Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-Efficient Codebook Assignment and Power Allocation for Energy Efficiency Maximization in SCMA Networks

In this paper, we investigate the energy-efficient transmission problem by resource allocation in SCMA networks. We formulate it as an optimization problem to maximize the network energy efficiency (EE) subject to quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, codebook assignment, power allocation, and subcarrier reuse constraints. Due to its mixed combinatory, we separate codebook assignment and power allocation to devise suboptimal but cost- efficient algorithms. With power equally distributed, we first propose a novel scheme to assign codebooks. We then develop a derivative- bisection based algorithm to optimally solve the resultant power allocation problem by exploiting its quasiconcave structure. Simulation results exhibit the superiority of the proposed algorithms against the existing classical schemes and of SCMA over OFDMA in terms of the network EE.
Altered type II interferon precedes autoantibody accrual and elevated type I interferon activity prior to systemic lupus erythematosus classification

Objectives The relationship of immune dysregulation and autoantibody production that may contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis is unknown. This study evaluates the individual and combined contributions of autoantibodies, type I interferon (IFN-α) activity, and IFN-associated soluble mediators to disease development leading to SLE. Methods Serial serum specimens from 55 individuals collected prior to SLE classification (average timespan=4.3 years) and unaffected healthy controls matched by age (±5 years), gender, race and time of sample procurement were obtained from the Department of Defense Serum Repository. Levels of serum IFN-α activity, IFN-associated mediators and autoantibodies were evaluated and temporal relationships assessed by growth curve modelling, path analysis, analysis of covariance and random forest models. Results In cases, but not matched controls, autoantibody specificities and IFN-associated mediators accumulated over a period of years, plateauing near the time of disease classification (p<0.001). Autoantibody positivity coincided with or followed type II IFN dysregulation, preceding IFN-α activity in growth curve models, with elevated IFN-α activity and B-lymphocyte stimulator levels occurring shortly before SLE classification (p≤0.005). Cases were distinguished by multivariate random forest models incorporating IFN-γ, macrophage chemoattractant protein (MCP)-3, anti-chromatin and anti-spliceosome antibodies (accuracy 93% >4 years pre-classification; 97% within 2 years of SLE classification). Conclusions Years before SLE classification, enhancement of the type II IFN pathway allows for accumulation of autoantibodies and subsequent elevations in IFN-α activity immediately preceding SLE classification. Perturbations in select immunological processes may help identify at-risk individuals for further clinical evaluation or participation in prospective intervention trials.
Decreased SMG7 expression associates with lupus-risk variants and elevated antinuclear antibody production

Objectives Following up the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identification of NMNAT2 at rs2022013, we fine-mapped its 150 kb flanking regions containing NMNAT2 and SMG7 in a 15 292 case–control multi-ancestry population and tested functions of identified variants. Methods We performed genotyping using custom array, imputation by IMPUTE 2.1. 2 and allele specific functions using quantitative real-time PCR and luciferase reporter transfections. SLE peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with small interfering RNAs to measure antinuclear antibody (ANA) and cyto/chemokine levels in supernatants using ELISA. Results We confirmed association at NMNAT2 in European American (EA) and Amerindian/Hispanic ancestries, and identified independent signal at SMG7 tagged by rs2702178 in EA only (p=2.4×10−8, OR=1.23 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.32)). In complete linkage disequilibrium with rs2702178, rs2275675 in the promoter region robustly associated with SMG7 mRNA levels in multiple expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) datasets. Its risk allele was dose-dependently associated with decreased SMG7 mRNA levels in PBMCs of 86 patients with SLE and 119 controls (p=1.1×10−3 and 6.8×10−8, respectively) and conferred reduced transcription activity in transfected HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney cell line) and Raji cells (p=0.0035 and 0.0037, respectively). As a critical component in the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway, SMG7 could regulate autoantigens including ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and Smith (Sm). We showed SMG7 mRNA levels in PBMCs correlated inversely with ANA titres of patients with SLE (r=−0.31, p=0.01), and SMG7 knockdown increased levels of ANA IgG and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 19 in SLE PBMCs (p=2.0×10−5 and 2.0×10−4, respectively). Conclusion We confirmed NMNAT2 and identified independent SMG7 association with SLE. The inverse relationship between levels of the risk allele-associated SMG7 mRNAs and ANA suggested the novel contribution of mRNA surveillance pathway to SLE pathogenesis.
On the Evaluation of Clipping Effects in Massive MIMO-OFDM Systems

