Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Invariant-based data model for image databases

We describe a new invariant-based data model for image databases under our approach for shape-based retrieval. The data model relies on contours description of the image shape, and emphasizes the use of invariants. Efficient indexing is based on geometric invariant features, while semi-local multi-valued invariant signatures are used for ranking the answers. The advantages of the proposed approach are its ability to retrieve images in situations in which part of the shape is missing (i.e., in case of occlusion or sketch queries), its ability to handle images distorted by different viewpoint transformations, and its ability to flexibly answer queries based on logical or shape descriptions (query by example), or on a combination of both. The approach also handles sketch based queries. We implemented our data model in an object oriented database system with a SQL-like user interface. The paper presents experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Affine trajectory deformation for redundant manipulators

We propose a new method to smoothly deform trajectories of redundant manipulators in order to deal with unforeseen perturbations or to retarget captured motions into new environments. This method is based on the recently-developed affine deformation framework, which offers such advantages as closed-form solutions, one-step computation and no trajectory re-integration. Satisfaction of inequality constraints and dynamics optimization are seamlessly integrated into the framework. Applications of the method to interactive motion editing and motion transfer to humanoid robots are presented. Building on these developments, we offer a brief discussion of the concept of redundancy from the viewpoint of group theory.
Motivated self-perception and perceived ease in recall of autobiographical memories

The present study examines motivational influence on the perceived ease with which autobiographical memories are recalled, and the role perceived ease plays in momentary self-perception as characterized by inferences of success-promoting attributes (Kunda & Sanitioso, 1989). Participants were first induced to believe that introversion is conducive of success or of failure in one's university studies and beyond. Next, in a supposed separate experiment, they recalled five past behaviors they considered to be related to introversion. Introversion-success participants, presumably motivated to see themselves as introverted, perceived the recall task as easier than did introversion-failure participants. Perceived ease, in turn, mediated self-perception as characterized by the success-promoting trait inferences: introversion-success participants rated themselves as more introverted compared to introversion-failure participants. The present findings extend past research emphasizing the biased content in the recall of autobiographical memories (Sanitioso, Kunda, & Fong, 1990) to the subjective experience associated with the recall itself, to realize a desired self-perception.
Identification of FOXO targets that generate diverse features of the diapause phenotype in the mosquito Culex pipiens

Significance Diapause is an alternative developmental pathway exploited by insects and other invertebrates to survive inimical seasons. Like many insects that enter an adult diapause, the mosquito Culex pipiens responds to the short day lengths of autumn by feeding extensively on sugar, stockpiling huge fat reserves, halting reproduction, suppressing metabolism, boosting defense responses, and migrating to protected sites where it can safely bridge the winter months. In the experiments presented here, we propose that many of the diverse features of the diapause phenotype are the consequence of activating forkhead transcription factor (FOXO), a transcription factor downstream of insulin and juvenile hormone signaling. Our experimental results reveal how these upstream hormonal signaling pathways act through FOXO to generate the complex phenotype known as diapause. Insulin and juvenile hormone signaling direct entry of the mosquito Culex pipiens into its overwintering adult diapause, and these two critical signaling pathways appear to do so by converging on the regulation of forkhead transcription factor (FOXO). Diapause is a complex phenotype, and FOXO emerges as a prime candidate for activating many of the diverse physiological pathways that generate the diapause phenotype. Here, we used ChIP sequencing to identify direct targets of FOXO. The nearest gene in a 10-kb region surrounding a predicted binding site was extracted for each binding site, resulting in a dataset containing genes potentially regulated by FOXO. By selecting candidate genes based on their functional relevance to diapause, we identified five gene categories of potential interest, including stress tolerance, metabolic pathways, lifespan extension, cell cycle and growth regulation, and circadian rhythms. Twelve targets were prioritized for further analysis, 10 of which were validated by ChIP-quantitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. These 10 genes activated by FOXO are highly up-regulated during diapause and are thus strong candidates for implementation of the diapause syndrome.
ONTOGENIES IN MICE SELECTED FOR HIGH VOLUNTARY WHEEL‐RUNNING ACTIVITY. I. MEAN ONTOGENIES

