Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diabetic Nephropathy: a Changing Scenery

Background Glomerular hyperfiltration plays a role in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. An increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) could result from primary actions at the glomerular/vascular level or could be the consequence of a primary increase in proximal tubular sodium reabsorption resulting in systemic volume expansion. Recently it was hypothesized that an increase in sodium reabsorption may lead to glomerular hyperfiltration through the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism (tubular-hypothesis) without volume expansion. Methods We have studied 54 normoalbuminuric patients with type 1 diabetes. GFR was measured by inulin clearance. Proximal and distal sodium reabsorption were calculated according to standard formulas using free water clearance technique. Plasma volume, measured by I-albumin method, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the second messenger cyclic guanosine-3,5-monophosphate (c-GMP) were used as markers of extracellular volume expansion. Results Glomerular hyperfiltration (GFR≥ 130 mL·min−1·1.73m−2) was present in 14 out of 55 diabetes patients (25%). There were no differences in plasma volume between normo(NF) and hyper-filtrating (HF) patients (2933±423 in NF vs 3026±562 mL in HF, NS). Also plasma ANP and c-GMP levels were not significantly different between the groups. The fractional proximal reabsorption of sodium was significantly increased in HF (fPRNa(%) 90.1±2.0 vs 91.5±1.6, p=0.02). There were no differences in distal sodium reabsorption or distal sodium load (≈ macula densa concentration of NaCl) in both groups. Conclusions Our data suggest that the primary event in diabetic glomerular hyperfiltration is an increase in proximal tubular sodium reabsorption. They do not give support to the hypothesis that systemic volume expansion or ANP mediate glomerular hyperfiltration in normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetes patients. As such, changes in tubular sodium handling most probably influence tubulo-glomerular feedback.
Chemical and Antimicrobial Characterization of Mentha piperita L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. Essential Oils and In Vitro Potential Cytotoxic Effect in Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cells

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed forms of cancer, and the therapeutic solutions are frequently aggressive requiring improvements. Essential oils (EOs) are secondary metabolites of aromatic plants with important pharmacological properties that proved to be beneficial in multiple pathologies including cancer. Mentha piperita L. (M_EO) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (R_EO) essential oils are well-known for their biological effects (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic in different cancer cells), but their potential as complementary treatment in colorectal cancer is underexplored. The aim of the present study was to investigate the M_EO and R_EO in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic effects in a colorectal cancer cell line—HCT 116. The gas-chromatographic analysis revealed menthone and menthol, and eucalyptol, α-pinene and L-camphor as major compounds in M_EO and R_EO respectively. M_EO exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, moderate antioxidant activity and a low cytotoxic effect in HCT 116 cells. R_EO presented a significant cytotoxicity in colorectal cancer cells and a low antimicrobial effect. The cytotoxic effect on non-cancerous cell line HaCaT was not significant for both essential oils. These results may provide an experimental basis for further research concerning the potential use of M_EO and R_EO for anticancer treatment.
Revisiting Point Matching Methods for Object Pose Estimation

6DoF Object Pose Estimation plays important roles in many computer vision tasks such as Augmented Reality and robotics. During the past decade, the community has been witnessing a great improvement of the pose estimation algorithms. In the age of deep learning, the dominating feature point matching methods have been gradually replaced by various one-shot methods or point-predicting methods. However, the good performances are usually obtained on standard benchmark datasets, with even lighting and few occlusions. In this work, we build a new ‘in-the-wild’ image dataset for the task of 6-DoF object pose estimation, termed Wild-6DoF. This data contains fully-annotated images of 5 real-life objects captured in various complex scenes. We compare some state-of-the-art algorithms as well as a deep-learning based point matching method on some commonly-adopted dataset and the newly-proposed dataset. We found that the state-of-the-art methods, which performs well on the well-controlled datasets, could not beat the "old-fashioned" point-matching method. This observation could reminds the computer vision community that the potential of the conventional approach, especially in the real-life applications.
Changing Behaviour: Blindness to Risk and a Critique of Tobacco Control Policy in China—A Qualitative Study

