Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term Observations in Acoustics - the Ocean Acoustic Observatory Federation

F e d e r a t i o n The Ocean Acoustic Observatory Federation (OAOF) includes several laboratories and universities: the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) and the Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Pacific Meteorological and Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) of NOAA, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington (UW/APL). The OAOF integrates the previously independent activities of its member institutions in the collection of long time series from acoustic arrays in the Pacific. The funded activities include the outfitting and operation of retired Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) stations, research in earthquake and volcano seismicity, the monitoring of marine mammal behavior, the use of acoustic methods for ocean acoustic tomography and thermometry, and the development of a fundamental understanding of the coupling of elastic waves from volcanoes and earthquakes into the ocean sound channel. During the course of the NOPP-funded grant, we intend to install, operate and maintain high-quality recording systems at SOSUS arrays at Pt. Sur, Barbers Point, and San Nicolas. While the arrays have been in operation for decades, there is no legacy from the SOSUS systems in the form of long time series of ocean signals and noise. The OAOF will initiate and maintain records which are of great scientific interest now and well into the future. We are exploiting the data under current Navy guidelines for data classification and Figure 1: The SOSUS cable at Pt. Sur with the central conductor and various insulators and shields exposed.
OPTIMIZATION OF LINEARWIRE ANTENNA ARRAYS TO INCREASEMIMO CAPACITY USING SWARM INTELLIGENCE

Free standing linear arrays (FSLA) are analyzed and optimized to increase MIMO capacity. A MIMO channel model based on electric fields is used. The effects of mutual interactions among the array elements are included into the channel matrix using Method of Moments (MoM) based full-wave solvers. A tool to design an antenna array of superior MIMO capacity for any specified volume is developed. Particle swarm optimization is used as the main engine for the optimization tasks of the tool. Uniform linear arrays, uniform circular arrays and non-uniform arrays are analyzed and compared in terms of their channel capacity.
Aggregating preference graphs for collaborative rating prediction

Collaborative filtering is a widely used technique for rating prediction in recommender systems. Memory based collaborative filtering algorithms assign weights to the users to capture similarities between them. The weighted average of similar users' ratings for the test item is output as prediction. We propose a memory based algorithm that is markedly different from the existing approaches. We use preference relations instead of absolute ratings for similarity calculations, as preference relations between items are generally more consistent than ratings across like-minded users. Each user's ratings are viewed as a preference graph. Similarity weights are learned using an iterative method motivated by online learning. These weights are used to create an aggregate preference graph. Ratings are inferred to maximally agree with this aggregate graph. The use of preference relations allows the rating of an item to be influenced by other items, which is not the case in the weighted-average approaches of the existing techniques. This is very effective when the data is sparse, specially for the items rated by few users. Our experiments show that the our method outperforms other methods in the sparse regions. However, for dense regions, sometimes our results are comparable to the competing approaches, and sometimes worse.
Frequency-Domain Multi-Stage Soft Interference Cancellation for DS-CDMA Uplink Signal Transmission

SUMMARY It is well-known that, in DS-CDMA downlink signal transmission, frequency-domain equalization (FDE) based on minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion can replace rake combining to achieve much improved bit error rate (BER) performance in severe frequencyselective fading channel. However, in uplink signal transmission, as each user’s signal goes through a different channel, a severe multi-user interference (MUI) is produced and the uplink BER performance severely degrades compared to the downlink. When a small spreading factor is used, the uplink BER performance further degrades due to inter-chip interference (ICI). In this paper, we propose a frequency-domain multi-stage soft interference cancellation scheme for the DS-CDMA uplink and the achievable BER performance is evaluated by computer simulation. The BER performance comparison of the proposed cancellation technique and the multiuser detection (MUD) is also presented.
Table-top soft x-ray lasers

This article reviews the progress in the development of practical table-top sources of soft x-ray laser radiation. The field is rapidly approaching the stage at which soft x-ray lasers sufficiently compact to fit onto a normal optical table will be routinely utilized in science and technology. This is the result of recent advances in the amplification of soft x-ray radiation in both compact laser-pumped and discharge-pumped devices. The use of excitation mechanisms that take full advantage of new ultrafast high power optical laser drivers and multiple pulse excitation schemes has resulted in the demonstration of saturated soft x-ray amplification at wavelengths as short as 14 nm using several Joule of laser-pump energy. Moreover, several schemes have demonstrated significant gain with only a fraction of a Joule of laser-pump energy. In addition, the demonstration of saturated table-top soft x-ray lasers pumped by very compact capillary discharges has shattered the notion that discharge-created plasmas are insufficiently uniform to allow for soft x-ray amplification, opening a route for the development of efficient, high average power soft x-ray lasers. Recently, a table-top capillary discharge laser operating at 46.9 nm has produced millijoule-level laser pulses at a repetition rate of several Hz, with a corresponding spatially coherent average power per unit bandwidth comparable to that of a beam line at a third generation synchrotron facility. This review summarizes fundamental and technical aspects of table-top soft x-ray lasers based on the generation of population inversions in plasmas, and discusses the present status of development of specific laser systems.
An Improved Collaborative Filtering Recommendation Algorithm

