Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive 3-D Stokes Space-Based Polarization Demultiplexing Algorithm

We propose a novel polarization demultiplexing technique for complex modulated signals using the Stokes space polarization representation of the signal samples. Polarization demultiplexing of an endless time-varying SOP signal is achieved through the adaptive estimation of the inverse rotation matrix, without the calculation of a best fitting plane. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique, with a high convergence speed, and a good response to time-varying SOP rotations. The performance of the method is assessed through EVM calculations for frequency rotations up to 15 μrad/symbol, showing a maximum penalty of 1 dB. Moreover, the technique can incorporate an additional stage for PDL compensation without penalties in terms of EVM results and algorithm complexity.
Employment Effects of Innovation at the Firm Level

Summary This paper analyzes empirically the effects of innovation on employment at the firm level using a uniquely long panel dataset of German manufacturing firms. The overall effect of innovations on employment often remains unclear in theoretical contributions due to reverse effects. We distinguish between product and process innovations and additionally introduce different innovation categories. We find clearly positive effects for product and process innovations on employment growth with the effects for process innovations being slightly higher. For product innovations that involved patent applications we can identify an additional positive effect on employment.
FGF14 modulates resurgent sodium current in mouse cerebellar Purkinje neurons

Rapid firing of cerebellar Purkinje neurons is facilitated in part by a voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) ‘resurgent’ current, which allows renewed Na+ influx during membrane repolarization. Resurgent current results from unbinding of a blocking particle that competes with normal channel inactivation. The underlying molecular components contributing to resurgent current have not been fully identified. In this study, we show that the NaV channel auxiliary subunit FGF14 ‘b’ isoform, a locus for inherited spinocerebellar ataxias, controls resurgent current and repetitive firing in Purkinje neurons. FGF14 knockdown biased NaV channels towards the inactivated state by decreasing channel availability, diminishing the ‘late’ NaV current, and accelerating channel inactivation rate, thereby reducing resurgent current and repetitive spiking. Critical for these effects was both the alternatively spliced FGF14b N-terminus and direct interaction between FGF14b and the NaV C-terminus. Together, these data suggest that the FGF14b N-terminus is a potent regulator of resurgent NaV current in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.04193. 001
Doppler Emboli Signals Vary According to Stroke Subtype

Background and Purpose Doppler ultrasound detection of emboli signals may assist in distinguishing erabolic from thrombotic stroke. Selected patient groups have a high incidence of such signals. We have examined consecutive stroke cases to identify the incidence of Doppler emboli in different etiologic subtypes of stroke. Methods Forty-five patients presenting with first-ever acute carotid territory cerebral ischemia were studied prospectively. Transcranial Doppler examination of both middle cerebral arteries, carotid color duplex ultrasound, and transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography were completed within 48 hours of deficit onset. Clinical and imaging data were interpreted independent of emboli data, and stroke etiology was classified according to recent multicenter trial criteria. Results Middle cerebral artery signals were identified in at least one cerebral hemisphere in 41 of the 45 patients. Emboli signals were present in 29 of these 41 cases (71%). These signals were bilateral in 22, within the affected (symptomatic) cerebral hemisphere only in 5, and contralateral only in 2 cases. No emboli signals were detected in any of 8 patients with lacunar stroke. The overall difference in emboli signal counts between etiologic subgroups was significant (P=.001, Kruskal-Wallis). A significantly higher emboli signal count was found within affected cerebral hemispheres than contralaterally in the 8 patients with large artery atherosclerosis (11.3 versus 1 signals per hour, median [95% confidence interval, 3 to 40 and 0 to 3, respectively], P=.02), but this interhemisphere difference was not present for other etiologic subgroups. Conclusions Emboli signals are common in patients with acute stroke, with the notable exception of lacunar stroke. This is consistent with the small vessel etiology for the latter group and provides support for the relevance of Doppler emboli signal detection in thromboembolic cerebrovascular disease. (Stroke. 1994;25:382-384.)
Optimization and majorization of invariant measures

