Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secure transmission in AF satellite system based on FH-MWFRFT and null space beamforming

This study investigates the information security problem in amplify-and-forward (AF) satellite transmission with eavesdroppers at both the transmitter and the receiver. Two multi-antenna earth stations aim to exchange messages through a multi-antenna satellite in two hops. The satellite channels (both uplink and downlink) are assumed to be shadowed-Rician fading. In the first hop, the multiple term weighted fractional Fourier transform (MWFRFT) is adopted to secure the messages from the eavesdropper at the transmitter. To overcome the simplicity of parameters in MWFRFT, the authors enhance the MWFRFT with frequency hopping and propose the frequency hopping multiple term weighted fractional Fourier transform (FH-MWFRFT) to improve the secrecy. In the second hop, the satellite broadcasts the signal to the receiver after null space beamforming (NSBF). Since the energy at the satellite is confined, the NSBF is simplified by applying the singular value decompose to avoid the complicate optimisation calculations at the satellite. The one-way and two-way transmission scenarios with full channel state information (CSI) and statistic CSI are both considered in this study. Simulation results demonstrate the proposed method could achieve a better security at the transmitter while maintain a similar secrecy performance to the optimisation method at the legitimate receiver.
Rotor Design of Line-Start Synchronous Reluctance Machine With Round Bars

Within the field of industry applications, the induction machine (IM) is the most used motor type, due to its robustness and line-start ability. However, the need to constrain global warming demands new sustainable technologies with high efficiency. Therefore, line-start synchronous reluctance machines could be an opportunity to achieve a high efficiency for several industry applications, especially for constant-speed drives. This paper introduces a unique rotor design for line-start synchronous reluctance machines (LSSynRMs). Additionally, the influence of the rotor bar material/resistance and the stator resistance in comparison to common IMs for industrial applications is investigated. Finite element method calculations were used for the design and the efficiency enhancement was verified using experiments. Within the context of this analysis, a 4-kW-rated IM with an efficiency rating of IE3 was chosen as a benchmark motor. The new rotor-cage design decreases the motor losses at steady state by about 28%. This promising approach could be used to upgrade IMs in industry environments instead of replacing them. Nevertheless, a challenge in the design is a good balance between the steady-state performance and synchronization capability, which in turn limits the range of industrial applications for highly efficient LSSynRMs.
Embryonic regeneration by relocalization of the Spemann organizer during twinning in Xenopus

Significance Many animals, including humans, can generate identical twins from a single egg. We perfected a method by which a frog (Xenopus) egg cut in half along the dorsal–ventral (back to belly) axis at the 4,000-cell stage produced twins at high frequency. The large wound generated by bisection healed within an hour, juxtaposing cells that would normally form the most dorsal and ventral tissues in the intact embryo. Tracing the fate of microinjected cells showed that the dorsal Spemann organizer was formed 90° away from its original location in bisected embryos. A new gradient of dorsal–ventral signaling was generated by this displacement, explaining the regeneration of the missing half. The experiments help explain twinning in a classic model system. The formation of identical twins from a single egg has fascinated developmental biologists for a very long time. Previous work had shown that Xenopus blastulae bisected along the dorsal–ventral (D-V) midline (i.e., the sagittal plane) could generate twins but at very low frequencies. Here, we have improved this method by using an eyelash knife and changing saline solutions, reaching frequencies of twinning of 50% or more. This allowed mechanistic analysis of the twinning process. We unexpectedly observed that the epidermis of the resulting twins was asymmetrically pigmented at the tailbud stage of regenerating tadpoles. This pigment was entirely of maternal (oocyte) origin. Bisecting the embryo generated a large wound, which closed from all directions within 60 minutes, bringing cells normally fated to become Spemann organizer in direct contact with predicted ventral-most cells. Lineage-tracing analyses at the four-cell stage showed that in regenerating embryos midline tissues originated from the dorsal half, while the epidermis was entirely of ventral origin. Labeling of D-V segments at the 16-cell stage showed that the more pigmented epidermis originated from the ventral-most cells, while the less-pigmented epidermis arose from the adjoining ventral segment. This suggested a displacement of the organizer by 90°. Studies with the marker Chordin and phospho-Smad1/5/8 showed that in half embryos a new D-V gradient is intercalated at the site of the missing half. The displacement of self-organizing morphogen gradients uncovered here may help us understand not only twin formation in amphibians, but also rare cases of polyembryony.
A Study of Experiential Quality, Perceived Value, Heritage Image, Experiential Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intentions for Heritage Tourists

