Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning animal social behavior from trajectory features

Automatically classifying behavior of humans and animals from video is one of the most interesting and challenging fields of computer vision, [3, 1, 6]. Most of the successful human behavior recognition works use as features for classification information extracted from a direct representation of the scene (visual features), as opposed to indirect representations such as silhouettes, body parts, pose or object positions, which can be very sensitive to viewpoint variation and occlusions in real-world videos [10]. In contrast, indirect representation of the scene is widely used in the case of animals [1, 6, 4]. Animal enclosures allow for a more controlled filming, which reduces viewpoint variations and occlusions, facilitating the extraction of indirect representations of objects in the scene. Moreover, animal bodies are less expressive than humans, therefore causing direct visual features to work worse on animals [2]. One of the most widely used features for animal behavior recognition is the position of animals in time (result of either manual annotations or an object detection+tracking algorithm) [1, 6, 4, 2]. From the positions, usually several trajectory features are computed, such as distance between animals, their direction of movement, velocity, acceleration, etc. These trajectory features are used, together with the behavior labels, to train a supervised classifier that learns the discriminative features across behaviors. In scenarios where videos are previously segmented 1, such as in KTH [11] or Hollywood2 [8] human datasets, a classic supervised classifier such as SVM [14] or AdaBoost [5] is often used. In more realistic scenarios, however, the task is to fully segment a continuous video into behavior intervals (behavior category, starting frame, ending frame). Most works on animal behavior recognition fall into this category [1, 6, 4, 2], while recent effort has also been made in the human action recognition community to move in this direction, e.g. Virat dataset [9]. In this scenario, more intricate classifiers are needed. In [6] authors use a two layer SVMHMM, while in [2] authors extend Auto-context [13] to video. These classifiers are able to detect behavior classes and at the same time learn behavior transitions, successfully segmenting long, continuous videos into smooth behavior intervals. In this work, we describe a novel extension of Structured SVM and benchmark it against the Auto-context method to measure its robustness and versatility. The rest of the paper is as follows: Section 2 briefly presents the two methods to be compared, Section 3 presents results on two different datasets (mice and flies) and discusses the results.
Beliefs about Language Learning of Foreign Language- Major University Students

Beliefs are a central construct in every discipline which deals with human behavior and learning. Teachers’ beliefs influence their consciousness, teaching attitude, teaching methods and teaching policies. Teachers’ beliefs also strongly influence teaching behavior and, finally, learners’ development. The formation of teachers’ educational beliefs in language teaching/learning process will exert an indiscernible effect on forming effective teaching methods and will bring about the improvement of learners’ language learning abilities (Horwitz, 1985). The Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was administered to a total of 248 foreign language-major university students at five universities. The participants were in the departments of English, German, French, Japanese and Arabic and they were all going to be the teachers of the language they were learning. Although most of the item alternatives drew slightly different percentages of responses, the overall pattern of responses remained strikingly consistent across language groups. The present findings indicate that students hold a range of beliefs with varying degrees of validity; in some cases, the term “myth” might be a more accurate characterization. Some results reported here may surprise language teaching educators and teacher trainers; others probably confirm their experiences and intuitions.
A context based adaptive arithmetic coding technique for lossless image compression

Significant progress has recently been made in lossless image compression using discrete wavelet transforms. The overall performance of these schemes may be further improved by properly designing efficient entropy coders. A new technique is introduced for the implementation of context based adaptive arithmetic entropy coding. This technique is based on the prediction of the value of the current transform coefficient, using a weighted least squares method, in order to achieve appropriate context selection for arithmetic coding. Experimental results illustrate and evaluate the performance of the proposed technique.
DISCRETE LINEAR PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR (PMSM)

This paper presents a discreet linear predictive control (DLPC). This strategy is applied to permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) for monitoring the speed at trajectory and rejection of disturbance. The predictive control law is obtained by using a cost function and a Taylor series to perform prediction in a finite horizon. No information on the external disturbances and uncertainty parameters are necessary to ensure the robustness of the proposed strategy. Furthermore, in order to maintain the current phase within the saturation we used a cascade structure with a block anti-windup. Simulation results demonstrated the stability, robustness and effectiveness of control strategy proposed for the trajectory tracking and disturbance rejection of torque.
Undirected (Solitary) Birdsong in Female and Male Blue-Capped Cordon-Bleus (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus) and Its Endocrine Correlates

