Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Hybrid Algorithm of Eyes Localization in Color Facial Region

In this paper, a hybrid algorithm for precise eyes localization in color facial region is presented. In practice, most eye detection suffer from the influence of illumination and face pose. Multiple techniques are integrated in this algorithm to overcome these limitations, such as color space mapping, illumination correction, mouth detecion, dynamic threshold and so on. The scheme consists of two stage: eye region extraction and fine eye loaction. Firstly, with aids of clustering information of eyes in color image and gray-level image, we highlight possible eye regions. Through binarization and morphological operation, we can reserve major blocks and remove most of tiny blocks. For accurate extraction to the best, the threshold of binarization is adjusted appropriately according to heuristic rules test feedback. Heuristic rules are established in terms of priori knowedge about geometrical relationship among facial components. Thereby, we can filter out most of non-eye candidates and allow more possible candidates to be selected as eyes. In the stage of fine eye location, we employ twice extraction to find eye center via projection function and verify validation of loaction by similarty matching finally. With regard to variable lighting, we have adopted an effective local illumination correction to reduce interference. Some other experiments are carried out to investigate method capability on variations of pose, facial expressions, partial occlusions and lighting conditions on face images. Experiment results indicate our algorithm can achieves promising performance under certain illumination and various face poses conditions
Quasi-static conductor loss calculations in transmission lines using a new conformal mapping technique

A new approximation technique to find the total series impedance per unit length for quasi-TEM transmission lines including conductor loss has been developed. It is shown through the use of conformal mapping that both frequency dependent skin-depth and proximity effects can be accurately modeled. Comparison between experimental measurements and calculations for twin-lead, coplanar strips, parallel square bars, and coplanar waveguide all show excellent agreement. This technique is easily generalized to any transmission line making use of polygonal cross-section conductors. >
The role of maternal communication style in adolescents’ motivation to change alcohol use: A vignette-based study

Abstract Aim: The study aimed to explore the association between maternal communication style [controlling vs. autonomy-supportive (AS)] and adolescents’ motivation to change alcohol use, as well as the intervening role of autonomy and relatedness needs frustration and coping responses (i.e. oppositional defiance and submission) in this association. Methods: A vignette-based study was conducted with 134 adolescents (Mage = 17.46 years) randomly assigned to a controlling or an AS condition, describing a maternal reaction to an alcohol use episode. Then, adolescents reported upon their experienced need frustration, their coping responses and their motivation to change alcohol use. Findings: Results indicated that adolescents in the controlling condition felt more frustrated in their needs for autonomy and relatedness that adolescents confronted with the AS reaction. When adolescents experienced frustration regarding their autonomy need, they coped by submitting to the maternal request, which in turn predicted greater motivation to change alcohol use. However, when they experienced frustration regarding their relatedness need, they engaged in oppositional defiance to the request, which in turn predicted lower motivation to change alcohol use. Conclusions: These results suggest that controlling maternal communication style relates to two distinct processes that have opposing effects on adolescents’ motivation to change alcohol use.
Identifying relationships between drugs and medical conditions: winning experience in the Challenge 2 of the OMOP 2010 Cup

There is a growing interest in using a longitudinal observational databases to detect drug safety signal. In this paper we present a novel method, which we used online during the OMOP Cup. We consider homogeneous ensembling, which is based on random re-sampling (known, also, as bagging) as a main innovation compared to the previous publications in the related field. This study is based on a very large simulated database of the 10 million patients records, which was created by the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP). Compared to the traditional classification problem, the given data are unlabelled. The objective of this study is to discover hidden associations between drugs and conditions. The main idea of the approach, which we used during the OMOP Cup is to compare the numbers of observed and expected patterns. This comparison may be organised in several different ways, and the outcomes (base learners) may be quite different as well. It is proposed to construct the final decision function as an ensemble of the base learners. Our method was recognised formally by the Organisers of the OMOP Cup as a top performing method for the Challenge N2.
The High Level Architecture (HLA) on Photonic Torus: Hardware and Software Co-design

