Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Passive and active acoustics using an autonomous wave glider

The recently developed wave glider has the potential to be an effective unmanned platform for acoustic applications. We present the results of a variety of experiments that quantify this potential. The radiated self‐noise of the autonomous platform is evaluated using an integrated passive acoustic recorder during a set of field trials off the coast of Hawaii. We present the radiated noise spectra from these trials to illustrate the dependence on hydrophone location and sea state. Using the same instrumentation, we demonstrate the ability of a modified wave glider to detect marine mammals using passive acoustic monitoring techniques. We also evaluate the performance of the wave glider operating as an active acoustic gateway, highlighting the potential of this platform to serve as a navigation reference and communications relay for scientific, industrial, and military subsea assets. To demonstrate the potential of the wave glider platform to support acoustic navigation, we assess the performance of time‐of‐flight range estimation and seafloor transponder localization. These tests were performed using commercial off‐the‐shelf acoustic positioning hardware integrated with the wave glider to illustrate that the low self‐noise of the wave glider makes it possible to achieve acoustic positioning performance similar to previously reported results. Finally, we show that the glider can operate as a station‐keeping surface communications gateway and provide recommendations for its use. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determinist Inquiries: Debates on the Foundation of Language

The present article intends to discuss the important determinist traditions in linguistic thought and theorizing. It will show that (1) there is a significant language-internal approach to determinism and relativity introduced by Saussure and ignored by almost all language scholars; (2) the recent trend introduced by Chomsky within the generative enterprise known as the Minimalist Program has opened a new front which makes possible an attempt to be made with the aim to reconcile, yet not to fuse, the apparently conflicting and contradictory relativist and universalist approaches to language; (3) both the Saussurean and Chomskyan conceptions of ‘sentence,’ ‘creativity,’ and hence ‘language’ are misguided and misleading; and (4) we may suggest a minimalist version of Universal Grammar, called Unified Theory of Parameters (UTP) which on the one hand in pursuit of minimalist aims sets as its objective to dispense with ‘principles’ altogether and on the other hand allows no/bi-valuation possibilities for parameters. Such a version will accommodate a perspective from which nature—genetic/innate foundation of language is complementary to nurture—environmental forces of change and adaptation.
Coronary Endothelium-Dependent Vasoreactivity and Atheroma Volume in Subjects With Stable, Minimal Angiographic Disease Versus Non–ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction: An Intravascular Ultrasound Study

Background— Epicardial plaque burden and endothelial function are recognized predictors of coronary events. We aimed to investigate mechanistic relationships between atheroma volume and endothelial function in patients with non–ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) using intravascular ultrasound. Methods and Results— In coronary vessels of patients with near-normal or minimal angiographic disease (n=23) and NSTEMI (n=24), intravascular ultrasound-derived measures (percent atheroma volume), arterial remodeling index, and segmental lumen volumes were performed in contiguous 5-mm epicardial segments. Repeat intravascular ultrasound imaging was performed after consecutive 5-minute intracoronary infusions (vehicle solution, 0.30 &mgr;g/min and 0.60 &mgr;g/min intracoronary salbutamol) to measure changes in segmental lumen volume (endothelium-dependent function). Male sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking, higher triglycerides, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were more prevalent in the NSTEMI group. Patients with NSTEMI demonstrated greater segmental percent atheroma volume (40.4±12 versus 27.5±14%, P<0.001), remodeling index (1.2 [1.0–1.5] versus 1.0 [0.9–1.0], P<0.001), and displayed less endothelium-dependent vasomotion (% change segmental lumen volume: 2.1±0.89 versus 5.1±0.89%, P=0.02) compared to patients with minimal angiographic disease. No significant difference in endothelial function between both groups was observed when controlling for plaque burden. Multivariate analysis for change in segmental lumen volume identified percent atheroma volume (&bgr;=−0.18, P=0.0004), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >2 mg/L (&bgr;=−3.1, P=0.03), diabetes mellitus (&bgr;=−6.9, P<0.0001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (&bgr;=−0.04, P=0.01), and smoking (&bgr;=–3.2, P=0.01) as independent associates. Conclusions— Although coronary endothelial vasoreactivity is blunted in the setting of NSTEMI, this is a reflection of the greater volume of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors. Thus, the relationship between coronary endothelium-dependent vasomotor reactivity and atheroma volume remains constant irrespective of the nature of the clinical presentation.
A New Time-Space Lower Bound for Nondeterministic Algorithms Solving Tautologies

