Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical real-time recognition of compound objects in images

This dissertation proposes a novel approach for the recognition of compound 2D objects in images under real-time conditions. A compound object consists of a number of rigid object parts that show arbitrary relative movements. The underlying principle of the approach is based on minimizing the overall search effort, and hence the computation time. This is achieved by restricting the search according to the relative movements of the object parts. Minimizing the search effort leads to the use of a hierarchical model: only a selected root object part, which stands at the top of the hierarchy, is searched within the entire search space. In contrast, the remaining parts are searched recursively with respect to each other within very restricted search spaces. By using the hierarchical model, prior knowledge about the spatial relations, i.e., relative movements, between the object parts is exploited already in an early stage of the recognition. Thus, the computation time can be reduced considerably. Another important advantage of the hierarchical model is that it provides an inherent determination of correspondence, i.e., because of the restricted search spaces, ambiguous matches are avoided. Consequently, a complicated and computationally expensive solution of the correspondence problem is not necessary. The approach shows additional remarkable features: it is general with regard to the type of object, it shows a very high robustness, and the compound object is localized with high accuracy even under projective distortions. Furthermore, several instances of the object in the image can be found simultaneously. One substantial concern of this dissertation is to achieve a high degree of automation. Therefore, a method that automatically trains and creates the hierarchical model is proposed. For this, several example images that show the relative movements of the object parts are analyzed. The analysis automatically determines the rigid object parts as well as the spatial relations between the parts. This is very comfortable for the user because a complicated manual description of the compound object is avoided. The obtained hierarchical model is used to recognize the compound object in real-time.
Phenytoin and phenytoin sodium.

Phenytoin as its sodium salt caused lymphoma and leukemia in mice by two different routes of exposure. Administration of phenytoin sodium in a liquid diet caused thymic and generalized lymphoma in females, and administration by intraperitoneal injection caused leukemia and thymic and mesenteric lymphoma in both sexes (IARC 1977). Since phenytoin and phenytoin sodium were listed in the First Annual Report on Carcinogens, additional studies in rodents have been identified. The effects of phenytoin in mice and rats were evaluated following dietary exposure of adults, perinatal exposure (in utero and via lactation), or combined perinatal and adult exposure. In mice, phenytoin caused liver tumors in females after adult-only exposure or combined perinatal and adult exposure and in males after combined perinatal and adult exposure; liver-tumor incidence was not significantly increased in male mice after adult-only exposure. In rats, phenytoin marginally increased the incidence of liver tumors in males after adult-only exposure or combined perinatal and adult exposure; however, the effect was not enhanced by the combined exposure (NTP 1993).
Designing Psychological Conflict Resolution Strategies for Autonomous Service Robots

As autonomous service robots will become increasingly ubiquitous in our daily lives, human-robot conflicts will become more likely when humans and robots share the same spaces and resources. This thesis investigates the conflict resolution of robots and humans in everyday conflicts in the domestic and public context. Hereby, the acceptability, trustworthiness, and effectiveness of verbal and non-verbal strategies for the robot to solve the conflict in its favor are evaluated. Based on the assumption of the Media Equation and CASA paradigm that people interact with computers as social actors, robot conflict resolution strategies from social psychology and human-machine interaction were derived. The effectiveness, acceptability, and trustworthiness of those strategies were evaluated in online, virtual reality, and laboratory experiments. Future work includes determining the psychological processes of human-robot conflict resolution in further experimental studies.
Mobility support for content source in content-centric networking

Content-centric networking (CCN) is rising to solve the problems suffered by traditional networks, especially in terms of content delivery. One of the critical issues for basic CCN is supporting mobility. Handoff of Mobile Content Source (MCS) will result in a large scale routing update, which generates huge amount of routing overhead and leads to service interruption. Most of the existing CCN mobility mechanisms are transplanted from the IP mobility solutions, which are unnaturally integrated with CCN. Different from previous works, a mobility strategy from the perspective of CCN architecture is proposed to support the handoff of MCS in this paper. Especially, we define the critical network routers that can limit the routing update scale effectively when MCS handoff is conducted. Based on the defined critical network routers, the proposed scheme can provide lower routing update overhead, faster routing convergence and shorter service interruption time. Finally, series of simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.
Megafaunal composition of cold-water corals and other deep-sea benthos in the southern Emperor Seamounts area, North Pacific Ocean

