Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural Language in Dialogue Systems . A Case Study on a Medical Application

The effective acquisition of information, along with the comprehensive dialogue system’s response, happen to be of great importance in the medical applications domain, where accuracy of information is essential and users are usually inexperienced and unwilling to participate in long, exhausting interactions. The use of natural language is a promising idea since it is direct, natural for the humans and does not require any special training. Our effort presents a natural language interaction system, developed by Hellenic partners and utilized with success in the medical domain of pneumonia treatment. Experimental results and comparisons with other approaches tabulate improvement in time response as well as in the correctness of the answers. The evaluation of the method was made using a group of 20 persons of different specialties (medical stuff/doctors/computer users/students) which were already informed about how to use the system and each one supplied 25 different questions.
The Ediacaran emergence of bilaterians: congruence between the genetic and the geological fossil records

Unravelling the timing of the metazoan radiation is crucial for elucidating the macroevolutionary processes associated with the Cambrian explosion. Because estimates of metazoan divergence times derived from molecular clocks range from quite shallow (Ediacaran) to very deep (Mesoproterozoic), it has been difficult to ascertain whether there is concordance or quite dramatic discordance between the genetic and geological fossil records. Here, we show using a range of molecular clock methods that the major pulse of metazoan divergence times was during the Ediacaran, which is consistent with a synoptic reading of the Ediacaran macrobiota. These estimates are robust to changes in priors, and are returned with or without the inclusion of a palaeontologically derived maximal calibration point. Therefore, the two historical records of life both suggest that although the cradle of Metazoa lies in the Cryogenian, and despite the explosion of ecology that occurs in the Cambrian, it is the emergence of bilaterian taxa in the Ediacaran that sets the tempo and mode of macroevolution for the remainder of geological time.
A numerical MHD model for the solar tachocline

There are successful approaches to explain the formation of the tachocline by a poloidal magnetic field in the solar core. We present here the first MHD simulations of the solar tachocline which self-consistently include the meridional circulation. We show that the meridional flow significantly changes the shape and the characteristics of the tachocline. We find that after the inclusion of the meridional circulation, a tachocline can be formed even when the poloidal field lines are crossing the boundary between the radiative zone and the convection zone. We also discuss the effects of the magnetic Prandtl number as well as of the magnetic Reynolds number on the properties of the tachocline. The tachocline is much thinner for higher magnetic Reynolds numbers and/or lower magnetic Prandtl numbers. We expect that a poloidal magnetic seed field of around 1 G will be sufficient to produce the tachocline of the Sun. However, the model requires the initial magnetic field to be in a narrow range for satisfying tachocline solutions. The simulations including a stable temperature gradient produce a shallower as well as slower meridional circulation than the ones without it, as desired from the Lithium abundance at the solar surface.
Lyα versus X-ray heating in the high-z intergalactic medium

In this paper, we examine the effect of X-ray and Lyα photons on the intergalactic medium (IGM) temperature. We calculate the photon production from a population of stars and micro-quasars in a set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations which self-consistently follow the dark matter dynamics, radiative processes as well as star formation, black hole (BH) growth and associated feedback processes. We find that (i) IGM heating is always dominated by X-rays unless the Lyα photon contribution from stars in objects with mass M < 10 8 M ⊙ becomes significantly enhanced with respect to the X-ray contribution from BHs in the same halo (which we do not directly model). (ii) Without overproducing the unresolved X-ray background, the gas temperature becomes larger than the CMB temperature, and thus an associated 21-cm signal should be expected in emission, at z ≲ 11.5. We discuss how in such a scenario the transition redshift between a 21-cm signal in absorption and in emission could be used to constraint BHs accretion and associated feedback processes.
FORMULATING THE PERFECTLY MATCHED LAYER AS A CONTROL OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM

In many applications where an unbounded solution of a wave-like equation is desired, the problem occurs that due to limited computational capabilities the domain has to be truncated at some point. To let the solution of this confined domain approximate the freewave propagation, boundary conditions with absorbing properties have to be applied. The work by Engquist and Majda [1] addressed this issue and absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) were derived which worked well under certain circumstances. The technique to surround the computational domain with a perfectly matched layer was first described by Berenger [2] for the absorption of electromagnetic waves. The idea of the perfectly matched layer was later extended and applied to other wave propagation problems, both in a split or un-split field formulation [3] [4] and was interpreted in terms of a ”complex-coordinate stretching” [5]. The PML performs well even in dispersive media, but the design process involves a high mathematical effort due to a transformation of the spatial derivatives. With a high order of spatial derivatives, as it is the case for the Euler-Bernoulli beam, this becomes a tedious task. This work aims to find a constant state-feedback controller which is capable of emulating PML properties, thus avoiding the transformation of the partial differential equations.
Elimination of electrolytic capacitor in LED power supplies by two-phase driving approach

