Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS IN ECOLOGICAL DATASET

Classification is a key supervised machine learning technique, which is essential and interesting topic for ecological research. It deals a way to classify a dataset into subsets that share common designs. Particularly, there are many classification processes to select from, each creating firm assumptions about the data and about how classification should be grouped. In this paper, we applied eight machine learning classification algorithms such as Decision Trees, Random Forest, Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Linear Discriminant Analysis, k -nearest neighbours, Logistic Regression and Naive Bayes on ecological data. The objective of this study is to compare different machine learning classification algorithms in ecological dataset. In this analysis we have checked the accuracy test among the algorithms. In our study we conclude that linear discriminant analysis and k -nearest neighbours are the best methods.
The narrow escape problem revisited

The time needed for a particle to exit a confining domain through a small window, called the narrow escape time (NET), is a limiting factor of various processes, such as some biochemical reactions in cells. Obtaining an estimate of the mean NET for a given geometric environment is therefore a requisite step to quantify the reaction rate constant of such processes, which has raised a growing interest in the last few years. In this Letter, we determine explicitly the scaling dependence of the mean NET on both the volume of the confining domain and the starting point to aperture distance. We show that this analytical approach is applicable to a very wide range of stochastic processes, including anomalous diffusion or diffusion in the presence of an external force field, which cover situations of biological relevance.
Computational model of mesenchymal migration in 3D under chemotaxis

Abstract Cell chemotaxis is an important characteristic of cellular migration, which takes part in crucial aspects of life and development. In this work, we propose a novel in silico model of mesenchymal 3D migration with competing protrusions under a chemotactic gradient. Based on recent experimental observations, we identify three main stages that can regulate mesenchymal chemotaxis: chemosensing, dendritic protrusion dynamics and cell–matrix interactions. Therefore, each of these features is considered as a different module of the main regulatory computational algorithm. The numerical model was particularized for the case of fibroblast chemotaxis under a PDGF-bb gradient. Fibroblasts migration was simulated embedded in two different 3D matrices – collagen and fibrin – and under several PDGF-bb concentrations. Validation of the model results was provided through qualitative and quantitative comparison with in vitro studies. Our numerical predictions of cell trajectories and speeds were within the measured in vitro ranges in both collagen and fibrin matrices. Although in fibrin, the migration speed of fibroblasts is very low, because fibrin is a stiffer and more entangling matrix. Testing PDGF-bb concentrations, we noticed that an increment of this factor produces a speed increment. At 1 ng mL−1 a speed peak is reached after which the migration speed diminishes again. Moreover, we observed that fibrin exerts a dampening behavior on migration, significantly affecting the migration efficiency.
An Adaptive Approach for Multi-Agent Formation Control in MANET Based on CPS Perspective

From Cyber Physical System (CPS) perspective, it is nature for the system to tightly couple the communications and computing aspects with its physical dynamics. In this paper, we investigate this characteristic for multi-agent formation control in Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET). We manage to measure the real time wireless network congestion, implement a wireless QoS mechanism to provide different network channel access priorities and come up with the emergency calculation. Based on these, we present our adaptive approach for formation control. To examine the benefit of our approach, we use a co-simulation tool that we have developed for evaluating networked control & cyber physical system to study a specific scenario, in which five follower agents plus one leader perform a specific formation within a MANET with different congestion conditions. Through simulation experiments, it is showed that our approach could adaptively adjust sample periods and network channel access priorities according to real time dynamics emergencies and the network traffics condition, so as to optimize network utilization and improve the formation control performance
3D Shape Retrieval using Uncertain Semantic Query - A Preliminary Study

The recent technological progress contributes to a huge increase of 3D models available in digital forms. Numerous applications were developed to deal with this amount of information, especially for 3D shape retrieval. One of the main issues is to break the semantic gap between shapes desired by users and shapes returned by retrieval methods. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to address this issue. First the user gives a semantic request. Second, a fuzzy 3D-shape generator sketches out suitable 3D-shapes. Those shapes are filtered by the user or a learning machine to select the one that match the semantic query. Then, we use a state-of-the-art retrieval method to return real-world 3D shapes that match this semantic query. We present results from an experiment. Three semantic concepts are learned and 3D shapes from SHREC'07 database that match each concept are retrieved using our algorithm. The result are good and promising.
SSEES Centre for Comparative Economics Technology Choices and Growth : Testing and Expending the propositions of New Structural Economics in Transition Economies

