Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Frequency and High-Wavenumber Solar Oscillations

We determine the frequencies of solar oscillations covering a wide range of degree (100 < l < 4000) and frequency (1.5 < ν < 10 mHz) using the ring diagram technique applied to power spectra obtained from Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) data. The f-mode ridge extends up to l ≈ 3000, where the line width becomes very large, which implies a damping time that is comparable to the time period. The frequencies of high-degree f-modes are significantly different from those given by the simple dispersion relation ω2 = gk. The f-mode peaks in power spectra are distinctly asymmetric, and use of an asymmetric profile increases the fitted frequency, bringing it closer to the frequencies computed for a solar model.
Enhancing wireless networks performance through cooperative communications with interference management

Cooperative radio communication has been proposed as an efficient technique to extend coverage and improve throughput in future wireless networks. However, its performance gain is degraded in the presence of co-channel interference. In this paper, we introduce an efficient cooperative communications scheme which maximizes the received signal to noise ratio (SNR) while keeping the interference levels below a certain threshold. The introduced scheme is based on two relay selection methods: max(link2) which is based on maximizing the SNR of the second hop, and max(e2e) which aims to maximize the end-to-end SNR of the relayed link. We derive exact closed form expressions for the probability density function (PDF) of the SNR, outage probability, average capacity, and average bit error probability for the introduced cooperative schemes. Simulations are used to validate the analytical results and an agreement is observed. The results confirm the advantage of the introduced cooperation schemes in enhancing interference management.
I'm an exerciser: Common conceptualisations of and variation in exercise identity meanings

Identities are meanings associated with a role. Identity meanings encapsulate what it involves for an individual to hold an identity. These meanings provide a standard which individuals seek to realise in order to confirm the identity [Burke, P. J., & Stets, J. E. (2009). Identity theory. New York, NY: Oxford University Press]. Identity theorists posit that there are identity meanings that are common among individuals [McCall, G. J., & Simmons, J. L. (1978). Identities and interactions. New York, NY: Free Press]; yet they also recognise variability in these meanings [Stryker, S. (1980). Symbolic interactionism: A social structural version. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin Cummings]. Only a few researchers have addressed the content of identity meanings and none that we are aware of have examined the idea of variability in these meanings. Through a qualitative investigation of exercise identity meanings, we explore both the meanings that people use to define themselves as exercisers (purpose 1) and the extent to which there is variability in exercise identity meanings (purpose 2). We conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with exercisers and analysed the interviews through thematic analysis. Themes of purposefulness, priority, and consistency of exercise as well as behavioural and non-behavioural characteristics of exercise emerged. Among interviewees, there was much commonality with regard to the categories that comprised identity meanings. Variability within these categories was evident. The present findings lead us to suggest that individuals employ common standards to define themselves as exercisers, yet also instil their personal definitions of what it means to be an exerciser. These findings have implications for conceptualisations of exercise identity meanings and may inform exercise identity research and interventions.
The Error Is the Clue: Breakdown In Human-Machine Interaction

Abstract : This paper focuses not on the detection and correction of specific errors in the interaction between machines and humans, but rather cases of massive deviation from the user's conversational expectations and desires. This can be the result of too many or too unusual errors, but also from dialogue strategies designed to minimize error, which make the interaction unnatural in other ways. We study causes of irritation such as over-fragmentation, over-clarity, overcoordination, over-directedness, and repetitiveness of verbal action, syntax, and intonation. Human reactions to these irritating features typically appear in the following order: tiredness, tolerance, anger, confusion, irony, humor, exhaustion, uncertainty, lack of desire to communicate. The studied features of human expressions of irritation in nonface- to-face interaction are: intonation, emphatic speech, elliptic speech, speed of speech, extra-linguistic signs, speed of verbal action, and overlap.
Adaptive Resource Allocation in Wireless Networks

Efficient resource management is a key differentiator in today's competitive wireless industry. While the call blocks due to RF failures can be reduced with better RF planning and optimization, it is essential for the service providers to minimize the resource blocks to maximize the call success rate. Increased resource availability and assured quality of service become even more important with the convergence of voice and data services. Traditional resource management schemes do not work well due to the dynamic nature of the wireless network and due to occasional abnormal behavior of hardware elements. A new flavor of load balancing algorithm is presented to minimize the resource blocks. Our simulation results show that the proposed algorithm performs much better than the current commonly used load sharing algorithms in the telecommunication networks
CODAR Viewer - A V2V Communication Awareness Display

