Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wave propagation in planar antennas at THz frequencies

Waves along metals at an air-dielectric interface tend to propagate at a velocity that is intermediate between the velocity of waves in the air and the velocity of waves in the dielectric; at frequencies below a few GHz the quasistatic approximation to the effective permittivity can be used to find the effective wavelength that propagates in the antenna. Above these frequencies the frequency dispersion of the effective permittivity must be taken into account. In order to find the effective permittivity and the effective wavelength of propagation at THz frequencies a numerical simulation of a planar dipole antenna is performed and compared to measurements made on similar devices. From the numerical results an empirical formula for the effective permittivity is obtained which accounts for the effect of the complex surface impedance of metals at THz frequencies.
Protocol Design for Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Studies of Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases in Iran: STEPs 2016.

INTRODUCTION The rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has gained increasing attention. There is a great need for reliable data to address such problems. Here, we describe the development of a comprehensive set of executive and scientific protocols and instructions of STEPs 2016. METHODS/DESIGN This is a large-scale cross-sectional study of Surveillance of Risk Factors of NCDs in Iran. Through systematic proportional to size cluster random sampling, 31,050 participants enrolled in three sequential processes, of completing questionnaires; physical measurements, and lab assessment. RESULTS Out of 429 districts, samples were taken from urban and rural areas of 389 districts. After applying sampling weight to the samples, comparing the distribution of population and samples, compared classification was determined in accordance with the age and sex groups. Out of 31,050 expected participants, 30,541 participant completed questionnaires (52.31% female). For physical measurements and lab assessment, the cases included 30,042 (52.38% female) and 19,778 (54.04% female), respectively. DISCUSSION There is an urgent need to focus on reviewing trend analyses of NCDs.To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first comprehensive experience on systematic electronic national survey. The results could be also used for future complementary studies.
Magnetic Stopping of Transient Laser Plasmas

We investigated the expansion features of laserproduced Al plasma in the presence of 0.8 T magnetic field. Fast-gated photography was used to record 2-D snapshots of plasma at various moments during its expansion. The slowing down and stopping of the plasmas were observed at all laser irradiance levels used (3-10 GW·cm-2), however, increasing convexity of the plasma periphery was noticed at higher irradiance levels.
Protocol Sequences for the Multiple-Packet Reception Channel Without Feedback

Consider a time-slotted communication channel that is shared by K active users transmitting to a single receiver. It is assumed that the receiver has the ability of the multiple-packet reception to correctly receive up to γ (1 ≤ γ <; K) simultaneously transmitted packets. Each user accesses the channel following a deterministic binary sequence, called the protocol sequence, and transmits a packet within a channel slot if the sequence value is equal to one. If the users are not time synchronized, the relative shifts among them can cause significant fluctuation in throughput. If the throughput of each user is independent of relative shifts, then the adopted protocol sequence set is said to be throughput-invariant (TI). If we define worst-case system throughput as the minimal system throughput that can be guaranteed for any set of relative shifts, then TI sequences maximize it and hence are of fundamental interest. This paper investigates TI sequences for γ ≥ 1. Several new results are obtained including throughput value as a function of the duty factors, a lower bound on the sequence period, a construction that achieves the lower bound on the sequence period, and theorems on the intrinsic structure that establish connections with some other families of binary sequences.
The other side of the coin: The tumor-suppressive aspect of oncogenes and the oncogenic aspect of tumor-suppressive genes, such as those along the CCND–CDK4/6–RB axis

Although cancer-regulatory genes are dichotomized to oncogenes and tumor-suppressor gene s, in reality they can be oncogenic in one situation but tumor-suppressive in another. This dual-function nature, which sometimes hampers our understanding of tumor biology, has several manifestations: (1) Most canonically defined genes have multiple mRNAs, regulatory RNAs, protein isoforms, and posttranslational modifications; (2) Genes may interact at different levels, such as by forming chimeric RNAs or by forming different protein complexes; (3) Increased levels of tumor-suppressive genes in normal cells drive proliferation of cancer progenitor cells in the same organ or tissue by imposing compensatory proliferation pressure, which presents the dual-function nature as a cell–cell interaction. All these manifestations of dual functions can find examples in the genes along the CCND–CDK4/6–RB axis. The dual-function nature also underlies the heterogeneity of cancer cells. Gene-targeting chemotherapies, including that targets CDK4, are effective to some cancer cells but in the meantime may promote growth or progression of some others in the same patient. Redefining “gene” by considering each mRNA, regulatory RNA, protein isoform, and posttranslational modification from the same genomic locus as a “gene” may help in better understanding tumor biology and better selecting targets for different sub-populations of cancer cells in individual patients for personalized therapy.
Adverse events of herbal food supplements for body weight reduction: systematic review *

