Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A NEW FACE RECOGNITION SCHEME FOR FACES WITH EXPRESSIONS, GLASSES AND ROTATION

Face recognition is considered as one of the hottest research areas in computer vision field. The purpose of the proposed research work is to develop an algorithm that can recognize a person by comparing the characteristics of his/her face, which may have expressions, glasses and/or rotation, to those of known faces in a database. This work provides a simple and efficient technique to recognize human faces. The new method is based on variance estimation of the three components of the color faces images and facial features extraction of the most facial features. The features under consideration are eyes, nose and mouth. The technique used to extract facial features was developed based on feature location with respect to face dimensions. The proposed algorithm has been tested on various face images and its performance was found to be good in most cases. Experimental results show that our method of human face recognition achieves very encouraging results with good accuracy, great speed and simple computations.
Make Hawkes Processes Explainable by Decomposing Self-Triggering Kernels

Hawkes Processes capture self-excitation and mutual-excitation between events when the arrival of an event makes future events more likely to happen. Identification of such temporal covariance can reveal the underlying structure to better predict future events. In this paper, we present a new framework to decompose discrete events with a composition of multiple self-triggering kernels. The composition scheme allows us to decompose empirical covariance densities into the sum or the product of base kernels which are easily interpretable. Here, we present the first multiplicative kernel composition methods for Hawkes Processes. We demonstrate that the new automatic kernel decomposition procedure outperforms the existing methods on the prediction of discrete events in real-world data.
Range-Depth Tracking of Sounds from a Single-Point Deployment by Exploiting the Deep-Water Sound Speed Minimum

Abstract : The long-term goal of this work is to develop techniques for tracking marine mammal sounds in range and depth from a single mooring or platform (e.g. glider), by exploiting the propagation effects of the deep-water sound speed channel. Most listening platforms currently use a single hydrophone to detect events, making no effort at localization. For beaked whales (which have a limited detection range of about 5-7 km), detection may be sufficient to determine whether an animal is close to potential naval operations, but for most species, one needs to assume a typical source level (or source level distribution) to translate a detection's received level into a distance, a risky assumption that generates large uncertainties in position, which in turn degrades attempts at acoustic density estimation and makes mitigation decisions problematic. The range of a marine mammal sound from a compact platform can also be obtained by detecting the same event across multiple platforms; however, for logistic reasons it is highly desirable to investigate avenues for permitting relatively accurate localization from a single platform.
The Vasoreparative Potential of Endothelial Colony Forming Cells: A Journey Through Pre-clinical Studies

For over a decade various cell populations have been investigated for their vasoreparative potential. Cells with the capacity to promote blood vessel regeneration are commonly known as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs); although such a definition is currently considered too simple for the complexity of cell populations involved in the reparative angiogenic process. A subset of EPCs called endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) have emerged as a suitable candidate for cytotherapy, primarily due to their clonogenic progenitor characteristics, unequivocal endothelial phenotype, and inherent ability to promote vasculogenesis. ECFCs can be readily isolated from human peripheral and cord blood, expanded ex vivo and used to revascularize ischemic tissues. These cells have demonstrated efficacy in several in vivo preclinical models such as the ischemic heart, retina, brain, limb, lung and kidney. This review will summarize the current pre-clinical evidence for ECFC cytotherapy and discuss their potential for clinical application.
Two-dimensional electron-hole capture in a disordered hopping system

We model the two-dimensional recombination of electrons and holes in a system where the mean free path is short compared with the thermal capture radius. This recombination mechanism is relevant to the operation of bilayer organic light-emitting diodes (LED's), where electrons and holes accumulate on either side of the internal heterojunction. The electron-hole recombination rate can be limited by the time taken for these charge carriers to drift and diffuse to positions where electrons and holes are directly opposite to each other on either side of the interface, at which point rapid formation of an emissive neutral state can occur. In this paper, we use analytical and numerical techniques to find the rate of this two-dimensional electron-hole capture process. Where one species of carrier is significantly less mobile than the other, we find that the recombination rate depends superlinearly on the density of the less mobile carrier. Numerical simulations allow the effects of disorder to he taken into account in a microscopic hopping model. Direct solution of the master equation for hopping provides more efficient solutions than Monte Carlo simulations, The rate constants extracted from our model are consistent with efficient emission from bilayer LED's without requiring independent hopping of electrons and holes over the internal barrier at the heterojunction.
AESTHETIC OUTCOME OF AUTOTRANSPLANTED PREMOLARS REPLACING MAXILLARY INCISORS

