Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physics-based evolutionary strategies and dynamic sensor fusion for moving object detection

Moving object detection remains a fundamental problem in computer vision. Difficulties arise due to the changing environment, the environment in which a moving object operates, where the background is highly dynamic. Slow illumination changes due to sun position in the sky or sudden variations due to clouds passage for example, create challenges for all moving object detection systems including feature-based and featureless methods. Another fundamental challenge in all moving object detection systems is the problem of distinguishing between the moving cast shadow from the moving object itself. For robust detection, in addition to identification and removal of the moving cast shadows, the dynamics of the scene must be modeled and tracked (adapted) appropriately. This dissertation addresses these two fundamental problems through introduction of a novel technique that overcomes limitations in the existing moving object detection techniques. The proposed methodology has the following innovative features: (1) It provides several competitive and cooperative fusion strategies for moving object detection. (2) It introduces a new physics-based shadow detection algorithm based on sound physical models that can incorporate a variety of background and foreground surface types. (3) It includes performance analysis of the physics-based shadow detection algorithm on a variety of objects and backgrounds. (4) It integrates thermal and reflectance physical models into a uniform approach for sensor fusion. (5) It develops a novel sensor fusion technique based on cooperative coevolutionary computational model, which incorporates physical and environmental conditions into a new evolutionary dynamic fusion model. (6) It provides analysis and results of moving object detection using color and IR video for a full diurnal cycle. The efficacy of the methods presented is demonstrated through extensive experimental evaluations on real data of both visible and thermal images for various surfaces and environmental conditions.
Multiwavelength Observations of Short-Timescale Variability in NGC 4151. III. X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Observations

A series of ROSAT, ASCA and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) observations of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 were carried out during the period 1993 November 30 to December 13 as part of an intensive campaign to study the multiwavelength spectral characteristics of its short time-scale variability. In the softest X-ray bands monitored by ROSAT (0.1–0.4 keV, 0.5–1.0 keV) the source flux remained constant throughout the observing period. However, in an adjacent band (1.0–2.0 keV) significant variability was evident, the most obvious feature being a marked increase (factor 1.45) in the count rate over a timescale of ∼ 2 days commencing roughly 3 days into the monitoring period. In contrast, only a low amplitude of variability (<∼ 10%) was measured in the four ASCA observations in the 2-10 keV band (but note that the first ASCA observation was performed somewhat after the onset of the flux increase seen by ROSAT). The count rates recorded by the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) on CGRO are consistent with ±15% variations in the 50–150 keV gamma-ray band but there is no direct correspondence between the gamma-ray and soft X-ray light curves. The 0.1 to ∼ 300 keV spectrum of NGC 4151 is dominated by a hard power-law continuum which is cut-off at both high (∼ 90 keV) and low (∼ 4 keV) energy. A high energy cut-off is characteristic of a continuum generated by the process of thermal Comptonization whereas that at low energy arises from absorption in line-of-sight gas. In NGC 4151 this gas may be partially photoionized by the continuum source but still retains significant opacity below 1 keV. The observed soft X-ray variability may be the result of changes in the level of the underlying soft-hard X-ray continuum or changes in the line-of-sight absorption. The data marginally favour the former, in which case the difference between the soft X-ray and gammaray light curves implies a steepening of the continuum as the source brightens, consistent with earlier observations. As noted in earlier studies there is a soft excess below 1 keV which probably arises from more than one scattered and/or thermal components. The 1–2 keV soft X-ray and the ultraviolet continuum light curves (e.g. near 1440A ) show reasonably good correspondence, although the relative amplitude of the variations is much higher in the X-ray data. The observed ultraviolet to X-ray correlation has a similar slope to that established in earlier studies, although a significant residual ultraviolet flux is evident in the recent observations. A possible interpretation is that the X-ray to gamma-ray continuum is produced in a patchy dissipative corona above the surface of an accretion disk and that the correlated ultraviolet flux results from the reprocessing of part of this continuum by the disk. The residual ultraviolet flux may then arise from the reprocessing and/or the viscous heating of the disk.
Vertically stratified frugivore community composition and interaction frequency in a liana fruiting across forest strata

