Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preclinical Diagnosis of Magnetic Resonance (MR) Brain Images via Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform with Tsallis Entropy and Generalized Eigenvalue Proximal Support Vector Machine (GEPSVM)

Background: Developing an accurate computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system of MR brain images is essential for medical interpretation and analysis. In this study, we propose a novel automatic CAD system to distinguish abnormal brains from normal brains in MRI scanning. Methods: The proposed method simplifies the task to a binary classification problem. We used discrete wavelet packet transform (DWPT) to extract wavelet packet coefficients from MR brain images. Next, Shannon entropy (SE) and Tsallis entropy (TE) were harnessed to obtain entropy features from DWPT coefficients. Finally, generalized eigenvalue proximate support vector machine (GEPSVM), and GEPSVM with radial basis function (RBF) kernel, were employed as classifier. We tested the four proposed diagnosis methods (DWPT + SE + GEPSVM, DWPT + TE + GEPSVM, DWPT + SE + GEPSVM + RBF, and DWPT + TE + GEPSVM + RBF) on three benchmark datasets of Dataset-66, Dataset-160, and Dataset-255. Results: The 10 repetition of K-fold stratified cross validation results showed the proposed DWPT + TE + GEPSVM + RBF method excelled not only other three proposed classifiers but also existing state-of-the-art methods in terms of classification accuracy. In addition, the DWPT + TE + GEPSVM + RBF method achieved accuracy of 100%, 100%, and 99.53% on Dataset-66, Dataset-160, and Dataset-255, respectively. For Dataset-255, the offline learning cost 8.4430s and online prediction cost merely 0.1059s. Conclusions: We have proved the effectiveness of the proposed method, which achieved nearly 100% accuracy over three benchmark datasets.
On the timing channel in a queue inferencing setting

Queue inferencing is the estimation of the waiting times from the transactional information of a queue, i.e., from the busy periods and service times. There are similarities between queue inferencing and decoding over a timing channel in a packet communication link. We analyze the timing channel achievable rates in the queue inferencing setting for continuous time queues with vacations and for discrete time queues.
Stereo matching based on global edge constraint and variable window propagation

In this paper, we address the problem of stereo matching. Edge information is sufficiently explored in our algorithm to compose the Global Edge Constraint (GEC). By using the GEC, an optimal correlation window for each specific match (i.e. seed match) can be estimated and pixels within the window would be quickly matched with propagation. We evaluate our algorithm with real stereo pairs and both high accuracy disparity maps and a handling of occlusions can be achieved. Experimental results show the good performance of the proposed GEC in stereo matching.
EPA's Voluntary 33/50 Program: Impact on Toxic Releases and Economic Performance of Firms

A recent shift in the U.S. strategy for environmental protection is the use of voluntary programs and self- regulation for pollution control rather than mandated command- and-control approaches. If voluntary approaches are successful in reducing pollution, they also have the potential to be more cost? effective than existing command? and? control regulations because they allow firms flexibility to choose the most appropriate pollution control strategy, lower information costs and reduce the administrative burden on environmental agencies. Current analytical research concerning voluntary programs has examined their welfare impacts and the cost-effectiveness of using voluntary programs together with mandatory regulations. Recent empirical studies have been limited to examining firms' motivations to participate in voluntary programs. From an environmental policy perspective it is also important to investigate whether voluntary programs are more effective at reducing pollution than traditional approaches. It is necessary to explore the relative roles of mandatory regulations and voluntary programs and if they are complements or substitutes in pollution control. It is also vital to examine the consequences of participation on a firm's economic performance. If the government does not provide any financial incentive for participation in voluntary programs, their long-term feasibility as policy tools depends on their impact on a firm's profitability. These issues are examined in the context of firms in the U.S. chemical industry and their participation in EPA's 33/50 Program. Panel data for the years 1988-1993 are used. We evaluate the impact of the Program by developing a two-stage generalized least squares model that corrects for self-selection bias and controls for the effect of firm-specific factors on a firm's level of pollution and its economic performance. The empirical analysis shows that firms decided to participate in the 33/50 Program because of rational economic self-interest. Incentives for participation include expected gains due to public recognition and technical assistance and expected reductions in future liabilities and compliance costs under mandatory environmental regulations. This suggests that participation in voluntary programs depends on a framework of mandatory regulation that provide a credible threat of penalties if firms do not voluntarily self-regulate their emissions. We demonstrate that the Program led to a statistically significant decline in the release of toxic chemicals after controlling for sample-selection bias, the impact of mandatory regulations and firm-specific characteristics. We also find that the program had a negative and statistically significant impact on the net income of firms in the short run, but that future profitability of firms improved significantly as a result of the program.
Improved prediction of Alzheimer's disease with longitudinal white matter/gray matter contrast changes

