Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The minimum consistent DFA problem cannot be approximated within any polynomial

Summary form only given, as follows. The minimum consistent DFA problem is that of finding a DFA with as few states as possible that is consistent with a given sample (a finite collection of words, each labeled as to whether the DFA found should accept or reject). Assuming that P not=NP, it is shown that for any constant k, no polynomial-time algorithm can be guaranteed to find a consistent DFA of size opt/sup k/, where opt is the size of a smallest DFA consistent with the sample. This result holds even if the alphabet is of constant size two and if the algorithm is allowed to produce an NFA, a regular grammar, or a regular expression that is consistent with the sample. Similar hardness results are presented for the problem of finding small consistent linear grammars. <<ETX>>
Super Class-AB Recycling Folded Cascode OTA

A super class-AB version of the recycling folded cascode (RFC) operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is proposed. The use of an adaptive bias circuit for the input differential pair provides dynamic current boosting and increased gain-bandwidth product (GBW). Moreover, use of local common-mode feedback (LCMFB) at the load of the differential pair further improves these performance parameters and provides high current efficiency. Measurement results of a test chip prototype fabricated in a 0.5- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process show an increase in slew rate and GBW by a factor of 34 and 3, respectively, versus the conventional RFC OTA using the same supply voltage and bias currents. Overhead in other performance metrics is small.
Touchless Haptic Feedback for Supernatural VR Experiences

Haptics is an important part of the VR space as seen by the plethora of haptic controllers available today. By using a novel ultrasonic haptic device, we developed and integrated mid-air haptic sensations without the need to wear or hold any equipment in a VR game experience. The compelling experience combines visual, audio and haptic stimulation in a supernatural narrative in which the user takes on the role of a wizard apprentice. By using different haptified patterns we could generate a wide range of sensations which mimic supernatural interactions (wizard spells). We detail our methodology and briefly discuss our findings and future work.
Handwritten Signature Verification via Deep Sparse Coding Architecture

The use of a person's signature is considered as one of the most commonly used biometric methods for recognition, either as a standalone feature or as part of multimodal systems. Based on the inter-writer variability, handwritten signatures have been accepted as a personal trait in many transactions to verify the consent or the author's presence. The main challenges for handwritten signature verification are the limited amount of available data for each writer and the intra-writer variability. Sparse Representation (i.e. dictionary learning and sparse coding) achieved state of the art results at handwritten signature verification, using only a small set of genuine reference samples of the writer. The extension of Sparse Representation to an efficient multi-layer architecture is Deep Sparse Coding. Deep Sparse Coding architecture connects multiple layers of Sparse Representation with a sparse-to-dense module in order to enable Sparse Coding on deeper layers. Learning sparse representations at different levels of abstraction leads to building feature hierarchies. The sparse-to-dense module involves a Dimensionality Reduction process, which was implemented with simple and fast methods, such as Random Orthogonal projection or PCA; instead of the computational expensive DrLIM. The performance of the proposed Deep Sparse Coding architecture to the challenging problem of offline signature verification is demonstrated in the popular CEDAR signature dataset, delivering improved state of the art results.
Building kernelized canonical correlation ensemble for dimensionality reduction

Kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA) is an efficient method for dimensionality reduction. However KCCA has the problem of finding appropriate type of kernel function and its parameters. In this paper, we propose a kernelized canonical correlation ensemble (KCCE) method to solve the above problem. Multiple kernel CCA models are used in an ensemble framework to minimize total least squares losses in multiple Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHSs). And in our proposed ensemble framework, an individual kernel CCA with better data correlation between two sets of data variables can be automatically assigned more weight, resulting in better performance in dimensionality reduction. By this way, best kernel types and their parameters are selected among such a pool of kernel CCAs. Experimental results on several classification datasets show that our proposed approach achieves best classification performances with dimensionality reduction in the datasets, as it is compared to the comparative methods, such as canonical correlation analysis(CCA), kernel canonical correlation analysis(KCCA), kernel principal component analysis (KPCA), kernel partial least squares (KPLS), alternating kernel canonical correlation analysis (AKCCA) and localized multi-kernel discriminative canonical correlation analysis (LMKDCCA).
Assessing the Effects of Stocking Density on Turkey Tom Health and Welfare to 16 Weeks of Age

