Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
mHealth for behaviour change: role of a smartphone- based multi-intervention service for hypertension and diabetes in Bangladesh

This paper discusses mobile-based interventions for management of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. It builds upon the Persuasive System Design (PSD) model for developing mobile-based multi-intervention services for the prevention and management of the above- mentioned diseases, especially in developing countries such as Bangladesh. Identified gaps include lack of studies on system framework or design component for behaviour change services; no studies on smartphone based multi-intervention services for behaviour change; no user acceptance studies on smartphone services for management. This paper uses (a) Hevner's model for identifying gaps in the existing literature and developing a framework to address some of the gaps (b) the PSD model and social cognitive theory for developing the framework and content for behaviour change service to manage hypertension and Type 2 diabetes respectively. This paper has potential design implications for a broader research in mobile-based PSD and multi-intervention service for future developments.
Phonetics: The Science of Speech

The anatomy and physiology of speech Initiation of speech. Speech articulation. Segments of speech - obstruent consonants. Segments of speech - sonorant consonants and vowels. Suprasegments of speech. Multiple articulations, coarticulation, and the parameters of speech. Principles and methods of phonetic transcription. Acoustic characteristics of speech. The perception of speech. Perceptual phonetics. Instrumental phonetics.
Managing an Open Access, Multi-Institutional, International Digital Library: The Digital Library of the Caribbean

ABSTRACT Developing an Open Access, multi-institutional, multilingual, international digital library requires robust technological and institutional infrastructures that support both the needs of individual institutions alongside the needs of the growing partnership and ensure continuous communication and development of the shared vision for the digital library as a whole. This article explains the methods and factors that have led to the Digital Library of the Caribbean's success in building the necessary infrastructure, following the initial planning to the current stage of development, along with how challenges were met and the challenges that remain.
A fuzzy rule-based system for the subjective quality evaluation of distorted images

A quality metric for distorted images is presented which is adapted to human perception. For this purpose, a model of the human visual system is used, considering various physiological phenomena like the sensitivity to background illumination levels and to spatial frequencies. The image is divided into characteristic parts, in which the errors are assessed separately. For these values a fuzzy rule-based system calculates a grade which is better adapted to human perception than other common error measures. The output value of the rule-based system is given on an absolute classification scale between the grades 1 (excellent) and 6 (unusable).
The end of denial architecture and the rise of throughput computing

Throughput-optimized processors, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) have scaled at historic rates in recent years, and continue to do so along a design trajectory that is largely unhindered by conventional dogmas and legacies. These processors recognize that two critical aspects of machine organization are key to performance: parallel execution and hierarchical memory organization. Conventional processors, which present an illusion of sequential execution and uniform, flat memory, find their performance increasing only slowly over time, and their evolution is at an end. In contrast, throughput processors embrace, rather than deny, parallelism and memory hierarchy to realize large performance and efficiency advantages. Throughput processors have hundreds of cores today and will have thousands of cores by 2015. They will deliver most of the performance, and most of the user value, in future computer systems. This talk will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities in the architecture and programming of future throughput processors, as it relates to the EDA world. First, CAD tools, flows, and methodologies are clearly crucial to the design of these processors, and these must adapt to support such designs. Second, in this changing landscape, CAD tools must need to evolve to run on throughput processors. In throughput processors, performance derives from the parallelism available from the plentiful arithmetic units, and efficiency derives from locality, overcoming restrictions stemming from communication bandwidth bottlenecks that dominate cost, performance, and power. This talk will discuss exploitation of parallelism and locality with examples drawn from the Imagine and Merrimac projects, from NVIDIA GPUs, and from three generations of stream programming systems.
Agent organization system for multi-agent based network management

An agent organization system for multi-agent based network management, called ARTISTE, is proposed. For a multi-agent system (MAS) to solve problems effectively, it is important to organize agents appropriately. Organizing agents adaptively on the Internet, however, is not easy, because the status of the Internet changes dynamically in a short time and no one can have a complete view of the whole network. The aims of ARTISTE are to form an agent organization in accordance with the current Internet and its problem-solving context and to provide organizational information for target MASs. ARTISTE operates as an independent system with respect to any MAS. To organize agents, ARTISTE collects information about agents' abilities and statuses, network information such as topologies, and a problem-dependent requirement from a target MAS. ARTISTE is designed as an MAS, and it can collect the information about the network and the target MAS from multiple observation points. Furthermore, ARTISTE agents exchange their own local information in order to create a more global view of the network and the distribution of the agents. Our performance evaluation showed that ARTISTE works with sufficient performance for use in the actual Internet environment.
WARRANTY AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

