Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A time and frequency synchronization scheme for multiuser OFDM

We present a multiuser synchronization scheme for tracking the mobile's uplink time and frequency offsets. It uses the redundancy introduced by the cyclic prefix and does not need additional pilots. We show performance results of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based radio interface based on the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) parameters. For a UMTS-typical mobile channel environment, the performance of a coherent system employing the scheme is virtually indistinguishable from the performance of a perfectly synchronized system. In a differentially modulated system, synchronization errors decrease the system performance by about 0.7 dB compared to a perfectly synchronized system.
Parabens as Urinary Biomarkers of Exposure in Humans

Background Parabens appear frequently as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetic products, in pharmaceuticals, and in food and beverage processing. In vivo and in vitro studies have revealed weak estrogenic activity of some parabens. Widespread use has raised concerns about the potential human health risks associated with paraben exposure. Objectives Assessing human exposure to parabens usually involves measuring in urine the conjugated or free species of parabens or their metabolites. In animals, parabens are mostly hydrolyzed to p-hydroxybenzoic acid and excreted in the urine as conjugates. Still, monitoring urinary concentrations of p-hydroxybenzoic acid is not necessarily the best way to assess exposure to parabens. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid is a nonspecific biomarker, and the varying estrogenic bioactivities of parabens require specific biomarkers. Therefore, we evaluated the use of free and conjugated parent parabens as new biomarkers for human exposure to these compounds. Results We measured the urinary concentrations of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, butyl (n- and iso-), and benzyl parabens in a demographically diverse group of 100 anonymous adults. We detected methyl and n-propyl parabens at the highest median concentrations (43.9 ng/mL and 9.05 ng/mL, respectively) in nearly all (> 96%) of the samples. We also detected other parabens in more than half of the samples (ethyl, 58%; butyl, 69%). Most important, however, we found that parabens in urine appear predominantly in their conjugated forms. Conclusions The results, demonstrating the presence of urinary conjugates of parabens in humans, suggest that such conjugated parabens could be used as exposure biomarkers. Additionally, the fact that conjugates appear to be the main urinary products of parabens may be important for risk assessment.
Independence in Direct-Product Graphs

Let α(G) denote the independence number of a graph G and let G ×H be the direct product of graphs G and H. Set α(G ×H) = max{α(G) · |H|, α(H) · |G|}. If G is a path or a cycle and H is a path or a cycle then α(G×H) = α(G×H). Moreover, this equality holds also in the case when G is a bipartite graph with a perfect matching and H is a traceable graph. However, for any graph G with at least one edge and for any i ∈ IN there is a graph H such that α(G×H) > α(G×H) + i.
THE ROLE OF AEROBIC CAPACITY IN HIGH-INTENSITY INTERMITTENT EFFORTS IN ICE-HOCKEY

The primary objective of this study was to determine a relationship between aerobic capacity (V.O2max) and fatigue from high-intensity skating in elite male hockey players. The subjects were twenty-four male members of the senior national ice hockey team of Poland who played the position of forward or defence. Each subject completed an on-ice Repeated-Skate Sprint test (RSS) consisting of 6 timed 89-m sprints, with 30 s of rest between subsequent efforts, and an incremental test on a cycle ergometer in the laboratory, the aim of which was to establish their maximal oxygen uptake (V.O2max). The analysis of variance showed that each next repetition in the 6x89 m test was significantly longer than the previous one (F5,138=53.33, p<0.001). An analysis of the fatigue index (FI) calculated from the times recorded for subsequent repetitions showed that the value of the FI increased with subsequent repetitions, reaching its maximum between repetitions 5 and 6 (3.10±1.16%). The total FI was 13.77±1.74%. The coefficient of correlation between V.O2max and the total FI for 6 sprints on the distance of 89 m (r =–0.584) was significant (p=0.003). The variance in the index of players’ fatigue in the 6x89 m test accounted for 34% of the variance in V.O2max. The 6x89 m test proposed in this study offers a high test-retest correlation coefficient (r=0.78). Even though the test is criticized for being too exhaustive and thereby for producing highly variable results it still seems that it was well selected for repeated sprint ability testing in hockey players.
Improved spin images for 3D surface matching using signed angles

Despite the popularity of spin images in surface matching and registration, disadvantages such as noise sensitivity and low discriminative ability still hindered their usefulness in real applications. In this paper, a novel approach was proposed for improving the spin images. The proposed method modified the standard spin images by using angle information between the normals of reference point and neighboring points. This information largely increased the robustness to noise without losing the intrinsic advantages of spin images. Moreover, signs were defined to incorporate the directions of angles which were shown to be able to further improve the descriptive power. Experiments were also conducted to show the outperformance of improved spin images under different levels of noise, and good agreements were obtained by comparing with the standard spin images and a recent popular 3D descriptor.
Polyphosphate and RNA Differentially Modulate the Contact Pathway of Blood Clotting*

