Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Presidential approval and macroeconomic conditions: evidence from a nonlinear model

ABSTRACT Contrary to previous empirical studies that find a linear link between economic conditions and presidential approval, this study argues for and finds a nonlinear relationship. A threshold regression is used to assess potential nonlinear relationships between macroeconomic variables and presidential popularity. A quarterly data analysis for the 1960Q1–2012Q2 time period reveals that domestic factors prevail in shaping presidential approval. Most compelling is evidence of a threshold relationship involving economic conditions: When unemployment is slightly over 7%, its decline impacts significantly and favourably on presidential approval, an effect that virtually disappears below the threshold value. Change in consumer sentiment affects presidential approval in a limited way, while inflation shows no association at all. These results combine to encourage further investigation of nonlinear processes in the nexus of economics and politics.
2D Human Gesture Tracking and Recognition by the Fusion of MEMS Inertial and Vision Sensors

In this paper, we present an algorithm for hand gesture tracking and recognition based on the integration of a custom-built microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based inertial sensor (or measurement unit) and a low resolution imaging (i.e., vision) sensor. We discuss the 2-D gesture recognition and tracking results here, but the algorithm can be extended to 3-D motion tracking and gesture recognition in the future. Essentially, this paper shows that inertial data sampled at 100 Hz and vision data at 5 frames/s could be fused by an extended Kalman filter, and used for accurate human hand gesture recognition and tracking. Since an inertial sensor is better at tracking rapid movements, while a vision sensor is more stable and accurate for tracking slow movements, a novel adaptive algorithm has been developed to adjust measurement noise covariance according to the measured accelerations and the angular rotation rates. The experimental results verify that the proposed method is capable of reducing the velocity error and position drift in an MEMS-based inertial sensor when aided by the vision sensor. Compensating for the time delay due to the visual data processing cycles, a moving average filter is applied to remove the high frequency noise and propagate the inertial signals. The reconstructed trajectories of the first 10 Arabic numerals are further recognized using dynamic time warping with a direct cosine transform for feature extraction, resulting in an accuracy of 92.3% and individual numeral recognition within 100 ms.
Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation of renal cell cancer after nonmyeloablative chemotherapy: feasibility, engraftment, and clinical results.

PURPOSE To evaluate the feasibility and safety of nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) and to evaluate efficacy with respect to engraftment and tumor regression. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between February 1999 and June 2001, patients with refractory, metastatic RCC were screened for enrollment. A fludarabine and cyclophosphamide-based conditioning regimen was used. Patients received granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-mobilized, unmanipulated stem cells from a 6/6 HLA-matched sibling donor. Prophylaxis against graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) included tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. RESULTS A total of 284 patients with metastatic RCC were seen during this time period. Eighty-four patients who had siblings available for HLA typing were actively screened for enrollment, and 15 patients have undergone treatment. Durable donor engraftment was achieved in one of the first four patients treated. Patients no. 5 through 15 received a more immunosuppressive conditioning regimen, and all have achieved sustained donor engraftment. In the 12 patients with at least 180 days of follow-up, acute GVHD has occurred in two patients and chronic GVHD in six patients, with four transplant-related mortalities. Four partial responses have been observed (response rate, 33% in all patients; 44% in the nine patients with sustained donor engraftment). CONCLUSION Nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem-cell transplantation is feasible for a minority of patients with metastatic RCC. Adequately immunosuppressive conditioning is required for sustained donor engraftment, which is required for an antitumor response. Acute and chronic GVHD are the major causes of substantial morbidity and mortality. Metastatic RCC is susceptible to a graft-versus-tumor effect promoted by allogeneic stem-cell transplantation.
3D NAND Flash Based on Planar Cells

