Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sparse Representation based Multi-sensor Image Fusion: A Review

As a result of several successful applications in computer vision and image processing, sparse representation (SR) has attracted significant attention in multi-sensor image fusion. Unlike the traditional multiscale transforms (MSTs) that presume the basis functions, SR learns an over-complete dictionary from a set of training images for image fusion, and it achieves more stable and meaningful representations of the source images. By doing so, the SR-based fusion methods generally outperform the traditional MST-based image fusion methods in both subjective and objective tests. In addition, they are less susceptible to mis-registration among the source images, thus facilitating the practical applications. This survey paper proposes a systematic review of the SR-based multi-sensor image fusion literature, highlighting the pros and cons of each category of approaches. Specifically, we start by performing a theoretical investigation of the entire system from three key algorithmic aspects, (1) sparse representation models; (2) dictionary learning methods; and (3) activity levels and fusion rules. Subsequently, we show how the existing works address these scientific problems and design the appropriate fusion rules for each application, such as multi-focus image fusion and multi-modality (e.g., infrared and visible) image fusion. At last, we carry out some experiments to evaluate the impact of these three algorithmic components on the fusion performance when dealing with different applications. This article is expected to serve as a tutorial and source of reference for researchers preparing to enter the field or who desire to employ the sparse representation theory in other fields.
Lexical Organization and Competition in First and Second Languages: Computational and Neural Mechanisms

How does a child rapidly acquire and develop a structured mental organization for the vast number of words in the first years of life? How does a bilingual individual deal with the even more complicated task of learning and organizing two lexicons? It is only until recently have we started to examine the lexicon as a dynamical system with regard to its acquisition, representation, and organization. In this article, I outline a proposal based on our research that takes the dynamical approach to the lexicon, and I discuss how this proposal can be applied to account for lexical organization, structural representation, and competition within and between languages. In particular, I provide computational evidence based on the DevLex model, a self-organizing neural network model, and neuroimaging evidence based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, to illustrate how children and adults learn and represent the lexicon in their first and second languages. In the computational research, our goal has been to identify, through linguistically and developmentally realistic models, detailed cognitive mechanisms underlying the dynamic self-organizing processes in monolingual and bilingual lexical development; in the neuroimaging research, our goal has been to identify the neural substrates that subserve lexical organization and competition in the monolingual and the bilingual brain. In both cases, our findings lead to a better understanding of the interactive dynamics involved in the acquisition and representation of one or multiple languages.
Loop Delay Correction for Adaptive Digital Linearization of Power Amplifiers

As one of the most common linearization techniques, adaptive digital predistortion minimizes the difference between the input signal of the predistorter and the feedback signal from the power amplifier. The loop delay between these two signals must be controlled precisely so that the convergence of the predistorter should be assured. In this paper a novel two-stage loop delay correction scheme is presented. In the first stage, the integer delay between the input signal and the feedback signal is estimated based on the cross-correlation of them. In the second stage, the fractional delay between these two signals are corrected by a delay lock loop (DLL) circuit, in which a novel timing error detector used as the discriminator is proposed. The proposed loop delay correction scheme is applied to an adaptive digital predistorter in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system. Simulation results show that the proposed loop delay correction method eliminates the loop delay perfectly, so that nearly optimal power spectral density (PSD) performance is achieved and a high degree of linearization is realized.
Genetic Characterization of Commercial Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Populations in the United States by Using Mitochondrial and Microsatellite Markers

ABSTRACT Genetic diversity levels within and between the two commercial breeding areas in the United States were analyzed using the DraI restriction fragment length polymorphism of the COI-COII mitochondrial region and 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The western commercial breeding population (WCBP) and the southeastern commercial breeding population (SCBP) were sampled in 1993–1994 and again in 2004–2005. The goal of this study was to characterize the genetic composition of these populations and to measure potential changes in genetic diversity and composition across the sampling period. The mitochondrial DNA haplotypes C1 and C2, characteristic of the most popular bee strains (Italians and Carniolans, respectively) sold in the United States, were the dominant haplotypes at both sample dates. The frequency of Apis mellifera mellifera M haplotypes, M4, M7, and M7′, decreased during the 10-yr span. An A1 haplotype characteristic of Africanized bees was found in the SCBP from 2005. Microsatellite analysis showed there was a loss of alleles in both the WCBP and SCBP, but the losses were not significant due to simultaneous gains of new alleles into these populations between 1993 and 2005. Genetic differences that occurred between the 1993–1994 WCBP and SCBP were still detectable in these populations sampled a decade later, suggesting that these populations could be useful sources of diversity for each other in the future.
An Empirical Investigation of the Auction Buyer's Choice to Buy Out or Bid: Cry of Regret or Laugh of Satisfaction?

