Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An advance design approach for circular polarization of the microstrip antenna with unbalance DGS feedlines

A novel design approach is offered to attain circular polarization of the microstrip antenna fed by unbalanced vertical feedlines. Usually, diagonally balanced-line feeds with hybrid couplers are used to attain circular polarization. Here, defected ground structures (DGSs) have been implemented under the unbalanced feedlines to achieve circular polarization. Adopting DGSs make it easy to tune antennas for circular polarization by varying the impedance of the feedlines.
Cerebral white matter lesions in bipolar affective disorder: relationship to outcome

Background Twenty per cent of patients with bipolar affective disorder suffer an illness that responds inadequately to treatment and has a poor outcome. Many patients, but not all, with bipolar disorder show white matter abnormalities on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aims To explore the hypothesis that white matter abnormalities on MRI are seen more frequently in subjects whose illness has a poor outcome compared with those with a good outcome or controls. Method Two groups of age- and gender-matched patients with bipolar disorder (14 with a good outcome and 15 with a poor outcome) and 15 controls, aged 20–65 years, were studied. Axial T2-weighted MRI scans were examined for the presence and severity of white matter abnormalities. Results Significantly more poor outcome group members had deep subcortical punctate, but not periventricular, white matter hyperintensities than the good outcome group (P=0.035) or controls (P=0.003) and these abnormalities were of greater severity (P=0.030 and P < 0.014, respectively). Conclusions Subcortical white matter lesions are associated with poor outcome bipolar disorder.
A heat-labile enterotoxin from strains of Eschericha coli enteropathogenic for pigs.

The mechanism by which Escherichia coli causes diarrhea in pigs has been the subject of much research and speculation. Thomlinson and Buxton [1, 2] and Thomlinson [3] reported experimental evidence from which they concluded that diarrhea was a manifestation of an anaphylactic reaction in hypersensitive pigs. They suggested that the reaction was triggered by the absorption of bacterial polysaccharide during excessive proliferation of certain types of E. coli in the gut. However, the validity of this hypothesis has been challenged [4-6]. Stevens [7] advanced the hypothesis that diarrhea was due to "toxic effects of E. coli,'" and Gyles [8] suggested that the toxic product responsible for diarrhea was not likely to be endotoxin. The experiments described in this paper were undertaken with a view to detecting and characterizing a toxin which may be present in enteropathogenic E. coli and absent from nonenteropathogenic ones. The similarities between coliform diarrhea of swine and choleraic diarrhea of man were borne
Sparse smoothing of articulatory features from Gaussian mixture model based acoustic-to-articulatory inversion: benefit to speech recognition

Speech recognition using articulatory features estimated using Acoustic-to-Articulatory Inversion (AAI) is considered. A recently proposed sparse smoothing approach is used to postpro-cess the estimates from Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) based AAI using Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) criterion. It is well known that low-pass smoothing as post-processing improves the AAI performance. Sparse smoothing, on the other hand, not only improves the AAI performance but also preserves the MMSE optimality for as many estimates as possible. In this work we investigate the beneﬁt of preserving MMSE optimality during postprocessing by using the smoothed articulatory estimates in a broad class phonetic recognition task. Experimental results show that the low-pass ﬁlter based smoothing results in a signiﬁcant drop in the recognition accuracy compared to that using articulatory estimates without any smoothing. However, the recognition accuracy obtained by articulatory features from sparse smoothing is similar to that using articulatory features directly from GMM based AAI without any post-processing. Thus, sparse smoothing provides beneﬁt both in terms of the inversion performance as well as recognition accuracy, while that is not the case with low-pass smoothing.
Two new steroidal saponins from the biotransformation product of the rhizomes of Dioscorea nipponica

