Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LTE Radio Analytics Made Easy and Accessible by Ezzeldin

Despite the rapid growth of next-generation cellular networks, researchers and endusers today have limited visibility into the performance and problems of these networks. As LTE deployments move towards femto and pico cells, even operators struggle to fully understand the propagation and interference patterns affecting their service, particularly indoors. This thesis introduces LTEye, the first open platform to monitor and analyze LTE radio performance at a fine temporal and spatial granularity. LTEye accesses the LTE PHY layer without requiring private user information or provider support. It provides deep insights into the PHY-layer protocols deployed in these networks. LTEye's analytics enable researchers and policy makers to uncover serious deficiencies in these networks due to inefficient spectrum utilization and inter-cell interference. In addition, LTEye extends synthetic aperture radar (SAR), widely used for radar and backscatter signals, to operate over cellular signals. This enables businesses and end-users to localize mobile users and capture the distribution of LTE performance across spatial locations in their facility. As a result, they can diagnose problems and better plan deployment of repeaters or femto cells. We implement LTEye on USRP software radios, and present empirical insights and analytics from multiple AT&T and Verizon base stations in our locality. Thesis Supervisor: Dina Katabi Title: Professor
DETERGENT STABLE, HALOTOLERANT α-AMYLASE FROM BACILLUS AQUIMARIS VITP4 EXHIBITS REVERSIBLE UNFOLDING

Halotolerant Bacillus aquimaris VITP4, isolated from Kumta coast (India), was used to produce extracellular α-amylase. The production was found to be maximal after 24 h of growth at pH 8.0 and 40 o C. Optimal activity of the purified enzyme was in the pH range of 7.5 - 9.5 at 40 o C. The enzyme was found to retain more than 60% of the initial activity even at NaCl concentration of 3.5 M, indicating that it is halotolerant. Calcium ion (0.01 mM) and CTAB (10 mM) enhanced the activity whereas EDTA decreased the enzymatic activity. Thermal inactivation kinetics suggested that the enzyme exhibits reversible unfolding even at high temperature (till 90 o C) and the t 1/2 at 90 o C was found to be 43.5 min. These results suggests that the α-amylase from Bacillus aquimaris strain VITP4 is halotolerant, metal ion dependent enzyme which is stable in the presence of cationic detergent and moderate temperature conditions.
Feeling Brown in the Academy: Decolonizing Mentoring Through a Disidentification Muxerista Approach

ABSTRACT According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Hispanics” comprise only 4% of the full-time faculty in U.S. universities, although Latin@s comprise 16.4% of the U.S. population. Given the under-representation of Latin@ faculty, efforts to support and retain them are paramount. Recently a small body of literature has surfaced explicitly centering the practices of peer mentoring among Latin@s. Through collaborative auto-ethnography and counter-storytelling, using a framework of disidentification, muxerista mentoring, and community cultural wealth, we add to this literature by discussing our experience of engaging in non-hierarchical Latina peer mentoring at a predominantly White university. The main themes include: merging emotional needs with professional growth, forging learning and research partnerships, Browning teaching spaces and transforming institutional practices.
B-Vitamins and Bone Health–A Review of the Current Evidence

Because of ongoing global ageing, there is a rapid worldwide increase in incidence of osteoporotic fractures and the resultant morbidity and mortality associated with these fractures are expected to create a substantial economic burden. Dietary modification is one effective approach for prevention of osteoporosis in the general population. Recently, B vitamins have been investigated for their possible roles in bone health in human studies. In this review, we provide different lines of evidence and potential mechanisms of individual B vitamin in influencing bone structure, bone quality, bone mass and fracture risk from published peer-reviewed articles. These data support a possible protective role of B vitamins, particularly, B2, B6, folate and B12, in bone health. However, results from the clinical trials have not been promising in supporting the efficacy of B vitamin supplementation in fracture reduction. Future research should continue to investigate the underlying mechanistic pathways and consider interventional studies using dietary regimens with vitamin B enriched foods to avoid potential adverse effects of high-dose vitamin B supplementation. In addition, observational and interventional studies conducted in Asia are limited and thus require more attention due to a steep rise of osteoporosis and hip fracture incidence projected in this part of the world.
Low back pain symptoms show a similar pattern of improvement following a wide range of primary care treatments: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES To assess overall responses to treatments among non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) patients in clinical trials to examine the pattern following a wide range of treatments. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of published trials on NSLBP and meta-analysis of within-group responses to treatments calculated as the standardized mean difference (SMD). We included randomized controlled trials that investigated the effectiveness of primary care treatments in NSLBP patients aged≥18 years. Outcome measures included the visual analogue scale for pain severity, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Oswestry Disability Index for physical functioning. RESULTS One hundred and eighteen trials investigating a wide range of primary care treatment for NSLBP were included. Plots of response to treatments showed that there was a similar pattern of initial improvement at 6 weeks followed by smaller improvement for both pain and functional disability at long-term follow-up. This was also shown by the pooled SMD for pain which was 0.86 (95% CI 0.65, 1.07) at 6 weeks, 1.07 (95% CI 0.87, 1.27) at 13 weeks, 1.03 (95% CI 0.82, 1.25) at 27 weeks and 0.88 (95% CI 0.60, 1.1) at 52 weeks. There was a wide heterogeneity in the size of improvement. This heterogeneity, however, was not explained by differences in the type of treatment classified as active, placebo, usual care or waiting list controls or as pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatment. CONCLUSIONS NSLBP symptoms seem to improve in a similar pattern in clinical trials following a wide variety of active as well as inactive treatments. It is important to explore factors other than the treatment, that might influence symptom improvement.
Baseline zone estimation in two dimensions

