Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust Group Sparse Beamforming for Dense C-RANs with Probabilistic SINR Constraints

Next-generation cellular network may encounter unprecedented challenges, while cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is regarded as a promising network architecture to meet the explosive growth of data traffic. In C-RAN, all the signal processing is shifted to the cloud data center to realize joint resource allocation and interference management, which highly relies on the accuracy of channel state information (CSI). However, the assumption of perfect CSI can hardly be secured, especially in dense network scenario. Meanwhile, for dense C-RAN, the network optimization will be further confined by curse of dimensionality. In this paper, we propose an adaptive RRH switch-off mechanism through an iterative reweighted sparse beamforming (IrSBF), which only depends on imperfect CSI and has certain endurance to the outage of SINR. However, the non-convex ${\ell_0}$-norm optimization and probabilistic SINR constraints make the beamforming design highly intractable. Utilizing the Bernstein-type inequality to transform the chance constraints to conservative static constraints, we are able to solve the robust sparse beamforming problem through semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technology. Besides, ${\ell_1}$-norm approximation method is used to design the sparse beamforming vector for users iteratively. Simulation results suggest that the proposed IrSBF algorithm significantly outperforms the conventional coordinated beamforming (CB) solution and group sparse beamforming (GSBF) algorithm ignoring CSI errors, especially in the case of higher network density.
Nitrogen stress response of a hybrid species: a gene expression study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Low soil fertility limits growth and productivity in many natural and agricultural systems, where the ability to sense and respond to nutrient limitation is important for success. Helianthus anomalus is an annual sunflower of hybrid origin that is adapted to desert sand-dune substrates with lower fertility than its parental species, H. annuus and H. petiolaris. Previous studies have shown that H. anomalus has traits generally associated with adaptation to low-fertility habitats, including a lower inherent relative growth rate and longer leaf lifetime. METHODS Here, a cDNA microarray is used to identify gene expression differences that potentially contribute to increased tolerance of low fertility of the hybrid species by comparing the nitrogen stress response of all three species with high- and low-nutrient treatments. KEY RESULTS Relative to the set of genes on the microarray, the genes showing differential expression in the hybrid species compared with its parents are enriched in stress-response genes, developmental genes, and genes involved in responses to biotic or abiotic stimuli. After a correction for multiple comparisons, five unique genes show a significantly different response to nitrogen limitation in H. anomalus compared with H. petiolaris and H. annuus. The Arabidopsis thaliana homologue of one of the five genes, catalase 1, has been shown to affect the timing of leaf senescence, and thus leaf lifespan. CONCLUSIONS The five genes identified in this analysis will be examined further as candidate genes for the adaptive stress response in H. anomalus. Genes that improve growth and productivity under nutrient stress could be used to improve crops for lower soil fertility which is common in marginal agricultural settings.
α6β2*‐subtype nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are more sensitive than α4β2*‐subtype receptors to regulation by chronic nicotine administration

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) of the α6β2* subtype (where *indicates the possible presence of additional subunits) are prominently expressed on dopaminergic neurons. Because of this, their role in tobacco use and nicotine dependence has received much attention. Previous studies have demonstrated that α6β2*‐nAChR are down‐regulated following chronic nicotine exposure (unlike other subtypes that have been investigated – most prominently α4β2* nAChR). This study examines, for the first time, effects across a comprehensive chronic nicotine dose range. Chronic nicotine dose–responses and quantitative ligand‐binding autoradiography were used to define nicotine sensitivity of changes in α4β2*‐nAChR and α6β2*‐nAChR expression. α6β2*‐nAChR down‐regulation by chronic nicotine exposure in dopaminergic and optic‐tract nuclei was ≈three‐fold more sensitive than up‐regulation of α4β2*‐nAChR. In contrast, nAChR‐mediated [3H]‐dopamine release from dopamine‐terminal region synaptosomal preparations changed only in response to chronic treatment with high nicotine doses, whereas dopaminergic parameters (transporter expression and activity, dopamine receptor expression) were largely unchanged. Functional measures in olfactory tubercle preparations were made for the first time; both nAChR expression levels and nAChR‐mediated functional measures changed differently between striatum and olfactory tubercles. These results show that functional changes measured using synaptosomal [3H]‐DA release are primarily owing to changes in nAChR, rather than in dopaminergic, function.
Early MEG Activation Dynamics in the Left Temporal and Inferior Frontal Cortex Reflect Semantic Context Integration

