Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D Face Recognition using Mapped Depth Images

This paper addresses 3D face recognition from facial shape. Firstly, we present an effective method to automatically extract ROI of facial surface, which mainly depends on automatic detection of facial bilateral symmetry plane and localization of nose tip. Then we build a reference plane through the nose tip for calculating the relative depth values. Considering the non-rigid property of facial surface, the ROI is triangulated and parameterized into an isomorphic 2D planar circle, attempting to preserve the intrinsic geometric properties. At the same time the relative depth values are also mapped. Finally we perform eigenface on the mapped relative depth image. The entire scheme is insensitive to pose variance. The experiment using FRGC database v1.0 obtains the rank-1 identification score of 95%, which outperforms the result of the PCA base-line method by 4%, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our algorithm.
Cytotoxic and Antibacterial Labdane-Type Diterpenes from the Aerial Parts of Cistus incanus subsp. creticus

Cistus incanus creticus in vitro Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosae, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Torulopsis glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Candida albicans
Differential Evolution With Composite Trial Vector Generation Strategies and Control Parameters

Trial vector generation strategies and control parameters have a significant influence on the performance of differential evolution (DE). This paper studies whether the performance of DE can be improved by combining several effective trial vector generation strategies with some suitable control parameter settings. A novel method, called composite DE (CoDE), has been proposed in this paper. This method uses three trial vector generation strategies and three control parameter settings. It randomly combines them to generate trial vectors. CoDE has been tested on all the CEC2005 contest test instances. Experimental results show that CoDE is very competitive.
A Time-Dependent Adaptive Remeshing for Electrical Waves of the Heart

In this work, a time-dependent remeshing strategy and a numerical method are presented for the simulation of the action potential propagation of the human heart. The main purpose of these simulations is to accurately predict the depolarization-repolarization front position, which is essential to the understanding of the electrical activity in the myocardium. A bidomain model, which is commonly used for studying electrophysiological waves in the cardiac tissue, will be employed for the numerical simulations. Numerical results are enhanced by the introduction of an anisotropic remeshing strategy. The illustration of the performance and the accuracy of the proposed method are presented using a 2-D analytical solution and a test case with re-entrant waves.
Molecular beam epitaxy : from research to mass production

This multi-contributor handbook discusses Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), an epitaxial deposition technique which involves laying down layers of materials with atomic thicknesses on to substrates. It summarizes MBE research and application in epitaxial growth with close discussion and a 'how to' on processing molecular or atomic beams that occur on a surface of a heated crystalline substrate in a vacuum. MBE has expanded in importance over the past thirty years (in terms of unique authors, papers and conferences) from a pure research domain into commercial applications (prototype device structures and more at the advanced research stage). MBE is important because it enables new device phenomena and facilitates the production of multiple layered structures with extremely fine dimensional and compositional control. The techniques can be deployed wherever precise thin-film devices with enhanced and unique properties for computing, optics or photonics are required. This book covers the advances made by MBE both in research and mass production of electronic and optoelectronic devices. It includes new semiconductor materials, new device structures which are commercially available, and many more which are at the advanced research stage. This title: condenses fundamental science of MBE into a modern reference, speeding up literature review; discusses new materials, novel applications and new device structures, grounding current commercial applications with modern understanding in industry and research; and, features coverage of MBE as mass production epitaxial technology, enhances processing efficiency and throughput for semiconductor industry and nanostructured semiconductor materials research community.
Effect of Manganese on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast High Alloyed CrMnNi‐N Steels

The effect of the manganese content (0–11%) on the transformation temperatures, the mechanical properties and microstructure development of five highly alloyed 14Cr–XMn–6Ni cast stainless steels with 0.1% nitrogen was studied. The examinations reveal that the Ms, As, and Af temperatures decrease with increasing manganese contents. As a result of low austenite stability, room temperature austenitic‐martensitic as‐cast microstructure was formed at manganese contents between 0 and 3%. At manganese levels of 6% and higher a fully austenitic as‐cast microstructure was observed. The temperature dependence of tensile properties in alloys was explained on the basis of varying contributions to the strength and ductility of deformation‐induced martensite and twin formation mechanisms. All investigated cast steel alloys achieved yield strengths above 200 MPa at room temperature. The increased proof stress is caused by solid solution strengthening due to the addition of nitrogen and manganese as well as phase hardening by as‐quenched martensite.
Contributions of Evaporation and Other Mechanisms to Tear Film Thinning and Break-Up

