Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advanced handover techniques in LTE- Advanced system

There are always increasing demands of high speed data applications in wireless systems with fast and seamless access to voice and multimedia services and QoS guaranteed such as in Fourth Generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE)-Advanced system. Moreover, as mobility speeds support is expected to reach up to 500 km/h, the handover will occur more frequent, thus the system performance in terms of delay and packet loss will be degraded. Hence, efficient radio resource management including handover techniques, load balancing and interference management are essential. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey on the advanced handover techniques, requirements and features for LTE-Advanced system. Also, advanced handover techniques are highlighted and discussed such as Fractional Soft Handover (FSHO), Semi Soft Handover (SSHO) and multi-carrier handover (MCHO) that incorporate backward compatibility to the existing system. Meanwhile, FSHO technique based on CA with 5CCs are investigated in term of cell throughput and user's handover numbers. The result shows that, FSHO with 5 CCs improves LTE-Advanced system in term of cell throughput and numbers of user handover better than Non-CA. Consequently, the existing handover techniques that have been proposed have several advantages, but they are not sufficient to solve hard handover problems. Therefore, a new handover technique is essential required to support fast and seamless handover in LTE-Advanced system. As a result, an advanced handover technique is proposed by combining FSHO, SSHO, and MCHO techniques that can enhance the system performance in term of latency, outage probability and handover reliability especially at cell boundary. Also, the expected output from this hybrid technique can reduce transmission overhead on the network cells by balancing the traffic load in the network cells.
Un modelo TGARCH con una distribución t de Student asimétrica y las hipotesis de racionalidad de los inversionistas bursátiles en Latinoamérica

We propose an ARCH model of the TGARCH type with an asymmetric Student's t distribution. It is built using the methodology of Fernandez and Steel (1998) and the traditional TGARCH model developed by Zakoian (1994). The model is used to describe series of stock market returns and to assess the validity of the rationality hypotheses in Latin America. The results suggest that: 1) The series can be described adequately with the proposed model; (2) the Samuelson´s rationality hypothesis is consistent with the evidence of the markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico; 3) the traditional rationality hypothesis is consistent with the evidence of Peru; and (4) the volatility estimated with the proposed model are higher than those estimated with the traditional TGARCH model over the period 2008-2009.
Roughly Polynomial Time: A Concept of Tractability Covering All Known Natural NP-complete Problems

We introduce a concept of efficiency for which we can prove that it applies to all paddable languages, but still does not conflict with potential worst case intractability. Note that the family of paddable languages apparently includes all known natural NP-complete problems. We call our concept Roughly Polynomial Time (RoughP). A language $L,$ over an at least 2-symbol alphabet, is in RoughP, if the following hold: (1) there exists a bijective encoding $\alpha$ of strings, such that both $\alpha$ and its inverse are computable in polynomial time; (2) there is a polynomial time algorithm $\cal A$, which is an errorless heuristic for $L,$ with exponentially vanishing failure rate relative to the $\alpha$-spheres $S^{(\alpha)}_n=\{\alpha(x)\,|\;\, |x|=n\}$. It means, $\cal A$ always correctly decides whether $x\in L$ or $x\notin L$, whenever it outputs a decision. For some inputs, however, it may not output a decision, rather it may return a special sign, meaning "don't know. " But the latter can happen only on an exponentially small fraction of each $\alpha$-sphere. We prove that RoughP contains all paddable languages. This may contribute to the explanation of the often observed gap between practical algorithm performance and theoretical worst case analysis for hard problems. Furthermore, the proof also provides a general method to construct the desired encoding and the errorless heuristic. Additionally, we also show how to use it for efficiently generating large, random, guaranteed positive and negative test instances for any paddable language, including all known natural NP-complete problems. In fact, it appears that every practical decision task (whether in NP or not) can be represented by paddable languages, and, therefore, our RoughP framework applies to all of them. We also explore some connections between RoughP and other complexity classes.
Physics-of-failure-based prognostics for electronic products

This paper presents a physics-of-failure (PoF)-based prognostics and health management approach for effective reliability prediction. PoF is an approach that utilizes knowledge of a product's life cycle loading and failure mechanisms to perform reliability design and assessment. PoF-based prognostics permit the assessment of product reliability under its actual application conditions. It integrates sensor data with models that enable in situ assessment of the deviation or degradation of a product from an expected normal operating condition (ie, the product's `health') and the prediction of the future state of reliability. A formal implementation procedure, which includes failure modes, mechanisms, and effects analysis, data reduction and feature extraction from the life cycle loads, damage accumulation, and assessment of uncertainty, is presented. Then, applications of PoF-based prognostics are discussed.
Progressive Estate Taxation Citation

Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. The MIT Faculty has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters. We present a model with altruistic parents and heterogeneous productivity. We derive two key properties for optimal estate taxation. First, the estate tax should be progressive, so that parents leaving a higher bequest face a lower net return on bequests. Second, marginal estate taxes should be negative, so that all parents face a marginal subsidy on bequests. Both properties can be implemented with a simple nonlinear tax on bequests, levied separately from the income tax. These results apply to other intergenerational transfers, such as educational investments, and are robust to endogenous fertility choices. Both estate or inheritance taxes can implement the optimal allocation, but we show that the inheritance tax has some advantages. Finally, when we impose an ad hoc constraint requiring marginal estate taxes to be nonnegative, the optimum features a zero tax up to an exemption level, and a progressive tax thereafter.
Genetic influences on plasma CFH and CFHR1 concentrations and their role in susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration

It is a longstanding puzzle why non-coding variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene are more strongly associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than functional coding variants that directly influence the alternative complement pathway. The situation is complicated by tight genetic associations across the region, including the adjacent CFH-related genes CFHR3 and CFHR1, which may themselves influence the alternative complement pathway and are contained within a common deletion (CNP147) which is associated with protection against AMD. It is unclear whether this association is mediated through a protective effect of low plasma CFHR1 concentrations, high plasma CFH or both. We examined the triangular relationships of CFH/CFHR3/CFHR1 genotype, plasma CFH or CFHR1 concentrations and AMD susceptibility in combined case–control (1256 cases, 1020 controls) and cross-sectional population (n = 1004) studies and carried out genome-wide association studies of plasma CFH and CFHR1 concentrations. A non-coding CFH SNP (rs6677604) and the CNP147 deletion were strongly correlated both with each other and with plasma CFH and CFHR1 concentrations. The plasma CFH-raising rs6677604 allele and raised plasma CFH concentration were each associated with AMD protection. In contrast, the protective association of the CNP147 deletion with AMD was not mediated by low plasma CFHR1, since AMD-free controls showed increased plasma CFHR1 compared with cases, but it may be mediated by the association of CNP147 with raised plasma CFH concentration. The results are most consistent with a regulatory locus within a 32 kb region of the CFH gene, with a major effect on plasma CFH concentration and AMD susceptibility.
Gabapentin Treatment for Neuropathic Pain in a Child with Sciatic Nerve Injury

There are a restricted number of studies about usage of gabapentin for neuropathic pain treatment of pediatric patients. We shared a 12-year-old male case with severe neuropathic pain that hindered the rehabilitation programme for the loss of muscle power and movement limitation. Neuropathic pain developed after peripheral sciatic damage due to firearm traumatisation did not respond to other medical treatments but healed nearly completely after gabapentin usage.
Impact of Forest Fragmentation on Patterns of Mountain Pine Beetle-Caused Tree Mortality

The current outbreak of mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, has led to extensive tree mortality in British Columbia and the western United States. While the greatest impacts of the outbreak have been in British Columbia, ongoing impacts are expected as the outbreak continues to spread eastward towards Canada's boreal and eastern pine forests. Successful mitigation of this outbreak is dependent on understanding how the beetle's host selection behaviour is influenced by the patchwork of tree mortality across the landscape. While several studies have shown that selective mechanisms operate at the individual tree level, less attention has been given to beetles' preference for variation in spatial forest patterns, namely forest fragmentation, and if such preference changes with changing population conditions. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of fragmentation on the location of mountain pine beetle caused mortality. Using a negative binomial regression model, we tested the significance of a fragmentation measure called the Aggregation Index for predicting beetle-caused tree mortality in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada in 2000 and 2005. The results explain that mountain pine beetle
Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy: A Current Update on Non-Conventional Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Interventions

Uncontrolled seizure or epilepsy is intricately related with an increase risk of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The failure to achieve seizure control with the first or second drug trial of an anticonvulsant medication given at the appropriate daily dosage is termed as pharmacoresistance, despite the fact that these drugs possess different modes of action. It is one of the devastating neurological disorders act as major culprit of mortality in developed as well as developing countries with towering prevalence. Indeed, the presence of several anti-epileptic drug including carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproate, gabapentin etc. But no promising therapeutic remedies available to manage pharmacoresistance in the present clinical scenario. Hence, utility of alternative strategies in management of resistance epilepsy is increased which further possible by continuing developing of promising therapeutic interventions to manage this insidious condition adequately. Strategies include add on therapy with adenosine, verapamil etc or ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, focal cooling or standard drugs in combinations have shown some promising results. In this review we will shed light on the current pharmacological and non pharmacological mediator with their potential pleiotropic action on pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
Identification of Hammerstein Models Based on Support Vector Regression

