Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust Tomlinson-Harashima Source and Linear Relay Precoders Design in Amplify-and-Forward MIMO Relay Systems

Existing transceiver designs in amplify-and-forward (AF) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) relay systems often assume the availability of perfect channel state informations (CSIs). Robust designs for imperfect CSI have less been considered. In this paper, we propose a robust nonlinear transceiver design for the system with a Tomlinson-Harashima precoder (THP), a linear relay precoder, and a minimum-mean-squared-error (MMSE) receiver. Since two precoders and imperfect CSIs are involved, the robust transceiver design is difficult. To overcome the difficulty, we first propose cascading an additional unitary precoder after the THP. The unitary precoder can not only simplify the optimization but also improve the performance of the MMSE receiver. We then adopt the primal decomposition dividing the original optimization problem into a subproblem and a master problem. With our formulation, the subproblem can be solved and the two-precoder problem can be transferred to a single relay precoder problem. The master problem, however, is not solvable. We then propose a lower bound for the objective function and transfer the master problem into a convex optimization problem. A closed-form solution can then be obtained by the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. Simulations show that the proposed transceiver can significantly outperform existing linear transceivers with perfect or imperfect CSIs.
Anxiety and depression in transgender individuals: the roles of transition status, loss, social support, and coping.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to examine facilitative and avoidant coping as mediators between distress and transition status, social support, and loss. METHOD A total of 351 transgender individuals (n = 226 transgender women and n = 125 transgender men) participated in this study. Participants completed measures on transgender identity, family history of mental health concerns, perceptions of loss, coping, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS The rates of depressive symptoms (51.4% for transgender women; 48.3% for transgender men) and anxiety (40.4% for transgender women; 47.5% for transgender men) within the current study far surpass the rates of those for the general population. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data-2 separate models were hypothesized, based on reports of anxiety or depression. The SEM results suggest that the processes for transgender women and transgender men are primarily similar for depression and anxiety; avoidant coping served as a mediator between transition status and both distress variables. Social support was directly related to distress variables, as well as indirectly related through avoidant coping. CONCLUSION Results suggest the need for practitioners to focus on interventions that reduce avoidant coping strategies, while simultaneously increasing social support, in order to improve mental health for transgender individuals. Individuals who are in the beginning stages of their transition will use different coping strategies than those who are in later stages; interventions should be adjusted on the basis of the transition status of transgender clients.
Supply chain internationalization in East Asia: Inclusiveness and risks

Supply chain internationalization is promoting a new cascade of agglomeration and dispersion. Headquarter tasks agglomerate in major cities in developed countries, while labor intensive tasks are shed to developing countries where offshored tasks form into a geographical concentration. As a whole, international supply chains are productivity and welfare enhancing through their more efficient use of human resources. This magnifies the cost of volatility. A case study on East Asia illustrates these points.
Influence of gender on receipt of guideline-based antiretroviral therapy in the era of HAART

United States HIV guidelines delineate preferred antiretroviral treatment (ART) and discourage use of sub-potent, toxic, or adversely interacting combinations. It is unclear how often patients receive guideline concordant ART and what factors are correlated with receiving guideline-inconsistent ART. The objective of this study was to assess ART reported by participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) to determine whether gender is associated with receipt of guideline-inconsistent ART. ART reported by WIHS and MACS participants from 1 January 2001, to 31 December 2007, was assessed for concordance with HIV guidelines. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations estimated the crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with guideline-inconsistent regimens. Of 2937 participants, 463 subjects (WIHS n = 263; MACS n = 200) reported guideline-inconsistent ART during the study period. Age > 50 years (aOR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.14, 4.33) and HIV-1 RNA (aOR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.08, 1.25) but not participant gender (aOR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.88, 1.65) were associated with guideline-inconsistent ART. The prevalence of guideline-inconsistent ART peaked in 2004; however, there was not a statistically significant increase or decrease over time. Guideline-inconsistent ART was not related to gender, but was often used by older patients and patients with higher viral loads. Monitoring ART quality based on concordance with expert guidelines could improve treatment outcomes in a substantial number of patients.
De pers in België : het verhaal van de Belgische dagbladpers : gisteren, vandaag en morgen.

