Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fiscal Unions∗

We study cross-country risk sharing as a second-best problem for members of a currency union using an open economy model with nominal rigidities and provide two key results. First we show that if financial markets are incomplete, the value of gaining access to any given level of aggregate risk sharing is greater for countries that are members of a currency union. Second we show that even if financial markets are complete, privately optimal risk sharing is constrained inefficient. A role emerges for government intervention in risk sharing to both guarantee its existence and to influence its operation. The constrained efficient risk sharing arrangement can be implemented by contingent transfers within a fiscal union. We find that the benefits of such a fiscal union are larger, the more asymmetric the shocks affecting the members of the currency union, the more persistent these shocks, and the less open the member economies. Finally we compare the performance of fiscal unions and of other macroeconomic stabilization instruments available in currency unions such as capital controls, government spending, fiscal deficits, and redistribution.
A 200-MHz quadrature digital synthesizer/mixer in 0.8-/spl mu/m CMOS

A 200-MHz quadrature direct digital frequency synthesizer/complex mixer chip is presented. The chip synthesizes sine and cosine waveforms with a spectral purity of 84.3 dBc. The frequency resolution is 0.047 Hz with a corresponding switching speed of 5 ns with a tuning latency of 14 clock cycles. The chip is also capable of frequency, phase and quadrature amplitude modulation. These modulation capabilities operate up to the maximum clocking frequency. The chip provides the capability of parallel operation to achieve either 2 or 4 times the maximum frequency. The 0.8-/spl mu/m triple level metal N-well CMOS chip has 52,000 transistors in a die area of 2.5/spl times/6.1 mm/sup 2/. Power dissipation is 2 Watts at 200-MHz. <<ETX>>
Adherence to Tuberculosis Therapy among Patients Receiving Home-Based Directly Observed Treatment: Evidence from the United Republic of Tanzania

Background Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is the leading contributor to the selection of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and subsequent treatment failure. Tanzania introduced a TB Patient Centred Treatment (PCT) approach which gives new TB patients the choice between home-based treatment supervised by a treatment supporter of their own choice, and health facility–based treatment observed by a medical professional. The aim of this study was to assess the extent and determinants of adherence to anti-TB therapy in patients opting for home-based treatment under the novel PCT approach. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the primary outcome was the percentage of patients adherent to TB therapy as detected by the presence of isoniazid in urine (IsoScreen assay). The primary analysis followed a non-inferiority approach in which adherence could not be lower than 75%. Logistic regression was used to examine the influence of potentially predictive factors. Results A total of 651 new TB patients were included. Of these, 645 (99.1%) provided urine for testing and 617 patients (95.7%; 90%CI 94.3–96.9) showed a positive result. This result was statistically non-inferior to the postulated adherence level of 75% (p<0.001). Conclusions Adherence to TB therapy under home-based Directly Observed Treatment can be ensured in programmatic settings. A reliable supply of medication and the careful selection of treatment supporters, who preferably live very close to the patient, are crucial success factors. Finally, we recommend a cohort study to assess the rate of adherence throughout the full course of TB treatment.
Latest Ordovician and earliest Silurian tabulate corals of South China

Latest Ordovician and earliest Silurian tabulate corals of the South China paleoplate are summarized at the generic level. In contrast to the abundant late Katian records, there is no record of tabulate corals in the early–middle Hirnantian rocks in South China, lithostratigraphically represented by the Kuanyinchiao Formation and its equivalents. The tabulate fauna from the late Hirnantian and the earliest Silurian rocks of South China is characterized by the occurrence of three cosmopolitan genera: Paleofavosites, Propora and Halysites. They differ morphologically from the pre-Hirnantian tabulate corals of South China. Such a long-ranging and low-diversity tabulate coral fauna also indicates a warm but somewhat unfavorable living environment during the survival interval after the second pulse of the end-Ordovician mass extinction.
Rogers's Pattern Manifestations and Health in Adolescents

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine four manifestations of human-environmentalfield patterning-human field motion, humanfield rhythms, creativity, and sentience-in relation to perceived health status in 106 early, 111 middle, and 113 late adolescents. Participants responded to the Perceived Field Motion Instrument (a measure of human field motion), the Human Field Rhythms Scale, the Creativity Scale, the Sentience Scale, the General Health Rating Index (a measure of perceived health status), and a brief demographic data sheet in classroom settings. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between perceivedfield motion and perceived health status in early, middle, and late adolescents, between human field rhythms and perceived health status in late adolescents only, and between creativity and perceived health status in late adolescents only. The inverse relationship found between sentience and perceived health status in early, middle, and late adolescents was not statistically significant. The findings are interpreted within a Rogerian framework.
Qualitative assessment of recurrent human motion

