Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysing larger metropolitan areas: on identification criteria for middle scale networks

The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, it discusses how to analyse entire regions with the help of space syntax. Secondly, it demonstrates how a main route network through and between urban areas can be calculated in Depthmap. For this purpose one can combine angular choice with metrical distance and add various radiuses on top of each other. The Randstad area as a whole serves as an example. Until recently a spatial configurative analysis of the Randstad’s street and road net could be done in two ways. One of alternative required an analysis of each city, village and town separately with the help of traditional space syntax method. The other one consisted in separating the various layers of movement by drawing them manually on a map. The highway, the local street net and the main routes through cities are identified and drawn separately. Tracing the main routes manually results in two problems. One is the identification criterion for defining a street or road belonging to a main route network. Apparently, this criterion has never been singled out appropriately. Different researchers have come up with different results when tracing the main routes in the same area. The other problem touches upon the difficulty to predict economical consequences of proposed urban interventions. It is difficult to know exactly where main routes were located in the past, and it is even more difficult to know whether a new road link will function as a main route or not in the future. Hence, the method’s scientific value is at stake. For it does not meet the criteria of objectivity, falsifiability, predictability and testability. Recently, Depthmap has undergone large changes. In addition calculating topological distance, metric distance and angular relationships were taken into account. These kinds of measurement were applied to the Randstad in its entirety. Furthermore, experiments with these kinds of measurements allowed for an identification of the main route net (or the middle scale net) with the help of a combination of angular choice and topological distance with radius 3 and 8. This analysis does not only highlight the main routes. It also indicates the degree of vitality of the various streets and roads belonging to a main route network. As the spatial analyses of the whole Randstad show, the ZuidAs in Amsterdam is the most integrated part. It explains as to why 90% of the foreign directed investment takes place in this area. For the rest, the highest integrated streets are on the most congested highways. On a local scale, Amsterdam centre has very high integration values on its street net in comparison with the Randstad’s other towns and cities. In general, a city's degree of economical attractiveness in the Randstad depends on how it is connected to the highway system and to what extent its centres are accessible from the highway net.
HE 0047-1756: A new gravitationally lensed double QSO

The quasar HE 0047-1756, at $z=1.67$, is found to be split into two images $1\farcs44$ apart by an intervening galaxy acting as a gravitational lens. The flux ratio for the two components is roughly 3.5:1, depending slightly upon wavelength. The lensing galaxy is seen on images obtained in the i (800 nm) and K s bands (2.1 μ m); there is also a nearby faint object which may be responsible for some shear. The spectra of the two quasar images are nearly identical, but the emission line ratio between the two components scale differently from the continuum. Moreover, the fainter component has a bluer continuum slope than the brighter one. We argue that these small differences are probably due to microlensing. There is evidence for a partial Einstein ring emanating from the brighter image toward the fainter one.
Collision bounds for the additive Pollard rho algorithm for solving discrete logarithms

Abstract. We prove collision bounds for the Pollard rho algorithm to solve the discrete logarithm problem in a general cyclic group 𝐆$\mathbf {G}$ . Unlike the setting studied by Kim et al., we consider additive walks: the setting used in practice to solve the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem. Our bounds differ from the birthday bound 𝒪(|𝐆|)$\mathcal {O}(\sqrt{\vert \mathbf {G}\vert })$ by a factor of log|𝐆|$\sqrt{\log {\vert \mathbf {G}\vert }}$ and are based on mixing time estimates for random walks on finite abelian groups due to Dou and Hildebrand.
A Stable Routing Protocol to Support ITS Services in VANET Networks

There are numerous research challenges that need to be addressed until a wide deployment of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) becomes possible. One of the critical issues consists of the design of scalable routing algorithms that are robust to frequent path disruptions caused by vehicles' mobility. This paper argues the use of information on vehicles' movement information (e.g., position, direction, speed, and digital mapping of roads) to predict a possible link-breakage event prior to its occurrence. Vehicles are grouped according to their velocity vectors. This kind of grouping ensures that vehicles, belonging to the same group, are more likely to establish stable single and multihop paths as they are moving together. Setting up routes that involve only vehicles from the same group guarantees a high level of stable communication in VANETs. The scheme presented in this paper also reduces the overall traffic in highly mobile VANET networks. The frequency of flood requests is reduced by elongating the link duration of the selected paths. To prevent broadcast storms that may be intrigued during path discovery operation, another scheme is also introduced. The basic concept behind the proposed scheme is to broadcast only specific and well-defined packets, referred to as ldquobest packetsrdquo in this paper. The performance of the scheme is evaluated through computer simulations. Simulation results indicate the benefits of the proposed routing strategy in terms of increasing link duration, reducing the number of link-breakage events and increasing the end-to-end throughput.
Producer Communities in a Community Based Wildlife Management Programme: A case study of Bulilimamangwe and Tsholotsho districts

