Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compressed channel estimation for high-mobility OFDM systems: Pilot symbol and pilot pattern design

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) has been widely adopted for broadband wireless communications due to its high spectral efficiency. However, it is sensitive to the time selectivity caused by the high-mobility, which largely degrades the accurate of estimating the channel state information (CSI). Therefore, the channel estimation in high-mobility OFDM systems has been a long-standing challenge. Recently, numerous experimental studies have shown that high-mobility broadband wireless channels tend to have some inherent sparsity. In this paper, we introduce the compressed sensing (CS) to utilize the inherent channel sparsity and estimate the high-mobility channel. Based on the CS minimization criterion, we propose two off-line pilot design algorithms to improve the estimation performance. One is to design the pilot symbol only and the other is to jointly design the pilot symbol and the pilot pattern. Simulation results show that the proposed methods achieve better estimation performances than conventional linear methods in high-mobility environments.
The fourth phase of the radiative transfer model intercomparison (RAMI) exercise: Actual canopy scenarios and conformity testing

The RAdiative transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) activity focuses on the benchmarking of canopy radiative transfer (RT) models. For the current fourth phase of RAMI, six highly realistic virtual plant environments were constructed on the basis of intensive ﬁ eld data collected from (both deciduous and coniferous) forest stands as well as test sites in Europe and South Africa. Twelve RT modelling groups provided simulations of canopy scale (directionaland hemisphericallyintegrated)radiativequantities,aswellasa seriesofbinary hemisphericalpho- tographs acquired from different locations within the virtual canopies. The simulation results showed much greater variance than those recently analysed for the abstract canopy scenarios of RAMI-IV. Canopy complexity is among the most likely drivers behind operator induced errors that gave rise to the discrepancies. Conformity testing was introduced to separate the simulation results into acceptable and non-acceptable contributions. More speci ﬁ cally, a shared risk approach is used to evaluate the compliance of RT model simulations on the basis of reference data generated with the weighted ensemble averaging technique from ISO-13528. However, using concepts from legal metrology, the uncertainty of this reference solution will be shown to prevent a con ﬁ dent assessment of model performance with respect to the selectedtoleranceintervals. As analternative, guard- edriskdecisionruleswillbepresentedtoaccountexplicitlyfortheuncertaintyassociatedwiththereferenceand candidate methods. Both guarded acceptance and guarded rejection approaches are used to make con ﬁ dent statements about the acceptance and/or rejection of RT model simulations with respect to the prede ﬁ ned tolerance intervals. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
The Annealing Sparse Bayesian Learning Algorithm

In this paper we propose a two-level hierarchical Bayesian model and an annealing schedule to re-enable the noise variance learning capability of the fast marginalized Sparse Bayesian Learning Algorithms. The performance such as NMSE and F-measure can be greatly improved due to the annealing technique. This algorithm tends to produce the most sparse solution under moderate SNR scenarios and can outperform most concurrent SBL algorithms while pertains small computational load.
Fault ride through requirements and measures of distributed PV systems in Japan

Photovoltaic (PV) power generation system is expected to be penetrated widely and largely for coping with the global environmental issues, etc. Those PV systems may stop the operation or be in unstable operation simultaneously in case of the grid transient disturbances such as voltage sag, etc. Those matters may impact on the gird stability seriously under the large penetration. In Japan, fault ride through (FRT) requirements on voltage sag and frequency variation for PV systems connecting to single phase low voltage distribution line were recently investigated and proposed by a governmental support project. Toward establishment of proper measures to meet the FRT requirements, operation characteristics of many types of current Japanese power conditioning subsystems (PCSs) for residential PV system under various transient disturbances are tested and evaluated. Fundamental measures for enhancing FRT performance of the PCSs are also investigated and proposed.
Reflexo das características do conselho de administração no endividamento de companhias abertas no Brasil

Este estudo teve o objetivo de identificar o reflexo das caracteristicas dos Conselhos de Administracao sobre a estrutura de endividamento das companhias abertas integrantes do Indice Brasil (IBrX) entre os anos de 2008 e 2012. Com base em uma revisao de literatura acerca da estrutura de capital e endividamento das empresas, do Conselho de Administracao e sobre estudos assemelhados a esses temas, foi realizado um estudo com os dados dessas empresas coletados a partir de seus Formularios de Referencia e do banco de dados da Economatica. No total, foram analisadas 483 observacoes anuais por meio de um painel de dados com a utilizacao de modelos de regressao multivariada. Seus principais resultados indicaram que as variaveis “idade dos membros”, “independencia do presidente do conselho”, “numero de membros” e “numero de conselheiros indicados pelos minoritarios” sao fatores determinantes da estrutura de capital das empresas, influenciando de forma negativa seu nivel de endividamento. Essas evidencias ratificam a literatura existente relacionada a relevância do Conselho de Administracao no processo de gestao de uma companhia.
The Expanding Humanities and the Individual Scholar

