Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hardware-Efficient Hybrid Precoding and Power Allocation in Multi-User mmWave-NOMA Systems

In this paper, we propose a hardware-efficient hybrid precoding (HP) scheme and resource allocation strategy for millimeter-wave non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) communication system. Specifically, we utilize a switch and inverter (SI) network to realize the phase shift operation of HP structure (referred to as SIHP structure). A user clustering scheme is first formulated according to the channel correlation and gain difference of the users. Based on this, we design a two-step HP scheme for the proposed HP structure. With these results, a power allocation problem is formulated to maximize the overall achievable rate under per-cluster' power constraint and peruser' quality of service requirement. Then, we propose a power allocation algorithm with intra-cluster power allocation and inter-cluster power allocation strategies to obtain the sub-optimal power allocation. Simulation results verify that the proposed mmWave-NOMA system with SIHP obviously outperforms the mmWave-NOMA system with traditional HP in terms of energy efficiency.
Speaker Anonymization for Personal Information Protection Using Voice Conversion Techniques

As speech-based user interfaces integrated in the devices such as AI speakers become ubiquitous, a large amount of user voice data is being collected to enhance the accuracy of speech recognition systems. Since such voice data contain personal information that can endanger the privacy of users, the issue of privacy protection in the speech data has garnered increasing attention after the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in the EU, which implies that restrictions and safety measures for the use of speech data become essential. This study aims to filter the speaker-related voice biometrics present in speech data such as voice fingerprint without altering the linguistic content to preserve the usefulness of the data while protecting the privacy of users. To achieve this, we propose an algorithm that produces anonymized speeches by adopting many-to-many voice conversion techniques based on variational autoencoders (VAEs) and modifying the speaker identity vectors of the VAE input to anonymize the speech data. We validated the effectiveness of the proposed method by measuring the speaker-related information and the original linguistic information retained in the resultant speech, using an open source speaker recognizer and a deep neural network-based automatic speech recognizer, respectively. Using the proposed method, the speaker identification accuracy of the speech data was reduced to 0.1–9.2%, indicating successful anonymization, while the speech recognition accuracy was maintained as 78.2–81.3%.
Sensing with Memristive Complementary Resistive Switch: Modelling and Simulations

Sensors give factual and process information about the environment or other physical phenomena. Sensing using memristors has been recently introduced for its potential for high density integration and miniaturization. Complementary Resistive Switch (CRS) based sensor provides an extremely efficient crossbar array that reduces the sneak current. The objective of this paper is to introduce and evaluate a circuit model for sensing using memristive complementary resistive switch. We introduce a reliable SPICE implementation of memristor model that captures the sensing behaviour of memristor. Our simulation results also validate the SPICE model for CRS sensing architecture, whose parameters could be easily adapted to match experimental data. The results also investigate the sensitivity and device behaviour of memristor and CRS sensor device in the presence of oxidizing and reducing gases of different concentration.
Topology of a Planar-chiral Iris as a Factor in Controlling the "Optical Activity" of a Bilayer Object

It is shown how the topology of the individual components of a two-layer 3D-chiral object affects the natural frequencies and the manifestation of the "artificial optical activity". Using the waveguide example, it is proved that the dihedral symmetry Dn with high n allows expanding the bandwidth of polarizer.
Chikungunya virus superinfection exclusion is mediated by a block in viral replication and does not rely on non-structural protein 2

Superinfection exclusion (SIE) is a process by which a virally infected cell is protected from subsequent infection by the same or a closely related virus. By preventing cell coinfection, SIE favors preservation of genome integrity of a viral strain and limits its recombination potential with other viral genomes, thereby impacting viral evolution. Although described in virtually all viral families, the precise step(s) impacted by SIE during the viral life cycle have not been systematically explored. Here, we describe for the first time SIE triggered by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus of public health importance. Using single-cell technologies, we demonstrate that CHIKV excludes subsequent infection with: CHIKV; Sindbis virus, a related alphavirus; and influenza A, an unrelated RNA virus. We further demonstrate that SIE does not depend on the action of type I interferon, nor does it rely on host cell transcription. Moreover, exclusion is not mediated by the action of a single CHIKV protein; in particular, we observed no role for non-structural protein 2 (nsP2), making CHIKV unique among characterized alphaviruses. By stepping through the viral life cycle, we show that CHIKV exclusion occurs at the level of replication, but does not directly influence virus binding, nor viral structural protein translation. In sum, we characterized co-infection during CHIKV replication, which likely influences the rate of viral diversification and evolution.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Uveitic Glaucoma – A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare vessel density (VD) as measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), in uveitic eyes with secondary glaucoma (UG) with VD in uveitic eyes without glaucoma (UV), eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and healthy eyes (HY). Methods: VD was measured at the following segmentation areas: radial peripapillary capillaries, superficial (SL) and deep vascular plexus (DL) and choroid. Results: The majority of the measured papillary areas showed significantly lower VD in the UG group than in the HY group. In macular area, in the superficial vascular plexus wholeVD was significantly lower than in the healthy group, as well as in four other quadrants. In DL no significant differences could be found. At choroidal level, the VD of UG group were significantly lower in two quadrants than in UV group. Conclusions: OCTA can be used to detect differences in VD in papillary and macular region of uveitis glaucoma eyes.
The Relations Between Implementation Date of Policies and The Spreading of COVID-19

