Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Bayesian compressive sensing and blind deconvolution

The idea of compressive sensing in imaging refers to the reconstruction of an unknown image through a small number of incoherent measurements. Blind deconvolution is the recovery of a sharp version of a blurred image when the blur kernel is unknown. In this paper, we combine these two problems trying to estimate the unknown sharp image and blur kernel solely through the compressive sensing measurements of a blurred image. We present a novel algorithm for simultaneous image reconstruction, restoration and parameter estimation. Using a hierarchical Bayesian modeling followed by an Expectation-Minimization approach we estimate the unknown image, blur and hyper-parameters of the global distribution. Experimental results on simulated blurred images support the effectiveness of our method. Moreover, real passive millimeter-wave images are used for evaluating the proposed method as well as strengthening its practical aspects.
LOWER BOUNDS IN A PARALLEL MODEL WITHOUT BIT OPERATIONS

We define a natural and realistic model of parallel computation called the PRAM model without bit operations. It is like the usual PRAM model, the main difference being that no bit operations are provided. It encompasses virtually all known parallel algorithms for (weighted) combinatorial optimization and algebraic problems. In this model we prove that for some large enough constant b, the mincost-flow problem for graphs with n vertices cannot be solved deterministically (or with randomization) in √ n/b (expected) time using 2 √ n/b processors; this is so even if we restrict every cost and capacity to be an integer (nonnegative if it is a capacity) of bitlength at most an for some large enough constant a. A similar lower bound is also proved for the max-flow problem. It follows that these problems cannot be solved in our model deterministically (or with randomization) in Ω(Nc) (expected) time with 2Ω(N ) processors, where c is an appropriate positive constant and N is the total bitlength of the input. Since these problems were known to be P-complete, this provides concrete support for the belief that P-completeness implies high parallel complexity and for the P 6= NC conjecture. Our lower bounds also extend to the PRAM model with limited bit operations, which provides instructions for parity and left or right shift by one bit. Our proof is based on basic algebraic geometry. So we investigate if the algebrogeometric approach could also work for the P versus NC problem. Our results support this possibility, and a close analysis of the limitation of our technique in this context suggests that such a proof of P 6= NC should somehow use geometric invariant theory in a deep way.
Mobile agent location management in global networks

Mobility management is a necessity in highly dynamic and large-scale Mobile Agents (MAs) networks, especially in a multi-region environment in order to control and communicate with agents after launching. Existing mechanisms for locating MAs are not efficient as these do not consider the effect of location updates on migration time and produce network overload. This paper presents a hierarchical model for location management of MAs in global networks. Three protocols are developed, namely search, update and search-update. The location management technique uses one combination of search, update and search-update protocols throughout execution. Three cases are considered for Update and Search-Update Protocols. Thus, nine combinations of location management protocols are generated, from which an agent can dynamically select one as per requirement, to communicate with other agents on the global network. We have implemented these protocols on the system developed at IIT Roorkee, to evaluate the performance. Results indicate that overhead generated by these protocols does not affect the actual agent response and migration time.
DOA estimation by Hough transform in Phase Difference distribution versus Frequency

Direction Of Arrival (DOA) estimation is an important fundamental technique in the array signal processing field. In this paper, we propose a method, utilizing Hough transform for DOA estimation by a pair of sensors. Our proposed method which is based on time-frequency decomposition, applies Hough transform to the Phase Difference (PD) versus Frequency (PD-F) distribution of received mixture signals, and estimates DOA. By introducing bandwidth in the Hough parameter space, the stability and accuracy of DOA estimation are guaranteed. Through some experiments in a real acoustic circumstance, the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown.
Distribution of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and presynaptic nerve terminals in amphibian heart

At many synapses, neurotransmitter receptor molecules in the postsynaptic membrane are selectively concentrated at a site directly opposite the presynaptic nerve terminal. In this paper, I examine acetylcholine (ACh) receptor distribution in cardiac muscle in relatin to the distribution of presynaptic axonal varicosities. The density of varicosities, stained with zinc iodide and osmium, ranges from 0.7/100 micrometer 2 in ventricle to 1.9/100 micrometer 2 in sinus venosus. It is estimated that < 3% of the muscle surface is apposed to presynaptic varicosities. ACh receptors, however, are randomly distributed on the muscle surface and not concentrated in patche. ACh receptor distribution was determined by iontophoretic application of ACh and mapping of ACh sensitivity and by [3H]QNB (quinuclidinyl benzilate) binding and autoradiography [3H]QNB binds with > 90% specificity to a single, saturable, high-affinity (Kd = 11.1 pM at 21 degrees C) class of binding sites. QNB binding sites are thought to correspond to ACh receptors, because muscarinic agonists compete for [3H]QNB binding and produce a hyperpolarization in the sinus venosus with the same order of potency. The concentrations of QNB binding sites in the sinus and atria are about twice those found in ventricle. The receptor density corresponds to the density of innervation measured by zinc iodide and osmium staining. Autoradiographic experiments show that [3H]QNB binding sites are distributed randomly over the entire surface of the muscle. This distribution of ACh receptors in cardiac muscle has important implications for the function of the cardiac neuroeffector junction.
Towards client-aware interface specifications

