Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accurate 3-D Reconstruction with RGB-D Cameras using Depth Map Fusion and Pose Refinement

Depth map fusion is an essential part in both stereo and RGB-D based 3-$D$ reconstruction pipelines. Whether produced with a passive stereo reconstruction or using an active depth sensor, such as Microsoft Kinect, the depth maps have noise and may have poor initial registration. In this paper, we introduce a method which is capable of handling outliers, and especially, even significant registration errors. The proposed method first fuses a sequence of depth maps into a single non-redundant point cloud so that the redundant points are merged together by giving more weight to more certain measurements. Then, the original depth maps are re-registered to the fused point cloud to refine the original camera extrinsic parameters. The fusion is then performed again with the refined extrinsic parameters. This procedure is repeated until the result is satisfying or no significant changes happen between iterations. The method is robust to outliers and erroneous depth measurements as well as even significant depth map registration errors due to inaccurate initial camera poses.
Knuckle based hand correlation for user authentication

Different hand-derived biometric traits have been used for user authentication in many commercial systems. In this paper we have investigated the possibility of using a new biometric trait, the knuckle, for user authentication. Knuckle regions are extracted from the hand images and correlation methods are used for the purpose of verification. Experimental results on a data set of 125 people show that the knuckle is a viable biometric trait, which can be used as an alternative to finger and palm prints or in conjunction with them.
Effectively Protect Your Privacy: Enabling Flexible Privacy Control on Web Tracking

Third-party tracking, which can collect the users' privacy when users are surfing the Internet, has garnered much attention. Nowadays tracker-blocking tools often use a ruleset based on the domains and elements that need to be blocked. This results in blocking all access tracking, even though the website shows no sign about tracking users' privacy. And what's more, although the tracker-blocking tools try their best to block all the third-party tracking, not all the users dislike the advertisement. Some of them think if their privacy is fine, it's all right to accept advertisements. In this paper, we present a novel framework by using Word2Vec to block third-party tracking. Our goal is to create more flexible and well-developed ruleset that can help users to protect their privacy according to their needs. Instead of blocking all access tracking, we decide to pay more attention to the websites that have a strong probability to collect the users' privacy. We use Word2Vec to classify the websites, and our results show that after using our framework, the error rate drops from 71% to 24%. We believe it brings the new blood into the field of web privacy by providing not only the new third-party tracking tool but also a novel way of thinking about how to block the third-party tracking.
A Robust Parser-Interpreter for Jazz Chord Sequences

Abstract Hierarchical structure similar to that associated with prosody and syntax in language can be identified in the rhythmic and harmonic progressions that underlie Western tonal music. Analysing such musical structure resembles natural language parsing: it requires the derivation of an underlying interpretation from an unstructured sequence of highly ambiguous elements—in the case of music, the notes. The task here is not merely to decide whether the sequence is grammatical, but rather to decide which among a large number of analyses it has. An analysis of this sort is a part of the cognitive processing performed by listeners familiar with a musical idiom, whether musically trained or not. Our focus is on the analysis of the structure of expectations and resolutions created by harmonic progressions. Building on previous work, we define a theory of tonal harmonic progression, which plays a role analogous to semantics in language. Our parser uses a formal grammar of jazz chord sequences, of a kind widely used for natural language processing (NLP), to map music, in the form of chord sequences used by performers, onto a representation of the structured relationships between chords. It uses statistical modelling techniques used for wide-coverage parsing in NLP to make practical parsing feasible in the face of considerable ambiguity in the grammar. Using machine learning over a small corpus of jazz chord sequences annotated with harmonic analyses, we show that grammar-based musical interpretation using simple statistical parsing models is more accurate than a baseline HMM. The experiment demonstrates that statistical techniques adapted from NLP can be profitably applied to the analysis of harmonic structure.
Using Partial Probes to Infer Network States

In many applications, such as the Internet and infrastructure networks, nodes fail or get congested dynamically. We study the problem of inferring all the failed nodes, when only a sample of the failures is known, and there exist correlations between node failures/congestion in networks. We formalize this as the GraphStateInf problem, using the the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle. We propose a greedy algorithm for minimizing the MDL cost, and show that it gives an additive approximation, relative to the optimal. We evaluate our methods on synthetic and real datasets, which includes one from WAZE which gives trac incident reports for the city of Boston. We nd that our method gives promising results in recovering the missing failures.
A Generalized Multiple Attributes Group Decision Making Approach Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets

The aim of this paper is to investigate an intuitionistic fuzzy sets based generalized multiple attributes group decision making (GMAGDM) adapting to the situation that the attribute sets considered by a group of experts are not the same and the decision information are provided with intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs). Firstly, we develop three general procedures to handle different intuitionistic fuzzy sets based GMAGDM issues with diverse weight information: completely known, partly known and completely unknown. Then, a novel procedure on the basis of information collection and transformation is put forward. Therein the transformation relation between the IFN and the interval-valued hesitant fuzzy element (IVHFE) is utilized. Finally, an investment selection problem is illustrated to show the reasonability and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Pricing Caching services with multiple levels of QoS

Summary form only given. Emerging caching techniques such as differential caching, push caching, etc enable preferential treatment of premium objects in a cache. By the use of appropriate placement, replacement or reporting policies, a service provider can offer multiple levels of QoS for different objects. For example, certain objects may be assigned higher priorities and be placed in a premium cache before they get pushed into the regular cache to increase their lifetime in the cache. Similar techniques open avenues for a service provider such as an IAP (Internet Access Provider) to offer several quality-differentiated services to content publishers at different prices and thus maximize revenues. We focus on the optimal pricing strategy of a caching service provider offering multiple quality levels. We analyze trade-offs between bandwidth savings and the potential to charge publishers for caching their content. We determine the optimum number of quality levels to offer and motivate a means for determining optimal allocation of the cache space among the different service classes.
Deformable hollow organ models with self-collision processing between inner surfaces

This paper presents a deformable hollow organ model considering the self-collision between the inner surfaces of a hollow organ for real-time surgical simulation. The hollow organ was modeled by the finite element method with 10400 tetrahedral elements, 2160 nodes, and 1040 inner meshes. In the model, the continuous collision detection is performed between the inner surfaces to prevent penetrations of them. As a result, it was shown that the model is well-behaved about 40 fps by a standard PC with Pentium4 3GHz and 2GB RAM.
Learning to Answer Questions by Understanding Using Entity-Based Memory Network

This paper introduces a novel neural network model for question answering, the \emph{entity-based memory network}. It enhances neural networks' ability of representing and calculating information over a long period by keeping records of entities contained in text. The core component is a memory pool which comprises entities' states. These entities' states are continuously updated according to the input text. Questions with regard to the input text are used to search the memory pool for related entities and answers are further predicted based on the states of retrieved entities. Compared with previous memory network models, the proposed model is capable of handling fine-grained information and more sophisticated relations based on entities. We formulated several different tasks as question answering problems and tested the proposed model. Experiments reported satisfying results.
An Efficient Hybrid Incompressible SPH Solver with Interface Handling for Boundary Conditions

We propose a hybrid smoothed particle hydrodynamics solver for efficientlysimulating incompressible fluids using an interface handling method for boundary conditions in the pressure Poisson equation. We blend particle density computed with one smooth and one spiky kernel to improve the robustness against both fluid–fluid and fluid–solid collisions. To further improve the robustness and efficiency, we present a new interface handling method consisting of two components: free surface handling for Dirichlet boundary conditions and solid boundary handling for Neumann boundary conditions. Our free surface handling appropriately determines particles for Dirichlet boundary conditions using Jacobi‐based pressure prediction while our solid boundary handling introduces a new term to ensure the solvability of the linear system. We demonstrate that our method outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art particle‐based fluid solvers.
Ear Recognition Using Multi-Scale Histogram of Oriented Gradients

Ear recognition is a promising biometric measure, especially with the growing interest in multi-modal biometrics. Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) have been effectively and efficiently used solving the problems of object detection and recognition, especially when illumination variations are present. This work presents a robust approach for ear recognition using multi-scale dense HOG features as a descriptor of 2D ear images. The multi-scale features assure to capture the different and complicated structures of ear images. Dimensionality reduction was performed to avoid feature redundancy and provide a more efficient recognition process while being prone to over-fitting. Finally, a test was performed on a large and realistic database and the results were compared to the state of the art ear recognition approaches tested on the same dataset and under the same test procedure.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Study of Non-conventional Morphological Brains: malnourished rats

Abstract Malnutrition during brain development can cause serious problems that can be irreversible. Dysfunctional patterns of brain activity can be detected with functional MRI. We used BOLD functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate region differences of brain activity between control and malnourished rats. The food-competition method was applied to a rat model to induce malnutrition during lactation. A 7T magnet was used to detect changes of the BOLD signal associated with changes in brain activity caused by the trigeminal nerve stimulation in malnourished and control rats. Major neuronal activation was observed in malnourished rats in several brain regions, including cerebellum, somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Statistical analysis of the BOLD signals from various brain areas revealed significant differences in somatosensory cortex between the control and experimental groups, as well as a significant difference between the cerebellum and other structures in the experimental group. This study, particularly in malnourished rats, demonstrates increased BOLD activation in the cerebellum.
Web-based multi-view video replay service system using multi-PTZ cameras