In this article, the transition from 2D NAND to 3D NAND is first addressed, and the various 3D NAND architectures are compared. The article carries out a comparison of 3D NAND architectures that are based on a “punch-and-plug” process—with gate-all-around (GAA) cell devices—against architectures that are based on planar cell devices. The differences and similarities between the two classes of architectures are highlighted. The differences between architectures using floating-gate (FG) and charge-trap (CT) devices are also considered. Although the current production of 3D NAND is based on GAA cell devices, it is suggested that architectures with planar cell devices could also be viable for mass production.
Inverse filtering of room acoustics

A novel method is proposed for realizing exact inverse filtering of acoustic impulse responses in room. This method is based on the principle called the multiple-input/output inverse theorem (MINT). The inverse is constructed from multiple finite-impulse response (FIR) filters (transversal filters) by adding some extra acoustic signal-transmission channels produced by multiple loudspeakers or microphones. The coefficients of these FIR filters can be computed by the well-known rules of matrix algebra. Inverse filtering in a sound field is investigated experimentally. It is shown that the proposed method is greatly superior to previous methods that use only one acoustic signal-transmission channel. The results prove the possibility of sound reproduction and sound reception without any distortion caused by reflected sounds. >
Randomized bias genetic algorithm to solve traveling salesman problem

Genetic algorithm is powerful technique to discover optimal for traveling salesman problem (TSP). Traveling salesman problem is well known NP-hard problem whose applications in many industries like logistic, transportation, manufacturing etc. Attempts has made to modify the genetic algorithm with parent selection in randomized bias (RBGA) manner to discover the optimal for traveling salesman problem. RBGA performance has tested against GA with respect to 30 benchmark problems for traveling salesman, which contain the suite of symmetric and non-symmetric problems. Numerical and graphical results show that RBGA have major advancement over GA for TSP in relation to find optimal and CPU running time. The TSP data set used for simulation is available at http://people.sc. fsu.edu/jburkardt/datasets/tsp/tsp.html.
PuMa-II: A Wide Band Pulsar Machine for the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope

The Pulsar Machine II (PuMa-II) is the new flexible pulsar processing back-end system at the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), specifically designed to take advantage of the upgraded WSRT. The instrument is based on a computer cluster running the Linux operating system, with minimal custom hardware. A maximum of 160 MHz analog bandwidth sampled as 8 × 20 MHz subbands with 8-bit resolution can be recorded on disks attached to separate computer nodes. Processing of the data is done in the additional 32 nodes allowing near real time coherent dedispersion for most pulsars observed at the WSRT. This has doubled the bandwidth for pulsar observations in general, and has enabled the use of coherent dedispersion over a bandwidth 8 times larger than was previously possible at the WSRT. PuMa-II is one of the widest bandwidth coherent dedispersion machines currently in use and has a maximum time resolution of 50 ns. The system is now routinely used for high-precision pulsar timing studies, polarization studies, single pulse work, and a variety of other observational work.
Constructing Large Girth QC Protograph LDPC Codes Based on PSD-PEG Algorithm

For a given base graph, the lifted graph can be obtained by a copy-and-permute procedure. If the permutation is cyclic, the lifted graph corresponds to a quasi-cyclic (QC) protograph low-density parity-check (LDPC) code. The girth of the QC protograph LDPC code is determined by the girth of the base graph and the permutation shifts. In this paper, we first derive a lower bound on the lifting degree to achieve a large girth lifted graph. Then, motivated by the cycle searching and girth maximizing features of the progressive edge-growth (PEG) algorithm, we introduce the permutation shifts determining (PSD) PEG algorithm, which can construct large girth base graph and determine the optimal permutation shifts, simultaneously. It is shown that the computational complexity of PSD-PEG algorithm is much lower than that of the PEG algorithm and the PEG-QC algorithm for the same codeword length. Furthermore, we show that the PSD-PEG algorithm can also be used to construct nonbinary QC protograph LDPC codes without low weight codes. Simulation results show that the binary and nonbinary QC protograph LDPC codes constructed by the PSD-PEG algorithm have good bit error rate performance and frame error rate performance over the additive white Gaussian noise channel.
Compressive Strength of Gamma-Irradiated Polymer Concrete

