Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D interest point detection using local surface characteristics with application in action recognition

In this paper we address the problem of detecting 3D interest points (IPs) using local surface characteristics. We contribute to this field by introducing a novel approach for detection of 3D IPs directly on a surface mesh without any requirements of additional image/video information. The proposed Difference-of-Normals (DoN) 3D IP detector operates on the surface mesh, and evaluates the surface structure (curvature) locally (per vertex) in the mesh data. We present an example of application in action recognition from a sequence of 3-dimensional geometrical data, where local 3D motion descriptors, Histogram of Optical 3D Flow (HOF3D), are extracted from estimated 3D optical flow in the neighborhood of each IP and made view-invariant. Experiments on the publicly available i3DPost dataset show promising results.
Provable isomorphisms of types

A constructive characterization is given of the isomorphisms which must hold in all models of the typed lambda calculus with surjective pairing. Using the close relation between closed Cartesian categories and models of these calculi, we also produce a characterization of those isomorphisms which hold in all CCC's. Using the correspondence between these calculi and proofs in intuitionistic positive propositional logic, we thus provide a characterization of equivalent formulae of this logic, where the definition of equivalence of terms depends on having “invertible” proofs between the two terms. Work of Rittri (1989), on types as search keys in program libraries, provides an interesting example of use of these characterizations.
Unsupervised Word Sense Disambiguation Using The WWW

This paper presents a novel unsupervised methodology for automatic disambiguation of nouns found in unrestricted corpora. The proposed method is based on extending the context of a target word by querying the web, and then measuring the overlap of the extended context with the topic signatures of the different senses by using Bayes rule. The algorithm is evaluated on Semcor 2.0. The evaluation showed that the web-based extension of the target word's local context increases the amount of contextual information to perform semantic interpretation, in effect producing a disambiguation methodology, which achieves a result comparable to the performance of the best system in SENSEVAL 3.
Voiced/Nonvoiced Detection Based on Robustness of Voiced Epochs

In this paper, a new method for voiced/nonvoiced detection based on epoch extraction is proposed. Zero-frequency filtered speech signal is used to extract the instants of significant excitation (or epochs). The robustness of the method to extract epochs in the voiced regions, even with small amount of additive white noise, is used to distinguish voiced epochs from random instants detected in nonvoiced regions. The main feature of the proposed method is that it uses the strength of glottal activity as against using the periodicity of the signal. Performance of the proposed algorithm is studied on TIMIT and CMU ARCTIC databases, for two different noise types, white and vehicle noise from the NOISEX database, at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The proposed method performs similar or better than the popular normalized crosscorrelation based voiced/nonvoiced detection used in the open source utility wavesurfer, especially at lower SNRs.
Comparison of cost functions for electrically driven running robots

In this work we apply optimal control to create running gaits for the model of an electrically driven one legged hopper, and compare the results obtained for five different objective functions. By using high compliant series elastic actuators, the motions of joint and motor are decoupled, which allows the exploitation of natural dynamics. Depending on the cost function, this exploitation varies. Energy is injected at different points of time, the amplitude of actuator action changes significantly, and the optimal gear ratios differ by a factor of two. Variations are, however, comparable over a wide range of hopping heights and running velocities. Purely force-based cost functions prove to be ill-suited for such non-conservative systems, and it is shown that thermal electrical losses, in contrast to common belief, do not dominate energy expenditure. The numerical results are corroborated by detailed analytical considerations which give general insights into optimal excitation with electric actuators.
Muslim and Jewish Teachers’ Conceptions of the Male School Principal’s Masculinity

This qualitative research examined perceptions of Muslim and Jewish teachers in Israel concerning the masculinity of male school principals, and the way in which these perceptions affect principal–teacher relationships. Muslim and Jewish teachers studying for master of arts’ degrees in a university and a teacher-education college in Israel completed open questionnaires and participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings indicated similarities and differences between the perceptions of the two different cultural groups, highlighting reciprocal principal–teacher influences and elucidating a cultural discourse concerning a principal’s perceived masculinity and femininity. It is concluded that the concept of the school principal’s masculinity is a fluid social construct, varying according to cultural–ideological perceptions that affect the principal’s own preferred communication patterns in the school. Since both masculine and feminine qualities are needed for effective education leadership, a policy advocating employment of female mentors for newly appointed principals, in order to give voice to female qualities in principalship, is strongly recommended.
Ras effector switching as a developmental strategy

