Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CoreBot M : Le robot de la Team CoreBots préparé pour l'édition 2011 du défi Carotte

La deuxieme edition du defi CAROTTE, organise par l'ANR et la DGA, aura lieu fin juin a Bourges. Son objectif : verifier la capacite de petits robots terrestres pour des missions de reconnaissance en environnement interieur. Apres avoir remporte l'edition 2010, la Team CoreBots presente son nouveau robot dedie a l'edition 2011. Sans en reveler tous les secrets, ce papier expose les grandes lignes de notre architecture et de notre strategie.
Desempenho e composição química de missioneira-gigante cultivada em sistema silvipastoril tradicional em duas alturas de pastejo

Visando subsidiar acoes de manejo de pastagem em sistemas silvipastoris, apresentam-se os resultados da avaliacao do efeito do sombreamento arboreo sobre a disponibilidade de forragem, composicao quimica e teor de clorofila da grama missioneira‑gigante cv. SCS 315 Catarina gigante (Axonopus catharinensis Valls), manejada sob duas alturas de pastejo, em sistema de pastejo rotacionado. O experimento foi conduzido por dois anos, em propriedade rural com sistema silvipastoril tradicional do Sul do Brasil (caivas), no municipio de Porto Uniao, SC. Foi utilizado delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2 x 2, totalizando quatro tratamentos formados pela interacao entre dois ambientes (sol e sombra) e duas alturas de entrada de pastejo (30 e 60 cm), sob pastejo rotacionado. Nenhuma das variaveis analisadas do pasto foi afetada pela altura de pastejo. Tampouco houve interacao entre sombreamento e altura de pastejo. O sombreamento medio promovido pelo estrato arboreo foi de 60% e afetou a disponibilidade de forragem ao longo das estacoes de crescimento, com reducao proxima a 50% na area sombreada. Registrou-se aumento do teor de proteina bruta e do teor de fosforo na composicao quimica da forragem e no teor de clorofila b nas folhas cultivadas na sombra. A missioneira-gigante reduz em 50% a disponibilidade de forragem com aumento do sombreamento acima de 50%, mas promove aumento no teor de proteina bruta e fosforo nas folhas.
Design CORDIC-based systems using term rewriting techniques

In this paper, we present a novel approach based on term rewriting techniques to implement computationally intensive systems on a reconfigurable array of basic computing elements. Such systems can be found in many applications in digital signal processing, robotics control and computer graphics. The computing elements we use are based on the CORDIC algorithm. Our approach intends to produce an implementation using a minimal number of CORDIC processing elements, and can be readily integrated into a computer-aided design environment.
Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology (NERIES)—Web Portal Developments for Interactive Access to Earthquake Data on a European Scale

(1) ORFEUS-KNMI, R&D Information and Observation Technology, de Bilt, Netherlands (spinuso@knmi.nl), (2) European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), Bruyeres-le-Châtel, France. , (3) Swiss Seismological Service, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland. , (4) Southern California Earthquake Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif. , (5) German Research Center for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.
GPU implementation of the simplex identification via split augmented Lagrangian

Hyperspectral imaging can be used for object detection and for discriminating between different objects based on their spectral characteristics. One of the main problems of hyperspectral data analysis is the presence of mixed pixels, due to the low spatial resolution of such images. This means that several spectrally pure signatures (endmembers) are combined into the same mixed pixel. Linear spectral unmixing follows an unsupervised approach which aims at inferring pure spectral signatures and their material fractions at each pixel of the scene. The huge data volumes acquired by such sensors put stringent requirements on processing and unmixing methods. This paper proposes an efficient implementation of a unsupervised linear unmixing method on GPUs using CUDA. The method finds the smallest simplex by solving a sequence of nonsmooth convex subproblems using variable splitting to obtain a constraint formulation, and then applying an augmented Lagrangian technique. The parallel implementation of SISAL presented in this work exploits the GPU architecture at low level, using shared memory and coalesced accesses to memory. The results herein presented indicate that the GPU implementation can significantly accelerate the method's execution over big datasets while maintaining the methods accuracy.
I/O translation circuits for a systolic RNS matrix multiplier

I/O translation circuits designed for a special purpose array processor for fast matrix multiplication based on RNS are presented. The design approaches are pipelining, regularity and repeatedly using circuit blocks found inside the systolic cells, and thus reducing the design time and maximizing the performance. The mathematical operations of addition and multiplication are simpler than residue division and sign determination. The matrix multiplication algorithm is an ideal candidate, since it only requires multiplication and addition. This design methodology also achieves a higher chip density. <<ETX>>
A comparison of five 16 kbps voice coding algorithms

