Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of Extension Neural Network for Classification with Incomplete Survey Data

Classification is an important theme in data mining, but classification with incomplete survey data is a new subject. Standard neural networks and other techniques reported in the literature do not address the problem of incomplete survey data. So, this paper proposes a novel extension neural network based model of classification for incomplete survey data. The extension neural network is a combination of extension theory and neural network. It uses an extension distance to measure the similarity between data and cluster center. And also the classifier retains information of class membership for each exemplar pattern. In a real world example, the extension neural network would find an exemplar that best matches the test pattern and give the classification result. Compared with other classification techniques, the extension neural network can utilize more information provided by the data with missing values, and reveal the risk of the classification result on the individual observation basis
Electricity deregulation : choices and challenges

The electricity market has experienced enormous setbacks in delivering on the promise of deregulation. In theory, deregulating the electricity market would increase the efficiency of the industry by producing electricity at lower costs and passing those cost savings on to customers. As Electricity Deregulation shows, successful deregulation is possible, although it is by no means a hands-off process - in fact, it requires a substantial amount of design and regulatory oversight. This collection brings together leading experts from academia, government, and big business to discuss the lessons learned from experiences such as California's market meltdown as well as the ill-conceived policy choices that contributed to those failures. More importantly, the essays that comprise Electricity Deregulation offers a number of innovative prescriptions for the successful design of deregulated electricity markets. Written with economists and professionals associated with each of the network industries in mind, this comprehensive volume provides a timely and astute deliberation on the many risks and rewards of electricity deregulation.
Power of Black Hole Physics: Seeing through the Vacuum Landscape

In this paper we generalize the black hole bound of [1] to de Sitter spaces, and apply it to various vacua in the landscape, with a special emphasis on slow-roll inflationary vacua. Non-trivial constraints on the lifetime and the Hubble expansion rate emerge. For example, the general tendency is, that for the fixed number and the increasing mass of the species, vacua must become more curved and more unstable, either classically or quantum mechanically. We also discuss the constraints on the lifetime of vacua in the landscape, due to decay into the neighboring states.
FMCW SAR raw signal simulator for extended scenes

With the compact size, light weight and low cost, Frequency-Modulated Continuous wave (FMCW) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems are gaining more and more attention for earth observation and space detection where frequent revisits at low cost are needed or small size is required. Therefore, a FMCW SAR raw signal simulator is highly demanded to quantitatively support the design of a FMCW SAR, to help mission planning, to test processing algorithms, and to analyze jamming and noises. In this paper, an efficient and precise FMCW SAR raw signal simulator is developed in the two-Dimensional (2D) frequency domain. By taking advantage of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the proposed raw signal simulation approach highly reduces the computational load with respect to the time domain approach. Furthermore, the range frequency conversion will precisely simulate the variation of the range-azimuth coupling. Range Doppler Algorithm (RDA) is used to focus the conceived raw signal. Finally, the electromagnetic imaging with Physical Optics (PO) method is used to validate the proposed simulation approach.
Ballistic Resistance of Honeycomb Sandwich Panels under In-Plane High-Velocity Impact

The dynamic responses of honeycomb sandwich panels (HSPs) subjected to in-plane projectile impact were studied by means of explicit nonlinear finite element simulations using LS-DYNA. The HSPs consisted of two identical aluminum alloy face-sheets and an aluminum honeycomb core featuring three types of unit cell configurations (regular, rectangular-shaped, and reentrant hexagons). The ballistic resistances of HSPs with the three core configurations were first analyzed. It was found that the HSP with the reentrant auxetic honeycomb core has the best ballistic resistance, due to the negative Poisson's ratio effect of the core. Parametric studies were then carried out to clarify the influences of both macroscopic (face-sheet and core thicknesses, core relative density) and mesoscopic (unit cell angle and size) parameters on the ballistic responses of the auxetic HSPs. Numerical results show that the perforation resistant capabilities of the auxetic HSPs increase as the values of the macroscopic parameters increase. However, the mesoscopic parameters show nonmonotonic effects on the panels' ballistic capacities. The empirical equations for projectile residual velocities were formulated in terms of impact velocity and the structural parameters. It was also found that the blunter projectiles result in higher ballistic limits of the auxetic HSPs.
The Genome Sequence of the Fungal Pathogen Fusarium virguliforme That Causes Sudden Death Syndrome in Soybean

