Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bewertung von Codierverfahren für einen störungssicheren Datentransfer

The present thesis deals with modeling of unpredictable disturbances, called channel noise, which occur during the transfer of information over real transmission channels. A further main subject of the thesis is to develop an appropriate method for an evaluation of different coding techniques which are used to ensure a reliable data transfer. The development of this evaluation scheme is based on an appropriate channel model describing the unpredictable disturbances. In this thesis, the unpredictable disturbances which occur during the transmission of digital data are interpreted as a sequence of bit errors and are represented by a binary stochastic error process. To model the error process we use a Markovian background process with a finite state space and a transition matrix Q. By means of this approach we are able to model digital transmission channels with memory. Since within this approach the advantages of already known channel models are combined and their disadvantages are widely extenuated this basic approach provides some explicit advantages. To ensure a reliable transmission of information different coding techniques are used which follow different mathematical approaches and are characterized by their different algebraic properties. On the one hand there exist so-called "random error-correcting codes (REC)" which are more suited to correct randomly distributed transmission errors. On the other one there are so-called "burst error-correcting codes (BEC)" which are able to correct so-called burst errors, i.e. errors which are correlated. In this connection, the error-correcting capabilities of different codes depend on their different algebraic properties. Thus, a further objective of this thesis is to develop an appropriate method to compare and evaluate the efficiency of REC versus BEC. In general, as an appropriate measure for the success of an error-correcting code the residual error rate is being used. Based on the channel model proposed in the first part of the thesis we develop recursive equations to calculate the residual error rates of codes. In this context, we differentiate between REC and BEC; i.e. we consider the advantages of different mathematical approaches of different error-correcting codes in this evaluation of their performance. One important result is that the use of BEC should be preferred if the memory of the considered transmission channel is sufficiently strong. Another result is that by means of these recursive equations an optimal and adequate error-correcting code can be chosen a priori depending on the error statistics of the considered transmission channel.
Subcutaneous Zygomycosis Due To Saksenaea Vasiformis: Rapid isolate identification using a modified sporulation technique

&NA; Saksenaea vasiformis, a zygomycete belonging to the order Mucorales, is a rare cause of zygomycosis with 17 cases documented world‐wide. It usually infects the immunocompromised or traumatized and has a high mortality rate. Because of its failure to sporulate under normal laboratory conditions it may be difficult to identify. We describe here an unusual case report of Saksenaea vasiformis with sporulation and identification within a week using a modified sporulation technique.
Beyond Retention: National Health Service Corps Participation and Subsequent Practice Locations of a Cohort of Rural Family Physicians

Background: This report addresses the long-term career paths and retrospective impressions of a cohort of family physicians who served in rural National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites in return for having received medical school scholarships during the early 1980s. Methods: We surveyed all physicians who graduated from medical school between 1980 and 1983, received NHSC scholarships, completed family medicine residencies, and served in rural areas. Two hundred fifty-eight physicians responded to our survey with complete information, 76 percent of the members of the cohort who could be located and met the study criteria. Results: In 1994 one quarter of the respondents were still practicing in the county to which they had been assigned by the NHSC, an average of 6.1 years after the end of their obligation. Another 27 percent were still in rural practice. Of the entire group, less than 40 percent were in traditional urban private or managed care settings. Conclusions: Although only one quarter of NHSC assignees remain long term in their original assignment counties, they provide a large (and growing) amount of nonobligated service to those areas. Of those who leave, many remain in rural practice or work in community-oriented urban practices.
Modified early warning score predicts the need for hospital admission and inhospital mortality

Background: The modified early warning score (MEWS) is a useful tool for identifying hospitalised patients in need of a higher level of care and those at risk of inhospital death. Use of the MEWS as a triage tool to identify patients needing hospital admission and those at increased risk of inhospital death has been evaluated only to a limited extent. Aim: To evaluate the use of the MEWS as a triage tool to identify medical patients presenting to the emergency department who require admission to hospital and are at increased risk of inhospital death. Methods: Physiological parameters were collected from 790 medical patients presenting to the emergency department of a public hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. MEW scores were calculated from the data and multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of hospital admission and inhospital mortality. Results: The proportion of patients admitted and those who died in hospital increased significantly as the MEW score increased (p<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis identified five independent predictors of hospital admission: systolic blood pressure ⩽100 mm Hg, pulse rate ⩾130 beats per minute, respiratory rate ⩾30 breaths per minute, temperature ⩾38.5°C and an impaired level of consciousness. Independent predictors of inhospital death were: abnormal systolic blood pressure (⩽100 or ⩾200 mm Hg), respiratory rate ⩾30 breaths per minute and an impaired level of consciousness. Conclusion: The MEWS, specifically five selected parameters, may be used as a rapid, simple triage method to identify medical patients in need of hospital admission and those at increased risk of inhospital death.
Multicenter phase III comparison of cisplatin/S-1 with cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma study: the FLAGS trial.

