Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
POWER CONTROL ERROR AND BER DETERMINATION IN MC-DS/CDMA SYSTEM OVER RAYLEIGH FADING CHANNEL USING WAVELET NETWORKS

This paper proposes an easy method based on wavelet networks for modeling the Bit Error Rate over a Rayleigh multipath fading channel taking care of a power control error. The RAKE receiver is considered for both coherent and non-coherent reception in this work when using a Weighted Despreading sequences for MAI cancellation in MC/DS-CDMA. It shows that the wavelet networks give a good reduction in term of complexity when calculating BER.
Detecting Chirality in Two-Terminal Electronic Nanodevices

Central to spintronics is the interconversion between electronic charge and spin currents, and this can arise from the chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. CISS is often studied as magnetoresistance (MR) in two-terminal (2T) electronic nanodevices containing a chiral (molecular) component and a ferromagnet. However, fundamental understanding of when and how this MR can occur is lacking. Here, we uncover an elementary mechanism that generates such an MR for nonlinear response. It requires energy-dependent transport and energy relaxation within the device. The sign of the MR depends on chirality, charge carrier type, and bias direction. Additionally, we reveal how CISS can be detected in the linear response regime in magnet-free 2T nanodevices, either by forming a chirality-based spin-valve using two or more chiral components or by Hanle spin precession in devices with a single chiral component. Our results provide operation principles and design guidelines for chirality-based spintronic nanodevices and technologies.
Sleep Quality, Depression, and Cognitive Function in Non-Demented Older Adults.

BACKGROUND Both sleep quality and depression could affect cognitive performance in older adults. Previous studies have suggested that there are bi-directional relationships between sleep quality and depression. Possibly, the influence of sleep quality on cognition is partly mediated by depression, and vice versa. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the mediation effects of sleep quality and depression on each other's relationship with various cognitive functions in non-demented older adults. METHODS Correlations were examined among sleep quality indices, depressive severity score, and five cognitive functions in 206 cognitively normal (CN) older adults and all participants that included these CN and 40 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals. We then analyzed the mediation effects for the significant cognitive correlations of sleep disturbance and depression using the bias-corrected Bootstrap method in the two populations. RESULTS Both sleep disturbance and depression were significantly correlated with memory recall and processing speed. In CN, depression could mediate the relationships of sleep disturbance with both cognitive functions, while sleep disturbance could only mediate the relationship of depression with processing speed, but not memory recall. However, in all participants, sleep disturbance could mediate the relationships of depression with both cognitive functions. CONCLUSION Different mediation effects in the two models in CN older adults might suggest differential mechanisms underlying the pathways from sleep disturbance and depression to various cognitive functions. The mediation results in all participants might indicate that the mechanisms underlying the pathways from sleep disturbance and depression to memory recall were different between MCI and CN older adults.
A Review on Controlling Techniques for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) and Current State of the Art in the Research Area

The significance of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) is that it offers high performance and efficiency for motor drives. The controlling of the high-performance motor is characterized by smooth operation of the motor over entire speed range, control ability of torque even at zero speed, fast acceleration, and deceleration. The optimization of the speedcontrol performance under different constraints and uncertainties is the biggest concern in PMSM. In that sense, various speedcontrol mechanisms were presented towards identifying the better way to control PMSM drive having high-speed features and desired torque response. However, it is necessary to have a suitable control mechanism where the better adjustment of performance can be achieved for a different operating condition. However, it is quite hard to distinguish the system characteristics and dynamic control parameters during real-time operation due to complexity in PMSM system. This paper intends to present the survey of controlling strategies in PMSM and current research trends in PMSM. Along with the research gap, a futuristic line of research is presented.
Metabolic profiling shows pre‐existing mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to muscle loss in a model of ICU‐acquired weakness

