Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEMI-SUPERVISED INCREMENTAL LEARNING OF HIERARCHICAL APPEARANCE MODELS

We propose an incremental learning scheme for learning a class hierarchy for objects typically occurring multiple in images. Given one example of an object that appears several times in the image, e.g. is part of a repetitive structure, we propose a method for identifying prototypes using an unsupervised clustering procedure. These prototypes are used for building a hierarchical appearance based model of the envisaged class in a supervised manner. For classification of new instances detected in new images we use linear subspace methods that combine discriminative and reconstructive properties. The used methods are chosen to be capable for an incremental update. We test our approach on facade images with repetitive windows and balconies. We use the learned object models to find new instances in other images, e. g. the neighbouring facade and update already learned models with the new instances.
A Functional Data Service Framework for Integrating Heterogeneous Data Sources

The proposed functional data service framework provides a way of making heterogeneous data sources more accessible to applications and manageable to developers by integrating a service-oriented architecture, a functional data model, the semantic Web, and other related technologies. With the supports of the proposed mechanism, different data sources with their supporting programming technologies are annotated with semantics to facilitate data advertisement and discovery. The data and their relationships in the proposed framework are modelled as a number of functions to form functional data models and these models are realised as web services, so the interfaces for accessing these data can be published. Semantic Web services and ontologies are used to describe the characteristics and facets of data sources. This paper describes the structure of the proposed framework and its advantages in integrating heterogeneous data sources. The paper includes an example to illustrate the main characteristics of the proposed framework.
Design of a unified active locomotion mechanism for a capsule-shaped laparoscopic camera system

This paper proposes a unified active locomotion mechanism for a capsule-shaped laparoscopic surgical camera system. The proposed design integrates the camera's fixation and manipulation together by adjusting a 3D rotational magnetic field from a stator outside a patient's body. The stator generates both torque to rotate the inside rotor dome in all three dimensions, and force to serve as an anchoring system that keeps the camera steady during a surgical procedure. This design eliminates the need for an articulated design and therefore the integrated motors to significantly reduce the size of the camera. A set of stator and rotor designs are developed and evaluated by simulations and experiments.
Adaptive Reservoir Genetic Algorithm : Convergence Analysis

This paper extends the theoretical analysis of the Adaptive Reservoir Genetic Algorithm (ARGA), a variant of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) proposed by the authors in [4]. We show that ARGA visits the global optimum after a finite number of iterations with probability one, regardless of the initialization of the population. Key-Words: Genetic Algorithms, convergence analysis, adaptive control of search.
Dynamic spectrum management for mixtures of vectored and non-vectored DSL systems

A number of Vectored DSL system prototypes have confirmed the substantial performance gains from Far-End Crosstalk (FEXT) cancellation. With field trials and initial deployments expected to materialize in the next two years, a very important question is how such Vectored DSL systems can coexist with non-vectored DSL systems sharing the same cable. This paper shows that the performance gains for Vectored DSL systems can be maintained in a mixture of vectored and non-vectored lines if a Spectrum Management Center (SMC) is assigned to control the impact of crosstalk from the non-vectored to the vectored lines. Simulation results are presented for certain scenarios, first, to illustrate that an Iterative Waterfilling strategy can achieve performance near the optimal, and second, to explore the trade-off between limiting the rates of the non-vectored lines and boosting the rates of the Vectored DSL systems.
Liveness Analysis and the Automatic Generation of Concurrent Programs

The automatic synthesis of programs is one of the most challenging activities in computational logic. Deductive approaches to the synthesis of sequential programs have met with only limited success, in part because of the relative inadequacy of proposed speci cation languages for such programs. That is, speci cations often turn out to be less enlightening and more di cult to construct than the code they specify. This is not the state of a airs with synchronization code. Desired program properties, such as liveness or freedom from deadlock, are relatively easy to include in a speci cation but are quite di cult to discern in code. Indeed, it is precisely this feature of concurrent programming that makes automated program synthesis an attractive goal. In this paper we discuss an aspect of the automatic synthesis of synchronization code for asynchronous processes. Our synthesis approach conforms to the following paradigm: (1) a speci cation is written in a nonconstructive speci cation language; (2) that speci cation is analyzed in an attempt to establish that crucial concurrency properties are respected; and (3) if the concurrency properties of the speci cation are established, then Ada code is generated. Here we report on the most di cult part of this process: establishing that a program speci cation satis es a crucial concurrency requirement, namely liveness. (Other related aspects of our proposed approach, such as safety properties and deadlock avoidance, are discussed elsewhere [4]). By a liveness property we mean a condition that must be satis ed at some point during the execution of a program. A liveness property contrasts with a safety property, a condition that must hold continuously during program execution. Underlying our approach to synthesis is a model of a concurrent program in
Recognition for objects by relationship between attributes