The core of the classic collaborative filtering algorithms about similar calculation are designed on the basis of the “user-item matrix” model. This paper proposes an improved collaborative filtering algorithm on the basis of the “user-item cube” model, which takes care of the factor of the data produced when the user purchased the item. The algorithm attaches the corresponding weight to the date factor, and then the corresponding weight is used to the calculation of the similarity. This method increases the accuracy of the recommendation system significantly.
Improving offline evaluation of contextual bandit algorithms via bootstrapping techniques

In many recommendation applications such as news recommendation, the items that can be recommended come and go at a very fast pace. This is a challenge for recommender systems (RS) to face this setting. Online learning algorithms seem to be the most straight forward solution. The contextual bandit framework was introduced for that very purpose. In general the evaluation of a RS is a critical issue. Live evaluation is often avoided due to the potential loss of revenue, hence the need for offline evaluation methods. Two options are available. Model based methods are biased by nature and are thus difficult to trust when used alone. Data driven methods are therefore what we consider here. Evaluating online learning algorithms with past data is not simple but some methods exist in the literature. Nonetheless their accuracy is not satisfactory mainly due to their mechanism of data rejection that only allow the exploitation of a small fraction of the data. We precisely address this issue in this paper. After highlighting the limitations of the previous methods, we present a new method, based on bootstrapping techniques. This new method comes with two important improvements: it is much more accurate and it provides a measure of quality of its estimation. The latter is a highly desirable property in order to minimize the risks entailed by putting online a RS for the first time. We provide both theoretical and experimental proofs of its superiority compared to state-of-the-art methods, as well as an analysis of the convergence of the measure of quality.
A comparative study and empirical evaluation of global view High performance Linpack program in X10

High-performance Linpack (HPL) benchmark is used to evaluate the performance of super computers. It implements blocked, right-looking Gaussian elimination with row partial pivoting. Block cyclic distribution is used in the parallel variant. In this paper, we implement the HPL in X10. X10 is a high level high-performance programming language based on the sequential semantics of Java augmented with new concurrency constructs, namely, places, asyncs, finish, atomic and clock. X10 also provides a rich array language which includes region, distributions and distributed arrays. We use HPL as a case study to evaluate the global view paradigm of X10. A global view program uses globally distributed arrays and global array indices without any process-specific code. We compare the elegance of global view programs over the local view version. We also show that the performance of global view program is no worse than the local view version.
A crucial role for Mim2 in the biogenesis of mitochondrial outer membrane proteins

Summary Most of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) proteins contain helical transmembrane domains. Some of the single-span proteins and all known multiple-span proteins are inserted into the membrane in a pathway that depends on the MOM protein Mitochondrial Import 1 (Mim1). So far it has been unknown whether additional proteins are required for this process. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of Mim2, a novel protein of the MOM that has a crucial role in the biogenesis of MOM helical proteins. Mim2 physically and genetically interacts with Mim1, and both proteins form the MIM complex. Cells lacking Mim2 exhibit a severely reduced growth rate and lower steady-state levels of helical MOM proteins. In addition, absence of Mim2 leads to compromised assembly of the translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM complex), hampered mitochondrial protein import, and defects in mitochondrial morphology. In summary, the current study demonstrates that Mim2 is a novel central player in the biogenesis of MOM proteins.
The Impact of Fitness Center Servicescape on Individual Behavior: The Mediating Role of Emotional Response

ABSTRACT This study assesses the impact of fitness centers' servicescape on individual behavior, exploring the mediating role of the Emotional Response between servicescape dimensions and individual behavior amongst customers of the Malaysian fitness industry. Consumers place great emphasis on the surrounding environmental stimuli which facilitates engagement during active fitness activity. 200 samples were collected from six different Malaysian fitness franchises and questions focused mainly on members perceptions of servicescape and how this affects behavior. Multiple linear regression and mediation model analysis reveals positive direct effects of the Physical and Natural dimensions of servicescape on individual behaviour, whilst mediating effects of Emotional Response are present for indirect relationships of Social and Natural dimension on individual behaviour. The results of this study serve to help the management of the fitness centers' servicescape which will encourage more members' engagement during their fitness regime while improving word of mouth marketing through their increased satisfaction.
Disoriented and Immobile: The Experiences of People with Visual Impairments during and after the Christchurch, New Zealand, 2010 and 2011 Earthquakes

