Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Kolmogorov–Zakharov Model for Optical Fiber Communication

A mathematical framework is presented to study the evolution of multi-point cumulants in nonlinear dispersive partial differential equations with random input data, based on the theory of weak wave turbulence (WWT). This framework is used to explain how energy is distributed among Fourier modes in the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. This is achieved by considering interactions among four Fourier modes and studying the role of the resonant, non-resonant, and trivial quartets in the dynamics. As an application, a power spectral density is suggested for calculating the interference power in dense wavelength-division multiplexed optical systems, based on the kinetic equation of the WWT. This power spectrum, termed the Kolmogorov-Zakharov (KZ) model, results in a better estimate of the signal spectrum in optical fiber, compared with the so-called Gaussian noise model. The KZ model is generalized to non-stationary inputs and multi-span optical systems.
A Power Effective Algorithm for State Encoding

Reducing the area and power dissipation of FSM circuit is of significant importance for EDA technology. Many methods are adopted to achieve an effective and fast transformation of FSMs to binary codes, including Genetic algorithm (GA) and others. In this paper, we propose a GA based state assignment of a FSM circuit to gain the minimization of power consumption and area. We modify the traditional mutation to be an ordered operation, which is also a substitution of the crossover that guarantees every new individual owns better fitness than the old one. We test the proposed algorithm with benchmarks, as well as do the comparison with the published; our method saves both power and area dissipation in reasonable computation time. DOI : http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/telkomnika.v12i6. 5481 Full Text: PDF
Elevated glucose inhibits VEGF-A–mediated endocardial cushion formation

Atrioventricular (AV) septal defects resulting from aberrant endocardial cushion (EC) formation are observed at increased rates in infants of diabetic mothers. EC formation occurs via an epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), involving transformation of endocardial cells into mesenchymal cells, migration, and invasion into extracellular matrix. Here, we report that elevated glucose inhibits EMT by reducing myocardial vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). This effect is reversed with exogenous recombinant mouse VEGF-A165, whereas addition of soluble VEGF receptor-1 blocks EMT. We show that disruption of EMT is associated with persistence of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and decreased matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression. These findings correlate with retention of a nontransformed endocardial sheet and lack of invasion. The MMP inhibitor GM6001 blocks invasion, whereas explants from PECAM-1 deficient mice exhibit MMP-2 induction and normal EMT in high glucose. PECAM-1–negative endothelial cells are highly motile and express more MMP-2 than do PECAM-1–positive endothelial cells. During EMT, loss of PECAM-1 similarly promotes single cell motility and MMP-2 expression. Our findings suggest that high glucose-induced inhibition of AV cushion morphogenesis results from decreased myocardial VEGF-A expression and is, in part, mediated by persistent endocardial cell PECAM-1 expression and failure to up-regulate MMP-2 expression.
Terlipressin versus Norepinephrine in the Treatment of Hepatorenal Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a severe and progressive functional renal failure occurring in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. Terlipressin is recognized as an effective treatment of HRS, but it is expensive and not widely available. Norepinephrine could be an effective alternative. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of norepinephrine compared to terlipressin in the management of HRS. Methods We searched the Medline, Embase, Scopus, CENTRAL, Lilacs and Scielo databases for randomized trials of norepinephrine and terlipressin in the treatment of HRS up to January 2014. Two reviewers collected data and assessed the outcomes and risk of bias. The primary outcome was the reversal of HRS. Secondary outcomes were mortality, recurrence of HRS and adverse events. Results Four studies comprising 154 patients were included. All trials were considered to be at overall high risk of bias. There was no difference in the reversal of HRS (RR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.76 to 1.23), mortality at 30 days (RR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.68 to 1.17) and recurrence of HRS (RR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.36 to 1.45) between norepinephrine and terlipressin. Adverse events were less common with norepinephrine (RR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.83). Conclusions Norepinephrine seems to be an attractive alternative to terlipressin in the treatment of HRS and is associated with less adverse events. However, these findings are based on data extracted from only four small studies.
Observability of Scattered-Light Echoes around Variable Stars and Cataclysmic Events

