Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Large-Scale Fading for the 2.4 GHz Channel in Obstacle-Dense Indoor Propagation Topologies

Wireless channel characterization is of critical importance in providing reliable tools for link budget prediction and estimation of wireless propagation, particularly in the case of an obstacle-dense environment. Based on measurements performed in a series of indoor propagation topologies, a novel empirical method for the calculation of shadow depth has been implemented and evaluated. This work presents further investigation into the log-normal nature of large-scale fading, by examining the variations of the measured values of local-mean received power throughout these topologies. The impact of these variations on the estimation of Outage Probability is shown, and the realistic deviations from the theoretical log-normal scenario are discussed. Furthermore, a shadow-based approach for the calculation of the attenuation over distance is presented and evaluated compared to the Devasirvatham model. It should be noted that whereas our work focuses on the 2.4 GHz channel, this methodology can be applied to any frequency of interest. Results confirm the importance of this novel methodology concerning wireless channel characterization for obstacle-dense indoor propagation topologies.
Hydrogen Bonding to the Substrate Is Not Required for Rieske Iron-Sulfur Protein Docking to the Quinol Oxidation Site of Complex III*

Complex III or the cytochrome (cyt) bc1 complex constitutes an integral part of the respiratory chain of most aerobic organisms and of the photosynthetic apparatus of anoxygenic purple bacteria. The function of cyt bc1 is to couple the reaction of electron transfer from ubiquinol to cytochrome c to proton pumping across the membrane. Mechanistically, the electron transfer reaction requires docking of its Rieske iron-sulfur protein (ISP) subunit to the quinol oxidation site (QP) of the complex. Formation of an H-bond between the ISP and the bound substrate was proposed to mediate the docking. Here we show that the binding of oxazolidinedione-type inhibitors famoxadone, jg144, and fenamidone induces docking of the ISP to the QP site in the absence of the H-bond formation both in mitochondrial and bacterial cyt bc1 complexes, demonstrating that ISP docking is independent of the proposed direct ISP-inhibitor interaction. The binding of oxazolidinedione-type inhibitors to cyt bc1 of different species reveals a toxophore that appears to interact optimally with residues in the QP site. The effect of modifications or additions to the toxophore on the binding to cyt bc1 from different species could not be predicted from structure-based sequence alignments, as demonstrated by the altered binding mode of famoxadone to bacterial cyt bc1.
A crystallographic snapshot of tyrosine trans-phosphorylation in action

Tyrosine trans-phosphorylation is a key event in receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, yet, the structural basis for this process has eluded definition. Here, we present the crystal structure of the FGF receptor 2 kinases caught in the act of trans-phosphorylation of Y769, the major C-terminal phosphorylation site. The structure reveals that enzyme- and substrate-acting kinases engage each other through elaborate and specific interactions not only in the immediate vicinity of Y769 and the enzyme active site, but also in regions that are as much of 18 Å away from D626, the catalytic base in the enzyme active site. These interactions lead to an unprecedented level of specificity and precision during the trans-phosphorylation on Y769. Time-resolved mass spectrometry analysis supports the observed mechanism of trans-phosphorylation. Our data provide a molecular framework for understanding the mechanism of action of Kallmann syndrome mutations and the order of trans-phosphorylation reactions in FGFRs. We propose that the salient mechanistic features of Y769 trans-phosphorylation are applicable to trans-phosphorylation of the equivalent major phosphorylation sites in many other RTKs.
Ultrasound-guided Brachial Plexus Block at the Supraclavicular Level: A New Parasagittal Approach

The study evaluates a new approach to ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block using a supraclavicular parasagittal approach. Sixty outpatients scheduled for hand surgery were given brachial plexus block utilising the new approach. Time taken for block procedure was short and onset time for sensory block was rapid, using a low volume of local anaesthetic agent, with the volume decided by the operator under direct visualisation of spread. The nerve stimulator was not used. Only 10% required limited peripheral supplementation. Complications were limited to Horner�s syndrome in four patients and small vessel puncture in one.
Surgical Treatment of C2 Fractures in the Elderly: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

