Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of a Dispersion-Managed Passively Mode-Locked Er-Doped Fiber Laser Using Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

We investigated the dynamics of a dispersion-managed, passively mode-locked, ultrashort-pulse, Er-doped fiber laser using a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) device. A numerical model was constructed for analysis of the SWNT fiber laser. The initial process of passive mode-locking, the characteristics of the output pulse, and the dynamics inside the cavity were investigated numerically for soliton, dissipative-soliton, and stretched-pulse mode-locking conditions. The dependencies on the total dispersion and recovery time of the SWNTs were also examined. Numerical results showed similar behavior to experimental results.
Support Vector Machines for Transition-Based Dependency Parsing A Project Proposal

Introduction Support Vector Machines (SVM) have proven to be a highly successful technique for solving classification problems in recent years. They have become an integral component of several state-of-the-art natural language processing systems, however, just as with other tools, improper use leads to sub-optimal results. There are helpful guidelines, and even automated tools for fine-tuning SVM parameters (Chang and Lin 2005), but experts are still indispensable. My motivation for for this project stems from an earlier attempt to use SVMs in an implementation of a transition-based dependency parser. Although I was pleased with the results, my choice of SVM parameters felt arbitrary and unsatisfying. As a result, I am very curious about how parsing performance is affected by the details of the SVM implementation, and I feel that the best way to approach the question is to implement my own SVM library.
A Survey Study on Self-Evaluations of Small Pet Practitioners about Exotic Pets in Istanbul in 2016

DOI : 10.26650/actavet.2019. 433657 Exotic pet animal ownership is on the rise all over the world. Regardless of being companion animals which are important subjects in veterinary medicine, they also play a role in the transmission of diseases to other animals and human beings. Therefore, veterinarians are expected to have the knowledge and good practice in exotic pet medicine. This survey was performed among small animal practitioners with the aim of identifying their self-evaluation of competency and knowledge about the exotic pet medicine in Istanbul. As a data collection tool, a three-part questionnaire developed by the researchers was used in the current study. The first part of the survey covered demographic variables of respondents; the second part consisted of 6 questions, which examine the self-evaluation of small animal practitioners on competency and knowledge about the exotic pet medicine practice. The third part consisted of 8 Likert type questions about the husbandry, transmission, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of the diseases for the four different exotic pets including fish, turtle, other reptiles and bird. The results showed that approximately 80% of the respondents consider that exotic pet disease is essential regarding veterinary medicine. Thirty-five percent of the veterinarian said that they were not sure about “what is an exotic pet disease” while, 53% of them responded that question, as they did not have any knowledge about the exotic pet diseases. For the 91.4% of the clinics investigated, the exotic animals as a patient were 1-10% or less than 1% of all the patients. It has shown that 42.4%, 32%, 16.9%, and 8.7% of the exotic pets’ species examined were birds, turtles, the other reptiles, and 8.7% fish, respectively. Ninety percent of the veterinarians consider that they did not get enough education about the exotic pet animal practice during their undergraduate study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul. It has been determined that more than half of the participants (65%) were considered themselves as having adequate knowledge of the husbandry, transmission, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of the diseases of the birds. However, they did not have enough experience about turtle, other reptiles and fish. As a conclusion, the results indicated the importance of education, specialisation and practice on potential exotic pet species.
A Theory of Wealth Distribution and Accumulation

This volume provides the micro-foundations of a macroeconomic theory of income distribution and of the accumulation and distribution of wealth. Baranzini surveys current literature on the subject, before going on to make his own contribution by presenting a new model. He examines the laws which regulate the accumulation of inter-generational wealth and life-cycle savings of families or dynasties, both in a deterministic and stochastic context. The mechanisms which may lead to the generation and coexistence of different socio-economic classes are also studied.
The Flavonoid Quercetin Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokine (Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha) Gene Expression in Normal Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells via Modulation of the NF-κβ System

ABSTRACT The flavonoids comprise a large class of low-molecular-weight plant metabolites ubiquitously distributed in food plants. These dietary antioxidants exert significant antitumor, antiallergic, and anti-inflammatory effects. The molecular mechanisms of their biological effects remain to be clearly understood. We investigated the anti-inflammatory potentials of a safe, common dietary flavonoid component, quercetin, for its ability to modulate the production and gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our results showed that quercetin significantly inhibited TNF-α production and gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Our results provide direct evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin by PBMC, which are mediated by the inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α via modulation of NF-κβ1 and Iκβ.
The “analysis of competing hypotheses” in intelligence analysis

