Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the SVM based Multi-Fonts Kanji Character Recognition Method for Early-Modern Japanese Printed Books

- The national diet library in Japan provides a web based digital archive for early-modern printed books by image. To make better use of the digital archive, the book images should be converted to text data. In this paper, we evaluate the SVM based multi-fonts Kanji character recognition method for early-modern Japanese printed books. Using several sets of Kanji characters clipped from different publishers’ books, we obtain the recognition rate of more than 92% for 256 kinds of Kanji characters. It proves our recognition method, which uses the PDC (Peripheral Direction Contributivity) feature of given Kanji character images for learning and recognizing with an SVM, is effective for the recognition of multi-fonts Kanji character for early-modern Japanese printed books.
An Enduring Shell Artefact Tradition from Timor-Leste: Oliva Bead Production from the Pleistocene to Late Holocene at Jerimalai, Lene Hara, and Matja Kuru 1 and 2

In this paper, we describe 485 Oliva spp. shell beads recovered from four archaeological cave sites Jerimalai, Lene Hara, Matja Kuru 1, and Matja Kuru 2, located in Timor-Leste, Island Southeast Asia. While Pleistocene-aged examples of modified marine shells used for personal ornamentation are common in African and Eurasian assemblages, they are exceedingly rare in Southeast Asia, leading some researchers to suggest that these Modern Human societies were less complex than those found further west. In Timor-Leste, the lowest Oliva bead to be recovered was directly dated to ca. 37,000 cal. BP, making it the oldest piece of personal ornamentation in Southeast Asia. Morphometric, taphonomic, use wear, and residue analyses of these beads alongside modern reference specimens, and experimentally made examples indicate that the Oliva shells were modified to be strung consecutively (as in a necklace), and while their mode of production changed remarkably little over the thousands of years they were utilised, an increase in their deposition around 6,000 cal. BP suggests that there was a change in their use coinciding with sea-level stabilisation. These tiny beads demonstrate that early Island Southeast Asian societies produced the same kinds of symbolic material culture we have come to expect from the more intensively studied African/Eurasian region, and that limited sampling and poor recovery methods have biased our perspectives of this region.
The Effect of Augmented Reality Use on Achievement, Misconception and Course Engagement

Augmented reality is defined as a technology in which real world and virtual objects are combined with a simultaneous interaction. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of augmented reality use on students' achievement, misconception and course engagement. A (matched) quasi-experimental research design with both pretest and posttest control groups was used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 118 seventh grade students receiving education in six different classes. The students in the experimental group took their lessons with an augmented reality learning material, while the students in the control group continued using their traditional course materials. An achievement test, a misconception test and the student course engagement questionnaire were used as data collection tools. As a result of a 7-week implementation, this study found that augmented reality technology increased the achievement level of students and eliminated their misconceptions. However, the study also found that augmented reality technology did not affect the course engagement of students.
Construction of Voronoi Diagrams

Voronoi diagrams have been extensively studied in a number of domains. Recent advances in graphics hardware have made construction of these diagrams relatively cheap, for a limited set of applications. In this paper, we discuss the implementation of two Voronoi diagram construction algorithms. The first uses an algorithm introduced in [HKL99], which finds a Voronoi diagram using standard polygon rasterization hardware. The second algorithm is the classic O(n log n) sweepline approach introduced by Fortune. We restrict the problem to only consider point sites, not arbitrary line or polygonal sites. The goal is to compare construction times and implementation issues for these two techniques.
Conservation and loss of ribosomal RNA gene sites in diploid and polyploid Fragaria ( Rosaceae )

