Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dependency of the TINA DODECANTS Algorithm on Scanner Manufacturer and Slice Orientation

This report describes the application of the TINA DODECANTS algorithm to multiple MRI image volumes from the same subject, acquired using different slice orientations and different scanners. Coronal and axial inversion recovery MR image volumes of the head were obtained from a single normal volunteer, using two 1.5T MRI scanners from different manufacturers. The TINA DODECANTS algorithm was then applied to measure the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume in each image volume, and the results compared to previous measurements described in TINA Memo no. 2004-002. The comparison indicated that the variation in CSF volume with slice direction is minimal, but that the measured volume could vary by up to a factor of 2 across different scanners. We therefore conclude that, whilst the technique can be used to study variations across image volumes from multiple subjects acquired using the same scanner and scan parameters, image volumes from multiple scanners cannot be reliably combined into a single study.
VODIS - voice-operated driver information systems: a usability study on advanced speech technologies for car environments

This paper gives an overview over the progression and results of the VODIS ( V oice- o perated D river I nformation S ystems) project, a EU-funded project with participation of many industrial and academic partners within Europe. It describes the architecture and functionality of a driver information prototype system that is able to control telephone and audio devices, but also goes beyond these applications by enabling a potential user of the system to enter a destination within the navigation context by speech. The developed demonstrator allows the speaker-independent input of up to 70 prede(cid:12)ned command words, phrases and even dynamically generated names (e.g. radio stations, phonebook entries) for hands- and eyes-free voice operation of the car-infotainment functions mentioned above. A prototype system has been realized in four European languages: German, French, English and Italian. User evaluations on driver level under realistic conditions have been conducted with this system and the results are presented in this paper.
Frameworks for Comparison and Measurement of Risk

In this essay, we present an overview of the methods for comparison and quantification of risk. First, we review general frameworks for comparison of so called lotteries via ordinal preferences. The concept of replicating these preferences by (expected) utility functions is discussed. The attitude of risk-averseness is then explained in terms of the individuals’ utility functions. We then review stochastic dominance rules that provide a basis to compare different random variables (lotteries) in somewhat utility-invariant manner. In particular, it is shown that Second Order Stochastic Dominance (SSD) rules can be naturally utilized for comparing risks. Next, we discuss methods of quantifying risks via monetary risk measures. These measures are defined to be monotone and cash invariant. Convex measures are also considered to include the natural effect of diversification in reducing risks. Finally, some examples of risk measures and their interpretations are provided.
Direct Self-calibration

This study investigates the problem of estimating camera calibration parameters from image motion elds induced by a rigidly moving camera with unknown parameters, where the image formation is modeled with a linear pinhole-camera model. The equations obtained show the ow to be separated into a component due to the translation and the calibration parameters and a component due to the rotation and the calibration parameters. A set of parameters encoding the latter component is linearly related to the ow, and from these parameters the calibration can be determined. However, as for discrete motion, in general it is not possible to decouple image measurements obtained from only two frames into translational and rotational components. Geometrically, the ambiguity takes the form of a part of the rotational component being parallel to the translational component, and thus the scene can be reconstructed only up to a projective transformation. In general, for full calibration at least four successive image frames are necessary, with the 3D rotation changing between the measurements. This geometric analysis gives rise to a direct self-calibration method that avoids computation of optical ow or point correspondences and uses only normal ow measurements. In this technique the direction of translation is estimated using smoothness constraints in a novel way. The calibration parameters are then estimated from the rotational components of several ow elds using Levenberg-Marquardt parameter estimation, iterative in the calibration parameters only. The proposed technique does not require calibration objects in the scene or special camera motions and it also avoids the computation of exact correspondence. This makes it suitable for the calibration of active vision systems which have to acquire knowledge about their intrinsic parameters while they perform other tasks, or as a tool for analyzing image sequences in large video databases.
Negative Affectivity, Political Contention, and Turnout: A Genopolitics Field Experiment

Recent genopolitics and political psychology research suggests individuals’ biological differences influence political participation. The interaction between individual differences and environments has received less attention, not least because of the confound of self-selection into environments. To test the interaction between innate predispositions and an exogenous environmental influence, we conducted a field experiment during the 2010 California midterm elections. We randomly assigned subjects to receive a postcard mobilization treatment designed to induce an emotional response to the degree of political contention in the election. We tested the possibility that subjects who are genetically predisposed toward negative affectivity will be less likely to vote after treatment exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first field experiment in political science to measure genetic moderation of a treatment, and it suggests experimental approaches can benefit from the inclusion of genetically and other biologically informative covariates.
Extending Applications of High-Pressure Homogenization by Using Simultaneous Emulsification and Mixing (SEM)—An Overview

