Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fusing visual and range imaging for object class recognition

Category level object recognition has improved significantly in the last few years, but machine performance remains unsatisfactory for most real-world applications. We believe this gap may be bridged using additional depth information obtained from range imaging, which was recently used to overcome similar problems in body shape interpretation. This paper presents a system which successfully fuses visual and range imaging for object category classification. We explore fusion at multiple levels: using depth as an attention mechanism, high-level fusion at the classifier level and low-level fusion of local descriptors, and show that each mechanism makes a unique contribution to performance. For low-level fusion we present a new algorithm for training of local descriptors, the Generalized Image Feature Transform (GIFT), which generalizes current representations such as SIFT and spatial pyramids and allows for the creation of new representations based on multiple channels of information. We show that our system improves state-of-the-art visual-only and depth-only methods on a diverse dataset of every-day objects.
Use of Dependency Tree Structures for the Microcontext Extraction

In several recent years, natural language processing (NLP) has brought some very interesting and promising outcomes. In the field of information retrieval (IR), however, these significant advances have not been applied in an optimal way yet.Author argues that traditional IR methods, i.e. methods based on dealing with individual terms without considering their relations, can be overcome using NLP procedures. The reason for this expectation is the fact that NLP methods are able to detect the relations among terms in sentences and that the information obtained can be stored and used for searching. Features of word senses and the significance of word contexts are analysed and possibility of searching based on word senses instead of mere words is examined.The core part of the paper focuses on analysing Czech sentences and extracting the context relations among words from them. In order to make use of lemmatisation and morphological and syntactic tagging of Czech texts, author proposes a method for construction of dependency word microcontexts fully automatically extracted from texts, and several ways how to exploit the microcontexts for the sake of increasing retrieval performance.
Simultaneous approximations for adversarial and stochastic online budgeted allocation

Motivated by online ad allocation, we study the problem of simultaneous approximations for the adversarial and stochastic online budgeted allocation problem. This problem consists of a bipartite graph G = (X, Y, E), where the nodes of Y along with their corresponding capacities are known beforehand to the algorithm, and the nodes of X arrive online. When a node of X arrives, its incident edges, and their respective weights are revealed, and the algorithm can match it to a neighbor in Y. The objective is to maximize the weight of the final matching, while respecting the capacities. When nodes arrive in an adversarial order, the best competitive ratio is known to be 1 - 1/e, and it can be achieved by the Ranking [18], and its generalizations (Balance [16, 21]). On the other hand, if the nodes arrive through a random permutation, it is possible to achieve a competitive ratio of 1 -- e [9]. In this paper we design algorithms that achieve a competitive ratio better than 1 -- 1/e on average, while preserving a nearly optimal worst case competitive ratio. Ideally, we want to achieve the best of both worlds, i.e, to design an algorithm with the optimal competitive ratio in both the adversarial and random arrival models. We achieve this for unweighted graphs, but show that it is not possible for weighted graphs. In particular, for unweighted graphs, under some mild assumptions, we show that Balance achieves a competitive ratio of 1 -- e in a random permutation model. For weighted graphs, however, we prove this is not possible; we prove that no online algorithm that achieves an approximation factor of 1 -- 1/e for the worst-case inputs may achieve an average approximation factor better than 97.6% for random inputs. In light of this hardness result, we aim to design algorithms with improved approximation ratios in the random arrival model while preserving the competitive ratio of 1 -- 1/e in the worst case. To this end, we show the algorithm proposed by [21] achieves a competitive ratio of 0.76 for the random arrival model, while having a 1 -- 1/e ratio in the worst case.
Automatic Foundry Brake Disk Inspection through Different Computer Vision Techniques , using a New 3 D Calibration Approach

We present a fully automated raw foundry brake disk visual inspection system in which three different computer vision techniques are used via complete piece rotation. For piece dimensional characterisation purposes, 3D calibration is also fully automated and performed through a new method, which does not require any previous mechanical alignment and leads to more accurate results than conventional ones. The whole system could be fitted to any kind of piece with circular symmetry, and is an accurately synchronised blending of mechanics, automation, computer vision and robotics. Some results from industrial implementation are
The structure of Aquifex aeolicus sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase, a basis to understand sulfide detoxification and respiration

Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) is a flavoprotein with homologues in all domains of life except plants. It plays a physiological role both in sulfide detoxification and in energy transduction. We isolated the protein from native membranes of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus, and we determined its X-ray structure in the “as-purified,” substrate-bound, and inhibitor-bound forms at resolutions of 2.3, 2.0, and 2.9 Å, respectively. The structure is composed of 2 Rossmann domains and 1 attachment domain, with an overall monomeric architecture typical of disulfide oxidoreductase flavoproteins. A. aeolicus SQR is a surprisingly trimeric, periplasmic integral monotopic membrane protein that inserts about 12 Å into the lipidic bilayer through an amphipathic helix–turn–helix tripodal motif. The quinone is located in a channel that extends from the si side of the FAD to the membrane. The quinone ring is sandwiched between the conserved amino acids Phe-385 and Ile-346, and it is possibly protonated upon reduction via Glu-318 and/or neighboring water molecules. Sulfide polymerization occurs on the re side of FAD, where the invariant Cys-156 and Cys-347 appear to be covalently bound to polysulfur fragments. The structure suggests that FAD is covalently linked to the polypeptide in an unusual way, via a disulfide bridge between the 8-methyl group and Cys-124. The applicability of this disulfide bridge for transferring electrons from sulfide to FAD, 2 mechanisms for sulfide polymerization and channeling of the substrate, S2−, and of the product, Sn, in and out of the active site are discussed.
Design of an active-inductor-based termination circuit for high-speed I/O

An active inductor termination for high-speed I/O circuits is presented. In comparison with the conventional active-inductor-based circuits, the proposed topology operates from a lower supply voltage and/or consumes less power. A prototype of the active termination with a CML output driver is designed, simulated, and laid out in a 90 nm CMOS process. The eye-opening and jitter performance in the eye-diagram simulations of the active termination compare favorably with its passive counterparts. In comparison with a passive-inductor-based design, the circuit consumes additional 1.327 mW DC power while occupying a die area of 17 mum times 25 mum, which is more than 60 times smaller than the area of a termination circuit with a 0.8 nH passive inductor.
Does Live Migration of Virtual Machines Cost Energy?

Live migration, the process of moving a virtual machine (VM) interruption-free between physical hosts is a core concept in modern data centers. Power management strategies use live migration to consolidate services in a cluster environment and to switch off underutilized machines to save power. However, most migration models do not consider the energy cost of migration. This paper experimentally investigates the factors that affect the power consumption and the duration of virtual machine migration. We use the KVM platform for our experiment and show that a live migration entails an energy overhead and the size of this overhead varies with the size of the virtual machine and the available network bandwidth.
Fundamental limits in the rendering of virtual haptic textures

We discuss the properties of force-feedback haptic simulation systems that fundamentally limit the re-creation of periodic gratings, and hence, of any texture. These include sampling rate, device resolution, and structural dynamics. Basic sampling limitations are analyzed in terms of the Nyquist and the Courant conditions. The analysis proposes that noise due to sampling and other sources injected in the system may prevent it to achieve acceptable performance in most operating conditions, unless special precautions such as the use of a reconstruction filter, make the closed-loop more robust to noise. The structural response of a PHANTOM 1.0 A device was such that no such filter could be found, and the system introduced heavy distortion in gratings as coarse as 10 mm. The Pantograph Mark-II device having more favorable structural properties could reliably create gratings between 1 and 10 mm.
Investigating feature-level fusion for checking liveness in face-voice authentication

In this paper we propose a feature level fusion approach for checking liveness in face-voice person authentication. Liveness verification experiments conducted on two audiovisual databases, VidTIMIT and UCBN, show that feature-level fusion is indeed a powerful technique for checking liveness in systems that are vulnerable to replay attacks, as it preserves synchronisation between closely coupled modalities, such as voice and face, through various stages of authentication. An improvement in error rate of the order of 25-40% is achieved for replay attack experiments by using feature level fusion of acoustic and visual feature vectors from lip region as compared to classical late fusion approach.
Monocrystal growth and characterization study of α- and γ-polymorph of glycine to explore superior performance of γ-glycine crystal

Abstract Optical quality single crystals of α- and γ-polymorph of glycine with respective dimension of 16 × 04 × 04 and 16 × 14 × 08 mm3 have been grown from slow solvent evaporation technique. The single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) study has been carried out to confirm the cell parameters, crystal structure and space group of grown polymorphs of glycine crystal. The powder XRD analysis has been performed to investigate the crystalline nature of γ-glycine crystal. The UV-visible spectral analysis has been carried out in the range of 200–900 nm to determine the optical transmittance and band gap of grown crystals. In Kurtz-Perry test, the second harmonic generation efficiency of γ-glycine crystal is found to be 1.4 times higher than KDP crystal material. The emission profile and electronic purity of grown crystals has been examined by means of photoluminescence study. The differential thermal analysis of grown crystals has been undertaken to determine the melting point of grown polymorphs of glycine crystal. The temperature dependent behavior of dielectric parameters of grown crystals has been comparatively investigated within 35–90 °C by means of dielectric analysis.
A 2x2 MIMO Tri-Band Dual-Mode Direct-Conversion CMOS Transceiver for Worldwide WiMAX/WLAN Applications

