Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D Manipulation of Objects in Photographs

This thesis describes a system that allows users to to perform full three-dimensional manipulations to objects in photographs. Cameras and photo-editing tools have contributed to the explosion in creative content by democratizing the process of creating visual realizations of users’ imaginations. However, shooting photographs using a camera is constrained by real-world physics, while existing photo-editing software is largely restricted to the 2D plane of the image. 3D object edits, intuitive to humans, are simply not possible in photo-editing software. The fundamental challenge in providing 3D object manipulation is that estimating the 3D structure of the object, including the geometry and appearance of object parts hidden from the viewpoint of the camera is ill-posed. 3D object manipulations reveal hidden parts of objects that were not previously seen from the viewpoint of the camera. The key contributions of this thesis are algorithms that leverage 3D models from public repositories to obtain a three-dimensional representation of objects in photographs for 3D manipulation with seamless transition in appearance of the object from the original photograph. 3D models of objects in online repositories cannot be directly used to manipulate photographed objects, as they show mismatches in geometry and appearance, and do not contain three-dimensional illumination representing the scene where the photograph was captured. The work in this thesis provides a system that align the 3D model geometry, estimates three-dimensional illumination, and completes the appearance over the object in three dimensions to provide full 3D manipulation. To correct the mismatch between the geometry of the 3D model and the photographed object, the thesis presents an automatic model alignment technique that performs an exhaustive search in the space of viewpoint, object location, scale, and non-rigid deformation. We also provide a manual geometry adjustment tool that allows users to perform final corrections while imposing smoothness and symmetry constraints. Given the matched geometry, we present an illumination estimation approach that uses the visible pixels to obtain three-dimensional environment illumination that produces plausible effects such as cast shadows and smooth surface shading. Our appearance completion approach relates visible parts of the object to hidden parts using symmetries over the publicly available 3D model. Our interactive system for editing photographs re-imagines typical photo-editing operations such as rotation, translation, copy-paste, scaling, and deformation as 3D manipulations to objects. Using our system, users have created a variety of manipulations to photographs, such as flipping cars, making dynamic compositions of multiple objects suspended in the air, performing animations, and altering the stories of historical images and personal photographs.
Neural and adaptive systems : fundamentals through simulations

Data Fitting with Linear Models. Pattern Recognition. Multilayer Perceptrons. Designing and Training MLPs. Function Approximation with MLPs, Radial Basis Functions, and Support Vector Machines. Hebbian Learning and Principal Component Analysis. Competitive and Kohonen Networks. Principles of Digital Signal Processing. Adaptive Filters. Temporal Processing with Neural Networks. Training and Using Recurrent Networks. Appendices. Glossary. Index.
The Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-P (KIDI-P)

Several studies show that parental knowledge about child development and education is relevant to parenting actions. Considering that the lack of assessment instruments specific to this domain in Portugal is an obstacle to cross-cultural research and programme evaluation, the objective of this study was to make available a Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-P (KIDI-P). This inventory (58 items) allows for the calculation of three summary scores (Attempted, Accuracy and Total) that reflect correctness and confidence in one's knowledge. The Portuguese version of the KIDI-P confirmed a unidimensional structure and revealed good internal consistency (α = .89). In a sample of 252 mothers and fathers, educational level showed to be related to KIDI-P scores, unlike parents’ sex and age.
Accuracy estimates and adaptive refinements in finite element computations

This book contains papers discussing the recent developments in adaptive methods and their applications, an area of finite elements methods applicable to the needs of civil engineering. Topics covered range from an exposition of basic theory and techniques to detailed discussions of specific applications. Adaptive approaches, and the computer assessment of the reliability of the results obtained are also examined.
Task-based language education : from theory to practice

Chapter 1 Introduction: Task-based language teaching in a nutshell, Chapter 2 From needs to tasks: Language learning needs in a task-based approach, Chapter 3 Tasks for absolute beginners . and beyond: Developing and sequencing tasks at basic proficiency levels, Chapter 4 Developing language tasks for primary and secondary education, Chapter 5 Task-based language teaching in science education and vocational training, 6 TBLT and ICT: Developing and assessing interactive multimedia for task-based language teaching, Chapter 7 Developing and introducing task-based language tests, Chapter 8 The role of the teacher in TBLT, Chapter 9 A box full of feelings: Promoting infants' second language acquisition all day long, Chapter 10 Teacher training: Task-based as well?
A Comparative Evaluation Between Two Design Solutions for an Information Dashboard

