Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-User Gaussian interference channel with finite constellation input and FDMA

In the two-user Gaussian Strong Interference Channel (GSIC) with finite constellation inputs, it is known that relative rotation between the constellations of the two users enlarges the Constellation Constrained (CC) capacity region. In this paper, a metric for finding the approximate angle of rotation (with negligibly small error) to maximally enlarge the CC capacity for the two-user GSIC is presented. In the case of Gaussian input alphabets with equal powers for both the users and the modulus of both the cross-channel gains being equal to unity, it is known that the FDMA rate curve touches the capacity curve of the GSIC. It is shown that, with unequal powers for both the users also, when the modulus of one of the cross-channel gains being equal to one and the modulus of the other cross-channel gain being greater than or equal to one, the FDMA rate curve touches the capacity curve of the GSIC. On the contrary, it is shown that, under finite constellation inputs, with both the users using the same constellation, the FDMA rate curve strictly lies within (never touches) the enlarged CC capacity region throughout the strong-interference regime. This means that using FDMA it is impossible to go close to the CC capacity. It is well known that for the Gaussian input alphabets, the FDMA inner-bound, at the optimum sum-rate point, is always better than the simultaneous-decoding inner-bound throughout the weak-interference regime. For a portion of the weak interference regime, it is shown that with identical finite constellation inputs for both the users, the simultaneous-decoding inner-bound, enlarged by relative rotation between the constellations, is strictly better than the FDMA inner-bound.
A simple constructive computability theorem for wait-free computation

A Simple (constructive Computability Theorem for wait-free ~omputation In modern shared-memory multiprocessors, processes can be halted or delayed without warning by interrupts, pre-emption, or cache misses. In such environments, it is desirable to design synchronization protocols that are wait-free: any processes that continues to run will finish the protocol in a fixed number of steps, regardless of delays or failures by other processes. Not all synchronization problems have wait-free solutions. In this paper, we give a new, remarkably simple necessary and sufficient combinatorial condition characterizing the problems that have wait-free solutions using shared read/write memory. We associate the range of possible input and output values for any synchronization problem with a high-dimensional geometric structure called a simplicial complex. We show that a synchronization problem has a wait-free solution if and only if its input complex can be continuously “stretched and folded” to cover its output complex. The key to the new theorem is a novel “simplex agreement” protocol, allowing processes to converge asynchronously to a common simplex of a simplicial complex. The proof exploits a number of classical results from algebraic and combinatorial topology. Permission to copy without fee all or part of thk material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the ACM copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Association of Computing Machinery. To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires a fee and/or specific permission. STOC 945/94 Montreal, Quebec, Canada @ 1984 ACM 0-89791 -663-8/84/0005. $3.50 Nir Shavit Computer Science Department Tel-Aviv University shanir@math. tau. ac.il
T cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia display dysregulated expression of immune checkpoints and activation markers

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by impaired immune functions largely due to profound T-cell defects. T-cell functions also depend on co-signaling receptors, inhibitory or stimulatory, known as immune checkpoints, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1). Here we analyzed the T-cell phenotype focusing on immune checkpoints and activation markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients (n=80) with different clinical characteristics and compared them to healthy controls. In general, patients had higher absolute numbers of CD3+ cells and the CD8+ subset was particularly expanded in previously treated patients. Progressive patients had higher numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells expressing PD-1 compared to healthy controls, which was more pronounced in previously treated patients (P=0.0003 and P=0.001, respectively). A significant increase in antigen-experienced T cells was observed in patients within both the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, with a significantly higher PD-1 expression. Higher numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells with intracellular CTLA-4 were observed in patients, as well as high numbers of proliferating (Ki67+) and activated (CD69+) CD4+ and CD8+ cells, more pronounced in patients with active disease. The numbers of Th1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T cells were substantially increased in patients compared to controls (P<0.05), albeit decreasing to low levels in pre-treated patients. In conclusion, chronic lymphocytic leukemia T cells display increased expression of immune checkpoints, abnormal subset distribution, and a higher proportion of proliferating cells compared to healthy T cells. Disease activity and previous treatment shape the T-cell profile of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in different ways.
Mitochondria as Targets for Nitric Oxide-Induced Protection During Simulated Ischemia and Reoxygenation in Isolated Neonatal Cardiomyocytes

