Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compact high rejection notch and DBR designed with slow-wave transmission lines

Shielded slow-wave coplanar waveguides are promising candidates for the development of miniaturized low-loss compact passive devices in millimeter-wave frequency band. In this paper, a high rejection notch based on a classical stub using a shielded slow-wave transmission line with high quality factor and slow-wave factor has been designed on a low-cost CMOS 0.35 µm technology, and characterized up to 30 GHz. This notch presents a very deep rejection of −20 dB at 10 GHz and a length reduction factor of 2 compared with a stub designed with classical transmission lines. These results open the opportunity to design, in CMOS technologies, filters based on slow-wave transmission lines, for frequencies above 10 GHz. Finally, based on these measurement results, a study for a dual behavior resonator filter working at 13.6 GHz has been carried out. The simulated filter exhibits a minimum insertion loss of 1.4 dB for a 28 % relative bandwidth, leading to an unloaded quality factor equal to 20.
Comparison of side-channel attack on cryptographic cirucits between old and new technology FPGAs

SASEBO and SAKURA, boards developed for physical security analysis of cryptographic circuits against side-channel attacks, are FPGAs of different generations. The attacks perform statistical analysis on power or electromagnetic waveforms, and enhance leakage signals caused by a secret key. However, the signal becomes weaker along with the advancing miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor process technology. In this paper, power and electro-magnetic attacks against AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) circuits on the FPGA boards are conducted. Then, it is demonstrated that the amplitude of the signal is not dominant, but S/N ration defined as "power related to the secret key / power of other circuit activities" is important.
Differential Susceptibility to Etoposide in Clones Derived from a Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line

Objectives: To identify parameters/factors that may contribute to the differential sensitivity to etoposide in two clones isolated from the human ovarian carcinoma SKOV-3 cell line, which does not express p53 and is resistant to platinum-based regimens. Methods: Differential sensitivity of the cells to etoposide was monitored by microscopy to observe morphological changes, by flow cytometry analyses to detect cell cycle perturbations, and by molecular/biochemical assays to identify events involved in induction of apoptosis. Results: Etoposide treatment (1) induced apoptosis in one clone, ES, but not in another clone, ER, (2) had no effect on the expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in both cell clones, whereas the proapoptotic proteins Bak and Bax were dramatically upregulated in ES, but not ER cells, and (3) induced more extensive processing of procaspase-8, procaspase-9, and the caspase-3-targeted substrates, topoisomerase I and PARP, in ES cells. Ectopic overexpression of Bcl-2 in ES cells failed to inhibit etoposide-induced apoptosis. Conclusions: The differential susceptibility of ES and ER cells to etoposide-induced apoptosis is associated with differences in several events rather than with a specific single genetic regulator of the apoptotic machinery. We propose that the differential response of ovarian cancer patients to etoposide treatment is associated with the number of etoposide-sensitive cells in the tumor.
Risk and Protective Factors at Age 16: Psychological Adjustment in Children with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Objective Explore psychological functioning in adolescents with a cleft at age 16 from a broad perspective, including cognitive, emotional, behavioral, appearance-related, and psychosocial adjustment. High-risk groups were identified within each area of adjustment to investigate whether vulnerable adolescents were found across domains or whether risk was limited to specific areas of adjustment. Methods Cross-sectional data based on psychological assessments at age 16 (N = 857). The effect of gender, cleft visibility, and the presence of an additional condition were investigated on all outcome variables. Results were compared with large national samples. Measures Hopkins Symptom Checklist, Harter Self-Perception Scale for Adolescents, Child Experience Questionnaire, and Satisfaction With Appearance scale. Results The main factor influencing psychological adjustment across domains was gender, with girls in general reporting more psychological problems, as seen in reference groups. The presence of an additional condition also negatively affected some of the measures. No support was found for cleft visibility as a risk factor except for dissatisfaction with appearance. Correlation analyses of risk groups seem to point to an association between social and emotional risk and between social risk and dissatisfaction with appearance. Associations between other domains were found to be weak. Conclusions The results point to areas of both risk and strength in adolescents born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Future research should investigate how protective factors could counteract potential risk in adolescents with a cleft.
Small cell carcinoma versus other lung malignancies

When a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma is reached in a patient with a lung mass, a surgical treatment approach is no longer considered and chemotherapy becomes the treatment of choice. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fine‐needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma with the diagnoses of other lung malignancies. The capacity of this technique to distinguish between these two categories is assessed.
A New Descriptor based on 2D DCT for Image Retrieval

