Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Representing the topology of spatial scenes

We will begin by developing a general theory of maps on surfaces, and later specialize it to the sphere and plane, as being the surfaces of practical interest. For our purposes, a closed surface is a compact, orientable 2-manifold, considered as a subspace of euclidean 3-space <. A 2-manifold is a connected topological space in which each point has a neighborhood, called a 2-cell, that is homeomorphic to the open unit disk. A surface in < is compact if it is closed in the point-set topological sense and bounded. A surface is orientable if, for any simple closed curve on the surface, an unambiguous sense of rotation (e.g., counter-clockwise) is maintained as the curve moves around the surface. The stipulation that a surface is orientable rules out such surfaces as projective planes and Klein bottles. The classification theorem for orientable surfaces (first proved by Möbius, 1870) tells us that any compact, orientable surface in < is homeomorphic to a sphere with g handles (g-holed torus), for g ≥ 0. The non-negative integer g is referred to as the genus of the surface. As well as these closed surfaces we also shall consider later the Euclidean plane < (not a closed surface). So, for the purposes of this paper, a surface is either one of the closed surfaces above or the Euclidean plane. A graph is defined in the usual way as a set of vertices and edges between vertices. In this paper we allow loops, that is edges that connect a vertex to itself, and also multiple edges between two vertices. Often, such structures are referred to as pseudographs, but we continue to use the term “graph” throughout this paper. Two graphs are isomorphic if they have the same configuration of vertices and edges. Clearly, isomorphism is an equivalence relation, and we will usually identify two isomorphic graphs as the same graph. The structures that will be of interest in this paper can be thought of as embeddings of graphs in surfaces, and we now make this idea precise.
Quadrature Doppler Ultrasound Signal Denoising Based on Matching Pursuits with Different Time-Frequency Dictionaries

The spectral analysis of the Doppler ultrasound signal has been widely used in medical diagnosis. The additional frequency components arising from noise will produce an adverse effect on the subjective study of the spectrogram and its quantitative analysis. To remove noise effectively, matching pursuits with three different time-frequency dictionaries including Gabor atoms (GMP), cosine packets (CMP), and wavelet packets (WMP) are proposed to remove noise from the quadrature Doppler ultrasound signal in this paper. The simulation results have shown that the GMP method can be best adapted to approximate the Doppler ultrasound signal with fewer atoms compared with the CMP and WMP methods, and this approach is also superior to the translation-invariant wavelet transform method. In contrast to the translation-invariant adapted local cosine transform, although the GMP method has achieved approximate performance improvements with higher computation intensity, it offers the potential advantages in pulsed Doppler ultrasound application because it have no requirement for the signal over-sample, which is needed in the traditional transform-based denoising methods in order to obtain a more precise estimation of the noise level.
Updating a Hybrid Rule Base with Changes to its Symbolic Source Knowledge

Neurules are a kind of hybrid rules that combine a symbolic (production rules) and a connectionist (adaline unit) representation. One way that neurules (target knowledge) can be produced is by converting symbolic rules (source knowledge). However, source knowledge may change, so that updating corresponding target knowledge is necessary. Changes concern insertion of new and removal of old symbolic rules. In this paper, methods for updating target knowledge to follow changes made in corresponding source knowledge are presented. The methods are efficient in the sense that they do not require retraining of the whole affected part of the target knowledge, but of as small portion of it as possible.
ia ls Is Validation of Helicobacter pylori Eradication Necessary ?

Most gastroenterologists believe that a positive test for Helicobacter pylori should prompt an eradication trial to prevent the future possibility of ulcer, cancer or lymphoma [1]. But opinions are divided when the issue is validation of successful eradication. Many physicians contend that validation by the C-urea breath test should be performed only in patients with continuous dyspepsia. A proper evaluation of this subject demands that certain questions be addressed: . What is the primary success rate in clinical trials versus daily practice and in specific populations? If the success rate is high, the chance of failure is low and validation of successful eradication may be a waste of time and money. Is the success rate in second-line therapy high? If the secondline therapy is condemned to fail, validation is not needed. What is the prognosis of persistent infection? If the natural history of H. pylori infection is not altered after failure of the eradication trial, patients may be exposed to the same malicious bacterium and inflammation mediators in the future as they were in the past. Is there a correlation between bacteria resistance and aggressiveness? For the many patients who need aspirin or non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, will they be plagued by persistent H. pylori infection and a higher rate of gastritis, ulcer and ulcer complications? Are patients who fail eradication therapy sources of contamination? Is the policy to validate successful H. pylori eradication in every patient cost-effective?
Implicit Decals: Interactive Editing of Repetitive Patterns on Surfaces

