Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maximum Entropy MIMO Wireless Channel Models

In this contribution, models of wireless channels are derived from the maximum entropy principle, for several cases where only limited information about the propagation environment is available. First, analytical models are derived for the cases where certain parameters (channel energy, average energy, spatial correlation matrix) are known deterministically. Frequently, these parameters are unknown (typically because the received energy or the spatial correlation varies with the user position), but still known to represent meaningful system characteristics. In these cases, analytical channel models are derived by assigning entropy-maximizing distributions to these parameters, and marginalizing them out. For the MIMO case with spatial correlation, we show that the distribution of the covariance matrices is conveniently handled through its eigenvalues. The entropy-maximizing distribution of the covariance matrix is shown to be a Wishart distribution. Furthermore, the corresponding probability density function of the channel matrix is shown to be described analytically by a function of the channel Frobenius norm. This technique can provide channel models incorporating the effect of shadow fading and spatial correlation between antennas without the need to assume explicit values for these parameters. The results are compared in terms of mutual information to the classical i.i. d. Gaussian model.
Paired Associative Stimulation of the Auditory System: A Proof-Of-Principle Study

Background Paired associative stimulation (PAS) consisting of repeated application of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses and contingent exteroceptive stimuli has been shown to induce neuroplastic effects in the motor and somatosensory system. The objective was to investigate whether the auditory system can be modulated by PAS. Methods Acoustic stimuli (4 kHz) were paired with TMS of the auditory cortex with intervals of either 45 ms (PAS(45 ms)) or 10 ms (PAS(10 ms)). Two-hundred paired stimuli were applied at 0.1 Hz and effects were compared with low frequency repetitive TMS (rTMS) at 0.1 Hz (200 stimuli) and 1 Hz (1000 stimuli) in eleven healthy students. Auditory cortex excitability was measured before and after the interventions by long latency auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) for the tone (4 kHz) used in the pairing, and a control tone (1 kHz) in a within subjects design. Results Amplitudes of the N1-P2 complex were reduced for the 4 kHz tone after both PAS(45 ms) and PAS(10 ms), but not after the 0.1 Hz and 1 Hz rTMS protocols with more pronounced effects for PAS(45 ms). Similar, but less pronounced effects were observed for the 1 kHz control tone. Conclusion These findings indicate that paired associative stimulation may induce tonotopically specific and also tone unspecific human auditory cortex plasticity.
An enterprise model and the organisation of ERP

Many BPR practitioners have indicated that the application of information technology is critical to the success of their BPR. ERP is currently one of the most popular information systems being employed to help organisations gain competitive advantage. Companies worldwide have attempted to implement ERP systems, but failure has been experienced by many. Very often this failure has been due to managerial rather than technical issues. In this paper, the managerial and organisational aspects of ERP are elaborated upon. In particular, the experience of ERP implementation in China is emphasised, and the differences in characteristics and strategy between the ERP implementation process and the ERP system are identified. It has been found that the ERP system is a virtual enterprise or model that has its own organisational structure and normative process, and that can be managed scientifically. ERP implementation requires mapping this virtual enterprise to the status of a real entity. To map the virtual enterprise into an organisation, we proposed the IDEF methodology to cater to the macroscopic context of reengineering. IDEF provides a practical vehicle through which management and organisation are connected to the virtual ERP system for customisation, validation and documentation.
Protracted screening in the periodic Anderson model

The asymmetric infinite-dimensional periodic Anderson model is examined with a quantum Monte Carlo simulation. For small conduction band filling, we find a severe reduction in the Kondo scale, compared to the impurity value, as well as protracted spin screening consistent with some recent controversial photoemission experiments. The Kondo screening drives a ferromagnetic transition when the conduction band is quarter-filled and both the RKKY and superexchange favor antiferromagnetism. We also find RKKY-driven ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic transitions.
Role of transferrin in iron absorption.

Regulation of intestinal absorption of iron remains an unsolved and interesting problem. Conflicting evidence has been presented regarding the role of transferrin in this regulation. Earlier findings (1-3) indicated that iron absorption was not influenced when saturation of transferrin was produced. In more recent reports (4, 5) it was concluded that the iron-transferrin system probably formed the basis for regulation of iron absorption. The studies in the present report were conducted in an attempt to clarify further this problem.
Splay States in Finite Pulse-Coupled Networks of Excitable Neurons

