Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gyro-based Camera-motion Detection in User-generated Videos

We propose a gyro-based camera-motion detection method for videos captured with smartphones. First, the delay between the acquisition of video and gyroscope data is estimated using similarities induced by camera motion in the two sensor modalities. Pan, tilt and shake are then detected using the dominant motions and high frequencies in the gyroscope data. Morphological operations are applied to remove outliers and to identify segments with continuous camera-motion. We compare the proposed method with existing methods that use visual or inertial sensor data.
Gender perspective on the social networks of household heads and community leaders after involuntary resettlement

Abstract The study of social network analysis in Indonesia and the Philippines reveals that after a certain period in a new community and living among involuntarily resettled strangers, household heads and community leaders will eventually replace their disrupted previous networks with new network ties. The paper likewise demonstrates how gender moulds social network features at the levels of the Indonesian household heads and Philippine community organization after involuntary resettlement. Existing gendered context in two settings like the Indonesian woman’s role as primary caretaker of the household and the absence of a consolidated patriarchal system in the Philippines is shown to have reinforced gender (dis)advantages. As reflected in the two settings, those who have the biggest networks are also the brokers or the influential actors who can control and have an advantage in accessing social capital. Further, basing on the two cases, we identify the gender norm of the centrality of women’s role as homemaker and caregiver in addition to other roles as a similar explanation for the bigger proportions of friends in the networks of women as compared to men. Unless outside interventions reconfigure the natural trajectory of the social networks, gender equality in terms of leadership, decision-making and access to suitable programs and projects as well as to the relevant authorities, remains problematic.
Dissecting components of flowering pattern: size effects on female fitness

Flowering synchrony is essential for plant reproductive success, especially in the case of small-sized populations of self-incompatible species. Closely related to synchrony, flowering intensity influences pollinator attraction and pollinator movements. Thus, a high flowering intensity may increase pollinator attraction but, at the same time, may also increase the probability of geitonogamous pollinations. Depending on the mating system, the female fitness of plants in small populations may be affected by both the positive effects of higher flowering synchrony and pollinator attraction and the negative effects of geitonogamous pollinations induced by a high flowering intensity. It was hypothesized that different-sized plants in a population would show contrasting flowering patterns, resulting in differences in pollinator behaviour. These influences could result in differences in mating and female reproductive success. This hypothesis was tested by studying the flowering pattern of Erodium paularense (Geraniaceae), a rare and endangered endemic of central Spain. The temporal distribution of flower production was explored throughout the reproductive season, and the probability of xenogamy and geitonogamy and their relationship to plant size and fitness components were calculated. The analysis of this partially self-compatible species showed diverse flowering patterns related to different plant sizes. Small plants produced a larger number of seeds per fruit in spite of having lower values of flowering synchrony. By contrast, large plants produced a larger number of seeds from geitonogamous pollinations. The effect of different flower displays and outcrossing rates on seed set varied throughout the season in the different groups. Our findings highlight the relevance of individual plant size-dependent phenology on female reproductive success and, in particular, on the relationship between flowering synchrony and fitness. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 156, 227–236.
Adaptive multiuser detection and beamforming for interference suppression in CDMA mobile radio systems

This paper considers the problem of interference suppression in direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) systems over fading channels. An adaptive array receiver is presented which integrates multiuser detection, beamforming, and RAKE reception to mitigate cochannel interference and fading. The adaptive multiuser detector is formulated using a blind constrained energy minimization criterion and adaptation is carried out using a novel algorithm based on set-membership parameter estimation theory. The proposed detector overcomes the shortcomings of conventional LMS- and RLS-type algorithms, namely, that of slow convergence and large computational load, respectively. This is especially the case when strong interferers are present or when the number of adaptive weights is relatively large. DS-CDMA systems can have a relatively large number of spatially distributed interferers. Thus beamforming is based on direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimates provided by an approximate maximum-likelihood estimator (DOA-MLE). Unlike previous approaches, the DOA-MLE exploits the structure of the DS-CDMA signaling scheme resulting in robust performance and simple implementation in the presence of angle spreading. The overall method is suitable for real-time implementation and can substantially improve the interference suppression capabilities of a CDMA system.
THREE SITES FOR VISUAL CULTURAL PEDAGOGY: HONORING STUDENTS' INTERESTS AND IMAGERY

