Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel approach to personal photo album representation and management

In this paper we present a novel approach to personal photo album management allowing the end user to efficiently access the collection without any need for tedious manual annotation or indexing of the photos. The proposed work exploits methods and technology from the field of computer vision and pattern recognition for face detection, face representation and image annotation to automatically create description of images useful for content-based searching and retrieval. In fact, even if most of the used techniques are not reliable enough to address the general problem of content-based image retrieval, we show that, in a limited domain such as the one of personal photo album, it is possible to obtain results that improve the browsing capabilities of current photo album management systems. In particular, starting from the observation that most personal photos depict a usually small number of people in a relatively small number of different context (indoor, outdoor, beach, mountain, city, etc.) we propose the use of automatic techniques to index images based on who is present in the scene and on the context where the picture was taken. Experiments on a personal photo collection of about a thousand images proved that relatively simple content-based techniques lead to surprisingly good results in term of easyness of user access to the data.
Location Algorithms Research in Wireless Sensor Network Base on Hops and Angle-Vector

In order to reduce the energy consumption and improve the accuracy of location in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), two distributed location algorithms are proposed in this paper. One is a distributed algorithm based on hops (DABoH). It carries out location through sending the flood message packets initiatively to acquire the information of coordinates of anchor nodes. The other is a distributed algorithm based on angle-vector (DABoAV). It carries out location through introducing the angle of entering signal and applying the triangle cosine theorem. The former has the characteristic of less flood message packets and is applicable of a rigid energy consumption network. The latter has the characteristic of low location errors and is applicable of a network requiring high location accuracy. Simulation experiments validate the correctness and the feasibility of the algorithms. In the simulation, it is shown that the DABoAV owns higher location accuracy just as the anchor nodes density comes up to 10%. DABoH also shows a trend of higher location accuracy quickly with the increasing of anchor nodes. The characteristic of low energy consumption is shown when the two distributed location algorithms work in simulation.
Power-Hungry Candidates, Policy Favors, and Pareto Improving Campaign Finance Policy

This paper argues that campaign finance policy, in the form of contribution limits and matching public financing, can be Pareto improving even under the most optimistic assumptions concerning the role of campaign advertising and the rationality of voters. The argument assumes that candidates use campaign contributions to convey truthful information to voters about their qualifications for office and that voters update their beliefs rationally on the basis of the information they have seen. It also assumes that campaign contributions are provided by interest groups and that candidates can offer to provide policy favors for their interest groups to attract higher contributions. The argument is developed in the context of a simple model of political competition with campaign contributions and informative advertising.
Asymptotic Properties of Bootstrap Likelihood Ratio Statistics for Time Censored Data

Much research has been done on the asymptotic distributions of likelihood ratio statistics for complete data. In this paper we consider the situation in which the data are time censored and the distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic is a mixture of continuous and discrete distributions. We show that the distribution of a signed square root likelihood ratio statistic can be approximated by its bootstrap distribution up to second order accuracy. Similar results are shown to hold for likelihood ratio statistics with or without a Bartlett correction. The main tool used is a continuous Edgeworth expansion for the likelihood-based statistics, which may be of some independent interest. Further, we use a simulation study to investigate the adequacy of the approximation provided by the theoretical result by comparing the nite-sample coverage probability of several competing condence interval (CI) procedures based on the two parameter Weibull model. Our simulation results show that, in nite samples, the methods based on the bootstrap signed square root like- lihood ratio statistic outperform the bootstrap-t and BCa methods in constructing one-sided condence bounds (CBs) when the data are Type I censored.
Five Lectures on Khovanov Homology

These lecture notes, which were designed for the Summer School "Heegaard-Floer Homology and Khovanov Homology" in Marseilles, 29th May - 2nd June, 2006, provide an elementary introduction to Khovanov homology. The intended audience is graduate students with some minimal background in low-dimensional and algebraic topology. The lectures cover the basic definitions, important properties, a number of variants and some applications. At the end of each lecture the reader is referred to the relevant literature for further reading.
Fragmentation and Welfare in Monopolistic Competition

We examine the welfare effect of fragmentation with a general-equilibrium model of monopolistic competition. Using the efficiency property of monopolistic competition models, we develop a diagram that is used to show that fragmentation of production arises, i.e. firms in a country specialize in developing blueprints and out-source the manufacturing of their products to the other country. Such fragmentation allows countries to benefit from trade due to two different sources: comparative advantage and product diversity. We show how these two sources result in gains from trade induced by this production fragmentation.
Interindividual variation of eye optics and single object resolution in bumblebees

