Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance comparison of LPV control and interpolating control for a pick-and-place machine with position-dependent dynamics

This paper discusses the control of a pick-and-place machin e of which the dynamics change significantly with the position of the ha ndling tool in the workspace. Two control design approaches for systems with v arying dynamics are implemented and compared. The first one is Linear Paramet er Varying (LPV) control, an analytical design approach that guarantees the tability of the closed loop for all possible parameter variations. The second appr oach is traditional gainscheduling control, where several controllers designed fo r fixed operating points are interpolated to construct a global gain-scheduling contro ller. Traditional interpolating control shows to have high performance for the set-up, wi thout loss of stability, even though this stability cannot be guaranteed analytical ly. While in literature LPV control is suggested as the more standardized approach comp ared to the ’pragmatic’ traditional interpolating gain-scheduling approach, it i s concluded from the analysis presented in this paper that there are still some cumbers om teps in the LPV design procedure that limit its suitability for industrial applications. Therefore, interpolating gain-scheduling control is proposed as the mor e useful technique for such systems. Wim Symens Flanders’ Mechatronics Technology Center, Celestijnenla an 300D bus 4027, 3001 Leuven, Belgium, e-mail: wim.symens@fmtc.be Bart Paijmans Verhaert Space, Masters in Innovation, Hogenakkerhoekstr aat 9, 9150 Kruibeke, Belgium, e-mail: bart.paijmans@verhaertspace.com Hendrik Van Brussel and Jan Swevers Katholieke universiteit Leuven, division PMA, Celestijne nlaan 300D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium, email: hendrik.vanbrussel@kuleuven.be and jan.swevers@k uleuven.be
Risk Maps of Lassa Fever in West Africa

Background Lassa fever is caused by a viral haemorrhagic arenavirus that affects two to three million people in West Africa, causing a mortality of between 5,000 and 10,000 each year. The natural reservoir of Lassa virus is the multi-mammate rat Mastomys natalensis, which lives in houses and surrounding fields. With the aim of gaining more information to control this disease, we here carry out a spatial analysis of Lassa fever data from human cases and infected rodent hosts covering the period 1965–2007. Information on contemporary environmental conditions (temperature, rainfall, vegetation) was derived from NASA Terra MODIS satellite sensor data and other sources and for elevation from the GTOPO30 surface for the region from Senegal to the Congo. All multi-temporal data were analysed using temporal Fourier techniques to generate images of means, amplitudes and phases which were used as the predictor variables in the models. In addition, meteorological rainfall data collected between 1951 and 1989 were used to generate a synoptic rainfall surface for the same region. Methodology/Principal Findings Three different analyses (models) are presented, one superimposing Lassa fever outbreaks on the mean rainfall surface (Model 1) and the other two using non-linear discriminant analytical techniques. Model 2 selected variables in a step-wise inclusive fashion, and Model 3 used an information-theoretic approach in which many different random combinations of 10 variables were fitted to the Lassa fever data. Three combinations of absence∶presence clusters were used in each of Models 2 and 3, the 2 absence∶1 presence cluster combination giving what appeared to be the best result. Model 1 showed that the recorded outbreaks of Lassa fever in human populations occurred in zones receiving between 1,500 and 3,000 mm rainfall annually. Rainfall, and to a much lesser extent temperature variables, were most strongly selected in both Models 2 and 3, and neither vegetation nor altitude seemed particularly important. Both Models 2 and 3 produced mean kappa values in excess of 0.91 (Model 2) or 0.86 (Model 3), making them ‘Excellent’. Conclusion/Significance The Lassa fever areas predicted by the models cover approximately 80% of each of Sierra Leone and Liberia, 50% of Guinea, 40% of Nigeria, 30% of each of Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and Benin, and 10% of Ghana.
A Portable Run-Time System for the SR Concurrent Programming Language

A run-time system is the glue between the compiler-generated code and the underlying platform. In addition to having a signi cant impact on performance, run-time systems are also largely responsible for the degree of portability of a language implementation. Concurrent programming languages are particularly dependent on threads and communication, both of which can vary greatly from platform to platform. This paper presents our current work in developing a portable run-time system for the SR programming language. We argue that portability must be addressed at multiple layers in a run-time system, and not just in a single virtual machine layer. We also present detailed design issues of our run-time system, especially with respect to the thread interface. Performance results are presented for three Linux-based thread packages. Although our work focused on the SR implementation, our overall approach and general observations should also be applicable to implementations of other concurrent programming languages.
P 2 P Economies

