Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local limits of Galton-Watson trees conditioned on the number of protected nodes

We consider a marking procedure of the vertices of a tree where each vertex is marked independently from the others with a probability that depends only on its out-degree. We prove that a critical Galton-Watson tree conditioned on having a large number of marked vertices converges in distribution to the associated size-biased tree. We then apply this result to give the limit in distribution of a critical Galton-Watson tree conditioned on having a large number of protected nodes.
Fractions of heavy metals in the soil after the application of municipal sewage sludge, peat and furnace ash

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of various materials, i.e. municipal sewage sludge, furnace ash and peat, as well as various doses of ash-sludge and ash-peat mixtures, on some physico-chemical properties of the soil: pH, hydrolytic acidity, sorption complex capacity, organic C content, the content of P, K and Mg available forms, total content of heavy metals and their forms soluble in 1 mol · dm-3 HCl solution, and their speciation as well. Municipal sewage sludge and of ashsludge and ash-peat mixtures use in the experiment caused the greatest increase in sorption capacity, in content of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium and resulted in a gradual increase in the content of studied heavy metals. The addition of ash and applied mixtures to the soil caused a change in soil reaction (the pH increase). The ash was characterized by a low content of heavy metals. After peat and its mixtures with ash application decreased content of heavy metals was observed, and when the peat was used alone could be seen the greatest increase in the organic C content in the substrate. Distribution of heavy metals in the fractions separated in different combinations show large variations, depending on the tested metal and the studied variant. Chromium, zinc, lead and cadmium have been stored mainly in the residual fraction (FV), and most of the copper and nickel have been specifically bound with organic matter (FIV). It has been found that the alkaline materials application to the soil decreased the solubility of most heavy metals, which results in a limitation of their uptake by plants. Chromium and copper were an exception, which solubility increased with the alkalinity of the substrate. An exception was chromium and copper, which solubility increased with the alkalinity of the substrate.
Heterogeneous EGFR Gene Copy Number Increase Is Common in Colorectal Cancer and Defines Response to Anti-EGFR Therapy

Anti-EGFR therapy is commonly used to treat colorectal cancer (CRC), although only a subset of patients benefit from the treatment. While KRAS mutation predicts non-responsiveness, positive predictive markers are not in clinical practice. We previously showed that immunohistochemistry (IHC)-guided EGFR gene copy number (GCN) analysis may identify CRC patients benefiting from anti-EGFR treatment. Here we tested the predictive value of such analysis in chemorefractory metastatic CRC, elucidated EGFR GCN heterogeneity within the tumors, and evaluated the association between EGFR GCN, KRAS status, and anti-EGFR antibody response in CRC cell lines. The chemorefractory patient cohort consisted of 54 KRAS wild-type (WT) metastatic CRC patients. EGFR GCN status was analyzed by silver in situ hybridization using a cut-off value of 4.0 EGFR gene copies/cell. KRAS-WT and KRAS mutant CRC cell lines with different EGFR GCN were used in in vitro studies. The chemorefractory CRC tumors with EGFR GCN increase (≥4.0) responded better to anti-EGFR therapy than EGFR GCN (<4.0) tumors (clinical benefit, P = 0.0004; PFS, HR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.12–0.46). EGFR GCN counted using EGFR IHC guidance was significantly higher than the value from randomly selected areas verifying intratumoral EGFR GCN heterogeneity. In CRC cell lines, EGFR GCN correlated with EGFR expression. Best anti-EGFR response was seen with KRAS-WT, EGFR GCN = 4 cells and poorest response with KRAS-WT, EGFR GCN = 2 cells. Anti-EGFR response was associated with AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which was effectively inhibited only in cells with KRAS-WT and increased EGFR GCN. In conclusion, IHC-guided EGFR GCN is a promising predictor of anti-EGFR treatment efficacy in chemorefractory CRC.
A 4 X 4 X 416 digital SiPM array with 192 TDCs for multiple high-resolution timestamp acquisition

