Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soft decision decoding of linear block codes based on ordered statistics

Soft decision decoding of linear block codes has been investigated for many years and several decoding schemes based on the reordering of the received symbols according to their reliability have been proposed. In this paper, we derive the ordered statistics of the noise after ordering and develop a simple algorithm based on these ordered statistics. This algorithm consists of successive reprocessing stages. For each stage, the error performance can be evaluated. For short codes of lengths up to 64, the optimum bit error performance is achieved in two stages of reprocessing, with at most a computation complexity of o(K/sup 2/) constructed codewords. For longer codes three or more reprocessing stages are required to achieve optimum decoding. The proposed algorithm applies to any linear block code, does not require any data storage and is well suitable for parallel processing. Furthermore, the maximum number of computations required at each reprocessing stage is fixed, which prevents the overflow problem at low SNR. <<ETX>>
The influence of prior visual gender and action cues versus long-term knowledge in (situated) language processing

Studies on situated language comprehension (i.e., comprehension in rich visual contexts), have shown that the comprehender makes use of different information sources in order to establish visual reference and to visually anticipate entities in a scene while understanding language (reflecting expectations on what might be mentioned next). Semantics and world-knowledge (i.e., experiential, long-term knowledge) are among these sources. For instance, when listening to a sentence like *The girl will ride. *, the comprehender will likely anticipate an object that a girl could ride, e.g., a carrousel, rather than other objects, such as a motorbike (Kamide, Altmann, & Haywood, 2003). However, following the inspection of events (featuring agents acting upon objects or patients), comprehenders have so far shown a preference to visually anticipate the agents or objects that have been seen as part of those prior events (i.e., *recent-event preference* or the preference for event-based representations; Abashidze, Carminati, & Knoeferle, 2014; Knoeferle, Carminati, Abashidze, & Essig, 2011). This preference emerged even when other plausible objects or better stereotypically fitting agents were present. Although the preference for event-based information over other sources (e.g., plausibility or stereotypicality) seems to be strong and has been accommodated in accounts of situated language comprehension (Knoeferle & Crocker, 2006, 2007), its nature when comprehenders generate expectations is still unspecified. Crucially, the preference for recent events has not been generalized from action events to other types of information in the visual and linguistic contexts. To further examine this issue, this thesis investigated the role of a particular type of information during situated language comprehension under the influence of prior events, namely, visual gender and action cues and knowledge about gender stereotypes. As many studies in the field of psycholinguistics have highlighted, gender (both a biological and a social feature of human beings) is relevant in language comprehension (e.g., grammatical gender can serve to track reference in discourse, and gender-stereotype knowledge can bias our interpretation of a sentence). However, little psycholinguistic research has examined the comprehension of gender information in a visual context. We argue that gender is worth exploring in a paradigm where prior event representations can be pitted against long-term knowledge. Not only that, inspired by experiments using mismatch designs, we wanted to see how the visual attention of the comprehender might be affected as a function of referential incongruencies (i.e., mismatches between visual events and linguistic information, e.g., Knoeferle, Urbach, & Kutas, 2014; Vissers, Kolk, Van de Meerendonk, & Chwilla, 2008; Wassenaar & Hagoort, 2007) and incongruences at the level of worldknowledge (i.e., gender stereotypes; e.g., Duffy & Keir, 2004; Kreiner, Sturt, & Garrod, 2008). By doing so, we could get insights into how both types of…
Decreased mRNA and Protein Expression of BDNF, NGF, and their Receptors in the Hippocampus from Suicide: An Analysis in Human Postmortem Brain

