Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BOUNDS FOR THE NUMBER OF POINTS ON CURVES OVER FINITE FIELDS

We give new arguments that improve the known upper bounds on the maximal number Nq(g) of rational points of a curve of genus g over a finite field Fq, for a number of pairs (q, g). Given a pair (q, g) and an integer N , we determine the possible zeta functions of genus-g curves over Fq with N points, and then deduce properties of the curves from their zeta functions. In many cases we can show that a genus-g curve over Fq with N points must have a low-degree map to another curve over Fq, and often this is enough to give us a contradiction. In particular, we are able to provide eight previously unknown values of Nq(g), namely: N4(5) = 17, N4(10) = 27, N8(9) = 45, N16(4) = 45, N128(4) = 215, N3(6) = 14, N9(10) = 54, and N27(4) = 64. Our arguments also allow us to give a non-computer-intensive proof of the recent result of Savitt that there are no genus-4 curves over F8 having exactly 27 rational points. Furthermore, we show that there is an infinite sequence of q’s such that for every g with 0 < g < log2 q, the difference between the Weil-Serre bound on Nq(g) and the actual value of Nq(g) is at least g/2.
Nature et technologie langagière dans les dialogues oraux homme-machine

L’auteur propose dans un premier temps un examen des protheses technologiques, tels les assistants personnels des telephones intelligents (smartphones), qui sont devenues de veritables interlocuteurs. Elles transforment ainsi la nature des codes employes dans un environnement numerique ou l’interconnexion et les exigences d’echange depassent les categories traditionnelles et questionnent la nature de la subjectivite en œuvre dans le langage humain. Dans un second temps, il s’attache a observer les modelisations contemporaines de ces echanges a travers l’examen de quelques configurations linguistiques (tensions allocutives, interactionnelles et enonciatives) permettant de degager des lignes de forces de la conception des interactions orales homme/machine dans de tels contextes.
Modified BPS algorithm based on shearlet transform for noisy images

Most of the medical and nuclear images contain visual noise. Due to the presence of noise, the images can't be examined properly. So, there is a necessity to avoid the noise in order to provide better quality images along with the better compression efficiency for efficient storage and transmission. Block Based Pass Parallel SPIHT (BPS) is widely used for compression because of its high processing speed. It is possible by decomposing the wavelet transformed image into 4×4 bit-blocks and the decomposed blocks are encoded simultaneously in all the bit planes hence the speed is very high. However, the major drawback is the slight degradation in the PSNR value and visual quality. To overcome this drawback, a modified BPS algorithm is proposed which replaces wavelet with Shearlet because shearlet provides multi directional information and it also used to detect the geometrical features like edges. LLSURE technique is appliedbefore transformation to remove the noise induced in the image. It is preferred because of its high edge preserving capability. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the LLSURE filter and the shearlet transform in the BPS algorithm. It shows that the PSNRvalue is very effective for images corrupted with Gaussian noise when compared to other noisy images.
GENERATING NEW SAMPLES FROM HANDWRITTEN NUMERALS BASED ON POINT CORRESPONDENCE

This paper describes a character generation method based on point correspondence between patterns. The number of training samples used in constructing a recognition dictionary strongly affects its recognition performance. Unfortunately, it\\\\\\'s so time­consuming to gather large new samples that it is more useful to generate new samples from a few original ones. The character generation method proposed herein is based on the point correspondence between each sample and the template derived from all samples. The proposed method can automatically generate new samples that appear to be written naturally and extends the handwriting deforma­ tion seen in the original samples. Initial experiments show that using the samples so generated can improve the recognition performance.
Optical vortex trajectories in anastigmatic and elliptical Gaussian beams

An optical vortex, produced at one point in an optical beam, would propagate through an optical system to another point where the vortex can be used for some purpose. However, asymmetrical optical elements in such a system can cause astigmatism or at least destroy the rotational symmetry of the beam, which may affect the propagation of the vortex in an undesirable way. While an optical vortex in a rotationally symmetric, stigmatic Gaussian beam retains its initial morphology for as far as it propagates, the morphology of an optical vortex in an asymmetric or astigmatic Gaussian beam changes. The vortex can even be replaced by another with the opposite topological charge. We consider the behaviour of single noncanonical vortices propagating in Gaussian beams that are asymmetric and/or astigmatic. General expressions for the vortex trajectories are provided. The locations of the flip planes and the evolution of the anisotropy of the vortex are considered for different non-ideal situations.
Crystal properties of eigenstates for quantum cat maps