Brain morphometry measures derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The objective of the present study was to test whether we could improve morphometry‐based detection and prediction of disease state by use of white matter/gray matter (WM/GM) signal intensity contrast obtained from conventional MRI scans. We hypothesized that including WM/GM contrast change along with measures of atrophy in the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampi would yield better classification of AD patients, and more accurate prediction of early disease progression. T1‐weighted MRI scans from two sessions approximately 2 years apart from 78 participants with AD (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 0.5–2) and 71 age‐matched controls were used to calculate annual change rates. Results showed that WM/GM contrast decay was larger in AD compared with controls in the medial temporal lobes. For the discrimination between AD and controls, entorhinal WM/GM contrast decay contributed significantly when included together with decrease in entorhinal cortical thickness and hippocampal volume, and increased the area under the curve to 0.79 compared with 0.75 when using the two morphometric variables only. Independent effects of WM/GM contrast decay and improved classification were also observed for the CDR‐based subgroups, including participants converting from either a non‐AD status to very mild AD, or from very mild to mild AD. Thus, WM/GM contrast decay increased diagnostic accuracy beyond what was obtained by well‐validated morphometric measures alone. The findings suggest that signal intensity properties constitute a sensitive biomarker for cerebral degenration in AD. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2775–2785, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spacecraft Antenna Research and Development Activities Aimed at Future Missions

Space missions of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) can be categorized into two major areas: deep-space exploration and Earth remote sensing. As scientists have learned from the previous missions, higher capabilities and more stringent system requirements are being placed on future missions, such as longer distance communications, higher data rate, and finer radar imaging resolution. Almost all these stringent requirements call for higher-gain and larger-aperture spacecraft antennas. At the same time, however, lower mass and smaller stowage volume for the spacecraft antenna are demanded in order to reduce payload weight and reduce required shroud space, and thus minimize overall launch cost. To meet these goals, several space-deployable antenna concepts [1] have been investigated over the past several decades. To name a few, there were the Harris Corporation's hoop-column umbrella type, Lockheed's wrapped-rib version, TRW's sunflower antenna, and the more recent Astro mesh. All these deployable antennas are of the parabolic reflector type with metalized mesh reflecting surfaces. Because they have been parabolic with a relatively small focal length, they lack wide-angle beam scanning ability—only a few beamwidths can be scanned. The mesh surface also limits the upper frequency of operation to Ku-band or lower. In addition, some of these concepts suffer from higher risk because of too many mechanical components. One good example of mechanical component failure is the Galileo spacecraft,
Can We Predict Individual Combined Benefit and Harm of Therapy? Warfarin Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation as a Test Case

Objectives To construct and validate a prediction model for individual combined benefit and harm outcomes (stroke with no major bleeding, major bleeding with no stroke, neither event, or both) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with and without warfarin therapy. Methods Using the Kaiser Permanente Colorado databases, we included patients newly diagnosed with AF between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2012 for model construction and validation. The primary outcome was a prediction model of composite of stroke or major bleeding using polytomous logistic regression (PLR) modelling. The secondary outcome was a prediction model of all-cause mortality using the Cox regression modelling. Results We included 9074 patients with 4537 and 4537 warfarin users and non-users, respectively. In the derivation cohort (n = 4632), there were 136 strokes (2.94%), 280 major bleedings (6.04%) and 1194 deaths (25.78%) occurred. In the prediction models, warfarin use was not significantly associated with risk of stroke, but increased the risk of major bleeding and decreased the risk of death. Both the PLR and Cox models were robust, internally and externally validated, and with acceptable model performances. Conclusions In this study, we introduce a new methodology for predicting individual combined benefit and harm outcomes associated with warfarin therapy for patients with AF. Should this approach be validated in other patient populations, it has potential advantages over existing risk stratification approaches as a patient-physician aid for shared decision-making
Partially overlapping channel assignment based on “node orthogonality” for 802.11 wireless networks

In this study, we investigate the problem of partially overlapping channel assignment to improve the performance of 802.11 wireless networks. We first derive a novel interference model that takes into account both the adjacent channel separation and the physical distance of the two nodes employing adjacent channels. This model defines “node orthogonality”, which states that two nodes over adjacent channels are orthogonal if they are physically sufficiently separated. We propose an approximate algorithm MICA to minimize the total interference for throughput maximization. Extensive simulation study has been performed to validate our design and to compare the performances of our algorithm with those of the state-of-the-art.
Let-7b Is Involved in the Inflammation and Immune Responses Associated with Helicobacter pylori Infection by Targeting Toll-Like Receptor 4