Background: The genus Fragaria comprises species at ploidy levels ranging from diploid (2n = 2x = 14) to decaploid (2n = 10x = 70). Fluorescence in situ hybridization with 5S and 25S rDNA probes was performed to gather cytogenetic information that illuminates genomic divergence among different taxa at multiple ploidy levels, as well as to explore the evolution of ribosomal RNA genes during polyploidization in Fragaria. Results: Root tip cells of diploid taxa were typified by two 5S and six 25S rDNA hybridization signals of varying intensities, providing a baseline for comparisons within the genus. In three exceptional diploid genotypes, F. nilgerrensis (CFRA 1358 and CFRA 1825) and F. vesca ’Yellow Wonder’, two 5S but only four 25S rDNA sites were found but with differing site losses. The numbers of 5S and 25S rDNA signals, respectively were three and nine in a triploid F. ×bifera accession, and were four and twelve in three tetraploids, thus occurring in proportional 1.5× and 2× multiples of the typical diploid pattern. In hexaploid F. moschata, a proportional multiple of six 5S rDNA sites was observed, but the number of 25S rDNA sites was one or two less than the proportionate prediction of eighteen. This apparent tendency toward rDNA site loss at higher ploidy was markedly expanded in octoploids, which displayed only two 5S and ten 25S rDNA sites. In the two decaploids examined, the numbers of 5S and 25S rDNA signals, respectively, were four and fifteen in F. virginiana subsp. platypetala, and six and twelve in F. iturupensis. Conclusions: Among diploid Fragaria species, a general consistency of rDNA site numbers implies conserved genomic organization, but highly variable 25S signal sizes and intensities and two instances of site loss suggest concurrent high dynamics of rDNA copy numbers among both homologs and non-homologs. General conservation of rDNA site numbers in lower ploidy, but marked site number reductions at higher ploidy levels, suggest complex evolution of rDNA sites during polyploidization and/or independent evolutionary pathways for 6x versus higher ploidy strawberries. Site number comparisons suggest common genomic composition among natural octoploids, and independent origins of the two divergent decaploid accessions.
Optimisation of Hidden Markov Model for Distributed Denial of Service Attack Prediction U sing Variational Bayesian

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), is a coordinated attack majorly carried out on a massive scale against the availability of services/resources of a target system. Several DDoS attack detection, prevention or prediction techniques have been proposed. Some of these techniques have shortcomings such as high false positive rate, high computational time, low prediction precision and so on. This paper presents a novel machine learning technique based on variational Bayesian algorithms to obtain an Hidden Markov Model (HMM) with optimised number of model states and parameters for DDoS attack prediction. This method not only overcomes the slow convergence speed of the HMM approach, but it also avoids the problem of overfitting the model structure by removing excess transition and emission processes. Experiments with the DARPA 2000 intrusion datasets shows this method is able to find the optimal topology in every case and achieves better average precision rate compared to classic HMM.
Selecting Appropriate Markers for Digestibility Studies

Markers provide a method for indirect quantitation of digestive parameters. Gastrointestinal physiology and kinetics show a tremendous variation among species that is undoubtedly a reflection of evolution and dietary adaptation. Therefore, markers used in nutrition research must be appropriately selected for each species and each circumstance. Markers serve to facilitate quantification of passage rate and digesta fill as well as the relationship between intake and diet digestibility. They are generally administered by one of two techniques, either as a constant level in the diet or as a Pulse (or bolus) dose. By definition, markers are closely associated with the fractions of the digesta, are non-absorbable by the animal, and do not interfere with the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, it is a general assumption that the marker is in equilibrium with the pool of the fraction that it labels and that it is recoverable. Digesta may be divided into two fractions, a liquid phase and a particulate phase. Appropriate markers for most circumstances are those which are specific to a particular phase of the digesta. However, multiple marker systems in which both liquid and particulate fractions may be monitored simultaneously have been developed and successfully utilized in a number of species. Unfortunately, a perfect marker or marker system for all species does not seem to exist. Sensitivity to particular markers may cause a gastrointestinal upset that alters transit time, and in turn digestibility, eliminating the possibility of collecting valid data.
Entrepreneurial Orientation and Financial Resources Availability as Determinants of Firms’ Growth

