Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parallel implementation of the multi-view image segmentation algorithm using the Hough transform

We report on the parallel implementation of a multi-view image segmentation algorithm via segmenting the corresponding three-dimensional scene. The algorithm includes the reconstruction of a three-dimensional scene model in the form of a point cloud, and the segmentation of the resulting point cloud in three-dimensional space using the Hough space. The developed parallel algorithm was implemented on graphics processing units using CUDA technology. Experiments were performed to evaluate the speedup and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The developed parallel program was tested on modelled scenes.
Papez’s Forgotten Tract: 80 Years of Unreconciled Findings Concerning the Thalamocingulate Tract

The thalamocingulate tract is a key component of the Papez circuit that connects the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN) to the cingulum bundle. While the other white matter connections, consisting of the fornix, cingulum bundle and mammillothalamic tract, were well defined in Papez’s original 1937 paper, the anatomy of the thalamocingulate pathway was mentioned only in passing. Subsequent research has been unable to clarify the precise anatomical trajectory of this tract. In particular, the site of thalamocingulate tract interactions with the cingulum bundle have been inconsistently reported. This review aims to synthesize research on this least studied component of the Papez circuit. A systemic approach to reviewing historical anatomical dissection and neuronal tracing studies as well as contemporary diffusion magnetic resonance imaging studies of the thalamocingulate tract was undertaken across species. We found that although inconsistent, prior research broadly encompasses two differing descriptions of how the ATN interfaces with the cingulum after passing laterally through the anterior limb of the internal capsule. The first group of studies show that the pathway turns medially and rostrally and passes to the anterior cingulate region (Brodmann areas 24, 33, and 32) only. A second group suggests that the thalamocingulate tract interfaces with both the anterior and posterior cingulate (Brodmann areas 23 and 31) and retrosplenial region (Brodmann area 29). We discuss potential reasons for these discrepancies such as altering methodologies and species differences. We also discuss how these inconsistencies may be resolved in further research with refinements of terminology for the cingulate cortex and the thalamocingulate tract. Understanding the precise anatomical course of the last remaining unresolved final white matter tract in the Papez circuit may facilitate accurate investigation of the role of the complete Papez circuit in emotion and memory.
Higher C-Peptide Level During Glucose Clamp Is Associated With Muscle Insulin Resistance in Nonobese Japanese Men

Abstract Context Circulating C-peptide is generally suppressed by exogenous insulin infusion. However, steady-state serum C-peptide (SSSC) levels during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in obese subjects are higher than in healthy subjects, which may contribute to hyperinsulinemia to compensate for insulin resistance. Even in healthy subjects, interindividual variations in SSSC levels are present; however, the characteristics of subjects with high SSSC levels in those populations have not been fully elucidated. Objective To investigate the clinical parameters associated with interindividual variations in SSSC levels in apparently healthy, nonobese Japanese men. Design and Participants We studied 49 nonobese (BMI < 25 kg/m2), healthy Japanese men. We evaluated SSSC and insulin sensitivity using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with tracer. Intrahepatic lipid (IHL) was measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results We divided subjects into high and low SSSC groups based on the median SSSC value and compared their clinical parameters. Compared with the low SSSC group, the high SSSC group had IHL accumulation, impaired muscle insulin sensitivity, reduced insulin clearance, and hyperinsulinemia during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). All of these factors were significantly correlated with SSSC. Conclusions In healthy, nonobese men, higher SSSC was associated with impaired muscle insulin sensitivity, IHL accumulation, and hyperinsulinemia during OGTT. These findings suggest that higher endogenous insulin secretion during hyperinsulinemia, along with reduced insulin clearance, may be an early change to maintain metabolic status in the face of moderate muscle insulin resistance, even in healthy, nonobese men.
Conditional network measures using multivariate partial coherence analysis for spike train data with application to multi-electrode array recordings

This thesis proposes a novel approach for functional connectivity studies of neuronal signal recordings based on statistical signal processing analysis in the frequency domain using Multivariate Partial Coherence (MVPC) combined with network theory measures. MVPC is applied to spike trains signals to make inferences about the underlying network structure. The presence of connections between single unit spike trains is estimated using both coherence and MVPC analysis. Scalability of MVPC analysis is investigated through application to simulated spike train data with up to 100 simultaneous spike trains generated from a network of excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons. Stable MVPC estimates were obtained with up to 198 predictors in partial coherence estimates, using a combination of simulated cortical neuron data and additional Poisson spike train predictors. MVPC provides higher order partial coherence analysis for multi-channel spike trains signals, removing effects of common influences in pairwise connectivity estimates. Network measures applied to binary and weighted adjacency measures derived from coherence and partial coherence are compared to determine the differences in unconditional and conditional networks of spike train interactions. A combination of MVPC analysis along with network theory analysis provides a systematic approach for multi-channel spike train signals. The proposed method is applied to simulated and multi-electrode array (MEA) spike train data. The MEA data consists of 19 single unit channels recorded from a study of connectivity in a model of kainic acid (KA) induced epileptiform activity for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) in a rat. The network theory analysis uses basic measures on both conditional and unconditional network, which highlights the differences in network structure and characteristics between the two representations. Complex analysis on conditional networks is useful in describing the properties of integration and segregation in the network.
App Store Analysis for software engineering

