Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Epstein–Barr virus DNA load in the peripheral blood of transplant recipients does not accurately reflect the burden of infected cells

Transplant recipients frequently exhibit an increased Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) load in the peripheral blood. Here, we quantitated the EBV‐infected cells in the peripheral blood of these patients and defined the mode of viral infection, latent or lytic. These data indicated that there is no strong correlation between the number of infected cells and the EBV load (EBVL). This can be explained by a highly variable number of EBV copies per infected cell and by lytic replication in some cells. The plasma of these patients did not contain any free infectious viruses, but contained nevertheless EBV DNA, sometimes in large amounts, that probably originates from cell debris and contributed to the total EBVL. Some of the investigated samples carried a highly variable number of infected cells in active latency, characterized by an expression of the Epstein–Barr nuclear antigens (EBNA2) protein. However, a third of the samples expressed neither EBNA2 nor lytic proteins. Patients with an increased EBVL represent a heterogeneous group of patients whose infection cannot be characterized by this method alone. Precise characterization of the origin of an increased EBVL, in particular, in terms of the number of EBV‐infected cells, requires additional investigations including the number of EBV‐encoded small RNA‐positive cells.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Possesses a Unique Repertoire of Fimbrial Gene Sequences

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi differs from nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes by its strict host adaptation to humans and higher primates. Since fimbriae have been implicated in host adaptation, we investigated whether the serotype Typhi genome contains fimbrial operons which are unique to this pathogen or restricted to typhoidal Salmonella serotypes. This study established for the first time the total number of fimbrial operons present in an individual Salmonella serotype. The serotype Typhi CT18 genome, which has been sequenced by the Typhi Sequencing Group at the Sanger Centre, contained a type IV fimbrial operon, an orthologue of the agf operon, and 12 putative fimbrial operons of the chaperone-usher assembly class. In addition tosef, fim, saf, and tcf, which had been described previously in serotype Typhi, we identified eight new putative chaperone-usher-dependent fimbrial operons, which were termedbcf, sta, stb, ste, std, stc, stg, and sth. Hybridization analysis performed with 16 strains ofSalmonella reference collection C and 22 strains ofSalmonella reference collection B showed that all eight putative fimbrial operons of serotype Typhi were also present in a number of nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes. Thus, a simple correlation between host range and the presence of a single fimbrial operon seems at present unlikely. However, the serotype Typhi genome differed from that of all other Salmonella serotypes investigated in that it contained a unique combination of putative fimbrial operons.
Multigigabit balanced add-select-register-compare viterbi decoders architecture in 60 GHz WPAN

In this paper, a novel lower-power multigigabit Viterbi decoder architecture is proposed for 60 GHz wireless personal-area network (WPAN) systems. Since add-compare-select (ACS) computation is the main bottleneck in decoding speed of Viterbi decoders, a balanced add-select-register-compare (BASIC) architecture is put forward to reduce critical path of ACS with low complexity. This work develops an 8-parallel BASIC Viterbi decoder for IEEE 802.15. 3c standard to accomplish high-throughput and low-power goals. Based on synthesized results in 0.13 μm CMOS technology, the proposed decoder achieves up to 4 Gb/s throughput with energy efficiency 0.104 nJ/bit at 1.2 V.
Left Mesial Temporal Sclerosis and Verbal Memory: A Magnetoencephalography Study

Summary: The purpose of this study is to examine the pattern of mesial temporal lobe activity in patients with left mesial temporal sclerosis (LMTS) and normal control subjects during a verbal memory task using magnetoencephalography. Six LMTS patients and seven normal control subjects performed a word recognition task while event-related neuromagnetic responses were recorded for 248 trials in each of two runs. An equivalent current dipole model was used to localize activity sources and determine if the right or left mesial temporal lobe was active. All six (100%) LMTS patients but only two (28%) normal control subjects had right mesial temporal activity (P < 0.02). Two (33%) LMTS patients and 6 (86%) normal control subjects had left mesial temporal activity (P = 0.27). No significant differences in latency or duration of activity were seen between left and right sides or between groups. Our data suggest that patients with left hippocampal dysfunction are more likely to recruit the right mesial temporal lobe during verbal memory tasks than normal control subjects. A trend toward less left mesial temporal activity in LMTS patients is seen as well. Further study is needed to determine the predictive value of this technique regarding postresection memory outcome.
Comparison of household-survey estimates with projections of mortality and orphan numbers in sub-Saharan Africa in the era of HIV/AIDS

