Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Point-based Tetrahedral Mesh Simplification with Intersection-Free Surface Mesh Simplification

Simplification of tetrahedral meshes is an important tool to decrease the complexity of these datasets. Many visualization systems need the simplified version of a mesh to be fully interactive. This paper presents a rapid tetrahedral simplifier that works in three steps. First, the border of the tetrahedral mesh is simplified. Second, the interior of the mesh is point sampled such that the resulting point cloud contains the most important points. Third, the point cloud is tetrahedralized and constrained to the simplified border. Such a sequence of global operations exceeds the limitations of a sequence of local operations like edge collapses. The point sampling is steered by both a field and a space error such that direct volume renderings as well as isosurfaces are well approximated. For the border simplification, we present a triangle mesh simplifier that ensures an intersectionfree border after is has finished. It can be easily integrated into existing triangle mesh simplification software that is based on edge collapses or vertex contraction. We construct a hierarchy of bounding boxes which is used at simplification time to early reject intersection tests.
Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change

UNCOVERING ROADBLOCKS TO IMPROVEMENT. Ineffective Learning in Organizations. Defensive Routines That Limit Learning. DIAGNOSING AND INTERVENING IN THE ORGANIZATION. Step One: Interview and Observe the Players. Step Two: Organize the Findings for Learning and Action. Step Three: Conduct Meaningful Feedback Sessions. Step Four: Facilitate the Change Seminar with Live Cases. USING KEY LEARNINGS TO SOLVE PROBLEM SITUATIONS. Explosive Relationships: Stopping Button Pushing. Mistrust: Overcoming Resentment and Rebuilding Trust. New Team Leadership: Managing the Clash of Expectations and Needs. CEO's Performance Review: Getting Feedback from Below. Managing Exchanges That Could Go Ballistic: Discussing and Correcting Out-of-Control Routines. Conclusion: A Model for Change and Improvement. Appendix: Design Causality: Explaining, Acting On, and Integrating Diverse Perspectives.
Serum Interleukin-18 at Commencement of Renal Replacement Therapy Predicts Short-Term Prognosis in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients results in a high hospital mortality. Outcome prediction in this selected high-risk collective is challenging due to the lack of appropriate biomarkers. The aim of this study was to identify outcome-specific biomarkers in this patient population. Methodology/Principal Findings Serum samples were collected from 101 critically ill patients with AKI at the initiation of RRT in intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary care university hospital between August 2008 and March 2011. Measurements of serum levels of cystatin C (CysC), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and interleukin-18 (IL-18) were performed. The primary outcome measure was hospital mortality. The observed overall mortality rate was 56.4% (57/101). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the serum IL-18 and CysC concentrations and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (ACPACHE III) scores determined on the first day of RRT were independent predictors of hospital mortality. The APACHE III score had the best discriminatory power (0.872±0.041, p<0.001), whereas serum IL-18 had the best Youden index (0.65) and the highest correctness of prediction (83%). Cumulative survival rates at 6-month follow-up following hospital discharge differed significantly (p<0.001) for serum IL-18 <1786 pg/ml vs. ≥1786 pg/ml in these critically ill patients. Conclusions In this study, we confirmed the grave prognosis for critically ill patients at the commencement of RRT and found a strong correlation between serum IL-18 and the hospital mortality of ICU patients with dialysis-dependent AKI. In addition, we demonstrated that the APACHE III score has the best discriminative power for predicting hospital mortality in these critically ill patients.
Detection of RF interference to GPS using day-to-day C / No differences

RF interference is a threat to systems that rely on GNSS signals. The carrier-to-noise-ratio (C/No) can be used for detecting interference but is a noisy measurement. The presented detection technique uses the fact that GPS satellites appear in the same place in the sky each sidereal day with similar C/No values except in the presence of interference. Analysis of these differences in C/No values shows they can be used for detecting wideband (WB) interference down to a jammer-to-noise ratio (J/N) of 4.836dB and continuous-wave (CW) interference down to a J/N of -25dB. Results with bench CW and WB interference are also presented.
Coverage Optimization and Spatial Load Balancing by Robotic Sensor Networks

