Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feedback capacity of the first-order moving average Gaussian channel

The feedback capacity of the stationary Gaussian additive noise channel has been open, except for the case where the noise is white. Here we obtain the closed-form feedback capacity of the first-order moving average additive Gaussian noise channel. Specifically, the channel is given by Y<sub>i</sub> = X<sub>i</sub> + Z<sub>i</sub>, i = 1,2,. , where the input {X<sub>i</sub>} satisfies average power constraint and the noise {Z<sub>i</sub>} is a first-order moving average Gaussian process defined by Z<sub>i</sub> = alphaU<sub>i-1</sub> + U <sub>i</sub>, |alpha| les 1, with white Gaussian innovation {U<sub>i </sub>}<sub>i=0</sub> <sup>infin</sup>. We show that the feedback capacity of this channel is -log x<sub>0</sub>, where x<sub>0</sub> is the unique positive root of the equation rhox<sup>2</sup> = (1 - x<sup>2</sup>)(1 - |alpha|x)<sup>2</sup>, and rho is the ratio of the average input power per transmission to the variance of the noise innovation U<sub>i</sub>. The optimal coding scheme parallels the simple linear signalling scheme by Schalkwijk and Kailath for the additive white Gaussian noise channel; the transmitter sends a real-valued information-bearing signal at the beginning of communication, then subsequently processes the feedback noise process through a simple linear stationary first-order autoregressive filter to help the receiver recover the information by maximum likelihood decoding. The resulting probability of error decays doubly exponentially in the duration of the communication. This feedback capacity of the first-order moving average Gaussian channel is very similar in form to the best known achievable rate for the first-order autoregressive Gaussian noise channel studied by Butman, Wolfowitz, and Tiernan, although the optimality of the latter is yet to be established
Microscale mineralization pathways in surface sediments: A chemical sensor study in Lake Baikal

We used an array of ion‐selective electrodes (oxygen [O2], hydrogen [H+], carbonate [CO32‐], calcium [Ca2+], ammonium [NH4+], and nitrate [NO3‐]) with a micromanipulator to study mineralization processes in the surface sediments in Lake Baikal. Concentration profiles at submillimeter resolution were measured in sediment cores from four depths (160‐1,400 m) in the South Basin. Oxidation rates of organic carbon (C) estimated from O2 and NO3‐ profiles measured in March and July 2001 ranged between 2.2 and 4.9 mmol C m‐2 d‐1. The characteristic shape of the O2 profiles allowed separation of oxidation of organic carbon from reoxidation of reduced compounds at the oxic‐anoxic boundary. Of the benthic carbon turnover, 60‐75% was metabolized through oxic respiration and 11‐28% through anoxic mineralization. The remainder (12‐14%) was due to denitrification. Carbon dioxide (CO2) profiles calculated from O2 agreed well with those from pH and CO32‐, supporting the concept that oxic respiration was the prevailing mineralization pathway. Alkalinity balance calculated from flux rates of reduced compounds and bicarbonate (HCO3‐) calculated from pH and CO32‐ profiles showed that the sediment was a sink for alkalinity. The flux rates in the range of 0.13‐1.0 mmol m‐2 d‐1 were caused by buffering the hydrogen ions (H+) generated from reoxidation processes of reduced compounds. Potential dark CO2 assimilation by chemoautotrophic bacteria in the sediment was 0.03‐0.1 mmol C m‐2 d‐1. Because of the long O2 exposure time of 25‐2,500 yr, however, only 3‐14% of the initially settled organic carbon was finally buried in the sediments, forming the paleolimnological record of Lake Baikal.
Identification of candidate lung cancer susceptibility genes in mouse using oligonucleotide arrays

