Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Planning of IEEE 802.16 Networks

This paper addresses aspects of design of WiMAX wireless networks to establish a point-to-point, PTP, link with Alvarion BreezeNET B equipment, from the Health Sciences Faculty of University of Beira Interior to Hospital Sousa Martins (Guarda), and also presents a field trial with pre-WiMAX PTP equipment. The design of the link with relays had into consideration the carrier to noise ratio, C/N, and the minimum carrier to noise ratio with fading, C/Nminjad. From the dimensioning process, with gamma = 2, for the second clause, the three types of modulations (low to high order ones) can be used. Field trials results are similar to the ones extracted from the theoretical model. Cellular WiMAX planning and tests were also addressed and there is a need of using sectorial antennas to optimize coverage and interference.
Reduced-impact logging in the tropics. Objectives, principles and impacts

The objectives and principles of the RIL techniques in the tropics are described and a review presented of the most important results of research carried out on the impact of logging on the remaining stand and forest dynamics. The main objective of RIL techniques is to reduce substantially disturbances to soil and residual vegetation in comparison with conventional logging. RIL is mainly based on close planning and control of all harvesting operations. The amount of logging damage not only depends on the techniques used but also on logging intensity. In Africa, logging damage is usually slight because harvesting intensity rarely exceeds 2 trees per ha. The extreme picture is found in South East Asia where logging intensity averages 9 trees per ha; this involves damage which can affect half of the forest stand. With such logging intensities, RIL techniques are not efficient in reducing damage significantly. (Resume d'auteur)
Acceptability and Accuracy of Cervical Cancer Screening Using a Self-Collected Tampon for HPV Messenger-RNA Testing among HIV-Infected Women in South Africa

Background HIV increases women’s risk for high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and invasive cervical cancer. South Africa has a high HIV prevalence but low cervical cancer screening coverage. Self-collection of cervical specimens and hrHPV testing, including hrHPV messenger-RNA (mRNA) testing, are methods aimed at increasing screening rates. However, data are limited on the acceptability and accuracy of tampon-based self-collection for hrHPV mRNA testing in HIV-infected women. Methods We recruited 325 HIV-infected women seeking care at a government HIV clinic in Pretoria, South Africa. A clinician performed a pelvic examination and obtained an endocervical specimen. Study participants performed self-collection using a tampon. Both clinician- and self-collected specimens were tested for hrHPV mRNA. Acceptability of both collection methods was assessed, the prevalence of hrHPV mRNA in our study population was estimated, test positivity of the two collection methods were compared, and test agreement was assessed by calculating the κ-statistic, sensitivity, and specificity. Results Over 90% of women reported no difficulties self-collecting specimens and 82% were willing to perform the tampon-collection at home. Based on clinician-collection specimens, the prevalence of hrHPV mRNA in our study population was 36.7% (95% CI: 31.4%– 42.0%). There was no difference in test positivity between clinician-collection, 36.7%, and tampon-collection, 43.5% (p-value = 0.08). Using clinician-collection as the reference test, the sensitivity and specificity for hrHPV mRNA of tampon-collection were 77.4% (95% CI: 69.8–85.0%) and 77.8% (95% CI: 71.9–83.6%), respectively. Conclusions Tampon-based self-collection is acceptable to women and has similar hrHPV mRNA positivity rates as clinician-collection, but has reduced sensitivity and specificity compared to clinician-collection. The hrHPV mRNA prevalence in our study population is high, but similar to other high-risk populations, and highlights the need for improved cervical cancer screening. Further research into the optimal use of tampon-based collection as a cervical cancer screening tool is warranted.
Understanding and Tracing Accountability in the Public Procurement Process

How do public procurement specialists define accountability? Are public-private partnerships possible in public procurement? Is there an accountability nexus between public-private partnerships and public procurement? Using data collected from semistructured interviews, it is determined that public-private partnerships in public procurement are possible only under rigid constraints. Findings suggest that there are two decision-making patterns—the broker and the purist—correlated with length of employment by the same organization and the political context of the agency. Understanding accountability within public procurement requires consideration of a complex decision-making process at the individual and organizational levels and also of the political environment, because public procurement is not immune to politics.
Serious physical fighting and gambling-related attitudes and behaviors in adolescents