The United Nations publishes estimates of HIV prevalence, AIDS mortality, and orphan numbers for all countries of the world. It is important to assess the validity of these model-based estimates since they underpin much policy concerned with care and prevention. Household surveys that ask questions about the survival of children’s parents (orphanhood) offer an independent source of data with which these estimates can be compared. Survey estimates of maternal and paternal orphans are significantly lower than model estimates for 40 surveys in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa (p < 0.001, p = 0.002). This is probably because adult mortality from causes other than AIDS is lower than assumed in the models, although under-reporting of orphanhood in surveys may also play a role. Reducing adult mortality from causes other than AIDS brings the model estimates into close agreement with the surveys. This suggests that the fraction of orphans attributable to AIDS is greater than estimated previously.
The Modified Bose Method for the Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Arterial Stenoses Using the Enterprise Stent

BACKGROUND Balloon dilatation and deployment of a self-expanding stent is a safe treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses. The significant recurrence rate might be related to the high radial force of the Wingspan stent. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the procedural safety and stenosis recurrence rate by the use of a stent with reduced radial force (Enterprise). METHODS Two hundred nine atherosclerotic stenoses (189 patients) were treated (median age, 68 years; 132 male) in a single center. Lesion locations included internal carotid artery (n = 27), middle cerebral artery (n = 62), vertebral artery (n = 64), basilar artery (n = 55), and posterior cerebral artery (n = 1). Pre- and postmedication included acetylsalicylic acid and Clopidogrel for at least 12 months. Preprocedural and follow-up examinations included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurological assessment, and digital subtraction angiography (6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks). Data registry included age, sex, normal vessel diameter, degree of stenosis, residual stenosis after stent, minimal in-stent diameter, and occurrence of ischemic symptoms during follow-up. RESULTS Median pre- and postprocedural stenosis rate was 65.4 ± 1% vs 25.1 ± 1%. Technical success rate was 100%. Major procedural complications occurred in 16 patients (8.1%). Combined neurological morbidity and mortality rate at 30 days was 2 patients (0.9%). In 174 stenoses (83%) angiographic follow-up was obtained (mean, 10.2 months). A restenosis (>50%) was observed in 43 (24.7%) cases after 4.2 months (mean) with 4 (9.3%) symptomatic lesions. Incidence of recurrent ischemia related to the stented artery was 2.2% during 10.2 months of mean follow-up. CONCLUSION Undersized balloon angioplasty and deployment of an Enterprise stent is safe and effective for intracranial stenoses. Follow-up results were equal to or better than those reported for bare-metal balloon-expandable or self-expanding stents and yielded excellent protection from recurrent ischemia.
Anesthetic management during the first combined heart-liver transplant performed in Korea: a case report

Herein, we describe the anesthetic management during the first combined heart-liver transplant (CHLT) performed in Korea. Though CHLT is a rare procedure, accumulating evidence suggests that it is a feasible option for patients with coexisting heart and liver failure. A 45-year-old female patient presented with severe cardiac dysfunction requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support and secondary congestive hepatopathy. The patient underwent consecutive heart and liver transplantation using extracorporeal circulatory devices—heart transplant with cardiopulmonary bypass, and liver transplant with peripheral ECMO. In this case report, we focus on the specific anesthetic considerations for CHLT pertaining to the challenges associated with dual pathophysiology.
protocolNon-pharmacological care for patients with generalized osteoarthritis : design of a randomized clinical trial

Background: Non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) is a useful treatment option in the management of hip or knee osteoarthritis. To our knowledge however, no studies have investigated the effect of NPT in patients with generalized osteoarthritis (GOA). The primary aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two currently existing health care programs with different intensity and mode of delivery on daily functioning in patients with GOA. The secondary objective is to compare the cost-effectiveness of both interventions. Methods/Design: In this randomized, single blind, clinical trial with active controls, we aim to include 170 patients with GOA. The experimental intervention consist of six self-management group sessions provided by a multidisciplinary team (occupational therapist, physiotherapist, dietician and specialized nurse). The active control group consists of two group sessions and four sessions by telephone, provided by a specialized nurse and physiotherapist. Both therapies last six weeks. Main study outcome is daily functioning during the first year after the treatment, assessed on the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are health related quality of life, specific complaints, fatigue, and costs. Illness cognitions, global perceived effect and self-efficacy, will also be assessed for a responder analysis. Outcome assessments are performed directly after the intervention, after 26 weeks and after 52 weeks. Discussion: This article describes the design of a randomized, single blind, clinical trial with a one year follow up to compare the costs and effectiveness of two non-pharmacological interventions with different modes of delivery for
Performance Comparision of Coded and Un-Coded OFDM for Different Fic Code

Error correction and detection in digital communication is used to compensate the bit error rate introduced during transmission of data. In this paper the investigation has been made to the performance of some error detecting and correcting coding algorithm for OFDM system. Convolution code, RS code and linear block code based OFDM system has been implemented, studied and analyzed. Simulation is performed in MATLAB environment. KeywordsConvolution code, Reed Solomon code, SNR, BER, AWGN ,QPSK
Stress related changes during a half marathon in master endurance athletes.

AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate heart rate (HR), salivary cortisol (sC) alpha-amylase (sAA) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in relation to competition outcome during a half marathon. METHODS HR was monitored and salivary samples were collected during an official half marathon in five Master endurance runners (age 47 ± 7 years). RPE was collected using a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 30 minutes after the end of competition. RESULTS Performance corresponded to 94% of their personal best (PB). Athletes spent 53.7% of total race time at intensities above 95% HRmax. RPE showed values of 68 ± 8 mm. With respect to pre-competition values (25.54 ± 6.39 nmol/L), sC concentrations significantly increased (P=0.043) by 59% immediately after the race (40.54 ± 3.95 nmol/L) and remained elevated until 1 h post exercise. Pre-competition sAA concentrations (90.59 ± 42.86 U/mL) were 118% higher (P=0.043) with respect to time-matched baseline values (197.92 ± 132 U/mL). sAA increased (192%; P=0.043) immediately after the race and was higher than time-matched resting samples. The better each athlete performed the greater cortisol increase during exercise (P<0.001). Performance was not correlated to the anticipatory sAA (the percent difference between pre-competition values and time-matched baseline ones) or to the sAA increase during exercise. CONCLUSION This is the first attempt to study the stress-related responses during official endurance competitions in master runners. Although the strict criteria of inclusion might have limited the statistical significance, the present findings indicate that endurance competition is a remarkable stressor for psycho-physiological aspects of master athletes.
Tranexamic Acid in Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Perioperative blood loss is a significant concern for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. A growing body of evidence has shown tranexamic acid (TXA) to be effective in decreasing perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements in both primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty. TXA is a synthetic drug that limits blood loss through inhibition of fibrinolysis and clot degradation. Both topical and intravenous administration of TXA, in a variety of dosing regimens, has proven effective. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal dose and dosing regimens; however, evidence exists to recommend an initial intravenous dose be given before beginning the procedure, with at least one additional intravenous dose administered postoperatively. Additionally, topical TXA doses >2 g appear to be more efficacious than lower doses. Finally, relatively few adverse reactions have been reported in arthroplasty patients, and no study to date has demonstrated an increased risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolic events in this patient population.
Iterative Regularization and Nonlinear Inverse Scale Space Based on Translation Invariant Wavelet Shrinkage

In this paper, we present a new class of iterative regularization methods in the setting of Besov spaces, which can be seen as generalizations of J. Xu's method. By incorporating translation invariant wavelet transform, minimizers of the new methods can be understood as the alternative to translation invariant wavelet shrinkage with weight that is dependent on the wavelet decomposition scale and the Besov smooth order. And we generalize the iterative regularization methods to a new class of nonlinear inverse scale spaces with scale and Besov smooth order dependent weight. The numerical results show an excellent denoising effect and improvement over J. Xu's method.
Memory Training in the ACTIVE Study

Objective and Method: Data from the memory training arm (n = 629) of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial were examined to characterize change in memory performance through 5 years of follow-up as a function of memory training, booster training, adherence to training, and other characteristics. Results: Latent growth model analyses revealed that memory training was associated with improved memory performance through Year 5 but that neither booster training nor training adherence significantly influenced this effect. Baseline age was associated with change in memory performance attributable to the passage of time alone (i.e., to aging). Higher education and better self-rated health were associated with greater change in memory performance after training. Discussion: These findings confirm that memory training can aid in maintaining long-term improvements in memory performance. Booster training and adherence to training do not appear to attenuate rates of normal age-related memory decline.
A novel band reject frequency selective surfaces for Bluetooth, WiMAX and WLAN applications

This paper presents circular ring and square loop Band reject Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSSs) for dual band WiMax and single band WLAN applications. FSS consist of two square loops with four small square loops in back side & one square loop and circular ring with some slots in front side of the substrate. This FSS designed on the FR-4 dielectric substrate with a relative permittivity of 4.4, loss tangent 0.025 and thickness of 1.6 mm. The proposed designed unit cell shows band reject response for three frequency bands having resonant frequencies as 2.5 GHz (WiMax), 3.5 GHz (WiMax) and 5.5 GHz (WLAN). The proposed design is simulated in CST microwave studio software.
Cholinergic neuronal modulations affect striatal dopamine transporter activity: PET studies in the conscious monkey brain

