Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling of a Switched Reluctance Machine Based on the Invertible Torque Function

This paper presents a switched reluctance machine model based on an invertible expression representing the torque-phase current relationship. The model can be useful for real-time control in high-performance applications when the command current is derived from the torque command. The two angular functions that the model requires as input can easily be calculated from the known static torque-position characteristics for two currents. However, the paper also proposes the analytical models of the angular functions. The result is a geometry-based analytical model, with all parameters derived from machine geometry and material properties. Simulation and experimental results illustrate that the model provides very high accuracy.
Increased c-Jun Expression and Reduced GATA2 Expression Promote Aberrant Monocytic Differentiation Induced by Activating PTPN11 Mutants

ABSTRACT Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is characterized by myelomonocytic cell overproduction and commonly bears activating mutations in PTPN11. Murine hematopoietic progenitors expressing activating Shp2 undergo myelomonocytic differentiation, despite being subjected to conditions that normally support only mast cells. Evaluation of hematopoietic-specific transcription factor expression indicates reduced GATA2 and elevated c-Jun in mutant Shp2-expressing progenitors. We hypothesized that mutant Shp2-induced Ras hyperactivation promotes c-Jun phosphorylation and constitutive c-Jun expression, permitting, as a coactivator of PU.1, excessive monocytic differentiation and reduced GATA2. Hematopoietic progenitors expressing activating Shp2 demonstrate enhanced macrophage CFU (CFU-M) compared to that of wild-type Shp2-expressing cells. Treatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 or cotransduction with GATA2 normalizes activating Shp2-generated CFU-M. However, cotransduction of ΔGATA2 (lacking the C-terminal zinc finger, needed to bind PU.1) fails to normalize CFU-M. NIH 3T3 cells expressing Shp2E76K produce higher levels of luciferase expression directed by the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (MCSFR) promoter, which utilizes c-Jun as a coactivator of PU.1. Coimmunoprecipitation demonstrates increased c-Jun-PU.1 complexes in mutant Shp2-expressing hematopoietic progenitors, while chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrates increased c-Jun binding to the c-Jun promoter and an increased c-Jun-PU.1 complex at the Mcsfr promoter. Furthermore, JMML progenitors express higher levels of c-JUN than healthy controls, substantiating the disease relevance of these mechanistic findings.
Risk of Pacemaker Patients by TASER X26 Contact Mode Application

The prevalence of pacemaker patients among the general population and of conducted energy devices (CED) for law enforcement and self-defence is increasing. Consequently, the question whether cardiac pacemaker (CPM) patients are on particular risk becomes increasingly important. The risk of Taser X26 electric interference with implanted CPM has been investigated by numerical simulation at MRI-based anatomical models of CPM patients with devices implanted at conventional sites (left pectoral, right pectoral and abdominal) and with the monopolar CPM electrode placed at the ventricular apex. In spite of 10fold higher peak voltages the different coupling conditions make Taser-induced CPM interference voltages lower than those caused by external cardiac defibrillators. It is shown that electric interference considerably depends on ECD electrode orientation. The most unfavourable conditions are encountered with ECD electrodes aligned with the line from the CPM electrode tip to CPM can (EPC line). It could be shown that worst case interference voltages of monopolar pacemakers of any kind of implantation remain below the pulse immunity level as defined in safety standards of implantable cardiac pacemakers and of cardioverter defibrillators. However, interference voltages exceed CPM sensing thresholds. Therefore, capturing should be expected at Taser X26 contact mode application at any position at the upper part of the body including the abdomen, both at frontal and dorsal positions.
Interactive Refactoring of Web Service Interfaces Using Computational Search

Successful Web services evolve through a process of continuous change due to several reasons such as improving the quality, fixing bugs and adding new features. However, this evolution process may weaken the design of the Web service's interface by aggregating many non-cohesive and semantically unrelated operations. Thus, the service interface becomes unnecessarily complex for users to find relevant operations to be used by their services-based systems. In this paper, we propose an interactive recommendation approach, based on evolutionary algorithms, that dynamically adapts and suggests a possible remodularization of the Web services interface design to users/developers and takes their feedback into consideration. Our approach uses an interactive multi-criteria decision-making algorithm, based on interactive Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II), to find a set of good design interface modularization solutions. These solutions provide a trade-off between improving several interface design quality metrics (e.g., coupling, cohesion, number of port types, and number of antipatterns) and fix Web services design antipatterns, maximizing the satisfaction of the interaction constraints learnt from the user feedback during the execution of the algorithm while minimizing the deviation from the initial design. We evaluated our approach on a set of 22 real world Web services, provided by Amazon and Yahoo. Statistical analysis of our experiments shows that our dynamic interactive Web services interface modularization approach performed significantly better than the state-of-the-art modularization techniques in terms of generating well-designed Web services interface for users.
Hyperelastic modelling of arterial layers with distributed collagen fibre orientations

