Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solutions for the diurnally forced advection‐diffusion equation to estimate bulk fluid velocity and diffusivity in streambeds from temperature time series

Work over the last decade has documented methods for estimating fluxes between streams and streambeds from time series of temperature at two depths in the streambed. We present substantial extension to the existing theory and practice of using temperature time series to estimate streambed water fluxes and thermal properties, including (1) a new explicit analytical solution to predict one‐dimensional fluid velocity from amplitude and phase information; (2) an inverse function, also with explicit formulation; (3) methods to estimate fluid velocity from temperature measurements with unknown depths; (4) methods to estimate thermal diffusivity from the temperature time series when measurement depths are known; (5) methods to track streambed elevation between two sensors, given knowledge of the thermal diffusivity from (4) above; (6) methods to directly calculate the potential error in velocity estimates based on the measurement error characteristics; and (7) methods for validation of parameter estimates. We also provide discussion and theoretical insights developed from the solutions to better understand the physics and scaling of the propagation of the diurnal temperature variation through the streambed. In particular, we note that the equations developed do not replace existing equations applied to the analysis, rather they are new equations representing new aspects of the process, and, as a consequence, they increase the amount of information that can be derived from a particular set of thermal measurements.
Visual Acceleration Perception for Simple and Complex Motion Patterns

Humans are able to judge whether a target is accelerating in many viewing contexts, but it is an open question how the motion pattern per se affects visual acceleration perception. We measured acceleration and deceleration detection using patterns of random dots with horizontal (simpler) or radial motion (more visually complex). The results suggest that we detect acceleration better when viewing radial optic flow than horizontal translation. However, the direction within each type of pattern has no effect on performance and observers detect acceleration and deceleration similarly within each condition. We conclude that sensitivity to the presence of acceleration is generally higher for more complex patterns, regardless of the direction within each type of pattern or the sign of acceleration.
Update Sequences in Generalised Answer Set Programming Based on Structural Properties

Revising and updating beliefs and knowledge bases is an important topic in knowledge representation and reasoning. Various proposals have been made for updating logic programs, in particular with respect to Answer Set Programming. So far, most of these approaches are based on a Causal Rejection Principle. However, we show that this may result in an unintuitive behaviour. Accordingly, we propose a new update semantics for sequences of logic programs to avoid these problems. We also show that our approach satisfies several structural properties, derived from the two logics our framework is based upon. In addition, we introduce two new properties: Weak Irrelevance of Syntax and Strong Consistency: we suggest that these should also hold for an update semantics that is well-behaved.
Foreign Exchange Intervention and Expectation in Emerging Economies

Using monthly data for four selected emerging economies, sterilised central bank foreign exchange intervention is found to have little systematic influence on the near-term nominal exchange rate expectations in the direction intended by the central banks. In other words, central bank dollar purchases to stem exchange rate appreciation or related exchange rate volatility are not associated with an adjustment of the near-term exchange rate forecasts in the direction of depreciation, and vice versa. This suggests intervention may not change the nearterm exchange rate expectations. Moreover, intervention may have had unintended effects in the sense that it can lead to undesired volatility in the exchange rate, which is consistent with previous studies.
Changes in Metabolically Active Bacterial Community during Rumen Development, and Their Alteration by Rhubarb Root Powder Revealed by 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing

The objective of this present study was to explore the initial establishment of metabolically active bacteria and subsequent evolution in four fractions: rumen solid-phase (RS), liquid-phase (RL), protozoa-associated (RP), and epithelium-associated (RE) through early weaning and supplementing rhubarb root powder in 7 different age groups (1, 10, 20, 38, 41, 50, and 60 d) during rumen development. Results of the 16S rRNA sequencing based on RNA isolated from the four fractions revealed that the potentially active bacterial microbiota in four fractions were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes regardless of different ages. An age-dependent increment of Chao 1 richness was observed in the fractions of RL and RE. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated that samples in four fractions all clustered based on different age groups, and the structure of the bacterial community in RE was distinct from those in other three fractions. The abundances of Proteobacteria decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with age, while increases in the abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were noted. At the genus level, the abundance of the predominant genus Mannheimia in the Proteobacteria phylum decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after 1 d, while the genera Quinella, Prevotella, Fretibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group, and Atopobium underwent different manners of increases and dominated the bacterial microbiota across four fractions. Variations of the distributions of some specific bacterial genera across fractions were observed, and supplementation of rhubarb affected the relative abundance of various genera of bacteria.
How Important is Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Teaching in the Medical Curriculum? An Empirical Approach towards Students' Views

