Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonintrusive 3-D face data acquisition system

This paper describes a nonintrusive three-dimensional (3-D) face data acquisition system consisting of a stereo vision system and an 850 nm near-infrared line laser. Although a two-dimensional (2-D) face recognition system can achieve a reliable recognition rate, its performance can be degraded by illumination and pose variation. To alleviate these factors in 2-D face recognition, 3-D face recognition has received much attention. To develop a reliable 3-D face recognition system, many researchers have also focused on 3-D face data acquisition. Earlier 3-D face acquisition systems use visible patterns as features to obtain accurate 3-D data, which makes anyone who wants to be verified uncomfortable. In this paper, we propose a novel 850 nm infrared line laser pattern which is almost invisible for 3-D face data acquisition. The reconstructed 3-D face data consists of over 20,000 3-D points; these data can be used effectively for 3-D face recognition.
Crowdsourcing-based architecture for post-disaster geolocation: A comparative performance evaluation

In the aftermath of a natural or industrial disaster, locating individuals is crucial. However, disasters can cause extensive damage to the network infrastructures and a generalized loss of communication among survivors. In this article, we present a network support solution that provides a post-disaster geolocation-collecting service that relies on inter mobile device connections. On top of this dynamically built network, survivors' mobile devices exchange information about geolocation of others they have encountered. Such information is routed towards predefined data collection centers using either the DTN Epidemic or Spray and Wait DTN protocol. Experiments were conducted on the ONE simulator and performance evaluation results confirm the effectiveness of our proposal.
Computer-assisted stereotaxis: new approaches for the management of intracranial intra-axial tumors

Modifications of traditional stereotactic procedures have provided new options for the diagnosis and treatment of intracranial intra-axial neoplasms. The development of specific computer software for the incorporation of CT, MRI, and digital angiography data bases into a stereotactically defined computer image matrix for treatment planning and for interactive surgery allows a precision never before possible. These tumors may be stereotactically biopsied and treated by the stereotactic implantation of radionuclide sources or resected using computer-assisted stereotactic laser microsurgical techniques.
Who Chooses Best? Explaining the Interactive Effect of Culture and Decision Maker on Children’s Intrinsic Motivation

In previous research, Asian Americans had higher levels of intrinsic motivation than European Americans when their mothers made choices for them. However, European Americans had higher levels of intrinsic motivation than Asian Americans when they made choices for themselves. We attempted to explain this effect by examining cultural differences in social perceptions of the choice situation in two studies. Study 1 found that feelings of closeness with parents and beliefs about who has better long-term foresight mediated the predicted group differences in intrinsic motivation in a parent-choice condition when comparing Indian and Chinese undergraduates with European American undergraduates. However, perceptions of how acceptable it is for the decision maker to make the choice mediated group differences in intrinsic motivation in a personal-choice condition. Although there were some exceptions, Study 2 generally replicated these findings in a comparison of Indian and European American undergraduates, and showed that cultural differences in beliefs about how accurately the decision maker knows and takes into account the participants’ immediate preferences played an additional mediating role in the personal-choice condition, as did personal foresight. These studies suggest that cultural differences in how children construe decision making affect the relationship of such decision making to resultant intrinsic motivation.
Methods for Differentiating Prion Types in Food-Producing Animals

Prions are an enigma amongst infectious disease agents as they lack a genome yet confer specific pathologies thought to be dictated mainly, if not solely, by the conformation of the disease form of the prion protein (PrPSc). Prion diseases affect humans and animals, the latter including the food-producing ruminant species cattle, sheep, goats and deer. Importantly, it has been shown that the disease agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is zoonotic, causing variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. Current diagnostic tests can distinguish different prion types and in food-producing animals these focus on the differentiation of BSE from the non-zoonotic agents. Whilst BSE cases are now rare, atypical forms of both scrapie and BSE have been reported, as well as two types of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. Typing of animal prion isolates remains an important aspect of prion diagnosis and is now becoming more focused on identifying the range of prion types that are present in food-producing animals and also developing tests that can screen for emerging, novel prion diseases. Here, we review prion typing methodologies in light of current and emerging prion types in food-producing animals.
Reachability Analysis for Timed Automata Using Partitioning Algorithms

The paper presents a new method for checking reachability properties of Timed Automata. The idea consists in on-the-fly verification of a property on a pseudo-bisimulating model generated by a modified partitioning algorithm. Pseudo-bisimulating models are often much smaller than forward-reachability graphs commonly used in reachability analysis. A theoretical description of the algorithm is supported by several experimental results.
A linguistic approach to the detection of minimal language dysfunction in aphasia.