The purpose of this empirical paper is to investigate the determinants of firms’ growth during different financial cycles. In particular, we analyze the relationship between firms’ growth and their entrepreneurial orientation. In addition, we investigate how firms’ financial constraints moderate the relation between entrepreneurial orientation and growth before and during financial crisis. We test our hypotheses with an OLS regression model run on a sample of 382 European listed firms between 2003 and 2012. We found that entrepreneurial orientation is a determinant of firms’ growth and that during the period of crisis this relation is slightly exacerbated. Furthermore, we found that financial constraints only slightly attenuate the entrepreneurial orientation prediction of growth, which may mean that when firm is more financial constraint could be forced to increase its entrepreneurial orientation in order to maintain a higher growth rate.
Reconciling theories of a mechanically-driven meridional overturning circulation with thermohaline forcing and multiple equilibria

It has recently been suggested that the structure and streng th of the meridional overturning circulation in the global ocean is governed by the input of mechanical energy to the system by winds and tides. However, it is not clear how this suggestion relates to the existence of m ultiple equilibria of the meridional overturning circulation, which depends on thermohaline feedbacks and i s more consistent with a buoyancy-driven view of the circulation. Both theories have been illustrated by b ox models in the past (Stommel, Tellus, 1961 and Gnanadesikan, Science, 1999). Here we incorporate these tw o theories into a single box model in an attempt to reconcile the roles of mechanical and buoyancy forcing in dr ving the meridional overturning circulation. The box model has two equilibrium solutions, one with sinkin g at high northern latitudes as in the present-day Atlantic, and one without. The circulation is mechanically driven, but the northern sinking can be thought of as a release valve which acts as a sink of potential energy whe n the surface water at high northern latitudes is dense enough to convect. While the source of energy comes fro m mechanical forcing, the presence or otherwise of multiple equilibria is therefore determined by thermoha line feedbacks. In some areas of parameter space an oscillation between the model’s two circulation regimes oc curs, reminiscent of a bipolar seesaw. 1Corresponding address: Helen L Johnson, Department of Mete orology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK. Email: H.L. Johnson@reading.ac. uk. P hone: +44 (0)118 378 5569. Fax: +44 (0)118 378 8905 2Current affiliation: Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Ph sics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 3Current affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, Uni versity of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
Exploring affordances of tangible user interfaces for interactive lighting

This paper explores interaction with lighting through a tangible user interface (TUI). In a TUI the physical object and space around it are part of the interface. A subset of tangible interaction called spatial interaction is the main focus of this paper. Spatial interaction refers to translation, rotation or location of objects or people within a space. The aim of this paper is to explore the relation between spatial inputs and lighting outputs based on different design properties. A user test is set up to explore the effect that design properties of a TUI have on the lighting output that participants map to spatial inputs. The results of the conducted user test indicate that communicating affordances to the user is an important factor when designing couplings between spatial inputs and lighting outputs. The results further show that the shape of the interface plays a central role in communicating those affordances and that the overlap of input and output space of the interface improves the clarity of the coupling. Den här studien utforskar gripbar (tangible) interaktionsdesign med fokus på ljus och belysning. Vid användning av ett gripbart (tangible) gränssnitt används den fysiska miljön som gränssnitt. Detta skiljer sig till stor del från interaktion med ett grafiskt användargränssnitt, där alla interaktioner sker och begränsas av en skärms egenskaper. Denna studie fokuserar på rumslig (spatial) interaktionsdesign, vilket är en del av gripbar interaktionsdesign. Rumslig interaktion refererar till översättning, rotation eller plats av objekt eller människor i ett utrymme. Ett användartest har utförts för att testa vad för effekt olika rumsliga indata och designegenskaper har på förväntad utdata för ljus och belysning. Resultatet från användartestet visar att starka affordances och begränsningar, tillsammans med överlappningen av rumslig indata och utdata för ljus och belysning, är de viktigaste egenskaperna för att designa tydliga övergångar. Sammanfattning
MPEG-7 in action: end user experiences with COSMOS-7 front end systems

