Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel cross layer policy based priority management for radio resource allocation in 4G MIMO OFDMA system (IEEE 802.16m)

IEEE802.16m is a suitable candidate for high quality wireless communication insurance according to the mobile users' requirements thanks to its radio link flexibility using, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technologies. In this paper, we present the results of our policy which consists of a cross-layer optimization for the transmission of rtPS, nrtPS and BE applications over the downlink of an IEEE 802.16m technology. Our policy adapts well to radio channel variations, to the change in the number of transmit and receiving antennas, to data buffer size, to the adopted scheduling method for the three classes of service and the to priority management policy between users by adjusting the average throughput per user depending on the available resources, and to the fixed throughput threshold and the number of served users (network load). The goal is to ensure low latency for real-time applications, to maximize application throughput for tolerant latency services and concurrently provide equity between different classes of services.
Evaluation of antioxidant potential and reduction capacity of some plant extracts in silver nanoparticles' synthesis

The green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an active research area in nanotechnology. In the present study, antioxidant potential, total reducing capacity and silver nanoparticles' (Ag NPs) synthetic potential of methanolic leaf extracts of seven plant species were evaluated and compared. Antioxidant capacity, expressed as µmol Trolox equivalents g-1 DW (µmol TE g-1 DW), ranged from 116.0 to 1.80. The plants Rosmarinus sp. and Zataria Multiflora showed highest antioxidant capacities with IC50 of 1.07 and 1.22 mg ml-1, respectively. Total reducing capacity ranged from 7.6 to 0.17 mg gallic acid equivalent to g-1 DW (mg GAE g-1 DW). Plants with high antioxidant potentials also showed higher total reducing capacity. In fact, the order of the plants' reducing capacity was similar to that of their antioxidant potential. The same two plant species, i.e., Zataria Multiflora and Rosmarinus sp, with high reducing capacities, showed higher potentials for Ag NPs synthesis. It is concluded that reducing substances in the extracts contribute significantly to the antioxidant potential of the tested plant species, and plants with a high reducing capacity are excellent sources for the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. In addition, synthetic antioxidants have adverse effects on human health; therefore, to benefit more from the health promoting properties of plant species, evaluating their novel natural antioxidants is recommended.
The Shimer Puzzle and the Correct Identification of Productivity Shocks

Shimer (2005a) claims that the Mortensen-Pissarides search model of unemployment lacks an ampiflication mechanism because it cannot generate the observed business cycle fluctuations in unemployment given labor productivity shocks of plausible magnitude. This paper argues that part of the problem lies with the correct identification of productivity shocks. Because of the endogeneity of measured labor productivity, filtering out the trend component as in Shimer (2005a) may not correctly identify the shocks driving unemployment. Using a New- Keynesian framework with search unemployment, this paper estimates that close to 50% of the Shimer puzzle is due to the misidentification of productivity shocks. In addition, I show that extending the search model with an aggregate demand side remarkably improves the ability of the standard search model to match the moments of key labor market variables.
Asymmetrically Dominated Choice Problems, the Isolation Hypothesis and Random Incentive Mechanisms

This paper presents an experimental study of the random incentive mechanisms which are a standard procedure in economic and psychological experiments. Random incentive mechanisms have several advantages but are incentive-compatible only if responses to the single tasks are independent. This is true if either the independence axiom of expected utility theory or the isolation hypothesis of prospect theory holds. We present a simple test of this in the context of choice under risk. In the baseline (one task) treatment we observe risk behavior in a given choice problem. We show that by integrating a second, asymmetrically dominated choice problem in a random incentive mechanism risk behavior can be manipulated systematically. This implies that the isolation hypothesis is violated and the random incentive mechanism does not elicit true preferences in our example.
A New Single-Step PCR Assay for the Detection of the Zoonotic Malaria Parasite Plasmodium knowlesi

