Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information theory based validation for point-cloud segmentation aided by tensor voting

Segmentation of point-cloud is still a challenging problem, regarding observation noise and various constraints defined by applications. These difficulties do not concede to its necessity for almost all kinds of modeling approaches using point-cloud. However, the criteria to justify the quality of a clustering result are not much studied. In this paper, we first propose a point-cloud segmentation algorithm using adapted k-means to cluster normal vectors obtained from tensor voting. Then we concentrate on how to use a non-parametrical criterion to validate the clustering results, which is an approximation of the information introduced by the clustering process. Compared with other approaches, we use noisy point-cloud obtained from moving laser range finders directly, instead of reconstruction of 3d grid-cells or meshing. Moreover, the criterion does not rely on the assumption of distributions of points. We show the distinguishable characteristics using the proposed criteria, as well as the better performance of the novel clustering algorithm against other approaches.
Collaborative filtering with recency-based negative feedback

Many online communities and services continuously generate data that can be used by recommender systems. When explicit ratings are not available, rating prediction algorithms are not directly applicable. Instead, data consists of positive-only user-item interactions, and the task is therefore not to predict ratings, but rather to predict good items to recommend -- item prediction. One particular challenge of positive-only data is how to interpret absent user-item interactions. These can either be seen as negative or as unknown preferences. In this paper, we propose a recency-based scheme to perform negative preference imputation in an incremental matrix factorization algorithm designed for streaming data. Our results show that this approach substantially improves the accuracy of the baseline method, outperforming both classic and state-of-the-art algorithms.
A multi-objective particle swarm algorithm based on the active learning approach

A multi-objective particle swarm algorithm based on the active learning (MOPSAL) approach is proposed that combines a Multi-Objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) with an Pareto Active Learning (PAL) approach. In MOPSAL, the candidate solution set is produced by a sampling method based on mutation operator and preselected by the PAL approach. Then, the best Pareto solution from the candidate solution set is used to guide the search of MOPSO. To validate the performance of MOPSAL, the proposed algorithm compares with the standard multi-objective particle swarm algorithm (MOPSO) and the improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) for five widely used benchmark problems. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed MOPSAL algorithm.
Impact of Wi-Fi Access Points on performance of RBF localization algorithm

In this paper impact of the Access Points on localization accuracy of Rank Based Fingerprinting algorithm will be investigated. Rank Based Fingerprinting and Nearest Neighbor (NN) family algorithms will be described in detail. Results achieved by this algorithm were compared to NN and WKNN algorithm. Simulations were performed in Matlab environment in two different scenarios. The first scenario was proposed to evaluate impact of APs placement in the localization area. In the second scenario different numbers of APs were implemented in the area to estimate impact of APs number on the localization accuracy of the Rank Based Fingerprinting algorithm.
Development of cBN reinforced Ti6Al4V MMCs through laser sintering and process optimization

ABSTRACT In this work, a systematic study and optimization on direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) of a cBN reinforced Ti6Al4V metal matrix composite (MMC) has been carried out using the response surface methodology (RSM). Variable process parameters such as volume % of cBN (5–15%), laser power (50–60 W), scanning speed (3500–4500 mm/min), and constant parameters such as laser spot diameter (0.2 mm), hatching gap (0.2 mm), and layer thickness (0.4) were considered for the experiments. The RSM was employed to establish a regression equation to predict different output parameters of the sintered samples such as the wear rate, relative density, and microhardness. Based on the developed model, the influence of process parameters on the wear rate, density, and microhardness were accomplished with optimized results. Hence, the result, thus, obtained showed the maximum hardness and density of 519 HV0.2 and 4.23 g/cm3, respectively, and the minimum wear of 26.49 µm in a testing time duration of 10 minutes. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis of the fabricated MMC confirms the presence of different phases such as cBN, AlN, TiN, TiB2, and TiO2 as a consequence of a series of chemical reactions among cBN and different elements of Ti6Al4V in an argon atmosphere.
Specification Mining for Asynchronous Controllers

The paper presents a first effort at exploring a novel area in the domain of asynchronous controllers: specification mining. Rather than synthesizing circuits from specifications, we aim at doing reverse engineering, i.e., discovering safe specifications from the circuits that preserve a set of pre-defined behavioral properties (e.g., hazard freeness). The specifications are discovered without any previous knowledge of the behavior of the circuit environment. This area may open new opportunities for re-synthesis and verification of asynchronous controllers. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by mining concurrent specifications (Signal Transition Graphs) from multiple implementations of 4-phase handshake controllers and some controllers with choice.
Color-based Real-time Recognition and Tracking

