Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of the ONERA-CNES rain attenuation time series synthesizer and validation of the dynamic characteristics of the generated Fade events

To develop and test real-time Fade Mitigation Techniques control algorithms, propagation time series are needed. An alternative to using real data collected from propagation experiments is to generate typical fading time-series making use of climatological characteristics as well as geometrical and radio-electrical parameters of the link. The objective of this paper is to present the improvement of the rain attenuation dynamic model based on the Maseng-Bakken model. Some of the theoretical hypotheses have been verified, a methodology to assess input parameters has been tested, and the sensitivity of the model with respect to internal parameters has been studied. Then, a new validation methodology that aims at assessing the physical soundness of synthesized events has been developed. Finally it has been applied to the ONERA-CNES channel model.
Molecular cloning of structural and regulatory hydrogenase (hox) genes of Alcaligenes eutrophus H16

A gene bank of the 450-kilobase (kb) megaplasmid pHG1 from the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 was constructed in the broad-host-range mobilizable vector pSUP202 and maintained in Escherichia coli. hox DNA was identified by screening the E. coli gene bank for restoration of hydrogenase activity in A. eutrophus Hox mutants. Hybrid plasmids that contained an 11.6-kb EcoRI fragment restored soluble NAD-dependent hydrogenase activity when transferred by conjugation into one class of Hos- mutants. An insertion mutant impaired in particulate hydrogenase was partially restored in Hop activity by an 11-kb EcoRI fragment. A contiguous sequence of two EcoRI fragments of 8.6 and 2.0 kb generated Hox+ recombinants from mutants that were devoid of both hydrogenase proteins. hox DNA was subcloned into the vector pVK101. The resulting recombinant plasmids were used in complementation studies. The results indicate that we have cloned parts of the structural genes coding for Hos and Hop activity and a complete regulatory hox DNA sequence which encodes the thermosensitive, energy-dependent derepression signal of hydrogenase synthesis in A. eutrophus H16.
Multiple Epstein-Barr Virus Infections in Healthy Individuals

ABSTRACT We employed a newly developed genotyping technique with direct representational detection of LMP-1 gene sequences to study the molecular epidemiology of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in healthy individuals. Infections with up to five different EBV genotypes were found in two of nine individuals studied. These results support the hypothesis that multiple EBV infections of healthy individuals are common. The implications for the development of an EBV vaccine are discussed.
Molecular characterization of rotaviruses circulating in the population in Turkey

Of a total of 508 stool specimens from children with acute diarrhoea, mostly under the age of 5 years, collected in nine cities in the western and southeastern regions of Turkey between May 2000 and October 2002, 119 (23·4%) were found positive for rotaviruses (RV) by ELISA. Positive samples were characterized by electropherotyping and G and P genotyping. A subset of G and P types were confirmed by nucleic acid sequencing. The most prevalent types found in this collection included G4P[8], accounting for 27/64 (42·2%) of the fully characterized strains. G1P[8], G2P[4] and G3P[8] were found in 17 (26·6%), 2 (3·1%) and one (1·5%) samples respectively. Less common strains such as G9P[8] were found in two (3·2%) samples and G2P[8], G1P[6], G2P[6] and G4P[6], possible reassortant viruses, were found in five (7·8%), 2 (3·1%), one (1·5%) and four (6·3%) samples respectively. Mixed infections were found in six (7·3%) samples and were associated with combinations of G1+G2, G1+G4, G1+G9 and G4+G9 strains. This is the first molecular epidemiology study of its kind to be carried out in Turkey and suggests a significant diversity of co-circulating rotavirus strains.
Evaluation of the predictive performance of a ‘Diprifusor’ TCI system

