Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of speckle filtering of Polarimetric SAR data on different classification methods

This paper analyzes the effects of speckle filtering on polarimetric SAR decomposition and classification. We compared the results of the refined Lee, IDAN and Non-Local Polarimetric filters, and discussed their influence on the Cloude-Pottier decomposition and the Wishart H/α classification. ALOS/PALSAR and RadarSat-2 polarimetric SAR data are used for illustration.
Clipping free attacks against artificial neural networks

During the last years, a remarkable breakthrough has been made in AI domain thanks to artificial deep neural networks that achieved a great success in many machine learning tasks in computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, malware detection and so on. However, they are highly vulnerable to easily crafted adversarial examples. Many investigations have pointed out this fact and different approaches have been proposed to generate attacks while adding a limited perturbation to the original data. The most robust known method so far is the so called C&W attack [1]. Nonetheless, a countermeasure known as feature squeezing coupled with ensemble defense showed that most of these attacks can be destroyed [6]. In this paper, we present a new method we call Centered Initial Attack (CIA) whose advantage is twofold : first, it insures by construction the maximum perturbation to be smaller than a threshold fixed beforehand, without the clipping process that degrades the quality of attacks. Second, it is robust against recently introduced defenses such as feature squeezing, JPEG encoding and even against a voting ensemble of defenses. While its application is not limited to images, we illustrate this using five of the current best classifiers on ImageNet dataset among which two are adversarialy retrained on purpose to be robust against attacks. With a fixed maximum perturbation of only 1.5% on any pixel, around 80% of attacks (targeted) fool the voting ensemble defense and nearly 100% when the perturbation is only 6%. While this shows how it is difficult to defend against CIA attacks, the last section of the paper gives some guidelines to limit their impact.
GREENER: A Tool for Improving Energy Efficiency of Register Files

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) maintain a large register file to increase the thread level parallelism (TLP). To increase the TLP further, recent GPUs have increased the number of on-chip registers in every generation. However, with the increase in the register file size, the leakage power increases. Also, with the technology advances, the leakage power component has increased and has become an important consideration for the manufacturing process. The leakage power of a register file can be reduced by turning infrequently used registers into low power (drowsy or off) state after accessing them. A major challenge in doing so is the lack of runtime register access information. This paper proposes GREENER (GPU REgister file ENErgy Reducer): a system to minimize leakage energy of the register file of GPUs. GREENER employs a compile-time analysis to estimate the run-time register access information. The result of the analysis is used to determine the power state of the registers (ON, SLEEP, or OFF) after each instruction. We propose a power optimized assembly instruction set that allows GREENER to encode the power state of the registers in the executable itself. The modified assembly, along with a run-time optimization to update the power state of a register during execution, results in significant power reduction. We implemented GREENER in GPGPU-Sim simulator, and used GPUWattch framework to measure the register file's leakage power. Evaluation of GREENER on 21 kernels from CUDASDK, GPGPU-SIM, Parboil, and Rodinia benchmarks suites shows an average reduction of register leakage energy by 69.04% and maximum reduction of 87.95% with a negligible number of simulation cycles overhead (0.53% on average).
Na+-K+-Cl-cotransport in human fibroblasts is inhibited by cytomegalovirus infection.

We examined the effects of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on the Na+-K+-Cl-cotransporter (NKCC) in a human fibroblast cell line. Using the Cl--sensitive dye MQAE, we showed that the mock-infected MRC-5 cells express a functional NKCC. 1) Intracellular Cl- concentration ([Cl-]i) was significantly reduced from 53.4 ± 3.4 mM to 35.1 ± 3.6 mM following bumetanide treatment. 2) Net Cl- efflux caused by replacement of external Cl-with gluconate was bumetanide sensitive. 3) In Cl--depleted mock-infected cells, the Cl- reuptake rate (in [Formula: see text]-free media) was reduced in the absence of external Na+ and by treatment with bumetanide. After HCMV infection, we found that although [Cl-]iincreased progressively [24 h postexposure (PE), 65.2 ± 4.5 mM; 72 h PE, 80.4 ± 5.0 mM], the bumetanide and Na+ sensitivities of [Cl-]iand net Cl- uptake and loss were reduced by 24 h PE and abolished by 72 h PE. Western blots using the NKCC-specific monoclonal antibody T4 showed an approximately ninefold decrease in the amount of NKCC protein after 72 h of infection. Thus HCMV infection resulted in the abolition of NKCC function coincident with the severe reduction in the amount of NKCC protein expressed.
Multiresolution mapping and informative path planning for UAV-based terrain monitoring

