Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive rendering

This course intends to serve two closely related purposes: to provide an accurate definition of the term "predictive rendering" and to present the technological foundations for research in this area. The first goal of the course (a clear definition of the term) seems to be necessary due to the extreme prevalence of its antonym: believable rendering. Practically all contemporary production graphics, as well as most current graphics research efforts, fall into the latter category. The second (much larger and technical) part of the course presents the foundations of current predictive rendering. Unlike believable rendering, where any technology that delivers visually convincing results is acceptable for a given task, a predictive pipeline has the fundamental problem that all components have to be of a uniformly high quality to ensure a reliable result. The course describes an entire predictive pipeline, and for each stage it presents the graphics technologies (in some cases surprisingly few) that can be used in such a context. This course should enable anyone with a background in graphics to bootstrap a basic predictive rendering environment that can support further research.
A study on evolution of influence in online social networks

Online social networks are gaining galloping upward momentum in a quick succession ever since from their inception as they lay a sturdy platform to share the information seeping into everyone who is concerned about it. In this spirited world substantial amount of success depends on how quickly one is able to reach out to the maximum number of people. There are very few who can have paramount consideration of influence on others. Crux of the problem is to pick right people whose influence is absolute in order to diffuse the influence with minimum effort. These seeding people can in turn be used to make an upward notion in areas like politics, all types of education including health and farming, introduce a product or service in the market, to revolutionize any formal setup environment of both private and public, training employees, changes in thinking patterns of the society and its life style, to propagate superior deliberations in the minds of people and likewise. In this paper Pareto front function is used to identify the eminent leaders which is followed by the empirical analysis of the results of evolution of their influence.
Full rate full diversity wireless multicasting: Extended Balanced Space-Time Block Coding

To incorporate Multi-Input Multi-Output diversity, Extended Balanced Space-Time Block Codes (EBSTBCs) have been proposed in the literature, providing full diversity when one or more feedback bits are sent back via feedback channel. However, the EBSTBCs are designed for unicast communication. Multicasting is a spectrally efficient method for supporting group communication by allowing transmission of packets to multiple destinations using fewer resources. This paper presents a novel wireless multicasting scheme which selects the optimum EBSTBC for all mobile users to support wireless multicast. Extensive, detailed simulations are performed to show the feasibility of full rate and full diversity multicast service provisioning in Rayleigh fading channels.
The bioclimatic envelope of the wolverine (Gulo gulo): do climatic constraints limit its geographic distribution?

We propose a fundamental geographic distribution for the wolverine (Gulo gulo (L., 1758)) based on the hypothesis that the occurrence of wolverines is constrained by their obligate association with persistent spring snow cover for successful reproductive denning and by an upper limit of thermoneutrality. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a composite of MODIS classified satellite images representing persistent snow cover from 24 April to 15 May, which encompasses the end of the wolverine’s reproductive denning period. To investigate the wolverine’s spatial relationship with average maximum August temperatures, we used interpolated temperature maps. We then compared and correlated these climatic factors with spatially referenced data on wolverine den sites and telemetry locations from North America and Fennoscandia, and our contemporary understanding of the wolverine’s circumboreal range. All 562 reproductive dens from Fennoscandia and North America occurred at sites with persistent spring snow c.
Natural Selection and the Origin of Modules

Introduction There is an emerging consensus about the existence of developmental and evolutionary modules and their importance for understanding the evolution of In contrast to the progress made in these areas, there is very little research on the origin of modules and the few results published about models for the origin of modules point in widely different directions Currently there is no unitary explanation emerging for the evolution of modularity. This is surprising since modularity seems to be so common among higher organisms that one might expect a robust and unitary mechanism behind its origin. In this paper we want to review the current models and ideas for the evolutionary origin of modules. The majority of the models discussed below have been published in the years 2000 or 2001, and we thus feel that an overview might be useful. Another goal of this paper is to identify the range of open problems we face in explaining the ultimate causes of modularity. While the intuitive idea of modularity is pretty simple, the distinction between different types of modularity and their operational definition stimulates ongoing In this paper, however, we do not want to enter the discussion about the more subtle aspects of the modularity concept but rather use a few fairly simple and perhaps 3 robust distinctions and definitions sufficient to communicate about models for the origin of modularity. The biological modularity concept has several largely independent roots. In developmental biology the modularity concept is based on the discovery of semi-autonomous units of embryonic development (Raff, 1996). The empirical basis for developmental modules is the observation that certain parts of the embryo can develop largely independent of the context in which they occur. Examples are limb buds or tooth On the other hand, evolutionary modules are defined by their variational independence from each other and the integration among their parts, either in interspecific variation or in mutational variation (Wagner & Altenberg, 1996). The preliminary definition of an evolutionary module used in this paper is a set of phenotypic features that are highly integrated by pleiotropic effects of the underlying genes and are relatively isolated from other such sets by a paucity of pleiotropic effects (see Figure 1). This preliminary definition is also the basis for attempts to measure and test for modularity in genetic data (Cheverud et al., 1997; Mezey et al., 2000). Functional modules, on the other hand are parts …
Related Work 2.1 Web Characterization 2.1.1 Methods for Sampling 2.1.2 Web Dynamics Estimating Freshness and Age 2.1.3 Link Structure

