Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bandwidth selection for the smoothing of distribution functions

SUMMARY Several approaches can be made to the choice of bandwidth in the kernel smoothing of distribution functions. Recent proposals by Sarda (1993) and by Altman & Leger (1995) are analogues of the 'leave-one-out' and 'plug-in' methods which have been widely used in density estimation. In contrast, a method of crossvalidation appropriate to the smoothing of distribution functions is proposed. Selection of the bandwidth parameter is based on unbiased estimation of a mean integrated squared error curve whose minimising value defines an optimal smoothing parameter. This procedure is shown to lead to asymptotically optimal bandwidth choice, not just in the usual first-order sense but also in the second-order sense in which kernel methods improve on the standard empirical distribution function. Some general theory on the performance of optimal, data-based methods of bandwidth choice is also provided, leading to results which do not have analogues in the context of density estimation. The numerical performances of all the methods discussed in the paper are compared. A bandwidth based on a simple reference distribution is also included. Simulations suggest that the crossvalidatory proposal works well, although the simple reference bandwidth is also quite effective.
Metabolite and Transcriptome Profiles of Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis in the Development of Litchi Fruit

The fruit of Litchi chinensis contains high levels of proanthocyanidins (PAs) in the pericarp. These substances can serve as substrates of laccase-mediated rapid pericarp browning after the fruit is harvested. In this study, we found that the major PAs in litchi pericarp were (−)-epicatechin (EC) and several procyanidins (PCs), primarily PC A2, B2, and B1, and the EC and the PC content decreased with the development of the fruit. RNA-seq analysis showed that 43 early and late structure genes related to flavonoid/PA biosynthesis were expressed in the pericarp, including five ANTHOCYANIDIN REDUCTASE (ANR), two LEUCOANTHOCYANIDIN REDUCTASE (LAR), and two ANTHOCYANIDIN SYNTHASE (ANS) genes functioning in the PA biosynthesis branch of the flavonoid pathway. Among these nine PA biosynthesis-related genes, ANR1a, LAR1/2, and ANS1 were highly positively correlated with changes in the EC/PC content, suggesting that they are the key PA biosynthesis-related genes. Several transcription factor (TF) genes, including MYB, bHLH, WRKY, and AP2 family members, were found to be highly correlated with ANR1a, LAR1/2, and ANS1, and their relevant binding elements were detected in the promoters of these target genes, strongly suggesting that these TF genes may play regulatory roles in PA biosynthesis. In summary, this study identified the candidate key structure and regulatory genes in PA biosynthesis in litchi pericarp, which will assist in understanding the accumulation of high levels of browning-related PA substances in the pericarp.
Identification of polypharmacy patterns in new‐users of metformin using the Apriori algorithm: A novel framework for investigating concomitant drug utilization through association rule mining

With increased concomitant chronic diseases in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the use of multiple drugs increases as well as the risk of drug–drug interactions (DDI) and adverse drug reactions (ADR). Nevertheless, how medication patterns vary in T2DM patients across different sex and age groups is unclear. This study aims to identify and quantify common drug combinations in first‐time metformin users with polypharmacy (≥5 co‐medications).
Associations between cortical β‐amyloid burden, fornix microstructure and cognitive processing of faces, places, bodies and other visual objects in early Alzheimer's disease

