Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SINAIS from Fanal: design and evaluation of an art-inspired eco-feedback system

In this paper we present the challenges exposed during the designing, implementing and assessment of a novel eco-feedback system resulting from the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), and Digital Art. We explore how a digital art mode of inquiry can contribute to expose existing challenges in eco-feedback technology. Our new art inspired eco-feedback visualization, maps electricity consumption to effects on natural elements of the local natural landscape. The feedback was piloted with eight local families for four weeks. Reactions of the users were assessed through interviews and quantitative measures. Our findings showed that users found the mapping of the eco-feedback to artistic representations of elements of the natural environment somehow compelling, despite lacking of clear quantitative information. In conclusion, the conducted study provide useful findings and insights into future deployment of eco-feedback using artistic visualizations, information visualization and motivating behavior change.
International Transmission Channels of U.S. Quantitative Easing: Evidence from Canada

The U.S. Federal Reserve responded to the great recession by reducing policy rates to the effective lower bound. In order to provide further monetary stimulus, they subsequently conducted large-scale asset purchases, quadrupling their balance sheet in the process. We assess the international spillover effects of this quantitative easing program on the Canadian economy in a factor-augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) framework, by considering a counterfactual scenario in which the Federal Reserve’s long-term asset holdings do not rise in response to the recession. We find that U.S. quantitative easing boosted Canadian output, mainly through the financial channel.
The Time-Varying Leading Properties of the High Yield Spread in the United States

We propose a comprehensive empirical examination of the time-varying leading properties of two high yield spreads in the United States, and compare them with the leading properties of the term spread between the mid-1980s and the end of 2011. In a large set of in-sample and out-of-sample forecast exercises, we show that high yield spreads are not reliable predictors of future economic activity, as measured by the real gross domestic product and industrial production. Their predictive content for economic growth, which is statistically and economically significant between the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the new century, vanishes in the second half of the 2000s. This disappearance is coincident with (i) structural breaks in the relationship, which largely occurred in the early years of the past decade and during the 2007–2009 financial crisis, and (ii) the reappearance of the leading properties of the term spread in recent years. In general, despite the recent deterioration of much of their predictive content, high yield spreads still tend to outperform the term spread for predicting economic growth at horizons of up to one year in both the in-sample and out-of-sample exercises, even after accounting for time-varying parameters in the model specifications.
Inflation and Wealth Distribution

The effect of a permanent change of inflation on the distribution of wealth is analyzed in a general equilibrium OLG model that is calibrated with regard to the characteristics of the US economy. Poor agents accumulate savings predominantly in the form of money, while rich agents participate in the stock market and accumulate equity. Surprisingly, an increase of inflation results in a lower stock market participation rate; in addition, the distribution of wealth becomes more unequal, even though the quantitative effect is economically negligible. Furthermore, we show that the welfare costs of anticipated inflation are considerably lower than in Imrohoroglu (1992).
The Effects of Literacy Messages in an Educational Television program: A Content Analysis and Experiment

Educational television programs have the potential to promote literacy affect as well as literacy skills in young children. This study involved a content analysis and field experiment to investigate the impact of the literacy messages conveyed in an educational children’s program on preschoolers’ and kindergarteners’ attitudes about literacy. The content analysis showed that program included many positive messages about literacy, especially the power of reading and the encouragement of literacy activities. However, the results of the experiment did not show statistically significant differences between participants who viewed the program and those who did not. Trends did emerge, particularly related to gender. These trends , along with implications and limitations of the current investigation , are discussed.
Fuzzy Distributed Genetic Approaches for Image Segmentation

This paper presents a new image segmentation algorithm (called FDGA-Seg) based on a combination of fuzzy logic, multiagent systems and genetic algorithms. We propose to use a fuzzy representation of the image site labels by introducing some imprecision in the gray tones values. The distributivity of FDGA-Seg comes from the fact that it is designed around a MultiAgent System (MAS) working with two different architectures based on the master-slave and island models. A rich set of experimental segmentation results given by FDGA-Seg is discussed and compared to the ICM results in the last section.
Monopoly Pricing Under Demand Uncertainty: Final Sales Versus Introductory Offers