This paper presents a method for the identification of Hammerstein models based on Support Vector Regression (SVR). First, the intermediate linear model was established through converting the nonlinear equations of Hammerstein to a class of linear one by the function expansion. Second, training samples for intermediate linear model were obtained by operating measured data synthetically, and coefficients of the intermediate model were obtained by the SVR algorithm. Then, through the relations of the coefficients of intermediate model and that of Hammerstein model, the nonlinear static part and linear dynamic part were identified simultaneously. Finally, The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated by simulation examples.
Argonaute‐2 Promotes miR‐18a Entry in Human Brain Endothelial Cells

Background Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a vascular disease exhibiting abnormal blood vessel morphology and function. miR‐18a ameliorates the abnormal characteristics of AVM‐derived brain endothelial cells (AVM‐BEC) without the use of transfection reagents. Hence, our aim was to identify the mechanisms by which miR‐18a is internalized by AVM‐BEC. Since AVM‐BEC overexpress RNA‐binding protein Argonaute‐2 (Ago‐2) we explored the clinical potential of Ago‐2 as a systemic miRNA carrier. Methods and Results Primary cultures of AVM‐BEC were isolated from surgical specimens and tested for endogenous miR‐18a levels using qPCR. Conditioned media (CM) was derived from AVM‐BEC cultures (AVM‐BEC‐CM). AVM‐BEC‐CM significantly enhanced miR‐18a internalization. Ago‐2 was detected using western blotting and immunostaining techniques. Ago‐2 was highly expressed in AVM‐BEC; and siAgo‐2 decreased miR‐18a entry into brain‐derived endothelial cells. Only brain‐derived endothelial cells were responsive to the Ago‐2/miR‐18a complex and not other cell types tested. Secreted products (eg, thrombospondin‐1 [TSP‐1]) were tested using ELISA. Brain endothelial cells treated with the Ago‐2/miR‐18a complex in vitro increased TSP‐1 secretion. In the in vivo angiogenesis glioma model, animals were treated with miR‐18a in combination with Ago‐2. Plasma was obtained and tested for TSP‐1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A. In this angiogenesis model, the Ago‐2/miR‐18a complex caused a significant increase in TSP‐1 and decrease in VEGF‐A secretion in the plasma. Conclusions Ago‐2 facilitates miR‐18a entry into brain endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. This study highlights the clinical potential of Ago‐2 as a miRNA delivery platform for the treatment of brain vascular diseases.
Selective Blockade of mGlu5 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Is Protective against Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity

Methamphetamine (MA), a widely used drug of abuse, produces oxidative damage of nigrostriatal dopaminergic terminals. We examined the effect of subtype-selective ligands of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors on MA neurotoxicity in mice. MA (5 mg/kg, i.p.; injected three times, every 2 hr) induced, 5 d later, a substantial degeneration of striatal dopaminergic terminals associated with reactive gliosis. MA toxicity was primarily attenuated by the coinjection of the noncompetitive mGlu5 receptor antagonists 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine and (E)-2-methyl-6-styrylpyridine both at 10 mg/kg, i.p.). In contrast, the mGlu1 receptor antagonist 7-(hydroxyimino)cyclopropa[b]chromen-1a-carboxylate ethyl ester (10 mg/kg, i.p.), and the mGlu2/3 receptor agonist (−)-2-oxa-4-aminocyclo[3.1. 0]hexane-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (1 mg/kg, i.p.), failed to affect MA toxicity. mGlu5 receptor antagonists reduced the production of reactive oxygen species but did not reduce the acute stimulation of dopamine release induced by MA both in striatal synaptosomes and in the striatum of freely moving mice. We conclude that endogenous activation of mGlu5 receptors enables the development of MA neurotoxicity and that mGlu5 receptor antagonists are neuroprotective without interfering with the primary mechanism of action of MA.
When Do Firing Costs Matter?

This paper uses a strategic bargaining framework to reassess the effect of dismissal costs in models of voluntary separation. It shows that firing, as opposed to inducing a quit, is always an off-equilibrium strategy for firms in this class of models. Thus, dismissal costs can affect payoffs only if some exogenous event may force the firm to fire the worker despite it being suboptimal, or if the firm's assets are only partly specific to the relationship. In this latter case, dismissal costs increase the specificity of the firm's capital and depress ex post expected profits. In any case, firing restrictions do not affect separation decisions, as firms always find it profitable to induce workers to quit whenever separation is efficient. Involuntary separation is an essential feature of a world in which firing costs result in a lower probability of separation. In such a world, they may be welfare improving, as the separation rate is inefficiently high in the absence of firing restrictions.
U.S. Economic Performance: Good Fortune, Bubble, or New Era