DEEL I : ANALYSE VAN DE BELGISCHE DAGBLADMARKT: TRENDS EN UITDAGINGEN 1. Een historische terugblik : van het ancien regime tot en met de Tweede Wereldoorlog 2. Concentratiebewegingen in de Belgische naoorlogse pers 3. Analyse van de kosten- en inkomstenstructuur van de dagbladpers 4. Evolutie van de oplage en de marketingstrategieen gericht op lezers 5. Analyse en evolutie van de reclame-investeringen 6. Analyse van de distributie 7. Onlinedagbladen en onlinejournalistiek 8. Journalist zijn in Belgie 9. Meer tabloidisering of meer kwaliteit? Vormelijke en inhoudelijke aspecten van de Belgische dagbladen 10. Steun aan de dagbladpers DEEL II : DOORLICHTING VAN DE PERSGROEPEN 1. Corelio 2. De Persgroep 3. Concentra 4. De krantengroep Rossel 5. IPM: La libre Belgique en La Derniere Heure 6. Vers L'Avenir/Medi@bel/Corelio 7. De Waalse socialistische dagbladpers
Cerebral hierarchies: predictive processing, precision and the pulvinar

This paper considers neuronal architectures from a computational perspective and asks what aspects of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology can be disclosed by the nature of neuronal computations? In particular, we extend current formulations of the brain as an organ of inference—based upon hierarchical predictive coding—and consider how these inferences are orchestrated. In other words, what would the brain require to dynamically coordinate and contextualize its message passing to optimize its computational goals? The answer that emerges rests on the delicate (modulatory) gain control of neuronal populations that select and coordinate (prediction error) signals that ascend cortical hierarchies. This is important because it speaks to a hierarchical anatomy of extrinsic (between region) connections that form two distinct classes, namely a class of driving (first-order) connections that are concerned with encoding the content of neuronal representations and a class of modulatory (second-order) connections that establish context—in the form of the salience or precision ascribed to content. We explore the implications of this distinction from a formal perspective (using simulations of feature–ground segregation) and consider the neurobiological substrates of the ensuing precision-engineered dynamics, with a special focus on the pulvinar and attention.
A Cough Algorithm for Chronic Cough in Children: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Study

OBJECTIVES The goals of this study were to: (1) determine if management according to a standardized clinical management pathway/algorithm (compared with usual treatment) improves clinical outcomes by 6 weeks; and (2) assess the reliability and validity of a standardized clinical management pathway for chronic cough in children. METHODS: A total of 272 children (mean ± SD age: 4.5 ± 3.7 years) were enrolled in a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized controlled trial in 5 Australian centers. Children were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 arms: (1) early review and use of cough algorithm (“early-arm”); or (2) usual care until review and use of cough algorithm (“delayed-arm”). The primary outcomes were proportion of children whose cough resolved and cough-specific quality of life scores at week 6. Secondary measures included cough duration postrandomization and the algorithm’s reliability, validity, and feasibility. RESULTS: Cough resolution (at week 6) was significantly more likely in the early-arm group compared with the delayed-arm group (absolute risk reduction: 24.7% [95% confidence interval: 13–35]). The difference between cough-specific quality of life scores at week 6 compared with baseline was significantly better in the early-arm group (mean difference between groups: 0.6 [95% confidence interval: 0.29–1.0]). Duration of cough postrandomization was significantly shorter in the early-arm group than in the delayed-arm group (P = .001). The cough algorithm was reliable (κ = 1 in key steps). Feasibility was demonstrated by the algorithm’s validity (93%–100%) and efficacy (99.6%). Eighty-five percent of children had etiologies easily diagnosed in primary care. CONCLUSIONS: Management of children with chronic cough, in accordance with a standardized algorithm, improves clinical outcomes irrespective of when it is implemented. Further testing of this standardized clinical algorithm in different settings is recommended.
Activity Deprivation Leads to Seizures in Hippocampal Slice Cultures: Is Epilepsy the Consequence of Homeostatic Plasticity?

