Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-Phase Low-Energy N-Modular Redundancy for Hard Real-Time Multi-Core Systems

This paper proposes an N-modular redundancy (NMR) technique with low energy-overhead for hard real-time multi-core systems. NMR is well-suited for multi-core platforms as they provide multiple processing units and low-overhead communication for voting. However, it can impose considerable energy overhead and hence its energy overhead must be controlled, which is the primary consideration of this paper. For this purpose the system operation can be divided into two phases: indispensable phase and on-demand phase. In the indispensable phase only half-plus-one copies for each task are executed. When no fault occurs during this phase, the results must be identical and hence the remaining copies are not required. Otherwise, the remaining copies must be executed in the on-demand phase to perform a complete majority voting. In this paper, for such a two-phase NMR, an energy-management technique is developed where two new concepts have been considered: i) Block-partitioned scheduling that enables parallel task execution during on-demand phase, thereby leaving more slack for energy saving, ii) Pseudo-dynamic slack, that results when a task has no faulty execution during the indispensable phase and hence the time which is reserved for its copies in the on-demand phase is reclaimed for energy saving. The energy-management technique has an off-line part that manages static and pseudo-dynamic slacks at design time and an online part that mainly manages dynamic slacks at run-time. Experimental results show that the proposed NMR technique provides up to 29 percent energy saving and is 6 orders of magnitude higher reliable as compared to a recent previous work.
Realizing biological spiking network models in a configurable wafer-scale hardware system

An analog VLSI hardware architecture for the distributed simulation of large-scale spiking neural networks has been developed. Several hundred integrated computing nodes, each hosting up to 512 neurons, will be interconnected and operated on un-cut silicon wafers. The electro-technical aspects and the details of the hardware implementation are covered in a separate contribution to this conference. This paper focuses on the usability of the system by demonstrating that biologically relevant network models can in fact be mapped to this system. Different network configurations are established on the hardware by programmable switch matrices, repeaters, and address decoders. Systematic routing algorithms are presented to map a given network model to the hardware system. Routing is simulated for several network examples, proving the systempsilas practical applicability. Furthermore, the routing simulations are used to fix values for yet open hardware parameters.
Automating 3D wireless measurements with drones

Wireless signals and networks are ubiquitous. Though more reliable than ever, wireless networks still struggle with weak coverage, blind spots, and interference. Having a strong understanding of wireless signal propagation is essential for increasing coverage, optimizing performance, and minimizing interference for wireless networks. Extensive studies have analyzed the propagation of wireless signals and proposed theoretical models to simulate wireless signal propagation. Unfortunately, models of signal propagation are often not accurate in reality. Real-world signal measurements are required for validation. Existing methods for collecting wireless measurements either involve researchers walking to each location of interest and manually collecting measurements, or place sensors at each measurement location. As such, they require large amounts of time and effort and can be costly. We propose DroneSense, a system for measuring wireless signals in the 3D space using autonomous drones. Drone-Sense reduces the time and effort required for measurement collection, and is affordable and accessible to all users. It provides researchers with an efficient method to quickly analyze wireless coverage and test their wireless propagation models.
Citizen Lifetime Value in E-Government

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is one of the most important measures of valuing the customers in private sector. CLV calculates customer contribution in the profits of organization. In this paper Citizen Lifetime Value (CzLV) is introduced to measure the financial value of citizens for the government. CzLV evaluates citizen contribution in cost reduction of the organization. This measure can be calculated based on past behavior of citizens in using the service and cost reduction of using online services rather than offline ones. Logistic regression is employed as a data mining technique to predict future use of online services by citizens. A service of Tehran.ir called â€œ137,â€ one of the most important portals of Iranâ€™s E-government, is considered as a case study. CzLV for the citizens of this service is calculated and four citizen segments are specified. Then each segment is evaluated based on different characteristic of citizens, and suitable strategies are presented to build more financial values for the organization.
Robust classification of blurred imagery

In this paper, we present two novel approaches for the classification of blurry images. It is assumed that the blur is linear and space invariant, but that the exact blurring function is unknown. The proposed fusion-based approaches attempt to perform the simultaneous tasks of blind image restoration and classification. We call such a problem blind image fusion. The techniques are implemented using the nonnegativity and support constraints recursive inverse filtering (NAS-RIF) algorithm for blind image restoration and the Markov random field (RIRF)-based fusion method for classification by Schistad-Solberg et al. Simulation results on synthetic and real photographic data demonstrate the potential of the approaches. The algorithms are compared with one another and to situations in which blind blur removal is not attempted.
Evaluation and Development of Economic and Administrative Process Technologies for Health Care

