Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pupil size estimation model based on luminance and chromaticity spatial distribution

As an important index in studies on vision and display technology, pupil size controls the amount of the light entering human eye. Eye tracking systems are normally used to measure the pupil size while a pupil size estimation model can be applied when actual measurement is not available. The weighting functions of the reported pupil size estimation models show radial symmetry, which contradicted the radial asymmetric distribution of photoreceptors on the retina. Chromaticity spatial distribution has not been taken into consideration either. In this paper, the perceptual experiments are carried out with patterned and colored stimuli to evaluate the spatial and color varying effect of luminance to the pupil. A revised corneal flux density is proposed, which shows a high correlation with pupil diameters. Based on this, a pupil size estimation model is proposed. Pupil diameters can be calculated after inputting luminance and chromaticity spatial distribution matrixes. After verification, this model can be applied to indoor scenes with different lighting temperatures within the general illumination range. This model should be useful in scientific and practical applications where pupil diameter matters.
Fault-tolerant tracker for a class of unknown interconnected large-scale sampled-data nonlinear systems with input constraint and actuator failure

Based on the model predictive control (MPC), the soft switching method, and the observer/Kalman filter identification (OKID) method, this paper presents the decentralized fault-tolerant trackers for a class of unknown interconnected large-scale multi-input multi-output sampled-data nonlinear systems with input constraint, actuator failure, and closed-loop decoupling properties. The off-line OKID method is utilized to determine decentralized appropriate (low-) order discrete-time linear models for the class of unknown interconnected large-scale sampled-data systems by using known input–output sampled data. Then, to overcome the effect of modeling error on the identified linear model of each subsystem, an improved observer with the high-gain property based on the digital redesign approach will be presented. So, decentralized multiple MPC controllers are designed beforehand by using the identified linear models. Once a fault is detected in each decentralized controller, one of the backup control configurations in each decentralized subsystem is switched to using the soft switching approach. Thus, the decentralized fault-tolerant control with the closed-loop decoupling property can be achieved through the above approach with a high-gain property decentralized observer/tracker.
Publish, Don’t Perish: Recommendations for Mitigating Impacts of the New Federal Open Access Policy

In August, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a new policy requiring that all federally funded scholarly research be accessible to the public immediately upon publication. While this open access policy will ultimately benefit society by increasing the availability of data and research outputs, it could place a heavy burden on researchers due to the relatively high cost of open access alongside an academic culture that tends to favor publishing in high impact subscription journals. We examine the complexities of the traditional publishing landscape and offer recommendations for agencies, universities, and publishers to mitigate the impacts on researchers. Specifically, we recommend a short-term increase in funding to cover higher publishing costs, but contributions from all stakeholders are needed to facilitate a long-term solution.
Image fusion method based on bivariate alpha-stable model in multiwavelet domain

Abstract. Considering statistical characteristics of multiwavelet coefficient vectors, an image fusion method with a window-based salience measure for vector fusion is proposed in the multiwavelet domain. After analyzing joint probability distribution of multiwavelet coefficient vectors, we respect the joint probability distribution as a peaky and heavy tailed two-dimensional non-Gaussian distribution, and hence model it by using a bivariate symmetric alpha-stable (BiSαS) distribution. Model parameters of the BiSαS distribution can be estimated from samples of multiwavelet coefficient vectors. In a sliding window, the estimated parameters can reveal the impulsive shape of the histogram of the multiwavelet coefficient vectors within the window. So we employ these model parameters to form the new salience measure indicating the degree of prominent information. In our method, vector fusion rule is introduced to avoid inconsistency of decision maps between the component sub-bands and, consequently, to lessen ringing artifacts in final fusion results. Experimental results support the effectiveness of our proposed method in the area of visual quality and objective evaluations.
Numerical simulations of accretion discs – I. Superhumps: a tidal phenomenon of accretion discs

On presente des simulations numeriques de l'etoile de type SU UMa Z cha en eruption, demontrant le role de l'influence des marees de la composante secondaire sur l'ecoulement d'accretion et expliquant les superbonds observes dans les etoiles de type SU UMa
Method of using theodolite’s observation data of fixed star to evaluate INS’s attitude accuracy based on time-delay compensation

In order to evaluate the attitude accuracy of the TT&C’s SINS under dynamic condition, a new method of using theodolite’s observation data of fixed star to evaluate SINS’s attitude accuracy based on time-delay compensation is proposed. The detailed design is given, and the influence of the time delay is analyzed based on real data experiments. The data analysis and experimental results shows that the new method can improve the computation accuracy, and it is valuable for engineering application of evaluating SINS’s attitude accuracy under dynamic conditions.
Approximations to optimal sequences in single-gripper and dual-gripper robotic cells with circular layouts

