Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deconvolution of Neutron Degraded Images: C omparative Study between TSVD, Tikhonov Regularization and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Image deconvolution is an important problem in image processing. It is an ill-posed inverse problem, so regularization techniques are used to solve this problem by adding constraints to the objective function. Various popular algorithms have been developed to solve such problem. This paper proposes a new approach to the nonlinear neutron degraded images restoration problem which is useful in many images enhancement applications, based on swarm intelligence. We use the particle swarm optimization (PSO) applied for total variation (TV) minimization, instead of the standard Tikhonov regularization method. In this work, we attempt to reconstruct or recover neutron radiography images that have been degraded during acquisition; using some a priori knowledge of the degradation phenomenon. The truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) method is also considered for image deconvolution in this paper. A comparison between the five methods is conducted, using several images.
Understanding the Complexity of Love in Brokeback Mountain: An Analysis of the Film and Short Story

This essay examines the complexity of the love that develops between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, the protagonists of Brokeback Mountain. We argue that the heterosexist mindset of 1960s-80s American culture and lack of a nurturing and empathetic upbringing from fathers in particular preclude the establishment of a healthy openly public partnership between two men in love. Both Ennis and Jack struggle with emotional repression resulting from childhood abuse and the expectations of hypermasculinity.
An Indexing Method for Efficient Model-Based Search

Large databases of patterns, such as faces, body poses, fingerprints, or gestures, are becoming increasingly widespread, thanks to advances in computer technology. In this paper we focus on the problem of efficient search in such databases, when using model-based search. In model-based search, the user submits as a query a classifier, that has been trained to recognize the type of patterns that the user wants to retrieve. While model-based search can lead to good retrieval accuracy, the efficiency of model-based search can be inadequate if we need to apply the query classifier to every single database pattern. We propose a method for improving the efficiency of model-based search. The proposed method assumes that classifiers have been trained using JointBoost, and operates by defining an embedding, which maps both classifiers and database patterns into a common vector space. Using this embedding, the problem of finding the database patterns maximizing the response of the query classifier is reduced to a nearest neighbor search problem in a vector space. This reduction allows the use of standard vector indexing method to speed up the search. In our experiments, we show that the proposed embedding, together with a simple PCAbased indexing scheme, significantly improve the efficiency of model-based search, as measured on a database of face images constructed from the public FRGC-2 dataset.
Maximizing Diffusion on Dynamic Social Networks

The inﬂuence maximization problem is an important one in social network analysis, with applications from marketing to epidemiology. The task is to select some subset of the nodes in the network which, when activated, will spread the activation to the greatest portion of the rest of the network as quickly as possible. Since exact solutions are computationally intractable, greedy approximation algorithms have been developed. However, such meth-ods have only been tested on static social networks: those in which the edges do not change while diﬀusion is occurring on the network. This is despite the fact that many social networks exhibit strongly dynamic behavior. Applying the heuristics used for static networks to dynamic ones is not straightforward since the metrics typically used to judge the inﬂuence of nodes are not well deﬁned when edges are changing. This paper examines the use of several potential dynamic measures for use with greedy approximation algorithms. Both linear threshold and independent cascade models of diﬀusion are studied, and networks are formed using random, preferential attachment and proximity-based paradigms.
Biophysical studies of the schistosome surface and their relevance to its properties under immune and drug attack

Schistosomiasis is a widespread tropical disease caused by trematode worms, which can live for many years in the bloodstream of the human or experimental host. There is evidence that immunity against reinfection can develop in human populations but such immunity is slow to develop and never complete (Butterworth et al. 1985, Hagan et al. 1987). Incomplete protection against reinfection is also seen in experimental animals immunized by a natural infection (Clegg & Smithers 1972), irradiated cercariae (Dean 1983), or by vaccination with a variety of antigen preparations (Smith & Clegg 1985, Kelly 1987, James 1985). The host’s immune response acts to damage the parasite during its migration and development, but rarely damages the adult parasite, except in abnormal hosts (Smithers & Terry 1965) or after drug treatment (Harnett 1988, Doenhoff, Modha & Lambertucci 1989, Brindley & Sher 1987). The incompleteness of the protection after immunization may be due to (a) variability in the efficacy of local (skin, lung or liver) responses in the host, or (b) variability in the surface or metabolic properties within the challenge parasite population (Jones & Kusel 1989). This variability (b) may reflect differences in the responses of each individual parasite to the effects of the host’s immune system. For example, those parasites metabolizing very rapidly might repair damaged membrane with greater efficiency. What methods are available to study the responses of living parasites to interactions with the immune system? Electrophysiology (Pax et al. 1983, Pax, Chen & Bennett 1987), pharmacology (Estey & Mansour 1988) and membrane signalling (Kalopothakis, Rumjanek & Evans 1987, Podesta et al. 1987b) are yielding interesting and valuable information about surface properties. In this article we describe studies which can be carried out on individual living parasites using a variety of fluorescent techniques. It is possible to study the lateral diffusion of macromolecules in or close to the surface membrane. Some of the results from these studies are providing new insights into the complexity of the surface structures and suggest mechanisms by which these structures may respond to attack by the immune system of the host.
BOOMTOWN'S YOUTH: THE DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF RAPID COMMUNITY GROWTH ON ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS*

