Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimization based rate control for multirate multicast sessions

Multirate multicasting, where the receivers of a multicast group can receive service at different rates, is an efficient mode of data delivery for many real-time applications. We address the problem of achieving rates that maximize the total receiver utility for multirate multicast sessions. This problem not only takes into account the heterogeneity in user requirements, but also provides a unified framework for diverse fairness objectives. We propose two algorithms and prove that they converge to the optimal rates for this problem. The algorithms are distributed and scalable, and do not require the network to know the receiver utilities. We discuss how these algorithms can be implemented in a real network, and also demonstrate their convergence through simulation experiments.
Phantom percepts: Tinnitus and pain as persisting aversive memory networks

Phantom perception refers to the conscious awareness of a percept in the absence of an external stimulus. On the basis of basic neuroscience on perception and clinical research in phantom pain and phantom sound, we propose a working model for their origin. Sensory deafferentation results in high-frequency, gamma band, synchronized neuronal activity in the sensory cortex. This activity becomes a conscious percept only if it is connected to larger coactivated “(self-)awareness” and “salience” brain networks. Through the involvement of learning mechanisms, the phantom percept becomes associated to distress, which in turn is reflected by a simultaneously coactivated nonspecific distress network consisting of the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and amygdala. Memory mechanisms play a role in the persistence of the awareness of the phantom percept, as well as in the reinforcement of the associated distress. Thus, different dynamic overlapping brain networks should be considered as targets for the treatment of this disorder.
The HoTT library: a formalization of homotopy type theory in Coq

We report on the development of the HoTT library, a formalization of homotopy type theory in the Coq proof assistant. It formalizes most of basic homotopy type theory, including univalence, higher inductive types, and significant amounts of synthetic homotopy theory, as well as category theory and modalities. The library has been used as a basis for several independent developments. We discuss the decisions that led to the design of the library, and we comment on the interaction of homotopy type theory with recently introduced features of Coq, such as universe polymorphism and private inductive types.
Search with learning: understanding asymmetric price adjustments

In many retail markets, prices rise faster than they fall. We develop a model of search with learning to explain this phenomenon of asymmetric price adjustments. By extending our static game analysis to the dynamic setting, we demonstrate that asymmetric price adjustments arise naturally. When a positive cost shock occurs, all the searchers immediately learn the true state; the search intensity, and hence the prices, fully adjust in the next period. When a negative cost shock occurs, it takes longer for nonsearchers to learn the true state, and the search intensity increases gradually, leading to slow falling of prices. Copyright (c) 2008, RAND.
Effect of humidity on time‐ and velocity‐dependent friction in rocks

Friction experiments were conducted utilizing samples tested in a humid atmosphere (ambient laboratory humidity or argon bubbled through water) and samples that were carefully dried and tested in an atmosphere of very dry argon (H2O<1 ppm). Dry surfaces consistently yield a friction coefficient of 0.85 to 1.00 compared with 0.55 to 0.65 for the tests in a humid environment. Time-dependent increases in the friction coefficient and large-scale stick-slip instability are characteristic of surfaces exposed to atmospheric water, but they are eliminated with careful drying. Direct dependence of frictional strength on slip speed persists under both dry and humid conditions.
Dexamethasone Induction of Murine CYP2B Genes Requires the Glucocorticoid Receptor

Hepatic cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes metabolize exogenous and endogenous compounds, and many are inducible by xenobiotics. Their synthesis is tightly regulated, particularly through nuclear receptors. Expression of murine CYP2B genes is strongly activated by treatment with phenobarbital or phenobarbital-like inducers, and a detectable response requires the presence of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). However, other compounds can also induce murine CYP2B proteins. For example, dexamethasone is known to induce rat CYP2B1 and CYP2B2 and mouse CYP2B10. Using human HepG2 and rat H4IIEC3 hepatoma cell lines, we found that dexamethasone induction of CYP2B2 and Cyp2b10 luciferase reporters required the glucocorticoid receptor. Given the well known observation that CYP2B genes are not phenobarbital-responsive in cultured cell lines, the dexamethasone responsiveness of CYP2B reporter constructs in cell lines demonstrates in itself that the mechanism of dexamethasone induction is distinct from that of phenobarbital. We also analyzed the relative importance of the phenobarbital response unit (PBRU) and of a known glucocorticoid response element in this response. Both sites contributed to the response, but other sites were required for maximal induction. CAR was also found to act as an accessory factor to stimulate the response to dexamethasone by the glucocorticoid receptor. Furthermore, in H4IIEC3 cells, CAR activated the PBRU in the natural sequence context of the CYP2B2 and Cyp2b10 5′ flanks. In summary, there are at least two independent mechanisms of CYP2B induction: one involving phenobarbital and phenobarbital-like inducers and another involving glucocorticoids that induce via the glucocorticoid receptor with CAR acting as an accessory factor.
Transformation of dyes and related compounds in anoxic sediment: kinetics and products.

