Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic TXOP configuration for Qos enhancement in IEEE 802 . 11 e wireless

This paper presents a study on transmission opportunity (TXOP) mechanism of the new MAC protocol described in the IEEE 802.11e supplement to the standard. A simple algorithm for dynamic configuration of TXOP limit is proposed for the contention channel access mode, called Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA). The proposed scheme aims to define dynamic rules for TXOP duration adjustment in multimode IEEE 802.11e networks in order to improve system efficiency and provide better QoS provision.
Epidemiological Study on Bovine Hydatidosis in North Kordofan State , Sudan

Across sectional study was conducted from March to May 2012 to estimate the prevalence and assess contribution of major risk factors for the occurrence of hydatid cysts infection on 244 cattle slaughtered at Elobied abattoir in North Kordofan state, Sudan. The overall prevalence of bovine hydatid cysts infection was 2.5%. Risk factors such as age (χ 2 = 2.420, P-value = 0.120), breed (χ 2 = 2.561, P-value = 0.278) and the disposal of affected organs (χ 2 = 1.100, Pvalue = 0.294) showed statistically significant association (P-value ≤0.30) with the occurrence of hydatid cysts. However, risk factors such as sex, body condition, presence of dogs and the origin of animals didn’t show statistically significant association with the occurrence of hydatid cysts. In the multivariate analysis, the age (Exp (B) = 10.27, Pvalue= 0.036) was found to be the only statistically significant risk factor. For the location of hydatid cyst in visceral organs, the lung was found to be the most affected organ. By microscope examination of hydatid cyst, showed that 85.3% cysts were sterile and 14.7 % cysts were calcified, no fertile cyst was observed.
A 0.55-V 1-GHz frequency synthesizer PLL for ultra-low-voltage ultra-low-power applications

An ultra-low-voltage ultra-low-power frequency synthesizer phase-locked loop (PLL) is presented. The presented PLL utilizes different low-voltage techniques to allow operation at high speed while operating from a 0.55 V power supply. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS technology, the PLL occupies a silicon area of 1.2 mm2 and consumes 3 mW dc power. The frequency operating range is from 860 MHz to 1.22 GHz, while the measured phase noise is -107 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from a 1.2 GHz carrier frequency. The rms jitter of the PLL is 6.1 ps, measured at 1.2 GHz carrier.
Attempted suicide and alcoholism in bipolar disorder: clinical and familial relationships.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the clinical and familial relationships between comorbid alcoholism and attempted suicide in affectively ill relatives of probands with bipolar I disorder. METHOD In 71 families ascertained for a genetic linkage study, 337 subjects with major affective disorder were assessed by using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version. RESULTS Subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism had a 38.4% lifetime rate of attempted suicide, whereas those without alcoholism had a 21.7% rate. Attempted suicide among subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism clustered in a subset of seven families. Families with alcoholic and suicidal probands had a 40.7% rate of attempted suicide in first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder, whereas other families had a 19.0% rate. CONCLUSIONS Comorbid alcoholism was associated with a higher rate of attempted suicide among family members with bipolar disorder. Attempted suicide and alcoholism clustered in a subset of families. These relationships may have a genetic origin and may be mediated by intoxication, mixed states, and/or temperamental instability.
Sixth-Harmonic Back-EMF Based Sensorless Control for Switched-Flux Permanent Magnet Machines

