Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Algebraic and linear programming decoding of the (73, 37, 13) quadratic residue code

In this paper1, a method to search the subsets I and J needed in computing the unknown syndromes for the (73, 37, 13) quadratic residue (QR) code is proposed. According to the resulting I and J, one computes the unknown syndromes, and thus finds the corresponding error-locator polynomial by using an inverse-free BM algorithm. Based on the modified Chase-II algorithm, the performance of soft-decision decoding for the (73, 37, 13) QR code is given. This result is never seen in the literature, to our knowledge. Moreover, the error-rate performance of linear programming (LP) decoding for the (73, 37, 13) QR code is also investigated, and LP-based decoding is shown to be significantly superior in performance to the algebraic soft-decision decoding while requiring almost the same computational complexity.
Fast Interactive Quantification of Synapses in the Cerebral Cortex

Synapses are key elements in the organization of neuronal circuits. To analyse these structures, it is now possible to obtain serial images from large samples of nervous tissue in an automated manner through combined focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy. However, the identification, 3D reconstruction and quantification of synapses within these samples are labor intensive procedures that require continuous user intervention. We have developed a software tool to achieve the segmentation of synapses in a reconstructed 3D volume of the cerebral cortex, thereby greatly facilitating and accelerating these processes. The tool is interactive, allowing the user to supervise the segmentation process, to modify the appropriate parameters and to validate the results. Some experimental results obtained with our tool in the rat cerebral cortex are also presented.
Relationship between serum transforming growth factor ß1 and liver collagen content in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride.

CONTEXT Transforming Growth Factor ß1 (TGFß1) plays a fundamental role in fibrogenesis, although its importance as a biomarker of liver disease is still matter of debate. OBJECTIVE Quantify serum TGFß1 and its association to liver collagen content in rats exposed to Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4). METHODS Rats were submitted to a fibrosis model using CCl4 and sacrificed after 6, 10, 12 and 16 weeks of treatment. Serum levels of TGFß1 were measured by ELISA and collagen content was defined by morphometric analysis. RESULTS Serum levels of TGFß1 increased between 6 and 10 weeks, whereas collagen density increased between 12 and 16 weeks. A negative correlation was observed between liver collagen deposition and serum levels of TGFß1 (r = -0. 48; P<0. 05). CONCLUSION Serum levels of TGFß1 were inversely proportional to collagen intensity in cirrhotic livers of rats exposed to CCl4, thus suggesting a limited use as biomarker in advanced liver disease.
Social Technologies for Cross-Functional Product Development: SWOT Analysis and Implications

In product development, innovation means bringing together people with different expertise to develop breakthrough product and service offers. In spite of their potential, cross-functional efforts are not yet adequately supported from a knowledge perspective, asking for a more open and bottom-up approach for knowledge management. The paper aims to investigate how social technologies can enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing in complex, cross-functional and cross-organizational product development projects, highlighting the role of weak ties as enablers for more innovative design processes. Emerging from data collected in two case studies within the European aeronautical industry, it applies the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) framework to highlight how wikis, blogs, forum or microblogs can shorten lead-time and increase the quality of early design decisions. Furthermore, it elaborates on how the design team can enhance its perception of the needs to be addressed and leverage its capability to develop solutions for the task at hand.
Estimation of Consumer Welfare Change from the Revision of Age Criterion for BSE Testing: Hypothetical Revealed Preference Method Using Monitoring Survey Data

The subject of this paper is to estimate consumers' welfare loss when the BSE testing age criterion for cattle is revised from all months to older than 21 months, by analyzing the change in meat demand due to this revision. However this analysis is different from ordinary revealed preference methods in that the demand data after this policy change are stated, while the data before this change are revealed as usual. This is because this paper focuses on a policy change which is not substantially executed yet. Using this demand data I estimated the generalized corner solution model of Phaneuf et al. (2000) for an incomplete demand system model. When I simulated each monitor's welfare loss based on the model estimation result, the expected compensating variation per household per month was 214 yen at the sample mean and 55 yen at the sample median.
Grip formation as an emergent property. Response To commentaries on "A new view on grasping"

We begin our response by discussing the commentators' arguments concerning our proposal to abandon the classical distinction between transport and grip. In the second section, we argue that the minimum-jerk model is not fundamental to our approach, but very convenient. In the third section, we discuss how the experimental results that the commentators mention fit into our new approach. We conclude that the predictive capacity of our model, combined with its simplicity, makes it very useful for understanding grasping.
Tiling Method for Controllable Texture Synthesis

This paper improves inhomogeneous Wang tiles to allow user's control. The algorithm takes two source images and a low resolution, two colored guide image as an input, and results non-periodic inhomogeneous image according to user's guide. The method requires at least 128 tiles for both controllability and non-periodicity. This framework also used to synthesize Poisson disk distribution which has two kinds of disks
Assessing reliability of a measure of self-rated health