Robust real-time tracking of non-rigid objects is a challenging task and is required by many vision applications such as augmented reality, smart rooms and surveillance. Particle filtering has proven very successful for non-linear and non-Gaussian estimation problems. We use color-based image features instead of the edge-based image features which have typically been used. The integration of color distributions into particle filtering has many advantages for tracking non-rigid objects as color histograms in particular are robust to partial occlusion, are rotation and scale invariant and are calculated efficiently. Based on different known histograms, objects are distinguished from each other and tracked in real-time with the proposed framework. An application is shown where the recognized objects are replaced by artificial objects.
Investigation of hybrid planar plasmonic waveguide

Performance of planar hybrid plasmonic waveguide has been investigated in detail considering its structural and material aspects. Mode properties of hybrid metal insulator (HMI) waveguide has been studied at 1550 nm wavelength using frequency domain electromagnetic solver of CST microwave studio. Investigation reveals that this waveguide provides large propagation length and deep sub wavelength confinement in low dielectric layers. This kind of waveguide overcomes the limitations of conventional plasmonic waveguides and instigates many applications such as nano lasers, couplers, dividers, optical interconnects, bio sensors and optical trapping etc.
Lymph Node Transfer and Perinodal Lymphatic Growth Factor Treatment for Lymphedema

Objective:Our objective was to define the optimal growth factor treatment to be used in combination with lymph node transfer to normalize lymphatic vascular anatomy. Background:In the lymph node transfer method, lymphatic anastomoses are expected to form spontaneously. However, lymphangiogenic growth factor therapies have shown promising results in preclinical models of lymphedema. Methods:The inguinal lymphatic vasculature of pigs was surgically destroyed around the inguinal lymph node. To enhance the regrowth of the lymphatic network in the defected area, adenoviral vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) was administered intranodally or perinodally. Control animals received injections of saline or control vector. The lymphangiogenic effect of the growth factor therapy and any potential adverse effects associated with the 2 alternative delivery routes were examined 2 months postoperatively. Results:Both routes of growth factor administration induced robust growth of lymphatic vessels and helped to preserve the structure of the transferred lymph nodes in comparison with the controls. The lymph nodes of the control treated animals regressed in size and their nodal structure was partly replaced by fibro-fatty scar tissue. Intranodally injected adenoviral VEGF-C and adenoviral vector encoding control gene LacZ induced macrophage accumulation inside the node, whereas perinodal administration of VEGF-C did not have this adverse effect. Conclusions:Lymphangiogenic growth factors improve lymphatic vessel regeneration and lymph node function after lymph node transfer. The perinodal route of delivery provides a basis for future clinical trials in lymphedema patients.
Evaluation of Sealing Ability of New Composite Filling Material

This study was conducted to investigate the sealing ability (microleakage) of new composite restorative materials at tooth/composite interface.Thirty non carious, extracted human premolars teeth were mounted in acrylic resin, the teeth were randomly divided into three groups (n=10) according to the type of composite (tetric T-Econom, Evo ceram,IPS Empress). A standardize class V (5×3×2) mm dimensions cavity was prepared on the facial surface of each tooth (each group with corresponding bur type). After the specimens were filled with three types of composite restoration. They stored for one month in 37ºc distilled water, thermo cycled for 500 cycles between (5ºc & 55ºc) and immersed in 2% methylene blue solution for 24h. , and then sectioned longitudinally. For both occlusal and gingival margins, dye penetration at the tooth/composite interfaces were scored from 0-3 under stereomicroscope at a magnification x10. Data were analyzed using unpaired T-test, ANOVA, and Duncan’s multiple rang test at 5% significant level.Kruskal-wallis test show that there was a significant difference in microleakage between the three types of composite it represent that there was less microleakage in group filled with IPS Empress while tetric T-Econom show the highest leakage.There was no significant difference in microleakage between IPS Empress and Evo ceram composite filling.AS Conclusions; Within the limitations of this in vitro study the results show that there was less microleakage in the cavities filled with IPS Empress composite and EVO ceram composite as compared with Tetric T-Econom composite.
Integrating human-services using WebComposition/UIX

The Service-Oriented Architectures are often applied to build dynamic Web 2.0 collaboration platforms. As one sees in many crowdsourcing scenarios, not only automated services are involved into such environments - the so called human-provided services are also an integral part of these platforms. It is the users, who produce content, assess products, execute tasks and make decisions. The fact, that the system relies on services "implemented" by people, puts additional requirements on the underlying middleware, especially in the context of user interface aspects, including presentation, interaction and dialog design. In this paper, we describe our approach to extend middleware systems to support human-oriented services. We present the WebComposition/UIX framework, which can be used for automatic generation, configuration and maintenance of user interfaces.
The Ca-activated Cl Channel and its Control in Rat Olfactory Receptor Neurons

