Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Posing and Acting as Input for Personalizing Furniture

Digital fabrication is becoming increasingly practical for customizing products to users' specifications. However, the design interfaces for customizing items have focused more on 3D modelling and less on how people use the object or how it fits around their body. In this paper, we explore a user-centered approach: using posing and acting as input for personalizing furniture. Users specify dimensions by referring to their body parts and using simple speech commands such as "this wide" or "from here to here", while indicating a distance with their arms. A head-mounted display (HMD) provides instant feedback in real-size and allows users to experience and evaluate their virtual design as though it were a prototype. We report the formative and evaluative studies that indicate that the proposed approach engages casual users in the iterative design process of personalizing items in relation to their use, body, and environment.
Microstructure Tailoring of C/C‐Sic Composites

CMC composites fabricated by the liquid silicon infiltration (LSI) process show some superior properties with respect to abrasive resistance and dimensional stability. Different microstructures and phase compositions of these C/C-SiC composites can be achieved by modifying the fibre surfaces or by varying the fibre preform architecture. The resulting mechanical and physical properties can be tailored to the specific requirements of different applications, for example thermal protection systems (TPS), brake disks or pads and zero-expansion structures like telescopes or calibration plates.
High-power diffraction limited Nd:YVO4 lasers at 1.34 μm with compact resonators

We describe the development of Nd:YVO4 lasers with continuous wave emission at 1.342 μm; theycon tain either one or two crystals which are longitudinally pumped by fiber-coupled diode laser arrays. The two systems deliver respectively 7.3 and 12.1 W of output power. The best slope efficiency is 40% and the output beam divergence is about two times the diffraction limit. The influence of the Nd concentration, of the pump spot-size, and of the resonator configuration on the lasing performances have been experimentally studied. We also present and discuss data on spectroscopic properties of the crystals and on the thermally induced lens.
Rainfall Time Distribution over the Wuliangsuhai Eastern River Basin

The 25 years of rainfall data in Wuliangsuhai eastern river basin from 1986 to 2010 are summarized and analyzed based on two statistical methods. The two statistical methods named moving average method and Cumulative Departure Curve are applied to make a conclusion that the rainfall in 25 years has a downward trend and the rate of change become high in new century.
Finding and correcting syntax errors using recurrent neural networks

Minor syntax errors are made by novice and experienced programmers alike; however, novice programmers lack the years of intuition that help them resolve these tiny errors. Standard LR parsers typically resolve syntax errors and their precise location poorly. We propose a methodology that helps locate where syntax errors occur, but also suggests possible changes to the token stream that can fix the error identified. This methodology finds syntax errors by checking if two language models “agree” on each token. If the models disagree, it indicates a possible syntax error; the methodology tries to suggest a fix by finding an alternative token sequence obtained from the models. We trained two LSTM (Long short-term memory) language models on a large corpus of JavaScript code collected from GitHub. The dual LSTM neural network model predicts the correct location of the syntax error 54.74% in its top 4 suggestions and produces an exact fix up to 35.50% of the time. The results show that this tool and methodology can locate and suggest corrections for syntax errors. Our methodology is of practical use to all programmers, but will be especially useful to novices frustrated with incomprehensible syntax errors.
A Critical Evaluation of Indentation Techniques for Measuring Fracture Toughness: II, Strength Method

An examination is made of the sharp-indentation technique of strength-test precracking for toughness evaluation. The experimental approach follows that proposed by other workers but the theoretical analysis contains one vital new feature; the residual-stress term discussed in Part I of this study is now introduced explicitly into the strength formulation. This modification overcomes a major systematic discrepancy evident in the previous models and at the same time, by virtue of attendant changes in the nature of the crack stability prior to attaining a failure configuration, eliminates the need for frac-tographic measurements. Other advantages are also apparent, notably an insensitivity to postindentation radial crack extension. The main disadvantage is that only one result is obtained per specimen. Indentation/strength data from ceramics listed in Part I confirm the essential features of the theory and provide a suitable calibration factor. The method has special application to those materials which do not necessarily produce a well-defined radial crack pattern, in which case an “effective”Kc appropriate to fracture properties at the flaw level is obtained.
Speech-language pathology students’ self-reports on voice training: Easier to understand or to do?