Background Recent studies in Southeast Asia have demonstrated substantial zoonotic transmission of Plasmodium knowlesi to humans. Microscopically, P. knowlesi exhibits several stage-dependent morphological similarities to P. malariae and P. falciparum. These similarities often lead to misdiagnosis of P. knowlesi as either P. malariae or P. falciparum and PCR-based molecular diagnostic tests are required to accurately detect P. knowlesi in humans. The most commonly used PCR test has been found to give false positive results, especially with a proportion of P. vivax isolates. To address the need for more sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for the accurate diagnosis of P. knowlesi, we report development of a new single-step PCR assay that uses novel genomic targets to accurately detect this infection. Methodology and Significant Findings We have developed a bioinformatics approach to search the available malaria parasite genome database for the identification of suitable DNA sequences relevant for molecular diagnostic tests. Using this approach, we have identified multi-copy DNA sequences distributed in the P. knowlesi genome. We designed and tested several novel primers specific to new target sequences in a single-tube, non-nested PCR assay and identified one set of primers that accurately detects P. knowlesi. We show that this primer set has 100% specificity for the detection of P. knowlesi using three different strains (Nuri, H, and Hackeri), and one human case of malaria caused by P. knowlesi. This test did not show cross reactivity with any of the four human malaria parasite species including 11 different strains of P. vivax as well as 5 additional species of simian malaria parasites. Conclusions The new PCR assay based on novel P. knowlesi genomic sequence targets was able to accurately detect P. knowlesi. Additional laboratory and field-based testing of this assay will be necessary to further validate its utility for clinical diagnosis of P. knowlesi.
Experimental Infection of Cattle with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)

Four calves were experimentally inoculated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/cat/Germany/R606/2006 (H5N1) isolated from a cat in 2006. All calves remained healthy, but several animals shed low amounts of virus, detected by inoculation of nasal swab fluid into embryonated chicken eggs and onto MDCK cells. All calves seroconverted.
Visual saliency detection by spatially weighted dissimilarity

In this paper, a new visual saliency detection method is proposed based on the spatially weighted dissimilarity. We measured the saliency by integrating three elements as follows: the dissimilarities between image patches, which were evaluated in the reduced dimensional space, the spatial distance between image patches and the central bias. The dissimilarities were inversely weighted based on the corresponding spatial distance. A weighting mechanism, indicating a bias for human fixations to the center of the image, was employed. The principal component analysis (PCA) was the dimension reducing method used in our system. We extracted the principal components (PCs) by sampling the patches from the current image. Our method was compared with four saliency detection approaches using three image datasets. Experimental results show that our method outperforms current state-of-the-art methods on predicting human fixations.
The effects of religious commitment on well-being : exploring the relative importance of public versus private expressions of faith

Expressions of religious commitment are found to have a positive influence on social support and promote the utilization of adaptive methods of coping with life stress. Likewise, enhanced social support and positive coping techniques are found to benefit individual mental health. Using a cutting edge tripartite conception of mental health that includes psychological, social, and emotional well-being, the relationship between public and private expressions of religious commitment (as indicated by frequency of religious service attendance and strength of religious faith), social support, coping, and well-being is explored. Path analysis performed on a sample of young adults reveals that only private religious commitment has a significant positive effect on well-being and what is more, social support and adaptive coping are the strongest predictors of well-being. The implications these findings have for the scientific study of religion and well-being are discussed in addition to relevant policy recommendations and suggestions for future
Deformable Parts Correlation Filters for Robust Visual Tracking

Deformable parts models show a great potential in tracking by principally addressing nonrigid object deformations and self occlusions, but according to recent benchmarks, they often lag behind the holistic approaches. The reason is that potentially large number of degrees of freedom have to be estimated for object localization and simplifications of the constellation topology are often assumed to make the inference tractable. We present a new formulation of the constellation model with correlation filters that treats the geometric and visual constraints within a single convex cost function and derive a highly efficient optimization for maximum a posteriori inference of a fully connected constellation. We propose a tracker that models the object at two levels of detail. The coarse level corresponds a root correlation filter and a novel color model for approximate object localization, while the mid-level representation is composed of the new deformable constellation of correlation filters that refine the object location. The resulting tracker is rigorously analyzed on a highly challenging OTB, VOT2014, and VOT2015 benchmarks, exhibits a state-of-the-art performance and runs in real-time.
The fictional onscreen depiction of looked-after young people : 'finding someone just like me'

While there is significant interest in the lives of looked-after young people, little attention has been given to the way these young people are depicted onscreen. The aim of this study is to explore looked-after young people's perceptions of these fictional depictions and the impact these depictions have on them. Drawing on Freire’s seminal text, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I adopt a participatory approach throughout. Research methods involved viewing and discussing TV and film content depicting looked-after characters with a group of young people in care, followed by semi-structured interviews with group members. The data is analysed using a modified Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis protocol. My research highlights that these young people perceive onscreen fictional depictions to be “unrealistic” and negative. These depictions have significant impact, particularly in terms of “presumed media influence”, on how these young people perceive negative depictions to influence others. The young people offer a range of suggestions in terms of better depicting looked-after characters, drawing on their own experiences of care. My research also highlights the benefit of utilising a Freirean empowerment model, in terms of raising critical consciousness, for a group of looked-after young people.
Clinicians’ views and expectations of human microbiome science on asthma and its translations

