Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Target scattering decomposition of one-look and multi-look SAR data using a new coherent scattering model: the TSVM

A new model, the target scattering vector model (TSVM), is introduced for decomposition of coherent scattering. The model that is inspired from Kennaugh and Huynen [1965] con-diagonalization method, Cameron and the SSCM coherent scattering decomposition [1996] represents coherent scattering of symmetric and non-symmetric targets in term of five independents parameters; the target orientation angle and four orientation invariant target parameters. The TSVM is integrated in Cloude's incoherent decomposition method to derive a general scattering decomposition method, the TSVM-coherency characteristic decomposition, which can be applied to both single and multi-look SAR data for characterization of point and distributed targets. The conditions requested for a successful application of the TSVM-coherency characteristic decomposition are discussed.
A convolutional deep belief network for polarimetric SAR data feature extraction

This paper proposes a custom convolutional deep belief network for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data feature extraction. The proposed architecture stands out through the interesting features it shows, starting with the fact that it is adapted to fully polarimetric SAR data. Then, the multilayer approach allows the stepwise discovery of higher-level features. The convolutional approach allows the discovery of local, spatially invariant features and makes the architecture scalable to fully sized PolSAR images. The network is trained in an unsupervised manner, without using labeled data and then it succeeds to extract powerful features from PolSAR patches. This fact is demonstrated by applying supervised and unsupervised classification algorithms on features extracted from patches of a fully polarimetric multi-look F-SAR image over Kaufbeuren airfield, Germany.
Error Detection for Post-editing Rule-based Machine Translation

The increasing role of post-editing as a way of improving machine translation output and a faster alternative to translating from scratch has lately attracted researchers’ attention and various attempts have been proposed to facilitate the task. We experiment with a method to provide support for the post-editing task through error detection. A deep linguistic error analysis was done of a sample of English sentences translated from Portuguese by two Rule-based Machine Translation systems. We designed a set of rules to deal with various systematic translation errors and implemented a subset of these rules covering the errors of tense and number. The evaluation of these rules showed a satisfactory performance. In addition, we performed an experiment with human translators which confirmed that highlighting translation errors during the post-editing can help the translators perform the post-editing task up to 12 seconds per error faster and improve their efficiency by minimizing the number of missed errors.
Inverse and Direct Cancer Comorbidity in People with Central Nervous System Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Cancer Incidence in 577,013 Participants of 50 Observational Studies

Background: There is a lack of scientific consensus about cancer comorbidity in people with central nervous system (CNS) disorders. This study assesses the co-occurrence of cancers in patients with CNS disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism spectrum disorders, Down's syndrome (DS), Huntington's disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). Method: Comprehensive search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge of the literature published before March 2013. We identified 51 relevant articles from 2,229 discrete references, 50 of which contained data suitable for quantitative synthesis (577,013 participants). Pooled effect sizes (ES) were calculated using multiple random-effects meta-analyses. Sources of heterogeneity and uncertainty were explored by means of subgroup and sensitivity analyses, respectively. Results: The presence of CNS disorders was associated with a reduced co-occurrence of cancer (ES = 0.92; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.87-0.98; I2 = 94.5%). A consistently lower overall co-occurrence of cancer was detected in patients with neurodegenerative disorders (ES = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.75- 0.86; I2 = 82.8%), and in those with AD (ES = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.22-0.46; I2 = 0.0%), PD (ES = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76-0.91; I2 = 80.0%), MS (ES = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.87-0.95; I2 = 30.3%) and HD (ES = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.42-0.67; I2 = 56.4%). Patients with DS had a higher overall co-occurrence of cancer (ES = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.08-1.96; I2 = 87.9%). No association was observed between cancer and ALS (ES = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.76-1.25; I2 = 0.0%) or SCZ (ES = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.90-1.07; I2 = 96.3%). Patients with PD, MS and SCZ showed (a) higher co-occurrence of some specific cancers (e.g. PD with melanoma, MS with brain cancers and SCZ with breast cancer), and (b) lower co-occurrence of other specific cancers (e.g. lung, prostate and colorectal cancers in PD; lung and prostate cancers in MS; and melanoma and prostate cancer in SCZ). Conclusion: Increased and decreased co-occurrence of cancer in patients with CNS disorders represents an opportunity to discover biological and non-biological connections between these complex disorders.
Perceptually-guided foveation for light field displays