The intelligence community uses "structured analytic techniques" to help analysts think critically and avoid cognitive bias. However, little evidence exists of how techniques are applied and whether they are effective. We examined the use of the analysis of competing hypotheses (ACH)—a technique designed to reduce "confirmation bias". Fifty intelligence analysts were randomly assigned to use ACH or not when completing a hypothesis testing task that had probabilistic ground truth. Data on analysts' judgement processes and conclusions were collected using written protocols that were then coded for statistical analyses. We found that ACH-trained analysts did not follow all of the steps of ACH. There was mixed evidence for ACH's ability to reduce confirmation bias, and we observed that ACH may increase judgement inconsistency and error. It may be prudent for the intelligence community to consider the conditions under which ACH would prove useful and to explore alternatives.
Subjective Completion Beliefs and the Demand for Post-Secondary Education

The outcome of pursuing a post-secondary educational degree is uncertain. A student might not complete a chosen degree for a number of reasons, such as academic insufficiency or financial constraints. Thus, when considering whether to invest in post-secondary education, students must factor in their completion probability into their decision. We study the role of this uncertainty in educational choices using students’ subjective beliefs about completing a post-secondary education, which were elicited prior to students’ completing secondary education. We relate these subjective completion probabilities to their subsequent educational choices and outcomes using representative survey data from Germany. Following the students over time, we find that the initial beliefs are predictive of intentions to invest in education, actual subsequent educational investments, and degree completion. We assess the heterogeneity of the impact across different educational paths. After controlling for academic ability, we find that subjective beliefs are most relevant in choosing a vocational education. In addition to reduced form models, we estimate a structural choice model of sequential investment in education that allows for unobserved tastes and preferences for education and forward-looking behavior. The results confirm the influence of subjective completion beliefs on choosing a post-secondary education.
NCAA Division I Student-Athletes' Perceptions of How the Coach-Athlete Relationship Influences Student-Athlete Resilience

Resilience in sport has been defined as “the role of mental processes and behavior in promoting personal assets and protecting an individual from the potential negative effect of stressors” (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012, p. 675). Fletcher and Sarkar’s (2012) found that various psychological factors were indicative of athlete resilience such as achievement motivation, social support, focus, confidence, and positive personality. To date, sport psychology researchers have dominantly examined resilience as an individual construct (e.g., Galli & Vealey, 2008; Fletcher & Sarkar; Wagstaff, Sarkar, Davidson, & Fletcher, 2016). However, it is also important to consider how athlete resilience might develop and operate in relationships with important others (e.g., coach). Narrative inquiry (Smith & Sparkes, 2009) was used in this study to explore the stories of seven NCAA Division I student-athletes’ lived experiences of how the coach-athlete relationship influenced their ability to be resilient through major stress. Semi-structured interviews were conducted that asked participants about their respective coachathlete relationship, how power and sociocultural factors influenced this relationship, and in turn, influenced student-athlete resilience. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis was used for data analysis, which revealed the following themes: (a) Student-athlete core resilience, (b) The W.O. A.T. , (c) The G.O. A.T. , (d) W.O. AT. coach behaviors, (e) G.O. A.T. coach behaviors, (f) The W.O. A.T. , the G.O. A.T. , and student-athlete resilience, (g) The effect of coach major stress on student-athlete resilience, and (h) The relational shift: From bad to better, good to great. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be used as a powerful method from which coaches can emotionally connect with the participants’ stories in order to better understand how they might operate within the coach-athlete relationship to influence student-athlete resilience.
Diagnosis and Screening of Overweight and Obese Children in a Resident Continuity Clinic

Objective. To evaluate the association between documenting excess weight and ordering screening tests. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed well-child visits for patients 2 to 18 years old at a pediatric resident clinic. We evaluated visits of patients with body mass index ≥ 85th percentile for documentation of excess weight in the electronic medical record (EMR) and screening tests ordered. Associations were investigated with χ2 tests. Results. Of 522 patients, 215 (41%) were overweight (19%) or obese (22%). Among obese and overweight patients, 92/215 (43%) had documentation of excess weight in the EMR. Screening tests were ordered for 39/92 (42%) patients with a diagnosis of excess weight versus 8/123 (6.5%) of those without one (P < .001). Conclusions. Documentation rates of excess weight by practitioners were low and worse for younger children and those with milder degrees of excess weight. Documenting excess weight in the EMR was highly associated with ordering of screening tests.
Matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase responses to muscle damage after eccentric exercise

