy, may be particularly helpful for adolescents with TS symptoms, sleep disturbances, and substance abuse histories.
Design and implementation of a universal input flyback converter

Due to rapid increase in use of mobile devices, development of power supply for these devices has become a challenge. There is demand for smaller size adapter with high efficiency, power density etc. Instead of having a selector switch for different supply voltages in the adapter, the approach is to design a converter which takes universal input voltage and provides constant output voltage. Performance of converter has to be efficient for different load conditions too. Meeting these requirements will require efficient design, proper selection of discrete components, optimal topology, thermal considerations etc. In this paper, approach carried out to develop an adapter circuit for a laptop is discussed. A flyback converter with switching frequency 65 kHz is designed to provide a DC output of 19V for universal ac input (90V to 250V). Considering nature of the load, converter is designed to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). Design carried out to find the optimal values of the discrete components is elaborated. Closed loop operation of the designed converter is simulated in NI Multisim 13.0 and analysed. After simulation results were satisfactory, for study purpose, with available resources, an effort was made to develop a module of the converter without any industrial assistance. The simulation results, challenges encountered during hardware development, open loop hardware module results are also discussed in the paper.
Structure of the topoisomerase VI‐B subunit: implications for type II topoisomerase mechanism and evolution

Type IIA and type IIB topoisomerases each possess the ability to pass one DNA duplex through another in an ATP‐dependent manner. The role of ATP in the strand passage reaction is poorly understood, particularly for the type IIB (topoisomerase VI) family. We have solved the structure of the ATP‐binding subunit of topoisomerase VI (topoVI‐B) in two states: an unliganded monomer and a nucleotide‐bound dimer. We find that topoVI‐B is highly structurally homologous to the entire 40–43 kDa ATPase region of type IIA topoisomerases and MutL proteins. Nucleotide binding to topoVI‐B leads to dimerization of the protein and causes dramatic conformational changes within each protomer. Our data demonstrate that type IIA and type IIB topoisomerases have descended from a common ancestor and reveal how ATP turnover generates structural signals in the reactions of both type II topoisomerase families. When combined with the structure of the A subunit to create a picture of the intact topoisomerase VI holoenzyme, the ATP‐driven motions of topoVI‐B reveal a simple mechanism for strand passage by the type IIB topoisomerases.
Securing a Smart Home Network using Voice Biometric

The emerging generation of Wireless Sensor Networks, is the Internet of Things. This system is linking physical objects, directly to the Internet using microcontrollers or microprocessors. Visualizing, the next generation internet, the Internet of Things (IoT) provides the infrastructure of pervasive wireless sensing and identification systems with billions of uniquely identifiable intelligent devices to form a ubiquitous environment. The World Wide Web provides great opportunities for data collection and analysis, as well as, for interoperability of objects, that cannot be connected to the same local area network. This network of devices also known as ubiquitous computing, however, poses a serious question of security in such a large number of devices. This paper focuses on the security aspect and a viable method of providing secured access and operation to the users, in such kind of a network as defined. A biometric approach based on Voice Recognition and Speech Recognition is suggested which forms a dual layer of security and authentication for each user, the first for the identification of the user to belong to the network and the other for accessing the various devices.
Systems Dynamic Modeling of a Guard Cell Cl− Channel Mutant Uncovers an Emergent Homeostatic Network Regulating Stomatal Transpiration1[W][OA]

Stomata account for much of the 70% of global water usage associated with agriculture and have a profound impact on the water and carbon cycles of the world. Stomata have long been modeled mathematically, but until now, no systems analysis of a plant cell has yielded detail sufficient to guide phenotypic and mutational analysis. Here, we demonstrate the predictive power of a systems dynamic model in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to explain the paradoxical suppression of channels that facilitate K+ uptake, slowing stomatal opening, by mutation of the SLAC1 anion channel, which mediates solute loss for closure. The model showed how anion accumulation in the mutant suppressed the H+ load on the cytosol and promoted Ca2+ influx to elevate cytosolic pH (pHi) and free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), in turn regulating the K+ channels. We have confirmed these predictions, measuring pHi and [Ca2+]i in vivo, and report that experimental manipulation of pHi and [Ca2+]i is sufficient to recover K+ channel activities and accelerate stomatal opening in the slac1 mutant. Thus, we uncover a previously unrecognized signaling network that ameliorates the effects of the slac1 mutant on transpiration by regulating the K+ channels. Additionally, these findings underscore the importance of H+-coupled anion transport for pHi homeostasis.
Modeling and Testing of an Armature-Reaction-Compensated (PM) Synchronous Generator

Hybrid excitation synchronous generators are a special class of electrical machines in which the total rotor current linkage is produced by the simultaneous action of two different excitation sources: permanent-magnet (PM) excitation and field winding excitation. In the island operation, there is a need to compensate the armature reaction to keep the generator terminal voltage constant. The permanent magnet excitation is used to create the no-load excitation to the generator and the rotor winding is used as an armature reaction compensating winding. This paper studies the applicability of an armature-reaction-compensated PM synchronous generator to a marine diesel genset. This paper presents an analytical approach for the electromagnetic design of the proposed topology. Finite-element analysis and experimental measurements are performed to verify the results of the analytical approach.
Candida sepsis.

