Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biases caused by the instrument bandwidth and beam width on simulated brightness temperature measurements from scanning microwave radiometers

Abstract. More so than the traditional fixed radiometers, the scanning radiometer requires a careful design to ensure high quality measurements. Here the impact of the radiometer characteristics (e.g., antenna beam width and receiver bandwidth) and atmospheric propagation (e.g. curvature of the Earth and vertical gradient of refractive index) on scanning radiometer measurements are presented. A forward radiative transfer model that includes all these effects to represent the instrument measurements is used to estimate the biases. These biases are estimated using differences between the measurement with and without these characteristics for three commonly used frequency bands: K, V and W-band. The receiver channel bandwidth errors are less important in K-band and W-band. Thus, the use of a wider bandwidth to improve detection at low signal-to-noise conditions is acceptable at these frequencies. The biases caused by omitting the antenna beam width in measurement simulations are larger than those caused by omitting the receiver bandwidth, except for V-band where the bandwidth may be more important in the vicinity of absorption peaks. Using simple regression algorithms, the effects of the bandwidth and beam width biases in liquid water path, integrated water vapour, and temperature are also examined. The largest errors in liquid water path and integrated water vapour are associated with the beam width errors.
Low-cost hand-held probe for depth-resolved low-coherence interferometry

We report on the development of a low-cost hand-held low-coherence interferometric imaging system based on the principle of linear optical coherence tomography (Linear OCT), a technique which was first proposed in the early 2000s as a simpler alternative to the conventional time-domain and Fourier-domain OCT. A bench-top implementation of the proposed technique is first presented and validated. The axial resolution, SNR, and sensitivity roll-of of the system was estimated to be 5.2 μm and 80 dB, and 3.7 dB over a depth of 0.15 mm, respectively. After validating the bench-top system, two hand-held probe implementations for contact-based imaging and in vivo human tympanic membrane imaging are presented. The performance of the proposed system was compared with a research-grade state-of-the-art Fourier-domain low coherence interferometry (LCI) system by imaging several biological and non-biological samples. The results of this study suggest that the proposed system might be a suitable choice for applications where imaging depth and SNR can be traded for lower cost and simpler optical design. c © 2016 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (170.4500) Optical coherence tomography; (110.3175) Interferometric imaging; (170.0110) Imaging
Prenatal alcohol exposure and chronic mild stress differentially alter depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in male and female offspring.

BACKGROUND Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is associated with numerous neurobehavioral alterations, as well as disabilities in a number of domains, including a high incidence of depression and anxiety disorders. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) also alters hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function, resulting in increased responsiveness to stressors and HPA dysregulation in adulthood. Interestingly, data suggest that pre-existing HPA abnormalities may be a major contributory factor to some forms of depression, particularly when an individual is exposed to stressors later in life. We tested the hypothesis that exposure to stressors in adulthood may unmask an increased vulnerability to depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in PAE animals. METHODS Male and female offspring from prenatal alcohol (PAE), pair-fed (PF), and ad libitum-fed control (C) treatment groups were tested in adulthood. Animals were exposed to 10 consecutive days of chronic mild stress (CMS), and assessed in a battery of well-validated tasks sensitive to differences in depressive- and/or anxiety-like behaviors. RESULTS We report here that the combination of PAE and CMS in adulthood increases depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in a sexually dimorphic manner. PAE males showed impaired hedonic responsivity (sucrose contrast test), locomotor hyperactivity (open field), and alterations in affiliative and nonaffiliative social behaviors (social interaction test) compared to control males. By contrast, PAE and, to a lesser extent, PF, females showed greater levels of "behavioral despair" in the forced swim test, and PAE females showed altered behavior in the final 5 minutes of the social interaction test compared to control females. CONCLUSIONS These data support the possibility that stress may be a mediating or contributing factor in the psychopathologies reported in FASD populations.
A REPRESENTATION THEORY FOR A CLASS OF VECTOR AUTOREGRESSIVE MODELS FOR FRACTIONAL PROCESSES

Based on an idea of Granger (1986, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 48, 213–228), we analyze a new vector autoregressive model defined from the fractional lag operator 1 − (1 − L)d. We first derive conditions in terms of the coefficients for the model to generate processes that are fractional of order zero. We then show that if there is a unit root, the model generates a fractional process Xt of order d, d > 0, for which there are vectors β so that β‼Xt is fractional of order d − b, 0 < b ≤ d. We find a representation of the solution that demonstrates the fractional properties. Finally we suggest a model that allows for a polynomial fractional vector, that is, the process Xt is fractional of order d, β‼Xt is fractional of order d − b, and a linear combination of β‼Xt and ΔbXt is fractional of order d − 2b. The representations and conditions are analogous to the well-known conditions for I(0), I(1), and I(2) variables.
Bumpless transfer between observer-based gain scheduled controllers

