Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On diversity and coding gains and optimal matrix constellations for space-time block codes

The design of optimal space-time (matrix) constellations for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems with quasistatic Rayleigh flat-fading channel and coherent maximum likelihood (ML) decoder is an open problem of great interest. In 1998, Tarokh et al. proposed rank and determinant criteria as guidelines for designing space-time codes. In this paper, we revisit these criteria and explore their fundamental limitations. In particular, we investigate how they characterize the role of the rank of the code difference matrix in the error probability of the coherent ML decoder and study the shortcomings of such a characterization. Motivated by the results of our study of the rank and determinant criteria, we then address the problem of finding optimal space-time constellations in the sense of minimizing the exact average pairwise error probability under the average energy constraint. We show that for any fixed space-time constellation size and block length, orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) are optimal in that sense among all space-time codes if the constellation size is not greater than 2K+1, where K is the number of the complex variables of the OSTBC. We also demonstrate that for such constellation sizes and when the number of receivers is large, the optimal constellations are regular simplex. Furthermore, we show that for any constellation size, OSTBCs are optimal among all linear dispersion (LD) codes with the same number of complex variables.
Examining the Impact of Inference Instruction on the Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Skilled and Less Skilled Readers: A Meta-Analytic Review

Inference ability is considered central to discourse processing and has been shown to be important across models of reading comprehension. To evaluate the impact of inference instruction, a meta-analysis of 25 inference studies in Grades K–12 was conducted. Results showed that inference instruction was effective for increasing students’ general comprehension, d = 0.58, inferential comprehension, d = 0.68, and literal comprehension, d = 0.28. Although skilled and less skilled readers responded similarly on general and inference outcomes, less skilled readers benefited more on literal outcomes, d = 0.97, than skilled readers, d = 0.06. Findings suggest that students can increase their inference ability and that less skilled readers gain the extra benefit of increases in literal comprehension. Findings also suggest that instruction provided in small groups is beneficial for increasing readers’ inferential understanding of text.
Interest Rates and Economic Growth: Are They Related?

Each year the Board of Trustees of the Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds projects the future financial status of the programs extending as far as 75-years into the future. These projections incorporate anticipated trends in both demographic and economic determinants of future costs. Particularly with regard to the economic determinants, the Trustees rely on past trends to project the future, and the projections of individual elements are largely independent of one another. This paper explores the long-term determinants of interest rates, and, in particular, the relationship between variations in interest rates and the rate of economic growth. Is there a positive correlation, as suggested by standard growth theory, or is the role of economic growth overshadowed by a larger array of domestic and foreign influences. Data from a number of large economies are used to demonstrate the influence of foreign interest rates in an increasingly globalized world capital market. A method is developed to adjust both long and short-term interest rates for expected inflation. The paper suggests that capital markets are highly integrated at the global level and that it makes little sense to model, analyze, or forecast interest rates within a closed-economy framework. Furthermore, there is only a weak relationship between real interest rates and economic growth. Given the complexity of global economic developments, it is unlikely that the OASDI projections can be improved by more formal efforts to model future interest rate changes.
The role of vocational identity development and motivational beliefs in undergraduates’ student engagement

The present study examined the role of vocational identity processes and motivational beliefs among 216 undergraduates’ level of student engagement (affective, behavioural and cognitive). Through regression analysis, in-depth career exploration was found to be positively related to the student engagement variables, while career self-doubt emerged as a negative predictor. Identification with commitment was also found to be positively associated with students’ affective and cognitive engagement, but not behavioural engagement. Furthermore, students’ perceived value in academic activities played a critical role in mediating these relationships. Despite the significant associations, other vocational identity processes (in-breadth career exploration, commitment making and career flexibility) and motivational beliefs (competence beliefs and perceived cost) failed to act as predictors and mediators, respectively, as hypothesised. Nonetheless, the current findings demonstrate the importance of vocational identity development in undergraduate students’ learning, and suggest a need for more identity interventions or career counselling services in college and pre-university contexts.
Risk perception of individual suppliers in e-commerce transactions