Runtime assertion checking (RAC) is a well-established technique for runtime verification of object-oriented (OO) programs. Contemporary RACs use specifications from the receiver's dynamic type when checking method calls. This implies that in presence of subtyping and dynamic dispatch features of object-oriented programming, these specifications differ from the ones used by static verification tools, which rely on the specifications associated with the static type of the receiver. Besides the heterogeneity problem, this also hinders the benefits of modular reasoning achieved by the notion of supertype abstraction. In this context, we propose a more precise runtime assertion checking for OO programs that better matches the semantics used in static verification tools. While we describe our approach, we discuss how it can be used to avoid the heterogenous semantics problem and among others.
Label-Free Imaging of Cerebral β-Amyloidosis with Extended-Focus Optical Coherence Microscopy

We demonstrate label-free imaging of cerebral β-amyloidosis ex vivo and in a living mouse model of Alzheimer's disease using extended-focus Fourier domain optical coherence microscopy (xfOCM). xfOCM provides 3D, high-resolution images of individual β-amyloid plaques in the brain parenchyma and vasculature and requires no staining of the Alzheimeric sample under investigation. xfOCM also opens the possibility to perform minimally invasive studies of β-amyloid pathology in vivo, without the use of labeling methods, which potentially confound experimental findings.
A transaction mechanism for native XML database

Concurrent accessing of XML data becomes more and more important for XML-based applications, especially for Native XML Database systems (NXD) because of the dramatic growth of number and complexity of such applications. Transaction is a potential solution for the concurent accessing of XML data. However, research on transaction of NXD is still very limited. This paper proposes a transaction model for NXD management systems. It introduces a NXD storage model which is suitable for accessing XML data using XPath and XQuery. A locking protocol, Schema path Lock Protocol, is designed for this transaction model. An implementation of such transaction model is presented last in this paper.
Performance of MPEG-7 spectral basis representations for retrieval of home video abstract

In this paper, we present a classification and retrieval technique targeted for retrieval of home video abstract using dimension-reduced, decorrelated spectral features of audio content. The feature extraction based on MPEG-7 descriptors consists of three main stages: Normalized Audio Spectrum Envelope (NASE), basis decomposition algorithm and basis projection, obtained by multiplying the NASE with a set of extracted basis functions. A classifier based on continuous hidden Markov models is applied. For retrieval with accurate performance the system consists of a two-level hierarchy method using speech recognition and sound classification. For the measure of the performance we compare the classification results of MPEG-7 standardized features vs. Mel-scale Frequency Cepstrum Coefficients (MFCC). Results show that the MFCC features yield better performance compared to MPEG-7 features.
Modeling the Water and Energy Balance of Vegetated Areas with Snow Accumulation

The ability to quantify soil–atmosphere water and energy exchange is important in understanding agricultural and natural ecosystems, as well as the earth's climate. We developed a one‐dimensional vertical model that calculates solar radiation, canopy energy balance, surface energy balance, snowpack dynamics, soil water flow, and snow–soil–bedrock heat exchange, including soil water freezing. The processes are loosely coupled (solved sequentially) to limit the computational burden. The model was applied to describe water and energy dynamics for a northeast‐facing mountain slope in the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed near Boise, ID. Calibration was achieved by optimizing the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity. Validation results showed that the model can successfully calculate seasonal dynamics in snow height, soil water content, and soil temperature. Both the calibration and validation years confirmed earlier results that evapotranspiration on the northeast‐facing slope consumes approximately 60% of yearly precipitation, while deep percolation from the soil profile constitutes about 40% of yearly precipitation.
rTNFa Facilitates Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Adherence to Fibrinogen Matrices With Mobilization of Specific and Tertiary but Not Azurophilic Granule Markers

rTNFcx facilitates highly reproducible adherence of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) to fibrinogen-coated surfaces in a concentrationand time-dependent manner. The adhesion was maximal with 1.0 nM rTNFa within 40-50 mm at 37#{176}C. A monoclonal antibody (i B4) directed toward the 32-chain of the integrin receptor forfibrinogen (CDi I b, CD18) completely inhibited the rTNFo induced adhesion. TNFa caused a time-dependent secretion of the granule markers gelatinase and lactoferrin but no liberation of myeloperoxidase and minimal production of Aa(i-2i), a specific cleavage product of fibrinogen generated by elastase, as markers for the azurophilic granule. PMN adhered to fibrinogen in the presence of rTNFa could be further stimulated with cytochalasmn B and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) to release azurophilic granule markers as measured by increasing MPO activity and Aa(1-21) production over time. Thus the rTNFa-facilitated adherence of PMN to a fibrinogen matrix provides a system for partial activation of PMN resulting in release of markers of specific and tertiary but not azurophilic granules. Moreover, these conditions should provide an opportunity to define more clearly the signal transduction processes involved in azurophilic granule release.
Formal synthesis for pipeline design