We applied microarray gene expression profiling to lungs from mouse strains having variable susceptibility to lung tumour development as a means to identify, within known quantitative trait loci (QTLs), candidate genes responsible for susceptibility or resistance to lung cancer. At least eight chromosomal regions of mice have been mapped and verified to be linked with lung tumour susceptibility or resistance. In this study, high density oligonucleotide arrays were used to measure the relative expression levels of >36 000 genes and ESTs in lung tissues of A/J, BALB/cJ, SM/J, C3H/HeJ, and C57BL/6J mice. A number of differentially expressed genes were found in each of the lung cancer susceptibility QTLs. Bioinformatic analysis of the differentially expressed genes located within QTLs produced 28 susceptibility candidates and 22 resistance candidates. These candidates may be extremely helpful in the ultimate identification of the precise genes responsible for lung tumour susceptibility or resistance in mice and, through follow up, humans. Complete data sets are available at http://thinker.med.ohio-state.edu.
[Conservation of endangered species resources of Tibetan medicine in China].

OBJECTIVE To further investigate and discuss the cause of species endangerment, the status and present problem of conservation of traditional Tibetan medicine in China. METHOD Previous relevant investigations and literatures were summed up in the field. The present situation of conservation of traditional Tibetan medicine was analyzed. RESULT The status of endangered resources, cause of species endangerment, the conserving status and conserving measures etc were elaborated. The classification was made and suggestion of species conservation of traditional Tibetan medicine were put forward. CONCLUSION The endangered species conservation of traditional Tibetan medicine was carried out by building protective area of endangered species resources and plant garden, setting up germplasm bank, developing the domestication and cultivation of Tibetan medicinal herbs most in use, strengthening the investigation and study of endangered species, launching exchange and cooperation of conservation techniques on endangered species, enhancing the protective awareness of endangered species traditional Tibetan medicine etc. By so doing we can facilitate the sustainable development of traditional Tibetan medicine in China.
Naloxone decreases tolerance to hypotensive, hypovolemic stress in healthy humans

Objective: In animal studies, naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, improves tolerance to hemorrhagic shock. The purpose of this study was to determine whether naloxone would augment tolerance to hypotensive hypovolemic stress (lower body negative pressure [LBNP]) in healthy human males. Design: This study was a repeated measures design. Setting: The experiments were conducted in a laboratory setting. Subjects: Eight healthy male subjects were tested. The subjects' ages were 30 ± 4.0 yrs, height = 177 ± 7.0 cm, and weight = 75.5 ± 3.5 kg (mean ± SEM). Interventions: Subjects underwent two LBNP exposures terminated by the onset of vasodepression. At each of the exposures, using a double‐blind procedure, the subjects received an intravenous injection of either saline placebo or naloxone in a dosage totaling 0.4 mg/kg. Measurements: Tolerance to the hypovolemic stress, heart rate, blood pressures, forearm blood flow, forearm vascular resistance were measured. Main Results: Naloxone reduced the tolerance to LBNP by 17%. Heart rate and blood pressure responses immediately before vasodepression were also attenuated by naloxone as compared with placebo. Forearm blood flow and vascular resistance were not altered by naloxone. Conclusion: Our results indicate that unlike animal models of hemorrhagic shock, blocking the opioid receptors in males reduced tolerance to a hypotensive hypovolemic stress.
When the ends outweigh the means: Mood and level of identification in depression

Research in healthy controls has found that mood influences cognitive processing via level of action identification: happy moods are associated with global and abstract processing; sad moods are associated with local and concrete processing. However, this pattern seems inconsistent with the high level of abstract processing observed in depressed patients, leading Watkins (2008, 2010) to hypothesise that the association between mood and level of goal/action identification is impaired in depression. We tested this hypothesis by measuring level of identification on the Behavioural Identification Form after happy and sad mood inductions in never-depressed controls and currently depressed patients. Participants used increasingly concrete action identifications as they became sadder and less happy, but this effect was moderated by depression status. Consistent with Watkins' (2008) hypothesis, increases in sad mood and decreases in happiness were associated with shifts towards the use of more concrete action identifications in never-depressed individuals, but not in depressed patients. These findings suggest that the putatively adaptive association between mood and level of identification is impaired in major depression.
The Science and Ethics of Causal Modeling

