Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Object Tracking via Multi-region Covariance and Particle Swarm Optimization

In this paper a particle swarm optimization based algorithm for object tracking in surveillance videos is proposed. Given the estimate of the object state, the particles are drawn from a Gaussian distribution in order to cover the promising object locations. The particle swarm optimization takes place afterwards in order to concentrate the particles near the true state of the object. The optimization aims at shifting the particles towards more promising regions in the search area. The region covariance is utilized in evaluation of the particle score. The object template is represented by multiple object patches. Every patch votes for the considered position of the object undergoing tracking. Owing to robust combining of such patch votes the object tracker is able to cope with considerable partial occlusions. A tracking algorithm built on the covariance score can recover after substantial temporal occlusions or large movements. Through the usage of multi-patch object representation the algorithm posses better recovery capabilities and it recovers earlier. Experimental results that were obtained in a typical office environment as well as surveillance videos show the feasibility of our approach, especially when the object undergoing tracking has a rapid motion or the occlusions are considerable. The resulting algorithm runs in real-time on a standard computer.
IT company atlas upper Franconia: a practical application of expert search techniques

Identifying a competent service provider or contractor is not an easy task. This is especially true in the IT sector with its short-lived trends and products. In this context an"IT Company Atlas" giving substantiated information about the IT companies in a certain region seems to be a promising idea. However, a B2B directory administered manually for this purpose is expensive to establish and to maintain. An alternative approach discussed in this paper is to apply expert search techniques and provide a search engine searching for companies instead of documents. We propose a system searching for companies with expertise in a given field sketched by a keyword query. The system exploits the websites of the companies and covers all aspects: determining and representing the expertise of the companies, query processing and retrieval models, as well as query formulation and result presentation. In addition to the theoretical background and a system description we present experimental results comparing the effectiveness of different retrieval models adopted from expert search in the scenario we call "company search".
Derivative loss for Kirchhoff equations with non-Lipschitz nonlinear term

In this paper we consider the Cauchy boundary value problem for the abstract Kirchhoff equation with a continuous nonlinearity m : [0,+\infty) --> [0,+\infty). It is well known that a local solution exists provided that the initial data are regular enough. The required regularity depends on the continuity modulus of m. In this paper we present some counterexamples in order to show that the regularity required in the existence results is sharp, at least if we want solutions with the same space regularity of initial data. In these examples we construct indeed local solutions which are regular at t = 0, but exhibit an instantaneous (often infinite) derivative loss in the space variables.
Habitual physical activity and food intake regulation; physiological and genetic aspects

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The LPASSO method for regression regularization

Linear models are often built to understand how a set of input data affects output data and predict its value. A linear regression model assumes that that regression function E(Y |X) is linear in the inputs X1, . ,Xp. The output is represented as a weighted sum of the input variables (or features), where the weights are called the regression coefficients. The regressions coefficients are ascertained by minimizing the mean square error between the output and the predicted output for a given data. This technique to find the regression coefficients is called Ordinary least Squares (OLS). OLS is regularized to make these linear models more accurate. In [7] and [3], a detailed treatment of the subject of regularization of OLS is given, whose salient points are discussed here. OLS regression is regularized for the following reasons:
Elucidation of Novel Structural Scaffold in Rohu TLR2 and Its Binding Site Analysis with Peptidoglycan, Lipoteichoic Acid and Zymosan Ligands, and Downstream MyD88 Adaptor Protein

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play key roles in sensing wide array of microbial signatures and induction of innate immunity. TLR2 in fish resembles higher eukaryotes by sensing peptidoglycan (PGN) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of bacterial cell wall and zymosan of yeasts. However, in fish TLR2, no study yet describes the ligand binding motifs in the leucine rich repeat regions (LRRs) of the extracellular domain (ECD) and important amino acids in TLR2-TIR (toll/interleukin-1 receptor) domain that could be engaged in transmitting downstream signaling. We predicted these in a commercially important freshwater fish species rohu (Labeo rohita) by constructing 3D models of TLR2-ECD, TLR2-TIR, and MyD88-TIR by comparative modeling followed by 40 ns (nanosecond) molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) for TLR2-ECD and 20 ns MDS for TLR2-TIR and MyD88-TIR. Protein (TLR2-ECD)–ligands (PGN, LTA, and zymosan) docking in rohu by AutoDock4.0, FlexX2.1, and GOLD4.1 anticipated LRR16–19, LRR12–14, and LRR20-CT as the most important ligand binding motifs. Protein (TLR2-TIR)—protein (MyD88-TIR) interaction by HADDOCK and ZDOCK predicted BB loop, αB-helix, αC-helix, and CD loop in TLR2-TIR and BB loop, αB-helix, and CD loop in MyD88-TIR as the critical binding domains. This study provides ligands recognition and downstream signaling.
A molecular wedge for triggering the amidotransferase activity of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase.

