Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning Image Attributes using the Indian Buffet Process

In the domain of object recognition and image classification, a recent trend is to use image properties or attributes to represent the images. Most of the proposed models in the past require that the number of attributes and attribute semantics be specified in advance. In this paper, we propose a generative model for image attributes that combine attribute-based vision models and feature-based nonparamatric models. We learn the model using Gibbs sampling. Qualitatively, we demonstrate the learned attributes of images in three categories. Quantitatively, we show that our model outperforms simple baseline methods in image retrieval and transfer learning tasks.
Saxitoxin Puffer Fish Poisoning in the United States, with the First Report of Pyrodinium bahamense as the Putative Toxin Source

Background From January 2002 to May 2004, 28 puffer fish poisoning (PFP) cases in Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York were linked to the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in Florida. Saxitoxins (STXs) of unknown source were first identified in fillet remnants from a New Jersey PFP case in 2002. Methods We used the standard mouse bioassay (MBA), receptor binding assay (RBA), mouse neuroblastoma cytotoxicity assay (MNCA), Ridascreen ELISA, MIST Alert assay, HPLC, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to determine the presence of STX, decarbamoyl STX (dc-STX), and N-sulfocarbamoyl (B1) toxin in puffer fish tissues, clonal cultures, and natural bloom samples of Pyrodinium bahamense from the IRL. Results We found STXs in 516 IRL southern (Sphoeroides nephelus), checkered (Sphoeroides testudineus), and bandtail (Sphoeroides spengleri) puffer fish. During 36 months of monitoring, we detected STXs in skin, muscle, and viscera, with concentrations up to 22,104 μg STX equivalents (eq)/100 g tissue (action level, 80 μg STX eq/100 g tissue) in ovaries. Puffer fish tissues, clonal cultures, and natural bloom samples of P. bahamense from the IRL tested toxic in the MBA, RBA, MNCA, Ridascreen ELISA, and MIST Alert assay and positive for STX, dc-STX, and B1 toxin by HPLC and LC-MS. Skin mucus of IRL southern puffer fish captive for 1-year was highly toxic compared to Florida Gulf coast puffer fish. Therefore, we confirm puffer fish to be a hazardous reservoir of STXs in Florida’s marine waters and implicate the dinoflagellate P. bahamense as the putative toxin source. Conclusions Associated with fatal paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in the Pacific but not known to be toxic in the western Atlantic, P. bahamense is an emerging public health threat. We propose characterizing this food poisoning syndrome as saxitoxin puffer fish poisoning (SPFP) to distinguish it from PFP, which is traditionally associated with tetrodotoxin, and from PSP caused by STXs in shellfish.
Shadow Maps

Shadow mapping is a convenient way to generate real-time shadows in computer graphics. This paper gives you an insight into this technique with discussion of the benefits and drawbacks. The last two decades have introduced numerous improvements on the method. The basic ideas of these techniques are presented, though full detail descriptions are clearly outside the scope. The last part summarizes the current situation up and tries to predict some future trends.
Wages and the Intensity of Labor Effort: Efficiency Wages Versus Compensating Payments

The distinction between efficiency wages and compensating payments is, at best, rather vague in both the theoretical and empirical literatures positing a relationship between wages and the intensity of labor effort. ' While efficiency wages and compensating payments are both related to work intensity, the mechanisms that generate these relationships are in each case quite distinct. Compensating payments exist in competitive labor markets to equalize overall compensation across identical workers with dissimilar working conditions. Workers who expend more labor effort must be paid more or they will seek employment elsewhere. Efficiency wages are employment rents paid by firms in order to ensure adequate labor effort. These rents vary with the costs firms face in monitoring labor effort. They cannot be competed away because without employment rents, profit-maximizing levels of work intensity would not be forthcoming. In this paper we distinguish between the efficiency wage and compensating payments components in wage differences across workers and firms. In the first section of the paper, we use a theoretical model of optimal labor effort choice by workers and firms to make these two com-
The Effect of Tax and Expenditure Limitations on the Revenue Structure of Local Government, 1962–87

This study estimates the impact of local tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on the level and structure of local government revenue. Using a panel data set on 2955 counties (1962-87), this study demonstrates that TELs decrease the level of property and "other" taxes, but increase the level of miscellaneous revenue, partially offsetting the decrease in taxes. Thus, TELs shift the revenue structure of local government away from taxes and toward miscellaneous revenue. However, more stringent TEL laws eliminate local government's ability to increase the level of miscellaneous revenue to offset the decrease in taxes.
Computer vision framework for adding CG Simulations

Rendering synthetic simulations into real world scenes is an important application of both Computer Graphics (CG) and Computer Vision (CV). CV techniques have been used to reconstruct the 3D models of the real world scenes. As part of my course project, I’ve implemented computer vision modules for calibrating camera, computing stereo, computing depth-maps, computing 3D models and a graphics interactive tool for adding simulations into this 3D model obtained from the stereo video.
The Northern Sky Optical Cluster Survey. II. An Objective Cluster Catalog for 5800 Square Degrees

