ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Automatic detection of lameness in dairy cattle-Vision-based trackway analysis in cow's locomotion
Authors: Xiangyu Song, Toon Leroy, Erik Vranken, Willem Maertens, Bart Sonck, Daniel Berckmans
Venue: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (2008)

The occurrence of lameness in dairy cattle is of increasing importance in herd health management and herd productivity. Current practice, involves visual observation by human experts to score cow's locomotion in order to estimate the lameness in the herd. The trackway defined as ''hind hoof compared to fore hoof position'' is one of the main components to score the locomotion. However, because of the time-consuming observation method, lame cows are undiagnosed until the problem has become severe. Up till now there is no automatic (visual) method for detecting lameness in dairy cattle. The objective of our study was to make an automatic system for continuous on-farm detection and prediction of lameness in the farm by using vision techniques. The current focus was on demonstrating the possibility of capturing cow's hoof locations by vision and strong correlation between automatically calculated hoof trackway and visual locomotion scores. Fifteen selected lactating cows were scored visually by four trained observers at the Gent University Research Farm. Scoring varied from 1 (normal walking) to 5 (extremely lame). Side-view images with resolution of 1024x768pixels were recorded when cows passed an experimental set-up freely. Recorded videos were split into sequences of bitmap images. After background subtraction, binary image operations, calibration and hoof separation, the trackway information containing hoof location in the real world and its related time in the video was calculated. The accuracy of automatically captured results was checked by comparing with the output from manually labeled hoof locations. The mean correlation coefficient of all measurements was 94.8%. Hence, the results suggest that the automatic method by vision analysis is feasible to present the cows' real locomotion situations. The first result showed a positive linear relationship between cows' trackways overlap and locomotion scores by human visualization. This research proved that vision techniques have great potential to be used for continuous quantification of lameness in cows.
Evolving MEMS Resonator Designs for Fabrication
Authors: Gregory S. Hornby, William F. Kraus, Jason D. Lohn
Venue: Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Evolvable Systems: From Biology to Hardware (2008)

Because of their small size and high reliability, microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices have the potential to revolution many areas of engineering. As with conventionally-sized engineering design, there is likely to be a demand for the automated design of MEMS devices. This paper describes our current status as we progress toward our ultimate goal of using an evolutionary algorithm and a generative representation to produce designs of a MEMS device and successfully demonstrate its transfer to an actual chip. To produce designs that are likely to transfer to reality, we present two ways to modify evaluation of designs. The first is to add location noise, differences between the actual dimensions of the design and the design blueprint, which is a technique we have used for our work in evolving antennas and robots. The second method is to add prestress to model the warping that occurs during the extreme heat of fabrication. In future we expect to fabricate and test some MEMS resonators that are evolved in this way.
About the Completeness of Depth-First Proof-Number Search
Authors: Akihiro Kishimoto, Martin Müller
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Computers and Games (2008)

Depth-first proof-number (df-pn) search is a powerful member of the family of algorithms based on proof and disproof numbers. While df-pn has succeeded in practice, its theoretical properties remain poorly understood. This paper resolves the question of completeness of df-pn: its ability to solve any finite boolean-valued game tree search problem in principle, given unlimited amounts of time and memory. The main results are that df-pn is complete on finite directed acyclic graphs (DAG) but incomplete on finite directed cyclic graphs (DCG).
Medical Image Segmentation by a Multi-Agent System Approach
Authors: Nacéra Benamrane, Samir Nassane
Venue: Proceedings of the 5th German conference on Multiagent System Technologies (2007)

In this paper, we propose an approach for medical Image segmentation based on a FIPA compliant multi-agent system. The idea consists in merging the regions following several criteria and with a massive population of situated agents which cooperate, negotiate with the help of interaction protocols and communicate by passing asynchronous messages. The efficiency of our approach is shown through some experimental results.
Plenary lecture four: data mining through data visualisation: computational intelligence approaches
Authors: Colin Fyfe
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th WSEAS International Conference on Signal Processing, Robotics and Automation (2008)