The set of ×2-invariant measures can be equipped with the partial order of majorization, describing relative dispersion. The minimal elements for this order are precisely the Sturmian measures of Morse and Hedlund. This yields new characterisations of Sturmian measures, and has applications to the ergodic optimization of convex functions.
Secondary structure and conserved motifs of the frequently sequenced domains IV and V of the insect mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene

We have analysed over 400 partial insect mitochondrial large subunit (mit LSU) sequences in order to identify conserved motifs and secondary structures for domains IV and V of this gene. Most of the secondary structure elements described by R. R. Gutell et al. (unpublished) for the LSU were identified. However, we present structures for helices 84 and 91 that are not recognized in previous universal models. The portion of the 16S gene containing domains IV and V is frequently sequenced in insect molecular systematic studies so we have many more sequences than previous studies which focused on the complete mitochondrial LSU molecule. In addition, we have the advantage of investigating several sets of closely related taxa. Aligned sequences from thirteen insect orders and nine secondary structure diagrams are presented. These conserved sequence motifs and their associated secondary structure elements can now be used to facilitate the alignment of other insect mit LSU sequences.
Orexin receptor 2 expression in the posterior hypothalamus rescues sleepiness in narcoleptic mice

Narcolepsy is caused by a loss of orexin/hypocretin signaling, resulting in chronic sleepiness, fragmented non-rapid eye movement sleep, and cataplexy. To identify the neuronal circuits underlying narcolepsy, we produced a mouse model in which a loxP-flanked gene cassette disrupts production of the orexin receptor type 2 (OX2R; also known as HCRTR2), but normal OX2R expression can be restored by Cre recombinase. Mice lacking OX2R signaling had poor maintenance of wakefulness indicative of sleepiness and fragmented sleep and lacked any electrophysiological response to orexin-A in the wake-promoting neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus. These defects were completely recovered by crossing them with mice that express Cre in the female germline, thus globally deleting the transcription-disrupter cassette. Then, by using an adeno-associated viral vector coding for Cre recombinase, we found that focal restoration of OX2R in neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus and adjacent parts of the posterior hypothalamus completely rescued the sleepiness of these mice, but their fragmented sleep was unimproved. These observations demonstrate that the tuberomammillary region plays an essential role in the wake-promoting effects of orexins, but orexins must stabilize sleep through other targets.
Performance of dual-polarized MIMO-high-order-modulation OFDM in deteriorated transmission channel

Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has been conducting research on high-order-modulation orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) schemes, such as 4096QaM, dual-polarized multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), and low-density parity-check (LDPC) code schemes, for large-capacity transmissions of next-generation digital terrestrial broadcasting. In 2014, we conducted a field experiment on MIMO-OFDM transmission in Hitoyoshi-city, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. In 2016, the technologies were tested in a field experiment in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. In addition, we conducted a transmission simulation of MIMO-OFDM and a calculation of the MIMO channel capacity by using the deteriorated MIMO channel measurements from RJ. In our previous study, we reported that using weighted log likelihood ratios (LLRs) and an erasure process in each subcarrier improves the bit error rate (BER) performance in a single echo environment. The erasure process sets the LLR to 0 when the MIMO channel of a subcarrier deteriorates. In this study, we examined the BER performance in cases with or without the erasure process by using the deteriorated MIMO channel measurements from RJ. We found that the erasure process gives quasi-error free (QEF) results even when the MIMO demodulator uses a zero forcing (ZF) algorithm with a higher order modulation such as 4096QAM.
SB225002 Induces Cell Death and Cell Cycle Arrest in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells through the Activation of GLIPR1