This study is a software usability design case about information presentation in a software dash­board. The dashboard is supposed to present system information about an enterprise resource planning system. The study aims to evaluate if the intended users of the dash­board prefer a list-based or an object-based presentation of the information and why. It also investigates if the possi­bility to get familiar with the prototype affects the evaluation’s result.The study was performed using parallel prototypes and evaluation with users. The use of parallel prototypes is a rather unexplored area. Likewise, little research has been done in the area of how user experience changes over time.Two prototypes were created, presenting the same information in two different design solutions, one list-based, and one object-based. The prototypes were evaluated with ten presumptive users, with respect to usability. The evaluation consisted of two parts, one quantitative and one qualita­tive. Half of the respondents got a chance to get familiar with the list-based prototype, and half the object-based prototype, after which they evaluated both sequentially.The result of the evaluation showed that seven out of ten respondents preferred the list-based prototype. The two primary reasons were that they are more used to the list-based concept from their work, and that the list-based prototype presented all information about an application at once. In the object-based prototype the user had to make a request for each type of information, which opened up in a new pop-up window.The primary reason that three of the ten respondents preferred the object-based prototype was that it had a more modern look, and gave a cleaner impression since it only presented the information the respondent was interested in at each point in time.The result also implied that the possibility to get familiar with the prototype by testing it for a couple of days affected the result. Eight out of ten respondents preferred the prototype they got familiar to, and the only ones that liked or preferred the object-based prototype were those who had gotten familiar with it. The results of the study support the results of the existing research done by Dow et al. (2010) on the use of parallel prototypes, i.e. creating several prototypes in parallel, and conform with the results of the research of Karapanos et al. (2009) on how user experience changes over time.Some other interesting information that emerged from the study was that all but one of the respondents thought that the prototype they got familiar with had an acceptable level of usability.The study also validated that all respondents are positive to use a dashboard in their work, and that the presented information was enough for a first version of the dashboard. It also validated that the different groups of users would use the dashboard differently, and therefore are in need of slightly different information.
Using iPads in vocabulary instruction for elementary English language learners

v List of figures viii List of Tables ix Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Significance of the Study 6 Purposes of the Study 6 Research Questions 7 Chapter 2: Literature Review 8 Teaching Vocabulary Within the Text Context 8 Visual/Multisensory Approach 11 Using Cognates 14 Technology-Based Instruction 17 Verbal/Auditory Approach 18 Software 20 Online Graphic Organizers 21 Summary 22 Chapter 3: Method 23 Contexts of the Study 23 Setting 23 Participants 23 Students 23
The production of word-initial/s/-clusters by brazilian future efl teachers in Bahia: the roles of linguistic and non-linguistic variables

Many studies conducted so far showed that Brazilians tend to insert a prothetic vowel preceding English /s/-clusters, as a way to structure syllables (Bettoni-Techio, 2008; Cornelian, 2003, 2010; Rauber, 2002, 2004; Rebello, 1997). Taking into consideration the difficulty Brazilians usually face when it comes to producing /s/-clusters, the present study aimed at investigating the production of word-initial /s/-clusters by Brazilian future EFL teachers in Bahia, as a means to verify whether the participants of the present research could produce the /s/-clusters in a target-like fashion. The objective of this study was also to check whether type of cluster and preceding phonological context played a role in the participants’ production. The data collection took place at the Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), with seven participants with an intermediate level of English proficiency. Furthermore, two types of tests were used (a Sentence-Reading Test and an Image-Description Test) to check whether task type affects production. Additionally, a questionnaire and a proficiency test were administered, which could also contribute to account for the results. The participants were audio recorded while they read the 24 sentences containing /s/-clusters in the Sentence-Reading test and described the images in the Image-Description Test. The present study, four different types of cluster (/sp/, /spr/, /st/ and /str/) in three different preceding contexts (a vowel, a consonant or a silence) were taken into account in order to check the most difficult type of cluster and environment. The findings of this research showed that the Sentence-Reading Test had higher rates of prothetic vowel occurrences than the Image-Description Test and the participants seemed to have more difficulty with three-member clusters, and also when the preceding context was a vowel. Another important discussion was related to the nature of the prothetic vowel that the participants produced in both tests. Considering the F1 value, which has to do with tongue height, and the F2 value, which is related to tongue retraction (Yavas, 2011), the participants produced a prothetic vowel similar to the English and BP /i/, in terms of height, but with the tongue more retracted, similar to the English /I/ – a prothetic vowel of hybrid nature. Considering the results of the present study, we can see that English /s/-clusters lead to pronunciation difficulties and that this syllable pattern should be addressed and practiced in the language classroom to improve the oral production of BP learners of English. Key-words: /s/-clusters; Production; Type of cluster; Phonological context; Prothetic vowel. Number of pages: 38 (excluding appendices) and 74 (including appendices) Number of words: 23268 (excluding appendices)
Multiscale Finite Element Methods: Theory and Applications