The High Level Architecture (HLA) as a well-known IEEE standard for developing parallel and distributed simulation systems has been around for many years. In this paper, Runtime Infrastructure (RTI) of HLA is re-evaluated in the light of the current trends in many-core processor architectures. The future many-core processor architectures will contain thousands of cores connected with on chip networks. Such network on chip (NoC) architectures will not only be built as electronic networks but also as photonic networks. The communication links are established by using scalable communication patterns which define how the light paths to be setup in a 2D photonic network. In other words, RTI specific communication patterns orchestrate the underlying photonic network both to guarantee contention-free network operation and to utilize the bisection bandwidth available on the photonic torus. Time and data distribution management related algorithms are especially subject to this paper. Both the Greatest Available Logical Time (GALT) calculation algorithm and timestamp order (TSO) message delivery are carried out in small number of communication steps on 2D photonic torus. The approach taken in this work is based on hardware and software co-design.
Phosphorus Is Associated with Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Preserved Renal Function

High serum phosphorus levels have been associated with mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease and in the general population. In addition, high phosphorus levels have been shown to induce vascular calcification and endothelial dysfunction in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of phosphorus and coronary calcification and atherosclerosis in the setting of normal renal function. This was a cross-sectional study involving 290 patients with suspected coronary artery disease and undergoing elective coronary angiography, with a creatinine clearance >60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Coronary artery obstruction was assessed by the Friesinger score and coronary artery calcification by multislice computed tomography. Serum phosphorus was higher in patients with an Agatston score >10 than in those with an Agatston score ≤10 (3.63±0.55 versus 3.49±0.52 mg/dl; p = 0.02). In the patients with Friesinger scores >4, serum phosphorus was higher (3.6±0.5 versus 3.5±0.6 mg/dl, p = 0.04) and median intact fibroblast growth factor 23 was lower (40.3 pg/ml versus 45.7 pg/ml, p = 0.01). Each 0.1-mg/dl higher serum phosphate was associated with a 7.4% higher odds of having a Friesinger score >4 (p = 0.03) and a 6.1% greater risk of having an Agatston score >10 (p = 0.01). Fibroblast growth factor 23 was a negative predictor of Friesinger score (p = 0.002). In conclusion, phosphorus is positively associated with coronary artery calcification and obstruction in patients with suspected coronary artery disease and preserved renal function.
On the Feasibility of Intrusion Detection Inside Workstation Disks

Abstract : Storage-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) can be valuable tools in monitoring for and notifying administrators of malicious software executing on a host computer, including many common intrusion tool kits. This paper makes a case for implementing IDS functionality in the firmware of workstations' locally attached disks, on which the bulk of important system files typically reside. To evaluate the feasibility of this approach, the authors built a prototype disk-based IDS into a SCSI disk emulator. Experimental results from this prototype indicate that it would indeed be feasible, in terms of CPU and memory costs, to include IDS functionality in low-cost desktop disk drives.
Public Sector Pay and Regional Competitiveness: A First Look at Regional Public-Private Wage Differentials in Italy

In this paper we investigate regional public–private wage differentials in Italy. Following the recent wave of reforms that significantly changed wage setting and employment relations in both sectors—increasing decentralization in collective bargaining and enforcing a ‘privatization’ of public sector employment contracts—we present new estimates of the public–private wage gap by geographical location. We report both ‘standardized’ public–private wage differentials and estimates obtained using geographically weighted regression methods. We show that significant differences exist in public–private wage differentials across Italian regions, and that the latter can be partly explained by local labour market conditions affecting the private sector and only marginally the public sector. Differences in public–private wage differentials across regions are expected to determine several imbalances in terms of ‘wait’ unemployment and recruitment problems in the different areas.
The Role of NOD2 in Murine and Human Melioidosis

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) is a cytosolic pathogen recognition receptor that regulates susceptibility to a variety of infections and chronic diseases. Burkholderia pseudomallei, a facultative intracellular bacterium, causes the tropical infection melioidosis. We hypothesized that NOD2 may participate in host defense in melioidosis. We performed a series of in vitro assays and in vivo experiments and analyzed the association of human genetic variation with infection to delineate the contribution of NOD2 to the host response to B. pseudomallei. We found that transfection with NOD2 mediated NF-κB activation induced by B. pseudomallei stimulation of HEK293 cells. After low-dose inoculation with aerosolized B. pseudomallei, Nod2-deficient mice showed impaired clinical responses and permitted greater bacterial replication in the lung and dissemination to the spleen compared with wild-type mice. IL-6 and KC levels were higher in the lungs of Nod2-deficient mice. In a cohort of 1562 Thai subjects, a common genetic polymorphism in the NOD2 region, rs7194886, was associated with melioidosis, and this effect was most pronounced in women. rs7194886 was not associated with differences in cytokine production induced by whole-blood stimulation with the NOD2 ligand, muramyl dipeptide, or B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, these findings are the first to characterize the role of NOD2 in host defense in mammalian melioidosis.
Chemokine Responses Are Increased in HIV-Infected Malawian Children With Invasive Pneumococcal Disease