Study Design Multicenter retrospective analysis. Objectives To review the results of surgical treatment during the last 6 years of C2 fractures in patients over the age of 70. Summary of Background Data Little information exists about the clinical outcome of surgical treatment of elderly patients with C2 fractures, their ability to return to their previous environment, and their postoperative level of independence. Methods The medical records and radiographs of 29 patients who had undergone surgical treatment for C2 fractures were reviewed. The type of C2 fracture, neurologic examination at presentation, type of surgical treatment, perioperative morbidity and mortality, presence of osseous union, and stability of alignment were recorded. Long-term disposition was determined from office visits or by telephone interview. Results Twenty-four of 29 patients had type II dens fractures alone. The remaining 5 had associated C1 fractures. All patients were neurologically intact at presentation except for 2 patients with signs and symptoms of central cord syndrome. Perioperative complications occurred in 3 patients (10.3%). One patient died on postoperative day 6 from a myocardial infarction. Mean±SD radiographic follow-up was 9±3.2 months (range, 3 to 24). Of the 16 patients who underwent odontoid screw fixation, 6 (37.5%) had osseous union, and 9 (56.2%) were stable on radiographs. An additional patient who had odontoid screw initially required a posterior approach reoperation. Of the 13 posterior fusions, 4 (30.7%) had osseous unions and 9 (69.2%) were stable on flexion extension radiographs. Mean±SD clinical follow-up was 18±2.2 months (range, 3 to 72 mo). Twenty-five of 29 patients (86.2%) returned to their previous environment. Two patients died of unrelated etiology. Conclusions C2 fractures in the elderly can be treated surgically with both anterior and posterior approaches with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. The majority of patients can be mobilized early and return to their previous levels of independence.
Pick-and-Place Silver Sintering Die Attach of Small-Area Chips

A method for high-temperature-stable die attaches based on sintering of micro and nano silver particles is described. A low-temperature (200°C) and low-pressure (3 N/mm2) process was established to ensure compatibility with conventional adhesive die attach and to avoid surface damage on the dice, respectively. A modified flip-chip bonder providing high placement accuracy (2 μm) is used for a precise pick-and-place die attach. A thermal finite element modeling simulation was performed to analyze the bonding process. Additionally, the influence of the surface properties on the adhesion of sintered silver layers was investigated. The area-selective sintering method allows combination with other standard processes for die attach. It is now possible to establish pressure-assisted silver sintering for the series production of hybrid electronic circuits, which is an option requested by the industry to expand the operation range of sensors and electronics in harsh environments (e.g., measurement while drilling).
Caffeine Intake during Pregnancy: What Are the Real Evidences?

Caffeine is a substance presented in foods such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolates and medicines and is commonly consumed by pregnant women. Due to its ability to cross the placental membrane and accumulate in the fetus body, caffeine and its metabolites have been contraindicated or recommended in small doses during pregnancy. Studies in rodents relate caffeine intake to lower rates of fertilization, embryonic implantation, changes in placental structure, increased occurrence of low fetal and placental weights, abortion and stillbirth. However, in humans, studies involving caffeine consumption are inconclusive. Methodological complexity, difficulty for measuring caffeine intake and ethical reasons are limiting factors for a more accurate conclusion. So far, caffeine recommendation ranges from 100 to 300 mg/day. Even though researches have recommended low caffeine consumption by pregnant women in order to avoid deleterious consequences during gestation, a safe dose has not been established until now. The aim of the present review is to describe the main findings on the effects of caffeine consumption during pregnancy in both human and rodent experimental models.
Psychometric properties of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-11) among older people with chronic pain

