Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement Matrix Calibration Method for Modulated Wideband Converter under Imperfect Periodic Pseudorandom Waveform

—Modulated Wideband Converter (MWC) is a type of theory to real-time sub-Nyquist sampling and recovery of sparse wideband analog signal with low computational overhead and efficient hardware implementation. However, the application and implementation of MWC are seriously disturbed by the measurement matrix mismatch problem caused by limited system bandwidth and inevitable nonlinearity of practical devices. To remit this awkwardness, a Full-column-rank WellPosed Calibration (FWC) method aiming to calibrate measurement matrix of MWC is proposed in this paper. By controlling the number and carrier frequency of input analog signal, the underdetermined reconstruction problem is turned to be well-posed equation set which is solved iteratively and then the calibration of the measurement matrix is completed. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results indicate that the measurement matrix obtained by proposed method keeps a high accordance with the theoretical value and adapts to the practical MWC system, thus ensuring the recovery accuracy of the original signal.
Interventions to prevent back pain and back injury in nurses: a systematic review

A systematic literature review was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of interventions that aim to prevent back pain and back injury in nurses. Ten relevant databases were searched; these were examined and reference lists checked. Two reviewers applied selection criteria, assessed methodological quality and extracted data from trials. A qualitative synthesis of evidence was undertaken and sensitivity analyses performed. Eight randomised controlled trials and eight non-randomised controlled trials met eligibility criteria. Overall, study quality was poor, with only one trial classified as high quality. There was no strong evidence regarding the efficacy of any interventions aiming to prevent back pain and injury in nurses. The review identified moderate level evidence from multiple trials that manual handling training in isolation is not effective and multidimensional interventions are effective in preventing back pain and injury in nurses. Single trials provided moderate evidence that stress management programs do not prevent back pain and limited evidence that lumbar supports are effective in preventing back injury in nurses. There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of exercise interventions and the provision of manual handling equipment and training. This review highlights the need for high quality randomised controlled studies to examine the effectiveness of interventions to prevent back pain and injury in nursing populations. Implications for future research are discussed.
Optimal Routing for the Gaussian Multiple-Relay Channel with Decode-and-Forward

In this paper, we study a routing problem on the Gaussian multiple relay channel, in which nodes employ a decode-and-forward coding strategy. We are interested in routes for the information flow through the relays that achieve the highest DF rate. We first construct an algorithm that provably finds optimal DF routes. As the algorithm runs in factorial time in the worst case, we propose a polynomial time heuristic algorithm that finds an optimal route with high probability. We demonstrate that that the optimal (and near optimal) DF routes are good in practice by simulating a distributed DF coding scheme using low density parity check codes with puncturing and incremental redundancy.
Reward prediction-related increases and decreases in tonic neuronal activity of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus

The neuromodulators serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine have been proposed to play important roles in the execution of movement, control of several forms of attentional behavior, and reinforcement learning. While the response pattern of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and its specific role in reinforcement learning have been revealed, the roles of the other neuromodulators remain elusive. Reportedly, neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, one major source of serotonin, continually track the state of expectation of future rewards by showing a correlated response to the start of a behavioral task, reward cue presentation, and reward delivery. Here, we show that neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTN), one major source of acetylcholine, showed similar encoding of the expectation of future rewards by a systematic increase or decrease in tonic activity. We recorded and analyzed PPTN neuronal activity in monkeys during a reward conditioned visually guided saccade task. The firing patterns of many PPTN neurons were tonically increased or decreased throughout the task period. The tonic activity pattern of neurons was correlated with their encoding of the predicted reward value; neurons exhibiting an increase or decrease in tonic activity showed higher or lower activity in the large reward-predicted trials, respectively. Tonic activity and reward-related modulation ended around the time of reward delivery. Additionally, some tonic changes in activity started prior to the appearance of the initial stimulus, and were related to the anticipatory fixational behavior. A partially overlapping population of neurons showed both the initial anticipatory response and subsequent predicted reward value-dependent activity modulation by their systematic increase or decrease of tonic activity. These bi-directional reward- and anticipatory behavior-related modulation patterns are suitable for the presumed role of the PPTN in reward processing and motivational control.
Efficient assignment algorithm for mapping multidimensional signals into the physical memory