The CODAR System is a simulation and visualization toolbox for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In this paper, we introduce the visualization component, the CODAR Viewer, as context information display. It visualizes communication, creates awareness and provides situation information. Visualized vehicle-to-x (V2X) communication data provides additional information, increasing safety and allowing more informed driving decisions if adequately presented to the driver with respect to the current traffic situation and the driver's free mental capacities.
Mixed and nonconforming finite element methods : implementation, postprocessing and error estimates

On etudie une technique d'implantation de certains elements finis mixtes bases sur l'utilisation des multiplicateurs de Lagrange utilises pour imposer la continuite a la traversee des elements. Les matrices qui apparaissent sont definies positives. On montre que les multiplicateurs de Lagrange calcules peuvent etre exploites dans un post-traitement simple pour produire une meilleure approximation des variables originales. On etablit une equivalence entre les methodes mixtes et certaines versions modifiees de methodes non conformes. On obtient des estimations d'erreur
Teaching-learning-based optimization with a fuzzy grouping learning strategy for global numerical optimization

The Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm is a novel heuristic method that is inspired by the philosophy of teaching and learning in a class. In the "Teacher Phase" of the original TLBO algorithm, all learners are combined in one group and learn only from the teacher, which quickly leads to declining population diversity. Utilizing fuzzy K-means clustering to objectively divide all learners into smaller-sized groups more closely conforms to the modern idea of intra-class grouping for teaching and learning. Furthermore, fuzzy K-means clustering can objectively divide learners as nearly as possible according to their interests and abilities, which helps each learner to grow to his or her fullest extent. This paper presents a novel version of TLBO, TLBO with a Fuzzy Grouping Learning Strategy (FGTLBO), in which fuzzy K-means clustering is used to create K centers, each of which acts as the mean of its corresponding group. Performance and accuracy of the FGTLBO algorithm are examined on CEC2005 standard benchmark functions, and these results are compared with various other versions of TLBO. The experimental results verify that the FGTLBO algorithm is very competitive in terms of solution quality and convergence rate.
Host sharing by the honey bee parasites Lotmaria passim and Nosema ceranae

Abstract The trypanosome Lotmaria passim and the microsporidian Nosema ceranae are common parasites of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, intestine, but the nature of interactions between them is unknown. Here, we took advantage of naturally occurring infections and quantified infection loads of individual workers (N = 408) originating from three apiaries (four colonies per apiary) using PCR to test for interactions between these two parasites. For that purpose, we measured the frequency of single and double infections, estimated the parasite loads of single and double infections, and determined the type of correlation between both parasites in double infections. If interactions between both parasites are strong and antagonistic, single infections should be more frequent than double infections, double infections will have lower parasite loads than single infections, and double infections will present a negative correlation. Overall, a total of 88 workers were infected with N. ceranae, 53 with L. passim, and eight with both parasites. Although both parasites were found in all three apiaries, there were significant differences among apiaries in the proportions of infected bees. The data show no significant differences between the expected and observed frequencies of single‐ and double‐infected bees. While the infection loads of individual bees were significantly higher for L. passim compared to N. ceranae, there were no significant differences in infection loads between single‐ and double‐infected hosts for both parasites. These results suggest no strong interactions between the two parasites in honey bees, possibly due to spatial separation in the host. The significant positive correlation between L. passim and N. ceranae infection loads in double‐infected hosts therefore most likely results from differences among individual hosts rather than cooperation between parasites. Even if hosts are infected by multiple parasites, this does not necessarily imply that there are any significant interactions between them.
Giving Advice to People in Path Selection Problems

We present a novel computational method for advice-generation in path selection problems which are difficult for people to solve. The advisor agent's interests may conflict with the interests of the people who receive the advice. Such optimization settings arise in many human-computer applications in which agents and people are self-interested but also share certain goals, such as automatic route-selection systems that also reason about environmental costs. This paper presents an agent that clusters people into one of several types, based on how their path selection behavior adheres to the paths presented to them by the agent who does not necessarily suggest their most preferred paths. It predicts the likelihood that people will deviate from these suggested paths and uses a decision theoretic approach to suggest paths to people which will maximize the agent's expected benefit, given the people's deviations. This technique was evaluated empirically in an extensive study involving hundreds of human subjects solving the path selection problem in mazes. Results showed that the agent was able to outperform alternative methods that solely considered the benefit to the agent or the person, or did not provide any advice.
Memory Span: Sources of Individual and Developmental Differences

