Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Broadband Patch Antenna With a Folded Plate Pair as a Differential Feeding Scheme

A broadband differential-fed patch antenna (DFPA) with good radiation pattern is proposed and studied. Unlike conventional DFPAs, the proposed antenna employs a folded plate pair as the differential feeding scheme. The devised feeding approach subtly acts as an impedance matching media for two radiation modes of the antenna, conducing to the wide impedance bandwidth. The conceived bandwidth enhancement technique demonstrates an impedance bandwidth (SWR les2) of up to 74% which outperforms conventional broadband patch antennas of more than 20%. Meanwhile, by using a differentially-driven signal along with the introduced feeding scheme, symmetric radiation patterns, low cross-polarization levels and stable radiation patterns are realized within the band. More importantly, the antenna has a stable gain at 8.5 dBi within a wide frequency range, demonstrating the high stability of the radiation characteristics for the two radiation modes. Analysis and parametric studies of the proposed feeding structure are provided.
The effectiveness and clinical outcomes of the Minerva cervical thoracic jacket in patients with type II odontoid fractures

Background/aim: The objective of this study was to carry out a detailed analysis and assess the outcomes for the Minerva cervical thoracic jacket (CTJ) in patients with type II odontoid fractures who could not be surgically treated. Materials and methods: Twenty-six patients for whom the Minerva CTJ was used rather than surgery for different reasons were included in the study. All patients were fitted with the Minerva CTJ within the first 24 h following diagnosis. The patients were followed 4 weeks after hospital discharge and then at 2-week intervals. Results were considered significant at P < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval was calculated. Results: Of the 26 patients, 17 were male and 9 were female. The mean age was 49.03 years old (range: 16? 86 years old). Fusion occurred in 25 of the 26 patients (P = 0.004), and the mean time to fusion was 6.8 weeks (P = 0.002). The mean length of hospital stay was 4 days and the mean follow-up period was 7.3 weeks. None of the patients had any complications due to the Minerva CTJ and the mortality rate was 0%. Conclusions: The Minerva CTJ application was a safe and cheap technique in the management of type II odontoid fractures. It had a high fusion rate and no complications.
The impact of nursing home patients on general practitioners' workload.

BACKGROUND Although the number of people in nursing homes has risen substantially in recent years, the shift of responsibility into general practice has rarely been accompanied by extra resources. These patients may be associated with a higher general practitioner (GP) workload than others of similar age and sex. AIM To assess the GP workload associated with nursing home residents and its associated costs. METHOD All nursing home residents aged over 65 years and registered with nine Nottinghamshire practices during one year were matched with patients living in the community for general practice, age, and sex. Data were collected retrospectively for both groups on key workload measures. Costs for the workload measures were calculated using published estimates. RESULTS Data were collected for 270 pairs of patients. Nursing home patients had more face-to-face contacts in normal surgery hours, telephone calls, and out-of-hours visits. The mean workload cost per month of a nursing home patient (assuming that one patient was seen per visit) was estimated to be 18.21 Pounds (10.49 Pounds higher than the cost of controls). A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that potential savings in visiting costs associated with increasing the numbers of patients seen per visit were 27% for one extra patient seen per visit and 44% for four extra patients. CONCLUSION Nursing home residents were associated with higher workload for GPs than other patients of the same age and sex living in the community. Our costings provide a basis for negotiating suitable reimbursement of GPs for their additional work.
Analysing market sentiment in financial news using lexical approach

Business and financial news bring us the latest information about the stock market. Studies have shown that business and financial news have a strong correlation with future stock performance. Therefore, extracting sentiments and opinions from business and financial news is useful as it may assist in the stock price predictions. In this paper, we present a sentiment analyser for financial news articles using lexicon-based approach. We use polarity lexicon to identify the positive or negative polarity of each term in the corpus. We conducted two sets of experiment using non-stemming tokens and stemming tokens by considering individual word found in the newspaper. The preliminary results are presented and discussed in this paper.
Achieving "Meaningful Use" of Electronic Health Records Through the Integration of the Nursing Management Minimum Data Set

Objective: To update the definitions and measures for the Nursing Management Minimum Data Set (NMMDS). Background: Meaningful use of electronic health records includes reuse of the data for quality improvement. Nursing management data are essential to explain variances in outcomes. The NMMDS is a research-based minimum set of essential standardized management data useful to support nursing management and administrative decisions for quality improvement. Methods: The NMMDS data elements, definitions, and measures were updated and normalized to current national standards and mapped to LOINC (Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes), a federally recognized standardized data set for public dissemination. Results: The first 3 NMMDS data elements were updated, mapped to LOINC, and publicly disseminated. Conclusions: Widespread use of the NMMDS could reduce administrative burden and enhance the meaningful use of healthcare data by ensuring that nursing relevant contextual data are available to improve outcomes and safety measurement for research and quality improvement in and across healthcare organizations.
Dichotomy in duration and severity of acute inflammatory responses in humans arising from differentially expressed proresolution pathways

