Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Convergence of LRTA*

LRTA* is a real-time heuristic search algorithm widely used. In each iteration it updates the heuristic estimate of the current state. In this paper, we present three version of LRTA* , a new LRTA*based algorithm that is able to update the heuristic estimates of up to states, not necessarily distinct. Based on bounded propagation, this updating strategy maintains heuristic admissibility, so the new algorithm keeps the good theoretical properties of LRTA*. LRTA* produces better solutions in the first trial and converges faster when compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms on classical benchmarks for real-time search. We provide experimental evidence of the improvement in performance of these versions, at the extra cost of longer planning steps.
Gate sizing in MOS digital circuits with linear programming

A solution is presented to tune the delay of a circuit composed of cells to a prescribed value, while minimizing power consumption. The tuning is performed by adapting the load drive capabilities of the cells. This optimization problem is mapped onto a linear program, which is then solved by the simplex algorithm. This approach guarantees to find the global optimum, and has proven feasible for circuits of up to several thousand cells. The method can be used with any convex delay model. Results show that circuits can be speeded up by a factor of 2 at a cost of only 10 to 30% of extra power. <<ETX>>
Multi-agent team formation and execution for a holonic palletizing scenario

This work presents in a structured manner the intelligent agent Belief Desire Intention (BDI) strategy enhancements applied in team programming and offers a practical multi-agent solution for a holonic assembling system. Standing with the advantages of the dynamic intentions reconsideration for reasoning goal oriented process at the individual agent level, the paper point out the mechanism of agent aggregation during team formation in multi-agent programming. It also argues the analogy team-holon and offers an example of a control and coordination multi-agent system for a holonic assembling process. The implementation was made in Goal ORIented TEams framework (GORITE), a multi-agent platform that supports team formation and goal based execution.
Von Neumann analysis of linearized discrete Tzitzeica PDE

This paper applies the von Neumann analysis to a discrete Tzitzeica PDE. Section 1 recalls some data from the fascinating history of Tzitzeica PDE, emphasizing on its geometrical and physical roots. Section 2 gives the Tzitzeica Lagrangian and its associated Tzitzeica Hamiltonian. Section 3 shows that the Tzitzeica PDE can be obtained via geometric dynamics. Section 4 refreshes the theory of integrators for two-parameter Lagrangian dynamics. Section 5 finds the discrete Tzitzeica equation. Section 6 motivates the von Neumann stability analysis. Section 7 presents the von Neumann analysis of dual variational integrator equation. Section 8 performs the von Neumann analysis of linearized discrete Tzitzeica equation. Section 9 proposes the study of an extended Tzitzeica PDE via a Laurent polynomial. Section 10 underlines the importance of the von Neumann analysis. M.S.C. 2010: 53C21, 37J99, 65K10.
Enhanced Loop Flattening for Software Pipelining of Arbitrary Loop Nests

This paper introduces and evaluates enhanced loop flattening, a compiler framework for transforming an arbitrary set of nested and sequenced loops into a single loop with additional logic to implement the control flow of the original code. Loop flattening allows conventional software pipelining algorithms to effectively pipeline nested loops. Conventional software pipelining approaches are only applicable to inner loops, which can result in poor resource utilization. Existing approaches to loop flattening tend to create long latency inter-iteration feedback paths, which limit the performance of pipelined loops. Enhanced loop flattening gives the compiler the ability to precisely control iteration distances along each control flow path, reducing the initiation interval (the “clock period” of a pipelined loop) by inserting “pipeline bubbles” under specific dynamic conditions. On a benchmark set of compute-intensive kernels, we found that conventional loop flattening performed somewhat worse than inner-loop only pipelining, but enhanced loop flattening with a simple heuristic for iteration distance selection performed substantially better (geometric mean of 30% less run time). Because of the fairly large number of single-bit operations and registers that are required for predicate logic, enhanced loop flattening is most directly applicable to FPGA-like parallel accelerators.
Does the Position or Contact Pressure of the Stethoscope Make Any Difference to Clinical Blood Pressure Measurements

