Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Actuator fault‐tolerant control based on set separation

In this paper, an actuator fault‐tolerant control (FTC) strategy based on set separation is presented. The proposed scheme employs a standard configuration consisting of a bank of observers which match the different fault situations that can occur in the plant. Each of these observers has an associated estimation error with a distinctive behaviour when a estimator matches the current fault situation of the plant. With this information from each observer, a fault diagnosis and isolation (FDI) module is able to reconfigure the control loop by selecting the appropriate stabilising controller from a bank of precomputed control laws, each of them related to one of the considered fault models. The control law consists of a reference feedforward term and a feedback gain multiplying the state estimate provided by the matching observer. A novel feature of the proposed scheme resides in the decision criteria of the FDI, which is based on the computation of sets towards which the output estimation errors related to each fault scenario and for each control configuration converge. Conditions for the design of the FDI module and for fault tolerant closed‐loop stability are given, and the effectiveness of the approach is illustrated by means of a numerical example. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ProtoNN: Compressed and Accurate kNN for Resource-scarce Devices

Several real-world applications require real-time prediction on resource-scarce devices such as an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor. Such applications demand prediction models with small storage and computational complexity that do not compromise significantly on accuracy. In this work, we propose ProtoNN, a novel algorithm that addresses the problem of real-time and accurate prediction on resource-scarce devices. Pro-toNN is inspired by k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) but has several orders lower storage and prediction complexity. ProtoNN models can be deployed even on devices with puny storage and computational power (e.g. an Arduino UNO with 2kB RAM) to get excellent prediction accuracy. ProtoNN derives its strength from three key ideas: a) learning a small number of prototypes to represent the entire training set, b) sparse low dimensional projection of data, c) joint discriminative learning of the projection and prototypes with explicit model size constraint. We conduct systematic empirical evaluation of ProtoNN on a variety of supervised learning tasks (binary, multi-class, multi-label classification) and show that it gives nearly state-of-the-art prediction accuracy on resource-scarce devices while consuming several orders lower storage, and using minimal working memory.
Cell-Autonomous Roles of ARX in Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Migration during Corticogenesis

The aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) gene has been implicated in a wide spectrum of disorders ranging from phenotypes with severe neuronal migration defects, such as lissencephaly, to mild forms of X-linked mental retardation without apparent brain abnormalities. To better understand its role in corticogenesis, we used in utero electroporation to knock down or overexpress ARX. We show here that targeted inhibition of ARX causes cortical progenitor cells to exit the cell cycle prematurely and impairs their migration toward the cortical plate. In contrast, ARX overexpression increases the length of the cell cycle. In addition, we report that RNA interference-mediated inactivation of ARX prevents cells from acquiring multipolar morphology in the subventricular and intermediate zones, resulting in decreased neuronal motility. In contrast, ARX overexpression appears to promote the development of tangentially oriented processes of cells in the subventricular and intermediate zones and affects radial migration of pyramidal neurons. We also demonstrate that the level of ARX expression is important for tangential migration of GABA-containing interneurons, because both inactivation and overexpression of the gene impair their migration from the ganglionic eminence. However, our data suggest that ARX is not directly involved in GABAergic cell fate specification. Overall, these results identify multiple and distinct cell-autonomous roles for ARX in corticogenesis.
Intonation as an Encoder of Speaker Certainty: Information and Confirmation Yes-No Questions in Catalan

Recent studies in the field of intonational phonology have shown that information-seeking questions can be distinguished from confirmation-seeking questions by prosodic means in a variety of languages (Armstrong, 2010, for Puerto Rican Spanish; Grice & Savino, 1997, for Bari Italian; Kügler, 2003, for Leipzig German; Mata & Santos, 2010, for European Portuguese; Vanrell, Mascaró, Prieto, & Torres-Tamarit, 2010, for Catalan). However, all these studies have relied on production experiments and little is known about the perceptual relevance of these intonational cues. This paper explores whether Majorcan Catalan listeners distinguish information- and confirmation-seeking questions by means of two distinct nuclear falling pitch accents. Three behavioral tasks were conducted with 20 Majorcan Catalan subjects, namely a semantic congruity test, a rating test, and a classical categorical perception identification/discrimination test. The results show that a difference in pitch scaling on the leading H tone of the H+L* nuclear pitch accent is the main cue used by Majorcan Catalan listeners to distinguish confirmation questions from information-seeking questions. Thus, while a ¡H+L* pitch accent signals an information-seeking question (i.e., the speaker has no expectation about the nature of the answer), the H+L* pitch accent indicates that the speaker is asking about mutually shared information. We argue that these results have implications in representing the distinctions of tonal height in Catalan. The results also support the claim that phonological contrasts in intonation, together with other linguistic strategies, can signal the speakers’ beliefs about the certainty of the proposition expressed.
Compiling Possibilistic Networks: Alternative Approaches to Possibilistic Inference