Background and aims: Physical fighting and gambling are common risk behaviors among adolescents. Prior studies have found associations among these behaviors in adolescents but have not examined systematically the health and gambling correlates of problem-gambling severity amongst youth stratified by fight involvement. Methods: Survey data were used from 2,276 Connecticut high school adolescents regarding their physical fight involvement, gambling behaviors and perceptions, and health and functioning. Gambling perceptions and correlates of problem-gambling severity were examined in fighting and non-fighting adolescents. Results: Gambling perceptions were more permissive and at-risk/problem gambling was more frequent amongst adolescents reporting serious fights versus those denying serious fights. A stronger relationship between problem-gambling severity and regular smoking was observed for adolescents involved in fights. Discussion and conclusions: The more permissive gambling attitudes and heavier gambling associated with serious fights in high school students suggest that youth who engage in physical fights warrant enhanced prevention efforts related to gambling. The stronger relationship between tobacco smoking and problem-gambling severity amongst youth engaging in serious fights suggest that fighting youth who smoke might warrant particular screening for gambling problems and subsequent interventions.
Do uncertainty and technology drive exchange rates

This paper investigates the extent to which technology and uncertainty contribute to fluctuations in real exchange rates. Using a structural VAR and bilateral exchange rates, the author finds that neutral technology shocks are important contributors to the dynamics of real exchange rates. Investment-specific and uncertainty shocks have a more restricted effect on international prices. All three disturbances cause short-run deviations from uncovered interest rate parity.
The Help America Vote Act in the 2006 general election : provisional ballots and overvoting

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) seeks to improve election administration by providing the states with funds to upgrade their voting machines, creates the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), mandates requirements in election administration practices such as the creation and maintenance of computerized voter registration rolls and the development of clear provisional ballot standards, and amends and improves military and overseas voting laws. It is not immediately clear, though, how effective HAVA has been at achieving these goals. Using data from the EAC’s 2006 Election Administration and Voting Survey as well as data from the Democratic National Committee’s voter file, this study looks specifically at the provisional ballot rate and the number of overvotes per county in the 2006 general election. Tobit regression methods are used to examine how effective HAVA has been at improving election outcomes on these metrics for minority voters. In spite of significant data quality issues, this analysis finds that the strongest predictors of the provisional ballot rate are the change in proportion of registered voters age 65 or older, the number of polling places, the number of new registrants, and whether or not the state previously had a form of provisional balloting. The strongest predictors of the number of overvotes are the number of polling places and precincts, and use of DRE ballot machines; the African American turnout rate is also significant, though less strongly.
The Effect of Probiotics for Preventing Radiation-Induced Morphological Changes in Intestinal Mucosa of Rats

Radiation therapy is an important treatment modality for abdominal or pelvic cancer, but there is a common and serious complication such as radiation-induced enteritis. Probiotics is reported to have positive effects against radiation-induced enteropathy. In this study, morphological changes of bowel mucosa were analyzed in rats to presume the effect of probiotics on radiation-induced enteritis and its correlation with radiation dose. A total of 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups and received a solution containing 1.0×108 colony-forming units of Lactiobacillus acidophilus or water once daily for 10 days. Each of two groups was divided into three subgroups and abdomino-pelvic area of each subgroup was irradiated with 10, 15, and 20 Gy, respectively on the seventh day of feeding the solutions. All rats were sacrificed 3 days after irradiation and the mucosal thickness and villus height of jejunum, ileum and colon were measured. The morphological parameters of the small intestine represented significant differences between two solution groups irradiated 10 or 15 Gy, except for villus height of jejunum in 15 Gy-subgroup (P=0.065). There was no significant morphometric difference between two groups irradiated with 20 Gy of radiation. Probiotics appear to be effective for the morphological shortening of small intestinal mucosa damaged by radiation less than or equal to 15 Gy. Graphical Abstract
Protecting the Heart in Obesity: Role of ACE2 and Its Partners