The test-retest reliability of self-rated health is analysed and compared with the reliability of health questions phrased more as well as less precisely. Differences in reliability between men and women and between age groups are also assessed. The study is based on 204 and 409 re-interviews from the 1991 Swedish Level of Living Survey and the 1989 Survey of Living Conditions respectively. The results show that the reliability of self-rated health is as good as or even better than that of most of the more specific questions. Only an indicator of high blood pressure showed significantly higher reliability. The reliability of self-rated health is good in all subgroups studied, and is even excellent among older men. It is concluded that the good overall reliability of self-rated health found in this study is in line with previous results concerning the validity of people's assessments of their general health as well as results concerning the basis upon which they make these judgements.
Demographics, management and health of donkeys in the UK

In this paper, the management and health problems of donkeys on loan to independent carers from The Donkey Sanctuary are characterised, and the demographics of the UK’s donkey population are described using data from a variety of sources. All carers that fostered a donkey from The Donkey Sanctuary between September 2004 and August 2005 (1432 donkeys) were surveyed using a postal questionnaire requesting information about the donkey, its premises, daily care, health and preventive medicine. The response rate was 77.8 per cent. The mean (sd) age of the donkeys was 20.8 (7.4) years. The majority (92 per cent) of the donkeys were kept as pets. Approximately one-third (33.6 per cent) of the donkeys were overweight. The most common medical problems were hoof, dermal and oral problems. A total of 86 per cent of the donkeys had a dental examination at least every 12 months, and at least 45 per cent had at least one dental problem.
Selective effects of lipiodolized antitumor agents

Lipiodol Ultra‐Fluid (Lipiodol) remains selectively in the tumor for an extended time when applied through arteries feeding the tumor. Although lipophilic antitumor drugs are selective when combined with Lipiodol, wide application of common hydrophilic agents is limited, as these compounds are insoluble in oil. We propose “Lipiodolization” of water‐soluble agents using as an intermediate Urografin, a water‐soluble contrast medium.
Efferent innervationt the chemoreceptor of the carotid labyrinth of the toad.

The physiological evidence of the efferent innervation to the chemoreceptor was sought in the carotid labyrinth of the toad. A few-fiber chemosensory preparation was splitted from the glossopharyngeal nerve at its peripheral cut end, and the rest part of the nerve was stimulated electrically. The stimulation reduced remarkably the chemosensory discharge in this nerve strand. To seek the derivation of these inhibitory fibers a few-fiber preparation was peeled from the intact glossopharyngeal nerve, and the sympathetic nerve and the vagus group root were stimulated respectively. The sympathetic stimulation provoked an in-hibitory effect on chemosensory activity in ten of seventeen preparations. In three of these ten the vagus group root stimulation was also effective. In one instance the vagus group root stimulation brought about the inhibitory effect, while the sympathetic did not. In the other six, no remarkable effect was obtained by both stimulations. The mechanism provoking these effects was discussed.
Perioperative comprehensive supportive care interventions for chinese patients with esophageal carcinoma: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of perioperative comprehensive supportive care interventions on outcome of Chinese esophageal cancer patients in a prospective study. METHODS 60 patients with primary esophageal carcinoma were randomized into an intervention group (IG, n=31) and a control group (CG, n=29). The Chinese version of symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90) was adopted to assess their psychological status. The interventions, including health education, psychological support, stress management, coping strategies and behavior training, were carried out in 3 phases (preoperative, postoperative I and postoperative II), and psychological effects were thereafter evaluated accordingly before surgery, and 1 week, 4 weeks and 24 weeks post-surgery. Medical costs were estimated at discharge. Survival of patients was estimated each year post-surgery. General health status and satisfaction-with-hospital were surveyed by a follow-up questionnaire 4 years post-surgery. RESULTS All the subjects demonstrated higher scores in the preoperative phase than the normal range of Chinese population concerning 7 psychological domains including somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation. Although no significant difference was observed between the two groups at admission, the scores of IG, which tended to decrease at a faster rate, were generally lower than those of CG at weeks 1, 4 and 24 post-surgery. The length of hospital stay and medical costs of IG were significantly less than those of CG and satisfaction-with-hospital was better. However, there was no significant difference in 4-year survival or health status between two groups. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate perioperative comprehensive supportive care interventions help to improve the psychological state of Chinese patients with esophageal carcinoma, to reduce health care costs and to promote satisfaction of patients and their families with hospital.
Mature microRNAs identified in highly purified nuclei from HCT116 colon cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as one of the major regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. A major function of miRNAs involves the post-transcriptional regulation of target mRNAs, which is reported to occur primarily in the cytoplasm. However, there is a significant amount of evidence demonstrating the existence of small non-coding RNAs, including small-interfering RNA (siRNA), miRNA, and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) in the nucleus. In order to elucidate the potential subcellular localizations and functions of miRNAs, we have identified numerous miRNAs that are present in isolated nuclei from human colon cancer HCT116 cells. MicroRNA profiles were compared between cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of the HCT116 cell line on the basis of multiple microarray analyses. MicroRNA species showing significant existence in isolated and highly purified populations of nuclei were selected and further tested with RT-PCR. The nuclear localization of the mature form of miRNAs was verified again by control RT-PCR excluding the detection of premature forms of miRNA, such as pri-miRNA or pre-miRNA. The elevated levels of representative miRNAs identified in purified nuclei were confirmed by Northern blot analysis, supporting the notion that significant numbers of mature miRNAs exist not only in the cytoplasm but also in the nucleus. These results will likely provide a basis for further studies concerning the intracellular trafficking and nuclear location of miRNAs.
Impact of Individual Differences on User Experience with a Visualization Interface for Public Engagement

