Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computationally efficient subspace-based method for direction-of-arrival estimation without eigendecomposition

A computationally simple direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method with good statistical performance is attractive in many practical applications of array processing. In this paper, we propose a new computationally efficient subspace-based method without eigendecomposition (SUMWE) for the coherent narrowband signals impinging on a uniform linear array (ULA) by exploiting the array geometry and its shift invariance property. The coherency of incident signals is decorrelated through subarray averaging, and the null space is obtained through a linear operation of a matrix formed from the cross-correlations between some sensor data, where the effect of additive noise is eliminated. Consequently, the DOAs can be estimated without performing eigendecomposition, and there is no need to evaluate all correlations of the array data. Furthermore, the SUMWE is also suitable for the case of partly coherent or incoherent signals, and it can be extended to the spatially correlated noise by choosing appropriate subarrays. The statistical analysis of the SUMWE is studied, and the asymptotic mean-squared-error (MSE) expression of the estimation error is derived. The performance of the SUMWE is demonstrated, and the theoretical analysis is substantiated through numerical examples. It is shown that the SUMWE is superior in resolving closely spaced coherent signals with a small number of snapshots and at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and offers good estimation performance for both uncorrelated and correlated incident signals.
Quand les directeurs des services sociaux départementaux se saisissent du management : des représentations et des pratiques singulières et équivoques

Les Conseils generaux sont aujourd’hui les « chefs de file » de l’aide et de l’action sociales en France. A l’heure d’une rationalisation accrue des depenses publiques et d’une large diffusion du New Public Management, les hauts-fonctionnaires territoriaux en charge de ces politiques publiques ont-ils developpe une culture manageriale dans leurs services ? A partir d’une recherche engagee depuis trois ans sur les representations et les pratiques professionnelles des directeurs departementaux de l’aide et de l’action sociales, nous montrerons que ces acteurs publics se sont aujourd’hui largement convertis a l’usage d’un langage managerial et d’un referentiel gestionnaire. Mais ce constat doit neanmoins etre nuance : ces acteurs ne donnent pas tous le meme sens au management, et le nouveau vocabulaire qu’ils emploient comme la nouvelle posture qu’ils adoptent ne doivent pas masquer un usage singulier et equivoque des outils de gestion et des reformes manageriales qui, in fine, peuvent servir des logiques non-exclusivement gestionnaires.
Network Community Detection on Metric Space

Community detection in a complex network is an important problem of much interest in recent years. In general, a community detection algorithm chooses an objective function and captures the communities of the network by optimizing the objective function, and then, one uses various heuristics to solve the optimization problem to extract the interesting communities for the user. In this article, we demonstrate the procedure to transform a graph into points of a metric space and develop the methods of community detection with the help of a metric defined for a pair of points. We have also studied and analyzed the community structure of the network therein. The results obtained with our approach are very competitive with most of the well-known algorithms in the literature, and this is justified over the large collection of datasets. On the other hand, it can be observed that time taken by our algorithm is quite less compared to other methods and justifies the theoretical findings.
Perspektif Guru terhadap Keterlibatan Akademik dalam Kalangan Murid dengan Ketidakupayaan Penglihatan (Teachers’ Perspectives on Academic Engagement of Students with Visual Impairments)

The aim of this study is to explore teachers’ perspective on academic engagement among students with visual impairments. Difference of perception towards academic engagement among teachers in special school and mainstream school (resource and typical teachers) was also explored. This survey study was conducted on 46 teachers who teach students with visual impairment in the Klang Valley. A set of questionnaire was administered for teacher samples. Data was analyzed descriptively involving mean scores and standard diviations. The findings showed that teachers’ perspective towards academic engagement among students with visual impairment is moderate. The resource teachers in the mainstream schools indicated a more positive perception on academic engagement as compared to the typical teachers and special school teachers. This study has implication on the importance and teachers role to enhance academic engagement among students with visual impairments in classroom.
On the laws of failure: a theory of compensable programs

This work identifies three basic programming concepts used for error handling and investigates the laws governing these concepts. A trace semantics for exception handling, long-running transactions and recovery blocks is given and 11 basic laws are derived. Algebraic reasoning is used to derive three more properties on top of these basic laws. An assumption about the existence of an inverse program is investigated and two direct consequences are provided. The assumption is weakened to address practical issues and a proof obligation is provided to obtain the properties anyway. The work is based on the algebraic method and provides a novel approach to completely specify a program in terms of commonalities and differences w.r. t. another program. Furthermore, all proofs are stated exclusively in Isabelle/Isar, thus they are mechanically checked, though human readable.
Difference in QT Interval Measurement on Ambulatory ECG Compared with Standard ECG