The storage requirements in data-intensive multidimensional signal processing systems have a significant impact on the system performance as well as on essential design parameters, like the overall power consumption and chip area. This paper addresses the problem of efficiently mapping the multidimensional signals from the algorithmic specification of the system into the physical memory. Different from all the previous mapping models that aim to optimize the memory sharing between the elements of a same array, this proposed assignment algorithm takes also into account the possibility of memory sharing between different arrays. As a consequence, the experiments with this novel signal-to-memory mapping approach exhibit important savings of data storage resulted after mapping.
PP-wave string interactions from perturbative Yang-Mills theory

Recently, Berenstein et al. have proposed a duality between a sector of = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory with large R-charge J, and string theory in a pp-wave background. In the limit considered, the effective 't Hooft coupling has been argued to be ? ' = gYM2N/J2 = 1/(? p+? ')2. We study Yang-Mills theory at small ? ' (large ? ) with a view to reproducing string interactions. We demonstrate that the effective genus counting parameter of the Yang-Mills theory is g22 = J4/N2 = (4? gs)2(? p+? ')4, the effective two-dimensional Newton constant for strings propagating on the pp-wave background. We identify g2(? ')1/2 as the effective coupling between a wide class of excited string states on the pp-wave background. We compute the anomalous dimensions of BMN operators at first order in g22 and ? ' and interpret our result as the genus one mass renormalization of the corresponding string state. We postulate a relation between the three-string vertex function and the gauge theory three-point function and compare our proposal to string field theory. We utilize this proposal, together with quantum mechanical perturbation theory, to recompute the genus one energy shift of string states, and find precise agreement with our gauge theory computation.
Childhood Fractures Do Not Predict Future Fractures: Results From the European Prospective Osteoporosis Study

Childhood fractures are common. Their clinical relevance to osteoporosis and fractures in later life is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive risk of childhood fracture on the risk of fracture in later life. Men and women ≥50 yr of age were recruited from population registers for participation in the European Prospective Osteoporosis Study (EPOS). Subjects completed an interviewer administered questionnaire that included questions about previous fractures and the age at which the first of these fractures occurred. Lateral spine radiographs were performed to ascertain prevalent vertebral deformities. Subjects were followed prospectively by postal questionnaire to determine the occurrence of clinical fractures. A subsample of subjects had BMD measurements performed. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the predictive risk of childhood fracture between the ages of 8 and 18 yr on the risk of future limb fracture and logistic regression was used to determine the association between reported childhood fractures and prevalent vertebral deformity. A total of 6451 men (mean age, 63.8 yr) and 6936 women (mean age, 63.1 yr) were included in the analysis. Mean follow‐up time was 3 yr. Of these, 574 (8.9%) men and 313 (4.5%) women reported a first fracture (any site) between the ages of 8 and 18 yr. A recalled history of any childhood fracture or forearm fracture was not associated with an increased risk of future limb fracture or prevalent vertebral deformity in either men or women. Among the 4807 subjects who had DXA measurements, there was no difference in bone mass among those subjects who had reported a childhood fracture and those who did not. Our data suggest that self‐reported previous childhood fracture is not associated with an increased risk of future fracture in men or women.
A library of Taylor models for PVS automatic proof checker

We present in this report a library to compute with Taylor models, a technique extending interval arithmetic to reduce decorrelation and to solve differential equations. Numerical software usually produces only numerical results. Our library can be used to produce both results and proofs. As seen during the development of Fermat's last theorem reported by Acz96, providing a proof is not sufficient. Our library provides a proof that has been thoroughly scrutinized by a trustworthy and tireless assistant. PVS is an automatic proof assistant that has been fairly developed and used and that has no internal connection with interval arithmetic or Taylor models. We built our library so that PVS validates each result as it is produced. As producing and validating a proof, is and will certainly remain a bigger task than just producing a numerical result our library will never be a replacement to imperative implementations of Taylor models such as Cosy Infinity. Our library should mainly be used to validate small to medium size results that are involved in safety or life critical applications.
Cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis: recent advances in the understanding of the pivotal role of inflammation, risk predictors and the impact of treatment

Risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease is increased among RA patients. High inflammatory burden associated with RA appears to be a key driver of the increased cardiovascular risk. Inflammation is linked with accelerated atherosclerosis and associated with a paradoxical inversion of the relationship between CV risk and lipid levels in patients with untreated RA, recently coined the lipid paradox. Furthermore, the inflammatory burden is also associated with qualitative as well as quantitative changes in lipoproteins, with the anti-inflammatory and atheroprotective roles associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly altered. RA therapies can increase lipid levels, which may reflect the normalization of lipids due to their inflammatory-dampening effects. However, these confounding influences of inflammation and RA therapies on lipid profiles pose challenges for assessing CV risk in RA patients and interpretation of traditional CV risk scores. In this review we examine the relationship between the increased inflammatory burden in RA and CV risk, exploring how inflammation influences lipid profiles, the impact of RA therapies and strategies for identifying and monitoring CV risk in RA patients aimed at improving CV outcomes.
Identifying the optimal resistive load for complex training in male rugby players

