Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abstract—multiple Input Multiple Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (mimo-ofdm) Systems Are the Potential Candidate for Fourth Generation (4g) Mobile Radio Communication Systems. the Mimo Ofdm Systems Further

provide an increase in the data throughput without an increase in the bandwidth and also provide a reduction in the fading. However, the main drawback of OFDM systems is the high peak to average power ratio (PAPR). This disadvantage can be reduced by a number of methods but most of them cause an increase in the bit error rate (BER), data rate loss and an increase in the computational complexity. Thus, the coding methods have been used to reduce the PAPR. LDPC codes were one of the first codes to allow data transmission rates close to the theoretical maximum, the Shannon limit. Although LDPC codes were discovered before turbo codes, the latter was significant in the early years. They have grown to become the standard in the market for highly efficient data transmission methods. These codes show improved performance over an AWGN channel. The Reed Solomon codes, when concatenated with Turbo codes also have been found to improve the performance over wireless channel. However, a comparison of these coding techniques – LDPC, turbo and concatenated turbo-Reed Solomon codes shows that LDPC is most efficient in the reduction of PAPR in a MIMO-OFDM system.
Cumulative effect of needle cast on Scots pine saplings

Abstract Premature needle cast, affecting the needles on one-year old shoots, thus shrinks the size of green crown of Scots pines, and can cause reduction of increment or even death of trees, especially during first years of their growth. Aim of our study was to evaluate the lasting impact of pathological needle cast to young Scots pines and its implications for tree breeding. Assessment of needle cast damages in 5 grade scale and measurements of height were done repeatedly in Scots pine open pollinated progeny trial, consisting of 65 families, located in central part of Latvia. Proportion of saplings with different level of needle cast damage differed significantly between the years of impact: severely damaged were 51%, 30% and 17% of saplings in growing seasons 4, 5 and 6, respectively. Both the needle cast damage grade at current growing season, as well as height of the sapling before the needle cast infection (at the end of the third growing season) had a significant effect on its grade of needle cast damages in the next growing season. Cumulative level of needle cast damages at the age 4 to 6 years had significant negative effect on height of the saplings at the age of 12 years both at individual tree and family mean level, as well as on survival. Selection of best growing families in such trial would also lead to selection of genotypes least affected by the disease.
Software synthesis procedures

Automated synthesis of program fragments from specifications can make programs easier to write and easier to reason about. To integrate synthesis into programming languages, software synthesis algorithms should behave in a predictable way: they should succeed for a well-defined class of specifications. We propose to systematically generalize decision procedures into synthesis procedures, and use them to compile implicitly specified computations embedded inside functional and imperative programs. Synthesis procedures are predictable, because they are guaranteed to find code that satisfies the specification whenever such code exists. To illustrate our method, we derive synthesis procedures by extending quantifier elimination algorithms for integer arithmetic and set data structures. We then show that an implementation of such synthesis procedures can extend a compiler to support implicit value definitions and advanced pattern matching.
A mutant telomerase defective in nuclear‐cytoplasmic shuttling fails to immortalize cells and is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction

Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase specialized in telomere synthesis. The enzyme is primarily nuclear where it elongates telomeres, but many reports show that the catalytic component of telomerase (in humans called hTERT) also localizes outside of the nucleus, including in mitochondria. Shuttling of hTERT between nucleus and cytoplasm and vice versa has been reported, and different proteins shown to regulate such translocation. Exactly why telomerase moves between subcellular compartments is still unclear. In this study we report that mutations that disrupt the nuclear export signal (NES) of hTERT render it nuclear but unable to immortalize cells despite retention of catalytic activity in vitro. Overexpression of the mutant protein in primary fibroblasts is associated with telomere‐based cellular senescence, multinucleated cells and the activation of the DNA damage response genes ATM, Chk2 and p53. Mitochondria function is also impaired in the cells. We find that cells expressing the mutant hTERT produce high levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and have damage in telomeric and extratelomeric DNA. Dysfunctional mitochondria are also observed in an ALT (alternative lengthening of telomeres) cell line that is insensitive to growth arrest induced by the mutant hTERT showing that mitochondrial impairment is not a consequence of the growth arrest. Our data indicate that mutations involving the NES of hTERT are associated with defects in telomere maintenance, mitochondrial function and cellular growth, and suggest targeting this region of hTERT as a potential new strategy for cancer treatment.
The  ${\cal H}_{2} $ Control Problem for Quadratically Invariant Systems With Delays

This technical note gives a new solution to the output feedback H2 problem for quadratically invariant communication delay patterns. A characterization of all stabilizing controllers satisfying the delay constraints is given and the decentralized H2 problem is cast as a convex model matching problem. The main result shows that the model matching problem can be reduced to a finite-dimensional quadratic program. A recursive state-space method for computing the optimal controller based on vectorization is given.
Quantification of Hepatic Iron Concentration in Chronic Viral Hepatitis: Usefulness of T2-weighted Single-Shot Spin-Echo Echo-Planar MR Imaging

