Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volumetric deformable models with parameter functions: A new approach to the 3D motion analysis of the LV from MRI-SPAMM

We present a new method for analyzing the 3D motion of the heart's left ventricle (LV) from tagged magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Our technique is based on the development of a new class of volumetric physics-based deformable models whose parameters are functions and can capture the local shape variation of an object. These parameters require no complex post-processing in order to be used by a physician. These volumetric models allow the accurate estimation of the shape and motion of the inner and outer walls of the LV as well as within the walls. We also present a new technique for calculating forces exerted by tagged MRI data to material points of the deformable model. Furthermore, by plotting the variations over time of the extracted LV model parameters from normal heart data we are able to quantitatively analyze and compare the epicardial and endocardial motion. <<ETX>>
Dataflow acceleration of Krylov subspace sparse banded problems

Most of the efforts in the FPGA community related to sparse linear algebra focus on increasing the degree of internal parallelism in matrix-vector multiply kernels. We propose a parametrisable dataflow architecture presenting an alternative and complementary approach to support acceleration of banded sparse linear algebra problems which benefit from building a Krylov subspace. We use banded structure of a matrix A to overlap the computations Ax, A2x, . , Akx by building a pipeline of matrix-vector multiplication processing elements (PEs) each performing Aix. Due to on-chip data locality, FLOPS rate sustainable by such pipeline scales linearly with k. Our approach enables trade-off between the number k of overlapped matrix power actions and the level of parallelism in a PE. We illustrate our approach for Google PageRank computation by power iteration for large banded single precision sparse matrices. Our design scales up to 32 sequential PEs with floating point accumulation and 80 PEs with fixed point accumulation on Stratix V D8 FPGA. With 80 single-pipe fixed point PEs clocked at 160Mhz, our design sustains 12.7 GFLOPS.
Approaches to inverse problems in chemical imaging : applications in super-resolution and spectral unmixing

L’imagerie chimique permet d’acceder a la distribution spatiale des especes chimiques. Nous distinguerons dans cette these deux types d’images differents: les images spatiales-temporelles et les images spatiales-spectrales.La microscopie de fluorescence super-resolue a commence avec un faible nombre de fluorophores actifs par image. Actuellement, ca a evolue vers l’imagerie en haute densite qui requiert de nouvelles facons d’analyse. Nous proposons SPIDER, une approche de deconvolution par moindres carres penalises. La consideration de plusieurs penalites permet de traduire les proprietes des emetteurs utilises dans l'imagerie de fluorescence super-resolue. L'utilisation de cette methode permet d'etudier des changements structuraux et morphologiques dans les echantillons biologiques. La methode a ete appliquee a l’imagerie sur cellules vivantes d’une cellule HEK-293T encodee par la proteine fluorescente DAKAP-Dronpa. On a pu obtenir une resolution spatiale de 55nm pour un temps d’acquisition de 0.5s. La resolution d'images hyperspectrales avec MCR-ALS fournit des informations spatiales et spectrales des contributions individuelles dans le melange. Neanmoins, le voisinage des pixels est perdu du fait du depliement du cube de donnees hyperspectrales sous forme d’une matrice bidirectionnelle. L’implementation de contraintes spatiales n’est donc pas possible en MCR-ALS. Nous proposons une approche alternative dans laquelle une etape de repliement/depliement est effectuee a chaque iteration qui permet d’ajouter des fonctionnalites spatiales globales a la palette des contraintes. Nous avons developpe plusieurs contraintes et on montre leur application aux donnees experimentales.
SO2, NO2 and BTEX Concentrations in Educational and Industrial Areas: Field Measurements in Kuwait

Measurements of SO2, NO2 and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes BTEX concentrations using passive tubes were carried out at five locations featuring educational and light industrial activities in south western Kuwait City during 2014. The five selected sites, chosen to be statistically representative of land use in the study area, were monitored to evaluate the impacts of traffic and light industrial activities on pollutant concentrations. The recorded mean concentrations of NO2, SO2 and BTEX were 40.3, 28.1 and 3.72 μg/m3, respectively. The lowest concentrations were recorded in the educational area. Comparisons between the measured concentrations and the applicable air quality standards from the Kuwait Environment Public Authority showed that the gas concentrations were lower than the allowable limits.
Downlink Steered Space-Time Spreading For Multi-Carrier Transmission Over Frequency Selective Channels

