Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance analysis of the DCT-LMS adaptive " ltering algorithm

This paper presents the convergence analysis result of the discrete cosine transform-least-mean-square (DCT-LMS) adaptive " ltering algorithm which is based on a well-known interpretation of the variable stepsize algorithm. The time-varying stepsize of the DCT-LMS algorithm is implemented by the modi " ed power estimator to redistribute the spread power after the DCT. The performance analysis is considerably simpli " ed by the modi " cation of a power estimator. First of all, the proposed DCT-LMS algorithm has a fast convergence rate when compared to the LMS, the normalised LMS (NLMS), the variable stepsize LMS (VSLMS) algorithm for a highly correlated input signal, whilst constraining the level of the misadjustment required by a speci " cation. The main contribution of this paper is the statistical performance analysis in terms of the mean and mean-squared error of the weight error vector. In addition, the decorrelation property of the DCT-LMS is derived from the lower and upper bounds of the eigenvalue spread ratio, j . 9 / j . */ . It is also shown that the shape of sidelobes a ! ecting the decorrelation of the input signal is governed by the location of two zeros. Theoretical analysis results are validated by the Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed algorithm is also applied in the system identi " cation and the inverse modelling for a channel equalisation in order to verify its applicability. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Assessment of renal function in geriatric palliative care patients – comparison of creatinine-based estimation equations

Background Renal function impairment is common in geriatric palliative care patients. Accurate assessment of renal function is necessary for appropriate drug dosage. Several equations are used to estimate kidney function. Aims 1) To investigate the differences (Δ) in kidney function assessed with simplified Modifi-cation of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Berlin Initiative Study (BIS1), and Cockcroft–Gault (C-G) formulas in geriatric palliative care patients, and 2) to assess factors that may influence these differences. Methods A retrospective analysis of data of patients aged ≥70 years admitted to a palliative care in-patient unit. The agreement between C-G, MDRD, and BIS1 equations was assessed with Bland–Altman analysis. Partial correlation analysis was used to analyze factors influencing the discordance. Results A total of 174 patients (67 men; mean age 77.9±5.8 years) were enrolled. The mean Δ MDRD and C-G was 18.6 (95% limits of agreement 55.3 and −18.2). The mean Δ BIS1 and C-G was 6.1 (25.7 and −13.5), and the mean Δ MDRD and BIS1 was 12.5 (40.6 and −15.6). According to the National Kidney Foundation classification, 61 (35.1%) patients were differently staged using MDRD and C-G, whilê20% of patients were differently staged with BIS1 and C-G and MDRD and BIS1. Serum creatinine (SCr) and body mass index (BMI) had the most important influence on variability of Δ MDRD and C-G (partial R2 37.7% and 28.4%). Variability of Δ BIS1 and C-G was mostly influenced by BMI (34.8%) and variability of Δ MDRD and BIS1 by SCr (42.2%). Age had relatively low influence on differences between equations (3.1%–9.5%). Conclusion There is a considerable disagreement between renal function estimation formulas, especially MDRD and C-G in geriatric palliative care patients, which may lead to errors in drug dosage adjustment. The magnitude of discrepancy increases with lower SCr, lower BMI, and higher age.
Action research and design science research - Seemingly similar but decisively dissimilar

Prior research has identified the similarity of Action Research (AR) and Design Science Research (DSR). This paper analyses AR and DSR from several perspectives, including paradigmatic assumptions of ontology, epistemology, methodology, and ethics, their research interests, and activities. We identify that often AR does not share the paradigmatic assumptions and the research interests of DSR, that some activities in DSR are always mutually exclusive from AR, and that there may be no, little, or significant (but not total) overlaps between AR and DSR. Thus we judge that AR and DSR are decisively dissimilar. We further identify several key problems with combining AR and DSR based on the ethical requirement of researchers to identify and manage risks to research stakeholders. Management of such risks is done by careful disclosure, identifying research limitations or by choosing alternative methods than AR for accomplishing DSR.
Productivity and priming: Morphemic decomposition in Arabic