Despite the devastating effect of suicide on numerous lives, there is still a lack of knowledge concerning its neurochemical aspects. There is increasing evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression through binding and activating their cognate receptors TrkB and TrkA respectively. The present study was performed to examine whether the expression profiles of BDNF and/or TrkB as well as NGF and/or TrkA were altered in the hippocampus of postmortem brain of the participants, who had committed suicide and whether these alterations were associated with specific psychopathologic conditions. These studies were performed on the hippocampus of 21 suicide victims and 19 non-psychiatric control individuals. The protein and mRNA levels of BDNF, TrkB, NGF, and TrkA were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot and reverse transcription-PCR. Given the importance of BDNF and NGF and their cognate receptors in mediating physiological functions, including cell survival and synaptic plasticity, our findings of reduced expression of BDNF, TrkB, NGF, and TrkA on both the protein and mRNA levels of postmortem brains of suicide victims suggest that these molecules may play an important role in the pathophysiological aspects of suicidal behavior.
Distributed greedy sensor scheduling for model-based reconstruction of space-time continuous physical phenomena

A novel distributed sensor scheduling method for large-scale sensor networks observing space-time continuous physical phenomena is introduced. In a first step, the model of the distributed phenomenon is spatially and temporally decomposed leading to a linear probabilistic finite-dimensional model. Based on this representation, the information gain of sensor measurements is evaluated by means of the so-called covariance reduction function. For this reward function, it is shown that the performance of the greedy sensor scheduling is at least half that of the optimal scheduling considering long-term effects. This finding is the key for distributed sensor scheduling, where a central processing unit or fusion center is unnecessary, and thus, scaling as well as reliability is ensured. Hence, greedy scheduling in combination with a proposed hierarchical communication scheme requires only local sensor information and communication.
T cell-derived B cell differentiation factor(s). Effect on the isotype switch of murine B cells

Culturing BALB/c B cells for 6 d at low cell density in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) results in the appearance of a small number of IgG plaque-forming cells (PFC). The addition of supernatants from concanavalin A (Con A)-induced alloreactive (AKR anti-B6) long-term T cell lines (PK 7.1.1a and 7.1.2) or a T cell hybridoma (FS7-6.18) to LPS-treated B cells resulted in a marked increase in IgG PFC (3--10- fold higher than in cultures treated with LPS alone. The number of induced IgG PFC was not affected by removing IgG-bearing cells on the fluorescence-activated cell sorter, indicating that T cell-derived B cell differentiation factor enhances isotype switching of sIgG- cells, rather than selecting and expanding pre-existing subpopulations of sIgG+ cells. We also investigated the subclass of IgG produced in the absence or presence of T cell factors and found that PK 7.1.1a, PK 7.1.2, and FS7-6.18 supernatants selectively increased IgG1 production. Several other T cell supernatants containing a variety of lymphokines had no effect, suggesting that PK 7.1.1a, PK 7.1.2, and FS7-6.18 lines produce factor(s) that can specifically enhance the recovery of IgG secreting cells in culture in the presence of LPS. These factors, which we have termed B cell differentiation factors, are different from interleukin 1, interleukin 2, T cell-replacing factor, colony- stimulating factor, macrophage-activating factor, and immune interferon. Our results suggest that soluble factors produced by T cell lines and hybridomas can markedly influence both the class and subclass of Ig produced by B cells.
Abrupt climatic events during the last glacial‐interglacial transition in Alaska

Evidence is mounting that abrupt climatic shifts occurred during the last glacial‐interglacial transition (LGIT) in the North Atlantic and other regions. However, few high‐resolution climatic records of the LGIT exist from the high latitudes of the North Pacific rim. We analyzed lake sediments from southwestern Alaska for biogenic silica, organic carbon, organic nitrogen, diatom assemblages, and compound‐specific hydrogen isotopes. Results reveal climatic changes coincident with the Younger Dryas, Intra‐Allerød Cold Period, and Pre‐Boreal Oscillation. However, major discrepancies exist in the paleoclimate patterns of the Bølling‐Allerød interstadial between our data and the GISP2 δ18O record from Greenland, and causes are uncertain. These data suggest that the North Pacific and North Atlantic experienced similar reversals during climatic warming of the LGIT but that the Bølling‐Allerød cooling trend in the GISP2 δ18O record is probably not a hemispheric or global pattern.
Rated M for Monkey: An Ethnographic Study of Parental Information Behavior when Assessing Video Game Content for their Children

