Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-Complexity Regularization Algorithms for Image Deblurring

Low-Complexity Regularization Algorithms for Image Deblurring Abdulrahman Mubarak Alanazi Image restoration problems deal with images in which information has been degraded by blur or noise. In practice, the blur is usually caused by atmospheric turbulence, motion, camera shake, and several other mechanical or physical processes. In this study, we present two regularization algorithms for the image deblurring problem. We first present a new method based on solving a regularized least-squares (RLS) problem. This method is proposed to find a near-optimal value of the regularization parameter in the RLS problems. Experimental results on the non-blind image deblurring problem are presented. In all experiments, comparisons are made with three benchmark methods. The results demonstrate that the proposed method clearly outperforms the other methods in terms of both the output PSNR and structural similarity, as well as the visual quality of the deblurred images. To reduce the complexity of the proposed algorithm, we propose a technique based on the bootstrap method to estimate the regularization parameter in low and high-resolution images. Numerical results show that the proposed technique can effectively reduce the computational complexity of the proposed algorithms. In addition, for some cases where the point spread function (PSF) is separable, we propose using a Kronecker product so as to reduce the computations. Furthermore, in the case where the image is smooth, it is always desirable to replace the regularization term in the RLS problems by a total variation term. Therefore, we propose a novel method for adaptively selecting the regularization parameter in a so-called square root regularized total variation (SRTV). Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed 5 method outperforms the other benchmark methods when applied to smooth images in terms of PSNR, SSIM and the restored image quality. In this thesis, we focus on the non-blind image deblurring problem, where the blur kernel is assumed to be known. However, we developed algorithms that also work in the blind image deblurring. Experimental results show that our proposed methods are robust enough in the blind deblurring and outperform the other benchmark methods in terms of both output PSNR and SSIM values.
Laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of epilepsy: evidence to date

: Medically intractable epilepsy is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. For those with focal epilepsy and correlated electrophysiological or radiographic features, open surgical resection can achieve high rates of seizure control, but can be associated with neurologic deficits and cognitive effects. Recent innovations have allowed for more minimally invasive methods of surgical seizure control such as magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT). MRgLITT achieves the goal of ablating seizure foci while preserving neuropsychological function and offering real-time feedback and monitoring of tissue ablation. This review summarizes the utilization of MRgLITT for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Overall, the efficacy of MRgLITT is comparable to that of open surgery and offers a less invasive approach in patients with significantly less morbidity.
Computational analysis of two-phase shear flows

The size distribution of black liquor droplets sprayed into a Kraft recovery furnace can have a dramatic effect on furnace efficiency and safety. We have developed a computational fluid dynamics tool which will allow study of the processes leading to the breakup of a sheet of black liquor into individual droplets. This is accomplished by solving the full NavierStokes equations describing the flow within the black liquor coupled with a potential flow solution in the vapor phase. Results are presented showing the accuracy of our technique in predicting the stability of a planar viscous liquid sheet flowing through a stagnant, inviscid vapor phase.
Darboux and Binary Darboux Transformations for Discrete Integrable Systems. II. Discrete Potential mKdV Equation

The paper presents two results. First it is shown how the discrete potential modified KdV equation and its Lax pairs in matrix form arise from the Hirota-Miwa equation by a 2-periodic reduction. Then Darboux transformations and binary Darboux transformations are derived for the discrete potential modified KdV equation and it is shown how these may be used to construct exact solutions.
Optimal power tracking of doubly fed induction generator-based wind turbine using swarm moth–flame optimizer

This paper proposes a novel swarm moth–flame optimizer (SMFO) to obtain the optimal parameters of four interacting proportional–integral (PI) loops of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind turbine, so that maximum power point tracking (MPPT) may be achieved together with an improved fault ride-through (FRT) capability. The SMFO is inspired by a moth swarm encircling a flame at night, in which each flame is simultaneously encircled by multiple moths for a greater exploitation, whereas the flame with a higher brightness (i.e. a smaller fitness function) will attract more moths than those of its adjacent flames. In order to achieve a wider exploration, a ring network is then constructed among the flames such that the moths may be guided to search for a brighter flame more effectively. Three case studies are undertaken, which verify that an improved global convergence, more optimal power tracking and enhanced FRT capability may be achieved by SMFO compared with those of existing meta-heuristic techniques.
A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach for Estimating Individualized Treatment-Response Curves

