Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved Online Algorithms for One-Dimensional BinPacking with Advice

In this paper, we study the problem of online bin packing with advice. Assume that there is an oracle with infinite computation power which can provide specific information with regard to each incoming item of the online bin packing problem. With this information, we want to pack the list L of items, one at a time, into a minimum number of bins. The bin capacity is 1 and all items have size no larger than 1. The total size of packed items in each bin cannot exceed the bin capacity. Inspired by the work of Boyar et al. of competitive ratio 4/3 with two advice bits per item, we show that if the oracle provides three bits of advice per item, applying a different item classification scheme from Boyar et als, we can obtain an online algorithm with competitive ratio 5/4 to pack list L. Furthermore, we show that our algorithm can retain the same competitive ratio 5/4 with only two advice bits per item, hence improving the known result.
Load representation for dynamic performance analysis

This paper summarizes the state of the art of representation of power system loads for dynamic performance analysis purposes. It includes definition of terminology, discussion of the importance of load modeling, important considerations for different types of loads and different types of analyses. Typical load model data and methods for acquiring data are reviewed. A list of recent references is included.
Automatic Web Security Unit Testing: XSS Vulnerability Detection

Integrating security testing into the workflow of software developers not only can save resources for separate security testing but also reduce the cost of fixing security vulnerabilities by detecting them early in the development cycle. We present an automatic testing approach to detect a common type of Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability caused by improper encoding of untrusted data. We automatically extract encoding functions used in a web application to sanitize untrusted inputs and then evaluate their effectiveness by automatically generating XSS attack strings. Our evaluations show that this technique can detect 0-day XSS vulnerabilities that cannot be found by static analysis tools. We will also show that our approach can efficiently cover a common type of XSS vulnerability. This approach can be generalized to test for input validation against other types injections such as command line injection.
Preclinical assessment of comfort and secure fit of thermobrachytherapy surface applicator (TBSA) on volunteer subjects

A thermobrachytherapy surface applicator (TBSA) was developed for simultaneous heat and brachytherapy treatment of chest wall (CW) recurrence of breast cancer. The ability to comfortably secure the applicator over the upper torso relative to the CW target throughout treatment is assessed on volunteers. Male and postmastectomy female volunteers were enrolled to evaluate applicator secure fit to CW. Female subjects with intact breast were also enrolled to assess the ability to treat challenging cases. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of volunteers wearing a TBSA over the upper torso were acquired once every 15 minutes for 90 minutes. Applicator displacement over this time period required for treatment preplanning and delivery was assessed using MR visible markers. Applicator comfort and tolerability were assessed using a questionnaire. Probability estimates of applicator displacements were used to investigate dosimetric impact for the worst‐case variation in radiation source‐to‐skin distance for 5 and 10 mm deep targets spread 17×13 cm on a torso phantom. Average and median displacements along lateral and radial directions were less than 1.2 mm over 90 minutes for all volunteers. Maximum lateral and radial displacements were measured to be less than 1 and 1.5 mm, respectively, for all CW volunteers and less than 2 mm for intact breast volunteers, excluding outliers. No complaint of pain or discomfort was reported. Phantom treatment planning for the maximum displacement of 2 mm indicated <10% increase in skin dose with <5% loss of homogeneity index (HI) for ‐2 mm uniform HDR source displacement. For +2 mm uniform displacement, skin dose decreased and HI increased by 20%. The volunteer study demonstrated that such large and uniform displacements should be rare for CW subjects, and the measured variation is expected to be low for multifraction conformal brachytherapy treatment. PACS numbers: 41.20. Jb, 41.75. ‐i, 44.
A simheuristic approach for the stochastic team orienteering problem