Two new steroidal saponins, dioscins E (1) and F (2), along with nine known steroidal saponins, were isolated from the biotransformation product of the rhizomes of Dioscorea nipponica using Aspergillus oryzae. The structures of new compounds were established as 25(R)-spirost-5-en-21β-methyl-3β-ol-3-O-α- l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) and (25R)-spirost-5-en-3β-ol-7-one 3-O-α- l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranoside (2) by detailed spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR spectral data (1H–1H COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and MS spectrometry.
Upper limb tremor suppression in ADL via an orthosis incorporating a controllable double viscous beam actuator

Neuromuscular disorders affect millions of people worldwide. Upper limb tremor is a common symptom, and due to its complex aetiology it is difficult to compensate for except, in particular cases by surgical intervention or drug therapy. Wearable devices that mechanically compensate for limb tremor could benefit a considerable number of patients, but the technology to assist suffers in this way is under-developed. In this paper we propose an innovative orthosis that can dynamically suppress pathological tremor, by applying viscous damping to the affected limb in a controlled manner. The orthosis design utilises a new actuator design based on magneto-rheological fluids that efficiently deliver damping action in response to the instantaneous tremor frequency and amplitude.
Sparse representation based fault diagnosis of bearings

This paper propose a novel fault diagnosis of bearings approach based on sparse representation. Three steps are conducted to classify the fault types. In the dictionary learning step, dictionary is learned using training set with known fault types; in the sparse coding step, testing samples with unknown fault types are represented through spares representation model with sub-dictionaries extracted from the dictionary learned in the first step; in the last step, fault types are evaluated through a Hough voting process. Different from most conventional fault diagnosis methods, rejection mechanism can be easily introduced to guarantee the diagnosis accuracy, which is suitable in areas where high diagnosis accuracy is required such as nuclear and aerospace industries. Finally, an experiment is undertaken to verify the effectiveness of our model.
A Novel Peptide Screened by Phage Display Can Mimic TRAP Antigen Epitope against Staphylococcus aureus Infections*

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen. Pathogenic effects are largely due to production of bacterial toxins, whose synthesis is controlled by an mRNA molecule termed RNAIII. The S. aureus protein called RAP (RNAIII-activating protein) is secreted and activates RNAIII production by inducing the phosphorylation of its target protein TRAP (target of RAP). Antibodies to TRAP have been shown to suppress exotoxin production by S. aureus in vitro, suggesting that TRAP may be a useful vaccine target site. Here we showed that a peptide TA21 was identified by screening a phage display library using anti-TRAP antibodies. Mice vaccinated with Escherichia coli engineered to express TA21 on their surface (FTA21) were protected from S. aureus infections, using sepsis and cellulitis mice models. By sequence analysis, it was found that the TA21 is highly homologous to the C-terminal sequence of TRAP which is conserved among S. aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, suggesting that peptide TA21 may be a useful broad vaccine to protect from infection caused by various staphylococcal strains.
Multi-Dimensional motivic pattern extraction founded on adaptive redundancy filtering

Abstract We present a computational model for discovering repeated patterns in symbolic representations of monodic music. Patterns are discovered through an incremental adaptive identification along a multi-dimensional parametric space. The difficulties of pattern discovery mainly come from combinatorial redundancies, that our model is able to control efficiently. A specificity relation is defined between pattern descriptions, unifying suffix and inclusion relations and enabling a filtering of redundant descriptions. Combinatorial proliferation caused by successive repetitions of patterns is managed using cyclic patterns. The modelling of these redundancy control mechanisms enables an automation of musicology-relevant analyses of musical databases.
Automated function generation of symptom parameters and application to fault diagnosis of machinery under variable operating conditions

Dimensional or nondimensional symptom parameters are usually used for condition monitoring of plant machinery. However, it is difficult to extract the most important symptom parameters and the functions of those parameters by which machinery faults can be sensitively detected and the fault types can be precisely distinguished. In order to overcome this difficulty and to ensure highly accurate fault diagnosis, a new method, called "automated function generation of symptom parameters" using genetic algorithms (GA) is presented in this paper. By applying the method to real machinery diagnosis problems, it has been shown that the key symptom parameter function can be quickly generated. We give a diagnosis example of rolling bearings whose operating conditions are variable in terms of rotation speed and load.
Noncoherent sequential PN code acquisition using sliding correlation for chip-asynchronous direct-sequence spread-spectrum communications