We show that for all reals c and d such that cd < 4 there exists a positive real e such that tautologies cannot be decided by both a nondeterministic algorithm that runs in time n, and a nondeterministic algorithm that runs in time n and space n. In particular, for every real d < 3 √ 4 there exists a positive real e such that tautologies cannot be decided by a nondeterministic algorithm that runs in time n and space n.
Human uniqueness, bodily mimesis and the evolution of language

I argue that an evolutionary adaptation for bodily mimesis, the volitional use of the body as a representational devise, is the “small difference” that gave rise to unique and yet pre-linguistic features of humanity such as (over)imitation, pedagogy, intentional communication and the possibility of a cumulative, representational culture. Furthermore, it is this that made the evolution of language possible. In support for the thesis that speech evolved atop bodily mimesis and a transitional multimodal protolanguage, I review evidence for the extensive presence of sound-symbolism in modern languages, for its psychological reality in adults, and for its contribution to language acquisition in children. On a meta-level, the argument is that dividing human cognitive-semiotic evolution into a sequence of stages is crucial for resolving classical dichotomies on human nature and language, which are both natural and cultural, both continuous with and discontinuous from those of (other) animals. (Less)
Water calcium concentration modifies whole-body calcium uptake in sea bream larvae during short-term adaptation to altered salinities

SUMMARY Whole-body calcium uptake was studied in gilthead sea bream larvae (9–83 mg) in response to changing environmental salinity and [Ca2+]. Calcium uptake increased with increased fish size and salinity. Fish exposed to calcium-enriched, diluted seawater showed increased calcium uptake compared with fish in diluted seawater alone. Calcium uptake was unchanged in Na+-enriched, diluted seawater. Overall, [Ca2+], and not salinity/osmolarity per se, appears to be the main factor contributing to calcium uptake. By contrast, drinking was reduced by a decrease in salinity/osmolarity but was little affected by external [Ca2+]. Calculations of the maximum contribution from drinking-associated calcium uptake showed that it became almost insignificant (less than 10%) through a strong decrease in drinking rate at low salinities (0–8‰). Diluted seawater enriched in calcium to the concentration present in full-strength seawater (i.e. constant calcium, decreasing salinity) restored intestinal calcium uptake to normal. Extra-intestinal calcium uptake also benefited from calcium addition but to a lesser extent.
Interference alignment on the deterministic channel and application to fully connected AWGN interference networks

An interference alignment example is constructed for the deterministic channel model of the K user interference channel. The deterministic channel example is then translated into the Gaussian setting, creating the first known example of a fully connected Gaussian K user interference network with single antenna nodes, real, non-zero and constant channel coefficients, and no propagation delays where the degrees of freedom outerbound is achieved. An analogy is drawn between the propagation delay based interference alignment examples and the deterministic channel model which also allows similar constructions for the 2 user X channel as well.
The hippocampus of the eastern rock sengi: cytoarchitecture, markers of neuronal function, principal cell numbers, and adult neurogenesis

The brains of sengis (elephant shrews, order Macroscelidae) have long been known to contain a hippocampus that in terms of allometric progression indices is larger than that of most primates and equal in size to that of humans. In this report, we provide descriptions of hippocampal cytoarchitecture in the eastern rock sengi (Elephantulus myurus), of the distributions of hippocampal calretinin, calbindin, parvalbumin, and somatostatin, of principal neuron numbers, and of cell numbers related to proliferation and neuronal differentiation in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Sengi hippocampal cytoarchitecture is an amalgamation of characters that are found in CA1 of, e.g., guinea pig and rabbits and in CA3 and dentate gyrus of primates. Correspondence analysis of total cell numbers and quantitative relations between principal cell populations relate this sengi to macaque monkeys and domestic pigs, and distinguish the sengi from distinct patterns of relations found in humans, dogs, and murine rodents. Calretinin and calbindin are present in some cell populations that also express these proteins in other species, e.g., interneurons at the stratum oriens/alveus border or temporal hilar mossy cells, but neurons expressing these markers are often scarce or absent in other layers. The distributions of parvalbumin and somatostatin resemble those in other species. Normalized numbers of PCNA+ proliferating cells and doublecortin-positive (DCX+) differentiating cells of neuronal lineage fall within the overall ranges of murid rodents, but differed from three murid species captured in the same habitat in that fewer DCX+ cells relative to PCNA+ were observed. The large and well-differentiated sengi hippocampus is not accompanied by correspondingly sized cortical and subcortical limbic areas that are the main hippocampal sources of afferents and targets of efferents. This points to intrinsic hippocampal information processing as the selective advantage of the large sengi hippocampus.
A Serious Game for Improving Community-Based Prevention of Neglected Diseases

