Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wiener-Hopf Factorization for a Family of Lévy Processes Related to Theta Functions

In this paper we study the Wiener-Hopf factorization for a class of Lévy processes with double-sided jumps, characterized by the fact that the density of the Lévy measure is given by an infinite series of exponential functions with positive coefficients. We express the Wiener-Hopf factors as infinite products over roots of a certain transcendental equation, and provide a series representation for the distribution of the supremum/infimum process evaluated at an independent exponential time. We also introduce five eight-parameter families of Lévy processes, defined by the fact that the density of the Lévy measure is a (fractional) derivative of the theta function, and we show that these processes can have a wide range of behavior of small jumps. These families of processes are of particular interest for applications, since the characteristic exponent has a simple expression, which allows efficient numerical computation of the Wiener-Hopf factors and distributions of various functionals of the process.
SDSS J0926+3624: the shortest period eclipsing binary star

With orbital periods of the order of tens of minutes or less, the AM Canum Venaticorum stars are ultracompact, hydrogen-deficient binaries with the shortest periods of any binary subclass, and are expected to be among the strongest gravitational wave sources in the sky. To date, the only known eclipsing source of this type is the P= 28 min binary SDSS J0926+3624. We present multiband, high time resolution light curves of this system, collected with William Herschel Telescope (WHT)/ULTRACAM in 2006 and 2009. We supplement these data with additional observations made with Liverpool Telescope/Rapid Imager to Search for Exoplanets (LT/RISE), XMM–Newton and the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey. From light curve models we determine the mass ratio to be q=M2/M1= 0.041 ± 0.002 and the inclination to be . We calculate the mass of the primary white dwarf to be 0.85 ± 0.04 M⊙ and the donor to be 0.035 ± 0.003 M⊙, implying a partially degenerate state for this component. We observe superhump variations that are characteristic of an elliptical, precessing accretion disc. Our determination of the superhump period excess is in agreement with the established relationship between this parameter and the mass ratio, and is the most precise calibration of this relationship at low q. We also observe a quasi-periodic oscillation in the 2006 data, and we examine the outbursting behaviour of the system over a 4.5 year period.
Wideband Circular Patch Antenna for Pattern Diversity Application

A low-profile wideband circular patch antenna with pattern diversity is proposed. The TM mode of the patch is excited by two feeding loops with in-phase current, which radiates the broadside beam. The TM mode is excited by another set of feeding loops with antiphase current, which radiates a conical beam. The two modes can operate at an overlapped frequency range. The proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. The measured impedance bandwidth (VSWR <; 2) for the broadside beam is from 1.71 to 2.25 GHz, and for the conical beam is from 1.36 to 2.17 GHz. The measured gains of the broadside beams and conical beams are 8-9.7 dBi and 3.8-6.4 dBi, respectively. The isolation between the two input ports is better than -25 dB. The antenna can be used as a pattern diversity antenna for modern mobile communications.
Ethylene Biosynthesis in Detached Young Persimmon Fruit Is Initiated in Calyx and Modulated by Water Loss from the Fruit1

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruit are usually classified as climacteric fruit; however, unlike typical climacteric fruits, persimmon fruit exhibit a unique characteristic in that the younger the stage of fruit detached, the greater the level of ethylene produced. To investigate ethylene induction mechanisms in detached young persimmon fruit, we cloned three cDNAs encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (DK-ACS1, 2, and -3) and two encoding ACC oxidase (DK-ACO1 and -2) genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis, and we analyzed their expression in various fruit tissues. Ethylene production was induced within a few days of detachment in all fruit tissues tested, accompanied by temporally and spatially coordinated expression of all theDK-ACS andDK-ACO genes. In all tissues except the calyx, treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene, an inhibitor of ethylene action, suppressed ethylene production and ethylene biosynthesis-related gene expression. In the calyx, one ACC synthase gene (DK-ACS2) exhibited increased mRNA accumulation accompanied by a large quantity of ethylene production, and treatment of the fruit with 1-methylcyclopropene did not prevent either the accumulation of DK-ACS2transcripts or ethylene induction. Furthermore, the alleviation of water loss from the fruit significantly delayed the onset of ethylene production and the expression of DK-ACS2in the calyx. These results indicate that ethylene biosynthesis in detached young persimmon fruit is initially induced in calyx and is modulated by water loss through transcriptional activation ofDK-ACS2. The ethylene produced in the calyx subsequently diffuses to other fruit tissues and acts as a secondary signal that stimulates autocatalytic ethylene biosynthesis in these tissues, leading to a burst of ethylene production.
A new approach for the analysis of thick wire antennas