Although there is abundant evidence that individual differences such as cognitive abilities impact visualization effectiveness, this influence has mostly been shown for fictional tasks/scenarios. This paper extends previous findings by investigating the impact of individual differences on user experience with a real-world information visualization tool designed to support preferential choices in public engagement. We show that several cognitive abilities do have an influence on user experience in this task, and show that this influence can be explained by eye tracking. We discuss how these results are promising towards the design of visualizations for preferential choice in public engagement that can adapt to the user's needs, abilities and expertise.
Brief intervention for alcohol use in pregnancy: a randomized trial.

AIMS To assess the impact of a brief intervention on antepartum alcohol consumption. DESIGN A randomized clinical trial. SETTING The obstetrics practices of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, USA. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and fifty eligible women initiating prenatal care. INTERVENTION A comprehensive assessment of alcohol use (assessment only, AO) or the same comprehensive assessment with a brief intervention (BI). MEASUREMENT Demographic background and obstetric history of subjects, current and lifetime use of alcohol and substances, composite Addiction Severity Index scores, and antepartum alcohol use. FINDINGS Of the 250, 247 (99%) subjects provided information on their antepartum drinking. Both the AO and BI groups had reductions in antepartum alcohol consumption, but differences in reductions by group were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Risk of antepartum drinking after either the AO or BI was increased nearly threefold if the subject had any prenatal alcohol consumption before assessment (p = 0.0001). For the 143 subjects who were abstinent pre-assessment, however, those who received the BI maintained higher rates of abstinence (86% versus 72%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS After a comprehensive assessment of alcohol use, subjects in both the AO and BI groups reduced their antepartum alcohol consumption. The importance of screening for prenatal alcohol use is underscored by the findings that any prenatal alcohol consumption increases the risk of continued antepartum drinking.
Randomized Comparison of Universal and Targeted HIV Screening in the Emergency Department

Objective:Universal HIV screening is recommended but challenging to implement. Selectively targeting those at risk is thought to miss cases, but previous studies are limited by narrow risk criteria, incomplete implementation, and absence of direct comparisons. We hypothesized that targeted HIV screening, when fully implemented and using maximally broad risk criteria, could detect nearly as many cases as universal screening with many fewer tests. Methods:This single-center cluster-randomized trial compared universal and targeted patient selection for HIV screening in a lower prevalence urban emergency department. Patients were excluded for age (<18 and >64 years), known HIV infection, or previous approach for HIV testing that day. Targeted screening was offered for any risk indicator identified from charts, staff referral, or self-disclosure. Universal screening was offered regardless of risk. Baseline seroprevalence was estimated from consecutive deidentified blood samples. Results:There were 9572 eligible visits during which the patient was approached. For universal screening, 40.8% (1915/4692) consented with 6 being newly diagnosed [0.31%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13% to 0.65%]. For targeted screening, 37% (1813/4880) had no testing indication. Of the 3067 remaining, 47.4% (1454) consented with 3 being newly diagnosed (0.22%, 95% CI: 0.06% to 0.55%). Estimated seroprevalence was 0.36% (95% CI: 0.16% to 0.70%). Targeted screening had a higher proportion consenting (47.4% vs. 40.8%, P < 0.002), but a lower proportion of ED encounters with testing (29.7% vs. 40.7%, P < 0.002). Conclusions:Targeted screening, even when fully implemented with maximally permissive selection, offered no important increase in positivity rate or decrease in tests performed. Universal screening diagnosed more cases, because more were tested, despite a modestly lower consent rate.
Conserved water molecules contribute to the extensive network of interactions at the active site of protein kinase A.

