Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-rate regenerating codes through layering

In this paper, we provide explicit constructions for a class of exact-repair regenerating codes that possess a layered structure. These regenerating codes correspond to interior points on the storage-repair-bandwidth tradeoff where the cut-set bound of network coding is known to be not achievable under exact repair. The codes presented in this paper compare very well in comparison to schemes that employ space-sharing between MSR and MBR points, and come closest of all-known explicit constructions to interior points of the tradeoff. The codes can be constructed for a wide range of parameters, are high-rate, can repair multiple nodes simultaneously and no computation at helper nodes is required to repair a failed node. We also construct optimal codes with locality in which the local codes are layered regenerating codes.
A Traffic Load Balancing Framework for Software-Defined Radio Access Networks Powered by Hybrid Energy Sources

Dramatic mobile data traffic growth has spurred a dense deployment of small cell base stations (SCBSs). Small cells enhance the spectrum efficiency and thus enlarge the capacity of mobile networks. Although SCBSs consume much less power than macro BSs (MBSs) do, the overall power consumption of a large number of SCBSs is phenomenal. As the energy harvesting technology advances, base stations (BSs) can be powered by green energy to alleviate the on-grid power consumption. For mobile networks with high BS density, traffic load balancing is critical in order to exploit the capacity of SCBSs. To fully utilize harvested energy, it is desirable to incorporate the green energy utilization as a performance metric in traffic load balancing strategies. In this paper, we have proposed a traffic load balancing framework that strives a balance between network utilities, e.g., the average traffic delivery latency, and the green energy utilization. Various properties of the proposed framework have been derived. Leveraging the software-defined radio access network architecture, the proposed scheme is implemented as a virtually distributed algorithm, which significantly reduces the communication overheads between users and BSs. The simulation results show that the proposed traffic load balancing framework enables an adjustable trade-off between the on-grid power consumption and the average traffic delivery latency, and saves a considerable amount of on-grid power, e.g., 30%, at a cost of only a small increase, e.g., 8%, of the average traffic delivery latency.
Optimizing Local Anesthesia for Grommet Insertion: Eutectic Mixture of Local Anaesthetics Versus Ametop: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To compare the effect of eutetic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) with Ametop in providing local anesthesia for grommet insertion. Study Design: Double-blind randomized clinical trial. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patients: Forty-one adult patients diagnosed with otitis media with effusion were recruited into the trial and underwent grommet insertion under local anesthesia; 21 were randomly allocated to the EMLA group and 20 to the Ametop group. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure of the study was the level of pain experienced by the patient. The secondary outcome measure was the overall satisfaction with the procedure. Both measures were assessed using visual analogue scales. Results: Both the topical anesthetic agents provided good pain relief during grommet insertion. There was no statistically significant difference in the pain or satisfaction scores. Conclusion: Both EMLA and Ametop can provide good local anesthetic effect during grommet insertion.
Human cytomegalovirus prevalence and distribution of glycoprotein B, O genotypes among hospitalized children with respiratory infections in West China, 2009–2014

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen causing morbidity and mortality in children. HCMV prevalence in children with respiratory infections has not been investigated in West China. Previous studies have suggested that glycoproteins genotypes may be associated with different clinical presentations, but the associations were controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCMV infection in children with respiratory infections, the distributions of gB, gO genotypes among these isolates and their potential predictive roles for the development of symptoms in children.
Resolution independent curve rendering using programmable graphics hardware

We present a method for resolution independent rendering of paths and bounded regions, defined by quadratic and cubic spline curves, that leverages the parallelism of programmable graphics hardware to achieve high performance. A simple implicit equation for a parametric curve is found in a space that can be thought of as an analog to texture space. The image of a curve's Bézier control points are found in this space and assigned to the control points as texture coordinates. When the triangle(s) corresponding to the Bézier curve control hull are rendered, a pixel shader program evaluates the implicit equation for a pixel's interpolated texture coordinates to determine an inside/outside test for the curve. We extend our technique to handle anti-aliasing of boundaries. We also construct a vector image from mosaics of triangulated Bézier control points and show how to deform such images to create resolution independent texture on three dimensional objects.
Emergence of a multidrug-resistant clone (ST320) among invasive serotype 19A pneumococci in Spain.