One of the major tasks today is to create information from data. We do not mean to define information in terms of Shannon or indeed any other mathematical definition but information in terms of the subjective experience of a viewer of the data. People (and probably animals) are very good at pattern recognition; we are far more robust pattern matchers than any current computer programs. Increasingly however, we are dealing with high dimensional (and often high volume) data so to gain intuitions about a data set, we often project data onto low dimensional manifolds. One question which arises then, is what projections to low dimensional manifolds are best in order to present the projected data to a human user. We illustrate several projections which have been found by artificial neural network extensions of Hebbian learning. We then show examples of similar projections found by reinforcement learning; our rationale in this case is that we have agents interacting proactively with a database examining different projections and, without human intervention, getting rewards when the projections reveal some interesting structure. We then give examples of the same projections found by other computational intelligence methods such as the cross entropy method and artificial immune systems. We then examine projections to nonlinear manifolds and show that with a particular model of an underlying latent space, we may identify clusters in data sets when such clusters are not visible in any low dimensional linear projection. Finally we review different data representation techniques: we begin with parallel coordinates and point out some difficulties with this method before reviewing Andrews' Curves, a method from the 1970s which has only become truly practicable with the advent of modern desktop computers. An extension to this method came from Wegman and his colleagues in the 1990s. We also discuss a more recent extension and illustrate three dimensional projections of data samples dancing together.
Vapnik-Chervonenkis Dimension of Parallel Arithmetic Computations
Authors: César L. Alonso, José Luis Montaña
Venue: Proceedings of the 18th international conference on Algorithmic Learning Theory (2007)

We provide upper bounds for the Vapnik-Chervonenkis dimension of concept classes parameterized by real numbers whose membership tests are programs described by bounded-depth arithmetic networks. Our upper bounds are of the kind O(k 2 d 2), where d is the depth of the network (representing the parallel running time) and k is the number of parameters needed to codify the concept. This bound becomes O(k 2 d) when membership tests are described by Boolean-arithmetic circuits. As a consequence we conclude that families of concepts classes having parallel polynomial time algorithms expressing their membership tests have polynomial VC dimension.
AURA: a programming language for authorization and audit
Authors: Limin Jia, Jeffrey A. Vaughan, Karl Mazurak, Jianzhou Zhao, Luke Zarko, Joseph Schorr, Steve Zdancewic
Venue: Proceeding of the 13th ACM SIGPLAN international conference on Functional programming (2008)

This paper presents AURA, a programming language for access control that treats ordinary programming constructs (e.g., integers and recursive functions) and authorization logic constructs (e.g., principals and access control policies) in a uniform way. AURA is based on polymorphic DCC and uses dependent types to permit assertions that refer directly to AURA values while keeping computation out of the assertion level to ensure tractability. The main technical results of this paper include fully mechanically verified proofs of the decidability and soundness for AURA's type system, and a prototype typechecker and interpreter.
Critical Block Scheduling: A Thread-Level Parallelizing Mechanism for a Heterogeneous Chip Multiprocessor Architecture
Authors: Slo-Li Chu
Venue: Languages and Compilers for Parallel Computing: 20th International Workshop, LCPC 2007, Urbana, IL, USA, October 11-13, 2007, Revised Selected Papers (2007)

Processor-in-Memory (PIM) architectures are developed for high-performance computing by integrating processing units with memory blocks into a single chip to reduce the performance gap between the processor and the memory. The PIM architecture combines heterogeneous processors in a single system. These processors are characterized by their computation and memory-access capabilities. Therefore, a novel mechanism must be developed to identify their capabilities and dispatch the appropriate tasks to these heterogeneous processing elements. Accordingly, this paper presents a novel parallelizing mechanism, called Critical Block Scheduling to fully utilize all of the heterogeneous processors in the PIM architecture. Integrated with our thread-level parallelizing system, Octans, this mechanism decomposes the original program into blocks, produces corresponding dependence graph, creates a feasible execution schedule, and generates corresponding threads for the host and memory processors. The proposed Critical Block Scheduling not only can parallelize programs for PIM architectures but also can apply on other Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) and Chip Multiprocessor (CMP) architectures which consist of multiple heterogeneous processors. The experimental results of real benchmarks are also discussed.
3D Reconstruction on MRI to Analyse Marbling and Fat Level in Iberian Loin
Authors: M. M. Ávila, M. L. Durán, T. Antequera, R. Palacios, M. Luquero
Venue: Proceedings of the 3rd Iberian conference on Pattern Recognition and Image Analysis, Part I (2007)

Dry-cured Iberian pig products are some of the most valuables meat products in Spain. Visually discernible features of fat and lean, such as marbling, have an effect on the acceptability of these products. Marbling properties include the amount and spatial distribution of intramuscular fat streaks. Thresholding techniques are the simplest and most widely used for image segmentation, but pay no attention to all spatial information on the images. In this paper we propose another method to evaluate fat level in loin and make a three-dimensional visualization with only the isolated fat in order to give knowledge about fat distribution, and about width of fat streaks, helping the experts in food science to analyze marbling. In order for fat isolation we apply a method based on a pyramidal decomposition of images combined with region-growing techniques. 3D reconstruction is obtained by marching cubes algorithm.
Business Rules and Services in the Context of Model Driven Architecture
Authors: Aqueo Kamada
Venue: Proceedings of the 2008 11th IEEE International Conference on Computational Science and Engineering - Workshops (2008)