This technical note studies robotic sensor networks performing static coverage optimization with area constraints. Given a density function describing the probability of events happening and a performance function measuring the cost to service a location, the objective is to position sensors in the environment so as to minimize the expected servicing cost. Moreover, because of load balancing considerations, the area of the region assigned to each robot is constrained to be a pre-specified amount. We characterize the optimal configurations as center generalized Voronoi configurations. The generalized Voronoi partition depends on a set of weights, one per robot, assigned to the network. We design a Jacobi iterative algorithm to find the weight assignment whose corresponding generalized Voronoi partition satisfies the area constraints. This algorithm is distributed over the generalized Delaunay graph. We also design the ¿move-to-center-and-compute-weight¿ strategy to steer the robotic network towards the set of center generalized Voronoi configurations while monotonically optimizing coverage.
Extranuclear expression of hormone receptors in primary breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer cells grow through estrogen receptor (ER)-signaling pathways that mediate both genomic and nongenomic actions, which cross-talk with growth factors associated with resistance to tamoxifen. The aim of this study was to explore the cross-talk between extranuclear expression of ER and progesterone receptor (PR) and growth factor signaling pathways in primary breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS The extranuclear expression of ER and PR was examined in 219 primary breast cancers by immunohistochemical staining. Specimens showing such expression were further examined for the expression of pAkt and aromatase. Staining reactions were scored on the basis of intensity and distribution in the tumors. RESULTS Extranuclear expression of ER or PR was observed in 21 cases (9.5%), which included four cases for ER and 20 cases for PR. Among these patients, HER-2, pAkt, and aromatase-positivity were observed in 14 cases (66.6%), 13 cases (61.9%), and 14 cases (66.6%), respectively. On the basis of nuclear HR expression, 11 of these cases were categorized as ER-positive/PR-negative, while two were ER-negative/PR-positive. Of these 13 cases, increased pAkt staining was found in 11 cases (84.6%). In particular, among the 11 ER-positive/PR-negative cases, elevated pAkt and aromatase were found in 10 (90.9%; P<0.01) and nine cases (81.8%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS PR is expressed extranuclearly more frequently than ER in primary breast cancer, and extranuclear HRs cross-talk with the Akt/HER-2-signaling pathways and activation of aromatase. These observations may explain the more beneficial effects of aromatase inhibitors than tamoxifen for ER-positive/PR-negative patients.
GARCH Diagnosis with Portmanteau Bicorrelation Test: An Application on the Malaysia's Stock Market

This study employed the Hinich portmanteau bicorrelation test (Hinich and Patterson, 1995; Hinich, 1996) as a diagnostic tool to determine the adequacy of the GARCH model in describing the returns generating process of Malaysia’s stock market, specifically the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index (KLSE CI). The bicorrelation results demonstrated that, while GARCH model is commonly applied to financial time series, this model cannot provide an adequate characterization for the underlying process of KLSE CI. Further investigation using the windowed test procedure revealed that this was due to the presence of episodic non- stationarity in the data, which could not be captured by any kind of ARCH or GARCH model, even after modifications to the specifications of the GARCH model. Thus, this study points to the need to continue the search for a parsimonious and congruent model capable of capturing the episodic features presence in the returns series of KLSE CI.
A new nonlinear feature extraction algorithm for speaker verification

In this paper we propose a new feature extraction algorithm based on nonlinear prediction: the Neural Predictive Coding model which is an extension of the classical LPC one. This model is applied to speaker verification by the Arithmetic-Harmonic Sphericity (AHS) method. Two different initialization methods are proposed for the coding method based on the Neural Predictive Coding (NPC): classical neural networks initialization and linear initialization. The first model obtains smaller rates. For the linear initialization, we obtain significant improvement in comparison to the most used methods (LPCC, MFCC). This study opens a new way towards different feature extraction schemes that offers better accuracy on speaker recognition tasks.
Beyond translation memories

One key to the success of EBMT is the removal of the boundaries limiting the potential of translation memories. To bring EBMT to fruition, researchers and developers have to go beyond the self-imposed limitations of what is now traditional, in computing terms almost old fashioned, TM technology. Experiments have shown that the probability of finding exact matches at phrase level is higher than the probability of finding exact matches at the current TM segment level. We outline our implementation of a linguistically enhanced translation memory system (or Phrasal Lexicon) implementing phrasal matching. This system takes advantage of the huge and underused resources available in existing translation memories and develops a traditional TM into a sophisticated example-based machine translation engine which when integrated into a hybrid MT solution can yield significant improvements in translation quality.
Convection Displacement Current and Generalized Form of Maxwell–Lorentz Equations