Human microbiome science examines the microbiota that live in and on the human body and their role in human health. This paper examines clinicians’ views and expectations of microbiome science in asthma care. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 10 clinicians in Canada, we explore their perspectives for insights into translation of human microbiome science. The emphasis on novelty in much microbiome scholarship, we suggest, does not account fully for the ways in which microbiome science translations may be taken up in multiple ways that are both disruptive to and continuous with contemporary biomedicine. We suggest that clinicians drew on scientific discourses of “evidence” and “facts” as a form of boundary work to re-establish a separation between western biomedicine and alternative health practitioners, and clinical expertise and lay knowledge. We conclude with a discussion of human microbiome science and the emergence of post-Pasteurian modes of health in western biomedicine.
A Systemic Smartphone Usage Pattern Analysis: Focusing on Smartphone Addiction Issue

Despite the recent massive popularity of smartphones and their impact on our lifestyles, only few objective studies have been conducted on smartphone usage patterns. In this paper, using a comprehensive smartphone usage logging system (a client app and a server), various statistical analysis results from more than 800 man-days usage logs are presented. The analysis shows 1) significant difference in usage frequency and time statistics among the applications, 2) different application category preferences between addicts and non-addicts, and 3) little usage variation between weekdays and weekends, but higher usage in night time for addicts.
STABILITY OF THE DISTANT SATELLITES OF THE GIANT PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

We conduct a systematic survey of the regions in which distant satellites can orbit stably around the four giant planets in the solar system, using orbital integrations of up to 109 yr. In contrast to previous investigations, we use a grid of initial conditions on a surface of section to explore phase space uniformly inside and outside the planet's Hill sphere (radius rH; satellites outside the Hill sphere sometimes are also known as quasi-satellites). Our confirmations and extensions of old results and new findings include the following: (1) many prograde and retrograde satellites can survive out to radii ∼0.5rH and ∼0.7rH, respectively, while some coplanar retrograde satellites of Jupiter and Neptune can survive out to ∼rH; (2) stable orbits do not exist within the Hill sphere at high ecliptic inclinations when the semimajor axis is large enough that the solar tide is the dominant non-Keplerian perturbation; (3) there is a gap between ∼rH and 2rH in which no stable orbits exist; (4) at distances ≳2rH stable satellite orbits exist around Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune (but not Saturn). For Uranus and Neptune, in particular, stable orbits are found at distances as large as ∼10rH; (5) the differences in the stable zones beyond the Hill sphere arise mainly from differences in the planet/Sun mass ratio and perturbations from other planets; in particular, the absence of stable satellites around Saturn is mainly due to perturbations from Jupiter. It is, therefore, likely that satellites at distances ≳2rH could survive for the lifetime of the solar system around Uranus, Neptune, and, perhaps, Jupiter.
Do Others Judge My Humor Style as I Do?

Abstract. Humor research has intensified in psychology over the last two decades, with the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ) being the most prevalent measure. Still, the construct validity of its four scales (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating) has not received unequivocal support. The present study uses a multitrait-multimethod approach to test the self-other agreement of the four HSQ scales with 202 targets and two knowledgeable informants per target. Employing a multilevel multiple-indicator correlated trait-correlated (method-1) (ML-CT-C[M-1]) model informed on the construct validity of the HSQ. Discriminant validities were sufficient for all scales. Convergent validity was supported for three of the four HSQ scales, except for the self-defeating scale. Similarly, the overlaps of the self- and other-reported HSQ scales with maladaptive personality as external criteria converged for all HSQ scales except for the self-defeating scale. Taken together, the present findings suggest that the self-defeating scale does not measure the maladaptive humor style it is supposed to measure.
Response Time and Heart Rate in a Moral Dilemma

Is altruism the intuitive behavior in a moral dilemma? Or is selfishness the spontaneous behavior? To answer this question, a dictator game was played in which measures of response time and heart rates were taken with treatments that slightly differ only in the cost associated with the choice of a selfish responding. We find that neither altruism nor egoism is an intuitive process for everyone; rather, altruism is intuitive for altruistic subjects while egoism is intuitive for selfish subjects so that when these subjects are confronted with the choice of the opposite, less probable options, they become more reflective by taking longer time to respond. Lastly, during the decision period, a subject that is altruistic has a higher probability of experiencing an increase in the mean heart rate than a subject that is selfish.
Impact of Lower Rated Journals on Economists' Judgments of Publication Lists: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Publications in leading journals are widely known to have a positive impact on economists' judgments of the value of authors' contributions to the literature and on their professional reputations. Very little attention has been given, however, to the impacts of the addition of publications in lower rated journals on such judgments. In our main tests, we asked subsamples of economists in 44 universities throughout the world to rate either a publication list with only higher rated journals or a list with all of these but with additional publications in nearly as many respected but lower rated journals. Our primary finding was that the inclusion of lower rated journals had a statistically significant negative impact on these economists' judgments of the value of the author's contribution. To the extent that such judgments may influence research and publication strategies our findings imply negative implications on social welfare.
Learning Horizontal Connections in a Sparse Coding Model of Natural Images