Abstract Objectives: The study aimed to test the construct validity, factor structure and reliability of the 11-item version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11, Swedish version) among older people (65+) with chronic pain. Design: Methodological study. Subjects: 433 participants with chronic pain (mean age 74.8, 65–98 years) completed postal questionnaires. 264 of the participants completed a test–retest assessment. Methods: Construct validity was evaluated through corrected item-total correlations. Convergent validity was analyzed by correlations with activity/activities of daily living (ADL) dependence, pain intensity and physical activity (all of which are constructs related to kinesiophobia according to fear-avoidance theories). Factor structure was tested through confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s α and test–retest reliability, analyzed by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted κ coefficient analysis. Results: Evidence of convergent validity was shown by significant positive correlations with activity/ADL dependence (r = 0.20) and pain intensity (r = 0.31), and a significant negative correlation with physical activity (r = −0.38). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that both one- and two factor-solutions were possible. Cronbach’s α coefficients ranged between 0.74 and 0.87. Test–retest analysis showed strong agreement regarding ICC (r = 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.64–0.82). The weighted κ coefficients for the individual items showed fair to moderate reliability. Conclusion: The Swedish version of TSK-11 had acceptable construct validity, factor structure, and reliability and, hence, can be considered suitable for older people with chronic pain.
Classification of Embeddings of the Flag Geometries of Projective Planes in Finite Projective Spaces, Part 1

The flag geometry ? =(P, L, I) of a finite projective plane ? of order s is the generalized hexagon of order (s, 1) obtained from ? by putting P equal to the set of all flags of ? , by putting L equal to the set of all points and lines of ? , and where I is the natural incidence relation (inverse containment), i.e., ? is the dual of the double of ? in the sense of H. Van Maldeghem (1998, “Generalized Polygons,” Birkhauser Verlag, Basel). Then we say that ? is fully and weakly embedded in the finite projective space PG(d, q) if ? is a subgeometry of the natural point-line geometry associated with PG(d, q), if s=q, if the set of points of ? generates PG(d, q), and if the set of points of ? not opposite any given point of ? does not generate PG(d, q). In an earlier paper, we have shown that the dimension d of the projective space belongs to {6, 7, 8}, and that the projective plane ? is Desarguesian. Furthermore, we have given examples for d=6, 7. In the present paper we show that for d=6, only these examples exist, and we also partly handle the case d=7. More precisely, we completely classify the full and weak embeddings of ? (? as above) in the case that there are two opposite lines L, M of ? with the property that the subspace of PG(d, q) generated by all lines of ? meeting either L or M has dimension 6 (which is the case for all embeddings in PG(d, q), d? {6, 7}). Together with Parts 2 and 3, this will provide the complete classification of all full and weak embeddings of ?
Liquid diet induces memory impairment accompanied by a decreased number of hippocampal neurons in mice

It is suggested that masticatory dysfunction affects the central nervous system; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, TrkB, are known to play important roles in memory and learning. In this study, we examined the effects of mastication on memory, the expression levels of BDNF and TrkB, and the number of neurons in the hippocampus of mice. Male C57 BL/6J mice (3 weeks old) were randomly divided into the control group (N = 7) fed chow pellets and the experimental group (N = 7) fed a liquid diet, which reduces mastication during eating. At 14 weeks of age, we performed a passive avoidance test and found that memory and learning ability were impaired in the experimental group compared with the control group. After the behavioral experiment, brains were harvested and analyzed morphologically and biochemically. In the hippocampus of the experimental group, the expression levels of BDNF were significantly higher, whereas those of TrkB were lower than those of the control group. In the cerebral cortex, these levels remained unchanged between the two groups. The ratio of phospho‐p44/42 ERK/pan ERK, a downstream molecule of BDNF/TrkB signaling, in the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group in the cortex and hippocampus. The number of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus was lower in the experimental group than in the control group. These findings suggest that reduced mastication induced by a liquid diet in early childhood may impair memory and learning ability, accompanied by neuronal loss in the hippocampus. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Learning within incoherent structures: the space of online discussion forums