Recent developments in deep-sea surveys have revealed the widespread distribution of cold-water corals over the deep-sea floor of the world ocean. There are no reports, however, concerning the taxonomic composition of cold-water corals and other benthic megafauna in the southern Emperor Seamounts area of the North Pacific Ocean. We analyzed benthic samples collected from a research vessel during scientific surveys and by scientific observers onboard commercial fishing vessels to examine the faunal composition of cold-water corals and other megabenthos in the southern Emperor Seamounts area. Seventy-eight genera of cold-water corals were identified. Gorgonians (Alcyonacea with solid axis) occurred at high frequencies with wide vertical distribution ranges, and appeared to be the major components of habitat-forming cold-water corals in the area. Scleractinia occurred at frequencies similar to those of gorgonians, but over limited depth ranges. Among other benthic megafauna, Crustacea and Echinodermata occurred at high frequencies. The results demonstrates that the regional characteristics of deep-sea benthic megafauna in the southern Emperor Seamounts area is more similar to that near the Hawaiian Islands than those reported from Aleutian, other Alaskan, Californian and Japanese waters.
A Role for Exopolysaccharides in the Protection of Microorganisms from Desiccation

Mucoid strains of Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and Erwinia stewartii were significantly more resistant to desiccation than corresponding isogenic nonmucoid mutants (survival rates of up to 35% in mucoid strains and between 0.7 and 5% in nonmucoid variants), even in colonies containing both cell types. Desiccation was found to bring about an induction of β-galactosidase in Lon- strains of E. coli K-12 carrying transcriptional lac fusions in the capsule biosynthetic (cps) regulon. This induction was dependent on the transcriptional activators RcsA and RcsB. Induction was lower in cells carrying mutations in the membrane sensor protein RcsC.
Temporal responses of coastal hypoxia to nutrient loading and physical controls

Abstract. The incidence and intensity of hypoxic waters in coastal aquatic ecosystems has been expanding in recent decades coincident with eutrophication of the coastal zone. Worldwide, there is strong interest in reducing the size and duration of hypoxia in coastal waters, because hypoxia causes negative effects for many organisms and ecosystem processes. Although strategies to reduce hypoxia by decreasing nutrient loading are predicated on the assumption that this action would reverse eutrophication, recent analyses of historical data from European and North American coastal systems suggest little evidence for simple linear response trajectories. We review published parallel time-series data on hypoxia and loading rates for inorganic nutrients and labile organic matter to analyze trajectories of oxygen (O2) response to nutrient loading. We also assess existing knowledge of physical and ecological factors regulating O2 in coastal marine waters to facilitate analysis of hypoxia responses to reductions in nutrient (and/or organic matter) inputs. Of the 24 systems identified where concurrent time series of loading and O2 were available, half displayed relatively clear and direct recoveries following remediation. We explored in detail 5 well-studied systems that have exhibited complex, non-linear responses to variations in loading, including apparent "regime shifts". A summary of these analyses suggests that O2 conditions improved rapidly and linearly in systems where remediation focused on organic inputs from sewage treatment plants, which were the primary drivers of hypoxia. In larger more open systems where diffuse nutrient loads are more important in fueling O2 depletion and where climatic influences are pronounced, responses to remediation tended to follow non-linear trends that may include hysteresis and time-lags. Improved understanding of hypoxia remediation requires that future studies use comparative approaches and consider multiple regulating factors. These analyses should consider: (1) the dominant temporal scales of the hypoxia, (2) the relative contributions of inorganic and organic nutrients, (3) the influence of shifts in climatic and oceanographic processes, and (4) the roles of feedback interactions whereby O2-sensitive biogeochemistry, trophic interactions, and habitat conditions influence the nutrient and algal dynamics that regulate O2 levels.
Controlling a manipulator using sensory motor interaction

SUMMARY The control of a robot manipulator with force sensors in the gripping tips is considered. The sensors measure three components of the force. Complicated motions of the manipulator are complied from basic movements, and the paper describes how the operation of grasping an arbitrarily positioned object is constructed from the basic movements. A mathematical model of the basic procedure of keeping contact with the object is considered.
Preparation of a photo-degradation- resistant quantum dot–polymer composite plate for use in the fabrication of a high-stability white-light-emitting diode

We report on the synthesis of highly fluorescent double-ZnS-shell-capped, yellow-emitting Cu–In–S quantum dots (QDs) with a surprisingly high quantum yield of 92%, the preparation of a free-standing QD–polymethylmethacrylate composite plate, and the application of the QD plate in the fabrication of QD-based white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). A free-standing QD plate with QDs embedded uniformly inside a polymeric matrix is used to fabricate a remote-type, resin-free WLED. The QD plate-based WLED displays a high luminous efficiency; however, it suffers from a significantly unstable device performance due to QD degradation upon prolonged photo-excitation. An exceptional operational stability of the QD plate-based WLED is realized by generating hybrid double layers of an organic adhesion layer and a gas barrier layer of sol–gel-derived silica, rendering the QD plate impermeable to oxygen. Our success in achieving a color converter robust against photo-degradation and applying it in the fabrication of a reliable QD-based LED is greatly encouraging as regards the development of next-generation QD-based LED lighting sources.
Detection of optic disc oedema using optical coherence tomography