A common assumption about the humanities used to be that they were always the same: both their subject matter and the ways of studying them were invariable. “The proper study of mankind is man” was an evident enough truth, and when one got down to the study, one found oneself at best working over again “what oft was thought but ne'er so well express'd. ”
Micorriza arbuscular en sorgo bajo diferente manejo agrotecnológico y ambiental

La relacion simbiotica entre los hongos micorrizicos arbusculares (HMAS) y las plantas inducen a mejorar la nutricion y sanidad de los vegetales. La aplicacion biotecnologica de los HMAS en los sistemas de produccion, dependera de la efectividad de la cepa en el entorno agroecologico, asi como su adopcion con las practicas y maquinaria existentes. Se determino la efectividad de Glomus intraradices (cepa INIFAP) inoculado a la semilla de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor), bajo diferente manejo agronomico y de ambiente en Tamaulipas durante 2007-2009. Se establecieron 21 parcelas comerciales, 13 en secano y ocho en riego (0.25-1ha), donde se comparo la semilla con y sin el inoculante G. intraradices, el manejo agronomico fue el utilizado por los productores. En secano no se adicionaron fertilizantes inorganicos, mientras que en riego se utilizaron diferentes dosis de N y P, solamente en un sitio se incorporo gallinaza (2 t ha-1). Se midio la longitud de la panoja, la biomasa fresca radical y el rendimiento de grano. Se estimo la rentabilidad de la produccion (costo-beneficio) en cada sitio. En el promedio de secano y riego se observo que G. intraradices incremento (p≤ 0.01) la biomasa radical, la longitud de la panoja y el rendimiento de grano en 7.6 g, 3.3 cm y 524 kg ha-1, respectivamente; la rentabilidad de la produccion se acrecento 17%. Los resultados demostraron una consistente respuesta promotora que tuvo el inoculante micorrizico en sorgo, comparada con semilla no inoculada, a pesar de la variabilidad de genotipos, suelos, practicas agronomicas y ambientes.
Narratives in City Landscapes: Cultural Identity in Istanbul*

Abstract. Since the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, when the Turkish nation was defined as ethnically Turkish and Muslim, the issue of ethnic minorities has been at the root of a deep insecurity concerning cultural identity and what it means to be Turkish. The movement to “recover” ethnic minority in history and in place is most visible in Istanbul, the city identified as the location of European culture in Turkey and Turkey's most culturally pluralistic city. The movement has gained pace since the formal acceptance of Turkey as a candidate for membership in the European Union and the push for reforms in human rights. It is promoted by a very small cultural and economic elite and works together with gentrification to produce elite spaces in the city, as exemplified by two neighborhoods: Kuzguncuk, a historic minority neighborhood on the Asian shore of the Bosporus; and “French Street,” a new commercial development in Beyoǧlu, on the European side of the city west of the Bosporus. These landscapes articulate a European, cosmopolitan, and multicultural place identity for Istanbul and reflect a particular notion of Turkey as modern and European, providing insight into the contemporary debate in Turkey concerning the tensions embedded at the core of Turkish cultural identity.
Short-term Cold Acclimation Recruits Brown Adipose Tissue in Obese Humans

Recruitment of brown adipose tissue (BAT) has emerged as a potential tool to combat obesity and associated metabolic complications. Short-term cold acclimation has been shown not only to enhance the presence and activity of BAT in lean humans but also to improve the metabolic profile of skeletal muscle to benefit glucose uptake in patients with type 2 diabetes. Here we examined whether short-term cold acclimation also induced such adaptations in 10 metabolically healthy obese male subjects. A 10-day cold acclimation period resulted in increased cold-induced glucose uptake in BAT, as assessed by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. BAT activity was negatively related to age, with a similar trend for body fat percentage. In addition, cold-induced glucose uptake in BAT was positively related to glucose uptake in visceral white adipose tissue, although glucose uptake in visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue depots was unchanged upon cold acclimation. Cold-induced skeletal muscle glucose uptake tended to increase upon cold acclimation, which was paralleled by increased basal GLUT4 localization in the sarcolemma, as assessed through muscle biopsies. Proximal skin temperature was increased and subjective responses to cold were slightly improved at the end of the acclimation period. These metabolic adaptations to prolonged exposure to mild cold may lead to improved glucose metabolism or prevent the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.
Endoscopic management of biliary obstruction caused by cavernous transformation of the portal vein.