Linguistic tests, based on an expressive language sample and clinical tests of aphasia, were administered to a minimally impaired aphasic subject in an attempt to compare their relative utility and sensitivity. Tests based on a linguistic framework were found to be far more sensitive to the errors in the subject's language than traditional clinical tests. Specifically, the linguistic tests isolated difficulties with the processing of deep structure relations of complex sentences. Various reasons for the results are suggested and some points are made regarding the validation of theoretical constructs through aphasic language data. A suggested model for the classification, testing and therapy of aphasic disorders, based on linguistic theory, is postulated.
Initial psychometric properties of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth – Revised for Adolescents

The purpose of the study was to establish the initial psychometric properties of the Inventory of Functional Status After Childbirth, Revised for Adolescents (IFSAC‐RA). Design: Descriptive, psychometric study. Methods: Initially, data were collected from adolescent mothers about their roles and activities (domains of functioning), and a 44‐item IFSAC‐RA was created. Ten national experts provided a content validity index (CVI) of each item and the total instrument. The instrument was further revised by the author, and a 29‐item IFSAC‐RA was sent back to the 10 experts. Once again, the experts provided a CVI for each item and for the total instrument. Results: CVI for the 44‐item instrument ranged from . 3 to 1.0. Fifteen items with CVIs lower than . 78 were eliminated. CVIs for the 29‐item instrument ranged from . 6 to 1.0. Six items were eliminated. The 23‐item IFSAC‐RA is now ready for further psychometric testing with adolescent mothers. Conclusion: The study provides a model for instrument development and revision before use in research studies with populations different from the sample for which the instrument was developed. The IFSAC‐RA is needed to document baseline functioning and the effectiveness of depression treatment in adolescent mothers with postpartum depression.
Totem and Metaphor: The Concept of Network as a Symbolical Operator

The word `network' is so fashionable that its use can some-times be seen as more incantative than descriptive. Instead of discussing the concept, we focus here on the word and the way it is used. Our hypothesis is that it can be seen as a kind of totem, in Levi-Strauss' sense, providing a `method of thinking'. To grasp its efficiency, we have to look at it as a part of a homological-rather than causal-way of thinking. Through analysis of the use of the word in two different contexts, we shall try to shed light on this `homological way of thinking', which proceeds via the whole, rather than via the part; by hand rather than by mind; by the concrete rather than by abstraction.
Computer Based Payroll System Implementation For E-Governance at Punjab Agricultural University

Payroll is a critical operation for every organization to pay employee accurately their sal- ary and emoluments on time. For a big organization, the idea of taking control of employees pay calcu- lations is quite daunting. This computer based payroll system aims to explain in simple terms what payroll involves and demystify the payroll processes. Moreover it is a powerful tool to streamline the time consuming and complex tasks of employee payroll scheduling and planning. This system provides multiple user data access. Each user walks through the entire payroll process as per rights allocated from adding new employee to generate pay slips with clear step by step instructions. Furthermore the system is flexible to implement changes in pay scales. This Computer based payroll system is capable of keeping a record of employee data including their pay, allowances, deductions and taxes on monthly bases so that fresh definitions are reflected from the month onwards, which leaves all the past data in- tact. This system has been developed using PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Ajax and database has been designed using MySQL. The proposed computer based payroll system is advantageous as it pro- vides a user friendly environment. This payroll system increases security and minimizes human calcu- lation errors.
New Insights into Tunneling Current through Oxynitride/Oxide Stack for MOSFETs

A first principles study of silicon oxynitride shows that the defect-like levels near the conduction and valence band will be introduced into the bandgap while incorporating nitrogen into silicon dioxide. It has also been shown that the tunneling current through oxynitride/oxide stack for MOSFETs assisted by defect-like levels near the conduction band will be dominant at high field and the direct tunneling current will be dominant at low field. This work gives an insight about the reason on smaller tunneling current at low field compared to the tunneling through pure silicon dioxide , which is that the effective masses give a large contribution to reducing the direct tunneling current than simply increasing physical thickness does
Many-to-many core-switch mapping in 2-D mesh NoC architectures