The emergence and stability of splay states is studied in fully coupled finite networks of $N$ excitable quadratic integrate-and-fire neurons, connected via synapses modeled as pulses of finite amplitude and duration. For such synapses, by introducing two distinct types of synaptic events (pulse emission and termination), we were able to write down an exact event-driven map for the system and to evaluate the splay state solutions. For $M$ overlapping postsynaptic potentials, the linear stability analysis of the splay state should also take in account, besides the actual values of the membrane potentials, the firing times associated with the $M$ previous pulse emissions. As a matter of fact, it was possible, by introducing $M$ complementary variables, to rephrase the evolution of the network as an event-driven map and to derive an analytic expression for the Floquet spectrum. We find that, independently of $M$, the splay state is marginally stable with $N-2$ neutral directions. Furthermore, we have identif.
Estradiol Stimulates Gene Expression of Norepinephrine Biosynthetic Enzymes in Rat Locus coeruleus

Gender-specific differences in susceptibility to a number of disorders related to catecholaminergic systems, including depression and hypertension, have been postulated to be mediated, at least in part, by estrogens. In this study, we examined if estrogens may regulate gene expression of norepinephrine biosynthetic enzymes. Administration of five injections of 15 or 40 µg/kg estradiol benzoate to ovariectomized (OVX) female rats elicited a dose-dependent elevation in mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in locus coeruleus, to as great as 3-fold over control. Dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) mRNA levels were also similarly increased. To examine the mechanism, PC12 cells were cotransfected with luciferase reporter constructs under control of DBH or TH promoters [pDBH/Luc(–2,236/+21) or pTH/Luc(–272/+27 or –773/+27)] with an expression vector for estradiol receptor α. The cells were treated with 17β-estradiol (E2) for 12–36 h. E2 triggered a several fold increase in luciferase activity under control of the DBH promoter in a dose-dependent fashion. Omission of estrogen receptor α or addition of the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 prevented the DBH promoter-driven increase in luciferase. When E2 was given with 0.2 mM CPT-cAMP, reporter activity with pDBH/Luc(–2,236/+21) was increased greater than with either treatment alone. In contrast, addition of E2 to cells transfected with pTH/Luc(–272/+27) elicited no change in basal luciferase activity nor in the response to 0.2 mM CPT-cAMP. These findings are the first to reveal that estrogen can stimulate DBH gene expression. Differing mechanisms may underlie the regulation of TH and DBH gene expression by estrogens.
Chinese Named Entity Recognition and Word Segmentation Based on Character

Chinese word segmentation and named entity recognition (NER) are both important tasks in Chinese information processing. This paper presents a character-based Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) model for such two tasks. In The SIGHAN Bakeoff 2007, this model participated in all closed tracks for both Chinese NER and word segmentation tasks, and turns out to perform well. Our system ranks 2nd in the closed track on NER of MSRA, and 4th in the closed track on word segmentation of SXU.
Adaptive control for nonlinear uncertain systems with actuator amplitude and rate saturation constraints

A direct adaptive nonlinear tracking control framework for multivariable nonlinear uncertain systems with actuator amplitude and rate saturation constraints is developed. To guarantee asymptotic stability of the closed‐loop tracking error dynamics in the face of amplitude and rate saturation constraints, the control signal to a given reference (governor or supervisor) system is modified to effectively robustify the error dynamics to the saturation constraints. Illustrative numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential operators on the loop group via chiral algebras

Let $G$ be an algebraic group and let $\widetilde{\mathfrak g}$ be the corresponding affine algebra on some level. Consider the induced module $V:=Ind^{\widetilde{\mathfrak g}}_{{\mathfrak g}[[t]](O_{G[[t]]})$, where $O_{G[[t]]}$ is the ring of regular functions on the group $G[[t]]$. In this paper we show that $V$ is naturally a vertex operator algebra, which is "responsible" for D-modules on the loop group $G((t))$. Using the techiques of VOA we show that $V$ is in fact a bimodule over the affine algebra. In addition, we show that $V$ possesses a remarkable property related to its BRST reduction with respect to $\widetilde{\mathfrak g}$. This paper has a considerable intersection with a recent preprint of Gorbunov, Malikov and Schechtman.
All Friends are Not Equal : Using Weights in Social Graphs to Improve Search

When searching for a person in an online social network, most contemporary networks return source-target paths, ranked only by degrees of separation. Not only does this fail to reflect social tie strength (how well two people know one another), it also does not model asymmetry in social relationships (i.e. just because one person pays attention to another, it does not mean the latter will reciprocate). We propose that search in social networks can be made more effective by incorporating weighted and directed influence edges in the social graph, thus capturing both tie strength and asymmetry. Formally, the influence a person A has over person B is defined as the proportion of B’s investments B makes on A. We study two large real-world networks, DBLP (a computer science bibliography network) and a network formed by one month of Twitter retweet data. Our experiments show that for these social networks, the best paths according to our influence metric are not necessarily the shortest paths: a longer path is better in 68% of searches in Twitter and 45% of searches in DBLP. Furthermore, even when the best and shortest path lengths are equal, we find that the best path is often better than a random shortest path of the same length by a significant margin.
Characterization of stage VI petrocalcic horizons: S Nevada and NW Arizona

