Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of zero-forcing detectors over MIMO flat-correlated Ricean fading channels

The bit error rate (BER) performance of the zero-forcing (ZF) receiver over transmit-correlated flat Ricean fading channels is investigated. In particular, for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel with M transmit and N receive antennas, an approximation for the average BER of each substream is derived. Then the system performance in receive-correlated flat Ricean fading channels is addressed. In this case, it is shown that the performance, when N=M, is the same as that of transmit-correlated flat Ricean fading channels. A closed-form expression for the optimum transmit correlation coefficient, which achieves the maximum capacity (i.e. uncorrelated case), is also derived. As a result, a significant capacity gain is achieved by exploiting the knowledge of the Ricean channel. Extensive simulations are presented to validate and demonstrate the performance gain with different system parameters.
Effect of 0.05% topical cyclosporine for the treatment of symptomatic subepithelial infiltrates due to adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis.

1Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul 34098, Turkey 2Department of Ophthalmology, Bayindir Kavaklidere Hospital, Ankara 06490, Turkey 3Department of Ophthalmology, Ba鬤kent University, Ankara 06490, Turkey Correspondence to: Yonca A. Akova. Department of Ophthalmology, Bayindir Kavaklidere Hospital, Ataturk Bulvari No: 201 06250 Kavaklidere, Ankara 06490, Turkey. yoncaakova@yahoo.com Received: 2014-07-29 Accepted: 2015-07-07
Association Between Insulin Resistance and Development of Microalbuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE An association between insulin resistance and microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes has often been found in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to reassess this relationship in a prospective Taiwanese cohort of type 2 diabetic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We enrolled 738 normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic subjects, aged 56.6 ± 9.0 years, between 2003 and 2005 and followed them through the end of 2009. Average follow-up time was 5.2 ± 0.8 years. We used urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio to define microalbuminuria and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) to assess insulin resistance. The incidence rate ratio and Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and development of microalbuminuria. RESULTS We found incidences of microalbuminuria of 64.8, 83.5, 93.3, and 99.0 per 1,000 person-years for the lowest to highest quartiles of HOMA-IR. Compared with those in the lowest quartile of HOMA-IR, the incidence rate ratios for those in the 2nd, 3rd, and highest quartiles were 1.28 (95% CI 0.88–1.87), 1.44 (0.99–2.08), and 1.52 (1.06–2.20), respectively (trend test: P < 0.001). By comparison with those in the lowest quartile, the adjusted hazard ratios were 1.37 (0.93–2.02), 1.66 (1.12–2.47), and 1.76 (1.20–2.59) for those in the 2nd, 3rd, and highest HOMA-IR quartiles, respectively. CONCLUSIONS According to the dose-response effects of HOMA-IR shown in this prospective study, we conclude that insulin resistance could significantly predict development of microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients.
Is Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism necessarily a disability?

This article considers whether Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) necessarily leads to disability or whether AS/HFA simply leads to “difference. ” It concludes that the term “difference” in relation to AS/HFA is a more neutral, value-free, and fairer description than terms such as “impairment,” “deficiency,” or “disability”; that the term “disability” only applies to the lower functioning cases of autism; but that the term “disability” may need to be retained for AS/HFA as long as the legal framework provides financial and other support only for individuals with a disability. Two models are summarized which attempt to define in what way individuals with AS/HFA are “different”: the central coherence model, and the folk psychology–folk physics model. The challenge for research is to test the value of such models and to precisely characterize the differences in cognitive style.
Ieee Transactions on Evolutionary Computation Genetic Drift in Genetic Algorithm Selection Schemes

— A method for calculating genetic drift in terms of changing population fitness variance is presented. The method allows for an easy comparison of different selection schemes and exact analytical results are derived for traditional generational selection, steady-state selection with varying generation gap, a simple model of Eshelman's CHC algorithm, and (μ + λ) evolution strategies. The effects of changing genetic drift on the convergence of a GA are demonstrated empirically.
PECTORALIS MUSCLE FORCE AND POWER OUTPUT DURING DIFFERENT MODES OF FLIGHT IN PIGEONS (COLUMBA LIVIA)

