Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta latent semantic analysis

Meta latent semantic analysis (MLSA) is a novel approach to automated document analysis and indexing which relies on symbolic ontologies to further enhance the traditional probabilistic latent semantic analysis (LSA) of documents. While LSA is able to discover clusters of related terms and documents in a given collection of documents, the proposed MLSA is able to meta-cluster such clusters by taking into account existing symbolic ontologies relevant for the analyzed collections of documents. Such an approach can be successfully used to improve the performance of fast LSA by random projection.
A Public-key Asymmetric Robust Watermarking Algorithm Based on Signal with Special Correlation Characteristic

A public-key asymmetric robust watermarking algorithm based on signal with special correlation characteristic is proposed in this paper. This algorithm is designed to permit pubic watermark detection while preventing the watermark from being removed without the private keys. A signal, which is pseudorandom sequence with special auto-correlation characteristic, is used as watermark, and the signal’s characteristic is the foundation of this algorithm. Therefore we first construct the method of generating the pseudorandom sequence and prove its auto-correlation characteristic. Then we describe the algorithm in detail. Experiment results show that the algorithm is valid and robust to common signal distortions and malicious attacks.
Prioritized retransmission for error protection of video streaming over WLANs

Video transport over Wireless LANs (WLANs) may suffer from signal fading, noise interference, and network congestion which will cause packet loss or packet error. Should a packet loss occur in some frame, it will not only affect the corresponding frame but may also lead to error propagation to the following frames until reaching the next intra-coded frame. In addition, the bandwidth of WLAN is usually far less than that of wired networks, thus protection mechanisms for error control have an innate limitation. In this paper, we first propose a scheme to estimate the error propagation effect of a concealed lost packet. Considering the error-prone characteristic of WLANs and the scenario under limited resource, we propose a prioritized retransmission mechanism to protect against the bursty packet losses in WLAN environments. Experimental results show that the proposed method can usually significantly improve the quality of video streaming over WLANs as compared to play-out deadline-based methods.
Track Open Task : Spam Blog Classification ∗

Spam blogs or Splogs are blogs with either auto-generated or plagiarized content created for the sole purpose of hosti ng ads, promoting affiliate sites and getting new pages indexed . Splogs now rival generic web spam and e-mail spam, presenting a major problem to analytics on the blogosphere from basic search and indexing, to opinion, community, influence and correlation detection. This open task submission detai ls how splogs impact Opinion Identification, and proposes an approach to assessment and evaluation for a Spam Blog Classification task in 2007.
Efficient Exploitation of Parallelism on Pentium III and Pentium 4 Processor-Based Systems

Systems based on the Pentium III and Pentium 4 processors enable the exploitation of parallelism at a fineand medium-grained level. Dualand quad-processor systems, for example, enable the exploitation of mediumgrained parallelism by using multithreaded code that takes advantage of multiple control and arithmetic logic units. Streaming Single-Instruction-Multiple-Data (SIMD) extensions, on the other hand, enable the exploitation of fine-grained SIMD parallelism by vectorizing loops that perform a single operation on multiple elements in a data set. This paper provides a high-level overview of the automatic parallelization and vectorization methods used by the Intel® C++/Fortran compiler developed at the Microcomputer Software Labs.
Location-based insights from the social web

Citizens, news reporters, relief organizations, and governments are increasingly relying on the Social Web to report on and respond to disasters as they occur. The capability to rapidly react to important events, which can be identified from high-volume streams even when the sources are unknown, still requires precise localization of the events and verification of the reports. In this paper, we propose a framework for classifying location elements and a method for their extraction from Social Web data. We describe the framework in the context of existing Social Web systems used for disaster management. We present a new location-inferencing architecture and evaluate its performance with a data set from a real-world disaster.
The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion

As critical as waking brain function is to cognition, an extensive literature now indicates that sleep supports equally important, different yet complementary operations. This review will consider recent and emerging findings implicating sleep and specific sleep‐stage physiologies in the modulation, regulation, and even preparation of cognitive and emotional brain processes. First, evidence for the role of sleep in memory processing will be discussed, principally focusing on declarative memory. Second, at a neural level several mechanistic models of sleep‐dependent plasticity underlying these effects will be reviewed, with a synthesis of these features offered that may explain the ordered structure of sleep, and the orderly evolution of memory stages. Third, accumulating evidence for the role of sleep in associative memory processing will be discussed, suggesting that the long‐term goal of sleep may not be the strengthening of individual memory items, but, instead, their abstracted assimilation into a schema of generalized knowledge. Fourth, the newly emerging benefit of sleep in regulating emotional brain reactivity will be considered. Finally, and building on this latter topic, a novel hypothesis and framework of sleep‐dependent affective brain processing will be proposed, culminating in testable predictions and translational implications for mood disorders.
Client-Driven Network-level QoE fairness for Encrypted 'DASH-S'