A method of formally correct synthesis is presented and applied to the automatic construction of pipelined processors. The approach is based on a small set of correctness-preserving transformations that are e(cid:14)ciently cross-checked by an independent formal veri(cid:12)cation tool. Basic pipeline strategies as well as automatic post-synthesis veri(cid:12)cation are provided.
A touchable virtual screen interaction system with handheld Kinect camera

In recent years, augmented reality (AR) has been a research hotpot. It emphasizes that virtual objects and real scene are merged with the correct perspective relationship. However, most of existing AR systems simply adds virtual objects on real scene image. It means that if a real hand is in front of the virtual object, the virtual object is still cover the hand with wrong occlusion relationship. On the other hand, most systems just present virtual information, preventing user from touching or interacting with the virtual object. In this paper, we build an AR system achieving mutual occlusion and interaction. Instead of using structure from motion method, we make use of the depth image of Kinect camera to integrate a 3D space volume and track the camera pose as well. Then we propose a layer rendering method according to the depth relationship to implement mutual occlusion fusion. At last, we fulfill collision detection and interaction through a fast voxel detection method. We define the neighbor cube for every virtual surface point and implement the detection in parallel with GPU.
Instructor-Aided Asynchronous Question Answering System for Online Education and Distance Learning.

Question answering systems have frequently been explored for educational use. However, their value was somewhat limited due to the quality of the answers returned to the student. Recent question answering (QA) research has started to incorporate deep natural language processing (NLP) in order to improve these answers. However, current NLP technology involves intensive computing and thus it is hard to meet the real-time demand of traditional search. This paper introduces a question answering (QA) system particularly suited for delayed-answered questions that are typical in certain asynchronous online and distance learning settings. We exploit the communication delay between student and instructor and propose a solution that integrates into an organization’s existing learning management system. We present how our system fits into an online and distance learning situation and how it can better assist supporting students. The prototype system and its running results show the perspective and potential of this research.
Three-electron anisotropic quantum dots in variable magnetic fields: Exact results for excitation spectra, spin structures, and entanglement

Exact-diagonalization calculations for N=3 electrons in anisotropic quantum dots, covering a broad range of confinement anisotropies and strength of inter-electron repulsion, are presented for zero and low magnetic fields. The excitation spectra are analyzed as a function of the strength of the magnetic field and for increasing quantum-dot anisotropy. Analysis of the intrinsic structure of the many-body wave functions through spin-resolved two-point correlations reveals that the electrons tend to localize forming Wigner molecules. For certain ranges of dot parameters (mainly at strong anisotropy), the Wigner molecules acquire a linear geometry, and the associated wave functions with a spin projection S_z=1/2 are similar to the representative class of strongly entangled states referred to as W-states. For other ranges of parameters (mainly at intermediate anisotropy), the Wigner molecules exhibit a more complex structure consisting of two mirror isosceles triangles. This latter structure can be viewed as an embryonic unit of a zig-zag Wigner crystal in quantum wires. The degree of entanglement in three-electron quantum dots can be quantified through the use of the von Neumann entropy.
enerGyPU and enerGyPhi Monitor for Power Consumption and Performance Evaluation on Nvidia Tesla GPU and Intel Xeon Phi

The evaluation of performance and power consumption is a key step in the design of applications for large computational systems as supercomputers and clusters (multicore and accelerator nodes, multicore and coprocessor nodes, manycore and accelerator nodes). In these systems the developers must design several experiments for workload characterization observing the architectural implications when using different combinations of computational resources such as number of GPU, number of cores for processing, number of cores for administration of GPU, number of MPI processes and thread affinity policy. It should also engage factors as the clock frequency and memory usage as well select the combination of computational resources that increases the performance and minimizes the power consumption. This research proposes an integrated energy-aware scheme called efficiently energetic acceleration (EEA) for large-scale scientific applications running on heterogeneous architectures. This paper shows the use of a monitoring tool with two components called enerGyPU and enerGyPhi to recording EEA control factors in runtime on two environments: one cluster with multicore and accelerator nodes (2-CPU/8-GPU) and one server with multiple cores and one coprocessor (2-CPU/1-MIC). These monitors allow to analyze multiple testing results under different parameter combinations to observe the EEA control factors that determine the energy efficiency.
Cost-Effective and Privacy-Preserving Energy Management for Smart Meters