We study the problem of estimating the continuous response over time to interventions using observational time series---a retrospective dataset where the policy by which the data are generated is unknown to the learner. We are motivated by applications where response varies by individuals and therefore, estimating responses at the individual-level is valuable for personalizing decision-making. We refer to this as the problem of estimating individualized treatment response (ITR) curves. In statistics, G-computation formula (Robins, 1986) has been commonly used for estimating treatment responses from observational data containing sequential treatment assignments. However, past studies have focused predominantly on obtaining point-in-time estimates at the population level. We leverage the G-computation formula and develop a novel Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) method that can flexibly model functional data and provide posterior inference over the treatment response curves at both the individual and population level. On a challenging dataset containing time series from patients admitted to a hospital, we estimate responses to treatments used in managing kidney function and show that the resulting fits are more accurate than alternative approaches. Accurate methods for obtaining ITRs from observational data can dramatically accelerate the pace at which personalized treatment plans become possible.
Flare Observations

Solar flares are observed at all wavelengths from decameter radio waves to gamma-rays at 100 MeV. This review focuses on recent observations in EUV, soft and hard X-rays, white light, and radio waves. Space missions such as RHESSI, Yohkoh, TRACE, and SOHO have enlarged widely the observational base. They have revealed a number of surprises: Coronal sources appear before the hard X-ray emission in chromospheric footpoints, major flare acceleration sites appear to be independent of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), electrons, and ions may be accelerated at different sites, there are at least 3 different magnetic topologies, and basic characteristics vary from small to large flares. Recent progress also includes improved insights into the flare energy partition, on the location(s) of energy release, tests of energy release scenarios and particle acceleration. The interplay of observations with theory is important to deduce the geometry and to disentangle the various processes involved. There is increasing evidence supporting reconnection of magnetic field lines as the basic cause. While this process has become generally accepted as the trigger, it is still controversial how it converts a considerable fraction of the energy into non-thermal particles. Flare-like processes may be responsible for large-scale restructuring of the magnetic field in the corona as well as for its heating. Large flares influence interplanetary space and substantially affect the Earth’s lower ionosphere. While flare scenarios have slowly converged over the past decades, every new observation still reveals major unexpected results, demonstrating that solar flares, after 150 years since their discovery, remain a complex problem of astrophysics including major unsolved questions.
Behavioral Neuroscience

Preceding the current focus on the mPFC, the primary sensory cortices received attention as a possible site of inhibition of conditioned fear memories. Auditory cortex lesions in rabbits have been found to impair the extinction of differentially conditioned heart rate responses to tone CSs (Teich et al., 1989), and the plasticity in auditory cortex of cats resulting from auditory fear conditioning reverses over non-reinforced CS presentations, suggesting a possible role for sensory cortex in extinction (Diamond and Weinberger, 1986; but see Quirk et al., 1997). Similarly, visual cortex lesions in rats have been reported to impair the rate of fear extinction to a visual CS (LeDoux et al., 1989; but see Falls and Davis, 1993). The fi ndings that the auditory cortex-amygdala pathway is suffi cient for tone fear conditioning (Romanski and LeDoux, 1992; Boatman and Kim, 2006) suggest that the auditory cortex might be involved in mediating both acquisition and extinction of tone-based fear memories. If sensory cortex is involved in extinction of conditioned fear, then the fi nding that these areas inhibit fear memories should generalize across different auditory fear conditioning paradigms. Such a fi nding would suggest that sensory cortex, rather than being involved in extinction to a particular tone CS per se, is more generally involved in extinction of auditory-based fear memories. To test this, rats with auditory cortex lesions underwent auditory fear conditioning and extinction using a standard tone-on conditioning,
Different Corticostriatal Integration in Spiny Projection Neurons from Direct and Indirect Pathways

The striatum is the principal input structure of the basal ganglia. Major glutamatergic afferents to the striatum come from the cerebral cortex and make monosynaptic contacts with medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs) and interneurons. Also: glutamatergic afferents to the striatum come from the thalamus. Despite differences in axonal projections, dopamine (DA) receptors expression and differences in excitability between MSNs from “direct” and “indirect” basal ganglia pathways, these neuronal classes have been thought as electrophysiologically very similar. Based on work with bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice, here it is shown that corticostriatal responses in D1- and D2-receptor expressing MSNs (D1- and D2-MSNs) are radically different so as to establish an electrophysiological footprint that readily differentiates between them. Experiments in BAC mice allowed us to predict, with high probability (P > 0.9), in rats or non-BAC mice, whether a recorded neuron, from rat or mouse, was going to be substance P or enkephalin (ENK) immunoreactive. Responses are more prolonged and evoke more action potentials in D1-MSNs, while they are briefer and exhibit intrinsic autoregenerative responses in D2-MSNs. A main cause for these differences was the interaction of intrinsic properties with the inhibitory contribution in each response. Inhibition always depressed corticostriatal depolarization in D2-MSNs, while it helped in sustaining prolonged depolarizations in D1-MSNs, in spite of depressing early discharge. Corticostriatal responses changed dramatically after striatal DA depletion in 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned animals: a response reduction was seen in substance P (SP)+ MSNs whereas an enhanced response was seen in ENK+ MSNs. The end result was that differences in the responses were greatly diminished after DA depletion.
Effects of an Inclined Land Surface on the Land and Sea Breeze Circulation: A Numerical Experiment

