Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proximity and orientation influence on Q-factor with respect to large-form-factor loads in a reverberation chamber

In this paper, it is shown that the presence of large-form-factor loads in close proximity to an antenna under test can affect the measured Q-factor (if measured improperly) in a reverberation chamber (RC), possibly influencing the results of further calculations such as antenna efficiency. It is shown that the slope of the power-delay profile of a measurement in a reverberation chamber is unaffected by the antenna's proximity to large-form-factor loads. Furthermore, when a RC is loaded, the loading can bias the frequency-domain data calculation of Q in a way that gives a different Q when calculated from time-domain data. In a sense, the loading acts as an additional effective antenna load, and as such the time-domain approach for determining Q should always be used in loading situations.
Multilocus Sequence Subtyping and Genetic Structure of Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium andersoni

In this study, nine C. muris and 43 C. andersoni isolates from various animals in China were subtyped by a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) tool. DNA sequence analyses showed the presence of 1–2 subtypes of C. muris and 2–6 subtypes of C. andersoni at each of the four loci (MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS16), nine of which represented new subtypes. Altogether, two C. muris and 10 C. andersoni MLST subtypes were detected. Linkage disequilibrium analysis indicated although the overall population structure of the two parasites was clonal, the Chinese C. andersoni in cattle has an epidemic structure. Three and two clusters were produced in the C. muris and C. andersoni populations by Structure 2.3. 3 analysis, with Chinese C. muris and C. andersoni substructures differing from other countries. Thus, this study suggested the prevalence of C. andersoni in China is not attributed to the introduction of dairy cattle. More studies involving more genetic loci and systematic sampling are needed to better elucidate the population genetic structure of C. muris and C. andersoni in the world and the genetic basis for the difference in host specificity among the two most common gastric parasites.
Experimental Analysis of a Neighborhood Generation Mechanism Applied to Scheduling Problem

This paper presents a neighborhood generation mechanism for the job shop scheduling problems (JSSP). In order to obtain a feasible neighbor with the generation mechanism, it is only necessary to generate a permutation of an adjacent pair of operations in a scheduling of the JSSP. If there is no slack-time between the adjacent pair of operations that is permuted, then it is proven, through experimentation that the new neighbor (schedule) generated is feasible
Mesozooplankton community structure and grazing impact in the polar frontal zone of the Southern Ocean

ii ABSTRACT Mesozooplankton community structure and grazing impact in the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) of the Southern Ocean were investigated during two cruises of the South African During the first cruise (MOEVS I), a meso-scale oceanographic grid survey was conducted in the upstream region of the Prince Edward Islands (PEI) in austral autumn (April) 2001. Mesozooplankton samples, collected using a Bongo net (fitted with 200 and 300? m mesh nets) at depths between 200 and 300 m, were separated into three size fractions: 200
ILP formulations and optimal solutions for the RWA problem

We present a review of the various integer linear programming (ILP) formulations that have been proposed for the routing and wavelength assignment problem in WDM optical networks with a unified and simplified notation. We consider both symmetrical and asymmetrical traffic matrices. We propose a new formulation for symmetrical traffic. We show that all formulations proposed under asymmetrical traffic assumptions are equivalent (i.e. same optimal value for their continuous relaxations) although their number of variables and constraints differ. We propose an experimental comparison of various lower and upper bounds with the objective of minimizing the blocking rate, and show that several benchmark problems proposed by Krishnaswamy and Sivarajan (2001) can be solved exactly or with a fairly high precision.
Isolation by distance in a continuous population: reconciliation between spatial autocorrelation analysis and population genetics models

Analysis of the spatial genetic structure within continuous populations in their natural habitat can reveal acting evolutionary processes. Spatial autocorrelation statistics are often used for this purpose, but their relationships with population genetics models have not been thoroughly established. Moreover, it has been argued that the dependency of these statistics on variation in mutation rates among loci strongly limits their interest for inferential purposes. In the context of an isolation by distance process, we describe relationships between a descriptor of the spatial genetic structure used in empirical studies, Moran’s I statistic and population genetics parameters. In particular, we point out that, when Moran’s I statistic is used to describe correlation in allele frequencies at the individual level, it provides an estimator of Wright’s coefficient of relationship. We also show that the latter parameter, as a descriptor of genetic structure, is not influenced by selfing rate or ploidy level. Under specific finite population models, numerical simulations show that values of Moran’s I statistic can be predicted from analytical theory. These simulations are also used to estimate the time taken to approach a structure at equilibrium. Finally, we discuss the conditions under which spatial autocorrelation statistics are little influenced by variation in mutation rates, so that they could be used to estimate gene dispersal parameters.
Properties of the antigen-specific suppressive T-cell factor in the regulation of antibody response of the mouse. IV. Special subregion assignment of the gene(s) that codes for the suppressive T-cell factor in the H-2 histocompatibility complex