Online auction buyers often face the predicament of choosing between the buyout strategy and the bidding strategy to acquire an auctioned product. A buyer who chooses to buy out will obtain the item immediately at the posted price while the one who chooses to bid will have to monitor the bidding process in the hope of acquiring the product at a price lower than the posted one. Despite the wealth of auction literature, relatively few studies empirically assess the buyout option. This study seeks to bridge the gap by investigating how the buyout option (permanent or temporary) and price parameters (starting price and buyout price) affect the formation of two emotions, namely anticipated satisfaction of choice and anticipated regret of outcome, which in turn affect the buying strategy (i.e., buy out or bid). We employ laboratory experiments in our study and our results indicate two interesting findings. First, when the permanent buyout option is available, a buyer is more likely to exhibit loss aversion characteristics and prefer to adopt the buyout strategy. Second, when the temporary buyout option is present, the thought that one could avoid premature ending of auction by exercising the bidding option at the start decreases one’s preference for adopting the buyout strategy. Implications of these results for further research and practice are discussed.
Monetary Policy and Commodity Prices: an endogenous analysis using an SVAR approach

This work analyzes the relationship between real interest rates and commodity prices. According to Frankel’s hypothesis (1986-2006): "low real interest rates lead to high real commodity prices". However, some empirical evidence suggests that commodity prices can predict monetary policy. In this way, there is an endogeneity between commodity prices and monetary policy. Using Frankel’s model we include a Taylor rule equation in this theoretical model, which let us analyze the endogeneity problem. In order to find empirical support of this model, we estimate SVAR and, using quarterly data from 1962:Q1 to 2009:Q1, we find that the overshooting of commodity prices to 1% increase of real interest rate can be a minimum of 2.86% and a maximum of 5.97% depending on the chosen model. The increase of real interest rate given a 1% increase in commodity prices is positive and significant but of small magnitude (0.20% - 0.05%).
Meeting patient's expectations in primary care consultations in Lithuania.

OBJECTIVE Patient satisfaction with health care services is considered an important factor of health care. Although research on patient satisfaction has become standard in Western Europe, in countries such as Lithuania the concept of patient satisfaction is still a relatively new one. This study aimed to investigate how the meeting of patients' expectations is related to increased satisfaction with medical consultation. STUDY DESIGN The methodology used by Williams et al. in the UK was applied to the Lithuanian health care setting. Forty physicians from 22 primary health care centres attending courses on general practice at Vilnius University were recruited for the study. Every third adult patient coming to a practice during a 5-day period was invited to participate in the study. In all, 609 patients coming to meet their physician regarding health problems were included in the study sample. The patients were asked to complete three standardized questionnaires: the Patient Intentions Questionnaire prior to the consultation, and the Expectations Met Questionnaire and Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale after the consultation. Cronbach's alpha statistic was used for the validation of the questionnaires and principal components analysis was used to determine the factors of patient expectations. RESULTS The response rate was 78%. ANALYSIS of 460 sets of questionnaires revealed that satisfaction with medical consultation is higher among patients who have a greater number of expectations met. Physicians' success in meeting different types of patient expectations also had different influences on patient satisfaction. The most important expectations to be met were "understanding and explanation", followed by expectations of "emotional support", while "getting information" was less important. CONCLUSIONS The most frequently reported expectations on the Patient Intentions Questionnaire were for "getting information" and "understanding and explanation" of the patients' health problem items, and the least mentioned were for emotional support items. Patients with more expectations met were found to have significantly higher scores on the satisfaction index. Satisfaction with the consultation is best predicted by meeting the patient's expectations for understanding and explanation, and for emotional support. Providing desired information to the patient as well as meeting the patient's expectations for diagnostic procedures and treatment is less associated with patient satisfaction.
Two New Low Galactic D/H Measurements from FUSE

