Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deriving stopping rules for the probabilistic Hough transform by sequential analysis

In probabilistic Hough transforms computation is accelerated by polling instead of voting. A small part of the data set is selected at random and used as input to the algorithm. Most probabilistic Hough algorithms use a fixed poll size. It has been experimentally demonstrated that adaptive termination of voting can lead to improved performance in terms of the error rate versus average poll size tradeoff. However, the lack of a solid theoretical foundation made general performance evaluation and optimal design of adaptive stopping rules nearly impossible. In this paper we suggest two novel adaptive stopping rules in the framework of the statistical theory of sequential hypothesis testing. The performance of the suggested stopping rules is verified using real images. It is shown that the extension suggested in this paper to Wald's one sided alternative sequential test (1947) performs better than previously available adaptive (or fixed) stopping rules.
Decidability and Complexity for Quiescent Consistency

Quiescent consistency is a notion of correctness for a concurrent object that gives meaning to the object’s behaviours in quiescent states, i.e., states in which none of the object’s operations are being executed. The condition enables greater flexibility in object design by allowing more behaviours to be admitted, which in turn allows the algorithms implementing quiescent consistent objects to be more efficient (when executed in a multithreaded environment). Quiescent consistency of an implementation object is defined in terms of a corresponding abstract specification. This gives rise to two important verification questions: membership (checking whether a behaviour of the implementation is allowed by the specification) and correctness (checking whether all behaviours of the implementation are allowed by the specification). In this paper, we consider the membership and correctness conditions for quiescent consistency, as well as a restricted form that assumes an upper limit on the number of events between two quiescent states. We show that the membership problem for unrestricted quiescent consistency is NP-complete and that the correctness problem is decidable, coNEXPTIME-hard, and in EXPSPACE. For the restricted form, we show that membership is in PTIME, while correctness is PSPACE-complete.
The impact of career development on employee performance: an empirical study of the public sector in Indonesia

Abstract This article examines the influence of career development on employee performance in public sector, mediated by perceived organizational support, work motivation, and affective commitment. By analyzing the perceptions of 250 civil servants in 15 regional branches of Ministry of Finance of Indonesia, and using structural equation analysis with SmartPLS 2.0 program, the findings reveal that career development has positive direct influence on perceived organizational support, motivation, and affective commitment. However, career development has no direct influence on performance. The indirect examination shows that mediating variables are perceived to have significant influence in strengthening that relationship. These findings theoretically imply that career development may be dependent on the extent to which organization is capable of providing perceived organizational support and motivation in promoting affective commitment and performance. Practically, these findings reveal the importance of both Indonesian’s central and local government to implement performance-based rewards.
1 FRAUD AND TRUST ON THE INTERNET

Fraud on the Internet is becoming a major issue of concern for consumers and businesses. Recent statistics report an alarming increase in the growth rate and types of fraudulent activities on the Internet Trust is an important ingredient for fostering the development of electronic commerce on the Internet given the prevalence of fraudulent activities on the internet. We report the results of an investigation which checked the level of fraud on auction sites. The results indicate a significant level of fraudulent activities, well above the levels reported by auction site operators. Since fraud can be a major stumbling block for increasing the volume of electronic commerce on the web, it motivated further research on trust building activities. We describe methods used by swindlers in their online swindling activities and propose methods to reduce the impact of fraudulent activities.
The computational complexity of some julia sets

Although numerous computer programs have been written to compute sets of points which claim to approximate Julia sets, no reliable high precision pictures of non-trivial Julia sets are currently known. Usually, no error estimates are added and even those algorithms which work reliably in theory, become unreliable in practice due to rounding errors and the use of fixed length floating point numbers.In this paper we prove the existence of polynomial time algorithms to approximate the Julia sets of complex functions <i>f(z)=z<sup>2</sup>+c</i> for <i>|c|<1/4</i>. We will give a strict computable error estimation w.r. t. the Hausdorff metric <i>d<sub>H</sub></i> which means that the set is recursive [10]. Although these and many more Julia sets <i>J</i> are proven to be recursive [12] and furthermore recursive compact subsets of the Euclidean plane are known to have a computable Turing machine time complexity [10], hardly anything is known about the computational complexity of non-trivial examples. The algorithms given in this paper compute the Julia sets locally in time <i>O(k<sup>2</sup>• M(k))</i> (where <i>M(k)</i> is a time bound for multiplication of two <i>k</i>-bit integers). Roughly speaking, the local time complexity is the number of Turing machine steps to decide for a single point whether it belongs to a grid <i>K<sub>k</sub>⊆ (2<sup>-k</sup>• Z)<sup>2</sup></i> such that <i>d<sub>H</sub>(K<sub>k</sub>,J)≤ 2<sup>-k</sup></i>.
A Prediction and Motion-Planning Scheme for Visually Guided Robotic Capturing of Free-Floating Tumbling Objects With Uncertain Dynamics

