Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abstract Publications Papers Published/accepted a Real-time Scene Segmentation System Using Solely Excitatory Oscillator Networks (seon), " Accepted to Appear in a Special Issue on Real- " Ijade Scene Segmentator -a Real-time Scene Segmentation System Using Watershed-based Neuro-oscillatory Network,

Theoretical studies of brain functions have asserted that the brain uses the temporal correlation of firing activities of neurons to represent objects in a scene. These studies have been directly supported by many experiments on the visual cortex and other brain regions. In these experiments, the brain exhibited synchronization between the firing of neurons when perceiving a scene. This points to a mechanism of neural oscillation as a representational framework in neural networks. The mechanism has been implemented using a class of neural networks called neural oscillator networks, which it is hoped will provide a physical foundation for the study of human perception as well as an effective computational model for real time scene segmentation. This thesis proposes a neural oscillator network for scene segmentation called a solely excitatory oscillator network (SEON). SEON segments scenes in parallel by synchronizing and desynchronizing oscillators in the networks. The synchronization and desynchronization are very fast. The synchronization speed is also theoretically independent of the network size. This allows SEON to quickly and effectively segment large scenes. A further advantage of SEON is that it is able to reliably segment cluttered scenes into objects. These objects are encoded by the temporal correlation of oscillators. This encoding scheme directly implements the neural oscillation mechanism in human perception. SEON is particularly well suited to very-large-scale-integrated (VLSI) technology, and thus provides an elegant representation for real-time image processing. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated by comparing it with other contemporary methods. Experimental results show that the proposed model can segment scenes faster and more accurately than other methods. The proposed model provides a comprehensive framework for studying human perception and selective attention. It also provides an effective method that is general enough to segment cluttered scenes (both grayscale and color) in real time. Experiments show that the proposed model can be applied to segment cluttered scenes reliably in real time.
Assessment of cytological atypia, AgNOR and nuclear area in epithelial cells of normal oral mucosa exposed to toombak and smoking

The purpose of this study was to assess cellular proliferative activity of clinically healthy oral mucosal epithelial cells of toombak dippers and smokers by means of AgNOR counts and nuclear areas via nuclear morphometry. Smears were collected from normal-appearing mouth floor mucosa and tongue of 75 toombak dippers, 75 smokers and 50 non-tobacco users between the ages of 20 and 70 with a mean age of 36 years. AgNORs were counted in the first 50 well-fixed, nucleated squamous cells and nuclear areas were calculated via microscopic stage micrometer. Cytological atypia was ascertained in 6 tobacco users and could not be ascertained in non-tobacco users. Statistically mean AgNOR numbers per nucleus in the non-tobacco users (2.45±0.30) was lower than the toombak dippers (3.081±0.39, p<0.004), and the smokers (2.715±0.39, p<0.02), and mean nuclear areas of epithelial cells of toombak dippers (6.081±0.39, p<0.009) and smokers (5.68±10.08, p<0.01) was also significantly higher than non-smokers (5.39±9.4). The mean number of nuclei having more than 3 AgNORs was 28%, 19% and 7% in toombak dippers, smokers and non-tobacco users, respectively. These findings support the view that toombak dipping and smoking are severe risk factors for oral mucosal proliferative lesions and exfoliative cytology is valid for screening of oral mucosal lesions.
Residual‐Based Block Bootstrap for Unit Root Testing

A nonparametric, residual-based block bootstrap procedure is proposed in the context of testing for integrated (unit root) time series. The resampling procedure is based on weak assumptions on the dependence structure of the stationary process driving the random walk and successfully generates unit root integrated pseudo-series retaining the important characteristics of the data. It is more general than previous bootstrap approaches to the unit root problem in that it allows for a very wide class of weakly dependent processes and it is not based on any parametric assumption on the process generating the data. As a consequence the procedure can accurately capture the distribution of many unit root test statistics proposed in the literature. Large sample theory is developed and the asymptotic validity of the block bootstrap-based unit root testing is shown via a bootstrap functional limit theorem. Applications to some particular test statistics of the unit root hypothesis, i.e., least squares and Dickey-Fuller type statistics are given. The power properties of our procedure are investigated and compared to those of alternative bootstrap approaches to carry out the unit root test. Some simulations examine the finite sample performance of our procedure.
Fast and robust tracking of fluid surfaces

Surface tracking is an important problem with applications in many research fields. Among the most famous examples in computer graphics is the simulation and rendering of liquids with free surfaces. A surface that is advected by a general velocity field constantly changes its topology. This is the main reason why moving surfaces are typically defined implicitly as the zero set of a scalar field rather than by an explicit representation such as a mesh for instance. In this paper we present a method for tracking fluid surfaces using triangle meshes. This is done in two steps. First, the vertices are advected by the velocity field of the fluid. Second, self-penetrations are fixed using marching cubes triangle templates. The technique is efficient in terms of computation and memory consumption, it is simple to implement and allows for direct control of volume and feature preservation.
Is 1/n Really Better than Optimal Mean-Variance Portfolio?