App Store Analysis concerns the mining of data from apps, made possible through app stores. This thesis extracts publicly available data from app stores, in order to detect and analyse relationships between technical attributes, such as software features, and non-technical attributes, such as rating and popularity information. The thesis identifies the App Sampling Problem, its effects and a methodology to ameliorate the problem. The App Sampling Problem is a fundamental sampling issue concerned with mining app stores, caused by the rather limited ‘most-popular-only’ ranked app discovery present in mobile app stores. This thesis provides novel techniques for the analysis of technical and non-technical data from app stores. Topic modelling is used as a feature extraction technique, which is shown to produce the same results as n-gram feature extraction, that also enables linking technical features from app descriptions with those in user reviews. Causal impact analysis is applied to app store performance data, leading to the identification of properties of statistically significant releases, and developer-controlled properties which could increase a release’s chance for causal significance. This thesis introduces the Causal Impact Release Analysis tool, CIRA, for performing causal impact analysis on app store data, which makes the aforementioned research possible; combined with the earlier feature extraction technique, this enables the identification of the claimed software features that may have led to significant positive and negative changes after a release.
Temperature dependent anomalous fluctuations in water: shift of ≈1 kbar between experiment and classical force field simulations

Here we report on the temperature dependence of the anomalous behaviour of water in terms of (i) its growth in tetrahedral structures, (ii) instantaneous spatial correlations from small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data, (iii) estimates of thermodynamic response functions of isothermal compressibility and (iv) thermal expansion coefficient. Water’s thermal expansion coefficient is estimated for the first time at supercooled conditions from liquid water’s structure factor. We used previously published data from classical force-fields of TIP4P/2005 and iAMOEBA to compare experimental data with molecular dynamics simulations and observe that these force-fields underestimate water’s anomalous behaviour but perform better upon increasing pressure. We demonstrate that the molecular dynamics simulations can describe better the temperature dependent anomalous behaviour of ambient pressure water if simulated at 1 kbar. The deviation in anomalous fluctuations in the simulations is not restricted to ≈228 K but extends all the way to ambient temperatures. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Performance Enhancement on Keystroke Dynamics by Using Fusion Rules

Keystroke dynamics refers to the timing information that expresses precisely when each key was pressed and released as a person types. In this paper, we present a novel keystroke dynamic recognition system by using a novel fusion approach. Firstly, we extract four types of keystroke latency as the feature data from our dataset. We then calculate their mean and standard deviation to be stored as template. The test feature data will be transformed into similarity scores via Gaussian Probability Density Function (GPD). We also propose a new technique, known as Direction Similarity Measure (DSM), to measure the trend differential among each digraph in a phrase. Lastly, various fusion rules are applied to improve the final result by fusing the scores produced by GPD and DSM. Best result with equal error rate of 2.791% is obtained when the AND voting rule is used.
The Effect of Extraction Methods on Preliminary Structural Properties and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Lactarius vividus

Four polysaccharides (LVP-u, LVP-m, LVP-e, and LVP-h) were extracted from the fruiting bodies of Lactarius vividus by an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, microwave-assisted extraction method, enzyme-assisted extraction method, and hot water extraction method, respectively. Then, the effect of extraction methods on yields, preliminary structural properties, and antioxidant activities was systematically investigated using the weighing method, chemical composition analysis, high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), radical scavenging, and metal ion chelating assays. Results demonstrated that the four L. vividus polysaccharides (LVPs) were all combined with protein, and the yield of LVP-u was higher than others. Molecular weight distribution, monosaccharide and amino acid compositions, and microstructures among the four LVPs were significantly different. Moreover, the LVPs showed significant antioxidant activities in a dose-dependent manner, and LVP-e demonstrated better antioxidant activities in superoxide anion radical scavenging activity assays and metal ion chelating activity assays, while LVP-u showed higher activity in its hydroxyl radical scavenging ability.
Redox-Driven Disassembly of Polymer–Chlorambucil Polyprodrug: Delivery of Anticancer Nitrogen Mustard and DNA Alkylation