Purpose. To evaluate the contribution of three mechanisms—evaporation of the tear film, inward flow of water into the corneal epithelium or contact lens, and “tangential flow” along the surface of epithelium or contact lens—to the thinning of the tear film between blinks and to tear film break-up. In addition to a discussion of relevant studies, some previously unpublished images are presented illustrating aspects of tear film break-up. Contributions of Three Mechanisms to Tear Film Break-Up. Inward flow of water into the epithelium or contact lens is probably unimportant, and a small flow in the opposite direction may actually occur. Tangential flow is probably important in certain special cases of tear film break-up—at the black line near the tear meniscus, over surface elevations, after partial blinks, and from small thick lipid spots in the tear film. In all these special cases it is argued that tangential flow is important initially, but evaporation may be needed for final thinning to break-up. It is argued that most of the observed tear film thinning between blinks is due to evaporation, rather than tangential flow, and that large “pool” break-up regions are the result of evaporation over an extended area. Conclusion. Evaporation in our “free-air” conditions may be four to five times faster than the average of the values reported in the literature when air currents are prevented by preocular chambers. However, recent evaporation measurements using “ventilated chambers” give higher values, which may correspond better to free-air conditions. Thus evaporation may be fast enough to explain many cases of tear film break-up, and to give rise to considerable increases in the local osmolarity of the tear film between blinks.
Self-knowledge of an amnesic patient: toward a neuropsychology of personality and social psychology.

The authors present the case of W.J., who, as a result of a head injury, temporarily lost access to her episodic memory. W.J. was asked both during her amnesia and following its resolution to make trait judgments about herself. Because her responses when she could access episodic memories were consistent with her responses when she could not, the authors conclude that the loss of episodic memory did not greatly affect the availability of her trait self-knowledge. The authors discuss how neuropsychological evidence can contribute to theorizing about personality and social processes.
Environmental sound source identification based on hidden Markov model for robust speech recognition

In real acoustic environments, humans communicate with each other through speech by focusing on the target speech among environmental sounds. We can easily identify the target sound from other environmental sounds. For hands-free speech recognition, the identiﬁcation of the target speech from environmental sounds is imperative. This mechanism may also be important for a self-moving robot to sense the acoustic environments and communicate with humans. Therefore, this paper ﬁrst proposes Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based environmental sound source iden-tiﬁcation. Environmental sounds are modeled by three states of HMMs and evaluated using 92 kinds of environmental sounds. The identiﬁcation accuracy was 95.4%. This paper also proposes a new HMM composition method that composes speech HMMs and an HMM of categorized environmental sounds for robust environmental sound-added speech recognition. As a result of the evaluation experiments, we conﬁrmed that the proposed HMM composition outperforms the conventional HMM composition with speech HMMs and a noise (environmental sound) HMM trained using noise periods prior to the target speech in a captured signal.
Bone Mineral Density in Children Exposed to Chronic Glucocorticoid Therapy

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of glucocorticoid exposure on lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in children while concurrently measuring their calcium intake, serum 25-OH vitamin D levels, and physical activity. Forty-three patients (4-18 years) with renal glomerular diseases, dermatomyositis, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, post—solid organ transplant, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy were studied. All received at least 5 mg per day of prednisone for more than 6 months. The mean BMD z score was 0 ± 0.2 (range, −3.8 to +3.3) with 2 patients (5%) having z scores less than −2. The mean daily calcium intake was 1147 ± 145 g, with 1 patient having hypovitaminosis D (<15 ng/mL). The mean physical activity level was 7.8 ± 0.8 h/wk. The small reductions in BMD observed in our population suggest that screening is likely not warranted in all children with chronic glucocorticoid exposure.
A Statistical Approach To View Synthesis

View Synthesis is the challenging problem of predicting a new view or pose of an object given an exemplar view or set of views. This thesis presents a novel approach for the problem of view synthesis. The proposed method uses global features rather than local geometry to achieve an effect similar to that of the well known view morphing method [1]. While previous approaches to the view synthesis problem have shown impressive results, they are highly dependent on being able to solve for epipolar geometry and therefore have a very precise correspondence between reference images. In cases where this is not possible such as noisy data, low contrast data, or long wave infrared data an alternative approach is desirable. Here two problems will be considered. The proposed view synthesis method will be used to synthesis new views given a set of reference views. Additionally the algorithm will be extended to synthesis new lighting conditions and thermal signatures. Finally the algorithm will be applied toward enhancing the ATR problem by creating additional training data to increase the likelihood of detection and classification.
FOXC2 Mutations in Familial and Sporadic Spinal Extradural Arachnoid Cyst