We analyze current P2P credit systems in the light of modern economic theories, devoting particular attention to currency based ones, and argue their unsuitability to the characteristics of P2P networks. We then propose a robust, efficiently scalable barter system with short transactions and wealth storage, classically considered the two most important features of currency based economies.
Resonant decompositions and the I-method for cubic nonlinear Schrodinger on R^2

The initial value problem for the cubic defocusing nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation $i \partial_t u + \Delta u = |u|^2 u$ on the plane is shown to be globally well-posed for initial data in $H^s (\R^2)$ provided $s>1/2$. The proof relies upon an almost conserved quantity constructed using multilinear correction terms. The main new difficulty is to control the contribution of resonant interactions to these correction terms. The resonant interactions are significant due to the multidimensional setting of the problem and some orthogonality issues which arise.
Analyzing an Exponential Queuing Model Based on Stepwise Time Rates

 Abstract—Encountering the uncertainties in our new world is a major problem which many managers are engaged with that. The stochastic nature of demand arrivals and service processes is an important problem which is studied by many researchers. This article is dedicated to analyzing some queuing systems with stepwise demand and service rates functions. Some analytical concepts are presented by using numerical examples. Also, the basic relations of queuing theory are used and finally the findings are applied in a case study. The article will help the managers to obtain the optimal servicing parameters for a stochastic system with stepwise demand and service rate functions to achieve the minimum total cost.
Teaching-learning-based optimization with two-stage initialization

The teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm based on simulated teaching-learning procedure in a class. This algorithm requires no controlling parameters and is moulded based on the effect of influence of teacher on the output of learners and hence can be implemented easily and also requires less computational memory compared to other evolutionary algorithms. This paper presents the (TLBO) algorithm with two-stage initialization (TSI). The TLBO with TSI (TLBO-TSI) is tested with the Rastrigin benchmark function and then used to minimize least-squares (LS), Huber (HU) and Hampel (HA) cost functions. Simulation results are presented to show the evolutionary behavior of the TLBO with TSI. Simulation results show that the TLBO-TSI performs better compared to existing TLBO.
Local Linear Convergence of the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers on Quadratic or Linear Programs

We introduce a novel matrix recurrence yielding a new spectral analysis of the local transient convergence behavior of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), for the particular case of a quadratic program or a linear program. We identify a particular combination of vector iterates whose convergence can be analyzed via a spectral analysis. The theory predicts that ADMM should go through up to four convergence regimes, such as constant step convergence or linear convergence, ending with the latter when close enough to the optimal solution if the optimal solution is unique and satisfies strict complementarity.
Learning to Recognize Tables in Free Text

Many real-world texts contain tables. In order to process these texts correctly and extract the information contained within the tables, it is important to identify the presence and structure of tables. In this paper, we present a new approach that learns to recognize tables in free text, including the boundary, rows and columns of tables. When tested on Wall Street Journal news documents, our learning approach outperforms a deterministic table recognition algorithm that identifies table recognition algorithm that identifies tables based on a fixed set of conditions. Our learning approach is also more flexible and easily adaptable to texts in different domains with different table characteristics.
Lecture 2 Sequence Similarity January 4 & 9 , 1996

Rotating notetaking: Notes are to be written up in L aTEX if you know it, or plain text if not, and sent by electronic mail tokarp@cs , ruzzo@cs , or tompa@cs, as appropriate. (If in L aTEX, see the instructions in /homes/june/ruzzo/SHARED/590bi/lectures/DIRECTIONS . If in plain text, don’t worry much about mathematical formulas, figures, bibliography citations, etc.) Notes are due at noon the day following lecture, so that they may be distributed to the class as soon as possible.
A 3-D surveillance system using multiple integrated cameras

Conventional surveillance systems usually use multiple screens to display acquired video streams and may cause trouble to keep track of targets due to the lack of spatial relationship among the screens. This paper presents an effective and efficient surveillance system that can integrate multiple video contents into one single comprehensive view. To visualize the monitored area, the proposed system uses planar patches to approximate the 3-D model of the monitored environment and displays the video contents of cameras by applying dynamic texture mapping on the model. It is an efficient method for interactive 3-D monitoring of the environment without complicated procedures like camera calibration or 3-D model reconstruction. Moreover, moving objects are extracted through foreground segmentation and then visualized through axis-aligned billboarding. In this way, the system provides security guards a better situational awareness of the monitored site, including the activities of the tracking targets.
Applicability of Context-Aware Framework of Knowledge Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Research Proposal

The existing frameworks of knowledge management do not consider the global diversity and thus, may not be appropriate for organizations in developing countries. KAFRA, a context-aware framework was developed to meet the specific needs of organizations in developing countries and possibly globally. The framework was based on the empirical study of six research organizations in Nigeria and The Gambia, and a follow-up study in two organizations in India. This paper describes a proposed study on the implementation and applicability of this framework using two different research approaches.
Heterogeneous parallel computing for data encryption application

