Standard Character Research Articles

From Image to Translation

The lack of computational support has significantly slowed down automatic understanding of endangered languages. In this paper, we take Nyushu (simplified Chinese: 女书; literally: “women’s writing”) as a case study to present the first computational approach that combines Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing techniques to deeply understand an endangered language. We developed an end-to-end system to read a scanned hand-written Nyushu article, segment it into characters, link them to standard characters, and then translate the article into Mandarin Chinese. We propose several novel methods to address the new challenges introduced by noisy input and low resources, including Nyushu-specific feature selection for character segmentation and linking, and character linking lattice based Machine Translation. The end-to-end system performance indicates that the system is a promising approach and can serve as a standard benchmark.

TNT version 1.5, including a full implementation of phylogenetic morphometrics.

Version 1.5 of the computer program TNT completely integrates landmark data into phylogenetic analysis. Landmark data consist of coordinates (in two or three dimensions) for the terminal taxa; TNT reconstructs shapes for the internal nodes such that the difference between ancestor and descendant shapes for all tree branches sums up to a minimum; this sum is used as tree score. Landmark data can be analysed alone or in combination with standard characters; all the applicable commands and options in TNT can be used transparently after reading a landmark data set. The program continues implementing all the types of analyses in former versions, including discrete and continuous characters (which can now be read at any scale, and automatically rescaled by TNT). Using algorithms described in this paper, searches for landmark data can be made tens to hundreds of times faster than it was possible before (from T to 3T times faster, where T is the number of taxa), thus making phylogenetic analysis of landmarks feasible even on standard personal computers.

The Korean Character Code: A National Controversy, 1987-1995

Adequately representing the Korean language has been a challenge since the earliest introduction of digital computing and computer-mediated communication. As a local solution to the more general problem of the internationalization of computer languages, the Korean government introduced a new standard character code known as KSC-5601 in 1987. This article traces the history of the Korean character code, from the introduction of the KSC-5601:1987 standard (which stirred up a decade of controversy that was as much political, economic, and cultural as it was technological) to the adoption of the Unicode system.

Anti-hero Worship: The Emergence of the “Byronic hero” Archetype in the Nineteenth Century

Anti-hero Worship:The Emergence of the "Byronic hero" Archetype in the Nineteenth Century Cora Palfy (bio) Introduction The works of poet Lord Byron were a tour de force over the course of the nineteenth century—from the serial release of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812–1818), ever-famous poetry like Don Juan (1819), and his dramatic stage works, such as Manfred (1817), Byron can be noted as one of the most highly influential authors and artists of his time.1 Though Byronic style and traits were adopted by a variety of authors and poets throughout Europe, Byron's influence stretched beyond the literary. Berlioz, Brahms, Schumann, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, and other nineteenth-century composers also adopted Byronic plots or narrative elements and incorporated them into musical works.2 Aside from the polemical writing style and sensational authorial persona that mark his work as distinct, Byron also introduced a unique character type, the "Byronic hero." This novel hero manipulated standard behaviors and plot outcomes associated with earlier conceptions [End Page 161] of the "hero" archetype, creating an entirely new standard character that revolutionized literature and art.3 The archetypical twists necessary to produce a Byronic hero provide a prime opportunity to investigate Byron's influence on musical composition during the mid-nineteenth century. If the Byronic hero was initially a manipulation of standard narrative expectations and character types, how did composers adapt stock patterns and manipulate listener expectations in order to communicate a musical Byronic hero? This paper provides three case studies that demonstrate recurrent patterns of topical troping in Byronic music. My analyses reveal that pieces, such as Schumann's Manfred Overture, Op. 115, Tchaikovsky's "Manfred" Symphony, Op. 58, I, and Berlioz's Harold en Italie, Op. 16, I all contain military and ombra topics, formal deformations, and obsessively reiterated thematic gestures. The coalescence of these elements communicates the impression of the lovelorn, obsessive, and static Byronic hero. The presence of these features calls into question the representation and variety of musical heroes in the nineteenth century and the way in which topics can be manipulated to convey nuanced, specific character types. Heroism and its Adaptations in Music and Literature The "hero" archetype has been present in literature since the earliest mythologies. Psychoanalyst and ethnographer Joseph Campbell has noted that hero mythology is a cultural universal and that heroic journeys have been a part of these mythologies as symbolic representations of human psychological and biological development.4 Campbell's heroic "monomyth" articulates a common framework underlying the hero's journey—the hero undergoes a cycle of separation, initiation, and return.5 Separation entails both the introduction of a hero and his departure from home, initiation includes the hero's trials and tribulations, and finally, the hero victoriously returns with transcendent, enlightened knowledge.6 Campbell defines the hero thus, "The hero, therefore, is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and [End Page 162] local historical limitations to the generally valid, normal human forms."7 Campbell's ideas of an individuated hero symbolically vanquishing the troubles of his era correspond well with the prominent traits of the many varieties of hero available in contemporary literature and film. Campbell's definition of hero in the universal monomyth, however, leaves much room for refinement and growth in these various genres. The diverse varieties of hero extant today stem from an explosion in and evolution of heroic literary types in the eighteenth century. Peter Thorslev's study on the Byronic hero surveys pre-Romantic and early Romantic distinctions between distinct hero types, each of which feeds into Byron's later archetype.8 Thorslev details three eighteenth-century hero types, the "Child of Nature, the Hero of Sensibility, and the Gothic Villain" and four Romantic hero types, the "Noble Outlaw… the Faust-figure, Cain and the Wandering Jew, and Satan-Prometheus."9 Each of these character types shares certain features, such as an understanding of a higher moral,10 noble spirit or elevated social role, and the role of accomplishing action or resolving conflicts throughout a plot. These peremptory heroic types laid the groundwork for the later Byronic hero. This hero, which today might...

