Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low complexity ADMM-LP based decoding strategy for LDPC convolutional codes

A node-wise (NS) schedule has been recently proposed for decoding LDPC codes with the linear programming (LP) decoding approach, based on the alternate direction method of multipliers (ADMM). It improves the error correction performances as well as the convergence speed of the ADMM-LP decoder. However, it suffers from a high computational complexity resulted from residuals calculation. In this paper, a new formulation of the ADMM-LP algorithm with a modified computational scheduling is proposed for decoding LDPC convolutional codes. Simulations show that it reduces the computational complexity while improving the error correction performances and speeding up the decoding process. The decoding complexity is further reduced when considering the NS-ADMM approximation which allows savings up to 70% of the residuals calculation.
Morphology and microtubule organization in Arabidopsis roots exposed to oryzalin or taxol.

In roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, we examined the effects of low concentrations of microtubule inhibitors on the polarity of growth and on the organization of microtubule arrays. Intact 6 d old seedlings were transplanted onto plates containing inhibitors, and sampled 12 h, 24 h and 48 h later. Oryzalin, a compound that causes microtubule depolymerization, stimulates the radial expansion of roots. The amount of radial swelling is linearly proportional to the logarithm of the oryzalin concentration, from the response threshold, 170 nM, to 1 microM. Cells in the zone of division were slightly more sensitive to oryzalin than were cells in the zone of pure elongation. Radial swelling is also stimulated by taxol, a compound that causes microtubule polymerization. Taxol at 1 microM causes little swelling, but at 10 microM causes extensive radial swelling of cells in the elongation zone, and does not affect cells in the division zone. To examine the microtubules in these roots, we used methacrylate sections with immunofluorescence microscopy. At all concentrations of oryzalin, cortical arrays are disorganized and depleted of microtubules, and the microtubules themselves often appear fragmented. These effects increase in severity with concentration, but are unmistakable at 170 nM. In taxol, cortical arrays appear to be more intensely stained than those of controls. At 10 microM, many cells in growing regions of the stele have longitudinal microtubules, whereas many cells in the cortex appear to have transversely aligned microtubules. Taxol affects microtubules in cells of division and elongation zones to the same extent, despite the observed difference in growth. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Activation of Nuclear Factor KB : Potential Role in Metallothionein-mediated Mitogenic Response 1

The antiapoptotic response and enhanced cellular proliferation observed in neoplastic cells on overexpression of metallothionein (Mil have been well documented. We have investigated the mechanisms associated with this phenomenon by using Ml inducers that increased Ml tran scripts and stimulated growth in MCF-7 cells. A MT antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide inhibited growth induction by >50%, suggesting a potential role of MT in mediating the mitogenic effects of these agents. Mobility shift assays using oligonucleotides encompassing the consensus nuclear factor KB (NTH-Iti binding site and anti-MT antibody revealed activation and a specific interaction of NI KÃœwith MT. Cotransfection experiments using expression and reporter constructs demonstrated that MT caused transactivation of M K! ÃŒ. Gel shift assays using purified pro teins showed a specific interaction between MT and the p50 subunit of M1Kl5. These data indicate that MT may be involved in the interaction of M H'li with the DNA-binding domain and further suggest a potential role for M Â«-I! in mediating the antiapoptotic effects of MT.
The relation between pulse pressure and cardiovascular mortality in 12,763 middle-aged men from various parts of the world: a 25-year follow-up of the seven countries study.