Visually guided robotic capturing of a moving object often requires long-term prediction of the object motion not only for a smooth capture but because visual feedback may not be continually available, e.g., due to vision obstruction by the robotic arm, as well. This paper presents a combined prediction and motion-planning scheme for robotic capturing of a drifting and tumbling object with unknown dynamics using visual feedback. A Kalman filter estimates the states and a set of dynamics parameters of the object needed for long-term prediction of the motion from noisy measurements of a vision system. Subsequently, the estimated states, parameters, and predicted motion trajectories are used to plan the trajectory of the robot's end-effector to intercept a grapple fixture on the object with zero relative velocity (to avoid impact) in an optimal way. The optimal trajectory minimizes a cost function, which is a weighted linear sum of travel time, distance, cosine of a line-of-sight angle (object alignment for robotic grasping), and a penalty function acting as a constraint on acceleration magnitude. Experiments are presented to demonstrate the robot-motion planning scheme for autonomous grasping of a tumbling satellite. Two robotics manipulators are employed: One arm drifts and tumbles the mockup of a satellite, and the other arm that is equipped with a robotic hand tries to capture a grapple fixture on the satellite using the visual guidance system.
The Law of one Price in Global Natural Gas Markets - A Threshold Cointegration Analysis

The US and UK markets for natural gas are connected by arbitrage activity in the form of shifting trade volumes of liqueﬁed natural gas (LNG). We empirically investigate the degree of integration between the US and the UK gas markets by using a threshold cointegration approach that is in accordance with the law of one price and explicitly accounts for transaction costs. Our empirical results reveal a high degree of market integration for the period 2000-2008. Although US and UK gas prices seemed to have decoupled between 2009 and 2012, we still ﬁnd a certain degree of integration pointing towards signiﬁcant regional price arbitrage. However, high threshold estimates in the latter period indicate impediments to arbitrage that are by far surpassing the LNG transport costs diﬀerence between the US and UK gas market.
An Alteration in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Experimental Glaucoma Monkeys: In vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Glial Activation

We examined lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) degeneration as an indicator for possible diagnosis of glaucoma in experimental glaucoma monkeys using positron emission tomography (PET). Chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation was induced by laser trabeculoplasty in the left eyes of 5 cynomolgus monkeys. Glial cell activation was detected by PET imaging with [11C]PK11195, a PET ligand for peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), before and at 4 weeks after laser treatment (moderate glaucoma stage). At mild, moderate, and advanced experimental glaucoma stages (classified by histological changes based on the extent of axonal loss), brains were stained with cresyl violet, or antibodies against PBR, Iba-1 (a microglial marker), and GFAP (an activated astrocyte marker). In laser-treated eyes, IOP was persistently elevated throughout all observation periods. PET imaging showed increased [11C]PK11195 binding potential in the bilateral LGN at 4 weeks after laser treatment; the increase in the ipsilateral LGN was statistically significant (P<0.05, n = 4). Immunostaining showed bilateral activations of microglia and astrocytes in LGN layers receiving input from the laser-treated eye. PBR-positive cells were observed in LGN layers receiving input from laser-treated eye at all experimental glaucoma stages including the mild glaucoma stage and their localization coincided with Iba-1 positive microglia and GFAP-positive astrocytes. These data suggest that glial activation occurs in the LGN at a mild glaucoma stage, and that the LGN degeneration could be detected by a PET imaging with [11C]PK11195 during the moderate experimental glaucoma stage after unilateral ocular hypertension. Therefore, activated glial markers such as PBR in the LGN may be useful in noninvasive molecular imaging for diagnosis of glaucoma.
A smart clustering algorithm for photo set obtained from multiple digital cameras

The use of digital cameras is prevalent. Although the cost of digital photographs is low, managing numerous digital photos is burdensome to most users. An intelligent management tool for digital photos is needed. We propose a novel clustering algorithm for concurrent digital photos obtained from multiple cameras. Since previous photo clustering methods can be applied to a single camera, a group of photos obtained from different cameras cannot be classified to meet user preference. We newly define temporal/spatial combined clustering for the set of group photos taken from different cameras to solve this situation. We define a new spatial similarity using block alignment for two independent photos. If a user submits photo clustering that shows preference between spatial and temporal clustering, then we can cluster other photo sets according to the reference clustering characteristics. In this method, the EXIF metadata plays an essential role. We tested more than one thousand photos taken by tourist groups. The final result was satisfactory compared to previous methods based on temporal (spatial) criteria only.
Neural Mechanisms of Leg Motor Control in Crayfish: Insights for Neurobiologically-Inspired Autonomous Systems