The object recognition method based on attributes has been studied. The conventional method recognizes objects by the presence or absence of attributes. However, the conventional method has two problems. Firstly, the conventional method is not able to recognize a target object of which a part of attribute is occluded. Secondly, the conventional method misrecognizes a target object which has irrelevant attributes. Therefore, to solve these two problems, we propose the object recognition by relationship between attributes. In this paper, we focus on the face as recognition object. The proposed method uses relationship as constraints for object recognition using attributes. The proposed method applies two major type constraints. First constraint is a local constraint which is applied to a part of attributes. To achieve robust face recognition against occlusion scenes, the proposed method uses the local constraint. And then, Second constraint is a global constraint which is applied to all attributes. To achieve robust face recognition against irrelevant attributes, the proposed method uses the global constraint. In this paper, to evaluate effectiveness of the proposed method, we compare the proposed method with the conventional method. We experimented in normal face, occlusion and irrelevant attributes. We used 43 images of a face which are changed in scale and rotation. Experimental results showed that the recognition ratio of the proposed method is equal to or more than the conventional method in normal face, occlusion and irrelevant attributes.
Reliability analysis of logic circuits using binary probabilistic transfer matrix

Technology scales strongly increased the sensitivity of new integrated logic circuits to transient faults. Since the reliability of combinational circuit is an important factor in digital circuits design, so, a fast method to obtain accurate value of reliability becomes a main challenge. The main source of inaccuracy and scalability problems in existing methods is the presence of reconverging signals. In this paper a new library-based method is proposed to calculate the circuit reliability in which the effects of nested reconvergent paths is considered easily. So a binary probability matrix is used to resolve signals correlation problem. Simulation results show that our proposed method gives accurate reliability value with less complexity than previous methods.
Neurocognitive aspects and clinical relevance of bodily self-awareness

Sense of ownership (SoO) is the feeling of mineness that we perceive towards our own body parts, whereas sense of agency (SoA) is the phenomenal experience of initiating and controlling an action. This thesis examines the neurocognitive and clinical aspects of SoO and SoA. The thesis is conceptualized as a cumulative work and consists of three empirical studies. Study I investigates how SoO and SoA interact during the rubber hand illusion. Study II presents a neurofeedback-guided motor imagery training, in which the enabling conditions of SoO and SoA received special consideration by providing the neurofeedback via the movements of an embodiable anthropomorphic robotic hand. Study III investigates which MI abilities remain preserved after stroke and whether they are paresis-side specific.
Modelos evaluativos de Metaliteracy y alfabetización en información como factores de excelencia académica

The paper analyzes the transformation of information literacy from the point of convergence of information competencies and communication competencies. This junction is needed due to the new context promoted by eScience, Social Web, collaborative learning, and the use of images in Education. Information literacy should be coordinated with visual literacy, data literacy, transliteracy and new media literacy, enabling the impact of metaliteracy in Education. The paper studies the definition of metaliteracy in Higher Education to demonstrate the need for designing an competence evaluation model in metaliteracy. The paper details the method of searching for references and presents a structure of categories for organizing a proposal for appropriate indicators, with a presentation of a proposal for a metaliteracy competency assessment model.
Using Non-textual Terms for Boosting Document Keyphrase Assignment

Machine-learning state-of-the-art keyphrase extraction systems do not take into consideration the fact that part of these keyphrases may not be found in the text. Therefore these systems typically use a training set restricted to textual terms, reducing the learning capabilities of any inductive algorithm. Our research investigates ways to improve the accuracy of these systems by allowing classification algorithms to learn from non-textual terms as well. The basic assumption we have followed is that non-textual terms can be included into the training set by inference from an eventual semantic relationship with textual terms. In order to discover the latent relationship between non-textual and textual terms, we propose deductive strategies to be applied in common sense bases such as Wikipedia. We show that algorithms that follow our approach outperform others that do not use the same methods introduced here.
MINIMAX ESTIMATION OF LARGE COVARIANCE MATRICES 1321 matrices in Bickel and Levina

