Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A fast fuzzy c-means algorithm for colour image segmentation

Image segmentation as a big part of computer vision has been the hot research topic nowadays. Fuzzy c-means FCM algorithm, as the standard and basic approach, is widely adopted by most researchers. In this paper, authors deeply analyse some defects of this technique, such as presetting clustering centre, initialling cluster centres randomly and heavy computation load. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel approach is proposed based on the combination of hierarchal subtractive clustering and fuzzy c-means, in which hierarchal subtractive clustering is introduced for simplifying the cluster centres fixing process and speeding up convergence. A series steps has been offered to imply how to implement this approach, and finally, experiments on two colour images show that, without damaging clustering validity and effectiveness, the novel approach is superior on clustering speed compared to FCM, it is the better choice for dealing with today's high resolution colour images.
Quench Behavior of $\hbox{MgB}_{2}$ Pancake Coil for FCL Applications

The quench behavior of a pancake coil made of a copper-stabilized MgB2 tape is investigated with the aim of collecting fundamental know-how on the quench characteristics, and to provide an experimental benchmark for the validation of numerical models. Comparison between numerical and experiment results are reported. Relevant aspects of the quench mechanism are numerically investigated.
Generalized Domination in Chordal Graphs

We discuss the computational complexity of generalized domination problems, which were introduced in [J.A. Telle: Complexity of domination-type problems in graphs, Nordic Journal of Computing 1 (1994), 157-171], restricted to chordal and interval graphs. The existence problem, parametrized by two sets of nonnegative integers σ and ρ, asks for the existence of a set S of vertices of a given graph such that for every vertex u ∈ S (or u ∉ S), the number of neighbors of u which are in S is in σ (in ρ, respectively). Telle proved that this problem is NP-complete for general graphs, provided both σ and ρ are finite and 0 ∉ ρ. One of our main results shows that in such cases, the existence problem is polynomially solvable for interval graphs. On the other hand, for chordal graphs, the complexity of the existence problem varies significantly even when σ and ρ contain one element each.
EXIT Chart Analysis of a Reduced Complexity Iterative MIMO-OFDM Receiver

The application of turbo principle in designing receivers for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems not only achieves practical complexity receiver systems but also near optimal performances for many of the next generation systems. In particular, our recent research has shown that significant performance can be achieved by using a low complexity iterative soft interference cancellation minimum mean-squared error (SIC-MMSE) equalizer in various coded MIMO wireless channels including frequency-selective MIMO channels (S. Ahmed et al., 2006). This performance gain is due to an extrinsic information exchange process between the equalization and the channel decoding stages compared to a traditional system that treats these processes in isolation. However, the challenge faced with these iterative receivers is the understanding of their convergence behaviour. In this paper, to better understand the convergence behaviour of the proposed iterative receiver, we study the notion of extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) characteristics. Using simulations, we derive the extrinsic information trajectory on the EXIT chart at various Eb/N0 ranges to confirm the convergence of the proposed equalizer.
Calibrating a Camera and Rebuilding a Scene by Detecting a Fixed Size Common Object in an Image

One of the difficulties of trying to determine information about a 3D scene or the intrinsic properties of a camera based on a 2D image is not knowing the sizes of arbitrary objects in the image relative to the world coordinate frame. Many different techniques are used to try to estimate this information, both automatically and with human assistance. Most calibrations of cameras are done in a laboratory setting and require a fair amount of supplementary supplies and human interaction. [6, 7] This can be cumbersome and inconvenient for people who do not have access to the necessary resources or do not possess the technical skills required. Other more automatic approaches involve using heuristics about the scene and attempting to find distances between points or correlations between multiple images to determine the camera calibration. [5] This approach, however, can be difficult and prone to error. A system that is highly automated without needing difficult to obtain materials would help make camera calibration more accessible.
Robust self-triggered MPC for constrained linear systems

In this paper we propose a robust self-triggered model predictive control algorithm for linear systems with additive bounded disturbances and hard constraints on the inputs and state. In self-triggered control, at every sampling instant the time until the next sampling instant is computed online based on the current state of the system. The goal is to achieve a low average sampling rate, thereby minimizing communication in the control system and possibly reducing the number of control updates as is required in sparse control applications. Naturally, and intentionally, our approach leads to long spans of time in which the plant is controlled in an open-loop fashion. Especially for unstable plants or large disturbances this necessitates taking into account the disturbance characteristics in the design of the control law in order to prevent constraint violation in the closed-loop system. We use constraint tightening methods as proposed in Tube Model Predictive Control to guarantee robust constraint satisfaction. The self-triggered controller is shown to stabilize a robust invariant set in the state space for the closed-loop system.
Discriminating cropping systems and agro-environmental measures by remote sensing