Abstract The evolutionary importance of postnatal ontogenies has long been recognized, but most studies of ontogenetic trajectories have focused exclusively on morphological traits. For animals, this represents a major omission because behavioral traits and their ontogenies often have relatively direct relationships to fitness. Here four replicate lines of house mice artificially selected for high early‐age wheel running and their four replicate control lines were used to evaluate the effects of early‐age directional selection, genetic drift, and activity environment (presence or absence of a running wheel) on variation in the ontogenies of three traits known to be genetically correlated: voluntary wheel running, body mass, and food consumption. Early‐age selection significantly changed both the shape and position of the wheel‐running and food‐consumption ontogenies while influencing the position, but not the shape, of the body mass ontogeny. Genetic drift (as indicated by variation among replicate lines) produced significant changes in both the position and shape of all three ontogenies; however, its effect differed between the selection and control groups. For wheel running and food consumption, genetic drift only influenced the control ontogenies, whereas for body mass, genetic drift had a significant effect in both selection groups. Both body‐mass and food‐consumption ontogenies were significantly altered by activity environment, with the environment causing significant changes in the shape and position of both ontogenies. Overall the results demonstrate strong effects of early‐age selection, genetic drift, and environmental variation on the evolution and expression of behavioral and morphological ontogenies, with selection changing only the position of the morphological ontogeny but both the position and shape of the behavioral ontogenies.
Intergenerational Household Structure and Economic Change At the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Most older persons at the turn of the twentieth century in the United States lived with a child. Family theories stress kin affiliation or jointfamily survival strategies as motives for coresidence. This article uses exchange theory to examine whether hierarchical and noncollectivist "elder strategies" shaped coresidence. Analysis of the 1910 Public Use Sample and linked macrolevel census data finds that the coresidence of elderly males with adult children was afunction of local economic opportunities, old-age dependency, economic resources (including Civil War pensions), and remarriage alternatives. Specifically, local economic opportunities led to more coresidence, but remarriage, older men's robustness, and greater material resources led to less coresidence with a child. Older men, as those in previous cohorts, held onto the resources they possessed—including headship— for their own use and perhaps to maintain leverage over kin.
Numerical simulation of x-ray luminescence optical tomography for small-animal imaging

Abstract. X-ray luminescence optical tomography (XLOT) is an emerging hybrid imaging modality in which x-ray excitable particles (phosphor particles) emit optical photons when stimulated with a collimated x-ray beam. XLOT can potentially combine the high sensitivity of optical imaging with the high spatial resolution of x-ray imaging. For reconstruction of XLOT data, we compared two reconstruction algorithms, conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) and a new algorithm, x-ray luminescence optical tomography with excitation priors (XLOT-EP), in which photon propagation is modeled with the diffusion equation and the x-ray beam positions are used as reconstruction priors. Numerical simulations based on dose calculations were used to validate the proposed XLOT imaging system and the reconstruction algorithms. Simulation results showed nanoparticle concentrations reconstructed with XLOT-EP are much less dependent on scan depth than those obtained with FBP. Measurements at just two orthogonal projections are sufficient for XLOT-EP to reconstruct an XLOT image for simple source distributions. The heterogeneity of x-ray energy deposition is included in the XLOT-EP reconstruction and improves the reconstruction accuracy, suggesting that there is a need to calculate the x-ray energy distribution for experimental XLOT imaging.
An agent-based model of edit wars in Wikipedia: How and when is consensus reached

Edit wars are conflicts among editors of Wikipedia when editors repeatedly overwrite each other's content. Edit wars can last from a few days to several years before reaching consensus often leading to a loss of content quality. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to create an agent-based model of edit wars in order to study the influence of various factors involved in consensus formation. We model the behavior of agents using theories of group stability and reinforcement learning. We show that increasing the number of credible or trustworthy agents and agents with a neutral point of view decreases the time taken to reach consensus, whereas the duration is longest when agents with opposing views are in equal proportion. Our model can be used to study the behavior of members in online communities and to inform policies and guidelines for participation.
Overview of Sarcomas in the Adolescent and Young Adult Population

Based on the data of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Section of the National Cancer Institute (SEER) program, soft tissue and bone sarcomas account for about 1% of all new malignancies diagnosed in the United States each year. However, there are numerous different histologic types, and any given type of sarcoma is extremely rare. Determining the incidence of sarcomas by age and type is difficult due to the limited data reported. The SEER program collects data regarding age but only limited data on histology, while most series reported in the literature include either adults or pediatric patients, but rarely both. In an effort to estimate the frequency and absolute numbers of different sarcomas in the adolescent and young adult population, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) tumor registry was queried for all soft tissue sarcomas from 1990 through 2003, and all bone sarcomas from 1990 through 2002. Based on this query, an overview of sarcomas that occur predominantly in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population is presented. These sarcomas include rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, neurogenic sarcoma, epithelioid sarcomas, alveolar soft parts sarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and osteosarcoma. Using the percentages for occurrence of each histologic type determined from the MDACC database, and the SEER estimate of overall sarcoma incidence, an estimate of the number of new cases in 2004 for the predominant histologic types occurring in the AYA population are presented. Also reviewed are the chromosomal translocations that occur frequently in sarcomas presenting in the AYA population.
Georeferencing of multi-line CCD array optical sensors with a general photogrammetric model