Word formation in Arabic involves the interleaving of two abstract morphemes—a root consisting exclusively of consonants and conveying semantic meaning, and a word pattern comprised primarily of vowels and conveying phonological and morpho-syntactic information. In masked and cross-modal priming experiments, we probed the processing relationship between these two morphemes during word recognition by examining the roles of word pattern and root productivity (family size) in producing word-pattern priming in Arabic deverbal nouns. Co-varying word pattern and root productivity in a 2×2 design, we found that priming was determined entirely by the productivity of the root. Even very productive word patterns did not prime if they appeared in the context of an unproductive root. This pattern of results, which is identical in cross-modal and masked priming, indicates the importance of the root in driving the on-line decomposition of Arabic surface forms into their constituent morphemes.
The supplementary motor area of the cerebral cortex; a clinical and experimental study.

JUST IN front of the motor area of the cerebral cortex of man there is a supplementary representation of movements. This supplementary area is rather well circumscribed and is situated largely within the longitudinal interhemispheral fissure (Fig. 1). During the past several years we have seen a number of patients whose difficulties have necessitated surgical exploration and cortical stimulation within the longitudinal fissure. The findings cast new light upon the problem of cortical representation of motor and sensory function. This paper is an analysis of our observations on the properties of the superior and mesial intermediate precentral cortex in man. The results of local electrical stimulation and the patterns of focal seizures due to discharge in the area are presented, and an attempt is made to interpret the findings in terms of function. In addition, the results of an experimental approach to the analogous area in monkeys is reported. HISTORICAL
β-adrenergic sweat secretion as a diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis.

RATIONALE β-Adrenergically induced sweat secretion offers an expedient method to assess native cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) secretory function in vivo. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of a test based on the activity and secretory function of CFTR in the sweat gland. METHODS Primary and validation trials with prospectively ascertained healthy control subjects, obligate heterozygotes, and patients with a CFTR-related disorder and CF (pancreatic sufficient and insufficient). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Diagnostic accuracy and reliability of β-adrenergic sweat secretory rates using an evaporimeter was assessed and compared with sweat chloride concentrations. The cholinergically stimulated mean sweat rate did not differ among groups. The mean maximal β-adrenergically stimulated sweat rate in heterozygotes was about half the rate of healthy control subjects, and completely absent in pancreatic-insufficient patients with CF and pancreatic-sufficient patients with CF (P < 0.0001). Subjects with a CFTR-related disorder showed reduced or absent β-adrenergic sweat secretion. The β-adrenergic secretory response demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (area under a characteristic receiver-operator curve = 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.00) and reliability (intraclass correlation, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.95). The diagnostic cutoff level for CF, derived from the primary trial, correctly identified all control subjects, heterozygotes, and patients with CF in the validation cohort, whereas concurrent sweat chloride measurements misclassified one heterozygote and five subjects with CF. The cholinergic and β-adrenergic sweat secretion rates were lower in women compared with men (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS β-Adrenergic sweat secretion rate determined by evaporimetry is an accurate and reliable technique to assess different levels of CFTR function and to identify patients with CF.
Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Porous Metals with Directional Pores