Summary: Neural networks operate robustly despite destabilizing factors, ranging from gene product turnover to circuit refinement, throughout life. Maintaining functional robustness of neuronal networks critically depends upon forms of homeostatic plasticity including synaptic scaling. Synaptic strength and intrinsic excitability have been shown to “scale” (up or down) in response to altered ambient activity levels, and this has led to the general idea that homeostatic plasticity operates along a continuum. After 48 hours of activity deprivation, cultured hippocampal networks exhibited a homeostatic-type reconfiguration that was discrete: a switch from spontaneous spiking to oscillatory bursting. Blockade of fast glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission abolished spontaneous network bursting, but the majority of neurons exhibited intrinsic bursting in response to current injection, which was not the case in control tissue. This de novo intrinsic bursting could be blocked by cadmium chloride, suggesting that this bursting involves calcium mechanisms. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that activity-deprived slice cultures exhibited a widespread upregulation of voltage-dependent calcium channels compared with controls. Calcium imaging studies from activity-deprived slices demonstrated that spontaneous bursting was not a local behavior, but rather a global, synchronous phenomenon, reminiscent of seizure activity. These data suggest that the input/output transformation of individual neurons undergoing homeostatic remodeling is more complex than simple scaling. Network consequences of this transformation include network destabilization of epileptic proportions. Spontaneous activity plays a critical role in actively maintaining homeostatic balance in networks, which is lost after activity deprivation.
Rate Minimaxity of the Lasso and Dantzig Selector for the lq Loss in lr Balls

We consider the estimation of regression coefficients in a high-dimensional linear model. For regression coefficients in lr balls, we provide lower bounds for the minimax lq risk and minimax quantiles of the lq loss for all design matrices. Under an l0 sparsity condition on a target coefficient vector, we sharpen and unify existing oracle inequalities for the Lasso and Dantzig selector. We derive oracle inequalities for target coefficient vectors with many small elements and smaller threshold levels than the universal threshold. These oracle inequalities provide sufficient conditions on the design matrix for the rate minimaxity of the Lasso and Dantzig selector for the lq risk and loss in lr balls, 0≤ r≤ 1≤ q≤ ∞. By allowing q=∞, our risk bounds imply the variable selection consistency of threshold Lasso and Dantzig selectors.
Elementist Going Up. (Book Reviews: The Sensory Order: An Inquiry into the Foundations of Theoretical Psychology)

The Sensory Order, first published in 1952, sets forth F. A. Hayek's classic theory of mind in which he describes the mental mechanism that classifies perceptions that cannot be accounted for by physical laws. Hayek's substantial contribution to theoretical psychology has been addressed in the work of Thomas Szasz, Gerald Edelman, and Joaquin Fuster. "A most encouraging example of a sustained attempt to bring together information, inference, and hypothesis in the several fields of biology, psychology, and philosophy. "--Quarterly Review of Biology F. A. Hayek (1899-1992), recipient of the Medal of Freedom in 1991 and co-winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1974, taught at the University of London, the University of Chicago, and the University of Freiburg.
Movement Patterns of American Eels in an Impounded Watercourse, as Indicated by Otolith Microchemistry

