Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Distillation-Aided End-to-End Learning for Linear Precoding in Multiuser MIMO Downlink Systems With Finite-Rate Feedback

We propose a deep learning-based channel estimation, quantization, feedback, and precoding method for downlink multiuser multiple-input and multiple-output systems. In the proposed system, channel estimation and quantization for limited feedback are handled by a receiver deep neural network (DNN). Precoder selection is handled by a transmitter DNN. To emulate the traditional channel quantization, a binarization layer is adopted at each receiver DNN, and the binarization layer is also used to enable end-to-end learning. However, this can lead to inaccurate gradients, which can trap the receiver DNNs at a poor local minimum during training. To address this, we consider knowledge distillation, in which the existing DNNs are jointly trained with an auxiliary transmitter DNN. The use of an auxiliary DNN as a teacher network allows the receiver DNNs to additionally exploit lossless gradients, which is useful in avoiding a poor local minimum. For the same number of feedback bits, our DNN-based precoding scheme can achieve a higher downlink rate compared to conventional linear precoding with codebook-based limited feedback.
Uniform Asymptotic Solution for Dielectric Wedge Diffraction Based on Equivalent Currents

In this study, a uniform asymptotic solution is proposed to calculate the diffraction field by a dielectric wedge based on the equivalent current method. In this formulation, the scattering field is obtained from the radiation integral of the equivalent electric and magnetic currents determined by the geometrical optics (GO) field on the wedge surface. Numerical calculations are made to compare the results with those by other methods, such as the conventional physical optics approximation (PO) and the hidden rays of diffraction (HRD). A good agreement has been observed to confirm the validity of our method.
HCC Detection on Surveillance US

Focused US examinations of the liver in the routine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening reduce the time spent on evaluating other structures deemed irrelevant to the clinical setting. It is still unknown, however, if such a strategy may additionally improve the frequency of nodules detection. We aimed to assess the impact of an HCC surveillance program in high‐risk patients by means of targeted liver US following LI‐RADS technical guidelines in comparison to a complete upper abdominal scan.
NVM-based energy and cost efficient HPC clusters

Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) is a byte-addressable, high capacity, high latency and a persistent form of memory that can extend the primary memory hierarchy by another level. It is up to 8x denser than DRAM, allowing for clusters with compute nodes that have significantly higher memory capacity than those of previous generations. Intel’s Optane DC Persistent Memory Module (PMM) is such an NVM device that can be used to increase the memory density of high performance computing (HPC) systems. This work hypothesizes that with higher memory density, scientific computing applications with larger problem sizes can be run on fewer compute nodes than on current HPC systems. This, in turn, can reduce operational cost. This work tests this hypothesis by comparing performance and energy of HPC jobs with large problem sizes of (1) fewer nodes with large NVM capacity under various configurations and (2) more nodes with an equivalent amount of DRAM memory. In experiments, performance and energy consumption are shown to be dependent on application characteristics: Codes optimized for high cache reuse suffer no performance degradation on NVM, combined with significant energy savings at lower acquisition and operational costs compared to traditional HPC systems without NVM. In contrast, memory bound applications using DRAM as a cache for NVM may provide a small performance benefit over using a DRAM-NVM hybrid memory.
Effects of synthesis nursing on perioperative nursing and quality of life of patients with tonsillitis

This study aimed to explore the effects of synthesis nursing on the curative effect and quality of life of tonsillitis patients during perioperative nursing. Altogether 189 cases of tonsillitis patients admitted to our hospital were collected as research subjects. Among them, 102 patients received treatment with synthesis nursing who were included in the research group (RG). The other 87 patients received only routine nursing and were enrolled in control group (CG). The curative effect, improvement of symptoms, the level of C-reactive protein and white blood cell count before and after treatment, occurrence of adverse reactions, nursing satisfaction, VAS pain, length of hospital stay and quality of life of the patients in the two groups were observed. Overall; the effective treatment rate of the RG was higher than that of the CG (P<0.05). The improvement of symptoms in the RG was better than that of the CG (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of C-reactive protein and white blood cell count in the RG were significantly lower than that of the CG (P<0.05), the total incidence of adverse reactions in the RG was notably lower than that of the CG (P<0.05), and the nursing satisfaction of the RG was higher than that of the CG (P<0.05). Moreover, the VAS pain score of the RG was remarkably lower than that of the CG (P<0.05), the length of hospital stay of the RG was notably shorter than that of the CG (P<0.05), and the quality of life of the patients in the RG was remarkably better than that of the CG (P<0.05). Synthesis nursing intervention can effectively improve the perioperative clinical efficacy of tonsillitis patients and improve their quality of life, which has great clinical application value.
Effect of Potassium Carbonate used to Improve Phytosanitary and Agronomic Parameters of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Crops

