Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement-Based Markov Modeling for Multi-Link Channels in Railway Communication Systems

Multi-link transmission is one of the promising communication techniques capable of improving system capacity and cell-edge user spectral efficiency in railway communication networks. The performance of multi-link transmission heavily depends on the propagation characteristics of radio channels, especially the correlation property between multiple radio channels. Thus, it is important to characterize the multi-link channel in railway communication networks. In this paper, extensive wideband measurements in a viaduct railway environment at 460 MHz with two base stations and one mobile station are performed. Large-scale parameters (LSPs), including large-scale fading, Ricean $K$ -factor, delay spread, and angle spread, are extracted from the measurement data. Based on the measurements, auto-correlation and cross-correlation properties of each LSP are investigated. A Markov-based multi-link tapped-delay-line model for railway communications is established, where the Markov chains are introduced to model the birth and death state of multipath components in multi-link scenarios. Using the relationship between the correlation coefficients of complex random variables (RVs), the amplitude and the phase of taps with different delays are modeled as correlated RVs. The proposed channel model is implemented and validated with measurements.
A Dimmable Offline LED Driver With OOK-M-FSK Modulation for VLC Applications

This paper proposes a visible light communication (VLC) system consisting of a single-stage buck–boost power factor correction converter operating in the discontinuous conduction mode with dimming capability. Additionally, this paper proposes the on–off M-frequency shift keying modulation for the VLC system. This modulation allows for the transmission of more than a single bit for each switching period without affecting the dimming characteristics of the light-emitting diode luminaire. The design of the whole system is discussed in detail, including both transmitter and receiver modules. A 20-W laboratory prototype was built in order to verify the proposed modulation scheme. The experimental evaluation showed a good performance of the transmitter, which was able to perform simultaneously the desired functions, namely power factor correction, dimming, and data transmission. The receiver also achieved the desired performance with a low bit error rate (BER). The results showed that the proposed system was able to transfer data between emitter and receiver with a bit rate of 1.11 Mb/s at a frequency of up to 375 kHz over a distance of 10 m, and with a BER lower than $10^{-3}$ under the influence of external lighting sources with illuminance levels up to 500 lx.
Time to Extinction for the SIS Epidemic Model: New Bounds on the Tail Probabilities

In this paper, we present a novel estimation of the time to extinction of a Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) epidemic model over a general network of interactions. Specifically, we prove that, for an effective infection rate above a threshold depending on the topology of the network, the time to extinction grows exponentially in the size of the population, with probability converging to 1 as the size of the population grows large. This provides new insights with respect to the results from the literature, which are focused on the expected time to extinction. In particular, our result yields a better characterization of the phase transition of the SIS model and a better understanding of the properties of the model in the regime above this threshold, depending on the topology of the network of interactions and on the initial condition. In view of the generality of the techniques used in this paper, we believe that similar arguments can be developed in order to analyze phase transitions of more complex epidemic models. Finally, explicit applications to popular families of networks (e.g., Erdős-Rényi random graphs, stars graphs and barbell graphs) show the effectiveness of the result.
Spatial proximity between the VPAC1 receptor and the amino terminus of agonist and antagonist peptides reveals distinct sites of interaction

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) plays a major role in pathophysiology. Our previous studies demonstrated that the VIP sequence 6‐28 interacts with the N‐terminal ectodomain (N‐ted) of its receptor, VPAC1. Probes for VIP and receptor antagonist PG97‐269 were synthesized with a photolabile residue/Bpa at various positions and used to explore spatial proximity with VPAC1. PG97‐269 probes with Bpa at position 0, 6, and 24 behaved as high‐affinity receptor antagonists (Ki=12, 9, and 7 nM, respectively). Photolabeling experiments revealed that the [Bpa0]‐VIP probe was in physical contact with VPAC1 Q135, while [Bpa0]‐PG97‐269 was covalently bound to G62 residue of N‐ted, indicating different binding sites. In contrast, photolabeling with [Bpa6]‐ and [Bpa24]‐PG97‐269 showed that the distal domains of PG97‐269 interacted with N‐ted, as we previously showed for VIP. Substitution with alanine of the K143, T144, and T147 residues located in the first transmembrane domain of VPAC1 induced a loss of receptor affinity (IC50=1035, 874, and 2070 nM, respectively), and pharmacological studies using VIP2‐28 indicated that these three residues play an important role in VPAC1 interaction with the first histidine residue of VIP. These data demonstrate that VIP and PG97‐269 bind to distinct domains of VPAC1. —Ceraudo, E. , Hierso, R. , Tan, Y. ‐V. , Murail, S. , Rouyer‐Fessard C. , Nicole, P., Robert, J.‐C. , Jamin, N. , Neumann, J.‐M. , Robberecht, P., Laburthe, M. , Couvineau, A. Spatial proximity between the VPAC1 receptor and the amino terminus of agonist and antagonist peptides reveals distinct sites of interaction. FASEB J. 26, 2060‐2071 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Designing for All: Exploring Gender Diversity and Engagement with Digital Educational Games by Young People.

