Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors that influence medical student selection of an emergency medicine residency program: implications for training programs.

OBJECTIVES An understanding of student decision-making when selecting an emergency medicine (EM) training program is essential for program directors as they enter interview season. To build upon preexisting knowledge, a survey was created to identify and prioritize the factors influencing candidate decision-making of U.S. medical graduates. METHODS This was a cross-sectional, multi-institutional study that anonymously surveyed U.S. allopathic applicants to EM training programs. It took place in the 3-week period between the 2011 National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) rank list submission deadline and the announcement of match results. RESULTS Of 1,525 invitations to participate, 870 candidates (57%) completed the survey. Overall, 96% of respondents stated that both geographic location and individual program characteristics were important to decision-making, with approximately equal numbers favoring location when compared to those who favored program characteristics. The most important factors in this regard were preference for a particular geographic location (74.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 72% to 78%) and to be close to spouse, significant other, or family (59.7%, 95% CI = 56% to 63%). Factors pertaining to geographic location tend to be out of the control of the program leadership. The most important program factors include the interview experience (48.9%, 95% CI = 46% to 52%), personal experience with the residents (48.5%, 95% CI = 45% to 52%), and academic reputation (44.9%, 95% CI = 42% to 48%). Unlike location, individual program factors are often either directly or somewhat under the control of the program leadership. Several other factors were ranked as the most important factor a disproportionate number of times, including a rotation in that emergency department (ED), orientation (academic vs. community), and duration of training (3-year vs. 4-year programs). For a subset of applicants, these factors had particular importance in overall decision-making. CONCLUSIONS The vast majority of applicants to EM residency programs employed a balance of geographic location factors with individual program factors in selecting a residency program. Specific program characteristics represent the greatest opportunity to maximize the success of the immediate interview experience/season, while others provide potential for strategic planning over time. A working knowledge of these results empowers program directors to make informed decisions while providing an appreciation for the limitations in attracting applicants.
Reflector dip estimates based on seismic waveform curvature/flexure analysis

Reliable estimation of the reflector dip serves as a fundamental and essential tool for subsurface structure interpretation from 3D seismic surveys. We have developed a new method for accurate dip estimation, which consists of two major components. First, the curvature/flexure concept is adapted from the traditional reflector geometry analysis to work for the seismic waveforms, denoted as the waveform curvature and waveform flexure, respectively. Physically, both of them are capable of measuring the most and least apparent variation of the local waveforms in a seismic profile, and thus the corresponding measuring orientations represent the normal and dipping directions of the seismic reflectors, respectively. Second, the complex seismic trace is incorporated into our workflow of waveform curvature/flexure analysis to enhance the accuracy of dip estimation in the presence of seismic noises, especially in the zones of weak reflection intensity, such as zero crossings. The added values of our method are verified through various applications, such as horizon tracking and fault detection, to two 3D seismic data sets, one from the Netherlands North Sea and the other from the Great South Basin in New Zealand that is rich of faults. The results not only demonstrate the good accuracy of the generated dip vectors in guiding the seeded horizon tracking, but they also hold great potential for assisting seismic interpretation in more ways, such as structural-oriented filtering and attribute analysis.
Identification of soluble CD14 as an endogenous agonist for Toll‐like receptor 2 on human astrocytes by genome‐scale functional screening of glial cell derived proteins