Driven by a wide range of applications in high-dimensional data analysis, there has been significant recent interest in the estimation of large covariance matrices. In this paper, we consider optimal estimation of a covariance matrix as well as its inverse over several commonly used parameter spaces under the matrix l1 norm. Both minimax lower and upper bounds are derived. The lower bounds are established by using hypothesis testing arguments, where at the core are a novel construction of collections of least favorable multivariate normal distributions and the bounding of the affinities between mixture distributions. The lower bound analysis also provides insight into where the difficulties of the covariance matrix estimation problem arise. A specific thresholding estimator and tapering estimator are constructed and shown to be minimax rate optimal. The optimal rates of convergence established in the paper can serve as a benchmark for the performance of covariance matrix estimation methods.
XWEET : XML DBMS for Web Environment

XML is a standard representation format for data operated in web environment. We can integrate the heterogeneous data from several web sources into XML data. Many researchers have been working on XML processing. As a conglomerate of those works, we proposed and implemented the XWEET system. In this system, we store, extract and query XML data. XWEET has several interesting modules: XDM(XWEET data model) for representing XML data, PDM(persistent data manager), wrapper, XSI(XWEET semantic integrator), and XQP(XWEET query processor). Also, it supports an environment for generating web applications; WPG(a html/xml result generation module) and WebTP(a web-based workflow system).
Neural Machine Translation on scarce-resource condition: A case-study on Persian-English

Neural Machine Translation (NMT) is a new approach for Machine Translation (MT), and due to its success, it has absorbed the attention of many researchers in the field. In this paper, we study NMT model on Persian-English language pairs, to analyze the model and investigate the appropriateness of the model for scarce-resourced scenarios, the situation that exist for Persian-centered translation systems. We adjust the model for the Persian language and find the best parameters and hyper parameters for two tasks: translation and transliteration. We also apply some preprocessing task on the Persian dataset which yields to increase for about one point in terms of BLEU score. Also, we have modified the loss function to enhance the word alignment of the model. This new loss function yields a total of 1.87 point improvements in terms of BLEU score in the translation quality.
Algorithms and Limits for Compact Plan Representations

Compact representations of objects is a common concept in computer science. Automated planning can be viewed as a case of this concept: a planning instance is a compact implicit representation of a graph and the problem is to find a path (a plan) in this graph. While the graphs themselves are represented compactly as planning instances, the paths are usually represented explicitly as sequences of actions. Some cases are known where the plans always have compact representations, for example, using macros. We show that these results do not extend to the general case, by proving a number of bounds for compact representations of plans under various criteria, like efficient sequential or random access of actions. In addition to this, we show that our results have consequences for what can be gained from reformulating planning into some other problem. As a contrast to this we also prove a number of positive results, demonstrating restricted cases where plans do have useful compact representations, as well as proving that macro plans have favourable access properties. Our results are finally discussed in relation to other relevant contexts.
Music Regulators in Two String Quartets: A Comparison of Communicative Behaviors between Low- and High-Stress Performance Conditions

In ensemble performances, group members use particular bodily behaviors as a sort of “language” to supplement the lack of verbal communication. This article focuses on music regulators, which are defined as signs to other group members for coordinating performance. The following two music regulators are considered: body gestures for articulating attacks (a set of movements externally directed that are used to signal entrances in performance) and eye contact. These regulators are recurring observable behaviors that play an important role in non-verbal communication among ensemble members. To understand how they are used by chamber musicians, video recordings of two string quartet performances (Quartet A performing Bartók and Quartet B performing Haydn) were analyzed under two conditions: a low stress performance (LSP), undertaken in a rehearsal setting, and a high stress performance (HSP) during a public recital. The results provide evidence for more emphasis in gestures for articulating attacks (i.e., the perceived strength of a performed attack-type body gesture) during HSP than LSP. Conversely, no significant differences were found for the frequency of eye contact between HSP and LSP. Moreover, there was variability in eye contact during HSP and LSP, showing that these behaviors are less standardized and may change according to idiosyncratic performance conditions. Educational implications are discussed for improving interpersonal communication skills during ensemble performance.
A Protocol for End-to-End Key Establishment During Route Discovery in MANETs