In switched-flux permanent magnet (SFPM) machines, the 6th-harmonic back electromotive force (EMF) is dominant, whilst the 3rd-harmonic back-EMF is much smaller. This paper proposes several new position estimation methods for sensorless control based on the 6th-harmonic back-EMF. Firstly, by detecting the zero-crossings of the 6th-harmonic back-EMF with/without eliminating the influence of the 3rd-harmonic back EMF, the related rotor positions can be determined precisely at these zero-crossings. However, since the intermediate rotor positions need to be determined by linear interpretation between two zero-crossings, it only exhibits excellent performance under steady state. Furthermore, the continuous rotor position can be estimated from the proposed new observer by utilizing the combined signals of 6th-harmonic back-EMF and flux-linkage, together with a synchronous reference frame filter (SRFF) and harmonic elimination. Experimental validation show that (a) by eliminating the 3rd-harmonic back-EMF effect, the accuracy of the proposed 6th-harmonic back-EMF zero-crossings detection method can be improved, (b) SRFF is effective to minimize the influence of non-constant amplitudes of the 6th-harmonic back-EMF and flux-linkage, (c) the comparison between the fundamental, the 3rd-harmonic back-EMF and the proposed method are presented in order to highlight the effectiveness of proposed control strategy under different operating conditions.
Molecular diagnosis in clinical parasitology: When and why?

Microscopic detection and morphological identification of parasites from clinical specimens are the gold standards for the laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections. The limitations of such diagnostic assays include insufficient sensitivity and operator dependence. Immunoassays for parasitic antigens are not available for most parasitic infections and have not significantly improved the sensitivity of laboratory detection. Advances in molecular detection by nucleic acid amplification may improve the detection in asymptomatic infections with low parasitic burden. Rapidly accumulating genomic data on parasites allow the design of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers directed towards multi-copy gene targets, such as the ribosomal and mitochondrial genes, which further improve the sensitivity. Parasitic cell or its free circulating parasitic DNA can be shed from parasites into blood and excreta which may allow its detection without the whole parasite being present within the portion of clinical sample used for DNA extraction. Multiplex nucleic acid amplification technology allows the simultaneous detection of many parasitic species within a single clinical specimen. In addition to improved sensitivity, nucleic acid amplification with sequencing can help to differentiate different parasitic species at different stages with similar morphology, detect and speciate parasites from fixed histopathological sections and identify anti-parasitic drug resistance. The use of consensus primer and PCR sequencing may even help to identify novel parasitic species. The key limitation of molecular detection is the technological expertise and expense which are usually lacking in the field setting at highly endemic areas. However, such tests can be useful for screening important parasitic infections in asymptomatic patients, donors or recipients coming from endemic areas in the settings of transfusion service or tertiary institutions with transplantation service. Such tests can also be used for monitoring these recipients or highly immunosuppressed patients, so that early preemptive treatment can be given for reactivated parasitic infections while the parasitic burden is still low.
Guidance of Neural Crest Cell Migration: The Inhibitory Function of the Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan, Versican

Neural crest cells are specialized multipotent embryonic stem cells found exclusively in vertebrates[1,2,3]. During embryonic development, these cells arise from the dorsal neural tube, undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and subsequently migrate along stereotyped pathways to reach specific tissue targets, where they differentiate into a wide variety of cell types, such as glia and neurons of the peripheral nervous system, melanocytes, smooth muscle cells, craniofacial cartilage and bone tissues, or chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. In the trunk region, the ventrally migrating neural crest cells move through the somitic mesenchyme in a segmented pattern, presumably setting the basis for the metameric organization of sensory and sympathetic ganglia along the anterior-posterior axis later in development[4].
Coercive forms of sexual risk and associated violence perpetrated by male partners of female adolescents.

CONTEXT Partner violence is associated with STDs among female adolescents, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Sexually coercive and deceptive behaviors of male partners that increase female STD risk may be factors in this relationship. METHODS A sample of 356 females aged 14-20 who attended adolescent health clinics in Greater Boston between April and December 2006 were assessed for physical and sexual violence perpetrated by male partners and for exposure to sexual risk factors. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between intimate partner violence and standard sexual risk behaviors (e.g., multiple partnerships) and coercive or deceptive sexual risk factors (e.g., coerced condom nonuse). RESULTS More than two-fifths of the sample had experienced intimate partner violence. In adjusted analyses, adolescents reporting intimate partner violence were more likely than others to report standard sexual risk behaviors--multiple partners, anal sex and unprotected anal sex (odds ratios, 1.7-2.2). They also were more likely to report coercive or deceptive sexual risk factors--partner sexual infidelity, fear of requesting condom use, negative consequences of condom request, and coerced condom nonuse (2.9-5.3). CONCLUSION The high prevalence of intimate partner violence against young women attending adolescent clinics strongly indicates the need to target this population for abuse-related interventions. This need is underlined by the observed association between partner violence and sexual risk involving coercion or deception by male partners. Clinic-based STD and pregnancy prevention efforts should include assessment of sexual risk factors that are beyond the control of young women, particularly for those experiencing abuse.
Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use and the risk for Parkinson's disease