Variation in Shell Morphology and Adult Specimen Weight in Three Varieties of a Commercially Important Gastropod Turbinella Pyrum (Linnaeus, 1767) From Southeast Coast of India

Using morphological traits including weight, the genetic group effect in three varieties of Turbinella pyrum was determined. A total of 300 T. pyrum individuals (100 per variety) were used. The morphometric analysis showed that the shell outer lip thickness and operculum width were found to be significantly different in between the three varieties of T. pyrum. The study also showed that the shell length, body whorl length and operculum length significantly differed in between G1 (var. obtusa) and G2 (var. acuta synonymous T. rapa) and shell width differed significantly in between G2 (var. acuta) and G3 (var. globosa). The effect of genetic group on the shell depth and adult animal weight were found to be non-significant. The observed mean length, width and depth in G1 genetic group (var. obtusa) supports its higher market value in comparison to the other two genetic groups studied. This variety has moderate lip thickness, which may be another reason for its higher demand in bangle industry than the other two genetic groups. The G2 (var. acuta) and G3 (var. globosa) genetic groups although comparatively larger, have a disproportionate body size then G1 (var. obtusa). The standardized shell morphological characters in present study are helpful to draw primary guidelines for identification of three T. pyrum varieties studied. The present morphometry data on T. pyrum varieties also plays key role for species description and also for their domestication.

The Production Pipeline for Large Quantity 3D Mobile Game Character of Regular Shape

With continuous improvement of the performance of mobile devices, the development about 3D mobile games has been actively increasing. In particular, the recent introduction of RPG mobile games featuring a number of standardized characters has been attracting people’s attention. Given the development environment of mobile games, which allows relatively shorter production period than in other platforms, it is necessary to secure optimized production pipelines in order to ensure the consistency in the outcomes while maintaining the same quality in those game characters. For this reason, this study aims at analyzing the structure of the characters of 3D mobile games featuring multiple characters and providing a more effective work process where developers can produce a number of standardized game characters.