This paper focuses on the educational sites of visual culture pedagogy: the art classroom, the pedagogical visual culture site constructed by children and youth, and the space between school and self-initiated art. Art teachers have to honor the interests of and the imagery by students in order to build an ideal learning environment for students in today s visual culture.
Content-aware planning models for information-centric networking

Information-Centric Networking (ICN) has recently gained momentum as a promising paradigm for the next-generation Internet architecture. The first prototypes for ICN-capable routers have already been developed, and network operators will soon have the opportunity to experience the advantages introduced by this technology. However, to migrate the devices to this novel architecture, non-negligible investments should be made. Therefore, it is of utter importance to provide clear quantitative insights of the expected economic benefits that operators will experience by switching to the ICN paradigm. For these reasons, in this paper we tackle the content-aware network-planning problem, and we formulate a novel optimization model to study the migration to an ICN, in a budget-constrained scenario. Our formulation takes into account 1) traffic routing and 2) content caching. We further complement our contribution by designing a Randomized Rounding heuristic that scales up to realistic topologies composed of hundreds of nodes.
Involvement of apical P 2 Y 2 receptor-regulated CFTR activity in muscarinic stimulation of Cl reabsorption in rat submandibular gland

Ishibashi K, Okamura K, Yamazaki J. Involvement of apical P2Y2 receptor-regulated CFTR activity in muscarinic stimulation of Cl reabsorption in rat submandibular gland. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 294: R1729–R1736, 2008. First published March 12, 2008; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00758. 2007. —Previously, we presented in vivo evidence for a physiological significance of cAMPregulated CFTR Cl channels in Ca -activated Cl reabsorption in the ductal system of the rat submandibular gland. Here, we address the mechanism by which basal CFTR activation contributes to the transepithelial Cl movement evoked by muscarinic stimulation. The Cl concentration ([Cl ]) was increased in the final saliva from rat submandibular gland during pilocarpine stimulation when a small interfering RNA for CFTR or a specific CFTR inhibitor, CFTRinh172, was injected retrogradely into the gland’s own duct, indicating that basal CFTR activation is involved in Cl reabsorption. Systemically administered propranolol failed to alter the [Cl ], suggesting little involvement of a -adrenergic pathway in the Cl movement that occurs through basal CFTR activation. Intraductal injection of suramin (a nonspecific P2-receptor antagonist) increased the salivary [Cl ], indicating the existence of endogenous purinergic activation. Upon separate intraductal injection, ATP and a P2Y2-receptor agonist, UTP, decreased the salivary [Cl ] almost equipotently. CFTRinh-172 and suramin each prevented these effects, whereas 2 ,3 -O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP (Bz-ATP), a P2X7 agonist, had no specific effect. Pilocarpine stimulation evoked ATP secretion into the salivary fluid. Immunohistochemistry revealed the partial coexistence of CFTR and P2Y2 receptors on the luminal surface of epithelial cells in the striated ducts of this gland. These results raise the possibility that muscarinic stimulation-induced Cl reabsorption occurs through basal CFTR activity and that this is regulated by P2Y2 receptors in the ductal epithelium via stimulation by ATP secreted into the salivary fluid.
Preferred Inferences in Causal Relational Reasoning: Counting Model Operations

Interpreting causal relations plays an important role in everyday life, for example in scientific inquiries and text comprehension. Errors in causal reasoning can be a recipe for disaster. Despite vast literature on the psychology of human causal reasoning, there are few investigations into preferred inferences in relational three-term problems. Based on a previous formal investigation about relevant causal relations we develop a cognitive modeling approach with mental models. The key principle for this approach proves to be the prediction of preferred inferences by model operations and the process of sub model integration. Subsequent experiments test preferred inferences, the number of model operations, and if concrete or generic problems make a difference in causal reasoning performance. Implications of the model are discussed.
Is the Colonisation of Staphylococcus aureus in Pets Associated with Their Close Contact with Owners?