AbSTRACT Computational neuroscience has a lot to gain from invertebrate research. In this chapter focusing on the sensory-motor network that controls leg movement and position in crayfish, we describe how simple neural circuitry can integrate variable information to produce an adapted output function. We describe how a specific sensor encodes the dynamic and static parameters of leg movements, and how the central motor network assimilates and reacts to this information. We then present an overview of the regulatory mechanisms thus far described that operate at the various levels of this sensory-motor network to organize and maintain the system into a dynamic range. On the basis of this simple animal model, some basic neurobiological concepts are presented which may provide new insights for engineering artificial autonomous systems.
Performance of Two Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Febrile Adult Patients with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection in Blantyre, Malawi

The performance of two histidine-rich protein type-2–based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) was examined in a rural area with a high prevalence of malaria and human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection in 113 and 445 febrile patients ≥ 15 years of age with and without HIV-1 infection, respectively. Patients were tested for HIV-1 infection by using a standard assay and for Plasmodium falciparum by using two mRDTs and microscopy. When microscopy was used as the gold standard, both mRDTs performed similarly in patients with and without HIV-1 infection: Bioline SD Malaria Antigen P.f, sensitivity 94.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81.3–99.3%) versus 97.1% (95% CI:92.8–99.2%) and specificity 50.6% (95% CI: 39.0–62.2%) versus 47.2% (95% CI: 41.4–53.1%); and ICT diagnostics Malaria Pf, sensitivity 94.4% (95% CI: 81.3–99.3%) versus 97.1% (95% CI: 92.8–99.2%) and specificity 50.6% (95% CI:39.0–62.2%) versus 50.3% (95% CI: 44.4–56.1%). Infection with HIV-1 does not appear to affect the performance of these histidine-rich protein type-2 (HRP-2)-based mRDTs.
Synthetic aperture radar image matching based on improved scale-invariant feature transform

In this paper, an improved scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image matching is proposed. Initially, feature descriptors based on gradient ratio (GR) are constructed by utilizing traditional SIFT method. In order to measure the matching degree between images, the similarities of the descriptors are then calculated via the symmetry kullback-leibler divergence (SKLD) criterion. Experimental results show that the proposed method has a good performance on image matching for SAR images.
Security outlook for cloud computing: A proposed architectural-based security classification for cloud computing

Cloud computing concept can easily be described as a system in which multiple computers are attached to a real-time system using the internet and these systems share the resource as per user's demand with pay per use concept. This phenomenal property of cloud computing is responsible for a lot of advantages for the cloud customers. However, with the rapid growth of useful and sensitive information on cloud computing systems, a huge obstacle for cloud computing services still remains. Data security in any system decides the reliability of the processes associated with it, so proper countermeasures should be applied to ensure proper working. In this paper, we analyze complete security outlook of cloud architecture and cloud computing security aspects. The purpose of the study of this paper is to provide a classification based on the Cloud Security. We have studied the various security issues of Cloud Computing having “Confidentiality”, “Integrity” and “Availability” as a major concern.
Constraint-based movement representation grounded in geometric features

Robots that are to master everyday manipulation tasks need both: The ability to reason about actions, objects and action effects, and the ability to perform sophisticated movement control. To bridge the gap between these two worlds, we consider the problem of connecting symbolic action representation with strategies from motion control engineering. We present a system using the task function approach [1] to define a common symbolic movement description language which defines motions as sets of symbolic constraints. We define these constraints using geometric features, like points, lines, and planes, grounding the description in the visual percepts of the robot. Additionally, we propose to assemble task functions by stacking 1-D feature functions, which leads to a modular movement specification. We evaluate and validate our approach on the task of flipping pancakes with a robot, showcasing the robustness and flexibility of the proposed movement representation.
Object detection based on ensemble of exemplars

This paper proposes a detection approach for localizing the object of specific category in images. Based on the ensemble of exemplars, a per-exemplar classifier for each exemplar is learnt, which is simple but powerful to perform well in detecting visually similar objects. Meanwhile, considering the fact that the number of negatives is always considerably larger than that of positives, the method of hard-negatives mining is employed. In addition, using multiple instance learning, we also learn the per-category classifier with inputting the detections produced by per-exemplar classifier in the validation set. The better performance on object detection is boosted further with the contribution of co-occurrence matrices that encodes the relationship of each per-exemplar classifier. In the experiment section, we evaluate the performance of our approach on PASCAL VOC 2007 dataset and compare it to Tomasz's Exemplar-SVM model directly. The experimental result demonstrates that our approach outperforms the Exemplar-SVM model in object detection with higher average precision.
Mirror symmetry and deformation quantization