It is widely believed that the 1/n portfolio provides a good ex-post performance. Several studies have compared the 1/n portfolio with respect to a set of optimal mean-variance policies to prove or disprove the superiority of the 1/n portfolio. However, this approach is not likely to yield a definitive answer, since it provides only relative information. This paper evaluates the performance ranking of the 1/n portfolio in absolute sense. We enumerate all possible portfolios within a specified asset universe, and compare the 1/n portfolio among all possible portfolios to find that 1/n is not really better than the average portfolio.
Taxonomy of Beta Section Beta

The taxonomic histories of the genus Beta and of section Beta within this genus are summarised. The subdivision of the genus agrees largely with (im)possibilities to produce hybrids. Classification within section Beta has been very variable, with examples of overclassification and severe lumping of taxa. The present study includes a morphometric analysis of variation, research on the patterns of allozyme differentiation, and studies of available herbarium specimens. After a description of the taxonomic criteria used, and after the stabilisation of four Linnaean names through typification, the results of the various studies are combined and used to formulate a revision of Beta section Beta. It is proposed to distinguish three species: B. vulgaris, a large and variable species containing both cultivated and wild materials; B. macrocarpa; and B. patula. B. vulgaris is subdivided into three subspecies: subsp. vulgaris, containing all cultivated materials; subsp. maritima, a large and variable group of plant types; and subsp. adanensis. Further subdivision is considered to be of little or no use. The so-called weed beets are classified as subsp. maritima. A key to the species and subspecies of section Beta is presented. Allozyme studies indicate that the development of self-compatibility and autogamy might have been important in the formation of taxa. Results are also discussed in relation to sampling strategies for gene banks. Additional Key Words: cultivated beet, wild beet, morphometrical analysis, allozyme variation.
Hamiltonian Recurrence for ILP scheduling

Software pipelining has become a very extended loop execution model since microprocessors include more functional units. Scheduling techniques developed for software pipeline a loop have to look for heuristics, thus they achieve the optimal scheduling only in some cases. In this paper we present another software pipelining approach based on a methodology that divides the scheduling problem in two subproblems: one, search for a hamiltonian recurrence and two, generation of parallel code. The first phase is the subject of this paper and holds the NPcompleteness of the problem. The second phase is a solved problem for multiprocessors [ALTLV91] and for microprocessors with ILP [BLAV95]. New edges must be included when no hamiltonian recurrence exists. We present a greedy algorithm for generating such edges and compare it with other software pipelining techniques. Results are given for random graphs and for real graphs. They show that more than 98% of the times an optimal solution is found.
A Critical Study of Water Loss in Canals and its Reduction Measures

Water is a very precious natural resource. When this precious resource moves through the canals certain part of the water is lost by seepage, evaporation etc. This loss is known as conveyance loss. The conveyance loss was calculated experimentally by different researcher on different canals around the world. In this paper author have tried to review some of the research work and recommend an average water loss from the canal irrespective of the soil and other environmental condition. There are different materials which have been used in canal lining to reduce this water loss. No such material can be said it is the best material for reducing water loss because it depends on the site and its environmental condition. Now a days geosynthetic alone or geosynthetic with concrete or precast concrete is used to for canal lining in this paper they have tried to see the strength, durability etc. of different geosynthetic material and its application in canal lining.
A New Measurement of the Average Far-Ultraviolet Extinction Curve

We have measured the extinction curve in the far-ultraviolet wavelength region of (900-1200 Å) using spectra obtained with the Berkeley EUV/FUV spectrometer during the ORFEUS I and the ORFEUS II (Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer) missions in 1993 and 1996. From the complete sample of early-type stars observed during these missions, we have selected pairs of stars with the same spectral type but different reddenings to measure the differential FUV extinction. We model the effects of molecular hydrogen absorption and exclude affected regions of the spectrum to determine the extinction from dust alone. We minimize errors from inaccuracies in the cataloged spectral types of the stars by making our own determinations of spectral types based on their IUE spectra. We find substantial scatter in the curves of individual star pairs and present a detailed examination of the uncertainties and their effects on each extinction curve. We find that, given the potentially large uncertainties inherent in using the pair method at FUV wavelengths, a careful analysis of measurement uncertainties is critical to assessing the true dust extinction. We present a new measurement of the average far-ultraviolet extinction curve to the Lyman limit; our new measurement is consistent with an extrapolation of the standard extinction curve of Savage & Mathis.
2 S ep 2 00 6 On the renormalized volume of hyperbolic 3-manifolds ( v 2 )