The team orienteering problem is a variant of the well-known vehicle routing problem in which a set of vehicle tours are constructed in such in a way that: (i) the total collected reward received from visiting a subset of customers is maximized; and (ii) the length of each vehicle tour is restricted by a pre-specified limit. While most existing works refer to the deterministic version of the problem and focus on maximizing total reward, some degree of uncertainty (e.g., in customers' service times or in travel times) should be expected in real-life applications. Accordingly, this paper proposes a simheuristic algorithm for solving the stochastic team orienteering problem, where goals other than maximizing the expected reward need to be considered. A series of numerical experiments contribute to illustrate the potential of our approach, which integrates Monte Carlo simulation inside a metaheuristic framework.
Design and Empirical Validation of Effectiveness of LANGA, an Online Game-Based Platform for Second Language Learning

Computer and smartphone-based applications for second language (L2) learning have become popular tools, being integrated in many classroom-based courses and adopted by the public at large. Yet, despite a significant body of research that suggests that individuals differ in their ability to learn L2, it is still unclear what factors predict successful L2 acquisition and how L2 teaching software can be designed to adapt to individuals’ strengths and weaknesses. Here, we describe the architecture of LANGA, an online game-based platform under development for L2 teaching and research, and present a demonstrative proof-of-concept study using the platform. LANGA is designed to be both an effective and engaging product from the consumer perspective, and a tool that can be used by researchers to easily implement, deploy and test different training modalities for L2 teaching. Furthermore, key features of LANGA include easy configuration of training via modular design; emphasis on gamified teaching methods; and the use of automated speech recognition to provide learners feedback on verbal production. A first prototype of LANGA was tested in a small-scale, proof-of-concept study. Changes in proficiency from pre- to post-training were measured using recall and recognition tests, while event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to assess changes in brain activity related to lexical access over the course of learning. The results provided initial validation of the platform: participants were able to learn a large proportion of the words taught, and retained the novel words in a two/weeks follow-up. Future directions on the development of the platform are discussed.
STRENGTH AND DEFORMATION PROPERTIES OF SOILS AS DETERMINED BY A FREE FALLING WEIGHT

THE STRENGTH-DEFORMATION PROPERTIES OF COHESIONLESS SOILS (SANDS) UNDER DYNAMIC LOADING ARE DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE RETARDATION OF A FREE FALLING WEIGHT WHEN IT STRIKES THE SURFACE OF A SOIL MASS. THE REACTION FORCE ON THE WEIGHT IS CALCULATED FROM NEWTON'S SECOND LAW AND THE PENETRATION OF THE WEIGHT INTO THE UNDERLYING SOIL BY INTEGRATING TWICE THE RETARDATION-TIME RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESPECT TO TIME. THE LOAD-DEFORMATION RELATIONSHIPS AS DETERMINED BY THIS METHOD ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE FROM STATIC LOAD TESTS. THE TEST RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE DYNAMIC LOAD-DEFORMATION RELATIONSHIPS ARE AFFECTED MAINLY BY THE DRY UNIT WEIGHT OF THE SAND AND THAT A FREE FALLING WEIGHT CAN BE USED TO CHECK THE RELATIVE DENSITY AND THE DEGREE OF COMPACTION OF A PARTICULAR SOIL. /AUTHOR/
Robust Radial Distortion Correction from a Single Image

Many computer vision algorithms rely on the assumption of a linear pinhole camera model critically. However, most off-the-shelf cameras introduce sufficiently severe radial distortion, which violates the pinhole assumption, making distortion correction a must. Many plumb-line methods have been proposed, but they also have limitations. This paper proposes a novel algorithm of circular arcs detection to correct radial distortion robustly. It's based on Fitzgibbon's one parameter division model which straight lines would project to circular arcs and requires only a single image. The method is fast in running time and the method is robust in removing the interference of the other actual curves. In a series of experiments on synthetic and real images, the results prove to be fast in running time and accurate in correction the distorted image.
Volleyball Skill Assessment Using a Single Wearable Micro Inertial Measurement Unit at Wrist

