ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
A Fast 2D Shape Recovery Approach by Fusing Features and Appearance
Authors: Jianke Zhu, Michael R. Lyu, Thomas S. Huang
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (2009)

In this paper, we present a fusion approach to solve the nonrigid shape recovery problem, which takes advantage of both the appearance information and the local features. We have two major contributions. First, we propose a novel progressive finite Newton optimization scheme for the feature-based nonrigid surface detection problem, which is reduced to only solving a set of linear equations. The key is to formulate the nonrigid surface detection as an unconstrained quadratic optimization problem that has a closed-form solution for a given set of observations. Second, we propose a deformable Lucas-Kanade algorithm that triangulates the template image into small patches and constrains the deformation through the second-order derivatives of the mesh vertices. We formulate it into a sparse regularized least squares problem, which is able to reduce the computational cost and the memory requirement. The inverse compositional algorithm is applied to efficiently solve the optimization problem. We have conducted extensive experiments for performance evaluation on various environments, whose promising results show that the proposed algorithm is both efficient and effective.
Fuzzy Variant of Affinity Propagation in Comparison to Median Fuzzy c-Means
Authors: T. Geweniger, D. Zühlke, B. Hammer, Thomas Villmann
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Advances in Self-Organizing Maps (2009)

In this paper we extend the crisp Affinity Propagation (AP) cluster algorithm to a fuzzy variant. AP is a message passing algorithm based on the max-sum-algorithm optimization for factor graphs. Thus it is applicable also for data sets with only dissimilarities known, which may be asymmetric. The proposed Fuzzy Affinity Propagation algorithm (FAP) returns fuzzy assignments to the cluster prototypes based on a probabilistic interpretation of the usual AP. To evaluate the performance of FAP we compare the clustering results of FAP for different experimental and real world problems with solutions obtained by employing Median Fuzzy c-Means (M-FCM) and Fuzzy c-Means (FCM). As measure for cluster agreements we use a fuzzy extension of Cohen's ¿ based on t-norms.
Spies in the Sky: Surveillance Satellites in War and Peace, 1st edition
Authors: Pat Norris
Venue: Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration (2007)

In Spies in the Sky' Patrick Norris responds to the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age the launch of Sputnik 1 with a review of the most important historical applications of space science for the benefit of the human race during that half century, focusing particularly on the prevention of nuclear war. The author addresses the oft quoted conclusion that the Moon landings and the race to the Moon between the two superpowers were a side effect of the Cold War, by describing what he believes was the more important event the use of satellites by military to prevent the Cold War becoming a hot war. In developing the story the author casts a spotlight on a little-known aspect of the Space Age, namely the military dimension. Today military satellites represent 25 percent of all satellites in orbit, and they are just as important now in preventing regional nuclear war as they were in preventing global Armageddon more than 30 years ago. Beginning with a discussion of Sputnik 1, and the impact of its launch, both on the Soviets and on the West, the book continues to show the social, economic and scientific benefits of satellites today in our daily lives some 50 years later. The author introduces the concept of the Cold War nuclear stand off and mutually assured destruction and shows how spy satellites developed, and the problems of using them to verify arms limitation treaties. He identifies the significance of the ABM Treaty and of SALT and demonstrates how satellites were used to underpin such agreements. He then discusses fringe nuclear powers, such as the UK, France and China and the concept of nuclear non-proliferation. He concludes by looking at the regional tensions of today, including Israel and Arabic nations, India and Pakistan and the threat posed by North Korea, and looks ahead to what the future holds. The ACM Portal is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc. Terms of Usage Privacy Policy Code of Ethics Contact Us Useful downloads: Adobe Acrobat QuickTime Windows Media Player Real Player
Firefly: illuminating future network-on-chip with nanophotonics
Authors: Yan Pan, Prabhat Kumar, John Kim, Gokhan Memik, Yu Zhang, Alok Choudhary
Venue: ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News (2009)