This expository book surveys the main concepts and recent advances in multiscale finite element methods. This monograph is intended for the broader audiences including engineers, applied scientists and those who are interested in multiscale simulations. The book is self-contained, starts from the basic concepts and proceeds to the latest developments in the field. Each chapter of the book starts with a simple introduction and the description of the proposed methods as well as with motivating examples. Numerical examples demonstrating the significance of the proposed methods are presented in each chapter. The book addresses mathematical and numerical issues in multiscale finite element methods and connects them to real-world applications. Narrative introduction provides a key to the book's organization and its scope. To make the presentation accessible to a broader audience, the analyses of the methods are given in the last chapter.
Liveness Detection in Biometrics

Biometric recognition systems are more advantageous than traditional methods of recognition as they allow the recognition of an individual for what he is and not for what he possesses or knows. Two of the currently most used biometric traits are the iris and the fingerprint. These traits have unique characteristics that allow people’s recognition and distinction. However, they can also be reproduced or used fraudulently. A possible way of accessing the system fraudulently is by presenting a fake reproduction of the biometric trait to the sensor. A way of preventing that could be by assessing the liveness of the biometric trait. Therefore, in the context of this dissertation, liveness detection algorithms for iris and fingerprint will be studied and tested. Concerning this, for the iris images the study is focused on cases where contact lenses are used to spoof the recognition system. For the fingerprint, databases with fake samples obtained from molds of real fingerprints are used to test the methods. The replicated algorithms are state of the art methods that were tested in both biometric traits, iris and fingerprint. Their accuracy is individually studied and their performance are also compared when the method is used with iris images and fingerprint images, aiming to assess if the same approach can be used in both cases. The results show that it is possible to obtain results comparable or even better than the state-ofthe-art ones, using other iris and fingerprint databases, but that does not occur for every database tested. This proves that it is still necessary to improve or maybe combine the algorithms, so that the classification error rate drops.
Practice Testing - Enhancing Student Learning with E-Assessment

Many students struggle to regulate their learning, often using ineffective techniques. The utility of practice testing and distributed practice is supported by a large body of research from the cognitive and educational psychology community. Computer-based testing (e-assessment) has had a long history with many opponents yet continues to be used in a wide range of educational contexts and professional certification. Given the robustness of the testing effect phenomenon, e-assessment has the potential to transform the student self-regulation landscape. The materials and test items employed in practice testing have not explored fully the boundaries of the testing effect in areas involving transfer of learning and higher order thinking. The boundaries between practice testing and formative assessment are subtle but distinct. The aim of this paper is to provide a survey/state of the art on practice testing by analysing the methodologies employed by the practice testing community and explore how existing e-assessment technologies can be employed to extend the research on practice testing. The challenge for technologists and educators alike is to leverage the potential of e-assessment for higher order learning and not simply replicate traditional paper-based tests in an electronic format.
Efficient loss resistance multicast stream authentication

Several solutions had been introduced to authenticate streamed data delivered in real-time over insecure networks, where there is no guarantee that every packet will be delivered. Some solutions resist any type of packet loss, others resist burst loss. Amortization schemes reduce the overhead caused by other schemes, but suffer from several weak points, such as where to place the signature packet, that is, after how many packets to send the signature. How many hashes to append to each packet, in addition to no clear chain structure analysis had been introduced, so as to show the effect on the efficiency in terms of the authentication probability, loss resistance and overhead. In this paper we introduce a new chain construction for multicast stream authentication delivered in real-time using signature amortization, giving solutions for the shortcomings. We also introduce a theoretical analysis of the chain construction to show its effect on the authentication efficiency. The proposed scheme consists of several odd-even chains, where the odd chains link some of the odd numbered packets, and the even chains link some of the even numbered ones. The scheme achieves better performance in terms of loss resistance and low overhead by changing the number of chains. That is when increasing the number of chains, low overhead and longer packet loss resistance are achieved. The sender’s buffer capacity is taken into consideration when choosing the number of chains. We also introduce equations to quantify the requirements such as the buffer size and delay on the receiver.
Adaptive Memory Algorithms for Graph Coloring