Thirty cases of Candida sepsis occurring at Howard University Hospital between January 1983 and December 1985 were studied. A retrospective analysis was done to determine which risk factors or methods of treatment led to higher morbidity and mortality. Nosocomial infections with fungi are becoming more widespread as patients survive illnesses once deemed terminal. Patients had positive blood cultures for Candida accompanied by signs of systemic sepsis. Risk factors included diabetes, central hyperalimentation, malignancy, intraabdominal abscesses, and fistulae. The correlation between the total dose of amphotericin administered and patient recovery was analyzed.
An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Selected Macroeconomic Variables on Capital Formation in Libya (1970–2010)

(cid:3) Abstract — This study is carried out to provide an insight into the analysis of the impact of selected macro-economic variables on gross fixed capital formation in Libya using annual data over the period (1970-2010). The importance of this study comes from the ability to show the relative important factors that impact the Libyan gross fixed capital formation. This understanding would give indications to decision makers on which policy they must focus to stimulate the economy. An Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modeling process is employed to investigate the impact of the Gross Domestic Product, Monetary Base and Trade Openness on Gross Fixed Capital Formation in Libya. The results of this study reveal that there is an equilibrium relationship between capital formation and its determinants, also indicate that GDP and trade openness largely explain the pattern of capital formation in Libya. The findings and recommendations provide vital information relevant for policy formulation and implementation aimed to improve capital formation in Libya.
Compliance and prognosis in glaucoma.

Poor compliance is an important limiting factor in the medical management of many chronic diseases. Yet, we have little information about defaulting from treatment regimens in ophthalmology. In part, this reflects methodologic problems of measuring compliance with topical ophthalmic medication. The recent development of eyedrop medication monitors allows us, for the first time, to make accurate and objective measurements of defaulting in ophthalmology. 1-3 The initial studies have been restricted to pilocarpine and indicate a high rate of defaulting in terms of missed doses and inadequate time spacing of doses. 4,5 See also p 529. Good compliance is not an end in itself. The clinician must relate compliance to disease prognosis, especially if he or she is considering vigorous interventions to reduce defaulting. In an article published in this issue of theArchives, Granstrom 6 finds little relationship between compliance with 4% pilocarpine treatment prescribed three times daily and progression
Short‐term heat acclimation is effective and may be enhanced rather than impaired by dehydration

Most heat acclimation data are from regimes longer than 1 week, and acclimation advice is to prevent dehydration. Objectives: We hypothesized that (i) short‐term (5‐day) heat acclimation would substantially improve physiological strain and exercise tolerance under heat stress, and (ii) dehydration would provide a thermally independent stimulus for adaptation. Methods: Nine aerobically fit males heat acclimated using controlled‐hyperthermia (rectal temperature 38.5°C) for 90 min on 5 days; once euhydrated (EUH) and once dehydrated (DEH) during acclimation bouts. Exercising heat stress tests (HSTs) were completed before and after acclimations (90‐min cycling in Ta 35°C, 60% RH). Results: During acclimation bouts, [aldosterone]plasma rose more across DEH than EUH (95%CI for difference between regimes: 40–411 pg ml−1; P = 0.03; n = 5) and was positively related to plasma volume expansion (r = 0.65; P = 0.05), which tended to be larger in DEH (CI: −1 to 10%; P = 0.06; n = 9). In HSTs, resting forearm perfusion increased more in DEH (by 5.9 ml 100 tissue ml−1 min−1: −11.5 to −1.0; P = 0.04) and end‐exercise cardiac frequency fell to a greater extent (by 11 b min−1: −1 to 22; P = 0.05). Hydration‐related effects on other endocrine, cardiovascular, and psychophysical responses to HSTs were unclear. Rectal temperature was unchanged at rest but was 0.3°C lower at end exercise (P < 0.01; interaction: P = 0.52). Conclusions: Short‐term (5‐day) heat acclimation induced effective adaptations, some of which were more pronounced after fluid‐regulatory strain from permissive dehydration, and not attributable to dehydration effects on body temperature. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:311–320, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treatment of mice with leaf extract of jamun (syzygium cumini linn. skeels) protects against the radiationinduced damge in the intestinal mucosa of mice exposed to different doses of γ-radiation

Effect of 50 mg/kg body weight of leaf extract of jamun (Syzygium Cumini Linn. Skeels) was studied on the radiation-induced changes in the jejunum of mice exposed to 7, 10 or 15 Gy γ-radiation on day 1, 3 and 7 days post-irradiation. Histological examination of mouse jejunum on day 1, 3 or 7 revealed a dose dependent increase in the radiation-induced damage after exposure to 7, 10 or 15 Gy. Irradiation of mice to different doses of γ-radiation caused a significant reduction in the villus height and number of crypts per circumference accompanied by an increase in goblet and dead cells. The maximum lesions were observed on day 1 post-irradiation indicating a severe intestinal damage however, the signs of recovery were discernible at day 7 post-irradiation, where the radiation-induced lesions were lesser than day 1 post-irradiation. Treatment of mice with jamun extract before irradiation had a conducive effect as it elevated the villus height and the number of crypts and also reduced the goblet and dead cells when compared with the irradiation control. The recovery and regeneration was faster in jamun pretreated animals than the irradiation alone. The greatest damage was observed in the animals exposed to 15 Gy, where animals did not survive up to 7 days post-irradiation, whereas jamun pretreatment caused early recovery and reduced the symptoms of radiation-induced damage even at 3 days post-irradiation. Our study demonstrates that jamun extract protects the radiation-induced damage in the small intestine of mice and may be a useful to protect against the radiationinduced gastrointestinal damage.