For products sold with warranty, preventive maintenance actions by manufacturers and/or buyers have an impact on the total costs for both parties. This paper develops a framework to study preventive maintenance actions when items are sold under warranty and reviews the models that have appeared in the literature. It then develops a new model and carries out its analysis.
Multiscale energy model for active contour models

In this paper, we present a multi-scale internal energy model for the balloons, which are closed snakes driven by pressure forces. When used to extract fuzzy contours from noisy images, a balloon sometimes goes through gaps on the contour, thus not able to reach equilibrium. We argue that a balloon should be discretized with a scale comparable to sizes of gaps for the internal energy to be effective in performing contour completion. However, using too large a scale will also prevent a balloon from catching necessary details. To solve this problem, we propose a multi-scale internal energy model that has the ability to maintain smoothness at various scales, thus able to perform contour completion for gaps with various sizes without missing any details.
A Two Factor Authentication Algorithm for Medical Registration Platform

In order to protect user privacy information on the platform, this paper proposes a two factors authentication algorithm for medical registration platform. This algorithm make up gap that there is no authentication process during user log on the platform. This method is safer than traditional single factor user authentication methods, e.g., inputting password, or biometric authentication. For the proposed scheme, we figure out two different solutions, including SMS-OTP solution and biometrics based solution. Through comparisons at a different angle among these two solutions, a reasonable solution is chosen as the formal one to the platform.
Distributed pattern detection in cyber networks

In this paper we describe an approach for the detection and classication of weak, distributed patterns in sensor networks. Of course, before one can begin development of a pattern detection algorithm, one must rst dene the term "pattern", which by nature is a broad and inclusive term. One of the key aspects of our work is a denition of pattern that has already proven eective in detecting anomalies in real world data. While designing detection algorithms for all classes of patterns in all types of networks sounds appealing, this approach would almost certainly require heuristic methods and only cursory statements of performance. Rather, we have specically studied the problem of intrusion detection in computer networks in which a pattern is an abnormal or unexpected spatio-temporal dependence in the data collected across the nodes. We do not attempt to match an a priori template, but instead have developed algorithms that allow the pattern to reveal itself in the data by way of dependence or independence of observed time series. Although the problem is complex and challenging, recent advances in ℓ1 techniques for robust matrix completion, compressed sensing, and correlation detection provide promising opportunities for progress. Our key contribution to this body of work is the development of methods that make an accounting of uncertainty in the measurements on which the inferences are based. The performance of our methods will be demonstrated on real world data, including measured data from the Abilene Internet2 network.
Reversible data hiding for tampering detection in remote sensing images using histogram shifting

This paper presents a reversible fragile data hiding scheme for tampering detection in remote sensing images based on the histogram shifting approach. The image to be protected is divided into blocks of a reduced size and a subset of the image bands are selected for embedding. Instead of using the histogram of each separate band, the shifting process is applied to the histogram of the maximum component (or infinity norm) of the vectors obtained with the selected bands. The proposed approach is reversible and thus, the original image can be fully recovered once it has been authenticated. The method is designed to detect specific forged blocks (areas) of the protected image and is shown to succeed to detect copy and replace attacks. In addition, the experimental results, presented for the Cuprite AVIRIS image, show that the method yields extremely high transparency, with PSNR larger than 100 dB prior to reversing the scheme and recovering the original image.
An example of the operation of the MPSB filter

The multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) framework has been formulated as a meta-structure of knowledge of management disciplines. As such, it also acts as a powerful filter (or lens) for managers to make sense of the various management approaches and techniques that their companies employ from time to time. This paper describes, with the help of a case study, how it works. In the process, the various key concepts of the MPSB project are also explained and utilized in the case study.
Guaranteed cost control of stochastic uncertain systems applied to a problem of missile autopilot design