We investigated whether nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use was associated with a lower risk for Parkinson's disease (PD) in a large cohort of US men and women. PD risk was lower among ibuprofen users than nonusers. Compared with nonusers, the relative risks were 0.73 for users of fewer than 2 tablets/week, 0.72 for 2 to 6.9 tablets/week, and 0.62 for 1 or more tablets/day (p trend = 0.03). No association was found between the use of aspirin, other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, or acetaminophen and PD risk. The results suggest that ibuprofen use may delay or prevent the onset of PD. Ann Neurol 2005
Can we improve quality of life of patients on dialysis?

The idea of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is not new. In 1946, the constitution of the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” ([1][1]). Today, the HRQOL concept addresses
Seasonal and Time-Trend Variation by Gender of Alcohol-Impaired Drivers at Preventive Sobriety Checkpoints.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to analyze the evolution over time and the seasonality of outcomes of nonrandom alcohol concentration breath tests performed on drivers at sobriety checkpoints in Catalonia (Spain) from 2005 to 2012. Differences by gender are also explored. METHOD This study was a time-series analysis of the monthly prevalence of drunk drivers by gender. The sample consisted of all drivers tested at nonrandom sobriety checkpoints in Catalonia (N = 3,985,000). Our outcome variable was the monthly prevalence of drivers with a breath alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit. The driver's gender was also registered. RESULTS A decreasing trend in alcohol-impaired driving over time was found. The gender gap diminished after 2008 and disappeared in 2012. After adjusting for the trend, the lowest monthly coefficient for men was recorded in January (3.91, p < .001) and the highest in July (4.72, p < .001) and September (4.75, p < .001). The lowest monthly coefficient for women was also recorded in January (3.05, p < .001) but the highest in October (4.12, p < .001). After seasonal aggregation, the lowest coefficient was recorded in winter for both men and women, whereas a peak was found for men in spring and for women in autumn. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal patterns for male and female drivers testing positive at nonrandom sobriety checkpoints indicate that the prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving peaks in spring for males and in autumn for females. We recommend that the authorities enforce campaigns that target male and female drinkers accordingly.
Imaging and evaluation of coronary artery bypass graft patency by 16-slice multidetector computed tomography.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patency of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) while assessing the capabilities and limitations of 16-slice multidetector computed tomography. METHODS We studied retrospectively 19 patients (13 men, 6 women), over an 18-month period. All patients had undergone CABG surgery 3 months to 7 years earlier. Two patients were examined on an emergency basis for chest pain and their CABGs were evaluated simultaneously. The number of CABGs in each patient ranged from one to three. A total of 44 grafts were assessed. All scans were performed by a 16-row multislice scanner (Toshiba Aquilion). Maximum intensity projections, multiplanar reformations, and volume rendering techniques were performed on a Vitrea workstation. All 19 patients also underwent invasive catheter coronary angiography for confirmation of their status. RESULTS Of the 44 grafts evaluated, 26 were classified as patent, 13 as not patent, and 5 as stenotic. In the bypass grafts with stenosis > or = 50% there was a difference in the mean level of enhancement before and after the stenosis (265.38 +/- 35.82 and 178.56 +/- 9.32, respectively). Seventeen arterial and 27 venous grafts were imaged. Of the 13 non-patent grafts, 8 were venous. In 3 cases of arterial grafts the distal anastomoses were not delineated. The assessment of venous grafts was easier because of their larger diameter and lack of surrounding clips. One case of a carotid-subclavian shunt with a distal anastomosis of the left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending branch was reported. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for stenosis were evaluated. CONCLUSIONS Multidetector computed tomography is a fast and non-invasive modality for evaluating CABG patency that is gaining acceptance as an alternative method to invasive coronary angiography. Sensitivity and specificity are determined by the available and evolving technology.
Fault Detection and Isolation for Linear Parameter Varying Descriptor Systems via Proportional Integral Observer