Orographical effects of a slope behind a flat plain on the land and sea breeze circulation are investigated using a numerical model with a simplified configuration of the lower boundary. It is found that (1) when the temperature at the slope surface varies with a diurnal period similarly to that at the plain surface, both the sea breeze and the land breeze are amplified and the alternation of the sea and the land breezes occurs earlier than the land and the sea breezes over a flat plain, and (2) when the slope works merely as a barrier, both the land and the sea breezes are reduced and the circulation domain is confined in the sea and the plain regions. The solution of linear differential equations for the unsteady slope wind is examined to make more clear the physical process in the above mentioned situation. The land and sea breeze in the former case is found to be modified by the slope wind which is stronger than and is in advance of the land and sea breeze over a flat plain. The land and sea breeze for the case with a slope varying its surface temperature is highly efficient in producing the available potential energy and converting it to the kinetic energy of the breeze.
In-die overlay metrology method using SEM images

Abstract. We present an overlay measurement method that is designed to use scanning electron microscope (SEM) images taken in the circuit pattern region. In the semiconductor manufacturing, the overlay is currently measured using target patterns fabricated in the scribe line region. However, there are residual errors between the measurement values in the scribe line region and the actual values in the circuit pattern region. Therefore, in-die overlay accuracy measurements using circuit patterns are required for precise overlay control. We have developed an in-die overlay accuracy measurement method based on SEM images. The overlay is directly measured by comparing a golden image and a test image captured in the circuit pattern region. Each layer is automatically recognized from the images by utilizing a “graph cut” technique, and the placement error between the two images is determined and used to calculate the overlay accuracy. This enables us to measure the overlay accuracy without specially designed target patterns or the setting up of measurement cursors. In the numerical experiments using pseudoimages, the proposed method has linearity and sensitivity for the subpixel-order overlay even if the patterns have size variations. The basic performance of this method was evaluated using real SEM images. A measurement repeatability of less than 1.35 nm (0.36 pixel) was achieved, and a reasonable wafer map of the overlay was obtained.
Descent Direction Stochastic Approximation Algorithm with Adaptive Step Sizes

A stochastic approximation (SA) algorithm with new adaptive step sizes for solving unconstrained minimization problems in noisy environment is proposed. New adaptive step size scheme uses ordered statistics of fixed number of previous noisy function values as a criterion for accepting good and rejecting bad steps. The scheme allows the algorithm to move in bigger steps and avoid steps proportional to 1/k when it is expected that larger steps will improve the performance. An algorithm with the new adaptive scheme is defined for a general descent direction. The almost sure convergence is established. The performance of new algorithm is tested on a set of standard test problems and compared with relevant algorithms. Numerical results support theoretical expectations and verify efficiency of the algorithm regardless of chosen search direction and noise level. Numerical results on problems arising in machine learning are also presented. Linear regression problem is considered using real data set. The results suggest that the proposed algorithm shows promise.
The Relationships Between Quantitative MR Parameters in Hippocampus in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary We introduce a new magnetic resonance (MR) method based on a pixel-by-pixel image processing to examine relationships between metabolic and structural processes in the pathologic hippocampus. The method was tested for lateralization of the epileptogenic zone in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Twenty patients with drug-resistant TLE and fifteen healthy controls were examined at 3T. The measurement protocol contained T2-weighted MR images, spectroscopic imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and T2 relaxometry. Correlations between quantitative MR parameters were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis using the CORIMA program which enables automated pixel identification in the normal tissue according to control data. All MR parameters changed in the anteroposterior direction in the hippocampus and correlation patterns and their slopes differed between patients and controls. Combinations of T2 relaxation times with metabolite values represent the best biomarkers of the epileptogenic zone. Correlations with mean diffusivity did not provide sufficiently accurate results due to diffusion image distortions. Quantitative MR analysis non-invasively provides a detailed description of hippocampal pathology and may represent complementary tool to the standard clinical protocol. However, the automated processing should be carefully monitored in order to avoid possible errors caused by MR artifacts.
Modified T‐stenting technique with crushing for bifurcation lesions: Immediate results and 30‐day outcome

