Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Robust Stability of 2-D Linear Discrete Systems described by the Recursive Model

In this paper, we present a new criterion on robust stability of two-dimensional (2-D) linear discrete systems. This method is based on the discriminant systems of polynomial and Hurwitz theorem. By the fractional linear transformation, the problem of stability analysis for uncertain 2-D systems can be turned to a new problem whether the polynomials are Hurwitz stable, which can be easily checked by the discriminant system of polynomial. It simplifies some existing methods of analyzing stability for 2-D systems with uncertain parameters. A comparison is included to illustrate the presented criterion is more effective than previously reported criterion.
The Pathophysiology of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious pregnancy complication, in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes develop chronic hyperglycemia during gestation. In most cases, this hyperglycemia is the result of impaired glucose tolerance due to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction on a background of chronic insulin resistance. Risk factors for GDM include overweight and obesity, advanced maternal age, and a family history or any form of diabetes. Consequences of GDM include increased risk of maternal cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and macrosomia and birth complications in the infant. There is also a longer-term risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in the child. GDM affects approximately 16.5% of pregnancies worldwide, and this number is set to increase with the escalating obesity epidemic. While several management strategies exist—including insulin and lifestyle interventions—there is not yet a cure or an efficacious prevention strategy. One reason for this is that the molecular mechanisms underlying GDM are poorly defined. This review discusses what is known about the pathophysiology of GDM, and where there are gaps in the literature that warrant further exploration.
A Time-domain Analog Weighted-sum Calculation Model for Extremely Low Power VLSI Implementation of Multi-layer Neural Networks

A time-domain analog weighted-sum calculation model is proposed based on an integrate-and-fire-type spiking neuron model. The proposed calculation model is applied to multi-layer feedforward networks, in which weighted summations with positive and negative weights are separately performed in each layer and summation results are then fed into the next layers without their subtraction operation. We also propose very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuits to implement the proposed model. Unlike the conventional analog voltage or current mode circuits, the time-domain analog circuits use transient operation in charging/discharging processes to capacitors. Since the circuits can be designed without operational amplifiers, they can operate with extremely low power consumption. However, they have to use very high resistance devices on the order of G$\rm \Omega$. We designed a proof-of-concept (PoC) CMOS VLSI chip to verify weighted-sum operation with the same weights and evaluated it by post-layout circuit simulation using 250-nm fabrication technology. High resistance operation was realized by using the subthreshold operation region of MOS transistors. Simulation results showed that energy efficiency for the weighted-sum calculation was 290~TOPS/W, more than one order of magnitude higher than that in state-of-the-art digital AI processors, even though the minimum width of interconnection used in the PoC chip was several times larger than that in such digital processors. If state-of-the-art VLSI technology is used to implement the proposed model, an energy efficiency of more than 1,000~TOPS/W will be possible. For practical applications, development of emerging analog memory devices such as ferroelectric-gate FETs is necessary.
TRAF2 Cooperates with Focal Adhesion Signaling to Regulate Cancer Cell Susceptibility to Anoikis

TRAF2, a RING finger adaptor protein, plays an important function in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- and TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK)-dependent signaling, in particular during inflammatory and immune responses. We identified a functional interaction of TRAF2 with focal adhesion (FA) signaling involving the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the regulation of cell susceptibility to anoikis. Comparison of TRAF2-proficient (TRAF2+/+) versus TRAF2-deficient (TRAF2−/−), and FAK-proficient (FAK+/+) versus FAK-deficient (FAK−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts and their matched reconstituted cells demonstrated that TRAF2 interacts physically with the N-terminal portion of FAK and colocalizes to cell membrane protrusions. This interaction was found to be critical for promoting resistance to cell anoikis. Similar results were confirmed in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, where TRAF2 and FAK downregulation promoted cell susceptibility to anoikis. In human breast cancer tissues, genomic analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed coamplification of TRAF2 and FAK in breast cancer tissues with a predictive value for shorter survival, further supporting a potential role of TRAF2–FAK cooperative signaling in cancer progression.
Resource Allocation in Wireless Powered IoT Networks