Qualitative possibilistic networks, also known as min-based possibilistic networks, are important tools for handling uncertain information in the possibility theory framework. Despite their importance, only the junction tree adaptation has been proposed for exact reasoning with such networks. This paper explores alternative algorithms using compilation techniques. We first propose possibilistic adaptations of standard compilation-based probabilistic methods. Then, we develop a new, purely possibilistic, method based on the transformation of the initial network into a possibilistic base. A comparative study shows that this latter performs better than the possibilistic adaptations of probabilistic methods. This result is also confirmed by experimental results.
Genetic Diversity and Its Spatial Distribution in Self-Regenerating Norway Spruce and Scots Pine Stands

Tree genetic diversity is among the most important factors determining the sustainability of forest ecosystems. The main aim of the present study was to track possible changes in genetic diversity of regenerating populations of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in areas subjected either to a natural disturbance (windthrows and subsequent clear-cutting of the affected spruce stand) or to a changed land-use legacy (pine regeneration on abandoned agricultural land) with the aim of testing whether the new forest generation retains the genetic diversity of the putative maternal stand. Eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to reveal the genetic diversity and its spatial distribution in the studied tree populations. Self-regenerating juveniles of Norway spruce and Scots pine were spatially random and as genetically diverse as in the putative maternal populations. Genetic differentiation between putatively maternal trees and regenerating juveniles was low for both species. A high genetic diversity and random spatial genetic structure revealed in the regenerating populations provides a basis for the formation of evolutionary and ecologically sound stands able to adapt to ever-changing climatic conditions. Information on the genetic dynamics of the studied natural populations of long-lived coniferous tree species may be important for evaluating possible changes in genetic diversity at a local scale following forest ecosystem disturbances and changes in land-use legacies.
Perspective object tracking based on image feature extraction

In the course of tracking there are various transformations for the object, including flip, rotation, scaling, shear and so on. In this paper, we describe a new approach that can perform well in coping with object's perspective transformation. A transformation matrix which is modeled with 9-parameter matrix is employed to represent the deformation of the object. So as to simplify the calculation and increase the speed of the estimation for the perspective model, we choose feature points for calculation. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed to remove the inaccurate matching points and calculate the final perspective parameters. The result indicates that the method of object tracking has high precision and fast speed.
Iterative windowed parameter estimation of multiple superimposed damped exponentials in noise

The research problem of the parameter estimation of multiple superimposed damped complex exponentials in noise is of significant importance in many engineering and science applications. In this paper, we propose a simple yet accurate estimator to address the problem. By combining an efficient windowed frequency and damping estimator for a single component with an iterative leakage subtraction scheme, the novel method consecutively and iteratively estimates one component at a time by gradually reducing the leakage introduced by other components presented. Simulation results are presented to verify that the proposed algorithm is capable of outperforming state-of-art time and frequency domain algorithms.
A Fast and Accurate Algorithm for Comparative Analysis of metabolic Pathways

UNLABELLED Pathways show how different biochemical entities interact with one another to perform vital functions for the survival of an organism. Comparative analysis of pathways is crucial in identifying functional similarities that are difficult to identify by comparing individual entities that build up these pathways. When interacting entities are of single type, the problem of identifying similarities by aligning the pathways can be reduced to graph isomorphism problem. For pathways with varying types of entities such as metabolic pathways, alignment problem is even more challenging. In order to simplify this problem, existing methods often reduce metabolic pathways to graphs with restricted topologies and single type of nodes. However, these abstractions reduce the relevance of the alignment significantly as they cause losses in the information content. In this paper, we describe an algorithm to solve the pairwise alignment problem for metabolic pathways. A distinguishing feature of our method is that it aligns different types of entities, such as enzymes, reactions and compounds. Also, our approach is free of any abstraction in modeling the pathways. We pursue the intuition that both pairwise similarities of entities (homology) and the organization of their interactions (topology) are important for metabolic pathway alignment. In our algorithm, we account for both by creating an eigenvalue problem for each entity type. We enforce the consistency while combining the alignments of different entity types by considering the reachability sets of entities. Our experiments show that our method finds biologically and statistically significant alignments in the order of milliseconds. AVAILABILITY Our software and the source code in C programming language is available at http://bioinformatics.cise. ufl.edu/pal.html.
Continuous Quantitative EEG Monitoring in Hemispheric Stroke Patients Using the Brain Symmetry Index

