Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of the Link Quality in a Spatial Multiplexing MIMO System Using Beamforming

This paper describes the use of a digital beam-forming technique in a spatial multiplexing MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) context. A beam-former using the LMS (Least Mean Square) algorithm has been implemented in order to mitigate the cross-channel interference as well as exploiting the spatial diversity. Hence, it is demonstrated that this system enhances the quality of the received signal while improving the channel capacity. Simulation results show that the proposed system has highly used diversity gain comparing to a classic MIMO technique which is based on the ZF (Zero Forcing) concept in terms of link quality using the EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) as figure of merit.
The nucleotide sequence of the fission yeast DNA topoisomerase II gene: structural and functional relationships to other DNA topoisomerases.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a 5.3‐kb long genomic DNA fragment of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe that encodes DNA topoisomerase II. It contains a 4293 bp long single open reading frame. The predicted polypeptide has 1431 residues (mol. wt 162,000) and shows three characteristic domains; the large C‐terminal region, which consists of alternating acidic‐basic stretches and might be a chromatin‐binding domain, the NH2 half domain homologous to the ATP‐binding gyrB subunit of bacterial gyrase and the central‐to‐latter part which is homologous to the NH2 domain of the catalytic gyrA subunit, suggesting a possible evolutionary consequence of the gene fusion of the bacterial gyrase subunits into the eucaryotic DNA topoisomerase II gene. We have found that the cloned fission yeast TOP2 gene can complement the budding yeast top2 mutation, although the fission yeast TOP2 protein sequence is only 50% homologous to the recently determined sequence of budding yeast (J.C. Wang, personal communication). Conversely, the budding yeast TOP2 gene can complement the fission yeast top2 mutations, indicating that their DNA topoisomerase II genes are functionally exchangeable.
Anger and fear.

The author proposes that fear and anger are innate defensive mechanisms mobilized by preceived threats to the individual. Both mechanisms are accompanied by anxiety and an urge to escape or attack. The individual's lifestyle, which is the result of interaction between his innate qualities and life experiences, determines whether he will attempt to deal with threats, his fear and/or anger, and the resulting anxiety in an objective or pathological manner. This formulation underscores the need to learn methods of coping with anger and fear from early childhood, so that they do not develop into pathological behavior patterns.
Selection and sequencing constraints for personalized courses

The LecompS framework, for personalized and adaptive e-learning, is recalled. Its enhancements, regarding the selection and sequencing optimization algorithms that can be applied, are shown. Such enhancements are discussed, both in terms of their implementation and with respect to their effectiveness: basing on a stated learner's model (the present state of knowledge, and learning styles of the individual learner), and on a definition of course aims (Target Knowledge), we apply the various selection and sequencing algorithms and compare the results; different courses are produced, corresponding to different personalization requirements, that can possibly occur, also in combination.
The Programmed Death (PD)‐1/PD‐Ligand 1 Pathway Regulates Graft‐Versus‐Host‐Reactive CD8 T Cells After Liver Transplantation

Acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD) is a life‐threatening complication after solid‐organ transplantation, which is mediated by host‐reactive donor T cells emigrating from the allograft. We report on two liver transplant recipients who developed an almost complete donor chimerism in peripheral blood and bone marrow‐infiltrating T cells during aGVHD. By analyzing these T cells directly ex vivo, we found that they died by apoptosis over time without evidence of rejection by host T cells. The host‐versus‐donor reactivity was selectively impaired, as anti‐third‐party and antiviral T cells were still detectable in the host repertoire. These findings support the acquired donor‐specific allotolerance concept previously established in animal transplantation studies. We also observed that the resolution of aGVHD was not accompanied by an expansion of circulating immunosuppressive CD4/CD25/FoxP3‐positive T cells. In fact, graft‐versus‐host‐reactive T cells were controlled by an alternative negative regulatory pathway, executed by the programmed death (PD)‐1 receptor and its ligand PD‐L1. We found high PD‐1 expression on donor CD4 and CD8 T cells. In addition, blocking PD‐L1 on host‐derived cells significantly enhanced alloreactivity by CD8 T cells in vitro. We suggest the interference with the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway as a therapeutic strategy to control graft‐versus‐host‐reactive T cells in allograft recipients.
Some observations on the metal-based preparations in the Indian Systems of Medicine