A two-phase driving approach for light-emitting-diode (LED) applications is proposed in this paper. In the approach, two rectangular AC sources are employed so that the output current ripple can be significantly reduced. It leads to the elimination of electrolytic capacitor from the driver circuit. The approach is realised by a dual asymmetrical half-bridge converter with LEDs as the load. Considering the mandatory lighting standard for an AC/DC LED driver, the half-bridges are preceded by a valley-fill circuit for meeting the input power factor (PF) and current harmonic distortion requirements. Unlike other existing interleaved LED drivers that can only obtain low current ripples in certain operating points, the proposed approach can maintain a constant output current at all times even under large duty cycle dynamics due to the use of a valley-fill circuit. To validate the feasibility of the proposed approach, a 13 W prototype is built and tested experimentally.
Computer Simulation of Complex Reactions in a Non-isothermal Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor

The Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) is a reactor type with complex nonlinear characteristics. In this work, the dynamic behaviour of a non-isothermal CSTR for carrying out complex reactions was evaluated. A dynamic model was formulated for this process and simulation was carried out using an advanced process modelling and simulation software. The formulated model was developed from material and energy conservation laws as applied to the reactor. The model is a system of Differential and Algebraic Equations (DAEs) which was simulated at the initial state in order to obtain time trajectories of all variables of interest at steady state. Steady state and dynamic analysis were carried out to study the characteristics of the process. Simulation results showed that an optimum operating condition is an inlet volumetric flowrate of 3 1 0.1 Q m min − =. This is the inlet flowrate that resulted in the maximum value of product concentration. A simulation exercise such as presented in this work is very important and is increasingly becoming popular. This is because simulation of mathematical models of chemical processes is safe, cheap and less time demanding. This has also been helped by the development of computers with high computational capabilities. INTRODUCTION Of the several types of reactors encountered in the chemical process industry, the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is the most commonly used because it is the most amenable to control action (Ingham et al, 2000; Zelinka et al, 2006). ). The flow of reactants inside the reactor is smooth and continuous and in most cases, the reaction system is easily controlled by making use of certain process variable such as the volumetric flow rate, molar flowrate, temperature and pressure (Vojtesek et al, 2007; Ingham et al, 2000; Hoang et al, 2008).
A Rule-Based Expert System for Musical Style Recognition

Musical style recognition is somehow intrinsic to human nature: the average layperson can tell the difference between a motet by Josquin and a symphony by Beethoven. But things change when it comes to computers. Musical style and its transformations take place in ways musicology still cannot perfectly define. Until now, computer-aided research on style has greatly privileged the rule-based approach (Baroni, Dalmonte and Jacoboni, Lerdahl and Jackendoff, Ebcioglu, etc.). In this paper we use an expert system to expose genre attributable differences both within Legrenzi’s music (how an aria da camera is different from an operatic aria) and between Legrenzi and other composers (either contemporary or younger/older than Legrenzi: C. Caproli, A. Sartorio, A. Scarlatti). Our expert system is implemented deriving its knowledge base from Baroni, Dalmonte and Jacoboni’s rules of melody (Baroni, Dalmonte and Jacoboni, 1999). Results are promising: our technique seems to possess those discrimination capabilities which are essential when dealing with a matter of such proteiform complexity as musical style.
Stochastic partial differential equations and filtering of diffusion processes

We establish basic results on existence and uniqueness for the solution of stochastic PDE's. We express the solution of a backward linear stochastic PDE in terms of the conditional law of a partially observed Markov diffusion process. It then follows that the adjoint forward stochastic PDE governs the evolution of the “unnormalized conditional density”
Measurement of loss rates of organic compounds in snow using in situ experiments and isotopically labelled compounds

Organic molecular marker compounds are widely used to identify emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic air pollution sources in atmospheric samples and in deposition. Specific organic compounds have been detected in polar regions, but their fate after deposition to snow is poorly characterized. Within this context, a series of exposure experiments were carried out to observe the post-depositional processing of organic compounds under real-world conditions in snow on the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet, at the Summit research station. Snow was prepared from water spiked with isotopically labelled organic compounds, representative of typical molecular marker compounds emitted from anthropogenic activities. Reaction rate constants and reaction order were determined based on a decrease in concentration to a stable, non-zero, threshold concentration. Fluoranthene-d 10, docosane-d 46, hexadecanoic acid-d 31, docosanoic acid-d 43 and azelaic acid-d 14 were estimated to have first order loss rates within surface snow with reaction rate constants of 0.068, 0.040, 0.070, 0.067 and 0.047 h−1, respectively. No loss of heptadecane-d 36 was observed. Overall, these results suggest that organic contaminants are archived in polar snow, although significant post-depositional losses of specific organic compounds occur. This has implications for the environmental fate of organic contaminants, as well as for ice-core studies that seek to use organic molecular markers to infer past atmospheric loadings, and source emissions.
Spatially distributed tactile feedback for kinesthetic motion guidance