This study aims at identifying the dimensions of experiential quality and examining the interrelationships among experiential quality, perceived value, heritage image, experiential satisfaction, and behavioral intentions for heritage tourists. The dimensions of experiential quality are built on a basis of reflective indicators, and a multidimensional and hierarchical model is used as a framework to synthesize the effects of experiential quality, perceived value, heritage image, and experiential satisfaction on behavioral intentions perceived by heritage tourists. Analysis of data from 427 tourists in the Historic Center of Macau indicates that the proposed model fits the data well. The results reveal that there are four primary dimensions and 10 subdimensions of experiential quality perceived by heritage tourists. In addition, the results indicate that outcome quality is identified as the most primary dimension of experiential quality perceived by heritage tourists.
Preparative isotachophoretic separation of skin test antigens from blastomycin purified derivative

This investigation examined the theoretical and practical parameters requisite to preparatory istachophoretic separation of blastomycin purified derivative. It resulted in a relatively simple, two-step procedure for preparation of blastomycin antigens in milligram quantitites that exhibited sensitivity and specificity in experimentally infected guinea pigs. Analysis of the nine isotachophoretic fractions for skin test sensitivity and specificity provided some insight into the generally accepted unreliability of blastomycin when used for immunological evaluation.
Human intestinal parasites in the past: new findings and a review.

Almost all known human specific parasites have been found in ancient feces. A review of the paleoparasitological helminth and intestinal protozoa findings available in the literature is presented. We also report the new paleoparasitologic findings from the examination performed in samples collected in New and Old World archaeological sites. New finds of ancylostomid, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Trichostrongylus spp. , Diphyllobothrium latum, Hymenolepis nana and Acantocephalan eggs are reported. According to the findings, it is probable that A. lumbricoides was originally a human parasite. Human ancylostomids, A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura, found in the New World in pre-Columbian times, have not been introduced into the Americas by land via Beringia. These parasites could not supported the cold climate of the region. Nomadic prehistoric humans that have crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia to the Americas in the last glaciation, probably during generations, would have lost these parasites, which life cycles need warm temperatures in the soil to be transmitted from host to host. Alternative routes are discussed for human parasite introduction into the Americas.
Some Indices Of Edge Corona Of Two Graphs ∗ Irandokht

The edge corona of two graphs G and H , denoted by G H , is obtained by taking one copy of G and |E(G)| copies of H and joining each end vertices of i-th edge of G to every vertex in the i-th copy of H . In this paper, the Hyper Zagreb index of edge corona of two graphs is presented. Also, the vertex Padmakar Ivan (vertex-PI) and the Szeged indices of edge corona of two trees are computed. Moreover, the upper bounds on the multiplicative Zagreb indices and the multiplicative sum Zagreb index of edge corona of two graphs are obtained. As applications, we use these results to compute the Hyper Zagreb index, the vertex-PI index and the Szeged index of certain classes of graphs.
Capacity optimization of a stand-alone microgrid system using charged system search algorithm

This paper proposes a novel method to solve the optimal capacity allocation problem for a stand-alone microgrid system. The stand-alone microgrid is usually found on offshore islands or in the areas where electric power cannot be delivered by the utility electric companies. Traditionally, the loads in a stand-alone microgrid are mainly supplied electric power from diesel generators. With continuing the development of renewable energy, the photovoltaic, wind turbine generator and battery energy storage system are integrated into stand-alone microgrid that reduces generation cost, mitigates environment emission and increases generation efficiency. To determine the complicated optimization problem, a combination of Monte Carlo simulation and charged system search algorithm is used in this paper. The proposed scheme comprises both the inner loop to determine the hourly schedule of distributed energy resources and outer loop to optimize the capacity of distributed energy resources in life cycle. The proposed method is tested on a stand-alone microgrid system in Taiwan. To verify the feasibility of the proposed method, comparisons are made to the differential evolution and particle swarm optimization approaches.
Studies on the Presence of Angiotensin II in Rat Brain

Abstract: Angiotensin II‐like immunoreactivity was extracted from brains of bilaterally nephrectomized rats with several different extraction procedures (90% methanol, distilled water, 6 M urea, 0.1 N HCI, and 2 M acetic acid). The activity was measured with radioimmunoassays using three different antisera, two of which had been used previously for immunocytochemical studies. With none of the extraction procedures or antisera employed was more than 80 pg/g wet weight of angiotensin II‐like immunoreactivity found. Analysis was undertaken with two different reverse‐phase high‐pressure liquid chromatography systems; in one of these the immunoreactivity did not coelute with angiotensin II or III. On the basis of its elution pattern from a molecular sieving column, the immunoreactivity seems to have a higher molecular weight than angiotensin II. It is concluded that neurons in the brain do not synthesize and store angiotensin II.
Personality traits across countries: Support for similarities rather than differences

