Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic localization by appearance models and active vision

In order to do useful things a mobile robot needs some sort of global information about the environment it is operating in. In the paper an approach is described where the global information is not cast in a model of the geometry of the environment but in a model of all sensory data of the robot. As a primary sensing system we use computer vision. The model gives a probability distribution over the learned locations given an observation. We developed an active vision strategy to increase the performance and tested the method on real image data from our robot.
From Sensory Data to Situation Awareness: Enhanced Context Spaces Theory Approach

High-level context awareness can be significantly improved by the recognition of real-life situations. The theory of context spaces is a context awareness approach that uses spatial metaphors to provide integrated mechanisms for both low-level and high-level context awareness and situation awareness. Taking context spaces theory situation awareness as a baseline, we propose and analyze the enhanced situation awareness techniques, which allow us to reason about broad class of real-life situations. We also improve reasoning about the relationships between situations, and discuss how it relates to newly proposed situation awareness approaches. Practical evaluation of the results is also discussed.
Social Network Analysis of Web Search Engine Query Logs

In this paper, we attempt to build query networks from web sea rch engine query logs, with the nodes representing queries and the edge s exhibiting the semantic relatedness between queries. To build the network , users’ query histories are extracted from query logs and are then segmented i to query sessions. Semantic relatedness of queries is modeled using thr ee different statistical measures: collocation, weighted dependence, and mutua l information. We compare the constructed query networks with comparable ran dom networks and conclude that query networks are of small world properti es. Besides, we propose a method for identifying the community structures, which is representative of semantic taxonomies, by applying Newman clusteri ng to query networks. The experimental evaluation prove the effectivenes s of our proposed method against a baseline model.
The Algorithm of AAES

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) was specified in 2001 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology [1]. The purpose is to provide a standard algorithm for encryption, strong enough to keep U.S. government documents secure for at least the next 20 years. Now AES will largely replace triple-DES for government use, and will likely become widely adopted for a variety of encryption needs, such as secure transactions via the Internet.
The helium star donor channel for the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play an important role in astrophysics, especially in the study of cosmic evolution. Several progenitor models for SNe Ia have been proposed in the past. In this paper we carry out a detailed study of the He star donor channel, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes material from a He main-sequence star or a He subgiant to increase its mass to the Chandrasekhar mass. Employing Eggleton's stellar evolution code with an optically thick wind assumption, and adopting the prescription of Kato & Hachisu for the mass accumulation efficiency of the He-shell flashes on to the WDs, we performed binary evolution calculations for about 2600 close WD binary systems. According to these calculations, we mapped out the initial parameters for SNe Ia in the orbital period-secondary mass (log P(i)-M(2)(i)) plane for various WD masses from this channel. The study shows that the He star donor channel is noteworthy for producing SNe Ia (similar to 1.2 x 10(-3) yr(-1) in our Galaxy), and that the progenitors from this channel may appear as supersoft X-ray sources. Importantly, this channel can explain SNe Ia with short delay times (similar to 10(8) yr), which is consistent with the recent observational implications of young populations of SN Ia progenitors.
Index finger prosthesis control method according to human intention

The paper proposes a control method of an index finger prosthesis by using two electromyographic signals measured on skin surfaces of two muscles (flexor digitorum superficialis and the extensor indicis) in a lower arm. We assume that the mass of the human index finger is sufficiently small for its dynamic effect to be neglected and the initial burst part of electromyographic signal generated by human intention precedes the onset of actual displacement of the index finger. In order to make the control input for the index finger prosthesis, the root mean squaring operation is applied firstly to the measured electromyographic signal, the thresholding operation is secondly utilized to extract the initial burst part, the synergistic signal is thirdly constructed by using the difference between two processed electromyographic signals, and then the desired displacement is derived from the scaled synergistic signal and numerical integration. Physical limits of the utilized actuator such as displacement and speed limits are considered for practical control use. Finally we show the effectiveness of the proposed control method through experimental result.
In Transition Toward the Ecocentric Entrepreneurship Nexus: How Nature Helps Entrepreneurs Make Ventures More Regenerative Over Time

Research on meaning-making has recently enriched our understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship by providing a window into the moral space and the complex reality of entrepreneurs who engage with sustainability issues. This article focuses on meaning-making of one such entrepreneur to explore the role of nature as enabler of sustainable entrepreneurship nexus. It is based on the ethnographic study of the entrepreneur who makes a living out of his pioneering work with forest gardening in Sweden. The transition in meanings that guide the relationship of the entrepreneur with nature, which comes out of the intimate, recursive, and informative exchanges with the ecosystem, makes it possible for nature to come in as a partner and progressively enable the creation of the regenerative venture over time. The emerging regenerative narrative of entrepreneurship stretches beyond the current theories and sets the agenda for ecocentric theorizing about this creative human activity.
Two-Dimensional Neighborhood Structure Preserving Projection

