Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A non-local means post-filter with spatially adaptive filtering strength for whole-body PET

We propose a spatially adaptive Non-Local Means (NLM) post-filtering approach for whole-body clinical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. Our approach is aimed at avoiding different effective smoothing strengths in different organs that result from with traditional non-adaptive NLM. We vary the smoothing strength according to the intensity level around a given voxel such that regions with low absolute noise levels are smoothed less and those with high absolute noise levels are smoothed more. We evaluated this approach and compared it to alternative filtering techniques by inserting lesions of known size and activity into clinical datasets acquired on a Toshiba CelesteionTM TOF-PET/CT scanner. Images were reconstructed with list-mode Ordered-Subset Expectation-Maximization (OSEM) algorithm with all physical corrections inside the system model prior to post-filtering. We qualitatively evaluated the techniques by comparing the differences between filtered and original images and quantitatively evaluated them using lesion contrast vs. background variability curves. Both evaluations showed that the proposed method could better accommodate varying noise statistics in whole-body PET images and better preserve lesion contrast across different anatomical regions.
Developing a dataset to assess ecosystem services in the Midwest United States

The Midwest United States produces around one-quarter of the world's grain supply. The demand for corn ethanol is likely to cause a shift toward greater corn planting. To be prepared for the potential impacts of increased corn production, we need a better understanding of the current state of ecosystem services in this region. In this article, we describe a unique procedure for developing a dataset containing multiple variables useful in modeling ecological responses and tradeoffs. We demonstrate how to construct a detailed land cover classification and link it to yield and agricultural practices. We used the 2001 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) to spatially constrain the datasets during overlay analysis. With this method, we found that the percent agreement between classifications was frequently greater than 80%, indicating little change to the original base layer accuracies. Using three different land cover datasets, we were able to add 18 classes for agriculture and 155 classes for natural cover. We then linked variables for yield, fertilizer, and pesticide application rates, field residue, irrigation percentages, and tillage practices to the land cover data. The final Midwest dataset contained 15.5 million grid values and 15 variables. Capturing the land cover and land management information at the 30-m grid scale allows for aggregation and modeling of the ecosystem services at a variety of spatial scales. As a final step, we demonstrate a tradeoff evaluation between corn yield and nitrogen loadings using our dataset. The effort required to develop the Midwest dataset was greater than initially anticipated; however, the benefit of being able to calculate derivative variables and add new variables justifies the time expenditure needed to create such a detailed database.
Concurrency: State Models and Java Programs

Concurrency provides a thoroughly updatedapproach to the basic concepts and techniques behind concurrent programming. Concurrent programming is complex and demands a much more formal approach than sequential programming. In order to develop a thorough understanding of the topicMagee and Kramer present concepts, techniques and problems through a variety of forms: informal descriptions, illustrative examples, abstract models and concrete Java examples. These combineto provide problem patterns and associated solution techniqueswhich enablestudents torecognise problems and arrive at solutions. New features include: New chapters covering program verification and logical properties. More student exercises. Supporting website contains an updated version of the LTSA tool for modelling concurrency, model animation, and model checking. Website also includes the full set of state models, java examples, and demonstration programs and a comprehensive set of overhead slides for course presentation.
A dynamic index for managed currencies funds using CME currency contracts

The goal of this paper is to equip the investor with the tools and understanding necessary to evaluate managed currencies' investments in a meaningful way. It is shown that managed currency funds might exhibit a common factor because most of the trading managers use similar technical forecasts to trigger their positions in the financial markets. Therefore, a dynamic benchmark is built, based on technical trading rules. Using the stochastic properties of trading rules, three simple moving averages are selected and given equal weight. Then the basket of trading rules is applied to a set of currencies. The weighting between currencies is done according to volumes traded on the OTC market as observed through Reuters 2000. Such a dynamic benchmark when adjusted for the leverage and risk-free factors exhibits similar performances, namely returns and volatility, to currency traders' benchmarks. The degree of correlation is high and the tracking error is low. These results might have several implications for institutions wishing to consider managed currency funds. First, the dynamic index might be used as a test of market inefficiencies. Second, the technical index might be used as a benchmark for currency trading advisers. As a whole, it can be seen that managed currencies have been trend-followers because the correlation coefficient between the dynamic index and the currency managers is significantly positive. The dynamic index might well be used to distinguish trend-followers from contrarian and judgemental fund. Finally, the dynamic index might be used as a tool to fulfil market expectations. On the one hand, an investor anticipating trending markets might wish to buy the dynamic index. On the other hand, an investor forecasting range-trading markets might wish to sell the index. In sum, the dynamic index might constitute a new financial product, as well as an appropriate benchmark for managed currencies funds.
Performance of Space Time Codes in rayleigh fading channel