________________________________________________________________ Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of autotransplanted premolars to the anterior maxilla. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study including 32 patients who have had an autotransplantation of a premolar to the maxillary incisor region, was conducted. Different restorations were chosen for the transplanted premolar: buildup with composite or porcelain laminate veneer. The mean observation time was 7 years (range: 1-23 years). The aesthetic outcome was rated using the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and the White Esthetic Score (WES). Patients rated aesthetics by means of 100 mm visual analogue scales. Results: Patients responded very favorably regarding the treatment outcome. According to the PES and WES, 56% had acceptable aesthetics and 9% had an (almost) perfect outcome. Thirty-four percent were aesthetic failures (PES and/or WES< 6), mainly due to a low WES. Patients with a porcelain veneer scored significantly higher for the WES (p=0.026). Conclusions: Patients responded very favorably regarding the treatment outcome. The aesthetic outcome was disappointing in 34% of the cases. This result was mainly due to a low WES. Laminate veneers might be better to provide a more aesthetic result. Introduc=on _________________________________________________________________ Orthodontic treatment planning may be difficult in patients with missing teeth, especially in the anterior region. Tooth transplantation in young children and adolescents has become a valid treatment option. Over the past 20 years the procedure of autotransplantation of teeth has become very successful. The long-term survival rates are high. Nowadays, aesthetic appearance has become more important in addition to optimal function. Hence, clinical success of a transplanted tooth also depends on harmonious integration of the transplant in the patient’s mouth. The published literature contains little comprehensive studies concerning the aesthetic results of premolar autotransplantation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of transplanted premolars to the maxillary anterior region.
Effect of Spine Density on Excitability in Accumbal Medium Spiny Neurons-A Computational Approach

The nucleus accumbens (NAc), the major subdivision of the ventral striatum plays an important role in the reward pathway. GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons (MSNs) are the principal cell type of NAc. These neurons receive excitatory synaptic inputs over the numerous spines which are present on their complex dendritic arbours. Alterations in spine density and morphology can affect the integrative properties of MSNs. We developed a biophysically realistic, spiny model of MSN. We found that inclusion of spines in an existing aspiny model changed passive as well as active properties of the cell. The spiny model was tuned to match its properties with that of the earlier aspiny model. We found that a total of 192 inputs from middle and distal dendrites were required to generate a characteristic bimodal behaviour of the membrane potential. Using this model, we investigated the effect of loss of spines on the excitability of the cell. We found that with no spine loss, when only the number of activated inputs was reduced by 15%, spike frequency of the cell reduced to zero, rendering the cell completely inexcitable. However, spine loss of 15% along with 15% reduction in activated synaptic inputs decreased the spike frequency to 1.1 Hz. Our results suggest that when spines are lost along with synaptic inputs, excitability of the cell is not abolished completely, although this might happen when only synaptic inputs are lost. Instead, in such a case the excitability can be increased by slightly enhancing the input connections.
Urban Boundary Layer Height Characteristics and Relationship with Particulate Matter Mass Concentrations in Xi'an, Central China

The characteristics of the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) and the relationship between PBLH and particular matter (PM) mass concentration in Xi’an, central China, are analyzed in this study. Three PBLH calculation methods are used in this study, namely the Holzworth, Liu, and Nozaki approaches. The daily minimum and maximum PBLHs are determined by the Holzworth method, the hourly PBLHs are calculated by the Nozaki method, and the results of the Nozaki method are evaluated by the Liu method. The PBLH characteristics of annual, seasonal, daily, and diurnal variations are based on hourly values obtained from the Nozaki method. The results show that the Nozaki method can depict typical PBLH diurnal variations, although it substantially overestimates the related values. The daily maximum PBLH occurs from 11:00 to 16:00 Beijing time, and the seasonal maximum PBLH is during spring, due to the annual maximum wind speed at this time. PM2.5, PM1.0 and PM10 mass concentrations are negatively correlated with PBLH on the inter-annual, annual, and seasonal time scales. The anti-phase diurnal variations of PM mass concentrations and PBLH further indicate that PBLH is one of the important factors affecting air quality. The PM2.5 in PM10, PM1.0 in PM2.5, and PM1.0 in PM10 contents show notable monthly variations, indicating that the air quality in Xi’an city is affected upwind windy and dusty weather, along with local pollution sources.
Teacher collaboration network in Higher Education: reflective visions from praxis

Online collaboration is a relevant teaching method and has become a priority in education and research. In addition, it is becoming an essential skill for teachers. Taking this fact into consideration, this study focuses on online collaboration from the teachers’ perspective. The participants of our research develop their training activity in a fully online university and have teaching experience in online collaborative processes. Based on a case study methodology, the aim of this research is to develop an in-depth understanding of online collaborative hands-on experiences in context through their perceptions. The results provide evidence of the value of online teacher collaboration, which is useful not only for the improvement and innovation in their teaching, but also for their professional development and updating. It also highlights the value of online coordination to facilitate and promote the exchange of information and collaborative knowledge building for teacher–teacher collaboration.
Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Cucumis sativus Leaves

