Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image Categorization

Vision is perhaps the most important sense for humans. Among the different complex tasks accomplished by the Human Visual System, the categorization is a fundamental process that allows humans to effectively interpret their surroundings efficiently and rapidly. Computer Vision researchers are increasingly using algorithms from Machine Learning to build robust and reusable machine vision systems that act taking into account the visual content of images. Since learning is a key component of biological vision systems, the design of artificial vision systems that learn and adapt represent one of the most important trend in modern Computer Vision research. Despite the advances in the context of single sensor imaging devices, this technology is still quite far from the ability of automatically categorize and exploit the visual content of the scene during (or after) acquisition time. Different constraints should be considered in order to transfer the ability of inferring the category of a scene in imaging devices domain. Indeed, these devices have limited resources in terms of memory and computational power, and the image data format change over time through the imaging pipeline (i.e., from Bayer Pattern at acquisition time to JPEG format after acquisition time). This Chapter presents Computer Vision and Machine Learning techniques within the application contexts of scene recognition and red-eye detection. The techniques introduced here could be used in building complex imaging pipeline in which image categorization (e.g., scene recognition, red-eye detection) is exploited to drive other tasks (e.g., white balance, red eye removal).
Evaluation of metric performance of mobile phone cameras

This paper examines the potential of mobile phones to be used as a front-end sensor for photogrammetric procedures and applications. For this purpose we are calibrating two mobile phones (Sony Ericsson K750i and Nokia N93) over our indoor 3D testfield, using self-calibration. Using the same testfield we are performing accuracy tests in order to evaluate the metric performance and comparing them with respect to two off-the-shelf digital still video cameras (Sony DSC W100 and Sony DSC F828). In some systems we have diagnosed substantial systematic errors. We find that the JPEG compression does not significantly influence the errors. We are currently also in the process of checking the stability of the interior orientation over time. This paper reports about our experiences in calibration and accuracy validation of mobile phone cameras. We believe that with a proper performance these devices can be used for many photogrammetric tasks in the future. * Corresponding author. www.photogrammetry. ethz.ch
A Secure and Efficient Communication in VANET

VANET has appeared as an interesting but challenging domain where lots of researches are going on. The most important research challenge is the authentication of VANET messages with less communication as well as storage overhead. In this paper, we introduce an infrastructure oriented (RSU-aided or road side unit aided) message authentication scheme named IOMAS with less communication and storage overhead compared to the previously published scheme. In the proposed scheme, an RSU takes the responsibility for verifying the incoming messages from vehicles and transmits the response back to the vehicles with less communication cost.
Quantifying anthropomorphism of robot hands

In this paper a comparative analysis between the human and three robotic hands is conducted. A series of metrics are introduced to quantify anthropomorphism and assess robot's ability to mimic the human hand. In order to quantify anthropomorphism we choose to compare human and robot hands in two different levels: comparing finger phalanges workspaces and comparing workspaces of the fingers base frames. The final score of anthropomorphism uses a set of weighting factors that can be adjusted according to the specifications of each study, providing always a normalized score between 0 (non-anthropomorphic) and 1 (human-identical). The proposed methodology can be used in order to grade the human-likeness of existing and new robotic hands, as well as to provide specifications for the design of the next generation of anthropomorphic hands. Those hands can be used for human robot interaction applications, humanoids or even prostheses.
Is an integrative laboratory algorithm more effective in detecting alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency in patients with premature chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than AAT concentration based screening approach?

Introduction: Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), genetic risk factor for premature chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often remains undetected. The aim of our study was to analyse the effectiveness of an integrative laboratory algorithm for AATD detection in patients diagnosed with COPD by the age of 45 years, in comparison with the screening approach based on AAT concentration measurement alone. Subjects and methods: 50 unrelated patients (28 males/22 females, age 52 (24–75 years) diagnosed with COPD before the age of 45 years were enrolled. Immunonephelometric assay for alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and PCR-reverse hybridization for Z and S allele were first-line, and isoelectric focusing and DNA sequencing (ABI Prism BigDye) were reflex tests. Results: AATD associated genotypes were detected in 7 patients (5 ZZ, 1 ZMmalton, 1 ZQ0amersfoort), 10 were heterozygous carriers (8 MZ and 2 MS genotypes) and 33 were without AATD (MM genotype). Carriers and patients without AATD had comparable AAT concentrations (P = 0.125). In majority of participants (48) first line tests were sufficient to analyze AATD presence. In two remaining cases reflex tests identified rare alleles, Mmalton and Q0amersfoort, the later one being reported for the first time in Serbian population. Detection rate did not differ between algorithm and screening both for AATD (P = 0.500) and carriers (P = 0.063). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of AATD affected subjects and carriers in a group of patients with premature COPD. The use of integrative laboratory algorithm does not improve the effectiveness of AATD detection in comparison with the screening based on AAT concentration alone.
ENTROPY, BIFURCATION AND DYNAMIC MARKET DISEQUILIBRIUM

