Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Object recognition using fractal geometry and fuzzy logic.

This thesis describes a novel approach to the object recognition problem for incoherent images using fractal geometry and fuzzy systems. Although the applications of this approach are general, in this work the method is applied to the evaluation of cytological states associated with cervix uteri diseases, skin cancer and a surface inspection system for quality control in the steel industry. These applications are the basis for industrial work undertaken during the development of this thesis. In each of these applications, the object recognition problem and its evaluation in terms of conventional human based assessment is particularly difficult in which conventional image processing and pattern recognition methods fail. The reason for this failure is due to the textural characteristics of the images under inspection. In this thesis, we consider the application of fractal geometry to provide a description of the textures associated with the nuclei of a cell for example and using fuzzy logic to categorise the patterns based on a set of fractal parameters. This requires segmentation of the nuclei from unwanted features such as the cytoplasm, white blood cells and bacteria or foreign inclusions on metal surface etc. which is undertaken using novel methods based on conventional image segmentation techniques. For fractal parameters calculation with the better accuracy is offered new approach. Eventually the number of new compact algorithms for two dimensional objects processing on an image is developed. This thesis addresses the issue of a potential future pattern recognition technology, namely the possibility of utilizing the textural properties of a pattern to make decisions about the condition and characteristics of a sample.
A Review on Test Case Prioritization Technique for Event Sequence Test Cases

Software testing is a process to verify and validate the correctness of a software product before it is delivered to the customer. Any modifications on the requirements or codes can cause the testing process to be redone all over again. Such occurrences could cause additional time, resources, and cost during testing. Hence, the test case prioritization (TCP) technique has been proposed, with the objective of prioritizing test case sequences and finding faults as early as possible to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the testing process. Various TCP techniques are available, with the combination of different factors, research area, methodologies, and evaluation metric. This paper summarizes and discusses how the TCP technique can be applied for event sequence test cases. Analysis results from this preliminary study would help the researchers plan for future work, which is to propose an enhancement of the TCP technique for application with event sequence test cases.
SPD-3 is required for spindle alignment in C. elegans embryos and localizes to mitochondria.

During the development of multicellular organisms, cellular diversity is often achieved through asymmetric cell divisions that produce two daughter cells having different developmental potentials. Prior to an asymmetric cell division, cellular components segregate to opposite ends of the cell defining an axis of polarity. The mitotic spindle rotationally aligns along this axis of polarity, thereby ensuring that the cleavage plane is positioned such that segregated components end up in individual daughter cells. Here we report our characterization of a novel gene required for spindle alignment in C. elegans . During the first mitosis in spd-3(oj35) embryos the spindle failed to align along the anterior/posterior axis leading to abnormal cleavage configurations. spd-3(oj35) embryos had additional defects reminiscent of dynein/dynactin loss-of-function possibly caused by the mislocalization of dynactin. Surprisingly, we found that SPD-3::GFP localized to mitochondria. Consistent with this localization, spd-3(oj35) worms exhibited slow growth and increased ATP concentrations, which are phenotypes similar to those described for other mitochondrial mutants in C. elegans . To our knowledge, SPD-3 is the first example of a link between mitochondria and spindle alignment in C. elegans .
An improved sensorless driving method of switched reluctance motors: speed control case

Summary form only given. Switched reluctance motors (SRM) are used for low-cost variable-speed drives in many industrial applications because of their desirable features: simple construction, high reliability and low cost. However, a traditional position sensor is needed for its control. Sensorless driving methods have attracted much interest. We have proposed a simple and practical sensorless driving method using an impressed voltage pulse at an unenergized phase. This method is based on the inherent magnetic characteristics of SRM: the magnetic circuit changes with the rotor position and has several advantages: one phase pulse injection brings a simple structure and a new exciting timing method eliminates the negative torque. But the proposed method is limited to constant speed driving. In this paper, we extend the proposed method into a variable speed control sensorless driving method as well as inheriting the above advantages.
Liveness, Code, and DeadCode in Code Jockeying Practice