We consider the problem of estimating the region on which a non-parametric regression function is at its baseline level in two dimensions. The baseline level typically corresponds to the minimum/maximum of the function and estimating such regions or their complements is pertinent to several problems arising in edge estimation, environmental statistics, fMRI and related fields. We assume the baseline region to be convex and estimate it via fitting a `stump' function to approximate $p$-values obtained from tests for deviation of the regression function from its baseline level. The estimates, obtained using an algorithm originally developed for constructing convex contours of a density, are studied in two different sampling settings, one where several responses can be obtained at a number of different covariate-levels (dose-response) and the other involving limited number of response values per covariate (standard regression). The shape of the baseline region and the smoothness of the regression function at its boundary play a critical role in determining the rate of convergence of our estimate: for a regression function which is `p-regular' at the boundary of the convex baseline region, our estimate converges at a rate $N^{2/(4p+3)}$ in the dose-response setting, $N$ being the total budget, and its analogue in the standard regression setting converges at a rate of $N^{1/(2p+2)}$. Extensions to non-convex baseline regions are explored as well.
Origin of unusual bandgap shift and dual emission in organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites

Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have unusual, temperature-dependent emission characteristics. Emission characteristics of metal halide perovskites play a key role in the current widespread investigations into their potential uses in optoelectronics and photonics. However, a fundamental understanding of the molecular origin of the unusual blueshift of the bandgap and dual emission in perovskites is still lacking. In this direction, we investigated the extraordinary photoluminescence behavior of three representatives of this important class of photonic materials, that is, CH3NH3PbI3, CH3NH3PbBr3, and CH(NH2)2PbBr3, which emerged from our thorough studies of the effects of temperature on their bandgap and emission decay dynamics using time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The low-temperature (<100 K) photoluminescence of CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbBr3 reveals two distinct emission peaks, whereas that of CH(NH2)2PbBr3 shows a single emission peak. Furthermore, irrespective of perovskite composition, the bandgap exhibits an unusual blueshift by raising the temperature from 15 to 300 K. Density functional theory and classical molecular dynamics simulations allow for assigning the additional photoluminescence peak to the presence of molecularly disordered orthorhombic domains and also rationalize that the unusual blueshift of the bandgap with increasing temperature is due to the stabilization of the valence band maximum. Our findings provide new insights into the salient emission properties of perovskite materials, which define their performance in solar cells and light-emitting devices.
Cancer, stem cells and cancer stem cells: old ideas, new developments

It has been suggested that, at least in some forms of cancer, a sub-population of slow-cycling, therapy-resistant cancer stem cells exists that has the ability to reconstitute the tumor in its entirety. If true, this model implies that conventional therapies based on targeting highly cycling cells within the tumor will leave the slow-cycling stem cell population intact, giving them the opportunity to reinitiate the tumor at a later date. This review discusses the evidence for this model and the likely implications for cancer treatment.
Some Aspects of Indian Monsoon Depressions and the Associated Rainfall

Abstract This study is based on all the monsoon depressions that moved westward across India between Calcutta, Allahabad, and Delhi on the right and Gopalpur, Nagpur, and Ahmadabad on the left during July and August for the period 1891–1960. Statistical distribution, of 24-hr motion and of the intensity of the depression, the relation between 24-hr motion and concurrent 24-hr rainfall, and the relation between the intensity of the depression and subsequent 24-hr rainfall are examined. In addition, the average rainfall per depression day and its standard deviation, the contribution of depression rainfall to the total rainfall, and the efficiency of the depression as a rain giver are computed. Mean patterns of 24-hr rainfall within 500 km of the center of the depression along longitudes 87°E, 80°E, and 75°E are obtained, and the main points of difference between them are discussed. In the quadrants to the right of the depression track, the rainfall field is flat. In the quadrants to the left, however, large.
Adaptive Reduced-Rank Equalization Algorithms Based on Alternating Optimization Design Techniques for MIMO Systems