SUMMARY In the eusocial bumblebees, distinct size variation occurs within the worker caste of a colony. We show that there are pronounced differences in compound eye optical quality between individual workers in Bombus terrestris. Using scanning electron microscopy and antidromic illumination techniques (the pseudopupil method), we demonstrate that large workers have extended facet diameters in conjunction with reduced interommatidial angles. Thus, both overall sensitivity and image resolution are superior in such individuals. Behavioural tests show that a 33% increase in body size is accompanied by 100% greater precision in single target detection. This improvement in spatial resolving power is much stronger than that predicted by surveying ommatidial arrays, indicating that measuring eye optics alone is insufficient for predictions of single object resolution, unless combined with behavioural tests. We demonstrate that in small bees the minimum number of ommatidia involved in target detection is seven, while in large workers a single ommatidium is sufficient for target detection. These findings have implications for foraging and division of labour in social insects.
The Economy and Suicide

The suicide rate for the U.S.A. for the period of 1940–84 was posited to be the consequence of the interplay of economic and social variables. The single equation regression was applied to the suicide rates for the total population and for the four sex by race social groups. The results indicated that: (1) suicide rates did not increase during the economic booms and busts as predicted by Durkheim, and the change depended upon the social groups involved; (2) the unemployment rate had significant detrimental impact only on the white male suicide rate; (3) the female labor force participation rate had beneficial impact on both the white and non‐white female suicide rates; (4) the divorce rate was the only variable that had a consistent impact for all social groups; and (5) membership in the Catholic Church had a positive association with the suicide rates.
Development of a neural network Predictive Emission Monitoring System for flue gas measurement

Department of Environment in most countries is increasingly tightening clean Air regulation to mandate heavy industries to comply with stack emission limits. One of the latest measures is to enforce the installation of analytical instrumentation known as Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) to report emission level online to DOE office. CEMS being hardware based analyzer is expensive and maintenance intensive and often unreliable. Therefore, the need for more economical, reliable and accurate software-based predictive techniques is a feasible equivalent alternative for regulatory compliance. This study has successfully developed a neural network software-based Predictive Emissions Monitoring System (PEMS) to accurately determine stack emission level which can correlate closely with hardware analyzer measurement.
A Markov chain-based numerical method for calculating network degree distributions

This paper establishes a relation between scale-free networks and Markov chains, and proposes a computation framework for degree distributions of scale-free networks. We first find that, under the BA model, the degree evolution of individual nodes in a scale-free network follows some non-homogeneous Markov chains. Exploring the special structure of these Markov chains, we are able to develop an efficient algorithm to compute the degree distribution numerically. The complexity of our algorithm is O(t 2 ), where t is the number of time steps for adding new nodes. We use three examples to demonstrate the computation procedure and compare the results with those from the existing methods. PACS: 84.35. +i; 64.60. Fr; 87.23. GE
Acidic Phosphoprotein Complex of the 60S Ribosomal Subunit of Maize Seedling Roots (Components and Changes in Response to Flooding)

We determined that ribosomes of seedling roots of maize (Zea mays L.) contain the acidic phosphoproteins (P-proteins) known to form a flexible lateral stalk structure of the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes. The P-protein stalk, composed of P0, P1, and P2, interacts with elongation factors, mRNA, and tRNA during translation. Acidic proteins of 13 to 15.5 kD were released as a complex from ribosomes with 0.4 M NH4Cl/50% ethanol. Protein and cDNA sequence analysis confirmed that maize ribosomes contain one type of P1, two types of P2, and a fourth and novel P1/P2-type protein. This novel P-protein, designated P3, has the conserved C terminus of P1 and P2. P1, P2, and P3 are similar in deduced mass (11.4–12.2 kD) and isoelectric point (4.1–4.3). A 35.5- to 36-kD acidic protein was released at low levels from ribosomes with 1.0 M NH4Cl/50% ethanol and identified as P0. Labeling of roots with [32P]inorganic phosphate confirmed the in vivo phosphorylation of the P-proteins. Flooding caused dynamic changes in the P-protein complex, which affected the potential of ribosome-associated kinases and casein kinase II to phosphorylate the P-proteins. We discuss possible alerations of the ribosomal P-protein complex and consider that these changes may be involved in the selective translation of mRNA in flooded roots.
Presentation of a New Approach to the Classification of WebPages Using Users Behavior Analysis by the Ant Algorithm

