Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TextureWGAN: texture preserving WGAN with multitask regularizer for computed tomography inverse problems

Abstract. Purpose This paper presents a deep learning (DL) based method called TextureWGAN. It is designed to preserve image texture while maintaining high pixel fidelity for computed tomography (CT) inverse problems. Over-smoothed images by postprocessing algorithms have been a well-known problem in the medical imaging industry. Therefore, our method tries to solve the over-smoothing problem without compromising pixel fidelity. Approach The TextureWGAN extends from Wasserstein GAN (WGAN). The WGAN can create an image that looks like a genuine image. This aspect of the WGAN helps preserve image texture. However, an output image from the WGAN is not correlated to the corresponding ground truth image. To solve this problem, we introduce the multitask regularizer (MTR) to the WGAN framework to make a generated image highly correlated to the corresponding ground truth image so that the TextureWGAN can achieve high-level pixel fidelity. The MTR is capable of using multiple objective functions. In this research, we adopt a mean squared error (MSE) loss to maintain pixel fidelity. We also use a perception loss to improve the look and feel of result images. Furthermore, the regularization parameters in the MTR are trained along with generator network weights to maximize the performance of the TextureWGAN generator. Results The proposed method was evaluated in CT image reconstruction applications in addition to super-resolution and image-denoising applications. We conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative evaluations. We used PSNR and SSIM for pixel fidelity analysis and the first-order and the second-order statistical texture analysis for image texture. The results show that the TextureWGAN is more effective in preserving image texture compared with other well-known methods such as the conventional CNN and nonlocal mean filter (NLM). In addition, we demonstrate that TextureWGAN can achieve competitive pixel fidelity performance compared with CNN and NLM. The CNN with MSE loss can attain high-level pixel fidelity, but it often damages image texture. Conclusions TextureWGAN can preserve image texture while maintaining pixel fidelity. The MTR is not only helpful to stabilize the TextureWGAN’s generator training but also maximizes the generator performance.
Science and research landscapes across D-8 organization member countries from a historical perspective: The policy context and collective agendas

Abstract Intergovernmental Economic Organizations usually leverage the scientific capacity of their member countries to ensure economic prosperity through consensual science policies. The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is an intergovernmental economic forum constituting eight developing Muslim-majority countries with a host of recent initiatives toward encouraging interstate scientific and technological collaborations. This study presents an overview of the forum’s overarching science policies and the research performance in the member countries in the past two decades. The individual D-8 countries’ performance over a set of STI indicators is analyzed to examine the driving forces of the STI system in the member countries. The findings revealed marked disparities among the countries in economic prosperity, R&D expenditure, and the stock of researchers in their STI systems. Although the aggregate research volume of the D-8 countries almost quadrupled over the 2010s compared with the previous decade, there are salient differences in the research capacity and scientific impact among these countries. GDP, R&D expenditure, human development index, GNI per capita, and the number of researchers (FTE per million inhabitants) contribute to explain the growth of publications in some of the D-8 countries. Knowledge sharing, transfer of technology, research collaboration, and investment in R&D infrastructure among the member countries underline the recent overarching scientific policy initiatives of the D-8 organization.
Crosslinking Rapidly Cured Epoxy Resin Thermosets: Experimental and Computational Modeling and Simulation Study

The power of computational modeling and simulation for establishing clear links between materials’ intrinsic properties and their atomic structure has more and more increased the demand for reliable and reproducible protocols. Despite this increased demand, no one approach can provide reliable and reproducible outcomes to predict the properties of novel materials, particularly rapidly cured epoxy-resins with additives. This study introduces the first computational modeling and simulation protocol for crosslinking rapidly cured epoxy resin thermosets based on solvate ionic liquid (SIL). The protocol combines several modeling approaches, including quantum mechanics (QMs) and molecular dynamics (MDs). Furthermore, it insightfully provides a wide range of thermo-mechanical, chemical, and mechano-chemical properties, which agree with experimental data.
Precision measurements in the weak interaction framework: development of realistic simulations for the LPCTrap device installed at GANIL

This work belongs to the effort presently deployed to measure the angular correlation parameter aβν in three nuclear beta decays (6He+, 35Ar+et 19Ne+). The V-A structure of the weak interaction implies that aβν = +1 for a pure Fermi transition and aβν = -1/3 for a pure Gamow-Teller transition. A thorough measurement of this parameter to check any deviation from these values may lead to the discovery of possible exotic currents. Furthermore, the measurement of aβν in mirror transitions allows the extraction of Vud, the first element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. The LPCTrap apparatus, installed at GANIL, is designed to ready a continuous ion beam for injection in a dedicated Paul trap. This latter device allows to have a quasi-ponctual source from which the decay products are detected in coincidence. It is from the study of the recoil ion time-of- flight (TOF) distribution that aβν is withdrawn and, since 2010, the associated Shake-Off (SO) probabilities. This study requires the complete simulation of the LPCTrap experiments. The major part of this work is dedicated to such simulations, especially to the modeling of the trapped ion cloud dynamic. The Clouda program, which takes advantage of graphics processing unit (GPU), was developed in this context and its full characterization is presented here. Three important aspects are addressed: the electromagnetic trapping field, the realistic collisions between the ions and the buffer gas atoms and the space charge effect. The present work shows the importance of these simulations to increase the control of the systematic errors on aβν.
An Effective Resource Allocation Strategy for Three-Layer Networks

