Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distributed power allocation based on coalitional and noncooperative games for wireless networks

The performance in cooperative communication depends on careful resource allocation such as relay selection and power Control. This paper introduces novel concepts for relay selection schemes based on coalitional game theory which establishes the dynamic formation of coalitions in multi user wireless networks. Then we present a power allocation for wireless data transmission among coalition based on a noncooperative game. Through this games theoretical framework, source nodes are able to self organize and form a stable coalitions and set their transmission powers in a completely distributed manner. Numerical results denote that the proposed algorithm achieves significant reduction in energy consumption and improvement in payoff for the users, compared to noncooperative power control approaches.
Comparative Study of rK39 Leishmania Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background The rK39 recombinant protein is derived from a specific antigen produced by the Leishmania donovani complex, and has been used in the last two decades for the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. We present here a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating serologic assays to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis to determine the accuracy of rK39 antigen in comparison to the use of other antigen preparations. Methodology/Principal Findings A systematic review with meta-analysis of the literature was performed to compare the rK39 strip-test and ELISA formats against serological tests using promastigote antigens derived from whole or soluble parasites for Direct Aglutination Test (DAT), Indirect Immunofluorescence test (IFAT) and ELISA with a promastigote antigen preparation (p-ELISA). Gold standard diagnosis was defined by the demonstration of amastigotes on hematological specimens. A database search was performed on Medline, Lilacs, Scopus, Isi Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Quality of data was assessed using the QUADAS questionnaire. A search of the electronic databases found 352 papers of which only 14 fulfilled the selection criteria. Three evaluated the rK39 ELISA, while 13 evaluated the rK39 immunochromatographic strip test. The summarized sensitivity for the rK39-ELISA was 92% followed by IFAT 88% and p-ELISA 87%. The summarized specificity for the three diagnostic tests was 81%, 90%, and 77%. Studies comparing the rK39 strip test with DAT found a similar sensitivity of 94%, although the DAT had a slightly higher specificity. The rK39 strip test was more sensitive and specific than the IFAT and p-ELISA. We did not detect any difference in the sensitivity and specificity between strips produced by different manufacturers. Conclusions The rK39 protein used either in a strip test or in an ELISA, and the DAT are the best choices for implementation of rapid, easy and efficient test for serodiagnosis of VL.
Differential expression of genes involved in the epigenetic regulation of cell identity in normal human mammary cell commitment and differentiation

The establishment and maintenance of mammary epithelial cell identity depends on the activity of a group of proteins, collectively called maintenance proteins, that act as epigenetic regulators of gene transcription through DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Increasing evidence indicates that dysregulation of these crucial proteins may disrupt epithelial cell integrity and trigger breast tumor initiation. Therefore, we explored in silico the expression pattern of a panel of 369 genes known to be involved in the establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell identity and mammary gland remodeling in cell subpopulations isolated from normal human mammary tissue and selectively enriched in their content of bipotent progenitors, committed luminal progenitors, and differentiated myoepithelial or differentiated luminal cells. The results indicated that, compared to bipotent cells, differentiated myoepithelial and luminal subpopulations were both characterized by the differential expression of 4 genes involved in cell identity maintenance: CBX6 and PCGF2, encoding proteins belonging to the Polycomb group, and SMARCD3 and SMARCE1, encoding proteins belonging to the Trithorax group. In addition to these common genes, the myoepithelial phenotype was associated with the differential expression of HDAC1, which encodes histone deacetylase 1, whereas the luminal phenotype was associated with the differential expression of SMARCA4 and HAT1, which encode a Trithorax protein and histone acetylase 1, respectively. The luminal compartment was further characterized by the overexpression of ALDH1A3 and GATA3, and the down-regulation of NOTCH4 and CCNB1, with the latter suggesting a block in cell cycle progression at the G2 phase. In contrast, myoepithelial differentiation was associated with the overexpression of MYC and the down-regulation of CCNE1, with the latter suggesting a block in cell cycle progression at the G1 phase.
Increased transendothelial migration of scleroderma lymphocytes