We explore the relationship between development policies, finance and growth as approached by New Structural Economics (NSE) (Lin, 2012) with special reference to Transition Economies. On a sample of 164 economies for 1963-2009, our analysis generally confirms NSE’s propositions that the type of development policy, as captured by the Technology Choice Index (TCI), has significant effects on long-term growth. However, this differs for Transition Economies (TE) as a whole, and its sub-groups. Further to this, using a sample of 94 countries for 1985-2009, we provide a first empirical test of the relationship between growth, TCI and financial structure distortions and we show that there is a direct significant negative relationship between financial distortions and TCI on the one hand, and mediumterm growth on the other hand. We also find that the negative effect of a higher ratio of TCI on medium-term growth could be partly mitigated, although not fully eliminated, by moderate level of financial sector distortions. This points towards some positive externalities of the complementarities between financial and industrial sector distortions, at least in the medium run. But again, transition economies are shown to differ from the rest of the sample investigated as in their case financial distortions are found to play a more pronounced direct negative effect on medium-term growth.
Measuring facial expressions and autonomic nervous system reactions elicited by the flavor of juices, using an implicit and explicit measurement approach

Im Rahmen der Studie wurden spontane Mimik-Veranderungen in einer impliziten Testsituation und bewusste Mimik-Veranderungen in einer expliziten Testsituation mit Hilfe von FaceReader 5, einer speziellen Softwaretechnologie zur Erkennung der sechs Basisemotionen („angewidert“, „frohlich“, „traurig“, „uberrascht“, „angstlich“, „zornig“), analysiert. Zusatzlich wurden folgende Reaktionen des autonomen Nervensystems (ANS-Reaktionen) gemessen: die elektrodermale Aktivitat (EDA) bzw. die Hautleitfahigkeit (SC), die Fingertemperatur (FT), der Puls sowie die davon abgeleiteten Parameter Blutvolumenpuls (BVP) und Pulsvolumenamplitude (PVA). Es wurden funf verschiedene Safte (Bananen-, Gemuse-, Grapefruit-, Orangen- und Sauerkrautsaft) als sensorische Stimuli verwendet, um Veranderungen in der Mimik und in den ANS-Parameter hervorzurufen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Beantwortung folgender Fragen: (1) Rufen verschiedene Saftproben unterschiedliche Mimik und ANS-Reaktionen hervor? (2) Korrelieren introspektive Beliebtheitsbewertungen der Proben mit den hervorgerufenen ANS-Reaktionen und/oder mit den hervorgerufenen Gesichtsausdrucken? (3) Werden in der impliziten und expliziten Messsituation unterschiedliche Gesichtsausdrucke hervorgerufen? Der gesamte Verlauf der Verkostung wurde auf Video aufgezeichnet. In der impliziten Testsituation wurden die spontanen Reaktionen gemessen, in der expliziten ein absichtlich gezeigter Gesichtsausdruck. Darauf folgte ein hedonischer Akzeptanztest. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass (1) verschiedene Saftproben signifikant unterschiedliche ANS-Reaktionen und auch unterschiedliche Intensitaten der verschiedenen Gesichtsausdrucke hervorriefen; (2) eine moderate Korrelation zwischen introspektiver Beliebtheitsbewertung und den vorher genannten Messungen beobachtet wurde (unbeliebte Proben riefen grosere Veranderungen von SCL – Hautleitfahigkeitslevel - hervor als beliebte Proben) und (3) die explizite Messung mit absichtlich gezeigten Gesichtsausdrucken zeigten eine klare Unterscheidung zwischen beliebten, neutral-bewerteten und unbeliebten Proben; die implizite Messung mit spontanen Mimik-Veranderungen waren ein guter Indikator fur unbeliebte Proben.
NAIRU Uncertainty and Nonlinear Policy Rules

Meyer (1999) has suggested that episodes of heightened uncertainty about the NAIRU may warrant a nonlinear policy response to changes in the unemployment rate. This paper offers a theoretical justification for such a nonlinear policy rule, and provides some empirical evidence on the relative performance of linear and nonlinear rules when there is heightened uncertainty about the NAIRU.
Review Boards for Scientific Publishing

Abstract:While the spread of open access publishing for technical and scientific papers has improved some long-standing problems in the scientific publishing pipeline, it has worsened others. Meanwhile, peer review and the scientific publication system in general have come under increasingly intense criticism, provoking many reform ideas. Despite the strident language of reformists and the widespread opinion that the situation is worsening, reform ideas have generally received a lukewarm response among researchers. I argue that this complacency is a reaction to reforms that ignore the priorities of readers and how readers' needs have shaped the publishing world today. I outline a path for improving the peer-review system through the use of permanent review boards—to accommodate the needs of readers, reviewers, and authors alike—and show how to get from where we are now to where we should be.
Ubiquitous and contextual identifier resolution for the real-world wide web

