Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do sharks exhibit heterodonty by tooth position and over ontogeny? A comparison using elliptic Fourier analysis

Tooth morphology is often used to inform the feeding ecology of an organism as these structures are important to procure and process dietary resources. In sharks, differences in morphology may facilitate the capture and handling of prey with different physical properties. However, few studies have investigated differences in tooth morphology over ontogeny, throughout the jaws of a single species, or among species at multiple tooth positions. Bull (Carcharhinus leucas), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus), and bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) are coastal predators that exhibit ontogenetic dietary shifts, but differ in their feeding ecologies. This study measured tooth morphology at six positions along the upper and lower jaws of each species using elliptic Fourier analysis to make comparisons within and among species over their ontogeny. Significant ontogenetic differences were detected at four of the six tooth positions in bull sharks, but only the posterior position on the lower jaw appeared to exhibit a functionally relevant shift in morphology. No ontogenetic changes in morphology were detected in blacktip or bonnethead sharks. Intraspecific comparisons found that most tooth positions significantly differed from one another across all species, but heterodonty was greatest in bull sharks. Additionally, interspecific comparisons found differences among all species at each tooth position except between bull and blacktip sharks at two positions. These morphological patterns within and among species may have implications for prey handling efficiency, as well as in providing insight for paleoichthyology studies and reevaluating heterodonty in sharks.
Flow characteristics of wire-rod type electrohydrodynamic gas pump under negative corona operations

The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow characteristics for a wire to rod type EHD gas pump have been experimentally investigated for pipe diameter sizes of 6.5, 10, and 20mm. Experiments were conducted for dc negative applied voltage ranging from 0 to 24 kV applied between a corona wire with a diameter of 0.24mm and a grounded rod electrode. The grounded rod electrode diameter is varied from 1.5 to 3.1mm. The wire/rod electrode distance to pipe diameter ratio is varied from 0.63 to 1.16. The results show that gas flow rate increases with increasing EHD number or discharge current. A maximum of 40.1L/min of gas flow rate is generated for a pipe diameter of 20mm, with a grounding rod diameter electrode of 3.1mm and corona wire to grounding rod electrode gap distant of 12.6mm. r 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
iBook learning experience: the challenge of teaching computer architecture to first year university students

- Tablets, mobiles and handheld computers such as the iPad / iPhone and similar platform technologies are transforming the ways in which we interact with technology. It is becoming easier for people from all backgrounds and age groups to assimilate information quickly, efficiently and to have a fun, entertaining and even educational experience. One such current and popular interactive learning experience is through the use of what is commonly known as an iBook. This research aims to explore how and if the iBooks Author application with its new and stimulating interaction and multimedia capabilities can be used to encourage and motivate first year university students into becoming active learners. The outcomes of this research will be evaluated on four key elements: motivation, experience, knowledge and reflection. This paper will document the early developmental stages of an iBook learning experience as well as present some of the initial research findings.
Gallium Nitride Electronic Devices

In this work we focus on the fabrication of ohmic contacts and of Schottky barrier devices (SBD) on non-polar cubic GaN epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A Ti/Al/Ni/Au metallization was used for ohmic contacts and the contact resistance was measured by transmission line measurements (TLM). Ni, Pd, Ag and NiSi Schottky barrier devices 300 urn in diameter were fabricated by thermal evaporation using contact lithography on cubic GaN epilayers. The current-voltage (I-V) and the capacity-voltage (C-V) characteristics were studied at room temperature in detail. A clear rectifying behavior was measured in all SBDs. In the Ni and Ag SBDs an abnormal large leakage current under reverse bias was observed. Isochronal thermal annealing of these Ni and Ag based SBDs at 200°C in air improved the reverse characteristics by up to three orders of magnitude. This is in contrast to the Pd contacts, where the as grown contact showed already good performance and thermal annealing had nearly no influence on the I-V characteristics. For all SBDs the magnitude of the reverse current is generally larger than that expected due to thermionic emission and an exponential increase of the reverse current is observed with increasing reverse voltage. In-depth analysis of the I-V characteristic showed that a thin surface barrier is formed at the metal semiconductor interface and that crystal defects like dislocations may be the reasons for the discrepancy between experimental data and thermionic emission theory.
Pseudorandom Orthogonal Sequences Based on Hadamard Matrix and Their Correlation Properties