Organisms pattern and specify cell fates with remarkably high fidelity and robustness, and cancer may be considered in part to be a disease of fate specification gone awry. During C. elegans vulval development an initial EGF signal prompts Ras to activate its canonical effector pathway, Raf-MEK-ERK, to induce a primary cell, which subsequently signals its 2 neighbors via Notch to develop as secondary cells. We have shown that Ras signaling through an alternate effector pathway, RalGEF-Ral, antagonizes Ras-Raf pro-primary signaling. Ras-RalGEF-Ral instead promotes secondary fate in support of Notch. We validated a previous model that EGF can also contribute to secondary fate, and argue that Ras-RalGEF-Ral mediates this EGF pro-secondary activity. Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling was previously shown to be extinguished from secondary cells by secondary-specific expression of MAP kinase phosphatase, and we found that Ral expression is transcriptionally restricted to secondary cells. Thus during vulval development Ras switches effectors from Raf to RalGEF to promote divergent and mutually antagonistic cell fates, perhaps mirroring divergent effector usage in Ras-dependent tumors with differential pharmacological responsiveness.
The ALIAS Pilot Trial: A Dose-Escalation and Safety Study of Albumin Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke—II: Neurologic Outcome and Efficacy Analysis

Background and Purpose— High-dose human albumin (ALB) is robustly neuroprotective in rodent stroke models. A phase I dose-escalation study was conducted to assess the safety of ALB therapy in ischemic stroke. We analyzed the data for preliminary evidence of treatment efficacy. Methods— Eighty-two subjects with acute ischemic stroke (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] of 6 or above) received 25% ALB beginning within 16 hours of stroke onset. Six successive ALB dose tiers were assessed (range, 0.34 to 2.05 g/kg). Forty-two patients also received standard-of-care intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Efficacy outcomes were determined at 3 months. We compared the highest three, putatively therapeutic ALB dose tiers (1.37 to 2.05 g/kg) with the lowest three, presumed subtherapeutic doses (0.34 to 1.03 g/kg) and with historical cohort data derived from the NINDS rt-PA Stroke Study. Results— After adjusting for the tPA effect, the probability of good outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1 or NIH Stroke Scale 0 to 1 at 3 months) at the highest three ALB doses was 81% greater than in the lower dose-tiers (relative risk [RR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 2.94) and was 95% greater than in the comparable NINDS rt-PA Stroke Study cohort (RR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.57). The tPA-treated subjects who received higher-dose ALB were three times more likely to achieve a good outcome than subjects receiving lower-dose ALB, suggesting a positive synergistic effect between ALB and tPA. Conclusions— Our data suggest that high-dose ALB therapy may be neuroprotective after ischemic stroke. These results have led to a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled efficacy trial of ALB in acute ischemic stroke—the ALIAS Phase III Trial.
Men as Minority

• Summary: Although social care employees are predominantly women, there have always been men involved in the work, particularly as managers or where there is a control element. The academic writing on men's involvement in social care lacks an empirical base and this article presents an examination of the characteristics, distribution and routes into social care of 585 men who took part in a UK study of 2031 statutory social services employees. • Findings: The respondents were a heterogeneous group of men, employed throughout social care, mostly but not exclusively in jobs associated with traditional male roles. Men constitute 14 percent of the UK social services workforce and predictably are disproportionately represented in management. However, the majority (three-fifths) are employed in basic grade field, residential and home care jobs. • Applications: This is an important issue for social care employers: men face particular sets of difficulties in social care employment. With the decline in traditional employment opportunities, men may increasingly diversify into less traditional areas of work, including health and social care.
An Algorithm for Pronominal Anaphora Resolution

This paper presents an algorithm for identifying the noun phrase antecedents of third person pronouns and lexical anaphors (reflexives and reciprocals). The algorithm applies to the syntactic representations generated by McCord's Slot Grammar parser and relies on salience measures derived from syntactic structure and a simple dynamic model of attentional state. Like the parser, the algorithm is implemented in Prolog. The authors have tested it extensively on computer manual texts and conducted a blind test on manual text containing 360 pronoun occurrences. The algorithm successfully identifies the antecedent of the pronoun for 86% of these pronoun occurrences. The relative contributions of the algorithm's components to its overall success rate in this blind test are examined. Experiments were conducted with an enhancement of the algorithm that contributes statistically modelled information concerning semantic and real-world relations to the algorithm's decision procedure. Interestingly, this enhancement only marginally improves the algorithm's performance (by 2%). The algorithm is compared with other approaches to anaphora resolution that have been proposed in the literature. In particular, the search procedure of Hobbs' algorithm was implemented in the Slot Grammar framework and applied to the sentences in teh blind test set. The authors' algorithm achieves a higher rate of success (4%) than Hobbs' algorithm. The relation of the algorithm to the centering approach is discussed, as well as to models of anaphora resolution that invoke a variety of informational factors in ranking antecedent candidates.
An investigation of risky sexual behaviours, basic HIV knowledge and intention to use condoms among a sample of men who have sex with men in a student community