The agrarian policy of the European Union tends to support sustainable agriculture, subsidising only cropping systems that are implemented with specific agro-environmental measures. These actions require a precise follow-up of the crops and of the agricultural practices over a large surface. To that end, remote-sensing techniques are unique and cost-effective. We developed here a digital land cover classification in the Mediterranean dryland, mapping and assessing the main cropping systems and some agro-environmental measures such as cover crops in olive orchards and crop stubble for reducing soil erosion. We analysed a high spatial resolution satellite image (QuickBird) taken in early summer around Montilla, southern Spain. Images of the four broad wavebands, six band ratios and three vegetation indices were extracted from the satellite image and studied for the discrimination of nine land covers. The classified regions were determined by applying adequate boundary digital values to the selected images. Our results show that the land covers were discriminated with an overall accuracy of about 90%. Images of the normalised difference vegetation index and the ratio vegetation index discriminated between vegetation and non-vegetation zones. The visible wavebands discriminated roadside trees and herbaceous crops, and the near-infrared waveband highways and urban soil plus bare soil. The ratios blue/green and red/green were useful for distinguishing non-burnt stubble. The burnt stubble area was discriminated through the adapted burnt area index. Olive orchards were classified once the regions of vegetation, non-vegetation and non-burnt stubble were extracted. This technology will be a useful tool of agroecology control for the administration and will be a substitute for the current follow-up of cropping systems by ground visits. It can also be used on a farm level in order to help farmers and technicians to make decisions about the management of sustainable agricultural practices.
Pretest Online Discussion Groups to Augment Teaching and Learning

Tests and final examination scores of three semesters of control students in a nursing foundation course were compared with tests and final examination scores of three semesters of participating students. Participating students were offered access to an asynchronous pretest online discussion activity with a faculty e-moderator. While the simplified Bloom's revised taxonomy assisted in creating appropriate preparatory test and final examination questions for pretest online discussion, Salmon's five-stage online method provided direction to the e-moderator on how to encourage students to achieve Bloom's higher-order thinking skills during the pretest online discussions. Statistical analysis showed the pretest online discussion activity had a generally positive impact on tests and final examination scores, when controlling for a number of possible confounding variables, including instructor, cumulative grade point average, age, and credit hours.
A Frame Pruning Approach for Paralinguistic Recognition Tasks

In conventional paralinguistic classification approaches, information gained by low level features is described over broad segments (like whole turns) via statistical functionals. This procedure presumes meaningful information to be embodied within the whole segment. This assumption may be misleading if distinctive cues within a sample are surrounded by non-meaningful information or noise. In this case it would surely be beneficial to keep only parts of the sample that are most relevant for the recognition task. In this paper we propose a novel cluster-based approach, which aims at identifying frames likely to carry distinctive information. Evaluation is done within the INTERSPEECH 2012 Speaker Trait Challenge. Results show that under certain configurations frame pruning in fact leads to an improvement in recognition accuracy. On the observed corpus most stable improvements were achieved at a frame drop of 4-8%. Index Terms: paralinguistic recognition, frame pruning, personality traits
Intelligent active vision system for autonomous robots

In this paper, an active vision system is developed which is based on image strategy. The image based control structure uses the optical flow algorithm for motion detection of an object in a visual scene. Because the optical flow is very sensitive to changes in illumination or to the quality of the video, it was necessary to use median filtering and erosion and dilatation morphological operations for the decrease of erroneous blobs residing in individual frames. Since the image coordinates of the object are subjected to noise, the Kalman filtering technique is adopted for robust estimation. A fuzzy controller based on the fuzzy condensed algorithm allows real time work for each captured frame. Finally, the proposed active vision system has been simulated in the development/simulation environment Matlab/Simulink.
Octylcyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesive as an Alternative to Mechanical Fixation of Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Prosthesis

