Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dense Dielectric Patch Antenna—A New Kind of Low-Profile Antenna Element for Wireless Communications

By replacing the metallic patch of a microstrip antenna with a high permittivity thin dielectric slab, a new type of patch antenna, designated as the dense dielectric patch antenna (DD patch antenna), is proposed. At lower microwave frequencies, it has similar performance as the conventional metallic circular microstrip antenna operated in the fundamental TM11 mode. A prototype operated at 3.98 GHz exhibits an impedance bandwidth of 1% and a gain of 5.6 dBi. Due to the absence of the metallic patch, it is expected that this antenna has better radiation efficiency at millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies in comparison with the conventional microstrip patch antenna.
Clinical efficacy : pharmacokinetics and phase I-II , II , and III trials Pharmacokinetics and phase I-II trials

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody which targets the receptor for IL-6, developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Chugai and the Swiss company Roche. In Japan it is already under use for Castleman’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The clinical development outside Japan is very extensive and has shown efficacy in possible RA scenarios; early RA (part of the AMBITION study), established, MTX-resistant RA (OPTION) and RA resistant to other DMARD (TOWARD), and anti-TNF-a resistant RA (RADIATE). Both monotherapy with TCZ (AMBITION) and associated to other background drugs. Radiological efficacy has also been proven (LITHE). So TCZ is probably the biologic therapy with the most extensive clinical development before marketing in the western hemisphere. In this review we will specifically deal with clinical and radiological efficacy, as wel as its safety profile. © 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved. La inhibición de la interleucina-6, una nueva opción terapéutica en la artritis reumatoide
Cytochrome P450s and other enzymes in drug metabolism and toxicity

The cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes are the major catalysts involved in the metabolism of drugs. bioavailability and toxicity are 2 of the most common barriers in drug development today, and P450 and the conjugation enzymes can influence these effects. The toxicity of drugs can be considered in 5 contexts: on-target toxicity, hypersensitivity and immunological reactions, off-target pharmacology, bioactivation to reactive intermediates, and idiosyncratic drug reactions. the chemistry of bioactivation is reasonably well understood, but the mechanisms underlying biological responses are not. In the article we consider what fraction of drug toxicity actually involves metabolism, and we examine how species and human interindividual variations affect pharmacokinetics and toxicity.
In vitro toxicity of acid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes: Effects on murine macrophages and gene expression profiling

Abstract Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are widely used in industrial and medical sectors, and the increasing exposure of SWCNTs necessitates the studies of their potential environmental and health effects. Considerable efforts have been made to improve the dispersion of SWCNTs by chemical modifications. However, the toxicological effects of such modifications on SWCNTs are mostly unknown. This study was designed to determine the influences of acid functionalization on SWCNT toxicity and to understand the molecular toxic mechanisms. RAW264.7 cells were exposed to 0–50 μg/mL of as-synthesized SWCNTs or acid-functionalized SWCNTs (AF-SWCNTs) for 24 hours and then their toxicities were compared via viability analysis. After that the global gene expression profiles of cells exposed to AF-SWCNTs were obtained and analyzed. The results showed that AF-SWCNTs penetrated cell membrane and aggregated in cell cytoplasm and nuclear areas, resulting in enhanced toxicity. In addition, AF-SWCNTs altered the expression of genes related to ribosome, mitochondria, inflammatory response, cell cycle/apoptosis, and proteasome pathway. The gene expression study excluded the interference of metallic impurities and suggested similar toxic mechanism to that of ultra-fine particulate matters.
Estimates of body sizes at maturation and at sex change, and the spawning seasonality and sex ratio of the endemic Hawaiian grouper(Hyporthodus quernus, F. Epinephelidae)