Following the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011), which struck down the state of California’s appeal to restrict the sale of games deemed to have “deviant violence” to those 18 or older and the court’s recommendation that parents use the ESRB Ratings System instead, this ethnographic study sought to better understand what parents thought of laws on video games and how they used the recommended ratings system. A total of 30 interviews using semi-structured open-ended questions were conducted and analyzed to reveal what parents thought of laws on video games, how they used the ESRB Ratings System to assess video game content, and what other methods they used for video game content assessment in addition to the ratings system. This research utilized Dervin and Nilan’s (1986) sense-making methodology as a way to learn how parents bridged their knowledge gap when it came to learning about video game content and how they made sense of the knowledge gained to determine the content appropriateness for their children. Analyses of the collected data provided the foundation for a model on the effects of the parent-child relationship on parental information behavior.
Polymorphisms in the IFNγ, IL-10, and TGFβ Genes May Be Associated with HIV-1 Infection

Objective. This study investigated possible associations between the TNFα-308G/A, IFN+874A/T, IL-6-174C/G, IL-10-1082A/G, and TGFβ-509C/T polymorphisms with HIV-1 infection, in addition to correlation of the polymorphisms with clinical markers of AIDS progression, such as levels of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes and plasma viral load. Methods. A total of 216 individuals who were infected with HIV-1 and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 294 individuals from the uninfected control group were analyzed. Results. All individuals evaluated were negative for total anti-HBc, anti-HCV, anti-T. pallidum, and anti-HTLV-1/2. The polymorphisms were identified by PCR-RFLP. Individuals presenting the IFN+874A allele as well as the AA genotype were more frequent in the HIV-1 infected group compared to the control group (P < 0.05), in addition to having lower levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes. The CD8+ T lymphocytes count was significantly lower in individuals with the IL-10-1082 GG genotype. The TGFβ-509TT genotype was associated with higher plasma viral load. Conclusions. The results suggest that the presence of the IFN+874A allele confers susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and a decrease in the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes. In addition, the genotype associated with high serum levels of TGFβ may be associated with an increase in plasma viral load.
An optimization framework for embedded processors with auto-addressing mode

Modern embedded processors with dedicated address generation unit support memory accesses through auto-increment/decrement addressing mode. The auto-increment/decrement mode, if properly utilized, can save address arithmetic instructions, reduce static and dynamic memory footprint of the program, and speed up the execution as well. Liao [1995, 1996] categorized this problem as Simple Offset Assignment (SOA) and General Offset Assignment (GOA), which involves storage layout of variables and assignment of address registers, respectively, proposing several heuristic solutions. This article proposes a new direction for investigating the solution space of the problem. The general idea [Zhuang 2003] is to perform simplification of the underlying access graph through coalescence of the memory locations of program variables. A comprehensive framework is proposed including coalescence-based offset assignment and post/pre-optimization. Variables not interfering with others (not simultaneously live at any program point) can be coalesced into the same memory location. Coalescing allows simplifications of the access graph yielding better SOA solutions; it also reduces the address register pressure to such low values that some GOA solutions become optimal. Moreover, it can reduce the memory footprint both statically and at runtime for stack variables. Our second optimization (post/pre-optimization) considers both post- and pre-modification mode for optimizing code across basic blocks, which makes it useful. Making use of both addressing modes further reduces SOA/GOA cost and our post/pre-optimization phase is optimal in selecting post or pre mode after variable offsets have been determined. We have shown the advantages of our framework over previous approaches to capture more opportunities to reduce both stack size and SOA/GOA cost, leading to more speedup.
Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users' Life Satisfaction?