The real physicochemical nature of the classical metal preparations, the bhasmas in the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) is not very clear. Of late, doubts have been raised as to their utility and suitability as medicine. The bhasmas are in fact products of classical alchemy inorganic compounds of certain metals and gems in a very fine powdered form, mostly oxides, made in elaborate calcination processes perfected several centuries ago. For most of the metals, methods of bhasma preparation as given in the classical texts differ between themselves in terms of accompaniments and process detail. Correspondingly, the processing of a certain metal lead to bhasmas with different colours. The resultants are considered to be the same medicinal substance with the ascribed indications even though these may differ in composition between them and should ideally be addressing different ailments. In short, there is no standard bhasma of a metal as such. In view of such ambiguity and the risks attendant to their inconsiderate use, there is an urgent need to bring about a standardization of these preparationsprocess and the end product, as also to resolve the respective indications and strengthen the regime to monitor the manufacturing, and administration of these preparations.
A Method of Topic Detection for Great Volume of Data

The need of achieving high throughput and, at the same time, high levels of classii¬cation accuracy is nowadays a common problem within multiple research i¬elds, most of them are well known among the Big Data issues. On the other hand, in the Pattern Recognition community it is well known that the usage of more than one classii¬er can improve the classii¬cation performance. This notwithstanding, the feasibility and the advantages of implement this strategy in hardware have not been deeply considered yet. In this paper we will make an experimental evaluation about the trade-off between accuracy and throughput by using an FPGA implementation of the a Decision Tree (DT) classii¬er and of a Bagging multiple classii¬er system that uses DTs as base classii¬ers. Preliminart results are presented with reference to a set of artii¬cially generated data.
“I Know What You Want to Know”: The Impact of Interviewees' Ability to Identify Criteria on Interview Performance and Construct-Related Validity

The current study tested whether candidates' ability to identify the targeted interview dimensions fosters their interview success as well as the interviews' convergent and discriminant validity. Ninety-two interviewees participated in a simulated structured interview developed to measure three different dimensions. In line with the hypotheses, interviewees who were more proficient at identifying the targeted dimensions received better evaluations. Furthermore, interviewees' ability to identify these evaluation criteria accounted for substantial variance in predicting their performance even after controlling for cognitive ability. Finally, the interviewer ratings showed poor discriminant and convergent validity. However, we found some support for the hypothesis that the quality of the interviewer ratings improves when one only considers ratings from questions for which interviewees had correctly identified the intended dimensions.
The rediscovery of Shiga toxin and its role in clinical disease.

INTRODUCTION By the end of the 19 th century, the fruits of the new science of microbiology began to be realized and one discovery followed another with rapid succession. This year, 1998, celebrates the 100th anniversary of one of these important discoveries by the Japanese microbiologist Kiyoshi Shiga, who identified the etiologic agent of epidemic dysentery in Japan in 1898 (1, 2). Shiga called this organism Bacillus dysenteriae, however its genus name was subsequently changed to Shigella to honor its discoverer and S. dysenteriae type 1 is still often referred to as Shiga's bacillus.
Characterization of the cell cycle of cultured human diploid cells: Effects of aging and hydrocortisone

Age‐related changes in the cytokinetics of human diploid cells in vitro have been compared in normal cultures and in cultures in which lifespan has been prolonged by the addition of hydrocortisone to the medium. For both cultures, with advancing age the fraction of cells in the actively proliferating pool decreased and the intercellular variation in cell cycle times increased. The average cell cycle time was prolonged during aging due almost entirely to changes in the duration of G1. The duration of S remained constant, while a small delay in G2 was observed in late passage cells near the end of their lifespan. Although the same pattern of change in proliferative parameters occurred in both control and hydrocortisone‐treated cultures, the changes were somewhat delayed in the presence of the steroid. The results are interpreted in terms of several cell cycle models and suggest that the events controlling cell proliferation are sensitive to hydrocortisone modulation during the G1 and possibly the G2 periods.
Heat-shock Protein 90 Is Essential for Stabilization of the Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural Protein NS3*