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can offer timely and cost-effective delivery of high-quality sensing data. However, deciding when and where to take measurements in complex environments remains an open challenge. To address this issue, we introduce a new multiresolution mapping approach for informative path planning in terrain monitoring using UAVs. Our strategy exploits the spatial correlation encoded in a Gaussian Process model as a prior for Bayesian data fusion with probabilistic sensors. This allows us to incorporate altitude-dependent sensor models for aerial imaging and perform constant-time measurement updates. The resulting maps are used to plan information-rich trajectories in continuous 3-D space through a combination of grid search and evolutionary optimization. We evaluate our framework on the application of agricultural biomass monitoring. Extensive simulations show that our planner performs better than existing methods, with mean error reductions of up to 45% compared to traditional “lawnmower” coverage. We demonstrate proof of concept using a multirotor to map color in different environments.
A Fast Algorithm for Analysis of Molecular Communication in Artificial Synapse

In this paper, we analyze molecular communications (MCs) in a proposed artificial synapse (AS), whose main difference from biological synapses (BSs) is that it is closed, i.e., transmitter molecules cannot diffuse out from AS. Such a setup has both advantages and disadvantages. Besides higher structural stability, being closed, AS never runs out of transmitters. Thus, MC in AS is disconnected from outer environment, which is very desirable for possible intra-body applications. On the other hand, clearance of transmitters from AS has to be achieved by transporter molecules on the presynaptic membrane of AS. Except from these differences, rest of AS content is taken to be similar to that of a glutamatergic BS. Furthermore, in place of commonly used Monte Carlo-based random walk experiments, we derive a deterministic algorithm that attacks for expected values of desired parameters such as evolution of receptor states. To assess validity of our algorithm, we compare its results with average results of an ensemble of Monte Carlo experiments, which shows near exact match. Moreover, our approach requires significantly less amount of computation compared with Monte Carlo approach, making it useful for parameter space exploration necessary for optimization in design of possible MC devices, including but not limited to AS. Results of our algorithm are presented in case of single quantal release only, and they support that MC in closed AS with elevated uptake has similar properties to that in BS. In particular, similar to glutamatergic BSs, the quantal size and the density of receptors are found to be main sources of synaptic plasticity. On the other hand, the proposed model of AS is found to have slower decaying transients of receptor states than BSs, especially desensitized ones, which is due to prolonged clearance of transmitters from AS.
Deep tissue biomechanics during pressure-induced pain

Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain ? You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at vbn@aub.aau. dk providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Phenylalanine utilization by the gut and liver measured with intravenous and intragastric tracers in pigs.

To investigate intestinal and hepatic metabolism of phenylalanine, four conscious pigs (7.5 kg), bearing arterial, venous, and hepatic portal catheters, were fasted for 12 h and infused with [ phenyl-2H5]phenylalanine via a peripheral vein and [ carboxyl-13C]phenylalanine via the stomach. During the first 6 h of the infusion, the pigs remained fasted and received only the intravenous tracer. During the second 6 h, they received an intragastric infusion of milk replacer and both tracers. In the fasted state, the portal-drained viscera extracted 10% ( P < 0.025) of the arterial [2H5]phenylalanine flow of the pigs. In the fed state, the splanchnic tissues metabolized 45% of the enteral tracer and intestinal metabolism accounted for 76% of the total splanchnic extraction. The tracer-to-tracee ratio of both tracers in apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100) phenylalanine was twofold ( P < 0.001) higher than that of hepatic free phenylalanine. The ratios of the two tracers in portal (13C/2H; 1.66) and apo B-100 (1.76) phenylalanine were similar but higher ( P < 0.05) than that of arterial phenylalanine (1.29). We conclude that intestinal metabolism dominates the splanchnic extraction of enteral phenylalanine and that in the fed state, the hepatic protein synthetic precursor pool derives from portal phenylalanine.
Single-molecule localization microscopy reveals molecular transactions during RAD51 filament assembly at cellular DNA damage sites

