Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is there a string theory landscape

We examine recent claims of a large set of flux compactification solutions of string theory. We conclude that the arguments for AdS solutions are plausible. The analysis of meta-stable dS solutions inevitably leads to situations where long distance effective field theory breaks down. We then examine whether these solutions are likely to lead to a description of the real world. We conclude that one must invoke a version of the anthropic principle which insists on carbon based life forms. We explain why it is likely that this leads to a prediction of low energy supersymmetry breaking, but that many features of anthropically selected flux compactifications are likely to disagree with experiment.
Mutants of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Reverse Transcriptase Resistant to Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Demonstrate Altered Rates of RNase H Cleavage That Correlate with HIV-1 Replication Fitness in Cell Culture

ABSTRACT Three mutants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (V106A, V179D, and Y181C), which occur in clinical isolates and confer resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), were analyzed for RNA- and DNA-dependent DNA polymerization and RNase H cleavage. All mutants demonstrated processivities of polymerization that were indistinguishable from wild-type enzyme under conditions in which deoxynucleoside triphosphates were not limiting. The V106A reverse transcriptase demonstrated a three- to fourfold slowing of both DNA 3′-end-directed and RNA 5′-end-directed RNase H cleavage relative to both wild-type and V179D enzymes, similar to what was observed for P236L in a previously published study (P. Gerondelis et al., J. Virol. 73:5803–5813, 1999). In contrast, the Y181C reverse transcriptase demonstrated a selective acceleration of the secondary RNase H cleavage step during both modes of RNase H cleavage. The relative replication fitness of these mutants in H9 cells was assessed in parallel infections as well as in growth competition experiments. Of the NNRTI-resistant mutants, V179D was more fit than Y181C, and both of these mutants were more fit than V106A, which demonstrated the greatest reduction in RNase H cleavage. These findings, in combination with results from previous work, suggest that abnormalities in RNase H cleavage are a common characteristic of HIV-1 mutants resistant to NNRTIs and that combined reductions in the rates of DNA 3′-end- and RNA 5′-end-directed cleavages are associated with significant reductions in the replication fitness of HIV-1.
Failure to Produce False Memories Through the Stimulus Equivalence Paradigm

Abstract Stimulus equivalence has been adopted as a behavioral explanation for false memories. The present study aimed to test false memories using lists compound of equivalent stimuli. 10 undergraduate students learned three 4-member (Classes 1, 2, 3) and three 12-member equivalence classes (Classes 4, 5, 6). A week later these participants performed a recognition test. Participants first saw a study list comprising 10 of the 12 stimuli from Classes 4, 5 and 6. Later, they saw a list comprising all stimuli from study list (targets), the remaining stimuli from the Classes 4, 5 and 6 (critical lures) and nine stimuli from Classes 1, 2 and 3 (non-related lures). Due to the equivalence relation between targets and critical lure, it was expected that the second would be recognize as much as the first, but results indicated critical and non-related lures where equally recognized and at low levels.
Empirical analysis of measured 802.11 Receive Signal Strength Values using various Atheros based Mini-PCI cards

In this paper the accuracy and distribution of measured 802.11 Receive Signal Strength values will be analysed using three different Atheros based cards. The analysis is performed using empirical methods, e.g., sample mean and Empirical Cumulative Distribution Functions, in order to demonstrate the dependency of the accuracy of Receive Signal Strength values on the used chipset and on the number of captured frames to derive the sample mean with a certain probability. A comprehensive section on the experimental environment ensures a possible repeatability of the measurements which underlines the complexity of the performed analysis at the same time.
Do selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of atherothrombosis? Meta-analysis of randomised trials

Abstract Objective To assess the effects of selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX 2) inhibitors and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the risk of vascular events. Design Meta-analysis of published and unpublished tabular data from randomised trials, with indirect estimation of the effects of traditional NSAIDs. Data sources Medline and Embase (January 1966 to April 2005); Food and Drug Administration records; and data on file from Novartis, Pfizer, and Merck. Review methods Eligible studies were randomised trials that included a comparison of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus placebo or a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus a traditional NSAID, of at least four weeks' duration, with information on serious vascular events (defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death). Individual investigators and manufacturers provided information on the number of patients randomised, numbers of vascular events, and the person time of follow-up for each randomised group. Results In placebo comparisons, allocation to a selective COX 2 inhibitor was associated with a 42% relative increase in the incidence of serious vascular events (1.2%/year v 0.9%/year; rate ratio 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.78; P = 0.003), with no significant heterogeneity among the different selective COX 2 inhibitors. This was chiefly attributable to an increased risk of myocardial infarction (0.6%/year v 0.3%/year; 1.86, 1.33 to 2.59; P = 0.0003), with little apparent difference in other vascular outcomes. Among trials of at least one year's duration (mean 2.7 years), the rate ratio for vascular events was 1.45 (1.12 to 1.89; P = 0.005). Overall, the incidence of serious vascular events was similar between a selective COX 2 inhibitor and any traditional NSAID (1.0%/year v 0.9%/year; 1.16, 0.97 to 1.38; P = 0.1). However, statistical heterogeneity (P = 0.001) was found between trials of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus naproxen (1.57, 1.21 to 2.03) and of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus non-naproxen NSAIDs (0.88, 0.69 to 1.12). The summary rate ratio for vascular events, compared with placebo, was 0.92 (0.67 to 1.26) for naproxen, 1.51 (0.96 to 2.37) for ibuprofen, and 1.63 (1.12 to 2.37) for diclofenac. Conclusions Selective COX 2 inhibitors are associated with a moderate increase in the risk of vascular events, as are high dose regimens of ibuprofen and diclofenac, but high dose naproxen is not associated with such an excess.
Forecasting and responding to qualification needs in Sweden

