Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aggregating Image and Text Quantized Correlated Components

Cross-modal tasks occur naturally for multimedia content that can be described along two or more modalities like visual content and text. Such tasks require to "translate" information from one modality to another. Methods like kernelized canonical correlation analysis (KCCA) attempt to solve such tasks by finding aligned subspaces in the description spaces of different modalities. Since they favor correlations against modality-specific information, these methods have shown some success in both cross-modal and bi-modal tasks. However, we show that a direct use of the subspace alignment obtained by KCCA only leads to coarse translation abilities. To address this problem, we first put forward a new representation method that aggregates information provided by the projections of both modalities on their aligned subspaces. We further suggest a method relying on neighborhoods in these subspaces to complete uni-modal information. Our proposal exhibits state-of-the-art results for bi-modal classification on Pascal VOC07 and improves it by over 60% for cross-modal retrieval on FlickR 8K/30K.
Practical variable step-size adaptive algorithms for echo cancellation

The most common algorithms used for echo cancellation are the normalized least-mean-square (NLMS) and the affine projection (AP). The classical versions of these algorithms use a constant step-size parameter and need to establish a tradeoff between several performance criteria e.g., high convergence rate versus low misadjustment. In this paper, we present a class of variable step-size NLMS and AP algorithms, which are designed to recover the near-end signal from the error of the adaptive filter. The simulation results indicate a robust behavior of these algorithms against the presence of the near-end signal.
New knowledge about 'White Spots' in superalloys

In April 1991, the first in a series of workshops was held to discuss ways in which the gas turbine industry could better understand defects in nickel-base superalloys. The group's primary objective was to better define, and expand knowledge about, segregation in superalloys such as Alloy 718 and Waspaloy,with emphasis on light-etching areas referred to as solute-lean defects or 'white spots'. This 'White Spots Committee' formed four subcommittees to focus efforts on classification, inspection, mechanisms, and mechanical properties. Completion of the tasks that these subcommittees have undertaken should greatly improve the gas turbine industry's understanding of the physical and mechanical nature of white spots. The primary purpose of this article is to formalize the characterization and classification of white spots in high-strength superalloys so that the metallurgical community can begin to use a common vocabulary when referring to them. An overview of formation mechanisms is presented along with a brief description of detection methods. Also discussed are preliminary test results, which should help shed light on the effects of solute-lean microstructures on tensile and fatigue properties. Although white spots are not limited to any single superalloy or class of superalloy, Alloy 718 is emphasized because it is so widely used,more » and because its relatively large solidus-liquidus temperature interval ([approximately]75 C, 135 F) and high niobium content ([approximately]5.3% Nb) make it prone to segregation. Three distinct types of white spots have been identified and named by the committee: discrete, dendritic, and solidification white spots. « less
Direct-mapped versus set-associative pipelined caches

Direct-Mapp edVersusSet-Asso ciativePip elinedCachesNathalie Drach, Andre Seznec, Daniel WindheiserProgramme 1 | Architectures paralleles, bases de donnees, reseaux et systemes distribuesPro jet CALCPARRapp ort de recherchen2256 | Mars 1994 | 19 pagesAbstract:As the tag check may b e executedin a sp eci c pip eline stage, cache pip eliningallows to reach the same pro cessor cycle time with a set-asso ciative cache or a direct-mapp edcache.On a direct-mapp ed cache, the data or the instruction owing out from the cache mayb eusedin parallel with thetag check.Whenusing a pip elined cache,suchan optimisticexecutionresultsinloadandbranchdelaysonecycleshorterthanonaasso ciatifsparvensemble cache with the same pip eline depth.In this pap er, pip elined set-asso ciative caches and pip elined direct-mapp ed caches usingoptimistic executionarecompared.Ourexp eriments show that for cachesizesin the4K-16Kbytes range, the set-asso ciative caches outp erform the direct-mapp ed caches with currentmicropro cessormissp enaltyandacachepip elinedepthlowerthan4cycles.Thegapb etweenp erformancelevelsresp ectivelyobtainedwithset-asso ciativecachesanddirect-mapp edcachesisparticularlysigni cantwhenadynamicpredictionbranchstrategyused.Key-words:pip elinedcaches,optimistic execution,co descheduling,branchdelay,loaddelay(Resume : tsvp)SiteExperimentalenHyp erparallelisme(SEH),EtablissementTechniqueCentraldel'Armemen(ETCA), 16 bis, Av. Prieur de la C^ote d'Or, 94114 Arcueil Cedex
Querying Data Graphs with Arithmetical Regular Expressions