Texture mapping is an essential component for creating 3D models and is widely used in both the game and the movie industries. Creating texture maps has always been a complex task and existing methods carefully balance flexibility with ease of use. One difficulty in using texturing is the repeated placement of individual textures over larger areas. In this paper, we propose a method which uses decals to place images onto a model. Our method allows the decals to compete for space and to deform as they are being pushed by other decals. A spherical field function is used to determine the position and the size of each decal and the deformation applied to fit the decals. The decals may span multiple objects with heterogeneous representations. Our method does not require an explicit parametrization of the model. As such, varieties of patterns, including repeated patterns like rocks, tiles and scales can be mapped. We have implemented the method using the GPU where placement, size and orientation of thousands of decals are manipulated in real time.
Design and development of digital control multi-lamp back-light modules for TFT-LCD TV

This paper presents a digital control multi-lamp back-light module for TFT-LCD TV. The driving system consists of three modules and each module adopts three-phase inverters operated with interleaving fashion to drive cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), which can reduce input current ripple. A three-phase transformer is introduced to prevent current imbalance among lamps in each module. To improve power system dynamic responses during dimming function, phase-shift low frequency pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control signals are adopted to control the power delivered to each module. A digital control three-phase 18-lamp prototype has been built. Experimental results have verified the feasibility of the proposed system.
Accessibility percolation on n-trees

Accessibility percolation is a new type of percolation problem inspired by evolutionary biology. To each vertex of a graph a random number is assigned and a path through the graph is called accessible if all numbers along the path are in ascending order. For the case when the random variables are independent and identically distributed, we derive an asymptotically exact expression for the probability that there is at least one accessible path from the root to the leaves in an n-tree. This probability tends to 1 (0) if the branching number is increased with the height of the tree faster (slower) than linearly. When the random variables are biased such that the mean value increases linearly with the distance from the root, a percolation threshold emerges at a finite value of the bias.
An Integrated Simulation System for Global Change Research in the Upper Danube Basin

1 This work is part of the GLOWA-Danube project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Abstract: We give an overview of the architecture and design principles of the integrated simulation system DANUBIA which supports the analysis of water-related global change scenarios in the Upper Danube Basin. DANUBIA is designed as an internet-based platform integrating the distributed simulation models of all socio-ecological and natural science disciplines taking part in the GLOWA-Danube project which is part of the German Programme on Global Change in the Hydrological Cycle. As a result of coupled simulations transdisciplinary effects of mutually dependent processes can be analysed and evaluated. Actually thirteen simulation models of meteorology, landsurface, water research and social sciences are integrated in the DANUBIA system. The development of DANUBIA is based on objectoriented software engineering and web engineering methods ([2], [3], [4]) and on the Unified Modeling Language UML [1] which is used by all partners as a common graphical notation for modeling the integrative aspects of the system. In the following overview we first describe how the mutually exchanged informations between components are modeled and documented by interfaces. Then we discuss spatial aspects and show how simulation areas are represented. In a next step temporal aspects are considered and the coordination of local models by a global time controller is described which constitutes the heart of any integrative DANUBIA simulation. Finally, we provide an overview of the architecture of the first DANUBIA implementation which has been realised in Java. This implementation integrates a wrapper framework that hides the technical details of network communications for the single components. 1. Components and Interfaces
Tree structures and algorithms for hybrid transforms

Zerotree based image coding techniques use a standard multiresolution representation of images obtained by a repeated 2-band Discrete Wavelet Transform of images. A lot more modularity and flexibility can be achieved by use of hybrid transforms of images. In this paper we explore the advantages, issues and tree structures for hybrid transforms of images. A few new algorithms for embedded image coding using hybrid transforms have been drafted. The results, interpretations and scenarios where hybrid transforms might find better application than existing methods have been discussed.
MDGs Reduction Technique Based on the HOL Theorem Prover

Multiway Decision Graphs (MDGs) subsume Binary Decision Diagrams(BDDs) and extend them by a first-order formulae suitable for model checking of data path circuits. In this paper, we propose a reduction technique to improve MDGs model checking. We use a reduction platform based on combining MDGs together with the rewriting engine in the HOL theorem prover. The idea is to prune the transition relation of the circuits using pre-proved theorems and lemmas from the specification given at system level. Then, the actual proof of temporal MDG formulae will be achieved by the MDGs model checker. We support our reduction technique by experimental results executed on benchmark properties.
Finding Words of Abundant Life: Insights from Psycholinguistics