In this paper, the efficient resource allocation for the uplink transmission of wireless powered Internet of Things (IoT) networks is investigated. We adopt LoRa technology as an example in the IoT network, but this paper is still suitable for other communication technologies. Allocating limited resources, like spectrum and energy resources, among a massive number of users faces critical challenges. We consider grouping wireless powered IoT users into available channels first and then investigate power allocation for users grouped in the same channel to improve the network throughput. Specifically, the user grouping problem is formulated as a many to one matching game. It is achieved by considering IoT users and channels as selfish players which belong to two disjoint sets. Both selfish players focus on maximizing their own utilities. Then we propose an efficient channel allocation algorithm (ECAA) with low complexity for user grouping. Additionally, a Markov decision process is used to model unpredictable energy arrival and channel conditions uncertainty at each user, and a power allocation algorithm is proposed to maximize the accumulative network throughput over a finite-horizon of time slots. By doing so, we can distribute the channel access and dynamic power allocation local to IoT users. Numerical results demonstrate that our proposed ECAA algorithm achieves near-optimal performance and is superior to random channel assignment, but has much lower computational complexity. Moreover, simulations show that the distributed power allocation policy for each user is obtained with better performance than a centralized offline scheme.
Problematic Internet use and its associations with health‐related symptoms and lifestyle habits among rural Japanese adolescents

There have been concerns about the increase in problematic Internet use (PIU) and its impact on lifestyle habits and health‐related symptoms, given the rapid spread of smartphones. This study aimed to clarify PIU prevalence over 3 years in the same area and investigate lifestyle and health‐related factors related to PIU among junior high‐school students in Japan.
Importance of bacterial biodegradation and detoxification processes of microcystins for environmental health

ABSTRACT Microcystins (MC) the most frequently reported cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom toxins primarily found in some species of freshwater genera pose a serious threat to human and animal health. To reduce health risks associated with MC exposure it is important to remove these toxins found in drinking and recreational waterbodies. Since the physical and chemical water treatment methods are inefficient in completely degrading MC, alternative approaches to effectively detoxify MC have become the focus of global research. The aim of this review was to provide the current approach to cost-effective biological treatment methods which utilize bacteria to degrade MC without generation of harmful by-products. In addition, the catabolic pathways involved in MC-degradation involving proteins encoded mlr gene cluster, intermediate products and efficiencies of bacteria strain/bacteria community are presented and compared.
Existen los diseños de investigación cuasi cohorte

Cuando la poblacion de estudio esta integrada por un grupo de pacientes expuestos y se les observa durante un determinado periodo de tiempo para medir la presencia o ausencia de la enfermedad, el diseno se ubica en el contexto de los estudios observacionales, no obstante, no cumple con todos los requisitos de un diseno de cohorte, en consecuencia se podia decir que se trata de un diseno de investigacion llamado cuasi cohorte.
GFP tagging of Brucella melitensis Rev1 allows the identification of vaccinated sheep

Abstract Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis causing important economic loss and a public health problem. Small ruminants are the preferred hosts of Brucella melitensis and thus the main source of human infections. Effective control of sheep and goat brucellosis has been achieved in several countries through vaccination with the live‐attenuated B. melitensis Rev1 vaccine. However, Rev1 induces a long‐lasting serological response that hinders the differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. A Rev1::gfp strain expressing constitutively the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was built by stable insertion of a mini‐Tn7‐gfp in the glmS‐recG non‐codifying chromosomal region. An associated indirect ELISA‐GFP was developed to identify anti‐GFP antibodies in vaccinated animals. The resulting Rev1::gfp kept the biological properties of the Rev1 reference strain, including residual virulence and efficacy in mice, and was readily distinguished from Rev1 and other Brucella field strains by direct visualization under ultraviolet illumination, fluorescence microscopy and a multiplex PCR‐GFP. The Rev1::gfp strain did not elicit anti‐GFP antibodies itself in lambs but when applied in combination with recombinant GFP induced an intense and long‐lasting (>9 months) anti‐GFP serological response readily detectable by the ELISA‐GFP. Overall, our results confirm that Rev1 GFP‐tagging can be a suitable alternative for identifying vaccinated sheep in infected contexts.
Visual Place Recognition based on Multi-level CNN Features

In this paper, we propose a visual place recognition (VPR) detection method which utilizes multi-level CNN features. High-level CNN features contain much semantic information and can deal with the change of viewpoint, middle-level CNN features contain much geometric information and have good robustness to the change of light and so on. Fully integrating the advantages of high-level and middle-level CNN features, the place recognition detection method will own good robustness to challenge the environment with appearance and viewpoint changes. Due to the high dimension of CNN feature vectors, we pre-process the feature vectors before they are used to the detection. And we introduce how to choose the image representation and compute the similarity score in detail. Finally we perform the experiments on three open datasets with viewpoint and appearance changes, which indicate that the performance of multi-level CNN features outperforms any other single-level CNN features and Fab-Map2.0.
T-type calcium channel blockers: a patent review (2012–2018)

