Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new Motion Estimation technique for Video Coding

Personal wireless communication and digital multimedia information devices become widely available and extensively used. These devices require more and more developed video codecs. Hence, several video coding standards motivate developers to innovate and improve them. The block of Motion Estimation (ME) is an important module in all recent video coders. This paper presents REGIM Video Coding (REGIM-VC) as a new video coding technique. REGIM-VC proposes an efficient motion estimation algorithm based on block matching. The proposed algorithm purpose is to improve the compression performance by applying new Motion Estimation techniques. For this reason, it reduces the search points number in Motion Estimation block of video codec. Consequently, it saves significantly the bit-rate and the computational time.
Following the Path of Least Resistance : An Õ(m sqrt(n)) Algorithm for the Minimum Cost Flow Problem

In this paper we present an $\tilde{O}(m\sqrt{n}\log^{O(1)}U)$ time algorithm for solving the maximum flow problem on directed graphs with $m$ edges, $n$ vertices, and capacity ratio $U$. This improves upon the previous fastest running time of $O(m\min\left(n^{2/3},m^{1/2}\right)\log\left(n^{2}/m\right)\log U)$ achieved over 15 years ago by Goldberg and Rao. In the special case of solving dense directed unit capacity graphs our algorithm improves upon the previous fastest running times of of $O(\min\{m^{3/2},mn^{^{2/3}}\})$ achieved by Even and Tarjan and Karzanov over 35 years ago and of $\tilde{O}(m^{10/7})$ achieved recently by Mądry. We achieve these results through the development and application of a new general interior point method that we believe is of independent interest. The number of iterations required by this algorithm is better than that predicted by analyzing the best self-concordant barrier of the feasible region. By applying this method to the linear programming formulations of maximum flow, minimum cost flow, and lossy generalized minimum cost flow and applying analysis by Daitch and Spielman we achieve running time of $\tilde{O}(m\sqrt{n}\log^{O(1)}(U/\epsilon))$ for these problems as well. Furthermore, our algorithm is parallelizable and using a recent nearly linear time work polylogarithmic depth Laplacian system solver of Spielman and Peng we achieve a $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{n}\log^{O(1)}(U/\epsilon))$ depth algorithm and $\tilde{O}(m\sqrt{n}\log^{O(1)}(U/\epsilon))$ work algorithm for solving these problems.
Adiponectin Provides Cardiovascular Protection in Metabolic Syndrome

Adipose tissue plays a central role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Adiponectin (APN) is a bioactive adipocytokine secreted from adipocytes. Low plasma APN levels (hypoadiponectinemia) are observed among obese individuals and in those with related disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. APN ameliorates such disorders. Hypoadiponectinemia is also associated with major cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and cardiac hypertrophy. Accumulating evidence indicates that APN directly interacts with cardiovascular tissue and prevents cardiovascular pathology. Increasing plasma APN or enhancing APN signal transduction may be an ideal strategy to prevent and treat the cardiovascular diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. However, further studies are required to uncover the precise biological actions of APN.
Panel session on data for modeling system transients insulated cables

The available EMTP-type programs have dedicated support routines (cable constants) for calculating an electric representation of cable systems in terms of a series impedance matrix Z and a shunt admittance matrix Y, based on cable data defined by geometry and material properties. Z and Y are then used as the basic input for the various cable models applied in time domain transient simulations. This paper describes necessary procedures for converting the available cable data into a new set of data which can be used as input for cable constants. In particular, the paper shows how to handle the semiconducting screens of single core coaxial type cables. In situations where the cable plays an important role in the transient simulation, the user should also consider obtaining a specimen of the cable in order to verify the geometrical data provided by the manufacturer. The recommendations in this paper are supported by field test results.
Min-Cost Matchmaker Problem in Distributed Publish/Subscribe Infrastructures

The publish/subscribe (pub/sub) paradigm provides content-oriented data dissemination, where communication channels between content providers and content consumers are set up on the basis of interest matches between content provided by the publishers and content requested by the subscribers. In this paper, we study a distributed matchmaker system which resides on the data dissemination path, intercepts both publication announcements and subscription requests so as to match publishers to interested subscribers. We formalize an optimization problem, namely the MinCost Matchmaker problem, whose objective is to minimize the number of publication/subscription messages being maintained and transmitted throughout the system. We study the complexity of the Min-Cost Matchmaker problem and propose algorithms to solve the problem efficiently. Our simulation results show that a system implementing such a Min-Cost Matchmaker structure can significantly reduce the number of overall publication/subscription messages maintained/transmitted compared to existing systems where either publication announcements or subscription requests are broadcast. These results cast light on a new direction of designing a more efficient matchmaker structure for publish/subscribe systems.
Molecular Line Observations of Infrared Dark Clouds: Seeking the Precursors to Intermediate and Massive Star Formation

