Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Optimization of Combined Constellation Shaping and Bit LDPC Coded Modulation Using EXIT Chart

The demand for reliable transmission with higher data rates in modern communication systems is growing rapidly. To meet this demand, multilevel modulation schemes have to be considered in combination with powerful forward error correction (FEC) codes. However, the use of uniform signal constellations can not achieve the capacity limit and a so-called shaping gain is still available. This gain can be obtained by employing non-equiprobable signal constellations. In this paper, we combine the shaping technique with low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded modulation schemes to approach the channel capacity. Furthermore, the concatenation of LDPC codes, constellation shaping techniques and mapping schemes is designed and optimized by using extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts. Simulation results show that the optimized systems can achieve a shaping gain up to 0.6 dB even for 64-QAM systems.
Prognostic and predictive value of a malignancy-risk gene signature in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND The malignancy-risk gene signature is composed of numerous proliferative genes and has been applied to predict breast cancer risk. We hypothesized that the malignancy-risk gene signature has prognostic and predictive value for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS The ability of the malignancy-risk gene signature to predict overall survival (OS) of early-stage NSCLC patients was tested using a large NSCLC microarray dataset from the Director's Challenge Consortium (n = 442) and two independent NSCLC microarray datasets (n = 117 and 133, for the GSE13213 and GSE14814 datasets, respectively). An overall malignancy-risk score was generated by principal component analysis to determine the prognostic and predictive value of the signature. An interaction model was used to investigate a statistically significant interaction between adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) and the gene signature. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS The malignancy-risk gene signature was statistically significantly associated with OS (P < .001) of NSCLC patients. Validation with the two independent datasets demonstrated that the malignancy-risk score had prognostic and predictive values: Of patients who did not receive ACT, those with a low malignancy-risk score had increased OS compared with a high malignancy-risk score (P = .007 and .01 for the GSE13212 and GSE14814 datasets, respectively), indicating a prognostic value; and in the GSE14814 dataset, patients receiving ACT survived longer in the high malignancy-risk score group (P = .03), and a statistically significant interaction between ACT and the signature was observed (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS The malignancy-risk gene signature was associated with OS and was a prognostic and predictive indicator. The malignancy-risk gene signature could be useful to improve prediction of OS and to identify those NSCLC patients who will benefit from ACT.
Delta Opioid Peptide Augments Functional Effects and Intrastriatal Graft Survival of Rat Fetal Ventral Mesencephalic Cells

Delta enkephalin analogue [d-Ala(2),d-Leu(5)]enkephalin (DADLE) has been shown to protect dopamine transporters from methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. In the present study, we demonstrate that exposure of embryonic ventral mesencephalic cells to DADLE (0.01 g/ml), prior to intrastriatal transplantation, enhanced functional recovery and graft survival in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced hemiparkinsonian rats. At 6 and 8 weeks posttransplantation, animals that received DADLE-treated cell grafts exhibited significantly higher (near normal) spontaneous locomotor behaviors, as well as trends of greater reversal of motor asymmetrical behaviors compared with animals that received nontreated cell grafts. Histological examination revealed that animals transplanted with DADLE-treated cell grafts exhibited about twice the number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive grafted neurons compared with those animals that received nontreated cell grafts. These results suggest that DADLE should be considered as an adjunctive agent for neural transplantation therapy in Parkinson's disease.
Document-Level Multi-Aspect Sentiment Classification as Machine Comprehension

Document-level multi-aspect sentiment classification is an important task for customer relation management. In this paper, we model the task as a machine comprehension problem where pseudo question-answer pairs are constructed by a small number of aspect-related keywords and aspect ratings. A hierarchical iterative attention model is introduced to build aspectspecific representations by frequent and repeated interactions between documents and aspect questions. We adopt a hierarchical architecture to represent both word level and sentence level information, and use the attention operations for aspect questions and documents alternatively with the multiple hop mechanism. Experimental results on the TripAdvisor and BeerAdvocate datasets show that our model outperforms classical baselines. We will release our code and data for the method replicability.
Housing financing facility and affordability level of bumiputera within Iskandar Malaysia

Housing financing is an essential element in the process of purchasing a house for individuals who want to meet their own house. This study was conducted to identify the purchaser affordability level of bumiputera against housing financing facility provided by financial institutions. Therefore, this paper presents the analysis of affordability level of bumiputera against housing financing facility provided by financial institutions. The findings show that a bumiputera with middle income can afford a house below RM250, 000 with monthly installments below RM1, 000.
Innovation Systems for Transformations towards Sustainability? Taking the Normative Dimension Seriously

