Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient direct detection of M-PAM sequences with implicit CSI acquisition for the FSO system

Compared to on-off keying (OOK), M-ary pulse amplitude modulation (M-PAM, M > 2) is more spectrally efficient. However, to detect M-PAM signals reliably, the requirement of accurate channel state information is more stringent. Previously, for OOK systems, we have developed a receiver that requires few pilot symbols and can jointly detect the data sequence and estimate the unknown channel gain implicitly. In this paper, using the same approach, we extend our previous work and derive a generalized receiver for M-PAM systems. A Viterbi-type trellis-search algorithm coupled with a selective-store strategy is adopted, resulting in a low implementation complexity and a low memory requirement. Therefore, the receiver is efficient in terms of energy, spectra, implementation complexity and memory. Using theoretical analysis, we show that its error performance approaches that of maximum likelihood detection with perfect knowledge of the channel gain, as the observation window length increases. Also, simulation results are presented to justify the theoretical analysis.
Assessment of Depression in Adolescents: Relationship Between IQ, Depression, and Adaptive Behavior.

The primary focus of this investigation was to examine differences in depression, general psychopathology, and social skills among adolescents, and to identify the role of adaptive behavior between intelligence (I.Q.) and depression. One hundred adolescents, 13 through 17 years of age participated in this study. I.Q. s ranged between 40 to 130. Five levels of I.Q. s were studied (Above normal, Average, Borderline, Mild, Moderate). Three depression measures, the CHILD DEPRESSION INVENTORY fCDI^. REYNOLDS ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION SCALE fRADS). BELLEVUE INDEX OF DEPRESSION (BID). one social skills measure MATSON EVALUATION OF SOCIAL SKILLS WITH YOUNGSTERS fMESSY). and one general psychopathology measure PSYCHOPATHOLOGY INSTRUMENT FOR MENTALLY RETARDED ADULTS (PIMRAT. were used. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) on the five dependent variables and five levels of I.Q. s, produced significant differences using Wilks Lambda criteria. All Univariate F's were significant. Linear discriminant function analysis produced two significant discriminant functions; depression and general psychopathology. In the first function the mild mentally handicapped group showed higher levels of depressive symptoms. In the second discriminant function the moderate mentally handicapped group showed higher levels of general psychopathology. The
Psychological well-being and posttraumatic growth in caregivers of cancer patients

Introduction: Although research has shown that many cancer patients report positive life changes following cancer diagnosis, there are few data in the literature related to PTG in caregivers of cancer patients. However, the few studies available have shown that this kind of positive changes can also be experienced by family members. The aims of this study were to explore PTG in caregivers of cancer patients and to investigate correlations between the Posttraumatic growth, psychological status and QoL of caregivers and those of patients, taking into account also clinical and socio-demographic aspects. Methods: We enrolled 60 patient/caregiver pairs in the Department of Medical Oncology of the National Research Center “Giovanni Paolo II” in Bari. Both patients and caregivers were assessed using the following scales: Posttraumatic growth Inventory (PTGI); Hospital anxiety and depression scale; Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36); ECOG Performance Status. Clinical and socio-demographic data were collected. Results: Caregivers showed significantly higher scores than patients in the dimension of “personal strength. ” Furthermore, we found a significantly close association between anxiety and depression of caregivers with those of patients. Younger caregivers were better than older ones in terms of physical activity, vitality, mental health, and social activities. Although the degree of relationship with the patient has no significant effect on the dependent variables of the study, it was found that caregivers with a degree of kinship more distant to the patient have less physical pain than the closest relatives. Conclusion: Results of the present study show that caregivers of cancer patients may experience post-traumatic growth as the result of their caregiver role. It would be interesting to investigate in future research which factor may mediate the presence of post-traumatic growth.
The Subjective Experience of Individuals Diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the Western Cape, South Africa

