Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Domain Channel Estimation for OQAM-OFDM Systems: Algorithms and Performance Bounds

In this paper, we first present a general time domain model for the channel estimation in the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OQAM-OFDM), and utilize the frequency domain pilots to estimate the time domain channel impulse responses. Different form the conventional methods, there is no specific requirement for the length of the symbol interval compared to the the maximum channel delay spread in the proposed scheme. Furthermore, with the proposed time domain model, the channel statistic information could be utilized to improve the performance of the channel estimation. Then, we propose two channel estimation schemes, i.e., linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) and weighted least square (WLS), and we also derive their corresponding Bayesian Cramér-Rao Bound (BCRB) and Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB) bounds, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the BCRB and CRB bounds could be achieved by the proposed LMMSE and WLS methods, respectively. Moreover, simulation results show that the proposed methods are much robust to the time synchronization error compared to the conventional frequency domain methods, and imply that the pulse shaping filter with waveforms concentrated in the time domain could be employed in OQAM-OFDM systems to improve the channel estimation performance and spectral efficiency.
Social Ideologies Embedded in Everyday Life: A Narrative Analysis about Disability, Identities, and Occupation

Aim & Background: The aim of this study is to explore the negotiation and expression of identities through everyday occupations, juxtaposed against prevalent social ideologies of disability. The problem addressed in this article concerns the absence of critical reflection surrounding the importance of ideological tensions inherent in action. Method: An ethnographic and narrative approach was used to gather and analyze data consisting of 14 interviews and extensive observations collected on a monthly basis over 18-months. Findings & Conclusion: In keeping with narrative analyses, the findings are presented as stories where theory and data are iteratively integrated. Three discourses that informed the negotiation of Sam's identities are presented along with supporting vignettes; they include disability, living low, and semper fi. Using the concept of authorship (Bakhtin) and notion of the dialogic self (Holland et al.) as frameworks, we analyze how Sam's identities are expressed and contested within the flo.
Frequency-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Assessment of Human Carotid Atherosclerosis Using Saline Flush for Blood Clearance without Balloon Occlusion

SUMMARY FD-OCT is a new imaging technique that allows unprecedented in vivo microlevel assessment of human carotid plaque morphologic patterns and stent-vessel interactions. Prior reports describing the use of this technique have used balloon occlusion of the target vessel or iodinated contrast media to facilitate imaging. We report, for the first time, in vivo FD-OCT imaging of human carotid arteries without the use of iodinated contrast material or balloon occlusion techniques.
Resveratrol Improves Survival, Hemodynamics and Energetics in a Rat Model of Hypertension Leading to Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by contractile dysfunction associated with altered energy metabolism. This study was aimed at determining whether resveratrol, a polyphenol known to activate energy metabolism, could be beneficial as a metabolic therapy of HF. Survival, ventricular and vascular function as well as cardiac and skeletal muscle energy metabolism were assessed in a hypertensive model of HF, the Dahl salt-sensitive rat fed with a high-salt diet (HS-NT). Resveratrol (18 mg/kg/day; HS-RSV) was given for 8 weeks after hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy were established (which occurred 3 weeks after salt addition). Resveratrol treatment improved survival (64% in HS-RSV versus 15% in HS-NT, p<0.001), and prevented the 25% reduction in body weight in HS-NT (P<0.001). Moreover, RSV counteracted the development of cardiac dysfunction (fractional shortening −34% in HS-NT) as evaluated by echocardiography, which occurred without regression of hypertension or hypertrophy. Moreover, aortic endothelial dysfunction present in HS-NT was prevented in resveratrol-treated rats. Resveratrol treatment tended to preserve mitochondrial mass and biogenesis and completely protected mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and PPARα (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α) expression. We conclude that resveratrol treatment exerts beneficial protective effects on survival, endothelium–dependent smooth muscle relaxation and cardiac contractile and mitochondrial function, suggesting that resveratrol or metabolic activators could be a relevant therapy in hypertension-induced HF.
FT-Raman spectroscopy for the differentiation between cutaneous melanoma and pigmented nevus.

