Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power-Rate-Distortion Optimized Resource Allocation for Low-Complexity Multiview Distributed Video Coding

Wireless visual sensor networks are potentially applicable for several emerging applications. Since the data size of the video captured from multiple sensors increases in proportion to the number of video sensors, the efficient compression of video data from multiple sensors is important and still challenging. However, most current multiview video coding approaches extended from single-view video coding standards perform both interview and temporal predictions at the encoder with very high computational complexity, which is not suitable for resource-limited video sensors. In this paper, a resource-scalable low-complexity multiview distributed video coding scheme is proposed. We study efficient exploitation of interview correlation by exchanging the media hash data extracted from video frames of adjacent video sensor nodes at the encoder and using the global motion parameters estimated and fed back from the decoder to improve coding efficiency. In addition, we present a power-rate-distortion (PRD) model to characterize the relationship between the available resources (e.g., power supply and target bit rate) and the RD performance. More specifically, an RD function in terms of the percentages for different coding modes of blocks and the target bit rate under the available resource constraints is derived for optimal block coding mode decision. Analytic results are provided to verify the resource scalability and accuracy of the proposed PRD model, which can provide a theoretical guideline for performance optimization in low-complexity video coding under limited resource constraints. The coding efficiency of the proposed low-complexity video codec is demonstrated via simulation results to outperform three known low-complexity video codecs, especially at high power and low bit rates.
Forecasting Fundamental Stock Price Distributions

This paper develops a procedure for forecasting the distribution from which future stock prices/returns will be drawn fundamentally. Our methodology therefore provides a means for forecasting future stock prices and return volatilities and thus for fundamentally valuing assets such as stocks and stock options. Statistical tests reveal the desirability of our procedure over those currently in use. For example, our fundamental volatility forecasts outperform standard ARCH-based models in forecasting the volatility of stock returns, and fundamental prices from our procedure reject bubbles and excess stock market volatility while prices from traditional fundamental models fail to do so.
Anaemia and Iron Homeostasis in a Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ghana

Aim. We determined the prevalence of anaemia and evaluated markers of iron homeostasis in a cohort of HIV patients. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study on 319 participants was carried out at the Tamale Teaching Hospital from July 2013 to December 2013, 219 patients on HAART (designated On-HAART) and 100 HAART-naive patients. Data gathered include sociodemography, clinical history, and selected laboratory assays. Results. Prevalence of anaemia was 23.8%. On-HAART participants had higher CD4/CD3 lymphocyte counts, Hb, HCT/PCV, MCV, MCH, iron, ferritin, and TSAT (P < 0.05). Hb, iron, ferritin, and TSAT decreased from grade 1 to grade 3 anaemia and CD4/CD3 lymphocyte count was lowest in grade 3 anaemia (P < 0.05). Iron (P = 0.0072) decreased with disease severity whilst transferrin (P = 0.0143) and TIBC (P = 0.0143) increased with disease severity. Seventy-six (23.8%) participants fulfilled the criteria for anaemia, 86 (26.9%) for iron deficiency, 41 (12.8%) for iron deficiency anaemia, and 17 (5.3%) for iron overload. The frequency of anaemia was higher amongst participants not on HAART (OR 2.6 for grade 1 anaemia; OR 3.0 for grade 3 anaemia). Conclusion. In this study population, HIV-associated anaemia is common and is related to HAART status and disease progression. HIV itself is the most important cause of anaemia and treatment of HIV should be a priority compared to iron supplementation.
How does the northern‐winter wave driving of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation increase in an enhanced‐CO2 climate simulation?

Recent climate studies show that the northern‐winter wave driving of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation is enhanced if greenhouse gas concentrations increase. An explanation for this enhancement does not yet exist. In this study, the enhanced wave driving, as simulated in a doubled‐CO2 experiment with the MA‐ECHAM4 climate model, is analyzed in detail. The extratropical poleward eddy heat flux increases (decreases) in the stratosphere (troposphere) mainly due to the stationary (transient) heat‐flux component. The heat flux at 100 hPa is a measure of the stratospheric wave driving, and is found to increase by 12% in the doubled‐CO2 climate. This increase is dominated by the stationary‐wave 1 heat flux, which is also enhanced in the midlatitude troposphere. The heat flux increase at 100 hPa is almost entirely due to an increase in the longitudinal temperature variability. The latter increase is mainly due to the well‐understood sharpening of the lower‐stratospheric meridional temperature gradient.
Dietary Sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Carotenoids and Their Role in Eye Health

