Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation and User Scheduling for Collaborative Mobile Clouds With Hybrid Receivers

In this paper, we study the resource allocation and user scheduling algorithm for minimizing the energy cost of data transmission in the context of orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) collaborative mobile clouds (CMCs) with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer receivers. The CMC, which consists of several collaborating mobile terminals, offers one potential solution for downlink content distribution and for energy consumption (EC) reduction. Previous work on the design of the CMC system mainly focused on cloud formulation or energy efficiency (EE) investigation, whereas how to allocate the radio resource and schedule user transmission has not gotten much attention. With the objective of minimizing system EC, an optimization problem that jointly considers subchannel assignment, power allocation, and user scheduling has been presented. We propose different algorithms to address the formulated problem based on the convex optimization technique. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed user scheduling and resource allocation algorithms can achieve significant EE performance.
A Proposed Mechanism for the Pulse in Carbon Dioxide Production Commonly Observed Following the Rapid Rewetting of a Dry Soil

The rapid rewetting of a dry soil often yields a pulse in soil CO 2 production that persists for 2 to 6 d. This phenomenon is a common occurrence in surface soils, yet the mechanism responsible for producing the CO 2 pulse has not been positively identified, We studied the effects of a single drying and rewetting event on soil C pools, to identify which specific C substrates are mineralized to produce the observed pulse in respiration rates. We labeled two soils with C-glucose and measured the enrichment and pool sizes of the released CO 2 , extractable biomass C, and extractable soil organic matter (SOM-C) throughout a drying and rewetting cycle. After rewetting, respiration rates were 475 to 370% higher than the rates measured before the dry down. The enrichment of the released CO 2 was 1 to 2 times higher than the enrichment of the extractable biomass C pools and 10 to 20 times higher than the enrichment of the extractable organic C, suggesting that the CO 2 pulse was generated entirely from the mineralization of microbial biomass C. However, there was no evidence of substantial microbial cell lysis on rewetting. We hypothesize that the pulse of CO 2 is generated by the rapid mineralization of highly enriched intracellular compounds as a response by the microbial biomass to the rapid increase in soil water potentials. The drying and rewetting process also releases physically protected SOM, increasing the amount of extractable SOM-C by up to 200%. The additional SOM-C rendered soluble by the rewetting event did not contribute substantially to the rewetting CO 2 pulse. Overall, the rapid rewetting of a dry soil can influence soil C cycling in the short-term, by increasing the microbial mineralization of cytoplasmic solutes, and in the longer-term, by decreasing the total amount of SOM physically protected within microaggregates.
Air as Tamponade for Retinal Detachments

Purpose: To determine whether air can be used as a reliable tamponade agent after pars plana vitrectomy in selected primary retinal detachment (RD). Methods: Twelve eyes with fresh RD were included. Exclusion criteria were presence of fibrosis, fixed folds, proliferative vitreoretinopathy of grade C or greater, and giant retinal tears. The number, location, and types of breaks, extension of RD, and whether the macula was attached were documented. A 25-gauge 3-port pars plana vitrectomy was carried out. Central and peripheral vitreous was removed to eliminate traction and relieve tractional forces provoked by the air bubble injected at the end. Argon endolaser or cryotherapy was applied around all breaks. Filtered air was used as an internal tamponade. Patients were followed up at 24 hours, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: Air bubble took 10.7 days (range 7-15 days) to resolve. Visual acuity (VA) improved from 1.35 ± 1.21 logMAR preoperatively to 0.20 ± 0.25 after a follow-up time of 12 months. We achieved a primary postoperative success rate of 100% at 1 month and 91.6% at 12 months. Conclusions: We achieved a good success rate with air tamponade and limited laser. This approach allows for quicker VA recovery associated with a rapid disappearance of air. This may benefit patients who live at higher altitudes.
Optimal selection of disruptive effect models parameters for the reproduction of MV insulators volt-time characteristics under standard and non standard lightning impulses

In the present paper the problem of the reproduction of volt-time characteristics of MV insulators under standard and a short tail lightning impulses is considered. For this purpose models based on the disruptive effect, as proposed by Kind and modified by Chowdhuri, are applied. Aim of the paper is the optimal selection of the parameters values to be inserted in the two models for each stressing voltage shape, 1.2/50 mus (LI) and 1.2/4 mus (STLI).
Testicular metabolism and serum testosterone in aging male rats.

