Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An LO power distribution network design for integrated 60-GHz transceiver on chip

This paper presents a local oscillation (LO) distribution network for the purpose of power splitting and distribution from a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to a transmitter (Tx), receiver (Rx) and phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer for an on-chip 60-GHz transceiver. The proposed LO distribution network architecture includes one input port and three output ports. The network circuit consists of four differential amplifiers to generate sufficient LO power and several transmission lines for power splitting and impedance matching. Since the proposed 60-GHz transceiver is based on a sub-harmonic direct-conversion architecture, the LO distribution network operates at 30-GHz frequency band. In simulation, the peak power gain of 8 dB occurs at 29.5 GHz, and the 3 dB bandwidth range is from 27.7 GHz to 32.1 GHz for each output port. The simulated output referred 1 dB compression point (OP1dB) is +7 dBm and the saturated output power is + 10 dBm. The DC power consumption is 78 mW under a 1.5 V supply. The LO distribution network circuit is integrated with the 60-GHz transceiver and fabricated in 65nm CMOS1.
A low complexity video coding for combining RFID and video surveillance with padding based DVC

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag has been extensively used in diverse applications, recently. For instance, we may use it to track freights on a warehouse, to catch a thief for lost luggage and to rapidly locate lost children or passengers who fail to arrive on time at the departure gates of major airport. It can also be employed for transmitting multimedia content (especially for video). Presently, many research works focus on designing the RFID tag with high transmission data rate. In this paper we present a new practical scheme, it integrates the video surveillance into RFID tag at range of 250 kbps data rate for video data transmission. We believe that has not been addressed before in the literature. Here the Distributed Video Coding (DVC) scheme is integrated into RFID tag, where the so-called padding-based DVC scheme, proposed by us recently, is deployed. It is known that the padding-based DVC scheme has the advantages of requiring very low complexity and achieving low bit rate. Via computer simulations we show that the proposed scheme can easily work at data rate less than 250 kbps, and achieve better performance (PSNR) than the conventional approaches.
Smaller pelvic size in pregnant adolescents contributes to lower birth weight

Abstract Adolescent pregnancy is associated with low birth weight. This has been explained by socioeconomic or emotional factors. However, an adolescent’s pelvis may not be completely developed and this can contribute to impairing fetal growth. Our aim was to compare the relationship between pelvic size and birth weight among adolescents and adult mothers. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Instituto de Medicina Infantil Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Brazil. We studied 125 healthy adolescents and 207 healthy adult women, all of whom were primiparous with a singleton term and low-risk pregnancy. The conjugate, intercristal and interspinous diameters were assessed by the Collins pelvimeter. The effect of pelvic size on the birth weight was evaluated using principal component analysis and multiple linear regression model. The mean pelvic size was smaller in adolescent mothers compared to adult ones (35.1 cm vs. 37.5 cm; p<0.001; t-test). After adjusting for other confounding variables, the predicted birth weights corresponding to these mean values of pelvic size were: 3020±27 g for adolescent mothers and 3145±26 g for adult mothers and showed a significant difference (p<0.001). We concluded that a pelvis that is less than fully developed in adolescents, as assessed by pelvic size, may contribute to lower birth weight in adolescent mothers.
Adaptive Neural Control of Stochastic Nonlinear Time-Delay Systems With Multiple Constraints

For a class of stochastic nonlinear time-delay systems with multiple constraints—predefined tracking constraint, input saturation, and output dead zone—the output tracking control problem is addressed in this paper. By expressing the saturated actuator as a smooth nonlinear function and employing the Nussbaum function technique, the input and output constraints problems are solved. The tracking performance is achieved under the predefined tracking constraint by utilizing the backstepping recursive design technique and the approximation property of neural networks. Then, based on the utilization of the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, the stochastic stability of the closed-loop system is achieved. Finally, the proposed control method is verified through a simulation example.
Temporal variation in the pollen:ovule ratios of Clarkia (Onagraceae) taxa with contrasting mating systems: field populations

