Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Object Recognition: Physiological and Computational Insights

Visual object recognition is the identification of a thing in the outside world based on the sense of vision. Our eyes are bombarded by a wide variety of visual forms, from simple shapes like cups and pens, to complicated shapes like keyboards and saxophones, to amorphous natural forms like flowers and bodies. These forms can appear at multiple poses as they rotate (or as we rotate), can change size as they move closer or farther, and can frequently occlude one another. Yet we have no trouble recognizing them. How does the brain transform the unpredictable retinal array into invariant representations of objects? This problem has two aspects: (1) extracting a stable, compact, and explicit representation of the forms stimulating our eyes at any moment, and (2) comparing the resulting representation to a stored representation in memory. We will focus in this chapter on the first aspect: How does the primate visual system extract stable representations of the objects in the visual world? Visual object recognition is a function of the inferior temporal lobe, specifically, ventral stream areas V4, TEO, and TE. It has been suggested that the specialization of the inferior temporal lobe for object recognition arose during evolution as an elaboration of the foveal visual representation in V1, while the specialization of the parietal lobe for manipulation of objects in space arose as an outgrowth of the lower field representation of V1 (where the hands would normally be located) (Maunsell & Van Essen, 1987; Previc, 1990). Understanding the neural computations underlying object recognition is a uniquely difficult problem for three reasons. First, we don’t even know how object recognition might be solved computationally. Even though numerous computer models exist, they don’t come close to rivaling the performance of the human visual system. Second, a huge expanse of cortical territory is dedicated to object recognition. Areas TEO and TE, for example, are more than 10 times as large as the muchstudied motion area MT (Felleman & Van Essen, 1991). Assuming that multiple levels of organization exist within this vast cortical expanse, it becomes exceedingly difficult to map specific computations onto specific sets of neurons. Thus, single-unit physiologists typically assume that the organization of inferotemporal (IT) cortex is homogeneous and that meaningful answers can be obtained from sampling responses of random populations of IT neurons. Finally, the set of possible objects covers a huge parameter space. While it is clear the brain must use some sort of code that is compact, explicit, and stable to identify objects within this space (Connor et al., 2007), it is unclear what this code might be. To summarize, understanding object recognition is difficult due to a lack of effective computer models, the large number of cortical resources used to solve the problem, and a huge parameter space.
A survey on simulation-based fault injection tools for complex systems

Dependability is a key decision factor in today's global business environment. A powerful method that permits to evaluate the dependability of a system is the fault injection. The principle of this approach is to insert faults into the system and to monitor its responses in order to observe its behavior in the presence of faults. Several fault injection techniques and tools have been developed and experimentally tested. They could be mainly grouped into three categories: hardware fault injection, simulation-based fault injection, and emulation-based fault injection. This paper presents a survey on the simulation-based fault injection techniques, with a focus on complex micro-processor based systems.
Fast Texture Mapping from a Single Frontal Image

This paper introduces an improved texture mapping method to meet the future requirement of palm equipment applications. In the case of a lower resource configuration, because there is no requirement of the exact matching between model and texture, the facial texture is extracted from a single frontal face image through a few simple interactions. According to the feature points manual- marked on the texture image, the local texture coordinates can be auto-adjusted alternatively by the algorithm. Experimental results show that the algorithm is rapid, real-time and robust; and that the output model is photo-realistic.
Point-of-Care Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis in Rural Senegal

Background In tropical Africa, where the spectrum of the bacterial pathogens that cause fevers is poorly understood and molecular-based diagnostic laboratories are rare, the time lag between test results and patient care is a critical point for treatment of disease. Methodology/Principal Findings We implemented POC laboratory in rural Senegal to resolve the time lag between test results and patient care. During the first year of the study (February 2011 to January 2012), 440 blood specimens from febrile patients were collected in Dielmo and Ndiop villages. All samples were screened for malaria, dengue fever, Borrelia spp. , Coxiella burnetii, Tropheryma whipplei, Rickettsia conorii, R. africae, R. felis, and Bartonella spp. Conclusions/Significance We identified DNA from at least one pathogenic bacterium in 80/440 (18.2%) of the samples from febrile patients. B. crocidurae was identified in 35 cases (9.5%), and R. felis DNA was found in 30 cases (6.8%). The DNA of Bartonella spp. was identified in 23/440 cases (4.3%), and DNA of C. burnetii was identified in 2 cases (0.5%). T. whipplei (0.2%) was diagnosed in one patient. No DNA of R. africae or R. conorii was identified. Among the 7 patients co-infected by two different bacteria, we found R. felis and B. crocidurae in 4 cases, B. crocidurae and Bartonella spp. in 2 cases, and B. crocidurae and C. burnetii in 1 case. Malaria was diagnosed in 54 cases. In total, at least one pathogen (bacterium or protozoa) was identified in 127/440 (28.9%) of studied samples. Here, the authors report the proof of concept of POC in rural tropical Africa. Discovering that 18.2% of acute infections can be successfully treated with doxycycline should change the treatment strategy for acute fevers in West Africa.
Markets from Culture: Institutional Logics and Organizational Decisions in Higher Education Publishing

