Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computational hologram synthesis and representation on spatial light modulators for real-time 3D holographic imaging

In dynamic computer-generated holography that utilizes spatial light modulators, both hologram synthesis and hologram representation are essential in terms of fast computation and high reconstruction quality. For hologram synthesis, i.e. the computation step, Fresnel transform based or point-source based raytracing methods can be applied. In the encoding step, the complex wave-field has to be optimally represented by the SLM with its given modulation capability. For proper hologram reconstruction that implies a simultaneous and independent amplitude and phase modulation of the input wave-field by the SLM. In this paper, we discuss full complex hologram representation methods on SLMs by considering inherent SLM parameter such as modulation type and bit depth on their reconstruction performance such as diffraction efficiency and SNR. We review the three implementation schemes of Burckhardt amplitude-only representation, phase-only macro-pixel representation, and two-phase interference representation. Besides the optical performance we address their hardware complexity and required computational load. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate holographic reconstructions of different representation schemes as obtained by functional prototypes utilizing SeeReal's viewing-window holographic display technology. The proposed hardware implementations enable a fast encoding of complex-valued hologram data and thus will pave the way for commercial real-time holographic 3D imaging in the near future.
Discussion of the paper Bayesian Treed Generalized Linear Models

In this stimulating paper, the authors have successfully exploited Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to explore the space of graphs for CART-like trees in which the terminal nodes represent generalized linear models (GLMs). Integration over the parameters of the terminal GLMs, in order to compute the marginal likelihood (probability of data given the model) for the MCMC search, is accomplished using the Laplace approximation. Hyper-parameters (such as those governing the GLM parameters) are either set by hand or fixed after a brief empirical search. The underlying CART model on which this approach is based, however, suffers from some significant limitations, namely (i) the splits are axis-aligned, i.e. dependent on only one of the input variables at a time (this limitation is removed in some other variants of CART), (ii) the splits are binary, (iii) the splits are hard, so that each region of input space is associated with one, and only one, leaf node. An alternative tree-based model, which avoids these limitations, is the Hierarchical Mixtures of Experts (HME) proposed by Jordan and Jacobs (1994). Each non-terminal node in the tree, called a gating node, corresponds to a multi-way indicator variable Z = {Z1, . , ZM}, where Zi ∈ {0, 1} and ∑
Influence of physical fitness on cognitive and academic performance in adolescents: A systematic review from 2005–2015

ABSTRACT Background: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the association of different components of physical fitness on cognitive performance (CP) and academic performance (AP) in adolescents, taking into account potential confounders. Method: Studies were identified in four databases (Pubmed, SportDiscus, Web of Science, and ProQuest) from January 2005 through to January 2015. A total of 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: 8 studies showed association between physical fitness and CP, and 11 studies with AP. Cardiorespiratory fitness, speed-agility, motor coordination, and perceptual-motor skill are the highest measures associated with CP and AP. However, the findings on strength and flexibility are unclear. Finally, 62% of the 21 studies used confounders. The most controlled confounder were socioeconomic status, fatness, pubertal status, sex, and age. Conclusion: Fitness is associated with higher CP and AP. More research is needed in order to understand the causes of the differential effect of physical fitness components on CP and AP.
A novel and efficient timing-driven global router for standard cell layout design based on critical network concept

This paper presents a novel timing-driven global routing algorithm for standard cell (SC) layout design based on a critical network concept. The essence of this algorithm is different from that of the typical existing methods, such as the nets-based method and the critical-path-based method. The timing optimization strategy presented in this algorithm is more optimal than the typical existing ones, which makes it possible to reduce the delay in an overall survey. This algorithm has been implemented and tested by MCNC benchmark circuits in this paper. We compared the experimental results between our algorithm and the existing ones. The experimental results show that this algorithm is able to control the delay of the circuit efficiently, and causes little negative effect on other optimizing objectives.
A Version of the TEN Test for Use With ER-3A Insert Earphones

