Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An improved SIFT algorithm for binocular vision

In this paper we proposes an improved SIFT algorithm of feature points matching, in order to improve the matching efficiency and ‘real-time’. First, we use the classical SIFT algorithm to extract image features, when formatting the feature descriptor, we use the gradient normalized; Second, since the SIFT feature points detected a large number of feature points, and each is 128-dimension vector, but for the matching algorithm based on the Euclidean minimum distance measure, we have to calculate the Euclidean distance of a point and all the feature points from the right image, then ascending sort, which leads to low efficiency of algorithm. Based on optical imaging theory and the theory of binocular vision, by the coordinate of each feature point of the first image, we narrow the search range of the second image from two directions of row and column, on the basis of maintaining the matching accuracy, we improve the efficiency of the algorithm.
Office International des Epizooties: World Organization for Animal Health

The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) is an international governmental organization with 162 Member Countries. Its mission is: to inform governments on the existence of animal diseases, changes in distribution, and means of controlling them; to coordinate international research on animal disease surveillance and control; and to examine regulations with a view to harmonization among the member nations. The organization of OIE is discussed. The OIE is an observatory for animal health and a key mission is to inform veterinary services on the appearance and course of epizooties. This article presents the list of classifications of disease as prepared by OIE. Information is classified by severity of effects. Working groups of the OIE review progress in their subject field and contribute to the organization of scientific meetings, seminars, workshops, and training course The OIE maintains permanent relationships with numerous organizations, for example, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Keywords: Administrative Commission; Central Bureau; International Committee; International Animal Health Code; List A; List B; Office International des Epizooties; OIE; Regional Commissions; Specialist Commissions
Image sentiment analysis using latent correlations among visual, textual, and sentiment views

As Internet users increasingly post images to express their daily sentiment and emotions, the analysis of sentiments in user-generated images is of increasing importance for developing several applications. Most conventional methods of image sentiment analysis focus on the design of visual features, and the use of text associated to the images has not been sufficiently investigated. This paper proposes a novel approach that exploits latent correlations among multiple views: visual and textual views, and a sentiment view constructed using SentiWordNet. In the proposed method, we find a latent embedding space in which correlations among the three views are maximized. The projected features in the latent space are used to train a sentiment classifier, which considers the complementary information from different views. Results of experiments conducted on Flickr and Instagram images show that our approach achieves better sentiment classification accuracy than methods that use a single modality only and the state-of-the art method that jointly uses multiple modalities.
Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase Isoform 2a Is the PMCA of Hair Bundles

Mechanoelectrical transduction channels of hair cells allow for the entry of appreciable amounts of Ca2+, which regulates adaptation and triggers the mechanical activity of hair bundles. Most Ca2+ that enters transduction channels is extruded by the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA), a Ca2+ pump that is highly concentrated in hair bundles and may be essential for normal hair cell function. Because PMCA isozymes and splice forms are regulated differentially and have distinct biochemical properties, we determined the identity of hair bundle PMCA in frog and rat hair cells. By screening a bullfrog saccular cDNA library, we identified abundant PMCA1b and PMCA2a clones as well as rare PMCA2b and PMCA2c clones. Using immunocytochemistry and immunoprecipitation experiments, we showed in bullfrog sacculus that PMCA1b is the major isozyme of hair cell and supporting cell basolateral membranes and that PMCA2a is the only PMCA present in hair bundles. This complete segregation of PMCA1 and PMCA2 isozymes holds for rat auditory and vestibular hair cells; PMCA2a is the only PMCA isoform in hair bundles of outer hair cells and vestibular hair cells and is the predominant PMCA of hair bundles of inner hair cells. Our data suggest that hair cells control plasma membrane Ca2+-pumping activity by targeting specific PMCA isozymes to distinct subcellular locations. Because PMCA2a is the only Ca2+ pump present at appreciable levels in hair bundles, the biochemical properties of this pump must account fully for the physiological features of transmembrane Ca2+pumping in bundles.
A Novel Mouse Model of Subcortical Infarcts with Dementia

