Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual Rephotography

The ultimate goal of many image-based modeling systems is to render photo-realistic novel views of a scene without visible artifacts. Existing evaluation metrics and benchmarks focus mainly on the geometric accuracy of the reconstructed model, which is, however, a poor predictor of visual accuracy. Furthermore, using only geometric accuracy by itself does not allow evaluating systems that either lack a geometric scene representation or utilize coarse proxy geometry. Examples include a light field and most image-based rendering systems. We propose a unified evaluation approach based on novel view prediction error that is able to analyze the visual quality of any method that can render novel views from input images. One key advantage of this approach is that it does not require ground truth geometry. This dramatically simplifies the creation of test datasets and benchmarks. It also allows us to evaluate the quality of an unknown scene during the acquisition and reconstruction process, which is useful for acquisition planning. We evaluate our approach on a range of methods, including standard geometry-plus-texture pipelines as well as image-based rendering techniques, compare it to existing geometry-based benchmarks, demonstrate its utility for a range of use cases, and present a new virtual rephotography-based benchmark for image-based modeling and rendering systems.
Grades, Aspirations and Post-Secondary Education Outcomes

We explore the forces that shape the development of aspirations and the achievement of grades during high school and the role that these aspirations, grades, and other variables play in educational outcomes such as going to university and graduating. We find that parental expectations and peer effects have a significant impact on educational outcomes through grades, aspirations, and their interconnectedness, an issue explained in the context of a rich, longitudinal data set. Apart from this indirect path, parents and peers also influence educational outcomes directly. Policy measures that operate on parental influences may modify educational outcomes in desired directions.
A Novel Space Vector Pulse Width based High Performance Variable Structure Direct Torque Control Evaluation of Induction Machine Drives

In this study, direct torque control (DTC) of induction motor is evaluated based on space vector modulation (SVM). DTC is a method to control machine with utilizing torque and flux of motor controlled.Direct Torque Control (DTC) is known to produce fast response and robust control in ac adjustable speed drives. However, in the steady-state operation, notable torque, flux and current pulsations occur. In this paper, a new direct torque and flux control strategy based on Variable-Structure Control (VSC) and Right Aligned Space Vector Modulation (RASVM) is proposed for sensorless induction motor drives. The principles of variable structure control (Sliding mode controller), DTC and less commutation space vector modulation are combined to ensure high performance operation, both in the steady state and under transient conditions. Three new VSC schemes are designed following the DTC voltage control philosophy. SVM-DTC is a technique to reduce the ripple. SVM techniques have several advantages that are offering better DC bus utilization, lower torque ripple, lower total harmonic distortion in the AC motor current, lower switching loss, and easier to implement in the digital systems. Simulation results from the classical and improved DTC are presented and compared. Result shows that the torque, flux linkage and stator current ripple are decreased with the improved DTC.
Structural and Functional Analysis of the ApolipoproteinA-I A164S Variant

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the main protein involved in the formation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), it is the principal mediator of the reverse cholesterol transfer (RCT) pathway and provides cardio-protection. In addition to functional wild-type apoA-I, several variants have been shown to associate with hereditary amyloidosis. In this study we have performed biophysical and biochemical analyses of the structure and functional properties of the A164S variant of apoA-I (1:500 in the Danish general population), which is the first known mutation of apoA-I that leads to an increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction and mortality without associated low HDL cholesterol levels. Despite the fact that epidemiologically IHD is associated with low plasma levels of HDL, the A164S mutation is linked to normal plasma levels of lipids, HDL and apoA-I, suggesting impaired functionality of this variant. Using biophysical techniques (e.g., circular dichroism spectroscopy and electron microscopy) to determine secondary structure, stability and pro-amyloidogenic property of the lipid free A164S apoA-I variant, our observations suggest similarity in structural properties between apoA-I WT and apoA-I A164S. However, the A164S apoA-I variant exhibits lower binding affinity to lipids but forms similar sized HDL particles to those produced by WT.
Low Prepregnancy Adiponectin Concentrations Are Associated With a Marked Increase in Risk for Development of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE To examine whether circulating total and high–molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin concentrations, measured before pregnancy, are associated with subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a nested case-control study among women who participated in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Multiphasic Health Check-up exam (1984–1996) with a serum sample obtained and who had a subsequent pregnancy (1984–2009). Eligible women were free of recognized diabetes. Case subjects were the 256 women who developed GDM. Two control subjects were selected for each case and matched for year of blood draw, age at exam, age at pregnancy, and number of intervening pregnancies. RESULTS Compared with the highest quartile of adiponectin, the risk of GDM increased with decreasing quartile (odds ratio [OR] 1.5 [95% CI 0.7–2.9], 3.7 [1.9–7.2], and 5.2 [2.6–10.1]; Ptrend <0.001) after adjustment for family history of diabetes, BMI, parity, race/ethnicity, cigarette smoking, and glucose and insulin concentrations. Similar estimates were observed for HMW (Ptrend <0.001). The combined effects of having total adiponectin levels below the median (<10.29 mg/mL) and being overweight or obese (BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2) were associated with a sevenfold increased risk of GDM compared with normal-weight women with adiponectin levels above the median (OR 6.7 [95% CI 3.6–12.5]). CONCLUSIONS Prepregnancy low adiponectin concentrations, a marker of decreased insulin sensitivity and altered adipocyte endocrine function, is associated with reduced glucose tolerance during pregnancy and may identify women at high risk for GDM to target for early intervention.
Adaptive Gaussian MixtureBackground and Shadow Model