Dopaminergic neuronal transmission is regulated by the several components of receptors, transporters, bio-synthesis, and degradation. Thus, released dopamine as a transmitter binds to the receptors to modulate the activity of their speciﬁc second-messenger systems, resulting in biological functions. Dopaminergic neural transmission and signal transduction are terminated by reuptake of dopamine through dopamine transporter (DAT) as well as by enzymatic degradation of dopamine. In addition, the neurotransmitter systems are anatomically and functionally integrated directly as a network (Hattori et al., 1976) or indirectly (Bun-ney and Aghajanian, 1976) through multisynaptic connections in the central nervous system (CNS). The extrapyramidal motor system, for example, relies on a balance between dopamine and acetylcholine, and disruption in the balance results in motor abnormalities such as Parkinson’s disease (McGeer et al., 1987). Positron emission tomography (PET) can noninvasively evaluate the interactions between these neuronal systems as well as the functional responses to pharmacological manipulation using speciﬁc labeled compounds. However, besides the dopamine receptor sites (for review, see Laruelle, 2000), the interactions of DAT with other neuronal system have been relatively less explored, but several lines of evidence suggest a potential interaction. For example, our recent studies indicated that the administration of scopolamine (a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist), ketamine (a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist), or isoﬂurane anesthesia facilitated DAT availability, as
Dural sinus stent placement for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

OBJECT The use of unilateral dural sinus stent placement in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) has been described by multiple investigators. To date there is a paucity of information on the angiographic and hemodynamic outcome of these procedures. The object of this study was to define the clinical, angiographic, and hemodynamic outcome of placement of unilateral dural sinus stents to treat intracranial venous hypertension in a subgroup of patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for IIH. METHODS Eighteen consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of IIH were treated with unilateral stent placement in the transverse-sigmoid junction region. All patients had papilledema. All 12 female patients had headaches; 1 of 6 males had headaches previously that disappeared after weight loss. Seventeen patients had elevated opening pressures at lumbar puncture. Twelve patients had opening pressures of 33-55 cm H(2)O. All patients underwent diagnostic cerebral arteriography that showed venous outflow compromise by filling defects in the transverse-sigmoid junction region. All patients underwent intracranial selective venous pressure measurements across the filling defects. Follow-up arteriography was performed in 16 patients and follow-up venography/venous pressure measurements were performed in 15 patients. RESULTS Initial pressure gradients across the filling defects ranged from 10.5 to 39 mm Hg. Nineteen stent procedures were performed in 18 patients. One patient underwent repeat stent placement for hemodynamic failure. Pressure gradients were reduced in every instance and ranged from 0 to 7 mm Hg after stenting. Fifteen of 16 patients in whom ophthalmological follow-up was performed experienced disappearance of papilledema. Follow-up arteriography in 16 patients at 5-99 months (mean 25.3 months, median 18.5 months) showed patency of all stents without in-stent restenosis. Two patients had filling defects immediately above the stent. Four other patients developed transverse sinus narrowing above the stent without filling defects. One of these patients underwent repeat stent placement because of hemodynamic deterioration. Two of the other 3 patients had hemodynamic deterioration with recurrent pressure gradients of 10.5 and 18 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS All stents remained patent without restenosis. Stent placement is durable and successfully eliminates papilledema in appropriately selected patients. Continuing hemodynamic success in this series was 80%, and was 87% with repeat stent placement in 1 patient.
Authenticated Index Structures for Outsourced Database Systems

In outsourced database (ODB) systems the database owner publishes its data through a number of remote servers, with the goal of enabling clients at the edge of the network to access and query the data more efficiently. As servers might be untrusted or can be compromised, query authentication becomes an essential component of ODB systems. Existing solutions for this problem concentrate mostly on static scenarios and are based on idealistic properties for certain cryptographic primitives. In this work, first we define a variety of essential and practical cost metrics associated with ODB systems. Then, we analytically evaluate a number of different approaches, in search for a solution that best leverages all metrics. Most importantly, we look at solutions that can handle dynamic scenarios, where owners periodically update the data residing at the servers. Finally, we discuss query freshness, a new dimension in data authentication that has not been explored before. A comprehensive experimental evaluation of the proposed and existing approaches is used to validate the analytical models and verify our claims. Our findings exhibit that the proposed solutions improve performance substantially over existing approaches, both for static and dynamic environments.