Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detecting parameteric curves using the straight line Hough transform

A novel approach for the detection of parametric curves using the straight-line Hough transform is presented. The transform function of a curve can be expressed as the sum of two terms, namely, the intrinsic term and the translation term. This representation allows a natural decomposition of the high-dimensional parameter space into three subspaces: the intrinsic curve parameters, translation, and rotation. By eliminating either the translation term or the intrinsic term, one can easily determine the parameters of the remaining term. The complexity of this method depends mainly on the angular resolution, which is relatively independent of the arc length of the curve. The computational complexity of this approach compares favorably with that of other approaches based on the Hough transform. <<ETX>>
Beamspace Joint Azimuth, Elevation, and Delay Estimation for Large-Scale MIMO-OFDM System

Due to the capability to separate the line-of-sight (LOS) signal from multipath signals in both time-space domains, the joint azimuth, elevation angle, and time delay (TD) estimation technique is of great importance in the Internet of Things. However, as mainstream devices develop toward the large-scale multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system, real-time processing gradually becomes computationally impractical for traditional element-space 3-D joint angle and delay estimation (JADE) methods. In this article, based on the measured channel state information (CSI) acquired from a large-scale uniform rectangular array (URA)-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, a computationally efficient 3-D beamspace JADE algorithm is proposed. Firstly, we develop a method to select the beam that contains the LOS path as the optimal beam. Then, for the parameter estimation, we transform the CSI into the beamspace by utilizing the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) sequence, and propose a modified 3-D beamspace matrix pencil (BMP) algorithm only with the optimal beam and its adjacent beams, which contributes to conspicuous computational savings. Moreover, the estimation of delay, elevation, and azimuth for the LOS path are paired automatically with only one eigenvalue decomposition (EVD), and the multidimensional grid search is avoided. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed approach could correctly select the optimal beam with high probability, and its parameter estimation accuracy is superior to the state-of-the-art JADE techniques while significantly reducing the computational complexity.
Self-construals predict personal life satisfaction with different strengths across societal contexts differing in national wealth and religious heritage

ABSTRACT We explore to what extent previously observed pan-cultural association between dimensions of self-construal and personal life satisfaction (PLS) may be moderated by three national-contextual variables: national wealth, economic inequality, and religious heritage. The results showed that Self-reliance (vs. dependence on others) predicted PLS positively in poorer countries but negatively in richer countries. Connectedness to others (vs. self-containment) predicted PLS more strongly in Protestant-heritage countries. Self-expression (vs. harmony) predicted PLS more weakly (and non-significantly) in Muslim-heritage countries. In contrast, previously reported associations of self-direction (vs. reception-to-influence), consistency (vs. variability), and decontextualized (vs. contextualized) self-understanding with personal life satisfaction were not significantly moderated by these aspects of societal context. These results show the importance of considering the impact of national religious and economic context.
Absorption within inhomogeneous clouds and its parameterization in general circulation models

Abstract The effect on absorption in clouds of having an inhomogeneous distribution of droplets is shown to depend on whether one replaces a homogeneous cloud by an inhomogeneous cloud that has the same mean optical thickness, or one that has the same spherical albedo. For the purposes of general circulation models (GCMs), the more appropriate comparison is between homogeneous and inhomogeneous clouds that have the same spherical albedo, so that the radiation balance of the planet with space is maintained. In this case it is found, using Monte Carlo and independent pixel approximation calculations, that inhomogeneous clouds can absorb more than homogeneous clouds. It is also found that because of the different effects of cloud inhomogeneity on absorption and on the transmission of the direct beam the absorption efficiency of an inhomogeneous cloud may be either greater (for low and high optical depths) or lesser (for intermediate optical depths) than that for a homogeneous cloud of the same mean optical d.
Suppression of Meloidogyne incognita by co-application of chitin and Streptomyces nigrescens (AMV1033)

