Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypervideo and Annotations on the Web

Effective video-based Web information system deployment is still challenging, while the recent widespread of multimedia further raises the demand for new online audiovisual document edition and presentation alternatives. Hyper video, a specialization of hypermedia focusing on video, can be used on the Web to provide a basis for video-centric documents and to allow more elaborated practices of online video. In this paper, we propose an annotation-driven model to conceptualize hyper videos, promoting a clear separation between video content/metadata and their various potential presentations. Using the proposed model, features of hyper video are grafted to wider video-based Web documents in a Web standards-compliant manner. The annotation-driven hyper video model and its implementation offer a general framework to experiment with new interaction modalities for video-based knowledge communication on the Web.
SYMBIOSIS IN THE HAPTIC MODE

Search and rescue operations are often undertaken in dark and noisy environments in which rescue teams must rely on haptic feedback for exploration and safe exit. However, little attention has been paid specifically to haptic sensitivity in such contexts or to the possibility of enhancing communicational proficiency in the haptic mode as a life-preserving measure. Here we discuss the design of a haptic guide robot, inspired by careful study of the communication between blind person and guide dog. In the case of this partnership, the development of a symbiotic relationship between person and dog, based on mutual trust and confidence, is a prerequisite for successful task performance. We argue that a human-technology symbiosis is equally necessary and possibly investigate. in the case of the robot guide. But this is dependent on the robot becoming 'transparent technology' in Andy Clark's sense. We report on initial haptic mode experiments in which a person uses a simple mobile mechanical device (a metal disk fixed with a rigid handle) to explore the immediate environment. These experiments demonstrate the extreme sensitivity and trainability of haptic communication and the speed with which users develop and refine their haptic proficiencies in using the device, permitting reliable and accurate discrimination between objects of different weights. We argue that such trials show the transformation of the mobile device into a transparent information appliance and the beginnings of the development of a symbiotic relationship between device and human user. We discuss how these initial explorations may shed light on the more general question of how a human mind, on being exposed to an unknown environment, may enter into collaboration with an external information source in order to learn about, and navigate, that environment.
An Enhanced Block Mode Selection Method for Surveillance Video Communication

The proposed method has been developed according to the requirements of surveillance application scenarios, aiming at achieving bit-rate optimisation and adaptation of surveillance videos for storing and transmission purposes. For every frame between two successive intra refresh frames, the motion affected blocks are statistic analyzed and the error sensitive ones are selected as intra refreshed macroblocks. To suppress the potential spatial and temporal error propagation, constrained intra prediction with limited DC prediction (LDC) is used for the intra refreshed macroblocks, and the reference number of an inter predicted frame which behinds an intra refreshed frame is limited. Experimental results show that compared with traditional methods, the proposed method can achieve a considerable improvement on both objective peak signal noise ratio (PSNR) and subjective visual quality.
Role-Based Access Controls

While Mandatory Access Controls (MAC) are appropriate for multilevel secure military applications, Discretionary Access Controls (DAC) are often perceived as meeting the security processing needs of industry and civilian government. This paper argues that reliance on DAC as the principal method of access c ontrol is unfounded and inappropriate for many commercial and civilian government organizations. The paper describes a type of non-discretionary access contro l - role-based access control (RBAC) that is more central to the secure processing needs of non-military systems than DAC.
Modélisation multivariée des comportements à risque des conducteurs d'automobile

L'objet de cette etude est d'avoir une specification econometrique qui modelise simultanement les comportements a risque des conducteurs. En effet, l'existence d'un biais d'endogeneite peut nous amener a retenir, a tort, des variables explicatives dans une equation separee. Pour cela nous nous appuyons sur des donnees collectees a partir d'une enquete. Nous avons realise l'enquete par questionnaire sur un echantillon representatif de la region parisienne en termes de sexe et âge. Un modele probit trivarie a ete effectue pour tester l'existence de liens de causalite entre les trois comportements a risques des conducteurs. Dans cette modelisation, les caracteristiques qui expliquent ces trois comportements sont correlees. Dans ce cas, l'estimation autonome de l'une de trois equations peut comporter un biais d'endogeneite. Les caracteristiques individuelles qui expliquent l'utilisation des places de parking reservees aux handicapes et la conduite sous l'emprise de l'alcool, expliquent aussi negativement la probabilite de l'utilisation du telephone portable au volant.
AMP kinase is required for mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle in response to chronic energy deprivation