Surgery can lead to significant muscle loss, which increases recovery time and associates with increased mortality. Muscle loss is not uniform, with some patients losing significant muscle mass and others losing relatively little, and is likely to be accompanied by marked changes in circulating metabolites and proteins. Determining these changes may help understand the variability and identify novel therapeutic approaches or markers of muscle wasting.
Effects of polyphenolic‐rich dark chocolate and almonds on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese adults

Chocolate is a source of flavanols and has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) via beneficial effects on vascular health. Almonds are high in unsaturated fat and bioactive compounds that have been shown to favorably affect multiple CVD risk factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the individual, additive, and synergistic effects of dark chocolate/natural cocoa and almonds on CVD risk factors. Thirty‐one participants [age (mean ± SD): 46 ± 10 y; BMI (in kg/m2): 29.6 ± 2.8; 13 women; 18 men] were randomized to a 4 period crossover, controlled feeding study. All participants consumed each of the 4 diets for 4 weeks. The 4 diets were: Average American diet (AAD: 49% CHO, 17% PRO, 34% FAT, 13% SFA, 276 mg/d CHOL, no almonds or dark chocolate/cocoa), Almond diet (ALD: 49% CHO, 16% PRO, 35% FAT, 8% SFA, 153 mg/d CHOL, 1.5 oz. almonds/d), Chocolate/cocoa diet (CHOC: 53% CHO, 16% PRO, 32% FAT, 11% SFA, 157 mg/d CHOL, 43 g dark chocolate/d, 11 g natural cocoa/d), and Chocolate/cocoa + Almond diet (CHOC + ALD: 50% CHO, 16% PRO, 34% FAT, 8% SFA, 116 mg/d CHOL, 43 g dark chocolate/d, 11 g natural cocoa/d, 1.5 oz. almonds/d). Results from twenty‐six participants are reported; the study will be completed in December, 2015. Compared to baseline, the ALD and CHOC + ALD diets decreased total cholesterol (−15.6 ± 3.1 mg/dL, P < 0.001; −10.2 ± 3.1 mg/dL, P < 0.01, respectively) and LDL‐C (−11.9 ± 2.7 mg/dL, P < 0.001; −9.0 ± 2.7 mg/dL, P < 0.01, respectively). Compared with the AAD diet, the ALD diet demonstrated greater reductions in total cholesterol (−10.6 ± 2.9 mg/dL, P < 0.01) and LDL‐C (−11.3 ± 2.9 mg/dL, P < 0.01). Compared to baseline, CHOC and CHOC + ALD diets increased HDL cholesterol (2.20 ± 0.97 mg/dL, P = 0.03; 2.86 ± 0.97 mg/dL, P < 0.01, respectively). Compared with the AAD diet, the CHOC + ALD had a greater increase in HDL‐C (2.56 ± 0.97 mg/dL, P < 0.05). The ALD, CHOC, and CHOC + ALD diets improved fasting plasma insulin (−1.50 ± 0.58 mU/L, P = 0.01; −1.45 ± 0.58 mU/L, P = 0.02; −1.25 ± 0.58 mU/L, P = 0.04, respectively) and insulin resistance (via the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance: −0.38 ± 0.16, P = 0.02; −0.32 ± 0.16, P = 0.06; −0.30 ± 0.16, P = 0.07, respectively). The ALD diet significantly lowered fasting glucose (−1.69 ± 1.28 mg/dL) compared with the CHOC diet (2.12 ± 1.28 mg/dL, P < 0.01) and CHOC + ALD diet (1.50 ± 1.28 mg/dL, P < 0.05). Our results demonstrate that the individual and combined consumption of dark chocolate/cocoa and almonds improved multiple CVD risk factors including lipid profile and insulin resistance. This trial was registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01882881.
Visceral Leishmaniasis: Evaluation of Diagnostic Tools, Therapeutic Regimens, and Associated Risk Factors in Areas with Frequent Outbreaks in South Sudan and Sudan: Case Reports and Review of Literature

