Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
H$_{\infty}$ Fuzzy Observer-Based Control for a Class of Nonlinear Distributed Parameter Systems With Control Constraints

An Hinfin fuzzy observer-based control design is proposed for a class of nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) systems with control constraints, for which the eigenspectrum of the spatial differential operator can be partitioned into a finite-dimensional slow one and an infinite-dimensional stable fast complement. In the proposed control scheme, Galerkin's method is initially applied to the PDE system to derive a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) system that accurately describes the dynamics of the dominant (slow) modes of the PDE system. The resulting nonlinear ODE system is subsequently represented by the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model. Then, based on the T-S fuzzy model, a fuzzy observer-based controller is developed to stabilize the nonlinear PDE system and achieve an optimized Hinfin disturbance attenuation performance for the finite-dimensional slow system, while control constraints are respected. The outcome of the Hinfin fuzzy observer-based control problem is formulated as a bilinear matrix inequality (BMI) optimization problem. A local optimization algorithm that treats the BMI as a double linear matrix inequality is presented to solve this BMI optimization problem. Finally, the proposed design method is applied to the control of the temperature profile of a catalytic rod to illustrate its effectiveness.
Tagging SNPs in the MTHFR Gene and Risk of Ischemic Stroke in a Chinese Population

Stroke is currently the leading cause of functional impairments worldwide. Folate supplementation is inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an important enzyme involved in folate metabolism. The aim of this study is to examine whether genetic variants in MTHFR gene are associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and fasting total serum homocysteine (tHcy) level. We genotyped nine tag SNPs in the MTHFR gene in a case-control study, including 543 ischemic stroke cases and 655 healthy controls in China. We found that subjects with the rs1801133 TT genotype and rs1801131 CC genotype had significant increased risks of ischemic stroke (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27–2.61, p = 0.004; adjusted OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.12–3.56, p = 0.01) compared with subjects with the major alleles. Haplotype analysis also found that carriers of the MTHFR CTTCGA haplotype (rs12121543-rs13306553-rs9651118-rs1801133-rs2274976-rs1801131) had a significant reduced risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35–0.82) compared with those with the CTTTGA haplotype. Besides, the MTHFR rs1801133 and rs9651118 were significantly associated with serum levels of tHcy in healthy controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02). These findings suggest that variants in the MTHFR gene may influence the risk of ischemic stroke and serum tHcy.
Mirror Symmetry for Open Strings

The authors discuss the generation of superpotentials in d = 4, N = 1 supersymmetric field theories arising from type IIA D6-branes wrapped on supersymmetric three-cycles of a Calabi-Yau threefold. In general, nontrivial superpotentials arise from sums over disc instantons. They then find several examples of special Lagrangian three-cycles with nontrivial topology which are mirror to obstructed rational curves, conclusively demonstrating the existence of such instanton effects. In addition, they present explicit examples of disc instantons ending on the relevant three-cycles. Finally, they give a preliminary construction of a mirror map for the open string moduli, in a large-radius limit of the type IIA compactification.
A META-MODELING AND GRAPH GRAMMAR APPROACH FOR MODELING ANDANALYSIS OF E-ENTREPRENEURSHIP SYSTEMS

UML provides standard abstractions to simplify the documentation, understanding, and maintenance of object oriented complex software systems. UML sequence diagrams are used to describe the behaviors of systems. However, UML is a semi-formal language that lacks tools for analysis and validation of user requirements. In other hand, Petri Nets models are tools for the validation and performance analysis of distributed systems. In this paper we present an approach for transforming UML sequence diagrams to labeled generalized stochastic Petri nets. By this transformation we aim to bridge the gap between the semiformal notation (UML) and the formal notations (Petri nets) for analysis and validation purposes. UML is used for modeling and Petri nets are used for analysis. The approach is based on the combined use of Meta-Modeling and graph grammars. Since the input and the output models are graphs, we use Java based graph transformation to perform this process automatically. The approach is illustrated through an example from e-entrepreneurship domain.
Children Learning From Team Robotics: RoboCup Junior 2000

RoboCup Junior (Jr) is a division of the international RoboCup initiative. It involves children participating in various competitive and cooperative robot challenges. Experience at three international venues shows that these challenges generate great excitement and interest from both children and adults. We question whether there is any educational value in these challenges, and this report presents results of a study we conducted in conjunction with the third international event – RoboCup Jr 2000. Our tentative conclusion is that there is enormous educational value for children involved in team robotics, both academically and in terms of their personal development.
The Role of Climate Information in Tourist Destination Choice Decision Making

