Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local geometry adaptive manifold re-ranking for shape-based 3D object retrieval

This paper proposes an improvement to Manifold Ranking algorithm used for search results ranking in the context of shape-based 3D model retrieval. Manifold Ranking algorithm by Zhou et al estimates, given a set of high-dimensional feature vectors, a lower-dimensional manifold on which the features lie. It then computes diffusion-based distances from a feature vector (or feature vectors) to the other feature vectors on the manifold. When applied to content-based retrieval, overall retrieval accuracy is significantly better than a "simple" fixed distance metric. However, in a small neighborhood of query, retrieval ranks obtained by a "simple" distance metric (e.g., L1-norm) performs better than those obtained by Manifold Ranking. Proposed re-ranking algorithm tries to combine ranking results due to both simple distance metric and Manifold Ranking in an automatic query expansion framework for better ranking results. Experimental evaluation has shown that the proposed method is effective in improving retrieval accuracy.
International Journal of Physical Sciences Simulation of Circular Jet Outfalls Using Artificial Neural Network

In the present article, outfall of the circular jet in the stagnant ambient fluid has been investigated. First, dimensional analysis for eleven involved parameters in the process, results in four dimensionless numbers including; relative length of jet trajectory, x/dp; jet convergence angel, θ c ; geometry number of jet, Di/dp and Densimetric Froude Number, Fr d. Furthermore, using an experimental setup in the hydraulic laboratory of Shahid Chamran University (SCU), a large amount of data was gathered from several runs of physical model. Gathered data include coordinates of trajectory (x, z) and other involved variables. Then Qnet2000 as an artificial neural network (ANN) software was selected for simulation of the jet outfalls. In this regard, 192 runs of Qnet2000 were performed for training and testing processes. Then, in the application step, ANN model was used for predicting two values of z as upper and inferior limits of the jet trajectory. Findings showed that the model could simulate upper and inferior limits of trajectory very successfully.
A PSO algorithm for mapping the workspace boundary of parallel manipulators

This paper presents a novel method to determine the multi-dimensional workspace boundary of parallel manipulators using a modified Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO) framework. A generic objective (fitness) function that gives optimum value at points where a manipulator reaches its limit is formulated. By finding these points using MPSO, the workspace boundary of a parallel manipulator can be constructed. To demonstrate the method, the mapping of the boundary of a Stewart platform workspace is presented. The generic objective function can be modified easily to include any number of parameters and constraints, and this allows the method to be adapted for solving the workspace boundary problem of other parallel manipulators.
The importance of leisure and the psychological mechanisms involved in living a good life: A content analysis of best-possible-selves texts

Abstract This paper explored the psychological mechanisms by which leisure enhances well-being by using sentence-by-sentence coding of the best-possible-selves text produced by 112 participants. Of the 1097 sentences, 41% were coded as leisure indicating that leisure is an important component of optimal well-being. The data showed that Australians have significantly less leisure in their daily lives than our sample desired; older and wealthier individuals placed a greater emphasis on leisure but there were no significant differences based on gender. Application of the Detachment-Recovery, Autonomy, Mastery, Meaning, Affiliation (DRAMMA) framework showed the following allocation of sentences to psychological mechanisms: Detachment-Recovery-21%, Autonomy-23%, Mastery-12%, Meaning-11% and Affiliation-33%. In their ideal future, participants imagined that they have the time and money to do what they want, particularly, to travel. We showed leisure is not solely associated with ‘having fun’; 59% of participants wanted to use their leisure time to learn, improve, or contribute to society.
New triangulation method for surface scattered points

Triangulations for surface scattered points are used in the field of three-dimensional reconstruction widely. In order to reconstruct surface fast and efficiently, a combination triangulation algorithm was proposed. The triangulation method includes three steps: firstly, the scattered points were carved into many regions by the Axis-Aligned Bounding Box algorithm, then searched k-Neighbor points of each scattered points and constructed its tangent plane, transformed 3D triangulation into 2D triangulation. Secondly, direct triangulation were carried out according to the criterion of different side rule; the angle of two normal vectors maximized rule; the threshold distance rule of semisphere and the internal minimal angle maximized rule. Finally, each region were connected or spliced by 3D Delaunay circumsphere rule. Experiment results shows that the combination algorithm can triangulate the scattered points precisely and efficiently.
AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR ADAPTIVE USER INTERFACES

