Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Pen and Paper Metaphor for Orchid Modeling

The creation of 3D computer models is an essential task for many applications in science, engineering and arts and is frequently performed by untrained users. In many cases speed and simplicity of the modeling process is more important than matching the geometry of the modeled object exactly. Sketch-based modeling has been suggested as an important tool for such applications. In this paper we extend the pen and paper metaphor with a paper sculpting metaphor which is applied to sketched shapes. Using these techniques we present an efficient and effective tool for orchid modeling. We discuss the inherent properties of orchid flowers and use them to develop constraints for representing the complex surface shapes of orchids with simple 2D sketches. Surface details are added using noise functions. Additional surface modifications are possible using the paper sculpting metaphor. By computing inherent bending axis from the skeleton of a sketched 2D shape the user is able to warp leaf-like structures like if they were cut from a piece of paper. The intuitive object manipulation of our tool means that an otherwise complex model can be created by an inexperienced, non-artistic user in a short period of time.
A Perceptually Motivated Visualisation Paradigm for Musical Timbre

Background is given on existing research into the perception and description of timbre. This is used to contextualise the development of visual mappings for acoustic timbre features. Two example systems are explained and discussed, which demonstrate the use of perceptually motivated mappings from acoustic features to visual properties, in specific contexts. Possible applications and extensions of such systems are proposed.
The Belief in Personal Control Scale: A Revised, Short Form.

The development and validation of a shortened and revised version of the Belief in Personal Control Scale (BPCS-RS) are described. Like the original 85-item version of the BPCS, the BPCS-RS measures three empirically derived factors (a belief in general external control of outcomes, an exaggerated belief in personal control of outcomes, and a belief in God-mediated outcomes). The four studies used in the comparative assessment of The BPCS and the BPCS-RS involved: (1) 233 urban university undergraduates; (2) 58 undergraduates; (3) 48 seminary graduate students; and (4) 34 undergraduate psychology students. Correlations between the 85-item BPCS and the 45-item BPCS-RS indicate that the two scales are equivalent. Evidence from a series of studies is presented to support the reliability and validity of the rew.sed scale. It is argued that the BPCS-RS provides an efficient and empirically sound means of assessing several rarely measured dimensions of personal control. Both instruments have the same thrEe-factor structure. Additional evidence for the validity of the exaggera ed internal control and God-mediated control factors was prov. 'ded as well. Two data tables are included. (TJH) ****************! :**********************. ******************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************f****
EXIT25 – Executive interview applied to a cognitively healthy elderly population with heterogeneous educational background

Education interferes with the performance in most cognitive tests, including executive function assessment. Objective To investigate the effects of education on the performance of healthy elderly on the Brazilian version of the Executive Interview (EXIT25). Methods The EXIT25 was administered to a sample of 83 healthy elderly. The subjects were also submitted to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a delayed recall test, clock drawing and category fluency (animals/min) tests in order to rule out cognitive impairment. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was employed to exclude clinically-relevant depressive symptoms. The total sample was divided into three groups according to educational level: G1 (1–4 years), G2 (5–8 years) and G3 (>8 years). Results The mean values for age, educational level, MMSE and EXIT25 scores of all subjects were 72.2, 7.5, 27.6 and 6.9, respectively. The scores on the EXIT25 for each group were: G1=8.3, G2=5.9 and G3=5.8. There was a statistical difference between the performance of G1 and the other two groups on the EXIT25. Conclusions The Brazilian version of the EXIT25 proved straightforward to administer. The performance of this sample of healthy elderly on the test was significantly influenced by educational level.
Growth of donor-derived dendritic cells from the bone marrow of murine liver allograft recipients in response to granulocyte/macrophage colony- stimulating factor