This paper presents a novel amalgam of steered space-time spreading (SSTS) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) designed for attaining both spatial diversity gain and beamforming gain for transmission over OFDM-symbol-invariant frequency selective channels. We propose a flexible technique for increasing the number of users beyond the number of chips in the spreading sequence employed by the SSTS scheme with the aid of the multiple carriers of OFDMA, which requires an extended bandwidth. However, employing a separate low-complexity SSTS detector combined with another separate OFDMA detector is potentially less complex than a single detector designed for detecting all the users supported in a single domain, regardless whether the single- domain Multi-User Detector (MUD) is an SSTS or OFDMA MUD. This is because the MUD's complexity tends to increase exponentially with the number of users detected. The SSTS-OFDMA system is benchmarked against its counterpart using S-depth Frequency Domain (FD) repetition, which increases the FD diversity order at the cost of reducing the overall throughput by a factor of S. Fortunately, a similar FD diversity gain may be achieved without a factor-S reduction in the throughput, when using FD spreading and assigning all the superimposed FD spreading codes to the same user.
The current state of CO2 flux chamber studies in the Arctic tundra

The Arctic tundra plays an important role in the carbon cycle as it stores 50% of global soil organic carbon reservoirs. The processes (fluxes) regulating these stocks are predicted to change due to direct and indirect effects of climate change. Understanding the current and future carbon balance calls for a summary of the level of knowledge regarding chamber-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) flux studies. Here, we describe progress from recently (2000–2016) published studies of growing-season CO2 flux chamber measurements, namely GPP (gross primary production), ER (ecosystem respiration), and NEE (net ecosystem exchange), in the tundra region. We review the study areas and designs along with the explanatory environmental drivers used. Most of the studies were conducted in Alaska and Fennoscandia, and we stress the need for measuring fluxes in other tundra regions, particularly in more extreme climatic, productivity, and soil conditions. Soil respiration and other greenhouse gas measurements were seldom included in the studies. Although most of the environmental drivers of CO2 fluxes have been relatively well investigated (such as the effect of vegetation type and soil microclimate on fluxes), soil nutrients, other greenhouse gases and disturbance regimes require more research as they might define the future carbon balance. Particular attention should be paid to the effects of shrubification, geomorphology, and other disturbance effects such as fire events, and disease and herbivore outbreaks. An improved conceptual framework and understanding of underlying processes of biosphere–atmosphere CO2 exchange will provide more information on carbon cycling in the tundra.
Model for the role of auxin polar transport in patterning of the leaf adaxial–abaxial axis

Leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity refers to the two leaf faces, which have different types of cells performing distinct biological functions. In 1951, Ian Sussex reported that when an incipient leaf primordium was surgically isolated by an incision across the vegetative shoot apical meristem (SAM), a radialized structure without an adaxial domain would form. This led to the proposal that a signal, now called the Sussex signal, is transported from the SAM to emerging primordia to direct leaf adaxial-abaxial patterning. It was recently proposed that instead of the Sussex signal, polar transport of the plant hormone auxin is critical in leaf polarity formation. However, how auxin polar transport functions in the process is unknown. Through live imaging, we established a profile of auxin polar transport in and around young leaf primordia. Here we show that auxin polar transport in lateral regions of an incipient primordium forms auxin convergence points. We demonstrated that blocking auxin polar transport in the lateral regions of the incipient primordium by incisions abolished the auxin convergence points and caused abaxialized leaves to form. The lateral incisions also blocked the formation of leaf middle domain and margins and disrupted expression of the middle domain/margin-associated marker gene WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 1 (SlWOX1). Based on these results we propose that the auxin convergence points are required for the formation of leaf middle domain and margins, and the functional middle domain and margins ensure leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity. How middle domain and margins function in the process is discussed.
Apolipoprotein E-Mimetics Inhibit Neurodegeneration and Restore Cognitive Functions in a Transgenic Drosophila Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Background Mutations of the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) are found in familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and some lead to the elevated production of amyloid-β-protein (Aβ). While Aβ has been implicated in the causation of AD, the exact role played by Aβ and its APP precursor are still unclear. Principal Findings In our study, Drosophila melanogaster transgenics were established as a model to analyze AD-like pathology caused by APP overexpression. We demonstrated that age related changes in the levels and pattern of synaptic proteins accompanied progressive neurodegeneration and impairment of cognitive functions in APP transgenic flies, but that these changes may be independent from the generation of Aβ. Using novel peptide mimetics of Apolipoprotein-E, COG112 or COG133 proved to be neuroprotective and significantly improved the learning and memory of APP transgenic flies. Conclusions The development of neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits was corrected by injections of COG112 or COG133, novel mimetics of apolipoprotein-E (apoE) with neuroprotective activities.
Non-redundant patent sequence databases with value-added annotations at two levels