There are more people exiting than entering their active working life in Sweden every year. In addition, the ongoing restructuring of labour markets implies significant changes in occupational structures and skill requirements. Under such conditions it is perhaps more important and more challenging than ever, to ensure efficient matching of qualification supply and demand. The central theme of this paper is the identification and tackling of labour market mismatches where unemployment and labour shortages are found simultaneously.
Spatial Alignment of Coding and Modulation Helps Content Delivery

Multimedia content especially videos is expected to dominate data traffic in next-generation mobile networks. Caching popular content at the network edge has emerged to be a solution for low-latency content delivery. Compared with the traditional wireless communication, content delivery has a key characteristic that many signals coexisting in the air carry identical popular content. They, however, can interfere with each other at a receiver if their modulation-and-coding (MAC) schemes are adapted to individual channels following the classic approach. To address this issue, we present a novel idea of content adaptive MAC (CAMAC) where adapting MAC schemes to content ensures that all signals carry identical content are encoded using an identical MAC scheme, achieving spatial MAC alignment. Consequently, interference can be harnessed as signals, to improve the reliability of wireless delivery. In the remaining part of the paper, we focus on quantifying the gain CAMAC can bring to a content-delivery network using a stochastic-geometry model. Specifically, content helpers are distributed as a Poisson point process, each of which transmits a file from a content database based on a given popularity distribution. It is discovered that the successful content-delivery probability is closely related to the distribution of the ratio of two independent shot noise processes, named a shot-noise ratio. The distribution itself is an open mathematical problem that we tackle in this work. Using stable-distribution theory and tools from stochastic geometry, the distribution function is derived in closed form. Extending the result in the context of content-delivery networks with CAMAC yields the content-delivery probability in different closed forms. In addition, the gain in the probability due to CAMAC is shown to grow with the level of skewness in the content popularity distribution.
Birth weight and coronary artery disease. The effect of gender and diabetes

Background: The developmental origin theory of coronary heart disease proposes that undernutrition in utero permanently changes body functions and metabolism leading to an increased risk of coronary artery diseases (CAD) in adult life. Some studies support this theory but others suggest that birth weight (BW) is not a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Gender differences concerning the association between BW and risk factors for CAD have been reported in some studies but not in others. In this paper we have analyzed the effect of gender and diabetes on the relationship between BW and CAD in the White population of Rome. Material and Methods: 226 subjects admitted to the Hospital for non fatal CAD from the White population of Rome were studied. 395 consecutive newborn infants studied in the same population in the years 1968-1972 were considered for comparison. Results: Among subjects with CAD, reliable information on BW was obtained in 127 subjects. The distribution of BW in CAD depends on gender (p=0.009). In females with CAD there is a tendency toward low BW, while in males with CAD there is a tendency toward high BW. These associations are very marked in non-diabetic subjects with CAD (p=.001), while no significant association is observed in diabetic subjects (p=0.557). Conclusion: Our data confirm the association between BW and CAD and suggest that the association depends on gender and is influenced by diabetes.
Parnass 2 : A cluster of Dual-Processor PCsMarc

We report on a cluster with 96 CPUs (48 Dual-Processor PCs running Linux 2.1.127) at our department, called Parnass2 1 15]. The computing nodes are connected by a Myrinet, a Gigabit per second switched LAN, and additionally by a Fast-Ethernet. A comparison of diierent message passing (MPI) libraries for the Myrinet is given. Furthermore, we present the performance results of Parnass2 for some of the parallel codes developed at our department, namely a sparse grid code for PDEs, a particle code for molecular dynamics, a nite diierence code for the Navier{Stokes equation, and a parallel adaptive nite element / nite diierence multi-grid code. We compare these results with the performance of these codes running on a Cray T3E-1200, a Cray T3E-600, a SGI Origin 200/2000 and Parnass 8], a cluster of SGI O2 workstations.
Design and Optimization of Low RCS Patch Antennas Based on a Genetic Algorithm

