Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study of Top-Down Visual Attention Model Based on Similarity Distance

According to the study of biological vision, human visual attention is aroused by observer's tasks and it is a top- down control mechanism. A top-down visual attention model based on similarity distance is proposed in this study. Top-down visual attention model is realized by using similarity distance to obtain visual expectation based on improved Itti's model. A task map is selected by using improved Itti's model and user's observation tasks, and then to compute the similarity distances between task map and saliency regions from improved Itti's model. The weights of intensity, color and orientation are adjusted with similar distances in order to measure the saliency in top-down visual attention model. After that, area enhancement factor is utilized to modify the saliency and compute the visual expectation. Region of interest (ROI) is extracted by combining visual expectation with saliency region. The experimental results show that the proposed model is available and the ROI results comply with biological attention mechanism.
Analysis and Stability of Fuzzy Systems

section. It gives an overview of special modifications of classical nonlinear techniques for fuzzy systems and fuzzy-based techniques for an online supervision. Further approaches to the analysis of stand-alone fuzzy systems and more simulation-based techniques for performance and robustness analysis will be presented in the fourth section. The chapter ends with a discussion of open problems, future trends, and a review of references for further reading.
Aldosterone synthase inhibition for the treatment of hypertension and the derived mechanistic requirements for a new therapeutic strategy

Context: We describe the clinical investigation of the first generation aldosterone synthase inhibitor, LCI699, in patients with essential, uncontrolled, resistant, or secondary hypertension. LCI699 competitively reduced blood pressure at lower doses yet counterintuitive effects were observed at higher doses. Objective and method: An extensive endocrine biomarker analysis was performed to better understand the pharmacological mechanism of the drug. Results: The interference of LCI699 in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system occurred with limited target selectivity, as a dose-dependent compensatory stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal feedback axis was discovered. Thus, LCI699 affected two endocrine feedback loops that converged at a single point, inhibiting the 11&bgr;-hydroxylase reaction in the adrenal gland, leading to supraphysiological levels of 11-deoxycortiscosterone. The accumulation of this potent mineralocorticoid may explain the blunted blood pressure response to LCI699. Conclusion: Future aldosterone synthase inhibitors may improve their target selectivity by sparing the 11&bgr;-hydroxylase reaction and preferentially inhibiting one of the two other enzymatic reactions mediated by aldosterone synthase.
Synthesis of complex humanoid whole-body behavior: A focus on sequencing and tasks transitions

We present a novel approach to deal with transitions while performing a sequence of dynamic tasks with a humanoid robot. The simultaneous achievement of several tasks cannot be ensured, so we use a strategy based on weights to represent their relative importance. The robot interacts with a changing environment, and the input torques are different depending on whether the robot performs tasks in a constrained state (e.g. in contact) or not. We develop a solution with smooth weights variations and transitional tasks which avoids sharp torque evolutions. In order to validate this approach, simulations are carried out on a virtual iCub robot which is assigned the realization of a complex mission involving various changing tasks.
Compact mid-IR sources east of Galactic Center source IRS5

Aims. Mid-infrared observations of the Galactic Center show among the extended mini-spiral a number of compact sources. Their nature is of interest because they represent an interaction of luminous stars with the mini-spiral material or mass losing sources that are enshrouded in dust and gas shells. Characterizing their nature is necessary to obtain a complete picture of the different stellar populations and the star formation history of the cental stellar cluster in general. Prominent compact MIR sources in the Galactic Center are either clearly offset from the mini-spiral (e.g. the M2 super-giant IRS 7 and the bright dust enshrouded IRS 3) or have been identified earlier with bright bow shock sources (e.g. IRS 21, 1W, 10W and IRS 5). There are, however, four less prominent compact sources east of IRS 5, the natures of which were unclear until now. Methods. We present near-infrared K-band long slit spectroscopy of the four sources east of IRS 5 obtained with the ISAAC spectrograph at the ESO VLT in July 2005. We interpret the data in combination with high angular resolution NIR and MIR images obtained with ISAAC and NACO at the ESO VLT. Results. The K � -band images and proper motions show that the sources are multiple. For all but one source we find dominant contributions from late type stars with best overall fits to template stars with temperatures below 5000 K. Conclusions. The brightest sources contained in IRS 5NE, 5E and 5S may be asymptotic giant branch stars and a part of the MIR excess may be due to dust shells produced by the individual sources. However, in all cases an interaction with the mini-spiral cannot be excluded and their broad band infrared SEDs indicate that they could be lower luminosity counterparts of the identified bow shock sources. In fact, IRS 5SE is associated with a faint bow shock and its spectrum shows contributions from a hotter early type star which supports such a classification.
Continued Use Of Intra-Organizational Blogs: Impacts Of Habits, Network Externalities, And Ranking

