Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Solutions of the Corona Discharge Equation for Applications in Waveguide Filters in SAT-COM

The microwave device designers in the industry of satellite communications systems use analytical solutions of the corona discharge equation, employing the concept of characteristic diffusion length, to determine whether its intensity in a particular device, such as waveguides and filters, is within established margins. The analytical solutions provide the lowest possible breakdown threshold. Until now, the difference of the gap between the electrical breakdown values obtained experimentally and provided by analytical solutions has not yet been explained sufficiently. This paper shows how it is inappropriate to use the characteristic diffusion length (Λ) rather than the effective diffusion length (Λeff), although in principle electric fields are considered in terms of its geometry. The presence of an ionic space charge generated during the time evolution of the electron avalanche alters the medium properties in waveguide filters, occasioning signal absorption and reflection anomalies that modify the condition of homogeneous fields in inhomogeneous fields.
ALTERED MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE EXPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH ONCOGENE‐MEDIATED CELLULAR TRANSFORMATION AND METASTASIS FORMATION

Matrix metalloproteinase expression was examined in a series of mammalian cell lines of varying degrees of malignant progression. The expression of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 was found to correlate with ras‐mediated cellular transformation and as a function of malignant potential. Altered MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 expression was found to correlate also in other oncogene transformed cell lines and the level of expression of both MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 correlated with metastatic potential. Increased expression of both MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 was also found in cells which constitutively over‐express MAP kinase kinase suggesting that one of the consequences of the persistent activation of the MAP kinase pathway is elevated expression of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9. Additionally, this study demonstrated a correlation between the expression of MMP‐3 (stromelysin‐1) and the level of ras expressed in cells and with the cells' ability to form tumors and with malignant potential. The existence of a novel 80kDa caseinase activity which correlates with ras expression and the ability of the cell to form tumors was also demonstrated. The growth status of transformed cells was also found to be important in determining the expression of MMP‐2 mRNA but not MMP‐9 mRNA expression, and this expression was cell‐type specific. This study also demonstrates that oncogenes can interact to influence and to determine the nature of the matrix metalloproteinases expressed and that this interaction results in a tumorigenic phenotype and, most importantly, contributes to the metastatic phenotype. Alterations in the expression and the regulation of MMPs, particularly MMP‐2 and MMP‐9, constitute an integral part of the altered growth regulatory program found within transformed cells and in particular, in transformed cells capable of malignant progression.
Road Connectivity-based Routing for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Deploying inter-vehicular applications is a challenging task due to the high mobility and the dynamic topology changes. These characteristics cause frequent network disconnections and drastically reduce the efficiency of traditional ad hoc routing protocols. To address this issue, we introduce a new routing approach called “Road Connectivity-based Routing for VANETs” (RCBR) that improves routing performance by selecting an optimal route with high connectivity. RCBR uses real-time traffic information to build a graph representing a view of city roads and the duration of connection between intersections. The connectivity information collected over each road segment is proactively sent to a server deployed on the roadside infrastructure. Based on this graph, a stable path is selected to forward packets along successions of road intersections with high network connectivity among them. The simulation results for city scenarios show that the proposed protocol outperforms existing routing approaches in term of data delivery ratio with significant reduction in delays. Moreover, RCBR scales very well even for sparse networks.
Spectral radii of sparse random matrices