This study aimed to explore the relationship between three kinds of risk characteristics, anxiety, controllability and predictability respectively, and their effects on total risk perception, and their relationship with risk-coping behaviors in e-commerce transactions. 174 individual suppliers participated in the survey. Results indicated that: a) the correlation between controllability and predictability was high, while anxiety remained independently; b) the risk source factors of two risk characteristics were different; c) the anxiety influenced the total risk most; d) individual suppliers tended to take coping risk behaviors as much as possible. Also, part of the risk coping behaviors has significant correlation with risk characteristics.
Using Violations of Fitts' Law to Communicate during Joint Action

When people perform joint actions together, task knowledge is sometimes distributed asymmetrically such that one person has information that another person lacks. In such situations, interpersonal action coordination can be achieved if the knowledgeable person modulates basic parameters of her goal-directed actions in a way that provides relevant information to the less knowledgeable partner. We investigated whether systematic violations of predicted movement duration provide a sufficient basis for such communication. Results of a joint movement task show that knowledgeable partners spontaneously and systematically violated the predictions of Fitts’ law in order to communicate if their partners could not see their movements. Unknowing partners had a benefit from these violations and more so if the violations provided a good signal-to-noise ratio. Together, our findings suggest that generating and perceiving systematic deviations from the predicted duration of a goal-directed action can enable non-conventionalized forms of communication during joint action.
Tropopause referenced ozone climatology and inter-annual variability (1994–2003) from the MOZAIC programme

The MOZAIC programme collects ozone and water vapour data using automatic equipment installed on board five long-range Airbus A340 aircraft flying regularly all over the world since August 1994. Those measurements made between September 1994 and August 1996 allowed the first accurate ozone climatology at 9–12 km altitude to be generated. The seasonal variability of the tropopause height has always provided a problem when constructing climatologies in this region. To remove any signal from the seasonal and synoptic scale variability in tropopause height we have chosen in this further study of these and subsequent data to reference our climatology to the altitude of the tropopause. We define the tropopause as a mixing zone 30 hPa thick across the 2 pvu potential vorticity surface. A new ozone climatology is now available for levels characteristic of the upper troposphere (UT) and the lower stratosphere (LS) regardless of the seasonal variations of the tropopause over the period 1994–2003. Moreover, this new presentation has allowed an estimation of the monthly mean climatological ozone concentration at the tropopause showing a sine seasonal variation with a maximum in May (120 ppbv) and a minimum in November (65 ppbv). Besides, we present a first assessment of the inter-annual variability of ozone in this particular critical region. The overall increase in the UTLS is about 1%/yr for the 9 years sampled. However, enhanced concentrations about 10–15 % higher than the other years were recorded in 1998 and 1999 in both the UT and the LS. This so-called "1998–1999 anomaly" may be attributed to a combination of different processes involving large scale modes of atmospheric variability, circulation features and local or global pollution, but the most dominant one seems to involve the variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) as we find a strong positive correlation (above 0.60) between ozone recorded in the upper troposphere and the NAO index. A strong anti-correlation is also found between ozone and the extremes of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) index, attributing the lower stratospheric variability to dynamical anomalies. Finally this analysis highlights the coupling between the troposphere, at least the upper one, and the stratosphere, at least the lower one.
A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation

This paper proposes a paradigm for managing the dynamic aspects of organizational knowledge creating processes. Its central theme is that organizational knowledge is created through a continuous dialogue between tacit and explicit knowledge. The nature of this dialogue is examined and four patterns of interaction involving tacit and explicit knowledge are identified. It is argued that while new knowledge is developed by individuals, organizations play a critical role in articulating and amplifying that knowledge. A theoretical framework is developed which provides an analytical perspective on the constituent dimensions of knowledge creation. This framework is then applied in two operational models for facilitating the dynamic creation of appropriate organizational knowledge.
Title: Physiology of afferent neurons in larval zebrafish provides a functional 1 framework for lateral line somatotopy

