Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency Response Masking based Reconfigurable Channel Filters for Software Radio Receivers

The most computationally demanding block in the digital front end of a software defined radio (SDR) receiver is the channelizer which operates at the highest sampling rate. Finite impulse response (FIR) filters are employed as channel filters in SDR receivers. These channel filters must be less complex and reconfigurable. A new reconfigurable architecture for the implementation of channel filters based on frequency response masking (FRM) technique is proposed in this paper. Our architecture offers multiple levels of reconfigurability in addition to the inherent low complexity features offered by the FRM technique. Design results show that our method offers an average adder reduction of 37% over binary subexpression elimination (BSE) technique and 57% over canonical signed digit (CSD) based techniques.
Mapping Partially Observable Features from Multiple Uncertain Vantage Points

In this paper we present a technique for mapping partially observable features from multiple uncertain vantage points. The problem of concurrent mapping and localization (CML) is stated as follows. Starting from an initial known position, a mobile robot travels through a sequence of positions, obtaining a set of sensor measurements at each position. The goal is to process the sensor data to produce an estimate of the trajectory of the robot while concurrently building a map of the environment. In this paper, we describe a generalized framework for CML that incorporates temporal as well as spatial correlations. The representation is expanded to incorporate past vehicle positions in the state vector. Estimates of the correlations between current and previous vehicle states are explicitly maintained. This enables the consistent initialization of map features using data from multiple time steps. Updates to the map and the vehicle trajectory can also be performed in batches of data acquired from multiple vantage points. The method is illustrated with sonar data from a testing tank and via experiments with a B21 land mobile robot, demonstrating the ability to perform CML with sparse and ambiguous data.
Differential intracellular calcium responses to glutamate in type 1 and type 2 cultured brain astrocytes

Fluorescence image analysis using the calcium indicator fluo-3 was used to examine changes in [Ca2+]i induced by glutamate in mixed glia populations cultured from neonatal rat brains. [Ca2+]i responses were correlated with glia type by performing immunohistochemistry using markers specific for type 1 and type 2 astrocytes on the same cells used in the imaging experiments. Glutamate (30–500 microM) induced two markedly different [Ca2+]i responses in the two astrocyte types: the response in type 1 astrocytes consisted of an initial fast transient followed by varying degrees of oscillations, whereas the predominant response in type 2 astrocytes was a slow rise in [Ca2+]i to a more or less sustained and nonoscillatory level. In some type 2 astrocytes, an initial spikelike transient similar to that in type 1 astrocytes was observed; the overall size of the spike, however, was smaller than in type 1 astrocytes. Two agonists for the ionotropic glutamate receptor, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) and kainate, elicited a 6-cyano-7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX)- sensitive, external Ca(2+)-dependent, sustained [Ca2+]i rise in type 2 but not type 1 astrocytes. The initial spike in type 2 astrocytes was less dependent on external Ca2+ and not blocked by CNQX. [Na+]i as measured by the Na(+)-fluorescence dye SBFI, was elevated by kainate in both astrocyte types, though the increase was larger in type 2 astrocytes. This increase was reduced by CNQX, suggesting this [Ca2+]i increase was mediated, at least in part, by ionotropic glutamate receptors. The results are discussed in terms of the relative distribution of two classes of glutamate receptors on these two astrocyte types: one, the ionotropic class, is linked directly to an ion channel, and the other, the metabotropic class, induces internal mobilization of Ca2+ via inositol phospholipid hydrolysis.
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

A group of pauci-immune vasculitides, characterized by neutrophil-rich necrotizing inflammation of small vessels and the presence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs), is referred to as ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). ANCAs against proteinase 3 (PR3) (PR3-ANCA) or myeloperoxidase (MPO) (MPO-ANCA) are found in over 90% of patients with active disease, and these ANCAs are implicated in the pathogenesis of AAV. Dying neutrophils surrounding the walls of small vessels are a histological hallmark of AAV. Traditionally, it has been assumed that these neutrophils die by necrosis, but neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have recently been visualized at the sites of vasculitic lesions. AAV patients also possess elevated levels of NETs in the circulation. ANCAs are capable of inducing NETosis in neutrophils, and their potential to do so has been shown to be affinity dependent and to correlate with disease activity. Neutrophils from AAV patients are also more prone to release NETs spontaneously than neutrophils from healthy blood donors. NETs contain proinflammatory proteins and are thought to contribute to vessel inflammation directly by damaging endothelial cells and by activating the complement system and indirectly by acting as a link between the innate and adaptive immune system through the generation of PR3- and MPO-ANCA. Injection of NET-loaded myeloid dendritic cells into mice results in circulating PR3- and MPO-ANCA and the development of AAV-like disease. NETs have also been shown to be essential in a rodent model of drug-induced vasculitis. NETs induced by propylthiouracil could not be degraded by DNaseI, implying that disordered NETs might be important for the generation of ANCAs. NET degradation was also highlighted in another study showing that AAV patients have reduced DNaseI activity resulting in less NET degradation. With this in mind, it might be that prolonged exposure to proteins in the NETs due to the overproduction of NETs and/or reduced clearance of NETs is important in AAV. However, not all ANCAs are pathogenic and some might possibly also aid in the clearance of NETs. A dual role for ANCAs in relation to circulating NET levels has been proposed because a negative correlation was observed between PR3-ANCA and NET remnants in patients in remission.
Virulence of the Phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. Maculicola Is rpoN Dependent