The unbalance of resource allocation often confines the traffic capacity of network. The limitation of network resources highlights the necessity of rational allocation of network resources. In this brief, a resource allocation strategy based on node degree is proposed for three-layer network with different speed physical layers. Through simulation comparison, the traffic capacity of proposed strategy is about 1.5 times that of the average allocation strategy, and the reduction rate of total load can reach more than 60%. In addition, assigning appropriate delivery capacity to nodes reduces the average traveling time. Finally, through the proposed load-related indicators, the traffic load distribution comparison can be intuitively obtained.
The importance of interactions between snow, permafrost and vegetation dynamics in affecting terrestrial carbon balance in circumpolar regions

Permafrost dynamics can drastically affect vegetation and soil carbon dynamics in northern high latitudes. Vegetation has significant influences on the energy balance of soil surface by impacting the short-wave radiation, long-wave radiation and surface sensible heat flux, affecting soil thermal dynamics, in turn, inducing vegetation shift, affecting carbon cycling. During winter, snow can also significantly impact soil temperature due to its insulative effect. However, these processes have not been fully modeled to date. To quantify the interactions between vegetation, snow, and soil thermal dynamics and their impacts on carbon dynamics over the circumpolar region (45–90° N), we revise a sophisticated ecosystem model to improve simulations of soil temperature profile and their influences on vegetation, ecosystem carbon pools and fluxes. We find that, with warmer soil temperature in winter and cooler soil temperature in summer simulated with the revised model considering vegetation shift and snow effects, the region will release 1.54 Pg C/year to the atmosphere for present-day and 66.77–87.95 Pg C in 2022–2100. The canopy effects due to vegetation shift, however, will get more carbon sequestered into the ecosystem at 1.00 Pg C/year for present day and 36.09–44.32 Pg C/year in 2022–2100. This study highlights the importance to consider the interactions between snow, vegetation shift and soil thermal dynamics in simulating carbon dynamics in the region.
A new mosaic method for three-dimensional surface

Three-dimensional (3-D) data mosaic is a indispensable link in surface measurement and digital terrain map generation. With respect to the mosaic problem of the local unorganized cloud points with rude registration and mass mismatched points, a new mosaic method for 3-D surface based on RANSAC is proposed. Every circular of this method is processed sequentially by random sample with additional shape constraint, data normalization of cloud points, absolute orientation, data denormalization of cloud points, inlier number statistic, etc. After N random sample trials the largest consensus set is selected, and at last the model is re-estimated using all the points in the selected subset. The minimal subset is composed of three non-colinear points which form a triangle. The shape of triangle is considered in random sample selection in order to make the sample selection reasonable. A new coordinate system transformation algorithm presented in this paper is used to avoid the singularity. The whole rotation transformation between the two coordinate systems can be solved by twice rotations expressed by Euler angle vector, each rotation has explicit physical means. Both simulation and real data are used to prove the correctness and validity of this mosaic method. This method has better noise immunity due to its robust estimation property, and has high accuracy as the shape constraint is added to random sample and the data normalization added to the absolute orientation. This method is applicable for high precision measurement of three-dimensional surface and also for the 3-D terrain mosaic.
Filling Gaps in Indo-US Stellar Spectral Library using Principal Component Analysis

Abstract The Indo-US coudé feed stellar spectral library (CFLIB) published recently by Valdes et al. (2004) contains spectra of 1273 stars in the spectral region 3460 to 9464 Å at a resolution of 1 Å. About 500 stars in this database have gaps ranging from a few Å to several tens of Å in this wavelength range. We use a variation of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique to fill gaps of up to 5Å in a subset of spectra from the CFLIB. We hope to exploit the full potential of the scheme and attempt to fill larger gaps in stellar spectra in a subsequent study.
Organic Electroluminescent Diodes

A novel electroluminescent device is constructed using organic materials as the emitting elements. The diode has a double‐layer structure of organic thin films, prepared by vapor deposition. Efficient injection of holes and electrons is provided from an indium‐tin‐oxide anode and an alloyed Mg:Ag cathode. Electron‐hole recombination and green electroluminescent emission are confined near the organic interface region. High external quantum efficiency (1% photon/electron), luminous efficiency (1.5 lm/W), and brightness (>1000 cd/m2) are achievable at a driving voltage below 10 V.
Experimental assessment of a 1 kJ electro-pyrotechnic device ignited in the 300-1000 V range for ETC studies