Conventional high-pressure homogenization (HPH) is widely used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries among others. In general, its aim is to produce micron or sub-micron scale emulsions with excellent product characteristics. However, its energy consumption is still very high. Additionally, several limitations and boundaries impede the usage of high-pressure homogenization for special products such as particle loaded or highly concentrated systems. This article gives an overview of approaches that have been used in order to improve the conventional high-pressure homogenization process. Emphasis is put on the ‘Simultaneous Emulsification and Mixing’ process that has been developed to broaden the application areas of high-pressure homogenization.
Infranodal Atrioventricular Block as a Possible Cause of Exercise-induced Cardiac Arrest

currents at the end of phase 1 of the action potential that enables the unmasking of the B-ECG. The case of a delayed positive response to flecainide reported here might indicate that results considered to be negative at the time of the challenge test may be false negatives, since the electrocardiographic monitoring time is usually 30 minutes or less. Studies involving a larger number of patients should be carried out to examine whether the systematic prolongation of the monitoring period following a FT could contribute to reducing the number of false negatives. V1 V1
Seismic attenuation: observations and mechanisms

Seismic attenuation and dispersion can be caused by numerous distinct mechanisms. Observed or proposed mechanisms include mineral surface-fluid interaction, microscopic squirt between pores, macroscopic fluid motion between heterogeneous regions, and bulk loss within the fluid phase itself. The lack of an understanding of these various processes renders interpretation of attenuation-related attributes problematic at best. Direct measurement of seismic attenuation (1/Q) and velocity dispersion in the laboratory help discriminate among these mechanisms and ascertain which dominate for particular lithologies or saturation conditions. Fluid motion is a primary mechanism in porous, permeable clastics. In shales, however, bulk fluid motion is inhibited and clay particle interaction with bound water may dominate. Heavy, viscous fluids themselves show bulk losses independent of a rock matrix. All these loss mechanisms are frequency dependent, so observations of 1/Q made at seismic frequencies usually will not agree with sonic log measurements, which, in turn, will not agree with ultrasonic data.
Lymphoma of the Urinary Bladder

Background. Lymphoma of the urinary bladder (LUB) is rare. Aims. To review the literature on LUB. Methods. Various internet databases were used. Results. LUB can be either primary or secondary. The tumour has female predominance; most cases occur in middle-age women. Secondary LUB occurs in 10% to 25% of leukemias/lymphomas and in advanced-stage systemic lymphoma. Less than 100 cases have been reported. MALT typically affects adults older than 60 years; 75% are female. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is also common and may arise from transformation of MALT. LUB presents with haematuria, dysuria, urinary frequency, nocturia, and abdominal or back pain. Macroscopic examination of LUBs show large discrete tumours centred in the dome or lateral walls of the bladder. Positive staining of LUB varies by the subtype of lymphoma; B-cell lymphomas are CD20 positive. MALT lymphoma is positively stained for CD20, CD19, and FMC7 and negatively stained for CD5, CD10, and CD11c. LUB stains negatively with Pan-keratin, vimentin, CK20, and CK7. MALT lymphoma exhibits t(11; 18)(q21: 21). Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for the MALT type of LUB with no recurrence. Conclusions. LUB is diagnosed by its characteristic morphology and immunohistochemical characteristics. Radiotherapy is a useful treatment.
The Transmission of Control in Information Systems Projects

Control transmission represents a central problem in any type of organization. However, while prior research has extensively studied the factors influencing the choice of control modes as well as the effects and dynamics of control, the transmission of control from controller to controllee has been largely neglected in the project control literature. Our study addresses this gap by examining in-depth the transmission of control in a large IS project involving multiple control dyads. Our preliminary results suggest that outcome control transmits well through the entire project hierarchy (i.e., between senior managers and project managers as well as between project managers and project team members), while behavior control only transmits well between project managers and project team members.
DEVELOPMENT WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