Herbal weight‐loss supplements are marketed with claims of effectiveness. Our earlier systematic review identified data from double‐blind, randomized controlled trials for a number of herbal supplements. The aim of this systematic review was to assess all clinical evidence of adverse events of herbal food supplements for body weight reduction for which effectiveness data from rigorous clinical trials exist. We assessed Ephedra sinica, Garcinia cambogia, Paullinia cupana, guar gum, Plantago psyllium, Ilex paraguariensis and Pausinystalia yohimbe. Literature searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, Amed and The Cochrane Library. Data were also requested from the spontaneous reporting scheme of the World Health Organization. We hand‐searched relevant medical journals and our own files. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. The results show that adverse events including hepatic injury and death have been reported with the use of some herbal food supplements. For herbal ephedra and ephedrine‐containing food supplements an increased risk of psychiatric, autonomic or gastrointestinal adverse events and heart palpitations has been reported. In conclusion, adverse events are reported for a number of herbal food supplements, which are used for reducing body weight. Although the quality of the data does not justify definitive attribution of causality in most cases, the reported risks are sufficient to shift the risk–benefit balance against the use of most of the reviewed herbal weight‐loss supplements. Exceptions are Garcinia cambogia and yerba maté, which merit further investigation.
A distributed Delay-balancing Slot Allocation algorithm for 802.11s Mesh Coordinated Channel Access under dynamic traffic conditions

The Mesh Coordinated Channel Access (MCCA) defined by the IEEE 802.11s draft standard implements a TDMA-based Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol by allowing mesh routers to negotiate collision-free transmission opportunities, called MCCAOPs, in a hop-by-hop manner. The procedure to determine the duration, in time slots, and the periodic schedule of MCCAOPs is however left unspecified by the standard. In this paper, we propose a Dynamic Delay-balancing Slot Allocation (D2SA) algorithm to deal with dynamic traffic conditions in the context of IEEE 802.11s MCCA. D2SA is fully distributed and aims at exploiting locally at each node the statistical multiplexing of different traffic flows in order to mitigate temporary congestion or under-utilization of the available capacity due to variable traffic demand. This is accomplished by dynamically balancing over the smallest possible time scale the queuing delays experienced by packets relayed to different neighbors. By means of extensive packet-level simulations under realistic network assumptions, we evaluate the effectiveness of D2SA and show that, by improving both the average and the percentiles of the delay per link at each node, it is able to yield better end-to-end performance than in the static case at basically no additional overhead cost.
Inhibition of the chondrocyte phenotype by retinoic acid involves upregulation of metalloprotease genes independent of TGF‐β

Retinoic acid has been identified as a key morphogen governing pattern formation in the developing cartilaginous skeleton. Retinoids have also been implicated in the premature closure of the cartilage growth plate following vitamin A intoxication or administration of retinoids for dermatologic conditions. Previous studies of the mechanism of action of retinoids in non‐chondrogenic cells have concluded that retinoic acid is a negative regulator of AP‐1 responsive metalloprotease genes. We show that inhibition of expression of the cartilage phenotype by retinoic acid in epiphyseal chondrocytes is associated with positive regulation of AP‐1 responsive metalloprotease genes, as well as induction of gene expression for the two components of the transcription factor AP‐1, c‐fos and c‐jun. Despite the similar effects of TGF‐β1 on expression of cartilage matrix proteins and metalloproteases in this culture system, no appreciable changes in the expression of TGF‐β isoforms were evident in response to retinoic acid treatment. The present investigation demonstrates that regulation of AP‐1 responsive genes by retinoic acid can be either positive or negative, depending on the target cell type, and illuminates new mechanisms by which retinoic acid and other retinoids may exert control during development and growth of the limb. © 1994 wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Adjusting overall survival for treatment switches: commonly used methods and practical application

In parallel group trials, long‐term efficacy endpoints may be affected if some patients switch or cross over to the alternative treatment arm prior to the event. In oncology trials, switch to the experimental treatment can occur in the control arm following disease progression and potentially impact overall survival. It may be a clinically relevant question to estimate the efficacy that would have been observed if no patients had switched, for example, to estimate ‘real‐life’ clinical effectiveness for a health technology assessment. Several commonly used statistical methods are available that try to adjust time‐to‐event data to account for treatment switching, ranging from naive exclusion and censoring approaches to more complex inverse probability of censoring weighting and rank‐preserving structural failure time models. These are described, along with their key assumptions, strengths, and limitations. Best practice guidance is provided for both trial design and analysis when switching is anticipated. Available statistical software is summarized, and examples are provided of the application of these methods in health technology assessments of oncology trials. Key considerations include having a clearly articulated rationale and research question and a well‐designed trial with sufficient good quality data collection to enable robust statistical analysis. No analysis method is universally suitable in all situations, and each makes strong untestable assumptions. There is a need for further research into new or improved techniques. This information should aid statisticians and their colleagues to improve the design and analysis of clinical trials where treatment switch is anticipated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reconciling Food Production and Biodiversity Conservation: Land Sharing and Land Sparing Compared