We apply a result on output feedback guaranteed cost control of stochastic uncertain systems to the problem of designing a missile autopilot. In the missile autopilot design problem, the given data is a finite collection of plant models for the missile corresponding to different flight conditions. A total least squares approach is used to fit the data to a norm bounded uncertain system model.
A new high speed low distortion switched-current cell

A new switched-current cell is presented which simultaneously offers high speed, low distortion, low gain error, and a virtual ground input. In a simulation example 0.01% distortion was achieved at 50 MHz sampling rate which makes the cell very well suited for high accuracy high speed filtering applications. It is outlined how the cell can be used in FIR filtering and to form integrators with high DC gain and low distortion.
The Generation of 3D, Stretched, Viscous Unstructured Meshes for Arbitrary Domains

This paper presents a procedure which cao generate highly stretched, unstructured, viscous meshes for essentially arbitrary three dimensional configurations. The procedure is based on a combination of the ideas behind Delaunay and moving front methodologies. Examples are presented for a variety of turbomachinery types of flow to demonstrate the potency of the new approach. Recent enhancements to the author’s flow solver are also briefly described.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
Integrated System for Neural Network based Pattern Recognition

This paper discusses a system that integrates image processing and neural networks in a single high speed computational system. It then stresses the importance of performing the image preprocessing, feature extraction and neural network based training and recognition under the same platform. The efficiency provided by such a system is of vital importance for data and compute intensive image pattern recognition problems.
3D Graphics for Game Programming

"JungHyun Han is a masterful teacher, and nowhere do his teachings come through more clearly than in 3D Graphics for Game Programming. Han presents the essential foundations of graphics programming that every serious game programmer needs in a straightforward no-nonsense style that gets right to the point. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to program 3D games. " --Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games and Professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University "The author has sought to satisfy a need experienced by the growing pool of game development students: a textbook that balances theory and practicality. The resulting compilation provides a broad coverage of the most important topics to graphics programmers. I would expect that anyone who has digested this material would be immediately effective as a member of a game development team. " --Michael Guerrero, Delta3D Game Engine Senior Programmer and Research Associate of the Naval Postgraduate School Designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, 3D Graphics for Game Programming presents the must-know information for success in interactive graphics. Assuming a minimal prerequisite understanding of vectors and matrices, it also provides sufficient mathematical background for game developers to combine their previous experience in graphics API and shader programming with the background theory of computer graphics. Well organized and logically presented, this book takes its organizational format from GPU programming and presents a variety of algorithms for programmable stages along with the knowledge required to configure hard-wired stages. Easily accessible, it offers a wealth of elaborate 3D visual presentations and includes additional theoretical and technical details in separate shaded boxes and optional sections. Maintaining API neutrality throughout to maximize applicability, the book gives sample programs to assist in understanding. Full PowerPoint files and additional material, including video clips and lecture notes with all of the figures in the book, are available on the books website: http://media.korea. ac.kr/book.
Improved RLS algorithm for time-variant underwater acoustic communications

An extension to the concept of the standard recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm is considered. RLS algorithm is described and has been implemented using experimental data from an underwater acoustic communication system. Results obtained show that the improved RLS algorithm has faster convergence and improved tracking performance than both the standard RLS and least mean squares (LMS) algorithms.
Microbenchmarks of operating system performance on the multiprocessor platform

We evaluate the performance of three popular versions of the UNIX operating system on the Intel x86 multiprocessor (MP) architecture: Linux, UnixWare, Solaris. TclBench (Lai and Baker, 1996) is used to evaluate the performance of the operating systems on the Intel x86 MP system. The performance of primitive thread functions of each operating system is also measured to figure out the characteristics of each operating system on the MP environment.
Mass market computer for software development

The mass market or appliance computer has become a plausible alternative to workstations for software development. While it is easy to use for software development, a different style of development emerges. By being truly personal, the mass market computer provides a focus for all the professional activities of a developer. The primary form of software used on such computers is shrink-wrapped software; this has profound implications on how the software is used and the make-or-buy trade-off takes on an entirely new meaning. This paper describes the advantages of mass market computers. As an example, the paper presents how an environment, consisting of a network of mass market computers, has influenced the development of a novel source management scheme.
Merging Data Mining Techniques for Web Page Access Prediction: Integrating Markov Model with Clustering