of the American Society for Information Science 27:292-306. Small, Henry G. 1980 A Citation Index for Physics: 1920-29. Final Report to the National Science Foundation for research grant SOC77-14957. Mimeographed, Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia, PA. Sorensen, Aage B. 1977 "The structure of inequality and the process of attainment. " American Sociological Review 42:965-78. Stewart, John A. 1983 "Achievement and ascriptive processes in the recognition of scientific articles. " Social Forces 62:166-89. Stewman, Shelby and Suresh L. Konda 1983 "Careers and organizational labor markets: demographic models of organizational behavior. " American Journal of Sociology 88:637-85. Weiss, Paul A. 1960 "Knowledge: a growth process. " Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 104:242-47. Welch, Finis 1979 "Effects of cohort size on earnings: the baby boom babies' financial bust. " Journal of Political Economy 87:S65-97. White, Harrison C. 1970 Chains of Opportunity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
The marginalized particle filter for automotive tracking applications

This paper deals with the problem of estimating the vehicle surroundings (lane geometry and the position of other vehicles), which is needed for intelligent automotive systems, such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and lane guidance. This results in a nonlinear estimation problem. For automotive tracking systems, these problems are traditionally handled using the extended Kalman filter. In this paper we describe the application of the marginalized particle filter to this problem. Studies using both synthetic and authentic data show that the marginalized particle filter can in fact give better performance than the extended Kalman filter. However, the computational load is higher.
Impact of virtual tumor resection and computer-assisted risk analysis on operation planning and intraoperative strategy in major hepatic resection.

HYPOTHESIS Currently, standard planning for hepatic resection is based on the schematic description of the functional anatomy of the liver according to Couinaud, and on the evaluation of 2-dimensional computed tomographic imaging of the liver. Recent developments in image-based computer assistance allow patients' individual functional liver anatomy to be computed from mathematical analysis of standard multidetector computed tomographic scans. An intended resection can be performed virtually under realistic anatomic conditions, and the influence of different resection planes on blood supply and drainage within the remaining liver parenchyma can be calculated by a computer-assisted risk analysis. We evaluated the impact of computer-assisted risk analysis on operation planning for major hepatectomies, in particular on extent of resection or need for vascular reconstruction. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Academic tertiary care referral center. PATIENTS Twenty-five consecutive patients admitted to the hospital for major hepatectomy, of whom 4 had tumors deemed unresectable by both methods. INTERVENTIONS Two-dimensional computed tomography was used to calculate the volume of the future liver remnant with the intended resection line manually determined, and then the volume of the future liver remnant was calculated again by computer-assisted risk analysis as the remaining liver volume not being devascularized but having both portal venous blood supply and hepatic venous drainage. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The difference between the remaining functional liver volumes calculated by the 2 methods. RESULTS The deviation between liver volumes determined by 2-dimensional computed tomography and by computer-assisted risk analysis was less than 20% in 14 of 21 patients, between 20% and 30% in 3, between 30% and 40% in 2, and 41% and 43% in 1 patient each. The most extensive deviations were found in extended left hepatectomy or when left hepatectomy was combined with additional wedge resection in the right lobe. In 7 cases, all with a deviation greater than 20%, the results of computer-assisted risk analysis led to a change of operation planning with regard to the extent of resection (n = 3) or the need for vascular reconstruction (n = 4), although in 1 of these cases resection was not performed because of peritoneal carcinomatosis. CONCLUSIONS Image-based computer assistance allows for areas at risk for devascularization or venous congestion to be identified and precisely calculated before resection. In selected cases with small liver remnants, operation planning may be improved substantially by preoperative computer-assisted risk analysis.
Microgap cooling of via-enhanced glass interposers