20 Fishes rely on the neuromasts of their lateral line system to detect water flow 21 during behaviors such as predator avoidance and prey localization. While the pattern of 22 neuromast development has been a topic of detailed research, we still do not understand 23 the functional consequences of its organization. Previous work has demonstrated 24 somatotopy in the posterior lateral line, whereby afferent neurons that contact more 25 caudal neuromasts project more dorsally in the hindbrain than those that contact more 26 rostral neuromasts (Gompel et al., 2001). We performed patch clamp recordings of 27 afferent neurons that contact neuromasts in the posterior lateral line of anesthetized, 28 transgenic larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) to show that larger cells are born earlier, have a 29 lower input resistance, a lower spontaneous firing rate and tend to contact multiple 30 neuromasts located closer to the tail than smaller neurons, which are born later, have a 31 higher input resistance, a higher spontaneous firing rate and tend to contact single 32 neuromasts. We suggest that early-born neurons are poised to detect large stimuli during 33 the initial stages of development. Later-born neurons are more easily driven to fire and 34 thus likely to be more sensitive to local, weaker flows. Afferent projections onto 35 identified glutamatergic regions in the hindbrain lead us to hypothesize a novel 36 mechanism for lateral line somatotopy. We show that afferent fibers associated with tail 37 neuromasts respond to stronger stimuli and are wired to dorsal hindbrain regions 38 associated with Mauthner-mediated escape responses and fast, avoidance swimming. The 39 ability to process flow stimuli by circumventing higher order brain centers would ease the 40 task of processing where speed is of critical importance. Our work lays the groundwork 41
Lise ve Üniversite Öğrencileri İçin KAR-YA Saldırganlık Ölçeği Geliştirilmesi ve Psikometrik Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi Development of KAR-YA Aggression Scale for High School and University Students and Analysis of its Psychometric Properties

Ozet Bu calismanin amaci lise ve universite ogrencileri icin KAR-YA saldirganlik Olcegi adli yeni bir olcek gelistirmektir. Calismada Burdur ve Nigde illerinden lise ve universite ogrencilerinden olusan bes farkli calisma grubu kullanilmistir. Olcegin psikometrik ozellikleri icin madde analizi, acimlayici faktor analizi, dogrulayici faktor analizi, olcut bagintili gecerlik, ic tutarlik katsayisi, split-half test yarilama yontemi ve test tekrar test yontemi kullanilmistir. Acimlayici faktor analizi sonucunda dort faktorlu bir olcek elde edilmistir. 23 maddeden olusan olcegin aciklama varyanslari 0.48 ve 0.81 arasinda degismektedir. Dort faktorun toplam aciklama varyansi %51.7’dir. Olcegin cronbach alpha ic tutarlik katsayisi tum olcek icin 0.92, split-half test yarilama katsayisi her iki yari icin 0.80, test tekrar test guvenirligi katsayisi 0.86 olarak hesaplanmistir. Dogrulayici faktor analizi sonuclari da olcegin dort faktorlu yapisini dogrulamistir. Sonuc olarak, gelistirilen KAR-YA saldirganlik olcegi Turk lise ve universite ogrencilerinde gecerli ve guvenilir bir olcek olarak kullanilabilir. Anahtar sozcukler: Saldirganlik, Saldirganlik Olcegi, Lise, Universite, Psikometrik Ozellikler
Probabilistic Data Aggregation Protocol Based on ACO-GA Hybrid Approach in Wireless Sensor Networks