This paper presents a novel adaptive reduced-rank multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization scheme and algorithms based on alternating optimization design techniques for MIMO spatial multiplexing systems. The proposed reduced-rank equalization structure consists of a joint iterative optimization of the following two equalization stages: 1) a transformation matrix that performs dimensionality reduction and 2) a reduced-rank estimator that retrieves the desired transmitted symbol. The proposed reduced-rank architecture is incorporated into an equalization structure that allows both decision feedback and linear schemes to mitigate the interantenna (IAI) and intersymbol interference (ISI). We develop alternating least squares (LS) expressions for the design of the transformation matrix and the reduced-rank estimator along with computationally efficient alternating recursive least squares (RLS) adaptive estimation algorithms. We then present an algorithm that automatically adjusts the model order of the proposed scheme. An analysis of the LS algorithms is carried out along with sufficient conditions for convergence and a proof of convergence of the proposed algorithms to the reduced-rank Wiener filter. Simulations show that the proposed equalization algorithms outperform the existing reduced- and full- algorithms while requiring a comparable computational cost.
CloudSat's Cloud Profiling Radar After Two Years in Orbit: Performance, Calibration, and Processing

The Cloud Profiling Radar, the sole science instrument of the CloudSat Mission, is a 94-GHz nadir-looking radar that measures the power backscattered by hydrometeors (clouds and precipitation) as a function of distance from the radar. This instrument has been acquiring global time series of vertical cloud structures since June 2, 2006. In this paper, an overview of the radar performance and status, to date, is provided together with a description of the basic data products and the surface clutter rejection algorithm introduced for the Release 04 data product release.
Ram Accelerator as an Impulsive Space Launcher: Assessment of Technical Risks

The ram accelerator is a chemically powered hypervelocity mass driver that operates with intube propulsive cycles similar to airbreathing ramjets and scramjets. The launcher consists of a long tube filled with a pressurized gaseous fuel-oxidizer mixture in which a subcaliber projectile having the shape similar to that of a ramjet centerbody is accelerated. No propellants for this launch process are carried aboard the projectile; it effectively flies through its own propellant “tank”. The ram accelerator at the University of Washington has been operated at velocities up to nearly 3 km/s and in-tube Mach numbers greater than 7 in methane-based propellant mixtures. This Mach number capability corresponds to muzzle velocities greater than 7 km/s when using fuel-rich hydrogen-oxygen propellant. The combination of hypervelocity muzzle velocities and the ram accelerator’s inherent scalability to multi-ton payload sizes makes it suitable for direct space launch. Technical issues associated with the implementation of the ram accelerator technology for direct space launch applications are presented here.
Applying of process management in the “e-license” project

This paper analyzes applying of process management in government project “e-license”. Analyzing of process management implementation and creation of e-government projects on this basis is an actual task. Process management is now the most effective IT tool used to implement the process approach to government agencies, allowing not only to manage the processes online, but also to establish continuous cycle of improvement of business processes. Process management is more effective where it is required to quickly automate processes with hardcoded logic and necessity of making regular changes.
A Biologically Inspired Automatic System for Media Quality Assessment

Photo aesthetic quality evaluation is a challenging task in artificial intelligence systems. In this paper, we propose a biologically inspired aesthetic descriptor that mimicks humans sequentially perceiving visually/semantically salientIn general, visually salient regions are perceived by low-level visual features, such as the high contrast between the foreground and the background objects; while semantically salient regions are perceived by high-level visual features such as human faces.regions in a photo. In particular, a weakly supervised learning paradigm is developed to project the local image descriptors into a low-dimensional semantic space. Then, each graphlet can be described by multiple types of visual features, both in low-level and in high-level. Since humans usually perceive only a few salient regions in a photo, a sparsity-constrained graphlet ranking algorithm is proposed that seamlessly integrates both the low-level and the high-level visual cues. Top-ranked graphlets are those visually/semantically prominent local aesthetic descriptors in a photo. They are sequentially linked into a path that simulates humans actively viewing process. Finally, we learn a probabilistic aesthetic measure based on such actively viewing paths (AVPs) from the training photos. Experimental results show that: 1) the AVPs are 87.65% consistent with real human gaze shifting paths, as verified by the eye-tracking data and 2) our aesthetic measure outperforms many of its competitors.
The neural basis of non-verbal communication—enhanced processing of perceived give-me gestures in 9-month-old girls