Smartphone applications designed to track human motion in combination with wearable sensors, e.g., during physical exercising, raised huge attention recently. Commonly, they provide quantitative services, such as personalized training instructions or the counting of distances. But qualitative monitoring and assessment is still missing, e.g., to detect malpositions, to prevent injuries, or to optimize training success. We address this issue by presenting a concept for qualitative as well as generic assessment of recurrent human motion by processing multi-dimensional, continuous time series tracked with motion sensors. Therefore, our segmentation procedure extracts individual events of specific length and we propose expressive features to accomplish a qualitative motion assessment by supervised classification. We verified our approach within a comprehensive study encompassing 27 athletes undertaking different body weight exercises. We are able to recognize six different exercise types with a success rate of 100% and to assess them qualitatively with an average success rate of 99.3%.
Differential Privacy in Telco Big Data Platform

Differential privacy (DP) has been widely explored in academia recently but less so in industry possibly due to its strong privacy guarantee. This paper makes the first attempt to implement three basic DP architectures in the deployed telecommunication (telco) big data platform for data mining applications. We find that all DP architectures have less than 5% loss of prediction accuracy when the weak privacy guarantee is adopted (e.g., privacy budget parameter e ≥ 3). However, when the strong privacy guarantee is assumed (e.g., privacy budget parameter e ≤ 0:1), all DP architectures lead to 15% ~ 30% accuracy loss, which implies that real-word industrial data mining systems cannot work well under such a strong privacy guarantee recommended by previous research works. Among the three basic DP architectures, the Hybridized DM (Data Mining) and DB (Database) architecture performs the best because of its complicated privacy protection design for the specific data mining algorithm. Through extensive experiments on big data, we also observe that the accuracy loss increases by increasing the variety of features, but decreases by increasing the volume of training data. Therefore, to make DP practically usable in large-scale industrial systems, our observations suggest that we may explore three possible research directions in future: (1) Relaxing the privacy guarantee (e.g., increasing privacy budget e) and studying its effectiveness on specific industrial applications; (2) Designing specific privacy scheme for specific data mining algorithms; and (3) Using large volume of data but with low variety for training the classification models.
Correlation of the ERS and SSM/I observations over Snowpack and Numerical Simulation

Observations by active ERS scatterometer and passive SSM/I radiometers on the same area and for the same time period are correlated using the data measured by ERS-1 and multichannel SSM/I over snowpack located in Greenland, Siberia, the Alps, etc. It is demonstrated that multichannel analysis by both active and passive sensors is very helpful for monitoring temporal variation of complex snow covers. Back-scattering from multilayer, strongly fluctuating random media is calculated for ERS data simulation. The radiative transfer of thermal emission from multilayer media of dense scatterers is solved for SSM/I data simulation. Simulations of both back-scattering and emission show good correlation and functional dependence on highly-variable snowcovers. Theoretical results also compare well with observation data.
Fishes of northeastern Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

Abstract Seventy three species of fish were recorded from coastal waters off northeastern Great Barrier Island and neighbouring Rakitu Island. The diversity of the fauna, plus the presence in low numbers of several subtropical species, is characteristic of an island off northeastern New Zealand which is weakly influenced by the East Auckland Current. Larger fish were counted along 50 m transects, and tripterygiids and bIen nics were counted in 1 m2 quadrats
Classification of General Data Flow Actors into Known Models of Computation

Applications in the signal processing domain are often modeled by data flow graphs which contain both dynamic and static data flow actors due to heterogeneous complexity requirements. Thus, the adopted notation to model the actors must be expressive enough to accommodate dynamic data flow actors. On the other hand, treating static data flow actors like dynamic ones hinders design tools in applying domain-specific optimization methods to static parts of the model, e.g., static scheduling. In this paper, we present a general notation and a methodology to classify an actor expressed by means of this notation into the synchronous and cyclo-static dataflow models of computation. This enables the use of a unified descriptive language to express the behavior of actors while still retaining the advantage to apply domain-specific optimization methods to parts of the system. In experiments we could improve both latency and throughput of a general data flow graph application using our proposed automatic classification in combination with a static single-processor scheduling approach by 57%.
Epidemiology, Molecular Characterization and Antibiotic Resistance of Neisseria meningitidis from Patients ≤15 Years in Manhiça, Rural Mozambique