We present a 4 X 4 array of digital silicon photomultipliers (D-SiPMs) capable of timestamping up to 48 photons per D-SiPM and we show the advantage of generating multiple timestamps in the context of positron emission tomography (PET). The D-SiPMs have a pitch of 800 ? m and comprise 416 pixels each; the timing resolution achieved by the SiPMs is 179 ps FWHM, while each pixel has a fill factor of up to 57% and a single-photon timing resolution of 114 ps.
Development of New Products: Probiotics and Probiotic Foods

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a beneficial effect on the host when administered in proper amounts [1, 2]. Their beneficial effects on gastrointestinal infections, the reduction of serum cholesterol, the protection of the immune system, anti-cancer properties, antimutagenic action, anti-diarrheal properties, the improvement in inflammatory bowel disease and suppression of Helicobacter pylori infection, Crohn's disease, restoration of the microflora in the stomach and the intestines after antibiotic treatment, etc. are proven by addition of selected strains to food products [3, 4, 5, 6].
ECM cross-linking regulates invadopodia dynamics

Invadopodia are membrane protrusions dynamically assembled by invasive cancer cells in contact with extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadopodia are enriched for the structural proteins actin and cortactin, as well as metalloproteases such as MT1-MMP, whose function is to degrade the surrounding ECM. During metastasis, invadopodia are necessary for cancer cell intravasation and extravasation. While signaling pathways involved in the assembly and function of invadopodia are well studied, few studies address invadopodia dynamics and how the cell-ECM interactions contribute to cell invasion. Using iterative analysis based on time-lapse microscopy and mathematical modeling of invasive cancer cells, we found that cells oscillate between invadopodia presence and cell stasis, termed Invadopodia state and invadopodia absence during cell translocation, termed Migration state. Our data suggests that β1-integrin-ECM binding and ECM cross-linking control the duration of each of the two states. By changing the concentration of cross-linkers in 2D and 3D cultures, we generate ECM where 0-0.92 of total lysine residues are cross-linked. Using ECM with a range of cross-linking degrees we demonstrate that the dynamics of invadopodia-related functions have a biphasic relationship to ECM cross-linking. At intermediate levels of ECM cross-linking (0.39), cells exhibit rapid invadopodia protrusion-retraction cycles and rapid calcium spikes, which lead to more frequent MT1-MMP delivery, causing maximal invadopodia-mediated ECM degradation. In contrast, both extremely high or low levels of cross-linking lead to slower invadopodia-related dynamics and lower ECM degradation. Additionally, β1-integrin inhibition modifies dynamics of invadopodia-related functions, as well as the length of time cells spend in either of the states. Collectively, these data suggest that β1-integrin-ECM binding non-linearly translates small physical differences in extracellular environment to differences in the dynamics of cancer cell behaviors. Understanding conditions under which invadopodia can be reduced by subtle environment-targeting treatments may lead to combination therapies for preventing metastatic spread.
Do Software Languages Engineers Evaluate their Languages?

Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) can contribute to increment productivity, while reducing the required maintenance and programming expertise. We hypothesize that Software Languages Engineering (SLE) developers consistently skip, or relax, Language Evaluation. Based on the experience of engineering other types of software products, we assume that this may potentially lead to the deployment of inadequate languages. The fact that the languages already deal with concepts from the problem domain, and not the solution domain, is not enough to validate several issues at stake, such as its expressiveness, usability, effectiveness, maintainability, or even the domain expert's productivity while using them. We present a systematic review on articles published in top ranked venues, from 2001 to 2008, which report DSLs' construction, to characterize the common practice. This work con? rms our initial hypothesis and lays the ground for the discussion on how to include a systematic approach to DSL evaluation in the SLE process.
CS168: The Modern Algorithmic Toolbox Lecture #1: Introduction and Consistent Hashing