ABSTRACT Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. , are among the most polyphagous and ubiquitous plant-parasitic nematodes. Among other management strategies, organic soil amendments and biological control agents are proposed. In this study, potential synergistic benefits of co-application of chitin and Streptomyces nigrescens (AMV1033) against M. incognita were determined. Hypothetically, chitinolytic activity of these microbes deteriorates nematode eggshells reducing nematode numbers. Additional chitin could enhance actinobacteria activity for nematode suppression. In in vitro and greenhouse bioassays, suppressive capacities of M. incognita by chitin amendment at 50 mg/g of soil (chitin-low) and at 500 mg/g of soil (chitin-high; only tested in the greenhouse), Streptomyces nigrescens (AMV1033) and the co-application of AMV1033 with the two chitin rates were tested. After four weeks of in vitro egg incubation, the number of extractable second-stage juveniles (J2s) was significantly reduced after co-application of chitin-low plus AMV1033, and less so after sole application of AMV1033. In a similar 2-week in vitro assay with M. incognita egg masses, the numbers of J2s were similarly reduced after the same treatments. In a watermelon greenhouse bioassay with M. incognita, root infection was decreased after co-application of AMV1033 plus chitin-high or chitin-low compared to the non-treated control. After these treatments, plants grew similarly as in the control, whereas sole chitin-high addition led to severe plant damage. Some amelioration of phytotoxicity of chitin-high by the co-application of AMV1033 was found. The results of the study demonstrated the potential to enhance suppression of M. incognita by S. nigrescens by co-application of chitin.
Targeting Chondroitin Sulphate Synthase 1 (Chsy1) Promotes Axon Growth Following Neurorrhaphy by Suppressing Versican Accumulation

Versican is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG), which deposits in perineurium as a physical barrier and prevents the growth of axons out of the fascial boundary. Several studies have indicated that the chondroitin sulfate (CS) chains on versican have several possible functions beyond the physical barrier, including the ability to stabilize versican core protein in the extracellular matrix. As chondroitin sulfate synthase 1 (Chsy1) is a crucial enzyme for CS elongation, we hypothesized that in vivo knockdown of Chsy1 at peripheral nerve lesion site may decrease CS and versican accumulation, and result in accelerating neurite regeneration. In the present study, end-to-side neurorrhaphy (ESN) in Wistar rats was used as an in vivo model of peripheral nerve injury to evaluate nerve regeneration after surgical intervention. The distribution and expression of versican and Chsy1 in regenerating axons after ESN was studied using confocal microscopy and western blotting. Chsy1 was silenced at the nerve lesion (surgical) site using in vivo siRNA transfection. The results indicated that Chsy1 was successfully silenced in nerve tissue, and its downregulation was associated with functional recovery of compound muscle action potential. Silencing of Chsy1 also decreased the accumulation of versican core protein, suggesting that transient treating of Chsy1-siRNA may be an alternative and an effective strategy to promote injured peripheral nerve regeneration.
Input data representativeness problem in plant disease forecasting models

-In this paper, the LAPS surface scheme and the BAHUS biometeorological model are shortly described. LAPS has been applied for within-crown microclimate simulations in an apple orchard at experimental site Rimski Sancevi in the northern part of Serbia. The simulated values of leaf wetness duration, air temperature, and relative humidity within the tree crown are compared with the data measured in the orchard during the 2003 apple growing season. On the basis of biological and meteorological inputs coming from the outputs of either the automatic or the climatological weather station, or LAPS, BAHUS was applied in order to give the messages on occurrence of apple scab and fire blight diseases. BAHUS outputs obtained for the three meteorological input data sets are compared with time and intensity of infections observed in the apple orchard.
Scanning X-Ray Nanodiffraction on Living Eukaryotic Cells in Microfluidic Environments