The predictive performance of a ‘Diprifusor’ target controlled infusion system for propofol was examined in 46 patients undergoing major surgery, divided into three age groups (18–40, 41–55 and 56–80 years). Measured arterial propofol concentrations were compared with values calculated (predicted) by the target controlled infusion system. Performance indices (median performance error and median absolute performance error) were similar in the three age groups, with study medians of 16.2% and 24.1%, respectively. Mean values for ‘divergence’ and ‘wobble’ were −7.6%. h−1 and 21.9%, respectively. Measured concentrations tended to be higher than calculated concentrations, particularly following induction or an increase in target concentration. The mean (SD) propofol target concentration of 3.5 (0.7) μgml−1 during maintenance was lower in older patients, compared with higher target concentrations of 4.2 (0.6) and 4.3 (0.7) μgml−1 in the two younger age groups, respectively. The control of depth of anaesthesia was good in all patients and the predictive performance of the ‘Diprifusor’ target controlled infusion system was considered acceptable for clinical purposes.
Memory complaints in a community sample aged 60–64 years: associations with cognitive functioning, psychiatric symptoms, medical conditions, APOE genotype, hippocampus and amygdala volumes, and white-matter hyperintensities

Background. Previous research has found that depression is a major cause of memory complaints. However, there is evidence that memory complaints also weakly predict cognitive decline and dementia. The present study examined a range of possible determinants of memory complaints, covering psychiatric and personality factors, medical history, cognitive test performance, and biological risk factors for dementia (APOE genotype, hippocampus and amygdala volumes, and white-matter hyperintensities). Method. A community survey was carried out with 2546 persons aged 60–64 years living in Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia. Participants were asked about memory problems which interfered with daily life and whether medical help had been sought. A randomly selected subsample of 476 persons was given a brain MRI scan. Results. Participants with memory complaints were found to have poorer memory test performance, more depression and anxiety symptoms, have higher scores on personality traits involving negative affect, and to have worse physical health. Multivariate analyses showed that measures of cognitive performance did not make a unique contribution to the prediction of memory complaints above that of the other categories of predictors. Those with memory complaints did not differ on any of the biological risk factors for dementia. Conclusion. In a community sample aged 60–64 years, memory complaints were most closely related to psychiatric symptoms, personality characteristics and poor physical health. There was no evidence of brain changes indicating early dementia.
Efficient use of fading correlations in MIMO systems

We investigate the effects of both fading correlations and transmitter channel knowledge in multiple element antenna (MEA) communication systems. While, for independent and identically distributed fades between receive and transmit antennas, pioneering work showed that a huge increase in capacity is possible for MEA compared to a single antenna system, recent contributions warn that fading correlations destroy most of this advantage. While this is true for zero transmitter channel knowledge, we show however that long-term average channel state information enables the transmitter to efficiently use the fading correlations to its advantage and offers the potential to even increase capacity beyond the one possible for independent fading. A conceived transmit technique is presented that efficiently makes use of fading correlations, and also provides optimum choice of digital modulation schemes that carry the information.
Interacting with Dynamic Social Knowledge - Revealing Challenges through an Analysis of Pragmatic Aspects of Problem Solving

In the Social Web users interact with each other in multiple contexts expressing meanings and intentions. Knowledge production in this context can be understood as a dynamic socio-cultural process. Mechanisms that support users to explore this knowledge in an effective and efficient way may bring benefits from a personal and social perspective. However, the construction of these interaction mechanisms is dependent on new models and techniques to dynamically represent and visualize the shared knowledge. The interpretation of the content by users is influenced by meanings and intentions, as well as by the understanding of the evolution of these aspects over time. This paper analyses the evolution of meaning and intentions in collaborative problem solving scenarios using Social Network Systems. The analysis method has its roots in Semiotics and Speech Act Theory. Results indicate research challenges for new interaction possibilities by representing the evolution of the pragmatic aspects and their relations with the semantic ones. To address these open research problems we present a preliminary conceptual framework for multidisciplinary research in three interconnected perspectives: interactive, conceptual and technical.
User Profile Preserving Social Network Embedding

