Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Block Network Error Control Codes and Syndrome-based Complete Maximum Likelihood Decoding

In this paper, network error control coding is studied for robust and efficient multicast in a directed acyclic network with imperfect links. The block network error control coding framework, BNEC, is presented and the capability of the scheme to correct a mixture of symbol errors and packet erasures and to detect symbol errors is studied. The idea of syndrome-based decoding and error detection is introduced for BNEC, which removes the effect of input data and hence decreases the complexity. Next, an efficient three-stage syndrome-based BNEC decoding scheme for network error correction is proposed, in which prior to finding the error values, the position of the edge errors are identified based on the error spaces at the receivers. In addition to bounded-distance decoding schemes for error correction up to the refined Singleton bound, a complete decoding scheme for BNEC is also introduced. Specifically, it is shown that using the proposed syndrome-based complete decoding, a network error correcting code with redundancy order d for receiver t, can correct d-1 random additive errors with a probability sufficiently close to 1, if the field size is sufficiently large. Also, a complete maximum likelihood decoding scheme for BNEC is proposed. As the probability of error in different network edges is not equal in general, and given the equivalency of certain edge errors within the network at a particular receiver, the number of edge errors, assessed in the refined Singleton bound, is not a sufficient statistic for ML decoding.
An XMM–Newton view of M101 – I. The luminous X-ray source population

We present the first results of an XMM-Newton EPIC observation of the luminous X-ray source population in the face-on supergiant spiral galaxy M101. We have studied the spectral and temporal properties of the 14 most luminous sources, all of which have intrinsic X- ray luminosities exceeding the Eddington limit for a 1.4-Mneutron star, with a subset in the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) regime (L X 10 39 erg s −1 ). Eleven sources show evidence of short-term variability, and most vary by a factor of ∼2-4 over a baseline of 11-24 yr, providing strong evidence that these sources are accreting X-ray binary (XRB) systems. Our results demonstrate that these sources are a heterogeneous population, showing a variety of spectral shapes. Interestingly, there is no apparent spectral distinction between those sources above and below the ULX luminosity threshold. Nine sources are well fitted with either simple absorbed disc blackbody or power-law models. However, in three of the four sources best fitted with power-law models, we cannot exclude the disc blackbody fits and therefore conclude that, coupled with their high luminosities, eight out of nine single- component sources are possibly high-state XRBs. The nuclear source (XMM-10) has the only unambiguous power-law spectrum (� ∼ 2.3), which may be evidence for the presence of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN). The remaining five sources require at least two-component spectral fits, with an underlying hard component that can be modelled by a power-law continuum or, in three cases, a hot disc blackbody (T in = 0.9-1.5 keV), plus a soft component modelled as a cool blackbody/disc blackbody/thermal plasma. We have compared the spectral shapes of nine sources covered by both this observation and an archival 100-ks Chandra observation of M101; eight show behaviour typical of Galactic XRBs (i.e. softening with increasing luminosity), the only exception being a transient source (XMM-2) which shows little change in spectral hardness despite a factor of ∼30 increase in luminosity. We find no definitive spectral signatures to indicate that these sources contain neutron star primaries, and conclude that they are likely to be stellar-mass black hole XRBs (BHXBs), with black hole masses of ∼2- 23 Mif accreting at the Eddington limit.
Co-ordinated expression of amino acid metabolism in response to N and S deficiency during wheat grain filling

Increasing demands for productivity together with environmental concerns about fertilizer use dictate that the future sustainability of agricultural systems will depend on improving fertilizer use efficiency. Characterization of the biological processes responsible for efficient fertilizer use will provide tools for crop improvement under reduced inputs. Transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches were used to study the impact of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) deficiency on N and S remobilization from senescing canopy tissues during grain filling in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). Canopy tissue N was remobilized effectively to the grain after anthesis. S was less readily remobilized. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolite profiling revealed significant effects of suboptimal N or S supply in leaves but not in developing grain. Analysis of amino acid pools in the grain and leaves revealed a strategy whereby amino acid biosynthesis switches to the production of glutamine during grain filling. Glutamine accumulated in the first 7 d of grain development, prior to conversion to other amino acids and protein in the subsequent 21 d. Transcriptome analysis indicated that a down-regulation of the terminal steps in many amino acid biosynthetic pathways occurs to control pools of amino acids during leaf senescence. Grain N and S contents increased in parallel after anthesis and were not significantly affected by S deficiency, despite a suboptimal N:S ratio at final harvest. N deficiency resulted in much slower accumulation of grain N and S and lower final concentrations, indicating that vegetative tissue N has a greater control of the timing and extent of nutrient remobilization than S.
Positive Organizational Scholarship: What Does it Achieve?

Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) is a relatively new development in organizational studies, having formally begun with a 2003 edited collection of the same name (Cameron, et al., 2003b). Since that time, it has attracted considerable attention (e.g., George, 2004; Fineman, 2006; Caza and Caza, 2007; Roberts, 2006). The theoretical basis and scope of POS have been addressed quite recently (Dutton and Glynn, 2007; Dutton and Sonenshein, 2007), so this chapter only summarizes these issues, in favor of concentrating on the research and practice of POS. After discussing the domain and precursors of POS, primary attention is given to what POS has accomplished to date. These accomplishments have two facets, as POS involves a research perspective and an approach to managing organizations. This chapter considers the accomplishments of POS in both areas.
Effects of Stigma, Sense of Community, and Self-Esteem on the HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors of African American and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men

African-American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionately large burden of the Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States. To further enhance HIV prevention efforts among men of color, a survey was conducted within New York City’s house ball community; a community largely comprised of racial and ethnic minority persons. Time-space sampling was adapted to recruit participants for the survey from venues frequented by members of the house ball community. Using logistic regression analysis, this study examined the effects of perceived stigma, enacted stigma, sense of community and self-esteem on unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among a sub-sample of men in the survey. Both perceived and enacted stigma had a modest direct effect on engaging in UAI. The direct effect on UAI was significant even after controlling for covariates in the model. The magnitude of the effect on UAI did not vary by race/ethnicity or sexual identity. In addition, perceived and enacted stigma correlated negatively to both sense of community and self-esteem scores. Although sense of community did not buffer the effect of perceived or enacted stigma on UAI, both sense of community and self-esteem were protective against engaging in UAI. However, while the direct effect of sense of community on UAI remained after controlling for covariates in the model, the effect self-esteem had on UAI diminished after adding variables to the model. Further, self-esteem was negatively correlated with both perceived and enacted stigma, but it did not mediate perceived and enacted stigma’s effect on UAI. Implications for HIV prevention strategies given these findings are discussed. Implications include developing multilevel interventions, including structural interventions, to reduce the stigma that is perceived and experienced by men of color as well as building stronger communities for African American and Latino MSM. INDEX WORDS: Stigma, community, sense of community, self-esteem, unprotected anal intercourse, house ball community, African American, Latino, men who have sex with men, Human Immunodeficiency Virus. EFFECTS OF STIGMA, SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AND SELF-ESTEEM ON THE HIV SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIORS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN by TERESA JACOBS FINLAYSON A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University
Lattice study of the infrared behavior of QCD Green's functions in Landau gauge

We summarize the current status of our numerical results for the gluon and ghost propagators and for the Kugo-Ojima confinement parameter in quenched SU(3) lattice Landau gauge theory. The data for the propagators are compared to our results obtained in the case of full QCD, simulated using two flavors of dynamical clover-improved Wilson fermions. We demonstrate that the infrared behavior of the ghost propagator is consistent with the Kugo-Ojima confinement criterion. Explicit violation of reflection positivity by the gluon propagator is shown. Additionally, we present results of a running coupling constant both at low and at large momenta.
Disengagement from and reintegration to school : a narrative enquiry

This study utilized a narrative inquiry design to examine the process of disengagement from and reintegration to school among five former at-risk students, with an emphasis on participants' perspectives on and interpretations of this process. In-depth, unstructured interviews provided the data for the resulting narrative accounts. Five individual narratives of disengagement and reintegration were produced. A cross case thematic 1 temporal analysis of these narratives suggested the existence of three movements which characterized the process of disengagement and reintegration to school: Early problems and the search for belonging; The middle years and the struggle to survive; and From atrisk to risk taker: agency, relationships and the road to graduation. Disengagement and reintegration, for these participants, resembled a roller coaster ride. Participants reported a growing disenchantment with various aspects of their early life and an escalating series of problems across numerous domains. This was followed by a middle period characterized by a series of disengaging experiences and continued attempts to reengage. A critical period defined by an increasing intensity of both personal difficulties and indepth self examination served as the catalyst for the final movement during which participants reintegrated to school and achieved secondary school graduation. A framework for understanding reintegration based on the development of agency and the primacy of caring relationships is presented in conjunction with implications for education and educational leadership.
DNA microarray data imputation and significance analysis of differential expression