Future many-core processors will require high-performance yet energy-efficient on-chip networks to provide a communication substrate for the increasing number of cores. Recent advances in silicon nanophotonics create new opportunities for on-chip networks. To efficiently exploit the benefits of nanophotonics, we propose Firefly - a hybrid, hierarchical network architecture. Firefly consists of clusters of nodes that are connected using conventional, electrical signaling while the inter-cluster communication is done using nanophotonics - exploiting the benefits of electrical signaling for short, local communication while nanophotonics is used only for global communication to realize an efficient on-chip network. Crossbar architecture is used for inter-cluster communication. However, to avoid global arbitration, the crossbar is partitioned into multiple, logical crossbars and their arbitration is localized. Our evaluations show that Firefly improves the performance by up to 57% compared to an all-electrical concentrated mesh (CMESH) topology on adversarial traffic patterns and up to 54% compared to an all-optical crossbar (OP XBAR) on traffic patterns with locality. If the energy-delay-product is compared, Firefly improves the efficiency of the on-chip network by up to 51% and 38% compared to CMESH and OP XBAR, respectively.
On-line PBL system flows and user's motivation
Authors: Hsieh-Hua Yang, Lung-Hsing Kuo, Hung-Jen Yang, Jui-Chen Yu, Li-Min Chen
Venue: WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMMUNICATIONS (2009)

Problem-based learning is the bridge to connect learners with real world and is the trigger setting for high level thinking skill. On-line technology is supporting our learning in many ways. There is a need to understand not only what framework could help conduct on-line problem-based learning but also the learner's motivation. The purpose of this study was to draw up a framework of on-line problem-based learning. Based on literature review, a theoretical framework was identified. An implementation of this framework was conducted to verify the feasibility based upon the learner's motivation. Motivation survey was conducted to explore the learner's response. Concerning the framework of on-line PBL, the results of the evaluation conducted in this study implied that the feasibility existed. Pertaining to motivation, learners suggested that their motivations were from both the on-line social network and real world problem.
The use of a repeated readings with computer modeling treatment package to promote reading fluency with students who have physical disabilities
Authors: Marion Elizabeth Coleman
Venue:  (2008)

Reading is an essential skill for students with physical disabilities which opens up opportunities in many areas of an individual&rsquo;s life including the acquisition of knowledge, the ability to read for enjoyment, and the chances of gaining employment. Students with physical disabilities often do not read fluently; however, there is a lack of research on instructional methods to address reading fluency with this population. Methodologies used with students who have physical disabilities are often borrowed from other populations (e.g., the use of repeated readings to increase fluency with students with learning disabilities). Additionally, advances in technology suggest the possible use of computers to model reading. This study employed a changing criterion design to examine the use of a treatment package consisting of repeated readings, computer modeling, error correction, and performance feedback on improving reading fluency with students with cerebral palsy. The areas of reading comprehension and accuracy were also examined. An analysis of the data demonstrated that all students were able to increase reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension from first to final readings within a session (positive nontransfer effects). Analysis of the percentage of nonoverlapping data revealed that three of the four students also showed slight increases in reading fluency on novel passages (positive transfer effects). Although the results of this study indicated that the treatment package was effective with students who have physical disabilities, more research is needed to examine individual components of the treatment package and to evaluate the use of such methods over a lengthier period of time. Index words. Physical disabilities, reading fluency, computer-assisted instruction, repeated readings, computer modeling. The ACM Portal is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc. Terms of Usage Privacy Policy Code of Ethics Contact Us Useful downloads: Adobe Acrobat QuickTime Windows Media Player Real Player
An efficient estimation function for the crew scheduling problem
Authors: Javier Murillo, Beatriz Lopez
Venue: Proceeding of the 2007 conference on Artificial Intelligence Research and Development (2007)

In this paper we explain an estimation function for the crew scheduling problem in the coach transportation domain. Thanks to this function we obtain an estimation that is very close to the real cost of the solution and we can efficiently prune the search space with a branch and bound approach. Consequently we find the optimal solution in less time than with other estimations such as the Russian doll method.
Supporting Windows Vista, 1st edition
Authors: Jean Andrews
Venue:  (2007)

Supporting Windows Vista provides an in-depth look at Microsoft's latest desktop and laptop operating system, Windows Vista. Topics covered include: installing Windows Vista, hardware and applications, setting up user accounts, customizing the desktop, configuring security options, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting startup problems. Written to help you easily integrate the new operating system and designed to accompany A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Sixth Edition, and A+ Guide to Software, Fourth Edition, you will learn how to successfully install, maintain, secure and troubleshoot this new OS. The ACM Portal is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc. Terms of Usage Privacy Policy Code of Ethics Contact Us Useful downloads: Adobe Acrobat QuickTime Windows Media Player Real Player
Interactive part selection for mesh and point models using hierarchical graph-cut partitioning
Authors: Steven Brown, Bryan Morse, William Barrett
Venue: Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2009 (2009)

