Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Adaptive Data Processing Technique for Lidar-Assisted Control to Bridge the Gap Between Lidar Systems for Wind Turbines Preprint

This paper presents first steps toward an adap­ tive lidar data processing technique crucial for lidar­ assisted control in wind turbines. The prediction time and the quality of the wind preview from lidar mea­ surements depend on several factors and are not con­ stant. If the data processing is not continually ad­ justed, the benefit of lidar-assisted control cannot be fully exploited or can even result in harmful control ac­ tion. An online analysis of the lidar and turbine data is necessary to continually reassess the prediction time and lidar data quality. In this work, a structured process to develop an analysis tool for the prediction time and a new hard­ ware setup for lidar-assisted control are presented. The tool consists of an online estimation of the rotor effective wind speed from lidar and turbine data and the implementation of an online cross-correlation to determine the time shift between both signals. Fur­ ther, we present initial results from an ongoing cam­ paign in which this system was employed for providing lidar preview for feedforward pitch control.
Batrachotoxin-activated Na+ channels in planar lipid bilayers. Competition of tetrodotoxin block by Na+

Single Na+ channels from rat skeletal muscle plasma membrane vesicles were inserted into planar lipid bilayers formed from neutral phospholipids and were observed in the presence of batrachotoxin. The batrachotoxin-modified channel activates in the voltage range -120 to - 80 mV and remains open almost all the time at voltages positive to -60 mV. Low levels of tetrodotoxin (TTX) induce slow fluctuations of channel current, which represent the binding and dissociation of single TTX molecules to single channels. The rates of association and dissociation of TTX are both voltage dependent, and the association rate is competitively inhibited by Na+. This inhibition is observed only when Na+ is increased on the TTX binding side of the channel. The results suggest that the TTX receptor site is located at the channel's outer mouth, and that the Na+ competition site is not located deeply within the channel's conduction pathway.
Microvascular pericytes: a review of their morphological and functional characteristics.

A hundred years after the first description, many aspects of pericytes remain to be examined. Mesenchymal in origin, pericytes form an incomplete envelopment around the endothelial cells and within the microvascular basement membrane of capillaries and postcapillary venules. Morphologically, they appear as long, slender, polymorphic cells, showing an elongated cell body, from which arise longitudinal and circumferential branches. Cell bodies and cytoplasmic processes of pericytes, as well as the endothelial cells, are enveloped by the same basal lamina, except for where they make direct contacts with each other. The pericyte/endothelial cell contacts are peg and socket, adhesion plaques and gap junctions, making up structural mechanisms for force transmission and a possible receptor system for cells, in which the pericyte and endothelial cells respond to secondary signals generated in the other cells. Electron microscopic studies have revealed an elaborate network of cytoplasmic filaments. Pericyte intermediate filament proteins show species and tissue differences, expressing vimentin or vimentin and desmin. The pericytes also express protein typical of contractile cells, i.e. smooth muscle-specific isoforms of actin and myosin, cyclic GMP-protein kinase and tropomyosin. A gradual transition is observed between pericytes and smooth muscle cells in both terminal arterioles and venules. Several general functions for the pericytes have been postulated: contractability; permeability regulator; integrity maintainer; endothelial cell growth modulator; and cell progenitor with considerable mesenchymal potential.
Visibility-based probabilistic roadmaps for motion planning

This paper presents a variant of probabilistic roadmap methods (PRM) that recently appeared as a promising approach to motion planning. We exploit a free-space structuring of the configuration space into visibility domains in order to produce small roadmaps, called visibility roadmaps. Our algorithm integrates an original termination condition related to the volume of the free space covered by the roadmap. The planner has been implemented within a software platform allowing us to address a large class of mechanical systems. Experiments show the efficiency of the approach, in particular for capturing narrow passages of collision-free configuration spaces.
An automatic virtual patient reconstruction from CT-scans for hepatic surgical planning.

