Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are faces special? A case of pure prosopagnosia

The ability to recognize individual faces is of crucial social importance for humans and evolutionarily necessary for survival. Consequently, faces may be “special” stimuli, for which we have developed unique modular perceptual and recognition processes. Some of the strongest evidence for face processing being modular comes from cases of prosopagnosia, where patients are unable to recognize faces whilst retaining the ability to recognize other objects. Here we present the case of an acquired prosopagnosic whose poor recognition was linked to a perceptual impairment in face processing. Despite this, she had intact object recognition, even at a subordinate level. She also showed a normal ability to learn and to generalize learning of nonfacial exemplars differing in the nature and arrangement of their parts, along with impaired learning and generalization of facial exemplars. The case provides evidence for modular perceptual processes for faces.
A Ferris-Mangasarian Technique Applied to Linear Least Squares Problems

This note specializes to linear least squares problems an approach suggested by Ferris and Mangasarian 4] for solving constrained optimization problems on parallel computers. It will be shown here that this specialization leads to an algorithm which is mathematically equivalent to an acceleration and convergence forcing modiication of the block Jacobi iteration applied to the normal equations. The resulting algorithm is a promising way to speed up a parallel multisplitting algorithm of Renaut 9] for linear least squares. Renaut's algorithm is related to a specialization of part of the Ferris and Mangasarian approach. cooperation between the Norwegian Academy of Science and Den norske stats oljeselskap a.s (Statoil).
A Multidimensional Semantic Space for Data Model Independent Queries over RDF Data

The vision of creating a Linked Data Web brings together the challenge of allowing queries across highly heterogeneous and distributed datasets. In order to query Linked Data on the Web today, end-users need to be aware of which datasets potentially contain the data and also which data model describes these datasets. The process of allowing users to expressively query relationships in RDF while abstracting them from the underlying data model represents a fundamental problem for Web-scale Linked Data consumption. This article introduces a multidimensional semantic space model which enables data model independent natural language queries over RDF data. The center of the approach relies on the use of a distributional semantic model to address the level of semantic interpretation demanded to build the data model independent approach. The final multidimensional semantic space proved to be flexible and precise under real-world query conditions achieving mean reciprocal rank = 0.516, avg. precision = 0.482 and avg. recall = 0.491.
BER analysis of binary CP-FSK with energy detection and sequence estimation on frequency selective multipath channels

The energy detection of Continuous Phase Frequency Shift Keying (CP-FSK) signals is the optimum noncoherent detection technique yielding a minimum bit error rate (BER) on the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. This scheme is usually used when carrier phase estimation is difficult. When a CP-FSK signal is passed through a frequency selective multipath fading channel, inter-symbol interference (ISI) is introduced which distorts the received signal waveform. However, this ISI can be compensated and the BER improved by use of sequence estimation at the output of the energy detectors. In this paper, we derive an analytical upper bound as well as a lower bound on the BER for this scheme on the multipath fading channels and compare the results with the computer simulation to show the effectiveness of the technique.
Autonomous, Vision‐based Flight and Live Dense 3D Mapping with a Quadrotor Micro Aerial Vehicle

The use of mobile robots in search‐and‐rescue and disaster‐response missions has increased significantly in recent years. However, they are still remotely controlled by expert professionals on an actuator set‐point level, and they would benefit, therefore, from any bit of autonomy added. This would allow them to execute high‐level commands, such as “execute this trajectory” or “map this area. ” In this paper, we describe a vision‐based quadrotor micro aerial vehicle that can autonomously execute a given trajectory and provide a live, dense three‐dimensional (3D) map of an area. This map is presented to the operator while the quadrotor is mapping, so that there are no unnecessary delays in the mission. Our system does not rely on any external positioning system (e.g., GPS or motion capture systems) as sensing, computation, and control are performed fully onboard a smartphone processor. Since we use standard, off‐the‐shelf components from the hobbyist and smartphone markets, the total cost of our system is very low. Due to its low weight (below 450 g), it is also passively safe and can be deployed close to humans. We describe both the hardware and the software architecture of our system. We detail our visual odometry pipeline, the state estimation and control, and our live dense 3D mapping, with an overview of how all the modules work and how they have been integrated into the final system. We report the results of our experiments both indoors and outdoors. Our quadrotor was demonstrated over 100 times at multiple trade fairs, at public events, and to rescue professionals. We discuss the practical challenges and lessons learned. Code, datasets, and videos are publicly available to the robotics community.
Suzaku Results on the Obscured Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 4258