Scattered-light echoes from variable and cataclysmic stars offer one of the most effective means to probe the structure and composition of circumstellar and interstellar media. I build a simple model of light-echo surface brightness by considering the source spectrum and the dust density, geometry, and scattering efficiency. I use this model to investigate whether echoes should be observable around short and long-period giants, cataclysmic variables, and supernovae. Only supernovae are expected to illuminate material on both circumstellar and interstellar scales. Giant and post-AGB stars (e.g., Cepheids and Miras) with high mass-loss rates can produce observable echoes within their circumstellar envelopes. Echoes from novae and dwarf novae are probably detectable only from nearby material, and only in unusually dense gas. I present characteristic exposure times to image such echoes over a wide range of wavelengths for ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope observations. I apply these results to analyze the dust properties of the recently reported echoes around SN 1993J, finding the dust in M81 to have a grain-size distribution and chemical composition consistent with Galactic dust. Optimal observing strategies for echo detection are also discussed.
Cell Internalization of the Third Helix of the Antennapedia Homeodomain Is Receptor-independent*

We have recently reported that a 16-amino acid long polypeptide corresponding to the third helix of the DNA binding domain (homeodomain) of Antennapedia, a Drosophila transcription factor, is internalized by cells in culture (Derossi, D., Joliot, A. H., Chassaing, G., and Prochiantz, A. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 10444-10450). The capture of the homeodomain and of its third helix at temperatures below 10°C raised the problem of the mechanism of internalization. The present demonstration, that a reverse helix and a helix composed of D-enantiomers still translocate across biological membranes at 4 and 37°C strongly suggests that the third helix of the homeodomain is internalized by a receptor-independent mechanism. The finding that introducing 1 or 3 prolines in the structure does not hamper internalization also demonstrates that the α-helical structure is not necessary. The data presented are compatible with a translocation process based on the establishment of direct interactions with the membrane phospholipids. The third helix of the homeodomain has been used successfully to address biologically active substances to the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells in culture (Théodore, L., Derossi, D., Chassaing, G., Llirbat, B., Kubes, M., Jordan, P., Chneiweiss, H., Godement, P., and Prochiantz, A. (1995) J. Neurosci. 15, 7158-7167). Therefore, in addition to their physiological implications (Prochiantz, A., and Théodore, L. (1995) BioEssays 17, 39-45), the present results open the way to the molecular design of cellular vectors.
Exploring Heterogeneity for Multi-Domain Recommendation with Decisive Factors Selection

To address the recommendation problems in the scenarios of multiple domains, in this paper, we propose a novel method, HMRec, which models both consistency and heterogeneity of users' multiple behaviors in a unified framework. Moreover, the decisive factors of each domain can also be captured by our approach successfully. Experiments on the real multi-domain dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our model.
A Simple but Highly Effective Approach to Evaluate the Prognostic Performance of Gene Expression Signatures

Background Highly parallel analysis of gene expression has recently been used to identify gene sets or ‘signatures’ to improve patient diagnosis and risk stratification. Once a signature is generated, traditional statistical testing is used to evaluate its prognostic performance. However, due to the dimensionality of microarrays, this can lead to false interpretation of these signatures. Principal Findings A method was developed to test batches of a user-specified number of randomly chosen signatures in patient microarray datasets. The percentage of random generated signatures yielding prognostic value was assessed using ROC analysis by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) in six public available cancer patient microarray datasets. We found that a signature consisting of randomly selected genes has an average 10% chance of reaching significance when assessed in a single dataset, but can range from 1% to ∼40% depending on the dataset in question. Increasing the number of validation datasets markedly reduces this number. Conclusions We have shown that the use of an arbitrary cut-off value for evaluation of signature significance is not suitable for this type of research, but should be defined for each dataset separately. Our method can be used to establish and evaluate signature performance of any derived gene signature in a dataset by comparing its performance to thousands of randomly generated signatures. It will be of most interest for cases where few data are available and testing in multiple datasets is limited.
PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Global Self-Evaluation as Determined by the Desirability and Controllability of Trait Adjectives

In this investigation, evaluations of self in relation to others were examined by means of asking subjects to rate the degree to which various trait adjectives characterized themselves or the average college student. Two independent samples of subjects first rated the degree to which various traits represented desirable characteristics, and the degree to which it was possible for a person to exert control over each of these characteristics, prom these initial ratings, 154 trait adjectives for which four levels of desirability were crossed with two levels of controllability were selected. A third sample of subjects then rated the degree to which each of these traits characterized the self and the average college student. It was predicted that self ratings in relation to average college student ratings would be increasingly positive as traits increased in desirability. It was also predicted that in conditions of high desirability, self ratings in relation to average college student ratings would be greater for high controllable traits than for low controllable traits, whereas in conditions of low desirability the opposite would occur. Both of these predictions were strongly supported. Results are discussed in terms of the adaptive advantages of maintaining a global self-concept that implies that positive characteristics are under personal control and that negative characteristics are caused by factors outside of personal control.
DNA Immunization