Odorants activate sensory transduction in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) via a cAMP-signaling cascade, which results in the opening of nonselective, cyclic nucleotide–gated (CNG) channels. The consequent Ca2+ influx through CNG channels activates Cl channels, which serve to amplify the transduction signal. We investigate here some general properties of this Ca-activated Cl channel in rat, as well as its functional interplay with the CNG channel, by using inside-out membrane patches excised from ORN dendritic knobs/cilia. At physiological concentrations of external divalent cations, the maximally activated Cl current was ∼30 times as large as the CNG current. The Cl channels on an excised patch could be activated by Ca2+ flux through the CNG channels opened by cAMP. The magnitude of the Cl current depended on the strength of Ca buffering in the bath solution, suggesting that the CNG and Cl channels were probably not organized as constituents of a local transducisome complex. Likewise, Cl channels and the Na/Ca exchanger, which extrudes Ca2+, appear to be spatially segregated. Based on the theory of buffered Ca2+ diffusion, we determined the Ca2+ diffusion coefficient and calculated that the CNG and Cl channel densities on the membrane were ∼8 and 62 μm−2, respectively. These densities, together with the Ca2+ diffusion coefficient, demonstrate that a given Cl channel is activated by Ca2+ originating from multiple CNG channels, thus allowing low-noise amplification of the olfactory receptor current.
Running Pace Decrease during a Marathon Is Positively Related to Blood Markers of Muscle Damage

Background Completing a marathon is one of the most challenging sports activities, yet the source of running fatigue during this event is not completely understood. The aim of this investigation was to determine the cause(s) of running fatigue during a marathon in warm weather. Methodology/Principal Findings We recruited 40 amateur runners (34 men and 6 women) for the study. Before the race, body core temperature, body mass, leg muscle power output during a countermovement jump, and blood samples were obtained. During the marathon (27 °C; 27% relative humidity) running fatigue was measured as the pace reduction from the first 5-km to the end of the race. Within 3 min after the marathon, the same pre-exercise variables were obtained. Results Marathoners reduced their running pace from 3.5 ± 0.4 m/s after 5-km to 2.9 ± 0.6 m/s at the end of the race (P<0.05), although the running fatigue experienced by the marathoners was uneven. Marathoners with greater running fatigue (> 15% pace reduction) had elevated post-race myoglobin (1318 ± 1411 v 623 ± 391 µg L−1; P<0.05), lactate dehydrogenase (687 ± 151 v 583 ± 117 U L−1; P<0.05), and creatine kinase (564 ± 469 v 363 ± 158 U L−1; P = 0.07) in comparison with marathoners that preserved their running pace reasonably well throughout the race. However, they did not differ in their body mass change (−3.1 ± 1.0 v −3.0 ± 1.0%; P = 0.60) or post-race body temperature (38.7 ± 0.7 v 38.9 ± 0.9 °C; P = 0.35). Conclusions/Significance Running pace decline during a marathon was positively related with muscle breakdown blood markers. To elucidate if muscle damage during a marathon is related to mechanistic or metabolic factors requires further investigation.
Bi-temporal Timeline Index: A data structure for Processing Queries on bi-temporal data

Following the adoption of basic temporal features in the SQL:2011 standard, there has been a tremendous interest within the database industry in supporting bi-temporal features, as a significant number of real-life workloads would greatly benefit from efficient temporal operations. However, current implementations of bi-temporal storage systems and operators are far from optimal. In this paper, we present the Bi-temporal Timeline Index, which supports a broad range of temporal operators and exploits the special properties of an in-memory column store database system. Comprehensive performance experiments with the TPC-BiH benchmark show that algorithms based on the Bi-temporal Timeline Index outperform significantly both existing commercial database systems and state-of-the-art data structures from research.
Is inflation too low

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, seems to have settled at an annual rate of about 2 percent. Is that rate too low? In this article, William Poole, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, states his belief that the Federal Reserve's target should be zero inflation, abstracting from measurement errors in the price indices. A zero rate would maximize the credibility of monetary policy and minimize distortions in the economy arising from uncertainty over the rate of inflation and from the tax code. One argument against zero inflation is that relative wages adjust more easily in an economy with a low, but positive, rate of inflation. This argument is not well supported in economic theory, and the evidence for it is weak. A second argument is that monetary policy may be ineffective at times because the nominal interest rate cannot fall below zero. This constraint is unlikely to be important in practice. The need for a negative real interest rate, which is possible only with positive inflation, will be much less at a zero rate of inflation because the economy will be more stable.
On Size Effect in Tension of SFRC Thin Plates