The renormalized volume of hyperbolic manifolds is a quantity motivated by the AdS/CFT correspondence of string theory and computed via a certain regularization procedure. The main aim of the present paper is to elucidate its geometrical meaning. We use another regularization procedure based on surfaces equidistant to a given convex surface ∂N . The renormalized volume computed via this procedure is equal to what we call the W -volume of the convex region N given by the usual volume of N minus the quarter of the integral of the mean curvature over ∂N . The W -volume satisfies some remarkable properties. First, this quantity is self-dual in the sense explained in the paper. Second, it verifies some simple variational formulas analogous to the classical geometrical Schläfli identities. These variational formulas are invariant under a certain transformation that replaces the data at ∂N by those at infinity of M . We use the variational formulas in terms of the data at infinity to give a simple geometrical proof of results of Takhtajan et al on the Kähler potential on various moduli spaces.
Network Traffic Prediction Based on SVR Improved By Chaos Theory and Ant Colony Optimization

Network traffic prediction is one of the significant issues. The model for network traffic prediction should meet the following requirements. First, the model should be taken into consideration the characteristics of the network flow such as burstiness, long-range dependence, periodicity and self-similarity. To achieve this, we decompose the original flow in a multi-scale manner into a set of linear and stable representations, and introduce chaos theory to improve the diversity and search coverage. Second, the model should be efficient and accurate. To this end, we propose a prediction model based on SVR, and utilize Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm for parameter selection of SVR. Besides, we conduct experiments to evaluate the proposed model.
Infrared imaging and spectroscopy of companion candidates near the young stars HD 199143 and HD 358623 in Capricornius

We present JHK images of the young (~20 Myrs) nearby (~48 pc) stars HD 199143 and HD 358623 (van den Ancker et al. [CITE]) with high sensitivity and high dynamic range in order to search for (sub-)stellar companions around them. The images were obtained in JHK with the speckle camera SHARP-I in July 2001 and in H with the infrared imaging camera SofI in December 2000, July 2001, and December 2001, all at the ESO 3.5m NTT. We present a companion candidate with a 2 arcsec offset being almost 2 mag fainter than HD 358623 with proper motion (over one year baseline) consistent with the known proper motion of the primary star HD 358623 A and $6 \sigma$ deviant from the assumption that it is a non-moving background object. Then, we obtained a spectrum in the H -band (with SofI at the NTT) of this companion showing that it has spectral type M2 ($\pm 1$), consistent with its JHK colors (for negligible extinction) and with being a companion (i.e. at same age and distance) of HD 358623 A (K7-M0), given the magnitude difference. Also, a companion candidate with a 1 arcsec offset being 2 mag fainter than HD 199143 is detected, but clearly resolved from the primary only with SHARP-I, so that we have no proper motion information. Also, we could not obtain a spectrum with SofI due to the high dynamic range. The JHK colors of this candidates and the magnitude difference between primary (F8) and companion candidate are consistent with a spectral type M0-2. This companion candidate was predicted by van den Ancker et al. ([CITE]) to explain some unusual properties of the primary star HD 199143 A. We determine the ages and masses of all four objects from theoretical tracks and isochrones all four stars appear to be co-eval with ~20 Myrs. Both these companions were presented previously by Jayawardhana & Brandeker ([CITE]), but only with single-epoch images in J and K obtained in May 2001. Our limits for additional detectable but undetected companions are such that we would have detected all stellar companions with separations ≥ $0.5^{\prime \prime}$ (24 AU at 48 pc).
Fas Ligand DNA Enhances a Vaccination Effect by Coadministered DNA Encoding a Tumor Antigen through Augmenting Production of Antibody against the Tumor Antigen

Interaction of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) plays an important role in the regulation of immune responses by inducing apoptosis of activated cells; however, a possible role of FasL in DNA vaccination has not been well understood. We examined whether administration of DNA encoding FasL gene enhanced antitumor effects in mice that were vaccinated with DNA expressing a putative tumor antigen gene, β-galactosidase (β-gal). Growth of β-gal-positive Colon 26 tumors was retarded in the syngeneic mice immunized with β-gal and FasL DNA compared with those vaccinated with β-gal or FasL DNA. We did not detect increased numbers of β-gal-specific CD8+ T cells in lymph node of mice that received combination of β-gal and FasL DNA, but amounts of anti-β-gal antibody increased with the combination but not with β-gal or FasL DNA injection alone. Subtype analysis of anti-β-gal antibody produced by the combination of β-gal and FasL DNA or β-gal DNA injection showed that IgG2a amounts were greater in mice injected with both DNA than those with β-gal DNA alone, but IgG2b amounts were lower in both DNA-injected than β-gal DNA-injected mice. These data suggest that FasL is involved in boosting humoral immunity against a gene product encoded by coinjected DNA and enhances the vaccination effects.
Investigation of electric field distribution on A C composite insulator using corona ring