Content-based image retrieval relies on feature comparison between images. So the selection of feature vector is important. As many images are compressed by transforms, constructing the feature vector directly in transform domain is a very popular topic. We propose a new feature vector in DCT domain. Our method selects part of DCT coefficients inside each block to construct AC-Pattern and use DC coefficients between neighboring blocks to construct DC-Pattern. Two histograms are formed and parts of them are used to build a descriptor vector integrating features to do image retrieval. Experiments are done both on face image databases and texture image database. Compared to other methods, results show that we can get better performance on both face and texture database by using the proposed method.
Recent advances in the management of psoriatic arthritis

Purpose of reviewThe incidence of psoriatic arthritis is currently estimated at 7 to 42% of the population with active psoriasis, considered to affect 2 to 3% of the general population. Unmanaged psoriatic arthritis may result in progressive radiologic erosion, severe physical limitations, and disability. Newer trials in psoriatic arthritis therapy demonstrate ongoing ability to control disease symptoms and signs and the progression of the disease significantly. Recent findingsRecognition of the immunopathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis, as with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, prompts ongoing examination of the efficacy of several disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. A new crop of biologics and pharmaceuticals with increased molecular specificity compared with traditional immunosuppressant disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs have been shown to be highly effective in inhibiting the symptoms and progression of psoriatic arthritis with less severe side effects. SummaryTherapies either recently approved or pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration for psoriatic arthritis management are safe and effective in the treatment of symptoms, significantly improve quality of life, and prevent long-term progression of the disease.
Modification and Modificatory Kinetics of the Active Center of Prawn β-N-Acetyl-D-glucosaminidase

Abstract β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC3.2.1.52) plays important role in molting, digestion of chitinous foods, and defense systems against parasites in prawn (Litopenaeus vannamei). However, study on functional groups and catalytic mechanism of NAGase are yet limited. The modification of the active center of NAGase from prawn has been first studied. The results demonstrate that the disulfide bonds and the carbamidine groups of arginine residues are not essential to the enzyme's activity. The modification of indole group of tryptophan of the enzyme by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) can lead to the complete inactivation, accompanying the absorption decreasing at 276 nm, indicating that tryptophan is essential residue to the enzyme. The modificatory kinetics of NAGase in the appropriate concentrations of NBS solution has been studied and the numbers of essential tryptophan residues have been determined using the kinetic method of the substrate reaction. The result shows that only one tryptophan residue is essential for enzyme activity. And the modifications of histidine, lysine residue, and the carboxyl groups also inactivate the enzyme completely or incompletely. The results showed that the carboxyl groups of acidic amino acid, imidazole groups of histidine residue, amino groups of lysine residue, and indole group of tryptophan were essential for the activity of enzyme.
Robust adaptive fuzzy control of nonlinear systems with input saturation based on DSC and K-filter techniques

In this paper, a novel adaptive fuzzy output feedback control scheme is presented for a class of SISO uncertain nonlinear systems in the presence of input saturation. The control design is achieved by combining adaptive fuzzy K-filter observer technique and the dynamic surface control (DSC) technique along with the minimal-learning-parameters (MLP) algorithm. The proposed controller can guarantee that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin. An advantage of the proposed control scheme lies in that the number of fuzzy adaptive parameters is reduced to one, and three problems of “computational explosion”, “dimension curse”, “unmeasured states” are solved. A numerical simulation is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed scheme.
Benefits of ERP systems implementation in business in Brazil: Case studies

This research presents impacts of benefits of the ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementations in two companies in Pernambuco, Brazil. It was carried out two case studies and an exploratory research, interviewed agents of Supply, Making, Sales and Distribution, Finances, Accounting and Information Technology (IT)), applied questionnaires for agents, end-users and employers. The information aimed that the motivations for adoption of ERP systems screw needs of organizational control, processes standardize, management and to attend Brazilians legislations. Business better practices and cost-benefit were of moderate meanings. This study show it were important the benefits and the contributions for the business growth in the companies.
Water Problems in the United States

W A TATER, as an elenment of the natural landscape and as a powerful factor in the development of social geographical patterns, is a theme worthy of comprehensive, systematic treatment by geographers. Until recently, however, it has been neglected by them; too often "drainage features," "water supply," or "hydrology" has been tacked onto regional description rather as an afterthought without integration or interpretation. The great droughts and dust storms of the early thirties, and, perhaps even more important, the coincidental economic depression with its pressure for more jobs, gave enormous impetus to the study of, and action on, water problems. Subsequent publicity on the water problems of, for example, the Missouri Basin, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, the Rio Grande, and the St. Lawrence Waterway has kept America water-conscious. Books and articles on the subject, both popular and scientific, have appeared in great numbers,' written mainly by engineers, meteorologists, soil technologists, and, especially, conservationists. Happily, geographers have shared this growing awareness of water problems. Though some of the recent writing leaves one with a feeling of impending disaster, through desertification, flood destruction, or soil loss, a dispassionate appraisal indicates that the basic situation is hopeful. In total water resources we are well off. Precipitation over the continental United States averages about 30 inches a year, or nearly five billion acre-feet of water; annual consumption for irrigation and domestic, municipal, and industrial
Left atrial appendage: structure, function, and role in thromboembolism