The intrinsic schism between causal and associational relations presents profound ethical and methodological challenges to researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, ranging from the statement of a problem, to the implementation of a study, to the reporting of finding. This paper describes a causal modeling framework that mitigates these challenges by offering a simple, yet formal and principled methodology for causal analysis in empirical research. The framework is based on the Structural Causal Model (SCM) described in [Pearl, 2000b] – a nonparametric extension of structural equation models that provides a mathematical foundation and a friendly calculus for the analysis of causes and counterfactuals. In particular, the paper establishes a methodology for inferring (from a combination of data and assumptions) answers to three types of causal queries: (1) queries about the effects of potential interventions, (also called “causal effects” or “policy evaluation”), (2) queries about probabilities of counterfactuals, (including assessment of “regret,” “attribution,” or “causes of effects”), and (3) queries about direct and indirect effects (also known as “mediation” or “effect decomposition”). Finally, the paper defines the formal and conceptual relationships between the structural and potentialoutcome frameworks and demonstrates a symbiotic analysis that uses the strong features of both.
Incidental and Task-Related Affect: A Re-Inquiry and Extension of the Influence of Affect on Choice

We examine the interplay between incidental affect and task-related affect in the context of consumer choice. Specifically, we examine the differential impact of two discrete negative affective states-anger and sadness-vis--vis a neutral affective state. We replicate Luce's ( 1998 ) finding that people are more likely to rely on a status quo option when they have to make emotionally difficult trade-offs. However, incidental affect moderates this effect such that angry individuals are more influenced by task-related affect, while sadness is less influenced by it. These findings support our thesis that consumers experiencing different negative emotions display differential reliance on avoidance choice strategies such as choosing the status quo. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc.
Entrepreneurial leadership competencies among Malaysian university student entrepreneurial leaders

Developments in entrepreneurial leadership as a distinct area of both research and practice raised many questions about the personal competencies of entrepreneurial leaders that enable them to successfully lead entrepreneurial endeavours. Although identifying entrepreneurs' specific capabilities has been one of the main focuses of entrepreneurship researchers, our knowledge is limited about personal leadership competencies required in entrepreneurial contexts. This qualitative study aimed to explore the personal competencies of undergraduate student entrepreneurial leaders in four Malaysian universities. Fourteen student entrepreneurial leaders were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Analysis of the semi-structured and in-depth interviews revealed different dimensions of proactiveness and innovativeness as previously identified competencies of entrepreneurial leaders for the student entrepreneurial leaders. Furthermore, love of challenges and versatility emerged as the personal competencies of the students. Implication of the findings and suggestions for developing entrepreneurial leadership competencies in university students through purposeful interventions are proposed.
The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor PX-866 overcomes resistance to the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor gefitinib in A-549 human non–small cell lung cancer xenografts

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors such as gefitinib show antitumor activity in a subset of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients having mutated EGFR. Recent work shows that phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) is coupled to the EGFR only in NSCLC cell lines expressing ErbB-3 and that EGFR inhibitors do not inhibit PI3-K signaling in these cells. The central role PI3-K plays in cell survival suggests that a PI3-K inhibitor offers a strategy to increase the antitumor activity of EGFR inhibitors in resistant NSCL tumors that do not express ErbB-3. We show that PX-866, a PI3-K inhibitor with selectivity for p110α, potentiates the antitumor activity of gefitinib against even large A-549 NSCL xenografts giving complete tumor growth control in the early stages of treatment. A-549 xenograft phospho-Akt was inhibited by PX-866 but not by gefitinib. A major toxicity of PX-866 administration was hyperglycemia with decreased glucose tolerance, which was reversed upon cessation of treatment. The decreased glucose tolerance caused by PX-866 was insensitive to the AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor metformin but reversed by insulin and by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activator pioglitazone. Prolonged PX-866 administration also caused increased neutrophil counts. Thus, PX-866, by inhibiting PI3-K signaling, may have clinical use in increasing the response to EGFR inhibitors such as gefitinib in patients with NSCLC and possibly in other cancers who do not respond to EGFR inhibition.
The Point-Biserial as a Discrimination Index for Distractors in Multiple-Choice Items: Deficiencies in Usage and an Alternative