The US Government's digital voice processor consortium measured the performance of five voice processors designed to produce high quality, high intelligibility speech at a digital transmission rate of 16 kbps. Performance was measured in terms of word intelligibility using the diagnostic rhyme test (DRT) and of voice quality using the diagnostic acceptability measure (DAM). Mean opinion scores (MOS) are also reported. The performance of the five 16 kbps voice processors is compared to the military standard at 16 kbps which is continuous variable slope delta modulations (CVSD) and the CCITT standard ADPCM at 32 kbps. Analysis of the data led the consortium to recommend that, subject to certain constraints, the adaptive predictive coder with hybrid quantization (APC-HQ) be established as the DOD standard for operation at 16 kbps. <<ETX>>
Evolution of recursive programs with multi-niche genetic programming (mnGP)

A recursive program is one of the most intelligent and sophisticated programs written by a human programmer. This paper provides challenging experiments for the evolution of such an intelligent recursive program with genetic programming (GP). In this paper, we propose two types of multi-niche GP (mnGP): GP with structure-based multi-niches and GP with fitness case-based multi-niches. We apply them to Fibonacci series and to a search problem. We have obtained outstanding results with mnGP for these problems.
Approximation of dense scattered data using algebraic surfaces

Describes a new technique for fitting an algebraic surface to dense scattered data. Previous methods for fitting algebraic surfaces yield surfaces that fit the given data accurately. However, the resulting surfaces often exhibit defects such as extra sheets that pass near no data points. This new technique allows for the exclusion of such undesirable surfaces by fitting to auxiliary distance data derived from the original data. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of an extension of this technique to piecewise implicit surfaces. Several examples of this technique applied to medical imaging data are included. <<ETX>>
Are We Really Doing What We Think We Are Doing? A Note on Finite-Sample Estimates of Two-Way Cluster-Robust Standard Errors

Archival researchers heavily rely on statistics software to deliver large sample analyses. To provide valid empirical analyses, an author needs to know the best statistical solution to the research issue and also the correct computer language that exactly carries out such statistical tests. However, unfortunately, researchers rarely explain what they exactly do in empirical analyses. Consequently, it is difficult for a reader to figure out the validity of the empirical results. This note uses two-way cluster-robust standard errors as an example to explain these points. Two-way cluster-robust standard errors are getting widely used in the accounting and finance literature. There are multiple different alternative specifications of two-way cluster-robust standard errors, which could result in very different significance levels than unadjusted asymptotic estimates. However, researchers rarely explain which estimate of two-way cluster-robust standard errors they use, though they may all call their standard errors “two-way cluster-robust standard errors”. Specifically, I first provide a short-discussion on alternative estimates of two-way cluster-robust standard errors. Second, I discuss two common mistakes in calculating two-way cluster-robust standard errors. Third, I show that popular statistics software (SAS and STATA) have options that could generate several alternative estimates of two-way cluster-robust standard errors. Therefore, if not explained, no reader would know which estimate is used. Finally, I suggest that future empirical research should carefully explain how it implements estimates of two-way cluster-robust standard errors in finite samples. In addition, a SAS macro code for two-way clustered standard errors is available at my website. If you use this code, please add the following footnote “To obtain unbiased estimates, the clustered standard errors are adjusted by (N-1)/ (N-P) × G/(G-1), where N is the sample size, P is the number of independent variables, and G is the number of clusters. ”
Explicit presentation of field along periphery of a CP microstrip antenna

The electric field distribution around the periphery of a truncated square patch microstrip antenna are presented. This field distribution and therefore the magnetic current distribution leads to better understanding and helps optimizing the design. For the optimized design, the axial ratio and radiation patterns are computed. The theoretical and experimental results are found to be in good agreement. <<ETX>>
Clinical Applicability of Adaptive Speech Testing: A comparison of the administration time, accuracy, efficiency and reliability of adaptive speech tests with conventional speech audiometry

