Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel approach to automatic threat detection in MMW imagery of people scanned in portals

We have developed a novel approach to performing automatic detection of concealed threat objects in passive MMW imagery of people scanned in a portal setting. It is applicable to the significant class of imaging scanners that use the protocol of having the subject rotate in front of the camera in order to image them from several closely spaced directions. Customary methods of dealing with MMW sequences rely on the analysis of the spatial images in a frame-by-frame manner, with information extracted from separate frames combined by some subsequent technique of data association and tracking over time. We contend that the pooling of information over time in traditional methods is not as direct as can be and potentially less efficient in distinguishing threats from clutter. We have formulated a more direct approach to extracting information about the scene as it evolves over time. We propose an atypical spatio-temporal arrangement of the MMW image data - to which we give the descriptive name Row Evolution Image (REI) sequence. This representation exploits the singular aspect of having the subject rotate in front of the camera. We point out which features in REIs are most relevant to detecting threats, and describe the algorithms we have developed to extract them. We demonstrate results of successful automatic detection of threats, including ones whose faint image contrast renders their disambiguation from clutter very challenging. We highlight the ease afforded by the REI approach in permitting specialization of the detection algorithms to different parts of the subject body. Finally, we describe the execution efficiency advantages of our approach, given its natural fit to parallel processing. mage
NONLINEAR-PHASE BASIS FUNCTIONS IN QUASI-BANDLIMITED OSCILLATOR ALGORITHMS

Virtual analog synthesis requires bandlimited source signal algorithms. An efficient methodology for the task expresses the traditionally used source waveforms or their time-derivatives as a sequence of bandlimited impulses or step functions. Approximations of the ideal bandlimited functions used in these quasi-bandlimited oscillator algorithms are typically linear-phase functions. In this paper, a general nonlinear-phase approach to the task is proposed. The discussed technique transforms an analog prototype filter to a digital filter using a modified impulse invariance transformation method that enables the impulse response to be sampled with arbitrary sub-sample shifts. The resulting digital filter is a set of parallel firstand/or second-order filters that are excited with short burst-like signals that depend on the offset of the waveform discontinuities. The discussed approach is exemplified with a number of design cases, illustrating different trade-offs between good alias reduction and low computational cost.
Low-temperature ozone-ambient grown native oxide passivation of crystalline silicon

With continual thinning of crystalline silicon solar cells the carrier lifetime of the device becomes progressively more dependent on the quality of the surface passivation of the device. Thermal oxide growth can degrade crystalline silicon bulk properties through defect migration and can induce thermal stresses particularly in the context of ultra-thin silicon. This has motivated research into a range of passivation techniques that can be implemented at low temperatures. Here we report on the use of low temperature ozone ambient grown native oxide and PECVD grown silicon nitride bilayer structure to passivate crystalline silicon. The effective minority carrier lifetime is examined as a function of the thicknesses of the bilayers. Inferred interfacial defect and fixed charge densities are investigated vis-à-vis the native oxide and nitride layer thicknesses. Hydrogen content at the interface is determined by elastic recoil detection and Rutherford backscattering. Our results indicate that thicker silicon nitride enhances lifetime through reduced interfacial defect density albeit the trapped charge density decreases marginally with thickness. Preliminary ion spectroscopy results show a link to an increase in the hydrogen content beyond the oxide interface. Also, increasing oxide thickness grown at room temperature enhances the surface passivation.
Diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma: an evaluation of pulmonary cytology, bronchoscopy and scalene lymph node biopsy.

