Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pedestrian detection algorithm for on-board cameras of multi view angles

In this paper, a general algorithm for pedestrian detection by on-board monocular camera which can be applied to cameras of various view ranges in unified manner. The Spatio-Temporal MRF model extracts and tracks foreground objects as pedestrians and non-pedestrian distinguishing from background scenes as buildings by referring to motion difference. During the tracking sequences, cascaded HOG classifiers classify the foreground objects into the two classes of pedestrians and non-pedestrians. Before the classification, geometrical constraints on the relationship between heights and positions of the objects are examined to exclude the non-pedestrian objects. This pre-processing contributed to reducing the processing time of the classification while maintaining the classification accuracy. Due to the benefit of the tracking that the classifier can make decision totally considering Regions of Interest (ROIs) with same ID during consecutive images, this algorithm can operates quite robustly against noises and classification errors at each image frame.
An Iterated Extend Kalman Particle Filter for Multi-sensor based on pseudo sequential fusion

In order to overcome the flaw that it is hard to get the optimization importance density function in the particle filter. The IEKF and the sequential fusion were integrated with particle filter. Than, the particle filter was introduced to radar/infrared Multi-sensor target fusion tracking. The main idea is use the system state transition matrix and the error covariance matrix which are gained from the IEKF and the sequential fusion to construct the importance density function of the particle filter. So the importance density function can integrates the latest observation into system state transition density, and the proposal distribution can approximates the posterior distribution reasonably well. The simulation results show that the iterated extend Kalman particle filter based on sequential fusion can significantly improve the accuracy of state estimation.
Towards a Domain Specific Language for Engineering Collective Adaptive Systems

Heterogeneous agents that cooperate to accomplish collective tasks constitute Collective Adaptive Systems (CAS). Engineering a CAS not only involves the definition of the individual agents, but also their roles in achieving a collective task and adaptation strategies to counteract to environmental changes. Current solutions for specifying CAS typically tackle the problem at a low level of abstraction (e.g., writing XML files), making this task time-consuming and error-prone. Moreover, such a low level of abstraction hinders the understandability of the specification. Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) proposes to reduce the complexity of development by adopting models as first class artifacts in the process. In this respect, this work proposes a MDE approach to enhance CAS specification. In particular, we introduce a domain-specific language (DSL) made-up of three main views: one devoted to adaptive systems design; one addressing ensembles definition; and one tackling the collective adaptation. These three separate aspects are woven seamlessly by the DSL to constitute a complete CAS design. While the different views allow us to exploit separation-of-concerns to reduce complexity and focus on a specific aspect of the system, facing CAS specification at a higher-level of abstraction permits to use concepts closer to the experts of the involved domains. Moreover, the precise definition of modeling concepts through corresponding meta-models enables correctness-by-construction of the system specification.
Clinical aspects of bacteremia after manipulation of the genitourinary tract.

The incidence of bacteremia in 300 patients undergoing four different urologic procedures has been studied. The highest incidence (31% ) was seen in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate. The major source of organisms causing bacteremia was preexisting urinary-tract infection. In the absence of a positive urine culture, other sources include prostatitis and the normal urethral flora. Other factors influencing the likelihood of bacteremia include duration of the procedure and, probably, surgical technique. Presumptive specific diagnosis of bacteremia after manipulation might be obtained early in patients by routine culture of urine (and perhaps prostatic fluid) on the day before surgery. This study suggests the desirability of a controlled investigation of the possible effectiveness of individualized prophylactic therapy appropriate for the specific organisms in urine (and possibly prostatic secretion) before manipulation.
CS 229 : Final Paper Wind Prediction : Physical model improvement through support vector regression

The accuracy improvement of weather pattern prediction is in the best interest of humanity. By doing so, we can potentially reduce the impact caused by natural disasters, assess the effects of environmental air pollution in a more precise manner and improve energy dispatch of renewable technologies, particularly wind. The latter goal is the focus of this report, that is, to reduce day ahead wind forecasting error. The use of machine learning (ML) techniques to improve the performance of the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model is explored, with an emphasis on the support vector regression (SVR) method and its nu-SVR variant. The literature pertaining to the use of SVMs for wind prediction is extensive [1] [2] [3], however, as of today there seems to be no incorporation of the WRF model.
Effect of heat treatment temperature on the spin coated fluorine doped tin oxide thin films for solar cell applications