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent childhood malignancy. In the effort to find new anti-leukemic agents, we evaluated the small drug SB225002 (N-(2-hydroxy-4-nitrophenyl)-N’-(2-bromophenyl)urea). Although initially described as a selective antagonist of CXCR2, later studies have identified other cellular targets for SB225002, with potential medicinal use in cancer. We found that SB225002 has a significant pro-apoptotic effect against both B- and T-ALL cell lines. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that treatment with SB225002 induces G2-M cell cycle arrest. Transcriptional profiling revealed that SB225002-mediated apoptosis triggered a transcriptional program typical of tubulin binding agents. Network analysis revealed the activation of genes linked to the JUN and p53 pathways and inhibition of genes linked to the TNF pathway. Early cellular effects activated by SB225002 included the up-regulation of GLIPR1, a p53-target gene shown to have pro-apoptotic activities in prostate and bladder cancer. Silencing of GLIPR1 in B- and T-ALL cell lines resulted in increased resistance to SB225002. Although SB225002 promoted ROS increase in ALL cells, antioxidant N-Acetyl Cysteine pre-treatment only modestly attenuated cell death, implying that the pro-apoptotic effects of SB225002 are not exclusively mediated by ROS. Moreover, GLIPR1 silencing resulted in increased ROS levels both in untreated and SB225002-treated cells. In conclusion, SB225002 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in different B- and T-ALL cell lines. Inhibition of tubulin function with concurrent activation of the p53 pathway, in particular, its downstream target GLIPR1, seems to underlie the anti-leukemic effect of SB225002.
Resonant oscillations in ${\alpha}^{2}$-dynamos on a closed, twisted Riemannian 2D flux tubes

Chicone et al [CMP (1995)] have shown that, kinematic fast dynamos in diffusive media, could exist only on a closed, 2D Riemannian manifold of constant negative curvature. This report, shows that their result cannot be extended to oscillatory α-dynamos, when there are resonance modes, between toroidal and poloidal frequencies of twisted magnetic flux tubes. Thus, dynamo action can be supported in regions, where Riemannian curvature is positive. For turbulent dynamos, this seems physically reasonable, since recently, [Shukurov et al PRE (2008)] have obtained a Moebius flow strip in sodium liquid, torus Perm dynamo where curvature is also connected to the magnetic fields via diffusion. This could be done, by adjusting the corresponding frequencies till they achieved resonance. Actually 2D torus, is a manifold of zero mean curvature, where regions of positive and negative curvatures exist. It is shown that, Riemannian solitonic surface, endowed with a steady α-dynamo from magnetic filamentary structures [Wilkin et al,PRL (2007)].
Childhood Pars Planitis; Clinical Features and Outcomes

Purpose To evaluate the demographic and clinical features of childhood pars planitis, and to determine the therapeutic and visual outcomes of the disease. Methods Medical records of pediatric patients (less than 16 years of age at diagnosis) with pars planitis and at least 6 months of follow-up who were referred to Labbafinejad Medical Center, Tehran, Iran over a 22 year period were reviewed. Results Overall, 117 eyes of 61 patients including 51 (83.6%) male subjects were included. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 7.8±3.2 (range, 3–16) years. Mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.88±0.76 logMAR at presentation which improved to 0.39±0.51 logMAR at final visit (P<0.001). Endotheliitis was present in 23 (19.6%) eyes and was significantly more prevalent in subjects younger than 9 years (P=0.025). Cataract formation (41.9%) and cystoid macular edema (19.7%) were the most prevalent complications. Univariate regression analysis showed that better baseline visual acuity (OR=0.38, 95%CI 0.21–0.70, P=0.002), age older than 5 years at disease onset (OR=0.36, 95%CI 0.14–0.9, P=0.029), absence of endotheliitis (OR=0.39, 95%CI 0.15–0.99, P=0.047) and female gender (OR=3.77, 95%CI 1.03–13.93, P=0.046) were significantly associated with final BCVA of 20/40 or better. Conclusion Childhood pars planitis was much more common among male subjects. Endotheliitis may be a sign of inflammation spillover and is more prevalent in younger patients. Visual prognosis is favorable in most patients with appropriate treatment.
GDP at Risk in a DSGE Model: An Application to Banking Sector Stress Testing