The combination of massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) schemes with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulations are being considered for 5th generation (5G) wireless broadband systems. However, both the high complexity associated to massive MIMO transceivers as well as the amplification problems of OFDM constitute important drawbacks of such combination. In this paper we propose a reduced complexity, energy efficient massive MIMO OFDM scheme. For that purpose, we consider a maximal ratio transmit (MRT) technique combined with a simple time-domain clipping operation. We present an analytical method for obtaining both the power spectral density (PSD) of the transmitted signals, as well as the signal-to-interference (SIR) at the detection level. It is shown that having a large number of transmit antennas not only provides the known power and capacity gains, but also increases the robustness to nonlinear distortion effects.
Textbook of Clinical Chemistry

The last edition of Tietz's Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry appeared more than ten years ago and survives as a dated but valuable reference. The successor to Fundamentals, Textbook of Clinical Chemistry , follows an outline similar to the original text but adds many new subjects and updates older topics. This has resulted in a text that is 50% larger than its predecessor. Much of the newer material centers on interpretation and understanding of data and its limitations. For example, more than 200 pages (compared with 50 pages) are dedicated to an introductory section entitled "Acquisition, Management, and Application of Laboratory Data," covering the use of reference ranges, statistics, quality assurance, method evaluation, and computers. The remaining introductory chapters discuss general procedures, instrumentation, and automation. Unfortunately, the chapter that discusses current automated instrumentation already has been outdated by equipment evolution and could have been incorporated into the chapter about general instrumentation principles.
On the Virtualization and Dynamic Orchestration of Satellite Communication Services

Key features of satellite communications such as wide-scale coverage, broadcast/multicast support and high availability, together with significant amounts of new satellite capacity coming online, anticipate new opportunities for satellite communications services as an integral part within upcoming 5G systems. To materialize these opportunities, satellite communications services have to be provisioned and operated in a more flexible, agile and cost-effective manner than done today. In this context, this paper describes a solution for the virtualization and dynamic orchestration of satellite communication services that builds on the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies within the satellite ground segment systems. Along with the description of the main system architecture traits, the flowchart of a general procedure for the dynamic instantiation of virtualized satellite networks on top of a SDN/NFV-enabled satellite ground segment system is provided. The paper also presents experimental results for the dynamic customization of satellite network services through the implementation of a set of virtualized satellite network functions that can be orchestrated over general purpose open virtual platforms.
Choosing a time and place for calibration of lidar-camera systems

We propose a calibration method that automatically estimates the extrinsic calibration between a sensor pose-graph from natural scenes. The sensor pose-graph represents a system of sensors comprising of lidars and cameras, without sensor co-visibility constraints. The method addresses the fact that each scene contributes differently to the calibration problem by introducing a diligent scene selection scheme. The algorithm searches over all scenes to extract a subset of exemplars, whose joint optimisation yields progressively better calibration estimates. This non-parametric method requires no knowledge of the physical world, and continuously finds scenes that better constrain the optimisation parameters. We explain the theory, implement the method, and provide detailed performance analyses with experiments on real-world data.
Detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs): a multicentre European Vasculitis Study Group (EUVAS) evaluation of the value of indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) versus antigen-specific immunoassays

Objective This multicentre study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a wide spectrum of novel technologies nowadays available for detection of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3)-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs). Methods Sera (obtained at the time of diagnosis) from 251 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), including granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis, and from 924 disease controls were tested for the presence of cytoplasmic pattern/perinuclear pattern and atypical ANCA (A-ANCA) by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) (at two sites) and for the presence of PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA by eight different immunoassays. Results The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve to discriminate AAV from controls was 0.923 (95% CI 0.902 to 0.944) and 0.843 (95% CI 0.814 to 0.871) for the two IIF methods. For the antigen-specific immunoassays, the AUC varied between 0.936 (95% CI 0.912 to 0.960) and 0.959 (95% CI 0.941 to 0.976), except for one immunoassay for which the AUC was 0.919 (95% CI 0.892 to 0.945). Conclusions Our comparison of various ANCA detection methods showed (i) large variability between the two IIF methods tested and (ii) a high diagnostic performance of PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA by immunoassay to discriminate AAV from disease controls. Consequently, dual IIF/antigen-specific immunoassay testing of each sample is not necessary for maximal diagnostic accuracy. These results indicate that the current international consensus on ANCA testing for AAV needs revision.
Reversal of multidrug resistance by magnetic chitosan-Fe3O4 nanoparticle-encapsulated MDR1 siRNA in glioblastoma cell line