Flourine doped tin oxide thin films have been prepared on glass substrate by spin coating method via sol-gel route. The rheological behavior of the prepared sol solution has been studied by viscosity measurement and from this, the optimum coating period has been investigated and reported. The films have been developed with fixed dopant concentration (F/Sn ratio 7.5 at %), under optimized operating condition viz., turntable spin rate (3000 rpm), spin time (10 Seconds) and number of coatings (10). The spin coated film has been heat treated at temperatures 325 °C, 350 °C, 375 °C, 400 °C, 425 °C and 450 °C. The X-ray diffraction studies of FTO films indicate the tetragonal rutile structure of tin oxide. All films show polycrystalline nature with preferred orientation along the (110) plane and the lattice constant a and c have been evaluated as 4.7324 A ° and 3.1924 A. The variation of average grain size with different heat treatment temperature have been investigated and presented. All the FTO films show good transmittance in the visible region and the fundamental absorption edge lies in the UV region. The direct band gap energy evaluated from the optical absorption data lies between 3.25 eV and 3.85 eV. The minimum value of sheet resistance and electrical resistivity come to 40 Ω/ and 7.4 x 10 Ω-cm for the FTO film heat treated at 375 °C. The effect of heat treatment temperature on resistivity, carrier concentration and mobility of the as coated FTO films have been investigated and the results are discussed. The AFM micrographs of the FTO film shows uniform surface pattern, at the optimized heat treatment temperature 400 °C. Studies indicate that the sol gel spin coated FTO films prepared under the optimized operating conditions could be the potential candidates for the solar cell technology.
Scientific report 2013

• Astrophysics & Cosmology Journal Club (AC! JC) Together with Saeed Mirshekari we started a Journal Club devoted to subjects related to cosmology and astrophysics. It has been scheduled for every two weeks on Mondays 11:00 am in the room #3 of the ICTP-SAIFR. Each AC! JC session has two parts: First, we have a free discussion on a few recent papers suggested by the audience; then we focus on a paper that is presented in more details. Prof. Rogerio Rosenfeld (IFT-UNESP), Dr. Arman Esmaili Taklimi (Unicamp) and Prof. Gary Steigman (Ohio State University) have discussed papers in the AC! JC. The Journal Club has been well received and has been attended by people from both the UNESP (ICTP + IFT) and the USP (IAG + IF). It will continue in the next semester. • Publication Just after joining the ICTP-SAIFR, an article that I wrote in collaboration with Stefano Colluci (Uni Bonn, Germany), Francois-Xavier Josse-Michaux (CFTP, Portugal), Juan Racker (IFIC, Spain) and Lorenzo Ubaldi (Uni Bonn, Germany) got accepted for publication in JCAP: JCAP 1310 (2013) 035. The title is: ‘On baryogenesis from dark matter annihilation’. In that paper we study in detail the conditions to generate the baryon asymmetry of the universe from the annihilation of dark matter (DM). This scenario requires a low energy mechanism for thermal baryogenesis, hence we first discuss some of these mechanisms together with the specific constraints due to the connection with the DM sector. Then we show that, contrary to what stated in previous studies, it is possible to generate the cosmological asymmetry without adding a light sterile dark sector, both in models with violation and with conservation of B ! L. In addition, one of the models we propose yields some connection to neutrino masses.
A joint RSA algorithm for dynamic flexible optical networking

We propose a novel algorithm to solve the Routing and Spectrum Allocation (RSA) problem in dynamic flexible grid optical networks. Unlike most previous proposals, the algorithm solves the R and SA problems jointly by exhaustively searching the solution space and taking the network state into account. As a result, the shortest possible path with enough spectrum availability is allocated to establish the connections. Simulation results show that, in terms of blocking ratio, our proposal significantly outperforms previously proposed algorithms. In some cases, the performance is better by more than one order of magnitude.
Discovering the Semantics of Keywords: An Ontology-based Approach

In the context of the emerging Semantic Web, a great effort has been done in the construction of ontologies. An increasing number of them is becoming available on the Web, in order to share the knowledge that they represent. In this paper we propose an automatic mechanism that accesses, extracts and semantically merges the knowledge contained in a pool of ontologies available on the Web. In particular, we have focused on the problem of discovering the set of candidate meanings for a given keyword (or keywords). First, the different senses are obtained from different ontology libraries; second, redundant senses are automatically integrated when the system determines that they can be considered synonyms; the previous two steps are repeated until all the ontologies are visited or a specified amount of time is spent. This method proposed to manage keyword senses can be used for different purposes, such as annotation of web pages, keyword sense disambiguation, ontology matching, etc.
Preventing Crime Through the Maharishi Effect