Subcortical white matter (WM) is a frequent target of ischemic injury and extensive WM lesions are important substrates of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in humans. However, ischemic stroke rodent models have been shown to mainly induce cerebral infarcts in the gray matter, while cerebral hypoperfusion models show only WM rarefaction without infarcts. The lack of animal models consistently replicating WM infarct damage may partially explain why many neuroprotective drugs for ischemic stroke or VCI have failed clinically, despite earlier success in preclinical experiments. Here, we report a novel animal model of WM infarct damage with cognitive impairment can be generated by surgical implantation of different devices to the right and left common carotid artery (CCA) in C57BL/6J mice. Implantation of an ameroid constrictor to the right CCA resulted in gradual occlusion of the vessel over 28 d, whereas placement of a microcoil to the left CCA induced ∼50% arterial stenosis. Arterial spin labeling showed a gradual reduction of cerebral blood flow over 28 d post operation. Such reductions were more marked in the right, compared with the left, hemisphere and in subcortical, rather than the cortical, areas. Histopathological analysis showed multiple infarct damage in right subcortical regions, including the corpus callosum, internal capsule, hippocampal fimbria, and caudoputamen, in 81% of mice. Mice displaying such damage performed significantly poorer in locomotor and cognitive tests. The current mouse model replicates the phenotypes of human subcortical VCI, including multiple WM infarcts with motor and cognitive impairment.
Fast Digital Post-Processing Technique for Integral Nonlinearity Correction of Analog-to-Digital Converters: Validation on a 12-Bit Folding-and-Interpolating Analog-to-Digital Converter

The semiconductor industry tends to constantly increase the performances of developed systems with an ever-shorter time-to-market. In this context, the conventional strategy for mixed-signal component design, which is based only on analog design effort, will no longer be suitable. In this paper, a digital correction technique is presented for analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The idea is to use a lookup table (LUT) for the online correction of integral nonlinearity (INL). The main challenge for this kind of technique is the cost in time and resources to estimate the actual INL of the ADC needed to load the LUT. In this paper, we propose to extract INL with a very rapid procedure based on spectral analysis. We validate our technique on a 12-bit folding-and-interpolating ADC and we demonstrate that the correction is efficient for a large range of application fields.
Performance of Low-Density Parity-Check Codes for Burst Erasure Channels

Performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes with maximum likelihood decoding (MLD) for solid burst erasures is discussed. The columns of the paritycheck matrix of LDPC codes are permuted to increase the distance between elements (DBEs) which are defined as a number of symbol positions between elements 1 at each row of the parity-check matrix. The column permutation method can change the burst erasure correction capabilities by both the sum-product decoding algorithm and MLD algorithm. We derive some properties and show from simulation results that large values of DBEs lead to good performance for MLD.
Multiview Locally Linear Embedding for Effective Medical Image Retrieval

Content-based medical image retrieval continues to gain attention for its potential to assist radiological image interpretation and decision making. Many approaches have been proposed to improve the performance of medical image retrieval system, among which visual features such as SIFT, LBP, and intensity histogram play a critical role. Typically, these features are concatenated into a long vector to represent medical images, and thus traditional dimension reduction techniques such as locally linear embedding (LLE), principal component analysis (PCA), or laplacian eigenmaps (LE) can be employed to reduce the “curse of dimensionality”. Though these approaches show promising performance for medical image retrieval, the feature-concatenating method ignores the fact that different features have distinct physical meanings. In this paper, we propose a new method called multiview locally linear embedding (MLLE) for medical image retrieval. Following the patch alignment framework, MLLE preserves the geometric structure of the local patch in each feature space according to the LLE criterion. To explore complementary properties among a range of features, MLLE assigns different weights to local patches from different feature spaces. Finally, MLLE employs global coordinate alignment and alternating optimization techniques to learn a smooth low-dimensional embedding from different features. To justify the effectiveness of MLLE for medical image retrieval, we compare it with conventional spectral embedding methods. We conduct experiments on a subset of the IRMA medical image data set. Evaluation results show that MLLE outperforms state-of-the-art dimension reduction methods.
Active shape models to automatic morphing of face images

Image metamorphosis, commonly known as morphing, is a powerful tool for visual effects that consists of the fluid transformation of one digital image into another. There are many techniques for image metamorphosis, but in all of them there is a need for a person to supply the correspondence between the features in the source image and target image. In this paper we use the Active Shape Models to find the features in both face images and perform the metamorphosis of face images in frontal view automatically.
Increased Cerebellar-Default-Mode-Network Connectivity in Drug-Naive Major Depressive Disorder at Rest

AbstractThe default-mode network (DMN) has been implicated in the neurobiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), and the cerebellum is suggested to be involved in high-order cognitive network such as the DMN. However, the specific contribution of the cerebellum to the DMN alterations remains equivocal. This study was conducted to examine the cerebellar-DMN connectivity in drug-naive MDD directly by using the cerebellum Crus I as seeds.Forty-four drug-naive MDD patients and 44 healthy controls participated in the resting-state scan. Functional connectivity (FC) was applied to analyze the images.Significantly increased FCs were observed between the right Crus I and the right inferior frontal cortex (orbital part)/superior temporal pole, bilateral MPFC (orbital part), and left middle temporal gyrus in the patients compared with the controls. There was a significantly positive correlation between the z values of the right Crus I–bilateral MPFC (orbital part) connectivity and the scores of Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire in the patients (r = 0.329, P = 0.029). The findings reveal that depressed patients have increased cerebellar-DMN connectivity with clinical significance, and thus highlight the contribution of the cerebellum to the DMN alterations in neurobiology of MDD.
Challenges in Software Evolution : the Libre Software Perspective ∗