This paper describes a general sensor model for the georeferencing of imagery from CCD linear array sensors with along-track stereo viewing. The software combines the standard photogrammetric triangulation with a sensor external orientation modeling and self-calibration. The sensor attitude and position, which are different for each image-line, are modeled with time-dependent piecewise polynomial functions while the systematic errors due to lens distortions are described by additional parameters. In case of sensors whose optical system consists of more lenses, the collinearity equations are extended in order to include additional parameters describing the relative orientations of each lens. Using ground control points and, additionally, tie points (TPs), the functions parameters and the ground coordinates of the TPs are estimated in a least-squares adjustment. The described procedures have been applied to imagery from different CCD linear sensors carried on airplane and satellite. In particular, the results obtained with MOMS-P2 imagery are presented and discussed.
Combined Adiponectin Deficiency and Resistance in Obese Patients: Can It Solve Part of the Puzzle in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent cause of liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis in obese patients identifies the risk group with increased incidence of liver-related deaths. AIM: To clarify the role of serum adiponectin and its receptor liver gene expression in the progression of liver damage in NAFLD. METHODS: Fifty four (54) obese patients with NAFLD preliminary diagnosed by liver ultra-sound were recruited. Full medical history, anthropometric measurement, biochemical studies, serum adiponectin level, liver biopsy for histological examination and NAS score to identify NASH patients, and assessment of adiponectin receptor gene expression by RT-PCR, were conducted for each patients. Fifteen ages matched average weight healthy adult had been chosen as a control for serum adiponectin level. RESULTS: According to NAS score, patients were divided into non- NASH (8 patients), and NASH (46 patients). Serum adiponectin level was significantly lower in NAFLD patients compared to normal participants (p < 0.004). Serum adiponectin level was lower in NASH patients (4.437 ± 2.569 ng/dl in NASH vs. 5.138 ± 2.841 ng/dl in non-NASH). Adiponectin receptor liver gene expression was lower in NASH patients (0.8459 ± 0.4671 vs. 1.0688 ± 0.3965 in non-NASH). CONCLUSION: Both adiponectin deficiency and resistance had a role in progression of simple liver steatosis to severe injury in obese patients.
Task-Oriented and Relationship-Building Communications between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots

By questioning the lopsided attention on task-oriented factors in air traffic controller-pilot communication, the current study places an equal weighting on both task-oriented and relationship-building communications, and investigates how each type of communication influences sustainable performance in airline operation team. Results show that both task-oriented and relationship-building communications in terms of sustainability of team process predicted greater communication satisfaction at work. Also, both task interdependence and shared leadership influenced both types of air traffic controller-pilot communication. However, only relationship-building communication had a direct influence on perceived work performance whereas task-oriented communication had not. Along with task-oriented factors, this study raises the relationship-oriented factors as important resources for the sustainable team performance in airline industry.
Analysis of running speech for the characterization of mood state in bipolar patients

Speech analysis has been proposed for the characterization of subjects' mood state. Specifically, prosodie features have been found to carry information about subjects' depression severity as well as subjects' status in bipolar disorders. In such applications, the subjects have to be monitored continuously, in naturalistic scenarios and not only in the clinical setting. For this reason, it is important to test the robustness of feature extraction approaches against noise as well as to assess their performances as applied to running speech. In this work, the performance of an algorithm designed to estimate speech features from running speech are evaluated on a speech database, containing an associated electroglottographic signal. The algorithm consists of an automatic segmentation step, to detect voiced segments at syllable level, and a speech feature estimation step based on a spectral matching approach. Relevant parameters pertaining voiced segments identification are optimized. The performance of the algorithm in estimating speech features is tested against different noise sources. The chosen speech features are those related to fundamental frequency and its variability, as jitter and standard deviation estimated at syllables level. The results show the good performance of the algorithm in estimating fundamental frequency related features also in noisy environments. Preliminary results on bipolar patients, recorded in different mood states, are shown. Pairwise statistical comparison between different mood states revealed significant differences in fundamental frequency and jitter. A significant effect of the speech task performed by the subjects is observed.
Large Scale Evaluation of Image Copy Detection Methods