The Christian faith holds out the promise of abundant life and yet many writers have exposed the ambiguities experienced from the words used when that faith is expressed or discussed or described. While there are many aspects to this exploration, this article investigates a set of words that are used to and for the divine because the one spoken of as the author of this abundant life is described in terms that limit the possibilities for too many people. This article will draw on insights gained through the use of the discipline of psycholinguistics (the study of the processing of language) and extrapolate from these insights to offer a methodology for developing a language that expresses abundant life.
3D facial expression recognition based on variation faces

Automatic 3D facial expression recognition is still a challenging problem. This paper proposes the variation faces combining SVM to classify 3D facial expressions automatically as the flow of generating variation faces is without any manual intervention. To validate this strategy, the Fourier spectrum feature is explored and its highest recognition rate, 85.33% represents to be comparative to most primary work. Avoiding the irregularity of the3D facial models is the most valuable thing of the variation faces which opens a promising direction for automatic 3D facial expression recognition.
Water Management for Major Urban Centres

The great city is that which has the greatest man or woman; if it be a few ragged huts, it is still the greatest city in the whole world. Walt Whitman Song of the Broad‐Axe The provision of clean drinking water, sanitation and stormwater disposal has become a major challenge for the urban centres of the developing world. The number of cities with a population of more than 10 million has increased from one in 1950, to 16 in 2000, and is expected to increase to 21 by 2015. In 2000, 47.2% of the global population was urban, and this percentage is increasing steadily. The rapid rate of urbanization has far exceeded the management and financial capacities of all the levels of governments of all developing countries from about 1960. While more and more people have received access to water and sanitation in recent years, much more remains to be done. At the present rate, it is unlikely that the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to drinking water by 2015, can be achieved universally. The problems faced by the major urban centres of the developing world are analysed, and the opportunities and constraints they face are assessed.
Punishment Protocol for Backoff Manipulation in MAC IEEE 802.11

Wireless network is now everywhere, therefore, competing for access to wireless channel is becoming an important issue. The IEEE 802.11 wireless standard requires nodes contending for channel access to wait for a "backoff" interval, randomly selected from a specified range, before initiating a transmission. However, today's wireless network adapter provides users with possibility to configure protocol parameter hence CSMA/CA access method may not work properly. Selfish users may disobey the rules by choosing smaller backoff value resulting in unfair throughput advantage. Although, there is a correction protocol proposed but it comes with the new MAC protocol. This new protocol is incompatible with the original standard and thus infeasible to be deployed. In this paper, we present a new punishment protocol which can be incrementally applied to any wireless access point. In addition, it can be used with any detection scheme without any change in an original MAC protocol
A taxonomy of software types to facilitate search and evidence-based software engineering

Empirical software research could be improved if there was a systematic way to identify the types of software for which empirical evidence applies. This is because results are unlikely to be globally applicable, but are more likely to apply only in certain contexts such as the type of software on which the evidence has been tested. We present a software taxonomy that should help researchers to apply their research systematically to particular types of software. The taxonomy was generated using existing partial taxonomies and input from survey participants. If a taxonomy such as ours gains acceptance, it will facilitate comparison and appropriate application of research. In the paper, we present the benefits of such a taxonomy, the process we used to develop it, and the taxonomy itself.
The Proactive-Personality with Curiosity Effects on the Innovative Work Behavior mediated by Work Engagement

There is an abundance of research that supports the relationship between proactive personality and work engagement and between work engagement and innovative work behaviors. However, there has been no study that examined work engagement as a mediator of the relationship between proactive personality and innovative work behaviors. Similarly, there has been no study that examined work engagement as a mediator between the personality traits of curiosity and exploration, with innovative work behaviors This research examines among other things, the compatibility between proactive personalities of employees, with transformational leadership behaviors of their superiors i.e. the superior-subordinate fit. It also examines the personality trait of openness to experience as a moderator affecting the dependent variable of innovative work behaviors. This study also investigates the possible moderating effect of transformational leadership on the relationship between proactive personality and work engagement. It is hypothesized that when proactive people have superiors that exhibit transformational leadership behaviors, they become even more engaged in their work. Similarly, employees with personality characteristics of curiosity and exploration, become more engaged when they are working under superiors who practice more transformational leadership behaviors, compared with employees whose superiors exhibit less transformational leadership behaviors. It is finally hypothesized that openness to experience will positively moderate the relationship between work engagement and innovative work behaviors such that people who are more open to experience will exhibit more innovative work behaviors when engaged At this stage, this represents a conceptual paper. A full quantitative study will be undertaken which will include instruments in the form of self-administered questionnaires distributed among employees involved in the aviation industry in the UAE. Keywords: Proactive personality, curiosity, and exploration,work engagement, transformational leadership, openness to experience, innovative work behaviors.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel 4-Morpholino-7,8-dihydro-5H-thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives Bearing Phenylpyridine/ Phenylpyrimidine-Carboxamides