BACKGROUND Hypertension is a dominant characteristic in the prediction of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We aimed to evaluate the association of blood pressure measurements with CVD mortality among different populations of the world. METHODS A total of 12 763 men, aged 40 to 59 years, from 7 countries (United States, Japan, Italy, Greece, former Yugoslavia, Finland, and the Netherlands) were surveyed from 1958 to 1964. Follow-up for vital status and causes of death was carried out over 25 years. RESULTS All baseline blood pressure measurements were the best predictors of CVD mortality, compared with age, physical activity, total serum cholesterol level, body mass index or height, and smoking. Moreover, pulse pressure and diastolic and systolic blood pressures were the best predictors for CVD death, followed by mean and mid blood pressures. The age-adjusted hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase in pulse pressure varied among cohorts from 1.19 in the United States (P = .04) to 1.29 in southern Europe (P = .01). Differences among cohorts were not significant. In the pooled cohorts, pulse pressure measurements were also a significant predictor for coronary heart disease (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 1.15; P = .04) as well as stroke death (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 1.32; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS Pulse pressure followed by diastolic and systolic blood pressures were the best predictors for CVD mortality among other blood pressures, as well as age, physical activity, total serum cholesterol level, anthropometric indexes, and smoking habits. No significant differences were observed among the different populations studied.
Clinical Comparison of Acute Single to Dual Chamber Pacing in Chronotropically Incompetent Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Dual chamber, rate responsive (DDDR) pacing is felt to be superior to ventricular, rate responsive (VVIR) pacing since it more closely mimics the normal electrical and hemodynamic activity of the heart. This reasoning has been used to justify the higher initial costs and increased complexity of dual chamber systems. This study was designed to determine if objective criteria could be identified during acute testing to justify implanting a dual chamber instead of a single chamber system in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Eight patients with DDDR pacemakers (implanted for chronotropic incompetence) and left ventricular dysfunction underwent exercise radionuclide angiography and graded exercise treadmill testing. Each patient performed the tests in the single (VVIR) and dual (DDDR) chamber modes in a randomized, blinded fashion. We found that objective parameters such as ejection fraction (31%± 13% vs 31%± 10%), exercise tolerance (6.1 ± 2.7 min vs 6.3 ± 2.9 min), oxygen consumption (VO2) (941 ± 286 mL/min vs 994 ± 314 mL/min), carbon dioxide production (VCO2) (995 ± 332 mL/min vs 1054 ± 356 mL/min), and maximum attainable workload (43 ± 24 W vs 46 ± 22 W) did not differ between the single and dual chamber pacing modes. These findings suggest that in the acute setting, the additional cost and complexity of dual chamber, rate responsive pacing cannot be justified by objective improvements in exercise tolerance in patients with underlying left ventricular dysfunction.
Development of a sensitive chemiluminescent neuraminidase assay for the determination of influenza virus susceptibility to zanamivir.

Determination of the sensitivity of influenza viruses to neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors is presently based on assays of NA function because, unlike available cell culture methods, the results of such assays are predictive of susceptibility in vivo. At present the most widely used substrate in assays of NA function is the fluorogenic reagent 2'-O-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-N-acetylneuraminic acid (MUN). A rapid assay with improved sensitivity is required because a proportion of clinical isolates has insufficient NA to be detectable in the current fluorogenic assay, and because some mutations associated with resistance to NA inhibitors reduce the activity of the enzyme. A chemiluminescence-based assay of NA activity has been developed that uses a 1,2-dioxetane derivative of sialic acid (NA-STAR) as the substrate. When compared with the fluorogenic assay, use of the NA-STAR substrate results in a 67-fold reduction in the limit of detection of the NA assay, from 200 pM (11 fmol) NA to 3 pM (0.16 fmol) NA. A panel of isolates from phase 2 clinical studies of zanamivir, which were undetectable in the fluorogenic assay, was tested for activity using the NA-STAR substrate. Of these 12 isolates with undetectable NA activity, 10 (83%) were found to have detectable NA activity using the NA-STAR substrate. A comparison of sensitivity to zanamivir of a panel of influenza A and B viruses using the two NA assay methods has been performed. IC(50) values for zanamivir using the NA-STAR were in the range 1.0-7.5 nM and those for the fluorogenic assay in the range 1. 0-5.7 nM (n = 6). The NA-STAR assay is a highly sensitive, rapid assay of influenza virus NA activity that is applicable to monitoring the susceptibility of influenza virus clinical isolates to NA inhibitors.
Auditer, une mission impossible ?

