Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SoC estimation using an Extended Kalman filter for UAV applications

Measuring or estimating adequately and accurately the state of charge (SoC) of a Li-Po battery, which powered an UAV during its flight allows to know the limits of the mission that the UAV is developing and to maximize the energy supplied by the battery. In this sense this paper presents a methodology to estimate the state of charge (SoC) of a Li- Po battery through an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) during the flight of an UAV. By considering the mathematical model of the propulsion system of an UAV hexacopter, the power consumption is computed, and the SoC of the battery is estimated. Finally, a strategy based on estimated SoC is presented to predict the End-of-Discharge (EoD) during the development of a mission of and UAV hexacopter. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Error control coding combined with content recognition

In modern communication systems, there is content redundancy inside the transmitted data no matter what source codes are adopted. This paper introduces machine learning method to utilize content redundancy and perform content recognition, in order to provide side information for error control coding (ECC) and improve performing. It shows that content recognition for English text, based on Trie and machine learning, is able to provide side information for ECC decoders. Moreover, content redundancy is independent of parity bits of error control codes. Iterative Turbo decoding is introduced to further enhance error performance. Simulation results show that the error performance of ECC can be significantly improved with the aid of content recognition.
Harmonic Analysis and Fault-Tolerant Capability of a Semi-12-Phase Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machine Used for EVs

This paper deals with a fault-tolerant semi-12-phase permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) used for electric vehicles. High fault-tolerant and low toque ripple features are achieved by employing fractional slot concentrated windings (FSCWs) and open windings. Excessive magnetomotive force (MMF) harmonic components can lead to thermal demagnetization of rotor magnets as well as high core loss. An improved all-teeth-wound winding disposition that changes the winding factor of each harmonic is applied to suppress harmonics. A relatively large slot leakage inductance that limits the short-circuit current (SCC) induced in the short-circuited winding is proposed to deal with short-circuit fault. Fault-tolerant controls up to two phases open circuited are investigated in this paper based on keeping the same torque-producing MMF. The fault-tolerant control strategies corresponding to each faulty mode are studied and compared to ensure high performance operation.
A dynamic model of annual foliage growth and carbon uptake in trees

The growth of trees and other plants occurs through the interactive combination of photosynthesis and carbon (and other nutrient) assimilation. Photosynthesis enables the production of carbohydrate that can then be used in growing foliage, whereby photosynthesis is enabled. We construct a mathematical model of carbon uptake and storage, which allows the prediction of the growth dynamics of trees. We find that the simplest model allows uncontrolled foliage production through the positive feedback outlined above, but that leaf shading provides an automatic saturation to carbon assimilation, and hence to foliage production. The model explains the necessity for finite leaf area production at outbreak, and it explains why foliage density reaches a constant value during a growing season, while also non-leaf tissue also continues to grow. It also explains why trees will die when their carbon stores are depleted below a certain threshold, because the cost of foliage growth and maintenance exceeds the dynamic supply of carbon by photosynthesis.
Gene Expression Profiling of Neural Stem Cells and Their Neuronal Progeny Reveals IGF2 as a Regulator of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Neural stem cells (NSCs) generate neurons throughout life in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). How gene expression signatures differ among NSCs and immature neurons remains largely unknown. We isolated NSCs and their progeny in the adult DG using transgenic mice expressing a GFP reporter under the control of the Sox2 promoter (labeling NSCs) and transgenic mice expressing a DsRed reporter under the control of the doublecortin (DCX) promoter (labeling immature neurons). Transcriptome analyses revealed distinct gene expression profiles between NSCs and immature neurons. Among the genes that were expressed at significantly higher levels in DG NSCs than in immature neurons was the growth factor insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). We show that IGF2 selectively controls proliferation of DG NSCs in vitro and in vivo through AKT-dependent signaling. Thus, by gene expression profiling of NSCs and their progeny, we have identified IGF2 as a novel regulator of adult neurogenesis.
Biophysical constraints on the evolution of tissue structure and function

We outline an extension of phylogenetic studies of protein interaction networks to take into account biophysical constraints to interaction imposed by tissues regulating these networks and we define these constraints explicitly as a means to track the evolution of tissue structure and function objectively. For biophysical constraints that are associated at the lowest spatial scales with molecular diffusion within and between cells that are less than 100 μm apart, we define a cylinder of 40 μm radius centred on a small vessel as the primary functional tissue unit (pFTU). Molecular transport and communication between distributed or contiguous pFTUs via the endothelial or epithelial vessels is characterised at the level of secondary functional tissue units (sFTUs). sFTUs represent units of physiological function that are replicated multiple times in a whole organ. Non‐dimensional analysis, which expresses the relative importance of biophysical processes, provides the metrics to quantify and compare the function of FTUs for phylogenetic analysis. We lay the ground for a systematic approach to the measurement of tissue structure and function, based on biophysical principles, at the level of primary and secondary FTUs.
Learning agile software engineering practices using coding dojo