Different approaches have been presented to classify web documents. The low precision of classification and low flexibility of models presented to classify web documents can however be mentioned as major problems among them. In this paper, we intend to model users’ behavior by the ant colony algorithm to classify WebPages. This method is based on the idea that if users sequentially browse some WebPages, then these pages are the same and will be classified in one group. This of-course will apply if the user does not pause on a page until the threshold time and continuously performs their survey process. If a site has several users with different tastes and interests to visit the WebPages accordingly, then the site webpages will be classified into several groups according to users’ tastes. By allocating an ant to each user in the proposed method & the amount of the pheromone existing on the users’ survey graphs manes, it will be specified that which documents are similar and lie in one group of users’ interests. Users will also be classified in cointerest groups using this same ants survey graph. The results of this study can be used in proposing and classification systems based on the documents users’ behavior or documents clustering. Simulations results have shown that the proposed method enjoys higher precision compared with previous methods.
4E10-Resistant HIV-1 Isolated from Four Subjects with Rare Membrane-Proximal External Region Polymorphisms

Human antibody 4E10 targets the highly conserved membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 transmembrane glycoprotein, gp41, and has extraordinarily broad neutralizing activity. It is considered by many to be a prototype for vaccine development. In this study, we describe four subjects infected with viruses carrying rare MPER polymorphisms associated with resistance to 4E10 neutralization. In one case resistant virus carrying a W680G substitution was transmitted from mother to infant. We used site-directed mutagenesis to demonstrate that the W680G substitution is necessary for conferring the 4E10-resistant phenotype, but that it is not sufficient to transfer the phenotype to a 4E10-sensitive Env. Our third subject carried Envs with a W680R substitution causing variable resistance to 4E10, indicating that residues outside the MPER are required to confer the phenotype. A fourth subject possessed a F673L substitution previously associated with 4E10 resistance. For all three subjects with W680 polymorphisms, we observed additional residues in the MPER that co-varied with position 680 and preserved charged distributions across this region. Our data provide important caveats for vaccine development targeting the MPER. Naturally occurring Env variants described in our study also represent unique tools for probing the structure-function of HIV-1 envelope.
Transformations to symmetry and homoscedasticity

Abstract This article considers transformations in regression to eliminate skewness and heteroscedasticity of the response. We work with the transform-both-sides model where the relationship between the median response and the independent variables has been identified, at least tentatively. To preserve this relationship, the response and the regression model are transformed in the same way. Extending the work of others for the location parameter case, we propose an estimator that eliminates skewness. We also develop an estimator to eliminate heteroscedasticity and an estimator that attempts to induce both symmetry and homoscedasticity. Both and appear new. By comparing and we develop a test of the null hypothesis that there exists a transformation to both symmetry and homoscedasticity. We study the question When does the estimator of λ behave (in terms of asymptotic variance) as if the regression parameter β were known (and vice versa)? The results are of use for telling when the optimal estimator of λ do.
Wide vs. Narrow Tax Bases Under Optimal Investment Timing

This article compares an ACE system with a CBIT system in an open economy. Using a real-option approach we show that, if a firm can decide when to invest, a tradeoff is found. According to traditional wisdom, a high-income firm investing in an ACE system faces a heavier tax burden at each instant. On the other hand, it finds it optimal to invest earlier, thereby enjoying a longer stream of income. If, given the same tax burden, the latter effect is great enough, the firm will prefer the ACE system. In this article we also run a simulation which shows that preference for an ACE system is a realistic result.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Thermally activated escape of driven systems: the activation energy

Thermally activated escape in the presence of a periodic external field is investigated theoretically and through analogue experiments and digital simulations. The observed variation of the activation energy for escape with driving force parameters is accurately described by the logarithmic susceptibility (LS). The frequency dispersion of the LS is shown to differ markedly from the standard linear susceptibility. Experimental data on the dispersion are in quantitative agreement with the theory. Switching between different branches of the activation energy is demonstrated for a nonsinusoidal (biharmonic) force.
'Beggar-Thy-Neighbor' or 'Beggar-Thyself'? The Income Effect of Exchange Rate Fluctuations

This paper analyzes the impact of exchange rate fluctuations when they are only partially passed through to consumer prices. We show that an exchange rate depreciation does not necessarily have a beggar-thy-neighbor effect and may in fact have an opposite, or beggar-thyself, effect. The direction of the welfare effect depends on who owns the firms importing goods from producers and selling them to consumers, an issue that has not been explored in the earlier literature
TOPICAL FLUORIDES Evidence-based guidance on the use of topical fluorides for caries prevention in children and adolescents in Ireland