This paper addresses social network embedding, which aims to embed social network nodes, including user profile information, into a latent low-dimensional space. Most of the existing works on network embedding only consider network structure, but ignore user-generated content that could be potentially helpful in learning a better joint network representation. Different from rich node content in citation networks, user profile information in social networks is useful but noisy, sparse, and incomplete. To properly utilize this information, we propose a new algorithm called User Profile Preserving Social Network Embedding (UPPSNE), which incorporates user profile with network structure to jointly learn a vector representation of a social network. The theme of UPPSNE is to embed user profile information via a nonlinear mapping into a consistent subspace, where network structure is seamlessly encoded to jointly learn informative node representations. Extensive experiments on four real-world social networks show that compared to state-of-the-art baselines, our method learns better social network representations and achieves substantial performance gains in node classification and clustering tasks.
Awake Fiberoptic or Awake Video Laryngoscopic Tracheal Intubation in Patients with Anticipated Difficult Airway Management: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Awake flexible fiberoptic intubation (FFI) is the gold standard for management of anticipated difficult tracheal intubation. The purpose of this study was to compare awake FFI to awake McGrath® video laryngoscope, (MVL), (Aircraft Medical, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom) intubation in patients with an anticipated difficult intubation. The authors examined the hypothesis that MVL intubation would be faster than FFI. Methods: Ninety-three adult patients with anticipated difficult intubation were randomly allocated to awake FFI or awake MVL, patients were given glycopyrrolate, nasal oxygen, topical lidocaine orally, and a transtracheal injection of 100 mg lidocaine. Remifentanil infusion was administered intravenously to a Ramsay sedation score of 2–4. Time to tracheal intubation was recorded by independent assessors. The authors also recorded intubation success on the first attempt, investigators′ evaluation of ease of the technique, and patients reported intubation-discomfort evaluated on a visual analog scale. Results: Eighty-four patients were eligible for analysis. Time to tracheal intubation was median [interquartile range, IQR] 80 s [IQR 58–117] with FFI and 62 s [IQR 55–109] with MVL (P = 0.17). Intubation success on the first attempt was 79% versus 71% for FFI and MVL, respectively. The median visual analog scale score for ease of intubation was 2 (IQR 1–4) versus 1 (IQR 1–6) for FFI and MVL, respectively. The median visual analog scale score for patients' assessment of discomfort for both techniques was 2, FFI (IQR 0–3), MVL (IQR 0–4). Conclusions: The authors found no difference in time to tracheal intubation between awake FFI and awake MVL intubation performed by experienced anesthesiologists in patients with anticipated difficult airway.
Early On–Cardiopulmonary Bypass Hypotension and Other Factors Associated With Vasoplegic Syndrome

Background— Vasoplegic syndrome is a form of vasodilatory shock that can occur after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We hypothesized that the severity and duration of the decline in mean arterial pressure immediately after CPB is begun can be used as a predictor of patients will develop vasoplegia in the immediate post-CPB period and of poor clinical outcome. We quantified the decline in mean arterial pressure by calculating an area above the mean arterial blood pressure curve. Methods and Results— We retrospectively analyzed 2823 adult cardiac surgery cases performed between July 2002 and December 2006. Of these 2823, 577 (20.4%) were vasoplegic after separation from CPB. We found that 1645 patients (58.3%) had a clinically significant decline in mean arterial pressure after starting CPB (area above the mean arterial blood pressure curve >0) and were significantly more likely to become vasoplegic (23.0% versus 16.9%; odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.43; P<0.001). These patients were also far more likely either to die in hospital or to have a length of stay >10 days (odds ratio, 3.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.44 to 7.57; P=0.005). Additional risk factors for developing vasoplegia that were identified included the additive euroSCORE, procedure type, prebypass mean arterial pressure, length of bypass, administration of pre-CPB vasopressors, core temperature on CPB, pre- and post-CPB hematocrit, the preoperative use of β-blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and the intraoperative use of aprotinin. Conclusions— The results of this investigation suggest that it is possible to predict vasoplegia intraoperatively before separation from CPB and that the presence of a clinically significant area above the mean arterial blood pressure curve serves as a predictor of poor clinical outcome.
Expression and localization of mesothelin in developing rat pancreas