The reactions of several to, anthraquinone, and quinoline dyes were studied in settled sediments. Several 1-substituted anthraquinones were lost from sediment with half-lives less than 10 days. For monosubstituted 1-amino and 1-methylamino (Disperse Red 9) compounds, the most stable product is the intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded anthrone. The 1,4-diaminoanthraquinone (Disperse Violet 1) and 1,4-diamino-2-metoxyanthaquinone (Disperse Red 11) were lost without formation of detectable products except for a demethylation product of the latter. Both the anthrone from Disperse Red 9 and the demethylation product of Disperse Red 11 reacted with halflives of a few months, but other major products were not detected
Evolution of the North American Monsoon System

Abstract A dynamically oriented description of the North American summer monsoon system, which encompasses the Mexican monsoon and the associated large-scale circulation over the continental United States, is provided by developing an evolution climatology of the precipitation, tropospheric circulation, moisture fluxes, diabatic heating, convective environment, and the adjoining basin SSTs. A distinguishing aspect of this study is the amount of independent data analyzed, such as the newly available European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalyses, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalyses, both satellite-derived and station data–based precipitation estimates, and the heating diagnosed from both reanalyses. This also provides a preliminary evaluation and comparison of the newly available NCEP and ECMWF reanalyses at the regional level, including the model-generated precipitation and heating distributions. The principal findings are the following. The accompani.
Influence of long-term wheat residue management on organic matter in an Avalon soil

This study was initiated to determine the influence of different wheat residue management practices, that were sustained for about 20 years, on the organic matter content of an Avalon soil in a long-term trial near Bethlehem in the Eastern Free State. The treatments were two methods of straw disposal (burned and unburned) × three methods of tillage (ploughing, stubble mulch and no tillage) × two methods of weed control (mechanical and chemical). Soil samples were collected at various depth intervals and organic C and total N, as indices of organic matter, were determined on these samples. The effect of either straw burning or weeding method on organic matter was small compared to that of tillage practice. A slightly higher organic C and lower total N content were measured in the unburned than burned plots to a depth of 450 mm. The tillage practices affected organic C and total N significantly in a similar manner to 100 mm depth with no-tilled plots having the highest organic matter content, followed in decreasing order by the mulched and ploughed plots. The organic matter content of the chemically-weeded plots was significantly higher than that of the mechanically-weeded plots to 100 mm depth, as indicated by organic C and total N. Significant interactions between the treatments on either organic C or total N were virtually absent. However, no tillage combined with chemical weeding resulted in the highest organic matter content. The latter combination is therefore recommended to maintain and even increase the organic matter content of this Avalon soil when cropped annually with wheat.
Multi-scale immune selection and the transmission-diversity feedback of Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Antigenic diversity is a key factor underlying the complex epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Within-host clonal antigenic variation limits host exposure to the parasite’s antigenic repertoire, while the high degree of diversity at the population-level requires multiple exposures for hosts to acquire anti-disease immunity. This diversity is predominantly generated through mitotic and meiotic recombination between individual genes and multi-gene repertoires and is therefore expected to respond dynamically to changes in transmission and immune selection. We hypothesised that this coupling creates a positive feedback mechanism whereby infection and disease transmission promotes the generation of diversity, which itself facilitates immune evasion and hence further infection and transmission. To investigate the link between diversity and malaria prevalence in more detail we developed an individual-based model in which antigenic diversity emerges as a dynamic property from the underlying transmission processes. We show that the balance between stochastic extinction and the generation of new antigenic variants is intrinsically linked to within-host and between-host immune selection, which in turn determines the level of diversity that can be maintained in a given population. We further show that the transmission-diversity feedback can lead to temporal lags in the response to natural or intervention-induced perturbations in transmission rates. These results will add to our understanding of the epidemiological dynamics of P. falciparum malaria in different transmission settings and will have important implications for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of disease control efforts.
Antidote Dilemma--an activity to promote critical thinking.

BACKGROUND In a health care environment of increased patient acuity and greater demands on nursing practitioners, the ability to think critically is requisite to functioning safely and proficiently. METHOD Definitions and tenets of critical thinking promulgated by Brookfield (1987) and Paul (1992) provided the theoretical foundation for Antidote Dilemma, an activity designed to promote critical thinking. RESULTS Nurses who participated in the activity identified plausible solutions to a nursing dilemma, considered context in identifying alternatives, and thought about their thinking. CONCLUSION Critical thinking is most likely to occur and continue when it is supported by others and repeatedly practiced. Continuing/staff-development educators play a vital role in promoting critical thinking among nursing practitioners.
A Diagnostic Marker to Discriminate Childhood Apraxia of Speech From Speech Delay: IV. The Pause Marker Index.

