Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing and predicting anisotropic effects of BRDFs

The majority of the materials we encounter in the real-world have variable reflectance when rotated along a surface normal. This view and illumination azimuthally-variable behavior is known as visual anisotropy. Such behavior can be represented by a four-dimensional anisotropic BRDF that characterizes the anisotropic appearance of homogeneous materials. Unfortunately, most past research has been devoted to simplistic three dimensional isotropic BRDFs. In this paper, we analyze and categorize basic types of BRDF anisotropy, use a psychophysical study to assess at which conditions can isotropic appearance be used without loss of details in material appearance. To this end, we tested the human impression of material anisotropy on various shapes and under two illuminations. We conclude that subjects sensitivity to anisotropy declines with increasing complexity of 3D geometry and increasing uniformity of illumination environment. Finally, we derive and perceptually validate a computationally efficient measure of material visual anisotropy.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTH ASIAN REGION

This study attempts to investigate the determinants of foreign direct investment and the influence of inward foreign direct investment over economic growth in South Asian region. Having identified the gap of analysis of previous literature in this regard, this study was carried out using panel data for the period 1980-2010, adopting panel least square method. Results of the study indicated that there is a significant positive influence of foreign direct investment over economic growth in the South Asian region. The gross domestic product, size of the government, population, gross domestic capital formation and human capital played a momentous role in determining foreign direct investment. To investigate the causality between foreign direct investment and economic growth, Pair-wise Granger Causality tests were employed that suggested the causality is bidirectional at 5% level of significance and uni-directional at 1% level of significance. Further, Pedroni Residual based Cointegration Test confirmed the existence of a long term influence of foreign direct investment over economic growth.
Social Network Structure Behind the Mailing Lists: ICT-IIIS at TREC 2006 Expert Finding Track

Expert finding system is a challenging problem in the enterprise environment. This paper introduce our research and experiments on TREC 2006's expert searching track. In our experiments, we find some interesting features of the community structures in the mailing list network. We also use some link analysis approaches to rank the candidates in the social networks. In our experiments, we choose the PageRank algorithm and a revised HITS algorithm as link analysis methods. These approaches give reasonable results in our experiments.
Physicochemical characteristics of food and the digestion of starch and dietary fibre during gut transit

Food consists of a complex group of substances that differ in chemical composition and physical structure. Collectively these substances form a matrix and it is the behaviour of this matrix which determines the digestibility, the rate and extent of nutrient release, from a food during normal gut transit. In the process of digestion both chemical and physical degradation of food occurs. Chemical degradation allows nutrient release from food, and nutrient values provided in food tables are derived by chemical analysis of food and must be combined with a knowledge of the potential nutrient availability in a particular food if a proper understanding is to be gained of nutrient utilization by the body. Nutrient availability, applied to mean nutrients in a form suitable for digestion, absorption and utilization, has been extensively studied in relation to minerals and especially iron (Hallberg et al. 1986). However, less is known about availability of other nutrients, as can be illustrated from a consideration of ‘complex-carbohydrate’ digestion. Digestion and rate of absorption of carbohydrate has been shown to be important in the control of glycaemia (Crapo er al. 1980; Simpson et al. 1981; Thorne er al. 1983) and physical form of food is an important determinant of digestion rate. The effect of physical structure, however, is difficult to predict and can act to either enhance or restrict nutrient release. For example, the action of rennin on milk protein changes milk from an emulsion to a gel and enhances digestibility, but the presence of lignin in forage and fibre restricts accessibility of cell-wall polysaccharides to microbial degradation. Thus the extent and rate of digestion during gut transit is a function of the complex interaction between physical and chemical properties of a food matrix. Measurements of physical properties of foods (Table 1) have been made in an attempt to determine their effect on digestion. However, as will be shown for starch and fibre digestion, the results often depend on methods used and may conflict with digestion results determined in vivo.
Does One Monetary Policy Fit All? The Determinants of Inflation in Emu Countries