Objective To investigate the usefulness of single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (SSEPI) sequence for quantifying mild degree of hepatic iron stores in patients with viral hepatitis. Methods This retrospective study included 34 patients with chronic viral hepatitis/cirrhosis who had undergone histological investigation and magnetic resonance imaging with T2-weighted gradient-recalled echo sequence (T2-GRE) and diffusion-weighted SSEPI sequence with b-factors of 0 s/mm2 (T2-EPI), 500 s/mm2 (DW-EPI-500), and 1000 s/mm2 (DW-EPI-1000). The correlation between the liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio, which was generated by regions of interest placed in the liver and paraspinous muscles of each sequence image, and the hepatic iron concentration (µmol/g dry liver), which was assessed by spectrophotometry, was analyzed by linear regression using a spline model. Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used to select the optimal model. Results Mean ± standard deviation of the hepatic iron concentration quantified by spectrophotometry was 24.6±16.4 (range, 5.5 to 83.2) µmol/g dry liver. DW-EPI correlated more closely with hepatic iron concentration than T2-GRE (R square values: 0.75 for T2-EPI, 0.69 for DW-EPI-500, 0.62 for DW-EPI-1000, and 0.61 for T2-GRE, respectively, all P<0.0001). Using the AIC, the regression model for T2-EPI generated by spline model was optimal because of lowest cross validation error. Conclusion T2-EPI was sensitive to hepatic iron, and might be a more useful sequence for quantifying mild degree of hepatic iron stores in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in the spinal cord of man and of eight other species

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity was found throughout the entire spinal cord of man, marmoset, horse, pig, cat, guinea pig, mouse, rat, and frog. CGRP-immunoreactive fibers were most concentrated in the dorsal horn. In the ventral horn of some species large immunoreactive cells, tentatively characterized as motoneurons, were present. Pretreatment of rats with colchicine enhanced staining of these large cells but did not reveal CGRP-immunoreactive cell bodies in the dorsal horn. In the dorsal root ganglia, CGRP immunoreactivity was observed in most of the small and some of the intermediate sized cells. Substance P immunoreactivity, where present, was co-localized with CGRP to a proportion of the small cells. In the cat the ratio of substance P- immunoreactive to CGRP-immunoreactive ganglion cells was 1:2.7 (p less than 0.001). The concentration of CGRP-immunoreactive material in tissue extracts was determined by radioimmunoassay. In the dorsal horn of the rat spinal cord the levels of peptide were found to range from 225.7 +/- 30.0 pmol/gm of wet weight in the cervical region to 340.6 +/- 74.6 pmol/gm in the sacral spinal cord. In the rat ventral spinal cord, levels of 15.7 +/- 2.7 to 35.1 +/- 10.6 pmol/gm were found. The concentration in dorsal root ganglia of the lumbar region was 225.4 +/- 46.9 pmol/gm. Gel permeation chromatography of this extractable CGRP- like immunoreactivity revealed three distinct immunoreactive peaks, one eluting at the position of synthetic CGRP and the others, of smaller size, eluting later. In cats and rats, rhizotomy induced a marked loss of CGRP-immunoreactive fibers from the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. In the cat, unilateral lumbosacral dorsal rhizotomy resulted in a significant (p less than 0.05) reduction of extractable CGRP from the ipsilateral lumbar dorsal horn (5.6 +/- 1.2 pmol/gm of wet weight) compared to the contralateral side (105.0 +/- 36.0 pmol/gm of wet weight). We conclude that the major origin of CGRP in the dorsal spinal cord is extrinsic, from afferent fibers which are probably derived from cells in the dorsal root ganglia. The selective distribution of CGRP throughout sensory, motor, and autonomic areas of the spinal cord suggests many putative roles for this novel peptide.
Protecting Private Information by Data Separation in Distributed Spatial Data Warehouse

Both transactional and analytical systems store data, which being accessible to unauthorized persons may result in privacy violation. This issue has become especially important nowadays, due to more restrictive legislation concerning personal data protection and preserving data privacy. We introduce relation decomposition as a method to preserve the data confidentiality in distributed spatial data warehouses. Data separation between nodes of distributed system can easily protect data privacy without requiring encrypting sensitive data. Using the relation decomposition strongly reduces the possibility of a disclosure of private information contained in data warehouse. The article presents how specified secure policy can be implemented into the data warehouse system as well as how analytical applications can retrieve protected data from the database. Finally, we present test results verifying efficiency of the latter operations including comparison between relation decomposition and the most popular method of preserving data privacy i.e., data encryption using symmetric encryption algorithms
A Novel Dog-Bone Oscillating AFM Probe with Thermal Actuation and Piezoresistive Detection †

