Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiray Photogrammetry and Dense Image Matching Image Matching - Application of SGM

Dense matching of multiple overlapping aerial images can generate Digital Elevation Models at accuracies and densities, which could not be expected until recently. This increase in quality was mainly facilitated by the improved image quality as provided from digital airborne cameras and the development of suitable matching algorithms. Within the investigations presented in the paper, the Semi-Global Matching (SGM) stereo method is used for a pixel-wise matching in order to generate dense 3D point clouds. This matching is additionally combined with suitable filter algorithms, which exploit the redundancy of highly overlapping aerial images. By these means photogrammetric DEM generation is feasible at high quality. After a brief discussion of these algorithms the impact of different stereo configurations on the quality of the final outcome is evaluated. Within the investigations, special interest is paid to the combination of multiple stereo image pairs. As it will be demonstrated this can be used efficiently to increase the accuracy and reliability of the final matching results.
Solutions to Factored MDPs with Imprecise Transition Probabilities 1

When modeling real-world decision-theoretic planning problems in the Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework, it is often impossible to obtain a completely accurate estimate of transition probabilities. For example, natural uncertainty arises in the transition speciﬁcation due to elicitation of MDP transition models from an expert or estimation from data, or non-stationary transition distributions arising from insufﬁ-cient state knowledge. In the interest of obtaining the most robust policy under transition uncertainty, the Markov Decision Process with Imprecise Transition Probabilities (MDP-IPs) has been introduced to model such scenarios. Unfortunately, while various solution algorithms exist for MDP-IPs, they often require external calls to optimization routines and thus can be extremely time-consuming in practice. To address this deﬁciency, we introduce the factored MDP-IP and propose efﬁcient dynamic programming methods to exploit its structure. Noting that the key computational bottleneck in the solution of factored MDP-IPs is the need to repeatedly solve nonlinear constrained optimization problems, we show how to target approximation techniques to drastically reduce the computational overhead of the nonlinear solver while producing bounded, approximately optimal solutions. Our results show up to two orders of magnitude speedup in comparison to traditional “ﬂat” dynamic programming approaches and up to an order of magnitude speedup over the extension of factored MDP approximate value iteration techniques to MDP-IPs while producing the lowest error of any approximation algorithm evaluated.
Inter-AS Traffic Volume Reduction by Localizing Delivery for P2P Live Streaming

In recent years, there is a big demand for live streaming service over the Internet. As one of the service model, peer-to-peer (P2P) live streaming has been utilized. In the system, it is important to decrease inter-AS (Autonomous System) traffic volume and content delivery delay because the larger volume leads to higher transit cost of ASes and this system treats the live contents, respectively. Therefore, as a conventional peer selection algorithm that tries to decrease them, Minimum Physical Hop (MPH) has been proposed. In MPH, to decrease inter-AS traffic volume, a newly joining peer selects a providing peer with the minimum physical hop count, which is the minimum number of ASes between the providing peer and the newly joining peer. Furthermore, to decrease content delivery delay, if there are several such candidates, it selects a providing peer with the minimum logical hop count, which is the number of Origin Streaming Servers (OSS) or peers passed from an OSS to the peer, from the candidates. However, MPH shows high inter-AS traffic volume when the number of joining peers is large. When we use MPH, candidates for providing peer with large logical hop count tend to swarm in ASes without an OSS while those with small logical hop count do in ASes with an OSS because of the peer selection policy of MPH. As the number of joining peers becomes large, the logical hop counts of the candidates for providing peer in every AS increase. As a result, in the former ASes, the logical hop counts of all the candidates for providing peer reach the upper bound frequently, and the newly joining peer cannot often find its providing peer in the AS, and consequently have to select providing peers in different ASes. In this paper, we improve MPH in order to further decrease the inter-AS traffic volume. In the improved algorithm called Improved Minimum Physical Hop (IMPH), we try to decrease the volume by distributing providing peers with one logical hop count to many ASes. As a result of the evaluation, we show that IMPH achieves to reduce the inter-AS traffic volume by at a maximum of 38% compared to MPH under uniform peer generation distributions.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Seven Cases Treated with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Body dysmorphic disorder is an illness of generally chronic course which can lead to significant impairment of social functioning, unnecessary plastic surgery and even suicide. It is little understood and treatment regimens have been of uncertain efficacy. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a newly developed psychotherapeutic procedure used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, grief reactions and generalized anxiety. In this paper we describe its use in seven consecutive cases of body dysmorphic disorder. Improvements were obtained in six of the seven patients, five of whom had a complete resolution of their symptoms.
i-NVMM: A secure non-volatile main memory system with incremental encryption