The wealth of social information presented on Facebook is astound- ing. While these affordances allow users to keep up-to-date, they also produce a basis for social comparison and envy on an unprecedented scale. Even though envy may endanger users' life satisfaction and lead to platform avoidance, no study exists uncovering this dynamics. To close this gap, we build on responses of 584 Facebook users collected as part of two independent studies. In study 1, we explore the scale, scope, and nature of envy incidents triggered by Face- book. In study 2, the role of envy feelings is examined as a mediator between intensity of passive following on Facebook and users' life satisfaction. Con- firming full mediation, we demonstrate that passive following exacerbates envy feelings, which decrease life satisfaction. From a provider's perspective, our findings signal that users frequently perceive Facebook as a stressful environ- ment, which may, in the long-run, endanger platform sustainability.
Impact of the small-scale elongated filaments on the oceanic vertical pump.

Oceanic mesoscale eddies (with a diameter of 50-100 km) are known to be associated with significant vertical tracer fluxes in the upper few hundred meters. In particular, they are important for the biogeochemical system, accounting for 20-30% of the vertical nutrient transport. However, estimates of the global tracer fluxes neglect the role played by thin elongated filaments (with a width of 5-10 km). These sub-mesoscale structures are produced by eddy interactions and ubiquitous in regions between eddies. We use a Surface Quasi-Geostrophic model to quantify their impact on the net vertical tracer flux into the surface layers. We show that eddy interactions are an important source of tracer injection because they lead to the production of filaments and to large vertical velocities within these structures. This is attributed to the frontogenetic dynamics induced by the horizontal stirring processes. When taking into account this process for the global statistics of tracer injection, the tracer flux associated with the filaments is as significant as that associated with the eddies. This outcome points out the necessity to explicitly include the filamentation process in global ocean model studies.
Arecibo timing and single‐pulse observations of 17 pulsars

We report on timing and single-pulse observations of 17 pulsars discovered at the Arecibo Observatory. The highlights of our sample are the recycled pulsars J1829+2456, J1944+0907 and the drifting subpulses observed in PSR J0815+0939. For the double neutron star binary J1829+2456, in addition to improving upon our existing measurement of relativistic periastron advance, we have now measured the pulsar’s spin-period derivative. This new result sets an upper limit on the transverse speed of 120 km s −1 and a lower limit on the characteristic age of 12.4 Gyr. From our measurement of proper motion of the isolated 5.2-ms pulsar J1944+0907, we infer a transverse speed of 188 ± 65 km s −1 . This is higher than that of any other isolated millisecond pulsar. An estimate of the speed, using interstellar scintillation, of 235 ± 45 km s −1 indicates that the scattering medium along the line of sight is non-uniform. We discuss the drifting subpulses detected from three pulsars in the sample, in particular the remarkable drifting subpulse properties of the 645-ms pulsar J0815+0939. Drifting is observed in all four components of the pulse profile, with the sense of drift varying among the different components. This unusual ‘bi-drifting’ behaviour challenges standard explanations of the drifting subpulse phenomenon.
Combination Data Mining Methods with New Medical Data to Predicting Outcome of Coronary Heart Disease

The prediction of survival of Coronary heart disease (CHD) has been a challenging research problem for medical society. The goal of this paper is to develop data mining algorithms for predicting survival of CHD patients based on 1000 cases . We carry out a clinical observation and a 6-month follow up to include 1000 CHD cases. The survival information of each case is obtained via follow up. Based on the data, we employed three popular data mining algorithms to develop the prediction models using the 502 cases. We also used 10-fold cross-validation methods to measure the unbiased estimate of the three prediction models for performance comparison purposes. The results indicated that the SVM is the best predictor with 92.1 % accuracy on the holdout sample artificial neural networks came out to be the second with91.0% accuracy and the decision trees models came out to be the worst of the three with 89.6% accuracy. The comparative study of multiple prediction models for survival of CHD patients along with a 10-fold cross-validation provided us with an insight into the relative prediction ability of different data.
Flow Chamber System for the Statistical Evaluation of Bacterial Colonization on Materials