PURPOSE Patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma need more efficacious and safer treatments than established today. S-1, a contemporary oral fluoropyrimidine, can provide that advantage. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study was conducted in 24 countries and 146 centers. One thousand fifty-three patients were stratified (center, number of metastatic sites, prior adjuvant therapy, and measurable cancer) and randomly assigned. Patients received either S-1 at 50 mg/m(2) divided in two daily doses for 21 days and cisplatin at 75 mg/m(2) intravenously on day 1, repeated every 28 days (527 patients) or infusional fluorouracil at 1,000 mg/m(2)/24 hours for 120 hours and cisplatin at 100 mg/m(2) intravenously on day 1, repeated every 28 days (526 patients). The primary end point was superiority in overall survival (OS) from cisplatin/S-1 compared with cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil in patients with advanced, untreated gastric, or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. The secondary end points were response rate, progression-free survival, time to treatment failure, and safety. RESULTS The median OS was 8.6 months in the cisplatin/S-1 arm and 7.9 months in the cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil arm (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.05; P = .20). Significant safety advantages were observed in the cisplatin/S-1 arm compared with the cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil arm for the rates of grade 3/4 neutropenia (32.3% v 63.6%), complicated neutropenia (5.0% v 14.4%), stomatitis (1.3% v 13.6%), hypokalemia (3.6% v 10.8%), and treatment-related deaths (2.5% v 4.9%; P < .05). CONCLUSION Cisplatin/S-1 did not prolong OS of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma compared with cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil, but it did result in a significantly improved safety profile.
Activity-centric streaming of virtual environments and games to mobile devices

As mobile devices still have limited battery, processing power, memory, and display size, compared to their PC counterparts, they cannot yet execute Virtual Environment (VE) and Online Gaming applications with the same fidelity and quality as their PC counterpart. In response, we have recently witnessed some research with the goal of real-time delivery of VE and multiplayer game content specifically to fit mobile devices' limitations. In this paper, we present a novel approach to tackle the streaming of 3D objects for such environments. Our goal is to improve the real-time response and interactivity of networked VEs and games through an efficient context-aware 3D object selection and prioritization scheme, before streaming those objects over the network. In our architecture, we take advantage of game context for culling and streaming only the most relevant objects in each frame of gameplay and stream them from the server to a client. Our evaluations show that this technique not only leads to better performance in general, but also increases gameplay experience by helping the player to achieve a higher score in comparison with traditional approaches.
Pathophysiology of the MELAS 3243 Transition Mutation*

Single base substitutions of the mitochondrial genome are associated with a variety of metabolic disorders. The myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, stroke-like episodes syndrome, most frequently associated with an A to G transition mutation at position 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR)gene, is characterized by biochemical and structural alterations of mitochondria. To investigate the pathophysiology of the mutation, we established distinct Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell lines for analyses that harbored 30–70% of the mutated genome. Interestingly, neither an alteration of the processing of primary transcripts nor a general impairment of individual mitochondrial protein subunit synthesis rates could be observed. Nevertheless a marked decrease of cytochrome-c oxidase activity and reduced content of mitochondrial encoded subunits in the assembled respiratory complex IV was recorded on the cell line harboring 70% mutated mtDNA. Quantitative analysis of incorporation rates of the amino acid leucine into newly synthesized mitochondrial proteins, representing the functionality of the tRNALeu(UUR) in protein biosynthesis, revealed a specific decrease of this amino acid in distinct mitochondrial translation products. This observation was supported by a variation in the proteolytic fingerprint pattern. Our results suggest that the malfunctioning mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) leads to an alteration of amino acid incorporation into the mitochondrially synthesized subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system, thus altering it’s structure and function.
Gait evaluation of new powered knee–ankle–foot orthosis in able-bodied persons: A pilot study