Fusarium virguliforme causes sudden death syndrome (SDS) of soybean, a disease of serious concern throughout most of the soybean producing regions of the world. Despite the global importance, little is known about the pathogenesis mechanisms of F. virguliforme. Thus, we applied Next-Generation DNA Sequencing to reveal the draft F. virguliforme genome sequence and identified putative pathogenicity genes to facilitate discovering the mechanisms used by the pathogen to cause this disease. Methodology/Principal Findings We have generated the draft genome sequence of F. virguliforme by conducting whole-genome shotgun sequencing on a 454 GS-FLX Titanium sequencer. Initially, single-end reads of a 400-bp shotgun library were assembled using the PCAP program. Paired end sequences from 3 and 20 Kb DNA fragments and approximately 100 Kb inserts of 1,400 BAC clones were used to generate the assembled genome. The assembled genome sequence was 51 Mb. The N50 scaffold number was 11 with an N50 Scaffold length of 1,263 Kb. The AUGUSTUS gene prediction program predicted 14,845 putative genes, which were annotated with Pfam and GO databases. Gene distributions were uniform in all but one of the major scaffolds. Phylogenic analyses revealed that F. virguliforme was closely related to the pea pathogen, Nectria haematococca. Of the 14,845 F. virguliforme genes, 11,043 were conserved among five Fusarium species: F. virguliforme, F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum and N. haematococca; and 1,332 F. virguliforme-specific genes, which may include pathogenicity genes. Additionally, searches for candidate F. virguliforme pathogenicity genes using gene sequences of the pathogen-host interaction database identified 358 genes. Conclusions The F. virguliforme genome sequence and putative pathogenicity genes presented here will facilitate identification of pathogenicity mechanisms involved in SDS development. Together, these resources will expedite our efforts towards discovering pathogenicity mechanisms in F. virguliforme. This will ultimately lead to improvement of SDS resistance in soybean.
12% Power reduction by within-functional-block fine-grained adaptive dual supply voltage control in logic circuits with 42 voltage domains

Within-functional-block fine-grained adaptive dual supply voltage control (FADVC) is proposed to reduce the power of CMOS logic circuits. Both process and design variations within a functional block are compensated by the fine-grained supply voltage (V<inf>DD</inf>) control to minimize power at fixed clock frequency. In the 40-nm test chips, the layout of a data encryption core is divided into 6×7 voltage domains. Both high V<inf>DD</inf> (V<inf>DDH</inf>) and low V<inf>DD</inf> (V<inf>DDL</inf>) are supplied to each power domain and either V<inf>DDH</inf> or V<inf>DDL</inf> is adaptively selected according to the setup error warning signals generated by canary flip-flops. Compared with the conventional single V<inf>DD</inf> operation, the proposed FADVC reduced the power by 12% at 1-MHz clock in the measurement.
Driving recorder based on-road pedestrian tracking using visual SLAM and Constrained Multiple-Kernel

This paper proposes a robust driving recorder based on-road pedestrian tracking system, which effectively integrates Visual Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (V-SLAM), pedestrian detection, ground plane estimation, and kernel-based tracking techniques. The proposed system systematically detects the pedestrians from recorded video frames and tracks the pedestrians in the V-SLAM inferred 3-D space via a tracking-by-detection scheme. In order to efficiently associate the detected pedestrian frame-by-frame, we propose a novel tracking framework, combining the Constrained Multiple-Kernel (CMK) tracking and the estimated 3-D (depth) information, to globally optimize the data association between consecutive frames. By taking advantage of the appearance model and 3-D information, the proposed system not only achieves high effectiveness but also well handles occlusion in the tracking. Experimental results show the favorable performance of the proposed system which efficiently tracks on-road pedestrian in a moving camera equipped on a driving vehicle.
Mobile robot group coordination using a model of interaction dynamics

We show how various levels of coordinated behavior may be achieved in a group of mobile robots by using a model of the interaction dynamics between a robot and the environment. We present augmented Markov models (AMMs) as a tool for capturing such interaction dynamics on-line an in real-time, with little computational and storage overhead. We briefly describe the structure of AMMs, then demonstrate the application of the model for resolving group coordination issues arising from three sources: individual performance, group affiliation, and group performance. Corresponding respectively to these are the three experimental examples we present - fault detection, group membership based on ability and experience, and dynamic leader selection.
Hierarchical Scheduling for Multiprocessor Systems

Parallel and distributed computing [multi-chip multiprocessor] environments are essential and utilized to meet the needs of a wide variety of high-throughput applications. Scheduling strategies are important in order to efficiently utilize the resources and to improve response times, throughput and utilization of computing platforms. In this paper, we present a two-level hierarchical method for scheduling of independent coarse-grained tasks in multi-chip multiprocessor environments. A set of jobs that is feasible on some uniform multiprocessor platform with cumulative computing capacity and in which the fastest processor has speed s < 1 is schedulable on an SMP composed by m processors with unit capacity assuming an arbitrary collection of jobs. A task system composed by periodic and sporadic tasks with constrained deadlines is feasible on a uniform multiprocessor platform that has S 1⁄4 total and s 1⁄4 max. With two-level architecture, the scheduler (master node of upper-level) proceeds with distribution of tasks to computing sites. While the Local Resource Manager (master node of lower level) assigns this task to an available computing node according to a given threshold. Comparing experimental results with those obtained from well known traditional scheduling algorithms, the effectiveness of the proposed method consistently shows a benefit from this approach. KeywordsCluster, DAG, Grid, Multiprocessor, Scheduling, Network of Workstations (NOW)
Sharper Ring-LWE Signatures