MPEG-7 has become a key standard to multimedia research in searching, filtering and retrieval. Understanding experiences of users when using MPEG-7-based tools is necessary if we are to improve how MPEG-7 metadata is applied in practice. COSMOS-7 enables structured modeling and filtering of MPEG-7-compliant metadata for digital video. We describe two COSMOS-7 front end systems: COSMOSIS, for modeling digital video metadata, and the Filtering Manager, for filtering digital video metadata. We then present an empirical evaluation of these front end systems undertaken with a sample set of end users from a London, UK, theater company. Our results reveal that end users progress through a number of key stages when modeling and filtering video content.
Generalized Autoregressive Moving Average Models : An Application to GDP in Malaysia

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is often used as an indicator of standard of living in an economy. GDP per capita observed over the years can be modelled using time series models. A new class of Generalized Autoregressive Moving Average (GARMA) namely GARMA (1, 2; δ, 1) has been introduced in the time series literature to reveal some hidden features in time series. In this paper, GARMA (1, 2;δ, 1) model and ARMA (1, 1) model are fitted in the GDP growth data of Malaysia which has been observed from 1955 to 2009. The parameter estimation methods considered include the Hannan Rissanen Algorithm (HRA), Whittle Estimation (WE) and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE). Point forecasts also have been done and the performance of GARMA (1, 2; δ, 1) and ARMA (1, 1) and the estimation methods are discussed.
Feature enhancement with a Reservoir-based Denoising Auto Encoder

Recently, automatic speech recognition has advanced significantly by the introduction of deep neural networks for acoustic modeling. However, there is no clear evidence yet that this does not come at the price of less generalization to conditions that were not present during training. On the other hand, acoustic modeling with Reservoir Computing (RC) did not offer improved clean speech recognition but it leads to good robustness against noise and channel distortions. In this paper, the aim is to establish whether adding feature denoising in the front-end can further improve the robustness of an RC-based recognizer, and if so, whether one can devise an RC-based Denoising Auto Encoder that outperforms a traditional denoiser like the ETSI Advanced Front-End. In order to answer these questions, experiments are conducted on the Aurora-2 benchmark.
Assessing potential cluster Cepheids from a new distance and reddening parametrization and Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry

ABSTRACT A framework is outlined to assess Cepheids as potential cluster members from readilyavailable photometric observations. A relationship is derived to estimate colour excessand distance for individual Cepheids througha calibrationinvolvingrecently publishedHST parallaxes and a cleaned sample of established cluster Cepheids. Photometric V–J colour is found to be a viable parameter for approximating a Cepheid’s reddening.The non-universal nature of the slope of the Cepheid PL relation for BV photometryis conﬁrmed. By comparison, the slopes of the VJ and VI relations seem relativelyunaﬀected by metallicity. A new Galactic Cepheid conﬁrmed here, GSC 03729-01127(F6-G1Ib), is suﬃcientlycoincident with the coronalregionsofTombaugh5towarrantfollow-up radial velocity measures to assess membership. CCD photometry and O–Cdiagrams are presented for GSC 03729-01127 and the suspected cluster Cepheids ABCam and BD Cas. Fourier analysis of the photometry for BD Cas and recent estimatesof its metallicity constrain it to be a Population I overtone pulsator rather than a TypeII s-Cepheid. AB Cam and BD Cas are not physically associated with the spatially-adjacent open clusters Tombaugh 5 and King 13, respectively, the latter being mucholder (logτ ≃9) than believed previously. Rates of period change are determined forthe three Cepheids from archival and published data. GSC 03729-01127 and AB Camexhibit period increases, implying ﬁfth and third crossings of the instability strip,respectively, while BD Cas exhibits a period decrease, indicating a second crossing,with possible superposed trends unrelated to binarity. More importantly, the observedrates of period change conﬁrm theoretical predictions. The challenges and prospectsfor future work in this area of research are discussed.Key words: stars: variables: Cepheids—stars: distances—stars: fundamental param-eters.
Generic average modeling and simulation of discrete controllers

