Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A one-shot LDD with pre-SDC/post-MRC for random CDMA over asynchronous Rayleigh channels

It is well known that conventional detectors of direct sequence-code division multiple access systems are interference-limited. Multiuser detection has been considered as a promising approach to combat this problem. Since an optimal multiuser detector is too complex to implement, several suboptimal multiuser detector techniques have been developed. The one-shot linear decorrelating detector (LDD) was proposed to reduce the computational complexity and delay required in the conventional LDD, but it still require high complexity. Another one-shot LDD with low complexity was proposed. To improve its performance, this detector uses a maximal ratio combining (MRC) at the two outputs of the left piece of the present bit and the right piece of the next bit in an one-shot window; this detector is called as a one-shot LDD with post-MRC. In spite of the aid of MRC, the performance of the one-shot LDD with post-MRC is worse than the one-shot LDD. To overcome this problem, we propose the one-shot LDD with pre-SDC/post-MRC that employs selection diversity combining (SDC) with multiple antenna elements in front of the one-shot LDD with post-MRC. In asynchronous random code division multiple access systems over fading channels, the largest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of SDC, near-far resistance (NFR) of the one-shot LDD, and the output SNR of MRC are random variables. We derive the probability density functions (PDFs) for these random variables and calculate the bit error rate) of the proposed detector using the obtained PDFs. In a comparison of mathematical analysis and computer simulation results, we observe good agreement.
Medida de la implicación en el trabajo: propiedades psicométricas y estructura factorial del cuestionario "Job Involvement"

The main goal of this paper is to analyze the psychometric features and factor structure of the Spanish version (González y De Elena, 1993) of the Lodhal and Kejner’s (1965) ‘Job Involvement’ questionnaire. The scale was applied to a sample of 83 public administration employees. Three types of analysis are taking place. On one hand, homogeneity and reliability for the 20 items of the questionnaire are pursued. Results show a good internal consistency (α coefficient=.87). On the other hand, an exploratory factor analysis is performed to achieve Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones 1999 Volumen 15, n.o 1 Págs. 23-44 * Dpto. de Psicología Social y Antropología. Facultad de Economía y Empresa. Universidad de Salamanca. Campus Miguel de Unamuno (Edificio FES) 37007 Salamanca. Tlf. : 923 294 640 Ext. 3116. E-mail: lgf@gugu.usal. es
Novel Primary Epithelial Cell Toxicity Assay Using Porcine Corneal Explants

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a novel primary epithelial cell toxicity assay using porcine corneal explant and evaluate the assay using benzalkonium chloride (BAK). Methods: Circular corneal explants were trephined from the peripheral cornea of porcine eyes using 2-mm biopsy punches, and placed on 6-well culture dishes with a culture medium. After incubation for 12 hours, 50 &mgr;L of BAK at 0.00001%, 0.0001%, 0.001%, or 0.01% was applied to each well for 2 minutes. After washing, explants were cultured for another 24 hours, then epithelial outgrowth was photographed and measured. Corneal immunohistochemical characteristics were evaluated by cytokeratin (CK) 3, CK12, and ZO-1. Cell toxicity was evaluated by WST-8 assay, Ki-67 staining, and TUNEL assay. Results: Epithelial cells migrated outward concentrically from the corneal explant as time elapsed and were positive for CK3, CK12, and ZO-1. The outgrowth rate decreased significantly with 0.0001%, 0.001%, and 0.01% BAK compared with the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) control (P < 0.01), and the decrease was BAK concentration dependent. Numbers of viable cells and Ki-67-positive cells also decreased significantly with 0.01% BAK compared with the PBS control (P < 0.05). TUNEL-positive cells were present in the epithelial outgrowth. Moreover, TUNEL-positive cell density tended to increase with 0.01% BAK compared with the PBS control (P = 0.14) and 0.00001% BAK (P = 0.081). Conclusions: Our novel toxicity assay using porcine corneal explant is simple and reflects the effect of single and short-duration instillation of eye drops. The method is useful for evaluation of corneal toxicity at low concentrations of BAK.
Presents of the Midlands : domestic time, ordinary agency and family life in an English town

