Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shading-Based Two-View Matching

This paper presents a region-based stereo matching algorithm, in which the regions are computed from the Gaussian (K) and mean (H) curvature information of the image intensity surface. A region is defined as a connected area of constant K/H sign combination, and thus constitutes the footprint of a local section of the intensity surface, whose shape is a peak, a pit, a positive or a negative saddle. Region adjacency information is explicited by means of a Voronoi graph representation of the region map. Matching between nodes of identical shape types in the two region maps is established by comparing the topological configuration of their immediate neighborhoods. The disparity map is established through a coarseto-fine strategy.
H.264/AVC video transmission over MBMS in GERAN

In this work, we investigate the integration of H.264/AVC based video into the multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS). MBMS allows simultaneous distribution of live video with reasonable quality to several or even a large number of users within a serving area. We discuss several system design options and propose a simple, but nevertheless efficient cross-layer design concept, which helps to determine an optimal set of both application and transmission parameters for maximizing the quality at the user terminals for different link conditions. In order to validate our concept, we present detailed performance results using realistic test conditions provided by 3GPP.
Staying active and focused? The effect of parliamentary performance on candidate renomination and promotion

A large body of literature has focused on potential causes and consequences of candidate nomination procedures. One of the received wisdoms in this literature is that loyalty to the party leadership in centralized systems and personal vote-earning attributes in decentralized systems rank in priority for representatives’ career prospects. However, the determinants of candidate nomination in countries with centralized nomination procedures have been significantly undertheorized, due in part to the implicit assumption that party loyalty outweighs any other factor in determining career decisions. We close this gap by analyzing nomination and promotion decisions in Turkey, a closed-list PR system with highly centralized nomination procedures. We argue that representatives’ parliamentary performance such as parliamentary activeness and issue concentration influence parties’ nomination and promotion decisions. Utilizing original data sets of biographies of 1100 MPs who served in parliament between 2002 and 2011, and over 18,000 parliamentary speeches and 1040 bill cosponsorships, we estimate empirical models that are explicitly derived from the underlying theoretical model and find evidence that party leaderships favour incumbents who make more speeches and who display higher issue concentration, while penalizing electorally safe incumbents who seek legislative influence through private members’ bills (PMBs). Results offer important implications for the study of intraparty politics and parliamentary behaviour in general, and candidate nomination in particular.
The effects of emotion on executive functions in ageing

Executive functions are control mechanisms that allow us to direct thoughts and behaviour according to goals and play an important role in everyday life. Research suggests that emotion can affect these functions, but it is less clear how the emotion-cognition interactions change with age, as ageing is associated with changes in both emotional and cognitive functioning. The aim of the present research was to investigate the effects of emotion on younger and older adults’ performance in tasks targeting three executive functions: updating, inhibition and task switching. It was also investigated whether emotional valence, the task relevance of emotion and the modality of emotional items (e.g., verbal or facial material) played a role in the modulating effect of emotion on cognition. Across nine behavioural experiments, the following main results were observed. First, it was found that age modulated the effects of emotional valence on executive functions. More specifically, positive emotion improved cognitive performance in both age groups, whereas the mixed but predominantly impairing effects of negative emotion were more pronounced in older adults. Second, emotion affected executive functions when it was task-relevant and older adults were not more affected by task-irrelevant emotional material than younger adults. Third, effects observed for emotional faces could not be replicated with emotional words and the effects of emotion varied for different executive functions, suggesting that the effects of emotion are modality- and task-specific. This dissertation highlights that theories aimed at explaining the effects of emotion on executive functions need to be extended to accommodate age-related differences in this interaction. A better understanding of the facilitating and impairing effects of emotion on executive functions in ageing is important, as it can help identifying areas in which emotion buffers age-related cognitive decline.
c-Fos activates and physically interacts with specific enzymes of the pathway of synthesis of polyphosphoinositides

c-Fos increases the overall synthesis of polyphosphoinositides by an AP-1–independent mechanism involving activation of CDP-diacylglycerol synthase and phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 4-kinase II α but not of PtdIns synthase or PtdIns 4-kinase II β. Coimmunoprecipitation and FRET experiments show that c-Fos physically associates only with the enzymes it activates.
Formalization of Distributed and Dynamic Resources Allocation Using Category Theory