We establish bounds on the spectral radii for a large class of sparse random matrices, which includes the adjacency matrices of inhomogeneous Erdős-Renyi graphs. Our error bounds are sharp for a large class of sparse random matrices. In particular, for the Erdős-Renyi graph $G(n,d/n)$, our results imply that the smallest and second-largest eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix converge to the edges of the support of the asymptotic eigenvalue distribution provided that $d \gg \log n$. Together with the companion paper [3], where we analyse the extreme eigenvalues in the complementary regime $d \ll \log n$, this establishes a crossover in the behaviour of the extreme eigenvalues around $d \sim \log n$. Our results also apply to non-Hermitian sparse random matrices, corresponding to adjacency matrices of directed graphs. The proof combines (i) a new inequality between the spectral radius of a matrix and the spectral radius of its nonbacktracking version together with (ii) a new application of the method of moments for nonbacktracking matrices.
Triclosan-Impregnated Sutures to Decrease Surgical Site Infections: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Objective:To determine the efficacy and safety of triclosan-impregnated sutures. Background:Surgical-site infections (SSIs) produce considerable morbidity and increase health care costs. A potential strategy to decrease the rates of SSIs may be the use of triclosan-impregnated sutures. These have been endorsed and/or funded by professional and governmental bodies in numerous countries. Laboratory studies and nonsystematic reviews have suggested that these sutures may reduce SSIs but there has been no summative assessment of this intervention with regard to clinical efficacy and safety. Hence, a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating triclosan-impregnated sutures were conducted. Methods:The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pubmed databases, and trial registries were searched for published and unpublished RCTs. The endpoints of interest were the incidence of SSIs and wound breakdown. A random effects model was used and pooled estimates were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results:Seven RCTs encompassing a total of 836 patients were included in the final analysis. The studies were of moderate quality. Triclosan-impregnated sutures did not statistically significantly reduce the rates of SSIs (OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.40–1.51; P = 0.45; I2 = 24%). There was no difference in the rates of wound breakdown between the 2 groups (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 0.21–5.43; P = 0.93; I2 = 44%) Conclusions:Triclosan-impregnated sutures do not decrease the rate of SSIs or decrease the rate of wound breakdown. Further high-quality independent studies within the right context are required before routine clinical use can be considered.
The Use of an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model for Prediction of the Incidence of Dysentery in Jiangsu, China

The aim of this study is to forecast the incidence of bacillary dysentery with a prediction model. We collected the annual and monthly laboratory data of confirmed cases from January 2004 to December 2014. In this study, we applied an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to forecast bacillary dysentery incidence in Jiangsu, China. The ARIMA (1, 1, 1) × (1, 1, 2)12 model fitted exactly with the number of cases during January 2004 to December 2014. The fitted model was then used to predict bacillary dysentery incidence during the period January to August 2015, and the number of cases fell within the model’s CI for the predicted number of cases during January-August 2015. This study shows that the ARIMA model fits the fluctuations in bacillary dysentery frequency, and it can be used for future forecasting when applied to bacillary dysentery prevention and control.
VALIDITY OF THE MoCA AND MMSE IN THE DETECTION OF MCI AND DEMENTIA IN PARKINSON DISEASE

VALIDITY OF THE MOCA AND MMSE IN THE DETECTION OF MCI AND DEMENTIA IN PARKINSON DISEASE To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Hoops et al.,1 who assessed the performance of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) at different cutoffs. Since their article focuses solely on PD, it is unclear whether the cutoffs are applicable to subjects without PD, which would be important.1 We applied the suggested cutoffs (MMSE 29/MoCA 26) to a sample of 95 patients with PD and 112 controls. The percentages of subjects screening positive for possible cognitive impairment were 57%/ 53% (MMSE/MoCA) for the patients with PD and 50%/32% for the controls. MMSE scores were similar in patients with PD and controls in both total score and subscores, whereas the MoCA scores were lower in patients with PD, particularly for language fluency and visuospatial tests. Both MMSE and MoCA correlated with age (MMSE r 0.279, MoCA r 0.422) and the MMSE (r 0.381, p 0.001), but not the MoCA (r 0.87, p 0.408), correlated with education years. The mean education years reported by Hoops et al. ( 16 years) seems high compared to our sample (11.4 3.6 in PD and 11.2 3.1 in controls) and another recent report.2 The population in the study by Hoops et al. may not be representative of the majority of patients with PD and this may affect test results. While highly informative, the listed sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff values1 raise concerns. Interpretation is complicated by the combined analysis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The presented positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) for MoCA and MMSE are rather low. Furthermore, sensitivity, specificity, and pretest probability of disease determine the PPV and the NPV. Changing the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the calculation from about 30% in the article to 1%–5%—realistic in controls with a mean age of 70–79 years3—the MoCA yields a PPV of only 9.0% and the MMSE of 7.4%. Taking the authors’ and our results together, we conclude that neither test is sufficient to diagnose cognitive impairment despite superior performance of the MoCA, in particular when the established cutoffs ( 24 for dementia) are used. Furthermore, at the suggested screening cutoffs,1 the MMSE did not differentiate between patients and controls and both tests resulted in high percentages of subjects needing further clarification. This calls into question the utility of these tests in different research settings.
Releasing the Productive Potential of Intellectual Property : Governance and Value Creation Processes