Resurrection of the Comoran fish scale gecko Geckolepis humbloti Vaillant, 1887 reveals a disjunct distribution caused by natural overseas dispersal

Fish scale geckos (Geckolepis) are taxonomically poorly resolved, mainly because of the difficulty of applying standard morphological characters to diagnose taxa. Three species, Geckolepis maculata, G. polylepis, and G. typica, are currently recognized from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Molecular studies suggested a number of operational taxonomical units within the G. maculata complex, but none of these has been formally described. The Comoran population was described as Geckolepis humbloti Vaillant 1887 but later synonymized. Prior to our study, no genetic data and little other information were available for this taxon. We revised the status of G. humbloti using molecular genetics, external morphology, and osteological characters retrieved from 3D skeletal models created using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Our results demonstrate that G. humbloti represents a genetic lineage strongly distinct from all other Geckolepis species. It is furthermore distinguished by a combination of external morphological characters and probably by osteology. We therefore resurrect G. humbloti Vaillant, 1887 from synonymy with G. maculata. Remarkably, this lineage is not restricted to the Comoros: A specimen from Tsingy de Bemaraha in western Madagascar falls as a closely related sister lineage to all Comoran Geckolepis in our molecular phylogenetic analysis and is osteologically almost identical with a specimen from the type locality Grand Comoro. We therefore include it in G. humbloti. The phylogenetic topology and the intraspecific genetic divergences suggest that the Comoros were colonized naturally from western Madagascar by overseas dispersal. G. humbloti is not considered as threatened, but its presence is indicative of natural or near-natural habitats.

Continuity and Change in International Standardization

Standards reflect preferences and values of a given society which may – and usually do – diverge, thereby inflating compliance costs for companies. If developed internationally, then substantial gains can be made through the diminution of such costs and by addressing network externalities, interoperability issues and information asymmetries. Thus, and quite inevitably, the main locus of standardisation is to be found outside national borders. With the emergence of global supply chains, the importance of international standards increases, suggesting that compatibility standards of high quality can yield substantial network effects that can make such standards self-enforcing. However, the reduction of compliance costs may be only a long-term effect, as, in the short run, the effect of international standards may vary in that compliance costs will rise for some firms, as the new standard used may be more sophisticated. At the same time, an international standard, the theory suggests, would bring about a diminution of consumer costs, as information becomes more readily available and prices more readily comparable.For a long time, the voluntary character of international standards kept international standard-setting outside the radar of public attention. However, standard-setting has grown in prominence, affecting everyday life and many times bypassing State regulation. The State, on the other side, adopts a hands-off approach due to its lack of technical expertise. This short note serves as an introduction to an edited volume on international standards, identifying the linkages between standardization, on one side, and trade, development and innovation.

Experimental realization of a quantum support vector machine.

The fundamental principle of artificial intelligence is the ability of machines to learn from previous experience and do future work accordingly. In the age of big data, classical learning machines often require huge computational resources in many practical cases. Quantum machine learning algorithms, on the other hand, could be exponentially faster than their classical counterparts by utilizing quantum parallelism. Here, we demonstrate a quantum machine learning algorithm to implement handwriting recognition on a four-qubit NMR test bench. The quantum machine learns standard character fonts and then recognizes handwritten characters from a set with two candidates. Because of the wide spread importance of artificial intelligence and its tremendous consumption of computational resources, quantum speedup would be extremely attractive against the challenges of big data.

Variation in fiber cables in the lacunae of leaves in hybrid swarms of Typha × glauca

The presence or absence of fiber cables in the lacunae of the last formed leaf blades of flowering Typha plants is a diagnostic character. The fiber cables are present in all leaves of Typha angustifolia L., but are absent in the last formed leaves of Typha latifolia L. We find great variation in the presence of fiber cables in the last formed leaves of individuals in stands of Typha×glauca Godr. (pro sp.). We find that individuals that comprise the hybrid swarms that are closer to T. angustifolia in terms of standard characters have fiber cables in most or all of the last formed leaf blades before the inflorescence. By contrast, those individuals closer to T. latifolia in terms of standard characters do not have fiber cables in the last formed leaves before the inflorescence. The lengths of the longest fiber cables are correlated with the lengths of the leaves in T. angustifolia and the “angustifolioid” T.×glauca, but not in T. latifolia and the “latifolioid” T.×glauca. The variability in the taxonomically, morphologically and biomechanically-significant fiber cables in the lacunae in reproductive plants may be useful in characterizing and understanding the composition of a Typha stand.

