Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal path planning for inserting a steerable needle into tissue

Bevel-tip steerable needles are widely used in modern minimally invasive percutaneous procedures to reach specific positions inside the body. In this paper, we design a shortest path with the least control effort for such a steerable needle, giving the start and the goal positions with or without obstacles. We assume that the environment is static and the motion of the needle is counted based on the state of the needle tip. Due to flexibility of the needle, the moving path is a curve instead of a straight line. We design the path in such a way that the path is within two parallel lines, and the optimal distance between the two lines is determined such that the length of the moving path of the needle is the shortest with the least control effort. Upon choosing the optimal distance between the parallel lines, we then proposed an algorithm to generate the needle path. Simulation is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Does fractal properties of retinal vasculature vary with cardiac cycle?

In this work the significance in variation of region based fractal dimension of retinal images due to microvascular pulsatile changes has been investigated. A set of ECG-synchronized retinal images were taken at nine distinct cardiac points and the Higuchi and Box-counting fractal dimensions were calculated; after being registered and corrected for some disturbing artifacts (e.g, non-uniform illuminations). The result showed a statistical significant difference between the mean Higuchi fractal dimensions of 1st and 4th cardiac points measured in zone B (p=0.048, α=0.05). No statistical significance was found for other fractal measures (all p-values >0.05).
Latent semantic fusion model for image retrieval and annotation

This paper studies the effect of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) on two different tasks: multimedia document retrieval (MDR) and automatic image annotation (AIA). The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, to the best of our knowledge, this work is the first study of the influence of LSA on the retrieval of a significant number of multimedia documents (i.e. collection of 20000 tourist images). Second, it shows how different image representations (region-based and keypoint-based) can be combined by LSA to improve automatic image annotation. The document collections used for these experiments are the Corel photo collection and ImageCLEF 2006 collection.
Arrangements of overhead power line conductors related to the electromagnetic field limits

This paper deals with a few solutions for reduction of electric and magnetic field emissions caused by the overhead power lines. Calculations carried out for existing high voltage 400 kV overhead lines in Slovenia show that the emissions of electric and magnetic field at the border of overhead line right of way could be too high. For that very reason, the proposed paper, was attempted to minimize the emissions of electric and magnetic fields caused by the overhead line based on rearrangement of its line conductors. The first proposed solution is to change the sequences of conductor placements between both systems of the double-circuit overhead line. The second solution is the usage of higher overhead lines tower, while the third solution is electromagnetic field reduction based on conductor arrangements obtained in an optimization process. In the given case, optimization goal is to find that arrangement of the conductors, where the height of the tower is minimal and while the values of the magnetic and electric fields on the border of the overhead line right of way are under prescribed limits. All calculated results in this work are made for double-circuit overhead power line in the Electric Power Network of Slovenia.
Computation of capacity for Gilbert-Elliott channels, using a statistical method

A simple statistical method has been presented for evaluation of capacity for Gilbert-Elliott channels. Moreover, it has been shown that the time-varying binary symmetric channel, as a basic model for some wireless communication channels, is a special case of Gilbert-Elliott channel. Using the simple statistical method, the capacity of this channel has been calculated over the range of parameters of channel
Scalable Revocation in Hybrid Ad Hoc Networks: The SHARL Scheme

The article proposes a simple, scalable and robust scheme for the distribution of revocation information in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). The scheme is intended for ad hoc networks with a planned origin, and where a common point of trust exists. Mobile ad hoc networks have limited available bandwidth. The revocation lists must therefore be specific to the network. They are established with the aid of trusted gateways reporting the identity of the nodes to a central trusted entity. To minimize overhead, the revocation lists are distributed along with the routing messages. In the articles we discuss how the scheme can be implemented in conjunction with the predominant routing protocols in ad hoc networks. The article also provides a detailed security analysis of the proposed protocols, partly based on the use of formal methods.
A Multimodal, SU-8 - Platinum - Polyimide Microelectrode Array for Chronic In Vivo Neurophysiology

Utilization of polymers as insulator and bulk materials of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) makes the realization of flexible, biocompatible sensors possible, which are suitable for various neurophysiological experiments such as in vivo detection of local field potential changes on the surface of the neocortex or unit activities within the brain tissue. In this paper the microfabrication of a novel, all-flexible, polymer-based MEA is presented. The device consists of a three dimensional sensor configuration with an implantable depth electrode array and brain surface electrodes, allowing the recording of electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals with laminar ones, simultaneously. In vivo recordings were performed in anesthetized rat brain to test the functionality of the device under both acute and chronic conditions. The ECoG electrodes recorded slow-wave thalamocortical oscillations, while the implanted component provided high quality depth recordings. The implants remained viable for detecting action potentials of individual neurons for at least 15 weeks.
A high capacity reversible multiple watermarking scheme for medical images