This study examines if tourists actively inform themselves about the climate of their planned destination. In addition, we examine where they inform themselves and at what point in the holiday decision-making process. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to tourists at the airport, international bus station, and the train station in Hamburg during July and August 2004. Of the 394 respondents, 73% stated that they informed themselves about the climate of their destination. Moreover, the majority of them informed themselves about climate before booking (42%). Nevertheless, a large percentage of the tourists sampled state that they informed themselves shortly before their trip. Interestingly, a significantly large share of the respondents said that they checked the weather at their destination in the week before their trip.
AnyLight: Programmable Ambient Illumination via Computational Light Fields

In this paper we describe AnyLight, a lighting device that uses computational light fields to offer highly programmable illumination for architectural environments. Relying on integral imaging--a technique commonly used to realize stereoscopic 3D displays--AnyLight can mimic the illumination effects of various light sources, both real and imagined. A combination of high-output, narrow-beam LED backlight and custom, 3D printed optics give the device the capacity to shoot out strong, targeted light rays from its surface in arbitrary directions. The paper will provide extensive discussions covering the device's technical details, usage scenarios, and possibilities for future extensions; quantitative and qualitative results from our initial evaluation sessions will be reported as well.
Neural Network Modeling of Self-Similar Teletraffic Patterns

The significant characteristic of bursty traffic is selfsimilarity. Self-similarity is the main reason for observing socalled burst within burst patterns across a wide range of time scales as one of the unique characteristics of nonlinear systems with fractal nature. Perceptron neural networks, because of their nonlinear nature and simple method of learning, provide a powerful tool to model bursty traffic patterns. In this paper, we introduce a novel scheme for the modeling task of sourceand aggregatedlevel self-similar traffic patterns relying on the prediction power of perceptron neural networks.
Network friendly video distribution

The rise of popularity of video streaming services has resulted in increased volumes of network traffic, which in turn have created Internet bottlenecks leading to perceived quality degradations. In this paper, we argue that a good way to tackle this type of congestion is to make the contents available inside ISPs' networks. We thus propose a network-friendly content delivery architecture that considers the complex video distribution chain and its associated business models. This comprehensive architecture allows a network operator to fully engineer video traffic distribution in order to both alleviate peering links' workload and improve delivered QoS. This proposal is fully compatible with Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABS) architectures, which are currently used to distribute video in the Internet. Extensive simulations show that the proposed architecture optimizes resources' use while clearly improving the quality of experience by reducing peering links' load and by shortening significantly the waiting time of clients. From an ISP's point of view, such an architecture promises dramatic savings on the costs associated with video delivery. The feasibility of the architecture is proved by a prototype implementation based on DASH (“Dynamic Adaptative Streaming over HTTP”), which is the MPEG version of ABS. This architecture actually presents an evolutionary and pragmatic method to efficiently deploy an Information Centric Networking (ICN) architecture based on the collaboration between service providers or traditional CDNs and peer-assisted CDNs operated by ISPs.
A digital-PLL-based true random number generator

A true random number generator (RNG) based on a digital phase-locked loop (PLL) has been designed and implemented in a 1.5/spl mu/m CMOS process. It achieved an output data rate of 100 kbps from the sampling of two 30MHz ring oscillators, and successfully passed the NIST test suite SP800-22.
Automated Task Allocation for Network Processors

Network processors have great potential to combine high performance with increased flexibility. These multiprocessor systems consist of programmable elements, dedicated logic, and specialized memory and interconnection networks. However, the architectural complexity of the systems makes programming difficult. Programmers must be able to productively implement high performance applications for network processors to succeed. Ideally, designers describe applications in a domain specific language (DSL). DSLs expedite the development process by providing component libraries, communication and computation semantics, visualization tools, and test suites for an application domain. An integral aspect of mapping applications described in a DSL to network processors is allocating computational tasks to processing elements. We formulate this task allocation problem for a popular network processor, the Intel IXP1200. This method proves to be computationally efficient and produces results that are within 5% of aggregate egress bandwidths achieved by hand-tuned implementations on two representative applications: IPv4 forwarding and DiffServ.
The Methodological Imperatives of Feminist Ethnography

: Feminist ethnography does not have a single, coherent definition and is caught between struggles over the definition and goals of feminism and the multiple practices known collectively as ethnography. Towards the end of the 1980s, debates emerged that problematized feminist ethnography as a productive methodology and these debates still haunt feminist ethnographers today. In this article, I provide a concise historiography of feminist ethnography that summarizes both its promises and its vulnerabilities. I address the three major challenges I argue feminist ethnographers currently face, which include responding productively to feminist critiques of representing “others,” accounting for feminisms’ commitment to social change while grappling with poststructuralist critiques of knowledge production, and confronting the historical and ongoing lack of recognition for significant contributions by feminist ethnographers. Despite these challenges, I argue that feminist ethnography is a productive methodology and I conclude by delineating its methodological imperatives. These imperatives include producing knowledge about women’s lives in specific cultural contexts, recognizing the potential detriments and benefits of representation, exploring women’s experiences of oppression along with the agency they exercise in their own lives, and feeling an ethical responsibility towards the communities in which the researchers work. I argue that this set of imperatives enables feminist ethnographers to successfully navigate the challenges they face.
Considering technology-based ecological elements in lesbian, gay, and bisexual partnered relationships*

ABSTRACT Lesbian, gay, and bisexual-identifying (LGB) individuals and couples have a longer and more involved history of Internet-based technological engagement when compared to their heterosexual-identifying counterparts. Yet consideration to the way that technology influences LGB relationships is rarely addressed. The purpose of this study was to consider the role of technology-based ecological elements in LGB-partnered relationships. To do this, a sample of university students completed an online survey focused on gathering information on technology practices as part of a larger project. The majority of the participants reported that they were accessible via technologies, their technologies were affordable, and that sexting within one's primary relationship was acceptable to the highest degree. From these results, implications for LGB individuals and couples include the need for increasing awareness and mindfulness around the effects of the ecological elements, the need for addressing these ecological elements in relationships, and the importance of establishing clear definitions, rules, roles, and boundaries around what is problematic and helpful in relation to technology use in partnered relationships. Clinical implications for relational and family therapists, as well as sex therapists, are also discussed.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHYNESS FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD: SUBTYPES, BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS, CORRELATES, AND OUTCOMES

Although childhood shyness is presumed to predict mental health problems in adulthood, no prospective studies have examined these outcomes beyond emerging adulthood. As well, existing studies have been limited by retrospective and cross-sectional designs and/or have examined shyness as a dichotomous construct. The present prospective longitudinal study (N=160; 55 males, 105 females) examined shyness trajectories from childhood to the fourth decade of life and mental health outcomes. Shyness was assessed using parentand self-rated measures from childhood to adulthood, once every decade at ages 8, 12-16, 22-26, and 30-35. At age 30-35, participants completed a structured psychiatric interview and an experimental task examining attentional biases to facial emotions. We found 3 trajectories of shyness, including a low-stable trajectory (59.4%), an increasing shy trajectory from adolescence to adulthood (23.1%), and a decreasing shy trajectory from childhood to adulthood (17.5%). Relative to the low-stable trajectory, the increasing, but not the decreasing, trajectory was at higher risk for clinical social anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders and was hypervigilant to angry faces. We found that the development of emotional problems in adulthood among the increasing shy trajectory might be explained in part by adverse peer and social influences during adolescence. Our findings suggest different pathways for early and later developing shyness and that not all A. Tang – Ph. D. Thesis McMaster University – Psychology 19 shy children grow up to have psychiatric and emotional problems, nor do they all continue to be shy.
A Cognitive Model of Learning to Navigate

Our goal is to develop a cognitive model of how humans acquire skills on complex cognitive tasks. We are pursuing this goal by designing computational architectures for the NRL Navigation task, which requires competent sensorimotor coordination. In this paper, we analyze the NRL Navigation task in depth. We then use data from experiments with human subjects learning this task to guide us in constructing a cognitive model of skill acquisition for the task. Verbal protocol data augments the black box view provided by execution traces of inputs and outputs. Computational experiments allow us to explore a space of alternative architectures for the task, guided by the quality of fit to human performance data.
Ocean Acidification and Its Potential Effects on Marine Ecosystems