Community-based healthcare strategies are becoming increasingly important in developing sustainable practices for prevention of neglected and emerging diseases in remote regions. In this paper, we discuss the use of "serious games" as one of the strategies for improving local populations' knowledge of the causes, preventive measures, and treatment options for neglected tropical diseases. We illustrate the potential of such a strategy for fostering engagement between local communities and healthcare workers by presenting a serious game architecture we have developed in collaboration with medical researchers and practitioners working in Amazonia. Although this first game focuses on Leishmaniases, it can be extended to easily include other similar diseases. This prototype game has been presented to a group of experts on neglected tropical diseases, and their opinions are reported here.
A note on a nearest polynomial with a given root

In this paper, we consider the problem of a nearest polynomial with a given root in the complex field (the coefficients of the polynomial and the root are complex numbers). We are interested in the existence and the uniqueness of such polynomials. Then we study the problem in the real case (the coefficients of the polynomial and the root are real numbers), and in the real-complex case (the coefficients of the polynomial are real numbers and the root is a complex number). We derive new formulas for computing such polynomials.
Maximizing the Yield of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit

Purpose: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep can help localize the epileptogenic zone in multifocal epilepsy when interictal discharges appear diffuse. However, REM sleep is reputedly rare and easily overlooked in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). The aims of this study are to determine the characteristics of REM sleep in a typical EMU and whether using automated artifact recognition can meaningfully enhance REM sleep detection. Methods: Artifact-based REM sleep detection was applied to 581 nights of EMU recording from 100 patients over 12 months. REM sleep had been manually detected at the time of recording. The index of suspicion for manual detection was raised after 6 months. Artifact-based detection was compared with manual detection, and the impact on localization was assessed. Results: REM sleep occurred in 77% of EMU nights. Thirty-six patients achieved REM sleep nightly and 62 patients on at least one night. Mean admission was 5.83 days. Mean REM sleep duration was 5.92 minutes over 1.88 mean nightly bouts. Raising the level of suspicion increased manual detection rates from 22.6% to 40.5%. The artifact-based detection rate was 96% and provided additional localizing information in 10% of epilepsy patients. Conclusions: REM sleep is common in the EMU, but bouts are few and brief. Capturing these bouts to maximize the yield of REM sleep in the EMU is made possible by automated artifact recognition whose results could enhance localization of the epileptogenic zone.
Cross-Country Differences in the Additive Effects of Socioeconomics, Health Behaviors and Medical Comorbidities on Disability among Older Adults with Heart Disease

Abstract Background: Patients with heart disease experience limited activities of daily living (ADL). This is a cross-country comparison of the additive effects of Socioeconomics, health behaviors, and the number of medical comorbidities on disability among patients with heart disease. Methods: The current study used a cross-sectional design. Data came from the Research on Early Life and Aging Trends and Effects (RELATE). The current analysis utilized data on elderly individuals (age ≥60 y) from 13 countries. The outcome was any ADL limitation (i.e. bathing, dressing, using toilet, transferring, lifting heavy things, shopping, and eating meals). Socioeconomics (i.e. age, gender, education, and income), health behaviors (i.e. exercise, smoking, and drinking), and number of chronic medical conditions (i.e. hypertension, respiratory, arthritis, stroke, and diabetes) were entered into country-specific logistic regressions, considering at least one limitation in ADL as the main outcome. Results: Number of comorbid medical conditions and age were positively associated with disability in 85% of the countries. Physical activity and drinking were linked to disability in 54%and 31% of countries, respectively. Higher education and income were associated with lower disability in 31% and 23% of the countries, respectively. Female gender was associated with higher disability only in 15% of the countries. Smoking was not associated with disability, while the effects of socioeconomics, drinking, exercise, and medical comorbidities were controlled. Conclusion: Determinants of disability depend on the country; accordingly, locally designed health promotion interventions may be superior to the universal interventions for patients with heart disease. Medical comorbidities, however, should be universally diagnosed and treated.
Thermal face recognition in an operational scenario

We present results on the latest advances in thermal infrared face recognition, and its use in combination with visible imagery. Previous research by the authors has shown high performance under very controlled conditions, or questionable performance under a wider range of conditions. This paper shows results on the use of thermal infrared and visible imagery for face recognition in operational scenarios. In particular, we show performance statistics for outdoor face recognition and recognition across multiple sessions. Our results support the conclusion that face recognition performance with thermal infrared imagery is stable over multiple sessions, and that fusion of modalities increases performance. As measured by the number of images and number of subjects, this is the largest ever reported study on thermal face recognition.
Delay-Constrained High Definition Video Transmission in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks with Multi-Homed Terminals