Reversible data hiding schemes can be used to embed sensitive personal information in a generic signal without any loss of either the embedded or the host information. Multiple watermarking allows embedding different marks at different stages into the host media. This paper proposes a high capacity reversible multiple watermarking scheme for medical images based on integer-to-integer wavelet transform and histogram shifting. The novelty of the proposed scheme is that it uses a scalable location map and incorporates efficient stopping conditions on both wavelet levels and different frequency subbands of each level to achieve high capacity payload embedding, high perceptual quality, and multiple watermarking capability. Results show that the proposed method attains high perceptual quality in high capacity rates for the medical images. The improvement in the visual quality of the watermarked images along with the possibility of multiple watermark embedding indicate that this algorithm is capable of rendering a wide range of applications that aim at security and privacy protection in the medical field.
A hybrid modeling approach for the optimal scheduling of two symmetric queues with finite capacity and setup times

In this paper we study optimal transient scheduling for an un flexible, two part-type, symmetric manufacturing system characterized by non negligible setu p times and finite buffer capacities. The solution method relies on the exploitation of necessary con ditions of optimality of the control policies to introduce a sampled version of the original system dynami cs. By means of such a sampled model we derive the analytical solution of the addressed problem, which shows a simple feedback structure. Index Terms Manufacturing Systems, Scheduling, Switched Systems, Set up Times, Finite Buffers. I. I NTRODUCTION This paper is motivated by dynamic scheduling problems for a class of manufacturing systems, sometimes referred to as switched server queuing networks [ 1]-[4], often modeled accounting for non negligible setup times and finite buffers capacity (s ee, e.g. [5], [6]). Within this class of systems, we consider a make-to-order manufacturing system producing two part types (see Fig. 1). According to Gershwin’s hierarchical structure [7] the machine can be considered completely reliable at the level of setup scheduling, and a fluid approxi mation model is adopted. For part type i, i = 1, 2, let xi be the content of buffer i, with capacityLi; di the demand rate, assumed constant;v(t) the instantaneous production rate, 0 ≤ v ≤ μi. The dynamics of the system are: ẋi = [di − si(t)v(t)] 1(xi 6= (1 − si)Li) i = 1, 2, (1) The authors are with DIEI, University of Perugia, Italy. e-mail: [boccadoro,valigi]@diei.unipg. it
Feature Extraction for Emotion Recognition and Modelling Using Neurophysiological Data

The ubiquitous computing paradigm is becoming a reality; we are reaching a level of automation and computing in which people and devices interact seamlessly. However, one of the main challenges is the difficulty users have in interacting with these increasingly complex systems. Ultimately, endowing machines with the ability to perceive users' emotions will enable a more intuitive and reliable interaction. Consequently, using the electroencephalogram (EEG) as a bio-signal sensor, the affective state of a user can be modelled and subsequently utilised in order to achieve a system that can recognise and react to the users emotions. In this context, this paper investigates feature vector generation from EEG signals for the purpose of affective state modelling based on Russells Circumplex Model. Investigations are presented that aim to provide the foundation for future work in modelling user affect and interaction experiences through exploitation of different input modalities. The DEAP dataset was used within this work, along with a Support Vector Machine, which yielded reasonable classification accuracies for Valence and Arousal using feature vectors based on statistical measurements, band power from the , β, δ and θ waves, and High Order Crossing of the EEG signal.
Angular Quantization of the Sine-Gordon Model at the Free Fermion Point

The goal of this paper is to analyse the method of angular quantization for the Sine-Gordon model at the free fermion point, which is one of the most investigated models of the two-dimensional integrable field theories. The angular quantization method (see hep-th/9707091) is a continuous analog of the Baxter's corner transfer matrix method. Investigating the canonical quantization of the free massive Dirac fermions in one Rindler wedge we identify this quantization with a representation of the infinite-dimensional algebra introduced in the paper q-alg/9702002 and specialized to the free fermion point. We construct further the main ingredients of the SG theory in terms of the representation theory of this algebra following the approach by M.Jimbo, T.Miwa et al.
A Security Kernel for a Multiprocessor Microcomputer

Security kernel technology can provide the technical foundation for a highly reliable method of protecting computerized information. However, to implement a kernel-based operating system for a microcomputer, we face two significant challenges: (1) providing adequate computational resources for applications tasks and (2) developing a clean, straightforward structure whose correctness can be easily reviewed. These were the challenges faced by the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Departments of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. As part of a three-year research project, our task was to explore realizations for micro-computer-based systems needing a high degree of security. The target implementation was the Intel iAPX 286 microprocessor, but running hardware was not available in time
Building a DBMS on top of the JuxMem Grid Data-Sharing Service

