Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biologically-inspired hierarchical architectures for object recognition

The existing methods for machine vision translate the three-dimensional objects in the real world into two-dimensional images. These methods have achieved acceptable performances in recognising objects. However, the recognition performance drops dramatically when objects are transformed, for instance, the background, orientation, position in the image, and scale. The human’s visual cortex has evolved to form an efficient invariant representation of objects from within a scene. The superior performance of human can be explained by the feed-forward multi-layer hierarchical structure of human visual cortex, in addition to, the utilisation of different fields of vision depending on the recognition task. Therefore, the research community investigated building systems that mimic the hierarchical architecture of the human visual cortex as an ultimate objective. The aim of this thesis can be summarised as developing hierarchical models of the visual processing that tackle the remaining challenges of object recognition. To enhance the existing models of object recognition and to overcome the above-mentioned issues, three major contributions are made that can be summarised as the followings 1. building a hierarchical model within an abstract architecture that achieves good performances in challenging image object datasets; 2. investigating the contribution for each region of vision for object and scene images in order to increase the recognition performance and decrease the size of the processed data; 3. further enhance the performance of all existing models of object recognition by introducing hierarchical topologies that utilise the context in which the object is found to determine the identity of the object. Statement of Originality The contributions of this thesis have been supported by different journal and conference papers, which have been generated during the journey of my study. They can be listed as follows: Alameer, A. , Ghazaeil, G. , Degenaar, P., and Nazarpour, K. (2015, December). An elastic net-regularized HMAX model of visual processing. 2nd IET International Conference on Intelligent Signal Processing (ISP). London. Alameer, A. , Ghazaei, G. , Degenaar, P., Chambers, J. A. , and Nazarpour, K. (2016). Object recognition with an elastic net-regularized hierarchical MAX model of the visual cortex. IEEE Sig. Process. Lett. , vol.23, no.8, pp.1062-1066. Alameer, A. , Degenaar, P., and Nazarpour, K. (2016, October). Biologicallyinspired object recognition system for recognizing natural scene categories. IEEE International Conference for Students on Applied Engineering (ISCAE), (pp. 129-132). Newcastle. Ali Alameer, Patrick Degenaar, and Kianoush Nazarpour. Processing occlusions using elastic-net hierarchical MAX model of the visual cortex. (2017, July). IEEE International Conference on INnovations in Intelligent SysTems and Applications (INISTA). (pp. 163-167). Gdynia.
The Impact of Ferroelectric FETs on Digital and Analog Circuits and Architectures

Editor’s note: Semiconductor industry is steadily on the quest for emerging devices and device technologies that lead to higher performance and higher efficiency of computing over CMOS technology. This tutorial introduces the potential of emerging devices that integrate ferroelectric material into digital as well as analog circuits. With a focus on FeFET technology, the authors first present device characteristics, and advantages in comparison to CMOS but also other emerging technologies such as RRAM. The article comprehensively demonstrates the use of FeFET technology in circuits, architectures, and applications. — Jürgen Teich, FAU Erlangen
A study of knowledge and self care practices in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: India is harbouring the largest number of diabetic patients in the world. Poor knowledge and practices are some of the important factors influencing the development and progression of diabetes and its complications, which are easily preventable. Though self care constitutes 95% of diabetes management it is not given due emphasis. This study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and self-care practices in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A cross sectional, hospital based descriptive study was conducted in HIMS Medical college hospital, Hassan. Two hundred type 2 diabetes patients aged ≥ 40 years were interviewed over a period of 2 months from Feb-March 2011. A pre designed and pre tested interview questionnaire was used. Results: Mean age of diabetic patients was 54.15±10.05 years and mean duration of disease was 6.63±5.54 years. Of the respondents 88% had average to good knowledge regarding self care. Knowledge of ‘self care in type 2 diabetes’ was significantly higher (p< 0.001) in respondents having diabetes for longer duration. Among the respondents, 24% had practice of regular eye check up, 23% took precautions while travelling and 48% practiced foot care. Conclusion: Even though knowledge regarding self care in diabetics is high, the same is not practiced.
Scalable and responsive SDN monitoring and remediation for the Cloud-to-Fog continuum