With the rise of powerful mobile devices and the broad availability of computing power, Automatic Speech Recognition is becoming ubiquitous. Despite the rapid advance and active research in the field, a flawless ASR system is still far from existence. Because of this, interactive applications that make use of ASR technology not always recognize speech perfectly and when not, the user must be engaged to repair the mistakes in the transcriptions. When the user is engaged, he can repair these errors with different strategies. These strategies work better under different contexts. In this thesis, we explore a rational user interface that makes use of machine learning models to make its best effort in presenting the best repair strategy available to reduce the time in spent the interaction between the user and the system as much as possible. A study is conducted to determine how different candidate policies perform and conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the collected results. Once the analysis is performed, the methodology that was used is generalized in terms of a decision theoretical framework that can be used to evaluate the performance of other rational user interfaces that try to optimize an expected cost or utility. After the generalization, the framework is placed in the context of the relevant literature and some potential future work is outlined.
The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications

Some hydraulic characteristics of stream channels — depth, width, velocity, and suspended load — are measured quantitatively and vary with discharge as simple power functions at a given river cross section. Similar variations in relation to discharge exist among the cross sections along the length of a river under the condition that discharge at all points is equal in frequency of occurrence. The functions derived for a given cross section and among various cross sections along the river differ only in numerical values of coefficients and exponents. These functions are:
Psychometric analysis of a scale for assessing specific competences in tutoring and educational guidance / Análisis psicométrico de una escala para evaluar las competencias específicas en tutoría y orientación educativa

Abstract The aim of this study is to validate an instrument for assessing self-perceived tutoring and educational guidance competences in students on the Master’s in Teaching. A historical review of secondary school teacher training shows the need to provide evidence of students’ competence levels. In view of this, a scale has been designed based on the specific competences they ought to acquire. A total of 336 students from the University of Salamanca and Oviedo participated in the study. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the results of the psychometric test show the good fit of the model globally (RMR = .075; GFI = .969) and incrementally (AGFI = .964; NFI = .960; RFI = .957), thus confirming the validity and reliability of the instrument. Finally, the study concludes by emphasizing the need to study real and self-perceived competence levels in specific areas, and to design suitable instruments to measure these levels.
Optimal reactive power control of distribution feeders with distributed energy resources: Interaction analysis and validation

In the voltage regulation problem of MV distribution systems with Distributed Generation (DG), the regulator of the On Load Tap Changer (OLTC) equipped with Line Drop Compensator (LDC) interferes with the DG voltage regulator. This interaction can significantly changes the voltage profile along the feeders. With the aim to propose a solution to this problem, the present paper firstly models this interaction and subsequently defines a sufficient condition which sets an upper bound on the reactance of the LDC. According to the defined condition it is possible to define two separate areas of MV distribution system. The first area collects the nodes controlled by the LDC and the second one the nodes controlled by the DG. In this way the OLTC with LDC and the DG voltage regulator both improve the voltage profile without generating mutual interactions. The study is developed with reference to the DG voltage regulator designed according to an optimization procedure named Optimal Set Point Design (OSPD), previously proposed by the same authors. The validity of the presented analysis is finally validated by numerical simulations.
Levothyroxine treatment and occurrence of fracture of the hip.

BACKGROUND Levothyroxine sodium is widely prescribed and has been implicated as a cause of reduction in bone mineral density and, therefore, suggested to be a major contributor to the risk of osteoporotic fractures. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether levothyroxine use increases the risk of developing osteoporotic fractures. METHODS We conducted a population-based, case-control analysis of the risk of a femur fracture in a large cohort of patients who had been prescribed levothyroxine. We used the United Kingdom General Practice (primary care) Research Database to identify 23,183 patients who had been prescribed long-term thyroid hormone therapy and to identify for each patient taking levothyroxine 4 controls matched for age, sex, primary care practice, and duration of registration on the database. The number of patients who had sustained a fracture of the proximal femur was ascertained for each group, together with drug therapies and medical diagnoses likely to affect fracture risk. RESULTS Of the 23,183 patients prescribed thyroid hormone, a mean +/- SE of 1.61% +/- 0.08% had sustained a fracture of the femur, compared with 1.44% +/- 0.04% of 92,732 controls (P =.06). When analyzed according to sex, a significant difference in rate of fracture between patients taking levothyroxine and controls was found in males (P =.008). Compared with controls, patients taking levothyroxine had higher reported rates of medical diagnoses and therapies, potentially confounding the fracture risk. Independent predictors of the occurrence of fracture after adjustment for other factors were age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.11; P<.001), medical diagnoses including rheumatoid arthritis (AOR in females, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.27-2.26; P<.001), excessive use of alcohol (AOR in females, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.94-4.76; P<.001), and prescription of drugs (eg, anticonvulsants; AOR in females, 2.49; 95% CI, 2.00-3.09; P<.001). Prescription of levothyroxine was an independent predictor of fracture occurrence in males (AOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.12-2.56; P =.01) but not females (AOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.92-1.16; P =.60). CONCLUSIONS The lack of association between fracture and levothyroxine prescription in the whole cohort is reassuring, although an independent association between levothyroxine prescription and fracture occurrence in male patients suggests that levothyroxine may contribute to fracture risk in this specific group.
A Language of Suggestions for Program Parallelization