Abstract RAD51 recombinase assembles on single-stranded (ss)DNA substrates exposed by DNA end-resection to initiate homologous recombination (HR), a process fundamental to genome integrity. RAD51 assembly has been characterized using purified proteins, but its ultrastructural topography in the cell nucleus is unexplored. Here, we combine cell genetics with single-molecule localization microscopy and a palette of bespoke analytical tools, to visualize molecular transactions during RAD51 assembly in the cellular milieu at resolutions approaching 30–40 nm. In several human cell types, RAD51 focalizes in clusters that progressively extend into long filaments, which abut—but do not overlap—with globular bundles of replication protein A (RPA). Extended filaments alter topographically over time, suggestive of succeeding steps in HR. In cells depleted of the tumor suppressor protein BRCA2, or overexpressing its RAD51-binding BRC repeats, RAD51 fails to assemble at damage sites, although RPA accumulates unhindered. By contrast, in cells lacking a BRCA2 carboxyl (C)-terminal region targeted by cancer-causing mutations, damage-induced RAD51 assemblies initiate but do not extend into filaments. We suggest a model wherein RAD51 assembly proceeds concurrently with end-resection at adjacent sites, via an initiation step dependent on the BRC repeats, followed by filament extension through the C-terminal region of BRCA2.
Building SWIFI tools from temporal logic specifications

This paper presents an approach for building SoftWareImplemented Fault Injection (SWIFI) tools for real-time systems starting from temporal logic specifications. Temporal logic formulas are provided describing the behavior of the main SWIFI mechanisms, both for the injection of faults and for the observation of the target system. Besides conventional fault injectors (i.e., that flip bits in memory and in system calls’ parameters), we have also considered fault injectors based on the notion of saboteur. Concerning the observation mechanisms, we have defined on-line software probes aimed at observing not only the failure modes of the system under test, but also the real-time behavior of both the application and the underlying operating system. The specifications of all such mechanisms are then translated into programs that are executed on-line by a virtual machine. This approach was applied to the development of MAFALDA-RT, a SWIFI tool for real-time systems. A case study exemplifies how the proposed approach allows for the SWIFI mechanisms to be defined and applied.
Sequenced subjective accents for brain–computer interfaces

Subjective accenting is a cognitive process in which identical auditory pulses at an isochronous rate turn into the percept of an accenting pattern. This process can be voluntarily controlled, making it a candidate for communication from human user to machine in a brain–computer interface (BCI) system. In this study we investigated whether subjective accenting is a feasible paradigm for BCI and how its time-structured nature can be exploited for optimal decoding from non-invasive EEG data. Ten subjects perceived and imagined different metric patterns (two-, three- and four-beat) superimposed on a steady metronome. With an offline classification paradigm, we classified imagined accented from non-accented beats on a single trial (0.5 s) level with an average accuracy of 60.4% over all subjects. We show that decoding of imagined accents is also possible with a classifier trained on perception data. Cyclic patterns of accents and non-accents were successfully decoded with a sequence classification algorithm. Classification performances were compared by means of bit rate. Performance in the best scenario translates into an average bit rate of 4.4 bits min−1 over subjects, which makes subjective accenting a promising paradigm for an online auditory BCI.
Palmitate transport and fatty acid transporters in red and white muscles.