Aims: The present study aims to evaluate the effect of potassium carbonate (58 p.c) on agronomic and phytosanitary parameters in tomato crops. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out from May to September 2020 at N'gattakro, a village near the international airport in the city of Yamoussoukro, center region of Côte d’Ivoire. Methodology: Five doses of potassium carbonate (PC:T1= 2 Kg/ha; T2 = 3 Kg/ha; T3 = 4 Kg/ha; T4 = 5 Kg/ha; T5 = 6 Kg/ha), a reference control (TR1= IVORY (mancozeb 80%) and an untreated control were tested in a Fisher's complete block design with 4 replicates in a commercial garden plot. Results: As results T4 and T5 potassium carbonate improved the tomato yield. These doses promoted the yield of 5.02±0.09 and 6.92±0.16 t/ha compared to the control (3.405±0.1 t/ha). Moreover, at these doses, there was a low manifestation of toxicity. In addition, 6kg/ha of PC showed a fusarium wilt infection rate of 1.38±0.71% compared to 3.62±0.90% for the control. Conclusion: Potassium carbonate (58%) at 6 kg/ha can be an alternative solution to chemical control of fungal diseases in tomato cropping.
THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING MEASURE

THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING MEASURE Allison M. Murray Each year many students take college admissions exams (i.e., SAT® and ACT®), hoping to demonstrate their ability to perform at a collegiate level and gain admission to desired universities. However, a growing movement encourages colleges and universities to abandon this practice in their admissions protocol and instead consider alternative factors, such as, social-emotional learning skills, to identify promising applicants. As such, this study examined the psychometric properties of a novel social-emotional learning measure, ACT® Tessera®, which conceptualizes social-emotional traits through the Five-Factor Model lens using different measurement methods (Self Report Likert, Situational Judgement Tests, Forced Choice). Using data obtained from an undergraduate student sample at a metropolitan university, reliability and validity analyses revealed promising evidence for the scale's ability to measure social-emotional skills. However, recommendations for future scale iterations are made to improve the scales' psychometric properties. Then, ACT® Tessera® social-emotional trait measures were assessed alongside traditional college achievement predictors (intelligence, cognitive ability, standardized test scores) to determine their ability to predict undergraduate success. Preliminary evidence provided by this study suggests that considering social-emotional traits in conjunction with high school GPA may provide useful predictions of university success, without standardized test scores. Suggestions for future research and implications for school psychologists are discussed.
Immunohistochemical features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors and the role of expression of p16ink4A, Ki-67, VEGF and MMP-9 in their behavior

Aim: to clarify the prognostic value of cytoplasmic p16ink4A, VEGF, MMP-9 and Ki-67 expressions in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and connection of different levels of these markers expression with aggressive transformation of GISTs. Materials and methods. Our study included 36 samples of primary tumors and 10 relapses of GIST and metastases in liver after primary combined treatment (surgery and chemotherapy with imatinib). The immunohistochemical study was performed with 4 primary antibodies: Ki-67, p16ink4A, VEGF and MMP-9. We used formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for immunohistochemical study. Results. In our study we showed significant connection between levels of cytoplasmic expression of p16ink4A in primary GISTs and such markers of tumor aggressive behaviour as Ki-67, MMP-9 and VEGF (Fisher’s exact P-value = 0.000753; 0.000101 and 0.000048 respectively). Between cytoplasmic expression of p16ink4A and VEGF and also between p16ink4A and MMP-9 strong direct correlation was found (γ = 0.829, P < 0.05 and rs = 0.961, P < 0.05 respectively). The correlation between expression of Ki-67 and p16ink4A was also direct and strong (rs = 0.754, P < 0.05), but with some exclusions, that’s why this correlation needs further investigation in larger groups with preciser molecular analysis. Analysis of metastatic GISTs samples showed prominent levels of MMP-9 and VEGF expression. Conclusions. Our study has shown very important role of cytoplasmic expression of p16ink4A in GIST as one of the markers of aggressive behavior, which can be used in complex with other markers for more accurate prognosis of GISTs progression. Prominent levels of MMP-9 and VEGF expression in metastatic GISTs can be a marker of resistance to imatinib. So probably evaluation of MMP-9 and VEGF expression can be used as a tool for correct choice of chemotherapy for patients with GISTs.
The Effects of Applying Critical Thinking Skills on EFL Medical Students’ Argumentative Writing