We report a new stenting technique employed in 20 consecutive patients to treat true bifurcation lesions using the Cypher stent (Cordis, Warren, NJ). Both stents are advanced at the site of the bifurcation. The proximal marker of the side‐branch stent must be situated in the main branch at a distance of 4–5 mm proximal to the carina of the bifurcation and the main branch stent must cover the bifurcation as well as the protruding segment of the side‐branch stent. The side‐branch stent is deployed first and balloon and wire are removed. The stent deployed in the main branch completely covers and crushes the protruding segment of the side branch stent against the vessel wall of the main branch. Following main‐ and side‐branch predilatation, stents were successfully deployed in all lesions. Final kissing balloon inflation was performed in seven patients. Two patients had in‐hospital myocardial infarction and one patient underwent in‐hospital re‐PTCA due to a dissection distal to a stent. No other major adverse cardiac events were observed in‐hospital and during 1‐month clinical follow‐up. Treatment of bifurcation lesions using crushing stent technique is feasible with acceptable rate of procedural complications. Angiographic follow‐up is necessary to prove the advantage of this specific technique to give complete coverage of the ostium of the side branch with a drug‐eluting stent. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2003;60:145–151. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Explorer Conservatism and novelty in the genetic architecture of adaptation in Heliconius butterflies

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Common methods for fecal sample storage in field studies yield consistent 1 ! signatures of individual identity in microbiome sequencing data 2 !

6! Affiliations: 7! Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, 8! Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA 9! Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 10! Minneapolis, MN 5510, USA. 11! Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 45665, 12! USA 13! Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya 14! Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre, University of 15! Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. H3T 1C5 16! Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA 17! Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA 18! Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA 19! Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA 20!
New hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) scheme for 4x4 MIMO system, based on the extended alamouti quasi-orthogonal space-time bloc coding (Q-STBC), in invariant and variant fading channel

NEW HYBRID AUTOMATIC REPEAT REQUEST (HARQ) SCHEME FOR A 4x4 MIMO SYSTEM, BASED ON THE EXTENDED ALAMOUTI QUASI-ORTHOGONAL SPACE-TIME BLOCK CODING (Q-STBC), IN INVARIANT AND VARIANT FADING CHANNEL by Jordi Ferrer Torras A new Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) combining scheme for a 4x4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system in invariant and variant fading channel conditions is proposed and analized. Based on the Extended Alamouti Quasi-orthogonal Space-Time Block Coding (Q-STBC), the use of the so-called Alternative Matrices for transmission, depending on the Channel State Information (CSI) received as feedback, is compared to other existing solutions. Sign changes and permutations in the retransmission sequences allow reducing the interference while exploiting the spatial diversity to introduce some gain in the signal power. The best transmission order is selected by the Determinant Criterion, which optimizes the SNR in each receiver antenna to minimize the Bit Error Rate (BER) and maximize the throughput. Studying the performance of a priori different alternatives, both analytically and empirically, several equivalents are found. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves an improvement for the case of an invariant channel, but not for the time varying model, where the Auto-Regressive of order 1 (AR-1) is chosen for simplicity. NEW HYBRID AUTOMATIC REPEAT REQUEST (HARQ) SCHEME FOR A 4x4 MIMO SYSTEM, BASED ON THE EXTENDED ALAMOUTI QUASI-ORTHOGONAL SPACE-TIME BLOCK CODING (Q-STBC), IN INVARIANT AND VARIANT FADING CHANNEL by Jordi Ferrer Torras A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Telecommunications Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Quasi-eccentricity error modeling and compensation in vision metrology

Circular targets are commonly used in vision applications for its detection accuracy and robustness. The eccentricity error of the circular target caused by perspective projection is one of the main factors of measurement error which needs to be compensated in high-accuracy measurement. In this study, the impact of the lens distortion on the eccentricity error is comprehensively investigated. The traditional eccentricity error turns to a quasi-eccentricity error in the non-linear camera model. The quasi-eccentricity error model is established by comparing the quasi-center of the distorted ellipse with the true projection of the object circle center. Then, an eccentricity error compensation framework is proposed which compensates the error by iteratively refining the image point to the true projection of the circle center. Both simulation and real experiment confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in several vision applications.