The reactive cysteine residue within the small subunit of Escherichia coli carbamoyl phosphate synthetase has been identified using the technique of site-directed mutagenesis. Three cysteine residues have previously been found to react with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) under controlled reaction conditions. Two of these cysteine residues are found on the large subunit, while the third cysteine is located on the small subunit. In the present investigation, Cys-248 of the small subunit has been identified as the residue that reacts with NEM in the presence of MgATP and bicarbonate. Three cysteine residues of the small subunit at positions 131, 214, and 248 were individually mutated to serine residues. These site-specific changes, in addition to N-ethylmaleimide-labeling studies, demonstrated that Cys-248 is the amino acid that reacts with N-ethylmaleimide. Substitution of Cys-248 of the small subunit with larger residues (Asp, Phe, Arg, and Trp) was conducted in order to more closely mimic the observed properties of the NEM-labeled enzyme. The partial glutaminase activity of the C248D mutant increased 40-fold relative to the wild-type enzyme, while the formation of carbamoyl phosphate using glutamine as a nitrogen source was completely abolished. Similar, but less dramatic, effects were observed for the other mutants, C248S, C248R, C248F, and C248W. There was good correlation between the extent of enhancement of the partial glutaminase activity and an uncoupling of the phosphorylation reactions that occur on the large subunit. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Generating user interfaces from data models and dialogue net specifications

A method and a set of supporting tools have been developed for an improved integration of user interface design with software engineering methods and tools. Animated user interfaces for database-oriented applications are generated from an extended data model and a new graphical technique for specifying dialogues. Based on views defined for the data model, an expert system uses explicit design rules derived from existing guidelines for producing the static layout of the user interface. A petri net based technique called dialogue nets is used for specifying the dynamic behaviour. Output is generated for an existing user interface management system. The approach supports rapid prototyping while using the advantages of standard software engineering methods.
Activity of the rat GluR4 promoter in transfected cortical neurons and glia

AMPA (alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate) receptors are assembled from four subunits, GluR1‐4. Although GluR4 is widely expressed in brain its abundance is less than GluR1‐3. We have isolated ∼5 kb of the rat GluR4 promoter region and analyzed its capacity to drive expression of a luciferase reporter gene in transfected rat cortical neurons and glia, and C6 glioma cells. Multiple transcriptional start sites were identified in a GC‐rich region lacking TATA‐boxes between − 1090 and − 1011 bp from ATG. In transfected mixed cortical cultures, luciferase expression driven by GluR4 promoter segments were found predominantly in TuJ1‐positive neurons, indicating neuronal preference of GluR4. The GluR4 promoter fragments were 6–12‐fold more active in neurons than glia, compared with a 30‐fold neuronal selectivity of GluR2. Deletion of the GluR4 transcriptional initiation region decreased luciferase activity in neurons, but increased activity in C6 cells, suggesting that regulatory elements governing neuronal expression reside in this region. An intron within the 5′‐untranslated region and Sp1, IK2 and E‐box sites are conserved in the rat, mouse and human GluR4 promoters. The relative activity of GluR4 and GluR2 promoters in transfected cells correlates with their expression in brain, and in both promoters regulatory elements for neuronal expression reside near the initiation sites.
Financial reporting, information and capital markets

1.Introduction PART 1: ECONOMIC INCOME AND WEALTH MEASURES 2.The market provision of accounting information 3.Wealth and income measurement 4.Ex post economic wealth and income: problems with the economic approach to income and wealth measurement PART 2: ACCOUNTING INFORMATION UNDER UNCERTAINTY 5.Accounting and decision-making under uncertainty 6.Accounting and information economics 7.The value of information for private use and the utility of public information 8.Economic income and wealth under uncertainty 9.The informativeness of accounting reports: an empirical perspective PART 3: THE REGULATION OF ACCOUNTING 10.Some economic problems in the provision of accounting information 11.The regulation of accounting 12.The conceptual Frameworks approach PART 4: ACCOUNTABILITY. POSITIVE ACCOUNTING THEORY AND AGENCY 13.Accountability, agency and positive accounting theory 14.Agent and principal models
Optical signal processing via two-photon absorption in a semiconductor microcavity for the next generation of high-speed optical communications network

Due to the introduction of new broadband services, individual line data rates are expected to exceed 100 Gb/s in the near future. To operate at these high speeds, new optical signal processing techniques will have to be developed. This paper will demonstrate that two-photon absorption in a specially designed semiconductor microcavity is an ideal candidate for optical signal processing applications such as autocorrelation, sampling, and demultiplexing in high-speed wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) and hybrid WDM/optical time-division-multiplexed networks.
Cursors for 3d Pointing