This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Cucumis sativus Linn. (Family: Cucurbitaceae) leaves. The methanolic extract of C. sativus leaves (MCS) was investigated for antiinflammatory activities in Long Evans rat model at two different doses of 150 and 250 mg/kg body weight and the effects were compared with the standard, indomethacin (10 mg/kg body weight). It exhibited highest antiinflammatory activity at the dose 250 mg/kg. In the formalin test, the extract at both doses (150 and 250 mg/kg body weight) significantly prevented the increase in volume of paw edema (P<0.05 and P<0.001). In carrageenan-induced paw edema test the MCS significantly (P≤0.001) reduced inflammation by 57.35 % (150 mg/kg body weight) and 72.06% (250 mg/kg body weight) in comparison to the standard drug, indomethacin (79.41%) at the end of 5h. MCS was also screened for DPPH scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, reducing ability as well as total phenolics content to assess its antioxidant potential. Total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity of MCS were found to be 262.31 mg/g equivalent of gallic acid and 267.2 mg/g equivalent of ascorbic acid, respectively. The IC 50 of free radical scavenging of DPPH was 13.06 μg/ml while that of standard ascorbic acid was 13.17 μg/ml. The reducing power of MCS was found to be concentration dependent. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 18 (2): 169-173, 2015
Paula Suclla Fernández Design-Manufacturing Integration impact on Manufacturing Operational Performance

Fernández, Paula Suclla; Carmo, Luiz Felipe Roris Rodriguez Scavarda do (Advisor), Thomé, Antônio Márcio Tavares (CoAdvisor). Design-Manufacturing Integration Impact on Manufacturing Operational Performance. Rio de Janeiro, 2015. 76p. M.Sc. Dissertação – Departamento de Engenharia Industrial, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro Design-Manufacturing Integration (DMI) is a new and growing research field in Operations Management. The primary goal of the Dissertation is to identify and measure the DMI impact on manufacturing operational performance. The research findings point to a paucity of rigorous empirical research on the impact of DMI on manufacturing operational performance under the lens of moderating effects of market uncertainty and market complexity. Data from 725 metal products and machinery manufacturers (ISIC 3.1, code 28-35) in 21 countries from the fifth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey was used for hypotheses tests. Scales were validated with confirmatory factor analysis and analyzed with hierarchical stepwise multiple regressions. DMI positively impact on the three dimensions of manufacturing operational performance (quality, flexibility, and delivery). Manufacturing complexity moderates flexibility and delivery but not quality. Market uncertainty did not appear as a moderator for the relationship between DMI and manufacturing operational performance. Practitioners should pursue DMI implementations, under higher levels of manufacturing complexity. Further research should focus on market uncertainty, and strengthen the construct of uncertainty with technological uncertainty.
An alternating minimization method for matrix completion problems

Matrix completion problems have applications in various domains such as information theory, statistics, engineering, etc. Meanwhile, solving matrix completion problems is not a easy task since the nonconvex and nonsmooth rank operation is involved. Existing approaches can be categorized into two classes. The first ones use nuclear norm to take the place of rank operation, and any convex optimization algorithms can be used to solve the reformulated problem. The limitation of this class of approaches is singular value decomposition (SVD) is involved to tackle the nuclear norm which significantly increases the computational cost. The other ones factorize the target matrix by two slim matrices. Fast algorithms for solving the reformulated nonconvex optimization problem usually lack of global convergence, meanwhile convergence guaranteed algorithms require restricted stepsize. In this paper, we consider the matrix factorization model for matrix completion problems, and propose an alternating minimization method for solving it. The global convergence to a stationary point or local minimizer is guaranteed under mild conditions. We compare the proposed algorithm with some state-of-the-art algorithms in solving a bunch of testing problems. The numerical results illustrate the efficiency and great potential of our algorithm.
Serotonergic neurosecretory synapse targeting is controlled by Netrin-releasing guidepost neurons in C . elegans

Neurosecretory release sites lack distinct post-synaptic partners, yet target to specific circuits. This targeting specificity regulates local release of neurotransmitters and modulation of adjacent circuits. How neurosecretory release sites target to specific regions is not understood. Here we identify a molecular mechanism that governs the spatial specificity of extrasynaptic neurosecretory terminal formation in the serotonergic NSM neurons of C. elegans. We show that post-embryonic arborization and neurosecretory terminal targeting of the C. elegans NSM neuron is dependent on the Netrin receptor UNC-40/DCC. We observe that UNC-40 localizes to specific neurosecretory terminals at the time of axon arbor formation. This localization is dependent on UNC-6/Netrin, which is expressed by nerve ring neurons that act as guideposts to instruct local arbor and release site formation. We find that both UNC-34/Enabled and MIG-10/Lamellipodin are required downstream of UNC-40 to link the sites of ENT formation to nascent axon arbor extensions. Our findings provide a molecular link between release site development and axon arborization, and introduce a novel mechanism that governs the spatial specificity of serotonergic extrasynaptic neurosecretory terminals in vivo.
Aviation Logistics Mobile Internet Cloud Computing Optimization

