Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Channel Coding Selection in Time-Slotted ALOHA Packetized Multiple-Access Systems Over Rayleigh Fading Channels

In this paper, we consider the time-slotted ALOHA packetized multiple-access system where the transmission channels obey i.i. d (independent identically distributed) Rayleigh fading. Two fundamental problems are considered. The first one is the calculation of system capacity, and the second one is how to select a channel coding for the system achieving its capacity. Here we firstly review the single time slotted capacity, and present the total capacity expression with the knowledge of channel side information. Then we deduce a threshold thetas for transmission probability in a single time slot provided that all the users have the same transmission probability. It will be proved that when transmission probability is greater than the threshold thetas, low-resolution code can help the system achieve its capacity. Moreover, we present an explicit threshold estimation, and prove that it can be extended to a more general case when transmission probabilities are approximately equal. In the end, simulation and numerical results show the validity and robustness of theoretical results.
Vaccine-Elicited 10-Kilodalton Culture Filtrate Protein-Specific CD8+ T Cells Are Sufficient To Mediate Protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

ABSTRACT The 10-kDa culture filtrate protein (CFP-10) and 6-kDa early secretory antigen of T cells (ESAT-6) are secreted in abundance by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are frequently recognized by T cells from infected people. The genes encoding these proteins have been deleted from the genome of the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and it is hypothesized that these proteins are important targets of protective immunity. Indeed, vaccination with ESAT-6 elicits protective CD4+ T cells in C57BL/6 mice. We have previously shown that M. tuberculosis infection of C3H mice elicits CFP-10-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Here we demonstrate that immunization with a CFP-10 DNA vaccine stimulates a specific T-cell response only to the H-2Kk-restricted epitope CFP-1032-39. These CFP-1032-39-specific CD8+ cells undergo a rapid expansion and accumulate in the lung following challenge of immunized mice with aerosolized M. tuberculosis. Protective immunity is induced by CFP-10 DNA vaccination as measured by a CFU reduction in the lung and spleen 4 and 8 weeks after challenge with M. tuberculosis. These data demonstrate that CFP-10 is a protective antigen and that CFP-1032-39-specific CD8+ T cells elicited by vaccination are sufficient to mediate protection against tuberculosis.
Sab, a Novel Autotransporter of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Negative Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli O113:H21, Contributes to Adherence and Biofilm Formation

ABSTRACT Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) strains cause serious gastrointestinal disease, which can lead to potentially life-threatening systemic complications such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Although the production of Shiga toxin has been considered to be the main virulence trait of STEC for many years, the capacity to colonize the host intestinal epithelium is a crucial step in pathogenesis. In this study, we have characterized a novel megaplasmid-encoded outer membrane protein in locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative O113:H21 STEC strain 98NK2, termed Sab (for STEC autotransporter [AT] contributing to biofilm formation). The 4,296-bp sab gene encodes a 1,431-amino-acid protein with the features of members of the AT protein family. When expressed in E. coli JM109, Sab contributed to the diffuse adherence to human epithelial (HEp-2) cells and promoted biofilm formation on polystyrene surfaces. A 98NK2 sab deletion mutant was also defective in biofilm formation relative to its otherwise isogenic wild-type parent, and this was complemented by transformation with a sab-carrying plasmid. Interestingly, an unrelated O113:H21 STEC isolate that had a naturally occurring deletion in sab was similarly defective in biofilm formation. PCR analysis indicated that sab is present in LEE-negative STEC strains belonging to serotypes/groups O113:H21, O23, and O82:H8. These findings raise the possibility that Sab may contribute to colonization in a subset of LEE-negative STEC strains.
Automatic Segmentation of Spinal Canals in CT Images via Iterative Topology Refinement

Accurate segmentation of the spinal canals in computed tomography (CT) images is an important task in many related studies. In this paper, we propose an automatic segmentation method and apply it to our highly challenging image cohort that is acquired from multiple clinical sites and from the CT channel of the PET-CT scans. To this end, we adapt the interactive random-walk solvers to be a fully automatic cascaded pipeline. The automatic segmentation pipeline is initialized with robust voxelwise classification using Haar-like features and probabilistic boosting tree. Then, the topology of the spinal canal is extracted from the tentative segmentation and further refined for the subsequent random-walk solver. In particular, the refined topology leads to improved seeding voxels or boundary conditions, which allow the subsequent random-walk solver to improve the segmentation result. Therefore, by iteratively refining the spinal canal topology and cascading the random-walk solvers, satisfactory segmentation results can be acquired within only a few iterations, even for cases with scoliosis, bone fractures and lesions. Our experiments validate the capability of the proposed method with promising segmentation performance, even though the resolution and the contrast of our dataset with 110 patient cases (90 for testing and 20 for training) are low and various bone pathologies occur frequently.
Drug—Botanical Interactions: A Review of the Laboratory, Animal, and Human Data for 8 Common Botanicals