Utilization of nitrogen mustards as anticancer drugs opened the way for precise cancer chemotherapy owing to their ability to cross-link deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). However, the non-specificity and lower water solubility limit their aptitude to behave as effective anticancer drugs. Herein we embed the clinically approved nitrogen mustard, chlorambucil (CBL), into a redox-responsive polymeric vector to overcome those bottlenecks as well as to achieve better efficacy. We have synthesized amphiphilic diblock copolymers (BCPs) consisting of polymerized segments of a pendent disulfide-labeled CBL prodrug monomer and hydrophilic 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate monomer via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The well-defined polyprodrug amphiphiles with CBL loading content >40 wt% could form uniform micelles with an average diameter of 45–110 nm through a macromolecular self-assembly strategy. For the release of caged CBL, disassembly of the self-assembled micelles was attained .
Efficacy of an artificial microbial siderophore-Fe(III) with high redox potential on correcting Fe chlorosis in rice

ABSTRACT Microbial siderophore-chelated Fe(III) is suggested to be an important source of Fe for plants, although it is hardly reduced by plant roots. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the easily reducible artificial microbial siderophore tris[2-{(N-acetyl-N-hydroxy)glycylamino}ethyl]amine (TAGE)-Fe(III) as an alternative Fe source to correct Fe deficiency in rice plants, and compared it to that of the natural siderophore deferoxamine B (DFOB)-Fe(III). We also evaluated the absorption of Fe from TAGE-Fe(III) by the Strategy I-like system of gramineous plants using nicotianamine aminotransferase 1 (naat1) mutant rice, which does not synthesize phytosiderophores. Fe(III)-siderophores were synthesized in vitro. Nipponbare rice and its naat1 mutant were reared in soil and gel cultures to determine Fe availability. Hydroponically grown naat1 mutant seedlings were used for reducibility assays to determine the ability of rice roots to reduce Fe(III) chelated by TAGE or DFOB. The expression of a Fe-deficiency inducible gene was also determined, as well as chlorophyll and Fe concentrations. Reduci bility assays on naat1 mutant seedlings revealed that the reduction level of TAGE-Fe(III) was approximately three times higher than that of DFOB-Fe(III). Application of TAGE-Fe(III) to both culture medium and alkaline soil improved Fe chlorosis, growth, and Fe concentration in both naat1 and wild type plants, whereas application of DFOB-Fe(III) only did so in wild type plants. Easily reducible Fe(III)-chelates such as TAGE-Fe(III) can be a better source of Fe for rice plants than most natural microbial siderophores-Fe(III). Our study also demonstrated that rice plants have the ability to utilize microbial siderophores-Fe(III) as the Fe source through the Strategy I-like Fe acquisition system.
Size-independent peak efficiency of III-nitride micro-light-emitting-diodes using chemical treatment and sidewall passivation

Micro-light-emitting-diodes (μLEDs) with size-independent peak external quantum efficiency behavior was demonstrated from 10 × 10 μm2 to 100 × 100 μm2 by employing a combination of chemical treatment and atomic-layer deposition (ALD) sidewall passivation. The chemical treatment and sidewall passivation improved the ideality factors of μLEDs from 3.4 to 2.5. The results from the combination of chemical treatment and ALD sidewall passivation suggest the issue of size dependent efficiency can be resolved with proper sidewall treatments after dry etching.
Using quadrature and an iterative eigensolver to compute fine-structure ro-vibrational levels of Van der Waals complexes: NH(Σ−3)–He, O2(Σg−3)–Ar, and O2(Σg−3)–He

We introduce a new method for computing spectra of molecules for which a spin-spin term in the Hamiltonian has an important effect. In previous calculations, matrix elements of the spin-spin term and of the potential were obtained by expanding the potential and using analytic equations in terms of 3− j symbols. Instead, we use quadrature. Quadrature is simple and makes it possible to do calculations with a general potential and without using the Wigner-Eckart theorem. In previous calculations, the Hamiltonian matrix was built and diagonalized. Instead, we use an iterative eigensolver. It makes it easy to work with a large basis. The ideas are tested by computing energy levels of NH(3Σ−)-He, O2( Σg )-Ar and O2( Σg )-He. ∗Electronic address: xgwang.dalian@gmail.com †Electronic address: Tucker.Carrington@queensu.ca
Adaptive non-local smoothing-based weberface for illumination-insensitive face recognition

Compensating the illumination of a face image is an important process to achieve effective face recognition under severe illumination conditions. This paper present a novel illumination normalization method which specifically considers removing the illumination boundaries as well as reducing the regional illumination. We begin with the analysis of the commonly used reflectance model and then expatiate the hybrid usage of adaptive non-local smoothing and the local information coding based on Weber’s law. The effectiveness and advantages of this combination are evidenced visually and experimentally. Results on Extended YaleB database show its better performance than several other famous methods.
Privacy-preserving Wi-Fi tracking systems

