Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Type Variation Viseme Variation Simultaneous Variation Expression Variation Facial Type , Expression , and Viseme Generation ( sap _ 0202 )

The process of generating facial models and various poses of these models is a necessary part of most present-day movies, and usually required for any interactive game which features humans as a primary character. The generation of this face data can be approached in ways varying from pure computation to pure data acquisition. Computational models are flexible but can lack realism and intuitive or simple controls, while data-driven models produce realistic faces, but necessitate the often slow and cumbersome capture of new scan data for every desired set of face attributes. Our method is a hybrid approach, which combines a relatively small set of real world facial data with a computational algorithm that learns the underlying variations in this geometric information automatically. Given a sparse data set that spans variation in viseme, face type, and expression, we are able to generate new faces that exhibit combinations of these attributes, and were never part of the original data set. We rely on user-assisted categorization of our sparse data set to associate each piece of face data with a small set of attribute contributions, and then use this categorization data as a guide for binding abstract variation to concrete parameters. This process takes the complex, subtle, and often subjective qualities associated with visemes, expressions, and face types, and correlates them to known geometric features, in order to facilitate the creation of entirely new face poses.
First Two-Micron Imaging Polarimetry of β Pictoris

High-resolution K-band imaging polarimetry of the β Pic dust disk has been conducted with adaptive optics and a coronagraph using the Subaru 8.2 m telescope. Polarization of ~10% is detected out to r ~ 120 AU with a centrosymmetric vector pattern around the central star, confirming that the disk is seen as an infrared reflection nebula. We have modeled our near-infrared and previous optical polarization results in terms of dust scattering in the disk and have found that both the degrees of polarization and the radial intensity profiles are well reproduced. We argue that the observed characteristics of the disk dust are consistent with the presence of ice-filled fluffy aggregates consisting of submicron grains in the β Pic system. There is a gap around 100 AU in both the intensity and polarization profiles, which suggests a paucity of planetesimals in this region. The radial intensity profile also shows ripple-like structures, which are indicative of the presence of multiple planetesimal belts, as in the case of the M-type Vega-like star AU Mic.
Dependency of Network Structures in Agent Selection and Deployment

This paper shows that the statistical properties of the network topology are indispensable information for improving performance of multi-agent systems (MASs), though they have not received much attention in previous MAS research. In particular we focus on the applicability of the degree of an agent-the number of links among neighboring agents- to load-balancing for the agent selection and deployment problem. The proposed selection algorithm does not need global information about the network structure and only requires the degree of a server agent and the degrees of the nodes neighboring the server agent. Through simulation of several topologies reproduced by the theoretical network models, we show that the use of the local topological information significantly improves the fairness of the servers even for a large-scale network. We also find that the key mechanisms for load-balancing in a given network topology are highly asymmetric degree characteristics (scale- free) and the negative degree correlation.
1996 Control and Decision Conference Kobe , Japan

Lagrangian control systems that are diierentially at with at outputs that only depend on connguration variables are said to be connguration at. We provide a complete characterisation of connguration atness for systems with n degrees of freedom and n ? 1 controls whose range of control forces only depends on connguration and whose Lagrangian has the form of kinetic energy minus potential. The method presented allows us to determine if such a system is connguration at and, if so provides a constructive method for nding all possible connguration at outputs. Our characterisation relates connguration atness to Riemannian geometry. We illustrate the method by two examples.
A novel behavorial model of power amplifier based on a dynamic envelope gain approach for the system level simulation and design

This paper presents a novel and non quasi static behavioral ( black box) model of power amplifiers. It takes into account nonlinear memory effects for an accurate prediction of signal distortions and power budget in communication systems. The model topology and the model extraction procedure are described. The model proposed in this paper can be derived either from envelope simulation results of a PA circuit design or from time domain envelope measurements of a PA driven by modulated stimuli. Examples of new measurements (i.e. : dynamic AM/AM conversion characteristics) highlight nonlinear memory of SSPAs. The behavioral model proposed is very well suited for an efficient implementation in system level software packages because it consists of an extension of the complex envelope gain function. The proposed complex gain which depends on the input envelope and its first time derivatives provides a great enhancement as compared to the memoryless static complex gain derived from classical AM/AM and AM/PM conversion characteristics.
Robust Height Estimation of Moving Objects From Uncalibrated Videos

This paper presents an approach for video metrology. From videos acquired by an uncalibrated stationary camera, we first recover the vanishing line and the vertical point of the scene based upon tracking moving objects that primarily lie on a ground plane. Using geometric properties of moving objects, a probabilistic model is constructed for simultaneously grouping trajectories and estimating vanishing points. Then we apply a single view mensuration algorithm to each of the frames to obtain height measurements. We finally fuse the multiframe measurements using the least median of squares (LMedS) as a robust cost function and the Robbins-Monro stochastic approximation (RMSA) technique. This method enables less human supervision, more flexibility and improved robustness. From the uncertainty analysis, we conclude that the method with auto-calibration is robust in practice. Results are shown based upon realistic tracking data from a variety of scenes.
A COMPACT, LOW POWER TWO-AXIS SCANNING LASER RANGEFINDER FOR MOBILE ROBOTS