Background Birdsong is a popular model system in research areas such as vocal communication, neuroethology or neuroendocrinology of behaviour. As most research has been conducted on species with male-only song production, the hormone-dependency of male song is well established. However, female singing and its mechanisms are poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings We characterised the song and its endocrine correlates of blue-capped cordon-bleus (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus), a species in which both sexes sing. Like other estrildids, they produce directed song during courtship and undirected (or solitary) song in isolation, i.e. when the mate is not visible or absent. We compare solitary song of blue-capped cordon-bleus to published descriptions of the song of its relative, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Solitary song of cordon-bleus shared some overall song features with that of zebra finches but differed in spectro-temporal song features, sequential stereotypy and sequential organisation. The song of cordon-bleus was dimorphic with respect to the larger size of syllable repertoires, the higher song duration and the lower variability of pitch goodness (measuring the pureness of harmonic sounds) in males. However, in both sexes the overall plasma testosterone concentrations were low (ca. 300 pg/ml) and did not correlate with the sexually dimorphic song motor pattern. Despite such low concentrations, the increase in the rate of solitary song coincided with an increase in the level of testosterone. Furthermore, the latency to start singing after the separation from the mate was related to hormone levels. Conclusions/Significance Our findings suggest that the occurrence of solitary song but not its motor pattern might be under the control of testosterone in female and male cordon-bleus.
Correlations between Water Maze Performance and Cortical Somatostatin mRNA and High‐affinity Binding Sites During Ageing in Rats

Somatostatin levels and high‐affinity (somatostatin‐1) binding sites are decreased in post‐mortem cortical samples of Alzheimer's disease patients but the relationships between such modifications and the cognitive deficits remain to be established. We investigated these relationships in the ageing rat. Three age groups (3–4, 14–15 and 26–27 months) were tested in a modified version of the Morris water maze. Somatostatin mRNA levels were quantified by in situ hybridization and somatostatin binding sites by radioautography using the selective agonist octreotide (SMS 201995) as a competing drug to evaluate high‐affinity (somatostatin‐1) and low‐affinity (somatostatin‐2) binding sites. The number of somatostatin mRNA‐containing cells was not modified with age or memory performance in cortical, hippocampal and hypothalamic regions, but somatostatin mRNA densities were significantly decreased with age and with memory performance in the frontal and parietal cortex. In the frontal cortex somatostatin mRNA densities were already decreased in 14‐ to 15‐month‐old rats, whereas the decrease was observed only in 26‐ to 27‐month‐old rats in the parietal cortex. A decrease in somatostatin‐1 binding was observed with memory performance, independently of age, in the basolateral amygdala only, while somatostatin‐2 binding sites were not affected. In the frontal and parietal cortex, a significant correlation occurred between the latency to find the invisible platform in the water maze and somatostatin mRNA (r= ‐0.54 and 0.59 respectively, P > 0.02). These results indicate that ageing rats with memory impairments display some of the features of the somatostatinergic deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease.
Sensor fault detection and isolation for chemical batch reactors

In this paper a scheme for detection and isolation of sensor faults in chemical batch reactors is proposed. The scheme is based on a bank of two observers for residual generation which guarantees sensor fault detection and isolation in presence of external disturbances and model uncertainties. In the observers a Hog approach is adopted for the design of the gains, while the unknown dynamics of the reactor (i.e., the heat released by the reaction) are estimated by an on-line interpolator based on a radial basis functions (RBF) neural network. Finally, the estimates provided by the observers and the sensor measures are processed by a decision making system (DMS) that provides information about the faulty sensor and an healthy measure. In order to test the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a simulation case study is developed
Eigenvector-Based Centrality Measures for Temporal Networks

Numerous centrality measures have been developed to quantify the importances of nodes in time-independent networks, and many of them can be expressed as the leading eigenvector of some matrix. With the increasing availability of network data that changes in time, it is important to extend such eigenvector-based centrality measures to time-dependent networks. In this paper, we introduce a principled generalization of network centrality measures that is valid for any eigenvector-based centrality. We consider a temporal network with N nodes as a sequence of T layers that describe the network during different time windows, and we couple centrality matrices for the layers into a supra-centrality matrix of size NT × NT whose dominant eigenvector gives the centrality of each node i at each time t. We refer to this eigenvector and its components as a joint centrality, as it reflects the importances of both the node i and the time layer t. We also introduce the concepts of marginal and conditional centralities, which facilitate the study of centrality trajectories over time. We find that the strength of coupling between layers is important for determining multiscale properties of centrality, such as localization phenomena and the time scale of centrality changes. In the strong-coupling regime, we derive expressions for time-averaged centralities, which are given by the zeroth-order terms of a singular perturbation expansion. We also study first-order terms to obtain first-order-mover scores, which concisely describe the magnitude of nodes' centrality changes over time. As examples, we apply our method to three empirical temporal networks: the United States Ph.D. exchange in mathematics, costarring relationships among top-billed actors during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and citations of decisions from the United States Supreme Court.
Energetical Modeling of Lithium-Ion Batteries Including Electrode Porosity Effects