DNA immunization was discovered in early 1990s, and its use has been expanded from vaccine studies to a broader range of biomedical research areas, such as the generation of high‐quality polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies as research reagents. In this unit, three common DNA immunization methods are described: needle injection, electroporation, and gene gun. In addition, several common considerations related to DNA immunization are discussed. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 31:18.3. 1‐18.3. 24. ©2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cell-specific pattern recognition receptor signaling in antibacterial defense

Sepsis, the syndrome that describes infection complicated by acute organ failure, is most frequently caused by bacterial pneumonia and infection originating from the abdominal cavity and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. A brisk and firm initial host response is needed for clearance of the pathogen, but on the other hand can induce tissue and organ injury. In this thesis we describe the differential contribution of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and their intracellular adapter proteins in different cell-types to host defense and organ injury during the course of pneumonia. We used genetically modified mice in experimental sepsis models with the gram-negative pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, we focused on the role of another innate detection system called the "NLRP3-inflammasome" during pneumonia caused by Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae. We observed that this protein complex conferred protection in a model using one specific pneumococcal strain but played a detrimental role during infection with a virulent, S. pneumoniae strain. These data demonstrate that the contribution of proximal innate detection systems can vary between strains even within the same bacterial species. Finally, we examined the effect of anti-TLR4 therapy, designed to modulate excessive inflammation in human sepsis, in a model of murine abdominal sepsis and found that therapeutic targeting of TLR4 signaling can potentially interfere with bacterial clearance even in the context of antibiotic therapy, but on the other hand can help limit some aspects of tissue injury depending on the infectious dose and kinetics of the infection model.
RF Built-In Self-Test for Integrated Cellular Transmitters

A spectral built-in self test (BIST) solution for integrated cellular RF transmitters is presented that enables on-chip verification of PLL spectral performance. Multi-tone FM test signals with a spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of 60 dB are generated without compromising the performance of the RF transmitter itself. The RF signal is demodulated and digitized in an on-chip digital FM discriminator, spectral analysis is performed using digital narrowband filtering. The additional BIST blocks are fully digital and have been implemented on a chip area of only 0.05 mm2 in a 130 nm CMOS technology. The test blocks allow fast measurement of PLL frequency response, level of spurious sidebands and in-band phase noise down to -80 dBc without external test equipment. Catastrophic faults and most parametric faults can be detected as long as they influence the loop bandwidth or deteriorate spectral performance. I. I NTRODUCTION Until a few years ago, production test for RF ICs required a good understanding of RF measurement techniques and equipment but little Design-for-Test (DfT) or even BIST capabilities due to the low device complexity. The advent of mainstream CMOS technologies with transit frequencies exceeding 100 GHz has changed the picture: Fired up by a general trend towards wireless devices, RF ICs have become highly integrated, high volume commodity products for consumer markets with fierce competition and shrinking profit margins. As a consequence, test costs account for a growing percentage of the total production costs, turning D fT and BIST into an economic necessity for RF ICs. Recently, several loop back test concepts have been proposed for integrated RF transceivers where the on-chip receiver (RX) is reused for demodulating the RF transmit (TX) signal. While loop back concepts look very appealing due to low area overhead, there are some pitfalls for the practical implementation: Most standards use frequency division duplexing, requiring to run either RX or TX path outside the specified frequency range during loop back test. RX and TX path usually have very different requirements concerning dynamic range, distortions etc., preventing a thorough test of both paths. Chips built for time-division multiplex access systems like GSM or Bluetooth are not specified for or even capable of operating RX and TX path at the same time. Additionally, loop back test is an overall 1 0 1 0 q d (n)
Evaluation of short-term climate change prediction in multi-model CMIP 5 decadal hindcasts

[1] This study assesses the CMIP5 decadal hindcast/ forecast simulations of seven state-of-the-art oceanatmosphere coupled models. Each decadal prediction consists of simulations over a 10 year period each of which are initialized every five years from climate states of 1960/1961 to 2005/2006. Most of the models overestimate trends, whereby the models predict less warming or even cooling in the earlier decades compared to observations and too much warming in recent decades. All models show high prediction skill for surface temperature over the Indian, North Atlantic and western Pacific Oceans where the externally forced component and low-frequency climate variability is dominant. However, low prediction skill is found over the equatorial and North Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) index is predicted in most of the models with significant skill, while the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index shows relatively low predictive skill. The multi-model ensemble has in general better-forecast quality than the single-model systems for global mean surface temperature, AMO and PDO. Citation: Kim, H. -M. , P. J. Webster, and J. A. Curry (2012), Evaluation of short-term climate change prediction in multi-model CMIP5 decadal hindcasts, Geophys. Res. Lett. , 39, L10701, doi:10.1029/2012GL051644.
An essential role for Cdk1 in S phase control is revealed via chemical genetics in vertebrate cells