Four levels of turkey tom stocking density (SD) (30, 40, 50, 60 kg/m2) were evaluated in two 16 week trials (n = 2,868 Nicholas Select). Poults were allocated to one of eight independently ventilated rooms per trial (6.71 × 10.06 m) based on final predicted body weight (two replicates per SD per trial). Room temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and ammonia concentration were recorded throughout the trial; ventilation was adjusted to equalize air quality across treatments. Mobility (gait score, scale 0–5) was recorded at 12 and 16 weeks (20 birds per replicate). Footpad lesion score (scale 0–4), feather condition (scale 1–4), and cleanliness scores (scale 1–4) were recorded at 10 (Trial 2), 12, and 16 weeks of age (20 birds per replicate). Aggressive injury incidence was recorded daily for Trial 2. Stress (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) was evaluated at 4, 12, and 16 weeks of age (15 birds per replicate). Behavior was recorded and scan sampled (field of view) at 12 (Trial 1), 14, and 16 weeks. Data were analyzed using regression analysis (linear, Proc Reg; quadratic, Proc RSReg) for relationships between the variables and SD. Differences were considered significant when p ≤ 0.05. Mobility and footpad lesions were negatively affected by increasing SD (linear) at 16 weeks only. Feather condition and cleanliness decreased linearly as SD increased at week 10, 12, and 16. The incidence of aggressive damage was higher as SD increased during week 4–8 (quadratic). Heterophil/lymphocyte ratios increased linearly at 4 weeks (similar trend at 12 weeks). Behavior was impacted at 12 weeks of age with standing behavior showing a quadratic response, and walking and total disturbance showing a linear decrease as SD increased. Resting, preening, and comfort behaviors increased linearly (14 weeks), while walking and strutting decreased linearly with increasing SD. Finally, at 16 weeks of age resting, standing, walking, feeding, and total disturbance responded quadratically while preening behavior increased linearly with increasing SD. Results suggest that increasing SD negatively impacts bird health and wellbeing through decreased mobility, increased footpad lesions, poorer feather condition and cleanliness, and behavioral changes, but that very low SD (30 kg/m2) may result in increased aggressive damage.
WiSP: Weighted Shortest Paths for RDF Graphs

An important aspect of exploratory search over graph data is to understand what paths connect a given pair of nodes. Since the resulting paths can be manifold, various works propose ranking paths likely to be of interest to a user; these methods often rely on enumerating all such paths (up to a fixed length or number) before ranking is applied. In this paper, we instead propose applying a shortest path search on weighted versions of the graph in order to directly compute the most relevant path(s) between two nodes without fixed-length bounds, further obviating the need to enumerate irrelevant paths. We investigate weightings based on node degree, PageRank and edge frequency, contrasting the paths produced by these schemes over the Wikidata graph and discussing performance issues. Finally we conduct a user study over Wikidata where evaluators assess the quality of the paths produced; though inter-rater consensus on which paths are of most interest is low, we achieve statistically significant results to suggest that users find the weighted shortest paths more interesting than the baseline shortest paths without weights.
Acoustic Methods for Increasing the Cavitation Initiation Pressure Threshold

Histotripsy is a tissue ablation method that utilizes focused, high-amplitude ultrasound to generate a cavitation bubble cloud that mechanically fractionates tissue. Effective histotripsy depends on the initiation, control, and maintenance of cavitation bubble clouds in the targeted area. In this study, we hypothesized that a low-pressure acoustic pulse sequence applied before and/or during histotripsy therapy would increase the cavitation initiation pressure threshold and the growth of cavitation bubble clouds. This technique could shrink or “sharpen” the focal zone during histotripsy to produce more precise and well-defined lesions with minimal collateral damage. It may also be a way to actively protect the soft tissue from cavitation damage during lithotripsy by increasing the pressure threshold for bubble cloud initiation. We applied these low-amplitude acoustic pulse sequences before and during histotripsy treatments with the pulse repetition frequency of 1 and 100 Hz, in three different mediums: water, tissue phantom agarose gel, and bovine liver in vitro. Acoustic backscatter signals and optical imaging were used to detect and monitor the initiation, maintenance, and growth of the resulting cavitation bubble cloud. The results demonstrated that the use of low-amplitude acoustic pulse sequences could increase the cavitation pressure amplitude threshold by 20% in the targeted area.
Single Photon-Counting Pixel Readout Chip Operating Up to 1.2 Gcps/mm2 for Digital X-Ray Imaging Systems

This paper presents the design of a PXF40—an ultrafast single photon-counting (SPC) readout front-end electronics implemented in a CMOS 40-nm technology dedicated to hybrid pixel detectors. The prototype application specific integrated circuit core is a matrix of 432 pixels (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$24\times 18$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) with a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$100\,\,\mu \text {m}\times 100\,\,\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> size. The single processing channel consists of a charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA), a discriminator, and a 24-bit counter with logic circuitry. The input signal is amplified and formed only by the CSA stage. Depending on the CSA input transistor current value, it can operate in two modes: FAST and FAST_HC with higher current. The measured power dissipation per channel <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P = 45 \,\,\mu \text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and noise <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {ENC} = 212\,\, \text {e}^{-}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> rms for the FAST mode, while <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P=100\,\,\mu \text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and ENC = 185 e<sup>−</sup> rms for the FAST_HC mode, respectively. The readout chip can count up to 1.2 Gcps/mm<sup>2</sup> based on 10% dead-time loss input rate parameter, which is currently the fastest SPC-based solution.
A Large-scale Measurement Study of Mobile Web Security Through Traffic Monitoring