We present TESLA (pronounced " Tesla Sharp "), a digital signature scheme based on the R-LWE assumption that continues a recent line of proposals of lattice-based digital signature schemes originating in work by Lyubashevsky as well as by Bai and Galbraith. It improves upon all of its predecessors in that it attains much faster key pair generation , signing, and verification, outperforming most (conventional or lattice-based) signature schemes on modern processors. We propose a selection of concrete parameter sets, including a high-security instance that aims at achieving post-quantum security. Based on these parameters, we present a full-fledged software implementation protected against timing and cache attacks that supports two scheme variants: one providing 128 bits of classical security and another providing 128 bits of post-quantum security 4 .
The Plant Wound Hormone Systemin Binds with the N-Terminal Part to Its Receptor but Needs the C-Terminal Part to Activate It

Suspension-cultured cells of Lycopersicon peruvianum respond with rapid medium alkalinization and a strong increase of a MAP kinase–like activity when treated with subnanomolar concentrations of the plant wound hormone systemin. Systemin fragments comprising the N-terminal 14 amino acids (syst1–14) or the C-terminal four amino acids (syst15–18), added singly or in combination, were inactive as inducers of these responses. Syst1–14 but not syst15–18 antagonized activity of intact systemin in a competitive manner. Likewise, intact systemin showed stimulatory, syst1–14 antagonistic activity, and syst15–18 showed no activity in leaf pieces of tomato (L. esculentum) plants assayed for the induction of ethylene biosynthesis. To study the molecular basis of perception, we extended the C-terminal end of systemin by a tyrosine residue and radioiodinated it to yield systemin-125I-iodotyrosine. In membrane preparations of L. peruvianum, this radioligand exhibited rapid, saturable, and reversible binding to a single class of binding sites. Binding showed a dissociation constant of ~1 nM, and binding of radioligand was efficiently competed by unlabeled systemin but not by syst15–18 or structurally unrelated peptides. Binding was also competed by the systemin antagonists syst1–14 and syst–Ala-17 (IC50 of 500 and 1000 nM, respectively). Thus, this binding site exhibits the characteristics expected for a functional systemin receptor. Based on these results, we propose a two-step mechanism for systemin action, with binding of the N-terminal part to the receptor as the first step and activation of responses with the C-terminal part as the second step.
Matrix Production, Pigment Synthesis, and Sporulation in a Marine Isolated Strain of Bacillus pumilus

The ability to produce an extracellular matrix and form multicellular communities is an adaptive behavior shared by many bacteria. In Bacillus subtilis, the model system for spore-forming bacteria, matrix production is one of the possible differentiation pathways that a cell can follow when vegetative growth is no longer feasible. While in B. subtilis the genetic system controlling matrix production has been studied in detail, it is still unclear whether other spore formers utilize similar mechanisms. We report that SF214, a pigmented strain of Bacillus pumilus isolated from the marine environment, can produce an extracellular matrix relying on orthologs of many of the genes known to be important for matrix synthesis in B. subtilis. We also report a characterization of the carbohydrates forming the extracellular matrix of strain SF214. The isolation and characterization of mutants altered in matrix synthesis, pigmentation, and spore formation suggest that in strain SF214 the three processes are strictly interconnected and regulated by a common molecular mechanism.
Which Vertical Search Engines are Relevant? Understanding Vertical Relevance Assessments for Web Queries

Aggregating search results from a variety of heterogeneous sources, so-called verticals, such as news, image and video, into a single interface is a popular paradigm in web search. Current approaches that evaluate the effectiveness of aggregated search systems are based on rewarding systems that return highly relevant verticals for a given query, where this relevance is assessed under different assumptions. It is difficult to evaluate or compare those systems without fully understanding the relationship between those underlying assumptions. To address this, we present a formal analysis and a set of extensive user studies to investigate the effects of various assumptions made for assessing query vertical relevance. A total of more than 20,000 assessments on 44 search tasks across 11 verticals are collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk and subsequently analysed. Our results provide insights into various aspects of query vertical relevance and allow us to explain in more depth as well as questioning the evaluation results published in the literature.
What Can Magicians Teach Us about the Brain ?