La qualite d'un audit est censee reposer sur la competence de l'auditeur et sur son independance par rapport a l'audite. Mais pour exercer pleinement sa comptetence, l'auditeur doit, ne serait-ce que pour acceder a l'information dont il a besoin, developper de bonnes relations avec l'audite, ce qui risque d'affecter son independance. Competence et independance sont donc deux variables liees, ce qui rend la mission de l'auditeur sinon impossible du moins tres difficile.
El reto del nuevo espacio europeo de educación superior: adaptación de contabilidad para la gestión turística al ECTS

En la actualidad estamos inmersos en el proceso de adaptacion del sistema universitario espanol al EEES que debe concluir en 2010 (MECD, 2003). Como consecuencia, estan proliferando multiples y diversas iniciativas que estan dando a conocer y empezando a concienciar sobre las implicaciones de las lineas basicas de un proyecto que comenzo con la Magna Charte Universitatum de 1988 y cuyo pronunciamiento mas conocido es la Declaracion de Bolonia en 1999. Es precisamente en esta donde se acordo ademas de adoptar una estructura para los estudios universitarios basada en
Lipoteichoic acid preparations of gram-positive bacteria induce interleukin-12 through a CD14-dependent pathway

Interleukin 12 (IL-12) strongly augments gamma interferon production by natural killer (NK) and T cells. IL-12 also promotes effective cell-mediated immune responses, which are particularly important against intracellular bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes. While the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria induces monocyte production of IL-12, the relevant gram-positive components which induce IL-12 production are uncharacterized. We used the human monocytic cell line THP-1 to study IL-12 induction by gram-positive bacteria. Muramyl dipeptides as well as the major muramyl tetrapeptide component of Streptococcus pneumoniae were inactive for inducing IL-12. In contrast, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a predominant surface glycolipid of gram-positive bacteria, potently induced IL-12 p40 gene expression. A competitive LPS antagonist, Rhodobacter sphaeroides LPS, inhibited LTA-induced IL-12 production, suggesting a common pathway for LPS and LTA in IL-12 activation. Pretreatment of cells with anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody blocked both LPS and LTA induction of IL-12 p40 expression. LTA also induced Thl development in naive CD4 T cells by an IL-12-dependent mechanism, indicating direct induction of physiologic levels of IL-12. Together, these results show that LTA is a potent surface structure of gram-positive bacteria which induces IL-12 in monocytes through a CD14-mediated pathway.
Influence of Alzheimer pathology on clinical diagnostic accuracy in dementia with Lewy bodies

Objective: To determine whether AD neurofibrillary pathology influences clinical diagnostic accuracy in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Background: Pathologic diagnosis of DLB mandates Lewy bodies but also allows for AD pathology in the form of plaques and tangles. Because clinical diagnostic accuracy of DLB remains low, the authors questioned whether the severity of AD pathology in the form of tangles might affect the clinician’s ability to correctly diagnose DLB in life. Design/Methods: Ninety-eight subjects with autopsy-proven DLB who had been evaluated annually at the University of California San Diego AD Research Center were identified. The clinical diagnosis used was the last diagnosis before death. Pathologic diagnosis of DLB was made according to Consensus guidelines, and Braak staging was used to assess the degree of neurofibrillary AD pathology. The clinical characteristics of subjects with DLB with low vs high Braak stages were compared and the clinical diagnostic accuracy for subjects stratified according to Braak stage was determined. Results: Only 27% of the subjects with DLB demonstrated both visual hallucinations and spontaneous extrapyramidal signs (EPS). The low Braak stage (0 to 2, n = 24) subjects had a higher frequency of visual hallucinations (65%) than did subjects with DLB with higher (3 to 6, n = 66) Braak stages (33%, p = 0.008), and showed a slightly greater but not significant degree of EPS. Although clinical diagnostic accuracy for DLB was relatively low (49%), it was higher for subjects with low (75%) compared to high (39%) Braak stages (p = 0.0039). Conclusions: The degree of concomitant AD tangle pathology has an important influence on the clinical characteristics and, therefore, the clinical diagnostic accuracy of DLB.
Taxinomie de représentations graphiques dynamiques