Spinal extradural arachnoid cyst (SEDAC) is a cyst in the spinal canal that protrudes into the epidural space from a defect in the dura mater. Most cases are sporadic; however, three familial SEDAC cases have been reported, suggesting genetic etiological factors. All familial cases are associated with lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome (LDS), whose causal gene is FOXC2. However, FOXC2 mutation analysis has been performed in only 1 family, and no mutation analysis has been performed on sporadic (non-familial) SEDACs. We recruited 17 SEDAC subjects consisting of 2 familial and 7 sporadic cases and examined FOXC2 mutations by Sanger sequencing and structural abnormalities by TaqMan copy number assay. We identified 2 novel FOXC2 mutations in 2 familial cases. Incomplete LDS penetrance was noted in both families. Four subjects presented with SEDACs only. Thus, SEDAC caused by the heterozygous FOXC2 loss-of-function mutation should be considered a feature of LDS, although it often manifests as the sole symptom. Seven sporadic SEDAC subjects had no FOXC2 mutations, no symptoms of LDS, and showed differing clinical characteristics from those who had FOXC2 mutations, suggesting that other gene(s) besides FOXC2 are likely to be involved in SEDAC.
Noncooperative and Cooperative Optimization of Distributed Energy Generation and Storage in the Demand-Side of the Smart Grid

The electric energy distribution infrastructure is undergoing a startling technological evolution with the development of the smart grid concept, which allows more interaction between the supply- and the demand-side of the network and results in a great optimization potential. In this paper, we focus on a smart grid in which the demand-side comprises traditional users as well as users owning some kind of distributed energy source and/or energy storage device. By means of a day-ahead demand-side management mechanism regulated through an independent central unit, the latter users are interested in reducing their monetary expense by producing or storing energy rather than just purchasing their energy needs from the grid. Using a general energy pricing model, we tackle the grid optimization design from two different perspectives: a user-oriented optimization and an holistic-based design. In the former case, we optimize each user individually by formulating the grid optimization problem as a noncooperative game, whose solution analysis is addressed building on the theory of variational inequalities. In the latter case, we focus instead on the joint optimization of the whole system, allowing some cooperation among the users. For both formulations, we devise distributed and iterative algorithms providing the optimal production/storage strategies of the users, along with their convergence properties. Among all, the proposed algorithms preserve the users' privacy and require very limited signaling with the central unit.
Thermal Fatigue Material Degradation of Caster Rolls' Surface Layers

Degradation of surface layers of continuous caster rolls under service conditions is studied. The roll material is steel 25 Kh1M1F. A statistical analysis of size, orientation and distribution of surface cracks is carried out. Microhardness measurements are performed and structural degradation of the material surface layers is evaluated as a function of the distance to the roll surface. It is found that the damage of the surface layers, estimated by means of a homogeneity coefficient, is 60–72% greater than the damage at the depth h = 9–32 mm. The evolution of the roll material microstructure under tensile deformation is studied as well.
Perceived Sexual Harassment at Work: Meta-Analysis and Structural Model of Antecedents and Consequences

Although sexual harassment has been extensively studied, empirical research has not led to firm conclusions about its antecedents and consequences, both at the personal and organizational level. An extensive literature search yielded 42 empirical studies with 60 samples. The matrix correlation obtained through meta-analytic techniques was used totest a structural equation model. Results supported the hypotheses regarding organizational environmental factors as main predictors of harassment. Pese a que el acoso sexual ha sido extensamente estudiado, la investigación empírica no ha llegado a conclusiones firmes relativas a sus antecedentes y consecuencias personales y organizacionales. Una extensa búsqueda de la literatura arroja 42 estudios empíricos con 60 muestras que son sometidos a técnicas meta-analíticas. La matriz de correlaciones obtenida por técnicas meta-analíticas ha sido usada para probar un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Los resultados apoyan las hipótesis que indican que los factores del ambiente organizacional son los predictores principales del acoso.
Another Really, Really Big Virus

Viruses with genomes larger than 300 kb and up to 1.2 Mb, which encode hundreds of proteins, are being discovered and characterized with increasing frequency. Most, but not all, of these large viruses (often referred to as giruses) infect protists that live in aqueous environments. Bioinformatic analyses of metagenomes of aqueous samples indicate that large DNA viruses are quite common in nature and await discovery. One issue that is perhaps not appreciated by the virology community is that large viruses, even those classified in the same family, can differ significantly in morphology, lifestyle, and gene complement. This brief commentary, which will mention some of these unique properties, was stimulated by the characterization of the newest member of this club, virus CroV (Fischer, M.G.; Allen, M.J.; Wilson, W.H.; Suttle, C.A. Giant virus with a remarkable complement of genes infects marine zooplankton. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2010, 107, 19508–19513 [1]). CroV has a 730 kb genome (with ∼544 protein-encoding genes) and infects the marine microzooplankton Cafeteria roenbergensis producing a lytic infection.
Older Adult Perspectives on Physical Activity and Exercise: Voices From Multiple Cultures