Protecting the largest possible area of natural habitats while growing food on the smallest area can reconcile food production with conservation. The question of how to meet rising food demand at the least cost to biodiversity requires the evaluation of two contrasting alternatives: land sharing, which integrates both objectives on the same land; and land sparing, in which high-yield farming is combined with protecting natural habitats from conversion to agriculture. To test these alternatives, we compared crop yields and densities of bird and tree species across gradients of agricultural intensity in southwest Ghana and northern India. More species were negatively affected by agriculture than benefited from it, particularly among species with small global ranges. For both taxa in both countries, land sparing is a more promising strategy for minimizing negative impacts of food production, at both current and anticipated future levels of production.
Interplay between interferon and other cytokine systems in bone metabolism

Summary: Interferons (IFNs) play crucial roles in the regulation of a wide variety of innate and adaptive immune responses. Type I interferons (IFN‐α/β) are central to the host defense against pathogens such as viruses, whereas type II interferon (IFN‐γ) mainly contributes to the T‐cell‐mediated regulation of the immune responses. Studies of bone destruction associated with rheumatoid arthritis have highlighted the importance of the interaction between the immune and skeletal systems. Recently, a new research area, termed osteoimmunology, has been spawned by a series of studies focusing on the signaling networks between IFN and other cytokines in bone metabolisms. It has been revealed that IFN‐γ interferes with the osteoclast differentiation induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL), and this mechanism is critical for the suppression of pathological bone resorption associated with inflammation. In addition, RANKL induces the IFN‐β gene in osteoclast precursor cells, and this induction constitutes a critical aspect of the negative feedback regulation mechanisms of RANKL signaling to suppress excessive osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, a novel function of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (Stat1), the essential transcription factor for both type I and type II IFN responses, was revealed in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation. Collectively, these studies unveil novel aspects of the IFN system and indicate the operation of the intricate signaling network among IFN and other cytokine systems in bone remodeling, which might offer a molecular basis for the treatment of bone diseases.
Late-onset hypogonadism among old and middle-aged males with prediabetes in Polish population

Abstract Objectives: Around 40% of diabetic men have lowered testosterone and symptoms of hypogonadism but the prevalence of hypogonadism among prediabetic men is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in population of Polish men with prediabetes. Methods: This study was performed in 196 prediabetic men and in 184 normoglycemic, control group. Prediabetes was defined as impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance and/or HbA1c 5.7–6.4%. LOH was defined as low libido, diminished frequency of morning erections and erectile dysfunctions in men with total testosterone <12 nmol/l. Results: Total testosterone (TT) level in prediabetes group was 11.78 ± 1.76 and 16.37 ± 1.6 nmol/l in control group (p < 0.001). LOH was diagnosed in 30% prediabetic men and in 13.6% control men. There were negative relationships between calculated free testosterone (cFT) and HbA1c (r = −0.3856; p < 0.005). In prediabetic group, TT and cFT levels were lower in patients with impaired glucose tolerance than impaired fasting glucose (p < 0.05 and p < 0.02, respectively). We showed inverse relationships between IIEF-5 score and cFT (r = −0.414, p < 0.005) and between IIEF-5 and HbA1c (r = −0.395, p < 0.002). Conclusions: In population of Polish men with prediabetes we observed high prevalence of LOH. Routine testosterone screening should be performed in all prediabetic men.
Conditions for growing Mycoplasma canadense and Mycoplasma verecundum in a serum-free medium

Mycoplasma canadense and Mycoplasma verecundum were cultured in a serum-free medium containing bovine serum albumin, cholesterol, oleic acid, and palmitic acid in order to avoid the addition of horse serum. Growth was detected by measurement of A640 and by colony formation. The level of growth attained in this medium was less than that obtained in the horse serum-supplemented media, but colonies retained their distinctive morphology.
Chrysin inhibits metastatic potential of human triple‐negative breast cancer cells by modulating matrix metalloproteinase‐10, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Chrysin, a naturally occurring flavone, has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in various cancers. However, the effect and mechanisms of chrysin on cancer metastasis are still enigmatic. In this study, metastatic triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines were used to evaluate the antimetastatic activity of chrysin. The results showed that chrysin (5, 10 and 20 μM) significantly suppressed TNBC cell migration and invasion in a dose‐dependent manner. Human matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) antibody array demonstrated that MMP‐10 was downregulated by chrysin, which was further verified by Western blotting and ELISA. Moreover, it was shown that chrysin induced increased E‐cadherin expression and decreased expression of vimentin, snail and slug in TNBC cells, suggesting that chrysin had a reversal effect on epithelial–mesenchymal transition. More importantly, it was demonstrated that inhibiting the Akt signal pathway might play a central role in chrysin‐induced antimetastatic activity by regulating MMP‐10 and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, our study indicates that chrysin exerts antimetastatic activities in TNBC cells, which suggests that chrysin might be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Entity tracking within a Zigbee based smart home