Online discussion forums are an increasingly common use of new information and communication technologies in education. As a tool for promoting conversational modes of learning, it has been suggested that online discussion forums can lead to enhanced learning outcomes for students. However, there is a need to explore further the implications of the highly mediated nature of computer-based interaction on student learning within these virtual learning environments. This paper presents results from a detailed study of students' learning outcomes and patterns of interaction within an online discussion forum. The findings suggest that the typical nonlinear branching structure of online discussion may be insufficient for the realisation of truly conversational modes of learning. The paper discusses the implications of these findings in relation to students' learning.
Genotypic Correlates of Resistance to HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors on Longitudinal Data: The Role of Secondary Mutations

Direct sequencing of the pol gene was assessed retrospectively with protease inhibitor susceptibility in a longitudinal study. A total of 134 samples from 26 patients were analysed at regular intervals up to 2 years. Patients were included in virological failure despite indinavir, ritonavir or saquinavir based triple-drug therapy. Both the type and number of certain secondary protease mutations modulated the effect of primary mutations on phenotypic resistance. This was notably applicable to L10I/V, and to lesser extents to A71V/T. However, combinations of primary mutations, including I54V could predict resistance to the drug used and nelfinavir in more than 80%. In contrast, in vitro cross-resistance to amprenavir was rarely encountered. In addition, there was a relationship between a higher number of key mutations and poorer virological and clinical outcomes, respectively, from 6 and 3 months on. The key mutations were the protease mutations independently conferring phenotypic resistance and/or the reverse transcriptase mutations predicting treatment outcome. This relationship was independent from drug history, viral load and CD4 cell count measurements. In summary, even on a small sample size, sequence-based genotyping seems to be a good prognostic marker when performed longitudinally. In the context of primary resistance mutations, including additional secondary mutations, it may be useful in the prediction of phenotypic and clinical resistance. This should be assessed to optimize treatment monitoring before emergence of broadly cross-resistant virus.
Prognostic factors for survival after salvage reirradiation of head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE Patients who develop recurrent or new primary head and neck cancer in a previously irradiated site have poor prognosis. Reirradiation is a treatment option, although it is associated with substantial toxicities. We investigated potential prognostic factors, including comorbidity and pre-existing organ dysfunction, for survival after reirradiation. METHODS Institutional electronic records of patients treated with reirradiation between January 1998 and 2008 were reviewed. Comorbidity was assessed by Charlson index and Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) grading. Organ dysfunction was defined as feeding tube dependency, functioning tracheostomy, or soft tissue defect. RESULTS There were 103 patients, including 46 patients who underwent salvage surgery before reirradiation. Median progression-free and overall survivals were 12.1 months (95% CI, 9.7 to 16.6) and 19.3 months (95% CI, 13.9 to 29.9), respectively. Significant comorbidity was present in 36% of patients by Charlson index and 24% by ACE-27. Baseline organ dysfunction was present in 37% of patients. Median overall survivals were 5.5 months among those with both organ dysfunction and comorbidity per Charlson index, and 4.9 months per ACE-27, compared with 59.6 and 44.2 months, respectively, among the patients with neither organ dysfunction nor comorbidity (P < .001 and < .001). Other independent prognostic factors were interval from previous radiation, recurrent tumor stage, tumor bulk at reirradiation, and reirradiation dose. A nomogram to predict the probability of death within 24 months after reirradiation was developed (concordance index = 0.75). CONCLUSION Comorbidity and pre-existing organ dysfunction are among several important prognostic factors for patients undergoing reirradiation. For those with both comorbidity and organ dysfunction, reirradiation largely serves as a palliative therapy.
The Psychometric Properties of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in Chinese Primary Care Patients: Factor Structure, Construct Validity, Reliability, Sensitivity and Responsiveness

