Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards an Intelligent Multimodal Biometric Identification System

the goal of this project is to bring together and integrates the work of the laboratory team members in order to get a practical realization of an Intelligent Multimodal Biometric Identification System. This last exploits the vocal and visual properties of a person to carry out, her or his, identification. To improve classification performance, the system will have a virtual character module which can exchange information with the person to be identified according to a random survey (based on information provided previously). Our first objective is to equip our laboratory with a powerful access control system able to identify the members of the lab and follows them where ever they go helping them with all kind of information they may be in need to .
Exemplar-based pattern recognition via semi-supervised learning

The focus of this paper is semi-supervised learning in the context of pattern recognition. Semi-supervised learning (SSL) refers to the semi-supervised construction of clusters during the training phase of exemplar-based classifiers. Using artificially generated data sets we present experimental results of classifiers that follow the SSL paradigm and we show that, especially for difficult pattern recognition problems featuring high class overlap, for exemplar-based classifiers implementing SSL i) the generalization performance improves, while ii) the number of necessary exemplars decreases significantly, when compared to the original versions of the classifiers.
An Analysis of Sensor-Oriented vs. Model-Based Activity Recognition

Model-based activity recognition has been recently proposed as an alternative to signal-oriented recognition. Such model-based approaches seem attractive due to their ability to enable user-independent activity recognition and due to their improved robustness to signal-variation. The first goal of this paper is therefore to systematically analyze the benefit of body-model derived primitives in different sensor settings for multi activity recognition. Furthermore we propose a new body-model based approach using accelerometer sensors only thereby reducing the sensor requirements significantly. Results on a 20 activity dataset indicate that body-model based approaches consistently improve results over signal-oriented approaches.
Structural ensemble and microscopic elasticity of freely diffusing DNA by direct measurement of fluctuations

Significance Deformation of the double helix is a ubiquitous feature of the protein–DNA interactions that regulate, replicate, repair, and pack DNA in cells. Understanding the energetics of DNA deformation is therefore of central importance. DNA is generally modeled as a linear elastic rod, but it has not been possible to test this directly by observing the nanometer-scale bending and twisting of the helix. Using an X-ray interferometry technique, we measured the structural fluctuations of a short B-form duplex. The results expose a potential nonlinearity of DNA elasticity and illustrate how to measure the structural ensemble of a freely diffusing macromolecule. Precisely measuring the ensemble of conformers that a macromolecule populates in solution is highly challenging. Thus, it has been difficult to confirm or falsify the predictions of nanometer-scale dynamical modeling. Here, we apply an X-ray interferometry technique to probe the solution structure and fluctuations of B-form DNA on a length scale comparable to a protein-binding site. We determine an extensive set of intrahelix distance distributions between pairs of probes placed at distinct points on the surface of the DNA duplex. The distributions of measured distances reveal the nature and extent of the thermally driven mechanical deformations of the helix. We describe these deformations in terms of elastic constants, as is common for DNA and other polymers. The average solution structure and microscopic elasticity measured by X-ray interferometry are in striking agreement with values derived from DNA–protein crystal structures and measured by force spectroscopy, with one exception. The observed microscopic torsional rigidity of DNA is much lower than is measured by single-molecule twisting experiments, suggesting that torsional rigidity increases when DNA is stretched. Looking forward, molecular-level interferometry can provide a general tool for characterizing solution-phase structural ensembles.
Navegación espacial en niños en un laberinto circular: la interacción entre diferentes marcos geométricos de referencia

Various theories attempt to explain the strategies of navigation used by children under 6 years old, principle amongst which is the use of geometry. The aim of this study was the spatial orientation applied by 3 and 6- year-old children and their use of different geometric frames of reference and the proximal guide. Children use geometry as the theory of the adaptive combination predicts. 20 six-year-old children and 20 threeyear-old children. The experimental study used a circular maze in which the children had to find a hidden object. The children were split into two groups: those who were disoriented with respect to the outer room, and those who were not disoriented. The 3-year-old children need the geometric information of the outer room, the 6-year-old are also able to use the proximal guide and can use the geometry of the experimental enclosure when their learning has made available the geometry of the room. The results support the theory of adaptive combination, rather than the geometric modules. Furthermore, the presence of reliable geometric frames of reference facilitates the use of other types of keys that are not used in their absence.
Challenging the anomaly detection paradigm: a provocative discussion