Porous metals with long cylindrical pores aligned in one direction are fabricated by unidirectional solidification through pressurized gas method (PGM) and thermal decomposition method of gas compounds (TDM). The pores are evolved from insoluble gas when the molten metal dissolving the gas is solidified in the dissolving gas (PGM) or inert gas (TDM). Three fabrication techniques, mold casting, continuous zone melting and continuous casting techniques, are adopted. The latter two techniques can control the solidification velocity and the last one possesses a merit for mass production of lotus metals. The porosity, pore diameter and its length are able to be controlled by the solidification velocity and ambient gas pressure, while the pore direction can be controlled by the solidification direction. Anisotropy in the elastic and mechanical properties is resulted from anisotropic pore morphology. The anisotropic behaviors of tensile, compressive and fatigue strength are explained in terms of the dependence of stress concentration on the pore orientation. The anisotropic properties of thermal, electrical conduction and magnetization are also found, which are attributed to the scattering of heat flux, electric current and magnetic flux with anisotropic pores, respectively. Several applications of the porous metals to manufacturing products are investigated. The unidirectional pores can be utilized for high performance of heat sinks for electronic devices of cars and computers. Thus, the porous metals are expected to be used for various manufacturing products.
Effects of dune sand on reduction of reflection cracking in double-layered paving systems for roads: a laboratory investigation

ABSTRACT Many parts of Algeria are covered with windblown dune sand which is characterised as poorly-graded soil with relatively high permeability. Also, the coupling of asphalt concrete and cement bound layer is often used in pavement construction. The main purpose of this study, made of several stages, was the valorisation of dune sand in such road construction technique. Double layered samples were prepared in the laboratory with a compacted gravel cement concrete (GC) base course and an asphalt concrete (BB) surface course. GC was made by compacting a mixture of gravel, dune sand, cement and water: the cement percentage ranging from 4 to 12%. The Marshall method was used to design the upper bituminous layer. A thick anti-reflective cracking interlayer made of dune sand mixed with emulsion was also used. Twenty-five samples were prepared and tested by dynamic three-point bending tests on beams. Subsequently, results analysis was performed to quantify the influence of the dune sand interlayer on the mechanical behaviour of the system. The obtained results showed that the samples with as much as 30% of dune sand in the interlayer have sufficient mechanical performances to be used in road layers.
Feeling Like You Know Who You Are: Perceived True Self-Knowledge and Meaning in Life

The essence of who a person really is has been labeled the “true self,” and an emerging area of research suggests that this self-concept plays an important role in the creation of a fulfilling existence. Three studies investigate the role of the subjective feeling that one possesses knowledge of one’s true self in meaning in life judgments. Consistently, the perception of availability of true self-knowledge (operationalized as the metacognitive experience of ease in describing one’s true self) predicted meaning in life judgments over and above other potentially related constructs such as mood and self-esteem. Conversely, the subjective availability of knowledge of how one actually behaves (i.e., one’s actual self) was unrelated to meaning in life judgments. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
EXERTION LEVEL AND THE INTENSITY OF ASSOCIATED MOVEMENTS

Associated movements in the contralateral limbs were measured quantitatively for 42 seven‐ to eight‐year‐old children who wrote with the right hand. Associated movements of the contralateral homologous muscles systematically increased as a function of the intensity of contraction of the active hand. The associated movements were more intense when the left hand was active. The order of hand use markedly affected the lateral asymmetry, indicating that the right and left hands were affected differentially by previous activity. Associated movements of the contralateral antagonist muscles were also observed, and their frequency varied as a function of active hand and exertion level.
IgM Dot-ELISA assay using prevalent Leptospira strain for diagnosis of leptospirosis.

Background: A test strip IgM Dot-ELISA assay for the detection of leptospirespecific IgM antibodies in human sera was developed. Antigen dotted on a nitrocellulose paper strip was the sonicated antigen prepared from Leptospira serovar prevalent in this area, i.e., Icterohaemmorhagiae. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate an in- house prepared IgM Dot- ELISA test strip for the diagnosis of leptospirosis. Material and methods: The ability of the IgM Dot- ELISA to diagnose leptospiral infection was evaluated by testing 125 serum samples, 75 serum samples from 93 laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis case patients with positive result in the standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and 25 serum samples from patients with various diseases other than leptospirosis and 25 from healthy individuals. The results of Dot- ELISA were also compared to that of a commercially available IgM ELISA. Results: Using the results of the MAT as a gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the test strip IgM dot-ELISA assay were 97.33% and 96.00%, respectively. The assay showed relatively good negative predictive values (96.00%) thus making the assay ideally suited for rapid screening. Conclusion: In conclusion, the test strip IgM dot-ELISA assay was sensitive enough for use as a screening test for serodiagnosis of leptospirosis. The assay was simple, inexpensive, and easy to perform for both a single test format and a large number of specimens.
Ligand discovery on massively parallel systems

