Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kinematics of foraging dives and lunge-feeding in fin whales

SUMMARY Fin whales are among the largest predators on earth, yet little is known about their foraging behavior at depth. These whales obtain their prey by lunge-feeding, an extraordinary biomechanical event where large amounts of water and prey are engulfed and filtered. This process entails a high energetic cost that effectively decreases dive duration and increases post-dive recovery time. To examine the body mechanics of fin whales during foraging dives we attached high-resolution digital tags, equipped with a hydrophone, a depth gauge and a dual-axis accelerometer, to the backs of surfacing fin whales in the Southern California Bight. Body pitch and roll were estimated by changes in static gravitational acceleration detected by orthogonal axes of the accelerometer, while higher frequency, smaller amplitude oscillations in the accelerometer signals were interpreted as bouts of active fluking. Instantaneous velocity of the whale was determined from the magnitude of turbulent flow noise measured by the hydrophone and confirmed by kinematic analysis. Fin whales employed gliding gaits during descent, executed a series of lunges at depth and ascended to the surface by steady fluking. Our examination of body kinematics at depth reveals variable lunge-feeding behavior in the context of distinct kinematic modes, which exhibit temporal coordination of rotational torques with translational accelerations. Maximum swimming speeds during lunges match previous estimates of the flow-induced pressure needed to completely expand the buccal cavity during feeding.
System-level design: orthogonalization of concerns andplatform-based design

System-level design issues become critical as implementation technology evolves toward increasingly complex integrated circuits and the time-to-market pressure continues relentlessly. To cope with these issues, new methodologies that emphasize re-use at all levels of abstraction are a "must", and this is a major focus of our work in the Gigascale Silicon Research Center. We present some important concepts for system design that are likely to provide at least some of the gains in productivity postulated above. In particular, we focus on a method that separates parts of the design process and makes them nearly independent so that complexity could be mastered. In this domain, architecture-function co-design and communication-based design are introduced and motivated. Platforms are essential elements of this design paradigm. We define system platforms and we argue about their use and relevance. Then we present an application of the design methodology to the design of wireless systems. Finally, we present a new approach to platform-based design called modern embedded systems, compilers, architectures and languages, based on highly concurrent and software programmable architectures and associated design tools.
Global-Shape from Motion and Shading for 3D-Object-Based Analysis-Synthesis Coding

In OBASC based on the source model ”moving textured rigid 3D objects with non–dif fuse illumination” the shape of model objects describing real objects is estimated from the silhouettes of the real objects assuming an ellipsoid–like shape. In this paper , th image analysis is extended by a global shape estimation method evaluating directly the image signal. By one global sh pe parameter , the depth of a model object is scaled in direction of the lines of sight. The extension of OBASC image an lysis reduces the data rate necessary for a test sequence showing a textured, rapidly moving ball from 107 kbit/s to 101 kbit/s.
Sparse coding and NMF

Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is a very efficient parameter-free method for decomposing multivariate data into strictly positive activations and basis vectors. However, the method is not suited for overcomplete representations, where usually sparse coding paradigms apply. We show how to merge the concepts of non-negative factorization with sparsity conditions. The result is a multiplicative algorithm that is comparable in efficiency to standard NMF, but that can be used to gain sensible solutions in the overcomplete cases. This is of interest e.g. for the case of learning and modeling of arrays of receptive fields arranged in a visual processing map, where an overcomplete representation is unavoidable.
Prediction of Droplet Size and Velocity Distribution in Droplet Formation Region of Liquid Spray

Determining the distributions of size and velocity of droplets formed at the end of primary breakup region is followed in this paper. The droplet formation stage at the end of primary breakup is random and stochastic and it can be modeled by statistical means based on the maximum entropy principle (MEP). The MEP formulation predicts the atomization process while satisfying constraint equations based on conservations of mass, momentum and energy. This model is capable of considering drag force on produced droplets through gas-liquid interaction using new approach. The model prediction is compared favorably with the experimentally measured size and velocity distributions of droplets for sprays produced by the two nozzles of considerably different geometries and shows satisfactory agreement.
Optimal allocation of spinning reserve in a restructured power system using particle swarm optimization