This chapter aims at assessing the long-run determinants and the short-run dynamics of inflation in each country belonging to the European Monetary Union (EMU). Our work complements the recent literature on this topic for the Euro Area as a whole. Detecting such determinants can be crucial in designing structural reforms acting as aside instruments of monetary policy in maintaining price stability. The empirical methodology consists of a reinterpretation of the structural cointegrating VAR approach, which allows for a structural long-run analysis of inflation determinants along with an accurate assessment of its short-run dynamics. The main conclusion emerging from the estimates is that not only the determinants of inflation differ in the countries belonging to the Euro Area, but also that cost-push factors have a considerable role in explaining inflation in most of the countries examined. As a policy implication, a tight monetary policy pursued in those countries whose inflation is mainly driven by costs would result in a contraction of economic activity without exerting relevant effects on price dynamics.
Clustering of galaxies at high redshifts

Recent observations show a large concentration of galaxies at high redshift. At first sight, strong clustering of galaxies at high redshifts seems to be in contradiction with the models of structure formation. In this paper we show that such structures are a manifestation of the strong clustering of rare peaks in the density field. We compute the frequency of occurrence of such large concentrations of galaxies in some models of structure formation.
Management Theories for Educational Change

PART ONE: MACRO-CONTEXTS OF CHANGE The Context of Change Elements of Change Managing Change The Japanese Model Change and the Push for Quality PART TWO: MICRO-CONTEXTS OF CHANGE Individual Motivations for and against Change Organizational Factors and Change Teamwork Leadership, Senior Management and the Expertise of the Change Agent
Re-testing the Perception of Social Annotations in Web Search

We evaluated the perception of social annotations designed via guidelines recommended by Muralidharan, Gyongyi, Chi, 2012. The initial study found participants noticed the annotation only 11% of the time with annotations shown below the search result snippet. Our refined study revealed that the proposed design with the annotation above the snippet increased noticeability to 60%. Replication studies are often iterative version of old studies, and this was no exception. The new study refined the protocol for measuring ‘notice’ events, and modified the tasks to include tasks that are more relevant to recent news articles. Author
Rituximab and intravenous immune globulin for desensitization during renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND Few options for transplantation currently exist for patients highly sensitized to HLA. This exploratory, open-label, phase 1-2, single-center study examined whether intravenous immune globulin plus rituximab could reduce anti-HLA antibody levels and improve transplantation rates. METHODS Between September 2005 and May 2007, a total of 20 highly sensitized patients (with a mean [+/-SD] T-cell panel-reactive antibody level, determined by use of the complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay, of 77+/-19% or with donor-specific antibodies) were enrolled and received treatment with intravenous immune globulin and rituximab. We recorded rates of transplantation, panel-reactive antibody levels, cross-matching results at the time of transplantation, survival of patients and grafts, acute rejection episodes, serum creatinine values, adverse events and serious adverse events, and immunologic factors. RESULTS The mean panel-reactive antibody level was 44+/-30% after the second infusion of intravenous immune globulin (P<0.001 for the comparison with the pretreatment level). At study entry, the mean time on dialysis among recipients of a transplant from a deceased donor was 144+/-89 months (range, 60 to 324). However, the time to transplantation after desensitization was 5+/-6 months (range, 2 to 18). Sixteen of the 20 patients (80%) received a transplant. At 12 months, the mean serum creatinine level was 1.5+/-1.1 mg per deciliter (133+/-97 micromol per liter), and the mean survival rates of patients and grafts were 100% and 94%, respectively. There were no infusion-related adverse events or serious adverse events during the study. Long-term monitoring for infectious complications and neurologic problems revealed no unanticipated events. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the combination of intravenous immune globulin and rituximab may prove effective as a desensitization regimen for patients awaiting a transplant from either a living donor or a deceased donor. Larger and longer trials are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of this approach. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00642655.)
The architecture of antagonistic networks: Node degree distribution, compartmentalization and nestedness