In this paper the performance of Space Time Codes (STC) has been analyzed. Use of multiple antennas is an emerging approach for recovering fading and reducing the bit error rate. Space diversity is introduced in space time codes. In Alamouti Space Time Code (STC) two transmit antennas are used that provide relatively better results than no coding approach. Alamouti uses a code matrix at transmitter and at receiver end it uses MLD and estimates the output signals. Space time block codes are with arbitrary number of antennas. It uses a huge code matrix at encoder and decodes using MLD. The performance of STBC is far better than Alamouti and has no match with no coding. The simulation of Alamouti, STBC and no coding is done in project. Space time codes works with the price of redundancy bits and extra antenna price. Future work could be continued in space time turbo trellis codes.
Design of an allosterically regulated retroaldolase

We employed a minimalist approach for design of an allosterically controlled retroaldolase. Introduction of a single lysine residue into the nonenzymatic protein calmodulin led to a 15,000‐fold increase in the second order rate constant for retroaldol reaction with methodol as a substrate. The resulting catalyst AlleyCatR is active enough for subsequent directed evolution in crude cell bacterial lysates. AlleyCatR's activity is allosterically regulated by Ca2+ ions. No catalysis is observed in the absence of the metal ion. The increase in catalytic activity originates from the hydrophobic interaction of the substrate (∼2000‐fold) and the change in the apparent pKa of the active lysine residue.
WPCB-Tree: A Novel Flash-Aware B-Tree Index Using a Write Pattern Converter

For the past few years, flash memory has been widely used because of its prominent advantages such as fast access speed, nonvolatility, high reliability, and low power consumption. However, flash memory still has several drawbacks that need to be overcome, e.g., the erase-before-write characteristic and a limited life cycle. Among these drawbacks, the erase-before-write characteristic causes the B-tree implementation on flash memory to be inefficient because it generates many erase operations. This study introduces a novel B-tree index structure using a write pattern converter (WPCB-tree) for flash memory. A WPCB-tree can minimize the risk of data loss and can improve the performance of the B-tree on flash memory. This WPCB-tree uses some blocks of flash memory as a buffer that temporarily stores all updated nodes. When the buffer is full, a buffer block is selected by a greedy algorithm, then the node pages in the block are converted into a sequential write pattern, and finally they are written into flash memory. In addition, in the case that all key values of a leaf node are continuously inserted, the WPCB-tree does not split the leaf node. As a result, this mechanism helps the WPCB-tree reduce the number of write operations on the flash memory. The experimental results show that the proposed B-tree variant on flash memory yields a better performance than that of other existing variants of the B-tree.
Simplified adaptive control with guaranteed H∞ performance

Abstract Robust simplified adaptive controllers for continuous-time systems with uncertainties and disturbances are considered. Sufficient conditions for closed-loop stability and prescribed H ∞ disturbance attenuation level of the proposed simplified adaptive control scheme, are introduced, under an almost-strictly-positive- realness requirement on the plant. A numerical example is given, which demonstrates the proposed method.
Characterizing the role of vehicular cloud computing in road traffic management

Vehicular cloud computing is envisioned to deliver services that provide traffic safety and efficiency to vehicles. Vehicular cloud computing has great potential to change the contemporary vehicular communication paradigm. Explicitly, the underutilized resources of vehicles can be shared with other vehicles to manage traffic during congestion. These resources include but are not limited to storage, computing power, and Internet connectivity. This study reviews current traffic management systems to analyze the role and significance of vehicular cloud computing in road traffic management. First, an abstraction of the vehicular cloud infrastructure in an urban scenario is presented to explore the vehicular cloud computing process. A taxonomy of vehicular clouds that defines the cloud formation, integration types, and services is presented. A taxonomy of vehicular cloud services is also provided to explore the object types involved and their positions within the vehicular cloud. A comparison of the current state-of-the-art traffic management systems is performed in terms of parameters, such as vehicular ad hoc network infrastructure, Internet dependency, cloud management, scalability, traffic flow control, and emerging services. Potential future challenges and emerging technologies, such as the Internet of vehicles and its incorporation in traffic congestion control, are also discussed. Vehicular cloud computing is envisioned to have a substantial role in the development of smart traffic management solutions and in emerging Internet of vehicles.
Proton irradiation of beagle eyes. II. Clinical and histopathologic observations for 35 MeV protons.

