Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of a truck as an obstacle on vehicle-to-vehicle communications in rural and highway scenarios

Shadowing from other vehicles can degrade the performance of vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems significantly. It is thus important to characterize and model the influence of common shadowing objects like trucks in a proper way. However, the scenario of a truck as an obstacle in highly dynamic rural and highway environments is not yet well understood. In this paper we analyze the distance dependent path loss and the additional shadowing loss due to a truck through dynamic measurements. We further characterize the large scale fading and the delay and Doppler spreads as a measure of the channel dispersion in the time and frequency domains. It has been found that a truck as an obstacle reduces the received power by 12 and 13 dB on average, for roof antennas, in rural and highway scenarios, respectively. Also, the dispersion in time and frequency domains is highly increased when the line-of-sight is obstructed by the truck.
Clonogenicity: Holoclones and Meroclones Contain Stem Cells

When primary cultures of normal cells are cloned, three types of colony grow, called holoclones, meroclones and paraclones. These colonies are believed to be derived from stem cells, transit-amplifying cells and differentiated cells respectively. More recently, this approach has been extended to cancer cell lines. However, we observed that meroclones from the prostate cancer cell line DU145 produce holoclones, a paradoxical observation as meroclones are thought to be derived from transit-amplifying cells. The purpose of this study was to confirm this observation and determine if both holoclones and meroclones from cancer cell lines contain stem cells. We demonstrated that both holoclones and meroclones can be serially passaged indefinitely, are highly proliferative, can self-renew to form spheres, are serially tumorigenic and express stem cell markers. This study demonstrates that the major difference between holoclones and meroclones derived from a cancer cell line is the proportion of stem cells within each colony, not the presence or absence of stem cells. These findings may reflect the properties of cancer as opposed to normal cells, perhaps indicating that the hierarchy of stem cells is more extensive in cancer.
Seasonal Deuterium Excess Variations of Precipitation at Summit, Greenland, and their Climatological Significance

The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of ice cores from Summit, Greenland, has provided invaluable information about variations in past climate. However, interpretations of these isotopic data have been made despite a paucity of direct isotopic studies of Summit precipitation. We provide insight to such interpretations by examining the annual cycle of deuterium excess (d‐excess) in precipitation samples from Summit and by considering the climatic controls on the annual cycle. Precipitation was collected daily from July 2011 to September 2014 at heights of 1, 2, and 4 m. The isotopic composition of precipitation sampled at 4 m above the snow surface is free of contamination from blowing snow. Precipitation d‐excess is high in the summer and low in the winter, a pattern opposite to that found at most high‐latitude locations, where summer d‐excess is low relative to winter. Low winter d‐excess values at Summit can be explained by varying degrees of Rayleigh distillation of moisture sourced from isotopically similar marine sources. However, the observed summer d‐excess maximum at Summit is anomalously high compared with other Arctic locations, and we propose that this is due to high d‐excess moisture contributed by sublimation of surface snow on the Greenland Ice Sheet. We demonstrate the plausibility of this hypothesis through simple isotopic mass balance calculations, analyses of cloud heights, and back trajectories to identify moisture sources. We show that Rayleigh distillation, sublimation, and the phase of the d‐excess annual cycle are all important factors that should be considered in ice core d‐excess interpretations.
Reproductive Outcomes Associated with Noise Exposure — A Systematic Review of the Literature

Introduction: High noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor that may result in increased risk of implantation failure, dysregulation of placentation or decrease of uterine blood flow. This paper systematically reviews published evidence on associations between reproductive outcomes and occupational and environmental noise exposure. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched for papers published between 1970 to June 2014 and via colleagues. We included 14 epidemiological studies related to occupational noise exposure and nine epidemiological studies related to environmental noise exposure. There was some evidence for associations between occupational noise exposure and low birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age, either independently or together with other occupational risk factors. Five of six epidemiologic studies, including the two largest studies, found significant associations between lower birthweight and higher noise exposure. There were few studies on other outcomes and study design issues may have led to bias in assessments in some studies. Conclusions: There is evidence for associations between noise exposure and adverse reproductive outcomes from animal studies. Few studies in have been conducted in humans but there is some suggestive evidence of adverse associations with environmental noise from both occupational and epidemiological studies, especially for low birthweight.
Serial Isolates of Persistent Haemophilus influenzae in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Express Diminishing Quantities of the HMW1 and HMW2 Adhesins