Resumo Es habitual observar que se trabajan separadamente el desarrollo sustentable y la responsabilidad social, como si se trataran de cuestiones que poco tienen que ver entre si. Efectivamente, estos dos conceptos no aparecen juntos, aunque ambos estan fuertemente conectados. No es posible hablar de ejercer la responsabilidad social si las acciones no cuidan la sustentabilidad de sus impactos, y no se puede pensar que se lograra un desarrollo sostenible si no hay una conducta apropiada de parte de quienes esten encargados de llevarlo adelante. En septiembre de este ano, las Naciones Unidas han convocado a una Conferencia de los lideres mundiales para redactar la Agenda post 2015 del Desarrollo Sustentable, fijando un conjunto de metas para lograrlo. Para ello, contaron con el aporte de cientificos y especialistas de todo el mundo, que produjeron un conjunto de informes que sirvieran como guias para establecer esas metas. Y lo hicieron utilizando la “ultima y mejor evidencia cientifica disponible” (Naciones Unidas, 2015). Asomo una luz de esperanza. Pero al revisar los documentos preparados para los lideres mundiales, la luz titilo. Una vez mas, pareceria que no es facil “salirse de la caja”. En este articulo se revisa la conexion entre los terminos, se amplia la conexion entre los riesgos de catastrofes, crisis y otras calamidades con el desarrollo, y las contradictorias relaciones entre crecimiento y desarrollo.
The Polerovirus Minor Capsid Protein Determines Vector Specificity and Intestinal Tropism in the Aphid

ABSTRACT Aphid transmission of poleroviruses is highly specific, but the viral determinants governing this specificity are unknown. We used a gene exchange strategy between two poleroviruses with different vectors, Beet western yellows virus (BWYV) and Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV), to analyze the role of the major and minor capsid proteins in vector specificity. Virus recombinants obtained by exchanging the sequence of the readthrough domain (RTD) between the two viruses replicated in plant protoplasts and in whole plants. The hybrid readthrough protein of chimeric viruses was incorporated into virions. Aphid transmission experiments using infected plants or purified virions revealed that vector specificity is driven by the nature of the RTD. BWYV and CABYV have specific intestinal sites in the vectors for endocytosis: the midgut for BWYV and both midgut and hindgut for CABYV. Localization of hybrid virions in aphids by transmission electron microscopy revealed that gut tropism is also determined by the viral origin of the RTD.
Recognition of human body posture from a cloud of 3D data points using wavelet transform coefficients

Addresses the problem of recognizing a human body posture from a cloud of 3D points acquired by a human body scanner. Motivated by finding a representation that embodies a high discriminatory power between posture classes, a new type of feature is suggested, namely the wavelet transform coefficients (WTC) of the 3D data-point distribution projected on to the space of spherical harmonics. A feature selection technique is developed to find those features with high discriminatory power. Integrated within a Bayesian classification framework and compared with other standard features, the WTC showed great capability in discriminating between close postures. The qualities of the WTC features were also reflected in the experimental results carried out with artificially generated postures, where the WTC obtained the best classification rate.
A closed-form solution for Parallel Factor (PARAFAC) Analysis

Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is a branch of multi-way signal processing that has received increased attention recently. This is due to the large class of applications as well as the milestone identifiability results demonstrating the superiority to matrix (two-way) analysis approaches. A significant amount of research was dedicated to iterative methods to estimate the factors from noisy data. In many situations these require many iterations and are not guaranteed to converge to the global optimum. Therefore, suboptimal closed-form solutions were proposed as initializations. In this contribution we derive a closed-form solution to completely replace the iterative approach by transforming PARAFAC into several joint diagonalization problems. Thereby, we obtain several estimates for each of the factors and present a new "best matching" scheme to select the best estimate for each factor. In contrast to the techniques known from the literature, our closed-form solution can efficiently exploit symmetric as well as Hermitian symmetric models and solve the underdetermined case, if there are at least two modes that are non-degenerate and full rank. This closed-form solution achieves approximately the same performance as previously proposed iterative solutions and even outperforms them in critical scenarios.
Aircraft observations of dust and pollutants over northeast China: Insight into the meteorological mechanisms of transport

[1] The meteorological mechanisms for lofting trace gases and aerosols out of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) into the free troposphere are key to understanding local air pollution problems as well as regional and global atmospheric chemistry and climate issues. Over the North American continent, convective storms and lifting in warm conveyor belts transport pollutants into the free troposphere. Little is known about the vertical distribution of pollutants and dust over east Asia, and the processes leading to transport, transformation, and removal of these species remain uncertain. To provide insight into these mechanisms, we report on eight flights based out of Shenyang in NE China as part of the U.S./China EAST-AIRE project conducted in April 2005. We evaluate profiles of trace species, along with back trajectories and satellite data, in the meteorological context of cyclonic systems. The warm-sector PBL air ahead of a cold front was highly polluted, while in the free troposphere concentrations of trace gases and aerosols were lower, but well above background; we measured ∼300 ppb CO, ∼2 ppb SO2, ∼70 ppb O3, and ∼ 8 × 10−5 m−1 aerosol scattering between ∼1000 and 4000 m altitude. Satellite observations indicate that the entire plume contained almost 105 tons of SO2 and that the gas decayed with a lifetime of 3–5 d. Roughly the same mass of aerosol was transported into the free troposphere. Over the east Asian continent, dry convection appears to dominate with warm conveyor belts first coming into play as the cyclonic systems move off the coast.
Band calibration of joint dual VCOs covering wide frequency range