ABSTRACT We cloned the rpoN (ntrA andglnF) gene encoding ς54 from the phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola strain ES4326. The P. syringae ES4326 rpoN gene complemented Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella aerogenes rpoN mutants for a variety of rpoN mutant phenotypes, including the inability to utilize nitrate as sole nitrogen source. DNA sequence analysis of the P. syringae ES4326 rpoN gene revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence was most similar (86% identity; 95% similarity) to the ς54 protein encoded by thePseudomonas putida rpoN gene. A marker exchange protocol was used to construct an ES4326 rpoN insertional mutation,rpoN::Kmr. In contrast to wild-type ES4326, ES4326 rpoN::Kmr was nonmotile and could not utilize nitrate, urea, C4-dicarboxylic acids, several amino acids, or concentrations of ammonia below 2 mM as nitrogen sources.rpoN was essential for production of the phytotoxin coronatine and for expression of the structural genes encoding coronamic acid. In addition, ES4326rpoN::Kmr did not multiply or elicit disease symptoms when infiltrated into Arabidopsis thalianaleaves, did not elicit the accumulation of severalArabidopsis defense-related mRNAs, and did not elicit a hypersensitive response (HR) when infiltrated into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves. Furthermore, whereas P. syringae ES4326 carrying the avirulence gene avrRpt2elicited an HR when infiltrated into Arabidopsis ecotype Columbia leaves, ES4326 rpoN::Kmrcarrying avrRpt2 elicited no response. Constitutive expression of ES4326 hrpL in ES4326rpoN::Kmr partially restored defense-related mRNA accumulation, showing a direct role for thehrp cluster in host defense gene induction in a compatible host-pathogen interaction. However, constitutive expression ofhrpL in ES4326 rpoN::Kmrdid not restore coronatine production, showing that coronatine biosynthesis requires factors other than hrpL.
Viewpoint-Aware Representation for Sketch-Based 3D Model Retrieval

We study the problem of sketch-based 3D model retrieval, and propose a solution powered by a new query-to-model distance metric and a powerful feature descriptor based on the bag-of-features framework. The main idea of the proposed query-to-model distance metric is to represent a query sketch using a compact set of sample views (called basic views) of each model, and to rank the models in ascending order of the representation errors. To better differentiate between relevant and irrelevant models, the representation is constrained to be essentially a combination of basic views with similar viewpoints. In another aspect, we propose a mid-level descriptor (called BOF-JESC) which robustly characterizes the edge information within junction-centered patches, to extract the salient shape features from sketches or model views. The combination of the query-to-model distance metric and the BOF-JESC descriptor achieves effective results on two latest benchmark datasets.
Securing passwords from dictionary attack with character-tree

Most websites use passwords for authenticating user identity and for allowing access to website resources that may contain sensitive information. A large number of people use dictionary words for creating passwords. These user passwords are subjected to one-way hash functions and are stored inside the database as corresponding hash values instead of plaintext. A potential hacker can use brute-force, rainbow table or dictionary attacks to get the input password from the hash values and the most reported real life hacks were done by cracking password hashes using dictionary attack. Currently, users are allowed to register in websites only with passwords that obey the security policies. It is noted that, even though passwords with certain patterns are accepted as strong by the existing policies, they are vulnerable for a dictionary attack based on those patterns. This paper proposes a novel method for ensuring security for passwords against such dictionary attacks. This method, checks strength of the user passwords using a dictionary which is stored as a character tree. This system helps to create strong password hashes that are resistant to dictionary attacks. This approach thus offers advanced and superior protection for passwords from cracking attempts.
Polymethacrylate platforms with controllable surface properties for dengue virus detection / Samira Hosseini