A reasonable amount of spinning reserve is essential to satisfy system security constraints when the power system encounters a contingency. Most of the methods previously developed for spinning reserve assessment ignore the probabilistic aspects of system components. This paper presents the design of a market for energy and spinning reserve services. This dispatching method has been developed to minimize the cost associated with theses services while maintaining the system security. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used for determining the global optimal solution for this dispatch problem. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is examined by application to the IEEE reliability test system (RTS). The results obtained with the proposed approach are presented and compared with those of genetic algorithms (GA).
Fully-Dynamic Verifiable Zero-Knowledge Order Queries for Network Data

We show how to provide privacy-preserving (zero-knowledge) answers to order queries on network data that is organized in lists, trees, and partially-ordered sets of bounded dimension. Our methods are efficient and dynamic, in that they allow for updates in the ordering information while also providing for quick and verifiable answers to queries that reveal no information besides the answers to the queries themselves.
Combined approach for face frontal view estimation for video surveillance purposes

This paper presents the combined approach for face frontal view estimation from video sequences. This task is important for person identification by face image in video surveillance systems. Face tracking algorithm was developed based on optical flow and cascade face detector. We also found way to estimate quality of face detection. This quality is used as base for best frontal view estimation.
A Parallel Ray Tracer Mackenzie

The graphics industry has advanced very far from the days of pixelated 2D images on small monitors. The main focus of graphics hardware work has been achieving the most realistic images while maintaining the interactive nature of realtime applications. This focus has matured and today’s modern graphics card is able to process millions of triangles and vertices to form complex 3D images with a variety of realistic effects. However the realism achieved is mainly due to a bunch of ”hacks. ” Many of the algorithms used in realtime graphics applications favor speed over the quality of work produced. These ”hacks” allow us to just barely get by without increasing the computation time significantly. To better meet the needs of todays consumers, the graphics industry will need to spend time updating the poorly looked over quality metric. Using ray tracing, we can upgrade quality. Current graphics APIs such as OpenGL and DirectX use an overly simple lighting model to compute the effects of light on a scene. Ray tracing is a way to more accurately compute lighting effects on surfaces by simulating how rays are transported around the scene. This is more realistic since it not only takes into account how the initial light from a source bounces off an object, but also takes contributions of light which have been reflected off of objects. This enables ray tracing to be very good at rendering highly reflective and shadowed surfaces [1]. Many algorithms have been developed to implement ray tracing efficiently on a standard sequential CPU. Most ray tracers are implemented by shooting out rays of light from points on the screen into the scene. This way only rays of light which contribute to the rendered image will be computed. This still happens to be very computationally intensive for any CPU today. The computation time prevents ray tracing techniques from getting into main stream graphics cards since images can no longer be rendered in real-time. However there is nothing inherently stopping this computation from happening in parallel [1]. The ”embarrassing amount of parallelism” which can be taken advantage of in ray tracing is the focus of my project. Today many companies are moving towards multiprocessor systems and multicore chips. This provides much more hardware and computatoin power to use in parallel for ray tracing applications. So it is important to see how the feasibility of using ray tracing for more applications changes with these advancements in technology.
Loss of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) Isoforms in Granulosa Cells Using pDmrt-1-Cre or Amhr2-Cre Reduces Fertility by Arresting Follicular Development and by Reducing Litter Size in Female Mice

Because VEGFA has been implicated in follicle development, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of granulosa- and germ cell-specific VEGFA loss on ovarian morphogenesis, function, and female fertility. pDmrt1-Cre mice were mated to floxed VEGFA mice to develop granulosa-/germ cell-specific knockouts (pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/-). The time from mating to first parturition was increased when pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/- females were mated to control males (P = 0.0008) and tended to be longer for heterozygous females (P < 0.07). Litter size was reduced for pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/- females (P < 0.007). The time between the first and second parturitions was also increased for heterozygous females (P < 0.04) and tended to be increased for pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/- females (P < 0.07). pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/- females had smaller ovaries (P < 0.04), reduced plasma estradiol (P < 0.007), fewer developing follicles (P < 0.008) and tended to have fewer corpora lutea (P < 0.08). Expression of Igf1r was reduced (P < 0.05); expression of Foxo3a tended to be increased (P < 0.06); and both Fshr (P < 0.1) and Sirt6 tended to be reduced (P < 0.06) in pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa -/- ovaries. To compare VEGFA knockouts, we generated Amhr2-Cre;Vegfa -/- mice that required more time from mating to first parturition (P < 0.003) with variable ovarian size. Both lines had more apoptotic granulosa cells, and vascular staining did not appear different. Taken together these data indicate that the loss of all VEGFA isoforms in granulosa/germ cells (proangiogenic and antiangiogenic) causes subfertility by arresting follicular development, resulting in reduced ovulation rate and fewer pups per litter.
Modelling of Self-Positioning Micro-/Nanostructures

