Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FBase: A Replication Service for Data-Intensive Fog Applications

The combination of edge and cloud in the fog computing paradigm enables a new breed of data-intensive applications. These applications, however, have to face a number of fog-specific challenges which developers have to repetitively address for every single application. In this paper, we propose a replication service specifically tailored to the needs of data-intensive fog applications that aims to ease or eliminate challenges caused by the highly distributed and heterogeneous environment fog applications operate in. Furthermore, we present our prototypical proof-of-concept implementation FBase that we have made available as open source.
REDN: A Recursive Encoder-Decoder Network for Edge Detection

In this paper, we introduce REDN: A Recursive Encoder-Decoder Network with Skip-Connections for edge detection in natural images. The proposed network is a novel integration of a Recursive Neural Network with an Encoder-Decoder architecture. The recursive network enables iterative refinement of the edges using a single network model. Adding skip-connections between encoder and decoder helps the gradients reach all the layers of a network more easily and allows information related to finer details in the early stage of the encoder to be fully utilized in the decoder. Based on our extensive experiments on popular boundary detection datasets including BSDS500 <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">[1]</xref>, NYUD <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2">[2]</xref> and Pascal Context <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3">[3]</xref>, REDN significantly advances the state-of-the-art on edge detection regarding standard evaluation metrics such as Optimal Dataset Scale (ODS) F-measure, Optimal Image Scale (OIS) F-measure, and Average Precision (AP).
Controlling the electron-transfer-like reaction rate through molecular-vibration polaritons in the ultrastrong coupling regime

Recent experiments showed that the chemical reaction rate is modified, either increased or decreased, by strongly coupling a nuclear vibration mode to the single mode of an optical cavity. Herein we investigate how the rate of electron-transfer-like reactions depends on the molecule-cavity coupling in the ultrastrong coupling regime, where the coupling strength is comparable in magnitude with both the vibrational and the cavity frequencies. We found two main factors that determine the modification of the reaction rate: the relative shifts of the energy levels induced by the coupling and the mixing of ground and excited states of molecular vibration in the ground state of the hybrid molecule-plus-cavity system through which the Franck-Condon factor between the initial and final states of the transition is altered. The former is the dominant factor if the molecule-cavity coupling strengths for the reactant and product states differ significantly from each other and gives rise to an increase in the reaction rate over a wide range of system's parameters. The latter dominates if the coupling strengths and energy levels of the reactant and product states are close to each other and it leads to a decrease in the reaction rate. The effect of the mixing of molecular vibrational states on the reaction rate is, however, suppressed in a system containing a large number of molecules due to the collective nature of the resulting polariton. In contrast, the effect of the relative shifts of the energy levels should be essentially independent of the number of molecules coupled to the cavity.
Crystallization of the outer crust of a non-accreting neutron star

Context. The interior of a neutron star is usually assumed to be made of cold catalyzed matter. However, the outer layers are unlikely to remain in full thermodynamic equilibrium during the formation of the star and its subsequent cooling, especially after crystallization occurs. Aims. We study the cooling and the equilibrium composition of the outer layers of a non-accreting neutron star down to crystallization. Here the impurity parameter, generally taken as a free parameter in cooling simulations, is calculated self-consistently using a microscopic nuclear model for which a unified equation of state has recently been determined. Methods. We follow the evolution of the nuclear distributions of the multi-component Coulomb liquid plasma fully self-consistently, adapting a general formalism originally developed for the description of supernova cores. We calculate the impurity parameter at the crystallization temperature as determined in the one-component plasma approximation. Results. Our analysis shows that the sharp changes in composition obtained in the one-component plasma approximation are smoothed out when a full nuclear distribution is allowed. The Coulomb coupling parameter at melting is found to be reasonably close to the canonical value of 175, except for specific values of the pressure for which supercooling occurs in the one-component plasma approximation. Our multi-component treatment leads to non-monotonic variations of the impurity parameter with pressure. Its values can change by several orders of magnitude reaching about 50, suggesting that the crust may be composed of an alternation of pure (highly conductive) and impure (highly resistive) layers. The results presented here complement the recent unified equation of state obtained within the same nuclear model. Conclusions. Our self-consistent approach to hot dense multi-component plasma shows that the presence of impurities in the outer crust of a neutron star is non-negligible and may have a sizeable impact on transport properties. In turn, this may have important implications not only for the cooling of neutron stars, but also for their magneto-rotational evolution.
Utility maximisation and time-change

We consider the problem of maximising expected utility from terminal wealth in a semimartingale setting, where the semimartingale is written as a sum of a time-changed Brownian motion and a finite variation process. To solve this problem, we consider an initial enlargement of filtration and we derive change of variable formulas for stochastic integrals w.r. t. a time-changed Brownian motion. The change of variable formulas allow us to shift the problem to a maximisation problem under the enlarged filtration for models driven by a Brownian motion and a finite variation process. The latter could be solved by using martingale methods. Then applying again the change of variable formula, we derive the optimal strategy for the original problem for a power utility under certain assumptions on the finite variation process of the semimartingale.
Perspective-Consistent Multifocus Multiview 3D Reconstruction of Small Objects