We study rationing as a tool of the monopolist’s selling policy when demand is uncertain. Three selling policies are potentially optimal in our environment: uniform pricing, final sales, and introductory offers. Final sales consist in charging a high price initially, but then lowering the price while committing to a total capacity. Consumers with a high valuation may decide to buy at the high price since the endogenous probability of rationing is higher at the lower price. Introductory offers consist in selling a limited quantity at a low price initially, and then raising price. Those consumers with high valuations who were rationed initially at the lower price may find it optimal to buy the good at the higher price. We show that the optimal selling policy involves either uniform pricing or final sales. Introductory offers may dominate uniform pricing, but can never be optimal if the monopolist can also use final sales.
The construction of solidarity in a German Central Works Council : implications for European Works Councils

This thesis takes as its starting point the question whether European Works Councils (EWCs) can overcome the divisive pressures of cross-border competition for jobs and investment between sites. A review of the body of literature on EWCs yields that with respect to this question, opinion is divided and examples are contradictory. The central works council (CWC) established according to the German Betriebsverfassungsgesetz is identified as a close analogue to an EWC. In the absence of a body of literature on the internal functioning of CWCs, this research undertook to examine in depth the experience of a single CWC as a lead case. As an analytical framework, the contributions of theories of federalism as a means of reconciling unity and diversity were applied to the multi-level system of employee interest representation. A conceptualisation of solidarity as it might be generated among the members of a central and/or European works council is developed. It is concluded that a discursive/participative structure is most likely to enable the generation of solidarity across and within a multi-level, essentially federalist system. Key analytical factors are identified which are applied to the experience of the Central Works Council at DaimlerChrysler, and to EWCs more generally. Applying the methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews with the CWC members, documentary analysis, and a postal survey of the local works council members, the operation of the central works council at DaimlerChrysler is explored in detail, covering its day-to-day functioning, its articulation with local works councils, and the values and expectations underlying its work. With reference to the conceptual framework, the findings from the case study are compared with EWC law and practice more generally. It is concluded that the EWC can be considered a nascent federalist system at most. Despite the existence of important gaps, however, this research concludes that solidarity within EWCs is possible if it can be built upon a participative and transparent set of institutions and processes which are seen by EWC members, national and local employee representatives, and trade unions to be fair and legitimate. The final chapter explores the implications of this research for policy, practice and further research.
Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria – analysis of the data obtained through a mandatory reporting system in the Rhine-Main region, Germany, 2012–2015

Background: Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MRGN) and the infections they cause are a serious threat and a challenge to the healthcare system. This particularly applies to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGN). Currently, the introduction of a nationwide mandatory notification system for CRGN in Germany is under consideration. Against this background, this paper presents an analysis of the mandatory reporting system for CRGN in effect since November 2011 in the federal state of Hesse (Germany). Materials and methods: All carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and the detected carbapenemases reported to the public health department of the city of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany, on the basis of the mandatory notification system were analyzed. Results: 827 CRGN cases were reported to the public health department of Frankfurt/Main between April 2012 and December 2015. The following bacterial species were reported: Pseudomonas spp. (n=268), Acinetobacter spp. (n=183), Klebsiella spp. (n=195), Enterobacter spp. (n=77), Escherichia coli (n=75) and others (n=29). Between 2012 and 2015, a reduction of the CRGN reports was noticed, mainly due to changes in the reporting of Pseudomonas spp. Between 2012 and 2015, the total number of notifications decreased slightly, although the number of reported CRGN in screening samples increased, thus giving no indication of a decreased testing frequency. For 10.5% of the patients, the place of residence was not Germany, 18.0% of the patients had previously stayed in hospitals abroad, often in countries with a high CRGN prevalence. CRGN bacteria were reported from all of Frankfurt’s hospitals, and 3.9% were reported from out-patient care facilities. Carbapenemases were detected and reported in 251 CRGN bacteria, including 73 OXA-48, 76 OXA-23, 56 NDM subtypes, and 21 KPC subtypes. There have been no major epidemiological signs of outbreak scenarios. Discussion: CRGN bacteria are already widespread in patients from hospitals and out-patient care facilities. Clearly, infection control measurements should therefore not only include hospital patients but also those receiving out-patient care. Screening strategies focused on patients from foreign countries with high MRGN prevalence is not sufficient, as only 10.5% of MRGN patients resided in those countries, and only 18% of the patients had been previously treated in a foreign hospital. In a public health context, infection control measures should therefore encompass broader screening strategies.
Quantitative ultrasound of cortical bone in the femoral neck predicts femur strength: Results of a pilot study