Background—As shown previously, exposure to NO donors initiates protective mechanisms in cardiomyocytes that persist after removal of the donor, a form of pharmacological preconditioning. Because NO also affects mitochondrial respiration, we studied the effect of NO on mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Methods and Results—Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes in primary culture were exposed to 1 hour of simulated ischemia and 1 hour of reoxygenation (sI/R). Pretreatment with the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) (1 mmol/L for 90 minutes), followed by washing and incubation for 10 to 30 minutes, reduced sI/R-induced cell death to 25.4% compared with control (propidium iodide exclusion assay, P <0.001). Short (10-second) exposures to SNAP reversibly suppressed mitochondrial respiration without a detectable change in mitochondrial potential. In contrast, treatment with SNAP for 90 minutes caused a modest but sustained mitochondrial depolarization, as judged by JC-1 fluorescence. SNAP pretreatment limited cellular Ca2+ overload during ischemia (fura-2 ratio rose to 226±40% versus 516±170% of baseline, n=5, P <0.05) and prevented loss of cell membrane integrity during reoxygenation. SNAP pretreatment also significantly reduced the ability of mitochondria to accumulate Ca2+ in the face of a similar cytosolic Ca2+ load (peak rhod-2 fluorescence 133±4% versus 166±7% of baseline at similar fluo-3 levels, P =0.0004, n=52 and 25, respectively). Conclusions—Pretreatment with an NO donor induces a modest, sustained mitochondrial depolarization and protects cardiomyocytes from sI/R injury. The demonstrated reduction in mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake possibly reduces cytosolic Ca2+ overload, providing a likely mechanism for NO-induced protection.
Coflow: a networking abstraction for cluster applications

Cluster computing applications -- frameworks like MapReduce and user-facing applications like search platforms -- have application-level requirements and higher-level abstractions to express them. However, there exists no networking abstraction that can take advantage of the rich semantics readily available from these data parallel applications. We propose coflow, a networking abstraction to express the communication requirements of prevalent data parallel programming paradigms. Coflows make it easier for the applications to convey their communication semantics to the network, which in turn enables the network to better optimize common communication patterns.
The Dual-Wavelength Method for Hailstorm Detection by Airborne Radar

This paper focuses on a dual-wavelength technique to detect hail in convective cells from a weather airborne radar. The topic is of great interest since hailstorm is the main meteorological hazard in the context of civil aviation. Considering S, C, and X frequency bands, the question of the most efficient frequency couple is addressed by means of simulations of airborne radar observations. A convective system made of two successive rows of convective towers is first modeled. Another one extracted from a real hailstorm is then considered. It is shown that the quantity dy/dr, where r is the radial coordinate along the ray path and y is the measured differential reflectivity at two different wavelengths, is a good indicator of hail areas. This quantity, associated with the measured reflectivity at the less attenuated wavelength (i.e., the longest one), enables one to identify convective cells containing hail. It appears that the frequency couples S-X and C-X are the best ones for hail detection. In the context of civil aviation, the second one (C-X) permits one to minimize antenna size.
Superluminal tunnelling times as weak values

Abstract We consider the tunnelling particle as a pre- and post-selected system and prove that the tunnelling time is the expectation value of the position of a ‘clock’ degree of freedom weakly coupled to it. Such a value, called a ‘weak value’, typically falls outside the eigenvalue spectrum of the operator. The appearance of unusual weak values has been associated with a unique interference structure called ‘superoscillations’ (band-limited functions which on a finite interval, approximate functions with spectra well outside their band). It is proposed that superoscillations play an important role in the interferences which give rise to superluminal effects. To demonstrate that, we consider a certain simple tunnelling barrier which allows a wave packet to travel in zero time and negligible distortion, a distance arbitrarily longer than the width of the wave packet. The peak is shown to result from a superoscillatory superposition at the tail. Similar reasoning applies to the dwell time. For this system, both the Wigner time (related to the group velocity) and a clock time correspond to superluminal velocities.
The Brain's Router: A Cortical Network Model of Serial Processing in the Primate Brain

The human brain efficiently solves certain operations such as object recognition and categorization through a massively parallel network of dedicated processors. However, human cognition also relies on the ability to perform an arbitrarily large set of tasks by flexibly recombining different processors into a novel chain. This flexibility comes at the cost of a severe slowing down and a seriality of operations (100–500 ms per step). A limit on parallel processing is demonstrated in experimental setups such as the psychological refractory period (PRP) and the attentional blink (AB) in which the processing of an element either significantly delays (PRP) or impedes conscious access (AB) of a second, rapidly presented element. Here we present a spiking-neuron implementation of a cognitive architecture where a large number of local parallel processors assemble together to produce goal-driven behavior. The precise mapping of incoming sensory stimuli onto motor representations relies on a “router” network capable of flexibly interconnecting processors and rapidly changing its configuration from one task to another. Simulations show that, when presented with dual-task stimuli, the network exhibits parallel processing at peripheral sensory levels, a memory buffer capable of keeping the result of sensory processing on hold, and a slow serial performance at the router stage, resulting in a performance bottleneck. The network captures the detailed dynamics of human behavior during dual-task-performance, including both mean RTs and RT distributions, and establishes concrete predictions on neuronal dynamics during dual-task experiments in humans and non-human primates.
A critical survey of Islamization of knowledge