Wildlife in Zimbabwe's communal lands, unlike livestock or agricultural production, is based on ecological units that do not necessarily conform to the administrative boundaries of ward or district. In the communal areas of Zimbabwe, livestock and arable based production and income are privatised to the household even though they are under communal tenure. Consequently, this control of benefits influences the degree of tolerance of transactional and opportunity costs households are willing to bear in the production process1. With such motivational dynamics at play, the fugitive nature of wildlife resources and communal land tenure, how then should a wildlife producer community be defined? This.article analyses distribution of wildlife revenues in the Bulilimamangwe and Tsholotsho Districts' CAMPFIRE (Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) programmes. The issue is important for programmes that focus on wildlife as an alternative land use option and source of income for those communities living with, or close to, the natural resource. The article points out that, in these districts, the distribution of benefits from wildlife use is undertaken on a community basis which is geographically defined. However, this procedure neglects those particular groups who bear the cost of wildlife management. Consequently, the viability of wildlife management in the communal lands is negatively affected. 1 Owners of land held under private tenure have readily taken up wildlife as a land use option because they are the deemed producers and therefore the sole appropriated of wildlife benefits.
SEARCH ENGINES USING EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHMS

A subset of AI is, evolutionary algorithm (EA) which involves evolutionary computation, a generic populationbased meta heuristic optimization algorithm. An EA uses some mechanisms inspired by biological evolution: reproduction, mutation, recombination, and selection. A genetic algorithm (GA) is a search technique used in computing to find exact or approximate solutions to optimization and search problems. Working of a search engine deals with searching for the indexed pages and referring to the related pages within a very short span of. Search engines commonly work through indexing. The paper deals with how a search engine works and how evolutionary algorithms can be used to develop a search engine that feeds on previous user requests to retrieve "alternative" documents that may not be returned by more conventional search engines.
Management of sickle-cell disease

The two most controversial aspects of the manage- ment of sickle-cell disease are first, the treatment of the painful, vasoocclusive crisis and second, the value of community screening programmes. The controversy over treatment of the painful crisis has followed the promotion of urea as a clinically effective anti-sickling agent (Nalbandian, Shultz, Lusher, and and against a long background history of failure to evaluate potential anti-sickling agents by controlled clinical trial. The controversy over community aspects are relevant to Kingdom and to the establishment in this country of cooperative clinical trials and community screening programmes.
Multi-modal emotion measurement in an interactive computer-game: A pilot-study

This poster presents a pilot-study of a research project proposing dynamic man-computer interactions as a research method in emotion psychology. The objective of the project is to study the dynamics and interactive nature of emotion with a multi-modal approach. An interactive computer game setting is presented, being more complex than classical experiments but better controllable than real interactions. The computer game was implemented in our group, thus allowing to change and control important parameters (like the probability to win or loose) and to develop experimental settings involving controlled manipulations. During the game, the subjects' facial expressions are videotaped serving as on-line indicators of their emotional involvement
A sub-pixel registration approach for images from ZY-3 based on the SURF and Harris algorithm

In this paper, A new mixed sub-pixel image registration method based on SURF and Harris algorithm is proposed in registering ZY-3 image. The images obtained by ZY-3 Satellite are different in resolution and have local deformation to some extent. The SURF points are invariant on scale and rotating and the Harris algorithm is effective and has high accuracy in the images with same scales. So in the algorithm of this article, the SURF points are firstly extracted and use to make the affine transformation to reconcile the resolution, and then , the Harris points are obtained to built the TIN and make accurate registration in each triangle area. The experimental results prove that the approach is effective for the ZY-3 image registration and the two images are well matched in details. The process of coarse registration based on SURF points can improve the effect of registration. The problem of local deformation is improved and the precision is raised to some extent.
Towards a follow-the-leader control for a binary actuated hyper-redundant manipulator

A typical instrument for different tasks in minimally invasive surgery is a flexible endoscope. To overcome the problem of restricted motion of today's systems, a hyper-redundant active shaft concept is developed. It features good resistance with respect to manipulation forces through its unique binary, electromagnetic actuation concept. With an active control of each element of the hyper-redundant endoscope shaft and in combination with automated feed motion, it is controlled in a “follow-the-leader” fashion. In general, this approach is characterized by very good path following capabilities. However, due to its binary actuation concept, joint angles cannot be interpolated continuously. Therefore, an adaption to binary actuation with optimized switching sequences to achieve an appropriate path following performance despite of the restricted motion is proposed.
Instantaneous frequency of multicomponent signals