Polymer concrete (PC) was developed by using different concentrations of silica sand as aggregate and a commercial unsaturated preaccelerated (orthophtalic) polyester resin. The PC specimens were submitted to gamma radiation at several dosages: 5, 10, 50, 100, and 150 kGy. Mechanical performance was evaluated including the compressive strength, the compressive strain at yield point, and the compression modulus of elasticity. As expected, mechanical properties depend on both the resin concentration and the applied radiation dose. Improvement achieved in mechanical properties is related to the morphological characteristics observed by scanning electron microscopy. POLYM. COMPOS. , 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
A mechanism underlying position-specific regulation of alternative splicing

Abstract Many RNA-binding proteins including a master regulator of splicing in developing brain and muscle, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), can either activate or repress alternative exons depending on the pre-mRNA recruitment position. When bound upstream or within regulated exons PTBP1 tends to promote their skipping, whereas binding to downstream sites often stimulates inclusion. How this switch is orchestrated at the molecular level is poorly understood. Using bioinformatics and biochemical approaches we show that interaction of PTBP1 with downstream intronic sequences can activate natural cassette exons by promoting productive docking of the spliceosomal U1 snRNP to a suboptimal 5′ splice site. Strikingly, introducing upstream PTBP1 sites to this circuitry leads to a potent splicing repression accompanied by the assembly of an exonic ribonucleoprotein complex with a tightly bound U1 but not U2 snRNP. Our data suggest a molecular mechanism underlying the transition between a better-known repressive function of PTBP1 and its role as a bona fide splicing activator. More generally, we argue that the functional outcome of individual RNA contacts made by an RNA-binding protein is subject to extensive context-specific modulation.
Cooled flatness regularization for two dimensional electromagnetic tomography

In this paper we explore the results of introducing a cooled flatness regularization term into a multifrequency gradient descent algorithm used in electromagnetic tomography. The regularization allows for the recovery of the permittivity of a cylinder with a high dielectric contrast. The choice of regularization also simplifies the problem of picking a starting model which is problematic in other algorithms.
Analysis of Bang-bang CDR circuits with equations of linear motion

This paper presents the timing analysis of a phase locked loop based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit with Bang-bang phase detector using equations of linear motion. The stability conditions are derived in near lock and in locked states. Effect of mismatch in pull-up and pull-down currents is also analyzed during phase locking.
Modulation of activity and conduction in single dorsal column axons by kilohertz-frequency spinal cord stimulation.

Kilohertz-frequency spinal cord stimulation (KHF-SCS) is a potential paresthesia-free treatment for chronic pain. However, the effects of KHF-SCS on spinal dorsal column (DC) axons and its mechanisms of action remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to quantify activation and conduction block of DC axons by KHF-SCS across a range of frequencies (1, 5, 10, or 20 kHz) and waveforms (biphasic pulses or sinusoids). Custom platinum electrodes delivered SCS to the T10/T11 dorsal columns of anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. Single DC axons and compound action potentials were recorded during KHF-SCS to evaluate SCS-evoked activity. Responses to KHF-SCS in DC axons included brief onset firing, slowly accommodating asynchronous firing, and conduction block. The effects of KHF-SCS mostly occurred well above motor thresholds, but isolated units were activated at amplitudes shown to reduce behavioral sensitivity in rats. Activity evoked by SCS was similar across a range of frequencies (5-20 kHz) and waveforms (biphasic and sinusoidal). Stimulation at 1-kHz SCS evoked more axonal firing that was also more phase-synchronized to the SCS waveform, but only at amplitudes above motor threshold. These data quantitatively characterize the central nervous system activity that may modulate pain perception and paresthesia, and thereby provide a foundation for continued investigation of the mechanisms of KHF-SCS and its optimization as a therapy for chronic pain. Given the asynchronous and transient nature of DC activity, it is unlikely that the same mechanisms underlying conventional SCS (i.e., persistent, periodic DC activation) apply to KHF-SCS. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Kilohertz-frequency spinal cord stimulation (KHF-SCS) is a new mode of SCS that may offer better pain relief than conventional SCS. However, the mechanism of action is poorly characterized, especially the effects of stimulation on dorsal column (DC) axons, which are the primary target of stimulation. This study provides the first recordings of single DC axons during KHF-SCS to quantify DC activity that has the potential to mediate the analgesic effects of KHF-SCS.
Distributed scheduling for cooperative tracking in hierarchical wireless sensor networks

