Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutual information based data association

Relating information originating from disparate sensors without any attempt to model the environment or the behaviour of any particular object within it is a challenging task. Inspired by human perception, the focus of this paper will be on observing objects moving in space using sensors that operate based on different physical principles and the fact that motion has in principle, greater power to specify properties of an object than purely spatial information captured as a single observation in time. The contribution of this paper include the development of a novel strategy for detecting a set of signals that are statistically dependent and correspond to each other related by a common cause. Mutual Information is proposed as a measure of statistical dependence. The algorithm is evaluated through simulations and three application domains, which includes, (1.) Grouping problem in images, (2.) Data association problem in moving observers with dynamic targets, and (3.) Multi-modal sensor fusion.
A cost model and index architecture for the similarity join

The similarity join is an important database primitive which has been successfully applied to speed up data mining algorithms. In the similarity join, two point sets of a multidimensional vector space are combined such that the result contains all point pairs where the distance does not exceed a parameter /spl epsiv/. Due to its high practical relevance, many similarity join algorithms have been devised. The authors propose an analytical cost model for the similarity join operation based on indexes. Our problem analysis reveals a serious optimization conflict between CPU time and I/O time: fine-grained index structures are beneficial for CPU efficiency, but deteriorate the I/O performance. As a consequence of this observation, we propose a new index architecture and join algorithm which allows a separate optimization of CPU time and I/O time. Our solution utilizes large pages which are optimized for I/O processing. The pages accommodate a search structure which minimizes the computational effort in the experimental evaluation, and a substantial improvement over competitive techniques is shown.
Drivers of photovoltaics cost evolution

Photovoltaics (PV) have experienced notable development over the last forty years. PV module costs have declined 20% on average with every doubling of cumulative capacity, while global PV installations have increased at an average rate of 30% per year. However, costs must fall even further if PV is to achieve cost-competitiveness at high penetration levels and in a wide range of locations. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the past cost evolution of PV can help sustain its pace of improvement in the future. This thesis explores the drivers of and constraints to cost reduction and large-scale deployment of PV. By developing novel conceptual and mathematical models, we address the following questions: (1) What caused PV's cost to fall with time? (2) How may materials constraints influence PV cost and deployment? These questions are addressed in the analyses presented in Chapters 2-4. Chapter 2 assesses the causes of cost reduction observed in PV modules since 1980. We develop a new model that identifies the causes of improvement at the engineering level and links these to higher-level mechanisms such as economies of scale. The methodology advanced can be used to evaluate the causes of improvements in any technology. By developing a model of PV modules, we find that in the early stages of the technology (1980-2001), improvements in the material usage and module conversion efficiency played an important role in reducing module cost. These improvements were mainly driven by research and development (R&D) efforts. As the PV technology matured (2001-2012), economies of scale from larger manufacturing plants resulted in significant gains. Both market-expansion policies and public R&D stimulated cost reduction, with the former contributing the majority of the cost decline from 1980 to 2012. Chapter 3 turns to assessing the materials constraints to PV cost reduction. We ask how fast metals production should be scaled up to match the increasing demand by the PV sector, if installations grow to meet a significant portion of energy demand. Unlike previous studies, which primarily used inherently uncertain factors such as reserves to estimate limits to technology scalability, we use past growth rates of a large set of metals as a benchmark for future growth rates. This analysis shows that thin-film PV technologies such as CIGS and CdTe that employ rare metals would require unprecedented growth rates in metals production even for the most conservative PV growth scenarios. On the other hand, crystalline silicon PV can provide 100% of global electricity without silicon exceeding the historical growth rates observed by all metals in the periodic table. Chapter 4 assesses the risks that material inputs bring to technologies today. This study develops cost-riskiness metrics based on the price behavior of metals along two dimensions: average price and price volatility. We first compare a large set of metals using these cost-riskiness metrics. We observe that metals obtained as byproducts have higher risk than major metals. We…
Exploration–exploitation trade-off features a saltatory search behaviour

Searching experiments conducted in different virtual environments over a gender-balanced group of people revealed a gender irrelevant scale-free spread of searching activity on large spatio-temporal scales. We have suggested and solved analytically a simple statistical model of the coherent-noise type describing the exploration–exploitation trade-off in humans (‘should I stay’ or ‘should I go’). The model exhibits a variety of saltatory behaviours, ranging from Lévy flights occurring under uncertainty to Brownian walks performed by a treasure hunter confident of the eventual success.
Exploration Potential

We introduce exploration potential, a quantity that measures how much a reinforcement learning agent has explored its environment class. In contrast to information gain, exploration potential takes the problem's reward structure into account. This leads to an exploration criterion that is both necessary and sufficient for asymptotic optimality (learning to act optimally across the entire environment class). Our experiments in multi-armed bandits use exploration potential to illustrate how different algorithms make the tradeoff between exploration and exploitation.
Multispectral remote sensing image classification based on simulated annealing clonal selection algorithm