Heart failure, which is among the most common and disabling forms of cardiovascular disease, is closely associated with obesity (1). This is not a new observation, and as highlighted in a historical treatise on the heart and obesity by Alexander (2), in the 1700s the relationship of excess fat deposition involving the heart in obese individuals was reported. In the early 1800s, the fatty heart as an entity was described, and in 1847, William Harvey reported in a postmortem examination of a morbidly obese man that the heart was “large, thick and fibrous, with a considerable quantity of adhering fat” (2). Although the association between obesity and heart disease is well accepted, underlying pathophysiological processes remain elusive, and it is unclear whether obesity cardiomyopathy is due to increased adiposity itself or due to the effects of obesity-associated comorbidities, including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. In obesity, the heart undergoes structural remodeling due to interstitial fibrosis, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and cardiac steatosis, leading to functional alterations (3). Molecular mechanisms associated with these processes include oxidative stress, natriuretic peptides, endothelin-1, advanced glycation end products, and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) (4,5). In addition, inflammation is now considered to be important in obesity-related heart disease, especially in the context of diabetes and insulin resistance (6). In support of this are studies demonstrating that adipocyte-derived factors (adipokines) directly influence proinflammatory signaling in the heart (7). Common in many of the above processes is activation of the RAAS, which is upregulated in obesity (5). Angiotensin (Ang) II, through the angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R), promotes cardiovascular fibrosis, inflammation, and insulin resistance and plays a role in the cardiovascular complications of diabetes and obesity. Recent evidence indicates that cardiac steatosis amplifies the injurious actions of Ang II through reactive oxygen species (8), thereby …
Bmc Complementary and Alternative Medicine Effect of Fagonia Arabica (dhamasa) on in Vitro Thrombolysis

Background: Atherothrombotic diseases such as myocardial or cerebral infarction are serious consequences of the thrombus formed in blood vessels. Thrombolytic agents are used to dissolve the already formed clots in the blood vessels; however, these drugs have certain limitations which cause serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Herbal preparations have been used since ancient times for the treatment of several diseases. Herbs and their components possessing antithrombotic activity have been reported before; however, herbs that could be used for thrombolysis has not been reported so far. This study's aim was to investigate whether herbal preparations (aqueous extract) possess thrombolytic activity or not.
Anticipating Correlations: A New Paradigm for Risk Management

Financial markets respond to information virtually instantaneously. Each new piece of information influences the prices of assets and their correlations with each other, and as the system rapidly changes, so too do correlation forecasts. This fast-evolving environment presents econometricians with the challenge of forecasting dynamic correlations, which are essential inputs to risk measurement, portfolio allocation, derivative pricing, and many other critical financial activities. In Anticipating Correlations, Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Engle introduces an important new method for estimating correlations for large systems of assets: Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC). Engle demonstrates the role of correlations in financial decision making, and addresses the economic underpinnings and theoretical properties of correlations and their relation to other measures of dependence. He compares DCC with other correlation estimators such as historical correlation, exponential smoothing, and multivariate GARCH, and he presents a range of important applications of DCC. Engle presents the asymmetric model and illustrates it using a multicountry equity and bond return model. He introduces the new FACTOR DCC model that blends factor models with the DCC to produce a model with the best features of both, and illustrates it using an array of U.S. large-cap equities. Engle shows how overinvestment in collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs, lies at the heart of the subprime mortgage crisis--and how the correlation models in this book could have foreseen the risks. A technical chapter of econometric results also is included. Based on the Econometric Institute Lectures at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Anticipating Correlations puts powerful new forecasting tools into the hands of researchers, financial analysts, risk managers, derivative quants, and graduate students.
Repositioning English and multilingualism in English as a Lingua Franca

Abstract In the relatively few years since empirical research into English as a Lingua Franca began being conducted more widely, the field has developed and expanded remarkably, and in myriad ways. In particular, researchers have explored ELF from the perspective of a range of linguistic levels and in an ever-increasing number of sociolinguistic contexts, as well as its synergies with the field of Intercultural Communication and its meaning for the fields of Second Language Acquisition and English as a Foreign Language. The original orientation to ELF communication focused heavily, if not exclusively, on form. In light of increasing empirical evidence, this gave way some years later to an understanding that it is the processes underlying these forms that are paramount, and hence to a focus on ELF users and ELF as social practice. It is argued in this article, however, that ELF is in need of further retheorisation in respect of its essentially multilingual nature: a nature that has always been present in ELF theory and empirical work, but which, I believe, has not so far been sufficiently foregrounded. This article therefore attempts to redress the balance by taking ELF theorisation a small step further in its evolution.
RNA Interference and Small Interfering RNAs