In 1987, Dorothy Denning published the seminal paper on anomaly detection as applied to intrusion detection on a single system. Her paper sparked a new paradigm in intrusion detection research with the notion that malicious behavior could be distinguished from normal system use. Since that time, a great deal of anomaly detection research based on Denning's original premise has occurred. However, Denning's assumptions about anomalies that originate on a single host have been applied essentially unaltered to networks. In this paper we question the application of Denning's work to network based anomaly detection, along with other assumptions commonly made in network-based detection research. We examine the assumptions underlying selected studies of network anomaly detection and discuss these assumptions in the context of the results from studies of network traffic patterns. The purpose of questioning the old paradigm of anomaly detection as a strategy for network intrusion detection is to reconfirm the paradigm as sound or begin the process of replacing it with a new paradigm in light of changes in the operating environment.
Heritability of Nestling Begging Intensity in the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Evolutionary theory of parent-offspring conflict assumes that offspring food solicitation behavior, known as begging, and parental response to begging are subjected to selection and coevolution. This assumption implies that begging intensity should be heritable, at least to some degree. Although some studies have suggested that begging is heritable, the evidence for this is rare and mostly indirect. To assess the heritability of begging we used artificial selection, sibling analysis, and the monitoring of begging intensity in four generations of cross-fostered captive house sparrow nestlings. We also contrasted the heritability of begging with that of morphological traits, known to be heritable in this species. Our results show that adult wing length and body mass were heritable as expected. The heritability estimates of the visual and vocal components of nestling begging (standardized for food deprivation and body mass) were low to moderate, as expected for behavioral traits in general, and lower than previously reported for passerine birds. Our sibling analysis shows that common environment had much greater effect on begging than genetic origin, suggesting that begging evolution may be strongly influenced by gene-environment interaction, probably through the mechanisms that adjust begging response to environmental and social conditions.
Artificial Bandwidth Extension of Speech & Its Applications in Wireless Communication Systems: A Review

In the recent scenario of wired and wireless communication systems, amongst many reasons for the overall degradation of recovered speech quality at receiver, one of the major reasons to be considered is utilization of Narrow Band (NB) end devices and NB transmission medium supporting bandwidth of 300 Hz-3400Hz. The inherent drawback of such NB speech signal is it sounds muffled and thin because of absence of High Band (HB) spectral components. With state of the art development of communication technologies and with increased availability of end terminals capable of transmitting and receiving Wide Band (WB) signals (having bandwidth from 50 Hz to 7000 Hz), end users prefer to listen to WB speech. In order to offer a fully WB communication over wired and wireless media, both end devices and network need to be made WB compatible. A long transition period has been elapsed for upgrading existing NB systems (both end terminals and network) to fully WB compatible systems. In-between new methods have been developed to artificially extend the bandwidth of NB telephonic speech at receiver for improving the quality of recovered speech. A major task of Artificial Bandwidth Extension (ABE) is to reconstruct missing WB spectral components at receiver with the use of available NB speech. This paper discusses motivation for developing ABE algorithm along with exhaustive comparative studies of implementing it with various approaches. Issues and limitations related to real time implementation of ABE algorithm are also addressed. Alternative approaches like usage of ABE with side information transmission along with coded NB speech are also demonstrated. Main objective of ABE with side information is to extract WB spectral components from WB input speech and to embed these derived spectral components into coded NB speech signal and finally transmit them onto a NB channel. Reverse procedure can be carried out at receiver to artificially produce WB speech. Here, it is to be noted that transmission channel is NB whereas end terminals are made WB compatible so this method provides alternative solution to coexisting state of the art WB coders (which require WB channels) while offering comparable speech quality and giving natural sounding in terms of intelligibility and naturalness.
A Progress Report Submitted for Continuation towards a Phd Narrative as a Form of Knowledge Transfer, Narrative Theory and Semantics: Present Challenges -future Possibilities a Progress Report Submitted for Continuation towards a Phd

An increase in digital multimedia data, has presented computer scientists with the key problem of large-scale information management. The Semantic Web vision proposes the publishing of information as semanticly accessible resources. Current methods of querying and browsing such rich knowledge bases require an understanding of the domain at hand that can not be asked of end-users. This progress report aims to present how Narratives, that are core to our method of conceptualising our environment, can be used to present targeted knowledge to an end-user. Ontology definitions are promoted as the fundamental building blocks for annotating these multimedia resources and are presented as key to this research. The main contribution of this paper is the identification of the shortcomings of existing narrative generation systems, followed by the identification of techniques that could be adopted to overcome these deficiencies.
Execution Environment Support for Many Core Heterogeneous Accelerator Platforms