Four series of novel 4-morpholino-7,8-dihydro-5H-thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives 11a–j, 12a–j, 13a–g and 14a–g bearing phenylpyridine/phenylpyrimidine- carboxamide scaffolds were designed, synthesized and their IC50 values against three cancer cell lines (A549, PC-3 and MCF-7) were evaluated. Eleven of the compounds showed moderate cytotoxicity activity against the cancer cell lines. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) and pharmacological results indicated that the introduction of phenylpyridine-carboxamide scaffold was beneficial for the activity. What’s more, the oxidation of the sulfur atom in thiopyran and various types of substituents on the aryl group have different impacts on different series of compounds. Furthermore, the positions of aryl group substituents have a slight impact on the activity of the phenylpyridine-carboxamide series compounds.
Twin low-cost infrared range finders for detecting obstacles using in mobile platforms

The new approach to eliminate blind zone of an infrared range finder is introduced. Infrared sensors have normally limitations of each individual sensor type in terms of detection range and a wider range measurement of this sensor type costs certainly intensive. The idea to use multiple infrared sensors simultaneously, a short range and a long range one, is proposed to overcome this problem. This has been inspired by eyeglasses solutions to presbyopia, which have two lenses, one for near sight and one for seeing distant objects. Multiple sensors concept is used to span wider measuring range, even the cost remains low-budget, so that it can be used in educational research properly. The combination of a short range and a long range measurement can detect obstacles and measure distance continuously from distant (500 cm) to near field (20 cm) around it. Mobile platform in educational institutes can take these advantages for navigations and localization in indoor environments and also for obstacle avoidances.
The relationship between cortical activation and perception investigated with invisible stimuli

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between cortical activity and visual perception. To do so, we developed a psychophysical technique that is able to dissociate the visual percept from the visual stimulus and thus distinguish brain activity reflecting the perceptual state from that reflecting other stages of stimulus processing. We used dichoptic color fusion to make identical monocular stimuli of opposite color contrast “disappear” at the binocular level and thus become “invisible” as far as conscious visual perception is concerned. By imaging brain activity in subjects during a discrimination task between face and house stimuli presented in this way, we found that house-specific and face-specific brain areas are always activated in a stimulus-specific way regardless of whether the stimuli are perceived. Absolute levels of cortical activation, however, were lower with invisible stimulation compared with visible stimulation. We conclude that there is no terminal “perceptual” area in the visual brain, but that the brain regions involved in processing a visual stimulus are also involved in its perception, the difference between the two being dictated by a higher level of activity in the specific brain region when the stimulus is perceived.
Global Comparison Aggregation Services ( Web 2002 )

Web aggregation has been available regionally for several years, but this service has not been offered globally. As an example, using multiple regional comparison aggregators, we analyze the global prices for a Sony camcorder, which differ by more than three times. We further explain that lack of global comparison aggregation services partially contribute to such huge price dispersion. We also discuss difficulties encountered in the manual integration of global web sources. Motivated by this example, we propose a context mediation architecture for global aggregation to address semantic disparities of global information sources. Global aggregation services can bring efficiency to the global market and can be useful for market research and other business uses.
Identifying the poorest older Americans.

OBJECTIVES Public policies target a subset of the population defined as poor or needy, but rarely are people poor or needy in the same way. This is particularly true among older adults. This study investigates poverty among older adults in order to identify who among them is financially worst off. METHODS We use 20 years of data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey to examine the income and consumption of older Americans. RESULTS The poverty rate is cut in fourth if both income and consumption are used to define poverty. Those most likely to be poor defined by only income but not poor defined by income and consumption together are married, White, and homeowners and have a high school diploma or higher. The income poor alone display sufficient assets to raise consumption above poverty thresholds, whereas the consumption poor are shown to have income just above the poverty threshold and few assets. DISCUSSION The poorest among the older population are those who are income and consumption poor. Understanding the nature of this double poverty population is important in measuring the success of future public policies to reduce poverty among this group.