Traditional views link semantic context integration to neurophysiological activity at 300500 msec. To study possible early dynamics related to semantic context integration, we recorded, in passive oddball paradigm, magnetic evoked responses to spoken word pairs, the second word being either congruent or incongruent with the first one. The same experimental words were placed in orthogonally varied context, thus providing a strict control for any effects of acoustic, phonological, and psycholinguistic stimulus features. Responses to the same critical words were obtained also outside of semantic context. We found that regardless of their acoustic features, semantically incongruent stimuli elicited a brain response already at 115 msec after the critical word onset. The same words did not produce such deflection in semantically legal context. The responses were maximal at left temporal and inferior frontal cortical sites, which was also confirmed by distributed current source analysis. The left temporal activation preceded the frontal one by 16 msec. No late response dynamics (>350 msec) were found that would reflect the semantic modulation in this nonattend passive design, indicating the possible role of attention in generating the later responses. Our results suggest that the earliest brain processes of semantic context integration can occur at 100 msec after the onset of spoken words in the left inferior frontal and superior temporal cortex.
Rainforest frogs of the Australian Wet Tropics: guild classification and the ecological similarity of declining species

Rainforest frogs are classified into nine ecological guilds based on features of reproduction, habitat use, temporal activity, microhabitat and body size. The largest ecological differences are between the microhylid frogs and the rest of the frog species. Within the non–microhylids, there are two primary groups consisting of (i) regionally endemic rainforest specialists, and (ii) a more ecologically diverse group of species that are less specialized in their habitat requirements. Most of the regionally endemic rainforest specialists, which includes species in three ecological guilds, have declined or gone missing in recent years. Multivariate analyses of the ecological characteristics of these species show that it is not a single characteristic that isolates those species that have declined from those which have not. The guilds that have undergone significant population declines in the Wet Tropics are all characterized by the combination of low fecundity, a high degree of habitat specialization and reproduction in flowing streams. These results have important implications for the determination of the causal factors in the unexplained global decline of many amphibian species.
The square kilometre array and the transient universe

The square kilometre array (SKA) is a next generation radio telescope that will be built in southern Africa and Australasia. It will be built in two phases and will use a range of detectors, from aperture arrays to dishes, to span the frequency range from a few tens of megahertz to a few gigahertz. The combination of great sensitivity, wide field of view and unprecedented computing power mean that the SKA will be an excellent instrument for studying the transient radio universe. Transient radio emission is generated in extremes of: gravitational and magnetic fields, velocity, temperature, pressure and density. While we know about plenty of source classes for this type of short duration radio emission, there is still a large range of transient parameter space that has not yet been sampled owing to the limitations of current generation radio telescopes.
A clinical trial comparing three antithrombotic-drug regimens after coronary-artery stenting. Stent Anticoagulation Restenosis Study Investigators.

BACKGROUND Antithrombotic drugs are used after coronary-artery stenting to prevent stent thrombosis. We compared the efficacy and safety of three antithrombotic-drug regimens - aspirin alone, aspirin and warfarin, and aspirin and ticlopidine - after coronary stenting. METHODS Of 1965 patients who underwent coronary stenting at 50 centers, 1653 (84.1 percent) met angiographic criteria for successful placement of the stent and were randomly assigned to one of three regimens: aspirin alone (557 patients), aspirin and warfarin (550 patients), or aspirin and ticlopidine (546 patients). All clinical events reflecting stent thrombosis were included in the prespecified primary end point: death, revascularization of the target lesion, angiographically evident thrombosis, or myocardial infarction within 30 days. RESULTS The primary end point was observed in 38 patients: 20 (3.6 percent) assigned to receive aspirin alone, 15 (2.7 percent) assigned to receive aspirin and warfarin, and 3 (0.5 percent) assigned to receive aspirin and ticlopidine (P=0.001 for the comparison of all three groups). Hemorrhagic complications occurred in 10 patients (1.8 percent) who received aspirin alone, 34 (6.2 percent) who received aspirin and warfarin, and 30 (5.5 percent) who received aspirin and ticlopidine (P<0.001 for the comparison of all three groups); the incidence of vascular surgical complications was 0.4 percent (2 patients), 2.0 percent (11 patients), and 2.0 percent (11 patients), respectively (P=0.01). There were no significant differences in the incidence of neutropenia or thrombocytopenia (overall incidence, 0.3 percent) among the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS As compared with aspirin alone and a combination of aspirin and warfarin, treatment with aspirin and ticlopidine resulted in a lower rate of stent thrombosis, although there were more hemorrhagic complications than with aspirin alone. After coronary stenting, aspirin and ticlopidine should be considered for the prevention of the serious complication of stent thrombosis.
Glass transitions may be similar in two and three dimensions, after all