OBJECTIVES Multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates of serotype 19A have emerged all over the world in recent years. The aim of this study was to characterize highly penicillin-resistant pneumococcal strains of the 19A serotype, collected in Spain from 1997 to 2007 from patients with invasive disease. METHODS Antibiotic susceptibility was studied by microdilution. All penicillin-resistant pneumococci were typed by PFGE and selected strains were studied by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The presence of genes related to the Tn916 family of transposons was investigated by PCR. RESULTS From a total of 1197 invasive pneumococcal isolates of serotype 19A received at the Spanish Reference Laboratory between 1997 and 2007, 51 (4.3%) strains showed high-level resistance to penicillin (MICs of 2-4 mg/L). These 51 isolates belonged to three multiresistant clones related to sequence type (ST)81 (n = 21), ST320 (n = 19) and ST276 (n = 11). All 51 serotype 19A pneumococci were tetracycline-resistant and had the tet(M) gene, and 41 strains were macrolide-resistant, harbouring the erm(B) gene. The presence of int and xis genes was detected in all strains associated with other genes of the Tn916 family. CONCLUSIONS The rise in penicillin-resistant serotype 19A invasive pneumococci in Spain was associated with the emergence and clonal spread of two worldwide-disseminated multiresistant clones (ST276 and ST320). The Spain(23F)-1-19A (ST81) clone remained stable throughout the study period. Multidrug resistance was associated with transposons of the Tn916 family.
Homo- and Heterosubtypic Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Exposure on H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Infection in Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa)

Wild birds in the Orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are the natural reservoirs for avian influenza (AI) viruses. Although they are often infected with multiple AI viruses, the significance and extent of acquired immunity in these populations is not understood. Pre-existing immunity to AI virus has been shown to modulate the outcome of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus infection in multiple domestic avian species, but few studies have addressed this effect in wild birds. In this study, the effect of pre-exposure to homosubtypic (homologous hemagglutinin) and heterosubtypic (heterologous hemagglutinin) low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses on the outcome of a H5N1 HPAI virus infection in wood ducks (Aix sponsa) was evaluated. Pre-exposure of wood ducks to different LPAI viruses did not prevent infection with H5N1 HPAI virus, but did increase survival associated with H5N1 HPAI virus infection. The magnitude of this effect on the outcome of the H5N1 HPAI virus infection varied between different LPAI viruses, and was associated both with efficiency of LPAI viral replication in wood ducks and the development of a detectable humoral immune response. These observations suggest that in naturally occurring outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI, birds with pre-existing immunity to homologous hemagglutinin or neuraminidase subtypes of AI virus may either survive H5N1 HPAI virus infection or live longer than naïve birds and, consequently, could pose a greater risk for contributing to viral transmission and dissemination. The mechanisms responsible for this protection and/or the duration of this immunity remain unknown. The results of this study are important for surveillance efforts and help clarify epidemiological data from outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI virus in wild bird populations.
Integrating several annotation layers for statistical information distillation

We present a sentence extraction algorithm for Information Distillation, a task where for a given templated query, relevant passages must be extracted from massive audio and textual document sources. For each sentence of the relevant documents (that are assumed to be known from the upstream stages) we employ statistical classification methods to estimate the extent of its relevance to the query, whereby two aspects of relevance are taken into account: the template (type) of the query and its slots (free-text descriptions of names, organizations, topic, events and so on, around which templates are centered). The idiosyncrasy of the presented method is in the choice of features used for classification. We extract our features from charts, compilations of elements from various annotation levels, such as word transcriptions, syntactic and semantic parses, and Information Extraction annotations. In our experiments we show that this integrated approach outperforms a purely lexical baseline by as much as 30% relative in terms of F-measure. We also investigate the algorithm's behavior under noisy conditions, by comparing its performance on ASR output and on corresponding manual transcriptions.
“Warm Rain” in the Tropics: Seasonal and Regional Distributions Based on 9 yr of TRMM Data

Abstract How much precipitation is contributed by warm rain systems over the tropics? What is the typical size, intensity, and echo top of warm rain events observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar over different regions of the tropics? What proportion of warm raining areas is actually attached to the edges of cold systems? Are there mesoscale warm raining systems, and if so, where and when do they occur? To answer these questions, a 9-yr TRMM precipitation feature database is used in this study. First, warm rain features in 20°S–20°N are selected by specifying precipitation features 1) with minimum infrared brightness temperature > 0°C, 2) with TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) echo top below freezing level, or 3) without any ice-scattering signature in the microwave observations, respectively. Then, the geographical, seasonal, and diurnal variations of the rain volume inside warm rain features defined in these three ways are presented. The characteristics of warm rain fe.
Lamprey VLRB response to influenza virus supports universal rules of immunogenicity and antigenicity

