Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Nonlinear Adaptive Equalization Technique in Digital Communication II

An approach to rectify the distortions caused by the Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) or solid-state High Power Amplifiers (HPA) used in digital satellite communication systems and at the same time to correct the effects of intersymbol interference is presented. Linear adaptive signal processing techniques fail to eliminate these nonlinear distortions introduced by nonlinear components in the satellite channel. Here we present a nonlinear adaptive signal processing technique based on Volterra series. First part of this paper [15] includes mathematical description of proposed scheme. This part includes computer simulation and results obtained.
Where Does Cyberbullying Fit? A Comparison of Competing Models of Adolescent Aggression

Objective: This study examined how cyberbullying fits into a framework of adolescent aggression. It was hypothesized that a dimensional model that considered both form (overt or relational) and media (in-person or electronic) of aggression would best fit the data. Method: Participants were 677 adolescents (ages 11 to 15) from 3 public schools. The sample was 92% Black or African American. Participants completed a self-report measure that assessed their frequency of physical, verbal, and relational aggression and cyberbullying. Results: Contrary to hypothesis, confirmatory factor analyses provided the clearest support for a 3-factor model that conceptualized cyberbullying as a counterpart to overt and relational aggression. A latent class analysis revealed a moderate aggression class and a low aggression class, with neither group distinguishable by cyberbullying behaviors. A comparison of the 3-factor model and the 2-class solution indicated that a dimensional model provided the best fit. Conclusions: Researchers have generally assumed that cyberbullying is a new form of aggression, a counterpart to overt and relational aggression, and this conceptualization fits the data quite well. Both media and form are important dimensions of aggression, but there may not be enough variation across types of cyberbullying behaviors to result in differentiation by form.
Inflation and De Sitter Thermodynamics Typeset Using Revt E X 1

We consider the quasi-de Sitter geometry of the inflationary universe. We calculate the energy flux of the slowly rolling background scalar field through the quasi-de Sitter apparent horizon and set it equal to the change of the entropy (1/4 of the area) multiplied by the temperature, dE = TdS. Remarkably, this thermodynamic law reproduces the Friedmann equation for the rolling scalar field. The flux of the slowly rolling field through the horizon of the quasi-de Sitter geometry is similar to the accretion of a rolling scalar field onto a black hole, which we also analyze. Next we add inflaton fluctuations which generate scalar metric perturbations. Metric perturbations result in a variation of the area entropy. Again, the equation dE = TdS with fluctuations reproduces the linearized Einstein equations. In this picture as long as the Einstein equations hold, holography does not put limits on the quantum field theory during inflation. Due to the accumulating metric perturbations, the horizon area during inflation randomly wiggles with dispersion increasing with time. We discuss this in connection with the stochastic decsription of inflation. We also address the issue of the instability of inflaton fluctuations in the “hot tin can” picture of de Sitter horizon. Typeset using REVTEX
Impact of Variable Length Codes on the Interleaving Gain of Turbo Systems: The Concept of Bounded Spectrum

When a telecommunication system is constrained in terms of delay and complexity, it is usually wise to allow some cross-layer cooperation between the source and channel layers. In this context, the success of joint source-channel turbo techniques has been attested several times in the literature, in particular to transmit variable length code (VLC) streams which are very sensitive to error propagation. Capitalizing on previously developed performance upper bounds, this paper investigates whether the VLC can contribute to the interleaving gain of concatenated codes just as a convolutional code with non-catastrophic encoder would. To this end, the important concept of bounded VLC spectrum is introduced and is proved to be a sufficient condition for the VLC to contribute indeed to the interleaving gain. This concept is also proved to be closely related to non-catastrophic VLCs and, under certain assumptions, to the well known concept of statistically synchronizable VLCs.
THE ARAUCARIA PROJECT: THE DISTANCE TO THE SCULPTOR GALAXY NGC 247 FROM NEAR-INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF CEPHEID VARIABLES

We have obtained deep near-infrared images in J and K filters of four fields in the Sculptor Group spiral galaxy NGC 247 with the ESO VLT and Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera. For a sample of 10 Cepheids in these fields, previously discovered by García-Varela et al. from optical wide-field images, we have determined mean J and K magnitudes and have constructed the period–luminosity (PL) relations in these bands. Using the near-infrared PL relations together with those in the optical V and I bands, we have determined a true distance modulus for NGC 247 of 27.64 mag, with a random uncertainty of ±2% and a systematic uncertainty of ∼4% which is dominated by the effect of unresolved stars on the Cepheid photometry. The mean reddening affecting the NGC 247 Cepheids of E(B − V) = 0.18 ± 0.02 mag is mostly produced in the host galaxy itself and is significantly higher than what was found in the previous optical Cepheid studies in NGC 247 of our own group, and Madore et al., leading to a 7% decrease in the previous optical Cepheid distance. As in other studies of our project, the distance modulus of NGC 247 we report is tied to an assumed Large Magellanic Cloud distance modulus of 18.50. Comparison with other distance measurements to NGC 247 shows that the present IR-based Cepheid distance is the most accurate among these determinations. With a distance of 3.4 Mpc, NGC 247 is about 1.5 Mpc more distant than NGC 55 and NGC 300, two other Sculptor Group spirals analyzed before with the same technique by our group.
Online and face-to-face discussions in the classroom: a study on the experiences of 'active' and 'silent' students