Libre (free, open source) software is providing huge quantities of data suitable to be used in studies of software evolution. Many different aspects of its development process can be studied from data available in public repositories, ranging from the source code in release archives to mailing lists, bug report systems and version control systems. There are already several software evolution studies using that information, leading to a better understanding of libre software projects. However, those projects also pose some new challenges which have to be addressed in the near future, and which could in some cases be also relevant for proprietary software environments. In the software evolution field some of those challenges are: the manipulation and analysis of the high quantity of data available for thousands of projects, which requires new methods and tools; the jump from studying sources of information in isolation (which is currently the state of the art) to the integration of data from various sources; and the importance of considering characteristics of developers as a parameter of software evolution.
The many layers of the strategic process : a qualitative study examining strategy from both corporate and managerial perspectives

This study approaches the strategy process using both grounded theory and qualitative statistical analysis to validate and uncover the suspected differences in the strategic behaviour of managers and corporate executives. While most strategy research offers either theoretical propositions or quantitative results based on fragmented constructs, they offer little in the way of rich, accurate knowledge (Fredrickson, 1986; Huy, 1992; Van de Ven, 1992). The grounded theory methods yielded significant differences between the strategic behaviour of managers and corporate executives, particularly in the domains of roles, responsibilities, and accountability measures. Common strategy terms were found to vary in meaning across the two types of cases as well. Results were validated with discriminate illustrations, textual examples, and statistical analysis.
Efficiency of optimistic fair exchange using trusted devices

Efficiency of asynchronous optimistic fair exchange using trusted devices is studied. It is shown that three messages in the optimistic subprotocol are sufficient and necessary for exchanging idempotent items. When exchanging nonidempotent items, however, three messages in the optimistic subprotocol are sufficient only under the assumption that trusted devices have unbounded storage capacity. This assumption is often not satisfiable in practice. It is then proved that exchanging nonidempotent items using trusted devices with a bounded storage capacity requires exactly four messages in the optimistic subprotocol.
Performance Evaluation for the Design of Agent-based Systems: A Petri Net Approach

Software design and implementation using mobile agents are nowadays involved in a scepticism halo. There are researchers who question its utility because it could be a new technology that does provide new skills but it could introduce new problems. Security and performance are the most critical aspects for this new kind of software. In this paper we present a formal approach to analyse performance for this class of systems. Our approach is integrated in the early stages of the software development process. In this way, it is possible to predict the behaviour without the necessity to carry out the complete implementation phase. To show the approach, we model a software retrieval service system in a pragmatic way, later, the corresponding formal model is obtained and analysed in order to study performance.
Bottom-Emitting VCSEL Arrays for Integrated Optical Particle Manipulation

The purely optical manipulation of particles has gained increasing interest in recent years. Especially the combination of optical manipulation with microfluidics offers new possibilities, such as the contamination-free handling of micrometer-sized particles in biology and medicine without any mechanical contact. VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) are an excellent choice for optical trapping laser sources, offering the formation of two-dimensional arrays for parallel particle manipulation. Furthermore, they enable miniaturization by means of integration. In this report, we present a new concept for the realization of a so-called integrated optical trap. For this purpose, bottom-emitting AlGaAs–GaAs-based VCSEL arrays with a very small device pitch were fabricated and densely integrated with microfluidic channels.
1 Ecologies of ‘ upcycl ing ’ as design for learning in Higher Education

As society changes, new ways of understanding and using existing semiotic resources are needed. This study looks at artefacts from a social semiotic perspective in order to explore the concepts of ‘recycling’ and ‘upcycling’ and their relevance for pedagogy in Higher Education. We look at recycling in terms of ‘texts’ and employ methodological tools from multimodal discourse analysis. ‘Recycling’ involves converting materials from one product to create a different product with a different function, without necessarily adding any type of value. In ‘upcycling’, economic, aesthetic or functional value is always added. ‘Upcycling’ can thus be understood as a process of recontextualization of semiotic resources, in both spatio-linguistic and sensory terms. This paper looks at how resources are recontextualized as part of global ecologies of production and consumption. Then, we explore these insights in the pedagogical domain, looking at possible implications of the principles of ‘upcycling’ and value adding through design as a means for educating global critical citizens.
The Infamous Upper Tail ∗ Svante Janson Uppsala University Sweden