We present a study of cursors for 3D pointing/selection interfaces. We compared a stereoand mono-rendered (one-eyed) cursor used with two mouse-based and two remote pointing techniques. This comparison was performed in a 3D Fitts’ law pointing experiment with varying target depths. Results indicate that the oneeyed cursor is beneficial only for some pointing techniques. While the mouse-based techniques performed best, our new ray-screen technique outperforms traditional ray pointing. This is likely because it is less affected by target depth.
Wind-Power Generation

The connection of significant amounts of wind-power generation at a point on the power system (distribution and subtransmission circuits) never designed for the interconnection of generation presents significant technical problems for both the utility and wind-generator consulting engineers. This article highlights these technical problems, many of which have no standard solutions but only choices with undesirable drawbacks.
When the Price You See Is Not the Price You Get: A Bargaining Study

Although (or because) it is uncommon to observe consumers bargaining at retail stores in the Western world, the circumstances under which retail rms are actually willing to bargain is largely unknown. We construct a theoretical model in order to better understand how price and rm characteristics in uence a rm's incentives to bargain and test the model's predictions by conducting a eld experiment at nearly 300 stores throughout Vienna, Austria. In particular, we analyze the extent to which retail rms throughout Vienna consent to granting a discount when asked. A discount was granted approximately 40% of the time, and the average positive discount was approximately 10% o of a product's posted price. We relate rms' willingness to bargain to price and rm characteristics, in line with our theory.
A Novel Iterative Equalization Algorithm Based on Signal Reconstruction for TDS-OFDM/ZP-OFDM Systems over Large Delay-Spread Channels

In this paper, we propose an iterative equalization algorithm for the TDS-OFDM/ZP-OFDM system to mitigate the inter-symbol interference (ISI) incurred by channels with large delay spread. The time-domain signal components polluted by the ISI are replaced with the reconstructed ones, which are generated from the the channel impulse response and the data symbols detected in the latest iteration. Then the so-constructed time-domain synthesized signal is demodulated again. The same procedure is repeated until performance saturates. Significant performance improvement is demonstrated through system simulations, which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in combating ISI.
Lithium suppresses Aβ pathology by inhibiting translation in an adult Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease

The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is age, and changes in the ageing nervous system are likely contributors to AD pathology. Amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation, which occurs as a result of the amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), is thought to initiate the pathogenesis of AD, eventually leading to neuronal cell death. Previously, we developed an adult-onset Drosophila model of AD. Mutant Aβ42 accumulation led to increased mortality and neuronal dysfunction in the adult flies. Furthermore, we showed that lithium reduced Aβ42 protein, but not mRNA, and was able to rescue Aβ42-induced toxicity. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism/s by which lithium modulates Aβ42 protein levels and Aβ42 induced toxicity in the fly model. We found that lithium caused a reduction in protein synthesis in Drosophila and hence the level of Aβ42. At both the low and high doses tested, lithium rescued the locomotory defects induced by Aβ42, but it rescued lifespan only at lower doses, suggesting that long-term, high-dose lithium treatment may have induced toxicity. Lithium also down-regulated translation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe associated with increased chronological lifespan. Our data highlight a role for lithium and reduced protein synthesis as potential therapeutic targets for AD pathogenesis.
High density-focused uncertainty sampling for active learning over evolving stream data

Data labeling is an expensive and time-consuming task, hence carefully choosing which labels to use for training a model is becoming increasingly important. In the active learning setting, a classifier is trained by querying labels from a small representative fraction of data. While many approaches exist for non-streaming scenarios, few works consider the challenges of the data stream setting. We propose a new active learning method for evolving data streams based on a combination of density and prediction uncertainty (DBALSTREAM). Our approach decides to label an instance or not, considering whether it lies in an high density partition of the data space. This allows focusing labelling efforts in the instance space where more data is concentrated; hence, the benefits of learning a more accurate classifier are expected to be higher. Instance density is approximated in an online manner by a sliding window mechanism, a standard technique for data streams. We compare our method with state-of-the-art active learning strategies over benchmark datasets. The experimental analysis demonstrates good predictive performance of the new approach.
Steep slope method for real time QRS detection

