Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Verbs, nouns, and simulated language games

The paper describes some simple computer simulations that implement Wittgenstein’s notion of a language game, where the meaning of a linguistic signal for an individual is the role played by the linguistic signal in the individual’s interactions with the nonlinguistic and linguistic environment. In the simulations an artificial organism interacts at the sensory-motor level with an environment and its behavior is influenced by the linguistic signals the individual receives from the environment (conspecifics). Using this approach we try to capture the distinction between (proto)verbs and (proto)nouns, where (proto)verbs are linguistic signals that tend to co-vary with the action with which the organism responds to the sensory input whereas (proto)nouns are linguistic signals that tend to co-vary with the particular sensory input to which the organism responds with its actions. Some extensions of the approach to the analysis of other parts of speech ((proto)adjectives, (proto)sentences, etc.) are also described. The paper ends up with some open questions and suggestions on how to deal with them. 1 1. Simulated language games The meaning of a linguistic signal is the manner in which the linguistic signal is used in the everyday interactions of speakers/hearers with the world and the role the linguistic signal plays in their overall behavior. This Wittgensteinian definition of meaning, while probably correct, poses a serious problem for the study of language in that, although linguistic signals as sounds or visual (written) forms are easily identified, observed, and described, the way in which linguistic signals are used by actual speakers/hearers in real life situations is very difficult to observe and describe with any precision, reliability, and completeness. Therefore, linguists, psycholinguists, and philosophers tend to replace meanings with such poor “proxies” as verbal definitions, translations (when studying linguistic signals in other languages), or the limited and very artificial uses of linguistic signals in
Characterization of the Landsat-7 ETM Automated Cloud-Cover Assessment (ACCA) Algorithm

A scene-average automated cloud-cover assessment (ACCA) algorithm has been used for the Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM� ) mission since its launch by NASA in 1999. ACCA assists in scheduling and confirming the acquisition of global “cloud-free” imagery for the U.S. archive. This paper documents the operational ACCA algorithm and validates its performance to a standard error of � 5 percent. Visual assessment of clouds in three-band browse imagery were used for comparison to the five-band ACCA scores from a stratified sample of 212 ETM� 2001 scenes. This comparison of independent cloud-cover estimators produced a 1:1 correlation with no offset. The largest commission errors were at high altitudes or at low solar illumination where snow was misclassified as clouds. The largest omission errors were associated with undetected optically thin cirrus clouds over water. There were no statistically significant systematic errors in ACCA scores analyzed by latitude, seasonality, or solar elevation angle. Enhancements for additional spectral bands, per-pixel masks, land/water boundaries, topography, shadows, multidate and multi-sensor imagery were identified for possible use in future ACCA algorithms.
A Modified Histogram Equalization for Contrast Enhancement Preserving the Small Parts in Images

Summary Histogram equalization is a very popular technique for image contrast enhancement. However, it at times produces a washedout appearance of the small details present in an image. In this paper, a modified contrast enhancement technique based on conventional histogram equalization algorithm is proposed. This technique modifies the accumulations in the histogram bins of an image before applying the equalization process so that it performs the enhancement of the image without making any loss of details in it. This method outperforms other present approaches by enhancing the contrast well without introducing washed out appearance, checkerboard effects or any such undesirable artifacts.
Georg Pfundstein Ensemble Methods for Plaid Bicluster Algorithm

In recent years a lot of people came up with several biclustering algorithms, which perform simultaneous clustering on rows and columns of a data matrix. These methods are especially popular when analysing gene expression data, but can be applied in several other fields of two way data analysis as well. However, this thesis deals with the application of the plaid biclustering model to real gene expression data. Since the method has got some restrictions, that is mainly its sensitiveness against different parameter settings and repeated runs an ensemble method is introduced. The proposed ensemble method aims to overcome these limitations through repeatedly applying the plaid model with a different parametrisation. Out of these results the biclusters which were observed the most are said to be the best according to the introduced method. Based on these results conclusions on the parameter settings of the plaid model are drawn.
Assessment of Liver Stiffness in Pediatric Fontan Patients Using Transient Elastography