The term aRNA interferenceo (RNAi) was coined after the groundbreaking discovery that injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans leads to specific silencing of genes highly homologous in sequence to the delivered dsRNA. The RNAi phenotype is either identical to the genetic null mutant or resembles an allelic series of mutants. The dsRNA can also be delivered by feeding bacteria that express dsRNA from recombinant plasmids to the worm or by soaking the worm in a solution containing the dsRNA. 3] In rapid sequence, RNAi was observed in other animals including mice, 5] and therefore this process possibly exists also in humans. RNAi appears to be related to the posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanism of cosuppression in plants and quelling in fungi. Cosuppression is the ability of some transgenes to silence both themselves and homologous chromosomal loci simultaneously. The initiator molecule for cosuppression is believed to be aberrant RNA, possibly dsRNA, and some components of the RNAi machinery are required for posttranscriptional silencing by cosuppression. 8, 13] The natural function of RNAi and cosuppression is thought to be protection of the genome against invasion by mobile genetic elements such as transposons and viruses, which produce aberrant RNA or dsRNA in the host cell when they become active. Thus, specific mRNA degradation is thought to prevent transposon and virus replication. This minireview will highlight recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of RNAi and its biological function. The reader is also referred to a number of excellent reviews that have appeared recently (see refs. [18 ± 24]).
Vision-based localization using an edge map extracted from 3D laser range data

Reliable real-time localization is a key component of autonomous industrial vehicle systems. We consider the problem of using on-board vision to determine a vehicle's pose in a known, but non-static, environment. While feasible technologies exist for vehicle localization, many are not suited for industrial settings where the vehicle must operate dependably both indoors and outdoors and in a range of lighting conditions. We extend the capabilities of an existing vision-based localization system, in a continued effort to improve the robustness, reliability and utility of an automated industrial vehicle system. The vehicle pose is estimated by comparing an edge-filtered version of a video stream to an available 3D edge map of the site. We enhance the previous system by additionally filtering the camera input for straight lines using a Hough transform, observing that the 3D environment map contains only linear features. In addition, we present an automated approach for generating 3D edge maps from laser point clouds, removing the need for manual map surveying and also reducing the time for map generation down from days to minutes. We present extensive localization results in multiple lighting conditions comparing the system with and without the proposed enhancements.
Sterols from Thai Marine Sponge Petrosia (Strongylophora) sp. and Their Cytotoxicity

Eight new sterols (1–5 and 11–13), together with eight known compounds (6–10 and 14–16) were isolated from marine sponge Petrosia sp. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The cytotoxicity of some compounds against a panel of human cancer cell lines is also reported.
Classification of Mental Disorders Based on Temperament

Context: Different paradoxical theories are available regarding psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to establish a more comprehensive overall approach. Evidence Acquisition: This basic study examined ancient medical books. “The Canon” by Avicenna and “Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry” by Kaplan and Sadock were the most important and frequently consulted books in this study. Results: Four groups of temperaments were identified: high active, high flexible; high active, low flexible; low active, low flexible; and low active, high flexible. When temperament deteriorates personality, non-psychotic, and psychotic psychiatric disorders can develop. Conclusions: Temperaments can provide a basis to classify psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders can be placed in a spectrum based on temperaments.
Corporate Bankruptcy Prediction in the Republic of Serbia

The aim of this paper is to present corporate default prediction models constructed in the specific market conditions that prevail in the Republic of Serbia, and to compare their prediction accuracy with the most frequently used model – Altman’s Z-score. Many authors have constructed models for the purpose of bankruptcy prediction, but predominantly in stable market conditions or in times of economic growth. We have presented three models that use standard ratios and some specific variables in order to predict corporate bankruptcy in emerging and distressed markets. For that purpose, we have used the following statistical and machine learning methods on a training sample (130 companies): Logistic Regression, Decision Trees and Artificial Neural Networks. Finally, we have compared accuracies of predictions of our models to those of the Altman’s Z-score models using an independent hold-out sample (102 companies). Results show that, out of the aforementioned three models, only the one relying on the artificial neural network algorithm performs better when applied on the hold-out sample, compared to Altman’s Z-score models.
Neuroimaging of Freezing of Gait

Abstract Functional brain imaging techniques appear ideally suited to explore the pathophysiology of freezing of gait (FOG). In the last two decades, techniques based on magnetic resonance or nuclear medicine imaging have found a number of structural changes and functional disconnections between subcortical and cortical regions of the locomotor network in patients with FOG. FOG seems to be related in part to disruptions in the “executive-attention” network along with regional tissue loss including the premotor area, inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, the parietal and occipital areas involved in visuospatial functions of the right hemisphere. Several subcortical structures have been also involved in the etiology of FOG, principally the caudate nucleus and the locomotor centers in the brainstem. Maladaptive neural compensation may present transiently in the presence of acute conflicting motor, cognitive or emotional stimulus processing, thus causing acute network overload and resulting in episodic impairment of stepping. In this review we will summarize the state of the art of neuroimaging research for FOG. We will also discuss the limitations of current approaches and delineate the next steps of neuroimaging research to unravel the pathophysiology of this mysterious motor phenomenon.