Even though the advantages of online discussions over face-to-face discussion formats has been extensively reported and investigated, the blending of online discussion tools in co-located classroom settings has been considered with far less intensity. In this paper, we report on secondary school students' experiences and preferences concerning two different discussion formats in co-located classroom settings, namely face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous, computer-mediated communication (CMC). In addition, we also differentiate between students that are known to be active participants in F2F classroom discussions and those who usually remain silent. The findings highlight several advantages of CMC over F2F discussions in co-located settings and show that different students ('active' and 'silent') experience F2F and computer-mediated communication differently.
Social Emotion Analysis System for Online News

Social emotion analysis of online users has become an important task for mining public opinions, which aims at detecting the readers' emotions evoked by online news articles. In this paper, we focus on building a social emotion analysis system (SEAS) for online news. The system has implemented a text data crawler for mainstream online news websites, the modules of document preprocessing, document representation, and also integrates successful emotion analysis methods and provides the corresponding performance evaluation. SEAS will automatically analyze the emotions towards certain news articles and output the predicted emotions and probabilities of being classified into these emotion categories. The experiments on the real dataset from online news service demonstrate the high practicability and reliability of SEAS.
Investigating the Effect of Aluminum Substitution on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Ferrihydrite

This thesis investigated the impact of aluminum (Al) substitution in ferrihydrite (FH) on both its chemical and physical properties. Al was coprecipitated with FH under controlled hydrolysis conditions to yield various % mol substitutions. Sulfate adsorption was measured across pHs to examine any changes in surface reactivity. The samples' morphology, specific surface areas (SSAs), crystallinity, and phase transformation upon heating were evaluated and parameterized to allow conclusions on the role of Al on the physical properties. Sulfate sorption diminished across pHs for all Al saturation levels. X-ray Diffraction revealed goethite (GT) presence was negatively influenced by Al. The SSAs of samples increased non-linearly with increasing % mol Al, indicating a decreasing particle size with more Al content. Transmission Electron Microscopy micrographs showed the FH nanoparticles transformed to acicular/blocky laths of GT crystals and lenticular/platy hematite (HM) crystals with occasional grainy appearance at both room temperature and upon active heating. The phase transformation alongside the derived aspect ratios (length/width) of the GT crystals were retarded by the Al substitution. iv DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my parents for always urging me on to relentlessly pursue my dreams and prayerfully supporting me through all these years. I also would like to thank my dear friends and family relatives for the unwavering financial and moral support shown towards my physical and mental wellbeing. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge Georgia State University and the Department of Geosciences for providing the avenue for me to partake in immersive learning experiences that give the requisite skills and knowledge for academic research and gainful employment. I also would like to thank Dr. Deocampo for serving on my committee, offering academic counseling when I seriously needed one, and making insightful suggestions on how to obtain XRD data for my samples. My unreserved appreciation also goes to Dr. Maria Chrysochoou; another member on my defense committee, whose many findings on the surface structure and reactivity of Aluminum-substituted Ferrihydrite aided the understanding of my experimental results. Not to be forgotten is my Thesis Advisor, Dr. Kabengi, who trusted in my intellectual capability to produce this work. She guided and supported me throughout the experimental work for this thesis, and her inputs in interpreting and writing the results were top-notch. I also enjoyed contribution from her research team comprising prospective Ph.D. candidate, Nick Allen; who helped with HPLC analysis, David Davis; who assisted me during …
Processing data streams with hard real-time constraints on heterogeneous systems

