Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tensor completion via functional smooth component deflation

For the matrix/tensor completion problem with very high missing ratio, the standard local (e.g., patch, probabilistic, and smoothness) and global (e.g., low-rank) structure-based methods do not work well. To address this issue, we proposed to use local and global data structures at the same time by applying a novel functional smooth PARAFAC decomposition model for the tensor completion. This decomposition model is constructed as a sum of the outer product of functional smooth component vectors, which are represented by linear combinations of smooth basis functions. A new algorithm was developed by applying greedy deflation and smooth rank-one tensor decomposition. Our extensive experiments demonstrated the high performance and advantages of our algorithm in comparison to existing state-of-the-art methods.
Historical and Implied Measures of "Value at Risk": The DM and Yen Case

“Value at risk” is a measure of corporations’ and banking institutions’ sensitivity to market price movements. This measure has been adopted as a global capital adequacy standard. Since value at risk management is a portfolio application, value at risk measurement requires standard deviation and correlation estimates. Following price value at risk convention, we analyze ex-post dollar/mark and dollar/yen log exchange rate change sample standard deviations and dollar/mark-dollar/yen log exchange rate change sample correlations. To examine the information content of ex-ante standard deviation and correlation estimates, we use historical based forecasts, as well as option implied forecasts Among historical forecasts, we examine simple lagged monthly sample statistics, a proposed weighted moving average alternative, and a rolling bivariate GARCH(1,1) forecast. The option implied covariance parameter forecasts are derived from the unique Philadelphia Stock Exchangetraded currency and cross-currency options: dollar/mark, dollar/yen and yen/mark. We document very strong auto-correlation in the standard deviation and correlation estimates. Faced with the possibility of integrated variables in our forecasting regressions, we use the robust Stock-Watson (1993) estimation method. Among the evaluated forecast methods, only the GARCH(1,1)-based estimator fails to indicate significance. The historical and implied covariance dynamics suggest specific concern with "covariance value at risk. " In this context, we document a positive correlation between changes in mark and yen implied volatility estimates and yen/mark implied correlation estimates. This relationship indicates the pricing of increased covariance value at risk (less dollar-denominated diversification) as dollar/mark and dollar/yen option prices increase.
A link failure aware routing algorithm for Networks-on-Chip in nano technologies

As nanotechnology scales down, the reliability issues are becoming more crucial, especially for Network-on-Chip (NoC) which must provide the communication requirements of Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MP-SoC) even in presence of faults. In this paper we present a low cost faulty-link-tolerant routing algorithm through dynamic reconfiguration when the regular mesh topology is altered by faulty links. This algorithm is a reconfigurable extension of deterministic routing algorithms and is deadlock free by prohibiting a few turns. The performance and total energy consumption overheads which are very small under the low loads are evaluated through appropriate simulations.
VOCAL-BASED MUSICAL GENRE CLASSIFICATION

Musical genres are labels assigned to pieces of music. Features of a genre generally include lyrical structure, rhythmic structure, instrumentation, and harmonic content. In recent years, efforts have been made to classify genres of music using machine learning techniques on the above mentioned aspects of a song. Our project attempts to find what audio features are more important when classifying vocal tracks into different genres. Two vocal datasets are examined: one containing Indian vocal genres with no accompaniment, and another with accompaniment filtered out with the help of a recent vocal separation technique.
Recurring Ethanol Exposure Induces Disinhibited Courtship in Drosophila

Alcohol has a strong causal relationship with sexual arousal and disinhibited sexual behavior in humans; however, the physiological support for this notion is largely lacking and thus a suitable animal model to address this issue is instrumental. We investigated the effect of ethanol on sexual behavior in Drosophila. Wild-type males typically court females but not males; however, upon daily administration of ethanol, they exhibited active intermale courtship, which represents a novel type of behavioral disinhibition. The ethanol-treated males also developed behavioral sensitization, a form of plasticity associated with addiction, since their intermale courtship activity was progressively increased with additional ethanol experience. We identified three components crucial for the ethanol-induced courtship disinhibition: the transcription factor regulating male sex behavior Fruitless, the ABC guanine/tryptophan transporter White and the neuromodulator dopamine. fruitless mutant males normally display conspicuous intermale courtship; however, their courtship activity was not enhanced under ethanol. Likewise, white males showed negligible ethanol-induced intermale courtship, which was not only reinstated but also augmented by transgenic White expression. Moreover, inhibition of dopamine neurotransmission during ethanol exposure dramatically decreased ethanol-induced intermale courtship. Chronic ethanol exposure also affected a male's sexual behavior toward females: it enhanced sexual arousal but reduced sexual performance. These findings provide novel insights into the physiological effects of ethanol on sexual behavior and behavioral plasticity.
A receptor-like protein RMC is involved in regulation of iron acquisition in rice