Among plants, pairs of selfing vs. outcrossing sister taxa provide interesting systems in which to test predictions concerning the magnitude and direction of temporal changes in sex allocation. Although resource availability typically declines towards the end of the growing season for annual taxa, temporal changes in mating opportunities depend on mating system and should change less in selfing taxa. Consequently, given that the pollen:ovule (P:O) ratio of flowers reflects the investment in (and potential fitness pay‐off due to) male vs. female function, we predicted that the P:O ratio should also be less variable among and within selfers than in closely related outcrossers. To test these predictions, we measured temporal changes in sex allocation in multiple field populations of two pairs of sister taxa in the annual flowering plant genus Clarkia (Onagraceae). In the outcrossing Clarkia unguiculata and the selfing Clarkia exilis, ovule production declined similarly from early to late buds, whereas pollen production remained constant or increased in the outcrosser but remained constant or decreased in the selfer. Consequently, the P:O ratio increased within unguiculata populations but marginally increased or stayed constant in exilis populations. In all populations of the selfing Clarkia xantiana spp. parviflora and the outcrossing C. x. spp. xantiana, both ovule and pollen production per flower declined over time. The effects of these declines on the P:O ratio, however, differed between subspecies. In each xantiana population, the mean P:O ratio did not differ between early and late flowers, although individuals varied greatly in the direction and magnitude of phenotypic change. By contrast, parviflora populations differed in the mean direction of temporal change in the P:O ratio. We found little evidence to support our initial predictions that the P:O ratio of the selfing taxa will consistently vary less than in outcrossing taxa.
Genetic African Ancestry Is Associated With Central Corneal Thickness and Intraocular Pressure in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Purpose To unravel the relationship between African ancestry, central corneal thickness (CCT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) by estimating the genetic African ancestry (GAA) proportion in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and controls from an admixed South African Colored (SAC) and a South African Black (SAB) population. Methods In this case-control study, 268 POAG patients and 137 controls were recruited from a university clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. All participants were genotyped on the Illumina HumanOmniExpress beadchip or HumanOmni2.5Exome beadchip. ADMIXTURE was used to infer participant's GAA among 86,632 SNPs. Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the relation between GAA, POAG, CCT, and IOP. Results The median proportion of GAA was 60% in the study population. GAA was significantly associated with thinner CCT (P < 0.001) and IOP (P = 0.034) in POAG patients. The effect of GAA on CCT was marginally different among POAG patients versus controls (P = 0.066). In POAG patients, the CCT was significantly thinner compared to controls after adjusting for age and sex (P = 0.016). In a stratified analysis in participants with >60% GAA, CCT was not associated with POAG (P = 0.550). Conclusions This study demonstrated that a higher proportion of GAA was associated with a thinner CCT and a higher IOP in POAG patients. Remarkably, at higher proportions of GAA, the difference in CCT between POAG and controls was reduced. This suggests that thinner CCT is not associated with POAG in Africans.
Insights into the Hexose Liver Metabolism—Glucose versus Fructose

High-fructose intake in healthy men is associated with characteristics of metabolic syndrome. Extensive knowledge exists about the differences between hepatic fructose and glucose metabolism and fructose-specific mechanisms favoring the development of metabolic disturbances. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between fructose consumption and metabolic alterations is still debated. Multiple effects of fructose on hepatic metabolism are attributed to the fact that the liver represents the major sink of fructose. Fructose, as a lipogenic substrate and potent inducer of lipogenic enzyme expression, enhances fatty acid synthesis. Consequently, increased hepatic diacylglycerols (DAG) are thought to directly interfere with insulin signaling. However, independently of this effect, fructose may also counteract insulin-mediated effects on liver metabolism by a range of mechanisms. It may drive gluconeogenesis not only as a gluconeogenic substrate, but also as a potent inducer of carbohydrate responsive element binding protein (ChREBP), which induces the expression of lipogenic enzymes as well as gluconeogenic enzymes. It remains a challenge to determine the relative contributions of the impact of fructose on hepatic transcriptome, proteome and allosterome changes and consequently on the regulation of plasma glucose metabolism/homeostasis. Mathematical models exist modeling hepatic glucose metabolism. Future models should not only consider the hepatic adjustments of enzyme abundances and activities in response to changing plasma glucose and insulin/glucagon concentrations, but also to varying fructose concentrations for defining the role of fructose in the hepatic control of plasma glucose homeostasis.
FAST PYROLYSIS CHARACTERISTICS OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE HEMICELLULOSE