Immunoglobulins (Igs) are a crown jewel of jawed vertebrate evolution. Through recombination and mutation of small numbers of genes, Igs can specifically recognize a vast variety of natural and man-made organic molecules. Jawless vertebrates evolved a parallel system of humoral immunity, which recognizes antigens not with Ig, but with a structurally unrelated receptor called the variable lymphocyte receptor B (VLRB). We exploited the convergent evolution of Ig and VLRB antibodies (Abs) to investigate if intrinsic chemical features of foreign proteins determine their antigenicity and immunogenicity. Surprisingly, we find lamprey VLRB and mouse Ig responses to influenza A virus are extremely similar. Each focuses ∼80% of the response on hemagglutinin (HA), mainly through recognition of the major antigenic sites in the HA globular head domain. Our findings predict basic conservation of Ab responses to protein antigens, strongly supporting the use of animal models for understanding human Ab responses to viruses and protein immunogens. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.07467. 001
Evaluation of cefuroxime axetil and cefadroxil suspensions for treatment of pediatric skin infections

A randomized, single-blind, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cefuroxime axetil and cefadroxil suspensions for the treatment of skin or skin structure infections in 287 children. Each drug was given at a dosage of 30 mg/kg of body weight per day in two divided doses. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, or a combination of the two, were the primary pathogens isolated from infected skin lesions. A satisfactory bacteriological response (cure or presumed cure) was obtained in 97.1 and 94.3% of children in the cefuroxime axetil and cefadroxil groups, respectively (P greater than 0.05). Satisfactory clinical responses (cure or improvement) were more likely to occur in cefuroxime axetil recipients than in cefadroxil recipients (97.8 versus 90.3%; P less than 0.05). Both regimens were equally well tolerated, with adverse events occurring in 7.9 and 6.1% of cefuroxime axetil and cefadroxil recipients, respectively. There were more patients who refused to take cefuroxime axetil (7 of 189) than there were who refused to take cefadroxil (0 of 98), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.1). In this study, cefuroxime axetil was at least as effective as cefadroxil in resolving skin and skin structure infections in children.
Temporal expression of microRNA cluster miR-17-92 regulates effector and memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation

MicroRNAs are important regulators of various developmental and physiological processes. However, their roles in the CD8+ T-cell response are not well understood. Using an acute viral infection model, we show that microRNAs of the miR-17-92 cluster are strongly induced after T-cell activation, down-regulated after clonal expansion, and further silenced during memory development. miR-17-92 promotes cell-cycle progression of effector CD8+ T cells, and its expression is critical to the rapid expansion of these cells. However, excessive miR-17-92 expression enhances mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and strongly skews the differentiation toward short-lived terminal effector cells. Failure to down-regulate miR-17-92 leads to a gradual loss of memory cells and defective central memory cell development. Therefore, our results reveal a temporal expression pattern of miR-17-92 by antigen-specific CD8+ T cells during viral infection, the precise control of which is critical to the effector expansion and memory differentiation of CD8+ T cells.
The European cardiac resynchronization therapy survey.

AIMS The European cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) survey is a joint initiative taken by the Heart Failure Association and the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology. The primary aim of this survey is to describe current European practice associated with CRT implantations. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 140 centres from 13 European countries contributed data from consecutive patients successfully implanted with a CRT device with or without an ICD between November 2008 and June 2009. The total number of patients enrolled was 2438. The median age of the patients was 70 years (IQR 62-76) and 31% were > or =75 years. It was found that 78% were in NYHA functional class III or IV and 22% in I or II. The mean ejection fraction was 27% +/- 8 and the mean QRS duration 157 ms +/- 32. The QRS duration was <120 ms in 9%. Atrial fibrillation was reported in 23%. It was found that 26% of patients had a previously implanted permanent pacemaker or ICD; 76% of procedures were performed by an electrophysiologist; 82% had an elective admission for implantation and the median duration of hospitalization was 3 days (IQR 2-7); and 73% received a CRT-D device which was more often implanted in men, younger patients, and with ischaemic aetiology. The mean QRS duration was reduced to 133 ms +/- 27 (P < 0.0001) at discharge. Peri-procedural complication rates were comparable to the rates reported in randomized trials. CONCLUSION This CRT survey provides important information describing current European practice with regard to patient demographics, selection criteria, procedural routines, and status at discharge. These data should be useful for benchmarking individual patient management and national practice against wider experience.
A Novel Postsynaptic Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Role in Modulating Baroreceptor Signal Transmission