Adaptive video streams, when competing behind a bottleneck link, generate flows that lead to instability, under-utilization, and unfairness. Recent studies suggest there is also a negative impact on users' perceived quality of experience as a consequence. Two general classes of solution exist. Client-side bitrate adaptation algorithms can improve stability and may achieve flow-rate equality. However, operating in isolation, bitrate adaptation has no ability to establish QoE fairness. Conversely, network services have been shown to achieve stability and quality of experience by managing bottleneck resources. However, the widespread use of HTTPS renders these services ineffective. In this paper we show that QoE can only be achieved when both network and client interact. We do so by a constructive argument, and then architect client-Driven Video Delivery (cDVD) in response. Our cDVD implementation provides a client-level API into the network and builds on software-defined principles. cDVD measurements reinforce our argument and raise new opportunities for exploration.
Improving the Reliability of Artificial Intelligence Planning Systems by Analyzing their Failure Recovery

As planning technology improves, artificial intelligence planners are being embedded in increasingly complicated environments: ones that are particularly challenging even for human experts. Consequently, failure is becoming both increasingly likely for these systems (due to the difficult and dynamic nature of the new environments) and increasingly important to address (due to the systems' potential use on real world applications). The paper describes the development of a failure recovery component for a planner in a complex simulated environment and a procedure (called failure recovery analysis) for assisting programmers in debugging that planner. The failure recovery design is iteratively enhanced and evaluated in a series of experiments. Failure recovery analysis is described and demonstrated on an example from the Phoenix planner. The primary advantage of these approaches over existing approaches is that they are based on only a weak model of the planner and its environment, which makes them most suitable when the planner is being developed. By integrating them, failure recovery and failure recovery analysis improve the reliability of the planner by repairing failures during execution and identifying failures due to bugs in the planner and failure recovery itself. >
VLOGGER: Multimodal Diﬀusion for Embodied Avatar Synthesis

We propose VLOGGER, a method for audio-driven human video generation from a single input image of a person, which builds on the success of recent generative diffusion models. Our method consists of 1) a stochastic human-to-3d-motion diffusion model, and 2) a novel diffusion-based architecture that augments text-to-image models with both spatial and temporal controls. This supports the generation of high quality video of variable length, easily controllable through high-level representations of human faces and bodies. In contrast to previous work,
Development of a Novel Disturbance Observer Based Fractional Order PD Controller for a Gun Control System

Motion control of gun barrels is an ongoing topic for the development of gun control equipment (GCE) with excellent performances. In this paper, a novel disturbance observer (DOB) based fractional order PD (FOPD) control strategy is proposed for the GCE. By adopting the DOB, the control system behaves as if it were the nominal closed-loop system in the absence of disturbances and uncertainties. The optimal control parameters of the FOPD are determined from the loop-shaping perspective, and the Q-filter of the DOB is deliberately designed with consideration of system robustness. The linear frame of the proposed control system will enable the analysis process more convenient. The disturbance rejection properties and the tracking performances of the control system are investigated by both numerical and experimental tests, the results demonstrate that the proposed DOB based FOPD control system is of more robustness, and it is much more suitable for the gun control system with strong nonlinearity and disturbance.
Smoothed Bootstrap and Statistical Data Cloning for Classifier Evaluation

This paper is concerned with the estimation of a classifier’s accuracy. We present a number of novel bootstrap estimators, based on kernel smoothing, that consistently show superior performance on both synthetic and real data, with respect to other established methods. We call the process of (re)sampling the data via kernel-based smoothed bootstrap data cloning. The new cloning methods outperform cross-validation and the . 632+ bootstrap, which, according to Efron and Tibshirani, is the estimator of choice. Finally, we extend our estimators to complex real-life data sets, in which a data point might include real, bounded, integer and nominal attributes, thus allowing for better classifier evaluation over limited real data repositories such as the UCI repository.
On the Anatomy of Acoustic Emission

Abrupt frictional fault failure is normally accompanied by acoustic emission (AE)—impulsive elastic wave broadcast—with amplitude proportional to particle velocity. The cumulative sum of the fault particle velocities is a slip displacement. In laboratory shear experiments described here, measurements of a sequence of laboratory earthquakes includes local measurement of fault displacement and AE. Using these measurements we illuminate the connections between “cumulative sum of AE” and “slip displacement“. Additionally, the composition of the AE broadcasts reveals inhomogeneity in the fault mechanical structure from which they arise. This inhomogeneity, leading to a time invariant white AE component and an articulated AE, indicates that the articulated cumulative sum of the AE reveals a fault “state of the mechanical structure” diagnostic, that follows a distinctive pattern to frictional failure. This pattern explains why the continuous AE map to fault displacement as well as fault friction, shear stress, etc.,
Multilevel PWM inverters suitable for the use of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

