Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward secure key distribution in truly ad-hoc networks

Ad-hoc networks - and in particular wireless mobile ad-hoc networks $have unique characteristics and constraints that make traditional cryptographic mechanisms and assumptions inappropriate. In particular it may not be warranted to assume pre-existing shared secrets between members of the network or the presence of a common PKI. Thus, the issue of key distribution in ad-hoc networks represents an important problem. Unfortunately, this issue has been largely ignored; as an example, most protocols for secure ad-hoc routing assume that key distribution has already taken place. Traditional key distribution schemes either do not apply in an ad-hoc scenario or are not efficient enough for small, resource-constrained devices. We propose to combine efficient techniques from identity-based (ID-based) and threshold cryptography to provide a mechanism that enables flexible and efficient key distribution while respecting the constraints of ad-hoc networks. We also discuss the available mechanisms and their suitability for the proposed task.
Homogeneous studies of transiting extrasolar planets - II. Physical properties

I present an homogeneous determination of the physical properties of 14 transiting extrasolar planetary systems for which good photometric and spectroscopic data are available. The input quantities for each system are the results of the light-curve analyses presented in Paper I, and published measurements of the stellar velocity amplitude, effective temperature and metal abundance. The physical properties are determined by interpolating within tabulated predictions from stellar theory to find the optimal match to these input data. Statistical uncertainties are found using a perturbation algorithm, which gives a detailed error budget for every output quantity. Systematic uncertainties are assessed for each quantity by comparing the values found using several independent sets of stellar models. As a theory-free alternative, physical properties are also calculated using an empirical mass–radius relation constructed from high-precision studies of low-mass eclipsing binary stars. I find that the properties of the planets depend mostly on parameters measured from the light and radial velocity curves, and have a relatively minor sensitivity to theoretical predictions. In contrast, the orbital semimajor axes and stellar masses have a strong dependence on theoretical predictions, and their systematic uncertainties can be substantially larger than the statistical ones. Using the empirical mass–radius relation instead, the semimajor axes and stellar masses are smaller by up to 15 per cent. Thus, our understanding of extrasolar planets is currently limited by our lack of understanding of low-mass stars. Using the properties of all known transiting extrasolar planets, I find that correlations between their orbital periods, masses and surface gravities are significant at the 2σ –3σ level. However, the separation of the known planets into two classes according to their Safronov number is weaker than previously found, and may not be statistically significant. Three systems, HAT-P-2, WASP-14 and XO-3, form their own little group of outliers, with eccentric orbits, massive planets and stars with masses ∼1.3 M� . The detailed error budgets calculated for each system show where further observations are needed. XO-1 and WASP-1 could do with new transit light curves. TrES-2 and WASP-2 would benefit from more precise stellar temperature and abundance measurements. Velocity measurements of the parent stars are vital for determining the planetary masses: TrES-1, XO-1, WASP-1, WASP-2 and the OGLEs need additional data. The homogeneous analysis presented here is a step towards large-scale statistical studies of transiting extrasolar planetary systems, in preparation for the expected deluge of new detections from CoRoT and Kepler.
Evaluation of a novel subtilisin inhibitor gene and mutant derivatives for the expression and secretion of mouse tumor necrosis factor alpha by Streptomyces lividans

In order to evaluate the expression and secretion signals of the highly secreted subtilisin inhibitor of Streptomyces venezuelae CBS762.70 (VSI) for the production of heterologous proteins by Streptomyces lividans, mouse tumor necrosis factor alpha (mTNF) was chosen as a model protein. The mTNF cDNA was fused to the vsi signal sequence. The analysis of secretion by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and biological activity measurements revealed an efficient translocation of mTNF. Up to 300 mg of secreted biologically active mTNF per liter could be obtained in shaken-flask cultures. By analyzing the effects of mutations in the N region of the VSI signal peptide on secretion, we found that decreasing the +3 charge of the wild-type protein to +2 resulted in a 3- to 10-fold increase in secretion.
Evolution of the cosmological mass density of neutral gas from Sloan Digital Sky Survey II - Data Release 7

We present the results of a search for damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) systems in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS), Data Release 7. We use a fully automatic procedure to identify DLAs and derive their column densities. The procedure is checked against the results of previous searches for DLAs in SDSS. We discuss the agreements and differences and show the robustness of our procedure. For each system, we obtain an accurate measurement of the absorber's redshift, the HI column density and the equivalent width of associated metal absorption lines, without any human intervention. We find 1426 absorbers with 2.15 =20, out of which 937 systems have log N(HI)>= 20.3. This is the largest DLA sample ever built, made available to the scientific community through the electronic version of this paper. In the course of the survey, we discovered the intervening DLA with highest HI column density known to date with log N(HI)=22.0+/-0.1. This single system provides a strong constraint on the high-end of the N(HI) frequency distribution now measured with high accuracy. We show that the presence of a DLA at the blue end of a QSO spectrum can lead to important systematic errors and propose a method to avoid them. This has important consequences for the measurement of the cosmological mass density of neutral gas at z~2.2 and therefore on our understanding of galaxy evolution over the past 10 billion years. [truncated]
Universal bounds on the scaling behavior of polar codes