Background: CD4+ T lymphocytes play an important part in the pathogenesis of scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc) and predominate in perivascular SSc skin lesions. Both soluble and membrane bound adhesion molecules are overexpressed in SSc, possibly influencing lymphocyte/endothelial cell (EC) contact. Objective: To assess the transendothelial migration capacity of peripheral lymphocytes in vitro. Patients and methods: Collagen was covered with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients and matched healthy controls (HC) were added in parallel experiments. Before and after fractionated harvest of non-adherent, bound, and migrated lymphocytes, the CD4/CD8 ratio and the lymphocytic expression of activation markers and adhesion molecules were analysed by fluorocytometry. Results: 13 (SD 12)% of the SSc PBMC migrated compared with only 5 (5)% HC PBMC (p<0.0002); this increase was primarily due to the migration of CD3+ T lymphocytes and mainly to a larger proportion of CD4+ cells within this CD3+ fraction (71 (SD 14)% for SSc v 56 (14)% for HC, p<0.03), leading to an increased CD4/CD8 ratio among migrated SSc lymphocytes in comparison with controls (3.3 (1.5) v 1.62 (0.93), p<0.006). Among migrated SSc CD4+ T lymphocytes, the frequency of HLA-DR+ cells was increased; migrated lymphocytes highly expressed the adhesion molecules CD11a, CD49d, CD29, and CD44. Conclusion: Transendothelial migration of CD4+ T lymphocytes is enhanced in SSc, and migrating cells exhibit an activated phenotype. The data suggest that activated CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes as found in SSc peripheral blood are prone to transvascular migration, thus contributing to the formation of typical perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates.
Towards clinical prostate ultrasound elastography using full inversion approach.

PURPOSE Various types of cancers including prostate cancer are known to be associated with biological changes that lead to tissue stiffening. Digital rectal examination is based on manually palpating the prostate tissue via the rectum. This test lacks sufficient accuracy required for early diagnosis which is necessary for effective management of prostate cancer. To develop an effective prostate cancer diagnostic technique, the authors propose an imaging technique that maps the distribution of the relative prostate tissue's elasticity modulus. Unlike digital rectal examination, this technique is quantitative, capable of accurately detecting small prostate lesions that cannot be sensed by manual palpation, and its accuracy is independent of the physician's experience. METHODS The proposed technique is a quasistatic elastography technique which uses ultrasound imaging to acquire tissue displacements resulting from transrectal ultrasound mechanical stimulation. The system involves a standard ultrasound imaging unit with accessibility to its radiofrequency data. The displacements are used as data for the tissue elasticity reconstruction. This reconstruction does not require tissue segmentation and is based on physics governing tissue mechanics. It is formulated using an inverse problem framework where elastic tissue deformation equations are fully inverted using an iterative scheme where each iteration involves stress calculation followed by elastic modulus updating until convergence is achieved.In silico and tissue mimicking phantom studies were conducted to validate the proposed technique, followed by a clinical pilot study involving two prostate cancer patients with whole-mount histopathology analysis on prostatectomy specimens to confirm a cancer location. RESULTS The phantom studies demonstrated robustness and reasonably high accuracy of the proposed method. Obtained Young's modulus ratios indicated reconstruction errors of less than 12%. Reconstructed elastic modulus images of the two clinical cases were compared to whole-mount histopathology slides where cancerous areas were identified. This comparison indicated marked tissue stiffening in the cancer area with reasonably accurate consistency observed between cancerous lesions identified by histopathology and high stiffness areas of the elastography images. CONCLUSIONS Results obtained from the phantom and patient studies indicate that the proposed method is reasonably accurate for detecting cancerous lesions. The proposed system does not require any additional hardware attachment for mechanical stimulation or data acquisition while the elasticity reconstruction algorithm can be easily implemented, leading to a low cost system that can be potentially utilized as an effective clinical tool for prostate cancer diagnosis.
A Community-Driven Implementation of the Body and Soul Program in Churches in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, 2011–2014

Background African Americans have high disease and death rates due to cancer and cardiovascular disease. Health promotion efforts to improve diet have the potential to reduce these rates. Community Context Given their importance in the community and the extent of their reach, churches are effective avenues for health promotion efforts targeting African Americans. The objectives of this project were to promote healthy eating among African American church members, engage African American churches in the implementation of Body and Soul (an evidenced-based program that encourages healthy eating), and implement the program in the community with minimal resources. Methods From 2011 through 2014 we conducted a community engagement project to implement the 12-week Body and Soul program, which includes demonstrations of healthy recipes and peer counseling, in 20 churches. Participants (n = 310) completed baseline and follow-up surveys on their eating habits and experience with peer counseling. Church coordinators (n = 11) completed a survey evaluating the program. Outcome Participants’ weekly servings of fruit (baseline, 4.3; follow-up, 5.4; P < .001) and vegetables (baseline, 4.5; follow-up, 5.3; P < .001) increased. Church coordinators reported enthusiasm about Body and Soul at their church, and 10 of 11 church coordinators indicated that their pastor encouraged members to attend Body and Soul events. Program success was promoted by engaging the pastor in program activities and by scheduling events soon after church services. Implementation challenges were variation in peer counseling among churches and low turnout at follow-up events. Interpretation The project was successfully implemented in the 20 churches, and increases in healthy eating were observed. This project demonstrated that Body and Soul can be implemented in communities with little funds or other resources.
Meta-Analysis of Ubiquilin1 Gene Polymorphism and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