Digital educational games development is an emerging area receiving attention from educators and researchers. Several studies have looked at their educational value, and some have established their usefulness as an effective pedagogical tool. However, few studies have examined the design process for digital educational games and how they can provide engagement experiences comparable to those found in entertainment games. Even fewer studies have specifically investigated how concepts of inclusivity and diversity can be built into games. This study explored gender diversity in digital educational games. The authors have worked with young people to create a digital game engagement framework, which identifies the most important factors that attract and engage young people in a digital game. The factors are: challenge, rewards, clarity of goal, feedback, visual appeal, social interaction, thematic appeal, creativity and immersion. Using a mixed methods approach and a ‘Diamond 9’ tool, young people were asked to rank the nine factors. The results indicate that while rewards ranked highly independent of gender, the importance of other factors (feedback, social interaction and clarity of goal) differed by gender. This study provides implications for designing inclusive digital educational games and calls for further research into diversity and inclusiveness in digital games.
5G-28 GHz Signal Transmission Over Hybrid All-Optical FSO/RF Link in Dusty Weather Conditions

5G wireless networks promise to provide massive bandwidth for various types of connections. In such networks, the backhaul/fronthaul sections should be easy to deploy and support the required high bandwidth. To improve the free space optic (FSO) link bandwidth so that it can replace fiber cables and support 5G networks, all-optical FSO systems were proposed which exploit advanced modulation formats in the transmitter side and coherent detection in the receiver side. However, such links will suffer much under harsh outdoor environment, especially under fog and dust conditions than traditional FSO links that have limited bandwidth. Effect of fog on such links has been investigated in the literature. However, the dust effect is not covered. In this paper, we first experimentally analyzed the effects of dust storms on the performance of an all-optical FSO link carrying a 1-Gbaud/16-quadrature amplitude modulation 5G signal. The results demonstrate that the all-optical FSO link is significantly affected by low visibility range, with severe bit-error-rate (BER), and error vector magnitude (EVM) limits appearing at a 50-m visibility range for a 2.7-m channel length. For a visibility range greater than 200-m, the BER and EVM were improved to 10−9 and 5.5% of the root mean square, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the dust storm condition introduces flat fading over the frequency range under study, i.e., 21–29 GHz. Second, a comparison between FSO and radio frequency (RF) channels under the same dusty conditions were performed. The results showed that the effects of the dust storm are negligible for the RF link which makes it suitable as a backup for FSO link under severe dust conditions. Finally, a hybrid cascaded FSO/RF link was installed and analyzed in terms of visibility range, BER, and EVM.
MAHRP2, an exported protein of Plasmodium falciparum, is an essential component of Maurer's cleft tethers

Upon invasion into erythrocytes, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum must refurbish the host cell. The objective of this study was to elucidate the location and function of MAHRP2 in these processes. Using immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy we showed that the membrane‐associated histidine‐rich protein‐2 (MAHRP2) is exported during this process to novel cylindrical structures in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. We hypothesize that these structures tether organelles known as Maurer's clefts to the erythrocyte skeleton. Live cell imaging of parasite transfectants expressing MAHRP2–GFP revealed both mobile and fixed populations of the tether‐like structures. Differential centrifugation allowed the enrichment of these novel structures. MAHRP2 possesses neither a signal peptide nor a PEXEL motif, and sequences required for export were determined using transfectants expressing truncated MAHRP2 fragments. The first 15 amino acids and the histidine‐rich N‐terminal region are necessary for correct trafficking of MAHRP2 together with a predicted hydrophobic region. Solubilization studies showed that MAHRP2 is membrane associated but not membrane spanning. Several attempts to delete the mahrp2 gene failed, indicating that the protein is essential for parasite survival.
Multi-Mode Project Scheduling with Limited Resource and Budget Constraints