In this study, a wearable sensing device (WSD) based on microelectromechanical systems motion sensors (an inertial measurement unit consisting of sensors with three axes of acceleration and three axes of angular rate) was built to assess the skill levels of volleyball spikers. The developed WSD is inexpensive and requires much less computational power than conventional videography analysis in monitoring motions of volleyball players during spikes. This paper presents the hardware and software design and the data processing algorithms used in the system. Six right-handed male subjects wore the WSD on their wrists and performed 120 spiking trials in a volleyball court. Skill of the volleyball spikers was accessed by classifying them into three different levels from the recorded data with support vector machine. The results demonstrate that this system is capable of assessing the difference between elite, sub-elite, and amateur volleyball players with an average accuracy of 94%. The proposed method can be extended to analyze the skill levels of players in other sports, where wrist actions are important (e.g., basketball, badminton, and baseball).
Rearview Camera-Based Backover Warning System Exploiting a Combination of Pose-Specific Pedestrian Recognitions

This paper proposes a practical backover warning system using a wide-angle rearview camera. The proposed system utilizes simple but cost-effective techniques for pedestrian detection, verification, and tracking to achieve real-time operation. This system first transforms fisheye images via Mercator projection to reduce pedestrian shape variations. Second, it detects pedestrians based on lower and upper body detectors. This is for handling upright and non-upright poses as well as severe occlusions of upper bodies. Then, it confirms pedestrians by checking the existence of feet or a head inside the lower or upper body region. This step ensures that the system achieves a low false alarm rate. Finally, the confirmed pedestrians are visually tracked by fusing generative and discriminative models in a score level. In the experiment, the proposed system was quantitatively evaluated and compared with the previous method.
Organic Paper-Based Antennas

Advances in direct-write printing technology have enabled printable electronics practically on any substrates including paper. Paper is a material of very low cost, it is extremely flexible, and can be post-treated to obtain hydrophilic or hydrophobic characteristics. Organic paper substrates have recently found extensive use in the development of antenna components. Many designs with different characteristics and for various applications have been made. In this chapter, a comprehensive description of printing technologies and recent dielectric measurements for paper substrates are described. Then, the time and frequency evolution of antennas on hydrophobic and hydrophilic paper substrates are presented. Antennas are approached from a principle of operation perspective and emphasis is given on their characteristics and the applications that span from omnidirectional radio frequency identification, WLAN and ultra-wideband antennas to recently developed QR code antennas for anti-counterfeiting and security applications.
Improving potato cultivation using siphons for partial root-zone drying irrigation: A case study in the Blue Nile river basin, Ethiopia

Abstract Partial root-zone drying (PRD) is an irrigation technique which consists of alternating the water supply from one furrow to another, and keeping the other one dry during the weekly alternation period. Studies assessing PRD in potato have reported a 30-50% of water savings with no tuber yield reductions and an increase of antioxidant concentrations and marketable tubers. In this study, we adapted the PRD technique to rural Ethiopian conditions and compared it against the customary (C) irrigation practiced by local farmers. Two PRD alternatives were evaluated; with (PRDs) and without (PRDw) locally made flexible-hose siphons. Only PRDs showed no significant differences in total (35.8±1.6 t ha-1) and marketable (34.2±1.6 t ha-1) tuber yield when compared with customary irrigation (39.4±1.3 and 37.6±1.2 t ha-1 corresponding to total and marketable yield, respectively). The PRDw was more water restricted, showing significantly lower total (29.7±1.1 t ha-1) and marketable (27.6±1.2 t ha-1) yields. PRDs had the benefit of a better control of applied water allowing a saving of 50% of the irrigation water without negatively affecting yield. The use of the siphons PRD technique provides options for saving scarce water and reaching out to many smallholder farmers who are in serious need of irrigation water in the Blue Nile river basin.
Assessment of a commercially available automatic deformable registration system