Nowadays, the relationships between people and organizations are subject to fast changes. This paper proposes a model for flexible business rules modeling in the context of Model Driven Architecture from OMG - Object Management Group. Considering that some business logic portions are quite volatile and susceptible to changes and other portions are quite stable and less susceptible to changes, the model can capture business changes and quickly implement them into computational systems. The volatile portions are externalized as business rules and the stable portions as SOA based services. Business rules’ facts and conditions are linked to services, which are discovered in the business rules development or maintenance time. Business rules are modeled according to OMG’s Semantics of Business Vocabularies and Business Rules Metamodel.
Cognitive image representation based on spectrum pyramid decomposition
Authors: Roumen Kountchev, Stuart Rubin, Mariofanna Milanova, Vladimir Todorov, Roumiana Kountcheva
Venue: Proceedings of the 10th WSEAS International Conference on Mathematical Methods and Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering (2008)

The contemporary image representation is based on various techniques, using matrices, vectors, multi-resolution pyramids, R-tree, orthogonal transforms, anisotropic perceptual representations, etc. In this paper is offered one new approach for cognitive image representation based on adaptive spectrum pyramid decomposition controlled by neural networks. This approach corresponds to the hypothesis of the human way for image recognition using consecutive approximations with increasing resolution for the selected regions of interest. Such image representation is suitable for the creation of the objects' learning models, which should be extracted from image databases in accordance with predefined decision rules. Significant element of the new representation is the use of a feedback, which to provide iterative change of the cognitive models' parameters in accordance with the data mining results obtained.
Estimates of Approximation Rates by Gaussian Radial-Basis Functions
Authors: Paul C. Kainen, Věra Kůrková, Marcello Sanguineti
Venue: Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Adaptive and Natural Computing Algorithms, Part II (2007)

Rates of approximation by networks with Gaussian RBFs with varying widths are investigated. For certain smooth functions, upper bounds are derived in terms of a Sobolev-equivalent norm. Coefficients involved are exponentially decreasing in the dimension. The estimates are proven using Bessel potentials as auxiliary approximating functions.
Preserving Functional Dependency in XML Data Transformation
Authors: Md. Sumon Shahriar, Jixue Liu
Venue: Proceedings of the 12th East European conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems (2008)

With the advent of XML as a data representation and exchange format over the web, a massive amount of data is being stored in XML. The task of data transformation for integration purposes in XML is getting much importance to the research community. In XML data transformation, a source schema and its conforming data are transformed to a target schema. The source schema often has integrity constraints to enforce semantics. One type of constraints is XML functional dependency (XFD). When a source schema is transformed to a target schema, XFDs can also be transformed. Thus, the problems how schema and data transformation should cause XFD transformation becomes important. We study the effects of transformation on XFDs in this research. Towards this problem, we first define the XFDs over the XML Document Type Definition(DTD) and the satisfactions of XFDs. We then show how XFDs are transformed and valid when the DTDs are transformed. We further investigate whether the transformed XFDs are preserved by the transformed data.
Comparative Study of Real-Time Multimedia Transmission over Multi-homing Transport Protocols
Authors: Changqiao Xu, Yuansong Qiao, Enda Fallon, Gabriel-Miro Muntean, Paul Jacob, Austin Hanley
Venue: Proceedings of the 11th IFIP/IEEE international conference on Management of Multimedia and Mobile Networks and Services: Management of Converged Multimedia Networks and Services (2008)

The availability of multimedia applications suitable for deployment using 3G and GPRS networks has led to a requirement for end-to-end quality of service. More efficient mechanisms are needed in order to provide the required end user quality of service in wireless data networks. This paper investigates the performance implications of transmitting real-time multimedia content over a multi-homed transport protocol in a manner which is tolerant of network failure. It evaluates video quality with different retransmission policies combined with various path failure detection thresholds, path bandwidths, delays and loss rate conditions through Partial Reliable Stream Control Transmission Protocol (PR-SCTP). A solution called Evalvid-SCTP, which is a trace driven simulation of MPEG-4 video over SCTP, was designed to achieve the performance evaluation.
Public Yet Private: The Status, Durability and Visibility of Handover Sheets
Authors: Rebecca Randell, Peter Woodward, Stephanie Wilson, Julia Galliers
Venue: Proceedings of the 2008 21st IEEE International Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (2008)

Drawing on data from a multi-site case study of a range of clinical settings, this paper explores the form of nursing handover sheets and the processes through which they are created and updated. We argue that these documents function as both public and private documents, having relevance for the whole ward while also acting as a personal workspace. Such dual functionality needs to be supported by any technology that seeks to provide for the work of handover, if the handover sheet is to continue to act as a space for work, rather than just a repository of information.
The Role of Field Data for Analyzing the Dependability of Short Range Wireless Technologies
Authors: Gabriella Carrozza, Marcello Cinque
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th IFIP WG 10.2 international workshop on Software Technologies for Embedded and Ubiquitous Systems (2008)

