Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vector Quantized CSI Prediction in Linear Multi-User MIMO Systems

In this paper, we discuss the methods of improving sum-rates of linear multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems employing vector quantization (VQ) algorithms for encoding channel state information (CSI). We consider an approach where the mobile receiver estimates the downlink channel and chooses one of the predefined channel characterization CSI codewords whose indices are transmitted back to the base station transmitter. The algorithms described here are aimed at combating bit errors, erasures and delays occurring in CSI feedback channels. The proposed solution is to design transmitter-side CSI index prediction algorithms that allow the system to alleviate feedback channel imperfections. Moreover, the proposed techniques can be used to lower the required feedback rate, while keeping the system sum-rate at the required level. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithms in broadcast MIMO systems with and without CSI prediction. The simulation results show that significant sum-rate gains are achievable for a large range of channel Doppler rates and feedback delays.
Evidence of a diurnal thermogenic handicap in obesity

A thermogenic handicap has been proposed as potential contributor to weight gain in obese subjects but results from clinical studies are inconclusive. We tested whether diurnal and nocturnal body core temperature (BcT) measured for 20-h differed in nine obese subjects compared with 12 lean healthy controls when studied at rest under strictly controlled conditions. BcT was significantly reduced (∼0.35 °C) in obese subjects only during diurnal hours while during nocturnal hours BcT pattern was identical in the two groups. Our preliminary data indicate that obesity is associated with a diurnal thermogenic handicap which could play a role in favoring weight gain by lowering whole-body energy expenditure.
Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 linear epitopes that are reactive with immunoglobulin A (IgA) or IgG in sera from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients or from healthy donors

The entire amino acid sequence of the unique region of the EBNA 1 protein was synthesized as a set of 41 20-residue peptides with an overlap of 10 amino acids. The peptides were tested in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for reactivity with immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG in sera from 50 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) as compared with 36 serum samples from healthy Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-seropositive donors and 5 serum samples from EBV-negative donors. The most immunoreactive peptide for both IgA and IgG binding was localized to the glycine-alanine repeat domain of the antigen. In the unique regions, 16 immunoreactive peptides were found. Of these, four were reactive with IgG but not IgA and three peptides were reactive with IgA but not IgG in NPC sera. In addition, several IgA and IgG epitopes on the carboxy-terminal region were specifically reactive with NPC sera, but unreactive with sera from healthy EBV-positive donors. The results suggest that EBV serology specific for individual epitopes may provide additional useful information not available by conventional serology with whole antigens or the EBNA complex.
Spiraeamide, new sphingolipid from Spiraea brahuica

Spiraeamide (1), a new sphingolipid, has been isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the methanolic extract of the whole plant of Spiraea brahuica, along with marrubiin (2), 19-acetylmarrubenol (3), and 6-acetylmarruenol (4). Their structures were elucidated by 1H and 13C NMR spectra, and COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC, EI-MS, and FAB-MS experiments.
Detection of Occult Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B Virus Infections from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Purpose: To investigate the problem of occult HCV & HBV infections in patients with persistently longstanding abnormal liver function test results of unknown etiology and to investigate occult HCV in patients with sustained virological response (SVR). Methods: The study included two groups; first group included 40 patients with persistently longstanding abnormal liver function test, in addition to 62 patients with history of hepatitis C who developed SVR. HCV RNA status was tested in serum by conventional RT-PCR and by real-time PCR in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs). HBV DNA in PBMCs was done in first group only. Results: In first group, PCR in PBMCs was positive for HCV RNA in 4 patients with elevated liver enzymes and HBV DNA was positive in PBMCs in 3 patients. In patients with SVR, 7 patients were positive for HCV RNA in PBMCs. Conclusions: Patients with long-standing abnormal results of liver-function tests with unknown etiology may have HCV RNA or HBV DNA in their PBMCs in the absence of anti-HCV antibodies, HBV markers, serum HBV DNA and serum HCV RNA.In Patients with SVR, HCV RNA in PBMCs is recommended to detect residual infection especially in those with high serum HCV RNA levels before treatment.
Correlation Between Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils from Fifteen Eucalyptus Species Growing in the Korbous and Jbel Abderrahman Arboreta (North East Tunisia)