In this research paper, we figure out multi-mode project scheduling problem where resources are limited and project scheduling cost is fixed. An activity of the project may be executed by a resource in a chosen mode. These multi-modes are relying on project duration time, time lags to other activities and requirement of resources. A multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem can be formally prescribed by a number of activities-nodes with several modes that should be scheduled to minimize the project duration, subject to generalized precedence relations with limited resources. The most common exact approaches for solving these problems are based on branch-and-bound algorithm, linear programming and boolean satisfiability (SAT). We consider, Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) for modeling and solving the project scheduling problem with limited resources, budget constraints and activity precedence relations. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for finding its optimal solution. We jointly consider to make sure that, the project duration is minimized, while maintaining the budget limit and incorporate multiple types of computational resources. The performance evaluation results carried out in CPLEX optimization tool, show that the proposed model outperforms existing approaches in terms of project completion time and project cost.
The conformation of a nascent polypeptide inside the ribosome tunnel affects protein targeting and protein folding

In this report, we describe insights into the function of the ribosome tunnel that were obtained through an analysis of an unusual 25 residue N‐terminal motif (EspP1‐25) associated with the signal peptide of the Escherichia coli EspP protein. It was previously shown that EspP1‐25 inhibits signal peptide recognition by the signal recognition particle, and we now show that fusion of EspP1‐25 to a cytoplasmic protein causes it to aggregate. We obtained two lines of evidence that both of these effects are attributable to the conformation of EspP1‐25 inside the ribosome tunnel. First, we found that mutations in EspP1‐25 that abolished its effects on protein targeting and protein folding altered the cross‐linking of short nascent chains to ribosomal components. Second, we found that a mutation in L22 that distorts the tunnel mimicked the effects of the EspP1‐25 mutations on protein biogenesis. Our results provide evidence that the conformation of a polypeptide inside the ribosome tunnel can influence protein folding under physiological conditions and suggest that ribosomal mutations might increase the solubility of at least some aggregation‐prone proteins produced in E. coli.
Overcoming the time-bandwidth limit

We are so accustomed to the time-bandwidth limit that we often take it to be a fundamental relation that cannot be overcome. Contrary to this belief we here propose that the storage/delay time of a system can in fact be decoupled from the operating bandwidth, by breaking Lorentz reciprocity. We discuss two different mechanisms for breaking Lorentz reciprocity and show that - in the correct system layout - both can result in systems that exceed the conventional time bandwidth limit by orders of magnitude.
Translational Control of C-terminal Src Kinase (Csk) Expression by PRL3 Phosphatase*

Phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL3) is up-regulated in cancer metastases. However, little is known of PRL3-mediated cellular signaling pathways. We previously reported that elevated PRL3 expression increases Src kinase activity, which likely contributes to the increased tumorigenesis and metastasis potential of PRL3. PRL3-induced Src activation is proposed to be indirect through down-regulation of Csk, a negative regulator of Src. Given the importance of PRL3 in tumor metastasis and the role of Csk in controlling Src activity, we addressed the mechanism by which PRL3 mediates Csk down-regulation. PRL3 is shown to exert a negative effect on Csk protein synthesis, rather than regulation of Csk mRNA levels or protein turnover. Interestingly, the preferential decrease in Csk protein synthesis is a consequence of increased eIF2 phosphorylation resulting from PRL3 expression. Reduced Csk synthesis also occurs in response to cellular stress that induces eIF2 phosphorylation, indicating that this regulatory mechanism may occur in response to a wider spectrum of cellular conditions known to direct translational control. Thus, we have uncovered a previously uncharacterized role for PRL3 in the gene-specific translational control of Csk expression.
Integration of OneM2M-based IoT Service Platform and Mixed Reality Device

To provide a more intuitive user experience, there have been studies to apply mixed reality to the Internet of Things. They have used a Mixed Reality device as a tailored user application only or proposed an early stage of the architecture without any considering the IoT service platform standard. In this paper, we introduce the architecture to integrate Mixed Reality Device to OneM2M, which is the most widely known IoT platform standard. For integration, we consider the three use cases of a Mixed Reality device in IoT service. Also, the demonstration showed the feasibility of the proposed idea with integrating Mobius platform, one of open source oneM2M IoT platform, and Hololens, MR device by Microsoft.
EEG Hyperscanning for Eight or more Persons - Feasibility Study for Emotion Recognition using Deep Learning Technique

Multi-user electroencephalogram (EEG) system is necessary to study concurrent activity among many persons. It is difficult to find a system that measures multiple EEG signals from more than even three people simultaneously. Therefore, we suggested a framework that is able to acquire EEG signals of more than eight persons at the same time and investigated the feasibility of this system. Acquisition was performed by using OpenViBE software developed by INRIA. Wireless EEG devices for our proposed framework were manufactured by BioBrain, Corp. in Korea. A device consists of eight channels measuring frontal EEG at a speed of 1 KHz sampling rate. While participants wore this system and did emotional video watching task as a group audience, their brain signals were acquired. To show its feasibility and efficacy, our preliminary result is analyzed using deep learning technique.
Circulators at the Quantum Limit: Recent Realizations of Quantum-Limited Superconducting Circulators and Related Approaches

