Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
One-shot games for spectrum sharing among co-located radio access networks

We consider an adaptive co-primary spectrum sharing scheme based on playing one-shot games between co-located distributed Radio Access Networks (RANs). Spectrum is divided into private and shared parts, and each RAN internally applies coordinated multi-point transmissions. Zero-forcing precoding is used in the private part, while unitary precoding is applied in the non-orthogonally shared part. A one-shot game is played such that each operator proposes a spectrum partition which maximizes its own sum utility, and the actual spectrum partition is resolved based on a priori decision rules that reflect the regulatory framework. Thus, adaptive spectrum sharing can be implemented with a minimal exchange of signaling information among operators. The existence of a unique Nash-equilibrium is shown for the game. Simulation results show that adaptive spectrum sharing is able to bridge between the baseline performance of orthogonal and full (non-orthogonal) spectrum in different signal-to-noise power ratio regions.
GazeGAN - Unpaired Adversarial Image Generation for Gaze Estimation

Recent research has demonstrated the ability to estimate gaze on mobile devices by performing inference on the image from the phone's front-facing camera, and without requiring specialized hardware. While this offers wide potential applications such as in human-computer interaction, medical diagnosis and accessibility (e.g., hands free gaze as input for patients with motor disorders), current methods are limited as they rely on collecting data from real users, which is a tedious and expensive process that is hard to scale across devices. There have been some attempts to synthesize eye region data using 3D models that can simulate various head poses and camera settings, however these lack in realism. In this paper, we improve upon a recently suggested method, and propose a generative adversarial framework to generate a large dataset of high resolution colorful images with high diversity (e.g., in subjects, head pose, camera settings) and realism, while simultaneously preserving the accuracy of gaze labels. The proposed approach operates on extended regions of the eye, and even completes missing parts of the image. Using this rich synthesized dataset, and without using any additional training data from real users, we demonstrate improvements over state-of-the-art for estimating 2D gaze position on mobile devices. We further demonstrate cross-device generalization of model performance, as well as improved robustness to diverse head pose, blur and distance.
The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society classification criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis and for spondyloarthritis in general

Objective To evaluate new classification criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) in patients with SpA with peripheral manifestations only. Methods In this Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) study, two prespecified sets of criteria were compared against the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) and Amor criteria in newly referred consecutive patients with undiagnosed peripheral arthritis, and/or enthesitis, and/or dactylitis that usually began before 45 years of age. The clinical diagnosis (SpA vs no SpA) made by the ASAS rheumatologist served as reference standard. Results In all, 24 ASAS centres included 266 patients, with a final diagnosis of SpA being made in 66.2%. After adjustments a final set of criteria showed the best balance between sensitivity (77.8%) and specificity (82.9%): arthritis and/or enthesitis and/or dactylitis plus (A) one or more of the following parameters: psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, preceding infection, human leucocyte antigen B27, uveitis, sacroiliitis on imaging, or (B) two or more other parameters: arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, inflammatory back pain in the past, family history of SpA. The new criteria performed better than modified versions of the ESSG (sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 81.1%) and the Amor criteria (sensitivity 39.8%, specificity 97.8%), particularly regarding sensitivity. In the entire ASAS population of 975 patients the combined use of ASAS criteria for axial SpA and ASAS criteria for peripheral SpA also had a better balance (sensitivity 79.5%, specificity 83.3%) than the modified ESSG (sensitivity 79.1%, specificity 68.8%) and Amor criteria (sensitivity 67.5%, specificity 86.7%), respectively. Conclusions The new ASAS classification criteria for peripheral SpA performed well in patients presenting with peripheral arthritis, enthesitis and/or dactylitis.
Heteromannan and Heteroxylan Cell Wall Polysaccharides Display Different Dynamics During the Elongation and Secondary Cell Wall Deposition Phases of Cotton Fiber Cell Development

The roles of non-cellulosic polysaccharides in cotton fiber development are poorly understood. Combining glycan microarrays and in situ analyses with monoclonal antibodies, polysaccharide linkage analyses and transcript profiling, the occurrence of heteromannan and heteroxylan polysaccharides and related genes in developing and mature cotton (Gossypium spp.) fibers has been determined. Comparative analyses on cotton fibers at selected days post-anthesis indicate different temporal and spatial regulation of heteromannan and heteroxylan during fiber development. The LM21 heteromannan epitope was more abundant during the fiber elongation phase and localized mainly in the primary cell wall. In contrast, the AX1 heteroxylan epitope occurred at the transition phase and during secondary cell wall deposition, and localized in both the primary and the secondary cell walls of the cotton fiber. These developmental dynamics were supported by transcript profiling of biosynthetic genes. Whereas our data suggest a role for heteromannan in fiber elongation, heteroxylan is likely to be involved in the regulation of cellulose deposition of secondary cell walls. In addition, the relative abundance of these epitopes during fiber development varied between cotton lines with contrasting fiber characteristics from four species (G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum and G. herbaceum), suggesting that these non-cellulosic polysaccharides may be involved in determining final fiber quality and suitability for industrial processing.
Identifying Conditional Causal Effects

