Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast 3D object detection and pose estimation for augmented reality systems

Many problems in computer vision and augmented reality (AR) require the estimation of the pose of objects or mobile users in real-time. This dissertation presents a fast and automated object detection and pose estimation system capable of working with large amounts of background clutter, severe occlusions, and strong viewpoint and scale changes. Furthermore, a novel sensor fusion framework for pose estimation and a tracking management system are introduced, which proved to be fast and reliable enough for industrial AR applications.
A multi-center study to standardize reporting and analyses of fluorescence-activated cell sorted murine intestinal epithelial cells

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK; City of Hope, Duarte, CA; Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Analysis of the Extended Forward Converter for Fuel Cell Applications

The source voltage of high-power fuel cells shows strong load dependence at comparatively low voltage levels. In order to provide the voltage of 750 V on the DC-link for feeding electrical energy into the mains via a three-phase inverter a step- up converter with a large step ratio is required. The efficiency of this converter must be as high as possible and the cost must be as low as possible. To meet these requirements a new circuit of the DC/DC-converter is proposed. In this paper this circuit of the DC/DC-converter was compared with another circuits. This paper presents also a mathematical analysis of this DC/DC-converter and the simulation results to fit into a 5 kW electrical fuel cell system.
Studies of some non conventional split ring and complementary split ring resonators for waveguide band stop & band pass filter application

In this paper we have investigated different non-conventional Split Ring Resonator (SRRs) and Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRRs) based metamaterial structure for band pass and band stop filter applications. These resonators are located in the cross section of the waveguide. Since SRR dimensions are much smaller than signal wavelength, the proposed filters are extremely compact.
Trading System Based on Support Vector Machines in the S & P 500 Index

The aim of this paper is to develop a trading system based on Support Vector Machines (SVM) in order to use it in the S&P500 index. The data covers the period between 03/01/2000 and 30/12/2011. The inputs of the SVM are different forecasting algorithms: Relative Strength Index (RSI), Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), Momentum, Bollinger Bands and the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX). A SVM Classifier has been used in order to develop the trading system with a weekly forecast. The output of the SVM is the decision making for investors. The trading system works better in bearish movement of the S&P500 than bullish movement of the S&P500.
Domain adaptation of MT systems through automatic post-editing

It is generally acknowledged that the performance of rulebased machine translation (RMBT) systems can be greatly improved through domain-specific system adaptation. To that end, RBMT users often choose to invest significant resources into the development of ad hoc MT dictionaries. In this paper, we demonstrate that comparable customization effects can be achieved automatically. One effective way to do that is to post-edit the translations produced by a vanilla RBMT system using a specially-trained statistical machine translation (SMT) system. Our experiments indicate that this method is just as effective as manual customization of system dictionaries in reducing the need for manual postediting.
Study on inventory systems on supermodular order

This paper researches the optimization of inventory system with discrete time, single product and single period under uncertainty environment. The aim is to analyze the impact of the alterability of the initial storage, production batch, output and need on system optimal policy and optimum cost. According to random order, we put forwards the random comparison result of optimal inventory and optimum cost under single period environment. Finally, a case study is given to show the feasibility and operability of the method, which can provide basis for supply chain managers making effective decisions.
A Deep Learning Analytic Suite for Maximizing Twitter Impact

We present a series of deep learning models for predicting user engagement with twitter content, as measured by the number of retweets for a given tweet. We train models based on classic LSTM-RNN and CNN architectures, along with a more complex bi-directional LSTM-RNN with attention layer. We show that the attention RNN performs the best with 61% validation accuracy, but that all three deep learning models outperform human accuracy for the same task.
Comparison of Sequencing of the por Gene and Typing of the opa Gene for Discrimination of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains from Sexual Contacts