Inmany video surveillance systems, we usuallycreatethe background imagesand compare the input images with the background images, then capture the foreground objects. The main considerable topic for this study is a dynamic environment.The environment with the same location may show the different luminance and different background for the color display, however, the light towards environment will also change over time.To buildthe background of a dynamic scene,weemploy Adaptive Gaussian Mixture to achieve the requirements of robustness and security.We usually adapts (Adaptive Gaussian Mixture Model), for multiple Gaussian functions to describe the various background values which occur repeatedly so that we can adapt to the changes of the light by the adjustment of function parameter values. However, the conventional background modelsdid not regard the shadow as a part of backgrounds, so that the shadow was often captured as a foreground object, which caused an error on applications. The main purpose of this study is to build an adaptablemodel which combines background with shadow. So in a dynamic environment, we can capture the images without shadows from the foreground objects by using this model. Finally, experimental results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Rewriting Codes for Joint Information Storage in Flash Memories

Memories whose storage cells transit irreversibly between states have been common since the start of the data storage technology. In recent years, flash memories have become a very important family of such memories. A flash memory cell has q states-state 0, 1, . , q-1-and can only transit from a lower state to a higher state before the expensive erasure operation takes place. We study rewriting codes that enable the data stored in a group of cells to be rewritten by only shifting the cells to higher states. Since the considered state transitions are irreversible, the number of rewrites is bounded. Our objective is to maximize the number of times the data can be rewritten. We focus on the joint storage of data in flash memories, and study two rewriting codes for two different scenarios. The first code, called floating code, is for the joint storage of multiple variables, where every rewrite changes one variable. The second code, called buffer code, is for remembering the most recent data in a data stream. Many of the codes presented here are either optimal or asymptotically optimal. We also present bounds to the performance of general codes. The results show that rewriting codes can integrate a flash memory's rewriting capabilities for different variables to a high degree.
ARITHMETIC BASED FRACTALS ASSOCIATED WITH PASCAL'S TRIANGLE

Our goal is to study Pascal-Sierpinski gaskets, which are certain fractal sets deﬁned in terms of divisibility of entries in Pascal’s triangle. The principal tool is a “carry rule” for the addition of the base-q representation of coordinates of points in the unit square. In the case that q = p is prime, we connect the carry rule to the power of p appearing in the prime factorization of binomialcoeﬃcients. We use the carry rule to deﬁne a family of fractal subsets Bqr of the unit square, and we show that when q = p is prime, Bqr coincides with the Pascal-Sierpinski gasket corresponding to N = pr . We go on to describe Bqr as the limit of an iterated function system of “partial similarities”, and we determine its Hausdorﬀ dimension. We consider also the corresponding fractal sets in higher-dimensional Euclidean space.
Transfer of Learning in Simple Addition and Subtraction. I

In the precedifg article of this series' the chief matter of interest consisted in the effect of teaching 200 number combinations in addition and subtraction compared with that of teaching only 11o combinations. It was shown that the group of pupils who studied i io combinations knew at least as many combinations in toto as the group studying 200 combinations but that the latter group knew a slightly larger percentage of the combinations which had been left untaught than did the former group. The present article deals with the results of the experiment chiefly from the point of view of transfer. In any one of the four tests how many of the combinations which had not been taught up to the time of the administering of the test did all the pupils in the experiment know? This problem raises the question: To what extent did drill on certain taught combinations transfer to other untaught combinations? An answer to the latter question hinges in part on the number of combinations children learn outside the regular arithmetic class periods. For this reason, a table will be included showing how much two groups of children learned outside the periods of arithmetic instruction. One group (designated as Group A) comprised one hundred children who received no instruction in arithmetic for the last twelve of the seventeen weeks of the experiment; another group (designated as Group B) comprised eighty-six children who had no formal arithmetic instruction during the entire seventeen weeks. Table III shows the scores achieved by these two groups. The reader will receive a better impression of the situation by referring to Figure i. In this figure the average scores in addition
The Role of Affective Valence and Task Uncertainty in Human-Automation Interaction