: By combining a high speed, highly accurate single point laser range sensor with a custom high speed, compact scanning mechanism, a sensor has been developed which can provide high resolution images at a rate sufficient to support autonomous navigation and building mapping. The design is simple and elegant using only two actuators and a single mirror arranged in a gyroscope-style layout. The prototype can resolve distances from 0 to 10m with a variance of less than 1mm and has a perceptual range of 360 continuous degrees HFOV and –10 to +15 degrees VFOV. Power consumption is less than 10W in full-scan mode, and the scanner occupies a volume of less than 3,100cm 3 . These features make it attractive for use in mobile robot systems where both power and space are at a premium.
PeerCluster: A Cluster-Based Peer-to-Peer System

This paper proposes a cluster-based peer-to-peer system, called PeerCluster, for sharing data over the Internet. In PeerCluster, all participant computers are grouped into various interest clusters, each of which contains computers that have the same interests. The intuition behind the system design is that by logically grouping users interested in similar topics together, we can improve query efficiency. To efficiently route and broadcast messages across/within interest clusters, a hypercube topology is employed. In addition, to ensure that the structure of the interest clusters is not altered by arbitrary node insertions/deletions, we have devised corresponding JOIN and LEAVE protocols. The complexities of these protocols are analyzed. Moreover, we augment PeerCluster with a system recovery mechanism to make it robust against unpredictable computer/network failures. Using an event-driven simulation, we evaluate the performance of our approach by varying several system parameters. The experimental results show that PeerCluster outperforms previous approaches in terms of query efficiency, while still providing the desired functionality of keyword-based search
Analysis on bilateral control system with time delay based on mechanical power factor as performance index

This paper studies analysis of bilateral control system with time delay based on mechanical power factor (MPF) concept. MPF is an interesting and useful performance index for evaluation of motion control systems. In this paper, first, effect of time delay and the effectiveness of a time-delay compensation method by using communication disturbance observer (CDOB) in bilateral control systems are analyzed based on MPF. Then, effects of the controller gains on the performance are studied also based on MPF. The obtained analysis results will be useful guidelines for design of bilateral control systems with time delay.
Adding Semantic Information into Data Models by Learning Domain Expertise from User Interaction

Interactive visual analytic systems enable users to discover insights from complex data. Users can express and test hypotheses via user interaction, leveraging their domain expertise and prior knowledge to guide and steer the analytic models in the system. For example, semantic interaction techniques enable systems to learn from the user's interactions and steer the underlying analytic models based on the user's analytical reasoning. However, an open challenge is how to not only steer models based on the dimensions or features of the data, but how to add dimensions or attributes to the data based on the domain expertise of the user. In this paper, we present a technique for inferring and appending dimensions onto the dataset based on the prior expertise of the user expressed via user interactions. Our technique enables users to directly manipulate a spatial organization of data, from which both the dimensions of the data are weighted, and also dimensions created to represent the prior knowledge the user brings to the system. We describe this technique and demonstrate its utility via a use case.
Video clip retrieval using local phase quantization

The steady rise in use of smart phones equipped with latest features and access to media capturing and editing devices has caused the growth in multimedia content. Videos are a part of multimedia. To harness the information and data present in videos a robust and accurate content based video retrieval system is required. This paper presents a similar video clip retrieval system using texture feature called local phase quantization(LPQ) descriptor. This texture descriptor is formed by taking the histogram of codewords. This codeword is formed by quantizing the phase information computed within a window around each pixel in the image. The use of phase information makes LPQ descriptor robust to illumination and blur variations. Robustness and suitability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by carrying out experiments using videos from TRECVID 2007 dataset.
Fast magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging using RF coil arrays

Conventional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) suffers from both low signal-to-noise (SNR), as well as long acquisition times. The development of high-fidelity gradient coils has opened opportunities for fast k-space encoding schemes that are already used in structural imaging. At the same time, receive-coil arrays using 4 and 23 channels have been developed and reported to produce improved SNR over conventional quadrature detection by single coils. Fast spectroscopic imaging algorithm using spiral k-space trajectories and multiple-channel coil arrays is proposed in order to overcome the long acquisition-time limitations of conventional MRSI. Thesis Supervisor: Elfar Adalsteinsson Title: Robert J. Shillman Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology
An Approach of Automated Test Cases Generation in Database Stored Procedure Testing