Abstract Otolith Sr:Ca ratios were used to determine migrational histories of American eels Anguilla rostrata in an eastern Canadian coastal stream that is impounded at the head of tide. American eels sampled from the estuary were smaller (41.0 ± 9.3 cm (mean ± SD), N = 324) and younger (ages 1–4) than those in a freshwater pond (65.0 ± 7.5 cm, N = 265; ages 11–26) 2.5 km upstream of the head of tide. The Sr:Ca ratios permitted identification of three migrational contingents. In 7 of 13 (54%) American eels taken in the estuary, Sr:Ca ratios declined to 4.76 ± 1.22 × 10−3, indicating direct migration from the sea to estuarine settlement sites. In the 6 other American eels (46%), Sr:Ca ratios indicated an approach to freshwater soon after arrival in continental waters, followed by settlement in the estuary where ratios stabilized at 4.50 ± 1.23 × 10−3. In all 15 American eels sampled from the freshwater pond, Sr:Ca ratios indicated settlement in freshwater in the elver year and no subsequent change of habit.
HuR regulates gap junctional intercellular communication by controlling β‐catenin levels and adherens junction integrity

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) plays a critical role in the regulation of tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis and is modulated by the levels, subcellular localization, and posttranslational modification of gap junction proteins, the connexins (Cx). Here, using oval cell‐like rat liver epithelial cells, we demonstrate that the RNA‐binding protein HuR promotes GJIC through two mechanisms. First, HuR silencing lowered the levels of Cx43 protein and Cx43 messenger RNA (mRNA), and decreased Cx43 mRNA half‐life. This regulation was likely due to the direct stabilization of Cx43 mRNA by HuR, because HuR associated directly with Cx43 mRNA, a transcript that bears signature adenylate‐uridylate‐rich (AU‐rich) and uridylate‐rich (U‐rich) sequences in its 3′‐untranslated region. Second, HuR silencing reduced both half‐life and the levels of β‐catenin mRNA, also a target of HuR; accordingly, HuR silencing lowered the levels of whole‐cell and membrane‐associated β‐catenin. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed a direct interaction between β‐catenin and Cx43. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)‐mediated depletion of β‐catenin recapitulated the effects of decreasing HuR levels: it attenuated GJIC, decreased Cx43 levels, and redistributed Cx43 to the cytoplasm, suggesting that depletion of β‐catenin in HuR‐silenced cells contributed to lowering Cx43 levels at the membrane. Finally, HuR was demonstrated to support GJIC after exposure to a genotoxic agent, doxorubicin, or an inducer of differentiation processes, retinoic acid, thus pointing to a crucial role of HuR in the cellular response to stress and in physiological processes modulated by GJIC. Conclusion: HuR promotes gap junctional intercellular communication in rat liver epithelial cells through two related regulatory processes, by enhancing the expression of Cx43 and by increasing the expression of β‐catenin, which, in turn, interacts with Cx43 and is required for proper positioning of Cx43 at the plasma membrane. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
Evaluation of Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Effects of Two Bt Cry Proteins on a GMO Safety Perspective

Studies have contested the innocuousness of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry proteins to mammalian cells as well as to mammals microbiota. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of two Cry proteins, Cry8Ka5 (a novel mutant protein) and Cry1Ac (a widely distributed protein in GM crops). Evaluation of cyto- and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes was performed as well as hemolytic activity coupled with cellular membrane topography analysis in mammal erythrocytes. Effects of Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac upon Artemia sp. nauplii and upon bacteria and yeast growth were assessed. The toxins caused no significant effects on the viability (IC50 > 1,000 µg/mL) or to the cellular DNA integrity of lymphocytes (no effects at 1,000 µg/mL). The Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac proteins did not cause severe damage to erythrocytes, neither with hemolysis (IC50 > 1,000 µg/mL) nor with alterations in the membrane. Likewise, the Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac proteins presented high LC50 (755.11 and >1,000 µg/mL, resp.) on the brine shrimp lethality assay and showed no growth inhibition of the microorganisms tested (MIC > 1,000 µg/mL). This study contributed with valuable information on the effects of Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac proteins on nontarget organisms, which reinforce their potential for safe biotechnological applications.
A theoretical and empirical analysis of convergence related particle swarm optimization