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Here, we report a new and effective strategy for inhibiting HCV replication using 17-allylaminogeldanamycin (17-AAG), an inhibitor of heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone with a key role in stabilizing the conformation of many oncogenic signaling proteins. We examined the inhibitory effects of 17-AAG on HCV replication in an HCV replicon cell culture system. In HCV replicon cells treated with 17-AAG, we found that HCV RNA replication was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner, and interestingly, the only HCV protein degraded in these cells was NS3 (nonstructural protein 3). Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that NS3 directly interacted with Hsp90, as did proteins expressed from ΔNS3 protease expression vectors. These results suggest that the suppression of HCV RNA replication is due to the destabilization of NS3 in disruption of the Hsp90 chaperone complex by 17-AAG.
Pgp3 Antibody Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, a Sensitive and Specific Assay for Seroepidemiological Analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

ABSTRACT Understanding of the burden of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its clinical sequelae is hampered by the absence of accurate, well-characterized tests using serological methods to determine past exposure to infection. An “in-house” immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the C. trachomatis-specific antigen Pgp3 was produced and evaluated against three commercial ELISAs derived from the major outer membrane protein: the Medac pELISA plus, the Savyon SeroCT-IgG ELISA, and the Ani Labsystems IgG enzyme immunoassay. Sensitivities and specificities were determined using sera from both male and female patients (n = 356) for whom C. trachomatis had been detected in the lower genital tract at least 1 month prior to the testing of the sample and from 722 Chlamydia-negative children aged 2 to 13 years. The Pgp3 ELISA was significantly more sensitive (57.9% [95% confidence interval {95% CI}, 52.7 to 62.9%]) than the Ani Labsystems (49.2% [95% CI, 44.0 to 54.3%]; P = 0.003), SeroCT (47.2% [95% CI, 42.1 to 52.4%]; P < 0.0005), and Medac (44.4% [95% CI, 39.3 to 49.6%]; P < 0.0005) ELISAs. The Pgp3, Ani Labsystems, and SeroCT assays, but not the Medac assay, had significantly higher sensitivity for female specimens than for male specimens (73.8 versus 44.2%, 59.8 versus 40.5%, 55.5 versus 40%, and 45.7 versus 43.7%, respectively). For female patients, the Pgp3 assay was 14.0% (95% CI, 5.5 to 22.5%) more sensitive than the next most sensitive ELISA, the Ani Labsystems assay (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in specificity between the Pgp3 (97.6% [95% CI, 96.2 to 98.6%]), Ani Labsystems (99% [95% CI, 97.7 to 99.6%]), SeroCT (97.2% [95% CI, 95.7 to 98.2%]), and Medac (96% [95% CI, 94.3 to 97.2%]) ELISAs. None of the ELISAs showed evidence of cross-reactivity with antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae.
Pattern-based unsupervised parsing method

Abstract We have developed a heuristic method for unsupervised parsing of unrestricted text. Our method relies on detecting certain patterns of part-of-speech tag sequences of words in sentences. This detection is based on statistical data obtained from the corpus and allows us to classify part-of-speech tags into classes that play specific roles in the parse trees. These classes are then used to construct the parse tree of new sentences via a set of deterministic rules. Aiming to asses the viability of the method on different languages, we have tested it on English, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, German, and Chinese. We have obtained a significant improvement over other unsupervised approaches for some languages, including English, and provided, as far as we know, the first results of this kind for others.
Aggregative adherence of Klebsiella pneumoniae to human intestine-407 cells