Background. Hepatic fibrosis is a potential complication following Fontan surgery and heralds long-term risk for cirrhosis. Transient elastography (TE) is a rapid, noninvasive method to assess liver fibrosis by measuring liver stiffness. Objectives. To compare liver stiffness and liver biochemistries in pediatric Fontan patients with age- and sex-matched controls and to determine patients' acceptance of TE. Methods. Patients were recruited from British Columbia Children's Hospital. Twenty-two Fontan patients (15 males) were identified. Demographic information and cardiac data were collected. TE was measured using size-appropriate probes. Results. The median age of the Fontan cohort was 13.7 (5.9–16.8) years. Time from Fontan surgery to TE was 9.6 (1.0–12.9) years. The median Fontan circuit pressure was 13 (11–14) mmHg. TE values were higher in Fontan patients versus controls (18.6 versus 4.7 kPa, p < 0.001). There was no association between TE values and patient age (r = 0.41, p = 0.058), time since Fontan surgery (r = 0.40, p = 0.062), or median Fontan circuit pressure (CVP) (r = 0.35, p = 0.111). Patients found TE to be nonpainful, convenient, and safe. Conclusions. TE is feasible to assess liver stiffness in children following Fontan surgery. Pediatric Fontan patients have markedly elevated liver stiffness values. TE may have important utility in liver care follow-up of pediatric Fontan patients.
Finding concurrency bugs using graph-based anomaly detection in big code

Concurrency bugs are very difficult and subtle to discover, reproduce, and fix. Many techniques have been devised by the academic as well as the industry communities to find these bugs. However, most of the effective techniques tend to focus on a subset of the various concurrency bugs types. We propose a new generic concurrency bug detection technique that leverages "Big Code": millions of lines of code freely available on code repositories. Our approach tries to learn the properties of what constitutes a good and a bad synchronization pattern from hundreds of concurrent software using graph-based anomaly detection.
A Survey on Pivot Rules for Linear Programming

3 : Abstract The purpose of this paper is to survey the various pivot rules of the simplex method or its variants that have been developed in the last two decades, starting from the appearance of the minimal index rule of Bland. We are mainly concerned with the niteness property of simplex type pivot rules. There are some other important topics in linear programming, e.g. complexity theory or implementations, that are not included in the scope of this paper. We do not discuss ellipsoid methods nor interior point methods. Well known classical results concerning the simplex method are also not particularly discussed in this survey, but the connection between the new methods and the classical ones are discussed if there is any. In this paper we discuss three classes of recently developed pivot rules for linear programming. The rst class (the largest one) of the pivot rules we discuss is the class of essentially combinatorial pivot rules. Namely these rules only use labeling and signs of the variables. These include minimal index type rules and recursive rules. The second class contains those pivot rules which can be considered in fact as variants or generalizations or specializations of Lemke's method, and so closely related to parametric programming. The last class of pivot rules discussed in this paper has the common feature that these rules all have close connections to certain interior point methods. Finally we mention some open problems for further study.
‘Lost in transition?’ – Newly educated social workers’ reflections on their first months in practice

ABSTRACT Entering the work of world can involve significant challenges for the beginning practitioner. The transition process from university to work can play an important role in the emerging practitioner’s development as a social worker. The present longitudinal study follows 12 Swedish social work graduates from university and over their first four years in practice. The study provides an insight into how newly educated practitioners may experience the transition from university to the world of work and considers how they can be prepared and supported to meet the challenges of practice within contemporary work contexts. The students were first interviewed just prior to leaving university [see Tham & Lynch (2014). Prepared for practice? Graduating social work students’ reflections on their education, competence and skills. Social Work Education, 33(6), 704–717]. This paper captures the reflections of these students after four months in practice. Feelings of unpreparedness, unorganised, or even ‘chaotic’ perceptions of the workplace and uncertainty about the future were emergent themes, particularly among new practitioners employed in social services. The findings illustrate the vulnerability of these new practitioners and the importance of workplace induction and the provision of adequate support in their new professional roles.
Experiments in Thermal Hydraulics Simulation : Multiprocessing COMMIX

We present work directed towards the development of multiprocessed versions of COMMIX-1AR/P, an industrial strength, three-dimensional single-phase thermal hydraulics code. The major steps in the numerical simulation are: 1) construction of pressure and momentum equations; 2) solution for pressure and velocity; 3) construction of energy equations; and 4) solution of energy equations for enthalpy. Steps (2) and (4) require the solution of systems of large symmetric and non-symmetric linear systems. We discuss the role of automatic and manual parallelization techniques for the matrix construction steps on the performance of the code when used on the Cray Y-MP and Alliant FX shared memory multiprocessors.
A flexure-based 5-DOF positioning stage for R2R inkjet printer