Characterization of Stage VI Petrocalcic Horizons: S. Nevada and N.W. Arizona by Amy L. Brock Dr. Brenda J. Buck, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor o f Geoscience University o f Nevada, Las Vegas Highly indurated petrocalcic soil horizons are records o f paleoclimate, and past geomorphic and pedogenic processes that have occurred in arid and semi-arid regions. This research used geomorphic mapping, profile descriptions and sampling, and micromorphological and chemical analyses to identify the geomorphic and pedogenic processes that contributed to the development o f stage II-VI petrocalcic horizons at M ormon Mesa, Nevada. Soil pisoliths are described as stage II soil pendants and nodules incorporated into the indurated horizons as rotated soil pendants with pendant lamina on their undersides and as fragments o f petrocalcic materials with pendant lamina on their undersides. These soil features record pedogenic responses to oscillations in climate from the early Pliocene to Holocene. The events that created pisolith features at Mormon Mesa include the exposure o f the upper portions o f the horizons, erosion, fragmentation, and incorporation o f these fragments into eolian deposits at the surface. Chemical and mineralogical processes that occur within these highly indurated horizons include the dissolution o f grains and formation o f pedogenic minerals such as sepiolite, palygorskite, and barite. Pedogenic barite precipitated in areas o f increased microporosity that include
Emergency Manual Uses During Actual Critical Events and Changes in Safety Culture From the Perspective of Anesthesia Residents: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: Emergency manuals (EMs), context-relevant sets of cognitive aids or crisis checklists, have been used in high-hazard industries for decades, although this is a nascent field in health care. In the fall of 2012, Stanford clinically implemented EMs, including hanging physical copies in all Stanford operating rooms (ORs) and training OR clinicians on the use of, and rationale for, EMs. Although simulation studies have shown the effectiveness of EMs and similar tools when used by OR teams during crises, there are little data on clinical implementations and uses. In a subset of clinical users (ie, anesthesia residents), the objectives of this pilot study were to (1) assess perspectives on local OR safety culture regarding cognitive aid use before and after a systematic clinical implementation of EMs, although in the context of long-standing resident simulation trainings; and (2) to describe early clinical uses of EMs during critical events. METHODS: Surveys collecting both quantitative and qualitative data were used to assess clinical adoption of EMs in the OR. A pre-implementation survey was e-mailed to Stanford anesthesia residents in mid-2011, followed by a post-implementation survey to a new cohort of residents in early 2014. The post-implementation survey included pre-implementation survey questions for exploratory comparison and additional questions for mixed-methods descriptive analyses regarding EM implementation, training, and clinical use during critical events since implementation. RESULTS: Response rates were similar for the pre- and post-implementation surveys, 52% and 57%, respectively. Comparing post- versus pre-implementation surveys in this pilot study, more residents: agreed or strongly agreed “the culture in the ORs where I work supports consulting a cognitive aid when appropriate” (73.8%, n = 31 vs 52.9%, n = 18, P = .0017) and chose more types of anesthesia professionals that “should use cognitive aids in some way,” including fully trained anesthesiologists (z = −2.151, P = .0315). Fifteen months after clinical implementation of EMs, 19 respondents (45%) had used an EM during an actual critical event and 15 (78.9% of these) agreed or strongly agreed “the EM helped the team deliver better care to the patient” during that event, with the rest neutral. We present qualitative data for 16 of the 19 EM clinical use reports from free-text responses within the following domains: (1) triggering EM use, (2) reader role, (3) diagnosis and treatment, (4) patient care impact, and (5) barriers to EM use. CONCLUSIONS: Since Stanford’s clinical implementation of EMs in 2012, many residents’ self-report successful use of EMs during clinical critical events. Although these reports all come from a pilot study at a single institution, they serve as an early proof of concept for feasibility of clinical EM implementation and use. Larger, mixed-methods studies will be needed to better understand emerging facilitators and barriers and to determine generalizability.
Diagnosis of atrial ectopic origin from the body surface ECG: Insights from 3D virtual human atria and torso

Ectopic atrial activity underlies atrial tachycardia (AT), which, may predispose to atrial fibrillation (AF). Such abnormal excitation may be reflected as an alteration in the P-wave morphology (PWM) of the body surface potential (BSP). Identifying the location of the ectopic foci from body surface potential maps, can help to diagnose the early onset of AF in a cost effective manner. However, the correlation between the PWM of BSP and the origin of atrial foci has not been well established. In this study we use a biophysically detailed computational model of the human atria and torso to investigate such correlations.
Interaction of Lysinibacillus sphaericus Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa toxin with midgut brush‐border membrane fractions from Culex quinquefasciatus larvae

The Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa mosquitocidal toxin from Lysinibacillus sphaericus was uniquely composed of a three‐domain (Cry) toxin and binary (Bin) toxin‐like protein, with high toxicity against Culex spp. However, its mode of action against the target mosquitoes is still unknown. In this study, Cry48Aa, Cry49Aa and its N‐ and C‐terminal truncated proteins were expressed and purified, and the binding affinities of the purified proteins with midgut brush‐border membrane fractions (BBMFs) from Culex quin‐quefasciatus larvae were performed. The results showed that both Cry48Aa and Cry49Aa have specific and high binding affinity to BBMFs, with dissociation constants of 9.5 ± 1.8 and 25.4 ± 3.8 nM, respectively. Competition assays demonstrated that Cry49Aa C‐terminal derivatives were able to bind to the BBMFs, whereas Far‐Western dot blot analysis revealed that its N‐terminal constructs interacted with Cry48Aa. Nevertheless, larvicidal activity was almost lost when Cry49Aa truncated proteins, either individually or in pairs, combined with Cry48Aa. It is concluded that Cry49Aa is responsible for receptor binding and interaction with Cry48Aa and plays an important role in the mechanism of action of these two‐component toxins.
The Spatial and Temporal Construction of Confidence in the Visual Scene

Human subjects can report many items of a cluttered field a few hundred milliseconds after stimulus presentation. This memory decays rapidly and after a second only 3 or 4 items can be stored in working memory. Here we compared the dynamics of objective performance with a measure of subjective report and we observed that 1) Objective performance beyond explicit subjective reports (blindsight) was significantly more pronounced within a short temporal interval and within specific locations of the visual field which were robust across sessions 2) High confidence errors (false beliefs) were largely confined to a small spatial window neighboring the cue. The size of this window did not change in time 3) Subjective confidence showed a moderate but consistent decrease with time, independent of all other experimental factors. Our study allowed us to asses quantitatively the temporal and spatial access to an objective response and to subjective reports.
Exploring social influences on the joint Simon task: empathy and friendship

Tasks for which people must act together to achieve a goal are a feature of daily life. The present study explored social influences on joint action using a Simon procedure for which participants (n = 44) were confronted with a series of images of hands and asked to respond via button press whenever the index finger wore a ring of a certain color (red or green) regardless of pointing direction (left or right). In an initial joint condition they performed the task while sitting next to another person (friend or stranger) who responded to the other color. In a subsequent individual condition they repeated the task on their own; additionally, they completed self-report tests of empathy. Consistent with past research, participants reacted more quickly when the finger pointed toward them rather than their co-actor (the Simon Effect or SE). The effect remained robust when the co-actor was no longer present and was unaffected by degree of acquaintance; however, its magnitude was correlated positively with empathy only among friends. For friends, the SE was predicted by cognitive perspective taking when the co-actor was present and by propensity for fantasizing when the co-actor was absent. We discuss these findings in relation to social accounts (e.g., task co-representation) and non-social accounts (e.g., referential coding) of joint action.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Amol City, North of Iran: A Population-Based Study (2008-2011)

Background Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease and related problems in the world . There are few population-based studies on the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection in Iran, which could not provide enough information. Moreover, the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection are not similar in all parts of Iran. Objectives The aim of this survey was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HCV infection in the general population of the city of Amol, north of Iran. Patients and Methods This was a population-based study. Using a cluster sampling approach, 6145 individuals of both genders and different ages were involved from general population of urban and rural areas of Amol, The inclusion criteria were Iranian nationality, willing to participate in the study, and lifelong residence in Amol city and surrounding areas. Anti-hepatitis C antibody was measured by a third generation of ELISA. The positive results were confirmed by Recombinant Immuno Blot Assay (RIBA) and quantitative HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Potential risk factors of HCV transmission were recorded. Results The mean age of participants was 42.70 ± 17.10 years. Of these participants, 57.2% (n = 3483) were male. Anti-HCV antibody was positive in 12 individuals from which five were RIBA positive. Three of these subjects were PCR positive. The prevalence of HCV was more predominant among males than females. The common risk factors among the study subjects included history of minor or major surgery (34.7%), unsterile punctures (21.2%), history of traditional phlebotomy (5.8%), and history of hepatitis among close relatives (5.7%). In univariate regression analysis, unsterile punctures and history of infection in family members were associated with HCV infection. Conclusions We confirm that in Amol city and surrounding areas, the prevalence of true HCV infection is 0.05%, which is lower than that previously reported from Iran.