Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spin glasses and error-correcting codes

In this article, we study a model for error-correcting codes that comes from spin glass theory and leads to both new codes and a new decoding technique. Using the theory of spin glasses, it has been proven that a simple construction yields a family of binary codes whose performance asymptotically approaches the Shannon bound for the Gaussian channel. The limit is approached as the number of information bits per codeword approaches inflnity while the rate of the code approaches zero. Thus, the codes rapidly become impractical. We present simulation results that show the performance of a few manageable examples of these codes. In the correspondence that exists between spin glasses and error-correcting codes, the concept of a thermal average leads to a method of decoding that difiers from the standard method of flnding the most likely information sequence for a given received codeword. Whereas the standard method corresponds to calculating the thermal average at temperature zero, calculating the thermal average at a certain optimum temperature results instead in the sequence of most likely information bits. Since linear block codes and convolutional codes can be viewed as examples of spin glasses, this new decoding method can be used to decode these codes in a way that minimizes the bit error rate instead of the codeword error rate. We present simulation results that show a small improvement in bit error rate by using the thermal average technique. I. Introduction In a 1989 article in Nature [2], Nicolas Sourlas claimed that by using an Ising spin glass model he could construct a family of error-correcting codes whose performance asymptotically approached the Shannon coding bound. In 1993, Pal Rujan proposed an idea in Physical Review Letters [6] for decoding spin glass codes with a lower resulting bit error rate than could be obtained by flnding the most likely codeword, and claimed that the method could also be used for convolutional codes. In this article, we study both of these claims. This article is organized as follows: In Section II, we introduce Ising spin glasses, which are just collections of particles with spin§1. We also brie∞y discuss the associated concepts of energy, thermal equilibrium, ground states, magnetization, phase transitions, and gauge invariance. In Section III, we explain the connection between Ising spin glasses and binary error-correcting codes on an additive white Gaussian noise channel. As an example, we will show that spin glasses with a certain type of interactions are equivalent to convolutional codes. We show in Section IV how the physical properties of spin glasses can be used to prove that a family of error-correcting codes based on spin glasses has a bit error rate
Creatine has no beneficial effect on skeletal muscle energy metabolism in patients with single mitochondrial DNA deletions: a placebo‐controlled, double‐blind 31P‐MRS crossover study

The purpose of our randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover study in 15 patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) or Kearns–Sayre syndrome (KSS) because of single large‐scale mitochondrial (mt) DNA deletions was to determine whether oral creatine (Cr) monohydrate can improve skeletal muscle energy metabolism in vivo. Each treatment phase with Cr in a dosage of 150 mg/kg body weight/day or placebo lasted 6 weeks. The effect of Cr was estimated by phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS), clinical and laboratory tests. 31P‐MRS analysis prior to treatment showed clear evidence of severe mitochondrial dysfunction. However, there were no relevant changes in 31P‐MRS parameters under Cr. In particular, phosphocreatine (PCr)/ATP at rest did not increase, and there was no facilitation of post‐exercise PCr recovery. Clinical scores and laboratory tests did not alter significantly under Cr, which was tolerated without major side‐effects in all patients. Cr supplementation did not improve skeletal muscle oxidative phosphorylation in our series of patients. However, one explanation for our negative findings may be the short study duration or the limited number of patients included.
Neural Correlates of Attention Bias in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A fMRI Study

Attention biases to trauma-related information contribute to symptom maintenance in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); this phenomenon has been observed through various behavioral studies, although findings from studies using a precise, direct bias task, the dot probe, have been mixed. PTSD neuroimaging studies have indicated atypical function in specific brain regions involved with attention bias; when viewing emotionally-salient cues or engaging in tasks that require attention, individuals with PTSD have demonstrated altered activity in brain regions implicated in cognitive control and attention allocation, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and amygdala. However, remarkably few PTSD neuroimaging studies have employed tasks that both measure attentional strategies being engaged and include emotionally-salient information. In the current study of attention biases in highly traumatized African-American adults, a version of the dot probe task that includes stimuli that are both salient (threatening facial expressions) and relevant (photographs of African-American faces) was administered to 19 participants with and without PTSD during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). I hypothesized that: 1) individuals with PTSD would show a significantly greater attention bias to threatening faces than traumatized controls; 2) PTSD symptoms would be associated with a significantly greater attentional bias toward threat expressed in African-American, but not Caucasian, faces; 3) PTSD symptoms would be significantly associated with abnormal activity in the mPFC, dlPFC, and amygdala during presentation of threatening faces. Behavioral data did not provide evidence of attentional biases associated with PTSD. However, increased activation in the dlPFC and regions of the mPFC in response to threat cues was found in individuals with PTSD, relative to traumatized controls without PTSD; this may reflect hyper-engaged cognitive control, attention, and conflict monitoring resources in these individuals. Additionally, viewing threat in same-race, both not other-race, faces was associated with increased activation in the mPFC. These findings have important theoretical and treatment implications, suggesting that PTSD, particularly in those individuals who have experienced chronic or multiple types of trauma, may be characterized less by top-down ―deficits‖ or failures, but by imbalanced neurobiological and cognitive systems that become over-engaged in order to ―control‖ the emotional disruption caused by trauma-related triggers. INDEX WORDS: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Attention bias, Trauma, fMRI, Amygdala, ACC, dlPFC, vmPFC, Race, Facial expression, Neuroimaging, Cognition NEURAL CORRELATES OF ATTENTION BIAS IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: AN fMRI STUDY
Morphological relationships and leukocyte influence on steroid production in the epigonal organ‐ovary complex of the skate, Leucoraja erinacea