This paper presents a novel manifold learning method, called two-dimensional neighborhood structure preserving projection (2DNSPP) for dimensionality reduction. 2DNSPP employs two adjacency graphs, namely diversity graph and similarity graph, with a vertex set and two affinity matrices. The affinity matrix of diversity graph characterizes the spatial diversity structure among nearby data, while affinity matrix of similarity graph characterizes the spatial similarity structure among nearby data. A concise feature extraction is then raised via combining the diversity and similarity among nearby data. Experiment results on the UMIST database indicate the efficiency of the proposed method.
How can I support a web of betweenness through information and communications technology (ICT)

In 1990, Boyer, the past President of the Carnegie Foundation of Teaching and Learning, based at Stanford University, urged academics to move beyond the teaching versus research debate. He identified forms of scholarship that moved beyond the scholarship of discovery (research). These included the scholarship of integration, scholarship of application and scholarship of teaching. Boyer pointed to a more inclusive view of what it means to be a scholar: “a recognition that knowledge is acquired through research, through synthesis, through practice, and through teaching” (Boyer, 1990, p.24). The recognition of practice-based research as a valid form of research in higher education is evident in the UK Government’s Research Assessment Award (RAE 2008) which states that researchers should be able to submit applied and practice-based research that they consider to have achieved ‘due standard of excellence’ ((RAE 2008, para. 47). Furlong & Oancea suggest action research can contribute to more theoretical knowledge production while at the same time achieving changed practice. They believe that it “challenges any simplistic distinction between ‘pure’, applied’ and ‘strategic’ research” (Furlong & Oancea, 2005, p.8).
Communicating the communication: an experience in cultural and social campaigns

From the marketing perspective advertising materials and marketing campaigns and publications such as books, CD-ROMs, brochures, flyers, posters could play a central role in collecting directly or indirectly more incomes to sustain all the museum’s activities and should be therefore promoted. For example, posters and photos can easily be made available in digital forms to a vaster audience on the museum’s website. In this paper we present some innovative tools developed while designing a new portal for the promotion of a database of campaigns of social communication. We focus on strategies for querying and browsing the digital materials in new, engaging ways, with a particular attention to younger generations accustomed to the digital medium. To this end, we have developed innovative tools able to query and browse the database, and display the results using information automatically extracted from both images and texts. JEL: L86-Information and Internet Services; Computer Software, M15-IT Management, O33Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes.
Statistical Analysis on Brain Surfaces

In this paper, we review widely used statistical analysis frameworks for data defined along cortical and subcortical surfaces that have been developed in last two decades. The cerebral cortex has the topology of a 2D highly convoluted sheet. For data obtained along curved non-Euclidean surfaces, traditional statistical analysis and smoothing techniques based on the Euclidean metric structure are inefficient. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and to boost the sensitivity of the analysis, it is necessary to smooth out noisy surface data. However, this requires smoothing data on curved cortical manifolds and assigning smoothing weights based on the geodesic distance along the surface. Thus, many cortical surface data analysis frameworks are differential geometric in nature (Chung 2012). The smoothed surface data is then treated as smooth random fields and statistical inferences can be performed within Keith Worsley’s random field theory (Worsley et al. 1996, 1999). The methods described in this paper are illustrated with the hippocampus surface data set published in (Chung et al. 2011). Using this case study, we will determine if there is an effect of family income on the growth of hippocampus in children in detail. There are a total of 124 children and 82 of them have repeat magnetic resonance images (MRI) two years later.
The phenotype of concurrent chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbations in patients with severe COPD attending Swedish secondary care units