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the effect of stethoscope position and contact pressure on auscultatory blood pressure (BP) measurement.Thirty healthy subjects were studied. Two identical stethoscopes (one under the cuff, the other outside the cuff) were used to simultaneously and digitally record 2 channels of Korotkoff sounds during linear cuff pressure deflation. For each subject, 3 measurements with different contact pressures (0, 50, and 100 mm Hg) on the stethoscope outside the cuff were each recorded at 3 repeat sessions. The Korotkoff sounds were replayed twice on separate days to each of 2 experienced listeners to determine systolic and diastolic BPs (SBP and DBP). Variance analysis was performed to study the measurement repeatability and the effect of stethoscope position and contact pressure on BPs.There was no significant BP difference between the 3 repeat sessions, between the 2 determinations from each listener, between the 2 listeners and between the 3 stethoscope contact pressures (all P > 0.06). There was no significant SBP difference between the 2 stethoscope positions at the 2 lower stethoscope pressures (P = 0.23 and 0.45), but there was a small (0.4 mm Hg, clinically unimportant) significant difference (P = 0.005) at the highest stethoscope pressure. The key result was that, DBP from the stethoscope under the cuff was significantly lower than that from outside the cuff by 2.8 mm Hg (P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval −3.5 to −2.1 mm Hg). Since it is known that the traditional Korotkoff sound method, with the stethoscope outside the cuff, tends to give a higher DBP than the true intra-arterial pressure, this study could suggest that the stethoscope position under the cuff, and closer to the arterial occlusion, might yield measurements closer to the actual invasive DBP.
Promoting Mashup creation through unstructured data extraction

Service composition tools are usually based on an input/output mapping pattern. Inputs and output are declared by the service developer when publishing his service. However, services might also generate unstructured data such as email and instant messages content. That data are hardly expectable by developers. Consequently, much data are unavoidably left out by current service composition tools. In this paper we firstly propose and implement an enhancement to current SOA in order to facilitate capturing unstructured data. Secondly, we define and implement a new service composition pattern and tool in order to enable end-users to easily create Mashups based on structured and unstructured data (unstructured data are neither declared nor formatted by the service developer when publishing services). Finally, we validate this proposal by creating a rich communication environment using the composition tool we have implemented. As a consequence, this work impacts significantly service composition research communities by introducing a novel architecture and a new pattern for composing services.
Two-Way Visibly Pushdown Automata and Transducers*

Automata-logic connections are pillars of the theory of regular languages. Such connections are harder to obtain for transducers, but important results have been obtained recently for word-to-word transformations, showing that the three following models are equivalent: deterministic two-way transducers, monadic second-order (MSO) transducers, and deterministic one-way automata equipped with a finite number of registers. Nested words are words with a nesting structure, allowing to model unranked trees as their depth-first-search linearisations. In this paper, we consider transformations from nested words to words, allowing in particular to produce unranked trees if output words have a nesting structure. The model of visibly pushdown transducers allows to describe such transformations, and we propose a simple deterministic extension of this model with two-way moves that has the following properties: i) it is a simple computational model, that naturally has a good evaluation complexity; ii) it is expressive: it subsumes nested word-to-word MSO transducers, and the exact expressiveness of MSO transducers is recovered using a simple syntactic restriction; iii) it has good algorithmic/closure properties: the model is closed under composition with a unambiguous one-way letter-to-letter transducer which gives closure under regular look-around, and has a decidable equivalence problem.
Matching Device Drivers with Embedded Hardware

There are different sources, and levels of diffi culty, for obtaining device drivers for embedded application. Often these vary with the popularity of the OS or the target peripheral. Finding the best source can result in saving time and money. I n today's fast-paced world, the length of a design cycle for a product is increasingly critical to the projects' success , whether that project is deployed in-house or is a marketable product. In both cases, the adage, time is money holds true. In an embedded system, the operating system and the hardware interface with each other through device drivers. The selection of any piece—operating system, hardware or device driver—impacts the other pieces. In embedded systems consisting of both hardware and software components, the division of time has shifted from years past. Much of the complexity of todays embedded systems lies in the software. Some systems have multiple programmer-years invested in development. Thus, it is wise to consider ways of reducing some of the time spent on software development. In embedded systems, much of the highly detailed, diffi cult development is spent on interfacing the software with the hardware. This is where a device driver comes in. Proper selection of device drivers takes into account the operating system and the hardware, while also balancing the overall performance needs and the availability of each of these pieces. Of course, there are always tradeoffs. A general-purpose operating system may provide quick development time but may require more expensive hardware than a smaller, more optimized operating system. Choosing hardware without any performance cushion may not allow for future enhancements. Choosing unique hardware may mean that device drivers are not available for the selected operating system. A device driver is code that enables an operating system to interface with a hardware device. In essence, the driver acts as a translator between the operating system and the hardware. This way, the operating system is spared from having to know the details of every piece of hardware to which it may connect. Device driver development may be quite complex since it requires a register-level understanding of the hardware as well as a low-level understanding of the operating system. For example, a data acquisition board that acquires data through an analog-to-digital converter and then Figure 1 A single board, such as this Micro/sys SBC2596, has three kinds of Linux drivers available: OS-supplied drivers for the serial and …
Development of 7-DOF three-fingered robotic hand for industrial work