Using two imaging modalities, that is, Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) the present study tested associations between cortical amyloid‐beta (Aβ) burden and fornix microstructural changes with cognitive deficits in early Alzheimer's disease (AD), namely deficits in working memory (1‐back) processing of visual object categories (faces, places, objects, bodies and verbal material). Second, we examined cortical Aβ associations with fornix microstructure. Seventeen early AD patients and 17 healthy‐matched controls were included. Constrained spherical deconvolution‐based tractography was used to segment the fornix and a control tract the central branch of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (CB‐SLF) previously implicated in working memory processes. Standard uptake value ratios (SUVR) of Aβ were extracted from 45 cortical/subcortical regions from the AAL atlas and subject to principal component analysis for data reduction. Patients exhibited (i) impairments in cognitive performance (ii) reductions in fornix fractional anisotropy (FA) and (iii) increases in a component that loaded highly on cortical Aβ. There were no group differences in CB‐SLF FA and in a component loading highly on subcortical Aβ. Partial correlation analysis in the patient group showed (i) positive associations between fornix FA and performance for all the visual object categories and (ii) a negative association between the cortical Aβ component and performance for the object categories but not for the remaining classes of visual stimuli. A subsequent analysis showed a positive association between overall cognition (performance across distinct 1‐back task conditions) with fornix FA but no association with cortical Aβ burden, in keeping with influential accounts on early onset AD. This indicates that the fornix degenerates early in AD and contributes to deficits in working memory processing of visual object categories; though it is also important to acknowledge the importance of prospective longitudinal studies with larger samples. Overall, the effect sizes of fornical degeneration on visual working memory appeared stronger than the ones related to amyloid burden.
Superconductivity in a Strong Spin-Exchange Field

A strong exchange field, such as produced by ferromagnetically aligned impurities in a metal, will tend to polarize the conduction electron spins. If the metal is a superconductor, this will happen only if the spin-exchange field is sufficiently strong compared to the energy gap. When the field is strong enough to break many electron pairs, the self-consistent gap equation is modified and a new type of depaired superconducting ground state occurs. In the idealization of a spatially uniform exchange field with no scattering, it is found that the depaired state has a spatially dependent complex Gorkov field, corresponding to a nonzero pairing momentum in the BCS model. The presence of the "normal" electrons from the broken pairs reduces the total current to zero, gives the depaired state some spin polarization, and results in almost normal Sommerfeld specific heat and single-electron tunneling characteristics. The nonzero value of the pairing momentum also gives rise to an unusual anisotropic electrodynamic behavior of the superconductor, as well as to a degenerate ground state and low-lying collective excitations, in accordance with Goldstone's theorem. The effects of scattering in an actual superconducting ferromagnetic alloy have not been studied and may interfere with experimental investigation of the theoretical results found in this paper for the idealized model.
Effects of Immobilization and Swimming on the Progression of Osteoarthritis in Mice

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage and thickening and sclerosis of the subchondral bone. Mechanical factors play significant roles in the development and progression of OA, but it is still controversial whether exercise or rest is a more effective treatment for OA patients. In this study, we compared the effects of swimming and immobilization at different stages of OA in mice. Four weeks (the middle stage of OA) or eight weeks (the late stage of OA) after DMM (destabilization of the medial meniscus) surgery, the mice were subjected to four-week immobilization or swimming. Ink blot analysis and a beam walking test were performed to measure the gait and balance ability. Histological analysis was performed to determine the trabecular bone area, the thickness of subchondral bone, the thickness of the cartilage, the OARSI score, and the expression of MMP13 (matrix metalloproteinases) and IL-6 (interleukin). The results showed that at the middle stage of OA, both immobilization and swimming slowed down the progression of OA. Immobilization relieved OA to a certain extent by decreasing the production of regulatory factors to attenuate the degeneration of cartilage, which partly relieved the effects of DMM on gait, mainly in the hindlimb. Swimming mainly attenuated the thickening and rescued the area of subchondral bone.
Changes in the composition of the leaf oil from Baccharis punctulata D.C. specimens from Argentina depend on the different stages of the plant through the year