Let Γ be a finite index set and k ≥ 1 a given integer. Let further S ⊆ [Γ]≤k be an arbitrary family of k element subsets of Γ. Consider a (binomial) random subset Γp of Γ, where p = (pi : i ∈ Γ) and a random variable X counting the elements of S that are contained in this random subset. In this paper we survey techniques of obtaining upper bounds on the upper tail probabilities P(X ≥ λ + t) for t > 0. Seven techniques, ranging from Azuma’s inequality to the purely combinatorial deletion method, are described, illustrated and compared against each other for a couple of typical applications. As one application, we obtain essentially optimal bounds for the upper tails for the numbers of subgraphs isomorphic to K4 or C4 in a random graph G(n, p), for certain ranges of p.
Correlation between an Entropy Based Measure and English Language Learner Proficiency

It is important for education systems to analyze and provide an appropriate level of support to meet the needs of learners. An example of this is how the effectiveness of automatic language learner error detection and correction can vary depending on the learner's proficiency level. Covering a wide range of language complexity makes the task of error detection difficult. By predicting the learner's proficiency level, different error models can be applied for different proficiency levels. In this paper, we propose a measure based on the frequency of words in the sentences produced by learners during speaking exams to predict the learner's language proficiency. The proposed measure is compared to the learner's vocabulary size by correlation analysis. The results suggest that there is a stronger correlation between the proposed measure and the proficiency of the learner than the learner's vocabulary size.
Toward an automated benchmark management system

The systematic evaluation of program analyses as well as software-engineering tools requires benchmark suites that are representative of real-world projects in the domains for which the tools or analyses are designed. Such benchmarks currently only exist for a few research areas and even where they exist, they are often not effectively maintained, due to the required manual effort. This makes evaluating new analyses and tools on software that relies on current technologies often impossible. We describe ABM, a methodology to semi-automatically mine software repositories to extract up-to-date and representative sets of applications belonging to specific domains. The proposed methodology facilitates the creation of such collections and makes it easier to release updated versions of a benchmark suite. Resulting from an instantiation of the methodology, we present a collection of current real-world Java business web applications. The collection and methodology serve as a starting point for creating current, targeted benchmark suites, and thus helps to better evaluate current program-analysis and software-engineering tools.
Comparative analysis of subthreshold swing models for different double gate MOSFETs

We have analyzed the different structures of the DG MOSFETs and their potentials in suppressing short channel effects (SCEs). In particular, we have developed compact physics-based model of the subthreshold swing. Asymmetric DG MOSFET shows superior performance in the nanometer region. The new scale length for DG MOSFETs has been derived from the subthreshold swing model (S model). The new scale length is compared with that of the reported values. The developed physics-based model shows better results.
REALISM: Real-Time Hand Gesture Interface for Surgeons and Medical Experts

Computer usage in the operating room by surgeons has been limited due to sterility issues that might risk the patients’ safety. When surgeons browse medical images in the operating room, the task is often delegated to an assistant that controls the mouse or keyboard while the surgeon provides instructions. Such interaction, however, is slow, awkward and error-prone. REALISM, (Real-time Hand Gesture Interface for Surgeons and Medical Experts) aims to provide a non-contact human-computer interface through hand gestures. We envision the project with a medical expert in front of a camera performing hand gestures which the computer then interprets as commands for navigation of images and objects. Image navigation is the primary function that the REALISM intends to provide. The implementation of REALISM system is divided into three parts: Hand Detection, Hand Gesture Recognition and Hand Tracking. Gesture vocabulary was designed considering factors such as gestures’ ease of use, simplicity and intuitiveness for the users. Gesture vocabulary must also refrain from including poses oﬀensive to certain cultures. The project was developed using OpenCV, a computer vision library originally developed by Intel. Experimental results show that the REALISM sys-tem achieved higher precision and recall in well lighted environment than in unlighted environment. The system was able to detect 95.61% - 100% of the hands present within the camera’s vision in a well lighted environment. While in poorly illuminated environment the system detected 15.98% - 96.88% of the hands present within the camera’s vision. Although the system detects most of the hands present in the camera’s vision, it still misclassiﬁes some objects as hands. The system achieved 64.47% - 75.13% of precision in well lighted environment and 35.24% - 53.34% in poorly illlumi-nated environment.
Lattice QCD with commodity hardware and software

Large scale QCD Monte Carlo calculations have typically been performed on either commercial supercomputers or specially built massively parallel computers such as Fermilab's ACPMAPS. Commodity computer systems offer impressive floating point performance-to-cost ratios which exceed those of commercial supercomputers. As high performance networking components approach commodity pricing, it becomes reasonable to assemble a massively parallel supercomputer from commodity parts. The authors describe the work and progress to date of a collaboration working on this problem.