Mood can greatly influence how humans experience and react to the world around them. Therefore, it seems likely that mood can also influence interaction with automated decision systems and that this influence could be exacerbated by characteristics of a given task. To test these ideas, participants completed a series of complex visual search tasks with different levels of uncertainty. Half of the participants received negative mood manipulations and half received positive mood manipulations. Also, half of the participants received the assistance of an automated decision aid and half did not. Participants were assessed for system trust, confidence, sensitivity, and criterion setting. Results revealed that participants in a positive mood were more susceptible to the recommendations of the decision aid and were more confident than those in a negative mood. Automation presence tended to reduce the impact of task uncertainty on the dependent variables. These findings have implications for system design and implementation decisions.
Human monocyte killing of Staphylococcus aureus: modulation by agonists of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate

This study was designed to test whether cyclic nucleotides play a role in the regulation of bacterial killing by human monocytes. Agents were tested for their ability to activate monocyte adenylate or guanylate cyclase in cell-free preparations, to increase cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) or cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) in intact human monocytes, and to modulate monocyte-induced killing of Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Prostaglandin E1 and cholera toxin activated monocyte adenylate cyclase and inhibited monocyte killing of S. aureus. An adenylate cyclase inhibitor, RMI 12330A, reversed the prostaglandin E1-mediated inhibition of bacterial killing, thus implicating cAMP as the intracellular mediator of this inhibition. In contrast, monocyte cGMP levels were increased 5- and 17-fold by 5-hydroxytryptamine and N-methyl-N' -nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, respectively, but neither agent was effective in modulating monocyte bactericidal activity. Thus, modulation of bactericidal activity in human monocytes did not conform to the yin/yang theory of opposing actions by cAMP and cGMP, for although monocyte-mediated killing of S. aureus was inhibited by cAMP agonists, it was not enhanced by cGMP agonists.
Integrated E-band photoreceiver module for wideband (71–76GHz) wireless transmission

In this paper, we report on a novel photonic integrated 70 GHz band (71-76 GHz) photoreceiver module featuring a 1.55 μm double-waveguide photodiode (PD) implemented with a planar bias-T, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a high-power amplifier (HPA) and a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) to WR-12 rectangular waveguide transition. The photoreceiver module is hybrid integrated on a low-loss laminate subcarrier. The developed InP-based double-waveguide PD exhibits an ultra-flat frequency response with a maximum deviation of only ±0.4 dB over the entire frequency band of interest from 71-76 GHz. Within that frequency range, the PD delivers output power levels in excess of -20 dBm to 50 Ω already at low photocurrent levels of only ~5 mA. This is sufficient for reaching the +17.5 dBm saturation output power level of the HPA, since the total gain of the LNA and the HPA is about 37 dB. The output return loss of the PD with integrated GCPW is measured to be ~23 dB. The input return loss of the GCPW-to-WR-12 transition is determined to be in the order of ~20 dB within the 70 GHz band. In addition to the technological and experimental achievements, we also present a system approach for wideband photonic wireless transmission within the E-band (60-90 GHz).
Increased waist size and weight in relation to consumption of Areca catechu (betel-nut); a risk factor for increased glycaemia in Asians in East London

Type 2 diabetes is commoner in Asians than Caucasians. Many nitrosamines are diabetogenic, causing both type 2 and type 1 diabetes. Of CD1 mice fed with betel-nut or associated nitrosamines 8·5 % develop glucose intolerance with marked obesity. Glycaemia and anthropometric risk markers for type 2 diabetes were therefore examined in relation to betel usage in 993 ‘healthy’ Bangladeshis by one bilingual research-worker (N.M.). Of these, 12 % had known diabetes. A further 145 of 187 subjects ‘at-risk’ of diabetes (spot glucose >6·5 mmol/l <2 h after food, or >4·5 mmol/l >2 h after food) had a second blood glucose sample taken; sixty-one were confirmed as ‘at-risk’, and had an oral glucose tolerance test; nine new diabetics were identified. Multiple regression analysis showed that spot blood glucose values decreased with time after eating (P = 0·0005) and increased independently with waist size (P = 0·0005) and age (P = 0·0005) without relationships to other aspects of the diet, season or smoking. Waist size was strongly related to betel usage independent of other factors such as age. Betel use interacted with sex, relating to increasing glycaemia only in females. Since waist and age were the major markers of increasing glycaemia we suggest that betel chewing, a habit common to about 10 % of the world population (more than 200 million people) may contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Ethnic Minority Students’ Career Expectations in Prospective Professions: Navigating between Ambitions and Discrimination