An original analysis of thick tubular antenna is presented. Using the method of moments, Pocklington's integro-differential equation is solved for the z-directed current density. Both vertical and azimuthal segmentation is utilized. A novel and singularity-free representation of exact kernel is introduced. Circumferential change of the calculated current density is displayed when the antenna is excited by a z-polarized plane wave. The accuracy of admittance results are discussed by comparing calculated values with measured ones.
Biomarkers for prostate cancer

The detection of prostate cancer using a blood test has by many standards changed the face of the disease. Despite this tremendous success, there are limitations attributed to the use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a means to screen and detect prostate cancer. PSA, as its name implies, is not specific for prostate cancer and as such is often found elevated in other prostatic diseases/symptoms associated with the aging male. Clearly, more specific marker(s) that could identify which individuals actually have prostate cancer and differentiate them from those without the disease would be of tremendous value. The search for more accurate and clinically useful biomarkers of prostate cancer has been extensive. This has focused on individual markers, as well as groups of markers. Included among these are PSA isoforms, pathological indicators and stains, nucleic acids and others. This article highlights the discovery of PSA as a first blood‐based biomarker for prostate cancer detection, as well as other molecular biomarkers and their potential application in detection of the disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 3–9, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation of a Protein Target of the FKBP12-Rapamycin Complex in Mammalian Cells (*)

The immunosuppressive drug, rapamycin, interferes with an undefined signaling pathway required for the progression of G1-phase T-cells into S phase. Genetic analyses in yeast indicate that binding of rapamycin to its intracellular receptor, FKBP12, generates a toxic complex that inhibits cell growth in G1 phase. These analyses implicated two related proteins, TOR1 and TOR2, as targets of the FKBP12-rapamycin complex in yeast. In this study, we have used a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-FKBP12-rapamycin affinity matrix to isolate putative mammalian targets of rapamycin (mTOR) from tissue extracts. In the presence of rapamycin, immobilized GST-FKBP12 specifically precipitates similar high molecular mass proteins from both rat brain and murine T-lymphoma cell extracts. Binding experiments performed with rapamycin-sensitive and -resistant mutant clones derived from the YAC-1 T-lymphoma cell line demonstrate that the GST-FKBP12-rapamycin complex recovers significantly lower amounts of the candidate mTOR from rapamycin-resistant cell lines. The latter results suggest that mTOR is a relevant target of rapamycin in these cells. Finally, we report the isolation of a full-length mTOR cDNA that encodes a direct ligand for the FKBP12-rapamycin complex. The deduced amino acid sequence of mTOR displays 42 and 45% identity to those of yeast TOR1 and TOR2, respectively. These results strongly suggest that the FKBP12-rapamycin complex interacts with homologous ligands in yeast and mammalian cells and that the loss of mTOR function is directly related to the inhibitory effect of rapamycin on G1- to S-phase progression in T-lymphocytes and other sensitive cell types.
Agency theory and ownershipstructure - Estimating the effect of ownershipstructure on firm performance

This thesis tries to answer the question whether ownership structure matters for firm performance. The starting point for the analysis is the agency theory by Jensen and Meckling (1976), which predicts that higher levels of managerial ownership structure increase firm performance due to an incentive effect. Other authors have in turn suggested that large outside owners might have a role to play as monitors of the management and might thus enhance performance (Shlefer and Vishny 1986 and Zeckhauser and Pound 1990). On the other hand, the private benefits literature (Barclay and Holderness 1989 and Bebchuk 1999) suggests that high ownership concentration may lead to the extraction of the firm’s resources by the dominant owners at the expense of other shareholders. The empirical part of the thesis tests these two hypotheses, which can be combined if we allow the effect of ownership to be nonlinear. A large amount of empirical research has been published on the subject. Demsetz and Lehn (1985) were the first to estimate the effect of ownership concentration on firm performance and they found no relationship. Important research has also been published by Himmelberg et al. (1999), who estimate a fixed effects model on firm performance and insider ownership and also fail to find a relationship. Studies using non-U.S. data have, however, found a positive relationship even when controlling for endogeneity. Controlling for the endogeneity of ownership is important both in the light of the empirical results and the theoretical discussion. The thesis uses a panel dataset of Finnish listed companies over the years 2007-2009 to estimate a fixed effects model similar to Himmelberg et al (1999). In addition to control variables the model includes variables for insider ownership, ownership concentration and managerial compensation. The results from OLS regressions are largely in line with agency theory predictions, but statistical significance dissappears when controlling the endogeneity of ownership by two-stage least squares estimation. Upon closer inspection this turns out to be caused by the weakness of the used instruments. We then face the dilemma of choosing between OLS estimates biased due to endogeneity and 2SLS estimates biased due to weak instruments.
Running head : Delusional ideation , dissociative experiences and flse recall