In 2006 June, the obscured low luminosity active galactic nucleus in the nearby Seyfert 1.9 galaxy NGC 4258 was observed with Suzaku for ~ 100 ks. Utilizing the XIS and the HXD, the nucleus emission was detected over 2 to 40 keV range, with an unabsorbed 2--10 keV luminosity of 8 x 10 40 erg / s, and varied by a factor of ~ 2 during the observation. Its 2--40 keV spectrum is reproduced by a single power law with photon index of ~ 2.0, absorbed by an equivalent hydrogen column of ~ 1.0 x 10 23 cm2. The spectrum within 4' of the nucleus required also a softer thin-thermal emission, as well as an intermediate hardness component attributable to integrated point sources. A weak neutral Fe-Kalpha florescence line was detected at an equivalent width of ~ 40 eV. The cold reflection component was not required by the data, with the reflector solid angle Omega seen from the nucleus constrained as Omega / 2 pi < 0.3 assuming a general case of 60 deg inclination. The results suggest that the cold reflecting material around the nucleus is localized along our line of sight, rather than forming a thick torus.
Multiple-Group Factor Analysis Alignment

This article presents a new method for multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), referred to as the alignment method. The alignment method can be used to estimate group-specific factor means and variances without requiring exact measurement invariance. A strength of the method is the ability to conveniently estimate models for many groups. The method is a valuable alternative to the currently used multiple-group CFA methods for studying measurement invariance that require multiple manual model adjustments guided by modification indexes. Multiple-group CFA is not practical with many groups due to poor model fit of the scalar model and too many large modification indexes. In contrast, the alignment method is based on the configural model and essentially automates and greatly simplifies measurement invariance analysis. The method also provides a detailed account of parameter invariance for every model parameter in every group.
A DETAILED STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MASS PROFILES OF GALAXY CLUSTERS

The distribution of mass in the halos of galaxies and galaxy clusters has been probed observationally, theoretically, and in numerical simulations, yet there is still confusion about which of several suggested parameterized models is the better representation, and whether these models are universal. We use the temperature and density profiles of the intracluster medium as measured by X-ray observations of 11 relaxed galaxy clusters to investigate mass models for the halo using a thorough Bayesian statistical analysis. We make careful comparisons between two- and three-parameter models, including the issue of a universal third parameter. We find that, of the two-parameter models, the Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW) is the best representation, but we also find moderate statistical evidence that a generalized three-parameter NFW model with a freely varying inner slope is preferred, despite penalizing against the extra degree of freedom. There is a strong indication that this inner slope needs to be determined for each cluster individually, i.e., some clusters have central cores and others have steep cusps. The mass–concentration relation of our sample is in reasonable agreement with predictions based on numerical simulations.
Notes on the Role of the Cerebellum in ADHD

The present article collects sources of evidence for the involvement of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reviews the proposed theories of the relationship between cerebellar pathology and behavioral manifestations of ADHD. We review the findings of motor symptoms in ADHD and their relationship with the cerebellum. Furthermore, we introduce the neuroimaging findings related to ADHD, its development and the cerebellum. Additionally, we briefly review the anatomical findings describing the substrate for cerebellar involvement in cognition and the findings of functional neuroimaging studies suggesting topographic organization within cerebellar regions specialized for motor, cognitive or emotional regulation. Finally, we introduce the current conceptualization of cerebellar involvement in ADHD.
Foundations and Techniques for Open Source Software Certiﬁcation

: The paper investigates on the nature of software certiﬁcation and its reasons of being. The numerous factors that impact on the achievement of its purposes are discussed, and also compared in the cases of Proprietary Software and Open Source Software. Some relevant features of a certiﬁcation process for Open Source Software are ﬁnally proposed.
Min-max control of constrained uncertain discrete-time linear systems

For discrete-time uncertain linear systems with constraints on inputs and states, we develop an approach to determine state feedback controllers based on a min-max control formulation. Robustness is achieved against additive norm-bounded input disturbances and/or polyhedral parametric uncertainties in the state-space matrices. We show that the finite-horizon robust optimal control law is a continuous piecewise affine function of the state vector and can be calculated by solving a sequence of multiparametric linear programs. When the optimal control law is implemented in a receding horizon scheme, only a piecewise affine function needs to be evaluated on line at each time step. The technique computes the robust optimal feedback controller for a rather general class of systems with modest computational effort without needing to resort to gridding of the state-space.
Design and Optimization of Flexible and Coding Efficient All-Digital RF Transmitters