Apraxic stroke patients need to perform repetitive arm movements to regain motor functionality, but they struggle to process the visual feedback provided by typical virtual rehabilitation systems. Instead, we imagine a low cost sleeve that can measure the movement of the upper limb and provide tactile feedback at key locations. The feedback provided by the tactors should guide the patient through a series of desired movements by allowing him or her to feel limb configuration errors at each instant in time. After discussing the relevant motion capture and actuator options, this paper describes the design and programming of our current prototype, a wearable tactile interface that uses magnetic motion tracking and shaftless eccentric mass motors. The sensors and actuators are attached to the sleeve of an athletic shirt with novel plastic caps, which also help focus the vibration on the user's skin. We connect the motors in current drive for improved performance, and we present a full parametric model for their in situ dynamic response (acceleration output given current input).
Computationally efficient IAA-based estimation of the fundamental frequency

Optimal linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) filtering methods have recently been applied to fundamental frequency estimation. Like many other fundamental frequency estimators, these methods are constructed using an estimate of the inverse data covariance matrix. The required matrix inverse is typically formed using the sample covariance matrix via data partitioning, although this is well-known to adversely affect the spectral resolution. In this paper, we propose a fast implementation of a novel optimal filtering method that utilizes the LCMV principle in conjunction with the iterative adaptive approach (IAA). The IAA formulation enables an accurate covariance matrix estimate from a single snapshot, i.e., without data partitioning, but the improvement comes at a notable computational cost. Exploiting the estimator's inherently low displacement rank of the necessary products of Toeplitz-like matrices, we form a computationally efficient implementation, reducing the required computational complexity with several orders of magnitude. The experimental results show that the performance of the proposed method is comparable or better than that of other competing methods in terms of spectral resolution.
Comparison of cryptosystems using a single-scale statistical measure

A useful measure is presented for comparison of distinct cryptosystems, including (i) the RSA algorithm, (ii) ElGamal algorithm, (iii) a cryptosystem based on radio background noise (RBN), and (iv) a new cryptosystem based on chaos phenomena. The four cryptosystems are implemented to have the same computational power, and are compared through the marginal probability mass functions (mpmf). This paper shows experimentally that the chaos-based modular dynamical cryptosystem is (i) strong to statistical cryptanalysis by leaving no patterns or hooks in the ciphertexts and (ii) faster than the selected algorithms from public-key cryptography (RSA) and elliptic curve cryptography (ElGamal).
Discovering and disambiguating named entities in text

Disambiguating named entities in natural language texts maps ambiguous names to canonical entities registered in a knowledge base such as DBpedia, Freebase, or YAGO. Knowing the specific entity is an important asset for several other tasks, e.g. entity-based information retrieval or higher-level information extraction. Our approach to named entity disambiguation makes use of several ingredients: the prior probability of an entity being mentioned, the similarity between the context of the mention in the text and an entity, as well as the coherence among the entities. Extending this method, we present a novel and highly efficient measure to compute the semantic coherence between entities. This measure is especially powerful for long-tail entities or such entities that are not yet present in the knowledge base. Reliably identifying names in the input text that are not part of the knowledge base is the current focus of our work.
Model predictive control of stochastic LPV systems via Random Convex Programs

This paper considers the problem of stabilization of stochastic Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) discrete time systems in the presence of convex state and input constraints. By using a randomization approach, a convex finite horizon optimal control problem is derived, even when the dependence of the system's matrices on the time-varying parameters is nonlinear. This convex problem can be solved efficiently, and its solution is a-priori guaranteed to be probabilistically robust, up to a user-defined probability level p. Then, a novel receding horizon control strategy that involves, at each time step, the solution of a finite-horizon scenario-based control problem, is proposed. It is shown that the resulting closed loop scheme drives the state to a terminal set in finite time, either deterministically, or with probability no less than p. The features of the approach are shown through a numerical example.
Application-defined scheduling in Ada

This paper presents an application program interface (API) that enables Ada applications to use application-defined scheduling algorithms in a way compatible with the scheduling model of the Ada 95 Real-Time Systems Annex. Several application-defined schedulers, implemented as special user tasks, can coexist in the system in a predictable way. This API is currently implemented on our operating system MaRTE OS.
Many Faces of Liquidity and Asset Pricing: Evidence from the U.S. Treasury Securities Market