Background:Chemokines play an important role in the recruitment and regulation of leukocyte traffic during bacterial infection. The aims of this study were to investigate the chemokine response to invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and to examine the influence of HIV infection on the chemokine response, pneumococcal bacterial loads, and outcome. Methods:We prospectively studied 95 children with IPD, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken at admission for the determination of chemokines, interferon-γ (IFNγ), and pneumococcal bacterial loads. Results:Plasma CXCL8 and CCL2, CSF CXCL8 and CCL4, and IFNγ were significantly higher in HIV-infected children than in HIV-uninfected children. Blood and CSF pneumococcal bacterial loads correlated with plasma and CSF chemokines, respectively, and were higher in HIV-infected children compared with HIV-uninfected children. Among HIV-infected children, plasma concentrations of CXCL8 and CCL2 were significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors, but CCL5 was significantly lower. HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children with IPD had higher concentrations of chemokines (except CCL5) than acutely ill HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children with no detectable bacterial infection. Male gender and low plasma CCL2 concentrations were shown to be independently associated with survival. Conclusions:Chemokines, in particular CCL2, are associated with survival in IPD and correlate with pneumococcal bacterial loads, disease presentation, and outcome.
Shigella flexneri 3a Outer Membrane Protein C Epitope Is Recognized by Human Umbilical Cord Sera and Associated with Protective Activity

Shigella flexneri 3a is one of the five major strains of the Shigella genus responsible for dysentery, especially among children, in regions of high poverty and poor sanitation. The outer membrane proteins (OMP) of this bacterium elicit immunological responses and are considered a prime target for vaccine development. When injected into mice they elicit a protective immunological response against a lethal dose of the pathogen. The OMPs from S. flexneri 3a were isolated and resolved by two-dimension-SDS-PAGE. Two 38-kDa spots were of particular interest since in our earlier studies OMPs of such molecular mass were found to interact with umbilical cord sera. These two spots were identified as OmpC by ESI-MS/MS spectrometry. By DNA sequencing, the ompC gene from S. flexneri 3a was identical to ompC from S. flexneri 2a [Gene Bank: 24113600]. A 3D model of OmpC was built and used to predict B-cell type (discontinuous) antigenic epitopes. Six epitopes bearing the highest score were selected and the corresponding peptides were synthesized. Only the peptides representing loop V of OmpC reacted strongly with the umbilical cord serum immunoglobulins. To determine which amino acids are essential for the antigenic activity of the epitope, the loop V was scanned with a series of dodecapeptides. The peptide RYDERY was identified as a minimal sequence for the loop V epitope. Truncation at either the C- or N-terminus rendered this peptide inactive. Apart from C-terminal tyrosine, substitution of each of the remaining five amino acids with glycine, led to a precipitous loss of immunological activity. This peptide may serve as a ligand in affinity chromatography of OmpC-specific antibodies and as a component of a vaccine designed to boost human immune defenses against enterobacterial infections.
Crowdsourcing and Co-curation in Virtual Museums: A Practice-driven Approach

This paper gives an overview on crowdsourcing and co-curation practices in virtual museums. Engaged nonprofessionals and specialists support curators in creating digital 2D or 3D exhibits, exhibitions and tour planning and in the enhancement of metadata using the Virtual Museum and Cultural Object Exchange Format (ViMCOX). ViMCOX is based on international Lightweight Information Describing Objects (LIDO) v1.0 metadata standard, provides the semantic structure of exhibitions and complete museums and includes new features, such as room and outdoor design, interactions with artwork, path planning and dissemination. Various application examples show the impact of crowdsourcing, co-creation and cocuration on the digitalization of expositions in classical museums and on the creation of virtual museums. The case studies are devoted to restoring lost or damaged artwork by the GermanJewish sculptor Leopold Fleischhacker, high-quality 3D shapes and Armenian cross stones. Finally, the paper reports on an evaluation in the field of usability, user interfaces and the crowd’s willingness to undertake various co-curation subtasks.
Factors associated with post-stroke depression and emotional incontinence: lesion location and coping styles