1.A positive cytologic examination was the only microscopic evidence of carcinoma in over 40 per cent of the resected neoplasms of the bronchus and more cancers were detected by this method than by bronchoscopy and scalene lymph node biopsy combined, unless bronchoscopy included the cytologic examination of bronchial secretions. 2.Positive or suspicious smears were obtained from 44 of 94 bronchogenic carcinomas by a single cytologic examination of sputum. The percentage of positive smears increased to 71 per cent when three specimens were examined and to 96 per cent when more than five were studied. 3.Cytologic examination of sputum was of greatest practical value in the diagnosis of cancers in upper lobes or in the periphery of lungs where bronchoscopy usually fails. 4.The cytologic examination of bronchial washings almost doubled the number of cancers of upper lobes detected by bronchoscopy. 5.Peripheral carcinomas were much more frequently detected by sputum examination than by bronchial washings. 6.Anterior scalene lymph node biopsy was positive in only 22 of 78 patients and was of most value in the diagnosis of undifferentiated-cell carcinomas or adenocarcinomas of upper lobes. Only four squamous cell carcinomas yielded positive biopsy regardless of location and despite the fact that this was the most common tumor.
Experiment Setup for Shear Wave and Electrical Resistance Measurements in an Oedometer

The development of a new laboratory oedometer cell, which includes bender elements and an electrical resistance probe, is documented. The apparatus is used to evaluate consolidation characteristics such as primary consolidation, anisotropy, void ratio, and the preconsolidation stress by using the elastic and electromagnetic waves. Bender elements are installed on the top cap and the bottom plate and are also mounted on the wall of the oedometer cell. The electrical resistance probe is positioned onto the top cap of the oedometer cell. The primary consolidation time can be assessed with the evolution of shear wave velocity and the slope of the resistance-log time curve. The increment of the shear wave velocity, which propagates along the long axis of particles, is higher when the vertical effective stress is higher than the preconsolidation stress. The preconsolidation stress is confirmed by the relationship between the void ratio and the electrical resistance, and cementation and stress controlled regions are confirmed with the shear wave velocity. The electrical resistance linearly increases with the vertical effective stress in the stress controlled region. This study suggests that the shear wave velocity and electrical resistance provide complementary information about primary consolidation, anisotropy, void ratio, and the preconsolidation stress.
Carbon and nitrogen isotope fractionation of amino acids in an avian marine predator, the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of amino acids (AA) has rapidly become a powerful tool in studies of food web architecture, resource use, and biogeochemical cycling. However, applications to avian ecology have been limited because no controlled studies have examined the patterns in AA isotope fractionation in birds. We conducted a controlled CSIA feeding experiment on an avian species, the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), to examine patterns in individual AA carbon and nitrogen stable isotope fractionation between diet (D) and consumer (C) (Δ13CC-D and Δ15NC-D, respectively). We found that essential AA δ13C values and source AA δ15N values in feathers showed minimal trophic fractionation between diet and consumer, providing independent but complimentary archival proxies for primary producers and nitrogen sources respectively, at the base of food webs supporting penguins. Variations in nonessential AA Δ13CC-D values reflected differences in macromolecule sources used for biosynthesis (e.g., protein vs. lipids) and provided a metric to assess resource utilization. The avian-specific nitrogen trophic discrimination factor (TDFGlu-Phe = 3.5 ± 0.4‰) that we calculated from the difference in trophic fractionation (Δ15NC-D) of glutamic acid and phenylalanine was significantly lower than the conventional literature value of 7.6‰. Trophic positions of five species of wild penguins calculated using a multi-TDFGlu-Phe equation with the avian-specific TDFGlu-Phe value from our experiment provided estimates that were more ecologically realistic than estimates using a single TDFGlu-Phe of 7.6‰ from the previous literature. Our results provide a quantitative, mechanistic framework for the use of CSIA in nonlethal, archival feathers to study the movement and foraging ecology of avian consumers.
Imaging and characterizing influenza A virus mRNA transport in living cells