The failure of the traditional definition of instantaneous frequency (IF/sub t/) in the multicomponent case has been often reported. We determine the reasons for the failure of this definition. This enables us to understand and integrate all previously reported cases in a simple unified theory. As a direct consequence, we are able to extrapolate and predict the behavior of the traditional definition for any type of multicomponent signal.
Post-compulsory education in Suisse romande

This thesis sets out to describe and discuss, to analyse and criticise post-compulsory education in the francophone part of Switzerland, or Suisse romande. A further object is to see whether this part of the oldest confederation in the world might have lessons on the educational front to offer the European Community or indeed whether there might be practices in the EC whose adaptation to Suisse romande's situation and circumstances might be beneficial. The remaining object is to propose a series of models for educational structures - autonomous, synthetic and pluralist - and to determine which model fits which part of Suisse romande's post-compulsory education. After describing the rationale behind the work, the thesis moves on to set out the historical, geographical, economic and cultural background to the area in question in order to provide a context for the main body of the discussion. This reduces the need for tangential digressions to explain particular aspects of education in Suisse romande. The main text covers post-compulsory school (with a description of the end of compulsory school), vocational training, adult education and higher education with a concluding chapter devoted to drawing together some of the threads spun in the course of the thesis. The writer found that Suisse romande in particular and Switzerland in general have much experience which the EC might do well to examine. There is, for example, the creation of national certificates in vocational training which, although of equal value throughout the country, bear the clear stamp of their Canton of origin. Autonomous structures have been brought together, in the case of schools, by negotiation between Cantonal authorities (with the encouragement of Federal government).
Heart failure events with rosiglitazone in type 2 diabetes: data from the RECORD clinical trial

Aims Thiazolidinediones are insulin sensitizers, and are associated with fluid retention and increased risk of heart failure (HF) in people with type 2 diabetes. We assessed fatal and non-fatal HF events and their outcome, and identified HF predictors in the RECORD (Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of glycaemia in Diabetes) trial population. Methods and results In a multicentre, open-label study, we randomized 4447 people with type 2 diabetes on metformin or sulfonylurea monotherapy with a mean HbA1c of 7.9% to add-on rosiglitazone (n = 2220) or to a combination of metformin and sulfonylurea (n = 2227) and followed them over 5.5 years on average. Heart failure hospitalizations and deaths were adjudicated by a Clinical Endpoint Committee using pre-specified criteria. Independent predictors of HF events were identified out of a group of 30 pre-specified clinical, demographic, and biological variables. In the rosiglitazone group, the risk of HF death or hospitalization was doubled: HR = 2.10 (95% CI, 1.35–3.27): the excess HF event rate was 2.6 (1.1–4.1) per 1000 person-years. An excess in HF deaths was observed (10 vs. two), including four HF deaths as first HF events. By contrast, there was no increase in cardiovascular mortality or hospitalization (HR = 0.99, 95% CI, 0.85–1.16) or in cardiovascular deaths (60 vs. 71). Independent predictors of HF were rosiglitazone assignment, age, urinary albumin : creatinine ratio, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure at baseline. A history of previous cardiovascular disease was not predictive of HF. Duration of HF hospitalization and rate of HF re-hospitalization were similar in the two groups. Conclusion These findings confirm the increased risk of HF events in people treated with rosiglitazone and support the recommendation that this agent should not continue to be used in people developing symptomatic HF while using the medication. Close follow-up for the risk of HF should be offered to elderly people, people with markedly increased body mass index, people with microalbuminuria/proteinuria, and people with increased systolic blood pressure.
Mechanical and Transport Properties of Alkali-Activated Natural Pozzolans as Sustainable Binders

OPC production accounts for 5 to 7% of the global carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, contributing to global warming. The desire to reduce CO 2 emissions and produce more durable concrete has given impetus to search for new binders. It is suggested that alkali-activated natural pozzolans have the potential for use as a sustainable replacement for OPC in concrete. The current study presented herein evaluated fresh, mechanical, and transport properties of alkali-activated natural pozzolan mortars containing various concentrations of sodium hydroxide solutions as an alkaline activator. To this aim, alkali-activated natural pozzolan mortars were made with concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) of 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 molar (M) and by using various solution-to-binder ratios (s/b ratios) of 0.50, 0.54, and 0.58 with a fine aggregate-to-binder ratio of 2. The produced mortar samples were sealed-cured for 3 hours at 60°C, and then de-molded and cured at 80°C until testing at different ages of 1, 3, and 7 days. Another group of samples were cured in a curing room for 28 days. Various tests were conducted on the alkali-activated natural pozzolan mortar samples including flow spread, compressive strength, flexural strength, absorption, void content, and rapid chloride migration. The 12.5 M 0.58 s/b ratio mixture achieved the highest overall compressive strength after seven days of sealed curing. The sealed curing environment was found to be most conducive to strength gain, as the exposed condition led to dehydration within the samples and the moisture condition did not allow for full removal of excess water, reducing bond formation. As the NaOH concentration increased, the compressive and flexural strengths increased, while the flow, void content, and chloride migration decreased. Increasing the s/b ratio reduced compressive and
Making an orchestra speak

