Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feature Selection in Face Recognition: A Sparse Representation Perspective

In this paper, we examine the role of feature selection in face recognition from the perspective of sparse representation. We cast the recognition problem as finding a sparse representation of the test image features w.r. t. the training set. The sparse representation can be accurately and efficiently computed by `-minimization. The proposed simple algorithm generalizes conventional face recognition classifiers such as nearest neighbors and nearest subspaces. Using face recognition under varying illumination and expression as an example, we show that if sparsity in the recognition problem is properly harnessed, the choice of features is no longer critical. What is critical, however, is whether the number of features is sufficient and whether the sparse representation is correctly found. We conduct extensive experiments to validate the significance of imposing sparsity using the Extended Yale B database and the AR database. Our thorough evaluation shows that, using conventional features such as Eigenfaces and facial parts, the proposed algorithm achieves much higher recognition accuracy on face images with variation in either illumination or expression. Furthermore, other unconventional features such as severely downsampled images and randomly projected features perform almost equally well with the increase of feature dimensions. The differences in performance between different features become insignificant as the feature-space dimension is sufficiently large.
Improved Inter-Network Handover for Highly Mobile Users and Vehicular Networks

Mobility management is a critical issue in vehicular networks. In this paper, we consider the case of highly mobile users in heterogeneous wireless environments. We propose a mobility management, based on a recently proposed mobile IP-based mobility management architecture, optimizing the calculation of its dynamic registration message frequency. The new calculation takes into account both the size of the radio access networks and the velocity of the mobile users. Simulation results show that this approach yields an effective control of the policy function and alleviates the high signaling cost introduced by high registration message frequencies. The derived mobility management thus allows an efficient control of the use of registration messages at congested access networks and guarantees appropriate handoff decisions.
Multiple-choice versus open-ended response formats of reading test items: A two-dimensional IRT analysis

The dimensionality of a reading comprehension assessment with non-stem equivalent multiplechoice (MC) items and open-ended (OE) items was analyzed with German test data of 8523 9 th -graders. We found that a two-dimensional IRT model with within-item multidimensionality, where MC and OE items load on a general latent dimension and OE items additionally load on a nested latent dimension, had a superior fit compared to an unidimensional model (p ≤ .05). Correlations between general cognitive abilities, orthography and vocabulary and the general latent dimension were significantly higher than with the nested latent dimension (p ≤ .05). Drawing back on experimental studies on the effect of item format on reading processes, we suppose that the general latent dimension measures abilities necessary to master basic reading processes and the nested latent dimension captures abilities necessary to master higher reading processes. Including gender, language spoken at home, and school track as predictors in latent regression models showed that the well known advantage of girls and mother-tongue students is found only for the nested latent dimension.
Do low-frequency electrical myostimulation and aerobic training similarly improve performance in chronic heart failure patients with different exercise capacities?

OBJECTIVE To confirm that electrical myostimulation is a good alternative to conventional aerobic training in patients with chronic heart failure and to compare the effects of both training programmes in patients with different exercise capacities. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 44 patients with stable chronic heart failure underwent 5 weeks of exercise training, with electrical myostimulation or conventional aerobic training programmes. At baseline and after the training period, patients performed a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test and a 6-min walk test. RESULTS Oxygen uptake at the end of exercise (V.O2 peak) and at ventilatory threshold (V.O2 VT) increased after electrical myostimulation (p< 0.001) and conventional aerobic training (p< 0.001) training programmes. The slope of the relationship between V.O2 and workload was reduced after electrical myostimulation (p< 0.05), but not after conventional aerobic training. Recovery was improved after both training programmes (p< 0.05), and the distance walked in 6 min was increased (p< 0.001). These improvements were not statistically different between electrical myostimulation and conventional aerobic training. Moreover, electrical myostimulation induced greater improvements in patients with low exercise capacity, whereas conventional aerobic training induced improved performance in patients with average exercise capacity. CONCLUSION Five weeks of electrical myostimulation and conventional aerobic training exercise training produced similar improvements in exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure. However, electrical myostimulation appears to be more effective in patients with low exercise capacity than in those with average exercise capacity.
Complications of Mandibulotomy: Midline Versus Paramidline

OBJECTIVE: Mandibulotomy is an important surgical approach to oral cavity and oropharynx. The objective of this study was to evaluate the related complications of 2 common mandibulotomies: midline (osteotomy between 2 central incisors) and paramidline (osteotomy between lateral incisor and canine). STUDY DESIGN: Ninety-six patients who had cancer in the oral cavity or oropharynx had preoperative evaluation of the mandible with panoramic films. Among them, 42 patients underwent mandibulotomies: midline for 19 patients and paramidline for 23. RESULTS: Twenty (47.6%) of 42 patients had mandibulotomy-related complications, including 9 (21.4%) minor complications and 11 (26.2%) major complications. There were 6 (31.6%) major and 4 (21.1%) minor complications in the midline mandibulotomy and both 5 (21.7%) major and minor complications in the paramidline mandibulotomy. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the mandibulotomy-related complication rate between midline and paramidline mandibulotomies. Paramidline mandibulotomy, which preserves the geniohyoid and genioglossus muscles, should be a better function-preserving operation than midline mandibulotomy.
Clinical issues in renal transplantation in the elderly