Using the Bargmann - Husimi representation of quantum mechanics on a torus phase space, we analytically study eigenstates of quantized cat maps. The linearity of these maps implies a close relationship between classically invariant sublattices on the one hand, and the patterns (or `constellations') of Husimi zeros of certain quantum eigenstates on the other hand. For these states, the zero patterns are crystals on the torus. As a consequence, we can compute explicit families of eigenstates for which the zero patterns become uniformly distributed on the torus phase space in the limit . This result constitutes a first rigorous example of a semiclassical equidistribution for Husimi zeros of eigenstates in quantized one-dimensional chaotic systems.
Senior Center-Based Hepatitis C Screening in Baltimore

Despite significant advancements in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments, the majority of individuals infected with HCV remain undiagnosed. We report on senior citizen center-based HCV testing in Baltimore, which revealed a 9.4% prevalence of infection. Our data suggest that community-based HCV testing and linkage to care in appropriate settings is feasible and high yield.
New wine in old bottles? Italy's divided political culture

Italians and politics, edited by Marco Maraffi Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007 332 pp., €26.00 (paperback), ISBN-978-88-15-11491-4 Where is the victory? Voting in 2006, described by Italians, edited by ITANES Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006 241 pp., €13.00 (paperback), ISBN-88-15-11486-6 Left and right: Psychological roots of political differences, edited by ITANES Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006 182 pp., €12.00 (paperback), ISBN-88-15-10911-0 ‘Incomplete’ is the adjective usually used to qualify the Italian political transition that started in the early 1990s. Fifteen years is a long time in politics: as has been noted (Calise 2006, 3), political episodes that have left an indelible mark on history, such as the Nazi regime or the Napoleonic campaigns, had a similar duration. The political elections held in Spring 2006, however, showed that Italy was still not out of the woods, with a centre-left coalition prevailing over the centre-right by less than 30,000 votes in the Chamber of Deputies, while the centre-right won the larger number of Senate votes, but gained fewer seats because of the bizarre electoral system, which was forcibly introduced three months before the election. The division of seats faithfully echoed the division of the electorate into two equal parts – a division that had existed since 2001, but had been obscured by the electoral system and the mechanics of coalition formation (D'Alimonte and Vassallo 2006, p. 28). The election gave rise to two broad coalitions, both very diverse internally, and a government paralysed by the narrowness of its majority in the Senate. If it is true that Italy can now consider itself a solidly bipolar system – in fact more so than the United Kingdom, which is frequently quoted as an ideal model – it is also true that the best description of our party system is that of “fragmented bipolarism” (D'Alimonte & Vassallo 2006, 19). This is eloquently illustrated by the fall of the Prodi Government in January 2008 and the resulting record brevity of the XVth legislature, which lasted less than two years. Some 15 years on from restructuring the party system, Italian politics has not moved from the starting line, condemned to highly fragmented politics and party systems that result in instability, ungovernability and inability to reach decisions.
Time-Cost-Quality Trade-off Software by using Simplified Genetic Algorithm for Typical Repetitive Construction Projects

Time-Cost Optimization "TCO" is one of the greatest challenges in construction project planning and control, since the optimization of either time or cost, would usually be at the expense of the other. Since there is a hidden trade-off relationship between project and cost, it might be difficult to predict whether the total cost would increase or decrease as a result of the schedule compression. Recently third dimension in trade-off analysis is taken into consideration that is quality of the projects. Few of the existing algorithms are applied in a case of construction project with threedimensional trade-off analysis, Time-Cost-Quality relationships. The objective of this paper is to presents the development of a practical software system; that named Automatic Multi-objective Typical Construction Resource Optimization System "AMTCROS". This system incorporates the basic concepts of Line Of Balance "LOB" and Critical Path Method "CPM" in a multi-objective Genetic Algorithms "GAs" model. The main objective of this system is to provide a practical support for typical construction planners who need to optimize resource utilization in order to minimize project cost and duration while maximizing its quality simultaneously. The application of these research developments in planning the typical construction projects holds a strong promise to: 1) Increase the efficiency of resource use in typical construction projects; 2) Reduce construction duration period; 3) Minimize construction cost (direct cost plus indirect cost); and 4) Improve the quality of newly construction projects. A general description of the proposed software for the Time-Cost-Quality Trade-Off "TCQTO" is presented. The main inputs and outputs of the proposed software are outlined. The main subroutines and the inference engine of this software are detailed. The complexity analysis of the software is discussed. In addition, the verification, and complexity of the proposed software are proved and tested using a real case study. Keywords—Project Management, Typical (repetitive) Largescale Projects, Line Of Balance, Multi-Objective Optimization, Genetic Algorithms, and Time-Cost-Quality Trade-Offs. Refaat H. Abd El Razek, Professor of Construction Management, Construction Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt. (Corresponding author, phone: +20123130732; e-mail: Drrefaatrazek@hotmail.com). Ahmed M. Diab, Professor of Properties and Testing of Materials, Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt. (Corresponding author, phone: +20123595538). Sherif M. Hafez, Associate Professor of Construction Management, Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt. (Corresponding author, phone: +20124027024; e-mail: Hafez@consultant.com). Remon F. Aziz, PhD Candidate, Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt. (Corresponding author, phone: +20123813937; e-mail: Remon_fayek@hotmail.com).
Temporal Relations of Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Heart Failure and Their Joint Influence on Mortality The Framingham Heart Study

