Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of the differential group delay in installed optical fibers using polarization multiplexed solitons

We experimentally demonstrate a new technique for measurement of the differential group delay (DGD) in optical fibers using polarization-division multiplexed (PDM) solitons: the change in the separation of orthogonally polarized solitons propagating along different principal axes in a fiber equals the DGD at the signal wavelength. Based on this principle, we use PDM solitons to measure the accumulated DGD at different distances along a 400-km installed fiber. The measured DGD exhibits the expected square-root-of-length dependence, corresponding to a polarization-mode dispersion of 0.26 ps/km/sup 1/2/. The results are in excellent agreement with those obtained by a commercial instrument utilizing Jones matrix eigenanalysis.
Uniform methodology for benchmarking beyond-CMOS logic devices

A consistent methodology for benchmarking beyond CMOS logic devices was developed to guide the research directions. The promising devices - tunneling FET and spin wave devices - perform > 10<sup>15</sup> Integer Ops/s/cm<sup>2</sup> with power <; 1W/cm<sup>2</sup>.
HiLighter: Automatically Building Robust Signatures of Performance Behavior for Small- and Large-Scale Systems

Previous work showed that statistical analysis techniques could successfully be used to construct compact signatures of distinct operational problems in Internet server systems. Because signatures are amenable to well-known similarity search techniques, they can be used as a way to index past problems and identify particular operational problems as new or recurrent. In this paper we use a different statistical technique for constructing signatures (logistic regression with L1 regularization) that improves on previous work in two ways. First, our new approach works for cases where the number of features is an order of magnitude larger than the number of samples and also scales to problems with over 50,000 samples. Second, we get encouraging results regarding the stability of the models and the signatures by cross-validating the accuracy of the models from one section of the data center on another section. We validate our approach on data from an Internet service testbed and also from a production enterprise system comprising hundreds of servers in several data centers.
Mbd2 Contributes to DNA Methylation-Directed Repression of the Xist Gene

ABSTRACT Transcription of the Xist gene triggers X chromosome inactivation in cis and is therefore silenced on the X chromosome that remains active. DNA methylation contributes to this silencing, but the mechanism is unknown. As methylated DNA binding proteins (MBPs) are potential mediators of gene silencing by DNA methylation, we asked whether MBP-deficient cell lines could maintain Xist repression. The absence of Mbd2 caused significant low-level reactivation of Xist, but silencing was restored by exogenous Mbd2. In contrast, deficiencies of Mbd1, MeCP2, and Kaiso had no detectable effect, indicating that MBPs are not functionally redundant at this locus. Xist repression in Mbd2-null cells was hypersensitive to the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A and to depletion of the DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1. These synergies implicate Mbd2 as a mediator of the DNA methylation signal at this locus. The presence of redundant mechanisms to enforce repression at Xist and other loci is compatible with the hypothesis that “stacking” of imperfect repressive tendencies may be an evolutionary strategy to ensure leakproof gene silencing.
Momentum trajectory generation and control for multi-contact interaction

Legged robots are expected to locomote autonomously in an uncertain and potentially dynamically changing environment. Active interaction with contacts becomes inevitable to move and apply forces in a goal directed way and withstand unpredicted changes in the environment. Therefore, we need to design algorithms that exploit interaction forces and generate desired motions of the robot leading to robust and compliant interaction with the environment. As complexity of tasks increases, generating motion trajectories quickly in combination with feedback control laws that can be executed on the full robot will become increasingly more important and open the way for agile robots. Dynamic motions that require contact interaction with several endeffectors at the same time need to be planned over a time horizon in order to result in trajectories that are realizable on the robot. However, planning with the full robot model can result in excessive computation time, even though only a subset of the dynamics might be required to model the robot behavior well. Execution of planned trajectories, on the other hand, has been shown to work well when inverse dynamics is used under consideration of the full robot dynamics in fast control loops [1]. As a consequence, in this work we address the problem of dynamic motion generation and control by separating it into two different time-scales and levels of modeling granularities: We use trajectory optimization on reduced robot dynamics and generate motion plans over a horizon in a few minutes of optimization. The resulting trajectories are then tracked within a Hierarchical Inverse Dynamics whole-body controller together with other tasks and constraints in a real-time control loop on the kHz level.
P 13 Model Reduction in Hjb-based Feedback Design for Optimal Control of Evolution Problems