We present a novel multi-view video replay service system using multi-PTZ cameras. Proposed system firstly captures multi-view videos for an object of interest with converged multi-cameras and then synthesizes intermediate views by grid mesh-based warping at a certain time instant. Next, captured multi-camera videos and synthesized intermediate view videos are combined to generate a multi-view replay video at a certain time instant. A generated multi-view replay video is transmitted to the web-based multi-view video player and it can be showed to the viewers selectively with multi-camera videos. Test experiments verified the successful operation of the proposed system.
ActiveSearch: an agent for suggesting similar documents based on user's preferences

This paper presents the ActiveSearch Agent, a proactive agent for suggesting similar documents to the one being browsed/edited by the user. It was designed to provide access to different documents bases in the Internet (through meta-searches to available search engines), in Intranets and in local directories, as well as to process different documents' formats (e.g., HTML, DOC, PS). The retrieval process is on-line, and it is based on the document's content and on the user's preferences. The algorithm used to measure similarity between documents is based on Vector Space model. The prototype runs in Windows OS. Preliminary tests demonstrated a very good system's performance with a superiority of 34 percentile points in the precision in relation to the GoogleToolbar.
The Gas Transfer through Polar Sea ice experiment: Insights into the rates and pathways that determine geochemical fluxes

Sea ice is a defining feature of the polar marine environment. It is a critical domain for marine biota and it regulates ocean-atmosphere exchange, including the exchange of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. In this study, we determined the rates and pathways that govern gas transport through a mixed sea ice cover. N2O, SF6, 3He, 4He, and Ne were used as gas tracers of the exchange processes that take place at the ice-water and air-water interfaces in a laboratory sea ice experiment. Observation of the changes in gas concentrations during freezing revealed that He is indeed more soluble in ice than in water; Ne is less soluble in ice, and the larger gases (N2O and SF6) are mostly excluded during the freezing process. Model estimates of gas diffusion through ice were calibrated using measurements of bulk gas content in ice cores, yielding gas transfer velocity through ice (kice) of ∼5 × 10−4 m d−1. In comparison, the effective air-sea gas transfer velocities (keff) ranged up to 0.33 m d−1 providing further evidence that very little mixed-layer ventilation takes place via gas diffusion through columnar sea ice. However, this ventilation is distinct from air-ice gas fluxes driven by sea ice biogeochemistry. The magnitude of keff showed a clear increasing trend with wind speed and current velocity beneath the ice, as well as the combination of the two. This result indicates that gas transfer cannot be uniquely predicted by wind speed alone in the presence of sea ice.
The postnatal ontogeny of the sexually dimorphic vocal apparatus in goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa)

This study quantitatively documents the progressive development of sexual dimorphism of the vocal organs along the ontogeny of the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa). The major, male‐specific secondary sexual features, of vocal anatomy in goitred gazelle are an enlarged larynx and a marked laryngeal descent. These features appear to have evolved by sexual selection and may serve as a model for similar events in male humans. Sexual dimorphism of larynx size and larynx position in adult goitred gazelles is more pronounced than in humans, whereas the vocal anatomy of neonate goitred gazelles does not differ between sexes. This study examines the vocal anatomy of 19 (11 male, 8 female) goitred gazelle specimens across three age‐classes, that is, neonates, subadults and mature adults. The postnatal ontogenetic development of the vocal organs up to their respective end states takes considerably longer in males than in females. Both sexes share the same features of vocal morphology but differences emerge in the course of ontogeny, ultimately resulting in the pronounced sexual dimorphism of the vocal apparatus in adults. The main differences comprise larynx size, vocal fold length, vocal tract length, and mobility of the larynx. The resilience of the thyrohyoid ligament and the pharynx, including the soft palate, and the length changes during contraction and relaxation of the extrinsic laryngeal muscles play a decisive role in the mobility of the larynx in both sexes but to substantially different degrees in adult females and males. Goitred gazelles are born with an undescended larynx and, therefore, larynx descent has to develop in the course of ontogeny. This might result from a trade‐off between natural selection and sexual selection requiring a temporal separation of different laryngeal functions at birth and shortly after from those later in life. J. Morphol. 277:826–844, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Pelvic floor symptoms after gynaecological surgery

