Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Instantly decodable network codes for real-time applications

We consider the scenario of broadcasting for realtime applications and loss recovery via instantly decodable network coding. Past work focused on minimizing the completion delay, which is not the right objective for real-time applications that have strict deadlines. In this work, we are interested in finding a code that is instantly decodable by the maximum number of users. First, we prove that this problem is NP-Hard in the general case. Then we consider the practical probabilistic scenario, where users have i.i. d. loss probability, and the number of packets is linear or polynomial in the number of users. In this case, we provide a polynomial-time (in the number of users) algorithm that finds the optimal coded packet. Simulation results show that the proposed coding scheme significantly outperforms an optimal repetition code and a COPE-like greedy scheme.
Generalizing the TITE‐CRM to adapt for early‐ and late‐onset toxicities

Due to the staggered entry of subjects in phase I trials, some subjects will only be partially through the study when others are ready to be enrolled. Nonetheless, many phase I designs focus solely upon whether or not subjects experience toxicity, thereby determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) with a binomial likelihood using data from fully observed subjects. The time‐to‐event continual reassessment method (TITE‐CRM) was the first attempt to incorporate information from partially observed subjects by using a weighted binomial likelihood in which the weights are based upon the actual toxicity time distribution. Unfortunately, it is difficult to accurately estimate the toxicity time distribution because only a small proportion of enrolled subjects will experience toxicity. Creators of the TITE‐CRM propose the simple alternative of weighting subjects by the proportion of time observed, as well as two adaptive weights to adjust for late‐onset toxicities. As a alternative to these approaches, we suggest assuming the toxicity times, as a proportion of the total time under observation, have a Beta distribution with parameters 1.0 and θ; we also allow θ to vary by dose. The value of θ allows us to reflect the occurrence of early‐ or late‐onset toxicities without correctly specifying the actual distribution of toxicity times. Through this model, we do not necessarily expect to improve identification of the MTD, but rather hope to reduce the exposure of subjects to overly toxic doses. Through simulation, we examine how well our model identifies the MTD and allocates dose assignments in three scenarios investigated by previous publications. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel anterior cruciate ligament graft fixation device reduces slippage

Clinically significant laxity occurs in 10%–30% of knees after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Graft slippage and tension loss at the hamstring graft tibial fixation site during and after reconstruction surgery contribute to postoperative joint laxity and are detrimental to long-term knee stability and graft properties. Limiting graft slippage will reduce associated complications. We sought to compare the in vitro mechanical properties and in vivo joint stabilization, postoperative limb use, and graft incorporation of the novel GraftGrab™ (GG) device designed to reduce hamstring graft tibial fixation slippage with the commercially available bioabsorbable Bio-Post™ and spiked washer (BP). Mechanical testing was performed on canine tibia-hamstring graft constructs to quantify initial fixation properties. In vivo joint stabilization, postoperative limb use and graft incorporation of hamstring graft reconstructions were determined in a canine model. Outcomes included tibial translation and ground reaction forces preoperatively and 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively, three-dimensional graft and bone tunnel dimensions at the latter two time points, and graft-bone microstructure, as well as mechanical properties 8 weeks after implantation. Immediately after fixation, all grafts slipped from the BP constructs versus about 30% of GG constructs. In vivo limb use remained low, and tibial translation increased with time in the BP cohort. These results together confirm that initial graft slippage is lower with GG versus BP extracortical hamstring graft tibial fixation. In addition, postoperative recovery and joint stability are more consistent with the GG. This information supports the GG as an alternative to extracortical tibial hamstring graft fixation that has procedural advantages over current implants and reduces graft failure from slippage.
Problems of mixed mode crack propagation