Allografts of the liver, which has a comparatively heavy leukocyte content compared with other vascularized organs, are accepted permanently across major histocompatibility complex barriers in many murine strain combinations without immunosuppressive therapy. It has been postulated that this inherent tolerogenicity of the liver may be a consequence of the migration and perpetuation within host lymphoid tissues of potentially tolerogenic donor-derived ("chimeric") leukocytes, in particular, the precursors of chimeric dendritic cells (DC). In this study, we have used granulocyte/macrophage colony- stimulating factor to induce the propagation of progenitors that give rise to DC (CD45+, CD11c+, 33D1+, nonlymphoid dendritic cell 145+, major histocompatibility complex class II+, B7-1+) in liquid cultures of murine bone marrow cells. Using this technique, together with immunocytochemical and molecular methods, we show that, in addition to cells expressing female host (C3H) phenotype (H-2Kk+; I-E+; Y chromosome-), a minor population of male donor (B10)-derived cells (H- 2Kb+; I-A+; Y chromosome+) can also be grown in 10-d DC cultures from the bone marrow of liver allograft recipients 14 d after transplant. Highly purified nonlymphoid dendritic cell 145+ DC sorted from these bone marrow-derived cell cultures were shown to comprise approximately 1-10% cells of donor origin (Y chromosome+) by polymerase chain reaction analysis. In addition, sorted DC stimulated naive, recipient strain T lymphocytes in primary mixed leukocyte cultures. Evidence was also obtained for the growth of donor-derived cells from the spleen but not the thymus. In contrast, donor cells could not be propagated from the bone marrow or other lymphoid tissues of nonimmunosuppressed C3H mice rejecting cardiac allografts from the same donor strain (B10). These findings provide a basis for the establishment and perpetuation of cell chimerism after organ transplantation.
Superior Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training vs. Moderate Continuous Training on Arterial Stiffness in Episodic Migraine: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Migraine is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and vascular dysfunction. Since aerobic exercise can reduce cardiovascular risk, the present randomized controlled trail aimed at investigating the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIT) vs. moderate continuous exercise training (MCT) on arterial stiffness in migraine patients. Methods: Forty-eight episodic migraineurs were initially enrolled in the study. 37 patients [female: 30; age: 37 (SD: 10); BMI: 23.1 (5.2); Migraine days per month: 3.7 (2.5)] completed the intervention. Central blood pressure, pulse wave reflection, and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) were obtained by an oscillometric monitor. Incremental treadmill exercise testing yielded maximal and submaximal fitness parameters. Participants were randomly assigned to either HIT, MCT, or a control group (CON). The intervention groups trained twice a week over a 12-week intervention period. Results: After adjustment for between-group baseline differences, a moderate meaningful overall reduction of the augmentation index at 75 min−1 heart rate (AIx@75) was observed [partial eta squared (ηp2) = 0.16; p = 0.06]. With 91% likely beneficial effects, HIT was more effective in reducing AIx@75 than MCT [HIT: pre 22.0 (9.7), post 14.9 (13.0), standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.62; MCT: pre 16.6 (8.5), post 21.3 (10.4), SMD −0.49]. HIT induced a relevant reduction in central systolic blood pressure [cSBP: pre 118 (23) mmHg, post 110 (16) mmHg, SMD = 0.42] with a 59% possibly beneficial effect compared to CON, while MCT showed larger effects in lowering central diastolic blood pressure [pre 78 (7) mmHg, post 74 (7) mmHg, SMD = 0.61], presenting 60% possibly beneficial effects compared to CON. Central aortic PWV showed no changes in any of the three groups. Migraine days were reduced more successfully by HIT than MCT (HIT: SMD = 1.05; MCT: SMD = 0.43). Conclusion: HIT but not MCT reduces AIx@75 as a measure of pulse wave reflection and indirect marker of systemic arterial stiffness. Both exercise modalities beneficially affect central blood pressure. HIT proved to be an effective complementary treatment option to reduce vascular dysfunction and blood pressure in migraineurs.
A framework for developing engineering design ontologies within the aerospace industry

This paper presents a framework for developing engineering design ontologies within the aerospace industry. The aim of this approach is to strengthen the modularity and reuse of engineering design ontologies to support knowledge management initiatives within the aerospace industry. Successful development and effective utilisation of engineering ontologies strongly depends on the method/framework used to develop them. Ensuring modularity in ontology design is essential for engineering design activities due to the complexity of knowledge that is required to be brought together to support the product design decision-making process. The proposed approach adopts best practices from previous ontology development methods, but focuses on encouraging modular architectural ontology design. The framework is comprised of three phases namely: (1) Ontology design and development; (2) Ontology validation and (3) Implementation of ontology structure. A qualitative research methodology is employed which is composed of four phases. The first phase defines the capture of knowledge required for the framework development, followed by the ontology framework development, iterative refinement of engineering ontologies and ontology validation through case studies and experts’ opinion. The ontology-based framework is applied in the combustor and casing aerospace engineering domain. The modular ontologies developed as a result of applying the framework and are used in a case study to restructure and improve the accessibility of information on a product design information-sharing platform. Additionally, domain experts within the aerospace industry validated the strengths, benefits and limitations of the framework. Due to the modular nature of the developed ontologies, they were also employed to support other project initiatives within the case study company such as role-based computing (RBC), IT modernisation activity and knowledge management implementation across the sponsoring organisation. The major benefit of this approach is in the reduction of man-hours required for maintaining engineering design ontologies. Furthermore, this approach strengthens reuse of ontology knowledge and encourages modularity in the design and development of engineering ontologies.
Multi-Person Localization via RF Body Reflections