The contact pathway of the plasma clotting cascade is dispensable for normal hemostasis, but contributes to thrombosis and serves as a bridge between inflammation and coagulation. This pathway is triggered upon exposure of plasma to certain anionic polymers and artificial surfaces. Recently, extracellular nucleic acids and inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) have been implicated as being important (patho)physiologically relevant activators of this pathway. However, mechanistic details regarding how nucleic acids or polyP modulate the individual reactions of the contact pathway have been lacking. In this study, we investigate the ability of RNA homopolymers and polyP to bind the primary constituents of the contact pathway: factor XIa, factor XIIa, and plasma kallikrein, in the presence and absence of high molecular weight kininogen (HK), an important cofactor in this pathway. We examine seven proteolytic activation reactions within the contact pathway and report that polyP greatly enhances the rate of all seven, while RNA is effective in supporting only a subset of these reactions. HK both enhances and suppresses these proteolytic activation reactions, depending on the specific reaction evaluated. Overall, we find that polyP is a potent mediator of contact pathway activation reactions in general, that RNA secondary structure may be important to its procoagulant activity, and that nucleic acids versus polyP may differentially modulate specific enzyme activation events within the contact pathway.
Quality Assessment Methodologies for Linked Open Data

The development and standardization of semantic web technologies have resulted in an unprecedented volume of data being published on the Web as Linked Open Data (LOD). However, we observe widely varying data quality ranging from extensively curated datasets to crowd-sourced and extracted data of relatively low quality. Data quality is commonly conceived as fitness of use. Consequently, a key challenge is to determine the data quality wrt. a particular use case. In this article, we present the results of a systematic review of approaches for assessing the data quality of LOD. We gather existing approaches and compare and group them under a common classification scheme. In particular, we unify and formalise commonly used terminologies across papers related to data quality. Additionally, a comprehensive list of the dimensions and metrics is presented. The aim of this article is to provide researchers and data curators a comprehensive understanding of existing work, thereby encouraging further experimentation and the development of new approaches focused towards data quality.
Unbiased Monte Carlo computation of smooth functions of expectations via Taylor expansions

Many Monte Carlo computations involve computing quantities that can be expressed as g(EX), where g is nonlinear and smooth, and X is an easily simulatable random variable. The nonlinearity of g makes the conventional Monte Carlo estimator for such quantities biased. In this paper, we show how such quantities can be estimated without bias. However, our approach typically increases the variance. Thus, our approach is primarily of theoretical interest in the above setting. However, our method can also be applied to the computation of the inner expectation associated with Eg ((EX|Z)), and in this setting, the application of this method can have a significant positive effect on improving the rate of convergence relative to conventional “nested schemes” for carrying out such calculations.
Associative and dissociative cognitive strategies in exercise and running: 20 years later, what do we know?

Association and dissociation (A/D) have been identified as important cognitive strategies in the literature on running and exercise. This paper is a comprehensive review of the 20 years of research in the area. Specific topics addressed include historical context, definition and terminology considerations, measurement and design issues, and findings as they pertain to performance, injury, and pain. Several research recommendations are made including change from using the term dissociation, use of multiple measurement methods, diversity of research designs, and study of topics, such as injury, exercise adherence, and emotionality, as they relate to A/D. Finally, practical findings indicate that association relates to faster performance, dissociation relates to lower perceived exertion and possibly greater endurance, and dissociation is not related to injury but association may be.
Chemomechanical reduction of the bacterial population in the root canal after instrumentation and irrigation with 1%, 2.5%, and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite.

Given the importance of bacteria in the development of periradicular lesions, the eradication of the root canal infection is paramount in endodontic treatment. This study evaluated the in vitro intracanal bacterial reduction produced by instrumentation and irrigation with 1%, 2.5%, and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) or saline solution. Root canals inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis were instrumented and irrigated with the solutions tested. Canals were sampled before and after preparation. After serial dilution, samples were plated onto Mitis salivarius agar, and the colony-forming units grown were counted. Inhibitory effects of the three NaOCl solutions on E. faecalis were also evaluated by means of the agar diffusion test. All test solutions significantly reduced the number of bacterial cells in the root canal (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the three NaOCl solutions tested (p > 0.05). Nonetheless, all NaOCl solutions were significantly more effective than saline solution in reducing the number of bacterial cells within the root canal (p < 0.05). The three NaOCl concentrations showed large zones of inhibition against E. faecalis. The results of this study suggest that regular exchange and the use of large amounts of irrigant should maintain the antibacterial effectiveness of the NaOCl solution, compensating for the effects of concentration.
on Geometry and 3-Manifolds