Background The epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Mozambique and other African countries located outside the “meningitis belt” remains widely unknown. With the event of upcoming vaccines microbiological and epidemiological information is urgently needed. Methods Prospective surveillance for invasive bacterial infections was conducted at the Manhiça District hospital (rural Mozambique) among hospitalized children below 15 years of age. Available Neisseria meningitidis isolates were serogrouped and characterized by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). Antibiotic resistance was also determined. Results Between 1998 and 2008, sixty-three cases of confirmed meningococcal disease (36 meningitis, 26 sepsis and 1 conjunctivitis) were identified among hospitalized children. The average incidence rate of meningococcal disease was 11.6/100,000 (8/100,000 for meningitis and 3.7/100,000 for meningococcemia, respectively). There was a significant rise on the number of meningococcal disease cases in 2005–2006 that was sustained till the end of the surveillance period. Serogroup was determined for 43 of the 63 meningococcal disease cases: 38 serogroup W-135, 3 serogroup A and 2 serogroup Y. ST-11 was the most predominant sequence type and strongly associated with serogroup W-135. Two of the three serogroup A isolates were ST-1, and both serogroup Y isolates were ST-175. N. meningitidis remained highly susceptible to all antibiotics used for treatment in the country, although the presence of isolates presenting intermediate resistance to penicillin advocates for continued surveillance. Conclusions Our data show a high rate of meningococcal disease in Manhiça, Mozambique, mainly caused by serogroup W-135 ST-11 strains, and advocates for the implementation of a vaccination strategy covering serogroup W-135 meningococci in the country.
Analysis of prioritized scheduling of assured forwarding in DiffServ architectures

Assured service has been proposed within the differentiated services (DiffServ) model to provide relative service differentiation by attempting to allocate bandwidth to different users in a controlled way during periods of network congestion. In this paper, we analyze the assured service scheme by means of a priority queueing system with state-dependent service scheduling based on thresholds. We consider the case of two classes of priority, carry out a mathematical analysis and numerically obtain the average delay endured by packets in each priority class and the loss probability for each class. To quantify the gain obtained under our threshold-based priority scheme over static priority based schemes, we also study the priority scheduling and weighted fair queuing models, and compared our results with the ones obtained using these two models.
Simulation of therapeutic electron beam tracking through a non-uniform magnetic field using finite element method

Introduction In radiotherapy, megaelectron volt (MeV) electrons are employed for treatment of superficial cancers. Magnetic fields can be used for deflection and deformation of the electron flow. A magnetic field is composed of non-uniform permanent magnets. The primary electrons are not mono-energetic and completely parallel. Calculation of electron beam deflection requires using complex mathematical methods. In this study, a device was made to apply a magnetic field to an electron beam and the path of electrons was simulated in the magnetic field using finite element method. Methods A mini-applicator equipped with two neodymium permanent magnets was designed that enables tuning the distance between magnets. This device was placed in a standard applicator of Varian 2100 CD linear accelerator. The mini-applicator was simulated in CST Studio finite element software. Deflection angle and displacement of the electron beam was calculated after passing through the magnetic field. By determining a 2 to 5cm distance between two poles, various intensities of transverse magnetic field was created. The accelerator head was turned so that the deflected electrons became vertical to the water surface. To measure the displacement of the electron beam, EBT2 GafChromic films were employed. After being exposed, the films were scanned using HP G3010 reflection scanner and their optical density was extracted using programming in MATLAB environment. Displacement of the electron beam was compared with results of simulation after applying the magnetic field. Results Simulation results of the magnetic field showed good agreement with measured values. Maximum deflection angle for a 12 MeV beam was 32.9° and minimum deflection for 15 MeV was 12.1°. Measurement with the film showed precision of simulation in predicting the amount of displacement in the electron beam. Conclusion A magnetic mini-applicator was made and simulated using finite element method. Deflection angle and displacement of electron beam were calculated. With the method used in this study, a good prediction of the path of high-energy electrons was made before they entered the body.
An Arctic source for the great salinity anomaly: A simulation of the Arctic ice‐ocean system for 1955–1975

A fully prognostic Arctic ice-ocean model is used to study the interannual variability of the sea ice during the period 1955–1975 and to explain the large variability of the ice extent in the Greenland and Iceland seas during the late 1960's. In particular, the model is used to test the conjecture of Aagaard and Carmack (1989) that the Great Salinity Anomaly (GSA) was a consequence of the anomalously large ice export in 1968. The objective here is to explore the high-latitude ice-ocean circulation changes due to wind field changes. In the simulations the ice extent in the Greenland Sea increased during the 1960's, reaching a maximum in 1968, as observed, and maxima in ice extent were always preceded by large pulses of ice export through the Fram Strait. The ice export event of 1968 was the largest in the simulation, being about twice as large as the average and corresponding to 1600 km3 of excess fresh water. The simulated upper water column in the Greenland Sea has a salinity minimum in the fall of 1968, followed by very low winter salinities. The simulations suggest that, besides the above average ice export to the Greenland Sea, there was also fresh water export to support the larger than average ice cover. Three low-salinity anomalies, which are created by the variability in ice production/melt, exited through the Fram Strait in 1963–1965, 1966, and 1967–1969, the later two events being associated with a net freshwater export of about 900 km3.The total simulated freshwater input of 2500 km3 to the Greenland Sea compares well with the estimated total freshwater excess of the GSA of about 2200 km3 as it passed through the Labrador Sea (Dickson et al., 1988). Considering the uncertainties in the model, it is possible that the ice export could account for even larger portion of the freshwater excess. However, the main conclusion is that these model results show the origin of the GSA to be in the Arctic, as suggested by Aagaard and Carmack (1989) and support the view that the Arctic may play an active role in climate change.
Egg Consumption Increases Vitamin E Absorption from Co-Consumed Raw Mixed Vegetables in Healthy Young Men.