A well-known component of RF systems is the circulator, a three-port device that allows signals to flow in one direction while inhibiting propagation in the reverse direction. Circulators play an important role in protecting sensitive RF devices from reflections and are used to isolate the transmitter from the receiver chains in monostatic radar architectures. Circulators are also fascinating on their own, providing a textbook example of how reciprocal symmetry is broken. This symmetry-the invariance of device transmission under the exchange of sources and detectors-is a very common property that applies to most passive microwave devices. For example, antenna gain does not change whether the antenna is used as a transmitter or a receiver. Likewise, attenuator loss does not depend on the attenuator's orientation.
Blunted epidermal L‐tryptophan metabolism in vitiligo affects immune response and ROS scavenging by Fenton chemistry, part 2: epidermal H2O2/ONOO–‐mediated stress in vitiligo hampers indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase and aryl hydrocarbon receptor‐mediated immune response signaling

Vitiligo is characterized by a mostly progressive loss of the inherited skin color. The cause of the disease is still unknown, despite accumulating in vivo and in vitro evidence of massive oxidative stress via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxynitrite (ONOO–) in the skin of affected individuals. The most favored hypothesis is based on autoimmune mechanisms. Since depletion of the essential amino acid L‐tryptophan (Trp) severely affects various immune responses, we here looked at Trp metabolism and signaling in these patients. Our in vivo and in vitro data revealed total absence of epidermal Trp hydroxylase activities and the presence of H2O2/ONOO– deactivated indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling is severely impaired despite the ligand (Trp dimer) being formed, as shown by mass spectrometry. Loss of this signal is supported by the absence of downstream signals (COX‐2 and CYP1A1) as well as regulatory T‐lymphocytes and by computer modeling. In vivo Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Trp metabolites together with H2O2 supporting deprivation of the epidermal Trp pool by Fenton chemistry. Taken together, our data support a long‐expressed role for in loco redox balance and a distinct immune response. These insights could open novel treatment strategies for this disease. —Schallreuter, K. U. , Salem, M. A. E. L. , Gibbons, N. C. J., Maitland, D. J., Marsch, E. , Elwary, S. , Healey, A. R. Blunted epidermal L‐tryptophan metabolism in vitiligo affects immune response and ROS scavenging by Fenton chemistry, part 2: epidermal H2O2/ONOO–‐mediated stress in vitiligo hampers indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase and aryl hydrocarbon receptor‐mediated immune response signaling. FASEB J. 26, 2471‐2485 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Time-Frequency Mask-based Speech Enhancement using Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network

Speech Enhancement (SE) system deals with improving the perceptual quality and preserving the speech intelligibility of the noisy mixture. The Time-Frequency (T-F) masking-based SE using the supervised learning algorithm, such as a Deep Neural Network (DNN), has outperformed the traditional SE techniques. However, the notable difference observed between the oracle mask and the predicted mask, motivates us to explore different deep learning architectures. In this paper, we propose to use a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for inherent mask estimation. GAN takes an advantage of the adversarial optimization, an alternative to the other Maximum Likelihood (ML) optimization-based architectures. We also show the need for supervised T-F mask estimation for effective noise suppression. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed T-F mask-based SE significantly outperforms the recently proposed end-to-end SEGAN and a GAN-based Pix2Pix architecture. The performance evaluation in terms of both the predicted mask and the objective measures, dictates the improvement in the speech quality, while simultaneously reducing the speech distortion observed in the noisy mixture.
A Simple Message Passing Detector Based on QR-Decomposition for MIMO Systems

This paper proposes a simple message passing detector with QR-decomposition for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. Our message passing algorithm exploits the structure of QR-decomposed received signals and achieves optimum maximum likelihood (ML) detection with less complexity. Computer simulations confirm the superior performance of our proposed approach to conventional message passing techniques such as belief propagation (BP).
Low Cost Prototype for Monitoring and Remote Control in Greenhouse for Homes

The emergence of new technologies and the opening of hardware and software platforms for the development of embedded systems, has facilitated the design, integration, and development of new communication monitoring and control systems. In recent years, the world population has grown rapidly, so the demand for fresh and healthy foods has increased its demand. Besides that, there is a widespread search for a more natural and healthy alimentation, that is why there is a tendency for people to start growing and harvesting their own food. The main objective of this paper is to design and develop the automation of a greenhouse for self-consumption using a free development platform, which accelerates the integration process, reducing time and execution costs.