To define a genetic network that regulates development of the pancreas, we used high‐density microarray (Affymetrix) to generate transcriptional profiles of rat pancreas from five biologically significant stages of development: embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5), E15.5, E18.5, postnatal day 0 (P0) and adult. Many genes were notably highly expressed in the later gestation when islet architecture and function are gradually forming. The expression and localization of mesothelin, one of these genes, was further examined. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis revealed that mRNA and protein levels of mesothelin were high from later gestation to 2–3 weeks after birth, and with relatively low but detectable expression levels in adult rat pancreas. Immunolocalization indicated that mesothelin localized not only in islet beta‐cells but also in the mesenchyme of developing rat pancreas. Transient mesothelin expression was concomitant with the development of islets architecture formation, remodeling and maturation. These findings indicate that mesothelin is dynamically expressed in the developing rat pancreas and that mesothelin might be involved in some developmental events during development of rat pancreas.
The Impact of Hyposalivation on Quality of Life (QoL) and Oral Health in the Aging Population of Al Madinah Al Munawarrah

Hyposalivation (HS) affects aging individuals by causing pain and discomfort in the oral cavity. The aim here was to determine the impact of hyposalivation and the saliva pH on the quality of life and caries status of geriatrics population. A total of 138 male outpatients attending the Taibah University College of Dentistry (TUCoD) dental clinic were included in the study. The saliva flow, pH, Quality of Life (QoL), and caries status were recorded. The QoL was measured using the Arabic version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the caries status was recorded using the Decayed, Missed, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. The mean age was 67.5 years and 64% were classified as having hyposalivation. The older respondents tended to have a lower saliva flow and pH compared to their younger counterparts. There was a significant inverse association (p = 0.02) between the caries status and mean saliva flow rate. There was also a significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation between caries and the OHIP-14 scores (Spearman’s ρ = 0.293). The prevalence of hyposalivation was relatively high and there was an inverse relationship between the age, the saliva flow, and pH. Those with more caries reported significantly poor QoL.
Characterization of Integrons and Resistance Genes in Salmonella Isolates from Farm Animals in Shandong Province, China

A total of 154 non-duplicate Salmonella isolates were recovered from 1,105 rectal swabs collected from three large-scale chicken farms (78/325, 24.0%), three large-scale duck farms (56/600, 9.3%) and three large-scale pig farms (20/180, 11.1%) between April and July 2016. Seven serotypes were identified among the 154 isolates, with the most common serotype in chickens and ducks being Salmonella enteritidis and in pigs Salmonella typhimurium. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that high antimicrobial resistance rates were observed for tetracycline (72.0%) and ampicillin (69.4%) in all sources. Class 1 integrons were detected in 16.9% (26/154) of these isolates and contained gene cassettes aadA2, aadA1, drfA1-aadA1, drfA12-aadA2, and drfA17-aadA5. Three β-lactamase genes were detected among the 154 isolates, and most of the isolates carried blaTEM−1(55/154), followed by blaPSE−1(14/154) and blaCTX−M−55 (11/154). Three plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes were detected among the 154 isolates, and most of the isolates carried qnrA (113/154), followed by qnrB (99/154) and qnrS (10/154). Fifty-four isolates carried floR among the 154 isolates. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis showed that nine sequence types (STs) were identified; ST11 was the most frequent genotype in chickens and ducks, and ST19 was identified in pigs. Our findings indicated that Salmonella was widespread, and the overuse of antibiotics in animals should be reduced considerably in developing countries.
Release of Incompletely Processed Proinsulin Is the Cause of the Disproportionate Proinsulinemia of NIDDM