ABSTRACT In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the lower respiratory tract is commonly colonized by bacterial pathogens, including nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. The H. influenzae HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins are homologous proteins that promote bacterial adherence to respiratory epithelium and are the predominant targets of the host immune response. These adhesins undergo graded phase variation, controlled by the numbers of 7-bp repeats upstream of the HMW1 and HMW2 structural genes (hmw1A and hmw2A, respectively). In this study, we examined the levels of HMW1 and HMW2 expressed by H. influenzae isolates collected serially from patients with COPD. We found that expression of HMW1 and HMW2 in a given strain decreased over time in a majority of patients, reflecting progressive increases in the numbers of 7-bp repeats and associated with high serum titers of HMW1/HMW2-specific antibodies. We speculate that the presence of high titers of antibodies against the HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins and other immune factors in the lower respiratory tracts of patients with COPD may result in gradual selection for bacteria with reduced levels of HMW1 and HMW2.
Evidence for a common regulation in the activation of a polyphenol oxidase by trypsin and sodium dodecyl sulfate

Abstract Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from beet root, in both soluble and membrane fractions, and in both cases the enzyme was in a latent state. PPO from the membrane fraction showed no diphenolase activity unless it was activated by trypsin or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The kinetics of the activation process of latent PPO by trypsin was studied and the specific rate constant of active PPO formation, k 3, showed a value of 0.03 s−1. The protease-activated form showed a pH optimum (6.5) and kinetic properties identical to those of the SDS-activated enzyme. Evidence is provided for the existence of a common peptide responsible for the regulation of the activity of the enzyme by both proteolysis and SDS detergent. Formation of the active proteolyzate was followed by spectroscopic measurements, Western blotting and partially denaturing SDS-PAGE.
Ectodysplasin/NF-κB Promotes Mammary Cell Fate via Wnt/β-catenin Pathway

Mammary gland development commences during embryogenesis with the establishment of a species typical number of mammary primordia on each flank of the embryo. It is thought that mammary cell fate can only be induced along the mammary line, a narrow region of the ventro-lateral skin running from the axilla to the groin. Ectodysplasin (Eda) is a tumor necrosis factor family ligand that regulates morphogenesis of several ectodermal appendages. We have previously shown that transgenic overexpression of Eda (K14-Eda mice) induces formation of supernumerary mammary placodes along the mammary line. Here, we investigate in more detail the role of Eda and its downstream mediator transcription factor NF-κB in mammary cell fate specification. We report that K14-Eda mice harbor accessory mammary glands also in the neck region indicating wider epidermal cell plasticity that previously appreciated. We show that even though NF-κB is not required for formation of endogenous mammary placodes, it is indispensable for the ability of Eda to induce supernumerary placodes. A genome-wide profiling of Eda-induced genes in mammary buds identified several Wnt pathway components as potential transcriptional targets of Eda. Using an ex vivo culture system, we show that suppression of canonical Wnt signalling leads to a dose-dependent inhibition of supernumerary placodes in K14-Eda tissue explants.
Identification and Molecular Characterization of the Homogentisate Pathway Responsible for Pyomelanin Production, the Major Melanin Constituents in Aeromonas media WS

The pigmentation of many Aeromonas species has been thought to be due to the production of a L-DOPA (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) based melanin. However, in this study we found that although L-DOPA synthesis occurs in the high-melanin-yielding Aeromonas media strain WS, it plays a minor, if any, role in pigmentation. Instead, the pigmentation of A. media strain WS is due to the production of pyomelanin through HGA (homogentisate). Gene products of phhA (encodes phenylalanine hydroxylase), tyrB and aspC (both encode aromatic amino acid aminotransferase), and hppD (encodes 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) constitute a linear pathway of converting phenylalanine to HGA and disruption of any one of these genes impairs or blocks pigmentation of A. media strain WS. This HGA biosynthesis pathway is widely distributed in Aeromonas, but HGA is only detectable in the cultures of pigmented Aeromonas species. Heterologous expression of HppD from both pigmented and non-pigmented Aeromonas species in E. coli leads to the production of pyomelanin and thus pigmentation, suggesting that most Aeromonas species have the critical enzymes to produce pyomelanin through HGA. Taken together, we have identified a widely conserved biosynthesis pathway of HGA based pyomelanin in Aeromonas that may be responsible for pigmentation of many Aeromonas species.
Expectancy in Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials: An Example from Alcohol Dependence

Background: Double-blind placebo-controlled trials are intended to control for the impact of expectancy on outcomes. Whether they always achieve this is, however, questionable. Methods: Reanalysis of a clinical trial of naltrexone and acamprosate for alcohol dependence investigated this issue further. In this trial, 169 alcohol-dependent patients received naltrexone, acamprosate or placebo for 12 weeks. In addition to being assessed on various indices of alcohol dependence, they were asked whether they believed they received active medication or placebo. Results: While there were no differences in outcomes between treatment groups, those who believed they had been taking active medication consumed fewer alcoholic drinks and reported less alcohol dependence and cravings. That is, irrespective of actual treatment, perceived medication allocation predicted health outcomes. Conclusions: These results highlight the differences between treatment administration in clinical trials and standard medical practice, a discrepancy that may sometimes decrease the validity of these types of trials.
Journal of Sound and Vibration Modal Analysis of Cantilever Plates Undergoing Accelerated In-plane Motion