The displays used by the air traffic controllers involve many animated visual entities. They are constrained by precise rules of representation. The richness of these representations highlights the lack of tools that may characterize them. The increments of such an instrument are numerous, in terms of validation, design and safety. The objective of the thesis is to study representations, to find out methods of characterization that would allow comparisons between representations, and eventually to check their interests.
Ecto‐phosphodiesterase/pyrophosphatase of lymphocytes and non‐lymphoid cells: structure and function of the PC‐1 family

Summary: Many developmentally regulated membrane proteins of lymphocytes are ecto‐enzymes, with their active sites on the external surface of the cell. These enzymes commonly have peptidase, phosphodiesterase or nucleotidase activity. Their biological roles are just beginning to be discovered. Although their expression is usually associated with particular stages of lymphoid differentiation, the same gene products are often expressed on the surface of certain non‐lymphoid cell types outside the immune system, indicating that their functions cannot be unique to lymphocytes, nor can they be ubiquitous. The plasma cell membrane protein PC‐1 (phosphodiesterase I; EC 3.1.4.1/nucleotide pyrophosphatase; EC 3.6.1.9), which was one of the first serological markers for lymphocyte subsets to be discovered, is a typical example. Within the immune system, PC‐1 is confined to plasma cells, which represent about 0.1% of lymphocytes. However, PC‐1 is also expressed on cells of the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, epididymis and hepatocytes. Recent work has shown that PC‐1 is a member of a multigene family of ecto‐phosphodiesterases that currently has two other members, PD‐1α (autotaxin) and PD‐1β (B10). Within this family, the extracellular domains are highly conserved, especially around the active site. In contrast, the transmembrane and cytopiasmic domains are highly divergent. Individual members of the ecto‐phosphodiesterase family have distinct patterns of distribution in different cell types, and even within the same cell. For example, PC‐1 is present only on the basolateral surface of hepatocytes, while B10 (PD‐1β) is confined to the apical surface. Analysis of conservation and differences in the sequence of their cytoplasmic tails may illuminate intracellular tar‐getting signals. Ecto‐phosphodiesterases may play a part in diverse activities in different tissues, including recycling of nucleotides. They may also regulate the concentration of pharmacologically active extracellular compounds such as adenosine or its derivatives and ceil motility. Some members may modulate local concentrations of pyrophosphate, and hence influence calcification in bone and cartilage.
Existence of Periodic Solutions for a Discrete-Time Bidirectional Neural NetWorks

In the present paper, we investigate periodic solutions for a class of discrete-time bidirectional neural networks by a system of non-autonomous difference equations with time delays. The class of systems considered retains the basic structure of the continuous-time bidirectional neural networks with the nonlinearities having infinite gain and inherits the dynamical characteristics of the con-tinuous-time networks under mild or no restriction on the discretization step-size. The theory of coincidence degree and inequality technique instead of the bifurcation method, are employed to prove the existence of periodic solutions for the discrete-time bidirectional neural networks. Without assuming the smoothness and boundedness of the activation functions, the easily checked conditions ensuring the existence of periodic solutions for the discrete-time bidirectional neural networks are obtained. The results of this paper extend and improve partly the previous ones and can be used in other autonomous neural networks. An ex-ample is also worked out to demonstrate the advantages of our results.
Statins inhibit in vitro calcification of human vascular smooth muscle cells induced by inflammatory mediators