Bessarabian Stamps by Oleg Woolf

European metropolis atop a map of Mexico ’s capital. Spatial and temporal confusion ensues as Arturo explores his own psyche; the protagonist mixes up other characters and becomes involved—like Luis—in Mexico City’s violent and sordid demimonde. During Arturo’s psychological journey of self-discovery—recounted in chapters that oftentimes alternate settings (Mexico City and Paris) but ultimately end up admixing locales—Wong mines liberally from surrealism. Thus Arturo takes to the streets of both cities like a Benjaminian flâneur , where he steels himself for the tritest bits of mass culture (sensationalist tabloids, lucha libre matches), even while sleeping with a prostitute and waxing poetic about a woman he’s never met—the suggestively named Nadia. Wong does not conceal his indebtedness to surrealism. The author explicitly engages André Breton’s Nadja (1928) as well as Julio Cortázar’s short story from 1966, “El otro cielo” (“The Other Heaven”), which also examines a protagonist’s dialectic consciousness stretched tautly across two shores. Like the surrealists, Wong’s interest in the spectacle, savagery, and even eroticism of public violence can ultimately be traced back to Comte de Lautréamont’s Les Chants de Maldoror. In the novel’s final scene, we see the would-be assailant, Luis, cajole Arturo to burn down his (Arturo’s) childhood apartment. The conclusion offers a purifying vision of destruction: only by channeling memories properly, decathecting from past pain, and accepting the crippling contingency of the everyday can individuals transcend the ordinary. Indeed, the conclusion intimates Breton’s caustic, pithy pronouncement from his Second Manifesto of Surrealism: “The simplest Surrealist act consists of dashing down into the street, pistol in hand, and firing blindly, as fast as you can pull the trigger, into the crowd.” Wong’s bright prose attempts to break with the political corruption and intense violence that hang over Mexico like smog. Like the surrealists, Wong, too, suggests that literature can be transgressive. Kevin M. Anzzolin Wheaton College Oleg Woolf. Bessarabian Stamps. Boris Dralyuk, tr. Los Angeles. Phoneme Media. 2015. isbn 9781939419286 The poetic proclivity of Moldovan-born Oleg Woolf is everywhere present in his Bessarabian Stamps, a prose work written in a lyrical style, unrestrained in its use of alliteration and allegory (see WLT, Nov. 2011, 52). The book consists of sixteen darkly whimsical “stamps” (most of which are nearly short enough to fit on the back of a postcard) that feel more akin to fables than short stories, each one joined to the next through common characters and thematic concerns rather than storyline or chronology. While the colorful residents of the Moldovan village of Sănduleni are central to these stories, each remains largely inscrutable. In lieu of standard character development, Woolf details their superficial traits—physical features, occupations, and habits. The clairvoyant Feodasi, with eyes each a different shade of blue, is consulted for advice “as a soothsayer, interpreter, and miracle worker . . . or just in case.” Day after day he sits under a plum tree rereading a treatise on the role of birds in Odessan seafaring. Like the other villagers, Feodasi’s thoughts and feelings remain intentionally obscured, which makes reading Bessarabian Stamps a bit like viewing the negative of a photograph—the negative’s inverted exposure obscures those very parts of the image that would facilitate recognition and understanding of it. There is an uninhibited joy in Woolf’s writing, and translator Boris Dralyuk impresses with his ability to capture this quality in translation. Invented words are playfully scattered about: “morning’s morninger than evening; . . . . details were separated from the happenchaff along with the wheat”; as are sensory-laden descriptions : stars that “burst, crunched, and crackled over Sănduleni, like a barrel of fermented cucumbers”; and a tempestuous bride who is “like an apple orchard in a May thunderstorm.” Woolf cleverly pairs opposing concepts to convey ironies that are absurd and at the same time hold traces of meaning: “Ever since he grew fat, he’s lost a little weight, and when we meet him, he might tell us that the ailment’s primary symptom is death; and, [t]he firstborn had entered the world so old that knowledgeable people, shaking their heads, tried to...