Emerging technologies for building non-volatile main memory (NVMM) systems suffer from a security vulnerability where information lingers on long after the system is powered down, enabling an attacker with physical access to the system to extract sensitive information off the memory. The goal of this study is to find a solution for such a security vulnerability. We introduce i-NVMM, a data privacy protection scheme for NVMM, where the main memory is encrypted incrementally, i.e. different data in the main memory is encrypted at different times depending on whether the data is predicted to still be useful to the processor. The motivation behind incremental encryption is the observation that the working set of an application is much smaller than its resident set. By identifying the working set and encrypting remaining part of the resident set, i-NVMM can keep the majority of the main memory encrypted at all times without penalizing performance by much. Our experiments demonstrate promising results. i-NVMM keeps 78% of the main memory encrypted across SPEC2006 benchmarks, yet only incurs 3.7% execution time overhead, and has a negligible impact on the write endurance of NVMM, all achieved with a relatively simple hardware support in the memory module.
Structural Change and the Order of Integration in Univariate Time Series

In this article I investigate whether the presence of structural breaks affects inference on the order of integration in univariate time series. For this purpose, we make use of a version of the tests of Robinson (1994) which allows us to test unit and fractional roots in the presence of deterministic changes. Several Monte Carlo experiments conducted across the paper show that the tests perform relatively well in the presence of both mean and slope breaks. The tests are applied to annual data on German real GDP, the results showing that the series may be well described in terms of a fractional model with a structural slope break due to World War II.
Adaptive optimization for OpenCL programs on embedded heterogeneous systems

Heterogeneous multi-core architectures consisting of CPUs and GPUs are commonplace in today’s embedded systems. These architectures offer potential for energy efficient computing if the application task is mapped to the right core. Realizing such potential is challenging due to the complex and evolving nature of hardware and applications. This paper presents an automatic approach to map OpenCL kernels onto heterogeneous multi-cores for a given optimization criterion – whether it is faster runtime, lower energy consumption or a trade-off between them. This is achieved by developing a machine learning based approach to predict which processor to use to run the OpenCL kernel and the host program, and at what frequency the processor should operate. Instead of hand-tuning a model for each optimization metric, we use machine learning to develop a unified framework that first automatically learns the optimization heuristic for each metric off-line, then uses the learned knowledge to schedule OpenCL kernels at runtime based on code and runtime information of the program. We apply our approach to a set of representative OpenCL benchmarks and evaluate it on an ARM big.LITTLE mobile platform. Our approach achieves over 93% of the performance delivered by a perfect predictor.We obtain, on average, 1.2x, 1.6x, and 1.8x improvement respectively for runtime, energy consumption and the energy delay product when compared to a comparative heterogeneous-aware OpenCL task mapping scheme.
In vitro effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine and cisapride on the circular smooth muscle of the jejunum of horses.

OBJECTIVE To determine effects of cisapride and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on the jejunum of horses. SAMPLE POPULATION Jejunal muscle strips from 8 horses. PROCEDURE Muscle strips were suspended in isolated muscle baths. Isometric stress responses to 5-HT and cisapride, with and without specific antagonists, were determined. RESULTS Muscle strips incubated with atropine and tetrodotoxin responded to 5-HT and cisapride with an increase in contractile force. The 5-HT caused a concentration-dependent increase in contractile amplitude, with a maximum response (Emax) of 1,151+/-214 g/cm2 and a molar concentration that induces contractile force equal to 50% of maximum response (EC50) of 0.028+/-0.002 microM. Prior incubation with the 5-HT2 antagonist ketanserin decreased the Emax (626 +/-147 g/cm2) and potency (EC50, 0.307+/-0.105 microM) of 5-HT Prior incubation with the 5-HT3 antagonist tropisetron decreased the efficacy (Emax, 894+/-184 g/cm2) to 5-HT Cisapride also caused a concentration-dependent increase in contractile amplitude, with an Emax of 331+/-82 g/cm2 and an EC50 of 0.302+/-0.122 microM. Prior incubation with ketanserin decreased the Emax (55+/-17 g/cm2) and potency (EC50, 0.520+/-0.274 microM) of cisapride. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Stimulatory effects of 5-HT and cisapride on circular smooth muscle of equine jejunum are mediated primarily through a noncholinergic effect. The effects of 5-HT are mediated, at least partially, by 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors, whereas the effects of cisapride are mediated primarily by 5-HT2 receptors. This may impact treatment of horses with postoperative ileus.
Inflammatory and immune responses in the cochlea: potential therapeutic targets for sensorineural hearing loss