Information technology and computer science educators are experiencing an industry-driven change from plan-based software engineering development processes to more people-oriented Agile software engineering approaches. While plan-based software engineering practices have traditionally been taught in lectures, Agile practices can often be best learned by experiencing them in a realistic situation. One approach for bringing Agile practices to the learning community is a coding dojo, where a group of participants solve a programming task together using test-driven development and pair programming. Coding dojo is a form of learning which values concrete experience in a realistic context. In our experiment, we embedded a coding dojo into the Agile practices part of our undergraduate software engineering course. The participating students considered the coding dojo a useful experience, and most of them (82%) would recommend participation in coding dojos for their fellow students, as well.
Around the table: are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

This paper presents a classroom study that investigated the potential of using touch tabletop technology to support children's collaborative learning interactions. Children aged 7-10 worked in groups of three on a collaborative planning task in which they designed a seating plan for their classroom. In the single-touch condition, the tabletop surface allowed only one child to interact with the digital content at a time. In the multiple-touch condition, the children could interact with the digital content simultaneously. Results showed that touch condition did not affect the frequency or equity of interactions, but did influence the nature of children's discussion. In the multiple-touch condition, children talked more about the task; in the single-touch condition, they talked more about turn taking. We also report age and gender differences.
Double Auction Based Multi-Flow Transmission in Software-Defined and Virtualized Wireless Networks

The explosively growing demands for mobile traffic services bring both challenges and opportunities to wireless networks. Wireless network virtualization is proposed as the main evolution path toward the forthcoming fifth generation (5G) cellular networks. In this paper, we propose a software defined and virtualized (SDV) wireless network architecture for enabling multi-flow transmission with multiple infrastructure providers (InPs) and multiple mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). In order to ensure the heterogeneity, we formulate the virtual resource allocation problem with diverse QoS requirements as a social welfare maximization problem with distance-related transaction cost. Due to hidden information of InPs and MVNOs for the auctioneer, we introduce a shadow price for ensuring desirable economic properties and total welfare for the system. Simulations are conducted with different system configurations to show the effectiveness and the energy efficiency performance of the proposed SDV wireless network framework and iterative double auction mechanism.
Reorganization of porcine thyroid cells into functional follicles in a chemically defined, serum- and thyrotropin-free medium

In the serum-free, chemically defined medium NCTC 109, freshly isolated porcine thyroid cells aggregate and form functional follicles in culture even in the absence of thyrotropin. The follicular pattern observed under light and electron microscopy express the main morphological characteristics of in vivo thyroid cells. Follicles are large, replete with dense colloid, and the apical pole of cells is characterized by well-developed microvilli and the presence of aminopeptidase N. The index of iodide transport activity (125I-C/M ratio) decreases vs. days of culture to a resting value of about 1 or 2 at day 2. Addition of thyrotropin (200 microU/ml final concentration) at day 4 is followed by a 10-fold increase in iodide transport activity within 24 h and a 40-fold increase 4 d later. Incorporation and organification of iodide are dose dependent between 0 and 250 microU/ml thyrotropin; highest concentrations (4,000--16,000 muU/ml) are significantly inhibitory. In the absence of thyrotropin each cell synthesizes 8.2 pg thyroglobulin/d. Acute stimulation by thyrotropin at day 4 resulted in a slight decrease in the quantity of thyroglobulin present in the cell layer but in an increase in the total amount of thyroglobulin recovered in both cells and medium, reaching 34.3 pg/cell/d. The protein exported into the medium is thyroglobulin, as shown by SDS PAGE and immunological properties. Here we demonstrate that porcine thyroid cells can be maintained in culture as resting, highly differentiated, follicular-associated cells, sensitive to acute stimulation by thyrotropin.
Rehabilitation following hip fracture surgery: a comparative study of females and males