The locus of the gene that codes for the antigen-specific suppressive T- cell factor was determined to be in a new subregion "I-J" which locates between I-B and I-C subregions in the H-2 histocompatibility complex. This was shown by two different lines of evidence: (a) The absorbing capacity for the suppressive T-cell factor of several alloantisera against restricted I subregions did not correlate with their specificity for previously known Ia molecules which are coded for by genes in I-A and I-C subregions, but was associated with the specificity for the products of genes putatively present between I-B and I-C subregions. By the occurrence of special recombinant strains, i.e. B10.A(5R), B10.A(3R), B10.S(9R), and B10.HTT, which differ with respect to the I-J subregion, we were able to produce alloantisera which distinguish I-J subregion gene products. The absorption studies using these special alloantisera directed to I-J subregion clearly indicated that the suppressive T-cell factor is a product of I-J subregion gene(s), and that the molecule is distinct from known Ia molecules expressed on splenic B cells. (b) Taking advantage of the fact that there is a strict histocompatibility requirement for the effective suppression between the donor and recipient strains of the suppressive T-cell factor, we were able to determine the required identities of the genes in the H-2 complex existing among those present between I-B and I-C. Again, utilizing the T-cell factors obtained from special recombinant strains, i.e. B10.A(4R) and B10.A(5R), we were able to locate the gene that codes for the suppressive T-cell factor reactive only with relevant haplotype strains between I-B and I-C subregions. These results are most reasonably explained by the presence of a new subregion I-J which is specialized in coding for the suppressive T-cell factor as a different molecule from previously known Ia molecules.
Movement Realism in Computer Facial Animation

Static and dynamic realism are both important in computer facial animation. However, for embodied conversational agents in interfaces, and for agents or avatars in virtual environments, movement and behaviour are more important than photorealism. In this paper we summarise our work on two systems that feature aspects of this dynamic realism: coarticulation for visual speech and facial tissue deformation producing expressions and wrinkles.
Afro-Eurasian Intermediate-Frequency Teleconnection and Modulation by ENSO

The Afro-Eurasian intermediate-frequency atmospheric teleconnection conveys meteorological signals zonally, leads to various atmospheric variations, and causes extreme events along its path. This study, aimed at demonstrating the characteristics of the teleconnection, reveals that the teleconnection accounts for nearly half of the atmospheric variability and significantly influences different meteorological fields. With the propagation of signals associated with the teleconnection, local weather varies from prolonged dry and warm days to extended wet and cold days. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modulates the interannual variation of the teleconnection: it becomes more active and its downstream pattern shifts southward during El Niño events. Two responsible mechanisms are proposed for the ENSO modulation: the eddy-to-eddy interaction that leads to the change in the activeness of the teleconnection and the waveguide effect that accounts for the shift of the teleconnection. First, the El Niño–related Atlantic anomalies of the Rossby wave train and storm track amplify the Atlantic disturbances of the intermediate frequency and thus the activeness of the teleconnection. Second, during El Niño years, the East Asian jet stream shifts southward, resulting in the southward shifts of the downstream waveguide effect and thus the downstream pattern. This study also demonstrates that when investigating an atmospheric mode or its impacts, the signals of different time scales should be separated and the cross-frequency interactive systems necessitate examinations.
Stimulation by Soluble CD70 Promotes Strong Primary and Secondary CD8+ Cytotoxic T Cell Responses In Vivo 1

Identification of the signals required for optimal differentiation of naive CD8+ T cells into effector and memory cells is critical for the design of effective vaccines. In this study we demonstrate that CD27 stimulation by soluble CD70 considerably enhances the magnitude and quality of the CD8+ T cell response. Stimulation with soluble CD70 in the presence of Ag significantly enhanced the proliferation of CD8+ T cells and their ability to produce IL-2 and IFN-γ in vitro. Administration of Ag and soluble CD70 resulted in a massive (>300-fold) expansion of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells in vivo, which was due to the enhanced proliferation and survival of activated T cells. In mice that received Ag and soluble CD70, CD8+ T cells developed into effectors with direct ex vivo cytotoxicity. Furthermore, unlike peptide immunization, which resulted in a diminished response after rechallenge, CD27 stimulation during the primary challenge evoked a strong secondary response upon rechallenge with the antigenic peptide. Thus, in addition to increasing the frequency of primed Ag-specific T cells, CD27 signaling during the primary response instills a program of differentiation that allows CD8+ T cells to overcome a state of unresponsiveness. Taken together these results demonstrate that soluble CD70 has potent in vivo adjuvant effects for CD8+ T cell responses.
Hematocrit Distribution and Tissue Oxygenation in Large Microcirculatory Networks