This project studies the construction of max-plus finite element methods and corresponding projection-based model reduction techniques for Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations and closed-loop optimal control. The construction of max-plus discretizations naturally decomposes into an expensive offline and a curse-of-dimensionality free real-time phase. The systematic construction of such methods will be based on locally exact evaluations of the Lax–Oleinik semigroup together with transforming classical algorithms into their max-plus counterparts by Maslov dequantization. State of the art. By dynamical programming and Bellman's optimality principle, the optimal feedback map u(t) = u * (x(t), t) of the finite-horizon optimal control problem      T 0 L(x(t), u(t)) dt + ϕ(x(T) = max ! ˙ x = f (x, u), x(0) = x 0 , u(t) ∈ U, (P) is given by the maximizer u * (x, t) of the expression defining the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation: ∂ ∂t V (x, t) = max u∈U (∇ x V (x, t), f (x, u) + L(x, u)), V (x, 0) = ϕ(x), (HJB) where V (x, t) denotes the value function associated to (P). Once u * (x, t) is available, one arrives at the closed loop system which is given by ˙ x = f (x, u * (x, t)). Let us note that the spatial dimension of (HJB) is that of the state space of the control system. For large or infinite state space dimensions, the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman based approach for computing the value function V becomes computationally intractable (curse of dimensionality). The feasibility of general closed-loop approaches thus depends on techniques for a (rough) approximation or reduced model of the feedback map u *. On the one hand, for an infinite horizon problem (where V and u * are stationary), in [6] such a model reduction based on a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) — obtained from the solution of the controlled system at certain snapshots in time — was suggested to reduce the state space dimension to just a few essential degrees of freedom. Even though the feasibility was demonstrated in a proof-of-concept study of optimal boundary feedback control for the one-dimensional Burgers equations [6], much remains to be done for this approach to become really efficient, the bottleneck being the cost of solving the HJB equation (even when the dynamical system in (P) is of moderate order, say less than 5–10). On the other hand, Maslov [8] observed that the Lax–Oleinik …
Collagen V and vascular injury promote lung architectural changes in systemic sclerosis

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disorder characterized by inflammation, fibrosis and vascular damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions between basement membrane disruption, endothelial injury and collagen V deposition on the vascular wall, as well as their association with pulmonary function tests in patients with SSc.
Technology Use and Preferences for Mobile Phone–Based HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Black Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exploratory Research

Background Black young men who have sex with men (BYMSM) experience higher human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence than their white and Latino counterparts. Objective The aim of our study was to understand BYMSM’s preferences for mobile phone–based HIV prevention and treatment in order to inform culturally tailored interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and improve HIV treatment outcomes in this population. Methods Qualitative focus groups (N=6) with BYMSM aged 18-29 years (N=41; 46%, 19/41 HIV-positive) were conducted to elucidate their preferences for the design and delivery of mobile phone–based HIV prevention and treatment interventions. A modified grounded theory approach to data analysis was undertaken using ATLAS.ti textual analysis software. Results Participants preferred holistic health interventions that did not focus exclusively on HIV prevention and treatment. Issues of privacy and confidentiality were paramount. Participants preferred functionality that enables discreet connections to culturally competent health educators and treatment providers who can address the range of health and psychosocial concerns faced by BYMSM. Conclusions Mobile phone–based HIV prevention has the potential to increase engagement with HIV prevention and treatment resources among BYMSM. For these approaches to be successful, researchers must include BYMSM in the design and creation of these interventions.
Dynamic visual servoing with image moments for a quadrotor using a virtual spring approach

This paper presents an image-based visual servoing for controlling the position and orientation of a quadrotor using a fixed downward camera observing landmarks on the level ground. In the proposed method, the negative feedback to the image moments is used to control the vertical motion and rotation around the roll axis. On the other hand, the negative feedback cannot be used to control the horizontal motion due to under-actuation of a quadrotor. Thus, a novel control method is introduced to control the horizontal motion. Simulations are presented to validate the proposed method.
32 PROXIMITY ALGORITHMS

The notion of distance is fundamental to many aspects of computational geometry. A classic approach to characterize the distance properties of planar (and highdimensional) point sets that has been studied since the early 1980s uses proximity graphs (Section 32.1). Proximity graphs are geometric graphs in which two vertices p, q are connected by an edge (p, q) if and only if a certain exclusion region for p, q contains no points from the vertex set. Depending on the specific exclusion region, many variants of proximity graphs can be defined, such as relative neighborhood graphs, Delaunay triangulations, β-skeletons, empty-strip graphs, etc. Since proximity graphs encode interesting information on the intrinsic structure of the point set, they have found many applications. From an algorithmic point of view, it is extremely useful to have a compact representation of the distance structure of a point set. The well-separated pair decomposition (WSPD) offers one way to achieve this (Section 32.2). WSPDs have numerous algorithmic applications, and the notion generalizes to certain non-Euclidean metrics. Furthermore, several variants of the WSPD have been developed to address its shortcomings, e.g., semi-separated pair decompositions and (α, β)-pair decompositions. Geometric spanners provide another means to approximate the complete Euclidean metric (Section 32.3). Here, the distance function is approximated by the shortest path distance in a sparse geometric graph. There are four basic constructions for geometric spanners: the greedy spanner, the Yao graph, the Θ-graph and the WSPD-spanner. To optimize various parameters, many variants have been defined, and the notion can be generalized beyond the Euclidean setting. Finally, we discuss work on making proximity structures dynamic, allowing for insertions and deletions of points (Section 32.4). The fundamental problem here is the dynamic nearest neighbor problem, which serves as a starting point for other structures. Additionally, there are several results on making geometric spanners dynamic.
A Dual-Antenna System for LTE/WWAN/WLAN/WiMAX Smartphone Applications