Aviation logistics on a global scale in a short time will be able to transport large amounts of goods to the hands of consumers, but worldwide aviation logistics of how information can be shared in real time, the mobile Internet has provided favorable conditions for this, but the mobile Internet cloud calculate the optimal method is not related to research, solve this problem, this study proposes a mobile Internet-based cloud logistics scheduling, which is the application of global scope of things, the method can be real-time dynamic scheduling analysis, and is capable of worldwide logistics real time prediction.
PROTECTIVE MUCOSAL IMMUNITY ELICITED BY INTRANASAL DNA VACCINATION EXPRESSING HA 1 OF EQUINE-2 INFLUENZA VIRUS

A vaccination trial was performed in mice by intranasal inoculation of DNA vaccines pTOPOKY98#6 and pVAXKY98/11-9 encapsulating with liposome and metastim. DNA vaccines were designed to express HA1 protein from equine-2 influenza virus, A/Eq/Ky/98. After a booster vaccination, each mouse was challenged with a sub-lethal dose (16 HAU) of homologous equine-2 influenza virus. By using a weight loss model, it was found that the vaccinated mice showed less severe disease than the unvaccinated mice. Elevated IgG and IgA levels were recorded in the sera of the vaccinated mice. HA1 was capable of inducing protective immunity against homologous challenge. In the unvaccinated group mice, a maximum of 8.4% weight loss was observed while the observed weight losses were 1.2% and 0.82% for pTOPOKY98#6 and pVAXKY98/11-9 group mice respectively. It was found that dose levels as low as 0.01 μg DNA/gram body-weight were sufficient to elicit protective immunity. Advisor’s Approval: Dr. Kim Burnham
Understanding scanlation: how to read one million fan-translated manga pages

This article presents the first project in digital humanities which uses digital image analysis and visualization for the study of a massive image collection - one million manga pages. These pages correspond to 883 manga series that were available as “scanlations” (manga digitized and translated by fans) in the fall 2009. Using computational techniques we were able to systematically analyze the visual language of special pages inserted by fans in scanlated versions, and also study visual differences between the pages from original Japanese publications and official English translations. The result is a better understanding of the multiple "mangas" which make up the "manga universe. "
Surface acoustic wave band gaps in micro-machined air/silicon phononic structures — theoretical calculation and experiment

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the band gaps of micro-machined air/silicon phononic structures both theoretically and experimentally. Based on the plane wave expansion method, dispersion relations of the surface and bulk modes with square lattices in air/silicon two-dimensional phononic structures are calculated and discussed. Band gap widths due to the filling fraction and temperature variation are also analyzed. On the experimental side, generation and reception of high frequency surface acoustic wave in this band structure are realized by a pair of interdigital transducers (IDT) with frequency around 200 MHz. Details of the fabricating process of the phononic structure and the high frequency surface wave generating and receiving IDTs are given. The results demonstrate clearly the existence of SAW band gap in the micro-machined phononic structure and this study may serve as a basis for studying the band gap of SAW in micro-machined phononic structure with the dimension in the order of micrometer and find applications in the RF SAW devices.
Visions of prosperity and conspiracy in Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, visions of radical societal transformation and future wealth derived from gold and oil are accompanied by concerns that outsiders might be conspiring to rob the country of its riches, as well as conjuring up dystopian scenarios of sinister plots and future mayhem. Examining national narratives and local accounts, this article argues that visions of prosperity and visions of conspiracy are two sides of the same coin; both are embedded in an understanding that power works in invisible ways. In discussing these visions in relation to the literature on “conspiracy theories” and “cargo cults” (terms that have recently been imported to the study of Timor-Leste), it explores the critical potential of these visions. Whereas the labels “conspiracy theory” and “cargo cult” create distinctions between the “rational” perspective of the West and the “irrationality” of non-Western others, as practices these visions end up collapsing such distinctions by appropriating the power of the outside.
Rotated Rectangles for Symbolized Building Footprint Extraction

Building footprints (BFP) provide useful visual context for users of digital maps when navigating in space. This paper proposes a method for extracting and symbolizing building footprints from satellite imagery using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN architecture outputs rotated rectangles, providing a symbolized approximation that works well for small buildings. Experiments are conducted on the four cities in the DeepGlobe Challenge dataset (Las Vegas, Paris, Shanghai, Khartoum). Our method performs best on suburbs consisting of individual houses. These experiments show that either large buildings or buildings without clear delineation produce weaker results in terms of precision and recall.