The migration from mobile to ubiquitous Internet is at hand, due to the intense growth of short range wireless technologies. Users accessing the Internet through wireless devices are increasing, if compared to "wired" ones, and they expect the same dependability level they already experience on wired networks, that is high quality "always on" wireless networks. But how can we analyze the dependability level of a wireless network? Direct analysis of failures from the field of application is an effective practice to understand the actual dependability behavior of an operational system. However, despite its wide use over the last four decades on a large variety of systems, field data analysis has rarely been applied to wireless networks. Through the experience gained from extensive failure analysis of Bluetooth networks, the article shows how field failure data can play a key role to fill the gap on understanding the dependability behavior of wireless networks.
Separation Logic Contracts for a Java-Like Language with Fork/Join
Authors: Christian Haack, Clément Hurlin
Venue: Proceedings of the 12th international conference on Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology (2008)

We adapt a variant of permission-accounting separation logic to a concurrent Java-like language with fork/join. To support both concurrent reads and information hiding, we combine fractional permissions with abstract predicates. As an example, we present a separation logic contract for iterators that prevents data races and concurrent modifications. Our program logic is presented in an algorithmic style: we avoid structural rules for Hoare triples and formalize logical reasoning about typed heaps by natural deduction rules and a set of sound axioms. We show that verified programs satisfy the following properties: data race freedom, absence of null-dereferences and partial correctness.
Rd network services: differentiation through performance incentives
Authors: Maxim Podlesny, Sergey Gorinsky
Venue: ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review (2008)

With the Internet offering a single best-effort service, there have been numerous proposals of diversified network services that align better with the divergent needs of different distributed applications. The failure of these innovative architectures to gain wide deployment is primarily due to economic and legacy issues, rather than technical shortcomings. We propose a new paradigm for network service differentiation where design principles account explicitly for the multiplicity of Internet service providers and users as well as their economic interests in environments with partly deployed new services. Our key idea is to base the service differentiation on performance itself, rather than price. The proposed RD (Rate-Delay) services enable a user to choose between a higher transmission rate or low queuing delay at a congested network link. An RD router supports the two services by maintaining two queues per output link and achieves the intended rate-delay differentiation through simple link scheduling and dynamic buffer sizing. After analytically deriving specific rules for RD router operation, we conduct extensive simulations that confirm effectiveness of the RD services geared for incremental deployment in the Internet.
Domain Adaptation of a Broadcast News Transcription System for the Portuguese Parliament
Authors: Luís Neves, Ciro Martins, Hugo Meinedo, João Neto
Venue: Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Computational Processing of the Portuguese Language (2008)

The main goal of this work is the adaptation of a broadcast news transcription system to a new domain, namely, the Portuguese Parliament plenary meetings. This paper describes the different domain adaptation steps that lowered our baseline absolute word error rate from 20.1% to 16.1%. These steps include the vocabulary selection, in order to include specific domain terms, language model adaptation, by interpolation of several different models, and acoustic model adaptation, using an unsupervised confidence based approach.
Triangular-Patch Based Texture Synthesis over Arbitrary Surfaces
Authors: Wei Li, Yuan-yuan Han, Jia-xin Chen
Venue: Proceedings of the 2008 Congress on Image and Signal Processing, Vol. 4 - Volume 04 (2008)

We present an improved texture synthesis algorithm over arbitrary surfaces in this paper. The algorithm adopt the searching strategy of restriction degree to compute the texture coordinates of each triangular patch. It reduces the restrictive conditions as searching for the best matching patches and debases the complexity of the algorithm at the same time. Then aiming at the local boundary unmatching phenomenon, we find the best cut path between the overlap regions through extending graph cut technique. In particular, we combine the texture synthesis algorithm with illumination model to gain more natural effect. The results show that our solution fits to a wide range of sample textures and arbitrary surfaces.
Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing
Authors: María Ruz, Anna C. Nobre
Venue: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2008)

Selective attention has the potential to enhance the initial processing of objects, their spatial locations, or their constituent features. The present study shows that this capacity to modulate initial stages of processing also applies to linguistic attributes. A cueing paradigm focused attention at different levels of word representations on a trial-by-trial basis to study the time course of attentional modulation on visual word processing by means of a high-density electrophysiology recording system. Attention to different linguistic attributes modulated components related to semantic, phonological, and orthographic stages of word processing. Crucially, the N200, associated with initial stages of orthographic decoding, was enhanced by attention to the letter pattern of words. These results suggest that top-down attention has the capacity to enhance initial perceptual stages of visual word processing and support the flexibility of attention in modulating different levels of information processing depending on task goals.