UNLABELLED Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer and Ft-Raman spectroscopy has been studied as a potential method that could be a real alternative for early diagnosis of neoplasms. PURPOSE To qualify the spectral FT-Raman data, in order to differentiate cutaneous melanoma and pigmented nevus. METHODS For this study, 10 samples of cutaneous melanoma, 9 samples of pigmented nevi, and 10 samples of normal skin were obtained by incisional biopsies performed during plastic surgeries ex vivo, immediately after removing the surgical sample. RESULTS The FT-Raman spectra of each group presented a high correlation between the elements of the same group, thus favoring the elaboration of spectral averages. When analyzing the spectral standard of each group, the normal skin standard did not show a significant variation between the spectra; the standard of the pigmented nevi group showed significant variation, and the cutaneous melanoma group also showed variation. Through univariate analysis, specific bands were detected for each vibrational mode identified. The discriminatory analysis of the data showed a 75.3% efficiency of the differentiation between the three groups studied. CONCLUSION The vibrational modes Polysaccharides, Tyrosine and Amide-I differentiated the melanoma from the pigmented nevus.
Scaling Data Linkage Generation with Domain-Independent Candidate Selection

We propose a candidate selection algorithm for scalably detecting coreferent instance pairs from heterogeneous Semantic Web data sources. Our algorithm selects candidate pairs by computing a characterlevel similarity on disambiguating literal values that are chosen using domain-independent unsupervised learning. We index the instances on such values to efficiently look up similar instances. Our algorithm is evaluated on three instance categories in two RDF datasets.
ii MMR : A Platform for Large-Scale Forensic Computing

The timely processing of large-scale digital forensic targets demands the empoyment of large-scale distributed resources, as well as the flexibility to customize the processing performed on the target. We presentMMR– a new, open implementation of the MapReduce processing model, which significantly outperforms prior work on typical forensic tasks. It demonstrates linear scaling for CPU-intensive processing and even super-linear scaling for indexing-related workloads.
Multi-Channel Live P2P Streaming: Refocusing on Servers

Due to peer instability and time-varying peer upload bandwidth availability in live peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming channels, it is preferable to provision adequate levels of stable upload capacities at dedicated streaming servers, in order to guarantee the streaming quality in all channels. Most commercial P2P streaming systems have resorted to the practice of over-provisioning upload capacities on streaming servers. In this paper, we have performed a detailed analysis on 400 GB and 7 months of run-time traces from UUSee, a commercial P2P streaming system, and observed that available capacities on streaming servers are not able to keep up with the increasing demand imposed by hundreds of channels. We propose a novel online server capacity provisioning algorithm that proactively adjusts the server capacities available to each of the concurrent channels, such that the supply of server bandwidth in each channel dynamically adapts to the forecasted demand, taking into account the number of peers, the streaming quality, and the priorities of channels. The algorithm is able to learn over time, and has full ISP awareness to maximally constrain P2P traffic within ISP boundaries. To evaluate the effectiveness of our solution, our experimental studies are based on an implementation of the algorithm with actual channels of P2P streaming traffic, with real-world traces replayed within a server cluster.
Decoded fMRI neurofeedback can induce bidirectional behavioral changes within single participants

Studies using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) have recently incorporated the decoding approach, allowing for fMRI to be used as a tool for manipulation of fine-grained neural activity. Because of the tremendous potential for clinical applications, certain questions regarding decoded neurofeedback (DecNef) must be addressed. Neurofeedback effects can last for months, but the short- to mid-term dynamics are not known. Specifically, can the same subjects learn to induce neural patterns in two opposite directions in different sessions? This leads to a further question, whether learning to reverse a neural pattern may be less effective after training to induce it in a previous session. Here we employed a within-subjects' design, with subjects undergoing DecNef training sequentially in opposite directions (up or down regulation of confidence judgements in a perceptual task), with the order counterbalanced across subjects. Behavioral results indicated that the manipulation was strongly influenced by the order and direction of neurofeedback. We therefore applied nonlinear mathematical modeling to parametrize four main consequences of DecNef: main effect of change in behavior, strength of down-regulation effect relative to up-regulation, maintenance of learning over sessions, and anterograde learning interference. Modeling results revealed that DecNef successfully induced bidirectional behavioral changes in different sessions. Furthermore, up-regulation was more sizable, and the effect was largely preserved even after an interval of one-week. Lastly, the second week effect was diminished as compared to the first week effect, indicating strong anterograde learning interference. These results suggest reinforcement learning characteristics of DecNef, and provide important constraints on its application to basic neuroscience, occupational and sports trainings, and therapies.
A Study on the Influencing Mechanism of Social Media Marketing on Relationship Marketing Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Culture Value