The eyes of 100-day-old Beagles were exposed to 35 MeV protons at surface doses of 70, 125, 240, and 480 rad. Dose-dependent responses in the adnexa were observed 5 days after irradiation and in the crystalline lens, with a slitlamp biomicroscope, beginning at 30 days and appearing most marked 50-130 days post exposure. A grading system was established to quantitate the degree of lens involvement. An apparent "threshold" dose for vision-impairing lens opacifications occurring within 6 months of exposure was found to be between 70-125 rad surface dose. Large vacuoles and plaques, aberrant lens fiber cells, and subcapsular epithelial hyperplasia and metaplasia were the most profound histologic changes, occurring in the crystalline lenses of eyes receiving surface doses of 240 and 480 rad. Similar but less severe lens pathology was seen at a surface dose of 125 rad. Eyes receiving 480 rad also had corneal keratinization and vascularization, iridic atrophy, depigmentation, and entropion uveae. Detailed clinic.
Wplyw dzialalnosci regulacyjnej panstwa w obszarze kreowania ladu konkurencyjnego na rozwoj nowej gospodarki

Na podstawie przegladu swiatowej literatury przedmiotu oraz przeprowadzonych badan taksonometycznych dla krajow OECD mozna stwierdzic, ze w przypadku krajow odnoszacych znaczace sukcesy w zakresie wykorzystania potencjalu nowej gospodarki, co ma w szczegolnosci odzwierciedlenie w podniesieniu tempa wzrostu produktywnosci, dzialalnosc regulacyjna panstwa byla glownie ukierunkowana na stworzenie wysoko konkurencyjnego ladu rynkowego. Wysoka presja konkurencyjna na krajowych rynkach byla kluczowym zrodlem bodzcow dla wysokiej innowacyjnosci w sferze technologicznej i organizacyjnej oraz zwiekszala tempo dyfuzji najmowych rozwiazan. Zjawiska te byly waznym stymulatorem produktywnosci gospodarki. Nalezy wiec stwierdzic, ze glownym normatywnym zadaniem panstwa w sferze dzialalnosci regulacyjnej jest zapewnienie wysoko konkurencyjnego srodowiska gospodarczego kraju. Z kolei aktywnosc regulacyjna panstwa w odniesieniu do rynkow pracy nie powinna prowadzic do zwiekszenia sztywnosci tego rynku. Nie powinna takze koncentrowac sie na administracyjnej ochronie istniejacych okreslonych miejsc pracy. Polityka rynku pracy powinna raczej zwiekszac efektywnosc rynku w zakresie laczenia strony popytowej z podazowa poprzez obnizanie kosztow transakcyjnych. Dzialania panstwa powinny stanowic pomoc dla osob tracacych swoje miejsca pracy w okresie przejsciowym oraz zwiekszac ich mozliwosci znalezienia nowego zatrudnienia, przy jednoczesnym ograniczeniu prawdopodobienstwa uzaleznienia sie beneficjenta od pomocy panstwowej.
Low-Cost Inertial Sensors Modeling Using Allan Variance

Abstract—Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers and gyroscopes are suitable for the inertial navigation system (INS) of many applications due to low price, small dimensions and light weight. The main disadvantage in a comparison with classic sensors is a worse long term stability. The estimation accuracy is mostly affected by the time-dependent growth of inertial sensor errors, especially the stochastic errors. In order to eliminate negative effects of these random errors, they must be accurately modeled. In this paper, the Allan variance technique will be used in modeling the stochastic errors of the inertial sensors. By performing a simple operation on the entire length of data, a characteristic curve is obtained whose inspection provides a systematic characterization of various random errors contained in the inertial-sensor output data.
Power noise analysis acceleration technique by linear programming

In the early floor plan, power noise DC analysis by linear programming method has been proposed [1]. In order to accelerate the analysis speed, we propose new objective functions and also new constraints for linear programming. Using our new ideas can accelerate analysis speed by about 105 times, comparing with conventional method in the case of 20 horizontal x 20 vertical power nets noise analysis for 19 application program execution cycles.
Inferring recruitment history from spatial genetic structure within populations of the colonizing tree Albizia julibrissin (Fabaceae)

Comparative analyses of spatial genetic structure (SGS) among species, populations, or cohorts give insight into the genetic consequences of seed dispersal in plants. We analysed SGS of a weedy tree in populations with known and unknown recruitment histories to first establish patterns in populations with single vs. multiple founders, and then to infer possible recruitment scenarios in populations with unknown histories. We analysed SGS in six populations of the colonizing tree Albizia julibrissin Durazz. (Fabaceae) in Athens, Georgia. Study sites included two large populations with multiple, known founders, two small populations with a single, known founder, and two large populations with unknown recruitment histories. Eleven allozyme loci were used to genotype 1385 individuals. Insights about the effects of colonization history from the SGS analyses were obtained from correlograms and Sp statistics. Distinct differences in patterns of SGS were identified between populations with multiple founders vs. a single founder. We observed significant, positive SGS, which decayed with increasing distance in the populations with multiple colonists, but little to no SGS in populations founded by one colonist. Because relatedness among individuals is estimated relative to a local reference population, which usually consists of those individuals sampled in the study population, SGS in populations with high background relatedness, such as those with a single founder, may be obscured. We performed additional analyses using a regional reference population and, in populations with a single founder, detected significant, positive SGS at all distances, indicating that these populations consist of highly related descendants and receive little seed immigration. Subsequent analyses of SGS in size cohorts in the four large study populations showed significant SGS in both juveniles and adults, probably because of a relative lack of intraspecific demographic thinning. SGS in populations of this colonizing tree is pronounced and persistent and is determined by the number and relatedness of founding individuals and adjacent seed sources. Patterns of SGS in populations with known histories may be used to indirectly infer possible colonization scenarios for populations where it is unknown.
LIGHT-INDUCED TRANSFORMATION OF TRIBENURON-METHYL ON GLASS, SOIL, AND PLANT SURFACE