In this chapter we review selected publications related to the topics covered in this thesis. We start in section 2.1 with a summary of several studies about Web characterization that include results relevant for Web crawling. We continue in section 2.2 with an outline on how search engines index pages from the Web. Section 2.3 provides an overview of publications on link analysis in general, in section 2.4 we review specific issues of Web crawling and their solutions, and in section 2.5 we cover the architecture of existing Web crawlers. One of the main difficulties involved in any attempt of Web characterization is how to obtain a good sample. As there are very few important pages lost in a vast amount of unimportant pages (according to any metric: Pagerank, reference count, page size, etc.), just taking a URL at random is not enough. For many applications, pages with little or no meaningful content should be excluded, so it is important to estimate the importance of each page [HHMN00], even if we have only partial information. We distinguish two main methods for sampling Web pages: Vertical sampling involves gathering pages restricted by domain names. As the domain name system induces a hierarchical structure, vertical sampling can be done at different levels of the structure. When vertical sampling is done at top-level it can select entire countries such as . cl, . it, . au, which are expected to be cohesive in terms of language, topics, history, or it can select general top-level domains such as . edu or . com, which are less coherent, except for the . gov domain. When vertical sampling is done at second level, it will choose a set of pages produced by members of the same organization Horizontal sampling involves a criteria of selection that is not based on domain names. In this case, there are two approaches for gathering data: using a log of the transactions in the proxy of a large organization or ISP, or using a Web crawler. There are advantages and disadvantages for each method: when monitoring a proxy it is easy to find popular pages, but the revisit period is impossible to control, as it depends on users; using a crawler the popularity of pages has to be estimated but the revisit period can be fine-tuned. In horizontal sampling, a " random walk " can be used to obtain a set in which pages are roughly visited …
Distributed Quasi-Newton Method and its Application to the Optimal Reactive Power Flow Problem

Abstract We consider a distributed system of N agents, on which we define a quadratic optimization problem subject to a linear equality constraint. We assume that the agents can estimate the gradient of the cost function element-wise by measuring the steady state response of the system. Even if the cost function cannot be decoupled into individual terms, and the linear constraint involves the whole system state, we are able to design a distributed, quasi-Newton optimization algorithm. We prove finite time convergence in its centralized version, and by using the tool of average consensus we design its distributed implementation in the case in which a communication graph is given. As a testbed for the proposed method, we consider the problem of optimal distributed reactive power compensation in smart microgrids.
A Review Report on Cryptovirology and Cryptography

— Cryptography has traditionally been used for defensive purposes. Ciphers defend against a passive eavesdropper. Public key infra-structures defend against an active adversary that mounts a man-in-the-middle attack. Digital signature algorithms defend against a forger. E-cash systems defend against a counterfeiter and a double-spender. Pseudorandom bit generators defend against a next-bit predictor, and so on. Crypto virology extends beyond finding protocol failures and design vulnerabilities. It is a forward engineering discipline that can be used for at-tacking rather than defending.
A survey: Comparative study of applications, attacks, security and privacy in VANETs

VANETs (Vehicular Adhoc Networks) is the Subclass of MANETs (Mobile Adhoc Networks). It provides remote communication among vehicles to roadside equipments and it gives the innovation that uses moving cars as a hub in a system to make the portable system that is each car which is participating is either a remote switch or hub. As, VANETs finds the applications in industry as well as commercial. The principal objective is to enhance security for passengers. Security and protection gets a lot of consideration in remote communication in light of the fact that VANETs is inclined to malicious and disclosure attacks. This paper proposes the essential perspective of VANET's applications, different sorts of assaults and security requirements. We examine existing techniques for security and protection issues in VANETs. Finally, We discuss different types of the validation schemes and challenges in VANETs.
A Hybrid Model for Language Structures Disambiguation in Machine Translation

