Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Location-Awareness in a Mobile Semantic Desktop Application

“SeMoDesk” is an approach to implement the Semantic Desktop on mobile devices. The idea is to allow users to manage their personal information space using personal ontologies. In this paper, we are presenting our solution to improve location-awareness in this scenario. We have designed a location and sensor ontology as an extension to the personal ontology. This ontology is then used to retrieve relevant resources according to the current user context. For this purpose we have designed a resource recommendation function that is utilizing the ontology graph to find other related resources such as persons or documents. We describe the design, implementation and test of an extended SeMoDesk with a focus on the integration of a RFID infrastructure for indoor location-awareness. In addition, we have implemented a method to display current resources and points-of-interests in the user vicinity on a map.
Providing Quality of Service for Mesh Networks Using Link Delay Measurements

One of the main problems faced by ad hoc networks is providing specific quality of service guarantees for multimedia applications, mainly due to factors such as radio signal fading and node mobility. Since mesh networks are a special type of ad hoc network, they inherit these networks' problems. This paper's main goal is to present OLSR-MD, an extension to OLSR (optimized link state routing), to provide quality of service based on link delay measurements. An evaluation of OLSR-MD in a mesh network to be deployed at the Federal University of Para, by means of ns2 (version 2.30) simulations, showed that this protocol performed better than other OLSR based alternatives studied in the simulations.
A Finite-element Method for Solving Elliptic Equations with Neumann Data on a Curved Boundary Using Unfitted Meshes

This paper considers' a finite-element approximation of a Poisson equation in a region with a curved boundary on which a Neumann condition is prescribed. Piecewise linear and bilinear elements are used on unfitted meshes with the region of integration being replaced by a polygonal approximation. It is shown, despite the variational crimes, that the rate of convergence is still order (h) in the H norm. Numerical examples show that the method is easy to implement and that the predicted rate of convergence is obtained.
An adaptive algorithm for real-time data transmission in multi-hop overlay networks

Aiming at improving the performance of real-time data transmission in multi-hop overlay networks, an adaptive flow control transmission algorithm is proposed. The approach considers the reality of low bandwidth and the requirement of high throughput in real-time media streaming so that it takes the forwarding capability of relay peers as the main evaluation metric. Probe data packets are introduced to real-time data transmission to help derive necessary feedback information. Receivers periodically calculate their available buffer size and send feedbacks to senders who use them to adjust the transmission rates. The mechanism for the dynamic adjustment of bandwidth requirements in media streaming is based on an adaptive rate threshold which adjusts the transmission rate according to the available bandwidth. Redundant flow resources are distributed to multiple relay links. Theoretical analysis and simulations indicate that the cooperative transmission algorithm is able to decrease the transmission failure rate and reduce the whole transmission delay of real-time applications in multi-hop overlay networks.
INTELLIGENT HUMIDITY SENSOR FOR - WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is now widely used in precision agriculture applications. Sensors play an important role in WSN. The traditional humidity sensors employed in the agriculture have a drawback that they acquire a large amount of data which is to be transmitted or processed. Whereas the intelligent sensor proposed in this paper uses a conventional sensor and an embedded processor that can process the data acquired using algorithms to reduce the amount of data collected, to extract only relevant information and to present this information in a format which minimizes post-processing latency. As a result of which the final processing end has to perform a little computation that too only on features (like significant changes in humidity) rather on the huge data hence reducing the power consumption. The intelligent humidity sensor reduces the amount of data processed by 50% (depending upon humidity variations) and thereby also reducing the power consumption.
Online Condition Monitoring of Bearings to Support Total Productive Maintenance in the Packaging Materials Industry

The packaging materials industry has already recognized the importance of Total Productive Maintenance as a system of proactive techniques for improving equipment reliability. Bearing faults, which often occur gradually, represent one of the foremost causes of failures in the industry. Therefore, detection of their faults in an early stage is quite important to assure reliable and efficient operation. We present a new automated technique for early fault detection and diagnosis in rolling-element bearings based on vibration signal analysis. Following the wavelet decomposition of vibration signals into a few sub-bands of interest, the standard deviation of obtained wavelet coefficients is extracted as a representative feature. Then, the feature space dimension is optimally reduced to two using scatter matrices. In the reduced two-dimensional feature space the fault detection and diagnosis is carried out by quadratic classifiers. Accuracy of the technique has been tested on four classes of the recorded vibrations signals, i.e., normal, with the fault of inner race, outer race, and ball operation. The overall accuracy of 98.9% has been achieved. The new technique can be used to support maintenance decision-making processes and, thus, to increase reliability and efficiency in the industry by preventing unexpected faulty operation of bearings.
Modified PSO based PID sliding mode control for inverted pendulum