In high voltage side insulators play excellence role in transmitting power. The major drawback in high voltage insulator are the field distribution it is not uniform along surface when this field increase it lead to corona discharge. E-field magnitude increase near high voltage side end fitting. This paper deals with the use of corona ring to improve the electric field distribution on live high voltage end fittings of composite insulators. Potential and E-field distribution were analyzed on 230kVIn high voltage side insulators play excellence role in transmitting power. The major drawback in high voltage insulator are the field distribution it is not uniform along surface when this field increase it lead to corona discharge. E-field magnitude increase near high voltage side end fitting. This paper deals with the use of corona ring to improve the electric field distribution on live high voltage end fittings of composite insulators. Potential and E-field distribution were analyzed on 230kV composite insulator. composite insulator.
Interactive Dynamic Background Scene Generator Based on Limited Input Motions

In this paper, an interactive dynamic background scene generating and editing system is proposed based on improved motion graph. By analyzing the input motions with limited frame length and their metadata, our system could synthesize a large amount of various motions to yield a composing dynamic background scene with unlimited frame length by connecting the motion pieces through smooth transitions based on their motion graph layers. The motion pieces are generated by segmenting the input motions and corresponding deforming meshes spatially and temporally, while the smooth transitions connected the motion pieces are obtained by searching the best path in the motion graph layers according to the specified circumstances. Finally, the result motions are optimized by repeatedly substituting the motion sub-sequences. To design the dynamic background scene, users can interactively specify some physical constraints of the environment on the keyframes, such as wind direction or velocity of flow, or even some simple paths for characters to follow, and the system can automatically generate a continuous and natural dynamic background scene in accordance with the user-specified environment constraints.
Software Defined Networking concepts and challenges

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging networking paradigm that greatly simplifies network management tasks. In addition, it opens the door for network innovation through a programmable flexible interface controlling the behavior of the entire network. In the opposite side, for decades traditional IP networks were very hard to manage, error prone and hard to introduce new functionalities. In this paper, we introduce the concepts & applications of SDN with a focus on the open research challenges in this new technology.
Regulation of the Rapsyn Promoter by Kaiso and δ-Catenin

ABSTRACT Rapsyn is a synapse-specific protein that is required for clustering acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Analysis of the rapsyn promoter revealed a consensus site for the transcription factor Kaiso within a region that is mutated in a subset of patients with congenital myasthenic syndrome. Kaiso is a POZ-zinc finger family transcription factor which recognizes the specific core consensus sequence CTGCNA (where N is any nucleotide). Previously, the only known binding partner for Kaiso was the cell adhesion cofactor, p120 catenin. Here we show that δ-catenin, a brain-specific member of the p120 catenin subfamily, forms a complex with Kaiso. Antibodies against Kaiso and δ-catenin recognize proteins in the nuclei of C2C12 myocytes and at the postsynaptic domain of the mouse neuromuscular junction. Endogenous Kaiso in C2C12 cells coprecipitates with the rapsyn promoter in vivo as shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Minimal promoter assays demonstrated that the rapsyn promoter can be activated by Kaiso and δ-catenin; this activation is apparently muscle specific. These results provide the first experimental evidence that rapsyn is a direct sequence-specific target of Kaiso and δ-catenin. We propose a new model of synapse-specific transcription that involves the interaction of Kaiso, δ-catenin, and myogenic transcription factors at the neuromuscular junction.
Role of breast-feeding in managing malnutrition and infectious disease

Breast-feeding policy tends to be an emotive issue. International agencies recommend exclusive breast-feeding for 4–6 months followed by continued partial breast-feeding into the second year of life in order to promote infant and child health and minimize the damage caused by the malnutrition–infection cycle. To what extent are these recommendations supported by the experimental evidence? Are they a simplification for emotional reasons or public health purposes? Breast-feeding is believed to benefit infants because breast milk contains the ideal mix of nutrients for infants, because it contains factors which promote development of the infant’s gut and immune system and which prevent pathogen invasion, and because exclusive breast-feeding prevents intake of pathogens in food or water. However, some apparently contradictory evidence exists. First, in environments which are not highly contaminated breast-fed infants tend to growth falter relative to those fed formula. Second, in such environments partial breast-feeding is not associated with significantly increased gut damage relative to exclusive breast-feeding, suggesting that active promotion of gut development by breast-feeding is more important than simple avoidance of pathogens from other foods. Third, many immune factors in breast milk are probably present primarily to protect the mother, not the infant. Finally, breast milk itself may contain bacteria or viruses. This problem has come to the fore with the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic, since it is clear breast-feeding is an important mode of mother-to-child transmission. The present review will examine these challenges to the basis of the international infant feeding recommendations and will suggest that the science does actually support the policy.