A case study of the reproductive biology of the endemic Hawaiian grouper or hapu’upu’u (Hyporthodus quernus) is presented as a model for comprehensive future studies of economically important epinephelid groupers. Specimens were collected throughout multiple years (1978–81, 1992–93, and 2005–08) from most reefs and banks of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The absence of small males, presence of atretic oocytes and brown bodies in testes of mature males, and both developed ovarian and testicular tissues in the gonads of five transitional fish provided evidence of protogynous hermaphroditism. No small mature males were collected, indicating that Hawaiian grouper are monandrous (all males are sex-changed females). Complementary microscopic criteria also were used to assign reproductive stage and estimate median body sizes (L50) at female sexual maturity and at adult sex change from female to male. The L50 at maturation and at sex change was 580 ±8 (95% confidence interval [CI]) mm total length (TL) and 895 ±20 mm TL, respectively. The adult sex ratio was strongly female biased (6:1). Spawning seasonality was described by using gonadosomatic indices. Females began ripening in the fall and remained ripe through April. A February–June main spawning period that followed peak ripening was deduced from the proportion of females whose ovaries contained hydrated oocytes, postovulatory follicles, or both. Testes weights were not affected by season; average testes weight was only about 0.2% of body weight—an order of magnitude smaller than that for ovaries that peaked at 1–3% of body weight. The species’ reproductive life history is discussed in relation to its management.
Parkinson's Disease α-Synuclein Transgenic Mice Develop Neuronal Mitochondrial Degeneration and Cell Death

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is enriched in nerve terminals. Two mutations in the α-Syn gene (Ala53→ Thr and Ala30→ Pro) occur in autosomal dominant familial Parkinson's disease. Mice overexpressing the human A53T mutant α-Syn develop a severe movement disorder, paralysis, and synucleinopathy, but the mechanisms are not understood. We examined whether transgenic mice expressing human wild-type or familial Parkinson's disease-linked A53T or A30P mutant α-syn develop neuronal degeneration and cell death. Mutant mice were examined at early- to mid-stage disease and at near end-stage disease. Age-matched nontransgenic littermates were controls. In A53T mice, neurons in brainstem and spinal cord exhibited large axonal swellings, somal chromatolytic changes, and nuclear condensation. Spheroid eosinophilic Lewy body-like inclusions were present in the cytoplasm of cortical neurons and spinal motor neurons. These inclusions contained human α-syn and nitrated synuclein. Motor neurons were depleted (∼75%) in A53T mice but were affected less in A30P mice. Axonal degeneration was present in many regions. Electron microscopy confirmed the cell and axonal degeneration and revealed cytoplasmic inclusions in dendrites and axons. Some inclusions were degenerating mitochondria and were positive for humanα-syn. Mitochondrial complex IV and V proteins were at control levels, but complex IV activity was reduced significantly in spinal cord. Subsets of neurons in neocortex, brainstem, and spinal cord ventral horn were positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling, cleaved caspase-3, and p53. Mitochondria in neurons had terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling-positive matrices and p53 at the outer membrane. Thus, A53T mutant mice develop intraneuronal inclusions, mitochondrial DNA damage and degeneration, and apoptotic-like death of neocortical, brainstem, and motor neurons.
A serious adverse event after successful gene therapy for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency.

To the Editor: We recently reported (April 18 issue)1 the sustained correction of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disease by ex vivo, retrovirally mediated transfer of the γc gene into CD34+ cells in four of five patients with the disease. These results have since been confirmed in four additional patients with typical X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Of the first four successfully treated patients, three continue to do well up to 3.6 years after gene therapy, whereas a serious adverse event occurred in the fourth patient. At a routine checkup 30 months after gene therapy, lymphocytosis consisting of a monoclonal population .
Synthesis of β-D-Fructopyranosyl-(2→6)-D-glucopyranose from D-Glucose and D-Fructose by a Thermal Treatment

The synthesis is reported of β-D-fructopyranosyl-(2→6)-D-glucopyranose that had previously been isolated from a fermented plant extract as a new saccharide. A disaccharide was predominately formed from an equal amount of D-glucose and D-fructose under melting conditions at 140 °C for 60 to 90 min. This saccharide was isolated from the reaction mixture by carbon-Celite column chromatography and preparative HPLC, and was confirmed to be β-D-fructopyranosyl-(2→6)-D-glucopyranose by TOF-MS and NMR analyses.
L Chain Allelic Inclusion Does Not Increase Autoreactivity in Lupus-Prone New Zealand Black/New Zealand White Mice