We performed studies 1) to investigate the kinetics of palmitate transport into giant sarcolemmal vesicles, 2) to determine whether the transport capacity is greater in red muscles than in white muscles, and 3) to determine whether putative long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) transporters are more abundant in red than in white muscles. For these studies we used giant sarcolemmal vesicles, which contained cytoplasmic fatty acid binding protein (FABPc), an intravesicular fatty acid sink. Intravesicular FABPcconcentrations were sufficiently high so as not to limit the uptake of palmitate under conditions of maximal palmitate uptake (i.e., 4.5-fold excess in white and 31.3-fold excess in red muscle vesicles). All of the palmitate taken up was recovered as unesterified palmitate. Palmitate uptake was reduced by phloretin (-50%), sulfo- N-succinimidyl oleate (-43%), anti-plasma membrane-bound FABP (FABPpm, -30%), trypsin (-45%), and when incubation temperature was lowered to 0°C (-70%). Palmitate uptake was also reduced by excess oleate (-65%), but not by excess octanoate or by glucose. Kinetic studies showed that maximal transport was 1.8-fold greater in red vesicles than in white vesicles. The Michaelis-Menten constant in both types of vesicles was ∼6 nM. Fatty acid transport protein mRNA and fatty acid translocase (FAT) mRNA were about fivefold greater in red muscles than in white muscles. FAT/CD36 and FABPpm proteins in red vesicles or in homogenates were greater than in white vesicles or homogenates ( P < 0.05). These studies provide the first evidence of a protein-mediated LCFA transport system in skeletal muscle. In this tissue, palmitate transport rates are greater in red than in white muscles because more LCFA transporters are available.
Robust collaborative object transportation using multiple MAVs

Collaborative object transportation using multiple MAV with limited communication is a challenging problem. In this paper, we address the problem of multiple MAV mechanically coupled to a bulky object for transportation purposes without explicit communication between agents. The apparent physical properties of each agent are reshaped to achieve robustly stable transportation. Parametric uncertainties and unmodeled dynamics of each agent are quantified and techniques from robust control theory are employed to choose the physical parameters of each agent to guarantee stability. Extensive simulation analysis and experimental results show that the proposed method guarantees stability in worst-case scenarios.
Postural Stability in Healthy Child and Youth Athletes: The Effect of Age, Sex, and Concussion-Related Factors on Performance

Background: Postural stability plays a key role in sport performance, especially after concussion. Specific to healthy child and youth athletes, little is known about the influence development and sex may have on postural stability while considering other subjective clinical measures used in baseline/preinjury concussion assessment. This study aims to describe age- and sex-based trends in postural stability in uninjured child and youth athletes at baseline while accounting for concussion-related factors. Hypotheses: (1) Postural stability performance will improve with age, (2) females will display better postural stability compared to males, and (3) concussion-like symptoms will affect postural stability performance in healthy children and youth. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: This study comprised 889 healthy/uninjured child and youth athletes (54% female, 46% male) between the ages of 9 and 18 years old. Participants completed preseason baseline testing, which included demographic information (age, sex, concussion history), self-report of concussion-like symptoms (Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory [PCSI]–Child and PCSI-Youth), and measures of postural stability (BioSway; Biodex Medical Systems). Two versions of the PCSI were used (PCSI-C, 9- to 12-year-olds; PCSI-Y, 13- to 18-year-olds). Postural stability was assessed via sway index under 4 sway conditions of increasing difficulty by removing visual and proprioceptive cues. Results: In children aged 9 to 12 years old, there were significant age- (P < 0.05) and sex-based effects (P < 0.05) on postural stability. Performance improved with age, and girls performed better than boys. For youth ages 13 to 18 years old, postural stability also improved with age (P < 0.05). In both child and youth subgroups, postural stability worsened with increasing concussion-like symptoms (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There are developmental and baseline symptom trends regarding postural stability performance. Clinical Relevance: These findings provide a preliminary foundation for postconcussion comparisons and highlight the need for a multimodal approach in assessing and understanding physical measures such as postural stability.
Order restricted inference for oscillatory systems for detecting rhythmic signals