A series of single-phase water microgap cooling experiments (gap height: 200 μm) are conducted on via arrays in 400 μm thick glass interposers. Surface temperature rise is compared to trials run with bulk Si of the same thickness. The results show that the copper vias are necessary to control the temperature rise of the glass substrate, and that while the via-enhanced interposers do exhibit a larger thermal resistance than silicon, they also provide the desired increase in lateral thermal isolation. As flow rates within the gap are increased (approaching Re=1600), the penalty associated with constraining the flow of heat to the footprint of the via array is mitigated, owing to the reduction in the thermal resistance attributable to the convection boundary.
Correlation Between Indicators Over Time in Thematic Maps

Visualising indicators in thematic maps is nowadays state-of-theart and many statistical agencies and data providers support their figures also within interactive visualisation. However, mostly raw data values are presented in maps and the visualisation of statistical estimation results is rarely done and topic in this contribution. For the estimation of cross-correlations of one reference time series to other time series, we show that it is important to prewhiten the time series based on the model estimates of the reference time series. In addition, a simple weighting of time series to increase the importance of recent years over values from the very past is proposed. Finally, an application of our implemented visualisation tool using European alcohol consumption statistics is shown.
Borna Disease Virus Assembles Porous Cage-like Viral Factories in the Nucleus*

Animal-derived RNA viruses frequently generate viral factories in infected cells. However, the details of how RNA viruses build such intracellular structures are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the structure and formation of the viral factories, called viral speckle of transcripts (vSPOTs), that are produced in the nuclei of host cells by Borna disease virus (BDV). Super-resolution microscopic analysis showed that BDV assembled vSPOTs as intranuclear cage-like structures with 59–180-nm pores. The viral nucleoprotein formed the exoskeletons of vSPOTs, whereas the other viral proteins appeared to be mainly localized within these structures. In addition, stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy revealed that filamentous structures resembling viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) appeared to protrude from the outer surfaces of the vSPOTs. We also found that vSPOTs disintegrated into RNPs concurrently with the breakdown of the nuclear envelope during mitosis. These observations demonstrated that BDV generates viral replication factories whose shape and formation are regulated, suggesting the mechanism of the integrity of RNA virus persistent infection in the nucleus.
The H I content of the advanced merger NGC4441

Context. NGC4441 is a candidate for a merger between a spiral and an elliptical galaxy (S+E merger), because it shows typical tidal structures such as an optical tail and two shells. With a far-infrared luminosity of similar to 5 x 10(9) L(circle dot) this galaxy belongs to the class of moderate luminosity mergers, in which the merging process induces (if at all) only a moderate starburst. Aims. The study of the atomic gas content allows us to investigate the merger history and the impact on the star formation. In particular, it is not clear from simulations whether an S+E merger leads to a gas concentration in the nucleus, resulting in a starburst, or whether the gas is spread out and therefore too diffuse for new star forming regions. Methods. We used the Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope to observe the properties of the Hi. By using this interferometer, we are able to study the large-scale Hi distribution and kinematics with high spatial and velocity resolution. Results. We found two Hi tails extending out to more than 40 kpc. In a central disc, the gas shows a fairly regular rotation pattern indicating that the gas started to settle after the merger. The total Hi mass adds up to 1.5 x 10(9) M(circle dot). By comparing the high resolution Hi maps with deep optical images, differences between the stellar and gaseous tidal features are apparent, which indicates an S+E merger origin.
Spaced retrieval treatment of anomia

Background: Spaced Retrieval (SR) is a treatment approach developed to facilitate recall of information by individuals with dementia. Essentially an errorless learning procedure that can be used to facilitate recall of a variety of information, SR gradually increases the interval between correct recall of target items. Aims: Given the success of using SR in dementia, the purpose of this study was to explore its usefulness in improving naming by individuals with aphasia. The rate of acquisition and retention of items was compared between SR and a more traditional treatment technique—cueing hierarchy (CH). Also, each oral naming treatment was run concurrently with a single word writing treatment. Methods & Procedures: Three participants who had moderate or severe naming impairments and agraphia were studied. Single-subject design was applied across oral and written naming and treated and untreated items. Outcomes & Results: The results indicate that for these participants, SR resulted in improved naming of specific items. The data further suggest that SR compared favourably to CH with regard to both acquisition and retention of items. The participants also benefited nicely from the writing treatment. Conclusions: These findings suggest SR may be an alternative for managing naming impairment resulting from aphasia. Furthermore, the study supports providing treatments aimed at two different modalities concurrently.
Exploiting Urban Scenes for Vision-aided Inertial Navigation