Malicious web activities are continuing to be a great threat to the safety of mobile web users, and we are lack of a comprehensive understanding of them. In this paper, we conduct a large-scale measurement study of mobile web security based on real mobile traffic and analyze the characteristics of malicious web activities. Our investigation reveals three important observations. First, our time-domain analysis suggests that malicious traffic is highly correlated to the total traffic, both exhibit a periodical pattern. Second, 9% of the total users are involved in visiting malicious resources, among which 1% users visit nearly half of the malicious resources. Third, the analysis of the inner structure of malicious content indicates that 72% of malicious visiting are malware, and 54% of the content is HTML and image resources.
A Double Auction-Based Approach for Multi-User Resource Allocation in Mobile Edge Computing

Mobile edge computing (MEC), as an emerging technique, brings computing resource near to the user end, and thus offers prompt and high-bandwidth service. In MEC, edge servers typically provide their limited computing resource to an appropriate set of users and expect to be rewarded for that, while users pay for the service. In this paper, We utilize the network economics to solve the problem of resource allocation in MEC to maximize system efficiency. We consider a multi-user and multi-server scenario with locality-awareness, i.e., an edge server can only serve multiple MDs in the vicinity, and propose a single-round double auction scheme based on breakeven in MEC (SDAB), which is proved to be individual rationality and truthful. The simulation results indicate that SDAB can significantly improve the system efficiency of MEC as compared with the existing works, while maintaining the economic property of budget balance.
Decoupling Control Strategy for Input-Series Output-Parallel Systems Based on Dual Active Bridge dc-dc Converters

This paper focuses on dual active bridge (DAB) bidirectional DC-DC converters connected input-series-output-parallel (ISOP) configuration. Generalized average modeling approach is used to get state equations of a single DAB converter. The transformer current in DAB in purely AC, and input voltage need to be balanced, a fourth-order generalized average model of this converter has been established, using the dc components of input and output capacitor voltages and first order components of transformer current as state variables. Then small-signal model is used to derive control-to-output and control-to-input transfer functions in a single DAB converter. On this basis, the small-signal model of a four-DAB ISOP system is derived and a decoupling control strategy is applied to make input voltage balance control and output control independent of each other. Three voltage balance control loops and one output control loop are carried out by lag compensators respectively to regulate the ISOP DAB system. A single 2.5KW DAB and a 10KW ISOP system including four DAB modules are simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to verify the effectiveness and correctness of proposed strategy.
A Social Network Analysis of World Cities Network

Social network presents a variety of data in a network format. Networks may vary according to subjects. Social network analysis (SNA) can be done in different ways. There are various measures available to evaluate and make a conclusion. Some work has been done in the area of measure analysis, finding the critical nodes in the network, evaluation, and comparison of graph centralities. In this paper, an analysis related to the world cities network has been done. World city network presents a bipartite kind of graph. The parameters and methodologies for analysis are dependent on what type of data, a graph is representing. It also depends on the kind of a graph obtained from the network. World city network can be studied for analysis purpose. This analysis is carried out with several centrality measures. Cities connected with more service firms, cities connected to the firms having attachments to larger cities, which firm is closest to all other cities, etc. are some details that can be obtained from the analysis.
Study of Hybrid PVA/MA/TEOS Pervaporation Membrane and Evaluation of Energy Requirement for Desalination by Pervaporation

Desalination by pervaporation is a membrane process that is yet to be realized for commercial application. To investigate the feasibility and viability of scaling up, a process engineering model was developed to evaluate the energy requirement based on the experimental study of a hybrid polyvinyl alcohol/maleic acid/tetraethyl orthosilicate (PVA/MA/TEOS) Pervaporation Membrane. The energy consumption includes the external heating and cooling required for the feed and permeate streams, as well as the electrical power associated with pumps for re-circulating feed and maintaining vacuum. The thermal energy requirement is significant (e.g., up to 2609 MJ/m3 of thermal energy) and is required to maintain the feed stream at 65 °C in recirculation mode. The electrical energy requirement is very small (<0.2 kWh/m3 of required at 65 °C feed temperature at steady state) with the vacuum pump contributing to the majority of the electrical energy. The energy required for the pervaporation process was also compared to other desalination processes such as Reverse Osmosis (RO), Multi-stage Flash (MSF), and Multiple Effect Distillation (MED). The electrical energy requirement for pervaporation is the lowest among these desalination technologies. However, the thermal energy needed for pervaporation is significant. Pervaporation may be attractive when the process is integrated with waste heat and heat recovery option and used in niche applications such as RO brine concentration or salt recovery.
Design of a Dynamically Reconfigurable 3T1R Parallel Kinematic Manipulator