We show that using the point-biserial as a discrimination index for distractors by differentiating between examinees who chose the distractor and examinees who did not choose the distractor is theoretically wrong and may lead to an incorrect rejection of items. We propose an alternative usage and present empirical evidence for its suitability. Item discrimination refers to the degree to which an item differentiates correctly among examinees in the behavior that the test is designed to measure. When the test as a whole is to be evaluated by means of criterion-related validation, the items themselves may be evaluated and selected on the basis of their relationship to a criterion. In many achievement and aptitude tests, the criterion is the total test score. Since item responses are generally recorded as right or wrong, the measurement of item discrimination usually involves a dichotomous variable (performance on the item) and a continuous variable (performance on the criterion). Many different indexes of item discrimination have been developed and used, but, despite differences in procedures and assumptions, most of the indexes provide similar results (Oosterhof, 1976). In other words, although the numerical values of the indexes may differ, the items that are retained and those that are rejected on the basis of different discrimination indexes are largely the same. The most frequently used classical index of item discrimination is some correlation measure between performance on the item and performance on the criterion. When performance on the item is dichotomous, the product-moment correlation is called the point-biserial correlation, PB. When the dichotomous variable creates a distinction between those examinees who answered correctly and those who did not answer correctly (PBc), the formula is:
Archaeology, Ethno‐history and Oral Traditions: Approaches to the Indigenous Past

Indigenous groups across the world are actively looking to maintain or rediscover their past. Many historians and archaeologists are sympathetic to their quest. As a result different ways of narrating the past are in action: oral tradition, ethno‐history and archaeology. In the following the potential of each approach is discussed. In particular the possibility for collaboration between indigenous approaches and academic disciplines is evaluated. The focus is on the interpretative narrative, rather than on cultural heritage management. It is argued that we need multivocality as well as collaboration and integration of narratives.
A mixed strategy for Evolutionary Programming based on local fitness landscape

The performance of Evolutionary Programming (EP) is affected by many factors (e.g. mutation operators and selection strategies). Although the conventional approach with Gaussian mutation operator may be efficient, the initial scale of the whole population can be very large. This may lead to the conventional EP taking too long to reach convergence. To combat this problem, EP has been modified in various ways. In particular, modifications of the mutation operator may significantly improve the performance of EP. However, operators are only efficient within certain fitness landscapes. The mixed strategies have therefore been proposed in order to combine the advantages of different operators. The design of a mixed strategy is currently based on the performance of applying individual operators. Little is directly relevant to the information of local fitness landscapes. This paper presents a modified mixed strategy, which automatically adapts to local fitness landscapes, and implements a training procedure to choose an optimal mixed strategy for a given typical fitness landscape. The proposed algorithm is tested on a suite of 23 benchmark functions, demonstrating the advantages of this work in that it is less likely to be stuck in local optima and has a faster and better convergence.
Changes in the cytopathic effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 associated with a single amino acid alteration in the ectodomain of the gp41 transmembrane glycoprotein

A human immunodeficiency virus type 1 mutant with a single amino acid change (designated 596 W/M) in the ectodomain of the gp41 transmembrane envelope glycoprotein replicated in T-cell lines and in CD4-positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells identically to the wild-type virus. However, the cytopathic effects associated with infection by the mutant virus were altered, with a marked attenuation of syncytium formation and a significant delay in single-cell lysis relative to those of the wild-type virus-infected culture. The 596 W/M mutant is apparently defective in a function that is dispensable for virus entry but that contributes to the efficiency of induction of viral cytopathic effects.
Experience With Vibroplasty Couplers at the Stapes Head and Footplate