The aim of the study was to describe the subjective ratings of the course ‘Training of the student's own voice and speech’, from a student-centred perspective. A questionnaire was completed after each of the six individual sessions. Six speech and language pathology (SLP) students rated how they perceived the practical exercises in terms of doing and understanding. The results showed that five of the six participants rated the exercises as significantly easier to understand than to do. The exercises were also rated as easier to do over time. Results are interpreted within in a theoretical framework of approaches to learning. The findings support the importance of both the physical and reflective aspects of the voice training process.
Optimal Phase Control for Equal-Gain Transmission in MIMO Systems With Scalar Quantization: Complexity and Algorithms

The complexity of the optimal phase control problem in wireless MIMO systems with scalar feedback quantization and equal-gain transmission is studied. The problem is shown to be NP-hard when the number of receive antennas grows linearly with the number of transmit antennas. For the case where the number of receive antennas is constant, the problem can be solved in polynomial time. An optimal algorithm is explicitly constructed. For practical purposes, a low-complexity algorithm based on local search is presented. Simulation results show that its performance is nearly optimal.
Case Studies: A Rapid Technique to Determine Allowable Bearing Pressure

Based on a variety of case histories of site investigations, including extensive bore hole data, laboratory testing and geophysical prospecting, an empirical formulation is proposed for the rapid determination of allowable bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The proposed expression corroborates consistently with the results of the classical theory and is proven to be rapid, reliable and safe. It consists of only two soil parameters, namely, the insitu measured shear wave velocity, and the unit weight. The unit weight may be also determined with sufficient accuracy, by means of another empirical expression, using the Pwave velocity. It is indicated that once the shear and P-wave velocities are measured insitu by an appropriate geophysical survey, the allowable bearing capacity may be determined rapidly and reliably through a single step operation. Such an innovative approach, using the seismic wave velocities only, is considerably cost and time-saving, in practice.
Translation Invariant Multiwavelet Transforms

A translation invariant multiwavelet transform is introduced. It is shown that the associated correlation matrices satisfy a matrix-valued refinement equation implying a hidden basis wavelet representation. Properties of the correlation matrices such as regularity, approximation order, and vanishing moments are investigated. The results are illustrated for the DGHM multiwavelet.
Eliminative induction: A basis for arguing system confidence

Assurance cases provide a structured method of explaining why a system has some desired property, e.g., that the system is safe. But there is no agreed approach for explaining what degree of confidence one should have in the conclusions of such a case. In this paper, we use the principle of eliminative induction to provide a justified basis for assessing how much confidence one should have in an assurance case argument.
Analysis of voltage balancing limits in modular multilevel converters

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is one of the most promising converter topologies for high-voltage applications, especially for high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission systems. One of the most challenging issues associated with the MMC is the capacitor voltage variations, which if not properly controlled, result in large circulating currents flowing through the converter legs. This paper develops a mathematical model to formulate and analyze capacitor voltage variations and the circulating currents within the MMC legs. Based on the developed model, the limits to the capacitor voltage balancing task are derived and graphically presented. A set of simulation results conducted in MATLAB/Simulink environment are presented to verify the accuracy of the mathematical analysis.
Humans (really) are animals: picture-book reading influences 5-year-old urban children’s construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals

What is the relation between humans and non-human animals? From a biological perspective, we view humans as one species among many, but in the fables and films we create for children, we often offer an anthropocentric perspective, imbuing non-human animals with human-like characteristics. What are the consequences of these distinctly different perspectives on children’s reasoning about the natural world? Some have argued that children universally begin with an anthropocentric perspective and that acquiring a biological perspective requires a basic conceptual change (cf. Carey, 1985). But recent work reveals that this anthropocentric perspective, evidenced in urban 5-year-olds, is not evident in 3-year-olds (Herrmann etal., 2010). This indicates that the anthropocentric perspective is not an obligatory first step in children’s reasoning about biological phenomena. In the current paper, we introduced a priming manipulation to assess whether 5-year-olds’ reasoning about a novel biological property is influenced by the perspectives they encounter in children’s books. Just before participating in a reasoning task, each child read a book about bears with an experimenter. What varied was whether bears were depicted from an anthropomorphic (Berenstain Bears) or biological perspective (Animal Encyclopedia). The priming had a dramatic effect. Children reading the Berenstain Bears showed the standard anthropocentric reasoning pattern, but those reading the Animal Encyclopedia adopted a biological pattern. This offers evidence that urban 5-year-olds can adopt either a biological or a human-centered stance, depending upon the context. Thus, children’s books and other media are double-edged swords. Media may (inadvertently) support human-centered reasoning in young children, but may also be instrumental in redirecting children’s attention to a biological model.
The Use of 980-nm Diode and 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser for Gingival Retraction in Fixed Prostheses