Technology policy and governance of technology cannot ride solely on technology itself, because technology is intertwined with political, administrative, sociological, cultural and economic issues. Technology policy and technology governance need to adapt knowledge on those issues for their purposes. In dealing with this challenge, let us coin the neologism ‘economic and administrative process technologies. ' This term can be seen as an adjunct to such key targets of technology policies, technology programmes and their projects as information and communication technologies (ICTs), biotechnologies and new materials technologies. The empirical references of the paper are the Finnish technology policies and technology governance, although theargument runs in a more general than only a country-specific level. Summarising the results of the paper, first, from an international perspective, economic and administrative process technologies supplementing their engineering, medicine and natural science counterparts are far from fully elaborated. Reasons for this include the fact that technology assessment (TA) in health care is still relatively underdeveloped with respect to its full utilisation and its economic orientation. In health care, economic and administrative technologies intertwine with other technologies, importantly clinical ones, and the boundary between those two types of technologies frequently remains hazy. For said reasons, it is advisable to consider the economic and administrative process technologies not only per se but also by combining the two perspectives of economic evaluation in health care on the one hand, and TA in health care on the other. The results suggest, further, that so far, health care has not been blessed with solid evidence-based economic and administrative process technologies, which is unlike the case in several substantive health care fields. So far, most TAs in health care have been constrained in their scope. Economic evaluation has made uneven progress with respect to such development trends in health care as the definition of clinical pathways, the integration of information systems and knowledge types, the improvement of cooperation between various professions dealing with health care and the strengthening of ICT-supported self-care of patients and citizens interested in an effective prevention of illness. Among the economic and administrative process technologies of health care, particular consideration can be directed upon applications of industrial economics and business economics in the management of health processes, small-scale TA in health, and knowledge brokering in health care. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of relevant ‘weak signals' for future development.
Pitch synchronized speech processing (PSSP) for speaker recognition

A method for speech signal enhancement is developed with application to automatic speaker recognition where the signals have different channel conditions. The basis of this technique is a robust pitch detection algorithm that accurately estimates the instantaneous pitch rate, and extracts single pitch period speech segments. This technique of pitch synchronized speech processing (PSSP) provides the highest time-frequency resolution for short time Fourier analysis of speech signals. It also effectively eliminates all non-voiced signal regions and minimizes the spectral harmonics due to multiple pitch periods in the analysis window. One significant benefit of PSSP is that feature warping can be applied to the pitch-synchronized spectrums for two cross-channel signals. Feature warping in the spectral domain provides linear channel normalization and enhancement for spectrographic analysis. A cross channel transfer function can then be derived from the feature warping process and applied to audio channel normalization and enhancement. The application of the PSSP feature warping transfer function resulted in improved speaker recognition performance when applied to cross-channel speech signals from the CAVIS voice corpus [1]. However, PSSP alone did not improve recognition performance compared to Mel filterbank cepstral coefficients.
A Sporozoite Asparagine-Rich Protein Controls Initiation of Plasmodium Liver Stage Development

Plasmodium sporozoites invade host hepatocytes and develop as liver stages (LS) before the onset of erythrocytic infection and malaria symptoms. LS are clinically silent, and constitute ideal targets for causal prophylactic drugs and vaccines. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying LS development remain poorly characterized. Here we describe a conserved Plasmodium asparagine-rich protein that is specifically expressed in sporozoites and liver stages. Gene disruption in Plasmodium berghei results in complete loss of sporozoite infectivity to rodents, due to early developmental arrest after invasion of hepatocytes. Mutant sporozoites productively invade host cells by forming a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), but subsequent remodelling of the membrane of the PV (PVM) is impaired as a consequence of dramatic down-regulation of genes encoding PVM-resident proteins. These early arrested mutants confer only limited protective immunity in immunized animals. Our results demonstrate the role of an asparagine-rich protein as a key regulator of Plasmodium sporozoite gene expression and LS development, and suggest a requirement of partial LS maturation to induce optimal protective immune responses against malaria pre-erythrocytic stages. These findings have important implications for the development of genetically attenuated parasites as a vaccine approach.
Differential Dynamic Engagement within 24 SH3 Domain: Peptide Complexes Revealed by Co-Linear Chemical Shift Perturbation Analysis