Objective To report on experiences with implanting the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) coupled to the stapes head using a new Clip-Coupler or to the stapes footplate using a new OW-Coupler (CliP- or OW-Coupler Vibroplasty). Study Design Single subject, repeated measures. Setting Two university hospital ENT departments. Patients Fourteen German-speaking patients from 2 European study sites were implanted with either a CliP-Coupler or OW-Coupler attached to a VSB floating mass transducer (FMT). They were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively for bone and air conduction thresholds with and without the implant, as well as speech perception tests. Main Outcome Measures Measuring the efficacy and safety of OW- and CliP-Coupler-Vibroplasty as a method to treat mixed hearing loss. Results Bone conduction thresholds remained stable preoperatively and postoperatively. The patients’ average speech perception performances at 65/80 dB (HL) increased from 0.8/13.8% to 63/82%. The pure tone audiograms showed an average improvement in air conduction thresholds after implantation with the VSB of 25 dB at 0.5 kHz to 50 dB at 4 kHz. Conclusion OW- or Clip-Coupler-Vibroplasty using couplers was found to be a straightforward procedure, which produced good results in this group of patients.
Analysis of Ageing Effect on Li-Polymer Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are a key technology for current and future energy storage in mobile and stationary application. In particular, they play an important role in the electrification of mobility and therefore the battery lifetime prediction is a fundamental aspect for successful market introduction. Numerous studies developed ageing models capable of predicting battery life span. Most of the previous works compared the effect of the ageing factors to a battery's cycle life. These cycles are identical, which is not the case for electric vehicles applications. Indeed, most of the available information is based on results from laboratory testing, under very controlled environments, and using ageing protocols, which may not correctly reflect the actual utilization. For this reason, it is important to link the effect of duty cycles with the ageing of the batteries. This paper proposes a simple method to investigate the effect of the duty cycle on the batteries lifetime through tests performed on different cells for different kinds of cycle. In this way, a generic complex cycle can be seen as a composition of elemental cycles by means of Rainflow procedures. Consequently, the ageing due to any cycle can be estimated starting from the knowledge of simpler cycles.
Porphyromonas gingivalis Infection Accelerates the Progression of Atherosclerosis in a Heterozygous Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Murine Model

Background—Current epidemiological data suggest that dental infections affecting tooth-supporting tissues (periodontitis) can disseminate into the systemic circulation and thereby contribute to atherosclerosis progression. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of repeated systemic inoculations with Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), a putative periodontal pathogen, on the progression of atherosclerosis in heterozygous apolipoprotein E–deficient (ApoE+/−) mice. Methods and Results—Ten-week-old, male ApoE+/− mice fed either a high-fat diet or regular chow were inoculated intravenously with live Pg (107 CFU) or vehicle once per week for 10, 14, or 24 consecutive weeks. Histomorphometry of plaque cross-sectional area in the proximal aortas, en face measurement of plaque area over the aortic trees, Pg 16S ribosomal DNA amplification with polymerase chain reaction, ELISA for systemic proinflammatory mediators, and immunolocalization of macrophages in the proximal aorta were performed. Atherosclerotic lesions of the proximal aortas and aortic trees were more advanced in Pg-challenged animals than in vehicle control animals and occurred earlier (at 10 weeks) when no lesions were apparent in control animals. At 24 weeks after inoculation, proximal aortic lesion size quantified by histomorphometry was 9-fold greater in chow-fed mice inoculated with Pg than in noninoculated mice (P <0.001) and was 2-fold greater in Pg-inoculated versus noninoculated high-fat diet–fed mice (P <0.001); all atherosclerotic lesions were macrophage-rich. Pg ribosomal DNA was found in the aortas, livers, and hearts 24 weeks after inoculation. Conclusions—These results provide evidence that long-term systemic challenge with Porphyromonas gingivalis, an oral pathogen, can accelerate atherogenic plaque progression.