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a version of the threshold-equalizing noise (TEN) test for the diagnosis of dead regions for use with Etymotic ER-3A insert earphones. The use of such earphones is helpful when testing clients with asymmetric hearing loss or clients whose ear canals tend to collapse under the pressure of supra-aural headphones. It can also be useful when ambient noise levels are problematic. Design: The spectral shape of the noise required to give equal masked thresholds at all frequencies, when expressed in dB HL, was derived by empirical measurements of the electrical output of audiometers using ER-3A earphones. To reduce the loudness of the noise and to minimize distortion generated in the audiometer or earphone, the noise was band-limited between 354 and 6500 Hz. In addition, the noise was synthesized using a method that leads to a low crest factor (ratio of peak to root mean square value). This further reduced audiometer/earphone distortion, and allowed higher levels per ERBN; ERBN is the equivalent rectangular bandwidth of the auditory filter at 1 kHz, as determined using young normally hearing subjects. The test tone frequencies were limited to the range 500 to 4000 Hz. Subjects with normal or near-normal hearing were tested using a noise level of 60 dB HL/ERBN, to assess whether the noise did lead to equal masked thresholds in dB HL for all audiometric frequencies from 500 to 4000 Hz. Thresholds in the TEN were measured using manual audiometry with a 2 dB final step size. Results: The mean-masked thresholds varied by 1.3 dB across frequency when expressed in dB HL, and were close to the noise level per ERBN. Conclusion: This version of the TEN test can be used with ER-3A insert earphones.
Research of Mobile Robot SLAM Based on EKF and its Improved Algorithms

Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based solution is one of the most popular techniques for solving mobile robot Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problem. In this paper, the basic algorithm of EKF based SLAM and its improved algorithms are introduced. The improved algorithms are mainly on two aspects: data association and computational complexity. First, the classical data association algorithm, Individual Compatibility Nearest Neighbor (ICNN), is presented. And two improved methods including batch validation gating and multi-hypothesis are also introduced. Then, partitioned updates and submapping methods are introduced as the main ones of reducing computational complexity. Some representative improved algorithms are presented. These algorithms enable EKF to solve the mobile robot SLAM problem in cluttered and large scale environments.
A novel functional interplay between Progesterone Receptor-B and PTEN, via AKT, modulates autophagy in breast cancer cells

The tumour suppressor activity of the phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is subject of intense investigative efforts, although limited information on its regulation in breast cancer is available. Herein, we report that, in breast cancer cells, progesterone (OHPg), through its cognate receptor PR‐B, positively modulates PTEN expression by inducing its mRNA and protein levels, and increasing PTEN‐promoter activity. The OHPg‐dependent up‐regulation of PTEN gene activity requires binding of the PR‐B to an Sp1‐rich region within the PTEN gene promoter. Indeed, ChIP and EMSA analyses showed that OHPg treatment induced the occupancy of PTEN promoter by PR and Sp1 together with transcriptional coactivators such as SRC1 and CBP. PR‐B isoform knockdown abolished the complex formation indicating its specific involvement. The OHPg/PR‐B dependent induction of PTEN causes the down‐regulation of PI3K/AKT signal, switching on the autophagy process through an enhanced expression of UVRAG and leading to a reduced cell survival. Altogether these findings highlight a novel functional connection between OHPg/PR‐B and tumour suppressor pathways in breast cancer.
Task Performance Metrics on Liquid Crystal Displays

Twenty participants performed a selection and targeting task where performance indices were recorded. User performance varied as the sizes and resolutions of the screen changed during task performance. Performance was calculated using formula’s represented in the Fitts’ and Hicks’ Models. Results show that the largest screen with the highest resolution had good performance times but also a smaller screen with a lower resolution yielded good performance times. The results indicate that bigger is not always better when working on LCD screens and that the user can become optically challenged when trying to work with a high resolution on a smaller screen. Results show that there is a relationship between the perceived font size on the screen and the users’ ability to perform comprehension and recognition while performing certain tasks.
Combining Deep Reinforcement Learning and Safety Based Control for Autonomous Driving

With the development of state-of-art deep reinforcement learning, we can efficiently tackle continuous control problems. But the deep reinforcement learning method for continuous control is based on historical data, which would make unpredicted decisions in unfamiliar scenarios. Combining deep reinforcement learning and safety based control can get good performance for self-driving and collision avoidance. In this passage, we use the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient algorithm to implement autonomous driving without vehicles around. The vehicle can learn the driving policy in a stable and familiar environment, which is efficient and reliable. Then we use the artificial potential field to design collision avoidance algorithm with vehicles around. The path tracking method is also taken into consideration. The combination of deep reinforcement learning and safety based control performs well in most scenarios.
Behavior Description Effect on Accuracy and Reliability

ABSTRACT The clinical and scientific efficacy of behavioral analysis is dependent upon interveners’ accurate and reliable detection and measurement of target behaviors. This study compared the accuracy and reliability of observers’ detection and recording of a designated target behavior when different forms of a target behavior description were used. Using an intra-subject design, undergraduate college students were asked to count the number of target behaviors depicted on a videotape under each of two conditions. Conditions differed only to the extent that each contained a different description of the target behavior. Results showed that participants’ detection and recording of the target behavior was more accurate and reliable when the target behavior description used a verb (in the present tense, active voice) depicting an action with an observable and discrete beginning and end and omitted modifiers requiring observers to make subjective or relative judgments. Analysis of the data using methods developed by Signal Detection Theory demonstrated the potential utility of this approach for studying observer detection of target behaviors.
A 1200 bits/s HSX speech coder for very-low-bit-rate communications

