Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of ICCAM 2004 , submitted , 13 Sep 2004 A truncated-CG style method for symmetric generalized eigenvalue problems 1

A numerical algorithm is proposed for computing an extreme eigenpair of a symmetric/positive-definite matrix pencil (A, B). The leftmost or the rightmost eigenvalue can be targeted. Knowledge of (A, B) is only required through a routine that performs matrix-vector products. The method has excellent global convergence properties and its local rate of convergence is superlinear. It is based on a constrained truncated-CG trust-region strategy to optimize the Rayleigh quotient, in the framework of a recently-proposed trust-region scheme on Riemannian manifolds.
Compositional gossip: a conceptual architecture for designing gossip-based applications

Most proposed gossip-based systems use an ad-hoc design. We observe a low degree of reutilization among this proposals. We present how this limits both the systematic development of gossip-based applications and the number of applications that can benefit from gossip-based construction. We posit that these reinvent-the-wheel approaches poses a significant barrier to the spread and usability of gossip protocols. This paper advocates a conceptual design framework based upon aggregating basic and predefined building blocks (B2). We show how to compose building blocks within our framework to construct more complex blocks to be used in gossip-based applications. The concept is further depicted with two gossip-based applications described using our building blocks.
Real-time plane extraction from depth images with the Randomized Hough Transform

Depth cameras, like the Microsoft Kinect system, are valuable sensors for mobile robotics since their data enables a highly detailed perception of the environmental structure. Certainly, their amount of data is often too high to be processed in real-time by the limited resources of mobile robots. One way of using these sensors is to reduce the amount of data by extracting features like planes from the raw depth images. In this work we present a method to extract planes from depth images based on the Randomized Hough Transformation, which is specially adapted to the properties of the Kinect sensor. Therefore we use a noise model of the sensor to solve the task of finding proper parameter metrics for the Randomized Hough Transform. As a result, our approach extracts the planes from a depth image in less than one millisecond on the platform of a mobile robot and is therefore real-time capable.
A framework for handling revisions in distributed ontologies

One of the important issues in ontology management is handling incoming updates and dealing with possible inconsistencies that they may induce. This is even more challenging in the context of a modular and distributed representation, because of the side-effects of the propagation of changes to the other connected or related ontologies. In this paper, we analyze the notion of ontology revision in a distributed ontology representation. We introduce a revision operator for distributed ontologies and show that it satisfies important postulates for knowledge base revision. In addition, based on a tableau algorithm for ALC ontologies, we propose an algorithm for applying the received changes and revising the original ontology through the proposed operator.
Towards Stable and Salient Multi-View Representation of 3D Shapes

An approach to automatically select stable and salient representative views of a given 3D object is proposed. Initially, a set of viewpoints are uniformly sampled along the surface of a bounding sphere. The sampled viewpoints are connected to their closest points to form a spherical graph in which each edge is weighted by a similarity measure between the two views from its incident vertices. Partitions of similar views are obtained using a graph partitioning procedure and their "centroids" are considered to be their representative views. Finally, the views are ranked based on a saliency measure to form the object's representative views. This leads to a compact, human-oriented 2D description of a 3D object, and as such, is useful both for traditional applications like presentation and analysis of 3D shapes, and for emerging ones like indexing and retrieval in large shape repositories
THE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN PLANET SEARCH. XXIII. TWO NEW JUPITER ANALOGS

We report the discovery of two long-period giant planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. HD 154857c is in a multiple-planet system, while HD 114613b appears to be solitary. HD 114613b has an orbital period P = 10.5 yr, and a minimum mass msin i of 0.48 MJup; HD 154857c has P = 9.5 yr and msin i = 2.6 MJup. These new data confirm the planetary nature of the previously unconstrained long-period object in the HD 154857 system. We have performed detailed dynamical stability simulations which show that the HD 154857 two-planet system is stable on timescales of at least 108 yr. These results highlight the continued importance of “legacy” surveys with long observational baselines; these ongoing campaigns are critical for determining the population of Jupiter analogs, and hence of those planetary systems with architectures most like our own solar system.
Self-Assembly of Filopodia-Like Structures on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Pointing the Finger Filopodia are finger-like structures containing parallel bundles of actin filaments that are central to eukaryotic cell motility in a variety of contexts. K. Lee et al. (p. 1341) reconstituted filopodia-like structures that grow from supported lipid bilayers to explore filopodia assembly. A structural transition from actin networks to parallel bundles was observed that mediated self-assembly of filopodia-tip complexes on the membranes. Actin bundle structures formed on lipid bilayers give insight into formation of the finger-like structures involved in cell migration. Filopodia are finger-like protrusive structures, containing actin bundles. By incubating frog egg extracts with supported lipid bilayers containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate, we have reconstituted the assembly of filopodia-like structures (FLSs). The actin assembles into parallel bundles, and known filopodial components localize to the tip and shaft. The filopodia tip complexes self-organize—they are not templated by preexisting membrane microdomains. The F-BAR domain protein toca-1 recruits N-WASP, followed by the Arp2/3 complex and actin. Elongation proteins, Diaphanous-related formin, VASP, and fascin are recruited subsequently. Although the Arp2/3 complex is required for FLS initiation, it is not essential for elongation, which involves formins. We propose that filopodia form via clustering of Arp2/3 complex activators, self-assembly of filopodial tip complexes on the membrane, and outgrowth of actin bundles.
Activation by marginally perceptible ("subliminal") stimuli: dissociation of unconscious from conscious cognition.