Enterprise 2.0 applications, such as blogging systems, are increasingly prevailing in corporate contexts. As intra-organizational blogs are expected to provide a new approaching to building a flexible intra-organizational networking platform which could effectively facilitate knowledge sharing, it is worthwhile to address why and how the employees may accept a blogging system and keep blogging continually. Drawing upon the existing literature, this paper proposes a conceptual model which suggests that the continued use of internal blogging among employees is jointly driven by the forces of habituation and network externalities, while these forces can be shaped by managerial incentives such as a ranking mechanism. To empirically test the proposed model, actual usage data are collected from the internal blogging platform of a large Chinese company, so as to measure all the related constructs. Statistical results from a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis illustrate that the model effectively explains the continued use of corporate internal blogging systems. By using the actual record data obtained from an in-practice system, our study manages to avoid the self-report bias which inevitably perplexes conventional survey-based research. We believe that the findings of this paper would contribute to the literature of Enterprise 2.0 user behavior on both theoretical and methodological perspectives, while providing helpful practical insights for better promoting the use of blogging systems in corporate contexts.
Satisfiability and Completeness of PDL replayed

This paper reinvestigates satisfiability and completeness for PDL. Automata-theoretic methods have been successful for solving sat-isfiability so far, but it is not known how to use them for proving completeness of axiom systems. By solving PDL's satisfiability problem using the rather novel approach of focus games, a complete axiom system can easily be read off the game rules.
Measuring topographic similarity of toponyms

���We report on research motivated by toponym disambiguation of natural landscape descriptions. Additional to euclidean distance we consider topographic similarity between toponyms as a disambiguation criterion. For this reason we create topographic space, a 2D space derived from multidimensional measurements of geomorphometric characteristics at toponym locations and dimensionally reduced by the use of machine learning algorithms (SOM). Topographic similarity between toponyms in topographic space is a measurement of distance. For toponyms of the same type (e.g. cities or mountains), although distributed all over Switzerland, we observe strong autocorrelation in terms of topography. Comparisons across types of toponyms, for instance between mountains and rivers, indicate that euclidean distance between such toponyms, on a comparable scale, is more proximate than their topographic distance. Additionally the mapping of topographic peculiarities of toponyms to topographic space allows us to visually explore topographic relations. We are in the course of implementing
Early events in TNF signaling: a story of associations and dissociations

At the cellular level, the multifunctional cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) modulates growth and activates genes through various intermediates, including protein kinases, protein phosphatases, reactive oxygen intermediates, phospholipases, proteases, sphingomyelinases, and transcription factors. Unlike many cytokine receptors, however, the cytoplasmic domain (CD) of the TNF receptors lacks an intrinsic protein kinase activity and yet on interaction with ligand it phosphorylates various proteins. Although the kinetics of most of these activities differ, their interactions are coordinated through the selective interplay between the CD of the receptors and the associated proteins. A unique pathway has been identified by the ability of the TNF receptors to associate with a novel family of proteins. Two distinct families of proteins have emerged, the TNF receptor‐associated factors (TRAFs) and the death domain homologues. The cloning of members of these gene families and the identification of the protein‐interaction motifs found within their gene products has initiated the molecular identity of factors (TRADD, FADD/MORT, RIP, FLICE/ MACH, and TRAFs) associated with both of the p60 and p80 forms of the TNF receptor and with other members of the TNF receptor superfamily. In this review, we summarize these and other TNF receptor‐associated proteins and their potential roles in regulating the activation of nuclear factor‐κB and apoptosis, two major responses activated by engagement of TNF receptors by the ligand. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 559–566; 1997.
MicroRNAs of the miR379–410 cluster: New players in embryonic neurogenesis and regulators of neuronal function

The imprinted miR379–410 cluster contains 38 microRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in diverse neurodevelopmental processes and are important regulators of neuronal function. The implications of these miRNAs in neurological diseases have been recently recognized.In the present minireview, the current findings regarding the brain-specific functions of miR379–410 cluster miRNAs are summarized and discussed.
Stability analysis and stabilization for singular systems with multiple time-varying delay

This paper considers the problem associated with the stability analysis and stabilization for singular systems with multiple time-varying delays. The delay-dependent stability criterion and the method of designing state feedback stabilization controller are obtained by using Lyapunov second method and LMI techniques. Numerical examples illustrate the efficiency and feasibility of our method.
Register Traffic Analysis For Streamlining Inter-operation Communication In Fine-grain Parallel Processors

