Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Block Schur Algorithms for Third Generation Mobile Radio Systems with Joint Detection

This paper presents an efficient block Schur algorithm for the joint detection of several CDMA codes in third generation mobile radio systems. It can, for instance, be used in time-slotted CDMA mobile radio systems, mobile radio systems using multi carrie r CDMA, and direct sequence CDMA systems. After rearranging the sys tem matrix into a block Toeplitz matrix, the proposed block Schur algorithm (BSA) is applied. Due to its high degree of inherent parallelism, the BSA is well suited for an efficient parallel hardware implementation. Moreover, it achieves an increased estimation accura cy for a given word length by factorizing the rearranged system matrix directly instead of “squaring” it to obtain its Gramian. Thereby, the near-far problem is reduced significantly. If inter-symbol-interference occurs between several symbols, a reduction of the computational c omplexity is obtained by exploiting the block Toeplitz structure of the rearranged system matrix.
Empathy – The Essentials of Counselling People Living with HIV

The landscape of HIV has changed from an incurable disease to be more like a chronic disease as the result of advances in medications; the lifespan of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) has also lengthened, HIV defining diseases are delayed, and many of the complications of HIV prevented with adherence to medications. The stigma and discrimination of HIV remain however. PLHIV need to cope with emotional issues of guilt, shame, and self-blame; social issues of rejection, termination of employment, fear and bad social experiences. The paradigm shift from negative regard of PLHIV to that of empathy, which is a deliberate and conscious attitude to relate to PLHIV as fellow travellers in life, to be able to feel with them rather than against them, has therapeutic effects. Empathy has its processes of active listening, responding with appropriately chosen words to describe feelings of the patients, and reflecting the desire to understand more about the patient’s emotions and social turmoil. The benefit of empathy in counseling are the ability to connect with the patient, to build trust from the patient being counseled, and a more objective perspective of being able to see the patient from his/her perspective rather than from the therapist’s perspective. More importantly empathy is a positive response to emotional and social issues experienced by the patient compared to platitudes like “You will be alright; or “don’t worry”, which negate and minimise the opportunity to have a catharsis.
Microbial Biogeography: From Taxonomy to Traits

The biogeographic variation of life has predominantly been studied using taxonomy, but this focus is changing. There is a resurging interest in understanding patterns in the distribution not only of taxa but also of the traits those taxa possess. Patterns of trait variation shed light on fundamental questions in biology, including why organisms live where they do and how they will respond to environmental change. Technological advances such as environmental genomics place microbial ecology in a unique position to move trait-based biogeography forward. We anticipate that as trait-based biogeography continues to evolve, micro- and macroorganisms will be studied in concert, establishing a science that is informed by and relevant to all domains of life.
The Parameters Identification and Validation for IGBT Based on Optimization Algorithm

IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) is becoming more and more popular in many power applications, since it offers a good compromise between on-state loss, switching loss and easy of use. To develop circuits and systems using theses devices, model and model parameters are needed for use in circuit simulations. This paper presents a procedure for identifying the most IGBT models parameters. As an example, the results of identified parameters of BUP302 are given. Based on the identification, the paper presents the method for parameters validation. At last, the conclusion was given.
Reduced feature sets for vowel recognition

The accuracy of speech recognition systems, to a large extent, depend on the feature sets used for representing the speech data. It has been a continuous process to develop feature sets to perform more accurate speech recognition through ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) systems. Many feature sets and their different combinations have been tried to achieve better accuracy but the feature set providing completely accurate representation is yet to be formulated. This paper investigates the generation of reduced sets of MFCCs for vowel recognition. The study is more focused on the generation and behavior of MFCCs for different vowel sounds. The goal is to identify the features that enhance their discriminating capabilities and improve the performance of ASR systems for particular sounds. The results of the analysis show that the proposed reduced features perform well and can be further used to improve the accuracy of ASR systems, specifically the ones in resource constrained devices.
Commonsense Knowledge Retrieval

An autonomous agent that explores and acts in a rich world needs knowledge to act effectively. This agent can use knowledge that is available in Commonsense Knowledge Bases (CSKBs), when the agent designer cannot encode all the information the agent might need. CSKBs include generalpurpose information about the everyday world in a formal language, but this information is not always correct, relevant, or useful for the agent’s purpose. In this paper we present an approach to retrieving commonsense knowledge for autonomous decision making. We consider agents whose formal language is different from that of the CSKB, and can use multiple CSKBs of various expressivity and coverage. We present a complete retrieval framework with algorithms for mapping languages and selection of knowledge. We report on preliminary experimental results of these algorithms for the ConceptNet CSKB.
Common randomness for secure computing