3. Consistent hashing is a “tool” in the sense that it is a non-obvious idea but, once you know it, it’s general and flexible enough to potentially prove useful for other problems. In this course, we’ll be looking for the following trifecta: (i) ideas that are non-obvious, even to the well-trained computer scientist, so that we’re not wasting your time; (ii) conceptually simple — realistically, these are the only ideas that you might remember a year or more from now, when you’re a start-up founder, senior software engineer, PhD student, etc. (iii) fundamental, meaning that there is some chance that the idea will prove useful to you in the future.
Alcohol and cognitive impairment

The relationship between alcohol use and cognitive impairment has been notoriously difficult to disentangle. We present what is known about cognitive impairment associated with alcohol use/misuse, covering the spectrum from mild and subtle cognitive change through to severe alcohol-related brain damage, including Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome. We highlight aids to the diagnosis and management of these conditions, and emphasise the benefits of prompt treatment on outcome. We also review progress in understanding their neurobiology. Suggestions for possible service configuration based on both our clinical practice and national guidelines are given.
Synchrony in the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) cycle in northwestern North America, 1970-2012

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) fluctuate in 9-10 year cycles throughout much of their North American range. Regional synchrony has been assumed to be the rule for these cycles, so that hare populations in virtually all of northwestern North America have been assumed to be in phase. We gathered qualitative and quantitative data on hare numbers and fur returns of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792) in the boreal forest regions of Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and northern British Columbia to describe synchrony in the time window of 1970-2012. Broad-scale synchrony in lynx fur returns was strong from 1970 to about 1995 but then seemed to break down in different parts of this region. Hare populations at 20 sites in Alaska, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories showed peak populations that lagged by 1-4 years during the 1990s and 2000s cycles. The simplest hypothesis to explain these patterns of asynchrony in hare cycles is the movement of predators from British Columbia north into the Yukon and then east into the Northwest Territories and west into Alaska. A traveling wave of these cycles is clearly seen in the lynx fur returns from western Canada and Alaska from 1970 to 2009. One consequence of a failure of synchrony is that hare predators like Canada lynx and Great-horned Owls (Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788)) can move from one adjacent area to the next within this region and survive long enough to prolong low densities in hare populations that have declined earlier.
Beyond the critical period: longitudinal study of 8-year outcome in first-episode non-affective psychosis

Background The critical period hypothesis proposes that deterioration occurs aggressively during the early years of psychosis, with relative stability subsequently. Thus, interventions that shorten the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and arrest early deterioration may have long-term benefits. Aims To test the critical period hypothesis by determining whether outcome in non-affective psychosis stabilises beyond the critical period and whether DUP correlates with 8-year outcome; to determine whether duration of untreated illness (DUI) has any independent effect on outcome. Method We recruited 118 people consecutively referred with first-episode psychosis to a prospective, naturalistic cohort study. Results Negative and disorganised symptoms improved between 4 and 8 years. Duration of untreated psychosis predicted remission, positive symptoms and social functioning at 8 years. Continuing functional recovery between 4 and 8 years was predicted by DUI. Conclusions These results provide qualified support for the critical period hypothesis. The critical period could be extended to include the prodrome as well as early psychosis.
Tracking position and orientation of a mobile rigid body

A framework to track the position and orientation of a moving rigid body is proposed. We consider a setup in which a few wireless sensors are mounted on a rigid body. The topology of how these sensors are mounted on the rigid body is known; however, the absolute position of the sensors or the rigid body itself is unknown. Using range-only measurements between the sensors and a few anchors (nodes with known absolute positions), and a simple kinematic model, we propose an unconstrained, unitarily-constrained, and event-triggered estimator based on Kalman filtering techniques.
Joint Dynamic Resource Allocation and Waveform Adaptation for Cognitive Networks