The purpose of this project is to design and construct a seven degree of freedom (DOF) three-fingered robotic hand. This project is the continuity from a previous work which has successfully constructed two-DOF robotic finger. In this work, a palm that holds all the three fingers is designed and the design of the current finger is improved. All components are fabricated and assembled to produce a complete robotic hand. SolidWorks software is used to design the palm and finger which considers the selection of motor, spur gears, and appropriate shape of palm. The range of motion is visualized to confirm the design with the desired application. Then, the motion of the proposed hand design is validated based on a control study which is carried out in separate work using Motion Manager Application. It can be observed from the experimental results that the robotic hand is capable of moving according to the proposed mechanism and the desired positions before successfully grasped two types of household objects with all its three fingers. This also proved that the proposed designs worked well for the task assigned by user. Thus, the resulted robotic hand can be potentially applied as the end effectors of an industrial robot for product manipulation in near future.
AMPer: a database and an automated discovery tool for antimicrobial peptides

MOTIVATION Increasing antibiotics resistance in human pathogens represents a pressing public health issue worldwide for which novel antibiotic therapies based on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may offer one possible solution. In the current study, we utilized publicly available data on AMPs to construct hidden Markov models (HMMs) that enable recognition of individual classes of antimicrobials peptides (such as defensins, cathelicidins, cecropins, etc.) with up to 99% accuracy and can be used for discovering novel AMP candidates. RESULTS HMM models for both mature peptides and propeptides were constructed. A total of 146 models for mature peptides and 40 for propeptides have been developed for individual AMP classes. These were created by clustering and analyzing AMP sequences available in the public sources and by consequent iterative scanning of the Swiss-Prot database for previously unknown gene-coded AMPs. As a result, an additional 229 additional AMPs have been identified from Swiss-Prot, and all but 34 could be associated with known antimicrobial activities according to the literature. The final set of 1045 mature peptides and 253 propeptides have been organized into the open-source AMPer database. AVAILABILITY The developed HMM-based tools and AMP sequences can be accessed through the AMPer resource at http://www.cnbi2. com/cgi-bin/amp.pl
Genetic Ablation of Hypocretin Neurons Alters Behavioral State Transitions in Zebrafish

Sleep is an essential biological need of all animals studied to date. The sleep disorder narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, fragmentation of nighttime sleep, and cataplexy. Narcolepsy is caused by selective degeneration of hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) neurons. In mammals, HCRT neurons primarily regulate the sleep/wake cycle, feeding, reward-seeking, and addiction. The role of HCRT neurons in zebrafish is implicated in both sleep and wake regulation. We established a transgenic zebrafish model enabling inducible ablation of HCRT neurons and used these animals to understand the function of HCRT neurons and narcolepsy. Loss of HCRT neurons increased the expression of the HCRT receptor (hcrtr). Behavioral assays revealed that HCRT neuron-ablated larvae had normal locomotor activity, but demonstrated an increase in sleep time during the day and an increased number of sleep/wake transitions during both day and night. Mild sleep disturbance reduced sleep and increased c-fos expression in HCRT neuron-ablated larvae. Furthermore, ablation of HCRT neurons altered the behavioral response to external stimuli. Exposure to light during the night decreased locomotor activity of wild-type siblings, but induced an opposite response in HCRT neuron-ablated larvae. Sound stimulus during the day reduced the locomotor activity of wild-type sibling larvae, while HCRT neuron-ablated larvae demonstrated a hyposensitive response. This study establishes zebrafish as a model for narcolepsy, and indicating a role of HCRT neurons in regulation of sleep/wake transitions during both day and night. Our results further suggest a key role of HCRT neurons in mediating behavioral state transitions in response to external stimuli.
Application of support vector based methods for cervical cancer cell classification

Cervical cancer is known to be one of the deadly diseases in women. On the other hand, it is one of the most curable cancer if detected early. A well-known method in screening cervical cancer is by performing the Papanicoulaou test or Pap test. However, the screening process is laborious since it requires visual inspection of individual cells by experts. A large number of cases processed by a limited number of experts can lead to misclassification due to human errors. To solve this problem, using an automatic classification method may help improve the screening process. In this paper, we explore various support vector based classifiers, namely support vector machine (SVM), twin support vector machine (TWSVM), and twin-hypersphere support vector machine (THSVM), and test their performance on cervical cancer cell classification in 2-class and 4-class scenarios. The cervical cancer cell dataset named the LCH dataset used in this paper was collected and extracted from Lampang Cancer Hospital in Thailand. The experimental results show that TWSVM is preferable to SVM and THSVM in the cervical cancer cell classification.
Leveling Differences and Reinforcing Similarities: The Interaction between Information and Communication Technologies and National Culture