Traditionally, register files have been the primary agent for inter-operation communication in load/store architectures. As processors start issuing multiple instructions per cycle, a centralized register file can easily become a bottleneck. This paper analyzes the register filetrafficin a load/store architecture with a view to motivate the development of alternate inter-operation communication mechanisms that reduce the bandwidth demanded of a centralized register file. We firstprovide metrics to characterize the register traffic. These metrics deal with the degree and locality of use of the register instances created. We then present the results of a simulation study that uses the MIPS R2000 architecture and the SPEC benchmark programs. We have two major results. First, a large number of the register instances are used only once, and the average degree of use of register instances is about 2. Second, most of the register instances are used up soon after they are created (within about 30-40 instructions). This suggests that alternate inter-operation communication mechanisms that exploit the temporal locality of use of register instances are likely to be effective in reducing the traffic burden on the centralized register file. The second result was pivotal in the design of the distributed register filefor the multiscalar processing paradigm.
Privacy in the cloud: going beyond the contractarian paradigm

Human life today has become entangled in the Internet. We access e-mail, store content, and use services online without a thought as to where data reside or how data are protected. The "cloud," a conceptualization of how data reside on the Internet rather than locally, is the latest technological innovation or computing trend du jour. However, many concerns surrounding cloud computing remain unaddressed. How are the data we store online kept confidential? Who else has the right to access our private information? What kind of laws and policies offer us protection? We begin by evaluating the current situation by examining the Terms of Service (ToS) agreements and privacy policies from well-known cloud providers, and we describe the types of privacy protections (or lack thereof) that they offer. We conclude that a contractarian approach to privacy protection is likely to lead to a situation in which consumers end up trading their privacy without being well-informed about the implications and consequences of their choices. Next, we examine whether the applicable laws are adequate to protect the privacy of consumers in the cloud. We discuss privacy protections in the cloud by considering the Fourth Amendment, the Stored Communications Act, the Federal Information Security Management Act, and the USA PATRIOT Act, and we conclude that they are inadequate in according a minimum level of privacy to consumers in the cloud, setting the stage for a vigorous study of the form and substance of cloud computing-centric privacy legislation.
Mastering interactive surface rendering for Java-based diagnostic applications

The display of iso-surfaces in medical data sets is an important visualization technique used by radiologists for the diagnosis of volumetric density data sets. The demands put by radiologists on such a display technique are interactivity, multiple stacked transparent surfaces and cutting planes that allow an interactive clipping of the surfaces. This paper presents a Java based, platform independent implementation of a very fast surface rendering algorithm which combines the advantages of explicit surface representation, splatting, and shear-warp projection to fulfill all these requirements. The algorithm is implemented within the context of J-Vision, an application for viewing and diagnosing medical images which is currently in use at various hospitals.
A Run Time Reconfigurable Co-processor for Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplication

This paper reports a run-time reconfigurable co-processor for scalar multiplication in elliptic curve cryptography. By reconfiguration, the co-processor can support various finite field orders and hence, different security levels. This is a contribution to solve the current interoperability problems in elliptic curve cryptography. We report the co-processor hardware organization and the cost in terms of area and speed of the reconfigurable solution compared to a static implementation.
Metal uptake, antioxidant status and membrane potential in maize roots exposed to cadmium and nickel

Root growth of the seedlings of maize cultivars Premia and Blitz exposed to 2 μM cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) or both metals acting simultaneously (Cd + Ni) for 72 h was significantly reduced but not ceased. The effect was more pronounced in the seedlings of the cv. Blitz. The heavy metals (HMs) contents increased significantly in the roots. Simultaneous application of metals had an antagonistic effect on either Cd or Ni uptake in Premia but not in Blitz. In control roots the contents of ascorbic acid (AsA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) were lower and gluthatione (GSH) content was higher in Premia than in Blitz. A decrease of AsA content was induced by all metal treatments in Premia but only by Cd + Ni in Blitz while an increase was induced by single metals in this cultivar. All metal treatments increased DHA contents in both cultivars. GSH content decreased significantly in Premia treated with Cd or Cd + Ni, and in Blitz treated with Ni. Unlike the contents of AsA, DHA and GSH, the increased metal concentrations in root cells did not affect the membrane potential (EM). The changes in antioxidant contents depended on both, maize genotypes and HMs treatments. Nevertheless, the results indicated a role of antioxidative system in minimizing the effects of oxidative stress and protecting cell membranes in both maize cultivars.
Imports, Pass-Through, and the Structure of Retail Markets