BACKGROUND Most people living in the United States underconsume vitamin E, and dietary approaches to increase the absorption of vitamin E may help individuals to meet their body's needs. OBJECTIVE We assessed the effect of adding cooked whole egg to a raw mixed-vegetable salad on α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol absorption. METHODS With the use of a randomized-crossover design, 16 healthy young men [mean ± SD age: 24 ± 4 y; mean ± SD body mass index (in kg/m2): 24 ± 2] consumed the same salad (all served with 3 g canola oil) with no egg [control (CON)], with 75 g cooked egg [low egg (LE)], or with 150 g cooked egg [high egg (HE)]; a 1-wk dietary washout period was included between trials. For the first 7 d of each trial, participants consumed a low-vitamin E diet to reduce plasma vitamin E concentrations. Blood was collected hourly for 10 h and the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein fractions (TRLs) were isolated. α-Tocopherol and γ-tocopherol concentrations in TRLs were analyzed and composite areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated. RESULTS The α-tocopherol 0- to 10-h AUCs (AUCs0-10 h) in TRLs was higher (P < 0.05) for the HE trial (least-squares mean ± SE: 981 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h) than for the LE (311 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h) and CON (117 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅10 h) trials, which did not differ from one another. The γ-tocopherol AUCs0-10 h in TRLs was also higher (P < 0.05) for the HE trial (402 ± 54 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h) than for the CON trial (72 ± 54 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h). CONCLUSION The consumption of cooked whole eggs is an effective way to increase the absorption of α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol from a co-consumed meal that naturally contains vitamin E, such as a raw mixed-vegetable salad, in healthy young men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01951313.
MODELLING THE UNDRAINED RESPONSE OF FIBRE REINFORCED SANDS

Mixing a loose clean sand with random discrete flexible fibres has been found beneficial in decreasing the susceptibility to the phenomenon of liquefaction under monotonic loading. The addition of fibres can convert the strain softening response, typical of a loose unreinforced sand, into a strain hardening response by affecting the pore pressure generation and the effective stress path response. A new constitutive model based on the rule of mixtures has been used to simulate the undrained response of fibre reinforced sands. The model superimposes the individual contributions of the sand and the fibres according to their volumetric fraction. An apparent densification of the sand matrix induced by the presence of the fibres is accounted for in the model by assigning some of the void space to the fibres. This apparent densification is considered responsible for the observed strain hardening behaviour of reinforced sands. The proposed model is able to accommodate any distribution of fibre orientation: the orientation of fibres plays a key role in explaining the experimentally observed effective stress paths.
Geochemical and geophysical evidence of methane release over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

The East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS), which includes the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea, and the Russian part of the Chukchi Sea, has not been considered to be a methane (CH 4 ) source to hydrosphere or atmosphere because subsea permafrost, which underlies most of the ESAS, was believed, first, not to be conducive to methanogenesis and, second, to act as an impermeable lid, preventing CH 4 escape through the seabed. Here recent observational data obtained during summer (2005—2006) and winter (2007) expeditions indicate the ubiquitous presence of elevated dissolved CH 4 and an elevated atmospheric CH 4 mixing ratio. The CH 4 data were also analyzed together with high resolution seismic (HRS) data obtained by means of a "Sonic M-141" system consisting of a high-resolution profiler and side-scan sonar mounted in a towed fish during the Transdrift-X Expedition (2004) onboard the R/V Yakov Smimitskiy. Results show anomalously high concentrations of dissolved CH 4 (up to 5 μM) and an episodically (nongradually) increasing atmospheric mixing ratio of CH 4 (up to 8.2 ppm) in some areas of the ESAS. A most likely source is year-round CH 4 release through taliks (columns of thawed sediments within permafrost) from seabed CH 4 reservoirs such as shallow hydrates and geological sources. Such releases occur not only within the areas underlain by fault zones but also outside of them. This points to permafrost's failure to further preserve CH 4 deposits in the ESAS. The total amount of carbon preserved within the ESAS as organic matter and ready to release CH 4 from seabed deposits is predicted to be ∼1400 Gt. Release of only a small fraction of this reservoir, which was sealed with impermeable permafrost for thousands of years, would significantly alter the annual CH 4 budget and have global implications, because the shallowness of the ESAS allows the majority of CH 4 to pass through the water column and escape to the atmosphere.