Trajectory tracking and stabilization of a nonlinear single stage inverted pendulum is a complicated control problem, as nonlinearity is present inherently and external factors affect the equilibrium position. Sliding mode control (SMC) is a robust control technique, most popular for nonlinear system's controlling. In this paper, a new model based robust control law, called PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) sliding mode control is designed using modified particle swarm intelligent optimization (MPSO) for second order nonlinear inverted pendulum plant. This paper throws light on the sliding surface design and highlights the important features of sliding mode, such as robustness and higher convergence, through extensive mathematical modelling. Siding mode control law is derived using Lyapunov stability approach and its asymptotic stability is proved mathematically and simulations shows its validity. MPSO PID-SMC control will stabilize the highly nonlinear Inverted Pendulum system, will compensate disturbance and uncertainty and reduces tracking error. Simulations and experimental application is done on the system and are presented to make a quantitative comparison with PID, traditional SMC and MPSO PID-SMC.
Motion retrieval based on graph matching and revised Kuhn-Munkres algorithm

In this paper, we propose a content-based motion retrieval algorithm, where many-to-many matching method, weighted graph matching, is employed for comparison between two motions. In this work, each motion is represented by a set of sequence frames. Representative frames are first selected from the motions and the corresponding initial weights are provided. The weighted graph is built with these selected frames, and a revised KM (Kuhn-Munkres) algorithm is used to solve maximum matching problem of weighted graph. The matching result is used to measure the similarity between two motions. Experimental results and comparison with existing methods show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Breadcrumb: An indoor simultaneous localization and mapping system for mobile devices

GPS as a localization system performs poorly indoors. Other methods were developed for indoor navigation, many of which required external infrastructure making them location and environment dependent. One approach that does not require external infrastructure is dead reckoning. Given users with smartphones, dead reckoning helps users find their way by tracking their position and mapping their environment, achieving Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). SLAM can be achieved through Inertial Navigation Systems (INSs). However, conventional INSs alone are inherently erroneous due to sensor drift and error accumulation, necessitating modification to compensate. One modification utilizes cameras to aid estimation, creating Vision-Aided Inertial Navigation Systems (V-INS). Typically, conventional V-INSs achieve motion estimation by integrating accelerometer readings, whereas conventional step-based INSs detect steps and estimate stride length. Thus, this research modified a V-INS by using a step-based approach for motion estimation. Results on distance estimation, final displacement, and total position error show that the modified system generally performed better than the basis systems. For error as percentage of total distance travelled, INS had an average of 5.21%, V-INs had 10.53%, and Breadcrumb had 3.52%. For percentage of error in final displacement, INS had an average of 16.09%, V-INS had 12.40%, and Breadcrumb had 5.75%.
Optimal power system management via mixed integer dynamic programming

Abstract Power systems involve both continuous and discrete acting components and subsystems. In this work a logical specification is used to define the transition dynamics of the discrete subsystem. A computational tool that reduces the logical specification to a set of inequalities and the use of the transformed model in a dynamic programming approach to the design of optimal feedback controls arc described. An example of optimal load shedding for a power system with aggregate induction motor and constant admittance loads is given.
Is Post-secondary Access More Equitable in Canada or the United States?

This comparative study investigates the role of family background characteristics in postsecondary access in Canada and the United States. Given that postsecondary schooling is funded very differently in the two countries, family background may play substantively different roles. The findings suggest that university-going is less common among lower-income students and members of a visible minority group in the U.S. than among their Canadian counterparts. Some possible reasons are discussed.
SERVICE RESTORABILITY IN DEGREE-BASED WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING NETWORKS

Service restorability is a network-wide parameter for a specific failure scenario that is dependent on the physical topology of the network. Previously network topology generator models for generating random models were based on structural models. However, the Internet and most real world networks follow degreebased models. Service restorability in degree-based wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks is analyzed for single-link and dual-link failures for two degree-based models. The main finding is that degreebased WDM networks have very high restorability even under dual-link failures.
Investigation of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Alleles Support CDKN2A/B, CDKAL1, and TCF7L2 As Susceptibility Genes in a Han Chinese Cohort

