Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Security Considerations for Handover Schemes in Mobile WiMAX Networks

IEEE 802.16e uses EAP-based authentication and key management for link layer security. Due to the lack of ability to support mobility, however, EAP-based key management becomes a principal impediment to the achievement of an efficient and secure handover in IEEE 802.16e mobile WiMAX networks. In this paper, an overview of the EAP-based handover procedures of the latest IEEE 802.16e standard is given and their security flaws are analyzed. Possible solutions for secure handover in IEEE 802.16e networks are also proposed in this paper. The proposed handover protocol guarantees a backward/forward secrecy while gives little burden over the previous handover protocols.
Power Analysis for a Skid-Steered Tracked Mobile Robot

Power consumption is a key element in mobile robot autonomy. This issue is more critical in tracked vehicles than in wheeled vehicles on account of relevant energy losses due to soil-track friction. This paper analyzes power efficiency in tracked mobile robots both from theoretical and experimental points of view. In particular, we have analysed power consumption for Auriga-beta, a 190 kg mobile robot with rubber tracks for skid steering. Novel implications of this study for path planning are presented in the paper
Transactions Papers - Constructions of Nonbinary Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes: A Finite Field Approach

This paper is concerned with construction of efficiently encodable nonbinary quasi-cyclic LDPC codes based on finite fields. Four classes of nonbinary quasi-cyclic LDPC codes are constructed. Experimental results show that codes constructed perform well with iterative decoding using a fast Fourier transform based q-ary sum-product algorithm and they achieve significant coding gains over Reed-Solomon codes of the same lengths and rates decoded with either algebraic hard- decision Berlekamp-Massey algorithm or algebraic soft-decision Kotter-Vardy algorithm.
System-level thermal modeling for 3D circuits: Characterization with a 65nm memory-on-logic circuit

Considering the effects of thinned silicon dies and structures like TSVs and μ-bumps is essential for accurate thermal analysis of vertically integrated circuits. This paper presents an innovative compact thermal modeling approach for 3D ICs targeting system-level thermal analysis. This method uses material homogenization and formal reduction techniques for model simplification. It enables taking into account the microscopic structures required for 3D integration while keeping the model complexity affordable for fast simulations. A complete system including a packaged 65nm memory-on-logic circuit, socket and board has been modeled using the proposed thermal modeling approach. Power dissipation hot spots are emulated in the 3D circuit by using a set of resistive heaters while temperature is monitored using integrated thermal sensors. Simulation results from both steady-state and transient analyses show the thermal model is able to capture the hot spot effects with fast simulation times. Thermal data extracted from the 3D circuit demonstrate that simulation fits the thermal transient response and that steady-state analysis for various power profiles presents a worst case temperature error lower than 12% and an average error of 4.2%.
Continuous Space Language Models for Statistical Machine Translation

Statistical machine translation systems are based on one or more translation models and a language model of the target language. While many different translation models and phrase extraction algorithms have been proposed, a standard word n-gram back-off language model is used in most systems. In this work, we propose to use a new statistical language model that is based on a continuous representation of the words in the vocabulary. A neural network is used to perform the projection and the probability estimation. We consider the translation of European Parliament Speeches. This task is part of an international evaluation organized by the TC-STAR project in 2006. The proposed method achieves consistent improvements in the BLEU score on the development and test data. We also present algorithms to improve the estimation of the language model probabilities when splitting long sentences into shorter chunks.
Reprogramming and transdifferentiation for cardiovascular development and regenerative medicine: where do we stand?

Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality and a major worldwide healthcare burden. Recent advances in stem cell biology have made it feasible to derive large quantities of cardiomyocytes for disease modeling, drug development, and regenerative medicine. The discoveries of reprogramming and transdifferentiation as novel biological processes have significantly contributed to this paradigm. This review surveys the means by which reprogramming and transdifferentiation can be employed to generate induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC‐CMs) and induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs). The application of these patient‐specific cardiomyocytes for both in vitro disease modeling and in vivo therapies for various cardiovascular diseases will also be discussed. We propose that, with additional refinement, human disease‐specific cardiomyocytes will allow us to significantly advance the understanding of cardiovascular disease mechanisms and accelerate the development of novel therapeutic options.
Chitosan nanoparticles: a contribution to nanomedicine

Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide that finds diverse applications in medicine and pharmacy because of its excellent biological qualities: it is biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive and non-toxic, and exhibits antimicrobial, antiviral and immunoadjuvant properties. It can be easily processed in diverse forms, such as films, threads, tablets, membranes and microparticles/nanoparticles, allowing the design of a variety of medical and pharmacological devices adaptable to end purposes. In particular, chitosan nanoparticles have become of great interest as polymeric platforms for the development of new pharmacological and therapeutic drug release systems with improved biodistribution and increased specificity and sensitivity, and reduced pharmacological toxicity. Chitosan nanoparticles have been found appropriate for non-invasive routes of drug administration: oral, nasal, pulmonary and ocular routes. These applications are facilitated by the absorption-enhancing effect of chitosan. Additionally, chitosan nanoparticles have been proposed as non-viral vectors in gene therapy and have shown adjuvant effect in vaccines. This paper reviews the main procedures developed for preparing chitosan nanoparticles. Moreover, it illustrates the state of the art of chitosan nanoparticle applications in drug delivery.
Exploring Firms Financial Decisions by Human and Artificial Agents - Towards an Assessment of Minsky's Financial Instability Hypothesis

In this paper we take the first step of a project aimed at assessing Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis. Differently from a number of existing studies, our aim is to tackle the issue by combining two approaches: experimental and computational economics. The main goal of this paper is in fact to build artificial agents whose behavior mimic that of experimental agents. Two are the results worth to be mentioned. First, the heuristic approach could provide for a valid alternative micro-foundation for the financial decisions of entrepreneurs. Secondly, financial behaviors could mainly depend on the volatility of demand and on the accuracy of demand forecasts instead of depending on the business cycle phases as usually pointed out by models inspired by Minsky’s economic thought.
Algorithms for calculating single-atom step heights

Recently, our work on the measurement of Si(111) single atomic steps has prompted us to investigate the algorithm for the calculation of a one-sided step height. We compared the results of a two-point subtraction and a histogram technique under different conditions of surface tilt with respect to the measuring frame. By evaluating a simulated Si(111) atomic step, we found its calculated height could deviate from the true value as high as 2% due to a misalignment of the measuring axis and sample axis of 0.1°.
Hypercube LSH for approximate near neighbors

A celebrated technique for finding near neighbors for the angular distance involves using a set of random hyperplanes to partition the space into hash regions [Charikar, STOC 2002]. Experiments later showed that using a set of orthogonal hyperplanes, thereby partitioning the space into the Voronoi regions induced by a hypercube, leads to even better results [Terasawa and Tanaka, WADS 2007]. However, no theoretical explanation for this improvement was ever given, and it remained unclear how the resulting hypercube hash method scales in high dimensions. In this work, we provide explicit asymptotics for the collision probabilities when using hypercubes to partition the space. For instance, two near-orthogonal vectors are expected to collide with probability (1/pi)^d in dimension d, compared to (1/2)^d when using random hyperplanes. Vectors at angle pi/3 collide with probability (sqrt[3]/pi)^d, compared to (2/3)^d for random hyperplanes, and near-parallel vectors collide with similar asymptotic probabilities in both cases. For c-approximate nearest neighbor searching, this translates to a decrease in the exponent rho of locality-sensitive hashing (LSH) methods of a factor up to log2(pi) ~ 1.652 compared to hyperplane LSH. For c = 2, we obtain rho ~ 0.302 for hypercube LSH, improving upon the rho ~ 0.377 for hyperplane LSH. We further describe how to use hypercube LSH in practice, and we consider an example application in the area of lattice algorithms.
Improved Hybrid DLBS Artificial Bee Colony Optimization Algorithm based on Parallel Computing Environment

This paper represents the Parallel Computing is now extremely popular because of its wide variety of applications through internet. The particular service based approaches which are aware from the server selection through the parallel can easily progress toward the cost and performance of parallel computing. A new hybrid DLBS Artificial bee colony optimization algorithm for parallel computing environment has been done. The overall objective of this paper is enlighten the performance analysis on dynamic load balancing strategy (DLBS) with ABC algorithm which enhances the results further by using mean flow time parameter.
Variational Reconstruction of Left Cardiac Structure from CMR Images

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), accounting for 17% of overall deaths in the USA, is the leading cause of death over the world. Advances in medical imaging techniques make the quantitative assessment of both the anatomy and function of heart possible. The cardiac modeling is an invariable prerequisite for quantitative analysis. In this study, a novel method is proposed to reconstruct the left cardiac structure from multi-planed cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images and contours. Routine CMR examination was performed to acquire both long axis and short axis images. Trained technologists delineated the endocardial contours. Multiple sets of two dimensional contours were projected into the three dimensional patient-based coordinate system and registered to each other. The union of the registered point sets was applied a variational surface reconstruction algorithm based on Delaunay triangulation and graph-cuts. The resulting triangulated surfaces were further post-processed. Quantitative evaluation on our method was performed via computing the overlapping ratio between the reconstructed model and the manually delineated long axis contours, which validates our method. We envisage that this method could be used by radiographers and cardiologists to diagnose and assess cardiac function in patients with diverse heart diseases.
DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS, STABILITY, AND CHAOS

