Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A SURVEY OF UNDERWATER VEHICLE NAVIGATION : RECENT ADVANCES AND NEW CHALLENGES

The paper surveys recent advances in underwater vehicle navigation and identifies future research challenges. Improvements in underwater navigation sensor technology and underwater navigation algorithms are enabling novel underwater vehicles and novel underwater vehicle missions. This paper first reviews advances in underwater navigation sensor technology. Second, advances in deterministic and stochastic underwater navigation methodologies and algorithms are reviewed. Finally, future challenges in underwater vehicle navigation are articulated, including near-bottom navigation, vehicle state estimation, optimal survey, environmental estimation, multiple-vehicle navigation, and mid-water navigation. Advances in vehicle navigation will enable new missions for underwater vehicle (commercial, scientific, and military) which were previously considered impractical or infeasible.
Strategic Intent for IT Outsourcing

Companies today are outsourcing the activities of their IS departments at unprecedented rates. Interviews with senior executives in fifty companies worldwide show that three kinds of strategic intent drive the decision to outsource. Companies pursuing IS improvement seek cost reduction, better performance from core IS resources, and the acquisition of new technical skills and competencies. Outsourcing for business impact focuses on deploying IT to improve critical aspects of business performance. Outsourcing for commercial exploitation aims to leverage technology-related assets through the development and marketing of new technology-based products and services. Each type of strategic intent requires different approaches and tactics in the areas of the contract type, the performance measurement and evaluation scheme, the compensation system, and the assignment of decision-making rights to the vendor. Since the nature of the risks and rewards for each of the three types is different, the control mechanisms must be different as well. In all cases, the customer's relationship with the vendor must be aligned with the strategic intent underlying the outsourcing initiative. When strategic intent is well understood and the critical issues are carefully addressed, the chances for success are greatly increased. In evaluating IT outsourcing opportunities and structuring relationships, managers should design the outsourcing contract to reflect and reinforce each strategic intent pursued; make sure that their organization and the vendor have the right mix of competencies and know-how; make sure that their organizational culture and work practices are compatible with those of the vendor; and enable continuity by designing contracts and relationships to anticipate change.
Deblurring of irregularly sampled images by TV regularization in a spline space

Restoring a regular image from irregular samples was shown feasible via quadratic regularization using Fourier [1] and spline [2] representations. When the image is also blurred and noisy (as is usually the case in satellite imaging) ℓ1 regularizers (like TV) were shown most effective [3], but their Fourier-domain implementation has a prohibitive computational cost. We present here a new method that combines a spline representation (for speed) with TV regularization to obtain a more accurate and good-quality restored image. Extending this approach to the blurred case is not as trivial as in the Fourier representation. Indeed, in order to avoid the sampling operator to lose its sparse structure, a projection of the convolution operator on a spline space becomes necessary. Extensive experimental results with automatic regularization and stopping criteria show that our method achieves the accuracy of [3] with much less computational cost, closer to [2].
Voxel-based morphometry in Alzheimer's patients.

Samanwoy Ghosh-Dastidara, Hojjat Adelib and Nahid Dadmehrc Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Neuroscience, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University, 470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Board-Certified Neurologist in private practice
Bordetella pertussis Infection in South African HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Mother–Infant Dyads: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background. There is a paucity of data regarding the burden of Bordetella pertussis in African women and young infants, and particularly the impact of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection thereon. We performed a retrospective analysis of respiratory illness samples from longitudinal cohorts of HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected women and their infants to evaluate the burden of pertussis illness in a black-African community. Methods. The women were followed up for respiratory illness from midpregnancy and together with their infants until 24 weeks postpartum. Respiratory samples obtained at the time of illness visits were tested for B. pertussis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results. The study included 194 HIV-infected and 1060 HIV-uninfected women, and 188 and 1028 infant offspring, respectively. There were 7 PCR-confirmed pertussis cases in the HIV-exposed infants and 30 in HIV-unexposed infants (7.4 vs 5.5 episodes per 1000 infant-months; P = .47), at a mean age of 70.9 days. All infant pertussis cases had a history of cough (mean duration, 6.3 days). Six of 17 (35.3%) pertussis-confirmed cases in infants <2 months of age were admitted to hospital within 21 days of B. pertussis detection, whereas none of the 20 cases ≥2 months of age required hospitalization. Ten PCR-positive pertussis-associated illnesses were detected in HIV-infected women compared with 32 in the HIV-uninfected women (6.8 vs 3.9 episodes per 1000 person-months; P = .12). Conclusions. Bordetella pertussis identification was common among young infants with respiratory illness, most of whom were too young to be fully protected through direct vaccination. Vaccination of pregnant women might be a valuable strategy in a setting such us ours to prevent B. pertussis–associated illness in women and their young infants.
Trends in the incidence and mortality of multiple births by socioeconomic deprivation and maternal age in England: population-based cohort study