Lipoxins (Lxs) and aspirin-triggered epi-Lxs (15-epi-LxA4) act through the ALX/FPRL1 receptor to block leukocyte trafficking, dampen cytokine/chemokine synthesis, and enhance phagocytic clearance of apoptotic leukocytes—key requisites for inflammatory resolution. Although studies using primarily inbred rodents have highlighted resolution as an active event, little is known about the role resolution pathways play in controlling the duration/profile of inflammatory responses in humans. To examine this, we found two types of responders to cantharidin-induced skin blisters in male healthy volunteers: those with immediate leukocyte accumulation and cytokine/chemokine synthesis followed by early resolution and a second group whose inflammation increased gradually over time followed by delayed resolution. In early resolvers, blister 15-epi-LxA4 and leukocyte ALX were low, but increased as inflammation abated. In contrast, in delayed resolvers, 15-epi-LxA4 and ALX were high early in the response but waned as inflammation progressed. Elevating 15-epi-LxA4 in early resolvers using aspirin increased blister leukocyte ALX but reduced cytokines/chemokines as well as polymorphonuclear leukocyte and macrophage numbers. These findings show that two phenotypes exist in humans with respect to inflammation severity/longevity controlled by proresolution mediators, namely 15-epi-LxA4. These data have implications for understanding the etiology of chronic inflammation and future directions in antiinflammatory therapy.
Glioblastoma‐derived tumorospheres identify a population of tumor stem‐like cells with angiogenic potential and enhanced multidrug resistance phenotype

We investigated in vitro the properties of selected populations of cancer stem‐like cells defined as tumorospheres that were obtained from human glioblastoma. We also assessed their potential and capability of differentiating into mature cells of the central nervous system. In vivo, their tumorigenicity was confirmed after transplantation into the brain of non‐obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD‐SCID) mice. The angiogenic potential of tumorospheres and glioblastoma‐derived cells grown as adherent cells was revealed by evaluating the release of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor and CXCL12 by ELISA, as well as by rat aortic ring assay. The proliferative response of tumorospheres in the presence of CXCL12 was observed for the first time. Multidrug resistance‐associated proteins 1 and 3 as well as other molecules conferring multidrug resistance were higher when compared with primary adherent cells derived from the same tumor. Finally, we obtained cells from the tumor developing after grafting that clearly expressed the putative neural stem cell marker CD133 as shown by FACS analysis and also nestin and CXCR4. The cells' positivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein was very low. Moreover these cells preserved their angiogenic potential. We conclude that human glioblastoma could contain tumor cell subsets with angiogenic and chemoresistance properties and that this chemoresistance potential is highly preserved by immature cells whereas the angiogenic potential is, to a higher extent, a property of mature cells. A better understanding of the features of these cell subsets may favor the development of more specifically targeted therapies. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Creating a framework for data sharing in cochlear implant research

Objectives: To summarize the development process of a national database that was designed to facilitate communication and collaboration, improve care, and create a framework for aggregate data sharing in cochlear implant (CI) research. Methods: A group of nationally represented, multidisciplinary CI providers cooperated to define a standard set of data elements to incorporate into a database built by them in association with a group of computer scientists and software designers. CI centers across the USA, then, joined the non-profit Auditory Implant Initiative to use the database for their own clinical purposes and to help contribute to the national de-identified dataset for research and analytics. Results: Approximately 12 months after the full release of the database, clinical information on 373 patients has been entered from 17 different CI centers representing 61 hearing professionals. A blend of six academic, seven private, and four non-profit CI centers participated in this phase of the data sharing network. Discussion: The adoption of a single, standardized database by 17 centers throughout the USA has begun a framework for data sharing in CI research. Future steps include (1) expanding adoption, (2) scaling the database to include more patients, (3) streamlining the legal hurdles required for adoption, and (4) integrating the database with other software platforms (e.g. electronic health records, processors). Conclusion: A standardized clinical outcomes database that is utilized by a growing network of CI centers can help strengthen research through aggregate data sharing.
Pallidostriatal Projections Promote β Oscillations in a Dopamine-Depleted Biophysical Network Model