The study of security market behavior in recent years has focused onthe dynamic process of disseminating information throughout themarketplace. Lags in information dissemination and the subsequentmarket disequilibrium are stressed by many studies in the financeliterature [12,3,5,9,10,19,20,29]. While these studies are excitingbecause of their stress on disequilib rium processes, they are constrainedby a standard assumption of stationary stochastic processes [19,footnote 2]. The relaxation of this assumption should help to enrich ourunderstanding of disequilibrium processes. Work with chemicalprocesses by Nicolis and Prigogine [33] has relaxed the stationarystochastic process assumption, thereby increasing our knowledge of theevolution of dynamic systems. The major tools used by Nicolis andPrigogine are entropy theory and bifurcation theory. Bifurcation theoryis concerned with the re structuring of systems in order to ensure theirsurvival. A bifurcation point is the threshold where the system isrestruc tured. Through the use of bifurcation theory, entropy models canmodel dynamic processes that change their information structure ortheir physical structure in response to stress created by disequilibriumconditions, thereby providing a de scription of nonstationary processes.The application of evolutionary theory to economic processe s isstrongly defended by Boulding [6, 7]. In addition, Majthay [26]provides a strong case for using bifurcation theory instead of thecurrently popular catastrophe theory [23, 38, 39]. However, while theuse of entropy theory and bifurcation theory is known in the financeand economics literature, [6, 12, 17, 24, 26, 30, 36], these theories havenot been used to de scribe security market disequilibrium.The purposes of this paper are to survey the work in fi nancial marketdisequilibrium and to describe an application of entropy and bifurcationtheories to financial market disequilibrium. The structure of the paper is as follows. First, current models offinancial market disequilibrium are described. Next, the work ofNicolis and Prigogine [33] with entropy arid bifurcation models isdiscussed, along with the application of this work to financial marketdisequilibrium . Finally, some implications of the entropy model areexplored.
Voice Onset Time in Infant-directed Speech at Two Ages

Title of Document: VOICE ONSET TIME IN INFANT-DIRECTED SPEECH AT TWO AGES Anna Synnestvedt, Master of Arts, 2010 Thesis Directed by: Dr. Nan Bernstein Ratner Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences Studies have reported differences between infant-directed speech (IDS) and adultdirected speech (ADS), suggesting that mothers adjust speech to their infants in ways that may help children process the incoming acoustical signal. One aspect of IDS that has been examined is clarification of voice onset time (VOT). Results have been inconsistent and many studies only report differences in VOT values rather than differences in amount of overlap between voiced and voiceless items. The present study examines 15 mothers’ VOT in IDS at 7.5 months old and again at 11 months as compared to their VOT values in ADS. Words with initial stop consonants that occurred in IDS and ADS conditions were analyzed using PRAAT. Contrary to hypotheses, results show that VOT in IDS was less differentiated than VOT in ADS. Additionally, voiced items had significantly longer VOT in IDS than ADS, with no difference for voiceless items. Possible explanations are discussed. VOICE ONSET TIME IN INFANT-DIRECTED SPEECH AT TWO AGES
Dielectric properties of PE/clay nanocomposites

Polyethylene/nanoclay specimens containing from 0 to 5% nanoclays were prepared from a commercially available premixed PE/nanoclay masterbatch containing 50% wt of nanoclay. The masterbatch was diluted to the desired concentration by adding PE along with various amounts of compatibilizer in order to achieve the best possible dispersion of the nanoclay platelets. The dielectric response of the compounded samples was investigated using a combination of time and frequency-domain spectroscopy in order to cover a wide frequency window. Both techniques were in good agreement when the time-domain data was transformed into frequency-domain data. Despite their low concentration, the addition of the dispersed nanoclays led to a significant alteration of the material dielectric response in the form of the appearance of various interfacial relaxation processes and an increase of charge carrier transport within the insulation material. Moreover, an onset of nonlinear charge transport process was observed at moderate fields for specimens containing a relatively low level of nanoclays. The high-field breakdown strength was shown to have been improved by the incorporation of the nanoparticles, particularly when the exfoliation was enhanced by the use of a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene compatibilizer.
The Millennium Galaxy Catalogue: the local supermassive black hole mass function in early- and late-type galaxies