Protein kinases constitute a large family of regulatory enzymes, each with a distinct specificity to restrict its action to its physiological target(s) only. The catalytic (C) subunit of protein kinase A, regarded as a structural prototype for this family, is composed of a conserved core flanked by two nonconserved segments at the amino and carboxyl termini. Here we summarize evidence to show that (i) the active site consists of an extended network of interactions that weave together both domains of the core as well as both segments that flank the core; (ii) the opening and closing of the active site cleft, including the dynamic and coordinated movement of the carboxyl terminal tail, contributes directly to substrate recognition and catalysis; and (iii) in addition to peptide and ATP, the active site contains six structured water molecules that constitute a conserved structural element of the active site. One of these active-site conserved water molecules is locked into place by its interactions with the nucleotide, the peptide substrate/inhibitor, the small and large domains of the conserved core, and Tyr-330 from the carboxyl-terminal "tail. "
Expression of cyclins E1 and E2 during mouse development and in neoplasia

Cyclin E1 (formerly called cyclin E) and the recently described cyclin E2 belong to the family of E-type cyclins that operate during the G1/S phase progression in mammalian cells. The two E-cyclins share a catalytic partner, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), and activate their associated kinase activities at similar times during cell cycle progression. Despite these similarities, it is unknown whether the two proteins perform distinct functions, or, alternatively, they control S-phase entry of different cell types in a tissue-specific fashion. To start addressing in vivo functions of E-cyclins, we determined the expression pattern of cyclins E1 and E2 during normal mouse development. We found that the two E-cyclins showed very similar patterns of expression; both were expressed within the proliferating compartment during embryo development. Analyses of cells and tissues lacking members of the retinoblastoma (pRB) family of proteins revealed that the expression of both cyclins is controlled in a pRB-dependent, but p107- and p130-independent fashion, likely through the pRB-dependent E2F transcription factors. We also found that cyclins E1 and E2 are expressed at high levels in mouse breast tumors driven by the Myc oncogene. Last, we found that cyclin E2 is overexpressed in ≈24% of analyzed human mammary carcinomas. Collectively these findings suggest that the expression of cyclins E1 and E2 is governed by similar molecular circuitry.
Resource Allocation in Heterogeneous Cloud Radio Access Networks: A Workload Balancing Perspective

Heterogeneous cloud radio access networks (H-CRANs) have been proposed as a promising architecture for providing high energy efficiency, high spectral efficiency and high data rate at low cost. In this paper, we develop a novel resource allocation scheme among macro base stations (BSs) and remote radio heads (RRHs) for the H-CRANs. The key idea of our proposal is that we design the coverage regions of macro BSs in a seamless and balanced way. Secondly, we calculate the areas that can not rely on macro BSs for reliable high speed data transmission and allocate resources in these areas among RRHs in the balanced way to alleviate the high transmission pressure on fronthauls between RRHs and the centralized baseband unit (BBU) pool. The proposed resource allocation scheme is triggered when severe disbalance is detected. Numerical results show that our proposal can perform quite well for the data traffic distribution in a real city environment. It provides QoS guaranteed performance with lower capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX).
A handlist of manuscripts containing Middle English prose in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester and Chetham's Library, Manchester

The John Rylands and Chetham's Libraries, Manchester, were both founded by charitable local magnates and in the course of time have become well known in many parts of the world. Housed in their striking original premises, they both contain major collections of manuscripts which in each case include important texts in Middle English prose. In particular, the Rylands collection, which is the larger, has fifteen copies of the Wycliffite Bible, six of the prose Brut, three of Nicholas Love'sMirror of the Blessed Life of Jesu Christ, two of Pore Caitif, as well as single copies of numerous other works. Chetham's has a Wycliffite Bible, a Mandeville's Travels, a Polychronicontranslation by Trevisa, lives of Christ and of the saints, and an important series of scientific and medical texts. The Handlist of these manuscripts describes each text and gives concise bibliographical information on each, in the same style as the previously published Handlist Icovering the Huntington Library.
Non-linear sampled-data model for fourth order boost DC-DC converter

In this paper a non-linear sampled data model for fourth order dc-dc converters is developed. This model closely depicts the effect of large-signal variation in duty ratio caused due to large-signal disturbances such as load/source transients, which linear small-signal models and other non-linear models generally fails to predict. Large-signal linearization is applied to the exact discrete-time model, which is the basis for the formulation of non-linear sampled-data model. The validity of the proposed model is demonstrated on a 28V 30W fourth-order boost dc-dc converter. The mathematical model is transformed into the Matlab-Simulink platform for better illustration during open and closed loop operation. Response of the model for load/source disturbances simulated in Matlab-Simulink is compared with the response from circuit simulation software PSIM. Simulation results are validated with the results obtained on the experimental prototype of the converter. Comparison of response shows that the proposed model accurately predicts the converter dynamics.