What is an evidence-based guideline? Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements containing recommendations for the care of individuals by healthcare professionals that are based on the highest quality scientific evidence available. Guidelines are designed to help practitioners assimilate, evaluate and apply the ever-increasing amount of evidence and opinion on current best practice, and to assist them in making decisions about appropriate and effective care for their patients. Their role is most clear when two factors are present: (a) evidence of variation in practice that affects patient outcomes, and (b) a strong research base providing evidence of effective practice. 1 It is important to note that guidelines are not intended to replace the healthcare professional's expertise or experience, but are a tool to assist practitioners in their clinical decision-making process, with consideration for their patient's preferences. To assist the reader of this guideline, the key to the grading of evidence and recommendations is presented below. 1++ High quality meta-analysis, systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), or RCTs with a very low risk of bias 1+ Well conducted meta-analyses, systematic reviews or RCTs with a low risk of bias 1-Meta-analyses, systematic reviews or RCTs with a high risk of bias 2++ High quality systematic reviews of case-control or cohort studies High quality case-control or cohort studies with a very low risk of confounding or bias and a high probability that the relationship is causal 2+ Well conducted case control or cohort studies with a low risk of confounding or bias and a moderate probability that the relationship is causal 2
Improved performance of APSK modulation scheme for sattellite system

This paper propose new bit mapping based on amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) modulation with application to satellite broadband communications in the DVB-S2 standard The APSK modulation outperforms classical 16-QAM and 16-PSK over a typical satellite nonlinear channel due to its intrinsic robustness against the High Power Amplifier (HPA) nonlinear characteristics. The proposed bit mapping considers non-linearity of HPA in the APSK modulation and the performance of APSK modulation for the proposed bit mapping has been compared to the conventional bit mapping.
Nonproliferative and Proliferative Lesions of the Rat and Mouse Skeletal Tissues (Bones, Joints, and Teeth)

The INHAND (International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria for Lesions in Rats and Mice) Project (www.toxpath.org/inhand.asp) is an initiative of the Societies of Toxicological Pathology from Europe (ESTP), Great Britain (BSTP), Japan (JSTP) and North America (STP) to develop an internationally accepted nomenclature for proliferative and nonproliferative lesions in laboratory animals. The purpose of this publication is to provide a standardized nomenclature for classifying microscopic lesions observed in the skeletal tissues and teeth of laboratory rats and mice, with color photomicrographs illustrating examples of many common lesions. The standardized nomenclature presented in this document is also available on the internet (http://www.goreni.org/). Sources of material were databases from government, academic and industrial laboratories throughout the world.
A Unified Multilingual and Multimedia Data Mining Approach for Cancer Knowledge Discovery

The functions of automatically identify relationships between cancer diseases and external factors from medical records for supporting cancer diagnosis would be a valuable contribution in public health fields. Unfortunately, so far little attention has been paid on providing effective solutions to such a problem domain. In this work, we propose a framework to automating the extraction of relationships between cancer diseases and potential factors from clinical records and medical literature. We describe a platform framework integrating cancer microarray and developed data mining techniques of multimedia and multilingual, covering clustering of multimedia as well as multilingual classifiers to carry out the system development. In the implementation, we extracted the associated genes of cancers by clustering microarray data, and then exploited the resulting gene clusters to classify cancer related documents. The experimental results show that the platform is capable of extracting the potential patterns to enhancing more effective solutions for cancer diseases.
Sampling and Frequency Warping

Optimal sampling of non band-limited functions is an issue of great importance that has attracted considerable attention. We propose to tackle this problem through the use of a frequency warping: First, by a nonlinear shrinking of frequencies, the function is transformed into a band-limited one. One may then perform a decomposition in Fourier series. This process gives rise to new orthonormal bases of the Sobolev spaces H^alpha. When alpha is an integer, these orthonormal bases can be expressed in terms of Laguerre functions. We study the reconstruction and speed of convergence properties of the warping-based sampling. Besides theoretical considerations, numerical experiments are performed.
Secure Isolation of Untrusted Legacy Applications

Existing applications often contain security holes that are not patched until after the system has already been compromised. Even when software updates are available, applying them often results in system services being unavailable for some time. This can force administrators to leave system services in an insecure state for extended periods. To address these system security issues, we have developed the PeaPod virtualization layer. The PeaPod virtualization layer provides a group of processes and associated users with two virtualization abstractions, pods and peas. A pod provides an isolated virtualized environment that is decoupled from the underlying operating system instance. A pea provides an easy-to-use least privilege model for fine grain isolation amongst application components that need to interact with one another. As a result, the system easily enables the creation of lightweight environments for privileged program execution that can help with intrusion prevention and containment. Our measurements on real world desktop and server applications demonstrate that the PeaPod virtualization layer imposes little overhead and enables secure isolation of untrusted applications.