The primary objective of the study was to determine the level of self-reported sexual risk behaviour of student men who have sex with men at a South African higher educational institution. The secondary objective was to determine the level of Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) knowledge among student men who have sex with men, and lastly to determine the extent to which the theory of planned behaviour is applicable in explaining intentions to use condoms. A sample of fifty student men who have sex with men were recruited to take part in an online baseline and follow-up survey, three months apart. Many of the student men who have sex with men reported sexual behaviour, which may place them at risk of contracting HIV. More than fifty percent (56%) had used alcohol or drugs during sexual intercourse in the past. Six percent (6.1%) reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse against their will. While 8% had experienced abuse and violence on campus, 22% had experienced abuse only and another 6% reported having experienced some form of violence due to their sexual preference. Most participants (70%) reported having used condoms almost always or always when engaging in penetrative sexual behaviours, but 30% had used condoms inconsistently or not at all in the past. The sample of student MSM scored high on a questionnaire of basic HIV knowledge, with a mean score of 14.57 (80.94%). The present study questions the applicability of the theory of planned behaviour in understanding and predicting intention to use condoms among a sample of student men who have sex with men attending a South African higher education institution. Only two of the major theoretical variables, namely attitude and perceived group norms, could significantly predict intention to use condoms. Attitudes regarding condom use were found to have an inverse Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
A fat Higgs with a fat top

A new variant of the supersymmetric fat Higgs model is presented in which the MSSM Higgses as well as the top quark are composite. The underlying theory is an s-confining SU(3) gauge theory with the MSSM gauge groups realized as gauged sub-groups of the chiral flavor symmetries. This motivates the large Yukawas necessary for the large top mass and SM-like Higgs of mass >> MZ in a natural way as the residual of the strong dynamics responsible for the composites. This removes fine-tuning associated with these couplings present in the original fat Higgs and ``new fat Higgs'' models, respectively.
Cryptanalytic attacks on the multiplicative knapsack cryptosystem and on Shamir's fast signature scheme

The basic Merkle-Hellman additive trapdoor knapsack public-key cryptosystem was recently shown to be insecure, and attacks have also been developed on stronger variants of it, such as the Graham-Shamir system and the iterated knapsack cryptosystem. It is shown that some simple variants of another Merkle-Hellman system, the multiplicative knapsack cryptosystem, are insecure. It is also shown that the Shamir fast signature scheme can be broken quickly. Similar attacks can also be used to break the Schobi-Massey authentication scheme. These attacks have not been rigorously proved to succeed, but heuristic arguments and empirical evidence indicate that they work on systems of practical size.
Considering normal and abnormal together: The essence of developmental psychopathology

Abstract When psychopathology is defined as developmental deviation, its study necessarily involves a wedding of research on the normal and the pathological. In such an endeavor, understanding of normal processes is enhanced, because critical normative issues can only be defined in terms of their implications when development goes awry and because disordered behavior often brings into sharp relief the nature of basic developmental phenomena. At the same time, such work is critical to defining general principles of development, which apply to normal and abnormal alike. In this article, examples are provided of the reciprocally enhancing nature of studies of normal and pathological development and of the fruitfulness of weaving back and forth between studies of normality and disturbance for understanding important aspects of development. Examples include a discussion of attachment and dependency and the origins of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is concluded that developmental psychopathology may make its greatest contribution in the endeavor to understand development of individuals.
Shape Invariants and Principal Directions from 3D Points and Normals

A new technique for computing the differential invariants of a surface from 3D sample points and normals. It is based on a new conformal geometric approach to computing shape invariants directly from the Gauss map. In the current implementation we compute the mean curvature, the Gauss curvature, and the principal curvature axes at 3D points reconstructed by area-based stereo. The differential invariants are computed directly from the points and the normals without prior recovery of a 3D surface model and an approximate surface parameterization. The technique is stable computationally.
The Feature Extraction Based on Texture Image Information for Emotion Sensing in Speech