Kidney transplantation is the best renal replacement therapy option and is superior to dialysis in elderly end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Furthermore, the outcome of transplantation in the elderly is comparable to younger patients in terms of allograft survival. The exact nature of this phenomenon is not completely clear. As the elderly population continues to grow, it becomes more important to identify specific issues associated with kidney transplantation. In particular, elderly transplant recipients might have a lower chance of acute rejection as their immune systems seem to be less reactive. This might predispose elderly recipients to greater risk of post‐transplant infectious complications or malignancies. Furthermore, due to differences in pharmacokinetics, elderly recipients might require lower doses of immunosuppressive medication. As the main cause of graft failure in the elderly is death with a functioning graft and also considering the scarcity of donor organs, it might make sense to recommend transplanting elderly recipients with extended criteria donor kidneys. This approach would balance shorter patient survival compared to younger recipients. In conclusion, old age should not preclude ESRD patients from kidney transplantation. However, specific differences that have to do with immunosuppression and other aspects of managing elderly transplant recipients should be considered.
Stigmergy based autonomous shop floor control with wireless sensor networks

The paper deals with the production process control in dynamic shop floor with unforeseen inside and outside disturbances occurring frequently. The emerging wireless sensor network technology is proposed to implement autonomous shop floor control that can improve shop floor performance by distributed and flexible coping of complexity and dynamics. A wireless sensor network based control structure is presented, in which the parts and machines embedded with sensor nodes have the abilities of communicating, computing and decision-making. Based on the proposed structure, a stigmergy based control algorithm is developed to provide efficient and adaptive manufacturing process control. This algorithm imitates ants foraging behavior to enable the active parts autonomously decide efficient processing operations and routing paths in dynamic shop floor based on pheromone. To demonstrate the feasibility and advantage of the proposed control structure and algorithm, a prototype implementation is developed, and experiments are being made with this prototype implementation. The experiment results illustrate the advantages of the proposed approach and its capacity to surmount perturbations.
Effects of Timing of Coil Embolization after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage on Procedural Morbidity and Outcomes

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the effect of treatment timing on procedural clinical outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) for patients treated by endosaccular coil embolization. METHODSA group of 327 patients who were consecutively treated, during a 46-month period, for ruptured intracranial aneurysms by coil embolization within 30 days after SAH were evaluated. Outcomes were assessed by comparing immediate pretreatment World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grades, 72-hour posttreatment WFNS grades, and modified Glasgow Outcome Scale scores at 6 months for patients treated within 48 hours (Group 1), 3 to 10 days (Group 2), or 11 to 30 days (Group 3) after SAH. RESULTSThe three interval-to-treatment groups included 33, 38, and 29% of the patients, respectively. Before treatment, 70% of the patients in Group 1, 78% of those in Group 2, and 83% of those in Group 3 were in good clinical grades (i.e., WFNS Grade 1 or 2). After coil embolization, the WFNS grades were either unchanged or improved for 93.5% of the patients in Group 1, 89.5% of those in Group 2, and 91.5% of those in Group 3. After 6 months, 81.3% of the patients in Group 1 experienced good outcomes (modified Glasgow Outcome Scale scores of 1 or 2), as did 84% of those in Group 2 and 80% of those in Group 3. No statistical difference was demonstrated between the three groups when they were compared for these two variables. CONCLUSIONThe interval between endovascular treatment and SAH did not affect periprocedural morbidity rates or 6-month outcomes. Coil embolization should therefore be performed as early as possible after aneurysmal SAH, to prevent aneurysmal rerupture.
Nonverbal humor as a new dimension of HRI

While humor is an important aspect of human interaction, this topic has been largely neglected in the field of robotic research. Apart from single text-based humor production systems, non-verbal humor based on gestures, facial expressions, or whole body movements has not been the target of HRI-research so far. In this paper, we present our results on the effects of nonverbal humor displayed by a service robot. Participants were served by a conventional and a “funny” robot in our experiment. The humorous robot exerted four different kinds of nonverbal humor during the interaction process whereas the conventional robot simply delivered the requested objects. The users' ratings demonstrate the positive effect of humor on the evaluation of different characteristics of the robot, as well as on the perceived interaction quality. To our knowledge, the study described here is the first to investigate the effect of behavioral humor produced by a robot.
Does the Internet Reduce Corruption? Evidence from U.S. States and across Countries

