Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel integro-differential schemes for multiscale image representation

Title of dissertation: NOVEL INTEGRO-DIFFERENTIAL SCHEMES FOR MULTISCALE IMAGE REPRESENTATION Prashant Athavale, Doctor of Philosophy, 2009 Dissertation directed by: Professor Eitan Tadmor Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics and Scientific Computation Multiscale representation of a given image is the problem of constructing a family of images, where each image in this family represents a scaled version of the given image. This finds its motivation from biological vision studies. Using the hierarchical multiscale image representation proposed by Tadmor et. al. [32], an image is decomposed into sums of simpler ‘slices’, which extract more refined information from the previous scales. This approach motivates us to propose a novel integro-differential equation (IDE), for a multiscale image representation. We examine various properties of this IDE. The advantage of formulating the IDE this way is that, although this IDE is motivated by variational approach, we no longer need to be associated with any minimization problem and can modify the IDE, suitable to our image processing needs. For example, we may need to find different scales in the image, while retaining or enhancing prominent edges, which may define boundaries of objects. We propose some edge preserving modifications to our IDE. One of the important problems in image processing is deblurring a blurred image. Images get blurred due to various reasons, such as unfocused camera lens, relative motion between the camera and the object pictured, etc. The blurring can be modeled with a continuous, linear operator. Recovering a clean image from a blurry image, is an ill-posed problem, which is solved using Tikhonov-like regularization. We propose a different IDE to solve the deblurring problem. We propose hierarchical multiscale scheme based on (BV,L) decomposition, proposed by Chan, Esedoḡlu, Nikolova and Alliney [12, 25, 3]. We finally propose another hierarchical multiscale representation based on a novel weighted (BV,L) decomposition. NOVEL INTEGRO-DIFFERENTIAL SCHEMES FOR MULTISCALE IMAGE REPRESENTATION by Prashant Athavale Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009 Advisory Committee: Professor Eitan Tadmor, Chair/Advisor Professor Radu Balan Professor Joel Cohen Professor Kayo Ide Professor David Jacobs Professor Doron Levy c © Copyright by Prashant Athavale 2009
The Limits of Learning: Habermas' Social Theory and Religion

Habermas' view that contemporary philosophy and social theory can learn from religious traditions calls for closer consideration. He is correct to hold that religious traditions constitute a reservoir of potentially important meanings that can be critically appropriated without emptying them of their motivating and inspirational power. However, contrary to what he implies, his theory allows for learning from religion only to a very limited degree. This is due to two core elements of his conceptual framework, both of which are key features of his account of postmetaphysical thinking. The first is the requirement of ethical agnosticism; this requires philosophy and social theory to refrain from offering guidance on questions of the good life. The second is his language-immanent conception of truth in the domain of practical reason; this follows from his rejection of any source of validity beyond human communication in this domain. I make the case for a more robust account of learning from religious traditions and metaphysical worldviews, arguing that for this purpose Habermas must modify his requirement of ethical agnosticism and relinquish his language-immanent conception of truth.
Blind deconvolution of impulsive signals using a modified Sato algorithm

Many blind deconvolution algorithms have been designed to extract digital communications signals corrupted by inter-symbol interference. Such algorithms generally fail when applied to signals with impulsive characteristics, such as acoustic signals. In this paper, we provide a theoretical analysis and explanation as to why Bussgang-type algorithms are generally unsuitable for deconvolving impulsive signals. We then propose a novel modification of one such algorithm, the Sato algorithm, to enable it to deconvolve such signals. Sufficient conditions on the source signal to guarantee local stability of the modified Sato algorithm about a deconvolving solution are derived. Computer simulations show the efficiency of the proposed approach as compared to the Shalvi-Weinstein algorithm for deconvolving impulsive signals.
Reflective analysis: Techniques for facilitating reflection

This paper describes a number of techniques for facilitating reflective critical analysis as a means of eliciting in-depth reflections on practice. The authors have previously used similar techniques in the research context, to assist practitioners to identify and analyse the basis of their work with clients. The techniques presented in this paper have been adapted for use in social work education, including in class-based and field education contexts, and to professional supervision.
Preadolescents' Categorization of Gender and Ethnicity at the Subgroup Level in Memory.