We present a new, objectively defined catalog of candidate galaxy clusters based on the galaxy catalogs from the digitized Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. This cluster catalog, derived from the best calibrated plates in the high-latitude (|b| > 30°) northern Galactic cap region, covers 5800 deg2 and contains 8155 candidate clusters. A simple adaptive kernel density mapping technique, combined with the SExtractor object detection algorithm, is used to detect galaxy overdensities, which we identify as clusters. Simulations of the background galaxy distribution and clusters of varying richnesses and redshifts allow us to optimize detection parameters and measure the completeness and contamination rates for our catalog. Cluster richnesses and photometric redshifts are measured, using integrated colors and magnitudes for each cluster. An extensive spectroscopic survey is used to confirm the photometric results. This catalog, with well-characterized sample properties, provides a sound basis for future studies of cluster physics and large-scale structure.
Constraints on the Structure of Dark Matter Halos from the Rotation Curves of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

We reexamine the disk-halo decompositions of the rotation curves of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies with Vmax ≥ 80 km s-1, taking full account of the effects of beam smearing. We show that the spatial resolution of the data is not sufficient to put any meaningful constraints on the density profiles of the dark halos, or on cosmological parameters. This is in strong contrast to claims made in the literature that these LSB rotation curves are only consistent with dark matter halos with shallow central cusps, and it has important implications regarding the halos of LSB galaxies, such as the self-similarity of their rotation curves, and their inconsistency with certain cosmological models or with cold dark matter altogether. Only in one case are the data of sufficient spatial resolution to obtain reliable constraints on the slope of the central density distribution of the dark matter halo. For this single case, we find a central cusp ρ ∝ r-α with 0.55 < α < 1.26 at the 99.73% confidence level. This contrasts strongly with the results for two dwarf galaxies (Vmax < 70 km s-1) that we analyze, which yield α < 0.5 at the same level of confidence. This possibly suggests that halos with constant-density cores are restricted to low-mass systems. We show that violent outflows of baryonic matter by supernova feedback can reproduce this mass dependence of halo cusp slopes.
The Effectiveness of Private Versus Public Schools in Indonesia: Comment

I reestimate Bedi and Garg estimation of differential earnings of public-private junior secondary school in Indonesia. I replicate Bedi and Garg method by using Bedi and Garg’s sample data and creating a new sample data base on the original updated IFLS1 data (Indonesia Family Life Survey 1 codename IFLS1-RR). I use the same methodology as Bedi and Garg with the latest Stata command to confirm Bedi and Garg’s major conclusion. Using selmlog and decompose Stata techniques, I find the evidence that contradictive with Bedi and Garg’s conclusion as the public schools graduated earn higher than other graduates from private schools.
Lutein Has a Protective Effect on Hepatotoxicity Induced by Arsenic via Nrf2 Signaling

Arsenic produces liver disease through the oxidative stress. While lutein can alleviate cytotoxic and oxidative injury, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway plays a critical role in defending oxidative species. However, the mechanisms by which lutein protects the liver against the effect of arsenic are not known. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms involved in the action of lutein using mice model in which hepatotoxicity was induced by arsenic. We found that mice treatment with lutein could reverse changes in morphological and liver indexes and result in a significant improvement in hepatic function comparing with arsenic trioxide group. Lutein treatment improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuated increasing of ROS and MDA induced by arsenic trioxide. Lutein could increase the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 signaling related genes (Nrf2, Nqo1, Ho-1, and Gst). These findings provide additional evidence that lutein may be useful for reducing reproductive injury associated with oxidative stress by the activation of Nrf2 signaling. Our findings suggest a possible mechanism of antioxidant lutein in preventing the hepatotoxicity, which implicate that a dietary lutein may be a potential treatment for liver diseases, especially for arsenicosis therapy.
Electrical characterization of Pd-PdO nanocomposites and PdO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of Pd

Electrical characterization of nanometric PdO films produced by thermal oxidation of Pd films in air at atmospheric pressure is reported. The PdO films were characterized using the van der Pauw-Hall method to establish the effects of oxidation degree of Pd thin films. The measured carrier mobility is directly related to the oxidation rate and film thickness. The produced films are n-type with carrier concentration of 1017 to 1020 cm−3 and electron mobility of 22–38 and 20–28 cm2/Vs for complete and partially oxidized films, respectively. XRD studies were used as a tool to determine the complete oxidation of the Pd film considering the volume change in the unit cells of Pd and PdO.
Association of CD 4 + CD 25 + Foxp 3 + regulatory T cells with chronic activity and viral clearance in patients with hepatitis

