Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The fusion of original and symmetric virtual images for image preprocessing in face recognition and collaborative representation based classification

Various poses, facial expressions and illuminations are the biggest challenges in the fields of face recognition. To overcome these challenges, we propose a simple yet novel method in this paper by using the approximately symmetrical virtual face. Firstly, based on the symmetrical characteristics of faces, we present the method to generate the virtual faces for all samples in detail. Secondly, the collaborative representation based classification method is performed on both of the original set and virtual set individually. In this way, two kinds of representation residuals of every class can be obtained. Thirdly, an adaptive weighted fusion approach is presented and utilized to integrate those two kinds of representation residuals for face recognition. Lastly, we can obtain the label of the test sample by assigning it to the class with the minimum fused residual. Several experiments are conducted which show that the proposed method not only can greatly improve the classification accuracy, but also can effectively reduce the negative influence of various poses, illuminations, and facial expressions.
PSTL-A C++ Persistent Standard Template Library

The C++ Standard Template Library provides efficient storage of data in containers, and efficient operations on such containers. While STL can be parameterized with custom allocators, these cannot be used to add persistency to the container cleasses provided by STL. Thus, we have designed the Persistent Standard Template Library (PSTL) that overcomes this by providing its own containers that are compatible with STL, but store their elements on disk. This compatibility provides a programming model that is known and more natural to C++ programmers and enables the reuse of many of the algorithms provided by STL in combination with PSTL. In this paper we discuss PSTL's design, show the challenges we faced, and how STL's design would have to be extended to provide native support for persistency.
Magnetic collapse and the behavior of transition metal oxides at high pressure

We report a detail theoretical study of the electronic structure and phase stability of transition metal oxides MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO in their paramagnetic cubic $B1$ structure by employing dynamical mean-field theory of correlated electrons combined with ab initio band-structure methods. Our calculations reveal that under pressure these materials exhibit a Mott insulator-metal transition (IMT) which is accompanied by a simultaneous collapse of local magnetic moments and lattice volume, implying a complex interplay between chemical bonding and electronic correlations. Moreover, our results for the transition pressure show a monotonous decrease from $\ensuremath{\sim}145$ to 40 GPa, upon moving from MnO to CoO. In contrast to that, in NiO, magnetic collapse is found to occur at a remarkably higher pressure of $\ensuremath{\sim}429$ GPa. We provide a unified picture of such a behavior and suggest that it is primarily a localized to itinerant moment behavior transition at the IMT that gives rise to magnetic collapse in transition metal oxides.
Dual-functional DSTATCOM with flexible mode transfer for power quality improvement

This paper proposes a dual-functional distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) with flexible mode transfer between current control mode (CCM) and voltage control mode (VCM). The DSTATCOM operates in CCM within a range of load voltage to provide load balancing, power factor correction, and load harmonic elimination. In the VCM, the DSTATCOM regulates load voltage at a reference value to protect sensitive loads from voltage disturbances. A control algorithm has been proposed to obtain the appropriate range of source voltage for which DSTATCOM operates in CCM. Outside this voltage range, DSTATCOM operates in VCM. The proposed algorithm with the dual-functional DSTATCOM exhibit various operational characteristics such that: source currents are balanced, sinusoidal, and in phase with respective phase load voltages for a defined range of source voltage; load harmonic and reactive current components are always supplied by the compensator; and load voltage is maintained at a constant voltage during voltage disturbance for protection of sensitive loads. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm and dual-functional DSTATCOM.
Sparsity Regularization and feature selection in large dimensional data.

Feature selection has evolved to be an important step in several machine learning paradigms. Especially in the domains of bio-informatics and text classification which involve data of high dimensions, feature selection can help in drastically reducing the feature space. In cases where it is difficult or infeasible to obtain sufficient number of training examples, feature selection helps overcome the curse of dimensionality which in turn helps improve performance of the classification algorithm. The focus of our research here are five embedded feature selection methods which use either the ridge regression, or Lasso regression, or a combination of the two in the regularization part of the optimization function. We evaluate five chosen methods on five large dimensional datasets and compare them on the parameters of sparsity and correlation in the datasets and their execution times.
An LVRT Control Strategy Based on Flux Linkage Tracking for DFIG-Based WECS

For doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind energy conversion systems (WECSs), large electromotive force will be induced in the rotor circuit during grid faults. Without proper protection scheme, the rotor side of DFIG will suffer from overcurrents, which may even destroy the rotor-side converter (RSC). To mitigate this problem, a new flux-linkage-tracking-based low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) control strategy is proposed to suppress the short-circuit rotor current. Under the proposed control strategy, the rotor flux linkage is controlled to track a reduced fraction of the changing stator flux linkage by switching the control algorithm of RSC during grid faults. To validate the proposed control strategy, a case study of a typical 1.5-MW DFIG-based WECS is carried out by simulation using the full-order model in SIMULINK/SimPowerSystems. In the case study, a comparison with a typical LVRT method based on RSC control is given, and the effect of the control parameter on the control performance is also investigated. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is further verified by means of laboratory experiments with a scaled-size DFIG system.
Childhood mortality differentials in Zimbabwe: evidence from two surveys.