COVID-19 is undeniably one of the worst incidents in the 21st century. There are a wide variety of factors that impact the spreading of COVID-19. This paper presents the study of relations of how public policy implementation might affect the onset and the spread of COVID-19 cases. Cluster analysis was employed to identify data patterns associating with the policy implementation profiles. The results suggest that the effectiveness of policy adoption relates to the onset spreading of COVID-19. This also indicates that the decision of public administrators was critical in the latter stage of the pandemic situation management.
Clustering of health risk behaviors among adolescents in Kilifi, Kenya, a rural Sub-Saharan African setting

Background Adolescents tend to experience heightened vulnerability to risky and reckless behavior. Adolescents living in rural settings may often experience poverty and a host of risk factors which can increase their vulnerability to various forms of health risk behavior (HRB). Understanding HRB clustering and its underlying factors among adolescents is important for intervention planning and health promotion. This study examines the co-occurrence of injury and violence, substance use, hygiene, physical activity, and diet-related risk behaviors among adolescents in a rural setting on the Kenyan coast. Specifically, the study objectives were to identify clusters of HRB; based on five categories of health risk behavior, and to identify the factors associated with HRB clustering. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted of a random sample of 1060 adolescents aged 13–19 years living within the area covered by the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants completed a questionnaire on health behaviors which was administered via an Audio Computer-Assisted Self–Interview. Latent class analysis on 13 behavioral factors (injury and violence, hygiene, alcohol tobacco and drug use, physical activity, and dietary related behavior) was used to identify clustering and stepwise ordinal logistic regression with nonparametric bootstrapping identified the factors associated with clustering. The variables of age, sex, education level, school attendance, mental health, form of residence and level of parental monitoring were included in the initial stepwise regression model. Results We identified 3 behavioral clusters (Cluster 1: Low-risk takers (22.9%); Cluster 2: Moderate risk-takers (67.8%); Cluster 3: High risk-takers (9.3%)). Relative to the cluster 1, membership of higher risk clusters (i.e. moderate or high risk-takers) was strongly associated with older age (p<0.001), being male (p<0.001), depressive symptoms (p = 0.005), school non-attendance (p = 0.001) and a low level of parental monitoring (p<0.001). Conclusion There is clustering of health risk behaviors that underlies communicable and non-communicable diseases among adolescents in rural coastal Kenya. This suggests the urgent need for targeted multi-component health behavior interventions that simultaneously address all aspects of adolescent health and well-being, including the mental health needs of adolescents.
Channel-Wise Part-Based Weighting Aggregation for Image Retrieval

The part-based weighting aggregation (PWA) method is a simple and straightforward way for creating powerful image representations in image retrieval. In this paper we analyze the burstiness among the responses of the aggregated channels in the PWA method, and propose a channel-wise weights utilizing the sum-pooling aggregation of the deep features’ responses to regulate the burstiness among the feature maps. Firstly, we apply the channel weights to the aggregation stage of PWA. The regulation of the burstiness among the aggregated channels boosts the PWA performance. Secondly, we use the channel weights to the part selection stage, namely, selecting the part detectors based on the channel weighted feature maps to obtain more discriminate parts to further improve the PWA performance. Comprehensive experiments on four standard datasets have demonstrated the effects of the proposed method.
Ensemble fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis of RNA polymerase clamp conformation

