Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction of lower correlations complex valued OVSF codes

The complex valued orthogonal variable spreading codes are presented for multiplexing of forward link in direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) system for variable rates multimedia communications. The bit error rate (BER) performance under a multi-user environment suffering the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel and correlations of those codes are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme could provide flexible rates and lower correlation values
Supplementary Material for Deconvolving Feedback Loops in Recommender Systems

We have used the adjusted cosine similarity relationships, S2 = (R̂ 2 obs) T R̂2obs,Strue = (R̂true) R̂true, the property of matrix transpose (AB)T = BT AT , and the property that Strue is symmetric, i.e., Strue = Strue. The base cases are now proved in equations 3, 4. Considering equation 2 to be true at the kth iteration, we wish to prove the following at the (k + 1)th iteration: R̂ obs = R̂true(I + αk+1Strue(I + αkStrue(I + αk−1Strue · · · (I + α2Strue(I + α1Strue)) · · · )3)3) (5) Using assumptions 1, 2 and 3 we have the following relationship: R̂ obs = R̂true + αk+1(R̂ k+1 obs Sk+1). (6)
The Cost of Alcohol Abuse in California: A Briefing Paper

: Alcohol abuse is known to cause illness, disability, and premature death. It is also a contributing factor in many instances to criminal activity, motor vehicle crashes, and other injuries. Substantial costs resulting from alcohol abuse are incurred in the United States and in California, including the cost of providing medical care for people with alcohol-related illness, treatment and prevention costs, costs to the law enforcement system, costs resulting from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and other injuries, and the indirect costs associated with disability, diminished capacity, and premature death from alcohol-related causes. The purpose of this briefing paper is to review the research that has been done in this area, and to present preliminary estimates of the costs of alcohol abuse in California and its impact on the state. These estimates are based on research that has been conducted by experts at the national level over the years coupled with some specific analyses conducted for California. We also suggest how one could conduct a thorough study to develop more detailed and refined estimates for the state.
Regarding prostate-specific antigen: let's not shoot the messenger.

It is well known that androgens drive prostate cancer and the inhibition of 5α-reductase results in an inhibition of the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, the active androgen in the prostate. Recently, two large prospective randomized trials have tested the 5α-reductase inhibitors, finasteride1 and dutasteride2 compared to placebo for the chemoprevention of prostate cancer in middle aged and elderly men. Both trials demonstrated that 5α-reductase inhibitor therapy significantly decreased subsequent low-grade (Gleason score ≤ 6) prostate cancers, however, high-grade (Gleason score 8–10) prostate cancers were significantly increased by nearly 2-fold.3 Stated otherwise, therapy with a 5α-reductase inhibitor to prevent prostate cancer resulted in one additional high-grade cancer as a trade-off to avoid four low-grade cancers.3 Although these findings have been vigorously debated, there has been no definitive explanation why they should be discounted, and they have come under intense scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration.3 Additionally, these findings should not be surprising since it was previously shown that the treatment of men with finasteride who have high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a common precursor lesion of prostate cancer, results in a significant increase in prostate cancer by 1 year.4 5α-reductase inhibitors significantly reduce the synthesis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein made by the epithelial cells of the prostate. We propose that the actual reduction in prostate tissue PSA concentration over time might result in the promotion of high-grade prostate cancer. Furthermore, we feel this needs serious attention by the medical community given the widespread use of these drugs to treat both benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern baldness.5 Histologic prostate cancer is exceedingly common in the USA; autopsy data reveal that latent prostate cancer is present in 30% of men in their 30s, 50% of men in their 50 s and more …
Smaller population size at the MRCA time for stationary branching processes

We present an elementary model of random size varying population given by a stationary continuous state branching process. For this model we compute the joint distribution of: the time to the most recent common ancestor, the size of the current population and the size of the population just before the most recent common ancestor (MRCA). In particular we show a natural mild bottleneck effect as the size of the population just before the MRCA is stochastically smaller than the size of the current population. We also compute the number of old families which corresponds to the number of individuals involved in the last coalescent event of the genealogical tree. By studying more precisely the genealogical structure of the population, we get asymptotics for the number of ancestors just before the current time. We give explicit computations in the case of the quadratic branching mechanism. In this case, the size of the population at the MRCA is, in mean, less by 1/3 than size of the current population size. We also provide in this case the fluctuations for the renormalized number of ancestors.
Automatic brain state classification system using double channel of EEG signal from rat brain