Data stream processing applications such as stock exchange data analysis, VoIP streaming, and sensor data processing pose two conflicting challenges: short per-stream latency -- to satisfy the milliseconds-long, hard real-time constraints of each stream, and high throughput -- to enable efficient processing of as many streams as possible. High-throughput programmable accelerators such as modern GPUs hold high potential to speed up the computations. However, their use for hard real-time stream processing is complicated by slow communications with CPUs, variable throughput changing non-linearly with the input size, and weak consistency of their local memory with respect to CPU accesses. Furthermore, their coarse grain hardware scheduler renders them unsuitable for unbalanced multi-stream workloads. We present a general, efficient and practical algorithm for hard real-time stream scheduling in heterogeneous systems. The algorithm assigns incoming streams of different rates and deadlines to CPUs and accelerators. By employing novel stream schedulability criteria for accelerators, the algorithm finds the assignment which simultaneously satisfies the aggregate throughput requirements of all the streams and the deadline constraint of each stream alone. Using the AES-CBC encryption kernel, we experimented extensively on thousands of streams with realistic rate and deadline distributions. Our framework outperformed the alternative methods by allowing 50% more streams to be processed with provably deadline-compliant execution even for deadlines as short as tens milliseconds. Overall, the combined GPU-CPU execution allows for up to 4-fold throughput increase over highly-optimized multi-threaded CPU-only implementations.
Evidence Synthesis for Decision Making 2

We set out a generalized linear model framework for the synthesis of data from randomized controlled trials. A common model is described, taking the form of a linear regression for both fixed and random effects synthesis, which can be implemented with normal, binomial, Poisson, and multinomial data. The familiar logistic model for meta-analysis with binomial data is a generalized linear model with a logit link function, which is appropriate for probability outcomes. The same linear regression framework can be applied to continuous outcomes, rate models, competing risks, or ordered category outcomes by using other link functions, such as identity, log, complementary log-log, and probit link functions. The common core model for the linear predictor can be applied to pairwise meta-analysis, indirect comparisons, synthesis of multiarm trials, and mixed treatment comparisons, also known as network meta-analysis, without distinction. We take a Bayesian approach to estimation and provide WinBUGS program code for a Bayesian analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. An advantage of this approach is that it is straightforward to extend to shared parameter models where different randomized controlled trials report outcomes in different formats but from a common underlying model. Use of the generalized linear model framework allows us to present a unified account of how models can be compared using the deviance information criterion and how goodness of fit can be assessed using the residual deviance. The approach is illustrated through a range of worked examples for commonly encountered evidence formats.
Prions Ex Vivo: What Cell Culture Models Tell Us about Infectious Proteins

Prions are unconventional infectious agents that are composed of misfolded aggregated prion protein. Prions replicate their conformation by template-assisted conversion of the endogenous prion protein PrP. Templated conversion of soluble proteins into protein aggregates is also a hallmark of other neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease are not considered infectious diseases, although aggregate pathology appears to progress in a stereotypical fashion reminiscent of the spreading behavior ofmammalian prions. While basic principles of prion formation have been studied extensively, it is still unclear what exactly drives PrP molecules into an infectious, self-templating conformation. In this review, we discuss crucial steps in the life cycle of prions that have been revealed in ex vivo models. Importantly, the persistent propagation of prions in mitotically active cells argues that cellular processes are in place that not only allow recruitment of cellular PrP into growing prion aggregates but also enable the multiplication of infectious seeds that are transmitted to daughter cells. Comparison of prions with other protein aggregates demonstrates that not all the characteristics of prions are equally shared by prion-like aggregates. Future experiments may reveal to which extent aggregation-prone proteins associated with other neurodegenerative diseases can copy the replication strategies of prions.
Feasibility and Efficacy of Preoperative Epidural Catheter Placement for Anterior Scoliosis Surgery

Background:Postoperative pain control via thoracic epidural catheters (TECs) is an important aspect of postoperative care, and ample evidence highlights its positive physiologic effects and superiority to intravenous analgesia. If epidural catheters for postoperative pain relief are used in scoliosis surgery, current practice is the intraoperative placement of the TEC by the surgeon because preoperative placement is considered challenging and dangerous. On the basis of magnetic resonance imaging of scoliotic spines, the authors developed a technique for preoperative placement of TEC and investigated its safety and feasibility. Methods:Patients undergoing anterior scoliosis surgery were included, who received preoperative placement of TEC. Postoperative pain, problems associated with the TEC placement, possible side effects, radiographic data, and insertion levels of the TEC were noted. Results:The apex vertebra was identified as a possible site for TEC placement due to dural sac shift leaving a wider epidural space on the convex side. Scoliosis-induced rotation of the vertebrae required realignment of the needle toward the convex side. Sixty patients were included. The success rate for TEC placement was 96.6%: one failed attempt, one catheter placed intrapleurally, and one patient with Horner syndrome. Seven percent of patients required additional rescue analgesia. All other patients had pain scores within acceptable limits (Visual Analogue Scale <5). Conclusions:The authors have demonstrated that it is possible to insert a TEC in patients with scoliotic spines with a high degree of success using a redesigned approach and thus provide adequate postoperative analgesia with a single epidural catheter. However, precautions have to be taken.
Predicting lung cancer incidence from air pollution exposures using shapelet-based time series analysis