Purpose Three previous articles provided rationale, methods, and several forms of validity support for a diagnostic marker of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), termed the pause marker (PM). Goals of the present article were to assess the validity and stability of the PM Index (PMI) to scale CAS severity. Method PM scores and speech, prosody, and voice precision-stability data were obtained for participants with CAS in idiopathic, neurogenetic, and complex neurodevelopmental disorders; adult-onset apraxia of speech consequent to stroke and primary progressive apraxia; and idiopathic speech delay. Three studies were completed including criterion and concurrent validity studies of the PMI and a temporal stability study of the PMI using retrospective case studies. Results PM scores were significantly correlated with other signs of CAS precision and stability. The best fit of the distribution of PM scores to index CAS severity was obtained by dividing scores into 4 ordinal severity classifications: mild, mild-moderate, moderate-severe, and severe. Severity findings for the 4 classifications and retrospective longitudinal findings from 8 participants with CAS supported the validity and stability of the PMI. Conclusion Findings support research and clinical use of the PMI to scale the severity of CAS.
On the mechanism for interface trap generation in MOS transistors due to channel hot carrier stressing

The classical concept and theory suggest that the degradation of MOS transistors is caused by interface trap generation resulting from "hot carrier injection. " We report three new experiments that use the deuterium isotope effect to probe the mechanism for interface trap generation in n-MOS transistors in the presence of hot hole and electron injection. These experiments show clearly that hot carrier injection into the gate oxide exhibits essentially no isotope effect, whereas channel hot electrons at the interface exhibit a large isotope effect. This leads to the conclusion that channel hot electrons, not carriers injected into the gate oxide, are primarily responsible for interface trap generation for standard hot carrier stressing.
Analysis of Hunger-Driven Gene Expression in the Drosophila melanogaster Larval Central Nervous System

Abstract A transposon-inserted mutant of Drosophila melanogaster was recently identified, and the larvae show no food preference (Ryuda and Hayakawa, 2005). To reveal the genetic mechanism underlying the preference change in this mutant, a large-scale oligo-DNA microarray screening was carried out to identify genes whose expression is different in control and mutant strains. We focused especially on hunger-driven changes in gene expression in the larval central nervous system (CNS) of both strains, because the state of food depletion should promote a feeding response due to changed expression of certain genes in the CNS. We identified 22 genes whose expression changed after starvation in either or both of the two strains. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses confirmed the expression changes in four genes, CG6271, CG6277, CG7953, and new glue 3 (ng3, encoding a putative structural molecule). CG6271 and CG6277 encode triacylglycerol lipase, and CG7953 produces a protein homologous to a juvenile hormone (JH) binding protein. The expression of these two groups of genes was enhanced in control strain larvae with a normal food preference but not in GS1189 strain larvae. Given that these genes contribute to mediating hunger-driven changes in food preference and intake in D. melanogaster larvae, the dysfunction of these key genes could cause the defect in food preference observed in GS1189-strain larvae.
Neuromuscular training injury prevention strategies in youth sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Youth have very high participation and injury rates in sport. Sport is the leading cause of injury in youth. Sport injury reduces future participation in physical activity which adversely affects future health. Sport injury may lead to overweight/obesity and post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The objective of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of injury prevention neuromuscular training strategies in youth sport. Three electronic databases were systematically searched up to September 2014. Studies selected met the following criteria: original data; analytic prospective design; investigated a neuromuscular training prevention strategy intervention(s) and included outcomes for injury sustained during sport participation. Two authors assessed the quality of evidence using Downs and Black (DB) criteria. Meta-analyses including randomised controlled trials only (RCTs) to ensure study design homogeneity were completed for lower extremity and knee injury outcomes. Of 2504 potentially relevant studies, 25 were included. Meta-analysis revealed a combined preventative effect of neuromuscular training in reducing the risk of lower extremity injury (incidence rate ratio: IRR=0.64 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.84)). Though not statistically significant, the point estimate suggests a protective effect of such programmes in reducing the risk of knee injury (IRR=0.74 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.07)). There is evidence for the effectiveness of neuromuscular training strategies in the reduction of injury in numerous team sports. Lack of uptake and ongoing maintenance of such programmes is an ongoing concern. A focus on implementation is critical to influence knowledge, behaviour change and sustainability of evidence informed injury prevention practice.
Extending balanced scorecard perspectives for benchmarking public organizations