Smart meters, designed for information collection and system monitoring in smart grid, report fine-grained power consumption to utility providers. With these highly accurate profiles of energy usage, however, it is possible to identify consumers' specific activities or behavior patterns, thereby giving rise to serious privacy concerns. This paper addresses these concerns by designing a cost-effective and privacy-preserving energy management technique that uses a rechargeable battery. From a holistic perspective, a dynamic programming framework is designed for consumers to strike a tradeoff between smart meter data privacy and the cost of electricity. In general, a major challenge in solving dynamic programming problems lies in the need for the knowledge of future electricity consumption events. By exploring the underlying structure of the original problem, an equivalent problem is derived, which can be solved by using only the current observations. An online control algorithm is then developed to solve the equivalent problem based on the Lyapunov optimization technique. It is shown that without the knowledge of the statistics of the time-varying load requirements and the electricity price processes, the proposed online control algorithm, parametrized by a positive value V , is within O (1/{V) of the optimal solution to the original problem, where the maximum value of V is limited by the battery capacity. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through extensive numerical analysis using real data.
An Evaluation of MSDC-0160, A Prototype mTOT Modulating Insulin Sensitizer, in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with insulin resistance and specific regional declines in cerebral metabolism. The effects of a novel mTOT modulating insulin sensitizer (MSDC-0160) were explored in non-diabetic patients with mild AD to determine whether treatment would impact glucose metabolism measured by FDG-PET in regions that decline in AD. MSDC-0160 (150 mg once daily; N=16) compared to placebo (N=13) for 12 weeks did not result in a significant difference in glucose metabolism in pre-defined regions when referenced to the pons or whole brain. However, glucose metabolism referenced to cerebellum was maintained in MSDC-0160 treated participants while it significantly declined for placebo patients in anterior and posterior cingulate, and parietal, lateral temporal, medial temporal cortices. Voxel-based analyses showed additional differences in FDG-PET related to MSDC-0160 treatment. These exploratory results suggest central effects of MSDC-0160 and provide a basis for further investigation of mTOT modulating insulin sensitizers in AD patients.
Reconstruction of Apollo Mission Control Center Activity

Some cultural heritage institutions have large and growing spoken word collections, the items of which often live in isolation from each other and from other parts of those collections. This paper describes the design process for construction and evaluation of a system to automatically construct links between spoken conversations that address different aspects of the same event. We see this as one step, among many, towards building richer interconnections between part of the same collection, and between collections. Our development environment is a collection of several thousand hours of recordings made in the Mission Control Center during the Apollo space missions of the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Regression tree models for designed experiments

Although regression trees were originally designed for large data- sets, they can profitably be used on small datasets as well, including those from replicated or unreplicated complete factorial experiments. We show that in the latter situations, regression tree models can provide simpler and more intuitive interpretations of interaction effects as differences between conditional main effects. We present simulation results to verify that the models can yield lower prediction mean squared errors than the traditional techniques. The tree models span a wide range of sophistication, from piecewise constant to piecewise simple and multiple linear, and from least squares to Poisson and logistic regression.
Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Is Not an Essential Function for Trypanosoma brucei Bloodstream Forms

Background African trypanosomes are capable of both pyrimidine biosynthesis and salvage of preformed pyrimidines from the host, but it is unknown whether either process is essential to the parasite. Methodology/Principal Findings Pyrimidine requirements for growth were investigated using strictly pyrimidine-free media, with or without single added pyrimidine sources. Growth rates of wild-type bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei brucei were unchanged in pyrimidine-free medium. The essentiality of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway was studied by knocking out the PYR6-5 locus that produces a fusion product of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) and Orotidine Monophosphate Decarboxylase (OMPDCase). The pyrimidine auxotroph was dependent on a suitable extracellular pyrimidine source. Pyrimidine starvation was rapidly lethal and non-reversible, causing incomplete DNA content in new cells. The phenotype could be rescued by addition of uracil; supplementation with uridine, 2′deoxyuridine, and cytidine allowed a diminished growth rate and density. PYR6-5−/− trypanosomes were more sensitive to pyrimidine antimetabolites and displayed increased uracil transport rates and uridine phosphorylase activity. Pyrimidine auxotrophs were able to infect mice although the infection developed much more slowly than infection with the parental, prototrophic trypanosome line. Conclusions/Significance Pyrimidine salvage was not an essential function for bloodstream T. b. brucei. However, trypanosomes lacking de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis are completely dependent on an extracellular pyrimidine source, strongly preferring uracil, and display reduced infectivity. As T. brucei are able to salvage sufficient pyrimidines from the host environment, the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway is not a viable drug target, although any interruption of pyrimidine supply was lethal.