This paper presents a method for interactive part selection for mesh and point set surface models that combines scribble-based selection methods with hierarchically accelerated graph-cut segmentation. Using graph-cut segmentation to determine optimal intuitive part boundaries enables easy part selection on complex geometries and allows for a simple, scribble-based interface that focuses on selecting within visible parts instead of precisely defining part boundaries that may be in difficult or occluded regions. Hierarchical acceleration is used to maintain interactive speed on large models and to provide connectivity when extending the technique to point set models.
Subspace-based learning with grassmann kernels
Authors: Daniel D. Lee
Venue:  (2008)

In this thesis I propose a subspace-based learning paradigm for solving novel problems in machine learning. We often encounter subspace structures within data that lie inside a vector space. For example, the set of images of an object or a face under varying lighting conditions are known to lie on a low (4 or 9)-dimensional subspace with mild assumptions. Many other types of variations such as pose change or facial expression, can also be approximated quite well with low-dimensional subspaces. Treating such subspaces as basic units of learning gives rise to challenges that conventional algorithms cannot handle well. In this work, I tackle subspace-based learning problems with the unifying framework of Grassmann manifold, which is the set of linear subspaces of a Euclidean space. I propose positive definite kernels on this space, which provide an easy access to the repository of various kernel algorithms. Furthermore, I show that the Grassmann kernels can be extended to the set of affine and scaled subspaces. This extension allows us to handle larger classes of problems with little additional cost. The proposed kernels in this thesis can be used with any kernel method. In particular, I demonstrate the potential advantages of the proposed kernel with Discriminant Analysis techniques and Support Vector Machines for recognition and categorization tasks. Experiments with real image databases show not only the feasibility of the proposed framework, but also the improved performance of the method compared with previously known methods.
Scheduling Unrelated Parallel Machines- Algorithms, Complexity, and Performance
Authors: Andreas Wotzlaw
Venue:  (2007)

A bank of parallel machines is an important setting in computer science. When dealing with parallel machines, the minimization of the maximal load (makespan) becomes an objective of significant interest. In practice one often has to balance the load on parallel machines, e.g., on computer processors. By minimizing the makespan an excellent load balance can be ensured. The book considers the problem of scheduling independent jobs on unrelated parallel machines without preemption. The problem belongs to the most difficult problems of theoretical computer science. The first part gives an introduction to the scheduling theory. Next nine new methods designed to solve the scheduling problem are introduced. The algorithms proposed here use various algorithmic techniques like network flows, linear programming, column generation, branch-and-price, cutting planes, or randomized rounding. The last part presents a comprehensive evaluation of eighteen methods, new and old ones, using algorithmic approaches discussed earlier. The book is addressed to all interested in new results in the scheduling theory, especially to computer scientists, operations research analysts, and industrial engineers. The ACM Portal is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc. Terms of Usage Privacy Policy Code of Ethics Contact Us Useful downloads: Adobe Acrobat QuickTime Windows Media Player Real Player
The Complementary Effects of E-Markets on Existing Supplier-Buyer Relationships in a Supply Chain
Authors: Mu Xia, Nan Xia
Venue: Journal of Management Information Systems (2008)

E-markets have been established in many industries as a sourcing option for buyers. The existing literature focuses on the substitutional effect of e-markets on the traditional supply chain, yet in many situations, e-markets are used by buyers as a benchmarking tool in negotiations with traditional suppliers. This paper examines the role of e-markets in price negotiations and relationship-specific investments. We find that e-markets can be an effective tool to stimulate the traditional supplier's relationship-specific investments, lower the procurement prices, and improve the buyer's profitability and the supply-chain efficiency. Therefore, e-markets can complement rather than substitute for the traditional relationship-based supply chain. When there is quality uncertainty in the e-market offering, two effects of quality uncertainty on e-market adoption are identified. Better quality on average will increase e-market adoption, but surprisingly, increasing quality dispersion of e-markets will also help. Therefore, e-markets should strive to enlist suppliers with better quality products, but do not need to worry too much about the quality dispersion. Having better price transparency will also help in attracting more business from buyers.
Topological transformation approaches to optimizing TCAM-based packet classification systems
Authors: Chad R. Meiners, Alex X. Liu, Eric Torng
Venue: Proceedings of the eleventh international joint conference on Measurement and modeling of computer systems (2009)