A methodology is developed for average modeling of discrete controllers for PWM power conversion systems. The method applies a section of a transmission line to emulate the basic delay inherent to the discrete sampling and control algorithms. It is shown how the simple delay line model can be used to build an average model of a zero order hold (ZOH) function that can be run on a general purpose circuit simulator. The model is compatible with DC, AC (small signal) and time domain (large signal) analyses. The method is further demonstrated by developing an average model of a digital PID controller for a boost converter and running large and small signal analyses of the closed loop system. Based on the proposed modeling and simulation approach, a procedure is suggested for the design of discrete controllers for switch mode systems.
On the Use of Adjusted Cross-Sectional Estimators of HIV Incidence

Objective:To elucidate when and how cross-sectional estimators of HIV incidence rates based on a sensitive and less sensitive diagnostic test should be adjusted. Methods:Evaluate the statistical properties of unadjusted and adjusted cross-sectional estimators of HIV incidence, including the adjusted estimators considered by McDougal et al, for the 2 settings where (a) all infected subjects eventually become reactive to the less sensitive test, and (b) a subset of infected subjects indefinitely remain nonreactive to the less sensitive test. Derive the maximum likelihood estimator of incidence for the latter setting and use analytical results and simulation studies to compare the performance of the various estimators. Results:When every infected subject would eventually become reactive to the less sensitive test, the McDougal adjusted estimator is uniformly less precise than the unadjusted estimator and more susceptible to bias. When a subset of the infected population would indefinitely remain nonreactive to the less sensitive test, the McDougal adjusted estimator is less precise than the maximum likelihood estimator, which coincides with an estimator developed by McWalter and Welte using a mathematical modeling approach. When the assumed model is incorrect, the unadjusted estimator overestimates incidence, whereas the maximum likelihood estimator can be biased in either direction. Conclusions:The standard unadjusted cross-sectional estimator of HIV incidence should be used when all infected individuals would eventually become reactive to the less sensitive test. When a subset of individuals would indefinitely remain nonreactive to the less sensitive test, the maximum likelihood estimator for this setting should be used. Characterizing the proportion of individuals who would indefinitely remain nonreactive is crucial for accurate estimation of HIV incidence.
Physical activity and sedentary time in Physical Education classes and their association with cardiorespiratory fitness in students

This study aimed to evaluate the intensity and duration of activities in Physical Education classes and to test their association with cardiorespiratory fitness. It is a cross-sectional study with 614 schoolchildren (51% girls), aged 10 to 17 years old, evaluated by accelerometers in 100 Physical Education classes in Pinhais, Southern Brazil. The intensity of the activities was determined by accelerometry (Actigraph, model WGT3X). The time spent in each intensity (sedentary, light, moderate, intense and very intense) was evaluated. Cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by the Léger test 20 meters. The average duration of the classes was 31.5 minutes (SD = 4.3). On average, boys and girls passed 23.8% and 16.9% (p <0.05) of a class in activities of moderate and vigorous intensity, respectively. The correlation between time in physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness was significant in boys (Light, moderate and vigorous, respectively: r = 0.12, p = 0.04, r = 0.12, p = 0.04, r = 0.15, p = 0.009). In conclusion, the low correlation between physical activity time in Physical Education classes and cardiorespiratory fitness reinforces the discussion about how this subject can contribute to the public health in young population.
Modi cations and Clari cations for the Implementation of the Spalart-Allmaras Turbulence Model

We present modi cations to the Spalart-Allmaras (S A) turbulence model targeted toward situations of under-resolved grids and unphysical transient states. These modi cations are formulated to be passive to the original model in well resolved ow elds and should produce negligible di erences in most cases. We also comment on the appropriate form of S A for compressible ows and comment on the inclusion of the laminar suppression term for fully turbulent ows. We also present a new analytic solution to S A for law of the wall velocity.