Mitochondrial biogenesis is a critical adaptation to chronic energy deprivation, yet the signaling mechanisms responsible for this response are poorly understood. To examine the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an evolutionarily conserved fuel sensor, in mitochondrial biogenesis we studied transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative mutant of AMPK in muscle (DN-AMPK). Both DN-AMPK and WT mice were treated with β-guanidinopropionic acid (GPA), a creatine analog, which led to similar reductions in the intramuscular ATP/AMP ratio and phosphocreatine concentrations. In WT mice, GPA treatment resulted in activation of muscle AMPK and mitochondrial biogenesis. However, the same GPA treatment in DN-AMPK mice had no effect on AMPK activity or mitochondrial content. Furthermore, AMPK inactivation abrogated GPA-induced increases in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (both master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis). These data demonstrate that by sensing the energy status of the muscle cell, AMPK is a critical regulator involved in initiating mitochondrial biogenesis.
Central Set and Motor Preparation: Neural Correlates of Movement Optimization

The ability to respond to task demands with goal-directed movement is essential in many daily activities. Movement efficiency depends on the processing of environmental stimuli within a given context. Two such processing mechanisms are central set and motor preparation. This study evaluated the neural correlates of central set and motor preparation and how these processes allow humans to process contextual cues to optimize movements. It was hypothesized that cTBS would decrease movement efficiency in conditions that suppress central set, but not for conditions that facilitate it. Twelve healthy participants completed a response-time task involving Go/NoGo conditions. The contribution of PMd to movement optimization was assessed by examining changes in response time, EMG activity, and pre-movement-EEG. Results showed that differences in preparatory EEG between both conditions preand post-cTBS may depend on individual strategy. Improvements in movement efficiency during the NoGo condition suggest central set properties even during situations of task uncertainty.
Information Filtering Meets Mobility 1

The underlying premise in this position paper is that mobility patterns have been relatively underexplored from a data management perspective. More specifically, we discuss how to explore mobility patterns from a large set of users in order to allow proactive discovery and/or suggestion of spatiotemporal events of interest to users. Towards that goal, and considering the semantics of such an application in particular, we suggest three lines of work: (1) how to cluster trajectories, (2) how to find a representative trajectory for trajectory clusters, and (3) how to index trajectories.
Extending the concept of effective bandwidths to DiffServ networks

It is a challenging issue to provide guaranteed QoS for diverse network applications while still obtaining high network utilization in DiffServ networks. As a promising approach to achieve the tradeoff between network utilization and the provision of QoS, the concept of effective bandwidths has been widely accepted. We propose a traffic measurement-based adaptive effective bandwidth allocation algorithm aiming at overcoming the conservative nature of effective bandwidths. We study the performance of adaptive effective bandwidth allocation under dynamic weighted round robin scheduling instead of a FIFO queueing discipline, aiming at providing Differentiated Services to traffic flows. We quantify the statistical multiplexing gain among multiple traffic classes with a set of simulations.
A full characterization of evolutionary tree topologies

The topologies of evolutionary trees are shaped by the nature of the evolutionary process, but comparisons of trees from di↵erent processes are hindered by the challenge of completely describing tree topology. We present a full characterization of the topologies of rooted branching trees in a form that lends itself to natural tree comparisons. The resulting metric distinguishes trees from random models known to produce di↵erent tree topologies. It separates trees derived from tropical vs USA influenza A sequences, indicating that the di↵erent epidemiology of tropical and seasonal flu leaves strong signatures in the tree topology. Our approach allows us to construct addition and multiplication on trees, and to create a convex metric on tree topologies which formally allows computation of average trees.
Activity-Dependent Subcellular Cotrafficking of the Small GTPase Rem2 and Ca2+/CaM-Dependent Protein Kinase IIα

Background Rem2 is a small monomeric GTP-binding protein of the RGK family, whose known functions are modulation of calcium channel currents and alterations of cytoskeletal architecture. Rem2 is the only RGK protein found predominantly in the brain, where it has been linked to synaptic development. We wished to determine the effect of neuronal activity on the subcellular distribution of Rem2 and its interacting partners. Results We show that Rem2 undergoes activity-and N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDAR)-dependent translocation in rat hippocampal neurons. This redistribution of Rem2, from a diffuse pattern to one that is highly punctate, is dependent on Ca2+ influx, on binding to calmodulin (CaM), and also involves an auto-inhibitory domain within the Rem2 distal C-terminus region. We found that Rem2 can bind to Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKII) a in Ca2+/CaM-dependent manner. Furthermore, our data reveal a spatial and temporal correlation between NMDAR-dependent clustering of Rem2 and CaMKII in neurons, indicating co-assembly and co-trafficking in neurons. Finally, we show that inhibiting CaMKII aggregation in neurons and HEK cells reduces Rem2 clustering, and that Rem2 affects the baseline distribution of CaMKII in HEK cells. Conclusions Our data suggest a novel function for Rem2 in co-trafficking with CaMKII, and thus potentially expose a role in neuronal plasticity.
A graph-cut based algorithm for approximate MRF optimization