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), data aggregation techniques have the ability of reducing the data redundancy and the communication load. The probabilistic aggregation protocols make the dynamic routing decision, the nodes do not have explicit knowledge of downstream and upstream neighbors, and then it is difficult to obtain high aggregation efficiency. In order to address this problem, this paper proposes a new probabilistic aggregation protocol based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-Genetic Algorithm (GA) hybrid approach. The Multi-Objective Steiner Tree (MOST) is defined as the optimal structure for data aggregation, which can be explored and frequently exploited during the routing process. Moreover, by using the prediction model based on the sliding window for the future arriving packets, the adaptive timing policy can adjust the timer interval to reduce the transmission delay and to enhance the aggregation probability. Finally, simulation results validate the feasibility and the high efficiency of the novel protocol when compared against other existing approaches.
BrainTrap: a database of 3D protein expression patterns in the Drosophila brain

Protein-trap strains of Drosophila melanogaster provide a very useful tool for examining the 3D-expression patterns of proteins and purification of protein complexes. Here we present BrainTrap, available at http://fruitfly.inf. ed.ac. uk/braintrap, an online database of 3D confocal datasets showing reporter gene expression and protein localization in the adult brain of Drosophila. Full size images throughout the volume of the entire brain can be viewed interactively in a web browser. The database includes searchable annotations linked to the FlyBase Drosophila anatomy ontology. Anatomical search criteria can be specified using automatic completion and a hierarchical browser for the ontology. The provenance of all annotation is retained and the location where the annotator made the conclusion can be highlighted. Database URL: http://fruitfly.inf. ed.ac. uk/braintrap
The Financial Impact of ISO 9000 Certification in the United States: An Empirical Analysis

The ISO 9000 series of quality management systems standards, introduced in 1986, has been adopted at over 560,000 locations worldwide. Anecdotal evidence suggests that firms can achieve internal benefits such as quality or productivity improvements or that certification can help firms maintain or increase their market share, or both. Others argue that the standard is too generic to cause performance improvement but can be seen as a signal of good management. In this paper, we track financial performance from 1987 to 1997 of all publicly traded ISO 9000 certified manufacturing firms in the United States with SIC codes 2000--3999, and test whether ISO 9000 certification leads to productivity improvements, market benefits, and improved financial performance. We employ event-study methods, matching each certified firm to a control group of one or more noncertified firms in the same industry with similar precertification size and/or return on assets. We find that firms' decision to seek their first ISO 9000 certification was indeed followed by significant abnormal improvements in financial performance, though the exact timing and magnitude of this effect depend on the specification of the control group. Three years after certification, the certified firms do display strongly significant abnormal performance under all control-group specifications. The degree to which the precise results vary across control-group specifications indicates that event studies should always include extensive sensitivity analysis, for instance matching by size and performance separately and jointly, using both single firms and portfolios as controls.
OSCILLATIONS OF SUNSPOT MAGNETIC FIELDS

We report on velocity and magnetic field oscillations observed in sunspots using the MDI instrument onboard SOHO. In addition to the well-known velocity oscillations, the data clearly show highly localised oscillations of the magnetogram signal in different parts of the sunspots. We show that only oscillations of the magnetic field vector can produce the observed magnetogram oscillations, and that the observed phase relations suggest an origin in terms of magnetoacoustic gravity waves.
Internet usage in a Malaysian sub-urban community: A study of diffusion of ICT innovation

This article is about the diffusion of the Internet, an ICT innovation, in a sub-urban community in Malaysia. Introduced as a university service and then expanded by the Prime Minister’s department, the internet was chosen to show how an ICT innovation diffused in a sub-urban community, in a country where the government plays a major role in promoting the use of the internet through various initiatives. Malaysia’s internet development may spur other third world countries’ ICT development as Malaysia is seen among them as a model. The study uses Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory (2003) to verify whether the innovation was adopted by the people and to what extent. Data for the study were collected through a survey involving 357 internet users, comprising public and private sector employees, college and university students. Results of the study show that the internet is now part of the respondents’ lifestyle, and that the internet is second after the newspaper as a major source of information. Results also show that the respondents do a lot of information searching, pay their bills and conduct other online transactions through the internet. People in the sub-urban community generally accept the innovation. This study supports the diffusion of innovation theory, which says that an innovation perceived to have an added advantage, better than existing technology, would be adopted. The outcome of the study implies acceptance of public sector initiatives by the people.
qSiapa Cepat Dia Dapatq Teaching Game in Developing Early Childhood Discipline by Using a Teaching Model Based on Learning Culture, National Values, and Playing. (Case Study at a Kindergarten)