All-digital transmitters are getting increased attention due to its closer proximity to the ideal software-defined radio (SDR) transmitter. In this paper we propose a new transmitter architecture that addresses two key limitations of current approaches, namely, the poor coding efficiency and the high quality factor requirements of the RF output reconstruction filter that significantly limit the practical usability and dissemination of these new flexible RF transmitters. The proposed architecture combines a maximum coding efficiency of 79.3% and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 50 dB, while maintaining the high flexibility inherent to the all-digital transmitters and where the RF output carriers operating in the microwave frequency range are generated inside a single field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device. The obtained results also show the feasibility and potential of using FPGA-based architectures for implementing digital RF transmitters.
Consumption of plant sterols in Belgium: estimated intakes and sources of naturally occurring plant sterols and β-carotene

The objective of the present study was to assess the intake of naturally occurring plant sterols and β-carotene via the overall diet of Belgian pre-school children and adults. Two different Belgian food consumption databases were used: (1) one with consumption data of pre-school children (2·5–6·5 years old) and (2) one with consumption data of adults ( ≥ 15 years old). These consumption data were combined with a newly developed database containing the plant sterol and β-carotene content in all relevant food items based on international food composition databases and scientific literature. The results show that Flemish pre-school children have a median plant sterol intake of 172 (interquartile range (IQR) = 47) and 184 (IQR = 52) mg/d for girls and boys, respectively. Their median β-carotene intake was 1857 (IQR = 1250) μg/d, without significant difference between girls and boys. Belgian women and men have a median plant sterol intake of 218 (IQR = 113) and 280 (IQR = 158) mg/d, respectively, and a median β-carotene intake of 2086 (IQR = 1254) μg/d (not significantly different between the sexes). The main food source of naturally occurring plant sterols was bread and other cereal products. For β-carotene, the main food source was vegetables.
Secreted and Transmembrane αKlotho Isoforms Have Different Spatio-Temporal Profiles in the Brain during Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Progression

The Klotho protein is a β-glucuronidase, and its overexpression is associated with life extension. Its mechanism of action is not fully understood, although it has been recently reported that αKlotho improves synaptic and cognitive functions, and it may also influence a variety of structures and functions during CNS maturation and aging. The αKlotho gene has two transcripts, one encoding a transmembrane isoform (m-KL), and the other a putative secreted isoform (s-KL). Unfortunately, little is known about the secreted αKlotho isoform, since available antibodies cannot discriminate s-KL from the KL1 domain cleaved from the transmembrane isoform. This study shows, for the first time, that the klotho transcript produced by alternative splicing generates a stable protein (70 kDa), and that in contrast to the transmembrane Klotho isoform, it is ten times more abundant in the brain than in the kidney suggesting that the two isoforms may have different functions. We also studied whether klotho expression in the CNS was influenced by aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), or a healthy lifestyle, such as voluntary moderate continuous exercise. We observed a strong correlation between high expression levels of the two klotho transcripts and the healthy status of the animals. Expression of Klotho in brain areas decayed more rapidly in the 3xTg-AD model of AD than in healthy animals, whilst moderate continuous exercise in adulthood prevents the decline in expression of both klotho transcripts.
Prevalence and Heritability of Symptomatic Syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Long‐term Outcome in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Littermates

Background Syringomyelia (SM) is common in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS). Dogs with syringes express clinical signs or might be clinically silent. Objectives To investigate the prevalence and heritability of symptomatic SM, the association between clinical signs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and long‐term outcome. Animals All CKCS registered in the Danish Kennel Club in 2001 (n = 240). Methods A cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based prevalence study validated by telephone interviews and clinically investigated clinical signs of SM. Dogs were 6 years at the time of investigation. A prospective observational litter study including clinical investigations, MRI and 5‐year follow‐up of symptomatic and asymptomatic siblings. Heritability was estimated based on the scale of liability in the study population and litter cohort. Results The cross‐sectional study estimated a prevalence of symptomatic SM at 15.4% in the population. Thirteen symptomatic and 9 asymptomatic siblings participated in the litter study. Spinal cord syringes were confirmed in 21 of 22 littermates (95%). Syrinx diameter and mean syrinx : spinal cord ratio were significantly correlated with clinical signs (P < .01). Estimated heritability of symptomatic SM was 0.81. Symptomatic SM motivated euthanasia in 20%. Dogs with syringes, which expressed no clinical signs at the age of 6, remained asymptomatic in 14/15 cases (93%). Conclusions and Clinical Importance The prevalence of symptomatic SM is high and genetics have a high impact on clinical disease expression. Further investigations of factors influencing the outbreak threshold of clinical signs of SM are desirable.
Automatic extraction of Web search interface based on visual features