We propose a query language LARE for graphs whose edges are labelled by a finite alphabet and nodes store unbounded data values. LARE is based on a variant of regular expressions with memory. Queries of LARE can compare quantities of memorised graph nodes and their neighbourhoods. These features allow us to express a number of natural properties, while keeping the data complexity (with a query fixed) in non-deterministic logarithmic space. We establish an algorithm that works efficiently not only with LARE, but also with a wider language defined using effective relational conditions, another formalism we propose.
A recurrent neural network for detecting objects in sequences of sector-scan sonar images

This work presents a system for detecting small man-made objects in sequences of sector-scan images formed using a medium-range sector-scan sonar. The detection of such objects is considered out to ranges of 200 m from the vessel and while the vessel is in motion. This paper extends previous work by making use of temporal information present in the data to improve performance. The system begins by cleaning the imagery, which is done by tracking objects on the sea bed in the imagery and using this information to obtain an improved estimate of the motion of the vessel. Once the vessel's motion is accurately known, the imagery is cleaned by temporally averaging the images after motion compensation. The detector consists of two stages. After the first detection stage has identified possible objects of interest, a bank of Kalman filters is used to track objects in the imagery and to supply sequences of feature vectors to the final detection stage. A recurrent neural network is used for the final detection stage. The feedback loops within the recurrent network allow the incorporation of temporal information into the detection process. The performance of the proposed system is shown to exceed the performances of other models for the final detection stage, including nonrecurrent networks that make use of temporal information supplied in the form of temporal feature vectors. The proposed detection system attains a probability of detection of 77.0% at a mean false-alarm rate of 0.4 per image.
Internal Displacement and Elastic Properties of the Silicon Tersoff Model

Martin's method, which is used to determine the internal displacement of atomic systems and elastic constants, is applied to the Tersoff potential. The potential is modified to provide an accurate description of the high-temperature elastic properties of silicon. The elastic constants of crystalline silicon were investigated at both low and high temperatures. Results were verified using the statistical thermodynamic method, i. e. , ‘Fluctuation formula’. It was found that values of elastic constants and the influence of the internal displacement are valid. However, at high temperatures the gap becomes larger owing to the thermal fluctuation. Since the convergence of the Martin's method is faster by about two orders, it is the more effective method. It was also found that the fluctuation term includes the effects of the internal displacement and thermal fluctuation.
A Domain-related Authority Model for Web Pages based on Source and Related Information

The Internet has become a great source for searching and acquiring information, while the authority of the resources is difficult to evaluate. In this paper we propose a domain-related authority model which aims to calculate the authority of web pages in a specific domain using the source and related information. These two factors, together with link structure, are what we mainly consider in our model. We also add the domain knowledge to adapt to the characteristics of the domain. Experiments on the finance domain show that our model is able to provide good authority scores and ranks for web pages and is helpful for people to better understand the pages.
Treatment with Creatine Monohydrate in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy: Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background Although spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) has been classified as a motor neuron disease, several reports have indicated the primary involvement of skeletal muscle in the pathogenesis of this devastating disease. Recent studies reported decreased intramuscular creatine levels in skeletal muscles in both patients with SBMA and transgenic mouse models of SBMA, which appears to contribute to muscle weakness. Objective The present study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of oral creatine supplementation to improve motor function in patients with SBMA. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-armed clinical trial was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of creatine therapy in patients with SBMA. Patients with SBMA eligible for this study were assigned randomly in a 1:1:1 ratio to each group of placebo, 10 g, or 15 g daily dose of creatine monohydrate in a double-blind fashion. Participants took creatine or placebo orally 3 times a day for 8 weeks. Outcome measurements were results of neurological assessments, examinations, and questionnaires collected at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 16 after a washout period. The primary endpoint was the change in handgrip strength values from baseline to week 8. The secondary endpoints included the following: results of maximum voluntary isometric contraction tests of extremities; tongue pressure; results of the 15-foot timed walk test and the rise from bed test; modified quantitative myasthenia gravis score; respiratory function test results; activities of daily living assessed with the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale and the Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy Functional Rating Scale; skeletal muscle mass measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels; and questionnaires examining the quality of life, swallowing function, and fatigue. Results Participant enrollment in the trial started from June 2014 and follow-up was completed in July 2015. The study is currently being analyzed. Conclusions This is the first clinical trial evaluating creatine therapy in SBMA. Given that creatine serves as an energy source in skeletal muscles, recovery of intramuscular creatine concentration is expected to improve muscle strength. Trial Registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000012503; https://upload.umin. ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view. cgi? recptno=R000014611 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xOlbPkg3).
Performance Analysis of Contention Based Medium Access Control Protocols