We are seeing the advent of large scale, heterogeneous systems comprised of homogeneous general purpose cores intermingled with customized heterogeneous cores and interconnected to diverse memory hierarchies. The presence of accelerators requires support for new programming abstractions and run-time environments that can efficiently harvest platform resources comprised of general purpose and specialized processing cores, their diverse memory units and memory management support, and communication links that connect them. This paper describes an execution model and systems infrastructure for modeling and supporting multiaccelerator architectures in general and experiences with an implementation for interconnected network of Cell Broadband engine processors in particular. The primary contributions of this paper are i) a pooled accelerator execution model for orchestrating computations on and data movements across multiple accelerators, ii) an API for implementing the model effectively and iii) a distributed simulation environment for modeling multiple, communicating Cell/B.E. processors.
SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON SOUND AND VIBRATION

This work is concerned with the performance of adaptive filters with both poles and zeros in active noise control (ANC) applications. This filtered-error type of applications makes it necessary to modify classical adaptive algorithms to cancel the noise. Thus, a well established theory exists for filtered-error adaptive FIR filters, with a special mention for the FxLMS algorithm. However, when it comes to filtered-error adaptive IIR filters, convergence conditions are not so well understood. IIR filters are specially suited to those scenarios where feedback from the canceling loudspeaker to the primary source presents high values, and the performance of the cancellation with a fixed filter is not as good as desired. In this work we present the study of the convergence of a family of adaptive IIR algorithms appropriately modified for handling filtered-error situations. The results are particularized for Eriksson’s algorithm FuRLMS, a popular scheme whose global convergence has never been proved formally. Conditions for the convergence of FuRLMS are shown to be an extension of those for FxLMS. Finally, some results based on real measurements are also presented.
Cognitive Grammar in Contemporary Fiction

This book proposes an extension of Cognitive Grammar (Langacker 1987, 1991, 2008) towards a cognitive discourse grammar, through the unique environment that literary stylistic application offers. Drawing upon contemporary research in cognitive stylistics (Text World Theory, deixis and mind-modelling, amongst others), the volume scales up central Cognitive Grammar concepts (such as construal, grounding, the reference point model and action chains) in order to explore the attenuation of experience – and how it is simulated – in literary reading. In particular, it considers a range of contemporary texts by Neil Gaiman, Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Safran Foer, Ian McEwan and Paul Auster. This application builds upon previous work that adopts Cognitive Grammar for literary analysis and provides the first extended account of Cognitive Grammar in contemporary fiction.
An integrated agent-oriented approach to real-time operational design coordination

Within the engineering design community there is support for further research into the development of improved approaches to design management. Such research has lead to coordination being identified as an important and pervasive characteristic of many existing approaches (e.g., concurrent engineering and work-flow management). In this article, operational design coordination is proposed as the basis for an improved approach. This article also presents a novel integrated approach that incorporates the key elements of operational design coordination: coherence, communication, task management, resource management, schedule management, and real-time support. Through unifying these key elements, this approach provides an integrated means of managing design in a controlled and harmonious fashion. The approach also provides knowledge of the constituent techniques involved in operational design coordination, the interrelationships and dynamic interactions between them, and the knowledge used and maintained within and between them. The approach has been realized within an agent-oriented system called the Design Coordination System, which provides a systematic means of simultaneously coordinating operational management tasks and technical design tasks. To evaluate the approach, the system has been applied to an industrial case study involving the computational process of turbine blade design. This application has been shown to enable the structured undertaking of interrelated tasks by allocating and using resources of varying performance efficiency in an optimized fashion in accordance with dynamically derived schedules in a coherent, appropriate, and timely manner. This is achieved by managing tasks, their dependencies, and the information required to undertake them. In addition, the approach enables and sustains the continuous optimized use of resources by monitoring, forecasting, and disseminating resource performance efficiency. The approach facilitates dynamic scheduling and the subsequent enactment of the resulting schedules. Decision making for rescheduling is also incorporated within the approach such that it is only performed as and when appropriate. If rescheduling is performed, it is done so in parallel with task enactment such that resources continue to be utilized in an optimized manner.
Accuracy of distance metric learning algorithms

