Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation and comparison of three architectures for gesture recognition

Several systems for automatic gesture recognition have been developed using different strategies and approaches. In these systems the recognition engine is mainly based on three algorithms: dynamic pattern matching, statistical classification, and neural networks (NN). In this paper three architectures for the recognition of dynamic gestures using the above mentioned techniques or a hybrid combination of them are presented and compared. For all architectures a common preprocessor receives as input a sequence of color images, and produces as output a sequence of feature vectors of continuous parameters. The first two systems are hybrid architectures consisting of a combination of neural networks and hidden Markov models (HMM). NNs are used for the classification of single feature vectors while HMMs for the modeling of sequences of them with the aim to exploit the properties of both these tools. More precisely, in the first system a Kohonen feature map (SOM) clusters the input space. Further, each code-book is transformed into a symbol from a discrete alphabet and fed into a discrete HMM for classification. In the second approach a radial basis function (RBF) network is directly used to compute the HMM state observation probabilities. In the last system only dynamic programming techniques are employed. An input sequence of feature vectors is matched by some predefined templates by using the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm. Preliminary experiments with our baseline systems achieved a recognition accuracy up to 92%. All systems use input from a monocular color video camera, are user-independent but so far, they are not yet real-time.
Genetic variability of Bacillus anthracis and related species

We evaluated the abilities of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and sequences of intergenic spacer regions (ISRs) between two highly conserved genes, 16S-23S rDNA and gyrB-gyrA ISRs, to detect variation in strains of Bacillus anthracis as well as two closely related species, B. cereus ATCC 14579 and B. mycoides ATCC 6462. For each restriction enzyme, (NotI, SfiI, and SmaI), the PFGE banding patterns for three B. anthracis strains (Ames, Vollum, and Sterne) were identical. However, closely related species could be differentiated from B. anthracis and from each other. PCR amplification of the 16S-23S rDNA ISR yielded a 143- to 144-bp fragment, showing identical sequences for B. anthracis strains, one nucleotide deletion between B. cerus and B. anthracis, and 13 nucleotide differences between B. mycoides and B. anthracis. The gyrase ISR sequences (121 bp) in B. anthracis strains were also identical, but those in B. cereus and B. mycoides differed from that in B. anthracis by 1 and 2 nucleotides, respectively, and from each other by only 1 nucleotide. Given the diverse geographic origins of these B. anthracis strains, this species is very homogenous. We conclude that methods such as PFGE and sequences of ISRs may be useful in separating B. anthracis from closely related species, but more sensitive methods are needed for strain identification of B. anthracis.
Modelling aspects of face processing in early infancy

The aim of this work is to understand how face processing develops from birth to 4 months by modelling some face processing abilities of infants between these ages. The neural model reproduces experimental data regarding both visual preferences at birth and right hemisphere behaviour in 4-month-old infants. The model shows that two basic properties may be sufficient to simulate face preference at birth: (a) tuning selectivity of visual neurons for spatial frequencies and (b) limited vision (CSF) of newborns. Three additional properties are sufficient to match experimental data on face processing at 4 months: (c) plasticity of lateral connections as modelled by Bayesian networks, (d) amplification of eye importance and (e) mother bias induced by the high probability of seeing mother’s face. These conditions suggest that the neural substratum for face processing could be, at birth, the retina-V1/V2-colliculus system, and at 4 months, the activation of the RH face-Fusiform area, with configural representations stored in lateral connections.
Determining Number of Speakers in Multi-Speaker Condition with Additive Noise