1. The strain energy density criterion. - 1.1. Introductory remarks. - 1.2. The strain energy density concept. - 1.3. Basic hypotheses of the theory. - 1.4. Fracture trajectories. - References. - 2. The general two-dimensional crack problem. - 2.1. Introduction. - 2.2. Strain energy density theory for the two-dimensional crack problem. - 2.3. The infinite plate with an inclined crack under uniform uniaxial stress. - 2.4. Finite width effects on the crack extension angle. - 2.5. The cracked plate subjected to a concentrated force or moment. - References. - 3. Branched cracks. - 3.1. Introduction. - 3.2. The symmetrically branched crack. - 3.3. The asymmetrically branched crack. - 3.4. The bent crack. - 3.5. Crack branches emanating from an elliptical crack. - References. - 4. Interacting cracks. - 4.1. Introduction. - 4.2. Two equal skew-parallel cracks. - 4.3. Two equal symmetrically inclined cracks. - 4.4. Two equal inclined cracks. - 4.5. X-formed arrays of cracks. - References. - Chapters 5. Arc-shaped cracks. - 5.1. Introduction. - 5.2. The circular crack under uniform stress. - 5.3. A periodic array of circular cracks. - 5.4. A star-shaped array of circular cracks. - References. - 6. Cracks emanating from holes and rigid inclusions. - 6.1. Introduction. - 6.2. Two equal cracks emanating from a circular hole. - 6.3. An array of surface cracks emanating from a circular hole. - 6.4. Fracture of a plate with a rigid inclusion having cuspidal points. - 6.5. Fracture of a plate with a rigid fiber inclusion. - References. - 7. Composite materials. - 7.1. Introduction. - 7.2. A bimaterial plate with a crack arbitrarily oriented to the interface. - 7.3. A three-layered composite with cracks. - 7.4. A bimaterial plate with a circular crack. - 7.5. A bimaterial plate with a crack along the interface. - 7.6. Interaction between a crack and a circular inclusion. - References. - 8. Plates and shells. - 8.1. Introduction. - 8.2. A cracked bent plate with an inclined crack. - 8.3. A cracked cylindrical shell with semispherical heads. - References. - 9. Three-dimensional crack problems. - 9.1. Introduction. - 9.2. The elliptical crack. - References. - Author index.
Site‐directed mutagenesis of the katG gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: effects on catalase–peroxidase activities and isoniazid resistance

Recent studies examining the molecular mechanisms of isoniazid (INH) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have demonstrated that a significant percentage of drug‐resistant strains are mutated in the katG gene which encodes a catalase–peroxidase, and the majority of these alterations are missense mutations which result in the substitution of a single amino acid. In previous reports, residues which may be critical for enzymatic activity and the drug‐resistant phenotype have been identified by evaluating INH‐resistant clinical isolates and in vitro mutants. In this study, site‐directed mutagenesis techniques were utilized to alter the wild‐type katG gene from M. tuberculosis at 13 of these codons. The effects of these mutations were determined using complementation assays in katG‐defective, INH‐resistant strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. This mutational analysis revealed that point mutations in the katG gene at nine of the 13 codons can cause drug resistance, and that enzymatic activity and resistance to INH are inversely related. In addition, mutations in the mycobacterial catalase–peroxidase which reduce catalase activity also decrease peroxidase activity.
The symmetric case ( to appear in the Proceedings of Frédéric Pham ’ s congress )

Our goal is to recover and extend the difficult results of George Hagedorn (1994) on the propagation of coherent states in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation in the case of generic crossings of eigenvalues of the (matrix valued) classical Hamiltonian. This problem, going back to Landau and Zener in the thirties, is often called the “Mode Conversion Problem” by physicists and occurs in many domains of physics (see the paper [23] by W. Flynn and R. Littlejohn). We want to obtain a geometrical description of the propagation of states in the framework of semi-classical analysis and WKB-Lagrangian states. It turns out that, in the very beautiful (but not well known! ) paper [7] published in 1993, Peter Braam and Hans Duistermaat found that there is a formal normal form for this problem. A formal normal form for the dispersion relation were already founded by Arnold [3]. In our paper, we show, using Nelson’s wave operators method, that, in the hyperbolic case, their normal form can be extended to a local normal form in the phase space. Then, we extend this classical local normal form to the complete symbol, getting a microlocal normal form, and derive from it a precise geometric description of the semi-classical propagation of states of a symmetric system of pseudo-differential equations near a generic hyperbolic codimension 3 singularity of the characteristic set (defined by the so called “dispersion relation”). We describe in a sketchy way the elliptic case. The complex Hermitian case will be worked out in [10].
Cloning of chromosomal DNA from Haemophilus influenzae. Its use for studying the expression of type b capsule and virulence.