The essential oils of fifteen Eucalyptus species harvested from the Jbel Abderrahman and Korbous arboreta (North East Tunisia) were screened for their antibacterial activities by the agar disc diffusion method. Eighteen major components as identified by GC/FID and GC/MS were selected for a study of the chemical and biological activity variability. The main one was 1,8-cineole, followed by spathulenol, trans-pinocarveol, α-pinene, p-cymene, globulol, cryptone, β-phellandrene, viridiflorol, borneol, limonene and isospathulenol. The chemical principal component analysis identified five species groups and subgroups, where each group constituted a chemotype, however that of the values of zone diameter of the inhibition (zdi) identified six groups of Eucalyptus oils, characterized by their antibacterial inhibition ability. The strongest activity was shown by E. platypus oil against Enterococcus faecalis and by E. lamannii oil against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. A correlation between the levels of some major components and the antibacterial activities was observed.
Frog p26olf, a molecule with two S100‐like regions in a single peptide

An S100‐like calcium‐binding protein, p26olf, was originally isolated from the frog (Rana Catesbeiana) olfactory epithelium with four chromatographical steps. The primary structure of p26olf contains two S100‐like regions aligned in tandem with four functional EF‐hands. At 100 mM K+, wild‐type p26olf binds Ca2+ with a Kd value of 22 μM and a Hill coefficient of 2.0. Each EF‐hand seems to have different affinity for Ca2+: it is high in EF‐A and ‐B and low in EF‐C and ‐D. In our Ca2+‐binding model, the order of Ca2+‐binding to p26olf is EF‐B, EF‐A, EF‐C, and EF‐D. Expression of mRNA of p26olf is detected in various frog tissues: it is high in the olfactory epithelium, lung, and spleen, moderate in brain, retina, heart, and kidney, and low in liver and muscle. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that p26olf is prominently localized in the cilia of both olfactory and lung respiratory epithelium and especially enriched in the distal segment of the olfactory cilia. Several proteins in the olfactory cilia bind to p26olf in the presence of Ca2+, suggesting that they are possible target proteins of p26olf. One of these target proteins is immunologically identified as a β‐adrenergic receptor kinase‐like protein. In the olfactory cilia, p26olf may have some roles in the olfactory transduction or adaptation through interaction with this β‐adrenergic receptor kinase‐like protein. Microsc. Res. Tech. 60:593–599, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring on Surgery of High-Grade Gliomas

Introduction: Controversy exists on the application of intraoperative monitoring (IOM) procedures during malignant glioma surgery. Because resection rate correlates with the survival rate, it is of paramount importance to determine these values. This study evaluates the impact of IOM on the resection rates, the survival rate, the quality of life, and the functional outcome of malignant gliomas. Methods: Forty patients with a glioma were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: group 1, patients with a glioma not adjacent to motor cortical areas operated without the use of IOM, and group 2, patients with a glioma adjacent to the central region operated under IOM. The further treatment was the same in both groups. The following parameters were analyzed: tumor resection rate, survival rate, preoperative and postoperative Karnowsky Performance Score, and preoperative and postoperative motor function. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the type of surgery performed or in the resection grade in both groups. No statistically significant difference was found in the median survival of the two groups in the Kaplan-Meier analysis with mean survival time 48.8 and 48.2 weeks. The mean Karnowsky Performance Score preoperative was 82.5 and 81.5, and 81.1 and 82.7 after 6 months, for groups 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion: The data presented here demonstrate that tumor resection is not negatively influenced by IOM. Accordingly, gliomas that are found to be otherwise resectable should not be excluded from aggressive management simply because of their vicinity to the motor cortex. Surgery should be performed under IOM.
Quantitative physiology of Pichia pastoris during glucose‐limited high‐cell density fed‐batch cultivation for recombinant protein production

Pichia pastoris has become one of the major microorganisms for the production of proteins in recent years. This development was mainly driven by the readily available genetic tools and the ease of high‐cell density cultivations using methanol (or methanol/glycerol mixtures) as inducer and carbon source. To overcome the observed limitations of methanol use such as high heat development, cell lysis, and explosion hazard, we here revisited the possibility to produce proteins with P. pastoris using glucose as sole carbon source. Using a recombinant P. pastoris strain in glucose limited fed‐batch cultivations, very high‐cell densities were reached (more than 200 gCDW L−1) resulting in a recombinant protein titer of about 6.5 g L−1. To investigate the impact of recombinant protein production and high‐cell density fermentation on the metabolism of P. pastoris, we used 13C‐tracer‐based metabolic flux analysis in batch and fed‐batch experiments. At a controlled growth rate of 0.12 h−1 in fed‐batch experiments an increased TCA cycle flux of 1.1 mmol g−1 h−1 compared to 0.7 mmol g−1 h−1 for the recombinant and reference strains, respectively, suggest a limited but significant flux rerouting of carbon and energy resources. This change in flux is most likely causal to protein synthesis. In summary, the results highlight the potential of glucose as carbon and energy source, enabling high biomass concentrations and protein titers. The insights into the operation of metabolism during recombinant protein production might guide strain design and fermentation development. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 357–368. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
LESSONS DRAWN FROM OBSERVING YOUNG PEERS TOGETHER