Image-based 3D reconstruction or 3D photogrammetry of small-scale objects including insects and biological specimens is challenging due to the use of high magnification lens with inherent limited depth of field, and the object's fine structures and complex surface properties. Due to these challenges, traditional 3D reconstruction techniques cannot be applied without suitable image pre-processings. One such preprocessing technique is multifocus stacking that combines a set of partially focused images captured from the same viewing angle to create a single in-focus image. Traditional multifocus image capture uses a camera on a macro rail. Furthermore, the scale and shift are not properly considered by multifocus stacking techniques. As a consequence, the resulting in-focus images contain artifacts that violate perspective image formation. A 3D reconstruction using such images will fail to produce an accurate 3D model of the object. This paper shows how this problem can be solved effectively by a new multifocus stacking procedure which includes a new Fixed-Lens Multifocus Capture and camera calibration for image scale and shift. Initial experimental results are presented to confirm our expectation and show that the camera poses of fixed-lens images are at least 3-times less noisy than those of conventional moving lens images.
Photo-ionization of polarized lithium atoms out of an all-optical atom trap: a complete experiment

An all-optical, near-resonant laser atom trap is used to prepare an electronically excited and polarized gas target at mK-temperature for complete photo-ionization studies. As a proof-of-principal experiment, lithium atoms in the 22P3/2(ml = +1) state are ionized by a 266 nm laser source, and emitted electrons and Li+ ions are momentum analyzed in a COLTRIMS spectrometer. The excellent resolution achieved in the present experiment allows not only to extract the relative phase and amplitude of all partial waves contributing to the final state, it also enables to characterize the experiment regarding target and spectrometer properties. Photo-electron angular distributions are measured for five different laser polarizations and described in a one-electron approximation with excellent agreement.
Introducing the Search for Intermediate-mass Black Holes in Nearby Galaxies (SIBLING) Survey

Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) have masses between 102 and 106 M⊙ and are key to our understanding of the formation of massive black holes. The known population of IMBHs remains small, with a few hundred candidates and only a handful of them confirmed as bona fide IMBHs. Until now, the most widely used selection method is based on spectral analysis. Here we present a methodology to select IMBH candidates via optical variability analysis of the nuclear region of local galaxies ( ). Active IMBHs accreting at low rates show small amplitude variability with timescales of hours, as is seen in one of the known IMBHs, NGC 4395. We found a sample of ∼500 galaxies demonstrating fast and small amplitude variation in their week-based light curves. We estimate an average occupancy fraction of 4% and a surface density of ∼3 deg−2, which represent an increase by a factor of ∼40 compared to previous searches. A large fraction (78%) of the candidates are in spiral galaxies. We preliminarily confirm the active galactic nucleus nature of 22 sources via Baldwin, Phillips, and Terlevich diagrams using Sloan Digital Sky Survey legacy spectra. Further confirmation of these candidates will require multiwavelength observations, especially in X-ray and radio bands.
On using empirical null distributions in Benjamini-Hochberg procedure.

When performing multiple testing, adjusting the distribution of the null hypotheses is ubiquitous in applications. However, the effect of such an operation remains largely unknown, especially in terms of false discovery proportion (FDP) and true discovery proportion (TDP) of the resulting procedure. We explore this issue in the most classical case where the null distributions are Gaussian with an unknown rescaling parameters (mean and variance) and where the Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) procedure is applied after a data-rescaling step. Our main result shows the following sparsity boundary: an asymptotically optimal rescaling (in some specific sense) exists if and only if the sparsity parameter $k$ (number of false nulls) is of order less than $n/\log(n)$, where $n$ is the total number of tests. Our proof relies on new non-asymptotic lower bounds on FDP/TDP, which are of independent interest and share similarities with those developed in the minimax robust statistical theory. Further sparsity boundaries are derived for general location models where the shape of the null distribution is not necessarily Gaussian.
Lessons in Estimation Theory for Signal Processing, Communications, and Control