ABSTRACT Typing of gonococcal strains is a valuable tool for the biological confirmation of sexual contacts. We have developed a typing method based on DNA sequencing of two overlapping por gene fragments generated by a heminested PCR. We compared sequencing of thepor gene (POR sequencing) and typing of the opagene (OPA typing) for the characterization of strains from 17 sexual partnerships. Both methods were highly discriminatory. A different genotype was detected in 15 of the 17 epidemiologically unconnected couples by POR sequencing and in 16 of the 17 couples by OPA typing with restriction enzyme HpaII. Within partnerships, identical genotypes were obtained from 16 of the 17 known sex contacts by POR sequencing and from 15 of the 17 by OPA typing. Compared to OPA typing, which relies on interpretation of bands in a gel, DNA sequence data offer the advantage of being objective and portable. As costs for sequencing decline, the method should become affordable for most laboratory personnel who wish to type gonococcal strains.
A high serum‐soluble interleukin‐2 receptor level is associated with a poor outcome of aggressive non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract: Soluble interleukin‐2 receptor (sIL‐2R) is produced by activated T and B cells, and the level of this receptor is elevated in patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The present study demonstrated that the sIL‐2R level was high in the following groups of patients with aggressive NHL; those aged 60 yr, those with a poor PS, those in Ann Arbor stage III or IV, and those in the high–intermediate or high risk group according to the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Overall survival was significantly poorer when the sIL‐2R level was 2000 U/ml or more. In addition, the overall survival of patients in the low (L) and low–intermediate (L–I) risk groups with an sIL‐2R level of 3000 U/ml or more was significantly poorer, suggesting that the sIL‐2R level could be particularly useful for identifying patients with a poor prognosis among the L and L–I risk groups. Univariate analysis identified some significant prognostic factors, and multivariate analysis of these factors plus the five IPI prognostic factors showed that the sIL‐2R level was an independent prognostic indicator. In conclusion, the present findings established that the sIL‐2R level is a significant independent prognostic factor in patients with aggressive NHL.
Global brain atrophy and corticospinal tract alterations in ALS, as investigated by voxel‐based morphometry of 3‐D MRI

In ALS, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are increasingly used to investigate the underlying pathology. In this study, the technique of voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) was applied to 3‐D MRI data in ALS patients to localize regional grey and white matter changes. Twenty‐two ALS patients (mean age 58±9 years) with clinically definite ALS by revised El Escorial criteria were studied. None of the patients had any signs of associated frontotemporal dementia. High‐resolution 3‐D MRI data sets of the whole brain, collected on a 1.5 T scanner, were analysed by statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and VBM in comparison to an age‐matched normal data base consisting of 22 healthy volunteers (mean age 59±11 years), for grey matter and white matter segments separately. Global brain atrophy was assessed by calculation of brain parenchymal fractions (BPF). In ALS patients, BPF were significantly reduced compared to controls (p = 0.0003), indicating global brain atrophy. Regional decreases of grey matter density were found in the ALS patients at corrected p<0.01 in the right‐hemispheric primary motor cortex (area of the highest Z‐score) and in the left medial frontal gyrus. Furthermore, regional white matter alterations were observed along the corticospinal tracts bilaterally and in multiple smaller areas including corpus callosum, cerebellum, frontal and occipital subcortical regions. Besides considerable global atrophy in ALS, the topography of ALS‐associated cerebral morphological changes could be mapped using VBM, in particular white matter signal changes along the bilateral corticospinal tracts, but also in extra‐motor areas. VBM might be a potential tool to visualize disease progression in future longitudinal studies.
Expression in Escherichia coli of a cloned crystal protein gene of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis

A ca. 10-kilobase (kb) HindIII fragment of plasmid DNA from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was cloned into plasmid pUC9 and transformed into Escherichia coli. Extracts of the recombinant strain contained a 27-kilodalton (kDa) peptide that reacted with antibodies to a 27-kDa peptide isolated from crystals produced by B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. Extracts of the recombinant strain were hemolytic and toxic to Aedes aegypti larvae. Full expression of the 27-kDa peptide required the presence of a ca. 0.8-kb region of DNA located 4 kb upstream from the structural gene; the 0.8-kb region could be present in cis or trans relative to the gene and apparently acted post-transcriptionally. Analysis of maxicells showed that the 10-kb insert also coded for peptides of 67, 20, and 16 kDa; data obtained with different subclones suggest that the 20-kDa peptide is encoded in the 0.8-kb DNA region.
An Efficient Theta-Join Query Processing Algorithm on MapReduce Framework

As the rapid development of hardware and network technology, cloud computing has become an important research topic. For applications of large-scale data processing, such as data warehouse, Map Reduce is the most famous platform for parallel data processing in cloud computing. To support the star-join queries in data warehouse, Scatter-Gather-Merge (SGM) proposes an efficient algorithm on the Map Reduce framework. However, SGM supports only the equi-join queries. Nonequi-join queries may cause SGM to fail. In this paper, we propose a method to cope with theta-join queries, i.e., both equi-join and nonequi-join queries. Our proposed method uses a novel manipulation of keys for partitioning data. The key manipulation matches up the Map Reduce paradigm, and makes theta-join queries workable on the Map Reduce platform. Our experimental results show that the proposed method achieves similar performance to SGM, but our method supports more join-query types. Our method performs even better than SGM in some query types of high data selectivity.
Targeting Liver Fibrosis with a Cell-penetrating Protease-activated Receptor-2 (PAR2) Pepducin*