In elasmobranchs, a unique association exists between an immune tissue, the epigonal organ (EO), and the gonads. In this study, the histological and vascular relationships of the EO and ovarian follicles of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, were assessed. Perfusions of Evans blue dye and Batson's monomer showed a shared vascular pathway from the gonadal artery into the epigonal‐ovary complex, with blood first entering the EO and then perfusing the ovarian follicles. Histological studies demonstrated direct cellular contact between epigonal leukocytes and the follicle wall (FW), as well as the presence of leukocytes between the steroidogenic theca and granulosa cells. In vitro analyses demonstrated that epigonal cells co‐cultured with FW cells cause a dose‐dependent inhibition of estrogen (E2) and testosterone (T) production. In contrast, conditioned media from epigonal leukocytes, stimulated or unstimulated with lipopolysaccharide (10 μg/ml), increase the production of E2 and T from FW cells of the ovaries. These studies provide a basis for further investigations of leukocyte secreted factors and cell contact modulation of follicular steroid production. J Morphol. , 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of Electrical Stimulation in Early Bells Palsy on Facial Disability Index scores

Recovery following facial nerve palsy is variable. Physiotherapists try to restore function in patients with Bell’s palsy. The choice of treatment modality depends on the stage of the condition. Although limited evidence exists for the use of electrical stimulation in the acute stage of Bell’s palsy, some physiotherapists in South Africa have been applying this modality. This study examined the effects of electrical stimulation on functional recovery from Bell’s palsy using the Facial Disability Index, a tool that documents recovery from the patients’ perspective. A two group pre-test post-test experimental design comprising of 16 patients with Bell’s Palsy of less than 30 days duration was utilized. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy were systematically allocated to the control and experimental groups. Patients (n=16) were pre-tested and post-tested using the Facial Disability Index. Both groups were treated with heat, massage, exercises and given a home program. The experimental group also received electrical stimulation. The FDI of the control group improved between 17, 8% and 95, 4% with a mean of 52, 8%. The improvement in the experimental group ranged between 14, 8% and 126% with a mean of 49, 8%. Certain clinical residuals persisted in a mild form in both groups on discharge from the study. The effects of electrical stimulation as used in this study during the acute phase of Bell’s palsy, quantified as the FDI was clinically but not statistically significant. A larger sample size, longer stimulation time or both should be investigated.
Adding Fillers to Change the Mechanical Behaviour of the Glass Composite Materials

The paper proposes a way of using of the recycled rubber as filler to manufacture a hybrid composite material based on epoxy resin reinforced with glass woven fabrics. Two composite materials are analysed: an epoxy composite material reinforced only with glass fibres; a hybrid composite reinforced both with glass fibres and recycled rubber. The same kind of glass woven fabric is used in both cases. One comparatively presents the mechanical characteristics of these composite materials, measured in: flexural test by using the method of the three points and impact testing. Additionally, the modulus of elasticity E and maximum normal stress σ are determinate in tensile test in case of the new hybrid composite. Moreover, it was analysed the free vibrations of a rectangular plate made of the hybrid composite. Finally, the natural frequencies and the damping factor were obtained. One observed that additionally reinforcing with rubber particles lead to the increasing of the impact strength.
The effect of financial incentives on performance: A quantitative review of individual and team‐based financial incentives

We meta-analysed 146 studies (n = 31,861) to examine the effects of individual and team-based financial incentives on peoples' performance and to explore potential moderators. The overall effect size of the individual incentives (116 studies) was positive (g = 0.32). Moderator analyses revealed effect sizes to be larger for field studies (g = 0.34) than for laboratory studies (g = 0.29), larger for qualitative (g = 0.39) than quantitative performance measures (g = 0.28), and smaller for less complex tasks (g = 0.19). Results on team-based incentives (30 studies) indicated a positive effect regarding team-based rewards on performance (g = 0.45), with equitably distributed rewards resulting in higher performance than equally distributed rewards. This relationship was larger in field studies and smaller for less complex tasks. In addition, our results show that the effect of team-based rewards depends on team size and gender composition. Implications for organizational rewards and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Discursive Australia: Refugees, Australianness, and the Australian Public Sphere1