Aggregative adhesion of Klebsiella pneumoniae LM3 to Intestine-407 (Int-407) cells was studied. Adhesive capacities were affected by the bacterial growth phase (with a maximum of adherence obtained during the exponential phase), temperature, multiplicity of infection, and length of incubation with Int-407 cells. Adhesion occurred through a cytochalasin D-sensitive process and was greatly reduced after treatment of Int-407 with cycloheximide, indicating that aggregative adhesion requires active participation of Int-407 cells. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that adherent bacteria were surrounded by a capsule-like material, apparently involved in both bacterium-Int-407 cell and bacterium-bacterium adherence. Examination with a scanning electron microscope showed interactions of intestinal cell microvilli with bacteria and formation in 3 h of a fibrous network within and around the bacterial clusters. We speculate that aggregative adhesion of K. pneumoniae mediated by a capsule-like extracellular material might explain the persistence of these strains inside the host gastrointestinal tract.
Experimenting with Extracting Lexical Dictionaries from Comparable Corpora for English-Romanian language pair

The paper describes a tool developed in the context of the ACCURAT project (Analysis and evaluation of Comparable Corpora for Under Resourced Areas of machine Translation). The purpose of the tool is to extract bilingual lexical dictionaries (word-to-word) from comparable corpora which do not have to be aligned at any level (document, paragraph, etc.) The method implemented in this tool is introduced by (Rapp, 1999). The application basically counts word co-occurrences between unknown words in the comparable corpora and known words from a Moses extracted general domain translation table (the base lexicon). We adapted the algorithm to work with polysemous entries in the translation table, a very frequent situation which is not treated in the standard approach. We introduced other heuristics, like 1. filtration of the context vectors according to a log likelihood threshold, 2. lists of verbs (specific to each language) that can be main verbs but also auxiliary or modal verbs; 3) a cognate heuristic based on the Levenshtein Distance. The implementation can also run in multithreading mode, if the user’s machine has the capacity to enable parallel execution.
Stimulation of a Suprachoroidal Retinal Prosthesis Drives Cortical Responses in a Feline Model of Retinal Degeneration.

Purpose Retinal prostheses have emerged as a promising technology to restore vision in patients with severe photoreceptor degeneration. To better understand how neural degeneration affects the efficacy of electronic implants, we investigated the function of a suprachoroidal retinal implant in a feline model. Methods Unilateral retinal degeneration was induced in four adult felines by intravitreal injection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Twelve weeks post injection, animals received suprachoroidal electrode array implants in each eye, and responses to electrical stimulation were obtained using multiunit recordings from the visual cortex. Histologic measurements of neural and glial changes in the retina at the implant site were correlated with cortical thresholds from individual stimulating electrodes. Results Adenosine triphosphate-injected eyes displayed changes consistent with mid-to-late stage retinal degeneration and remodeling. A significant increase in electrical charge was required to induce a cortical response from stimulation of the degenerated retina compared to that in the fellow control eye. Spatial and temporal characteristics of the electrically evoked cortical responses were no different between eyes. Individual electrode thresholds varied in both the control and the ATP-injected eyes and were correlated with ganglion cell density. In ATP-injected eyes, cortical threshold was also independently correlated with an increase in the extent of retinal gliosis. Conclusions These data suggest that even when ganglion cell density remains unaffected, glial changes in the retina following degeneration can influence the efficacy of suprachoroidal electrical stimulation. A better understanding of how glial change impacts retinal prosthesis function may help to further the optimization of retinal implants.
Clinical application of clip-assisted endoscopic method for nasoenteric feeding in patients with gastroparesis and gastroesophageal wounds.