This paper explores notions of ‘liveness’ and ‘code’ to situate emerging Code Jockeying (CJing) practices in reference to Live Coding and blank-slate improvisation. Chun’s (2008) notion of ‘source code as fetish’ and theory on slow design are employed to critique compulsions in Live Coding towards code, liveness, and ephemerality. It is suggested that CJing evokes diﬀerent manifestations of liveness and code, perhaps deviating from celebrated blank-slate approaches. The DeadCode (Dead) CJing software is presented; a browser-based, tablet-friendly, and language-agnostic CJing interface that supports improvised mixing of pre-written code (‘deadcode’), diﬀerent code projections for audience members and performers, and gestural controls. Dead’s divergence from both liveness and normative representations of code are examined, inviting criticism as to whether the use of Dead still constitutes ‘Live Coding’.
Systemic taurine treatment provides neuroprotection against retinal photoreceptor degeneration and visual function impairments

Objective: Retinitis pigmentosa causes progressive photoreceptor degeneration in the sub-jects while no clinical therapy exists. The present study sought to evaluate the potential protective effects of taurine on a pharmacologically induced RP animal model. Methods: Photoreceptor degeneration in mice was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). The MNU-administrated mouse received taurine treatment and then they were examined by electroretinography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, optokinetic test, and histological and immunohistochemistry assay. Results: Prominent taurine de ﬁ ciency was found in the retinas of MNU-administered mice. Intravenous taurine treatment increased signi ﬁ cantly the retinal taurine level. Morphological studies showed that taurine could alleviate the retinal disorganizations in the MNU-induced mice. Taurine also ameliorated the visual impairments in the MNU-induced mice as evidenced by functional examinations. Immunostaining experiments demonstrated that both the M-cone and S-cone populations in the degenerative retinas are rescued by taurine. In particular, the M-cone photoreceptors in superior-temporal quadrant and the S-cone photoreceptors in inferior-nasal quadrant were preferentially rescued. Mechanism study showed that the photoreceptor apoptosis and oxidative stress in the degenerative retina were effectively alleviated by taurine treatment. Conclusion: Taurine is protective against the MNU-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Systemic taurine administration may act as a promising therapeutic potion for retinopathies with chronic cycle. positive cell counts in the MNU+taurine group were signi ﬁ cantly larger than those in the MNU group. In the MNU+taurine group, the S-cone opsin positive cells were distributed throughout the retinal ﬂ at mount. Most of the S-opsin positive cells were located in the IN quadrants and the fewest cells in the ST quadrant, suggesting that S-cone photoreceptors from the IN quadrant bene ﬁ ted most from the taurine treatment.
A Distributed Algorithm for Graph Edit Distance

—Graph edit distance is an error-tolerant matching paradigm that can be used efﬁciently to address different tasks in pattern recognition, machine learning, and data mining. The literature is rich of many fast heuristics with unbounded errors but few works are devoted to exact graph edit distance computation. Exact graph edit distance methods suffer from high time and memory consumption. In the meantime, heavy computation tasks have moved from desktop applications to servers in order to spread the computation load on many machines. This paradigm leads to re-design methods in terms of scalability and performance. In this paper, a distributed and optimized branch-and-bound algorithm for exact graph edit distance computation is proposed. The search tree is cleverly pruned thanks to a lower and upper bounds’ strategy. In addition, tree branches are explored in a completely distributed manner to speed up the tree traversal. Meaningful performance evaluation metrics are presented. Experiments were conducted on two publicly available datasets. Results demonstrate that under time constraints the most precise solutions were obtained by our method against ﬁve methods from the literature.
Joint Gaussian dictionary learning and tomographic reconstruction

This paper studies ill-posed tomographic imaging problems where the image is sparsely represented by a non-negative linear combination of Gaussians. Our main contribution is to develop a scheme for directly recovering the Gaussian mixture representation of an image from tomographic data, which here is modeled as noisy samples of the parallel-beam ray transform. An important aspect of this non-convex reconstruction problem is the choice of initial guess. We propose an initialization procedure that is based on a filtered back projection type of operator tailored for the Gaussian dictionary. This operator can be evaluated efficiently using an approximation of the Riesz-potential of an anisotropic Gaussian which is based on an exact closed form expression for the Riesz-potential of an isotropic Gaussian. The proposed method is evaluated on simulated data.
Joint inversion of tectonic stress and magma pressures using dyke trajectories

