Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase noise scaling and tracking in OFDM multi-user beamforming arrays

Many-element antenna arrays, used for multi-user MIMO, are expected to be one of the cornerstone technologies for 5G wireless systems. Large arrays also offer the opportunity to average out some of the transceivers' analog imperfections, potentially enabling a lower-power implementation. In this paper we study the effect of local oscillator phase noise on beamforming MU-MIMO-OFDM systems. We show that the array does average out uncorrelated phase noise at each element. Exploiting this, we propose scaling the per-element phase noise specification proportionally to the array size, thereby maintaining constant array-level performance with lower power consumption. However, if the phase noise is entirely uncorrelated, this scaling causes a substantial degradation in the recovered signal energy. If, instead, some correlated low-frequency phase noise is introduced at each element, we show that phase noise scaling incurs no performance loss. In fact, under these conditions, a single, global pilot tracking loop can replace carrier recovery at each element. Additionally, this level of phase noise correlation eliminates the phase noise-induced channel aging effect. This type of correlation can be achieved by distributing a common reference and optimizing the bandwidth of the PLL.
Understanding the complexity of hypertensive African American home care patients: challenges to intervention.

OBJECTIVE To examine sociodemographic, clinical, and self-management characteristics of a sample of urban, African American patients admitted to home health care with uncontrolled hypertension and to determine the extent to which these factors are associated with disease severity. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 498 hypertensive African American patients newly admitted to home health care. Data for this study were drawn from patient-level clinical and functional assessment data derived from the uniform home health assessment system mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and patient in-home interviews. RESULTS Forty percent of patients had stage 1 hypertension, and 60% had the more severe uncontrolled stage 2. Multivariate analyses found that factors associated with stage 2 were co-morbid diabetes, poor appointment keeping, low activation, and longer time since diagnosis. Protective factors associated with a lower likelihood of severe uncontrolled hypertension were older age and recent discharge from a hospital. More co-morbid conditions also appeared to be protective, although the association did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the need to address hypertension control among the African American, dually diagnosed diabetic hypertensive population and underscore the critical role of treatment adherence, widely recognized as a key issue in managing hypertension and other chronic conditions. Successful strategies will likely require more aggressive action by home health nurses, both to alert patients' primary care providers to ongoing, unsuccessfully treated hypertension and to remediate patients' inadequate self-management preparedness.
Effect of interpersonal synchrony on gait fluctuation characteristics: An analysis of synchronization gait assist system

In a walking rehabilitation, the cooperative walking between therapist and patient is implemented and the synchrony of walking rhythm is often observed. So, we suggest that the interpersonal synchrony is important for walking rehabilitation. Our group has proposed gait assistive system using interactive rhythmic auditory stimulation to emulate interpersonal synchrony. It is called “Walk-Mate”. In the previous study, the improvement effects of walking with the fixed-tempo Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) and Walk-Mate were compared. As a result, walking with Walk-Mate had 1/f structure and was more effective than walking with RAS. In this study, the emulated interpersonal cooperative walking between human and auditory stimulation was analyzed to investigate the relationship between synchrony and gait improvement effect. Fixed-tempo RAS were compared to Walk-Mate. Twenty PD patients and 18 younger healthy persons were participated in experiments. We showed that the phase difference with Walk-Mate was less variable and more temporally-stable than with RAS. It meant the walking with Walk-Mate has the higher synchrony than with RAS. The combination of the result and previous result indicates that the synchrony between participants and auditory stimulation were related to the gait dynamics of participants' stride time. In addition, the PD patients showed the lower synchrony than young healthy people. Therefore, we suggest that it is necessary that the auditory system encourage them to synchronize. We suggested the importance of considering the synchrony in rehabilitation for PD patients.
Retinoid‐dependent gene expression regulates early morphological events in the development of the murine retina

Endogenous retinoids have been implicated in the axial patterning of the embryonic vertebrate retina; however, no studies have directly examined how asymmetric retinoid‐dependent gene expression regulates early morphological events in the development of the retina. Here we used a line of indicator mice that possess a retinoid‐dependent transgene to examine the relationship between retinoic acid (RA)‐dependent gene expression and events occurring during early eye morphogenesis, such as the closure of the optic disc. We found that retinoid‐regulated gene expression shifts along the dorsal/ventral axis of the embryonic retina; at embryonic day (E) E11.5 transgene expression is restricted to the neuroepithelium in dorsal retina, and by E14.5 only immature cells located in ventral retina and the dorsal retinal margins demonstrate transgene activation. By manipulating RA levels, we were not only able to systemically alter RA‐dependent gene expression along the dorsal/ventral axis, but also to affect retinal morphology. In particular, reducing RA availability resulted in the abnormal closure of the optic fissure. These results indicate that asymmetric levels of RA regulate early RA‐dependent gene expression in the eye and demonstrate that the normal pattern of retinoid‐dependent gene transcription along the dorsal/ventral axis is critical for the proper development of the vertebrate retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 417:289–298, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sequential Audits of Geriatric Care: Measuring Change in Structure and Process and the Contribution of Clinical Audit