High-resolution x-ray imaging techniques offer a variety of possibilities for studying the nanoscale structure of biological cells. A challenging task remains the study of cells by x rays in their natural, aqueous environment. Here, we overcome this limitation by presenting scanning x-ray diffraction measurements with beam sizes in the range of a few hundred nm on living and fixed-hydrated eukaryotic cells in microfluidic devices which mimic a native environment. The direct comparison between fixed-hydrated and living cells shows distinct differences in the scattering signal, pointing to structural changes on the order of 30 to 50 nm.
The Cross Entropy Method and Its Applications

iii ÖZ. iv DEDICATION.v ACKNOWLEDGMENT.vi LIST OF TABLE.ix LIST OF FIGURE.x LIST OF SYMBOLS.xi 1 INTRODUTION.1 1.1 Structural Reliability Analysis by Importance Sampling.2 1.2 Adaptive Importance Sampling.3 1.3 The Cross-entropyMethod.5 1.4 Basic Cross-entropy Algorithm.6 2 LITERATURE REVIEW.8 2.1 History.8 3 INTRODUCTIONEXAMPLES TO THE CE METHOD.10 3.1 Some Various Illustration Example.10 3.1.1 Example Based on Rare-event Simulation.10 3.1.2 Example Based on Combinatorial Optimazation.13 3.2 The CE Method for Simulation and Optimization.14 3.2.1 Case of Rare-event Simulation.14 3.2. 2 Case of Combinatorial Optimization.17
Evolution of Surnames

Summary The determination of a suitable probability model to describe the distribution of surnames in various areas has been considered by many authors. In this paper a birth and death process model and a branching process model are proposed to explain the evolution of surnames. Both models give rise to the Geeta distribution which has been fitted to the actual data and the fit is compared to the fits with the discrete Pareto distribution and the Yule distribution. The three distributions have also been compared with regard to their domains of the mean and variance.
ESTIMATING REGRESSION MODELS WITH

of A and log a2 which can be used to construct feasible generalized least squares (GLS) estimates of the coefficients in the original regression equation. In this note the two-step procedure is examined in detail for a more general model than that implied by (1). Maximum likelihood methods are also considered and the properties of estimators obtained by various procedures are compared. Details of the application of similar procedures to other classes of heteroscedastic
Numerical study of the radio-frequency biased accelerating system in ion thrusters

A 2D-3V implicit immersed-finite-element particle-in-cell (IFE-PIC) model is introduced to investigate the radio-frequency (RF) self-bias accelerating system applied in the RF ion thruster. A set of holes in a two-grid system with slit apertures is simulated in Cartesian coordinates. The characteristics of the plasma plume, such as the ion density, the neutralization rate and the ion and electron current density were investigated for different RF voltage amplitudes (600−1200 V) and frequencies (6−30 MHz). Furthermore, the performance of the thruster was also carefully studied. The simulation results show that a well-focused plasma beam can be formed when the voltage amplitude is larger than 900 V and the frequency exceeds the reciprocal of ion transit time (≥12 MHz) in our simulation cases. The performance of the system can be evidently improved by increasing the voltage amplitude and the frequency, and the losses of the particle and thrust are reduced correspondingly. The bulk region of the plasma beam downstream shows good quasi-neutrality, and the ions are dominant in the peripheral region when a well-focused state is achieved. The high ion density beamlet in the periphery of the ion beam is closer to the axis when the voltage amplitude is increasing, while it is expanded radially when increasing the frequency. Backstream electrons have been observed upstream, and this mainly occurs in the phase in which the electron cannot escape.
An excavate root for the eukaryote tree of life

Much of the higher-order phylogeny of eukaryotes is well resolved, but the root remains elusive. We assembled a dataset of 183 eukaryotic proteins of archaeal ancestry to test this root. The resulting phylogeny identifies four lineages of eukaryotes currently classified as “Excavata” branching separately at the base of the tree. Thus, Parabasalia appear as the first major branch of eukaryotes followed sequentially by Fornicata, Preaxostyla, and Discoba. All four excavate branch points receive full statistical support from analyses with commonly used evolutionary models, a protein structure partition model that we introduce here, and various controls for deep phylogeny artifacts. The absence of aerobic mitochondria in Parabasalia, Fornicata, and Preaxostyla suggests that modern eukaryotes arose under anoxic conditions, probably much earlier than expected, and without the benefit of mitochondrial respiration.
Pathophysiology of reinfection by exogenous HSV-1 is driven by heparanase dysfunction