This book surveys Islamization of Knowledge (IOK), a project representing a Muslim intellectual response to modernity. The IOK agenda is now about 40 years old and has left a permanent imprint in modern Muslim discourse: there are institutions dedicated to its cause in the Muslim world, intellectual journals promoting its agenda and scholarly attempts to build contemporary bodies of knowledge based on its agenda. Proponents of IOK see the root cause and solution to problems facing the ummah today as one of knowledge and education. This study attempts a comprehensive review of IOK, discussing the views of its main proponents as well as of its critics. It covers issues of definitions, rationale and tries to tease out differences of opinions in the IOK process itself. This 2nd, expanded edition also includes a section that presents a brief case study of the IOK agenda as applied to economics, one of the earliest disciplines to receive the attention of contemporary Muslim scholars. The book is primarily targeted to young researchers and scholars wanting to understand the IOK agenda, with the intention to develop contemporary bodies of knowledge from Islamic perspectives. However, it is also accessible to professionals interested to get a general introduction to one very important attempt by Muslim scholars to face the challenges of the Muslim ummah.
Lysostaphin: A Staphylococcal Bacteriolysin with Potential Clinical Applications

Lysostaphin is an antimicrobial agent belonging to a major class of antimicrobial peptides and proteins known as the bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are bacterial antimicrobial peptides which generally exhibit bactericidal activity against other bacteria. Bacteriocin production is a self-protection mechanism that helps the microorganisms to survive in their natural habitats. Bacteriocins are currently distributed into three main classes. Staphylococcins are bacteriocins produced by staphylococci, which are Gram-positive bacteria of medical and veterinary importance. Lysostaphin is the only class III staphylococcin described so far. It exhibits a high degree of antistaphylococcal bacteriolytic activity, being inactive against bacteria of all other genera. Infections caused by staphylococci continue to be a problem worldwide not only in healthcare environments but also in the community, requiring effective measures for controlling their spread. Since lysostaphin kills human and animal staphylococcal pathogens, it has potential biotechnological applications in the treatment of staphylococcal infections. In vitro and in vivo studies performed with lysostaphin have shown that this staphylococcin has potential to be used, solely or in combination with other antibacterial agents, to prevent or treat bacterial staphylococcal infectious diseases.
Under Consideration for Publication in J. Functional Programming Hoare Type Theory, Polymorphism and Separation

We consider the problem of reconciling a dependently typed functional language with imperative features such as mutable higher-order state, pointer aliasing, and non-termination. We propose Hoare Type Theory (HTT), which incorporates Hoare-style specifications into types, making it possible to statically track and enforce correct use of side effects. The main feature of HTT is the Hoare type {P }x:A{Q} specifying computations with precondition P and postcondition Q that return a result of type A. Hoare types can be nested, combined with other types, and abstracted, leading to a smooth integration with higher-order functions and type polymorphism. We further show that in the presence of type polymorphism, it becomes possible to interpret the Hoare types in the " small footprint " manner, as advocated by Separation Logic, whereby specifications tightly describe the state required by the computation. We establish that HTT is sound and compositional, in the sense that separate verifica-tions of individual program components suffice to ensure the correctness of the composite program.
The adrenal cortex and steroidogenesis as cellular and molecular targets for toxicity: critical omissions from regulatory endocrine disrupter screening strategies for human health?