This paper proposes a distributed method for cooperative target tracking in hierarchical wireless sensor networks. The concept of leader-based information processing is conducted to achieve object positioning, considering a cluster-based network topology. Random timers and local information are applied to adaptively select a sub-cluster for the localization task. The proposed energy-efficient tracking algorithm allows each sub-cluster member to locally estimate the target position with a Bayesian filtering framework and further performs estimation fusion in the leader node with the covariance intersection algorithm. This paper evaluates the merits and trade-offs of the protocol design towards developing more efficient and practical algorithms for object position estimation.
Multi-resistance analysis of secreted peroxidase from wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox)

Peroxidases play a critical role in the anti-oxidant enzyme protection system of plants accordingly, we assumed that wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), as a multi-resistant plant adapting to a variety of stressful conditions, should contain certain special peroxidase. In this study, a putative peroxidase cDNA containing a ORF (CpPOD) was cloned by screening the full-length cDNA library of wintersweet. In order to decipher the its function, the cloned gene was overexpressed in tobacco system via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The results initially showed that overexpression of CpPOD can not only enhance the ability of water-keeping, but also provide anti-oxidant activity to stress injury. All these results suggested that the CpPOD gene presents multiple resistance actions.
Effects of intracerebroventricular injection of AF64A on learning behaviors in rats.

The effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A) (3 nmole/2 microliter, each lateral ventricule), a putative selective cholinotoxin, on learning behaviors and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity were studied in rats. AF64A-treated rats (AF64A-rat) exhibited deficient performance in a passive avoidance task and a delayed alternation task in the T-maze, but demonstrated superior avoidance response in a two-way shuttle avoidance task. These changes in learning behaviors were associated with the selective decrease of hippocampal ChAT activity. Physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly improved the retention latency of AF64A-rats in the passive avoidance task. AF64A-rats receiving physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited a slight but not significant improvement of performance in the delayed alternation task in the T-maze. These findings suggested that ICV injection of AF64A may be useful for producing an experimental amnesia model with hippocampal cholinergic hypofunction like Senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT), if appropriate learning tests are selected.
Early Inhaled Nitric Oxide Improves Oxidative Balance in Very Preterm Infants

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) improves oxygenation in premature infants, but concern has been raised about its potential oxidative toxicity. We designed this study to assess the oxidative balance in premature infants who were exposed to low dose iNO and the relationship with their clinical outcome on day 28 of life. A total of 274 infants who were <32 wk gestation were randomized at birth to receive 5 ppm of iNO if they presented with hypoxemic respiratory failure. Nonhypoxemic infants were studied as the reference group. Blood samples were withdrawn 24 h apart, within the first 4 d of life, to assess malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration as oxidative stress marker and total plasmatic glutathione (GSH), intraerythrocyte GSH peroxidase, and GSH reductase activities as antioxidant defenses. After 24 h, the rise in MDA was blunted in the iNO group compared with controls and was close to the reference infants. Conversely, GSH was more stable in the iNO group, when there was no difference for the GSH peroxidase and GSH reductase activities. On day 28, Oxygen dependence was linked with a higher increase in MDA as was the risk for death, whereas intraventricular hemorrhage was associated with a higher initial drop in GSH. Early low-dose iNO in hypoxemic preterm infants improves oxidative balance and seems to be clinically beneficial up to day 28 of life.
Preconditioning for Vector-Valued Cahn-Hilliard Equations