Objectives: It was investigated how students judge the teaching of medical ethics and the history of medicine at the start and during their studies, and the influence which subject-specific teaching of the history, theory and ethics of medicine (GTE) - or the lack thereof - has on the judgement of these subjects. Methods: From a total of 533 students who were in their first and 5th semester of the Bochum Model curriculum (GTE teaching from the first semester onwards) or followed the traditional curriculum (GTE teaching in the 5th/6th semester), questionnaires were requested in the winter semester 2005/06 and in the summer semester 2006. They were asked both before and after the 1st and 5th (model curriculum) or 6th semester (traditional curriculum). We asked students to judge the importance of teaching medical ethics and the history of medicine, the significance of these subjects for physicians and about teachability and testability (Likert scale from -2 (do not agree at all) to +2 (agree completely)). Results: 331 questionnaire pairs were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the students of the two curricula at the start of the 1st semester. The views on medical ethics and the history of medicine, in contrast, were significantly different at the start of undergraduate studies: The importance of medical ethics for the individual and the physician was considered very high but their teachability and testability were rated considerably worse. For the history of medicine, the results were exactly opposite. GTE teaching led to a more positive assessment of items previously ranked less favourably in both curricula. A lack of teaching led to a drop in the assessment of both subjects which had previously been rated well. Conclusion: Consistent with the literature, our results support the hypothesis that the teaching of GTE has a positive impact on the views towards the history and ethics of medicine, with a lack of teaching having a negative impact. Therefore the teaching of GTE should already begin in the 1st semester. The teaching of GTE must take into account that even right at the start of their studies, students judge medical ethics and the history of medicine differently.
Cracking Down on Inhibition: Selective Removal of GABAergic Interneurons from Hippocampal Networks

Inhibitory (GABAergic) interneurons entrain assemblies of excitatory principal neurons to orchestrate information processing in the hippocampus. Disrupting the dynamic recruitment as well as the temporally precise activity of interneurons in hippocampal circuitries can manifest in epileptiform seizures, and impact specific behavioral traits. Despite the importance of GABAergic interneurons during information encoding in the brain, experimental tools to selectively manipulate GABAergic neurotransmission are limited. Here, we report the selective elimination of GABAergic interneurons by a ribosome inactivation approach through delivery of saporin-conjugated anti-vesicular GABA transporter antibodies (SAVAs) in vitro as well as in the mouse and rat hippocampus in vivo. We demonstrate the selective loss of GABAergic—but not glutamatergic—synapses, reduced GABA release, and a shift in excitation/inhibition balance in mixed cultures of hippocampal neurons exposed to SAVAs. We also show the focal and indiscriminate loss of calbindin+, calretinin+, parvalbumin/system A transporter 1+, somatostatin+, vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3)/cholecystokinin/CB1 cannabinoid receptor+ and neuropeptide Y+ local-circuit interneurons upon SAVA microlesions to the CA1 subfield of the rodent hippocampus, with interneuron debris phagocytosed by infiltrating microglia. SAVA microlesions did not affect VGLUT1+ excitatory afferents. Yet SAVA-induced rearrangement of the hippocampal circuitry triggered network hyperexcitability associated with the progressive loss of CA1 pyramidal cells and the dispersion of dentate granule cells. Overall, our data identify SAVAs as an effective tool to eliminate GABAergic neurons from neuronal circuits underpinning high-order behaviors and cognition, and whose manipulation can recapitulate pathogenic cascades of epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Understanding the Advice of Commissions-Motivated Agents : Theory and Evidence from the Indian Life Insurance Market

We conduct a series of field experiments to evaluate the quality of advice provided by life insurance agents in India. Agents overwhelmingly recommend unsuitable, strictly dominated products, which provide high commissions to the agent. Agents cater to the beliefs of uninformed consumers, even when those beliefs are wrong. We test whether regulation or the market can improve advice. A natural experiment requiring disclosure of commissions for a specific product results in agents recommending alternative products with high commissions but no disclosure requirement. Market discipline does generate de-biasing, with agents perceiving greater competition more likely to recommend a suitable product. ∗anagol@wharton.upenn. edu, scole@hbs.edu, and ssarkar@fas.harvard. edu. iTrust provided valuable context on the Indian insurance market for this project. We also thank Daniel Bergstresser, Sendhil Mullainathan, Petia Topalova, Peter Tufano, Shing-Yi Wang, Justin Wolfers, and workshop participants at Harvard Business School, Helsinki Finance Summit, Hunter College, the ISB CAF Conference, the NBER Household Finance Working Group, the NBER Insurance Working Group, Princeton, the RAND Behavioral Finance Forum, and the Utah Winter Finance Conference for comments and suggestions. We thank the Harvard Lab for Economic and Policy Applications, Wharton Global Initiatives, Wharton Dean’s Research Fund, Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, and the Penn Lauder CIBER Fund for financial support. Manoj Garg, Shahid Vaziralli and Anand Kothari provided excellent research assistance.
NATO's European allies : military capability and political will