Male Long-Evans rats, 4 and 18 months old, were studied for age differences in competence of androgen production. Testes from these animals were incubated in vitro with labeled progesterone. In the older rats, testosterone production was significantly lower than in the young rats. Aging also resulted in a sharp decline in 5α-androstane- 3α,17β-diol production and a concomitant increase in a polar compound tentatively identified as 7α-hydroxytestosterone, but had no effects on the formation of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and 5α-dihydrotestosterone. Basal levels of serum testosterone were measured in a circadian time course in both 4 and 18 month old rats. Serum testosterone was significantly greater at all times in the younger animals with the exception of 2000 h and of 2400 h, the latter being the nadir for both age groups. Peak levels of serum testosterone were found at 0800 h and 1600 h in the young and at 0800 h and 2000 h in the older animals. Thus, the older rats exhibited reduced testos.
Stable Team Formation Among Self-Interested Agents

Autonomous agents in a multi-agent system must sometimes collaborate with other agents in order to perform complex tasks, regardless of whether they are inherently self-interested or cooperative. However, the nature of such a collaboration may vary in duration, from a single-task short-term coalition to a stable contractual alliance. The real world is replete with instances of both types of organizations. We present a multi-agent environment with self-interested agents whose aim is to perform tasks by forming simple teams with other agents. Team leaders recruit agents to join teams by proposing contracts that allocate various payoff shares to the team members. Contracts can be longterm (indefinite-length commitment with a buy-out penalty for leaving the team) or dynamic (commits the joining agent to the team only for a single task). We compare several alternative strategies for forming stable teams empirically and show that in the proposed environment, stable teams have greater organizational efficiency than dynamic teams. We also identify specific conditions and strategies for which stable teams have an advantage over dynamic ones.
Predictors of Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome in an Urban Setting: A Retrospective Cohort Study

This is a retrospective cohort study on tuberculosis in 286 patients aged between 18-60 years who had completed anti-tuberculosis treatment for a minimum of six months for patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and nine months for patients diagnosed with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in an out-patient government clinic in Johor Bahru. Patients were analysed by age group, gender, ethnicity, occupation, types of tuberculosis, smear results, presenting chest X-Ray, presenting clinical symptoms, duration of symptoms, comorbidities and relevant social history. Treatment outcomes of patients were assessed based on clinical symptoms resolution, chest x-ray resolution and smear clearance at two months, four months and six months after commencement of treatment. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Male gender, weight loss, night sweats, moderate to severe chest X-Ray findings, involvement of both lungs, smear positivity and smoking history were significant predictors of poor anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes. On the other hand, smear negativity is a significant predictor of good treatment outcomes. Males, middle aged groups, ethnicity, lower social status and homemakers were at a higher risk of developing tuberculosis and thus further studies on these population groups are required.
Does customer satisfaction lead to improved brand equity? An empirical examination of two categories of retail brands

Purpose – The objective of the present research is to examine the relationship between consumers' satisfaction with a retailer and the equity they associate with the retail brand.Design/methodology/approach – Retail brand equity is conceptualized as a four‐dimensional construct comprising: retailer awareness, retailer associations, retailer perceived quality, and retailer loyalty. Then the associative network memory model is applied from cognitive psychology to the specific context of the relationships between customer satisfaction and consumer‐based retailer equity. A survey was undertaken using a convenience sample of shopping mall consumers in an Australian state capital city. The questionnaire used to collect data included an experimental design such that two categories of retailers were included in the study: department stores and specialty stores, with three retailers representing each category. The relationship between consumer‐based retailer equity and customer satisfaction was examined using mult.
Functional Organization of the Yeast SAGA Complex: Distinct Components Involved in Structural Integrity, Nucleosome Acetylation, and TATA-Binding Protein Interaction

ABSTRACT SAGA, a recently described protein complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is important for transcription in vivo and possesses histone acetylation function. Here we report both biochemical and genetic analyses of members of three classes of transcription regulatory factors contained within the SAGA complex. We demonstrate a correlation between the phenotypic severity of SAGA mutants and SAGA structural integrity. Specifically, null mutations in the Gcn5/Ada2/Ada3 or Spt3/Spt8 classes cause moderate phenotypes and subtle structural alterations, while mutations in a third subgroup, Spt7/Spt20, as well as Ada1, disrupt the complex and cause severe phenotypes. Interestingly, double mutants (gcn5Δ spt3Δand gcn5Δ spt8Δ) causing loss of a member of each of the moderate classes have severe phenotypes, similar tospt7Δ, spt20Δ, or ada1Δmutants. In addition, we have investigated biochemical functions suggested by the moderate phenotypic classes and find that first, normal nucleosomal acetylation by SAGA requires a specific domain of Gcn5, termed the bromodomain. Deletion of this domain also causes specific transcriptional defects at the HIS3 promoter in vivo. Second, SAGA interacts with TBP, the TATA-binding protein, and this interaction requires Spt8 in vitro. Overall, our data demonstrate that SAGA harbors multiple, distinct transcription-related functions, including direct TBP interaction and nucleosomal histone acetylation. Loss of either of these causes slight impairment in vivo, but loss of both is highly detrimental to growth and transcription.
Heritable Genome Editing with CRISPR/Cas9 in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori

We report the establishment of an efficient and heritable gene mutagenesis method in the silkworm Bombyx mori using modified type II clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) with an associated protein (Cas9) system. Using four loci Bm-ok, BmKMO, BmTH, and Bmtan as candidates, we proved that genome alterations at specific sites could be induced by direct microinjection of specific guide RNA and Cas9-mRNA into silkworm embryos. Mutation frequencies of 16.7–35.0% were observed in the injected generation, and DNA fragments deletions were also noted. Bm-ok mosaic mutants were used to test for mutant heritability due to the easily determined translucent epidermal phenotype of Bm-ok-disrupted cells. Two crossing strategies were used. In the first, injected Bm-ok moths were crossed with wild-type moths, and a 28.6% frequency of germline mutation transmission was observed. In the second strategy, two Bm-ok mosaic mutant moths were crossed with each other, and 93.6% of the offsprings appeared mutations in both alleles of Bm-ok gene (compound heterozygous). In summary, the CRISPR/Cas9 system can act as a highly specific and heritable gene-editing tool in Bombyx mori.
A Study of Principal Component Analysis Applied to Spatially Distributed Wind Power

Multivariate dimension reduction schemes could be very useful in limiting the number of random statistical variables needed to represent distributed wind power spatial diversity in transmission integration studies. In this paper, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to the covariance matrix of distributed wind power data from existing Irish wind farms, with the eigenvector/eigenvalue analysis generating a lower number of uncorrelated alternative variables. It is shown that though uncorrelated, these wind components may not necessarily be statistically independent however. A sample application of PCA combined with multivariate probability discretization is also outlined in detail. In that case study, the capability of PCA to reduce the number and prioritize the order of the alternative statistical variables is key to potential wind power production costing simulation efficiency gains, when compared to exhaustive multiyear time series load flow investigations.
Robust rank-two beamforming for multicell multigroup multicast

This paper investigates robust rank-two multicast beamforming for multiple groups of users in multicell systems. We consider the practical scenario when perfect channel state information is not available at the base stations. The channel uncertainty is assumed to be bounded within a spherical region. Robust beamforming is designed to guarantee that the predefined signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio targets of all users are met for any channel instance in the bounded region. The Alamouti code is employed to double the degrees of freedom in the beamformer design. We apply the semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technique to address this nonconvex beamforming problem. Interestingly, our theoretical analysis shows that the SDR is tight when the number of users in each multicast group is no more than two and the channel uncertainty is sufficiently small.
Carbon nanotubes and their toxicity

The vital need of studying the toxicological profile of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has emerged from the rapidly enhancing utility of CNTs in the field of nanobiology and drug delivery. This review highlights the vivid aspect of CNTs’ toxicity comprising of in-vitro to in-vivo toxicological profile vis-à-vis the various potential routes of CNTs exposure. The article also underlines the various surface modifications on carbon nanotubes and its role in imparting biocompatibility to the CNTs, further suggesting their utility as a safer delivery module for bioactives.
Superlinear CG convergence for special right-hand sides

Recently, we gave a theoretical explanation for superlinear convergence behavior observed while solving large symmetric systems of equations using the Conjugate Gradient method. Roughly speaking, one may observe superlinear convergence while solving a sequence of (symmetric positive definite) linear systems if the asymptotic eigenvalue distribution of the sequence of the corresponding matrices of coefficients is far from an equilibrium distribution. However, it is well known that the convergence of the Conjugate Gradient or other Krylov subspace methods does not only depend on the spectrum but also on the right-hand side of the underlying system and the starting vector. In this paper we present a family of examples based on the discretization via finite differences of the one dimensional Poisson problem where the asymptotic distribution equals an equilibrium distribution but one may as well observe superlinear convergence according to the particular choice of the right-hand sides. Our findings are related to some recent results concerning asymptotics of discrete orthogonal polynomials. An important tool in our investigations is a constrained energy problem in logarithmic potential theory, where an additional external field is used being related to our particular right-hand sides.
Signal-Averaged Electrocardiogram in Patients With Nonischemic Congestive Cardiomyopathy