Objective To investigate temporal trends in multiple birth rates and associated stillbirth and neonatal mortality by socioeconomic deprivation and maternal age in England. Design Population cohort study. Setting England. Participants All live births and stillbirths (1 January 1997 to 31 December 2008). Main outcome measures Multiple maternity rate, stillbirth and neonatal death rate by year of birth, decile of socioeconomic deprivation and maternal age. Results The overall rate of multiple maternities increased over time (+0.64% per annum 95% CI (0.47% to 0.81%)) with an increase in twin maternities (+0.85% per annum 95% CI (0.67% to 1.0%)) but a large decrease in triplet and higher order maternities (−8.32% per annum 95% CI (−9.39% to −7.25%)). Multiple maternities were significantly lower in the most deprived areas, and this was most evident in the older age groups. Women over 40 years of age from the most deprived areas had a 34% lower rate of multiple births compared with similar aged women from the most deprived areas (rate ratio (RR) 0.66 95% CI (0.61 to 0.73)). Multiple births remain at substantially higher risk of neonatal mortality (RR 6.30 95% CI (6.07 to 6.53)). However, for stillbirths, while twins remain at higher risk, this has decreased over time (1997–2000: RR 2.89 (2.69 to 3.10); 2005–2008: RR 2.22 95% CI (2.06 to 2.40)). Socioeconomic inequalities existed in mortality for singletons and multiple births. Conclusions This period has seen increasing rates of twin pregnancies and decreasing rates of higher order births which have coincided with changes in recommendations regarding assisted reproductive techniques. Socioeconomic differences in multiple births may reflect differential access to these treatments. Improved monitoring of multiple pregnancies is likely to have led to the reductions in stillbirths over this time.
Formal security analysis of NFC M-coupon protocols using Casper/FDR

Near field communication (NFC) is a standard-based, radio frequency (RF), wireless communication technology that allows data to be exchanged between devices that are less than 10 cm apart. NFC security protocols require formal security analysis before massive adoptions, in order to check whether these protocols meet its requirements and goals. In this paper we formally analyse NFC-based mobile coupon protocols using formal methods (Casper/FDR). We find an attack against the advanced protocol, and then we provide a solution that addresses the vulnerability formally.
Utility of Multiplanar and Three-Dimensional Reconstructions From Computed Tomography Performed for Maternal Indications for Visualizing Fetal Anatomy and Estimating Gestational Age

Objective: The purpose of this article was to determine the usefulness of multiplanar and 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of computed tomographic (CT) data from scans performed for maternal indications for visualizing fetal anatomy and estimating gestational age. Materials and Methods: Eighteen pregnant patients who had abdominopelvic CT scanning performed for maternal indications formed the study group. Two independent reviewers created multiplanar and 3D-reconstructed images of the fetus from these CT scans and analyzed them for fetal anatomy and gestational age. Fetal dose estimates were also obtained. Results: Computed tomographic fetal biometry generally agreed well with ultrasound estimates. Computed tomographic and ultrasound estimates were within 3 to 4 weeks of each other 95% of the time for the 2 reviewers. Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.989 for reviewer 1 and 0.985 for reviewer 2. Fetal anatomic survey revealed that it was easier to see bones and fluid-filled structures such as the stomach and urinary bladder than intracranial, intrathoracic, and intra-abdominal soft tissue structures. Estimated fetal dose was 28.5 (10.7) mGy using the Imaging Performance Assessment of CT Scanner calculator and 23.7 (7.7) mGy when taking maternal perimeter and fetal depth into account with the method of Angel et al. Conclusions: It is technically feasible to produce clinically useful images of the fetus using standard multiplanar reconstructions and 3D algorithms already in place for CT scanning. As CT scans continue to be performed under certain circumstances, particularly the emergency department setting, evaluation of maternal CT scans for potentially useful information about the fetus such as gestational age and gross anatomic survey can be obtained at estimated fetal radiation doses much lower than the actionable level of 150 mGy.
Clines, Clusters, and the Effect of Study Design on the Inference of Human Population Structure

Previously, we observed that without using prior information about individual sampling locations, a clustering algorithm applied to multilocus genotypes from worldwide human populations produced genetic clusters largely coincident with major geographic regions. It has been argued, however, that the degree of clustering is diminished by use of samples with greater uniformity in geographic distribution, and that the clusters we identified were a consequence of uneven sampling along genetic clines. Expanding our earlier dataset from 377 to 993 markers, we systematically examine the influence of several study design variables—sample size, number of loci, number of clusters, assumptions about correlations in allele frequencies across populations, and the geographic dispersion of the sample—on the “clusteredness” of individuals. With all other variables held constant, geographic dispersion is seen to have comparatively little effect on the degree of clustering. Examination of the relationship between genetic and geographic distance supports a view in which the clusters arise not as an artifact of the sampling scheme, but from small discontinuous jumps in genetic distance for most population pairs on opposite sides of geographic barriers, in comparison with genetic distance for pairs on the same side. Thus, analysis of the 993-locus dataset corroborates our earlier results: if enough markers are used with a sufficiently large worldwide sample, individuals can be partitioned into genetic clusters that match major geographic subdivisions of the globe, with some individuals from intermediate geographic locations having mixed membership in the clusters that correspond to neighboring regions.
DIVERSITY OF CAVE BATS IN THE BRAZILIAN TROPICAL DRY FOREST OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE STATE