BACKGROUND Sequential audits of care in geriatric practice can demonstrate improvement in its content and quality, and identify its strengths and weaknesses. However, there are problems in such sequential audit, particularly if it depends on data entry by lay staff rather than trained researchers. These include: changes in staff and patients from one audit to the next; having to take into account instances where the desired standards are already in place and therefore no further improvement can be shown, or where initial standards are so low that only improvement can take place. OBJECTIVES To demonstrate methods of analysis of sequential audits in long-term care for elderly people and in geriatric day hospital practice designed to overcome these difficulties. DESIGN Audit packages for long-term care and for care provided by geriatric day hospitals have been evaluated in each case by analysing two audit cycles carried out at eight and six month intervals respectively. METHODS The Royal College of Physicians CARE scheme for audit of long-term care was carried out in 17 locations (nursing homes and geriatric long-stay wards) in two cycles at an interval of eight months. The Royal College of Physicians audit scheme for geriatric day hospitals was carried out in 27 day hospitals in two cycles at an interval of six months. A different method of analysis and presentation of results was devised for each of the two projects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The two methods of analysis and presentation of data used to evaluate the effect of sequential audits reveal the ups and downs in the standards of care provided by the different institutions for the care of the elderly, and in the standards of care experienced by individuals resident in the same long-term institutions. Overall, sequential audits show that improvement outweighs deterioration in all domains of geriatric care, and suggest that audit contributes to this improvement.
The effects of plaque morphology and material properties on peak cap stress in human coronary arteries

Heart attacks are often caused by rupture of caps of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries. Cap rupture occurs when cap stress exceeds cap strength. We investigated the effects of plaque morphology and material properties on cap stress. Histological data from 77 coronary lesions were obtained and segmented. In these patient-specific cross sections, peak cap stresses were computed by using finite element analyses. The finite element analyses were 2D, assumed isotropic material behavior, and ignored residual stresses. To represent the wide spread in material properties, we applied soft and stiff material models for the intima. Measures of geometric plaque features for all lesions were determined and their relations to peak cap stress were examined using regression analyses. Patient-specific geometrical plaque features greatly influence peak cap stresses. Especially, local irregularities in lumen and necrotic core shape as well as a thin intima layer near the shoulder of the plaque induce local stress maxima. For stiff models, cap stress increased with decreasing cap thickness and increasing lumen radius (R = 0.79). For soft models, this relationship changed: increasing lumen radius and increasing lumen curvature were associated with increased cap stress (R = 0.66). The results of this study imply that not only accurate assessment of plaque geometry, but also of intima properties is essential for cap stress analyses in atherosclerotic plaques in human coronary arteries.
Modeling the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding: Evidence in Favor of a Revised Model of Socially Desirable Responding

Paulhus (1984) proposed a 2-factor model of socially desirable responding (SDR) and created the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) to capture the 2 dimensions: self-deceptive enhancement and impression management. However, the 2-factor model has yet to be supported via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the BIDR. Paulhus and Reid (1991) proposed a revised model of SDR, which bifurcated the self-deceptive enhancement dimension into 2 factors: self-deceptive enhancement (SDE; positively keyed items) and self-deceptive denial (SDD; negatively keyed items). Thus, it was considered useful to test the revised SDR model on the BIDR, as this might have implications for the manner in which the BIDR should be scored. Additionally, as the BIDR subscales might be positively correlated, it was considered useful from a both a theoretical and practical perspective to test the possibility that the BIDR might measure a general SDR process. Based on a sample of 466 adults, Paulhus and Reid's revised model of SDR was largely supported when tested via CFA on a bifactor model, which included a first-order general SDR factor and 2 nested factors. Thus, applied researchers might consider using total BIDR composite scores, a self-deceptive enhancement composite score (positively keyed items), and impression management composite scores. However, ideally, researchers would use a bifactor model to test substantive hypotheses, as the bifactor model partitions true score variance into unique sources, which facilitates less ambiguous interpretations of effects.
Omalizumab may not inhibit mast cell and basophil activation in vitro