Measurement of the QT interval on standard ECG has diagnostic importance in the congenital long QT syndrome, in pharmacological therapy of arrhythmias, as well as in ischemic heart disease. It has been suggested that QT prolongation on ambulatory ECG (Holter) may have similar importance. To assess agreement between methods, QT interval measurement on standard ECG was compared to that on Holter. Simultaneously obtained ECG and Holter tracings (25 mm/s) of the same complexes in leads V1 and V5 were studied in 14 patients (age range 4–36 years). ECG pairs (n = 100, 49 V1 and 51 V5) were compared over a range of QT interval from 300–620 ms, as determined with the use of calipers by two observers blinded to pairing relationship. Correlation between methods was high for both observers (observer 1: r[V1] = 0.872, r[V5] = 0.973; observer 2: r[V1] = 0.972, r[V5] = 0.988), and interobserver variability was small (> 85% of measurements within 20 ms). As compared to ECG, Holter underestimated QT interval in V1 mean difference (QT [Holter]—QT [ECG]) observer 1 (‐23 ms, P < 0.001), observer 2 (‐7 ms, P < 0.05), and overestimated QT in V5, mean difference observer 1 (+ 13 ms, P < 0.001), observer 2 (+13 ms, P < 0.001). However, individual variation between methods was wide, as expressed by the difference between individual measurements (95% confidence interval [V1]: observer 1 [‐99 to +53 ms] observer 2 [‐47 to +33 ms]; [V5]: observer 1 [‐33 to +59 ms] observer 2 [‐17 to +43 ms]). Furthermore, when using the QTA (interval from onset of Q wave to apex of T wave) similar variability was observed. In the assessment of QT interval, potential sources of error of this magnitude could limit the clinical utility of ambulatory monitoring in detecting prolongation of the QT interval for diagnostic purposes.
Renal functional outcomes after surgery for renal cortical tumors

Purpose of review To review the established literature on renal functional outcomes and related pathologies after surgery for renal cortical tumors. Recent findings Recent data support the prevailing notion that radical nephrectomy is associated with higher rates of chronic kidney disease, regardless of the metric used in determining renal function. Furthermore, higher rates of chronic kidney disease in patients receiving radical nephrectomy have been associated with more noncancer deaths and higher rates of cardiovascular mortality. Summary Patients undergoing radical nephrectomy are at an increased risk of noncancer mortality, and in some cases, cardiovascular events and death. A comprehensive preoperative risk assessment is paramount in managing newly diagnosed patients with small renal masses.
An Integrated Chip High-Voltage Power Receiver for Wireless Biomedical Implants

In near-field wireless-powered biomedical implants, the receiver voltage largely overrides the compliance of low-voltage power receiver systems. To limit the induced voltage, generally, low-voltage topologies utilize limiter circuits, voltage clippers or shunt regulators, which are power-inefficient methods. In order to overcome the voltage limitation and improve power efficiency, we propose an integrated chip high-voltage power receiver based on the step down approach. The topology accommodates voltages as high as 30 V and comprises a high-voltage semi-active rectifier, a voltage reference generator and a series regulator. Further, a battery management circuit that enables safe and reliable implant battery charging based on analog control is proposed and realized. The power receiver is fabricated in 0.35-μm high-voltage Bipolar-CMOS-DMOStechnology based on the LOCOS0.35-μm CMOS process. Measurement results indicate 83.5% power conversion efficiency for a rectifier at 2.1 mA load current. The low drop-out regulator based on the current buffer compensation and buffer impedance attenuation scheme operates with low quiescent current, reduces the power consumption and provides good stability. The topology also provides good power supply rejection, which is adequate for the design application. Measurement results indicate regulator output of 4 ± 0.03 V for input from 5 to 30 V and 10 ± 0.05 V output for input from 11 to 30 V with load current 0.01–100 mA. The charger circuit manages the charging of the Li-ion battery through all if the typical stages of the Li-ion battery charging profile.
A novel method for forecastng the taiex based on optimal intervals and similarity measures between the subscripts of fuzzy sets

This paper proposes a novel fuzzy forecasting method for forecasting the TAIEX based on optimal intervals and a similarity measure between the subscripts of fuzzy sets, where two threshold values α and β and a weighting constant γ are used, α ∊ [0, 1], β ∊ [0, 1] and γ ∊ [0, 1]. First, we use particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques to obtain optimal intervals in the universe of discourses (UODs) of the main factor (MF) TAIEX and the secondary factor (SF), respectively, where SF ∊ {Dow Jones, NASDAQ, M1B}. Based on optimal intervals, the constructed two-factors second-order fuzzy-trend logical relationship groups (TSFTLRGs), and a similarity measure between the subscripts of fuzzy sets, we propose a novel method to deal with the forecasting of the TAIEX. The fuzzy forecasting method presented in this paper gets better performance than the existing methods for dealing with the forecasting of the TAIEX.
Simulation-based analysis of security exposures in mobile ad hoc networks