We have identified 41 infrared dark clouds from the 8 μm maps of the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX), selected to be found within 1 deg2 areas centered on known ultracompact H II regions. We have mapped these infrared dark clouds in N2H+1→0, CS 2→1, and C18O 1→0 emission using the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. The maps of the different species often show striking differences in morphologies, indicating differences in evolutionary state and/or the presence of undetected, deeply embedded protostars. We derive an average mass for these clouds using N2H+ column densities of ≈2500 M☉, a value comparable to that found in previous studies of high-mass star-forming cores using other mass tracers. The line widths of these clouds are typically ~2.0-2.9 km s-1. Based on the fact that they are dark at 8 μm, compact, and massive, and have large velocity dispersions, we suggest that these clouds may be the precursor sites of intermediate- and high-mass star formation.
An abstract memory functor for verified C static analyzers

Abstract interpretation provides advanced techniques to infer numerical invariants on programs. There is an abundant literature about numerical abstract domains that operate on scalar variables. This work deals with lifting these techniques to a realistic C memory model. We present an abstract memory functor that takes as argument any standard numerical abstract domain, and builds a memory abstract domain that finely tracks properties about memory contents, taking into account union types, pointer arithmetic and type casts. This functor is implemented and verified inside the Coq proof assistant with respect to the CompCert compiler memory model. Using the Coq extraction mechanism, it is fully executable and used by the Verasco C static analyzer.
Lightning: Utility-Driven Anonymization of High-Dimensional Data

The ARX Data Anonymization Tool is a software for privacy-preserving microdata publishing. It implements methods of statistical disclosure control and supports a wide variety of privacy models, which are used to specify disclosure risk thresholds. Data is mainly transformed with a combination of two methods: 1 global recoding with full-domain generalization of attribute values followed by 2 local recoding with record suppression. Within this transformation model, given a dataset with low dimensionality, it is feasible to compute an optimal solution with minimal loss of data quality. However, combinatorial complexity renders this approach impracticable for high-dimensional data. In this article, we describe the Lightning algorithm, a simple, yet effective, utility-driven heuristic search strategy which we have implemented in ARX for anonymizing high-dimensional datasets. Our work improves upon existing methods because it is not tailored towards specific models for measuring disclosure risks and data utility. We have performed an extensive experimental evaluation in which we have compared our approach to state-of-the-art heuristic algorithms and a globally-optimal search algorithm. In this process, we have used several real-world datasets, different models for measuring data utility and a wide variety of privacy models. The results show that our method outperforms previous approaches in terms output quality, even when using k-anonymity, which is the model for which previous work has been designed.
Application of Data Mining on Students' Quality Evaluation

University students'management,especially the decision-making part,is very heavy and complicated,so it may have subjectivity without scientific measures. As key index in students' integrated development evaluation,students' quality evaluation achievements play an important role in their development. This thesis puts forward decision support system for students'comprehensive evaluation based on data mining.On the basis of brief introduction to definition of data mining technique,mining process and routine method,this thesis emphasizes study on application of association rules analytic method in students'comprehensive evaluation. By means of data mining,it analyzes data of students'comprehensive evaluation achievements and gets some useful results,which will aid decision making in university students' objective evaluation and play as guidance for scientific management and evaluation of students.
Self-stabilizing global computations with r-operators

This papers describes a parametrized distributed algorithm applicable to any directed graph topology. The function parameter of our algorithm is instantiated to produce distributed algorithms for both fundamental and high level applications, such as shortest path calculus and depth-rst-search tree construction. Due to fault resilience properties of our algorithm, the resulting protocols are self-stabilizing at no additional cost. Self-stabilizing protocols can resist transient failures and guarantee system recovery in a nite time. Since the condition on the function parameter (being a strictly idempotent r-operator) permits a broad range of applications to be implemented, we believe the solution presented in our paper can be quite useful for a large class of distributed systems. Dans cet article, nous d ecrivons un algorithme r eparti et param etr e qui est applicable a tout type de graphe orient e. La fonction param etre de notre algorithme est instanci ee de mani ere a produire plusieurs algorithmes r esolvant a la fois des t^ aches fondamentales et des applications de haut niveau dans le cadre des syst emes r epartis, telles que le calcul des plus courts chemins ou la construction d'un arbre en profondeur. Compte tenu des propri et es de r esistance aux d efaillances de notre algorithme, les protocoles obtenus sont auto-stabilisants sans surco^ ut additionel. Les protocoles auto-stabilisants peuvent r esister a des d efaillances transitoires en garantissant un retour a la normale du syst eme en temps ni. Comme la condition sur la fonction pass ee en param etre de notre algorithme (celle de pouvoir ^ etre r eduite a un r-op erateur strictement idempotent) rend possible le codage d'un vaste champ d'applications r eparties, nous pensons que la solution pr esent ee dans cet article est d'une utilit e certaine pour une large classe de syst emes r epartis.
Efficient Non-linear Changed Mel-filter Bank VAD Algorithm

