Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AFL Player Detection and Tracking

This paper is an empirical study of the application of visual detection and tracking methods to the problem of locating and tracking all AFL players during a game. While most person detection and tracking algorithms are designed for pedestrians, we show that with appropriate modifications, state of the art methods can be adapted to a more challenging domain where motion is significantly more varied and occurs in a much wider area.
Motion compensation and object detection for autonomous helicopter visual navigation in the COMETS system

This work presents real time computer vision techniques for autonomous navigation and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The proposed techniques are based on image feature matching and projective methods. Particularly, the paper presents the application to helicopter motion compensation and object detection. These techniques have been implemented in the framework of the COMETS multi-UAV systems. Furthermore, The work presents the application of the proposed techniques in a forest fire scenario in which the COMETS system can be demonstrated.
Nogo Receptor Homolog NgR2 Expressed in Sensory DRG Neurons Controls Epidermal Innervation by Interaction with Versican

Primary sensory afferents of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) that innervate the skin detect a wide range of stimuli, such as touch, temperature, pain, and itch. Different functional classes of nociceptors project their axons to distinct target zones within the developing skin, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate target innervation are less clear. Here we report that the Nogo66 receptor homolog NgR2 is essential for proper cutaneous innervation. NgR2−/− mice display increased density of nonpeptidergic nociceptors in the footpad and exhibit enhanced sensitivity to mechanical force and innocuous cold temperatures. These sensory deficits are not associated with any abnormality in morphology or density of DRG neurons. However, deletion of NgR2 renders nociceptive nonpeptidergic sensory neurons insensitive to the outgrowth repulsive activity of skin-derived Versican. Biochemical evidence shows that NgR2 specifically interacts with the G3 domain of Versican. The data suggest that Versican/NgR2 signaling at the dermo-epidermal junction acts in vivo as a local suppressor of axonal plasticity to control proper density of epidermal sensory fiber innervation. Our findings not only reveal the existence of a novel and unsuspected mechanism regulating epidermal target innervation, but also provide the first evidence for a physiological role of NgR2 in the peripheral nervous system.
A Multicore Database is not a Distributed System

Database concurrency control is evolving to parallelize well on machines with many cores. Some researchers advocate viewing a multicore machine as a shared-nothing distributed system, where data is exclusively partitioned between cores [8]. This approach breaks down for changing workloads or workloads that do not partition well. In the meantime, other systems have shown that concurrency control need not be too expensive. We advocate scheduling transactions according to workload characteristics in order to address the problems that arise with true data contention. In a shared-nothing main-memory database, transactions use a single-threaded execution model [4]. This technique eliminates the need for synchronization protocols like locking or validating for all transactions which only touch data on a single partition. Many systems use this approach on multicore machines, with a partition per core [6–8]. This technique is effective when a workload partitions perfectly, potentially providing 30% gains over a database which uses concurrency control [10]. Unfortunately, this strategy suffers from many serious drawbacks with more general workloads: Load imbalances. If a single core becomes overloaded, overall throughput suffers. Solutions have been suggested that re-partition data on the fly, but this can be expensive if it must happen often. Data like popular stocks, news articles, and frequently used search terms are constantly changing with time. The monitoring and data movement associated with workloads that change frequently can be very costly. Badly partitioning workloads. Many important workloads on the Web do not partition well. Facebook and Twitter store data based on a two-way follows relationship, and Google’s ad serving framework requires keeping track of ad campaigns by customer and by keyword, which is also a many-to-many relationship. These types of applications will have a significant number of multipartition transactions given any partitioning, requiring a protocol like two-phase commit or timestamp ordering [1, 9]. Two-phase commit is expensive due to the required rounds of communication and stalls on cores. Timestamp ordering can cause stalls when a transaction has to wait for a slower one assigned earlier in the timestamp ordering. Even in workloads that mostly partition, the cost of executing multi-partition transactions can be so high that it overwhelms the cost of executing single partition transactions [2]. A soft partitioning approach using shared memory provides more flexibility. Instead of exclusive access to partitions, each core has “preferred” data partitions, and uses concurrency control. Transactions on a single soft partition are mostly sent to the same core, reducing the potential for conflicts. However, any core is able to correctly handle any transaction since all use concurrency control. Sys-
Improvement of α-Amylase Production by Modulation of Ribosomal Component Protein S12 in Bacillus subtilis 168