We have recently witnessed the emergence of RF-based indoor localization systems that can track user motion without requiring the user to hold or wear any device. These systems can localize a user and track his gestures by relying solely on the reflections of wireless signals off his body, and work even if the user is behind a wall or obstruction. However, in order for these systems to become practical, they need to address two main challenges: 1) They need to be able to operate in the presence of more than one user in the environment, and 2) they must be able to localize a user without requiring him to move or change his position. This paper presents WiTrack2.0, a multi-person localization system that operates in multipath-rich indoor environments and pinpoints users' locations based purely on the reflections of wireless signals off their bodies. WiTrack2.0 can even localize static users, and does so by sensing the minute movements due to their breathing. We built a prototype of WiTrack2.0 and evaluated it in a standard office building. Our results show that it can localize up to five people simultaneously with a median accuracy of 11.7 cm in each of the x/y dimensions. Furthermore, WiTrack2.0 provides coarse tracking of body parts, identifying the direction of a pointing hand with a median error of 12.5°, for multiple users in the environment.
Radiolabeled native low-density lipoprotein injected into patients with carotid stenosis accumulates in macrophages of atherosclerotic plaque : effect of vitamin E supplementation.

BACKGROUND Accumulation of LDL within the arterial wall appears to play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic plaque. The dynamic sequence of this event has not been fully elucidated in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS In 7 patients with previous transient ischemic attack or stroke and critical (>70%) carotid stenosis, autologous native [(125)I]-labeled LDL or [(125)I]-labeled human serum albumin were injected 24 to 72 hours before endarterectomy. Carotid specimens obtained at endarterectomy were analyzed by autoradiography and immunohistochemistry. Autoradiographic study showed that LDL was localized prevalently in the foam cells of atherosclerotic plaques, whereas the accumulation in the lipid core was negligible. Immunohistochemistry revealed that foam cells that had accumulated radiolabeled LDL were mostly CD68 positive, whereas a small number were alpha-actin positive. No accumulation of the radiotracer was detected in atherosclerotic plaques after injection of radiolabeled human serum albumin. In 3 patients treated for 4 weeks with vitamin E (900 mg/d), an almost complete suppression of radiolabeled LDL uptake by macrophages was observed. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that circulating LDL rapidly accumulates in human atherosclerotic plaque. The prevalent accumulation of LDL by macrophages provides strong support to the hypothesis that these cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Outage probability of coded cooperation over Nakagami-m fading channels and cooperation level

In coded cooperation, diversity is enhanced since cooperating nodes transmit different parts of a coded packet on different channels. In this paper, we investigate the outage probability behavior of coded cooperation relaying strategies over Nakagami-m fading channels. An exact expression for the outage probability is derived using the statistical characteristic of the signal-to-noise ratio. We also perform Monte-Carlo simulations to verify the analytical results. Then the level of cooperation is investigated by simulation, which plays an important role on the performance of the system. Finally we obtain the best cooperation level under different cases.
Sociable Machines: Expressive Social Ex-change Between Humans and Robots

Abstract : Sociable humanoid robots are natural and intuitive for people to communicate with and to teach. The author presents recent advances in building an autonomous humanoid robot, named "Kismet," that can engage humans in expressive social interaction. She outlines a set of design issues and a framework that she has found to be of particular importance for sociable robots. Having a human-in-the-loop places significant social constraints on how the robot aesthetically appears, how its sensors are configured, its quality of movement, and its behavior. Inspired by infant social development, psychology, ethology, and evolutionary perspectives, this work integrates theories and concepts from these diverse viewpoints to enable Kismet to enter into natural and intuitive social interaction with a human caregiver, reminiscent of parent-infant exchanges. Kismet perceives a variety of natural social cues from visual and auditory channels, and delivers social signals to people through gaze direction, facial expressions, body posture, and vocalizations. The author presents the implementation of Kismet's social competencies and evaluates each with respect to the following: (1) the ability of naive subjects to read and interpret the robot's social cues; (2) the robot's ability to perceive and appropriately respond to naturally offered social cues; (3) the robot's ability to elicit interaction scenarios that afford rich learning potential; and (4) how this produces a rich, flexible, dynamic interaction that is physical, affective, and social. Numerous studies with naive human subjects are described that provide the data upon which the author bases her evaluations.
Towards Security Vulnerability Detection by Source Code Model Checking

Security in code level is an important aspect to achieve high quality software. Various security programming guidelines are defined to improve the quality of software code. At the same time, enforcing mechanisms of these guidelines are needed. In this paper, we use source code model checking technique to check whether some security programming guidelines are followed, and correspondingly to detect related security vulnerabilities. Two SAP security programming guidelines related to logging sensitive information and Cross-Site Scripting attack are used as examples. In the case studies, Bandera Tool Set is used as source code model checker, and minimizing programmers' additional effort is set as one of the goals.
Cursive Word Recognition Based on Interactive Activation and Early Visual Processing Models