Noncoherent sequential pseudonoise (PN) code acquisition using sliding correlation is proposed in this paper. Noncoherent detection and chip asynchronization should be taken care of to handle a severely noisy environment, while frequency offset and data modulation effects can be simultaneously dealt with in the proposed technique. To realize sequential detection, the cross-correlation sequences at the output end of the integrate/dump (LID) filter under out-of-lock conditions have to be modeled as either a Gaussian random sequence for chip-asynchronous applications or as their upper bound for chip-synchronous applications in order to avoid significantly high probabilities of false alarm caused by the conventional zero-sequence model. Meanwhile, the in-lock sequence also has to be modified by taking the frequency offset and chip-asynchronization effects into account in order to avoid the occurrence of high probabilities of miss. Extensive computer simulation results indicate that the proposed technique can achieve low probabilities of false alarm and miss and can outperform its fixed-sample-size (FSS) counterparts by roughly 2/spl sim/4 dB. This superiority, furthermore, increases with decreasing SNRs and/or decreasing desired error probabilities.
Suppression of antigen-specific antibody responses in mice exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid: Role of PPARα and T- and B-cell targeting

Abstract T-cell-dependent antibody responses (TDAR) are suppressed in female C57BL/6N mice exposed to ≥3.75 mg/kg of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) for 15 days. To determine if suppression of humoral immunity by PFOA is peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα)-dependent and if suppression is associated with specific targeting of T- or B-cells, three separate experiments were conducted: (1) female PPARα constitutive knockout (PPARα KO; B6.129S4-Ppartm1GonzN12) and wild-type controls (WT; C57BL/6-Tac) exposed to 0, 7.5, or 30 mg PFOA/kg for 15 days were immunized on Day 11 with a T-cell-dependent antigen and sera then collected for measures of antigen-specific IgM titers (TDAR) 5 days later; (2) female C57BL/6N WT mice exposed to 0, 0.94, 1.88, 3.75, or 7.5 mg PFOA/kg for 15 days were immunized with a T-cell-independent antigen on Day 11 and sera were then collected for analyses of antigen-specific IgM titers (TIAR) 7 days later; and (3) splenic lymphocyte phenotypes were assessed in unimmunized female C57BL/6N WT mice exposed to 0, 3.75, or 7.5 mg PFOA/kg for 10 days to investigate effects of PFOA in the absence of specific immunization. Separate groups of mice were immunized with a T-cell-dependent antigen after 11 days of exposure and splenic lymphocyte sub-populations were assessed after 13 or 15 days of exposure to assess numbers of stimulated cells. The results indicated that exposure to ≥1.88 mg PFOA/kg suppressed the TIAR; exposure to 30 mg PFOA/kg suppressed the TDAR in both PPARα KO and WT mice. The percentage of splenic B-cells was unchanged. Results obtained in the PPARα KO mice indicated that PPARα suppression of TDAR was independent of PPARα involvement. Suppression of the TIAR and the TDAR with minimal lymphocyte sub-population effects suggested that effects on humoral immunity are likely mediated by disruption of B-cell/plasma cell function.
COSMOS: accurate detection of somatic structural variations through asymmetric comparison between tumor and normal samples