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) and congestive heart failure (CHF) frequently occur together, but there is limited information regarding their temporal relations and the combined influence of these conditions on mortality. Methods and Results We studied participants in the Framingham Study with new‐onset AF or CHF. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models with time‐dependent variables were used to evaluate whether mortality after AF or CHF was affected by the occurrence and timing of the other condition. Hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for time period and cardiovascular risk factors. During the study period, 1470 participants developed AF, CHF, or both. Among 382 individuals with both conditions, 38% had AF first, 41% had CHF first, and 21% had both diagnosed on the same day. The incidence of CHF among AF subjects was 33 per 1000 person‐years, and the incidence of AF among CHF subjects was 54 per 1000 person‐years. In AF subjects, the subsequent development of CHF was associated with increased mortality (men: HR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9 to 3.7; women: HR 3.1; 95% CI, 2.2 to 4.2). Similarly, in CHF subjects, later development of AF was associated with increased mortality (men: HR 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1; women: HR 2.7, 95% CI, 2.0 to 3.6). Preexisting CHF adversely affected survival in individuals with AF, but preexisting AF was not associated with adverse survival in those with CHF. Conclusions Individuals with AF or CHF who subsequently develop the other condition have a poor prognosis. Additional studies addressing the pathogenesis, prevention, and optimal management of the joint occurrence of AF and CHF appear warranted. (Circulation. 2003;107:2920‐2925.)
Feedforward Neural Network Implementation in FPGA Using Layer Multiplexing for Effective Resource Utilization

This paper presents a hardware implementation of multilayer feedforward neural networks (NN) using reconfigurable field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Despite improvements in FPGA densities, the numerous multipliers in an NN limit the size of the network that can be implemented using a single FPGA, thus making NN applications not viable commercially. The proposed implementation is aimed at reducing resource requirement, without much compromise on the speed, so that a larger NN can be realized on a single chip at a lower cost. The sequential processing of the layers in an NN has been exploited in this paper to implement large NNs using a method of layer multiplexing. Instead of realizing a complete network, only the single largest layer is implemented. The same layer behaves as different layers with the help of a control block. The control block ensures proper functioning by assigning the appropriate inputs, weights, biases, and excitation function of the layer that is currently being computed. Multilayer networks have been implemented using Xilinx FPGA "XCV400hq240. " The concept used is shown to be very effective in reducing resource requirements at the cost of a moderate overhead on speed. This implementation is proposed to make NN applications viable in terms of cost and speed for online applications. An NN-based flux estimator is implemented in FPGA and the results obtained are presented
Educational drama & Drama in education

This chapter frames the focus selected by the organising team of the 2016 International Week at the University College of Teacher Education in Lower Austria: With drama, an area of broad interest was chosen. To set the scene, an introduction was given in order to differentiate the fields of “educational drama” and “drama in education” and to demonstrate ways of implementing drama in teacher education and language learning.
A review of studies in swarm robotics

Swarm robotics is a new approach to the coordination of large numbers of relatively simple robots. The approach takes its inspiration from the system-level functioning of social insects which demonstrate three desired characteristics for multi-robot systems: robustness, flexibility and scalability. In this paper we have presented a preliminary taxonomy for swarm robotics and classified existing studies into this taxonomy after investigating the existing surveys related to swarm robotics literature. Our parent taxonomic units are modeling, behavior design, communication, analytical studies and problems. We are classifying existing studies into these main axes. Since existing reviews do not have enough number of studies reviewed or do have less numbers of or less appropriate categories, we believe that this review will be helpful for swarm robotics researchers
Nanovectorized radiotherapy: a new strategy to induce anti-tumor immunity