A significant risk of femoral neck (FN) fracture exists for men and women with an areal bone mineral density (aBMD) higher than the osteoporotic range, as measured with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Separately measuring the cortical and trabecular FN compartments and combining the results would likely be a critical aspect of enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of a new technique. Because the cortical shell determines a large part of FN strength a novel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technique that probes the FN cortical compartment was implemented. The sensitivity of the method to variations of FN cortical properties and FN strength was tested. Nine femurs (women, mean age 83 years) were subjected to QUS to measure the through transmission time‐of‐flight (TOF) at the FN and mechanical tests to assess strength. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans were performed to enable analysis of the dependence of TOF on bone parameters. DXA was also performed for reference. An ultrasound wave propagating circumferentially in the cortical shell was measured in all specimens. Its TOF was not influenced by the properties of the trabecular compartment. Averaged TOF for nine FN measurement positions/orientations was significantly correlated to strength (R2 = 0.79) and FN cortical QCT variables: total BMD (R2 = 0.54); regional BMD in the inferoanterior (R2 = 0.90) and superoanterior (R2 = 0.57) quadrants; and moment of inertia (R2 = 0.71). The results of this study demonstrate that QUS can perform a targeted measurement of the FN cortical compartment. Because the method involves mechanical guided waves, the QUS variable is related to the geometric and material properties of the cortical shell (cortical thickness, tissue elasticity, and porosity). This work opens the way to a multimodal QUS assessment of the proximal femur, combining our approach targeting the cortical shell with the existing modality sensitive to the trabecular compartment. In vivo feasibility of our approach has to be confirmed with experimental data in patients. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
International perspectives on quality in initial teacher education : an exploratory review of selected international documentation on statutory requirements and quality assurance

This review aims to inform both the policy and the research debates about the relationship between the organisation, management and framework for initial teacher education and its quality. It aims to inform the policy debate by providing an analytical, but accessible, international review of the evidence about, and approaches to, the impact of structures on quality. Further, it aims to support the development of practice by offering a systematic survey of international perspectives on the relationship between structures and quality.
Commodity Price Pass-Through in Differentiated Retail Food Markets

Prices for nearly all basic commodity rose at unprecedented rates throughout early 2008, only to fall nearly as fast as financial markets and global economies began to collapse. Rising food prices in 2008 led to concerns that commodity price spikes would lead to more general food inflation, but by early 2009 interest focused more on the seeming inability of food prices to fall back down with commodity prices. This study provides an empirical investigation into the pass-through of commodity prices to retail prices for two different types of food products: potatoes and fluid milk. The results show that pass-through depends on the nature of the food in question, but is generally consistent with theoretical models of pricing by sellers of multiple, differentiated products. In particular, pass-through rates tend to be lower for processed (differentiated) products during periods of falling input prices than when input prices are rising. For less processed products, pass-through tends to be higher during regimes of both rising and falling input prices. Our results show that pass-through depends on the degree of pricing power possessed by all channel members and, more generally, suggest a nuanced approach to understanding retail food price inflation.
Animal Models of Nicotine Exposure: Relevance to Second-Hand Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and Compulsive Smoking

Much evidence indicates that individuals use tobacco primarily to experience the psychopharmacological properties of nicotine and that a large proportion of smokers eventually become dependent on nicotine. In humans, nicotine acutely produces positive reinforcing effects, including mild euphoria, whereas a nicotine abstinence syndrome with both somatic and affective components is observed after chronic nicotine exposure. Animal models of nicotine self-administration and chronic exposure to nicotine have been critical in unveiling the neurobiological substrates that mediate the acute reinforcing effects of nicotine and emergence of a withdrawal syndrome during abstinence. However, important aspects of the transition from nicotine abuse to nicotine dependence, such as the emergence of increased motivation and compulsive nicotine intake following repeated exposure to the drug, have only recently begun to be modeled in animals. Thus, the neurobiological mechanisms that are involved in these important aspects of nicotine addiction remain largely unknown. In this review, we describe the different animal models available to date and discuss recent advances in animal models of nicotine exposure and nicotine dependence. This review demonstrates that novel animal models of nicotine vapor exposure and escalation of nicotine intake provide a unique opportunity to investigate the neurobiological effects of second-hand nicotine exposure, electronic cigarette use, and the mechanisms that underlie the transition from nicotine use to compulsive nicotine intake.
Selective Sampling In Natural Language Learning