Coarse-grained task parallelism exists in sequential code and can be leveraged to boost the use of chip multi-processors. However, large tasks may execute thousands of lines of code and are often too complex to analyze and manage statically. This report describes a programming system called suggestible parallelization. It consists of a programming interface and a support system. The interface is a small language with three primitives for marking possibly parallel tasks and their possible dependences. The support system is implemented in software and ensures correct parallel execution through speculative parallelization, speculative communication and speculative memory allocation. It manages parallelism dynamically to tolerate unevenness in task size, inter-task delay and hardware speed. When evaluated using four full-size benchmark applications, suggestible parallelization obtains up to a 6 times speedup over 10 processors for sequential legacy applications up to 35 thousand lines in size. The overhead of software speculation is not excessively high compared to unprotected parallel execution. The research is supported by the National Science Foundation (Contract No. CNS-0834566, CNS0720796), IBM CAS Faculty Fellowship, and a gift from Microsoft Research. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations.
Evaluation of source code copy detection methods on freebsd

Studies have shown that substantial code reuse is common in open source and in commercial projects. However, the precise extent of reuse and its impact on productivity and quality are not well investigated in the open source context. Previously, we have introduced a simple-to-use method that needs only a set of file pathnames to identifies directories that share filenames and partially validated its performance on a set of closed-source projects. To evaluate this method and to improve reuse detection at the file level, we apply it and four additional file copy detection methods that utilize the underlying content of multiple versions of the source code on the FreeBSD project. The evaluation quantified unique advantages of each method and showed that the filename method detected roughly half of all reuse cases. We are still faced with a challenge to scale the content based methods to large repositories containing all versions of open source files.
The Challenges in Automated Testing of Multithreaded

To take full advantage of parallel architectures, programmers need to be presented with a good set of software tools for developing, debugging, testing, and maintaining their parallel programs. This paper focuses on the challenges that need to be addressed to provide automatic generation of test cases for multithreaded programs , particularly focusing on a program-based, structural testing approach. The major challenges include dealing with nondeterministic execution for reproducible testing, extending the test data adequacy criteria for timing-related testing, extension of the existing structural testing methodologies for multithreaded programs, and the inclusion of timing-related testing. We demonstrate some of the more intricate issues through a more thorough look at providing all-du-path coverage in mul-tithreaded programs.
Late fusion for person detection in camera networks

In this paper, we present a novel method to detect multiple partially occluded persons in multi-view camera networks. We present a new fusion scheme to integrate the output of part-based object detectors from multiple camera views. This is achieved using subtle and precise modeling of detection and projection uncertainties as well as a fusion method based on probabilistic kernel density estimation. Using a multi-view setup also allows to incorporate additional real-world prior knowledge about person appearances, which not only speeds up processing, but also increases detection rates. Experiments show that this multi-camera approach outperforms methods based on a single perspective, particularly in occlusion-intense scenarios.
An Approach to Bootstrapping Knowledge Management Process in Engineering Projects

This paper presents the knowledge recy- cling framework for bootstrapping evolutionary knowl- edge management process in development of complex systems. The framework tackles the capture bottle- neck problem by utilizing the large amount of infor- mation produced during development process of large complex systems. The hypothesis is that knowledge fragments, which are information that reflects knowl- edge of developers, are embedded in such pile of in- formation. To illustrate the eectiveness of the frame- work, we describe the case of Mars Climate Orbiter in which available information was not fully utilized. A prototype system IDIMS which serves as a platform to enable the knowledge recycling framework is described through two kinds of knowledge fragments, and possi- ble application of IDIMS to the case of the Mars Cli- mate Orbiter is discussed.
Instruction, timeliness, and medical influences affecting toilet training.