In this paper an extensive theoretical and empirical analysis of recently introduced Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm with Convergence Related parameters (CR-PSO) is presented. The convergence of the classical PSO algorithm is addressed in detail. The conditions that should be imposed on parameters of the algorithm in order for it to converge in mean-square have been derived. The practical implications of these conditions have been discussed. Based on these implications a novel, recently proposed parameterization scheme for the PSO has been introduced. The novel optimizer is tested on an extended set of benchmarks and the results are compared to the PSO with time-varying acceleration coefficients (TVAC-PSO) and the standard genetic algorithm (GA).
Relationship of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Diastolic Function With Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in African Americans With Hypertensive Chronic Kidney Disease

African Americans with hypertension are at high risk for adverse outcomes from cardiovascular and renal disease. Patients with stage 3 or greater chronic kidney disease have a high prevalence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. Our goal was to study prospectively the relationships of LV mass and diastolic function with subsequent cardiovascular and renal outcomes in the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension cohort study. Of 691 patients enrolled in the cohort, 578 had interpretable echocardiograms and complete relevant clinical data. Exposures were LV hypertrophy and diastolic parameters. Outcomes were cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization or causing death; a renal composite outcome of doubling of serum creatinine or end-stage renal disease (censoring death); and heart failure. We found strong independent relationships between LV hypertrophy and subsequent cardiovascular (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.27) events, but not renal outcomes. After adjustment for LV mass and clinical variables, lower systolic tissue Doppler velocities and diastolic parameters reflecting a less compliant LV (shorter deceleration time and abnormal E/A ratio) were significantly (P<0.05) associated with future heart failure events. This is the first study to show a strong relationship among LV hypertrophy, diastolic parameters, and adverse cardiac outcomes in African Americans with hypertension and chronic kidney disease. These echocardiographic risk factors may help identify high-risk patients with chronic kidney disease for aggressive therapeutic intervention.
Additive Gene–Environment Effects on Hippocampal Structure in Healthy Humans

Hippocampal volume loss has been related to chronic stress as well as genetic factors. Although genetic and environmental variables affecting hippocampal volume have extensively been studied and related to mental illness, limited evidence is available with respect to G × E interactions on hippocampal volume. The present MRI study investigated interaction effects on hippocampal volume between three well-studied functional genetic variants (COMT Val158Met, BDNF Val66Met, 5-HTTLPR) associated with hippocampal volume and a measure of environmental adversity (life events questionnaire) in a large sample of healthy humans (n = 153). All three variants showed significant interactions with environmental adversity with respect to hippocampal volume. Observed effects were additive by nature and driven by both recent as well as early life events. A consecutive analysis of hippocampal subfields revealed a spatially distinct profile for each genetic variant suggesting a specific role of 5-HTTLPR for the subiculum, BDNF Val66Met for CA4/dentate gyrus, and COMT Val158Met for CA2/3 volume changes. The present study underscores the importance of G × E interactions as determinants of hippocampal volume, which is crucial for the neurobiological understanding of stress-related conditions, such as mood disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Specificity of motor components in the dual flagellar system of Shewanella putrefaciens CN‐32

Bacterial flagellar motors are intricate nanomachines in which the stator units and rotor component FliM may be dynamically exchanged during function. Similar to other bacterial species, the gammaproteobacterium Shewanella putrefaciens CN‐32 possesses a complete secondary flagellar system along with a corresponding stator unit. Expression of the secondary system occurs during planktonic growth in complex media and leads to the formation of a subpopulation with one or more additional flagella at random positions in addition to the primary polar system. We used physiological and phenotypic characterizations of defined mutants in concert with fluorescent microscopy on labelled components of the two different systems, the stator proteins PomB and MotB, the rotor components FliM1 and FliM2, and the auxiliary motor components MotX and MotY, to determine localization, function and dynamics of the proteins in the flagellar motors. The results demonstrate that the polar flagellum is driven by a Na+‐dependent FliM1/PomAB/MotX/MotY flagellar motor while the secondary system is rotated by a H+‐dependent FliM2/MotAB motor. The components were highly specific for their corresponding motor and are unlikely to be extensively swapped or shared between the two flagellar systems under planktonic conditions. The results have implications for both specificity and dynamics of flagellar motor components.