This paper studies the performance of contention based medium access control (MAC) protocols. In particular, a simple and accurate technique for estimating the throughput of the IEEE 802.11 DCF protocol is developed. The technique is based on a rigorous analysis of the Markov chain that corresponds to the time evolution of the back-off processes at the contending nodes. An extension of the technique is presented to handle the case where service differentiation is provided with the use of heterogeneous protocol parameters, as, for example, in IEEE 802.11e EDCA protocol. Our results provide new insights into the operation of such protocols. The techniques developed in the paper are applicable to a wide variety of contention based MAC protocols.
Targeting the NF-κB and mTOR Pathways with a Quinoxaline Urea Analog That Inhibits IKKβ for Pancreas Cancer Therapy

Purpose: The presence of TNF-α in approximately 50% of surgically resected tumors suggests that the canonical NF-κB and the mTOR pathways are activated. Inhibitor of IκB kinase β (IKKβ) acts as the signaling node that regulates transcription via the p-IκBα/NF-κB axis and regulates translation via the mTOR/p-S6K/p-eIF4EBP axis. A kinome screen identified a quinoxaline urea analog 13-197 as an IKKβ inhibitor. We hypothesized that targeting the NF-κB and mTOR pathways with 13-197 will be effective in malignancies driven by these pathways. Experimental Design: Retrospective clinical and preclinical studies in pancreas cancers have implicated NF-κB. We examined the effects of 13-197 on the downstream targets of the NF-κB and mTOR pathways in pancreatic cancer cells, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and tumor growth, and metastases in vivo. Results: 13-197 inhibited the kinase activity of IKKβ in vitro and TNF-α–mediated NF-κB transcription in cells with low-μmol/L potency. 13-197 inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα, S6K, and eIF4EBP, induced G1 arrest, and downregulated the expression of antiapoptotic proteins in pancreatic cancer cells. Prolonged administration of 13-197 did not induce granulocytosis and protected mice from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced death. Results also show that 13-197 is orally available with extensive distribution to peripheral tissues and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model without any detectable toxicity. Conclusion: These results suggest that 13-197 targets IKKβ and thereby inhibits mTOR and NF-κB pathways. Oral availability along with in vivo efficacy without obvious toxicities makes this quinoxaline urea chemotype a viable cancer therapeutic. Clin Cancer Res; 19(8); 2025–35. ©2013 AACR.
Prime solutions for cardiopulmonary bypass in neonates: antioxidant capacity of prime based on albumin or fresh frozen plasma.

OBJECTIVE Oxidative damage and inflammation are believed to play an important role in postoperative complications after cardiopulmonary bypass. During bypass, a prime solution with a high antioxidant capacity may reduce the oxidative damage and inflammation. We investigated total antioxidant capacity and individual scavengers during the preparation of 2 different prime solutions. METHODS The prime solutions were prepared with either pasteurized human albumin or fresh frozen plasma. The total antioxidant capacity was measured with the total radical antioxidant parameter assay and with the ferric-reducing ability of plasma assay. The individual scavengers vitamin C, sulfhydryl groups, uric acid, and total protein were measured before, during, and after the prime preparation. Malondialdehyde was measured as a parameter for lipid peroxidation. RESULTS Neither prime solution showed a total radical antioxidant parameter value. The ferric-reducing ability of plasma value of prime solutions was lower than that of undiluted human albumin or fresh frozen plasma. Addition of mannitol did not increase the ferric-reducing ability of plasma value. Vitamin C was only found in the fresh frozen plasma prime. Both prime solutions contained sulfhydryl groups and uric acid in low concentrations. During ultrafiltration, low-molecular-weight antioxidants were lost into the ultrafiltrate. CONCLUSIONS We showed that prime solutions based on either albumin or fresh frozen plasma had very low antioxidant capacity and that ultrafiltration of the prime solution further lowers this capacity. A prime solution with a low antioxidant capacity may increase oxidative stress in neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.
Bounds on the expected optimal channel assignment in Rayleigh channels

The channel assignment problem is highly important to OFDMA cognitive radio systems. Tight bounds on the optimal channel assignment are crucial for the performance evaluation of various channel assignment schemes. In this paper we derive the mean of the maximal sum rate channel assignment for i.i. d Rayleigh fading channels. We provide upper and lower bounds on the expected optimal assignment. We then show that the bounds are asymptotically tight in both high SNR and as the number of users increases.
Composite Nanofibers Containing Microparticles Produced via a Stepped Pyramid-Shaped Spinneret

A novel free surface electrospining via a stepped pyramid-shaped spinneret was used to prepare composite nanofibers containing microparticles. We investigate the spinnability of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution containing graphite powder microparticles. The influence of microparticle on fiber diameter has been studied. This method can be used to produce composite nanofibers containing microparticles structures by electrospinning in mass scale.
Depth from stereo polarization in specular scenes for urban robotics