In recent years, a number of approaches have been applied to the problem of deformable registration validation. However, the challenge of assessing a commercial deformable registration system – in particular, an automatic registration system in which the deformable transformation is not readily accessible – has not been addressed. Using a collection of novel and established methods, we have developed a comprehensive, four‐component protocol for the validation of automatic deformable image registration systems over a range of IGRT applications. The protocol, which was applied to the Reveal‐MVS system, initially consists of a phantom study for determination of the system's general tendencies, while relative comparison of different registration settings is achieved through postregistration similarity measure evaluation. Synthetic transformations and contour‐based metrics are used for absolute verification of the system's intra‐modality and inter‐modality capabilities, respectively. Results suggest that the commercial system is more apt to account for global deformations than local variations when performing deformable image registration. Although the protocol was used to assess the capabilities of the Reveal‐MVS system, it can readily be applied to other commercial systems. The protocol is by no means static or definitive, and can be further expanded to investigate other potential deformable registration applications. PACS numbers: 87.19. xj, 87.56. Da, 87.57. nj
Ethylene–octene copolymer (engage)–clay nanocomposites: Preparation and characterization

In this work, preparation and properties of nanoclay modified by organic amine (octadecyl amine, a primary amine) and Engage (ethylene–octene copolymer)–clay nanocomposites are reported. The clay and rubber nanocomposites have been characterized with the help of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The X-ray results suggest that the intergallery spacing of pristine clay increases with the incorporation of the amine. The XRD peak observed in the range of 3–10° for the modified clay also disappears in the rubber nanocomposites at low loading. TEM photographs show exfoliation of the clays in the range of 10–30 nm in Engage. In the FTIR spectra of the nanocomposite, there are common peaks for the virgin rubber as well as those for the clay. Excellent improvement in mechanical properties, like tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus, is observed on incorporation of the nanoclay in Engage. The storage modulus increases, tan δ peak decreases, and the glass transition temperature is shifted to higher temperature. The results could be explained with the help of morphology, dispersion of the nanofiller, and its interaction with the rubber. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 603–610, 2006
Selected Elements of Herpes Simplex Virus Accessory Factor HCF Are Highly Conserved in Caenorhabditis elegans

ABSTRACT HCF is a mammalian nuclear protein that undergoes proteolytic processing and is required for cell proliferation. During productive herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, the viral transactivator VP16 associates with HCF to initiate HSV gene transcription. Here, we show that the worm Caenorhabditis elegans possesses a functional homolog of mammalian HCF that can associate with and activate the viral protein VP16. The pattern of sequence conservation, however, is uneven. Sequences required for mammalian HCF processing are not present inC. elegans HCF. Furthermore, not all elements of mammalian HCF that are required for promoting cell proliferation are conserved. Nevertheless, unexpectedly, C. elegans HCF can promote mammalian cell proliferation because a region of HCF that is conserved can promote mammalian cell proliferation better than its human counterpart. These results suggest that HCF possesses a highly conserved role in metazoan cell proliferation which is targeted by VP16 to regulate HSV infection. The precise mechanisms, however, by which HCF functions in mammals and worms appear to differ.
Gait Asymmetry in People With Parkinson’s Disease Is Linked to Reduced Integrity of Callosal Sensorimotor Regions

Background Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often manifest significant temporal and spatial asymmetries of the lower extremities during gait, which significantly contribute to mobility impairments. While the neural mechanisms underlying mobility asymmetries within this population remain poorly understood, recent evidence points to altered microstructural integrity of white matter fiber tracts within the corpus callosum as potentially playing a substantial role. Objectives The purpose of this study was to quantify spatial and temporal gait asymmetries as well as transcallosal microstructural integrity of white matter fiber tracts connecting the primary and secondary sensorimotor cortices in people with PD and age-matched control participants. Methods Spatial and temporal gait asymmetry in the levodopa off state was assessed using an instrumented walkway. On the next day, diffusion-weighted images were collected to assess white matter microstructural integrity in transcallosal fibers connecting the homologous sensorimotor cortical regions. Results People with PD exhibited significantly more temporal and spatial gait asymmetry than healthy control subjects. Furthermore, people with PD had significantly reduced white matter microstructural integrity of transcallosal fibers connecting homologous regions of the pre-supplementary motor and supplementary motor areas (SMAs), but not the primary motor or somatosensory cortices. Finally, reduced transcallosal fiber tract integrity of the pre-SMA and S1 was associated with greater step length asymmetry in people with PD. Conclusion People with PD showed increased step length asymmetries and decreased microstructural integrity of callosal white matter tracts connecting the higher-order sensorimotor cortices (pre-SMA and SMA). The strong association between gait asymmetries and corpus collosum integrity, supports the hypothesis that reduced transcallosal structural connectivity is a significant mechanism underlying gait asymmetries in people with PD.
Calibration of a detector array through beam profile reconstruction with error‐locking