Chronic liver inflammation and fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure for which there are currently no approved treatments. Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) is an emerging new target expressed on liver stellate cells and hepatocytes that regulates the response to liver injury and inflammation. Here, we identified a pepducin to block the deleterious actions of PAR2 in promoting liver fibrosis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and early fibrosis were induced by the methionine-choline-deficient diet in mice. Fibrotic liver disease was induced by administering carbon tetrachloride for 8 weeks. Mice were treated with the pepducin PZ-235 either from onset of the experiment or after fibrosis was established. Hepatic fibrosis, collagen content, inflammatory cytokines, steatosis, triglycerides, and NAFLD activity score were assessed as primary outcome parameters depending on the model. The activity of the PAR2 pepducin on cultured stellate cell activation and hepatocyte reactive oxygen species production was evaluated. PZ-235 significantly suppressed liver fibrosis, collagen deposition, inflammatory cytokines, NAFLD activity score, steatosis, triglycerides, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and stellate cell proliferation by up to 50–100%. The PAR2 inhibitor afforded significant protective effects against hepatocellular necrosis and attenuated PAR2-mediated reactive oxygen species production in hepatocytes. PZ-235 was distributed to liver and other mouse tissues and was found to form a well structured α-helix that closely resembles the juxtamembrane helical region of the analogous TM6 and third intracellular region of the intact receptor that is critical for coupling to internal G proteins. The ability of PZ-235 to effectively suppress fibrosis, hepatocellular necrosis, reactive oxygen species production, steatosis, and inflammation indicates the potential for PAR2 pepducin inhibitors to be broadly efficacious in the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Virtual reality and neuropsychological assessment: The reliability of a virtual kitchen to assess daily-life activities in victims of traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes impairments affecting instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). However, few studies have considered virtual reality as an ecologically valid tool for the assessment of IADL in patients who have sustained a TBI. The main objective of the present study was to examine the use of the Nonimmersive Virtual Coffee Task (NI-VCT) for IADL assessment in patients with TBI. We analyzed the performance of 19 adults suffering from TBI and 19 healthy controls (HCs) in the real and virtual tasks of making coffee with a coffee machine, as well as in global IQ and executive functions. Patients performed worse than HCs on both real and virtual tasks and on all tests of executive functions. Correlation analyses revealed that NI-VCT scores were related to scores on the real task. Moreover, regression analyses demonstrated that performance on NI-VCT matched real-task performance. Our results support the idea that the virtual kitchen is a valid tool for IADL assessment in patients who have sustained a TBI.
Computed Tomography Appearance of the Lapra-Ty® and Weck Hem-O-Lok Clips in Patients Who Recently Underwent Laparoscopic Urologic Surgery

Abstract: The nonmetal suture securing Lapra-Ty clip (LTC) and vessel ligating Weck hem-o-lock clip (WKHL) are useful tools for the laparoscopic surgeon. We report the postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan appearance of these clips. The CT imaging of patients who underwent urologic surgery demonstrate the WKHL and LTC to be radiopaque. Urologists and radiologists should be aware of the radiographic appearance of the LTC and WKHL given the ease with which they could be confused with urinary lithiasis when applied near the urinary system.
Spatial knowledge navigation for the World Wibe Web

Navigation is a fundamental but relatively underdeveloped method of information access. This thesis argues that a spatial metaphor can significantly enhance the navigability of a broad class of information spaces. Whereas previous efforts in information visualization have focused on increasing the amount of information available on the display, this thesis begins with the premise that there is far too much information to be seen all at once. To facilitate navigation, information architecture must help an end-user construct a working mental model of information that extends beyond the margins of the current view. I define the knowledge navigation problem and outline five specific criteria for its solution. I then survey the practice of hypertext design, identify several recurring navigation pathologies, and argue that these pathologies stem from a basic mismatch between the physical organization of a hypertext and a user's perception of it as viewed through a page-centered browser. As an alternative, I review a design framework based on elements from urban architecture including landmarks, regions, paths, direction, and proximity (LRPDP) and argue that these elements can improve the navigability of information architectures. To illustrate how the LRPDP elements can be applied in practice, I performed four case-studies: designing a citation database for machine vision, an on-line help system for software troubleshooting, a virtual dinosaur exhibit, and a digital research notebook for brainstorming. To evaluate the impact of a spatial view and of LRPDP design on navigability, I performed a series of usability studies. The results suggest that users explore more, remember more, and find more 2 answers to questions when provided with a spatial view of an information space. Further, subjects state their position more accurately, return to a known location more efficiently, and reorient more effectively when landmarks, regions, and paths are present. I distill lessons from the case studies and the usability experiments down to a collection of simple design principles for future information architects. Thesis Supervisor: Title: Randall Davis Professor of Computer Science
LMS Markov model and its use for power control error impact analysis on system capacity