This paper concerns the assessment of the effects of actions from a combination of nonexperimental data and causal assumptions encoded in the form of a directed acyclic graph in which some variables are presumed to be unobserved. We provide a procedure that systematically identifies cause effects between two sets of variables conditioned on some other variables, in time polynomial in the number of variables in the graph. The identifiable conditional causal effects are expressed in terms of the observed joint distribution.
Large eddy simulation (2D) using vortex-in-cell and filtered density function for isothermally reacting and thermally stratified mixing layers

A large eddy simulation based on the filtered vorticity transport equation has been coupled with the filtered mass weighted density function transport equation. The filtered vorticity transport has been formulated using the diffusion-velocity method and then solved using the vortex-in-cell scheme in conjunction with both Smagorinsky and dynamic eddy viscosity subgrid scale models for an anisotropic flow. The transport equation for filtered mass weighted density function is solved using the Lagrangian Monte-Carlo method. The methodology has been tested on both chemically reacting with no heat release and thermally stratified spatially growing mixing layers. It is shown that mixing has a greater effect on scalar field within the vortex structure as compared to the braid regions. Also for high Damkohler number (Da), the reaction zones are mainly limited to the thin reacting interfacial zones, i.e. the contact zone between the reactants, whereas for low Da, the reacting zones are spread as reacting pockets within the vortex structure. The effect of vorticity-temperature interaction, i.e., the volumetric expansion and baroclinic vorticity generation, on the flow field is also investigated by mixing a cold and a hot stream with temperature differences of 0, 5, 10, 30 and 50°K. The mixing layer is destabilized earlier and the pairing of vortical structures is reduced as temperature difference is increased. The characteristics of the flow field, i.e. the vorticity contours, the mean velocity, root-mean-square velocity fluctuations and negative cross-stream correlations are discussed. Also, the characteristics of the scalar field, i.e. the mean scalar profiles, root-mean-square scalar fluctuations profiles and filtered probability density function are presented. ii
Cholinergic modulation of an acetylcholine receptor-like antigen on the surface of chick ciliary ganglion neurons in cell culture

Chick ciliary ganglion neurons have a membrane component that shares an antigenic determinant with the “main immunogenic region” of the alpha subunits in nicotinic ACh receptors from skeletal muscle and electric organ. Ultrastructural studies on antibody binding in the ganglion have shown that the cross-reacting antigen on the neuron surface is located predominantly in synaptic membrane. Biochemical studies have shown that the cross-reacting component has a number of other properties expected for the ganglionic nicotonic ACh receptor and that it is distinct from the alpha-bungarotoxin binding component in the tissue. Here we show that ciliary ganglion neurons grown in dissociated cell culture express a similar component that cross-reacts with monoclonal antibodies to ACh receptors, and that the number of antibody-binding sites on the neurons can be modulated by exposure to cholinergic agonists and a protein neurotoxin that reversibly inhibits ACh receptors on the neurons. In most, though not all, cases, levels of ACh sensitivity associated with the neurons are specifically comodulated in parallel with the changes in number of antibody binding sites. The results suggest that at least a portion of the cross-reacting sites on the surface of ciliary ganglion neurons is likely to represent nicotinic ACh receptors. The fact that in some instances levels of ACh sensitivity can be altered without changing the number of cross-reacting sites, however, leaves open the possibility that not all of the sites are associated with receptors or that the neurons can alter the proportion of receptors that is functional.
Mitochondrial peroxiredoxin functions as crucial chaperone reservoir in Leishmania infantum