Background Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported several genetic variants to be reproducibly associated with type 2 diabetes. Additional variants have also been detected from a metaanalysis of three GWASs, performed in populations of European ancestry. In the present study, we evaluated the influence of 17 genetic variants from 15 candidate loci, identified in type 2 diabetes GWASs and the metaanalysis, in a Han Chinese cohort. Methodology/Principal Findings Selected type 2 diabetes–associated genetic variants were genotyped in 1,165 type 2 diabetic patients and 1,136 normoglycemic control individuals of Southern Han Chinese ancestry. The OR for risk of developing type 2 diabetes was calculated using a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Genotype-phenotype associations were tested using a multivariate linear regression model. Genetic variants in CDKN2A/B, CDKAL1, TCF7L2, TCF2, MC4R, and PPARG showed a nominal association with type 2 diabetes (P≤0.05), of whom the three first would stand correction for multiple testing: CDKN2A/B rs10811661, OR: 1.26 (1.12–1.43) P = 1.8*10−4; CDKAL1 rs10946398, OR: 1.23 (1.09–1.39); P = 7.1*10−4, and TCF7L2 rs7903146, OR: 1.61 (1.19–2.18) P = 2.3 * 10−3. Only nominal phenotype associations were observed, notably for rs8050136 in FTO and fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.002), postprandial plasma glucose (P = 0.002), and fasting C-peptide levels (P = 0.006) in the diabetic patients, and with BMI in controls (P = 0.033). Conclusions/Significance We have identified significant association between variants in CDKN2A/B, CDKAL1 and TCF7L2, and type 2 diabetes in a Han Chinese cohort, indicating these genes as strong candidates conferring susceptibility to type 2 diabetes across different ethnicities.
Wavelet-based hierarchical organization of large image databases: ISAR and face recognition

We present a method for constructing efficient hierarchical organization of image databases for fast recognition and classification. The method combines a wavelet preprocessor with a tree-structured-vector-quantization for clustering. We show results of application of the method to ISAR data from ships and to face recognition based on photograph databases. In the ISAR case we show how the method constructs a multi-resolution aspect graph for each target.
Use of the Land Snail Helix aspersa as Sentinel Organism for Monitoring Ecotoxicologic Effects of Urban Pollution: An Integrated Approach

Atmospheric pollution from vehicular traffic is a matter of growing interest, often leading to temporary restrictions in urban areas. Although guidelines indicate limits for several parameters, the real toxicologic impacts remain largely unexplored in field conditions. In this study our aim was to validate an ecotoxicologic approach to evaluate both bioaccumulation and toxicologic effects caused by airborne pollutants. Specimens of the land snail Helix aspersa were caged in five sites in the urban area of Ancona, Italy. After 4 weeks, trace metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured and these data integrated with the analyses of molecular and biochemical responses. Such biomarkers reflected the induction of detoxification pathways or the onset of cellular toxicity caused by pollutants. Biomarkers that correlated with contaminant accumulation included levels of metallothioneins, activity of biotransformation enzymes (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase), and peroxisomal proliferation. More general responses were investigated as oxidative stress variations, including efficiency of antioxidant defenses (catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferases, glutathione peroxidases, and total glutathione) and total oxyradical scavenging capacity toward peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals, onset of cellular damages (i.e., lysosomal destabilization), and loss of DNA integrity. Results revealed a marked accumulation of metals and PAHs in digestive tissues of organisms maintained in more traffic-congested sites. The contemporary appearance of several alterations confirmed the cellular reactivity of these chemicals with toxicologic effects of potential concern for human health. The overall results of this exploratory study suggest the utility of H. aspersa as a sentinel organism for biomonitoring the biologic impact of atmospheric pollution in urban areas.
ASCA observations of massive medium-distant clusters of galaxies. II.

We have selected seven medium-distant clusters of galaxies ($z \sim 0.1$-0.3) for multi-wavelength observations with the goal of investigating their dynamical state. Following Paper I (Pierre et al. [CITE]) which reported the ASCA results about two of them, we present here the analysis of the ASCA observations of the other five clusters; RX J1023.8-2715 (A 3444), RX J1031.6-2607, RX J1050.5-0236 (A 1111), RX J1203.2-2131 (A 1451), and RX J1314.5-2517. Except for RX J1031.6, whose X-ray emission turned out to be dominated by an AGN, the ASCA spectra are well fitted by a one-temperature thin thermal plasma model. We compare the temperature-luminosity relation of our clusters with that of nearby ones ($z< 0.1$). Two clusters, RX J1050.5 and RX J1023.8, show larger luminosities than the bulk of clusters at similar temperatures, which suggests the presence of a cooling flow. The temperature vs. iron-abundance relationship of our sample is consistent with that of nearby clusters.
Kinematic structure in the young σ Orionis association