Contemporary toilet training derives from two accepted models: child-oriented gradual training and structured-behavioral, endpoint-oriented training. The former approach views toilet training as a process by which a parent systematically responds to a child's signals of toilet “readiness,” whereas the latter views toilet training as a process of eliciting a specific chain of independent toileting behaviors. Practically speaking, contemporary theoretic constructs of toileting behavior diverge with respect to training endpoints (ie, defined differently or deemphasized altogether), emphasis on self-esteem, development of goals, and timing of initiation. A scientific basis cannot be established for a universal timeline for toilet training, because each method has its own definition of the toilet training process. It remains unclear, for example, how long children must remain bowel- and bladder-continent to be considered trained, and to what extent children should be able to toilet themselves independently of caregivers.1 Both child-oriented gradual and structured-behavioral approaches to toilet training evolved in the United States during the past 40 years within a scientific milieu that came to accept toilet training as a developmental milestone requiring a child's active participation. This common view of toilet training as a developmental process has provided clinically useful overlapping concepts of mature toileting behavior. The child-oriented gradual method, proposed by T. Berry Brazelton in 1962, defined the parameters of toilet readiness; a decade later, N.H. Azrin and R.M. Foxx designed a structured-behavioral method that detailed the components of independent toileting. Widespread acceptance of readiness and independent toileting have since been supported by clinical experience and resulted in agreement that a child should be ready to participate in toilet training at approximately 18 months of age and be trained completely by 2 or 3 years old. Global trends continue to support this concept despite technologic advancements and conveniences such as diapers, which have enabled delayed …
Trust Me I’M A Doctor…. Working towards a Healthy Prescriptive Consent According to Decision Theory

The consent process is a complex relationship between rational cognitive thinking and emotional processes [1] (page 62) that can alter the choices that are being made and can shape probabilities of outcomes [2]. The patient or “lay person” is presented to the cardiac surgeon “expert” by means of a referral letter from a cardiologist who in turn saw the patient following referral from a General Practitioner. Both the patient and the surgeon have a general understanding of the need to act [3]. There is an expectation of surgery but the objectives and goals of surgery have not been defined. The consent process involves clarification of those objectives, exploration of alternatives and the addition of some structure to the decision process. This, however, is subject to natural biases or “heuristics” and especially subject to framing. I hope to explore these biases from the perspective of the patient ‘lay’ customer and the consultant surgeon or ‘expert’ and examine the consultation process using prospect theories. I hope to look beyond these heuristics and offer prescriptive alternatives that may go some way towards an ideal consent.
On the construction of DMT-Optimal AST codes with transmit antenna selection

In this paper, a systematic construction of asymmetric space-time codes that is a promising solution to the asymmetric coding problem is presented. By the asymmetric coding problem we mean that the number of receive antennas is strictly less than the number of transmit antennas in a MIMO communication system, and the task is to design a coding scheme that has an efficient decoding using e.g. a sphere decoder. Specifically, given any desired antenna selection pattern, the proposed construction will yield codes that are transmitted using exactly the specified pattern, and that can be easily decoded using sphere decoding or MMSE techniques. Our construction can be applied to any kinds of antenna selection patterns, including the one that equally-likely uses all possible n-subsets of the transmit antennas for some n. Moreover, the resulting codes are proved to achieve the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff associated with the designated selection pattern.
MINLP Solver Software

In this article we give a brief overview of the start-of-the-art in software for the solution of mixed integer nonlinear programs (MINLP). We establish several groupings with respect to various features and give concise individual descriptions for each solver. The provided information may guide the selection of a best solver for a particular MINLP problem. Keywords: mixed integer nonlinear programming; solver; software; MINLP; MIQCP
Generic social network data crawler using attributed graph

The more increasing active users in sharing information and in interacting with others on online social network unconsciously has reflected the existence of many data that can be used as the research objects for various purposes. Hence, the activity of data crawling is critical as a first gate in accessing the information in social network. This study aims to develop software of data crawler by using the attributed graph approach to store the information from online social network and simultaneously to use simple algorithm to do node and edge detection in order to illustrate the interrelation of objects. The results of the research showed that the information from the developed data crawler can obtained more effectively and can be visualized with the assistance of Gephi software.