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis of genus Leishmania donovani is a known cause of Kala-azar, with an agent of Phlebotomus species. Other species of public health importance include Phlebotomus-martini that engulfed South Sudan bordering counties with Kenya whereas Phlebotomus-orientalis dominates northern parts of South Sudan and Sudan. It exhibits rare behavioral characteristics of outer door bites. Among Eastern African countries, South Sudan is a highly endemic area where more than 1/3 of the population is at risks of infections. This review aimed to evaluate the current diagnosis, treatment and risk factors associated with epidemics and mortality due to Visceral Leishmaniasis in Sudan and South Sudan.Methodology and Objective: Literatures published in SCI Journals, pub med, and science direct, Google, WHO reports, MSF, and CDC websites were searched starting from 1945 to 2018. Visceral leishmaniasis/VL diagnostic tools, treatment regimens, and associated risk factors were the keywords used during browsing. Details referred to Given Figures in the methodology section.Findings: Several risk factors contributed to the frequency of VL outbreaks. Chronic wars, malnutrition and settlement in areas infested by the sand fly, co-infections with either HIV or Hepatitis an emerging public health concern. Government efforts to control and eliminates the vectors of VL are lacking with negligible resources allocation. Acacia trees are proved to harbor sand fly as resting and hiding places. K39/K26 or rk39/rk28 dipstick is a field base diagnostic tool commonly used. Treatments with liposomal AmporicinB, sodium stibogluconate plus paromomycin are recommended for use in South Sudan. This review also revealed that areas formerly free from Kala-azar had experience recurrent epidemic.Conclusion: VL in South Sudan remains highly isolated from clinical diagnosis, treatment, and control strategies. Routine data for surveillance is also an absence. National guidelines and protocols for treatment, and vector control remain at standstill. The level of resistance of visceral Leishmania parasites to the available anti-leishmanial drugs required more researches. There is a close relationship between frequent VL outbreaks and internal conflicts, poor malnutrition, poverty and displacement to high transmission zones, individuals who are new in sand fly infested areas are at greater risks, including children, elderly and pregnant women.
Trans fatty acid elimination policy in member states of the Eurasian Economic Union: Implementation challenges and capacity for enforcement

Removing trans fatty acids (TFAs) from the food supply in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are one of the most effective public health interventions for reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases. EAEU Member States have taken important steps to reduce TFA in oil and fat products to <2% of the total fat content. The authors summarize existing policies in the region, identify challenges in implementation, and suggest measures to strengthen regulation to achieve compliance with WHO guidelines. Documents published between 2011 and 2019 in Russian and English were reviewed, including EAEU and Member State restrictions on TFA in food products, data on TFA content in foods, and food labeling policies. The EAEU has established TFA limits in oil and fat products; however, Member States are currently not achieving the WHO guideline of <2% of total fat content in food products. A lack of harmonized monitoring systems and sanctions create challenges in monitoring compliance. The authors recommend developing an EAEU‐wide monitoring system to test TFA content and organize population intake surveys. Discrepancies exist within regulatory frameworks that allow higher levels of TFAs in dairy products and infant formula. The authors recommend extending the current regulation to mandate TFA limits for all food products. Research found that strengthening regulation to meet the WHO guidelines should be prioritized. Member States should implement actions to replace TFAs with healthier fats, develop standardized surveillance methods, and scale‐up strategic communication to ensure the food industry and the public follow public health recommendations to protect the health of the EAEU population.
The role and use of wireless technology in the management and monitoring of chronic diseases

Carefully monitoring and managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, is a critical component in reducing emergency care and hospital stays. If care of chronic conditions is well-managed, studies suggest that the risk of complications and death can be reduced by up to 25 percent. Wireless technology, also called "telemedicine," allows diagnosis, treatment, and follow up for at-risk populations such as rural, poor, and elderly patients. The authors conclude their report with a series of recommendations to government leaders and public health agencies on expanding the use of telemedicine in ways that will reduce healthcare costs and increase the quality of life for those with chronic diseases.
Cue combination in auditor's internal control judgments