An iterative method is proposed to calibrate radiation sensitivities of an arbitrary two‐dimensional (2D) array of detectors. The array is irradiated with a wide open‐field beam at the central position, as well as at laterally and longitudinal shifted positions; the 2D beam profile of the wide field is reconstructed iteratively from the ratios of shifted images to the central image. The propagation errors due to output variation and inaccurate array positioning are estimated and removed from the reconstructed beam profile by an error‐locking scheme with narrow open‐field irradiations. The beam profile is interpolated when necessary and then compared to raw detector responses to determine sensitivities. Two additional methods were implemented for comparison: 1) the commercial iterative calibration method for MapCHECK2 with translation and rotation operations; 2) a labor‐intensive noniterative method without the issue of error propagation. A MapCHECK2 2D detector array was used to validate the proposed method with the 6 MV photon beam from a Varian iX linear accelerator. All calibration methods were repeated three times. A total of 5, 9, and 29 irradiations were required to implement the commercial method, the proposed method and the noniterative method respectively. Moreover, a 5 mm positioning error was intentionally introduced into the calibration procedures of the commercial and the proposed method to test their robustness. Under the normal operation condition of the linear accelerator and with careful alignment of the MapCHECK2, the deviations of the calibrated sensitivities of the proposed method and commercial method with respect to the noniterative method were 0.30%±0.29% and 0.92%±0.63% respectively; when the 5 mm positioning error was presented, these two methods resulted in deviations of 0.40%±0.36% and 3.58%±1.94%, respectively. A patient study suggested that, due to this 5 mm positioning error, the mean DTA (dose to agreement) passing rate by the commercial method was 2.7% lower than that by the noniterative method, whereas the proposed method led to a comparable passing rate. It is evident from this study that the proposed iterative method leads to within 1% mean calibration results to established methods. It requires much fewer number of measurements than noniterative method and is more robust against the positioning error than the commercial iterative method. The method also eliminates the need of rotation operations and, therefore, is applicable to inline detector arrays without rotation function, such as electronic portal imager device (EPID). PACS number: 87.56. Fc
Modeling the Multipath Cross-Polarization Ratio for Above-6 GHz Radio Links

In this paper, we parameterize an excess loss-based multipath component (MPC) cross-polarization ratio (XPR) model in indoor and outdoor environments for above-6 GHz frequency bands. The results are based on 28 measurement campaigns in several frequency bands ranging from 15 to 80 GHz. A conventional XPR model of an MPC assuming a constant mean value fits our measurements very poorly and moreover overestimates the depolarization effect. Our measurements revealed a clear trend that the MPC XPR is inversely proportional to an excess loss in reference to the free-space path loss. The model is physically sound as a higher excess loss is attributed to more lossy interactions or to a greater number of interactions with objects, leading to a greater chance of depolarization. The measurements furthermore showed that the MPC XPR is not strongly frequency or environment dependent. In our MPC XPR model, an MPC with zero-dB excess loss has a mean XPR of 28 dB. The mean XPR decreases half-a-dB as the excess loss increases by every dB and the standard deviation around the mean is 6 dB. The model is applicable to existing channel models to reproduce realistic MPC XPRs for the above 6-GHz radio links.