This article considers the problems of scheduling operations in single-gripper and dual-gripper bufferless robotic cells in which the arrangement of machines is circular. The cells are designed to produce identical parts under the free-pickup criterion with additive intermachine travel time. The objective is to find a cyclic sequence of robot moves that minimizes the long-run average time required to produce a part or, equivalently, that maximizes the throughput. Obtaining an efficient algorithm for an approximation to an optimal k-unit cyclic solution (over all k ≥ 1) is the focus of this article. The proposed algorithms introduce a new class of schedules, which are refered to as epi-cyclic cycles. A polynomial algorithm with a 5/3-approximation to an optimal k-unit cycle over all cells is developed. The performed structural analysis for dual-gripper cells leads to a polynomial-time algorithm that provides at worst a 3/2-approximation for the practically relevant case in which the dual-gripper switch time is less than twice the intermachine robot movement time. A computational study demonstrates that the algorithm performs much better on average than this worst-case bound suggests. The performed theoretical studies are a stepping stone for researching the complexity status of the corresponding domain. They also provide theoretical as well as practical insights that are useful in maximizing productivity of any cell configuration with either type of robot.
Effect of metal electrode on Seebeck coefficient of p- and n-type Si thermoelectrics

The measurements of thermoelectric powers and current–voltage characteristics were made on the p- and n-type Si specimens which were doped with 0.1 at. % of Al and P, respectively. The apparent Seebeck coefficients Sa of these specimens were measured using various kinds of metal electrodes at cold end and the brass at hot end. The Sa was plotted as a function of work function of metal electrodes at cold end. The Sa changes significantly with the kind of metal electrodes and has a maximum at a work function of 4.65 eV of Cu for the p-type specimen and 4.33 eV of Zn for the n-type one. These maximum Sa agreed quantitatively well with the Seebeck coefficients S measured by the conventional technique using two alumel–chromel thermocouples as an electrode. There was a negative correlation between Sa and R where the electrical resistance R is the sum of the contact resistance and the resistance of the specimen itself, so that an increase in the Sa leads directly to an enhancement in the thermoelectric power fac.
Knee Flexion/Extension Angle Measurement for Gait Analysis Using Machine Learning Solution “MediaPipe Pose” and Its Comparison with Kinovea®

Human Gait Analysis is crucial in diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, and rehabilitation. It requires the measurement of gait parameters like joint angles, angular motion, ground reaction force (GRF), momentum, step width, step length, velocity, etc. This study introduces a markerless, easy-to-use approach for measuring one of the gait parameters i.e., knee flexion/extension angle, and verifies it with an existing standard marker-based approach. Knee flexion/extension angle is calculated via Machine Learning (ML) pose estimation model “MediaPipe Pose” and Computer vision (CV) without the use of markers. For the verification of accuracy, the obtained values are compared with the data on each video frame obtained from Kinovea® which is a marker-based motion analysis software. A correlation of 0.941 was observed between the results from Kinovea® and MediaPipe Pose. Similarly, the mean absolute error of knee angles was 5.88 degrees. The research shows that knee flexion/extension angle can be accurately measured using ML solution for high-fidelity body pose tracking. Professionals involved in the field of biomechanics, sports medicine, physiotherapy as well as other medical fields can use this method as an alternative markerless approach for knee flexion/extension angle measurement for gait analysis.
Cell-type specific and multiscale dynamics of human focal seizures in limbic structures