"This paper examines the factors associated with infant mortality differentials in Zimbabwe, using data from two surveys, the 1984 ZRHS and 1988 ZDHS. An index of infant mortality based on the ratio of observed to expected deaths was used [in] the multivariate analysis as a measure of infant mortality for each woman. Infant mortality was highest among women who were illiterate, lived on commercial farms, first married before the age of 15, never used modern contraceptives or were given no prenatal care. Moreover, several significant differences among regions are highlighted. " (SUMMARY IN ITA AND FRE)
Experience Report: Assessing a Global Financial Services Company on its Enterprise Architecture Effectiveness Using NAOMI

Large organizations are increasingly recognizing the benefits of enterprise architecture, and heavily investing in it. However, many of those organizations struggle to be truly effective with architecture. In order to determine points of improvement, we have developed an approach for assessing an organization on its architecture effectiveness. Our approach differentiates from existing assessment models by considering multiple perspectives. It makes a distinction between the level of thinking about architecture, and the level of practicing it. It also gives insight in the (mis)alignment between IT and business oriented architecture functions. In this paper we describe the practical application of our assessment approach at a global financial services company
Requirement of MgtC for Brucella suis Intramacrophage Growth: a Potential Mechanism Shared by Salmonella enterica and Mycobacterium tuberculosis for Adaptation to a Low-Mg2+ Environment

ABSTRACT A Brucella suis mgtC mutant is defective for growth within macrophages and in low-Mg2+ medium. These phenotypes are strikingly similar to those observed with mgtC mutants from Salmonella enterica and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, two other pathogens that proliferate within phagosomes. MgtC appears as a remarkable virulence factor that would have been acquired by distantly related intracellular pathogens to contribute to the adaptation to a low-Mg2+ environment in the phagosome.
Evolution of Cell Division

It is widely accepted that in order for a cell to maintain its average size through several divisions, a coordination between the cell growth and cell division should exist. However, the details of this coordination is not well understood. In the recent years, several attempts have been made to propose a generic model that explains the details of the process of cell growth and its coordination with cell division. Most of these models were developed using nonlinear dynamics and mathematical modelling.
Similar incidence of graft-versus-host disease using HLA-A, -B and -DR identical unrelated bone marrow donors as with HLA-identical siblings.

Among 42 consecutive recipients of unrelated marrow were 39 HLA-A, -B, -DR identical, matched unrelated donors (MUD) and three with one HLA antigen mismatch. The majority were genomically typed for DRB, DQA, DQB and DPB. The recipients of MUD marrow were compared with 39 recipients of marrow from HLA-identical siblings with similar diagnoses, disease status and age. Each group included 24 patients with hematological malignancies, 6 with severe aplastic anemia and 9 inherited disorders. Immunosuppression consisted of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG; pre-BMT mainly to recipients of unrelated marrow), CsA and four doses of MTX. Grade I acute GVHD was treated with prednisolone 2 mg/kg. In a comparison of MUD marrow recipients and HLA-identical siblings 34 of 39 and 36 of 39 of the patients engrafted, respectively. Recipients of MUD marrow and HLA-identical siblings achieved 0.2 x 10(9) WBC/l on day 16 (median) and 14, respectively (P = 0.03). Furthermore, the recipients of MUD marrow needed more platelet transfusions (P = 0.04). The incidence of acute GVHD grade II-III was 15% in the MUD marrow recipients compared with 11% among the HLA-identical siblings. The 2-4 year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 29% and 22% in the two groups, respectively. The overall 2-year survival was 59 and 78%, respectively. Among patients with CML in chronic phase or accelerated phase (n = 26), 2-year relapse-free survival was 79% in both groups. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Modified IAI 00843-07 Version 2 1 2 A recombinant Holo-toxoid Vaccine against Botulism 3 4