Adaptive procedures are a common method of investigating sensory abilities in research settings; however, their use in clinical settings is more limited. Little research has been done investigating the implementation of adaptive procedures into Audiological speech tests, and to date, no studies have compared and evaluated adaptive speech tests with current clinical speech audiometry. This study investigated the advantages of using both closed-set and openset adaptive speech tests in the clinical Audiology setting, with respect to administration time, accuracy, efficiency and reliability. Preliminary testing of the two major adaptive procedures (staircase and maximum-likelihood procedures) was conducted using a selection of different parameters chosen on the basis of the results of previous research (Kaernbach, 1991; GarcíaPérez, 1998) to determine the optimal procedures and parameters for use in clinical speech tests. Focus was given to the staircase procedures, with comparisons made between tests using variations in step size – constant step sizes and larger step sizes at the beginning – and different termination criteria. It was found that both adaptive closed-set staircase tests (with both step size variations) performed similarly, whereas the adaptive open-set staircase test with larger step sizes at the beginning showed advantages over the equivalent constant step size test in terms of administration time, accuracy and efficiency. The maximum-likelihood QUEST procedure showed advantages over the staircase procedures in terms of administration time; however, the reliability of both this test and conventional speech audiometry was poor, indicating that these tests are not the most suitable tests for a clinical setting. Subsequent clinical testing of the optimal adaptive speech tests using participants with varying degrees of hearing loss found that administration time was similar between conventional speech audiometry and the adaptive closed-set staircase tests when the optimal termination criteria identified in the Preliminary Testing Phase were employed. The adaptive open-set staircase test with larger step sizes at the beginning showed the best accuracy of any of the tests when using the pure-tone average as a reference, while the efficiency of all the adaptive staircase tests was similar. Overall, the results highlight some of the potential advantages of adaptive speech testing in the clinical Audiology setting; however, further studies are required to determine the specific parameters that achieve the best results.
Position/force control design for constrained mechanical systems: Lyapunov's direct method

A design procedure for simultaneous position/force control is developed, using Lyapunov's direct method for mechanical systems with holonomic constraints. Many mechanical systems which interact with their environment require the effects of these constraints to be taken into account in the control design. The force applied by the constraint plays a critical role in constrained motion and is, along with displacements and velocities, to be regulated at specified values. Lyapunov's direct method is used to develop a class of decentralized position/force controllers. The approach avoids coordinate transformation and does not require force feedback. The conditions for gain selection demonstrate the importance of the constraints. An example is used to demonstrate this control design method; closed-loop characteristics are indicated by computer simulations. <<ETX>>
Timing and melody: an acoustic study of rhythmic patterns of Chinese dialects

Inspired by Lin and Huang’s (2009) rhythmic study of Chinese dialects, this study examines speech rhythm of 21 Chinese dialects from three perspectives, timing, melody, and phonological structure. The 21 dialects belong to four major groups of Chinese and their respective sub-groups. The four major groups are Mandarin, Wu, Min, and Cantonese. Nine duration-based and four pitch-based metrics are used to quantify timing and melody, respectively. Four phonological structure-based metrics are used to explore the relationships between syllable structure and timing and between tone structure and melody. All the metrics are paired up according to five categories, duration-only, pitchonly, duration-pitch, duration-syllable, pitch-tone, and each pair is subject to a correlation analysis. Then timing and melody patterns of the Chinese dialects are determined by correlation patterns of relevant metric pairs. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1) Timing and melody patterns of the Chinese dialects are far from homogenous across major groups and melody patterns are more distinct than timing patterns; 2) No single metric pair is able to quantify speech iv rhythm consistently for all the Chinese dialects; nonetheless, pitch-based metric pairs fare better than duration-based ones; 3) Syllable-timedness and melodiousness are correlated positively for all the major groups except for Wu; 4) Phonological structure plays little role in shaping timing and melody patterns of most Chinese dialects. The above findings are both expected and unexpected. They are expected in the sense that rhythmic perception invovles multiple acoustic cues, so it comes as no surprise that not all rhythmic metrics are successful in quantifying Chinese rhythm. They are unexpected for the reason that all the metrics are developed based more or less on phonological structure, yet the rhythmic patterns they reveal do not correspond to the structure affinity or group membership of the Chinese dialects. Overall, the findings suggest that pitch is a more import cue than duration to Chinese rhythm. As the first study of Chinese rhythm across multiple dialects and from different perspectives, this study not only lays a methodological foundation for future research but also contributes to our in-depth understanding of Chinese dialects.
Survey of Probe Set and Probe Station Selection Algorithms for Fault Detection and Localization in Computer Networks

Probing has evolved as a promising approach for fault diagnosis in a network management. It is based on the principle of actively sending out probes in the network to infer the health of network components. Probes are test transactions whose success or failure depends on the health of the probed network components. Probing technique for fault localization involves placement of probe stations (Probe stations are specially instrumented nodes from where probes can be sent to monitor the network) which affects the diagnosis capability of the probes sent by the probe stations. Small probe sets is desirable in order to minimize the costs imposed by probing, such as additional network load and data management requirements. In this paper we have presented an overview of various probe set selection algorithms for network fault detection and localization. We have evaluated these algorithms on a sample network for better understanding.
A coverage based model for software reliability estimation