Institutional logics, the underlying governing principles of societal sectors, strongly influence organizational decision making. Any shift in institutional logics results in a similar shift in attention to alternative problems and solutions and in new determinants for executive decisions. Examining changes in institutional logics in higher-education publishing, this book links cultural analysis with organizational decision making to develop a theory of attention and explain how executives concentrate on certain market characteristics to the exclusion of others. Analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data from the 1950s to the 1990s, the author shows how higher education publishing moved from a culture of independent domestic publishers focused on creating markets for books based on personal, relational networks to a culture of international conglomerates that create markets from corporate hierarchies. This book offers broader lessons beyond publishing-its theory is applicable to explaining institutional changes in organizational leadership, strategy, and structure occurring in all professional services industries.
Polyglots: crossing origins by crossing formats

In a heterogeneous system like the web, information is exchanged between components in versatile formats. A new breed of attacks is on the rise that exploit the mismatch between the expected and provided content. This paper focuses on the root cause of a large class of attacks: polyglots. A polyglot is a program that is valid in multiple programming languages. Polyglots allow multiple interpretation of the content, providing a new space of attack vectors. We characterize what constitutes a dangerous format in the web setting and identify particularly dangerous formats, with PDF as the prime example. We demonstrate that polyglot-based attacks on the web open up for insecure communication across Internet origins. The paper presents novel attack vectors that infiltrate the trusted origin by syntax injection across multiple languages and by content smuggling of malicious payload that appears formatted as benign content. The attacks lead to both cross-domain leakage and cross-site request forgery. We perform a systematic study of PDF-based injection and content smuggling attacks. We evaluate the current practice in client/server content filtering and PDF readers for polyglot-based attacks, and report on vulnerabilities in the top 100 Alexa web sites. We identify five web sites to be vulnerable to syntax injection attacks. Further, we have found two major enterprise cloud storage services to be susceptible to content smuggling attacks. Our recommendations for protective measures on server side, in browsers, and in content interpreters (in particular, PDF readers) show how to mitigate the attacks.
Sliding-Window Optimization on an Ambiguity-Clearness Graph for Multi-object Tracking

Multi-object tracking remains challenging due to frequent occurrence of occlusions and outliers. In order to handle this problem, we propose an Approximation-Shrink Scheme for sequential optimization. This scheme is realized by introducing an Ambiguity-Clearness Graph to avoid conflicts and maintain sequence independent, as well as a sliding window optimization framework to constrain the size of state space and guarantee convergence. Based on this window-wise framework, the states of targets are clustered in a self-organizing manner. Moreover, we show that the traditional online and batch tracking methods can be embraced by the window-wise framework. Experiments indicate that with only a small window, the optimization performance can be much better than online methods and approach to batch methods.
Does Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns differ by race/ethnicity or by sex?

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) operates differentially by race and by sex. In its simplest terms, SLODR is the assertion that a general intelligence factor (g) is a less meaningful determinant of cognitive ability at higher levels of ability. Using the standardization data from the Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II), separate multigroup bifactor models (by race and by sex) will be created in which loadings and squared loadings from g to subtests will be estimated.
Proper Motion of the Irradiated Jet HH 399 in the Trifid Nebula

HH 399 is one of the first Herbig-Haro flows recognized to be irradiated by the UV radiation of the massive O7.5 star in the Trifid Nebula. We present the proper motion of the first irradiated jet, based on two epochs of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of HH 399 separated by nearly 5 yr, using Hα and [S II] line filters. High proper motion with continuous velocities between 200 ± 55 and 528 ± 24 km s-1 is detected in both lines along the 18'' extent of the jet axis. The irradiated fully ionized jet consists of numerous knots along the jet but also shows evidence for a number of isolated blob like structures running immediately outside the jet with lower transverse velocities. The transverse velocities combined with radial velocity measurements indicate that the jet axis lies away from the plane of the sky by only a few degrees. We argue that the jet is fully ionized, based on a [S II]/Hα line ratio, as well as radio continuum emission detected from the full extent of the jet at a 3.6 cm wavelength. The stellar mass-loss rate producing HH 399 is estimated to be ≈2 × 10-6 M☉ yr-1.
Public participation as a factor in the development of policy : a case study pf the KwaZulu-Natal Waste Management Policy process, 1996- 2001.