Heterogeneous High Performance Computing (HPC) platforms consisting of multicore microprocessors and multicore GPU's are becoming increasingly popular these days. Many HPC and non-HPC applications are parallelized on these platforms. Data encryption is a common operation in a network based application programs with security. In order to keep pace with the high input data rate in such applications, real-time processing of data encryption is essential. In this paper, we propose a new approach to parallelize a data encryption algorithm, AES-CTR, on a heterogeneous HPC platform by extending the size of the block which is encrypted at one time across the unit block boundaries. The proposed approach leads to significant performance improvements.
Current Concepts of Mechanisms in Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has become a leading cause of severe liver disease in Western countries and therefore poses a major clinical and regulatory challenge. Whereas previously drug-specific pathways leading to initial injury of liver cells were the main focus of mechanistic research and classifications, current concepts see these as initial upstream events and appreciate that subsequent common downstream pathways and their attenuation by drugs and other environmental and genetic factors also have a profound impact on the risk of an individual patient to develop overt liver disease. This review summarizes current mechanistic concepts of DILI in a 3-step model that limits its principle mechanisms to three main ways of initial injury, i.e. direct cell stress, direct mitochondrial impairment, and specific immune reactions. Subsequently, initial injury initiates further downstream events, i.e. direct and death receptor-mediated pathways leading to mitochondrial permeability transition, which then results in apoptotic or necrotic cell death. For all mechanisms, mitochondria play a central role in events leading to apoptotic vs. necrotic cell death. New treatment targets consequently focus on interference with downstream pathways that mediate injury and therefore determine the ultimate outcome of DILI. Genome wide and targeted pharmacogenetic as well as metabonomic approaches are now used in order to reach the key goals of a better understanding of mechanisms in hepatotoxicity, and to develop new strategies for its prediction and treatment. However, the complexity of interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors is considerable, and DILI therefore currently remains unpredictable for most hepatotoxins.
Energy Optimization Mechanism in Wireless Sensor Networks

Nowadays, wireless sensor networks (WSN) present a lot of interest in several research areas due to their wide range of applications. One of the most critical problems is how to ensure a better and efficient communication taking into account some constraints such as network lifetime and energy consumption. In this context and as an alternative, several papers focusing on the conception and development of robust routing protocols have been undertaken these last decades. In this paper, we propose a robust hierarchical routing protocol using a dynamic clustering mechanism (HRP-DCM) which consists to build clusters wherein coordinators nodes with extra privileges called Cluster-Head (CH) are able to create and manipulate messages using TDMA schedule and aggregate data according to CDMA method. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated in simulations.
A comparison between one-way delays in operating HSPA and LTE networks

The detailed understanding of packet delays in modern wireless networks is crucial to optimize applications and protocols. We conducted high precision latency measurements in operational LTE and HSPA networks, deploying a hybrid approach of active probing and withe-box testing. It allowed us to separately assess the one-way delay contributions of the radio access network and the core network for both technologies. The results show that LTE outperforms HSPA in the case of medium to high data rates. However, due to differences in the radio access procedures, the HSPA uplink connection offers lower delay for specific traffic patterns. A comparison between our measurement results and the requirements for delay sensitive applications exhibits that LTE is not (yet) the generally preferable technology. Hence, further optimizations of the LTE scheduling and resource allocation policies are required to fully exhaust all feasible latency improvements.
Future Educational Programs and Employment Prospects in Information Technology.

Over the past several years, we have experienced a rather dramatic downward turn in demand for entry level information technology (IT) professionals. However, reports of trends at the end of 2004 indicated that job postings for IT workers reached their highest levels since 2001. This occurs at a time when the number of four year degree programs in IT has increased while the students interested in studying IT has decreased. The consensus among many recruiters is that there is a general lack of interest in pursuing an IT degree, and this will lead to shortages in qualified IT professionals. This paper will examine the future of our technology-related educational programs as well as the projected employment prospects in the IT field. The paper will attempt to match competencies developed in our educational programs with projections for growth areas and shortages in the job market.
The Nature of Unresolved Soft X-Ray Emission from the Galactic Disk