AbstractThe ﬁnite element procedure is developed for the solution of three-dimensional geo-metrically nonlinear problems with small strains and large rotational and translational dis-placements. Updated Lagrangian formulation is used with controlling strains and stressesat local coordinate frames at element integration points. Equilibrium iterations at each stepare performed according to the Newton-Raphson method. Hexahedral 20-node elementsare used for discretization.The developed ﬁnite element procedure is applied to modelling of self-positioningmicro- and nanostructures. A multilayer structure is formed with the molecular beamepitaxy method. Some layers have different lattice periods that leads to the structureself-positioning after etching out a sacriﬁcial material layer. In computational modelling,etching of the sacriﬁcial layer is simulated by release of displacement constraints or byspecifying zero elasticity modulus in elements of the sacriﬁcial layer. Results for a self-positioning micromirror with a hinge of a variable width are compared to the closed-formsolutions for limiting cases of narrow and wide hinges.Keywords: Finite element, Geometrically nonlinear problem, Self-positioning, Microstruc-ture, Nanostructure.
What matters in policing? Change, values, and leadership in turbulent times

police model, which is reactive, geared to war, and driven by numbers rather than relationships, hampers police ability to prevent and respond to criminal abuses of women, it concludes with several important recommendations as to how to refocus the current police culture towards one that is more community-policing oriented. The current text was published in 2010, so could benefit from an updated edition. Laws on trafficking and prostitution in various countries may have changed since 2010. For instance, while Chapter 18 states that there are ‘no specific offences of human trafficking under Australian law’ (p. 313), in 2013 Australia introduced several legislative amendments to its Criminal Code and the Crimes Act specifically targeting human trafficking and slavery, and in 2014 released its National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery. Nevertheless, the broad definition given to criminal abuse is one of the main strengths of the text. It presents a wide array of forms of victimization against women and children, including domestic violence, trafficking, sexual exploitation, and various forms of forced marriage and forced labour, and for children, sexual and physical abuse, child neglect, sexual exploitation, genital mutilation, kidnapping, and child labour. Each chapter presents examples of these, and provides sometimes shocking prevalence rates. Legislative frameworks are also included when available. Another strength of this text is its international perspective. As Chapter 4 notes, the United Nations has laws protecting women and children, but these laws are not enforced equally in all countries (p. 65). Including the experiences of multiple countries in a single text allows the reader to assess which countries are leading the fight against the criminal abuse of women and men and to identify the gaps in policy and practice. Overall, the international focus makes the text a useful resource for scholars and for practitioners working with victims, since it provides useful context to what the victims may have faced in their home countries.
UPLC/Q-TOF MS-Based Metabolomics and qRT-PCR in Enzyme Gene Screening with Key Role in Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis of Polygala tenuifolia

Background The dried root of Polygala tenuifolia, named Radix Polygalae, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. Triterpenoid saponins are some of the most important components of Radix Polygalae extracts and are widely studied because of their valuable pharmacological properties. However, the relationship between gene expression and triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis in P. tenuifolia is unclear. Methodology/Findings In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS)-based metabolomic analysis was performed to identify and quantify the different chemical constituents of the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of P. tenuifolia. A total of 22 marker compounds (VIP>1) were explored, and significant differences in all 7 triterpenoid saponins among the different tissues were found. We also observed an efficient reference gene GAPDH for different tissues in this plant and determined the expression level of some genes in the triterpenoid saponin biosynthetic pathway. Results showed that MVA pathway has more important functions in the triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis of P. tenuifolia. The expression levels of squalene synthase (SQS), squalene monooxygenase (SQE), and beta-amyrin synthase (β-AS) were highly correlated with the peak area intensity of triterpenoid saponins compared with data from UPLC/Q-TOF MS-based metabolomic analysis. Conclusions/Significance This finding suggested that a combination of UPLC/Q-TOF MS-based metabolomics and gene expression analysis can effectively elucidate the mechanism of triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis and can provide useful information on gene discovery. These findings can serve as a reference for using the overexpression of genes encoding for SQS, SQE, and/or β-AS to increase the triterpenoid saponin production of P. tenuifolia.
Multivariate linear systems for learning from data