In order to assess a plasma igniter, a low energy and low cost device has been designed. This device makes it possible to produce 10 to 100 mg of high temperature gaseous mixture that can reach several k Kelvin, using only 1 or 2 kT of electrical energy. This paper presents the optimization of the discharge cell size with an experimental design method and the influence of the material on the device. These experimental measurements and methods are discussed and compared to thermodynamic calculations. An analysis has been made of the effects of the device design on output parameters such as the pulse duration, the plasma resistivity and the energy conversion. A first approach using the spectroscopic measurements is presented in order to assess the temperature and the chemical species produced by the device. The spectroscopic investigation is performed using both atomic and molecular emissions with time-resolved data sampling (Princeton Instruments optical multichannel analyzer). The interaction at low pressure (10/sup 5/ Pa) of a C/sub x/H/sub y/O/sub z/N/sub t/ plasma with a single base propellant is studied at the ignition/nonignition threshold in order to determine which physical parameters are predominant for the energy transfer.
Determinants of Wealth Outcomes in Female-Headed Households in Vietnam

This article uses data from the 2014 Vietnamese Household Living Standards Survey to compare the wealth outcome of Vietnamese female-headed households (FHH) to that of their male counterparts. The study takes an open position on the possible link between being a female head of the household and economic outcomes, focusing on heterogeneity among FHHs. The findings confirm that Vietnam has a small but significant group of married FHHs who have relatively high wealth, which makes the average wealth outcome of FHHs higher than that of male-headed households. The findings disagree with the view that these Vietnamese FHHs all have relatively privileged or advantageous economic conditions. In addition, the study confirms that land ownership, which is considered to play a key role in explaining the relatively strong wealth outcomes, is a distinguishing characteristic of married Vietnamese FHHs. HIGHLIGHTS Investigating the wealth outcomes of female-headed households (FHHs) in Vietnam reveals a heterogeneity of economic circumstances. FHHs are wealthier than male-headed households at upper quantiles of the household net worth. Not all Vietnamese female household heads who are married have high wealth. Wealth in FHHs is sensitive to household size, education, age, and wages. Land ownership plays a key role in explaining wealth outcomes of married FHHs.
Exosomal MicroRNA Levels Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has shown high efficiency in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) treatment. However, the response to therapy among patients varies greatly. Modern studies demonstrate the high potential of exosomal miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers in oncopathology. This study aimed to evaluate exosomal miRNA expression profiles of miRNAs-144, -146a, -149, -126, and -155 in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The study included 35 patients whose venous blood samples were taken before and after ICI therapy. Expression analysis was performed using real-time quantitative PCR. It was demonstrated that the level of microRNA-146a increased after therapy (median(IQR) 12.92(4.06–18.90)) compared with the level before it (median(IQR) 7.15(1.90–10.50); p-value = 0.006). On the contrary, microRNA-126 was reduced after therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (median(IQR) 0.85(0.55–1.03) vs. 0.48(0.15–0.68) before and after therapy, respectively; p-value = 0.0001). In addition, miRNA-146a expression was shown to be reduced in patients with a higher grade of immune-related adverse events (p-value = 0.020). The AUC value for the miRNA-146a and miRNA-126 combination was 0.752 (95% CI 0.585–0.918), with the sensitivity at 64.3% and the specificity at 78.9%. Thus, while it can be assumed that miRNA-146a and miRNA-126 can be used as predictors for ICI therapy effectiveness, additional in-depth studies are required.
CARIBIC—Civil Aircraft for Global Measurement of Trace Gases and Aerosols in the Tropopause Region

Abstract The deployment of measurement equipment in passenger aircraft for the observation of atmospheric trace constituents is described. The package of automated instruments that is installed in a one-ton-capacity aircraft freight container positioned in the forward cargo bay of a Boeing 767 ER can register a vast amount of atmospheric data during regular long-distance flights. The air inlet system that is mounted on the fuselage directly below the container comprises an aerosol inlet, a separate inlet for trace-gas sampling, and an air exhaust. All instruments, the central computer, and power supply are mounted in aviation-approved racks that slide into the reinforced container. The current instrument package comprises a fast-response chemiluminescence sensor and a conventional UV absorption detector for O3; a gas chromatograph for CO; two condensation nuclei counters for particles larger than 5 and 12 nm; and a 12-canister large-capacity whole air sampler for laboratory trace-gas analysis and isotopic.
Effect of ball milling and post treatment on crystal defects and transport properties of Bi2(Se,Te)3 compounds