Clonal selection algorithm(CLONALG) has successfully performed pattern recognition and optimization tasks. However, it is difficult to apply CLONALG to remote sensing image classification because of characteristics of huge volume data. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel classification algorithm: simulated annealing clonal selection algorithm (SACSA) to perform multispectral remote sensing image classification task. By applying simulated annealing, the proposed algorithm avoids the premature convergence problem in CLONALG which is used to explain the basic features of an adaptive immune response to an antigenic stimulus, and can meet the requirement of diversity in the population of antibody. SACSA involves two stages. Firstly, to enhance the globe convergence and accelerate the computation, SACSA applies simulated annealing to optimize the population of antibody. During each move, the algorithm has some probability of changing its current configuration to a worse one that enables SACSA to jump out of local maxima or minima. Secondly, the classification task employs the property of clonal selection in SACSA. The clonal selection proposes a description of the way that the immune systems copes with the pathogens to mount an adaptive immune response. Classification results are evaluated by applying three known algorithm: parallelepiped、minimum distance and maximum likelihood to LandSat image. It is demonstrated that SACSA is superior to the three traditional algorithms, and is a dynamic clustering algorithm with global optimization.
Forest above ground biomass estimation from P-band tomography data

Forest above ground biomass (AGB) retrieval by TomoSAR technology has been preliminary studied over the last two years. Recent experiments have demonstrated that the backscattered power in HV channel at 30-m layer have strong correlation with the forest AGB, and be successfully used to build the estimation model. However, much progress remains necessary to make the best of the vertical distribution of the backscattered power. In this work, we proposed a multivariate regression equation to refine the AGB estimation model. The experiments were carried out on TropiSAR campaign data over the site of Paracou, French Guiana. As expected, the results demonstrate the relevance of the proposed method.
An Energy Efficient Binarization Algorithm Based on 2-D Intelligent Block Detection for Complex Texture and Gradient Color Images

Image binarization involves converting gray-level images into binary ones, which has significantly impacted on intelligent portable devices in recent years. Given the limited memory space and computational power of portable devices, reducing the computational complexity of algorithms which work on embedded systems is of priority concern. This paper proposes a 2-D intelligent block detection algorithm with more accurate region segmentation for document image binarization. By combining merits of global and local algorithms, the proposed approach provides an effective outcome and a low computational cost. As demonstrated by the experimental results, the proposed algorithm is slower than Otsu's method but 275 times faster than local methods.
Glycated haemoglobin A1c for diagnosing diabetes in Chinese population: cross sectional epidemiological survey

Objectives To evaluate haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in diagnosing diabetes and identify the optimal HbA1c threshold to be used in Chinese adults. Design Multistage stratified cross sectional epidemiological survey. Setting Shanghai, China, 2007-8. Participants 4886 Chinese adults over 20 years of age with no history of diabetes. Main outcome measures Performance of HbA1c at increasing thresholds for diagnosing diabetes. Results The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for detecting undiagnosed diabetes was 0.856 (95% confidence interval 0.828 to 0.883) for HbA1c alone and 0.920 (0.900 to 0.941) for fasting plasma glucose alone. Very high specificity (96.1%, 95% confidence interval 95.5% to 96.7%) was achieved at an HbA1c threshold of 6.3% (2 SD above the normal mean). Moreover, the corresponding sensitivity was 62.8% (57.1% to 68.3%), which was equivalent to that of a fasting plasma glucose threshold of 7.0 mmol/l (57.5%, 51.7% to 63.1%) in detecting undiagnosed diabetes. In participants at high risk of diabetes, the HbA1c threshold of 6.3% showed significantly higher sensitivity (66.9%, 61.0% to 72.5%) than both fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l (54.4%, 48.3% to 60.4%) and HbA1c ≥6.5% (53.7%, 47.6% to 59.7%) (P<0.01). Conclusions An HbA1c threshold of 6.3% was highly specific for detecting undiagnosed diabetes in Chinese adults and had sensitivity similar to that of using a fasting plasma glucose threshold of 7.0 mmol/l. This optimal HbA1c threshold may be suitable as a diagnostic criterion for diabetes in Chinese adults when fasting plasma glucose and oral glucose tolerance tests are not available.
Lectures on Duflo isomorphisms in Lie algebra and complex geometry