The production of insulin from proinsulin involves cleavage of intact proinsulin into proinsulin conversion intermediates by the processing of enzymes PC2 and PC3 before fully processed insulin is produced. Intact proinsulin and these conversion intermediates are measured in many immunoreactive insulin (IRI) assays, and therefore contribute to the absolute IRI measurement. The proportion of basal IRI made up of proinsulin (PI)-like molecules (PI/IRI) is increased in NIDDM. Whether stimulated IRI levels are similarly made up of disproportionately increased PI/IRI or whether the relative proportions of proinsulin and its conversion intermediates are altered has not been evaluated. An index of the efficiency of proinsulin processing within the pancreatic β-cell can be achieved by measuring PI/IRI immediately following acute stimulation of β-cell secretion, and then determining the proportion of intact proinsulin and proinsulin conversion intermediates contributing to circulating proinsulin-like molecules. In this study, we determined the PI/IRI levels under basal and arginine-stimulated conditions in 17 healthy and 16 NIDDM subjects; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was also performed in a subset of these subjects to measure the relative contribution of intact proinsulin and its conversion intermediates to total proinsulin-like molecules. In NIDDM subjects, levels of both basal (44.6 ± 9.6 vs. 9.3 ± 1.5 pmol/1; P = 0.0007) and stimulated (64.0 ± 12.7 vs. 19.8 ± 2.8 pmol/1; P = 0.001) proinsulin-like molecules were higher than in healthy subjects. Although IRI was higher in NIDDM than in control subjects under basal conditions (106 ± 19 vs. 65.1 ± 8.1 pmol/1; P = 0.05), it was lower in NIDDM than in control subjects following stimulation (increment: 257 ± 46 vs. 416 ±51 pmol/1; P = 0.03). PWRI ratios were increased in NTODM subjects under both basal (43.3 ± 5.0 vs. 14.0 ± 1.3%; P < 0.0001) and stimulated (increment: 10.1 ± 2.1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.2%; P = 0.0006) conditions, compatible with the release of a disproportionately increased amount of proinsulin-like products. HPLC analysis revealed that, in the stimulated state, intact proinsulin made up 40.1 ± 6.7% of proinsulin-like molecules in NIDDM individuals (n = 9) and 30.1 ± 5.6% in healthy subjects (n = 7; NS). The remainder of the proinsulin-like molecules comprised the des-31,32-split proinsulin conversion intermediate. The increase in PI/IRI in NIDDM under basal and especially under stimulated conditions suggests that proinsulin conversion is indeed perturbed in this disorder. Because the relative proportions of intact and des-31,32-split proinsulin are similar in both healthy and NIDDM subjects, the orderly cleavage of proinsulin at its two junctions appears preserved. However, at the time of exocytosis, the secretory granule in the islet of NIDDM subjects contains an increased proportion of incompletely processed proinsulin, presumably reflecting a slower rate of conversion or granules' reduced time of residence in β-cells.
Exposure to Same-Race Teachers and Student Disciplinary Outcomes for Black Students in North Carolina

Using student-level administrative data from North Carolina, we explore whether exposure to same-race teachers affects the rate at which Black students receive exclusionary discipline, such as out-of-school suspensions, in-school suspensions, and expulsion. We find consistent evidence that exposure to same-race teachers is associated with reduced rates of exclusionary discipline for Black students. This relationship holds for elementary, middle, and high school grade ranges for male and female students, and for students who do and do not use free and reduced-price lunch. Although we find reductions in referrals for a number of different types of offenses, we find particularly consistent evidence that exposure to same-race teachers lowers office referrals for willful defiance across all grade levels, suggesting that teacher discretion plays a role in driving our results.
Lack of Epstein-Barr virus infection in cervical carcinomas.

CONTEXT The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous microorganism strongly associated with lymphoproliferative disorders and a large number of human neoplasms, mainly undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt lymphoma. The viral DNA has been detected in other tumors, such as carcinomas from tonsil, salivary glands, and thymus, and malignancies of the female genital tract. Some authors have proposed that EBV could play a role in the carcinogenesis of cervical tumors; however, other studies do not support this hypothesis. OBJECTIVE To assess whether EBV is associated with female genital tract neoplasms. DESIGN Sixty-five biopsy specimens (5 in situ carcinomas, 24 invasive squamous cell carcinomas, 6 lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas, and 30 endocervical adenocarcinomas) were used to perform EBV detection through RNA in situ hybridization. RESULTS None of the cervical carcinoma cases studied was positive for EBV infection. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that it is still premature to incriminate EBV in the carcinogenesis of cervical carcinoma.