Alternating a resistance exercise with a plyometric exercise is referred to as “complex training”. In this study, we examined the effect of various resistive loads on the biomechanics of performance of a fast stretch–shortening cycle activity to determine if an optimal resistive load exists for complex training. Twelve elite rugby players performed three drop jumps before and after three back squat resistive loads of 65%, 80%, and 93% of a single repetition maximum (1-RM) load. All drop jumps were performed on a specially constructed sledge and force platform apparatus. Flight time, ground contact time, peak ground reaction force, reactive strength index, and leg stiffness were the dependent variables. Repeated-measures analysis of variance found that all resistive loads reduced (P < 0.01) flight time, and that lifting at the 93% load resulted in an improvement (P < 0.05) in ground contact time and leg stiffness. From a training perspective, the results indicate that the heavy lifting will encourage the fast stretch–shortening cycle activity to be performed with a stiffer leg spring action, which in turn may benefit performance. However, it is unknown if these acute changes will produce any long-term adaptations to muscle function.
Intermittent control of coexisting attractors

This paper proposes a new control method applicable for a class of non-autonomous dynamical systems that naturally exhibit coexisting attractors. The central idea is based on knowledge of a system's basins of attraction, with control actions being applied intermittently in the time domain when the actual trajectory satisfies a proximity constraint with regards to the desired trajectory. This intermittent control uses an impulsive force to perturb one of the system attractors in order to switch the system response onto another attractor. This is carried out by bringing the perturbed state into the desired basin of attraction. The method has been applied to control both smooth and non-smooth systems, with the Duffing and impact oscillators used as examples. The strength of the intermittent control force is also considered, and a constrained intermittent control law is introduced to investigate the effect of limited control force on the efficiency of the controller. It is shown that increasing the duration of the control action and/or the number of control actuations allows one to successfully switch between the stable attractors using a lower control force. Numerical and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
On data-derived temporal processing in speech feature extraction

Temporal processing and filtering in speech feature extraction are commonly used to aid in performance and robustness in automatic speech recognition. Among the techniques successfully employed are RASTA filtering, delta calculation, and cepstral mean subtraction. The work here explores the use of temporal filter design using LDA to further enhance performance using a few preprocessing configurations. In addition to RASTA filtering, we apply the filters to modulation-spectral features and cepstra while making sure that the assumptions of LDA are observed. We additionally test the use of filters that have been trained in different reverberation conditions, noting from previous work that the presence of reverberation alters the preferred frequency range of the derived filters. Our tests indicate a consistent advantage in phone classification. Word recognition tests, in contrast, reveal that the LDA filters often do not improve upon the existing filters previously used. They can also be made less effectual by allowing contextual frames to a trained probability estimator.
An achievable rate for the multiple-level relay channel

For the multiple-level relay channel, an achievable rate formula, and a simple coding scheme to achieve it, are presented. Generally, higher rates can be achieved with this coding scheme in the multiple-level relay case than previously known. For a class of degraded channels, this achievable rate is shown to be the exact capacity. An application of the coding scheme to the allcast problem is also discussed.
Development and characterization of solid and porous polylactide‐multiwall carbon nanotube composites

This article describes the fabrication of solid and porous polylactide (PLA)-multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites prepared using melt blending and subsequent batch processing of porous structures. The morphology and thermal, rheological and electrical properties of the PLA-MWNT composites prepared with MWNT concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 wt% were characterized. The composite structure consisted of identifiable regions of MWNT aggregation and MWNT dispersion. Increasing MWNT content was found to increase the thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of PLA. The addition of MWNT to PLA significantly increased the melt viscosity and electrical conductivity of the composites. Based on rheological and electrical measurements, a continuous MWNT network structure in PLA was found to form when the concentration of MWNT is increased from 0.5 wt% (0.33 vol%) to 1 wt% (0.66 vol%). As many current day applications of polymers and polymer composites require lightweight and low-density materials, porous PLA-MWNT composites were fabricated from a batch porous structure processing technique. Porous PLA-MWNT composites containing 2 and 5 wt% MWNT had lower relative densities, which is attributed to the higher viscosity of the composites suppressing collapse of the porous structure during processing. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Stitching vs. a Toughened Matrix: Compression Strength Effects