Many Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to prevent or alleviate common illnesses, and these medicines are commonly used by individuals with cancer.These medicines or botanicals share the same metabolic and transport proteins, including cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP), glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), and P-glycoprotein (Pgp), with over-the-counter and prescription medicines increasing the likelihood of drug—botanical interactions.This review provides a brief description of the different proteins, such as CYPs, UGTs, and Pgp.The potential effects of drug—botanical interactions on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug or botanical and a summary of the more common models used to study drug metabolism are described.The remaining portion of this review summarizes the data extracted from several laboratory, animal, and clinical studies that describe the metabolism, transport, and potential interactions of 8 selected botanicals. The 8 botanicals include black cohosh, Echinacea, garlic, Gingko biloba, green tea, kava, milk thistle, and St John’s wort; these botanicals are among some of the more common botanicals taken by individuals with cancer.These examples are included to demonstrate how to interpret the different studies and how to use these data to predict the likelihood of a clinically significant drug—botanical interaction.
Circadian Stage-Dependent Inhibition of Human Breast Cancer Metabolism and Growth by the Nocturnal Melatonin Signal: Consequences of Its Disruption by Light at Night in Rats and Women

The circadian production of melatonin by the pineal gland during the night provides an inhibitory signal to tissue-isolated steroid receptor SR+ and — MCF-7 human breast cancer xenografts in female nude rats. A pivotal mechanism for melatonin’s anticancer effects in vivo involves a melatonin receptor-mediated inhibition of linoleic acid (LA) uptake and its metabolism to mitogenically active 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). Exposure of (SR-) xenograft-bearing rats to increasing intensities of polychromatic white light at night suppresses melatonin while increasing tumor growth rates, DNA content, [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA, LA uptake, 13-HODE formation, cAMP levels and ERK1/2 activation a dose-dependent manner. Similar effects occur in SR- human breast cancer xenografts perfused in situ with melatonin-depleted blood from healthy female subjects after their exposure to a single bright intensity (2800 lux) of polychromatic light at night. Additionally, SR- human breast cancer xenografts exhibit robust circadian rhythms of LA uptake, 13-HODE formation and proliferative activity. Exposure of xenograft-bearing rats to dim light at night results in the complete elimination of these rhythms which culminates in unfettered, high rates of tumor metabolism and growth. The organization of tumor metabolism and growth within circadian time structure by the oncostatic melatonin signal helps create a balance between the cancer and its host that is disrupted by host exposure to light at night. This biological mechanism may partially explain the higher risk of breast and other cancers in women working rotating night shifts and possibly others who also experience prolonged exposure to light at night.
Parasitic Nematode-Induced Modulation of Body Weight and Associated Metabolic Dysfunction in Mouse Models of Obesity

ABSTRACT Obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammation characterized by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines that are implicated in disrupted metabolic homeostasis. Parasitic nematode infection induces a polarized Th2 cytokine response and has been explored to treat autoimmune diseases. We investigated the effects of nematode infection against obesity and the associated metabolic dysfunction. Infection of RIP2-Opa1KO mice or C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis decreased weight gain and was associated with improved glucose metabolism. Infection of obese mice fed the HFD reduced body weight and adipose tissue mass, ameliorated hepatic steatosis associated with a decreased expression of key lipogenic enzymes/mediators, and improved glucose metabolism, accompanied by changes in the profile of metabolic hormones. The infection resulted in a phenotypic change in adipose tissue macrophages that was characterized by upregulation of alternative activation markers. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) activation of the STAT6 signaling pathway was required for the infection-induced attenuation of steatosis but not for improved glucose metabolism, whereas weight loss was attributed to both IL-13/STAT6-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Parasitic nematode infection has both preventive and therapeutic effects against the development of obesity and associated features of metabolic dysfunction in mice.
Acupuncture as Palliative Therapy for Physical Symptoms and Quality of Life for Advanced Cancer Patients