AIM To report the clinical experiences in the application of clip-assisted endoscopic method for nasoenteric feeding in patients with gastroparesis and patients with gastroesophageal wounds, and to compare the efficacy of nasoenteric feeding in these two indications. METHODS From April 2002 to January 2004, 21 consecutive patients with gastroparesis or gastroesophageal wounds were enrolled and received nasoenteric feeding for nutritional support. A clip-assisted method was used to place the nasoenteric tubes. Outcomes in the two groups were compared with respect to the successful rate of enteral feeding, percentage of recommended energy intake (REI), and complication rates. RESULTS The gastroparesis group included 13 patients with major burns (n = 7), trauma (n = 2), congestive heart failure (n = 2) and post-surgery gastric stasis syndrome (n = 2). The esophageogastric wound group included eight patients with tracheoesophageal fistula (n = 2) and wound leakage following gastric surgery (n = 6). Two study groups were similar in feeding successful rates (84.6% vs 75.0%). There were also no differences in the percentage of REI between groups (79.4% vs 78.6%). Additionally, no complications occurred in any of the study groups. CONCLUSION Nasoenteric feeding is a useful method to provide nutritional support to most of the patients with gastroparesis who cannot tolerate nasogastric tube feeding and to the cases who need bypass feeding for esophageogastric wounds.
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and renal function.

The presence of lipids in renal cells upregulates intracellular signaling pathways involved in inflammatory and fibrogenic responses, both of which are components of progressive renal injury. Lipids activate various growth factors that cause mesangial cell proliferation. Mesangial cells bind both LDL and oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), leading to yet more cell proliferation via multiple downstream effects. LDL stimulates the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA, which increases monocyte chemotactic activity (1). LDL also stimulates the expression of fibronectin mRNA, which induces proliferation of mesangial matrix cells. In the extracellular matrix, ox-LDL induces podocyte apoptosis, decreases Akt activity, depletes nephrin (an adhesion molecule specific to the glomerular slit membrane), and induces the retraction of cultured podocytes, which leads to alterations in the glomerular barrier and increased albumin diffusion (2). Both LDL and ox-LDL induce the expression of NF-κB, which has been associated with inflammation in glomerulonephritis and the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (3). It has also been found to induce the expression of genes that encode other cytokines, chemokines, interferons, growth factors, cell adhesion molecules, and MHC proteins involved in inflammation and proliferation (4). Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase ( i.e. , statins) reduce renal injury in several experimental models (5–7). Statins also exert immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory effects (8–10) because mevalonate also serves as a precursor for isoprenoids—farnesylpyrophosphate (F-PP) and geranylpyrophosphate (G-PP)—that normally attach posttranslationally to intracellular signaling proteins (10). By blocking the synthesis of F-PP and G-PP, statins prevent the anchoring of growth factors to the cell membrane and cytoskeleton, thus hindering signal transduction to the nucleus, activation of transcription factors, and cell proliferation in the vascular endothelium. Among their antiinflammatory and antiproliferative effects, statins reduce levels of MCP-1, IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-6, PDGF, NF-κB, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, …
Síntesis de patrones de interacción a partir de diagramas de secuencia en UML

La reutilizacion de componentes es en la actualidad una de las principales linea de trabajo dentro de la Ingenieria Software. Su utilizacion en la construccion de sistemas requiere la busqueda y seleccion de componentes candidatos, adecuados a los requisitos planteados. Una vez obtenido un candidato, es necesario estudiar la compatibilidad entre las interacciones de este y las del sistema donde va a ser integrado. Este trabajo plantea el uso de los Diagramas de Secuencia, incluidos dentro del lenguaje de modelado UML, como metodo para obtener los patrones de interaccion de los componentes de un sistema software. Los diagramas de secuencia se pueden utilizar a distintos niveles de abstraccion, agrupando o separando componentes en funcion de las necesidades, obteniendo asi patrones para componentes individuales o para agrupaciones. Los patrones obtenidos, descritos mediante maquinas de estados extendidas y descripciones algebraicas, completaran la informacion de los interfaces de cada uno de los componentes del sistema. Esta informacion se podra usar posteriormente para estudiar la compatibilidad del componente con el entorno donde va a ser integrado, detectar secuencias de eventos prohibidas y realizar operaciones de simulacion.