This paper introduces efficient non-linear changed mel-filter bank (MFB) voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm. Non-linear changed mel-filter bank outputs improve detection of parts in the speech signal, where vowels, diphthongs and semivowels are present. To make voice activity detection of consonants in the speech signal as good as possible, the hangover and hangbefore criteria are used. For this reason the phoneme duration analysis was made. The duration of vowels, diphthongs and semivowels defines how many frames must be detected as speech, so that it can be decided if hangover and hangbefore criteria will be used at all. The duration of consonants defines how many frames will be used for hangover and hangbefore criteria. Comparative tests were made between the MFB VAD algorithm, where non-linear function was used and where it was not used. The experiments were also made on four VAD algorithms used in the ITU G.729, ITU G.723. 1, DSR ETSI ES 202 050, and DSR ETSI ES 202 211 standards. The introduction of non-linear function in to the MFB VAD algorithm reduces errors obtained by incorrect voice activity detection. Key-Words: voice activity detection, signal processing, hangover criterion, hangbefore criterion
Refined Pruning Techniques for Feed-forward Neural Networks

Pruning algorit hms for feed-forward neur al networks typically have the undesirable side effect of int erfering with t he learning pro cedure. The network reduct ion algorithm presented in this pap er is implemented by considering only directions in weight space that are orthogonal to those required by t he learning algorit hm. In this way, the network redu ction algorithm chooses a minimal network from amon g the set of networks with constant E-function values. It thus avoids introducing any inconsistency with learning by explicit ly using t he redundancy inherent in an oversize network. The method is tested on boolean problems and shown to be very useful in practice.
Negotiation in Technology Landscapes: An Actor-Issue Analysis

In large-scale negotiation problems and in assessments of complex and uncertain environments, it is vital to analyze the different stakeholders involved and to evaluate their positions in the negotiations. This paper extends a model, which merges previous multi-issue and actor-focused methods, based on power relationships between stakeholders and their ability to bargain in order to increase their utility. The model has already used for assessing a public WLAN landscape. The paper emphasizes the dynamic application of the model we developed for experimenting the negotiation evolution, shifting positions on some issues, and exchanging positions between actors. We also claim that such forecasting analyses of negotiation landscapes can be significantly improved using more appropriate visualization support. We propose new visualization tools for analyzing negotiation outcomes, representing negotiation landscapes, and applying what-if simulations, using passive influence, expected outcome and dissatisfaction, power distribution, proximity, and negotiation maps.
Validation of security policies by the animation of Z specifications

Designing a security policy for an information system is a non-trivial task. In this paper, we consider the design of a security policy based on a variant of the RBAC model, close to SecureUML. This variant includes constraints for the separation of duty, as well as contextual constraints. Contextual constraints use information about the state of the functional model of the application to grant permissions to users. These constraints add flexibility to the security policy, but make its validation more difficult. In this paper, we first review two tools, USE and SecureMOVA, which can be used to analyse and validate a security policy. These tools focus on analyses of static aspects of the secured system. We then propose a new tool, based on the Z formal language, which uses animation of the specification to validate the static as well as dynamic aspects of the security policy, taking into account possible evolutions of the state of the functional model. We discuss how the security policy and the functional application are described to the tool, and what kind of queries and animations can be performed to analyse nominal and malicious behaviours of the system.
Shear Wave Speed Measurements Using Crawling Wave Sonoelastography and Single Tracking Location Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging for Tissue Characterization