The relationship between clinically accessible epileptic biomarkers and neuronal activity underlying the seizure transition is complex, potentially leading to imprecise delineation of epileptogenic brain areas. In particular, the pattern of interneuronal firing at seizure onset remains under debate, with some studies demonstrating increased firing while others suggest reductions. Previous study of neocortical sites suggests that seizure recruitment occurs upon failure of inhibition, with intact feedforward inhibition in non-recruited territories. We investigated whether the same principles applied also in limbic structures. We analyzed simultaneous ECoG and neuronal recordings during 34 seizures in a cohort of 19 patients (10 male, 9 female) undergoing surgical evaluation for pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy. A clustering approach with five quantitative metrics computed from ECoG and multiunit data was used to distinguish three types of site-specific activity patterns during seizures, at times co-existing within seizures. 156 single-units were isolated, subclassified by cell-type, and tracked through the seizure using our previously published methods to account for impacts of increased noise and single-unit waveshape changes caused by seizures. One cluster was closely associated with clinically defined seizure onset or spread. Entrainment of high-gamma activity to low-frequency ictal rhythms was the only metric that reliably identified this cluster at the level of individual seizures (p < 0.001). A second cluster demonstrated multi-unit characteristics resembling those in the first cluster, without concomitant high-gamma entrainment, suggesting feedforward effects from the seizure. The last cluster captured regions apparently unaffected by the ongoing seizure. Across all territories, the majority of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons reduced (69.2%) or ceased firing (21.8%). Transient increases in interneuronal firing rates were rare (13.5%) but showed evidence of intact feedforward inhibition with maximal firing rate increases and waveshape deformations in territories not fully recruited but showing feedforward activity from the seizure, and a shift to burst-firing in seizure-recruited territories (p = 0.014). This study provides evidence for entrained high gamma activity as an accurate biomarker of ictal recruitment in limbic structures. However, our results of reduced neuronal firing suggest preserved inhibition in mesial temporal structures despite simultaneous indicators of seizure recruitment, in contrast to the inhibitory collapse scenario documented in neocortex. Further study is needed to determine if this activity is ubiquitous to hippocampal seizures or if it indicates a "seizure-responsive" state in which the hippocampus is not the primary driver. If the latter, distinguishing such cases may help refine surgical treatment of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
Seasonal predictability of the ensemble seasonal prediction by tier-1 and tier-1.5 models

By using a hybrid model tier-1 that is coupled in the Indo-Pacific tropical ocean, we perform a set of 10 ensemble runs with different initial condition for two-season period that starts from November 1st and May 1st respectively in 1982 though 2004. The tier-1.5 that is only coupled from India Ocean to dateline and prescribes model monthly climatology plus observed SSTA in east tropical Pacific is also used to perform another suite of 10 ensemble runs with same initial conditions. The sensitivity of Asia monsoon and Australian monsoon to SST in central and eastern tropical Pacific has been investigated. The results of experiments suggest that, 1) the climatology precipitation bias has close relationship with climatology SST bias which possibly cause overabundant rainfall over Arab Sea and Bay of Bengal, northward shift rain belt over West Pacific in summer, deficient rainfall of ITCZ over tropical Pacific in summer, too long south branch of ITCZ over southern Pacific in winter. 2) To east of dateline, the precipitation external variance and internal variance in tier-1.5 are much larger than those in tier-1.5. 3) The similar signal to noise ratio or error to external ratio as well as anomaly correlation over Asia monsoon region between in tier-1 and tier-1.5 suggests that precipitation predictability over Asia monsoon region has little relationship with the improvement of central and east Pacific SST. 4) The improvement spatial correlation in winter by tier-1.5 over El Nino region during La Nina year, especially when the cold SST over Nino3.4 turn into warm SST suggest that the winter precipitation predictability over El Nino region can possible be improved by SST predictability.
Pulsar in SN 1987A: will a second gravitational collapse occur?

Les caracteristiques du pulsar optique decouvert recemment dans le reste de supernova SN 1987A suggerent que le mecanisme impulsionnel sous-jacent implique une etoile a neutrons en rotation rapide. La periode de rotation observee implique que l'etoile a neutrons possede une equation d'etat «douce» avec une masse baryonique M≥1.64 M○. et une masse gravitationnelle M≥1.45 M○. Les consequences de cette restriction de l'equation d'etat sont explorees sur l'evolution ulterieure du pulsar
Effect of constitutive laws for two-dimensional membranes on flow-induced capsule deformation

Three constitutive laws (Skalak et al.'s law extended to area-compressible interfaces, Hooke's law and the Mooney–Rivlin law) commonly used to describe the mechanics of thin membranes are presented and compared. A small-deformation analysis of the tension–deformation relation for uniaxial extension and for isotropic dilatation allows us to establish a correspondence between the individual material parameters of the laws. A large-deformation analysis indicates that the Mooney–Rivlin law is strain softening, whereas the Skalak et al. law is strain hardening for any value of the membrane dilatation modulus. The large deformation of a capsule suspended in hyperbolic pure straining flow is then computed for several membrane constitutive laws. A capsule with a Mooney–Rivlin membrane bursts through the process of continuous elongation, whereas a capsule with a Skalak et al. membrane always reaches a steady state in the range of parameters considered. The small-deformation analysis of a spherical capsule embedded in a linear shear flow is modified to account for the effect of the membrane dilatation modulus.
Input-output pseudo-linearization for nonlinear systems

Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of static state feedback and state coordinate change that transform a state equation with specified output into the pseudonormal form. A system in this form has the property that its family of linearizations about constant operating points has input-output behavior that is independent of the operating point. The approach leads to an alternative derivation of input-state pseudolinearization results via the device of selecting appropriate dummy outputs. <<ETX>>
Non–existence of global solutions to anisotropic Fujita–type systems of semilinear parabolic equations