The discussion within Australia of events of the last five years, such as 9/11, the Bali Bombing, the Tampa and the Children Overboard affair, the Cronulla Riots, as well as the numbers of refugees approaching Australian shores, has typically fallen into a binarized form with public discourses coalescing around calls for either ‘protectivism’ or ‘humanitarianism’ (Mummery & Rodan, 2003). This discursive framework has in turn instantiated an ongoing debate concerning the issue of what it means to be Australian, and who is or should be included or excluded from this national identity, questions which have been particularly contentious in recent years. This project, however, aims to unpack and analyse just one manifestation of this debate, that carried out in letters to the editor published between 22 January and 28 February 2002 in both The Australian (Australia’s national daily broadsheet) and The West Australian (Western Australia’s daily broadsheet). The period chosen for this analysis is important for several reasons. First, given that it encompasses the Woomera Detention
Multifunctional Assessment of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Perfusion-Metabolic Correlation

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between whole-tumor CT perfusion and FDG PET/CT parameters in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Twenty-five patients with NSCLC were prospectively included. CT perfusion parameters calculated were blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time, and peak enhancement intensity. SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were evaluated for PET/CT. Tumor diameter and volume were measured, and lesions were divided according to maximum axial diameter in more than 3 cm and 3 cm or less. The correlations between CT perfusion and PET/CT parameters were assessed in all tumors, as well as according to tumor diameter and volume. Results Lesion diameter and volume showed a negative correlation with BF and BV (r = −0.78, −0.78, −0.57, −0.48, respectively) and a positive correlation with mean transit time (r = 0.55, 0.65, respectively). The negative correlation between BF and lesion diameter and volume was confirmed in the subgroup of lesions of more than 3 cm (r = −0.68, −0.68, respectively). A positive correlation between SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, and lesion volume was observed (r = 0.50, 0.50, 0.46, respectively) and confirmed in lesions 3 cm or less (r = 0.81, 0.79, 0.78, respectively). Metabolic tumor volume and TLG showed a positive correlation with lesion diameter and volume in the overall population (r = 0.93, 0.87, 0.88, 0.90, respectively) and in lesions of more than 3 cm (r = 0.89, 0.84, 0.84, 0.79, respectively). Blood flow and BV showed a negative correlation with MTV and TLG (r = −0.77, −0.74, and −0.58, −0.48, respectively) in the overall population and with MTV in lesions of more than 3 cm (r = −0.69, −0.62, respectively). Conclusions Perfusion and metabolic parameters seem to depend on tumor size. The bigger the tumor, the lower the BF and the BV and, conversely, the higher the SUVpeak, MTV, and TLG. This information would be useful in the clinical setting when diagnosing or treating NSCLC, especially with novel therapies and/or for radiation treatment modulation.
Development of the Internet-Based Safer and Stronger Program for Men With Disabilities

This article describes the development and pilot testing of an Internet-based abuse and safety awareness program, the Men’s Safer and Stronger Program, for men with diverse disabilities and Deaf men (MWD) using a three-phase community-based, qualitative modified Delphi process. In Phase I, MWD participated in individual interviews (n = 46) and nominal discussion groups (n = 37), identifying key messages to be included in the program and providing guidance concerning program structure and content. In Phase II, the project staff developed the program content and structure with the assistance of an advisory board of MWD. Video narratives by nine male survivors with disabilities were recorded and edited. In Phase III, 14 MWD served as expert reviewers, verbalizing their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions as they used the program. In Phase IV, the program was piloted with 31 MWD and qualitative and quantitative feedback was gathered. The resulting user-guided program contains eight modules including definitions and examples of abuse, risk factors for abuse, survivor narratives, and strategy suggestions designed to increase safety. The program was generally well received by expert reviewers and pilot study participants. Overall, the use of an Internet-based program to increase abuse awareness in MWD appears feasible.
Capabilitiy of array processing algorithms to estimate source bearings

The capabilities of classical, minimum energy, and linear predictive array processing algorithms to estimate the bearings of two equal-energy sources is examined. Signal coherence is shown to affect adversely the resolution and detection capabilities, as well as the bias characteristics, of all three algorithms. For linear arrays of equally spaced sensors, the superior resolution capability of the linear predictive algorithm is demonstrated. The value of utilizing prediction elements in the center of the array to resolve very closely spaced source bearings is demonstrated. However, the linear predictive algorithm is least capable of detecting highly coherent sources. A tradeoff is established between resolving capability and sensitivity to finite averaging. Conditions are established which indicate which algorithm is best suited to anticipated levels of signal coherence and averaging. The estimates of source bearing produced by each algorithm are shown to be asymptotically biased. The bias produced by the classical beamformer is most severe, while the minimum energy beamformer produces the least bias.
Significant Increase in the Number of the SMN2 Gene Copies in an Adult-Onset Type III Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patient with Homozygous Deletion of the NAIP Gene