We revisit A.C. Yao's classic problem of secure function computation by interactive communication, in an information theoretic setting. Our approach, based on examining the underlying common randomness, provides a new proof of the characterization of a securely computable function by deterministic protocols. This approach also yields a characterization of the minimum communication needed for secure computability.
Cooperation without Correlation: Win-Stay, Lose-Shift with Social Information

3 Measures 4 3.1 Knowledge of Full Population . 4 3.2 Knowledge of a Single Opponent . 5 3.3 Knowledge of Opponent and One More . 7 3.4 Knowledge of Opponent and Two More . 11 3.4. 1 b c ≤ 2 . 11 3.4. 2 b c > 2 . 12
Association between markers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance in pregnant women

BACKGROUND Increased levels of pro-inflammatory factors, markers of oxidative stress and lipid profiles are known to be associated with several complications. The aim of this study was to determine the association of markers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and lipid profiles with insulin resistance in pregnant women in Kashan, Iran. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum insulin, 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydroguanine (8-oxo-G), total cholesterol, triglyceride, High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), and plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured among 89 primigravida singleton pregnant women aged 18-30 years at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regressions were used to assess their relationships with homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). RESULTS We found that among biochemical indicators of pregnant women, serum hs-CRP and total cholesterol levels were positively correlated with HOMA-IR (β = 0.05, P = 0.006 for hs-CRP and β = 0.006, P = 0.006 for total cholesterol). These associations remained significant even after mutual effect of other biochemical indicators were controlled (β = 0.04, P = 0.01 for hs-CRP and β = 0.007, P = 0.02 for total cholesterol). Further adjustment for body mass index made the association of hs-CRP and HOMA-IR disappeared; however, the relationship for total cholesterol remained statistically significant. CONCLUSION Our findings showed that serum total cholesterol is independently correlated with HOMA-IR score. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Landmark-based Navigation and Path-finding in Web Mining

We introduce a new method of Web relationship based on landmark identi cation and association. This allows us to improve the performance of searching relevant information in Web intelligent navigation. In order to be more convenient for users to nd and search Web information, we have developed an EMS Search Engine as opposed to the traditional search engines. The operations of EMS Search Engine includes three phases: Web Information Extracting Phase, Landmark Mining Phase and Path Searching Phase.
What is Game Studies Anyway? Legitimacy of Game Studies Beyond Ludo-centrism vs. Narrato-centrism Debate

A decade after the technology allowed the “domestication” of video games and after their full integration into the everyday life and practice of large audience, the fascination exerted by interactivity and the digital revolution of the early 2000s led to the emergence of new academic collocations, known as game studies (Aarseth, 2001) or video game theory (Wolf & Peron, 2003).
Encoding Large Asynchronous Controllers With ILP Techniques

State encoding is one of the most difficult problems in the synthesis of asynchronous controllers. This paper presents a method that can solve the problem of large controllers specified with signal transition graphs. The method is based on the structural theory of Petri nets and uses integer-linear programming to insert state signals in locations that guarantee the consistency and absence of critical races. The structural nature of the proposed method makes it conservative, i.e., a solution cannot be guaranteed, even if it exists. Nevertheless, the experiments show that this limitation did not preclude finding a solution for all the examples presented in this paper. The method can be customized for area or delay optimization. The experimental results confirm the quality of the circuits, as compared with state-based methods. They also show the significant benefits that could be obtained if logic synthesis would be incorporated in synthesis frameworks that generate controllers by syntax-directed translation.
Hardware for Collision Search on Elliptic Curve over GF ( 2 m )

In this last decade, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) has gain increasing acceptance in the industry and the academic community and has been the subject of several standards. This interest is mainly due to the high level of security with relatively small keys provided by ECC. Indeed, no sub-exponential algorithms are known to solve the underlying hard problem, namely the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem (ECDLP). The aim of this work is to explore the possibilities of a special purpose hardware implementing the best known algorithm for generic curves: the parallelized Pollard’s ρ method. In particular, the computing power of a general purpose processor and a reconfigurable hardware platform will be compared. Hardware is expected to perform faster than software but the improving factor is currently unknown. Such results should help to improve the accuracy of the security level offered by a given
Reading experience shapes the mental timeline but not the mental number line

People conceptualize both time and numbers as unfolding along a horizontal line, either from left to right or from right to left. The direction of both the mental timeline (MTL) and the mental number line (MNL) are widely assumed to depend on the direction of reading and writing within a culture. Although experimental evidence supports this assumption regarding the MTL, there is no clear evidence that reading direction determines the direction of the MNL. Here we tested effects of reading experience on the direction of both the MTL and MNL. Participants read English text either normally (from left to right) or mirror-reversed (from right to left). After normal reading, participants showed the spacetime associations and space-number associations typical of Westerners. After mirror reading, participants’ space-time associations were significantly reduced but their spacenumber associations were unchanged. These results suggest that the MTL and MNL have different experiential bases. Whereas the MTL can be shaped by reading experience, the MNL is shaped by other culture-specific practices through which people experience numbers arrayed in left-right space.
Effects of Vibration Stimulation Method on Upper Limbs Spasticity in Patients with Brain Lesion

