Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHAPTER 3 A Process Model Of Replication Studies : On The Relation Between Different Types Of Replication *

In this chapter we argue that the "received view" of replication äs the exact or algorithmic repetition of an original study has become obsolete. Exact repetition only appears to be a boundary case of a series of more or less "varied" replications, that is, replications that systematically vary one or more parameters of the original study to see whether its outcome remains stable or changes in a predictable way. Only in case of failure to produce any predicted outcome through a series of varied replications does the suspicion of an irreproducible effect arise, and therefore the need for a more or less exact replication. From this "constructivistic" perspective it is to be expected that exact replications are rather rare, although methodologically replicability is considered to be one of the most important cornerstones of science. The production of so-called "objective knowledge" (Popper, 1980) would be dependent on the intersubjectivity of observations in accordance with the hypothesis. Intersubjectivity of observations means that observational reports would only be taken seriously if they could in principle be reproduced by any competent researcher. A theory would only be considered falsified in case of a replicable observation contradicting one of the implications of that
Structure-Preserving Model Reduction Using a Krylov Subspace Projection Formulation

A general framework for structure-preserving model reduction by Krylov subspace projection methods is developed. It not only matches as many moments as possible but also preserves substructures of importance in the coecient matrices L;G;C, and B that dene a dynamical system prescribed by the transfer function of the form H(s )= L(G+sC) 1B. Many existing structure- preserving model-order reduction methods for linear and second-order dynamical systems can be derived under this general framework. Furthermore, it also oers insights into the development of new structure-preserving model reduction methods.
Individual processing speed analysis for traffic sign detection and recognition

Of late, traffic sign detection and recognition are becoming very prevalent topic as it enhances drivers towards safety and alert them with precaution information. This study reports about processing time of the individual color detection and recognition of the partial occlusion traffic sign that have been previously implemented using HSV and RGB color ratio and ANN and PCA method respectively for detection and recognition. The data set for detection and classification process has been successfully created in various places in Malaysia that involved with degradation and out of planes rotated of the signs. There are three standard types of colored images have been used in the study namely Red, Blue and Yellow signs. In this study, we analyze the system processing speed of individual color detection and classification respectively using red, green and blue (RGB) and hue, saturation and value (HSV) color segmentation techniques, supervised feed forward artificial neural network (ANN) and principal component analysis (PCA). The experimental result shown that processing time of individual color detection during daytime and at night using HSV method is slightly faster than RGB technique. On the other hand, supervised feed forward neural network has reached almost 1s in recognizing traffic sign images rather than PCA with only 0.0238s.
A Next-Best-View Method With self-termination in Active Modeling of 3D Objects

The objective of view planning in a visual sensing system is to make task-directed decisions for optimal sensing pose selection. The primary focus of the research described in this paper is to propose a new method for creating a complete model of free-form surface object from multiple range images acquired by a scan sensor at different space poses. Using the view sphere to limit the number of possible sensor positions, the candidates for the next-best-view (NBV) position are easily determined by detecting and measuring occlusions to the camera's view in an image. Ultimately, the candidate which obtains maximum the known partial modeling boundary integral value of the vector fields is selected as the next-best-view position. We also present a self-termination criterion for judging the completion condition in the measurement and reconstruction process. The termination condition is derived based on changes in the volume computed from two successive viewpoints. The experimental results show that the method is effective in practical implementation
Draft Genome Sequence of Brucella abortus Virulent Strain 544

ABSTRACT Here, we present the draft genome sequence and annotation of Brucella abortus virulent strain 544. The genome of this strain is 3,289,405 bp long, with 57.2% G+C content. A total of 3,259 protein-coding genes and 60 RNA genes were predicted.
Two-dimensional wavelet transform model for MC-CDMA

The performance of MC-CDMA system based on two-dimensional wavelet transform has been analyzed and tested in AWGN and multipath fading channel. The proposed structure was suggested by replacing the blocks of FFT in conventional model by a two dimensional wavelet transform blocks at the transmitter and receiver sides. This can be done by converting blocks of 64 bit of 1-Dimensional vector into 2-dimensional matrix and process it by 2-Dimensional wavelet transform. The output data and training vectors are multiplied by a generated phase matrix of size 64*64 bits at the transmitter side, and then the reverse procedure will apply to retrieve the transmitted data. The simulated results compared with the performance of MC-CDMA based on Multiwavelet transform (MWT) which outperforms the conventional models based on FFT and wavelet transform (WT). A gain of 2dB obtained at the AWGN channel, while in multipath fading, the obtained gains are 5dB and 2.5dB at Doppler frequencies of 5Hz and 200Hz respectively when the paths gain of −8dB.
Admission control with online algorithms in SDN