Two different techniques with which to construct subsolutions to anisotropic Fujita–type systems of semilinear parabolic equations on bounded or unbounded domains are developed. The first makes use of the principal eigenfunction of an associated boundary–value problem (bounded domains) or the fundamental solution of the ‘backward’ heat equation (unbounded domains) to cast the problem into a set of integral inequalities. The second is a generalization of a technique developed by Weissler. A series of theorems concerning global non–existence of solutions is established by applying these techniques.
Normal stresses in colloidal dispersions

Normal stresses in colloidal dispersions at low shear rates are determined theoretically for both dilute and concentrated suspensions of Brownian hard spheres. An evolution equation for the pair‐distribution function is developed and the perturbation to the microstructure in a general linear flow is shown to be regular to O(Pe2), where Pe=γa2/D0. Here, γ is the characteristic shear rate, a is the particle size, and D0 is the bare‐particle diffusivity. The next term in the perturbation of the microstructure is shown to be O(Pe5/2). The bulk stress (nondimensionalized by ηγ, where η is the viscosity of the suspending fluid) for a dilute suspension in a general linear flow is determined to O(φ2Pe). For simple shear flow the theory predicts normal stress differences of N1/ηγ=0. 899φ2Pe and N2/ηγ=−0. 788φ2Pe; there is no correction to the shear viscosity at O(Pe), however. A scaling theory is also presented for concentrated suspensions using the corrected time scale a2/Ds0(φ), where Ds0(φ) is the short‐time.
Modeling the Effects of Peripheral Nonlinearity in Listeners With Normal and Impaired Hearing

Recent physiological studies of basilar rnembrane (BM) mechanics indicate that the response to tones presented at the characteristic frequency (CF) is nonlinear and cornpressive. Input-output functions show marked compression at medium input levels and become more linear at very low and very high levels. Damage to the cochlea, in particular the outer hair celis, generally results in a loss of sensitivity and a linearization of the BM transfer function. In this study we assume that listeners with cochlear hearing loss also exhibit reduced BM compression, and we investigate some possible psychoacoustic consequences of the reduced nonlinearity. Results from nonsimultaneous rnasking experiments in norrnally hearing listeners were modeled using a temporal window model, preceded by a compressive nonlinearity (Oxenham & Moore, 1994). When modeling sirnilar data from hearing-impaired listeners, only the input nonlinearity of the model was changed. The results suggest that the change in nonlinearity may be sufficient to account for some differences in performance in the additivity of nonsimultaneous masking, the decay of forward masking with increasing masker-signal interval, and the growth of forward masking with increasing masker level.
Chaos synchronization in networks of delay-coupled lasers: role of the coupling phases

We derive rigorous conditions for the synchronization of all-optically coupled lasers. In particular, we elucidate the role of the optical coupling phases for synchronizability by systematically discussing all possible network motifs containing two lasers with delayed coupling and feedback. By these means we explain previous experimental findings. Further, we study larger networks and elaborate optimal conditions for chaos synchronization. We show that the relative phases between lasers can be used to optimize the effective coupling matrix.
A stochastic approach to grain surface chemical kinetics

A stochastic model of grain surface chemistry, based on a master equation description of the probability distributions of reactive species on grains, is developed. For an important range of conditions, rates of molecule formation are limited by low accretion rates, so that the probability that a grain contains more than one reactive atom or molecule is small. We derive simple approximate expressions for these circumstances, and explore their validity through comparison with numerical solutions of the master equation for H, O and H, N, O reaction systems. A more detailed analysis of the range of validity of several analytic approximations and numerical solutions, based on exact analytical results for a model in which H and H2 are the only species, is also made. Though the use of our simple approximate expressions is computationally ecient, the solution of the master equation under the assumption that no grain contains more than two particles of each species usually gives more accurate results in the parameter regimes where the deterministic rate equation approach is inappropriate. The implementation of sparse matrix inversion techniques makes the use of such a truncated master equation solution method feasible for considerably more complicated surface chemistries than the ones we have examined here.
An Analytical Study of an Experimentally Verified Hardening Law

M. Eisenberg. This paper is an interesting contribution to the theory of plasticity. In earlier papers, the senior author presented experimental evidence which led to the formulation of a hardening law, the qualitative features of which are summarized in this paper. A major unanswered question has been that of the lack, of an analytical formulation of the theory. Here, the structure of such a theory of hardening is presented. For a theory which purports to describe such a complicated phenomenon it is elegant in its simplicity. Unfortunately, this virtue may not be so apparent when adequate laws for the evolution of £, tj, and \ are developed and appended to the theory.