In the basal ganglia, focused rhythmicity is an important feature of network activity at certain stages of motor processing. In disease, however, the basal ganglia develop amplified rhythmicity. Here, we demonstrate how the cellular architecture and network dynamics of an inhibitory loop in the basal ganglia yield exaggerated synchrony and locking to β oscillations, specifically in the dopamine-depleted state. A key component of this loop is the pallidostriatal pathway, a well-characterized anatomical projection whose function has long remained obscure. We present a synaptic characterization of this pathway in mice and incorporate these data into a computational model that we use to investigate its influence over striatal activity under simulated healthy and dopamine-depleted conditions. Our model predicts that the pallidostriatal pathway influences striatal output preferentially during periods of synchronized activity within GPe. We show that, under dopamine-depleted conditions, this effect becomes a key component of a positive feedback loop between the GPe and striatum that promotes synchronization and rhythmicity. Our results generate novel predictions about the role of the pallidostriatal pathway in shaping basal ganglia activity in health and disease. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This work demonstrates that functional connections from the globus pallidus externa (GPe) to striatum are substantially stronger onto fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) than onto medium spiny neurons. Our circuit model suggests that when GPe spikes are synchronous, this pallidostriatal pathway causes synchronous FSI activity pauses, which allow a transient window of disinhibition for medium spiny neurons. In simulated dopamine-depletion, this GPe-FSI activity is necessary for the emergence of strong synchronization and the amplification and propagation of β oscillations, which are a hallmark of parkinsonian circuit dysfunction. These results suggest that GPe may play a central role in propagating abnormal circuit activity to striatum, which in turn projects to downstream basal ganglia structures. These findings warrant further exploration of GPe as a target for interventions for Parkinson's disease.
Validation of patient's self-reported social functioning as an independent prognostic factor for survival in metastatic colorectal cancer patients: results of an international study by the Chronotherapy Group of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

PURPOSE A recent study identified a prognostic model for survival in metastatic colorectal cancer patients which included WBC count, alkaline phosphatase (AP), number of metastatic sites, and patients' self-reported social functioning. The aim of this research is to validate this model on data from an independent sample. PATIENTS AND METHODS This validation study is based on a prospective randomized controlled trial in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer conducted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Chronotherapy Group. Overall, 564 patients in 10 countries were enrolled. For the purpose of this independent validation, patients with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) baseline data were analyzed. HRQOL was assessed using the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (QLQ-C30). The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for both univariate and multivariate analyses of survival. RESULTS The previous model with an additional adjustment, by stratification for sex, was replicated and its parameters were confirmed to independently predict survival: WBC count with an hazard ratio (HR) of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.021 to 1.698; P = .034); AP with an HR of 1.53 (95% CI, 1.188 to 1.979; P = .001); number of sites involved with an HR of 1.90 (95% CI, 1.531 to 2.364; P < .0001); and patients' self-reported social functioning with an HR of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.905 to 0.976; P = .001). The latter translates into a 6% increase in the likelihood of an earlier death for every 10-point decrease in the social functioning scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30. CONCLUSION This study provides confirmatory evidence of the independent prognostic value of patients' self-reported social functioning in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
Punctuated genome size evolution in Liliaceae

Most angiosperms possess small genomes (mode 1C = 0.6 pg, median 1C = 2.9 pg). Those with truly enormous genomes (i.e. ≥ 35 pg) are phylogenetically restricted to a few families and include Liliaceae – with species possessing some of the largest genomes so far reported for any plant as well as including species with much smaller genomes. To gain insights into when and where genome size expansion took place during the evolution of Liliaceae and the mode and tempo of this change, data for 78 species were superimposed onto a phylogenetic tree and analysed. Results suggest that genome size in Liliaceae followed a punctuated rather than gradual mode of evolution and that most of the diversification evolved recently rather than early in the evolution of the family. We consider that the large genome sizes of Liliaceae may have emerged passively rather than being driven primarily by selection.
Mutations in genes encoding the mitochondrial outer membrane proteins Tom70 and Mdm10 of Podospora anserina modify the spectrum of mitochondrial DNA rearrangements associated with cellular death