The testing of database and application system is an important issue in software testing and it is concerned by academic research recently. This paper proposed an approach that combined white-box testing with black-box testing for database stored procedures testing. This method selected a set of testing path by the technique of path coverage and generated test cases by the technique of program slices. The experiments proved that the approach can be used for test cases generation efficiently and implemented the path coverage testing. This approach provided a reference for the testing of program which is coded by the forth-generation programming language.
Numerical analysis of a penalization method for the three-dimensional motion of a rigid body in an incompressible viscous fluid

We present and analyze a penalization method wich extends the the method of [1] to the case of a rigid body moving freely in an incompressible fluid. The fluid-solid system is viewed as a single variable density flow with an interface captured by a level set method. The solid velocity is computed by averaging at avery time the flow velocity in the solid phase. This velocity is used to penalize the flow velocity at the fluid-solid interface and to move the interface. Numerical illustrations are provided to illustrate our convergence result. A discussion of our result in the light of existing existence results is also given. [1] Ph. Angot, C. -H. Bruneau and P. Fabrie, A penalization method to take into account obstacles in incompressible viscous flows, Numer. Math. 81: 497--520 (1999)
The Role of Collybistin in Gephyrin Clustering at Inhibitory Synapses: Facts and Open Questions

Collybistin (Cb) is a brain-specific GDP/GTP-exchange factor, which interacts with the inhibitory receptor anchoring protein gephyrin. Data from mice carrying an inactivated Cb gene indicate that Cb is required for the formation and maintenance of gephyrin and gephyrin-dependent GABAA receptor (GABAAR) clusters at inhibitory postsynapses in selected regions of the mammalian forebrain. However, important aspects of how Cb’s GDP/GTP-exchange activity, structure, and regulation contribute to gephyrin and GABAAR clustering, as well as its role in synaptic plasticity, remain poorly understood. Here we review the current state of knowledge about Cb’s function and address open questions concerning its contribution to synapse formation, maintenance, plasticity, and adaptive changes in response to altered network activity.
AUTOMATIC TOPIC SEGMENTATION AND LABELING IN MULTIPARTY DIALOGUE

This study concerns how to segment a scenario-driven multiparty dialogue and how to label these segments automatically. We apply approaches that have been proposed for identifying topic boundaries at a coarser level to the problem of identifying agenda-based topic boundaries in scenario-based meetings. We also develop conditional models to classify segments into topic classes. Experiments in topic segmentation show that a supervised classification approach that combines lexical and conversational features outperforms the unsupervised lexical chain-based approach, achieving 20% and 12% improvement on segmentating top-level and sub-topic segments respectively. Experiments in topic classification suggest that it is possible to automatically categorize segments into appropriate topic classes given only the transcripts. Training with features selected using the Log Likelihood ratio improves the results by 13.3%.
Neural Correlates of Tactile Detection: A Combined Magnetoencephalography and Biophysically Based Computational Modeling Study

Previous reports conflict as to the role of primary somatosensory neocortex (SI) in tactile detection. We addressed this question in normal human subjects using whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording. We found that the evoked signal (0–175 ms) showed a prominent equivalent current dipole that localized to the anterior bank of the postcentral gyrus, area 3b of SI. The magnitude and timing of peaks in the SI waveform were stimulus amplitude dependent and predicted perception beginning at ∼70 ms after stimulus. To make a direct and principled connection between the SI waveform and underlying neural dynamics, we developed a biophysically realistic computational SI model that contained excitatory and inhibitory neurons in supragranular and infragranular layers. The SI evoked response was successfully reproduced from the intracellular currents in pyramidal neurons driven by a sequence of lamina-specific excitatory input, consisting of output from the granular layer (∼25 ms), exogenous input to the supragranular layers (∼70 ms), and a second wave of granular output (∼135 ms). The model also predicted that SI correlates of perception reflect stronger and shorter-latency supragranular and late granular drive during perceived trials. These findings strongly support the view that signatures of tactile detection are present in human SI and are mediated by local neural dynamics induced by lamina-specific synaptic drive. Furthermore, our model provides a biophysically realistic solution to the MEG signal and can predict the electrophysiological correlates of human perception.
TP model-based robust stabilization of the 3 degrees-of-freedom aeroelastic wing section

Active stabilisation of the 2 and 3 degrees-of-freedom (DoF) aeroelastic wind sections with structural nonlinearities led to various control solutions in the recent years. The paper proposes a control design strategy to stabilise the 3 Dof aeroelastic model. It is assumed that the aeroelastic model has uncertain parameters in the trailing edge dynamics and only one state variable, the pitch angle is measurable, therefore, robust output feedback control solution is derived based on the Tensor Product (TP) type convex representation of the aeroelastic model. The control performance requirements include robust asymptotic stability and constraint on the l2 norm of the control signal. The control performance requirements are formulated in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). As the first step of the proposed strategy, the TP type model is obtained by executing TP transformation. As the second step, LMI based control design is performed resulting in controller and observer solution defined with the same polytopic structure as the TP type model. The validation and evaluation of the derived control solutions is based on numerical simulations.
Ultraviolet Fe ii emission in z∼ 2 quasars