This paper investigates the issue of dynamic resource allocation (DRA) in the context of multi-user cognitive radio networks. We present a general framework adopting generalized signal expansion functions for representation of physical-layer radio resources as well as for synthesis of transmitter and receiver waveforms, which allow us to join DRA with waveform adaptation, two procedures that are currently carried out separately. Based on the signal expansion framework, we develop noncooperative games for distributed DRA, which seek to improve the spectrum utilization on a per-user basis under both transmit power and cognitive spectral mask constraints. The proposed DRA games can handle many radio platforms such as frequency, time or code division multiplexing (FDM, TDM, CDM), and even agile platforms with combinations of different types of expansion functions. To avoid the complications of having too many active expansion functions after optimization, we also propose to combine DRA with sparsity constraints. Generally, the sparsity-constrained DRA approach improves convergence of distributed games at little performance loss, since the effective resources required by a cognitive radio are in fact sparse. Finally, to acquire the channel and interference parameters needed for DRA, we develop compressed sensing techniques that capitalize on the sparse properties of the wideband signals to reduce the number of samples used for sensing and hence the sensing time.
Space–Time Block Coding for Doubly-Selective Channels

In this paper, we present a new space-time block code for time- and frequency-selective (doubly-selective) channels. It can be interpreted as the extension of the Alamouti code to doubly-selective channels, and relies on a joint time-frequency reversal of the transmitted sequences. Under certain channel conditions, the proposed space-time block code belongs to the class that achieves full spatial, delay, and Doppler diversity using a maximum-likelihood (ML) receiver, as well as a linear zero-forcing (LZF) or linear minimum mean-squared error (LMMSE) receiver. For realistic doubly-selective channels, a real-valued linear data model is presented, for which different receiver structures can be developed.
Causes and impacts of the 2005 Amazon drought

A rare drought in the Amazon culminated in 2005, leading to near record-low streamflows, small Amazon river plume, and greatly enhanced fire frequency. This episode was caused by the combination of 2002–03 El Niño and a dry spell in 2005 attributable to a warm subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. Analysis for 1979–2005 reveals that the Atlantic influence is comparable to the better-known Pacific linkage. While the Pacific influence is typically locked to the wet season, the 2005 Atlantic impact concentrated in the Amazon dry season when its hydroecosystem is most vulnerable. Such mechanisms may have wide-ranging implications for the future of the Amazon rainforest.
2018-00627-PHD position FLUMINANCE group : « Group theory approach for the characterization and learning of large-scale oceanic dynamical systems »

Inria, the French National Institute for computer science and applied mathematics, promotes “scientific excellence for technology transfer and society”. Graduates from the world’s top universities, Inria's 2,700 employees rise to the challenges of digital sciences. With its open, agile model, Inria is able to explore original approaches with its partners in industry and academia and provide an efficient response to the multidisciplinary and application challenges of the digital transformation. Inria is the source of many innovations that add value and create jobs.
Engineered Microbial Production of 2-Pyrone-4,6-Dicarboxylic Acid from Lignin Residues for Use as an Industrial Platform Chemical

As one of the most abundant materials in nature, lignin has been used widely in co-generation operations and for fine chemicals and bio-fuels production. These uses, although important, are of relatively low value. Lignin contains many aromatic compounds with useful structures, and it is potentially more profitable to produce high-value fine chemicals from the low-molecular weight lignin fraction while using the high-molecular weight fraction for fuel or other applications. A transgenic P. putida bacterial strain PDHV85 was developed with the capability to convert vanillin, vanillic acid, and syringaldehyde to 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), a novel platform chemical that can produce a variety of bio-based polymers. Initial testing with vanillin showed promise for lignin conversion. Testing for this, we used kraft lignin, Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), or birch (Betula platyphylla) to represent some of the most abundant industrial lignin sources from softwood and hardwood. Repeated manipulation of culture conditions and strain adaptation allowed conversion of these extracts to PDC by PDHV85, which has not previously been reported in a bacterial strain. No inhibition was observed at 0.14 mg/mL kraft lignin extract, 1.14 mg/mL Japanese cedar extract, nor 1.15 mg/mL birch extract when using the optimized growth conditions.
Coated Nano-Sized CaCO3 Reinforced Semi-Crystalline EPDM