Vertical stratification is a key feature of tropical forests and structures plant–frugivore interactions. However, it is unclear whether vertical differences in plant‐frugivore interactions are due to differences among strata in plant community composition or inherent preferences of frugivores for specific strata. To test this, we observed fruit removal of a diverse frugivore community on the liana Marcgravia longifolia in a Peruvian rain forest. Unlike most other plants, Marcgravia longifolia produces fruits across forest strata. This enabled us to study effects of vertical stratification on fruit removal without confounding effects of plant species and stratum. We found a high number of visits of a few frugivore species in the understorey and a low number of visits of many different frugivores in the canopy and midstorey. Whereas partial and opportunistic frugivores foraged across strata with differing frequencies, obligate frugivores were only found eating fruits in the higher strata. Avian frugivores foraging in the canopy were mainly large species with pointed wings, whereas under‐ and midstorey avian foragers were smaller with rounded wings. Our findings suggest a continuous shift in the frugivore community composition along the vertical gradient, from a few generalized frugivores in the understorey to a diverse set of specialized frugivores in the canopy. This shift in the frugivore community leads to correlated, reciprocal changes from specialized to generalized plant‐frugivore interactions. Thus, we conclude that vertical niche differentiation between species in tropical forests persists even when food resources are available across strata. This highlights its role for promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
GBIF falls short of providing a representative picture of the global distribution of insects

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is the largest databank on primary biodiversity data. We examined the completeness and geographical biases for all insect data on GBIF to determine its representativeness. Our results demonstrate that GBIF is far from providing a reliable representation about the global distribution of insects. Despite the growing number of records during the last years, few spatial units are well‐surveyed. At coarse resolutions, 34% of the world terrestrial cells lack data and barely 0.5% have completeness values above 90%. Insects are crucial in many ecological functions, and their alarming decline makes it more pressing to have a representative sample to improve our predictive capacity. However, the dynamic nature of species distributions and the strength of anthropogenic forces call for immediate conservation decisions that cannot wait for the empirical data on the identity and distribution of insects.
Global observations and forecast skill

The impact of selected observing systems on forecast skill is explored using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-yr reanalysis (ERA-40) system. Analyses have been produced for a surface-based observing system typical of the period prior to 1945/1950, a terrestrial-based observing system typical of the period 1950–1979 and a satellite-based observing system consisting of surface pressure and satellite observations. Global prediction experiments have been undertaken using these analyses as initial states, and which are available every 6 h, for the boreal winters of 1990/1991 and 2000/2001 and the summer of 2000, using a more recent version of the ECMWF model. The results show that for 500-hPa geopotential height, as a representative field, the terrestrial system in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics is only slightly inferior to the control system, which makes use of all observations for the analysis, and is also more accurate than the satellite system. There are indications that the skill of the terrestrial system worsens slightly and the satellite system improves somewhat between 1990/1991 and 2000/2001. The forecast skill in the Southern Hemisphere is dominated by the satellite information and this dominance is larger in the latter period. The overall skill is only slightly worse than that of the Northern Hemisphere. In the tropics (20°S—20°N), using the wind at 850 and 250 hPa as representative fields, the information content in the terrestrial and satellite systems is almost equal and complementary. The surface-based system has very limited skill restricted to the lower troposphere of the Northern Hemisphere. Predictability calculations show a potential for a further increase in predictive skill of 1–2 d in the extratropics of both hemispheres, but a potential for a major improvement of many days in the tropics. As well as the Eulerian perspective of predictability, the storm tracks have been calculated from all experiments and validated for the extratropics to provide a Lagrangian perspective.
A Frequency-Domain Output-Constrained Active Noise Control Algorithm Based on an Intuitive Circulant Convolutional Penalty Factor

Due to their computational efficiency, least mean square (LMS)–based algorithms are still widely utilized to achieve optimal control in active noise control (ANC) applications. Real-world implementation of advanced ANC functionalities, such as selective cancellation of frequencies, is nonetheless hampered by complexity trade-offs, especially with computationally-expensive frequency-domain approaches. Prevailing time-domain adaptive algorithms – proposed to alleviate complexities from transformation – continue to incur increased complexities while constraining the magnitude of frequency bins in the time-domain filters. To address existing complexities in time-domain approaches, this paper proposes a circulant convolutional penalty factor that assists the extended leaky filtered-reference LMS (FxLMS) algorithm in achieving frequency constraint without any frequency-domain transform. This circulant convolutional penalty factor is readily determined by methods for designing finite response filters, such as frequency sampling. Additionally, the coordinate descent method is adopted to further reduce the proposed algorithm's computations, significantly increasing its feasibility for implementation on conventional real-time processors. Finally, the numerical simulations performed on the measured primary and secondary paths demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Modeling Entrainment and Finescale Mixing in Cumulus Clouds