UNLABELLED PROBLEM/BACKGROUND: In order to help hepatic surgical planning we perfected automatic 3D reconstruction of patients from conventional CT-scan, and interactive visualization and virtual resection tools. TOOLS AND METHODS From a conventional abdominal CT-scan, we have developed several methods allowing the automatic 3D reconstruction of skin, bones, kidneys, lung, liver, hepatic lesions, and vessels. These methods are based on deformable modeling or thresholding algorithms followed by the application of mathematical morphological operators. From these anatomical and pathological models, we have developed a new framework for translating anatomical knowledge into geometrical and topological constraints. More precisely, our approach allows to automatically delineate the hepatic and portal veins but also to label the portal vein and finally to build an anatomical segmentation of the liver based on Couinaud definition which is currently used by surgeons all over the world. Finally, we have developed a user friendly interface for the 3D visualization of anatomical and pathological structures, the accurate evaluation of volumes and distances and for the virtual hepatic resection along a user-defined cutting plane. RESULTS A validation study on a 30 patients database gives 2 mm of precision for liver delineation and less than 1 mm for all other anatomical and pathological structures delineation. An in vivo validation performed during surgery also showed that anatomical segmentation is more precise than the delineation performed by a surgeon based on external landmarks. This surgery planning system has been routinely used by our medical partner, and this has resulted in an improvement of the planning and performance of hepatic surgery procedures. CONCLUSION We have developed new tools for hepatic surgical planning allowing a better surgery through an automatic delineation and visualization of anatomical and pathological structures. These tools represent a first step towards the development of an augmented reality system combined with computer assisted tele-robotical surgery.
Will intra-specific differences in transpiration efficiency in wheat be maintained in a high CO₂ world? A FACE study.

This study evaluates whether the target breeding trait of superior leaf level transpiration efficiency is still appropriate under increasing carbon dioxide levels of a future climate using a semi-arid cropping system as a model. Specifically, we investigated whether physiological traits governing leaf level transpiration efficiency, such as net assimilation rates (A(net)), stomatal conductance (g(s)) or stomatal sensitivity were affected differently between two Triticum aestivum L. cultivars differing in transpiration efficiency (cv. Drysdale, superior; cv. Hartog, low). Plants were grown under Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE, approximately 550 µmol mol⁻¹ or ambient CO₂ concentrations (approximately 390 µmol mol⁻¹). Mean A(net) (approximately 15% increase) and gs (approximately 25% decrease) were less affected by elevated [CO₂] than previously found in FACE-grown wheat (approximately 25% increase and approximately 32% decrease, respectively), potentially reflecting growth in a dry-land cropping system. In contrast to previous FACE studies, analyses of the Ball et al. model revealed an elevated [CO₂] effect on the slope of the linear regression by 12% indicating a decrease in stomatal sensitivity to the combination of [CO₂], photosynthesis rate and humidity. Differences between cultivars indicated greater transpiration efficiency for Drysdale with growth under elevated [CO₂] potentially increasing the response of this trait. This knowledge adds valuable information for crop germplasm improvement for future climates.
Concurrency control in Web service orchestration

Although the issue of atomicity in Web service orchestration is well understood and widely studied, the role of concurrency control is not neither well understood nor studied in this context. In this paper, we restrict ourselves on this issue. First we characterize the features of isolation requirements of the business processes that are processed by orchestrating Web services. Such features are also motivated by giving a motivating example. Then, we present our developed concurrency control model by considering the specification of work-flowspsila isolation requirements as well as the scheduler that enforces the isolation specifications. The key idea is to specify isolation requirements as consistency constraints in SQL database language. Workflow instances then set and unset constraints in a way similar to the way in which traditional transactions obtain and release locks. A gain of this approach is that the constraints nicely match the workflow isolation requirements, which in turn makes it possible to achieve a high degree of concurrency. In addition, the management of the constraints can be easily implemented by utilizing the services of the underlying SQL-system.
How important is your reputation in a multi-agent environment

Most work on the evolutionary approach to the iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) game uses a binary model where the choice of each player can only be cooperation or defection. However, we rarely commit ourselves to complete cooperation or defection in the real world. The paper examines the continuous IPD game and similarities and differences between the discrete and continuous games. The paper also studies the issue of reputation of a player, following Nowak and Sigmund's (1998) work, and how it affects the evolution of cooperation. This study differs from Nowak and Sigmund's in that players in a population can have more than two levels of cooperation (or even continuous). The players are also changing all the time under the influence of selection, crossover and mutation. We think that this is a more realistic model of the evolution of society in the real world.
Unsupervised discovery of object classes from range data using latent Dirichlet allocation

Truly versatile robots operating in the real world have to be able to learn about objects and their properties autonomously, that is, without being provided with carefully engineered training data. This paper presents an approach that allows a robot to discover object classes in three-dimensional range data in an unsupervised fashion and without a-priori knowledge about the observed objects. Our approach builds on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a recently proposed probabilistic method for discovering topics in text documents. We discuss feature extraction, hypothesis generation, and statistical modeling of objects in 3D range data as well as the novel application of LDA to this domain. Our approach has been implemented and evaluated on real data of complex objects. Practical experiments demonstrate, that our approach is able to learn object class models autonomously that are consistent with the true classifications provided by a human. It furthermore outperforms unsupervised method such as hierarchical clustering that operate on a distance metric.
Closed loop low-velocity regulation of hybrid stepping motors amidst torque disturbances