Introduction: Prolapse surgery has been shown to have major impact on sexual function. Since prolapse surgery not only influences psychological factors but might also influence physiological conditions such as vaginal innervation, there is a need for objective outcome measurements to better understand the effects of prolapse surgery on sexual function. Aims: To assess the effects of prolapse surgery with or without stress incontinence surgery on vaginal sensibility and to assess the relationship between vaginal wall sensibility and sexual wellbeing. Methods: This study was performed parallel to a randomized controlled trial comparing vaginal and abdominal prolapse surgery with or without incontinence surgery in women with uterine prolapse stage 2 or more. Main outcome measures: Vaginal wall sensibility was defined as mean sensation threshold to electrical stimulation of the vaginal wall at 4 standardised places, measured before and six months after surgery. Higher sensation thresholds post-surgery relative to pre-surgery indicate diminished vaginal wall sensibility. Sexual function was assessed at the same time points using a questionnaire. Results: Data on vaginal wall sensibility were obtained from 65 patients. The sensibility of the distal posterior (p=0.02) and distal anterior (p=0.10) vaginal wall decreased after vaginal surgery compared to abdominal surgery. Abdominal prolapse surgery with incontinence surgery decreased sensibility of the distal part of the anterior vaginal wall significantly more than abdominal prolapse surgery only (p=0.01). Before surgery, vaginal wall sensibility was lower in women who reported vaginal dryness or anorgasmia. The presence of genital pain was associated with higher vaginal wall sensibility. Post-operative vaginal wall sensibility was similar in women with and without sexual problems. Conclusion: Vaginal prolapse surgery as well as abdominal prolapse surgery with additional incontinence surgery resulted in decreased vaginal wall sensibility. This pilot study shows no influence of the decreased vaginal wall sensibility on sexual well-being. Larger studies are needed to better understand the association between changes in vaginal wall sensibility and changes in sexual well-being.
Peak cancellation for PAPR reduction in filter bank based multicarrier system

FBMC (Filter Bank Multi Carrier) is 5G candidate modulation technology, because it has low out of band radiation and high spectral efficiency. Also, its low out of band radiation gives advantage into scattered spectrum allocation for cognitive radio applications. But, it has high PAPR (peak to average power ratio) like OFDM or other multicarrier modulation systems. Peak cancellation is practical approach for PAPR reduction by cancelling peak by band limited cancel pulse. In this paper, low PAPR approach on FBMC by Peak cancellation is proposed. EVM and ACLR show tradeoff between in band and out of band distortion.
Verification of determining the spatial position of the lower extremity by ultrasound-based motion analyser

The objective of this study is to verify the ultrasound-based motion analysis method on 16 healthy people during gait. Ultrasound-based triplets were fixed onto the sacrum, the left and right thighs and the left and right calves. A ZEBRIS ultrasound-based motion analysis system was used for measuring the spatial coordinates of triplets during gait. The position of the nineteen anatomical points involved in the study was defined by an ultrasound-based pointer in the local coordinate system specified by the triplets before starting measurements. The spatial coordinates of the designated anatomical points can be calculated from the coordinate of triplets. The method is calibrated with interobserver and intraobserver variations. On the basis of the statistical analysis of the spatial coordinates specified by the ultrasound-based measurement method, it can be established that the measurement method is reproducible because in case of an experienced person performing measurements the maximum standard deviation of co ordinates is below 1 mm, and around 2 mm in case of a person inexperienced in measurements.
Joint user activity and data detection for grant-free non-orthogonal multiple access

Energy Harvesting is one of promising technique to solve the power limitation problem which becomes an important problem for next generation communication. Since the scheduling process of current communication systems causes heavy power consumption in serving a large number of devices, the grant-free communication becomes a viable option in machine-type communication with energy harvesting. In this paper, we propose a joint active user detection (AUD) and data detection technique for grant-free communication systems. In the proposed algorithm, once an active device is identified, the data from this device is detected for the decoding process. We show that the proposed algorithm achieves substantial performance gain over the conventional AUD in realistic uplink grant-free environments.
Optimal Route Policy in Air Traffic Control with Competing Airlines

—This work proposes a novel market-based air trafﬁc ﬂow control model considering competitive airlines in air trafﬁc network. In the ﬂow model, an agent based framework for resources (link/time pair) pricing is described. Resource agent and auctioneer for groups of resources are also introduced to simulate the ﬂow management in Air Trafﬁc Control (ATC). Secondly, the distributed group pricing algorithm is introduced, which efﬁciently reﬂect the competitive nature of the airline industry. Resources in the system are grouped according to the degree of interaction, and each auctioneer adjust s the price of one group of resources respectively until the excess demand of resources becomes zero when the demand and supply of resources of the system changes. Numerical simulation results show the feasibility of solving the air trafﬁc ﬂow control problem using market mechanism and pricing algorithms on the air trafﬁc network.