Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designs of Bhattacharyya Parameter in the Construction of Polar Codes

Polar codes, introduced by Arikan recently, can achieve capacity of symmetric channel with low complexity successive cancellation decoding strategy. In this paper, we design efficient Bhattacharyya Parameters in Polar codes construction for common communications channels. We present the satisfactory recursive formula for the four conventional channels and discuss the initial value of each recursive equations. Numerical simulations show that Polar codes are channel-specific designing codes; they can approach their capacities by selecting the frozen bits in our proposed Bhattacharyya Parameter calculating method.
Identification of transcription start sites via distribution of A/T-singletons

Transcription start sites (TSSs) are crucial information that determines exact location of genes. However, identifying TSSs in vitro is costly and time consuming. Therefore, there are many attempts to predict TSSs in silico, but they were low in accuracy. Herein, we observed that the distribution of A/T-singletons in the whole genome can be employed to detect the presence of TSS. We found that the distribution pattern is clearly distinct between regions with TSS and without TSS. To assess whether the distribution of A/T-singletons can help detect TSS, we developed a two-step algorithm to detect the specific distribution pattern. Our method was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The results show that the distribution of A/T-singletons is a useful feature for identifying TSSs. However, using this feature alone is not sufficient to identify all TSSs correctly. Combining this feature with other existing methods should improve their efficacy significantly.
Non-cognitive antecedents of pay and pay expectations: gender-based differences in a masculine work setting

ABSTRACT Research on gender differences in the effects of non-cognitive traits and behaviours on pay is rather scant and focuses largely on the big five personality traits. To address this gap, we consider the equivocal findings regarding the direct associations of intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and networking with pay, arguing for gender differences in the degree to which actual pay and pay expectations are influenced by these non-cognitive factors. Hypotheses are tested using a sample of 250 individuals working in traditionally masculine jobs at a single high-technology firm. Participants completed two surveys, and income data were retrieved from the firm’s archives. Intrinsic motivation was positively related to actual pay and pay expectations among men and was negatively related to both pay measures among women. Self-efficacy was positively related to actual pay among women and was unrelated to actual pay among men. Networking was positively related to actual pay among men and was negatively related to actual pay among women. Finally, self-efficacy and networking were unrelated to pay expectations among both men and women. We draw from notions of gender stereotypes, backlash, and tokenism to discuss gender-based differences in how organizations appraise and reward non-cognitive traits and behaviours.
Comparison of Four Different Energy Balance Models for Estimating Evapotranspiration in the Midwestern United States

The development of different energy balance models has allowed users to choose a model based on its suitability in a region. We compared four commonly used models—Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model, Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model, Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model, and the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model—using Landsat images to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) in the Midwestern United States. Our models validation using three AmeriFlux cropland sites at Mead, Nebraska, showed that all four models captured the spatial and temporal variation of ET reasonably well with an R2 of more than 0.81. Both the METRIC and SSEBop models showed a low root mean square error ( 0.80), whereas the SEBAL and SEBS models resulted in relatively higher bias for estimating daily ET. The empirical equation of daily average net radiation used in the SEBAL and SEBS models for upscaling instantaneous ET to daily ET resulted in underestimation of daily ET, particularly when the daily average net radiation was more than 100 W·m−2. Estimated daily ET for both cropland and grassland had some degree of linearity with METRIC, SEBAL, and SEBS, but linearity was stronger for evaporative fraction. Thus, these ET models have strengths and limitations for applications in water resource management.
High-Throughput Genetic Mapping of Mutants via Quantitative Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Typing

Advances in next-generation sequencing technology have facilitated the discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Sequenom-based SNP-typing assays were developed for 1359 maize SNPs identified via comparative next-generation transcriptomic sequencing. Approximately 75% of these SNPs were successfully converted into genetic markers that can be scored reliably and used to generate a SNP-based genetic map by genotyping recombinant inbred lines from the intermated B73 × Mo17 population. The quantitative nature of Sequenom-based SNP assays led to the development of a time- and cost-efficient strategy to genetically map mutants via quantitative bulked segregant analysis. This strategy was used to rapidly map the loci associated with several dozen recessive mutants. Because a mutant can be mapped using as few as eight multiplexed sets of SNP assays on a bulk of as few as 20 mutant F2 individuals, this strategy is expected to be widely adopted for mapping in many species.
Metronidazole therapy for periodontitis.