The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) provides public access to patent data, including abstracts, chemical compounds and sequences. Sequences can appear multiple times due to the filing of the same invention with multiple patent offices, or the use of the same sequence by different inventors in different contexts. Information relating to the source invention may be incomplete, and biological information available in patent documents elsewhere may not be reflected in the annotation of the sequence. Search and analysis of these data have become increasingly challenging for both the scientific and intellectual-property communities. Here, we report a collection of non-redundant patent sequence databases, which cover the EMBL-Bank nucleotides patent class and the patent protein databases and contain value-added annotations from patent documents. The databases were created at two levels by the use of sequence MD5 checksums. Sequences within a level-1 cluster are 100% identical over their whole length. Level-2 clusters were defined by sub-grouping level-1 clusters based on patent family information. Value-added annotations, such as publication number corrections, earliest publication dates and feature collations, significantly enhance the quality of the data, allowing for better tracking and cross-referencing. The databases are available format: http://www.ebi. ac.uk/patentdata/nr/.
Application of STATCOM to improve the LVRT of DFIG during RSC fire-through fault

The use of doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) in large wind energy conversion systems (WECS) has significantly increased during the last few years. The DFIG is interfaced to the AC network through a grid side voltage source converter (GSC) and a rotor side voltage source converter (RSC) to enable the variable speed operation of the wind turbine. Moreover, it provides reactive power support to the AC grid during disturbances. The sensitivity of DFIGs to external faults has motivated researchers to investigate the impact of various grid disturbances, such as voltage sag and short circuit faults, on the low voltage ride through (LVRT) capability of DFIGs. However, no attempts have been made to investigate the impact of converter internal faults on the LVRT of the DFIG-based WECS. In this paper, the impact of a fire-through fault when it occurs in the RSC on the DC-capacitor voltage, rotor current, and the LVRT capability of the DFIG is investigated. A STATCOM controller to mitigate the effects of this fault is proposed. The DFIG compliance with various recently released LVRT grid codes under the fire-through fault with and without the STATCOM is examined and compared. Simulation results indicate that fire-through fault has a severe impact on the DFIG voltage profile and the proposed controller is capable of bringing the voltage profile at the point of common coupling (PCC) to the nominal steady state level.
Tracking a moving speaker using excitation source information

Microphone arrays are widely used to detect, locate, and track a stationary or moving speaker. The first step is to estimate the time delay, between the speech signals received by a pair of microphones. Conventional methods like generalized crosscorrelation are based on the spectral content of the vocal tract system in the speech signal. The spectral content of the speech signalisaffectedduetodegradationsinthespeechsignalcaused by noise and reverberation. However, features corresponding to the excitation source of speech are less affected by such degradations. This paper proposes a novel method to estimate the time delays using the excitation source information in speech. The estimated delays are used to get the position of the moving speaker. The proposed method is compared with the spectrumbased approach using real data from a microphone array setup.
Exploring the design of hybrid interfaces for augmented posters in public spaces

The use of Augmented Reality for overlaying visual information on print media like street posters has become widespread over the last few years. While this user interface metaphor represents an instance of cross-media information spaces the specific context of its use has not yet been carefully studied, resulting in productions generally relying on trial-and-error approaches. In this paper, we explicitly consider mobile contexts in the consumption of augmented print media. We explore the design space of hybrid user interfaces for augmented posters and describe different case studies to validate our approach. Outcomes of this work inform the design of future interfaces for publicly accessible augmented print media in mobile contexts.
Friends Talk to Friends About Drinking: Exploring the Role of Peer Communication in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

Peer communication represents 1 mechanism through which norms are disseminated in social groups. The theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) posits that group identity, outcome expectations, and injunctive norms moderate the relation between descriptive norms and behaviors. This article extends the purview of the TNSB by conceptualizing peer communication as another moderator in the relationship between descriptive norms and behaviors. A survey was conducted among college students (N = 675) to measure their normative perceptions, peer communication, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related consequences, and intention to drink alcohol. As hypothesized, descriptive norms, peer communication, and the interaction between these two variables were significantly associated with consumption, even after controlling for known predictors of both consumption and various mechanisms of normative influences. Controlling for prior consumption, peer communication was also a significant predictor of intention to consume alcohol in the future. This model explained approximately 63% of the variance in intention. This study found a significant relationship between peer communication and alcohol drinking behaviors and intentions after controlling for perceived norms.
Reconstruction of genetically identified neurons imaged by serial-section electron microscopy

Resolving patterns of synaptic connectivity in neural circuits currently requires serial section electron microscopy. However, complete circuit reconstruction is prohibitively slow and may not be necessary for many purposes such as comparing neuronal structure and connectivity among multiple animals. Here, we present an alternative strategy, targeted reconstruction of specific neuronal types. We used viral vectors to deliver peroxidase derivatives, which catalyze production of an electron-dense tracer, to genetically identify neurons, and developed a protocol that enhances the electron-density of the labeled cells while retaining the quality of the ultrastructure. The high contrast of the marked neurons enabled two innovations that speed data acquisition: targeted high-resolution reimaging of regions selected from rapidly-acquired lower resolution reconstruction, and an unsupervised segmentation algorithm. This pipeline reduces imaging and reconstruction times by two orders of magnitude, facilitating directed inquiry of circuit motifs. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.15015. 001
Stimulation of Bone Healing by Sustained Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP-2) Delivery

