Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonsynaptic NMDA Receptors Mediate Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Gap Junctional Coupling in the AII Amacrine Cell Network

Many neurons are coupled by electrical synapses into networks that have emergent properties. In the retina, coupling in these networks is dynamically regulated by changes in background illumination, optimizing signal integration for the visual environment. However, the mechanisms that control this plasticity are poorly understood. We have investigated these mechanisms in the rabbit AII amacrine cell, a multifunctional retinal neuron that forms an electrically coupled network via connexin 36 (Cx36) gap junctions. We find that presynaptic activity of glutamatergic ON bipolar cells drives increased phosphorylation of Cx36, indicative of increased coupling in the AII network. The phosphorylation is dependent on activation of nonsynaptic NMDA receptors that colocalize with Cx36 on AII amacrine cells, and is mediated by CaMKII. This activity-dependent increase in Cx36 phosphorylation works in opposition to dopamine-driven reduction of phosphorylation, establishing a local dynamic regulatory mechanism, and accounting for the nonlinear control of AII coupling by background illumination.
Design of Survivable Optical Networks with Minimum CAPEX

We present a genetic algorithm for the design of survivable networks with minimum capital expenditure. The survivability against any single link failure is ensured by path dedicated protection. An integer linear programming model to evaluate the quality of the genetic algorithm solutions is also presented. Using the integer linear programming model and the genetic algorithm near-optimal topologies are determined.
Swiss Multicenter Study Evaluating the Efficacy, Feasibility and Safety of Peginterferon-Alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C in Official Opiate Substitution Programs

Background: Though patients in opiate substitution programs are commonly infected with HCV, due to safety and efficacy concerns, they are rarely treated with interferon and ribavirin. Methods: In a multicenter study, HCV-infected patients in opiate maintenance treatment programs received 180 μg pegylated interferon-alfa-2a once weekly, plus daily ribavirin for 24 weeks (genotypes 2, 3), or 48 weeks (genotypes 1, 4). Results: Of the 67 patients enrolled, 31 (46%) had HCV genotypes 1 or 4, and 36 (54%) had genotypes 2 or 3. Intent-to-treat analysis showed end-of-treatment virologic response in 75% of patients (81% of genotypes 2 or 3; 65% of genotypes 1 or 4), and a sustained virologic response in 61% of patients (72% of genotypes 2 or 3; 48% of genotypes 1 or 4). Fifteen patients (22%) did not complete the study, in 5 (8%) cases because of severe adverse events. Conclusions: Drug users with chronic HCV infection, regularly attending an opiate maintenance program in which close collaboration between hepatologists/internists and addiction specialists is assured, can be treated effectively and safely with pegylated interferon-alfa-2a and ribavirin. Treatment results are very similar to those in other patient groups, and thus therapy should also be considered for this population.
Duplicate Detection Of Records in Queries using Clustering

ata is one of the major problems in the broad area of data cleaning and data quality in data warehouse. Many times, the same logical real world entity may have multiple representations in the data warehouse. Duplicate elimination is hard because it is caused by several types of errors like typographical errors, and different representations of the same logical value. Also, it is important to detect and clean equivalence errors because an equivalence error may result in several duplicate tuples. Recent research efforts have focused on the issue of duplicate elimination in data warehouses. This entails trying to match inexact duplicate records, which are records that refer to the same real-world entity while not being syntactically equivalent. This paper mainly focuses on efficient detection and elimination of duplicate data. The main objective of this research work is to detect exact and inexact duplicates by using duplicate detection and elimination rules. This approach is used to improve the efficiency of the data.
Shape representation with firing intersections

We present a novel approach to the coding and representation of shapes using intersections. Our algorithm combines contour and region based approaches. After exploring hitherto unvisited regions of the shape, we find salient features on the boundary in that region. Our method has a number of attractive features. First, it is efficient to compute, since only small yet salient regions are retrieved and analysed. Second, our algorithm generates a contour and region analysis simultaneously. Third, the algorithm is fully adaptive, so we do not need to set parameters, such as the number of features to be found, in advance. Finally, the algorithm can be implemented using familiar data structures including the max heap, circular linked lists and trees. We demonstrate the stability of the algorithm with a few practical image sets and developed an extended version which deals with enclosed shapes.
Convergence, steady state, and global gains of agent-based coalition formation in e-markets