In this paper, we aimed to develop a simple technique to classify brain states of rats, including Active, Inactive, REM, and NREM. Two EEG signals (from frontal and parietal cortices) were recorded to create EEG spectrums. The EEG spectrums created by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) were separated into two sets; training set for the brain state model creation and testing set for experiment. The training set of each brain states which are manually classified as one of four possible brain state models by medical experts was created in terms of spectral mean and standard deviation. A basic method measuring similarity between testing and brain state model spectrums was based on normal distribution model. The results showed that the best classification of our proposed technique was found in NREM state with 95.86%. However, the classification result of inactive state was 73.33%, and overall average accuracy of all brain states was 87.76%.
An Application of Multidimensional Vertical Scaling

ABSTRACT Vertical scales are widely used in educational assessment as a basis for considering grade-to-grade changes in student performance. Typically, the underlying construct is assumed to be essentially unidimensional; however, if there is a change in the measured construct across grades, this assumption may be untenable. Developing a multidimensional vertical scale in these instances provides a potential solution to this problem. This paper uses empirical data from four parallel forms of a test designed to measure six foundational reading skills–administered to students in grades 6–9–to address issues in the development of a multidimensional vertical scale. The defensibility of the multidimensional structure, value-added subscores, and the stability of the scale are considered. Student growth based on unidimensional versus multidimensional estimates of ability is also presented with particular attention to implications associated with potential construct shift.
Default values mediator used for a wireless transport SDN Proof of Concept

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a recent paradigm that emerged in the networking community, as a need for mitigating the limitations proven by traditional networks. It was introduced, in the beginning, in campus networks and then in data centers, but the trend is to encapsulate SDN in all the aspects of the network, from optical transport to wireless transport and even Internet exchange points. This paper presents part of the work that was done for the second Proof of Concept (PoC) of SDN for the Wireless Transport, namely the Default Values Mediator (DVM). The PoC gathered several entities, that form the Wireless Transport Project inside the Open Networking Foundation, such as microwave equipment vendors, integrators and application providers and operators, which developed and executed the PoC in order to prove the utility of a common information model to be used for management and configuration of microwave devices in the networks, in the context of SDN. The DVM is an open-source software tool, based on the OpenYuma framework, that emulated a microwave device, and was used for developing and testing the SDN applications proposed in the use cases of the PoC.
Double-stranded RNA induces inflammatory gene expression in schwann cells: Implication in the Wallerian degeneration

Schwann cells play an important role in peripheral nerve regeneration. Upon neuronal injury, activated Schwann cells clean up the myelin debris by phagocytosis, and promote neuronal survival and axon outgrowth by secreting various neurotrophic factors. However, it is unclear how the nerve injury induces Schwann cell activation. Recently, it was reported that certain cytoplasmic molecules, which are secreted by cells undergoing necrotic cell death, induce immune cell activation via the toll-like receptors (TLRs). This suggests that the TLRs expressed on Schwann cells may recognize nerve damage by binding to the endogenous ligands secreted by the damaged nerve, thereby inducing Schwann cell activation. Accordingly, this study was undertaken to examine the expression and the function of the TLRs on primary Schwann cells and iSC, a rat Schwann cell line. The transcripts of TLR2, 3, 4, and 9 were detected on the primary Schwann cells as well as on iSC. The stimulation of iSC with poly (I : C), a synthetic ligand for the TLR3, induced the expression of and RANTES. In addition, poly (I : C) stimulation induced the iNOS expression and nitric oxide secretion in iSC. These results suggest that the TLRs may be involved in the inflammatory activation of Schwann cells, which is observed during Wallerian degeneration after a peripheral nerve injury.
Using the EPLL algorithm as a preprocessor for fault analysis

This paper presents a method for fault analysis in power system which uses the concept of enhanced phase-locked loop (EPLL). The proposed method uses an edge detection strategy to properly re-adjust the system state variables in order to achieve fast and smooth behavior during the initial periods after the inception and/or clearance of a fault. Digital implementation of the algorithm is discussed and simulation results obtained by applying the proposed method to experimental data are presented.
Pathway and network-based analysis of genome-wide association studies in multiple sclerosis