Constitutive relations are fundamental to the solution of problems in continuum mechanics, and are required in the study of, for example, mechanically dominated clinical interventions involving soft biological tissues. Structural continuum constitutive models of arterial layers integrate information about the tissue morphology and therefore allow investigation of the interrelation between structure and function in response to mechanical loading. Collagen fibres are key ingredients in the structure of arteries. In the media (the middle layer of the artery wall) they are arranged in two helically distributed families with a small pitch and very little dispersion in their orientation (i.e. they are aligned quite close to the circumferential direction). By contrast, in the adventitial and intimal layers, the orientation of the collagen fibres is dispersed, as shown by polarized light microscopy of stained arterial tissue. As a result, continuum models that do not account for the dispersion are not able to capture accurately the stress–strain response of these layers. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to develop a structural continuum framework that is able to represent the dispersion of the collagen fibre orientation. This then allows the development of a new hyperelastic free-energy function that is particularly suited for representing the anisotropic elastic properties of adventitial and intimal layers of arterial walls, and is a generalization of the fibre-reinforced structural model introduced by Holzapfel & Gasser (Holzapfel & Gasser 2001 Comput. Meth. Appl. Mech. Eng. 190, 4379–4403) and Holzapfel et al. (Holzapfel et al. 2000 J. Elast. 61, 1–48). The model incorporates an additional scalar structure parameter that characterizes the dispersed collagen orientation. An efficient finite element implementation of the model is then presented and numerical examples show that the dispersion of the orientation of collagen fibres in the adventitia of human iliac arteries has a significant effect on their mechanical response.
Sexual Victimization and Health-Risk Behaviors

The present study utilizes the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey to examine the relationship between health-risk behaviors and sexual victimization among a sample of college women. A prospective design is utilized to examine the relationship between health-risk behaviors as measured at baseline and sexual victimization during a 3-month follow-up period. After controlling for age and parents' education, a history of adolescent sexual victimization was associated with the following health-risk behaviors as measured at pretest: increased likelihood of cigarette smoking, marijuana use, suicidal ideation, experience of physical violence within a dating relationship, use of diet pills and vomiting or laxatives to lose weight, multiple sexual partners, and early sexual intercourse. Prospectively, women's history of adolescent sexual victimization was the strongest predictor of sexual victimization during the 3-month follow-up. Implications of univariate associations between early sexual intercourse, suicidal ideation, and problematic weight loss behaviors and subsequent experience of sexual victimization are discussed.
VEGF targeting in mesotheliomas using an interleukin-6 signal inhibitor based on adenovirus gene delivery.

BACKGROUND Malignant mesotheliomas reportedly secrete interleukin-6 (IL-6) which augments production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from mesothelioma cells. We previously reported the development of a new receptor inhibitor of IL-6 (NRI) by genetically engineering tocilizumab, a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody. Since NRI is encoded on a single gene, it is easily applicable to a gene delivery system using virus vehicles. In this study, we report VEGF targeting through NRI expression based on adenovirus-mediated gene delivery in mesothelioma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS We constructed an NRI expression vector in the context of a tropism-modified adenovirus vector that had enhanced infectivity in mesothelioma cells. RESULTS This virus effectively induced NRI secretion from mesothelioma cells. This virus infection also reduced the VEGF production in mesothelioma cells. CONCLUSION These results indicate that NRI shows potential as an agent in the treatment of mesotheliomas.
Novel Sub-10-nm Gate-All-Around Si Nanowire Channel Poly-Si TFTs With Raised Source/Drain

We have successfully fabricated novel sub-10-nm gate-all-around Si nanowire (NW) poly-Si TFTs with raised source/drain structure (GAA RSDNW-TFTs). The Si NW dimension is about 7×12 nm. A superior smooth elliptical shape is obtained, for the first time, in the category of poly-Si NW TFTs through the use of a novel fabrication process requiring no advanced lithographic tools. The GAA RSDNW-TFTs exhibit low supply gate voltage (3 V), steep subthreshold swing ~99 mV/dec, and high ION/IOFF >; 107 (VD = 1 V) without hydrogen-related plasma treatments. Furthermore, the DIBL of GAA RSDNW-TFTs is well controlled. These improvements can be attributed to the 3-D gate controllability, raised S/D structure, and sub-10-nm Si NW channel. These novel GAA RSDNW-TFTs are, thus, quite suitable for system-on-panel and 3-D IC applications.
Adrenodoxin (Adx) and CYP11A1 (P450scc) induce apoptosis by the generation of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria

Abstract Mitochondrial cytochrome P450 systems are an indispensable component of mammalian steroid biosynthesis; they catalyze regio- and stereo-specific steroid hydroxylations and consist of three protein entities: adrenodoxin reductase (AdR), adrenodoxin (Adx), and a mitochondrial cytochrome P450 enzyme, e.g., CYP11A1 (P450 side chain cleavage, P450scc). It is known that the latter two are able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. In this study, we investigated whether this ROS generation also occurs in vivo and, if so, whether it leads to the induction of apoptosis. We found that overexpression of either human or bovine Adx causes a significant loss of viability in 11 different cell lines. This loss of viability does not depend on the presence of the tumor suppressor protein p53. Transient overexpression of human Adx in HCT116 cells leads to ROS production, to a disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ), to cytochrome c release from the mitochondria, and to caspase activation. In contrast, the effect of transient overexpression of human CYP11A1 on cell viability varies in different cell lines, with some being sensitive and others not. We conclude that mitochondrial cytochrome P450 systems are a source of mitochondrial ROS production and can play a role in the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis.
ENETS Consensus Recommendations for the Standards of Care in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Follow-Up and Documentation

ENETS consensus recommendations for the standards of care in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) concerning follow-up and documentation are considered in this review. The documentation of patients with NEN should include the most relevant data characterizing an individual patient from the first contact with his/her physician/hospital until his/her last presentation during follow-up. It is advocated that follow-up occurs in specialized NEN centers with regular NEN tumor boards with expert panels. The follow-up should be in accordance with the ENETS consensus guidelines from 2011 and 2016, the present and coming WHO classification and ENETS/UICC recommendations for TNM staging. The recommendations for follow-up in patients with thymic, bronchopulmonary and gastroenteropancreatic NEN are given in Table 1. However, it should be stressed that evidence-based studies for follow-up are largely missing.
Fast non-local Lee filter for SAR image despeckling using directional projection

This paper combines the Lee filter with the non-local mean filter, and a new similarity measure is derived based on the statistics of speckle noise, which extended the non-local means from the additive noise to the multiplicative noise. Also directional projection is adopted to accelerate the process of similarity computation. The results show its effectiveness. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method can effectively smooth the speckle while preserving the details with reduced complexity.
Adrenal Insufficiency in Critical Illness

One of the more controversial areas in critical care in recent decades relates to the issue of adrenal insufficiency and its treatment in critically ill patients. There is no consensus on which patients to test for adrenal insufficiency, which tests to use and how to interpret them, whether to use corticosteroids, and, if so, who to treat and with what dose. This review illustrates the complexity and diversity of pathophysiological changes in glucocorticoid secretion, metabolism, and action and how these are affected by various types of illness. It will review adrenal function testing and give guidance on corticosteroid replacement regimens based on current published literature. There remain inherent difficulties in interpreting the effects of glucocorticoid replacement during critical illness because of the diversity of effects of glucocorticoids on various tissues. Investigation and treatment will depend on whether the likely cause of corticosteroid insufficiency is adrenal or central in origin.
Pharmacology of Visceral Pain: Central Factors

Clinically, pain can be sub-classified into superficial, neuropathic and deep pain. Deep pain as a result of stimulation to structures such as the viscera is the most poorly understood and notoriously difficult to treat. The dorsal horn of the spinal cord is the gateway to conscious nociception and it is at this point in the pain processing pathway that the peripheral afferent input can be enhanced or inhibited by several mechanisms, the most important being central sensitisation. Long-term potentiation, another mechanism, can also be elicited in the spinal cord. Here nociceptor activity and/or peripheral tissue inflammation produces long-term changes in synaptic efficacy in the dorsal horns. This plays a major role in the generation of acute post-operative and post-traumatic pain, migraine and neuropathic pain. Behavioural consequences of central sensitisation can even be readily detected in human psychophysical experiments. Another importantmechanism is ‘wind-up’, a form of homosynaptic activity-dependent plasticity characterised by a progressive increase in action potential output from dorsal horn neurones. There is an extensive body of literature which has highlighted the importance of central sensitisation. This review examines some of the most significant recent findings with regards to future pharmacology. As we are beginning to understand some of the mechanisms of central sensitisation and its importance in visceral pain, novel receptor sites have been identified, offering exciting possibilities with regards to future pharmacological development not only to visceral pain, but for pain management as a whole.
Forecasting Lock Contention Before Adopting Another Lock Algorithm