Understanding glasses and the glass transition is widely accepted as a deep, mysterious, and fundamental problem. However, the consensus does not extend much further. The topic is still hotly debated and progress toward a commonly accepted resolution seems slow for what is, after all, one of the oldest puzzles in physics. New theoretical tools and predictions do emerge, new phenomena are unveiled, and clever experiments are nonetheless carried out. In this vein, the two recent experimental papers in PNAS by Vivek et al. (1) and Illing et al. (2) convincingly address an issue at the junction of two fundamental questions in glass physics: the role of the dimensionality of space on the glass transition and the possible existence of long-wavelength fluctuations in 2D amorphous solids.
Psychological Distress, Life Stressors, and Social Support in New Immigrants With HIV

The expression of psychological distress is culture-dependent. Ethiopian Jewish immigrants' expression of distress is anchored in their unique culture. The authors' aim in this study was to assess the psychological distress of HIV-positive (HIV+) Ethiopian Jewish immigrants in Israel, using a culturebased tool, and to examine the relations of psychological distress, psychosocial variables, and T lymphocyte subset counts and viral load. Participants were 56 HIV+ patients. The authors assessed psychological distress by the self-report questionnaire, which they adjusted for the Ethiopian immigrants (SRQ-E). The authors also assessed adherence to treatment regimen, number of life stressors, and degree of perceived social support, T lymphocyte subset counts, and viral load in plasma. The overall level of psychological distress was in the high range of the SRQ-E scale and was considerably higher in men than in women. Psychological distress was related to more life stressors and lower perceived social support. Women reported having more social support, had better T(CD4+) lymphocyte count and T(CD4+)/T(CD8+) ratio, and lower viral load than did men. Better HIV indicators were related to shorter duration of HIV+ since diagnosis, better adherence, and more social support, but not to psychological distress. The culture-based tool allowed identification of the high degree of psychological distress among the HIV+ Ethiopian immigrants. Researchers need to assess the adaptability of culture-based questionnaires to determine psychological distress in HIV+ patients.
Process-insensitive low-power design of switched-capacitor integrators

A generalized analytical technique is developed to design power optimized switched-capacitor integrators taking process variations into account. It is shown that the performance of a robustly designed power optimum switched-capacitor integrator is a monotonic function of the slew rate and the transconductance of the amplifier. The framework provides an analytical solution for fabrication foundry independent analog design and therefore eliminates the need for Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the effect of the worst-case performance variations. With this analytical approach, it is possible to migrate the design to technologies with smaller feature sizes while obtaining monotonic improvement in the performance. The validity of the proposed analytical model for the design of robust switched-capacitor integrators is demonstrated through transistor-level SPICE simulations using BSIM3v3 models.
First TOPSAR image and interferometry results with TerraSAR-X

TOPSAR is a recently proposed SAR mode for wide swath acquisition, which is foreseen to be used by the ESA Sentinel-1 SAR sensor in its main interferometric wide swath mode. The Microwaves and Radar Institute of the German Aerospace Center is validating TOPSAR mode in space with TerraSAR-X data within the framework of an ESA commissioned project. Several TOPSAR images have been successfully commanded, acquired and processed. First TOPSAR images are presented. A pair of TOPSAR data takes over a high coherent area (the Uyuni salt lake in Bolivia which has already shown good phase stability with 11 days repeat pass TerraSAR-X acquisitions) has been acquired and preliminary interferometric results are presented in the paper. Coregistration accuracy requirements are discussed.
Intellectual capital in small and medium enterprises in Pakistan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the links between intellectual capital sub-components and organizational performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the electrical and electronics manufacturing sector in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through structured questionnaires from a sample of 247 respondents from Pakistani SMEs in Gujranwala and Gujarat. Several tests were used to examine the reliability and validity of the research instrument. Finally, multiple regression analysis was used to test the proposed research hypotheses. Findings – The findings of this study demonstrate that the overall regression model of intellectual capital shows goodness of fit while one component of intellectual capital – namely human capital – appeared insignificant. Subsequently, six out of seven research hypotheses was accepted. Practical implications – This study will provide a valuable framework for entrepreneurs, executives, managers and policy makers in man.
Reliability and Validity of a New Repeated Agility Test as a Measure of Anaerobic and Explosive Power