Background and Purpose— There is increased awareness that continuous brain monitoring might benefit neurological patients, because it may allow detection of derangement of brain function in a possible reversible state, allowing early intervention. Here, we explore if quantitative continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring is technically feasible and possibly clinically relevant in patients with acute ischemic hemispheric stroke. Materials— Twenty-one consecutive patients with an acute hemispheric stroke were monitored in our stroke unit, using cEEG for 12 to 24 hours on the day of admission. EEGs were quantified using a particular measure for symmetry, the brain symmetry index (BSI). This measure was subsequently correlated with the clinical condition of the patient using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results— cEEG was technically feasible. We found a most satisfying positive correlation between the BSI and the NIHSS, with &rgr;≈0.86 (P<0.01). Conclusions— Technically, cEEG monitoring posed no major problems. It was found that the BSI correlates satisfactorily with the clinical neurological condition of our stroke patients. This suggests that the BSI can be used as a measure to monitor possible changes of brain function in this patient category.
From QUOROM to PRISMA: A Survey of High-Impact Medical Journals' Instructions to Authors and a Review of Systematic Reviews in Anesthesia Literature

Background The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement was published to help authors improve how they report systematic reviews. It is unknown how many journals mention PRISMA in their instructions to authors, or whether stronger journal language regarding use of PRISMA improves author compliance. Methodology/Principal Findings An Internet-based investigation examined the extent to which 146 leading medical journals have incorporated the PRISMA Statement into their instructions to authors. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Also, systematic reviews published in the leading anesthesiology journals and the QUOROM (QUality Of Reporting Of Meta-analyses) Statement were used to explore the hypothesis that indicating compliance with the QUOROM Statement in the manuscript is associated with improved compliance with the reporting guideline. In a sample of 146 journals publishing systematic reviews, the PRISMA Statement was referred to in the instructions to authors for 27% (40/146) of journals; more often in general and internal medicine journals (7/14; 50%) than in specialty medicine journals (33/132; 25%). In the second part of the study, 13 systematic reviews published in the leading anesthesiology journals in 2008 were included for appraisal. Mention of the QUOROM Statement in the manuscript was associated with higher compliance with the QUOROM checklist (P = 0.022). Conclusions/Significance Most of the leading medical journals used ambiguous language regarding what was expected of authors. Further improvement on quality of reporting of systematic reviews may entail journals clearly informing authors of their requirements. Stronger directions, such as requiring an indication of adherence to a research quality of reporting statement in the manuscript, may improve reporting and utility of systematic reviews.
Stereo Context for Robust Object Tracking

Context has been successfully applied to 2D image processing in the tasks of object detection, object recognition, etc. However, it is usually ignored in 3D object tracking. In this paper, we propose a stereo context-based object tracker that explores 3D context information for collaborative tracking in binocular video streams. The target is located by voting from companions, which are keypoints that have strong 3D motion correlations to the target. The companions are obtained by using spatial-temporal constraints in 3D space. Quantitative experimental results on challenging video sequences demonstrate the robustness and superior performance of the proposed tracker.
Citalopram enhances the activity of chloroquine in resistant plasmodium in vitro and in vivo.

Citalopram, is an extremely potent inhibitor of neuronal serotonin reuptake. It is structurally unrelated to other antidepressants, but it contains the chemical features associated with reversal of drug resistance and exhibits minimal cardiotoxic side effects and fewer of the anticholinergic and adrenolytic side effects associated with other psychotropic agents. Sensitivity tests to citalopram alone and in combination with chloroquine were performed against chloroquine-resistant and chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium chabaudi. Citalopram alone showed intrinsic activity against the chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum (IC50 = 1.51 +/- .6 microM) but only limited activity against the chloroquine-sensitive strain (IC50 = 33.27 +/- 5.87 microM) and no activity in vivo. The interaction of chloroquine and citalopram in vitro resulted in a synergistic response in the chloroquine-resistant strain but there was no interaction between the drugs in the chloroquine-sensitive strain--a pattern found with other reversal agents. Citalopram enhanced chloroquine susceptibility in both strains of P. chabaudi, however, the potentiating effect was seen at lower doses in the chloroquine-resistant strain. The results of this study suggest that citalopram may have potential as a chemosensitizer in Plasmodium infections on the basis of the low toxicity of citalopram at concentrations potentiating chloroquine activity both in vitro and in vivo.
Sonigraphical Instruments: From FMOL to the reacTable*