In human beings and animals, staphylococci constitute part of the normal microbial population. Staphylococcus aureus could be classified as an opportunistic pathogen because the bacteria are noted in clinically healthy individuals, but when the immune system becomes compromised, they can also cause a wide range of infections. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that cats who are in close contact with their owners are at the greatest risk of being colonised with S. aureus. Two groups of cats were investigated: single, pet (domestic) cats that do not have outdoor access; and a local population of feral cats living in urban areas. The prevalence of S. aureus in domestic cats was 19.17%, while it’s prevalence in the feral cat population was only 8.3%; which was statistically significant. Analysis of antibiotic resistance, at the genotypic as well as phenotypic level, showed that S. aureus isolates from pet cats were more likely to harbour antibiotic resistant determinants. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in households was 10.21%, while in feral cats it was only 1.4%. In conclusion, this study has revealed a correlation between close contact with humans and a higher risk of the cats being colonised with S. aureus and harbouring the antibiotic resistant determinants.
Prediction of HIV Status from Demographic Data Using Neural Networks

Neural networks are used as pattern recognition tools in data mining to classify HIV status of individuals based on demographic and socio-economic characteristics. The data consists of sero prevalence survey information and contains variables such as age, education, location, race, parity and gravidity. The radial basis function (RBF) neural network architecture was used for this study since as preliminary design showed this architecture to be the most optimal. The Bayesian method of training used was approximated with the evidence framework. The design of classifiers involves the assessment of classification performance, and this is based on the accuracy of the prediction using the confusion matrix. An accuracy of 84.24% was obtained in this design. This thus implies that the HIV status of an individual can be predicted using demographic data to 84.24% accuracy. A network comprising of 9 primary RBF, and MLP networks of structure 1-3-1 (input-hidden node-output node) and one secondary MLP network of structure 9-77-1, was used with a prior of 0.24693 and 144 training cycles which was found as the optimal training cycles.
/spl pi//sub RBT/-calculus protocol for Web service long running transactions

Several existing research protocols have already studied long-running transactions within a formal context. Many of them seemed to use concepts which are not suitable. However, there still exists a great challenge to perform transactions in the loosely coupled environment. In this paper we formally model for compositional protocol with the asynchronous /spl pi/-calculus with compensation and exception handling. We study the practice of /spl pi//sub RBT/-calculus, by discussing few paradigmatic examples, its theory, by defining semantics and providing a correct encoding of /spl pi//sub RBT/-calculus into asynchronous /spl pi/-calculus. /spl pi//sub RBT/-calculus is a business process modeling protocol and a distinctive feature of the language is its support for compensation. Compensation is an action taken to recover from error or cope with a change of plan, especially when rollback of a process is not possible.
Fault diagnosis of nonlinear systems using higher order sliding mode technique

This paper presents a synthesis of fault diagnosis method for nonlinear systems through the parameter estimation using higher order sliding modes. Initially the uncertain parameters of nonlinear system using robust exact differentiator are estimated. Then residual signal is reconstructed using the estimated parameters, inputs, outputs and their estimated derivatives. The novelty of the method is the determination of unknown, uncertain system parameters by calculating accurate derivatives of the measured system inputs and outputs. To validate the technique, simulations have been performed for a uncertain nonlinear Three Tank System. The convergence in this approach is shown to be faster than similar existing techniques by an order of magnitude even in the presence of measurement noise. The proposed fault diagnosis technique requires no prior information about uncertain/unknown process parameters and statistical knowledge of process.
Message Oriented Communication for IPv6 Enabled Pervasive Devices

An increasing number of electronic devices in our environment is equipped with radio interfaces used for exposing and using their functionality by other devices and applications. Wireless communication in this class of devices is exposed to a number of situations that may occur including limited energy resources, equipment failures, nodes mobility and loss of communication between nodes. It causes that commonly used standards and protocols for sharing services are not practical and do not take into account the occurrence of these problems. The paper presents the concept of communication that relies on the exchange of messages between wireless pervasive devices available in the environment.
Simulation versus case study strategy for developing pre-service teacher verbal communication competency /

3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete.
Traces of Social Media Activism from Malaysia and Pakistan