The aim of this article is to complement research on transformations towards sustainability by drawing upon the innovation systems (IS) framework. The IS framework already serves as a suitable and influential basis for research on processes of technological innovation and economic change. We argue that improving the capacity of an IS framework for dealing with wicked problems and the normative complexity of sustainability requires a fundamental paradigm shift because in the current IS paradigm innovations are considered as per se desirable and in mostly technological terms. Therefore, we call for IS dedicated to transformations towards sustainability by opening up for systemic innovations beyond the technological dimension and by acknowledging that stakeholders have conflicting visions, interests, norms, and expectations with regard to sustainability goals. Taking the normative dimension of transformations towards sustainability seriously thus requires more explicit and integrative research on directionality, legitimacy, responsibility, and their interrelation in IS. The article concludes by proposing suggestions for future research based on IS-related approaches that can serve as building blocks for an IS framework capable of incorporating legitimate goal-orientation for transformative innovation by and for society.
Upregulation of Glycolytic Enzymes, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Increased Cytotoxicity in Glial Cells Treated with Alzheimer’s Disease Plasma

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Markers of increased protein, lipid and nucleic acid oxidation and reduced activities of antioxidant enzymes have been reported in AD plasma. Amyloid plaques in the AD brain elicit a range of reactive inflammatory responses including complement activation and acute phase reactions, which may also be reflected in plasma. Previous studies have shown that human AD plasma may be cytotoxic to cultured cells. We investigated the effect of pooled plasma (n = 20 each) from healthy controls, individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on cultured microglial cells. AD plasma and was found to significantly decrease cell viability and increase glycolytic flux in microglia compared to plasma from healthy controls. This effect was prevented by the heat inactivation of complement. Proteomic methods and isobaric tags (iTRAQ) found the expression level of complement and other acute phase proteins to be altered in MCI and AD plasma and an upregulation of key enzymes involved in the glycolysis pathway in cells exposed to AD plasma. Altered expression levels of acute phase reactants in AD plasma may alter the energy metabolism of glia.
Mapping B2B value exchange in marketing relationships: a systematic approach

Purpose – This paper's main purpose is to provide a systematic approach for mapping the value exchange in B2B relationship marketing. This approach affords a preliminary analysis in order to distinguish business customers' different value dimensions (tangibles and intangibles) and to set sights on determining suitable metrics to evaluate and quantify the value of each customer.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a combination of qualitative research approaches, namely an exploratory case study, in‐depth interviews, and consensus expert opinion. The empirical study took place over three months to maximize the proposed approach's expediency in the practitioners' B2B environment and to increase the validity of the research findings.Findings – In addition to developing a new framework originating in the value network approach for mapping, modeling and analyzing business customers' value network (BCVN), the findings posit a proposed systematic approach for practitioners and marketing scholars to scrut.
Ergonomic evaluation of 3D plane positioning using a mouse and a haptic device

Preoperative planning and intraoperative assistance are needed to improve accuracy in tumour surgery. To be accepted, these processes must be efficient. An experiment was conducted to compare a mouse and a haptic device, with and without force feedback, to perform plan positioning in a 3D space. Ergonomics and performance factors were investigated during the experiment. Positioning strategies were observed.
Interleukin 10 receptor alpha subunit (IL-10RA) gene polymorphism and IL-10 serum levels in Egyptian atopic patients.

OBJECTIVES To assess the value of serum interleukin (IL) 10 levels as an immunological marker in atopy and to determine the role of an IL-10RA gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (serine 138-to-glycine exchange [S138G]) in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases. METHODS Seventy-five patients with atopic disorders were compared with 25 age-matched healthy volunteers. Serum total immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the IL-10RA gene S138G variant was screened by multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS There was a significant association between G allele frequencies of the S138G variant (62%, 60% and 68% for atopic asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, respectively) in atopic patients compared to in controls. There were significant differences in mean IgE levels but not mean serum IL-10 levels between the allelic variants in atopy groups. CONCLUSION The IL-10RA gene SNP S138G may contribute to susceptibility to atopic diseases but serum IL-10 level is not a sensitive indicator in atopy.
Mental Health Service Use Among Trauma-Exposed Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract Research findings indicate that many urban trauma-exposed individuals do not access needed mental health care; therefore, it is critical to identify factors associated with the use of mental health services for this group. This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine predictors of mental health service use and barriers to care. Quantitative findings showed that significantly more adults who were male and black with a lower education and income did not report current mental health service use. After controlling for covariates, individuals with lower trauma exposure (odds ratio [OR], 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–0.9) and higher depression symptom scores (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 1.0–1.1) were significantly more likely to report current mental health service use. Qualitative findings indicated that fear, low mental health literacy, helplessness, and psychosocial issues were identified as barriers to mental health treatment. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.
Towards Repeatable Wireless Network Simulation Using Performance Aware Markov Model