The authors test the hypothesis that the internet is a useful technology for controlling corruption. In order to do so, the authors develop a novel identification strategy for internet diffusion. Power disruptions damage digital equipment, which increases the user cost of information technology (IT) capital, and thus lowers the speed of internet diffusion. A natural phenomenon causing power disruptions is lightning activity, which makes lightning a viable instrument for internet diffusion. Using ground-based lightning detection censors as well as global satellite data, the authors construct lightning density data for the contiguous United States (U.S.) states and a large cross section of countries. Empirically, lightning density is a strong instrument for internet diffusion and the authors' fourth estimates suggest that the emergence of the internet has served to reduce the extent of corruption across U.S. states and across the world.
Light-weight Online Predictive Data Aggregation for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have found many practical applications in recent years. Apart from both the vast new opportunities and challenges raised by the availability of large amounts of sensory data, energy conservation remains a challenging research topic that demands intelligent solutions. Various data aggregation techniques have been proposed in the literature, but the optimal tradeoff between algorithm complexity and prediction ability remains elusive. In this paper we concentrate on employing a few light-weight time series estimation algorithms for online predictive sensing. A number of performance metrics are proposed and employed to examine the effectiveness of the scheme using real-world datasets.
Putting the Automatic Back into AD:Part I, What’s Wrong (CVS: 1.1)

Current implementations of automatic differentiation are far from automatic. We survey the difficulties encountered when applying four existing AD systems, ADIFOR, TAPENADE, ADIC, and FADBAD++, to two simple tasks, minimax optimization and control of a simulated physical system, that involve taking derivatives of functions that themselves take derivatives of other functions. ADIC is not able to perform these tasks as it cannot transform its own generated code. Using FADBAD++, one cannot compute derivatives of different orders with unmodified code, as needed by these tasks. One must either manually duplicate code for the different derivative orders or write the code using templates to automate such code duplication. ADIFOR and TAPENADE are both able to perform these tasks only with significant intervention: modification of source code and manual editing of generated code. A companion paper presents a new AD system that handles both tasks without any manual intervention yet performs as well as or better than these existing systems.
Trend and Pattern of Herb and Supplement Use in the United States: Results from the 2002, 2007, and 2012 National Health Interview Surveys

Background. In 1990s, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including use of herbs and supplements, gained popularity in the United States. However, more recent surveys suggest that demand for herbs and supplements has stabilized. Objective. This study examined the prevalence, patterns, and changes in herb and supplement use among the US adults, using the 2002, 2007, and 2012 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Methods. Weighted population estimates were derived from three complementary and alternative medicine supplements to the NHIS. Prevalence rates for herb and supplement use were compared, using Wald chi-square tests to measure changes between years. Results. An estimated 40.6 million US adults reported herb and supplement use in 2012. However, the rate of herb and supplement use dropped from 18.9% in 2002 to 17.9% in 2007 and 2012 (P < 0.05). This decline in use was more pronounced among women, racial or ethnic minorities, and adults with low incomes. Conclusion. Herb and supplements use remains common in the USA, but adult use rates are on the decline. It is still important for health care providers to ask patients about herb and supplement use.
Improved preamble-aided timing estimation for OFDM systems

An improved method for estimating the frame/symbol timing offset in preamble-aided OFDM systems is presented. It uses a conventional preamble structure and combines autocorrelation techniques with restricted crosscorrelation to achieve a near-ideal timing performance without significant increase in complexity. Computer simulations show that the method is robust in both AWGN and fading multipath channels, achieving better performance than the existing methods.
Interactions magmas-détachements : Du terrain (Mer Egée, Grèce) à l'expérimentation

Les intrusions magmatiques au sein d’une lithosphere soumise aux contraintes tectoniques sont souvent considerees comme des instabilites thermomecaniques a meme de stimuler transitoirement et localement la localisation de la deformation. Dans le but de tester ce modele et de determiner les possibles mecanismes gouvernant l’initiation d’une deformation localisee au contact et au sein de corps magmatiques en cours de consolidation, ce travail de these se propose de coupler une etude de terrain a une approche experimentale. Les Cyclades (Mer Egee, Grece) constituent un domaine de croute continentale en extension dans lequel se sont mises en place au cœur de cinq domes metamorphiques extensifs (MCCs) des intrusions magmatiques, elles-memes coiffees par des systemes de detachements. Les diverses campagnes de terrain, combinees aux donnees de la bibliographie, ont permis de proposer un modele d’interaction regional dans lequel ces corps magmatiques impactent l’evolution tardive de MCCs cycladiques. Au vu des âges de mise en place des intrusions (15-9 Ma), soit plusieurs millions d’annees apres le debut de l’extension et les premiers stades d’exhumation de roches metamorphiques, le magmatisme dans les Cyclades ne peut etre considere comme un candidat reel pour la genese de MCCs. Neanmoins, les continuums de la deformation enregistres en bordure des intrusions (depuis l’etat magmatique jusqu’aux conditions ductile/cassant) et les relations geometriques avec les detachements laissent supposer un role majeur des complexes magmatiques dans les processus de redistribution et de localisation de la deformation, notamment sur le developpement sequentiel de detachements. Les vecteurs de localisation de la deformation au sein de magmas partiellement cristallises ont ete en parallele recherches par la voie experimentale. L’etude du comportement structural de magmas, chimiquement et texturalement proches de systemes naturels, a permis d’une part de confirmer que la deformation se localise preferentiellement le long d’interfaces a rheologie contrastee tels aux abords de filons syn-plutoniques. Il est d’autre part montre que la presence initiale d’inhomogeneites texturales (e.g. concentration de cristaux en amas) au sein de magmas moyennement cristallises peut de maniere drastique influencer le degre de localisation de la deformation au cours des stades de refroidissement ulterieurs.
Multimodal detection of sleep apnoea using electrocardiogram and oximetry signals

A method for the detection of sleep apnoea, suitable for use in the home environment, is presented. The method automatically analyses night-time electrocardiogram (ECG) and oximetry recordings and identifies periods of normal and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The SDB is classified into one of six classes: obstructive, mixed and central apnoeas, and obstructive, mixed and central hypopnoeas. It also provides an estimated apnoea, hypopnoea and apnoea–hypopnoea index. The basis of the method is a pattern recognition system that identifies episodes of apnoea by analysing the heart variability, an ECG-derived respiration signal and blood oximetry values. The method has been tested on 183 subjects with a range of apnoea severities who have undergone a full overnight polysomnogram study. The results show that the method separates control subjects from subjects with clinically significant sleep apnoea with a specificity of 83 per cent and sensitivity of 95 per cent. These results demonstrate that home-based screening for sleep apnoea is a viable alternative to hospital-based tests with the added benefit of low cost and minimal waiting times.
[Guidelines for cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy].

ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG): Alec Vahanian (Chairperson) (France), John Camm (UK), Raffaele De Caterina (Italy), Veronica Dean (France), Kenneth Dickstein (Norway), Christian Funck-Brentano (France), Gerasimos Filippatos (Greece), Irene Hellemans (The Netherlands), Steen Dalby Kristensen (Denmark), Keith McGregor (France), Udo Sechtem (Germany), Sigmund Silber (Germany), Michal Tendera (Poland) Petr Widimsky (Czech Republic), José Luis Zamorano (Spain)
Differential distribution of proteins and lipids in detergent‐resistant and detergent‐soluble domains in rod outer segment plasma membranes and disks

Membrane heterogeneity plays a significant role in regulating signal transduction and other cellular activities. We examined the protein and lipid components associated with the detergent‐resistant membrane (DRM) fractions from retinal rod outer segment (ROS) disk and plasma membrane‐enriched preparations. Proteomics and correlative western blot analysis revealed the presence of α and β subunits of the rod cGMP‐gated ion channel and glucose transporter type 1, among other proteins. The glucose transporter was present exclusively in ROS plasma membrane (not disks) and was highly enriched in DRMs, as was the cGMP‐gated channel β‐subunit. In contrast, the majority of rod opsin and ATP‐binding cassette transporter A4 was localized to detergent‐soluble domains in disks. As expected, the cholesterol : fatty acid mole ratio was higher in DRMs than in the corresponding parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes, respectively) and was also higher in disks compared to plasma membranes. Furthermore, the ratio of saturated : polyunsaturated fatty acids was also higher in DRMs compared to their respective parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes). These results confirm that DRMs prepared from both disks and plasma membranes are enriched in cholesterol and in saturated fatty acids compared to their parent membranes. The dominant fatty acids in DRMs were 16 : 0 and 18 : 0; 22 : 6n3 and 18 : 1 levels were threefold higher and twofold lower, respectively, in disk‐derived DRMs compared to plasma membrane‐derived DRMs. We estimate, based on fatty acid recovery that DRMs account for only ∼ 8% of disks and ∼ 12% of ROS plasma membrane.
Fingerprint enhancement in the singular point area

Minutiae extraction is one of the most important steps for automatic fingerprint identification systems. However, the performance of minutiae extraction relies heavily on an enhancement algorithm. There are many enhancement algorithms that depend on the local orientation field of the fingerprint. In the singular point area, because the local orientation changes very rapidly, enhancement is not accurate, so that the result is very bad. We present a new method and design a new filter to enhance a fingerprint in the singular point area. We distinguish the singular point area first. Then we design a new filter to enhance this area. Experimental results show a significant improvement of fingerprint enhancement in the singular point area, and the time required for our algorithm is reduced.