Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration of High-Resolution, Active and Passive Remote Sensing in Support to Tsunami Preparedness and Contingency Planning

In the aftermath of the Sri Lanka tsunami disaster, a stack of synoptic procedures and remote sensing techniques was chosen for satisfying the urgent mapping needs of the Government. This choice presented the undebated advantage of (a) allowing to start the work immediately (b) without relying upon ground logistics until the onset of the air campaign, (c) minimizing the duration of the work on spot, while (d) covering fast - and at an otherwise unreacheable resolution - large portions of a difficult-to-penetrate territory, (e) keeping the work sustainable and, overall, (f) allowing to carry out the work. This combination of airborne and spaceborne techniques is ready-to-use worldwide, and the techniques for flooding simulation and scenario building can be chosen at whatever level of complexity - choosing preferably robustness. It is also worth noting further that the new generation of metric resolution, X-band Radar satellite constellations (as TerraSAR-X and Cosmo-SkyMED), may allow creating LiDAR-like products avoiding airborne missions. The products of the space-and-air campaign were handed over by the Ambassador of Italy to the Minister for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs on 7th December 2006, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
A Buried Triple-Junction Self-Reset Pixel in a 0.35Âµm High Voltage CMOS Process

Light to frequency converters are used to sense the photocurrents of a buried triplejunction pixel achieving high dynamic range and low dark current colour sensing without the use of colour filters. The pixel is realised in a high voltage 0. 35μm CMOS enabling sample manipulation by electrowetting and spectral sensing for a FRET biosensor.
2 4 M ay 2 00 4 Asymptotically good towers and differential equations

This paper concerns towers of curves over a finite field with many rational points, following Garcia–Stichtenoth and Elkies. We present a new method to produce such towers. A key ingredient is the study of algebraic solutions to Fuchsian differential equations modulo p. We apply our results to towers of modular curves, and find new asymptotically good towers. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 11G20. Secondary: 14H35, 14G05, 14G50.
Use of Data Mining in Scheduler Optimization

The operating system's role in a computer system is to manage the various resources. One of these resources is the Central Processing Unit. It is managed by a component of the operating system called the CPU scheduler. Schedulers are optimized for typical workloads expected to run on the platform. However, a single scheduler may not be appropriate for all workloads. That is, a scheduler may schedule a workload such that the completion time is minimized, but when another type of workload is run on the platform, scheduling and therefore completion time will not be optimal; a different scheduling algorithm, or a different set of parameters, may work better. Several approaches to solving this problem have been proposed. The objective of this survey is to summarize the approaches based on data mining, which are available in the literature. In addition to solutions that can be directly utilized for solving this problem, we are interested in data mining research in related areas that have potential for use in operating system scheduling. We also explain general technical issues involved in scheduling in modern computers, including parallel scheduling issues related to multi-core CPUs. We propose a taxonomy that classifies the scheduling approaches we discuss into different categories.
Patient Perspective on Use of an Interactive Website for Sleep Apnea

Incomplete patient adherence with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) limits the effectiveness of treatment and results in suboptimal obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) outcomes. An interactive website specifically designed for patients with OSA was designed and utilized in a randomized clinical trial to test its effect on increasing CPAP adherence. The goal of this paper is to report on CPAP adherence, internet use, privacy concerns and user satisfaction in using the website. The original project was designed as a randomized, controlled clinical trial of Usual Care (UC, control) versus MyCPAP group (intervention). Questionnaires were administered to evaluate the patient perspective of using the MyCPAP website. Participation in the MyCPAP intervention resulted in higher CPAP adherence at the two-month time point relative to participation in the UC group (3.4 ± 2.4 and 4.1 ± 2.3 hrs/nt; P = 0.02; mean ± SD). Participants randomized to the MyCPAP website increased their use of the internet to obtain OSA related information, but did not increase their use of the internet to get information on general health or medical conditions. Users had very little concern about their CPAP data being viewed daily or being sent over the internet. Future studies should consider the use of newer evaluation criteria for collaborative adaptive interactive technologies.
Regulation of Neuronal M-Channel Gating in an Isoform-Specific Manner: Functional Interplay between Calmodulin and Syntaxin 1A