Overlay alignment is a key technology in multi-layer Roll-to-Roll inkjet Printing. To eliminate or reduce the defects, an active compensation compliant mechanism is proposed to compensate the errors occurred during production. The mechanism consists of four parts which provide the printhead 5 DOFs to compensate errors actively. In this paper, the design of the whole device is presented. The kinematics analysis of each part will be introduced in detail. Analytical model for calculating the stiffness of each part is developed by using pseudo-rigid-body model methodology. Finite element simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the design.
Short-Term Nose-Only Water-Pipe (Shisha) Smoking Exposure Accelerates Coagulation and Causes Cardiac Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Background/Aim: Water-pipe smoking (WPS) has acquired worldwide popularity, and is disseminating particularly rapidly in Europe and North America. However, little is known about the short-term cardiovascular effects of WPS. Methods: Presently, we assessed the short-term cardiovascular effects of nose-only exposure to mainstream WPS in BALB/c mice for 30 min/day for 5 consecutive days. Control mice were exposed to air. At the end of the exposure period, several cardiovascular endpoints were measured. Results: WPS did not affect the number of leukocytes and the plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Likewise, plasma levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase were not affected by WPS. By contrast, WPS aggravated in vivo thrombosis by shortening the thrombotic occlusion time in pial arterioles and venules. The number of circulating platelets was reduced by WPS suggesting the occurrence of platelet aggregation in vivo. Elevated concentrations of fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were seen after the exposure to WPS. Blood samples taken from mice exposed to WPS and exposed to adenosine diphosphate showed more platelet aggregation. The heart concentrations of IL-6 and TNFα were augmented by WPS. Likewise, heart levels of LPO, reactive oxygen species and the antioxidants catalase and GSH were increased by WPS. However, the systolic blood pressure and heart rate were not affected by WPS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that short-term exposure to WPS exerts procoagulatory effects and induce cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. At the time point investigated, there was no evidence for blood inflammation or oxidative stress.
Compliant hand-arm control with soft fingers and force sensing for human-robot interaction

The problem of controlling an hand-arm robotic system involved in a grasping task, which can interact through the object with the environment or a human, is considered in this paper. The control is in charge of ensuring that the hand firmly grasps the object and that the arm complies in the presence of external forces applied to the object. The control design of the hand-arm as separate subsystems is based on the reconstruction of the external forces through the direct measurements of the contact forces at the fingertips. Force sensing is used also to compute in real time the contact forces required to guarantee a firm grasp without slipping. Simulation tests in MATLAB/SimMechanics environment demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Clumps in large scale relativistic jets

We estimate the time dependent emission of the bright knots detected in large scale (tens to hundreds kpc) jets and discuss how the existing radio-to-X-ray observations, coupled with the correspondingly long cooling timescales, pose strong constraints on the structure and dynamics of knots. We suggest that the phenomenology of the jet in 3C 273 as observed by HST, Chandra and VLA, and in particular the fast decrease of the flux outside knots, can be satisfactorily accounted for if the emitting plasma is clumped. Clumping of the knots can also explain the month-year variability timescale reported for the large scale emission in M 87. We also point out that emission between the bright knots should be detected with the next generation of instruments (e.g. NGST). In fact the relatively intense X-ray emission discovered with Chandra suggests that jets (at least in powerful quasars) are still relativistic at large distances from the active nucleus. In such a case Compton scattering off the CMB photons is efficient even when electrons are cold or mildly relativistic in the comoving frame. This provides a powerful tool for testing the continuous vs discrete nature of the jet flow.
Power Control in Cognitive Radios under Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Spectrum Sensing

In an opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) based cognitive radio system, a secondary user (SU) is allowed to access the licensed spectrum of the primary user (PU) when it is inactive. Conventional power allocation strategies, which do not consider spectrum sensing information (SSI), may not be optimal in OSA based cognitive radio system because when the SU mis-detects the PU's presence, the interference from the PU will cause a lower data rate or a higher outage probability to the SU. In this paper, power allocation strategies for each frame are designed based on the SSI gathered by the SU during the sensing period of the frame. We consider both cooperative and non-cooperative spectrum sensing scenarios. In non-cooperative spectrum sensing, the SU transmitter (SU-Tx) has its SSI while in cooperative spectrum sensing, the SU-Tx has both its SSI and the SU receiver's (SU-Rx's) SSI. Using the SSIs, power allocation strategies are designed to either maximize the average data rate or minimize the outage probability of the SU. The proposed power allocation strategies have to ensure that the PU is sufficiently protected and the SU satisfies its long-term transmit power budget. Optimization of the sensing time is also considered to further enhance the performances of the system.
Markov chain convergence : from nite to in nitebyJe