Duflo isomorphism first appeared in Lie theory and representation theory. It is an isomorphism between invariant polynomials of a Lie algebra and the center of its universal enveloping algebra, generalizing the pioneering work of Harish-Chandra on semi-simple Lie algebras. Later on, Duflo’s result was refound by Kontsevich in the framework of deformation quantization, who also observed that there is a similar isomorphism between Dolbeault cohomology of holomorphic polyvector fields on a complex manifold and its Hochschild cohomology. The present book, which arose from a series of lectures by the first author at ETH, derives these two isomorphisms from a Duflo-type result for Q-manifolds. All notions mentioned above are introduced and explained in the book, the only prerequisites being basic linear algebra and differential geometry. In addition to standard notions such as Lie (super)algebras, complex manifolds, Hochschild and Chevalley–Eilenberg cohomologies, spectral sequences, Atiyah and Todd classes, the graphical calculus introduced by Kontsevich in his seminal work on deformation quantization is addressed in details. The book is well-suited for graduate students in mathematics and mathematical physics as well as for researchers working in Lie theory, algebraic geometry and deformation theory.
Biochemical composition and condition of wild blackfin snook Centropomus medius through the reproductive cycle

The blackfin snook, Centropomus medius, is a valuable fish in American and Mexican markets, mainly from catches. Nonetheless, information and studies about the biology of this species still need to be made available; thus, its aquaculture should be developed. This study aimed to describe the seasonal changes of proximate composition during a reproductive cycle of C. medius, analyzing differences between tissues and their changes related to the reproductive process. The snook specimens were collected in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and measured every month from September 2001 to November 2002. Liver, gonads, muscle tissue, and intraperitoneal fat (IPF) were sampled and weighed. The gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), IPF ratio, and condition factor index (K) were calculated. The biochemical composition was analyzed in the gonad, liver, and muscle. The reproductive period (RP) of wild C. medius in Baja California Sur, Mexico, was from June to December. The spawning period was recorded at summer temperature (25-30°C) and photoperiod (>13 h daylight) starting in September. High GSI values (gonad development), low HSI values (lipid reserve mobilization), low IPF, and low K ratio were related to elevated temperatures. Moreover, variations were observed in protein, total lipid, triglycerides, and glycogen content in muscle, liver, and gonad according to the reproductive phase. A positive correlation was demonstrated between protein contents in muscle, gonad, and K, with lower concentrations during RP, while liver protein composition showed an opposite pattern. Lipids were mainly present in the liver, and the concentration decreased during RP while muscle increased. The results obtained in this study show differences in the proximate analyses in the liver, muscle, and gonads throughout the year concerning different phases of the reproductive cycle, indicating a great dependence of this process on the mobilization of reserves during C. medius reproduction. Therefore, understanding the feeding requirements to pursue the management of this species in captivity for aquaculture development is greatly important.
Evidence for complex system integration and dynamic neural regulation of skeletal muscle recruitment during exercise in humans

A model is proposed in which the development of physical exhaustion is a relative rather than an absolute event and the sensation of fatigue is the sensory representation of the underlying neural integrative processes. Furthermore, activity is controlled as part of a pacing strategy involving active neural calculations in a “governor” region of the brain, which integrates internal sensory signals and information from the environment to produce a homoeostatically acceptable exercise intensity. The end point of the exercise bout is the controlling variable. This is an example of a complex, non-linear, dynamic system in which physiological systems interact to regulate activity before, during, and after the exercise bout.
Atomic force microscopy study of DNA flexibility on short length scales: smooth bending versus kinking

The apparently anomalous flexibility of DNA on short length scales has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. We use atomic force microscopy (AFM) in solution to directly study the DNA bending statistics for small lengths down to one helical turn. The accuracy of experimental estimates could be improved due to a large data volume and a refined algorithm for image processing and measuring bend angles. It is found that, at length scales beyond two helical turns (7 nm), DNA is well described by the harmonic worm-like chain (WLC) model with the bending persistence length of 56 nm. Below this threshold, the AFM data are also described by the WLC model assuming that the accuracy of measured bend angles is limited by the physical width of the double helix. We conclude that the double helical DNA behaves as a uniform elastic rod even at very short length scales. Strong bends due to kinks, melting bubbles and other deviations from the WLC model are statistically negligible.
This Review Is Part of a Thematic Series on Matrix Metalloproteinases, Which Includes the following Articles: Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibition after Myocardial Infarction: a New Approach to Prevent Heart Failure? Matrix Metalloproteinases in Vascular Remodeling and Atherogenesis: the Good, the Ba