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the tissue retraction and gingival healing in pulsed laser (diode 980 nm and Nd:YAG 1064 nm lasers) gingival retraction in comparison with the conventional mechanical or surgical techniques (double cord and electrosurgery). Materials and Methods: A group of 103 adult patients, 45 women, 58 men (mean age 42, range 19 to 52 years) scheduled for fixed and implant prosthetic rehabilitation was recruited, and four impression techniques were compared: the double cord technique, the electrosurgery technique, the 980-nm diode and the 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser technique. Patient were randomly placed into four groups according to impression-taking technique. Thirty impressions were taken in each group, for a total of 110 elements each. The preferred impression materials were addition silicones (polyvinyl siloxanes) (2nd generation). The outcome was measured by the bleeding index (during the impression taking and after 15 days) and gingival retraction (after 15 and 30 days). Results: Compared to the conventional techniques, both laser techniques proved to be less aggressive in terms of absence of gingival bleeding (99.2% vs 92.7%). There were also fewer cases of gingival retraction than with the conventional technique (2.2% vs 10%). Conclusion: This study suggests that the laser technique can be valuable for implant prosthetic rehabilitation. While both the conventional and laser techniques are satisfactory in achieving gingival retraction, the laser techniques may be less traumatic to the periodontal tissue.
Thermal post-buckling and aeroelastic behaviour of shape memory alloy reinforced plates

A novel concept is proposed: the use of shape memory alloy (SMA) to reduce panel thermal deflection and flutter responses. SMA has a unique ability to recover large pre-strains completely when the alloy is heated above the austenite finish temperature Af. The transformation austenite start temperature As for nitinol can be anywhere between -60 °F (-50 °C) and +340 °F (+170 °C) by varying the nickel content. During the recovery process, a large tensile recovery stress occurs if the SMA is restrained. The shape memory effect phenomenon is attributed to a change in crystal structure known as a reversible austenite to martensite phase transformation. This solid-solid phase transformation also gives a large increase in Young's modulus and yield stress. In this paper, a panel subject to the combined aerodynamic and thermal loading is investigated. A nonlinear finite element model based on the von Karman strain-displacement relation is utilized to study the effectiveness of an SMA-embedded panel on the flutter boundary, critical buckling temperature, post-buckling deflection and free vibration. The study is performed on an isotropic panel with embedded SMA. The aerodynamic model is based on the first-order quasi-steady piston theory. The dynamic pressure effect on the buckling and post-buckling behaviour of the panel is investigated by introducing the aerodynamic stiffness term, which changes the critical buckling temperature. Panels with SMA embedded in either the longer or shorter direction and either fully or partially embedded are investigated for post-buckling behaviour. Similarly, the influence of temperature elevation on the flutter boundary and vibration frequencies is investigated.
EUGÈNE'HOM: a generic similarity-based gene finder using multiple homologous sequences

EUGENE'HOM is a gene prediction software for eukaryotic organisms based on comparative analysis. EUGENE'HOM is able to take into account multiple homologous sequences from more or less closely related organisms. It integrates the results of TBLASTX analysis, splice site and start codon prediction and a robust coding/non-coding probabilistic model which allows EUGENE'HOM to handle sequences from a variety of organisms. The current target of EUGENE'HOM is plant sequences. The EUGENE'HOM web site is available at http://genopole.toulouse. inra.fr/bioinfo/eugene/EuGeneHom/cgi-bin/EuGeneHom.pl.
Improving recommender systems with an intention-based algorithm switching strategy

Modern e-commerce websites are equipped with hybrid recommendation systems aiming at bringing novelty and diversity to consumers. However, mobilizing several recommendation algorithms simultaneously not only incurs unnecessary computation costs, but also jeopardizes consumers' shopping experience due to excessive information load. Hence, recommending less but better (more relevant) items is critical, especially when consumers depend more and more on mobile devices, whose screen is much smaller. In this paper, we present a switching hybrid strategy capable of selecting recommendation algorithms according to consumers' instantaneous intention. Compared with a benchmark system which simultaneously uses all algorithms, our system achieved higher performance in terms of item view and consumption while sending less items, though both systems are empowered by the same recommendation algorithms. Meanwhile, the interface of our system is more concise and user-friendly. The result indicates that the intention as an important context factor can be used to enhance the performance and consumer experience of e-commerce recommender systems.
The performance of electrically stressed droplets on insulating surfaces observed with an optical measuring system