To regulate the velocity of hybrid stepper motor motion control systems, a control law which exploits the nonlinear dynamics to create an analog positional control in conjunction with a traditional linear control is introduced. This nonlinear approach allows a much coarser position sensor to be used, including position estimates based on back EMF measurements. The form of the control law admits the use of a wide variety of compensators, whereas earlier laws use only velocity damping compensation. Two specific compensators, i.e., velocity damping and integral control are analyzed in detail, then compared to each other and to open loop microstepping control. It is shown that velocity damping allows the design of the eigenvalues of the closed loop system and provides a linear system approach about a specified operating point. Unfortunately, this operating point includes the value of external DC torque (drag) present, so the closed loop dynamics cannot be guaranteed amidst steady state torque fluctuations. Integral feedback (within a PID controller) improves upon velocity damping by not only allowing the design of the closed loop eigenvalues, but also by completely linearizing the system regardless of external DC torque values. Furthermore, the integral feedback produces zero steady state position error (as expected from linear control theory) and significantly decreases the tendency of the motor to lose step. Experimental results validate the analyses. >
Bulk optical properties of healthy female breast tissue

We have measured the bulk optical properties of healthy female breast tissues in vivo in the parallel plate, transmission geometry. Fifty-two volunteers were measured. Blood volume and blood oxygen saturation were derived from the optical property data using a novel method that employed a priori spectral information to overcome limitations associated with simple homogeneous tissue models. The measurements provide an estimate of the variation of normal breast tissue optical properties in a fairly large population. The mean blood volume was 34 ± 9 μM and the mean blood oxygen saturation was 68 ± 8%. We also investigated the correlation of these optical properties with demographic factors such as body mass index (BMI) and age. We observed a weak correlation of blood volume and reduced scattering coefficient with BMI; correlation with age, however, was not evident within the statistical error of these experiments. The new information on healthy breast tissue provides insight about the potential contrasts available for diffuse optical tomography of breast tumours.
Relational grammars for interactive design

This paper describes an approach to interactive design tasks based on relational grammars. Relational grammars extend traditional one-dimensional string languages to higher dimensions through user-supplied domain relations. Design support takes the form of graphic inferences on partial input during design interaction with the user. Because of the nature of the rule definitions, design elements can be roughly 'sketched' without concern for their specific details. During the interaction process, the system installs constraints, adds default attributes, and/or builds higher-level composite structures out of the original input. An example scenario of the use of this formalism is presented supporting the task of document design. A general algorithm for the integration of grammar-based parsing in an interactive design environment is presented. <<ETX>>
Implementing an algorithm for the twisted involution poset for Weyl groups

In algebraic contexts Weyl group elements are usually represented in terms of generators and relations, where representation is not unique. For computational purposes, a more combinatorial representation for elements of the classical Weyl Group of type An−1 as permutations can be useful. In this paper we describe and contrast two implementations of an algorithm to to compute a poset of the twisted involutions in a Weyl Group. The first uses generators and relations and the second a method that gives unique representation.
Packet recovery in high-speed networks using coding and buffer management

A technique for fiber-optic networks based on forward-error correction (FEC) that allows the destination to reconstruct missing data packets by using redundant parity packets that the source adds to each block of data packets is presented. Methods for generating several types of parity packets are described, along with decoding techniques and their implementations. Algorithms are presented for packet interleaving and selective rejection of packets from node buffers, both of which disperse missing packets among many blocks, thereby reducing the required coding complexity. Performance evaluation, by both analytic and simulation models, shows that this technique can result in a reduction of up to three orders of magnitude in the packet loss rate. <<ETX>>
A Digital Current Control of Quasi-Z-Source Inverter With Battery

This paper presents a fixed frequency operating sliding mode (SM) current control method with fast response and improved stability. Different from the conventional SM control with variable switching frequency, the fixed-frequency SM controller is proposed to control the modulation index and shoot-through duty ratio of the voltage-fed quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI), which will not increase the passive components and filter design difficulty. A large-signal dynamic model of the system has been established, which can be used for the system stability control in a wide operating range. By using linear approximation, the system small-signal model is also obtained to analyze the control system stability and transient response. Compared with the conventional current mode controller, the proposed SM controller can achieve faster response, lower current ripple and better stability for qZSI when the supply and load variation is large. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical design and the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
ENZYME HISTOCHEMICAL EXPRESSION OF LIPOPROTEIN LIPASE IN THE LIVER AND ADRENAL GLANDS IN CLINICALLY HEALTHY RABBITS