Let G=(V,E) be a graph with vertex set V and edge set E. The graph coloring problem consists in assigning an integer (called color) to each vertex so that adjacent vertices get different colors, and the total number of different colors is minimized. The adaptive memory algorithm is an hybrid evolutionary heuristic based on a central memory. At each generation, the idea is to use the information of a central memory for producing an offspring which is then improved by using a local search algorithm. The so obtained solution is finally used to update the information contained in the memory. In this paper, we propose an adaptive memory algorithm to the graph coloring problem. The results obtained so far give evidence that our method is competitive with the best known coloring algorithms.
The rationale behind the concept of goal in defeasible logic

In this paper we analyse different notions of the concept of goal starting from the idea of sequences of “alternative acceptable outcomes”. We study the relationships between goals and concepts like agent’s beliefs, norms and desires, and we propose a computationally oriented formalisation using Defeasible Logic that will provide a feasible approach. The resulting system, being able to capture various nuances of the notion of goal against different domains, is of interest for many kind of entities, such as business organisations, for which the right decision is not only context-dependent, but they must, and want, to choose from a pool of alternatives as wide as possible.
PERE: una nueva herramienta para valorar el reconocimiento de las emociones básicas en esquizofrenia

ERAT: A new tool to assess basic emotions recognition and its application in schizophrenia Abstract : Research about emotion recognition in schizophrenia has shown that patients have a defi cit in perception of negative emotions. There are different tests to assess emotion recognition, but they have several methodological limitations. The aim of the present article was to develop a new tool to assess the six basic emotions. A study was done with 450 control subjects and 60 outpatients with schizophrenia. Fifty-six images were selected to form the test, eight for each basic emotion and eight neutral ones. All photographs had an accuracy higher than 89% and a test-retest reliability between 0.80 and 1.32 for controls, and between 0.61 and 1.92 for outpatients. Overall, data obtained show that the Emotion Recognition Assessment Test (ERAT) may be a good tool to assess emotion recognition in schizophrenia. This test is available for free in www.proyectoscores. es/pere.php Resumen : Los estudios sobre reconocimiento de emociones en esquizofrenia han demostrado que los pacientes presentan un defi cit en la percepcion de emociones negativas. Hay varias pruebas disponibles para evaluar el reconocimiento de emociones, pero tienen inconvenientes de tipo metodologico. El objetivo del presente articulo fue desarrollar un nuevo instrumento para la valoracion de las emociones basicas. El estudio se llevo a cabo con 450 sujetos control y 60 pacientes con esquizofrenia. Se seleccionaron 56 imagenes para formar la prueba, 8 por cada emocion basica y 8 neutras. Todas las fotografias obtuvieron una precision de reconocimiento superior al 89% y una fi abilidad test-retest entre 0.80 y 1 para los sujetos control, y entre 0.61 y 1 para los pacientes. En conjunto, estos resultados indican que la Prueba de Evaluacion del Reconocimiento de Emociones (PERE), disponible gratuitamente en www.proyectoscores. es/pere.php, puede ser una buena herramienta para evaluar el reconocimiento de emociones en esquizofrenia.
Communication and Localization with Hearing Protectors

Abstract : Hearing protectors are frequently used to preserve hearing when personnel are working in areas of high pulse and/or continuous noise. Speech communication and auditory localization are two important functions of the auditory system, which potentially are impeded when circumaural and/or insert hearing protectors are used. This paper describes the measured effects of hearing protectors on speech communication and auditory localization. The effects on auditory localization include interactions with the visual system and the resulting effects on locating potential objects which may pose a threat to the listener. Implications for military and civilian users of hearing protectors are discussed.
Lexis and the undergraduate : analysing vocabulary needs, proficiencies and problems

Although vocabulary is widely acknowledged as a key to second language proficiency, the precise role of the second-language student's English vocabulary at the level of tertiary education is currently being debated. This study concerns research into the relationship between students' vocabulary size and their performance at undergraduate level, with particular focus on academic vocabulary, which comprises a significant component of the vocabulary used across a range of academic disciplines. The assumption underlying this study is that students' scores on a test of vocabulary will correlate significantly with their final marks. The aim was to establish to what extent vocabulary serves as an index of academic performance. Results suggest that a measurement of academic vocabulary will reflect trends in academic performance rather than providing a clear indication of student potential.