Haemophilus influenzae may make any one of six chemically distinct capsular polysaccharides, but only strains of capsular serotype b commonly cause systemic infection (e.g., meningitis) in humans. Molecular cloning of DNA was used to investigate the expression of type b capsule and its association with H. influenzae virulence. A virulent H. influenzae type b strain was used to construct a lambda library of chromosomal DNA in Charon 4. Two independently isolated recombinant phage were isolated from the library and were found to possess DNA necessary for expression of type b capsule. Using a well-characterized rat model of H. influenzae systemic infection, we showed that type b transformants elicited by the cloned DNA were pathogenic, causing bacteremia and meningitis, whereas the untransformed capsule-deficient H. influenzae organisms were not. A 4.4-kb EcoRI fragment, common to both DNA clones, was used to characterize clinical isolates representing all six encapsulated serotypes as well as several capsule-deficient H. influenzae by Southern hybridization analysis. The probe hybridized to an identical sized (4.4 kb) fragment of EcoRI-digested chromosomal DNA from eight independently isolated type b strains. Single bands of homology to the probe were also found in EcoRI fragments of chromosomal DNA obtained from 33 encapsulated, nontype b H. influenzae. However, the size of these EcoRI fragments proved to be characteristic for each of the different capsular serotypes. These studies provide a basis for pursuing the molecular analysis of the epidemiology and virulence of pathogenic H. influenzae.
Functional Reading of Logic Programs

We propose an embedding of logic programming into lazy functional programming in which each predicate in a Prolog program becomes a Haskell function, in such a way that both the declarative and the procedural reading of the Prolog predicate are preserved. The embedding computes by means of operations on lazy lists. The state of each step in computation is passed on as a stream of answer substitutions, and all the logic operators of Prolog are implemented by explicit Haskell operators on these streams. The search strategy can be changed by altering the basic types of the embedding and the implementation of these operators. This model results in a perspicuous semantics for logic programs, and serves as a good example of modularisation in functional programming.
Menopausal symptoms in women undergoing chemotherapy-induced and natural menopause: a prospective controlled study.

BACKGROUND Women with breast cancer frequently undergo menopause following adjuvant chemotherapy. Here, we investigated whether they have more severe symptoms than women undergoing natural menopause. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-one women who had undergone menopause as a result of chemotherapy and 57 healthy women who had undergone recent natural menopause were evaluated on two occasions 1 year apart. The primary end point was the summed score of the self-report Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, endocrine symptoms (FACT-ES) scale. Quality of life was evaluated by the FACT-G questionnaire and fatigue by the FACT-F subscale. RESULTS There was a strong trend for patients to report worse FACT-ES scores than controls at the first (P = 0.05) and second (P = 0.04) time points. More patients had moderate/severe hot flashes than controls undergoing natural menopause (51% versus 19%, P = 0.003). Patients reported worse fatigue than controls at the first assessment (P = 0.04), with no difference at the second. Menopausal symptoms were associated with fatigue for both groups. There was no difference between patients and controls in the quality-of-life scale, although assessment of patients is likely subject to adaptation and response-shift bias. CONCLUSIONS Women undergoing chemotherapy-induced menopause may experience worse symptoms than women undergoing natural menopause.
Genetic analysis of pbp2x in clinical Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in Quebec, Canada.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the nature of the amino acid motifs found in penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2x of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates across the province of Quebec (Canada), and to obtain preliminary information regarding the prevalence of these alterations. METHODS The pbp2x genomic region encompassing codons 178-703, which includes the entire region of the transpeptidase domain, was sequenced and compared for 52 clinical isolates comprising 20 penicillin-susceptible (PSSP), 20 penicillin-intermediate (PISP) and 12 penicillin-resistant (PRSP) pneumococci. RESULTS The degree of diversity within PBP2x correlated with increased resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. There were an average of 5.0 +/- 1.8 mutations in PSSP, 37.9 +/- 4.4 in PISP, and 63.0 +/- 2.0 in PRSP isolates when compared with the control penicillin-susceptible strain R6. At least six distinct amino acid profiles were identified among PISP strains isolated in Quebec. In contrast, all PRSP isolates shared a similar pattern of altered amino acids compared with the sequence from susceptible strains. CONCLUSIONS These data will be useful in future studies to monitor the genetic changes associated with the emergence and spread of beta-lactam resistance in Quebec.
Preparation of Underrepresented Males for Scientific Careers: A Study of the Dr. John H. Hopps Jr. Defense Research Scholars Program at Morehouse College