Haj-Sassi, R, Dardouri, W, Gharbi, Z, Chaouachi, A, Mansour, H, Rabhi, A, and Haj-Yahmed, M. Reliability and validity of a new repeated agility test as a measure of anaerobic and explosive power. J Strength Cond Res 25(2): 472-480, 2011-The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a repeated modified agility test (RMAT) to assess anaerobic power and explosiveness. Twenty-seven subjects (age: 20.2 ± 0.9 years, body mass: 66.1 ± 6.0 kg, height: 176 ± 6 cm, and body fat: 11.4 ± 2.6%) participated in this study. After familiarization, subjects completed the RMAT consisting of 10 × 20-m maximal running performances (moving in forward, lateral, and backward) with ∼25-second recovery between each run. Ten subjects performed the RMAT twice separated by at least 48 hours to evaluate relative and absolute reliability and usefulness of the test. The criterion validity of the RMAT was determined by examining the relationship between RMAT indices and the Wingate anaerobic test (WAT) performances and both vertical and horizontal jumps. Reliability of the total time (TT) and peak time (PT) of the RMAT was very good, with intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.90 and SEM < 5% and low bias. The usefulness of TT and PT of the RMAT was rated as “good” and “OK,” respectively. The TT of the RMAT had significant correlations with the WAT (peak power: r = −0.44; mean power: r = −0.72), vertical jumps (squat jump: r = −0.50; countermovement jump: r = −0.61; drop jump (DJ): r = −0.55; DJ with dominant leg: r = −0.72; DJ with nondominant leg: r = −0.53) and 5 jump test (r = −0.56). These findings suggest that the RMAT is a reliable and valid test for assessing anaerobic power and explosiveness in multisprint sport athletes. Consequently, the RMAT is an easily applied, inexpensive field test and can provide coaches and strength and conditioning professionals with relevant information concerning the choice and the efficacy of training programs.
Tendinosis and tears of gluteus medius and minimus muscles as a cause of hip pain: MR imaging findings.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of tendinosis and tears of gluteus medius and minimus muscles in patients presenting with buttock, lateral hip, or groin pain; describe the MR imaging findings; and discuss their probable relationship to the greater trochanteric pain syndrome. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Two hundred fifty MR imaging examinations of the hip were performed for the evaluation of buttock, lateral hip, or groin pain. The findings were reviewed for changes in the morphology or signal intensity of gluteus medius and minimus muscles and tendons and for any peritendinous abnormality including distention of regional bursae. RESULTS Thirty-five studies met our criterion of showing either tendinosis or tears of gluteus medius and minimus muscles as the primary positive finding. Eight patients had complete retracted tears of the gluteus medius, and 14 patients had partial tears; in 13 patients, MR findings were consistent with tendinosis. The gluteus minimus muscle was also involved in 10 patients. MR imaging findings were the same as those described for tears and tendinosis of other regions of the body. Surgical proof of a tendon tear was obtained in six patients. CONCLUSION Tendinopathy of the hip abductors and gluteus medius and minimus muscles was a common finding on MR imaging in our patients with buttock, lateral hip, or groin pain. Tendinopathy is probably a frequent cause of the greater trochanteric pain syndrome, a common regional pain syndrome that can mimic other important conditions causing hip pain including avascular necrosis and stress fracture. Moreover, it is likely that trochanteric bursitis is associated with tendinopathy.
The effect of frequency of feeding on the flow and composition of duodenal digesta in sheep given straw-based diets

1. The effect of feeding sheep at two different frequencies (once hourly and once daily) on the flow of digesta, dry matter, and starch to the duodenum was assessed by fitting sheep with re-entrant cannulas in the proximal duodenum and giving them, at each feeding frequency, rations differing in the particle size of the roughage component. 2. Frequent feeding resulted in a less variable daily pattern of flow of digesta and a significant increase (P < 0·01) in the total daily volume flowing to the duodenum. Altering the particle size of the ration did not affect the flow of digesta at either feeding frequency. 3. The pattern of flow of dry matter followed very closely that of the flow of digesta, but there was a significant (P < 0·001) interaction between feeding frequency and particle size of the ration which affected the flow of starch to the duodenum. As a result, more starch entered the duodenum when both the frequency of feeding and the particle size of the ration were increased.
Caterpillar Track Complexes in Template-Directed Synthesis and Correlated Molecular Motion

Small alterations to the structure of a star-shaped template totally change its mode of operation. The hexapyridyl template directs the conversion of a porphyrin dimer to the cyclic hexamer, but deleting one pyridine site changes the product to the cyclic decamer, while deleting two binding sites changes the product to the cyclic octamer. This surprising switch in selectivity is explained by the formation of 2:1 caterpillar track complexes, in which two template wheels bind inside the nanoring. Caterpillar track complexes can also be prepared by binding the hexapyridyl template inside the 8- and 10-porphyrin nanorings. NMR exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) experiments show that these complexes exhibit correlated motion, in which the conrotatory rotation of the two template wheels is coupled to rotation of the nanoring track. In the case of the 10-porphyrin system, the correlated motion can be locked by binding palladium(II) dichloride between the two templates.