Web page access prediction gained its importance from the ever increasing number of e-commerce Web information systems and e-businesses. Web page prediction, that involves personalizing the Web users’ browsing experiences, assists Web masters in the improvement of the Website structure and helps Web users in navigating the site and accessing the information they need. The most widely used approach for this purpose is the pattern discovery process of Web usage mining that entails many techniques like Markov model, association rules and clustering. Implementing pattern discovery techniques as such helps predict the next page to be accessed by the Web user based on the user’s previous browsing patterns. However, each of the aforementioned techniques has its own limitations, especially when it comes to accuracy and space complexity. This paper achieves better accuracy as well as less state space complexity and rules generated by performing the following combinations. We integrate low -order Markov model and clustering. The data sets are clustered and Markov model analysis is performed on each cluster instead of the whole data sets. The outcome of the integration is better accuracy than the combination with less state space complexity than higher order
Software metric-based neural network classification models of a very large telecommunications system

Society relies on telecommunications to such an extent that telecommunications software must have high reliability. Neural network models can be used to identify fault-prone modules for extra attention early in development, and thus reduce the risk of unexpected problems with those modules. This paper is an experience report on a model of a large telecommunications system with almost 7,000 changed modules, consisting of over 7 million lines of code in procedures. We developed a neural network model to identify fault-prone modules based on nine design product metrics. Misclassification of not fault-prone modules would incur only modest cost in terms of extra attention to those modules. Misclassification of fault-prone modules would risk unexpected problems late in the development or even after release. Changed modules were randomly divided into a fit data set and a validate data set. We simulated utilization of the fitted model with the validate data set, successfully demonstrating generalization.
An inverse dynamics sliding control technique for flexible multi-link manipulators

In this paper, a control strategy based on nonlinear inversion is considered that results in small tip-position tracking errors while maintaining robust closed-loop performance for a class of multi-link structurally flexible manipulators. This is achieved by defining new outputs near the end points of the arms as well as by augmenting the nominal control inputs by terms that ensure stable operation of the closed loop system in the presence of considerable parametric uncertainties. Motivated by the concept of a sliding surface in variable structure control (VSC) a robust control term is developed to drive the nonlinear plant's error dynamics onto a sliding surface. The discontinuous functions normally used in classical VSC are replaced by saturation nonlinearities at the outset. This also facilitates analysis by the standard Lyapunov techniques. The controller performance is demonstrated by simulation on a two-link flexible manipulator with a considerable amount of parametric uncertainty.
A New Depsidone from Usnea diffracta

Abstract A new depsidone, diffractione A ( 1 ), as well as six known phenolic compounds ( 2 – 7 ) were isolated from Usnea diffracta . Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy together with HRESIMS analysis. All components were obtained for the first time from U. diffracta.
Some High-Power Laser Applications Of The System Optical Quality (SOQ) Computer Code

System optical quality (SOQ) computer code is a diffraction-based optical system simulator. It has often been used as a tool for design, optimization, power management, trade-off analysis, and system end-to-end performance predictions for high power laser applications. The system approach to code development is briefly described. The code also simulates such performance-degrading contributors as the input beam irradiance and phase distributions, mirror thermal distortions and medium thermal blooming, aberrations and misalignments of the beam expander, absorptions, and jitter of the focused spot. Examples of the above uses include applications in optical systems for beam control and laser fusion.
The use of intelligently deployed fixed relays to improve the performance of a UTRA-TDD system

This paper examines the use of intelligently deployed fixed relays to improve the performance of an UTRA-TDD 3G system. In this study, the benefits of intelligent relaying in the form of enhanced capacity and/or coverage and reduced RF emissions relative to a traditional cellular network are quantified. Simulations are carried out in a microcellular environment using propagation data from a site-specific model and an optimisation algorithm to determine the locations of base stations (BSs) and relay nodes in the system. A system level simulation of an UTRA-TDD system is used to quantify the benefits of the relayed over the non-relayed system. Results show significant improvements in capacity, spectrum efficiency and reductions in mean terminal transmit power in the relayed system over conventional cellular BS-only operation. The effects of different code allocation strategies for the relay nodes are also investigated, revealing that benefits in relaying would only be realised if code re-use between the BSs and relay nodes is enabled or if relay nodes are allocated their own pool of spreading codes.