Abstract A model used to study entrainment and mixing of thermodynamic properties in the stratus-topped boundary layer has been extended to represent these processes in cumulus clouds. The new model, called the “explicit mixing parcel model” (EMPM), depicts finescale internal structure of a rising thermal in a cumulus cloud using a 1D domain. The EMPM links the conventional parcel model, which has no internal structure, and multidimensional cloud models, which resolve cloud-scale structure produced by large eddies. In the EMPM, the internal structure evolves as a consequence of a sequence of discrete entrainment events and an explicit representation of turbulent mixing based on Kerstein’s linear eddy model. In this version of the EMPM, subgrid-scale (eddy) diffusion is found to be adequate for representing the effects of the smallest turbulent eddies. In addition, a simple parameterization is used to determine the local condensation or evaporation rates. If the grid size is reduced so that the Kolmogorov .
Tools for establishing a sustainable safety culture within maternity services. A retrospective case study

Objective: This article reports the findings from a single case study on the long-term sustainability of a quality system in a large maternity unit. Method: The empirical basis is an analysis of documents related to the development, implementation, maintenance and outcome of the system over two decades. The main elements of the quality system are reported as findings, and the possible effects of the different elements are presented and discussed based on theories on safety management and leadership. Result: The findings suggest that the quality system served as the basis for a meaningful workplace community. The structure of meetings, research, training and budget input were all central factors for the development of the system. It resulted in systematic ongoing improvement, participation from all levels of the organization and trust within the organization. The effects of the system may still be seen after the end point of this study. Conclusions: It remains the responsibility of the management to ensure an adequate professional standard of services by a continuous internal quality assurance system for enhanced patient safety.
Final stages of transition to turbulence in plane channel flow

This paper involves a numerical simulation of the final stages of transition to turbulence in plane channel flow at a Reynolds number of 1500. Three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are numerically integrated to obtain the time evolution of two- and three-dimensional finite-amplitude disturbances. Computations are performed on the CYBER-203 vector processor for a 32 × 51 × 32 grid. Solutions indicate the existence of structures similar to those observed in the laboratory and characteristic of the various stages of transition that lead to final breakdown. In particular, evidence points to the formation of a A-shaped vortex and the subsequent system of horsehoe vortices inclined to the main flow direction as the primary elements of transition. Details of the resulting flow field after breakdown indicate the evolution of streaklike formations found in turbulent flows. Although the flow field does approach a steady state (turbulent channel flow), the introduction of subgrid-scale terms seems necessary to obtain fully developed turbulence statistics.
DISCUSSION PAPERS IN STATISTICS AND ECONOMETRICS SEMINAR OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STATISTICS UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

The Gini index and the Gini mean di erence of a univariate distribution are extended to measure the disparity of a general d-variate distribution. We propose and investigate two approaches, one based on the distance of the distribution from itself, the other on the volume of a convex set in (d + 1)space, named the lift zonoid of the distribution. When d = 1, this volume equals the area between the usual Lorenz curve and the line of zero disparity, up to a scale factor. We get two de nitions of the multivariate Gini index, which are di erent (when d > 1) but connected through the notion of the lift zonoid. Both notions inherit properties of the univariate Gini index, in particular, they are vector scale invariant, continuous, bounded by 0 and 1, and the bounds are sharp. They vanish if and only if the distribution is concentrated at one point. The indices have a ceteris paribus property and are consistent with multivariate extensions of the Lorenz order. Illustrations with data conclude the paper.
CD8+ Lymphocytes from Healthy Blood Donors Secrete Antiviral Levels of Interferon-Alpha