This paper deals with bumpless transfer between a number of observer-based controllers in a gain scheduling architecture. Linear observer-based controllers are designed for a number of linear approximations of a non-linear system in a set of operating points, and gain scheduling control can subsequently be achieved by interpolating between each controller. The Youla-Jabr-Bongiorno-Kucera (YJBK) parameterization is used to achieve a smooth scheduling between the controllers. This approach produces a scheduled controller as a linear fractional transformation between a fixed controller and a scheduling parameter. The approach is tested on a simple, but highly non-linear model of a fossil fuel power plant.
The application of self-determination theory to an athletic club setting: The role of need support, autonomous self-regulation, perceived competence, and relatedness in exercise persistence

Self Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) posits that individuals who engage in activities with autonomous self-regulation, perceived competence, and relatedness experience better outcomes. Furthermore, individuals feel more autonomous, competent, and related when they receive need support from others. The present investigation tested SDT in an athletic club setting with gym members and fitness facility personnel. The SDT process model of health behavior was tested to see if need support from group fitness instructors predicted autonomous selfregulation, perceived competence, and relatedness in exercise and, in turn, exercise persistence. Day-level analyses revealed that greater exercise persistence was related to self-determined motivation such that individuals with greater autonomous selfregulation and perceived competence in exercise were more likely to exercise with greater frequency, intensity, and duration. Need support did not influence these levels.
Structural mechanics of the mosquito heart and its function in bidirectional hemolymph transport

SUMMARY The insect circulatory system transports nutrients, signaling molecules, wastes and immune factors to all areas of the body. The primary organ driving circulation is the dorsal vessel, which consists of an abdominal heart and a thoracic aorta. Here, we present qualitative and quantitative data characterizing the heart of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Visual observation showed that the heart of resting mosquitoes contracts at a rate of 1.37 Hz (82 beats per minute) and switches contraction direction, with 72% of contractions occurring in the anterograde direction (toward the head) and 28% of contractions occurring in the retrograde direction (toward the tip of the abdomen). The heart is tethered to the midline of the abdominal tergum by six complete and three incomplete pairs of alary muscles, and propels hemolymph at an average velocity of 8 mm s−1 by sequentially contracting muscle fibers oriented in a helical twist with respect to the lumen of the vessel. Hemolymph enters the heart through six pairs of incurrent abdominal ostia and one pair of ostia located at the thoraco-abdominal junction that receive hemolymph from the abdominal hemocoel and thoracic venous channels, respectively. The vessel expels hemolymph through distal excurrent openings located at the anterior end of the aorta and the posterior end of the heart. In conclusion, this study presents a comprehensive revision and expansion of our knowledge of the mosquito heart and for the first time quantifies hemolymph flow in an insect while observing dorsal vessel contractions.
Developing Engaged Readers in School and Home Communities

Contents: Preface. L. Baker, P. Afflerbach, D. Reinking, Introduction: Developing Engaged Readers in School and Home Communities: An Overview. Part I: Social and Cultural Contexts of Reading Development and Engagement. S. Sonnenschein, G. Brody, K. Munsterman, The Influence of Family Beliefs and Practices on Children's Early Reading Development. L. Baker, J. Allen, B. Shockley, A.D. Pellegrini, L. Galda, S.A. Stahl, Connecting School and Home: Constructing Partnerships to Foster Reading Development. R. Thompson, G. Mixon, R. Serpell, Engaging Minority Students in Reading: Focus on the Urban Learner. Part II: Motivation and Engaged Reading. B.L. McCombs, Alternative Perspectives for Motivation. P. Oldfather, A. Wigfield, Children's Motivations for Literacy Learning. L.B. Gambrell, L.M. Morrow, Creating Motivating Contexts for Literacy Learning. Part III: Engaged Instruction and Learning. S.A. Stahl, C.R. Hynd, S.M. Glynn, M. Carr, Beyond Reading to Learn: Developing Content and Disciplinary Knowledge Through Texts. J.T. Guthrie, K. McGough, L. Bennett, M.E. Rice, Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction: An Integrated Curriculum to Develop Motivations and Strategies for Reading. P. Afflerbach, Engaged Assessment of Engaged Readers. Part IV: Toward Contextualizing Literacy Research. J.F. Baumann, D.R. Dillon, B. Shockley, D.E. Alvermann, D. Reinking, Perspectives for Literacy Research. K. Jervis, E. Carr, P. Lockhart, J. Rogers, Multiple Entries Into Inquiry: Dissolving the Boundaries Between Research and Teaching. P.L. Anders, The Ethics of Collaborative Educational Research.
Questioning the "General Arousal" Models