Human astrocytes express a limited repertoire of Toll‐like receptor (TLR) family members including TLR1‐4, which are expressed on the cell surface. Also, TLR3 but not TLR4 activation on astrocytes induces expression of several factors involved in neuroprotection and down‐regulation of inflammation rather than in the onset of traditional pro‐inflammatory reactions. The notion that astrocyte TLR may thus play a role not only in host defense but also in tissue repair responses prompted us to examine the possibility that endogenous TLR agonists could be expressed in the human central nervous system to regulate the apparently dual astrocyte functions during trauma or inflammation. As a potential source of endogenous agonists, a cDNA library derived from several human brain tumor cell lines was used. Gene pools of this library were transfected into COS‐7 cells and the expression products were screened for their ability to induce TLR activation in human primary astrocytes. The screening resulted in the identification of soluble CD14. By using a panel of TLR‐transfected HEK293 cells, we found that signaling by soluble CD14 was TLR2 dependent. Moreover, the CD14‐triggered TLR2‐mediated response in astrocytes lead to the production of CXCL8, IL‐6, and IL12p40, whereas typical TLR‐induced pro‐inflammatory cytokines, like TNF‐α and IL‐1β, were not produced at detectable levels. In conclusion, our data indicate that apart from its well‐known ability to act as a co‐receptor for TLR‐dependent signaling by peptidoglycans or LPS, soluble CD14 can also act as a direct agonist for TLR2. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Signal Overlap for Elastic Optical Networks

In Elastic Optical Networks, advanced transmission techniques based on coherent detection strategies have been proposed and exploited to provide high flexibility in resource allocation. So far, these techniques have assumed the constraint of each optical signal being transmitted along a dedicated frequency slot, by carefully avoiding frequency overlap with other optical signals. In this study, an overlap technique, that enables uncorrelated optical signals to be superimposed along the same spectrum resources, is designed and validated through simulations, both in terms of performance bounds and bit-error rate in coded transmissions. In particular, it is demonstrated how this technique allows each overlapped signal to be correctly received and detected. The proposed technique is less spectrally efficient and more complex to implement than increasing the constellation size and using non overlapping frequency slots, but it warrants consideration for flexible networking. The proposed technique is first theoretically detailed and justified. Then, networking scenarios and implementation schemes suitable for its effective utilization are identified and applied in the case of two overlapped 112 Gb/s polarization-multiplexed quadrature phase shift keying signals. Simulation results show that, applying 3-dB optical signal-to-noise ratio margin on the achieved bounds, optical reaches of around 800 km can be successfully supported by the proposed overlap technique.
WHO guidelines for HIV/STI prevention and care among MSM and transgender people: implications for policy and practice

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in men who have sex with men (MSM) peaked in the late 1980s in the developed world and then declined and resurged in the late 1990s.1–3 Several high-income countries responded to those rises in STI rates by enhancing surveillance, expanding community-based treatment services and increasing STI screening programmes.1 ,2 ,4 Although the response has been varied, for the most part, there has not been a similar public health movement around STI control in low-income and middle-income countries. Legal policies in some countries directed against same-sex behaviour discourage safer sex and sexual health promotion among MSM and transgender people.5 Additionally, MSM and transgender people experience profound barriers to quality healthcare due to discrimination and ignorance regarding non-traditional gender identity within the medical community.5 Furthermore, while the literature on the epidemiology of same-sex behaviour and prevalence of STIs in low-income and middle-income countries is scant, evidence suggests that MSM and transgender people have a relatively higher burden of STIs than non-MSM or transgender people.5 ,6 A recent meta-analysis found that MSM in low-income and middle-income countries were 19.3 times more likely to be HIV-infected than the general population.6 Reports show varied but generally higher prevalence of HIV infection among MSM as compared with non-MSM with some of the highest odds of HIV infection among MSM in Bolivia (178.8), Mexico (109.0) and Egypt (108.9). 6 Thus, there is an urgent need for improved HIV prevention strategies in low-income and middle-income countries. The early diagnosis and treatment of STIs that may potentiate the spread of HIV infection is one such strategy, particularly in light of the fact that most rectal STIs are asymptomatic and are strongly associated with increased risk for the acquisition of HIV infection. In 2011, WHO …
An Approach to Propagation Modeling for Indoor WLAN Applications Using Neural Networks