Limited knowledge exists on exogenous DNA virus reinfections. Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), a prototype DNA virus, causes multiple human diseases including vision-threatening eye infections. While reinfection with an exogenous HSV-1 strain is considered plausible, little is known about the underlying mechanisms governing its pathophysiology in a host. Heparanase (HPSE), a host endoglycosidase, when up-regulated by HSV-1 infection dictates local inflammatory response by destabilizing tissue architecture. Here, we demonstrate that HSV-1 reinfection in mice causes notable pathophysiology in wild-type controls compared to the animals lacking HPSE. The endoglycosidase promotes infected cell survival and supports a pro-disease environment. In contrast, lack of HPSE strengthens intrinsic immunity by promoting cytokine expression, inducing necroptosis of infected cells, and decreasing leukocyte infiltration into the cornea. Collectively, we report that immunity from a recent prior infection fails to abolish disease manifestation during HSV-1 reinfection unless HPSE is rendered inactive.
The effect of Lactobacillus casei and Bacillus coagulans probiotics on liver damage induced by silver nanoparticles and expression of Bax, Bcl2 and Caspase 3 genes in male rats

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus casei probiotics on liver damage induced by silver nanoparticles and expression of Bax, Bcl2 and Caspase 3 genes in rats. 32 adult male Wistar rats were divided into four healthy groups (control), the group receiving silver nanoparticles treated with L. casei, the group receiving silver nanoparticles treated with B. coagulans and the group receiving only silver nanoparticles. The effect of nanoparticles was induced by intraperitoneal injection of silver nanoparticles prepared from nettle at a dose of 50 mg/kg and entered the liver tissue through the bloodstream. Two days after injection, probiotic treatment with 109 CFU was performed by gavage for 30 days. One day after the last gavage, rat liver tissue weight was assessed. Also, the total amount of RNA was extracted from treated, and healthy tissues, as well as induced silver nanoparticles tissues, then evaluated by Real Time PCR. Data were evaluated using one-way Anova, Tukey test. Based on the biochemical results of this study, exposure of rats to different concentrations of silver nanoparticles compared with the control group caused a significant increase in the serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), especially at high concentrations. Evaluation of damage and histopathological lesions showed that silver nanoparticles in different concentrations caused different damage to liver tissue, so that, necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration and vascular degeneration were observed at different concentrations by silver nanoparticles. In the present study, the effects of L. casei cell extract on increasing the expression of Bax proapoptotic gene and decreasing Bcl2 gene expression in cancer cells and inducing programmed cell death were shown. In this study, the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 genes in the group receiving silver nanoparticles and in the groups treated with probiotics showed significant changes compared to the control group. It can be concluded that the function of silver nanoparticles and the effects of relative improvement of probiotics are from the internal route of apoptosis and factors such as dose, nanoparticle size and nanoparticle coating have an important role in the toxicity of silver nanoparticles, thus the destructive effects on liver tissue could be increased by increasing the concentration of silver nanoparticles.
New Techniques and Algorithms for Multiobjective and Lexicographic Goal-Based Shortest Path Problems