—Vascular remodeling, defined as any enduring change in the size and/or composition of an adult blood vessel, allows adaptation and repair. On the other hand, inappropriate remodeling, including its absence, underlies the pathogenesis of major cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. Since degradation of the extracellular matrix scaffold enables reshaping of tissue, participation of specialized enzymes called matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs) has become the object of intense recent interest in relation to physiological (" good ") and pathological (" bad ") vascular remodeling. Experimental evidence acquired in vitro and in vivo suggests that the major drivers of vascular remodeling, hemodynamics, injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress, regulate MMP expression and activity. Alternatively, nonspecific MMP inhibition seems to oppose remodeling, as suggested by the inhibition of intimal thickening and outward arterial remodeling. An emerging concept is that MMP-related genetic variations may contribute to heterogeneity in the presentation and natural history of atherosclerosis. The hypothesis that MMPs contribute to weakening of atherosclerotic plaques is especially attractive for the potential development of therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing plaque disruption (" the ugly "), a major cause of acute cardiovascular events. However, the current lack of appropriate experimental tools, including availability of specific MMP inhibitors and pertinent animal models, still limits our understanding of the many actions and relative contributions of specific MMPs. Our future potential ability to control vascular remodeling via regulation of MMPs will also depend on reaching a consensus of what is indeed " good " or " bad " vascular remodeling, concepts that have continued to evolve and change. V ascular remodeling, used in the present discussion to represent any enduring change in the size and/or composition of an adult blood vessel, not only allows blood vessels to adapt and heal but also underlines the pathogenesis of major cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and restenosis. 1 Physiological and pathological vascular re-modeling entails degradation and reorganization of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) scaffold of the vessel wall, explaining the recent interest in the potential participation of specialized enzymes, called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The current discussion, which is part of a series of reviews examining various aspects of MMP participation in cardio-vascular development, function, and pathology, 2 will focus on what we perceive to be currently available pertinent informa
Efficacy of a Novel Tapered Contrast Catheter for Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy: A Multicenter Study

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) is an alternative for failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), with current success rates of 65–84% considered suboptimal. A novel ERCP catheter (SHOREN, Kaneka Corporation, Osaka, Japan) with a tapered 3.3-French tip may facilitate smoother insertion, potentially improving outcomes. Methods: This retrospective analysis encompassed EUS-HGS procedures conducted from January 2021 to August 2023 at four institutions. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of conventional and novel ERCP contrast catheters regarding the success rate of single-attempt catheter insertion, failure rates, technical success rates, and incidence of adverse events. Results: The study included 48 patients; 26 underwent EUS-HGS using conventional catheters and 22 with the novel catheter. The novel catheter achieved higher success rates in single-attempt insertions (96.5% vs. 80.8%) and lower failure rates (4.6% vs. 7.7%). The occurrence of bile peritonitis was comparable between the two groups. Conclusions: The novel ERCP contrast catheter with a tapered tip appears to contribute to successful catheter insertion and is useful for EUS-HGS.
Comparison of measures of left ventricular contractile performance derived from pressure-volume loops in conscious dogs.

Three measures of left ventricular (LV) performance derived from pressure (P)-volume (V) loops have been proposed: the end-systolic P-V (PES-VES) relation, the stroke work-end-diastolic V (SW-VED) relation, and maximum dP/dt-VED (dP/dtmax-VED) relation. We evaluated the variability of repeated determinations, and inotropic and load sensitivity of these relations in conscious dogs. LVV was determined from three orthogonal LV diameters measured by sonomicrometry. Three to six sets of variably loaded P-V loops were generated by transient caval occlusions before and again after increasing inotropic state by infusing dobutamine (6 +/- 1 microgram/kg/min, mean +/- SD) and after increasing PES by 49 +/- 17 mm Hg with phenylephrine following autonomic blockade. The slope (MSW) of the SW-VED relation was the least variable at constant inotropic state (coefficient of variation, 4 +/- 3%) compared with the slope (EES) of the PES-VES relation (8 +/- 3%) or the slope (dE/dtmax) of the dP/dtmax-VED relation (11 +/- 6%, p less than 0.05). The extrapolated volume-axis intercept of the SW-VED relation was much less variable than the intercepts of the PES-VES or dP/dtmax-VED relations. MSW, EES, and dE/dtmax all increased (p less than 0.05) in response to dobutamine. The extrapolated volume-axis intercepts of the PES-VES and dP/dtmax-VED relations increased with dobutamine, whereas the volume intercept of the SW-VED relation was unchanged. MSW had the smallest increase in response to dobutamine (124 +/- 22% of control) compared to EES (178 +/- 67% of control) and dE/dtmax (211 +/- 68% of control, p less than 0.05). The position of the PES-VES relation, quantified as the VES at PES = 100 (V100), showed less variability (2 +/- 1%) than the slope of the PES-VES relation (8 +/- 3%, p less than 0.05). V100 decreased from 30.8 +/- 17.4 to 26.7 +/- 13.7 ml during dobutamine (p less than 0.05). After phenylephrine, EES, MSW, and dE/dtmax decreased by less than 10% (p = NS). The PES-VES relation shifted to the left with this increased afterload and V100 decreased by 3.2 +/- 1.5 ml (p less than 0.05), whereas the position of the SW-VED and dp/dtmax-VED relations were relatively unchanged. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)