BACKGROUND Symptomatic biliary obstruction caused by cavernous transformation of the portal vein is an extremely rare disorder for which there is no consensus as to optimal treatment. The results of endoscopic treatments in a small group of patients is reviewed. METHODS A total of 10 patients (5 men, 5 women; mean age 36.1 years, range 17-48 years) with severe biliary strictures were treated between 1995 and 2001. Biliary sphincterotomy was performed in all patients. Four patients also underwent balloon dilation, nasobiliary drainage, and stone or sludge extraction by using a balloon. All patients had stent insertion. OBSERVATIONS The mean duration of therapy was 3.3 years (range 1-7 years). There was no complication directly related to the endoscopic procedures except for hemobilia that occurred in one patient during stent removal. Cholangitis developed in 5 patients during the therapy period and was treated endoscopically. In 4 patients, significant improvement in the biliary stricture was observed and stents were removed in 3. These patients were followed without stent insertion for one year. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic management of biliary stricture caused by cavernous transformation of the portal vein appears to be effective and safe.
Depressive symptoms and mortality in patients with congestive heart failure: a six-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the possible long-term effect of symptoms of depression on mortality risk among patients with congestive heart failure. MATERIAL/METHODS Proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the effect of symptoms of depression on mortality among 119 clinically stable patients with symptomatic heart failure, recruited from an outpatient cardiology practice. Fifty-one deaths were registered during the six years of data collection, all from cardiac causes. RESULTS Symptom of depression were a significant predictor of mortality (relative risk per 1-point increase on the depression scale, 1.05, confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.08; p = 0.016), controlling for the confounding effects of the personality trait of neuroticism, heart failure severity (proANP), gender and age. CONCLUSIONS Given the long-term effect of depressive symptomatology on CHF mortality found in the present study, health care professionals should identify patients who are at risk of suffering from depression as early as possible, and should try to provide appropriate treatment. There is a need among CHF patients for studies that seek to examine whether treatment of depression reduces the risk of mortality.
Peptidoglycan maturation enzymes affect flagellar functionality in bacteria

The flagellar machinery is a highly complex organelle composed of a free rotating flagellum and a fixed stator that converts energy into movement. The assembly of the flagella and the stator requires interactions with the peptidoglycan layer through which the organelle has to pass for externalization. Lytic transglycosylases are peptidoglycan degrading enzymes that cleave the sugar backbone of peptidoglycan layer. We show that an endogenous lytic transglycosylase is required for full motility of Helicobacter pylori and colonization of the gastric mucosa. Deficiency of motility resulted from a paralysed phenotype implying an altered ability to generate flagellar rotation. Similarly, another Gram‐negative pathogen Salmonella typhimurium and the Gram‐positive pathogen Listeria monocytogenes required the activity of lytic transglycosylases, Slt or MltC, and a glucosaminidase (Auto), respectively, for full motility. Furthermore, we show that in absence of the appropriate lytic transglycosylase, the flagellar motor protein MotB from H. pylori does not localize properly to the bacterial pole. We present a new model involving the maturation of the surrounding peptidoglycan for the proper anchoring and functionality of the flagellar motor.
Estimating Search Benefits from Path-Tracking Data: Measurement and Determinants

We study consumer search behavior in a brick-and-mortar store environment, using a unique data set obtained from radio-frequency identification tags, which are attached to supermarket shopping carts. This technology allows us to record consumers’ purchases as well as the time they spent in front of the shelf when contemplating which product to buy, giving us a direct measure of search effort. We estimate a linear regression of price paid on search duration, in which search duration is instrumented with a search-cost shifter. We show that this regression allows us to recover the marginal return from search in terms of price at the optimal stopping point for the average consumer. Our identification strategy and coefficient interpretation are valid for a broad class of search models, and we are hence able to remain agnostic about the details of the search process, such as search order and search protocol. We estimate an average return from search of $2.10 per minute and explore heterogeneity across consumer .
Hoarding of pulsed resources: Temporal variations in egg-caching by arctic fox