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) testing several hundred thousand SNPs have been performed in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other complex diseases. Typically, the number of markers in which the evidence for association exceeds the genome-wide significance threshold is very small, and markers that do not exceed this threshold are generally neglected. Classical statistical analysis of these datasets in MS revealed genes with known immunological functions. However, many of the markers showing modest association may represent false negatives. We hypothesize that certain combinations of genes flagged by these markers can be identified if they belong to a common biological pathway. Here we conduct a pathway-oriented analysis of two GWAS in MS that takes into account all SNPs with nominal evidence of association (P < 0.05). Gene-wise P-values were superimposed on a human protein interaction network and searches were conducted to identify sub-networks containing a higher proportion of genes associated with MS than expected by chance. These sub-networks, and others generated at random as a control, were categorized for membership of biological pathways. GWAS from eight other diseases were analyzed to assess the specificity of the pathways identified. In the MS datasets, we identified sub-networks of genes from several immunological pathways including cell adhesion, communication and signaling. Remarkably, neural pathways, namely axon-guidance and synaptic potentiation, were also over-represented in MS. In addition to the immunological pathways previously identified, we report here for the first time the potential involvement of neural pathways in MS susceptibility.
The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) revisited: The evolution of GAP over forty years

Abstract The Southeastern Anatolia Project (Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi, GAP) is arguably the largest regional development project ever witnessed in Turkey. Begun in the 1970s, GAP initially aimed primarily at the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and of extensive irrigation networks to produce hydroelectric energy and water 1.8 million hectares of land in southeastern Turkey. Later, the scope of GAP broadened significantly as it became a more ambitious and comprehensive scheme of modernization and transformation. Following this expansion, the multidimensionality of GAP and its multifaceted implications became clearer at both the national and international level. The project grew more visible and influential not only in political and public discourses, but also in the GAP region itself. Despite these developments, however, the question of how the project’s characteristics, vocabulary, rationales, and mechanisms have changed since its inception remains underdiscussed. This article asks what GAP was in the past and what it has more recently become. It examines the gradual transformation of GAP over forty years by specifically taking into account the continuities and ruptures in development discourse, theory, and practice since the 1950s. In this way, the article aims to provide a new perspective regarding the stages through which the project has passed to reach its current form.
Classification automatique de dictées selon leur niveau de difficulté de compréhension et orthographique (Automatic classification of dictations according to their complexity for comprehension and writing production)[In French]

Cet article présente une approche visant à évaluer automatiquement la difficulté de dictées en vue de les intégrer dans une plateforme d’apprentissage de l’orthographe. La particularité de l’exercice de la dictée est de devoir percevoir du code oral et de le retranscrire via le code écrit. Nous envisageons ce double niveau de difficulté à l’aide de 375 variables mesurant la difficulté de compréhension d’un texte ainsi que les phénomènes orthographiques et grammaticaux complexes qu’il contient. Un sous-ensemble optimal de ces variables est combiné à l’aide d’un modèle par machines à vecteurs de support (SVM) qui classe correctement 56% des textes. Les variables lexicales basées sur la liste orthographique de Catach (1984) se révèlent les plus informatives pour le modèle.
A note on enhanced gauge symmetries in M- and string theory

Two different mechanisms exist in non-perturbative String / M- theory for enhanced SU(N) (SO(2N)) gauge symmetries. It can appear in type IIA string theory or M-theory near an AN−1 (DN) type singularity where membrnes wrapped around two cycles become massless, or it can appear due to coincident D-branes (and orientifold planes) where open strings stretched between D-branes become massless. In this paper we exhibit the relationship between these two mechanisms by displaying a configuration in M-theory, which, in one limit, can be regarded as membranes wrapped around two cycles with AN−1 (DN) type intersection matrix, and in another limit, can be regarded as open strings stretched between N Dirichlet 6-branes (in the presence of an orientifold plane).
Explaining Individual Differences in Workplace Commitments - The Role of Residual Bonds and Commitment Propensity

Organizational commitment of employees towards their employer is highly relevant for both the committed individual as well as the organization. Positive effects on task performance and job satisfaction as well as a reduction of absenteeism and turnover increase organizational competitiveness. Despite extensive research efforts, details of the development of OC remain largely unexplored, particularly with regards to differences at the person level. The aim of this paper is to deduce propositions on the role of residual commitment within this context. Based on the assumption that commitment does not necessarily end when organizational membership does, we posit that residual affective and residual normative commitment towards former organizations form competitive relationships with current commitment. Closer investigation of such parallel commitments may help explain inconclusive results of earlier studies investigating antecedents of OC. Finally, implications for research on organizational commitment and socialization will be discussed.
PROBABILISTIC ANALYSIS OF LOAD-IMBALANCED PARALLEL APPLICATIONS WITH PARTIALLY ELIMINATED BARRIERS