All electrochemical batteries are characterized by an electrical behavior that depends on temperature, state of charge, and current. In the case of lithium-ion accumulators, the energetical behavior is moreover deeply marked by line effects, due to the porosity of both electrodes. This paper deals with investigations on an accurate energetical modeling of lithium-ion battery. It is shown in particular that electrode porosity can be taken into account by means of a diffusion impedance represented by a capacitive transmission line. An energetical model, which couples this line with a current independent capacitance, is proposed and characterized at constant temperature (20°C) over different state-of-charge intervals (5%) and for different currents. Reactant diffusion within the electrolyte and relaxation period after discharge are investigated as well. Validation tests carried out on a 6.8-Ah lithium-ion element are conclusive.
The Chemistry and Tumoricidal Activity of Nitric Oxide/Hydrogen Peroxide and the Implications to Cell Resistance/Susceptibility (*)

The mechanism of cytotoxicity of the NO donor 3-morpholino-sydnonimine toward a human ovarian cancer cell line (OVCAR) was examined. It was found that the NO-mediated loss of cell viability was dependent on both NO and hydrogen peroxide (HO). Somewhat surprisingly, superoxide (O) and its reaction product with NO, peroxynitrite (OONO), did not appear to be directly involved in the observed NO-mediated cytotoxicity against this cancer cell line. The toxicity of NO/HO may be due to the production of a potent oxidant formed via a trace metal-, HO-, and NO-dependent process. Because the combination of NO and HO was found to be particularly cytotoxic, the effect of NO on cellular defense mechanisms involving HO degradation was investigated. It was found that NO was able to inhibit catalase activity but had no effect on the activity of the glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx)-glutathione reductase system. It might therefore be expected that cells that utilize primarily the GSHPx-glutathione reductase system for degrading HO would be somewhat resistant to the cytotoxic effects of NO. Consistent with this idea, it was found that ebselen, a compound with GSHPx-like activity, was able to protect cells against NO toxicity. Also, lowering endogenous GSHPx activity via selenium depletion resulted in an increased susceptibility of the target cells to NO-mediated toxicity. Thus, a possible NO/HO/metal-mediated mechanism for cellular toxicity is presented as well as a possible explanation for cell resistance/susceptibility to this NO-initiated process.
The capacity of associative memories with malfunctioning neurons

Hopfield associative memories with alphan malfunctioning neurons are considered. Using some facts from exchangeable events theory, the asymptotic storage capacity of such a network is derived as a function of the parameter alpha under stability and attractivity requirements. It is shown that the asymptotic storage capacity is (1-alpha)(2)/n(4 log n) under stability and (1-alpha)(2)(1-2rho)(2)n/(4 log n) under attractivity requirements, respectively. Comparing these capacities with their maximum values corresponding to the case when there is no malfunctioning neurons, alpha=0, shows the robustness of the retrieval mechanism of Hopfield associative memories with respect to the existence of malfunctioning neurons. This result also supports the claim that neural networks are fault tolerant.
sir2 mutants of Kluyveromyces lactis are hypersensitive to DNA-targeting drugs

A Kluyveromyces lactis mutant, hypersensitive to the DNA-targeting drugs ethidium bromide (EtBr), berenil, and HOE15030, can be complemented by a wild-type gene with homology to SIR2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScSIR2). The deduced amino acid sequence of the K. lactis Sir2 protein has 53% identity with ScSir2 protein but is 108 residues longer. K. lactis sir2 mutants show decreased mating efficiency, deficiency in sporulation, an increase in recombination at the ribosomal DNA locus, and EtBr-induced death. Some functional equivalence between the Sir2 proteins of K. lactis and S. cerevisiae has been demonstrated by introduction of ScSIR2 into a sir2 mutant of K. lactis. Expression of ScSIR2 on a multicopy plasmid restores resistance to EtBr and complements sporulation deficiency. Similarly, mating efficiency of a sir2 mutant of S. cerevisiae is partially restored by K. lactis SIR2 on a multicopy plasmid. Although these observations suggest that there has been some conservation of Sir2 protein function, a striking difference is that sir2 mutants of S. cerevisiae, unlike their K. lactis counterparts, are not hypersensitive to DNA-targeting drugs.
The Effects of Inosine on Clinical and Histological Findings after Experimental Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Inosine is a naturally occurring purine nucleoside, the effect of which was discovered only in recent decades. It has potential to prevent neuronal and glial death and can stimulate axonal outgrowth. This study evalu - ated the effect of inosine (400 mg per rat) administered orally two hours after experimental spinal cord injury and continuously daily for 12 days. We observed the effect of inosine on clinical and histological changes by means of measurement of recovery of hind leg motor function and urinary bladder function, frequency of spasms, neu - ronal profile and spinal cord tissue sparing. The rats were randomly divided into three groups, SCI-Aqua and SCI-Inosine, with daily administration of aqua for injection or inosine, and SCI-Sham group without spinal injury. The motor function of hind legs and urinary bladder function were evaluated daily for 12 days after the spinal cord injury. In the SCI-Inosine group we recorded lower incidence of spasms due to spinal cord irritation in the early postoperative period when compared to the SCI-Aqua group. We used immunohistochemistry with specific neuronal antibodies to determine the neuronal profiles and the Luxol fast blue staining method to detect the white and grey matter tissue sparing. In our study we recorded significant differences in recovery between the SCI-Aqua and SCI-Inosine group from eigth days after surgery. Moreover, the post mortem investigation of transverse spinal cord sections revealed significantly higher numbers in the SCI-Inosine group (more neurons, greater tissue spar - ing). According to our findings inosine accelerates the recovery of neurological functions.
La mesure des réactions affectives en marketing : évaluation des principaux outils