The eye is a major sensory organ that requires special care for a healthy and productive lifestyle. Numerous studies have identified lutein and zeaxanthin to be essential components for eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoid pigments that impart yellow or orange color to various common foods such as cantaloupe, pasta, corn, carrots, orange/yellow peppers, fish, salmon and eggs. Their role in human health, in particular the health of the eye, is well established from epidemiological, clinical and interventional studies. They constitute the main pigments found in the yellow spot of the human retina which protect the macula from damage by blue light, improve visual acuity and scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species. They have also been linked with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Research over the past decade has focused on the development of carotenoid-rich foods to boost their intake especially in the elderly population. The aim of this article is to review recent scientific evidences supporting the benefits of lutein and zexanthin in preventing the onset of two major age-related eye diseases with diets rich in these carotenoids. The review also lists major dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin and refers to newly developed foods, daily intake, bioavailability and physiological effects in relation to eye health. Examples of the newly developed high-lutein functional foods are also underlined.
Pseudo-Label : The Simple and Efficient Semi-Supervised Learning Method for Deep Neural Networks

We propose the simple and eﬃcient method of semi-supervised learning for deep neural networks. Basically, the proposed network is trained in a supervised fashion with labeled and unlabeled data simultaneously. For unlabeled data, Pseudo-Label s, just picking up the class which has the maximum network output, are used as if they were true labels. Without any unsupervised pre-training method, this simple method with dropout shows the state-of-the-art performance.
Particle approximations of the score and observed information matrix in state space models with application to parameter estimation

Particle methods are popular computational tools for Bayesian inference in nonlinear non-Gaussian state space models. For this class of models, we present two particle algorithms to compute the score vector and observed information matrix recursively. The first algorithm is implemented with computational complexity and the second with complexity , where N is the number of particles. Although cheaper, the performance of the method degrades quickly, as it relies on the approximation of a sequence of probability distributions whose dimension increases linearly with time. In particular, even under strong mixing assumptions, the variance of the estimates computed with the method increases at least quadratically in time. The more expensive method relies on a nonstandard particle implementation and does not suffer from this rapid degradation. It is shown how both methods can be used to perform batch and recursive parameter estimation. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Si-Jun-Zi Decoction Treatment Promotes the Restoration of Intestinal Function after Obstruction by Regulating Intestinal Homeostasis

Intestinal obstruction is a common disease requiring abdominal surgery with significant morbidity and mortality. Currently, an effective medical treatment for obstruction, other than surgical resection or decompression, does not exist. Si-Jun-Zi Decoction is a famous Chinese medicine used to replenish qi and invigorate the functions of the spleen. Modern pharmacological studies show that this prescription can improve gastrointestinal function and strengthen immune function. In this study, we investigated the effects of a famous Chinese herbal formula, Si-Jun-Zi Decoction, on the restoration of intestinal function after the relief of obstruction in a rabbit model. We found that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction could reduce intestinal mucosal injury while promoting the recovery of the small intestine. Further, Si-Jun-Zi Decoction could regulate the intestinal immune system. Our results suggest that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction promotes the restoration of intestinal function after obstruction by regulating intestinal homeostasis. Our observations indicate that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction is potentially a therapeutic drug for intestinal obstruction.
Vertical Integration: The Monopsony Case

Backward integration is defined in order to improve the analysis of monopsony, and it is found that complete backward integration eliminates the efficiency losses from monopsonistic behavior. Expanded input employment by the integrated monopsonist results in a greater final output at lower prices for consumers. The author concludes that vertical integration by imperfectly competitive firms can be successfully modeled and analyzed if the concept of vertical integration, full and partial, is well defined and meaningful. The welfare implications of integration on all participants in the industry can be considered and the incentives to integrate can be specified and examined. 10 references.
Synthesis of bundled–data asynchronous pipelines with reduced matched delays on FPGAS

Asynchronous paradigm is another option for the project of digital systems. Several design styles can be used, where the micropipeline style is the most suitable one for FPGA platforms because it has a simpler control. It is proposed new pipeline architecture to implement asynchronous systems, in bundled-data micropipeline style, having FPGAs as target devices. One drawback of the bundled-data design is the insertion of delay elements, which increases dissipated power and area. The asynchronous pipeline architecture proposed deals with this problem reducing the number of delay elements. By means of four signal processing benchmarks, it is shown that the proposed architecture can reduces the power dissipation in 21% and 18% respectively, when compared to the MOUSETRAP architecture, and pipeline architecture oriented for FPGAs.
A comparison of radio and X-ray morphologies of four clusters of galaxies containing radio halos