In this paper we investigated whether the geographical variation of lung cancer incidence can be predicted through examining the spatiotemporal trend of particulate matter air pollution levels. Regional trends of air pollution levels were analyzed by a novel shapelet-based time series analysis technique. First, we identified U.S. counties with reportedly high and low lung cancer incidence between 2008 and 2012 via the State Cancer Profiles provided by the National Cancer Institute. Then, we collected particulate matter exposure levels (PM2.5 and PM10) of the counties for the previous decade (1998-2007) via the AirData dataset provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. Using shapelet-based time series pattern mining, regional environmental exposure profiles were examined to identify frequently occurring sequential exposure patterns. Finally, a binary classifier was designed to predict whether a U.S. region is expected to experience high lung cancer incidence based on the region's PM2.5 and PM10 exposure the decade prior. The study confirmed the association between prolonged PM exposure and lung cancer risk. In addition, the study findings suggest that not only cumulative exposure levels but also the temporal variability of PM exposure influence lung cancer risk.
The Expected Real Return to Equity

The expected return to equity – typically measured as a historical average – is a key variable in the decision making of investors. A recent literature uses analysts' forecasts, investor surveys or present-value relationships and finds estimates of expected returns that are sometimes much lower than historical averages. This study extends the present-value approach to a dynamic optimizing framework. Given a model that captures this relationship, one can use data on dividends, earnings and valuations to infer the model-implied expected return. Using this method, the estimated expected real return to equity ranges from 4.9% to 5.6% . Furthermore, the analysis indicates that expected returns have declined by about 3 percentage points over the past 40 years. These results indicate that future returns to equity may be lower than past realized returns.
Poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 levels affect alternative polyadenylation

The choice for a polyadenylation site determines the length of the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTRs) of an mRNA. Inclusion or exclusion of regulatory sequences in the 3′-UTR may ultimately affect gene expression levels. Poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) is involved in polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs. An alanine repeat expansion in PABPN1 (exp-PABPN1) causes oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). We hypothesized that previously observed disturbed gene expression patterns in OPMD muscles may have been the result of an effect of PABPN1 on alternative polyadenylation, influencing mRNA stability, localization and translation. A single molecule polyadenylation site sequencing method was developed to explore polyadenylation site usage on a genome-wide level in mice overexpressing exp-PABPN1. We identified 2012 transcripts with altered polyadenylation site usage. In the far majority, more proximal alternative polyadenylation sites were used, resulting in shorter 3′-UTRs. 3′-UTR shortening was generally associated with increased expression. Similar changes in polyadenylation site usage were observed after knockdown or overexpression of expanded but not wild-type PABPN1 in cultured myogenic cells. Our data indicate that PABPN1 is important for polyadenylation site selection and that reduced availability of functional PABPN1 in OPMD muscles results in use of alternative polyadenylation sites, leading to large-scale deregulation of gene expression.
Tracking and Tracing Spoofed IP Packets to Their Sources

As the Internet becomes increasingly important as a business infrastructure, the number of attacks on it, especially denial of service (DoS) attacks grows. A DoS attack is an attempt by a person or a group of persons to cripple an online service. Consequently, there are currently a lot of efforts being made to come up with mechanisms to detect and mitigate such attacks. Research on IP traceback has been rather active since the late 1999 DOS attacks. Several approaches have been proposed to trace IP packets to their origins. This paper examines the current best practices and the most promising research approaches in a search for near-term and long-term solutions to the traceback problem. However, it is clear that technical approaches alone can never offer a complete solution to the problem. Along with the proposed technical solutions, the policy implications and issues brought by the technology are discussed. This paper discusses a variety of methods that can help determine if received packets have spoofed source addresses. Our approach that depends on analyzing routers' log files is also discussed.
Enabling context-aware group collaboration in MANETs

Recent advances in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) technologies promote new opportunities for anytime and anywhere impromptu collaboration and leverage the provisioning of novel collaborative services, such as emergency rescue, e-care, and troop car management. However, the design and deployment of collaborative services in MANET environments raise new group management challenges. In particular, unpredictable users/devices mobility, frequent disconnection/reconnection of devices and continuous changes in network topology call for novel middleware solutions to handle properly the transient and dynamic formation of ad-hoc groups. The paper proposes a context-aware group membership middleware (AGAPE) that bases group management decisions depending on context information, such as user location, user attributes and preferences, and access device properties. User location determines the scope of group member visibility within a network locality, whereas user requirements and device properties govern the joining to a group and influence the played role of a user within a group. AGAPE provides a set of support services to arrange/dissolve and manage ad-hoc groups on demand and propagates the visibility of available group members and of their context up to the application level to allow applications to adapt collaborative decisions and actions accordingly. The paper also presents a MANET-enabled emergency rescue application scenario to show and to evaluate the functioning of AGAPE.