1 Laboratoire d’Etude et Commande Automatique des Processus (LECAP), Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie; (e-mail: hammmdihabib@yahoo.fr,chokri.mechmeche@esstt.rnu.tn , aceur.benhadj@ept.rnu.tn) 2 Laboratoire d’Automatique et de Génie des Procédés (LAG EP), CNRS UMR 5007, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France (e-mail: rodrigues@lagep.univ-lyon1.fr ) 3 Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy (CRAN), Nancy-U iversité, CNRS, B.P. 70239, F-54506 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, FRANCE, (e-mail: didier.theillio l@cran.uhp-nancy.fr)
Osteoid osteoma: percutaneous excision using a CT-guided coaxial technique.

OBJECTIVE We describe a coaxial technique for percutaneous, CT-guided removal of osteoid osteoma in children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The study included eight children aged 3 years to 15 years 9 months who had signs and symptoms of osteoid osteoma. The diagnoses were confirmed by CT scans. Seven of nine lesions were removed manually with a coaxial technique and a trephine. Power tools were added to the technique in the other two cases. Removal of the nidus was confirmed by postprocedural CT scans and by histologic examination. RESULTS All CT-guided excisions were technically successful, and only one minor complication occurred. One recurrence at 13 months was successfully treated percutaneously. CONCLUSION CT-guided coaxial removal of osteoid osteoma is a safe and effective treatment. Increasing experience and the use of power tools in selected cases helps to shorten the procedure.
Cortactin, another player in the Lyn signaling pathway, is over-expressed and alternatively spliced in leukemic cells from patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Cortactin, an actin binding protein and Lyn substrate, is up-regulated in several cancers and its level is associated with increased cell migration, metastasis and poor prognosis. The identification that the Src kinase Lyn and its substrate HS1 are over-expressed in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and involved in resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognosis, prompted us to investigate the role of cortactin, an HS1 homolog, in the pathogenesis and progression of this disorder. In this study, we observed that cortactin is over-expressed in leukemic cells of patients (1.10±0.12) with respect to normal B lymphocytes (0.19±0.06; P=0.0065). Fifty-three percent of our patients expressed the WT mRNA and p80/85 protein isoforms, usually lacking in normal B lymphocytes which express the SV1 variant and the p70/75 protein isoforms. Moreover, we found an association of the cortactin overexpression and negative prognostic factors, including ZAP-70 (P<0.01), CD38 (P<0.01) and somatic hypermutations in the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (P<0.01). Our results show that patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia express high levels of cortactin with a particular overexpression of the WT isoform that is lacking in normal B cells, and a correlation to poor prognosis, suggesting that this protein could be relevant in the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of the disease.
Protein‐protein interaction of FHL2, a LIM domain protein preferentially expressed in human heart, with hCDC47

In the yeast two‐hybrid library screening, the heart‐specific FHL2 protein was found to interact with hCDC47. In vitro interaction study between FHL2 protein and hCDC47 was demonstrated. From the results of domain studies by the yeast two‐hybrid assay, the second and third LIM domains in conjunction with the first half LIM domain of FHL2 were identified to be important in binding with hCDC47. Besides, in Northern blot hybridization of human cancer cell lines, the highest FHL2 mRNA expression was detected in colorectal adenocarcinoma SW480 and HeLa cell S3. Our results imply that FHL2 protein may associate with cancer development and may act as a molecular adapter to form a multicomplex with hCDC47 in the nucleus, thus it plays an important role in the specification or maintenance of the terminal differentiated phenotype of heart muscle cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 76:499–508, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The heritability of failed smoking cessation and nicotine withdrawal in twins who smoked and attempted to quit.