Some mathematical inconsistencies in the conventional form of Maxwell's equations extended by Lorentz for a single charge system are discussed. To surmount these in the framework of Maxwellian theory, a novel convection displacement current is considered as additional and complementary to the famous Maxwell displacement current. It is shown that this form of the Maxwell–Lorentz equations is similar to that proposed by Hertz for electrodynamics of bodies in motion. Original Maxwell's equations can be considered as a valid approximation for a continuous and closed (or going to infinity) conduction current. It is also proved that our novel form of the Maxwell–Lorentz equations is relativistically invariant. In particular, a relativistically invariant gauge for quasistatic fields has been found to replace the non-invariant Coulomb gauge. The new gauge condition contains the famous relationship between electric and magnetic potentials for one uniformly moving charge that is usually attributed to the Lorentz transformations. Thus, for the first time, using the convection displacement current, a physical interpretation is given to the relationship between the components of the four-vector of quasistatic potentials. A rigorous application of the new gauge transformation with the Lorentz gauge transforms the basic field equations into a pair of differential equations responsible for longitudinal and transverse fields, respectively. The longitudinal components can be interpreted exclusively from the standpoint of the instantaneous "action at a distance" concept and leads to necessary conceptual revision of the conventional Faraday–Maxwell field. The concept of electrodynamics dualism is proposed for self-consistent classical electrodynamics. It implies simultaneous coexistence of instantaneous long-range (longitudinal) and Faraday–Maxwell short-range (transverse) interactions that resembles in this aspect the basic idea of Helmholtz's electrodynamics.
On the A-D-E classification of the simple singularities of functions

We show how the classification of simple singularities of functions can be reduced directly, not using the normal forms, to the classification of irreducible Weyl groups. We also prove that the class of a singularity in its local algebra always belongs to the tangent cone to the stratum $\mu =const$ of the singularity. An interesting characterization of Coxeter elements among quasi-Coxeter elements of a Weyl group (of one of the types A-D-E) is found.
Uncertainty, Redistribution, and the Labor Market

Uncertainty and its composition can affect the demand for social insurance, and thereby the labor market. This paper shows that small to medium-sized increases in uncertainty or risk aversion are enough to recommend an expansion of the safety net that would be broadly similar to the actual safety net expansions, which significantly depressed the labor market. Labor market effects of uncertainty through investment and insurance channels are also examined with employer and employee labor wedges.
The changing face of charity governance: the impact of organizational size

Boards play a crucial role in ensuring that public and nonprofit publicly accountable and perform well. Following various failures and scandals they face increasing scrutiny, pressure and expectations. Serious questions have been raised about the ability of boards to govern effectively. Such concerns have stimulated a renewed interest in organizational governance, and a growing literature on the subject. Much of the current literature, however, has been criticized for underestimating the constraints and conflictions demands that boards face and recommending unrealistic solutions. There have been relatively few detailed empirical studies of what boards do in practice. This book fills that gap by bringing together analyses based upon some of the best recent empirical studies of public and non-profit governance in the UK. Using a new theoretical framework that highlights the paradoxical nature of governance the book throws light on the questions at the heart of recent debates about nonprofit boards: * Are boards publicly accountable or is there a democratic deficit? * Are boards able to exercise real power, or does management run the show? * What do boards do? Are they effective stewards of an organization's resources? Can they play a meaningful role in setting organisational strategy? * What effect are regulatory and other changes designed to improve board effectiveness having? The book will be essential reading for academics and students with an interest in the governance and management of public and nonprofit organizations. It will also be of value to policy-makers and practitioners who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how boards work and what can be done to improve their performance.
Incidence of Stroke in Young Adults: A Review

Introduction. Stroke in the young may have a dramatic impact on the quality of life in survivors. This study was aimed to evaluate incidence of first-ever stroke in the young by means of a systematic review. Materials and Methods. All papers on incidence of stroke in the young published after 1980, were identified by electronic search of Medline and manual search of reference lists. Only studies recruiting subjects under 44 years of age and with a lower age limit not higher than 20 years were included. Incidence rates were standardized to the 2000 European population according to the direct method. Poisson regression analysis was used to compare studies. Results. 29 studies including 3548 participants were identified. Incidence rates, after excluding a few outliers, ranged between 8.63 and 19.12 for crude rates and between 8.70 and 21.02 for standardized rates. Heterogeneity among studies was statistically significant but improved after excluding 4 studies. Few studies reported the proportions of stroke subtypes. Conclusions. Stroke in subjects under 45 years of age is not such a rare disease and requires specific preventive programs.
Truth: A Guide for the Perplexed

This important book is about truth, and the enemies of truth, and the wars that are fought between them. As Simon Blackburn says in his introduction, "the ground is complicated, strewn with abandoned fortresses and trenches, fought over by shifting alliances". "Truth" is an essential sure-footed guide through the territory, from classical to modern times. It looks at relativism and absolutism, toleration and belief, objectivity and knowledge, science and pseudo-science, and the moral and political implications, as well as the nuances, of all these.
The evolution of U . S . regional inequality : A mixture model exploratory approach

This paper studies the emergence of convergence clubs in the United States since the 1980s. The finite mixture normal model is used to identify the clubs based on the per capita personal income dataset for 700 U.S. labor market areas from 1969 to 2009. The results reveal that the collection of high income areas, termed the "rich places club," was formed in the 1980s, and the share of the rich places club stabilized at around 10-12% of total labor market areas for the 1990s and 2000s. We also find that the gap between the rich places club and the "everywhere else club" has been increasing since the 1990s.
GMOtrack: generator of cost-effective GMO testing strategies.