L chain allelic inclusion has been proposed as a B cell tolerance mechanism in addition to clonal deletion, clonal anergy, and receptor editing. It is said to rescue autoreactive B cells from elimination by diluting out the self-reactive BCR through the expression of a second innocuous L chain. In autoimmune animals, such as lupus-prone mice, allelically included B cells could be activated and produce pathogenic autoantibodies. We have previously shown that anti-DNA hybridomas from diseased New Zealand Black/New Zealand White F1 mice exhibit nearly perfect allelic exclusion. In the current study, we have analyzed single B cells from these and from nonautoimmune mice. In addition, we have cloned and expressed the Ig variable regions of several L chain–included B cells in cell culture. We find that although the number of L chain-included B cells increases as a result of receptor editing, the majority of such cells do not retain an autoreactive HxL chain combination and, therefore, allelic inclusion in itself does not serve as a B cell tolerance mechanism in these autoimmune mice.
Role of mecA transcriptional regulation in the phenotypic expression of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

The gene required for methicillin resistance in staphylococci, mecA, encodes the low-affinity penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a). Transcriptional regulation of mecA is accomplished in some isolates by mecR1 and mecI, cotranscribed chromosomal genes that encode a putative signal transducer and a transcriptional repressor, respectively. Two Staphylococcus aureus strains that have identical mecR1-mecI nucleotide sequences, BMS1 and N315P, both exhibit low-level, heterotypic expression of methicillin resistance and contain no beta-lactamase coregulatory sequences. mecR1-mecI was amplified from BMS1 by PCR and was shown to be functional on a high-copy-number plasmid when introduced into an S. aureus strain with a deleted mecR1-mecI locus. Cloned mecR1-mecI repressed phenotypic expression of methicillin resistance, mecA transcription and PBP2a production and mediated PBP2a induction in response to certain beta-lactam antibiotics. However, mecR1-mecI had different regulatory activities in its native chromosomal location in N315P compared with those in BMS1. Uninduced mecA transcription was markedly repressed in N315P, and mecI inactivation increased mecA transcription and PBP2a production 5- and 40-fold, respectively. Furthermore, the N315P phenotype changed from low-level, heterotypic resistance with intact mecI to high-level, homotypic resistance in strains with disrupted mecI. In contrast, uninduced BMS1 produced abundant mecA transcript and PBP2a, while the disruption of mecI had no effect on phenotype and little effect on mecA transcription or PBP2a production. Thus, mecI-mediated repression of mecA appears to be dysfunctional in BMS1 because of the presence or absence of additional regulatory cofactors. Furthermore, heterotypic resistance expression in this strain is independent of mecA transcriptional regulation.
Artificial dust deposition using water as carrier solvent for investigation of soiling losses in photovoltaic modules

Evaluation of soiling loss on PV modules based on field measurements is usually a time consuming and expensive undertaking. A laboratory technique using acetonitrile as a carrier solvent is being discussed in the literature. In this work a low-cost artificial dust deposition technique using water as carrier solvent is presented. Dust samples deposited using the two carrier solvents were compared using FTIR analysis, as well as the short circuit current and spectral losses in solar cells overlaid with soiled glass. Acetonitrile is seen to modify the chemical composition of the dust substantially. The uniformity of dust deposited using water is seen to be adequate for systematic analysis of the impact of soiling on PV modules. Acetonitrile based deposition is seen to overestimate the losses.
Anterior segment anomalies of the eye, growth retardation associated with hypoplastic pituitary gland and endocrine abnormalities: Jung syndrome or a new syndrome?