Introduces a linear regression method for investigating unconscious cognition. For words that were obscured by simultaneous dichoptic masking, indirect effects (semantic priming) and direct effects (perceptual identification) were assessed in 20 experiments (total N = 2,026). When measures of both indirect and direct effects have rational zero points, a statistically significant intercept in the indirect-on-direct-measure regression shows that (a) the indirect effect occurred in the absence of the direct effect, and (b) unconscious cognition is involved. For a position discrimination task, but not for an evaluative decision task, indirect-on-direct regression showed the significant intercept effect. Although small in magnitude, this intercept effect provides the statistically most secure finding yet obtained of a much-sought and controversial data pattern--indirect effect with no direct effect. With one added assumption (which appears plausible for the present data), this pattern indicates that unconscious cognition is dissociated from (i.e., occurs separately from) conscious cognition.
Simulation of Water Use Dynamics by Salix Bush in a Semiarid Shallow Groundwater Area of the Chinese Erdos Plateau

This study analyzed the water use of the Salix psammophila bush in a semi-arid area in northwest China using a Hydrus-1D model. The model incorporated the effect of thermally driven water flow coupling liquid water, water vapor and heat transport. The model was calibrated and validated using hourly field measurements of soil water content and temperature at different depths for a growing season of 154 days. Furthermore, another Hydrus-1D model was established to simulate environments with decreased heat, rainfall or temperature and an increased leaf area index using calibrated and validated parameters. Our results show that upward and downward thermally driven water vapor fluxes account for 0.11% and 0.28%, respectively, of the corresponding direction of total water flux during the bush’s growing season. Although the vapor flux is very small, simulations incorporating heat flow revealed alterations in the temperature and pressure head gradients over the root zone, especially during dry periods. Consequently, the cumulative contributions of groundwater to evapotranspiration (ETg) with heat flow and without heat flow were 26.9% and 40.6%, respectively, during the simulation period. Therefore, the cumulative contribution of groundwater to ETg is overestimated when heat flow is excluded. Thus, we recommended that heat transport be incorporated when evaluating ETg in arid and semi-arid areas.
A convex relaxation for approximate maximum-likelihood 2D source localization from range measurements

This paper addresses the problem of locating a single source from noisy range measurements in wireless sensor networks. An approximate solution to the maximum likelihood location estimation problem is proposed, by redefining the problem in the complex plane and relaxing the minimization problem into semidefinite programming form. Existing methods solve the source localization problem either by minimizing the maximum likelihood function iteratively or exploiting other semidefinite programming relaxations. In addition, using squared range measurements, exact and approximate least squares solutions can be calculated. Our relaxation for source localization in the complex plane (SLCP) is motivated by the near-convexity of the objective function and constraints in the complex formulation of the original (non-relaxed) problem. Simulation results indicate that the SLCP algorithm outperforms existing methods in terms of accuracy, particularly in the presence of outliers and when the number of anchors is larger than three.
"...when you're a Stranger": Evaluating Safety Perceptions of (un)familiar Urban Places

What makes us feel safe when walking around our cities? Previous research has shown that our perception of safety strongly depends on characteristics of the built environment; separately, research has also shown that safety perceptions depend on the people we encounter on the streets. However, it is not clear how the two relate to one another. In this paper, we propose a quantitative method to investigate this relationship. Using an online crowd--sourcing approach, we collected 5452 safety ratings from over 500 users about images showing various combinations of built environment and people inhabiting it. We applied analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to the collected data and found that familiarity of the scene is the single most important predictor of our sense of safety. Controlling for familiarity, we identified then what features of the urban environment increase or decrease our safety perception.
Towards 3D human posture estimation using multiple kinects despite self-contacts