Abstract Objective: To investigate the reversal effects of MDR1 gene on multidrug resistance in the glioblastoma cell line BT325 by magnetic chitosan-Fe3O4 nanoparticle-encapsulated MDR1 siRNA. Methods: The shRNA expression vector was constructed and the recombinant plasmids were cloned. Magnetic chitosan-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared and the encapsulation rate was determined. After transfection, the BT325 cells were cultured to assay the transfection efficiency. The changing of MDR1 mRNA level and P-gp protein was evaluated. And the sensitivity to different chemotherapeutic drugs was assessed in BT325-siRNA transfected cell and untransfected cell by IC50 values. Results: The MDR1 RNAi plasmid was successfully designed and preparation. The encapsulation efficiency of the magnetic chitosan-Fe3O4 nanoparticle was 98–99%. The transfection efficiency of the siRNA-nanoparticles in BT325 cells was 70–80%. And the MDR1 mRNA levels were downregulated by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay. Furthermore, the results of P-gp protein expression decreased on immunocytochemical assay, Western blot and flow cytometry compared with control group. The IC50 values of DOX and VCR were decreased between the transfected cell and normal BT325 cell. Conclusion: After targeted transfection of the glioblastoma cell line with magnetic chitosan-Fe3O4 nanoparticle-encapsulated MDR1 siRNA, the expression of MDR1 at both the mRNA and protein level decreased, which increased sensitivity to chemotherapy in vitro. It might provide a basis for investigation of the mechanism involved in multidrug resistance in glioma.
Fitting yeast and mammalian prion aggregation kinetic data with the Finke-Watzky two-step model of nucleation and autocatalytic growth.

Recently, we reported 14 amyloid protein aggregation kinetic data sets that were fit using the "Ockham's razor"/minimalistic Finke-Watzky (F-W) two-step model of slow nucleation (A --> B, rate constant k 1) and fast autocatalytic growth (A + B --> 2B, rate constant k 2), yielding quantitative (average) rate constants for nucleation ( k 1) and growth ( k 2), where A is the monomeric protein and B is the polymeric protein [Morris, A. M. , et al. (2008) Biochemistry 47, 2413-2427]. Herein, we apply the F-W model to 27 representative prion aggregation kinetic data sets obtained from the literature. Each prion data set was successfully fit with the F-W model, including three different yeast prion proteins (Sup35p, Ure2p, and Rnq1p) as well as mouse and human prions. These fits yield the first quantitative rate constants for the steps of nucleation and growth in prion aggregation. Examination of a Sup35p system shows that the same rate constants are obtained for nucleation and for growth within experimental error, regardless of which of six physical methods was used, a unique set of important control experiments in the protein aggregation literature. Also provided herein are analyses of several factors influencing the aggregation of prions such as glutamine/asparagine rich regions and the number of oligopeptide repeats in the prion domain. Where possible, verification or refutation of previous correlations to glutamine/asparagine regions, or the number of repeat sequences, in literature aggregation kinetics is given in light of the quantitative rate constants obtained herein for nucleation and growth during prion aggregation. The F-W model is then contrasted to four literature mechanisms that address the molecular picture of prion transmission and propagation. Key limitations of the F-W model are listed to prevent overinterpretation of the data being analyzed, limitations that derive ultimately from the model's simplicity. Finally, possible avenues of future research are suggested.
Quadrupedal locomotion using trajectory optimization and hierarchical whole body control

Quadrupedal locomotion can be described as a constrained optimization problem that is very hard to solve due to the high dimensional, nonlinear and non-smooth system dynamics. In this paper, we propose a formulation that can be solved within few seconds using sequential quadratic programming. This method considers only a simplified model that just sufficiently represents the system dynamics. The output is a very coarse plan, which can be accurately and robustly followed on a real system using hierarchical whole-body control combined with inverted pendulum-based reactive stepping. Using the fully torque controllable quadrupedal robot ANYmal, we present successful experiments for walking, trotting, and gait transitions even under substantial external disturbances.
Max K-CUT Based Clustering for Interference Mitigation and Traffic Adaptation in TDD Systems

Clustering is a promising interference mitigation scheme in dynamic TDD systems. However, most previous works just took large-scale path loss or coupling loss as criteria of the clustering schemes, thus the throughput performance would be limited by the varying traffic requirements among different small cells within one cluster. In this paper, a novel dynamic cluster-based Interference Mitigation and Traffic Adaptation (IMTA) scheme is proposed and evaluated with dense deployment of small cells (SCs). Firstly, a new clustering criterion named Differentiating Metric (DM) is defined. Based on the defined DM value, a DM matrix is formed and further presented by a clustering graph. In the clustering graph, the dynamic clustering strategy is mapped to a MAX K-CUT problem, which is addressed in polynomial time by a proposed heuristic clustering algorithm. Furthermore, the system level simulation results demonstrate a promising improvement on uplink traffic throughput (UTP) in our proposed scheme compared with traditional clustering schemes.
An assessment of the relative efficiency of a facilitator-driven requirements collection process with respect to the conventional interview method

A case is made for the use of "facilitator-driven" requirements collection processes (within suitable parameters), as opposed to the "conventional interview method". Based on the principal author's professional experience, this experience based report presents a comparative and normalized analysis of eight facilitator-led requirements collection sessions with respect to four conventional interview method requirements collection processes. The relative efficiency of the two methods is compared statistically, and conclusions are drawn regarding the improvements in the requirements collection process attributable to the use of the facilitator-driven approach.
A multivariate analysis of the survival of patients with aggressive lymphoma