The patient was a 57-year-old Japanese man who gradually developed muscle atrophy and weakness in the trunk and limbs since the age of 20 years and was wheelchair bound at the age of 56 years. The gene copy number assay confirmed the combined homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron (SMN) 1 and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) genes and showed the presence of 4 copies of the SMN2 gene. In this patient, the significant increase in the number of the SMN2 gene copies should compensate for the homozygous deletion of the SMN1 gene and make his disease milder despite the absence of the NAIP gene. Taken together with our previous data, we may reasonably hypothesize that the SMN2 gene copy number is more critical in determining the severity of the disease compared to the NAIP genotype.
The Relations Between Traumatic Experiences, Activity, and Cognitive and Emotional Responses Among Palestinian Children

Abstract The relations between the level of traumatic experiences, degree of active participation in the Intifada, and cognitive and emotional responses were studied among 108 Palestinian children of 11–12 years of age in the Gaza Strip. The results showed that the more traumatic experiences the children had and the more they participated in the Intifada, the more concentration, attention, and memory problems they had. Traumatic experiences also increased neuroticism and risk-taking, and Intifada participation decreased self-esteem. Children's active participation in the Intifada could not protect children from developing emotional problems, as was originally assumed. The highest level of neuroticism was found among active boys who were exposed to many traumatic experiences.
Interleukin-18 Is a Strong Predictor of Cardiovascular Death in Stable and Unstable Angina

Background—Interleukin (IL)-18 plays a central role in orchestrating the cytokine cascade and accelerates atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability in animal models. However, epidemiological data evaluating the role of IL-18 levels in atherosclerosis are lacking. Methods and Results—In a prospective study of 1229 patients with documented coronary artery disease, we measured baseline serum concentrations of IL-18 and other markers of inflammation. During the follow-up period (median, 3.9 years), 95 patients died of cardiovascular causes. Median serum concentrations of IL-18 were significantly higher among patients who had a fatal cardiovascular event than among those who did not (68.4 versus 58.7 pg/mL;P <0.0001). The hazard risk ratio of future cardiovascular death increased with increasing quartiles of IL-18 (hazard risk ratio, 1.46; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.76;P for trend <0.0001). After adjustment for most potential confounders, including the strong predictor ejection fraction as well as the inflammatory variables IL-6, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen, this relation remained almost unchanged, such that patients within the highest quartile of IL-18 had a 3.3-fold increase in hazard risk compared with those in the first quartile (95% CI, 1.3 to 8.4, P =0.01). This relation was observed in patients with stable angina and patients with unstable angina at baseline. Conclusions—Serum IL-18 level was identified as a strong independent predictor of death from cardiovascular causes in patients with coronary artery disease regardless of the clinical status at admission. This result strongly supports recent experimental evidence of IL-18–mediated inflammation leading to acceleration and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques.
Directed Fiber Outgrowth from Transplanted Embryonic Cortex-Derived Neurospheres in the Adult Mouse Brain

Neural transplantation has emerged as an attractive strategy for the replacement of neurons that have been lost in the central nervous system. Multipotent neural progenitor cells are potentially useful as donor cells to repopulate the degenerated regions. One important aspect of a transplantation strategy is whether transplanted cells are capable of fiber outgrowth with the aim of rebuilding axonal connections within the host brain. To address this issue, we expanded neuronal progenitor from the cortex of embryonic day 15 ubiquitously green fluorescent protein-expressing transgenic mice as neurospheres in vitro and grafted them into the entorhinal cortex of 8-week-old mice immediately after a perforant pathway lesion. After transplantation into a host brain with a lesion of the entorhino-hippocampal projection, the neurosphere-derived cells extended long fiber projections directed towards the dentate gyrus. Our results indicate that transplantation of neurosphere-derived cells might be a promising strategy to replace lost or damaged axonal projections.
STATIONARY EQUILIBRIA OF ECONOMIES WITH A CONTINUUM OF HETEROGENEOUS CONSUMERS

This paper studies stationary equilibria of a production economy with a continuum of heterogeneous consumers subject to borrowing constraints and individual Markov endowment shocks. The existence of a stationary equilibrium is established. The equilibrium interest rate is less than the rate of time preference of the most patient consumer provided ac onstraint that restricts the borrowing limit is satisfied. Properties of stationary equilibria including