The compression strength of a stitched and a toughened matrix graphite/epoxy composite was determined and compared to a baseline unstitched untoughened composite. Two different layups with a variety of test lengths were tested under both ambient and hot/wet conditions. At longer gage lengths where failure was due to global buckling, no significant difference in strength was found between the different materials. For shorter specimens, a 30% reduction in strength due to stitching was found for both layups, presumably due to an increase in fiber misalignment. An observed increasing strength with decreasing gage length was found for all materials and was explained using statistics and a random distribution of flaws (misaligned fibers). The toughened material showed a small increase in strength over the baseline material, presumably due to the compensating effects of a more compliant matrix and straighter fibers. A hot/wet environment reduced the strength of the baseline and stitched material by 30% and the toughened material by 20%. Video images of the failing specimen supported the theory of a random distribution of flaws controlling composite failure.
Hedonic Price Analysis on Mobile Phone Market

Using collected 190 samples, this paper studied Chinese mobile phone market with hedonic price analysis. Through calculating hedonic price of heterogeneous goods, this paper summed up the positive and negative factors that influence the price of mobile phones. This paper found that network type and GPS are negative effects on mobile phones’ prices, which is little different from the real life situation; And the price will become more and more cheaper with time; In addition, the price of mobile phones with additional features is correspondingly higher.
Standard Error Evaluation for Unasssuming View-Size Estimation Techniques in OLAP

Even if storage was infinite, a data warehouse could not materialize all possible views due to the running time and update requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate quickly, accurately, and reliably the size of views. Many available techniques make particular statistical assumptions and their error can be quite large. Unassuming techniques exist, but typically assume we have independent hashing for which there is no known practical implementation. We adapt an unassuming estimator due to Gibbons and Tirthapura: its theoretical bounds do not make unpractical assumptions. We compare this technique experimentally with stochastic probabilistic counting, LOGLOG probabilistic counting , and multifractal statistical models. Our experiments on the standard error show that only GIBBONS-TIRTHAPURA provides universally tight estimates irrespective of the size of the view whereas probabilistic counting is reliable only for large views.
1 MEMS Optical Switches

Leveraging MEMS’s inherent advantages such as batch fabrication technique, small size, integratability, and scalability, MEMS is positioned to become the dominant technology in Optical Cross Connect (OXC) switches. MEMS optical switches with complex movable 3D mechanical structures, micro-actuators, and micro-optics can be monolithically integrated on the same substrate by using the matured fabrication process of the Integrated Circuit (IC) industry. In this paper, we report various popular actuating mechanisms, and switch architectures of MEMS optical switches. The basics of surface and bulk micromachining techniques used to fabricate MEMS devices will be reviewed. Examples of 2D and 3D approaches to MEMS optical switches will be described. The pros and cons of the two approaches will be analyzed. In the short term, MEMS-based optical switches seem to have captivated the attention of both the industry and academia. However, there are challenges that threaten the long-term survival of this technology. The problems that remain to be fully addressed will be discussed.
Qualitative Spatio-Temporal Database

The traditional spatio-temporal database stores the quantitative data such as coordinate. But the qualitative information is more close to human thought and requires less storage space and process time. The previous qualitative spatio-temporal systems were all prototype systems which did not support general spatio-temporal relation model and data input. We design the qualitative spatio-temporal database (QSTDB) based on spatio-temporal reasoning. A general spatio-temporal relation framework is put forward and applied to QSTDB. GML data can be converted to QSTDB as input. Thus QSTDB is compatible to most current spatio-temporal relation models and spatio-temporal systems. QSTDB can be applied to qualitative spatio-temporal query, spatio-temporal ontologies, spatio-temporal data mining and way finding systems etc
Modulation of Neural Circuit Actvity by Ethanol in Basolateral Amygdala

Ethanol actions in the amygdala formation may underlie in part the reinforcing effects of ethanol consumption. Previously a physiological phenomenon in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) that is dependent on neuronal network activity, compound postsynaptic potentials (cPSPs) were characterized. Effects of acute ethanol application on the frequency of cPSPs were subsequently investigated. Whole cell patch clamp recordings were performed from identified projection neurons in a rat brain slice preparation containing the amygdala formation. Acute ethanol exposure had complex effects on cPSP frequency, with both increases and decreases dependent on concentration, duration of exposure and age of the animal. Ethanol produces complex biphasic effects on synaptically-driven network activity in the BLA. These findings may relate to subjective effects of ethanol on arousal and anxiolysis in humans.