In this article, a genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to the design of low radar cross section (RCS) patch antennas. Combined with the high frequency simulation software (HFSS) for antenna simulations, the GA performs the optimization of geometric parameters. In order to reduce the RCS while holding the satisfying radiation performance of antennas, the radiation model and scattering model are respectively calculated. The combination of proportionate selection and elitist model for the selection strategy is used to speed up the convergence of the GA. Two-point crossover is adopted to accelerate the converging speed and results in more flt individuals. Moreover, the whole design procedure is auto-controlled by programming the VBScript in the HFSS. Two examples of low RCS slot antennas are provided to verify the accuracy and e-ciency of the proposed method.
An improved self‐adaptive filter forecasting method

This paper improved the self‐adaptive filter‐forecasting model that is one of deterministic constant parameter forecasting models. An attenuation/gain function is drawn into a direct iteration search method that belongs to the multi‐variables extreme value research based on the optimization theory, so that it combines the quantitative methods with the qualitative analysis by the experts and increases the explanatory ability and simulation level of the original model. As an empirical study, the authors applied the improved method to the forecasting of the middle‐term demand for cellular phones in China.
Modified Gram Schmidt algorithm applied to localization for wireless sensor networks

Many applications that use sensor data from a wireless sensor network (WSN) require corresponding node position information as well. Additionally, some routing protocols use position to determine viable routes. Several localization algorithms have been proposed which can be categorized as: range-based and range-free algorithms. In this paper, we propose a Modified Gram Schmidt DV-Hop algorithm (MGDV-Hop) by introducing a new formula for computing the optimal hope size, the application of Modified Gram Schmidt Orthogonalization Algorithm for solving least square localization problem and introducing a scheme for reducing power cost in MGDV-hop. Finally, simulation results show that our MGDV-Hop achieves good location accuracy than normal DV-Hop.
Spectral Segmentation Using Cartoon-Texture Decomposition and Inner Product-Based Metric

This paper presents a user-assisted image partition technique that combines cartoon-texture decomposition, inner product-based similarity metric, and spectral cut into a unified framework. The cartoon-texture decomposition is used to first split the image into textured and texture-free components, the latter being used to define a gradient-based inner-product function. An affinity graph is then derived and weights are assigned to its edges according to the inner product-based metric. Spectral cut is computed on the affinity graph so as to partition the image. The computational burden of the spectral cut is mitigated by a fine-to-coarse image representation process, which enables moderate size graphs that can be handled more efficiently. The partitioning can be steered by interactively by changing the weights of the graph through user strokes. Weights are updated by combining the texture component computed in the first stage of our pipeline and a recent harmonic analysis technique that captures waving patterns. Finally, a coarse-to-fine interpolation is applied in order to project the partition back onto the original image. The suitable performance of the proposed methodology is attested by comparisons against state-of-art spectral segmentation methods.
Object Characterization from Spectral Data Using Nonnegative Factorization and Information Theory

The identification and classification of non-imaging space objects, and ultimately the determination of their shape, function, and status, is an important but difficult problem still to be resolved. While ground-based telescopes with adaptive optics technology have been able to produce high-resolution images for a variety of spaced-based objects, current telescope technology is limited for objects in orbits beyond 1,000 km altitude, such as geosynchronous satellites (approx. 36,000 km orbit). An interesting and promising approach to circumvent this limitation is to collect wavelength-resolved spectral reflectance data, rather than spatially-resolved data, which can then be used to determine information such as material composition of an object. Current work has been focused on the determination of material composition (fractional abundances) from spectral traces when the types or classes of composing materials are known a priori. In this paper, we extend previous work to determine not only fractional abundances, but also the classes of composing materials that make up the object, called endmembers. Endmembers are selected using information-theoretic methods. We employ non-negative matrix factorization algorithms for unmixing of spectral reflectance data to find endmember candidates and regularized inverse problem methods for determining corresponding fractional abundances. Promising numerical results are presented using laboratory and simulated datasets.
Pattern reconfigurable antenna for wireless applications using parasitic ring