We consider the problem of determining the tradeoff between the rate and the block-length of polar codes for a given block error probability when we use the successive cancellation decoder. We take the sum of the Bhattacharyya parameters as a proxy for the block error probability, and show that there exists a universal parameter μ such that for any binary memoryless symmetric channel W with capacity I(W), reliable communication requires rates that satisfy R <; I(W) - αN-1/μ, where α is a positive constant and N is the block-length. We provide lower bounds on μ, namely μ ≥ 3.553, and we conjecture that indeed μ = 3.627, the parameter for the binary erasure channel.
Visualization Methods for Computer Vision Analysis

Author(s): Hess-Flores, Mauricio; Recker, Shawn; Joy, Kenneth I. ; Duchaineau, Mark A. | Editor(s): Hess-Flores, Mauricio | Abstract: We present the general idea of using common tools from the field of scientific visualization to aid in the design, implementation and testing of computer vision algorithms, as a complementary and educational component to purely mathematics-based algorithms and results. The interaction between these two broad disciplines has been basically non-existent in the literature, and through initial work we have been able to show the benefits of merging visualization techniques into vision for analyzing patterns in computed parameters. Specific examples and initial results are discussed, such as scalar field-based renderings for scene reconstruction uncertainty and sensitivity analysis as well as feature tracking summaries, followed by a discussion on proposed future work.
Least-cost path in public transportation systems with fare rebates that are path- and time-dependent

We consider a new class of shortest path problems: path-dependent shortest path, in which the cost of an arc (i, j) in a path P/sub sj/, from some node s to j, is dependent on the arc (i, j) as well as the preceding path P/sub sj/. This class of problems arises when we consider fare rebates in many integrated public transportation systems (buses and subways) where rebates are given to a commuter when he switches service lines. We show that the path-dependent shortest path, in general, is NP-complete whereas its special case, the suffix-k path-dependent shortest path, can be solved by any standard shortest path procedure in polynomial time with a technique called dual path graph transformation. We also discuss a realistic application of path-dependent shortest path in finding least cost path in the context of public transportation system in Singapore where fare rebates are given to commuters when they switch service lines. The fare rebates are path-dependent and time-dependent. We give a fast polynomial time algorithm for this problem that combines past techniques for handling simpler versions of least cost paths problems. We also prove key properties of our model in order to gain computational efficiency.
Intelligent signal processing routine for instantaneous heart rate detection using a Six-Port microwave interferometer

Instantaneous heart rate detection is one of the key parameters in medical vital parameter monitoring. In medical centers e.g., real time monitoring of the vital signs of a patient under surveillance is necessary. Nowadays, the dominant technologies are electrocardiogram (ECG) or ballistocardiogram (BCG), but the required direct contact to the person-under-surveillance is a common drawback of these sensors. In this paper, a Six-Port microwave interferometer is presented and used to detect the current heart rate of a person-under-test. An intelligent signal processing routing is proposed that avoids the fast Fourier transform (FFT) due to the implicated longsome observation window and operates directly in the time domain instead. A commercial ECG product is used to proof the reliability of the presented signal processing routine to establish Six-Port microwave interferometers for instantaneous heart rate detection.
Identifying DNA and protein patterns with statistically significant alignments of multiple sequences

MOTIVATION Molecular biologists frequently can obtain interesting insight by aligning a set of related DNA, RNA or protein sequences. Such alignments can be used to determine either evolutionary or functional relationships. Our interest is in identifying functional relationships. Unless the sequences are very similar, it is necessary to have a specific strategy for measuring-or scoring-the relatedness of the aligned sequences. If the alignment is not known, one can be determined by finding an alignment that optimizes the scoring scheme. RESULTS We describe four components to our approach for determining alignments of multiple sequences. First, we review a log-likelihood scoring scheme we call information content. Second, we describe two methods for estimating the P value of an individual information content score: (i) a method that combines a technique from large-deviation statistics with numerical calculations; (ii) a method that is exclusively numerical. Third, we describe how we count the number of possible alignments given the overall amount of sequence data. This count is multiplied by the P value to determine the expected frequency of an information content score and, thus, the statistical significance of the corresponding alignment. Statistical significance can be used to compare alignments having differing widths and containing differing numbers of sequences. Fourth, we describe a greedy algorithm for determining alignments of functionally related sequences. Finally, we test the accuracy of our P value calculations, and give an example of using our algorithm to identify binding sites for the Escherichia coli CRP protein. AVAILABILITY Programs were developed under the UNIX operating system and are available by anonymous ftp from ftp://beagle.colorado. edu/pub/consensus.
Calibration of a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model for flood frequency estimation by continuous simulation