The performance of speaker recognition system considerably degrades if the sample used for speaker recognition task has voices from different speakers in the close vicinity. Solutions to these problems are needed, especially for signals collected in a practical environment, such as in a room with background noise and reverberation. This paper presents a method of determining number of speakers in multi speaker condition using excitation source information. Speech in a multi speaker environment are collected using two spatially separated microphones which results in time delay of arrival of speech signals with respect to a given speaker. This time delay is estimated from the cross correlation function of Hilbert envelopes of LP Residual signals. Thus by estimating the difference in time delay for different speakers the number of speakers can be determined. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by adding different types of noise to the clean speech signal which illustrates the robustness of the proposed method.
The clinical value of computerized information services. A review of 98 randomized clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE To review all randomized clinical trials addressing the efficacy of clinical information systems and to determine the clinical settings, types of interventions, and effects studied. DATA SOURCES Extensive and systematic MEDLINE searches were conducted using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and textword terms to collect trial reports. Manual searches of books and monographs as well as informal contacts were also used. STUDY SELECTION The eligibility criteria were (1) randomized controlled clinical trial, (2) computerized information intervention in the study group, and (3) effect measured on the process or outcome of care. DATA EXTRACTION Two research assistants independently abstracted from the selected reports the following structured information: trial sites, computerized interventions, effect variables, and outcomes. Three investigators evaluated the combined list of trial features for setting, intervention, and effect. The statistical analysis included an evaluation of agreement in developing classifications and an analysis of the ratio of positive trial outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS Most information services were tested in outpatient care (82%), particularly in primary care (66%). The information intervention targeted the provider in 64% of the trials. The effect was primarily measured for the process of care (76%). Provider prompt/reminder, computer-assisted treatment planner, interactive patient education/therapy, and patient prompt/reminder were significantly successful interventions (sign test, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Randomized clinical trials confirm that four generic information interventions are active ingredients of computer systems and can make a significant difference in family medicine (physician and patient reminders, treatment planner, and patient education). To manage care and improve quality, primary care computer systems should incorporate these effective information services.
Optical Cavity Effects in ZnO Nanowire Lasers and Waveguides

Wide band gap semiconductor nanostructures with near-cylindrical geometry and large dielectric constants exhibit two-dimensional ultraviolet and visible photonic confinement (i.e., waveguiding). Combined with optical gain and suitable resonant feedback, the waveguiding behavior facilitates highly directional lasing at room temperature in controlled-growth nanowires. We have characterized the nanowire emission in detail with high-resolution optical microscopy. The waveguiding behavior of individual zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires depends on the wavelength of the emitted light and the directional coupling of the photoluminescence (PL) to the emission dipoles of the nanowire. Polarization studies reveal two distinct regimes of PL characterized by coupling to either guided (bound) or radiation modes of the waveguide, the extent of which depends on wire dimensions. Pumping with high pulse energy engenders the transition from spontaneous to stimulated emission, and analysis of the polarization, line width, and line .
Human Immune Response to Giardia lamblia Infection

The protozoan intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia is the most commonly found pathogenic parasite in Western countries and is endemic in much of North America [1]. Transmission of G. lamblia can be from person to person [2] but is more commonly waterborne, a result of the relative resistance of the organism's cysts to chlorination [3]. Clinical giardiasis ranges from asymptomatic carriage to an illness characterized by diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The disease is usually self-limited, with a mean duration of six weeks, although some patients go on to a protracted illness characterized by malabsorption and debilitation [1]. Immune mechanisms are thought to be important in giardiasis; secon~ infections are rare, and persons with congenital common variable hypogammaglobulinemia frequently fail to clear the infections [4]. Giardia-specific IgG has also been detected in patients' sera [5]. It has only been recently, with the development of a medium to support axenic culture [6], that giardia antigens have been studied in any detail. To date, no reports have been published that examine the serological response of natural infection to giardia protein fractions. We undertook this study to elucidate the major antigenic determinants of Giardia under conditions of natural human infection. We were able to demonstrate, by using an immunoblotting technique, a protein antigen that may be specifically recognized during infection.
Enhanced sterol synthesis in concanavalin A‐stimulated lymphocytes: Correlation with phospholipid synthesis and DNA synthesis

Incorporation of (14C)choline and (3H)myo‐inositol into the total lipid fraction, incorporation of (14C)acetate into the sterol fraction and incorporation of (3H)thymidine into DNA were studied in human lymphocyte cultures. Concanavalin A induced an increase in the incorporation of these labels with the following features: (a) Phospholipid synthesis was increased promptly. The lag time for the increase in sterol synthesis and DNA synthesis were 5 hours and 27 hours respectively; (b) The increase in phospholipid synthesis and sterol synthesis was proportional to ConA concentration initially. Cells treated with a high concentration of ConA showed very low levels of DNA synthesis; (c) The increase in phospholipid synthesis could be abolished immediately by α‐Methyl‐Mannoside. α‐Methyl‐Mannoside blunted but did not abolish the increase in sterol synthesis. α‐Methyl‐Mannoside enhanced DNA synthesis of those cells which had been treated by a high concentration of ConA; and (d) Selective inhibition of sterol synthesis with 25‐hydroxycholesterol did not prevent the increase in phospholipid synthesis, but it blocked the increase in DNA synthesis. Supplement of LDL, HDL or total lipoproteins to lymphocyte cultures was effective in preventing the inhibition of DNA synthesis by 25‐hydroxycholesterol. These results suggest that in lymphocyte activation by ConA phospholipid synthesis, sterol synthesis and DNA synthesis were sequentially increased. The rate of cellular commitment to mitogenesis was proportional to ConA concentrations. High concentrations of ConA arrested the cell growth at a postcommitment point in the G1 phase. Enhanced phospholipid synthesis was a precommitment event. Enhanced sterol synthesis was a postcommitment event and reflected the requirement of an increased cholesterol supply for the passage of cell growth through G1.
Separation between Estimation and Approximation