Objectives Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important initiators in native immune responses to microbial infections. TLR4 is up-regulated in response to H.pylori infection in gastric epithelial cells. However, the regulatory mechanisms for the expression of TLR4 in H.pylori infection have not been clearly defined. The aims of this study are to present the evidence that microRNA let-7b directly regulates TLR4 expression in human gastric epithelial cells, and subsequently influences the activation of NF-κB and the expression of the downstream genes in H.pylori infection. Methods The expression of let-7b was determined in gastric mucosa specimens and in two gastric epithelial cell lines using quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of TLR4 was determined by immunohistochemistry staining and RT-PCR. The potential target of let-7b was identified by luciferase reporter assay and Western blot. Let-7b mimics and inhibitors were used to examine the effects of let-7b on NF-κB activity. The expression of the downstream genes of NF-κB was also determined in cells infected with H.pylori 26695. Results Let-7b was significantly decreased in gastric mucosa specimens and in gastric epithelial cell lines (AGS, GES-1) infected with H.pylori 26695 (cagA+). Let-7b was complementary to the 3′-UTR of TLR4 mRNA and regulated TLR4 expression via post-transcriptional suppression in gastric epithelium. Infection of H.pylori induced the expression of TLR4 and activated NF-κB in AGS and GES-1 cells. Overexpression of let-7b by mimics downregulated TLR4, and subsequently attenuated NF-κB, MyD88, NF-κB1/p50, RelA/p65. The expression of IL-8, COX-2 and CyclinD1 was inhibited in H.pylori infected cells with let-7b overexpression. Both TAK-242 (TLR4 inhibitor) and SN50 (NF-κB inhibitor) significantly inhibited the H.pylori induced downregulation of let-7b. Conclusions Let-7b targets at TLR4 mRNA, and regulates the activation of NF-κB and the expression of the downstream genes related to the inflammation and immune responses in H.pylori infection.
Asynchronous Transmission over Gaussian Interference Channels with Stochastic Data Arrival

This paper addresses a Gaussian interference channel with two transmitter-receiver~(Tx-Rx) pairs under stochastic data arrival~(GIC-SDA). Information bits arrive at the transmitters according to independent and asynchronous Bernoulli processes~(Tx-Tx~asynchrony). Each information source turns off after generating a given total number of bits. The transmissions are \textit{asynchronous} (Tx-Rx~asynchrony) in the sense that each Tx sends a codeword to its Rx immediately after there are enough bits available in its buffer. Such asynchronous style of transmission is shown to significantly reduce the transmission delay in comparison with the existing Tx-Rx synchronous transmission schemes. The receivers learn the activity frames of both transmitters by employing sequential joint-typicality detection. As a consequence, the GIC-SDA under Tx-Rx asynchrony is represented by a standard GIC with state known at the receivers. The cardinality of the state space is $\binom{2N_1+2N_2}{2N_2}$ in which $N_1, N_2$ are the numbers of transmitted codewords by the two transmitters. Each realization of the state imposes two sets of constraints on $N_1, N_2$ referred to as the geometric and reliability constraints. In a scenario where the transmitters are only aware of the statistics of Tx-Tx~asynchrony, it is shown how one designs $N_1,N_2$ to achieve target transmission rates for both users and minimize the probability of unsuccessful decoding.
The impact of cluster representatives on the convergence of the K-modes type clustering

As a leading partitional clustering technique, $(k)$-modes is one of the most computationally efficient clustering methods for categorical data. In the $(k)$-modes, a cluster is represented by a &#x201C;mode,&#x201D; which is composed of the attribute value that occurs most frequently in each attribute domain of the cluster, whereas, in real applications, using only one attribute value in each attribute to represent a cluster may not be adequate as it could in turn affect the accuracy of data analysis. To get rid of this deficiency, several modified clustering algorithms were developed by assigning appropriate weights to several attribute values in each attribute. Although these modified algorithms are quite effective, their convergence proofs are lacking. In this paper, we analyze their convergence property and prove that they cannot guarantee to converge under their optimization frameworks unless they degrade to the original $(k)$--modes type algorithms. Furthermore, we propose two different modified algorithms with weighted cluster prototypes to overcome the shortcomings of these existing algorithms. We rigorously derive updating formulas for the proposed algorithms and prove the convergence of the proposed algorithms. The experimental studies show that the proposed algorithms are effective and efficient for large categorical datasets.
Socially constrained management of power resources for social mobile robots

Autonomous robots acting as companions or assistants in real social environments should be able to sustain and operate over an extended period of time. Generally, autonomous mobile robots draw power from batteries to operate various sensors, actuators and perform tasks. Batteries have a limited power life and take a long time to recharge via a power source, which may impede human-robot interaction and task performance. Thus, it is important for social robots to manage their energy, this paper discusses an approach to manage power resources on mobile robot with regard to social aspects for creating life-like autonomous social robots.
Performance evaluation of MIMO-OFDM systems in correlated fading channels