Performance measurement and benchmarking methods like the balanced scorecard face the challenges to measure the idiosyncratic nature of the back-office of public organizations. The goal of this paper is to develop measurement perspectives that take into account public sector characteristics and specific organizational and technical challenges that need to be tackled. We do this by extending the BSC perspectives to fit within the public sector to measure the back-office. Improvement support for measurement and benchmarking process is developed based on the insights gained from literature and this is further refined using case studies. The developed perspectives include collaboration, responsibilities, and political commitment. The findings show that the some perspectives are sector specific and difficult to generalize, but including these perspectives is important for back-office performance improvement.
Prevalence and associated factors of microalbuminuria in Chinese individuals without diabetes: cross-sectional study

Objective To investigate the prevalence of microalbuminuria (MAU) among Chinese individuals without diabetes and the relationship between MAU and metabolic factors, individual socioeconomic status (SES), and regional economic development level. Design Cross-sectional study of prevalence of MAU. Setting 152 urban street districts and 112 rural villages from northeast, north, east, south central, northwest and southwest China. Participants 46 239 participants were recruited using a multistage stratified sampling design from 2007 to 2008. A total of 41 290 participants without diabetes determined by oral glucose tolerance test were included in the present study. Urine albumin/creatinine ratio results of 35 430 individuals were available. Primary and secondary outcome measures Positive detection of MAU was determined using an ACR of 22.1–299.9 mg/g in men 30.9–299.9 mg/g in women. Results The prevalence of MAU in men was 22.4% and 24.5% in women. In developed, intermediate-developed and under-developed areas, the prevalence of MAU in men was 20.7%, 21.9% and 32.5%, respectively; in women the prevalence was 19.6%, 26.0% and 29.5%, respectively. The prevalence of MAU increased as the number of metabolic disorders present increased, and as the number of lower SES components increased (farmer, below university education level and low income). Prevalence of MAU in developed and intermediate developed areas had adjusted risk ratios of 0.52 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.60) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.76), respectively. Multivariate logistic analyses demonstrated MAU was strongly associated with older age, high-blood pressure, higher blood glucose low education level, low occupational level and residence in under-developed region. Conclusions Several factors had independent correlations to MAU in China: older age, metabolic abnormalities, lower SES level and living in economically under-developed areas, which encourage the development of strategies to lower the risk for MAU in these susceptible populations.
Goal-based multi-agent tree formation using reinforcement learning

Self — organizing natural systems are inspirational to swarm robotics. The applications include social insect systems and social behaviours. The multi — agent tree formation is one of the communication topologies of swarm robotic system. The agents are linked in a tree to communicate with each other through the hierarchy. The focus of this work is to form tree using Transfer Learning (TL) of Reinforcement Learning (RL). The goal of the approach is to maintain a certain distance with each agent. Here six agents form a tree, one among them is the leader. Each agent interacts with leader and others in the mission space till the policy of distance constraint is satisfied. The convergence of cost error is used as a paradigm to measure the knowledge transfer. Once the transfer of knowledge has taken place, the error approaches zero after two episodes and remain constant throughout the horizon. The novelty of the approach is to provide a distinct advantage when target information is unknown and only state information is known.
Geography, topography, and history affect realized‐to‐potential tree species richness patterns in Europe

Environmental conditions and biotic interactions are generally thought to influence local species richness. However, immigration and the evolutionary and historical factors that shape regional species pools should also contribute to determining local species richness because local communities arise by assembly from regional species pools. Using the European tree flora as our study system, we implemented a novel approach to assess the relative importance of local and regional mechanisms that control local species richness. We first identified species pools that tolerate particular local environments and quantified the proportion of the pool that is present locally, i.e. the realized/potential (R/P) richness ratio. Because no consensus exists on how to estimate potential richness, we estimated it using three different approaches. Using these three estimates separately and in a combined ensemble estimate, we then analyzed the effects of potential drivers on R/P richness ratios. We predicted that the R/P richness ratio would 1) increase with decreasing distance from glacial refugia (accessibility), 2) and be generally low in geographically fragmented southern Europe because of dispersal limitation; 3) increase with actual evapotranspiration because greater availability of water and energy promotes local population persistence; and 4) increase with topographic heterogeneity because it promotes local species coexistence and facilitates long-term species survival. There was considerable variation among the three R/P richness ratio estimates, but we found consistent support for a negative effect of regional geographic fragmentation and a positive topographic effect. We also identified fairly broad support for the predicted effect of accessibility. We conclude that local tree assemblages in Europe often fail to realize a large proportion of the potential richness held in the regional species pool, partially reflecting their geographical, historical, and environmental circumstances. The dispersal-related effects of geographic fragmentation and accessibility exemplify regional controls that combine with local ecological sorting to determine local species richness.