We show (under standard assumptions) that there are \textsf{NP} optimization problems for which estimation is easier than approximation. Namely, one can estimate the value of the optimal solution within a ratio of $\rho$, but it is difficult to find a solution whose value is within $\rho$ of optimal. As an important special case, we show that there are linear programming relaxations for which no polynomial time rounding technique matches the integrality gap of the linear program.
AN EVALUATION OF THREE “ALTERNATIVE” SELECTION PROCEDURES

A content-oriented strategy was used to develop three “alternative” selection inventories designed to reflect the content domain of positions held by attorneys employed with a large federal agency. These inventories and three “traditional” inventories were completed by 329 of the agency attorneys as part of a concurrent validation study. Criterion-related validities of two of the “traditional” inventories (a Background Inventory and an Interest and Opinion Inventory) and one of the alternative inventories (an “Accomplishment Record”SM Inventory were shown to be both statistically and practically significant. The special features and advantages of the “Accomplishment Record” Inventory as an alternative selection procedure are discussed.
Removing the Threat of Diclofenac to Critically Endangered Asian Vultures

Veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug diclofenac in South Asia has resulted in the collapse of populations of three vulture species of the genusGyps to the most severe category of global extinction risk. Vultures are exposed to diclofenac when scavenging on livestock treated with the drug shortly before death. Diclofenac causes kidney damage, increased serum uric acid concentrations, visceral gout, and death. Concern about this issue led the Indian Government to announce its intention to ban the veterinary use of diclofenac by September 2005. Implementation of a ban is still in progress late in 2005, and to facilitate this we sought potential alternative NSAIDs by obtaining information from captive bird collections worldwide. We found that the NSAID meloxicam had been administered to 35 captiveGyps vultures with no apparent ill effects. We then undertook a phased programme of safety testing of meloxicam on the African white-backed vultureGyps africanus, which we had previously established to be as susceptible to diclofenac poisoning as the endangered AsianGyps vultures. We estimated the likely maximum level of exposure (MLE) of wild vultures and dosed birds by gavage (oral administration) with increasing quantities of the drug until the likely MLE was exceeded in a sample of 40G. africanus. Subsequently, sixG. africanus were fed tissues from cattle which had been treated with a higher than standard veterinary course of meloxicam prior to death. In the final phase, ten Asian vultures of two of the endangered species(Gyps bengalensis,Gyps indicus) were dosed with meloxicam by gavage; five of them at more than the likely MLE dosage. All meloxicam-treated birds survived all treatments, and none suffered any obvious clinical effects. Serum uric acid concentrations remained within the normal limits throughout, and were significantly lower than those from birds treated with diclofenac in other studies. We conclude that meloxicam is of low toxicity toGyps vultures and that its use in place of diclofenac would reduce vulture mortality substantially in the Indian subcontinent. Meloxicam is already available for veterinary use in India.
Mental Imagery in Congenitally Blind Children

Ten totally and congenitally blind children, aged 3–9, and a matching group of 10 sighted children were asked to describe, first from memory and then through tactual exploration, selected common objects. The aim was to examine the children's mental representation of the objects. Through a statistical and qualitative analysis of the number and types of attributes that the children assigned to the objects, the author was able to compare the similarities and differences between the blind children's tactually based conceptualization of objects and the sighted children's visually guided conceptualization. The findings led to conclusions about the nature and development of language in blind children, the educational needs of congenitally blind children, and the common linguistic experiences of blind and sighted children.
Fast, Provable Algorithms for Isotonic Regression in all L_p-norms

Given a directed acyclic graph $G,$ and a set of values $y$ on the vertices, the Isotonic Regression of $y$ is a vector $x$ that respects the partial order described by $G,$ and minimizes $||x-y||,$ for a specified norm. This paper gives improved algorithms for computing the Isotonic Regression for all weighted $\ell_{p}$-norms with rigorous performance guarantees. Our algorithms are quite practical, and their variants can be implemented to run fast in practice.
Collaboration and Co-Construction of Knowledge During Language Awareness Activities in Canadian Elementary School