Background Chronic bronchitis and previous exacerbations are both well-known risk factors for new exacerbations, impaired health-related quality of life, and increased mortality in COPD. The aim of the study was to characterize the phenotype of concurrent chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbation in severe COPD. Methods Information on patient characteristics, comorbidity, and exacerbations from the previous year (total number and number requiring hospitalization) was collected from 373 patients with stage III and IV COPD attending 27 secondary care respiratory units in Sweden. Logistic regression used chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbations (≥2 exacerbations or ≥1 hospitalized exacerbations in the previous year) as response variables. Stratification and interaction analyses examined effect modification by sex. Results Chronic bronchitis was associated with current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [OR] [95% CI], 2.75 [1.54–4.91]; P=0.001), frequent exacerbations (OR [95% CI], 1.93 [1.24–3.01]; P=0.004), and musculoskeletal symptoms (OR [95% CI], 1.74 [1.05–2.86]; P=0.031), while frequent exacerbations were associated with lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second as a percentage of predicted value [FEV1% pred]) (OR [95% CI] 0.96 [0.94–0.98]; P=0.001) and chronic bronchitis (OR [95% CI] 1.73 [1.11–2.68]; P=0.015). The phenotype with both chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbations was associated with FEV1% pred (OR [95% CI] 0.95 [0.92–0.98]; P=0.002) and musculoskeletal symptoms (OR [95% CI] 2.55 [1.31–4.99]; P=0.006). The association of smoking with the phenotype of chronic bronchitis and exacerbations was stronger in women than in men (interaction, P=0.040). Conclusion Musculoskeletal symptoms and low lung function are associated with the phenotype of combined chronic bronchitis and frequent exacerbations in severe COPD. In women, current smoking is of specific importance for this phenotype. This should be considered in clinical COPD care.
Participatory Art Museum: Collecting and Modeling Crowd Opinions

We collect public opinions on museum artworks using online crowdsourcing techniques. We ask two research questions. First, do crowd opinions on artworks differ from expert interpretations? Second, how can museum manage large amount of crowd opinions, such that users can efficiently retrieve useful information? We address these questions through opinion modeling via semantic embedding and dimension reduction.
Vitamin K epoxide reductase regulation of androgen receptor activity

Long-term use of warfarin has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Warfarin belongs to the vitamin K antagonist class of anticoagulants, which inhibit vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR). The vitamin K cycle is primarily known for its role in γ-carboxylation, a rare post-translational modification important in blood coagulation. Here we show that warfarin inhibits the transcriptional activity of the androgen receptor (AR), an important driver of prostate cancer development and progression. Warfarin treatment or knockdown of its target VKOR inhibits the activity of AR both in cell lines and in mouse prostate tissue. We demonstrate that AR can be γ-carboxylated, and mapped the γ-carboxylation to glutamate residue 2 (E2) using mass spectrometry. However, mutation of E2 and other glutamates on AR failed to suppress the effects of warfarin on AR suggesting that inhibition of AR is γ-carboxylation independent. To identify pathways upstream of AR signaling that are affected by warfarin, we performed RNA-seq on prostates of warfarin-treated mice. We found that warfarin inhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) signaling, which in turn, inhibited AR signaling. Although warfarin is unfit for use as a chemopreventative due to its anticoagulatory effects, our data suggest that its ability to reduce prostate cancer risk is independent of its anticoagulation properties. Furthermore, our data show that warfarin inhibits PPARγ and AR signaling, which suggests that inhibition of these pathways could be used to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Truncated Active Human Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Delivered by a Chimeric Adenovirus-Hepatitis B Virus Vector Ameliorates Rat Liver Cirrhosis

Background Liver cirrhosis is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by progressive displacement of functional hepatocytes by fibrous tissue. The underlying fibrosis is often driven by chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Matrix metalloproteinases including MMP-8 are crucial for excess collagen degradation. In a rat model of liver cirrhosis, MMP-8 delivery by an adenovirus (Ad) vector achieved significant amelioration of fibrosis but application of Ad vectors in humans is subject to various issues, including a lack of intrinsic liver specificity. Methods HBV is highly liver-specific and its principal suitability as liver-specific gene transfer vector is established. HBV vectors have a limited insertion capacity and are replication-defective. Conversely, in an HBV infected cell vector replication may be rescued in trans by the resident virus, allowing conditional vector amplification and spreading. Capitalizing on a resident pathogen to help in its elimination and/or in treating its pathogenic consequences would provide a novel strategy. However, resident HBV may also reduce susceptibility to HBV vector superinfection. Thus a size-compatible truncated MMP-8 (tMMP8) gene was cloned into an HBV vector which was then used to generate a chimeric Ad-HBV shuttle vector that is not subject to superinfection exclusion. Rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis were injected with the chimera to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Results Our data demonstrate that infectious HBV vector particles can be obtained via trans-complementation by wild-type virus, and that the tMMP8 HBV vector can efficiently be shuttled by an Ad vector into cirrhotic rat livers. There it exerted a comparable beneficial effect on fibrosis and hepatocyte proliferation markers as a conventional full-length MMP-8Ad vector. Conclusions Though the rat cirrhosis model does not allow assessing in vivo HBV vector amplification these results advocate the further development of Ad-HBV vectors for liver-specific gene therapy, including and perhaps particularly for HBV-related disease.
Fractional Focusing and the Chirp Scaling Algorithm With Real Synthetic Aperture Radar Data

For synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation processing, the chirp scaling algorithm (CSA) has gained considerable attention mainly because of its excellent target focusing ability, optimized processing steps, and ease of implementation. In particular, unlike the range Doppler and range migration algorithms, the CSA is easy to implement since it does not require interpolation, and it can be used on both stripmap and spotlight SAR systems. Another transform that can be used to enhance the processing of SAR image formation is the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT). This transform has been recently introduced to the signal processing community, and it has shown many promising applications in the realm of SAR signal processing, specifically because of its close association to the Wigner distribution and ambiguity function. The objective of this work is to improve the application of the FRFT in order to enhance the implementation of the CSA for SAR processing. This will be achieved by processing real phase-history data from the RADARSAT-1 satellite, a multi-mode SAR platform operating in the C-band, providing imagery with resolution between 8 and 100 meters at incidence angles of 10 through 59 degrees. The phase-history data will be processed into imagery using the conventional chirp scaling algorithm. The results will then be compared using a new implementation of the CSA based on the use of the FRFT, combined with traditional SAR focusing techniques, to enhance the algorithm’s focusing ability, thereby increasing the peak-to-sidelobe ratio of the focused targets. The FRFT can also be used to provide focusing enhancements at extended ranges.
EU-Accession Effects on Sectoral Trade: A Helpman-Melitz-Rubinstein Approach with Panel Data

This paper estimates the effects of the EU enlargements in the 2000s for trade in parts and components and trade in final goods separately. A gravity model is applied to disaggregated trade data over the period 1999-2009 for trade between EU and OECD countries. The estimation approach accounts for firm heterogeneity and selection bias in a panel-data framework. We find a positive and significant effect of the EU-accession on CEECs trade in intermediate and final goods. The main findings indicate that the effect of EU accession is higher on trade in intermediate goods than on trade in final goods.
GIS-based analysis and visualization of the groundwater changes in Minqin Oasis

Groundwater depth refers to the distance from the ground surface to the groundwater surface and groundwater level refers to the elevation of the groundwater surface. The changes of groundwater depth and groundwater level are both the most directive reaction to the changes of the groundwater resources. This paper combines the Ordinary Kriging Interpolation method with the techniques from geographic information systems to analyze the dynamic changes of the groundwater depth and the groundwater level in Minqin Oasis in Januarys between 1998 and 2010. The results show that: (1) the groundwater depth is greater in the south while it is less in the north. It has declined year by year and the annual mean decline rate was 0.55m/a. The decline range has been gradually decreasing from the southwest to the northeast and the area with bigger groundwater depth has been becoming bigger and bigger due to the increasing of human activities in the Oasis. (2) The groundwater level is higher in the southwest whereas lower in the northeast and it has been continuously decreasing year by year. Meanwhile, the area of low level region has been gradually expanding from the northeast to the southwest.
Pipelined orthogonal subband affine projection filters and its efficient implementation

In many applications with highly correlated input signals, the affine projection (AP) adaptive filter has good performance. However it is often too complex to implement in real time. In this paper, we describe an efficient implementation technique for the AP adaptive filter. For this technique, we derive the subband affine projection algorithm from the orthogonal analysis filter bank. And we apply the pipelining technique to the the derived subband adaptive filter for high processing speed.
Concept Exploration Through Morphological Charts: An Experimental Study

Morphological charts are a tool for listing possible integrated conceptual design solutions. They concisely store information by listing each design function and conceptual means to perform these functions. This paper proposes that there is a relationship between the number of possible integrated conceptual design solutions in a morphological chart, and the perceived quality of the design solutions which a designer can find in the data summarized in the chart. A user study employing a group of undergraduate mechanical engineering students to investigate two similar morphological charts is described below. Both charts were artificially constrained to have the same total number concept cells (function means). One chart contained five functions and three means for each function representing 243 combined solutions. The second chart contained three functions and five means for each function, thus representing a total of 125 combinations. Results indicate that the second chart, with fewer functions and more means per function, aided the students in producing higher quality integrated conceptual design solutions.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Mortality trends in the general population: the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is not only an objective measure of habitual physical activity, but also a useful diagnostic and prognostic health indicator for patients in clinical settings. Although compelling evidence has shown that CRF is a strong and independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, the importance of CRF is often overlooked from a clinical perspective compared with other risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, or obesity. Several prospective studies indicate that CRF is at least as important as the traditional risk factors, and is often more strongly associated with mortality. In addition, previous studies report that CRF appears to attenuate the increased risk of death associated with obesity. Most individuals can improve their CRF through regular physical activity. Several biological mechanisms suggest that CRF improves insulin sensitivity, blood lipid profile, body composition, inflammation, and blood pressure. Based on the evidence, health professionals should encourage their patients to improve CRF through regular physical activity.