Kontrolować czy nie, ale jeśli kontrolować, to w jaki sposób? Wyzwania związane ze zjawiskiem nowych substancji psychoaktywnych

Kontrolować czy nie, ale jeśli kontrolować, to w jaki sposób? Wyzwania związane ze zjawiskiem nowych substancji psychoaktywnych

Morphometric characterisation of the native Honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, of Saudi Arabia

The morphometry of native honeybees from Saudi Arabia was analysed and compared with 7 Apis mellifera subspecies, based on 198 colony samples from 36 locations. Twenty five standard morphological characters were evaluated, and samples were compared with seven reference honeybee subspecies (Apis mellifera carnica, A. m. ligustica, A. m. meda, A. m. syriaca, A. m. lamarckii, A. m. litorea and A. m. jemenitica) obtained from the Oberursel Data Bank (Institut für Bienenkunde, Frankfurt University, Germany). Results confirmed that samples from Saudi Arabia are very similar to samples from the subspecies A. m. jemenitica (Ruttner, 1967), previously described from Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Samples were well-separated from the other subspecies, but the distinction was less in relation to A. m. litorea. While locally kept bees were well-separated, samples from migratory beekeeping showed broader variation and were less clearly separated, indicating the influence of ingression and hybridization with introduced honeybee subspecies.

A new method for Arabic/Farsi numeral data set size reduction via modified frequency diagram matching

Purpose – Pattern recognition systems often have to handle problem of large volume of training data sets including duplicate and similar training samples. This problem leads to large memory requirement for saving and processing data, and the time complexity for training algorithms. The purpose of the paper is to reduce the volume of training part of a data set – in order to increase the system speed, without any significant decrease in system accuracy. Design/methodology/approach – A new technique for data set size reduction – using a version of modified frequency diagram approach – is presented. In order to reduce processing time, the proposed method compares the samples of a class to other samples in the same class, instead of comparing samples from different classes. It only removes patterns that are similar to the generated class template in each class. To achieve this aim, no feature extraction operation was carried out, in order to produce more precise assessment on the proposed data size reduction technique. Findings – The results from the experiments, and according to one of the biggest handwritten numeral standard optical character recognition (OCR) data sets, Hoda, show a 14.88 percent decrease in data set volume without significant decrease in performance. Practical implications – The proposed technique is effective for size reduction for all pictorial databases such as OCR data sets. Originality/value – State-of-the-art algorithms currently used for data set size reduction usually remove samples near to class's centers, or support vector (SV) samples between different classes. However, the samples near to a class center have valuable information about class characteristics, and they are necessary to build a system model. Also, SV s are important samples to evaluate the system efficiency. The proposed technique, unlike the other available methods, keeps both outlier samples, as well as the samples close to the class centers.

Temperament und Charaktereigenschaften als protektive Faktoren bei Jugendlichen in stationären Jugendhilfeeinrichtungen

Although adolescents in juvenile residential facilities are at high risk for mental disorders, not all of these adolescents develop psychiatric symptoms. The aim of our study was to define traits protecting these adolescents. A total of 314 adolescents of 20 juvenile residential facilities were examined using standardized assessment instruments (Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI)). Educators of the facilities filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire for each participant. Adolescents were divided into two groups (resilient vs. mental problems) by CBCL-Cut-off-Scores. Analyses were based on these two groups. Resilient youth differed from youth with psychiatric symptoms in temperament- and character-traits (e. g. self-directedness F = 28.4, p < .001, d = 0.64) with small to moderate effect sizes (d = 0.36 to 0.64). Resilient adolescents lived in larger facilities (U = 9080, p = .025). No associations were found between gender and resilience, as well as age at placement in the facility and duration of the stay in the facility and resilience. Significant differences in temperament- and character-traits between resilient adolescents and adolescents with mental problems were identified. Especially character-traits could be a basis for developing strategies for promoting mental health and further resilience factors, as social support.

Artificial neural networks in online semiautomated pest discriminability: an applied case with 2 Thrips species

Being faced with practical problems in pest identification, we present a methodical paper based on artificial neural networks to discriminate morphologically very similar species, Thrips sambuci Heeger, 1854 and Thrips fuscipennis Haliday, 1836 (Thysanoptera: Thripinae), as an applied case for more general use. The artificially intelligent system may be successfully applied as a credible, online, semiautomated identification tool that extracts hidden information from noisy data, even when the standard characters have much overlap and the common morphological keys hint at the practical problem of high morphological plasticity. Statistical analysis of 17 characters, measured or determined for each Thrips fuscipennis and T. sambuci specimen (reared from larvae in our laboratories), including 15 quantitative morphometric variables, was performed to elucidate morphological plasticity, detect eventual outliers, and visualize differences between the studied taxa. The computational strategy applied in this study includes a set of statistical tools (factor analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and linear discriminant analysis) followed by the application of a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network system, which models functions of almost arbitrary complexity. This complex approach has proven the existence of 2 separate species: T. fuscipennis and T. sambuci. All the specimens could be clearly distinguished with 2 distinct subgroups for each species, determined by sex. In conclusion, the use of an optimal 3-layer ANN architecture (17, 4, 1) enables fast and reliable 100% classification as proven during the extensive verification process.