In this paper, we provide the simulation results for the bit error rate (BER) performance of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems supporting a 96 Mbps data-rate, based on an IEEE 802.11a OFDM PHY layer under various channel models. A spatial multiplexing system combined with space-time trellis coding (SM-STTC) undergoes the most significant performance degradation in correlated channel environments compared to that in an uncorrelated channel. A spatial multiplexing system combined with space-time block coding (SM-STBC) and a hybrid SM-STBC system produce similar results in correlated fading channels. The V-BLAST system achieves comparable performance to other systems under correlated channels when receive diversity is exploited.
A MULTI-PERSPECTIVE APPROACH TO THE DYNAMICS OF REAL-TIME PROSODY

Much of what is known about prosody derives from clinical studies of adults with hemispheric lesions. Moreover, prosodic abnormalities tend to be interpreted with little attention to speech planning difficulties. This investigation describes a model of discourse and speech planning that utilizes an integrated methodology, incorporating neuroanatomical, discourse, and acoustic-physiological domains. Videotaped samples of naturalistic spoken discourse patterns and more constrained speaking tasks were acoustically analyzed to identify correlates of prosody. Participants were two men who had similar discrete infarcts to the left inferior precentral gyrus and two otherwise healthy, age-matched peers. Discourse samples were analyzed within three types of encoding units: clausal, intonational, and supraclausal. Results indicated that discourse planning styles were similar among all participants. Prosodic differences were more apparent within the more constrained speaking tasks. These results will be discussed with respect to units of encoding and the role of the precentral gyrus in speech planning.
Training intensity distribution in young tennis players

The aim of this study was to describe the training intensity distribution of elite young tennis players, based on the session rating of perceived exertion and heart rate methods. Twelve professional tennis players participated in this study. Heart rate and session rating of perceived exertion were collected in 384 tennis training sessions, 23 simulated matches, and 17 official matches. The total training time spent in the heart rate zone-1 (52.00%) and zone-2 (37.10%) was greater than the time spent in zone-3 (10.90%) during the 5-week training period (p < 0.05). Similarly, the total training time spent in the session rating of perceived exertion zone-1 (42.00%) and zone-2 (47.50%) was also greater than the time in zone-3 (10.50%) (p < 0.05). The data of the present study suggest that the majority of the training sessions of these young tennis players were performed at low-to-moderate intensity zone and, therefore, under the intensity performed during actual tennis match play.
An Analysis Of The EFL Secondary Reading Curriculum And Reading Theories In Iraqi Kurdistan

As English Language is increasingly being used in tertiary education, there is growing concern that students graduating from Form Six classes in Iraqi Kurdistan have poor reading skills in particular higher order thinking skills. Therefore, the students entering university are ill prepared to follow courses where the subject matter is taught primarily in English. Little is really known on the reading skills and strategies used in Form 6 and the factors that contribute to poor reading skills. Against this concern, this study was undertaken with the aim to unfold and understand the need for developing critical reading comprehension skills. This study is a content analysis research and qualitative methods were used to collect data. The data used in this research study was obtained through four sources. First, the reading curriculum and the Form Six textbooks were scrutinized in detail and the ensuing comments were documented. Second, two teachers teaching the Form Six classes were observed and this was followed by teacher interviews. Fourth, the first year undergraduate students in universities in Iraqi Kurdistan were interviewed and their feedback were transcribed and carefully coded to find out the difficulties they faced at their respective universities. The findings from this study have shown that most of the reading passages and reading tasks found in the student’s textbook are influenced by bottomup strategy. There has been a lack of reading passages and reading tasks related to topdown processing and meta-cognitive processing respectively. On the contrary, the findings reflect that most of the passages in the student’s textbook are narrative in nature while at tertiary level more expository type of passages are used. Discussion based on findings, reveal that only a small number of reading comprehension questions refer to reorganization and inferential reading skills. This means that the majority of the reading comprehension questions in the textbook are literal comprehension questions where no critical thinking is involved. The study findings have further shown that most of the reading passages and reading tasks found in Sunrise Student’s Book 12 are influenced by bottom-up strategy. In addition to these, most of the passages in the student’s Book 12 are narrative in nature while at tertiary level more expository type of passages is used. This means that the majority of the reading comprehension questions in the textbook are literal comprehension questions where no critical thinking is involved. Thus, there is a necessity to bring out radical changes to the existing EFL secondary reading curriculum so that new tasks and activities can aid in developing higher order thinking skills. The present study is significant as it can be applicable to other Middle-East countries.