By offloading the control plane to powerful computing platforms running on commodity hardware, Software Defined Networking (SDN) unleashes the potential to operate computation intensive machine learning tools and solve complex optimization problems in a centralized fashion. This paper studies such an opportunity under the framework of the centralized SDN Admission Control (AC) problem. We first review and adapt some of the key AC algorithms from the literature, and evaluate their performance under realistic settings. We then propose to take a step further and build an AC meta-algorithm that is able to track the best AC algorithm under unknown traffic conditions. To this aim, we exploit a machine learning technique called Strategic Expert meta-Algorithm (SEA).
Improving Supply-Chain-Management based on Semantically Enriched Risk Descriptions

To discover risk as early as possible is a major demand of today’s supply-chainrisk-management. This includes analysis of internal resources (e.g. ERP and CRM data) but also of external sources (e.g. entries in the Commercial Register and newspaper reports). It is not so much the problem of getting the information as to analyze and evaluate it near-term, cross-linked and forward-looking. In the APPRIS project an EarlyWarning-System (EWS) is developed applying semantic technologies, namely an enterprise ontology and an inference engine, for the assessment of procurement risks. The approach allows for integrating data from various information sources, of various information types (structured and unstructured), and information quality (assured facts, news); automatic identification, validation and quantification of risks and aggregation of assessment results on several granularity levels. For representation the graphical user interface of a project partner’s commercial supply-management-system is used. Motivating scenario is derived from three business project partners’ real requirements for an EWS with special reference to the downstream side of supply chain models, to suppliers’ company structures and single sourcing.
Full-color skin imaging using RGB LED and floating lens in optical coherence tomography

The cosmetic industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years. Conventional hand-held skin cameras allow for 2D inspection of the skin surface. This paper proposes a new model for full-color 3D imaging of the skin tissue using fiber-based optical coherence tomography (OCT). Compared to laser or LD sources, RGB LED was found more suitable and thus chosen in the low-coherence interferometry due to its wider bandwidth. A floating objective lens was used to confocalize the R, G and B imaging planes and to derive a full-color image of the capillary system in the skin tissue. The skin imaging system can be miniaturized to form a new hand-held model using an RGB integrated source, a micro-interferometer module and a high-speed beam steering device. Non-invasive, full-color and hand-held skin imaging contributes to advances in the fields of skin science, dermatology and cosmetology.
Seasonal Variation in the Regulation of Redox State and Some Biotransformation Enzyme Activities in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica L.)

Little is known of the normal seasonal variation in redox state and biotransformation activities in birds. In long-distance migratory birds, in particular, seasonal changes could be expected to occur because of the demands of migration and reproduction. In this study, we measured several redox parameters in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica L.) during the annual cycle. We captured the wintering barn swallows before spring migration in South Africa, and we captured the barn swallows that arrived in spring, bred in summer, and migrated in autumn in Finland. The redox status and biotransformation activities of barn swallows varied seasonally. Wintering birds in South Africa had high biotransformation activities and appeared to experience oxidative stress, whereas in spring and summer, they showed relatively low redox (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], and glutathione reductase [GR]) and biotransformation enzyme activities. Autumn birds had very low biotransformation enzyme activities and low indication of oxidative stress but high activity of some redox enzymes (GR and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PDH]). High activities of some redox enzymes (SOD, GR, and G6PDH) seem to be related to migration, whereas low activities of some redox enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GR) may be associated with breeding. Barn swallows in South Africa may experience pollution-related oxidative stress, which may hamper interpretation of normal seasonal variation in redox parameters.
Fundamental frequency alignment vs. note-based melodic similarity for singing voice assessment

This paper presents a generic approach for automatic singing assessment for basic singing levels. The system provides the user with a set of intonation, rhythm and overall ratings obtained by measuring the similarity of the sung melody and a target performance. Two different similarity approaches are discussed: f0 curve alignment through Dynamic Time Warping (DTW), and singing transcription plus note-level similarity. From these two approaches, we extract different intonation and rhythm similarity measures which are combined through quadratic polynomial regression analysis in order to fit the judgement of 4 trained musicians on 27 performances. The results show that the proposed system is suitable for automatic singing voice rating and that DTW based measures are specially simple and effective for intonation and rhythm assessment.
CMOS ring oscillator with quadrature outputs and 100 MHz to 3.5 GHz tuning range