In homological mirror symmetry (see [Ko1]) and in the theory of D-modulesone meets similar objects. They are pairs (L,ρ) where L is a Lagrangianmanifold, and ρ is a ﬂat bundle on L (local system). In the framework ofhomological mirror symmetry such pairs are objects of the so-called Fukayacategory, which is the principal mathematical structure of the genus zeropart of the A-model. In the framework of D-modules they are holonomic D-modules (in C
Lhx2 Regulates the Development of the Forebrain Hem System

Early brain development is regulated by the coordinated actions of multiple signaling centers at key boundaries between compartments. Three telencephalic midline structures are in a position to play such roles in forebrain patterning: The cortical hem, the septum, and the thalamic eminence at the diencephalic–telencephalic boundary. These structures express unique complements of signaling molecules, and they also produce distinct populations of Cajal–Retzius cells, which are thought to act as “mobile patterning units,” migrating tangentially to cover the telencephalic surface. We show that these 3 structures require the transcription factor Lhx2 to delimit their extent. In the absence of Lhx2 function, all 3 structures are greatly expanded, and the Cajal–Retzius cell population is dramatically increased. We propose that the hem, septum, and thalamic eminence together form a “forebrain hem system” that defines and regulates the formation of the telencephalic midline. Disruptions in the forebrain hem system may be implicated in severe brain malformations such as holoprosencephaly. Lhx2 functions as a central regulator of this system's development. Since all components of the forebrain hem system have been identified across several vertebrate species, the mechanisms that regulate them may have played a fundamental role in driving key aspects of forebrain evolution.
A review of landmark articles in the field of co-evolutionary computing

Coevolution is a powerful tool in evolutionary computing that mitigates some of its endemic problems, namely stagnation in local optima and lack of convergence in high dimensionality problems. Since its inception in 1990, there are multiple articles that have contributed greatly to the development and improvement of the coevolutionary techniques. In this report we review some of those landmark articles dwelving in the techniques they propose and how they fit to conform robust evolutionary algorithms
Discovering collaborative users based on query context for Web information seeking

Facing large amount of diverse Web information, collaborative filtering is an effective way to improve the efficiency of user's information seeking. It provides useful information specifically for a user by taking the information that has been interested by collaborative users which have similar interests to the specific user. How to discover the collaborative user is a key issue in collaborative filtering. This paper presents a novel method which discovers collaborative users with computation based on query context and user context. First, query context is proposed as the semantic background of user's information seeking behavior. It is built based on not only concepts but also the relation between concepts, which provides more accurate description for user's search background. Secondly, collaboration degree not only comprises the similarity between user contexts, but also takes the relatedness of user's search background into account, which ensures the accuracy of finding collaborative user. Thirdly, information entropy is introduced to computing the relatedness between relations from query contexts, which provides accurate value of relatedness between users' search background. Experimental results demonstrate the validity of the method proposed in this paper. It can be seen that the proposed method has a brilliant perspective in the applications of Web personalized information seeking.
ZONAL FLOWS AND LONG-LIVED AXISYMMETRIC PRESSURE BUMPS IN MAGNETOROTATIONAL TURBULENCE

We study the behavior of magnetorotational turbulence in shearing box simulations with a radial and azimuthal extent up to 10 scale heights. Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are found to increase by more than a factor of 2 when increasing the box size beyond two scale heights in the radial direction. Further increase of the box size has little or no effect on the statistical properties of the turbulence. An inverse cascade excites magnetic field structures at the largest scales of the box. The corresponding 10% variation in the Maxwell stress launches a zonal flow of alternating sub- and super-Keplerian velocity. This, in turn, generates a banded density structure in geostrophic balance between pressure and Coriolis forces. We present a simplified model for the appearance of zonal flows, in which stochastic forcing by the magnetic tension on short timescales creates zonal flow structures with lifetimes of several tens of orbits. We experiment with various improved shearing box algorithms to reduce the numerical diffusivity introduced by the supersonic shear flow. While a standard finite difference advection scheme shows signs of a suppression of turbulent activity near the edges of the box, this problem is eliminated by a new method where the Keplerian shear advection is advanced in time by interpolation in Fourier space.