The statement matching paradigm was used to examine how 10- to 13-year-olds categorized adults when both ethnicity and gender varied across targets. Forty-seven children watched a PowerPoint presentation of a conversation involving two Black men, two Black women, two White men and two White women. Each slide displayed the speaker's picture, name and the statement made. The children then were asked to determine who made each statement. The pattern of errors in their assignments was examined to assess how they spontaneously categorized the adults. More within-ethnicity within-gender errors (e.g. assigning a statement made by a White woman to the other White woman) were made than any other type of error. This implies that the targets were categorized at the subgroup level. In contrast to findings for adults, the children did not also categorize at the more global level of gender above and beyond the subgroup categorization.
Role of oral antimicrobial therapy in the management of osteomyelitis

Purpose of review Medical therapy of chronic osteomyelitis is largely based on experimental models, historical observational or non-randomized studies, and expert opinions. A minimum of 4-6 weeks of intravenous antimicrobial therapy targeting the causative organism, given in conjunction with surgery, has become the standard for chronic long-bone osteomyelitis in adults. Given the expense, inconvenience, and potential complications inherent to such a treatment program, alternative strategies including effective oral antimicrobial regimens are desirable. Recent findings Several oral antimicrobial agents have undergone evaluation for the treatment of acute and chronic osteomyelitis recently. These include fluoroquinolones, clindamycin, and linezolid. For the treatment of atypical causes of Gram-positive osteomyelitis, other oral therapies have been evaluated with reported success in small numbers of patients. Summary The standard of care for chronic osteomyelitis in adults remains intravenous antimicrobial therapy, in combination with surgery, for at least 4-6 weeks. Acute osteomyelitis in the pediatric population as well as osteomyelitis caused by atypical Gram-positive organisms and some Gram-negative organisms may be treated successfully with oral antibiotics. Some antimicrobials have equivalent concentration in serum whether administered orally or parenterally. When therapy with these antimicrobials is indicated, the oral route is preferred in compliant patients. As research continues in this area and as new drug formulations are developed, oral therapy may become an accepted alternative in additional selected patients.
Managing personality disordered offenders in the community

both age and gender. This book will appeal to a wide audience, ranging from lawyers to social scientists and practising clinicians. Its style renders it intelligible to both students and practitioners. There will be something in it of interest to anyone who works with women offenders in criminal justice or hospital settings. As a forensic psychiatrist working with women I found the chapters on women in prison and risk assessment particularly helpful and relevant. The book is well laid out and extensively referenced. Many of the issues related to the imprisonment of women are equally applicable to male offenders. This book should ideally find its way to the bed-side tables or, better, desks of the politicians and civil servants in whose hands lie the fate of so many offenders.
Impact of Personal Growth Projects on Leadership Identity Development.

Within personal leadership education courses, leadership educators should include experiences which help students develop themselves as leaders. In this article, the authors discuss results from a qualitative research study involving the analysis of Personal Growth Project (PGP) assignments in a personal leadership education collegiate course. The authors analyzed PGP assignments using the lens of the Leadership Identity Development model (Komives et al., 2005). All aspects of the developing self component of the model including deepening self-awareness, building self-confidence, establishing interpersonal efficacy, applying new skills,
Healthy human gut phageome

Significance Humans need a stable, balanced gut microbiome (GM) to be healthy. The GM is influenced by bacteriophages that infect bacterial hosts. In this work, bacteriophages associated with the GM of healthy individuals were analyzed, and a healthy gut phageome (HGP) was discovered. The HGP is composed of core and common bacteriophages common to healthy adult individuals and is likely globally distributed. We posit that the HGP plays a critical role in maintaining the proper function of a healthy GM. As expected, we found that the HGP is significantly decreased in individuals with gastrointestinal disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). Together, these results reveal a large community of human gut bacteriophages that likely contribute to maintaining human health. The role of bacteriophages in influencing the structure and function of the healthy human gut microbiome is unknown. With few exceptions, previous studies have found a high level of heterogeneity in bacteriophages from healthy individuals. To better estimate and identify the shared phageome of humans, we analyzed a deep DNA sequence dataset of active bacteriophages and available metagenomic datasets of the gut bacteriophage community from healthy individuals. We found 23 shared bacteriophages in more than one-half of 64 healthy individuals from around the world. These shared bacteriophages were found in a significantly smaller percentage of individuals with gastrointestinal/irritable bowel disease. A network analysis identified 44 bacteriophage groups of which 9 (20%) were shared in more than one-half of all 64 individuals. These results provide strong evidence of a healthy gut phageome (HGP) in humans. The bacteriophage community in the human gut is a mixture of three classes: a set of core bacteriophages shared among more than one-half of all people, a common set of bacteriophages found in 20–50% of individuals, and a set of bacteriophages that are either rarely shared or unique to a person. We propose that the core and common bacteriophage communities are globally distributed and comprise the HGP, which plays an important role in maintaining gut microbiome structure/function and thereby contributes significantly to human health.
A cycle-level SIMT-GPU simulation framework