Learning from data means a process of information extraction from finite size samples in order to estimate an unknown dependency. A series of problems can be modeled in terms of a system that computes according to an unknown rule a response (output) for each input. The paper provides a series of results concerning the learning from data a linear regressive model in a multivariate framework. The parameter estimates of the regressive model are determined using the maximum likelihood principle and the adaptive learning algorithms are derived using the gradient ascent technique. In the second section of the paper the parameters of the linear regressive model are determined by minimizing the arithmetic mean of square errors and an adaptive learning scheme of gradient descent type is also considered. We consider a probabilistic approach in the third section for modeling the effects of both the latent variables and noise. The cumulative effects of latent variables and noise are modeled in terms of multivariate Gaussian repartitions.
Evidence that FeLoBALs May Signify the Transition between an Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy and a Quasar

We present mid/far-infrared photometry of nine FeLoBAL QSOs, taken using the Spitzer Space Telescope. All nine objects are extremely bright in the infrared, with rest-frame 1-1000 μm luminosities comparable to those of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Furthermore, a significant fraction of the infrared emission from many, and possibly all, of the sample is likely to arise from star formation, with star formation rates of the order of several hundred solar masses per year. We combine these results with previous work to propose that FeLoBALs mark galaxies and QSOs in which an extremely luminous starburst is approaching its end, and in which a rapidly accreting supermassive black hole is in the last stages of casting off its dust cocoon. FeLoBAL signatures in high-redshift QSOs and galaxies may thus be an efficient way of selecting sources at a critical point in their evolution.
VSRank: A Novel Framework for Ranking-Based Collaborative Filtering

Collaborative filtering (CF) is an effective technique addressing the information overload problem. CF approaches generally fall into two categories: rating based and ranking based. The former makes recommendations based on historical rating scores of items and the latter based on their rankings. Ranking-based CF has demonstrated advantages in recommendation accuracy, being able to capture the preference similarity between users even if their rating scores differ significantly. In this study, we propose VSRank, a novel framework that seeks accuracy improvement of ranking-based CF through adaptation of the vector space model. In VSRank, we consider each user as a document and his or her pairwise relative preferences as terms. We then use a novel degree-specialty weighting scheme resembling TF-IDF to weight the terms. Extensive experiments on benchmarks in comparison with the state-of-the-art approaches demonstrate the promise of our approach.
Size, Value and Liquidity: Do They Really Matter on an Emerging Stock Market?

The paper extends the evidence on the factors relevant for pricing stocks in emerging markets. While previous literature focused on Latin American and Asian developing markets, Central and Eastern European markets remain under-researched. By focusing on the Polish stock market, we aim to ll in a gap in the asset pricing literature and draw attention to these previously overlooked markets. In addition to analyzing the importance of the most prominent risk-factors such as market, size and book-to-market value, we investigate whether liquidity plays a role in pricing Polish stocks. To test this conjecture we use the largest array of liquidity measures that has been used in the literature to date. We take advantage of a hand-collected dataset covering the longest period studied so far in case of the this market. Our results support existing evidence for developed markets with regard to the market, size, and book-to-market factor. However, in contrast to studies on other emerging markets, we do not find convincing evidence in favour of the liquidity risk premium on the Polish stock market. This result is robust across various liquidity measures and time periods. Analyzing specific characteristics of the Polish market, we consider possible explanations behind this finding.
Private vs. Public Sector: Discrimination against Second-Generation Immigrants in France

The integration of immigrants and their children is a burning issue in France. Governments build a large part of their assimilation policies on the labor market. The public sector is reputed to better assimilate minorities because of its entrance exams and pay-scales. In this paper, a comparison of the public and private sectors shows that second-generation immigrants are not treated equally. However, the wage gap is determined by the number and gender of immigrant parents and not by the country of origin.
Cryptanalysis of Simpira

Simpira is a recently proposed family of permutations, based on the AES round function. The design includes recommendations for using the Simpira permutations in block ciphers, hash functions, or authenticated ciphers. The security analysis is based on computer-aided bounds for the minimum number of active S-boxes. We show that the underlying assumptions of independence, and thus the derived bounds, are incorrect. For family member Simpira-4, we provide differential trails with only 40 (instead of 75) active S-boxes for the recommended 15 rounds. Based on these trails, we propose full-round collision attacks on the proposed Simpira-4 Davies-Meyer hash construction, with complexity 2 for the recommended full 15 rounds (truncated 256-bit hash value), and complexity 2 for 16 rounds (full 512-bit hash value). These attacks violate the designers’ security claims that there are no structural distinguishers below 2.