Background: Knee–ankle–foot orthoses are utilized for walking by patients with lower limb weakness. However, they may be rejected by patients due to the lack of knee flexion available when using them for walking activities. Aim: The aim of this study was to perform a pilot study investigating the effect of a new powered knee–ankle–foot orthosis on walking in healthy persons before testing with patients with lower limb weakness. Methods: Walking evaluation was performed on five healthy subjects (mean age: 26 ± 5.6 years). Walking trials were randomly performed in three test conditions: normal walking without an orthosis, walking with a conventional knee–ankle–foot orthosis unilaterally, and also with a new powered knee–ankle–foot orthosis applied to the same leg. Results: The means of walking speed, cadence, and knee flexion during swing and step length were all decreased. Compensatory motions were increased by both orthoses compared to normal walking. More knee flexion was observed in both swing and stance phases when walking with the powered knee–ankle–foot orthosis compared to the conventional knee–ankle–foot orthosis. Conclusion: The results demonstrated the potential of a powered orthosis in providing improvements in gait parameters compared to a conventional device in healthy subjects but are yet untested in subjects with lower limb weakness. Clinical relevance The results of this study demonstrated that a powered knee–ankle–foot orthosis could lock the knee during stance and provide active knee flexion during swing to potentially reduce the tripping during ambulation.
Blood Flow Characteristics of the Human Lactating Breast

Background: Despite the increased metabolic activity of the lactating breast, no studies have been carried out to determine mammary blood flow (MBF) parameters or the relationship between MBF and milk production in women. The aim of this study was to measure the MBF in the internal mammary artery (IMA) and lateral thoracic artery (LTA) of lactating women and determine if these were related to milk production. Methods: Blood flow in the IMA and LTA was measured with color Doppler ultrasound in 55 lactating women. Twenty-four-hour milk production was determined with the test-weigh method. Results: IMA contributed the greater proportion of blood flow to the lactating breast (70%). MBF was highly variable between women but consistent between the left (126 L/24 h; interquartile range, 76-169) and right (110 L/24 h) breasts. No relationship between MBF and milk production was demonstrated. For 3 women, MBF was markedly reduced in 1 breast that was synthesizing almost no milk compared to the other that was producing a normal volume of milk. Discussion: Although no relationship between MBF and milk production was found, the substantial reduction in blood flow in the breasts of lactating women producing almost no milk suggests a threshold below which milk production is compromised. Conclusion: Doppler ultrasound did not demonstrate a relationship between MBF and milk production in lactating women. Further investigation is required to fully understand the role of blood flow in milk synthesis.
A multi-stage and time-based continuous time ΣΔ Architecture using a Gated Ring Oscillator

We present a multi-stage noise shaping modulator that uses a continuous time first stage and a Gated Ring Oscillator (GRO)as second stage. A Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) and a Time-to-Digital converter (TDC) is used as time-based quantizer in first stage. The binary output of the PWM is reused to control the GRO, avoiding the distortion that would be introduced by a conventional VCO. The digital outputs of both stages are filtered out to remove first stage quantization noise as in any conventional multi-stage Sigma-Delta Architecture. The architecture is suitable to extend the bandwidth or the resolution of a low oversampling time-based Continuous Time Sigma-Delta Modulators (CTIAM) with a small amount of analog circuitry and low power consumption. A simulation example using a 2-1 architecture, 50MHz bandwidth and 2GHZ clock is presented, showing 76dB SNDR at system level.
Tissue-specific targeting of the pthrp gene: the generation of mice with floxed alleles.

PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) has been implicated in a variety of developmental and homeostatic processes. Although mice homozygous for the targeted disruption of the Pthrp gene have greatly expanded our capacity to investigate the developmental roles of the protein, the perinatal lethality of these animals has severely hindered the analysis of Pthrp's postnatal physiological effects. To overcome this obstacle, we have generated mice homozygous for a floxed Pthrp allele, i.e. two loxP sites flanking exon 4 of the Pthrp gene, which encodes most of the protein, with the aim of accomplishing cell type- and tissue-specific deletion of the gene. The ability of the Cre enzyme to cause recombination between the loxP sites and excision of the intervening DNA sequence was tested in vivo by crossing this strain to mice carrying a cre transgene under the transcriptional control of the human beta-actin promoter. The ubiquitous deletion of the floxed allele in the cre/loxP progeny resulted in perinatal lethality as a consequence of aberrant endochondral bone formation, fully recapitulating all the phenotypic abnormalities observed in the conventional Pthrp knockout mouse. The availability of the floxed Pthrp mice will serve as a valuable tool in genetic experiments that aim to investigate the physiological actions of Pthrp in the postnatal state.
BMPR2 mutations have short lifetime expectancy in primary pulmonary hypertension