This paper describes a fully integrated 130 nm CMOS 2×2 MIMO tri-band dual-mode transceiver for fixed and mobile WiMAX and IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n applications. The proposed transceiver features reduced RF interface (only 4 RF pins) with the wideband circuit topology of the LNA and drive amplifier that minimizes the performance degradation. With carefully chosen LO frequency planning, the transceiver is capable of operating at 2.3-2.7 GHz, 3.3-3.9 GHz, and as well as 5.1-5.9 GHz bands covering whole frequency spectrum of fixed and mobile WiMAX and WLAN. The measured noise figure of the receiver is 3.6-4.2, 4.2-4.7, and 5.4-6.2 dB for each 2/3/5 GHz bands respectively. The measured PLL phase noise from 1 kHz to 10 MHz is 0.5/0.8/0.95 rms degree for 2/3/5 GHz bands respectively. The transceiver ensures low EVM over the wide dynamic range due to linear RX and TX signal paths and low integrated PLL phase noise characteristics.
Enteral Nutrition and Acid-Suppressive Therapy in the PICU: Impact on the Risk of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia*

Objective: Enteral nutrition has been implicated as a risk factor for ventilator-associated pneumonia. We explored the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia and its association with clinical and nutrition-related therapies in mechanically ventilated children. Design: Prospective, multicenter, cohort study. Setting: Fifty-nine PICU in 15 countries. Patients: Children less than 18 years old, mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours. Interventions: None. Multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Measurements and Major Results: Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or counts (%). We enrolled 1,245 subjects (45% women; 42% surgical), age 20 months (4–84 mo), and duration of mechanical ventilation 7 days (3–13 d). Culture-positive ventilator-associated pneumonia was diagnosed in 80 patients (6.4%); duration of mechanical ventilation for this subgroup was 17 days (8–39 d). Enteral nutrition was delivered in 985 patients (79%), initiated within 48 hours in 592 patients (60%), and via postpyloric route in 354 patients (36%). Acid-suppressive agents were used in 763 patients (61%). The duration of enteral nutrition (p = 0.21), route (gastric vs postpyloric) of delivery (p = 0.94), severity of illness (p = 0.17), and diagnostic category on admission (p = 0.31) were not associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia. After adjusting for enteral nutrition days, illness severity, and site, ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly associated with mechanical ventilation more than 10 days (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.2–6.5; p < 0.001), PICU length of stay more than 10 days (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–3.1; p = 0.029), and the use of acid-suppressive medication (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2–3.6; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Ventilator-associated pneumonia was diagnosed in 6.5% of mechanically ventilated children in a heterogeneous multicenter cohort. We did not find a link between enteral nutrition duration or route of delivery and ventilator-associated pneumonia. In addition to duration of mechanical ventilation and length of PICU stay, the use of acid-suppressive therapy independently increased the likelihood of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia in this population. This association must be further explored in clinical trials.
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to the presence of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the primary reasons for increased mortality in patients with schizophrenia. The mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis are not well understood. Objective To estimate the prevalence of MetS in adult outpatients with schizophrenia according to the presence or absence of negative symptoms. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records was conducted. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative-symptom factor (N1–N4, N6, G7, and G16) was used as a framework for characterizing negative symptoms. MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III diagnostic criteria. An analysis of covariance model was used for correction, with significance at P<0.05. Results One or more negative symptoms were present in 52.5% of a sample of 1,120 patients (mean age 46.8 years, men 58.4%). Dyslipidemia (48.7%), hypertension (38.2%), and diabetes mellitus (19.3%) were the most frequent comorbidities. The overall prevalence of MetS was 38.6% (95% confidence interval 35.7%–41.5%), and was significantly higher in those patients with negative symptoms (43.9% versus 34.9%, P=0.002). MetS was significantly associated with the presence of negative symptoms, age, and physical comorbidity (odds ratios 1.6, 1.2, and 1.2, respectively; P<0.05). Conclusion A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical exercise due to negative symptomatology may contribute to MetS development. Further studies are necessary to confirm this association and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
A Busbar Like Power Module Based On 3D Chip On Chip Hybrid Integration

The paper focuses on a new generation of power modules, trying to optimize the tradeoff between thermal and EMI managements. At the same time, the packaging approach is considered in order to simplify the implementation of the power dies while improving the reliability of the structure. The approach considers the hybrid integration of the power dies, one on top of the other into a 3D Chip On Chip configuration. Thanks to this structure, the power dies can be directly inserted within electrical plates, the whole structure emulating a busbar like power module. The paper presents the characteristics and the benefits of the approach. Then, it focuses on the practical characterization of two prototypes: a buck converter structure and a full bridge, single phase diode rectifier. Both of them are based on double sided thermal cooling and electro-thermal contacts are obtained by pressure. The prototypes exhibit great performances while offering really reduced parasitic and EMI coupling.
SSFP‐based MR thermometry

