Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulator Training for Decision Making Intelligence Enhancing in Bicycle Routes Designing and Planning System

The European Commission decisions promote using clean transport methods, and one of which is cycling. In order to ensure the successful functioning of an integrated urban transport system cycling has to be one of its components, which naturally fits into the overall intermodal transport system. Due to limited funding it is important to understand which bike path network would be more efficient and usable for municipality and cyclists. The multi agent-based (MAS/ABM) bicycle path network and exploitation simulator (VeloRouter) allows paths occupancy simulation, but quality of the results depends on the simulator right training.
Software Metrics for Agile Software Development

Agile software development methods are nowadays wide spread and accepted. From the software measurement point-of-view not all metrics and methods from conventional lifecycle models can be used without adaptation. Distinct techniques in agile software development like refactoring needs new approaches and quality models in the area of software measurement. Therefore this paper describes a quality model, distinct metrics and their implementation into a measurement tool for quality management in agile software development.
Explaining the Decline of the U.S. Saving Rate: The Role of Health Expenditure

The U.S. saving rate declined by 8% between 1980 and 2009. We document that the decline can be explained by rising health expenditures. Using exogenous variation in medical expenses generated by Food and Drug Administration drug approvals, we document that a 1 percentage point increase in health expenditure generated a decline in saving rate of 0.9 percentage points. We then estimate a model of household decisions to evaluate the mechanisms behind the decline. We find that the rise in health expenses and drop in saving rate are driven by progress in health technology, reduction in copayment rates, and improvements in income processes.
Self‐reported and observed female genital cutting in rural Tanzania: associated demographic factors, HIV and sexually transmitted infections

Objectives To determine (i) the prevalence and type of female genital cutting (FGC) in a rural multi‐ethnic village in Tanzania, (ii) its associated demographic factors, (iii) its possible associations with HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and infertility and (iv) to assess the consistency between self‐reported and clinically observed FGC.
Modeling key agreement in multi-hop ad hoc networks

Securing multicast communications in ad hoc networks has become one of the most challenging research directions in the areas of wireless networking and security. This is especially true as ad hoc networks are emerging as the desired environment for an increasing number of civilian, commercial and military applications, also addressing an increasingly large number of users. In this paper we study a very basic security question for Ad Hoc Networks: Key Agreement against passive adversaries. Despite being a widely studied area in wired networks, the problem becomes significantly more challenging for ad hoc networks, and even more for sensor networks, due to lack of trusted entities, infrastructures, full connectivity, routing structures, and due to severe limitations on the resources and capabilities of network nodes. In this paper we perform a comprehensive investigation of Key Agreement over resource constrained ad hoc networks. First, we formally model the key agreement problem over multi-hop ad hop networks, and we directly extend known key agreement protocols for wired networks, and evaluate the efficiency of such approaches. We then go beyond natural extensions of such protocols, by proposing non-trivial extensions based on efficient topology-driven simulations of logical networks over an arbitrary physical network, in order to optimize the most significant metrics of interest for such networks: i.e. bandwidth, latency, processing cost. Indeed, the resulting protocols are significantly more efficient in some or all of the above metrics, as our analytical results indicate.
For some eyes only: protecting online information sharing

End-users have become accustomed to the ease with which online systems allow them to exchange messages, pictures, and other files with colleagues, friends, and family. This con- venience, however, sometimes comes at the expense of hav- ing their data be viewed by a number of unauthorized par- ties, such as hackers, advertisement companies, other users, or governmental agencies. A number of systems have been proposed to protect data shared online; yet these solutions typically just shift trust to another third party server, are platform specific (e.g., work for Facebook only), or fail to hide that confidential communication is taking place. In this paper, we present a novel system that enables users to exchange data over any web-based sharing platform, while both keeping the communicated data confidential and hiding from a casual observer that an exchange of confidential data is taking place. We provide a proof-of-concept implementa- tion of our system in the form of a publicly available Fire- fox plugin, and demonstrate the viability of our approach through a performance evaluation.
Fraction-free algorithms for linear and polynomial equations

This paper extends the ideas behind Bareiss's fraction-free Gauss elimination algorithm in a number of directions. First, in the realm of linear algebra, algorithms are presented for fraction-free LU "factorization" of a matrix and for fraction-free algorithms for both forward and back substitution. These algorithms are valid not just for integer computation but also for any matrix system where the entries are taken from a unique factorization domain such as a polynomial ring. The second part of the paper introduces the application of the fraction-free formulation to resultant algorithms for solving systems of polynomial equations. In particular, the use of fraction-free polynomial arithmetic and triangularization algorithms in computing the Dixon resultant of a polynomial system is discussed.
Examining the Benefit of Including a Sibling in Story-Based Intervention With a Child With Asperger Syndrome