(1) Background: It is well recognised that a focus on changing behaviour remains a dominant and often appealing approach to develop health policies. This study provides a sociological insight into young adults’ knowledge of the health effects of smoking cigarettes. We also examine the challenges in tobacco control and criticize the implementation policies in Chinese context. (2) Methods: The study applies both a micro-sociological and a macro-sociological approach using semi-structured interviews and documents as the primary research methodology. Fieldwork was conducted from July to September 2016 and December 2016 to March 2017. The qualitative study involved 45 semi-structured interviews with young adults aged 16–24 years (15 females and 30 males) in Tianjin, China. A grounded theory approach was used for a thematic analysis. (3) Results: The participants knew cigarettes are harmful, although they lacked a comprehensive understanding of the health risks of smoking. Because the health consequences usually emerge after a long period of smoking, young smokers decide to take the health risk. All participants have a general understanding of China’s tobacco control policies and think that the implementation is ineffective. (4) Conclusions: Changing in smoking is a process embedded in complex social environments and cultures. Smoking behaviour is not only a personal choice, but also related to personal connections with peers and identity in Chinese society. The Chinese government has made significant achievements in tobacco control since joining the WHO framework convention on tobacco control in 2005. However, implementation needs to be stricter in order to achieve international levels of control, especially in taxes on tobacco product and the price of cigarettes. There is an urgent need for the regulation of e-cigarettes in China.
Partial Anti-Synchronization Problem of the 4D Financial Hyper-Chaotic System with Periodically External Disturbance

This paper is concerned with the partial anti-synchronization of the 4D financial hyper-chaotic system with periodically external disturbance. Firstly, the existence of the partial anti-synchronization problem for the nominal 4D financial system is proven. Then, a suitable filter is presented, by which the periodically external disturbance is asymptotically estimated. Moreover, two disturbance estimator (DE)-based controllers are designed to realize the partial anti-synchronization problem of such a system. Finally, numerical simulation verifies the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed results.
Amine-Regulated pri-SMTP Oxidation in SMTP Biosynthesis in Stachybotrys: Possible Implication in Nitrogen Acquisition

SMTP (the name SMTP is derived from Stachybotrys microspora triprenyl phenol) is a family of triprenyl phenol secondary metabolites from a black mold, Stachybotrys microspora. Some SMTP congeners exhibit anti-inflammatory and profibrinolytic activities that, in combination, contribute to the treatment of ischemic stroke. The final step in the SMTP biosynthesis is a non-enzymatic amine conjugation with an o-phthalaldehyde moiety of the precursor pre-SMTP, which can form adducts with proteins and nucleic acids. Thus, pre-SMTP formation should be a precisely regulated, rate-limiting step in the SMTP biosynthesis. To address the mechanism backing this regulation, we purified a metabolite that rapidly disappeared following amine feeding, identifying a novel compound, pri-SMTP. Furthermore, an enzyme, designated as pri-SMTP oxidase, responsible for pri-SMTP conversion to pre-SMTP, was purified. The formation of pri-SMTP, which is regulated by nitrogen and carbon nutrients, occurred in particular septate mycelia. Although pri-SMTP oxidase was expressed constitutively, the consumption of pri-SMTP was accelerated only when a primary amine was fed. Thus, SMTP biosynthesis is regulated by at least three mechanisms: (i) pri-SMTP formation affected by nutrients, (ii) the compartmentalization of pri-SMTP formation/storage, and (iii) amine-regulated pri-SMTP oxidation. Amine-regulated SMTP formation (i.e., amine-capturing with pre-SMTP) may play a role in the nitrogen acquisition/assimilation strategy in S. microspora, since pri-SMTP synthesis occurs on non-preferred nitrogen.
Effect of Different Extraction Methods on Quality Characteristics of Rapeseed and Flaxseed Oils