This thesis presents an effective method for synthesis and processing of polymethylmethacrylate-co-methacrylic acid (PMMA-co-MAA) biochips with controlled surface properties aimed for successful detection of the Dengue virus (DV). By variation of synthesis reaction parameters and using spin-coating technique, different compositions of the PMMA-co-MAA coated biochips were prepared. Designed coated chips have been employed for surface immobilization of the Dengue antibody molecules and further detection of DV through antibody/antigen coupling. Biomolecule immobilization on the functionalized surfaces of the chips was performed via different techniques including: 1) physical adsorption of the antibody on the surface; 2) covalent immobilization of the antibody on the surface through carbodiimide chemistry; and 3) antibody immobilization via different sizes of the amine-bearing surface spacers, hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). Results have shown a higher detection signals generated from polymer coated biochips in comparison to the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Particularly, the presence of amine spacers on the surface enhanced the detection signal up to the considerable levels ( 8 times higher signal intensity than conventional method). Developed biochips in this study are privileged with strong and permanent presence of surface carboxyl (–COOH) groups that can be essential in successful protein immobilization and subsequent detection of the DV. Presented biochips have shown a great potential for future integration into the biodiagnostic tools such as microfluidic devices. Such protein-friendly platforms can be employed for detection of different types of viruses not just limited to DV.
Theorem 3.2 (explicit Extends Strong) Theorem 3.3 (explicit Negation and Wfsx) 3.2 Introducing Explicit Negation 3.3 Explicit and Strong Negation Compared 3 Explicit Negation Corollary 2.4 (strong vs. Default Negation) Proposition 2.1 for Any Positive Objective Formula

Because of the similarities between both negations, they are equivalent for the class of theories that capture the semantics of logic programs under Stable Models , whether they are extended with strong negation or with explicit negation (viz. Answer-Sets). Indeed, the result in Theorem 2.3 remains true regardless of whether \classical" negation is translated into strong negation or into explicit negation. For logic programs, explicit negation can be seen as an approximation to strong negation, in the sense that all consequences of a belief theory in AEBS remain true in AEBX after strong negation is replaced everywhere by explicit negation: Proposition 3.2 Let T s be a AEBS theory obtained from an extended logic program P with strong negation via the translation described in (Przymusinski 1994a), T x be the AEBX theory obtained from T s by replacing strong by explicit negation, and let T s be an expansion of T s. Then the theory T x , obtained from T s by replacing strong by explicit negation, is an expansion of T x. } Corollary 3.1 (Explicit Approximates Strong) Let T s and T x be as in Proposition 3.2. Then, if some formula F holds in every expansion of T x , F also holds in every expansion of T s. } Consequently, query evaluation procedures for explicit negation in logic programs can be used as sound query evaluation procedures for strong negation in logic programs 4. However those procedures are not complete for strong negation since, as shown by Examples 3.1 and 3.2, the converse of Corollary 3.1 is not true in general. Another result contrasting explicit and strong negation is: There is a one to one correspondence between expansions of an AEBS theory T s and expansions of the AEBX theory T x obtained by replacing in T s strong by explicit negation, and by adding, for every atom A, the clause: A :A. } 3.4 Explicit Negation and Logic Programming As with strong negation, the extension AEBX of AEB obtained by augmenting it with explicit negation immediately leads to the corresponding extensions of the major semantics for logic programs embeddable into AEB. As stated above, stable semantics augmented with explicit negation is equivalent to stable semantics with the so called \classical" negation of (Gelfond & Lifschitz 1990). The following result shows that the relevant logic program semantics WFSX (deened in (Pereira & 4 In the …
An adaptive multi-constraint partitioning algorithm for offloading in pervasive systems

Offloading is a kind of mechanism utilized in pervasive systems to leverage the severity of resource constraints of mobile devices by migrating part of the classes of a pervasive service/application to some resource-rich nearby surrogates. A pervasive service application needs to be partitioned prior to offloading. Such partitioning algorithms play a critical role in a high-performance offloading system. This paper proposes an adaptive (k+1) partitioning algorithm that partitions a given application into 1 unoffloadable partition and k offloadable partitions. Furthermore, these partitions satisfy the multiple constraints imposed by either application users or mobile device resources. Underpinning the partitioning algorithm is a dynamic multi-cost graph that models the costs of an application in terms of its component classes (including CPU cost, memory cost and communication cost), and a Heavy-Edge and Light-Vertex Matching (HELVM) algorithm to coarsen the multi-cost graph. An offloading toolkit implementing the above algorithms has been developed, upon which the evaluations are carried out. The outcomes of the evaluation have indicated a higher level of performance of our algorithm in terms of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness
Fun with semirings: a functional pearl on the abuse of linear algebra