Purpose: To compare patient, fracture and rehabilitation variables between male and female patients during the rehabilitation period immediately following surgical repair of hip fracture (HF). Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a rehabilitation geriatric ward in a tertiary university hospital in southern Israel. The study group consisted of 808 elderly patients, 65 years of age or older, selected for hospitalized rehabilitation following surgery for HF. The measurements included functional studies by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) scale, mental status by Folstein Minimental Test and Clock Drawing Test, Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (GDS), demographic and social parameters, laboratory tests, length of rehabilitation, complications and mortality during rehabilitation. Results: Six hundred and fourteen patients (76%) were women and 194 (24%) were men. The mean age ( ± SD) of the women was 78.4 ± 7.1 years and of the men was 77.8 ± 7.5 (NS). There were no significant differences between women and men in terms of the anatomic site of the fracture or the type of surgery, the complication rate or mortality during rehabilitation, the length of time needed for rehabilitation, the framework to which the patient was discharged, FIM values before the HF, on admission and at the end of rehabilitation, or the difference between FIM scores at these last two points in time. Conclusions: In selected elderly patients with HF gender does not affect variables associated with hip fracture, the rehabilitation process immediately following the fracture, or the results of rehabilitation.
Four divergent Arabidopsis ethylene‐responsive element‐binding factor domains bind to a target DNA motif with a universal CG step core recognition and different flanking bases preference

The Arabidopsis ethylene‐responsive element‐binding factor (AtERF) family of transcription factors has ∼ 120 members, all of which possess a highly conserved ERF domain. AtERF1, AtERF4, AtEBP and CBF1 are members from different phylogenetic subgroups within the family. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses revealed that the ERF domains of these four proteins were capable of binding specifically to either GCC or dehydration‐responsive element (DRE) motifs. In vitro and in vivo binding assays of the four AtERFs with the DRE motif showed that the recognition of the CG step was indispensable in all four of the specific binding reactions, implying that there may be a universal binding characteristic of various ERF domains binding to a given consensus (e.g. the DRE motif). In addition, the core DNA‐binding motifs preferred by the four AtERFs were identified, and all of these motifs contained a conserved CG step core. Thus, conserved recognition of the CG step may be the foundation of the formation of the stable complex by the ERF domain with the DRE motif, which is probably determined by the highly conserved residues presented in the DNA contact surface among the whole AtERF family members. The different preferences at flanking bases of individual ERF domains, which appear to be attributed to the subfamily‐ or subgroup‐specific residues, may be essential discrimination of the target binding motif from various similar sequences by divergent AtERF domains.
3 Software Engineering for Image Processing and Analysis

3.1 Introduction Connguring or programming image processing systems is a time-consuming task which requires specialized knowledge on the eeects of image processing algorithms as well as knowledge about the implementation and interfaces. Clearly, software engineering is required for the application programmer of image processing systems. But even people who do not implement their applications themselves occasionally have to face software engineering problems. Several commercial or free packages for image processing exist providing routines which can be plugged together to more complex operations. This does not solve software engineering problems; it rather shifts the basic building blocks to a higher level. The larger the application gets which uses such libraries, the higher is the importance of well-structured software. The major problem in design of general imaging systems is that on the one hand highly run-time eecient code and low-level access to hardware is required, and that on the other hand a general and platform-independent implementation is desired which provides all data types and functions also for at least intermediate-level processing, such as results of segmentation. Software re-use is crucial in any large system; well-documented packages should be usable even across applications. If every programmer is allowed to reprogram existing code, soon several pieces of code will be scattered around in the system which serve the same purpose. Today's software engineering is closely coupled with the ideas of object-orientation. Theoretically and practically, object-oriented programming gains high attention. Object-oriented programming can help simplifying code re-use; if applied properly, it uniies
How Many Iterations are Sufficient for Efficient Semiparametric Estimation?

Abstract. A common practice in obtaining an efficient semiparametric estimate is through iteratively maximizing the (penalized) full log‐likelihood w.r. t. its Euclidean parameter and functional nuisance parameter. A rigorous theoretical study of this semiparametric iterative estimation approach is the main purpose of this study. We first show that the grid search algorithm produces an initial estimate with the proper convergence rate. Our second contribution is to provide a formula in calculating the minimal number of iterations k* needed to produce an efficient estimate . We discover that (i) k* depends on the convergence rates of the initial estimate and the nuisance functional estimate, and (ii) k* iterations are also sufficient for recovering the estimation sparsity in high dimensional data. The last contribution is the novel construction of which does not require knowing the explicit expression of the efficient score function. The above general conclusions apply to semiparametric models estimated under various regularizations, for example, kernel or penalized estimation. As far as we are aware, this study provides a first general theoretical justification for the ‘one‐/two‐step iteration’ phenomena observed in the semiparametric literature.
Inducible Activation of Oncogenic K-ras Results in Tumor Formation in the Oral Cavity