The inner ear was previously assumed to be an “immune-privileged” organ due to the existence of its tight junction-based blood-labyrinth barrier. However, studies performed during the past decade revealed that the mesenchymal region of the cochlea, including its lateral wall, is a common site of inflammation. Neutrophils do not enter this region, which is consistent with the old dogma; however, bone marrow-derived resident macrophages are always present in the spiral ligament of the lateral wall and are activated in response to various types of insults, including noise exposure, ischemia, mitochondrial damage, and surgical stress. Recent studies have also revealed another type of immune cell, called perivascular melanocyte-like macrophages (PVM/Ms), in the stria vascularis. These dedicated antigen-presenting cells also control vascular contraction and permeability. This review discusses a series of reports regarding inflammatory/immune cells in the cochlear lateral wall, the pathways involved in cochlear damage and their potential as therapeutic targets.
A New Virus Isolated from Salmonid Fish

An undescribed virus was isolated from the brain of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), iwana (Salvelinus pluvius), rainbow trout (O. mykiss) and ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis), and ovarian fluid of masu salmon (O. masou) cultured in the northern part of Japan. The virus was isolated from both juveniles and adult fishes. Diseased fish showed abnormal swimming movement and were lethargic. The virus replicated, inducing cytopathic effects and lysis in susceptible cell lines at temperatures of 5 to 25°C. Persistent infection was observed in several fish cell lines. The virus particles were enveloped, and were icosahedral in shape with about 80 nm in diameter with a central electron-dense core. The virus was replicated with IUdR and BVdU, and inclusion bodies in the infected cells were stained with acridine orange. The virus density was 1.155g/ml and the viral RNA was 7.3kb in length. The virus was stable to pH, diethyl ether and chloroform. The virus was not neutralized by antisera against known 6 fish viruses.
Additive Protection of the Ischemic Heart Ex Vivo by Combined Treatment With &dgr;-Protein Kinase C Inhibitor and &egr;-Protein Kinase C Activator

Background—Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a major role in cardioprotection from ischemia/reperfusion injury. Using an HIV-1 Tat protein–derived peptide to mediate rapid and efficient transmembrane delivery of peptide regulators of PKC translocation and function, we examined the cardioprotective effect of selective &dgr;-PKC inhibitor (&dgr;V1-1) and &egr;-PKC activator (&psgr;&egr;RACK) peptides for ischemia/reperfusion damage in isolated perfused rat hearts. Furthermore, we examined the protective effects of these PKC isozymes in isolated perfused hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion damage using transgenic mice expressing these peptides specifically in their cardiomyocytes. Methods and Results—In isolated perfused rat hearts, administration of &dgr;V1-1 but not &psgr;&egr;RACK during reperfusion improved cardiac function and decreased creatine phosphokinase release. In contrast, pretreatment with &psgr;&egr;RACK but not &dgr;V1-1, followed by a 10-minute washout before ischemia/reperfusion, also improved cardiac function and decreased creatine phosphokinase release. Furthermore, administration of &psgr;&egr;RACK before ischemia followed by &dgr;V1-1 during reperfusion only conferred greater cardioprotective effects than that obtained by each peptide treatment alone. Both the &dgr;-PKC inhibitor and &egr;-PKC activator conferred cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in transgenic mice expressing these peptides in the heart, and coexpression of both peptides conferred greater cardioprotective effects than that obtained by the expression of each peptide alone. Conclusions—&dgr;-PKC inhibitor prevents reperfusion injury, and &egr;-PKC activator mimics ischemic preconditioning. Furthermore, treatment with both peptides confers additive cardioprotective effects. Therefore, these peptides mediate cardioprotection by regulating ischemia/reperfusion damage at distinct time points.
Propensity score‐based diagnostics for categorical response regression models

For binary or categorical response models, most goodness‐of‐fit statistics are based on the notion of partitioning the subjects into groups or regions and comparing the observed and predicted responses in these regions by a suitable chi‐squared distribution. Existing strategies create this partition based on the predicted response probabilities, or propensity scores, from the fitted model. In this paper, we follow a retrospective approach, borrowing the notion of balancing scores used in causal inference to inspect the conditional distribution of the predictors, given the propensity scores, in each category of the response to assess model adequacy. We can use this diagnostic under both prospective and retrospective sampling designs, and it may ascertain general forms of misspecification. We first present simple graphical and numerical summaries that can be used in a binary logistic model. We then generalize the tools to propose model diagnostics for the proportional odds model. We illustrate the methods with simulation studies and two data examples: (i) a case‐control study of the association between cumulative lead exposure and Parkinson's disease in the Boston, Massachusetts, area and (ii) and a cohort study of biomarkers possibly associated with diabetes, from the VA Normative Aging Study. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A twin study of genetic and environmental contributions to gender differences in traits delineating personality disorder