Ocean acidification is rapidly changing the carbonate system of the world oceans. Past mass extinction events have been linked to ocean acidification, and the current rate of change in seawater chemistry is unprecedented. Evidence suggests that these changes will have significant consequences for marine taxa, particularly those that build skeletons, shells, and tests of biogenic calcium carbonate. Potential changes in species distributions and abundances could propagate through multiple trophic levels of marine food webs, though research into the long‐term ecosystem impacts of ocean acidification is in its infancy. This review attempts to provide a general synthesis of known and/or hypothesized biological and ecosystem responses to increasing ocean acidification. Marine taxa covered in this review include tropical reef‐building corals, cold‐water corals, crustose coralline algae, Halimeda, benthic mollusks, echinoderms, coccolithophores, foraminifera, pteropods, seagrasses, jellyfishes, and fishes. The risk of irreversible ecosystem changes due to ocean acidification should enlighten the ongoing CO2 emissions debate and make it clear that the human dependence on fossil fuels must end quickly. Political will and significant large‐scale investment in clean‐energy technologies are essential if we are to avoid the most damaging effects of human‐induced climate change, including ocean acidification.
A New Mixed-Integer Programming Model for Harvest Scheduling Subject to Maximum Area Restrictions

Forest ecosystem management often requires spatially explicit planning because the spatial arrangement of harvests has become a critical economic and environmental concern. Recent research on exact methods has addressed both the design and the solution of forest management problems with constraints on the clearcut size, but where simultaneously harvesting two adjacent stands in the same period does not necessarily exceed the maximum opening size. Two main integer programming approaches have been proposed for this area restriction model. However, both encompass an exponential number of variables or constraints. In this work, we present a new integer programming model with a polynomial number of variables and constraints. Branch and bound is used to solve it. The model was tested with both real and hypothetical forests ranging from 45 to 1,363 polygons. Results show that the proposed model's solutions were within or slightly above 1% of the optimal solution and were obtained in a short computation time.
Multiple equilibria in a monopoly market with heterogeneous agents and externalities

We explore the effects of social influence in a simple market model in which a large number of agents face a binary choice: to buy/not to buy a single unit of a product at a price posted by a single seller (monopoly market). We consider the case of positive externalities: an agent is more willing to buy if other agents make the same decision. We consider two special cases of heterogeneity in the individuals' decision rules, corresponding in the literature to the Random Utility Models of Thurstone, and of McFadden and Manski. In the first one the heterogeneity fluctuates with time, leading to a standard model in Physics: the Ising model at finite temperature (known as annealed disorder) in a uniform external field. In the second approach the heterogeneity among agents is fixed; in Physics this is a particular case of the quenched disorder model known as a random field Ising model, at zero temperature. We study analytically the equilibrium properties of the market in the limiting case where each agent is influenced by all the others (the mean field limit), and we illustrate some dynamic properties of these models making use of numerical simulations in an Agent based Computational Economics approach. Considering the optimization of the profit by the seller within the case of fixed heterogeneity with global externality, we exhibit a new regime where, if the mean willingness to pay increases and/or the production costs decrease, the seller's optimal strategy jumps from a solution with a high price and a small number of buyers, to another one with a low price and a large number of buyers. This regime, usually modelled with ad hoc bimodal distributions of the idiosyncratic heterogeneity, arises here for general monomodal distributions if the social influence is strong enough.
There Are More Valence Alternations than the Ditransitive

Recent research has witnessed a growing interest in determining how much usage frequency explains language patterns and language processing (Bybee, 2006; Pierrehumbert, 2001; Jurafsky, 2002). This paper focuses on the degree to which the relative frequency of verbs in syntactic frames (or valence alternations) may explain the acquisition of these frames (or these alternations). Valence alternations can be roughly defined as a set of verbs alternatively taking two or more sets of similar syntactic dependents with similar truth conditions. The English ditransitive alternation, one of the most widely discussed valence alternations, is illustrated in the sentences in (1).
A NON-CONTACT MONITORING SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATING AS-BUILT MEMBRANE ROOF STRUCTURES

A monitoring system that uses applied geomatics techniques, including terrestrial laser scanning and videogrammetry, has been developed in order to determine the behaviour of as-built membrane roof structures. To accommodate the constraints involved in measuring such structures, for example uniform surface texture and unreachable height, the system adopts a non-contact targeting methodology to substitute for traditional control techniques. This paper reports on experiments conducted to prove that the monitoring system is capable of satisfactorily measuring a typical membrane roof structure. Firstly, in the scheme of investigating the discrepancy between the original design for the membrane roof and the finished version, terrestrial laser scanning is used to produce an as-built model of the membrane structure. The as-built model is then statistically compared with the designed mathematical model using a surface matching approach. The results revealed significant differences between the finished structure and the designed model. Secondly, a sequential 3D surface model was generated from a videogrammetric monitoring scheme, thereby allowing the displacement of the observed area of the membrane surface to be investigated over time. The information acquired from the system is proving to be of great value to structural engineers involved in designing such membrane structures.