Background Some studies have evaluated the association between the Ubiquilin 1 (UBQLN1) gene UBQ-8i polymorphism and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the results remain uncertain. We carried out a meta-analysis to derive a more comprehensive estimation of this association. Material/Methods Case-control studies were identified by searching databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, and VIP. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. Results The UBQ-8i polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased AD risk (OR=1.15; 95%CI 1.05–1.25; P=0.002). The combination of adjusted ORs also found UBQ-8i polymorphism was significantly associated with AD risk (OR=1.15; 95%CI 1.02–1.30; P=0.02). When stratified by APOE ɛ4 status, both APOE ɛ4 carriers and APOE non-ɛ4 carriers with UBQ-8i polymorphism had significantly increased AD risk (OR=1.28; 95%CI 1.05–1.56; P=0.01 and OR=1.25; 95%CI 1.04–1.50; P=0.02). In the subgroup analysis according to age, UBQ-8i polymorphism was significantly associated with LOAD risk (OR=1.17; 95%CI 1.05–1.31; P=0.005), but not with EOAD risk (OR=1.12; 95%CI 0.95–1.31; P=0.17). Conclusions These results suggest that the UBQ-8i polymorphism is associated with AD risk.
China's Rising Demand for "Green Cities": Evidence from Cross-City Real Estate Price Hedonics

With the decline of the traditional hukou system, migrants in China have a broad set of cities to choose from. Within an open system of cities, compensating differentials theory predicts that local real estate prices will reflect the marginal valuation of non-market local public goods. More polluted cities will feature lower real estate prices. But, local pollution may be caused by booming local industries. To address such endogeneity concerns, we estimate hedonic regressions using an instrumental variable strategy based on "imports" of pollution from nearby sources. By documenting the importance of spatial emissions patterns, our study highlights how real estate prices in one city are affected by Pigouvian externalities originating in another location. On average, a 10% decrease in imported neighbor pollution is associated with a 1.8% increase in local home prices.
Sensitiviy of SAIC and MAIC concepts to residual frequency offsets

This paper presents a performance analysis of the single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC) and the multiple antenna interference cancellation (MAIC) techniques in the presence of non null frequency offsets of both the signal of interest (SOI) and interference, that are neither corrected nor compensated, in terms of signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and bit error rate (BER). General theoretical expressions of the SINR and BER are given for BPSK SOI and interference. To obtain engineering insight, the particular case of the SAIC with no return to zero (NRZ) pulse shape filters is considered, where simple expressions are given and analyzed. It is proved in particular that the performance more deteriorates for non null frequency offset of the interference than for non null frequency offset of the SOI. Finally illustrative examples are presented in order to specify the validity domain of our approximations and to quantify the obtained results in the context of the global system for mobile communication (GSM) standard.
Integration of the Chinese Aluminum Market into the Global Economy and the Efficiency of the Shanghai Futures Exchange: Empirical Study

In my thesis I address two questions regarding the aluminum market in China. The first question analyzes the degree to which the Chinese aluminum market is integrated into the world market. I use the Johansen test for cointegration of time series data in SAS statistical software to compare the volatility of daily aluminum spot prices quoted at the Chinese aluminum Commodity Exchange market in Shanghai (SHFE) relative to its counterparts in London (LME), and New York (COMEX) in order to determine the degree to which prices at SHFE follow the same pattern as prices at LME and COMEX. I also perform a series of cointegration tests to determine whether the results derived for Commodity Exchanges also apply to the physical aluminum markets. The results indicate that the three Commodity Exchange markets are not integrated together as one market system. SHFE displays a certain degree of economic integration with the LME but cannot be regarded as economically integrated with COMEX. Nevertheless, LME and COMEX exhibit a relatively high degree of economic integration between themselves. The results can be extended to the physical aluminum market in the Shanghai region but not to China as a whole, most likely because of insufficient number of data observations. The second question concerns the efficiency of aluminum trading at SHFE, relative to COMEX and LME. The precision, with which termed aluminum futures contract prices on their maturity are able to predict spot prices, serves as a standard measure of Commodity Exchange efficiency. Using the same testing procedure as for the first question I compare relative volatility of spot and futures prices at each Commodity Exchange, and rank their relative performance. The results show that SHFE displays somewhat better efficiency results than LME but worse than COMEX. In level terms, the efficiency of LME cannot be confirmed, SHFE comes close to being efficient and COMEX can be regarded as highly efficient.
Electrophoretic detection of proteases from different Flexibacter columnaris strains and assessment of their variability '