Abstract In volcano-tectonic regions, dyke propagation from shallow magmatic chambers is often controlled by the interaction of the local and regional stress fields. The variations of the stress fields result from a combination of factors including the regional tectonic stress, the geometry of pressurized magma chambers, the layering and the pre-existing discontinuities (e.g. fractures). In this contribution, we describe and apply a new multiparametric inversion technique based on geomechanics that can invert for both the far field stress attributes and the internal pressure of magma chambers or stocks, constrained by observed dyke or eruptive fissure orientations. This technique is based on the superposition principle and uses linear elastic models that can be solved using many types of numerical methods. For practical reasons, we chose a 3D boundary element method (BEM) for a heterogeneous elastic half-space, where magma chambers are modelled as pressurized cavities. To verify this approach, the BEM solution has been validated against the known 3D analytical solution of a pressurized cylindrical cavity. Then the effectiveness of this technique and its practical use is demonstrated through application to natural examples of dyke network development around two different volcanic systems, the Spanish Peaks (USA) and the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). Results demonstrate that regional stress characteristics as well as the internal pressure of magma chambers can be estimated from observed radial and circumferential dyke patterns and some knowledge of magma chamber geometry.
A Henstock Approach of the PUL-integra

The PUL-integral is a McShane type of definition in which the notion of a partition of unity is of great importance. It was first introduced by Kurzweil and Jarnik. Recently, Boonpogkrong revisited this definition and presented its, relatively, simplified approach. In this paper, a Henstock-Kurzweil approach of this integral including its fundamental properties will be presented.
Hyperspherical Approach to the four-body problem

Abstract: The four-particle system is the simplest few-body system containing the fundamental physics involved in ultracold fermionic gases. We have made recent efforts to solve the quantum four-body problem in the adiabatic hyperspherical representation. Our approach yields a set of coupled potential curves that can in turn be solved for all elastic and inelastic processes. These rates may play an important role in the lifetime of molecules in ultracold fermi gases. We believe this will lead to a deeper understanding of ultracold fermi systems and the physics of the BCS-BEC crossover.
Augmented and Virtual Reality for Engineering Education

Research on the application of augmented and virtual reality (AVR) in education shows that students self-motivation and performance increases as well as their attractiveness to new ICT-enhanced classes. The aim of this article is to explore the use of AVR as an engaging learning tool for engineering education and to present a framework for an AVR-lab for engineering education. The AVR-lab will encourage teachers to adapt classroom practices for state-of-the-art lectures that integrate AVR educational technology. The graduates of AVR-enhanced curriculum will attain new competencies in AVR, which industry analysts anticipate are vital for the 21 st century labour market.
How Much Food Can We Grow in Urban Areas? Food Production and Crop Yields of Urban Agriculture: A Meta‐Analysis

Urban agriculture can contribute to food security, food system resilience and sustainability at the city level. While studies have examined urban agricultural productivity, we lack systemic knowledge of how agricultural productivity of urban systems compares to conventional agriculture and how productivity varies for different urban spaces (e.g., allotments vs. rooftops vs. indoor farming) and growing systems (e.g., hydroponics vs. soil‐based agriculture). Here, we present a global meta‐analysis that seeks to quantify crop yields of urban agriculture for a broad range of crops and explore differences in yields for distinct urban spaces and growing systems. We found 200 studies reporting urban crop yields, from which 2,062 observations were extracted. Lettuces and chicories were the most studied urban grown crops. We observed high agronomic suitability of urban areas, with urban agricultural yields on par with or greater than global average conventional agricultural yields. “Cucumbers and gherkins” was the category of crops for which differences in yields between urban and conventional agriculture were the greatest (17 kg m−2 cycle−1 vs. 3.8 kg m−2 cycle−1). Some urban spaces and growing systems also had a significant effect on specific crop yields (e.g., tomato yields in hydroponic systems were significantly greater than tomato yields in soil‐based systems). This analysis provides a more robust, globally relevant evidence base on the productivity of urban agriculture that can be used in future research and practice relating to urban agriculture, especially in scaling‐up studies aiming to estimate the self‐sufficiency of cities and towns and their potential to meet local food demand.
The Effect of Readability of Annual Reports and Value Relevance of Financial Information on Agency Costs with Analyst Coverage as Moderating Variable

This study aims to determine the effect of readability based on the length of the annual report and the value relevance of the financial information on agency costs. The sample used in this study were 263 firm-year from Kompas100 index. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression method. The result of this study indicate that the higher the number of pages, words and characters, which reflects the poor readability of the annual report, has a negative effect on the asset turnover ratio, which is an inverse proxy for agency costs. Furthermore, the presence of the analyst coverage variable is able to moderate the positive effect between the number of pages, words and characters in the annual report on the asset turnover ratio. However, no significant effect was found during both test between value relevance to asset turnover ratio and that are moderated by analyst coverage.
A critique of the "concept of familiarity" as used in ecological risk assessments of genetically modified plants.