Since the inception of the digital era the sharing of information has been revolutionary to the way we live, inspiring the continuous evolution of computer networks. Year by year, humankind becomes increasingly dependent on the use of connected services as new technologies evolve and become more widely accessible. As the widespread deployment of the Internet of Things, 5G, and connected cars rapidly approaches, with tens of billions of new devices connect- ing to the Internet, there will be a plethora of new faults and attacks that will require the need to be tracked and managed. This enormous increase on Internet reliance which is stretching the limits of current solutions to network monitoring introduces security concerns, as well as challenges of scale in operation and management. Todays conventional network monitoring and management lacks the flexibility, visibility, and intelligence required to effectively operate the next generation of the Internet. The advent of network softwarisation provides new methods for network management and operation, opening new solutions to net- work monitoring and remediation. In parallel, the increase in maturity of Edge computing lends itself to new solutions for scaling network softwarisation, by deploying services throughout the network. In this thesis, two proof-of-concept systems are presented which together harness the use of Software Defined Networking, Network Functions Virtualisation, and Cloud-to-Fog computing to address challenges of scale and network security: Siren is an open platform which manages the resources within the Internet, bridging network and infrastructure management and orchestration. Tennison is a network monitoring and remediation framework which tackles monitoring scalability through adapting to network context and providing a suitable architecture to the network topology, including the use of centralised, distributed, and hierarchical deployments.
The effect of flow experience on users' social commerce intention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of flow experience on users’ social commerce intention. Design/methodology/approach Based on the 287 valid responses collected from a survey, structural equation modeling was used to examine the research model. Findings The results indicated that social interaction, which includes human–computer interaction and human–human interaction, has a significant effect on the flow experience, which in turn affects social purchase and social sharing intention. Research limitations/implications The results imply that companies need to facilitate social interaction to improve users’ experience and promote their social commerce intention. Originality/value Although prior research has examined social commerce user behaviour from multiple perspectives such as trust, perceived value and technological perceptions, it has focused on the effect of cognitive beliefs and neglected the effect of affective beliefs such as flow experience. This research tries to fill the gap.
Internet Addiction among Students: Prevalence and psychological problems in Japan

The explosive growth of the Internet in the last decade has had a huge impact on communication and interpersonal behavior. Psychological research during the same period has sought to increase understanding of this impact. The Internet was originally designed to facilitate communication and research activities. However, the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet in recent years has led to pathological use (Internet addiction). The effect of Internet addiction includes the impairment of academic performance, psychological well-being, and interaction with peers and family members. To understand the current status in Japan, this study reviews the prevalence of Internet addiction among students and compares it with that in foreign countries. It also introduces psychological problems concerned with Internet addiction and mobile phone E-mail encountered in a primary care practice.
Computer aided analysis and design of a single phase tubular induction actuator

This thesis introduces a novel tubular linear induction actuator (TLIA) which makes use of eddy currents to produce useful thrust. Compared with normal DC or AC solenoids, it possesses advantages of long thrust, large starting force and low starting current. Unlike linear motors, it is much simpler in structure and cheaper. In order to investigate the principle of operation, design and dynamic performance of this TLIA, a time-stepping computer program named COUPV has been developed. Based on the finite element method, it couples the axisymmetric 3-D internal electromagnetic field containing eddy currents and non-linear materials with external electric circuits, involving power electronics and a moving mechanical load. The power supply can be of any kind of voltage or current waveform, such as sine wave, square wave, PWM wave or phase controlled wave. The simulated results in both steady and dynamic states are found to be in very good agreement with the measurements obtained from existing models. Two special features of the TLIA defined as the shielding effect and the inner end effect are studied. These two effects dominate its performance and make its analysis different from conventional magnets, solenoids and linear motors. With the help of the COUPV, special attention is paid to the design and control of the TLIA. Its basic construction, slot shape and materials of stator and plunger are studied. Both bang-bang and position control strategies are investigated. It is evident that COUPV can find application for many types of electromechanical devices such as magnetic bearings, fuel injectors, various electric motors and even 0 guns.
Mechanism Design for Combinatorial Allocation Problems without Quasilinear Utilities (Mechanismen-Design für Kombinatorische Allokationsprobleme ohne Quasilineare Nutzen)

In combinatorial allocation problems, indivisible objects have to be assigned to selfish agents. A standard assumption for those problems is that agents have quasilinear utility functions. However, in many environments either money cannot be exchanged or agents cannot be assumed to maximize payoff. We focus on two specific non-quasilinear environments. First, we analyze a course allocation problem where students have preferences over schedules and report on a large-scale course assignment application at the TU Munich. Second, we study non-quasilinear utility functions as they have been reported for display ad auctions, and propose a truthful randomized approximation mechanism.
Long-Term Abstinence and Quality of Life After a Socioecological Treatment Program: An Italian Experience