An important challenge in cancer genomics is precise detection of structural variations (SVs) by high-throughput short-read sequencing, which is hampered by the high false discovery rates of existing analysis tools. Here, we propose an accurate SV detection method named COSMOS, which compares the statistics of the mapped read pairs in tumor samples with isogenic normal control samples in a distinct asymmetric manner. COSMOS also prioritizes the candidate SVs using strand-specific read-depth information. Performance tests on modeled tumor genomes revealed that COSMOS outperformed existing methods in terms of F-measure. We also applied COSMOS to an experimental mouse cell-based model, in which SVs were induced by genome engineering and gamma-ray irradiation, followed by polymerase chain reaction-based confirmation. The precision of COSMOS was 84.5%, while the next best existing method was 70.4%. Moreover, the sensitivity of COSMOS was the highest, indicating that COSMOS has great potential for cancer genome analysis.
Central Network Dynamics Regulating Visceral and Humoral Functions

The brain processes information from the periphery and regulates visceral and immune activity to maintain internal homeostasis, optimally respond to a dynamic external environment, and integrate these functions with ongoing behavior. In addition to its relevance for survival, this integration underlies pathology as evidenced by diseases exhibiting comorbid visceral and psychiatric symptoms. Advances in neuroanatomical mapping, genetically specific neuronal manipulation, and neural network recording are overcoming the challenges of dissecting complex circuits that underlie this integration and deciphering their function. Here we focus on reciprocal communication between the brain and urological, gastrointestinal, and immune systems. These studies are revealing how autonomic activity becomes integrated into behavior as part of a social strategy, how the brain regulates innate immunity in response to stress, and how drugs impact emotion and gastrointestinal function. These examples highlight the power of the functional organization of circuits at the interface of the brain and periphery.
Loss of SPEF2 Function in Mice Results in Spermatogenesis Defects and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia1

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) results from defects in motile cilia function. Mice homozygous for the mutation big giant head (bgh) have several abnormalities commonly associated with PCD, including hydrocephalus, male infertility, and sinusitis. In the present study, we use a variety of histopathological and cell biological techniques to characterize the bgh phenotype, and we identify the bgh mutation using a positional cloning approach. Histopathological, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic analyses demonstrate that the male infertility results from shortened flagella and disorganized axonemal and accessory structures in elongating spermatids and mature sperm. In addition, there is a reduced number of elongating spermatids during spermatogenesis and mature sperm in the epididymis. Histological analyses show that the hydrocephalus is characterized by severe dilatation of the lateral ventricles and that bgh sinuses have an accumulation of mucus infiltrated by neutrophils. In contrast to the sperm phenotype, electron microscopy demonstrates that mutant respiratory epithelial cilia are ultrastructurally normal, but video microscopic analysis shows that their beat frequency is lower than that of wild-type cilia. Through a positional cloning approach, we identified two sequence variants in the gene encoding sperm flagellar protein 2 (SPEF2), which has been postulated to play an important role in spermatogenesis and flagellar assembly. A causative nonsense mutation was validated by Western blot analysis, strongly suggesting that the bgh phenotype results from the loss of SPEF2 function. Taken together, the data in this study demonstrate that SPEF2 is required for cilia function and identify a new genetic cause of PCD in mice.
A Prospective Study of Risk Factors for the Development of Depression and Disordered Eating in Adolescents

There is evidence that females display higher levels of depressive symptoms and disordered eating than males from adolescence onward. This study examined whether different risk factors and their interaction with sex (moderator effect) prospectively predicted depressive symptoms and disordered eating in adolescents. A total of 415 female adolescents and 413 male adolescents were evaluated at 2 different times: In the first evaluation (T1) the mean age of the participants was 12.8 years, and in the second evaluation (T2) it was 14.9 years. Differences between sexes were observed in relation to depressive symptoms at T2 and in disordered eating at T1 and T2. Body dissatisfaction was a significant predictor of both depressive symptoms and disordered eating. In addition, moderation tests indicated that the interaction between self-esteem and sex and the interaction between body mass index and sex significantly predicted depressive symptoms and disordered eating, respectively.
Gut myoelectrical activity induces heat shock response in Escherichia coli and Caco‐2 cells