In this paper, the design of a 3T1R (three translations and two rotations) reconfigurable parallel robot using screw theory to define constraints within the limbs is presented. The design is based on the current architecture of a 3T parallel robot and applies screw theory to add two extra rotations through type synthesis of a reconfigurable moving platform with lockable revolute joints. The reconfiguration benefits from keeping the same number of actuators and adding the capability of new motions. The kinematics of the new reconfigurable platform and the constraint Jacobian are calculated. The workspace of the new configuration is computed and compared with the workspace of the original configuration showing an increase of said workspace. Also, the dexterity of the new configuration, based on the local conditioning index, is computed and analysed. Through a simulation of a peg-in-hole motion in Matlab, the way the reconfiguration can be achieved with a reconfigurable parallel robot is finally shown.
The Genomic Potentials of NOB and Comammox Nitrospira in River Sediment Are Impacted by Native Freshwater Mussels

Freshwater mussel assemblages of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) sequester tons of ammonia- and urea-based biodeposits each day and aerate sediment through burrowing activities, thus creating a unique niche for nitrogen (N) cycling microorganisms. This study explored how mussels impact the abundance of N-cycling species with an emphasis on Candidatus Nitrospira inopinata, the first microorganism known to completely oxidize ammonia (comammox) to nitrate. This study used metagenomic shotgun sequencing of genomic DNA to compare nitrogen cycling species in sediment under a well-established mussel assemblage and in nearby sediment without mussels. Metagenomic reads were aligned to the prokaryotic RefSeq non-redundant protein database using BLASTx, taxonomic binning was performed using the weighted lowest common ancestor algorithm, and protein-coding genes were categorized by metabolic function using the SEED subsystem. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect sizes were used to determine which metagenomes and metabolic features explained the most differences between the mussel habitat sediment and sediment without mussels. Of the N-cycling species deemed differentially abundant, Nitrospira moscoviensis and “Candidatus Nitrospira inopinata” were responsible for creating a distinctive N-cycling microbiome in the mussel habitat sediment. Further investigation revealed that comammox Nitrospira had a large metabolic potential to degrade mussel biodeposits, as evidenced the top ten percent of protein-coding genes including the cytochrome c-type biogenesis protein required for hydroxylamine oxidation, ammonia monooxygenase, and urea decomposition SEED subsystems. Genetic marker analysis of these two Nitrospira taxons suggested that N. moscoviensis was most impacted by diverse carbon metabolic processes while “Candidatus Nitrospira inopinata” was most distinguished by multidrug efflux proteins (AcrB), NiFe hydrogenase (HypF) used in hydrogen oxidation and sulfur reduction coupled reactions, and a heme chaperone (CcmE). Furthermore, our research suggests that comammox and NOB Nitrospira likely coexisted by utilizing mixotrophic metabolisms. For example, “Candidatus Nitrospira inopinata” had the largest potentials for ammonia oxidation, nitrite reduction with NirK, and hydrogen oxidation, while NOB Nitrospira had the greatest potential for nitrite oxidation, and nitrate reduction possibly coupled with formate oxidation. Overall, our results suggest that this mussel habitat sediment harbors a niche for NOB and comammox Nitrospira, and ultimately impacts N-cycling in backwaters of the UMR.
Towards a Safety and Energy Aware protocol for Wireless Communication

One of the newest criteria that companies have in mind when innovating their processes, is to acquire devices which have the ability to establish a wireless connection to other surrounding devices, enabling the interconnection of processes. The Internet of Things defines this capability. Elements designed for basic tasks, such as an assembly line can be enhanced by obtaining information on the particularities that single products should have. Although very useful for modern industries, this connectivity has intrinsic risks that might not be getting the attention they should. Security and safety problems, added to a high energy consumption, the need to reduce wires and the short life of sensor-batteries, will become a major problem in the days to come. This work analyses the requirements for an application layer protocol to be defined as a safe protocol, and the missing elements of modern protocols to be used on a safety environment for an industrial application. This work aims to raise awareness on the safety characteristics a system should accomplish, without neglecting energy requirements. We selected three of the most used application layer protocols, AMQP, CoAP and MQTT. Next we set the safety standards IEC-61508 and IEC-61784, including the standardized OpenSafety protocol, as baseline to analyze the requirements that a wireless protocol needs to accomplish in order to be considered Safety compliant.