A band calibration algorithm for wide frequency coverage dual VCOs (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator) is presented. A high frequency (9.5 GHz∼12.5GHz) and a low frequency (6 GHz∼9.5GHz) VCO are integrated in PLL circuit for high-speed serial data transmission applications. Algorithm details are presented with calibration precision and time expenditure discussed. This algorithm has been successfully implemented in 55nm CMOS technology.
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding protein opsonizes LPS-bearing particles for recognition by a novel receptor on macrophages

Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) is an acute-phase reactant that binds bacterial LPS. We show that LBP binds to the surface of live Salmonella and to LPS coated erythrocytes (ELPS), and strongly enhances the attachment of these particles to macrophages. LBP bridges LPS- coated particles to macrophages (MO) by first binding to the LPS, then binding to MO. Pretreatment of ELPS with LBP enabled binding to MO, but pretreatment of MO had no effect. Moreover, MO did not recognize erythrocytes coated with LBP unless LPS was also added, thus suggesting that interaction of LBP with LPS results in a conformational change in LBP that allows recognition by MO. Binding of LBP-coated particles appears to be mediated by a receptor found on blood monocytes and MO but not on other leukocytes or umbilical vein endothelium. The receptor is mobile in the plane of the membrane since binding activity on MO was downmodulated upon spreading of cells on surfaces coated with LBP-LPS complexes. The receptor appears to be distinct from other opsonic receptors since downmodulation of CR1, CR3, Fc gamma RI, Fc gamma RII, and Fc gamma RIII with mAbs did not affect binding of LBP-coated particles, and leukocytes from CD18-deficient patients bound LBP-coated particles normally. Coating of erythrocytes with LBP-LPS complexes strongly enhanced phagocytosis observed in the presence of suboptimal amounts of anti-erythrocyte IgG. However, binding mediated by LBP-LPS complexes alone caused neither phagocytosis of the LBP-coated erythrocytes nor initiation of an oxidative burst. The results of our studies define LBP as an opsonin. During the acute phase, LBP can be expected to bind gram-negative bacteria and bacterial fragments and promote the interaction of coated bacteria with phagocytes.
Network tomography by Non Negative Matrix Factorization (NNMF)

This paper presents the application of a matrix based technique to eliminate the assumption of a known routing matrix in network tomography. Network tomography is an effective means of determining network performance parameters such as delay and packet loss rate (PLR). It gives indirect inference of network characteristics using active probes or passive monitoring of packets. Most of the network tomography research unrealistically assumes that the routing matrix is known and models network tomography as an inverse problem. This motivates us to look for more appropriate methods for the inverse problem solution where the routing matrix is accommodated by the statistical ability of such methods as Non Negative Matrix Factorization (NNMF). NNMF is used to factorize a matrix into two factors (matrices). The whole process involves matrices and optimizing the residue (difference between the initial value and the current value of a cost function) to obtain the best result. We have applied NNMF to the data obtained from a laboratory test bed to perform delay tomography under various traffic conditions. The simulation results verify that NNMF performs network tomography accurately without a priori knowledge of the routing matrix.
Program Repair as Sound Optimization of Broken Programs

We present a new, semantics-based approach to mechanical program repair where the intended meaning of broken programs (i.e., programs that may abort under a given, error-admitting language semantics) can be defined by a special, error-compensating semantics. Program repair can then become a compile-time, mechanical program transformation based on a program analysis. It turns a given program into one whose evaluations under the error-admitting semantics agree with those of the given program under the error-compensating semantics. We present the analysis and transformation as a type system with a transformation component, following the type-systematic approach to program optimization from our earlier work. The type-systematic method allows for simple soundness proofs of the repairs, based on a relational interpretation of the type system, as well as mechanical transformability of program correctness proofs between the Hoare logics for the error-compensating and error-admitting semantics. We first demonstrate our approach on the repair of file-handling programs with missing or superfluous open and close statements. Our framework shows that this repair is strikingly similar to partial redundancy elimination optimization commonly used by compilers. In a second example, we demonstrate the repair of programs operating a queue that can over- and underflow, including mechanical transformation of program correctness proofs.