ABSTRACT This article aims to report the outcomes of a brief residential alcohol treatment based on the socioecological method, as measured in terms of professional evaluation and quality of life. The study covered a one-year period (July 2011–August 2012) by following the experiences of 20 users of alcohol included in a residential treatment program based on the socioecological approach. The treatment outcome was assessed via a quality-of-life (QoL) measure and professional service evaluation on three occasions: upon admission to the hospital, one month after hospital discharge, at the follow-up after 3 to 4 months. Moreover, four club facilitators were interviewed after 7 to 8 months concerning the situation of five patients. Results showed that one out of four people with an alcohol addiction were still sober about one year after discharge and attended the Clubs for Alcoholics in Treatment (CAT) regularly. One month after discharge, QoL data and professional evaluation converged in showing an improvement in 13 participants. Their QoL generally improved, with specific reference to their financial situation, life in general, health condition, and family relations. The brief residential program based on the socioecological model appears to be a feasible path for those seeking alcohol treatment in Italy, as a positive outcome was reported by one half of the patients in terms of better QoL at the 6-month follow-up and by one fourth of patients in terms of sobriety and club attendance at the one-year follow-up.
Comparing the Chromatic Contrast Sensitivity in Vertical and Oblique Orientations

While for many years achromatic contrast sensitivity has been widely studied by different research groups from various fields of work, the same attention has not been paid to chromatic contrast sensitivity. Due to the challenging nature of contrast sensitivity tests even the limited number of studies in the field do not agree on different issues. In this work, through a subjective test, we aim to further investigate the relationship between the chromatic contrast sensitivity for the red-green channels in the vertical (0°) and oblique (45°) orientations. The results show that the contrast sensitivity between the two different orientations is similar.
A Study of FPGA-Based Supercomputing Platforms

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) play a significant role in modern supercomputing by providing benefits of hardware speed as well as programmability. Recently, there has been many contributions about the application of FPGAs in the area of supercomputing. Consequently, this paper presents a brief review of existing work on FPGA-based supercomputing platforms.
Maternal Satisfaction with the Delivery Services in Assela Hospital, Arsi Zone, Oromia Region

Background: A woman’s satisfaction with the delivery service may have immediate and long term effects on her health and subsequent utilization of the services. Providing satisfying delivery care increases service utilization. Women play a principal role in the rearing of children and the management of family affairs, and their loss from maternity-related causes is a significant social and personal tragedy . Objective: To assess maternal satisfaction with the delivery service in Assela hospital, Arsi zone, Oromia region. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in February 2013 on a sample of 398 delivering mothers in Assela Hospital using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 17. Statistical tests were employed and significance level was taken at p-value<0.05. Results: A total of 398 delivering mothers were interviewed, of which 64.6% of the respondents were between the age group of 20-34 and 48% were house wives. The findings of the study showed that the overall maternal satisfaction level with the delivery services rendered at the hospital was 80.7%. Dissatisfaction was reported to be highest (42.3%) by cleanliness and access of toilet. Furthermore, satisfaction with the delivery service was found to have a significant association with the age of the respondents 20-34 [AOR=4.65(2.35, 9.20)] and educational level of the respondents [AOR = 2.42, 95%CI: 1.17, 5.00)]. Conclusion: Although the majority of participants satisfied by the delivery service given to them during delivery, lack of satisfaction by a minority group resulted in a limited ability to engage in health facility delivery which farther contribute to maternal mortality. Thus, mechanisms should be devised to increase maternal satisfaction in this health institution.
The effectiveness of training in virtual environments

The research presented in this thesis explores the use of consumer virtual reality technology for training, comparing its validity to more traditional training formats. The need to evaluate the effectiveness of training in virtual environments is critical as a wider audience gains access to an array of emerging virtual reality consumer devices. Training is an obvious use case for these devices. This is motivated by the well-known success of domain-specific training simulators, the ability to train in safe, controlled environments and the potential to launch training programs when the physical components required to complete a task are not readily available. In this thesis, we present four user studies that aim to compare the effectiveness of systems with varying levels of immersion for learning transfer of several tasks, ranging from object location spatial memory to more complex assembly procedures. For every study, evaluation of the effectiveness of training took place in a real-world, physical environment. The first two studies compare geometric and self-motion models in describing human spatial memory through scale distortions of real and virtual environments. The third study examines the effect of level of immersion, self-avatar and environmental fidelity on object location memory in real and virtual environments. The fourth study compares the effectiveness of physical training and virtual training for teaching a bimanual assembly task. Results highlight the validity of virtual environments for training. The overall conclusion is that virtual training can yield a resulting performance that is superior to other, more traditional training formats. Combined, the outcomes of each of the user studies motivate further study of consumer virtual reality systems in training and suggest considerations for the design of such virtual environments.
Exploring the Characteristics of an Intra-Urban Bus Service Network: A Case Study of Shenzhen, China