Ordinarily, a Web query interface can be considered as an interface schema containing multiple attributes and rich semantic/meta information, however, the schema is not formally defined in HTML. We observed that most Web pages have many visual cues to help distinguish different parts of the page. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to solve the extraction problem of query interface. Firstly, we propose a schema model for representing complex search interfaces. Secondly, we present an approach based on visual feature to automatically extract the search interfaces from Web page. It simulates how a user understands Web search interface based on its visual perception. Our experimental results indicate that the visual feature approach can work significantly better than the baselines in search interface extraction and achieve very high extraction accuracy.
Motion control of a spherical mobile robot

The paper deals with dynamics and control of a special type of mobile robot designed to act as a small platform to carry sensing devices or actuators in an environment where stability of the platform is critical, like in surveying unstructured hostile industrial environment exploring other planets, or simply being a part of a human place, like office or home, which has not been designed for mobile machines. The spherical construction offers extraordinary motion properties in cases where turning over or falling down are risks for the robot to continue its motion. Also it has full capability to recover from collisions with obstacles or another robots traveling in the environment.
Seasonal Genetic Influence on Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels: A Twin Study

Background Although environmental factors, mainly nutrition and UV-B radiation, have been considered major determinants of vitamin D status, they have only explained a modest proportion of the variation in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. We aimed to study the seasonal impact of genetic factors on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. Methodology/Principal findings 204 same-sex twins, aged 39–85 years and living at northern latitude 60°, were recruited from the Swedish Twin Registry. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Genetic modelling techniques estimated the relative contributions of genetic, shared and individual-specific environmental factors to the variation in serum vitamin D. The average serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 84.8 nmol/l (95% CI 81.0–88.6) but the seasonal variation was substantial, with 24.2 nmol/l (95% CI 16.3–32.2) lower values during the winter as compared to the summer season. Half of the variability in 25-hydroxyvitamin D during the summer season was attributed to genetic factors. In contrast, the winter season variation was largely attributable to shared environmental influences (72%; 95% CI 48–86%), i.e., solar altitude. Individual-specific environmental influences were found to explain one fourth of the variation in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D independent of season. Conclusions/Significance There exists a moderate genetic impact on serum vitamin D status during the summer season, probably through the skin synthesis of vitamin D. Further studies are warranted to identify the genes impacting on vitamin D status.
Pegylated Interferon alfa-2a monotherapy results in suppression of HIV type 1 replication and decreased cell-associated HIV DNA integration.

BACKGROUND Antiretroviral therapy (ART)-mediated immune reconstitution fails to restore the capacity of the immune system to spontaneously control human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. METHODS A total of 23 HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-infected, virologically suppressed subjects receiving ART (CD4(+) T-cell count, >450 cells/μL) were randomly assigned to have 180 μg/week (for arm A) or 90 μg/week (for arm B) of pegylated (Peg) interferon alfa-2a added to their current ART regimen. After 5 weeks, ART was interrupted, and Peg-interferon alfa-2a was continued for up to 12 weeks (the primary end point), with an option to continue to 24 weeks. End points included virologic failure (viral load, ≥ 400 copies/mL) and adverse events. Residual viral load and HIV-1 DNA integration were also assessed. RESULTS At week 12 of Peg-interferon alfa-2a monotherapy, viral suppression was observed in 9 of 20 subjects (45%), a significantly greater proportion than expected (arm A, P = .0088; arm B, P = .0010; combined arms, P < .0001). Over 24 weeks, both arms had lower proportions of subjects who had viral load, compared with the proportion of subjects in a historical control group (arm A, P = .0046; arm B, P = .0011). Subjects who had a sustained viral load of <400 copies/mL had decreased levels of integrated HIV DNA (P = .0313) but increased residual viral loads (P = .0078), compared with subjects who experienced end-point failure. CONCLUSIONS Peg-interferon alfa-2a immunotherapy resulted in control of HIV replication and decreased HIV-1 integration, supporting a role for immunomediated approaches in HIV suppression and/or eradication. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT00594880.
Customer relationship management capabilities: Measurement, antecedents and consequences

Purpose – This study seeks to extend the resource‐based view to the context of customer relationship management. It is intended to develop a measurement model of customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, and to explore the key antecedents and performance consequences of CRM capabilities.Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire survey was used to collect data. In order to develop a reliable and valid measurement model of CRM capabilities, several rounds of questionnaire survey were conducted, and hypotheses were tested by utilizing the technique of structural equation modeling.Findings – A three‐factor (customer interaction management capability, customer relationship upgrading capability and customer win‐back capability) measurement model of CRM capabilities is developed and tested. Furthermore, results support the hypothesized influences of customer orientation, customer‐centric organizational system and CRM technology on CRM capabilities, as well as the influence of CRM capabilities on org.