A code division multiple access (CDMA) system based on spread spectrum (SS) techniques, which has already been used for Interim Standard 95 (IS-95) and International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000), has various merits such as increase of its potential capacity, robustness to multi-path fading, anti-jamming, and so on. The performance of CDMA greatly depends on spreading sequences used for spreading the bandwidth of information signals [1]. In synchronous DS/CDMA systems, orthogonal sequences have been adopted for channel separation. The well-known orthogonal sequences are Walsh codes and orthogonal variable spreading factor codes (OVSF) [2]. However, the autocorrelations of their codes may be considerably large even when the delay time is nonzero due to their regular structure. This might greatly degrade the system performance in the presence of multipaths even though the system would acheive perfect synchronization. As in WCDMA [2], the use of scramble codes (long codes) can improve autocorrelation properties of orthogonal codes. A similar method to such improvement for Walsh codes is also proposed in [3]. However, these methods cannot guarantee the balanced property of the orthogonal codes. In this paper, a simple method to randomize the regular structure of Walsh codes is proposed while preserving their orthogonality and balanced property. We evaluate the correlation properties of the proposed sequences by numerical experiments, and compare them with those of Walsh codes.
Interacting Spreading Processes in Multilayer Networks: A Systematic Review

The world of network science is fascinating and filled with complex phenomena that we aspire to understand. One of them is the dynamics of spreading processes over complex networked structures. Building the knowledge-base in the field where we can face more than one spreading process propagating over a network that has more than one layer is a challenging task, as the complexity comes both from the environment in which the spread happens and from characteristics and interplay of spreads’ propagation. As this cross-disciplinary field bringing together computer science, network science, biology and physics has rapidly grown over the last decade, there is a need to comprehensively review the current state-of-the-art and offer to the research community a roadmap that helps to organise the future research in this area. Thus, this survey is a first attempt to present the current landscape of the multi-processes spread over multilayer networks and to suggest the potential ways forward.
Performance analysis of a water pumping system supplied by a photovoltaic generator with different maximum power point tracking techniques

In this paper investigations are made with different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques for a photovoltaic generator (PVG). The PVG is used to supply an induction motor driving a centrifugal pump. Boost converter and inverter are connected in between PVG and motor for power conditioning. Three MPPT techniques are designed and compared. These techniques are incremental conductance (IC), constant voltage controlled (CVC) and fuzzy based perturbation and observation (FPO). Rule Base of FPO is designed with nine rules only, so that it can be implemented on limited memory and speed processors. System performance is analyzed with the help of developed simulation models. A comparative study of these techniques is also summarized. The obtained simulation results indicate that FPO scheme yields better performance.
Effect of Chemotherapy With Docetaxel With Androgen Suppression and Radiotherapy for Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer: The Randomized Phase III NRG Oncology RTOG 0521 Trial.

PURPOSE Radiotherapy (RT) plus long-term androgen suppression (AS) are a standard treatment option for patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer. We hypothesized that docetaxel chemotherapy (CT) could improve overall survival (OS) and clinical outcomes among patients with high-risk prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS The multicenter randomized NRG Oncology RTOG 0521 study enrolled patients with high-risk nonmetastatic disease between 2005 and 2009. Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard long-term AS plus RT with or without adjuvant CT. RESULTS A total of 612 patients were enrolled; 563 were evaluable. Median prostate-specific antigen was 15.1 ng/mL; 53% had a Gleason score 9 to 10 cancer; 27% had cT3 to cT4 disease. Median follow-up was 5.7 years. Treatment was well tolerated in both arms. Four-year OS rate was 89% (95% CI, 84% to 92%) for AS + RT and 93% (95% CI, 90% to 96%) for AS + RT + CT (hazard ratio [HR], 0.69; 90% CI, 0.49 to 0.97; one-sided P = .034). There were 59 deaths in the AS + RT arm and 43 in the AS + RT + CT arm, with fewer deaths resulting from prostate cancer in the AS + RT + CT arm versus AS + RT (23 v 16 deaths, respectively). Six-year rate of distant metastasis was 14% for AS + RT and 9.1% for AS + RT + CT, (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.99; two-sided P = .044). Six-year disease-free survival rate was 55% for AS + RT and 65% for AS + RT + CT (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.99; two-sided P = .043). CONCLUSION For patients with high-risk nonmetastatic prostate cancer, CT with docetaxel improved OS from 89% to 93% at 4 years, with improved disease-free survival and reduction in the rate of distant metastasis. The trial suggests that docetaxel CT may be an option to be discussed with selected men with high-risk prostate cancer.
Inclusive Education in Bangladesh: Policy and Practice.