This paper reports various aspects of the computer music realization of “Speakings” for live electronic and large orchestra by composer Jonathan Harvey, with the artistic aim of making an orchestraspeakthrough computer music processes. The underlying project asks for various computer music techniques: whether through computer aided compositions as an aid for composer’s writing of instrumental scores, or real-time computer music techniques for electronic music realization and performance issues on the stage with the presence of an orchestra. Besides the realization techniques, the problem itself brings in challenges for existing computer music techniques that required the authors to pursue further research and studies in various fields. The current paper thus documents this collaborative process and introduce technical aspects of the proposed methods in each area with an emphasis on the artistic aim of the project.
Neuromorphic Circuit Implementation of Isotropic Sequence Order Learning

The isotropic sequence order (ISO) learning is an improved version of differential Hebbian learning algorithm. It uses a switch to turn on or off the learning at appropriate time instants to minimise the level of inherent instability possessed by the classical Hebbian learning. In this paper we present a novel analog very large scale integrated circuit (aVLSI) model to implement ISO learning. The circuit includes an integrate-and-fire (IF) neuron, two synapses and associated low-pass filters. By adjusting a set of input biases, the Cadence simulation results show that the predictive pathway of the circuit can effectively learn the inputs of the reflexive pathway in a fast and stable process.
Checking a process‐based catchment model by artificial neural networks

A process‐based, conceptual runoff model, the tracer‐aided catchment (TAC) model, is developed and applied to the 40 km2 Brugga catchment in the Black Forest Mountains of southwest Germany. The model accounts for different runoff generation processes and runoff components. A lumped artificial neural network (ANN) model was also applied using the same data set. We compared the output from the two models in an effort to improve the efficiency of the TAC model and its model structure using physical and chemical data. Both approaches yielded comparably good results for daily discharge simulation. The TAC model, which uses spatially distributed input data, was superior to the lumped ANN model in only one case. Dissolved silica concentration in catchment runoff was used to assess the runoff components mixing approach of the conceptual TAC model. The ANN simulation of silica time series was superior to that of the TAC model. However, using modelled discharge values instead of measured data markedly weakened the silica predictions and resulted in a performance similar to the TAC model. We conclude that this reflects the inevitable non‐linear error propagation within the TAC model. The ANN silica model improved substantially when hourly data were used instead of daily data. According to the ANN, silica dynamics are characterized by hysteresis loops in the discharge–silica concentration relationship in the short term. In addition, this relationship depends on the antecedent moisture conditions in the medium term. About 87% of the hourly silica time series variance was explained by non‐linear regression with the hydrograph only. The implications of these findings are as follows. A simulation of the silica dynamics is possible using rather simple models that take into account the dynamics described above. In this respect, the TAC approach was confirmed by the ANN. However, an appropriate silica modelling time step must be shorter than daily values to be in line with the process time scale. Last but not least, the silica time series were assumed to reflect the spatial distribution of single hydrotopes to the catchment runoff during single storms, and thus to provide an independent check for the spatially distributed model in addition to the hydrograph. This has proven wrong, as the information provided by the silica data is highly redundant to that of the hydrograph, illustrated by the fact that the silica dynamics can be well described by the empirical model without requiring any spatial information. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modular combination of deep neural networks for acoustic modeling

In this work, we propose a modular combination of two popular applications of neural networks to large-vocabulary continuous speech recognition. First, a deep neural network is trained to extract bottleneck features from frames of mel scale filterbank coefficients. In a similar way as is usually done for GMM/HMM systems, this network is then applied as a nonlinear discriminative feature-space transformation for a hybrid setup where acoustic modeling is performed by a deep belief network. This effectively results in a very large network, where the layers of the bottleneck network are fixed and applied to successive windows of feature frames in a time-delay fashion. We show that bottleneck features improve the recognition performance of DBN/HMM hybrids, and that the modular combination enables the acoustic model to benefit from a larger temporal context. Our architecture is evaluated on a recently released and challenging Tagalog corpus containing conversational telephone speech.