Iron (Fe) is one of the essential mineral elements for plant growth and development. Acquisition of Fe by plants is mediated by a complex network involving Fe mobilization, uptake by root cells, and transport within plants. Here, we evaluated the role of a previously clarified gene encoding a receptor-like protein from rice, OsRMC, in the regulation of Fe acquisition by comparing Fe concentration, biomass, and expression patterns of genes associated with Fe mobilization and transport in wild-type (WT) rice with those in OsRMC overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown transgenic rice plants. Expression of OsRMC was upregulated in both shoots and roots upon exposure of WT to Fe-deficient medium. Expression levels of OsRMC were positively correlated with Fe concentration in rice plants under both Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient conditions such that overexpression and RNAi lines had higher and lower Fe concentration in both roots and shoots than WT plants, respectively. Moreover, overexpression of OsRMC conferred greater accumulation of Fe in mature seeds under Fe-sufficient conditions. OsRMC may also play a role in regulation of Fe deficiency-induced changes in root growth, as evidenced by greater and smaller root systems of OsRMC overexpression lines and RNAi lines than WT under Fe-deficient conditions, respectively. Several Fe deficiency-responsive genes including OsDMAS1, OsNAS1, OsNAS2, OsNAAT1, OsIRT1, OsYSL15, and OsIRO2 were up- and downregulated in OsRMC-overexpressing and RNAi plants compared with WT rice plants. These novel findings highlight an important role of OsRMC played in mediation of Fe acquisition and root growth in rice, particularly under Fe-deficient conditions.
An iterative classification method of 2D CT head data based on statistical and spatial information

An iterative classification method developed for 2D CT head data classification problem and using both statistical and spatial information is introduced in this paper. The method reduces the chance of misclassification, preserving the contiguity of tissue classes. This method is minimally supervised so that it enforces a relation between tissues and classes. In later iterations high-confidence points are used to help classify nearby ambiguous points, based on the assumption that points in close proximity and of comparable intensities are probably representing the same tissue class.
Government finances and economic growth: a policy perspective on the developing economy of Sri Lanka

In this paper, we analyse the fiscal policy orientation of the developing economy of Sri Lanka in the context of the growth performance of the economy during the period 1975-2000, using an integrated input-output and macroeconometric model. The paper draws upon the Government’s policy approach towards faster economic growth. The empirical findings show that the Government’s budget deficits are not primarily the result of an excess of consumption over revenue. Rather, other current expenses, such as Government transfers and interest payments, have been the main cause of the country’s mounting public debt. The proportion of Government investment in total Government outlays has declined over time. This could be a major obstacle to economic growth. At the same time, the Government’s recurring budget deficits have led to an escalating national debt, and the monetization of deficits has created inflationary pressures. In order to arrest these trends and encourage economic growth, reducing the current deficits in the Government budgets is imperative. Domestic private investment, foreign direct investment and Government investment have to be combined as complementary forces to ensure rapid economic growth in the country.
Studies of fibronectin matrices in living cells with fluoresceinated gelatin

We have used fluorescein isosthiocyanate-conjugated gelatin (FITC- gelatin) (1 mg/ml) to localize cell surface fibronectin in unfixed live cells in cultures. FITC-gelatin stains the fibronectin matrix on primary cultures of rat and chick embryo fibroblasts as well as untransformed, established cell lines. In live cultured cells, fibronectin in many areas of the extracellular matrix is inaccessible to antibody and cannot be visualized by immunofluorescence staining. In contrast, fibronectin in these areas is fully stainable by FITC- gelatin. At a low concentration (20 micrograms/ml), FITC-gelatin stains the fibronectin matrix of primary cultured cells but not of "untransformed" established cell lines. SEM can detect only the matrix stainable with the low concentration of FITC-gelatin, such as that expressed by primary chick embryo fibroblasts. The binding of fibronectin to the extracellular matrix is very stable and FITC-gelatin remained bound to the matrix for at least 10 d in culture. Radioiodinated gelatin has been used to quantitate the level of cell surface fibronectin in living normal and transformed cells. FITC- gelatin appears to be a useful probe for studying the fibronectin of living cells in culture.
Stimulation induced variability of pulse plethysmography does not discriminate responsiveness to intubation.