Recent uprisings in North Africa and Middle East saw the role of social media as an online activism medium used frequently by activists. Social media activism is an evolving phenomenon, and it is viewed by many as the main gathering point in recent protests (e.g., Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street). Recently, the research community has begun to investigate the intricate interplay between activism and social media. This paper presents a preliminary study in this direction by making use of publicly available Twitter data. We analyse the regional characteristics of online activists of two regions, Malaysia and Pakistan. Unlike previous approaches, we perform a content analysis of activists’ tweeting habits. For this, we identify the popular topics in both regions along with the frequency with which these topics are discussed by the activists according to their tweeting habits. Furthermore, we analyse the diversity of the content being shared by an activist with respect to their tweeting habits from both regions. Our results show differences in tweeting habits across the two regions for a period of 45 days (Dec. 1st , 2011 to Jan. 15th, 2012).
Soft and Hard X-Ray Excess Emission in Abell 3112 Observed with Chandra

Chandra ACIS-S observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 3112 feature the presence of an excess of X-ray emission above the contribution from the diffuse hot gas, which can be equally well modeled with an additional nonthermal power-law model or with a low-temperature thermal model of low metal abundance. We show that the excess emission cannot be due to uncertainties in the background subtraction or in the Galactic H I column density. Calibration uncertainties in the ACIS detector that may affect our results are addressed by comparing the Chandra data to XMM-Newton MOS and PN spectra. While differences between the three instruments remain, all detect the excess in similar amounts, providing evidence against an instrumental nature of the excess. Given the presence of nonthermal radio emission near the center of Abell 3112, we argue that the excess X-ray emission is of nonthermal nature and distributed throughout the entire X-ray bandpass, from soft to hard X-rays. The excess can be explained with the presence of a population of relativistic electrons with ~7% of the cluster's gas pressure. We also discuss a possible thermal nature of the excess and examine the problems associated with such interpretation.
An Information Propagation Scheme for VANETs 1

A goal in Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) is to enable the dissemination of traffic and road conditions such as local congestion and surface ice as detected by independently moving vehicles. This activity known as Information Warning Functions is useful for vehicles on the highway and enables early reaction. This problem can be described as the directional propagation of information originating from linearly-distributed mobile nodes on a rectilinear plane. By using limited-range packet radios and attribute-based routing, we are able to isolate vehicular from network traffic and permit directional propagation of messages outward from the point of origin. For example, it is desirable to propagate the occurrence of congestion created by an accident in both the forward and backward directions on a highway. We assume the use of multi-hop routing in clusters of connected vehicles to achieve a propagation rate that exceeds the speeds of individual carrier vehicles. We characterize the bounds of information propagation under various traffic patterns and describe a new technique and algorithm that can achieve these limits. We also show an implementation of the dissemination algorithm as a routing protocol using a combination of MANET (mobile ad hoc networking) and DTN (delay tolerant networking) methodologies. Proc. 8th Intl. IEEE Conf. on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC2005), Vienna Austria, Sept. 2005. This work is supported by the NSF under grant No. CNS-0435353. 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 National Science Foundation.
Enabling efficient publicly verifiable outsourcing computation for matrix multiplication

Outsourcing heavy computational tasks to remote cloud server, which accordingly significantly reduce the computational burden at the end hosts, represents an effective and practical approach towards extensive and scalable mobile applications and has drawn increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the limited processing power of the end hosts yet the keen privacy concerns on the outsourced data, it is vital to ensure both the efficiency and security of the outsourcing computation in the cloud computing. In this paper, we address the issue by developing a publicly verifiable outsourcing computation proposal. In particular, considering a large amount of applications of matrix multiplication in large datasets and image processing, we propose a publicly verifiable outsourcing computation scheme for matrix multiplication in the amortized model. Security analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme is provable secure by blinding input and output in a simple way. By comparing the developed scheme with existing proposals, we show that our proposal is more efficient in terms of functionality, as well as the computation, communication and storage overhead.
Verification and Refutation of Probabilistic Specifications via Games

We develop an abstraction-based framework to check probabilistic specifications of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) using the stochastic two-player game abstractions (\ie ``games'') developed by Kwiatkowska et al.\ as a foundation. We define an abstraction preorder for these game abstractions which enables us to identify many new game abstractions for each MDP --- ranging from compact and imprecise to complex and precise. This added ability to trade precision for efficiency is crucial for scalable software model checking, as precise abstractions are expensive to construct in practice. Furthermore, we develop a four-valued probabilistic computation tree logic (PCTL) semantics for game abstractions. Together, the preorder and PCTL semantics comprise a powerful verification and refutation framework for arbitrary PCTL properties of MDPs.