This study reviews some of the trends in the theory and practice of public participation processes as an element of policy development. It attempts to locate public participation within a theoretical framework for policy development based on the work of Kingdon (Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies, 2 ed. 1995) on policy streams, and that ofRoe (Narrative Policy Analysis. 1994) on the use ofdiscourse analysis. It uses the KwaZulu-Natal Waste Management Policy process as a case study and shows that it is possible to combine these two theories to come to a better understanding of the way in which policy is arrived at. The policy streams proposed by Kingdon are identified in the case study and the 'crisis', which moved the issue of waste management onto the decision agenda, is described. Two dominant narratives that emerge from a series of interviews are discerned, together with two counter narratives. By comparing and contrasting these a metanarrative is developed that meets Roe's criteria for telling a better story and so becomes the basis for the fmal policy. Public participation is shown as being a useful way of ensuring that alternative 'stories' are included in the shaping of policy and so allowing a metanarrative to emerge. Some conclusions about the implications of the analysis for future processes are drawn.
NAPS: Network Analysis of Protein Structures

Traditionally, protein structures have been analysed by the secondary structure architecture and fold arrangement. An alternative approach that has shown promise is modelling proteins as a network of non-covalent interactions between amino acid residues. The network representation of proteins provide a systems approach to topological analysis of complex three-dimensional structures irrespective of secondary structure and fold type and provide insights into structure-function relationship. We have developed a web server for network based analysis of protein structures, NAPS, that facilitates quantitative and qualitative (visual) analysis of residue–residue interactions in: single chains, protein complex, modelled protein structures and trajectories (e.g. from molecular dynamics simulations). The user can specify atom type for network construction, distance range (in Å) and minimal amino acid separation along the sequence. NAPS provides users selection of node(s) and its neighbourhood based on centrality measures, physicochemical properties of amino acids or cluster of well-connected residues (k-cliques) for further analysis. Visual analysis of interacting domains and protein chains, and shortest path lengths between pair of residues are additional features that aid in functional analysis. NAPS support various analyses and visualization views for identifying functional residues, provide insight into mechanisms of protein folding, domain-domain and protein–protein interactions for understanding communication within and between proteins. URL:http://bioinf.iiit. ac.in/NAPS/.
A time - luminosity correlation for Gamma - Ray Bursts in the X - rays

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have recently attracted much attention as a possible way to extend the Hubble diagram to very high redshift. However, the large scatter in their intrinsic properties prevents directly using them as distance indicator so that the hunt is open for a relation involving an observable property to standardize GRBs in the same way as the Phillips law makes it possible to use Type Ia Supernovae (SNeIa) as standardizable candles. We use here the data on the X-ray decay curve and spectral index of a sample of GRBs observed with the Swift satellite. These data are used as input to a Bayesian statistical analysis looking for a correlation between the X-ray luminosity LX(Ta) and the time constant Ta of the afterglow curve. We find a linear relation between log[LX(Ta)] and log[Ta/(1 + z)] with an intrinsic scatter �int = 0.33 comparable to previously reported relations. Remarkably, both the slope and the intrinsic scatter are almost independent on the matter density M and the constant equation of state w of the dark energy component thus suggesting that the circularity problem is alleviated for the LX Ta relation.
Muscarinic Receptor Activity Has Multiple Effects on the Resting Membrane Potentials of CA1 Hippocampal Interneurons

Inhibitory interneurons appear to be an important target for the muscarinic actions of cholinergic inputs to the hippocampus. We investigated the effect of muscarinic receptor activity on the membrane potential (Vm) and currents of rat hippocampal CA1 interneurons using whole-cell recording from visually identified CA1 interneurons. The predominant response observed was a muscarinic depolarization that was detected in interneurons from all layers of CA1. This depolarization was mediated by at least two mechanisms: a reduction in a potassium current and a mechanism that depended on extracellular sodium. Other interneurons responded to muscarinic agonists with a hyperpolarization or a biphasic response (hyperpolarization followed by depolarization). Hyperpolarizations and biphasic responses were found in all layers of CA1 but more frequently in stratum radiatum and stratum lacunosum moleculare. Muscarinic hyperpolarization was caused by the activation of a barium- and cesium-sensitive inwardly rectifying potassium channel. A small number of interneurons, primarily in or bordering the stratum pyramidale, produced slow membrane potential (0.04 Hz) oscillations. Many interneurons did not respond to muscarinic activity at all; half of these were in the stratum oriens. There was no strong correlation between any changes in Vm response to muscarine and morphology, as determined by reconstruction of the interneurons. It was not possible to predict the morphology or the layer distribution of an interneuron based on the type of muscarinic membrane potential response it had. This lack of correlation between muscarinic function and morphology implies a greater complexity of interneuron function than has been realized previously.
A hybrid ASIC/FPGA fault-tolerant artificial pancreas