The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) is essential for orchestrating baroreflex control of blood pressure. When a change in blood pressure occurs, the information is transmitted by baroreceptor afferent fibers to the central network by glutamate binding to ionotropic glutamate receptors on second-order baroreceptor neurons. Glutamate also activates presynaptic group II and III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), depressing both glutamate and GABA release to modulate baroreceptor signal transmission. Here we present a novel role for postsynaptic group II mGluRs to further fine-tune baroreceptor signal transmission at the first central synapses. In a brainstem slice with ionotropic glutamate and GABA receptors blocked, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of second-order baroreceptor neurons revealed that two group II mGluR agonists evoked concentration-dependent membrane hyperpolarizations. The hyperpolarization remained when a presynaptic contribution was prevented with Cd2+, was blocked by a postsynaptic intervention of intracellular dialysis of the G-protein signaling inhibitor, was mimicked by endogenous release of glutamate by tractus solitarius stimulation, and was prevented by a group II mGluR antagonist. Postsynaptic localization of group II mGluRs was confirmed by fluorescent confocal immunohistochemistry and light microscopy. Group II mGluR induced-currents consisted of voltage-dependent outward and inward components, prevented by tetraethylammonium chloride and tetrodotoxin, respectively. In contrast to group II mGluR-induced hyperpolarization, there was no effect on intrinsic excitability as determined by action potential shape or firing in response to depolarizing current injections. The data suggest a novel mechanism for postsynaptic group II mGluRs to fine-tune baroreceptor signal transmission in the NTS.
Role of a Single Aquaporin Isoform in Root Water Uptake Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.008888.

Aquaporins are ubiquitous channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water across cell membranes. Aquaporins show a typically high isoform multiplicity in plants, with 35 homologs in Arabidopsis. The integrated function of plant aquaporins and the function of each individual isoform remain poorly understood. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight analyses suggested that Plasma Membrane Intrinsic Protein2;2 (PIP2;2) is one of the abundantly expressed aquaporin isoforms in Arabidopsis root plasma membranes. Two independent Arabidopsis knockout mutants of PIP2;2 were isolated using a PCR-based strategy from a library of plant lines mutagenized by the insertion of Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA. Expression in transgenic Arabidopsis of a PIP2;2 promoter–β-glucuronidase gene fusion indicated that PIP2;2 is expressed predominantly in roots, with a strong expression in the cortex, endodermis, and stele. The hydraulic conductivity of root cortex cells, as measured with a cell pressure probe, was reduced by 25 to 30% in the two allelic PIP2;2 mutants compared with the wild type. In addition, free exudation measurements revealed a 14% decrease, with respect to wild-type values, in the osmotic hydraulic conductivity of roots excised from the two PIP2;2 mutants. Together, our data provide evidence for the contribution of a single aquaporin gene to root water uptake and identify PIP2;2 as an aquaporin specialized in osmotic fluid transport. PIP2;2 has a close homolog, PIP2;3, showing 96.8% amino acid identity. The phenotype of PIP2;2 mutants demonstrates that, despite their high homology and isoform multiplicity, plant aquaporins have evolved with nonredundant functions.
Nucleotide sequence of the Yersinia enterocolitica ail gene and characterization of the Ail protein product

The ability to enter (invade) eucaryotic cells is a property common to many pathogenic bacteria. Yersinia enterocolitica is a facultative intracellular pathogen whose primary site of multiplication is the reticuloendothelial system. In an effort to understand how Y. enterocolitica crosses the intestinal epithelial cell layer, we previously reported the cloning of two loci from Y. enterocolitica that individually conferred an invasive phenotype to the normally noninvasive Escherichia coli HB101. One of these loci, ail, is encoded by a region of DNA that is less than 650 base pairs. We have identified the ail gene product in maxicells as a 17-kilodalton membrane-associated protein. The Ail protein has been purified, and its N-terminal sequence has been determined. The nucleotide sequence of the ail gene revealed a single unique open reading frame of 178 amino acids. Comparison of amino acid sequences deduced from the gene and obtained by analysis of the purified protein identified the first 23 amino acids as a signal sequence. The site(s) at which transcription initiates on the ail gene was identified by primer extension analysis and shown to be identical in E. coli and Y. enterocolitica. Two small open reading frames downstream of ail were found and shown to exhibit considerable identity to the proposed IS3 transposase.
A Comparative Study of Collaborative and IndividualWeb Search for a Social Planning Task

In this paper we describe the results of a study which compares explicit synchronous collaborative web search with searching the web individually when users are utilizing the web for the purpose of social planning tasks, in specific travel planning. We explore both co-located and distributed collaborative search within groups of two and three participants. The distributed collaborative search is supported by SearchTogether. The results show that distributed collaborative search in general outperforms both co-located and individual search. Surprisingly, the increase of the group size negatively influences the search results, though it positively affects the user confidence in the search results. We conclude that the negative effect arises due to an increased communication effort and suggest future work in HCI to better support collaboration in large groups.