Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian approach with nonlinear kernels to feature extraction

Presented here is a new algorithm for finding the positions of features in images of samples from particular object classes, such as human faces. Existing algorithms that address this problem mostly deal only with image variations resulting from simple translation in the image plane, as well as differences of objects in the classes, by searching for features across the image plane. In our new algorithm, larger classes of image variations, including those resulting from object rotation in 3D space and scaling (i.e. translation in depth) are handled, in addition to image plane translation. In order to do this, we develop a new kernel-based MAP (maximum a posteriori) estimation technique using Gaussian distribution in a potentially higher dimensional space to model the relationship between images and feature positions. Experimental results of facial feature extraction in images of human faces taken from varying viewing directions and from varying distances demonstrate the superior performance of the new method relative to that of existing algorithms.
A binary level set model and some applications to Mumford-Shah image segmentation

In this paper, we propose a PDE-based level set method. Traditionally, interfaces are represented by the zero level set of continuous level set functions. Instead, we let the interfaces be represented by discontinuities of piecewise constant level set functions. Each level set function can at convergence only take two values, i.e., it can only be 1 or -1; thus, our method is related to phase-field methods. Some of the properties of standard level set methods are preserved in the proposed method, while others are not. Using this new method for interface problems, we need to minimize a smooth convex functional under a quadratic constraint. The level set functions are discontinuous at convergence, but the minimization functional is smooth. We show numerical results using the method for segmentation of digital images.
Caliper: a tool to generate precise and closed-loop traffic

Generating realistic and responsive traffic that reflects different network conditions is a challenging problem associated with performing valid experiments in network testbeds. In this work, we preset Caliper, a highly precise traffic generation tool, built on NetThreads, a flexible platform that we have created for developing packet processing applications on FPGA-based devices and the NetFPGA in particular. We will demonstrate the effect of ad-hoc inter-departure times on a commodity NIC compared to precisely timed inter-departures with Caliper. Both NetThreads and Caliper are available as free software to download.
Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Fluoroquinolone Resistance Associated with grlA Mutations in Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Resistance to fluoroquinolones among clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus has become a clinical problem. Therefore, a rapid method to identify S. aureus and its susceptibility to fluoroquinolones could provide clinicians with a useful tool for the appropriate use of these antimicrobial agents in the health care settings. In this study, we developed a rapid real-time PCR assay for the detection of S. aureus and mutations at codons Ser-80 and Glu-84 of the grlA gene encoding the DNA topoisomerase IV, which are associated with decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. The detection limit of the assay was 10 genome copies per reaction. The PCR assay was negative with DNA from all 26 non-S. aureus bacterial species tested. A total of 85 S. aureus isolates with various levels of fluoroquinolone resistance was tested with the PCR assay. The PCR assay correctly identified 100% of the S. aureus isolates tested compared to conventional culture methods. The correlation between the MICs of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin and the PCR results was 98.8%. The total time required for the identification of S. aureus and determination of its susceptibility to fluoroquinolones was about 45 min, including DNA extraction. This new rapid PCR assay represents a powerful method for the detection of S. aureus and its susceptibility to fluoroquinolones.
EAP1, a Candida albicans Gene Involved in Binding Human Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Candida albicans adhesion to host tissues contributes to its virulence and adhesion to medical devices permits biofilm formation, but we know relatively little about the molecular mechanisms governing C. albicans adhesion to materials or mammalian cells. Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an attractive model system for studying adhesion in yeast because of its well-characterized genetics and gene expression systems and the conservation of signal transduction pathways among the yeasts. In this study, we used a parallel plate flow chamber to screen and characterize attachment of a flo8Δ S. cerevisiae strain expressing a C. albicans genomic library to a polystyrene surface. The gene EAP1 was isolated as a putative cell wall adhesin. Sequence analysis of EAP1 shows that it contains a signal peptide, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor site, and possesses homology to many other yeast genes encoding cell wall proteins. In addition to increasing adhesion to polystyrene, heterologous expression of EAP1 in S. cerevisiae and autonomous expression of EAP1 in a C. albicans efg1 homozygous null mutant significantly enhanced attachment to HEK293 kidney epithelial cells. EAP1 expression also restored invasive growth to haploid flo8Δ and flo11Δ strains as well as filamentous growth to diploid flo8/flo8 and flo11/flo11 strains. Transcription of EAP1 in C. albicans is regulated by the transcription factor Efg1p, suggesting that EAP1 expression is activated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase pathway.
Tree-line changes along the Andes: implications of spatial patterns and dynamics

