Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensing-Throughput Tradeoff for Interweave Cognitive Radio System: A Deployment-Centric Viewpoint

Secondary access to the licensed spectrum is viable only if the interference is avoided at the primary system. In this regard, different paradigms have been conceptualized in the existing literature. Among these, interweave systems (ISs) that employ spectrum sensing have been widely investigated. Baseline models investigated in the literature characterize the performance of the IS in terms of a sensing-throughput tradeoff, however, this characterization assumes perfect knowledge of the involved channels at the secondary transmitter, which is unavailable in practice. Motivated by this fact, we establish a novel approach that incorporates channel estimation in the system model, and consequently investigate the impact of imperfect channel knowledge on the performance of the IS. More particularly, the variation induced in the detection probability affects the detector's performance at the secondary transmitter, which may result in severe interference at the primary receivers. In this view, we propose employing average and outage constraints on the detection probability, in order to capture the performance of the IS. Our analysis reveals that with an appropriate choice of the estimation time determined by the proposed approach, the performance degradation of the IS can be effectively controlled, and subsequently the achievable secondary throughput can be significantly enhanced.
Finite Time Fault Tolerant Attitude Control-Based Observer for a Rigid Satellite Subject to Thruster Faults

A rigid satellite fault diagnosis strategy, subject to faults of external disturbances and thruster faults, is developed. In this design, an equivalent idea is introduced to design a sliding mode observer that can detect and identify the failures indicated previously. Considering the measurability of parameters of the satellite, such as angular velocity and attitude, a sliding mode observer is implemented. Next, the amplitudes of the faults and disturbances can be detected, identified, and estimated via the sliding mode observer; these tasks are accomplished with zero estimation error within a finite period. A sliding mode-based attitude controller is developed using an exponential reaching law that relies on the system states and the corresponding formation of the estimated parameters. The controller not only guarantees the attitude system to be stable but also governs the attitude and angular velocity to converge to zero within a finite period. The good reliability of the proposed controller can be proved via multiple simulation tests.
Globin chain synthesis in the alpha thalassemia syndromes.

Whole blood samples of patients with various forms of alpha thalassemia including hemoglobin H disease, alpha thalassemia trait, and the "silent carrier" state were incubated with leucine-(14)C for definition of relative rates of production of alpha and beta chains in these disorders. The chains were separated by carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography in the presence of 8 M urea and dithiothreitol. Their absorptions at 280 mmu were determined and their radioactivities measured in a liquid scintillation spectrometer. After correction for differences in extinction coefficients, the specific activities of the widely separated alpha and beta peaks were determined. In 11 nonthalassemic individuals, the alpha/beta specific activity ratios were found to be 1.02+/-0.07; in nine patients with alpha thalassemia trait, 0.77+/-0.05; in six patients with hemoglobin H disease, 0.41+/-0.11; and in four "silent carriers," 0.88 with a range of 0.82-0.95. The results show that in peripheral blood, alpha chain production relative to beta chain production is indeed limited in the alpha thalassemia syndromes. Hemoglobin H disease results from doubly heterozygous inheritance of a gene resulting in moderate depression of alpha chain production (alpha thalassemia trait) and a gene resulting in very mild depression of alpha chain production (the "silent carrier" syndrome. "
L-4F treatment reduces adiposity, increases adiponectin levels, and improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice** This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants DK-068134, HL-55601, and HL-34300. Published, JLR Papers in Press, April 28, 2008.

We hypothesized that the apolipoprotein mimetic peptide L-4F, which induces arterial anti-oxidative enzymes and is vasoprotective in a rat model of diabetes, would ameliorate insulin resistance and diabetes in obese mice. L-4F (2 mg/kg/d) administered to ob/ob mice for 6 weeks limited weight gain without altering food intake, decreased visceral (P < 0.02) and subcutaneous (P < 0.045) fat content, decreased plasma IL-1β and IL-6 levels (P < 0.05) and increased insulin sensitivity, resulting in decreased glucose (P < 0.001) and insulin (P < 0.036) levels. In addition, L-4F treatment increased aortic and bone marrow heme oxygenase (HO) activity and decreased aortic and bone marrow superoxide production (P < 0.001). L-4F treatment increased serum adiponectin levels (P < 0.037) and decreased adipogenesis in mouse bone marrow (P < 0.039) and in cultures of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (P < 0.022). This was manifested by reduced adiposity, improved insulin sensitivity, improved glucose tolerance, increased plasma adiponectin levels, and reduced IL-1β and IL-6 levels in obese mice. This study highlights the existence of a temporal relationship between HO-1 and adiponectin that is positively affected by L-4F in the ob/ob mouse model of diabetes, resulting in the amelioration of the deleterious effects of diabetes.
Do Markets Care Who Chairs the Central Bank?