A variety of applications such as virtual reality and immersive cinema require high image quality, low rendering latency, and consistent depth cues. 4D light field displays support focus accommodation, but are more costly to render than 2D images, resulting in higher latency. The human visual system can resolve higher spatial frequencies in the fovea than in the periphery. This property has been harnessed by recent 2D foveated rendering methods to reduce computation cost while maintaining perceptual quality. Inspired by this, we present foveated 4D light fields by investigating their effects on 3D depth perception. Based on our psychophysical experiments and theoretical analysis on visual and display bandwidths, we formulate a content-adaptive importance model in the 4D ray space. We verify our method by building a prototype light field display that can render only 16% -- 30% rays without compromising perceptual quality.
Multiparty Authentication Services and Key Agreement Protocols with Semi—Trusted Third Party

This paper introduces a new family of group key establishment protocols suit-able for small or medium-sized groups. Five protocols are presented, using a semi-trustedserver, with varying security service. The first one is a non-authenticated key agreement pro-tocol suitable for applications with low security requirements. The second protocol adds anauthenticated key agreement to provide collaborative authentication. The third and the fourthprotocols provide key establishment with integrity and confirmation services, and the fifth pro-tocol is the member adding protocol. A major advantage of the protocols is that they reducethe numbers of rounds from n to 5.
Realigning Risk Management in the Light of Industry 4.0

German industry is the leading global supplier of industrial products and of significant importance for the German economy. To maintain and grow its competitive edge, both German industry and the German government actively drive innovation in products and production processes. One such innovation opportunity lies in taking advantage of the so called fourth industrial revolution. This revolution is condensed in the buzzword Industry 4.0 which is incidentally of German origin. It promotes the computerisation and digitalisation of production. At this very early stage, industrial enterprises envisage the utilisation of advanced computer technology within the fields of production, value chains and products. While this industrial revolution is imminent, its implementation will result in complexity and uncertainty but risks induced by Industry 4.0 and its management have not been examined so far.This research paper recommends that risk management techniques should realign towards qualitative measures to cope with the emerging technological change. Due to the complexity and uncertainty accompanied by the introduction of Industry 4.0, we recommend a holistic approach to risk management. Risk governance, its components and measures, on an enterprise level, will be introduced within this paper to support enterprises in taking advantage of Industry 4.0 and thereby secure its competitiveness for their future.
Four‐Dimensional Ultrasonography of the Fetal Heart Using Color Doppler Spatiotemporal Image Correlation

Objective. To describe clinical and research applications of 4‐dimensional imaging of the fetal heart using color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation. Methods. Forty‐four volume data sets were acquired by color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation. Seven subjects were examined: 4 fetuses without abnormalities, 1 fetus with ventriculomegaly and a hypoplastic cerebellum but normal cardiac anatomy, and 2 fetuses with cardiac anomalies detected by fetal echocardiography (1 case of a ventricular septal defect associated with trisomy 21 and 1 case of a double‐inlet right ventricle with a 46,XX karyotype). The median gestational age at the time of examination was 21 3/7 weeks (range, 19 5/7–34 0/7 weeks). Volume data sets were reviewed offline by multiplanar display and volume‐rendering methods. Representative images and online video clips illustrating the diagnostic potential of this technology are presented. Results. Color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation allowed multiplanar visualization of ventricular septal defects, multiplanar display and volume rendering of tricuspid regurgitation, volume rendering of the outflow tracts by color and power Doppler ultrasonography (both in a normal case and in a case of a double‐inlet right ventricle with a double‐outlet right ventricle), and visualization of venous streams at the level of the foramen ovale. Conclusions. Color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation has the potential to simplify visualization of the outflow tracts and improve the evaluation of the location and extent of ventricular septal defects. Other applications include 3‐dimensional evaluation of regurgitation jets and venous streams at the level of the foramen ovale.
Improvement in the Performance of Design-Science Research in Information Systems

The two paradigms, behavioral science and design science hold a vital importance in the IS research. These are composed of people, organizational structures, technologies, and work systems. The purpose of the research is to explore the two paradigms, behavioral science and design science, of the Information Systems in terms of people, organizations and technologies. In addition to that, the performance of this research will be evaluated using a certain framework on reference based on the methods observed from the literature. In order to distinguish between system building and design research, certain guidelines addressing evaluation, contributions, rigor and the research process are considered. This would develop depictions of IS problems, processes and solutions that clarify the available knowledge. The outcomes of this research could be used by the Information System professionals engaged in design, analysis and evaluation of the artifacts. A part of outcomes can be used to make future problem solving design better and more useful. This research is going to show results that would actually help the investigators in understanding the learning methodologies of information system design which would involve the understanding and improvement in the two paradigms highlighted throughout this research. Keywords— IS Designs; Behavioral Science; Design Science.
Market Access Provisions in Regional Trade Agreement

Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have proliferated over the past decade around the world to cover nearly half of global trade. The number of RTAs notified to the WTO is approaching 200, while the total number of RTAs around the world exceeds 300. The global RTA spree has forged a veritable spaghetti bowl of multiple and often overlapping agreements.
ANN based adaptive beamforming for faded wireless channels

The objective of this paper is to implement a receiver side beamforming technique using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as a means of achieving better performance in Rayleigh multipath fading environment. The adaptive processor required for carrying out beamforming in a faded wireless medium is replaced by an ANN which helps in using the channel state information (CSI) better than the traditional techniques. The simulation results show employing an ANN to a traditional adaptive beamforming significantly improves system performance in a multipath environment.
Human gesture quantification: An evaluation tool for somatic training and piano performance

Motion capture technology has been widely adopted by computer gaming and the movie making industries. The technology also found a suitable niche in some areas of medicine. However, while sports and arts also present important opportunities for analysis of the human gesture, whether to improve performance or prevent injuries, the potential of motion capture was not yet fully exploited in these fields. This paper examines the potential of markerless motion capture in the context of piano pedagogy and performance evaluation when somatic training methods are used. An affordable motion capture platform based on Kinect sensor is designed to suit the specific requirements of piano playing, and an early experimental investigation of the suitability of the technology for this application is reported.
3D atom probe study of solute atoms clustering during natural ageing and pre-ageing of an Al-Mg-Si alloy

The pair-correlation function applied to 3D Atom Probe reconstructed volumes has been used to study the influence of a pre-ageing treatment (363 K) on the early stages of precipitation at 458 K in an Al-Mg-Si 6016 alloy. Mg-Si short-range positive pair correlation (clustering) is shown to form after a pre-ageing treatment. The hetero-atomic clusters are thought to act as preferential nucleation sites and lead to a finer dispersion of precipitates after ageing.
Fiber Orientation and Rheology Behavior of the Laminar Suspension Flow through a 2-D Curved Expansion Duct

By coupling the fiber extra stress into the laminar Newtonian flow equations, the fiber orientation and the fiber suspension rheology in a 2D curved expansion duct is numerically investigated. The orientation distribution probability function is numerically solved to obtain the bulk orientation distributions and the extra stress distributions. The results show that the overall distribution of the flow field parameters, such as velocity, pressure have not been significantly affected in the most regions of the duct. But for the shear stress and normal stress difference, the non-equilibrium is significant. In the inlet region, the fibers rotate frequently due to the nonuniform flow shear effects, the orientation becomes more random and are less aligned with the local streamlines. But in the downstream region, with flow shear becomes uniform, the non-equilibrium is less obvious. In addition, with the fiber extra viscosity increasing, the shear stress and normal stress difference increase correspondingly Streszczenie. Przeanalizowano numerycznie orientacje wlokna i naprezenia zawieszenia w zastosowaniach do reologii. Stwierdzono, ze takie parametry jak ciśnienie i szybkośc przeplywu nie decydują o parametrach kanalu. Natomiast istotny wplyw mają naprezenia. (Wlaściwości reologiczne laminarnego przeplywu pola przez kanal zawieszenia 2D)
Fools or Crooks: Testing for Fraud in the Residential Mortgage Market

Current explanations for the high rate of default and foreclosure in the U.S. emphasize house price fluctuations and lax lending criteria. Another explanation for default and foreclosure, that has generally been neglected, is fraud. One impediment to identifying and measuring fraud is the lack of statistical tests capable of detecting it. This paper proposes a simple method to detect transactions where fraud may have occurred. The models proposed here are important for at least three reasons. First they can document the role of fraud in the mortgage foreclosure crisis. Second, they can serve as part of a forensic effort designed to detect and deter mortgage fraud. Third, they demonstrate that mortgage fraud distorts repeat sales house price indexes because it artificially elevates house prices during the period of fraud followed by a subsequent collapse due to the foreclosure sales. Accordingly, fraud can give the false impression that foreclosure lowers area house prices when it actually artificially inflates them. This suggests an alternative interpretation for the recent empirical literature on externalities from foreclosure.
Wage Labor, Sharecropping, and Credit Transactions

Linked sharecropping and credit contracts are common in less developed economies. In these the landlord provides consumption and/or production credit. This paper studies the rationale for interlinking under uncertainty and endogenous effort and the terms of the optimal contract. Unlike previous studies, it assumes that tenants participate in the labor market, which changes the mechanism by which interlinking works. It is shown that typically the consumption loan interest rate is higher than the landlord's cost of capital while production credit is subsidized. This provides a partial explanation for the wide range of interest rates observed in these contracts. Copyright 1995 by Royal Economic Society.
Automatic texture and anomaly mapping in under-ice video datasets