Caves are important roosts for bats in karstic areas and play a critical role in the protection of bat populations. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, cave-dwelling bats are poorly studied. Moreover, the state contains more than 900 caves, mainly in the Caatinga biome, that may offer important roosts for local bat populations. Thus, to gain a first insight into the richness, diversity, and colony size of cave-bats in the state, we sampled 13 caves through active search and captures with mist nets. Sixteen species from five families were recorded, and the biggest colonies belonged to Pteronotus gymnonotus and Phyllostomus discolor. Furna Feia cave was the richest, with 10 species. Our results showed that Rio Grande do Norte is home to a rich and abundant diversity of cave bats, including vulnerable species like Furipterus horrens, Natalus macrourus, and Lonchorhina aurita. This study is the first to determine the diversity of RN cave bats, providing useful fundamental data for future conservation actions. RESUMO. Morcegos cavernícolas na Caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte. As cavernas são abrigos importantes para morcegos em ambientes cársticos e desempenham um papel fundamental para a proteção de suas populações. No estado do Rio Grande do Norte, os morcegos cavernícolas têm sido pouco estudos, no entanto, o estado contém um grande número de cavernas (~ 900) que poderiam abrigar uma grande diversidade de morcegos. A fim de determinar a riqueza, diversidade e tamanhos de colônias de morcegos cavernícolas no estado, foram amostradas 13 cavernas durante três dias consecutivos por cada caverna mediante busca ativa e capturas com redes de neblina. Foram capturadas 16 espécies pertencentes a cinco famílias onde as maiores colônias achadas pertenceram às espécies Pteronotus gymnonotus e Phyllostomus discolor. A caverna Furna Feia abrigou a maior riqueza com 10 espécies. Nossos resultados mostraram que o Rio Grande do Norte abriga uma rica e abundante diversidade de morcegos cavernícolas, incluindo espécies vulneráveis como Furipterus horrens, Natalus macrourus e Lonchorhina aurita. Este estudo é o primeiro a determinar a diversidade de morcegos cavernícolas no RN a fim de fornecer dados úteis para futuras ações de conservação.
Oscillatory Synchrony between Human Extrastriate Areas during Visual Short-Term Memory Maintenance

How do we keep an object in mind? Based on evidence from animal electrophysiology and human brain-imaging techniques, it is commonly held that short-term memory relies on sustained activity in a network distributed over sensory and prefrontal cortices. How does neural firing persist in such a distributed network in the absence of visual input? Hebb's influential but so far unproved proposal, developed more than 50 years ago, is that sustained activation in short-term memory networks is maintained by reverberating activity in neuronal loops. We hypothesized that synchronized oscillatory activity, proposed to provide a dynamic link between distributed areas, could not only coordinate activity in the network but also establish reentrant loops in the system to enable both sustained firing and temporal coincidence of inputs. We show in human intracranial recordings that limited regions of extrastriate visual areas, separated by several centimeters, become synchronized in an oscillatory mode during the rehearsal of an object in visual short-term memory. Synchrony occurs specifically in the beta range (15-25 Hz) and disappears in a control condition. These findings thus confirm experimentally the hypothesis of a functional role of synchronized oscillatory activity in the coordination of distributed neural activity in humans, and support Hebb's popular but unproved concept of short-term memory maintenance by reentrant activity within the activated network.
CORBA in real-time settings: a problem from the manufacturing domain

The Object Management Group's (OMG) Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is an important and popular technology that supports the development of object based, distributed applications. The benefits promised by CORBA (abstraction, heterogeneity, etc.) are appealing in many application domains, including those that satisfy real time requirements-such as manufacturing. Unfortunately, CORBA was not specified in light of real time requirements, and so the question remains whether existing object request brokers (ORBs) can be used in real time settings, or whether developers of real time systems must await future extensions of CORBA that address real time issues or use non CORBA compliant ORBs. We describe the application of an off the shelf ORB in a real time manufacturing system developed at National institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and tools which have been developed at the SEI for the analysis of CORBA's impact on the behavior of the system. Based on our experiences, we believe that today's ORBs can be used in real time settings, with certain caveats as outlined in the article. We also outline the concept of "composite objects", an approach for extending the range of non real time ORBs into a greater variety of real time settings.
The Rendezvous constraint maintenance system