In the current climate of migration and globalization, personality characteristics of individuals from different countries have received a growing interest. Previous research has established reliable differences in personality traits across countries. The present study extends this research by examining 30 personality traits in 22 countries, based on an online survey in English with large national samples (NTotal = 130,602). The instrument used was a comprehensive, open-source measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) (IPIP-NEO-120). We postulated that differences in personality traits between countries would be small, labeling this a Similarities Hypothesis. We found support for this in three stages. First, similarities across countries were observed for model fits for each of the five personality trait structures. Second, within-country sex differences for the five personality traits showed similar patterns across countries. Finally, the overall the contribution to personality traits from countries was less than 2%. In other words, the relationship between a country and an individual’s personality traits, however interesting, are small. We conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for the current and past findings is a cross-country personality Similarities Hypothesis.
Deterministic and efficient minimal perfect hashing schemes

Neste trabalho apresentamos versoes deterministicas para os esquemas de hashing de Botelho, Kohayakawa e Ziviani (2005) e por Botelho, Pagh e Ziviani (2007). Tambem respondemos a um problema deixado em aberto no primeiro dos trabalhos, relacionado a prova da corretude e a analise de complexidade do esquema por eles proposto. As versoes deterministicas desenvolvidas foram implementadas e testadas sobre conjuntos de dados com ate 25.000. 000 de chaves, e os resultados verificados se mostraram equivalentes aos dos algoritmos aleatorizados originais.
Metabolic flare: indicator of hormone responsiveness in advanced breast cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate whether positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and the estrogen analog 16 alpha-[(18)F]fluoroestradiol-17 beta (FES), performed before and after treatment with tamoxifen, could be used to detect hormone-induced changes in tumor metabolism (metabolic flare) and changes in available levels of estrogen receptor (ER). In addition, we investigated whether these PET findings would predict hormonally responsive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty women with biopsy-proved advanced ER-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer underwent PET with FDG and FES before and 7 to 10 days after initiation of tamoxifen therapy; 70 lesions were evaluated. Tumor FDG and FES uptake were assessed semiquantitatively by the standardized uptake value (SUV) method. The PET results were correlated with response to hormonal therapy. RESULTS In the responders, the tumor FDG uptake increased after tamoxifen by 28.4% +/- 23.3% (mean +/- SD); only five of these patients had evidence of a clinical flare reaction. In nonresponders, there was no significant change in tumor FDG uptake from baseline (mean change, 10.1% +/- 16.2%; P =.0002 v responders). Lesions of responders had higher baseline FES uptake (SUV, 4.3 +/- 2.4) than those of nonresponders (SUV, 1.8 +/- 1.3; P =.0007). All patients had evidence of blockade of the tumor ERs 7 to 10 days after initiation of tamoxifen therapy; however, the degree of ER blockade was greater in the responders (mean percentage decrease, 54.8% +/- 14.2%) than in the nonresponders (mean percentage decrease, 19.4% +/- 17.3%; P =.0003). CONCLUSION The functional status of tumor ERs can be characterized in vivo by PET with FDG and FES. The results of PET are predictive of responsiveness to tamoxifen therapy in patients with advanced ER(+) breast cancer.
SET7/9 Enzyme Regulates Cytokine-induced Expression of Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase through Methylation of Lysine 4 at Histone 3 in the Islet β Cell*

Background: SET7/9 regulates expression of NF-κB target genes in non-β cells. Results: SET7/9 knockdown attenuated cytokine-induced expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase and apoptosis in β cells. Conclusion: SET7/9 regulates Nos2 expression through methylation of H3K4 in β cells. Significance: SET7/9 contributes to proinflammatory cytokine signaling in the pancreatic β cell. SET7/9 is an enzyme that methylates histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4) to maintain euchromatin architecture. Although SET7/9 is enriched in islets and contributes to the transactivation of β cell-specific genes, including Ins1 and Slc2a, SET7/9 has also been reported to bind the p65 subunit of nuclear factor κB in non-β cells and modify its transcriptional activity. Given that inflammation is a central component of β cell dysfunction in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of SET7/9 in proinflammatory cytokine signaling in β cells. To induce inflammation, βTC3 insulinoma cells were treated with IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Cytokine treatment led to increased expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase, which was attenuated by the diminution of SET7/9 using RNA interference. Consistent with previous reports, SET7/9 was co-immunoprecipitated with p65 and underwent cytosolic to nuclear translocation in response to cytokines. ChIP analysis demonstrated augmented H3K4 mono- and dimethylation of the proximal Nos2 promoter with cytokine exposure. SET7/9 was found to occupy this same region, whereas SET7/9 knockdown attenuated cytokine-induced histone methylation of the Nos2 gene. To test this relationship further, islets were isolated from SET7/9-deficient and wild-type mice and treated with IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Cytokine-induced Nos2 expression was reduced in the islets from SET7/9 knock-out mice. Together, our findings suggest that SET7/9 contributes to Nos2 transcription and proinflammatory cytokine signaling in the pancreatic β cell through activating histone modifications.
Scene Classication Using a Hybrid Generative/Discriminative Approach