The massive parallelism provided by the modern graphics processing units (GPUs) makes them the attractive processors to accelerate the applications with high data-level parallelism. Therefore, the GPU architecture has recently gained a lot of attention in research community. However, the advance in the GPU architecture is impeded by the limited documents released from the major GPU vendors. Furthermore, current studies on GPUs often focus only on general-purpose (GPGPU) applications. The behaviors of the graphics applications, which are considered as the major GPU workloads, are often overlooked in these studies. A GPU design good for the GPGPU applications is not necessarily good for the graphics applications. Therefore, a simulation framework that is able to provide performance characterization for both applications is mandatory for the innovation of the GPU architecture.
Mathisson' spinning electron: noncommutative mechanics & exotic Galilean symmetry, 66 years ago

The acceleration-dependent system with noncommuting coordinates, proposed by Lukierski, Stichel and Zakrzewski [Ann. Phys. 260, 224 (1997)] is derived as the non-relativistic limit of Mathisson's classical electron [Acta Physica Polonica 6, 218 (1937)], further discussed by Weyssenhoff and Raabe [Acta Physica Polonica 9, 7 (1947)]. The two-parameter centrally extended Galilean symmetry of the model is recoved using elementary methods. The relation to Schr\"odinger's Zitternde Elektron is indicated.
BAZF, a Novel Bcl6 Homolog, Functions as a Transcriptional Repressor

ABSTRACT The BCL6 gene, which has been identified from the chromosomal translocation breakpoint in B-cell lymphomas, functions as a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor. We cloned a novelBcl6-homologous gene, BAZF (encoding Bcl6-associated zinc finger protein). The predicted amino acid sequence of BAZF indicated that the BTB/POZ domain and the five repeats of the Krüppel-like zinc finger motif are located in the NH2-terminal region and the COOH-terminal region, respectively. BAZF associated with Bcl6 at the BTB/POZ domain and localized in the nucleus. Since zinc finger motifs of BAZF were 94% identical to those of Bcl6 at the amino acid level, BAZF bound specifically to the DNA-binding sequence of Bcl6 and functioned as a transcriptional repressor. The repressor activity was associated with both the BTB/POZ domain and the middle portion of BAZF. The 17-amino-acid sequence in the middle portion was completely conserved between BAZF and Bcl6, and the conserved region was critical for the repressor activity. Expression of BAZF mRNA, like that of Bcl6 mRNA, was induced in activated lymphocytes as an immediate-early gene. Therefore, the biochemical character of BAZF is similar to that of Bcl6 although the tissue expression pattern of BAZF differs from that ofBcl6. This is apparently the first report of a gene family whose members encode zinc finger proteins with the BTB/POZ domain.
Self-concept in Toddlers

Self-concept is the abstract idea of an individual held by that person. This article describes six aspects of the self-concept that develop in toddlerhood: (1) self-recognition, (2) self-representation, (3) self-description, (A) self-assertion, (5) self-evaluation, and (6) self-regulation. After a brief historical overview, the theoretical and empirical background and measurement examples are presented for each of these domains of self-concept. Finally, the authors use information about caregivers' influence on the self-concept and the overlap with mastery motivation to suggest applications of this model. The intervention ideas are based on three dimensions of the socializing environment: (1) the provision of inanimate objects, (2) emotional communication, and (3) instrumental interaction.
Developmental Dynamics between Children's Externalizing Problems, Task-Avoidant Behavior, and Academic Performance in Early School Years: A 4-Year Follow-Up.

This longitudinal study investigated the associations among children’s externalizing problems, task-avoidant behavior, and academic performance in early school years. The participants were 586 children (43% girls, 57% boys). Data pertaining to externalizing problems (teacher ratings) and task-avoidant behaviors (mother and teacher ratings) were gathered, and the children were tested yearly on their academic performance in Grades 1–4. The results were similar for both genders. The analyses supported a mediation model: high externalizing problems in Grades 1 and 2 were linked with low academic performance in Grades 3 and 4 through increases in task-avoidant behavior in Grades 2 and 3. The results also provided evidence for a reversed mediator model: low academic performance in Grades 1 and 2 was associated with high externalizing problems in Grades 3 and 4 via high task avoidance in Grades 2 and 3. These findings emphasize the need to examine externalizing problems, task-avoidant behavior, and academic performance conjointly to understand their developmental dynamics in early school years.
Contract enforcement and growth out of steady state ∗