The mechanisms of influenza A virus mRNA intracellular transport are still not clearly understood. Here, we visualized the distribution and transport of influenza A virus mRNA in living cells using molecular beacon (MB) technology. Confocal-FRAP measurements determined that the transport of influenza A virus intronless mRNA, in both nucleus and cytoplasm, was energy dependent, being similar to that of Poly(A)+ RNA. Drug inhibition studies in living cells revealed that the export of influenza A virus mRNA is independent of the CRM1 pathway, while the function of RNA polymerase II (RNAP-II) may be needed. In addition, viral NS1 protein and cellular TAP protein were found associated with influenza A virus mRNA in the cell nucleus. These findings characterize influenza A virus mRNA transport in living cells and suggest that influenza A virus mRNA may be exported from the nucleus by the cellular TAP/p15 pathway with NS1 protein and RNAP-II participation.
Interaction between src family kinases and rho-kinase in agonist-induced Ca2+-sensitization of rat pulmonary artery

Abstract Aims We investigated the role of src family kinases (srcFK) in agonist-mediated Ca2+-sensitization in pulmonary artery and whether this involves interaction with the rho/rho-kinase pathway. Methods and results Intra-pulmonary arteries (IPAs) and cultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) were obtained from rat. Expression of srcFK was determined at the mRNA and protein levels. Ca2+-sensitization was induced by prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) in α-toxin-permeabilized IPAs. Phosphorylation of the regulatory subunit of myosin phosphatase (MYPT-1) and of myosin light-chain-20 (MLC20) and translocation of rho-kinase in response to PGF2α were also determined. Nine srcFK were expressed at the mRNA level, including src, fyn, and yes, and PGF2α enhanced phosphorylation of three srcFK proteins at tyr-416. In α-toxin-permeabilized IPAs, PGF2α enhanced the Ca2+-induced contraction (pCa 6.9) approximately three-fold. This enhancement was inhibited by the srcFK blockers SU6656 and PP2 and by the rho-kinase inhibitor Y27632. Y27632, but not SU6656 or PP2, also inhibited the underlying pCa 6.9 contraction. PGF2α enhanced phosphorylation of MYPT-1 at thr-697 and thr-855 and of MLC20 at ser-19. This enhancement, but not the underlying basal phosphorylation, was inhibited by SU6656. Y27632 suppressed both basal and PGF2α-mediated phosphorylation. The effects of SU6656 and Y27632, on both contraction and MYPT-1 and MLC20 phosphorylation, were not additive. PGF2α triggered translocation of rho-kinase in PASMC, and this was inhibited by SU6656. Conclusions srcFK are activated by PGF2α in the rat pulmonary artery and may contribute to Ca2+-sensitization and contraction via rho-kinase translocation and phosphorylation of MYPT-1.
MEAN-REVERTING STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY

We present derivative pricing and estimation tools for a class of stochastic volatility models that exploit the observed "bursty" or persistent nature of stock price volatility. An empirical analysis of high-frequency S&P 500 index data confirms that volatility reverts slowly to its mean in comparison to the tick-by-tick fluctuations of the index value, but it isfastmean-reverting when looked at over the time scale of a derivative contract (many months). This motivates an asymptotic analysis of the partial differential equation satisfied by derivative prices, utilizing the distinction between these time scales.The analysis yields pricing and implied volatility formulas, and the latter is used to "fit the smile" from European index option prices. The theory identifies the important group parameters that are needed for the derivative pricing and hedging problem for European-style securities, namely the average volatility and the slope and intercept of the implied volatility line, plotted as a function of the log-moneyness-to-maturity-ratio. The results considerably simplify the estimation procedure, and the data produces estimates of the three important parameters which are found to be stable within periods where the underlying volatility is close to being stationary. These segments of stationarity are identified using a wavelet-based tool.The remaining parameters, including the growth rate of the underlying, the correlation between asset price and volatility shocks, the rate of mean-reversion of the volatility and the market price of volatility risk can be roughly estimated, but are not needed for the asymptotic pricing formulas for European derivatives. The extension to American and path-dependent contingent claims is the subject of future work.
A Gene Expression Signature from Peripheral Whole Blood for Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma

Affordable early screening in subjects with high risk of lung cancer has great potential to improve survival from this deadly disease. We measured gene expression from lung tissue and peripheral whole blood (PWB) from adenocarcinoma cases and controls to identify dysregulated lung cancer genes that could be tested in blood to improve identification of at-risk patients in the future. Genome-wide mRNA expression analysis was conducted in 153 subjects (73 adenocarcinoma cases, 80 controls) from the Environment And Genetics in Lung cancer Etiology study using PWB and paired snap-frozen tumor and noninvolved lung tissue samples. Analyses were conducted using unpaired t tests, linear mixed effects, and ANOVA models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was computed to assess the predictive accuracy of the identified biomarkers. We identified 50 dysregulated genes in stage I adenocarcinoma versus control PWB samples (false discovery rate ≤0.1, fold change ≥1.5 or ≤0.66). Among them, eight (TGFBR3, RUNX3, TRGC2, TRGV9, TARP, ACP1, VCAN, and TSTA3) differentiated paired tumor versus noninvolved lung tissue samples in stage I cases, suggesting a similar pattern of lung cancer–related changes in PWB and lung tissue. These results were confirmed in two independent gene expression analyses in a blood-based case–control study (n = 212) and a tumor–nontumor paired tissue study (n = 54). The eight genes discriminated patients with lung cancer from healthy controls with high accuracy (AUC = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.74–0.87). Our finding suggests the use of gene expression from PWB for the identification of early detection markers of lung cancer in the future. Cancer Prev Res; 4(10); 1599–608. ©2011 AACR.
Multiobjective static output-feedback control with control input constraint for a class of nonlinear systems

The robust static-output-feedback controller design is studied for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with multiobjective constraints. The parameter uncertainties are allowed to be unstructured but norm-bounded. The nonlinear dynamics is described by vector-valued function. The aim is the design of static-output-feedback controller such that the closed-loop system is of robust stability, the magnitude of the control input is within the given bound, the prescribed constraint on the disturbance rejection is guaranteed, and the upper bound of quadratic cost function is optimized, simultaneously. The controller design is based on the Lyapunov stability theory and multiobjective optimization strategy, by using linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. Matrix variable transformation technique is adopted in the design to convert the non-convex LMI constraints into convex ones. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design algorithm.
Petrology and in situ U–Th–Pb Monazite Geochronology of Ultrahigh-Temperature Metamorphism from the Andriamena Mafic Unit, North–Central Madagascar. Significance of a Petrographical P–T Path in a Polymetamorphic Context

Petrological studies and electron microprobe dating of monazite from the mafic Andriamena unit, north–central Madagascar, indicate that an apparently continuous P–T path inferred for Mg-granulites is actually discontinuous, resulting from the superposition of two distinct metamorphic events at 2 5 Ga and 750Ma. The late Archaean event corresponds to an ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism (1000 C, 10 5 kbar) characterized by a sapphirine–garnet–orthopyroxene–quartz assemblage. Neoproterozoic ages are associated with the development of a sapphirine–cordierite-bearing assemblage, symplectites of orthopyroxene–sillimanite and partial melting at 850 C and 7 kbar. This sequence of reactions and mineral assemblages could be interpreted as the result of near-isothermal decompression to about 4 kbar followed by isobaric cooling to 650 C. However, geodynamic constraints suggest that the granulites underwent a phase of cooling to the stable geotherm following the ultrahightemperature metamorphism at 2 5 Ga. Consequently, we suggest that the ‘petrographical path’ inferred from the Mg-granulites is not representative of the actual P–T–t path. The decompression, in particular, is an artefact of the P–T path with no geological meaning; it results from the equilibration of the refractory late Archaean ultrahigh-temperature assemblages at a lower pressure during the middle Neoproterozoic event.
Recommender system for model driven software development