Motivation: Many biological processes, such as cell cycle, circadian clock, menstrual cycles, are governed by oscillatory systems consisting of numerous components that exhibit rhythmic patterns over time. It is not always easy to identify such rhythmic components. For example, it is a challenging problem to identify circadian genes in a given tissue using time-course gene expression data. There is a great potential for misclassifying non-rhythmic as rhythmic genes and vice versa. This has been a problem of considerable interest in recent years. In this article we develop a constrained inference based methodology called Order Restricted Inference for Oscillatory Systems (ORIOS) to detect rhythmic signals. Instead of using mathematical functions (e.g. sinusoidal) to describe shape of rhythmic signals, ORIOS uses mathematical inequalities. Consequently, it is robust and not limited by the biologist's choice of the mathematical model. We studied the performance of ORIOS using simulated as well as real data obtained from mouse liver, pituitary gland and data from NIH3T3, U2OS cell lines. Our results suggest that, for a broad collection of patterns of gene expression, ORIOS has substantially higher power to detect true rhythmic genes in comparison to some popular methods, while also declaring substantially fewer non-rhythmic genes as rhythmic. Availability and Implementation: A user friendly code implemented in R language can be downloaded from http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/bb/staff/peddada/index.cfm. Contact: peddada@niehs.nih.gov
The Changing View of Input in the Treatment of Children With Grammatical Deficits.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to present 3 approaches that emphasize the role that input plays in the treatment of grammatical deficits in children with language impairments. Method These approaches-input informativeness, competing sources of input, and high variability-were selected because they go beyond issues of token frequency and emphasize instead type frequency, relative frequency, and frequency at an abstract as well as a concrete level of grammar. Each of these approaches can be applied to the grammatical deficits seen in children with specific language impairment and can be readily used with well-established procedures, such as focused stimulation and recasting. Results Each approach is supported by a body of laboratory research with children with typical language skills, and the feasibility of each has been tested in studies with a treatment design. Furthermore, the assumptions of the 3 approaches are largely compatible, permitting application of combinations of these approaches without violating any of their principles. Conclusion The positive findings from each of these approaches should serve as a basis for further clinical research.
The proof-of-concept of ASS234: Peripherally administered ASS234 enters the central nervous system and reduces pathology in a male mouse model of Alzheimer disease

Background The heterogeneity of Alzheimer disease requires the development of multitarget drugs for treating the symptoms of the disease and its progression. Both cholinergic and monoamine oxidase dysfunctions are involved in the pathological process. Thus, we hypothesized that the development of therapies focused on these targets might be effective. We have developed and assessed a new product, coded ASS234, a multipotent acetyl and butyrylcholinesterase/monoamine oxidase A–B inhibitor with a potent inhibitory effect on amyloid-&bgr; aggregation as well as antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. But there is a need to reliably correlate in vitro and in vivo drug release data. Methods We examined the effect of ASS234 on cognition in healthy adult C57BL/6J mice in a model of scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment that often accompanies normal and pathological aging. Also, in a characterized transgenic APPswe/PS1&Dgr;E9 mouse model of Alzheimer disease, we examined the effects of short-term ASS234 treatment on plaque deposition and gliosis using immunohistochemistry. Toxicology of ASS234 was assessed using a quantitative high-throughput in vitro cytotoxicity screening assay following the MTT assay method in HepG2 liver cells. Results In vivo, ASS234 significantly decreased scopolamine-induced learning deficits in C57BL/6J mice. Also, reduction of amyloid plaque burden and gliosis in the cortex and hippocampus was assessed. In vitro, ASS234 exhibited lesser toxicity than donepezil and tacrine. Limitations The study was conducted in male mice only. Although the Alzheimer disease model does not recapitulate all features of the human disease, it exhibits progressive monoaminergic neurodegeneration. Conclusion ASS234 is a promising alternative drug of choice to treat the cognitive decline and neurodegeneration underlying Alzheimer disease.