The Rendezvousml language and architecture are designed to build computer-supported cooperative work applications that support simultaneous work at a distance. The language includes a feature-rich constraint maintenance system. The features in the constraint system were selected based, on feedback from user-interface developers using earlier versions of the Rendezvous language. Three important features in the constraint system are: indirectly referenced source and target variables, tolerance of side-effects, and special handling of uninitialized variables to simplify initial-ization. Application requirements that motivate these features and implementation techniques are described. The Rendezvous constraint system is faster, on some benchmarks , than other constraint systems currently being used for interface construction.
Identification of regulatory elements in 16S rRNA gene of Acinetobacter species isolated from water sample

A bacterial strain, designated AcBz01, was isolated from a water sample collected from Gomti River, Lucknow, India, and identified using a molecular approach. On the basis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogeny and comparison of this gene sequence with sequences in Ribosomal Database project II, evidence given in this study, it is proposed that isolate is closely related to members of the genus Acinetobacter. Identification and annotation of regulatory elements in the 16S rRNA gene and characterization of their interaction with the respective transcription factor can provide basis for better understanding of the mechanism of network of gene interaction of functionally related genes. The identification of such sites is relevant for locating promoter boundary of a gene and it also allows the prediction of specific gene expression pattern and response to disturbances in a known signaling pathway. Computational identification of regulatory elements and Transcription Factor with their binding sites in 16S rRNA gene of Acinetobacter sp. was performed using BPROM tool. We predicted the regulatory elements are TSS, -10 box, -35 box and three Transcription Factor (narP, ompR and fadR) with their binding sites in the upstream region of 16S rRNA gene of Acinetobacter sp. AcBz01. The GenBank accession number for 16S rRNA gene of Acinetobacter sp. AcBz01 is EU931637.
A comparison of simulation based and scan chain implemented fault injection

This paper compares two fault injection techniques: scan chain implemented fault injection (SCIFI), i.e. fault injection in a physical system using built in test logic, and fault injection in a VHDL software simulation model of a system. The fault injections were used to evaluate the error detection mechanisms included in the Thor RISC microprocessor, developed by Saab Ericsson Space AB. The Thor microprocessor uses several advanced error detection mechanisms including control flow checking, stack range checking and variable constraint checking. A newly developed tool called FIMB UL (Fault Injection and Monitoring using BUilt in Logic), which uses the Test Access Port (TAP) of the Thor CPU to do fault injection, is presented. The simulations were carried out using the MEFISTO-C tool and a highly detailed VHDL model of the Thor processor. The results show that the larger fault set available in the simulations caused only minor differences in the error detection distribution compared to SCIFI and that the overall error coverage was lower using SCIFI (90-94% vs. 94-96% using simulation based fault injection).
Dynamic Deduplication Decision in a Hadoop Distributed File System

Data are generated and updated tremendously fast by users through any devices in anytime and anywhere in big data. Coping with these multiform data in real time is a heavy challenge. Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) is designed to deal with data for building a distributed data center. HDFS uses the data duplicates to increase data reliability. However, data duplicates need a lot of extra storage space and funding in infrastructure. Using the deduplication technique can improve utilization of the storage space effectively. In this paper, we propose a dynamic deduplication decision to improve the storage utilization of a data center which uses HDFS as its file system. Our proposed system can formulate a proper deduplication strategy to sufficiently utilize the storage space under the limited storage devices. Our deduplication strategy deletes useless duplicates to increase the storage space. The experimental results show that our method can efficiently improve the storage utilization of a data center using the HDFS system.
INFLUENCE OF SALT STRESS ON EX VITRO GROWTH AND ANTIOXIDATIVE RESPONSE OF TWO PAULOWNIA CLONES

ANTIOXIDATIVE RESPONSE OF TWO PAULOWNIA CLONES K. Miladinova*, K. Ivanova**, T. Georgieva*, M. Geneva***, Y. Markovska** * Biotree, 8 Iliensko shoes str. , 1220 Sofia, Bulgaria; ** Faculty of Biology, University of Sofia, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria *** Istitute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev str. , bl. 21, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria E-mail: pmmaster2001@yahoo.com
Non-uniform Language Detection in Technical Writing

Technical writing in professional environments, such as user manual authoring, requires the use of uniform language. Non-uniform language detection is a novel task, which aims to guarantee the consistency for technical writing by detecting sentences in a document that are intended to have the same meaning within a similar context but use different words or writing style. This paper proposes an approach that utilizes text similarity algorithms at lexical, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic levels. Different features are extracted and integrated by applying a machine learning classiﬁcation method. We tested our method using smart phone user manuals, and compared its performance against the state-of-the-art methods in a related area. The experiments demonstrate that our approach achieves the upper bound performance for this task.