We studied the effects of vibration stimulation method on upper limbs spasticity in patients with brain lesion. 21 patients with spasticity of the upper limbs selected and divided randomly 3 groups. And then vibratory stimulation was applied to the triceps brachii muscle in group Ⅰ(n=7), to biceps brachii muscle in group Ⅱ (n=7), and to both muscles in group Ⅲ (n=7). Using Neuro-EMG_Micro to investigate the changes in spinal neuronal excitability, F-waves were measured at before and directly after stimulation, and 10 minutes later and 20 minutes later after stimulation especially. MAS(Modified Ashworth Scale) test for muscle tone and MFT(Manual Function Test) for the upper extremity motor function were performed before stimulation and 20 minutes later after stimulation for the purpose of clinical evaluation. In our study, MAS was significant decreased in all groups, F wave and F/M ratio parameters were decreased in all groups and more decreased specially in group Ⅲ. MFT was increased in group Ⅱ and Ⅲ, and more increased specially in group Ⅲ. Vibration stimulation reduced the neuronal excitability of spinal cord and also muscle tone, and improved the motor function of the upper extremity. These results suggested that vibration stimulation giving to both muscles(triceps and biceps brachii muscle) at the same time was more efficiency in reducing the neuronal excitability of spinal cord and improving the motor function of the upper limbs.
Análise da concorrência no setor de supermercados de Salvador na perspectiva de uma política antitruste

Este trabalho representa uma analise estrutural do setor de supermercados em Salvador, considerado aspectos teoricos, legais e mercadologicos, relativas as condicoes de rivalidade, aos padroes de concorrencia, concentracao do mercado, niveis de barreiras a entrada, e levantamento das tecnicas de defesa da concorrencia utilizada pelos orgaos regulatorios no Brasil, numa tentativa de compreender as razoes da fraca penetracao das grandes cadeias de varejo internacional e nacional no mercado relevante de Salvador, dado o amplo processo de expansao, adocao de estrategias competitivas e internacionalizacao, vigente no setor de supermercado. Neste sentido, sao apresentadas as condicoes concorrenciais, efetivas e potenciais do referido mercado relevante, na tentativa de obter informacoes e estabelecer relacoes de causalidade que possam identificar e responder aos questionamentos acima apresentados. Para tanto, tornou-se imprescindivel verificar o contexto na qual estao inseridas as empresas supermercadistas de Salvador, a partir do estudo das forcas estruturais que condicionam as estrategias e o comportamento das firmas atuantes nesta industria, bem como os pareceres dos atos de concentracao relativos ao setor de supermercados de Salvador buscando obter justificativa tecnica e economica para a elevada concentracao de mercado deste setor na referida cidade.
Visualizing the Data – Using Lifelines2 to Gain Insights from Data Drawn from a Clinical Data Repository

The field of visual analytics continues to expand into the realm of electronic health record (EHR) analysis. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Lifelines2, a visualization program from the University of Maryland’s Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, was recently integrated into the NIH’s clinical repository, the Biomedical Translational Research Information System (BTRIS). To explore the functionality of Lifelines2, two markers of inflammation – erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) – were compared on patients both with and without the rare immune disorder chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) using ten years of de-identified patient data. We used Lifelines2 to visualize correlations among 12,266 laboratory events on 622 patients. The findings from our unrestricted sample identify areas warranting further studies on population subsets in which clinical features (such as disease activity) are known. Overall, visual aids such as Lifelines2 allowed for both rapid and powerful interpretation of EHR data.
Optimizing Academic Conference Classification Using Social Tags

Automatically classifying academic conference into semantic topic promises improved academic search and browsing for users. Social tagging is an increasingly popular way of describing the topic of academic conference. However, no attention has been devoted to academic conference classification by making use of social tags. Motivated by this observation, this paper proposes a method which utilizes social tags as well as the content of academic conference in order to improve automatically identifying academic conference classification. The proposed method applies different automatic classification algorithms to improve classification quality by using social tags. Experimental results show that this method mentioned above performs better than the method which only utilizes the content to classify academic conference with 1% Precision measure score increase and 1.64% F1 measure score increase, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Effects of dynamic ventilatory factors on ventilator-induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome dogs.