Abstract. Based on studies during the past 13 years of what transpires between young peers, lessons are drawn about the nature of human sociability and the development of social skill during the first three years of life. Peer encounters have proven especially helpful for discovering the forms of sociability and social skill the infant is capable of without the aid of a more skillful social partner.
HIV-1 Drug Resistance Evolution Among Patients on Potent Combination Antiretroviral Therapy With Detectable Viremia

Many patients infected with HIV do not achieve or maintain virologic suppression below levels of detection while on potent combination antiretroviral therapy. The likelihood of emergence of incident mutations conferring reduced antiretroviral drug susceptibility was estimated among patients maintained on a stable regimen with ongoing detectable plasma HIV RNA levels. Ninety-eight HIV-infected patients were identified who had 2 genotypic antiretroviral resistance tests available. Poisson log-linear regression models were used to identify predictors and estimate incidence rates of number of acquired antiretroviral drug resistance mutations per person-year. At the 1st resistance test, 88% of patients had evidence of at least 1 mutation. Sixty percent of patients acquired at least 1 new mutation during a median of 9.3 months between consecutive resistance tests, with an incidence rate of 1.61 acquired mutations per person-year (95% CI: 1.36-1.90). Predictors of resistance evolution included average plasma HIV RNA level, HIV RNA slope, and number of mutations detected at the 1st resistance test. The likelihood of acquiring drug resistance mutations while remaining on potent combination antiretroviral therapy that does not confer complete suppression of HIV replication is relatively low and depends on the level of viral replication and prior resistance.
Decision support tool for retrofitting a district towards district as a service

Successful adoption of Smart Grid requires technological readiness of all the players from generation plans to the end consumers. This implies many challenges, especially affecting the brownfield urban areas. A decision support platform, allowing evaluation of retrofitting options in terms of cost and performance is required to design and implement urban infrastructure upgrade measures, facilitating timely integration with modern energy systems. This paper presents the approach taken in the URB-Grade project in order to design such a system. Both methodology and overall technological approach are presented, together with description of demonstration scenarios foreseen.
Task-based image quality evaluation of iterative reconstruction methods for low dose CT using computer simulations

Iterative reconstruction (IR) methods for x-ray CT is a promising approach to improve image quality or reduce radiation dose to patients. The goal of this work was to use task based image quality measures and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) to evaluate both analytic and IR methods for clinical x-ray CT applications. We performed realistic computer simulations at five radiation dose levels, from a clinical reference low dose D0 to 25% D0. A fixed size and contrast lesion was inserted at different locations into the liver of the XCAT phantom to simulate a weak signal. The simulated data were reconstructed on a commercial CT scanner (SOMATOM Definition Flash; Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) using the vendor-provided analytic (WFBP) and IR (SAFIRE) methods. The reconstructed images were analyzed by CHOs with both rotationally symmetric (RS) and rotationally oriented (RO) channels, and with different numbers of lesion locations (5, 10, and 20) in a signal known exactly (SKE), background known exactly but variable (BKEV) detection task. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used as a summary measure to compare the IR and analytic methods; the AUC was also used as the equal performance criterion to derive the potential dose reduction factor of IR. In general, there was a good agreement in the relative AUC values of different reconstruction methods using CHOs with RS and RO channels, although the CHO with RO channels achieved higher AUCs than RS channels. The improvement of IR over analytic methods depends on the dose level. The reference dose level D0 was based on a clinical low dose protocol, lower than the standard dose due to the use of IR methods. At 75% D0, the performance improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The potential dose reduction factor also depended on the detection task. For the SKE/BKEV task involving 10 lesion locations, a dose reduction of at least 25% from D0 was achieved.
Administration of charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate to reduce malodorous flatulence in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether feeding activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate would ameliorate the frequency and odor characteristics of flatulence in dogs. DESIGN In vitro screening of active agents followed by a randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS 8 adult dogs. PROCEDURE A fecal fermentation system was used to assess the effects of activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate alone and in combination on total gas production and production of hydrogen sulfide, the primary determinant of flatus malodor in dogs. All 3 agents were subsequently incorporated into edible treats that were fed 30 minutes after the dogs ate their daily rations, and the number, frequency, and odor characteristics of flatulence were measured for 5 hours, using a device that sampled rectal gases and monitored hydrogen sulfide concentrations. RESULT Total gas production and number and frequency of flatulence episodes were unaffected by any of the agents. Production of hydrogen sulfide in vitro was significantly reduced by charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate by 71, 38, and 58%, respectively, and was reduced by 86% by the combination of the 3 agents. Consumption of the 3 agents was associated with a significant decrease (86%) in the percentage of flatulence episodes with bad or unbearable odor and a proportional increase in the percentage of episodes of no or only slightly noticeable odor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate reduce malodor of flatus in dogs by altering the production or availability of hydrogen sulfide in the large intestine.
Website of the week: Demographic entrapment