Bounds on convergence rates for Markov chains are a very widely-studied topic, motivated largely by applications to Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. For Markov chains on nite state spaces, previous authors have obtained a number of very useful bounds, including those which involve choices of paths. Unfortunately, many Markov chains which arise in practice are not nite. In this paper, we consider the extent to which bounds for nite Markov chains can be extended to innnite chains. Our results take two forms. For countably-innnite state spaces X, we consider the process of enlargements of Markov chains, namely considering Markov chains on nite state spaces X 1 ; X 2 ; : : : whose union is X. Bounds for the Markov chains restricted to X d , if uniform in d, immediately imply bounds on X. Results for nite Markov chains, involving choices of paths, can then be applied to countable chains. We develop these ideas and apply them to several examples of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm on countable state spaces. For uncountable state spaces, we consider the process of reenements of Markov chains. Namely, we break the original state space X into countable numbers of smaller and smaller pieces, and deene a Markov chain on these nite pieces which approximates the original chain. Under certain continuity assumptions, bounds on the countable Markov chains, including those related to choices of paths, will imply bounds on the original chain. We develop these ideas and apply them to an example of an uncountable state space Metropolis algorithm. Acknowledgements. I am grateful to Eric Belsley for several very helpful conversations, especially related to Proposition 1 herein. I thank the referee for very insightful comments.
Social Networks' XSS Worms

Cross Site Scripting Worms, are malicious programs that propagates through visitors of a website in attempt to infect other visitors progressively. Cross site scripting vulnerabilities are exploited in many forms; one of the common forms is using worms on popular social websites, such as MySpace and Facebook. In this paper first we suggest a general model based on our discussions. Then we simulate the propagation of a sample worm in a virtual social network to see if the model conforms to simulated propagation. We also examined some parameters effects such as the probability of visiting friends that could affect worm propagation. The simulation results leads to a better understanding and prediction of the scale and speed of propagation of cross site scripting worms on web 2.0 social networks.
TRICam - An Embedded Platform for Remote Traffic Surveillance

In this paper we present a novel embedded platform, dedicated especially to the surveillance of remote locations under harsh environmental conditions, featuring various video and audio compression algorithms as well as support for local systems and devices. The presented solution follows a radically decentralized approach and is able to act as an autonomous video server. Using up to three Texas InstrumentsTM TMS320C6414 DSPs, it is possible to use high-level computer vision algorithms in real-time in order to extract the information from the video stream which is relevant to the surveillance task. The focus of this paper is on the task of vehicle detection and tracking in images. In particular, we discuss the issues specific for embedded systems, and we describe how they influenced our work. We give a detailed description of several algorithms and justify their use in our implementation. The power of our approach is shown on two real-world applications, namely vehicle detection on highways and license plate detection on urban traffic videos.
Architecture DocumentAtion for Developers: A Survey

Software architecture has become an established discipline in industry and documentation is the key for its efficient and effective usage. However, many companies do not have any architecture documentation in place or, if they do, the available documentation is not perceived as adequate by developers to support them in their tasks. To complement our experiences from projects with industry customers and as a foundation for the improvement of methods and tools in architecture documentation, we conducted a survey among 147 industrial participants, investigating their current problems and wishes for the future. Participants from different countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America shared their experiences. This report presents the results of the survey. We identified five main findings. The results confirm the common belief that architecture documentation is most frequently outdated, updated only with strong delays, and inconsistent in detail and form and backed it up with data. Further, developers perceive difficulties with a “one-size-fits-all” architecture documentation, which does not adequately provide information for their specific tasks and contexts. Developers seek more interactive ways of working with architecture documentation that allow them to find needed information more easily with extended navigation and search possibilities. And finally, what developers perceive as relevant in terms of architecture information gives, in our opinion, a very complete and mature picture of what software architecture and its documentation should consist of. Based on these results, we discuss directions for further research and the development of advanced methods and tools for architecture documentation in this report. Centralization with powerful tooling and automated generation mechanisms are possible means for addressing the problems of outdated and unspecific architecture documentation. Additionally, a clear, easy-to-follow connection between architecture an code is a major concern of developers for which new techniques have to be created. To achieve increased uniformity, organizations should invest in internal standardization in terms of form, details, and terminology, as well as in establishing a single source of architecture documentation to avoid inefficiency due to scattered information. We understand that static architecture documents must be replaced by new and interactive ways to convey the information that allow easy searching and navigation. And finally, to increase readability and understandability, we see an additional need for standardization and clarity through reduction of information.