A 100 MHz to 3.5 GHz four-stage CMOS ring oscillator with quadrature outputs and oscillator core current consumption roughly proportional to operating frequency is presented. A novel oscillator topology consisting of a chain of four static single-ended CMOS inverters, four additional feedforward inverters and frequency control by steering the total oscillator core current is proposed. The circuit is implemented in a 0.18/spl mu/ standard CMOS technology. Oscillator core current consumption is 90/spl mu/A at 100 MHz and 9mA at 3.5 GHz with a 1.8V supply. Measured phase noise at 4 MHz offset is -114dBc/Hz at 100MHz and -106dBc/Hz at 3.5GHz oscillation frequency. Quadrature error is better than 3.5/spl deg/ over the 100 MHz to 3GHz frequency range.
A solution to seasonal adjustment forecasting for hydraulic SMEs in investment decision-making

Seasonal adjustment plays a significant role in the analysis of current social and economic conditions, particularly in determining the stages of the business cycle at which the economy stands. Nowadays the most popular method for seasonal adjustment in time series forecasting is the X-12-ARIMA algorithm, etc. All of these methods are sophisticated and difficult to understand and not suitable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to forecast and make decisions, especially for hydraulic SMEs which are troubled about low ROI and natural issues. To stimulate private investment in hydraulic industry the seasonal effects should be averaged out to smooth the investment decision making. Thus we introduce the Centered Moving Average (CMA) method, the modification to the moving average method, which is simple and easy to operate for hydraulic SMEs. By using a case, we illustrate the procedure carefully. Comparing the accuracy of forecasts between the actual data trend line and the deseasonalized data trend line, we can conclude that the accuracy improves greatly when using the CMAs. It is simple and low cost and more suitable for hydraulic SMEs.
Four days of mindfulness meditation training for graduate students: A pilot study examining effects on mindfulness, self-regulation, and executive function

Self-regulation facilitates coping with academic stress and demands. This pilot study examined the effects of four consecutive mindfulness meditation classes on self-regulation and executive function in graduate students. Self-report measures of mindfulness, self-regulation, and executive functions were completed before and after the mindfulness classes. Paired t-tests compared pre-post training scores and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d. A sample of 8 psychology graduate students (7 female) volunteered to participate in the mindfulness training. The group classes were modeled after meditation practices in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Each class involved a specific theme: (1) Stepping Out of Automatic Pilot, (2) Awareness of the Breath, Body, Sounds, and Thoughts, (3) Mindful Movement, and (4) Working with Difficulty. Students significantly improved in mindfulness and self-regulation skills. Large effects were obtained for increases in total mindfulness, and the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-reactivity to inner experiences. Additionally, large effects were calculated for total self-regulation and the self-regulatory facet of self-reinforcement. The current pilot study provides preliminary support for cultivating mindfulness skills and enhancing self-regulatory capacity in graduate students through four consecutive days of mindfulness training.
Calcium-activated K+ Channels of Mouse β-cells are Controlled by Both Store and Cytoplasmic Ca2+

A novel calcium-dependent potassium current (Kslow) that slowly activates in response to a simulated islet burst was identified recently in mouse pancreatic β-cells (Göpel, S.O., T. Kanno, S. Barg, L. Eliasson, J. Galvanovskis, E. Renström, and P. Rorsman. 1999. J. Gen. Physiol. 114:759–769). Kslow activation may help terminate the cyclic bursts of Ca2+-dependent action potentials that drive Ca2+ influx and insulin secretion in β-cells. Here, we report that when [Ca2+]i handling was disrupted by blocking Ca2+ uptake into the ER with two separate agents reported to block the sarco/endoplasmic calcium ATPase (SERCA), thapsigargin (1–5 μM) or insulin (200 nM), Kslow was transiently potentiated and then inhibited. Kslow amplitude could also be inhibited by increasing extracellular glucose concentration from 5 to 10 mM. The biphasic modulation of Kslow by SERCA blockers could not be explained by a minimal mathematical model in which [Ca2+]i is divided between two compartments, the cytosol and the ER, and Kslow activation mirrors changes in cytosolic calcium induced by the burst protocol. However, the experimental findings were reproduced by a model in which Kslow activation is mediated by a localized pool of [Ca2+] in a subspace located between the ER and the plasma membrane. In this model, the subspace [Ca2+] follows changes in cytosolic [Ca2+] but with a gradient that reflects Ca2+ efflux from the ER. Slow modulation of this gradient as the ER empties and fills may enhance the role of Kslow and [Ca2+] handling in influencing β-cell electrical activity and insulin secretion.
RaspiReader: An Open Source Fingerprint Reader Facilitating Spoof Detection