This study compares how workers in Norway and the United States use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Our data—72 in-depth interviews of advanced ICT users – was coded and analyzed using a grounded-theory methodology. As our organizing structure of comparing the two countries, we use Hofstede’s four-dimensional framework of national culture. Our results show that ICTs have a homogenizing effect on cultural differences—but also a reinforcing effect on existing similarities. We hypothesize possible explanations for these findings, including tracing them to our focus on an expert-user subculture and external triggering events.
2 Responding to the East Asian Crisis

experienced a massive reversal of the large foreign private capital inflows they had enjoyed through much of the 1990s. The net swing from inflows to outflows between 1996 and 1997 amounted to more than $100 billion for the five crisis countries—Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand—or 11 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) before the crisis. The reversal precipitated steep devaluations of currencies, large increases in interest rates, and severe declines in stock and other asset prices, initiating the deep financial and economic crises that have gripped these countries since. Contagion effects from the crisis spread throughout the developing world. But instead of dying away quickly, as they did after the 1994 Mexico peso crisis, they were the precursor of currency and financial crises in the Russian Federation in August 1998, followed by a more general withdrawal of private capital from emerging markets.
Methods for Revealing the Metacognitive Knowledge of Adolescent Information Seekers During the Information Search Process

This paper describes the methods used to investigate the metacognitive knowledge of adolescents, aged 16 to 19, as they searched for, selected and used information for a school-based inquiry project. The study has implications for information literacy instruction and contributes to the understanding of adolescent information-seeking behavior. Cette communication decrit les methodes utilisees pour explorer les connaissances metacognitives d’adolescents, âges de 16 a 19 ans, lors de la recherche, la selection et l’utilisation d’information pour un projet de recherche scolaire. Cette etude a des repercussions sur l’enseignement de la culture informationnelle et contribue a la comprehension du comportement de recherche d’information des adolescents.
Biodistribution of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vector after intrathecal and intravenous delivery in mouse

Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-mediated gene transfer has been reported in central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. The current study compared the pattern of expression of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) across the mouse CNS and selected peripheral tissues after intrathecal (i.t.) or intravenous (i.v.) delivery of equivalent doses of single-stranded AAV9 vector. After i.t. delivery, GFP immunoreactivity (-ir) was observed in spinal neurons, primary afferent fibers and corresponding primary sensory neurons at all spinal levels. Robust transduction was seen in small and large dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons as well as trigeminal and vagal primary afferent neurons. Transduction efficiency in sensory ganglia was substantially lower in i.v. treated mice. In brain, i.v. delivery yielded GFP-immunoreactivity (-ir) primarily in spinal trigeminal tract, pituitary, and scattered isolated neurons and astrocytes. In contrast, after i.t. delivery, GFP-ir was widespread throughout CNS, with greater intensity and more abundant neuropil-like staining at 6 weeks compared to 3 weeks. Brain regions with prominent GFP-ir included cranial nerve nuclei, ventral pons, cerebellar cortex, hippocampus, pituitary, choroid plexus, and selected nuclei of midbrain, thalamus and hypothalamus. In cortex, GFP-ir was associated with blood vessels, and was seen in both neurons and astrocytes. In the periphery, GFP-ir in colon and ileum was present in the enteric nervous system in both i.v. and i.t. treated mice. Liver and adrenal cortex, but not adrenal medulla, also showed abundant GFP-ir after both routes of delivery. In summary, i.t. delivery yielded higher transduction efficiency in sensory neurons and the CNS. The observation of comparable gene transfer to peripheral tissues using the two routes indicates that a component of i.t. delivered vector is redistributed from the subarachnoid space to the systemic circulation.
Learning revised models for planning in adaptive systems

Environment domain models are a key part of the information used by adaptive systems to determine their behaviour. These models can be incomplete or inaccurate. In addition, since adaptive systems generally operate in environments which are subject to change, these models are often also out of date. To update and correct these models, the system should observe how the environment responds to its actions, and compare these responses to those predicted by the model. In this paper, we use a probabilistic rule learning approach, NoMPRoL, to update models using feedback from the running system in the form of execution traces. NoMPRoL is a technique for nonmonotonic probabilistic rule learning based on a transformation of an inductive logic programming task into an equivalent abductive one. In essence, it exploits consistent observations by finding general rules which explain observations in terms of the conditions under which they occur. The updated models are then used to generate new behaviour with a greater chance of success in the actual environment encountered.
A Robust Parser for Unrestricted Greek Text

In this paper we describe a method for the efficient parsing of real-life Greek texts at the surface syntactic level. A grammar consisting of non-recursive regular expressions describing Greek phrase structure has been compiled into a cascade of finite state transducers used to recognize syntactic constituents. The implemented parser lends itself to applications where large scale text processing is involved, and fast, robust, and relatively accurate syntactic analysis is necessary. The parser has been evaluated against a ca 34000 word corpus of financial and news texts and achieved promising precision and recall scores.