ABSTRACT The capacity of ribosomal modification to improve antibiotic production by Streptomyces spp. has already been demonstrated. Here we show that introduction of mutations that produce streptomycin resistance (str) also enhances α-amylase (and protease) production by a strain of Bacillus subtilis as estimated by measuring the enzyme activity. The str mutations are point mutations within rpsL, the gene encoding the ribosomal protein S12. In vivo as well as in vitro poly(U)-directed cell-free translation systems showed that among the various rpsL mutations K56R (which corresponds to position 42 in E. coli) was particularly effective at enhancing α-amylase production. Cells harboring the K56R mutant ribosome exhibited enhanced translational activity during the stationary phase of cell growth. In addition, the K56R mutant ribosome exhibited increased 70S complex stability in the presence of low Mg2+ concentrations. We therefore conclude that the observed increase in protein synthesis activity by the K56R mutant ribosome reflects increased stability of the 70S complex and is responsible for the increase in α-amylase production seen in the affected strain.
Regression testing on object-oriented programs

Regression testing is an important activity at both testing and maintenance phases. When a piece of software is modified, it is necessary to ensure the quality of the software is preserved. To this end, regression testing retests the software using the test cases selected from the original test pool. We present a regression testing technique that selects test cases by utilizing static information from the analysis of the program structure and dynamic information by tracing the function-calling sequences. To compare the effectiveness of this technique with other existing approaches, we conducted an empirical study on an industrial trial real-time system. The results show that not only, does this technique preserve all the necessary information for regression testing, but it is also much more efficient and more precise than the existing techniques.
Computing optimal forces for generalised kinesthetic feedback on the human hand during virtual grasping and manipulation

This paper focuses on the problem of force-feedback for the human-operator hand when manipulating virtual objects. We propose a method for the computation of feedback-forces that have to be applied on each individual phalanx and finger of the human hand in order to display pertinent, kinesthetic information about static or dynamic characteristics of objects present in the virtual scene. External forces and moments of the manipulated virtual objects heave to be mapped on the contact-forces space of the virtual grasp. The method is based on the solution of a nonlinear programming problem, formulated by performing a static analysis of a general, multiple contact points virtual grasp. A methodology for modelling interactions within a virtual environment, and performing realistic grasping and manipulation, is also presented.
Locally Adaptive Non-Separable Interpolation Filter for H.264/AVC

In order to reduce the bit rate of video signals, current coding standards apply hybrid coding with motion-compensated prediction and transform coding of the prediction error. In former publications, it was shown that aliasing components contained in an image signal, as well as inaccuracies in description of motion, are limiting the prediction efficiency obtained by motion compensation. For H.264/AVC, we showed that the analytical calculation of an optimal interpolation filter at given constraints (6-tap, frame-based) is possible, resulting in total coding improvements of up to 0.9 dB for HDTV sequences and up to 0.5 dB for CIF sequences and main profile. However, applying an adaptive interpolation filter to the entire image enables only an average prediction improvement. Further improvements are possible if the filter is also adapted to local image characteristics. Thus, an optimal adaptive interpolation filter is calculated only for the macroblocks, which prediction is distorted by aliasing or by inaccurately estimated motion. This enables further improvements of up to 0.2 dB, compared to globally adaptive filter or up to 0.6 dB, compared to the standard H.264/AVC, for CIF sequences.
Fast techniques for standby leakage reduction in MTCMOS circuits

Technology scaling causes subthreshold leakage currents to increase exponentially. Therefore, effective leakage minimization techniques must be designed. In addition, for a true low-power solution in system-on-chip (SoC) design, it has to be tightly integrated into the main design environment. This paper presents two design techniques to effectively solve the sleep transistor sizing and distribution problem in MTCMOS circuits. The introduced first-fit and set-covering approaches achieve lower leakage at an order of magnitude reduction in CPU time compared with other techniques in the literature. In addition, an automatic MTCMOS design environment is developed and integrated into the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation (CMC) digital ASIC design flow.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Marine Phototrophic Bacteria, Erythrobacter longus Strain DSM 6997 and Erythrobacter litoralis Strain DSM 8509

ABSTRACT Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB) are important functional groups and are widely distributed in the global upper ocean. Here we report the draft genomic sequences of two marine AAPB isolates belonging to the genus Erythrobacter, Erythrobacter longus strain DSM 6997 and Erythrobacter litoralis strain DSM 8509.
Keratinocyte Growth Factor Improves Epithelial Structure and Function in a Mouse Model of Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induces the desquamation of the intestinal epithelium, increases the intestinal permeability, and in patients often causes fatal conditions including sepsis and multiple organ failure. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) increases intestinal growth, although little is known about KGF activity on intestinal function after intestinal I/R. We hypothesized that KGF administration would improve the intestinal function in a mouse model of intestinal I/R. Methods Adult C57BL/6J mice were randomized to three groups: Sham, I/R group and I/R+KGF group. Mice were killed on day 5, and the small bowel was harvested for histology, wet weight, RNA and protein content analysis. Epithelial cell (EC) proliferation was detected by immunohistochemistry for PCNA, and apoptosis was determined by TUNEL staining. The expressions of Claudin-1 and ZO-1 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Epithelial barrier function was assessed with transepithelial resistance (TER). Results KGF significantly increased the intestinal wet weight, contents of intestinal protein and RNA, villus height, crypt depth and crypt cell proliferation, while KGF resulted in the decrease of epithelial apoptosis. KGF also stimulated the recovery of mucosal structures and attenuated the disrupted distribution of TJ proteins. Moreover, KGF attenuated the intestinal I/R-induced decrease in TER and maintained the intestinal barrier function. Conclusion KGF administration improves the epithelial structure and barrier function in a mouse model of intestinal I/R. This suggests that KGF may have clinical applicability.
Matching pursuit for compression and application to motion compensated video coding