This paper presents a new very-low-bit-rate speech coder that was selected for an application of vocal paging in North America. The coder is based on the harmonic stochastic excitation (HSX) algorithm, a technique that was developed by Thomson-CSF in collaboration with the University of Sherbrooke. The paper gives a brief description of the HSX algorithm, presents the quantization process for its operation at 1200 bit/s, and gives the CPU and memory requirements for its implementation on a fixed-point (TI C54x) and a floating-point (TI C3x) DSP. Some evaluation results are also given.
The role of timing cues in speech perception

Theories of speech perception posit that recognizing key frequencies in speech sounds is the primary way we recognize speech. These theories, however, do not explain how we understand speech with shifted, key-frequency information such as whispered speech. In an effort to determine characteristics of speech vital to speech recognition beyond just frequency, timing patterns were examined in auditory nerve fibers’ action potentials throughout the presentation of speech sounds. Since chinchillas have similar peripheral auditory systems as do humans, they were used in the study. Eighteen chinchillas were anesthetized and their auditory nerves exposed to record their activity. Alveolar stop consonants speech sounds /pap/, /paep/, /bab/, and /baeb/ were presented to chinchillas’ peripheral auditory systems by a female speaker in two ways: normally spoken, and whispered, each at three different intensities. Despite the fact that whispered speech contains different frequency information than does normally spoken speech, the experiment is expected to reveal that each consonant evokes a similar timing pattern in the auditory nerve fibers across method of speech production, but distinct between consonants, regardless of whether the speech sound was whispered or normally spoken. Timing patterns in the auditory nerve fibers’ responses were gathered and analyzed by pooling the responses from each auditory nerve fiber from each chinchilla to create an ensembleaverage, time histogram. For each speech sound, a specific number and pattern of peaks in action potentials at certain points in time appeared in each histogram, sometimes independent of method of speech production, whispered or normally spoken. Certain histograms revealed similar timing patterns encoded in the chinchillas peripheral auditory system for each pair of speech sounds, showing that timing information is consistent between different forms of speech production and therefore might be an important cue in how we process speech. The Role of Timing Cues 1
Significance of hypercortisolism in anorexia nervosa

Le taux de cortisol est eleve dans l'anorexie mentale et decline a mesure de la guerison. On pense que ce taux eleve induit un gonflement ventriculaire et une atrophie cerebrale subsequente, reversible si l'hypercorticisme est normalise par la chimiotherapie. L'hypercorticisme une etiologie de l'anorexie?
Reducing perceptual discontinuity in peer-to-peer live video streaming based on frame loss visibility information

When a live streaming video is delivered over a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the chunk delay is always a problem of great concern. A serious chunk delay can produce obvious discontinuity of the streaming video, resulting in low satisfaction of the service. Video on P2P is divided into several chunks and distributed to the peers. Each chunk has its own playback time deadline. The playback time of a delayed chunk is overlapped with that of the next chunk. Traditionally, fast forwarding and uniform frame skipping are the two methods used to deal with the chunk delay problem. However, they may easily produce the effect of perceptual discontinuity and perceived by a viewer. This paper proposes a frame dropping method based on frame loss visibility information in order to maintain visual continuity of the video. The frame with lower loss visibility will be dropped first. In a previous work, the idea of loss visibility was applied by a router to develop a frame dropping strategy when network congestion occurs. In this work, we apply it to the chunk-level playback controller in P2P network. The number of frames to be dropped is dependent on the value of chunk delay. The main difference between the proposed approach and the traditional methods is that different frames could be chosen and dropped. A viewer's satisfaction is evaluated by using the way of subjective video quality assessment. The proposed method produces higher MOS (mean opinion score) than that of the two traditional methods.
Creating Robust Evaluation of ATE Projects

ABSTRACT Funded grant projects all involve some form of evaluation, and Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grants are no exception. Program evaluation serves as a critical component not only for evaluating if a project has met its intended and desired outcomes, but the evaluation process is also a central feature of the grant application itself. Funders want to assure that their funding dollars are effective, and creation and implementation of a robust evaluation plan helps assure that project claims are met. Critically, evaluation plans help identify key implications for the field and provide feedback to interventions or project activities during the duration of the grant.
Robust gesture-based interaction system for manipulating service robot