This paper examines the interrelationship between the systems governing the ownership and control of intellectual property (IP) and the processes by which the value of IP is realised and diffused. Focusing on patents and copyrights, we examine the rationale, objectives, operation and performance of alternative systems of IPR governance. By developing a framework for better understanding the role of governance in IPR regimes, its influence on the quality of relationships among stakeholders within the system and its contribution to the processes of value creation, realization, distribution and innovation, we hope to contribute to the design of appropriate policy aimed at improving the effectiveness of these systems and hence the performance of the corporate and sectoral systems of which they are a part.
Behavioural responses to infrasonic particle acceleration in cuttlefish

ABSTRACT Attacks by aquatic predators generate frontal water disturbances characterised by low-frequency gradients in pressure and particle motion. Low-frequency hearing is highly developed in cephalopods. Thus, we examined behavioural responses in juvenile cuttlefish to infrasonic accelerations mimicking main aspects of the hydrodynamic signals created by predators. In the experimental set-up, animals and their surrounding water moved as a unit to minimise lateral line activation and to allow examination of the contribution by the inner ear. Behavioural responses were tested in light versus darkness and after food deprivation following a ‘simulated’ hunting opportunity. At low acceleration levels, colour change threshold at 3, 5 and 9 Hz was 0.028, 0.038 and 0.035 m s−2, respectively. At higher stimulus levels, jet-propulsed escape responses thresholds in daylight were 0.043, 0.065 and 0.069 m s−2 at 3, 5 and 9 Hz, respectively, and not significantly different from the corresponding darkness thresholds of 0.043, 0.071 and 0.064 m s−2. In a simulated hunting mode, escape thresholds were significantly higher at 3 Hz (0.118 m s−2) but not at 9 Hz (0.134 m s−2). Escape responses were directional, and overall followed the direction of the initial particle acceleration, with mean escape angles from 313 to 33 deg for all three experiments. Thus, in the wild, particle acceleration might cause escape responses directed away from striking predators but towards suction-feeding predators. We suggest that cuttlefish jet-propulsed escape behaviour has evolved to be elicited by the early hydrodynamic disturbances generated during predator encounters, and that the inner ear plays an essential role in the acoustic escape responses. Editors’ Choice: Cuttlefish exhibit jet-propulsed escape responses adapted to the hydrodynamic signatures generated by predators in the initial approach phase of an attack.
Genetic variation in the alpha synuclein gene (SNCA) is associated with BOLD response to alcohol cues.

OBJECTIVE Preclinical studies implicate the gene encoding the alpha synuclein protein (SNCA) in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence and dopamine neuron function. Results from clinical studies are less conclusive. Using neurobiological phenotypes in genetic studies, rather than typical heterogeneous diagnostic categories derived from self-report, may improve reliability across studies. This study aimed to examine whether polymorphisms in the SNCA gene were associated with alcohol taste cue-elicited responses in the brain, one such intermediate phenotype. METHOD A total of 326 heavy drinkers who underwent an alcohol taste task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) also were genotyped. Analyses focused on two previously identified SNCA variants (rs2583985 and rs356168) as well as 27 other single nucleotide polymorphisms from the Illumina Human1M BeadChip that were used in an exploratory analysis of the whole gene. Neurobiological phenotypes were defined as fMRI blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses to alcohol taste cue (vs. a control cue) in seven regions of interest known to be involved in cue processing and rich in dopaminergic axon terminals. RESULTS Polymorphisms in the SNCA gene were significantly correlated with BOLD activation. Specifically, the largest effect sizes and significance were seen for rs2583985 in paracingulate and caudate (focused analysis) and for rs1372522 in paracingulate (exploratory analysis). Activation in all regions of interest was correlated with alcohol-dependence severity. CONCLUSIONS SNCA genotype was found to be associated with the degree of fMRI BOLD response during exposure to the taste of alcohol versus a control taste. This study also further validates the use of this alcohol taste task as an intermediate phenotype for alcohol-dependence severity.
Regulation of Phosphatidylserine Exposure in Red Blood Cells

The exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the outer membrane leaflet of red blood cells (RBCs) serves as a signal for eryptosis, a mechanism for the RBC clearance from blood circulation. The process of PS exposure was investigated as function of the intracellular Ca2+ content and the activation of PKCα in human and sheep RBCs. Cells were treated with lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), 4-bromo-A23187, or phorbol-12 myristate-13 acetate (PMA) and analysed by flow cytometry, single cell fluorescence video imaging, or confocal microscopy. For human RBCs, no clear correlation existed between the number of cells with an elevated Ca2+ content and PS exposure. Results are explained by three different mechanisms responsible for the PS exposure in human RBCs: (i) Ca2+-stimulated scramblase activation (and flippase inhibition) by LPA, 4-bromo-A23187, and PMA; (ii) PKC activation by LPA and PMA; and (iii) enhanced lipid flop caused by LPA. In sheep RBCs, only the latter mechanism occurs suggesting absence of scramblase activity.
High‐Risk Prematurity—Progestin Treatment and Steroid Studies