Elastography provides tissue stiffness information that attempts to characterize the elastic properties of tissue. However, there is still limited literature comparing elastographic modalities for tissue characterization. This study focuses on two quantitative techniques using different vibration sources that have not been compared to date: crawling wave sonoelastography (CWS) and single tracking location shear wave elasticity imaging (STL-SWEI). To understand each technique's performance, shear wave speed (SWS) was measured in homogeneous phantoms and ex vivo beef liver tissue. Then, the contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and lateral resolution were measured in an inclusion and two-layer phantoms. The SWS values obtained with both modalities were validated with mechanical measurements (MM) which serve as ground truth. The SWS results for the three different homogeneous phantoms (10%, 13%, and 16% gelatin concentrations) and ex vivo beef liver tissue showed good agreement between CWS, STL-SWEI, and MM as a function of frequency. For all gelatin phantoms, the maximum accuracy errors were 2.52% and 2.35% using CWS and STL-SWEI, respectively. For the ex vivo beef liver, the maximum accuracy errors were 9.40% and 7.93% using CWS and STL-SWEI, respectively. For lateral resolution, contrast, and CNR, both techniques obtained comparable measurements for vibration frequencies less than 300 Hz (CWS) and distances between the push beams ($\Delta x$ ) between 3 mm and 5.31 mm (STL-SWEI). The results obtained in this study agree over an SWS range of 1-6 m/s. They are expected to agree in perfectly linear, homogeneous, and isotropic materials, but the SWS overlap is not guaranteed in all materials because each of the three methods have unique features.
Enhancement of Transgene Expression by HDAC Inhibitors in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can self-renew and differentiate to various cells depending on the culture condition. Although ES cells are a good model for cell type specification and can be useful for application in clinics in the future, studies on ES cells have many experimental restraints including low transfection efficiency and transgene expression. Here, we observed that transgene expression after transfection was enhanced by treatment with histone deacetylse (HDAC) inhibitors such as trichostatin A, sodium butyrate, and valproic acid. Transfection was performed using conventional transfection reagents with a retroviral vector encoding GFP under the control of CMV promoter as a reporter. Treatment of ES cells with HDAC inhibitors after transfection increased population of GFP positive cells up to 180% compared with untreated control. ES cells showed normal expression of stem cell markers after treatment with HDAC inhibitors. Transgene expression was further enhanced by modifying transfection procedure. GFP positive cells selected after transfection were proved to have the stem cell properties. Our improved protocol for enhanced gene delivery and expression in mouse ES cells without hampering ES cell properties will be useful for study and application of ES cells.
Coordination and Conflict: The Persistent Relevance of Networks in International Financial Regulation

Over the last two decades, scholarly enthusiasm about transnational regulatory networks has seen something of a boom-and-bust cycle. Such networks – informal groupings of mid-level national officials, convened to develop nonbinding “soft law” norms of behavior in specialized fields of regulation – were identified as an important new phenomenon, were studied widely, and came to be seen as central pillars of the international legal order, especially in financial regulation. Yet today, regulatory networks go largely unmentioned in polite academic conversation: a kind of “he-who-must-not-be-named” of international law.Among the many critiques of transnational networks that have contributed to this decline in interest in and engagement with them, this article seeks to respond to one in particular: the notion that the efficacy of regulatory networks is limited to those situations in which conflict is absent. To the contrary, once we understand the game theoretic dynamic that underlies the operation of networks – including Thomas Schelling’s seminal work on coordination games, focal points, and salience – regulatory networks may be quite effective in the face of conflict. At a minimum, a role for networks should not be categorically denied, absent some particularized indicia of their lack of utility in the given setting. As a matter of comparative institutional analysis, they may continue to represent the best means available to us – both in international financial regulation and in other regulatory arena.
Broad-band microwave characterization of liquid crystals using a temperature-controlled coaxial transmission line

Liquid crystals (LCs) promise to be suitable passive tunable material for microwave devices with excellent features concerning tunability and losses. In order to optimize the synthesis of LCs and the design of tunable microwave devices based on them, LCs have to be characterized at microwaves. For a microwave analysis between 360 MHz-23 GHz, use was made of a broad-band characterization method with a two-port coaxial line, temperature controlled within -7/spl deg/C and 115/spl deg/C. Two LCs are investigated: K15, as a quasi-standard, and MDA-03-2838, as a novel mixture with increased dielectric anisotropy and reduced microwave losses tan/spl delta/.
A Quality of Service Management in Distributed Feedback Control Scheduling Architecture Using Different Replication Policies

In our days, there are many real-time applications that use data which are geographically dispersed. The distributed real-time database management systems (DRTDBMS) have been used to manage large amount of distributed data while meeting the stringent temporal requirements in real-time applications. Providing Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees in DRTDBMSs is a challenging task. To address this problem, different research works are often based on distributed feedback control real-time scheduling architecture (DFCSA). Data replication is an efficient method to help DRTDBMS meeting the stringent temporal requirements of real-time applications. In literature, many works have designed algorithms that provide QoS guarantees in distributed real-time databases using only full temporal data replication policy. In this paper, we have applied two data replication policies in a distributed feedback control scheduling architecture to manage a QoS performance for DRTDBMS. The first proposed data replication policy is called semi-total replication, and the second is called partial replication policy.