3-D perception of scenes with specular surfaces is still challenging for robotics applications in urban areas, for both active and passive range sensors; there is a need for improved solutions that work without artificial illumination over a wide range of distances. The advent of cameras with microgrid polarization filter arrays, which allow acquiring four orientations of linearly polarized images simultaneously, has potential to make the use of polarization information in 3-D perception more practical. It is well-known that polarization can provide information about the orientation of specular surfaces; however, prior work with polarization for 3-D perception has had several limitations. We present the first unified formulation of depth perception with stereo and polarization by extending previous energy minimization formulations to include surface orientation constraints computed from the polarization channels. We apply an existing quadratic pseudo-boolean optimization (QPBO) method to approximate the optimal depth map. We use synthetic and real indoor/outdoor images to demonstrate that the new method achieves better results than prior methods, with fewer assumptions and limitations.
Comparing the Head and Trunk Accelerations during a free walk using MTx sensors

Clinical gait assessment in a gait laboratory is one of the ways to monitor the gait accurately. However, for those subjects where the gait is affected due to natural environmental conditions such as noisy, crowded streets, and irregular surfaces, clinical gait assessment in gait laboratories would not be an appropriate way of assessing their gait. This study is in the area of remote gait monitoring using body worn sensors. This study uses the MTx sensors for remote gait monitoring during a free walking activity. The MTx sensors being small in size and unobtrusive can be worn on any part of the body using a simple adhesive tape. These sensors can be interfaced to the receiver using Bluetooth. Using two MTx sensors, the three acceleration signals (vertical, medio-lateral, & anterior-posterior) were recorded for the head and trunk and compared for the free walk on a defined route. The main aim of this study is to compare the head and trunk acceleration signals over various sectors of the free walk. This paper also discusses the potential of using the MTx sensors for remote gait monitoring purpose.
The Friction of Vehicle Brake Tandem Master Cylinder

The behaviour of an elastomeric seal for vehicle brake Tandem master cylinder is measured and analyzed in temperature and brake fluids changed. Working conditions are simulated for different piston rod velocity and cylinder supply pressure, in temperature rising, brakefluid boundary and Nanoaluminum oxide brakefluid oxide brakefluid lubrication. The result shows that Nanoaluminum oxide brakefluid with its ball shape can highly reduce friction coefficient to avoid seal excessive wear and reduce slick slip in brake applications.
An efficient algorithm for statistical timing yield optimization

Statistical timing yield optimization algorithms require computation of yield-gradient for gate resizing in every iteration. Numerical yield-gradients account for the effects of fan-in and fan-out gates, but are computationally expensive. In this paper, we formulate a more accurate analytical expression for the yield-gradient (termed effective yield-gradient) that includes these effects. Based on the statistical properties of the path delay variations, we derive a simplified expression for the effective yield gradient that is accurate and results in an improvement in the run-time. Using these simplified expressions, we also propose an algorithm for resizing multiple gates in an iteration. Results on ITC99 and ISCAS85 benchmarks show that the proposed multi-node resizing algorithm results in 83% improvement in the runtime with an average area penalty of 3% and no cost to the final yield achieved.
Structural Efficiency of Stitched Rod-Stiffened Composite Panels with Stiffener Crippling

The structural efficiency of rod-stiffened stitched specimens is evaluated to determine their weight saving potential if the stiffeners were allowed to buckle at less than or equal to design ultimate load. Analytical and experimental results from rod-stiffened and blade-stiffened single-stiffener specimens are presented. In both cases, skin and flanges were stitched together through-the-thickness prior to curing. No mechanical fasteners were used for the assembly. Specimens were loaded to failure in axial compression. Failure modes are discussed. Finite element and experimental results agree for the response of the structures. For some specimen configurations, improved structural efficiency can be obtained by allowing stiffeners to buckle at design limit load rather than requiring that buckling not occur prior to design ultimate load. In addition, through-the-thickness stitching can change the failure mechanism by suppressing delamination between skin and flange. A parametric study is presented herein which describes the possible weight savings with this approach.
Extending Mobile Devices with Spatially Arranged Gateways to Pervasive Services

Discovery and interaction with services is as much a user interface problem as a networking problem. In this paper we introduce a system in which mobile devices are seamlessly extended with Gateways to services in their environment. The gateways are realized as widgets that are arranged around the edge of the mobile device’s user interface to indicate the direction of discovered services, thus providing the user with an overview of interaction opportunities. The gateways also afford direct access to services integrate with the device’s interface, for example supporting drag-and-drop of objects to a gateway and through the gateway to the corresponding service.