In March 2014, omalizumab, a monoclonal anti‐IgE antibody, was approved for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The primary mode of action of omalizumab is considered to be the reduction in free IgE serum levels and the subsequent down‐regulation of FcεRI, the high affinity receptor for IgE, on mast cells and basophils. Recently, it has been suggested that most CSU patients have an autoimmune aetiology which may lead to chronic activation of mast cells and basophils.
Hearing voices inside and outside the head: Spatial source monitoring in participants prone to auditory hallucinations

Introduction. Previous studies of source monitoring and auditory hallucinations (AH) have often conflated spatial source (internal-external) with source agency (self–other). Other studies have used suboptimal manipulations of auditory space (e.g., imagine saying vs. saying aloud). We avoided these problems by presenting experimenter-generated stimuli over headphones in the voice of another person so that the location of the voice sounded either internal or external to the participant's head. Methods. Participants (N=121) studied 96 words and indicated for each whether it was presented internally or externally (online spatial source monitoring). At test, studied words were presented visually, intermixed randomly with 96 unstudied words. Participants indicated whether each item was old or new (item memory) and whether it was presented internally or externally during study (spatial source memory). Independent measures of memory accuracy and response bias were derived for online source monitoring, item memory and source memory using signal detection theory. Performance on these measures was compared between two groups of 30 participants who scored low or high on a measure of AH proneness. Results. ANOVAs revealed no differences between the high- and low-AH groups in online spatial source monitoring, item memory, or spatial source memory. Conclusions. We found no evidence that proneness to AH in a sample of healthy volunteers was related to any of the measures of spatial source monitoring performance. We recommend that the methods introduced be applied to future investigations of spatial source monitoring with patient groups and with individuals at-risk for psychosis.
International Typing Study of Toxin A-Negative, Toxin B-Positive Clostridium difficile Variants

ABSTRACT Clinically important strains of Clostridium difficile that do not produce toxin A but produce toxin B and are cytotoxic (A−/B+) have been reported from multiple countries. In order to compare the relatedness of these strains, we typed 23 A−/B+C. difficile isolates from the United Kingdom (6 isolates), Belgium (11 isolates), and the United States (6 isolates) by three well-described typing methods. Restriction endonuclease analysis (REA), PCR ribotyping, and serogrouping differentiated 11, 4, and 3 different strain types, respectively. Twenty-one of the 23 A−/B+ variants had a 1.8-kb truncation of the toxin A gene characteristic of toxinotype VIII strains; 20 of the 21 toxinotype VIII-like strains were PCR type 17. PCR type 17 isolates could be differentiated into two separate strain groups by serogrouping and by REA. REA further discriminated these isolates into eight subgroups (REA types). PCR type 17-serogroup F-REA group CF isolates were recovered from all three countries, and one specific REA type, CF4, was recovered from patients with C. difficile disease in the United Kingdom and the United States. C. difficile A−/B+ variants of apparent clonal origin are widely distributed in Europe and North America.
Derivation and validation of the short version of the Malaysian Oral Health Impact Profile.

OBJECTIVES This paper describes the development of a short version of the Malaysian Oral Health Impact Profile. METHODS The 45-item OHIP(M) was shortened using a method known as the 'item frequency method'. Here, the two most frequently reported items from each of the seven OHIP(M) subscales were chosen to form the short version, designated as the S-OHIP(M). Field testing was conducted to assess the effect of different modes of administration (mail versus interview) of the short form and to test its measurement properties (reliability and validity). A total of 206 respondents completed the questionnaire. In order to carry out test-retest analysis, a second administration was carried out 15 days after the first administration on a selected subsample. RESULTS The mail questionnaire had a lower response rate and a higher percentage of missing data than the interview administered questionnaire. However, the mail mode of administration resulted in higher scores than interview. Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 and the ICC was also 0.89. All hypotheses developed to assess validity were confirmed. CONCLUSION The S-OHIP(M) was found to be valid and reliable and appropriate for use in the cross-sectional studies in Malaysian adult populations.
Robot collision detection based on dynamic model

Aiming at the security problem of cooperative robots, this paper presents a low cost collision detection algorithm without torque sensors. In this method, the collision can be detected with the sampling torque and the dynamic model. First, the relationship between the output torque and the motion state of the rotating joint of the robot is established according to the Newton Euler method. For the unknown parameters in the dynamic model, experiment and identification are adopted. In order to reduce the influence of sampling noise and error on the parameters, the excitation trajectory is designed according to err analysis and the identification of the dynamics parameters is calculated with the least squares method. In the actual operating environment, the collision detection is performed according to the torque deviation and setting threshold between the sampling torque and the dynamic model torque. Finally, the experiment is carried out on the body of ER3A of Effort. The experimental results show that this method can detect the occurrence of collision sensitively.
Saliency performance investigation of synchronous machines for position sensorless controlled EV drives