The paper focuses on the issues of language structures disambiguation in machine translation.The moodel for establishing semantic content of syntactic structures in the English and Russian languages is proposed. Particular attention is given to syntactic polysemy and ambiguity, and the mechanisms of disambiguation. The phenomenon of syntactic polysemy determines the possible multiple transfer scheme for a given language pattern. The system of multivariant transfer rules is designed comprising the rules with statistical extensions and machine learning methods.
Analyzing trust concerns in public clouds using finite state automata

The perquisites of cloud computing as utility computing over conventional computing are quite evident yet not all users have come to fully embrace this new computing paradigm. The major concern regarding cloud computing is that of the associated security risks. Security risks keep users doubting whether to migrate to the cloud hence triggering trust concerns. Cloud service providers are tasked with the burden of proving to users that they are able to live up to the challenge. Many solutions have been suggested to mitigate cloud security challenges but trust concerns have always lurked in the background. This paper proposes the use of a conceptual finite state automaton to partition the various instances of cloud data into states and transitions. The security concerns of each state and transitions are henceforth analyzed with respect to trust concerns which arise under those respective instances. Since a finite state automaton is scalable, new emerging trust concerns can be addressed by integrating the security concerns they emanate from into new instances of states or transitions hence the flexibility of the proposed approach.
Clustering Algorithm for High Dimensional Data Stream over Sliding Windows

Data stream clustering is confronted with great challenges due to the memory usages and the processing speed. Besides, lots of stream data are high-dimensional in natural and high-dimensional data are inherently more complex in clustering. This paper proposes an effective clustering algorithm referred as HSWStream for high dimensional data stream over sliding windows. This algorithm handles the high dimensional problem with projected clustering technique, deals with the in-cluster evolution with exponential histogram of cluster feature called EHCF and eliminates the influence of old points with the fading temporal cluster features. Meanwhile, via the mechanism of exponential histogram, we save more information of recent data but less information of old data, which is fit for the thought of data stream evolution. The projected clustering brings higher quality of clusters and higher speed of execution, while the sliding window brings higher quality and less memory usage. In addition, in order to bring more efficiency, we use a fast computational method to maintain EHCF. Main idea of the fast computational method indicates that we have no need to handle the new data point immediately until we should delete a FTCF in corresponding EHCF. The evolving data streams in the experiments use KDD-CUP'98 and KDD-CUP'99 real data sets and synthetic data sets. The experimental results demonstrate that proposed method is of higher quality, less memory and faster processing speed than other algorithms.
A Drosophila Chromatin Factor Interacts With the Piwi-Interacting RNA Mechanism in Niche Cells to Regulate Germline Stem Cell Self-Renewal

Stem cell research has been focused on niche signaling and epigenetic programming of stem cells. However, epigenetic programming of niche cells remains unexplored. We showed previously that Piwi plays a crucial role in Piwi-interacting RNA-mediated epigenetic regulation and functions in the niche cells to maintain germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila ovary. To investigate the epigenetic programming of niche cells by Piwi, we screened mutations in the Polycomb and trithorax group genes, and an enhancer of Polycomb and trithorax called corto, for their potential genetic interaction with piwi. corto encodes a chromatin protein. corto mutations restored GSC division in mutants of piwi and fs(1)Yb (Yb), a gene that regulates piwi expression in niche cells to maintain GSCs. Consistent with this, corto appears to be expressed in the niche cells and is not required in the germline. Furthermore, in corto-suppressed Yb mutants, the expression of hedgehog (hh) is restored in niche cells, which is likely responsible for corto suppression of the GSC and somatic stem cell defects of Yb mutants. These results reveal a novel epigenetic mechanism involving Corto and Piwi that defines the fate and signaling function of niche cells in maintaining GSCs.
Who broke the news?: an analysis on first reports of news events

We present a data-driven study on which sources were the first to report on news events. For this, we implemented a news-aggregator that included a large number of established news sources and covered one year of data. We present a novel framework that is able to retrieve a large number of events and not only the most salient ones, while at the same time making sure that they are not exclusively of local impact. Our analysis then focuses on different aspects of the news cycle. In particular we analyze which are the sources to break most of the news. By looking when certain events become bursty, we are able to perform a finer analysis on those events and the associated sources that dominate the global news-attention. Finally we study the time it takes news outlet to report on these events and how this reects different strategies of which news to report. A general finding of our study is that big news agencies remain an important threshold to cross to bring global attention to particular news, but it also shows the importance of focused (by region or topic) outlets.
On the direct scaling approach of eliciting aggregated fuzzy information: the psychophysical view