In this expository and resources chapter we review selected aspects of the mathematics of dynamical systems, stability, and chaos, within a historical framework that draws together two threads of its early development: celestial mechanics and control theory, and focussing on qualitative theory. From this perspective we show how concepts of stability enable us to classify dynamical equations and their solutions and connect the key issues of nonlinearity, bifurcation, control, and uncertainty that are common to time-dependent problems in natural and engineered systems. We discuss stability and bifurcations in three simple model problems, and conclude with a survey of recent extensions of stability theory to complex networks.
Solid representation and operation using extended octrees

Solid modelers must be based on reliable and fast algorithms for Boolean operations. The octree model, as well as several generalizations (polytrees, integrated polytrees, extended octrees), is specially well suited for these algorithms and can be used either as a primary or as a secondary model in solid modeling systems. This paper is concerned with a precise definition of the extended octree model that allows the representation of nonmanifold objects with planar faces and, consequently, is closed under Boolean operations on polyhedrons. Boolean nodes and nearly vertex nodes are introduced, and the model is discussed in comparison with related representations. A fast algorithm for the direct generation of the extended octree from the geometry of the base polygon in extrusion solids is presented, and its complexity is studied. Boolean operation algorithms are introduced.
Exploring Sentence Level Query Expansion in Language Modeling Based Information Retrieval

We introduce two novel methods for query expansion in information retrieval (IR). The basis of these methods is to add the most similar sentences extracted from pseudo-relevant documents to the original query. The first method adds a fixed number of sentences to the original query, the second a progressively decreasing number of sentences. We evaluate these methods on the English and Bengali test collections from the FIRE workshops. The major findings of this study are that: i) performance is similar for both English and Bengali; ii) employing a smaller context (similar sentences) yields a considerably higher mean average precision (MAP) compared to extracting terms from full documents (up to 5.9% improvemnent in MAP for English and 10.7% for Bengali compared to standard Blind Relevance Feedback (BRF); iii) using a variable number of sentences for query expansion performs better and shows less variance in the best MAP for different parameter settings; iv) query expansion based on sentences can improve performance even for topics with low initial retrieval precision where standard BRF fails.
The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the N-back test in mild cognitive impairment and elderly depression

The aim of this study was to assess cognitive functions in 30 non-depressed patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), compared with 30 age-, gender- and education-matched patients with acute depressive episode, and with 30 healthy subjects. Neuropsychological assessment included the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), memory tests as well as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the N-back test. Patients with MCI obtained significantly worse results on all domains of the WCST and the N-back test compared to both depressed and healthy subjects. Depressed patients showed significantly worse performance than controls on most scores. In the MCI group, no association with MMSE was found with any of WCST domains, or with reaction time in the N-back test. Three tests, WCST-P, N-back %CORR and WCST 1st CAT obtained highest ranks (>90) as predictors for differentiating between groups. The results suggest a usefulness of employing WCST and N-back tests for a neuropsychological evaluation of patients with MCI.
Extended Dot Cluster Marker for High-speed 3D Tracking in Dynamic Projection Mapping

The technique of Projection Mapping, which is useful for merging real-world geometry with an augmented appearance, is a promising core technology for augmented reality (AR). In recent years, dynamically changing environments, mainly a consequence of the growing demand for interactive user experiences, have contributed to a new style of AR applications. However, performance levels of current systems for realizing 3D effects, in terms of the tracking speed and projection ability, are insufficient to meet these demands. In this paper, we present a high-speed, occlusion-robust marker-based 3D tracking method achieved by only using a monocular monochrome image. The objective of our research is to develop an automatic marker design method for any 3D shape and an effective framework for stabilizing tracking at high throughput by extending the latest promising work based on a deformable dot cluster marker [46]. Furthermore, this tracking method was used in combination with a high-speed projector, both of which can achieve high throughput and low latency, on the order of milliseconds. This enabled us to realize a high-quality computational display capable of representing the material appearance of a dynamically moving target. The demonstration showed that the effect of a dynamically changing appearance with nearly imperceptible latency drastically enriches the sense of immersion in the recognition of augmented materials with the naked eye.
Variational Inference For Probabilistic Latent Tensor Factorization with KL Divergence

Probabilistic Latent Tensor Factorization (PLTF) is a recently proposed probabilistic framework for modelling multi-way data. Not only the common tensor factorization models but also any arbitrary tensor factorization structure can be realized by the PLTF framework. This paper presents full Bayesian inference via variational Bayes that facilitates more powerful modelling and allows more sophisticated inference on the PLTF framework. We illustrate our approach on model order selection and link prediction.
Accuracy of Pedicle Screw Placement for Upper and Middle Thoracic Pathologies Without Coronal Plane Spinal Deformity Using Conventional Methods