BACKGROUND Mechanical ventilation is a double-edged sword to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) including lung injury, and systemic inflammatory response high tidal volumes are thought to increase mortality. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of dynamic ventilatory factors on ventilator induced lung injury in a dog model of ARDS induced by hydrochloric acid instillation under volume controlled ventilation and to investigate the relationship between the dynamic factors and ventilator-induced lung injuries (VILI) and to explore its potential mechanisms. METHODS Thirty-six healthy dogs were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. Subjects in the experimental group were then further divided into four groups by different inspiratory stages of flow. Two mL of alveolar fluid was aspirated for detection of IL-8 and TNF-α. Lung tissue specimens were also extracted for total RNA, IL-8 by western blot and observed under an electronic microscope. RESULTS IL-8 protein expression was significantly higher in group B than in groups A and D. Although the IL-8 protein expression was decreased in group C compared with group B, the difference was not statistically significant. The TNF-α ray degree of group B was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.01), especially in group C (P>0.05). The alveolar volume of subjects in group B was significantly smaller, and cavity infiltration and cell autolysis were marked with a significant thicker alveolar septa, disorder of interval structures, and blurring of collagenous and elastic fiber structures. A large number of necrotic debris tissue was observed in group B. CONCLUSION Mechanical ventilation with a large tidal volume, a high inspiratory flow and a high ventilation frequency can cause significant damage to lung tissue structure. It can significantly increase the expression of TNF-α and IL-8 as well as their mRNA expression. Furthermore, the results of our study showed that small tidal ventilation significantly reduces the release of pro-inflammatory media. This finding suggests that greater deterioration in lung injury during ARDS is associated with high inspiratory flow and high ventilation rate.
Mining very long sequences in large databases with PLWAPLong

Position Coded Pre-order Linked Web Access Pattern (PLWAP) mining algorithm is one of the existing efficient web sequential pattern mining algorithms, which stores the frequent sequences of the entire sequential database in a compressed tree form with position coded nodes. However, for very long sequences exceeding thirty two nodes, the number of bits an integer position code can hold, the PLWAP algorithm's performance begins to degrade because it employs linked lists to store conjunctions of long position codes and the linked list traversals slow down the algorithm both during tree construction and mining. PLWAP algorithm also uses each and every node in the frequent 1-item event queue to test for that event inclusion in the suffix tree root set during mining. This paper proposes (1) using a different position code numbering scheme where each node is assigned two numeric codes (startPosition, endPosition) instead of one, (2) using pre-knowledge of "Last Descendant" of each tree branch to lower the cost of creating the suffix tree root sets during mining. Experiments show that the proposed new scheme, the PLWAPLong outperforms the PLWAP for long sequences and large databases as well as regular databases.
3D Moving Object Reconstruction by Temporal Accumulation

Much progress has been made recently in the development of 3D acquisition technologies, which increased the availability of low-cost 3D sensors, such as the Microsoft Kinect. This promotes a wide variety of computer vision applications needing object recognition and 3D reconstruction. We present a novel algorithm for full 3D reconstruction of unknown rotating objects in 2.5D point cloud sequences, such as those generated by 3D sensors. Our algorithm incorporates structural and temporal motion information to build 3D models of moving objects and is based on motion compensated temporal accumulation. The proposed algorithm requires only the fixed centre or axis of rotation, unlike other 3D reconstruction methods, it does not require key point detection, feature description, correspondence matching, provided object models or any geometric information about the object. Moreover, our algorithm integrally estimates the best rigid transformation parameters for registration, applies surface resembling, reduces noise and estimates the optimum angular velocity of the rotating object.
Avian malaria Plasmodium relictum in native Hawaiian forest birds: epizootiology and demographic impacts on 'apapane Himatione sanguinea.

The role of introduced avian malaria Plasmodium relictum in the decline and extinction of native Hawaiian forest birds has become a classic example of the potential effect of invasive diseases on biological diversity of naive populations. However, empirical evidence describing the impact of avian malaria on fitness of Hawai‵i's endemic forest birds is limited, making it difficult to determine the importance of disease among the suite of potential limiting factors affecting the distribution and abundance of this threatened avifauna. We combined epidemiological force-of-infection with multistate capture––recapture models to evaluate a 7-year longitudinal study of avian malaria in ‵apapane, a relatively common native honeycreeper within mid-elevation Hawaiian forests. We found that malaria transmission was seasonal in this mid-elevation forest; transmission peaked during fall and during some years produced epizootic mortality events. Estimated annual mortality of hatch-year birds typically exceeded 50% and mortality of adults exceeded 25% during epizootics. The substantial impact of avian malaria on this relatively common native species demonstrates the key role this disease has played in the decline and extinction of Hawaiian forest birds.