Despite the importance of argumentative writing in education, most tertiary level students still cannot write effectively or persuasively. They often do not know how to support their claims, justify their reasons, and use logic in their writing. These debates imply the lack of critical thinking (CT) skills in students’ writing. This study tried to investigate if language instructors can provide considerable opportunity for the practical attainment of CT skills to improve students’ argumentative writing. The participants were 67 medical students who were required to take an academic writing course at the English Language Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Students were divided randomly into two groups of experimental and control while CTskill training were applied only to the first group. The Cornell CT Test Level X (CCTT-X) and the Holistic CT Scoring Rubric were used to evaluate students’ CT ability and their quality of thinking in their argumentative writing, respectively. Students’ argumentative writing scores show that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in writing. This study have some implications for teachers who do not know what CT skills are and how these skills can be implemented in teaching or training setting to improve students’ writing.
Explaining Egalitarianism in Gender-Role Attitudes: The Impact of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Background Variables

The present study examined differences in egalitarianism in gender-role attitudes in Israel according to participants’ sex, sexual orientation, and background variables. Egalitarianism in gender-role attitudes was examined in three domains: work, family, and interpersonal relations. Matching the homosexual to the heterosexual participants according to basic demographic variables yielded a final sample of 228 (97 men and 131 women). Of these, 114 were homosexual and 114 were heterosexual. The findings indicated that women’s gender-role attitudes were more egalitarian than those of men and that the attitudes of homosexuals were more egalitarian than those of heterosexuals in all three domains. It was further found that differences between men and women were smaller among the homosexuals than among the heterosexuals in the work domain. The contribution of most of the background variables, except for the variables age and status of intimate relationships (living or not living with a partner), to explaining egalitarianism in gender-role attitudes was similar among homosexuals and heterosexuals as well as among men and women.
Comparison of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with intensity modulated radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: retrospective analysis of 250 cases

To investigate the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of intensity modulated radiotherapy compared with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, 250 cases of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy from January 2014 to May 2017 in our hospital were selected for the retrospective analysis, among which 141 patients in the study group received intensity modulated radiotherapy and 109 patients in the control group received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The dose of the radiotherapy in the two groups was basically the same, and the efficacy and adverse reactions were under observation. The effective rate of treatment in the study group was 71.6% and 57.6% in the control group, with the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05). Besides, the radiation pneumonia incidence of the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found in the incidence of radiation esophagitis (P > 0.05). The incidence of recurrence of lesions, chylous leakage, infection and the incidence of cumulative radiation lung injury was decreased in patients. Compared with three-dimensional conformation radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy has a better therapeutic effect on locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and the incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence is relatively lower.
Teachers’ knowledge about teaching mathematics to learning disabilities students

Teaching students with LD requires an arduous effort from special education (SE) teachers. Mathematics may seem to be a difficult subject,however, students with learning disabilities (LD) face more challenges in learning the subject. Even though teachers’ knowledge has been widely studied, there is few research focusing on SE teachers who teach mathematics specifically. This systematic literature review attempts to critically present what kind of knowledge that SE teachers need to teach mathematics effectively. Nineteen papers were selected from Scopus as the leading database and few supporting databases such as Sage and Science Direct. This study identified subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge as the core expertise for SE teachers with knowledge about students with LD characteristics as the supporting knowledge. This study’s contribution is the identification of these teachers’ knowledge generally and mathematically to create a specific teaching model for learning disabilities students. Keywords: learning disabilities; mathematics ; special education teachers; teachers’ knowledge
Improving Elementary School Students’ Critical Thinking Skill in Science through HOTS-based Science Questions: A Quasi-Experimental Study