Clusters of galaxies may contain cluster-wide, centrally located, diuse radio sources, called halos. They have been found to show morphologies similar to those of the X-ray emission. To quantify this qualitative statement we performed a point-to-point comparison of the radio and the X-ray emission for four clusters of galaxies containing radio halos: Coma, Abell 2255, Abell 2319, Abell 2744. Our study leads to a linear relation between the radio and the X-ray surface brightness in two clusters, namely Abell 2255 and Abell 2744. In Coma and A2319 the radio and the X-ray brightnesses seem to be related with a sub-linear power law. Implications of these ndings within simple radio halo formation models are briefly discussed.
Speculation or hedging in the Irish stock exchange

This study provides some evidence on the speulation or hedging motives of traders as extracted from the recent Llorente et al. (2002) model, for the Irish stock exchange. It is clear that the findings of Llorente et al. and Ciner (2003) do not transfer well to the Irish case. The more complex the econometric methodology the less the propositions of the model are supported by the data. A simple model provides evidence of significant speculation in the Irish market, while a more complex GARCH formulation with volume included as an explanatory variable in the conditional variance provides little support for the propositions of Llorente et al. Further research therefore is indicated.
Multiplex PCR: Optimization and Application in Diagnostic Virology

SUMMARY PCR has revolutionized the field of infectious disease diagnosis. To overcome the inherent disadvantage of cost and to improve the diagnostic capacity of the test, multiplex PCR, a variant of the test in which more than one target sequence is amplified using more than one pair of primers, has been developed. Multiplex PCRs to detect viral, bacterial, and/or other infectious agents in one reaction tube have been described. Early studies highlighted the obstacles that can jeopardize the production of sensitive and specific multiplex assays, but more recent studies have provided systematic protocols and technical improvements for simple test design. The most useful of these are the empirical choice of oligonucleotide primers and the use of hot start-based PCR methodology. These advances along with others to enhance sensitivity and specificity and to facilitate automation have resulted in the appearance of numerous publications regarding the application of multiplex PCR in the diagnosis of infectious agents, especially those which target viral nucleic acids. This article reviews the principles, optimization, and application of multiplex PCR for the detection of viruses of clinical and epidemiological importance.
Multiscale Entropy Analysis ( MSE )

Multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis [1, 2] is a new method of measuring the complexity of finite length time series. This computational tool can be applied both to physical and physiologic data sets, and can be used with a variety of measures of entropy. We have developed and applied MSE for the analysis of physiologic time series, for which we prefer to estimate entropy using the sample entropy (SampEn) measure [3]. SampEn is a refinement of the approximate entropy family of statistics introduced by Pincus [4]. Both have been widely used for the analysis of physiologic data sets [5, 6]. Traditional entropy measures quantify only the regularity (predictability) of time series on a single scale. There is no straightforward correspondence, however, between regularity and complexity. Neither completely predictable (e.g., periodic) signals, which have minimum entropy, nor completely unpredictable (e.g., uncorrelated random) signals, which have maximum entropy, are truly complex, since they can be described very compactly. There is no consensus definition of complexity. Intuitively, complexity is associated with “meaningful structural richness” [7] incorporating correlations over multiple spatiotemporal scales. For example, we and others have observed that traditional single-scale entropy estimates tend to yield lower entropy in time series of physiologic data such as inter-beat (RR) interval series than in surrogate series formed by shuffling the original physiologic data. This happens because the shuffled data are more irregular and less predictable than the original series, which typically contain correlations at many time scales. The process of generating surrogate data destroys the correlations and degrades the information content of the original signal; if one supposes that greater entropy is characteristic of greater complexity, such results are profoundly misleading. The MSE method, in contrast, shows that the original time series are more complex than the surrogate ones, by revealing the dependence of entropy measures on scale [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. The MSE method incorporates two procedures:
Empirical studies of portfolio choice and asset prices