MOTIVATION Significance analysis of differential expression in DNA microarray data is an important task. Much of the current research is focused on developing improved tests and software tools. The task is difficult not only owing to the high dimensionality of the data (number of genes), but also because of the often non-negligible presence of missing values. There is thus a great need to reliably impute these missing values prior to the statistical analyses. Many imputation methods have been developed for DNA microarray data, but their impact on statistical analyses has not been well studied. In this work we examine how missing values and their imputation affect significance analysis of differential expression. RESULTS We develop a new imputation method (LinCmb) that is superior to the widely used methods in terms of normalized root mean squared error. Its estimates are the convex combinations of the estimates of existing methods. We find that LinCmb adapts to the structure of the data: If the data are heterogeneous or if there are few missing values, LinCmb puts more weight on local imputation methods; if the data are homogeneous or if there are many missing values, LinCmb puts more weight on global imputation methods. Thus, LinCmb is a useful tool to understand the merits of different imputation methods. We also demonstrate that missing values affect significance analysis. Two datasets, different amounts of missing values, different imputation methods, the standard t-test and the regularized t-test and ANOVA are employed in the simulations. We conclude that good imputation alleviates the impact of missing values and should be an integral part of microarray data analysis. The most competitive methods are LinCmb, GMC and BPCA. Popular imputation schemes such as SVD, row mean, and KNN all exhibit high variance and poor performance. The regularized t-test is less affected by missing values than the standard t-test. AVAILABILITY Matlab code is available on request from the authors.
Silencing of the TGF-&bgr;1 Gene Increases the Immunogenicity of Cells From Human Ovarian Carcinoma

Cells from many tumors produce transforming growth factor (TGF)-&bgr; which facilitates their escape from control by the immune system. We previously reported that nonimmunogenic cells from either of 2 transplantable mouse tumors became effective as therapeutic tumor vaccines after lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference to “silence” the TGF-&bgr;1 gene. We now show that cells from in vitro cultured human ovarian carcinomas (OvC) make large amounts of TGF-&bgr;1 and that this can be prevented by “silencing” the TGF-&bgr;1 gene. We further show that in vitro sensitization of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of either mitomycin-treated OvC cells whose TGF-&bgr;1 gene was silenced or in vitro matured dendritic cells that had been pulsed with homogenates from OvC cells with silenced TGF-&bgr;1 generated a stronger Th1/Tc1 immune response to the respective wild-type OvC and also to the OvC antigens mesothelin and HE4 as measured by ELIspot assays. The percentage of interferon-&ggr; and tumor necrosis factor-&agr;–producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells increased while there were fewer cells expressing markers characteristic for regulatory T cells or myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Similar results were obtained when peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a patient with OvC were sensitized to dendritic cells pulsed with homogenate from autologous TGF-&bgr;1–silenced tumor cells, and a cytolytic lymphocyte response was generated to autologous OvC cells. Our results support clinical evaluation of TGF-&bgr;1–silenced tumor vaccines for immunotherapy of OvC.
Switching-State Phase Shift Method for Three-Phase-Current Reconstruction With a Single DC-Link Current Sensor

Instead of directly sampling the phase currents, a technique that adopts a single current sensor in the dc link to reconstruct three-phase currents has arisen. Through this approach, the cost of servo systems can be reduced and the reliability can be improved. However, the duration of an effective vector may be so short that the phase current cannot be measured reliably by the conventional space-vector pulsewidth modulation (PWM) algorithm. In this paper, a new phase-current reconstruction method, switching-state phase shift (SSPS), is proposed based on the PWM pattern modification. The modification is performed by applying phase shifts to the switching-state waveforms of the inverter. The algorithm can realize high-quality reconstruction to the phase current with less impacts on the output current ripples and switching losses. Moreover, it can maximize the linear-modulation region by saturation handling. Measurements on the permanent-magnet synchronous motor servo drives show that the SSPS can offer an attractive performance during both steady-state and dynamic operations in the phase-current reconstruction and regulation.
New evidences for C-reactive protein (CRP) deposits in the arterial intima as a cardiovascular risk factor

Inflammatory processes are orchestrated by several soluble molecules, which interact with cell populations involved. Cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase reactants, and hormones are crucial in the evolution of several inflammatory disorders, such as atherosclerosis. Several evidences suggest that C-reactive protein (CRP) started to be considered as a cardiovascular risk factor, since CRP directly induces atheroslerosis development. The recent demonstration of CRP production not only by the liver, but also within atherosclerotic plaques by activated vascular cells, also suggests a possible dual role, as both a systemic and tissue agent. Although more studies are needed, some therapeutic approaches to reduce CRP levels have been performed with encouraging results. However, given the strong limitations represented by its low specificity and still accordingly with the American Heart Association, there is no need for high sensitivity CRP screening of the entire adult population as a public-health measure. The measure of serum CRP might be useful only for patients who are considered at intermediate risk.
Constructing Inequality in Multilingual Classrooms