In vertebrates Cdk1 is required to initiate mitosis; however, any functionality of this kinase during S phase remains unclear. To investigate this, we generated chicken DT40 mutants, in which an analog-sensitive mutant cdk1 as replaces the endogenous Cdk1, allowing us to specifically inactivate Cdk1 using bulky ATP analogs. In cells that also lack Cdk2, we find that Cdk1 activity is essential for DNA replication initiation and centrosome duplication. The presence of a single Cdk2 allele renders S phase progression independent of Cdk1, which suggests a complete overlap of these kinases in S phase control. Moreover, we find that Cdk1 inhibition did not induce re-licensing of replication origins in G2 phase. Conversely, inhibition during mitosis of Cdk1 causes rapid activation of endoreplication, depending on proteolysis of the licensing inhibitor Geminin. This study demonstrates essential functions of Cdk1 in the control of S phase, and exemplifies a chemical genetics approach to target cyclin-dependent kinases in vertebrate cells.
Output Agreement Mechanisms and Common Knowledge

The recent advent of human computation -- employing non-experts to solve problems -- has inspired theoretical work in mechanism design for eliciting information when responses cannot be verified. We study a popular practical method, output agreement, from a theoretical perspective. In output agreement, two agents are given the same inputs and asked to produce some output; they are scored based on how closely their responses agree. Although simple, output agreement raises new conceptual questions. Primary is the fundamental importance of common knowledge: We show that, rather than being truthful, output agreement mechanisms elicit common knowledge from participants. We show that common knowledge is essentially the best that can be hoped for in any mechanism without verification unless there are restrictions on the information structure. This involves generalizing truthfulness to include responding to a query rather than simply reporting a private signal, along with a notion of common-knowledge equilibria. A final important issue raised by output agreement is focal equilibria and player computation of equilibria. We show that, for eliciting the mean of a random variable, a natural player inference process converges to the common-knowledge equilibrium; but this convergence may not occur for other types of queries.
A reappraisal of HAQ disability in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the course of self-reported disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the major self-report measure of functional impairment, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). METHODS The course of HAQ disability was assessed in 32,525 observations (1,843 patients) in which the HAQ was administered. In addition, a subset of 2,189 visits from 50 patients, followed on average for 17 years, was studied to model the effect of disease duration on the course of HAQ disability in individual patients. Linear and fractional polynomial regression as well as smoothing algorithms were applied to the group of RA patients and then to the individual course of patients. RESULTS Group linear and nonlinear models of the effect of disease duration on HAQ disability were found to have 3 characteristics: 1) HAQ disability scores are high at disease onset rather than gradually increasing; 2) HAQ disability increases very slowly over time (0.03 units per year); and 3) all such models fit very poorly, explaining only 5% of the variance in HAQ disability scores. However, application of nonlinear models to individual patient courses (as opposed to groups of patients) explains 37% of the HAQ disability score variation. In some patients, the course of HAQ disability was either 1) chaotic (scores change without any pattern) or 2) determinable, but unrelated to time. When covariates were added to the group model, however, the course of HAQ disability became clearer, and 51% of the variance in the disability score could be explained, statistically, by pain, depression, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and disease duration. CONCLUSION Individual RA patients have differing, characterizable courses: 1) nonlinear, 2) chaotic, or 3) non-time determined. The model that self-reported physical disability, as measured by the HAQ, occurs as a function of disease acting over time does not fit the data well and is an inadequate model. This discrepancy may also be the result of the patient's upward reappraisal of functional ability with increasing time. The predominant determinants of HAQ disability in RA are disease activity, pain, and psychosocial factors rather than structural abnormality. Although the HAQ is a useful clinical tool and a central measure of disease outcome, it measures both process and outcome, and usually more process than outcome. Individual patient models that include all that is known about the patient--the paradigm of clinical care-may be a more effective way to examine the course of RA than are conventional group-based models.
Robust analysis and superstabilization of chaotic systems

Superstable behavior is a practically important feature of dynamic systems. In the work we study the peculiarities of superstability achievement as applied to chaotic systems. We show a class of chaotic systems, for which a technique of finding optimal superstabilizing regulators can be presented. The efficiency of superstability conditions for the robust analysis and stabilization in the presence of parametric instability is demonstrated in the work.