Recent experimental findings show that activation of the host immune system is required for the success of chemo- and radiotherapy. However, clinically apparent tumors have already developed multiple mechanisms to escape anti-tumor immunity. The fact that tumors are able to induce a state of tolerance and immunosuppression is a major obstacle in immunotherapy. Hence, there is an overwhelming need to develop new strategies that overcome this state of immune tolerance and induce an anti-tumor immune response both at primary and metastatic sites. Nanovectorized radiotherapy that combines ionizing radiation and nanodevices, is one strategy that could boost the quality and magnitude of an immune response in a predictable and designable fashion. The potential benefits of this emerging treatment may be based on the unique combination of immunostimulatory properties of nanoparticles with the ability of ionizing radiation to induce immunogenic tumor cell death. In this review, we will discuss available data and propose that the nanovectorized radiotherapy could be a powerful new strategy to induce anti-tumor immunity required for positive patient outcome.
Biological Markers for Pulpal Inflammation: A Systematic Review

Background and Objective Pulpitis is mainly caused by an opportunistic infection of the pulp space with commensal oral microorganisms. Depending on the state of inflammation, different treatment regimes are currently advocated. Predictable vital pulp therapy depends on accurate determination of the pulpal status that will allow repair to occur. The role of several players of the host response in pulpitis is well documented: cytokines, proteases, inflammatory mediators, growth factors, antimicrobial peptides and others contribute to pulpal defense mechanisms; these factors may serve as biomarkers that indicate the status of the pulp. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the presence of biomarkers in pulpitis. Methods The electronic databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and other sources were searched for English and non-English articles published through February 2015. Two independent reviewers extracted information regarding study design, tissue or analyte used, outcome measures, results and conclusions for each article. The quality of the included studies was assessed using a modification of the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale. Results and Conclusions From the initial 847 publications evaluated, a total of 57 articles were included in this review. In general, irreversible pulpitis was associated with different expression of various biomarkers compared to normal controls. These biomarkers were significantly expressed not only in pulp tissue, but also in gingival crevicular fluid that can be collected non-invasively, and in dentin fluid that can be analyzed without extirpating the entire pulpal tissue. Such data may then be used to accurately differentiate diseased from healthy pulp tissue. The interplay of pulpal biomarkers and their potential use for a more accurate and biologically based diagnostic tool in endodontics is envisaged.
Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions 2

(2006). Pedagogical agents as learning companions: The role of agent competency and type of interaction. Abstract This study was designed to examine the effects of the competency (low vs. high) and interaction type (proactive vs. responsive) of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) on learning, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Participants were 72 undergraduates in an introductory computer-literacy course who were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: Low-Proactive, Low-Responsive, High-Proactive, and High-Responsive. Results indicated a main effect for PAL competency. Students who worked with the high-competency PAL in both proactive and responsive conditions achieved higher scores in applying what they had learned and showed more positive attitudes towards the PAL. However, students who worked with the low-competency PAL reported significantly enhanced self-efficacy beliefs in the learning tasks. Also, there was a main effect for PAL interaction type. A proactive PAL had a significantly positive impact on recall. These different results on learning and motivational outcomes suggest that the competency and interaction type of a PAL should be designed according to the desired learning and motivational goals.
Root Interactions in a Maize/Soybean Intercropping System Control Soybean Soil-Borne Disease, Red Crown Rot

Background Within-field multiple crop species intercropping is well documented and used for disease control, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. As roots are the primary organ for perceiving signals in the soil from neighboring plants, root behavior may play an important role in soil-borne disease control. Principal Findings In two years of field experiments, maize/soybean intercropping suppressed the occurrence of soybean red crown rot, a severe soil-borne disease caused by Cylindrocladium parasiticum (C. parasiticum). The suppressive effects decreased with increasing distance between intercropped plants under both low P and high P supply, suggesting that root interactions play a significant role independent of nutrient status. Further detailed quantitative studies revealed that the diversity and intensity of root interactions altered the expression of important soybean PR genes, as well as, the activity of corresponding enzymes in both P treatments. Furthermore, 5 phenolic acids were detected in root exudates of maize/soybean intercropped plants. Among these phenolic acids, cinnamic acid was released in significantly greater concentrations when intercropped maize with soybean compared to either crop grown in monoculture, and this spike in cinnamic acid was found dramatically constrain C. parasiticum growth in vitro. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report to demonstrate that intercropping with maize can promote resistance in soybean to red crown rot in a root-dependent manner. This supports the point that intercropping may be an efficient ecological strategy to control soil-borne plant disease and should be incorporated in sustainable agricultural management practices.