The scene classification area has been growing over the last years, becoming relevant in order to be able to work with the many digital images that are being taken every day around the world. The scope of this thesis is the scene classification task. The purpose of it is, having a group of image categories, to be able to classify new images into one of those categories. The approach done is based on the work of Bosch et al.7, using the SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) features extracted from the image applying the k-Means clustering method to have a visual vocabulary and making a quantization over the features resulting on a BoW (Bag of Words). To the BoW a hybrid approach is applied for the classification, using the pLSA(probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis technique) and the SVM (Support Vector Machine) classification technique. The pLSA is used to decrease the dimensionality of the information that is treated and find relations between it, and the SVM for the posterior classification applying the one-vs-all rule. In this work it is shown that the concatenation of the PHOG (Pyramid of Histograms of Orientation Gradients) descriptor with the BoW leads to a better global performance. Further the inclusion of color information through histograms improved the results. The approach has been applied to different data-sets using several parameter configurations.
PATTERN PREDICTION OF CRUDE OIL USING REGRESSION MODERATED WITH MARKOV SWITCHING MODEL

Scarcity of refined products for long time does contribute to economic backwardness and de-industrialization of most sub-Saharan African and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Institutional quality and managerial transparency absence impacted the downstream sub-sector negatively and induces Nigeria to import 80% refined products despite its huge crude oil exports. We have used Markov-switching models, a stochastic technique capable of capturing statistical knowledge to moderate Newton Series Polynomial generated on a best linear slope equation. And postulate that with less than 70% annual refinery utilization and undemocratic institutional performance, the Nigerian state will continue to experience resource curse syndrome. Continuation of Nigeria’s mono-product economic structure having demonstrated a dismal performance to the economy may curse doom for the nation if it ignores calls for more domestically refined products. This paper offers an oil utilization directional guide to economic development in oil rich nations as against historical illustration of resources rich nations’ failure to develop fast. However, if Nigeria chooses to maintain its current crude oil exports status industrialization is foregone. JEL classification: O11, O2, O3, O32, O38, O43
Essays on emerging financial markets, political institutions and development differences

Lehkonen, Heikki Essays on Emerging Financial Markets, Political Institutions and Development Differences Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2014, 197 p. (Jyvaskyla Studies in Business and Economics ISSN 1457-1986; 147) ISBN 978-951-39-5645-5 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5646-2 (PDF) This thesis studies the emerging financial markets, their institutional environment and the effects development differences between emerging and developed markets. It comprises of four empirical research articles preceded by introductory chapter that describes background of the emerging economies and their investing environment as well as the main results of the thesis. The first study (Ch. 2) considers the integration of local stock market to global markets and crisis periods by studying the integration dynamics during the major financial crisis periods, the effects of integration on the crisis and the integration determinants. Results indicate that integration decreased during the global financial crisis for developed market but increased slightly for emerging markets and that the integration affected to the wideness of the crisis but not to its depth. Also several factors are found to affect to integration. The second study (Ch. 3) examines the political regimes of the emerging markets by studying if the country’s democracy level affects stock returns directly or indirectly via parabolic relationship with political risk. The results indicate quite consistently that countries with higher level of democracy also produce higher returns and, a bit counter intuitively, lower political risk affects positively to returns. The third study (Ch. 4) utilizes wavelet decomposition and dynamic conditional correlation to examine timescale-dependent, time-varying correlations between emerging and developed markets and thus contributes to portfolio diversification literature. With these methods it is possible to study whether comovement has changed during the sample period and detect the differences between correlations of different timescales, development levels and geographic regions. The fourth study (Ch. 5) concentrates studying whether the China’s stock markets were characterized by rational speculative bubbles and can they, in terms of bubbles, be compared to more developed markets of Hong Kong. Used method, duration dependence test, provides mixed results and thus can be considered sensitive to sample selection. However, it also provides evidence that while bubbles can be found from Mainland China, they are rarer in Hong Kong and thus the markets cannot be considered similar.