Performance is an important aspect of computer systems since it directly affects user experience. One way to analyze and predict performance is via performance modeling. In recent years, multi-core systems have made processors more powerful while keeping power consumption relatively low. However the complicated design of these systems makes it difficult to analyze performance. This thesis presents performance modeling techniques for cache performance and synchronization cost on multi-core systems.A cache can be designed in many ways with different configuration parameters including cache size, associativity and replacement policy. Understanding cache performance under different configurations is useful to explore the design choices. We propose a general modeling framework for estimating the cache miss ratio under different cache configurations, based on the reuse distance distribution. On multi-core systems, each core usually has a private cache. Keeping shared data in private caches coherent has an extra cost. We propose three models to estimate this cost, based on information that can be gathered when running the program on a single core.Locks are widely used as a synchronization primitive in multi-threaded programs on multi-core systems. While they are often necessary for protecting shared data, they also introduce lock contention, which causes performance issues. We present a model to predict how much contention a lock has on multi-core systems, based on information obtainable from profiling a run on a single core. If lock contention is shown to be a performance bottleneck, one of the ways to mitigate it is to use another lock implementation. However, it is costly to investigate if adopting another lock implementation would reduce lock contention since it requires reimplementation and measurement. We present a model for forecasting lock contention with another lock implementation without replacing the current lock implementation.
Applications of Multi-Touch Tabletop Displays and Their Challenging Issues: An Overview

Abstract Multi-touch tabletop displays provide a co-located collaborative workspace for multiple users around a physical table. They sit together and perform collaborative interaction to select and manipulate digital contents using their bare fingers. However, these systems bring a new paradigm shift in user interaction and present various challenges to design natural user interfaces respectively. The growing popularity of tabletop displays and their related issues have gained a greater attention among researchers in academia and industry. It creates a need to present an overview of multi-touch tabletop displays. This review paper attempts to present the touch enabling technologies that support in the construction of multi-touch tabletop displays. It also presents the important applications of multi-touch tabletop displays in different domains and their challenging issues in different perspectives. Finally, this paper proposes the future work.
Human microvascular endothelial cell prostaglandin E1 synthesis during in vitro ischemia–reperfusion

Ischemia–reperfusion injury is a microvascular event documented in numerous in vivo animal models. In animal models, prostaglandin and prostaglandin analogues have been found to ameliorate reperfusion injury. These studies were undertaken to evaluate human microvascular endothelial PGE1 synthesis during in vitro ischemia followed by reperfusion. Human (neonatal) microvascular endothelial cell (MEC) cultures (n = 6) were subjected to sequential 2 h periods of normoxia (20% O2), ischemia (1.5% O2), and reperfusion (20% O2). Prostaglandin E2 synthesis in conditioned media was determined by ELISA. Steady state levels of MEC prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS)‐1 and ‐2 mRNA were assessed at the end of each 2‐h period using RT‐PCR and a quantitative mRNA ELISA. MEC PGHS protein levels were analyzed using an ELISA. PGE1 release increased significantly during the initial 30 min of ischemia, but rapidly fell below normoxic levels by 90 and 120 min. During reperfusion, PGE1 release returned to normoxic levels at 30, 60, and 90 min, and exceeded normoxic levels at 120 min. PGHS‐1 mRNA levels were undetectable during all experimental conditions. PGHS‐2 mRNA levels were unchanged by ischemia, but were decreased by reperfusion. In contrast, PGHS‐2 protein levels increased 3‐fold during ischemia, and remained elevated during reperfusion. Human MEC do not express PGHS‐1 mRNA in vitro. Prolonged ischemia decreases MEC PGE1 synthesis, and stimulates increased PGHS‐2 protein levels without altering the steady state levels of COX‐2 mRNA. During reperfusion, increased PGHS‐2 protein levels persist and are associated with stimulated PGE2 secretion, despite relative decreases in PGHS‐2 mRNA. J. Cell. Biochem. 92: 472–480, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of coronary artery in-stent patency using 64-slice computed tomography

BackgroundSurveillance conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is recommended after stent supported percutaneous coronary intervention due to the unpredictable occurrence of in-stent restenosis (ISR). We explored the ability of 64-slice computed tomography angiography (CTA) to detect ISR after stenting of the coronary artery and analyzed the factors influencing imaging quality. Materials and methodsForty-five consecutive patients (29 stents) were examined by both CCA and 64-slice CTA after percutaneous coronary intervention. We analyzed the correlation between the image quality and heart rate, diameter, position, and stent-strut thickness. Compared with the CCA, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 64-slice CTA for the detection of ISR were calculated. Between the patent group and ISR group, different computed tomography attenuation values of the in-stent lumen and artery 5 mm proximal and distal to the stent were also analyzed. ResultsAll stents were clearly visualized. With regard to the differences in heart rate, stent position, stent diameter, and stent-strut thickness among the different image quality groups, the P values were 0.47, 0.60, 0.04, and <0.01, respectively. Compared with CCA, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 64-slice CTA were 100, 95.2, 88.9, and 100%, respectively. Between patent and ISR groups, the P values for the differences in CTA attenuation values of the in-stent lumen and artery 5 mm distal to the stent were 0.007 and 0.04, respectively. ConclusionWe found that 64-slice spiral CTA is a reliable noninvasive diagnostic method that can display the stent lumen clearly and is especially helpful for patient follow-up.