A printed planar microstrip patch antenna with pattern reconfiguration of total size 50×49.72mm2 is proposed. The antenna features a rectangular patch which is inset fed by a microstrip transmission line and enclosed in a ring. A partial ground plane and three pin-diodes are used to achieve the reconfigurability performance. The radiation pattern can be switched between an omni-directional pattern and a directional pattern. By controlling the three pin-diodes appropriately, the antenna can be operated in either a monopole mode or a dipole mode obtaining an omni-directional pattern in the lower resonant frequencies of 1.83GHz and 2.07GHz band and a directional pattern at almost close to the design frequency of 2.4GHz. Gain of the proposed antenna varies from 1.66-3.01dB depending on the status of the switches with S11 ≤ -10dB at all the resonant frequencies. The antenna provides a low cost, less complex and an efficient reconfigurable solution for wireless applications.
Quantum mechanical description of linear optics

Linear optical networks with any number of modes are described quantum mechanically. We reformulate the conventional formal description based on input–output operator relations and obtain an intuitive description based on the possible paths taken by the photons. The effect of a linear optical network on localized photons is treated within the same formalism. The potential and limitations of linear optics for application in quantum information processing are briefly discussed.
Scalar-Induced Compactifications in Higher Dimensional Supergravities

We discuss compactifications of higher dimensional supergravities which are induced by scalars. In particular, we consider vector multiplets coupled to the supergravity multiplet in the case of D = 9,8 and D = 7 minimal supergravities. These vector multiplets contain scalars, which parametrize coset spaces of the general form SO(10−D,n)/SO(10−D) × SO(n), where n is the number of vector multiplets. We discuss the compactification of the supergravity theory to D−2 dimensons, which is induced by non-trivial vacuum scalar field configurations. There are singular and non-singular solutions, which preserve half of the supersymmetries.
Oblique projection beamforming for RFI mitigation in radio astronomy

Radio astronomical observations are increasingly corrupted by radio frequency interference (RFI). Phased antenna array radio telescopes allow the recovering of spatial information of RFI and cosmic sources. Using this information, spatial signal processing techniques can limit the impact of the incoming interferences. In this article, we present an RFI mitigation technique, based on an oblique projector.
Botulinum toxin A injections in lateral epicondylitis – a prospective 3-month follow-up of 30 patients

Objectives To investigate short-term effects of EMG-guided botulinum toxin A injections in chronic lateral epicondylitis. Methods Prospective 3-month follow-up study of 30 patients (mean age 46 years, 21 women). Single EMG-guided injection of botulinum toxin A into the motor endpoint zone and the origin of common extensor muscle. Outcomes: pain visual analog scale, grip strength, and Disability of the Arm, Hand and Shoulder scale (DASH). Results The mean pain score decreased during rest (5.1 to 3.1, p=0.04), night (5.3 to 3.5, p=0.03), and exertion (7.9 to 4.9, p=0.02). The grip strength did not improve at any time point. Finger extension paresis occurred in 13 patients (42%) without correlation with pain reduction (p=0.37). The DASH showed improvement in only a few activities. Conclusions There was a significant pain reduction after botulinum toxin A injections in a short-term follow-up. Thus, botulinum toxin A injections could be considered when treating chronic tennis elbow.
Optimal power allocation for a two-link interference channel with SWIPT

This paper studies a two-link interference channel (IFC) with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). We aim to maximize the minimum signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the two links by jointly designing the power allocations at the transmitters and the power splitting (PS) ratios at the receivers under both the individual minimum energy harvesting (EH) constraints and maximum transmit power constraints. We first explore the properties of this non-convex problem and its optimal solution, and then design a centralized algorithm to find the optimal solution. We further propose a distributed algorithm for practical systems, where the transmit powers and PS ratios converge to the optimal solution through an iterative update process. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithms provide an improved trade-off in the achievable (max-min) SINR versus harvested energy as compared with other heuristic designs.
Sharing the sandbox: Evolutionary mechanisms that maintain bacterial cooperation

Microbes are now known to participate in an extensive repertoire of cooperative behaviors such as biofilm formation, production of extracellular public-goods, group motility, and higher-ordered multicellular structures. A fundamental question is how these cooperative tasks are maintained in the face of non-cooperating defector cells. Recently, a number of molecular mechanisms including facultative participation, spatial sorting, and policing have been discovered to stabilize cooperation. Often these different mechanisms work in concert to reinforce cooperation. In this review, we describe bacterial cooperation and the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that maintain it.
Nonlinear Prediction Methods for Estimation of CliqueWeighting Parameters in NonGaussian Image

NonGaussian Markov image models are eeective in the preservation of edge detail in Bayesian formulations of restoration and reconstruction problems. Included in these models are coeecients quantifying the statistical links among pixels in local cliques, which are typically assumed to have an inverse dependence on distance among the corresponding neighboring pixels. Estimation of these coeecients is a nontrivial task for NonGaussian models. We present results for coeecient estimation for edge-preserving models which are particularly eeective for edge preservation and noise suppression, using a predictive technique analogous to estimation of the weights of optimal weighted median lters.