In a nationwide study, we identified a total of 59 patients diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) in Finland between the years 1987 and 1999. These data support a minimum estimate for a PPH population prevalence of 5.8 cases/million with an incidence of 0.2–1.3 cases/million/year. The male‐to‐female ratio among the patients was 1:4, while 7% (4/59) of the PPH probands had a known family history of the disorder. Familial or sporadic PPH showed no geographic clustering to any region of Finland. Sequencing of the coding regions and exon‐intron boundaries of the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) identified heterozygous BMPR2 mutations in 12% (3/26) of the sporadic and 33% (1/3) of the familial patients. All four mutations were different, and two of those have been previously reported in other populations. Pathogenic defects in BMPR2 include a novel missense mutation (c.2696G>C encoding R899P), located within the receptor intracellular cytoplasmic domain whose function has been poorly characterized. Our analysis demonstrates that this mutant, while localizing to the cell surface, does not impact on SMAD‐mediated (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog) intracellular signaling, but leads to constitutive activation of the p38MAPK pathway. The absence of a founder mutation in a genetically homogeneous population, such as the Finns, suggests that all identified BMPR2 mutations have to be rather young while the ancestral (if any) mutations have been lost either due to repetitive genetic bottlenecks or due to significant negative selection. Hum Mutat 26(2), 1–6, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The high frequency circuit model based on scattering parameters equal division

The paper improves a new method to set up the high frequency circuit model based on scattering parameters equal division. At first, divide the measured scattering parameters of two-port network equally for several times so that the two-port network can be presented as the sub-networks connected in series. Then transform the divided scattering parameters into admittance parameters, and establish π-type equivalent circuit of sub-network according to admittance parameters. At last, set up equivalent circuit model of admittance components with vector fitting. The method gives a new thought to simplify the scattering parameters so that the high frequency circuit model will be easier and overcomes some disadvantages of primal methods. Simulation and experiment of setting up the coaxial cable circuit model have proved that the method is reasonable and viable.
Knowledge Engineering for Intelligent Decision Support

Knowledge can be seen as the collection of skills and information an individual (or group) has acquired through experience, while intelligence as the ability to apply such knowledge. In many areas of Artificial Intelligence, we have been focusing for the last 40 years on the formalization and development of automated ways of finding and collecting data, as well as on the construction of models to represent that data adequately in a way that an automated system can make sense of it. However, in order to achieve real artificial intelligence we need to go beyond data and knowledge representation, and deeper into how such a system could, and would, use available knowledge in order to empower and enhance the capabilities of humans in making decisions in real-world applications. From my point of view, an AI should be able to combine automatically acquired data and knowledge together with specific domain expertise from the users that the tool is expected to help.
Detection of ghost cells in the standard alkaline comet assay is not a good measure of apoptosis

The single cell gel electrophoresis assay, or Comet assay, is a powerful tool for measurement of DNA strands breaks, oxidative damage, and alkali labile sites, and the assay was recently modified to detect DNA cross‐links. It has also been proposed as a measure of apoptosis since apoptotic cells are suspected to result in total migration of the DNA from the nucleus into the tail. Cells with this appearance are called ghost cells, clouds, hedgehogs, or NDCN (nondetectable cell nuclei). The aim of this study was to determine if ghost cells can be used to measure apoptosis in the standard alkaline comet assay. To answer this question, we made use of two cell lines: CTLL‐2 cells that can enter apoptosis upon addition of apoptosis stimuli or IL‐2 deprivation, and CTLL‐2 bcl2 cells that are protected from apoptosis due to the overexpression of the apoptosis inhibitor gene bcl2. The two cell lines were treated with cytotoxins (nongenotoxic apoptosis inducers, nongenotoxic necrotic agents) or genotoxins. They were also subjected to growth factor withdrawal, which induced apoptosis in the CTLL‐2 cell line. The level of apoptosis was measured by the Annexin V‐FITC method in parallel with performing the Comet assay. The results obtained in the two cell lines suggest that apoptotic or necrotic death does not correlate well with the detection of ghost cells, presumably because these cells are lost upon electrophoresis. A variant of the alkaline Comet assay that was performed without electrophoresis (halo method) was able to efficiently detect cells undergoing apoptosis, but it was unable to clearly distinguish between apoptosis and genotoxic damage. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 41:260–269, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.