A modeling method for the modal analysis of cantilever plates undergoing accelerated in-plane motion is presented in this paper. Von Karman strain measures are employed to derive the in-plane and the lateral equations of motion. In-plane strain measures of the accelerated plates are obtained from the in-plane equations and substituted into the lateral equations to obtain the linear equations for modal analysis. The resulting equations are transformed into dimensionless forms in which dimensionless parameters are identified. The effects of dimensionless parameter variations on the modal characteristics of the accelerated plates are investigated through numerical studies.
TH2 Cytokines and Allergic Challenge Induce Ym1 Expression in Macrophages by a STAT6-dependent Mechanism*

The diverse functions of macrophages as participants in innate and acquired immune responses are regulated by the specific milieu of environmental factors, cytokines, and other signaling molecules that are encountered at sites of inflammation. Microarray analysis of the transcriptional response of mouse peritoneal macrophages to the TH2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) identified Ym1 and arginase as the most highly up-regulated genes, exhibiting more than 68- and 88-fold induction, respectively. Molecular characterization of the Ym1 promoter in transfected epithelial and macrophage cell lines revealed the presence of multiple signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) response elements that function in a combinatorial manner to mediate transcriptional responses to IL-4. The participation of STAT6 as an obligate component of protein complexes binding to these sites was established by analysis of nuclear extracts derived from STAT6-deficient macrophages. Macrophage expression of Ym1 was highly induced in vivo by an IL-4- and STAT6-dependent mechanism during the evolution of allergic peritonitis, supporting the biological relevance of the IL-4-dependent pathway characterized ex vivo in peritoneal macrophages. These studies establish Ym1 as a highly inducible STAT6-dependent transcript in TH2-biased inflammation and define Cis-active elements in the Ym1 promoter that are required for this transcriptional response.
Persistent hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia of infancy: a heterogeneous syndrome unrelated to nesidioblastosis

The syndrome of persistent hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia of infancy (PHHI) was described more than 40 years ago by Mc Quarrie.1 Despite the inordinate amount of interest in this syndrome, the pathogenesis of the disease has not yet been completely elucidated. For decades, the disease has been ascribed to nesidioblastosis. This term, first coined by Laidlaw, describes the persistence of a diffuse and disseminated proliferation of islet cells budding off from ducts.2 The concept of nesidioblastosis as the underlying condition of hyperinsulinism is still deeply rooted in the mind of many clinicians, although it has been questioned by several authors.3-5 Indeed, observations based on quantitative immunohistochemical investigations have shown that nesidioblastosis is a common feature of the pancreas in normoglycaemic neonates and infants (fig 1). 3 Figure 1 Nesidioblastosis in the pancreas of a normoglycaemic infant. B cells budding off from ducts stained by an anti-insulin antibody (immunoperoxidase; original magnification, ×140). Progress in genetics and molecular biology has increased our understanding of the syndrome. By means of linkage analysis, hyperinsulinism in familial cases has been mapped to chromosome 11.6 Genetic molecular analyses have demonstrated mutations of the genes encoding both the sulphonylurea receptor7-10 and the Kir 6.2 subunit,11 as well as maternal loss of the imprinted gene at the 11p15 region, which might explain the insulin hypersecretion characteristic of this syndrome.12-14 In addition, physiological analysis has demonstrated the absence of functional ATP dependent potassium channels in some of these infants with hypoglycaemia.10 15 Several studies have clearly demonstrated the existence of two forms of PHHI. One corresponds to a focal pancreatic adenomatous hyperplasia (focal PHHI) and the other is characterised by a diffuse β cell abnormality (diffuse PHHI). 16-18 Up until now, these two forms could not be differentiated by clinical or biochemical data, although …
Pornography addiction: A neuroscience perspective

A significant postulate of this commentary is that all addictions create, in addition to chemical changes in the brain, anatomical and pathological changes which result in various manifestations of cerebral dysfunction collectively labeled hypofrontal syndromes. In these syndromes, the underlying defect, reduced to its simplest description, is damage to the “braking system” of the brain. They are well known to clinical neuroscientists, especially neurologists and neurosurgeons, for they are also seen with tumors, strokes, and trauma. Indeed, anatomically, loss of these frontal control systems is most apparent following trauma, exemplified by progressive atrophy of the frontal lobes seen in serial MRI scans over time.
Distinct effects of contour smoothness and observer bias on visual persistence