In this paper, we investigate the core-switch mapping (CSM) problem that optimally maps cores onto an NoC architecture such that either the energy consumption or the congestion is minimized. We propose a many-to-many core-switch mapping (mCSM) that allows a switch (core) to have multiple connections to its adjacent cores (switches). We also present decomposition methods that can obtain the suboptimal solutions with enhanced computational efficiency. Our work is the first to provide an exact mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for the complete CSM problems, including the optimal choice of core placements, switches for each core, and network interfaces for communication flows. Experiments with four random benchmarks show that 4:4 mCSM achieves 81.2% of energy savings and 2.5% of bandwidth savings compared with one-to-one mapping. They also show that, for one-to-one mapping, our optimal solutions obtained by the full MILP save 34.8% of energy consumption and 34.4% of bandwidth requirement compared with those from the existing algorithms.
Identification of bacteria from aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures after short cultivation by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Timely identification of bacterial agents that cause invasive bloodstream infections is of crucial importance. These clinical conditions require early and appropriate antibiotic intervention to prevent their progress into life-threatening septicaemia. Blood culture remains a gold standard technique for detection of bloodstream pathogens; however, its inherent time delay drives clinical microbiology laboratories to find methodological alternatives to speed up the whole process. PCR-based techniques are increasingly utilized for early diagnosis, but their application in detecting bacteria directly from blood is currently limited, mostly due to unresolved diagnostic accuracy and high costs (Liesenfeld et al., 2014; Mancini et al., 2010). Recently, bacterial identification was accelerated tremendously by using matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization–timeof-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. We aimed to develop an easy-to-implement MALDI-TOF-based method for identification of positive blood cultures that would substantially reduce the time interval between blood culture signalling and definitive bacterial identification.
Physico-Chemical Interactions in Initial Microbial Adhesion and Relevance for Biofilm Formation

This paper summarizes initial microbial adhesion events in dental plaque formation, including the physico-chemistry of the interaction between micro-organisms and solid substrata, detachment phenomena under the fluctuating shear of the oral cavity, co-adhesion between pairs of microbial strains, and biosurfactant release. A hypothesis is forwarded on how these initial events might influence the final microbial composition and structure of the plaque, although it is simultaneously emphasized that the necessary techniques for verification of the hypothesis have only recently become available, and supporting evidence is still to be collected.
A Better Tool for Functional Verification of Low-Power Designs with IEEE 1801 UPF

Energy conservation has become the fundamental area of concern in system designs, especially in battery-powered devices. Consumers no longer talk about tradeoffs between performance and power conservation. They demand the lowest power consumption combined with the best performance in smallest packages. Additionally, there seems to be no end to their appetite for the latest hardware and software technology. These demands mean that the upcoming low-power designs must meet the complex functional and power requirements, in shorter development cycles.
Consumption-Based Cross-Brand Learning: Are Private Labels Really Private?

While some researchers view private labels (PLs) as a key tool for retailer differentiation, others imply that consumers do not distinguish between PLs of different chains. This debate raises the question: Do a retail chain's PL investments subsidize rival PLs? In addition, how does this affect their choice share vis-à-vis national brands? The authors investigate whether consumers generalize knowledge from product experience across PLs of different retail chains and whether such cross-brand learning depends on the PL brands' link with the chain name or on their quality differences. The proposed brand choice model captures cross-brand learning through quality perception spillovers (consumers adjust beliefs about PL quality on the basis of consumption experience) and familiarity spillovers (uncertainty about a PL diminishes with rival PL consumption). Household scanner panel data on dish soap and breakfast cereals yield clear evidence of cross-retailer learning among standard PLs, regardless of their name or quality differences. The results also reveal that familiarity spillovers dominate quality-level spillovers, implying that the presence of cross-learning benefits PLs and enhances their market position relative to national brands. The authors conclude with a discussion of managerial implications.
Identification of a small molecule inhibitor that stalls splicing at an early step of spliceosome activation

Small molecule inhibitors of pre-mRNA splicing are important tools for identifying new spliceosome assembly intermediates, allowing a finer dissection of spliceosome dynamics and function. Here, we identified a small molecule that inhibits human pre-mRNA splicing at an intermediate stage during conversion of pre-catalytic spliceosomal B complexes into activated Bact complexes. Characterization of the stalled complexes (designated B028) revealed that U4/U6 snRNP proteins are released during activation before the U6 Lsm and B-specific proteins, and before recruitment and/or stable incorporation of Prp19/CDC5L complex and other Bact complex proteins. The U2/U6 RNA network in B028 complexes differs from that of the Bact complex, consistent with the idea that the catalytic RNA core forms stepwise during the B to Bact transition and is likely stabilized by the Prp19/CDC5L complex and related proteins. Taken together, our data provide new insights into the RNP rearrangements and extensive exchange of proteins that occurs during spliceosome activation. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.23533. 001
Markets, Bureaucracies, and Clans.