Nano-sized calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was used to reinforce a semi-crystalline ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM). For comparison, micron-sized CaCO3 was also studied. It was found that both nano-sized CaCO3 and micron-sized CaCO3 improved the mechanical properties of the EPDM vulcanizates, and nano-sized CaCO3 exhibited better reinforcement effect than micron-sized CaCO3. The difference in reinforcement effects of nano-sized CaCO3 and micron-sized CaCO3 was explained in terms of the filler particle size and the crosslink density of the vulcanizates. The nano-sized CaCO3 was also modified by titanate, borate, and aluminate-titanate complex coupling agents and used to reinforce EPDM vulcanizates. The results showed that titanate coupling agent coated nano-sized CaCO3 exhibited the best reinforcement ability. FE-SEM micrographs showed that stearic acid, titanate, and aluminate-titanate complex coupling agents could improve the dispersion of the CaCO3 in the rubber matrix remarkably, whereas borate coupling agent could not. The effect of modified nano-sized CaCO3 on the dynamical mechanical properties was also studied. Incorporation of CaCO3 reduced the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the vulcanizates. In comparison with nano-sized CaCO3, micron-sized CaCO3 depressed the Tg more remarkably.
Clinical Ophthalmology Dovepress Comparative Analysis of the Development of Collateral Vessels in Macular Edema Due to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion following Grid Laser or Ranibizumab Treatment

Purpose: To evaluate the differences in the development of collateral vessels in patients with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) after treatment with either grid laser or ranibizumab (RNB). Methods: Comparative study including patients with macular edema due to acute BRVO and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20/40 and 20/200. The sample was divided into two groups according to the treatment applied: laser group, including eyes treated with Argon laser when retinal hemorrhages were sufficiently absorbed to perform the treatment, and RNB group, including patients treated initially with one monthly intravitreal injection for a period of 3 months of RNB and more injections according to need thereafter. Before treatment patients in both groups, received a complete ophthalmic examination, including BCVA, fundus examination, optical coherence tomography, fundus color photography, and fundus fluorescein angiography (FA). This same protocol of examination was repeated in every visit after treatment, except FA that was only repeated every 3 months. The detection of the collateral vessels was done by two experienced examiners based on the analysis of the early phase of the FA. If there was a discrepancy in their judgment, the criterion of a third examiner evaluating the FA was considered. Results: Mean baseline BCVA was 0.86±0.26 and 0.82±0.25 (logMAR [logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution]) in the RNB and laser groups, respectively (P=0.83). At the end of the follow-up, mean BCVA was 0.38±0.18 and 0.64±0.33 (logMAR) in the RNB and laser groups, respectively. The difference in the final BCVA between both groups was statistically significant (P=0.002). Collaterals developed in both groups; 66.67% of patients (14 out of 21 patients) developed collaterals at a mean time of 6.14±2.60 months after diagnosis in the RNB group, and 68.18% (16 out of 22 patients) developed collaterals in the laser group at a mean time of 6.2±1.97 months after diagnosis. No statistically significant differences between groups were found in the number of cases developing collateral vessels (P=1.00) as well as in the time required for such development (P=0.947). Conclusion: The use of RNB for the treatment of macular edema due to BRVO does not seem to alter the development of collateral vessels. Future studies with larger samples are required to confirm these outcomes.
A phase III study evaluating the safety and efficacy of NEPA, a fixed-dose combination of netupitant and palonosetron, for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting over repeated cycles of chemotherapy

In this multinational, phase III study, the safety and efficacy of NEPA, a convenient, fixed-dose antiemetic combination of netupitant, a highly selective NK1 receptor antagonist (RA), and palonosetron, a distinct 5-HT3 RA, were evaluated over multiple cycles of highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. NEPA was shown to be safe, well tolerated and highly effective over 1961 chemotherapy cycles.