We analyze interstellar absorption observed towards two subdwarf O stars, JL 9 and LSS 1274, using spectra taken by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Column densities are measured for many atomic and molecular species (H I, D I, C I, N I, O I, P II, Ar I, Fe II, and H 2 ), but our main focus is on measuring the D/H ratios for these extended lines of sight, as D/H is an important diagnostic for both cosmology and Galactic chemical evolution. We towards JL 9, and D / H = (0 . 76 ± 0 . 36) × 10 − 5 towards LSS 1274 (2 σ uncertainties). With distances of 590 ± 160 pc and 580 ± 100 pc, respectively, these two lines of sight are currently among the longest Galactic lines of sight with measured D/H. With the addition of these measurements, we see a signiﬁcant tendency for longer Galactic lines of sight to yield low D/H values, consistent with previous inferences about the deuterium abundance from D/O and D/N measurements. Short lines of sight with H I column densities of log N (H I) < 19 . 2 suggest that the gas-phase D/H value within the Local Bubble is (D / H) LBg = (1 . 56 ± 0 . 04) × 10 − 5 . However, the four longest Galactic lines of sight with measured D/H, which have d > 500 pc and log N (H I) > 20 . 5, suggest a signiﬁcantly lower value for the true local-disk gas-phase D/H value, (D / H) LDg = (0 . 85 ± 0 . 09) × 10 − 5 . One interpretation of these results is that D is preferentially depleted onto dust grains relative to H and that longer lines of sight that extend beyond the Local Bubble sample more depleted material. In this scenario, the higher Local Bubble D/H ratio is actually a better estimate than (D / H) LDg for the true local-disk D/H, (D / H) LD . However, if (D / H) LDg is diﬀerent from (D / H) LBg simply because of variable astration and incomplete ISM mixing, then (D / H) LD = (D / H) LDg .
Effect of smartphone aesthetic design on users' emotional reaction: An empirical study

Purpose – This paper discusses the impact of aesthetic design of smartphones on users' emotional reactions and preferences towards the product. To this end, the paper presents a study that explores emotional reaction of males to varying aesthetic design of the BlackBerry and empirically evaluates their preferences for the BlackBerry in different colours and overlay patterns. The paper then presents the statistical results of the study in an innovative graphical representation.Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative and qualitative research design was used, including three types of data‐collection instruments (direct observations, rating scales, and interviews) to investigate if males have a stronger positive emotional reaction for visually treated BlackBerry Pearl devices over the original treatment (piano black) of the BlackBerry Pearl. A one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out with an independent within subjects variable “Pattern” with ten different levels (i.e. ten different visual tr.
Analysis of Polygala tenuifolia Transcriptome and Description of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Pathways by Illumina Sequencing

Radix polygalae, the dried roots of Polygala tenuifolia and P. sibirica, is one of the most well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plants. Radix polygalae contains various saponins, xanthones, and oligosaccharide esters and these compounds are responsible for several pharmacological properties. To provide basic breeding information, enhance molecular biological analysis, and determine secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways of P. tenuifolia, we applied Illumina sequencing technology and de novo assembly. We also applied this technique to gain an overview of P. tenuifolia transcriptome from samples with different years. Using Illumina sequencing, approximately 67.2% of unique sequences were annotated by basic local alignment search tool similarity searches against public sequence databases. We classified the annotated unigenes by using Nr, Nt, GO, COG, and KEGG databases compared with NCBI. We also obtained many candidates CYP450s and UGTs by the analysis of genes in the secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways, including putative terpenoid backbone and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. With this transcriptome sequencing, future genetic and genomics studies related to the molecular mechanisms associated with the chemical composition of P. tenuifolia may be improved. Genes involved in the enrichment of secondary metabolite biosynthesis-related pathways could enhance the potential applications of P. tenuifolia in pharmaceutical industries.
Scaling Politically Meaningful Dimensions Using Texts and Votes

Item response theory models for roll-call voting data provide political scientists with parsimonious descriptions of political actors' relative preferences. However, models using only voting data tend to obscure variation in preferences across different issues due to identification and labeling problems that arise in multidimensional scaling models. We propose a new approach to using sources of metadata about votes to estimate the degree to which those votes are about common issues. We demonstrate our approach with votes and opinion texts from the U.S. Supreme Court, using latent Dirichlet allocation to discover the extent to which different issues were at stake in different cases and estimating justice preferences within each of those issues. This approach can be applied using a variety of unsupervised and supervised topic models for text, community detection models for networks, or any other tool capable of generating discrete or mixture categorization of subject matter from relevant vote-specific metadata.
What Can We Learn About Investment and Capital Structure with a Better Measure of Q?