Wireless network simulation is a fundamental service aiming at providing controlled and repeatable environment for protocol design, performance testing, etc. The existing simulators focus on reproducing the packet behaviors on individual links. However, as observed in some recent works, individual link behaviors alone are not enough to characterize the protocol performance. As a result, while the existing works can mimic the link behaviors very closely, they often fail to simulate protocol level performance. In this paper, we propose a novel performance-aware simulation approach which can preserve not only the link-level behaviors but also the performance-level behaviors. We first devise an accurate performance model by combining link quality and the spatial-temporal link correlation. Based on the performance modeling, we then propose a Performance Aware Hidden Markov Model (PA-HMM), where the protocol performance is directly fed into the Markov state transitions. PA-HMM is able to simulate both link-level behaviors and high-level protocol performance. We conduct extensive testbed and simulation experiments with broadcast and anycast protocols. The results show that compared to the state-of-the-art work, 1) the performance model is able to accurately characterize wireless communication performance and 2) the protocol performance is closely simulated as compared to the empirical results.
Genetic perturbation of postsynaptic activity regulates synapse elimination in developing cerebellum

In many parts of the vertebrate nervous system, synaptic connections are remodeled during early postnatal life. Neural activity plays an important role in regulating one such rearrangement, synapse elimination, in the developing neuromuscular system, but there is little direct evidence on roles of pre- or postsynaptic activity in regulating synapse elimination in the developing brain. To address this issue, we expressed a chloride channel-yellow fluorescent protein fusion in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) of transgenic mice to decrease their excitability. We then assessed elimination of supernumerary climbing fiber inputs to PCs. Individual PCs are innervated by multiple climbing fibers at birth; all but one are eliminated during the first three postnatal weeks in wild-type mice, but multiple innervation persists for at least three months in the transgenic mice. The normal redistribution of climbing fiber synapses from PC somata to proximal dendrites was also blunted in transgenics. These results show that normal electrical activity of the postsynaptic cell is required for it to attain a mature innervation pattern.
Keeping A Community Sustainable: Development of Affordable Housing for the Elderly in Nonmetropolitan Areas

Affordable housing has been a critical issue in the face of global economy and notably formulated a crucial agenda of the housing policy. While each local government seriously considers many approaches to providing affordable housing, a unique and innovative way to address it at a community level is fully uncovered, particularly nonmetropolitan areas where resources for economic development are limited and vulnerable. The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanism of the provision of affordable housing for the elderly in nonmetropolitan areas. In doing so, this research investigates the housing development and delineates it as one viable solution that stimulates local communities. The affordable housing development, as a viable option to spur local development and vibrate community, is closely reviewed, and the factors to make it feasible are drawn. The findings indicate that it is widely recognized that keeping the elderly in the community positively contributes to maintaining a sustainable community. In fact, the idea of affordable housing development for middle-class elderly people is brought by one inspired long-time resident, and it is expedited by the consensus and cohesion of local community. The development stimulates local businesses in relation to housing, and all homes sold by the elderly moving in the new housing are available for young families. Also, the presence of affordable housing for the elderly who are able to independently live is extended to a picture of aging-in-place at a broader level.
HYPERTENSION AND THE RENOMEDULLARY PROSTAGLANDINS: A HUMAN STUDY OF THE ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFECTS OF PGA 1