Describing complex ecosystems as networks of interacting components has proved fruitful – revealing many distinctive patterns and dynamics of ecological systems. Of these patterns, three have often been brought up in literature, including species degree distribution, compartmentalization and nestedness, due largely to their implications for the functionality and stability of communities. Here, using 61 empirical antagonistic networks, we aim to settle the inconsistency in literature by (i) fitting their node degree distributions to five different parametric models and identifying the one fits the best, (ii) measuring the levels of nestedness and compartmentalization of these 61 networks and testing their significance using different null models, and (iii) exploring how network connectance affects these three network architecture metrics. This research showed that most antagonistic networks do not display power law degree distributions and that resource species are generally uniformly distributed. We also clearly showed that the conclusion of whether a network is significantly compartmentalized or nested depends largely on the null model used.
Acceptability and Preferences among Men and Women for Male Involvement in Antenatal Care

Introduction. Male involvement in antenatal care (ANC) has been associated with improved prevention of mother-to-child transmission outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa; yet it remains uncommon. We assess acceptability of male involvement from the male and female perspectives and potential incentives for men to attend ANC. Methods. Adult pregnant women and men attending primary healthcare at Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 2013 to January 2014, were recruited using stratified random sampling to ensure equal representation across gender and HIV status. Results. 300/332 individuals (93.8%) offered participation consented. Among the 150 women, 97% had a partner; the majority (92%) preferred partner attendance at ANC, and 14% reported partner attendance during this pregnancy. The 150 men had low knowledge of services rendered at ANC outside of pregnancy monitoring, and few (19%) had previously attended ANC. Blood pressure screening, fatherhood information, and HIV testing were identified by men as incentives for attendance. Women and men expressed high willingness to, respectively, deliver (95%) and respond (97%) to ANC letter invitations. Conclusion. Invitation letters to promote male involvement in ANC are highly acceptable to pregnant women and men. Focusing invitation messages on fatherhood and primary healthcare rather than HIV testing may provide greater motivation for male involvement.
Motivating and maintaining desistance from crime: male Aboriginal serial offenders' experience of 'going good'

Aboriginal people are over represented in prison in Australia, being 13 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous people. Repeat offenders make up a high proportion of the Aboriginal prison population, yet most repeat offenders eventually cease offending or desist from crime. Why do they stop? The process of desistance is complex, non-linear and varies between individuals. North American and British studies report the role of structure and, more latterly, cognition and agency in desistance and re-formation of offender identities. Few of these studies examine the context, particularly the cultural context, of desisters and desistance. This thesis uses anthropological and ethnographic approaches to present and analyse the life narratives of Aboriginal men from north-western New South Wales who have been repeat offenders and are now ‘going good’ (i.e. have ceased offending). Concepts of agency (and its temporal orientations), cultural schemas and figured worlds are applied. The stories of the early lives of participants and the views of community members paint the backdrop of offence, desistance, identity formation and re-formation. The agentic role of the motivating cultural schemas of fatherhood, life partnership, committed kin and respected man are found to operate in the initiation of desistance as men consider ontological security and extricate themselves from the figured world of repeat offender. The interplay of contingency and capacity is critical in the maintenance of desistance, with shortfalls in the individual’s capacity sometimes being bolstered by spousal and family support. The thesis examines the role and interaction of Aboriginal and offender identity in desistance and maps the repeated expression of the underlying value of ‘looking after’ family and kin, and in this context the role of post-release occupation in desistance is critically examined. Continuity of aspects of identity are discovered to be critical in achieving desistance and paradoxically, achieving continuity often involves innovation in relationships with kin and/or in expression of the moral value of ‘looking after’ or ‘caring for’ (kin).
QRS Detection and Heart Rate Variability Analysis: A Survey

Cardiac-related diseases have been one major cause of death for an ever increasing number of patients over the last few decades throughout the world. In response, automatic classification of cardiac rhythms using Heart Rate Variability analysis as an effective diagnostic tool has recently emerged as an important field of research. Previous researches has proved that translating and transforming HRV data into numbers can introduce highly accurate assessments of rhythm disorders. However, to obtain reliable HRV interpretation, accurate QRS detection approaches must be utilized. This work, as motivated by the arguments just presented, reviews in detail the most recent and efficient techniques related to QRS feature extraction and HRV determination all classified and presented in a convenient fashion to facilitate coverage. The study also presents a state-of-the-art updated review on QRS detection and heart rate variability analyses that could serve as a handy future reference in this field of research based on more than 200 articles reviewed in this effort.
The measurement of taxable capacity in Jordan