Preface These are a slightly revised version of the course notes that were distributed during the course on Geometry of 3-Manifolds at the Turán Workshop on Low Dimensional Topology in Budapest, August 1998. The lectures and tutorials did not discuss everything in these notes. The notes were intended to provide also a quick summary of background material as well as additional material for " bedtime reading. " There are " exercises " scattered through the text, which are of very mixed difficulty. Some are questions that can be quickly answered. Some will need more thought and/or computation to complete. Paul Norbury also created problems for the tutorials, which are given in the appendices. There are thus many more problems than could be addressed during the course, and the expectation was that students would use them for self study and could ask about them also after the course was over. For simplicity in this course we will only consider orientable 3-manifolds. This is not a serious restriction since any non-orientable manifold can be double covered by an orientable one. In Chapter 1 we attempt to give a quick overview of many of the main concepts and ideas in the study of geometric structures on manifolds and orbifolds in dimension 2 and 3. We shall fill in some " classical background " in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3 we then concentrate on hyperbolic manifolds, particularly arithmetic aspects.
Amblyopia and visual acuity in children with Down’s syndrome

BACKGROUND/AIMS Amblyopia in people with Down’s syndrome has not been well investigated. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and associated conditions of amblyopia in a group of home reared children with Down’s syndrome. METHODS All children in the study group underwent an evaluation of visual acuity. In addition, previous ophthalmological records were reviewed, and a subgroup of children was examined. For the purposes of this study, amblyopia was defined quantitatively as a difference of two Snellen acuity lines between eyes or if unilateral central steady maintained (CSM) vision and a clear fixation preference was observed. A high refractive error was defined as a spherical equivalent more than 3 dioptres and astigmatism more than 1.75 dioptres. Anisometropia was defined as a difference of at least 1.5 dioptres of sphere and/or 1.0 dioptre of cylinder between eyes. 68 children with Down’s syndrome between the ages of 5 and 19 years were enrolled in the final study group. RESULTS Amblyopia was observed in 15 (22%) of 68 patients. An additional 16 (24%) patients had bilateral vision less than 20/50. Strabismus, high refractive errors, and anisometropia were the conditions most commonly associated with decreased vision and amblyopia CONCLUSION This study suggests that the prevalence of amblyopia is higher than previously reported. Fully 46% of these children with Down’s syndrome had evidence of substantial visual deficits. These patients may be at higher risk for visual impairment and should be carefully examined for ophthalmological problems.
OURSELVES, OUR BODIES: THIN-IDEAL MEDIA, SELF-DISCREPANCIES, AND EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract Research has shown that exposure to thin-ideal media is related to eating disorder symptomatology, yet little is known about the processes underlying this relationship. Following self-discrepancy theory, it was predicted that body-specific self-discrepancies would mediate the relationship between thin-ideal media exposure and disordered eating. A sample of 366 male and female adolescents participated in two studies. The findings of the first study support the mediation prediction for thin-ideal television and ideal discrepancies. The findings of the second study demonstrate that exposure to a thin-rewarded portrayal activated ideal discrepancies, whereas exposure to a fat-punished portrayal activated ought discrepancies. Activation of both types of discrepancies is associated with an increase in negative affect whose chronic presence is predictive of disordered eating. Discussion focuses on the utility of self-discrepancy theory in synthesizing the growing collection of studies demonstrating indi.
Autonomic neuropathies

Purpose of reviewTo update recent advances in the pathogenesis, pathophysiology and treatment of some autonomic neuropathies. Recent findingsWhen evaluating a patient with subacute autonomic neuropathy, certain autoantibodies are important in diagnosis and may influence management. Ganglionic antibody may be pathogenetically important while the paraneoplastic antibodies alert the clinician to the presence of an occult neoplasm. Autonomic failure is an integral component of diabetic neuropathy. Sildenafil is safe and efficacious in treating erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients. Sympathetic cardiac hyperinnervation can occur concurrently with denervation in diabetic neuropathy The gene mutations for hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies I, III, and IV are now known and there is clear unmyelinated fiber loss. Additional options for treatment of orthostatic hypotension include erythropoietin and, surprisingly, water. Botulinum toxin is efficacious, at least for a time, for the treatment of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis. SummaryGanglionic antibody likely mediates autoimmune autonomic neuropathy. Sympathetic cardiac hyperinnervation can occur and could potentially cause arrhythmia and sudden death. Knowledge of gene mutations of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies I, III and IV could lead to more secure diagnosis of the disorders. Effective treatment of essential hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin injection has been demonstrated. It might be possible to improve treatment of orthostatic hypotension acutely with water imbibation and chronically with erythropoieting.
Significance and Rationale for Education in Early Childhood in Africa: A Lesson from Western Experience