Describing a problem using classical linear algebra is a very well-known problem-solving technique. If your question can be formulated as a question about real or complex matrices, then the answer can often be found by standard techniques. It's less well-known that very similar techniques still apply where instead of real or complex numbers we have a closed semiring, which is a structure with some analogue of addition and multiplication that need not support subtraction or division. We define a typeclass in Haskell for describing closed semirings, and implement a few functions for manipulating matrices and polynomials over them. We then show how these functions can be used to calculate transitive closures, find shortest or longest or widest paths in a graph, analyse the data flow of imperative programs, optimally pack knapsacks, and perform discrete event simulations, all by just providing an appropriate underlying closed semiring.
Microstructural evolution and piezoelectric properties of thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O_3 films deposited by the multi-sputtering method: Part II. Piezoelectric properties

Highly dense and crack-free Pb(Zr,Ti)O_3 (PZT) thick films with a controlled microstructure and orientation were deposited on a platinized silicon substrate by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method using a single oxide target. The microstructure and orientation of the films were adjusted by applying a thin (100) PZT seed layer by the sol-gel method and subsequent repeated sputtering. When a thin layer was deposited on the seed layer, the film had small grains with a columnar structure. However, as the film became thicker, it developed a large and non-columnar grain structure. Therefore, reducing the thickness of the film per deposition allowed the columnar microstructure to be maintained. The (100) orientation of the film was able to be maintained by depositing it on a (100) oriented seed layer. PZT thick films with controlled orientations and microstructures were successfully deposited up to a thickness of about 5 μm, and their ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were characterized.
Differential Multisite Phosphorylation of the Trehalose-6-phosphate Synthase Gene Family in Arabidopsis thaliana

Multisite protein phosphorylation plays a fundamental role in metabolic regulation. To detect and quantify in vitro kinase phosphorylation activities, we developed a highly selective LC-MS/MS-based method using high resolution multiple reaction monitoring on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. This method eliminates the need for stable isotope labeling and enables multiparallel kinase target assays. Using these assays, we made the first observation of in vitro phosphorylation of different trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) isozymes. TPSs possess putative Ca2+-independent, sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) phosphorylation sites. Sixteen synthetic peptides from six different Arabidopsis thaliana TPS isozymes containing the SnRK1 consensus recognition motif were phosphorylated simultaneously in vitro, and their phosphorylation dynamics were determined. We achieved absolute quantification of TPS peptide phosphorylation by tuning the mass spectrometer to the corresponding synthetic standard phosphopeptides. The selectivity of the mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring mode compensates for the low ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides in the presence of a complex matrix. Results are in close agreement with recent in vivo studies of TPS phosphorylation and regulation and reveal significant differences in the phosphorylation levels of different TPS members within the TPS gene family ranging over 3 orders of magnitude. Substituting EGTA for CaCl2 in the reaction mixture reduced the formation of some of the phospho-TPS peptides drastically, indicating that Ca2+-dependent kinases are active in the presence of Ca2+-independent SnRKs. This agrees with the proposed overlap of the consensus motifs of these kinases and enables delineation between Ca2+-independent and Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation. Results demonstrate that multiparallel kinase target assays are sensitive enough to provide evidence for differential multisite phosphorylation of homologous TPS proteins and their highly conserved putative phosphorylation sites.
Regional and progressive thinning of the cortical ribbon in Huntington’s disease

BackgroundHuntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal and progressive neurodegenerative disease that is accompanied by involuntary movements, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric symptoms. Although progressive striatal degeneration is known to occur, little is known about how the disease affects the cortex, including which cortical regions are affected, how degeneration proceeds, and the relationship of the cortical degeneration to clinical symptoms. The cortex has been difficult to study in neurodegenerative diseases primarily because of its complex folding patterns and regional variability; however, an understanding of how the cortex is affected by the disease may provide important new insights into it. MethodsNovel automated surface reconstruction and high-resolution MR images of 11 patients with HD and 13 age-matched subjects were used to obtain cortical thickness measurements. The same analyses were performed on two postmortem brains to validate these methods. ResultsRegionally specific heterogeneous thinning of the cortical ribbon was found in subjects with HD. Thinning occurred early, differed among patients in different clinical stages of disease, and appeared to proceed from posterior to anterior cortical regions with disease progression. The sensorimotor region was statistically most affected. Measurements performed on MR images of autopsy brains analyzed similarly were within 0.25 mm of those obtained using traditional neuropathologic methods and were statistically indistinguishable. ConclusionsThe authors propose that the cortex degenerates early in disease and that regionally selective cortical degeneration may explain the heterogeneity of clinical expression in HD. These measures might provide a sensitive prospective surrogate marker for clinical trials of neuroprotective medications.