There have been many efforts to improve elementary school students’ critical thinking skills in science through various learning methods. However, only a few research results show efforts to improve critical thinking skills through HOTS-based science questions for elementary school students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of student habituation with HOTS-based science questions in improving elementary school students’ critical thinking skills in science. Quasi-experimental methods were employed in this research with a nonequivalent control group design involving a treatment class and a control class. The treatment class gets treatment in HOTS-based science questions habituation during the learning process, while the control class in conventional approaches. A total of 60 students is from one of the elementary schools in Surakarta, Indonesia. To take data related to students’ critical thinking skills, they were given pretest and posttest where each test used HOTS-based science questions in an essay. The obtained data from the tests were then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. This study showed that the average of critical thinking skills in science of students in the experimental class was higher than the control class, with a positive mean difference of 0.4226. Based on these results, it is recommended that the results of this study can provide an overview to educational practitioners at the elementary school level and researchers in the field of science education related to efforts to improve elementary school students’ critical thinking skills in science through the habituation of HOTS-based science questions.
EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRE-SERVICE TRAINING ON THE USE OF SELF-REGULATION PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVICE TRAINING ON THE USE OF SELF-REGULATION PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS Lauren Porter Academic self-regulated learning (SRL) skills closely align with the 21st century skills that lead to student success. Research demonstrates that academic achievement is closely related to the use of SRL in the classroom and that teacher practices are fundamental in imparting these skills to their students. It is not clear, however, how teachers are acquiring these skills and/or how their knowledge of metacognition and SRL are generalized into their pedagogical practices. This quantitative study examined the relationship between use of SRL pedagogical practices and teacher exposure to preservice training and professional development, as well as their years of teaching, subject matter, and race/ethnicity. Middle school (7th and 8th grade) participants were asked to complete a survey about their use of SRL pedagogical practices, which made available on Facebook professional networking sites. Independent t-tests, ANOVAs, and multiple regressions were used to analyze the resulting data. Training, both via pre-service and professional development experiences, was found to be strong predictor of use of SRL practices. The results of this study can guide decisions on the delivery of professional training initiatives that develop best instructional practices with the ultimate goal of improving student achievement.
Firm Heterogeneity and Imperfect Competition in Global Production Networks

We study the role of firm heterogeneity and imperfect competition for global production networks and the gains from trade. We develop a quantifiable trade model with two-sided firm heterogeneity, matching frictions, and oligopolistic competition upstream. More productive downstream buyers endogenously match with more up-stream suppliers, thereby inducing tougher competition among them and enjoying superior sourcing outcomes. We then present consistent empirical evidence using highly disaggregated data on firms’ production and trade transactions for France, Chile and China. Downstream French and Chilean buyers import higher values and quantities at lower prices as upstream Chinese markets become more competitive over time, with stronger responses by larger buyers. Chinese suppliers set lower prices and mark-ups to buyers that source from more suppliers. Counterfac-tual analyses indicate that lower barriers to entry upstream, lower matching costs, and lower trade costs amplify firm productivity and aggregate welfare downstream, with differential effects across firms. These effects operate through a combination of improved buyer-seller matches, gains from variety, and lower mark-ups. Global production networks thus generate greater impacts and cross-border spillovers from industrial policy and trade
Why Telecommuting Became Redundant During the COVID‐19 Pandemic?

This paper reveals the facts that necessitated telecommuting in the 'new normal' virtual work environment. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of executive-level employees working in the banking sector. Data were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC). The findings reveal that the success of telecommuting during the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the nature of family responsibility, virtual work environment, virtual training, and self-management of the employees affected, while the work-life balance (WLB) is not significant. The decision-makers need to implement psychological training, skills-based training for managers, employees, and family members, and provide incentives to handle difficulties encountered in the pandemic situation. The present study proposes formulating a long-term policy that can successfully align with the new normal working conditions. This should encompass fundamental working rights under the virtual working environment, career development, and welfare of workers. To date, previous studies are based on the advantages of traditional telecommuting. However, this study considers employees’ perception of telecommuting in the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, the study fills the empirical gap in the research on telecommuting in the new normal working condition.