The exploration of under-ice environments has seen increased interest over the past few years due to advances in technological capabilities, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), as well as interest in exploration of polar regions and Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa. Searching for interesting features under the ice, including animals capable of sustaining life in such harsh environments, is of great interest in both polar (Antarctica) and planetary (Europa) domains. Underice environments, such as those encountered beneath the Antarctic ice shelves, are largely devoid of such features and tend to be monochromatic centered on the blues of the ice. Postprocessing of under-ice datasets can be very tedious for human analysts. Presented here are algorithms to aid in the postprocessing of such large and mostly featureless datasets. Two novel algorithms are presented here which use point-feature detections in video frames to estimate texture (number and spread of features) and anomaly locations (dense groupings of features). Two additional algorithms are proposed which use hue-based methods to estimate the percentage of non-ice pixels present in the video frames and to detect anomalous colored pixel groups corresponding to candidate anomalies against the background of the ice. These algorithms are presented herein along with results from testing with both simulated and realworld under-ice video datasets.
Implementing SAP R/3: The Guide for Business and Technology Managers

In today's competitive business environment, most companies realize that the better they can manage their customer relationships, the more successful they will become. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software systems are key tools for companies to manage the customer-facing processes of their businesses. However, many companies have resisted implementing this most critical customer-oriented application due in large part to the lack of a single-point resource on implementing a CRM system. This book attempts to fill that gap. Implementing SAP CRM will help technologists and managers come to grips with the vision, concept, and technology of CRM. It begins by laying out the groundwork for understanding CRM. It explains the concept and context of CRM and the tangible business benefits of CRM adoption. Demonstrating a professional approach to the evaluation and selection of SAP, it details the critical success factors (CSFs), patterns, and anti-patterns of a successful SAP CRM implementation. CRM implementations can add significant benefit to the companys bottom line only if the company first transforms itself into a customer-centric and customer-responsive enterprise. This book explains what it means to be a customer-centric and responsive enterprise, and provides a framework for business operations based on customer relationships, rather than the traditional four Ps (product, positioning, price, promotion). It further spells out business process reengineering (BPR) strategies to configure internal business processes and operations with SAP CRM to improve customer-facing strategies, services, and relationships.
Essential role of B-Raf in ERK activation during extraembryonic development

The kinases of the Raf family have been intensively studied as activators of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) module in regulated and deregulated proliferation. Genetic evidence that Raf is required for ERK activation in vivo has been obtained in lower organisms, which express only one Raf kinase, but was hitherto lacking in mammals, which express more than one Raf kinase. Ablation of the two best studied Raf kinases, B-Raf and Raf-1, is lethal at midgestation in mice, hampering the detailed study of the essential functions of these proteins. Here, we have combined conventional and conditional gene ablation to show that B-Raf is essential for ERK activation and for vascular development in the placenta. B-Raf-deficient placentae show complete absence of phosphorylated ERK and strongly reduced HIF-1α and VEGF levels, whereas all these parameters are normal in Raf-1-deficient placentae. In addition, neither ERK phosphorylation nor development are affected in B-raf-deficient embryos that are born alive obtained by epiblast-restricted gene inactivation. The data demonstrate that B-Raf plays a nonredundant role in ERK activation during extraembyronic mammalian development in vivo.
Technology sourcing: Are biotechnology firms different? An exploratory study of the Spanish case

In this paper, we study the pattern of technology sourcing, taking into account where firms source technology and through which channels. We specifically, inquire whether biotechnology firms are different from other firms in their technology sourcing behaviour. Our results show some significant differences in the patterns of technology sourcing. Biotechnology firms show a greater propensity for external technology sourcing, both with regard to the external purchasing of R&D services and with regard to cooperation for innovation. They also show a greater propensity to purchase foreign R&D, but they are not more likely to establish foreign cooperation for innovation once their firm-specific and industry characteristics, as well as sample selection bias, have been taken into account. However, biotechnology firms do show a more varied pattern of sourcing, in both the types of agents used and the geographic origin of the technology. Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Complex Dynamics and Chaos Control in nonlinear Four-Oligopolist Game with Different Expectations

A dynamic four-oligopolist game characterized by firms with different expectations is modeled by four-dimensional nonlinear difference equations, where the market has a quadratic inverse demand function and the firm possesses a cubic total cost function. The Nash equilibrium of the local stability of the proposed model is studied. Then the bifurcation diagrams and Lyapunov exponents of the system are presented to show that four-oligopolist game model behaves chaotically with the variation of the parameters. Finally, the state variables' feedback and parameter variation method are effectively used to control the delay in the appearance of bifurcation.