Significance Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are highly abundant proteins, which serve two seemingly mutually exclusive roles as peroxidases and molecular chaperones. Little is known about the precise mechanism of Prxs’ activation as chaperone and the physiological significance of this second function. Here we demonstrate that in Leishmania infantum, reduced Prx provides a crucial, stress-specific chaperone reservoir, which is activated rapidly upon exposure to unfolding stress conditions. Once activated, Prx protects a wide range of different clients against protein unfolding. Clients are bound in the center of the decameric ring, providing experimental evidence for previous claims that Prxs serve as likely ancestors of chaperonins. Interference with client binding impairs Leishmania infectivity, providing compelling evidence for the in vivo importance of Prx’s chaperone function. Cytosolic eukaryotic 2-Cys-peroxiredoxins have been widely reported to act as dual-function proteins, either detoxifying reactive oxygen species or acting as chaperones to prevent protein aggregation. Several stimuli, including peroxide-mediated sulfinic acid formation at the active site cysteine, have been proposed to trigger the chaperone activity. However, the mechanism underlying this activation and the extent to which the chaperone function is crucial under physiological conditions in vivo remained unknown. Here we demonstrate that in the vector-borne protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum, mitochondrial peroxiredoxin (Prx) exerts intrinsic ATP-independent chaperone activity, protecting a wide variety of different proteins against heat stress-mediated unfolding in vitro and in vivo. Activation of the chaperone function appears to be induced by temperature-mediated restructuring of the reduced decamers, promoting binding of unfolding client proteins in the center of Prx’s ringlike structure. Client proteins are maintained in a folding-competent conformation until restoration of nonstress conditions, upon which they are released and transferred to ATP-dependent chaperones for refolding. Interference with client binding impairs parasite infectivity, providing compelling evidence for the in vivo importance of Prx’s chaperone function. Our results suggest that reduced Prx provides a mitochondrial chaperone reservoir, which allows L. infantum to deal successfully with protein unfolding conditions during the transition from insect to the mammalian hosts and to generate viable parasites capable of perpetuating infection.
The Degree of Facial Movement following Microvascular Muscle Transfer in Pediatric Facial Reanimation Depends on Donor Motor Nerve Axonal Density

Background: Free functional muscle transfer to the face is a standard of facial animation. The contralateral facial nerve, via a cross-face nerve graft, provides spontaneous innervation for the transferred muscle, but is not universally available and has additional shortcomings. The motor nerve to the masseter provides an alternative innervation source. In this study, the authors compared donor nerve histomorphometry and clinical outcomes in a single patient population undergoing free muscle transfer to the face. Methods: Pediatric patients undergoing dynamic facial (re-)animation with intraoperative nerve biopsies and gracilis transfer to the face powered by either the contralateral facial nerve via a cross-face nerve graft or the motor nerve to the masseter were reviewed over a 7-year period. Myelinated nerve counts were assessed histomorphometrically, and functional outcomes were evaluated with the Scaled Measurement of Improvement in Lip Excursion software. Results: From 2004 to 2011, 91 facial (re-)animation procedures satisfied study inclusion criteria. Average myelinated fiber counts were 6757 per mm2 in the donor facial nerve branch, 1647 per mm2 in the downstream cross-face nerve graft at the second stage, and 5289 per mm2 in the masseteric nerve. Reconstructions with either innervation source resulted in improvements in oral commissure excursion and smile symmetry, with the greatest amounts of oral commissure excursion noted in the masseteric nerve group. Conclusions: Facial (re-)animation procedures with use of the cross-face nerve graft or masseteric nerve are effective and result in symmetric smiles. The masseteric nerve provides a more robust innervation source and results in greater commissure excursion. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
Dimensional Stability of Elastomeric Impression Materials Disinfected in a Solution of 0.5% Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Alcohol

Disinfection of elastomeric impression materials used in prosthetic dentistry can cause dimensional changes in the impression materials. 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate is usually used for disinfection of impressions at the School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare linear dimensional changes of three elastomeric impression materials after their immersion in a certain disinfectant. The master dies were made according to the ADA specification no 19. The tested materials were Panasil (addition silicone), Blend-a-scon (condensation silicone) and Impregum F (polyether). Twelve samples were immersed in disinfectant, twelve in water and twelve left in the air for four different periods of time (10 min., 30 min., 60 min and 24 hours). Linear dimensional changes were measured by a non-contact digital tool microscope. The smallest changes were noticed in addition silicone with the least tendency to expansion. The condensation silicone contracted within a tolerant range of 0.2 0.4%, according to DIN 13913. Polyether expanded in the disinfectant significantly. Our results show that the tested polyether is not appropriate for disinfection by immersion in chlorhexidine gluconate, while the other two materials underwent 24-hour immersion with linear dimensional changes within a clinically acceptable range.
Efficacy and safety of once‐daily fluticasone furoate nasal spray in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis treated for 2 wk