Oxygen tension in the brain is controlled by the microcirculatory supply of RBC, but the effect of non‐Newtonian blood flow rheology on tissue oxygenation is not well characterized. This study assesses different biphasic blood flow models for predicting tissue oxygen tension as a function of microcirculatory hemodynamics.
Tumor necrosis factor receptor cross‐talk

Extensive research has been performed to unravel the mechanistic signaling pathways mediated by tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), by contrast there is limited knowledge on cellular signaling upon activation of TNFR2. Recently published data have revealed that these two receptors not only function independently, but also can influence each other via cross‐talk between the different signaling pathways initiated by TNFR1 and TNFR2 stimulation. Furthermore, the complexity of this cross‐talk is also dependent on the different signaling kinetics between TNFR1 and TNFR2, by which a delicate balance between cell survival and apoptosis can be maintained. Some known signaling factors and the kinetics that are involved in the receptor cross‐talk between TNFR1 and TNFR2 are the topic of this review.
Interactive information and coding theory

We give a high-level overview of recent developments in interactive informa- tion and coding theory. These include developments involving interactive noiseless coding and interactive error-correction. The overview is primarily focused on developments related to complexity-theoretic applications, although the broader context and agenda are also set out. As the present paper is an extended abstract, the vast majority of proofs and technical details are omit- ted, and can be found in the respective publications and preprints.
Multi-scale document expansion in English-Mandarin cross-language spoken document retrieval

This paper presents the application of document expansion using a side collection to a cross-language spoken document retrieval (CL-SDR) task to improve retrieval performance. Document expansion is applied to a series of EnglishMandarin CL-SDR experiments using selected retrieval models (probabilistic belief network, vector space model, and HMM-based retrieval model). English textual queries are used to retrieve relevant documents from an archive of Mandarin radio broadcast news. We have devised a multiscale approach for document expansion – a process that enriches the Mandarin spoken document collection in order to improve overall retrieval performance. A document is expanded by (i) first retrieving related documents on a character bigram scale, (ii) then extracting word units from such related documents as expansion terms to augment the original document and (iii) finally indexing all documents in the collection by means of character bigrams and those expanded terms by within-word character bigrams to prepare for future retrieval. Hence the document expansion approach is multi-scale as it involves both word and subword scales. Experimental results show that this approach achieves performance improvements up to 14% across several retrieval models.
Prevention of NSAID-induced gastroduodenal ulcers.

BACKGROUND Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are important agents in the management of arthritic and inflammatory conditions, and are among the most frequently prescribed medications in North America and Europe. However, there is overwhelming evidence linking these agents to a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. OBJECTIVES To review the effectiveness of common interventions for the prevention of NSAID induced upper GI toxicity. SEARCH STRATEGY A literature search was conducted, according to the Cochrane methodology for identification of randomized controlled trials in electronic databases, including MEDLINE from 1966 to June 2002, Current Contents for 6 months prior to June 2002, EMBASE to February 2002, and a search of the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register from 1973 to 2002. Biosis Previews(R), ADIS LMS Drug Alerts, Pharmaceutical News Index (PNI)(R) were searched to June 2002. New articles since the last search update were evaluated. Recent conference proceedings were reviewed and content experts and companies were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of prostaglandin analogues (PA), H2-receptor antagonists (H2RA) or proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for the prevention of chronic NSAID induced upper GI toxicity were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two independent reviewers extracted data regarding population characteristics, study design, methodological quality and number of patients with endoscopic ulcers, ulcer complications, symptoms, overall drop-outs, drop outs due to symptoms. Dichotomous data was pooled using RevMan V4.1. Heterogeneity was evaluated using a chi square test. MAIN RESULTS Forty RCTs met the inclusion criteria. All doses of misoprostol significantly reduced the risk of endoscopic ulcers. Misoprostol 800 ug/day was superior to 400 ug/day for the prevention of endoscopic gastric ulcers (RR=0.17, and RR=0.39 respectively, p=0.0055). A dose response relationship was not seen with duodenal ulcers. Misoprostol caused diarrhea at all doses, although significantly more at 800 ug/day than 400 ug/day (p=0.0012). Misoprostol was the only prophylactic agent documented to reduce ulcer complications. Standard doses of H2RAs were effective at reducing the risk of endoscopic duodenal (RR=0.36; 95% CI: 0.18-0.74) but not gastric ulcers(RR=0.73; 95% CI:0.50-1.09). Both double dose H2RAs and PPIs were effective at reducing the risk of endoscopic duodenal and gastric ulcers (RR=0.44; 95% CI:0.26-0.74 and RR=0.40;95% CI;0.32-0.51 respectively for gastric ulcer), and were better tolerated than misoprostol. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS Misoprostol, PPIs, and double dose H2RAs are effective at preventing chronic NSAID related endoscopic gastric and duodenal ulcers. Lower doses of misoprostol are less effective and are still associated with diarrhea. Only Misoprostol 800ug/day has been directly shown to reduce the risk of ulcer complications such as perforation hemorrhage or obstruction.
Blood banking–induced alteration of red blood cell flow properties