A dual-antenna system for smartphones with Long Term Evolution (LTE)/Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)/Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)/Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) operations is presented and studied. The proposed dual-antenna system consists of two symmetric antenna elements and a folded dual inverted L-shaped ground branch (FDILGB). Each antenna element includes a driven branch and a parasitic ground branch. To improve the antenna efficiency, the parasitic ground branch is studied and optimized. The FDLGB is applied to reduce the mutual coupling between the two closely spaced antenna elements and achieve better impedance matching. The measured operating bands with |S11| lower than - 6 dB cover 698-974 and 1699 - 4019 MHz for the fabricated prototype. Within the operating bands, the measured |S21| is lower than - 10 dB. Based on the measured 3D radiation patterns, the envelop correlation coefficient, the mean effective gain and the diversity gain of the proposed dual-antenna system are calculated, and good results are obtained.
Multimodal saliency-based bottom-up attention a framework for the humanoid robot iCub

This work presents a multimodal bottom-up attention system for the humanoid robot iCub where the robot's decisions to move eyes and neck are based on visual and acoustic saliency maps. We introduce a modular and distributed software architecture which is capable of fusing visual and acoustic saliency maps into one egocentric frame of reference. This system endows the iCub with an emergent exploratory behavior reacting to combined visual and auditory saliency. The developed software modules provide a flexible foundation for the open iCub platform and for further experiments and developments, including higher levels of attention and representation of the peripersonal space.
PKCα is genetically linked to memory capacity in healthy subjects and to risk for posttraumatic stress disorder in genocide survivors

Strong memory of a traumatic event is thought to contribute to the development and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, a genetic predisposition to build strong memories could lead to increased risk for PTSD after a traumatic event. Here we show that genetic variability of the gene encoding PKCα (PRKCA) was associated with memory capacity—including aversive memory—in nontraumatized subjects of European descent. This finding was replicated in an independent sample of nontraumatized subjects, who additionally underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI analysis revealed PRKCA genotype-dependent brain activation differences during successful encoding of aversive information. Further, the identified genetic variant was also related to traumatic memory and to the risk for PTSD in heavily traumatized survivors of the Rwandan genocide. Our results indicate a role for PKCα in memory and suggest a genetic link between memory and the risk for PTSD.
A Robust Method to Filter Various Types of Artifacts on Long Duration EEG Recordings

EEG is a system used to measure electrical brain activity using multiple electrodes placed on the scalp. Unfortunately, the signals can be easily contaminated by noises called artifacts. These can be generated by various actions such as eye blinks, eye movements, muscle activities or small electrode movements. This paper presents a global artifact removal method corresponding to an evolution of the AFOP method (Adaptive Filtering by Optimal Projection) in order to improve its stability. This evolution automatically filters ocular, muscular and heart beat artifacts. The results are validated on long duration EEG recordings containing pathological activities. An expert analysis shows that the cerebral signal is well conserved while a lot of artifacts are removed.
Understanding Online Reviews: Funny, Cool or Useful?

Increasingly online reviews are relied upon to make choices about the purchases and services we use daily. Businesses, on the other hand, depend on online review sites to find new customers and understand people's perception of them. In order for an online review community to be effective to both users and businesses, it is important to understand what constitutes a high quality review as perceived by people, and how to maximize quality of reviews in the community. In this paper, we study Yelp to answer these questions. We analyze about 230,000 reviews and member interaction ("votes") with these reviews. We find that active and regular members are the highest contributors to good quality reviews and longer reviews have higher chances of being popular in the community. We find that reviews voted "useful" tend to be the early ones for a specific business. Our findings have implications on enabling high quality member contributions and community effectiveness. We discuss the implications to design of social systems with diverse feedback signals.
Perspective taking and belief attribution : from Piaget's theory to children's theory of mind