Ten possible sources of individual and developmental differences in memory span—rehearsal, grouping, chunking, retrieval strategies, item identification, item ordering, capacity, susceptibility to interference, search rate, and the ouput buffer—arc examined, drawing on existing research, Considerable evidence suggests that the speed with which presented items can be identified is a major source of both individual and developmental differences in span, By contrast, there is no conclusive evidence that any of the other possibilities examined, including those traditionally associated with span differences (rehearsal, grouping, chunking, and overall information-processing capacity) contributes to variations in span. Speed of item identification differences are discussed in terms of processing efficiency or the capacity needed to activate appropriate perceptual/ cognitive units and linguistic programs. Educational implications and the modifiability of processing efficiency are discussed. The first recorded experiments on memory span were conducted by Ebbinghaus in 1885 (published in 1913) in his pioneering application of the scientific method to the study of the "higher mental processes. " These experiments grew out of his investigation of the functional relation between the ease of learning a series and its length. Ebbinghaus found that the maximum number of items he could reproduce perfectly immediately following a single presentation—his span1— was generally seven, with remarkably few exceptions. Other studies fashioned after Ebbinghaus's procedures followed soon thereafter, and in the first review of the memory literature (Burnham, 1888-1889), several pages (607-609) were devoted almost exclusively
Beyond the impasse: the power of political ecology in Third World environmental research

Summary In the context of a deepening impasse in Third World environmental research, this paper suggests that researchers should adopt a political ecology perspective to ensure that research addresses the political and economic issues that underlie the Third World's environmental problems. Since an understanding of unequal power relations is central to political ecology, the paper considers how questions of power influence human-environmental interaction, before assessing briefly how research of this kind might contribute to a resolution of the Third World's environmental problems.
Ten Years of Building Broken Chips: The Physics and Engineering of Inexact Computing

Well over a decade ago, many believed that an engine of growth driving the semiconductor and computing industries---captured nicely by Gordon Moore’s remarkable prophecy (Moore’s law)---was speeding towards a dangerous cliff-edge. Ranging from expressions of concern to doomsday scenarios, the exact time when serious hurdles would beset us varied quite a bit---some of the more optimistic warnings giving Moore’s law until. Needless to say, a lot of people have spent time and effort with great success to find ways for substantially extending the time when we would encounter the dreaded cliff-edge, if not avoiding it altogether. Faced with this issue, we started approaching this in a decidedly different manner---one which suggested falling off the metaphorical cliff as a design choice, but in a controlled way. This resulted in devices that could switch and produce bits that are correct, namely of having the intended value, only with a probabilistic guarantee. As a result, the results could in fact be incorrect. Such devices and associated circuits and computing structures are now broadly referred to as inexact designs, circuits, and architectures. In this article, we will crystallize the essence of inexactness dating back to 2002 through two key principles that we developed: (i) that of admitting error in a design in return for resource savings, and subsequently (ii) making resource investments in the elements of a hardware platform proportional to the value of information they compute. We will also give a broad overview of a range of inexact designs and hardware concepts that our group and other groups around the world have been developing since, based on these two principles. Despite not being deterministically precise, inexact designs can be significantly more efficient in the energy they consume, their speed of execution, and their area needs, which makes them attractive in application contexts that are resilient to error. Significantly, our development of inexactness will be contrasted against the rich backdrop of traditional approaches aimed at realizing reliable computing from unreliable elements, starting with von Neumann’s influential lectures and further developed by Shannon-Weaver and others.
Preventive and Reactive Cyber Defense Dynamics Is Globally Stable

The recently proposed cybersecurity dynamics approach aims to understand cybersecurity from a holistic perspective by modeling the evolution of the global cybersecurity state. These models describe the interactions between the various kinds of cyber attacks and the various kinds of cyber defenses that take place in complex networks. In this paper, we study a particular kind of cybersecurity dynamics caused by the interactions between two classes of attacks (called push-based attacks and pull-based attacks) and two classes of defenses (called preventive and reactive defenses). The dynamics was previously shown to be globally stable in a special regime of the parameter universe of a model with node-independent and edge-independent parameters, but little is known beyond this regime. In this paper, we prove that the dynamics is globally stable in the entire parameter universe of a more general model with node-dependent and edge-dependent parameters. This means that the dynamics always converges to a unique equilibrium. We also prove that the dynamics converges exponentially to the equilibrium except for a particular parameter regime, in which the dynamics converges polynomially. Since it is often difficult to compute the equilibrium, we propose bounds of the equilibrium and numerically show that these bounds are tighter than those proposed in the literature.
Posture control of 3-DOF parallel manipulator using feedback linearization and model reference adaptive control