Focusing on the everyday lives of middle-class English families in a medium size town situated in the Midlands, this doctoral thesis contributes to anthropological debates on the topics of human agency, time, domesticity, mothering, and kinship. Organized upon the idea that cultural models of time are inextricably linked to understandings of agency (Greenhouse 1996), the thesis links Moore s (2011) post-vitalist theoretical framework and the work of Foucault (1990, 2000) on ethical practices, with Gershon s (2011) critique of neoliberal agency . The concept of ordinary agency is proposed for situating everyday actions as significant actions that contribute to social transformation. Three cultural models of time are identified spontaneity, anticipation and family time and the types of ordinary agencies that they engage are described in three dedicated chapters. The first chapter discusses the theoretical framework of the thesis. The second chapter addresses methodological issues, and discusses the methods that the author developed during her ethnographic fieldwork for looking at people s relationships with time. The third chapter addresses the time mode of spontaneity, presenting ethnographic examples of digital media use at home, and introducing theoretical tools for situating the forms of agency engendered by spontaneity. The fourth chapter looks at the time mode of anticipation in relation to mothering, motherhood and care. This chapter is accompanied by a video component, titled Mum s Cup and situated in the appendix of the thesis. Based on material that the participants filmed in solitude, for a self-interviewing with video task, Mum s Cup is a visual point of departure for theorising the Mother-Multiple ontological position that is described in chapter IV. Alongside providing a visual ethnographic lever for endorsing a theoretical concept, the video project also reflects on the relationship between the researcher and the participants, a relationship that, for various reasons (some related to length limitations), is not fully described in the textual corpus of the thesis. Discussing two types of domestic sociality, the fifth chapter looks at family time and at the forms of agency engendered by the idea and by the experience of having a family-style lifestyle (Strathern 1992), and it draws on, and contributes to, bodies of literature on English kinship. The last chapter addresses the context of the research which is an interdisciplinary project looking at domestic energy consumption ; it situates the position of the author in relation to the domestic sustainability agenda and to debates on interdisciplinarity, and it formulates ideas about possible applications that the anthropological knowledge gained by the author through her research could have in relation to the context that originally framed and facilitated the research.
Multiple struggles in fighting violence against women: implications among Romani women leaders in Spain

ABSTRACT Background: Violence against women (VAW) is a central issue in gender studies and one that has united feminist activists from around the world. But this does not mean that this struggle is singular: indeed, one can say that there are many, diverse and sometimes even contradictory struggles occurring throughout the world. Objectives: To identify and analyze the different struggles faced by women from Roma organizations in Spain in relation to VAW and their work with affected women. Methods: Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted among women actively involved in Roma associations in different Spanish cities, in 2015. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the empirical materials. Results: Our analysis resulted in three themes that captured different struggles that women from Roma organizations have faced: ‘between persistence and rupture of restrictive gender norms’, ‘invisibility and normalization of violence against women’ and ‘willingness and trust in daily work with women’. The activities related to VAW carried out by the interviewed women were more related to their personal initiatives and abilities than to strategies proposed by the organizations they work for. Conclusions: The results show the need to support the initiatives of Romani women and their own struggles related to identity. This is what makes them true promoters of social change and, more specifically, change related to gender relations both within and outside of their communities.
Analyzing Social Media Relationships in Context with Discussion Graphs

We present discussion graphs, a hyper-graph-based representation of social media discussions that captures both the structural features of the relationships among entities as well as the context of the discussions from which they were derived. Building on previous analyses of social media networks that focus on the strength of relationships between entities, our discussion graphs explicitly include contextual features such as who is participating in the discussions, when and where the discussions are occurring, and what else is being discussed in conjunction. There are two contributions of this work. First, we extend standard hyper-graph representations of networks to include the distribution of contexts surrounding discussions in social media networks. Second, we demonstrate how this context is useful for understanding the results of common graph measures and analyses, such as network centrality and pseudo-cliques, when applied to the analysis of textual social media content. We apply our framework across several domains captured in Twitter, including the mining of peoples’ statements about their locations and activities and discussions of the U.S. 2012 elections.
1 External Intermittency Simulation in Turbulent Round Jets

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Parallel Cortico-Basal Ganglia Mechanisms for Acquisition and Execution of Visuomotor SequencesA Computational Approach