I t i s w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e kidney appears t o be in t ima te ly involved i n the genes is of var ious hyper tens ive s t a t e s i n both t h e animal and t h e human. I n a d d i t i o n t o i t s w e l l known pro-hypertensive funct ion,most notably t h e r en in angio tens in sys tem, there i s a l s o cons iderable evidence t h a t t h e kidney may normally e x e r t an ' lant ihypertensive endoc r i n e func t ion" (Grollman e t al , l949;Muirhead e t a1,1960) . I n suppor t of t h i s hypothes is w a s t h e observa t ion t h a t ext r a c t s of r a b b i t r e n a l medulla possessed poten t vasodepress o r a c t i v i t y when i n j e c t e d i n t o t h e normotensive o r hypert e n s i v e r a t ( L e e e t a1,1963) . Subsequent ly , three vasoac t ive compounds (compound 1, compound 2 and medullin) w e r e i s o l a t e d Erom r a b b i t kidney medulla(Lee e t a1,1965); compound 1 appeared t o be a pros tag landin F(PGF) , s i n c e it caused a r ise i n blood p res su re and a s t imu la t ion of non-vascular smooth muscle; compound 2 appeared t o belong t o t h e PGE c l a s s , s i n c e i t caused a lowering of blood pressure and s t imulat i o n of non-vascular smooth muscle. However,medullin d i d n o t appear t o belong t o any of t h e h i t h e r t o i s o l a t e d and i d e n t i f i e d pros tag landins (Bergstrbm & S j b v a l l , 1960a,b) , o r i g i n a l l y discovered by von Euler (1934) and Go ldb la t t (19331, in t h a t i t possessed only blood p res su re lowering a c t i v i t y and d i d not e x e r t non-vascular smooth muscle s t imu la t ing a c t i v i t y . These compounds w e r e subsequent ly i d e n t i f i e d a s PGFza , PGE2 and PGA2, r e spec t ive ly ( L e e e t a 1 , 1967;Daniels e t a1,1967) . PGA2 had a l s o been independent ly i d e n t i f i e d i n human semen by Hamberg & Samuelsson(l966) . Phys io logica l s t u d i e s wi th PGA2 i n animals revea led t h a t t h i s compound caused a lowering of blood p res su re by d i r ec t pe r iphe ra l a r t e r i o l a r d i l a t i o n a s soc ia t ed wi th a r e f l e x inc rease i n ca rd iac output and a f a l l i n t o t a l r e s i s t ance (Lee e t a1,1965). I n addition,PGA2 and PGE2 w e r e subsequent ly shown t o be po ten t n a t r i u r e t i c agents i n t h e anaes the t i zed animal(Johnston e t a l , 1967;Lee , 1968) . Furthermore, i n fus ion of PGA2(isolated from t h e kidney a s medul1 in) in to a p a t i e n t wi th e s s e n t i a l hypertension l e d t o
The effect mechanism of employee' emotional intelligence to their performance

Emotional intelligence concludes three aspects, which are skills of how to evaluate and express their own and others' emotions correctively, ability to regulate their own and others' emotions effectively and the ability to motivate people and finally achieve goals by using emotion. The relationship between emotional intelligence and performance is the main subject of emotional intelligence under organizational circumstances. My research aims to exam how employees' emotional intelligence effect their performance, The main conclusion is that employee's emotional intelligence or some aspects of emotional intelligence can positively improve his or her own performance, and also figures out leader-member exchange's mediating effect.
Expression analysis of Notch-related molecules in peripheral blood T helper cells of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: Expression of Notch homologues in local tissue inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cultured synoviocytes has been reported, but the expression profile of Notch-related molecules in peripheral lymphocytes in RA remains unclear. In this study, we measured the expression of Notch receptors and downstream molecules in peripheral lymphocytes from RA patients. Methods: Expression of Notch receptors in peripheral lymphocytes of RA patients was assessed by both flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Expression of the representative Notch target gene HES-1 and the regulatory gene NUMB in purified T helper cells from RA patients was determined by real-time PCR, and expression of Notch intracellular domain (ICD) was determined by immunoblot analysis. Results: There was an increased expression of Notch 2, Notch 3, and Notch 4 in T helper cells from active RA patients, among which increased expression of Notch 3 was mainly by activated T cells. Notably, expression of Notch 3 in T cells decreased in inactive RA patients and the level was similar to that of healthy controls (HC). Notch receptors were rarely observed on B cells and no difference in expression was found between RA patients and HC. T helper cells from RA patients exhibited increased expression of the target gene HES-1 but decreased expression of the negative modulation gene NUMB of Notch signalling. There was also an increased nuclear translocation of Notch-ICD in T helper cells from active RA disease. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that T helper cells from RA patients display a significantly altered expression profile of Notch receptors and enhanced activation of Notch signalling compared with HC.
The relationship between the formal and informal sectors of the financial market in Ghana

Early in 1989, a group of AERC researchers interested in studies of African financial markets, with a special emphasis on the informal sector, began several country studies that were scheduled to be completed in three phases. For the three phases it was agreed to: 1. characterize the informal sector, thereby analysing the rationale for its existence, estimating its size, and providing a detailed description of its operation on the financial market; 2. analyze the relationship between the formal and informal segments of the financial market, if any; and 3. establish the efficacy of macroeconomic policies, bearing in mind the existence of a strong informal financial sector. A high degree of characterization of the informal sector was achieved in the first phase of the Ghana study (Aryeetey and Gockel (1990)), following a study of 1000 market women in three Ghanaian cities. Repeated observations that in fact there were not two financial markets, but one highly fragmented one encouraged a deeper probe into the relationship between the different segments. This report is the outcome of the second-phase efforts in that direction. We use the activities of moneylenders to represent the lending side of the informal sector, while that of susu collectors represents the savings-mobilization capabilities of the sector. This does not suggest that they are the only forms the informal sector takes, but linkages with the formal sector are best portrayed through them.