Ionized point defects that act as electron donors or acceptors can strongly affect thermoelectrictransport properties of bismuth telluride compounds. These crystal imperfections including antisite defects and vacancies can be generated or annihilated during material processing. Here, we reported the effect of ball milling, thermal annealing, and electrical stressing on defect population in the Bi2(Se,Te)3 prepared by powder metallurgy. The milling process can modulate the relative portion of antisite defects and vacancies in crystal, and the Bi2(Se,Te)3 made of the powders with extended milling time showed high electron concentration and poor carrier mobility. The crystal defects, Te vacancies in particular, were eliminated to some degree during subsequent thermal treatment. An electric-current assisted thermal treatment was found to be very efficient in eliminating crystal defects, which can improve transport properties of Bi2(Se,Te)3 without causing re-evaporation of volatile Te and Se elements during high-temperature annealing.
Prototype of a front-end readout ASIC designed for the Water Cherenkov Detector Array in LHAASO

The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory is in the R&D phase, in which the Water Cherenkov Detector Array is an important part. The signals of Photo-Multiplier Tubes would vary from single photo electron to 4000 photo electrons, and both high precision charge and time measurement is required. To simplify the signal processing chain, the charge-to-time conversion method is employed. A prototype of the front-end readout ASIC is designed and fabricated in Chartered 0.35 μ m CMOS technology, which integrates time disctrimination and converts the input charge information to pulse widths. With Time-to-Digital Converters, both time and charge can be digitized at the same time. We have conducted initial tests on this chip, and the results indicate that a time resolution better than 0.5 ns is achieved over the full dynamic range (1 ∼ 4000 photo electrons, corresponding to 0.75 ∼ 3000 pC with the threshold of 0.188 pC); the charge resolution is better than 1% with large input amplitudes (500 ∼ 4000 photo electrons), and remains better than 15% with a 1 photo electron input amplitude, which is beyond the application requirement.
Security and Privacy Aware Programming Model for IoT Applications in Cloud Environment

The introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) applications into daily life has raised serious privacy concerns among consumers, network service providers, device manufacturers, and other parties involved. This paper gives a high-level overview of the three phases of data collecting, transmission, and storage in IoT systems as well as current privacy-preserving technologies. The following elements were investigated during these three phases:(1) Physical and data connection layer security mechanisms(2) Network remedies(3) Techniques for distributing and storing data. Real-world systems frequently have multiple phases and incorporate a variety of methods to guarantee privacy. Therefore, for IoT research, design, development, and operation, having a thorough understanding of all phases and their technologies can be beneficial. In this Study introduced two independent methodologies namely generic differential privacy (GenDP) and Cluster-Based Differential privacy ( Cluster-based DP) algorithms for handling metadata as intents and intent scope to maintain privacy and security of IoT data in cloud environments. With its help, we can virtual and connect enormous numbers of devices, get a clearer understanding of the IoT architecture, and store data eternally. However, due of the dynamic nature of the environment, the diversity of devices, the ad hoc requirements of multiple stakeholders, and hardware or network failures, it is a very challenging task to create security-, privacy-, safety-, and quality-aware Internet of Things apps. It is becoming more and more important to improve data privacy and security through appropriate data acquisition. The proposed approach resulted in reduced loss performance as compared to Support Vector Machine (SVM) , Random Forest (RF) .
Joint thresholding and quantizer selection for block-transform-based image coding with applications to baseline JPEG

We introduce a novel image-adaptive encoding scheme for the baseline JPEG standard that maximizes the decoded image quality without compromising compatibility with current JPEG decoders. Our algorithm jointly optimizes quantizer selection, coefficient 'thresholding', and entropy coding within a rate-distortion (R-D) framework. It unifies two previous approaches to image-adaptive JPEG encoding: R-D optimized quantizer selection by Wu and Gersho, and R-D optimal coefficient thresholding by Ramchandran and Vetterli. By formulating an algorithm which optimizes these two operations jointly, we have obtained performance that is the best in the reported literature for JPEG-compatible coding. In fact the performance of this JPEG coder is comparable to that of more complex 'state-of-the-art' image coding schemes: e.g., for the benchmark 512 by 512 'Lenna' image at a coding rate of 1 bit per pixel, our algorithm achieves a peak signal to noise ratio of 39.6 dB, which represents a gain of 1.7 dB over JPEG using the example Q- matrix with a customized Huffman entropy coder, and even slightly exceeds the published performance of Shapiro's celebrated embedded zerotree wavelet coding scheme. Furthermore, with the choice of appropriate visually-based error metrics, noticeable subjective improvement has been achieved as well. The reason for our algorithm's superior performance can be attributed to its conceptual equivalence to the application of entropy-constrained vector quantization design principles to a JPEG-compatible framework. Furthermore, our algorithm may be applied to other systems that use run-length encoding, including intra- frame MPEG and subband or wavelet coding.