This paper is focused on the posture control of a 3 degree of freedom (3DOF) parallel manipulator driven by pneumatic muscles (PMDPM). The feedback linearization control and model reference adaptive control are developed to control the posture of the moving platform by changing the pressure inside the pneumatic muscles. The performances of the controllers to track step and sinusoidal reference inputs and their robustness against noise and sudden disturbances are demonstrated in the simulation results.
Temporal and spatial 3D motion vector filtering based visual odometry for outdoor service robot

This paper describes a visual odometry algorithm that deals with the nearly degenerated situation caused by a false motion vector generated by independently moving objects, repetitive patterns and wrong depth information that often arise in visual odometry for outdoor service robots. To filter out these false motion vectors, we use temporal and spatial motion vector filter. The temporal motion vector filter uses the previous motion models to filter out abruptly changed motion vectors, and the spatial motion vector filter uses the motion vector's length information and the motion vector's direction information. The direction information of the motion vectors generated by independently moving objects are different from the direction of the vector generated by camera movement in 3D space, and the length information of the motion vector caused by triangulation error is different from the correctly triangulated points. We uses voting scheme to determine primary motion vectors. This algorithm has been tested on a service robot that works in outdoor environment. By using our method, we can deal with independently moving objects and problem caused by repetitive patterns and triangulation errors.
On-the-fly user modeling for cost-sensitive correction of speech transcripts

We propose an on-the-fly updating framework for cost-sensitive manual correction of automatically recognized speech transcripts. This framework trains cost-models during the transcription process, and does not require the transcriber enrollment necessary in previous work. We use a baseline method that optimizes a segmentation into segments to supervise or not to supervise in a cost-sensitive fashion that minimizes human effort, and introduce a much faster algorithm for computing such a segmentation that can be used for on-the-fly updates. Besides removing the need to carry out enrollments, experiments show that our updating framework results in 28% higher human supervision efficiency than previous cost-sensitive approaches.
The accessory subunit of mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ determines the DNA content of mitochondrial nucleoids in human cultured cells

The accessory subunit of mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ, POLGβ, functions as a processivity factor in vitro. Here we show POLGβ has additional roles in mitochondrial DNA metabolism. Mitochondrial DNA is arranged in nucleoprotein complexes, or nucleoids, which often contain multiple copies of the mitochondrial genome. Gene-silencing of POLGβ increased nucleoid numbers, whereas over-expression of POLGβ reduced the number and increased the size of mitochondrial nucleoids. Both increased and decreased expression of POLGβ altered nucleoid structure and precipitated a marked decrease in 7S DNA molecules, which form short displacement-loops on mitochondrial DNA. Recombinant POLGβ preferentially bound to plasmids with a short displacement-loop, in contrast to POLGα. These findings support the view that the mitochondrial D-loop acts as a protein recruitment centre, and suggest POLGβ is a key factor in the organization of mitochondrial DNA in multigenomic nucleoprotein complexes.
Glucose Variability: Timing, Risk Analysis, and Relationship to Hypoglycemia in Diabetes

Glucose control, glucose variability (GV), and risk for hypoglycemia are intimately related, and it is now evident that GV is important in both the physiology and pathophysiology of diabetes. However, its quantitative assessment is complex because blood glucose (BG) fluctuations are characterized by both amplitude and timing. Additional numerical complications arise from the asymmetry of the BG scale. In this Perspective, we focus on the acute manifestations of GV, particularly on hypoglycemia, and review measures assessing the amplitude of GV from routine self-monitored BG data, as well as its timing from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data. With availability of CGM, the latter is not only possible but also a requirement—we can now assess rapid glucose fluctuations in real time and relate their speed and magnitude to clinically relevant outcomes. Our primary message is that diabetes control is all about optimization and balance between two key markers—frequency of hypoglycemia and HbA1c reflecting average BG and primarily driven by the extent of hyperglycemia. GV is a primary barrier to this optimization, including to automated technologies such as the “artificial pancreas. ” Thus, it is time to standardize GV measurement and thereby streamline the assessment of its two most important components—amplitude and timing.
A modified-FCM segmentation algorithm for brain MR images

Medical image segmentation is a complex and challenging task due to the intrinsic nature of the images. Segmentation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in medical area. One of common clustering algorithms is Fuzzy c-means (FCM) for segmentation of MR images. However MR images normally significant noise by the impact of principles of imaging, equipment and environment, which can lead to serious inaccuracies with segmentation. Based on the FCM clustering algorithm, an improved segmentation technique is proposed in this paper. The Sigma filter principle has been applied to change the neighbor pixels of targets. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by comparison with FCM algorithm in visual evaluation and quantitative evaluation.