Experimental studies have suggested that many brain areas, including the basal ganglia (BG), contribute to procedural learning. Focusing on the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (BG-TC) system, we propose a computational model to explain how different brain areas work together in procedural learning. The BG-TC system is composed of multiple separate loop circuits. According to our model, two separate BG-TC loops learn a visuomotor sequence concurrently but using different coordinates, one visual, and the other motor. The visual loop includes the dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPF) cortex and the anterior part of the BG, while the motor loop includes the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the posterior BG. The concurrent learning in these loops is based on reinforcement signals carried by dopaminergic (DA) neurons that project divergently to the anterior (visual) and posterior (motor) parts of the striatum. It is expected, however, that the visual loop learns a sequence faster than the motor loop due to their different coordinates. The difference in learning speed may lead to inconsistent outputs from the visual and motor loops, and this problem is solved by a mechanism called a coordinator, which adjusts the contribution of the visual and motor loops to a final motor output. The coordinator is assumed to be in the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA). We hypothesize that the visual and motor loops, with the help of the coordinator, achieve both the quick acquisition of novel sequences and the robust execution of well-learned sequences. A computational model based on the hypothesis is examined in a series of computer simulations, referring to the results of the 2 5 task experiments that have been used on both monkeys and humans. We found that the dual mechanism with the coordinator was superior to the single (visual or motor) mechanism. The model replicated the following essential features of the experimental results: (1) the time course of learning, (2) the effect of opposite hand use, (3) the effect of sequence reversal, and (4) the effects of localized brain inactivations. Our model may account for a common feature of procedural learning: A spatial sequence of discrete actions (subserved by the visual loop) is gradually replaced by a robust motor skill (subserved by the motor loop).
Diagnóstico de doença de Alzheimer no Brasil. Exames complementares

This article presents a review of the recommendations on supplementary exams employed for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Brazil published in 2005. A systematic assessment of the consensus reached in other countries, and of articles on AD diagnosis in Brazil available on the PUBMED and LILACS medical databases, was carried out. Recommended laboratory exams included complete blood count, serum creatinine, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), albumin, hepatic enzymes, Vitamin B12, folic acid, calcium, serological reactions for syphilis and serology for HIV in patients aged younger than 60 years with atypical clinical signs or suggestive symptoms. Structural neuroimaging, computed tomography or - preferably - magnetic resonance exams, are indicated for diagnostic investigation of dementia syndrome to rule out secondary etiologies. Functional neuroimaging exams (SPECT and PET), when available, increase diagnostic reliability and assist in the differential diagnosis of other types of dementia. The cerebrospinal fluid exam is indicated in cases of pre-senile onset dementia with atypical clinical presentation or course, for communicant hydrocephaly, and suspected inflammatory, infectious or prion disease of the central nervous system. Routine electroencephalograms aid the differential diagnosis of dementia syndrome with other conditions which impair cognitive functioning. Genotyping of apolipoprotein E or other susceptibility polymorphisms is not recommended for diagnostic purposes or for assessing the risk of developing the disease. Biomarkers related to the molecular alterations in AD are largely limited to use exclusively in research protocols, but when available can contribute to improving the accuracy of diagnosis of the disease.
Feasibility of mentalization-based treatment for adolescents with borderline symptoms: a pilot study.

Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is an evidence-based treatment for adults suffering from borderline personality disorder. Different adaptations of MBT for adolescents have been described, but almost none of these have been systematically evaluated so far. This article presents pilot data from a feasibility study of an adaptation of inpatient MBT for adolescents with borderline symptoms (MBT-A). Preliminary outcome results were examined in a pilot study including 11 female adolescents (aged 14-18 years) in a mental health care center in the Netherlands. Maximum treatment duration was 12 months and patients were assessed at start and at 12 months after start of treatment. Outcome measures included symptom severity (Brief Symptom Inventory), personality functioning (Severity Indices of Personality Problems), and quality of life (EuroQol). Results showed significant decreases in symptoms, and improvements in personality functioning and quality of life at 12 months after start of treatment. Effect sizes (d) ranged from . 58 to 1.46, indicating medium to large effects. In total, 91% of the adolescents showed reliable change on the BSI, and 18% also moved to the functional range on the BSI. The results of this feasibility study are promising and encourage further research concerning the efficacy of MBT in adolescents with borderline symptoms, although some problems with implementation suggest that an outpatient variant of MBT for adolescents might be as effective while at the same time reducing potential iatrogenic effects of inpatient treatment for this age group.
Management of Giant Ventral Hernia by Polypropylene Mesh and Host Tissue Barrier: Trial of Simplification

Background Surgical management of giant ventral hernias is a surgical challenge due to limited abdominal cavity. This study evaluates management of giant ventral hernias using polypropylene mesh and host tissue barrier after suitable preoperative preparation. Methods In the period from January 2005 and January 2007, 35 patients with giant ventral hernias underwent hernia repair. After careful preoperative preparation, repair was done using polypropylene mesh. The mesh was separated from the viscera by a small part of the hernia sac and the greater omentum. Results The average age of the patients was 52. Twenty patients had post-operative incisional and 15 had para-umbilical hernias. The mean hernia defect size was 16.8 cm. Mean body mass index was 33. Follow up ranged from 18-36 months. No patient required ventilation after operation. Recurrent seroma, which responded to repeated aspiration, was experienced in 4 patients. Minor wound infection was observed in 5 patients. Small hernia recurrence occurred in one patient. Conclusion The use of polypropylene and host tissue barrier after suitable preoperative preparation is relatively simple, safe, and reliable surgical solution to the problem of giant ventral hernia. Keywords Hernia repair; Giant ventral hernia; Polypropylene mesh
Association analysis of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the RELN gene with autism in the South African population.