Shortest Path Problems (SPP) are one of the most extensively studied problems in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Operations Research (OR). It consists in finding the shortest path between two given nodes in a graph such that the sum of the weights of its constituent arcs is minimized. However, real life problems frequently involve the consideration of multiple, and often conflicting, criteria. When multiple objectives must be simultaneously optimized, the concept of a single optimal solution is no longer valid. Instead, a set of efficient or Pareto-optimal solutions define the optimal trade-off between the objectives under consideration. The Multicriteria Search Problem (MSP), or Multiobjective Shortest Path Problem, is the natural extension to the SPP when more than one criterion are considered. The MSP is computationally harder than the single objective one. The number of label expansions can grow exponentially with solution depth, even for the two objective case. However, with the assumption of bounded integer costs and a fixed number of objectives the problem becomes tractable for polynomially sized graphs. A wide variety of practical application in different fields can be identified for the MSP, like robot path planning, hazardous material transportation, route planning, optimization of public transportation, QoS in networks, or routing in multimedia networks. Goal programming is one of the most successful Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques used in Multicriteria Optimization. In this thesis we explore one of its variants in the MSP. Thus, we aim to solve the Multicriteria Search Problem with lexicographic goal-based preferences. To do so, we build on previous work on algorithm NAMOA*, a successful extension of the A* algorithm to the multiobjective case. More precisely, we provide a new algorithm called LEXGO*, an exact label-setting algorithm that returns the subset of Pareto-optimal paths that satisfy a set of lexicographic goals, or the subset that minimizes deviation from goals if these cannot be fully satisfied. Moreover, LEXGO* is proved to be admissible and expands only a subset of the labels expanded by an optimal algorithm like NAMOA*, which performs a full Multiobjective Search. Since time rather than memory is the limiting factor in the performance of multicriteria search algorithms, we also propose a new technique called t-discarding to speed up dominance checks in the process of discarding new alternatives during the search. The application of t-discarding to the algorithms studied previously, NAMOA* and LEXGO*, leads to the introduction of two new time-efficient algorithms named NAMOA*dr and LEXGO*dr , respectively. All the algorithmic alternatives are tested in two scenarios, random grids and realistic road maps problems. The experimental evaluation shows the effectiveness of LEXGO* in both benchmarks, as well as the dramatic reductions of time requirements experienced by the t-discarding versions of the algorithms, with respect to the ones with traditional pruning.
In-situ high pressure X-ray diffraction studies of orthoferrite SmFeO 3

The high-pressure behaviors of SmFeO3 are investigated by angle-dispersive synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction under a pressure of up to 40.3 GPa at room temperature. The crystal structure of SmFeO3 remains stable at up to the highest pressure. The different pressure coefficients of the normalized axial compressibility are obtained to be βa = 0.60 × 10−3 GPa−1, βb = 0.79 × 10m3 GPa−1, βc = 1.28 × 10−3 GPa−1, and the bulk modulus (B0) is determined to be 293(3) GPa by fitting the pressure-volume data using the Birch—Murnaghan equation of state. Furthermore, the larger compressibility of the FeO6 octahedra suggests the evolution of the orthorhombic structure towards higher symmetry configuration at high pressures.
Spike-based coupling between single neurons and populations across rat sensory cortices, perirhinal cortex, and hippocampus

Abstract Cortical computations require coordination of neuronal activity within and across multiple areas. We characterized spiking relationships within and between areas by quantifying coupling of single neurons to population firing patterns. Single-neuron population coupling (SNPC) was investigated using ensemble recordings from hippocampal CA1 region and somatosensory, visual, and perirhinal cortices. Within-area coupling was heterogeneous across structures, with area CA1 showing higher levels than neocortical regions. In contrast to known anatomical connectivity, between-area coupling showed strong firing coherence of sensory neocortices with CA1, but less with perirhinal cortex. Cells in sensory neocortices and CA1 showed positive correlations between within- and between-area coupling; these were weaker for perirhinal cortex. All four areas harbored broadcasting cells, connecting to multiple external areas, which was uncorrelated to within-area coupling strength. When examining correlations between SNPC and spatial coding, we found that, if such correlations were significant, they were negative. This result was consistent with an overall preservation of SNPC across different brain states, suggesting a strong dependence on intrinsic network connectivity. Overall, SNPC offers an important window on cell-to-population synchronization in multi-area networks. Instead of pointing to specific information-coding functions, our results indicate a primary function of SNPC in dynamically organizing communication in systems composed of multiple, interconnected areas.
Upregulation of TLR5 indicates a favorable prognosis in prostate cancer

Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are the key sensors of innate immunity for triggering immune responses against infections. TLRs are well known to be expressed and activated in innate immune cells, such as macrophage and dendritic cells, but we and others have found that some TLRs are also functional in epithelial cells. However, the role of an epithelial TLR in prostate cancer remains elusive.