The adaptive immune response to viral infections features the antigen-driven expansion of CD8+ T cells. These cells are widely recognized for their cytolytic activity that is mediated through the secretion of cytokines such as perforin and granzymes. Less appreciated is their ability to secrete soluble factors that restrict virus replication without killing the infected cells. In this study we measured the ability of primary anti-CD3/28-stimulated CD8+ T cells from healthy blood donors to secrete interferon-alpha. Supernatants collected from CD8+ T cell cultures were screened for their ability to suppress HIV-1 replication in vitro and their interferon-alpha concentrations were measured by ELISA. Interferon-alpha concentrations in the CD8+ T cell culture supernatants ranged from undetectable to 28.6 pg/mL. The anti-HIV-1 activity of the cell culture supernatants was observed to be dependent on the presence of interferon-alpha. Appreciable increases in the expression levels of type 1 interferon transcripts were observed following T cell receptor stimulation, suggesting that the secretion of interferon-alpha by CD8+ T cells is an antigen-driven response. In 42-plex cytokine assays, the cultures containing interferon-alpha were also found to contain elevated levels of GM-CSF, IL-10, IL-13, and TNF-alpha. Together, these results demonstrate that the secretion of anti-viral levels of interferon-alpha is a common function of CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, this CD8+ T cell function likely plays broader roles in health and disease.
Dynamic Changes and Characterization of the Metal Ions in the Silk Glands and Silk Fibers of Silkworm

Metal ions are involved in the conformational transition of silk fibroin and influence the structure and mechanical properties of silk fibers. However, the dynamic characteristics of metal ions during the formation of silk fibers remain unclear. In this study, we found that the silk glands of silkworms contain various metal elements, with varying levels of the metal elements in different zones of the glands and higher levels in the anterior silk glands. Additionally, the content of various metallic elements in the silk glands varied greatly before and after spinning, similar to their content in different cocoon layers, thus, indicating that the anterior silk glands maintain a certain metal ion environment for the transport and conformational transformation of the silk proteins. Most of the metallic elements located in fibroin were confirmed using degumming experiments. For the first time, a scanning electron microscope energy spectrometry system was used to characterize the metal elements in the cross-section of silk and cocoons. These findings have deepened our understanding of the relationship between the overall metal ion environment and silk fiber formation and help us further conceptualize the utilization of metal ions as targets to improve the mechanical properties of the silk fibers.
Impact of In-Air Gestures on In-Car Task’s Diver Distraction

As in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) grow increasingly complex, the demand for innovative artificial intelligence-based interaction methods that enhance cybersecurity becomes more crucial. In-air gestures offer a promising solution due to their intuitiveness and individual uniqueness, potentially improving security in human–computer interactions. However, the impact of in-air gestures on driver distraction during in-vehicle tasks and the scarcity of skeleton-based in-air gesture recognition methods in IVIS remain largely unexplored. To address these challenges, we developed a skeleton-based framework specifically tailored for IVIS that recognizes in-air gestures, classifying them as static or dynamic. Our gesture model, tested on the large-scale AUTSL dataset, demonstrates accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art methods and increased efficiency on mobile devices. In comparative experiments between in-air gestures and touch interactions within a driving simulation environment, we established an evaluation system to assess the driver’s attention level during driving. Our findings indicate that in-air gestures provide a more efficient and less distracting interaction solution for IVIS in multi-goal driving environments, significantly improving driving performance by 65%. The proposed framework can serve as a valuable tool for designing future in-air gesture-based interfaces for IVIS, contributing to enhanced cybersecurity.
Numerical evaluation of Auger recombination coefficients in relaxed and strained germanium

The potential applications of germanium and its alloys in infrared silicon-based photonics have led to a renewed interest in their optical properties. In this letter, we report on the numerical determination of Auger coefficients at T = 300 K for relaxed and biaxially strained germanium. We use a Green's function based model that takes into account all relevant direct and phonon-assisted processes and perform calculations up to a strain level corresponding to the transition from indirect to direct energy gap. We have considered excess carrier concentrations ranging from 1016 cm−3 to 5 × 1019 cm−3. For use in device level simulations, we also provide fitting formulas for the calculated electron and hole Auger coefficients as functions of carrier density.
Nanoscale calibration of n-type ZnO staircase structures by scanning capacitance microscopy

Cross-sectional scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) was performed on n-type ZnO multi-layer structures homoepitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy method. Highly contrasted SCM signals were obtained between the ZnO layers with different Ga densities. Through comparison with dopant depth profiles from secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurement, it is demonstrated that SCM is able to distinguish carrier concentrations at all levels of the samples (from 2 × 1017 cm−3 to 3 × 1020 cm−3). The good agreement of the results from the two techniques indicates that SCM can be a useful tool for two dimensional carrier profiling at nanoscale for ZnO nanostructure development. As an example, residual carrier concentration inside the non-intentionally doped buffer layer was estimated to be around 2 × 1016 cm−3 through calibration analysis.