This study investigated the neural basis of non-verbal communication. Event-related potentials were recorded while 29 nine-month-old infants were presented with a give-me gesture (experimental condition) and the same hand shape but rotated 90°, resulting in a non-communicative hand configuration (control condition). We found different responses in amplitude between the two conditions, captured in the P400 ERP component. Moreover, the size of this effect was modulated by participants’ sex, with girls generally demonstrating a larger relative difference between the two conditions than boys.
Joint Detection and Tracking of Moving Objects Using Spatio-temporal Marked Point Processes

In this paper, we present a novel approach based on spatio-temporal marked point processes to detect and track moving objects in a batch of high resolution images. Batch processing techniques are applicable to and desirable for a large class of applications such as offline scene and video analysis, and provide better overall detection and data association accuracy than sequential methods. We develop a new, intuitive energy based model consisting of several terms that take into account both the image evidence and physical constraints such as target dynamics, track persistence and mutual exclusion. We construct a suitable optimization scheme that allows us to find strong local minima of the proposed highly non-convex energy. We test our model on three batches of 25 synthetic biological images with different levels of noise. Our main application however consists of two batches of 14 remotely sensed high resolution optical images of boats which are particularly hard to analyze due to the different angles at which the images were taken and the low temporal frequency.
Distinguishing between “normal” and “excess” returns for tax policy

This paper explores the practical challenges tax policy analysts face when trying to apply differential taxation to “normal” and “excess” returns. The distinction between these two elements is being increasingly used in tax policy. The problem is that there is no clear definition for a “normal” return. While it is often equated to a risk-free return, or the return available on a ten-year government bond, many commentators agree that it should incorporate a risk element. The typical rationale for applying differential taxation stems from the desire to achieve neutral taxation, i.e. minimise the real economic responses of taxpayers due to the wedge taxation imposes between before-tax and after-tax returns. A set of important questions are raised for tax policy analysts to consider. Two crucial factors that make the distinction challenging are heterogeneity and uncertainty. Given the potential for unintended consequences, this is an important issue that warrants more discussion and thought. Politique fiscale : distinguer entre rendements « normaux » et « excessifs » Le present document est consacre aux difficultes pratiques auxquelles les analystes de la politique fiscale sont confrontes lorsqu’ils essaient d’appliquer une imposition differenciee aux rendements selon qu’ils sont consideres comme « normaux » ou « excessifs ». Cette distinction est de plus en plus utilisee en politique fiscale. Le probleme est qu’il n’existe pas de definition precise de ce qu’est un rendement « normal ». S’il est souvent assimile a un rendement sur un actif sans risque, ou au rendement d’une obligation d’Etat a dix ans, nombre de commentateurs conviennent qu’il conviendrait d’y adjoindre un element de risque. Le raisonnement ordinairement utilise pour appliquer une imposition differenciee vient de la volonte d’assurer la neutralite de l’imposition, c’est-a-dire de minimiser les reponses economiques reelles des contribuables au coin fiscal qu’une imposition differenciee produit entre les rendements avant et apres impot. Ce point souleve plusieurs questions importantes que les analystes de la politique fiscale se doivent de prendre en compte. Ainsi, l’heterogeneite et l’incertitude sont deux facteurs cruciaux qui rendent cette distinction difficile a manier. Etant donne les risques de consequences non souhaitees, il s’agit la d’une question importante qui merite que l’on en discute et que l’on y reflechisse de maniere plus approfondie.
Living Sin Papeles

In the United States, the construction of “illegality” of undocumented Latino workers is predicated upon multiple interacting social, economic, political, and sociological factors and consignment to an inferior social status, harsh living conditions, and exploitation. These “cumulative vulnerabilities” contribute to increased stressors and poor psychological health outcomes. However, little is known about these marginalized workers’ experience of negotiating life in “illegality. ” This qualitative study adopts a social constructivist perspective to examine the strategies these undocumented workers use to manage “illegality” and psychosocial stress. We conducted four focus groups with 27 participants and in-depth interviews with eight of these participants. Thematic analysis combined with constant comparison yielded the overarching theme of living sin papeles (without legal papers). Findings reveal that, phenomenologically, sin papeles extends far beyond legal status, being a condition of ever-present instability, insecurity, and hypervigilance that affects the social, work, health, and living conditions of undocumented Latino immigrants.
Competition and Cooperation in a Two-Stage Supply Chain with Demand Forecasts

We consider a serial supply chain with one supplier and one retailer. Each obtains some demand forecast information, which may be shared or not. We investigate the members' benefits from sharing information. The forecasts follow a variant of the Martingale model of forecast evolution (MMFE). We construct a simple transfer-payment scheme to align the players' incentives with that of the overall system. The main finding is that, unless the players' incentives are aligned in this way, sharing information makes little sense. It might hurt one or the other player and the system as a whole.