Social media marketing (SMM) has become an essential means of marketing in various industries, however, the attitude of financial service industry is relatively conservative. This paper explores the influencing mechanism of SMM activities on relationship marketing outcomes via relationship quality, and investigates the moderating effects of culture value on the relationships between SMM and relationship quality. An empirical study of retail banking industry demonstrates: (1) Functional value, hedonic value and personal value have significantly positive influences on customer commitment, (2) Functional value has a significant positive impact on customer trust, (3) The moderating effects of culture value on the relationships between SMM and relationship quality are partly significant. To sum up, some important managerial implications for China's retail banking industry are provided.
Cultivating Educational Resilience in Students Experiencing Multiple Grade Retention

This study examined the cultivation of educational resilience among upper elementary and middle school students experiencing multiple grade retention. Multiple grade retention means that a student has been retained in grade or “left back” more than once. These students are referred to within this study as “Multiple Holdovers” (MHO). The primary purpose of this study was to (a) examine the presence of resilience attributes as self-reported by MHO students in grades four through eight; and to (b) illuminate the perceptions of school leaders and teachers in schools attended by these MHO students with regard to each school’s readiness, efforts, accomplishments, and challenges to student resilience building. The research context for this study is a small sample of elementary and middle schools within the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). In this two-phased, mixed-methods (QUAN-QUAL) study, data was collected from responses to two questionnaire instruments completed by 13 MHO students and 17 educators (school leaders and teachers) in seven schools across three New York City boroughs. In addition, data was collected from educators in face-to-face interviews. These data were triangulated to corroborate the respondents’ perspectives on school-based student resilience-building. Findings support the need and importance of positive school relationships with MHO students to help them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Ronald D. Valenti Second Supervisor Winsome Gregory Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_etd/210 Cultivating Educational Resilience in Students Experiencing Multiple Grade Retention
Temporal difference learning with kernels for pricing american-style options

We propose in this paper to study the problem of estimating the cost-to-go function for an innite-horizon discounted Markov chain with possibly continuous state space. For implementation purposes, the state space is typically discretized. As soon as the dimension of the state space becomes large, the computation is no more practicable, a phenomenon referred to as the curse of dimensionality. The approximation of dynamic programming problems is therefore of major importance. A powerful method for dynamic programming, often referred to as neurodynamic programming, consists in representing the Bellman function as a linear combination of a priori dened functions, called neurons. The choice of the neurons represents a delicate operation since it requires to have an idea of the optimal solution. Furthermore, in a classical learning algorithm once the choice of these neurons is made it is no longer modied although the amount of the available information concerning the solution increases along the iterations. In other words, such algorithms are \locked" in the vector subspace generated by these neurons. Consequently, the algorithm is not able to reach the optimal solution if it does not belong to the neurons vector subspace. In this article, we propose an alternative approach very similar to temporal dierences, based on functional gradient descent and using an innite kernel basis. Our algorithm is a result of the combination of stochastic approximation ideas, and nonparametric estimation concepts. Furthermore, our algorithm, though aimed at innite dimensional problems, is implementable in practice. We prove the convergence of this algorithm under a few conditions, which are classical in stochastic approximation schemes. We conclude by showing on examples how this algorithm can be used to solve both innitehorizon discounted Markov chain problems, and bermudan option pricing.
Mitochondrial and Metabolic Gene Expression in the Aged Rat Heart

Aging is associated with a decline in cardiac function. Exercise intervention has been suggested as a way to improve this decrement. Age-related decline in cardiac function is associated with decreases in fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial function, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity. The molecular mechanisms involved with age-related changes in mitochondrial function and substrate metabolism are poorly understood. We determined gene expression differences in hearts of Young (6 mo), Old (33 mo), and old exercise trained (Old + EXE) (34 mo) FBN rats, using Qiagen PCR arrays for Glucose, Fatty acid, and Mitochondrial metabolism. Old rats demonstrated decreased (p < 0.05) expression for key genes in fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial function, and AMPK signaling. There were no differences in the expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism with age. These gene expression changes occurred prior to altered protein translation as we found no differences in the protein content of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, coactivators 1 alpha (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα), and AMPKα2 between young and old hearts. Four months of exercise training did not attenuate the decline in the gene expression in aged hearts. Despite this lack of change in gene expression, exercise-trained rats demonstrated increased exercise capacity compared to their sedentary counterparts. Taken together, our results show that differential expression of genes associated with fatty acid metabolism, AMPK signaling and mitochondrial function decrease in the aging heart which may play a role in age-related declines in fatty acid oxidation, AMPK activity, and mitochondrial function in the heart.
Distributed Segment Tree: Support of Range Query and Cover Query over DHT