This paper takes an integrated approach to examining the link between stock prices, investment, and capital structure decisions using data on a unique type of firm: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). By using REITs, we are able to obtain high quality estimates of the net asset value of the firm, that can be used to create relatively accurate measures of Tobin's q. In addition, REITs have institutional features that allow us to abstract from other factors that have complicated previous studies. We have three main findings. First, while REIT investment is weakly related to the traditional measure of q, it is quite responsive to an alternative measure of q based on NAV. A REIT whose NAV-based q ratio rises from 1.0 to 1.1 will increase its assets by ten percent in the next year. Second, the debt-to-value ratio responds to deviations in price-to-NAV ratio as well, but more sluggishly. A 0.1 increase in price-to-NAV ratio leads to a relatively modest 0.52 percentage point decrease in the following year's debt-to-market-value ratio. Overall, REITs appear to finance marginal projects with a mix of debt and equity that is similar to their average debt-equity mix. Third, we find evidence that these relationships are nonlinear. Firms invest aggressively when q exceeds one, but do not dis-invest when q is below one. The investment results support traditional theories of firm investment with adjustment costs and imply that past difficulties in validating q theory are likely due to problems in adequately measuring q. The nonlinear relationship between investment and q is consistent with relatively high costs of disinvestment, but also agency models in which managers are reluctant to shrink the size of the firm. Finally, the evidence is weakly consistent with REIT managers attempting a limited amount of financial market timing based on quasi-public information on NAV.
Age Discrimination in the American Workplace: Old at a Young Age

Nearly every middle-aged and older worker, at some time during his or her career, will suffer age discrimination in the workplace. Employers too often use early-retirement plans, restructurings, and downsizings to dismiss older workers. Many of these individuals are unwillingly ushered into earlier-than-planned retirements, are denied promotions, or are terminated. The baby-boomer generation now accounts for just under 50 percent of the entire workforce. A vast army of workers now stands ready to contest employer acts of age discrimination. Attorney Raymond Gregory addresses himself to the millions of workers who think they might be facing age discrimination and traces the history of the federal measures enacted to assist workers in contesting unlawful employer conduct. He explains how the law works and presents actual court cases to demonstrate the ways that workers have challenged their employers. The cases help to illustrate legal principles in real-life experiences and many of the cases relate compelling stories of workers caught up in a web of employer discriminatory conduct. Gregory has eliminated all legal jargon, ensuring that all concepts are clear to his readers. Individuals will turn to this book again and again to obtain authoritative background on this important topic.
New Composite Leading Indicators for Hungary and Poland

This paper presents new composite leading indicators for the two largest of the EU accession countries, Poland and Hungary. Using linear and non-linear dynamic factor models we find for both countries that a parsimonious specification, which combines national business cycle indicators, series reflecting trade volumes and supranational business expectations makes for the most reliable business cycle leaders. The composite leading indicators significantly Granger-cause GDP growth rates, while the estimated Markov-switching probabilities of being in a recessionary state agree well with a priori determined cycle chronologies.
The Number of Generators of a Finite Group

In this expository article, which is a slightly expanded version of the lecture given at the All Ireland Algebra Days (Belfast, 16–19 May, 2001), we first recall a technique recently developed by F. Dalla Volta and A. Lucchini to study generation properties of finite groups. We then discuss some problems in permutation groups, linear groups and profinite groups where this technique has proved useful. Finally, we comment on some results and problems related to probability
INCOME INEQUALITY AND INCOME MOBILITY AMONG URBAN AND RURAL HOUSEHOLDS OF CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES

In the United States, there is little difference in annual income inequality and income mobility between the rural and urban sectors of the economy. This forms a sharp contrast with China where income inequality is greater and income mobility lower among rural households than among urban households. When incomes are averaged over three years and when adjustments are made for the size and composition of households, income inequality among all households differs little between China and the U.S. in the 1990s. Moreover when pooling rural households and urban households and when measuring annual income inequality and income mobility of the pooled households, the mobility of incomes of households in the U.S. differs little from that in China. Social welfare functions are posited that allow for a trade-off between increases in income and increases in income inequality. These suggest strong increases in well-being for urban households in China. The corresponding changes in rural China and in the U.S. are smaller.