Background. An abnormal signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) has predictive value for arrhythmic events in patients with coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an abnormal SAECG could provide prognostic information in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results. We prospectively obtained SAECGs in 114 patients with dilated nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Twelve-lead ECGs, left ventricular ejection fractions, hemodynamic measurements, and peak exercise oxygen consumption (Vo2) also were measured. An SAECG was defined as abnormal by any one of the three following criteria: filtered QRS duration > 120 msec, root-mean-square voltage in the last 40 msec <20 1iV, or duration <40 pV >38 msec at 40 Hz. Sixty-six patients had a normal SAECG, 20 patients had an abnormal SAECG, and 28 patients had bundle branch block (BBB). Mean follow-up was 10±5 months. Age, ejection fraction, peak Vo2, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and cardiac index were not statistically different among the three groups. Use of antiarrhythmic drugs was similar among the three groups, although patients with BBB had more implantable defibrillators (p<0.05). The incidence of previous atrial arrhythmias was similar for the three groups. Patients with abnormal SAECG or BBB had more past episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or sudden death episodes (n =9) than patients with normal SAECG (n=1) (p<0.01). Prospectively, none of the 66 patients with normal SAECG died suddenly or had sustained ventricular arrhythmias. Two deaths occurred from progressive heart failure, and three patients required urgent transplant. In the 20 patients with an abnormal SAECG, four patients had sustained ventricular tachycardia, five patients died suddenly, two patients died from progressive heart failure, and one patient required urgent transplant. In the patients with BBB, four patients had sustained ventricular tachycardia, and four patients required urgent transplant. One-year event-free survival, i.e., absence of ventricular tachycardia and/or death, was 95% in patients with normal SAECG, 88% in patients with BBB, and only 39%o in patients with an abnormal SAECG (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that SAECG and New York Heart Association classification were independent predictors of survival. Conclusions. Patients with an abnormal SAECG had a statistically significant increase in sustained ventricular arrhythmias and/or death than did patients with a normal SAECG or BBB. This study demonstrates that an abnormal SAECG is a marker of past and future arrhythmic events in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomypathy. In contrast, patients with a dilated cardiomyopathy with a normal SAECG have an excellent prognosis with adverse outcome only from progressive heart failure. (Circulation 1993;87:1083-1092)
Evaluation of Fecal DNA Preservation Techniques and Effects of Sample Age and Diet on Genotyping Success

ABSTRACT Optimal collection and preservation protocols for fecal DNA genotyping are not firmly established. We evaluated 3 factors that influence microsatellite genotyping success of fecal DNA extracted from coyote (Canis latrans) scats: 1) age of scat, 2) preservative, and 3) diet content. We quantified genotyping success by comparing rates of allelic dropout, false alleles, and failed amplifications among consensus genotypes. We used a panel of 6 microsatellite loci to genotype 20 scat samples, each of which was subjected to 3 age (1 day, 5 days, and 10 days post-deposition) and 3 preservation (DET buffer, 95% ethanol [EtOH], and lysis buffer) treatments. Both sample age and storage buffer had a significant effect on success and reliability. Ethanol and DET buffer preserved fecal samples with similar efficiency, and both were superior to lysis buffer. Our analysis of DNA degradation rates revealed that samples collected as early as 5 days of age yielded DNA that was highly degraded relative to samples collected on day 1. We tested the influence of dietary remains on microsatellite genotyping by using scat samples consisting predominantly of insect prey (n = 5), mammalian prey (n = 9), or the remains of juniper (Juniperus spp.) berries (n = 6) and compared EtOH and DET buffer preservation efficacy. We observed a significant interaction effect between storage buffer and diet for the probability of a false allele in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), suggesting that the optimal preservation technique depended on the food remains comprising the scat. Scats comprised of juniper berry remains were more reliably genotyped when preserved in DET than EtOH. Mammalian preybased scats were more reliable when stored in EtOH than DET buffer. Insect-predominant scats were preserved in EtOH and DET buffer with similar efficiency. Although accurate and reliable results can be obtained from scats collected at ≥5 days of age, we suggest sampling design to include collection of scats <5 days of age to minimize field and laboratory expenses. We suggest EtOH preservation for scats of obligate carnivores and of facultative carnivores with a diet consisting primarily of mammals. We suggest DET buffer preservation for animals with a diet consisting of plant-derived foods. Lysis buffer protocols that we employed should not be used for fecal DNA preservation.
Comparing cortical activations for silent and overt speech using event‐related fMRI

At present, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of cortical language functions favors “silent” task paradigms with no overt speaking, due to severe motion artifacts in MR images induced by vocalization. To the extent that the neural substrate of silent speaking might differ from that of overt speaking, this is a problem for understanding spoken language. The present study combined event related fMRI methodology with a set of techniques for motion reduction, detection, and correction to further investigate overt speech and compare it to silent speech. The purpose of the study was two‐fold. We aimed to test a multiple‐step image processing protocol involving discrimination and separation of motion‐induced signals from activation‐induced signals and we aimed to use this multi‐step image processing protocol to compare the similarity of activation of cortical pathways potentially relevant to language production during silent and overt speech, focusing on Broca area and primary motor cortex as test cases. If the problem of motion artifact can be handled effectively, fMRI can add greatly to the tools available to investigate human language. Hum. Brain Mapping 15:39–53, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.