Of the various techniques employed to quantify temperature changes by MR, proton resonance frequency (PRF) shift‐based phase‐difference imaging (PDI) is the most accurate and widely used. However, PDI is associated with various artifacts. Motivated by these limitations, we developed a new method to monitor temperature changes by MRI using the balanced steady‐state free precession (balanced‐SSFP) pulse sequence. Magnitude images obtained with the SSFP pulse sequence were used to find the PRF shift, which is proportional to temperature change. Spatiotemporal temperature maps were successfully reconstructed with this technique in gel phantom experiments and a rabbit model. The results show that the balanced‐SSFP‐based method is a promising new technique for monitoring temperature. Magn Reson Med 52:704–708, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An energy-adaptive MPPT power management unit for micro-power vibration energy harvesting

A batteryless power management unit (PMU) that manages harvested low-level vibration energy from a piezoelectric device for a wireless sensor node is presented. An energy-adaptive maximum power point tracking (EA-MPPT) scheme is proposed that allows the PMU to activate different operation modes according to the available power level. The harvested energy is processed by an ac-dc voltage doubler followed by on-chip charge pumps with variable up/down conversion ratios for higher efficiency. Interleaving technique is employed for the high-power output to reduce both current and voltage ripples. The PMU is designed using a 0.35mum CMOS process, and simulation results are presented to demonstrate its functions.
CuriousMind photographer: distract the robot from its initial task

Mainly present in industry, robots begin to invade our every-day lives for very precise tasks. In order to reach a level where more general robots get involved in our lives, the robots' abilities to communicate and to react to unexpected situations must be improved. This paper introduces an attentive computational model for robots as attention can help both in reacting to unexpected situations and to help improving human-robot communication. We propose to enhance and implement an existing real time computational model. Intensity, color and orientation are usually used but we have added information related to depth and isolation. We have built a robotic system based on LEGO Mindstorm platform and the Kinect RGB-D sensor. This robot, called CuriousMind, is able to take a picture of the most interesting part of the scene and it can also be distracted from its first goal by novel situations mimicking in that way the human (and more precisely small children) behaviour.
Optimal control theory with arbitrary superpositions of waveforms

Standard optimal control methods perform optimization in the time domain. However, many experimental settings demand the expression of the control signal as a superposition of given waveforms, a case that cannot easily be accommodated using time-local constraints. Previous approaches [, ] have circumvented this difficulty by performing optimization in a parameter space, using the chain rule to make a connection to the time domain. In this paper, we present an extension to optimal control theory which allows gradient-based optimization for superpositions of arbitrary waveforms directly in a time-domain subspace. Its key is the use of the Moore–Penrose pseudoinverse as an efficient means of transforming between a time-local and waveform-based descriptions. To illustrate this optimization technique, we study the parametrically driven harmonic oscillator as model system and reduce its energy, considering both Hamiltonian dynamics and stochastic dynamics under the influence of a thermal reservoir. We demonstrate the viability and efficiency of the method for these test cases and find significant advantages in the case of waveforms which do not form an orthogonal basis.
Development of a Xeno-Free Autologous Culture System for Endothelial Progenitor Cells Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Blood

Despite promising preclinical outcomes in animal models, a number of challenges remain for human clinical use. In particular, expanding a large number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vitro in the absence of animal-derived products is the most critical hurdle remaining to be overcome to ensure the safety and efficiency of human therapy. To develop in vitro culture conditions for EPCs derived from human cord blood (hCB-EPCs), we isolated extracts (UCE) and collagen (UC-collagen) from umbilical cord tissue to replace their animal-derived counterparts. UC-collagen and UCE efficiently supported the attachment and proliferation of hCB-EPCs in a manner comparable to that of animal-derived collagen in the conventional culture system. Our developed autologous culture system maintained the typical characteristics of hCB-EPCs, as represented by the expression of EPC-associated surface markers. In addition, the therapeutic potential of hCB-EPCs was confirmed when the transplantation of hCB-EPCs cultured in this autologous culture system promoted limb salvage in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia and was shown to contribute to attenuating muscle degeneration and fibrosis. We suggest that the umbilical cord represents a source for autologous biomaterials for the in vitro culture of hCB-EPCs. The main characteristics and therapeutic potential of hCB-EPCs were not compromised in developed autologous culture system. The absence of animal-derived products in our newly developed in vitro culture removes concerns associated with secondary contamination. Thus, we hope that this culture system accelerates the realization of therapeutic applications of autologous hCB-EPCs for human vascular diseases.