The influence of individual differences in a measur e of delusional ideation (Peters et al. Delusional Inventory; Peters et al., 1999) or disso ciative experiences (Dissociative Experiences Scale; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986) on the production of false memories was examined. Using a modified DRM procedure, outcomes that were consistent with the activation/monitoring account of DRM false memories ( .g., Roediger et al., 2001) were observed. In addition, it was found that scores on b th scales were associated with increased rates of false recall of the non-presented lure and with a poorer performance on a measure that assessed unsuccessful source monitoring. However, n either score was associated with veridical memory. These results contribute to bette r understand the influence of individual differences on the resistance to false memories.
Dynamic imaging with lanthanide chelates in normal brain: Contrast due to magnetic susceptibility effects

Using a one‐dimensional rapid imaging technique, we have found that injection of lanthanide chelates such as Gd(DTPA)2− leads to a significant decrease (50%) in rat brain signal intensity at 1.45 T using T2‐weighted pulse sequences; however, no effect of comparable size is observed with T1‐weighted pulse sequences. The transient effect and its kinetics were followed with a temporal resolution of between 1 and 8 s. Experiments with different lanthanide chelates show that the observed decrease in signal intensity correlates with the magnetic moment of each agent but not with their longitudinal relaxivity. Three‐dimensional chemical‐shift resolved experiments demonstrate significant line broadening in brain during infusion with Dy(DTPA)2− Our results show that the cause of this effect is the difference in susceptibility between the capillaries, containing the contrast agent, and the surrounding tissue. As a result of these susceptibility differences, field gradients are produced in the tissue and diffusion of water through these gradients leads to a loss of spin phase coherence and thus a decrease in signal intensity. We propose this as a new type of contrast agent mechanism in NMR. The effect and its kinetics are likely to be related to important physiological parameters such as cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow, and do not depend on a breakdown of the blood‐brain barrier as do conventional contrast agent techniques. © 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
A set theoretic approach to path planning for mobile robots

This paper addresses the path planning problem for mobile robots in a set theoretic framework. Under the assumption of unknown but bounded disturbances, a procedure for computing minimum average uncertainty paths is proposed. The considered scenario is that of a holonomic mobile robot moving in an environment where landmarks can be identified. Practical issues, such as limited visibility of landmarks and obstacle avoidance, are addressed. The proposed technique is validated via numerical simulations.
A distributed algorithm for balanced multi-robot task allocation

In this paper the problem of static multi-robot task allocation is addressed. It is concerned with the distribution of static tasks in an environment to robots such that the robots complete the tasks in an optimal fashion. The cost of completing a task is proportional to the distance travelled by a robot to visit that task. This problem is of particular importance in multi-robot systems because finding an optimal solution is NP-hard. Earlier work has paid less attention towards load balanced task allocation. In this paper, a completely distributed algorithm is proposed. A travelling salesman tour (TST) considering all task locations is computed using distributed genetic algorithm. The TST is partitioned into fragments that are distributed amongst the robots using a novel auction algorithm. The proposed algorithm is compared with a state of the art algorithm in simulation. The results thus obtained substantiate the fact that the proposed algorithm shows improved performance in terms of load balanced distribution of tasks to the individual robots in multi-robot system.
H/sub /spl infin// deconvolution filter design and its application in image restoration

This paper addresses the use of H/sub /spl infin// filtering to deconvolution, in particular, to the problem of image restoration. The proposed H/sub /spl infin// deconvolution filter has some advantages in the image restoration such as it can deal with unknown boundary problem and spatially varying blurs. The H/sub /spl infin// filter is compared with the inverse Wiener filter and a regularized restoration. The experimental results show that the H/sub /spl infin// filter deals with the unknown boundary problem better than the Wiener filter. Compared with the regularization method, it gives a sharper restored image, especially, when the original image contains many details.
Conceptual models for better quality of portfolio web site experience

The article analyzes the quality of user experience (QoE) for particular category of websites, i.e. Portfolios. Portfolios represent an interesting blend of creativity and development techniques. Graphic designers blend great design practices and good coding techniques in order to provide an aesthetically pleasing usable web portfolio. In trying to impress possible employers graphic designers are in some cases more concerned with showing off their expertise rather than focusing on the user experience. The article explores the correlation between visual interests and computer competences of the user with the quality of experience of the particular website. The research is based on a subjective survey research of users and discusses the results of what type of portfolio web site's conceptual model/programming tool is more suitable with regard to user's interest and competences. It was shown more competent users are generally more critical about the quality of experience, and value pragmatic over hedonic quality of the product.
Implant Surface Micro-Design