Virtual screening is an approach for identifying promising leads for drugs and is used in the pharmaceutical industry. We present the parallelization of LIDAEUS (LIgand Discovery At Edinburgh UniverSity), creating a massively parallel high-throughput virtual-screening code. This program is being used to predict the binding modes involved in the docking of small ligands to proteins. Parallelization efforts have focused on achieving maximum parallel efficiency and developing a memory-efficient parallel sorting routine. Using an IBM Blue Gene/L™ supercomputer, runtimes have been reduced from 8 days on a modest seven-node cluster to 62 minutes on 1,024 processors using a standard dataset of 1.67 million small molecules and FKBP12, a protein target of interest in immunosuppressive therapies. Using more-complex datasets, the code scales upward to make use for the full processor set of 2,048. The code has been successfully used for the task of gathering data on approximately 1.67 million small molecules binding to approximately 400 high-quality crystallographically determined ligand-bound protein structures, generating data on more than 646 million protein-ligand complexes. A number of novel ligands have already been discovered and validated experimentally.
Client-centred empowering partnering in nursing.

AIM This paper explores nurses' experiences 1 year after an organization's commitment to providing a client-centred and client-empowering partnering approach to care. BACKGROUND Historically, nurses' approach to providing care in all nursing contexts has been one of doing for clients, and previous studies have focused more on in-hospital care than on home care. However, the isolation inherent in in-home nursing and nurses' limited professional autonomy and power associated with physician control over patients in home care have been reported, as has their difficulty in finding the meaning and satisfaction of human connectedness and mutuality in nurse-client relationships. Overall, research to date does not inform us about how nurses might make a change toward a more client-centred and client-empowering approach to nursing. METHODS An interpretive phenomenological design was used to elicit in-depth understanding about Registered Nurses' experiences of providing care using this innovative empowerment model. A purposefully selected sample of eight Registered Nurses participated in in-depth interviews. Data were generated during 2002. Hermeneutic analysis was used to elicit themes and patterns emerging from the data. FINDINGS Caring, client-centredness and the context of in-home care were important in implementing the new partnering approach. Barriers encountered at system, organizational and personal levels distracted nurses from fully comprehending and enacting the approach. After a year, they had begun to contemplate potential strategies for partnering with clients, but had not yet explored the power of their professional autonomy. CONCLUSION Nurses are inclined to practise within the expert model of service delivery. They need to work through issues of professional autonomy and rise to the challenge of exercising their autonomy within the current healthcare context if they are to attend more consistently to client-centred empowering partnering. The home care setting offers an excellent environment for achieving these aims.
TRAIL Enhances Apoptosis of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Sensitized by Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Therapeutic Implications

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes chronic liver diseases leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver failure. We have previously shown that HCV sensitizes hepatocytes to mitochondrial apoptosis via the TRAIL death receptors DR4 and DR5. Although TRAIL and its receptors are selective targets for cancer therapy, their potential against HCC with chronic HCV infection has not been explored yet. Here we show that HCV induces DR4/DR5-dependent activation of caspase-8 leading to elevation of apoptotic signaling in infected cells and also present TRAIL effect in HCV-induced apoptotic signaling. HCV induced proteolytic cleavage of caspase-9 by stimulating DR4 and DR5, resulting in subsequent cleavage of caspase-3. Further, HCV-induced proteolytic cleavage in caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 was enhanced in the presence of recombinant TRAIL. HCV-induced cleavage in caspase-9 and increase in caspase-3/7 activity was completely suppressed by silencing of either DR4 or DR5. Perturbing DR4/DR5-caspase-8 signaling complex by silencing DR4 and DR5 or by chemical inhibitor specific to caspase-8 led to decrease of HCV-induced cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a substrate for caspase-3 during apoptosis, indicating the functional role of caspase-8 in HCV-induced apoptotic signaling network. Furthermore, TRAIL enhanced PARP cleavage in apoptotic response induced by HCV infection, indicating the effect of TRAIL for the induction of selective apoptosis of HCC cells infected with HCV. Given the importance of apoptosis in HCC development, our data suggest that HCV-induced DR4 and DR5 may be considered as an attractive target for TRAIL therapy against HCC with chronic HCV infection.
The role of self-evaluation and envy in schadenfreude