In minimally invasive incisional hernia repair positioning and fixation of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) mesh prosthesis on the deep surface of the abdominal wall may be facilitated using tissue adhesives. Octylcyanoacrylate (OCTYL), a new adhesive, forms a strong flexible bond with antimicrobial properties. In a rabbit model for incisional hernia we investigated characteristics of the bond created by OCTYL between ePTFE and abdominal wall musculature. We studied initial bond strength and the postoperative host response to the adhesive over a 6-week period. We compared sutured, stapled, and glued mesh prostheses and examined the tissue-prosthesis interface. The ePTFE mesh was fixed successfully to the abdominal wall with OCTYL and remained tightly attached at 6 weeks. Prostheses fixed with OCTYL and spiral tacks induced few intra-abdominal adhesions compared with sutured mesh. All prostheses were completely reperitonealized at 2 weeks. The force required to displace mesh fixed with sutures and staples was greater than mesh fixed with OCTYL. Analysis of the ePTFE/tissue interface by light and scanning electron microscopy showed host cellular migration into the interstices of the mesh with fixation by tacks and suture, whereas an inflammatory infiltrate was seen on the muscular surface with OCTYL fixation of the mesh.
Effects of β-Glucan Supplementation on Lymphocyte Proliferation, Macrophage Chemotaxis and Specific Immune Responses in Broilers

Immunomodulatory feed additives might offer alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters in poultry production. This experiment was carried out to test the effect of β-glucan supplementation on the growth performance and immune response in broilers. Total of 160 day-old broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups fed corn-soybean diets containing 0, 0.012, 0.025 or 0.05% of β-glucan supplement in a 6 week feeding experiment. Growth performance, antibody titer against New Castle vaccine, lymphocyte blastogensis, and peritoneal macrophage chemotaxis activity of broilers were evaluated. Results showed that there were no significant differences in weight gain and feed efficiency among the treatments, and no differences in antibody titer was observed. Supplementation of β-glucan did not elevate the lymphocyte blastogensis among treatments, following stimulation with different mitogens. However, supplementation with 0.025 and 0.05% β-glucan enhanced the macrophage chemotaxis activity of broilers. These results suggest that β-glucan may enhance some cell-mediated immune responses of chickens by modulate macrophages ability. (Asian- Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 8 : 1145-1149)
Planktonic biomass size spectra: an emergent property of size-dependent physiological rates, food web dynamics, and nutrient regimes

The systematic change in a trait with size is a concise means of representing the diversity and organization of planktonic organisms. Using this simplifying principle, we investi- gated how interactions between trophic levels, resource concentration, and physiological rates structure the planktonic community. Specifically, we used 3 size-structured nutrient-phytoplank- ton-zooplankton models differing in their trophic interactions, ranging from herbivorous grazing on one size class to omnivorous grazing on multiple size classes. We parameterized our models based on an extensive review of the literature. The maximum phytoplankton growth, maximum microzooplankton grazing, and phytoplankton half-saturation constant were found to vary inversely with size, and the nutrient half-saturation constant scaled positively with size. We examined the emergent community structure in our models under 4 nutrient regimes: 10, 20, 25, and 30 μM total N. In all models under all nutrient conditions, the normalized biomass of both phytoplankton and microzooplankton decreased with increasing size. As nutrients were in creased, phytoplankton biomass was added to larger size classes with little change in the extant smaller size classes; for microzooplankton, spectra elongated and biomass was added to all size classes. The different grazing behaviors among models led to more subtle changes in the community structure. Overall, we found that phytoplankton are top-down controlled and microzooplankton are largely bottom- up controlled. Sensitivity analyses showed that both phytoplankton and microzooplankton bio- mass vary strongly with the size-dependence of the maximum grazing rate. Therefore, this param- eter must be known with the greatest accuracy, given its large influence on the emergent community spectra.
Differential expression of SOX17 and SOX2 in germ cells and stem cells has biological and clinical implications

Combined action of SOX and POU families of transcription factors plays major roles in embryonic development. In embryonic stem cells, the combination of SOX2 and POU5F1 (OCT3/4) is essential for maintaining the undifferentiated state by activating pluripotency‐linked genes, and inhibition of genes involved in differentiation. Besides embryonic stem cells, POU5F1 is also present in early germ cells, primordial germ cells, and gonocytes, where it has a role in suppression of apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that SOX2 is absent in germ cells of human fetal gonads, and as expected carcinoma in situ (CIS), ie the precursor lesion of testicular germ cell tumours of adolescents and adults (TGCTs), and seminoma. Based on genome‐wide expression profiling, SOX17 was found to be present, instead of SOX2, in early germ cells and their malignant counterparts, CIS and seminoma. Immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis, and quantitative RT‐PCR showed that SOX17 is a suitable marker to distinguish seminoma from embryonal carcinoma, confirmed in representative cell lines. Aberrant SOX2 expression can be present in Sertoli cells when associated with CIS, which can be misdiagnosed as embryonal carcinoma. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the absence of SOX2 in human embryonic and malignant germ cells, which express SOX17 in conjunction with POU5F1. This finding has both diagnostic and developmental biological implications. It allows the identification of seminoma‐like cells from embryonal carcinoma based on a positive marker and might be the explanation for the different function of POU5F1 in normal and malignant germ cells versus embryonic stem cells. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on the Life of Family Caregivers: A Phenomenological View