Whereas neuronal M-type K+ channels composed of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 subunits regulate firing properties of neurons, presynaptic KCNQ2 subunits were demonstrated to regulate neurotransmitter release by directly influencing presynaptic function. Two interaction partners of M-channels, syntaxin 1A and calmodulin, are known to act presynaptically, syntaxin serving as a major protein component of the membrane fusion machinery and calmodulin serving as regulator of several processes related to neurotransmitter release. Notably, both partners specifically modulate KCNQ2 but not KCNQ3 subunits, suggesting selective presynaptic targeting to directly regulate exocytosis without interference in neuronal firing properties. Here, having first demonstrated in Xenopus oocytes, using analysis of single-channel biophysics, that both modulators downregulate the open probability of KCNQ2 but not KCNQ3 homomers, we sought to resolve the channel structural determinants that confer the isoform-specific gating downregulation and to get insights into the molecular events underlying this mechanism. We show, using optical, biochemical, electrophysiological, and molecular biology analyses, the existence of constitutive interactions between the N and C termini in homomeric KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 channels in living cells. Furthermore, rearrangement in the relative orientation of the KCNQ2 termini that accompanies reduction in single-channel open probability is induced by both regulators, strongly suggesting that closer N–C termini proximity underlies gating downregulation. Different structural determinants, identified at the N and C termini of KCNQ3, prevent the effects by syntaxin 1A and calmodulin, respectively. Moreover, we show that the syntaxin 1A and calmodulin effects can be additive or blocked at different concentration ranges of calmodulin, bearing physiological significance with regard to presynaptic exocytosis.
Secretion of Biologically Active Heterologous Oxalate Decarboxylase (OxdC) in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 Using Homologous Signal Peptides

Current treatment options for patients with hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate stone diseases are limited and do not always lead to sufficient reduction in urinary oxalate excretion. Oxalate degrading bacteria have been suggested for degrading intestinal oxalate for the prevention of calcium oxalate stone. Here, we reported a recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 (L. plantarum) secreting heterologous oxalate decarboxylase (OxdC) that may provide possible therapeutic approach by degrading intestinal oxalate. The results showed secretion and functional expression of OxdC protein in L. plantarum driven by signal peptides Lp_0373 and Lp_3050. Supernatant of the recombinant strain containing pLp_0373sOxdC and pLp_3050sOxdC showed OxdC activity of 0.05 U/mg and 0.02 U/mg protein, while the purified OxdC from the supernatant showed specific activity of 18.3 U/mg and 17.5 U/mg protein, respectively. The concentration of OxdC protein in the supernatant was 8–12 μg/mL. The recombinant strain showed up to 50% oxalate reduction in medium containing 10 mM oxalate. In conclusion, the recombinant L. plantarum harboring pLp_0373sOxdC and pLp_3050sOxdC can express and secrete functional OxdC and degrade oxalate up to 50% and 30%, respectively.
Distributed Data Storage with Strong Offline Access Support

In this paper, we propose a distributed data storage framework that supports unrestricted offline access. The system does not explicitly distinguish between connected and disconnected states. Its design is based on a lock-free distributed framework that avoids update conflicts through file versioning. The feasibility of this framework is confirmed by a proof-of- concept implementation. We also demonstrate that the proposed lock-free replica synchronization algorithm scales well. A future work will include also direct support for non-versioned files.
Phase informed model for motion and susceptibility

Field inhomogeneities caused by variations in magnetic susceptibility throughout the head lead to geometric distortions, mainly in the phase‐encode direction of echo‐planar images (EPI). The magnitude and spatial characteristics of the distortions depend on the orientation of the head in the magnetic field and will therefore vary with head movement. A new method is presented, based on a phase informed model for motion and susceptibility (PIMMS), which estimates the change in geometric distortion associated with head motion. This method fits a model of the head motion parameters and scanner hardware characteristics to EPI phase time series. The resulting maps of the model fit parameters are used to correct for susceptibility artifacts in the magnitude images. Results are shown for EPI‐based fMRI time‐series acquired at 3T, demonstrating that compared with conventional rigid body realignment, PIMMS removes residual variance associated with motion‐related distortion effects. Furthermore, PIMMS can lead to a reduction in false negatives compared with the widely accepted approach which uses standard rigid body realignment and includes the head motion parameters in the statistical model. The PIMMS method can be used with any standard EPI sequence for which accurate phase information is available. Hum Brain Mapp 34:3086–3100, 2013. © 2012 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published byWiley Periodicals, Inc.
Information Technology Capabilities for Digital Social Networks

This paper contributes to the evolving body of knowledge pertaining to the study of digitally-enabled social networks, their usage, and their effects on people, organization, and society. We review the literature on social networks and develop a typology which distinguishes four aspects of digital social networks usage: (i) building and sustaining the network, (ii) observing the network, (iii), extracting the network’s resources, and (iv) disseminating information via the network. The suggested framework identifies several design-related opportunities and challenges, and unveils linkages between usage types. This framework also suggests that future research endeavors could benefit by integrating the perspectives of various online behaviors (e.g., viral communications, identity building, learning, and decision-making) and domains of applications (e.g., shopping, dating, social networking, and money lending).
Nearly Optimal Learning and Sparse Covers for Sums of Independent Integer Random Variables