Current testing strategies to assess the endocrine disrupting properties of chemicals have omitted examination of the adrenal gland and do not adequately cover the process of steroidogenesis. Steroidogenesis is critical for adrenocortical function as well as that of the testes and ovaries, and presents multiple molecular targets for toxicity, ranging from general effects on all steroidogenic tissues (e.g. via StAR protein or CYP11A1 cholesterol side‐chain cleavage) through to speciﬁc targets affecting only adrenocortical function (e.g. CYP11β/18 and glucocorticoid synthesis). Numerous chemicals of environmental relevance are now being shown to affect adrenocortical function both in vivo in aquatic species and in vitro in human cell lines, and given the vital role of the adrenal gland to human health and development, there is a strong case for including dedicated assessment techniques in screening batteries for endocrine‐disrupting chemicals, not least to assist in general data interpretation (e.g. whether adrenal hypertrophy is due to stress or to a more sinister adrenocortical insufﬁciency). Cell lines such as H295R (derived from a human adrenocortical adenocarcinoma) currently exist that will allow assessment of cortisol production and most of the major enzymes and functional proteins in the steroidogenic pathway (e.g. StAR; CYP11A1/scc; CYP11β/18; CYP17; CYP19; CYP21; 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase). Adequate assessment of adrenocortical function, as with any component of the integrated endocrine system, probably also will require the development of speciﬁc in vivo methodology to include effects on hypothalamo‐pituitary function. Finally, although there is currently no direct evidence that environmental exposure to endocrine‐disrupting (oestrogenic) chemicals has actually caused adverse human health effects, lessons have been learned on their potential from the diethylstilboestrol case. Similar evidence exists from aminoglutethimide and etomidate on the lethal impact of unpredicted chemically induced adrenal insufﬁciency in sensitive human subgroups, and it would seem prudent to incorporate relevant tests for adrenal function and steroidogenesis into current regulatory validation programmes. Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in pulmonary hypertension.

SIGNIFICANCE Pulmonary hypertension is a devastating disorder without any available treatment strategies that satisfactorily promote the survival of patients. The identification of new therapeutic strategies to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension is warranted. RECENT ADVANCES Human studies have provided evidence that there is increased oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, DNA oxidation, and the depletion of small-molecule antioxidants) in patients with pulmonary hypertension. A variety of compounds with antioxidant properties have been shown to have beneficial therapeutic effects in animal models of pulmonary hypertension, possibly supporting the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the progression of pulmonary hypertension. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms of ROS actions could contribute to the development of optimal, antioxidant-based therapy for human pulmonary hypertension. One such mechanism includes action as a second messenger during cell-signaling events, leading to the growth of pulmonary vascular cells and right ventricular cells. CRITICAL ISSUES The molecular mechanisms behind promotion of cell signaling for pulmonary vascular cell growth and right ventricular hypertrophy by ROS are not well understood. Evidence suggests that iron-catalyzed protein carbonylation may be involved. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Understanding precise mechanisms of ROS actions should be useful for designing preclinical animal experiments and human clinical trials of the use of antioxidants and/or other redox compounds in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
European Communities

The European Parliamentary Assembly held its second meeting in Strasbourg, May 13 and 14, 1958, under the chairmanship of Robert Schuman. Mr. Paul Finet, President of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), presented the sixth general report on ECSC activities. Speaking of developments which the High Authority had to take into account in planning its future action, Mr. Finet referred to the direct exposure of the coal and steel industries to the consequences of an economic recession, the increasing competition and falling prices on the steel market, the need for stabilization of coal production and consumption, and the desirability of encouraging technical research and increasing safety in the mines. Turning to the matter of ECSC's cooperation with the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, Mr. Finet pointed out that the absence of a decision concerning the seat of the European institutions constituted a major obstacle, but that the High Authority was ready to contribute toward further integration of the communities. Regarding a free trade area, the High Authority considered it essential that ECSC's power of action within the community should remain unimpaired. The High Authority believed that the price-fixing system prevailing within the European Economic Community called for the adoption of similar rules within the free trade area and that the granting of governmental subsidies should be prohibited.
A preliminary examination of aging and sex on dichotic listening performance

Dichotic listening of auditory stimuli is a method of assessing brain lateralisation. Different stimuli are presented simultaneously to the left and right ears, with the listener reporting which stimulus is perceived most clearly. To date, several studies that have examined the effects of aging on dichotic listening performance have indicated a pronounced right ear advantage (REA) with increasing age, but few studies have considered the effects of sex, and findings to date have been inconclusive. The aim of this research was to investigate whether the effects of age and sex resulted in a difference in the magnitude of the REA in both undirected and directed attentional tasks. Forty sex-matched, right-handed subjects with normal hearing or symmetrical bilateral sensorineural hearing loss participated in a series of directed and undirected dichotic listening tasks using consonant-vowel (CV) stimuli. The interaural intensity difference (IID) was modulated randomly during the undirected attention task. Results indicated that all groups (age & sex) showed a REA for both undirected and directed dichotic listening tasks. No age or sex-related differences were found. The findings were suggestive of a task-linked effect for dichotic listening performance. The use of CV stimuli, in combination with detailed testing via manipulation of the IID, appeared to minimize any possible age or sex-related differences. These findings have implications for theories on laterality and hemispheric asymmetry for older adults.