Epidemiological research highlights the severity of the symptoms and outcomes associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia; the burden of which is increasing substantially in many developing countries such as South Africa. Numerous scholars have been critical of the existing research on schizophrenia. It seems that, although the biological underpinnings of schizophrenia are commonly acknowledged, a psychological and subjective perspective on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia has not adequately been incorporated into research of this diagnosis in developing countries. Against this background, this study aimed to achieve a deeper and richer understanding of the subjective experience of a diagnosis of schizophrenia in South Africa. This aim was achieved by exploring how a group of individuals from the Western Cape, South Africa, experience and understand the diagnosis of schizophrenia and its associated symptoms. Informed by a social constructionist theoretical perspective, this study employed a multiple case study design to yield qualitative data. In-depth, open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The transcribed interviews were analysed by implementing social constructionist grounded theory, with interpretations informed by relational psychoanalysis and discursive psychology. Interviews with people carrying this diagnosis uncovered traumatic histories of abuse and submission, highlighting the need to take individual histories seriously, even in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. While all of the participants clearly had psychotic experiences, they also experienced rich and diverse emotional worlds often in reaction to disturbed and disturbing intersubjective fields. A complex and vicious cycle of fear, anxiety, and paranoia; shame, anger, and aggression; loneliness and isolation; sadness and even more shame, emerges not necessarily captured by the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Despite their traumatic experiences and in contrast to their complex experiences of emotional distress, participants, when discussing their diagnosis, quite explicitly and implicitly adhered to a medical discourse of schizophrenia. Informed by this medical model, they constructed themselves as abnormal and as having a dysfunctional brain, which needs to be medically treated. Lastly, caring for others and being cared for by others seemed to be very important for restoring a sense of humanity. This care was mainly provided by families, rather than in the context of the medical model. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Mechanical Stretch Enhances mRNA Expression and Proenzyme Release of Matrix Metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) via NAD(P)H Oxidase‐Derived Reactive Oxygen Species

Abstract —Mechanical stretch is a hallmark of arterial hypertension and leads to vessel wall remodeling, which involves matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Because mechanical stretch is further capable of inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation via the NAD(P)H oxidase, we assessed whether mechanical stretch enhances MMP expression and activity in a NAD(P)H oxidase‐dependent manner. Therefore, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) isolated from C57BL/6 mice were exposed to cyclic mechanical stretch. The impact of ROS was assessed using VSMCs isolated from p47phox‐/‐ mice, deficient for a NAD(P)H oxidase subunit responsible for ROS formation. Transcript levels were investigated by cDNA array and confirmed by RT‐PCR. ROS formation was determined by DCF fluoroscopy and MMP‐2 activity by zymography. Mechanical stretch of wild‐type VSMCs resulted in a rapid ROS formation and p47phox membrane translocation that is followed by an increase in Nox‐1 transcripts. ROS formation was completely abrogated in p47phox‐/‐ VSMCs. cDNA array further revealed an increase of MMP‐2 mRNA in response to mechanical stretch, which was validated by RT‐PCR. Using p47phox‐/‐ VSMCs, this increase in MMP‐2 mRNA was completely blunted. mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of MMP‐2 TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐2 and membrane‐type 1 MMP was unaffected by mechanical stretch. Gelatinolytic activity of pro‐MMP‐2 has been increased rapidly in wild‐type VSMCs and was completely abolished in p47phox‐/‐ VSMCs. These results indicate that mechanical stretch induces ROS formation via the NAD(P)H oxidase and thereby enhances MMP‐2 mRNA expression and pro‐MMP‐2 release. These results are consistent with the notion that in arterial hypertension, reactive oxygen species are involved in vascular remodeling via MMP activation. The full text of this article is available online at http://www.circresaha. org. (Circ Res. 2003;92:e80‐ e86.)
Reference tracking in early stages of different modality L2 acquisition: Limited over-explicitness in novice ASL signers’ referring expressions

Previous research on reference tracking has revealed a tendency towards over-explicitness in second language (L2) learners. Only limited evidence exists that this trend extends to situations where the learner’s first and second languages do not share a sensory-motor modality. Using a story-telling paradigm, this study examined how hearing novice L2 learners accomplish reference tracking in American Sign Language (ASL), and whether they transfer strategies from gesture. Our results revealed limited evidence of over-explicitness. Instead there was an overall similarity in the L2 learners’ reference tracking to that of a native signer control group, even in the use of lexical nominals, pronouns and zero anaphora – areas where research on spoken L2 reference tracking predicts differences. Our data also revealed, however, that L2 learners have problems with the referential value of ASL classifiers, and with target-like use of zero anaphora from different verb types, as well as spatial modification. This suggests that over-explicitness occurs in the early stages of different modality L2 acquisition to a limited extent. We found no evidence of gestural transfer. Finally, we found that L2 learners reintroduce more than native signers, which could indicate that they, unlike native signers are not yet capable of utilizing the affordances of the visual modality to reference multiple entities simultaneously
Micromégas: Altered Body–Environment Scaling in Literary Fiction

