Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beacon-free scalable multi-hop data dissemination in Vehicular Ad hoc Networks

Broadcasting forms the basis of all types of communications in ad hoc networks. In Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs), broadcasting is usually appropriate for data dissemination, since traffic data is of public interest and usually benefits a group of users rather than a specific individual. However, broadcasting in high density networks may easily lead to the broadcast storm problem due to high data redundancy and collisions. In VANETs, it is still challenging for data dissemination methods to address scalability in broadcasting under high densities, such that data redundancy is reduced while the delivery ratio is maintained. In this paper, we develop a beacon-free approach for data dissemination in multi-hop VAENT that relies on traffic regime estimation adaptively to provide scalable broadcast, without extra communication overhead. Simulation results show the efficiency of our approach in achieving low broadcasting overhead while maintaining a high delivery ratio.
Self Heating Simulation of Multi-Gate FETs

Due to material properties and geometric aspects self heating simulation of silicon devices requires 3D simulation of large structures. Fully coupled electrothermal simulation in three spatial dimensions is extremely memory and CPU time intensive. This work demonstrates a simplification of the approach to a thermal only problem from which much useful information can be extracted. We have applied this approach to a typical trigate device on SOI substrate. The simulated thermal resistance is in reasonable agreement with measurements. Parameters for the width dependent compact model for the thermal resistance can readily be extracted. The dependence of thermal resistance on the thickness of the bottom oxide has also been investigated. Moreover this permits transient behavior to be simulated in much more detail than is possible to be measured experimentally. Thus time constants and thermal capacitances for thermal compact models which are usually difficult to extract experimentally may be simulated numerically
"Own view" versus "good view" in a perspective-taking task.

Children who fail spatial perspective-taking tasks of the "3 mountains" variety apparently preferentially select pictures showing their own view. It has been suggested that this might arise, at least in part, because children in such tasks have been given particularly good views of the arrays. To test this, an experiment was conducted with 40 4-6-year-olds in which children were tested from both "good" and "poor" viewing positions. As hypothesized, children did not show any bias toward their own view when it was a poor one. However, when they themselves had a good view of the objects, they chose their own rather than another equally good view. Thus, 2 selection principles appear to operate hierarchically, selection of good view having priority over selection of own view.
Automated Instructor Assistant for Ship Damage Control

The decision making task of ship damage control includes addressing problems such as fire spread, flooding, smoke, equipment failures, and personnel casualties. It is a challenging and highly stressful domain with a limited provision for real-life training. In response to this need, a multimedia interactive damage control simulator system, called DC-Train 2.0 was recently deployed at a Navy officer training school; it provides officers with an immersive environment for damage control training. This paper describes a component of the DC-Train 2.0 system that provides feedback to the user, called the automated instructor assistant. This assistant is based on a blackboard-based expert system called Minerva-DCA, which is capable of solving damage control scenarios at the "expert" level. Its innovative blackboard architecture facilitates various forms of user assistance, including interactive explanation, advising, and critiquing. In a large exercise involving approximately 500 ship crises scenarios, Minerva-DCA showed a 76% improvement over Navy officers by saving 89 more ships.
An Evaluation of Vanadium Enrichment in the Eastern Shelf Sediments of the Turkish Black Sea

This paper presents an evaluation of the spatial distribution of vanadium level, its enrichment and possible sources in the bottom sediment along the shelf of the Turkish Black Sea. In April 2006, vanadium concentrations were measured along the measurement profiles (20, 50 and 100 m) using ICP-MS. The vanadium levels ranged from 40 to 315 µg g -1 , usually within the range of typical and background values ( Cf 3 ). The concentrations decrease gradually with water depth, implying the dominance of anthropogenic sources such as industrial wastes, agricultural effluents, sewage discharge, and port activities. The vanadium levels had not significant correlations with the physicochemical parameters (sediment texture, water content, TOC) and TPH level in the sediment. At the eastern basin, a serious vanadium enrichment (Cf>6-9) was observed in October 2010, implying some important regional and seasonal contributions; which may be natural or anthropogenic. Biogeochemical processes, eutrophication, wave-based erosion, abnormal current circulations, bottom morphology and influence of other substances in the environment may be other regulating factors to this enrichment. Continuous monitoring and further studies are required for a detailed description of vanadium mobility and for assessment of the main controlling processes associated with vanadium enrichment in the eastern Black Sea basin.
Panappticon: Event-based tracing to measure mobile application and platform performance