In order to reduce the overhead of barrier synchronization, we have proposed an algorithm which eliminates barrier synchronizations and evaluated its validity experimentally in our previous study. As a result, we have found that the algorithm is more effective to the load-imbalanced program than load-balanced program. However, the degree of the load balance has not been discussed quantitatively. In this paper, we model the behavior of parallel programs. In our model, the execution time of a phase contained in a parallel program is represented as a random variable. To investigate how the degree of the load balance influences the performance of our algorithm, we varied the coefficient of variation (CV) of probability distribution which the random variable follows. Using the model, we evaluated the execution time of parallel programs which have four typical dependency patterns. Based on results, we found that theoretical results are consistent with experimental ones.
Assessing How the Packaging of Immunization Services Influence Uptake of the Immunization Services in Selected Health Facilities of Kajiado North Sub-County Kenya

Background: Immunization as a preventive measure to diseases is vital to organizational performance. Among the six pillars of the health system, this research focused on service delivery. A desk review indicated that there was low immunization coverage in the County. The objectives of the study was to determine how the cultural values, packaging of immunization and health promotion supports the uptake of immunization services Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing a guided questionnaire, targeting 280 mothers and an interview guide targeting 9 health workers were used. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21 using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis was done by thematic content analysis and framework analysis. Results: Majority of the respondents (mothers) were young with a mean age of 26 years. 233 (83%) agreed that immunization program is well explained to them when they visit health facilities. More than half 183(65.4%) of mothers got the information about immunization through continuous health education routinely offered in health facilities, whereas a significantly low 39 (13.9%) mothers got the immunization information through community health promotion. The correlation of health education with awareness indicated a (P-value = 0.406**) A p-value of 0.209** indicates that frequent visits to the health facilities did not influence the awareness of mothers on the immunization services offered in health facilities. Conclusion: The researcher concluded that there is a relationship between immunization uptake and immunization health promotion activities and recommended that the County Government of Kajiado should introduce outreach services and intensify health promotion activities
Multirate Multicasting With Intralayer Network Coding

Multirate multicasting is a generalization of single-rate multicasting to prevent destinations with good connections from being limited by the capacity of bottleneck connections. While multirate multicasting has been traditionally performed over fixed trees, advances in network coding theory have enabled higher throughput and have helped us move beyond the restriction of tree structures for routing the multicast data. In this paper, we address the questions of optimal rate allocation and low-complexity network coding solutions to the problem of multirate multicasting in general multihop networks. Our work considers intralayer network coding capabilities, where the session is conceptually divided into layers optimally and coding is performed across packets belonging to the same layer. Our approach differs from earlier works in this domain in its separation of the problem into rate allocation and content distribution items, which allows a number of optimization and graphical techniques in their solution. Noting the complexities involved in the optimal rate allocation and content distribution solutions, we then propose and investigate two novel approaches for reducing the complexity of the original scheme for more practical implementation based on a layered multicasting mechanism and nested optimization approach. We demonstrate the implementation advantages of these low-complexity schemes via extensive numerical studies.
Estimation of Wrist Force/torque for Robot Gripper using Neural Network

This paper proposes a kind of estimation method of wrist force/torque for robots. The method adopts the data fusion technique according to the output variations of the finger force sensors installed in the gripper. The finger force sensors are used to measure the clamping force of the gripper in the design. When the accuracy of measurement is not required exactly and there is the limitation of weight and volume in space robots, we utilize the existing devices to estimate the wrist force/torque without the wrist force/torque sensor, which not only meets the practical requirement but also decreases the weight and cost of robots. An experimental bench is developed and the calibration experiments are conducted to detect the relationship between the wrist force/torque and finger forces. The experimental data are used to train a Back Propagation (BP) artificial neural network, and the construction and parameters of the network are obtained. The results of data fusion of the wrist force/torque are consistent with the practical calibration values, and the effectiveness of the wrist force/torque estimating technique is proved.
Female Leaders in a Male Organisation: An Empirical Analysis of Leader Prototypicality, Power and Gender in the German Police

Female leaders defy not only leader stereotypes, which typically call for powerful “great men”, but they also find themselves at odds with an organisation specific leader prototype. In the case of the police this prototype should be particularly male and powerful. The present paper explores the impact of gender on the perception of leader prototypicality and power in the police. In a pre-study, we first question 34 high-ranking police leaders on their views on prototypical leader traits within the police. Based on these findings, we then compare female and male police officers’ perceptions of prototypical leaders and displayed power. Our data gained from 106 male and 34 female officers indicate that the main effect of women trusting and endorsing leaders more than their male colleagues is driven by a significant gender difference in the attitudes towards non-prototypical and highly power displaying leaders. Prototypical and low power leaders were trusted and endorsed equally by both genders. We discuss the implications for aspiring and existing female leaders in a male-dominated domain such as the police, and highlight leader prototypicality and power as new venues for gender research within