This paper assesses the effects of central bank governor appointments on financial market expectations of monetary policy. To measure these effects, we assemble a new dataset of appointment announcements from 15 countries, and conduct an event study analysis on exchange rates, bond yields, and stock prices. The analysis reveals a significant reaction of exchange rates and bond yields to unexpected appointments. The reactions are not unidirectional, and thus do not suggest new governors suffer from a generic credibility problem. Federal Reserve chairman appointments stand out in terms of their unusually pronounced effects on financial markets.
Two monolingual parses are better than one (synchronous parse)

We describe a synchronous parsing algorithm that is based on two successive monolingual parses of an input sentence pair. Although the worst-case complexity of this algorithm is and must be O(n6) for binary SCFGs, its average-case run-time is far better. We demonstrate that for a number of common synchronous parsing problems, the two-parse algorithm substantially outperforms alternative synchronous parsing strategies, making it efficient enough to be utilized without resorting to a pruned search.
Dyslipidemia and Food Security in Low-Income US Adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2010

Introduction Low levels of food security are associated with dyslipidemia and chronic disease in adults, particularly in women. There is a gap in knowledge about the relationship between food security among youth and dyslipidemia and chronic disease. We investigated the relationship between food security status and dyslipidemia among low-income adolescents. Methods We analyzed data from adolescents aged 12 to 18 years (N = 1,072) from households with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2010. We used logistic regression to examine the relationship between household food security status and the odds of having abnormalities with fasting total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), serum triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TG/HDL-C ratio, and apolipoprotein B (Apo B). Models included age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking status, partnered status in the household, and maternal education, with additional adjustment for adiposity. Results Household food security status was not associated with elevated TC or LDL-C. Adolescents with marginal food security were more likely than food-secure peers to have elevated TGs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14–3.05), TG/HDL-C ratio (OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.11–2.82), and Apo B (OR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.17–3.36). Female adolescents with marginal food security had greater odds than male adolescents of having low HDL-C (OR = 2.69; 95% CI, 1.14–6.37). No elevated odds of dyslipidemia were found for adolescents with low or very low food security. Adjustment for adiposity did not attenuate estimates. Conclusion In this nationally representative sample, low-income adolescents living in households with marginal food security had increased odds of having a pattern consistent with atherogenic dyslipidemia, which represents a cardiometabolic burden above their risk from adiposity alone.
The determination of state of charge based on extended kalman filter using per-unit system and time constant principle

In order to cope with the parameter variations for aged battery, which result in erroneous SOC estimation, the SOC estimation algorithm of lithium-ion batteries based on extended kalman filter (EKF) using per-unit system and time constant principle is proposed. In this per-unit system, the absolute values of capacity, voltage and current for aged batteries are converted into relative ones and are applied to dynamic model of the EKF algorithm. Moreover, the parameter values (RDiff, C{suDiff) are applied to dynamic and measurement model of EKF algorithm by time constant principle. In comparison with Ah-counting and EKF results, the estimation results using the proposed EKF algorithm have error within ±3%. Few aged batteries (1.3Ah) for 18650 types are used for verification of the proposed method.
FOXP3 Promoter Demethylation Reveals the Committed Treg Population in Humans

Background Naturally occurring thymus derived regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central in the maintenance of self-tolerance. The transcription factor FOXP3 is crucial for the suppressive activity of Tregs and is considered the most specific marker for this population. However, human non regulatory T cells upregulate FOXP3 transiently upon activation which calls for other means to identify the Treg population. Since epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the establishment of stable gene expression patterns during cell differentiation, we hypothesized that the methylation profile of the FOXP3 promoter would allow the distinction of truly committed Tregs. Methodology/Principal Findings Human CD4+CD25hi Tregs displayed a demethylated FOXP3 promoter (1.4%±0.95% SEM methylated) in contrast to CD4+CD25lo T cells which were partially methylated (27.9%±7.1%). Furthermore, stimulated CD4+CD25lo T cells transiently expressed FOXP3 but remained partially methylated, suggesting promoter methylation as a mechanism for regulation of stable FOXP3 expression and Treg commitment. In addition, transient FOXP3 expressing cells exhibited suppressive abilities that correlate to the methylation status of the FOXP3 promoter. As an alternative to bisulphite sequencing, we present a restriction enzyme based screening method for the identification of committed Tregs and apply this method to evaluate the effect of various culturing conditions. We show that a partial demethylation occurs in long-term cultures after activation, whereas the addition of TGF-β and/or IL-10 does not induce any additional change in methylation level. Conclusions/Significance The unique FOXP3 promoter methylation profile in Tregs suggests that a demethylated pattern is a prerequisite for stable FOXP3 expression and suppressive phenotype. Presently, FOXP3 is used to identify Tregs in several human diseases and there are future implications for adoptive Treg transfer in immunotherapy. In these settings there is a need to distinguish true Tregs from transiently FOXP3+ activated T cells. The screening method we present allows this distinction and enables the identification of cells suitable for in vitro expansions and clinical use.
Comprehensive Analysis of HPV16 Integration in OSCC Reveals No Significant Impact of Physical Status on Viral Oncogene and Virally Disrupted Human Gene Expression