This paper first introduces two previous software-based music instruments designed by the author, and analyses the crucial importance of the visual feedback introduced by their interfaces. A quick taxonomy and analysis of the visual components in current trends of interactive music software is then proposed, before introducing the reacTable, a new project that is currently under development. The reacTable is a collaborative music instrument, aimed both at novices and advanced musicians, which employs computer vision and tangible interfaces technologies, and pushes further the visual feedback interface ideas and techniques aforementioned.
Reduction of superficial thermal injury using cryogen cooling during laser-assisted cartilage reshaping of composite cartilage grafts: preliminary investigation

Composite cartilage grafts were excised from New Zealand rabbit ears. An incision through the perichondrium exposed a 5mm wide strip of cartilage on the posterior auricle surface. Flat specimens were manually deformed with a jig and maintained in this new position during irradiation. The exposed cartilage was irradiated on the concave surface with an Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 3 mm spot) at 10W, 15W, 20W. Cryogen spray (CSC) was applied to the convex, non-irradiated surface of the tissue to reduce thermal injury to the graft. The specimens were maintained in a deformation for 15 minutes after irradiation and serially examined for 14 days. Reshaping and acute thermal injury were assessed by photography. For 15 and 20 W, CSC was delivered: (1) continuously (constant delivery of cryogen active through the entire irradiation period) and (2) under control (cryogen released when surface reached 40°C, and (3) a third group received no CSC. 20W with no CSC caused full thickness injury, while 15W with no CSC caused only minor epidermal thermal injury. The specimen exposed to 20W with controlled CSC retained its new shape to the highest degree over all others, and thermal injury was minimal. Although most levels of laser and CSC yielded a high degree of reshaping over an acute time period, after 14 days specimens exposed to 15W or 20W retained shape better than those treated at 10W.
Intra–Lymph Node Prime-Boost Vaccination against Melan A and Tyrosinase for the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma: Results of a Phase 1 Clinical Trial

Purpose: The goal of this study was to test the safety and activity of a therapeutic vaccine, MKC1106-MT, in patients with metastatic melanoma. Experimental Design: MKC1106-MT comprises a plasmid (pMEL-TYR) and two peptides (E-MEL and E-TYR), corresponding to Melan A and tyrosinase, administered by intra–lymph node injection in a prime-boost sequence. All 18 patients were HLA-A*0201 positive and received a fixed priming dose of plasmid and a low or a high peptide dose. Enumeration of antigen-specific T cells was done prior to and throughout the treatment. Patients who did not exhibit disease progression remained on study and could receive up to eight cycles of treatment. Results: The MKC1106-MT regimen was well tolerated and resulted in an overall immune response rate of 50%. The treatment showed disease control, defined as stable disease that lasted for 8 weeks or more in 6 of 18 (33%) of the patients: 14% and 46% in the low and high peptide dose, respectively. Interestingly, four patients, all with tumor burden largely confined to lymph nodes and Melan A–specific T cells at baseline, showed durable disease control associated with radiologic evidence of tumor regression. There was no noticeable correlation between the expansion of antigen-specific T cells in blood and the clinical outcome; yet, there was evidence of active tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in two regressing lesions. Conclusions: MKC1106-MT showed immunogenicity and evidence of disease control in a defined patient population. These findings support further development of this investigational agent and the concept of therapeutic vaccination in metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2987–96. ©2011 AACR.
A simulation-based comparison of IEEE 802.11's timing advertisement and SyncTSF for clock synchronization

The absence of built-in clock synchronization support for IEEE 802.11 networks has been a concern for industrial applications which are seeking to use wireless networking on the factory floor. In IEEE 802.11-2012, the timing advertisement (TA) mechanism is proposed which provides guidelines for the application synchronization. It involves calculating and maintaining the time offset with respect to the timing synchronization function (TSF) timer of the access point. In the wireless stations, the TSF-based synchronization mechanism and the offset are combined to establish synchronization to an external timebase. With respect to the lack of implementation guidelines and support for the TA scheme, this paper compares and discusses the TA scheme and the software-based SyncTSF scheme previously proposed by the authors, which employs the TSF timer as the timing source in the network. The initial simulation results show that both schemes can provide similar performance, depending upon the controller design and the timestamping technique.