This study reports the effect of roasted pretreatment combined with screw press, hydraulic press, and Soxhlet extraction methods on various quality indexes of rapeseed and flaxseed oils, including the oil yield, sensory indexes (color, smell, clarity, viscosity, and colligation score), physicochemical properties (acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, moisture and volatiles), major components (fatty acid composition and triglyceride composition), and minor components (volatile compounds, total phenols, and vitamin E contents). The results indicated that the oil yield, sensory indexes, physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, volatile compounds, total phenol, and vitamin E contents in vegetable oils have been significantly affected by different extraction methods. The yields of rapeseed and flaxseed oils of Soxhlet extraction method were increased by 30.10%–73.90% and 6.30%–54.40%, respectively, compared with other treatment groups. In addition, roasted pretreatment significantly increased the yields of oils by 4.10%–25.00% and 6.70%–23.15%, respectively, compared with the untreated group. The contents of linolenic acid and vitamin E in rapeseed and flaxseed oils extracted from screw press method were higher. In particular, the linolenic acid content of cold-pressed rapeseed oil extracted by screw press increased by 1.50%–23.80% compared with other treatment groups. In addition, the contents of vitamin E in cold-pressed rapeseed oil and flaxseed oil obtained by screw press increased by 1.22%–78.91% and 3.00%–18.80%, respectively. The Soxhlet extraction could improve oil yield and total phenol content, but the quality of the oil was inferior due to high acid values (0.93–3.36 mg KOH/g) and peroxide values (0.70–5.23 meq O2/kg). Furthermore, the hydraulic press method could extract vegetable oils with excellent sensory scores. The roasted pretreatment gives the rapeseed and flaxseed oils a good smell. The major volatile compounds in rapeseed and flaxseed oils were aldehydes, acids, alcohols, heterocycles, and ketones. Different extraction methods and pretreatment had no significant effect on the compositions and contents of triglycerides. This study provides a basic understanding on the selection of appropriate oil extraction techniques for oil extraction at a large scale.
Standard Monomial Theory: Invariant Theoretic Approach

Generalities on algebraic varieties. - Generalities on algebraic groups. - Grassmannian. - Determinantal varieties. - Symplectic Grassmannian. - Orthogonal Grassmannian. - The standard monomial theoretic basis. - Review of GIT. - Invariant theory. - SLn(K)-action. - SOn(K)-action. - Applications of standard monomial theory.
Design and Implementation of HD Mapping, Vehicle Control, and V2I Communication for Robo-Taxi Services

This paper presents our autonomous driving (AD) software stack, developed to complete the main mission of the contest we entered. The main mission can be simply described as a robo-taxi service on public roads, to transport passengers to their destination autonomously. Among the key competencies required for the main mission, this paper focused on high-definition mapping, vehicle control, and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. V2I communication refers to the task of wireless data exchange between a roadside unit and vehicles. With the data being captured and shared, rich, timely, and non-line-of-sight-aware traffic information can be utilized for a wide range of AD applications. In the contest, V2I communication was applied for a robo-taxi service, and also for traffic light recognition. A V2I communication-enabled traffic light recognizer was developed, to achieve a nearly perfect recognition rate, and a robo-taxi service handler was developed, to perform the main mission of the contest.
A concentric loop array

A circularly symmetric array has been developed which shows promise for general pattern synthesis and for electrical scanning. The basic elements of the array are thin wire concentric circular loops. A loop of circumference n\lambda , n being an integer, carries a current standing wave which varies as \cos n \phi , where \phi is the angle of rotation about the axis of the loop. The radiation field in the plane of the loop has a \phi dependence identical to that of the loop current. By properly exciting a pair of feeds on each of a number of loops it is possible to produce a desired radiation pattern or to rotate a beam in the \phi coordinate. Off-axis radiation can be utilized or minimized, depending upon the application.
The Effect of a Free Family Planning Program on Fertility