We suggest a complementary tool for financial stability analysis based on stochastic simulation of a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model (DSGE) of the macro economy. The paper relates to financial stability research in which financial aggregates crucial to financial stability are modelled as functions of macroeconomic variables. In these models, stress tests for eg banking sector loan losses can be generated by considering adverse scenarios of macro variables. A DSGE model provides a systematic way of generating coherent macro scenarios which can be given a rigorous economic interpretation. The approach is illustrated using a DSGE model of the Finnish economy and a simple model of Finnish banking sector loan losses.
Gabapentin reverses central pain sensitization following a collagenase-induced intrathalamic hemorrhage in rats

Purpose The treatment of central neuropathic pain remains amongst the biggest challenges for pain specialists. The main objective of this study was to assess gabapentin (GBP), amitriptyline (AMI), and carbamazepine (CARBA) for the treatment of a rodent central neuropathic pain model. Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were trained on the rotarod, Hargreaves, Von Frey and acetone behavioral tests, and baseline values were obtained prior to surgery. A stereotaxic injection of either a collagenase solution or saline was made in the right ventral posterolateral thalamic nucleus. The rats were tested on days 2, 4, 8, and 11 postsurgery. They were retested at regular intervals from day 15 to day 25 postsurgery, after oral administration of either the vehicle (n=7 and n=8 rats with intracerebral injections of collagenase and saline, respectively) or the different drugs (GBP [60 mg/kg], AMI [10 mg/kg], CARBA [100 mg/kg]; n=8 rats/drug). Results A significant decrease in the mechanical thresholds and no change in heat threshold were observed in both hind limbs in the collagenase group, as we had previously shown elsewhere. Reversal of the mechanical hypersensitivity was achieved only with GBP (P<0.05). AMI and CARBA, at the dosages used, failed to show any effect on mechanical thresholds. Transient cold allodynia was observed in some collagenase-injected rats but failed to be statistically significant. Conclusion Intrathalamic hemorrhaging in the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus induced a bilateral mechanical allodynia, which was reversed by GBP but not AMI or CARBA.
A Two-Pathway Mathematical Model of the LH Response to GnRH that Predicts Self-Priming

An acute response of LH to a stimulatory pulse of GnRH is modelled as a result of a pathway (Pathway I) that consists of two compartments including a single (rate limiting) intermediate. In addition, a second pathway (Pathway II) was added, consisting of an intermediate transcription factor and subsequently a synthesised protein. Pathway II had a delayed effect on LH release due to the time taken to produce the intermediate protein. The model included synergism between these two pathways, which yielded an augmented response. The model accounts for a number of observations, including GnRH self-priming and the biphasic pattern of LH response. The same model was used to fit the data of the LH response when gonadotrophs responded to the addition of oxytocin in the response with a shoulder on the profile. Pathway I is able to be conceptualised as the basic Ca2+-mediated pathway. Pathway II contains features characteristic of the cAMP-mediated pathway. Thus, we have provided an explanation for details of the nature of the profile of LH secretion and additionally enabled incorporation of cAMP in an integrating model. The study investigated the possibility of two interacting pathways being at the basis of both the shoulder on the LH surges and self-priming, and the model illustrates that this appears to be highly likely.
Inclusive Design and Implementation of Novel 40-Pulse AC–DC Converter for Retrofit Applications and Harmonic Mitigation

A novel 40-pulse ac-dc converter based on a 20-pulse converter is designed and implemented in this paper. Combining the outputs of two parallel 10-pulse diode bridges, consisting of five legs of diode rectifiers, results in a 20-pulse topology. A zero sequence blocking transformer (ZSBT) is designed and applied to the proposed scheme guarantying the independent operation of the two bridges. To achieve a 40-pulse output, a pulse doubling circuit is applied which is inherently a tapped inter-phase transformer. A T-connected autotransformer platform is designed and added to the converter, making the proposed scheme suitable for retrofit applications. The proposed solution is a tradeoff among the pulse number, the transformer platform, the complexity of the scheme and the cost. The proposed scheme has an optimized configuration in this regard. In this paper, the proposed scheme is simulated by MATLAB/SIMULINK considering different loading scenarios. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme improves the power quality indices and satisfies the IEEE-519 requirements at the point of common coupling (PCC). Also, a laboratory prototype is implemented using the proposed design and the experimental results confirm the simulation results under different loading conditions. The important aspect of the proposed scheme is a considerable reduction in the burdens of the magnetic parts with respect to the nominal load rating which is verified by kVA calculation. This fact indicates a significant improvement in the total cost and space of the proposed configuration in comparison with similar configurations.
Exactness of reduced amalgamated free product C*-algebras