This paper presents a new multilevel pulse width-modulation (PWM) inverter scheme for the use of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. It consists of a PWM inverter, an assembly of LEVEL inverters, generating staircase output voltages, and cascaded transformers. To produce high-quality output voltage waves, it synthesizes a large number of output voltage levels using cascaded transformers, which have a series-connected secondary. By a suitable selection of the secondary turn-ratio of the transformer, the amplitude of an output voltage appears at the rate of an integer to an input dc source. Operational principles and analysis are illustrated in depth. The validity of the proposed system is verified through computer-aided simulations and experimental results using prototypes generating output voltages of an 11 level and a 29 level, respectively, and their results are compared with conventional counterparts.
Micro ﬂ uidic ﬂ owmeter based on a liquid crystal-ﬁ lled nested capillary

Micro ﬂ uidic ﬂ owmeters are a powerful and highly accurate tool, enabling precise monitoring and measurements of ﬂ ows of gases and ﬂ uids in a range of applications. Here we proposed and experimentallydemonstrated a whispering gallery modes ﬂ owmeter composed of a liquid crystal-ﬁ lled nested capillary. Whispering gallery modes are excited by a tapered ﬁ ber coupled perpendicularly to the nested capillary. The air ﬂ owing through the capillary cools it down, which leads to a temperature-induced change of the refractive index of the nematic liquid crystals. This change in turn leads to a spectral shift of the whispering gallery modes resonances, which can be linked to the air ﬂ ow rate in the capillary. The temperature change in the liquid crystals was simulated considering the heat transfer between the liquid crystals and air ﬂ ow in the capillary, which indicated that the liquid crystals temperature decreases in a nonlinear manner with the increase of the air ﬂ ow rate. A ﬂ owmeter with the maximum sensitivity of 0.3423 nm·min·mL − 1 in the ﬂ owrate range from 0 to 2.52 nm·min·mL − 1 and a resolution of 5.72 pm was demonstrated in our experiment. The proposed sensor provides a platform for whispering gallery modes ﬂ owmeters and offers the advantages of good stability, high sensitivity, and miniature size.
Nicotinic receptor subtypes and cognitive function.

Nicotinic receptor systems are involved in a wide variety of behavioral functions including cognitive function. Nicotinic medications may provide beneficial treatment for cognitive dysfunction such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nicotine has been shown to improve attentional performance in all of these disorders. Better efficacy with fewer side effects might be achieved with novel nicotinic ligands selective for particular nicotinic subtypes. To develop these novel selective nicotinic ligands it is important to use animal models to determine the critical neurobehavioral bases for nicotinic involvement in cognitive function. Nicotine-induced cognitive improvement in rats is most consistently seen in working memory tasks. We have found that both acute and chronic nicotine administration significantly improves working memory performance of rats in the radial-arm maze. The pharmacologic and anatomic mechanisms for this effect have been examined in our laboratory in a series of local drug infusion studies. Both alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 7 nicotinic receptors in the ventral hippocampus and basolateral amygdala are involved in working memory function. Working memory impairments were caused by local infusion of either alpha 4 beta 2 or alpha 7 antagonists. Ventral hippocampal alpha 4 beta 2 blockade-induced working memory deficits are reversed by chronic systemic nicotine treatment, while ventral hippocampal alpha 7 blockade-induced working memory deficits were not found to be reversed by the same nicotine regimen. Interestingly, alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 7 induced deficits were not found to be additive in either the ventral hippocampus or the basolateral amygdala. In fact, in the amygdala, alpha 7 antagonist cotreatment actually reversed the working memory impairment caused by alpha 4 beta 2 antagonist administration. These studies of the neural nicotinic mechanisms underlying cognitive function are key for opening avenues for development of safe and effective nicotinic treatments for cognitive dysfunction.
Bi-CL: A Reinforcement Learning Framework for Robots Coordination Through Bi-level Optimization

—In multi-robot systems, achieving coordinated missions remains a significant challenge due to the coupled nature of coordination behaviors and the lack of global information for individual robots. To mitigate these challenges, this paper introduces a novel approach, Bi-level Coordination Learning (Bi-CL), that leverages a bi-level optimization structure within a centralized training and decentralized execution paradigm. Our bi-level reformulation decomposes the original problem into a reinforcement learning level with reduced action space, and an imitation learning level that gains demonstrations from a global optimizer. Both levels contribute to improved learning efficiency and scalability. We note that robots’ incomplete information leads to mismatches between the two levels of learning models. To address this, Bi-CL further integrates an alignment penalty mechanism, aiming to minimize the discrepancy between the two levels without degrading their training efficiency. We introduce a running example to conceptualize the problem formulation and apply Bi-CL to two variations of this example: route-based and graph-based scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that Bi-CL can learn more efficiently and achieve comparable performance with traditional multi-agent reinforcement learning baselines for multi-robot coordination.
Temperature, metabolic power and the evolution of endothermy