Post-stroke depression (PSD) and post-stroke emotional incontinence (PSEI) have attracted worldwide interest in recent years. These emotional disturbances have a negative impact on the rehabilitation process and the associated worse outcome. Consequently, defining the risk factors for development of PSD and PSEI is important. In this study, we evaluated 368 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke at admission and at three months later. PSD was evaluated by using the Beck Depression Inventory, and PSEI was evaluated using Kim's criteria. The Social Support Rating Scale and Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire were also used as measurement tools. Multivariate analyses showed that anterior cortex infarction was associated with PSEI three months after stroke occurrence. The appearance of PSD was not related to lesion location. Both motor and sensory dysfunctions was independently associated with PSD at admission, whereas low degree of social utilization was the independent factor associated with PSD 3 months after stroke. Acceptance-resignation is related to PSD and PSEI both at admission and 3 months after stroke. Avoidance was the independent factor related to PSD at 3 months after stroke onset.
Comparative analysis of classification algorithms on three different datasets using WEKA

This paper analyzes the most useful and popular classification algorithms used by the Machine Learning systems, particularly in the artificial intelligent systems. It is focused on the practical applying of classification algorithms, in all three different dataset used throughout this paper. The results of the paper show which algorithm is more convenient for a particular dataset. The common analysis of these datasets including classification algorithms is implemented on the WEKA Tool.
Trust-based social item recommendation: A case study

In this paper, we present a trust metric which leverages the user similarities, social relationships and trust propagations for measuring the trust between pairs of users in social networks. According to the trust metric, we propose a trust-based recommendation method for top-k item recommendation. A case study is conducted on Sina Weibo, which is one of the most popular Social Network Sites (SNS) in China. The experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms the collaborative filtering based method.
Can the Intellectual Processes in Science Also Be Simulated? The Anticipation and Visualization of Possible Future States

Socio-cognitive action reproduces and changes both social and cognitive structures. The analytical distinction between these dimensions of structure provides us with richer models of scientific development. In this study, I assume that (i) social structures organize expectations into belief structures that can be attributed to individuals and communities; (ii) expectations are specified in scholarly literature; and (iii) intellectually the sciences (disciplines, specialties) tend to self-organize as systems of rationalized expectations. Whereas social organizations remain localized, academic writings can circulate, and expectations can be stabilized and globalized using symbolically generalized codes of communication. The intellectual restructuring, however, remains latent as a second-order dynamics that can be accessed by participants only reflexively. Yet, the emerging “horizons of meaning” provide feedback to the historically developing organizations by constraining the possible future states as boundary conditions. I propose to model these possible future states using incursive and hyper-incursive equations from the computation of anticipatory systems. Simulations of these equations enable us to visualize the couplings among the historical—i.e., recursive—progression of social structures along trajectories, the evolutionary—i.e., hyper-incursive—development of systems of expectations at the regime level, and the incursive instantiations of expectations in actions, organizations, and texts.
Sequence-Structure Relationship in Proteins: a Computational Analysis of Proteins that Differ in Sequence but Share the Same Fold

Mapping between sequence and structure is currently an open problem in structural biology. Despite many experimental and computational efforts it is not clear yet how the structure is encoded in the sequence. Answering this question may pave the way for predicting a protein fold given its sequence. My doctoral studies have focused on a particular phenomenon relevant to the protein sequence-structure relationship. It has been observed that many proteins having apparently dissimilar sequences share the same native fold. The phenomenon of mapping many divergent sequences into a single fold raises the question of which positions along the sequence are important for the conservation of fold and function in dissimilar sequences. Detecting those positions, and classifying them according to role can help understand which elements in a sequence are important for maintenance of structure and/or function. In the course of my doctoral research I have attempted to discover and characterize those positions.
A Simple Method for Grouping Streams in Heat Exchanger Networks Including Match Constraints

The heat exchanger network synthesis problem is one of the most studied problems in process synthesis and the development of costefficient heat exchanger networks has proven to be a challenging task. In the synthesis process, decisions about level of heat recovery as well as network structure, size and type of heat exchangers are made. A network resulting in the overall most economical solution when considering both utility costs and investment costs for all units of the energy recovery network is targeted. During the last three decades, a considerable number of methods have been proposed for the design task. These methods are thoroughly presented in the review articles by Gundersen and Naess [1], and Furman and Sahinidis [2].