Some completely positive maps on reduced amalgamated free products of C*-algebras are constructed; these allow a proof that the class of exact unital C*-algebras is closed under taking reduced amalgamated free products. Consequently, the class of exact discrete groups is closed under taking amalgamated free products.
Venous tone and cardiac function in the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus: mean circulatory filling pressure during adrenergic stimulation in anaesthetised and fully recovered animals

SUMMARY The effects of adrenergic stimulation on mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP), central venous pressure (PCV) and stroke volume (Vs), as well as the effects of altered MCFP through changes of blood volume were investigated in rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus). MCFP is an estimate of the upstream pressure driving blood towards the heart and is determined by blood volume and the activity of the smooth muscle cells in the veins (venous tone). MCFP can be determined as the plateau in PCV during a total occlusion of blood flow from the heart. Vs decreased significantly when MCFP was lowered by reducing blood volume in anaesthetised snakes, whereas increased MCFP through infusion of blood (up to 3 ml kg-1) only led to a small rise in Vs. Thus, it seems that end-diastolic volume is not affected by an elevated MCFP in rattlesnakes. To investigate adrenergic regulation on venous tone, adrenaline as well as phenylephrine and isoproterenol (α- and β-adrenergic agonists, respectively) were infused as bolus injections (2 and 10 μg kg-1). Adrenaline and phenylephrine caused large increases in MCFP and PCV, whereas isoproterenol decreased both parameters. This was also the case in fully recovered snakes. Therefore, adrenaline affects venous tone through bothα - and β-adrenergic receptors, but the α-adrenergic receptor dominates at the dosages used in the present study. Injection of the nitric oxide donor SNP caused a significant decrease in PCV and MCFP. Thus, nitric oxide seems to affect venous tone.
Low End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide at the Onset of Emergent Trauma Surgery Is Associated With Nonsurvival: A Case Series

BACKGROUND: End-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) is a valuable marker of the return of adequate circulation after cardiac arrest due to medical causes. Previously, the prognostic value of capnography in trauma has been studied among limited populations in prehospital and emergency department settings. We aimed to investigate the relationship between early intraoperative EtCO2 and nonsurvival of patients undergoing emergency surgery at a level 1 academic trauma center as a case series. If there is a threshold below which survival was extremely unlikely, it might be useful in guiding decision-making in the early termination of futile resuscitative efforts. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, a data set was created to investigate the relationship between EtCO2 values at the onset of emergent trauma surgery and nonsurvival. Patients who were admitted and transferred to the operating room (OR) directly from a resuscitation bay were identified using the Ryder Center trauma registry (October 1, 2013, to June 30, 2016). Electronic records from the hospital’s anesthesia information management system were queried to identify the matching anesthesia records. The maximum EtCO2 values within 5 and 10 minutes of the onset of mechanical ventilation in the OR were determined for patients undergoing general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who were discharged from the hospital alive (survivors) and those who died in the hospital before discharge (nonsurvivors). The threshold EtCO2 giving a positive predictive value of 100% for in-hospital mortality was determined from a graphical analysis of the data. Association of determined threshold and mortality was analyzed using the 2-tailed Fisher exact test. RESULTS: There were 1135 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Within the first 5 minutes of the onset of mechanical ventilation in the OR, if the maximum EtCO2 value was ⩽20 mm Hg, hospital mortality was 100% (21/21, 95% binomial confidence interval, 83.2%–100%). CONCLUSIONS: A maximum EtCO2 ⩽20 mm Hg within 5 minutes of the onset of mechanical ventilation in the OR may be useful in decision-making related to the termination of resuscitative efforts during emergent trauma surgery. However, a large-scale study is needed to establish the statistical reliability of this finding before potential adoption.