This paper reports results obtained by propagation modeling for WLAN applications. A multi-ray model is proposed and tested through analytical calculations, neural network simulation, and measurements. As the case used a corridor of university building in Dubrovnik, for which calculation, simulation and measurement of signal strength were obtained. Calculation is based on ray-tracing method with neglecting diffraction and scattering. The results of calculation are compared with measurement. Neural network architecture is proposed with back-propagation training algorithm. The simulation data matches with measurement data rather good
Flatness-based tracking control of a piezoactuated Euler–Bernoulli beam with non-collocated output feedback: theory and experiments

This paper considers the combination of flatness-based motion planning and feedforward control with output feedback to achieve robust tracking of prescribed trajectories for the tip displacement of a multi-layered piezoelectric cantilever beam. Thereby, the flatness property of the distributed-parameter beam model is exploited to derive the infinite-dimensional tracking error system, which serves as the basis for the design of the output error feedback control. The stability of the resulting closed-loop system involving the infinite-dimensional beam model is proven in an input/output sense by utilizing a Nyquist-type stability criterion. Experimental results illustrate the high tracking performance in view of exogenous disturbances. The presented approach provides a systematic extension of the two-degrees-of-freedom control concept to distributed-parameter systems. †This paper is dedicated to Prof. Michel Fliess on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Inductance loaded circular patch antenna for switchable circularly polarization

In this paper, a single-fed microstrip patch antenna with switchable circularly polarization (CP) sense is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of a circular patch with a perturbation segment and an inductor. The antenna without an inductor has a right handed CP, while the antenna with an inductor yields a left-handed CP. Experimented results show good agreements with simulated ones.
Effects of α-thalassaemia mutations on the haematological parameters of β-thalassaemia carriers

Background Thalassaemia is a haemoglobin disorder caused by a reduction in, or a complete absence of, the production of α- or β-globin genes. Detection of β-thalassaemia carriers is the first step in the prenatal diagnosis of the disease and is based primarily on the differences between levels of blood cell indices. Since co-inheritance of β- and α-thalassaemia mutations modulates the haematological parameters of heterozygote β-thalassaemia indices, understanding the influence of this interaction is helpful for identification of disease carriers. Objective To determine the effects of α-thalassaemia mutations on the haematological parameters of β-thalassaemia carriers. Method We used gap-PCR and amplification refractory mutation system techniques to find any α- and/or β-thalassaemia mutations in 270 subjects who were suspected to be thalassaemia carriers. The mean values of the haematological parameters in α, β-thalassaemia and β-thalassaemia carriers were compared. Results Significant differences in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and HbA2 were found between the two groups. Patients who were α, β-thalassaemia carriers had higher mean values of MCV and MCH, whereas HbA2 levels were higher in simple β-thalassaemia. No marked differences were found in mean cell haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and Hb blood cell indices. The value of MCV, MCH and HbA2 were significantly different between α,β-thalassaemia and simple β-thalassaemia in men and women, but the mean values of Hb in the two groups differed markedly only in men. Conclusion We conclude that co-inheritance of α- and β-thalassaemia mutations may result in misdiagnosis of β-thalassaemia carriers. Therefore, in genetic counselling of patients with a near-normal range of blood cell indices the possibility that they may carry α, β-thalassaemia mutations must be considered.
An asynchronous wafer bonding method using spot pressing technique

A novel asynchronous wafer bonding method based on Spot Pressing Bonding (SPB) using thermo-compression bonding spot by spot with Ti/Au as intermediate layer is proposed and investigated. It is demonstrated that SPB is effective in bonding wafers with patterned, rough or contaminated surfaces. The SPB bonding mechanism is confirmed experimentally and theoretically.
Aquaporin 9 is the major pathway for glycerol uptake by mouse erythrocytes, with implications for malarial virulence