The pyrolysis characteristics of sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose were investigated using a tubular furnace. The total gas yield and the releasing behavior of the main gas products were measured by GC analysis. The liquid products were analyzed by GC-MS and ion chromatography. The chars were investigated by elemental analysis and proximate analysis. The volatile remaining in the char extracted by isopropanol was observed by GC-MS analysis. The main gas products from hemicellulose mainly consisted of H2, CO2, CO, CH4. It was observed that the yield of CO2 and CO was higher at lower temperatures, such as 550 °C, as well as that of H2 and CH4 at higher temperatures. The liquid products mainly contained furfural, cyclopentene-1 (2-methyl-2-cyclopentene-1, 2-cyclopentene-1, 3-methyl-2-cyclopentene), alcohols (1-butanol), organic acids (acetic acid, 4-hydroxy-butanoic acid, propanoic acid), aromatic series (phenol, ethylbenzene), besides some amounts of sugars. The products remaining in the char were mainly alcohols, cyclopentenes and complex aromatic char.
Risk Assessment of Volatile Organic Compounds Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) in Consumer Products

Exposure and risk assessment was performed by evaluating levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in 207 consumer products. The products were categorized into 30 different items, consisting of products of different brands. Samples were analyzed for BTEX by headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (headspace-GC/MS) with limit of detection (LOD) of 1 ppm. BTEX were detected in 59 consumer products from 18 item types. Benzene was detected in whiteout (ranging from not detected [ND] to 3170 ppm), glue (1486 ppm), oil-based ballpoint pens (47 ppm), and permanent (marking) pens (2 ppm). Toluene was detected in a leather cleaning product (6071 ppm), glue (5078 ppm), whiteout (1130 ppm), self-adhesive wallpaper (15–1012 ppm), shoe polish (806 ppm), permanent pen (609 ppm), wig adhesive (372 ppm), tapes (2–360 ppm), oil-based ballpoint pen (201 ppm), duplex wallpaper (12–52 ppm), shoes (27 ppm), and air freshener (13 ppm). High levels of ethylbenzene were detected in permanent pen (ND–345,065 ppm), shoe polish (ND–277,928 ppm), leather cleaner (42,223 ppm), whiteout (ND–2,770 ppm), and glue (ND–792 ppm). Xylene was detected in permanent pen (ND–285,132 ppm), shoe polish (ND–87,298 ppm), leather cleaner (12,266 ppm), glue (ND–3,124 ppm), and whiteout (ND–1,400 ppm). Exposure assessment showed that the exposure to ethylbenzene from permanent pens ranged from 0 to 3.11 mg/kg/d (men) and 0 to 3.75 mg/kg/d (women), while for xylene, the exposure ranges were 0–2.57 mg/kg/d and 0–3.1 mg/kg/d in men and women, respectively. The exposure of women to benzene from whiteout ranged from 0 to 0.00059 mg/kg/d. Hazard index (HI), defined as a ratio of exposure to reference dose (RfD), for ethylbenzene was 31.1 (3.11 mg/kg/d/0.1 mg/kg/d) and for xylene (2.57 mg/kg/d/0.2 mg/kg/d) was 12.85, exceeding 1 for both compounds. Cancer risk for benzene was calculated to be 3.2 × 10−5 based on (0.00059 mg/kg/d × 0.055 mg/kg-d−1, cancer potency factor), assuming that 100% of detected levels in some products such as permanent pens and whiteouts were exposed in a worst-case scenario. These data suggest that exposure to VOC via some consumer products exceeded the safe limits and needs to be reduced.
Effective Management of Bleeding during Tumor Resection with a Collagen-Based Hemostatic Agent