Mouse models for cancer represent powerful tools to analyze the causal role of genetic alterations in cancer development. We have developed a novel mouse model that allows the focal activation of mutations in stratified epithelia. Using this system, we demonstrate that activation of an oncogenic K-rasG12D allele in the oral cavity of the mouse induces oral tumor formation. The lesions that develop in these mice are classified as benign squamous papillomas. Interestingly, these tumors exhibit changes in the expression pattern of keratins similar to those observed in human premalignant oral tumors, which are reflective of early stages of tumorigenesis. These results demonstrate a causal role for oncogenic K-ras in oral tumor development. The inducible nature of this model also makes it an ideal system to study cooperative interactions between mutations in oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes that are similar to those observed in human tumors. To our knowledge, this is the first reported inducible mouse model for oral cancer.
The effects of memory-access ordering on multiple-issue uniprocessor performance

We study the effect of memory access ordering policies on processor performance. Relaxed ordering policies increase available instruction-level parallelism, but such policies must be evaluated subject to their effect on memory consistency-since virtually all microprocessors are designed to be compatible with shared memory multiprocessor systems, even uniprocessor desktop computers are constrained by the rules of multiprocessor memory consistency models. We define the set of potential parallelism-restricting ordering rules found in strong memory models. We then construct a spectrum of possible memory models by progressively relaxing these restrictions. Some of our models are similar to those of existing commercial processors, other models illustrate potential alternatives. We simulate and analyze several uniprocessor benchmarks from the SPEC95 and SPLASH-2 suites using a super scalar processor simulator (Armadillo) developed at the University of Texas at Austin. This simulator models dataflow instruction execution, branch prediction, speculative execution, memory disambiguation and an aggressive memory system. Our experiments confirm the significant benefits of a weaker memory model on processor performance. Although the absolute performance varies considerably from benchmark to benchmark, the relative performance gains of relaxing specific memory ordering constraints is surprisingly similar across most of the benchmarks.
Siteseer: personalized navigation for the Web

COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM March 1997/Vol. 40, No. 3 73 by the user. Over time, Siteseer learns each user’s preferences and the categories through which they view the world, and at the same time it learns for each Web page how different communities or affinitybased clusters of users regard it. Siteseer then delivers personalized recommendations of online content, Web pages, organized according to each user’s folders. Bookmarks (including Hotlists and Favorites) are a desirable mechanism for gathering preference information as they are already maintained by the user, and thus require no additional behavior for the purpose of informing the recommendation system. In contrast to a click, which can be inadvertently done and rarely takes much effort or investment, bookmarks are the result of a very intentional act, something which (especially if the bookmark is placed in a folder) takes some degree of thought and effort, making them a less “noisy” input for inference. Bookmarks also have specific limitations. A voluntary survey of free response and multiple choice questions, posted to various Usenet news groups and drawing 40 respondents, indicated that users typically bookmark fewer than half of the sites/pages they find interesting, often because a site is easily accessiPersonalized Navigation for the Web
Gaussian Particle Filtering for Concurrent Hybrid Models Gaussian Particle Filtering for Concurrent Hybrid Models with Autonomous Transitions

Robotic and embedded systems have become increasingly pervasive in every-day applications, ranging from space probes and life support systems to autonomous rovers. In order to act robustly in the physical world, robotic systems must handle the uncertainty and partial observability inherent in most real-world situations. Probabilistic hybrid models are convenient modeling tool for many applications, including fault diagnosis and visual tracking. In probabilistic hybrid models, the hidden state is represented with discrete and continuous state variables that evolve probabilistically. The hidden state is observed indirectly, through noisy observations. A challenge is that real-world systems are non-linear, consist of a large collection of concurrently operating components, and exhibit autonomous mode transitions, that is, discrete state transitions that depend on the continuous dynamics. In this paper, we introduce an efficient algorithm for hybrid state estimation that combines Rao-Blackwellised particle filtering with a Gaussian representation. Conceptually, our algorithm samples trajectories traced by the discrete variables over time and, for each trajectory, estimates the continuous state with a Kalman Filter. A key insight to handling the autonomous transitions is to reuse the continuous estimates in the importance sampling step. We extended the class of autonomous transitions that can be efficiently handled by Gaussian techniques and provide a detailed empirical evaluation of the algorithm on a dynamical system with four continuous state variables. Our results indicate that our algorithm is substantially more efficient than non-Rao-Blackwellised approaches. Though not as good as a k-best filter in nominal scenarios, our algorithm outperforms a k-best filter when the correct diagnosis has too low a probability to be included in the leading set of trajectories. Through these accomplishments, the paper lays ground work for a unifying stochastic search algorithm that shares the benefits of both methods.