I come from a background in which the object of study of psychology is as much human behavior as conscious phenomena or mental processes (Janet, 1946). The emergence about fifteen years ago of a new research trend concerned with the study of the development of a "Theory of mind" in the young child appeared as quite surprising to me and at the time I confess having been at a loss to find any novelty in the approach. The initial project of this trend was to determine at what age the child acquires an adult-like understanding of human behaviors i.e.: through a naive or common type of psychology that con- siders behavior as determined (causally) by the interactions between beliefs, knowledge or de- sires or in other teens between mental states (in- tentional states, propositional attitudes, mental representations, etc.). Until now most of the research carried out under the Theory of mind label has concerned the capacity of the young child to attribute to oth- ers beliefs different from his own and to predict or manipulate the behavior of others according to these beliefs. A majority of studies convey the impression of studying a new field of research
Development and user experiences of an open source data cleaning, deduplication and record linkage system

Record linkage, also known as database matching or entity resolution, is now recognised as a core step in the KDD process. Data mining projects increasingly require that information from several sources is combined before the actual mining can be conducted. Also of increasing interest is the deduplication of a single database. The objectives of record linkage and deduplication are to identify, match and merge all records that relate to the same real-world entities. Because real-world data is commonly 'dirty', data cleaning is an important first step in many deduplication, record linkage, and data mining project. In this paper, an overview of the Febrl (Freely Extensible Biomedical Record Linkage) system is provided, and the results of a recent survey of Febrl users is discussed. Febrl includes a variety of functionalities required for data cleaning, deduplication and record linkage, and it provides a graphical user interface that facilitates its application for users who do not have programming experience.
Assessment of NASA/POWER satellite‐based weather system for Brazilian conditions and its impact on sugarcane yield simulation

The gridded database provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Prediction of World Wide Energy Resources (NASA/POWER) presents a global coverage of complete weather data at horizontal resolution of 1° latitude–longitude, becoming a potential source for agrometeorological studies. Once Brazil is a country with continental dimensions and the major sugarcane world producer, and its density of ground weather stations suitable for an efficient agricultural planning is sparse, the objectives of this study were to test how robust is the NASA/POWER database through its comparison with the Brazilian ground weather stations network records (INMET) and to quantify the impacts on potential (Yp) and attainable (Yatt) sugarcane yield simulations when setting NASA/POWER as source of input weather data. The comparisons for weather data records and sugarcane yield simulations were carried out from 1997 to 2016. Statistical indices presented a satisfactory performance for average air temperature (R2 = 0.73; d = 0.91), minimum air temperature (R2 = 0.72; d = 0.91), maximum air temperature (R2 = 0.57; d = 0.84), solar radiation (SR) (R2 = 0.71; d = 0.92), sunshine hours (R2 = 0.68; d = 0.90) and reference evapotranspiration, when calculated through Priestley–Taylor (ETo‐PT) method (R2 = 0.76; d = 0.93). When the weather variables were aggregated and compared with a 10‐day time scale, a strong improvement of statistical indices was obtained. Yp presented root mean square error (RMSE) smaller than 10 t ha−1 while relative mean error (RME) ranged between ±10% for majority of grid cells, with exception for southern Brazil due to low and frost temperatures that satellite cannot capture accurately. Even NASA/POWER offering a relatively coarse grid size database and perhaps some regional data fitting would give better results at higher latitudes and elevation. The results found in this study proved that NASA/POWER products could be used as a source of climatic data for agricultural activities with a reasonable confidence for regional and national spatial scales.
On the Genesis of Organizational Forms : Evidence from the Market for Disk Drive Arrays *

This paper asks a basic question of organizational evolution: When and where will a new organizational form emerge? Contemporary organization theory proposes two answers. The first holds that formal institutions such as industry associations and standard-setting bodies will result in a taken-for-granted organizational form. The second answer contends that increasing organizational density (number of organizations in a population) will generate a legitimated organizational form. Our detailed historical case study of the disk array market and its associated technologies suggests each of these theoretical arguments is limited. Although we find significant collective activity in association-building and standard-setting among disk array producers, these have not yet led to an organizational form. Similarly, an observed trajectory of organizational density showing rapid growth followed by stabilization has not yet generated an organizational form. In our view, the diversity of origins and other activities of those organizations operating in this market contribute to the lack of institutionalization of the disk array organizational form. We reason that if firms in the market derive their primary identities from other activities (implying that there are few highly focused firms deriving their primary identity from disk arrays), then the disk array producer identity cannot cohere into a code or form. This observation suggests a respecification of the legitimation component of the density-dependent model of organizational evolution. *This research was supported by assistance from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Institute of Industrial Relations, U.C. Berkeley. We appreciate the helpful comments of Michael T. Hannan on an earlier draft and the research assistance of Yuko Kasuya.