Bangladesh is a signatory country of major international declarations of inclusive education (IE). Over the past two decades, it has enacted policies and legislation in favour of IE. Contemporary literature suggests that having legitimised guidelines does not always ensure practices that are aligned with the principles of IE. This paper aims to analyse how the policies and legislation reflect the notion of IE in the context of Bangladesh. Moreover, to understand the practice of IE, it also looks at two major projects, Primary Education Development Program (PEDP) and Teaching Quality Improvement in Secondary Education Project (TQI-SEP), being implemented in the country over last 7 years. The study was mainly supported by literature, and policy documents and guidelines. A systematic review approach was used to understand the notion of IE and its specific implementation pattern. Results suggest that IE policies in Bangladesh are predominantly borrowed from several international treaties and they seem to be little understood among practitioners and classroom teachers within the context of Bangladesh. Further, the result also shows that teachers’ attitudes towards IE and limited professional development are major barriers to implementing IE at school level. The findings imply that the policy guidelines in relation to the context of IE in Bangladesh tend to be low-leverage tools. Further research is needed to understand IE practice at classroom level.
Rhinoviruses in infancy and risk of immunoglobulin E sensitization

Previous data about the role of viruses in the development of allergic immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization are contradictory. The aim of this study was to determine the possible associations between exposure to different viruses (rhinovirus, enterovirus, norovirus, and parechovirus) during the first year of life and IgE sensitization. Viruses were analyzed from stool samples collected monthly from infants participating in a prospective birth cohort study. From that study, 244 IgE sensitized case children and 244 nonsensitized control children were identified based on their allergen‐specific IgE antibody levels at the age of 6, 18, and 36 months. Stool samples (n = 4576) from the case and control children were screened for the presence of rhinovirus, enterovirus, norovirus, and parechovirus RNA by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The study showed that rhinovirus was the most prevalent virus detected, present in 921 (20%) samples. None of the viruses were associated with IgE sensitization in the full cohort but after stratifying by sex, the number of rhinovirus positive samples was inversely associated with IgE sensitization in boys (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69‐0.94; P = 0.006). There was also a temporal relation between rhinoviruses and IgE sensitization, as rhinovirus exposure during the first 6 months of life was associated with a reduced risk of subsequent IgE sensitization in boys (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.6‐0.94; P = 0.016). In conclusion, early exposure to rhinoviruses was inversely associated with IgE sensitization but this protective association was restricted to boys.
Relationship between inflammatory markers, glycated hemoglobin and placental weight on fetal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between inflammatory cytokines, placental weight, glycated hemoglobin and adverse perinatal outcomes (APOs) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Subjects and methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal and observational study conducted from April 2004 to November 2005 in Bauru, Brazil. Included patients had singleton pregnancies and performed a 100 g OGTT and had the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, TNF alfa and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) determined at 24-28th gestation weeks. Results: A total of 176 patients were included, of whom 78 had the diagnosis of GDM (44.3%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that HbA1c, age, body mass index (BMI) and previous history of GDM were independent predictors for GDM diagnosis. ROC curve indicated that HbA1C levels ≥ 5.1% at 24-28 weeks gestation were associated with GDM. No difference was found in IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and CRP serum levels in women with and without GDM. Multivariate analysis showed that placental weight was significantly associated with APOs (p < 0.005), with a cut-off value of 610 grams as demonstrated by the ROC curve. Conclusion: Placental weight ≥ 610 grams and HbA1C ≥ 5.1% were found to be associated with APOs and GDM, respectively, and their evaluation should be part of prenatal care routine.
Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Primary Aldosteronism Is Associated With Cortisol Cosecretion.

CONTEXT Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity and metabolic risks. Recent studies report glucocorticoid cosecretion as a relevant phenotype of PA, which could contribute to associated risks, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The relationship between autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) and glucose metabolism in PA has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of impaired glucose homeostasis in patients with PA according to cortisol cosecretion. DESIGN We performed oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) and complete testing for hypercortisolism [1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST), late-night salivary cortisol, 24-hour urinary free cortisol] in 161 newly diagnosed patients with PA of the German Conn Registry. Seventy-six of 161 patients were reevaluated at follow-up. We compared our results to a population-based sample from the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA)-F4 study matched to the participants with PA (3:1) by sex, age, and body mass index. RESULTS At the time of diagnosis, 125 patients (77.6%) had a pathological response in at least one of the Cushing screening tests; T2DM was diagnosed in 6.4% of these 125 cases. Patients with a pathological DST exhibited significantly higher 2-hour plasma glucose in OGTTs and were significantly more often diagnosed with T2DM than were patients with a normal DST (20% vs 0.8%, P < 0.0001) and matched controls from the KORA study (20.6% vs 5.9%, P = 0.022). Patients with PA without ACS tended to have higher homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance levels than did KORA control subjects (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION ACS appears frequently in patients with PA and is associated with impaired glucose metabolism, which could increase the risk of T2DM. PA itself seems to enhance insulin resistance.
A novel soluble guanylate cyclase activator with reduced risk of hypotension by short‐acting vasodilation

Cinaciguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activator, was under clinical development for use in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), but was discontinued due to occurrence of hypotension. We hypothesized that short‐term activation of sGC in ADHF patients would exert a vasodilative effect without hypotension irrespective of disease state, using a novel short‐acting sGC activator, TY‐55002. The objective of this study was to investigate the vasodilation and hemodynamic effects of TY‐55002 in comparison with those of cinaciguat. TY‐55002 and cinaciguat activated both normal and heme‐oxidized sGC in a dose‐dependent manner and caused rapid relaxation of phenylephrine‐contracted rat aorta. However, TY‐55002 had a milder effect than cinaciguat in enhancing the dose‐activity response between normal and oxidized sGC. Therefore, we suggest that the pharmacological effect of TY‐55002 is less subject than cinaciguat to oxidative stress associated with complications such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. In normal dogs, the effects of intravenous TY‐55002 or cinaciguat on blood pressure were evaluated in conjunction with the plasma concentrations of the compounds, and pharmacokinetic (PK)‐pharmacodynamic (PD) analyses were carried out. The plasma‐to‐effect‐site transfer rate constant (Ke0) for TY‐55002 was three times greater than for cinaciguat. On the other hand, there was a small difference in blood half‐life (T1/2) between the compounds. It is possible that the rapid fall in blood pressure after the initial administration of TY‐55002 and the quick recovery after cessation were due to the pharmacodynamic property of the compound. In heart failure‐model dogs, TY‐55002 and cinaciguat improved the condition to the same degree, and the short‐term action of TY‐55002 was replicated. In conclusion, TY‐55002 is a novel short‐acting sGC activator, which offers the possibility of easy dose management without excessive hypotension. It therefore holds potential to serve as an innovative drug in the pharmacotherapy of ADHF.
Health anxiety

46岁男性，因胸闷、胸痛就诊于全科门诊。 近期冠状动脉计算机断层扫描（CT）结果正常。 在过去的一年中，患者多次因不同症状于多名全科医生处就诊，这些症状常在医生解释或进行检查后得到缓解。
Non-Coherent Joint Transmission in Poisson Cellular Networks Under Pilot Contamination

This paper investigates the performance of downlink cellular networks with non-coherent joint (mutlipoint) transmissions and practical channel estimation. Under a stochastic geometry framework, the spatial average signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) is characterized, taking into account the effect of channel estimation error due to pilot contamination. A simple, easy to compute SNR expression is obtained under the assumption of randomly generated pilot sequences and minimal prior information about the channels and positions of access points (APs). This SNR expression allows for the efficient joint optimization of critical system design parameters such as number of cooperating APs and training overhead. Among others, it is shown that multipoint transmissions are preferable to conventional (non-cooperative) cellular operation under certain operational conditions. Furthermore, analytical insights are obtained regarding (a) the minimum training overhead required to achieve a given SNR degradation compared to the perfect channel estimation case and (b) the optimal number of cooperating APs when an arbitrarily large training overhead can be afforded. For the latter, in particular, a phase transition phenomenon is identified, where the optimal number of cooperating APs is either finite or infinite, depending on whether the path loss factor is less or equal than a certain value, respectively.
ABMS of social network based on affinity

An agent-based model is proposed for analyzing the dynamics that arise from interactions within social networks, analyzing the individual behavior of each profile. Said model considers a simplified construction of a social network while satisfying properties attributed to this type of systems. For that matter, previously established studies on the matter are taken into account, while including each profiles preferences, and how they evolve with time, for the system's dynamic behavior. Results are analyzed based on concepts like the emergence of clusters, the polarization of the network and the homogeneity of preferences between connected profiles; and how they may depend on the characteristics of the profiles and of the network.
DYSREGULATION OF SREBP2 INDUCES BACE1 EXPRESSION Abbreviated title: SREBP2 induces BACE1

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