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fluticasone furoate (FF) nasal spray 55 and 110 μg once daily in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Patients (n = 554) received placebo nasal spray or FF, administered using a unique side‐actuated device, in a 2‐wk, randomized, double‐blind study. Symptoms were evaluated by patients using a 4‐point categorical scale. Efficacy assessments included reflective and instantaneous total nasal symptom scores (r/iTNSS). Primary analyses were conducted in patients aged 6–11 yr in the intent‐to‐treat population (ITT); the 2–11 yr group provided supportive analyses. In patients aged 6–11 yr, FF 110 μg once daily significantly improved the daily rTNSS compared with placebo. FF 55 μg once daily was only numerically better for rTNSS and iTNSS. Secondary pre‐dose iTNSS and overall response to therapy were significant with FF 110 μg. The significant findings for FF 110 μg were supported by analyses in the entire ITT population of 2–11 yr olds. Both doses of FF were well tolerated. These study results suggest that FF nasal spray administered once daily for 2 wk is well tolerated and effective for the treatment of SAR symptoms in children aged 2–11 yr.
Development of a Rapid and Sensitive Test for Identification of Major Pathogens in Bovine Mastitis by PCR

ABSTRACT Bovine mastitis is the most important source of loss for the dairy industry. A rapid and specific test for the detection of the main pathogens of bovine mastitis is not actually available. Molecular probes reacting in PCR with bacterial DNA from bovine milk, providing direct and rapid detection of Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae,Streptococcus parauberis, and Streptococcus uberis, have been developed. Two sets of specific primers were designed for each of these microorganisms and appeared to discriminate close phylogenic bacterial species (e.g., S. agalactiae and S. dysgalactiae). In addition, two sets of universal primers were designed to react as positive controls with all major pathogens of bovine mastitis. The sensitivities of the test using S. aureus DNA extracted from milk with and without a pre-PCR enzymatic lysis step of bacterial cells were compared. The detection limit of the assay was 3.125 × 102 CFU/ml of milk when S. aureus DNA was extracted with the pre-PCR enzymatic step compared to 5 × 103 CFU/ml of milk in the absence of the pre-PCR enzymatic step. This latter threshold of sensitivity is still compatible with its use as an efficient tool of diagnosis in bovine mastitis, allowing the elimination of expensive reagents. The two PCR tests avoid cumbersome and lengthy cultivation steps, can be performed within hours, and are sensitive, specific, and reliable for the direct detection in milk of the six most prevalent bacteria causing bovine mastitis.
Vehicle Based Laser Range Finding in Crops

Laser rangefinders and laser scanners are widely used for industrial purposes and for remote sensing. In agriculture information about crop parameters like volume, height, and density can support the optimisation of production processes. In scientific papers the measurement of these parameters by low cost laser rangefinders with one echo has been presented for short ranges. Because the cross section area of the beam increases with the measuring range, it can be expected that laser rangefinders will have a reduced measuring accuracy in small sized crops and when measuring far distances. These problems are caused by target areas smaller than the beam and by the beam striking the edges of crop objects. Lab tests under defined conditions and a real field test were performed to assess the measuring properties under such difficult conditions of a chosen low cost sensor. Based on lab tests it was shown that the accuracy was reduced, but the successful use of the sensor under field conditions demonstrated the potential to meet the demands for agricultural applications, Insights resulting from investigations made in the paper contribute to facilitating the choice or the development of laser rangefinder sensors for vehicle based measurement of crop parameters for optimisation of production processes.
The role of multiplex PCR test in identification of bacterial pathogens in lower respiratory tract infections

Objectives: Lower respiratory tract infection is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality. However establishing a microbial diagnosis for patients with lower respiratory tract infection is still challenging and is often achieved in only half of cases by conventional methods. This study was designed to compare the fast responsive PCR method with the culture method in lower respiratory tract infections and to evaluate the reliability of multiplex PCR method. Methods: One hundred ninety seven patients with the symptoms of acute lower respiratory tract infection, and diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and exacerbations of bronchiectasis were included in the study. Both culture and PCR methods was performed for the isolation of most commonly seen bacteria, from sputum, nasopharyngeal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Results: While at least one bacterial isolation was determined in 62 (31.5%) of all patients with culture method, this number increased to 125 (63.5%) with multiplex PCR. The bacteria most commonly identified by PCR were S. pneumoniae (32%) and H. influenzae (31%). There was a significant difference between PCR and culture in terms of multi-factor detection rates (p<0.005). Multiple bacteria were detected in only two cases in cultures; however, multiple pathogens were detected in 47 cases with PCR. Conclusions: Conventional methods, such as culture and serology are not always adequate to detect the pathogens in lower respiratory tract. Real-time PCR assays proved highly sensitive and rapid. The prevalence of bacteria and multiple agent detected by real-time PCR compared with culture was substantially higher. Widespread use of PCR methods, by providing the immediate and appropriate ''agent specific antibiotic treatment'' of LRTI, will help reduce failure and contributes to a reduction in antibiotic resistance.