The heat shock response is associated with the intracellular expression of a number of highly conserved heat shock proteins (Hsps). According to their molecular size, Hsps have been divided into several groups, which are strongly conserved and show high homology between the species, e.g., Hsp70, MW 70 kDa (Lindquist & Craig, 1998; Morimoto, 1998 ; Jolly & Morimoto, 2000 ; Żylicz et al. 2001 ). In all organisms the Hsp expression under stress conditions is regulated at transcriptional level, e.g., in humans by the heat shock transcription factor Hsf1 ( Morimoto, 1998 ; Wu, 1995 ), while in Escherichia coli by replacement of the sigma factor σ70 in RNA polymerase by the sigma factor σ32 ( Gross, 1987 ). The Hsps allow cell survival under stress conditions by renaturating of denaturated proteins, protecting of stress‐labile proteins, preventing protein aggregation (chaperone functions), and by degradation of damaged proteins (protease activities) ( Lindquist & Craig, 1988 ; Morimoto, 1998 ; Jolly & Morimoto, 2000 ). They have also many housekeeping functions under non‐stressful conditions during the cell cycle, growth, development, and differentiation ( Morimoto, 1998 ). Among a number of plausible inducing factors already studied, extremely low artificial electromagnetic fields have been shown to induce stress response in various cells, such as expression of σ32 mRNA ( Cairo et al. 1998 ) and induction of DnaJ and DnaK proteins in Eschericha coli ( Chow & Tung, 2000 ); expression of hsp‐16 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans ( Miyakawa et al., 2001 ); induction of heat shock transcription factor Hsf1 and Hsp70, Hsp90 and Hsp27 in human cells ( Lin et al. 1997 ; Lin et al. 1998 ; Goodman & Blank, 1998 ; Pipkin et al. 1999 ). Nevertheless, the role of endogenous electromagnetic fields, i.e., generated by electrically active cells within a body remains controversial. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) protect cells against various environmental and endogenous stressors. Cytoprotection caused by Hsps involves tolerance induced by one agent against other, more severe agents. We have found that exposure of prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) and eukaryotic (Caco‐2) cells to an electrical field (EF) connected with a myoelectrical migrating complex (MMC) generated by the small intestine smooth muscle induces the heat shock response. Using Western blot analysis, we have detected an elevated level of sigma factor 32 in E. coli cells exposed to MMC‐related EF, and confocal microscopy indicated an increased level of the inducible form of Hsp70 protein in EF‐stimulated Caco‐2 cells. Additionally, we have found that this induced level of Hsp70 protected the Caco‐2 cells against apoptosis caused by camptothecin. Our observations suggest that the myoelectrical activity of the gut may induce heat shock mechanisms in the cells of gut epithelium as well as in gastrointestinal micro‐organisms.
Resilience and Distress Among Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients and Caregivers

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of depressive disorders and symptoms and their correlates in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and caregiver spouses and to identify dimensions of resilience as well as distress. Methods: Fifty-six patients with ALS and 31 caregivers were interviewed on one occasion, and 20 patients were subsequently reinterviewed during a scheduled medical visit at an ALS center. Major measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death, quality of life, spirituality, and degree of hopelessness. The ALS Functional Rating Scale, spirometry measures of forced vital capacity, and the Karnofsky Performance Index were used to assess physical status. Results: Neither patients nor caregivers displayed significant psychopathology with respect to either current depressive disorders or scores on symptom scales. Depressive symptoms and psychological distress were not related to time since diagnosis, degree of disability, or illness progression during the period of observation. More interest in hastened death was associated with greater distress, but willingness to consider assisted suicide was not. Among caregivers, perceived caregiver burden was significantly associated with finding positive meaning in caregiving. Concordance between patient and caregiver distress was high, suggesting that attention to the mental health needs of caregivers may alleviate the patient’s distress as well. Conclusions: Clinical depression or significant depressive symptomatology is not an inevitable or common outcome of life-threatening illness, even in the presence of major disability.