This thesis contains empirical studies of portfolio choice and asset prices. The first two chapters deal with incorporating labor supply into models traditionally only focusing on consumption. Can the risk premium on stocks be better understood when taking labor supply into account? This is the topic of the first chapter. Do possibilities of varying labor supply, and thus hedging stock market risk, help explain the stock ownership patterns of households? This question is what the second chapter tries to answer. If labor income moves with the stock market, an attempt should be made to hedge this with a lower share of stocks in the portfolio and, but do households act according to this rule? This is what the third chapter investigates. Chapter one, Labor Supply Flexibility and Portfolio Choice: Evidence from the PSID, examines the relationship between labor supply flexibility and portfolio choice. Theoretical articles have shown that, ceteris paribus, the optimal portfolio share of risky assets (stocks) increases with labor supply flexibility, due to increased possibilities of hedging financial risk by adjusting the labor supply. Using PSID household data, this hypothesis is tested using a direct measure of labor supply flexibility from survey questions. The results indicate that the total portfolio share is increased by labor supply flexibility. When separated, most of this effect seems to come from the increased probability of stock ownership due to flexible labor, rather than an increased portfolio share among stockholders. Chapter two, Can Leisure Explain the Equity Premium Puzzle? An Empirical Investigation, investigates the asset pricing properties of non-separable utility functions with consumption and leisure. The parameter restrictions needed to match the historical equity premium are explored using US data on consumption, hours and returns. Empirically, it is shown that to match the equity premium with a low level of risk aversion, consumption and leisure need to be strong complements, i.e. have a very low substitution elasticity. Chapter three, Income Risk and Stockholdings: Evidence from Swedish Microdata, examines the relationship between income risk and portfolio choice. It empirically investigates whether the stock market risk (the covariation with the stock market) in labor income is reflected by an offsetting lower share of stocks in financial portfolios, an effect that has been shown to exist in theoretical articles. Swedish microdata from HINK on households’ income and wealth are used for this purpose. In repeated cross-sections, households are divided into "portfolio cohorts" corresponding to percentiles of the share of stocks in financial assets. Income risk, i.e. the regression beta of (log) income growth on aggregate stock returns, is compared for the different groups. As predicted by theory, the results provide some support for a negative relationship between income risk and the share of stocks.
Making memory strategic : studies on the cognitive and biological basis of memory strategies in children and adults

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interactions: Optimal Delegation and the Value of Leadership

We consider monetary and fiscal policy interactions in a New-Keynesian model of a closed economy with a government solvency constraint. We study the problem of optimal delegation in the discretionary game with two optimising policymakers and provide a welfare ranking of different leadership regimes. We find that (1) if one policymaker chooses an aggressive (smooth) policy then the other policymaker must also choose an aggressive (smooth) policy, regardless of the leadership regime; (2) an institutional design that causes any policymaker to adopt an aggressive policy generally leads to welfare losses; (3) an institutional design that causes any policymaker to adopt a history-dependent policy is welfare increasing. Specific results obtained include showing that discretionary stabilisation policy by a conservative central bank reduces welfare, and that a 'speed limit' on fiscal policy improves social welfare as the central bank chooses to smooth the interest rate in equilibrium.
Australian teachers and the learning environment : an analysis of teacher response to TALIS 2008 : final report

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international survey programme to focus on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers in schools. The overarching aim of TALIS is to provide robust, policy relevant indicators and analysis on teachers and the learning environment for an international audience. It aims to provide an opportunity to examine best practice in education systems around the world, to allow countries to identify other education systems facing similar challenges to their own and to learn from other policy approaches. TALIS provides internationally comparable information in the areas of teacher demographic characteristics, school leadership, teacher professional development, systems of feedback and appraisals for the teaching workforce, school effectiveness, and teacher practices and beliefs. As was the case for the 2008 cycle of TALIS, the Department of Education (formerly DEEWR) again commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to oversee and conduct the implementation of TALIS 2013 in Australia. In Australia, over 2,000 teachers and 149 principals in 149 schools comprised the [International Standard Classification of Education] ISCED 2 sample. In the Australian context, ISCED 2 teachers are defined as teachers of students in lower secondary education or, more specifically, teachers of students in Years 7, 8, 9 or 10. The information relayed in this report relates only to the data collected from the ISCED 2 level survey.
Dealing with Structural Breaks

This chapter is concerned with methodological issues related to estimation, testing and computation in the context of structural changes in the linear models. A central theme of the review is the interplay between structural change and unit root and on methods to distinguish between the two. The topics covered are: methods related to estimation and inference about break dates for single equations with or without restrictions, with extensions to multi-equations systems where allowance is also made for changes in the variability of the shocks; tests for structural changes including tests for a single or multiple changes and tests valid with unit root or trending regressors, and tests for changes in the trend function of a series that can be integrated or trendstationary; testing for a unit root versus trend-stationarity in the presence of structural changes in the trend function; testing for cointegration in the presence of structural changes; and issues related to long memory and level shifts. Our focus is on the conceptual issues about the frameworks adopted and the assumptions imposed as they relate to potential applicability. We also highlight the potential problems that can occur with methods that are commonly used and recent work that has been done to overcome them.