Distribution and dynamics are the main characteristics of resource allocation problem. Despite the variety of approaches and models proposed for the problem, a systematic formalization and a general solution strategy are missing. This paper takes a step towards this goal by proposing a categorical formalization of resource allocation, which not only represents both distributed and dynamic features, but also formally prove the properties of symmetry, safety(non-deadlock), liveness(non-starvation) and concurrency. The application to the wireless sensor networks demonstrates the practicability of our formal model and emphasizes the strengths of category theory -- its simple theory, abstract mechanism, diagrammatical representation and its expressive power in representing and reasoning many concepts of computer science.
Pathological Roles of Interleukin-22 in the Development of Recurrent Hepatitis C after Liver Transplantation

Objective The aim of this study was to longitudinally evaluate and analyze the role of interleukin-22-producing CD4 positive cells (IL-22) in the pathogenesis of Hepatitis C Virus recurrence after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (HCV-OLT). Methods 15 HCV-OLT, 15 age- and gender- matched non-HCV post-OLT (OLT) and 15 hepatitis C virus infected (HCV) patients were enrolled into our study from the liver transplantation and research center at Beijing 302 Hospital. We determined the frequencies of IL-22 using flow cytometry and expression of IL-22 mRNA using PCR in peripheral blood and liver tissue. We also divided HCV-OLT patients into rapid fibrosis progression (RFP) and slow fibrosis progression (SFP), examined IL-22 cells and analyzed the correlations between IL-22 frequencies and liver injury, fibrosis and clinical parameters. Moreover, we investigated the role of IL-22 in Human Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSCs). Results The levels of serum IL-22, frequencies of IL-22 producing cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and expression of IL-22 mRNA and protein in the liver in the HCV-OLT group were significantly higher than that in the HCV and OLT groups. Furthermore, eight (53.3%) patients developed RFP after two years; another three patients were diagnosed liver cirrhosis. The frequencies of IL-22 were much higher in RFP compared with SFP, while no significant difference existed between OLT and SFP. Intrahepatic IL-22 positive cells were located in fibrotic areas and significantly correlated with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibrosis staging scores, not with grading scores and HCRVNA. In vitro, IL-22 administration prevented HSCs apoptosis, promoted HSCs proliferation and activation, up-regulated the expression of HSC-sourced growth factors including α-SMA, TGF-β and TIMP-1, and increased the production of liver fibrosis markers including laminin, hyaluronic acid and collagen type IV. Conclusion Peripheral and intrahepatic IL-22 is up-regulated and plays a pathological role in exacerbating liver fibrosis by activating HSCs in HCV-OLT patients, which may predict RFP and serve as an attractive target for anti-fibrotic therapy.
Formal Testing Approaches for Service-Oriented Architectures and Web Services: a Systematic Review

Service-oriented architectures and web services have been used as important technologies to foster the development of loosely coupled and distributed applications. Web services pose new challenges for the testing activity, mainly because mission-critical and complex business process systems are implemented with them. In this context, for- mal testing approaches are necessary to guarantee the service quality. In this document, we identify formal approaches proposed to test service-oriented architectures and web services, analyzing the application context, models, empirical study, authorship, and ref- erences. A systematic review was planned and executed to select the studies considered in this work. We observed that, though more experiments and cooperation are necessary, there is a considerable interest in the topic.
Bioinformatics of the sugarcane EST project

The Sugarcane EST project (SUCEST) produced 291,904 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in a consortium that involved 74 sequencing and data mining laboratories. We created a web site for this project that served as a meeting point for receiving, processing, analyzing, and providing services to help explore the sequence data. In this paper we describe the information pathway that we implemented to support this project and a brief explanation of the clustering procedure, which resulted in 43,141 clusters.
Forward error correction techniques suitable for the utilization in the PLC technology

Todaypsilas PLC systems are mostly limited in transmission speeds to several kilobits per seconds. Such speeds are certainly not sufficient for running popular services like a broadband Internet, a teleworking or the Video on Demand. This fact is reducing a chance of the PLC technologypsilas deployment in a wide range. One way how to overcome this problem could be in introduction of optimal errors correcting techniques into the PLC technology. In this contribution, different types of coding techniques are discussed, including RS, Turbo or Convolutional codes. Theoretical analyses are focused on their positive and negative features visible in case of their deployment in the PLC transmission environment. Special attention is pointed to their robustness against noises, which is analyzed also practically in form of the simulations. Analyses and simulations are done for individual codes as well as combination of codes.
Predictive patch matching for inter-frame coding

