Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the LLR Metrics for DPSK Modulations Over Two-Symbol Observation Intervals for the Flat Rician Fading Channel

We consider the differential phase-shift keying modulation over the flat Rician fading channel with perfect channel model information (PCMI), and derive the two-symbol-observation-interval log-likelihood ratio (LLR) metric from first principles. The work generalizes the previous LLR derivations in [16]-[19], and demonstrates the necessity of the knowledge of the statistical channel model in the exact LLR computation. Assuming the channel is slowly time-varying, we also propose a simple approximate LLR metric based on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), which requires only the information of the noise spectral density. The advantage of the newly derived PCMI-LLR metric over the approximate metric and the other LLR metrics in the literature is explained from the information-theoretic perspective via the generalized mutual information. Computer simulations are also provided to demonstrate the superiority of the PCMI-LLR metric in both error rate performance and convergence speed for iterative decoding of turbo and low-density parity-check codes in practical systems. This paper aims to present the fundamental principles of LLR computation, emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate metric for iterative decoding over fading channels.
Regional variations in hypertension prevalence and management in Germany: results from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey (DEGS1)

Objective: This study analyzed regional differences in blood pressure (BP) distribution and management in Germany 2008–2011 in a nationwide study. Methods: The analyses were based on standardized BP measurements and anatomical therapeutic chemical classification-coded medication from the population-based German Health Interview and Examination Survey (DEGS1) 2008–2011 (N = 7074, 18–79 years, 180 study points, five regions: Central-East, South, Central-West, North-West, and North-East). Regional differences were tested between the region with the highest and lowest values. Results: Regional variations were observed in mean SBP, mean DBP, and the prevalence of hypertension in both sexes, as well as awareness, treatment, and control in men. Differences in blood pressure (in mmHg) between Central-East, the region with the highest BP level and the region with the lowest BP level, were SBP 3.2 and DBP 2.5 in men and SBP 4.5 and DBP 2.4 in women. In Central-East 39% of men and 40% of women had hypertension, versus 30% of men in the North-West and 26% of women in the South. The percentage of aware, treated, and controlled men ranged between 92, 78, and 56% in the North-East and 74, 59, and 41% in the South, respectively. After multivariate adjustment for sociodemographic variables and hypertension risk factors, geographical differences persisted for hypertension prevalence in women and hypertension awareness and treatment in men. Conclusion: So far, national surveys allowed only BP comparisons along the former East–West border and showed more elevated BP in the East. New analyses suggest regional differences with both the most and the least favorable results in the two neighboring parts of former East Germany.
A Comprehensive Evaluation and Analysis of the Performance of Multiple Tropospheric Models in China Region

Tropospheric path delay is an important error source in range measurements of many Earth observation systems. In this paper, the accuracies of 9 zenith hydrostatic delay (ZHD) and 18 zenith wet delay (ZWD) models are assessed using benchmark values derived from 10 years (2003-2012) of radiosonde data recorded at 92 stations in the China region. Our study confirms that ZHD can be well modeled with an accuracy of several millimeters by using surface meteorological observations. ZHD derived from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has the best agreement of 2.8 mm with the radiosonde data in the China region, while the Baby ZHD model achieves the second best with an accuracy of 6.0 mm. All of the ZWD models can only estimate the ZWD with an accuracy of a few centimeters. ECMWF can provide ZWD estimation with the best accuracy of 21.4 mm, followed by the Baby semiempirical, Hopfield, Goad and Goodman, Askne and Nordius, Saastamoinen, Callahan, and Berman 74 ZWD models whose errors are below 40 mm. We find that in the China region all of the ZWD models perform better in winter than in summer and have higher accuracy in high latitudes than low latitudes. The performances of the 18 ZWD models are further validated in a Global Positioning System (GPS) precise point positioning (PPP) computation at 6 GPS stations in China. The PPP results also confirm that ECMWF is the best model. Considering its performance and simplicity, we conclude that Saastamoinen is the optimal ZWD model for the China region.
Pubertal development in Swiss boys.