There is increasing evidence for the functional importance of multiple dynamically populated states within single proteins. However, peptide binding by protein-protein interaction domains, such as the SH3 domain, has generally been considered to involve the full engagement of peptide to the binding surface with minimal dynamics and simple methods to determine dynamics at the binding surface for multiple related complexes have not been described. We have used NMR spectroscopy combined with isothermal titration calorimetry to comprehensively examine the extent of engagement to the yeast Abp1p SH3 domain for 24 different peptides. Over one quarter of the domain residues display co-linear chemical shift perturbation (CCSP) behavior, in which the position of a given chemical shift in a complex is co-linear with the same chemical shift in the other complexes, providing evidence that each complex exists as a unique dynamic rapidly inter-converting ensemble. The extent the specificity determining sub-surface of AbpSH3 is engaged as judged by CCSP analysis correlates with structural and thermodynamic measurements as well as with functional data, revealing the basis for significant structural and functional diversity amongst the related complexes. Thus, CCSP analysis can distinguish peptide complexes that may appear identical in terms of general structure and percent peptide occupancy but have significant local binding differences across the interface, affecting their ability to transmit conformational change across the domain and resulting in functional differences.
Strong evidence for terrestrial support of zooplankton in small lakes based on stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen

Cross-ecosystem subsidies to food webs can alter metabolic balances in the receiving (subsidized) system and free the food web, or particular consumers, from the energetic constraints of local primary production. Although cross-ecosystem subsidies between terrestrial and aquatic systems have been well recognized for benthic organisms in streams, rivers, and the littoral zones of lakes, terrestrial subsidies to pelagic consumers are more difficult to demonstrate and remain controversial. Here, we adopt a unique approach by using stable isotopes of H, C, and N to estimate terrestrial support to zooplankton in two contrasting lakes. Zooplankton (Holopedium, Daphnia, and Leptodiaptomus) are comprised of ≈20–40% of organic material of terrestrial origin. These estimates are as high as, or higher than, prior measures obtained by experimentally manipulating the inorganic 13C content of these lakes to augment the small, natural contrast in 13C between terrestrial and algal photosynthesis. Our study gives credence to a growing literature, which we review here, suggesting that significant terrestrial support of pelagic crustaceans (zooplankton) is widespread.
Oral vs intratympanic corticosteroid therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss has been treated with oral corticosteroids for more than 30 years. Recently, many patients' symptoms have been managed with intratympanic steroid therapy. No satisfactory comparative effectiveness study to support this practice exists. OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of oral vs intratympanic steroid to treat sudden sensorineural hearing loss. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Prospective, randomized, noninferiority trial involving 250 patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss presenting within 14 days of onset of 50 dB or higher of pure tone average (PTA) hearing threshold. The study was conducted from December 2004 through October 2009 at 16 academic community-based otology practices. Participants were followed up for 6 months. INTERVENTION One hundred twenty-one patients received either 60 mg/d of oral prednisone for 14 days with a 5-day taper and 129 patients received 4 doses over 14 days of 40 mg/mL of methylprednisolone injected into the middle ear. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary end point was change in hearing at 2 months after treatment. Noninferiority was defined as less than a 10-dB difference in hearing outcome between treatments. RESULTS In the oral prednisone group, PTA improved by 30.7 dB compared with a 28.7-dB improvement in the intratympanic treatment group. Mean pure tone average at 2 months was 56.0 for the oral steroid treatment group and 57.6 dB for the intratympanic treatment group. Recovery of hearing on oral treatment at 2 months by intention-to-treat analysis was 2.0 dB greater than intratympanic treatment (95.21% upper confidence interval, 6.6 dB). Per-protocol analysis confirmed the intention-to-treat result. Thus, the hypothesis of inferiority of intratympanic methylprednisolone to oral prednisone for primary treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss was rejected. CONCLUSION Among patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, hearing level 2 months after treatment showed that intratympanic treatment was not inferior to oral prednisone treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00097448.
DATA FUSION-BASED SPATIO-TEMPORAL ADAPTIVE INTERPOLATION FOR LOW-RESOLUTION VIDEO

This paper presents an adaptive regularized image interpolation algorithm from blurred and noisy low resolution image sequence, which is developed by a general framework based on data fusion. This framework can preserve edge information and suppress noise, effectively. To obtain a higher resolution image, both discontinuities across the edge orientation and smoothness along the edge orientation should be considered in a high resolution image interpolation algorithm. Also, spatio-temporal adaptive three dimensional Laplacian smoothness constraints are used to suppress noise and preserve edge profiles. This multichannel image interpolation algorithm is to construct an adaptive fusion algorithm based on regularized image interpolation. By combining spatially adaptive constraints, directional high frequency components are preserved with efficiently suppressed noise. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has the advantage of preserving directional high frequency components and suppressing undesirable artifacts such as noise.
Embedded Model Control: Application to Electrovalves