In this paper, we present a rigorous analysis of an agent-based coalition formation mechanism in emarkets proposed by Lerman and Shehory. While the agent-based coalition formation shows good performance through simulations, our analysis provides guidelines for agent designers to simplify the system design. We show that the coalition formations with different initial distributions converge to a unique steady state. The steady state, which represents both the final coalition distribution and the global utility gain, is proven to be determined by buyer agents' local strategies. The global utility gain is shown to increase as the number of buyer agents increases. In a system of uniform-attachment-uniform-detachment rates, the global utility gain is proven to increase as the detachment rate decreases.
Incidence of Enteric Viruses in Groundwater from Household Wells in Wisconsin

ABSTRACT Recent studies on the contamination of groundwater with human enteric viruses have focused on public water systems, whereas little is known about the occurrence of viruses in private household wells. The objective of the present study was to estimate the incidence of viruses in Wisconsin household wells located near septage land application sites or in rural subdivisions served by septic systems. Fifty wells in seven hydrogeologic districts were sampled four times over a year, once each season. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), followed by Southern hybridization, was used to detect enteroviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus (HAV), and Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs). In addition, cell culture was used to detect culturable enteroviruses. Companion water samples were collected for total coliforms, Escherichia coli, fecal enterococci, F-specific RNA coliphages, nitrate, and chloride analyses. Among the 50 wells, four (8%) were positive for viruses by RT-PCR. Three wells were positive for HAV, and the fourth well was positive for both rotavirus and NLV in one sample and an enterovirus in another sample. Contamination was transient, since none of the wells was virus positive for two sequential samples. Culturable enteroviruses were not detected in any of the wells. Water quality indicators were not statistically associated with virus occurrence, although some concordance was noted for chloride. The present study is the first in the United States to systematically monitor private household wells for virus contamination and, combined with data for public wells, provides further insight on the extent of groundwater contamination with human enteric viruses.
Using a high order sliding modes for diving control a torpedo autonomous underwater vehicle

In this paper, a high order sliding modes control (HOSMC) is used to control TAIPAN, a torpedo shaped AUV from LIRMM, France. The implementation of a second order sliding mode controller in this system is the main contribution of this work. Sliding mode control (SMC) is adequate for controlling AUVs, since it offers robustness in the presence of uncertainties parameters and environmental disturbances, however the main drawback is the chattering effects that stimulates high frequency vibration that can damage the actuators. HOSMC control preserves the properties of standard SMC and removes the chattering effects. The design of proportional derived (PD), SMC and HOSMC controller for control TAIPAN depth are described. A comparative study between the control laws is presented. The nonlinear hydrodynamic model of TAIPAN is used in the numerical simulations. Simulation results, that enlighten performance of the automatic controllers are shown.
Horizontal Cells, the Odd Ones Out in the Retina, Give Insights into Development and Disease

Thorough investigation of a neuronal population can help reveal key aspects regarding the nervous system and its development. The retinal horizontal cells have several extraordinary features making them particularly interesting for addressing questions regarding fate assignment and subtype specification. In this review we discuss and summarize data concerning the formation and diversity of horizontal cells, how morphology is correlated to molecular markers, and how fate assignment separates the horizontal lineage from the lineages of other retinal cell types. We discuss the novel and unique features of the final cell cycle of horizontal cell progenitors and how they may relate to retinoblastoma carcinogenesis.
Through Trial & Error to Collusion - The Discrete Case

In this note we study a very simple trial & error learning process in the context of a Cournot oligopoly. Without any knowledge of the payoff functions players increase, respectively decrease, their quantity by one unit as long as this leads to higher profits. We show that despite the absence of any coordination or punishing device this process converges to a collusive outcome.
Lectures on Dynamics in Models of Coarsening and Coagulation

Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 A hierarchy of domain coarsening models in one space dimension 5 2.1 Domain walls in the Allen-Cahn equation 5 2.2 Domain wall dynamics by restricted gradient flow 7 2.3 Punctuated equilibrium and 1D bubble bath 11 2.4 Mean-field model of domain growth—the Gallay-Mielke transform 13 2.5 Proof of universal self-similar behavior 19 3 Models of domain coarsening in two and three dimensions 23 3.1 Diffuse and sharp-interface models of nanoscale island coarsening 24 3.2 Gradient structure for Mullins-Sekerka flow 31 3.3 Monopole models by restricted gradient flow of surface energy 33 3.4 Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner mean-field model 35 4 Rigorous power-law bounds on coarsening rates—the Kohn-Otto method 40 4.1 Basic inequalities 41 4.2 Bounds on coarsening rates for the LSW mean-field model 43 4.3 Bounds on coarsening rates for the monopole model 44 5 Smoluchowski's coagulation equations 47 5.
A study of navigation strategies in spatial-semantic visualizations