Pubertal development between 8 and 18 years is reported in 142 Swiss males of the First Zurich Longitudinal Study (1954-1980). Genital and pubic hair development were rated according to TANNER [14]. Testicular growth was assessed by comparative palpation with the orchiometer of PRADER [10]. The age at which pubertal development was initiated varied between the eighth and the fifteenth year of life. Reaching a testicular volume of 3 ml was found to be the most reliable indicator for the onset of pubertal development. The various pubertal stages of genital and pubic hair development tended to occur at earlier ages in this study than previously reported. This was particularly true for PH6 which was observed in 73% of the boys by age 20. Standard deviations of 1.0 to 1.5 years for the ages at which the pubertal stages were reached reflected the large variations in the timing of pubertal development. The mean duration of genital development was 3.5 +/- 1.1 years, of pubertal penis growth 1.8 +/- 0.7 years, of pubertal testicular growth 3.5 +/- 1.0 years and of pubic hair development 2.7 +/- 1.0 years. Moderate correlations were found between the ages at which genital development, pubic hair development and pubertal testicular growth were initiated. The ages at completion of these pubertal characters and the age at which the peak of the adolescent growth spurt was reached were highly positively correlated with each other. For a given stage of a pubertal character at least 80% of the children were within two successive stages of any other pubertal character, e.g. 87% of the boys were either in G2 or G3 when they reached PH2. No significant relationship between the durations of genital development, pubic hair development and pubertal testicular growth could be established. Likewise no significant relationship could be found between the timing and duration of pubertal development.
Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase III of Guinea‐Pig Brain: Specificity for Short Oligopeptide Sequences

Abstract: A dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III‐type activity has been purified from the cytoplasm of guinea‐pig brain using arginyl‐arginyl‐7‐amido‐4 methylcoumarin as substrate. The enzyme was purified 754‐fold relative to the crude homogenate and with a 12.7% recovery. The purified enzyme was found to have a relative molecular weight of 85,000 and consists of one polypeptide chain of relative molecular weight 80,000, on the basis of its migration on calibrated sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel. It is highly sensitive to the presence of chelating agents, sulphydryl reactive agents, and the dipeptide Tyr‐Tyr. Dithiothreitol (1 mM) reduced activity by 28%, and 36 and 65% inhibition was noted with phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride and puromycin (both at 1 mM), respectively. Little or no inhibition was observed with bestatin, bacitracin, captopril, amastatin, and arphamenine B. The purified enzyme released dipeptide moieties from a wide range of peptides including enkephalin sequences and also angiotensin sequences up to the octapeptide angiotensin II. These sequences inhibited the hydrolysis of arginyl‐arginyl‐7‐amido‐4‐methylcoumarin by dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III with Ki values in the micromolar range. No hydrolysis was observed with angiotensin I or with peptide sequences containing more than 10 amino acids. No hydrolysis was observed also with peptide sequences containing a Pro residue on either side of the sissile bond. Peptides containing less than four amino acids were not hydrolysed.
Low-Dose Estrogen Therapy Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Two Different Inbred Mouse Strains1

It has been proposed that homeostatic levels of estrogen can enhance female susceptibility to autoimmunity, whereas the heightened levels of estrogen associated with pregnancy are protective. This hypothesis was tested using the mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Diestrus (<100 pg/ml in serum) levels of 17β-estradiol were found to significantly reduce the clinical manifestations of active EAE in both male and female mice. Estriol was also effective but at doses below those previously established for pregnancy. The reduction in disease severity was accompanied by a coincident reduction in the number and size of inflammatory foci in the CNS of estrogen (17β-estradiol or estriol)-treated mice. Recipients of encephalitogenic T cells from low-dose estrogen-treated mice developed less severe paralysis than mice receiving T cells from placebo-treated mice. A modest shift in Th1/Th2 balance suggested that low dose estrogen therapy could bias the immune reaction toward a protective anti-inflammatory cytokine response. However, estrogen treatment at the onset of active EAE failed to reduce disease severity, a result that is consistent with the hypothesis that naive cells are more sensitive to sex hormones than differentiated effector cells. These data suggest that treatment with low doses of estrogen can reduce the capacity of developing myelin-reactive T cells to initiate disease and challenges the idea that increased susceptibility to autoimmunity in females is dependent on homeostatic levels of estrogen.
Comparison of blood oxygenattion and cerebral blood flow effect in fMRI: Estimation of relative oxygen consumption change

The most widely‐used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique is based on the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) effect, which requires at least partial uncoupling between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen consumption changes during increased mental activity. To compare BOLD and CBF effects during tasking, BOLD and flowsensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) images were acquired during visual stimulation with red goggles at a frequency of 8 Hz in an inteerleaved fashion. With the FAIR technique, absolute and relative CBF changes were determined. Relative oxygen consumption changes cdan be estimated using the BOLD and relative CBF changes. In gray matter areas in the visual cortex, absolute and relative CBF changes in humans during photic stimulation were 31 ± 11 SD ml/100 g tissue/min and 43 ± 16 SD % (n =12), respectively, while the relative oxygen consumption change was close to zero. These findings agree extremely well with previouse results using positron emission tomography. The BOLD signal change is not linearly correlated with the relative CBF increase across subjects and negatively correlates with the oxygen consumption change. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the BOLD percent change as a quantitative index of the CBF change, especially in inter‐subject comparisons.
Spectrum of Epstein-Barr Virus–Associated Diseases in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may result in a spectrum of diseases in recipients of transplant. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of the spectrum of EBV-associated diseases in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods A total of 263 recipients undergoing allo-HSCT were prospectively enrolled. The blood EBV-DNA loads were regularly monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results The 3-year cumulative incidence of total EBV-associated diseases, posttransplantation lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLD), EBV fever, and EBV end-organ diseases (pneumonia, encephalitis/myelitis, and hepatitis) were 15.6%±2.5%, 9.9%±2.0%, 3.3%±1.3%, and 3.3%±1.2% (2.2%±1.0%, 1.6%±0.8%, and 0.9%±0.6%), respectively. Fever was the most common symptom of EBV-associated diseases. Patients with PTLD had better response rate to rituximab-based treatments compared with those with EBV end-organ diseases (including PTLD accompanied by EBV end-organ diseases) (P=0.014). The 3-year overall survival was 37.3%±13.7%, 100.0%, and 0.0%±0.0% in patients with PTLD, EBV fever, and EBV end-organ diseases (P=0.001). Conclusions EBV-associated diseases other than PTLD are not rare in the recipients of allo-HSCT. The clinical manifestations of EBV end-organ diseases are similar to PTLD. EBV end-organ diseases had poorer response to rituximab-based therapy compared with PTLD.
Neural Route of Cerebral Listeria monocytogenes Murine Infection: Role of Immune Response Mechanisms in Controling Bacterial Neuroinvasion

ABSTRACT The pathologic features of cerebral Listeria monocytogenes infection strongly suggest that besides hematogenous spread, bacteria might also spread via a neural route. We propose that after snout infection of recombination activating gene 1 (RAG-1)-deficient mice, L. monocytogenesspreads to the brain via a neural route. The neural route of invasion is suggested by (i) the immunostaining of L. monocytogenesin the trigeminal ganglia (TG) and brain stem but not in other areas of the brain; (ii) the kinetics of bacterial loads in snout, TG, and brain; and (iii) the increased resistance of mice infected with aplcB bacterial mutant (unable to spread from cell to cell). Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) plays a protective role in neuroinvasion; inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) accounts only partially for the protection, as shown by a comparison of the susceptibilities of IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR)-deficient, iNOS-deficient, and wild-type mice to snout infection with L. monocytogenes. The dramatically enhanced susceptibility of RAG-1-deficient, IFN-γR gene-deficient mice indicated the overall importance of innate immune cells in the release of protective levels of IFN-γ. The source of IFN-γ appeared to be NK cells, as shown by use ofRAG-1-deficient, γ-chain receptor gene-deficient mice; NK cells played a relevant protective role in neuroinvasion through a perforin-independent mechanism. In vitro evidence indicated that IFN-γ can directly induce bacteriostatic mechanisms in neural tissue.
Overexpression of Lipoprotein Lipase in Transgenic Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbits Improves Hyperlipidemia and Obesity*

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is the rate-limiting enzyme for the hydrolysis of the triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and plays a critical role in lipoprotein and free fatty acid metabolism. Genetic manipulation of LPL may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemias, but it is unknown whether increased LPL activity may be effective in lowering plasma cholesterol and improving insulin resistance in familial hypercholesterolemic patients. To test the hypothesis that stimulation of LPL expression may be used as an adjunctive therapy for treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, we have generated transgenic (Tg) Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits that overexpress the human LPL transgene and compared their plasma lipid levels, glucose metabolism, and body fat accumulation with those of non-Tg WHHL rabbits. Overexpression of LPL dramatically ameliorated hypertriglyceridemia in Tg WHHL rabbits. Furthermore, increased LPL activity in male Tg WHHL rabbits also corrected hypercholesterolemia (544 ± 52 in non-Tg versus 227 ± 29 mg/dl in Tg, p < 0.01) and reduced body fat accumulation by 61% (323 ± 27 in non-Tg versus 125 ± 21ginTg, p < 0.01), suggesting that LPL plays an important role in mediating plasma cholesterol homeostasis and adipose accumulation. In addition, overexpression of LPL significantly suppressed high fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in Tg WHHL rabbits. These results imply that systemic elevation of LPL expression may be potentially useful for the treatment of hyperlipidemias, obesity, and insulin resistance.
Human natural killer cells limit replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in vitro.

Studies were undertaken to determine whether natural killer (NK) cells could inhibit the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in culture. In the absence of effector cells, HSV-1 was found to replicate in fibroblasts with up to a 100-fold increase in virus titer from 4 to 16 hr after incubation at 37 degrees C. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were found to limit virus replication in a dose-dependent manner, with the greatest inhibition being observed at the highest concentration evaluated: i.e., an effector:target ratio of 800:1. The antiviral effect was not observed when nonactivated or virus-activated mononuclear cells were added to the virus preparations at the end (instead of the beginning) of the assay period, indicating that the observed effect was not due to a nonspecific toxicity of soluble factors released from freeze-thawed effectors. Neither was inhibition of HSV-1 replication due to the generation of interferon (IFN) during the NK assay, because the addition of anti-IFN did not abrogate the antiviral effect. Thus, the inhibition of viral replication was most likely due to a cytotoxic effector rather than to release of soluble factors. The effector cells responsible for limiting HSV-1 replication were shown to be NK cells by a number of criteria. Mononuclear cells from both HSV-1 seropositive and seronegative donors limited virus replication; their activity could be boosted by pretreatment of effector cells with IFN; the effector cells which limited virus replication were found in Percoll gradient fractions enriched for large granular lymphocytes; and the effector cells shared the cell surface phenotype of NK cells--they were enriched in populations depleted of T cells by panning with Leu-4 and were depleted of activity by treatment with the anti-NK antibody Leu-11b plus complement. We conclude that human NK cells are capable of recognizing and lysing HSV-1-infected target cells before infectious virus progeny are generated. These results suggest that NK cells, acting early in the course of an infection, might serve to limit HSV-1 replication and therefore reduce the virus load in the host before the development of the adaptive immune response and clearance of the infection.
The Effect of Forced Language Switching during Divergent Thinking: A Study on Bilinguals’ Originality of Ideas

In the present study we experimentally manipulated language switching among bilinguals who indicated to be more or less habitual language switchers in daily life. Our aim was to investigate the impact of forced language switching on originality of produced ideas during divergent thinking, conditional on the level of habitual language switching. A sample of bilinguals was randomly assigned to perform alternate uses tasks (AUT’s), which explicitly required them to either switch languages, or to use only one language while performing the tasks. We found that those who were instructed to switch languages during the AUT’s were able to generate ideas that were on average more original, than those who were instructed to use only one language during the AUT’s, but only at higher levels of habitual language switching. At low levels of habitual language switching, the effect reversed, and participants who were instructed to use only one language found ideas that were on average more original, than participants who were required to switch languages during the AUT’s. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Behavior of boys in kindergarten and the onset of substance use during adolescence.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of personality dimensions measured at ages 6 and 10 years in predicting early onset of cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, and other drug use in boys. In addition, the stability of the prediction between the measurements at ages 6 and 10 years was investigated. METHODS Data from a large longitudinal study of boys were used to assess the relation between childhood personality and the onset of substance use from 10 to 15 years of age. Childhood personalities were assessed by teachers' ratings of behaviors. Self-reports of smoking cigarettes, getting drunk, and using other drugs provided the measurement of substance use. Discrete-time survival analysis was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS High novelty-seeking and low harm avoidance significantly predict early onset of substance use (eg, cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs), but reward dependence was unrelated to any of the outcomes studied. The results also indicated that either set of predictors (ie, the personality dimensions measured at ages 6 and 10 years) could be used to predict onset of cigarette smoking, getting drunk, and other drug use, because the power of prediction was similar between the measurements at ages 6 and 10 years. CONCLUSIONS High novelty-seeking and low harm avoidance lead to early onset of substance use in boys. The stability of the prediction between ages 6 and 10 years suggests that the kindergarten assessments may be used for preventive efforts at school entry instead of waiting until early adolescence.
Nitric oxide synthesis modulation - a possible diagnostic and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE Considering the contradictory literature data about the role of nitric oxide (NO) in colon carcinogenesis, the purpose of this study was to examine the changes of L-arginine metabolites in colon cancer and surrounding tissue as possible molecular markers of tumor behavior after surgery and the possibility of NO synthesis modulation in new individualized therapeutic strategies. METHODS The study encompassed 50 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). The three tissue specimens were taken by surgery (tumor, adjacent and healthy tissue) and the concentrations of NO2+NO3, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) were determined in the tissue specimens. RESULTS The results proved higher NO2+NO3 concentrations in adjacent tissue compared to the tumor, implicating high angiogenic potential of the tumor-surrounding tissue, which could have clinical importance in the assessment of the probability of tumor local recurrence and metastasis. Increased ADMA concentrations in tumor tissue associated with low NO levels, could lead to new therapeutic strategies directed to the use of inhibitors of NO synthesis as ideal candidates for molecular therapy of CRC. ADMA concentration in adjacent tissue was an independent predictor of distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS The obtained results suggest that determination of the examined biomarkers in CRC and adjacent tissue samples could give useful information about tumor proliferative and angiogenic potential, which in turn could enable individualization of therapy and the choice of proper adjuvant therapy in patients with CRC.