Modified IAI00843-07 Version2 1 2 A recombinant Holo-toxoid Vaccine against Botulism 3 4 Christina L. Pier, William H. Tepp, Marite Bradshaw, Eric A. Johnson, Joseph 5 T. Barbieri, and Michael R. Baldwin*. 6 7 Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin and 8 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of 9 Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10 11 *Address correspondence to: 12 Michael R. Baldwin, PhD 13 Medical College of Wisconsin 14 8701 Watertown Plank Road 15 Milwaukee, WI 53226 16 Phone (414)456-8419; Fax (414)456-6535; Email mbaldwin@mcw.edu 17 18 Short title: A Holo-toxoid Vaccine against Botulism 19
Formal Specification and Verification of System of Systems Using UPPAAL: A Case Study of a Defensive Missile Systems

In this paper, we specify and verify System of Systems (SoS) using Formal Methods. As software evolved, its size and weight increased. This makes the embedded system more complex. This trend led to the concept of SoS. SoS is an integrated system, which has systems as components. This has a very large system complexity. At this time, the total system complexity is larger than each sum. Due to the complexity of the system it is very difficult to evaluate and develop the SoS appropriately. So we use system engineering. The advantages of system engineering are as follows. First, it is possible to clarify the requirements of the independent systems and the SoS requirements. Second, it is not only possible to demonstrate and evaluate independently the requirements for each system, but also to demonstrate and evaluate requirements in a SoS. At the same time, system engineering has the following challenges. First, it is difficult to simulate and model from the perspective of SoS. Second, it is difficult to verify the time constraints of SoS. In this work we try to solve this challenge using formal methods. We use model checking among Formal Methods. And we model and verify the system using a tool called UPPAAL. The reason for using UPPAAL is because the system definition of it is suitable for SoS. And because UPPAAL is suitable for verifying real-time systems. In this study, we do modelling and verify the behavior of Defensive Missile System(DMS). Through this we objectively verified the time constraints of SoS using formal methods. And we verified interoperability of DMS. And we have verified that the procedures of the DMS are logically error free and the time constraints that the DMS has. The DMS model, an implementation of our study, is reusable and extensible.
Ty1 Defect in Proteolysis at High Temperature

ABSTRACT Retrotransposition of the Ty1 element of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is temperature sensitive. Transposition activity of Ty1 is abolished at temperatures above 34°C. In this report, we show that the major block to transposition at high temperature is the inhibition of processing of the Gag-Pol-p199 polyprotein and the concomitant reduction of reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. Expression of a Ty1 protease construct in Escherichia coli shows that protease enzymatic activity is inherently temperature sensitive. In yeast, Gag processing is only partially inhibited at high temperature, while cleavage of the Gag-Pol polyprotein is completely inhibited. Sites of proteolytic processing are differentially susceptible to cleavage during growth at high temperature. Overall levels of the Gag-Pol polyprotein are reduced at high temperature, although the efficiency of the requisite +1 frameshifting event appears to be increased. RT activity is inherently relatively temperature resistant, yet no cDNA is made at high temperature and the amount of RT activity is greatly reduced in virus-like particles formed at high temperature. Taken together, these results suggest that alterations in Ty1 proteins that occur at high temperature affect both protease activity and RT activity, such that Ty1 transposition is abolished.
More on the Normalization of Syllable Prominence Ratings

The instructions under which raters quantify syllable prominence perception need to be simple in order to maintain immediate reactions. This leads to noise in the rating data that can be dealt with by normalization, e.g. setting central tendency = 0 and dispersion = 1 (as in Z-score normalization). Questions arise such as: Which parameter is adequate here to capture central tendency? Which reference distribution should the normalization be based on? In this paper 16 different normalization methods are evaluated. In a perception experiment using German read speech (prose and poetry), syllable prominence ratings were collected. From the rating data 16 complete “mirror” data-sets were computed according to the 16 methods. Each mirror data-set was correlated with the same set of measures from the underlying acoustic data, focusing on raw syllable duration which is seen as a rather straightforward acoustic aspect of syllable prominence. Correlation coefficients could be raised considerably by selected methods.
The colour change of monochromatic light with retinal angle of incidence.