We have used precise radial velocity measurements for a large number of candidate low-mass stars and brown dwarfs to show that the young σ Ori ‘cluster’ consists of two spatially superimposed components which are kinematically separated by 7 km s−1 in radial velocity, and which have different mean ages. We examine the relationship of these two kinematic groups to other populations in the Orion OB1 association, and briefly discuss the consequence of mixed age samples for ongoing investigations of the formation and evolution of low-mass objects in this much-observed region.
Implementation of unemployment policies in South Africa

This article examines an issue that is currently of particular importance in South Africa. The South African Government has just allocated R9 billion to address unemployment. A number of policies address unemployment in South Africa since the transition to democracy in 1994. Notwithstanding these policies, unemployment has about doubled since 1994. The challenge that all these policies should consider is how to define unemployment. The unemployment data is crucial in an effort to design a proper unemployment policy. It seems that unemployment is much higher for younger workers than older workers. Getting the first job, especially in the formal sector, is quite difficult for most young South Africans. This article will therefore focus on aspects like the reasons for the increase in unemployment, the role of labour legislation, the impact of the South Africa’s labour policies and towards the end some policy suggestions. The analysis of unemployment is mainly based on household surveys from 1995 to 2010. The article argues that if unemployment is to be addressed, it is crucial to realise that policies should focus on job-creation in South Africa. A concern should also be the interests of the unemployed and the informally employed poor who are largely beyond the reach of the labour institutions. The lack of appropriate data on the informally employed complicates the policy-making process. In conclusion, the article appreciates unemployment policies and programmes, like public works programmes and skills training against the background of a lack of local evidence. The question is really where future employment will be generated. In this instance sectors like trade, finance and tourism should be high on the list. It is critical to realise that substantial improvements in policies are needed to address unemployment.
Unobserved Heterogeneity and Reserve Prices in Auctions November

This study addresses the need to account for unobserved heterogeneity in auctions to improve our estimates of the distribution of bidder values. The method uses reserve prices to allow the distribution of bidders’ private information to depend on the realization of the unobserved heterogeneity. The identifying assumption is that reserve prices are monotonic in the realization of unobserved heterogeneity and sellers are not required to set reserve prices optimally. The model can be estimated using only transaction prices. The paper proposes an estimation method and derives the asymptotic distribution of the proposed estimator. Working with data on used car auctions, the paper shows that controlling for unobserved heterogeneity affects estimates of the distribution of bidder values and impacts predicted outcomes dramatically. JEL CODES: D44, L20, L62
Minimization of Mean Tardiness in a Flexible Job Shop

In this paper, Selective Rerouting (SR) approach based on lateral entry of critical jobs in the queue of alternate machine is used to minimize the mean tardiness of the jobs in flexible job shop. Further, the efficacy of selective rerouting algorithm has been investigated by comparing it to the rerouting policies. Simulation studies using ProModel simulation software were carried out at different breakdown levels, mean time to repair levels, utilization levels of flexible job shop, due date tightness levels involving a total of 600 simulation runs. Each run of simulation spans for a period of 2000 completed jobs. The results establish that the proposed selective rerouting approach is better than other reported rerouting approaches as it improves 69.92 %, 69.31 %, 65.33 %, and 44.27 % mean tardiness compared with no rerouting, queue rerouting, arrival rerouting and all rerouting approaches respectively. It is seen that irrespective of the breakdown level in the investigated range, reduction of mean tardiness decreases in no rerouting, all rerouting, queue rerouting and arrival rerouting in the above order. (Received in September 2012, accepted in February 2013. This paper was with the author 1 month for 2 revisions.)
A fast algorithm for blind separation of sources based on the cross-cumulant and Levenberg-Marquardt method

A new algorithm for the instantaneous mixture of the blind separation of sources problem is derived. This algorithm deals with multi-input multi-output (MIMO) channels. The cost function proposed in this paper can be considered as an extension of that previously proposed by us for only two sources and two sensors. The cost function is based on the cross-cumulant 2/spl times/2 and it is minimized using the Levenberg-Marquardt method. Generally, algorithm convergence is attained in less than 50 iterations and the experimental results are satisfactory even with five stationary sources and two non-stationary sources.