The left atrial appendage (LAA) is derived from the left wall of the primary atrium, which forms during the fourth week of embryonic development. It has developmental, ultrastructural, and physiological characteristics distinct from the left atrium proper. The LAA lies within the confines of the pericardium in close relation to the free wall of the left ventricle and thus its emptying and filling may be significantly affected by left ventricular function. The physiological properties and anatomical relations of the LAA render it ideally suited to function as a decompression chamber during left ventricular systole and during other periods when left atrial pressure is high. These properties include the position of the LAA high in the body of the left atrium; the increased distensibility of the LAA compared with the left atrium proper; the high concentration of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) granules contained within the LAA; and the neuronal configuration of the LAA. Thrombus has a predilection to form in the LAA in patients with atrial fibrillation, mitral valve disease, and other conditions. The pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated; however, relative stasis which occurs in the appendage owing to its shape and the trabeculations within it is thought to play a major role. Obliteration or amputation of the LAA may help to reduce the risk of thromboembolism, but this may result in undesirable physiological sequelae such as reduced atrial compliance and a reduced capacity for ANF secretion in response to pressure and volume overload.
Indonesia: Sustainable Development of Forests, Land, and Water. By The World Bank. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1990. Pp. xl, 190. Maps, Tables, Figures, Notes.

Woodward omits to mention several recent and excellent studies, post-Geertz, of Southeast Asian Islamic culture: by Judith Nagata [The Reflowering of Malaysian Islam (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1984)], Jerome Weiss (PhD thesis 1977) and Anthony Milner [Kerajaan (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1983), in the same series as Woodward's book]. I would especially commend to him Weiss's brilliant thesis Folk Psychology of the Javanese ofPonorogo (Yale PhD/University Microfilms, 1977). He might also recall R.C. Zaehner's Mysticism, Sacred and Profane (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1957) which instances universal mystical tendencies of the human mind; Sufism owns no monopoly on a mystical cosmos. Finally, I suggest that Geertz's The Religion of Java is not a book to be pronounced 'wrong'; rather it is a magnum opus to be exploited, a watershed in anthropology and Southeast Asian studies which, like The Nuer or Argonauts of the Western Pacific, will long outlast its critics. Although the book contains no serious misprints, there are some editorial slips in the Bibliography. Juynboll is misspelled throughout, Snouck Hurgronje is hyphenated, Moedjanto is doubled as Mudjanto and listed twice, and Syansuri only appears under Badawi (but is indexed under Syansuri). There is one serious drawback in the text: Chapter 6 discusses the symbolism of the architecture of the Yogyakarta kraton yet completely lacks illustrations, map or diagram to help the reader along.
Evaluating the XP customer model and design by contract

We describe one of the series of experiments with extreme programming, carried out as a summer project. The focus in this experiment was to try out the XP customer model and design by contract. The experiment indicates that the extreme programming emphasis on having an onsite customer available during the project improves the communication between customers and the programming team, and markedly decreases the number of false features and feature misses. It also indicates that the systematic use of design by contract leads to a low post-release defect rate for the software system built.
Control of growth and positional information by the graded vestigial expression pattern in the wing of Drosophila melanogaster

The size and shape of organs depend on cellular processes such as cell proliferation, cell survival, and spatial arrangement of cells. In turn, all of these processes are a consequence of positional identity of individual cells in whole organs. Links of positional information with organ growth and pattern expression of genes is a little-addressed question. We show that differences in vestigial expression between neighboring cells of the wing blade autonomously and nonautonomously affect cell proliferation along the proximo-distal axis. On the other hand, uniform expression of vestigial inhibits cell proliferation and also perturbs the shape of wing blade altering the preferential orientation of cell divisions. Our observations provide evidence that local cell interactions, triggered by differences in vestigial expression between neighboring cells, confer positional values operating in the control of growth and shape of the wing.
A method of incident angle estimation for high resolution spectral recovery in filter-array-based spectrometers