BACKGROUND: Blood banking procedures are associated with damage to red blood cell (RBC) membranes, which can impair their flow properties, namely, their deformability, aggregability, and adherence to endothelial cells (ECs) and thus possibly introducing a circulatory risk to recipients. This study was undertaken to comprehensively explore the effect of cold storage and gamma irradiation on RBC flow properties.
A Case for Thinking Without Consciousness

People can engage in prolonged thought processes, such as when they are facing an important decision or when they are working on a scientific discovery. Such thought processes can take months or even years. We argue that while people engage in such thinking, they make progress not only when they consciously think but also sometimes when they are consciously thinking about something else—that is, while they think unconsciously. We review the literature on unconscious thought (UT) processes and conclude that there is indeed quite some evidence for UT. Conceptualized as a form of unconscious goal pursuit, UT is likely to be especially fruitful for thought processes that are complex, important, or interesting to the thinker. In addition, we discuss other characteristics of the UT process. We end with proposing Type 3 processes, in addition to Type 1 and Type 2 (or Systems 1 and 2) processes, to accommodate prolonged thought processes in models on thought.
Emphasis on prevention.

I read with interest the editorial “Canadian health care is not universal. ”1 This article brings to light some of the disparities in trauma care delivery between Quebec and the rest of Canada. There is no doubt that, as health care providers, we expect to have at our disposal the best possible tools for taking care of the sick and injured; without these tools we are invariably left with feelings of futility and frustration. Nonetheless, on a broader scale, prevention should certainly play a central role in any discussion addressing the issue of trauma care. This is particularly true when examining the cost-effectiveness of competing means of prevention and treatment and competing priorities. The economic and social costs of trauma are enormous.2 It is clear that high-risk behaviour, particularly alcohol consumption, is a major contributing factor to accidental injury and death.2,3 It has been shown that public education, legislation regulating speed limits and the enforcement of alcohol laws have had a substantial impact on lowering the trauma burden and are highly cost-effective.2 Yet we remain lenient and continue to accept aberrations such as the sponsorship of major motor-racing events by alcohol companies. There is no question that our mindset as a society still needs to evolve. When it comes to allocating our collective resources, trauma prevention through the targeting of high-risk behaviour such as speeding and impaired driving should remain paramount on our list of priorities.
Risks and bene fi ts of screening asymptomatic women for ovarian cancer : A systematic review and meta-analysis

a Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada b Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada c Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada d Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada e Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada f Maureen and Milan Ilich/Merck Chair in Statistics for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Vancouver, Canada g Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, Canada
Qos-Aware On-Demand Channel Width Adaptation Protocols for Multi-Radio Ad-Hoc Networks

How to efficiently use the spectrum resource to provide quality-of-service (QoS) support is a challenging task for wireless communication systems. In this paper, a resource reservation-based on-demand spectrum assignment and routing protocol is proposed to provide QoS support for IEEE 802.11-based multiradio multi-channel ad-hoc networks. Our work distinguishes from prior ones in that we don't treat the spectrum as the set of discrete orthogonal channels but the continuous resource, i.e. we use channel width adaptation when allocating spectrum resource. We develop distributed resource assignment protocols that utilize the AODV routing to perform admission control and resource reservation. Simulation results show that our protocol can efficiently utilize the network resources to provide QoS support.
GRaD : Gesture Recognition and Disambiguation Framework for Unconstrained , Real-Life Scenarios

Automatic gesture recognition, used in humanrobot and human-computer interaction, has been an active area of research for at least three decades, but there are still recurring issues that hinder its application in unconstrained, real-life scenarios. Interpersonal differences in gesture performance present a prominent issue, which limits the gesture recognition process. Furthermore, these differences are in some cases irrelevant with regard to the message to be conveyed. This work presents a framework for gesture recognition and disambiguation. The goal of this framework is to make the mechanisms of gesture recognition itself as abstract as possible, thus lowering the effect of interpersonal differences, in order to be able to use a simple recognition algorithm. Features that are ignored during the recognition can be used in the disambiguation step, in case they are relevant for this particular message.