Purpose: Story-based interventions have been used to address the social, communicative, and behavioral impairments that are characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no studies have examined the potential benefit of including a typically developing child, such as a sibling, in this type of intervention. Method: This case study examined the social validity of using comic strip conversations (CSCs) for a 6year-old boy with Asperger syndrome and his typically developing younger brother to address conflict in a home setting. The 2 boys received separate adultmediated CSC sessions around several discrete events involving the common theme of sibling conflict. Quantitative subjective ratings of behavior change action and social communication and the presence of restrictive or repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). A universal feature of ASD involves challenges in theory of mind (ToM), which can be thought of as the ability to read and accurately interpret the thoughts and feelings of the self and others (Kuoch & Mirenda, 2003). Many researchers have argued that ToM deficits represent the core cause of the aforementioned triad of ASD impairments (e.g., Baron-Cohen, 1995; Baron-Cohen, Leslie, & Frith, 1985). One popular approach to support ToM development makes use of a class of story-based interventions, including social stories (Gray, 2010; Gray & Garand, 1993) and comic strip conversations (CSCs; were collected in the form of maternal daily diaries. Results: Tau-U analyses across A (baseline), B (CSC with child with ASD only), A (withdrawal), C (CSCs with both the child with ASD and the typical sibling), and A (withdrawal) phases of study indicated therapeutic changes in the child with ASD during Phase C that were maintained in the final withdrawal period. Dyad-specific experiences between siblings and the importance of adult mediation to triangulate shared meaning-making, promote social learning, and address sibling conflict are discussed. Limitations and directions for future research are also considered.
The Dark Side of Information and Market Efficiency in E-Markets

Price dispersion reflects the differences in prices for identical products. While in physical markets such dispersion is prevalent due to high search costs, many researchers argue that search costs and price dispersion will be much lower in electronic markets (e-markets). Empirical evidence does not support this contention, and researchers have studied search costs, market factors, and service-quality factors to explain this dispersion. Previous research has largely assumed that more information is better. By ignoring the dark side of information, we argue that only a partial understanding of price dispersion is possible. In this article, information overload and equivocality are studied as two dark attributes of information that lead sellers to different pricing decisions in e-markets. Hypotheses relating these attributes to price dispersion are supported through analysis of 161 product markets. This work opens up new avenues in the study of e-markets and discusses the implications of these findings for research and practice on consumer and seller decisions. Subject Areas: Consumer Behavior, E-Markets, Information Equivocality, Information Overload, Market Efficiency, and Price Dispersion.
Evaluation of Textual CBR Approaches

Evaluation is a crucial step in a research project, it demonstrates how well the chosen approach and the implemented techniques work, and can uncover limitations as well as point toward improvements and future research. A formal evaluation also facilitates comparing the project to previous work, and enables other researchers to assess its usefulness to their problems. Evaluating Textual CBR system is particularly challenging: The system will often comprise multiple aspects, e.g., interface, index-assignment, or case-based reasoning proper. The evaluation has to be carefully designed so that it disentangles the performance of those individual components which are to be the focus of the research project, or captures the performance of the overall system in solving a practical problem in industry. Textual CBR incorporates aspects of various disciplines which have different views on how to measure performance, and it is arguable which one of these measures is the best choice. In general, for Textual CBR, how to evaluate is still mostly an open issue (CBRIR 1998), and unfortunately, in some systems not even addressed at all. Here, we will discuss three major issues with respect to the evaluation of Textual CBR systems:
Thoracic Syndesmophytes Commonly Occur in the Absence of Lumbar Syndesmophytes in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Computed Tomography Study

Objective. To determine the extent of thoracic involvement with syndesmophytes in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) relative to lumbar involvement. Methods. We performed thoracolumbar spine computed tomography (CT) and lumbar radiography on 18 patients. We quantitated syndesmophytes in 11 intervertebral disc spaces and related these to the presence of syndesmophytes on lumbar radiographs. Results. Syndesmophytes were slightly more common in the thoracic than in the lumbar spine and bridging was significantly more common. Thoracic syndesmophytes were universally present in patients without visible lumbar syndesmophytes on either radiographs or CT. Conclusion. Syndesmophytes predominate in the thoracic spine. Lumbar radiographs underestimate the degree of thoracic involvement.
Complexity reduction for frequency-response masking filters using serial masking