ABSTRACT Introduction: T-type calcium channels are attractive targets for potential treatment of epilepsy inflammatory or neuropathic pain, insomnia, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. Three isoforms having different biophysical functions are expressed in peripheral and central nerve. Since the withdrawal of mibefradil, the first compound marketed for selective T-type calcium channel blockade, extensive efforts have been made to identify more selective T-type calcium channel blockers. Areas covered: This review covers the 43 patents describing ‘organic small molecules as T-type calcium channel blockers’-published since 2012. The most recent similar patent review was published in 2011. Information from a recent review article and relevant research papers has been included, as well as biological data and clinical trial results where available. Expert opinion: Triazinone derivatives, carbazole compounds, and aryl triazole/imidazole amide derivatives display potent blockade activity α1H, α1G, and pan T-type calcium channel subtypes, respectively, though the specificity of the letter is still unsatisfactory. Nonetheless, improvements seen in the efficacy of compounds targeting α1H T-type calcium channels indicate significant progress. Ongoing clinical trials are for the candidates Z944 (Phase II) and ACT-709478 (Phase II) appear promising. These studies may lead to a new generation of inhibitors with higher selectivity, improved physicochemical properties, and reduced side effects.
Reproductive preferences during middle childhood and early adolescence in Guatemala

Abstract Reproductive preferences and the spread of low fertility norms occupy a key position in debates regarding the causal mechanisms underlying sustained fertility declines. Most of the literature on reproductive preferences focuses on stability and variability of adult fertility preferences, and their relationship with behavioural outcomes. Little work has focused on the developmental origins of these preferences, particularly in populations undergoing rapid social and demographic change. This study explores the utility of integrating the ontogeny of fertility preferences into accounts of fertility declines. We analyse data on child and adolescent (age 8–15) reproductive preferences collected from a semi-rural community in the Guatemalan Highlands. We explore (1) the distribution of reproductive preferences across age and gender, (2) relationships between family structure and preferences, (3) the relationship between personal economic and occupational aspirations and reproductive preferences, and (4) the effects of parental investments in education on reproductive preferences. Findings reveal the early development of gender and ethnic differences in reported reproductive preferences, as well as evidence for the differential impact of family background and personal aspirations on the timing of reproductive events and ideal family size.
Measuring Swampiness: Quantifying Chaos in Large Heterogeneous Data Repositories

As scientific data repositories and filesystems grow in size and complexity, they become increasingly disorganized. The coupling of massive quantities of data with poor organization makes it challenging for scientists to locate and utilize relevant data, thus slowing the process of analyzing data of interest. To address these issues, we explore an automated clustering approach for quantifying the organization of data repositories. Our parallel pipeline processes heterogeneous filetypes (e.g., text and tabular data), automatically clusters files based on content and metadata similarities, and computes a novel "cleanliness" score from the resulting clustering. We demonstrate the generation and accuracy of our cleanliness measure using both synthetic and real datasets, and conclude that it is more consistent than other potential cleanliness measures.
Seasonal Genetic Drift of Human Influenza A Virus Quasispecies Revealed by Deep Sequencing

After a pandemic wave in 2009 following their introduction in the human population, the H1N1pdm09 viruses replaced the previously circulating, pre-pandemic H1N1 virus and, along with H3N2 viruses, are now responsible for the seasonal influenza type A epidemics. So far, the evolutionary potential of influenza viruses has been mainly documented by consensus sequencing data. However, like other RNA viruses, influenza A viruses exist as a population of diverse, albeit related, viruses, or quasispecies. Interest in this quasispecies nature has increased with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies that allow a more in-depth study of the genetic variability. NGS deep sequencing methodologies were applied to determine the whole genome genetic heterogeneity of the three categories of influenza A viruses that circulated in humans between 2007 and 2012 in France, directly from clinical respiratory specimens. Mutation frequencies and single nucleotide polymorphisms were used for comparisons to address the level of natural intrinsic heterogeneity of influenza A viruses. Clear differences in single nucleotide polymorphism profiles between seasons for a given subtype also revealed the constant genetic drift that human influenza A virus quasispecies undergo.
Heparan sulfate as a regulator of inflammation and immunity

Heparan sulfate is found on the surface of most cell types, as well as in basement membranes and extracellular matrices. Its strong anionic properties and highly variable structure enable this glycosaminoglycan to provide binding sites for numerous protein ligands, including many soluble mediators of the immune system, and may promote or inhibit their activity. The formation of ligand binding sites on heparan sulfate (HS) occurs in a tissue‐ and context‐specific fashion through the action of several families of enzymes, most of which have multiple isoforms with subtly different specificities. Changes in the expression levels of these biosynthetic enzymes occur in response to inflammatory stimuli, resulting in structurally different HS and acquisition or loss of binding sites for immune mediators. In this review, we discuss the multiple roles for HS in regulating immune responses, and the evidence for inflammation‐associated changes to HS structure.
Varijacije unutar radikalne desnice: komparativna analiza programa radikalno desnih stranaka u Zapadnoj i Istočnoj Europi