The objectives of this study are to describe the perception of caregivers about the process of caring for elders with Alzheimer’s disease, analyze the impact of the care process on the caregiver’s life from the biological and emotional aspects, and discuss the changes in the caregiver’s life in the light of Gestalt Therapy. This was a qualitative and descriptive study with a phenomenological analysis. The results showed that family caregivers are in a vulnerable situation because they are usually women who are also aging or are already elderly, who do not receive the necessary support to meet their needs. Because of the demands of providing care for Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers fail to consider their own issues and develop more mechanized ways of relating to their situation, using crystallization as a defense mechanism. Stress and isolation can adversely affect the physical and mental health of caregivers.
An image-based application for crowdsourcer to locate object automatically

Photographs are a convenient way to collect data from a disaster, but the disadvantage is that the file size of the photo is much larger than that of the plain text, resulting in time delays, data transfers, and power consumption in mobile devices. Besides, photo covers many of the “non-essential information”. Our goal is to get the location of disaster events by using GPS location of the camera with the depth of field estimation of disaster event location to convert the photo information into text packets and then based on the network status to decide the file transfer type. When the network is in good condition and the transmission cost is low, the original image is transmitted directly. When the network status is poor or the transmission cost is high, the data and information are converted to text first so that the packet data is reduced.
Differential Expression of Decorin by Human Malignant and Benign Vascular Tumors

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that a small extracellular chondroitin/dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, decorin, is indirectly involved in angiogenesis. Given that angiogenesis is a sine qua non for tumor growth and progression, we attempted to examine whether human malignant vascular tumors differ from human benign vascular tumors in terms of their decorin expression and synthesis. CD31 immunostaining demonstrated that the human malignant vascular tumors Kaposi's sarcoma and angiosarcoma were filled with capillary-like structures, whereas in benign cavernous and capillary hemangiomas, blood vessels were not as abundantly present. By utilizing in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical assays for decorin, we showed that there was no detectable decorin mRNA expression or immunoreactivity within the tumor mass in the Kaposi's sarcoma or angiosarcoma group. Instead, decorin was expressed in the connective tissue stroma lining the sarcoma tissue. In contrast to sarcomas, in hemangiomas, decorin mRNA expression and immunoreactivity were observed also within the tumor mass, particularly in the connective tissue stroma surrounding the clusters of intratumoral blood vessels. Finally, distribution of type I collagen was found to be similar to that of decorin in these tumor tissues. Our findings can be explained with different states of angiogenesis in dissimilar growths. In sarcomas, angiogenesis is extremely powerful, whereas in hemangiomas, angiogenesis has ceased. Thus, decorin is likely to possess a suppressive effect on human tumor angiogenesis in vivo, as previously described by studies using different experimental models. Decorin certainly provides a usable biomarker for distinguishing between benign and malignant vascular tumors in patients.
An Integrative Genomics Approach for Associating Genome-Wide Association Studies Information With Localized and Metastatic Prostate Cancer Phenotypes

High-throughput genotyping has enabled discovery of genetic variants associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The goal of this study was to associate GWAS information of patients with primary organ–confined and metastatic prostate cancer using gene expression data and to identify molecular networks and biological pathways enriched for genetic susceptibility variants involved in the 2 disease states. The analysis revealed gene signatures for the 2 disease states and a gene signature distinguishing the 2 patient groups. In addition, the analysis revealed molecular networks and biological pathways enriched for genetic susceptibility variants. The discovered pathways include the androgen, apoptosis, and insulinlike growth factor signaling pathways. This analysis established putative functional bridges between GWAS discoveries and the biological pathways involved in primary organ–confined and metastatic prostate cancer.
Load profile determination with artificial evolution

Load profiles are designed to approximate the average load curve of a certain class of end users. They can be used for commercial purposes as well as for load curve estimation. Load profiles are often very inaccurate as they do not take into account factors such as the type of housing of the end users or the presence of electrical heating. In this paper we present a method to determine accurate load profiles by handling the problem as a blind source separation, solved with a genetic algorithm. Data concerning load curves of 20kV feeders as well as a history of energy consumptions of more than 400,000 end users was provided by “É lectricité de Strasbourg Réseaux”. The load profiles found show considerable improvement in the estimation of 20kV feeder load curves.