A key issue in audit judgment research has been how auditors combine information cues in order to make judgments. Prior research has shown that appropriate forms of cue combination can be identified by analyzing task characteristics, and that many auditors combine cues in a manner appropriate to the interrelationship of cues in the judgment task (Brown and Solomon 1990, 1991; Bonner 2007, 155). Furthermore, appropriate cue combination has been found to be important for judgment quality (Brown and Solomon 1990, 1991; Hooper and Trotman 1996). However, evidence on cue combination in auditor’s internal control judgments is mixed and from the pre1990’s. Prior findings may therefore be outdated and incomplete compared to the task characteristics auditors’ face, and the behavior they exhibit, when making internal control judgments in the current audit environment. This dissertation uses task analysis to identify appropriate forms of cue combination in internal control judgments as a function of two task characteristics; the interrelationship of controls and the judgment response scale. A policy capturing experiment is then conducted in order to test whether auditors combine cues in the appropriate and predicted manner. Findings indicate that auditors generally make internal control judgments by combining cues in a predictable and appropriate manner, given the task characteristics of cue interrelationships and the judgment response scale. The main contributions of this dissertation are to (1) define and clarify important concepts in internal control judgment research, and (2) to extend normative theory and descriptive evidence on how auditors should, and do, respond to changes in judgment task characteristics by changing the functional form of their judgment policy (i.e., how they combine cues). This knowledge is important for audit practice, since task analysis can help auditors make better judgments and thereby perform better audits.
Effect of forage: concentrate ratio on ruminal metabolism and duodenal flow of fatty acids in beef steers

Lee, M. R. F. , Tweed, J. K. S. , Dewhurst, R. J., Scollan, N. D. (2006). Effect of forage: concentrate ratio on ruminal metabolism and duodenal flow of fatty acids in beef steers. Animal Science, 82, 31-40. Sponsorship: DEFRA
L’appréciation de la beauté : revue de littérature

Le jugement esthetique est bien sur subjectif, mais ceci n’exclut pas une etude rigoureuse mettant en jeu des methodes scientifiques. La base factuelle de la «science de l’esthetique» ne doit pas etablir qu’une personne ou une image est «objectivement» belle, mais elle doit plutot determiner comment un groupe social representatif ou des jurys ressentent cet «objet esthetique» comme beau ou laid. Le but de cet article est la revue des aspects definitionnels, theoriques et methodologiques de la perception par un groupe social homogene et representatif, du caractere attractif d’un visage ou d’un sourire. La premiere partie pose les principes de l’attirance faciale : la perception suppose un jury, un champ d’investigation, et un test susceptible de produire des donnees quantifiees; les determinants generaux de la beaute sont ensuite passes en revue : la morphologie moyenne, le background culturel du juge, la numerologie, l’origine ethnique du juge. Les determinants indirects qui peuvent intervenir sont la denture, l’architecture osseuse et l’enveloppe musculaire. Des facteurs perturbateurs alterant le jugement peuvent etre mis en cause; ce sont des facteurs peripheriques comme la coiffure et la couleur des cheveux, la texture de la peau, les rides, le rouge a levres. ou des facteurs psycho-sociaux comme l’aura du sujet evalue, son intelligence, son comportement. La seconde partie traite de la methodologie employee pour apprecier «l’attractivite» d’une face et la correler avec telle ou telle morphologie. Classiquement ceci est realise en determinant la preference esthetique moyenne pour divers groupes d’images faciales au sein d’un jury qui a pour tache specifique d’estimer leurs qualites esthetiques. L’echantillon a juger, la presentation des documents, le ou les jurys, la procedure de notation sont discutes; ils doivent etre precises avant de commencer la collecte des donnees. Une attention specifique est enfin portee sur la demarche d’appreciation associee a telle ou telle morphologie, decrite par des methodes morpho-metriques. L’objectif ultime est bien sur la selection des morphologies les plus attractives pour nos patients.
Nutrient release characteristics from droppings of grass‐foraging waterfowl (Anser brachyrhynchus) roosting in aquatic habitats