Biofilm formation on materials leads to high costs in industrial processes, as well as in medical applications. This fact has stimulated interest in the development of new materials with improved surfaces to reduce bacterial colonization. Standardized tests relying on statistical evidence are indispensable to evaluate the quality and safety of these new materials. We describe here a flow chamber system for biofilm cultivation under controlled conditions with a total capacity for testing up to 32 samples in parallel. In order to quantify the surface colonization, bacterial cells were DAPI (4`,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)-stained and examined with epifluorescence microscopy. More than 100 images of each sample were automatically taken and the surface coverage was estimated using the free open source software g’mic, followed by a precise statistical evaluation. Overview images of all gathered pictures were generated to dissect the colonization characteristics of the selected model organism Escherichia coli W3310 on different materials (glass and implant steel). With our approach, differences in bacterial colonization on different materials can be quantified in a statistically validated manner. This reliable test procedure will support the design of improved materials for medical, industrial, and environmental (subaquatic or subaerial) applications.
Association of FTO Common RS9939609 Polymorphism with Obesity and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Pakistani Women

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women in their child bearing age. It has heterogeneous complexity with the prevalence of up to 10% worldwide [1]. PCOS is characterized by chronic an ovulation, hyper-androgenism and polycystic ovaries on gynecologic ultrasonography [2,3]. Women with PCOS presented with reproductive complexities, metabolic implications of glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease [4-6]. Women with PCOS also presented with psychological problems due to the multiple physical, reproductive and metabolic manifestation [1,7]. The causative gene FTO (fat mass and obesity associated gene) was mapped in humans to chromosome 16q12.2 and was found to be expressed in various human tissues like brain, pancreatic islets, liver and heart development and also has role weight regulation [8,9]. The FTO protein regulates energy metabolism to increase the obesity risk [10]
Prevalence of Endemic Pig-Associated Zoonoses in Southeast Asia: A Review of Findings from the Lao People's Democratic Republic

The increasing intensification of pork production in southeast Asia necessitates an urgent requirement to better understand the dual impact of pig-associated zoonotic disease on both pig production and human health in the region. Sharing porous borders with five countries and representing many regional ethnicities and agricultural practices, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) appears well placed to gauge the levels of pig-associated zoonoses circulating in the wider region. Despite this, little is known about the true impact of zoonotic pathogens such as leptospirosis, Trichinella, hepatitis E virus (HEV), Japanese encephalitis (JE), and Taenia solium on human health and livestock production in the country. A comprehensive review of the published prevalences of these five pig-associated zoonoses in Lao PDR has demonstrated that although suspicion remains high of their existence in pig reservoirs across the country, epidemiological data are scarce; only 31 epidemiological studies have been undertaken on these diseases in the past 25 years. A greater understanding of the zoonoses prevalence and subsequent risks associated with pork production in the southeast Asian region could help focus public health and food safety interventions at key points along the value chain, benefiting both livestock producers and the broader animal and human health systems in the region.
GENOME SEQUENCING AND ITS IMPACT ON HEMATOLOGY Genetic sequence analysis of inherited bleeding diseases

The coagulation factor genes were among the first to be cloned and sequenced, beginning in the early 1980s. Now, in 2013, the detailed genetic structure of all of the identified constituents of the hemostatic process is well documented. The purpose of this minireview is to highlight current knowledge and the potential translational utility of genetic sequence information for 3 categories of bleeding disease: (1) the common inherited bleeding disorders, hemophilia A, B, and von Willebrand disease (VWD); (2) the rare inherited coagulation factor deficiencies; and (3) inherited platelet disorders resulting in a bleeding phenotype. In light of the varying lengths of time since the initial genetic characterization of these various components of the hemostatic system, the extent of detailed information presented in this review is similarly variable.