Abstract Criminologists view crime as a multidimensional problem that is best prevented by programs that strengthen informal social control, which is the internalized propensity of the individual to find rewarding behavior patterns within the law. This paper introduces the theory and research on crime prevention through the Maharishi Effect, a powerful mechanism of increasing informal social control by increasing coherence and decreasing stress in the most holistic level of society, its collective consciousness. A review of 15 published studies conducted on city, state, national, and international levels finds strong evidence that crime is reduced and quality of life is improved when 1% of a population practices the Transcendental Meditation (TM)1 program. This is termed the Maharishi Effect. This review also finds that crime is reduced and quality of life improved when groups the size of the square root of 1% of a population practice the more powerful TM-Sidhi program together in one place. This is called the Extended Maharishi Effect. Theoretically, such a transformation is made possible by the ability of the TM and TM-Sidhi1 programs to provide direct experience of the unified field of natural law in the simplest form of human awareness, transcendental consciousness, which brings life in accord with natural law. This program is easily implemented and highly cost effective as a primary protective factor against crime.
Morphological correlates of functional recovery in the chicken inner ear after gentamycin treatment

Newly hatched chickens were allowed to survive 6, 10, 15, and 20 weeks after 10 days of gentamycin sulfate treatment. Ultrastructural studies of hair cells and nerve terminals in the auditory receptor organ, the basilar papilla, were carried out with transmission and scanning electron microscopes. Attention was paid to absolute sensory cell (hair cell) numbers, stereocilia maturity and orientation, and reinnervation within a band 100 μm wide centered 1,100 μm from the basal end of the avian cochlea.
Chemokine Cxcl9 attenuates liver fibrosis‐associated angiogenesis in mice

Recent data suggest that the chemokine receptor CXCR3 is functionally involved in fibroproliferative disorders, including liver fibrosis. Neoangiogenesis is an important pathophysiological feature of liver scarring, but a functional role of angiostatic CXCR3 chemokines in this process is unclear. We therefore investigated neoangiogenesis in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver fibrosis in Cxcr3−/− and wildtype mice by histological, molecular, and functional imaging methods. Furthermore, we assessed the direct role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression on liver angiogenesis and the fibroproliferative response using a Tet‐inducible bitransgenic mouse model. The feasibility of attenuation of angiogenesis and associated liver fibrosis by therapeutic treatment with the angiostatic chemokine Cxcl9 was systematically analyzed in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrate that fibrosis progression in Cxcr3−/− mice was strongly linked to enhanced neoangiogenesis and VEGF/VEGFR2 expression compared with wildtype littermates. Systemic VEGF overexpression led to a fibrogenic response within the liver and was associated with a significantly increased Cxcl9 expression. In vitro, Cxcl9 displayed strong antiproliferative and antimigratory effects on VEGF‐stimulated endothelial cells and stellate cells by way of reduced VEGFR2 (KDR), phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, identifying this chemokine as a direct counter‐regulatory molecule of VEGF signaling within the liver. Accordingly, systemic administration of Cxcl9 led to a strong attenuation of neoangiogenesis and experimental liver fibrosis in vivo. Conclusion: The results identify direct angiostatic and antifibrotic effects of the Cxcr3 ligand Cxcl9 in a model of experimental liver fibrosis. The amelioration of liver damage by systemic application of Cxcl9 might offer a novel therapeutic approach for chronic liver diseases associated with increased neoangiogenesis. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)
The Potential Advantages of the Mandate System

IWILL give a little personal history of the feeling which many people in the neighborhood of Hull House had when the League of Nations was first talked about and when they believed, as simple people all over the world believed, that it was going to be the friend and the big brother of the weak scattered over the earth's surface and of those social groups who had not had a chance. Their experience registers something of the bitter disappointment at the moment which has constricted
Trichomonas Transmembrane Cyclases Result from Massive Gene Duplication and Concomitant Development of Pseudogenes

Background Trichomonas vaginalis has an unusually large genome (∼160 Mb) encoding ∼60,000 proteins. With the goal of beginning to understand why some Trichomonas genes are present in so many copies, we characterized here a family of ∼123 Trichomonas genes that encode transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (TMACs). Methodology/Principal Findings The large family of TMACs genes is the result of recent duplications of a small set of ancestral genes that appear to be unique to trichomonads. Duplicated TMAC genes are not closely associated with repetitive elements, and duplications of flanking sequences are rare. However, there is evidence for TMAC gene replacements by homologous recombination. A high percentage of TMAC genes (∼46%) are pseudogenes, as they contain stop codons and/or frame shifts, or the genes are truncated. Numerous stop codons present in the genome project G3 strain are not present in orthologous genes of two other Trichomonas strains (S1 and B7RC2). Each TMAC is composed of a series of N-terminal transmembrane helices and a single C-terminal cyclase domain that has adenylyl cyclase activity. Multiple TMAC genes are transcribed by Trichomonas cloned by limiting dilution. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that one reason for the unusually large genome of Trichomonas is the presence of unstable families of genes such as those encoding TMACs that are undergoing massive gene duplication and concomitant development of pseudogenes.
Temperature sensitivities of cytosolic malate dehydrogenases from native and invasive species of marine mussels (genus Mytilus): sequence-function linkages and correlations with biogeographic distribution