In order to effectively increase the resonance frequency and the quality factor of atomic force microscope (AFM) probes, a novel oscillating probe based on a dog-bone shaped MEMS resonator was conceived, designed, fabricated and evaluated. The novel probe with 400 μm in length, 100 μm in width and 5 μm in thickness was enabled to feature MHz resonance frequencies with integrated thermal actuation and piezoresistive detection. Standard silicon micromachining was employed. Both electrical and optical measurements were carried out in air. The resonance frequency and the quality factor of the novel probe were measured to be 5.4 MHz and 4000 respectively, which are much higher than those (about several hundreds of kHz) of commonly used cantilever probes. The probe was mounted onto a commercial AFM set-up through a dedicated probe-holder and circuit board. Topographic images of patterned resist samples were obtained. It is expected that the resonance frequency and the measurement bandwidth of such probes will be further increased by a proper downscaling, thus leading to a significant increase in the scanning speed capability of AFM instruments.
Predictive Value of the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Score for Recurrence-Free Survival After Radical Prostatectomy in Korea: A Single-Surgeon Series

Purpose To evaluate the validity of the cancer of the prostate risk assessment (CAPRA) score, a newly developed nomogram for preoperative prediction of recurrence after radical prostatectomy, in a single institution in Korea. Materials and Methods We retrospectively studied 115 men who had undergone radical prostatectomy as the first treatment for localized prostate cancer. The validity of the CAPRA score for the prediction of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and pathologic outcome was evaluated by using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a proportional hazards regression model. A seven-group model and a three-group model were used for the results. Results None of the variables of the CAPRA score was favorable compared with the previously reported data. The three-group model was significantly related with 3- and 5-year RFS (p<0.05), but the seven-group model was not. The concordance indices of the CAPRA score were 0.74 and 0.77. Of four components excluding the clinical T stage, three independently predicted RFS (age, Gleason sum, and percentage of positive biopsies). The CAPRA score was significantly related to the margin status, extracapsular extension, and seminal vesicle invasion in both the seven- and three-group models. In the three-group model, pathologic outcomes were more strongly related, especially a higher risk of seminal vesicle invasion. Conclusions The CAPRA score showed high accuracy for predicting RFS. In particular, the three-group model was more useful for predicting RFS and pathologic outcomes. Therefore, the CAPRA score may be a useful prediction model for risk stratification and may help clinicians to develop localized prostate cancer treatment.
Dynamic selection of wireless/powerline links using Markov Decision Processes

Communication networks for smart grids may consist of a mixture of legacy and new links using heterogeneous technologies, such as copper wires, optical fibers, wireless and powerline communication. If nodes are connected by two or more links, such as wireless and powerline, the sender of a message must decide on which link to transmit the next message. This paper considers the problem of dynamically selecting the link, based on success/failure (acknowledgement) of previous transmissions. The novel method is based on Markov (Gilbert-Elliott) channel models of lossy and time varying links. It specifies how to employ success/failure observations to rank the links optimally, with the objective function to maximize throughput. The theory of partially observable Markov decision problems (POMDP) provides the basic framework. We compare this new method with known linear learning strategies.
Role of solid media when used in conjunction with the BACTEC system for mycobacterial isolation and identification

This study evaluated the necessity and the contribution of solid media when used in conjunction with radiometric Middlebrook 7H12 (BACTEC 12B; Becton Dickinson, Towson, Md.) medium for recovery and complete identification of mycobacteria. Each of 1,184 digested, decontaminated respiratory specimens was inoculated into one BACTEC 12B vial, one 7H11 plate, and two Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) slants. When the 12B vial was smear positive for acid-fast bacilli, the organisms were subcultured onto LJ slants and the BACTEC p-nitro-alpha-acetylamino-beta-hydroxypropiophenone (NAP) test system was inoculated with the organisms. Niacin tests were performed by using the growth from the original LJ slants and organisms from the LJ slants subcultured from 12B or 7H11 medium. The times to achieve definitive NAP and niacin test results were recorded. Recovery of all 143 isolates found in this study could not be achieved with a single medium. Among the three media, the highest percentage (92.8%) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate recovered was with BACTEC 12B. The use of either 7H11 medium or LJ slants along with a 12B vial increased by 4 to 6% the total percentage of M. tuberculosis organisms that were isolated. Isolation of the M. tuberculosis complex and NAP differentiation in 12B medium were completed in an average of 17 days. On average, isolation and definitive niacin test results for M. tuberculosis cultures were obtained in 39.3 days by a conventional procedure and in 36.3 days when 12B subcultures were used. These results support the conclusion that LJ slants contribute 4 to 6% increased recovery of M. tuberculosis when used in conjunction with 12B medium. Additionally, a subculture onto LJ slants from 12B medium yielded sufficient growth for niacin testing earlier than an original LJ slant did.
The burden of diurnal and nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms

Aims: To quantify the relationship between the timing of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and the burden of illness. Patients & methods: Data from the 2010 National Health and Wellness Survey were used. Regression analyses compared non-GERD controls with GERD patients with diurnal symptoms, nocturnal symptoms, and both diurnal and nocturnal symptoms, controlling for potential confounders. Outcome measures included the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment and Short Form-12 questionnaires and reported healthcare resource use. Results: All GERD groups demonstrated a substantial burden of illness compared with controls, estimated at US$1435 in direct costs and US$3143 in lost productivity. Experiencing GERD both day and night was associated with higher costs and lower quality of life than experiencing diurnal-only or nocturnal-only symptoms. Conclusion: Experiencing GERD symptoms both day and night is associated with higher costs than experiencing diurnal or nocturnal symptoms alone.
Mesh Alignment using Grid based PCA

We present an algorithm for mesh alignment by performing Principal Components Analysis (PCA) on a set of nodes of a regular 3D grid. The use of a 3D lattice external to both inputs increases the robustness of PCA, particularly when dealing with meshes of different and possibly uneven vertex density. The proposed algorithm was tested on meshes that have undergone standard mesh processing operations such as smoothing, simplification and remeshing. In several cases the results indicate an improved robustness compared to performing PCA directly on mesh vertices.
Synthesis and in‐vitro Anti‐hepatitis B Virus Activity of Ethyl 6‐Bromo‐8‐hydroxyimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine‐3‐carboxylates

A series of ethyl 6‐bromo‐8‐hydroxyimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine‐3‐carboxylate derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti‐hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity and cytotoxicity in HepG2.2. 15 cells. Nearly half of the tested compounds were proved to be highly effective in inhibiting the replication of HBV DNA with IC50 values ranging from 1.3 to 9.1 µM. Among them, 10o and 10s were identified as the most promising compounds.
Inference and Characterization of Horizontally Transferred Gene Families Using Stochastic Mapping

Macrogenomic events, in which genes are gained and lost, play a pivotal evolutionary role in microbial evolution. Nevertheless, probabilistic-evolutionary models describing such events and methods for their robust inference are considerably less developed than existing methodologies for analyzing site-specific sequence evolution. Here, we present a novel method for the inference of gains and losses of gene families. First, we develop probabilistic-evolutionary models describing the dynamics of gene-family content, which are more biologically realistic than previously suggested models. In our likelihood-based models, gains and losses are represented by transitions between presence and absence, given an underlying phylogeny. We employ a mixture-model approach in which we allow both the gain rate and the loss rate to vary among gene families. Second, we use these models together with the analytic implementation of stochastic mapping to infer branch-specific events. Our novel methodology allows us to infer and quantify horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. This enables us to rank various gene families and lineages according to their propensity to undergo gains and losses. Applying our methodology to 4,873 gene families shows that: 1) the novel mixture models describe the observed variability in gene-family content among microbes significantly better than previous models; 2) The stochastic mapping approach enables accurate inference of gain and loss events based on simulations; 3) At least 34% of the gene families analyzed are inferred to have experienced HGT at least once during their evolution; and 4) Gene families that were inferred to experience HGT are both enriched and depleted with respect to specific functional categories.
Influence of natural enemies on suppression of insect pests and yield of okra

The present experiment on influence of natural enemies on suppression of insect pests and yield of okra was conducted at Latif Farm, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam from July to October 2011. The results of study revealed that reduction of jassid, whitelfy, thrip mealy bug per leaf and spotted bollworm per plant were recorded before and after release of natural enemies. The overall mean population of jassid (7.61 ± 0.97), whitefly (5.89 ± 0.85), thrip (5.22 ± 0.80) and mealybug (1.85 ± 0.48) per leaf while spotted bollworm (0.76 ± 0.30) per plant was recorded before release of natural enemies. The results further showed that in control (T2) plot more population of pests was recorded population than treated plot (T1). The data showed significant effect of releasing natural enemies on population reduction of pests, biological control also increased the yield and income of okra almost five times compared with untreated control.
Design and Analysis of a 3-D Gauss-Markov Mobility Model for Highly Dynamic Airborne Networks

Accurate mobility models are needed to simulate the physical movement of nodes in a highly-dynamic aeronautical network. The fundamental problem with many synthetic mobility models is their random, memoryless behavior. Airborne ad hoc networks require a flexible memory-based 3-dimensional mobility model. We present a new 3-dimensional implementation of the Gauss-Markov mobility model for airborne telemetry network simulations, and compare its behavior to memoryless models such as random waypoint and random walk using the ns-3 simulator.