In this paper, I estimate the effect of access to family planning clinics on birth rates. The Louisiana Family Planning Program opened more than 140 clinics between 1965 and 1970. By 1971, a family planning clinic was operating in each Louisiana county. Exploiting the variation in dates when clinics began operating in each county, I employ two-way fixed effects and staggered difference-in-differences designs to assess the impact of family planning access on birth rates. I find that clinic openings led to a 5 to 7 percent decrease in birth rates.
Identification expérimentale et simulation numérique de l'endommagement en dynamique rapide : application aux structures aéronautiques

Ce travail concerne le developpement de nouveaux outils numeriques et experimentaux afin de completer et ameliorer une plate-forme d'identification parametrique pour les materiaux soumis a de grandes transformations thermomecaniques rapides. Sur le plan numerique un nouveau logiciel pour l'analyse numerique de la fissuration dynamique a ete developpe en C++ Oriente-Objet apres l'implementation de la methode des elements finis etendue (XFEM). La partie experimentale du travail est relative a la conception et la mise en oeuvre d'un nouvel essai d'impact, capable de caracteriser le comportement des materiaux en endommagement et rupture dynamique. Afin de determiner les valeurs des parametres des lois et criteres constitutifs en dynamique rapide, une nouvelle procedure d'identification parametrique a ete developpee, basee sur une combinaison d'algorithmes de Monte-Carlo et de Levenberg-Marquardt. Le comportement d'un alliage d'aluminium a ete caracterise en determinant les parametres de la loi de visco-plasticite de Johnson-Cook et ceux du critere d'endommagement cohesif.
Compact broadband bi‐directional circularly polarized fan‐shaped patch with parasitic annular groove for S‐band satellite applications

A novel bi‐directional circularly polarized (CP) antenna with low profile, real planar configuration and broad axial ratio (AR) bandwidth is presented for S‐band satellite relay communication application. The designed antenna consists of four fan‐shaped patches, a sequentially rotating feed network and ground plane with annular gaps. Four fan‐shaped patches are directly integrated with the feed network on the same FR4 substrate for good impedance matching and compact size. To realize the two‐way radiation characteristics and excellent AR bandwidth, one parasitic annular groove on the ground plane is designed. The sequential rotation feeding network can provide good port characteristics within the available bandwidth and good AR. The properties of designed antenna was tested to validate its simulation. The final prototype is 83 × 83 × 0.8 mm3 in size and it can generate a broad impedance bandwidth for voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) <2 of 36.6% (2.32–3.36 GHz), 3‐dB AR bandwidth of 21.3% (2.6–3.22 GHz) and gain over 5.4 dB in the bi‐directional direction. The miniaturization, low‐cost and good CP radiation for this proposed antenna make it a better candidate for future applications in the field of spacecraft relay communication.
A Latent Class Poisson Regression Model for Heterogeneous Count Data

In this paper an approach is developed that accommodates heterogeneity in Poisson regression models for count data. The model developed assumes that heterogeneity arises from a distribution of both the intercept and the coefficients of the explanatory variables. We assume that the mixing distribution is discrete, resulting in a finite mixture model formulation. An EM algorithm for estimation is described, and the algorithm is applied to data on customer purchases of books offered through direct mail. Our model is compared empirically to a number of other approaches that deal with heterogeneity in Poisson regression models.
The Annular Structure of Subfactors

Given a planar algebra we show the equivalence of the notions of a module over this algebra (in the operadic sense), and module over a universal annular algebra. We classify such modules, with invariant inner products, in the generic region and give applications to subfactorss, including a planar construction of the $E_6$ and $E_8$ subfactors.
Análisis dosimétricos mediante películas radiocrómicas en tratamientos de IMRT