We present the design and prototype of an open source, optical fingerprint reader, called RaspiReader, using ubiquitous components. RaspiReader, a low-cost and easy to assemble reader, provides the fingerprint research community a seamless and simple method for gaining more control over the sensing component of fingerprint recognition systems. In particular, we posit that this versatile fingerprint reader will encourage researchers to explore novel spoof detection methods that integrate both hardware and software. RaspiReader's hardware is customized with two cameras for fingerprint acquisition with one camera providing high contrast, frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) images, and the other camera outputting direct images. Using both of these image streams, we extract complementary information which, when fused together, results in highly discriminative features for fingerprint spoof (presentation attack) detection. Our experimental results demonstrate a marked improvement over previous spoof detection methods which rely only on FTIR images provided by COTS optical readers. Finally, fingerprint matching experiments between images acquired from the FTIR output of the RaspiReader and images acquired from a COTS fingerprint reader verify the interoperability of the RaspiReader with existing COTS optical readers.
Fuzzy Adaptive Control for a Class of Uncertain Systems with Time-Delay

Fuzzy adaptive control method for uncertain nonlinear systems with time-delay is introduced in this paper, which can be represented by Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy models. The state feedback approach is considered. By introducing a new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional with adjustable parameters, and based on delay-dependent stability analysis, some sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback controller provided via parallel distributed compensation (PDC) are given in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Different feedback gains are gotten by choosing different adjustable parameters. Different feedback gains lead to different dynamic performance of closed-loop systems, therefore, the optimal dynamic performance of closed-loop systems can be gotten by choosing proper adjustable parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed method can be shown by the simulation example.
Tests of the kin selection model of mate choice and inbreeding avoidance in satin bowerbirds

In typically outbreeding species, females can avoid a reduction in offspring fitness by choosing unrelated sires. However, the kin selection model of mate choice suggests that it may be adaptive to mate with relatives to gain inclusive fitness benefits, especially in lekking species. Several studies have shown that females tend to mate with relatives, but the detailed behavioral data necessary to determine whether this reflects an active preference is difficult to acquire. We test the hypotheses that females actively preferred or avoided relatives in mate choice in satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), a lekking species in which comprehensive observations of natural mate choice were obtained using automated video cameras positioned at bowers. We identified specific males that were sampled by individual females and assessed whether relatedness influenced their acceptance or rejection as mates. We found no consistent effect of relatedness on mate choice across years or among multiple stages of mate choice. In 2 of 6 years, females copulated with relatives at or above the half-sibling level significantly more often than expected, but this was attributed to females searching for mates in areas populated by relatives, and not to an active preference for relatives. Furthermore, we found no evidence for inbreeding avoidance through mate choice discrimination or sex-biased dispersal.
Social/Emotional Needs: The Rage of Gifted Students

The experiences of gifted students in school are quite varied and reflect a wide variety of factors. For 17 years, I have written about their experiences from two perspectives, that of a researcher and, using their own words, that of the students themselves. I have come to believe that the lived experiences, or Lebensvelt, of gifted students in school is one of the richest areas in the field of gifted education in which to conduct research.
Finger and Palm Dynamic Pressure Monitoring for Basketball Shooting

This study verified general inferences on the finger and palm pressure distribution of a basketball player in the moment before that player shoots a basketball through a scientific qualitative testing method. We mounted the sensor on the hands of college basketball players and monitored the dynamic pressure of each player’s hand while the player threw a basketball. The dynamic pressure distribution of the fingers and palm of a basketball player throwing a ball can be verified. According to the experimental results, college basketball players typically use the index finger to control the direction and power of force in the moment before shooting a basketball. This study successfully used a scientific qualitative test method to monitor the dynamic pressure of the fingers and palms of basketball players and verified the general inference that a typical basketball player mainly uses the index finger to control the direction and power of force in the moment before throwing a ball. In the future, this study, measuring the dynamic pressure distribution of the fingers and palm, can be applied to simulate hand manipulation in many biomedical and robotic applications.
Integrated Architecture for Short Term Load Forecasting using Support Vector Machines

A new hybrid technique using Support Vector Machines (SVM) to forecast the next 24 hours load is proposed in this paper. Four modules consisting of the Basic SVM, Peak and Valley SVM, Averager and Forecaster and Adaptive Combiner form the integrated method for load forecasting. The proposed architecture can forecast the next 24 hours load. The Basic SVM uses the historical data of load and temperature to predict the next 24 hour's load, while the Peak and Valley SVM uses the past peak and valley data of load and temperatures respectively. The Averager captures the average variation of the load from the previous load behavior, while the Adaptive Combiner uses the weighted combination of outputs from the Basic SVM and the Forecaster, to forecast the final load. The statistical and artificial intelligence based methods are conceptually incorporated into the architecture to exploit the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.