Visualisations of abstract data are believed to assist the searcher by providing an overview of the semantic structure of a document collection whereby semantically similar items tend to cluster in space. Cribbin and Chen (2001) found that similarity data represented using minimum spanning tree (MST) graphs provided greater levels of support to users when conducting a range of information seeking tasks, in comparison to simple scatter graphs. MST graphs emphasise the most salient relationships between nodes by means of connecting links. This paper is based on the premise that it is the provision of these links that facilitated search performance. Using a combination of visual observations and existing theory, hypotheses predicting navigational strategies afforded by the MST link structure are presented and tested. The utility, in terms of navigational efficiency and retrieval success, of these and other observed strategies is then examined.
A new dynamic K-best SD algorithm for MIMO detection

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system is considered as an unalterable technology in wireless communication for its advantages in the spectral efficiency. Among the detection algorithms, maximum likelihood (ML) detection can achieve the best bit error rate performance, but the computational complexity of ML detection is too huge to be acceptable. In order to solve this problem, numbers of algorithms have been proposed. The K-Best SD sphere decoding (K-Best SD) algorithm is one of them. As K increase, the K-Best SD algorithm will approach the bit error rate of ML detection. However, if the K is large, the computational complexity will be unacceptable. In this paper, we propose a modified K-Best SD algorithm, in which the difference between the partial Euclidean distance of best and second best solution at each level of the tree search can be used to calculate the dynamic K, which can reduce the computational complexity considerably with a negligible BER performance loss.
Statistical analysis of capacitance coupling effects on delay and noise

Statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) tools have mostly addressed the process variations of devices and lumped interconnect RC effects. This paper provides an overview of interconnect process variations of capacitive coupling and its effect on crosstalk delay and noise. The correlations among parallel plate, lateral and total capacitance is shown. Correlations between resistance and capacitance are illustrated to enable development of a simple and efficient model for delay and noise analysis. Experimental results are shown to validate the assumptions on the linearity of sensitivity of delay and noise to process variations. A methodology to account for process variations in crosstalk delay and noise is proposed
Explaining Youth Labor Market Problems in Spain: Crowding-Out, Institutions, or Technology Shifts?

This paper examines the empirical evidence regarding the poor performance of the youth labor market in Spain over the last two decades, which entails very high unemployment for both higher and lower educated workers, symptoms of over-education, and low intensity of on-the-job training. It also presents a simple matching model with two types of workers ("educated" and "non-educated") and two types of jobs ("skilled" and "unskilled"), under which educated workers may crowd-out non-educated workers from their traditional entry jobs, showing that a combination of an increase in the relative supply of higher educated worker and rigid labor market institutions harms the training and labor market prospects of lower educated workers, while it raises the proportion of higher educated workers performing low-skill jobs.
Digital hardware implementation of an active disturbance rejection controller for a highly dynamic parallel orientation manipulator

This paper details the development of a tracking controller for a highly dynamic parallel orientation manipulator that is capable of achieving high angular acceleration. The adopted control algorithm is derived from the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) technology. The ADRC algorithm must be evaluated on the control hardware at a frequency consistent with the dynamics of the system without creating any inter-channel latency for a successful implementation. In this regard, the field programmable gate array (FPGA) is preferred because of its superior speed and parallelism. While there is a clear demand for FPGA controllers in the military and the aerospace domain because of the improved SWaP (size, weight, and power) capabilities, the literature provides a few examples of such controllers that mostly employ expensive high logic density FPGA chips. In contrast, this paper describes how an advanced controller can be efficiently prototyped on a relatively low-cost, low logic density FPGA hardware. The controller was tested in a co-simulation approach (wherein the digital implementation of the control algorithm and the dynamics of the manipulator are simulated together) to ensure a robust FPGA implementation. In addition, a hardware evaluation was also conducted using a linear voice coil actuator under varying inertial loads. Experimental results obtained from the simulation study and hardware testing confirm the robust performance of the designed controller.
Study of the moving object detection used ICM and ARBS algorithm in enhanced fish-eye image

The enhanced fish-eye lens can imaging an elliptical image which has higher resolution and information capability than normal fish-eye image. It can be used in the surveillance system to get the wide range monitoring. The moving object detection algorithm of the intersecting cortical model (ICM) and the Auto-adapted Renewal Background Subtraction (ARBS) are discussed, and have been used in the enhanced fish-eye surveillance system to detect the moving object. The experiment indicated that the ICM algorithm could detected the running track of the object and the ARBS algorithm could detected the many objects all-weather in enhance elliptical fish-eye images. Using the enhanced fish-eye lens and the ICM or ARBS algorithm to design the surveillance system, it not only has super wide field of view but also has better ability of moving object detection. It can be used in the field of traffic monitor and other security domain.
Personalized information retrieval models integrating the user's profile