A method for real time QRS detection by assessment of the signal steep slopes is proposed. It is based on comparison of the absolute value abs(D) of the differentiated electrocardiogram (ECG) to a varying threshold value. The method is independent of threshold and weighting constant. It is adaptive and self-synchronized to the steep slope of the QRS, regardless of the amplitude and the sampling frequency of the record. It is tested with the American Heart Association (AHA) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Beth Israel Hospital (MIT-BIH) database. The test was performed and confirmed for more than 100 h of ECG recordings, equivalent to about 450000 heartbeats, at an assumed rate of 75 beats per minute. The method shows very satisfactory results, without the need of applying filtration of power-line interference and baseline wander. However, a fast moving average filtering is applied on the differentiated ECG for electromyogram for noise reduction. Детекция на QRS комплекси в реално време c метод на стръмните наклони. Предложен е метод основан на сравнение между абсолютната стойност abs(D) на диференцираната електрокардиограма (ECG) и праг с променливо ниво. Методът е адаптивен, независим от предварително фиксирани прагове и константи и се синхронизира самостоятелно към стръмността на QRS комплексите и честотата на дискретизация на ECG. Тестван е с базите записи на American Hearth Association (AHA) и Massachusetts Institute of Technology Beth Israel Hospital (MITBIH). Изследвани са повече от 100 часа ECG записи, което отговаря на около 450000 сърдечни удара при предполагаема честота от 75 удара за минута. Методът показа много добри резултати, без да има нужда от филтрация на мрежовите смущения и на дрейфа на нулевата линия. Все пак, бързо филтриране чрез пълзящо усредняване се прилага върху диференцираната ECG, за намаляване на шума от електромиографски сигнали.
Explaining Usage Patterns in Open Government Data: The Case of Data.Gov.UK

Open data is one of the most significant current trends in public administration, with over 100 current open government projects around the world investing considerable time and effort in opening up public sector information for free re-use. The movement, whilst attracting widespread support, has also proved highly controversial, with critics highlighting both the high financial burden it appears to place on government departments and its uncertain political consequences; with some going so far to claim that the rhetoric of government transparency and open innovation has been co-opted into the service of neoliberal deregulation.Despite the significance of the movement and the importance of the critiques, "little systematic OD research has been performed to date" (Peled 2013, 187), with both supportive and critical authors largely relying on anecdotes and one-off case studies. The major reason for this lies in the openness of open data itself: with no requirement to create an account before accessing data, there are no records of who is using it or for what purpose. Hence it is hard to systematically answer many of the major questions being raised about open data.The aim of this article is to take a step towards remedying this deficit. Based on a unique dataset created through data downloaded and scraped from the UK’s open data portal website, we develop and test analytical models which seek to explain the amount of times individual datasets have been downloaded. We explore factors relating to both the economic sustainability of open data (asking whether extra departmental effort in curating datasets results in extra download levels) and its political implications (asking whether datasets relating to financial transparency or datasets with profit making potential are downloaded more). Our results challenge some of the key critiques currently live in the open data debate, and also suggest a way forward for the area in terms of financial sustainability and its contribution to democratic accountability.
Random Graphs with a Fixed Degree Sequence

Classical Ramsey-theoretic questions on graphs involve coloring the edges of a graph with a fixed number of colors, say k, and determining whether a given monochromatic subgraph exists [13]. Anti-Ramsey questions, on the other hand, consider other restrictions on the colorings (for example, using each color at most b times [17]), and search for subgraphs in which no color is repeated [10]. An edge-coloring c of a graph G is b-bounded if no color occurs more than b times, and G is rainbow under c if c(e) 6= c(f) for all distinct edges e, f of G. Consider the following question, posed by Bohman, Frieze, Pikhurko and Smyth in [3]: given a (finite) tree H, what is the minimum size of a tree T such that under every b-bounded coloring of T a rainbow copy of H exists? Writing T Ã (H; b) for this condition, let
Directional Transmissions and Receptions for High-throughput Bulk Forwarding in Wireless Sensor Networks

We present DPT: a wireless sensor network protocol for bulk traffic that uniquely leverages electronically switchable directional (ESD) antennas. Bulk traffic is found in several scenarios and supporting protocols based on standard antenna technology abound. ESD antennas may improve performance in these scenarios; for example, by reducing channel contention as the antenna can steer the radiated energy only towards the intended receivers, and by extending the communication range at no additional energy cost. The corresponding protocol support, however, is largely missing. DPT addresses precisely this issue. First, while the network is quiescent, we collect link metrics across all possible antenna configurations. We use this information to formulate a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) that allows us to find two multi-hop disjoint paths connecting source and sink, along with the corresponding antenna configurations. Domain-specific heuristics we conceive ameliorate the processing demands in solving the CSP, improving scalability. Second, the routing configuration we obtain is injected back into the network. During the actual bulk transfer, the source funnels data through the two paths by quickly alternating between them. Packet forwarding occurs deterministically at every hop. This allows the source to implicitly "clock" the entire pipeline, sparing the need of proactively synchronizing the transmissions across the two paths. Our results, obtained in a real testbed using 802.15. 4-compliant radios and custom ESD antennas we built, indicate that DPT approaches the maximum throughput supported by the link layer, peaking at 214 kbit/s in the settings we test.