Delivering high-quality mobile video with the limited radio resources is challenging due to the time-varying channel status and stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Multi-homing support enables mobile terminals to establish multiple simultaneous associations for enhancing transmission performance. In this paper, we study the multi-homed communication of delay-constrained High Definition (HD) video in heterogeneous wireless networks. The low-delay encoded HD video streaming consists exclusively of Intra (I) and Predicted (P) frames. In the capacity-limited wireless networks, it is highly possible the large-size I frames experience deadline violations and induce severe quality degradations. To address the challenging problem, we propose a novel scheduling framework dubbed delAy Stringent COded Transmission (ASCOT) that featured by frame-level data protection and allocation overmultiple wireless access networks. First, we perform online video distortion estimation to simulate multi-homed transmission impairments according to the feedback channel status and input video data. Second, we control the frame protection level by adapting the Forward Error Correction (FEC) coding redundancy and video data allocation to achieve target quality. The performance of the proposed ASCOT is evaluated through semi-physical emulations in Exata using real-time H.264 video streaming. Experimental results show that ASCOT outperforms existing transmission schemes in improving the video PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio), reducing the end-to-end delay, and increasing the goodput. Or conversely, ASCOTachieves the same video quality with approximately 20 percent bandwidth conservation.
Analytical modeling and simulation of a CMOS-MEMS cantilever based CO2 sensor for medical applications

Capnometers measure the concentration of CO2 in exhaled breath which could prevent serious problems in all areas of healthcare, from pre-hospital to extended care, and everywhere in between. Presently, high cost, big size and high power usage limit the scope of the conventional capnometers and their adaption. To overcome these issues, a CMOS MEMS micro-cantilever has been proposed for capnometric applications. Analytical modeling and simulation of the microcantilever sensor is carried out to determine its resonance frequency and sensitivity. According to the developed analytical model and simulation results, the sensor has 1% difference in the resonance frequency. The sensitivity of the sensor is determined analytically at different thicknesses of the polymer coating layer. The sensitivity of the sensor is 3.18 Hz/100ppm at 5 μm polymer layer thickness.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A165-induced Prostacyclin Synthesis Requires the Activation of VEGF Receptor-1 and -2 Heterodimer*

We previously reported that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A165 inflammatory effect is mediated by acute platelet-activating factor synthesis from endothelial cells upon the activation of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and its coreceptor, neuropilin-1 (NRP-1). In addition, VEGF-A165 promotes the release of other endothelial mediators including nitric oxide and prostacyclin (PGI2). However, it is unknown whether VEGF-A165 is mediating PGI2 synthesis through VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and/or VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) activation and whether the coreceptor NRP-1 potentiates VEGF-A165 activity. In this study, PGI2 synthesis in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) was assessed by quantifying its stable metabolite (6-keto prostaglandin F1α, 6-keto PGF1α) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Treatment of BAEC with VEGF analogs, VEGF-A165 (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and NRP-1 agonist) and VEGF-A121 (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 agonist) (up to 10–9 m), increased PGI2 synthesis by 70- and 40-fold within 15 min. Treatment with VEGFR-1 (placental growth factor and VEGF-B) or VEGFR-2 (VEGF-C) agonist did not increase PGI2 synthesis. The combination of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 agonists did not increase PGI2 release. Pretreatment with a VEGFR-2 inhibitor abrogated PGI2 release mediated by VEGF-A165 and VEGF-A121, and pretreatment of BAEC with antisense oligomers targeting VEGFR-1 or VEGFR-2 mRNA reduced PGI2 synthesis mediated by VEGF-A165 and VEGF-A121 up to 79%. In summary, our data demonstrate that the activation of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 heterodimer (VEGFR-1/R-2) is essential for PGI2 synthesis mediated by VEGF-A165 and VEGF-A121, which cannot be reproduced by the parallel activation of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 homodimers with corresponding agonists. In addition, the binding of VEGF-A165 to NRP-1 potentiates its capacity to promote PGI2 synthesis.
Choosing where to go: Complete 3D exploration with stereo

This paper is about the autonomous acquisition of detailed 3D maps of a-priori unknown environments using a stereo camera - it is about choosing where to go. Our approach hinges upon a boundary value constrained partial differential equation (PDE) - the solution of which provides a scalar field guaranteed to have no local minima. This scalar field is trivially transformed into a vector field in which following lines of max flow causes provably complete exploration of the environment in full 6 degrees of freedom (6-DOF). We use a SLAM system to infer the position of a stereo pair in real time and fused stereo depth maps to generate the boundary conditions which drive exploration. Our exploration algorithm is parameter free, is as applicable to 3D laser data as it is to stereo, is real time and is guaranteed to deliver complete exploration. We show empirically that it performs better than oft-used frontier based approaches and demonstrate our system working with real and simulated data.