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a sustained release of bone morphogenetic protein2 (BMP-2) incorporated in a polymeric implant coating on bone healing. In vitro analysis revealed a sustained, but incomplete BMP-2 release until Day 42. For the in vivo study, the rat tibia osteotomy was stabilized either with control or BMP-2 coated wires, and the healing progress was followed by micro computed tomography (μCT), biomechanical testing and histology at Days 10, 28, 42 and 84. MicroCT showed an accelerated formation of mineralized callus, as well as remodeling and an increase of mineralized/total callus volume (p = 0.021) at Day 42 in the BMP-2 group compared to the control. Histology revealed an increased callus mineralization at Days 42 and 84 (p = 0.006) with reduced cartilage at Day 84 (p = 0.004) in the BMP-2 group. Biomechanical stiffness was significantly higher in the BMP-2 group (p = 0.045) at Day 42. In summary, bone healing was enhanced after sustained BMP-2 application compared to the control. Using the same drug delivery system, but a burst release of BMP-2, a previous published study showed a similar positive effect on bone healing. Distinct differences in the healing outcome might be explained due to the different BMP release kinetics and dosages. However, further studies are necessary to adapt the optimal release profiles to physiological mechanisms.
Extended linear phase detector characteristic of a software PLL

Synchronization is a critical operation in digital communications. An important part of the synchronizer structures relies on the digital phase locked loop (PLL) principle. The PLL structure can be derived from the maximum likelihood (ML) criterion, leading to a sinusoidal phase error detector (PED). This PED offers robustness at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) transmissions. However, the reduced linear zone of the PED characteristic leads to unwanted cycle slips in the presence of large frequency offset. On the other side, the tanlock PED has an extended linear characteristic but is still limited in the case of simultaneous large frequency offset and low SNR transmissions in both acquisition and tracking modes. We propose in this paper a software PLL which stays quasi- linear for low SNR and large frequency offset transmissions. Simulations show that the proposed system is robust to cycle slips. Moreover, this system can be designed with the classical tools used for the linear model of the PLL.
Image recognition of triangular tissue of an organ pulled by forceps in surgical working area for laparoscope robot

An image processing method using selected corner points and ridge lines to recognize triangular tissue of an organ pulled by forceps in a laparoscopic view has been developed. The proposed method could be used for semi-automatic control of a laparoscope robot. It makes use of a masking process based on the recognition of the forceps and clots, detection of corner points for a Delaunay diagram, detection of ridge lines oriented in the same direction, and recognition of the triangular working area. Triangles recognized in laparoscopic surgical videos using this method were similar to the correct triangles made by an endoscopic specialist.
Comparison of the Penman Monteith and Regional Calibration of Hargreaves Equation for Actual Evapotranspiration Using SWAT-stimulated Results in Seolma-Cheon Watershed

The Hargreaves method provides reference evapotranspiration (ET o) estimates when only the air temperature data are available although it requires previous local calibration for an acceptable performance. This method has been evaluated in South Korea using the data from 71 meteorological stations, comparing daily estimates against those from the Penman-Monteith (PM) method, which was used as the standard. In this study, in order to estimate reference ET o more exactly, considering the climatological characteristics in South Korea, the parameter regionalization of Hargreaves equation is carried out. First, the modified Hargreaves equation is presented after the analysis of the relationship between solar radiation and temperature. Second, the parameter (���) optimization of the regional calibration of Hargreaves equation is performed using Penman-Monteith method and modified equation at 71 weather stations. Next, this study is carried out to evaluate evapotranspiration methods (PM, original Hargreaves and regional calibration Hargreaves) of SWAT model by comparing the measured actual evapotranspiration data in Seolma-cheon watershed (8.48 km 2 ). By using the three-year (2007-2009) daily streamflow at the watershed outlet and the three-year (2007-2009) daily actual evapotranspiration (AET) data measured at the mixed forest, the SWAT model was calibrated. The model was validated with the three-year (2010-2012) streamflow and AET. The regional calibration of Hargreaves (RCH) will contribute for a better understanding of evapotranspiration of an ungauged watershed in areas where meteorological information is scarce.
Estimation of environment forces and rigid-body velocities using observers

This paper presents an observer-based approach to the determination of environment forces acting on a rigid body. Actuation forces, measured positions and orientations and identification of inertial parameters are used for this purpose. It is also shown that environment force estimates can be used in turn to correct rigid-body velocity estimates generated by observers, leading to accurate, low-noise estimates during contact tasks. The approach, shown to also apply to general serial mechanisms, is supported by experimental data obtained with a magnetically levitated wrist. <<ETX>>