This paper demonstrates the impact of the Hopps Scholars Program on undergraduate academic performance and graduate enrollment of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Morehouse students. The program’s focus on academic achievement, coaching and counseling, and consistent exposure to research resulted in persistence outcomes that exceed similarly prepared Morehouse STEM students.
KT-1000 arthrometer: Conscious and unconscious test results using 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force

A recent published report indicated that the reliability and validity of anterior laxity measurements obtained by using the KT-1000 arthrometer were questionable. The purpose of our study was to examine the diagnos tic validity of anterior laxity measurements testing pa tients in conscious and unconscious states using the KT-1000 arthrometer at 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force. The sample included 68 patients with confirmed ante rior cruciate ligament disruption. They were given an terior-posterior drawer tests at 20° in both unconscious and conscious states; measurements were recorded at 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force. The results indicated that the measurements in the unconscious state were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the values obtained in the conscious state. The anterior cruciate ligament- disrupted knees produced significantly higher (P < 0.01) anterior laxity. The difference between anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knees and normal knees grew sig nificantly larger (P < 0.01) as force increased. More patients demonstrated a difference >2 mm between anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knees and normal knees at 30 pounds (81 % to 83%) than at 20 pounds (64% to 72%) of force. Seventy-nine percent of the patients demonstrated a compliance index difference >1 mm using 15 and 30 pounds between the normal and anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knee. These data provide statistical validity for the compliance index and support for the use of anterior laxity measurements at 30 pounds of force. However, approximately 20% of these patients did not demonstrate an anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted-normal knee difference >2 mm or a compliance index difference of >1 mm.
The spandrels of Santa Barbara? A new perspective on the peri-ovulation paradigm

Numerous recent studies document peri-ovulatory increases in women’s physical attractiveness and in their preferences for certain male traits, which appear to be linked to cyclical fluctuation in levels of ovarian hormones. Changes in physical traits are subtle, leading to the widespread conclusion that cues of ovulation are adaptively concealed. It has been argued that concealment enables women to pursue a mixed-mating strategy characterized by pair-bonding with opportunistic extrapair copulation with high-quality mates when conception is possible. Men’s preferences for peri-ovulatory cues and women’s cyclical preference shifts are thus also argued to reflect distinct psychological adaptations. Here, we re-interpret the evidence for each of these putative adaptations and argue that cyclic changes need not result from incomplete concealment of ovulatory status. We also emphasize that ovarian hormone levels underpin between-individual differences in both women’s attractiveness and their mate preferences, which influence the sexes’ mate-choice decisions. We contrast the salience and efficiency of these within- and between-individual effects, and suggest that, although both effects have the potential to influence mating behavior, the between-individual effects are stronger and more robust. This introduces the possibility that both men’s increased attraction towards peri-ovulatory women and women’s cyclical shifts in preference for certain male traits may not constitute adaptations per se, but are, instead, inevitable by-products, or "perceptual spandrels," of putative adaptations related to between-individual differences in reproductive potential. Our framework parsimoniously explains several observable phenomena and potentially could transform the way evolutionary researchers interpret changes in behavior associated with the menstrual cycle.
On user-centric analysis and prediction of QoE for video streaming using empirical measurements