We describe an experiment in which we elicit aggregated fuzzy information, and link it to the "direct scaling" approach of S.S. Stevens (1957). We also re-analyze earlier experiments [H. -J. Zimmermann and P. Zysno, 1980] and compare the results to the proposed scaling method. Our results seem to indicate that a compensatory operator is not always necessary to model aggregated fuzzy information, and that humans internally use a simple rescaling.
Altered Functional Connectivity of Cognitive-Related Cerebellar Subregions in Well-Recovered Stroke Patients

The cerebellum contains several cognitive-related subregions that are involved in different functional networks. The cerebellar crus II is correlated with the frontoparietal network (FPN), whereas the cerebellar IX is associated with the default-mode network (DMN). These two networks are anticorrelated and cooperatively implicated in cognitive control, which may facilitate the motor recovery in stroke patients. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) changes in 25 subcortical ischemic stroke patients with well-recovered global motor function. Consistent with previous studies, the crus II was correlated with the FPN, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex, and the cerebellar IX was correlated with the DMN, including the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/Pcu), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), DLPFC, lateral parietal cortices, and anterior temporal cortices. No significantly increased rsFCs of these cerebellar subregions were found in stroke patients, suggesting that the rsFCs of the cognitive-related cerebellar subregions are not the critical factors contributing to the recovery of motor function in stroke patients. The finding of the disconnection in the cerebellar-related cognitive control networks may possibly explain the deficits in cognitive control function even in stroke patients with well-recovered global motor function.
2×2 Panoramic camera array stitching using edge matching

In this paper, a novel panorama stitching method for Ultra HD images using edge matching is proposed. Our method, which replaces the popular Scale-invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) matching, provides effective solution for panorama stitching involving non-coplanar scenes without using the method of dynamic seam finding to avoid misalignments. We utilize the algorithm of As-Rigid-As-Possible (ARAP) to minimize misalignments by correcting the images during the stitching step. Furthermore, our method can be easily used to stitch panorama videos. In this paper, we present the analysis of the proposed method and provide evidence of its effectiveness in dealing with misalignments through implementation on images captured in a 2×2 panoramic array setting.
Crystal Structure of PrgI-SipD: Insight into a Secretion Competent State of the Type Three Secretion System Needle Tip and its Interaction with Host Ligands

Many infectious Gram-negative bacteria, including Salmonella typhimurium, require a Type Three Secretion System (T3SS) to translocate virulence factors into host cells. The T3SS consists of a membrane protein complex and an extracellular needle together that form a continuous channel. Regulated secretion of virulence factors requires the presence of SipD at the T3SS needle tip in S. typhimurium. Here we report three-dimensional structures of individual SipD, SipD in fusion with the needle subunit PrgI, and of SipD:PrgI in complex with the bile salt, deoxycholate. Assembly of the complex involves major conformational changes in both SipD and PrgI. This rearrangement is mediated via a π bulge in the central SipD helix and is stabilized by conserved amino acids that may allow for specificity in the assembly and composition of the tip proteins. Five copies each of the needle subunit PrgI and SipD form the T3SS needle tip complex. Using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and crystal structure analysis we found that the T3SS needle tip complex binds deoxycholate with micromolar affinity via a cleft formed at the SipD:PrgI interface. In the structure-based three-dimensional model of the T3SS needle tip, the bound deoxycholate faces the host membrane. Recently, binding of SipD with bile salts present in the gut was shown to impede bacterial infection. Binding of bile salts to the SipD:PrgI interface in this particular arrangement may thus inhibit the T3SS function. The structures presented in this study provide insight into the open state of the T3SS needle tip. Our findings present the atomic details of the T3SS arrangement occurring at the pathogen-host interface.
Joint Key-Frame Extraction and Object-Based Video Segmentation

In this paper, we propose a coherent framework for joint key-frame extraction and object-based video segmentation. Conventional key-frame extraction and object segmentation are usually implemented independently and separately due to the fact that they are on different semantic levels. This ignores the inherent relationship between key-frames and objects. The proposed method extracts a small number of key-frames within a shot so that the divergence between video objects in a feature space can be maximized, supporting robust and efficient object segmentation. This method can utilize advantages of both temporal and object-based video segmentations, and be helpful to build a unified framework for content-based analysis and structured video representation. Theoretical analysis and simulation results on both synthetic and real video sequences manifest the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method.