Introduction On September 4, 2010, at 4.35 a.m., a shallow 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand, followed by a deadly 6.3 magnitude aftershock on February 22, 2011, centered under the city of Christchurch, which killed 185 people. This research explores the experiences of 12 visually impaired Christchurch residents who lived through more than 12,000 aftershocks throughout 2010 and 2011. The participants shared suggestions about how to be better prepared for such an emergency. Methods Qualitative research involved 12 face-to-face semi-structured interviews conducted in 2011 prior to the fatal February earthquake. In February 2012, seven of the original participants were reinterviewed about how more than a year of earthquakes had affected their lives. Results Participants highlighted the importance of communication and technology, personal and agency support, orientation and mobility, health, rebuilding independence, rehabilitation, coping, and resilience. Discussion Participants demonstrated creative problem-solving abilities, resilience, and community spirit. Findings also indicate that older visually impaired persons are vulnerable in disasters, and that more work needs to be done to prepare communities, agencies, families, and individuals for potential disasters. Implications for practitioners Participants provided suggestions for disaster preparedness for people who have impairments and for the agencies that provide services to people with disabilities.
Probabilistic signal interpretation methods for a thermopile pedestrian detection system

Whenever addressing pedestrian related injury focal points in automotive accidentology, a comprehensive approach comprising both active and passive safety elements should be followed. Passive safety short term solutions can be contact sensor systems that trigger raisable engine hoods and an active safety element could be the brake assist. However, an important enabler for a future pedestrian protection system is a suitable, low-cost, environment-friendly sensing technology for pedestrian detection, supported by a fast and reliable algorithm for object localization. This paper discusses such an innovative approach for pedestrian detection and localization, by presenting a system based on an array of passive infrared thermopile sensors, aided with probabilistic techniques for detection improvement. The distributed thermopile sensors (sensor-array) detect the object presence within their respective field-of-view independently from each other. These measurements are then validated and fused using a mathematical framework. The focus of this paper is on the signal interpretation of the thermopile sensors. Since passive thermopile sensors are prone to background influences and can detect only the relative temperature changes, a robust signal-interpretation algorithm is essential. In this respect, a statistical approach combining Dempster-Shafer-theory with occupancy-grid method is used to achieve reliable pedestrian detection. The performance of the proposed approach is discussed by presenting some experimental results.
Natural History of Untreated Prostate Specific Antigen Radiorecurrent Prostate Cancer in Men with Favorable Prognostic Indicators

Background and Purpose. Life expectancy data could identify men with favorable post-radiation prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure kinetics unlikely to require androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Materials and Methods. Of 206 men with unfavorable-risk prostate cancer in a randomized trial of radiation versus radiation and ADT, 53 experienced a PSA failure and were followed without salvage ADT. Comorbidity, age and established prognostic factors were assessed for relationship to death using Cox regression analyses. Results. The median age at failure, interval to PSA failure, and PSA doubling time were 76.6 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 71.8–79.3), 49.1 months (IQR: 37.7–87.4), and 25 months (IQR: 13.1–42.8), respectively. After a median follow up of 4.0 years following PSA failure, 45% of men had died, none from prostate cancer and no one had developed metastases. Both increasing age at PSA failure (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.03–1.25; P = 0.008) and the presence of moderate to severe comorbidity (HR: 12.5; 95% CI: 3.81–41.0; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with an increased risk of death. Conclusions. Men over the age of 76 with significant comorbidity and a PSA doubling time >2 years following post-radiation PSA failure appear to be good candidates for observation without ADT intervention.
Euclid Calma Radio Link Frequency Assignment Project

We consider two variants of the radio link frequency assignment problem. These problems arise in practice when a network of radio links has to be established. Each radio link has to be assigned a particular frequency. The interference level between the frequencies assigned to the diierent links has to be acceptable, since otherwise communication will be distorted. The frequency assignments have to comply with certain regulations and physical characteristics of the transmitters. Moreover the number of frequencies is to be minimized. This is because each frequency used in the network has to be reserved at a certain cost, so that no one else in the same area will use it. We develop several approximation algorithms for the problems, which are based on local search, and we compare their performance on some practical instances. Lower bounding techniques based on nonlinear programming and the chromatic number of a graph are used to estimate the quality of the approximate solutions for these instances.
Nonlytic viral spread enhanced by autophagy components