There is an increasing interest in estimating and predicting the reliability of software systems. Many models exist for reliability estimation. Most of these models consider a software system as a black box and predict the reliability based on the failure data observed during testing. The application of these models require a fair amount of data collection, computation, and expertise and computation for interpreting the results. We propose a model that is based on the coverage history of the program. A software is modeled as a graph, and the reliability of a node is assumed to be a function of the number of times it gets executed during testing-the larger the number of times a node gets executed, the higher its reliability. The reliability of the software system is then computed through simulation by using the reliabilities of the individual nodes. With such a model, coverage analysis tools can easily be extended to compute the reliability also, thereby fully automating reliability estimation.
Undersea acoustic network operations through a database-oriented server/client interface

A "seaweb server" manages the network-layer operation of underwater networks employing telesonar modems. The server is a suite of software routines that operates at manned command centers ashore, afloat, submerged, or aloft. It provides an operator with an interface to the undersea network via gateway nodes. It handles data packets and utility packets and archives the incoming and outgoing data into a database. Through a Web browser, clients access incoming data archived by the server and submit outgoing data to the server for prioritized delivery to the undersea network.
On the use of outer ear images for personal identification in security applications

In this paper we investigate the use of outer ear images for human identification. From the point of view of image processing, ears offer several advantages over complete faces: reduced spatial resolution, a more uniform distribution of colour, and less variability with expressions and orientation of the face. These advantages together with its identification richness, make ear images appropriate to be used as input data for a connectionist system. A new multiple identification method, which combines the results obtained by several neural classifiers using, respectively, features outer ear points, information obtained from ear shape and wrinkles, and macrofeatures extracted by a compression network, is presented. Experimental results yields higher identification rates as well as a more robust framework using this approach as a component of a more general face identification system especially in security applications.
Formal semantics for refinement verification of entreprise models

In this dissertation we investigate how Business/IT alignment in enterprise models can be enhanced by using a software engineering stepwise refinement paradigm. To have an IT system that supports an enterprise and meets the enterprise business needs, management seeks to align business system with IT systems. Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the discipline that addresses the design of aligned business and IT systems. SEAM is an Enterprise Architecture method, developed in the Laboratory of Systemic Modeling (LAMS) at EPFL. SEAM defines a visual language for building an enterprise model of an organization. In this work, we develop a theory and propose a technique to validate an alignment between the system specifications expressed in the SEAM language. We base our reasoning on the idea that each system (an organization, a business system, or an IT system) can be modeled using a set of hierarchical specifications, explicitly related to each other. Considering these relations as refinement relations, we transform the problem of alignment validation into the problem of refinement verification for system specifications: we consider that two system specifications are aligned if one is correctly refines the other. Model-driven engineering (MDE) defines refinement as a transformation between two visual (or program) specifications, where a specification is gradually refined into an implementation. MDE, however, does not formalize refinement verification. Software engineering (SE) formalizes refinement for program specifications. It provides a theory and techniques for refinement verification. To benefit from the formal theories and the refinement verification techniques defined in SE, we extend the SEAM language with additional concepts (e.g. preconditions, postconditions, invariants, etc). This extension enables us to increase the precision of the SEAM visual specifications. Then we define a formal semantics for the extended SEAM modeling language. This semantics is based on first-order logic and set theory; it allows us to reduce the problem of refinement verification to the validation of a first-order logic formula. In software engineering, the tools for the automated analysis of program specifications are defined. To use these tools for refinement verification, we define a translation from SEAM visual specifications to formal specification languages. We apply, using case studies, our theory and technique in several problem areas to verify: (1) if a business process design and re-design correspond to high level business process specifications; (2) if a service implementation corresponds to its specifications. These case studies have been presented to a group of domain experts who practice business/IT alignment. This inquiry has shown that our research has a potential practical value.
A Unifying Object-oriented Methodology to Consolidate Multibody Dynamics Computations in Robot Control

Modern software-based robot control systems are built upon control schemes relying on descriptions of the robot's dynamical motion. This work develops a general purpose methodology to support the robot control design engineer in the whole modeling process. This comprises robot model specification, automatical generation or manual coding of executable multibody dynamics algorithms and integration of these operational robot models in an evolving robot control software architecture. A new object-oriented paradigm for the precise description of the mechanical robot components and the desired computations, a new extension of the mathematical framework of spatial operators for derivtion of dynamics algorithms and a dataflow-driven model of computation form the basis of a new object-oriented class hierarchy to consolidate all required model computations. Examples of real-world industrial and scientific control applications, e.g., path planning, calibration, and trajectory optimization, motivate the range of possible applications.