More than 48 SFRC thin plates characterized by a central notch (notch ratio = 0.2), a highstrength matrix (fc = 75 MPa) and two different types of steel fibers, were tested in tension. Three sizes were considered (1 : 2.5 : 6.25). They were subjected to uniaxial tension (rotating-end platens), eccentric tension, and 4-point bending. Each test was repeated three times. The material characterization was performed by means of direct tension tests (notched specimens) and 4-point bending tests (unnotched specimens); three unnotched large slabs were also tested according to a 4-point bending test procedure. The tests highlight both the deterministic and the statistical size-effect. The results show a significant difference between uniaxial tension and bending with reference to post-cracking behavior. By adopting a plane-section kinematic model and a constitutive law identified on the basis of unnotched 4-point bending procedure, the whole set of tests was reproduced to validate a linear softening constitutive model and to discuss the application limits for design.
The effects of previous meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament injuries in patients with total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Patients undergoing total knee replacements constitute a suitable population to study the natural history of traumatic joint injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS We studied all the patients who received a TKA (Total knee arthroplasty) over the course of one year, in five different centers. The study included 474 patients who had undergone primary TKA for knee OA over a one-year period. In each patient, we analyzed age, sex, side of operation, weight, height and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). BMI were stratified into four groups according to the WHO classification: normal (<25), overweight (>25 and <30), obese (>30 and <40), and morbidly obese (>40). RESULTS In the TKA group, 74% of the patients were women, while in the THA group the percentage of men and women was similar. No differences were found in the sides operated on. Differences between both groups were found in knee alignment. Women were operated on more frequently for TKA, as there was a higher incidence of OA of the knee joints in women aged over 65. CONCLUSIONS Patients who required a total knee arthroplasty are likely to have previously undergone surgery or trauma to the knee joints.
Glibenclamide blockade of CFTR chloride channels.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a protein kinase A- and ATP-regulated Cl- channel located in the apical membranes of epithelial cells. Previously Sheppard and Welsh (J. Gen. Physiol. 100: 573-591, 1992) showed that glibenclamide, a compound which binds to the sulfonylurea receptor and thus blocks nucleotide-dependent K+ channels, reduced CFTR whole cell current. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism underlying this inhibition in cell-free membrane patches containing CFTR Cl- channels. Exposure to gliben-clamide caused a reversible reduction in current carried by CFTR which was paralleled by a decrease in channel open probability (Po). The decrease in Po was concentration dependent, and half-maximum inhibition (ki) occurred at 30 microM. Fluctuation analysis indicated a flickery-type block of open CFTR channels. Event duration analysis supported this notion by showing that the glibenclamide-induced decrease in Po was accompanied by interruptions of open bursts [i.e., an apparent reduction in the burst duration (Tburst)] with only a slight reduction in closed time (Tc). The plot of the corresponding open-to-closed (Tburst-1) and closed-to-open (Tc-1) rates as a function of glibenclamide concentration were consistent with a pseudo-first-order open-blocked mechanism and provided estimates of the on rate (kon = 1.17 microM-1S-1), the off rate (koff = 16 s-1), and the dissociation constant (Kd = 14 microM). The difference between the Ki (30 microM) and the Kd (14 microM) is the result expected for a closed-open-blocked model with an initial Po of 0.47. Since the initial Po was 0.50 +/- 0.02 (n = 12), we can conclude that glibenclamide blocks CFTR by a closed-open-blocked mechanism.
Electrical tuning in hair cells isolated from the chick cochlea

Tall (inner) hair cells were isolated from specific locations in the chick cochlea. The electrical membrane properties of these cells were recorded using the tight-seal whole-cell technique. Depolarizing current steps elicited damped voltage oscillations that ranged in frequency from 100 to 250 Hz among cells from the middle third of the cochlea (basal cells). The current-voltage relation obtained under voltage clamp was dominated by calcium-activated potassium current in the voltage range over which these oscillations occurred. Tall hair cells isolated from the apical tip of the cochlea (apical cells) exhibited action potentials and lower frequency voltage oscillations (5– 14 Hz) during depolarizing current steps. Outward currents in these cells were 20-fold slower than those found in the basal cells. These results suggest that electrical tuning of hair cells may play a role in determining the frequency selectivity of the chick cochlea.
Authenticating Top-k Queries in Location-based Services with Confidentiality

State-of-the-art location-based services (LBSs) involve data owners, requesting clients, and service providers. As LBSs become new business opportunities, there is an increasing necessity to verify the genuineness of service results. Unfortunately, while traditional query authentication techniques can address this issue, they fail to protect the confidentiality of data, which is sensitive location information when LBSs are concerned. Recent work has studied how to preserve such location privacy in query authentication. However, the prior work is limited to range queries, where private values only appear on one side of the range comparison. In this paper, we address the more challenging authentication problem on top-k queries, where private values appear on both sides of a comparison. To start with, we propose two novel cryptographic building blocks, followed by a comprehensive design of authentication schemes for top-k queries based on R-tree and Power Diagram indexes. Optimizations, security analysis, and experimental results consistently show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed schemes under various system settings and query workloads.