Models are key artifacts in model driven software engineering, similar to source code in traditional software engineering. Integrated development environments help users while writing source code, e.g. with typed auto completions, quick fixes, or automatic refactorings. Similar integrated features are rare for modeling IDEs. The above source code IDE features can be seen as a recommender system. A recommender system for model driven software engineering can combine data from different sources in order to infer a list of relevant and actionable model changes in real time. These recommendations can speed up working on models by automating repetitive tasks and preventing errors when the changes are atypical for the changed models. Recommendations can be based on common model transformations that are taken from the literature or learned from models in version control systems. Further information can be taken from instance- to meta-model relationships, modeling related artifacts (e.g. correctness constraints), and versions histories of models under version control. We created a prototype recommender that analyses the change history of a single model. We computed its accuracy via cross-validation and found that it was between 0.43 and 0.82 for models from an open source project. In order to have a bigger data set for the evaluation and the learning of model transformation, we also mined repositories from Eclipse projects for Ecore meta models and their versions. We found 4374 meta models with 17249 versions. 244 of these meta models were changed at least ten times and are candidates for learning common model transformations. We plan to evaluate our recommender system in two ways: (1) In off-line evaluations with data sets of models from the literature, created by us, or taken from industry partners. (2) In on-line user studies with participants from academia and industry, performed as case studies and controlled experiments.
Influence of the Pericardium on Left Ventricular End‐ Diastolic Pressure‐Segment Relations during Early and Later Stages of Experimental Chronic Volume Overload in Dogs

Although the pericardium can exert a restraining effect on filling of the normal left ventricle, it is uncertain to what extent the pericardium influences left ventricular filling during chronic volume overload. We measured left and right ventricular pressure and left ventricular segment dimension before and after pericardiectomy over a range of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure from ≪5 to ≫20 mm Hg in open-chest dogs with volume overload due to a prior systemic arteriovenous fistula. In six dogs studied “early” (7–9 days) during volume overload, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was significantly larger and right ventricular end-diastolic pressure lower following pericardiectomy at matched levels of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure greater than 10–12 mm Hg. In six dogs studied “late” (34–50 days) during chronic volume overload, there were no significant changes in left ventricular end-diastolic dimension after pericardiectomy at comparable levels of end-diastolic pressure. To account for the influence of changes in right ventricular end- diastolic pressure after pericardiectomy, we also compared left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions before and after pericardiectomy at matched “corrected” left ventricular end-diastolic pressure [(left ventricular end-diastolic pressure) − (right ventricular end-diastolic pressure × interventricular septal surface area/total left ventricular surface area)]. This “correction” of the left ventricular end- diastolic pressure did not significantly alter the results in either the “early” or “late” group. These results indicate that restraint to filling by the pericardium in this model of volume overload is present early but becomes markedly diminished during later phases.
Minimax classification with parametric neighborhoods for noisy speech recognition

In this paper we derive upper and lower bounds on the mean of speech signals corrupted by additive noise. The bounds are derived in the log spectral domain. Approximate bounds on the ﬁrst and second order time derivatives are also developed. It is then shown how to transform these bounds to the MFCC domain to be used by conventional cepstrum-based speech recognizers. The proposed bounds deﬁne the mismatch neighborhood for minimax classiﬁcation. Speech recognition experiments, using artiﬁcially added noise, and a real-life mismatch scenario, illustrate that this parametric neighborhood works quite well in practice. We also beleive that the proposed bounds will ﬁnd various applications in noisy speech recognition.
DRIVER HEAD POSE AND VIEW ESTIMATION WITH SINGLE OMNIDIRECTIONAL VIDEO STREAM

Driver distraction is an important issue in developing new generation of telematic systems. Our research is focused on development of novel machine vision systems, which can provide better understanding of the state of the driver and driving conditions. In this paper we discuss in detail on the development of a system which allows simultaneous capture of the driver's head pose and driving view. The system utilizes a full 360 degree panoramic field of view using a single video stream. The integrated machine vision system includes modules of perspective transformation, feature extraction, head detection, head pose estimation, and driving view synthesis. The paper presents a multi-state statistical decision models with Kalman filtering based tracking for head pose detection and face orientation estimation. The basic feasibility and robustness of the approach is demonstrated with the help of a series of systematic experimental studies.