ABSTRACT The leaf oil from Baccharis punctulata D.C. specimens from Argentina, analyzed by GC and GC/MS during a one-year phenological cycle, showed important changes. In spring and summer, during the stem and floral bud development, the percentages of amorpha-4,7(11)-diene, amorpha-4-en-7-ol, amorpha-4,7-diene-11-ol and amorpha-4,7(11)-dien-8-one increased, while the percentage of verboccidentafuran decreased (c.a. 50% to 10%). The percentage of the guaiane alismol, which was negligible in other months, also increased (19.1–24.8 %). Alismol structure was spectroscopically established. Interesting, when buds opened, alismol percentage fell, so pre- and full-flowering oil composition resulted very different. Germacra-1(10),5-dien-4α-ol (16.7–23.0 %), verboccidentafuran (16.1–18.4%) and elemane-type sesquiterpenes were main components at flowering. Germacra-1(10),5-dien-4α-ol may have the adequate configuration and conformation to be biosynthetically related to alismol. Finally, germacra-1(10),5-dien-4α-ol and elemene derivative percentages decreased. Verboccidentafuran (27.6–52.4%) was the main compound in winter. These cyclic changes appear to be associated with the phenological stages of the plant during the year.
Gut morphology, immunocompetence, blood and meat quality profile of broiler chickens fed turmeric (Curcuma longa) oil as an antibiotic substitute

The present investigation was carried out to study the antibiotic efficacy of turmeric oil in commercial broiler chicken. Day-old broiler chicks (144) were randomly divided into six treatment groups with four replicates of six chicks each. The experimental diets were corn â€“ soya meal basal diet (T1), basal diet + antibiotic (500 ppm oxytetracycline-T2), basal diet + 0.025% turmeric oil (T3), 0.050% turmeric oil (T4), 0.075% turmeric oil (T5) and 0.100% turmeric oil (T6) respectively. The birds were reared under standard managemental practices for 42 days. The levels of serum total protein, albumin, globulin, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and breast meat cholesterol were not influenced either by the supplementation of antibiotic or by the supplementation of turmeric oil at graded levels. Neither antibiotic nor turmeric oil supplementation had any significant effect on the gut microbial population (total microbes, Lactobacillus, E. coli and Clostridium) and length of ileal villi of broiler chicken. Turmeric oil supplementation at 0.025 and 0.050% levels led to significant reduction in crypt depth than that of antibiotic supplemented group. Dietary supplementation of turmeric oil at 0.025 and 0.100% levels showed higher profit (` 0.32 and 1.03/kg live weight gain respectively) when compared to antibiotic supplemented group. It could therefore be concluded that supplementation of turmeric oil at 0.025% level instead of antibiotic feed additive would produce similar effect on serum lipid profile, meat quality, gut microbial load and intestinal morphology in broiler chicken.
Self-Localization via Circular Bluetooth 5.1 Antenna Array Receiver

Future telecommunications aim to be ubiquitous and efficient, as widely deployed connectivity will allow for a variety of edge/fog based services. Challenges are numerous, e.g., spectrum overuse, energy efficiency, latency and bandwidth, battery life and computing power of edge devices. Addressing these challenges is key to compose the backbone for the future Internet-of-Things (IoT). Among IoT applications are Indoor Positioning System and indoor Real-Time-Location-Systems systems, which are needed where GPS is unviable. The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1 specification introduced Direction Finding to the protocol, allowing for BLE devices with antenna arrays to derive the Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) of transmissions. Well known algorithms for AoA calculation are computationally demanding, so recent works have addressed this, since the low-cost of BLE devices may provide efficient solutions for indoor localization. In this paper, we present a system topology and algorithms for self-localization where a receiver with an antenna array utilizes the AoAs from fixed battery powered beacons to self-localize, without a centralized system or wall-power infrastructure. We conduct two main experiments using a BLE receiver of our own design. Firstly, we validate the expected behaviour in an anechoic chamber, computing the AoA with an RMSE of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {10.7~ ^{circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Secondly, we conduct a test in an outdoor area of 12 by 12 meters using four beacons, and present pre-processing steps prior to computing the AoAs, followed by position estimations achieving a mean absolute error of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {3.6~ \text {m}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for 21 map positions, with a minimum as low as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {1.1~ \text {m}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.
X-ray studies of quasars with the Einstein Observatory. IV - X-ray dependence on radio emission