Architectonic embodiment postulates a bidirectional link between bodily awareness and the architectural environment. The standard size and features of the human body, for instance, are thought to influence the structure of interiors and buildings, as well as their perception and appreciation. Whereas architectural practice and theory, the visual arts and more recently the cognitive sciences have explored this relationship of humans with their crafted environments, many fictional literary works have long experimented with alterations of body–environment scaling. This so-called Gulliver theme – popular in the science-fiction genre but also in children’s literature and philosophical satire – reveals, as a recurrent thought-experiment, our preoccupation with proportions and our fascination for the infinitely small and large. Here I provide an overview of the altered scaling theme in literature, including classics such as Voltaire’s Micromégas, Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Caroll’s Alice, and Matheson’s The Shrinking man, closely examining issues relevant to architectonic embodiment such as: bodily, perceptual, cognitive, affective, and social changes related to alterations in body size relative to people, objects and architectural environments. I next provide a taxonomy of the Gulliver theme and highlight its main psychological features, and then proceed to review relevant work from cognitive science. Although fictional alterations of body-environment scaling far outreach current possibilities in experimental research, I argue that the peripetiae and morals outlined in the literary realm, as products of the human imagination, provide a unique window into the folk-psychology of body and space.
Digoxin Use to Control Ventricular Rate in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure Is Not Associated with Increased Mortality

Introduction. Digoxin is used to control ventricular rate in atrial fibrillation (AF). There is conflicting evidence regarding safety of digoxin. We aimed to evaluate the risk of mortality with digoxin use in patients with AF using meta-analyses. Methods. PubMed was searched for studies comparing outcomes of patients with AF taking digoxin versus no digoxin, with or without heart failure (HF). Studies were excluded if they reported only a point estimate of mortality, duplicated patient populations, and/or did not report adjusted hazard ratios (HR). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Adjusted HRs were combined using generic inverse variance and log hazard ratios. A multivariate metaregression model was used to explore heterogeneity in studies. Results. Twelve studies with 321,944 patients were included in the meta-analysis. In all AF patients, irrespective of heart failure status, digoxin is associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR [1.23], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–1.31). However, digoxin is not associated with increased mortality in patients with AF and HF (HR [1.08], 95% CI 0.99–1.18). In AF patients without HF digoxin is associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR [1.38], 95% CI 1.12–1.71). Conclusion. In patients with AF and HF, digoxin use is not associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality when used for rate control.
A Formal Method for Building Concurrent Real-Time Software

Developing concurrent real-time programs is one of computer science's greatest challenges. Not only is such software expensive to manufacture, but its role in safety-critical systems demands that it be correct. Formal methods of program specification and refinement could strengthen the mathematical precision used to develop such software. Nevertheless, formalisms that embrace both real-time and concurrency requirements are only just emerging. The Quartz method treats time and functional behavior with equal importance in the development process. The authors argue that by modeling program development in a unified framework, we can increase our confidence in the correctness of real-time concurrent code.
Research Diary Visual Mapping: a reflective methodological tool for process and strategy-as-practice studies

Balogun, Huff and Johnson (2003) highlight the growing paradox for researchers who must focus on context and details while favouring general lines of research. These authors focus their reflection around the collection of qualitative data, particularly those of discussion groups, collaborative research and of research journal redaction techniques. We propose, in the context of collaborative research, a new utilisation of the personal diary, fuelled by our doctoral experiences in collaborative research. While the personal diary in its usual form increases the level of reflectivity on an intervening process, it is nevertheless difficult to exploit for the work of interpreting and legitimizing research. We therefore propose personal diary mapping. In addition to the advantages of personal diary mapping as a methodological tool for viewing the phenomenon, it allows a process to be described by highlighting specifics that are not obvious in reading a text. Moreover, the process of personal diary mapping provides a contribution to the epistemic work in a constructivist reference because it helps make the relationship between knowledge and empirical information explicit (Martinet 2007). After a summary bringing process studies closer to SaP and a review of the modalities of action research and their implications in terms of ethics and researcher responsibility, we present the origins, principles and benefits of visual mapping as regards the researcher's responsibility. In a second step, we illustrate the normative elements of this approach through a case study on strategic competence development based on personal diary mapping.
Examining Social Skills Training and Computer Assisted Technology for Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Follow-up of the UCLA PEERS Intervention