In this paper, we proposed computationally efficient filter structures based on the frequency response masking (FRM) technique for the synthesis of arbitrary bandwidth sharp FIR filters. A two-step masking approach is introduced in the new structures to further reduce the arithmetic operations in the overall filter compared to original FRM structure. It was shown, by means of examples, that additional 12% to 17% savings in terms of numbers of arithmetic operations are achievable for the new structures.
Exploring the relationships between concurrent types of interpersonal child maltreatments and severity of posttraumatic stress symptomatology : the moderated mediational role of a child’s strengths

Most children exposed to interpersonal violence experience multiple forms of victimizations that are more predictive of trauma symptomatology than single traumatic incidents. This exploratory study seeks to extend research that suggests a child’s intrinsic strengths may help mitigate the development of serious psychiatric symptoms for children experiencing multiple interfamilial victimizations. Utilizing a diverse clinical sample (N= 106) of children 7 to 18 years of age who were exposed to multiple family traumas or to non-interpersonal traumas, path analysis models (moderation, mediational, and moderated mediational) were employed across potential explanatory or attenuating demographic factors (age, ethnicity, and gender) to ascertain the associations between multiple interpersonal maltreatment types experienced, childs’ behavioral and emotional strengths, and their posttraumatic stress symptomatology and/or behavioral and emotional difficulty symptoms.
ROBUST NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES FOR THE GVG-BASED SLAM IN UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT

Abstract The Generalized Voronoi Graph (GVG) has been effectively used for the SLAM and navigation of mobile robots. Since the mobile robot should perform the GVG-based SLAM and navigation in unstructured environments using inaccurate noisy sensors, it requires accurate data association and robust navigation techniques. In this paper, we suggest three techniques for a robust construction of the GVG. The first one is a robust node matching technique and the second one is an adaptable sensor area matching method for the robust exploration. Finally we propose a technique which is capable of distinguishing between closely located nodes. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can work successfully under 20% errors of odometry and range sensor in unstructured environment.
An Improved Mandarin Keyword Spotting System Using MCE Training and Context-Enhanced Verification

The task of keyword spotting is to detect a set of keywords in the input continuous speech. The main goal of this work is to develop an improved Mandarin keyword spotting (KWS) system for conversational telephone speech (CTS). In this paper, we propose an efficient online-garbage model based KWS system, which integrated with a word-level minimum classification error (MCE) training method and a novel context-enhanced verification method. Experiment showed that the proposed methods can reduce the equal-error-rate (EER) of the system by 13.8% in relative
Effect of a Mediterranean Diet Intervention on Dietary Glycemic Load and Dietary Glycemic Index: The PREDIMED Study

Objective. To compare the one year effect of two dietary interventions with MeDiet on GL and GI in the PREDIMED trial. Methods. Participants were older subjects at high risk for cardiovascular disease. This analysis included 2866 nondiabetic subjects. Diet was assessed with a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The GI of each FFQ item was assigned by a 5-step methodology using the International Tables of GI and GL Values. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess the relationship between the intervention group and dietary GL and GI at one year of follow-up, using control group as reference. Results. Multivariate-adjusted models showed an inverse association between GL and MeDiet + extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) group: β = −8.52 (95% CI: −10.83 to −6.20) and MeDiet + Nuts group: β = −10.34 (95% CI: −12.69 to −8.00), when comparing with control group. Regarding GI, β = −0.93 (95% CI: −1.38 to −0.49) for MeDiet + EVOO, β = −1.06 (95% CI: −1.51 to −0.62) for MeDiet + Nuts when comparing with control group. Conclusion. Dietary intervention with MeDiet supplemented with EVOO or nuts lowers dietary GL and GI.
Ethylene Inhibits Cell Proliferation of the Arabidopsis Root Meristem1[OPEN]

The plant hormone ethylene inhibits cell proliferation in Arabidopsis based on analysis of its effects on the root meristem. The root system of plants plays a critical role in plant growth and survival, with root growth being dependent on both cell proliferation and cell elongation. Multiple phytohormones interact to control root growth, including ethylene, which is primarily known for its role in controlling root cell elongation. We find that ethylene also negatively regulates cell proliferation at the root meristem of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Genetic analysis indicates that the inhibition of cell proliferation involves two pathways operating downstream of the ethylene receptors. The major pathway is the canonical ethylene signal transduction pathway that incorporates CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1, ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2, and the ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 family of transcription factors. The secondary pathway is a phosphorelay based on genetic analysis of receptor histidine kinase activity and mutants involving the type B response regulators. Analysis of ethylene-dependent gene expression and genetic analysis supports SHORT HYPOCOTYL2, a repressor of auxin signaling, as one mediator of the ethylene response and furthermore, indicates that SHORT HYPOCOTYL2 is a point of convergence for both ethylene and cytokinin in negatively regulating cell proliferation. Additional analysis indicates that ethylene signaling contributes but is not required for cytokinin to inhibit activity of the root meristem. These results identify key elements, along with points of cross talk with cytokinin and auxin, by which ethylene negatively regulates cell proliferation at the root apical meristem.
Motivations for alcohol use among adolescents: development and validation of a four-factor model