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Privacy-preserving Wi-Fi tracking systems Célestin Matte, Marine Minier, Mathieu Cunche, Franck Rousseau
Microbial membranes related to the thermal acclimation of soil heterotrophic respiration in a temperate steppe in northern China

There has been an active debate among ecologists about the mechanisms of ephemeral response of soil respiration to climate change. The key questions are whether soil microbes would reduce their physiological rates (thermal acclimation) under a warmer temperature regime，and what are the mechanisms. Using a long‐term warming field experiment, we explored the thermal acclimation of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in a temperate steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China. A thermal acclimation mechanism, namely change in lipid composition of soil microbes, was also tested in this study. Our results showed that 6 years of warming treatment had significantly decreased soil mass‐specific respiration (substrate Rmass), indicating soil Rh would acclimate to long‐term warming. In addition, we found that this thermal acclimation presented type II acclimation, because experimental warming significantly decreased substrate Rmass but not the Q10 values. Furthermore, we also found that long‐term experimental warming had already increased the carbon numbers of the fatty acids in soil microbial membranes at the community level. In summary, our results indicated that soil Rh could acclimate to global warming via modifying cell membrane constitutions and these mechanisms would play vital roles in the near future.
Microscopic Nature of Magnetic Ground State in CeAuSb2

The synergistic investigation of ground‐state magnetic correlation in the single‐crystal heavy fermion compound CeAuSb2 using detailed neutron scattering measurements and density functional calculations is reported. Unlike the previous reports of single antiferromagnetic transition at TN ≈ 6 K, three successive transitions with distinct critical exponents at TN = 5.3, 4.46, and 3.76 K, respectively, are detected in CeAuSb. The low‐temperature ground‐state magnetic correlation is described by the spin density wave order in the basal plane with propagation wave vector τ = (0.135, 0.135, 0.5) rlu. The spin density wave order arises due to the nesting of hole pockets in the Fermi surface, with parallel surfaces being separated by the experimentally found propagation vector τ. The comprehensive investigation of magnetic ground‐state properties is expected to provide new insights in understanding the emerging quantum magnetism in this system, including the debated quantum critical state and magnetic field‐induced metamagnetic transitions at low temperature.
Impact of organic flux enhancer on pilot anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR)

In this work, the effects of the addition of a cationic polymer ADIFLOC KD 451 (ADIPAP, France) in the performance of a decentralized Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) pilot plant treating 1.5 m3 blackwater per day was studied. To this end, on-line sludge filterability characterizations were performed following the Delft Filtration Characterization (DFC) method. Likewise, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was used to measure and record the variations in transmembrane pressure (TMP). Polymer addition resulted in the modification of the biomass properties such as increased particle size measured as d50 from 19. 49µm to 32. 85µm and lower colloidal particles concentration. The combined effect of these changes influenced the fouling cake layer development rate. The preceding resulted in lower TMP in the pilot plant which indicates that higher operational fluxes can be achieved due to flux enhancer addition.
Atypical Reaction Media and Organized Systems for the Synthesis of Low-Substitution Sugar Esters

Sugar esters are non-ionic surfactants with amphiphilic properties of interest for the formulation of various products in the fields of detergents, foods, medicines, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and cosmetics. The properties of sugar esters depend on their degree of substitution (we consider degrees of substitution between 1 and 3 here) which guides their use. Sugar esters are biodegradable and non-toxic, and the demand for these compounds is high and continuing to increase. Indeed, interest in these compounds stems from the natural origin of the raw materials, the synthetic processes involved and the performance of the final product. The choice of reaction medium is crucial, to facilitate contact between reactants and prevent hydrolysis of the products. In this review, we provide an overview of the processes and synthesis routes for sugar ester production, ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvent as non-usual media or with organized systems.
CHO-Bearing Molecules in Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

In 2004, the Rosetta spacecraft was sent to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for the first ever long-term investigation of a comet. After its arrival in 2014, the spacecraft spent more than 2 years in immediate proximity to the comet. During these 2 years, the ROSINA Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) onboard Rosetta discovered a coma with an unexpectedly complex chemical composition that included many oxygenated molecules. Determining the exact cometary composition is an essential first step to understanding of the organic rich chemistry in star forming regions and protoplanetary disks that are ultimately conserved in cometary ices. In this study, a joint approach of laboratory calibration and space data analysis was used to perform a detailed identification and quantification of CHO compounds in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The goal was to derive the CHO compound abundances relative to water for masses up to 100 u. For this study, the May 2015 postequinox period represents the best bulk abundances of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. A wide variety of CHO compounds were discovered, and their bulk abundances were derived. Finally, these results are compared to abundances of CHO-bearing molecules in other comets, obtained mostly from ground-based observations and modeling.