What accounts for the extraordinary performance of the U.S. economy in recent years? How is that we have been able to enjoy such strong economic growth and resulting low unemployment rates without an upturn in inflation? The author reviews the primary explanations offered for these unusually favorable circumstances - that the U.S. economy has been the beneficiary of temporary factors that have held down the inflation rate or that the U.S. economy has entered a new era of intensified competition and rising productivity growth in which inflation is less of a threat. She also discusses arguments that the U.S. economy may be experiencing an asset price bubble, noting that while rising stock prices cannot explain low inflation, decreases in inflation may have contributed to rising stock prices.
Wide-stopband microstrip bandpass filters using dissimilar quarter-wavelength stepped-impedance resonators

Wide-stopband and compact microstrip bandpass filters (BPFs) are proposed using various dissimilar quarter-wavelength (/spl lambda//4) stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs) for multiple spurious suppression. The use of /spl lambda//4 SIRs is essential in widening the filter stopband and reducing the circuit size. By properly arranging the individual /spl lambda//4 SIR, which has the same fundamental resonance frequency f/sub 0/, but has different spurious (harmonic) resonance frequencies, and also carefully misaligning the maximum current density nodes, several higher order spurious resonances may be suppressed so that a BPF with wide stopband may be realized. In this study, the basic concept of multiple spurious suppression is demonstrated by thoroughly investigating the spurious characteristics of the fourth-order interdigital BPFs, which consist of two different types of /spl lambda//4 SIRs. To widen the rejection bandwidth, the fourth-order coupled-resonator BPFs based on three and four different types of /spl lambda//4 SIRs are implemented and carefully examined. Specifically, a very wide-stopband microstrip BPF composed of four dissimilar /spl lambda//4 SIRs is realized and its stopband is extended even up to 11.4f/sub 0/ with a rejection level better than 27.5 dB.
Inversion ranks for lossless compression of color palette images

Palette images are widely used in World Wide Web (WWW) and game cartridges applications. Many image used in the WWW are stored and transmitted after they are compressed losslessly with the standard graphics interchange format (GIF), or portable network graphic (PNG). Well known two dimensional compression scheme; such as JPEG-LS and CALIC, fails to yield better compression than GIF or PNG, due to the fact that the pixel value represent indices that point to color values in a look-up table. The GIF standard uses Lempel-Ziv compression, which treats the image as a one-dimensional sequence of index values, ignoring two-dimensional nature. Bzip, another universal compressor, yields even better compression gain that the GIF, PNG, JPEG-LS, and CALIC. Variants of block sorting coders, such as Bzip2, utilize Burrows-Wheeler transformation (BWT) by Burrows M. and Wheeler D. J. (1994), followed by move-to-front (MTF) transformation by Bentley J. L. (1986), Elias, P (1987) before using a statistical coder at the final stage. In this paper, we show that the compression performance of block sorting coder can be improved almost 14% on average by utilizing inversion ranks instead of the move-to-front coding
A magnifier tool for video data

We describe an interface prototype, the Hierarchical Video Magnifier, which allows users to work with a video source at fine-levels of detail while maintaining an awareness of temporal context. The technique allows the user to recursively magnify the temporal resolution of a video source while preserving the levels of magnification in a spatial hierarchy. We discuss how the ability to inspect and manipulate hierarchical views of temporal magnification affords a powerful tool for navigating, analyzing and editing video streams.
Fully Convolutional Deep Neural Networks for Persistent Multi-Frame Multi-Object Detection in Wide Area Aerial Videos

Multiple object detection in wide area aerial videos, has drawn the attention of the computer vision research community for a number of years. A novel framework is proposed in this paper using a fully convolutional deep neural network, which is able to detect all objects simultaneously for a given region of interest. The network is designed to accept multiple video frames at a time as the input and yields detection results for all objects in the temporally center frame. This multi-frame approach yield far better results than its single frame counterpart. Additionally, the proposed method can detect vehicles which are slowing, stopped, and/or partially or fully occluded during some frames, which cannot be handled by nearly all state-of-the-art methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first use of a multiple-frame, fully convolutional deep model for detecting multiple small objects and the only framework which can detect stopped and temporarily occluded vehicles, for aerial videos. The proposed network exceeds state-of-the-art results significantly on WPAFB 2009 dataset.
Effectiveness of Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Intervention in Breast Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review

Factors affecting the health outcomes of cancer patients have gained extensive research attention considering the increasing number and prolonged longevity of cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors experience physical, psychological, social, and spiritual challenges. This systematic literature review aims to present and discuss an overview of main issues concerning breast cancer survivors after treatment. Treatment-related symptoms as well as psychosocial and spiritual aspects of breast cancer survivors are evaluated. Moreover, the benefits of intervention for emotional, physical, social, and spiritual needs of the patient during the survivorship are investigated. This review also proposes avenues for future studies in this field and develops a new, integrated, and complete interpretation of findings on the holistic well-being of women with breast cancer. Thus, this study provides clinicians with a more comprehensive source of information compared with individual studies on symptom experiences.