In this paper, we present a novel texture image feature for Emotion Sensing in Speech (ESS). This idea is based on the fact that the texture images carry emotion-related information. The feature extraction is derived from time-frequency representation of spectrogram images. First, we transform the spectrogram as a recognizable image. Next, we use a cubic curve to enhance the image contrast. Then, the texture image information (TII) derived from the spectrogram image can be extracted by using Laws' masks to characterize emotional state. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed emotion recognition in different languages, we use two open emotional databases including the Berlin Emotional Speech Database (EMO-DB) and eNTERFACE corpus and one self-recorded database (KHUSC-EmoDB), to evaluate the performance cross-corpora. The results of the proposed ESS system are presented using support vector machine (SVM) as a classifier. Experimental results show that the proposed TII-based feature extraction inspired by visual perception can provide significant classification for ESS systems. The two-dimensional (2-D) TII feature can provide the discrimination between different emotions in visual expressions except for the conveyance pitch and formant tracks. In addition, the de-noising in 2-D images can be more easily completed than de-noising in 1-D speech.
A Conceptual Framework for QoE Measurement and Management in Networked Systems

management of real time applications demands a new approach for an effective service quality provision. The traditional approach of network management based on Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like jitter, throughput, delay and loss cannot give enough details of how user quality demands. Therefore network management approach must start from user's point of view to the network side. This kind of approach is called a user-centric network management approach which ensures that end users quality of experience (QoE) is maintained. Most of network management systems have manage and monitor network performance without knowing what users are experiencing. This paper propose a framework to measure and manage QoE in networked systems. It is clear that a network which can identify user's quality requirement and optimize itself will simply meet users' demands, and hence users' satisfaction which is define as QoE. Another key issue which has not been implemented by existing systems is the issue of compensation. If network systems at the time of requesting cannot offer resources enough to meet users' demands, then users should be compensated. In achieving those requirements, the proposed framework is designed with five key elements which are QoE- predictor, Network Management & Mediation System (NMMS), Resource Allocations &Management System (RAMS), Service Level Agreement Management System (SLAMS) and Billing System (BS).
MELK inhibitor, novel molecular targeted therapeutics for human cancer stem cells

During the past few decades, there have been significant improvements in cancer treatment through the translation of discoveries in basic cancer research, such as cancer genomics and molecular biology into drug development. Molecules that are mutated or specifically overexpressed in cancer cells are ideal targets for the development of anticancer drugs. Targeting these molecules in a specific manner is not only very effective, but also minimizes unfavorable side effects. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), a serine/threonine kinase, has been found to be upregulated frequently in various types of cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer and glioblastoma. In addition to its overexpression in cancer cells and involvement in cell proliferation, MELK is considered to be an attractive molecular target for development of new types of drug due to its critical roles in cancer stem cell maintenance. The expression of MELK has been reported to be strongly associated with poor prognosis of patients with breast and prostate cancer. MELK is activated by autophosphorylation, and once it is activated, it then phosphorylates several substrates, such as a pro-apoptotic molecule Bcl-G and a cell cycle protein CDC25. In addition, we and others have reported that MELK induces expression of oct3/4, a well-known a stem cell marker. However, the detailed downstream signaling pathway of MELK in cancer cells is still not fully understood. In order to further characterize the MELK signaling pathway, we screened for additional MELK substrates and have identified two of them, drebrin-like (DBNL) and proteasome subunit α type 1 (PSMA1). PSMA1 was reported to be overexpressed in hematopoietic progenitor MELK inhibitor, novel molecular targeted therapeutics for human cancer stem cells
Personality Characteristics of Adolescents with Hallucinogen, Methamphetamine, and Cannabis Dependence: A Comparative Study

ABSTRACT A comparison of personality factors on scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) was conducted with a sample of adolescents referred to a residential substance abuse treatment program. A total of sixty adolescents identified with hallucinogen (n = 20), cannabis (n = 20), or methamphetamine (n = 20) as their drug of choice participated in the study. All adolescents met criteria for hallucinogen, cannabis, or methamphetamine dependence in accordance with their assigned groups. Adolescents were matched by age and gender. Primary analysis revealed significant differences between hallucinogen and cannabis groups on the Hypochondrias is (Hs), Schizophrenia (Sc), and Adolescent-Bizarre Mentation (A-biz) scales. Post hoc analyses on remaining Clinical, Content, and Validity scales revealed significant differences between hallucinogen and cannabis groups on the Infrequency (F) scale. Scores on all scales of the methamphetamine group were not significantly different from scale scores on the cannabis or hallucinogen groups. Although sample sizes were small, this is one of the first studies to utilize personality assessment in order to differentiate personality characteristics of adolescents who report hallucinogen (i.e., psilocybin mushroom), cannabis, or methamphetamine as drug of choice.
A blended mobile learning experience: the Nomadis case

This paper focuses on a blended mobile learning experience produced by the Nomadis Laboratory of the University of Milan-Bicocca. This experience has included two face-to-face meetings and a didactic unit that is accessible through PocketPC. This experience has included three steps: Step 1 face-to-face meeting with the participants, where the PocketPC was introduced and distributed to them after the presentation of a prequestionnaire Step 2 the supply of the didactic unit Step 3 a face-to-face meeting with the participants for them to share their comments and the distribution of a questionnaire to assess the experience that was made.