We claim that building a distributed DBMS on top of a general-purpose grid data-sharing service is a natural extension of previous approaches based on the distributed shared memory paradigm. The approach we propose consists in providing the DBMS with a transparent, persistent and fault-tolerant access to the stored data, within a unstable, volatile and dynamic environment. The DBMS is thus alleviated from any concern regarding the dynamic behavior of the underlying nodes. We report on a feasibility study carried out with our JuxMem grid data-sharing service built on top of the JXTA peer-to-peer platform.
A Resource Occupancy Model For Evaluating Instrumentation System Overheads

Software instrumentation is a widely used technique for measurement-based parallel program performance evaluation, prediction, debugging, steering, and visualization. With increasing sophistication of parallel tool development technologies and broadening of application areas where these tools are being used, runtime data collection and management activities are growing in importance. We use the term instrumentation system (IS) to refer to components that support these activities in state-of-the-art parallel tool environments. The overheads and perturbation effects attributed to an IS must be accounted for to ensure correct and efficient representation of program behavior, especially for on-line and real-time environments. The nondeterministic nature of the events in a concurrent computer system that trigger corresponding IS functions necessitates the development of appropriate stochastic models for evaluating their overheads. In this paper, we present a Resource OCCupancy (ROCC) model to evaluate the overheads of an IS to an application program due to the sharing of system resources. The ROCC model is based on a queuing network that captures the dynamics of the IS. We have applied the ROCC model to the IS of the Paradyn tool environment. Paradyn is implemented for a cluster of workstations. Although, the ROCC model can consider a varying number of system resources, this study uses it for two resources: local CPU and network.We present approximate analytical and detailed simulation results of this case study. The goal of the modeling effort is to provide the tool developers with valuable feedback on performance effects of IS parameters and policies. This effort can assist the tool developers in making design decisions early in the software development cycle.
Emotional and academic effects of cyberbullying on students in a rural high school in the Limpopo province, South Africa

Background: The overwhelming use of Internet and social media among the youth in South Africa causes both negative and positive effects on the users. Cyberbullying is one manifestation of such negative effects. Rural high school students are not immune to this modern age social problem. To protect them against the possible hazards, it is important to study this phenomenon among this group of young poeple. Objectives: This study explored the extent of the use of Internet and social media, the forms and frequency of cyberbullying and their effects on the emotional well-being and academic performance of grades 8–10 students in a rural high school in Limpopo, South Africa. Method: This study used a mixed research approach. Eighty participants consisting of 50 females and 30 males from grades 8 to 10 in a rural high school participated in this survey and 6 purposefully selected victims of cyberbullying completed an interview schedule. Results: The majority of participants had access to cyber technology and used Facebook frequently. More than half of the participants experienced a wide variety of cyberbullying, sexual offence being the highest. They were negatively affected both emotionally and academically to the extent that some thought of suicide. Conclusion: Even though students in this rural high school have access to the latest cyber technology, they are not equipped to prevent or cope with its negative effects; hence, they suffer in solitude. The study recommends an anti-cyberbullying policy being established, as well as counselling at school, and advises stakeholders who intend to expand e-learning at schools to include cyber safety and supportive mechanisms in their programmes for successful implementation.
WFST-Based Spoken Dialogue System on Smartphones -- Its Development and Implementation for Field Use

We proposed the WFSTDM which is an expandable and adaptable dialogue management platform. The WFSTDM combines various WFSTs and enables us to develop new dialogue management WFSTs necessary for rapid prototyping of spoken dialogue systems. In this paper, we illustrate the outline of the WFSTDM and introduce the WFSTDM builder, a network-based spoken dialogue system development tool. In addition, we go into details about the spoken dialogue system AssisTra for iPhone that we developed as an example to show the implementation of the WFSTDM on smartphones. We also discuss about spoken dialogue systems on smartphones as tools for collecting field data.
Locating and Explaining Area-Based Urban Initiatives: New Deal for Communities in England