Inter prediction is an important component for video coding which exploits the temporal correlation between frames and significantly reduces the redundancy in video sequences. In this paper, we propose a predictive patch matching for inter prediction based on template matching prediction. Besides the surrounding reconstructed pixels which form the template in template matching prediction, our proposed patch matching is able to utilize the predicted pixels generated by the traditional motion prediction. A linear combination of the reconstructed template and the predicted pixels permits to synthesize a prediction while maintaining the local variations of the target block. Furthermore, a mode selection mechanism is introduced to adaptively select the predictive patch matching at sub-block level. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed predictive patch matching. Constant coding gain can be achieved by our scheme at both low and high bit rates
Reinforcement learning and neural reinforcement learning

In this paper, we address an under-represented class of learning algorithms in the study of connectionism: reinforcement learning. We first introduce these classic methods in a new formalism which highlights the particularities of implementations such as Q-Learning, QLearning with Hamming distance, Q-Learning with statistical clustering and Dyna-Q. We then present in this formalism a neural implementation of reinforcement which clearly points out the advantages and the disadvantages of each approach.
Dust production by impacts of interstellar dust on Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt objects

We estimated the production rate of dust grains by theimpactsofinterstellardustgrainsonEdgeworth-KuiperBelt objects (EKOs). In this scenario, the impact ejecta become in- terplanetary dust particles with radii smaller than about 10 m. If the EKOs have hard icy surfaces and there are 10 13 of these with radii 0.1 km, the total dust production rate over the entire Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt ranges from 3:7 10 5 gs 1 to 2:4 10 6 gs 1 , depending on the adopted minimum ejection velocity (10 cm s 1 10 3 cm s 1 ). If the surfaces of EKOs are covered by a layer of icy particles with radii smaller than those of the incident dust grains, then the total dust production rate is enhanced slightly to about 3:110 7 gs 1 . Adopting the dif- ferent collisional parameters used by Stern (1996), we nd that the production rate of dust grains with radii smaller than 10m by mutual collisions of EKOs is between 8:6 10 4 gs 1 and 2:9 10 7 gs 1 . Therefore dust production due to the impacts
Elena Semino & Zsófia Demjén (eds.), The Routledge handbook of metaphor and language. London & New York: Routledge, 2017. Pp. xvii + 540.

Kroll, Judith F. & Ton Dijkstra. 2010. The bilingual lexicon. In Robert B. Kaplan (ed.), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics, 349–372. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schütze, Ulf. 2015. Spacing techniques in second language vocabulary acquisition: Short-term gains vs. long-term memory. Language Teaching Research 19.1, 28–42. Tokowicz, Natasha. 2014. Lexical processing and second language acquisition. New York: Routledge. Willms, L. Joanna, Kevin A. Shapiro, Marius V. Peelen, Petra E. Pajtas, Albert Costa, Lauren R. Moo & Alfonso Caramazza. 2011. Language-invariant verb processing regions in Spanish–English bilinguals. Neuroimage 57.1, 251–261.
Towards an artificial immune system for network intrusion detection: an investigation of clonal selection with a negative selection operator

The paper describes research towards the use of an artificial immune system (AIS) for network intrusion detection. Specifically, we focus on one significant component of a complete AIS, static clonal selection with a negative selection operator, describing this system in detail. Three different data sets from the UCI repository for machine learning are used in the experiments. Two important factors, the detector sample size and the antigen sample size, are investigated in order to generate an appropriate mixture of general and specific detectors for learning non-self antigen patterns. The results of series of experiments suggest how to choose appropriate detector and antigen sample sizes. These ideal sizes allow the AIS to achieve a good non-self antigen detection rate with a very low rate of self antigen detection. We conclude that the embedded negative selection operator plays an important role in the AIS by helping it to maintain a low false positive detection rate.
Factors influencing destination image and visit intention among young women travellers: role of travel motivation, perceived risks, and travel constraints

ABSTRACT There is literature detailing the effects of travel motivation, risks perceptions, and travel constraints on the destination image and travel behaviour of individuals. However, literature explaining these factors in the context of prospective young women travellers is scarce. This study empirically tests a comprehensive model of prospective young women’s travel behaviour, based on cognitive and affective perceptions about destination, travel motivations, perceived risks, and travel constraints. A quantitative study was performed on 370 young university women in Malaysia. The results revealed that the travel motivation of young women has positive effects on the cognitive and affective image, whereas the dimensions of perceived travel risks and travel constraints have negative effects on cognitive and affective destination images. The results also found that cognitive and affective images positively influence the visit intention of prospective young women travellers.
AN EVALUATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING FARMERS' WILLINGNESS TO PAY (WTP) FOR IRRIGATION WATER: THE CASE OF AHERO IRRIGATION SCHEME IN KENYA