To examine the theoretical and empirical evidence in support of education in early childhood both in the West and in the Third World Countries a brief account is given of the present state of education during early childhood in Africa. Comparatively early childhood education in Africa leaves much to be desired. By alerting the public to the importance of early childhood education as observed in Western countries, African countries and other developing countries might be encouraged to give greater attention and allocate part or more of their scarce resources to the operation of such programs to improve preschoolers' lives.
A New Nonlinear Interpolation Algorithm for Edge Preserving

Abstract-This paper presents a new interpolation method for edge preserving when a low-resolution image is converted into a high-resolution image. The algorithm is based on both geometric closeness and photometric similarity, unlike the conventional interpolation algorithm which only uses geometric closeness. The proposed interpolation algorithm can preserve high frequencies in edge regions and retain similar conventional interpolation in smooth regions. The results of the proposed algorithm have higher peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNR) and show a visual improvement with sharp edges compared to the conventional interpolation algorithm.
Adolescents’ Perceptions of School Environment, Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Middle School

This short-term longitudinal research examined the relationships among middle school students’ perceptions of school environment, school engagement, and academic achievement. Participants were from a representative, ethnically diverse, urban sample of 1,046 students. The findings supported the theoretical conceptualization of three different, but related, dimensions of school engagement: school participation, sense of identification with school, and use of self-regulation strategies. The results also indicated that students’ perceptions of the distinct dimensions of school environment in seventh grade contribute differentially to the three types of school engagement in eighth grade. Finally, the authors found that students’ perceptions of school environment influenced their academic achievement directly and indirectly through the three types of school engagement. Specifically, students’ perceptions of school characteristics in seventh grade influenced their school participation, identification with school, and use of self-regulation strategies in eighth grade that occur therein and, in turn, influenced students’ academic achievement in eighth grade.
Polynomial based analog source-channel codes - [transactions papers]

In many communication applications one is interested in transmitting a time-discrete analog-valued (i.e. continuous alphabet) source over a time-discrete analog channel. We study this problem in the case of bandwidth expansion, in the sense that one source sample, X, is transmitted over N-orthogonal channels. An analog source-channel code based on orthogonal polynomials is proposed and analyzed. The code can be generated using a Gram-Schmidt procedure, to fit virtually any source distribution.
The ENSO effect on the tropical Atlantic variability: A regionally coupled model study

A CGCM is used to study the relative roles played by local air‐sea interaction and remote ENSO effects on the tropical Atlantic interannual variability. A regional coupling strategy allows full air‐sea coupling only over the Atlantic Ocean north of 30°S. Two experiments were conducted, respectively with either climatological or real time boundary conditions prescribed over the uncoupled portion of the global domain. The simulations show that major anomalous SST modes in the tropical South Atlantic are mainly caused by coupled ocean‐atmosphere processes within the Atlantic sector. SST anomalies in the northern tropical ocean, however, are substantially affected by the Pacific ENSO, with local coupling accounting for an enhanced effect. The El Niño effect causes warmer SST in the northern tropical Atlantic in the boreal spring season, forced by weakened northeast trade winds over the Atlantic basin starting from boreal winter in the maturing El Niño phase. The warmer SST anomalies then trigger a positive air‐sea feedback within the Atlantic basin, which leads to stronger anomalous cross‐equatorial atmospheric flow in the spring season.
The Group Treatment of Obsessive—Compulsive Ritualisers: Behavioural Management of Identified Patterns of Relapse

Five obsessive—compulsives who had previously benefited from individual behaviour therapy, but had subsequently relapsed, were included in 10-week group therapy programme designed to re-establish this behavioural approach with particular emphasis upon those factors which appeared to have been related to relapse. Considerable reductions in ratings of ritualistic behaviour and obsessional thinking were achieved and maintained at one year follow-up, with associated generalization to other areas of personal functioning. Possible prognostic variables were systematically examined. The results are discussed with reference to previous research studies.
The poiesis of the question in philosophical hermeneutics: Questioning assessment practices for alcohol use disorders

Philosophical hermeneutics is a way of thinking and a research method that is an in depth analysis of experience. It illuminates often-overlooked practices, generates understandings, and informs practice by raising new questions that analyse, modify, and extend extant knowledge. In this analysis, the experience of questioning is explored as it relates to philosophical hermeneutics and as it is uncovered in a study using philosophical hermeneutic research methods. The current study revealed questioning practices that are useful in the assessment and diagnosis of alcohol use problems. This paper explores the hermeneutic concept of “the question” by explicating the methodological steps of a philosophical hermeneutic study and, through the study example, shows how the hermeneutic questioning process informs and also results from a poiesis, or putting together, of the known and the unknown through hermeneutic inquiry.