In a prospective controlled trial hemostatic effectiveness of a novel collagen-based composite (CoStasis®) was compared with a collagen sponge applied with manual pressure at diffusely bleeding sites after surgical tumor resection. The proportion of subjects achieving complete cessation of bleeding within 10 minutes (i.e., hemostatic success) and the time to “complete hemostasis” were determined at raw surgical sites after tumor resection among 23 experimental and 30 control subjects. There was a similar distribution in tumor types (e.g., benign vs malignant) evaluated between treatment groups. A significantly greater proportion of experimental subjects achieved complete hemostasis within 10 minutes of observation compared with controls [23 of 23 (100%) vs 21 of 30 (70%); P = 0.003]. The median time required to achieve complete hemostasis was more than three times longer for subjects treated with the collagen sponge compared with subjects treated with CoStasis® (243 vs 78 seconds; P = 0.0001). Approximately 80 per cent of experimental subjects achieved complete hemostasis within 2 minutes compared with only 35 per cent of controls. There were no adverse events related to the experimental treatment in this study. These results support the use of this novel hemostatic agent to control diffuse surgical site bleeding after tumor resection at diverse anatomical locations.
Stability of the Encoding Plasmids and Surface Expression of CS6 Differs in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Encoding Different Heat-Stable (ST) Enterotoxins (STh and STp)

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), one of the most common reasons of diarrhea among infants and children in developing countries, causes disease by expression of either or both of the enterotoxins heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (ST; divided into human-type [STh] and porcine-type [STp] variants), and colonization factors (CFs) among which CS6 is one of the most prevalent ETEC CFs. In this study we show that ETEC isolates expressing CS6+STh have higher copy numbers of the cssABCD operon encoding CS6 than those expressing CS6+STp. Long term cultivation of up to ten over-night passages of ETEC isolates harboring CS6+STh (n = 10) or CS6+STp (n = 15) showed instability of phenotypic expression of CS6 in a majority of the CS6+STp isolates, whereas most of the CS6+STh isolates retained CS6 expression. The observed instability was a correlated with loss of genes cssA and cssD as examined by PCR. Mobilization of the CS6 plasmid from an unstable CS6+STp isolate into a laboratory E. coli strain resulted in loss of the plasmid after a single over-night passage whereas the plasmid from an CS6+STh strain was retained in the laboratory strain during 10 passages. A sequence comparison between the CS6 plasmids from a stable and an unstable ETEC isolate revealed that genes necessary for plasmid stabilization, for example pemI, pemK, stbA, stbB and parM, were not present in the unstable ETEC isolate. Our results indicate that stable retention of CS6 may in part be affected by the stability of the plasmid on which both CS6 and STp or STh are located.
The role of ciliary trafficking in Hedgehog receptor signaling

Pathway activation by Hedgehog can occur without ciliary exit of the receptor Patched. No need to leave In mammals, regulation of the Hedgehog pathway, which is involved in development and tissue homeostasis, occurs in a cellular sensory process called the primary cilium. Binding of Hedgehog to the receptor Patched not only alleviates repression of the transmembrane protein Smoothened but also stimulates Patched to exit from the primary cilium. Kim et al. determined that the C-terminal domain of Patched contained the ciliary localization sequence and was necessary and sufficient to mediate localization of proteins to the primary cilium. Unexpectedly, Patched mutants that were unable to exit the cilia not only repressed Smoothened activity but also enabled Hedgehog to alleviate this repression and stimulate Smoothened activity despite Patched not exiting the cilia in the presence of Hedgehog. Thus, Patched must reach the cilium to inhibit Smoothened in the absence of Hedgehog, but exit from the primary cilium is not required for cells to respond to Hedgehog. Defects in the biogenesis of or transport through primary cilia affect Hedgehog protein signaling, and many Hedgehog pathway components traffic through or accumulate in cilia. The Hedgehog receptor Patched negatively regulates the activity and ciliary accumulation of Smoothened, a seven-transmembrane protein that is essential for transducing the Hedgehog signal. We found that this negative regulation of Smoothened required the ciliary localization of Patched, as specified either by its own cytoplasmic tail or by provision of heterologous ciliary localization signals. Surprisingly, given that Hedgehog binding promotes the exit of Patched from the cilium, we observed that an altered form of Patched that is retained in the cilium nevertheless responded to Hedgehog, resulting in Smoothened activation. Our results indicate that whereas ciliary localization of Patched is essential for suppression of Smoothened activation, the primary event enabling Smoothened activation is binding of Hedgehog to Patched, and Patched ciliary removal is secondary.
The effect of treatment of clinical endometritis on reproductive performance in dairy cows.