This research is influenced by the character problems in children whose discipline shown by frequent late of arrival to school that often impede the learning process in school. Many efforts have been made by the teachers to be able to resolve these issues, i.e. developing an appropriate learning model and by using various techniques including a game. Thus, the research aims to examine teacher’s perspective on a game ‘Siapa Cepat Dia Dapat (SCDD)’ and identify some challenges in implementing the game. The method used in this research is a case study of three teachers from three kindergarten in Indramayu who have been using Budaya Karakter Bangsa dan Bermain learning model and use the "Siapa Cepat Dia Dapat (SCDD)" game. The data were collected by using interviews and teachers’daily notes, and analyzed descriptively based on specific themes. The results revealed that the teachers agreed that the SCDD game of Budaya Karakter Bangsa dan Bermain model could improve the discipline of the child, thus the kids can be present in the school punctually. As for the game itself, it has some variations in the implementation, and most of the cases shown a supporting effort to the child’s discipline. There are some challenges for the teachers in the implementation of the game are on the child’s adaptation from their initial habits which sometimes made them confuse. It is explained by the other challenge that parents’motivated to children’s discipline will determine child’punctuallity at the school. Thus, teacher-parents ‘session in parenting is needed prior to the implementation of the SCDD game towards the kids. It optimise significantly the development of children’s discipline.
Hypothermia injury/cold‐induced apoptosis—evidence of an increase in chelatable iron causing oxidative injury in spite of low O2−/H2O2 formation

When incubated at 4°C, cultured rat hepatocytes or liver endothelial cells exhibit pronounced injury and, during earlier rewarming, marked apoptosis. Both processes are mediated by reactive oxygen species, and marked protective effects of iron chelators as well as the protection provided by various other antioxidants suggest that hydroxyl radicals, formed by classical Fenton chemistry, are involved. However, when we measured the Fenton chemistry educt hydrogen peroxide and its precursor, the superoxide anion radical, formation of both had markedly decreased and steady‐state levels of hydrogen peroxide did not alter during cold incubation of either liver endothelial cells or hepatocytes. Similarly, there was no evidence of an increase in O2−/H2O2 release contributing to cold‐induced apoptosis oc‐curring on rewarming. In contrast to the release/ level of O2− and H2O2, cellular homeostasis of the transition metal iron is likely to play a key role during cold incubation of cultured hepatocytes: the hepatocellular pool of chelatable iron, measured on a single‐cell level using laser scanning microscopy and the fluorescent indicator phen green, increased from 3.1 ± 2.3 μM (before cold incubation) to 7.7 ± 2.4 μM within 90 min after initiation of cold incubation. This increase in the cellular chelatable iron pool was reversible on rewarming after short periods of cold incubation. The cold‐induced increase in the hepatocellular chelatable iron pool was confirmed using the calcein method. These data suggest that free radicalmediated hypothermia injury/cold‐induced apoptosis is primarily evoked by alterations in the cellular iron homeostasis/a rapid increase in the cellular chelatable iron pool and not by increased formation of O2−/H2O2. —Rauen, U. , Petrat, F. , Li, T. , de Groot, H. Hypothermia injury/coldinduced apoptosis—evidence of an increase in chelatable iron causing oxidative injury in spite of low O2−2/H2O2 formation. FASEB J. 14, 1953–1964 (2000)