Abstract Two different approaches to ecological risk assessment of genetically modified plants are discussed. The first is an intuitive approach of summarising the scientific knowledge on the specific genetically modified plant, called "the concept of familiarity". The other approach is based on the estimation of probabilities of specific ecological scenarios, which we will call "scientific risk assessment". In the conclusion we will advocate that the use of scientific risk assessment for ecological risk assessment is the superior methodology. The question of whether or not transgenic plants should be used commercially cannot only be decided upon using agronomic arguments. Genetically modified plants (GMP's) are a public concern, and the public wants to know how safe this new technology is - the scientific answer to such a demand is risk assessment. Risk assessment of GMP's has developed from the first comprehensive review article presented in the late eighties . This review was primarily based on speculations and its focus was primarily on agronomic concerns (creation of new pests etc.) and on the structure of international co-operation. The authors concluded that more interdisciplinary research was needed in order to evaluate benefits and risks of biotechnology. Since then, scientists have gone through a period of optimism concerning the risks of GMP's, exemplified by , into a phase of growing concerns together with the increasing amount of relevant data . In the mid-nineties the discussion was further expanded from a "simple" scientific debate of biological consequences of releases to include ethical considerations . At the same time the regulatory and legal aspect of commercialisation became a major issue . Today we are at a stage where a lot of relevant data has been collected but no internationally standardised and consistent schemes, test procedures and concepts have been fully developed associated with commercial use of GMP's . In some cases introduction of new species or genotypes to an area is an irreversible process. If a plant is introduced into a natural habitat it may not be practically possible to remove it again. Therefore, it is important to make an assessment of possible ecological risks of a GMP before it is released for
Correlation between Efficiency of Diffraction Gratings and Theoretical Calculations over a Wide Range

Results described here show that infinite conductivity theory matches experimental grating efficiencies very closely when wavelengths exceed 4 µm, in fact often serves adequately above 1 µm. At shorter wavelengths, i.e. the visible region, the influence of finite conductivity on the theory must be included, in which case once again excellent agreement with experiment can be demonstrated. The nature of anomalies, especially as affected by different metal surfaces, is a highly sensitive test for theory. In the vacuum ultraviolet region correspondence between theory and experiment could still be observed, although some new practical limitations intervene.
The Relationship Between Learning Spaces and the Development of Computational Thinking Skill

Modern society pressures the educational systems. Technologies transformed industries requiring competencies involving new methods of solving problems. The need to solve today’s complex problems gives rise to new types of workspaces, new approaches and new forms of thinking, such as computational thinking. However, in the scientific literature, the relationship between learning spaces and the process of computational thinking is still unclear. Our case study draws on the grounded theory method answering the question: How do learning spaces contribute to the process of computational thinking? We aim to explicit the process of computational thinking in a context of creating a computational thinking challenge and to identify the characteristics of learning spaces that could potentially contribute to this process. Using a qualitative methodology, results show that students applied the computational thinking process model drawing upon concepts and approaches in a multifunctional, comfortable, diversified and engaging environment that constitute the foundations of the 21st century learning .
Optimized Trellis-Based Min-Max Decoder for NB-LDPC Codes

Non-binary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes outperform their binary counterparts in many cases. However, an NB-LDPC decoder usually requires excessive hardware resources and memory consumption. The trellis-based min-max decoding algorithm (TMMA), a well-known algorithm proposed in recent years, achieves good tradeoff between decoding performance and hardware complexity. Note that the check node processing unit (CNU) occupies the most hardware consumption. Based on the TMMA, many simplifications for the CNU have been developed with slight performance loss. The current TMMA with L truncations (L-TMMA) is promising for higher hardware efficiency than others. In this brief, based on the L-TMMA, we propose a new CNU design by incorporating algorithmic transformation and architectural optimization to further reduce the hardware complexity and thereby the critical path without any performance degradation. Synthesis results show that the proposed design achieves the lowest hardware consumption and the highest clock frequency with a small latency compared to the state-of-the-arts. Specifically, it saves more than 1/3 hardware resources compared with its original one.