In many hybrid video compression algorithms there is a clear distinction between motion estimation and compensation (MEMC) on the one hand, and transform coding of the residue on the other hand. By translating MEMC into the framework of matching pursuit (MP), we will show that unification of both steps is possible. Moreover, adapting the MP approach to the small size dictionaries involved in MEMC, it is shown that unification may in principle lead to a better performance of hybrid coding schemes. We close with a discussion on the practical obstacles of the technique, and how to avoid them. <<ETX>>
From ... unemployable because we ’ re mentally ill , to mentally ill , therefore , we ’ re employable ’ Peer Support Workers ’ Experiences of an International Peer Support Scheme on an Acute Psychiatric Ward

This paper reports on a study which formed part of a multi-perspective evaluation of an Intentional Peer Support scheme within an adult acute psychiatric inpatient setting. The objectives of the evaluation were twofold. Firstly, to explore the experience of Peer Support Workers (PSW) in their new role and, secondly, to examine the extent to which peer support may contribute towards recovery-based practice within the context of the NHS. PSWs were recruited by a mental health charity for the purpose of the scheme within an inner city borough. The study employed a qualitative methodology. Two focus groups were conducted with PSWs. The findings highlighted that participants described both positive aspects, such as personal growth and adaptation, and challenges in relation to their new role as PSW. Initial challenges, particularly around working relationships with staff, were subsequently overcome during the study period. These findings contribute towards developing an evidence base for the value of the Intentional Peer Support services within the context of recovery-based NHS mental health services.
Bandwidth reservation and QoS in Internet MANETs

Provisioning QoS in MANETs is very challenging. Some of the factors that affect QoS provisioning in MANETs are-lossy wireless environment, the movement of nodes, medium access scheme-due to contention for shared medium and routing protocols-as the routes are dynamic. Hence it is difficult to propose one scheme that will best support QoS in MANETs suitable for all application scenarios. We decided to investigate QoS in MANETs from an application perspective. In this work, we are interested in QoS provisioning in Internet connected MANETs- which are expected to support users roaming in from cellular or WLANs with an active call. Hence we are interested in such performance metrics like network joining delays, end-to-end frame delivery delays and upstream and downstream throughput. We proposed a solution after identifying the unique requirements of such an Internet connected MANET. The solution includes a routing and forwarding scheme at layer 2 called multi-meshed tree routing with a simple carrier sense random backoff based medium access. Details of simulation studies and results of the above identified performance metrics are presented here.
Fuzzy Principal Component Analysis based Gait Recognition

Gait recognition is a relatively new biometric identification technology for human identification. Gait recognition algorithm based on fuzzy principal component analysis (FPCA) for gait energy image(GEI) is proposed. Firstly, the original gait sequence is preprocessed and gait energy image is obtained. Secondly, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors are extracted by fuzzy principal component analysis, which are called fuzzy components. Then the eigenvectors are projected into lower-dimensional space. Finally, the NN classifier is utilized in feature classification. The method is tested on CASIA database. The experimental results show that this algorithm achieves higher recognition performance. Correct recognition rate (CRR) of 89.7% for FPCA algorithm and 83.1% for GEI algorithm. FPCA algorithm to achieve 100% recognition rate. The two component model, FPCA accounts for 91.7% of the total variance and PCA accounts only for 39.8%.
Automatic Synthesis of High-Assurance Device Drivers