Improving and optimizing user-perceived smartphone performance requires understanding device, system, and application behavior for real-world workloads. However, measuring such performance is challenging due to the multi-threaded, asynchronous programming paradigms used in modern applications and the multiple layers of hardware and software used to respond to user input events. We address this challenge with Panappticon, a lightweight, system-wide, fine-grained event tracing system for Android that automatically identifies critical execution paths in user transactions. Panappticon monitors the application, system, and kernel software layers and can identify performance problems stemming from application design flaws, underpowered hardware, and harmful interactions between apparently unrelated applications. We carried out a 14-user, one-month study of an Android smartphone system instrumented with Panappticon, which revealed a number of specific problems and areas for improvement that may be of interest to system designers, application developers, and device manufactures.
Distinct Contributions of Hippocampal NMDA and AMPA Receptors to Encoding and Retrieval of One-Trial Place Memory

Allocentric place memory may serve to specify the context of events stored in human episodic memory. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated that, analogous to event-place associations in episodic memory, rats could associate, within one trial, a specific food flavor with an allocentrically defined place in an open arena. Encoding, but not retrieval, of such flavor-place associations required hippocampal NMDA receptors; retrieval depended on hippocampal AMPA receptors. This might have partly reflected the contributions of these receptors to encoding and retrieval of one-trial place, rather than flavor-place, memory. Therefore, the present study developed a food-reinforced arena paradigm to study encoding and retrieval of one-trial allocentric place memory in rats; memory relied on visuospatial information and declined with increasing retention delay, still being significant after 6 h, the longest delay tested (experiments 1 and 2). Hippocampal infusion of the NMDA receptor antagonist d-AP-5 blocked encoding without affecting retrieval; hippocampal infusion of the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX impaired retrieval (experiment 3). Finally, we confirmed that the d-AP-5 infusions selectively blocked induction of long-term potentiation, a form of synaptic plasticity, whereas CNQX impaired fast excitatory transmission, at perforant-path dentate gyrus synapses in the dorsal hippocampus in vivo (experiment 4). Our results support that encoding, but not retrieval, of one-trial allocentric place memory requires the NMDA receptor-dependent induction of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, whereas retrieval depends on AMPA receptor-mediated fast excitatory hippocampal transmission. The contributions of hippocampal NMDA and AMPA receptors to one-trial allocentric place memory may be central to episodic memory and related episodic-like forms of memory in rats.
Real time gesture recognition system with gesture spotting function

A real-time dynamic hand gesture recognition system with gesture spotting is discussed in this paper. The gesture spotting detects the start and the end of the gesture frames. The system consists of preprocessing, posture sequence generation, and SOM-Hebb network. Feature vectors are computed by the preprocessing from video frames taken by a USB camera in real time, and these feature vectors are fed to the posture sequence generation and a vector that represents the sequence of postures, called a posture sequence vector, is generated. Then, gesture classification and the gesture spotting are performed in the SOM-Hebb network. Our gesture spotting function detects the end of the gesture by using vector distance between the posture sequence vector and the winner neuron's weight vector. The gesture recognition algorithm is implemented on a PC. A USB camera was used to acquire live images. The real time experimental results show that the system recognizes nine gestures with the accuracy of 96.22%.
Assessment of Drought Conditions and their Impacts on the Environment of the Udhaim River Basin, Iraq

This research addresses selected key issues related to the occurrence of droughts and their impacts on the environment in the mesoscale basin of the Udhaim River, the left tributary of the Tigris River, Iraq. It highlights the importance of water resources, which are dependent on the climate and human activity, as well as exposed to drought hazard. The Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was applied to analyze drought development over the period 1980-2010. Trends in the SPEI time series in the years 19802010 were analyzed. Following this, the impacts of drought on land degradation, water discharge and water quality were investigated. The study results may help develop sustainable water management strategies important in mitigating water shortage.They can be used as a baseline for further research on improving water management in the region. The main contributions of this research include: (1) multi-year analysis of drought development of variable duration in the mesoscale basin; (2) extended understanding of drying trends explained by using the statistical tests; (3) broadened knowledge on the scale of land degradation, through remote sensing data sets and application of advanced GIS techniques; (4) improved understanding of water quality changes and their links with the magnitude of the revenue of water resources. Title of the PhD thesis in Polish Ocena występowania susz oraz ich wpływu na środowisko w zlewni rzeki Udhaim w Iraku
A Modular Memory BIST for Optimized Memory Repair

An efficient on-chip infrastructure for memory test and repair is crucial to enhance yield and availability of SoCs. Most of the existing built-in self-repair solutions reuse IP-Cores for BIST without modifications. However, this prevents an optimized test and repair interaction. In this paper, the concept of modular BIST for memories is introduced, which supports a more efficient interleaving of test and repair and can be achieved with only small modifications in the BIST control.
LoC sensor array platform for real-time coagulation measurements