1. Introduction, Coverage, Philosophy, and Computation. 2. The Linear Model. 3. Least-Squares Estimation: Batch Processing. 4. Least-Squares Estimation: Singular-Value Decomposition. 5. Least-Squares Estimation: Recursive Processing. 6. Small Sample Properties of Estimators. 7. Large Sample Properties of Estimators. 8. Properties of Least-Squares Estimators. 9. Best Linear Unbiased Estimation. 10. Likelihood. 11. Maximum-Likelihood Estimation. 12. Multivariate Gaussian Random Variables. 13. Mean-Squared Estimation of Random Parameters. 14. Maximum A Posteriori Estimation of Random Parameters. 15. Elements of Discrete-Time Gauss-Markov Random Sequences. 16. State Estimation: Prediction. 17. State Estimation: Filtering (The Kalman Filter). 18. State Estimation: Filtering Examples. 19. State Estimation: Steady-State Kalman Filter and Its Relationships to a Digital Wiener Filter. 20. State Estimation: Smoothing. 21. State Estimation: Smoothing (General Results). 22. State Estimation for the Not-So-Basic State-Variable Model. 23. Linearization and Discretization of Nonlinear Systems. 24. Iterated Least Squares and Extended Kalman Filtering. 25. Maximum-Likelihood State and Parameter Estimation. 26. Kalman-Bucy Filtering. A. Sufficient Statistics and Statistical Estimation of Parameters. B. Introduction to Higher-Order Statistics. C. Estimation and Applications of Higher-Order Statistics. D. Introduction to State-Variable Models and Methods. Appendix A: Glossary of Major Results. Appendix B: Estimation of Algorithm M-Files. References. Index.
Alternative Function Approximation Parameterizations for Solving Games: An Analysis of f-Regression Counterfactual Regret Minimization

Function approximation is a powerful approach for structuring large decision problems that has facilitated great achievements in the areas of reinforcement learning and game playing. Regression counterfactual regret minimization (RCFR) is a simple algorithm for approximately solving imperfect information games with normalized rectified linear unit (ReLU) parameterized policies. In contrast, the more conventional softmax parameterization is standard in the field of reinforcement learning and yields a regret bound with a better dependence on the number of actions. We derive approximation error-aware regret bounds for $(\Phi, f)$-regret matching, which applies to a general class of link functions and regret objectives. These bounds recover a tighter bound for RCFR and provide a theoretical justification for RCFR implementations with alternative policy parameterizations ($f$-RCFR), including softmax. We provide exploitability bounds for $f$-RCFR with the polynomial and exponential link functions in zero-sum imperfect information games and examine empirically how the link function interacts with the severity of the approximation. We find that the previously studied ReLU parameterization performs better when the approximation error is small while the softmax parameterization can perform better when the approximation error is large.
A Survey on Theorem Provers in Formal Methods

Mechanical reasoning is a key area of research that lies at the crossroads of mathematical logic and artificial intelligence. The main aim to develop mechanical reasoning systems (also known as theorem provers) was to enable mathematicians to prove theorems by computer programs. However, these tools evolved with time and now play vital role in the modeling and reasoning about complex and large-scale systems, especially safety-critical systems. Technically, mathematical formalisms and automated reasoning based-approaches are employed to perform inferences and to generate proofs in theorem provers. In literature, there is a shortage of comprehensive documents that can provide proper guidance about the preferences of theorem provers with respect to their designs, performances, logical frameworks, strengths, differences and their application areas. In this work, more than 40 theorem provers are studied in detail and compared to present a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of these tools. Theorem provers are investigated based on various parameters, which includes: implementation architecture, logic and calculus used, library support, level of automation, programming paradigm, programming language, differences and application areas.
ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT TEACHING AIDS AND TEACHING METHODS FOR THE BETTER PERCEPTION OF BIOCHEMISTRY BY 1 ST

BACKGROUND : Medical students during their first year of MBBS course, find Biochemistry difficult and volatile. In this regard, we studied the feedback from students about the effectiveness of prevailing teaching aids and methods, so that best teaching aid and method can be adopted to improve their academic performance. METHODS: This study comprises of total 117 students of 1st MBBS course, who have completed the 2 nd semester of academic year 2011-12. Irrespective of the teacher and topic, the students were asked to grade the teaching aids and methods that were used to teach Biochemistry for the period of 10 months (from August 2011 to May 2012). RESULTS : In our study high Satisfaction Index (SI) was noticed for combination method of teaching aid (blackboard+ PowerPoint*(PPT)) and teaching preceded and followed by asking questions + assessment + tutorials, teaching method. CONCLUSION : This observation may probably be due to the fact that, inherent deficiency of each teaching aid is compensated by the other. With regard to, teaching method the combination of teaching
Simulating Haemorrhage in Medical Students using a Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber; Measuring the Consequences for Tissue Oxygenation