We read with great interest the study by Vartin C and associates,1 describing the role of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) for the detection of optic disc oedema. Currently, the standard method for the diagnosis of disc oedema is fundus examination. Obviously, the detection of moderate to severe disc oedema is easy. Patients with small cupless discs (so-called crowded discs) may have a prominent optic nerve head which looks like a mild disc oedema. In …
Imputation of Missing Data Using Gaussians Mixtures

Data imputation is an imperative task in modern data analysis, and while data imputation through MCMC is one of the more accurate techniques it still requires a model to impute the missing data. Unfortunately, a good model is not always easy to discern, in this case we look at the use of gaussian mixtures as a general case model for MCMC to impute missing continuous data. This gaussian mixture model (with enough mixtures) creates a good approximation of the dataset distribution, allowing relatively accurate imputations that is robust against many continuous dataset distributions. Furthermore, since MCMC returns multiple imputations this can be used to gauge the uncertainty of imputations and it’s affects on the downstream data analysis.
Active‐Layer Hydrology in Nonsorted Circle Ecosystems of the Arctic Tundra

Patterned‐ground features are common throughout arctic tundra ecosystems and develop as a result of intricate relationships among climate, hydrology, vegetation, and soil processes. Changes in the annual energy budget induced by climatic warming could likely affect the arctic freeze–thaw cycles, altering biogeochemistry and soil processes, which in turn could change the patterned‐ground ecosystem. In this study, we concentrate on the hydrology of the nonsorted circle system, an example of arctic tundra patterned ground in a relatively stable condition. Our objective was to model the processes governing liquid water movement in the active layer during freezing in order to identify the driving forces that alter the balance within this system. Our model simulations demonstrate that water redistributes within the active layer during freezing as an indirect result of horizontal differences in soil temperature. Soil surface insulation (such as that imposed by vegetation or snow) causes preferential ice accumulation in adjacent noninsulated areas, which inhibits vegetation from colonizing these areas. Both lower soil freezing rates and increased vegetation on nonsorted circles reduce water movement to the center of these features, potentially altering the equilibrium condition of these systems.
The influence of parental drinking and closeness on adolescent drinking.

OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship of parental drinking and adolescent's closeness to parents to adolescent drinking behavior by focusing on three related issues: (1) the independent effects of parental drinking and closeness to parents on adolescent drinking, (2) the mediating role of closeness to parents for the effect of parental drinking, and (3) their interactive effects. METHOD The issues were addressed with use of data from 378 respondents in a random-digit dialing sample of 625 male adolescents at age range 16 to 19 in the Buffalo area. Mother's and father's drinking and adolescent's closeness to mother and father were measured separately. Regression analyses were used to assess the effects of these measures on adolescent drinking regarding the three related issues. RESULTS Only father's drinking has a direct effect on adolescent drinking. Although closeness to mother is a significant protection against adolescent drinking, mother's drinking has no effect on closeness to mother. In contrast, father's drinking has a significant effect on closeness to father, but closeness to father has no direct effect on adolescent drinking. Therefore, there is no mediating role of closeness to parents for the effect of parental drinking. Finally, there is an interaction between mother's drinking and closeness to mother, which indicates that adolescents whose mothers are heavy drinkers and who have low closeness to their mothers drink more heavily. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that for the mother and the father there are different patterns of the relationship between parental drinking and closeness at work in explaining adolescent drinking.
In situ evaluation of the remineralizing capacity of pit and fissure sealants containing amorphous calcium phosphate and/or fluoride

Abstract Objective. This in situ study evaluated the remineralizing potential of pit and fissure sealants containing amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and/or fluoride in artificially induced carious lesions on smooth enamel surfaces. Material and methods. Ten volunteers who wore acrylic palatal devices were enrolled in this 5-day double-blind study and assigned to one of the following five groups: (I) demineralized enamel slab+Fluroshield (sealant with fluoride); (II) demineralized enamel slab+Aegis (sealant with ACP); (III) demineralized enamel slab+experimental sealant with fluoride (ESF); (IV) demineralized enamel slab+experimental sealant with fluoride/ACP (ACP-F); and (V) demineralized enamel slab (control). After the experimental period, the percentage of surface microhardness recovery (%SMHR) and the integrated loss of subsurface hardness (ΔKHN) were evaluated. The concentrations of fluoride, calcium and phosphorus in enamel were also determined. Results. The sealants containing ACP and/or fluoride presented a higher remineralizing capacity (%SMHR and ΔKHN) than that of the control group. Aegis provided either more efficient or similar remineralization than the other sealants. The association between ACP and fluoride did not show a greater efficacy in the remineralization. F, Ca and P concentrations in enamel varied according to the group. Conclusion. The pit and fissure sealants containing ACP were able to promote remineralization of artificially induced carious lesions on smooth enamel surfaces.
Salmonella‐Containing Vacuoles: Directing Traffic and Nesting to Grow