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 is an independent risk factor for the development of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). However, it is unclear whether viral integration is an essential hallmark in the carcinogenic process of OSCC and whether HPV integration correlates with the level of viral gene transcription and influences the expression of disrupted host genes. We analyzed 75 patients with OSCC. HPV16-positivity was proven by p16INK4A immunohistochemistry, PCR and FISH. Viral integration was examined using DIPS- as well as APOT-PCR. Viral E2, E6 and E7 gene expression levels were quantified by quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT-q)PCR. Expression levels of 7 human genes disrupted by the virus were extracted from mRNA expression profiling data of 32 OSCCs. Viral copy numbers were assessed by qPCR in 73 tumors. We identified 37 HPV16-human fusion products indicating viral integration in 29 (39%) OSCC. In the remaining tumors (61%) only episome-derived PCR products were detected. When comparing OSCC with or without an integration-derived fusion product, we did not find significant differences in the mean RNA expression of viral genes E2, E6 and E7 or the viral copy numbers per cell, nor did the RNA expression of the HPV-disrupted genes differ from either group of OSCC. In conclusion, our data do not support the hypothesis that integration affects the levels of viral and/or HPV-disrupted human gene transcripts. Thus constitutive, rather than a high level, of expression of oncogene transcripts appears to be required in HPV-related OSCC.
Attachment styles of female parenting and nonparenting adolescents

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the parent, peer, and romantic attachment styles of both parenting and nonparenting adolescents. Do parenting adolescents differ from nonparenting adolescents in their attachment to their parents and peers as well as to their romantic partners? The secondary purpose of the study was to examine whether selected demographic variables, parent, and peer attachment predict the romantic attachment styles of adolescents. A convenience sample of 190 (81 parenting and 109 nonparenting) adolescents were recruited and participated in the current study. The short form of The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) developed by Armsden and Greenberg (1987) was used to measure attachment to parents and peers and three approaches were used to measure adolescent romantic attachment: a categorical, a multi-item measure based on Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (1991), and a continuous scale. The results of the present study indicate that parent and peer attachment are not only related to each other (interdependent) but also influence romantic attachment during adolescence. The present study also found some differences in attachment styles between parenting and nonparenting adolescents. Overall, parenting adolescents were more likely
Local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies alters ecosystem processes

Theory suggests evolutionary change can significantly influence and act in tandem with ecological forces via ecological-evolutionary feedbacks. This theory assumes that significant evolutionary change occurs over ecologically relevant timescales and that phenotypes have differential effects on the environment. Here we test the hypothesis that local adaptation causes ecosystem structure and function to diverge. We demonstrate that populations of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), characterized by differences in phenotypic and population-level traits, differ in their impact on ecosystem properties. We report results from a replicated, common garden mesocosm experiment and show that differences between guppy phenotypes result in the divergence of ecosystem structure (algal, invertebrate, and detrital standing stocks) and function (gross primary productivity, leaf decomposition rates, and nutrient flux). These phenotypic effects are further modified by effects of guppy density. We evaluated the generality of these effects by replicating the experiment using guppies derived from two independent origins of the phenotype. Finally, we tested the ability of multiple guppy traits to explain observed differences in the mesocosms. Our findings demonstrate that evolution can significantly affect both ecosystem structure and function. The ecosystem differences reported here are consistent with patterns observed across natural streams and argue that guppies play a significant role in shaping these ecosystems.
An investigation on the effects of a visuospatial imagery task on smoking related craving