The Andes provide an extensive latitudinal and topographical framework for studying the factors that control the spatial patterns of forests (timberlines) and their species components expressed through the presence of tree growth forms (tree lines). Despite consistent overall similarities in landscape patterns, many processes must be unique, given the dramatic differences in species richness and biophysical constraints along the Andes. In all cases evaluated to date, morphological plasticity is a common trait of plant species that dominate at tree lines. In fact, many changes observed can be related to species-specific traits. Physiological limitations on tree growth form only explain species limits, while disturbances and cyclical climate fluctuations interact to affect many landscape patterns. Over long periods of time, tree lines provide unique habitats and perhaps opportunities for speciation. Understanding the spatial organization of tree-line dynamics is one viable research approach for evaluating the likely past fluxes and possible future changes.
A compact and portable deposition chamber to study nanoparticles in air-exposed tissue.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies show that elevated levels of particulate matter in ambient air are highly correlated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Atmospheric particles originate from a large number of sources and have a highly complex and variable composition. An assessment of their potential health risks and the identification of the most toxic particle sources would require a large number of investigations. Due to ethical and economic reasons, it is desirable to reduce the number of in vivo studies and to develop suitable in vitro systems for the investigation of cell-particle interactions. METHODS We present the design of a new particle deposition chamber in which aerosol particles are deposited onto cell cultures out of a continuous air flow. The chamber allows for a simultaneous exposure of 12 cell cultures. RESULTS Physiological conditions within the deposition chamber can be sustained constantly at 36-37°C and 90-95% relative humidity. Particle deposition within the chamber and especially on the cell cultures was determined in detail, showing that during a deposition time of 2 hr 8.4% (24% relative standard deviation) of particles with a mean diameter of 50 nm [mass median diameter of 100 nm (geometric standard deviation 1.7)] are deposited on the cell cultures, which is equal to 24-34% of all charged particles. The average well-to-well variability of particles deposited simultaneously in the 12 cell cultures during an experiment is 15.6% (24.7% relative standard deviation). CONCLUSIONS This particle deposition chamber is a new in vitro system to investigate realistic cell-particle interactions at physiological conditions, minimizing stress on the cell cultures other than from deposited particles. A detailed knowledge of particle deposition characteristics on the cell cultures allows evaluating reliable dose-response relationships. The compact and portable design of the deposition chamber allows for measurements at any particle sources of interest.
Structural disorganization of pronephric glomerulus in Zebrafish mpp5a/nagie oko mutant

Background: The podocyte slit diaphragm (SD) is an essential component of the selective filtration barrier in the glomerulus. Several structural proteins required for formation and maintenance of SD have been identified; however, molecular mechanisms regulating these proteins are still limited. Results: Here, we demonstrate that MAGUK p55 subfamily member 5a (Mpp5a)/Nagie oko, a component of the Crb multi‐protein complex, was colocalized with an SD‐associated protein ZO‐1 in the zebrafish pronephric glomerulus. To characterize the function of Mpp5a, zebrafish mpp5am520 mutant embryos, which are known to have defects in cardiac and neuronal morphogenesis, were analyzed. These mutants failed to merge the bilateral glomerular primordia and to form the glomerular capillary and mesangium, but the foot processes and SD showed normal appearance. The structural disorganization in the mpp5am520 mutant glomerulus was quite similar to that of a cardiac troponin T2a/tnnt2a/silent heart knockdown zebrafish, which exhibited circulatory failure due to lack of heart beating. Conclusions: Mpp5a is not prerequisite to form podocyte slit diaphragm in the pronephric glomerular development in zebrafish. The structural disorganization of the pronephric glomerulus in the mpp5am520 mutant is likely to result from circulatory failure, rather than the anomaly of Mpp5a protein in the glomerulus. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A study on program code synchronization in consumer devices

The increasing number of services in cellular phones, car navigation systems, and other consumer devices has made it difficult to release bug-free devices. In order to develop these types of consumer devices, the software used in them should be developed and tested using a cross-platform simulator. However, many cases need to be considered when testing the target devices. Therefore, debugging and software updating process should be performed iteratively. Therefore, the time required for the program codes to download to the target devices should be less. In this paper, we propose a fast download algorithm for consumer devices.
Sliding-mode approach to control design for induction motor drive fed by a three-level voltage-source inverter