It has been shown that adapting a dictionary of basis functions to the statistics of natural images so as to maximize sparsity in the coefficients results in a set of dictionary elements whose spatial properties resemble those of V1 (primary visual cortex) receptive fields. However, the resulting sparse coefficients still exhibit pronounced statistical dependencies, thus violating the independence assumption of the sparse coding model. Here, we propose a model that attempts to capture the dependencies among the basis function coefficients by including a pairwise coupling term in the prior over the coefficient activity states. When adapted to the statistics of natural images, the coupling terms learn a combination of facilitatory and inhibitory interactions among neighboring basis functions. These learned interactions may offer an explanation for the function of horizontal connections in V1 in terms of a prior over natural images.
Brief Research Report: A User Friendly Effect Size—When Normality Matters

ABSTRACT There is a need for effect sizes that are readily interpretable by a broad audience. One index that might fill this need is π, which represents the proportion of scores in one group that exceed the mean of another group. The robustness of estimates of π to violations of normality had not been explored. Using simulated data, three estimates of π (πˆ direct, r, and rrobust) were studied under varying conditions of sample size, distribution shape, and group mean difference. This study demonstrated that r and rrobust were biased estimates of π when data were nonnormal. We recommend that neither be used in estimating π unless data are normally distributed.
On Voting Ensembles of Classiiers (extended Abstract)

We study the classiication ability of majority-vote ensembles of classiiers. A majority ensemble classiies a pattern by letting each member of the ensemble cast a single vote for the correct class and decides according to a simple majority or a special majority vote. We give upper and lower bounds on the classiication performance of a majority ensemble as a function of the classiication performances of its individual members.
Are soil lichen communities structured by biotic interactions? A null model analysis

Abstract Question: Are soil lichen communities structured by biotic interactions? Location: Gypsum outcrops located next to Belmonte del Tajo, central Spain. Methods: We sampled a total of 68 (50 cm × 50 cm) plots in gypsum outcrops from central Spain. Each plot was divided into 100 (5 cm × 5 cm) sampling quadrats, and the presence of all lichen species in every quadrat was recorded (6800 quadrats in total). We used two realistic null models to generate random communities unstructured by biotic interactions, and used them to test the hypothesis that soil lichen species co-occur less often than expected by chance. Results: We found fewer species combinations and less co-occurrence than expected by chance. However, the latter result was dependent on the null model selected. The number of checkerboard pairs did not differ significantly from the null expectation. Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that gypsiferous soil lichen communities are structured by competitive interactions. They are consistent with studies conducted with a wide variety of taxa, and fill a gap in our knowledge of the factors driving the small-scale distribution of these important organisms. Nomenclature: Tutin et al. (1964–1980) for vascular plants; Hladun & Llimona (2002–2007) and Breuss (1996) for lichens.
DIVERGENCE OF MEIOTIC DRIVE‐SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS AS AN EXPLANATION FOR SEX‐BIASED HYBRID STERILITY AND INVIABILITY

Two empirical generalizations about speciation remain unexplained: the tendency of the heterogametic sex to be sterile or inviable in F1 hybrids (Haldane's rule), and the tendency of the X chromosome to harbor the genetic elements that cause this sex bias in hybrid fitness. I suggest that divergence of meiotic drive systems on the sex chromosomes can explain these observations. The theory follows from two simple facts. First, sex chromosomes are particularly susceptible to the forces of meiotic drive. Second, divergence of meiotic drive systems can cause hybrid sterility and in viability. The main objection to the theory is that meiotic drive is apparently rare, whereas the observed pattern of hybrid fitness is widespread. I answer this objection by showing that divergence of meiotic drive systems can explain the two generalizations even if large departures from Mendelian segregation are rarely observed.
Recet Developmets I the Aalysis of Trasportatio Costs Ad Productivity

This paper reviews work on transportation costs and productivity published since 2000. With the survey of Winston (1985) as a benchmark, it addresses three questions. First, have there been significant changes in methodology since 2000 which have enabled economists to better incorporate real-world features into their cost models? Second, what are the new or revised empirical findings about the nature of transportation costs and productivity? Third, what are the implications of these findings for transportation policy?