Evaluating organizations according to an efficiency criterion would make it possible to predict the form organizations will take under certain conditions. Organization theory has not developed such a criterion because it has lacked a conceptual scheme capable of describing organizational efficiency in sufficiently microsopic terms. The transactions cost approach provides such a framework because it allows us to identify the conditions which give rise to the costs of mediating exchanges between individuals: goal incongruence and performance ambiguity. Different combinations of these causes distinguish three basic mechanisms of mediation or control: markets, which are efficient when performance ambiguity is low and goal incongruence is high; bureaucracies, which are efficient when both goal incongruence and performance ambiguity are moderately high; and clans, which are efficient when goal incongruence is low and performance ambiguity is high.
Graphical Representations and Cluster Algorithms for Critical Points with Elds Typeset Using Revt E X

A two-replica graphical representation and associated cluster algorithm is described that is applicable to ferromagnetic Ising systems with arbitrary elds. Critical points are associated with the percolation threshold of the graphical representation. Results from numerical simulations of the Ising model in a staggered eld are presented. For this case, the dynamic exponent for the algorithm is measured to be less than 0.5.
Teaching Approaches Encouraging Autonomous Learning

This paper introduces three innovative teaching methods that encourage self-learning and self-evaluation: an original approach using recorded lessons; a new type of multiple-choice questions with embedded interactive software which offers visual applications to help answer; a method to make students more interested and involved in their training. For each method, the context and addressed pedagogical issue are described emphasizing strengths and weaknesses. The proposed approaches have been introduced for signal processing courses but they can be applied in any other fields.
Standard error of inverse prediction for dose–response relationship: approximate and exact statistical inference

This paper develops a new metric, the standard error of inverse prediction (SEIP), for a dose–response relationship (calibration curve) when dose is estimated from response via inverse regression. SEIP can be viewed as a generalization of the coefficient of variation to regression problem when x is predicted using y‐value. We employ nonstandard statistical methods to treat the inverse prediction, which has an infinite mean and variance due to the presence of a normally distributed variable in the denominator. We develop confidence intervals and hypothesis testing for SEIP on the basis of the normal approximation and using the exact statistical inference based on the noncentral t‐distribution. We derive the power functions for both approaches and test them via statistical simulations. The theoretical SEIP, as the ratio of the regression standard error to the slope, is viewed as reciprocal of the signal‐to‐noise ratio, a popular measure of signal processing. The SEIP, as a figure of merit for inverse prediction, can be used for comparison of calibration curves with different dependent variables and slopes. We illustrate our theory with electron paramagnetic resonance tooth dosimetry for a rapid estimation of the radiation dose received in the event of nuclear terrorism. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced Co-Worker Social Support in Isolated Work Groups and Its Mitigating Role on the Work-Family Conflict-Depression Loss Spiral

This paper examines a loss spiral model (i.e., reciprocal relationships) between work-family conflict and depression, moderated by co-worker support. We expected that the moderation effect due to co-worker support would be evident among those working in isolation (i.e., mining workers) due to a greater level of intragroup attraction and saliency attributable to the proximity effects. We used a two wave panel study and data from a random population sample of Australian employees (n = 2793, [n = 112 mining, n = 2681 non-mining]). Using structural equation modelling we tested the reciprocal three way interaction effects. In line with our theory, co-worker support buffered the reciprocal relationship between WFC and depression, showing a protective effect in both pathways. These moderation effects were found in the mining industry only suggesting a proximity component moderates the social support buffer hypothesis (i.e., a three way interaction effect). The present paper integrates previous theoretical perspectives of stress and support, and provides insight into the changing dynamics of workplace relationships.
Diffusion of executive information systems in organizations and the shift to Web technologies

Executive information systems (EIS) have certain unique characteristics that differentiate them from other information systems in both their development and diffusion patterns. This paper utilizes 11 case studies to assess the diffusion of EIS in organizations. The paper examines the critical aspects of EISs in these organizations and specifically attempts to achieve two goals: to analyze and compare the shape of the EIS diffusion curves among these organizations, thereby generating a list of factors that have a bearing on the pattern of diffusion and to advance the conceptual model and composition of the emerging Web‐based EIS. The findings clearly indicate that the traditional EIS has given way to Web‐based resources and the diffusion of EIS does indeed vary from the traditional S‐shaped curve, consistent with most information technology applications. The significance of this study is that it captures the transition of traditional EISs to the new Web‐based information systems that cater to the demands of a highly diversified audience. The paper also presents a quantitative argument, including diffusion models, which explain the EIS adoption in an organization. Finally, the case studies provide some unique insights into the issues relating to these types of systems.