AbstractThis paper tests the illiquidity premium hypothesis using U.S. Treasury securi-ties intraday interdealer data. In contrast to the existing literature where notes arematched with bills in terms of maturity date, we compare notes with other notes maturing on the same day. One reason for comparing notes with notes rather thannotes with bills is that diﬀerences in tax treatment across bills and notes could con-front an experiment to measure the illiquidity eﬀect. We ﬁnd that notes are quotedat essentially identical prices despite substantial diﬀerences in their liquidity. Thisrejection of the hypothesis is in sharp contrast to the result of previous studies(Amihud and Mendelson, 1991). Therefore we reconsider the evidence based onmatched bills and notes. We identify cross-sectional variation in bill-note pricingdiﬀerences that cannot be supported by the illiquidity premium hypothesis. Wealso show that the pricing diﬀerence is smaller for matches with on-the-run bills,although the diﬀerence in liquidity between these bills and notes is signiﬁcantlylarger.
Second order superintegrable systems in conformally flat spaces . V : 2 D and 3 D quantum systems

This paper is the conclusion of a series that lays the groundwork for a structure and classification theory of second order superintegrable systems, both classical and quantum, in conformally flat spaces. For 2D and for conformally flat 3D spaces with nondegenerate potentials we have worked out the structure of the classical systems and shown that the quadratic algebra always closes at order 6. Here we describe the quantum analogs of these results. We show that, for nondegenerate potentials, each classical system has a unique quantum extension. We also correct an error in an earlier paper in the series (that doesn’t alter the structure results) and we elucidate the distinction between superintegrable systems with bases of functionally linearly independent and functionally linearly dependent symmetries.
Reperasure: replication protocol using erasure-code in peer-to-peer storage network

Peer-to-peer overlay networks offer a convenient way to host an infrastructure that can scale to the size of the Internet and yet stay manageable. These overlays are essentially self-organizing distributed hash tables (DHT). The dynamic nature of the system, however, poses serious challenges of data reliability. Furthermore, in order to see wider adoption, it is time to design support for generic replication mechanisms capable of handling arbitrary update requests - most of the existing proposals are deep archival systems in nature. Utilizing the fact that DHT can function as a super-reliable and high performance disk when data stored inside are erasure coded, we believe practical and simple protocols can be designed. In this paper, we introduce the reperasure protocol, a layer on top of the basic DHT, which efficiently supports strong consistency semantic with high availability guarantee. By relieving the DHT layer out of replication duo, inside, a cleaner overall architecture can be derived because of the clear division of responsibility.
Financial Constraints on Innovation: A European Cross-Country Study

In this paper we use responses to the second Community Innovation Survey (CIS II) to investigate the relative importance of finance as a constraint to innovation in Europe and also explore differences across industries, countries and firm sizes in the importance of any finance constraints. The findings are related to theoretical propositions and existing empirical literature. It is found that financial constraints are of more importance than other internal and external factors in terms of impacts on projects not starting, being delayed or postponed. It also shown that in market based systems finance is more of a constraint than in bank based systems, and that riskier, newer industries are more constrained by finance. The results on the importance of firm size are less conclusive.
Routing and rate control for coded cooperation in a satellite-terrestrial network

We address the problem of high-throughput, delay-constrained communication over a satellite-terrestrial network where terrestrial node mobility leads to intermittent links. Due to the short time-scale of link state durations, standard single-path routing protocols are disadvantaged by the delay incurred in determining that a route is unavailable and then finding a new route. Instead we focus on the approach of sending data over multiple paths simultaneously, and use random linear network coding as a distributed way of sending linearly-independent data on different paths. We present a routing and rate control protocol for coded multipath routing. This protocol specifies the fraction of offered traffic carried on each path, provides a congestion avoidance strategy to limit queueing delays in the network, and adapts quickly to time-varying connectivity. We outline our coded routing and rate-control strategy and also present simulation results from a mobile satellite-terrestrial network.
Methods to improve Gaussian mixture model based language identification system

This paper investigates the use of Vocal Tract Length Normalisation (VTLN) and Output Score Fusion techniques to improve the performance of a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) based Language Identification (LID) system. The Universal Background Model (UBM) technique, which has been successfully employed in Speaker Verification, is incorporated into the GMM LID system to reduce the time requirement for both training and testing. The paper also presents a fast approach for selecting the normalisation factor for VTLN during the testing stage of LID which is based on the UBM technique. The output scores generated by the GMM system have been fused with a phonetic based LID system to improve the overall scores. Experimental results show that a reduction in the relative error rate by over 50% is possible for the 45-second test case in the NIST 1994 Evaluation data.