Personalized Information Retrieval (PIR) exploits the user's data in order to refine the retrieval, like for instance when users with different backgrounds may express different information needs with the same query. However, this additional source of information is not supported by the classical Information Retrieval (IR) process. In order to overcome this limit, we propose to generate the user profile out from his profile and social data. Then, we introduce several Personalized Information Retrieval models which integrate this profile at the querying step, allowing to personalize the search results. We study several combinations of the initial user's query with his profile. Furthermore, we present a PIR test collection that we built from the social bookmarking network Delicious, in order to evaluate our PIR models. Our experiments showed that the PIR models improve the retrieval results.
Precise Schedulability Analysis for unfeasible to notify separately for comprehensive - EDF Scheduling of interrupted Hard Real-Time Tasks on the similar Multiprocessors

In Real-time system, utilization based schedulability test is a common approach to determine whether or not tasks can be admitted without violating deadline requirements. The exact problem has previously been proven intractable even upon single processors; sufficient conditions are presented here for determining whether a given periodic task system will meet all deadlines if scheduled non-preemptively upon a multiprocessor platform using the earliest-deadline first scheduling algorithm. Many real-time scheduling algorithms have been developed recently to reduce affinity in the portable devices that use processors. Extensive power aware scheduling techniques have been published for energy reduction, but most of them have been focused solely on reducing the processor affinity. The non-preemptive scheduling of periodic task systems upon processing platforms comprised of several same processors is considered.
Hedging Alberta Government's Oil and Gas Revenue: Is Acting Like a Farmer a Viable Strategy?

The provincial government of Alberta in Canada experiences significant annual revenue variability arising from changes in crude oil and natural gas prices. This research evaluated whether Alberta’s non-renewable revenue risk could be managed using a derivatives hedging program. Results from a historical hedging simulation approach suggested that such a program would not have been the most effective method of managing revenue risk over the period of 1995-96 to 2003-04. Total impacts of hedging would have varied from Can-$8 Billion to Can $6 Billion over this time period. These results suggest the Alberta government explore alternative methods to manage non-renewable resource revenue risk.
Location- and orientation-controlled, large single grain silicon induced by pulsed excimer laser crystallization

We studied pulsed laser induced epitaxy of silicon using a seeding wafer to realize location-and orientation-control of silicon grain. Silicon grains as large as 4 µm × 4 µm with mostly the preferred (100) orientation area were obtained on top of contact openings through SiO2 to seeding silicon (100) wafer. The orientation of the seed is inherited by a-Si during the solidification phase of molten-Si. The maximum process temperature of this process is 545 °C which is for LPCVD deposition of a-Si. This layer is suitable for high mobility SOI CMOS devices which serve as building blocks for monolithic 3D integration.
Fast free-form registration based on Kullback-Leibler distance for multimodal medical image

Multimodal image registration is a great challenge in medical imaging which requires to aligning anatomically identical structures. Their appearance in images acquired with different multimodality images may be very different. In order to realize fast, precise and robust image registration, we proposed a new multimodal medical registration method, which is based on free-form deformation (FFD) and Kullback-Leibler distance (KLD) algorithm. We made the affine transform between the source image and target image as global transformation and FFD as local transformation took KLD as the similarity metric. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) and nonlinear least-squares (NLLS) algorithm were adopted to find the optimal transform parameters. Experimental results show that, as compared with the mutual information, normalized mutual information and cross correlation based registration methods, the proposed method has longer capture range at different image resolutions. Besides faster, its implementation can lead to a more robust performance and outperforms the state of the art methods for multimodal medical image registration.
Determinants of Transitions Across Formal/Informal Sectors in Egypt

Informality is a salient feature of labor market in Egypt as it is the case with many developing countries. This is the first study of the determinants of worker transitions between various labor market states using panel data from Egypt. We first provide a diagnosis of dynamic worker flows across different labor market states. We develop transition probabilities by gender across different labor market states utilizing Markov transition processes. Next we identify the effects of individual, household, job characteristics and location on different mobility patterns by estimating a multinomial logit regression. The results point to the highly static nature of the Egyptian labor market. Government employment and the out of labor force are the most persistent labor market states. Further, only a few of the explanatory variables except high levels of education are found to have predictive power in explaining the transitions from formal wage, informal wage, self-employment, unemployment government employment and out of labor market states.