Many corpus-based methods for natural language processing are based on supervised training, requiring expensive manual annotation of training corpora. This paper investigates reducing annotation cost by selective sampling. In this approach, the learner examines many unlabeled examples and selects for labeling only those that are most informative at each stage of training. In this way it is possible to avoid redundantly annotating examples that contribute little new information. The paper first analyzes the issues that need to be addressed when constructing a selective sampling algorithm, arguing for the attractiveness of committee-based sampling methods. We then focus on selective sampling for training probabilistic classifiers, which are commonly applied to problems in statistical natural language processing. We report experimental results of applying a specific type of committee-based sampling during training of a stochastic part-of-speech tagger, and demonstrate substantially improved learning rates over sequential training using all of the text. We are currently implementing and evaluating other variants of committee-based sampling, as discussed in the paper, in order to obtain further insight on optimal design of selective sampling methods.
Lesion regression rate based on RECIST: prediction of treatment outcome in patients with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy compared with FDG PET-CT

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the lesion regression rate (ΔLR) based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria could be used for the prediction of treatment outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) compared with FDG PET-CT. A total of 33 patients underwent MRI and PET-CT at pretreatment and at 8 weeks after CRT. We assessed the treatment outcome by analyzing the following parameters: the RECIST criteria, ΔLR, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria, and pretreatment SUVmax of the primary tumor and node. The correlation between the analysis of the parameters and the results of the long-term follow-up of the patients was determined. The RECIST did not significantly correlate with locoregional control (LRC) or survival. The ΔLR was significantly lower for the lesions with locoregional failure (LRF) than for those with LRC. A threshold ΔLR of 48% revealed a sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 77.3% for the prediction of LRF. Progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with ΔLR ≥ 48% was significantly better than that of patients with ΔLR < 48% (P = 0.001), but not overall survival. There was a significant correlation between LRC and the EORTC (P = 0.02). The patients who achieved a complete response by the EORTC criteria showed significantly better PFS and overall survival (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). The ΔLR was inferior to FDG PET-CT with respect to the prediction of patient survival; however, it may be useful for selecting patients in need of more aggressive monitoring after CRT.
The SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey – II. Image detection, parametrization, classification and photometry

In this, the second in a series of three papers concerning the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey, we describe the methods for image detection, parametrization, classification and photometry. We demonstrate the internal and external accuracy of our object parameters. Using examples from the first release of data, the South Galactic Cap survey, we show that our image detection completeness is close to 100 per cent to within ∼1.5 mag of the nominal plate limits. We show that for the BJ survey data, the image classification is externally > 99 per cent reliable to BJ∼19.5. Internally, the image classification is reliable at a level of > 90 per cent to BJ∼21, R∼19. The photometric accuracy of our data is typically ∼0.3 mag with respect to external data for m>15. Internally, the relative photometric accuracy in restricted position and magnitude ranges can be as accurate as ∼5 per cent for well-exposed stellar images. Colours are externally accurate to σB−R,R−I∼0.07 at BJ∼16.5, rising to σB−R,R−I∼0.16 at BJ∼20.
Factors Influencing Manual Discrimination of Orientations in 5-Month-Old Infants

Factors affecting manual discrimination of spatial orientations and orientation preferences in 5-month-old infants have been investigated by using a familiarisation/reaction to novelty procedure. In the first experiment we explored whether the ‘vertical preference’ observed by Gentaz and Streri (2004 Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 16 1–7) and Kerzerho et al (2005 NeuroReport 16 1833–1837) is an intrinsic preference or whether it is due to familiarisation. In the second experiment we examined whether the magnitude of angular deviation to the vertical influences the direction of preference. Results showed that when both gravitational vertical and body axes were aligned, the intrinsic ‘vertical preference’ exists when the angular difference between the two orientations was 10°. When the angular deviation from the vertical was greater than 10°, the novel orientation was preferred. This modification of orientation preference in the manual discrimination of orientation by 5-month-old infants is discussed in relation to the magnitude of the angular deviation to the gravitational vertical and the spatial reference cues available in each condition.
Trust in Food: A Comparative and Institutional Analysis

© Unni Kjaernes, Mark Harvey and Alan Warde 2007. All rights reserved. The BSE epidemic, GM foods, avian flu, the growth of supermarkets and the crisis in obesity have shaken consumer trust in food. Uncovering surprising differences between countries, Trust in Food examines this and challenges the idea of the consumer as a sovereign individual, demonstrating how consumption is institutionalized within society.