En este trabajo se desarrollo una aplicacion para el procesamiento y analisis de peliculas radiocromicas (PRC) EBT-2® usando MatLab, con el fin de implementarla como control dosimetrico en tratamientos de IMRT en la Fundacion Escuela Medicina Nuclear (FUESMEN). Para tal fin se desarrollaron diferentes protocolos que abarcan desde la manipulacion de las peliculas hasta la forma de irradiar las PRC para crear una curva de calibracion que relacione la dosis dada y el nivel de oscurecimiento. En este punto se especifica las condiciones experimentales de irradiacion del acelerador lineal. Tambien se desarrolla un procedimiento para calcular la dosis a partir de mediciones hechas con camara de ionizacion que no hace el uso del protocolo TRS-398 y por ultimo las condiciones de escaneo de una PRC irradiada con campos de IMRT. Por otra parte se realizo el analisis de diferentes funciones para la curva de calibracion, donde se tienen en cuenta diferentes criterios para establecer que funcion es la mas adecuada, tales como el error estadistico y la incerteza del ajuste, el canal de adquisicion del escaner (rojo, verde o azul) y de la aplicacion de un filtro o no a las imagenes obtenidas. Se encontro que un polinomio de grado dos, forzado a tener ordenada al origen cero, con datos del canal verde y suavizado con un filtro Wiener de 5×5 pixeles, es el optimo para utilizar con el escaner analizado. Por ultimo, se prueba el desempeno de la aplicacion con diferentes casos de IMRT, irradiando a las PRC bajo las mismas condiciones de tratamiento del paciente en cuestion. Asi se compara la distribucion de dosis que recibe la PRC con la planificada por el TPS mediante la inspeccion visual de las curvas de isodosis y el criterio del indice gamma.
Efficient removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ibuprofen by polypyrrole-functionalized magnetic zeolite from aqueous solution: kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic studies

ABSTRACT This study investigated the adsorption performance of ibuprofen onto magnetic zeolite clinoptilolite modified with polypyrrole (Clino/Fe3O4/Ppy). The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and X-ray powder diffraction analysis. The obtained results demonstrated that the high surface area of zeolite could significantly impact the adsorption process. Various parameters were studied to determine the optimum condition, including contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, initial ibuprofen concentration, temperature, and mixing speed. The optimization of contact time revealed a high performance in the first 5 min of the adsorption process. Furthermore, when the temperature rose, the efficiency increased as well, with the highest efficiency being achieved at 45°C. Some isotherm models and kinetics equations were used to analyze equilibrium data. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order (R2 = 0.9972), and the isotherm investigations showed that Langmuir (R2 = 0.9941) was an appropriate model for explaining the equilibrium of the adsorption process. Based on the obtained thermodynamic factors, it was represented that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. Based on the research findings, Clino/Fe3O4/PPy nano-adsorbent developed in this study might be a helpful strategy for removing ibuprofen from various water sources. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Angiopoietin-Like 4 (ANGPTL4) in Patients with Psoriasis, Lichen Planus and Vitiligo—A Pilot Study from the Bialystok+ Polish Longitudinal University Study

Psoriasis, vitiligo and lichen planus (LP) are autoimmune skin diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a member of angiopoietin-like proteins, which play an important role in lipid metabolism, and its serum concentration has been proposed as a biomarker of cardiometabolic complications, especially coronary artery disease (CAD). The study involved 56 patients with abovementioned dermatoses and 29 sex- and age-matched volunteers without dermatoses. ANGPTL4 serum concentration was measured by ELISA. ANGPTL4 concentration was statistically significantly higher in patients with LP compared to the control group (p < 0.01); moreover, it was significantly higher than in patients with psoriasis and vitiligo (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in ANGPTL4 concentration between patients with psoriasis or vitiligo and controls. There was no correlation between ANGPTL4 concentration and age or BMI in all study groups. There was a positive correlation between ANGPTL4 concentration and fasting glucose (R = 0.43) and AST activity (R = 0.39) in psoriatic patients and ALT activity in patients with vitiligo (R = 0.44). ANGPTL4 could be a potential marker of metabolic complications in patients with LP, especially CAD. Perhaps patients with LP are more prone to CAD compared to the other two dermatoses, which requires further research.