BACKGROUND Autism (MIM209850) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a triad of impairments, namely impairment in social interaction, impaired communication skills, and restrictive and repetitive behavior. A number of family and twin studies have demonstrated that genetic factors play a pivotal role in the etiology of autistic disorder. Various reports of reduced levels of reelin protein in the brain and plasma in autistic patients highlighted the role of the reelin gene (RELN) in autism. There is no such published study on the South African (SA) population. AIMS The aim of the present study was to find the genetic association of intronic rs736707 and exonic rs362691 (single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] of the RELN gene) with autism in a SA population. METHODS Genomic DNA was isolated from cheek cell swabs from autistic (136) as well as control (208) subjects. The TaqMan(®) Real-Time polymerase chain reaction and genotyping assay was utilized to determine the genotypes. RESULTS A significant association of SNP rs736707, but not for SNP rs362691, with autism in the SA population is observed. CONCLUSION There might be a possible role of RELN in autism, especially for SA populations. The present study represents the first report on genetic association studies on the RELN gene in the SA population.
Bag-of-Visual-Phrases via Local Contexts

This paper extends the bag-of-visual-words representations to a bag-of-visual-phrases model. The introduced bag-of-visual-phrases representation is constructed upon a proposed method for probabilistic description of co-occurring visual words, which is adapted for each reference word. This bag-of-visual-phrases representation implicitly encodes spatial relationships among visual words, thus being a richer representation while remaining as compact as the bag-of-visual-words model. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with a series of statistical analysis and retrieval experiments, and show that it largely outperforms previous methods for construction of bag representations. Furthermore, our method allows to query traditional bag-of-words vs the proposed bag-of-phrases. We conducted retrieval experiments on a dataset of complex shapes, whose instances correspond to hieroglyphs of the pre-Columbian Maya culture from the ancient Americas.
Separation and cultivation of laryngeal carcinoma-associated fibroblasts and biological influence on a laryngeal carcinoma cell line

Abstract Conclusions: Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can influence the biological characteristics of a laryngeal carcinoma cell line. These results could lay the foundation for further studies on the role of CAFs in the laryngeal tumor–host microenvironment. Objective: CAFs are important contributors to the microenvironment in determining the fate of tumors. The aim of this study was to separate, culture, and identify laryngeal CAFs and investigate their biological influence on the laryngeal carcinoma cell line. Methods: The primary CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) of the larynx were obtained by tissue culture. The cells were verified according to immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining of certain proteins. Conditioned medium (CM) from CAFs and NFs was obtained. Functional assays were performed to test the influence of each CM on laryngeal carcinoma cell lines. Results: Third-passage purified laryngeal CAFs and NFs were successfully attained. The CAFs showed positive staining for vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibroblast activation protein (FAP). The migration ability of the CAFs increased significantly compared with that of NFs (p < 0.05). CM from CAFs (compared with CM from NFs) stimulated proliferation, migration, and invasion to a greater extent.
DCAS is not a silver bullet for nonblocking algorithm design

Despite years of research, the design of efficient nonblocking algorithms remains difficult. A key reason is that current shared-memory multiprocessor architectures support only single-location synchronisation primitives such as compare-and-swap (CAS) and load-linked/store-conditional (LL/SC). Recently researchers have investigated the utility of double-compare-and-swap (DCAS)--a generalisation of CAS that supports atomic access to two memory locations -- in overcoming these problems. We summarise recent research in this direction and present a detailed case study concerning a previously published nonblocking DCAS-based double-ended queue implementation. Our summary and case study clearly show that DCAS does not provide a silver bullet for nonblocking synchronisation. That is, it does not make the design and verification of even mundane nonblocking data structures with desirable properties easy. Therefore, our position is that while slightly more powerful synchronisation primitives can ave a profound effect on ease of algorithm design and verification, DCAS does not provide sufficient additional power over CAS to justify supporting it in hardware.