The area of ad hoc networking has been receiving increasing attention among researchers in recent years and a variety of routing protocols targeted specifically at the ad hoc networking environment have been proposed. However, little information about the effects of security exposures in terms of network performance has previously been available. This paper provides a simulation study that identifies security issues that are specific to MANET and that illustrate the effects of those threats on network performance when the DSR routing protocol is used. We focused our attention on the evaluation of network performance in terms of global throughput and delay of a mobile ad hoc network where a defined percentage of nodes behaved selfishly. The simulation study brought up two important conclusions. First, it shows that security issues have to be taken into account at the early stages of a routing protocol design. Indeed, when no countermeasures are taken, the simulation results showed that network operation and maintenance can be easily jeopardized and network performance will severely degrade. Second, a cooperative security scheme seems to be a reasonable solution to the selfishness problem: a selfish behavior can be detected through the collaboration between a number of nodes assuming that a majority of nodes do not misbehave.
Use case technique for requirements modeling in distributed development environments: A mapping study

This paper presents the process and outcomes of a systematic literature mapping about the application of the Use Cases technique for software requirements specification in distributed software development environments. The purpose is to identify which methods, tools and methodologies are reported in literature as more frequently used and how the Use Case technique is applied when the project team is not collocated.
Political Extremism Predicts Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Historical records suggest that the political extremes—at both the “left” and the “right”—substantially endorsed conspiracy beliefs about other-minded groups. The present contribution empirically tests whether extreme political ideologies, at either side of the political spectrum, are positively associated with an increased tendency to believe in conspiracy theories. Four studies conducted in the United States and the Netherlands revealed a quadratic relationship between strength of political ideology and conspiracy beliefs about various political issues. Moreover, participants’ belief in simple political solutions to societal problems mediated conspiracy beliefs among both left- and right-wing extremists. Finally, the effects described here were not attributable to general attitude extremity. Our conclusion is that political extremism and conspiracy beliefs are strongly associated due to a highly structured thinking style that is aimed at making sense of societal events.
Outcome of Transarterial Chemoembolization with 5-Fluorouracil plus Mitomycin C in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients : Results of 144 Patients at The King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the most common used treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, especially in patients who can not undergo any curative treatments. Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial impact on survival. To date, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system is the most accepted staging system for HCC which provided treatment strategies according to the stage. Among the stage A, not all the patients were treated with surgery, local ablation or liver transplantation as the guideline for several reasons either unfavorable location of tumor, advanced stage of underlying liver disease, facility of the institution and shortage of organ donors. These patients were usually treated with TACE. In the stage B, which was recommended for TACE, there is still some different in regarding to size and number of tumor between the patients. Not all the stage A and B patients had survival benefit from TACE. Factoirs influencing the survival outcome should be evaluated. Objectives: To evaluated the outcome of TACE using 5-fluorouracil plus mitomycin C in the different stage of HCC patients based on the BCLC staging system and to evaluate the subgroups of patients in stage A and B who received the most survival benefit from TACE. Patients and Methods: From January 1998 to November 2003, A total of 144 HCC patients treated only with TACE using 5-fluorouracil plus mitomycin C were analysed retrospectively for survival time in relation to the BCLC staging system. Results: The one and two years survival rate of the patients in stage A (N = 33) were 66% and 39%, stage B(N = 80) were 45%and 20% and stage C (N = 31) were 13% and 3%,respectively (p = 0.01). Based on the Child Pugh classification, the 1and 2 years survival rate of the stage A patients who wre in Child A (N = 24) were 78% and 45%, In Child B (N = 9) were 33% and 22%, respectively (p = 0.374). For the stage B patients, the 1 and 2 years survival rate in those with single tumor smaller than 10 cm (N = 25) were 50% and 40%, those with single tumor larger than 10 cm or multiple tumors (N = 55) were 40% and 10%, respectively (p = 0.01). Conclusion : In the BCLC stage A patients, TACE seemed to show the 2 years survival benefit in those with Child A. More data on Child B are needed to evaluate the survival advantage. In the BCLC stage B patients, those with single tumor smaller than 10 cm showed the best 2 years survival benefit than the others.
A 32-year prospective study of change in body weight and incident dementia: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.