Device drivers are hard to develop and are notoriously unreliable [13,20]. While constant innovation in the area of electronic design automation has led to dramatic improvements in the IC design process, device driver development practices have not changed much since the days of mainframe computers. As a result, it is common nowadays for a product release to be delayed by driver rather than silicon issues [42]. To address this long-standing problem, we propose a new driver development methodology that will allow faster creation of device drivers with fewer defects. The innovation at the heart of our methodology is the automatic synthesis of correct-by-construction device drivers from a formal model of the hardware device and a specification of the driver/OS interface. Our methodology has the following crucial properties. • Dramatic reduction in cost of driver development, maintenance and QA. This is achieved by synthesizing drivers automatically from existing device specifications provided by hardware designers as transaction-level device models (TLMs). • Support for hardware/software co-design and co-verification. Our approach allows device drivers to be created, tested, and formally verified early in the product design workflow, before the hardware device is available in silicon. The availability of the device driver in turn facilitates evaluation and validation of the hardware design. • Strong functional correctness guarantees. Our correct-by-construction approach to synthesis, combined with formal verification to detect bugs in input specifications and the synthesis algorithm, yields a high degree of confidence in the resulting device driver code. • Broad application. Our approach is applicable to a wide range of modern I/O devices, including SoC IP blocks, communication devices, media and storage adapters, etc.
A Strategy for Behavioral Strategy: Appraisal of Small, Midsize, and Large Tent Conceptions of This Embryonic Community

Abstract Despite widespread interest in “behavioral strategy,” it is not clear what this term, or its associated academic subfield, is all about. Unless a critical mass of scholars can agree on the meaning of behavioral strategy, and professionally identify with it, this embryonic community may face a marginal existence. We describe three alternative conceptions for the academic subfield of behavioral strategy, along with assessments of the pros and cons of each. The “small tent” version amounts to a direct transposition of the logic of behavioral economics to the field of strategic management, specifically in the style of behavioral decision research. The “midsize tent” view is that behavioral strategy is a commitment to understanding the psychology of strategists. And the “large tent’ view includes consideration of any and all psychological, sociological, and political factors that influence strategic outcomes. We conclude that the midsize tent represents the best path forward, not too narrow and not too broad, allowing rich scope but with coherence. The large tent conception of behavioral strategy, however, is not out of the question and warrants serious consideration.
Proximal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominance association with mutation in the TRK-fused gene.

IMPORTANCE Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominance (HMSN-P) has been reported as a rare type of autosomal dominant adult-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. HMSN-P has been described only in Japanese descendants since 1997, and the causative gene has not been found. OBJECTIVES To identify the genetic cause of HMSN-P in a Korean family and determine the pathogenic mechanism. DESIGN Genetic and observational analysis. SETTING Translational research center for rare neurologic disease. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-eight individuals (12 men and 16 women) from a Korean family with HMSN-P. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Whole-exome sequencing, linkage analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Through whole-exome sequencing, we revealed that HMSN-P is caused by a mutation in the TRK-fused gene (TFG). Clinical heterogeneities were revealed in HMSN-P between Korean and Japanese patients. The patients in the present report showed faster progression of the disease compared with the Japanese patients, and sensory nerve action potentials of the sural nerve were lost in the early stages of the disease. Moreover, tremor and hyperlipidemia were frequently found. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lower extremity revealed a distinct proximal dominant and sequential pattern of muscular involvement with a clearly different pattern than patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A. Particularly, endoneural blood vessels revealed marked narrowing of the lumen with swollen vesicular endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The underlying cause of HMSN-P proves to be a mutation in TFG that lies on chromosome 3q13.2. This disease is not limited to Japanese descendants, and marked narrowing of endoneural blood vessels was noted in the present study. We believe that TFG can affect the peripheral nerve tissue.
Temporal, spatial, and morphologic features of hair cell regeneration in the avian basilar papilla

Hair cell–selective antibodies were used in combination with the nucleotide bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to examine the temporal, spatial, and morphologic progression of auditory hair cell regeneration in chicks after a single gentamicin injection. New hair cells are first identifiable with an antibody to class III beta (β) tubulin (TuJ1) by 14 hours after BrdU incorporation, but progenitor cells in S phase and M phase are TuJ1‐negative. TuJ1 labeling reveals that new hair cells are first detected at 3 days after gentamicin, in the base, and the emergence and maturation of regenerating hair cells spreads apically over time. Differentiation of regenerating hair cells consists of a progressive series of morphologic changes. During early differentiation (14 hours to 1 day after BrdU), regenerating hair cells are round or fusiform and remain near the lumen, where they are generated. During intermediate differentiation (2–4 days after BrdU), regenerating hair cells resemble support cells; their somata are elongated, their nuclei are in the support cell layer, and they appear to contact both the lumenal surface and the basal lamina. The 275‐kDa hair cell antigen is first expressed in regenerating hair cells during this period. During late differentiation (7 days after BrdU and later), TuJ1‐positive cells acquire the globose shape of mature hair cells. Labeling with antibodies to hair cell antigen, calmodulin, and ribosomal RNA confirms this morphologic progression. Examination of sister cells born at 3 days post‐gentamicin reveals that there is equal likelihood that they will assume the hair cell or support cell fate (i.e., both asymmetric and symmetric differentiation occur). J. Comp. Neurol. 417:1–16, 2000. ©2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.