Commercialization of numerous genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has already been approved worldwide, and several additional GMOs are in the approval process. Many countries have adopted legislation to deal with GMO-related issues such as food safety, environmental concerns, and consumers' right of choice, making GMO traceability a necessity. The growing extent of GMO testing makes it important to study optimal GMO detection and identification strategies. This paper formally defines the problem of routine laboratory-level GMO tracking as a cost optimization problem, thus proposing a shift from "the same strategy for all samples" to "sample-centered GMO testing strategies. " An algorithm (GMOtrack) for finding optimal two-phase (screening-identification) testing strategies is proposed. The advantages of cost optimization with increasing GMO presence on the market are demonstrated, showing that optimization approaches to analytic GMO traceability can result in major cost reductions. The optimal testing strategies are laboratory-dependent, as the costs depend on prior probabilities of local GMO presence, which are exemplified on food and feed samples. The proposed GMOtrack approach, publicly available under the terms of the General Public License, can be extended to other domains where complex testing is involved, such as safety and quality assurance in the food supply chain.
Adding Agility to Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method for Mapping on Crystal

Agile process models have evolved in the recent past to overcome the problems associated with traditional models however, these are facing many challenges. One of these challenges is the lack of proper software architecture evaluation method (SAEM) suitable for agile process models. Our research focuses on developing a suitable SAEM for agile process models. Crystal being a light weight agile process model and architecture tradeoff analysis method (ATAM) being a robust SAEM, we need some modifications in ATAM so that it can be mapped for Crystal. This mapping is very crucial because without proper evaluation, agile models can suffer with severe quality drawbacks as well as maintenance problems. We have excluded some phases in ATAM to make it suitable for Crystal. We also performed different surveys on agile process models and SAEM from professional and academic domains.
The Economic Situation of First and Second-Generation Immigrants in France, Germany and the United Kingdom

A central concern about immigration is the integration into the labour market, not only of the first generation but also of subsequent generations. Little comparative work exists for Europe's largest economies. France, Germany and the UK have all become, perhaps unwittingly, countries with large immigrant populations albeit with very different ethnic compositions. Today, the descendants of these immigrants live and work in their parents’ destination countries. This article presents and discusses comparative evidence on the performance of first and second-generation immigrants in these countries in terms of education, earnings and employment.
Scalable Grouping-proof Protocol for RFID Tags

In this paper, we propose a grouping-proof protocol for RFID tags based on (n, n)-secret sharing. Our proposed protocol addresses the scalability issue of the previous protocols by removing the need for an RFID reader to relay messages from one tag to another tag. We also present a security model for a secure grouping-proof protocol which properly addresses the so called mafia fraud attack (sometimes called distance fraud) which is a simple relay attack suggested by Desmedt. Any location- based protocol including RFID protocols is vulnerable to this attack even if cryptographic technique is deployed. One practical countermeasure against mafia fraud attack is to integrate a distance-bounding protocol into a location-based protocol. However, Chandran et al. pointed out that forging geographic location of devices cannot be theoretically prevented. Therefore, we need to take this fact into account in order to make sense about security notion for secure grouping-proof protocols.
Intrinsic Light Fields

We present the ﬁrst method to automatically decompose a light ﬁeld into its intrinsic shading and albedo components. Contrary to previous work targeted to 2D single images and videos, a light ﬁeld is a 4D structure that captures non-integrated incoming radiance over a discrete angular domain. This higher dimensionality of the problem renders previous state-of-the-art algorithms impractical either due to their cost of processing a single 2D slice, or their inability to enforce proper coherence in additional dimensions. We propose a new decomposition algorithm that jointly optimizes the whole light ﬁeld data for proper angular coherency. For efﬁciency, we extend Retinex theory, working on the gradient domain where new albedo and occlusion terms are introduced. Results show our method provides 4D intrinsic decompositions difﬁcult to achieve with previous state-of-the-art algorithms.
The Willingness to Sell Personal Data

We assess the individual willingness to sell personal data in laboratory experiments. Our experiments are novel in that (i) the experiments are incentivized, (ii) the focus on privacy issues is salient, and (iii) the use of the data is transparent and unambiguous. We find considerable heterogeneity in the data: roughly one in six participants refuse to sell personal data at all and a similar fraction sell their data for €2.50 or less—our results contrast with those from hypothetical questionnaires. Those willing to sell request, on average, €15 for their contact details and €19 for their Facebook data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved