Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Two-Slope Path Loss Model in the Service Quality of 4G and 5G Small Cells

Together with cell-free networks, small cells enable ultra-dense networks in 5G. Although small cell networks will be part of heterogeneous networks, the comparison of service quality of urban micro (UMi) small cells between 4G and 5G second phase scenarios is still of great relevance. Usage of video (VID), is considered. Quality of service is determined by considering a packet loss ratio (PLR) lower than 2%, for different sub-6 GHz frequency bands. The aim is to compare the system capacity between 4G and 5G enhanced mobile broadband in different bands. ITU defined two UMi cell scenarios for UMi cells that consider two-slope (TS) path loss models (PLMs). In this work, we have included TS-PLMs into the LTE-Sim (4G) and 5G-airsimulator. The service quality and system performance bands have then been evaluated. Results shows that it is possible to support more user terminals (UTs) with 5G (up to 26 UTs) than with 4G (10 UTs only). When PLR<2%, the average delay decreases and the average goodput increases when 5G is considered. The maximum average goodput also increases with 5G.
LoRaWAN Downlink Policies for Improved Fairness

LoRaWAN is a widely used protocol for low power Internet of Things devices targeting ubiquitous applications. It is mainly designed for unconfirmed traffic where no acknowledgements need to be sent back to the reporting devices. Nevertheless, there are multiple applications where acknowledgments are required for the nature of the measurements (e.g., healthcare applications). It is commonly known that LoRaWAN does not scale well in the presence of confirmed traffic even when multiple gateways are deployed. Because the gateways are resource constrained devices, the decision making of selecting or not a gateway to send an acknowledgement becomes an important part of the system. This paper examines and proposes a number of downlink policies with the main goal to improve the downlink fairness among the end-devices. Other performance parameters such as the packet delivery ratio and the energy consumption are taken into account as well. Using simulations, we show that considering factors such as the retransmission count and the number of acknowledgements per end-device in the decision making, the downlink fairness increases up to 47% compared to other approaches.
Comparing herbicide resistance in New Zealand and Australia

ABSTRACT Although New Zealand is developing an increasing number of herbicide-resistant weed populations, it has a much lower incidence of herbicide resistance than Australia. Understanding the reasons for these differences may help with future management of herbicide resistance in both countries. Australia is much larger than New Zealand so greater areas of weeds are exposed to herbicides annually in Australia. Another difference is the high frequency of Lolium rigidum in Australian agricultural systems, a species almost absent in New Zealand, and many of the cases of resistance in Australia involve this species. However, species closely related to L. rigidum are increasingly being found resistant to herbicides in New Zealand. Higher rainfall in most parts of New Zealand allows much more crop rotation than is possible in Australia, and greater crop yields give New Zealand farmers more flexibility to use higher application rates and more expensive herbicides in rotation than is feasible in Australia. Dry conditions result in more use of summer fallows in Australia using glyphosate which has caused some of the problems. Selection pressure for resistance still occurs in New Zealand, so herbicide and crop rotation may just be delaying the appearance of resistance in this country.
A Review on Applied Multivariate Statistical Techniques in Agriculture and Plant Science

Most scientists make decisions based on analyzing of the obtained data from researches works. Almost all data in science are abundance and by themselves they are of little help unless they are summarized by some methods and appropriate interpretations have been made. The data set may contain so many observations that stand out and whose presence in the data cannot be justified by any simple explanation. Multivariate statistical technique is a form of statistics encompassing the simultaneous observations and analysis of more than one statistical variable. In this review we are trying to clarify how multivariate statistical methods such as multiple regression analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA), clustering analysis, and canonical correlation (CC) can be used as methods to explain relationships among different variables and making decisions for future works with examples relating to the agriculture and plant science.
Atmospheric properties and abundances of the δ Scuti star FG Virginis

Spectroscopic methods were used to investigate atmospheric parameters of FG Virginis to pinpoint the position of this Scuti variable in the HR diagram and to derive abundances. It was claimed in the literature that this Scuti star is slightly metal overabundant compared to the sun, but this could not be confirmed by us. The chemical composition of FG Vir turned out to be solar. Temperature and logg values are in good agreement with the models which fit the observed pulsation frequencies best.
Seed Germination of Invasive Phytolacca americana and Potentially Invasive P. acinosa

Phytolacca americana and P. acinosa are alien plant species in Europe. The former is considered invasive and more widespread. In order to develop effective and safe eradication and plant disposal methods, the present research focused on the seed germination of the two species. Fruits of different ripeness of both species were collected (fresh and dry seeds within and without pericarp), after which both the germination and maturation were tested. We also tested the continued maturing of fruits on cut plants and observed the development of fruits on whole plants with a cut taproot (in addition to when only the upper part of the stem with fruit racemes was cut off). In general, the seeds germinated from all stages of fruit ripeness, although the germination of dry seeds was better compared to fresh seeds. P. americana’s seeds germinated better and the fruit ripening on cut plants was also more successful compared to P. acinosa. These results could partly explain the invasive success of P. americana. According to our results, removing all fruiting plants from the eradication site is crucial regardless of the fruit development stage.
High Performance of Novel 1–3-Type Composites Based on Ferroelectric PZT-Type Ceramics

The structure of a novel 1–3-type composite is put forward. It consists of a system of poled ferroelectric ceramic rods surrounded by a ceramic/polymer matrix. The effect of the anisotropy of elastic moduli of the 0–3 matrix on piezoelectric sensitivity and hydrostatic response of the 1–0–3 composite is first analysed. Effective parameters are predicted and analysed for novel composites based on ferroelectric PCR-7M ceramic (PZT type). Examples of significant piezoelectric sensitivity (g*33 ≈ 400 mV·m/N, g* h ≈ 200 mV·m/N), hydrostatic piezoelectric activity (d* h ≈ 350 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling (k* h ≈ 0.45) are discussed.
Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Contributes to Cell Senescence and ER Stress in Aging Mice Colon

Aging, which is characterized by enhanced cell senescence and functional decline of tissues, is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases. Accumulating evidence shows that age-related dysfunction in the colon leads to disorders in multiple organs and systemic inflammation. However, the detailed pathological mechanisms and endogenous regulators underlying colon aging are still largely unknown. Here, we report that the expression and activity of the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) enzyme are increased in the colon of aged mice. Importantly, genetic knockout of sEH attenuated the age-related upregulation of senescent markers p21, p16, Tp53, and β-galactosidase in the colon. Moreover, sEH deficiency alleviated aging-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the colon by reducing both the upstream regulators Perk and Ire1 as well as the downstream pro-apoptotic effectors Chop and Gadd34. Furthermore, treatment with sEH-derived linoleic acid metabolites, dihydroxy-octadecenoic acids (DiHOMEs), decreased cell viability and increased ER stress in human colon CCD-18Co cells in vitro. Together, these results support that the sEH is a key regulator of the aging colon, which highlights its potential application as a therapeutic target for reducing or treating age-related diseases in the colon.
Putative Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are hematologic malignancies characterized by gene mutations that promote myeloproliferation and resistance to apoptosis via constitutively active signaling pathways, with Janus kinase 2-signal transducers and the activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) axis as a core part. Chronic inflammation has been described as a pivot for the development and advancement of MPNs from early stage cancer to pronounced bone marrow fibrosis, but there are still unresolved questions regarding this issue. The MPN neutrophils are characterized by upregulation of JAK target genes, they are in a state of activation and with deregulated apoptotic machinery. Deregulated neutrophil apoptotic cell death supports inflammation and steers them towards secondary necrosis or neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, a trigger of inflammation both ways. NETs in proinflammatory bone marrow microenvironment induce hematopoietic precursor proliferation, which has an impact on hematopoietic disorders. In MPNs, neutrophils are primed for NET formation, and even though it seems obvious for NETs to intervene in the disease progression by supporting inflammation, no reliable data are available. We discuss in this review the potential pathophysiological relevance of NET formation in MPNs, with the intention of contributing to a better understanding of how neutrophils and neutrophil clonality can orchestrate the evolution of a pathological microenvironment in MPNs.
Cognitive Profiles of French Individuals with Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome: What’s Up? What’s Next?

The aim of our study was to characterize the face recognition skills, theory of mind skills, and language skills of a single group of French participants with Williams syndrome (WS) compared to a group of participants with Down syndrome (DS). Twelve French-speaking participants with WS and 12 French-speaking participants with DS took part in this study. The two groups were matched for nonverbal and verbal levels. We used the Benton Facial Recognition test to study the groups’ ability to recognize faces, the Theory of Mind Test Revised, and the morphosyntactic production and morphosyntactic comprehension subtests from the French test battery “Instruments pour le Screening et l’Approfondissement de l’examen des DYsfonctionnements du Langage chez l’Enfant (ISADYLE)”. The results of the participants with WS were systematically better than those of the participants with DS. Nevertheless, although they outperformed the participants with DS, the participants with WS were far from performing at ceiling level. Most importantly, we found no significant correlations between performances on the various standardized tests for either group of participants. The evaluation of cognitive skills in a single group of French participants with WS confirmed that they present a complex profile. Because these competences are strongly influenced by social and cultural aspects, it is therefore essential to develop studies for specific languages, including when one is examining a rare developmental disability.
Mass loss from dynamically unstable stellar envelopes

Results of an extensive study of the dynamical stability and dynamical behavior of envelopes of red giants are given. The region on the luminosity (L) -effective temperature (T/sub eff/) -plane within which static, thermally equilibrated envelopes are dynamically unstable is reanalyzed and is found to be more complex than has hitherto been thought. The significance of the structure of this region and its dependence on relevant physical parameters is discussed. The motion of unstable envelopes is followed by a numerical hydrodynamical code; it is found that some small amount of mass loss occurs via a shock ejection mechanism as previously suggested in the literature. It is, however, also found that this mass loss does occur repeatedly, so that a rather large amount of mass loss is expected over an evolutionary time scale.
Effects on rumen microbiome and milk quality of dairy cows fed a grass silage-based diet supplemented with the macroalga Asparagopsis taxiformis

The objective was to determine the effects on rumen microbiome and milk quality of reducing the methane (CH4) produced from enteric fermentation by the addition of Asparagopsis taxiformis (AT) to the diets of dairy cows. Six Nordic Red cows at 122 ± 13.7 (mean ± SD) days in milk, of parity 2.7 ± 0.52 and producing 36 kg ± 2.5 kg milk per day at the start of the trial were divided into three blocks by milk yield and assigned to an extra-period Latin-square change-over design comprising two dietary treatments. An extra period of observation was added to the Latin-square change-over design to control for carry-over effects. The dietary treatments were a diet consisting of grass silage and a commercial concentrate mixture (60:40) either not supplemented or supplemented with 0.5% AT on an organic matter intake basis. On average, daily CH4 production, CH4 yield, and CH4 intensity decreased by 60%, 54%, and 58%, respectively, in cows fed the diet supplemented with AT. Furthermore, hydrogen gas emitted by cows fed diets supplemented with AT increased by more than five times compared with cows fed a non-AT-supplemented diet. Feed intake was decreased and milk production altered, reflecting a decreased yield of milk fat in cows fed an AT-supplemented diet, but feed efficiency increased. Rumen fermentation parameters were changed to promote propionate rather than acetate and butyrate fermentation. The most prominent change in milk quality was an increase in bromine and iodine when the diet was supplemented with AT. The reduction in CH4 was associated with a shift from Methanobrevibacter to Methanomethylophilaceae in the archaeal population and a lower relative abundance of Prevotella in the bacterial population. Changes in milk fat odd-numbered and branched-chain fatty acids in the current study of AT supplementation support observed differences in ruminal archaeal and bacterial populations.
Metabolic Profile of Whole Unstimulated Saliva in Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome

Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS) is a multi-system autoimmune disease that involves the exocrine glands. Lymphocytes infiltrate the gland tissue, leading to anatomical modification and hypofunction. Even if the prognosis of pSS is favorable, quality of life is typically reduced due to the diverse manifestations of the disease. The aim of this study is to compare the salivary metabolomes of pSS with healthy controls (HCs). Seven cases were selected from a cohort of pSS patients, and six age- and sex-matched HCs were recruited from a cohort of volunteers. Whole unstimulated saliva was collected for NMR analysis. Our metabolomic analysis focused on 360 ms total echo 1D 1H NMR CPMG spectra. Metabolites detected with CPMG NMR spectra were assigned through 2D NMR spectra (COSY, TOCSY, and HSQC). About 50 metabolites were detected and assigned. Unsupervised exploratory PCA returned partial clustering, and PLS-DA improved the separation between pSS and HCs, highlighting a pool of metabolites distinctly describing each group. Despite the limited number of samples, the presented preliminary data are promising. PLS-DA indicated well-defined group separation, suggesting that the application of 1H-NMR metabolomics is suitable for the study of pSS.
Administration of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum suppresses the increase of colonic serotonin and alleviates symptoms in dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice

Previous studies suggested that altered gut serotonin (5-HT) signaling is implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Indeed, 5-HT administration reportedly exacerbated the severity of murine dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis that mimics human IBD. Our recent study suggested that Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, one of the most predominant bifidobacterial species in various mammals, reduces the colonic 5-HT content in mice. The present study thus tested whether the administration of B. pseudolongum prevents DSS-induced colitis in mice. Colitis was induced by administering 3% DSS in drinking water in female BALB/c mice, and B. pseudolongum (109 CFU/day) or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, 200 mg/kg body weight) was intragastrically administered once daily throughout the experimental period. B. pseudolongum administration reduced body weight loss, diarrhea, fecal bleeding, colon shortening, spleen enlargement, and colon tissue damage and increased colonic mRNA levels of cytokine genes (Il1b, Il6, Il10, and Tnf) almost to an extent similar to 5-ASA administration in DSS-treated mice. B. pseudolongum administration also reduced the increase of colonic 5-HT content, whereas it did not alter the colonic mRNA levels of genes that encode the 5-HT synthesizing enzyme, 5-HT reuptake transporter, 5-HT metabolizing enzyme, and tight junction-associated proteins. We propose that B. pseudolongum is as beneficial against murine DSS-induced colitis as the widely used anti-inflammatory agent 5-ASA. However, further studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship between the reduced colonic 5-HT content and reduced severity of DSS-induced colitis caused by B. pseudolongum administration.
Radiologic Predictors for Clinical Improvement in PAO—A Perspective Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and determine the values of radiological parameters that would allow us to obtain an optimal clinical result. Radiological evaluation included determining the center-edge angle (CEA), medialization, distalization, femoral head coverage (FHC), and ilioischial angle as measured on a standardized AP radiograph of the hip joints. Clinical evaluation was based on the HHS, WOMAC, Merle d’Aubigne–Postel scales and Hip Lag Sign. The results of PAO presented decreased medialization (mean 3.4 mm), distalization (mean 3.5 mm), and ilioischial angle (mean 2.7°); improvement in femoral head bone cover; an increased CEA (mean 16.3°) and FHC (mean 15.2%); clinically increased HHS (mean 22 points) and M. Postel–d’Aubigne (mean 3.5 points) scores; and a decrease in WOMAC (mean 24%). HLS improved in 67% of patients after surgery. Qualification of patients with DDH for PAO should be based on the following values of three parameters: CEA < 26°, FHC < 75%, and ilioischial angle >85.9°. To achieve better clinical results, it is necessary to increase the average CEA value by 11° and the average FHC by 11% and reduce the average ilioischial angle by 3°.
Efficacy of herbal medicine treatment based on syndrome differentiation for Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disease, causes heterogeneous clinical symptoms. Patients experience a range of motor and non-motor symptoms, and personalized diagnosis and treatment are needed. In traditional East Asian medicine, syndrome differentiation (SD) is a diagnostic approach for customized therapy that uses a comprehensive analysis and varies for the same disease. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicine (HM) prescribed according to the SD of PD. Methods: Ten electronic databases were searched from inception to August 2021 without language limitations. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving HM for SD of PD were included. Assessment of Cochrane's risk of bias and meta-analysis and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was also performed. Effect measurement was summarized using the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval, through a meta-analysis. Results: Thirteen RCTs involving 843 participants were included. The overall risk of bias was either low or unclear. Compared with the placebo, a combined therapy of HM and Western medicine (WM) significantly improved the total Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (MD = −8.03, [−10.27, −5.79], p < 0.00001; I2 = 0%) and was more beneficial, as assessed using the UPDRS (I–III), the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39, and the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale. Adverse events did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the combined treatment of WM and HM based on SD diagnosis has additional benefits in PD treatment. However, the methodological quality of the included RCTs was suboptimal. Nevertheless, this systematic review is the first to investigate the efficacy of HM treatment according to the SD diagnosis in PD. The clinically meaningful improvement in HM according to SD in PD needs to be tested in further studies with rigorous designs and longer follow-up periods. Systematic Review Registration: [https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-10-0020/], identifier [INPLASY2021100020].
Inverse scattering in inhomogeneous background media: II. Multi-frequency case and SVD formulation

The inverse scattering problem formulated and solved within the distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) in [1] (hereafter referred to as 'part I') is reformulated so as to be applicable to arbitrary (non-point) transmitter and receiver array elements and to frequency-independent (dispersionless) scattering potentials interrogated in a set of scattering experiments employing multiple temporal frequencies. The underlying structure of the pseudo-inverse reconstruction algorithm developed in part I is also revamped by use of the SVD so as to employ an orthonormal basis in the Hilbert space of compactly supported scattering potentials. This basis replaces the linearly dependent set of spanning functions used in part I and results in a more efficient reconstruction algorithm both in terms of CPU execution time as well as required computer storage space. Computer simulations illustrating the performance of the reformulated algorithm are presented.