Human and rodent erythrocytes are known to be highly permeable to glycerol. Aquaglyceroporin aquaporin (AQP)3 is the major glycerol channel in human and rat erythrocytes. However, AQP3 expression has not been observed in mouse erythrocytes. Here we report the presence of an aquaglyceroporin, AQP9, in mouse erythrocytes. AQP9 levels rise as reticulocytes mature into erythrocytes and as neonatal pups develop into adult mice. Mice bearing targeted disruption of both alleles encoding AQP9 have erythrocytes that appear morphologically normal. Compared with WT cells, erythrocytes from AQP9-null mice are defective in rapid glycerol transport across the cell membrane when measured by osmotic lysis, [14C]glycerol uptake, or stopped-flow light scattering. In contrast, the water and urea permeabilities are intact. Although the physiological role of glycerol in the normal function of erythrocytes is not clear, plasma glycerol is an important substrate for lipid biosynthesis of intraerythrocytic malarial parasites. AQP9-null mice at the age of 4 months infected with Plasmodium berghei survive longer during the initial phase of infection compared with WT mice. We conclude that AQP9 is the major glycerol channel in mouse erythrocytes and suggest that this transport pathway may contribute to the virulence of intraerythrocytic stages of malarial infection.
Charge-to-mass dependence of heavy ion spectral breaks in large gradual solar energetic particle events

We fit the ∼0.1-500 MeV/nucleon H-Fe spectra in 46 large SEP events surveyed by [1] with the double power-law Band function to obtain a normalization constant, low- and high-energy parameters γa and γb; and break energy EB. We also calculate the low-energy power-law spectral slope γ1. We find that: 1) γa, γ1, and γb are species-independent within a given SEP event, and the spectra steepen with increasing energy; 2) EB’s are well ordered by Q/M ratio, and decrease systematically with decreasing Q/M, scaling as (Q/M)α with α varying between ∼0.2-3; 3) α is well correlated with Fe/O at ∼0.16-0.23 MeV/nucleon and CME speed; 4) In most events: α <1.4 and the spectra steepen significantly at higher energy with γb-γa >3; and 5) Seven out of nine extreme SEP events (associated with faster CMEs and GLEs) are Fe-rich and have α >1.4 with flat spectra at low and high energies yielding γb-γa <3. The species-independence of γa, γ1, and γb and the systematic Q/M dependence of EB within an event, as well as the range of values for α suggest that the formation of double power-laws in SEP events occurs primarily due to diffusive acceleration at near-Sun CME shocks and not due to scattering in the interplanetary turbulence. In most events, the Q/M-dependence of EB is consistent with the equal diffusion coefficient condition while the event-to-event variations in a are probably driven by differences in the near-shock wave intensity spectra, which are flatter than the Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum but still weaker compared to that inferred for the extreme events. The weaker turbulence allows SEPs to escape more easily, resulting in weaker Q/M-dependence of EB, (lower a values) and spectral steepening at higher energies. In extreme events, the flatter spectra at high- and low-energy and stronger Q/M-dependence of EB (larger α values) occur due to enhanced wave power, which also enables the faster CME shocks to accelerate flare suprathermals more efficiently than ambient coronal ions.
Simmel's ‘Stranger’: A Critique of the Concept

If wandering is the liberation from every given point in space, and thus the conceptional opposite to fixation at such a point, the sociological form of the "stranger" presents the unity, as it were, of these two characteristics [p. 402]. 1 It is apparent that Simmel (1908) intends to use the term "'stranger" in an unconventional way; and, in fact, the remainder of his influential note represents an effort to clarify this intention.2 One of the amplifying passages (1950) states:
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: the incidence of advanced neoplasia after polypectomy in patients with and without low‐risk adenomas

Patients with one to two tubular adenomas <1 cm in size without high‐grade dysplasia (low‐risk group) are considered at low risk for colorectal cancer. However, it is uncertain whether they have the same risk of subsequent advanced neoplasia as those with no neoplasia at baseline colonoscopy.
Reduced NMDA receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in PTPα‐deficient mouse synaptosomes is accompanied by inhibition of four src family kinases and Pyk2: an upstream role for PTPα in NMDA receptor regulation