Introduction This article is a descriptive report of a novel way of demonstrating the cardiovascular response to progressive haemorrhage using simulation. The aim of the simulated haemorrhage is to improve the understanding of the cardiovascular response to haemorrhage and demonstrate ‘live’ the body’s response to reduced venous return. Method Phase 1 of a ‘simple’ haemorrhage is simulated in 6 medical students by applying sub-atmospheric pressure to the lower body using a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) chamber. The sub-atmospheric pressure causes ‘pooling’ of blood in the vessels of the legs and pelvis, which reduces venous return thus mimicking the effects of haemorrhage. Parts of this method have been described elsewhere (1). A range of cardiovascular parameters are monitored throughout the demonstration to allow students to observe the integrated response to ‘progressive haemorrhage’. Stroke volume is monitored using a portable ultrasound machine, heart rate is measured from an ECG trace and blood pressure using an automated sphygmomanometer. Skeletal muscle and brain oxygenation, which in this context reflects changes in blood flow, is assessed using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). Results Simulated haemorrhage reduces venous return, thus reducing stroke volume by Starling’s law of the heart (2) and ultimately reduces arterial pulse pressure. The body’s initial response (mediated by the baroreceptor reflex) to this is an increase in heart rate to maintain mean blood pressure (3) in the face of a falling cardiac output. The students also calculate the changes in total peripheral resistance and are able to see the consequences for brain and skeletal muscle oxygenation. Conclusion Durham University Medical Programme uses simulation in a novel way to reinforce didactic teaching of the cardiovascular response to haemorrhage utilising a LBNP chamber. Word count 248 References 1. Sawdon M & Kirkman E. Simulating Haemorrhage in Medical Students. International Journal of Clinical Skills. 2008; 2(2): 74-78. 2. Patterson SW, Starling EH. On the mechanical factors which determine the output of the ventricles. Journal of Physiology. 1914; 48(5): 357-379. 3. Sawdon M, Ohnishi M, Watkins P & Kirkman E. The effects of primary thoracic blast injury and morphine on the response to haemorrhage in the anaesthetised rat. Experimental Physiology. 2002; 87(6): 683-689.
An Incremental RNC Algorithm for Generating All Maximal Independent Sets in Hypergraphs of Bounded D

We show that for hypergraphs of bounded edge size, the problem of extending a given list of maximal independent sets is NC-reducible to the computation of an arbitrary maximal independent set for an induced sub- hypergraph. The latter problem is known to be in RNC. In particular, our reduction yields an incremental RNC dualization algorithm for hypergraphs of bounded edge size, a problem previously known to be solvable in polynomial incremental time. We also give a similar parallel algorithm for the dualization problem on the product of arbitrary lattices which have a bounded number of immediate predecessors for each element.
Isomonodromic deformations and twisted Yangiansarising in TeichmÃ¼ller theory

In this paper we build a link between the TeichmA¼ller theory of hyperbolic Riemann surfaces and isomonodromic deformations of linear systems whose monodromy group is the Fuchsian group associated to the given hyperbolic Riemann surface by the PoincarA© uniformization. In the case of a one-sheeted hyperboloid with n orbifold points we show that the Poisson algebra Dn of geodesic length functions is the semiclassical limit of the twisted q-Yangian Y q (on) for the orthogonal Lie algebra on defined by Molev, Ragoucy and Sorba. We give a representation of the braid-group action on Dn in terms of an adjoint matrix action. We characterize two types of finite-dimensional Poissonian reductions and give an explicit expression for the generating function of their central elements. Finally, we interpret the algebra Dn as the Poisson algebra of monodromy data of a Frobenius manifold in the vicinity of a non-semi-simple point.
Capture of magnetic carriers within large arteries using external magnetic fields*

Our overall research goal is to advance the safety and effectiveness of acute ischemic stroke therapy by improving the benefit/risk ratio of thrombolysis and hence, the long-term outcome of acute ischemic stroke victims. Our approach is the development of a novel tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) delivery system based on t-PA-loaded magnetic nano- and microcarriers guided directly to the site of vascular occlusion by external magnetic fields. Such a t-PA delivery system would conveniently combine the advantages of both intravenous (systemic) and intraarterial (catheter-facilitated) thrombolysis: non-invasiveness—the magnetic t-PA carriers can be injected intravenously and targeted, as drug delivery is magnetically guided to and t-PA focally released at and within the vascular clot to induce lysis. The focus of our discussion are the two necessary, fundamental and interrelated bioengineering steps: the research and development of well-characterized, biocompatible, functionally active and t-PA-loaded (encapsulated) magnetic nano- and microcarriers able to induce effective thrombolysis, and the design of magnetic guidance systems for targeted tPA-delivery allowing also the triggered release of the thrombolytic agent at the clot site. In this paper, we theoretically demonstrated magnetic trapping of blood borne magnetic nano- and microcarriers from human large vessels, especially arteries. Then, some preliminary experiments using primate models (monkeys) were done to identify successful in vivo sequestration of magnetic carriers in large and smaller arterial branches after arterial upstream and systemic venous injection. Histology (hematoxylin–eosin stain) verified intraarterial carrier concentration (identified as black carrier agglomerates on H and E staining) at the arterial region above the surface magnet. The results revealed the feasibility of magnetic drug-targeting at arteries and solidified the proposed t-PA delivery system.