This paper proposes a novel fault-tolerant human-implantable artificial pancreas integrated circuit achieving high dependability. The main objective of this work is to provide fault-tolerance to this safety-critical application and extend its lifetime similar to existing techniques such as Dual Modular Redundancy (DMR) and Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR). The key idea is to explore a hybrid-substrate with an FPGA-like fabric attached to an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that leverages DMR on a per-module basis to detect transient and permanent faults and ASIC and FPGA-like reconfiguration for correcting faults. When fault-tolerance against permanent faults is considered, the proposed architecture has 5,100x lower failure rate per hour than DMR with 2.4x area overheads. In the case where transient fault protection is required, our approach achieves 83x lower failure rate per hour than TMR with 1.6x area overheads.
A LLVM based compiler for COFFEE

LLVM has gained its popularity from both industrial side and academic side due to its well-defined architecture and good support for parallel programming. The purpose of this paper is to explain essential concepts which must be understood by complier developers in order to carry on the implementation of LLVM based compiler and also share experiences that we've gained during the implementation of our own LLVM compiler. For developers who have a working GCC compiler at hand, we propose a methodology to help them verify the new LLVM compiler by using the output of existing GCC compiler as reference. The COFFEE core (A Core For FrEE) is the hardware we are targeting, which supports both integer operations and single precision floating point operations. The paper will illustrate how the LLVM based compiler for the COFFEE core is implemented in both front end and back end.
Immersive haptic interaction with media

New 3D video representations enable new modalities of interaction, such as haptic interaction, with 2D and 3D video for truly immersive media applications. Haptic interaction with video includes haptic structure and haptic motion for new immersive experiences. It is possible to compute haptic structure signals from 3D scene geometry or depth information. This paper introduces the concept of haptic motion, as well as new methods to compute haptic structure and motion signals for 2D video-plus-depth representation. The resulting haptic signals can be rendered using a haptic cursor attached to a 2D or 3D video display.
Towards automated code parallelization through program comprehension

Currently available parallelizing tools are biased in favor of a particular parallel execution model for generating the output parallel program. This obviously limits the generality of these tools, since programs may be parallelized according to different programming paradigms. In this paper we propose a novel approach to automated code parallelization that tries to overcome these limitations. This approach consists in recognizing first the paradigm that as best suited to a given program to be parallelized, and then applying paradigm-specific transformation to generate the final parallel code. We argue that the recognition phase can be fully automated using techniques developed in the framework of automated program understanding. With the help of a case study, we discuss how this new approach could be implemented and propose the basic structure of a paradigm-oriented parallelizer. <<ETX>>
Speciation by Natural and Sexual Selection: Models and Experiments

A large number of mathematical models have been developed that show how natural and sexual selection can cause prezygotic isolation to evolve. This article attempts to unify this literature by identifying five major elements that determine the outcome of speciation caused by selection: a form of disruptive selection, a form of isolating mechanism (assortment or a mating preference), a way to transmit the force of disruptive selection to the isolating mechanism (direct selection or indirect selection), a genetic basis for increased isolation (a one‐ or two‐allele mechanism), and an initial condition (high or low initial divergence). We show that the geographical context of speciation (allopatry vs. sympatry) can be viewed as a form of assortative mating. These five elements appear to operate largely independently of each other and can be used to make generalizations about when speciation is most likely to happen. This provides a framework for interpreting results from laboratory experiments, which are found to agree generally with theoretical predictions about conditions that are favorable to the evolution of prezygotic isolation.
Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 infection and gastric cancer development in Japan.

BACKGROUND The rate of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) positivity among residents of Kamigoto, Japan, is extremely high (15%). Although the rate of Helicobacter pylori positivity in Kamigoto is almost the same as that in other areas of Japan, the incidence of gastric cancer in Kamigoto is lower. This study examined whether HTLV-1 infection affects H. pylori infection and the development of gastric cancer. METHODS The study involved 5686 patients >40 years of age who provided serum specimens for HTLV-1 antibody testing during 1989-1992. A total of 1812 patients underwent gastric endoscopy during the follow-up period. Of these, 497 were HTLV-1 seropositive. Data for these patients were compared with those for 497 HTLV-1-seronegative control patients matched for age, sex, and follow-up duration. We followed these groups until 2003 and determined the cumulative incidence rate of gastric cancer. RESULTS The rate of H. pylori positivity was 61.7% in the HTLV-1-positive group and 71.6% in the HTLV-1-negative group (P = .07). Fourteen HTLV-1-positive patients (2.8%) had gastric cancer, compared with 35 patients (7.0%) in the HTLV-1-negative group (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.70; P = .0028). CONCLUSION HTLV-1 infection likely reduces the risk of H. pylori infection and proliferation and, thereby, the risk of gastric cancer.