The liver enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) facilitates the release of cholesterol from lipoproteins and plays a key role in the synthesis of steroid hormones in the adrenal glands. For the current study, 6 male and 6 female clinically healthy New Zealand White rabbits, aged 3.5 months were used. Enzyme histochemical reaction (per Gomori) was performed on fresh cryostat sections, and through the Tween method, a strong positive expression of LPL in the sinusoid capillaries of the liver lobules, the lumen, and the smooth muscle cells of the walls of interlobular arteries and veins was shown. A moderate LPL expression in zona glomerulosa and weak expression in zona fasciculata were observed in the adrenal glands, whereas no LPL expression was found in both the cortical zona reticularis and the adrenal medulla.
QoS-Aware Services Replacement of Web Service Composition

The component service in web service composition may fail or degrade in QoS thus needs to be replaced. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for services replacement of the composition. The target service could be replaced individually, or it could be replaced with its related services in the composition as a whole by a more complex service. In this way, far more choices will be available to repair the composition. We also present a mechanism to select the optimal service for replacement based on QoS in two phases: preliminary selection and ranking. Evaluation shows the effectiveness of our approach.
Dysfunctions Associated with Methylation, MicroRNA Expression and Gene Expression in Lung Cancer

Integrating high-throughput data obtained from different molecular levels is essential for understanding the mechanisms of complex diseases such as cancer. In this study, we integrated the methylation, microRNA and mRNA data from lung cancer tissues and normal lung tissues using functional gene sets. For each Gene Ontology (GO) term, three sets were defined: the methylation set, the microRNA set and the mRNA set. The discriminating ability of each gene set was represented by the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), as evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). Next, the MCCs in the methylation sets, the microRNA sets and the mRNA sets were ranked. By comparing the MCC ranks of methylation, microRNA and mRNA for each GO term, we classified the GO sets into six groups and identified the dysfunctional methylation, microRNA and mRNA gene sets in lung cancer. Our results provide a systematic view of the functional alterations during tumorigenesis that may help to elucidate the mechanisms of lung cancer and lead to improved treatments for patients.
Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: A Clinicopathologic Syndrome

Introduction The American vascular surgeons, Weismann and Tobin in 19581 and Roberts and colleagues in 1964,2 were the first to describe unusual thrombi affecting the lower limb arteries in some patients treated with heparin for 7 to 14 days. It was not until the mid-1970s however that Silver and colleagues3,4 identified the key elements of the heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) syndrome, namely thrombocytopenia associated with thrombosis beginning several days after starting heparin. Further, in vitro studies performed by these investigators suggested the presence of a heparin-dependent, platelet-aggregating factor in serum thought to be immunoglobulin G (IgG). In 1992, Amiral and colleagues5 identified the antigen target of HIT antibodies. The unusual nature of the HIT antigen, a multimolecular complex of heparin and platelet factor 4 (PF4),5,6 together with the remarkable, perhaps unparalleled, platelet- and endothelium-activating properties of the pathogenic HIT antibodies,7-10 are central to the thrombotic events that occur in these patients. From its obscure beginnings, HIT is now accepted as a common and distinct immunohematologic syndrome with broad implications ranging from public health prevention issues to fundamental questions of pathogenesis, which are leading to new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of thrombosis.
Design of 32×32 Barrel Shifter Using VariousAdiabatic Techniques for Low PowerApplications

Now a day’s technology enhancement is at a blistering pace. Merely VLSI has a meteoric rise due to the adoption of new techniques. Static CMOS had a limitation of deploying constant power supply. Less power dissipation is an essential attribute for any optimized design. Varying the power supply is the very thing for preventing the power dissipation. An adiabatic logic is a new technique to reduce power dissipation. Barrel shifter is an important block in any computational hardware architecture. This paper gives a detailed account of 32 bit barrel shifter design using 3 techniques namely Differential Cascode Voltage Switch Logic( DCVSL), Differential Cascode voltage Switch Pass transistor Adiabatic Logic(DCVPAL), Complementary Pass transistor Adiabatic Logic(CPAL) and Positive Feedback Adiabatic Logic( PFAL). The analysis is carried out in Tanner spice and H-Spice using 180nm technology
Uncertainty Shocks in a Model of Effective Demand

This paper examines the role of uncertainty shocks in a one-sector, representative-agent dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. When prices are flexible, uncertainty shocks are not capable of producing business cycle co-movements among key macro variables. With countercyclical markups through sticky prices, however, uncertainty shocks can generate fluctuations that are consistent with business cycles. Monetary policy usually plays a key role in offsetting the negative impact of uncertainty shocks. If the central bank is constrained by the zero lower bound, then monetary policy can no longer perform its usual stabilizing function and higher uncertainty has even more negative effects on the economy. Calibrating the size of uncertainty shocks using fluctuations in the VIX, the authors find that increased uncertainty about the future may indeed have played a significant role in worsening the Great Recession, which is consistent with statements by policymakers, economists, and the financial press.