A 4-factor measure of drinking motives based on a conceptual model by Cox & Klinger (1988, 1990) is presented. Using data from a representative household sample of 1,243 Black and White adolescents, confirmatory factor analyses showed that the hypothesized model provided an excellent fit to the data and that the factor pattern was invariant across gender, race, and age. Each drinking motive was related to a distinct pattern of contextual antecedents and drinking-related outcomes, and these relationships did not generally vary across demographic subgroups. Results support both the conceptual validity of Cox and Klinger's model and the utility of this measure for clinical and research purposes across a diverse range of adolescent populations
Quantitative Evaluation of Luminance Nonuniformity "Mura" in LCDs Based on Just Noticeable Difference (JND) Contrast at Various Background Luminances

An analytical approach using human perception has been applied to the evaluation of the front-of-screen (FOS) quality of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), particularly regarding the regions of luminance nonuniformity called "muras. " The accurate and consistent inspection of muras is extremely difficult because muras have various shapes and sizes as well as contrasts. And inspection results tend to depend on inspectors during the LCD manufacturing process. To determine the quantitative scale that shows the evaluation results of mura matching human perceptions, first, we conducted a perception test and clarified the "just noticeable difference" (JND) contrast according to the type of mura. Second, the relationship between the JND contrast of mura and background luminance was investigated. Finally, we proposed a quantitative scale of mura level on the basis of the JND contrasts at various background luminances. In this paper, we describe our research on human perception of muras at various background luminances and an approach to determining the quantitative scale of visible muras.
UWB-Based Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Localization has many important applications in wireless sensor networks, such as object searching and tracking, remote navigation, location based routing etc. The distance measurements have been based on a variety of technologies, such as acoustic, infrared, and UWB (ultra-wide band) media for localization pur-poses. In this paper, we propose UWB-based communication protocols for distance estimation and location calculation, namely a new UWB coding method, called U-BOTH (UWB based on Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor and Time Hopping), an ALOHA-type channel access method and a message exchange protocol to collect location information. U-BOTH is based on IEEE 802.15. 4a that was designed for WPANs (wireless personal area networks) using the UWB technology. We place our system in coal mine environ-ments, and derive the corresponding UWB path loss model in order to apply the maximum likelihood esti-mation (MLE) method to compute the distances to the reference sensors using the RSSI information, and to estimate the coordinate of the moving sensor using least squares (LS) method. The performance of the sys-tem is validated using theoretic analysis and simulations. Results show that U-BOTH transmission technique can effectively reduce the bit error rate under the path loss model, and the corresponding ranging and local-ization algorithms can accurately compute moving object locations in coal mine environments.
Computer vision and digital inclusion of persons with special needs: Overview and state of art

This survey paper addresses some issues related to the application of computer vision techniques to improve the welfare of people with special needs. The main problems and current work on topics like sign language processing and wheelchair control will be presented. The paper also introduces an ongoing project that aims at creating a free software environment that will include implementations of a large amount of computer vision, pattern recognition and machine learning techniques, tuned to the problems related to the digital inclusion of people with special needs. The software will also serve as an experimental environment, where new techniques will be implemented, tested and compared
Accurate tempo estimation based on harmonic + noise decomposition

We present an innovative tempo estimation system that processes acoustic audio signals and does not use any high-level musical knowledge. Our proposal relies on a harmonic + noise decomposition of the audio signal by means of a subspace analysis method. Then, a technique to measure the degree of musical accentuation as a function of time is developed and separately applied to the harmonic and noise parts of the input signal. This is followed by a periodicity estimation block that calculates the salience of musical accents for a large number of potential periods. Next, a multipath dynamic programming searches among all the potential periodicities for the most consistent prospects through time, and finally the most energetic candidate is selected as tempo. Our proposal is validated using a manually annotated test-base containing 961 music signals from various musical genres. In addition, the performance of the algorithm under different configurations is compared. The robustness of the algorithm when processing signals of degraded quality is also measured.