There is a growing interest in the implantation of pedicle screws into the middle and upper thoracic spine. However, usage of the technique is still under debate for these levels because the pedicles in these regions are small and exhibit a high degree of inter- and intraspecimen variability. Twenty-four consecutive patients treated for upper and middle thoracic pathologies by pedicle screw instrumentation under biplanar or uniplanar fluoroscopy were evaluated retrospectively. The rate of screw misplacement on postoperative computerized tomography and complications caused by misplaced screws were determined. In 24 cases, a total of 113 upper-middle thoracic pedicle screws were inserted. Fifty-one of them were inserted between T2 and T5 with guidance of biplanar fluoroscopy, and 62 were inserted between T6 and T8 with uniplanar fluoroscopy. The rate of misplacement was 20.3% for 113 screws (27.4% for T2 to T5 screws, and 14.5% for 62 T6 to T8 screws). Four screws were incorrectly inserted which could have clinical significance (3.5%), and 1 of them required revision. The difference between the upper and middle thoracic screws was not statistically significant (P=0.089). Screw insertion with laminectomy did not cause significant difference in both upper and middle thoracic regions. Only 2 complications were seen because of screw insertion. Pedicle screw insertion with guidance of fluoroscopy may be a reliable and safe method for upper and middle thoracic pathologies.
Substratum-induced differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells reveals the coactivator YAP is a potent regulator of neuronal specification

Significance Human pluripotent stem (hPS) cells can self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into almost any cell type. Thus, hPS cells represent a potentially unlimited supply of cells for regenerative medicine, drug screening, and developmental studies. Realizing the full potential of hPS cells requires efficient protocols to direct their differentiation into desired cell types. Most efforts to control hPS cell differentiation have focused on soluble signaling factors, while the roles of insoluble signals, such as the mechanical properties of the ECM, have been less explored. We show that matrix mechanics alone can robustly induce neuronal differentiation of hPS cells, independent of soluble neurogenic factors. These results can guide the design of materials to influence stem cell fate. Physical stimuli can act in either a synergistic or antagonistic manner to regulate cell fate decisions, but it is less clear whether insoluble signals alone can direct human pluripotent stem (hPS) cell differentiation into specialized cell types. We previously reported that stiff materials promote nuclear localization of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) transcriptional coactivator and support long-term self-renewal of hPS cells. Here, we show that even in the presence of soluble pluripotency factors, compliant substrata inhibit the nuclear localization of YAP and promote highly efficient differentiation of hPS cells into postmitotic neurons. In the absence of neurogenic factors, the effective substrata produce neurons rapidly (2 wk) and more efficiently (>75%) than conventional differentiation methods. The neurons derived from substrate induction express mature markers and possess action potentials. The hPS differentiation observed on compliant surfaces could be recapitulated on stiff surfaces by adding small-molecule inhibitors of F-actin polymerization or by depleting YAP. These studies reveal that the matrix alone can mediate differentiation of hPS cells into a mature cell type, independent of soluble inductive factors. That mechanical cues can override soluble signals suggests that their contributions to early tissue development and lineage commitment are profound.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta activation leads to increased transintestinal cholesterol efflux

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPAR&dgr;) is involved in regulation of energy homeostasis. Activation of PPAR&dgr; markedly increases fecal neutral sterol secretion, the last step in reverse cholesterol transport. This phenomenon can neither be explained by increased hepatobiliary cholesterol secretion, nor by reduced cholesterol absorption. To test the hypothesis that PPAR&dgr; activation leads to stimulation of transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE), we quantified it by intestine perfusions in FVB mice treated with PPAR&dgr; agonist GW610742. To exclude the effects on cholesterol absorption, mice were also treated with cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe or ezetimibe/GW610742. GW601742 treatment had little effect on plasma lipid levels but stimulated both fecal neutral sterol excretion (∼200%) and TICE (∼100%). GW610742 decreased intestinal Npc1l1 expression but had no effect on Abcg5/Abcg8. Interestingly, expression of Rab9 and LIMPII, encoding proteins involved in intracellular cholesterol trafficking, was increased upon PPAR&dgr; activation. Although treatment with ezetimibe alone had no effect on TICE, it reduced the effect of GW610742 on TICE. These data show that activation of PPAR&dgr; stimulates fecal cholesterol excretion in mice, primarily by the two-fold increase in TICE, indicating that this pathway provides an interesting target for the development of drugs aiming at the prevention of atherosclerosis.