ABSTRACT Resource pulses are common in various ecosystems and often have large impacts on ecosystem functioning. Many animals hoard food during resource pulses, yet how this behaviour affects pulse diffusion through trophic levels is poorly known because of a lack of individual-based studies. Our objective was to examine how the hoarding behaviour of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) preying on a seasonal pulsed resource (goose eggs) was affected by annual and seasonal changes in resource availability. We monitored foraging behaviour of foxes in a greater snow goose (Chen caerulescens atlanticus) colony during 8 nesting seasons that covered 2 lemming cycles. The number of goose eggs taken and cached per hour by foxes declined 6-fold from laying to hatching, while the proportion of eggs cached remained constant. In contrast, the proportion of eggs cached by foxes fluctuated in response to the annual lemming cycle independently of the seasonal pulse of goose eggs. Foxes cached the majority of eggs taken (> 90%) when lemming abundance was high or moderate but only 40% during the low phase of the cycle. This likely occurred because foxes consumed a greater proportion of goose eggs to fulfill their energy requirement at low lemming abundance. Our study clearly illustrates a behavioural mechanism that extends the energetic benefits of a resource pulse. The hoarding behaviour of the main predator enhances the allochthonous nutrients input brought by migrating birds from the south into the arctic terrestrial ecosystem. This could increase average predator density and promote indirect interactions among prey. Nomenclature: Anonymous, 2007.
DEFT guessing: using inductive transfer to improve rule evaluation from limited data

Algorithms that learn sets of rules describing a concept from its examples have been widely studied in machine learning and have been applied to problems in medicine, molecular biology, planning and linguistics. Many of these algorithms used a separate-and-conquer strategy, repeatedly searching for rules that explain different parts of the example set. When examples are scarce, however, it is difficult for these algorithms to evaluate the relative quality of two or more rules which fit the examples equally well. This dissertation proposes, implements and examines a general technique for modifying rule evaluation in order to improve learning performance in these situations. This approach, called Description-based Evaluation Function Transfer (Deft), adjusts the way rules are evaluated on a target concept by taking into account the performance of similar rules on a related support task that is supplied by a domain expert. Central to this approach is a novel theory of task similarity that is defined in terms of syntactic properties of rules, called descriptions, which define what it means for rules to be similar. Each description is associated with a prior distribution over classification probabilities derived from the support examples and a rule’s evaluation on a target task is combined with the relevant prior using Bayes’ rule. Given some natural conditions regarding the similarity of the target and support task, it is shown that modifying rule evaluation in this way is guaranteed to improve estimates of the true classification probabilities. Algorithms to efficiently implement Deft are described, analysed and used to measure the effect these improvements have on the quality of induced theories. Empirical studies of this implementation were carried out on two artificial and two real-world domains. The results show that the inductive transfer of evaluation bias based on rule similarity is an effective and practical way to improve learning when training examples are limited.
The Na tu re of Verbal Interactions among Handicapped and N onhandicapped Preschool Children

GURALNICK, MICHAEL J . and PAUL-BROWN, DIANE. The Nature of Verbal Interactions among Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Preschool Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1977, 48, 254-260. The nature of verbal interactions among handicapped and nonhandicapped preschool children was examined in instructional and free-play settings. A wide variety of linguistic parameters designed to reflect verbal productivity and grammatical complexity was selected for analysis. The speech of designated nonhandicapped children was analyzed separately according to the type of listener to whom their speech was addressed. Listeners were classified as manifesting mild, moderate, severe, or no developmental delays. The results indicated that the speech of the designated children tended to be more complex, more frequent, and more diverse when addressed to developmentally more advanced children in both settings. These results were discussed in terms of their significance for facilitating the development of the language-delayed child.
The Phoenix galaxy as seen by NuSTAR

Aims. We study the long-term variability of the well-known Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1210 (a.k.a. UGC 4203, or the Phoenix galaxy). Methods. The source was observed by many X-ray facilities in the last 20 years. Here we present a NuSTAR observation and put the results in context of previously published observations. Results. NuSTAR observed Mrk 1210 in 2012 for 15.4 ks. The source showed Compton-thin obscuration similar to that observed by Chandra, Suzaku, BeppoSAX and XMM-Newton over the past two decades, but different from the first observation by ASCA in 1995, in which the active nucleus was caught in a low flux state - or obscured by Compton-thick matter, with a reflection-dominated spectrum. Thanks to the high-quality hard X-ray spectrum obtained with NuSTAR and exploiting the long-term spectral coverage spanning 16.9 years, we can precisely disentangle the transmission and reflection components and put constraints on both the intrinsic long-term variability and hidden nucleus scenarios. In the former case, the distance between the reflector and the source must be at least ~ 2 pc, while in the latter one the eclipsing cloud may be identified with a water maser-emitting clump.