Crystal structures of RNA Polymerase (RNAP) and RNAP complexes indicate that the RNAP beta' pincer ("clamp") can exist in a range of conformational states, ranging from a fully open conformation that permits entry and exit of DNA, to a fully closed conformation that prevents entry and exit of DNA. Clamp closure involves a swinging motion of the beta' pincer by the switch region at the base of the beta' pincer. In order to define RNAP clamp conformation in solution, we have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to monitor the distance between a first fluorescent probe, serving as donor, incorporated at the tip of the beta' pincer and a second fluorescent probe, serving as acceptor, incorporated at the tip of the beta pincer. We have developed a procedure that permits incorporation of a fluorescent probe within a protein. The procedure involves preparation of a protein containing the azide-containing unnatural amino acid p-azidophenylalanine at the site of interest, followed by incorporation of a fluorescent probe through azide-specific chemical modification (accomplished by Staudinger-Bertozzi ligation using a phosphine derivative of the fluorescent probe). We have used this procedure to incorporate fluorescent probes at the tips of the RNAP beta' pincer and RNAP beta' pincer. We have used the resulting labeled RNAP derivatives in FRET experiments addressing opening and closing of the RNAP active-center-cleft in transcription initiation and elongation and in FRET experiments addressing effects of small-molecule effectors, myxopyronin (Myx), corallopyronin (Cor), ripostatin (Rip), and lipiarmycin (Lpm), on opening and closing of the RNAP active-center cleft. Results indicate that: (1) RNAP holoenzyme in solution exists predominantly in a partly closed clamp conformational state (2) the RNAP clamp closes upon formation of the RNAP-promoter open complex, yielding a fully closed clamp conformational state (3) the RNAP clamp remains closed – and exhibits no further change in mean clamp conformation – upon formation of RNAP-promoter initial transcribing complexes and transcription elongation complexes. The results support the proposal that Myx, Cor, Rip and Lpm bind to an RNAP- switch-region conformational state and Myx. Cor, Rip and Lpm inhibit RNAP function by trapping the RNAP switch region in this conformational state, thereby interfering with conformational cycling of RNAP clamp important for RNAP function. %%%%
Impact of Pointing Errors and Fading in a Pre-Amplified Pulse Position Modulation Optical Receiver

We present analytical results on the average bit error probability (ABEP) of an optically pre-amplified pulse-position-modulation (PPM) receiver that operates under fading and pointing errors. The analytical description enables the efficient calculation of the ABEP in Malaga-$\mathcal{M}$, γ γ and negative-exponential fading for a wide range of modulation − orders and noise modes. As expected, a significant power budget gain is initially obtained by increasing the PPM modulation order, however a further improvement requires the optimization of the received beam waist. Finally, the noise modes that enter the receiver negatively affect its operation irrespective of fading and pointing errors.
Risk of Prostate Cancer Incidence among Atomic Bomb Survivors: 1958–2009

Epidemiological evidence for a radiation effect on prostate cancer risk has been inconsistent and largely indicative of no or little effect. Here we studied prostate cancer incidence among males of the Life Span Study cohort of atomic bomb survivors in a follow-up from 1958 to 2009, eleven years more than was previously reported. During this period there were 851 incident cases of prostate cancer among 41,544 male subjects, doubling the total number of cases in the cohort. More than 50% of the cases were diagnosed among those who were less than 20 years of age at the time of the bombings and who were at, or near, the ages of heightened prostate cancer risks during the last decade of follow-up. In analyses of the radiation dose response using Poisson regression methods, we used a baseline-rate model that allowed for calendar period effects corresponding to the emergence of prostate-specific antigen screening in the general population as well as effects of attained age and birth cohort. The model also allowed for markedly increased baseline rates among the Adult Health Study participants between 2005 and 2009, a period during which a prostate-specific antigen test was included in Adult Health Study biennial health examinations. We found a significant linear dose response with an estimated excess relative risk (ERR) per Gy of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.21, 1.00, P = 0.001). An estimated 40 of the observed cases were attributed to radiation exposure from the bombings. There was a suggestion of the ERR decreasing with increasing age at exposure (P = 0.09). We found no indication of effects of smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index on the baseline risk of prostate cancer. The observed dose response strengthens the evidence of a radiation effect on the risk of prostate cancer incidence in the atomic bomb survivors.
Biomarker‐based stability in limbic‐predominant amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The amnestic presentation of mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) represents the most common prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. There is, however, some evidence of aMCI with typical amnestic syndrome but showing long‐term clinical stability. The ability to predict stability or progression to dementia in the aMCI condition is important, particularly for the selection of candidates in clinical trials. We aimed to establish the role of in vivo biomarkers, as assessed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)‐positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, in predicting prognosis in a large aMCI cohort.
Study on Novel Bidirectional AC-DC Converter Circuit of the Wireless Charging for Portable Devices

In this paper, a novel symmetrical topology for the small power high frequency bidirectional AC-DC converter has been proposed, which is applied to the bi-directional wireless power transmission system based on the magnetic coupling resonance. It has dual functions of the inverter and rectifier. The research is mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, based on analyzing the principle of the wireless power bidirectional transmission technology, the operation mechanism of the topology circuit is analyzed emphatically. Second, the feasibility of the designed converter is verified by the simulation of the PSPICE software. Third, the hardware system has been operated at 200 kHz in the modes of the constant current, the constant voltage and the constant resistance, respectively. The results show the maximal output power of the designed circuit is 7.8 W, meeting the design requirement. This circuit has the advantages of the simple circuit structure and simple control. It’s suitable for the bidirectional wireless power charging of the small power portable devices.
On-the-fly Uplink Training and Pilot Code Design for Massive MIMO Cellular Networks