Range query, which is defined as to find all the keys in a certain range over the underlying P2P network, has received a lot of research attentions recently. However, cover query, which is to find all the ranges currently in the system that cover a given key, is rarely touched. In this paper, we first identify that cover query is a highly desired functionality by some popular P2P applications, and then propose distributed segment tree (DST), a layered DHT structure that incorporates the concept of segment tree. Due to the intrinsic capability of segment tree in maintaining the sturcture of ranges, DST is shown to be very efficient for supporting both range query and cover query in a uniform way. It also possesses excellent parallelizability in query operations and can achieve O(1) complexity for moderate query ranges. To balance the load among DHT nodes, we design a downward load stripping mechanism that controls tradeoffs between load and performance. We implemented DST on publicly available OpenDHT service and performed extensive real experiments. All the results and comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness of DST for several important metrics.
Interpersonal distance and social anxiety in autistic spectrum disorders: A behavioral and ERP study

An inherent feature of social interactions is the use of social space or interpersonal distance—the space between one individual and another. Because social deficits are core symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we hypothesized that individuals on this spectrum will exhibit abnormal interpersonal distance preferences. The literature on interpersonal distance in ASD is not conclusive. While some studies show preferences for closer distances among this group, others show preferences for farther distances than controls. A common symptom of ASD that may explain the variance in responses to interpersonal distance in this population is social anxiety (SA), which has been shown to correlate with interpersonal distance preferences. In the current study, we investigated interpersonal distance preferences in a group of individuals with ASD using both behavioral and ERP measures. We found greater variance in interpersonal distance preferences in the ASD group than in the control group. Furthermore, we showed that this variance can be explained by differences in SA level and can be predicted by the N1 amplitude, an early ERP component related to attention and discrimination processes. These results hint at the early sensory and attentional processes that may be affecting higher social behaviors, both in subclinical and in clinical populations.
Web service composition using integer programming-based models

Because Web services provided by different providers may be different in quality of service (QoS) so it needs to select Web services for composite service dynamically. This paper gives methods that are built on the base of QoS description and addresses the issue of selecting Web services for the purpose of their composition. The effect of service level and workload on QoS is illustrated. Based on Web service QoS model, several methods for dynamic service selection are discussed. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of these methods
Silica Crystalline Colloidal Array Deep Ultraviolet Narrow-Band Diffraction Devices

We developed a facile method to fabricate deep ultraviolet (UV) photonic crystal crystalline colloidal array (CCA) Bragg diffraction devices. The CCAs were prepared through the self-assembly of small, monodisperse, highly surface charged silica particles (~50 nm diameter) that were synthesized by using a modified Stöber process. The particle surfaces were charged by functionalizing them with the strong acid, non-UV absorbing silane coupling agent 3-(trihydroxylsilyl)-1-propane-sulfonic acid (THOPS). These highly charged, monodisperse silica particles self assemble into a face-centered cubic CCA that efficiently Bragg diffracts light in the deep UV. The diffracted wavelength was varied between 237 nm to 227 nm by tilting the CCA orientation relative to the incident beam between glancing angles from 90° to ~66°. Theoretical calculations predict that the silica CCA diffraction will have a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 2 nm with a transmission of ~10−11 at the band center. We demonstrate the utility of this silica CCA filter to reject the Rayleigh scattering in 229 nm deep UV Raman measurements of highly scattering Teflon.
Cytogenetic mapping of eight genes encoding fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) in the pig genome

In the present study cytogenetic localization of eight fatty acid binding protein genes in the pig genome was shown. BAC clones, containing sequences of selected genes (FABP1, FABP2, FABP3, FABP4, FABP5, FABP6, FABP7 and FABP8) were derived from porcine BAC libraries and mapped by FISH to porcine chromosomes (SSC) 3q12, 8q25, 6q26, 4q12, 4q12, 16q22, 1p22 and 4q12, respectively. Detailed analyses of regions containing gene clusters (FABP4, FABP5, FABP8) in chromosome 4 were performed and their order was established. It was shown that these three genes are located beyond the FAT1 region. Assignment of the FABP genes to chromosome regions harboring quantitative trait loci (QTL) for fat deposition is discussed.