In the world of thin markets and immature legal systems, market failure arises due to contracting problems. Multilateral reputation mechanisms may alleviate such problems in static environments, but may not be fully effective in evolving, out-of-steady-state economies. Building on insights from modern law economics corroborated by recent evidence, we propose a dynamic theory of adjustment of these mechanisms. In so doing we conceptualize “emergence of trust” in conventional game-theoretic terms. We model an economy with no public system of contract enforcement, where restructuring increases both productivity and exposure to hold-up. The fundamental conundrum is how to make firms restructure, if the degree of restructuring is unobservable. We show that there exists a decentralized adjustment path leading to “cooperative” steady state along which firms restructure continuously at the common pace with no formal coordination. This path is constrained efficient despite the unobservability of individual restructuring. As the second part of the paper argues, in economies hit by a major structural shock the transition to the new steady state may be marred by contracting difficulties due to fundamental, non-legal limitations of liability. Existing networks are expected to be eventually replaced by new networks of restructured firms. This shortens the effective horizons of the agents and spoils the calculation of strategic benefits of cooperative behavior, resulting in a period of relatively primitive economic activity.
A Simplified Nearest Level Control (NLC) Voltage Balancing Method for Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC)

In this paper, a simplified nearest level control balancing method for modular multilevel converter is presented. The proposed method neither requires individual sorting of the submodule voltages nor the redundancy of the switching states. Once the sorting of the submodules is done on the basis of the number of the submodules to be switched on, the identifications of the submodules can be carried out throughout the stages of the implementation of the this method. The proposed method also does not require the individual submodule status in the gate pulse generation stage. The gate logic in the presented method can be implemented with the help of the switching states of the voltage levels. Those simplifications and removing of the some of the stages by the proposed balancing method may ease and lead to the less processor time at the implementation level. The pictorial presentation further helps in consolidating the understanding of the different stages of the method. Rigorous simulations are carried out for open and one of the prominent closed-loop applications, i.e., modular multilevel converter-based high-voltage direct current to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed simplified balancing method under normal and emergency conditions.
Towards improving security testability of AADL architecture models

Today computer systems are becoming very complex and often depending on some off-the-shelf components or external service providers. Validating the security aspects of these systems is a highly challenging goal, especially when we target security critical systems where guarantees must be provided on the robustness of the produced systems. Model Driven Engineering (MDE) is becoming popular and well accepted in both academia and critical systems industry. In our work, we aim to propose a novel MDE compliant security validation methodology based on architecture model based testing. In this paper, we focus on security modeling for improving the testability of the architecture models and facilitating the evaluation of the proposed test generation and selection methods. More specifically, we are interested in extending the SAE standard AADL [1] to improve the quality of the security test cases generated from AADL models.
Balneophototherapy – combined treatment of psoriasis vulgaris and atopic dermatitis with salt water baths and artificial ultraviolet radiation

Itraconazole is an orally administered broad-spectrum triazole fungistatic agent that is effective against dermatophyte, dimorphic and dematiaceous fungi, yeasts and some moulds. Terbinafine belongs to a newer class of compounds called the allylamines, which are fungicidal rather than fungistatic. 1 Comparisons between continuous terbinafine and continuous itraconazole have found terbinafine to be more effective in several studies. 2,3
The level of expression of the rat growth hormone gene in liver tumor cells is at least eight orders of magnitude less than that in anterior pituitary cells

Rat liver hepatoma cells (HTC) which express liver-specific gene products were assayed for the expression of the rat growth hormone (rGH) gene, which is normally expressed in anterior pituitary somatotrophs. The combination of immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis provided a highly sensitive assay for rGH synthesis at levels as low as one part in 10(9) of cell protein synthesis (or four molecules of rGH per cell). No rGH expression was detected at this level. The lack of expression in HTC cells did not derive from a deletion of the rGH gene, as shown by Southern hybridization analysis of genomic DNA. Because the gene is expressed at greater than 30% of anterior pituitary protein synthesis, differentiation regulated rGH expression by over 10(8)-fold between the two cell types. Additionally, DNA-excess solution hybridization was used to measure the level of rGH mRNA sequences. A novel and general method for preparing single-strand probes from recombinant plasmids was developed. Hybridization analyses with a sensitivity of detection of 1 part in 10(8) failed to detect any rGH RNA sequences in either the nucleus or cytoplasm of HTC cells. It is concluded, therefore, that the restriction in rGH expression in the liver tumor cells is likely to occur at the level of the transcription of the gene, and that for all practical purposes, the rGH gene is completely shut off in the hepatoma cells.
Using Social Exchange Theory to Distinguish Procedural from Interactional Justice

Organizational justice researchers have long debated the distinction between procedural and interactional justice. Recently, several researchers have proposed that procedural and interactional justice can be distinguished from one another using social exchange theory. In particular, procedural justice applies more to the exchange between the individual and employing organization, whereas interactional justice generally refers to the exchange between the individual and his or her supervisor. If this theory is correct, procedural justice should be more closely associated with reactions toward upper management and organizational policies, whereas interactional justice should be more closely associated with reactions toward one’s supervisor and job performance. These predictions were tested in a field study involving approximately 107 employees and their supervisors. Predictions were generally confirmed, though there were some unexpected findings.