In this paper, we wanted to compare distance metric-learning algorithms on UCI datasets. We wanted to assess the accuracy of these algorithms in many situations, perhaps some that they were not initially designed for. We looked for many algorithms and chose four of them based on our criteria. We also selected six UCI datasets. From the data's labels, we create similarity dataset that will be used to train and test the algorithms. The nature of each dataset is different (size, dimension), and the algorithms' results may vary because of these parameters. We also wanted to have some robust algorithms on dataset whose similarity is not perfect, whose the labels are no well defined. This occurs in multi-labeled datasets or even worse in human-built ones. To simulate this, we injected contradictory data and observed the behavior of the algorithms. This study seeks for a reliable algorithm in such scenarios keeping in mind future uses in recommendation processes.
Design and Analysis of Private-Preserving Dot Product Protocol

Private-preserving shared dot product protocol is an important protocol of many secure multi-party computation problems. It has been the main building block of various data mining algorithms with privacy concerns, and providing fundamental security guarantee for many privacy-preserving data mining algorithms. In this paper, we construct a privacy-preserving two-party shared dot product protocol based on some basic cryptographic techniques which is provably secure in malicious model; this protocol has more security than those of previous protocols in the semi-honest model. The potential areas of application of this protocol are numerous, for example, computation of Euclidean distance, privacy-preserving computational geometry, privacy-preserving cooperative statistical analysis and so on.
Activation of interleukin-1 beta gene expression during retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of promyeloid leukemia cells.

We have examined the expression of the interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) gene during the granulocytic differentiation of two promyeloid leukemia cell lines, HL-60 and NB4. HL-60 is known to differentiate along the granulocytic pathway after treatment with 13-trans-retinoic acid (13-trans-RA), whereas treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) leads to development of mature macrophages. NB4 cells are derived from the bone marrow of an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient in relapse, have a translocated RA receptor-alpha, and are converted into nondividing granulocytes by 13-trans-RA treatment. When HL-60 or NB4 were cultured in the presence of 13-trans-RA, IL-1 beta mRNA and protein levels were increased. In the more mature THP-1 cells which are induced to macrophage-like cells by 13-trans-RA treatment, RA was unable to induce any IL-1 beta expression, implying that the effect of 13-trans-RA is associated with granulocytic differentiation. Moreover, PMA and 13-trans-RA had a strong synergistic effect in the induction of IL-1 beta gene expression. Nuclear run-off analysis indicated that the increased IL-1 beta gene expression was due to an enhanced rate of transcription. When the cells were transfected with an IL-1 beta-X-CAT reporter plasmid containing the -2982/-2748 promoter segment of the IL-1 beta gene conferring responsiveness to PMA, both NB4 and HL-60 cells responded with increased CAT activity when stimulated with 13-trans-RA alone. In contrast to PMA, 13-trans-RA was unable to increase AP-1 enhancer activity. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Updating a Generalized URV Decomposition

An updating scheme for a quotient type generalization of a URV decomposition of two matrices is introduced. This decomposition allows low complexity updating as rows are added to two rectangular matrices, determining the dimension of three distinct subspaces. One of these subspaces is the intersection of the range space of the two matrices---information which leads to a potential application in subspace algorithms for system identification.
Semantic graph based approach for text mining

A semantic network is a graphical notation, for representing knowledge in form of interconnected nodes and arcs. In this paper we propose a novel approach to construct a semantic graph from a text document. Our approach considers all the nouns of a document and builds a semantic graph, such that it represents entire document. We think that our graph captures many properties of the text documents and can be used for different application in the field of text mining and NLP, such as keyword extraction and to know the nature of the document. Our approach to construct a semantic graph is independent of any language. We performed an experimental analysis to validate our results to extract keywords of document and to derive nature of graph. We present the experimental result on construction of graph on FIRE data set and present its application for keyword extraction and commenting on the nature of document.
Jung and Christology

Can Jungian thought help revitalize Christology for modern believers? First, a survey of Jung's comments on Jesus shows his portrayal of a charismatic young rabbi who came to embody the cardinal archetype of the Self. But he lost contact with his shadow side (the figure of Satan thus gaining differentiation) and on the cross was forsaken by Yahweh. So the incarnation, incomplete in Jesus, yearns for fulfillment through the individuation (“Christification”) of each Christian. Second, a mixed evaluation seems required by theology. Jung offers valuable resources to Christology by his depiction of Jesus’ suffering and true humanity in a cross-cultural setting and by his summons to a responsible imitatio Christi. But theology must object to Jung's idiosyncratic exegesis, his docetic figure of Christ, the absence of any resurrection, and the disjuncture of Jesus both from earthly evil and from a sadistic God of wrath.