The present study applied biometric genetic analyses to determine whether traits delineating personality disorders are influenced by gender‐specific genetic and environmental influences. The sample consisted of 681 volunteer general population twin pairs (128 monozygotic male, 208 monozygotic female, 75 dizygotic males, 174 dizygotic females, and 96 dizygotic opposite‐sex pairs). All twin pairs completed the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology (DAPP‐BQ) which yields 18 basic and four high‐order dimensions of personality dysfunction. Heritability analyses showed that all dimensions except Submissiveness in males, and Cognitive Dysfunction, Compulsivity, Conduct Problems, Suspiciousness, and Self‐harm in females were significantly heritable. Sex‐by‐genotype analyses suggested that the genetic influences underlying all but four DAPP‐BQ dimensions (Stimulus Seeking, Callousness, Rejection, and Insecure Attachment) were specific to each gender, whereas the influence of the environment was found to be the same in both genders across all dimensions. All four higher‐order dimensions were also heritable across sex and in common to both genders except female dissocial personality dimensions in females, for which no heritable basis was found. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gene Silencing without DNA: RNA-Mediated Cross-Protection between Viruses

Previously, it was shown that the upper leaves of plants infected with nepoviruses and caulimoviruses are symptom free and contain reduced levels of virus. These leaves are said to be recovered. Recovery is associated with RNA-mediated cross-protection against secondary virus infection. Here, by analyzing plants infected with viruses that are quite distinct from the nepovirus or caulimovirus groups, we demonstrate that this RNA-mediated defense is a general response to virus infection. Upon infection with a tobravirus, plants exhibited RNA-mediated cross-protection and recovery, as occurs in nepovirus-infected plants. However, upon infection with a potexvirus, plants exhibited RNA-mediated cross-protection without recovery. In both instances, a transient gene expression assay showed that RNA-mediated cross-protection was functionally equivalent to post-transcriptional gene silencing. Combined, these data provide direct evidence that post-transcriptional gene silencing of nuclear genes is a manifestation of a natural defense mechanism that is induced by a wide range of viruses.
Real-Time Face Detection

Motivation: Most object detection tasks in computer vision are computationally extensive because of a) the large amount of input data that has to be processed and b) the use of complex classifiers that are robust against pose and illumination changes. Speeding-up the classification is therefore of major concern when developing systems for real-world applications. We investigate two methods for speed-ups [8]: feature reduction and hierarchical classification.
Drug resistance of bacteria commensal with Drosophila melanogaster in laboratory cultures.

Contamination of Drosophila cultures with a gram-negative bacterium resistant to multiple antibiotics was encountered. Isolation of the bacterium and evaluation of sensitivity to distinct classes of antibiotic proved necessary for eradication. A plasmid conferring resistance to ampicillin was recovered after transformation into E. coli. DNA sequencing supported a laboratory origin for the plasmid, but found no evidence for horizontal transfer to bacteria from transgenic fruitflies.
Professional as Agent: Knowledge Asymmetry in Agency Exchange

In this article I examine those business exchanges in which firms hire professional service organizations and give them limited decisionmaking authority to perform knowledge-intensive tasks. I frame such exchanges within agency theory perspective and invoke the extant literature on professions to delineate several attributes that make principal-professional exchanges intrinsically distinct from others. such as owner-manager agency. In doing so. I question and complement same key assumptions in agency theory and also discuss explicitly how the study of principal-professional exchanges helps highlight important considerations not addressed in the mainstream theory. I then present an expanded framework that integrates agency theory and the literature on the professions and present several propositions to outline four types of restraints on potential opportunistic behavior of professional agents; (1) self-control, (2) community control, (3) bureaucratic control, and (4) client control. The article ends with t.
Psychometric Properties of the Revised Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire

The Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) is a parent-completed measure designed to identify subtle motor problems in children of 8 to 14.6 years of age. The purpose of this study was to extend the lower age range to children aged 5 to 7 years, revise items to ensure clarity, develop new scoring, and evaluate validity of the revised questionnaire. Additional items with improved wording were generated by an expert panel. Analyses of internal consistency, factor loading, and qualitative/quantitative feedback from researchers, clinicians, and parents were used to select 15 items with the strongest psychometric properties. Internal consistency was high (alpha =. 94). The expanded questionnaire was completed by the parents of 287 children, aged 5–15 years, who were typically developing. Logistic regression modeling was used to generate separate cutoff scores for three age groups (overall sensitivity = 85%, specificity = 71%). The revised DCDQ was then compared to other standardized measures in a sample of 232 children referred for therapy services. Differences in scores between children with and without DCD (p <. 001) provide evidence of construct validity. Correlations between DCDQ scores and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (r =. 55) and Test of Visual-Motor Integration (r =. 42) scores support concurrent validity. The results provide evidence that the revised DCDQ is a valid clinical screening tool for DCD.