This paper addresses the problem of visual-inertial navigation when processing camera observations of both point and line features detected within a Manhattan world. First, we prove that the observations of: (i) a single point, and (ii) a single line of known direction perpendicular to gravity (e.g., a non-vertical structural line of a building), provide sufficient information for rendering all degrees of freedom of a visionaided inertial navigation system (VINS) observable, up to global translations. Next, we examine the observability properties of the linearized system employed by an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for processing line observations of known direction, and show that the rank of the corresponding observability matrix erroneously increases. To address this problem, we introduce an elegant modification which enforces that the linearized EKF system has the correct number of unobservable directions, thus improving its consistency. Finally, we validate our findings experimentally in urban scenes and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed VINS over alternative approaches.
An architecture design of GPU-accelerated VoD streaming servers with network coding

Graphics processing unit (GPU) has evolved into a general-purpose computing platform. Inspired by the GPU technology advantage, this paper concerns the design and performance evaluation of practical GPU-accelerated server architecture for Video-on-Demand (VoD) services with network coding. Following the proposal of an optimized network coding algorithm based on parallel threads on GPU, a GPU-Accelerated Server (GAS) for VoD streaming is designed to leverage the workload between GPU and CPU and thus improve the performance of the VoD server. Extensive real-world experimental results have proved that compared with the approaches with network coding performed only on CPU or GPU, the proposed GAS architecture is more advantageous in serving capacity, response time, and CPU usage. Our study has investigated a way of designing high performance VoD streaming servers with network coding and GPU-acceleration incorporated.
Hybrid Surface Partitioning of Finite Element Meshes

A hybrid automatic and interactive scheme is developed for partitioning the surfaces of mechanical parts represented by finite element meshes on the basis of geometric discontinuity. Given a finite element surface mesh M in three dimensions, the algorithm firstly finds a partition of M into k subregions k M M ,. , 1 on the basis of 1 G discontinuities in an automatic manner. Secondly, an interactive approach is proposed to decompose surface meshes further w.r. t. 2 G discontinuity in reference to surface curvatures. The overall computational complexity is ) log ( n n O , where n is the maximum between the numbers of elements and vertices in M , respectively. Numerical experiments have been conducted to show the effectiveness of our algorithm and its application in shape morphing or optimization.
Cost-optimal Strong Planning in Non-deterministic Domains

Many real world domains present a non-deterministic behaviour, mostly due to unpredictable environmental conditions. In this context, strong planning, i.e., finding a plan which is guaranteed to achieve the goal regardless of non-determinism, is a significant research challenge for both the planning and the control communities. In particular, the problem of cost-optimal strong planning has not been addressed so far. In this paper we provide a formal description of the cost-optimal strong planning problem in non-deterministic finite state systems, present an algorithm to solve it with good complexity bounds and formally prove the correctness and completeness of the proposed algorithm. Furthermore, we present experimental results showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a meaningful case study.
Framing the Arab Spring: Partisanship in the news stories of Korean Newspapers

This study explored how the Arab Spring coverage by South Korean newspapers was influenced by the ideological orientations of those newspapers. Employing quantitative content analysis of the news stories, it compared the coverage by two major conservative papers (The Chosun Daily and The Joongang Daily) and two major liberal papers (The Hankyoreh Daily and The Kyunghyang Daily). The findings show that the partisanship of these newspapers resulted in divergence of the news framing by the conservative and liberal papers. Specifically, the liberal papers tended to present the Arab uprisings as being due to economic insecurity, including factors such as poverty, unemployment, and income inequality—more frequently than did the conservative papers. They were also somewhat critical of the U.S.’s role in the Middle East as being a facilitator of the Arab dictatorships. In contrast, the conservative papers put an emphasis on the possible impact of the Arab Spring on democratic movements in countries such as North Korea or China. This tendency may have originated from the conservative papers’ support of confrontational foreign policies toward North Korea. This study elaborated on the ‘hierarchy of influence’, in which ideology is a variable at the environmental level, while the partisanship of news outlets is a variable at the organizational level.
Integrating a perceptual information infrastructure with robotic avatars: a framework for tele-existence

Describes an infrastructural framework to support interactivity among entities that are not residing in the same physical environment. In such an environment, mobile robots supported by a perceptual information infrastructure gather information and communicate with people in a distant place instead of the users. This is one of the possible and promising applications of robots based on the current technologies of robotics, multimedia and computer networks. The paper describes the overall architecture and main system components. We discuss experimental studies where underlying concepts and algorithms are evaluated.