Considerable data have accumulated which suggest that some or most forms of periodontal disease are specific, albeit chronic, bacteriological infections (1, 2). In most instances the plaque flora removed from infiamed sites are dominated by anaerobic organisms such as spi-rochetes, bacteroides and eubacterium species (1^). In some instances, the microaerophilic organism Actinobacil-lus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) has been associated with periodontal pathology (5, 6). These findings indicate that treatments aimed at controlling peri-odontal disease could contain an anti-microbial component directed to the reduction , if not the elimination of the above periodontopathic organisms in or from the plaque. The choice of which antimicrobial agent to use would depend on the bacterial nature of the plaque infection and as to whether the agent is to be delivered systemically and/or locally (1). Agents such as metronidazole and clindamycin would seem to be indicated when an anaerobic infection has been documented , whereas tetracyclines would be indicated where an Aa infection has been established (6, 7). Alternatively, broad spectrum antiseptics such as chlorhex-idine can be delivered locally to the pocket either via irrigation (8) or slow release delivery systems (9). The efficacy of antimicrobial agents can best be evaluated by the inclusion of placebo groups and the use of a double blind design. In a double blind (DB) design all patients could receive the required mechanical debridement, so as to fulfill the ethical considerations for treatment, and then randomly receive either placebo (positive control) or anti-microbial medications (experimental). The antimicrobial treatments need only be of short duration, say 1 or 2 wk, because this length of treatment, provided an appropriate dose is prescribed and taken by the patient, is sufficient to change the composition of the plaque fiora in most instances (1, 10). Tetracyclines and metronidazole (Met) have been the agents most widely studied in the treatment of periodon-titis, but only metronidazole has been evaluated using a DB design (8, 10). In these studies. Met significantly increased apparent attachment gain and reduced probing depths in the deepest probing sites relative to mechanical de-bridement (10), or irrigation with chlor-hexidine (8). This suggested that the sy-stemically delivered Met was able to reduce or eliminate the anaerobic infection at the base of the pocket in ways that were not routinely achievable with mechanical debridement or chlor-hexidine irrigation. The success of Met in both reducing probing depth and in increasing apparent attachment raised the possibility that Met therapy could …
Confinement in 4D Yang-Mills theories from non-critical type 0 string theory

We study five dimensional non critical type 0 string theory and its correspondence to non supersymmetric Yang Mills theory in four dimensions. We solve the equations of motion of the low energy effective action and identify a class of solutions that translates into a confining behavior in the IR region of the dual gauge theories. In particular we identify a setup which is dual to pure SU(N) Yang-Mills theory. Possible flows of the solutions to the UV region are discussed. The validity of the solutions and potential sub-leading string corrections are also discussed.
Eating Disorder Prevention as Biopedagogy

ABSTRACT The authors describe eating disorder prevention as biopedagogy: that is, as a set of expectations for how to manage one’s body and self to be a healthy productive citizen. This biopedagogy lands differently on different “bodies of risk”—those of people coded as at risk for eating disorders and those coded as at risk for “obesity” in a social milieu that marks certain bodies, such as those of different sizes, sexualities, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, genders, and abilities—as unacceptable. In theorizing eating disorder prevention as biopedagogy, the authors consider not only the content of prevention messages, but also conventional notions of the normative self that underpin these messages and hence the form that they take, and how this form conflicts with critical perspectives that view subjectivities as dynamic and in flux. The authors argue for a shift to body becoming pedagogies grounded in social justice and intersectional perspectives, suggesting that systemic changes are needed to make diverse bodies welcome.
Graphical Models for Surrogates

Recently, it has been demonstrated that graphical models promise some potential for expressing causal concepts, see for example Pearl (2000), Lauritzen (2001), or Dawid (2002). The causal interpretation is most direct in models based on directed acyclic graphs, whereas causal interpretation for chain graph models generally is more subtle and complex (Lauritzen and Richardson 2002). In the articles cited, such concepts as confounding, partial compliance, causal sufficiency of covariates, and prediction of treatment effects were discussed and illuminated. In this article we will use graphical models to illustrate and analyse the notion of a surrogate outcome,such as also discussed e.g. in Frangakis and Rubin (2002).
Is High Public Debt Always Harmful to Economic Growth? Reinhart and Rogoff and some complex nonlinearities

In their already-famous 2010 article "Growth-in-a-Time-of-Debt" (AER-100(2)-pp.-573-78), Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff show that average post-WW2 economic growth is dramatically declining in advanced economies, once the debt-to-GDP ratio is above a 90% threshold. We explore the relevance of this exogenous threshold using up-to-date econometric techniques, and reveal an endogenously-estimated threshold around a debt-to-GDP ratio of 115%, above which the negative debt-growth link changes sign. Consequently, additional evidence is needed before suggesting policy recommendations regarding growth effects of fiscal policy in such high debt regimes, which may be subject to complex nonlinearities.
Learning and plasticity in adolescence