Mice lacking protein tyrosine phosphatase alpha (PTPα) exhibited defects in NMDA receptor (NMDAR)‐associated processes such as learning and memory, hippocampal neuron migration, and CA1 hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP). In vivo molecular effectors linking PTPα and the NMDAR have not been reported. Thus the involvement of PTPα as an upstream regulator of NMDAR tyrosine phosphorylation was investigated in synaptosomes of wild‐type and PTPα‐null mice. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the NMDAR NR2A and NR2B subunits was reduced upon PTPα ablation, indicating a positive effect of this phosphatase on NMDAR phosphorylation via intermediate molecules. The NMDAR is a substrate of src family tyrosine kinases, and reduced activity of src, fyn, yes and lck, but not lyn, was apparent in the absence of PTPα. In addition, autophosphorylation of proline‐rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), a tyrosine kinase linked to NMDAR signaling, was also reduced in PTPα‐deficient synaptosomes. Altered protein tyrosine phosphorylation was not accompanied by altered expression of the NMDAR or the above tyrosine kinases at any stage of PTPα‐null mouse development examined. In a human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cell expression system, PTPα enhanced fyn‐mediated NR2A and NR2B tyrosine phosphorylation by several‐fold. Together, these findings provide evidence that aberrant NMDAR‐associated functions in PTPα‐null mice are due to impaired NMDAR tyrosine phosphorylation resulting from the reduced activity of probably more than one of the src family kinases src, fyn, yes and lck. Defective NMDAR activity in these mice may also be linked to the loss of PTPα as an upstream regulator of Pyk2.
An Integrated Model of Associative and Reinforcement Learning

Successfully explaining and replicating the complexity and generality of human and animal learning will require the integration of a variety of learning mechanisms. Here, we introduce a computational model which integrates associative learning (AL) and reinforcement learning (RL). We contrast the integrated model with standalone AL and RL models in three simulation studies. First, a synthetic grid-navigation task is employed to highlight performance advantages for the integrated model in an environment where the reward structure is both diverse and dynamic. The second and third simulations contrast the performances of the three models in behavioral experiments, demonstrating advantages for the integrated model in accounting for behavioral data.
Compact Wideband Bandpass Filters With Wide Upper Stopband

In this letter, a T-shaped microstrip feeding arrangement is proposed to design wideband bandpass filter (BPF) using shorted slot-line resonators. This feed line produces frequency selective external coupling which is utilized to suppress unwanted harmonics. Up to sixth order harmonics are suppressed. Other advantages are low passband group delay variation, ease of fabrication, low insertion loss (IL), and compact size. A fabricated BPF of fractional bandwidth 56.3% at midband frequency 2.3 GHz has a maximum IL of 1.2 dB in its passband and 30-dB upper stopband extends over 11.53 GHz
Studying protein-ligand interactions using a Monte Carlo procedure

Las simulaciones biomoleculares se han usado ampliamente en el estudio de interacciones proteina-ligando. Comprender los mecanismos involucrados en la prediccion de afinidades de union tiene una gran repercusion en la industria farmaceutica. A pesar de las dificultades intrinsecas en el muestreo del espacio de fases, mejoras de hardware y metodologicas hacen de las simulaciones por ordenador un candidato prometedor en la resolucion de problemas biofisicos con alta relevancia. En este contexto, el objetivo de la tesis es el desarrollo de un protocolo que introduce un estudio mas eficiente de las interacciones proteina-ligando, con vistas a diseminar PELE, un procedimiento de muestreo de Monte Carlo, en el diseno de farmacos. Nuestro principal foco ha sido sobrepasar las limitaciones de muestreo causadas por la rugosidad del paisaje de energias, aplicando nuestro protocolo para hacer analsis detallados a nivel atomistico en receptores nucleares de hormonas, receptores acoplados a proteinas G, tirosinasas y prolil oligopeptidasas, en colaboracion con una compania farmaceutica y de varios laboratorios experimentales. Con todo ello, esperamos que las metodologias presentadas en esta tesis ayuden a mejorar el diseno de farmacos.