The solution of vector-valued Cahn--Hilliard systems is of interest in many applications. We discuss strategies for the handling of smooth and nonsmooth potentials as well as for different types of constant mobilities. Concerning the nonsmooth systems, the necessary bound constraints are incorporated via the Moreau--Yosida regularization technique. We develop effective preconditioners for the efficient solution of the linear systems in saddle point form. Numerical results illustrate the efficiency of our approach. In particular, we numerically show mesh and phase independence of the developed preconditioner in the smooth case. The results in the nonsmooth case are also satisfying, and the preconditioned version always outperforms the unpreconditioned one.
The AXES research video search system

We will demonstrate a multimedia content information retrieval engine developed for audiovisual digital libraries targeted at academic researchers and journalists. It is the second of three multimedia IR systems being developed by the AXES project1. The system brings together traditional text IR and state-of-the-art content indexing and retrieval technologies to allow users to search and browse digital libraries in novel ways. Key features include: metadata and ASR search and filtering, on-the-fly visual concept classification (categories, faces, places, and logos), and similarity search (instances and faces).
Heparin binding epidermal growth factor in renal ischaemia/reperfusion injury

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and its ligands are crucially involved in the renal response to ischaemia. We studied the heparin binding‐epidermal growth factor (HB‐EGF), a major ligand for the EGF receptor, in experimental and human ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). HB‐EGF mRNA and protein expression was studied in rat kidneys and cultured human tubular (HK‐2) cells that were subjected to IRI and in human donor kidneys during transplantation. The effect of EGF receptor inhibition was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, urinary HB‐EGF protein excretion was studied after renal transplantation. Finally, HB‐EGF KO and WT mice were subjected to IRI to study the role of HB‐EGF in renal injury. HB‐EGF mRNA was significantly up‐regulated in the early phase of IRI in rats, cells, and human donor biopsies. Treatment with PKI‐166 reduces macrophage accumulation and interstitial α‐SMA in the early phase of IRI in rats. In vitro, PKI‐166 causes a marked reduction in HB‐EGF‐induced cellular proliferation. Urinary HB‐EGF is increased after transplantation compared with control urines from healthy subjects. HB‐EGF KO mice subjected to IRI revealed significantly less morphological damage after IRI, compared with WT mice. We conclude that IRI results in early induction of HB‐EGF mRNA and protein in vivo and in vitro. Absence of HB‐EGF and inhibition of the EGF receptor in the early phase of IRI has protective effects, suggesting a modulating role for HB‐EGF. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methods of Uncertainty Analysis in Prognostics

The goal of prognosis on a structure, system or component (SSC) is to predict whether the SSC can perform its function up to the end of its life and in case it cannot, estimate the Time to Failure (TTF), i.e., the lifetime remaining between the present and the instance when it can no longer perform its function. Such prediction on the loss of functionality changes dynamically as time goes by and is typically based on measurements of parameters representative of the SSC state. Uncertainties from two different sources affect the prediction: randomness due to variability inherent in the SSC degradation behavior (aleatory uncertainty) and imprecision due to incomplete knowledge and information on the SSC failure mechanisms (epistemic uncertainty). Such uncertainties must be adequately represented and propagated in order for the prognostic results to have operational significance, e.g. in terms of maintenance and renovation decisions. This work addresses the problem of predicting the reliability and TTF of a SSC, as measurements of parameters representative of its state become available in time. The representation and propagation of the uncertainties associated to the prediction are done alternatively by a pure probabilistic method and an hybrid Monte Carlo and possibilistic method. A case study is considered, regarding a component which is randomly degrading in time according to a stochastic fatigue crack growth model of literature; the maximum level of degradation beyond which failure occurs is affected by epistemic uncertainty.