Adolescence is the period of life between puberty and relative independence. It is a time during which the human brain undergoes protracted changes - particularly in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices. These changes have been linked to improvements in cognitive performance; and are thought to render adolescence a period of relatively high levels of plasticity, during which the environment has a heightened impact on brain development and behaviour. This thesis investigates learning and plasticity in adolescence in four experimental studies. Study 1 examined age differences in face cognition, a key component of social cognition, by testing face perception and face memory performance in 661 participants aged 11 - 33. Study 2 tested whether the effects of social exclusion are age-dependent by measuring cognitive performance after social exclusion in 99 participants between ages 10 - 38. For Study 3, 663 participants aged 11 - 33 were asked to complete 20 days of cognitive training to probe whether the effects of cognitive training are also age-dependent. Study 4 investigated the neural correlates of academic diligence in 40 girls aged 14 - 15, using functional and structural neuroimaging. The research in this thesis demonstrates protracted development of cognitive functions in adolescence, consistent with previous studies. It highlights adolescence as a window of opportunity for learning but also as a vulnerable phase during which the brain is particularly susceptible to harmful effects of social exclusion. Finally, it highlights that individual variability in self-control and underlying frontal systems may be related to academic diligence, and thus educational outcomes.
PSD of UWB Signals

This document studies the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of time-hopping impulse radio (THIR) signals. The ”conventional” TH-IR system with pulse-position modulation and time-hopping multiple access gives rise to spectral lines that either violate the regulations, or require a significant power back-off. To remedy this situation, we propose the use of polarity randomization, which eliminates the spectral lines and also leads to a smoothing of the continuous part of the spectrum. We analyze the effect of symbol-based or pulse-based polarity randomization sequences on memoryloss modulation formats such as PPM, OOK and PAM. We provide a general demonstration of the spectral smoothing characteristics of these techniques without restriction on the definition of the TH sequences, and we discuss how finite sequences impact these results.
Understanding Factors Influencing Citizens’ Adoption of e-Government Services in the Developing World: Jordan as a Case Study

Developing countries have established promising e-Government initiatives with the objective of enhancing the accessibility of government services and information for their citizens. However, governments tend to design and launch online services based on their understanding of what citizens need, surprisingly, without actually measuring what increases citizens’ willingness to adopt web-enabled services. Governments must first understand variables that influence citizens’ adoption of e-Government in order to take them into account when delivering services online. The lack of systematic demand-side studies leaves governments with almost no information on how exactly to channel their efforts and financial resources in this area. The main objective of this paper is to examine the variables “needs” that influence citizens’ adoption of e-Government services in Jordan. A sample of 660 people representing the Jordanian e-Society responded to an online survey to identify important variables that governments must consider when delivering services online
Scholarlycommons Psc Working Paper Series Population Studies Center Social Science Methods for Twins Data: Integrating Causality, Endowments and Heritability Social Science Methods for Twins Data: Integrating Causality, Endowments and Heritability Social Science Methods for Twins Data: Integrating C

Twins have been extensively used in both economic and behavioral genetics to investigate the role of genetic endowments on a broad range of social, demographic and economic outcomes. However, the focus in these two literatures has been distinct: the economic literature has been primarily concerned with the need to control for unobserved endowments—including as an im¬portant subset, genetic endowments—in analyses that attempt to establish the impact of one vari¬able, often schooling, on a variety of economic, demographic and health outcomes. Behavioral genetic analyses have mostly been concerned with decomposing the variation in the outcomes of interest into genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental components, with recent multivariate analyses investigating the contributions of genes and the environment to the correlation and causation between variables. Despite the fact that twins studies and the recogni¬tion of the role of endowments are central to both of these literatures, they have mostly evolved independently. In this paper we develop formally the relationship between the economic and behavioral genetic approaches to the analyses of twins, and we develop an integrative approach that combines the identification of causal effects, which dominates the economic literature, with the decomposition of variances and covariances into genetic and environmental factors that is the primary goal of behavioral genetic approaches. We apply this new integrative approach to an illustrative investigation of the impact of schooling on several demographic outcomes such as fertility and nuptiality and health. Abstract Twins have been extensively used in both economic and behavioral genetics to investigate the role of genetic endowments on a broad range of social, demographic and economic outcomes. However, the focus in these two literatures has been distinct: the economic literature has been primarily concerned with the need to control for unobserved endowments—including as an important subset, genetic endowments—in analyses that attempt to establish the impact of one variable , often schooling, on a variety of economic, demographic and health outcomes. Behavioral genetic analyses have mostly been concerned with decomposing the variation in the outcomes of interest into genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental components, with recent multivariate analyses investigating the contributions of genes and the environment to the correlation and causation between variables. Despite the fact that twins studies and the recognition of the role of endowments are central to both of these literatures, they have mostly evolved independently. In this paper we develop formally the relationship between the economic and behavioral genetic approaches …
The Effects of a Co-Application of Menthol and Capsaicin on Nociceptive Behaviors of the Rat on the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device