Assessing the impact of different network conditions on user experience is important for improving the telecommunication services. We have developed a modular framework that includes monitoring and data collection tools and algorithms for user-centric analysis and prediction of the QoE in video streaming. The MLQoE employs several machine learning (ML) algorithms and tunes their hyper-parameters. It dynamically selects the ML algorithm that exhibits the best performance and its parameters automatically based on the input (e.g., network and systems metrics). We applied the MLQoE for predicting the QoE of the video streaming service in the context of two field studies, one performed in the production environment of a large telecom operator and the other at our Institute. The analysis indicated the parameters with the dominant impact on the perceived QoE and revealed that the QoE vary across users. This motivates the use of customized adaptation mechanisms in video streaming under network performance degradation. The MLQoE results in fairly accurate predictions e.g., a median error in predicting the QoE of 0.0991 and 0.5517 in the first (second) field study, respectively, on the MOS scale.
Striatal Dopamine Predicts Outcome-Specific Reversal Learning and Its Sensitivity to Dopaminergic Drug Administration

Individual variability in reward-based learning has been ascribed to quantitative variation in baseline levels of striatal dopamine. However, direct evidence for this pervasive hypothesis has hitherto been unavailable. We demonstrate that individual differences in reward-based reversal learning reflect variation in baseline striatal dopamine synthesis capacity, as measured with neurochemical positron emission tomography. Subjects with high baseline dopamine synthesis in the striatum showed relatively better reversal learning from unexpected rewards than from unexpected punishments, whereas subjects with low baseline dopamine synthesis in the striatum showed the reverse pattern. In addition, baseline dopamine synthesis predicted the direction of dopaminergic drug effects. The D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine improved reward-based relative to punishment-based reversal learning in subjects with low baseline dopamine synthesis capacity, while impairing it in subjects with high baseline dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum. Finally, this pattern of drug effects was outcome-specific, and driven primarily by drug effects on punishment-, but not reward-based reversal learning. These data demonstrate that the effects of D2 receptor stimulation on reversal learning in humans depend on task demands and baseline striatal dopamine synthesis capacity.
QoS control of E-business systems through performance modelling and estimation

E-business systems provide the infrastructure whereby parties interact electronically via business transactions. At peak loads, these systems are susceptible to large volumes of transactions and concurrent users and yet they are expected to maintain adequate performance levels. Over provisioning is an expensive solution. A good alternative is the adaptation of the system, managing and controlling its resources. We address these concerns by presenting a model that allows fast evaluation of performance metrics in terms of measurable or controllable parameters. The model can be used in order to (a) predict the performance of a system under given or assumed loading conditions and (b) to choose the optimal configuration set-up for certain controllable parameters with respect to specified performance measures. Firstly, we analyze the characteristics of E-business systems. This analysis leads to the analytical model, which is sufficiently general to capture the behaviour of a large class of commonly encountered architectures. We propose an approximate solution which is numerically efficient and fast. By mean of simulation, we prove that its accuracy is acceptable over a wide range of system configurations and different load levels. We further evaluate the approximate solution by comparing it to a real-life Ebusiness system. A J2EE application of non-trivial size and complexity is deployed on a 2-tier system composed of the JBoss application server and a database server. We implement an infrastructure fully integrated on the application server, capable of monitoring the E-business system and controlling its configuration parameters. Finally, we use this infrastructure to quantify both the static parameters of the model and the observed performance. The latter are then compared with the metrics predicted by the model, showing that the approximate solution is almost exact in predicting performance and that it assesses the optimal system configuration very accurately.