Chronic activity of hepatitis B is thought to involve aberrant immune tolerance of unknown mechanism. In this study, we examined the role of CD4CD25Foxp3 regulatory T cells in disease activity and viral clearance in hepatitis B. Patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CAH) and asymptomatic HBV carriers (AsC) exhibited a significantly high frequency of CD4CD25Foxp3 T cells as opposed to that of controls and resolved HBV infection. These CD4CD25 T cells expressed an elevated level of Foxp3 and displayed increased inhibitory activity towards both CD4CD25 and CD8 effector cells. They were found to accumulate in liver biopsy tissue of CAH patients as opposed to controls. The frequency of CD4CD25Foxp3 T cells correlated positively with hepatitis B envelope (HBe) antigen status and serum HBV DNA copy numbers and had a converse relationship with HBe antibody status in patients with CAH and AsC. It was evident that in these patients, the increased frequency of CD4CD25Foxp3 T cells was associated with serum levels of transforming growth factor-b known to promote peripheral conversion of CD4CD25 T cells to CD4CD25Foxp3 regulatory T cells. The findings provide new insights into the role of CD4CD25Foxp3 regulatory T cells in chronic activity and viral clearance in chronic hepatitis B.
Multiuser diversity for MIMO-Y channel: Max-min selection and diversity analysis

In this paper, a MIMO-Y channel based three-group information exchange problem is considered, where users from each group would like to exchange information with the other users in another two groups. In particular, a Max-Min user selection is proposed, which aims to harvest the multiuser diversity gain for reliable transmission in the MIMO-Y channel. The impacts of user configurations on the multiuser diversity gains are investigated by theoretical bounds as well as numerical results. It is shown that, by adding a few users in only one or two groups, the overall system performance can be improved significantly. This observation reveals an interesting behavior of MIMO-Y channel, i.e., the local configuration has a global impact. However, we prove that such asymmetrical multiuser diversity gain does not scale with the number of users. Finally, we show that multiuser diversity gain scales with the number of users if we add an equal number of users in all three groups.
Novel roles of PAK1 in the heart

Our work and others’ over the past few years have led to the identification of new roles of PAK1 in cardiac physiology, such as the regulation of cardiac ion channel and actomyosin function. More recent studies have revealed that PAK1-deficient mice were vulnerable to cardiac hypertrophy and readily progress to failure under sustained pressure overload and susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our further study indicated that the PAK1 activator FTY720 was able to prevent this pressure overload-induced hypertrophy in wild-type mice without compromising their cardiac functions. A cardiac protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury by FTY720 was also observed in both rat and mouse models by us and others. Thus, these studies suggest that PAK1 is more important in the heart than previously thought, in particular a therapeutic potential of PAK1 activators. In the future, in-depth investigations are required to further substantiate our hypotheses on mechanisms for PAK1 function in the heart and to explore a therapeutic potential of FTY720 and other PAK1 activators in heart disease „conditions.
Frequent Itemset mining over transactional data streams using Item-Order-Tree

The association rule mining is one of the important area for research in data mining. In association rule mining online association rule mining is one of the hottest area due to the reason that the knowledge embedded in the data stream is more likely to be changed as time goes by. This paper proposes an algorithm as well as a data structure for online data mining. In this method the pruning in the data structure as well as the frequent itemset generation will be based on the request. The data structure which we introducing will have the capability to maintain the transactions in the sorted order. Every transaction can be extracted from the item-Order-Tree as by doing the traversal in depth. Frequent itemset can be generated as by do the traversal from the parent node that the user requested for. This ItemOrder-Tree improves the performance of the online association rule mining. KeywordsFrequent Itemset, Freequent Itemset Mining , Online Data Mining, Item-Order-Tree
Fractal Diffraction Grating

We consider an optical diffraction grating in which the spatial distribution of open slits forms a fractal set. The Fraunhofer diffraction patterns through the fractal grating are obtained analytically for the simplest triad Cantor type and its generalized version. The resulting interference patterns exhibit characteristics of the original fractals and their scaling properties.
Emulation versus Comparative Advantage: Competing and Complementary Principles in the History of Economic Policy

The objective of this chapter is to show how economic policies based on completely different principles - one described as 'emulation' and the other as 'comparative advantage' - have been strategically employed in order to achieve economic development when nations have made the transition from poor to wealthy. It also briefly describes key aspects of the process by which Europe, through emulation, developed from a collection of fief- doms ruled by warlords into city-states and later to nation-states. It is argued that the timing of the strategic shift from emulation to comparative advantage is of utmost importance to a nation. Making this policy shift too early will hamper development much as a late shift will do. It is argued that these principles, although sometimes under different names, were well known and employed by European nations from the seventeenth century onwards.in the United States all the way to the end of the nineteenth cen- tury.and that the Marshall Plan implemented more than 60 years ago owed its success to putting the principle of emulation chronologically ahead of comparative advantage.
DESIGN OF OPTIMAL ORTHONORMAL WAVELET FILTER BANKS FOR IMAGE CODING