High-intensity eccentric exercise is known to induce muscle damage leading to inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. These degradation processes involve enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). MMPs are calcium and zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes that play a role in ECM degradation and recruitment of inflammatory and myogenic cells into the damaged site. In contrast, TIMPs inhibit MMP-induced ECM degradation to maintain normal homeostasis in ECM. Recently, several studies have examined the process of muscle remodeling and the roles of ECM, MMPs, and TIMPs in exercise-induced muscle damage. However, the results of these studies are not inconsistent. In the present mini-review, we will discuss the responses of MMP and TIMP to eccentric exercise based on the literature review.
Optimal Taxation in Overlapping Generations Models

This paper studies optimal (Ramsey) taxation in overlapping generations models. The proposed model allows for distortionary taxes on all commodities traded (consumption, capital and labor services) as well as public debt. It includes many-period lived agents, population growth and constant returns to scale production technology with depreciation. Optimality is defined in relation to a welfare functional. Existence of a solution to the optimal tax problem is proved and quantitative assessments of optimal fiscal policies are performed. With respect to existing work in its field, the present study adds the explicit analysis and numerical computation of optimal mixes of fiscal policy instruments in overlapping generation models. It suggests a rationale for optimal non-zero capital taxation. The main macro-magnitudes of the U.S. economy closely resemble those of optimal steady states for some intergenerational social preferences. Consequently, from a fiscal policy standpoint and in contrast with results from infinitely-lived agent models, no significant changes should be expected from the adoption of optimal fiscal policies unless welfare losses are imposed on presently alive generations.
A Fiber-Coupled Self-Mixing Laser Diode for the Measurement of Young’s Modulus

This paper presents the design of a fiber-coupled self-mixing laser diode (SMLD) for non-contact and non-destructive measurement of Young’s modulus. By the presented measuring system, the Young’s modulus of aluminum 6061 and brass are measured as 70.0 GPa and 116.7 GPa, respectively, showing a good agreement within the standards in the literature and yielding a much smaller deviation and a higher repeatability compared with traditional tensile testing. Its fiber-coupled characteristics make the system quite easy to be installed in many application cases.
Is Foreign Aid Paternalistic

The first three papers of this Ph.D. thesis experimentally study the preferences of individuals making cross-border charitable donations. In Is Foreign Aid Paternalistic? (with Anna Breman and Felix Masiye) subjects choose whether to make a monetary or a tied transfer (mosquito nets) to an anonymous household in Zambia. The mean donation of mosquito nets differs significantly from zero, and paternalistic donors constitute a higher share of the sample than do purely altruistic donors. The second paper, Corruption and the Case for Tied Aid (with Anna Breman), compares the willingness to give money to Zambia's national health budget (CBoH) with the willingness to donate mosquito nets to a health-care clinic in Lusaka. Donors clearly prefer tied aid to untied program aid. Exit questionnaires suggest the reason to be a fear of corruption and misallocation at the CBoH. In Altruism without Borders? (with Anna Breman), we study whether the willingness to give increase with the information given about the recipients. We find no significant effect of identification on donations. Women and Informality: Evidence from Senegal, the fourth paper (with Elena Bardasi), uses household survey data to study women’s work and gender wage gaps in the formal and informal sector in Dakar. Multinomial logit analysis reveals that women are 3-4 times less likely to work formally rather than informally. Wage regressions reveal that little schooling, for instance, explains a considerable part of the gender wage gap. In the informal sector, however, the wage gap between men and women remains at 28%. The fifth paper, Does Innovation Pay? A Study of the Pharmaceutical Product Cycle, examines how a drug’s life cycle depends on its degree of therapeutic innovation. All New Chemical Entities introduced in Sweden between 1987 and 2000 are rated into one of three innovation classes: A (important gains); B (modest gains); and C (little gains). Over a 15-year life cycle, the average class A drug raises 15% higher revenues than B drugs and 114% higher revenues than C drugs. But yearly class A and C sales differences are rarely significant. When comparing innovative (A and B pooled) and imitative (C) drugs, 15-year life cycle revenues of innovative drugs exceed those of imitative drugs by 100%. This sales difference is significant in 19 out of 20 years after launch.
Please Scroll down for Article Political Communication Patterns of Internet and Traditional News Media Use in a Networked Community Patterns of Internet and Traditional News Media Use in a Networked Community