Contents Acknowledgments About the authors List of Tables Introduction: Will Europe lead in NATO? J.H. Matlary & M.Petersson PART I: DETERMINANTS OF THE USE OF FORCE From Mars to Venus? European Use of Force in a Historical Perspective M.Petersson A Farewell to Arms: Europe's meritocracy and the demilitarization of Europe C.Coker Towards an Affordable European Defence and Security Policy? The Case for Extensive European Force Integration S.Diesen Strategy, Risk and Threat Perceptions in NATO O.Osterud & A.Toje PART II: APPLICATION: CASE STUDIES No More Free-Riding: The Political Economy of Military Power and the Transatlantic Relationship S.Kay Between Theory and Practice: Britain and the Use of Force P.Porter France: The State with Strategic Vision Y.Boyer The Reluctant Ally? Germany, NATO, and the Use of Force B.Schreer Willing and Able? Spanish Statecraft as Brokerage D.Coletta & D.Garcia Poland's Participation in NATO Operations M.Pietras Hungary in NATO: The Case of a Half Empty Glass T.Magyarics Punching Above Its Weight: Denmark's Legitimate Peripheral Participation in NATO's Wars M.V. Rasmussen Norway: Militarily Able but Politically Divided J.H. Matlary Index
Evaluation of a program to reduce back pain in nursing personnel.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed to reduce back pain in nursing aides. METHODS Female nursing aides from a university hospital who had suffered episodes of back pain for at least six months were included in the study. Participants were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. The intervention program involved a set of exercises and an educational component stressing the ergonomic aspect, administered twice a week during working hours for four months. All subjects answered a structured questionnaire and the intensity of pain was assessed before and after the program using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Student's t-test or the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test for independent samples, and Chi-square test or the Exact Fisher test for categorical analysis, were used. The McNemar test and the Wilcoxon matched pairs test were used to compare the periods before and after the program. RESULTS There was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of cervical pain in the last two months and in the last seven days in the intervention group. There was also a reduction in cervical pain intensity in the two periods (2 months, 7 days) and lumbar pain intensity in the last 7 days. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that a program of regular exercise with an emphasis on ergonomics can reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in nursing personnel.
Feasibility of the Fama and French three factor model in explaining returns on the JSE

ABSTRACT We test the feasibility of the Fama and French (1993) three factor model on the JSE Limited (JSE) to explain the size and value effects. In time-series tests on grouped data, we show that both the models can capture a substantial amount of time-series variation in most assets, and yield small pricing errors. In tests on ungrouped data, the three factor model can explain the value effect, and goes in the right direction to explain the size effect. Given these results, we propose that our three factor model could be used in expected return estimation for firms listed on the JSE.
Optimization Design of Power Factor Correction Converter Based on Genetic Algorithm

A small-signal model is used to design the controller parameters of the conventional Power Factor Correction (PFC) converter. The dynamics of the converter is nonlinear, therefore, it is hard to derive desirable performance. Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the control parameters of PFC converter in this paper, by this way, the quasi-optimal control parameters can be obtained with the predefined fitness criterion. In order to obtain the fitness of an individual, Simulink model of the PFC converter is established and called in manuscript file of the Matlab, in which the genetic algorithms is programmed to search the optimal control parameters. Simulation results indicate that the overshoot of the voltage transient response, the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is reduced by using the optimized parameters. The proposed method provides a common method for the optimal design of the (structure and control parameters of) converter.
Theory of the rotation of the rigid Earth