We present a wideband land mobile satellite channel model based on a three-state Markov chain model valid for any kind of satellite constellation and for L, S, and Ka bands. Data from measurement campaigns was used to extract the parameters for the statistical distributions involved in the model. We also present a methodology describing how to use the proposed channel model to interface with system-level analysis. We use the time series generated by the model to parameterize power control (PC) imperfection as a function of the environment and user speed by acting upon the time series through a seven-level PC algorithm. We then apply the obtained parameterization to the analysis of a direct sequence-code division multiple-access scenario with users requiring different quality-of-service (QoS). It is shown that request of different QoS produces an unbalance in the users power distribution and less users can be served with the most demanding QoS. PC error worsens this effect and considerably reduces capacity efficiency which is highly dependent on the environment and mobile speed. Bit-error rate statistics are also investigated through the log-normal characterization obtained by using the channel model obtaining results on the effect of required E/sub b//(N/sub o/+I/sub o/) of a particular user.
Computational photography: coding in space and time

Computational photography emerged as a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of optics, computer vision, and computer graphics, with the objective of acquiring richer representations of a scene than those that conventional cameras can capture. The basic idea is to somehow code the information before it reaches the sensor, so that a posterior decoding will yield the final image (or video, light field, focal stack, etc). We describe here two examples of computational photography. One deals with coded apertures for the problem of defocus deblurring, and is a classical example of this coding-decoding scheme. The other is an ultrafast imaging system, the first to be able to capture light propagation in macroscopic high resolution scenes at 0.5 trillion frames per second.
Electron Injection Dynamics from Photoexcited Porphyrin Dyes into SnO2 and TiO2 Nanoparticles

The photoexcited electron injection dynamics of free-base and metallo-derivatives of tris(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrins bound to TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticle surfaces have been investigated using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy (TRTS). The metallo-derivatives include Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Pd(II). For the TiO2–porphyrin assemblies, electron injection from the photoexcited dye to the semiconductor occurs only when using the zinc derivative as the sensitizer because it is the only dye studied in this report with long-lived excited states higher in energy than the TiO2 conduction band edge. All of the dyes, however, have excited-state energies above the SnO2 conduction band edge, and the electron injection rates vary widely from 0.4 to 200 ps depending on the sensitizer. For the SnO2–porphyrin assemblies, electron injection is strongly influenced by competition with alternate deactivation routes that are accessible following Soret band excitation. These results offer thermodynamic and kinetic consider.
Peptides from human blood-group-specific glycoproteins.

pregnancy, and the foetal plasma concentration is considerably higher than the maternal. In contrast, the pregnant rhesus monkey was found to increase its plasma concentration of cystine from 4.7±0.5 to 8.1±0.5,umol/100ml; the foetal plasma cystine concentration was intermediate. Four pregnanit rhesus monkeys were injected with 5mCi (0.25 mmol) of L-[35S]methionine or L-[35S]cystine into the cubital veins of the mothers or into the umbilical veins for the foetuses, under Semylan anaesthesia, and blood samples were withdrawn from indwelling catheters in the femoral veins of mother and foetus at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60min after injection. Amino acids and radioactive compounds were measured with an automatic amino acid analyser coupled with a flow-cell scintillation counter (Sturman, Cohen & Gaull, 1970). When methionine was injected into the mother, it was accumulated by the foetus, which maintained its usual threefold higher concentration. The specific radioactivity ofmethionine in foetal plasma exceeded that in maternal plasma for much of the experiment. When methionine was injected into the foetus, the concentration of methionine in foetal plasma, and its specific radioactivity, remained higher than in maternal plasma. When cystine was injected, in each case the circulation injected had the highest concentrations and highest specific radioactivities of cystine for the duration of the experiments, the concentration of cystine in the secondary circulation being increased relatively little. These results indicate that the foetus can quickly accumulate methionine from the maternal circulation against a concentration gradient, as it can for other amino acids; however, it cannot similarly accumulate cystine from the maternal circulation. A load of methionine or cystine in the foetal circulation was dissipated into the maternal circulation very slowly. This inability of the foetal placenta to concentrate cystine against a gradient may account for the anomalous behaviour of cystine during pregnancy in the rhesus monkey.