Identifier resolution is presented as a way to link the physical world with virtual applications and services. In this paradigm, designed to support nomadic users, the user employs a handheld, wirelessly connected, sensor-equipped device to read identifiers associated with physical entities. The identifiers are resolved into virtual resources or actions related to the physical entities. We have integrated identifier resolution with the Web so that it can be deployed as ubiquitously as the Web, in the infrastructure and on wirelessly connected handheld devices. We present a new way for users to specify relevant contextual parameters by a combination of sensing and navigation on the Web. In particular, they capture resolution services and applications in their local context. We use the Web to invoke resolution services, with a new model of ‘physical’ web form-filling. We propose a new scheme for binding identifiers to resources, to promote services and applications linking the physical and virtual worlds.
Research planning approach using knowledge map integrated with case-based reasoning

When researchers develop new technology, the process of research planning does a critical role because research planning sets goal and the direction. Although it is essential, it is hard to accomplish because it contains complicated process such as scoping, searching, and evaluating. As the technologies are converged and rapidly changed environment, the role of research planning is more important. This paper proposes the systematic tool for the research planning process by integrating KM and CBR because future is uncertain and need more efficiency for research planning. KM supports the relationship between technologies and even market demands so that it uses the technology prediction, and CBR derives information from similar working environments efficiently. Through this approach, researchers can expect more accurate prediction and enhance efficiency. As a case study, this paper applies the integration model into TFT-LCD R&D(research and development) area, one of highly growing industries, in GRI(Government-sponsored Research Institute).
Wolbachia-Associated Bacterial Protection in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti

Background Wolbachia infections confer protection for their insect hosts against a range of pathogens including bacteria, viruses, nematodes and the malaria parasite. A single mechanism that might explain this broad-based pathogen protection is immune priming, in which the presence of the symbiont upregulates the basal immune response, preparing the insect to defend against subsequent pathogen infection. A study that compared natural Wolbachia infections in Drosophila melanogaster with the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti artificially transinfected with the same strains has suggested that innate immune priming may only occur in recent host-Wolbachia associations. This same study also revealed that while immune priming may play a role in viral protection it cannot explain the entirety of the effect. Methodology/Findings Here we assess whether the level of innate immune priming induced by different Wolbachia strains in A. aegypti is correlated with the degree of protection conferred against bacterial pathogens. We show that Wolbachia strains wMel and wMelPop, currently being tested for field release for dengue biocontrol, differ in their protective abilities. The wMelPop strain provides stronger, more broad-based protection than wMel, and this is likely explained by both the higher induction of immune gene expression and the strain-specific activation of particular genes. We also show that Wolbachia densities themselves decline during pathogen infection, likely as a result of the immune induction. Conclusions/Significance This work shows a correlation between innate immune priming and bacterial protection phenotypes. The ability of the Toll pathway, melanisation and antimicrobial peptides to enhance viral protection or to provide the basis of malaria protection should be further explored in the context of this two-strain comparison. This work raises the questions of whether Wolbachia may improve the ability of wild mosquitoes to survive pathogen infection or alter the natural composition of gut flora, and thus have broader consequences for host fitness.
Domain walls, Hitchin's flow equations and G2-manifolds

We construct BPS domain-wall solutions of the effective action of type-IIA string theory compactified on a half-flat six-manifold. The flow equations for the vector and hypermultiplet scalars are shown to be equivalent to Hitchin's flow equations, implying that our domain walls can be lifted to solutions of ten-dimensional type-IIA supergravity. They take the form R1,2 × Y7, where Y7 is a G2-holonomy manifold with boundaries.
so(4) Plebanski action and relativistic spin-foam model

We study the correspondence between the `relativistic spin-foam' model introduced by Barrett, Crane and Baez and the so(4) Plebanski action. We argue that the so(4) Plebanski model is the continuum analogue of the relativistic spin-foam model. We prove that the so(4) Plebanski action possesses four phases, one of which is related to gravity and discuss the relation between this model and the model of Euclidean tetrad gravity. We also show that the so(4) Plebanski model possesses another natural discretization that can be associated with another, new, spin-foam model which appear to be the so(4) counterpart of the spin-foam model describing the self-dual formulation of gravity.
French surface : a new technique for surface design

We present a new user-friendly paradigm for surface design. The goal is to overcome limitations associated with traditional methods: their dependence on freehand controlling and their rigid mathematical structures. Our solution is inspired by the drafter's tool known as French curves, which are used as templates for tracing curves. This project considers its analogue in one higher dimension, namely 3D surfaces. A carefully defined and intuitively arranged set of French surfaces is given to the user to choose from. The selected surfaces are then connected together to form the final model. The potential of this approach is explored with our prototyping system, F R E N C H S U R F A C E , where models are constructed via aggregated blendings of chosen French surfaces. Triangulated point-sets are used to engage a structure-free representation, and data structuring algorithms are integrated to ensure an efficient blending. The current system supports the creation of objects topologically homeomorphic to a sphere or a plane. Users' experiences demonstrate that the F R E N C H S U R F A C E system is intuitive, robust, and easy to comprehend.
The Effects of HMO Ownership on Hospital Costs and Revenues: Is there a Difference between For-Profit and Nonprofit Plans?