Background: Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy in Kenya. However, the country’s capacity to increase agricultural production through the expansion of cultivated land under rain-fed conditions is severely constrained for two main reasons. First, only about 20% of the Kenya’s land area is medium to high potential with respect to rain-fed agricultural production. Second, there is an increasing population density on that 20% of Kenya's land area because it hosts over 60% of the country's total human population that has been growing relatively fast (at an average of around 3% per annum) over the last five decades. These factors underscore the importance of irrigation development in enhancing agricultural production toward achieving food security, employment creation and poverty reduction in Kenya. Therefore, the knowledge of the farmers’ demand for irrigation water and the factors that influence their Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) for irrigation water are important inputs in the design of effective and sustainable irrigation schemes as well as in the benefit-cost analyses of investments for irrigation development in any country, Kenya included. Therefore, this study aimed at analyzing the factors that affect farmers’ WTP for irrigation water and thus provide some information that can be used in the formulation of policies to enhance the development of irrigated agriculture in general and in Kenya in particular. Methodology: Stratified and random sampling techniques were used to select 221 rice farmers in Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya whose WTP for irrigation water was evaluated through this study. A contingent valuation method (CVM) was applied to elicit the farmers’ WTP bids, while the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression method was used to evaluate the marginal effects of the factors that significantly influence the farmers’ WTP for irrigation water. Results and Implications: The results indicated that the farmers were willing to pay Ksh. 2,773 per acre per year as opposed to the current charges by the National Irrigation Board (NIB) for the use of irrigation water at Ksh. 3,100 per acre per year that are intended to meet the Board's costs of scheme operation and maintenance. The results thus suggest that the farmers are being overcharged by about 11.8% by the NIB. Off-farm income, access to credit and satisfaction with the management of water supply system were found to be the factors that significantly influence the farmers’ WTP for irrigation water. Therefore, policies to address these factors to enhance irrigation development in Kenya are called for.
Correlation functions of operators and Wilson surfaces in the d=6, (0,2) theory in the large N limit

We compute the two and three-point correlation functions of chiral primary operators in the large N limit of the (0,2), d=6 superconformal theory. We also consider the operator product expansion of Wilson surfaces in the (0,2) theory and compute the OPE coefficients of the chiral primary operators at large N from the correlation functions of surfaces.
Cold gas as an ice diagnostic toward low mass protostars

Context. Up to 90% of the chemical reactions during star formation occurs on ice surfaces, probably including the formation of complex organics. Only the most abundant ice species are however observed directly by infrared spectroscopy. Aims. This study aims to develop an indirect observational method of ices based on non-thermal ice desorption in the colder part of protostellar envelopes. Methods. The IRAM 30 m telescope was employed to observe two molecules that can be detected both in the gas and the ice, CH 3 OH and HNCO, toward 4 low mass embedded protostars. Their respective gas-phase column densities are determined using rotational diagrams. The relationship between ice and gas phase abundances is subsequently determined. Results. The observed gas and ice abundances span several orders of magnitude. Most of the CH 3 OH and HNCO gas along the lines of sight is inferred to be quiescent from the measured line widths and the derived excitation temperatures, and hence not affected by thermal desorption close to the protostar or in outflow shocks. The measured gas to ice ratio of ~10 -4 agrees well with model predictions for non-thermal desorption under cold envelope conditions and there is a tentative correlation between ice and gas phase abundances. This indicates that non-thermal desorption products can serve as a signature of the ice composition. A larger sample is however necessary to provide a conclusive proof of concept.
Cross-modal coordination of expressive strength between voice and gesture for personified media

The aim of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the expressive strengths of gestures and voice for embodied and personified interfaces. We conduct perceptual tests using a puppet interface, while controlling singing-voice expressions, to empirically determine the naturalness and strength of various combinations of gesture and voice. The results show that (1) the strength of cross-modal perception is affected more by gestural expression than by the expressions of a singing voice, and (2) the appropriateness of cross-modal perception is affected by expressive combinations between singing voice and gestures in personified expressions. As a promising solution, we propose balancing a singing voice and gestural expressions by expanding and correcting the width and shape of the curve of expressive strength in the singing voice.