In this paper a per unit scale saliency- and saliency shift equation are used to predict the saliency based position sensorless control performance of synchronous machines for EV drives by means of a finite element package. These equations are used in a comparative study of various types of synchronous machines. The machine drives investigated and compared are a reluctance synchronous machine (RSM) hybrid EV drive and two variable gear RSM EV drives. Also included in the investigation are two field intensified permanent magnet (FI-PM) EV drives with asymmetric rotors, one FI-PM machine with a symmetric rotor and one field weakening interior permanent magnet drive. The saliency shift of the different FI-PM machine rotor topologies are also investigated. Closed loop saliency based position sensorless control shows startup torque capabilities of up to 304 Nm of a 32 kW 6-pole RSM. The RSM EV machine is used to investigate possible design modifications to improve on the saliency ratio and shift of synchronous machines.
Neural differential tracking control in cancer model

Immunotherapy refers to the use of natural and synthetic substances to stimulate the immune response. This document provides the description on the identification process for a particular cancer mathematical model under the immunotherapy treatment by differential neural networks (DNN) and sliding mode type observer techniques. The combination of these both techniques make available a close enough following between the estimate states given by the neural network and the cancer model dynamics: these are the interleukin-2, the tumor cells and the effector cells concentrations. Besides, a feedback control design is shown using the DNN's estimated states and sliding mode control as a possible solution in the effective dose research for immunotherapy treatment. The numerical results derived by this method, implies the possibility to construct a real controller for cancer treatment using an IL-2 online sensor and an embedded system to implement the DNN scheme
Genome-wide average DNA methylation is determined in utero

Abstract Background Investigating the genetic and environmental causes of variation in genome-wide average DNA methylation (GWAM), a global methylation measure from the HumanMethylation450 array, might give a better understanding of genetic and environmental influences on methylation. Methods We measured GWAM for 2299 individuals aged 0 to 90 years from seven twin and/or family studies. We estimated familial correlations, modelled correlations with cohabitation history and fitted variance components models for GWAM. Results The correlation in GWAM for twin pairs was ∼0.8 at birth, decreased with age during adolescence and was constant at ∼0.4 throughout adulthood, with no evidence that twin pair correlations differed by zygosity. Non-twin first-degree relatives were correlated, from 0.17 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.30] to 0.28 (95% CI: 0.08–0.48), except for middle-aged siblings (0.01, 95% CI: −0.10–0.12), and the correlation increased with time living together and decreased with time living apart. Spouse pairs were correlated in all studies, from 0.23 (95% CI: 0.3–0.43) to 0.31 (95% CI: 0.05–0.52), and the correlation increased with time living together. The variance explained by environmental factors shared by twins alone was 90% (95% CI: 74–95%) at birth, decreased in early life and plateaued at 28% (95% CI: 17–39%) in middle age and beyond. There was a cohabitation-related environmental component of variance. Conclusions GWAM is determined in utero by prenatal environmental factors, the effects of which persist throughout life. The variation of GWAM is also influenced by environmental factors shared by family members, as well as by individual-specific environmental factors.
Transplantation of neural stem cells overexpressing glia-derived neurotrophic factor promotes facial nerve regeneration

Conclusion. Combining neurotrophic factor support and neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation may improve regeneration of the peripheral nervous system. Objectives. We constructed a biodegradable nerve conduit (NC) filled with NSCs overexpressing glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which is known to protect facial motoneurons, and tested the effect of this NC on facial nerve regeneration. Materials and methods. Primary cultured NSCs were transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and GDNF. GDNF expression was confirmed by Western blotting and ELISA. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to right facial nerve transection, and polyglycolic/polyglycolic acid (PLGA) NCs filled with NSCs-GDNF were used to bridge the nerve gap (n=24). In vivo GDNF expression was confirmed by real-time PCR. NCs containing NSCs, transgenic Schwann cells (SCs-GDNF), or empty NCs served as controls (n=24 per group). Facial nerve regeneration was assessed 2–12 weeks after surgery, by electrophysiological testing, immunohistochemical staining, and morphometric analysis of axons. Results. NSCs exhibited sustained and robust GDNF expression in culture and following implantation. Nerve action potential amplitude, axonal area, and axonal number were significantly greater in the NSCs-GDNF group than in the NSCs or empty NC groups. Axonal area and number were also greater in the NSCs-GDNF group than the SCs-GDNF group, although this was not statistically significant. The enhanced regeneration observed in the NSCs-GDNF group was accompanied by increased labeling for S100, NF, and βIII tubulin.