BACKGROUND Hypnotic depth but not haemodynamic response to painful stimulation can be measured with various EEG-based anaesthesia monitors. We evaluated the variation of pulse plethysmography amplitude induced by an electrical tetanic stimulus (PPG variation) as a potential measure for analgesia and predictor of haemodynamic responsiveness during general anaesthesia. METHODS Ninety-five patients, ASA I or II, were randomly assigned to five groups [Group 1: bispectral index (BIS) (range) 40-50, effect site remifentanil concentration 1 ng ml(-1);Group 2: BIS 40-50, remifentanil 2 ng ml(-1); Group 3: BIS 40-50, remifentanil 4 ng ml(-1); Group 4: BIS 25-35, remifentanil 2 ng ml(-1); Group 5: BIS 55-65, remifentanil 2 ng ml(-1)]. A 60 mA tetanic stimulus was applied for 5 s on the ulnar nerve. From the digitized pulse oximeter wave recorded on a laptop computer, linear and non-linear parameters of PPG variation during the 60 s period after stimulation were computed. The haemodynamic response to subsequent orotracheal intubation was recorded. The PPG variation was compared between groups and between responders and non-responders to intubation (anova). Variables independently predicting the response were determined by logistic regression. RESULTS The probability of a response to tracheal intubation was 0.77, 0.47, 0.05, 0.18 and 0.52 in Groups 1-5, respectively (P<0.03). The PPG variability was significantly higher in responders than in non-responders but it did not improve the prediction of the response to tracheal intubation based on BIS level and effect site remifentanil concentration. CONCLUSION Tetanic stimulation induced PPG variation does not reflect the analgesic state in a wide clinical range of surgical anaesthesia.
Terrain Toe and Crest Feature Detection and Labelling for Autonomous Mining

This paper is concerned with the development of a method to detect and label specific features in terrain models for applications in autonomous mining. In the context of mining, the key features of interest are edges known as toes and crests. These are important features in open-pit mining since they provide a way to verify the current shape of the mines. A combination of clustering and classification is used to detect and label these regions. k -means clustering is used to group similar regions together with respect to the inclination. The edges to these regions are then located. Finally, the located regions are classified using a support vector machine trained with a number of manually classified edges to belong to the correct class. Data gathered from a production iron ore mine in Western Australia is used to demonstrate the proposed method for detecting features of interest. The results show that most edges are successfully found and the classifier is able to identify the toes and crests correctly.
1 1 2 Similar adaptation effects in primary visual cortex and area MT of the macaque monkey under 3 matched stimulus conditions 4 5 6

1 2 Similar adaptation effects in primary visual cortex and area MT of the macaque monkey under 3 matched stimulus conditions 4 5 6 Carlyn A. Patterson, Jacob Duijnhouwer, Stephanie C Wissig, Bart Krekelberg, and Adam 7 Kohn 8 9 1 – Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience 10 2 – Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 11 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY 10461 12 3 – Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New 13 Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07102 14 15 16 Running title: Adaptation effects in V1 and MT 17 18 19 Corresponding Author: Adam Kohn 20 Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience 21 Albert Einstein College of Medicine 22 Kennedy 822 23 1410 Pelham Pkwy S 24 Bronx NY 10461 25 email: adam.kohn@einstein.yu. edu 26 phone: 718-430-2417 27 fax: 718-430-8821 28 29 30 20 text pages, 7 figures 31 32 33 34 Conflict of interest: None 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (EY016774 44 and EY017605) and Research to Prevent Blindness. CA Patterson and SC Wissig were supported 45 in part by an NIH MSTP training grant (T32-GM007288). We thank Amin Zandvakili, Xiaoxuan 46 Jia, and Seiji Tanabe for assistance with data collection. 47 Articles in PresS. J Neurophysiol (December 26, 2013). doi:10.1152/jn.00030. 2013
A Light-Pointing Method for Virtual Object Selection and Manioulation in A Monoscopic Viewing System

Virtual object selection and re-location are two basic object manipulations that can be found in most VR/VE applications. Many interaction metaphors have been developed for object manipulation in VR/VE environments. Of particular interest is the ray-casting method. The method applies a light ray metaphor in selecting and moving a virtual object. However, the method implicitly requires a stereoscopic viewing system to be efficiently use. With a monoscopic viewing system, inefficiency of the method in terms of task completion time is demonstrated in this paper. For a system using a monoscopic viewing device, a light-pointing method based on a laser-pointer metaphor is proposed to alleviate the shortcoming of the original ray-casting method. Compared with the ray-casting method, it was found from the experiment that the proposed method is noticeably more efficient in terms of task completion time
Software defined wireless network testbed using Raspberry Pi of switches with routing add-on

In this demo, we implement a realtime testbed for Software Defined Wireless Networks (SDWN) by using Raspberry Pi as OpenFlow (OF) Switches. The implemented testbed provides practical development and testing environment for SDWNs. Moreover, we use OpenDayLight to observe the flows and events in the network. With OpenDayLight integration, we easily provide detailed analysis results for any testing process. Additionally, we develop a traffic aware routing algorithm add-on which manages the flows w.r. t. their QoS requirements. Finally, we physically implement the proposed routing algorithm to our testbed and validate the improvements of traffic aware routing such as controller response time and network utilization.
An XOR-based erasure-resilient coding scheme