Finding near copies of images based on content analysis has been examined extensively in the research literature. In this work, we compare a wide range of algorithms which have roots in linear transforms, color histograms, salient point matching (SURF), and in biological systems. We discuss issues and ramifications of the image alterations, the detection accuracy, and the computational performance. We use a test set composed of one million images to properly assess both accuracy and performance.
Vertebroplasty in Multiple Myeloma: Outcomes in a Large Patient Series

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite the literature supporting the efficacy of vertebroplasty for treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, few reports exist documenting its use in the treatment of compression fractures in multiple myeloma patients. Accordingly, we sought to characterize the imaging characteristics, clinical course, and outcomes in myeloma patients treated with vertebroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of clinical outcome data from 67 multiple myeloma patients treated with vertebroplasty since October 2000. Quantitative outcome data including the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) and Visual Analog Scales for pain and qualitative outcome data (self-reported pain, mobility, and narcotic use) were collected preoperatively, immediately after vertebroplasty, and at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after treatment. RESULTS: Significant improvements in all of the outcome measures were observed postoperatively and throughout the duration of follow-up. Quantitative outcome measures (RDQ, analog pain scale 0–10, with rest and activity) improved by 11.0 (48%; P < .0001), 2.7 (25%; P < .001), and 5.3 (48%; P < .0001) points, respectively, with persistent improvement at 1 year (P < .01; P < .03; P < .001). Eighty-two percent and 89% of patients experienced a significant improvement in subjective rest pain and activity pain, respectively. Subjective scores achieved durable improvements, with 65% of patients requiring fewer narcotics after vertebroplasty and 70% having improved mobility. CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty provides significant and durable pain relief for patients with intractable spinal pain secondary to compression fractures resulting from multiple myeloma.
An optimisation approach to multiprobe cryosurgery planning

In cryosurgery operations, tumoural cells are killed by means of a freezing procedure realised with the insertion of cryoprobes in the diseased tissue. Cryosurgery planning aims at establishing the best values for operation parameters like number and position of the probes or temperature and duration of the freezing process. Here, we present an application of ant colony optimisation (ACO) to cryosurgery planning, whereby the ACO cost function is computed by numerically solving several direct Stefan problems in biological tissues. The method is validated in the case of a 2D phantom of a prostate cross section.
Fault Tolerance Mobile Agent System Using Witness Agent in 2- Dimensional Mesh Network

Mobile agents are computer programs that act autonomously on behalf of a user or its owner and travel through a network of heterogeneous machines. Fault tolerance is important in their itinerary. In this paper, existent methods of fault tolerance in mobile agents are described which they are considered in linear network topology. In the methods three agents are used to fault tolerance by cooperating to each others for detecting and recovering server and agent failure. Three types of agents are: actual agent which performs programs for its owner, witness agent which monitors the actual agent and the witness agent after itself, probe which is sent for recovery the actual agent or the witness agent on the side of the witness agent. Communication mechanism in the methods is message passing between these agents. The methods are considered in linear network. We introduce our witness agent approach for fault tolerance mobile agent systems in Two Dimensional Mesh (2D-Mesh) Network. Indeed Our approach minimizes Witness-Dependency in this
Modeling from reality

This paper presents an overview of our efforts in modeling-from-realty to create virtual reality models through observation of real objects. These efforts span three aspects: how to create geometric models of virtual objects; how to create photometric models of virtual objects; and how to integrate such virtual objects with real scenes. For geometric model creation, we have developed a two-step method: simultaneous alignment and volumetric view merging. For photometric model creation, we have developed two methods, model-based and eigen-texture rendering methods, both of which automatically create models by observing the real objects. For the integration of virtual objects with real scenes, we have developed a method that renders virtual objects based on real illumination distribution. We have successfully tested the proposed methods by using real images to demonstrate their effectiveness.
The application of fractal theory in forecasting oil price fluctuation

Influenced by various kinds of unpredictable factors, the forecast of crude oil price has always been a worldwide challenge. With its own advantages, fractal theory was considered as an ideal method in solving this problem. As a trend extrapolation model based on historical data, data examine process is necessary to make sure the original data is available for trend extrapolation, and using rescale range method to execute Hurst index test was considered as an efficient way to accomplish the examine purpose. Based on the principles of fractal theory, this paper proposed basic steps in forecasting the crude oil price. The WTI prices of 10 months, from February, 2009 to November, 2009, will be taken as reference to analyze and forecast the monthly prices of December 2009, January and February 2010. The feasibility and effectivity of this method has been proved by comparing the predicted prices with real prices.