BACKGROUND The course of weight loss associated with dementia is unclear, particularly prior to and around the onset of the clinical syndrome. OBJECTIVE To compare the natural history of weight change from mid to late life in men with and without dementia in late life. DESIGN AND SETTING The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, a 32-year, prospective, population-based study of Japanese American men who had been weighed on 6 occasions between 1965 and 1999 and who had been screened for dementia 3 times between 1991 and 1999. PARTICIPANTS Of 1890 men (aged 77-98 years), 112 with incident dementia were compared with 1778 without dementia at the sixth examination (1997-1999). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Weight change up to and including the sixth examination was treated as the dependent variable and estimated using a repeated measures analysis. RESULTS Groups with and without dementia did not differ with respect to baseline weight or change in weight from mid to late life (first 26 years' follow-up). In the late-life examinations (final 6 years), mean age- and education-adjusted weight loss was -0.22 kg/y (95% confidence intervals, -0.26 to -0.18) in participants without dementia. Men with incident dementia at the same examination had an additional yearly weight loss of -0.36 kg (95% confidence interval, -0.53 to -0.19). This was not changed substantially with adjustment for risk factors for vascular disease or functional impairment and was significant for both Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Dementia-associated weight loss begins before the onset of the clinical syndrome and accelerates by the time of diagnosis. The potential impact on prognosis should be considered in the case of elderly persons at risk for dementia.
Initial language models for spoken dialogue systems

The estimation of initial language models for new applications of spoken dialogue systems without large task specific training corpora is becoming an increasingly important issue. This paper investigates two different approaches in which the task-specific knowledge contained in the language understanding grammar is exploited in order to generate n-gram language models for the speech recognizer: The first uses class-based language models for which the word-classes are automatically derived from the grammar. In the second approach, language models are estimated on artificial corpora which have been created from the understanding grammar. The application of fill-up techniques allows the combination of the strengths of both approaches and leads to a language model which shows optimal performance regardless of the amount of training data available. Perplexities and word error rates are reported for two different domains.
Formulation and in vitro, in vivo evaluation of extended- release matrix tablet of Zidovudine: Influence of combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic matrix formers

The aim of the present study was to prepare and characterize extended-release matrix tablets of zidovudine using hydrophilic Eudragit RLPO and RSPO alone or their combination with hydrophobic ethyl cellulose. Release kinetics was evaluated by using United States Pharmacopeia (USP)-22 type I dissolution apparatus. Scanning electron microscopy was used to visualize the effect of dissolution medium on matrix tablet surface. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo newly formulated sustained-release zidovudine tablets were compared with conventional marketed tablet (Zidovir, Cipla Ltd, Mumbai, India). The in-vitro drug release study revealed that either Eudragit preparation was able to sustain the drug release only for 6 hours (94.3%±4.5% release). Combining Eudragit with ethyl cellulose sustained the drug release for 12 hours (88.1%±4.1% release). Fitting the in vitro drug release data to Korsmeyer equation indicated that diffusion along with erosion could be the mechanism of drug release. In vivo investigation in rabbits showed sustained-release pharmacokinetic profile of zidovudine from the matrix tablets formulated using combination of Eudragits and ethylcellulose. In conclusion, the results suggest that the developed sustained-release tablets of zidovudine could perform therapeutically better than conventional dosage forms, leading to improve efficacy and better patient compliance.
Prostaglandin E 2 modulates dendritic cell function via EP 2 and EP 4 receptor subtypes

We have reported previously that PGE2 inhibits dendritic cells (DC) functions. Because E prostanoid receptor (EPR) subtypes involved in this action are unknown, expression and functions of these receptors were examined in DC. Western blot and flow cytometry analyses showed that all EPRs were coexpressed in DC. In a dose-dependent manner, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhanced EP2R/EP4R but not EP1R/EP3R expressions. NS398, a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-selective inhibitor, suppressed LPS-enhanced EP2R/EP4R expression, suggesting that COX-2-issued prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) modulates DC function through stimulation of specific EPR subtypes. Using selective agonists, we found that butaprost, an EP2R agonist, and PGE1 alcohol, an EP2R and EP2R/ EP4R agonist, inhibited major histocompatibility complex class II expression and enhanced interleukin-10 production from DC. However, no effect was observed with sulprostone and 17-phenyltrinor-PGE2, selective agonists for EP1R and EP1R/EP3R, respectively. Treatment of DC with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), an analog of cAMP, mimics PGE2-induced, inhibitory effects. Taken together, our data demonstrate that EP2R/EP4R are efficient for mediating PGE2induced modulation of DC functions. J. Leukoc. Biol. 73: 756–763; 2003.
Harmonic emission before and after changing to LED and CFL — Part II: Field measurements for a hotel

This paper shows the results of measurements performed with a medium-sized hotel in the North of Sweden. The harmonic emission and other parameters were measured before, during and after a replacement of all incandescent lamps with energy saving lamps, both compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) and light emitting diodes (LED's). it was not possible to see any major difference in harmonic spectrum before and after the replacement. The reduction in power factor that was observed was completely due to the reduction in active power.