We conducted multivariate analyses to examine whether high health maintenance organization (HMO) penetration and large share of for-profit health plans in a market reduced hospital cost and revenue growth rates between 1989 and 1998. We found that hospitals in high HMO areas experienced revenue and cost growth rates that were 21 and 18 percentage points, respectively, below hospitals in low HMO areas. We also found that, conditional on overall HMO penetration level, hospitals in areas with high for-profit HMO penetration experienced revenue and cost growth rates that were 10 percentage points below hospitals in areas with low for-profit penetration areas; the difference was especially evident within high HMO penetration areas.
Selective Application of Burrows-Wheeler Transformation for Enhancement of JPEG Entropy Coding

JPEG encodes a still image through a lossy encoding followed by a lossless entropy encoding. The entropy coding in JPEG is a combination of the runlength coding and a variable-length coding. The entropy encoding employed in JPEG aims to exploit repetition of strings within a block but not across blocks. We propose application of Burrows-Wheeler transformation (BWT) to exploit repetition of strings across blocks in the entropy encoding. We measure the degree of repetition (DOR) of a block of data for the entropy encoding first and apply BWT to the block if DOR is greater than a preset threshold value. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the compression ratio, on average, by 18% compared with that of the original JPEG algorithm.
An Approach Based on Modeling Dynamic Behavior of the System to Assess the Impact of COTS Upgrades

Traditional approaches of executing complete system test suite to validate software systems on deploying the upgrades of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software components is typically costly and time-consuming, resulting in delay in deploying the upgrades. In this paper, we present a process that examines the test case dependencies at finer granularity level of altered-functions in the upgrades of COTS software and recommends a smaller regression test suite. The process captures and analyzes the functional-level runtime interactions among the applications and COTS components to find the impact of the upgrades on the system. The process includes a procedure to identify the altered-functions in a component. We have developed a prototype based on the concepts proposed in the paper and performed a case study on a web-based application to illustrate efficacy of the prototype. The results of the case study show that up to 80% reduction in regression test efforts could be achieved.
Non-Centralized Key Pre-Distribution in Computer Networks

The technology of confidential connections in a computer network using key information pre-distributed independently and may be simultaneously in its segments or domains is proposed. Some key pre-distribution schemes are generalized using well-known hashing method. To support the proposed technology the modification of Kerberos-type protocol is considered. The proposal allows us to decrease an amount of secret key information that should be sent from its generator to the network participants. The considered approaches and key pre-distribution schemes correspond to peculiarities of mobile networks owing to the facts that participants should'n implement asymmetric cryptographic systems and the public key certification service; moreover the communication phase don't suppose any interconnection with trusted authority key distribution center.
Who Bites the Bullet First? The Susceptibility of Leopards Panthera pardus to Trophy Hunting

Reliable data is fundamentally important for managing large carnivore populations, and vital for informing hunting quota levels if those populations are subject to trophy hunting. Camera-trapping and spoor counts can provide reliable population estimates for many carnivores, but governments typically lack the resources to implement such surveys over the spatial scales required to inform robust quota setting. It may therefore be prudent to shift focus away from estimating population size and instead focus on monitoring population trend. In this paper we assess the susceptibility of African leopards Panthera pardus to trophy hunting. This has management ramifications, particularly if the use of harvest composition is to be explored as a metric of population trend. We explore the susceptibility of different leopard age and sex cohorts to trophy hunting; first by examining their intrinsic susceptibility to encountering trophy hunters using camera-traps as surrogates, and second by assessing their extrinsic susceptibility using photographic questionnaire surveys to determine their attractiveness to hunters. We show that adult male and female leopards share similar incident rates to encountering hunters but adult males are the most susceptible to hunting due to hunter preference for large trophies. In contrast, sub-adult leopards rarely encounter hunters and are the least attractive trophies. We suggest that our findings be used as a foundation for the exploration of a harvest composition scheme in the Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces where post mortem information is collected from hunted leopards and submitted to the local provincial authorities.