The paper briefly illustrates the embedded model control (EMC) methodology, a model/observer based design procedure addressed to industrial engineers and technicians capable of plant modelling. Mathematics is reduced to a minimum. Eigenvalue tuning is suggested to be achieved through simulator as a plant surrogate, as it will provide designer with great sensitivity and security. Sophisticated algorithms of modern control might be employed at least for comparison or start-up. Tuning objective is just to reach required performance and to assess margin, not to optimize. The digital control of a proportional electro-hydraulic valve, under test, is presented as an application
Frequency of Specific Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Cameroonian Patients on Dialysis: The Cases of Anaemia, Inflammation, Phosphate, and Calcium

Specific cardiovascular risk factors are known to contribute to increasing cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic renal disease. However, little is known about their distribution in our population. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of anaemia, inflammation, and phosphocalcium disorders in Cameroonian patients on dialysis. Thirty-five participants with stage V chronic kidney disease (defined by glomerular filtration rate, GFR < 15 mL/1.73 m3) of age at least 20 years on haemodialysis were randomly recruited. A control group composed of persons without a history of renal or cardiovascular disease was also recruited. Haemoglobin concentration, serum phosphate concentration, serum calcium concentration, and CRP status as a marker of inflammation were determined for all participants. Anaemia, phosphocalcium metabolic disorders, and a positive CRP result among haemodialysed patients were estimated at 94.3%, 61.6%, and 77.1%, respectively. Anaemia was diagnosed in all female patients compared to 92% in males, while a positive CRP result was recorded in 90% of females and 72% of males. No significant differences were observed on the distribution of studied specific cardiovascular risk factors with duration of dialysis. Among the factors studied, anaemia was the most encountered.
Cool URIs for the semantic web

The Resource Description Framework RDF allows you to describe web documents and resources from the real world - people, organisations, things - in a computer-processable way. Publishing such descriptions on the web creates the semantic web. URIs are very important as the link between RDF and the web. This article presents guidelines for their effective use. We discuss two strategies, called 303 URIs and hash URIs. We give pointers to several web sites that use these solutions, and briefly discuss why several other proposals have problems.
Cooperative amplify and forward in the presence of multiple selfish relays: Performance analysis

We consider the amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperative diversity scheme where a source node communicates with a destination with the help of multiple relay nodes. The conventional system model assumes all relay nodes have spontaneous willing to cooperate for data transmission. However, the relay has to consume its own resource (power and bandwidth) for achieving the diversity gain. Thus the usual cooperative assumption is unrealistic for autonomous users. Due to lack of a mechanism to ensure relaypsilas adherence to the cooperation strategy, the performance improvement may be degraded by selfish relays. In this paper, we investigate the performance of cooperative AF in the presence of multiple selfish users. The relay is assumed to mimic characteristics of an on-off channel where it exhibits random behaviors of cooperation and defection to hide its disposition. We derive the explicit expressions for the average bit error rate (BER) performance of cooperative diversity networks with multiple selfish relays. Our results indicate that multiple selfish relays can improve BER tremendously relative to a single selfish relay, if the multiple relays have proper selfish degree.
Research on Construction Models of Adult Learning Circle in China

Soon after the adult learning came out in Sweden, the Swedish government regarded adult learning circle as one of the effective measures to improve the scientific and cultural quality of the majority of workers, and achieved good results. The adult learning circle in China is built late and the pattern is immature. This paper refines the basic characteristics of adult learning. Based on the adult learning features, the paper gives the construction strategies of adult learning circle in China to provide some references for the relative researchers.
A General Review of Mobile E-Government in China

As a new application model of e-government, mobile e-government provides a new approach to improve government’s efficiency, effectiveness and economy of public services. This paper deals with the current development of China’s mobile e-government. We first discusses the concept of m-government, introduces relevant technologies and application fields of mobile communication technology in government, along with several application cases. Following the analysis of mobile e-government’s advantages and problems in its development, this paper comes to its conclusion and puts out questions that need to be further studied.
Supergravity and light-like non-commutativity

We construct dual supergravity descriptions of field theories and little string theories with light-like non-commutativity. The field theories are realized on the world-volume of Dp-branes with light-like NS B-field and M5-branes with light-like C-field. The little string theories are realized on the world-volume of NS5-branes with light-like RR A-fields. The supergravity backgrounds are closely related to the A = 0,B = 0,C = 0 backgrounds. We discuss the implications of these results. We also construct dual supergravity descriptions of ODp theories realized on the worldvolume of NS5-branes with RR backgrounds.