We present the computation of the precession and nutation expressions built with the analytical theories of the motion of the Moon, the Sun and the planets of the Bureau des longitudes. We take into account the influence of the Moon, the Sun and all the planets on the potential of the Earth limited to Cj;0 for j from 2t o 5, C 2 ; 2 , S 2 ; 2 , C 3;k, S3;k for k from 1t o 3 andC4;1,S4;1. We have determined the analytical variations of the angles and! xing the equator with respect to the ecliptic J2000. We nd, in! , a secular term of 265:036as per year. We use for the constant of the general precession the Williams' (1994) value 50 00 :2877=year. The corresponding value of the dynamical flattening of the EarthHd =( 2 C A B ) =(2C )i s 0:0032737671.Inthisworkweusedatruncatedsolutionforthe motion of the Moon. We have compared our analytical solution with a numerical integration. The differences are smaller than 16as for and 8as for!
Patenting and Innovation in China: Incentives, Policy, and Outcomes

Abstract : China has undergone a patenting boom, with yearly increases in patent applications averaging 34 percent. Since 2000 this has resulted in a 16 fold increase in the annual number of patents and according to the United Nations, China s patent office has received more patent filings than any other country (UN December 11, 2012). Previous literature indicates that this trend is driven by large volumes of low quality patents. Given this, I was motivated to understand the drivers of this trend, the impact of patenting promoting policies, and the innovative outcomes of Chinese firms. This dissertation examines these three questions in three separate essays: What are the drivers of this patenting boom, and what implications exist for Chinese technical innovation? What are the innovative impacts of the Indigenous Innovation Policy, which is designed to promote patenting? How innovative are leading Chinese firms? The first essay describes the drivers of the Chinese patent boom and their implications. Examining existing literature, I find that two key patenting drivers are the role of patent promoting policies (including patent quotas and subsidies), and increasing competition among firms. These drivers produce low quality and high quality patents, respectively. I also find that the effects of another patentpromoting policy, the Chinese Indigenous Innovation Policy, are not fully understood. Finally, I provide policy prescriptions for increasing the quality of patenting. The second essay investigates the technology outcomes of the Chinese Indigenous Innovation Policy, which is a public procurement for innovation policy. Using a difference in difference strategy with count models and a simple pre/post test I find that there are no economically significant effects from this policy at either the national or firm level.
Global Transcriptome Analysis in Influenza-Infected Mouse Lungs Reveals the Kinetics of Innate and Adaptive Host Immune Responses

An infection represents a highly dynamic process involving complex biological responses of the host at many levels. To describe such processes at a global level, we recorded gene expression changes in mouse lungs after a non-lethal infection with influenza A virus over a period of 60 days. Global analysis of the large data set identified distinct phases of the host response. The increase in interferon genes and up-regulation of a defined NK-specific gene set revealed the initiation of the early innate immune response phase. Subsequently, infiltration and activation of T and B cells could be observed by an augmentation of T and B cell specific signature gene expression. The changes in B cell gene expression and preceding chemokine subsets were associated with the formation of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue. In addition, we compared the gene expression profiles from wild type mice with Rag2 mutant mice. This analysis readily demonstrated that the deficiency in the T and B cell responses in Rag2 mutants could be detected by changes in the global gene expression patterns of the whole lung. In conclusion, our comprehensive gene expression study describes for the first time the entire host response and its kinetics to an acute influenza A infection at the transcriptome level.
Legal Systems and Their Impact on the Amount of Disclosure Related to IT Problems : Evidence from the Y 2 K Dilemma

This study examines the impact of nation’s legal system on corporate disclosures. However, this study breaks with prior research in two significant ways. First, this study extends prior research by analyzing differences in disclosure practices in Roman-Germanic Law nations of different origins within this legal family. Second, this study focuses on a single disclosure issue rather than general disclosures as investigated in previous studies. Specifically, this study analyzes the association between legal systems and disclosure practices related to the Year 2000 (Y2K) dilemma. Empirical findings reported in this paper are based on a survey of the 1997-1998 fiscal-year annual reports of 1618 organizations from 17 countries. Tests of means indicated a significant different between the average amount of Y2K disclosure from firms in nations with a Common Law legal system compared to their counterparts from nations with a Code Law legal system. Results from multiple regression analysis also supported the positive association between a Common Law legal system and the amount of Y2K related disclosure. Supplementary analysis of disclosure practices of firms from Code Law countries indicate the underlying origin (that is French, German and Scandinavian) of this legal system in each nation had a significant impact on the amount of Y2K information disclosed. That is, organizations from countries with a Code Law legal system based on French origins were significant greater than compared to organizations from nations with a Code Law legal system of Germanic origins. There were not significant differences, however, with the amount of disclosure on this IT related problem of companies from nations with a Code Law legal system of Scandinavian origins.