We report on two children from an inbred Arab family with anterior segment anomalies of the eyes, growth retardation, associated with small pituitary gland, and endocrine abnormalities. The features in the sibs in this report are similar to those described in Peters‐plus syndrome. However, small pituitary gland associated with growth hormone deficiency has not been reported in Peters‐plus syndrome. In addition, sequencing of the B3GALTL gene, the gene implicated in Peters‐plus syndrome did not reveal any mutation in the sibs reported here. The association of anterior segment anomalies of the eye, growth retardation, and endocrine problems has previously been described by Jung et al. in 1995. We suggest that the features in the children in this report could represent variable manifestation of this syndrome or previously not described syndrome. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Telemedicine can improve the health of youths in detention

Young people in correctional care facilities often have physical or psychological disorders that contribute to their behavioural problems. In the US, the need for medical services in youth facilities far exceeds current resources, especially for paediatric mental health and specialty services. There is obvious potential for telemedicine to improve access to care and thus the level of health care for juvenile detainees. A few studies have indicated that in specific instances telemedicine has improved access to care, referrals, contact between providers, and has also reduced unnecessary referrals. The question remains, however, whether this improved access and timeliness to care has any effect on the major goals of the incarceration: treatment, education and rehabilitation. Further investigation of this linkage is needed.
L-R approximation of a phase-controlled LCpCs resonant converter to study the dynamic response as a LED lamp driver

This paper presents the dynamic study of a phase-controlled resonant converter suitable to drive high-brightness light emitting diode (LEDs) lamps. The output current is controlled, at constant switching frequency, through the phase displacement, Ψ, of the control signals of each class D section of the resonant inverter stage. To deal with the study of the transfer function of Ψ to output current, the envelope model of the resonant network is reduced to an equivalent L-R circuit. The approximate closed form of the transfer function is obtained using the new reduced-order envelope model. The model predicts that the current gain is set by the resonant inverter stage. On the other hand, the bandwidth is mainly defined by the output filter and the LEDs' dynamic resistance, providing the whole system with excellent dynamic behavior. A 120W prototype has been built to validate the study.
Cation Adsorption by Alginic Acid in Humans.∗

Conclusions 1. Alginic acid is well tolerated in humans when ingested in quantities of 45 g per day and is mildly laxative. 2. Alginic acid increases fecal sodium and potassium excretion in humans to the extent of approximately one-fifth to one-sixth that of the cation exchange resins in clinical use.
Experimental orthogonal functions for the qualification of BWR stability events. Application to Peach Bottom NPP

In this work, BWR stability analysis was performed on an operating point (PT_UPV) of Peach Bottom NPP which is inside the exclusion region. The simulation was made with the coupled code RELAP5-MOD3.3/PARCSv2.7. This point is achieved departing from test point 3 by a control rod movement as it is usually performed in Nuclear Power Plants. The transient starts with this control rod movement. The purpose of this study is to qualify this coupled code against this kind of 3D complex accidents that take place inside the core. The calculated results show that point PT_UPV is an unstable point and the obtained relative axial power distribution shows a bottom-peaked profile, which is characteristic of unstable cores. After control rod movement, a limit cycle in-phase oscillation on the total reactor power evolution is obtained, together with a coupled out-of-phase oscillation in the whole 3D power evolution. In order to complete the stability analysis, the local power range monitors (LPRMs) simulated signals obtained from the neutronic code has been analyzed using the singular system analysis. The results confirm the out-of-phase power oscillation in the core.
Abnormal event detection in crowded scenes using two sparse dictionaries with saliency

Abstract. Abnormal event detection in crowded scenes is a challenging problem due to the high density of the crowds and the occlusions between individuals. We propose a method using two sparse dictionaries with saliency to detect abnormal events in crowded scenes. By combining a multiscale histogram of optical flow (MHOF) and a multiscale histogram of oriented gradient (MHOG) into a multiscale histogram of optical flow and gradient, we are able to represent the feature of a spatial–temporal cuboid without separating the individuals in the crowd. While MHOF captures the temporal information, MHOG encodes both spatial and temporal information. The combination of these two features is able to represent the cuboid’s appearance and motion characteristics even when the density of the crowds becomes high. An abnormal dictionary is added to the traditional sparse model with only a normal dictionary included. In addition, the saliency of the testing sample is combined with two sparse reconstruction costs on the normal and abnormal dictionary to measure the normalness of the testing sample. The experiment results show the effectiveness of our method.
Conditions for Convergence in Regularized Machine Learning Objectives