L'objet de cet article est de dresser un inventaire des principales méthodes et outils de mesure des réactions affectives en marketing. Cet inventaire s'articule selon une classification tenant compte du moment de la mesure, du caractère verbal ou non, de l'intervention explicite ou non du consommateur, de la prise de mesure unique ou répétée. Après avoir précisé les avantages et les inconvénients de ces méthodes, nous concluons en présentant les caractéristiques d'un outil de mesure idéal et en nous prononçant pour la mise en oeuvre d'approches multi-méthodes.
Loiasis: the individual factors associated with the presence of microfilaraemia

Abstract No microfilariae are detectable in a significant percentage of those infected with the filarial worm Loa loa. While the probability of an infected individual becoming microfilaraemic is known to increase with age, the mechanisms underlying this trend are not well understood. Epidemiological data from an endemic village in central Cameroon were therefore explored, in an attempt to determine if, after taking into account any history of filaricidal treatment, the presence of Loa microfilaraemia in an individual was related to his/her gender, age, and/or exposure to the human-infective larvae of the parasite. An index of exposure, based on the monthly transmission potentials of the Chrysops in each of the main types of vegetation in a village and on the activity schedule of each inhabitant of the village, was developed. The results of the data analysis confirm that the acquisition of microfilaraemia is gender-dependent (males generally being more likely to be microfilaraemic than females), and indicate that, in males, a high level of exposure to infective larvae determines the shift from amicrofilaraemic to microfilaraemic status. They also indicate that filaricidal treatments have a long-lasting suppressive effect on Loa microfilaraemia, an observation that may have important implications for any strategy to limit the risk of Loa-associated encephalopathy following ivermectin treatment.
Policy Based Mobility Support in Heterogeneous Networks

The importance of mobility in networks is being increased together with its number of users and applications. However, we still do not have broadly accepted solutions for mobility in Internet or other type of networks. In particular, mobility is difficult in heterogeneous networks, where heterogeneity could expand over ownership, administration, technology, and so on. We propose for such heterogeneous networks policies as the best and more realistic way to support mobility. Policies express the interests of corresponding domains. Therefore, the accordance among policies will enable inter domain mobility that satisfies all involved parts in networking. We extend our Architecture for Heterogeneous Multi Domain networks with policy based support for mobility. We show that by applying policies, mobility is supported as trade offs among different aspects, depending on the respective administration goals. We illustrate such capability by showing how trade offs among security and network performance can be designed and obtained.
L2 Vocabulary Acquisition in Children: Effects of Learning Method and Cognate Status

In this study we investigated the effects of two learning methods (picture- or word-mediated learning) and of word status (cognates vs. noncognates) on the vocabulary acquisition of two foreign languages: English and German. We examined children from fourth and eighth grades in a school setting. After a learning phase during which L2 words were presented either together with the corresponding translation in L1 (word-learning method) or with the picture of the object to which the word refers (picture-learning method), children were tested at different points in time. The results showed that the picture-based method leads to a better performance than the word-based method, but this effect was modulated by cognate status and age of learning. On the one hand, cognates were found to facilitate the acquisition of L2 words, but when the language was familiar (i.e., English for the eighth-grade children), this effect decreased with exposure to language. On the other hand, cognate status interacted with the learning method in the older children, indicating that the word method was particularly effective for cognate words. Some implications concerning learning two languages at a time in the school setting are discussed.