For k ∈ Z+, a k-SIIRV of order n ∈ Z+ is the discrete probability distribution of the sum of n mutually independent random variables each supported on {0,1,. ,k −1}. We denote by Sn,k the set of all k-SIIRV’s of order n. In this paper we prove two main results: • We give a near-sample optimal and computationally efficient algorithm f or learning kSIIRVs from independent samples under the total variation distance (L1 distance). Our algorithm uses e
A Review: Recognizing and Learning Events in Cognitive Vision Systems

This paper reviews several computational frameworks for recognizing and learning events from a video stream. Approaches to event recognition are largely classified into 1) statistical pattern recognition, and 2) symbolic reasoning. In a statistical approach, the types of event patterns that can be recognized are governed by the choice of probabilistic models, and are difficult to generalize. A logic-based framework in symbolic reasoning provides a more general and systematic approach for representing and maintaining a large knowledge base of events. In symbolic reasoning, an aggregate seems to be a natural and useful construct for representing high-level concepts such as object configurations, occurrences and events. Scene interpretation can exploit the taxonomical and compositional relations between aggregate concepts while incorportating visual evidence and contextual information. Primitive occurrences (which provide visual evidence for scene interpretation) are often learned by Vector Quantization (VQ). In VQ, the continuous space of object-level features is discretized into a finite and small number of relevant prototypes. Alternatively, a hidden Markov model (HMM) may be used to detect the coherency in qualitative primitives over a time interval. A commonly observed consecutive sequence of actions can also be learned by HMMs. Other temporal patterns can be expressed by a language that places ordering constraints on either the time-points or the intervals of events. Temporal pattern mining is often realized by a generalto-specific search technique. A logic-based induction (e.g., ILP and AMA-based algorithms) seems to provide a generic solution to the learning of hierarchical event models. These techniques are differentiated by the expressiveness of the languages used for representing the events and the complexity of inductive process.
1 Complex Predicates in Indian Language

Wordnets, which are repositories of lexical semantic knowledge containing semantically linked synsets and lexically linked words, are indispensable for work on computational linguistics and natural language processing. While building wordnets for Hindi and Marathi, two major IndoEuropean languages, we observed that the verb hierarchy in the Princeton Wordnet was rather shallow. We set to constructing a verb knowledge base for Hindi, which arranges the Hindi verbs in a hierarchy of is-a (hypernymy) relation. We realized that there are unique Indian language phenomena that bear upon the lexicalization vs. syntactically derived choice. One such example is the occurrence of conjunct and compound verbs (called Complex Predicates) which are found in all Indian languages. This paper presents our experience in the construction of lexical knowledge bases for Indian languages with special attention to Hindi. The question of storing or deriving complex predicates has been dealt with linguistically and computationally. We have constructed empirical tests to decide if a combination of two words, the second of which is a verb, is a complex predicate or not. Such tests will provide a principled way of deciding the status of complex predicates in Indian language wordnets. An additional application of this work is the possibility of automatic augmentations to the Wordnet using corpora, a topic of great interest in current research.
V Variable Word Width Computation for Low Power

Today’s mobile processors must often times tackle a multitude of computing applications, many of which do not require the full 32-bit data word for their computations. In light of this, it is possible to restrict the computations for these applications to a reduced width data word to minimize power consumption. A modification to a standard RISC architecture is presented to reduce the overall power consumption of these reduced-width applications. The processor is modified to allow computations to be performed on either 32-bit or 16-bit wide data. Instructions remain 32 bits, and 32bit memory calculations can be interspersed with 16-bit data operations. An analysis is presented of the approximate power savings of a processor employing these modifications over the same processor without these modifications.
HYDROïD Humanoid Robot Head with Perception and Emotion Capabilities: Modeling, Design, and Experimental Results