Before the advent of the world wide web, awkward voices from offbeat angles could be silenced with a two line rejection letter. Now that authors are freed from the constraint of seeking the approval of a publisher, we can get direct access to authors’ ideas without intermediaries. This week’s special issue on population studies provides an opportunity to evaluate an interesting example of such “disintermediation. ” We have in the past presented Maurice King’s ideas on “demographic entrapment” (www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/315/7120/1441#R2). He, after rejections from other journals that obviously still rankle, also publishes an extensive website to develop his ideas further (www.leeds.ac.uk/demographic.disentrapment/). Although visually amateurish, it is readable, and there is a lot of it. Comparing his and the BMJ’s versions provides a straightforward measure of editorial value added. King believes that much of the world is trapped—that many communities exceed the capacity of their land to support them, their capacity for migration to other regions, and the economic development needed for them to buy sufficient extra food. Such apocalyptic views cannot sit easily in the bureaucratic policy forums of the World Health Organisation and the World Bank, and, possibly, of most learned journals. His emphasis on equity of consumption of resources is an uncomfortable reminder of the West’s hypocrisy when it lectures the developing world on “population control. ” King’s website illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of self published material. Whether it is effective rhetoric remains open to question: the site lacks links to other relevant web resources, which suggests that, on the internet at least, King’s communication settings are more write than read. If you want links a good place to start is demography.anu. edu.au/VirtualLibrary/. For a jolt from complacency, consider the “Estimated World Population” counter at www.unfpa. org/modules/6billion/en/index.htm, which ticks up and up—a truly modern rhetorical device.
Influenza A Virus Migration and Persistence in North American Wild Birds

Wild birds have been implicated in the emergence of human and livestock influenza. The successful prediction of viral spread and disease emergence, as well as formulation of preparedness plans have been hampered by a critical lack of knowledge of viral movements between different host populations. The patterns of viral spread and subsequent risk posed by wild bird viruses therefore remain unpredictable. Here we analyze genomic data, including 287 newly sequenced avian influenza A virus (AIV) samples isolated over a 34-year period of continuous systematic surveillance of North American migratory birds. We use a Bayesian statistical framework to test hypotheses of viral migration, population structure and patterns of genetic reassortment. Our results reveal that despite the high prevalence of Charadriiformes infected in Delaware Bay this host population does not appear to significantly contribute to the North American AIV diversity sampled in Anseriformes. In contrast, influenza viruses sampled from Anseriformes in Alberta are representative of the AIV diversity circulating in North American Anseriformes. While AIV may be restricted to specific migratory flyways over short time frames, our large-scale analysis showed that the long-term persistence of AIV was independent of bird flyways with migration between populations throughout North America. Analysis of long-term surveillance data provides vital insights to develop appropriately informed predictive models critical for pandemic preparedness and livestock protection.
History of Trauma Field Triage Development andthe American College of Surgeons Criteria

The use of trauma field triage criteria is designed to match a patient's injury type andseverity to prioritized transport andan institution with the resources to provide timely, definitive care. Triage schemes used in austere environments created by war or mass casualty events are less applicable to day-to-day civilian trauma. Civilian triage criteria, developed andrefined over the past 25 years, rely on physiologic, anatomic, andmechanistic indicators of severe injury in an attempt to optimize overtriage andundertriage. As organized trauma systems continue to mature, the need for more accurate direction of high- versus low-acuity patients to regional centers, stratified by their capabilities, becomes more apparent andis essential in avoiding a completely ‘exclusive’ trauma system. New technology utilizing vehicular telemetry andWeb-based information systems may simplify the seemingly simple but often formidable task of creating destination decision rules for victims of major injury.
The diagnosis of polycystic ovaries in subfertile women

Summary. Laparoscopy was used to identify the polycystic ovary (PCO) in a group of subfertile women. A third were found to have PCO. These patients had higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and a higher free androgen index (FAI) than those with normal ovaries. Only 15% of patients with laparoscopic evidence of PCO were obese, hirsute and oligomenorrhoeic. Within the PCO group, hirsutism was strongly associated with obesity and a high FAI. A group of subfertile women with PCO and regular cycles was found who had no other identifiable cause for their infertility. These women had higher follicular phase concentrations of LH and higher FAI than ovulatory women with normal ovaries.