Tom70 and Mdm10 are mitochondrial outer membrane proteins. Tom70 is implicated in the import of proteins from the cytosol into the mitochondria in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Neurospora crassa. Mdm10 is involved in the morphology and distribution of mitochondria in S. cerevisiae. Here we report on the characterization of the genes encoding these proteins in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. The two genes were previously genetically identified through a systematic search for nuclear suppressors of a degenerative process displayed by the AS1-4 mutant. The PaTom70 protein shows 80% identity with its N. crassa homolog. The PaMdm10 protein displays 35.9% identity with its S. cerevisiae homolog, and cytological analyses show that the PaMDM10-1 mutant exhibits giant mitochondria, as does the S. cerevisiae mdm10-1 mutant. Mutations in PaTOM70 and PaMDM10 result in the accumulation of specific deleted mitochondrial genomes during the senescence process of the fungus. The phenotypic properties of the single- and double-mutant strains suggest a functional relationship between the Tom70 and Mdm10 proteins. These data emphasize the role of the mitochondrial outer membrane in the stability of the mitochondrial genome in an obligate aerobe, probably through the import process.
Exploration of a physiologically-inspired hearing-aid algorithm using a computer model mimicking impaired hearing

Abstract Objective: To use a computer model of impaired hearing to explore the effects of a physiologically-inspired hearing-aid algorithm on a range of psychoacoustic measures. Design: A computer model of a hypothetical impaired listener’s hearing was constructed by adjusting parameters of a computer model of normal hearing. Absolute thresholds, estimates of compression, and frequency selectivity (summarized to a hearing profile) were assessed using this model with and without pre-processing the stimuli by a hearing-aid algorithm. The influence of different settings of the algorithm on the impaired profile was investigated. To validate the model predictions, the effect of the algorithm on hearing profiles of human impaired listeners was measured. Study sample: A computer model simulating impaired hearing (total absence of basilar membrane compression) was used, and three hearing-impaired listeners participated. Results: The hearing profiles of the model and the listeners showed substantial changes when the test stimuli were pre-processed by the hearing-aid algorithm. These changes consisted of lower absolute thresholds, steeper temporal masking curves, and sharper psychophysical tuning curves. Conclusion: The hearing-aid algorithm affected the impaired hearing profile of the model to approximate a normal hearing profile. Qualitatively similar results were found with the impaired listeners’ hearing profiles.
The box C/D and H/ACA snoRNPs: key players in the modification, processing and the dynamic folding of ribosomal RNA

Box C/D and H/ACA RNPs are essential ribonucleoprotein particles that are found throughout both eukaryotes [small nucleolar RNPs (snoRNPs)] and archaea [snoRNP‐like complexes (sRNPs)]. These complexes catalyze the site‐specific pseudouridylation and most of the methylation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The numerous modifications, which are clustered in functionally important regions of the rRNA, are important for rRNA folding and ribosome function. The RNA component of the complexes [small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) or small RNA (sRNA)] functions in substrate binding by base pairing with the target site and as a scaffold coordinating the organization of the complex. In eukaryotes, a subset of snoRNPs do not catalyze modification but, through base pairing to the rRNA or flanking precursor sequences, direct pre‐rRNA folding and are essential for rRNA processing. In the last few years there have been significant advances in our understanding of the structure of archaeal sRNPs. High resolution structures of the archaeal C/D and H/ACA sRNPs have not only provided a detailed understanding of the molecular architecture of these complexes but also produced key insights into substrate binding and product release. In both cases, this is mediated by significant movement in the complexes. Advances have also been made in our knowledge of snoRNP recruitment and release from pre‐ribosome complexes in eukaryotes. New snoRNA–rRNA interactions have been documented, and the roles of RNA helicases in releasing snoRNP complexes from the rRNA have been described. WIREs RNA 2012, 3:397–414. doi: 10.1002/wrna.117
A Space Vector Modulation Approach for a Multi-Module HVDC Converter System

Summary form only given. This paper presents the application of a space vector modulation (SVM) strategy for a ulti-module HVDC converter system that (i) enables low switching frequency, (ii) eliminates/minimizes AC-side voltage harmonics, particularly low-order harmonics, and (iii) provides maximum AC-side fundamental voltage component. The SVM strategy is based on a sequential sampling technique. The SVM provides harmonic cancellation/minimization by introducing appropriate phase-shift for the corresponding voltage harmonics of the converter modules, while maintaining the fundamental voltage components of modules in-phase to obtain maximum AC-side voltage. The SVM eliminates the need for complicated transformer arrangement for harmonic reduction, and thus provides high degree of modularity by utilization of identical transformers for converter modules. The proposed SVM strategy is developed for a back-to-back HVDC converter station in which each converter system is composed of four identical modules. Based on a dynamic model of the system, converter controls are designed and performance of the SVM strategy in terms of converter harmonics and dynamic performance are presented. The studies are performed in time-domain, using the PSCAD/EMTDC software tool.