This study sheds light on how ethnic minority students in Norway seek to navigate occupational opportunities after graduating from professional bachelor programmes. Students’ career ambitions and career expectations are investigated. The study adopts a comparative approach and includes students of Asian origin and western minority students as well as majority students. The findings show that ethnic minorities have higher career ambitions than majority students, but their career expectations are not correspondingly high. The study identifies ethnicity both as a resource (ethnic capital) and as an obstacle in the pursuit of a professional career. Structural disadvantages such as perceived discrimination seem to curb the utility of ethnic capital in capitalising on occupational opportunities, particularly for managerial positions. Ethnicity as a resource seems to play a role among both Asian and western minority students, and appears particularly strong in the development of career ambitions and in the efforts to pursue educational qualifications.
Analysis and Ranking of Software Reliability Models Based on Weighted Criteria Value

Many software reliability growth models (SRGMs) have been analyzed for measuring the growth of software reliability. Selection of optimal SRGMs for use in a particular case has been an area of interest for researchers in the field of software reliability. All existing methodologies use same weight for each comparison criterion. But in reality, it is the fact that all the parameters do not have the same priority in reliability measurement. Keeping this point in mind, in this paper, a computational methodology based on weighted criteria is presented to the problem of performance analysis of various non-homogenous Poisson process (NHPP) models. It is relatively simple and requires less calculation. A set of twelve comparison criteria has been formulated and each criterion has been assigned different weight to rank the software reliability growth models proposed during the past 30 years. Case study results show that the weighted criteria value method offers a very promising technique in software reliability growth models comparison.
ensures efficient removal of multiple introns Retention of spliceosomal components along ligated exons Material Supplemental

The majority of mammalian pre-mRNAs contains multiple introns that are excised prior to export and translation. After intron excision, ligated exon intermediates participate in subsequent intron excisions. However, exon ligation generates an exon of increased size, a feature of pre-mRNA splicing that can interfere with downstream splicing events. These considerations raise the question of whether unique mechanisms exist that permit efficient removal of introns neighboring ligated exons. Kinetic analyses of multiple intron-containing pre-mRNAs revealed that splicing is more efficient following an initial intron removal event, suggesting that either the recruitment of the exon junction complex (EJC) to ligated exons increases the efficiency of multiple intron excisions or that the initial definition of splice sites is sufficient to permit efficient splicing of introns neighboring ligated exons. Knockdown experiments show that the deposition of the EJC does not affect subsequent splicing kinetics. Instead, spliceosomal components that are not involved in the initial splicing event remain associated with the pre-mRNA to ensure efficient removal of neighboring introns. Thus, ligated exons do not require redefinition, providing an additional kinetic advantage for exon defined splice sites.
A 125–1250 MHz Process-Independent Adaptive Bandwidth Spread Spectrum Clock Generator With Digital Controlled Self-Calibration

A process-independent adaptive bandwidth spread-spectrum clock generator (SSCG) with digitally controlled self-calibration techniques is proposed. By adaptively calibrating the VCO gain (Kv) and charge-pump (CP) current over C (ICP/C), the SSCG can realize not only adaptive bandwidth but also process independence at each operating frequency. The innovative point is the adaptive bandwidth control using Kv and ICP/C calibration. This control enabled a test chip to keep a sharp triangular SSC profile while operating over a wide frequency range (125 to 1250 MHz). The variations of VCO gain and CP current are reduced to one third those of the conventional architecture. At 1250 Mbps (625 MHz) the reduction of spectrum peak amplitude is 18.6 dB which is 2.3 dB better than the reduction obtained without calibration.
Attachment and Psychosomatic Medicine: Developmental Contributions to Stress and Disease

Objective The object of this study was to evaluate the evidence linking attachment insecurity to illness. Attachment theory describes lifelong patterns of response to threat that are learned in the interaction between an infant and his or her primary caregiver. Despite its biopsychosocial domain, attachment theory has only recently been applied to psychosomatic medicine. Method MEDLINE and PsychInfo databases were searched from 1966 to 2000 for English language papers with key words “attachment” and “object relations. ” Papers and their cited references were reviewed if they were directly related to physical illness, symptoms, or physiology. A hypothetical causal model was developed. Results Direct and indirect evidence from survey studies supports an association between attachment insecurity and disease. Animal studies and human experiments suggest that attachment contributes to individual differences in physiological stress response. There is also less robust support for insecure attachment leading to symptom reporting and to more frequent health risk behaviors, especially substance use and treatment nonadherence. Evidence supports the prediction from attachment theory that the benefits of social support derive more from attachment relationships than nonattachment relationships. Conclusions Although the available data are suggestive rather than conclusive, the data can be organized into a model that describe attachment insecurity leading to disease risk through three mechanisms. These are increased susceptibility to stress, increased use of external regulators of affect, and altered help-seeking behavior. This model warrants further prospective investigation.