An (m; n; b; r)-erasure-resilient coding scheme consists of an encoding algorithm and a decoding algorithm with the following properties. The encoding algorithm produces a set of n packets each containing b bits from a message of m packets containing b bits. The decoding algorithm is able to recover the message from any set of r packets. Erasure-resilient codes have been used to protect real-time traac sent through packet based networks against packet losses. In this paper we describe a erasure-resilient coding scheme that is based on a version of Reed-Solomon codes and which has the property that r = m: Both the encoding and decoding algorithms run in quadratic time and have been customized to give the rst real-time implementations of Priority Encoding Transmission (PET) 2],,1] for medium quality video transmission on Sun SPARCstation 20 workstations.
New scenarios of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in the Orinoco region of Colombia

Rhodnius prolixus, a blood-sucking triatomine with domiciliary anthropophilic habits, is the main vector of Chagas disease. The current paradigm of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in Columbia includes a sylvatic and domiciliary cycle co-existing with domestic and sylvatic populations of reservoirs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the population densities and relative abundance of triatomines and mammals that may be involved in the sylvatic cycle of Chagas disease to clarify the epidemiological scenario in an endemic area in the province of Casanare. Insect vectors on Attalea butyracea palms were captured using both manual searches and bait traps. The capture of mammals was performed using Sherman and Tomahawk traps. We report an infestation index of 88.5% in 148 palms and an index of T. cruzi natural infection of 60.2% in 269 dissected insects and 11.9% in 160 captured mammals. High population densities of triatomines were observed in the sylvatic environment and there was a high relative abundance of reservoirs in the area, suggesting a stable enzootic cycle. We found no evidence of insect domiciliation. Taken together, these observations suggest that eco-epidemiological factors shape the transmission dynamics of T. cruzi, creating diverse scenarios of disease transmission.
Enhancing efficiency of enterprise digital rights management

Most of private enterprises and governmental institutions are in an increasing need for enterprise-oriented digital rights management (E-DRM) schemes. E-DRM schemes provide protection to digital contents that contain corporates' sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access to these data. Previous work proposed a storage reliable and efficient E-DRM systems based on the information dispersal algorithm. In this paper, we propose a computationally enhanced information dispersal and reconstruction algorithms. We achieve significant reduction in the computational complexity without affecting the E-DRM system security and with comparable storage requirements.
A Predictive Shutdown Technique for GPU Shader Processors

As technology continues to shrink, reducing leakage is critical to achieve energy efficiency. Previous works on low-power GPU (graphics processing unit) focus on techniques for dynamic power reduction, such as DVFS (Dynamic Voltage/Frequency Scaling) and clock gating. In this paper, we explore the potential of adopting architecture-level power gating techniques for leakage reduction on GPU. In particular, we focus on the most power-hungry components, shader processors. We observe that, due to different scene complexity, the required shader resources to satisfy the target frame rate actually vary across frames. Therefore, we propose the predictive shader shutdown technique to exploit workload variation across frames for leakage reduction on shader processors. The experimental results show that predictive shader shutdown achieves up to 46% leakage reduction on shader processors with negligible performance degradation.
Poster abstract: MARS: A muscle activity recognition system using inertial sensors

We present MARS, a muscle activity recognition system that uses inertial sensors to capture the vibrations of active mus-cles. Specifically, we show how accelerometer data capturing these vibrations in the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles of the human leg, can be leveraged to create muscle vibration signatures. We finally show that these vibration signatures can be used to distinguish these muscles from each other with greater than 85% precision and recall.
Sensitivity to optic flow in human cortical areas MT and MST

The macaque V5/MT complex comprises several sub‐regions but little is known of their human homologues. We examined human V5/MT with fMRI in terms of specificity to optic flow stimuli, a key characteristic of macaque MST. Stimuli were large fields of moving dots, forming coherent global flow patterns. Random motion was used as a control. Retinotopic mapping was also conducted. The previously suggested existence of at least two distinct sub‐regions, MT and MST, within the V5/MT complex was confirmed. Human MT is activated about equally by all moving dot patterns, including random motion, suggesting that it has little sensitivity to global flow structure. As previously described, this region shows strong signs of retinotopic organization and is only weakly activated by stimuli confined to the ipsilateral hemifield. In human MST, located immediately anterior to MT and strongly driven by ipsilateral stimuli, activation varies markedly with optic flow structure. The strongest activation is produced by complex flow that contains multiple flow components (expansion, contraction and rotation). Single components produce rather less response, while rigid translation and random motion produce less still. The results suggest that human MST is strongly specialized for encoding global flow properties, while human MT is less so.