SUMMARY The blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, a native of the Mediterranean Sea, has invaded the west coast of North America in the past century, displacing the native blue mussel, Mytilus trossulus, from most of its former habitats in central and southern California. The invasive success of M. galloprovincialis is conjectured to be due, in part, to physiological adaptations that enable it to outperform M. trossulus at high temperatures. We have examined the structure and function of the enzyme cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH) from these species, as well as from the more distantly related ribbed mussel, Mytilus californianus, to characterize the effects of temperature on kinetic properties thought to exhibit thermal adaptation. The M. trossulus cMDH ortholog differs from the other cMDHs in a direction consistent with cold adaptation, as evidenced by a higher and more temperature-sensitive Michaelis-Menten constant for the cofactor NADH (KmNADH). This difference results from minor changes in sequence: the M. trossulus ortholog differs from the M. galloprovincialis ortholog by only two substitutions in the 334 amino acid monomer, and the M. californianus and M. trossulus orthologs differ by five substitutions. In each case, only one of these substitutions is non-conservative. To test the effects of individual substitutions on kinetic properties, we used site-directed mutagenesis to create recombinant cMDHs. Recombinant wild-type M. trossulus cMDH (rWT) has high KmNADH compared with mutants incorporating the non-conservative substitutions found in M. californianus and M. galloprovincialis - V114H and V114N, respectively - demonstrating that these mutations are responsible for the differences found in substrate affinity. Turnover number (kcat) is also higher in rWT compared with the two mutants, consistent with cold adaptation in the M. trossulus ortholog. Conversely, rWT and V114H appear more thermostable than V114N. Based on a comparison of KmNADH and kcat values among the orthologs, we propose that immersion temperatures are of greater selective importance in adapting kinetic properties than the more extreme temperatures that occur during emersion. The relative warm adaptation of M. galloprovincialis cMDH may be one of a suite of physiological characters that enhance the competitive ability of this invasive species in warm habitats.
A Feasibility Study of Collaborative Stream Routing in Peer-to-Peer Multiparty Video Conferencing

Video transmission in multiparty video conferencing is challenging due to the demanding bandwidth usage and stringent latency requirement. In this paper, we systematically analyze the problem of collaborative stream routing using one-hop forwarding assistance in a bandwidth constraint environment. We model the problem as a multi-source degree-constrained multicast tree construction problem, and investigate heuristic algorithms to construct bandwidth-feasible shared multicast trees. The contribution of this work is primarily two-fold: (1) we study the solution space of finding a feasible bandwidth configuration for stream routing in a peer-to-peer (P2P) setting, and propose two heuristic algorithms that can quickly produce a bandwidth-feasible solution, making them suitable for large-scale conference sessions, (2) we conduct an empirical study using a realistic dataset and show the effectiveness of our heuristic algorithms. Various QoS metrics are taken into account to evaluate the performance of our algorithms. Finally, we discuss open issues for further exploration. The feasibility study presented in this paper will shed light on the design and implementation of practical P2P multiparty video conferencing applications.
Defining the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis using mouse models

Genetics and diet are both considered important risk determinants for colorectal cancer, a leading cause of death in the US and worldwide. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models have made a significant contribution to the characterization of colorectal cancer risk factors. Reliable, reproducible, and clinically relevant animal models help in the identification of the molecular events associated with disease progression and in the development of effictive treatment strategies. This review is focused on the use of mouse models for studying the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis. We describe how the available mouse models of colon cancer such as the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mice and knockout genetic models facilitate understanding of the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis and help in the development of a rational strategy for colon cancer chemoprevention.
The uterine compression suture - a valuable approach to control major haemorrhage at lower segment caesarean section

The aim of this article is to review the efficacy of a modified uterine compression suture in controlling major haemorrhage at lower segment caesarean section. This is a descriptive study of patients who had major obstetric haemorrhage where a compression suture was used to control bleeding at the two obstetrics unit in Cardiff between January 1998 and December 2003 (n = 11).
Visual Tracking of Self-Occluding Articulated Objects

Computer sensing of hand and limb motion is an important problem for applications in human-computer interaction, virtual reality, and athletic performance measurement. We describe a framework for local tracking of self-occluding motion, in which parts of the mechanism obstruct each others visibility to the camera. Our approach uses a kinematic model to predict occlusion and windowed templates to track partially occluded objects. We analyze our model of self-occlusion, discuss the implementation of our algorithm, and give experimental results for 3D hand tracking under significant amounts of self-occlusion. These results extend the DigitEyes system for articulated tracking, which we have previously developed, to handle self-occluding motions.