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in miniature spectrometers for research and development. Especially, filter-array-based spectrometers have advantages of low cost and portability, and can be applied in various fields such as biology, chemistry and food industry. Miniaturization in optical filters causes degradation of spectral resolution due to limitations on spectral responses and the number of filters. Nowadays, many studies have been reported that the filter-array-based spectrometers have achieved resolution improvements by using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. The performance of the DSP-based spectral recovery highly depends on the prior information of transmission functions (TFs) of the filters. The TFs vary with respect to an incident angle of light onto the filter-array. Conventionally, it is assumed that the incident angle of light on the filters is fixed and the TFs are known to the DSP. However, the incident angle is inconstant according to various environments and applications, and thus TFs also vary, which leads to performance degradation of spectral recovery. In this paper, we propose a method of incident angle estimation (IAE) for high resolution spectral recovery in the filter-array-based spectrometers. By exploiting sparse signal reconstruction of the L1- norm minimization, IAE estimates an incident angle among all possible incident angles which minimizes the error of the reconstructed signal. Based on IAE, DSP effectively provides a high resolution spectral recovery in the filter-array-based spectrometers.
All-optical address extraction for optical routing

This paper describes the optical circuit that enables to extract address from a transmitted cell in an all-optical manner. Nonlinear optical loop mirrors (NOLM's) are used as all-optical switches in order to confirm the operation of the proposed circuit. The control pulses synchronized with address bits are generated from the transmitted cell. The address bits are successfully extracted without any electronic control circuit. The factors that limit an attainable bit rate are discussed. If we use NOLM composed of a 2-km-long fiber, 110 Gb/s is attainable for the 4 ps FWHM input pulse with RZ format.
Analysis of a soft-switched PFC boost converter using analog and digital control circuits

This work presents a comparison between analog and digital (PIC16c73a) control types applied to the boost converter with a nondissipative snubber. Both control types use the bang-bang hysteresis current waveshaping control technique in order to achieve a quasi-unity power factor. The analog control applied presented a high power factor (0.998), high efficiency (92.87%), and low harmonic distortion [total harmonic distortion of current (THDI =2.84% and total harmonic distortion of current (THDV) =2.83%]. The digital control presented a high power factor (0.990), high efficiency (92.46%), and low harmonic distortion (THDI=5.09% and THDV=2.84%).
The colony‐stimulating factors and collagen‐induced arthritis: exacerbation of disease by M‐CSF and G‐CSF and requirement for endogenous M‐CSF

There is increasing evidence that the colony‐stimulating factors (CSFs) may play a part in chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined the involvement of macrophage CSF (M‐CSF or CSF‐1) and granulocyte CSF (G‐CSF) in collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA), a murine model of RA. Daily injections of M‐CSF or G‐CSF, 20–24 days postprimary immunization with type II collagen, exacerbated disease symptoms in suboptimally immunized DBA/1 mice. Support for the involvement of endogenous M‐CSF in CIA was obtained by studies in which neutralizing monoclonal antibody reduced the severity of established CIA and also by studies showing the resistance of M‐CSF‐deficient op/op mice to CIA induction. These studies show that M‐CSF and G‐CSF can be proinflammatory in CIA and provide evidence that macrophage‐ and granulocyte‐lineage cells can exacerbate CIA. Our results also show that M‐CSF‐dependent cells are essential for CIA development, suggesting M‐CSF may be a suitable target for therapeutic intervention in RA.
Age-related Macular Degeneration Clinical Features in a Large Family and Linkage to Chromosome 1 q

Methods: An ARMD pedigree was identified, and the disease state of family members was documented by stereoscopic fundus photography and was classified using a modified version of the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. A genome-wide screen at approximately 6-centimorgan spacing using a DNApooling strategy combined with shared-segment analysis was used to identify likely chromosomal regions. The entire family was then screened at each likely locus, and 1 positive locus was refined by screening with markers at an average density of 0.5 centimorgan and subjected to parametric linkage analysis.
Joint evaluation of performance and robustness of a COTS DBMS through fault-injection

Presents and discusses observed failure modes of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) database management system (DBMS) under the presence of transient operational faults induced by SWIFI (software-implemented fault injection). The Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC) standard TPC-C benchmark and its associated environment is used, together with fault-injection technology, building a framework that discloses both dependability and performance figures. Over 1600 faults were injected in the database server of a client/server computing environment built on the Oracle 8.1. 5 database engine and Windows NT running on COTS machines with Intel Pentium processors. A macroscopic view on the impact of faults revealed that: (1) a large majority of the faults caused no observable abnormal impact in the database server (in 96% of hardware faults and 80% of software faults, the database server behaved normally); (2) software faults are more prone to letting the database server hang or to causing abnormal terminations; (3) up to 51% of software faults lead to observable failures in the client processes.