Proteases with apparent molecular weights of 47, 40, 34 and 32 kD were identified in cellfree extracellular products (ECP) of Flexibacter colurnnaris by using substrate SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Similar protease profiles were associated with ECP collected at intervals during several days in culture. Furthermore, the proteases produced by a collection of 13 F. colurnnaris isolates from a variety of fish species and geographic sources showed great uniformity but differed markedly from the protease profiles of 7 other gliding bacteria examined. The 13 F. columnaris isolates degraded gelatin, casein, hemoglobin, fibrinogen and elastin. Results of experiments with protease inhibitors indicated that zinc metalloproteases constitute a major component of the extracellular proteases of F. columnarjs.
Broadcast Gossip Ratio Consensus: Asynchronous Distributed Averaging in Strongly Connected Networks

This study proposes a gossip-based algorithm to find the exact average of initial states in strongly connected topologies such as sensor networks. Network members are assumed to have different clock rates where the arrival of a clock tick is a Poisson process with a rate λi. The algorithm reaches a consensus value faster and with fewer packet transmissions by tolerating omissions of low-rate members' states. Theoretical analysis is provided to demonstrate that the final consensus value converges to the exact average of initial measurements regardless of the rates of transmission. Additionally, it is shown that the proposed algorithm asymptotically reaches a consensus value even if some algorithm parameters are not precisely measured. Simulation results in a realistic environment confirm that the proposed framework needs considerably fewer packet transmissions than existing methods. The algorithm maintains its excellence in terms of transmission count, convergence speed, and accuracy for different network sizes and transmission rates.
Measuring participation outcomes in rehabilitation medicine

We developed the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-Participation) to fulfill the need for a generic measurement instrument to assess outcomes of outpatient rehabilitation programmes. The USER-Participation assesses three aspects of participation, thereby measuring both objective and subjective participation. The reproducibility of the USER-Participation was assessed in the heterogeneous sample, with generally satisfactory results. ICC values were good for the Restrictions and Satisfaction scales, and close to satisfactory for the Frequency scale. The SEM values and the SDC/SD at group level were good for all three USER-Participation scales. However, the SDC/SD ratio was not satisfactory at the individual level, which means that at the individual level large score differences are necessary to exceed chance. Responsiveness figures of the USER-Participation were presented for our heterogeneous sample and in another sample, mainly consisting of persons with brain injury or neuromuscular disease, recruited from the outpatient clinic of the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU). For the heterogeneous sample, changes of USER-Participation scores between start and completion outpatient rehabilitation were moderate. However, compared to three other participation instruments the USER-Participation Restrictions scale showed similar, the USER-Participation Satisfaction scale showed higher, and the USER-Participation Frequency scale showed less responsiveness. Unravelling these responsiveness outcomes for the different diagnostic groups, we saw major differences between these groups. The UMCU sample showed smaller responsiveness values for both the USER-Participation and the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) in the UMCU sample. High correlation coefficients between the Satisfaction scale of the USER-Participation and the IPA showed that the concept of autonomy in participation is highly correlated with satisfaction in participation. Furthermore,the USER-Participation showed its applicability as a measure of participation in the persons with stroke. Even though most participants showed relatively good physical recovery, most experienced participation problems.
Neuropsychological assessment in clinical practice: A guide to test interpretation and integration.

OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT. Introduction to Neuropsychological Assessment (G. Groth-Marnat). Neuropsychological Assessment: Contexts for Contemporary Clinical Practice (A. Stringer & M. Nadolne). Overview of Neurology (M. Selby). The Assessment Interview in Clinical Neuropsychology (R. Sbordone). TEST BATTERIES IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT. The Wechsler Intelligence Scales (G. Groth-Marnat, et al.). The Wechsler Memory Scales (M. Franzen & G. Iverson). The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery (D. Broshek & J. Barth). The Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (C. Golden, et al.). FREQUENTLY USED TESTS ACCORDING TO FUNCTIONAL DOMAINS. Learning and Memory (E. Helms). Language and Academic Abilities (B. Johnstone, et al.). Attention (J. Ponsford). Visuoconstructive Abilities (P. Lacks). The Executive Functions of the Brain (R. Sbordone). Assessment of Emotional Functioning with the MMPI-2 (C. Gass). INTEGRATION OF TEST RESULTS. Neuropsychological Assessment and Treatment Planning (C. Lemsky). Report Writing in Clinical Neuropsychology (M. Williams & T. Boll). Appendix. Glossary. Indexes.