The urban bus service system is one of the most important components of a public transport system. Thus, exploring the spatial configuration of the urban bus service system promotes an understanding of the quality of bus services. Such an understanding is of great importance to urban transport planning and policy making. In this study, we investigated the spatial characteristics of an urban bus service system by using the complex network approach. First, a three-step workflow was developed to collect a bus operating dataset from a public website. Then, we utilized the P-space method to represent the bus service network by connecting all bus stop pairs along each bus line. With the constructed bus network, a set of network analysis indicators were calculated to quantify the role of nodes in the network. A case study of Shenzhen, China was implemented to understand the statistical properties and spatial characteristics of the urban bus network configuration. The empirical findings can provide insights into the statistical laws and distinct convenient areas in a bus service network, and consequently aid in optimizing the allocation of bus stops and routes.
Roles, Rules, and Keys: How Different Play Configurations Shape Collaborative Science Inquiry

Taking place within the Science Through Technology-Enhanced Play (STEP) design-based research project, this paper describes how first- and second-grade students use their bodies to imaginatively become microscopic particles inside of a collaborative simulation of state change (e.g., liquid to gas) and within two distinct play spaces: a modeling activity and a game activity. As participants at once bring play to life in the classroom and learn about microscopic particles, they introduce and enact distinct configurations of roles, rules, and keys that shape their moment-to-moment activity and their pathways through science inquiry. Participants’ integration of distinct roles, rules, and keys during stretches of play foster on the one hand cycles of open-ended creation, observation, and destruction, and on the other hand generation of pragmatic strategies for winning assessed through game metrics. Overall, this paper introduces a framework for tracking the collaborative instantiation of roles, rules, and keys, provides preliminary documentation of how these characteristics shape learning, and invites reflection on how to move beyond general claims about games benefiting learning.
A Cooperative Driving Strategy for Merging at On-Ramps Based on Dynamic Programming

Cooperative driving emerges as a promising way to improve efficiency and safety for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs). Its key idea is to design a strategy to schedule the movements of neighboring vehicles. The typical cooperative driving strategies can be categorized into two categories. The first category is optimal strategy, which aims to find the globally optimal passing order of vehicles, but the computational cost of this strategy grows significantly with the increasing number of vehicles. The second category is sub-optimal strategy, which uses heuristic rules or other methods to export an acceptable local optimal solution within a limited computation time. However, there usually lacks a rigorous theoretical guarantee of the performances, and further validation is always required for practical applications. To overcome all these limitations, a computationally efficient strategy is proposed to obtain the globally optimal passing order based on dynamic programming (DP). Specifically, the problem of merging at on-ramps is resolved by a DP method, which uses the domain knowledge to reduce the complexity by well defining the state space, state transition, and criterion function. With the DP method, it is proved that the globally optimal passing order can be obtained with the quadratic polynomial computational complexity of $O(N^2)$, where $N$ denotes the number of vehicles. Simulation results demonstrate the performances of the proposed strategy regarding optimality and efficiency.
The Impact of the ACA's Extension of Coverage to Dependents on Young Adults' Access to Care

We examine the impact of the ACA’s extension of coverage to dependents on that population’s uninsured rates and their access to care –as captured by their likelihood of delaying needed medical care or prescription medicines owing to their inability to afford them. Similarly, we explore how the federal mandate might have affected their ER use. Using micro-level data from the 2002 through 2011 waves of the National Health Interview Survey, we find that the federal mandates not only lowered the uninsured rates of young adults, but also facilitated their access to prescribed medicines they were unable to afford before. While the former effect took place across the board in all states, the federal mandate’s impact on young adults’ access to prescribed medicines has been concentrated in states with prior state-level mandates, possibly due to their experience in implementing and publicizing prior state-level mandates.
Application of Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search for a Rich and Real-World Vehicle Routing Problem

ORTEC is a supplier of optimization software. The ability to find efficient routes is in the core of their DNA. With their services they support esteemed customers to save costs and improve the delivery process. With larger and more complex business cases arriving, ORTEC always challenges themselves to find new and better ways to determine efficient routes. Research shows that Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search is a good improvement heuristic for complex and large cases. We are asked to investigate how the Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search should be applied to a specific customer case.