An approach is described to the calibration of a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model, the Probability Distributed Model (PDM), for estimating flood frequencies at gauged sites by continuous flow simulation. A first step was the estimation of routing store parameters by recession curve analysis. Uniform random sampling was then used to search for parameter sets that produced simulations achieving the best fit to observed, hourly flow data over a 2‐year period. Goodness of fit was expressed in terms of four objective functions designed to give different degrees of weight to peaks in flow. Flood frequency results were improved, if necessary, by manual adjustment of parameters, with reference to peaks extracted from the entire hourly flow record. Although the primary aim was to reproduce observed peaks, consideration was also given to finding parameter sets capable of generating a realistic overall characterization of the flow regime. Examples are shown where the calibrated model generated simulations that reproduced well the magnitude and frequency distribution of peak flows. Factors affecting the acceptability of these simulations are discussed. For an example catchment, a sensitivity analysis shows that there may be more than one set of parameter values well suited to the simulation of peak flows.
An automatic test generation framework for digitally-assisted adaptive equalizers in high-speed serial links

This paper presents a new analog ATPG (AATPG) framework that generates near-optimal test stimulus for the digitally-assisted adaptive equalizers in high-speed serial links. Based on the dynamic-signature-based testing scheme developed recently, our AATPG utilizes a Genetic Algorithm (GA) which attempts to maximize the difference between the fault-free and faulty dynamic signatures of the target fault. Our test generation framework takes into account process variations and signal noise in selecting the test stimulus, which minimizes the number of misclassified devices. The experimental results on a 5-tap feed-forward adaptive equalizer demonstrate that the GA-tests generated by our framework can effectively detect faults that are hard to detect by the hand-crafted tests.
New Therapy of Skin Repair Combining Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose Scaffold in a Pre-Clinical Rat Model

Lesions with great loss of skin and extensive burns are usually treated with heterologous skin grafts, which may lead rejection. Cell therapy with mesenchymal stem cells is arising as a new proposal to accelerate the healing process. We tested a new therapy consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a biomaterial, in combination with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), to treat skin lesions in an in vivo rat model. This biomaterial did not affect membrane viability and induced a small and transient genotoxicity, only at the highest concentration tested (40 mg/mL). In a rat wound model, CMC at 10 mg/mL associated with ADSCs increased the rate of cell proliferation of the granulation tissue and epithelium thickness when compared to untreated lesions (Sham), but did not increase collagen fibers nor alter the overall speed of wound closure. Taken together, the results show that the CMC is capable to allow the growth of ADSCs and is safe for this biological application up to the concentration of 20 mg/mL. These findings suggest that CMC is a promising biomaterial to be used in cell therapy.
Automatic user interaction correction via Multi-label Graph cuts

Most applications in image segmentation requires from user interaction in order to achieve accurate results. However, user wants to achieve the desired segmentation accuracy reducing effort of manual labelling. In this work, we extend standard multi-label α-expansion Graph Cut algorithm so that it analyzes the interaction of the user in order to modify the object model and improve final segmentation of objects. The approach is inspired in the fact that fast user interactions may introduce some pixel errors confusing object and background. Our results with different degrees of user interaction and input errors show high performance of the proposed approach on a multi-label human limb segmentation problem compared with classical α-expansion algorithm.
Implementation of concurrent checking circuits by independent sub-circuits

The present paper proposes a new method for detecting arbitrary faults in a functional circuit when the set of codewords is limited and known in advance. The method is based on implementation of the functional circuit by a plurality of separate independent sub-circuits. Each of such sub-circuits generates its own subset of output signals. Since the sub-circuits do not have common elements, any single fault may result in errors only in one of the subsets. The paper presents a solution of the problem of optimal partition of the set of output variables into independent subsets. A number of properties of partitions are proven. The proposed algorithms of the optimal partition are based on these properties. A scheme of the checker for the proposed self-checking approach is presented. Benchmarks' results indicate efficiency of the described technique.
New Recursive Fast Radix-2 Algorithm for the Modulated Complex Lapped Transform