In this book, the reader is taken on a fascinating journey through some of Madrid's multilingual and multicultural schools, revealing the role of linguistic practices in constructing inequality and educational failure. The exciting discussion of these issues is particularly important in a globalized world where, on a daily basis,children enter multilingual and multicultural schoolsin whichthey face unknown educational practices and languages.
Lactate – a signal coordinating cell and systemic function

SUMMARY Since its first documented observation in exhausted animal muscle in the early 19th century, the role of lactate (lactic acid) has fascinated muscle physiologists and biochemists. Initial interpretation was that lactate appeared as a waste product and was responsible in some way for exhaustion during exercise. Recent evidence, and new lines of investigation, now place lactate as an active metabolite, capable of moving between cells, tissues and organs, where it may be oxidised as a fuel or reconverted to form pyruvate or glucose. The questions now to be asked concern the effects of lactate at the systemic and cellular level on metabolic processes. Does lactate act as a metabolic signal to specific tissues, becoming a metabolite pseudo-hormone? Does lactate have a role in whole-body coordination of sympathetic/parasympathetic nerve system control? And, finally, does lactate play a role in maintaining muscle excitability during intense muscle contraction? The concept of lactate acting as a signalling compound is a relatively new hypothesis stemming from a combination of comparative, cell and whole-organism investigations. It has been clearly demonstrated that lactate is capable of entering cells via the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) protein shuttle system and that conversion of lactate to and from pyruvate is governed by specific lactate dehydrogenase isoforms, thereby forming a highly adaptable metabolic intermediate system. This review is structured in three sections, the first covering pertinent topics in lactate's history that led to the model of lactate as a waste product. The second section will discuss the potential of lactate as a signalling compound, and the third section will identify ways in which such a hypothesis might be investigated. In examining the history of lactate research, it appears that periods have occurred when advances in scientific techniques allowed investigation of this metabolite to expand. Similar to developments made first in the 1920s and then in the 1980s, contemporary advances in stable isotope, gene microarray and RNA interference technologies may allow the next stage of understanding of the role of this compound, so that, finally, the fundamental questions of lactate's role in whole-body and localised muscle function may be answered.
CD4 Dynamics over a 15 Year-Period among HIV Controllers Enrolled in the ANRS French Observatory

Background There are few large published studies of HIV controllers with long-term undetectable viral load (VL). We describe the characteristics and outcomes of 81 French HIV controllers. Methods and Results HIV controllers were defined as asymptomatic, antiretroviral-naïve persons infected ≥10 years previously, with HIV-RNA <400 copies/mL in >90% of plasma samples. All available CD4 and VL values were collected at enrolment. Mixed-effect linear models were used to analyze CD4 cell count slopes since diagnosis. HIV controllers represented 0.31% of all patients managed in French hospitals. Patients infected through intravenous drug use were overrepresented (31%) and homosexual men were underrepresented (26% of men) relative to the ANRS SEROCO cohort of subjects diagnosed during the same period. HIV controllers whose VL values were always below the detection limit of the assays were compared with those who had rare “blips” (<50% of VL values above the detection limit) or frequent blips (>50% of VL values above the detection limit). Estimated CD4 cell counts at HIV diagnosis were similar in the three groups. CD4 cell counts remained stable after HIV diagnosis in the “no blip” group, while they fell significantly in the two other groups (−0.26√CD4 and −0.28√CD4/mm3/year in the rare and frequent blip groups, respectively). No clinical, immunological or virological progression was observed in the no blip group, while 3 immunological and/or virological events and 4 cancers were observed in the blip subgroups. Conclusions Viral blips in HIV controllers are associated with a significant decline in CD4 T cells and may be associated with an increased risk of pathological events, possibly owing to chronic inflammation/immune activation.
Adaptive Schema Databases

The rigid schemas of classical relational databases help users in specifying queries and inform the storage organization of data. However, the advantages of schemas come at a high upfront cost through schema and ETL process design. In this work, we propose a new paradigm where the database system takes a more active role in schema development and data integration. We refer to this approach as adaptive schema databases ( ASDs ). An ASD ingests semi-structured or unstructured data directly using a pluggable combination of extraction and data integration techniques. Over time it discovers and adapts schemas for the ingested data using information provided by data integration and information extraction techniques, as well as from queries and user-feedback. In contrast to relational databases, ASDs maintain multiple schema workspaces that represent individualized views over the data, which are ﬁne-tuned to the needs of a particular user or group of users. A novel aspect of ASDs is that probabilistic database techniques are used to encode ambiguity in automatically generated data extraction workﬂows and in generated schemas. ASDs can provide users with context-dependent feedback on the quality of a schema, both in terms of its ability to satisfy a user’s queries, and the quality of the resulting answers. We outline