Several range reencoding schemes have been proposed to mitigate the effect of range expansion and the limitations of small capacity, large power consumption, and high heat generation of TCAM-based packet classification systems. However, they all disregard the semantics of classifiers and therefore miss significant opportunities for space compression. In this paper, we propose new approaches to range reencoding by taking into account classifier semantics. Fundamentally different from prior work, we view reencoding as a topological transformation process from one colored hyperrectangle to another where the color is the decision associated with a given packet. We present two orthogonal, yet composable, reencoding approaches, domain compression and prefix alignment. Our techniques significantly outperform all previous reencoding techniques. In comparison with the state-of-the-art results, our experimental results show that our techniques achieve at least 7 times more space reduction in terms of TCAM space for an encoded classifier and at least 3 times more space reduction in terms of TCAM space for a reencoded classifier and its transformers.
Pole placement with disturbance attenuation in linear time-invariant systems using polynomial norms
Authors: José M. Araújo, Alexandre C. Castro, Eduardo T. F. Santos
Venue: Proceedings of the 4th WSEAS/IASME international conference on Dynamical systems and control (2008)

State feedback control in linear, time-invariant systems is a well-known technique for pole placement purposes. The multivariable case has an inherent extra degree of freedom, that is, there are many static feedback gains for the same closed-loop pole set choice. This feature gives to the designer the possibility of choosing the static gain by some desired criteria, like LQR, minimum sensibility of pole locations (robustness), and others. The monovariable case is more restrictive, but the stability can be achieved by suitable restriction of the poles to LHP. In this paper, a simple algorithm for static feedback gain determination is proposed, based on minimum square norm summation of the polynomials numerators of the system transfer matrix entries. The method requirements are also discussed, such as the non-convex nature of the minimization problem proposed. In some cases, disturbance quasi-decoupling is achieved, which is a highlight result in control system theory.
Efficient updating of biological sequence analysis based on dynamic programming
Authors: Ahmed H. Tewfik
Venue:  (2008)

Cutting-edge emerging life science technologies, such as genomics and proteomics, require highly scalable computational algorithm, to discover meaningful biological information, because of the tremendous data size and rapid changes in the data. In particular, a fast sequence analysis is on high demand in collaborative research environment where people share their knowledge each other and thus most data processes are frequently repeated several times. This dissertation examines the sensitivity analysis of Dynamic Programming which is widely used comparative sequence analysis. The thesis proposes new techniques to deal with a DNA sequencing error or a change in the scoring systems during a protein matching process without starting from scratch. It describes a new paradigm of the sensitivity analysis, called the relative node tolerance bound that can handle simultaneous changes on multiple node distances during Viterbi decoding. Furthermore, along a pruned searching space, the principle is applied to update either global or local sequence alignments that undergo error. The forward and backward posterior decoding design criterion is established to design tighter heuristic searching bands around the original alignment path by focusing on the highly conserved aligning regions. Consequently, the proposed heuristic bound consumes only 4.6% to 18% of the number of computations required by a normal Needleman-Wunch algorithm. In the update handling local alignment, the experiment shows that the modified updating local alignment algorithm only use 2.55% of a runtime of normal Smith-Waterman algorithm while it keeps compatible alignment accuracy.The thesis also presents a fast local sequence alignment over multiple scoring systems. Having statistical information that relates the location of a new alignment path with suboptimal paths computed previously, the proposed algorithm achieves both high specificity and sensitivity in finding potential segments such that it helps us identify new alignment paths quickly. In the ASTRAL SCOP 1.73 dataset, the experiments show that the proposed method is capable of locating a seed that is the highest island of score with an average accuracy of 96.96%, while using only 2.52% entries of a normal Dynamic Programming matrix.
Extension of Stochastic Dynamical System Involving Generalized Brownian Functionals
Authors: Lin Yu
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Neural Networks on Advances in Neural Networks (2009)

Applying white noise analysis theory, an extension of the stochastic dynamical system involving generalized Brownian functionals and anticipating diffusion coefficient is proposed, moreover, as it has been shown in the proof of theorem 3.1 that the Picard's iteration works rather well in the U-functional method in the extended system.
Discovering and representing systematic code changes
Authors: Miryung Kim, David Notkin
Venue: Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE 31st International Conference on Software Engineering (2009)

Software engineers often inspect program differences when reviewing others' code changes, when writing check-in comments, or when determining why a program behaves differently from expected behavior after modification. Program differencing tools that support these tasks are limited in their ability to group related code changes or to detect potential inconsistencies in those changes. To overcome these limitations and to complement existing approaches, we built Logical Structural Diff (LSdiff), a tool that infers systematic structural differences as logic rules. LSdiff notes anomalies from systematic changes as exceptions to the logic rules. We conducted a focus group study with professional software engineers in a large E-commerce company; we also compared LSdiff's results with textual differences and with structural differences without rules. Our evaluation suggests that LSdiff complements existing differencing tools by grouping code changes that form systematic change patterns regardless of their distribution throughout the code, and its ability to discover anomalies shows promise in detecting inconsistent changes.