Modern Smart Home Automation (SMA) systems are predominantly based on wireless communication standards. New home automation setups can often include dozens of devices ranging from thermostats, humidity sensors, light switches, digital locks and cooling systems, all communicating on a common network. In this paper we focus on how SMA systems built on one of the most common standards (Zigbee), could be leveraged to provide a secondary benefit in the form of an Indoor Positioning System (IPS). IPS can be implemented in the form of Device Free Localization (DfL), Active tracking or as a combination of both techniques. A system containing a DfL implementation can detect and track moving entities by monitoring the changes in received signal strength (RSSI) values between nodes within a wireless network. DfL does not require the entity that is being tracked to carry an electronic device and actively contribute to the localization process. In Active tracking, the tracked entity contributes to the tracking process. In this paper both techniques are implemented individually, and a combination of both techniques is explored. Having implemented DfL and Active tracking, we were able to localize a person within a 3m × 3m quadrant with DfL with 80% accuracy. Active tracking resulted in a higher resolution of tracking compared to DfL, being able to localize a person within a 2m × 2m area with 95% accuracy. The accuracy of Active Tracking was then further increased to 98%, by coupling Active Tracking with DfL measurements.
Mitochondrial control region and protein coding genes sequence variation among phenotypic forms of brown trout Salmo trutta from northern Italy

The Pô River basin of northern Italy is the home of distinctive and endemic morphological forms of brown trout Salmo trutta. We used PCR‐direct sequencing and RFLP techniques to study variation in the mitochondrial control region of 225 trout in order to assess genetic relatedness among 18 populations from that region. The distribution analysis of these genotypes among north Italian populations confirmed the phylogenetic differentiation of marbled trout Salmo trutta marmoratus populations and the postglacial origin of S. t. fario. Extensive genetic heterogeneity was observed among morphologically identical S. t. fario populations. Introgression with domestic strains of Atlantic basin origin was detected in all forms. In order to assess the phylogenetic congruence detected in coding and noncoding regions of the mitochondrial genome, we also analysed sequence variation in segments of the cytochrome b and ATPase subunit VI genes among representatives of all variants detected in the analysis of the control region. Variation in protein coding genes was only slightly less than that observed in the control region of the same individuals, both in terms of number of variants detected and of pairwise sequence divergence estimates among variants. Phylogenetic analysis based on protein coding genes sequences identified the same phylogenetic groupings defined by the control region analysis and also allowed a partial resolution of their phyletic relationships that was previously unresolved. However, coding and noncoding segments differed substantially in the transition‐transversion ratio (17:0 in coding segments vs. 17:6 in control region segments).
Significance of hepatitis B core antigen in the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B and its relation to hepatitis B virus DNA

Liver biopsies from 52 patients with chronic hepatitis B were investigated for the presence and distribution of HBcAg and the results were compared with the status of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV‐DNA). The patients consisted of 37 men and 15 women, aged 16–55 years (mean = 34 years). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was elevated in 50 patients (range: 18–969 U/L; mean = 290 U/L). Serological testing showed HBsAg in all, HBeAg in 45 (87%), and HBV‐DNA in 28 (54%). Liver biopsies demonstrated HBcAg in 35 (67%) patients. HBcAg was not only present in 31 of 45 (69%) patients who were seropositive for HBeAg, but also in four of seven (57%) with antibody to HBeAg (anti‐HBe). In 28 of 35 (80%) patients with HBcAg in the liver, serum HBV‐DNA was detected. However, no serum HBV‐DNA was detected in 17 patients who had no detectable HBcAg in the liver. The distribution of HBcAg in the liver was rather cytoplasmic and nuclear than nuclear alone. Among 33 patients with cytoplasmic HBcAg in the liver, 15 (45%) had an evidence of acute exacerbation of hepatitis with marked ALT elevation (range: 168–894 U/L; mean = 385 U/L) and nine patients showed severe chronic active hepatitis and confluent necrosis, histologically. These results indicate that the presence of HBcAg in the liver correlates with the amount of circulating hepatitis B virus as quantified by serum level of HBV‐DNA. The predominant cytoplasmic HBcAg in the liver may suggest the possibility of multiple episodes of acute exacerbation and more severe ongoing hepatitis during the clinical course.