It is now more than thirty years since the first area-based initiative (ABI) was launched in England. New Deal for Communities announced in 1998 is one of the most ambitious of English ABIs in that it aims over a period of ten years to close gaps between these thirty-nine areas and national standards in five outcome areas of crime, education, health, worklessness, and housing. Evidence gleaned from the national evaluation of 2002/03 helps illuminate trends and tensions within three themes which have proved central to the wider urban debate: community engagement, partnership working, and the complexity of ABIs. On the broad canvas, evidence from the evaluation suggests that institutional factors continue to impinge strongly on the programme, that the original assumption that partnerships should be given a strong degree of local flexibility and freedoms has been steadily eroded, and that the initiative as a whole sits within that raft of essentially reformist policy interventions effected by the Labour government since 1997.
On Determining the Irrationality of the Mean of a Random Variable

A complexity approach is used to decide whether or not the mean of a sequence of independent identically distributed random variables lies in a n arbitrary specified countable subset of the real line. A procedure is described that makes only a finite number of mistakes with probability one. This leads to some speculations on inference of the laws of physics and the computability of the physical constants.
p34cdc2-mediated phosphorylation at T124 inhibits nuclear import of SV- 40 T antigen proteins

The nuclear import of transcription regulatory proteins appears to be used by the cell to trigger transitions in cell cycle, morphogenesis, and transformation. We have previously observed that the rate at which SV-40 T antigen fusion proteins containing a functional nuclear localization sequence (NLS; residues 126-132) are imported into the nucleus is enhanced in the presence of the casein kinase II (CK-II) site S111/112. In this study purified p34cdc2 kinase was used to phosphorylate T antigen proteins specifically at T124 and kinetic measurements at the single-cell level performed to assess its effect on nuclear protein import. T124 phosphorylation, which could be functionally simulated by a T-to-D124 substitution, was found to reduce the maximal extent of nuclear accumulation whilst negligibly affecting the import rate. The inhibition of nuclear import depended on the stoichiometry of phosphorylation. T124 and S111/112 could be phosphorylated independently of one another. Two alternative mechanisms were considered to explain the inhibition of nuclear import by T124 phosphorylation: inactivation of the NLS and cytoplasmic retention, respectively. Furthermore, we speculate that in vivo T124 phosphorylation may regulate the small but functionally significant amount of cytoplasmic SV-40 T antigen. A sequence comparison showed that many transcription regulatory proteins contain domains comprising potential CK-II-sites, cdc2-sites, and NLS. This raises the possibility that the three elements represent a functional unit regulating nuclear protein import.
Establishment of Normal Gut Microbiota Is Compromised under Excessive Hygiene Conditions

Background Early gut colonization events are purported to have a major impact on the incidence of infectious, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in later life. Hence, factors which influence this process may have important implications for both human and animal health. Previously, we demonstrated strong influences of early-life environment on gut microbiota composition in adult pigs. Here, we sought to further investigate the impact of limiting microbial exposure during early life on the development of the pig gut microbiota. Methodology/Principal Findings Outdoor- and indoor-reared animals, exposed to the microbiota in their natural rearing environment for the first two days of life, were transferred to an isolator facility and adult gut microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. From a total of 2,196 high-quality 16S rRNA gene sequences, 440 phylotypes were identified in the outdoor group and 431 phylotypes in the indoor group. The majority of clones were assigned to the four phyla Firmicutes (67.5% of all sequences), Proteobacteria (17.7%), Bacteroidetes (13.5%) and to a lesser extent, Actinobacteria (0.1%). Although the initial maternal and environmental microbial inoculum of isolator-reared animals was identical to that of their naturally-reared littermates, the microbial succession and stabilization events reported previously in naturally-reared outdoor animals did not occur. In contrast, the gut microbiota of isolator-reared animals remained highly diverse containing a large number of distinct phylotypes. Conclusions/Significance The results documented here indicate that establishment and development of the normal gut microbiota requires continuous microbial exposure during the early stages of life and this process is compromised under conditions of excessive hygiene.
Micronutrient Intakes from Food and Supplements in Australian Adolescents

Objective: Low micronutrient intakes in adolescents are frequently reported. We assessed micronutrient intakes in adolescents to determine whether supplement use optimises intakes. Methods: Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire in 17 year old participating in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study (n = 991). We calculated median daily micronutrient intakes in supplement users and non-users (from food sources only and from food and supplements), along with the percentage of adolescents meeting the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) or Adequate Intake (AI) where appropriate. Results: Intakes of calcium, magnesium, folate and vitamins D and E from food only were low. Although supplements significantly increased micronutrient intakes in supplement users, more than half of supplement users failed to meet the EAR or AI for some key micronutrients. Compared with non-users, supplement users had higher micronutrient intakes from food sources with the exception of vitamins D and B12 and were more likely to achieve the EAR or AI for many micronutrients from food only. Conclusions: Intakes of some key micronutrients were low in this population, even among supplement users. Those facing the greatest risk of micronutrient deficiencies were less likely to use supplements.