The objective of this field trial was to compare the effect of intrauterine (i.u.) antibiotic or intramuscular (i.m.) prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on time to pregnancy in dairy cows diagnosed with clinical endometritis between 20 and 33 days in milk (DIM). The case definition of endometritis was the presence of purulent uterine discharge or cervical diameter > 7.5 cm, or the presence of muco-purulent discharge after 26 DIM. There were 316 cows with endometritis from 27 farms assigned randomly within herd to receive 500 mg of cephapirin benzathine intrauterine (i.u.), 500 micrograms of cloprostenol i.m. , or no treatment. The rate of resolution of clinical signs 14 d after treatment was 77% and was not affected by treatment. Reproductive performance was monitored for a minimum of 7 mo after treatment. Survival analysis (multivariable proportional hazards regression) was used to measure the effect of treatment on time to pregnancy. There was no benefit of treatment of endometritis before 4 wk postpartum. Administration of PGF2 alpha between 20 and 26 DIM to cows with endometritis that did not have a palpable corpus luteum was associated with a significant reduction in pregnancy rate. Between 27 and 33 DIM, cows with endometritis treated with cephapirin i.u. had a significantly shorter time to pregnancy than untreated cows (hazard ratio = 1.63). In this time period, there was no difference in pregnancy rate between PGF2 alpha and untreated cows, but the difference in pregnancy rate between cows treated with cephapirin i.u. and with PGF2 alpha was not statistically significant. Treatment of postpartum endometritis should be reserved for cases diagnosed after 26 DIM, based on criteria that are associated with subsequent pregnancy rate.
Sprouty gene expression is regulated by nerve and FGF6 during regeneration of mouse muscles

Sprouty (Spry) proteins were identified as negative regulators of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling in vertebrates and invertebrates. Given the importance of the FGFs in myogenesis, we performed cardiotoxin injury-induced regeneration experiments on soleus muscles of both, adult control and FGF6 ( − / − ) mutant mice and analyzed the accumulation of Spry (1, 2 and 4) transcripts using semi-quantitative and real-time RT-PCR assays and in situ hybridization. We also analyzed the effects of muscle denervation on the accumulation of Spry transcripts. The three Spry genes begin to be expressed as early as the first stages of muscle regeneration and are characterized by distinct expression patterns. Moreover, Spry gene expression was highly and differentially up-regulated, precociously by the lack of FGF6, and belatedly by muscle denervation strongly suggesting that the transient rise of Spry mRNA accumulation was associated to muscle differentiation. Rescue experiments supported the idea of a specific relationship between FGF6 and Spry 2, both being known for their particular involvement in myogenesis.
Recent Advancements in the Treatment of Resistant Hypertension

Abstract The 2008 Scientific statement from the American Heart Association defined resistant hypertension as blood pressure remaining above goal (< 140/90 mm Hg for the general population and < 130/80 mm Hg for patients with diabetes or renal disease) despite the concurrent use of optimal doses of 3 antihypertensive agents of different classes, ideally including a diuretic. Since then, there has been increasing recognition and characterization of patients with resistant hypertension and development of treatment strategies to treat this high–risk population. The role of aldosterone in resistant hypertension has gained increasing recognition. In particular, there has been development of a strong body of evidence for the use of spironolactone as a highly effective antihypertensive agent. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence to link aldosterone with both resistant hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, with preliminary studies suggesting that aldosterone antagonists may potentially be effective in treating both conditions. Finally, recent work has directed increased attention toward novel invasive strategies for the treatment of resistant hypertension, specifically baroreflex activation therapy with carotid stimulation and percutaneous renal artery denervation. Initial randomized controlled trials have shown that both of these methods may be used to safely lower blood pressure, thereby providing exciting and promising new tools in the armamentarium of options to treat resistant hypertension.