We construct a model of trade with heterogeneous retailers to examine the effects of trade liberalization on retail market structure, imports and social welfare. We are especially interested in studying the degree of pass-through of import into retail prices and the effects of retail market regulation. The paper shows that the degree of pass-through may be large when market structure effects are taken into account, and that restrictions on retailing may have significant effects on imports and the degree of pass-through. The paper helps explain the apparent discrepancy between the low observed degree of pass-through and the large benefit that consumers seem to derive from trade liberalization.
Collective action frame and cultural context: A study of the anti-express-rail-link movement in Hong Kong

Existing framing analysis has centered on the internal dynamics of framing, focusing on the relationship between collective action frames and the ‘interpretative schema’ of individual participants. The external relationship of framing to the broader cultural context has largely been neglected. How does the cultural context influence the forming and transforming of collective action frames? This study addresses this question by analyzing the framing process of the anti-express-rail-link movement in Hong Kong. Its findings indicate that the cultural context affects the efficiency of collective action frames. On the one hand, collective action frames that align with mainstream values of the cultural context may mobilize more participants than those associated with marginal values. On the other hand, marginal cultural values that participants managed to bring forward into public discourse via the actions of a movement may, in turn, further transform the existing cultural context. Thus, while cultural context affects the formation of a collective action frame, the latter also plays a constructive role for the former.
A Novel Adjuvant to the Resident Selection Process: the Hartman Value Profile

Objectives: The goal of resident selection is twofold: (1) select candidates who will be successful residents and eventually successful practitioners and (2) avoid selecting candidates who will be unsuccessful residents and/or eventually unsuccessful practitioners. Traditional tools used to select residents have well-known limitations. The Hartman Value Profile (HVP) is a proven adjuvant tool to predicting future performance in candidates for advanced positions in the corporate setting. Methods: No literature exists to indicate use of the HVP for resident selection. Results: The HVP evaluates the structure and the dynamics of an individual value system. Given the potential impact, we implemented its use beginning in 2007 as an adjuvant tool to the traditional selection process. Conclusions: Experience gained from incorporating the HVP into the residency selection process suggests that it may add objectivity and refinement in predicting resident performance. Further evaluation is warranted with longer follow-up times.
Smart cevices for smart environments: Device-free passive detection in real environments

Device-free Passive (DfP) localization is a system envisioned to detect, track, and identify entities that do not carry any device, nor participate actively in the localization process. A DfP system allows using nominal WiFi equipment for intrusion detection, without using any extra hardware, adding smartness to any WiFi-enabled device. In this paper, we focus on the detection function of the DfP system in a real environment. We show that the performance of our previously developed algorithms for detection in a controlled environments, which achieved 100% recall and precision, degrades significantly when tested in a real environment. We present an alternative algorithm, based on the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE), that has a significant performance increase in a real environment. Our results show that the recall of the system increases by more than 10% when using the proposed MLE without affecting the system's precision.
Brain tumor segmentation from multiple MRI sequences using multiple kernel learning

We propose a brain tumor segmentation method from multi-spectral MRI images. First, a large set of features based on wavelet coefficients, is computed on all types of images for a small number of voxels, allowing us to build a training feature base which is not homogeneous due to different types of image. The segmentation task is then viewed as a learning problem where only the most significant features from the feature base should be selected and then a classifier can be used. The new idea is to use Multiple Kernel Learning (MKL) by associating one or more kernels to each feature in order to solve jointly the two problems: selection of the features and their corresponding kernels and training of the classifier. All types of images are then segmented using the trained classifier on the selected features. Our algorithm was tested on the real data provided by the challenge of Brats 2012 and was compared to the resulting top methods. The results show good performance of our method.
Body Image, Weight-control Self-efficacy, Body Mass Index, and Body Weight Control Behavior of High School Girls

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between body image, weight-control self-efficacy, and body mass index of high-school girls. Methods: Body image, gender role identity, weight-control self-efficacy, and body weight control behavior were measured by structured questionnaires. Date were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the t-test, the one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation, using the SPSS program. Results: Body weight control behavior was positively correlated with weight-control self-efficacy and objective body mass index. Body weight control behavior showed significant differences according to the interest in weight control, current weight control effort, reasons for weight control, secret method for weight loss, eating breakfast or not, and the amount of time exposed to mass media. In regard to the body weight control behavior according to the gender role identity type, the androgynous showed significantly higher tendency than other types. Conclusion: These findings suggest that health providers need to educate high-school girls about appropriate body image and weight control behavior. Also, more studies are needed to identify factors influencing weight control behavior.