We provide a new estimate of the local supermassive black hole mass function using (i) the empirical relation between supermassive black hole mass and the Sersic index of the host spheroidal stellar system and (ii) the measured (spheroid) Sersic indices drawn from 10k galaxies in the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue. The observational simplicity of our approach, and the direct measurements of the black hole predictor quantity, i.e. the Sersic index, for both elliptical galaxies and the bulges of disc galaxies makes it straightforward to estimate accurate black hole masses in early- and late-type galaxies alike. We have parametrized the supermassive black hole mass function with a Schechter function and find, at the low-mass end, a logarithmic slope (1 + α )o f∼0.7 for the full galaxy sample and ∼1.0 for the early-type galaxy sample. Considering spheroidal stellar systems brighter than MB =− 18 mag, and integrating down to black hole masses of 10 6 M� , we find that the local mass density of supermassive black holes in early-type galaxies ρbh,early type = (3.5 ± 1.2) × 10 5 h 3 MMpc −3 , and in late-type galaxies ρbh,late type = (1.0 ± 0.5) × 10 5 h 3 MMpc −3 . The uncertainties are derived from Monte Carlo simulations which include uncertainties in the Mbh-n relation, the catalogue of Sersic indices, the galaxy weights and Malmquist bias. The combined, cosmological, supermassive black hole mass density is thusbh,total = (3.2 ± 1.2) × 10 −6 h70. That is, using a new and independent method, we conclude that (0.007 ± 0.003) h 3 per cent of the Universe's baryons
Selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic diplegia secondary to stroke in an adult patient

Background: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is often recommended for children with spastic paraparesis and cerebral palsy. SDR reduces spasticity in the lower extremities for these children with spastic paraplegia. However, SDR is infrequently recommended for adults with spasticity. Spastic diplegia in adult patients can be due to stroke, brain or spinal cord injury from trauma, infection, toxic-metabolic disorders, and other causes. Although rarely considered, SDR is an option for adult patients with spastic diplegia as well. Case Description: The authors describe a patient who underwent a SDR with a successful postoperative outcome. This man suffered a hypertensive and hemorrhagic stroke secondary to intravenous drug abuse at age 46. A SDR was performed after two failed intrathecal baclofen pump placements due to recurrent infections, likely resulting from his immunocompromised status. The patient underwent lumbar laminectomies and dorsal rhizotomies at levels L1-S1 bilaterally. Postoperatively, the patient's spasticity was significantly reduced. His Ashworth spasticity score decreased from 4/5 to 1/5, and the reduction in tone has been durable over 3 years. Conclusion: SDR in older patients with spastic paraparesis may be considered as a treatment option.
Collaborative Teamwork Exploring the Development of Mass-customizable Next-to-skin Apparel

This paper describes the collaborative workflow and the advantages of an asset team structure in developing multidisciplinary solutions to solve design problems. In particular, a multidisciplinary asset team comprised of Central Michigan University faculty members joined forces in an effort to explore technological solutions to improve the development of mass-customizable next-to-skin (NTS) apparel, using a 3D body scanner, an infrared imaging system, a walk-in environmental chamber and supporting software to create a database consisting of thermal distributions of the human torso. This paper describes the workflow used to accomplish this result, primarily the engineering and computer science workflow.
Sovereignty, property, and indigeneity: the relationship between Aboriginal North America and the modern state in historical and geographical context

Accounting for indigenous forms of sovereignty poses difficult problems for the discipline of International Relations, which is framed by the story of the modern, territorial European state. Most attempts to conceptualize Aboriginal nations in the international system confirm the modern state as the benchmark for sovereignty. In this dissertation I address the problem of how to incorporate Aboriginal peoples into IR without granting the modern European state as the only legitimate form of sovereignty. I proceed through an examination of key moments in the European colonization of the Americas, from first contact through the geographic isolation of indigenous peoples onto reservations. In each case it is demonstrated that the assumption of “formal” sovereignty – based on recognition, and with insufficient regard for historical context – underpinning conventional IR accounts of colonialism is inadequate to theorize colonialism. I argue that colonialism is not a story of political-legal recognition (sovereignty), but of politicaleconomic social relations – specifically the appropriation of land (property). My contribution to the discipline is two-fold. First, I contribute to a richer understanding of sovereignty. Establishing sovereignty over territory in the New World allowed the English (and then American) state to set the legal, political and cultural framework for the private acquisition of land. Second, rather than using indigenous nations only as a foil for modern sovereignty, or as victims in a narrative of colonial domination, I make the case for incorporating the political agency of Indigenous communities into IR’s account of colonialism. Far from the passive victims implied by conventional IR, they were central to a dynamic history of resistance and compromise, and their interactions with Europeans shaped modern sovereignty in lasting ways.
Sensitivity to observations applied to FASTEX cases