Significance The cell-to-cell spread of viruses that are not surrounded by membranes was thought to occur only by destruction of the infected cell, as no obvious path for a cytoplasmic particle to penetrate the plasma membrane exists. Nonetheless, it is known that spread within tissues in human infections is not always accompanied by obvious cell death. Here we use quantitative single-cell analysis to show that poliovirus can spread to a neighboring cell prior to bursting and killing the originally infected cell. This type of spread is dependent on components of the autophagy pathway, a recycling pathway that is found in all eukaryotes. This finding identifies targets to block the spread of viruses and other toxic cytoplasmic assemblages. The cell-to-cell spread of cytoplasmic constituents such as nonenveloped viruses and aggregated proteins is usually thought to require cell lysis. However, mechanisms of unconventional secretion have been described that bypass the secretory pathway for the extracellular delivery of cytoplasmic molecules. Components of the autophagy pathway, an intracellular recycling process, have been shown to play a role in the unconventional secretion of cytoplasmic signaling proteins. Poliovirus is a lytic virus, although a few examples of apparently nonlytic spread have been documented. Real demonstration of nonlytic spread for poliovirus or any other cytoplasmic constituent thought to exit cells via unconventional secretion requires demonstration that a small amount of cell lysis in the cellular population is not responsible for the release of cytosolic material. Here, we use quantitative time-lapse microscopy to show the spread of infectious cytoplasmic material between cells in the absence of lysis. siRNA-mediated depletion of autophagy protein LC3 reduced nonlytic intercellular viral transfer. Conversely, pharmacological stimulation of the autophagy pathway caused more rapid viral spread in tissue culture and greater pathogenicity in mice. Thus, the unconventional secretion of infectious material in the absence of cell lysis is enabled by components of the autophagy pathway. It is likely that other nonenveloped viruses also use this pathway for nonlytic intercellular spread to affect pathogenesis in infected hosts.
Channel Capacity of Parallel Relaying 2-Hop OFDMA Virtual Cellular Network

In the next generation mobile communication systems, high speed data services are expected. However, an unacceptably high transmit power is required. Multi-hop technique can solve this problem. In this paper, we propose a parallel relaying scheme using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), in which the multiple parallel logical routes (one subcarrier is allocated to each link of a logical route) are constructed between a mobile terminal and a base station. Collective construction method, which examines all possible logical routes defined by a physical route and subcarriers to each link along the physical route and selects the best logical route having the maximum channel capacity, requires a prohibitively high complexity. Therefore, we propose a successive construction method. We evaluate the channel capacity of the proposed parallel relaying scheme and compare it with cooperative diversity scheme and also with the conventional single hop network. Keywords-component; Virtual cellular network, Subcarrier allocation, Route construction, Parallel relaying, Cooperative diversity, Channel capacity, OFDMA
Machine Transliteration: Leveraging on Third Languages

This paper presents two pivot strategies for statistical machine transliteration, namely system-based pivot strategy and model-based pivot strategy. Given two independent source-pivot and pivot-target name pair corpora, the model-based strategy learns a direct source-target transliteration model while the system-based strategy learns a source-pivot model and a pivot-target model, respectively. Experimental results on benchmark data show that the system-based pivot strategy is effective in reducing the high resource requirement of training corpus for low-density language pairs while the model-based pivot strategy performs worse than the system-based one.
COMPUTING DIRICHLET-TO-NEUMANN MAPS FOR NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF PHOTONIC CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

Photonic crystals (PhCs) have promising applications in future integrated circuits based on lightwaves. A typical PhC structure or device has many identical unit cells. Based on the Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps of the unit cells, we have developed efficient numerical methods for analyzing various PhC structures. In this paper, these works are briefly reviewed.
Battery management system test platform developed for electric vehicle applications

The limited storage capacity of electric batteries is one of the major drawbacks of Electric Vehicles (EV). The main challenge is to achieve a systematic energy management of the vehicles based on the integration of components and sub-systems, including the development of the Battery Management System (BMS) with thermal management. This paper presents a BMS test platform for EV applications, with details about monitoring and protection of the battery, communication technologies and interfaces to enable open network communication and interoperability. In order to test the BMS platform, two types of Li-ion batteries, dedicated to hybrid and EV applications, were used. Based on these tests a battery degradation model was developed, considering two performance parameters, energy capacity and energy losses of the batteries.