Morphmetric analysis of apis cerana populations in Huangshan, China

Abstract Honey bees (Apis cerana Fabricius) were collected from 195 colonies at seven different localities spanning the main beekeeping areas in Huangshan. Morphometric methods were used to measure seven standard morphometric characters, and these bees were compared to samples from the Henan, Shandong, and Yunnan provinces. Principal component analysis of the total Huangshan database yielded two clusters: bees from Jinxian and Jixixian, and those from other localities. Within the latter cluster, discriminant and hierarchical cluster analyses revealed overlapping regional sub-clusters: bees from Huangshanqu, Qimenxian, Huizhouqu, and Shexian, and those from Yixian. Significant differences between the means of the three clusters were demonstrated using Wilks’ lambda statistic. Morphocluster separation was related to altitude differences. Moreover, we noted some regions with high intercolonial variance, suggesting introgression among these defined honeybee populations.

Preventing Exclusion of Small-Scale-Farmers Through Private Standards in the Global Food Chain A Research Agenda

Compliance with private standards is rapidly becoming the decisive factor distinguishing inclusion and exclusion from the market for agricultural producers. If Africa would manage to increase its total exports by just 1%, this would make an impact surpassing the entire western development aid. Agriculture holds the largest potential to come closer to realising this ambition. For SFFs to receive a fair share or even to just survive in the globalising world, they need to have access to the local and global food markets. Research is needed that helps to counter the exclusionary effects of the private standards that rule these markets. In absence of effective (state) governmental control, the private character of standards shall be turned into a tool to achieve this objective. In this sense, research is needed that investigates the respective incentive structures in bargaining over standards and their enforcement.

Statistical Analysis for Standard Chinese Syllables and Phoneme System

This paper uses the theories of phonemics,phonology and mathematical statistics to concrete research the 2500 commonly-used standard Chinese characters phonological system in different levels, including the statistics and analysis of three aspects: words frequency, syllable frequency and phoneme frequency. Some resulted have gained that: 1) There is a obvious difference in the words frequency distribution of the 2500 commonly-used Chinese characters,2) The number of homophones has an inverse proportion with its total frequency,3)The combination ability of the unaspirated initials,monophthong vowels and falling tone, whose combining ability is stronger than others. This paper provides data and certain reference value for the further study on phonological system of standard Chinese.

The occurrence of enteric viruses in Light Turkey Syndrome

Two studies were conducted to determine the role of enteric viruses in Light Turkey Syndrome (LTS), which is characterized by lower weight in market age turkeys than their standard breed character. In the surveillance study, we selected four LTS and two non-LTS turkey flocks in Minnesota and collected faecal samples at 2, 3, 5 and 8-weeks of age. Astrovirus, rotavirus, and reovirus were detected alone or in various combinations in both LTS and non-LTS flocks. No coronavirus was detected in LTS flocks and no corona- or reovirus was detected in non-LTS flocks. In the second study, 2-week-old turkey poults were divided into two groups; Group A (challenged) was inoculated orally with 10% pooled faecal suspension from LTS flocks and group B (control) was inoculated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Clinical signs of depression, huddling, and lack of uniform size were observed in the challenged group but not in the control group. diarrhoea was observed in both groups but was more severe in the challenged group than in the control group. Birds in the challenged group shed astrovirus, rotavirus and reovirus, while the control group shed only astrovirus. Virus shedding in both groups was observed for up to nine weeks of age. Significantly lower body weights were seen in the challenged group starting at seven weeks of age and lasting until 20 weeks of age. These findings suggest that viral enteritis at an early age may set up conditions for the development of LTS in adult turkeys.