We present a marker-less human motion capture system that uses multiple RGB-D cameras to estimate the 3D posture of multiple people online at interactive rates in an indoor workspace measuring approximately 5 m × 5 m × 2 m. An interesting aspect of this work is how we handle the self-contact problem. We propose a novel multi-view voting scheme (MVS) to fuse measurements from different 2D or 3D algorithms. As a proof of concept, we present an MVS implementation that fuses optical flow images from each view and labels points in the current instance using the previously estimated posture. These labels allow us to trim invalid edges in a geodesic distance graph model and improve localization of geodesic extrema corresponding to the head, hands and feet for posture estimation. The system performs at ~8.3 Hz with a cumulative latency of ~570.40 ms and a projected median localization error of ~0.149 m. In addition, we propose a new multi-view Kinect and Vicon publicly accessible motion capture dataset for validation and benchmarks.
The Truth of the Matter

Feminist standpoint theory (FST) has a troubled history that has limited its use and development as a core feminist epistemological project. This article revisits debates from its past, and re‐examines an apparent central problem: that of the realism identifiable in FST. Looking closely at the criticism leveled against one particular standpoint theorist—Nancy Hartsock—I show the criticism not only to be unfounded, as has previously been argued, but also unnecessary. I demonstrate that the accusations of supposedly realist contradictions in Hartsock's work are easily resolvable by engagement with critical realism (CR). I argue that CR not only accommodates Hartsock's conception of realism, and so dissolves any contention, but that CR complements and shores up FST's central claim: that situated knowledge carries with it an epistemic privilege. Another contemporary conception of realism is being developed—New Materialism (NM)—that, it could be argued, would also be a suitable ontology with which to develop FST. I show how NM could present problems for FST as a fundamentally political project, and conclude that CR offers a more fruitful future collaboration for FST.
Stimulation of Tat‐associated kinase‐independent transcriptional elongation from the human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 long terminal repeat by a cellular enhancer

The human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 (HIV‐1) long terminal repeat (LTR) initiates transcription efficiently but produces only short transcripts in the absence of the trans‐activator protein, Tat. To determine whether a cellular enhancer could provide the signals required to recruit an elongation‐competent polymerase to the HIV‐1 LTR, the B cell‐specific immunoglobulin heavy chain gene enhancer (IgHE) was inserted upstream of the LTR. The enhancer increased transcription in the absence of Tat between 6‐ and 7‐fold in transfected B cells, but the full‐length transcripts remained at basal levels in HeLa cells, where the enhancer is inactive. RNase‐protection studies showed that initiation levels in the presence and absence of the enhancer were constant, but the enhancer significantly increased the elongation capacity of the polymerases. Tat‐stimulated elongation is strongly inhibited by the nucleoside analogue 5,6‐dichloro‐1‐β‐D‐ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB), which inhibits the Tat‐associated kinase, TAK (CDK9). However, polymerases initiating transcription from LTRs carrying the enhancer were able to efficiently elongate in the presence of DRB. Specific repression of TAK by expression in trans of the CDK9 kinase also inhibited Tat‐stimulated elongation but did not inhibit enhancer‐dependent transcription significantly. Thus, the activation of polymerase processivity by the IgHE involves a unique mechanism which is independent of TAK.
A note on mirror symmetry for manifolds with spin(7) holonomy

Starting from the extended worldsheet superconformal algebras associated with G2 manifolds, we extend the algebra to Joyce's orbifolds with holonomy. We show how the mirror symmetry in manifolds with holonomy arises as the automorphism in the extended sperconformal algebra. In one class of Joyce's orbifolds, the automorphism of the superconformal algebra can be realized as 14 kinds of T-dualities along the supersymmetric T4 toroidal fibrations in the manifolds with holonomy. In this class of examples, Joyce's orbifolds are pairwise identified under the mirror symmetry. We then discuss some interesting features of the mirror symmetry on the manifolds with exceptional holonomy and how it is different from the Calabi–Yau mirror symmetry.
A similarity measure for approximate querying over RDF data

Approximate query answering relies on a similarity measure that evaluates the relevance, for a given query, of a set of data extracted from the underlying database. In the context of graph-modeled data, many methods (such as, subgraph isomorphism, graph edit distance, and maximum common subgraph) have been proposed to face this problem. Unfortunately, they are usually hard to compute and when they are used on RDF data, several drawbacks arise. In this paper, we propose a measure to evaluate the similarity between a (small) graph representing a query and a portion of a (large) graph representing an RDF data set. We show that this measure: (i) can be evaluated in linear time with respect to the size of the given graphs and, (ii) guarantees other interesting properties. In order to show the feasibility of our approach, we have used such similarity measure in a technique for approximate query answering. The technique has been implemented in a prototypical system and a number of experimental results obtained with this system confirm the effectiveness of the proposed measure.
Activity of the Principal Cells of the Olfactory Bulb Promotes a Structural Dynamic on the Distal Dendrites of Immature Adult-Born Granule Cells via Activation of NMDA Receptors