The paper argues that the concept of "general arousal", or Extraversion, which is used to present energetic aspects of behaviour is an oversimplification of the energetic components of temperament. Two reported studies were conducted on Russian and Canadian samples using the Structure of Temperament Questionnaire - Compact (STQ-77), which has 12 activity-specific temperament scales assessing various aspects of arousal separately in physical, verbal- social and intellectual activities. A selective pattern of correlations was found between STQ-77 scales and Locus of Control, Achieving Tendency, and time of performance in a prolonged concepts-classification experiment. This pattern suggests the benefits of considering at least three different types and aspects of arousal.
Marketing orientation, internal marketing and discretionary: An exploration of the relationships

This paper details research exploring relationships between marketing orientation, internal marketing and discretionary effort. We propose that in order for firms to undertake successful marketing activities in dynamic business environments, employees must be willing to offer the required effort to adapt quickly and effortlessly to external environmental change. Further, we propose that internal marketing will assist in encouraging discretionary effort and this will be fostered by a marketing orientation within the context of the organisation's culture. A self-complete questionnaire was used to collect data from 213 respondents. Results support the proposed relationships amongst the variables of marketing orientation, internal marketing and discretionary effort. An important implication for management is that customer culture and internal marketing are valuable (and inter-related) antecedents to a firm's competitive advantage.
Efficient Beamforming Training for 60-GHz Millimeter-Wave Communications: A Novel Numerical Optimization Framework

In this paper, we formulate realistic beamforming (BF) training (or beam steering) in the emerging 60-GHz millimeter-wave communications as a numerical optimization problem. To maximize the receiving SNR, it aims to identify the optimal beam pair from a prescribed codebook using as little overhead as possible. Being a promising numerical method that excludes a functional derivative, the Rosenbrock numerical search may be of great significance to such applications. Nevertheless, for the encountered nonsmooth objective function, a search failure is inevitable due to the local optimum. To meet this challenge, we further present an appealing global numerical algorithm inspired by simulated annealing (SA) mechanics. In sharp contrast to classical schemes, numerical probes that lead to reward improvement are always accepted, and search moves toward worse solutions are also permitted, with a probability associated with an external temperature parameter. By relying on a newly designed two-level annealing schedule, the temperature decreases; thereby, permitting movements to worse solutions is progressively restricted. Consequently, it can basically escape from the local optimum. We then apply this new numerical search to beam switching of 60-GHz communications. Experimental simulations have demonstrated that the developed beam-switching scheme can efficiently discover the optimal beam pair by considerably reducing protocol overhead and energy consumption.
Indoor localization using controlled ambient sounds

Audio-based receiver localization in indoor environments has multiple applications including indoor navigation, location tagging, and tracking. Public places like shopping malls and consumer stores often have loudspeakers installed to play music for public entertainment. Similarly, office spaces may have sound conditioning speakers installed to soften other environmental noises. We discuss an approach to leverage this infrastructure to perform audio-based localization of devices requesting localization in such environments, by playing barely audible controlled sounds from multiple speakers at known positions. Our approach can be used to localize devices such as smart-phones, tablets and laptops to sub-meter accuracy. The user does not need to carry any specialized hardware. Unlike acoustic approaches which use high-energy ultrasound waves, the use of barely audible (low energy) signals in our approach poses very different challenges. We discuss these challenges, how we addressed those, and experimental results on two prototypical implementations: a request-play-record localizer, and a continuous tracker. We evaluated our approach in a real world meeting room and report promising initial results with localization accuracy within half a meter 94% of the time. The system has been deployed in multiple zones in our office building and is used on a regular basis.
The thermal stability of the Fusarium solani pisi cutinase as a function of pH

We have investigated the thermal stability of the Fusarium solani pisi cutinase as a function of pH, in the range from pH 2–12. Its highest enzymatic activity coincides with the pH-range at which it displays its highest thermal stability. The unfolding of the enzyme as a function of pH was investigated by microcalorimetry. The ratio between the calorimetric enthalpy (ΔHcal) and the van't Hoff enthalpy (ΔHv) obtained, is far from unity, indicating that cutinase does not exhibit a simple two state unfolding behaviour. The role of pH on the electrostatic contribution to the thermal stability was assessed using TITRA. We propose a molecular interpretation for the pH-variation in enzymatic activity.
Enhancement of antinociception by coadministration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors

Combination therapies have long been used to treat inflammation while reducing side effects. The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of combination treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and previously undescribed soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors (sEHIs) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mice. NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and thereby decrease production of metabolites that lead to pain and inflammation. The sEHIs, such as 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid butyl ester (AUDA-BE), stabilize anti-inflammatory epoxy-eicosatrienoic acids, which indirectly reduce the expression of COX-2 protein. Here we demonstrate that the combination therapy of NSAIDs and sEHIs produces significantly beneficial effects that are additive for alleviating pain and enhanced effects in reducing COX-2 protein expression and shifting oxylipin metabolomic profiles. When administered alone, AUDA-BE decreased protein expression of COX-2 to 73 ± 6% of control mice treated with LPS only without altering COX-1 expression and decreased PGE2 levels to 52 ± 8% compared with LPS-treated mice not receiving any therapeutic intervention. When AUDA-BE was used in combination with low doses of indomethacin, celecoxib, or rofecoxib, PGE2 concentrations dropped to 51 ± 7, 84 ± 9, and 91 ± 8%, respectively, versus LPS control, without disrupting prostacyclin and thromboxane levels. These data suggest that these drug combinations (NSAIDs and sEHIs) produce a valuable beneficial analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect while prospectively decreasing side effects such as cardiovascular toxicity.
Loose shape model for discriminative learning of object categories

We consider the problem of visual categorization with minimal supervision during training. We propose a partbased model that loosely captures structural information. We represent images as a collection of parts characterized by an appearance codeword from a visual vocabulary and by a neighborhood context, organized in an ordered set of bag-of-features representations. These bags are computed in a local overlapping areas around the part. A semantic distance between images is obtained by matching parts associated with the same codeword using their context distributions. The classification is done using SVM with the kernel obtained from the proposed distance. The experiments show that our method outperforms all the classification methods from the PASCAL challenge on half of the VOC2006 categories and has the best average EER. It also outperforms the constellation model learned via boosting, as proposed by Bar-Hillel et al. on their data set, which contains more rigid objects.
Resurrection of Staurois parvus from S. tuberilinguis from Borneo (Amphibia, Ranidae)

Abstract Two forms of Staurois that are differentiated by body size occur parapatrically in the Crocker Range, Sabah, Borneo. Analyses of a total of 1,499 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b, 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA genes revealed that the two forms could be completely split genetically. The two forms could be also clearly differentiated morphologically, not only by snout-vent length but also by the relative sizes of snout, eye, and finger disk. Comparisons of the two forms with all known species of the genus revealed the large and small forms to be S. tuberilinguis and S. parvus, respectively. The latter species has long been synonymized with the former, but we here consider them to represent different species.
Mutational Analysis of Escherichia coli Heat Shock Transcription Factor Sigma 32 Reveals Similarities with Sigma 70 in Recognition of the −35 Promoter Element and Differences in Promoter DNA Melting and −10 Recognition

ABSTRACT Upon the exposure of Escherichia coli to high temperature (heat shock), cellular levels of the transcription factor σ32 rise greatly, resulting in the increased formation of the σ32 holoenzyme, which is capable of transcription initiation at heat shock promoters. Higher levels of heat shock proteins render the cell better able to cope with the effects of higher temperatures. To conduct structure-function studies on σ32 in vivo, we have carried out site-directed mutagenesis and employed a previously developed system involving σ32 expression from one plasmid and a β-galactosidase reporter gene driven by the σ32-dependent groE promoter on another in order to monitor the effects of single amino acid substitutions on σ32 activity. It was found that the recognition of the −35 region involves similar amino acid residues in regions 4.2 of E. coli σ32 and σ70. Three conserved amino acids in region 2.3 of σ32 were found to be only marginally important in determining activity in vivo. Differences between σ32 and σ70 in the effects of mutation in region 2.4 on the activities of the two sigma factors are consistent with the pronounced differences between both the amino acid sequences in this region and the recognized promoter DNA sequences.
Composing Thermostatically Controlled Loads to Determine the Reliability against Blackouts

Power grids are parallel systems in which consumers demand a shared resource independent of each other. A blackout occurs when the total demand increases or decreases too rapidly. This paper combines methods and concepts from three domains. The first stems from estimating the power consumption based on thermostatically controlled loads via Markov chains. The second domain provides the composition of parallel systems enriched by intermediate lumping to construct a minimal aggregate transition model, in this case of a community of housings. The third domain provides reasoning about fault tolerance properties by introducing limiting window reliability as measure, suitable to account for the continuous risk of blackouts. Combined, the three methods and concepts allow to determine the risk of blackout of a community over time.