The observation of the behaviour of a single droplet on an insulating surface is a basic step to understand the ageing phenomenon in a very early stage of ageing. This paper presents results of experimental work with the use of a contact angle measuring system. The performance of single droplets is observed on an horizontally arranged epoxy resin surface under electrical stress.
Automated activity recognition and monitoring of elderly using wireless sensors: Research challenges

A rapidly growing aging population presents many challenges to health and aged care services around the world. Recognising and understanding the activities performed by elderly is an important research area that has the potential to address these challenges and healthcare needs of the 21st century by enabling a wide range of valuable applications such as remote health monitoring. A key enabling technology for such applications is wireless sensors. However we must first overcome a number of challenges that are technological, social and economic, before being able to realize such applications using pervasive technologies.
Hardware acceleration of graphics and imaging algorithms using FPGAs

Computer graphics algorithms and algorithms used in image processing are generally computationally expensive. This fact is the reason why people struggle to accelerate such algorithms using any reasonable means. The traditional sources of speedup are faster processors, parallelism, or dedicated hardware. Development in digital circuit technology, especially rapid development of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), offers alternative way to acceleration. Current FPGA chips are capable of running graphics algorithms at the speed comparable to dedicated graphics chips. At the same time they are configurable not only using schematics diagram but also through high-level programming languages, e.g. VHDL. The contribution addresses these issues, general development in the area, and shows examples of hardware platforms and algorithms that can be implemented on such platforms.
Nanopower sampled data wavelet filter design using Switched Gain Cell technique

In order to realize a nano-power wavelet filter for biomedical applications, this paper applies the Singular Value Decomposition approximation to transform the time domain 1st-derivative of a Gaussian (gauss1) wavelet base into a 5th-order z-domain transfer function. Consequently, to realize the approximated transfer function in CMOS technology employing circuitry that operates from a low supply voltage, a sampled data circuit technique, coined ‘Switched Gain Cell, (SGC),’ is introduced. Using the SGC technique, standard MOS switches, simple subthreshold (nonlinear) transconductors and their associated parasitic capacitances suffice to constitute the filter, while the scale of the filter can be controlled by the clock frequency. This renders the filter architecture to be simple, modular, and area efficient. Simulation results, using 0. 13µm CMOS model parameters, show that the wavelet filter implements the gauss1 wavelet base well, operates from a 1V supply and consumes less than 0.47 µW quiescent power.
Agent action: business cases with individualised information services in a business intelligence context

Information services for business intelligence are becoming more integrated in day-to-day operations. This paper describes how the use of intelligent agent-enabled decision support in conjunction with the organisational trends of more dispersed and decentralised organic organised enterprises, enables new practice in the field of business intelligence (BI). The two business cases, illustrate the evolving area of business intelligence information services for large global enterprises. The information services in the cases aim to provide different levels of personalisation features through the use of intelligent agents. Traditional ideas of how to provide the organisation with right information at the right time and place according to the corporate communications top-down strategy and editorial process, or through business intelligence professionals who produce high-end reports, are undergoing change shown in the cases. Employees and managers start to get the information needed directly from the Internet, and are becoming more self-sufficient when it comes to business intelligence.
Real-time obstacle avoidance for fact mobile robots

A real-time obstacle avoidance approach for mobile robots has been developed and implemented. It permits the detection of unknown obstacles simultaneously with the steering of the mobile robot to avoid collisions and advance toward the target. The novelty of this approach, entitled the virtual force field method, lies in the integration of two known concepts: certainty grids for obstacle representation and potential fields for navigation. This combination is especially suitable for the accommodation of inaccurate sensor data as well as for sensor fusion and makes possible continuous motion of the robot with stopping in front of obstacles. This navigation algorithm also takes into account the dynamic behavior of a fast mobile robot and solves the local minimum trap problem. Experimental results from a mobile robot running at a maximum speed of 0.78 m/s demonstrate the power of the algorithm. >
Incremental Factorization Machines for Persistently Cold-starting Online Item Recommendation

Real-world item recommenders commonly suffer from a persistent cold-start problem which is caused by dynamically changing users and items. In order to overcome the problem, several context-aware recommendation techniques have been recently proposed. In terms of both feasibility and performance, factorization machine (FM) is one of the most promising methods as generalization of the conventional matrix factorization techniques. However, since online algorithms are suitable for dynamic data, the static FMs are still inadequate. Thus, this paper proposes incremental FMs (iFMs), a general online factorization framework, and specially extends iFMs into an online item recommender. The proposed framework can be a promising baseline for further development of the production recommender systems. Evaluation is done empirically both on synthetic and real-world unstable datasets.