Background Transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channels are involved in the perception of hot and cold pain and are targets for pain relief in humans. We hypothesized that agonists of TRPV1 and TRPM8/TRPA1, capsaicin and menthol, would alter nociceptive behaviors in the rat, but their opposite effects on temperature detection would attenuate one another if combined. Methods Rats were tested on the Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD, Stoelting Co.) at three temperatures within a 17 min behavioral session (33°C, 21°C, 45°C). Results The lick/face ratio (L/F: reward licking events divided by the number of stimulus contacts. Each time there is a licking event a contact is being made.) is a measure of nociception on the OPAD and this was equally reduced at 45°C and 21°C suggesting they are both nociceptive and/or aversive to rats. However, rats consumed (licks) equal amounts at 33°C and 21°C but less at 45°C suggesting that heat is more nociceptive than cold at these temperatures in the orofacial pain model. When menthol and capsaicin were applied alone they both induced nociceptive behaviors like lower L/F ratios and licks. When applied together though, the licks at 21°C were equal to those at 33°C and both were significantly higher than at 45°C. Conclusions This suggests that the cool temperature is less nociceptive when TRPM8/TRPA1 and TRPV1 are co-activated. These results suggest that co-activation of TRP channels can reduce certain nociceptive behaviors. These data demonstrate that the motivational aspects of nociception can be influenced selectively by TRP channel modulation and that certain aspects of pain can be dissociated and therefore targeted selectively in the clinic.
Deciphering the Role of Phytoalexins in Plant-Microorganism Interactions and Human Health

Phytoalexins are low molecular weight antimicrobial compounds that are produced by plants as a response to biotic and abiotic stresses. As such they take part in an intricate defense system which enables plants to control invading microorganisms. In this review we present the key features of this diverse group of molecules, namely their chemical structures, biosynthesis, regulatory mechanisms, biological activities, metabolism and molecular engineering.
A CMOS magnetic field sensor

The authors present a novel, fully integrated magnetic field sensor made in the standard, polysilicon-gate CMOS technology. The circuit shows a sensitivity of 1.2 V/T with 10 V supply voltage and 100 /spl mu/A current consumption. The circuit consists of a pair of split-drain MOS transistors in a CMOS-differential amplifier-like configuration.
Characterization of a New NIH‐Registered Variant Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line, BG01V: A Tool for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer a renewable source of a wide range of cell types for use in research and cell‐based therapies. Characterizing these cells provides important information about their current state and affords relevant details for subsequent manipulations. For example, identifying genes expressed during culture, as well as their temporal expression order after passaging and conditions influencing the formation of all three germ layers may be helpful for the production of functional beta islet cells used in treating type I diabetes. Although several hESC lines have demonstrated karyotypic instability during extended time in culture, select variant lines exhibit characteristics similar to their normal parental lines. Such variant lines may be excellent tools and abundant sources of cells for pilot studies and in vitro differentiation research in which chromosome number is not a concern, similar to the role currently played by embryonal carcinoma cell lines. It is crucial that the cells be surveyed at a genetic and proteomic level during extensive propagation, expansion, and manipulation in vitro. Here we describe a comprehensive characterization of the variant hESC line BG01V, which was derived from the karyotypically normal, parental hESC line BG01. Our characterization process employs cytogenetic analysis, short tandem repeat and HLA typing, mitochondrial DNA sequencing, gene expression analysis using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and microarray, assessment of telomerase activity, methylation analysis, and immunophenotyping and teratoma formation, in addition to screening for bacterial, fungal, mycoplasma, and human pathogen contamination.
Measuring Trend Output: How Useful are the Great Ratios?

Standard macroeconomic models suggest that the 'great ratios' of consumption to output and investment to output should be stationary. The joint behaviour of consumption, investment and output can then be used to measure trend output. We adopt this approach for the USA and UK, and find support for stationarity of the great ratios when structural breaks are taken into account. From the estimated vector error correction models, we extract multivariate estimates of the permanent component in output, and comment on trend growth in the 1980s and the New Economy boom of the 1990s.