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is a gram‐negative facultative intracellular pathogen that can infect a broad range of mammalian hosts. Following invasion of host cells, the majority of S. typhimurium are known to reside in a membrane‐bound compartment known as the Salmonella‐containing vacuole (SCV). S. typhimurium actively remodels this compartment using bacterial virulence proteins, called effectors, to establish a protected niche where it can replicate. S. typhimurium delivers more than 30 effectors into the host cell cytosol by bacterial type three secretion systems, encoded by Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 or 2 (SPI‐1 or SPI‐2). Recent studies have revealed a critical role for the SPI‐1 effector SopB in ‘directing traffic’ at early stages of infection, allowing the bacteria to control SCV maturation by modulating its interaction with the endocytic system. At later stages of infection, the SCV establishes a ‘nest’ near the Golgi where optimal bacterial growth takes place. In this study, we highlight these recent developments in our understanding of SCV trafficking.
Robust cancellation of eccentricity and non-circularity tension disturbances in web winding systems

Les systemes d'enroulement et de transport de bande sont des systemes soumis a des perturbations de tension de bande quasi-periodiques causees par l'excentricite (balourd) et la non-circularite (faux-rond) de la bobine deroulee et des rouleaux. La contribution principale de ce travail de these porte sur la conception d'une commande pour le rejet de ces perturbations quasi-periodiques, a amplitudes et phases inconnues, pour les systemes de transport de bandes. Deux methodes adaptatives de rejet de ces perturbations sont proposees. Le premier algorithme est construit sur le principe d'une boucle a verrouillage de phase qui estime simultanement la phase et l'amplitude de la perturbation afin de l'annuler a l'entree du systeme. Le deuxieme algorithme repose quant a lui sur un algorithme d'identification recursive des amplitudes de deux signaux en quadrature de phase. Le reglage des filtres et des gains se fait a partir du diagramme de Bode du systeme, ce qui permet d'adapter tres facilement les deux algorithmes a une application pour laquelle on ne possede pas de modele ou lorsque le modele n'est pas fiable. Le rejet de perturbations a plusieurs harmoniques, engendrees par les non linearites du systeme, a ete egalement etudie. Une nouvelle approche est egalement proposee qui se base sur une synthese H8 a 2 degres de liberte d'un correcteur lineaire a parametres variant (LPV) pour la compensation de perturbations harmoniques avec frequence variable. L'analyse de la stabilite et de la robustesse montrent que les deux algorithmes adaptatifs possedent une grande marge de stabilite, ce qui leur confere stabilite et convergence durant le rejet de perturbation meme lorsqu'il y a changement de consigne (par exemple, de la vitesse de bande) ou changement des parametres du systeme. La simulation des algorithmes avec le modele physique du systeme a 3 moteurs ainsi que les mesures experimentales sur banc de test montrent la validite de notre approche theorique et prouvent l'utilite de ces algorithmes pour le rejet des perturbations engendrees par l'excentricite ou la non-circularite des rouleaux et des bobines pour des applications industrielles.
In vitro cell cycle arrest induced by using artificial DNA templates

In cell extracts of Xenopus eggs which oscillate between S and M phases of the cell cycle, the onset of mitosis is blocked by the presence of incompletely replicated DNA. In this report, we show that several artificial DNA templates (M13 single-stranded DNA and double-stranded plasmid DNA) can trigger this feedback pathway, which inhibits mitosis. Single-stranded M13 DNA is much more effective than double-stranded plasmid DNA at inhibiting the onset of mitosis. Furthermore, we have shown that low levels of M13 single-stranded DNA and high levels of double-stranded plasmid DNA can elevate the tyrosine kinase activity responsible for phosphorylating p34cdc2, thereby inactivating maturation-promoting factor and inhibiting entry into mitosis. This constitutes a simplified system with which to study the signal transduction pathway from the DNA template to the tyrosine kinase responsible for inhibiting p34cdc2 activity.