Photolysis of tribenuron-methyl (methyl 2-[[[[N-(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl) methylamino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]benzoate), a sulfonylurea herbicide, was studied as thin film on glass surface, soil surface, and plant surface. A number of photoproducts such as 4-methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminomethyl-1,3,5-triazine; methyl-2-(aminosulfonyl) benzoate; N-(2-carbomethoxyphenyl)-N-(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-N′-methylurea; N-(2-carbomethoxyphenyl sulfonyl)-N-methyl urea; o-benzoic sulfimide and 4-methoxy-6-methyl-2-amino-1,3,5-triazine were identified by comparison of their GC–MS with the authentic standards. The rate of degradation in all the cases followed first-order kinetics with a statistically significant correlation coefficient. Rate of photodegradation was greater on glass surface than on soil surface.
Two types of non‐selective cation channel opened by muscarinic stimulation with carbachol in bovine ciliary muscle cells

In the ciliary muscle, the tonic contraction requires a sustained influx of Ca2+ through the cell membrane. However, little has hitherto been known about the route(s) of Ca2+ influx in this tissue that lacks voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels. To identify ion channels as the Ca2+ entry pathway we studied the effects of carbachol (CCh) on freshly isolated bovine ciliary muscle cells by whole‐cell voltage clamp. Experiments were carried out using pipettes filled with K+‐free solution containing 100 mm caesium aspartate, 5 mm BAPTA and 180 μm GTP (pH 7.0; the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i= 70 nm). CCh evoked an inward current showing polarity reversal at a holding potential near 0 mV. Analysis of the current noise distinguished two types of non‐selective cation channel (NSCCL and NSCCS) with widely different unitary conductances (35 pS and 100 fS). The ratios of the permeabilities to Li+, Na+, Cs+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+, estimated by cation replacement procedures, were 0.9: 1.0: 1.5: 0.2: 0.3: 0.4: 0.5 for NSCCL, and 1.0: 1.0: 1.8: 2.5: 2.6: 3.2: 5.0 for NSCCS. NSCCS, but not NSCCL, was strongly inhibited by elevation of [Ca2+]i. Both NSCCL and NSCCS were dose‐dependently inhibited by 1–100 μm SKF96365, La3+ and Gd3+, which also inhibited the tonic component of the contraction produced in muscle bundles by CCh without markedly affecting the initial phasic component. NSCCL and/or NSCCS may serve as a major Ca2+ entry pathway required for sustained contraction of the bovine ciliary muscle. RT‐PCR experiments in the bovine ciliary muscle (whole tissue) detected mRNAs of several transient receptor potential (TRP) channel homologues (TRPC1, TRPC3, TRPC4 and TRPC6), which are now regarded as possible molecular candidates for receptor‐operated cation channels.
Representing wind turbine electrical generating systems in fundamental frequency simulations

Increasing numbers of wind turbines are being erected. In the near future, they may start to influence the dynamics of electrical power systems by interacting with conventional generation equipment and with loads. The impact of wind turbines on the dynamics of electrical power systems therefore becomes an important subject, studied by means of power system dynamics simulations. Various types of power system dynamics simulations exist and the approach depends on the aspect of power system dynamic behavior being investigated. In this paper, the focus is on fundamental frequency simulations, also known as electromechanical transient simulations. In this type of simulation, the network is represented as an impedance matrix and only the fundamental frequency component of voltages and currents is taken into account in order to reduce the computation time. This simulation approach is mainly used for voltage and angle stability investigations. Models of wind turbine generating systems that match the fundamental frequency simulation approach are presented and their responses are compared to measurements.
QBH System Using Personal Hybrid Ranking

With the increasing use of smart devices, many applications have been developed. Listening to music is one of the facilities provided by one of these applications. Users prefer listening to music during their daily chores like while exercising or driving etc. In terms of song searching, user can use voice recognition systems or user can just type the name of the artist or genre or title of the song. But how to search the tune of the song that has been stuck in our head all day long? To solve such problem we are providing QBH (Query by Humming) system where the user can hum the tune and with the help of signal processing, the system will recognize and rank the results obtained based on Personal Hybrid Ranking Method. The effectiveness of the system is characterized by the parameters such as remarkable accuracy, throughput and response time.