The adult olfactory bulb is continuously supplied with neuronal precursors that differentiate into granule and periglomerular cells. Little is known about the structural dynamic of adult-born granule cells (GCs) at their different maturational stages, the mechanisms controlling the integration of new neurons into the pre-existing neuronal circuitry, or the role of principal cell activity in these processes. We used two-photon time-lapse imaging to reveal a high level of filopodia formation and retraction on the distal dendrites of adult-born GCs at their early maturational stages. This dynamic decreased as the adult-born interneurons matured. Filopodia formation/retraction on the dendrites of adult-born GCs at the early maturational stages depended on the activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs). The stimulation of mitral cells using a pattern that mimics activity of these principal neurons to odor presentation promotes the NMDAR-dependent filopodia dynamic of adult-born GCs during their early but not late maturational stages. Moreover, NMDA iontophoresis was sufficient to induce the formation of new filopodia on the distal dendrites of immature adult-born GCs. The maturation of adult-born interneurons was accompanied by a progressive hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and an increased Mg2+ block of NMDARs. Decreasing the extracellular Mg2+ concentration led to filopodia formation on the dendrites of mature adult-born GCs following NMDA iontophoresis. Our findings reveal an increased structural dynamic of adult-born GCs during the early stages of their integration into the mouse bulbar circuitry and highlight a critical period during which the principal cells' activity influences filopodia formation/retraction on the dendrites of interneurons.
A monitoring system to prepare machine learning data sets for earthquake prediction based on seismic-acoustic signals

Estimating the location, time and magnitude of a possible earthquake has been the subject of many studies. Various methods have been tried using many input variables such as temperature changes, seismic movements, weather conditions etc. The relation between recorded seismic-acoustic data and occurring an anomalous seismic processes (ASP) has been proved in articles written by Aliev and et al. [1-4]. But it is difficult to predict the location, time and magnitude of the earthquake by using these data. In this study, it is aimed to prepare a data set/sets for prediction of an earthquake to be used in machine learning algorithms. An Earthquake-Well Signal Monitoring Software has been developed to construct these data sets. This study uses the on-line recordings of robust noise monitoring (RNM) signals of ASP from stations in Azerbaijan. An interface for analyzing the recordings and mapping them with previous earthquakes is designed.
Towards a theatre of 'little changes': a dialogue about dialogue

Several months ago, I submitted a draft Viewpoint article to RIDE. The article dealt with resistance theatre in Belfast during the Troubles. Focused on the determining relationship between forms of radical theatre and material conditions, it was felt to resonate with several recent RIDE articles/ Viewpoints, specifically Woodruff's piece on Telford Arts (9:1, 2004), and Mary McEntegart's response to it (9:2, 2004). As I redrafted, I found myself needing (wanting) to refer to a wider selection of articles, with the consequence that the original content was being pushed to the margins. In its place evolved a wider review, embracing recent debates about theatre for development, and focused on issues which connected all these practices, and which related to ideas about political change, and to problems of power and definition. The process generated an internal debate: part of me (the practitioner) agreed with Woodruff, part of me (the historian/academic) agreed with McEntegart. The more I attempted to clarify these strands of thinking, the more it became clear that a dialogue was the appropriate form through which to express them. I had used the same method 30 years earlier as part of a B.Phil, and it felt now, as then, a liberating process. Of course, the outcome is fixed, and it has no pretensions to being more than a rhetorical device. Nevertheless, it helped to clarify my thinking, and it is offered as a commentary on a run of articles. The argument being made? That Theatre for Development is no longer a viable option; that methods are not important; that exercises cannot create consciousness; that the only actions that will change the world are actions on the world in political movements; that the only theatre which will change the world is a theatre of dialogue, based on a radical humility; that we rise or fall together.
Visually Optimal Seam-Line Determination in Image

A optimal seam-line determination algorithm is proposed to determine the image border-line in mosaicing using the transformation of gray value differences and the dynamic programming (DP). Since a visually good border-line is the one along which pixel differences are as small as possible, it can be determined associated with an optimal path finding algorithm. A well-known effective optimal path finding algorithm is the dynamic programming. Direct application of the dynamic programming for the seam-line determination causes the “distance effect”, in which seam-line is affected by its length as well as the gray value difference. In this paper, an adaptive cost transform algorithm with which the “distance effect” is suppressed has been proposed utilizing the dynamic programming on the transformed pixel difference space. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been tested in both quantitatively and visually on various kinds of images.