Background. Acupuncture is underutilized as an adjunct cancer therapy. The main study objectives were to determine the feasibility of administering acupuncture as palliative therapy to patients with advanced ovarian or breast cancer and to assess the effect on symptoms and quality of life (QOL). Methods. This study was a pilot, single-armed prospective clinical trial for patients with advanced cancer to receive 12 acupuncture sessions over 8 weeks with follow-up at weeks 9 and 12. Ambulatory patients with advanced ovarian or breast cancer were enrolled to receive treatments at an outpatient academic oncology center. Symptom severity was measured before and after each acupuncture session. A composite QOL assessment tool, consisting of validated instruments, was completed at 5 time points. Results. Forty patients enrolled in the study. Twenty-eight patients (70%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 53%-83%) completed 4 weeks of treatment, and 26 patients (65%; 95% CI = 48%-79%) completed 8 weeks. Eight patients (20%) withdrew before receiving acupuncture, and 6 patients (15%) discontinued treatment early because of disease progression or scheduling demands. Among all 32 assessed patients, there was self-reported improvement immediately post-treatment in anxiety, fatigue, pain, and depression and significant improvement over time for patients with anxiety (P = .001) and depression (P = .02). Among patients experiencing baseline symptoms, there was improvement in anxiety (P = .001), fatigue (P = .0002), pain (P = .0002), and depression (P = .003). QOL measures of pain severity and interference, physical and psychological distress, life satisfaction, and mood states showed improved scores during treatment, with sustained benefit at 12 weeks. Conclusions. This pilot study demonstrates that an 8-week outpatient acupuncture course is feasible for advanced cancer patients and produces a measurable benefit that should be evaluated in controlled trials.
Dimension Compression Relaying for Slow Fading Channels Based on Hybrid Digital-Analog Source-Channel Coding

Hybrid digital-analog schemes for bandwidth compression/expansion have been proposed in source-channel coding to increase the robustness in terms of end-to-end distortion, and to combat threshold and leveling-off effects in the absence of transmitter channel state information. In the scenario that the dimension of the incoming codeword is compressed by the relay, we address a similar problem in a three-node half-duplex orthogonal relay network over slow fading channels, and propose two hybrid digital-analog relaying protocols that show significant improvements over digital-only (compress-and-forward and decode-and-forward) and analog-only (amplify-and- forward) schemes, in terms of the maximum achieved expected rate from source to destination.
ATG Genes Influence the Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans through Contributions beyond Core Autophagy Functions

The process of autophagy is conserved among all eukaryotes from yeast to humans and is mainly responsible for bulk degradation of cellular contents and nutrient recycling during starvation. Autophagy has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, potentially through a contribution to the export of virulence factors. ABSTRACT The process of autophagy is conserved among all eukaryotes from yeast to humans and is mainly responsible for bulk degradation of cellular contents and nutrient recycling during starvation. Autophagy has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, potentially through a contribution to the export of virulence factors. In this study, we showed that deletion of each of the ATG1, ATG7, ATG8, and ATG9 genes in C. neoformans leads to autophagy-related phenotypes, including impaired amino acid homeostasis under nitrogen starvation. In addition, the atgΔ mutants were hypersensitive to inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a finding consistent with a role in amino acid homeostasis. Although each atgΔ mutant was not markedly impaired in virulence factor production in vitro, we found that all four ATG genes contribute to C. neoformans virulence in a murine inhalation model of cryptococcosis. Interestingly, these mutants displayed significant differences in their ability to promote disease development. A more detailed investigation of virulence for the atg1Δ and atg8Δ mutants revealed that both strains stimulated an exaggerated host immune response, which, in turn, contributed to disease severity. Overall, our results suggest that different ATG genes are involved in nonautophagic functions and contribute to C. neoformans virulence beyond their core functions in autophagy.
Personal Training 101: Program Variables and Design

BUILDING SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR NOVICE AND INTERMEDIATE CLIENTS DEPENDS ON A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT PRODUCES AN APPROPRIATE OVERLOAD WITHOUT INDUCING OVERTRAINING. THE APPLICATION OF A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF SETS AND REPETITIONS PER EXERCISE, AN APPROPRIATE LOAD, AND CHOICE OF EXERCISES IN A TRAINING PROGRAM IS CRITICAL TO ITS SUCCESS. BASIC CONCEPTS OF PROGRAM DESIGN AND A SAMPLE BASIC PERIODIZATION PROGRAM ARE PROVIDED.
Review of the interplay between population dynamics and malaria transmission in Ethiopia

Abstract Background: The rapid growth of human population in malaria endemic areas has become a threat leading to the resurgence of the disease. Population growth and ecological changes in malarious areas have important implications for malaria control due to the adverse effects of the disease on the population. Objective: To examine the relationship between different aspects of population dynamics and malaria transmission in Ethiopia. Methods: Published and unpublished reports on the subject were reviewed. Internet sources, books and other relevant documents pertaining to the role of population changes and the magnitude of malaria were systematically reviewed. Findings: Malaria is the number one public health problem in Ethiopia and a major cause of illness and death. Due to the high population pressure and depletion of agricultural land in highland areas, there has been a massive population movement to the lowlands, particularly in the last two decades. Most of the population movements are from malaria free or places of moderate endemicity to highly malarious areas. The number of people estimated to be residing in malarious areas of the country has shown a dramatic increase from 17.7 million in 1965 to more than 52.6 million in 2005, due to population growth and movement. High population movement and resettlement programs in malaria endemic areas have been identified as factors that exacerbate malaria transmission. As a result, more than half a million microscopically confirmed cases and 5-6 million clinical cases of malaria are reported annually from public health facilities in the country. Conclusion: Movements into malarious areas, without substantial intervention, expose people to the risk of malaria, and further exacerbate the problem. Effective treatment of the disease with the right antimalarial drug is crucial. Thus, appropriate measures should be taken to address the consequences of developmental activities leading to ecological changes and population movements into malarious areas. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2006;20(3):137-144]
Alcohol and Type 2 Diabetes - Another Paradox?