Aggressive non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma is now often curable with chemotherapy. The International Prognostic Index (IPI) was recently developed to predict patient survival on the basis of pretreatment clinical features. However, classical multivariate regression models such as the IPI fail to detect time‐dependent changes in the predictive value of covariates. In this study, an extension of the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine whether the value of prognostic factors might decay over time.
Open Information Extraction via Contextual Sentence Decomposition

We show how contextual sentence decomposition (CSD), a technique originally developed for high-precision semantic search, can be used for open information extraction (OIE). Intuitively, CSD decomposes a sentence into the parts that semantically "belong together". By identifying the (implicit or explicit) verb in each such part, we obtain facts like in OIE. We compare our system, called CSD-IE, to three state-of-the-art OIE systems: ReVerb, OLLIE, and ClausIE. We consider the following aspects: accuracy (does the extracted triple express a meaningful fact, which is also expressed in the original sentence), minimality (can the extracted triple be further decomposed into smaller meaningful triples), coverage (percentage of text contained in at least one extracted triple), and number of facts extracted. We show how CSD-IE clearly outperforms ReVerb and OLLIE in terms of coverage and recall, but at comparable accuracy and minimality, and how CSD-IE achieves precision and recall comparable to ClausIE, but at significantly better minimality.
A Two-Stage Interference Alignment Scheme for Two-Cell Downlink MIMO Cellular Network with Delayed CSIT

In this paper, we study the degree of freedom(DoF) for the two-cell downlink multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) interference multiple access channel(IMAC) with the delayed channel state information at the transmitters(CSIT). We propose a two-stage interference alignment scheme(TSIA) which makes full use of both the outdated and the current CSIT to align not only the interference from the adjacent cell onto the zero space, but also the intra-cell interference onto the subspace spanned by the previously received interference signals, respectively. Based on the TSIA method, we characterize the sum DoF of the network and the result shows the significant gain compared with the traditional TDMA-ZF scheme. Furthermore, the trend of the sum rate of the network well coincides with the analysis of DoF, which verifies our work.
A simple calculation of the target height

An important goal of growth monitoring in childhood is to identify genetic disorders and diseases. For early detection one requires adequate growth references, frequent measures of height and weight of children and evidence-based referral criteria. A guideline for short stature was published recently.1 It has been shown that target height (TH) adds greatly to the predictive ability of this guideline. TH is a term used for the expected height of a child given the heights of the parents. The calculation of the TH has changed over the years. In 1886, Galton introduced the mid-parental height (MPH) as the average of the heights of the two parents, that is, MPH=(FH+MH)/2, where FH and MH denote the heights of the father and mother, respectively.2 In 1970, Tanner defined an adjustment for sex on the MPH.3 In the previous …
‘Treat Me Don't Beat Me’ … . Exploring Supervisory Games and Their Effect on Poor Performance Management

This paper explores the concept of games that can be played out in social work supervision and the resulting effects on both social worker performance, and ultimately on client service provision. It draws on the well-known game playing concepts of Berne and Kadushin, and will then proceed to locate these issues in today's social work context. In particular, it will argue that in light of the recent Social Work Taskforce Report, Building a Safe, Confident Future, recommendations calling for clear requirements governing supervision to ensure high-quality practice, it is critical that attention to supervision is focused not just on questions of frequency and content, but also on the complex interpersonal dynamics. This paper proposes that social work managers are potentially susceptible to certain supervisory games due to their anxieties about the use of power in practice. The purpose is to assist social work managers to better understand particular games and how they can unwittingly participate. It explores the inadequate provision of support and supervision for managers themselves, and highlight the oft forgotten outcome of these dynamics — the resulting poor quality service provision to vulnerable social work clients.
Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Drinking Patterns Questionnaire

ObjectivesThis study examined a self-report instrument, the Drinking Patterns Questionnaire (DPQ), to identify its basic psychometric properties. The DPQ consists of 106 items representing potential drinking antecedents across 8 broader cue categories (work, financial, physiologic, interpersonal, marital, parental, children, and emotional). MethodsFour combined samples of respondents (N=365) drawn from alcohol treatment/research programs completed the DPQ, indicating whether they drank in and how important each of 106 situations was to their pretreatment drinking. Analyses examined the internal consistency and preliminary validity of each of the 8 DPQ subscales. ResultsThe majority of the DPQ subscales exhibited high internal consistency. Significant correlations between the DPQ subscales and corresponding baseline measures provided initial support for the validity of the DPQ. ConclusionsOverall, study results suggest that the DPQ is a reliable and valid measure of drinking antecedents, though additional research should investigate instrument norms, factor structure, and validity with a larger and more heterogeneous sample. The DPQ may be useful as a treatment-planning, functional analysis, and relapse prevention tool.