This paper copes with the approximate minimization of Markovian energy with pairwise interactions. We extend previous approaches that rely on graph-cuts and move making techniques. For this purpose, a new move is introduced that permits us to perform better approximate optimizations. Some experiments show that very good local minima are obtained while keeping the memory usage low.
Effects of Sensory Information and Prior Experience on Direct Subjective Ratings of Presence

We report three experiments using a new form of direct subjective presence evaluation that was developed from the method of continuous assessment used to assess television picture quality. Observers were required to provide a continuous rating of their sense of presence using a handheld slider. The first experiment investigated the effects of manipulating stereoscopic and motion parallax cues within video sequences presented on a 20 in. stereoscopic CRT display. The results showed that the presentation of both stereoscopic and motion parallax cues was associated with higher presence ratings. One possible interpretation of Experiment 1 is that CRT displays that contain the spatial cues of stereoscopic disparity and motion parallax are more interesting or engaging. To test this, observers in Experiment 2 rated the same stimuli first for interest and then for presence. The results showed that variations in interest did not predict the presence ratings obtained in Experiment 1. However, the subsequent ratings of presence differed significantly from those obtained in Experiment 1, suggesting that prior experience with interest ratings affected subsequent judgments of presence. To test this, Experiment 3 investigated the effects of prior experience on presence ratings. Three groups of observers rated a training sequence for interest, presence, and 3-Dness before rating the same stimuli as used for Experiments 1 and 2 for presence. The results demonstrated that prior ratings sensitize observers to different features of a display resulting in different presence ratings. The implications of these results for presence evaluation are discussed, and a combination of more-refined subjective measures and a battery of objective measures is recommended.
Uncovering the reality within virtual software teams

To support software development globalisation, organisations are increasingly implementing virtual team strategies. However, these teams have to work within the confines of the factors which distance introduces, thus not always allowing effective coordination, visibility, communication and cooperation to take place. The successful implementation and management of such teams must be done differently to those at single-site locations. To establish what factors significantly affect the implementation of virtual teams, the authors carried out qualitative research in two organisations in Ireland. Results from this research demonstrate that many factors are reality for those involved in global software development. In this paper we present five of these factors and discuss the impact these had on the virtual teams. These five are: use of communication tools, project management, process engineering, technical ability and knowledge transfer and motivational issues. If these are not explicitly addressed by management it can lead to serious problems.
Scalable Video Transmission for a Surveillance System

The area of interest (Aol) is a distributed scalable video transmission subsystem, for a surveillance system, which concentrates on decrementing the amount of video information transmitted to the end-user equipped with a mobile device. The video information is processed by the video surveillance intelligent platform (VSIP) to discriminate the essential images of the indoor area under stationary video surveillance. The Aol system analyzes the output of the VSIP's images and extended markup language (XML) image information. The Aol system is able to define and extract the essential information, e.g., a tracked individual, and it transmits only this image to the end-user. First, the Aol transmits the entire image of the indoor area to the mobile device of the end-user. Then, the Aol system transmits only the secluded tracked objects' images to the mobile device. The end-user's device portrays the scaled portrait images of the targeted object on top of the background image. The Aol system endeavors to decrease the size of the video images transmitted to a smart phone over a wireless network and to retain the comprehension of a tracking situation. The operability of the constructed prototype indicates that this endeavor is attained. The research is based on the constructive method of the related publications and technologies and the results are derived by the implemented Aol system.
An Antivector Vaccine Protects against a Lethal Vector-Borne Pathogen