Stable object perception relies on persistent yet temporary neural representations under constantly fluctuating stimulus conditions. The mechanisms by which such representations are formed and maintained are not fully understood but presumably involve interplay between early and higher tier visual cortical mechanisms. Some neurophysiological models of feature binding in early visual cortex predict persistent contour perception under certain stimulus conditions. Here we show that the duration of contour persistence reflects the persistent operation of visual mechanisms sensitive to contour smoothness, which also influences contour visibility more generally under highly camouflaging stimulus conditions. We distinguish the effect of contour smoothness on contour persistence from observer bias, which also contributes to the surprisingly long duration of contour persistence. We conclude that the strong modulatory effects of contour smoothness on persistence are due to the sustained reverberation of local and global contour-binding mechanisms in visual cortex, which form an important basis of perceptual continuity and stable object perception.
Emotional Tears as Biological Signals

Emotional tears have been shown to enhance the interpretation of sadness that is inferred from facial expressions. The current paper puts emotional tears in an evolutionary context. By using biological signaling theory, it first looks at the distinction between cues and signals, both of which provide information to recipients, except that signals have evolved for that purpose. The conclusion is that a signaling function has yet to be shown. Nevertheless, as emotional tears are likely to function as signals, an analysis of certain inevitable effects of tears on the individual hint at more than a single signaling function, depending on the context in which tears are produced. Emotional tears decrease the perception of gaze direction or of changes in pupil size, and may function as attenuators of intentions. Emotional tears are more likely, however, to function as handicaps. By blurring vision, they handicap aggressive or defensive actions, and may function as reliable signals of appeasement, need or attachment.
Telomeres Cluster De Novo before the Initiation of Synapsis: A Three-dimensional Spatial Analysis of Telomere Positions before and during Meiotic Prophase

We have analyzed the progressive changes in the spatial distribution of telomeres during meiosis using three-dimensional, high resolution fluorescence microscopy. Fixed meiotic cells of maize (Zea mays L.) were subjected to in situ hybridization under conditions that preserved chromosome structure, allowing identification of stage-dependent changes in telomere arrangements. We found that nuclei at the last somatic prophase before meiosis exhibit a nonrandom, polarized chromosome organization resulting in a loose grouping of telomeres. Quantitative measurements on the spatial arrangements of telomeres revealed that, as cells passed through premeiotic interphase and into leptotene, there was an increase in the frequency of large telomere-to-telomere distances and a decrease in the bias toward peripheral localization of telomeres. By leptotene, there was no obvious evidence of telomere grouping, and the large, singular nucleolus was internally located, nearly concentric with the nucleus. At the end of leptotene, telomeres clustered de novo at the nuclear periphery, coincident with a displacement of the nucleolus to one side. The telomere cluster persisted throughout zygotene and into early pachytene. The nucleolus was adjacent to the cluster at zygotene. At the pachytene stage, telomeres rearranged again by dispersing throughout the nuclear periphery. The stagedependent changes in telomere arrangements are suggestive of specific, active telomere-associated motility processes with meiotic functions. Thus, the formation of the cluster itself is an early event in the nuclear reorganizations associated with meiosis and may reflect a control point in the initiation of synapsis or crossing over.
Dialogue Act Classification in Domain-Independent Conversations Using a Deep Recurrent Neural Network

In this study, we applied a deep LSTM structure to classify dialogue acts (DAs) in open-domain conversations. We found that the word embeddings parameters, dropout regularization, decay rate and number of layers are the parameters that have the largest effect on the final system accuracy. Using the findings of these experiments, we trained a deep LSTM network that outperforms the state-of-the-art on the Switchboard corpus by 3.11%, and MRDA by 2.2%.
Outdoor human motion capture using inverse kinematics and von mises-fisher sampling

Human motion capturing (HMC) from multiview image sequences is an extremely difficult problem due to depth and orientation ambiguities and the high dimensionality of the state space. In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid HMC system that combines video input with sparse inertial sensor input. Employing an annealing particle-based optimization scheme, our idea is to use orientation cues derived from the inertial input to sample particles from the manifold of valid poses. Then, visual cues derived from the video input are used to weight these particles and to iteratively derive the final pose. As our main contribution, we propose an efficient sampling procedure where the particles are derived analytically using inverse kinematics on the orientation cues. Additionally, we introduce a novel sensor noise model to account for uncertainties based on the von Mises-Fisher distribution. Doing so, orientation constraints are naturally fulfilled and the number of needed particles can be kept very small. More generally, our method can be used to sample poses that fulfill arbitrary orientation or positional kinematic constraints. In the experiments, we show that our system can track even highly dynamic motions in an outdoor environment with changing illumination, background clutter, and shadows.