Natural and friendly interface is critical for the development of service robot. Gesture-based interface offers an easy and efficient way to interact with robots. In this paper, we implement a Gesture-based interaction system for manipulating service robot. A robust algorithm based on Support Vector Machines (SVM) for recognizing hand gesture is proposed. Our method first detects the hand region by a two-step strategy based on skin color as well as depth images. The Hu moment invariants are then extracted from the hand region. After that, an SVM classifier is trained and is employed to recognize the hand gestures, Finally the interaction system server translates the gesture into pre-defined commands and sends it to the service robot “SIATRob”. The accuracy and effectiveness of the algorithm are examined over several videos with different participants under complex background, changing lights as well as image noises. Experimental results show that our method can reliably and accurately recognize hand gestures in real time.
Ruling the Behavior of Distributed Software Components

A new approach to support the development of distributed software systems is outlined. As far as static aspects are concerned, standard object-oriented design methods are used. Dynamic aspects like status of services or resource handling in objects and methods, however, play the key role in distributed systems. The main contribution of the approach is a method which puts the focus on these aspects right from the beginning of a design. A new formalism based on extended Petri-Nets { so called Object Coordination Nets (OCoNs) { is used to describe the behavior of an object on a per method basis and for the usage of object resources. The formalism is integrated into higher levels of object-oriented design as an additional means to describe dynamic behavior. Integration with a standard sequential object-oriented language like C++ is used to organize method nets in a class context. This provides a type system for the nets as well. The sequential language can be interpreted as lling the computational gaps in the coordination skeleton provided by the OCoN for a method.
An efficient and reliable Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory system for autonomous cars

An autonomous car is a self-driving car that is to keep the human being out of the car and to relieve them from the task of driving. An autonomous car can make more convenient, safer, and less energy intensive. In addition, Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) systems reduce the travel time and CO2 emission. In this paper, we propose a novel GLOSA, called R-GLOSA system to support to autonomous cars. We assume that an autonomous car can access to all traffic light schedules that it will encounter on its route. The route is divided into each segment according to traffic lights. In each segment, an autonomous car can communicate to Road Side Units (RSUs) distributed among the road. An autonomous car collects the road information transmitted by an RSU and then, it optimizes speed in order to arrive at the intersection when the light is green. The R-GLOSA system provides an autonomous car with speed advisory for each RSU's coverage. The simulation results show that an autonomous car using R-GLOSA system outperforms in terms of travel time and waiting time compared to using single-segment and multi-segment GLOSA system.
Bacterial Abilities and Adaptation Toward the Rhizosphere Colonization

The rhizosphere harbors one of the most complex, diverse, and active plant-associated microbial communities. This community can be recruited by the plant host to either supply it with nutrients or to help in the survival under stressful conditions. Although selection for the rhizosphere community is evident, the specific bacterial traits that make them able to colonize this environment are still poorly understood. Thus, here we used a combination of community level physiological profile (CLPP) analysis and 16S rRNA gene quantification and sequencing (coupled with in silico analysis and metagenome prediction), to get insights on bacterial features and processes involved in rhizosphere colonization of sugarcane. CLPP revealed a higher metabolic activity in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil, and suggested that D-galacturonic acid plays a role in bacterial selection by the plant roots (supported by results of metagenome prediction). Quantification of the 16S rRNA gene confirmed the higher abundance of bacteria in the rhizosphere. Sequence analysis showed that of the 252 classified families sampled, 24 were significantly more abundant in the bulk soil and 29 were more abundant in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, metagenomes predicted from the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a significant higher abundance of predicted genes associated with biofilm formation and with horizontal gene transfer (HGT) processes. In sum, this study identified major bacterial groups and their potential abilities to occupy the sugarcane rhizosphere, and indicated that polygalacturonase activity and HGT events may be important features for rhizosphere colonization.
Empathy by dominant versus minority group members in intergroup interaction: Do dominant group members always come out on top?

What power dynamics are instantiated when a minority group member empathizes with a dominant group member during social interaction? How do these dynamics compare to those instantiated when the dominant group member instead does the empathizing? According to a general power script account, because empathy is generally directed “down” toward disadvantaged targets needing support, the empathizer should come out “on top” with respect to power-relevant outcomes no matter who it is. According to a meta-stereotype account, because adopting an empathic stance in intergroup contexts leads individuals to think about how their own group is viewed (including with respect to power-relevant characteristics), the dominant group member might come out on top no matter which person empathizes. Two studies involving face-to-face intergroup exchanges yielded results that overall were consistent with the meta-stereotype account: Regardless of who does it, empathy in intergroup contexts seems more apt to exacerbate than mitigate group-based status differences.