The present study examines a follow-up to the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®), with teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a Computer Assisted Technology (CAT) component. Over the course of the intervention, teens and parents met weekly and participated in a follow-up version of the PEERS® program. Social skills improvements were measured at pre and post intervention using the Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales (SSIS-RS; Gresham & Elliot, 2008), the Quality of Play Questionnaire (QPQ; Frankel & Mintz, 2011) and the Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge-Revised (TASSK-R; Laugeson & Frankel, 2010). Results indicated that based on mean scores teens increased their social skills and the majority decreased their problem behaviours. Further, the majority of teens increased their social skills knowledge and increased their attended and hosted get-togethers. Findings also suggest students were motivated and paid more attention to the intervention due to the use of visuals and videos throughout the intervention. Computer homework showed high completion rates across the program and positive parental feedback was observed in its ability to evoke discussions and consolidate learning. Implications of the PEERS® program in collaboration with a technological component for teaching social skills to teens with ASD are discussed.
Incorporating Higher-Order Cues in Image Colorization

Colorization problem is to find the colors of all pixels X = {xn}n=1,. ,|X |, given a grayscale image I with scribbles S with the desired colors. We work in the YUV color space where Y = {yn}n=1,. ,|X | is the monochromatic luminance channel, which we will refer to simply as intensity, while U = {un}n=1,. ,|X | and V = {vn}n=1,. ,|X | are the chrominance channels, encoding the color. Our goal is to complete both the U and V channels, given Y = I. We deal with the only U channel in this paper, since the V channel can be treated in the same manner. In this paper, we propose a new multi-layer graph model and an energy formulation that can incorporate higher-order cues for reliable colorization of natural images. In contrast to most existing energy functions [3] with unary and pairwise constraints, we address the problem of imposing a high-order constraint whereby pixels constituting each region tend to have similar colors to the representative color of the region they belong to. The representative colors of the regions that are generated by unsupervised image segmentation algorithms, act as higher-order cues. Unlike previous parametric models [2], they are automatically obtained by a nonparametric learning technique that estimates them from the resulting pixel colors in a recursive fashion. We formulate this problem in terms of two quadratic energy functions of pixel and region colors, that are supplementary to each other, in our proposed multi-layer graph model and estimate them by a simple optimization technique that minimizes both functions simultaneously. Our proposed algorithm works as follows. We first design an undirected graph G = (Q,E) where the nodes Q = {X ,R} consist of two types: pixels X and regions R, generated by an unsupervised segmentation algorithm such as Mean Shift [1], and the edges E are the links between two nodes as shown in Fig. 1(a). Each pixel xn ∈ X initially has an intensity yn ∈ Y . For each region rk ∈ R, we can generate its properties ȳk as the mean intensity of the inner pixels xn ∈ rk: ȳk = 1 |rk| ∑xn∈rk yn. We then formulate both quadratic energy functions JX and JR for estimating the pixel colors U = {un}n=1,. ,|X | and the region colors Ū = {ūk}k=1,. ,|R|, respectively, as follows.
Metadata Methods for Improving Usability in Moodle

Extraction of web information has, so far, relied mostly on the human user's dexterity and patience. Lately, these practices have slowly but steadily changed direction, turning towards offering various automated solutions for proc- essing web data. The main objective was to relieve the effort of the user. Automated solutions rely on the standards used to publish information on the web. Microformats and RDFa are amongst these standards. They are simple and easy to use methods for adding structure and meaning to the content. This paper presents several methods for republishing user contact information inside the well-known Moodle LCMS, leading thus to the increase of its usability. The chosen approach was that of a block, used to integrate hCard, vCard and QR codes into Moodle. The premises were that correct information extraction (contact information, calendar events, and locations) was equally, if not even more important in eLearning environments. The present model allows future extensions, so as to improve the publishing process for data regarding events (vCalendar, hCalendar, iCal) and locations.
Pricing-to-market and limited participation: a joint explanation to the exchange rate disconnect puzzle

Transition to floating exchange rates has led to sharp increases in nominal and real exchange rate volatilities with no corresponding changes in the distribution of macroeconomic fundamentals. This paper investigates the so-called exchange rate disconnect puzzle. In line with the New Open Economy Macroeconomics, Chari, Kehoe and MacGrattan [2000] quantitatively evaluate the role of the interaction between monetary shocks and pricing-to-market (PTM) in exchange rate fluctuations. Even if promising, their results depend on very specific assumptions which cast doubt on the relevance of their explanation. To circumvent this criticism, I investigate the specific channels through which monetary policy affects exchange rates given credit market friction. This paper thus highlights the combined role that PTM and limited participation to the credit market play in the explanation of the exchange rate disconnect puzzle, without relying on the Chari et al.’s specifications. I develop a two-country general equilibrium model based on PTM, credit market rigidities and monetary shocks. Given credit market friction and PTM, monetary shocks generate a nominal exchange rate overshooting which raises the nominal and real exchange rate volatility. The model built on limited participation and PTM improves our understanding of the huge observed exchange rate fluctuations.