In this article we address why and when people feel schadenfreude (pleasure at the misfortunes of others) in both interpersonal and intergroup contexts. Using findings from our own research programmes we show that schadenfreude is intensified when people are chronically or momentarily threatened in their self-worth, whereas it is attenuated when their self-evaluation is boosted; that malicious envy, but not benign envy, intensifies pleasure at the misfortunes of others; that these emotional responses are manifested in intergroup contexts via the same mechanisms; and that mere stereotypes, in the absence of any interaction or overt competition, are sufficient to elicit schadenfreude via such mechanisms. Together, these findings suggest that self-evaluation and envy both play an important role in evoking schadenfreude; people feel pleasure at the misfortunes of others when these misfortunes provide them with social comparisons that enhance their feelings of self-worth or remove the basis for painful feelings of envy.
Quality of life valuations of HPV-associated cancer health states by the general population

Objectives To obtain health-related quality of life valuations (ie, utilities) for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer health states of vulval, vaginal, penile, anal and oropharyngeal cancers for use in modelling cost-effectiveness of prophylactic HPV vaccination. Methods Written case descriptions of each HPV-associated cancer describing the ‘average’ patient surviving after the initial cancer diagnosis and treatment were developed in consultation with oncology clinicians. A general overview, standard gamble questionnaire for each health state and a quiz was conducted in 120 participants recruited from the general population. Results In the included population sample (n=99), the average age was 43 years (range = 18–70 years) with 54% men, 44% never married/43% married, 76% education beyond year 12 and 39% employed full-time. The utility values for the five health states were 0.57 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.62) for anal cancer, 0.58 (0.53 to 0.63) for oropharyngeal cancer, 0.59 (0.54 to 0.64) for vaginal cancer, 0.65 (0.60 to 0.70) for vulval cancer and 0.79 (0.74 to 0.84) for penile cancer. Participants demonstrated a very good understanding of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of these cancers with a mean score of 9 (SD=1.1) on a 10-item quiz. Conclusions This study provides utility estimates for the specific HPV-related cancers of vulval, vaginal, penile, anal and oropharyngeal cancers valued by a general population sample using standard gamble. The results demonstrate considerable quality of life impact associated with surviving these cancers that will be important to incorporate into modelling cost-effectiveness of prophylactic HPV vaccination in different populations.
Severity of depression in hepatitis B and hepatitis C patients.

OBJECTIVE To assess and compare the severity of depression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and healthy subjects. STUDY DESIGN Comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from July 2011 to February 2012. METHODOLOGY A total of 206 subjects were divided in three groups. Group-I (chronic hepatitis C, n = 95), group-II (chronic hepatitis B, n = 29) and group-III (healthy subjects, n = 82). They were matched for age, gender and socioeconomic status and were compared for frequency and severity of depression as measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS Some degree of depression was noted in all groups. Frequency of depression was 72.6% in group-I, 58.6% in group-II and 37.8% in group-III (p value < 0.001). CONCLUSION Both CHC and CHB had high frequency of some degree of depression. Hepatitis C patients had more depressive features than CHB. It is worthwhile to do more close mental health observation in them. A multidisciplinary team including a psychiatric specialist can help in this approach.