Endothermy has evolved at least twice, in the precursors to modern mammals and birds. The most widely accepted explanation for the evolution of endothermy has been selection for enhanced aerobic capacity. We review this hypothesis in the light of advances in our understanding of ATP generation by mitochondria and muscle performance. Together with the development of isotope‐based techniques for the measurement of metabolic rate in free‐ranging vertebrates these have confirmed the importance of aerobic scope in the evolution of endothermy: absolute aerobic scope, ATP generation by mitochondria and muscle power output are all strongly temperature‐dependent, indicating that there would have been significant improvement in whole‐organism locomotor ability with a warmer body. New data on mitochondrial ATP generation and proton leak suggest that the thermal physiology of mitochondria may differ between organisms of contrasting ecology and thermal flexibility. Together with recent biophysical modelling, this strengthens the long‐held view that endothermy originated in smaller, active eurythermal ectotherms living in a cool but variable thermal environment. We propose that rather than being a secondary consequence of the evolution of an enhanced aerobic scope, a warmer body was the means by which that enhanced aerobic scope was achieved. This modified hypothesis requires that the rise in metabolic rate and the insulation necessary to retain metabolic heat arose early in the lineages leading to birds and mammals. Large dinosaurs were warm, but were not endotherms, and the metabolic status of pterosaurs remains unresolved.
Rising Prevalence of Venous Thromboembolism and Its Impact on Mortality Among Hospitalized Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

BACKGROUND:We sought to determine nationwide, population-based trends in rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in the United States and to determine its mortality and economic impact.METHODS:We analyzed discharges from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and used ICD-9-CM codes to identify Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) between 1998 and 2004. Rates of VTE were compared between those with and without IBD. The impact of VTE on in-hospital mortality and resource utilization was quantified using regression analysis.RESULTS:After multivariate adjustment, both UC (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.70–2.01) and CD discharges (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.35–1.62) had higher rates of VTE compared to non-IBD discharges. Prevalence of VTE was greater among UC compared to CD discharges (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17–1.48). Among CD patients, active fistulizing disease was independently associated with greater VTE (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.13–1.70). There was an annual 17% rise in odds of VTE among IBD admissions over 7 yr. VTE was associated with greater mortality among IBD patients (adjusted OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.83–3.43). This age- and comorbidity-adjusted excess mortality from VTE was 2.1-fold higher for IBD than for non-IBD patients (P < 0.0001). IBD patients with VTE had longer length of stay (11.7 vs 6.1 days, P < 0.0001) and incurred higher hospital charges ($47,515 vs$ 21,499; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:VTE is increasingly prevalent among hospitalized IBD patients and has substantial mortality and economic impact. These findings drive the need for widespread prophylaxis against and early detection of VTE among IBD inpatients.
Water‐extractability, free ion activity, and pH explain cadmium sorption and toxicity to Folsomia candida (Collembola) in seven soil‐pH combinations

Toxicity of cadmium to Folsomia candida was determined in soils at different pHs (3.5, 5.0, and 6.5). The Langmuir sorption constant (KL), based on pore‐water or water‐extractable concentrations, showed a pH‐related increase of cadmium sorption that was most pronounced when using free Cd2+ ion activities ({Cd2+}s). Two‐species Langmuir isotherms that used total cadmium concentration ([Cd]) or {Cd2+} and pH in the water‐extractable fractions gave the best description of cadmium sorption on all soils together. Cadmium concentrations causing 50% reduction of growth and reproduction (median effective concentrations [EC50s]) differed by a factor of 4.5 to 20 when based on total soil concentrations and increased with increasing pH. However, when based on water‐extractable or pore‐water [Cd] or {Cd2+}, EC50s decreased with increasing pH, but differences between soils were still a factor of 4.5 to 32. The EC50s differed by less than a factor of 2.2 when based on body [Cd] in the surviving animals. Two‐species Langmuir isotherms were used to relate body [Cd] in survivors to {Cd2+}, corrected for pH in water‐extractable or pore‐water fractions. An excellent description of effects on growth and reproduction was found when related to the body concentrations predicted in this way; the difference in EC50s between soils was reduced to a factor <2. This demonstrates that F. candida is mainly exposed to cadmium through the soil solution, and suggests that principles of a biotic ligand model approach may be applicable for this soil organism.