Introduction Increasing physical activity is a goal of Healthy People 2010. Although the health benefits of physical activity are documented, older adults are less physically active than any other age group. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators to physical activity and exercise among underserved, ethnically diverse older adults. Methods Seventy-one older adults were recruited through community agencies to participate in seven ethnic-specific focus groups: American Indian/Alaska Native, African American, Filipino, Chinese, Latino, Korean, and Vietnamese. Groups were conducted in the participants' primary language and ranged in size from 7–13 participants. Mean age was 71.6 years (range from 52 to 85 years; SD ± 7.39). Professional translators transcribed audiotapes into the language of the group and then translated the transcript into English. Transcripts were systematically reviewed using content analysis. Results Suggested features of physical activity programs to enhance participation among ethnically diverse minority older adults included fostering relationships among participants; providing culture-specific exercise; offering programs at residential sites; partnering with and offering classes prior to or after social service programs; educating families about the importance of physical activity for older adults and ways they could help; offering low- or no-cost classes; and involving older adults in program development. Walking was the exercise of choice across all ethnic groups. Health served as both a motivator and a barrier to physical activity. Other factors influencing physical activity were weather, transportation, and personal safety. Conclusion Findings from this study suggest strategies for culture-specific programming of community-based physical activity programs.
PM2.5 Exposure and Birth Outcomes: Use of Satellite- and Monitor-Based Data

Background: Air pollution may be related to adverse birth outcomes. Exposure information from land-based monitoring stations often suffers from limited spatial coverage. Satellite data offer an alternative data source for exposure assessment. Methods: We used birth certificate data for births in Connecticut and Massachusetts, United States (2000–2006). Gestational exposure to PM2.5 was estimated from US Environmental Protection Agency monitoring data and from satellite data. Satellite data were processed and modeled by using two methods—denoted satellite (1) and satellite (2)—before exposure assessment. Regression models related PM2.5 exposure to birth outcomes while controlling for several confounders. Birth outcomes were mean birth weight at term birth, low birth weight at term (<2500 g), small for gestational age (SGA, <10th percentile for gestational age and sex), and preterm birth (<37 weeks). Results: Overall, the exposure assessment method modified the magnitude of the effect estimates of PM2.5 on birth outcomes. Change in birth weight per interquartile range (2.41 &mgr;g/m3) increase in PM2.5 was −6 g (95% confidence interval = −8 to −5), −16 g (−21 to −11), and −19 g (−23 to −15), using the monitor, satellite (1), and satellite (2) methods, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios, based on the same three exposure methods, for term low birth weight were 1.01 (0.98–1.04), 1.06 (0.97–1.16), and 1.08 (1.01–1.16); for SGA, 1.03 (1.01–1.04), 1.06 (1.03–1.10), and 1.08 (1.04–1.11); and for preterm birth, 1.00 (0.99–1.02), 0.98 (0.94–1.03), and 0.99 (0.95–1.03). Conclusions: Under exposure assessment methods, we found associations between PM2.5 exposure and adverse birth outcomes particularly for birth weight among term births and for SGA. These results add to the growing concerns that air pollution adversely affects infant health and suggest that analysis of health consequences based on satellite-based exposure assessment can provide additional useful information.
The Use of Census Migration Data to Approximate Human Movement Patterns across Temporal Scales

Human movement plays a key role in economies and development, the delivery of services, and the spread of infectious diseases. However, it remains poorly quantified partly because reliable data are often lacking, particularly for low-income countries. The most widely available are migration data from human population censuses, which provide valuable information on relatively long timescale relocations across countries, but do not capture the shorter-scale patterns, trips less than a year, that make up the bulk of human movement. Census-derived migration data may provide valuable proxies for shorter-term movements however, as substantial migration between regions can be indicative of well connected places exhibiting high levels of movement at finer time scales, but this has never been examined in detail. Here, an extensive mobile phone usage data set for Kenya was processed to extract movements between counties in 2009 on weekly, monthly, and annual time scales and compared to data on change in residence from the national census conducted during the same time period. We find that the relative ordering across Kenyan counties for incoming, outgoing and between-county movements shows strong correlations. Moreover, the distributions of trip durations from both sources of data are similar, and a spatial interaction model fit to the data reveals the relationships of different parameters over a range of movement time scales. Significant relationships between census migration data and fine temporal scale movement patterns exist, and results suggest that census data can be used to approximate certain features of movement patterns across multiple temporal scales, extending the utility of census-derived migration data.