A new recursive fast radix-2 algorithm for an efficient computation of the modulated complex lapped transform (MCLT) is presented. Based on a new proposed alternative recursive sparse matrix factorization for the MDCT (modified discrete cosine transform) matrix and a relation between the MDCT and the MDST (modified discrete sine transform), firstly a new recursive fast radix-2 MDST algorithm is derived. The corresponding fast MDCT and MDST computational structures are regular and complementary to each other. Consequently, this fact enables us by their composition to construct a fast MCLT computational structure representing the fast recursive radix-2 MCLT algorithm. The fast MCLT computational structure is regular and all its stages may be realized in parallel. Combining the proposed fast radix-2 MCLT algorithm with an existing generalized fast mixed-radix MDCT algorithm defined for the composite lengths N = 2 × qm, m ≥ 2, where q is an odd positive integer, we can compute the MCLT for the composite lengths N = 2n × qm, n, m ≥ 2, thus supporting a wider range of transform sizes compared to existing fast MCLT algorithms.
Comparison of plane extraction performance using laser scanner and Kinect

This paper compares the performance of laser scanner and Kinect when extracting the plane from 3D depth map measured by both sensors. By tilting laser scanner, 3D depth map around robot is generated in this paper and another 3D depth map using Kinect is also generated. To compare the 3D depth map of laser scanner and Kinect, staircases are measured by both sensors and the accuracy of the extracted planes of the staircases is examined. Although laser scanner needs more time to generate 3D depth map, laser scanner-based surface extraction shows more accurate result.
An overview of algorithms for network survivability

Network survivability--the ability to maintain operation when one or a few network components fail--is indispensable for present-day networks. In this paper, we characterize three main components in establishing network survivability for an existing network, namely, (1) determining network connectivity, (2) augmenting the network, and (3) finding disjoint paths. We present a concise overview of network survivability algorithms, where we focus on presenting a few polynomial-time algorithms that could be implemented by practitioners and give references to more involved algorithms.
The Fundamental Plane of Early-Type Galaxies in Nearby Clusters from the WINGS Database

By exploting the data of three large surveys (WINGS, NFPS, and SDSS), we analyze the fundamental plane (FP) of early-type galaxies (ETGs) in 59 nearby clusters (0.04 < z < 0.07). We show that the variances of the FP coefficients for our clusters are just marginally consistent with the hypothesis of universality of the FP. We found they are influenced by the distribution of photometric/kinematic properties of galaxies in the particular sample under analysis, suggesting that the FP is actually a bent surface. We also find a strong correlation between the local density and the FP coefficients, while they appear to be poorly correlated with the global properties of clusters. The relation between luminosity and mass of our galaxies, computed by assuming Sérsic luminosity profiles, indicates that, for a given mass, the greater the light concentration, the higher the luminosity, while, for a given luminosity, the lower the light concentration, the greater the mass. Moreover, the M/L versus mass relation (again with Sérsic profile fitting) turns out to be steeper and broader than that obtained for the Coma Cluster sample with de Vaucouleurs profile fitting. This broadness, together with the FP bending, might reconcile the FP phenomenology with the expectations from the ΛCDM cosmology. We conclude that the claimed universality of the FP of ETGs is still far from being proved and that systematic biases might affect the studies of luminosity evolution of ETGs, since data sets at different redshifts and with different distributions of the photometric/kinematic galaxy properties are compared each other.
Fasting Upregulates PPARα Target Genes in Brain and Influences Pituitary Hormone Expression in a PPARα Dependent Manner

PPARα is a lipid-activable transcription factor that mediates the adaptive response to fasting. Recent data indicate an important role of brain PPARα in physiological functions. However, it has not yet been shown whether PPARα in brain can be activated in the fasting state. Here we demonstrate that fasting of rats increased mRNA concentrations of typical PPARα target genes implicated in β-oxidation of fatty acids (acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase) and ketogenesis (mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase) in pituitary gland and partially also in frontal cortex and diencephalon compared to nonfasted animals. These data strongly indicate that fasting activates PPARα in brain and pituitary gland. Furthermore, pituitary prolactin and luteinizing hormone-β mRNA concentrations were increased upon fasting in wild-type mice but not in mice lacking PPARα. For proopiomelanocortin and thyrotropin-β, genotype-specific differences in pituitary mRNA concentrations were observed. Thus, PPARα seems to be involved in transcriptional regulation of pituitary hormones.
Corpus-based Explorations of Affective Load Differences in Arabic-Hebrew-English

This work is about connotative aspects of words, often not carried over in translation, which depend on specific cultures. A cross-language computational study is presented, based on exploitation of similarity techniques on large corpora of news documents in English, Arabic, and Hebrew. In particular, focus of the exploration is on specific terms expressing emotion, negotiation and conflict.
Asymptotic Estimates for Some Number Theoretic Power Series

We derive asymptotic bounds for the ordinary generating functions of several classical arithmetic functions, including the Moebius, Liouville, and von Mangoldt functions. The estimates result from the Korobov-Vinogradov zero-free region for the Riemann zeta-function, and are sharper than those obtained by Abelian theorems from bounds for the summatory functions.