In the framework of the HYDROiD humanoid robot project, this paper describes the modeling and design of an electrically actuated head mechanism. Perception and emotion capabilities are considered in the design process. Since HYDROiD humanoid robot is hydraulically actuated, the choice of electrical actuation for the head mechanism addressed in this paper is justified. Considering perception and emotion capabilities leads to a total number of 15 degrees of freedom for the head mechanism which are split on four main sub-mechanisms: the neck, the mouth, the eyes and the eyebrows. Biological data and kinematics performances of human head are taken as inputs of the design process. A new solution of uncoupled eyes is developed to possibly address the master-slave process that links the human eyes as well as vergence capabilities. Modeling each sub-system is carried out in order to get equations of motion, their frequency responses and their transfer functions. The neck pitch rotation is given as a study example. Then, the head mechanism performances are presented through a comparison between model and experimental results validating the hardware capabilities. Finally, the head mechanism is integrated on the HYDROiD upper-body. An object tracking experiment coupled with emotional expressions is carried out to validate the synchronization of the eye rotations with the body motions.
Pre-treatment loss to follow-up in tuberculosis patients in low- and lower-middle-income countries and high-burden countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the magnitude of loss to follow-up in smear- or culture-positive tuberculosis patients before treatment initiation and outcomes among patients who were traced. METHODS Ovid Medline and Global Health databases were searched for studies published between 1994 and January 2013 that described pre-treatment loss to follow-up in patients with smear- or culture-positive tuberculosis in routine national tuberculosis programmes (NTPs) in low- and lower-middle-income countries and in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis. Data on the proportion of patients who did not initiate treatment after their tuberculosis diagnosis were extracted from studies meeting inclusion criteria. Where available, data on causes and outcomes, including initiation of tuberculosis treatment at another facility, were investigated. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed and random-effects meta-analyses by subgroup (region) were performed. FINDINGS Twenty-three eligible studies were identified, with a total of 34 706 smear- or culture-positive tuberculosis patients from 14 countries (8 in Africa, 5 in Asia and 1 in the western Pacific). Most studies were retrospective and linked laboratory and treatment registers to identify pre-treatment loss to follow-up. Pre-treatment loss to follow-up varied from 4 to 38% and was common in studies from Africa (random-effects weighted proportion, WP: 18%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 13-22) and Asia (WP: 13%; 95% CI: 10-15). CONCLUSION Pre-treatment loss to follow-up, common in most settings, can hinder tuberculosis control efforts. By not counting individuals who are lost to follow-up before treatment when reporting standard programme indicators, NTPs underestimate case detection rates and mortality and overestimate cure rates.
Power and endurance aware Flash-PCM memory system

Two major performance issues of Flash NAND are the write latency for random writes, and the lifetime of NAND chips. Several methods, mainly focusing on the Flash Translation Layer (FTL) or the Flash Buffer Management have been proposed to address these problems. In this paper, we propose an idea of reducing write traffic to Flash by the following steps: First we avoid repeated writes to Flash SSD by finding the redundant writes using a cryptographic HASH cipher. We design a set of acceleration techniques to reduce the latency overhead of this extra computational cost. Then we propose a PCM-based buffer extender for Flash SSD where we write the frequent updates to hot pages of Flash into PCM layer, which allows in-page update. Finally, while merging the PCM updated data to the Flash page, we use a special merging technique to change the flushes into sequential flushes, as sequential writes on Flash are almost thrice as fast as random writes. We maintain the redundant write finder mechanism in PCM. We test our design using a trace-driven simulator. The results show that compared to the traditional design technique, lifetime of Flash SSD can be more than quadrupled, while consuming 20% less power to do so with some improvement in write performance as well.
Automated verification of feature model configuration processes based on workflow Petri nets

Modern software systems are highly configurable in order to satisfy diverse customer requirements and application contexts. Feature models provide a well-established formalism for tailoring configuration spaces of applications. Thereupon, multi-view staged configuration approaches modularize feature models for separation of concerns and apply workflow modeling for scheduling configuration decisions. However, the complex, often oblivious and even cyclic logical dependencies among configuration decisions obstruct compositional semantics of feature model views thus spoiling intuitive modeling and rigorous analysis of staged configuration processes. In this paper, we apply workflow Petri nets (WPNs) as a formal operational model for staged configuration that makes explicit causal dependencies among feature selections. For the internal separation into composable configuration stages we further adopt the principles of open workflow nets. It is shown that the soundness notion of WPNs naturally coincides with fundamental correctness and liveness properties to be verified for staged configuration processes. We present a prototype implementation for an automated computation of staged configuration processes and provide experimental results concerning scalability properties.
W-band high bit passive phase shifter for automotive radar applications in BiCMOS

This paper presents a 65–85 GHz 5-bit passive phase shifter at the desired frequency of 77 GHz, using CMOS switches available in the 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS process. The phase shifter is based on a low-pass π-network and CMOS passive transistors. The RMS phase error, the insertion loss and the VSWR is less than 3.5°, −20 dB and 2 at 77 GHz respectively, so it is possible to precede this design with a high gain LNA without loss of system linearity or input power handling and it is convenient for afterwards signal processing.
Computational Grids for Stochastic Programming

We describe computational grids and explain why they are well suited to solving stochastic programming problems. We discuss our experience in implementing a solver for twostage stochastic linear programs with recourse on such a platform and present computational results are presented to illustrate the scale of problems that can be solved. Finally, we discuss enhancements to these platforms that will equip them to solve stochastic optimization problems of other types.