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. The growing popularity of the World Wide Web as a source of news raises questions about the future of traditional news media. Is the Web likely to become a supplement to newspapers and television news, or a substitute for these media? Among people who have access to newspapers, television, and the World Wide Web, why do some prefer to use the Web as a source of news, while others prefer traditional news media? Drawing from a survey of 520 undergraduate students at a large public university where Internet use is woven into the fabric of daily life, this study suggests that use of the Web as a news source is positively related with reading newspapers but has no relationship with viewing television news. Members of this community use the Web mainly as a source of entertainment. Patterns of Web and traditional media exposure are examined in light of computer anxiety, desire for control, and political knowledge. This study suggests that even when computer skills and Internet access become more widespread in the general population, use of the World Wide Web as a news source seems unlikely to diminish substantially use of traditional news media. Will the World Wide Web become a supplement or substitute for traditional news media? As the World Wide Web became popularly accessible only with the advent of Mosaic browser software in 1993, it is still unclear at this early stage of the Web's development how dominant it is likely to become as a provider of daily news to the general public. Yet the rapid spread of on-line news outlets raises profound questions about the future of traditional newspapers and television news programs. The number of newspapers around the world being published …
Public pre-schooling and maternal labour force participation in rural India

Abstract Mothers from poor families in India have a compelling need to work, but childcare for their young children is a constraint. Public day-care implicit in pre-schooling is provided by India’s largest child development programme, which also provides other services, including supplementary feeding, immunisation and health check-ups. Using logit, covariate matching and village-fixed effects methods, I find that in rural India a mother whose child is receiving any of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) services intensely is 15% more likely to work. Among the various pathways, it seems that this effect is driven mainly by the day-care implicit in pre-schooling for their children. There is also some evidence of child health benefits through immunisation and health check-ups received at the ICDS centre which affect mothers’ likelihood to work.
An Evolutionary Multi-objective Approach for Modelling Network Security

Security is the most important issue in a network system. Administrators can more easily understand threats to the network by using a model. In this paper, we present an approach for modelling a network that considers the benefits of the network as well as its limitations. In our approach, we model the system as an optimization problem, which is solved using three algorithms. As the proposed approach is stochastic, it works very efficiently in a network environment. This paper, presents a mathematical model of the system. Model provides easy comprehend of system. Presented model is based on multi-objective optimization problem. One parameter in the presented model is security and another parameter is user productivity. Security is the most important issue in a network system. Administrators can more easily understand threats to the network by using a model. In this paper, we present an approach for modelling a network that considers the benefits of the network as well as its limitations.
Evaluation of the UP4FUN Intervention: A Cluster Randomized Trial to Reduce and Break Up Sitting Time in European 10-12-Year-Old Children

Background The UP4FUN intervention is a family-involved school-based intervention aiming at reducing and breaking up sitting time at home (with special emphasis on screen time), and breaking up sitting time in school among 10–12 year olds in Europe. The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate its short term effects. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 3147 pupils from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Norway participated in a school-randomized controlled trial. The intervention included 1–2 school lessons per week for a period of six weeks, along with assignments for the children and their parents. Screen time and breaking up sitting time were registered by self-report and total sedentary time and breaking up sitting time by accelerometry. The effect of the intervention on these behaviors was evaluated by multilevel regression analyses. All analyses were adjusted for baseline values and gender. Significance level was p≤0.01. No significant intervention effects were observed, neither for self-reported TV/DVD or computer/game console time, nor for accelerometer-assessed total sedentary time and number of breaks in sitting time. The intervention group, however, reported more positive attitudes towards (β = 0.25 (95% CI 0.11, 0.38)) and preferences/liking for (β = 0.20 (95% CI 0.08, 0.32)) breaking up sitting time than the control group. Conclusions/Significance No significant intervention effect on self-reported screen time or accelerometer-assessed sedentary time or breaks in sitting time was observed, but positive effects on beliefs regarding breaking up sitting time were found in favor of the intervention group. Overall, these results do not warrant wider dissemination of the present UP4FUN intervention. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registry ISRCTN34562078