Although about 40% of the soft X-ray background emission in 0.4 to 1 keV range has extragalactic origins and thus is totally blocked by the galactic absorption in midplane directions, it decreases at most by about 20% in midplane. Suzaku observation of the direction, (`, b) = (235 i ,0 i ), showed an O VII K˛ emission intensity comparable with that of the MBM-12 on cloud Suzaku observation, but revealed a narrow bump peaked at � 0.9 keV. The latter component is partly filling the decrease of the extragalactic component in midplane. The feature can be well represented by a thin thermal emission with a temperature of about 0.8 keV. Because of the high pressure implied for spatially extended hot gas, the emission is likely a sum of unresolved faint sources. We consider a large fraction of the emission originates from faint dM stars. We constructed a model spectrum for spatially unresolved dM stars that consistently explains the observed spectrum and the surface brightness. The model also suggests that the emission from dM stars decreases very rapidly with increasing b, and thus that it cannot compensate entirely the decrease of the extragalactic component at b � 2 i -10 i .
Modeling magnetic coupling for on-chip interconnect

As advances in IC technologies and operating frequencies make the modeling of on-chip magnetic interactions a necessity, it is apparent that extension of traditional inductance extraction approaches to full-chip scale problems is impractical. There are primarily two obstacles to performing inductance extraction with the same efficacy as full-chip capacitance extraction: (1) neglecting far-away coupling terms can generate an unstable inductance matrix approximation; and (2) the penetrating nature of inductance makes localized extraction via windowing extremely difficult. In this paper we propose and contrast three new options for stable and accurate window-based extraction of large-scale magnetic coupling. We analyze the required window sizes to consider the possibilities for pattern-matching style solutions, and propose three schemes for determining coupling values and window sizing for extraction via on-the-fly field solution.
A note on the fragility of the "Michael" message integrity code

The IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard did not incorporate a cryptographic message integrity code into its wired equivalent privacy (WEP) protocol, and relied upon CRC-32 for message integrity. This was shown to be completely insecure since WEP uses a stream cipher (RC4) for encryption. The latest IEEE 802.11i draft addresses this, and other, weaknesses discovered in WEP. IEEE 802.11i suggests three new modes of operation: two based on the Advanced Encryption Standard cipher and one [temporal key integrity protocol (TKIP)] still based on RC4. The TKIP mode is intended for use on legacy hardware, which is computationally weak. TKIP uses a new, keyed, 64-b, message integrity code called Michael. In this letter, we highlight a weakness in Michael and suggest a simple fix.
MONDIALISATION ET REPARTITION DES REVENUS: UN MODELE D'EQUILIBRE GENERAL CALCULABLE

In this article, we examine the linkage between globalization and the labor market. Within the framework of north-south relations, we will focus more precisely on the distributive conflict generated by an exogenous globalization shock. Considering the different shapes globalization takes on (an increased mobility of goods, services and production factors), we use an applied general equilibrium model to assess the role of each of these shocks in the rising wage disparities in many industrialized countries.
A New Particle Swarm Evolutionary Optimization for Parameter Estimation of Biological Models

The development of reliable biological models has become an important issue in systems biology. These models are constructed using differential algebraic equations to represent the dynamic perturbation of the biochemical quantities within the cells. However, these models heavily depend on the set of parameters that signify the physiology of the systems such as reaction rates and kinetic constants. These parameters are commonly difficult to be obtained using the experimental measurements. Due to the uncertainty of the measurements and the nonlinearity of the systems, advanced optimization methods are often necessary. In this paper, a new hybrid optimization method is introduced. The method, called Particle Swarm Evolutionary Optimization (PSEO), is proposed based on the combination of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Differential Evolution (DE) methods. The effectiveness of the proposed PSEO method on the parameter estimation problem is evaluated using two biological models, namely synthetic oscillator and microbial lactose operon models. The experimental results showed that the performances in term of better fitness value and computational speed of the proposed method have outperformed those produced by the existing methods like Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Differential Evolution (DE) and recently proposed hybrid Local Evolutionary PSO (LEPSO) methods.
PENS: an algorithm for density-based clustering in peer-to-peer systems

Huge amounts of data are available in large-scale networks of autonomous data sources dispersed over a wide area. Data mining is an essential technology for obtaining hidden and valuable knowledge from these networked data sources. In this paper, we investigate clustering, one of the most important data mining tasks, in one of such networked computing environments, i.e., peer-to-peer (P2P) systems. The lack of a central control and the sheer large size of P2P systems make the existing clustering techniques not applicable here. We propose a fully distributed clustering algorithm, called Peer dENsity-based cluStering (PENS), which overcomes the challenge raised in performing clustering in peer-to-peer environments, i.e., cluster assembly. The main idea of PENS is hierarchical cluster assembly, which enables peers to collaborate in forming a global clustering model without requiring a central control or message flooding. The complexity analysis of the algorithm demonstrates that PENS can discover clusters and noise efficiently in P2P systems.