A novel sliding mode control for the induction motor (IM) fed by three-level voltage-source inverter (3L-VSI) is proposed in this paper. The ldquoclassicalrdquo results of sliding-mode theory were extended on the actual variable structure system with more then 2m variable structures (m is the control space order) by using an original two-step design procedure that allows separately to use the nonlinearity of the IM and the switching character of the 3LVSI. The based on this design procedure original control algorithm that includes a choice condition for 3L-VSI input DC link voltage and a switch table for the 3L-VSI semiconductor switches is designed. The main advantages of such approach are given as follows: the control design is simpler and more graphical; the control system has such advantageous characteristics of the control plant with sliding mode control as high dynamic, low sensitivity to disturbance of both the load and the to plant parameter variations; the requirements to the quality of the input DC-link voltage and as a result to the DC-line filter capacitor are reduced; the measurement precision of the stator flux position is within (pi/6). Simulation results are presented to validate the theoretical analysis and demonstrate the performance of the proposed control.
An Analysis of the Effect of Multiple Layers in the Multi-Objective Design of Conducting Polymer Composites

In the design of materials for the shielding of electric devices, there is a recent trend to use multilayer compounds due to some restrictions in the making process of the materials but also since they are supposed to have a higher potential to offer “better” characteristics than the related monolayered materials. In this work, we investigate the possible impact of the number of layers in a compound critically. It will turn out that—at least for the general objectives we study here and for conducting polymer composites—multilayered materials are suitable to only a limited extent. To be more precise, when “just” aiming for a high shielding efficiency the task can be accomplished with merely one layer. If in addition the cost of the material comes into play, however, a second layer may be helpful, but further layers do not seem to have a significant impact on the performance of a material. Here we extend an existing multiobjective design problem for the design of shielding materials for our purpose, and attack the resulting multiobjective optimization problem with evolutionary strategies, and finally analyze the results in the viewpoint of the required number of layers within a shielding material.
A Service-Oriented Information Sources Database for the Biological Sciences

Researchers in the biological sciences require access to a variety of information sources located in various places on different computer networks. In order to satisfy the information needs of a researcher, appropriate information sources must be selected and access to these information sources and the computing services supporting them must be provided in a way that does not distract the researcher from problems of real interest. At the University of Missouri-Columbia a service-oriented information sources database is being developed as a key component of a layered-model design of an intelligent system which will provide a research environment appropriate to the needs of researchers in the biological sciences.
On optimal multi-symbol preambles for highly frequency selective FBMC/OQAM channel estimation

Recently, there has been a significant progress in the study of preamble-based channel estimation for filter bank-based multicarrier systems using offset QAM (FBMC/OQAM), addressing the more demanding highly frequency selective scenario. In this context, analytical optimization of the preamble has been only considered for short preambles consisting of a single pilot FBMC symbol. Optimization of longer preambles with the FBMC/OQAM modulation is considerably more challenging in view of its well-known intrinsic interference effect, and may allow for the estimation of very high dispersion channels. However, this problem has only been studied for per-subchannel estimation via iterative techniques as well as for the low frequency selective case. This paper is concerned with the multi-symbol optimal preamble design for highly frequency selective channels, exhibiting the challenges and difficulties of the problem for preambles of two pilot symbols. For this case, preliminary design examples are provided and simulation results involving highly frequency selective channels are reported and discussed.
Fast integrated tools for circuit design with FPGAs

To implement high-density and high-speed FPGA circuits, designers need tight control over the circuit implementation process. However, current design tools are unsuited for this purpose as they lack fast turnaround times, interactiveness, and integration. We present a system for the Xilinx XC6200 FPGA, which addresses these issues. It consists of a suite of tightly integrated tools for the XC6200 architecture centered around an architecture-independent tool framework. The system lets the designer easily intervene at various stages of the design process and features design cycle times (from an HDL specification to a complete layout) in the order of seconds.
Immediate, Scalable Object Category Detection

The objective of this work is object category detection in large scale image datasets in the manner of Video Google - an object category is specified by a HOG classifier template, and retrieval is immediate at run time. We make the following three contributions: (i) a new image representation based on mid-level discriminative patches, that is designed to be suited to immediate object category detection and inverted file indexing, (ii) a sparse representation of a HOG classifier using a set of mid-level discriminative classifier patches, and (iii) a fast method for spatial reranking images on their detections. We evaluate the detection method on the standard PASCAL VOC 2007 dataset, together with a 100K image subset of ImageNet, and demonstrate near state of the art detection performance at low ranks whilst maintaining immediate retrieval speeds. Applications are also demonstrated using an exemplar-SVM for pose matched retrieval.
A Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Multiway Graph Partitioning