In recent decades, notably in large parts of the Western World, many waterfowl populations have increased because of increased food availability. Not uncommonly, eutrophication in these areas may occur perhaps not only because of increased dropping loads but also because nutrients are more readily released from droppings than from fresh and decomposing plant material. We conducted an experiment to study this effect comparing the decay rate and nutrient release of fresh grass leaves with that of droppings in water at 10, 20 and 30 °C. Using a two‐component exponential decay model, allowing distinguishing between an easily decomposable (labile) and recalcitrant fraction of the material, we found that the labile carbon (C) fraction of droppings decomposed faster than that of grass leaves, whereas the recalcitrant C decomposition rate was similar to that of grass leaves. Higher temperature increased C decomposition rates of the labile fractions. No temperature dependence was observed for the recalcitrant fractions. Surprisingly, grass leaves and droppings did not differ in the amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) released in the first 90 days, i.e. more than 60% of N and 40% of P were released into the water column. Continuous mineralization of N and P predominated during decomposition of grass leaves, whereas a massive initial leaching was followed by immobilization and later mineralization during decomposition of droppings. All differences during decomposition of the litter types were attributed to the stoichiometric requirement of decomposers and their temperature sensitivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tissue window, not the time window, will guide acute stroke treatment

Since the approval of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) within 3 hours of onset in 1996, it took 12 years to expand the treatment time window to 4.5 hours by the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Trial II (ECASS III). 1 It took another 10 years to expand the treatment time window to 6 hours with the bridging of IV tPA and intra-arterial (IA) thrombectomy.2 In 2018, 22 years later after the approval of IV tPA and less than 3 years from the approval of IA thrombectomy, we have learnt that IA thrombectomy was effective in treating patients with AIS from large vessel occlusion (LVO) type of stroke up to 24 hours.3 This continued expansion of the treatment time window has brought hope to many patients with stroke who will present to the emergency room at a later time. It has also shattered our belief that poststroke ischaemic penumbra would only exist for a very brief time. The evidence lies …
Détection des utilisations à risque d’API : approche basée sur le système immunitaire

APIs are essential ingredients for developing complex software systems. However, they are difficult to learn and use. As a result, developers can misuse them, resulting in different types of issues. Misuse of a programming interface can lead to errors that are very difficult to detect and can have consequences. Detecting these misuses is not easy. We have thus developed an approach based on the immune system, a mechanism that allows to detect known and unknown anomaly types. Here the cells of the organism will be the good uses of the API and the bad ones will be the foreign cells of the organism. The immune system has the particularity of being a decentralized system that functions thanks to detectors, T lymphocytes, whose role is to detect foreign cells. With APImmune we will therefore generate detectors that have the ability to detect risky uses of APIs. Our approach was evaluated on two sets of data and more specifically MUBench. The results show that our approach complements previous works in this area of research. In addition, the detectors can be generated from source code by abstracting the API usages and by generating artificial deviations from these usages. Moreover, for the detection purpose, only the artificial detectors are necessary, and the code used to generate them is not disclosed. Finally, the detectors can be produced for different versions of the programming interface, that brings modularity in the detection.
Trawling bycatch does affect Balearic Shearwaters Puffinus mauretanicus

We report two incidents of accidental Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus trawling bycatch during research trawling activities in the western Mediterranean. Both incidents, which involved single individuals (with the certain mortality of at least one bird and probable of the other), took place during the course of a fishery research cruise over the Mediterranean Iberian shelf in May 2011 during this species’ breeding period. The incidents occurred when large numbers of shearwaters were attracted to the vessel during hauling operations in relatively shallow waters. Even though the accidental bycatch of Balearic Shearwaters is probably rare, it could have a certain importance during trawling in shallow waters. Since the Balearic Shearwater is catalogued as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, this is a new threat to be added to already existent ones such as the accidental catching of adults during long-line fishing and mortality by predation in breeding colonies. Monitoring and research activities are even more necessary if we are to properly assess the importance of this new threat on an already critically endangered species.