Twenty eight undergraduate students participated in a study to examine the impact of a visuospatial imagery intervention and an articulatory cognitive intervention on self-reported smoking related craving, based on the framework introduced by the Elaborate Intrusion Theory of craving. A significant interaction between the duration of the experiment and self-reported craving was obtained, with a significant negative impact on craving after the articulatory cognitive task, indicating that the visuospatial imagery intervention demonstrated an inhibitory effect on substance related elaboration. A simple modality-specific imagery task, blocking intrusive substance related imagery by utilizing the same cognitive components of craving, worked to subdue the intensity of craving and may therefore provide the means of an independent strategy for abstaining tobacco smokers.
Reviewing Career Paths of the OpenStack Developers

Career perspectives are known to motivate software engineers. However, so far, career perspectives have been mostly studied within traditional software development companies. In our work we take a complementary approach and study career paths of open source developers, focusing on their advancement through the code review hierarchy, from developers to reviewers and further to core reviewers.To gain understanding of code review career paths we conduct an exploratory case study of the OpenStack community. Based on the case study we have publicized anonymized research data and formulated four hypotheses pertaining to career paths of contributors in modern multi-company open source projects. We conjecture that(i) developers and reviewers are separate subpopulations with little movement between them, (ii-a) the turnover of the core reviewers is high and rapid, (ii-b) companies are interested in having core reviewers among their staff, and (iii) being a core reviewer is beneficial for career.Validity of those hypotheses in other multi-company open source projects should be investigated in the follow-up studies.
FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS' QUALITY OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

This study was conducted to examine different factors influencing the academic performance of secondary school students in a metropolitan city of Pakistan. The respondents for this study were 10 th grade students (300 male & 300 female). A survey was conducted by using a questionnaire for information gathering about different factors relating to academic performance of students. The academic performance was gauged by the result of their 9th grade annual examination. Standard t-test and ANOVA were applied to investigate the effect of different factors on students’ achievement. The results of the study revealed that socioeconomic status (SES) and parents’ education have a significant effect on students’ overall academic achievement as well as achievement in the subjects of Mathematics and English. The high and average socio-economic level affects the performance more than the lower level. It is very interesting that parents’ education means more than their occupation in relation to their children’s academic performance at school. It was found that girls perform better than the male students.
The Impact of Different Types of Journaling Techniques on EFL Learners' Self-Efficacy

This article reports on an investigation of the impact of different methods of journaling on self-efficacy of learners of English as a foreign language. Sixty upper-intermediate Iranian English language learners were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions, namely no-feedback, teacher-feedback, and peer-feedback, and one control group—no-journal condition. The no-feedback condition learners kept reflective journals but could not share their reflective notes with other learners or their teacher, while the teacher-feedback condition learners used collaborative reflective journals with their teacher. The peer-feedback condition learners shared collaborative reflective journals with their peers, and the no-journal condition learners did not use reflective journals throughout the treatment period. An analysis of variance showed that the students with the two feedback conditions seemed to have gained a higher self-efficacy at the end of the treatment period.
Symmetric Self-Hilbertian Wavelets via Orthogonal Lattice Optimization

Orthonormal Hilbert pairs of wavelets that are time-reverse (mirror image) versions of each are termed Symmetric Self-Hilbertian wavelets and are used in the dual-tree complex wavelet transform. Previous methods for constructing the corresponding scaling low-pass filter are based on optimizing the product filter. These methods are practical only when the number of free-parameters is small due to the high computational load otherwise. An alternative method that is based on the orthogonal lattice is presented here and is practical with any number of free-parameters. Higher analytic quality Hilbert pairs can be obtained when there are more free-parameters. An effective strategy for optimizing the lattice parameters to give high quality filters is presented here.
Forschungsnotiz. Ein neuer Blick auf die soziale Basis des Umweltbewußtseins

Zusammenfassung In einem Pfadmodell wird der Einfluß von 6 demographischen Variablen (Alter, Geschlecht, Ausbildung, Berufsimage, Einkommen und Parteipräferenz) auf 4 Komponenten des Umweltbewußtseins (ökologische(s) Wissen, Gefühle und Handeln) sowie letzterer untereinander untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß aufgrund der multivariaten Analyse - wie zu erwarten - ein Teil der bisherigen, lediglich auf bivariaten Analysen basierenden Aussagen über die soziale Basis des Umweltbewußtseins revidiert werden muß. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen dagegen das Fazit aus einer der neueren Arbeiten zu diesem Forschungsbereich, daß es sehr wohl einen Unterschied macht, durch welche Komponenten das Meta-Konzept Umweltbewußtsein definiert bzw. gemessen wird.