We present spectra of six luminous quasars at z ∼ 2, covering rest wavelengths 1600-3200 A. The fluxes of the UV Fe II emission lines and Mg II λ2798 doublet, the line widths of Mg II and the 3000 A luminosity were obtained from the spectra. These quantities were compared with those of low-redshift quasars at z = 0.06-0.55 studied by Tsuzuki et al. In a plot of the Fe II(UV)/Mg II flux ratio as a function of the central black hole mass, Fe II(UV)/Mg II in our z ∼ 2 quasars is systematically greater than in the low-redshift quasars. We confirmed that luminosity is not responsible for this excess. It is unclear whether this excess is caused by rich Fe abundance at z ∼ 2 over low-redshift or by non-abundance effects such as high gas density, strong radiation field and high microturbulent velocity.
Carcinogenesis during Thyroid γ Proliferator-activated Receptor Expression and Transcriptional Activity of Peroxisome Represses the β Mutant Thyroid Hormone Receptor

The molecular genetics underlying thyroid carcinogenesis is not clear. Recent identification of a PAX8-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR ) fusion gene in human thyroid follicular carcinoma suggests a tumor suppressor role of PPAR in thyroid carcinogenesis. Mice harboring a knockin mutant thyroid hormone receptor (TR PV) spontaneously develop thyroid follicular carcinoma through pathological progression of hyperplasia, capsular invasion, vascular invasion, anaplasia, and eventually, distant organ metastasis. This mutant mouse (TR PV/PV mouse) provides an unusual opportunity to ascertain the role of PPAR in thyroid carcinogenesis. Here, we show that the expression of PPAR mRNA was repressed in the thyroid gland of mutant mice during carcinogenesis. In addition, TR PV acted to abolish the ligand (troglitazone)-mediated transcriptional activity of PPAR . These results indicate that repression of PPAR expression and its transcriptional activity are associated with thyroid carcinogenesis and raise the possibility that PPAR could be tested as a therapeutic target in thyroid follicular carcinoma.
Predictors of Social Distance Toward People with Obesity: The Role of Allophilia

Antifat attitudes refer to the prejudicial assumption of personality characteristics based on a visual assessment of a person with obesity. Allophilia may be defined as the positive attitudes toward different out-groups, including people with obesity. In this study, conducted with 448 participants, it is analyzed whether allophilia, germ aversion, physical disgust, social dominance orientation, perceived controllability of weight, and fear of gaining weight play a central role in explaining the individual differences that exist in social distance toward individuals with obesity. Results showed a negative correlation between the different subscales of allophilia (affection, comfort, kinship, engagement, and enthusiasm) and social distance. Furthermore, a positive relationship between social distance and germ aversion, social dominance orientation, perceived controllability of weight, and fear of gaining weight was found. Moreover, the regression analyses conducted showed that comfort was the best negative predictor of social distance toward individuals with obesity. Finally, the results are discussed in the frame of antifat attitudes literature, suggesting new ways to reduce this pervasive stigma.
Near Optimal Non-truthful Auctions

In several e-commerce applications, non-truthful auctions have been preferred over truthful weakly dominant strategy ones partly because of their simplicity and scalability. Although non-truthful auctions can have weaker incentive constraints than truthful ones, the question of how much more revenue they can generate than truthful auctions is not well understood. We study this question for natural and broad classes of non-truthful mechanisms, including quasi-proportional sharing and weakly monotonic auctions. Quasi-proportional sharing mechanisms allocate to each bidder i an amount of resource proportional to a monotonic and concave function f(bi) where bi is the bid of bidder i and ask for a payment of bi. Weakly monotonic auctions refer to a more general class of auctions which satisfy some natural continuity and monotonicity conditions. We prove that although weakly monotonic auctions are much broader and require weaker incentive constraints than dominant strategy auctions, they are not more powerful with respect to the revenue in the setting of selling a single item. Furthermore, we show that quasi-proportional sharing with multiple bidders cannot guarantee a revenue that is larger than the second highest valuation, asymptotically as the number of bidders grows large. However, in a more general single-parameter setting modeled by a downwardclosed set system, a version of the proportional sharing mechanism can obtain a constant factor of the optimal social welfare of the game where the highest valuation is replaced by the second highest valuation, which is essentially the best revenue benchmark in the prior-free framework. This is in sharp contrast to weakly dominant strategy mechanisms that cannot achieve better than log n approximation for this benchmark.