Studies have been undertaken regarding the efficacy and modus operandi of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17α-OHP-C) in preventing premature labor in high-risk patients. In a total of 70 patients, the treated patient population had a prematurity rate (12.8%) and a perinatal mortality rate (5%) which were significantly lower than those of the total placebo or untreated patient group (40.9 and 25%, respectively). In addition, sequential plasma steroid values were determined in 21 patients, 10 of whom delivered prematurely. The results indicate that low plasma progesterone (P) and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP) levels precede the onset of preterm labor by weeks. Successful treatment with 17α-OHP-C was characterized by elevated P levels. Plasma estradiol (E2) and cortisol (C) values did not vary with time of delivery or treatment. These findings support the progesterone block theory as an important mechanism affecting preterm delivery in this high-risk population.
High prevalence of retinoblastoma protein loss in triple-negative breast cancers and its association with a good prognosis in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease, nevertheless exhibiting a high response rate to chemotherapy. Since the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) loss confers a high sensitivity to chemotherapy regimens, we evaluated the prevalence of pRb loss in TNBCs and its relevance on the clinical outcome of patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS pRb status was prospectively evaluated by immunocytochemistry in 518 consecutive patients with complete receptor information. The predictive value of pRb status in TNBCs was determined according to the adjuvant therapeutic treatments. RESULTS Fifty-three tumors were identified as TNBCs. The prevalence of pRb loss was significantly higher in TNBCs than in the other cancer subtypes. All patients with TNBCs lacking pRb and treated with systemic chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) were disease free at a medium follow-up time of 109 months, whereas the clinical outcome of those expressing pRb was significantly poorer (P = 0.008). Analysis of disease-free survival including the established anatomo-clinical prognostic parameters indicated pRb loss as the only significant predictive factor. CONCLUSIONS pRb loss is much more frequent in TNBCs than in the other breast cancer subtypes. Patients with TNBCs lacking pRb had a very favorable clinical outcome if treated with conventional adjuvant chemotherapy.
Exploratory study to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing in Australian regional municipal governments

Cloud computing is seen as an increasingly important enabler for improving productivity, efficiency and cost reduction. This research aims to investigate the potential for value creation for Australian municipal governments by identifying factors that are perceived likely to influence the adoption of cloud computing. The research model is proposed based on two theories derived from the literature: the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory. The research employed in-depth interviews of Australian councils’ IT managers. The obtained results indicate that the critical factors that were identified as playing a significant role in Australian regional municipal governments’ adoption of cloud services were: relative advantage, compatibility, cost, technology readiness, competitive pressure. For practitioners, this research identifies key factors for regional municipal governments to make an adoption decision toward cloud computing technology. As for academia, this research can be provided as a useful reference for future studies in this subject field.
Antiviral treatment improves disrupted peripheral B lymphocyte homeostasis in chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients

Disruption of peripheral blood B-cell homeostasis and variation of surface receptors occur with certain infections and autoimmune diseases. However, the impact of antiviral therapy on B-cell alteration during chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection remains unclear. Our study aims to document the effects of B-cell alteration in CHB patients treated with tenofovir or adefovir. A total of 21 CHB patients and 10 healthy donors were recruited into the study. We identified B-cell subsets by flow cytometry and observed changes in the B-cell repertoire of CHB patients upon tenofovir or adefovir antiviral treatment. The total and percent of B cells and CD5 + B-cell subsets were significantly increased in CHB patients compared to healthy donors. Total and percent of CD5 + B cells gradually decreased following the diminution of the HBV DNA load after tenofovir and adefovir treatment. Upon tenofovir treatment, the percent of memory CD27 + B cells was increased but the absolute number declined, whereas naïve CD27− B cells declined in both percent and absolute number. In the adefovir treatment group, neither naïve nor memory B cells were altered by the treatment. Furthermore, CHB patients displayed higher levels of activation markers (CD69 and CD24) and trended towards restored B-cell homeostasis after antiviral treatment. In conclusion, disrupted B-cell homeostasis is an important feature of CHB patients and is partially restored after control of viral replication by antiviral treatment. B-cell antiviral immunity is improved by restoring B-cell homeostasis and activation.