The concept of targeted observations was imple- mented during field experiments such as FASTEX, NORPEX or WSRP in order to cope with some predictability problems. The techniques of targeting used at that moment (adjoint- based or ensemble transform methods) lead to quite disap- pointing results: the efficiency of the additional observa- tions deployed over sensitive areas did not turn out to remain consistent from one case to another. The influence of tar- geted observations on the forecasts could sometimes consist of strong improvements, or sometimes strong degradations. It turns out that the latter failure explains why the concept of optimal sampling arose. The efficiency of adaptive sampling appears to depend on the assimilation scheme that deals with the observations. It is then very useful to integrate the na- ture of the assimilation algorithm, as well as the deployment of the conventional network of observations (redundancy is- sues between targeted and conventional network) in the def- inition of the sensitive pattern to be sampled. Therefore, we chose the tool of the sensitivity to observations to allow us to test such an approach. The sensitivity to targeted observa- tions (that utilizes the adjoint of the linearized NWP model and the adjoint of the assimilation operator) seems to be a suitable tool to obtain an insight into the tricky issue of the optimization of the sampling strategies. To understand better the intrinsic patterns and the influ- ence of the 3D-Var assimilation scheme on the sensitive structures to be sampled, we present here some detailed re- sults on a FASTEX targeting case. We focus on the drop- sondes deployed by the Gulfstream IV (jet-aircraft) along its first flight during Intense Observing Period 17 that started on the 17 February 1997. The sensitivity to observation is used as a diagnostic tool for studing targeting from a critical point of view. It is shown that assimilation processes can have an important effect on the classical sensitivity fields, and par- ticularly on their vertical extension. For example, in the studied case, the classical sensitivity fields remain at a lower level than 400 hPa, whereas the sensitivity to observations
Ssi, Labor Supply, and Migration

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program in the United States creates incentives for potential aged recipients to reduce labor supply prior to becoming eligible, and our past research finds that older men likely to be eligible for SSI at age 65 reduce their labor supply in the years immediately before the age of eligibility. However, given the dramatic supplementation of SSI benefits in some states, a migration response to these benefits cannot be dismissed, and migration that is associated with SSI benefits can lead to bias in estimates of the effects of SSI benefits on labor supply; depending on retirement and migration behavior, the disincentive effects can be overstated or understated. Migration responses to SSI benefits are also important in their own right, as another instance of the potential problem of "welfare magnets. " We fail to find any statistically significant evidence that older individuals likely to be eligible for SSI in the near future, or already eligible for SSI, are more likely to move from low benefit to high benefit states. These findings are robust to the use of a number of different comparison groups to try to capture the state-to-state migration patterns that exist independently of a response to SSI. The evidence indicates that labor supply disincentive effects of SSI do not stem from migration behavior that could, in principle, spuriously generate these findings.
Secretory breast carcinoma: A report of three cases and a review of the literature

Secretory breast carcinoma is a very rare and distinct subtype of breast cancer, characterized by the presence of intracellular and extracellular secretory material. Secretory breast carcinoma has a good clinical outcome and systemic involvement is rare. The majority of studies of this tumor have been case reports or separate analyses, and due to the rarity of these tumors, it has been difficult to fully elucidate their characteristics and define optimal treatment strategies. To add to the current knowledge of secretory breast carcinoma, the present study reports three cases of secretory breast carcinoma in patients of different ages, and with different hormone receptor statuses and treatment methods. The present study identified that each patient with secretory breast carcinoma may present with different symptoms and clinical characteristics. Therefore, therapeutic options should be selected based on the overall status of the patient and the characteristics of this rare disease.
Potential predictors of psychological distress and well-being in medical students: a cross-sectional pilot study

Purpose Research has consistently found that the proportion of medical students who experience high levels of psychological distress is significantly greater than that found in the general population. The aim of our research was to assess the levels of psychological distress more extensively than has been done before, and to determine likely predictors of distress and well-being. Subjects and methods In 2013, students from an Australian undergraduate medical school (n=127) completed a questionnaire that recorded general demographics, hours per week spent studying, in paid work, volunteer work, and physical exercise; past and current physical and mental health, social support, substance use, measures of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, depression, anxiety, stress, burnout); and personality traits. Results Females were found to have higher levels of psychological distress than males. However, in regression analysis, the effect of sex was reduced to nonsignificance when other variables were included as predictors of psychological distress. The most consistent significant predictors of our 20 indicators of psychological distress were social support and the personality traits of emotional resilience and self-control. Conclusion The findings suggest that emotional resilience skills training embedded into the medical school curriculum could reduce psychological distress among medical students.
On the persistence of firm expansion: The survival of new jobs in Austrian firms

While the volatility of job creations has been studied extensively, the survival chances of new jobs are less researched. The question when and how to expand a firm is of importance, both from the firm’s and from a macro perspective. Adjustment cost theories and arguments about option values of investment in firm expansion make predictions about the timing, sequencing and form of firm expansions. When we analyze 21 years of job creation in Austria, we find that the survival of new jobs (and of new firms) depends upon the state of the business cycle at the time of job creation, on the number of jobs created, and on firm age. Jobs in new firms last longer than new jobs in continuing firms.