We present an off-line cursive word recognition system based completely on neural networks: reading models and models of early visual processing. The first stage (normalization) preprocesses the input image in order to reduce letter position uncertainty; the second stage (feature extraction) is based on the feedforward model of orientation selectivity; the third stage (letter pre-recognition) is based on a convolutional neural network, and the last stage (word recognition) is based on the interactive activation model.
Distributive segmented PCA: A novel approach to hyperspectral image compression

We propose a segmented PCA based distributed framework exploiting the high correlation and dimensionality reduction properties of PCA in conjugation with the distributed source coding paradigm for onboard hyperspectral image compression. The hybrid scheme deploying Lossy Wyner Ziv coding in conjunction with statistically segmented PCA strategy exploits the two fold intra group and inter group correlation for establishment of multiple independent processing elements evenly distributing the cumulative encoder load over the entire system. The net performance of this flexible infrastructure scheme is further increased by utilizing the superior rate distortion performance of JPEG2000 for high fidelity reconstruction of side information crucial for corresponding Wyner Ziv decoding. The inherent parallelism and low encoder complexity of the proposed scheme not only makes it a viable candidate for onboard implementation but also conforms it to subsequent multi node transmission. Experimental analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme offers a novel perspective and competitive performance as compared to other techniques in the same domain.
PERSON-SUPERVISOR FIT: IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT, AND JOB SATISFACTION

Traditional fit literature has focused on person-organization fit. However, KristofBrown, Zimmerman, and Johnson (2005) recently introduced the idea of personsupervisor fit in a meta-analysis on fit. Person-supervisor fit was hypothesized to be the degree of similarity between personality dimensions, values, and goals. This paper first defines fit and then reviews the literature on the topics that apply to person-supervisor fit. This study was conducted with supervisors (faculty members) and subordinates (graduate student teaching and research assistants) from different departments in one university to determine the relationship between person-supervisor fit with subordinates’ organizational stress, subordinates’ organizational commitment, and subordinates’ job satisfaction. Results show that match between supervisor and subordinate personality dimensions, values, and goals did not have strong relationships with the outcome variables of interest. The one exception was a significant, strong correlation between value similarity and subordinates’ organizational commitment such that the more similar the values between the pair, the lower the organizational commitment.
A comprehensive Analysis of Advanced Pricing Models for Collateralised Debt Obligations

The subject of this paper is the single tranche portfolio credit default swap or synthetic single tranche CDO, which has received a great deal of interest in recent years. Unlike single name CDS, tranche portfolio products depend on the joint default behavior of the underlying credits or in other words their default correlation.The Gaussian copula has emerged as a market standard for modeling the dependence structure and pricing CDOs. The introduction of credit indices has made it possible to compute a market implied correlation, which for the Gaussian copula results in a smile similar to the volatility smile for the Black and Scholes model in the equity options market. The smile is inconsistent with the model and causes problems for pricing bespoke CDOs. Therefore a lot of research has been devoted to develop extensions to the Gaussian copula and/or alternative pricing models that are better able to explain the correlation smile. In this thesis we will review and compare the performance of a number of advanced pricing models for collateralised debt obligations which were recently suggested, including the Base Correlation framework, the double t copula, the NIG copula and two extensions to the normal copula comprising random recovery rates and random factor loadings. The models are assessed in terms of how well they are able to replicate/explain the correlation skew in the index market. The performance of the models is tested over time for both the iTraxx and CDX 5 year index. Unlike previous research which focused on particular points in time we tested the models on a monthly basis between January 2005 and May 2006.
Large scale simulations of the hippocampus

Research aimed at developing a network model of the hippocampus based on electrophysiological and anatomical data is described. Simulations are used to examine the relationships between experiments on single cells and pairs of cells and experiments on populations of thousands of cells. The neuron model on which the network model is based is examined. The simulation methods are then discussed. Results for a series of models of progressively increasing complexity of the CA3 region are presented. <<ETX>>
Accelerating Community Detection by Using K-core Subgraphs

Community detection is expensive, and the cost generally depends at least linearly on the number of vertices in the graph. We propose working with a reduced graph that has many fewer nodes but nonetheless captures key community structure. The K-core of a graph is the largest subgraph within which each node has at least K connections. We propose a framework that accelerates community detection by applying an expensive algorithm (modularity optimization, the Louvain method, spectral clustering, etc.) to the K-core and then using an inexpensive heuristic (such as local modularity maximization) to infer community labels for the remaining nodes. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed framework can reduce the running time by more than 80% while preserving the quality of the solutions. Recent theoretical investigations provide support for using the K-core as a reduced representation.