The main objective of this research is to evaluate variations in the extreme Right in contemporary Europe in order to better define the terminology in use and facilitate the research of radical right parties’ phenomenon. Comparative methods used in the research are content analysis of the main strategic documents and secondary literature linked to four radical right parties in Europe: Flemish interest, Austrian freedom party, Greater Romania Party and National Union Attack. Variables used in the research are nationalism, values, attitudes to immigration and integration, economic situation at the time of the first significant success in elections and characteristics of the voting system. The research shows that variations which occur within chosen variables don’t allow for only partial observation of the radical Right according to the nature of these parties in Western Europe; specific characteristics of the radical Right in post-communist Europe also have to be taken in consideration. Differences in understanding of nationalism, integration and immigration are remarkable and these variations should be taken in consideration when the overall extreme Right is being researched. The paper also opens up additional space for the research of this phenomenon and the collective evolution of nationalism in Europe.
Transmission infrared spectra ( 2 – 25 l m ) of carbonaceous chondrites

a UJF-Grenoble 1, CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), UMR 5274, Grenoble F-38041, France b UJF-Grenoble 1, CNRS-INSU, Institut des Sciences de la Terre (IsTERRE), UMR 5275, Grenoble F-38041, France c Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA d Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Universite Paris Diderot, 1 rue jussieu, Paris 75005, France
biomarkers really ready for real world usage ? scores in acute coronary syndrome . Are The additive value of biomarkers to clinical risk

http://heart.bmj. com/content/96/3/227.full. html Updated information and services can be found at: These include: References http://heart.bmj. com/content/96/3/227.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 6 articles, 5 of which can be accessed free at: service Email alerting box at the top right corner of the online article. Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the Notes
The Method of Averaging and Domains of Stability for Integral Manifolds

Liapunov’s direct method is a standard and effective approach to computing the domain of stability (or region of attraction) of an autonomous ordinary differential equation. In this paper the author investigates domains of stability of integral manifolds of solutions generated by nonlinear mechanical and electrical oscillatory systems with many degrees of freedom. These manifolds are families of solutions that exhibit stronger stability properties than individual solutions. The problem of estimating the domain of stability of an asymptotically stable integral manifold is reduced to computing the domain of stability of an associated autonomous system of differential equations. This is done by applying the method of averaging to the system generating the integral manifold thus removing angular and time dependences. The stability region of this associated system is then computed and a result is established showing that this region is contained in the stablity region of the original system. Several examples, .
1 Influence of Congruency between Ideal Self and 2 Brand Image on Sustainable Happiness 3

Building on the Sustainable Happiness Model, this study examined how congruency 11 between ideal self-image and brand image influence a sense of happiness. The findings show that 12 when ideal self-image and ideal social self-image are congruent with brand image a sense of 13 happiness can be enhanced through brand identification and positive emotions. This study 14 contributes to literature as it reveals the mechanism of how congruency between ideal self-image 15 and brand image positively affect happiness. 16
1 RELIABLE MULTICASTING VIA SATELLITE : DELAY CONSIDERATIONS *

Many different reliable multicast protocols have been proposed and analyzed in the current literature. Since satellites are naturally a broadcast medium, multicast communications have the potential to greatly benefit from their wide-scale deployment. The performance of reliable multicast protocols needs to be studied and become better understood over networks including satellite links. Most of the analysis performed on these protocols has dealt with bandwidth usage, buffer requirements, and processing delay. Very few studies address the transmission delay incurred from using reliable multicast protocols. Hybrid error control protocols have been studied in terms of bandwidth and delay. The effects of different estimation schemes coupled with autoparity usage are investigated and results are compared. Simple adaptive mechanisms used with a local recovery scheme are found to offer the best overall results in terms of reducing recovery latency and satellite bandwidth usage.
Inequalities in the distribution of training in Britain

This article examines the inequalities in the distribution of training which exist in Britain. It does so by using a binomial logit regression model to examine training incidence and an ordered logit regression model to examine training intensity. The investigation uses a matched worker–workplace data set with origins in the 2011 Work and Employment Relations Study. Training inequalities are seen to correlate with both the personal characteristics of the individual and the characteristics of the workplace at which he/she is employed, notably age band, pay grade, tenure and the size of the workplace. However, the training premia which have traditionally accrued to males, graduates, those who have permanent contracts of employment and union members appear to be diminishing if not disappearing.