Background The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is a commonly used instrument to measure depressive symptomatology. Despite this, the evidence for its psychometric properties remains poorly established in Chinese populations. The aim of this study was to validate the use of the CES-D in Chinese primary care patients by examining factor structure, construct validity, reliability, sensitivity and responsiveness. Methods and Results The psychometric properties were assessed amongst a sample of 3686 Chinese adult primary care patients in Hong Kong. Three competing factor structure models were examined using confirmatory factor analysis. The original CES-D four-structure model had adequate fit, however the data was better fit into a bi-factor model. For the internal construct validity, corrected item-total correlations were 0.4 for most items. The convergent validity was assessed by examining the correlations between the CES-D, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and the Short Form-12 Health Survey (version 2) Mental Component Summary (SF-12 v2 MCS). The CES-D had a strong correlation with the PHQ-9 (coefficient: 0.78) and SF-12 v2 MCS (coefficient: -0.75). Internal consistency was assessed by McDonald’s omega hierarchical (ωH). The ωH value for the general depression factor was 0.855. The ωH values for “somatic”, “depressed affect”, “positive affect” and “interpersonal problems” were 0.434, 0.038, 0.738 and 0.730, respectively. For the two-week test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.91. The CES-D was sensitive in detecting differences between known groups, with the AUC >0.7. Internal responsiveness of the CES-D to detect positive and negative changes was satisfactory (with p value <0.01 and all effect size statistics >0.2). The CES-D was externally responsive, with the AUC>0.7. Conclusions The CES-D appears to be a valid, reliable, sensitive and responsive instrument for screening and monitoring depressive symptoms in adult Chinese primary care patients. In its original four-factor and bi-factor structure, the CES-D is supported for cross-cultural comparisons of depression in multi-center studies.
An investigation into the extent and limitations of the GROW model for coaching and mentoring online : Towards ‘ prosthetic learning

Coaching and mentoring have many commonalities, but can also be seen to be different. The aim of coaching is to help a person transform being where they are to where they want to go, which may be on a path that has not yet been trodden. Mentoring is a one-to-one communication between a mentor who has “been there and done that” and a mentee who wants ‘learn the ropes. ’ This paper looks at how these practices can be enabled online – through Virtual Coaches – and the extent and limitations of the GROW model for online coaching and mentoring. It finds that the GROW model is limited in what it can do, and that it needs to be extended to consider factors beyond goals, realities, options and will. It is suggested that ‘engage’ and ‘routinize’ be added to create a new model called ‘GROWER. ’ An extension of the M-MARS model making it M-REAMS (i.e. Methods, Rules, Enmities, Amities, Memes, Strategies) is proposed for an ethnomethodological approach to reflective learning. The paper concludes that Virtual Coaches can provide benefits in terms of enhanced mentoring and coaching relationships.
Measuring catch-up growth in malnourished populations

Abstract Background and aim: Numerous recent studies measure catch-up growth by regressing adult or pre-adolescent height on early childhood height. Using simple statistical theory and data from a healthy and well-nourished population, this paper shows that these tests are uninformative about the extent of catch-up growth. The study also provides new empirical evidence on pubertal catch-up growth using longitudinal data for rural Tanzania. Subjects and methods: The 1970 British Cohort Study is used to demonstrate the flaws in the recent literature using regression techniques to study catch-up growth. The data for the empirical analysis come from the Kagera Health and Development survey—a longitudinal study spanning two decades. The final sample includes 540 children whose heights are measured in early childhood and in adulthood. Catch-up growth is measured as the change in height-for-age z-score over time. Results: The mean HAZ-score in the cohort improves from −1.86 in early childhood to −1.20 in adulthood. Without catch-up growth, children would have been 4.5–5 centimetres shorter adults. Graphical analysis shows that most of this catch-up growth takes place in puberty. Conclusion: Catch-up growth after early childhood is possible. Puberty seems to offer an opportunity window for recovery.