Vaccines that target blood-feeding disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, have the potential to protect against the many diseases caused by vector-borne pathogens. We tested the ability of an anti-tick vaccine derived from a tick cement protein (64TRP) of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus to protect mice against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) transmitted by infected Ixodes ricinus ticks. The vaccine has a “dual action” in immunized animals: when infested with ticks, the inflammatory and immune responses first disrupt the skin feeding site, resulting in impaired blood feeding, and then specific anti-64TRP antibodies cross-react with midgut antigenic epitopes, causing rupture of the tick midgut and death of engorged ticks. Three parameters were measured: “transmission,” number of uninfected nymphal ticks that became infected when cofeeding with an infected adult female tick; “support,” number of mice supporting virus transmission from the infected tick to cofeeding uninfected nymphs; and “survival,” number of mice that survived infection by tick bite and subsequent challenge by intraperitoneal inoculation of a lethal dose of TBEV. We show that one dose of the 64TRP vaccine protects mice against lethal challenge by infected ticks; control animals developed a fatal viral encephalitis. The protective effect of the 64TRP vaccine was comparable to that of a single dose of a commercial TBEV vaccine, while the transmission-blocking effect of 64TRP was better than that of the antiviral vaccine in reducing the number of animals supporting virus transmission. By contrast, the commercial antitick vaccine (TickGARD) that targets only the tick's midgut showed transmission-blocking activity but was not protective. The 64TRP vaccine demonstrates the potential to control vector-borne disease by interfering with pathogen transmission, apparently by mediating a local cutaneous inflammatory immune response at the tick-feeding site.
Business Process Modeling Applications Using Decision Process Petri Nets

This paper presents a formal framework for business process modeling and analysis using partially ordered transition Decision Process Petri nets (DPPN). The advantage of this approach is its ability to represent the dynamic behavior of the business process. The business process model is supported by an information technology strategic planning (ITSP) model and methodology. The modeling methodology is based in business strategy transformation. High-level business strategies are re ned up to the point when they can be described in terms of the activities needed to achieve a certain tactical business strategy given only in terms of goals and strategies. At this point, partially ordered DPPN are used for business process representation and analysis. DPPN extends the place-transitions Petri net theoretic approach including the Markov decision process. In this sense, DPPN corresponds to a series of strategies which guide the selection of actions that lead to a nal (decision) state. By taking into account di¤erent possible courses of action the overall utility of each strategy is considered. The utility function of each business process is represented by a Lyapunov like function. Conditions of equilibrium and stability for the DPPN are analyzed. For illustration purposes, two examples are presented. Key-words: Business Process, information technology strategic planning, DPPN, strategies and goals, Lyapunov.
Similarity measure and instance selection for collaborative filtering

Collaborative filtering has been very successful in both research and applications such as information filtering and E-commerce. The k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) method is a popular way for its realization. Its key technique is to find k nearest neighbors for a given user to predict his interests. However, this method suffers from two fundamental problems: sparsity and scalability. In this paper, we present our solutions for these two problems. We adopt two techniques: a matrix conversion method for similarity measure and an instance selection method. And then we present an improved collaborative filtering algorithm based on these two methods. In contrast with existing collaborative algorithms, our method shows its satisfactory accuracy and performance.
Technical Report: Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Sources and Consequences

Nitrogen is a key element controlling the species composition, diversity, dynamics, and functioning of many terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Many of the original plant species living in these ecosystems are adapted to, and function optimally in, soils and solutions with low levels of available nitrogen. The growth and dynamics of herbivore populations, and ultimately those of their predators, also are affected by N. Agriculture, combustion of fossil fuels, and other human activities have altered the global cycle of N substantially, generally increasing both the availability and the mobility of N over large regions of Earth. The mobility of N means that while most deliberate applications of N occur locally, their influence spreads regionally and even globally. Moreover, many of the mobile forms of N themselves have environmental consequences. Although most nitrogen inputs serve human needs such as agricultural production, their environmental consequences are serious and long term. Based on our review of available scientific evidence, we are certain that human alterations of the nitrogen cycle have: 1) approximately doubled the rate of nitrogen input into the terrestrial nitrogen cycle, with these rates still increasing; 2) increased concentrations of the potent greenhouse gas N20 globally, and increased concentrations of other oxides of nitrogen that drive the formation of photochemical smog over large regions of Earth; 3) caused losses of soil nutrients, such as calcium and potassium, that are essential for the long-term maintenance of soil fertility; 4) contributed substantially to the acidification of soils, streams, and lakes in several regions; and 5) greatly increased the transfer of nitrogen through rivers to estuaries and coastal oceans. In addition, based on our review of available scientific evidence we are confident that human alterations of the nitrogen cycle have: 6) increased the quantity of organic carbon stored within terrestrial ecosystems; 7) accelerated losses of biological diversity, especially losses of plants adapted to efficient use of nitrogen, and losses of the animals and microorganisms that depend on them; and 8) caused changes in the composition and functioning of estuarine and nearshore ecosystems, and contributed to long-term declines in coastal marine fisheries. Manuscript received 1 November 1996. Reprints of this 14-page report are available for $2.25 each. Prepayment is required. Order reprints from the Ecological Society of America, Attention: Reprint Department, 2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036.