A hybrid genetic algorithm for multiway graph partitioning is proposed. The algorithm includes an efficient local optimization heuristic. Starting at an initial solution, the heuristic iteratively improves the solution using cyclic movements of vertices. The suggested heuristic performed well in itself and as a local optimization engine in the hybrid genetic algorithm. Combined with the framework of hybrid genetic algorithms, it showed significant performance improvement.
Fabrication and application of superhydrophilic surfaces: a review

Extreme wetting behaviors have been the subject of numerous studies in recent decades. Superhydrophilic surfaces with water contact angle lower than 5° is one of the most exciting research areas which has attract much attention. The ultrafast drying of such surfaces can provide outstanding properties such as antifogging, evaporative cooling, self-cleaning, and others. We review here the basic strategies and recent progress in fabricating superhydrophilic surfaces. And smart surfaces combining superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic abilities are highlighted, including surfaces with stimuli reversible wettability, patterning wettability, and gradient wetting. We also provide insights into the applications of the highly wettable surfaces, especially in devising new potentials.
Gate-level timing verification using waveform narrowing

We present a novel gate-level timing verification method that determines if a combinational circuit satisfies a maximal or a minimal required propagation delay. It is based on computing the greatest fixpoint over a set of equations derived from the gate forward and partial inverse functions, and their interconnections, in the domain of sets of (abstract) waveforms. False negative results can be obtained, however, these can be refined by limited case analysis (based on the analysis of reconvergent fanout). The resolution method is independent of the circuit delay model used, transition or floating mode; only the initial set of waveforms on the primary inputs distinguishes them. The method can accommodate interval gate delays, separate rise and fall transition delays, and component delay correlation.
Olfactory input to the parahippocampal region of the isolated guinea pig brain reveals weak entorhinal‐to‐perirhinal interactions

The processing of olfactory inputs by the parahippocampal region has a central role in the organization of memory in mammals. The olfactory input is relayed to the hippocampus via interposed synapses located in the piriform and entorhinal cortices. Whether olfactory afferents directly or indirectly project to other areas of the parahippocampal region beside the entorhinal cortex (EC) is uncertain. We performed an electrophysiological and imaging study of the propagation pattern of the olfactory input carried by the fibres that form the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) into the parahippocampal region of the in vitro isolated guinea pig preparation. Laminar analysis was performed on field potential depth profiles recorded with 16‐channel silicon probes at different sites of the insular–parahippocampal cortex. The LOT input induced a large amplitude polysynaptic response in the lateral EC. Following appropriate LOT stimulation, a late response generated by the interposed activation of the hippocampus was observed in the medial EC. LOT stimulation did not induce any local response in area 36 of the perirhinal cortex (PRC), while a small amplitude potential with a delay similar to the lateral EC response was inconsistently observed in PRC area 35. No PRC potentials were observed following the responses evoked by LOT stimulation in either the lateral or the medial EC. These findings were substantiated by current source density analysis of PRC laminar profiles. To further verify the absence of EC‐to–PRC field interactions after LOT stimulation, high‐resolution optical imaging of neuronal activity was performed after perfusion of the isolated brain with the voltage‐sensitive dye RH‐795. The optical recordings confirmed that olfactory‐induced activity in the EC does not induce massive PRC activation. The present findings suggest that the olfactory input into the parahippocampal region is confined to the entorhinal cortex. The results also imply that, as demonstrated for the PRC‐to‐EC pathway, the propagation of neuronal activity from the EC to the PRC is hindered, possibly by a powerful inhibitory control generated within the EC.
Brain Tumor Segmentation and Extraction of MR Images Based on Improved Watershed Transform

Brain tumor extraction in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has becoming an emergent research area in the field of medical imaging system. Extraction involves detection, localization, tracking, enhancement and recognition of the tumor from the MR brain images. Brain tumor extraction helps in finding the exact size and location of tumor. The watershed transform is a popular and has interesting properties that make it useful for many image segmentation applications. The intuitive description of this transform is quite simple, can be parallelized and always produces a complete division of the medical images. One of the important drawbacks associated to the watershed transform is the over segmentation that commonly results in brain images. We present an improvement to the watershed transform in this paper for the extraction of brain tumor based on segmentation and morphological operator. The tumor may be benign, pre-malignant or malignant and it needs medical support for further classification.