Drawing on Language Awareness (LA) approaches developed for francophone classrooms and a sociocultural theoretical perspective on language and learning that posits the genesis of new knowledge construction is situated in social interactions and shaped by socio-historical context, we conducted a small-scale case study of the implementation of LA activities in elementary school. Fieldwork practices included observing and videotaping classroom interactions among French Immersion students in Vancouver and students from the mainstream francophone programme and classes d'accueil in Montreal, individual and focus group interviews with students, and collecting relevant documents for context description. In this paper, our analysis of data demonstrates how LA activities enabled teachers to engage students in focused discussions about language diversity and fostered the emergence of a community of learners who had access to a repertoire of languages that expanded beyond official languages. We examine how collaborative LA activities encouraged students to draw on collective language resources to approach languages unknown by the majority. We argue that valuing and sharing knowledge of diverse languages in classroom discussions fostered the discursive co-construction of new knowledge about the evolution of languages, relationships between languages, as well as a critical stance on the relative status of languages.
Study on the Model of Demand Forecasting Based on Artificial Neural Network

The issue of the modeling for the distribution management based on demand forecasting. ANN(Artificial Neural Network,for short ANN) model is applied to the field of demand forecasting. The modeling of market demand forecasting is built using BP algorithm. The model of forecasting is established by Simulation model of MATLAB. Based on them, a simple numerical example is given to test and forecast with three-layer BP network model.
Evaluation Use: Theory, Research, and Practice since 1986

As part of a larger effort by members of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Topical Interest Group on Evaluation Use (TIGEU), we undertook an extensive review and synthesis of literature in evaluation use published since 1986. We observe several recent developments in theory, research and practice arising from this literature. These developments include: the rise of considerations of context as critical to understanding and explaining use; identification of process use as a significant consequence of evaluation activity; expansion of conceptions of use from the individual to the organization level; and diversification of the role of the evaluator to facilitator, planner and educator/trainer. In addition, understanding misutlilization has emerged as a significant focus for theory and to a limited extent, research. The article concludes with a summary of contemporary issues, particularly with regard to their implications for evaluation practice.
The Acquisition of Subject and Object Wh-Questions

This article examines the acquisition of subject and object wh-questions by English-speaking children. The acquisitional predictions of several recent linguistic descriptions of subject and object questions are described and tested experimentally using the CHILDES transcripts of 12 English-speaking children. Analyses of these transcripts revealed that, contrary to previous reports and the prediction made by the Wh-subject In Situ and Small Clause Hypotheses, object, questions were acquired, at the same age or earlier than subject questions. Additional analyses revealed that this acquisitional ordering was not merely a reflection of the frequency with which children or adults asked subject and object questions, nor did it seem to be due to the greater noticeability of object gaps than subject gaps. One possibility that is consistent with all the results is that the acquisitional ordering reflects the way in which subject and object traces are governed.
Designing automatic power saving on virtualization environment

Currently, the data center is equipped with a huge number of servers, storage and networking devices. Aided by the virtualization technology, the population of servers in the data center can be dramatically reduced, thus enabling a very significant reduction in the power consumption, reduced operational costs, and also enhanced corporate competitiveness. Built upon the virtualization technology and the resource allocation, therefore, this paper will utilize the pre-defined scenario model to propose the scenario-based APS technology. Meanwhile, this research can also integrate the Linux platform to develop the user interface for the scenario-based APS. Furthermore, the virtual framework of the Open Source Hypervisor was set as the standard to verify the model's accuracy and to practically examine the user interface's feasibility. For scenario-based APS technology, the SAMI can construct the pre-defined scenarios model based on actual applications resource requests. Basically, the APS can set the server without workload to standby mode for power saving. Hence, the APS can automatically execute the power distribution optimization from SAMI. When the supervisor discovers any load changes under virtual environment, the wake-up function of the APS would activate the server and then execute live migration of the virtual machines (VM) by utilizing automatic workload balancer. This can achieve a workload balancing for the server and provide a virtualization environment with guaranteed performance for the network or cloud platform. By analyzing the experimental results, the proposed Scenario-Based APS can achieve a approximately 21% reduction in power consumption. Also, the operational performance of the virtual machine can also be safeguarded under the efficient operation of such power-saving model.