The application of implants for dental and orthopedic surgery has increased rapidly within the past few decades. In craniomaxillofacial surgery, different implant systems have been applied, for example, for dental and bone replacement or osteosynthesis plates and screws. These implants may be made of pure titanium or a titanium alloy, usually titanium- aluminum-vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V). The surface can he turned or Machined or a coating may cover the metal base. The reason for treating the implant surface is to obtain maximum bone- implant contact and bone-implant stability and to shorten the healing time for earlier loading. The crucial aspect of pure titanium implants is the development of titanium oxide on the surface. This oxide and other known coatings for implant material do not have high wear resistance. This article thus aims to review Implant Surface Micro-design its rationale, various surface's physical and chemical properties, different types of implant surface treatments, optimum roughness of oxidized implants and controversies associated with various implant topographies. The recent advances like nanotechnology are also included. I. I ntroduction he success and predictability of osseointegrated dental implants have forever changed the philosophy and practice of dentistry and, perhaps more than any other specialty, Prosthodontics has changed dramatically. In the late 1950's, Per-Ingvar Branemark, a Swedish professor in anatomy studying blood circulation in bone and marrow, developed through a serendipitous finding in the history of medicine: he predictably achieved an intimate bone-to- implant apposition that offered sufficient strength to cope with load transfer. He called the phenomenon "osseointegration". Since that time, millions of patients have been treated worldwide using this technique. The implants used sometimes had different geometries and surface characteristics. A key element in the reaction of hard and soft tissues to an implant involves the implant's surface characteristics, that is, the chemical and physical properties. Quest continued for a material with a surface property which enhances bone apposition at the implant surface in an osteoconductive manner. The quest was for a biocompatible if not bioactive surfaces, achieved through additive or subtractive process.
Parental awareness of substance use among youths in public service sectors.

OBJECTIVE When asked about substance use, youths typically endorse higher levels of use than parents, suggesting that parents are often unaware of their child's drug and alcohol use. This study sought to examine the level of concordance between reports of youths enrolled in public sectors of care and their parents, and identify potential predictors of parental awareness of substance use and related problems. METHOD Youths receiving services in one or more public sectors of care (N = 985; 67% male) and their parents were interviewed about the youths' substance use and substance use problems, as well as associated demographic, parental, and youth factors. RESULTS As has been found in other studies, youths generally reported higher rates of substance use and substance use problems compared with parents. Rates of agreement ranged from κ = . 24 (sedatives) to κ = . 67 (marijuana) and were higher for drug problems (κ = .47) than for alcohol problems (κ = .34). Predictors of parental awareness of drug problems included youth gender (male), race (White compared with Hispanic), and higher ratings of youth's functional impairment. Predictors of parental awareness of alcohol problems included race (White compared with Hispanic), lower levels of youth-reported parental monitoring, lower levels of parental depression, and higher ratings of youth functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS In this high-risk population, a significant proportion of parents are unaware of their child's alcohol (30%) and substance use (50%) problems. Services geared toward enhancing parental awareness, especially for parents of Hispanic and female youths, may increase communication and treatment seeking.
Perceptions of Parental Communication Orientation, Perfectionism, and Disordered Eating Behaviors of Sons and Daughters

This study investigated the influence of perceived parental communication orientation and individual perfectionism on late adolescent offspring's maladaptive eating behaviors using a nonclinical sample (N = 424). College students' perceptions of their communication patterns with parents, self- and parentally prescribed perfectionism, and perceptions of personal control were measured to explore possible associations among these variables and whether they, in combination, predicted maladaptive eating. Results revealed that 23% of the sample participated in maladaptive eating behaviors; in addition, a father–child conformity communication pattern and paternally prescribed perfectionism predicted maladaptive eating within this sample when controlling for individual factors such as offspring's perfectionism and perceived loss of personal control. These findings suggest that father–child communicative interaction that emphasizes conformity to high paternal standards may increase offspring's risk of developing maladaptive eating behaviors.
Propagation and Aliasing of High Frequencies in the FDTD Grid

The FDTD method is usually employed below its cutoff frequency, in the region where the propagation of waves is nondissipative and almost free of dispersion. This paper addresses what occurs when arbitrarily high frequencies are coupled to the grid. The solutions of the FDTD equation of dispersion are derived for any frequency, and the aliasing of frequencies is demonstrated. Some solutions which can be used to remove the spurious effects of aliasing are discussed.