Don't worry, the laws of physics haven't been broken. Magicians do not have supernatural powers; rather, they are masters of exploiting nuances of human perception, attention, and awareness. In light of this, a recent Nature Reviews Neuroscience paper, coauthored by a combination of neuroscientists (Stephen L. Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, both at the Barrows Neurological Institute) and magicians (Mac King, James Randi, Apollo Robbins, Teller, John Thompson), describes various ways magicians manipulate our perceptions, and proposes that these methods should inform and aid the neuroscientific study of attention and awareness.
Nonlinear Force-Length Relationship in the ADP-Induced Contraction of Skeletal Myofibrils

The regulatory mechanism of sarcomeric activity has not been fully clarified yet because of its complex and cooperative nature, which involves both Ca2+ and cross-bridge binding to the thin filament. To reveal the mechanism of regulation mediated by the cross-bridges, separately from the effect of Ca2+, we investigated the force-sarcomere length (SL) relationship in rabbit skeletal myofibrils (a single myofibril or a thin bundle) at SL > 2.2 μm in the absence of Ca2+ at various levels of activation by exogenous MgADP (4–20 mM) in the presence of 1 mM MgATP. The individual SLs were measured by phase-contrast microscopy to confirm the homogeneity of the striation pattern of sarcomeres during activation. We found that at partial activation with 4–8 mM MgADP, the developed force nonlinearly depended on the length of overlap between the thick and the thin filaments; that is, contrary to the maximal activation, the maximal active force was generated at shorter overlap. Besides, the active force became larger, whereas this nonlinearity tended to weaken, with either an increase in [MgADP] or the lateral osmotic compression of the myofilament lattice induced by the addition of a macromolecular compound, dextran T-500. The model analysis, which takes into account the [MgADP]- and the lattice-spacing-dependent probability of cross-bridge formation, was successfully applied to account for the force-SL relationship observed at partial activation. These results strongly suggest that the cross-bridge works as a cooperative activator, the function of which is highly sensitive to as little as ≤1 nm changes in the lattice spacing.
Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation Open Access Research Innovative Gait Robot for the Repetitive Practice of Floor Walking and Stair Climbing up and down in Stroke Patients

Background: Stair climbing up and down is an essential part of everyday's mobility. To enable wheelchair-dependent patients the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk), based on the end-effector principle, has been designed. The trajectories of the foot plates are freely programmable enabling not only the practice of simulated floor walking but also stair climbing up and down. The article intended to compare lower limb muscle activation patterns of hemiparetic subjects during real floor walking and stairs climbing up, and during the corresponding simulated conditions on the machine, and secondly to demonstrate gait improvement on single case after training on the machine. Methods: The muscle activation pattern of seven lower limb muscles of six hemiparetic patients during free and simulated walking on the floor and stair climbing was measured via dynamic electromyography. A non-ambulatory, sub-acute stroke patient additionally trained on the G-EO-Systems every workday for five weeks. Results: The muscle activation patterns were comparable during the real and simulated conditions, both on the floor and during stair climbing up. Minor differences, concerning the real and simulated floor walking conditions, were a delayed (prolonged) onset (duration) of the thigh muscle activation on the machine across all subjects. Concerning stair climbing conditions, the shank muscle activation was more phasic and timely correct in selected patients on the device. The severely affected subject regained walking and stair climbing ability. Conclusions: The G-EO-Systems is an interesting new option in gait rehabilitation after stroke. The lower limb muscle activation patterns were comparable, a training thus feasible, and the positive case report warrants further clinical studies. Background The annual stroke incidence is approximately 180 per 100.000 inhabitants in the industrialized world [1]. Three months after a stroke, a third of the surviving patients are still wheelchair-dependent, and the gait velocity and endurance are significantly reduced in approximately 80% of the ambulatory patients [2]. Accordingly, the restoration and improvement of walking functions is a primary concern with respect to the aspired social and vocational reintegration. To achieve this goal, a task specific repetitive training seems most promising [3]. The conventional physiother
SPOT 1.0: Scoring Suspicious Profiles on Twitter

Everyday more than fifty million messages are generated by about two hundred million profiles on Twitter. Some users attempt to exploit the success of this micro logging platform and its relative freedom to perform malicious actions that can lead to identity or data theft. This work aims to propose a framework to assess suspicious behavior on Twitter. We present a tool developed for Scoring Suspicious Profiles On Twitter (SPOT1.0) through a three-dimensional indicator that involves the degree of aggressiveness, the visibility and the level of danger.
Modification of crystallographic codes for parallel architectures

The use of high-speed computers having large memories and storage capacities is an essential component of many present-day scientific and engineering applications. In recent years, parallel computers have emerged as viable alternatives to supercomputers, at least for those applications having inherent parallelism in them, such as crystal-structure analysis. Two such applications pertaining to the field of protein crystallography, viz., structure optimization and summation of threedimensional Fourier series, carried out on ANUPAM, the BARC-built parallel computing system, are described in this article.