This paper reports a MEMS-based sensor array enabling multiple clot-time tests in one disposable microfluidic cartridge using plasma. The versatile LoC (Lab-on-Chip) platform technology is demonstrated here for real-time coagulation tests (activated Partial Thrompoblastin Time (aPTT) and Prothrombin Time (PT)). The system has a reader unit and a disposable cartridge. The reader has no electrical connections to the cartridge, which consists of multiple microfluidic channels and MEMS microcantilevers placed in each channel. Microcantilevers are made of electro-plated nickel and actuated remotely using an external electro-coil. The read-out is also conducted remotely by a laser and the phase of the MEMS oscillator is monitored real-time. The system is capable of monitoring coagulation time with a precision estimated at 0.1sec.
Role of microtopography in rainfall‐runoff partitioning: An analysis using idealized geometry

Microtopography, consisting of small‐scale excursions in the elevation of the land surface on millimeter to centimeter scales, is ubiquitous on hillslopes, but its effects are rarely incorporated into hydrological analyses of rainfall‐runoff partitioning. To progress toward a hydrological theory that accounts for microtopography, two research questions are considered: (1) Does microtopography change the partitioning of rainfall into runoff and infiltration compared to a background case that lacks these small‐scale excursions? and (2) how do soil, mean slope, storm properties, and microtopographic geometric attributes influence this partitioning? To address these questions, a simplified one‐dimensional hillslope with uniform sinusoidal microtopography is considered, and several rainfall‐runoff scenarios are examined with a numerical model. The results indicate that for a range of realistic conditions, microtopography increases the proportion of rainfall infiltrating by 20–200% relative to an equivalent “background state” in which microtopography is absent. Additional theoretical development addressing issues of connectivity and improved representations of flow hydraulics over microtopographic surfaces are needed to refine these estimates and extend them to less idealized conditions. If confirmed, the results suggest that microtopography may have a significant impact on streamflow generation, plant water availability and the co‐evolution of geomorphic, hydrological and ecological systems, with important implications for land management, especially in arid ecosystems.
Simulated interactive needle insertion

A novel interactive virtual needle insertion simulation is presented. The simulation models are based on planar tissue deformations and forces measured during needle insertion experiments. Users are able to control a three degree-of-freedom virtual needle as it penetrates a linear elastostatic tissue model, while experiencing steering torques and lateral needle forces through a planar haptic interface. Efficient numerical computation techniques permit fast simulation of relatively complex two-dimensional and three-dimensional environments at haptic control rates.
Microemulsion-based delivery of triamcinolone acetonide to posterior segment of eye using chitosan and butter oil as permeation enhancer: an in vitro and in vivo investigation

Abstract The aim of the study was to formulate a microemulsion (ME) using chitosan (CH) and the butter oil (BO) as a permeation enhancer for targeting drug to the posterior segment of the eye, via topical route. Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) was selected as the model drug since it undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism, leading to poor oral bioavailability of 23%. For optimisation of BO concentration, different ratios of TA:BO were prepared by simple physical mixing in the ratio of 1:9 to 9:1 and diffusion study was performed. MEs containing TA, TA:BO and TA CH ME were formulated by water titration method. Globule sizes of TA ME, TA:BO ME and TA CH ME were found to be 66.06 ± 0.32 nm, 78.52 ± 1.50 nm and 97.30 ± 2.50 nm, respectively. In ex vivo diffusion studies using goats eye, TA:BO ME (31.33 ± 0.46 and 33.98 ± 0.23) and TA CH ME (24.10 ± 0.41 and 27.00 ± 0.18) showed higher percentage of drug diffusion in comparison to TA ME (13.29 ± 0.41and 15.56 ± 0.34) and TA solution (8.20 ± 1.04 and 10.39 ± 0.22) in presence and in absence of vitreous humour. Fluorescence intensity of coumarin-6 (as a marker) loaded ME with BO and CH was found to be higher, confirming their role in altering membrane permeability and facilitating coumarin-6 diffusion to the posterior chamber. Overall, it was concluded that BO enhances the bioavailability of TA across the retina, thereby proving its potential as permeation enhancer in facilitating drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye.
Fuzja SPECT-CT : nowe narzędzie diagnostyczne w endokrynologii