The few previous measurements of the small change of apparent colour of a monochromatic light stimulus when its angle of incidence on the foveal retina is varied (or SC II effect), have been confined to changes of apparent hue. A differential, three-colour mixture method, with alternating instead of juxtaposed presentation of the test and comparison stimuli, has now been applied to determine the complete colour change, hue and saturation. For the main subject, the results show hue shifts of the expected kind and a small but significant supersaturation of the apparent colour of an obliquely, compared with a normally incident stimulus, in the wavelength range 485 to 510 mµ. From earlier qualitative observations, such a supersaturation appears to occur for most subjects. The SC II colour changes are attributable to differences in the directional response of the receptors associated respectively with the three colour systems of the trichromatic scheme. From the relative spectral sensitivities of these systems.
SDCS: Secure data centric sensor networks with multi-query optimization

In large-scale Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) the amount of data gathered require energy efficient data dissemination and data retrieval techniques. Data Centric Sensor (DCS) networks is a better approach in which the sensed data are sent to a sensor node whose name is associated with sensed data. Due to unattended nature of Wireless Sensor Networks, these sensor nodes are susceptible to different types of attacks. In this paper we propose a Secure Data Centric Sensor (SDCS) Networks that includes security and privacy support to DCS networks. In addition, we propose a multi-query optimization technique that aggregates similar queries and reduces the number of messages. Simulation and experimental results show that our work provides a secure data centric sensor network based on cryptographic keys and reduces the message overhead and incurs a minimum communication cost compared to previous works.
Robust Design Optimization of an Aerospace Vehicle Prolusion System

This paper proposes a robust design optimization methodology under design uncertainties of an aerospace vehicle propulsion system. The approach consists of 3D geometric design coupled with complex internal ballistics, hybrid optimization, worst-case deviation, and efficient statistical approach. The uncertainties are propagated through worst-case deviation using first-order orthogonal design matrices. The robustness assessment is measured using the framework of mean-variance and percentile difference approach. A parametric sensitivity analysis is carried out to analyze the effects of design variables variation on performance parameters. A hybrid simulated annealing and pattern search approach is used as an optimizer. The results show the objective function of optimizing the mean performance and minimizing the variation of performance parameters in terms of thrust ratio and total impulse could be achieved while adhering to the system constraints.
Bone tool and tuber processing: a multi-proxy approach at Boyo Paso 2, Argentina

This article provides results from a full morphological, use-wear and microfossil residue analysis of a notched bone tool made from a camelid scapula, which was recovered from the late pre-Hispanic site of Boyo Paso 2 (1500–750 years BP, Sierras of Córdoba, Argentina). The use-wear pattern showed striations similar to those recorded in experimental bone tools used for scraping activities. The starch grains found on the active or working edge are similar to the Andean tuber crop Oxalis tuberosa, and suggest that the tool was used for peeling wild or domesticated Oxalis sp. tubers, thereby questioning the disproportionate attention directed towards maize in late pre-Hispanic economies.
Interrogation of Ultrashort Bragg Grating Sensors Using Shifted Optical Gaussian Filters

Ultrashort fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) possess significant potential as weak sensing units for distributed measurements, the exploitation of which, however, have been usually limited by their inherent wide spectra which is undesirable for most traditional wavelength measurements. In this letter, we propose to use shifted optical Gaussian filters to interrogate such wide spectrum gratings. However, instead of acting like Gaussian edge filters as previously done, to take advantage of spectral feature of ultrashort gratings, here they have a role which is more like shifted matched filters. The measurement inherits the important features of a common shifted Gaussian filter interrogation technique, namely its high flexibility, natural insensitivity to intensity variations, promising future for multichannel interrogation, and a potentially wider measuring range relative to common intensity-based approaches. We believe that this simple concept for ultrashort Bragg gratings should offer the strong foundation for their future applications in distributed measurements. Interrogation of a strain-tuned ultrashort grating was accomplished, with a wide sensitivity tuning range from 2.8 to 10.4 dB/nm achieved.
Firm-Level Distortions , Trade , and International Productivity Differences

Developing countries typically exhibit small firm size, high dispersion of marginal productivity of factors across firms, and low trade-to-output ratios. They also tend to export particularly less to more distant and smaller markets. To rationalize these facts, this paper develops a flexible, multi-country general equilibrium model of production and trade in which heterogeneous producers face both domestic sizedependent distortions (SDD) and costly entry into exporting. Since larger firms have greater export-market participation, misallocation induced by SDD reduces the economy’s overall market access, trade volumes, and gains from trade, reinforcing the contraction in aggregate total factor productivity. I explore the quantitative properties of the model calibrated to firm-level and aggregate data from the manufacturing sector of 77 major economies. I find that productivity gains from reducing SDD are significantly larger when economies are open to trade. Enhanced firm selection and factor allocation across firms fully explain this amplification, whereas the contribution from changes in firm creation is actually dampened by trade. Furthermore, cross-country variation in SDD explains a substantial share of international productivity differences, but only when countries are integrated through trade. JEL classification: F12, F63, L25, O11, O47