The X-ray properties of a sample of 114 radio-loud quasars observed with the Einstein Observatory are examined, and the results are compared with those obtained from a large sample of radio-quiet quasars. The results of statistical analysis of the dependence of X-ray luminosity on combined functions of optical and radio luminosity show that the dependence on both luminosities is important. However, statistically significant differences are found between subsamples of flat radio spectra quasars and steep radio spectra quasars with regard to dependence of X-ray luminosity on only radio luminosity. The data are consistent with radio-loud quasars having a physical component, not directly related to the optical luminosity, which produces the core radio luminosity plus extra X-ray emission. 65 references.
Living Here, Owning There? Transnational Property Ownership and Migrants’ (Im)Mobility Considerations Beyond Return

Migrants’ property ownership in their countries of origin is often understood through the prism of return: both intended and actual return mobilities. Applying a transnational optic, this article unpacks the relationships between migrants’ property ownership ‘back home’ and their reflections on future moves and stays, not limited to possible return. We draw on 80 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020 with Polish and Romanian migrants living in Barcelona and Oslo. They left their homeland, sometimes following domestic migration or international migration to other countries, before arriving in Spain and Norway. Based on these case studies of East–West migration within Europe, we contribute to work recognising the ongoing complex and diversified nature of mobilities in Europe. First, we detail what migrants’ property ownership looks like in practice – forms of ownership, types of property, location. Second, we focus on how owning property in Poland or Romania intersects with migrants’ considerations about moving or staying in the future, beyond return. Considerations about future (im)mobility shed light on transnational relationships, as these evolve over time and across space. Furthermore, we find that transnational property ownership in their countries of origin reveals much about migrants’ relations with people and places ‘back home’ and reflects the known non-linearity of migration stories. Overall, however, transnational property ownership is a poor predictor of both return plans and intentions.
Risk Factors, Patterns, and Distribution of Bone Metastases and Skeletal-Related Events in High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients

Background: More than a quarter of breast cancer patients are at risk to develop recurrent metastases to the bone. Objective: This study was designed to identify risk factors and predilections of bone metastasis and skeletal-related events (SRE) in a population of breast cancer survivors initially diagnosed in advanced stages and with high-risks of relapse. Methods: Associated risk factors, distribution, and attainable treatment of bone metastasis and SRE were analyzed in a cohort of 1,329 breast cancer patients. The association with dependent variables was subsequently analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Sociodemographic and adverse clinical characteristics were included as covariates of progression into bone metastasis and SREs. Results: Of 1329 breast cancer patients, 246 patients (18.5%) were diagnosed as metastatic breast cancer in which 232 of them (94.3%) had bone metastases. Spines were the most common sites of bone metastases (25.6%). In multivariable analysis, advanced stage at diagnosis (OR=1.840, 95%CI:1.198-2.826, P=0.005), luminal subtype (OR=1.788, 95%CI:1.206-2.652, P=0.045), lobular histology (OR=1.795, 95%CI:1.012-3/184, P=0.046), positive axillary lymph node (OR=1.771, 95%CI:1.087-2.886, P=0.022), multiple metabolic comorbidities (OR=2.193, 95%CI:1.371-3.508, P=0.001), early menopause (OR=2.136, 95%CI:1.116-4.464, P=0.046) were significantly associated with risk of recurrent bone metastases. SREs occurred in 89 (68.5%) patients. Several risk factors for SREs were early menopausal age (OR=2.342, P=0.024), advanced stages (OR=1.404, P=0.039), lobular histology (OR=2.279, P=0.007), and having multiple metabolic comorbidities (OR=1.728, P=0.039). Conclusion: Bone metastases and SREs are relatively high in breast cancer patients diagnosed in advanced stages. Luminal subtypes, having multiple metabolic comorbidities, and lobular histology are associated with higher risks of recurrent bone metastases. Living in rural areas and advanced stage at diagnosis as a risk factors for bone metastases might represent a social gradient of care delivery.
Autonomous rendezvous using artificial potential function guidance