1 Zakład Medycyny Nuklearnej i Endokrynologii Onkologicznej, Centrum Onkologii — Instytut im. Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, Oddział w Gliwicach 2 Instytut Automatyki, Wydział Automatyki, Elektroniki i Informatyki, Politechnika Śląska, Gliwice 3 Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Tuebingen 4 Zakład Radiodiagnostyki, Centrum Onkologii — Instytut im. Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, Oddział w Gliwicach
Comparison of inspiratory and expiratory resistance and reactance in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background The usual analysis of forced oscillometry measures respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) averaged over several tidal breaths (whole-breath analysis). Recent within-breath analyses have separated Rrs and Xrs into their mean inspiratory and mean expiratory components (inspiratory–expiratory breath analysis) but these have not been used to compare patients with asthma and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Large inspiratory–expiratory variations in Xrs at 5 Hz (ΔX5) in an individual have been used as a surrogate marker of expiratory flow limitation. Methods Whole-breath and inspiratory–expiratory impulse oscillometry was assessed in 34 patients with asthma (49±3 years; 15 male, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 69±4% predicted), 48 patients with COPD (64±2 years; 32 male, FEV1 59±3% predicted) and 18 normal subjects (37±2 years; 8 male). Results Whole-breath analysis failed to discriminate between patients with asthma and patients with COPD either for all patients or for patients with FEV1 <60% predicted. Inspiratory–expiratory analysis in patients with FEV1 <60% predicted showed that in the COPD group mean expiratory X5 (−0.44±0.04 kPa/l/s) was greater than inspiratory X5 (−0.23±0.02 kPa/l/s, p<0.001) whereas patients with asthma did not show such changes (−0.36±0.07 kPa/l/s vs −0.26±0.03 kPa/l/s, p=0.23). Even though ΔX5 was larger in patients with COPD (0.21±0.03 kPa/l/s) than in patients with asthma (0.10±0.07 kPa/l/s), this was not significant (p=0.15). Conclusions Whole-breath impulse oscillation system analysis failed to discriminate between patients with asthma and those with COPD. Inspiratory–expiratory X5 analysis differentiated patients with asthma from those with COPD presumably reflecting enhanced dynamic airway narrowing on expiration in COPD. Further studies are needed to confirm these differences and investigate their cause.
Relationships Among Supervisor Feedback Environment, Work-Related Stressors, and Employee Deviance

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that the employee deviance imposes enormous costs on organizational performance and productivity. Similar research supports the positive effect of favorable supervisor feedback on employee job performance. In light of such, it is important to understand the interaction between supervisor feedback environment and employee deviant behavior to streamline organization operations. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to explore how the supervisor feedback environment influences employee deviance and to examine the mediating role played by work-related stressors. Methods: Data were collected from 276 subordinate-supervisor dyads at a regional hospital in Yilan. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted to test hypotheses. Results: Structural equation modeling analysis results show that supervisor feedback environment negatively related to interpersonal and organizational deviance. Moreover, work-related stressors were found to partially mediate the relationship between supervisor feedback environment and employee deviance. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Study findings suggest that when employees (nurses in this case) perceive an appropriate supervisor-provided feedback environment, their deviance is suppressed because of the related reduction in work-related stressors. Thus, to decrease deviant behavior, organizations may foster supervisor integration of disseminated knowledge such as (a) how to improve employees' actual performance, (b) how to effectively clarify expected performance, and (c) how to improve continuous performance feedback. If supervisors absorb this integrated feedback knowledge, they should be in a better position to enhance their own daily interactions with nurses and reduce nurses' work-related stress and, consequently, decrease deviant behavior.
Dynamical Generation of Four-Dimensional Space-Time in the IIB Matrix Model

We study the spontaneous breakdown of SO(10) symmetry in the IIB matrix model, a conjectured nonperturbative definition of type IIB superstring theory in ten dimensions. Our analysis is based on a Gaussian expansion technique, which was originally proposed by Kabat-Lifschytz and applied successfully to the strong coupling dynamics of the Matrix Theory. We propose a prescription for including higher order corrections, which yields a rapid convergence in a simple example. This prescription is then applied to the IIB matrix model up to the third order. We find that the ‘self-consistency equations’ allow various symmetry breaking solutions. Among them, the solution preserving SO(4) symmetry is found to have the smallest free energy. The value of the free energy comes closer to the analytic formula obtained by Krauth-Nicolai-Staudacher as we increase the order. The extent of the space-time in the 4 directions is larger than the remaining 6 directions, and the ratio increases with the order. These results provide the first analytical evidence that four-dimensional space-time is generated dynamically in the IIB matrix model.
Characterizing Silent Users in Social Media Communities

Silent users often constitute a significant proportion of an online user-generated content system. In the context of social media such as Twitter, users can opt to be silent all or most of the time. They are often called the invisible participants or lurkers. As lurkers contribute little to the online content, existing analysis often overlooks their presence and voices. However, we argue that understanding lurkers is important in many applications such as recommender systems, targeted advertising, and social sensing. This research therefore seeks to characterize lurkers in social media and propose methods to profile them. We examine 18 weeks of tweets generated by two Twitter communities consisting of more than 110K and 114K users respectively. We find that there are many lurkers in the two communities, and the proportion of lurkers in each community changes with time.We also show that by leveraging lurkers' neighbor content, we are able to profile them with accuracy comparable to that of profiling active users. It suggests that user generated content can be utilized for profiling lurkers and lurkers in Twitter are after all not that ``invisible''.