We investigate non-orthogonal uplink pilot designs for improving the area spectral efficiency in the downlink of TDD reciprocity-based massive MIMO cellular networks. In particular, we develop a class of pilot designs that are locally orthogonal within each cell, while maintaining low inner-product properties between codes in different cells. Using channel estimations provided by observations on these codes, each cell independently serves its locally active users with MU-MIMO transmission that is also designed to mitigate interference to a subset of "strongly interfered" out-of-cell users. As our analysis shows, such cellular operation based on the proposed codes yields improvements (with respect to conventional operation) in user-rate CDFs, cell-throughput and cell-edge throughput performance.
Intestinal Epithelium-Derived Luminally Released Extracellular Vesicles in Sepsis Exhibit the Ability to Suppress TNF-α and IL-17A Expression in Mucosal Inflammation

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory disorder induced by a dysregulated immune response to infection resulting in dysfunction of multiple critical organs, including the intestines. Previous studies have reported contrasting results regarding the abilities of exosomes circulating in the blood of sepsis mice and patients to either promote or suppress inflammation. Little is known about how the gut epithelial cell-derived exosomes released in the intestinal luminal space during sepsis affect mucosal inflammation. To study this question, we isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) from intestinal lavage of septic mice. The EVs expressed typical exosomal (CD63 and CD9) and epithelial (EpCAM) markers, which were further increased by sepsis. Moreover, septic-EV injection into inflamed gut induced a significant reduction in the messaging of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-17A. MicroRNA (miRNA) profiling and reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed a sepsis-induced exosomal increase in multiple miRNAs, which putatively target TNF-α and IL-17A. These results imply that intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-derived luminal EVs carry miRNAs that mitigate pro-inflammatory responses. Taken together, our study proposes a novel mechanism by which IEC EVs released during sepsis transfer regulatory miRNAs to cells, possibly contributing to the amelioration of gut inflammation.
Deep Learning for Osteoporosis Classification Using Hip Radiographs and Patient Clinical Covariates

This study considers the use of deep learning to diagnose osteoporosis from hip radiographs, and whether adding clinical data improves diagnostic performance over the image mode alone. For objective labeling, we collected a dataset containing 1131 images from patients who underwent both skeletal bone mineral density measurement and hip radiography at a single general hospital between 2014 and 2019. Osteoporosis was assessed from the hip radiographs using five convolutional neural network (CNN) models. We also investigated ensemble models with clinical covariates added to each CNN. The accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, negative predictive value (npv), F1 score, and area under the curve (AUC) score were calculated for each network. In the evaluation of the five CNN models using only hip radiographs, GoogleNet and EfficientNet b3 exhibited the best accuracy, precision, and specificity. Among the five ensemble models, EfficientNet b3 exhibited the best accuracy, recall, npv, F1 score, and AUC score when patient variables were included. The CNN models diagnosed osteoporosis from hip radiographs with high accuracy, and their performance improved further with the addition of clinical covariates from patient records.
Aspiration Thrombectomy in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction—5-Year Analysis Based on a Large National Registry (ORPKI)

Blood flow restoration after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may not always be achieved and could be complicated by the no-reflow phenomenon (NRP). The aim of the current study was to assess the frequency of thrombus aspirations (TAs) and NRPs in patients with AMI and treated with pPCI based on the data collected during a 5-year period in the national ORPKI registry, as well as the frequency of periprocedural strokes and predictors of TA and NRP. This retrospective analysis was performed on prospectively collected data gathered in the Polish National Registry of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (ORPKI), which covered the period between January 2014 and December 2018, and included 200,991 patients treated due to AMI out of 535,857 patients treated using PCI. Among them, 16,777 patients underwent TA. TA was mainly used in the STEMI subgroup of 14,207 patients (84.8%). The frequency of NRP among AMI patients in the thrombectomy group was 2.75% and in the non-thrombectomy group 0.82%. Predictors of TA and NRP were also assessed using multivariate analysis. The percentage of patients treated with pPCI and with PCI alone increased significantly in all of the three selected groups of patients from 88.7% to 94.3% in the AMI group (p < 0.001), from 82.3% to 90.3% in the STEMI subgroup (p < 0.001), and from 96.3% to 98.2% in the NSTEMI subgroup (p < 0.001) during the analysed period. NRP occurred more often in the thrombectomy group for the NSTEMI (0.58% vs. 3.07%, p < 0.05) and STEMI (1.06% vs. 2.69%, p < 0.05) subgroups. Periprocedural stroke occurred more often in the thrombectomy group in comparison to the non-thrombectomy group with AMI (0.03% vs. 0.01%, p < 0.05) and the NSTEMI (0.16% vs. 0.02%, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the frequency of TA has been experiencing a steady decline in recent years, regardless of AMI type, among patients treated with pPCI.