In vivo measurements of pectoralis muscle force during different modes of free flight (takeoff, level flapping, landing, vertical ascending and near vertical descending flight) were obtained using a strain gauge attached to the dorsal surface of the delto-pectoral crest (DPC) of the humerus in four trained pigeons (Columba livia). In one bird, a rosette strain gauge was attached to the DPC to determine the principal axis of strain produced by tension of the pectoralis. Strain signals recorded during flight were calibrated to force based on in situ measurements of tetanic force and on direct tension applied to the muscle9s insertion at the DPC. Rosette strain recordings showed that at maximal force the orientation of tensile principal strain was −15° (proximo-anterior) to the perpendicular axis of the DPC (or +75° to the longitudinal axis of the humerus), ranging from +15 to −25° to the DPC axis during the downstroke. The consistency of tensile principal strain orientation in the DPC confirms the more general use of single-element strain gauges as being a reliable method for determining in vivo pectoralis force generation. Our strain recordings show that the pectoralis begins to develop force as it is being lengthened, during the final one-third of the upstroke, and attains maximum force output while shortening during the first one-third of the downstroke. Force is sustained throughout the entire downstroke, even after the onset of the upstroke for certain flight conditions. Mean peak forces developed by the pectoralis based on measurements from 40 wingbeats for each bird (160 total) were: 24.9+/−3.1 N during takeoff, 19.7+/−2.0 N during level flight (at speeds of about 6–9 m s-1 and a wingbeat frequency of 8.6+/−0.3 Hz), 18.7+/−2.5 N during landing, 23.7+/−2.7 N during near-vertical descent, and 26.0+/−1.8 N during vertical ascending flight. These forces are considerably lower than the maximum isometric force (67 N, P0) of the muscle, ranging from 28 % (landing) to 39 % (vertical ascending) of P0. Based on estimates of muscle fiber length change determined from high- speed (200 frames s-1) light cine films taken of the animals, we calculate the mass-specific power output of the pigeon pectoralis to be 51 W kg-1 during level flight (approximately 8 m s-1), and 119 W kg-1 during takeoff from the ground. When the birds were harnessed with weighted backpacks (50 % and 100 % of body weight), the forces generated by the pectoralis did not significantly exceed those observed in unloaded birds executing vertical ascending flight. These data suggest that the range of force production by the pectoralis under these differing conditions is constrained by the force- velocity properties of the muscle operating at fairly rapid rates of shortening (4.4 fiber lengths s-1 during level flight and 6.7 fiber lengths s-1 during takeoff).
Practice parameter Food allergy : A practice parameter update — 2014

This parameter was developed by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters, representing the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI); the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI); and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (JCAAI). The AAAAI and the ACAAI have jointly accepted responsibility for establishing ‘‘Food Allergy: A practice parameter update— 2014. ’’ This is a complete and comprehensive document at the current time. The medical environment is a changing one, and not all recommendations will be appropriate for all patients.
Playing the Panopticon: Procedural Surveillance in Dark Souls

This article investigates discursive procedures in From Software’s 2011 videogame Dark Souls. By combining procedural rhetorics, discourse analysis, and autoethnographical research play, it is argued that Dark Souls features post-Panoptical gameplay mechanics of both continuous surveillance and playful exhibitionism and a hybrid gameplay experience of both subjectivation and empowerment. Players randomly confront one another in a notoriously difficult and unforgiving game space that requires commitment and perseverance. The game, it is shown, provides a metaphor for online surveillance mechanics in which players/netizens are not just democratically gazing at each other but subjected to a procedural system determining who can see whom. Simultaneously, players are offered a number of procedural methods and moral archetypes to normalize and empower them.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus in pediatric liver transplant patients

Abstract: The clinical utility of tacrolimus monitoring in adults has been well documented. The present study compared tacrolimus monitoring in a pediatric population of 34 liver transplant patients in four US centers with an adult population of 111 patients in six US centers. Subjects (adult and pediatric) were evaluated, at defined intervals over 12 weeks post‐transplantation (Tx), for tacrolimus trough concentrations and 12 additional laboratory chemistries. Pediatric patient and graft survival for the 12 weeks were 91% and 88%, respectively, as compared to 97% and 93%, respectively, for the adult population. The mean oral dosage of tacrolimus for pediatric patients was 0.13 ± 0.1 mg/kg/day at week 1, increased to 0.30 ± 0.3 mg/kg/day by week 3 and remained constant for the remainder of the study. These dosages were two‐ to three‐fold higher than the dosage used in the adult population. In contrast, the mean whole‐blood trough concentration, as determined by PRO‐Trac™ II enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), decreased from 11.3 ± 5.1 ng/mL at week 1 to 6.3 ± 3.7 ng/mL by week 12 and was not significantly different from the trough concentration in adults. The incidence and distribution of the clinical end‐points for the pediatric subjects (rejection, nephrotoxicity, death, re‐Tx) were different from those observed in adults. The total percentage of pediatric subjects reaching any end‐point was 74%, as compared to 54% in the adult population. These data indicate several differences between the adult and pediatric populations in their response to tacrolimus.
THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF PEERS, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL ON A STUDENT'S LIKELIHOOD OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL

High school dropouts pose an enormous social and economic cost to society, and while current policy initiatives in education are moving in the right direction, few explicitly tackle this issue. Extensive research has shown that certain early warning signals (poor attendance, unsatisfactory behavior, poor coursework performance) are strong predictors of dropout. Newer studies have attempted to map the dynamic set of factors driving dropout. This paper extends the early warning signals framework (the ABC's) by including explanatory variables for student drive, school experience, influence of friends/peers, and parents' goals for their child (DEFG). Each factor (with the exception of school experience) is a strong predictor of dropout, and the model has strong explanatory power (r=.213). These results indicate a need to include multiple factors in dropout prevention programs and increase focus on the student's experiences both in and out of school.
Information retrieval system evaluation: effort, sensitivity, and reliability

The effectiveness of information retrieval systems is measured by comparing performance on a common set of queries and documents. Significance tests are often used to evaluate the reliability of such comparisons. Previous work has examined such tests, but produced results with limited application. Other work established an alternative benchmark for significance, but the resulting test was too stringent. In this paper, we revisit the question of how such tests should be used. We find that the t-test is highly reliable (more so than the sign or Wilcoxon test), and is far more reliable than simply showing a large percentage difference in effectiveness measures between IR systems. Our results show that past empirical work on significance tests over-estimated the error of such tests. We also re-consider comparisons between the reliability of precision at rank 10 and mean average precision, arguing that past comparisons did not consider the assessor effort required to compute such measures. This investigation shows that assessor effort would be better spent building test collections with more topics, each assessed in less detail.
The influence of computer mediated communication on social capital: a disaggregated approach

In a work environment that is dominated by distributed work, virtual teams, and knowledge sharing, social capital enabled by computer mediated communication (CMC) has become a critically important, but increasingly more difficult resource for individuals to manage. Social capital is built on the foundation of social interactions; developing and maintaining it relies on communications that are increasingly supported by communication technologies (CT). Various studies have reported that computer-mediated communication (CMC) increases, decreases and has no effect on social capital [10]. These conflicting effects necessitate a disaggregated approach to theoretical understanding and empirical analysis of effects of CMC on social capital. In this research program, I synthesize and extend research on CMC and social capital by theorizing about the influence of CT on structural, cognitive, and relational social capital and thus on the outcomes of the social capital such as information sharing, satisfaction and performance.
Screening for autism spectrum disorders and an examination of social cognition in prisoners

Prisoners have high rates of physical and mental morbidity and of re-offending. There have been concerns that autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may be overrepresented and under-diagnosed in this population. The aims of this study were to examine the effectiveness of an instrument which was developed to screen for ASDs in prisons and to establish whether male Scottish prisoners differ from community controls with respect to facial emotion recognition, as measured by behavioural testing, and differ on a neural basis while performing complex social judgements, as measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A total of 2458 prisoners (approximately 40% of the convicted prison population) were examined using the screening tool, of whom a further 127 were interviewed in depth and were assessed for facial emotion recognition ability. FMRI was used to examine haemodynamic changes in a small sample of liberated prisoners (9) during a social judgement (approachability) versus control (gender judgments) task. The screening tool had poor sensitivity (28.6%) and specificity (75.6%) and was not effective or useful in screening for ASDs in this population. Significant deficits in negative facial emotion recognition were found in the prisoner group in comparison with ageand sex-matched community controls. Region of interest analysis of fMRI data in the bilateral amygdala revealed significantly greater activation in the left amygdala in ex-prisoners versus controls during the social judgement task. The identification of these abnormalities in facial emotion recognition and social judgement are in keeping with current literature on antisocial populations. They may offer the opportunity for development of interventions aimed at reducing reoffending in the future.
The Politics of Urban Development

In the past twenty years the study of urban politics has shifted from a predominant concern with political culture and ethos to a preoccupation with political economy, particularly that of urban development. Urban scholars have come to recognize that cities are shaped by forces beyond their boundaries. From that focus have emerged the views that cities are clearly engaged in economic competition; that market processes are shaped by national policy decisions, sometimes intentionally and sometimes inadvertently; and that the costs and benefits of economic growth are unevenly distributed. But what else needs to be said about the policies and politics of urban development? To supplement prevailing theories, "The Politics of Urban Development" argues that the role of local actors in making development decisions merits closer study. Whatever the structural constraints, politics still matters. Collectively the essays provide ample evidence that local government officials and other community actors do not simply follow the imperatives that derive from the national political economy; they are able to assert a significant degree of influence over the shared destiny of an urban population. The impact of the collection is to heighten awareness of local political practices and of how and why they make a difference.
The Role of Sialic Acid-Binding Receptors (Siglecs) in the Immunomodulatory Effects of Trypanosoma cruzi Sialoglycoproteins on the Protective Immunity of the Host