The French Paradox relates to the observation that mortality rates due to coronary heart disease are relatively low in France despite a diet rich in saturated fats. Another paradox linked to alcohol is the diverse associations of acute and chronic alcohol use with respect to insulin resistance, incidence of type 2 diabetes and incidence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes. Reports consistently suggest that the acute affects of alcohol induce a state of insulin resistance following either an oral and/or intravenous glucose load. Contrary to the acute alcohol studies is a large body of epidemiological evidence from cross-sectional studies which suggests that long-term exposure to alcohol is associated with an improvement in insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, a substantial number of prospective studies point to a protective role for light to moderate chronic alcohol intake against the development of diabetes as well as a protective effect of regular mild to moderate drinking against coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetic subjects.
Optimal Mode for Maximal Aerobic Exercise Testing in Breast Cancer Survivors

Purpose. To determine which mode of exercise is preferred by breast cancer survivors and to evaluate this response between graded exercise testing on a treadmill and on a cycle ergometer. Methods. Twelve breast cancer survivors completed 2 maximal aerobic stress tests on separate days. The women completed a ramp protocol on an electronically braked cycle ergometer and an incremental step protocol on a treadmill to volitional fatigue. Test order was randomized. Expired gases were collected for the determination of peak aerobic capacity (Vo2peak). Results. Exercise mode had a significant effect on the graded exercise response in breast cancer survivors, P = . 003. Treadmill Vo2peak was significantly greater than bike Vo2peak (28.7 ± 4.7 vs 23.9 ± 4.7 mL/min/kg, respectively, P = .003) and VEmax was equivalent between exercise modes (P = .731). Maximal heart rate was significantly higher by 11 bpm during the treadmill protocol (P = .004), and Ve/VCo2 exhibited possible mode dependency (P = .018). Conclusion. This patient population felt more comfortable and produced significantly greater Vo2peak values using the treadmill protocol. These results discuss the potential implications concerning the design and interpretation of exercise interventions for breast cancer survivors.
The Relationship Between Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Prostate Cancer: Critical Issues

AbstractPurpose: Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is often considered to be a premalignant lesion and the main precursor of invasive carcinoma of the prostate. We evaluated the evidence for and against PIN as a premalignant lesion and determined guidelines for the clinical management of PIN.Materials and Methods: Literature analysis of histopathological, morphometric, phenotypic and molecular genetic evidence of progression and of clinical findings regarding PIN was done. Literature searches were performed on MEDLINE with relevant key words.Results: PIN, like prostate cancer, occurs most frequently in the peripheral zone of the prostate and is usually located in close proximity to prostate cancer. The relative PIN and prostate cancer volumes vary inversely. Prostate specific antigen in cases of PIN appears to be intermediate between prostate cancer and normal levels, although this elevation may be explained by concomitant prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia. Deoxyribonucleic acid ploi.
A Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interventions for the Management of Cancer-Related Fatigue

Fatigue, experienced by patients during and following cancer treatment, is a significant clinical problem. It is a prevalent and distressing symptom yet pharmacological interventions are used little and confer limited benefit for patients. However, many cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and some evidence suggests it may relieve fatigue. A systematic review was conducted to appraise the effectiveness of CAM interventions in ameliorating cancer-related fatigue. Systematic searches of biomedical, nursing, and specialist CAM databases were conducted, including Medline, Embase, and AMED. Included papers described interventions classified as CAM by the National Centre of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and evaluated through randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-experimental design. Twenty studies were eligible for the review, of which 15 were RCTs. Forms of CAM interventions examined included acupuncture, massage, yoga, and relaxation training. The review identified some limited evidence suggesting hypnosis and ginseng may prevent rises in cancer-related fatigue in people undergoing treatment for cancer and acupuncture and that biofield healing may reduce cancer-related fatigue following cancer treatments. Evidence to date suggests that multivitamins are ineffective at reducing cancer-related fatigue. However, trials incorporated within the review varied greatly in quality; most were methodologically weak and at high risk of bias. Consequently, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude with certainty the effectiveness or otherwise of CAM in reducing cancer-related fatigue. The design and methods employed in future trials of CAM should be more rigorous; increasing the strength of evidence should be a priority.