The magnitude of the association between nicotine withdrawal and failed smoking cessation remains uncertain, and the potential genetic contribution to that relationship is unknown. We used a twin design study to test if genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to nicotine withdrawal and failed cessation. We then estimated the magnitude of genetic and environmental risk factors and the associated correlations. Cigarette consumption data were obtained in 1992 from 4,112 (1,806 pairs, 496 singletons) male twin pairs from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Participants responded to a telephone administration of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Odds ratios were computed for failed smoking cessation as a function of 12 individual nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Genetic model fitting was performed on a sample of 1818 twin pairs, all of whom were lifetime smokers; both twins of the pairs had made at least one quit attempt. After adjustment for cigarette consumption, odds of failed smoking cessation ranged from.87 (95% CI.76-.99) for "increased appetite/weight gain" to 1.85 (95% CI 1.55-2.22) for "depressed. " Genetic influences accounted for 54% and 29.7% of the variance in risk for failed smoking cessation and nicotine withdrawal, respectively. The correlation between genetic influences was significant (r=.31, 95% CI.17-.45). The magnitude of the association between failed cessation and nicotine withdrawal varied by symptom. The risk of experiencing nicotine withdrawal after a quit attempt was related partly to genetic vulnerability; lifetime risk for both failed cessation and nicotine withdrawal was related partly to genetic factors that were correlated.
Low-Power Hardware Design of Binary Arithmetic Encoder in H.264

Context-Based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC) is a well-known bottleneck in H.264/AVC, owing to the highly serialized calculation and high data dependency of the binary arithmetic encoder. This work presents a hardware architecture for the sub-module binary arithmetic encoder of the CABAC. Moreover, a clock gating technique is inserted into our design for power saving. An FPGA design of the proposed architecture can work at a frequency up to 268 MHz on Virtex 5. The suggested design can achieve 17% of power consumption saving, which allows it to be applied for low power video coding applications.
Dietary Fermentable Fiber Reduces Intestinal Barrier Defects and Inflammation in Colitic Mice.

BACKGROUND Dietary fiber (DF) and its fermentation metabolites play an important role in establishing and maintaining intestinal health. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the effects of fermentable DF, guar gum (GG), and partially hydrolyzed GG (PHGG) on the epithelial tight junction (TJ) barrier and inflammation in a murine model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. METHODS In Expt. 1, male, 7-wk-old BALB/c mice weighing ∼21 g were fed diets with 0%, 5%, and 10% GG for 12 d and administered distilled water with 2% DSS for 7 d beginning 5 d after the start of feeding. In Expt. 2, mice were provided diets with or without 10% PHGG and GG for 13 d and administered distilled water with 2% DSS for 8 d from 5 d after the start of feeding. In Expt. 3, mice were provided diets with or without 10% PHGG and GG for 14 d without DSS administration. Colitis score, colon TJ proteins, and fecal SCFA concentrations were analyzed. RESULTS In Expts. 1 and 2, the clinical score in the DSS group was ∼100% greater than that in the DSS+10% GG and PHGG groups on days 12 and 13 (P < 0.01). The DSS+10% GG and PHGG groups showed ∼110%, 60%, 120%, and 110% greater (P < 0.05) expression of occludin and claudin 3, 4, and 7, respectively, in the colon than did the DSS group. The DSS+10% GG and PHGG groups had greater total fecal SCFA concentrations (25.1 and 12.0 mmol/L) than did the DSS group (3.3 mmol/L) on day 9 (P < 0.01). TJ protein expression did not differ between groups in Expt. 3. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that microbial metabolites of PHGG and GG, and possibly SCFAs, reduce intestinal barrier defects and inflammation in colitic mice.