Analysis of the convergence rates of modern convex optimization algorithms can be achived through binary means: analysis of emperical convergence, or analysis of theoretical convergence. These two pathways of capturing information diverge in efficacy when moving to the world of distributed computing, due to the introduction of non-intuitive, non-linear slowdowns associated with broadcasting, and in some cases, gathering operations. Despite these nuances in the rates of convergence, we can still show the existence of convergence, and lower bounds for the rates. This paper will serve as a helpful cheat-sheet for machine learning practitioners encountering this problem class in the field.
Adenoacanthoma (adenosquamous carcinoma) of the pancreas

Four cases of adenoacanthoma of the pancreas were collected and the literature reviewed. This uncommon histologic variant appears as aggressive and malignant as the more common adenocarcinomas. Two of these four cases had originally been diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas and were shown to be adenoacanthoma in type after additional sections were examined microscopically. It is the authors' opinion that any squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas must be thoroughly examined for adenocarcinomatous elements before it can be classified as being pure squamous in type. Also, because metastases may be predominantly of either squamous or adenomatous type, the presence of squamous carcinoma in a metastatic lesion does not eliminate the possibility of a pancreatic primary nor does the finding of two distinct histologic types of metastases necessarily imply two separate primary malignancies. The terminology and origin of this histologic type of pancreatic tumor are discussed.
The comparison between the deletion-based methods and the mixing-based methods for audio CAPTCHA systems

Audio CAPTCHA systems, which distinguish between software agents and human beings, are especially important for persons with visual disability. The popular approach is based on mixing-based methods (MBM), which use the mixed sounds of target speech and noises. We have proposed a deletion-based method (DBM) which uses the phonemic restoration effects. Our approach can control the difﬁculty of tasks simply by the masking ratio. In this paper, we propose a design principle of CAPTCHA, according to which the tasks should be designed so that the large difference of performance between the machines and human beings can be provided. We also show the experimental results that support the hypotheses as follows: (1) only using MBM, the degree of task difﬁculty can not be controlled easily, (2) using DBM, the degree of task difﬁculty and safeness of CAPTCHA system can be controlled easily.
A millimeter wave 11W GaN MMIC power amplifier

A 11 W high power amplifier for millimeter wave application is reported in this paper. The monolithic three-stage amplifier has been realized using a 0.15 μm T-gate field plated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in a microstrip transmission line technology on 3-inch SiC substrate. Saturated output power of 40.5 dBm and peak power-added-efficiency of 20% were measured at 29 GHz with the pulsed DC supply voltage of 24 V. Across the 28-31 GHz range, the amplifier delivers output power above 39.3 dBm with power added efficiency over 15%.
Optimization of CT colonography technique: prospective trial in 180 patients.

PURPOSE To assess the added benefits of prone positioning in addition to supine positioning and oral iodinated contrast medium for help in the detection of colonic polyps at computed tomographic (CT) colonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS CT colonography was performed in prone and supine positions in 180 patients with polyps or risk factors for colonic neoplasia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a standard bowel preparation or a standard preparation plus oral iodinated contrast medium. One radiologist interpreted supine images alone, and another analyzed supine and prone images. All patients subsequently underwent colonoscopy. RESULTS At colonoscopy, 121 large (> or =1-cm-diameter) polyps and 142 smaller (0.5-0.9-cm) polyps were identified. Prone positioning resulted in increased sensitivity for identification of patients with large (> or =1-cm) polyps (increase from 70% to 85%, P: =.004) and of patients with polyps 0.5 cm or larger (increase from 75% to 88%, P: <.005), with no change in specificity. Use of oral contrast medium did not significantly improve polyp detection even in the subset of patients in whom colonic fluid attenuation was markedly increased. CONCLUSION Acquisition and review of supine and prone CT colonographic images significantly improves the ability to identify patients with polyps 0.5 cm in diameter or larger. Administration of oral iodinated contrast medium does not significantly improve polyp detection.