The theory and design of optimal uniform orthonormal filter banks has been investigated for a long time. It has been proven that the theoretic coding gain of a uniform paraunitary analysis/synthesis filter bank system is maximized if and only if the filter bank is designed as a principal component filter bank. In this paper, optimal orthonomal wavelet filter banks that can be regarded as a special case of nonuniform orthonomal filter banks are investigated. A major result presented in this paper is that the wavelet filter banks designed with minimum meansquared error criterion results in maximizing theoretical coding gain in an energy compaction sense.
Gravitational waves, diffusion and decoherence

The quite different behaviors exhibited by microscopic and macroscopic systems with respect to quantum interferences suggest that there may exist a naturally frontier between quantum and classical worlds. The value of the Planck mass (22$\mu$g) may lead to the idea of a connection between this borderline and intrinsic fluctuations of spacetime. We show that it is possible to obtain quantitative answers to these questions by studying the diffusion and decoherence mechanisms induced on quantum systems by gravitational waves generated at the galactic or cosmic scales. We prove that this universal fluctuating environment strongly affects quantum interferences on macroscopic systems, while leaving essentially untouched those on microscopic systems. We obtain the relevant parameters which, besides the ratio of the system's mass to Planck mass, characterize the diffusion constant and decoherence time. We discuss the feasibility of experiments aiming at observing these effects in the context of ongoing progress towards more and more sensitive matter-wave interferometry.
Stability by Fixed Point Theory in Time Delayed Distributed Consensus Networks

We study the stability of linear time invariant distributed consensus dynamics in the presence of multiple propagation and processing delays. We employ fixed point theory (FPT) methods and derive sufficient conditions for asymptotic convergence to a common value while the emphasis is given in estimating the rate of convergence. We argue that this approach is novel in the field of networked dynamics as it is also flexible and thus capable of analyzing a wide variety of consensus based algorithms for which conventional Lyapunov methods are either too restrictive or unsuccessful.
BER analysis of MIMO-OFDM using V-BLAST system for different modulation schemes

Wireless communication systems at high data rates and low power consumptions are currently in high demand. Power efficiency becomes a critical issue for technology that will be used in 3G and 4G technologies. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a technique using discrete multi-tone modulation with each subcarrier modulating in a conventional modulation scheme. On the other hand, Multiple- Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems have become the attention of wireless academic community and industry because of their promising ability to increase capacity and performance with acceptable Bit Error Rate (BER) proportionally with the increased number of antennas. In this paper, MIMO-OFDM system using Vertical Bell Lab lAyered Space Time (V-BLAST) is developed by considering Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) and Zero Forcing (ZF) detector mechanisms for various modulation schemes and antenna configurations. The performance parameter of MIMO-OFDM in terms of BER is determined and analysed for two different detector schemes such as MMSE and ZF with the help of MATLAB package.
Canadian Oil Sand Extraction: The Nexus between Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability

This paper investigates the relationship between environmental degradation, income and regulation for the Alberta province of Canada. This issue assumes a value added since Alberta is the third-largest oil reserve in the world after Saudi-Arabia and Venezuela. The province is interested by large extractions of unconventional oil from bituminous sands, which produces high greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O and HFC). Our attention is focused on the environmental overexploitation, specifically air quality depletion, related to the oil sands extraction processes first and then on the level of GHG of the province. The paper has the following results: i) We provide a first assessment of the levels and the growth rates for GHG specifically generated by Alberta oil sands extraction, while distinguishing between in situ and mining extraction method. ii) We find a positive and strong relationship between economic growth and air degradation for the Alberta region during the last decade, discussing the issue in light of EKC literature. In this context we are not aware of other contribution addressing this question. iii) Our analysis highlights that the average energy intensity indicator of Alberta is higher by 11% then overall Canada, which is among countries with highest energy intensity. iv) The paper, next, propose an original indicator where we frame the relationship between GDP and GHG in a global view. We construct the Sustainable Income Index for Alberta and some selected countries relevant for our investigation. v) Eventually the paper discusses results in light of the possible regulation issues in the framework of International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and Kyoto Protocol.
Simulation and study for coherent OFDM system

The CO-OFDM (coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) system is simulated and studied in the paper. The electro-optic modulation and photoelectric detection in CO-OFDM are studied. The performance of CO-OFDM system with different modulation mode and different number of sub-carrier are studied. The result of simulation shows that performance depends on the modulation mode, coupling optical power, attention of atmosphere, the number of the subcarrier and OSNR. The result of simulation also show that the CO-OFDM system will has good anti-dispersion ability and higher bandwidth efficiency if using the suitable modulation and coupled combined optical power.