A novel methodology has been developed for the guidance and control of a maneuvering chase vehicle undergoing terminal rendezvous in the presence of path constraints and multiple obstructions. The method hinges on defining a suitable scalar function which represents an artificial potential field describing the locality of the target vehicle. Using a set of bounded impulses the chase vehicle is guided by the local topology of this potential function. Obstructions and path constraints are introduced by superimposing regions of high potential around these regions. Exact, analytical expressions are then obtained for the required control impulse magnitude, direction and switching times using the second method of Lyapunov. These control impulses ensure that the potential function monotonically decreases so that convergence of the chaser to the target is ensured analytically, without violating the path constraints. Since the components of the potential and control impulses may be represented analytically, the method appears suitable for autonomous, real-time control of complex maneuvers with a minimum of onboard computational power.
Influence of YBaCuO Josephson Junction Parameters on the Characteristics of a Broadband Detector

For Josephson bicrystal YBaCuO junctions 3-1.5 $\mu$m in size, the response to an external signal was measured. Receivers with similar $I_{c}R_{N}$ values at helium temperatures and different RN values were considered. The amplitudes of the Shapiro steps were measured for various external signal powers. The dependence of the output voltage noise on structure temperature was measured. It is shown that fluctuations of the critical current have the greatest influence on the output noise of the receiver. The volt-watt sensitivity and noise-equivalent power were evaluated for a 165 GHz external signal. Broadband classical detection of THz radiation by a YBaCuO Josephson junction (JJ) was studied based on resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson Junction model. Optimal temperature operating ranges for the use of each structure were shown.
Investigating Bacterial Vaginal Discharge Etiology in Pregnant Women by Microscopic Examination and PCR

Backgrounds: Abnormal vaginal discharge is a common problem among pregnant women. The most common cause of these discharges is bacterial vaginosis (BV), which has numerous complications and causes problems for pregnant mothers and their fetuses. The purpose of this study was to determine the BV frequency among pregnant women referring to a gynecology clinic in Arak city using Amsel and Nugent criteria, Alberta guideline
Equator‐S observations of drift mirror mode waves in the dawnside magnetosphere

[1] The mirror mode is a plasma instability that is typically excited in high-beta plasmas where there is significant pressure anisotropy and is most commonly observed in the magnetosheath. However, it is possible under sufficiently anisotropic conditions to generate the mirror instability inside the magnetosphere, though as yet there are few examples. We present an extended interval of ∼7 hours of mirror mode activity on 19 March 1998 when the Equator-S spacecraft was traversing the dawnside magnetosphere above the equatorial plane at radial distances of up to L ∼ 11 and encountered quasi-monochromatic ∼2-min oscillations in magnetic field and ion number density, temperature, and velocity. The magnetic field strength and number densities were in antiphase, and the plasma and magnetic field pressure perturbations were also in antiphase while the observed total pressure remained constant. This is consistent with excitation via a mirror instability. We are able to discern that the mirror activity must be confined to approximately within ±20° of the equatorial plane through a conjunction with the Geotail spacecraft. We find that the condition for mirror mode waves to grow is strongly met throughout the interval (Hasegawa, 1969). We believe that this is an excellent high temporal resolution example of the mirror instability exciting ULF waves inside the Earth's magnetosphere. Given the coexistence of toroidal oscillations at almost the same frequency, we suggest coupling between the mirror mode and local standing Alfven waves. Our observations hence add to the understanding of how energy can be transferred from hot plasma into ULF waves in the magnetosphere before being dissipated in the ionosphere.
Speech feature extracted from adaptive wavelet for speech recognition

A new speech feature extracted from adaptive wavelet for speech recognition is described. The speech signal is decomposed through adapted local trigonometric transforms. The decomposed signal is classified by M uniform sub-bands for each subinterval. The energy of each sub-band is used as a speech feature. This feature is applied to vector quantisation and the hidden Markov model. The new speech feature shows a slightly better recognition rate than the cepstrum for speaker independent speech recognition. The new speech feature also shows a lower standard deviation between speakers than does the cepstrum.