An end-to-end shared secret key between two distant nodes in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is essential for providing secure communication between them. However, to provide effective security in a MANET, end-to-end key establishment should be secure against both internal as well as external malicious nodes. An external malicious node in a MANET does not possess any valid security credential related to the MANET, whereas an internal malicious node would possess some valid security credentials related to the MANET. Most of the protocols for end-to-end key establishment in MANETs either make an unrealistic assumption that an end-to-end secure channel exists between source and destination or use bandwidth consuming multi-path schemes. In this paper, we propose a simple and efficient protocol for end-to-end key establishment during route discovery (E2-KDR) in MANETs. Unlike many other existing schemes, the protocol establishes end-to-end key using trust among the nodes which, during initial stage, is established using public key certificate issued by an off-line membership granting authority. However, the use of public key in the proposed protocol is minimal to make it efficient. Since the key is established during route discovery phase, it reduces the key establishment time. The proposed protocol exploits mobility to establish end-to-end key, and provides comprehensive solution by making use of symmetric keys for protecting routing control messages and end-to-end communication. Moreover, as the end-to-end keys are established during route discovery phase, the protocol is on-demand and only necessary keys are established, which makes the protocol storage scalable. The protocol is shown to be secure using security analysis, and its efficiency is confirmed by the results obtained from simulation experiments.
Dynamic Media Routing in Multi-User Home Entertainment Systems

Today, there is a growing interest in home entertainment systems consisting of various networked devices, such as set-top boxes, hi-fi systems, TV sets, or multimedia PCs. However, available solutions only provide a very restricted set of features. Dynamic routing of media streams between distributed devices and multi-user scenarios are typically not supported. In this paper, we present an architecture for a distributed home entertainment system that overcomes these limitations. We especially examine the most important tasks, namely watching and recording TV. The overall system consists of various devices and allows for multiple users to perform different tasks in parallel. Our architecture supports multi-room applications with a single media stream being presented synchronously on different distributed devices. In addition, applications can be handed over to nearby systems. Finally, we present an algorithm that dynamically determines the optimal media routing for such multi-user scenarios.
Examining the moderating role of high-versus-low scepticism toward Halal labels: findings from Indonesia

Since the Halal label is associated with Islam, perhaps no one questions its acceptance from the Muslims perspective. However, news articles have reported that Muslims in several parts of the world have a cynical perception toward the Halal label itself. This paper investigates whether or not Muslim consumers' scepticism toward Halal label might influence purchasing behaviour. Questionnaires providing data for this paper were distributed via an online-mobile survey. In total, 186 responses were collected. Multi-group moderation analysis is used to prove whether scepticism toward Halal labels does exist and to conduct more meaningful analysis of its moderating role. Overall, it is found that scepticism toward Halal label exists and a moderating influence on Halal purchase intention. Recommendations for manufacturers are also addressed.
A Review on Ant Based Routing Protocols for Manet

Due to the dynamic nature of MANETs, route maintenance is quite difficult task. Routing is the process by which we choose paths in a network along which the source can send data packets towards destination. It is an important aspect of network communication because the characteristics like reliability, throughput, and congestion depends upon the routing information. An ideal routing algorithm is one which is able to deliver the packet to its destination with minimum amount of delay and network overhead. The nodes update the routing tables by exchanging routing information between the other node in the network. The ACO meta heuristic is based on generic problem representation and the definition of the ant's behaviour. ACO is based on the foraging behaviour of real ants. Main objective of this review is to study various ant based routing protocols for MANETs.
What Is the Sociology behind Health Status and Health-seeking Behaviour?

Health status and health-seeking behaviour are commonly studied in the context of human development and public health. Numerous studies measuring health status and the utilisation of health services are conducted, and a considerable amount of statistical correlations and analyses have been generated. These are valuable baselines but are often accepted as given and immutable. What could be a sociological approach to numerical data? The aim of this article is to show that sociological writings on health should go beyond the definitions and terms used in statistical databases and place them in the context of social life of the people whose health status is under study. The social dynamics in the everyday life of people, the imperatives on their decisions under lived conditions and their cultural predispositions will be important to the understanding of their health status, whether or not they are statistically significant. Qualitative and micro enquiries are required to correct, complement and explain the issues raised by numerical data.
Performance Comparison of Robust Steganography Based on Multiple Transformation Techniques

A technique which enables to have a secret communication in modern technology using public channel is known as steganography. In this paper, we propose Performance Comparison of Robust Steganography Based on Multiple Transformation Techniques (PCRSMT). The cover image intensity values are manipulated to accommodate payload properly and segmented into blocks of 4*4 each. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is applied on each block and in the resulting DWT coefficients, blocks of vertical band of 2*2 each are considered and Integer Wavelet Transform (IWT) is applied to get blocks of 1*1 each. The IWT is applied on the DWT vertical band of payload and then embedded into the IWT coefficients of the cover image. The concept of Error Detection and Correction Coding (EDCC) technique is employed to ensure more reliable communication. It is observed that the proposed algorithm has excellent PSNR, provides high level security and more robust compared to individual transform techniques.