Although lipid‐lowering therapy with 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) decreases the progression of coronary artery and aortic valve calcification, the mechanism of action of these drugs to inhibit the calcification process remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of statins such as cerivastatin and atorvastatin on vascular calcification by utilizing an in vitro model of inflammatory vascular calcification. Cerivastatin and atorvastatin dose‐dependently inhibited in vitro calcification of human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) induced by the following inflammatory mediators (IM): interferon‐γ, 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and oncostatin M. These statins also depressed expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in HVSMCs induced by these factors. Mevalonate and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate reversed the inhibitory effect of cerivastatin on ALP expression in HVSMCs, while farnesylpyrophosphate showed no effect on the ALP activities inhibited by this drug, suggesting that inhibition of Rho and its downstream target, Rho kinase may mediate the inhibitory effect of cerivastatin. Cerivastatin prevented RhoA activation in HVSMCs induced by the IM. A specific inhibitor of Rho kinase (Y‐27632) inhibited in vitro calcification and induction of ALP in HVSMCs. These findings provide a possible mechanism of statins to prevent the progression of calcification in inflammatory vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and cardiac valvular calcification. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hybrid spin-microcantilever sensor for environmental, chemical, and biological detection

Nowadays hybrid spin-micro/nanomechanical systems are being actively explored for potential quantum sensing applications. In combination with the pump-probe technique or the spin resonance spectrum, we theoretically propose a realistic, feasible, and an exact way to measure the cantilever frequency in a hybrid spin-micromechanical cantilever system which has a strong coherent coupling of a single nitrogen vacancy center in the single-crystal diamond cantilever with the microcantilever. The probe absorption spectrum which exhibits new features such as mechanically induced three-photon resonance and ac Stark effect is obtained. Simultaneously, we further develop this hybrid spin-micromechanical system to be an ultrasensitive mass sensor, which can be operated at 300 K with a mass responsivity 0.137 Hz ag−1, for accurate sensing of gaseous or aqueous environments, chemical vapors, and biomolecules. And the best performance on the minimum detectable mass can be 28.7 zg ? > in vacuum. Finally, we illustrate an in situ measurement to detect Angiopoietin-1, a marker of tumor angiogenesis, accurately with this hybrid microcantilever at room temperature.
Characterization of an Escherichia coli O157:H7 Plasmid O157 Deletion Mutant and Its Survival and Persistence in Cattle

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans, and its major reservoir is healthy cattle. An F-like 92-kb plasmid, pO157, is found in most E. coli O157:H7 clinical isolates, and pO157 shares sequence similarities with plasmids present in other enterohemorrhagic E. coli serotypes. We compared wild-type (WT) E. coli O157:H7 and an isogenic ΔpO157 mutant for (i) growth rates and antibiotic susceptibilities, (ii) survival in environments with various acidity, salt, or heat conditions, (iii) protein expression, and (iv) survival and persistence in cattle following oral challenge. Growth, metabolic reactions, and antibiotic resistance of the ΔpO157 mutant were indistinguishable from those of its complement and the WT. However, in cell competition assays, the WT was more abundant than the ΔpO157 mutant. The ΔpO157 mutant was more resistant to acidic synthetic bovine gastric fluid and bile than the WT. In vivo, the ΔpO157 mutant survived passage through the bovine gastrointestinal tract better than the WT but, interestingly, did not colonize the bovine rectoanal junction mucosa as well as the WT. Many proteins were differentially expressed between the ΔpO157 mutant and the WT. Proteins from whole-cell lysates and membrane fractions of cell lysates were separated using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Ten differentially expressed ∼50-kDa proteins were identified by quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry and sequence matching with the peptide fragment database. Most of these proteins, including tryptophanase and glutamate decarboxylase isozymes, were related to survival under salvage conditions, and expression was increased by the deletion of pO157. This suggested that the genes on pO157 regulate some chromosomal genes.
Measuring the quality of medical care. A clinical method.

We outline the implementation of a new method of measuring the quality of medical care that counts cases of unnecessary disease and disability and unnecessary untimely deaths. First of all, conditions are listed in which the occurrence of a single case of disease or disability or a single untimely death would justify asking, "Why did it happen? " Secondly, we have selected conditions in which critical increases in rates of disease, disability, or untimely death could serve as indexes of the quality of care. Finally, broad categories of illness are noted in which redefinition and intensive study might reveal characteristics that could serve as indexes of health. We describe how these inth of the general population and the effects of economic, political, and other environmental factors upon it, and to evaluate the quality of medical care provided both within and without the hospital to maintain health and to prevent and treat disease.