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is an important endemic infection in Latin America. Lately, it has also become a health concern in the United States and Europe. Most of the immunomodulatory mechanisms associated with this parasitic infection have been attributed to mucin-like molecules on the T. cruzi surface. Mucins are high molecular weight glycoproteins that are involved in regulating diverse cellular activities in both normal and pathological conditions. In Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the parasite-derived mucins are the main acceptors of sialic acid and it has been suggested that they play a role in various host-parasite interactions during the course of Chagas disease. Recently, we have presented evidence that sialylation of the mucins is required for the inhibitory effects on CD4+ T cells. In what follows we propose that signaling via sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin receptors for these highly sialylated structures on host cells contributes to the arrest of cell cycle progression in the G1 phase and may allow the parasite to modulate the immune system of the host.
Epigenetics Serves Genetics : Fusarium Head Blight ( FHB ) Resistance in Elite Wheat Germplasm

Current gene introgression-based approaches have made only modest progress toward the goal of developing Canadian wheat cultivars with strong resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB). Re-examining comparisons of gene induction in resistant and susceptible nearisogenic lines of ‘Sumai 3’, a well-established source of FHB resistance, suggested that resistance was conditioned by effective expression of gene alleles already present in both resistant and susceptible lines. Our alternative approach, based on modifying expression of existing gene alleles, rather than introgressing new ones, aims to preserve the valuable traits accumulated over time by breeders while changing the small number of traits needing improvement. Starting from a single seed of the doubled haploid Canadian wheat cultivar, ‘McKenzie’, successive generations of selfed lines inoculated with Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) evolved resistance to WSMV infection that became genetically fixed with repeated rounds of selection. Some of these lines also evolved improved FHB resistance which has proved stable in three years of testing. Improved resistance to leaf spots, while not specifically selected for, was also recorded in one family of lines, suggesting the versatility of such approaches to crop improvement. In a preliminary agronomic trial conducted in the absence of deliberately applied disease pressure, the evolved line with the best apparent combination of new traits confirmed its promise by equalling or surpassing its ‘McKenzie’ progenitor in the parameters that define the cultivar class. To honour the Scottish philosopher who prepared the ground for evolutionary thinking, we provisionally name this line Hume. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Trading Activity and Expected Stock Returns

Abstract Given the evidence that the level of liquidity affects asset returns, a reasonable hypothesis is that the second moment of liquidity should be positively related to asset returns, provided agents care about the risk associated with fluctuations in liquidity. Motivated by this observation, we analyze the relation between expected equity returns and the level as well as the volatility of trading activity, a proxy for liquidity. We document a result contrary to our initial hypothesis, namely, a negative and surprisingly strong cross-sectional relationship between stock returns and the variability of dollar trading volume and share turnover, after controlling for size, book-to-market ratio, momentum, and the level of dollar volume or share turnover. This effect survives a number of robustness checks, and is statistically and economically significant. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of trading activity-related variables in the cross-section of expected stock returns.
The Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies

largely been confined to the sociology of work and social movements—into the study of collective violence and collective memory. Göc xek demonstrates that the exercise of violence against another group with a shared history and indifference to the suffering of human beings that belong to a certain category are outcomes of an affective topography of a particular sort. And if the mention of collective emotions in relation to collective violence might alarm some with its echoes of mob psychology, Göc xek’s nuanced analysis should relieve these concerns. She shows how collective emotions are produced in a complex manner at the intersection of existing patterns of meaning, transformative events, and political manipulation. While political and intellectual elites seek to induce collective emotions that will favor their interests, they have to do so by drawing upon the existing affective landscape and are often themselves driven by these pervasive emotions. Denial of Violence is the product of an impressive breadth of research and offers many original insights for students of collective violence, collective memory, and the sociology of emotions, not to mention late Ottoman and Turkish republican history. It is likely to remain the definitive study of the denial of the Armenian Genocide for a long time.
What matters in college? : four critical years revisited

From the author of Four Critical Years--a book the Journal of Higher Education called the most cited work in higher education literature--What Matters in College? presents the definitive study of how students change and develop in college and how colleges can enhance that development. Based on a study of more than 20,000 students, 25,000 faculty members, and 200 institutions, the book shows how academic programs, faculty, student peer groups, and other variables affect students' college experiences.