The aim of the thesis was to discover, using an econometric approach, whether tax revenues in Jordan can be said to be at their relative taxable capacity. If they are not, the magnitude of the disparity can be quantified and recommendations can be made as to the potential increase or decrease. A decision can then be made on a possible reduction in the budget deficit by means of an increase in tax revenues. This aim was achieved through estimating the relative taxable capacity of the Jordanian economy during 1973-95 by adopting several approaches. Use is made of econometric models in particular. The models were developed in the present study. The arithmetic approach was also applied to estimate the relative taxable capacity and the tax effort for the four major components of total tax revenues. This study used pooled data which combine both cross sectional (thirty-four developing countries) and time series data (1986-89). It also used the time series data for Jordan covering the period 1973-95. The principal finding was that there is no room to increase tax revenues in Jordan. The study finds that these revenues could be reduced. This result is consistent with excess burden analysis. The excess burden (welfare loss) decreases as long as the tax rate decreases. This result has positive effects on economic growth, as is shown through the tax multiplier analysis. The best candidates for this reduction are taxes on international trade and property taxes. The decrease of taxes on international trade is in line with IMF advice to the Jordanian authorities and the World Trade Organization (WTO) (previously called GATT). The significance of these findings is that there is no possibility for reducing the budget deficit by means of raising tax revenues. Hence, the emphasis should be placed on reducing public expenditures. One of the best candidates for this reduction is military expenditures, especially in consequence of the peace treaty with Israel. Privatisation of some public institutions and companies which currently receive financial support from the government is the second candidate for this reduction.
Seasonal and diurnal variations of submicron organic aerosol in Tokyo observed using the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer

[1] In situ measurements of trace gases and aerosols were conducted at an urban site in Tokyo (35°39′N, 139°40′E). The data obtained in summer (July–August 2003), fall (September–October 2003), and winter (February 2003 and January–February 2004) are used for the present analysis. Size-resolved chemical composition of nonrefractory (vaporized at 600°C under high vacuum) submicron aerosol was measured using an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Organics are found to be the dominant component (40–60% of total nonrefractory aerosol mass) in all periods. Organic aerosol (OA) is classified by correlation with carbon monoxide (CO) and fragments of aliphatic and oxygenated organic compounds in the AMS mass spectra. Combustion-related organic aerosol (combustion OA) is defined as the primary organic aerosol (POA) fraction, as determined by a linear correlation with CO. Excess organic aerosol (excess OA) is defined by subtracting the combustion OA and the background OA from the total OA. The combustion OA and excess OA show good correlation (r2 = 0.65–0.85) with hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA), respectively, which were derived from a custom principal component analysis. In the summer period the estimated excess OA concentrations show distinct diurnal variations and correlate with ozone (O3) during daytime. On average, the combustion OA does not exhibit a distinct diurnal variation for the summer, fall, and winter periods, while the excess OA shows a clear diurnal pattern (daytime peak at ∼1300 LT). At the daytime peak the excess OA is found to be at nearly the same concentration as the combustion OA for all seasons, suggesting that significant formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) occurred in daytime throughout the measurement period.
Private, Private Government-Dependent and Public schools. An International Efficiency Analysis using Propensity Score Matching

This paper aims at estimating the effect on achievement of various types of schools: private, private but government-dependent and public ones. It is based on the analysis of Math, Science and Reading test scores of 15 year-olds students surveyed in 2002 across OECD and non-OECD countries. The estimation of the effect of private vs. public school attendance may be biased by the existence of confounding factors. An obvious start is to use standard (OLS) models to isolate the effect of private/public status from the other determinants of achievement like family resources or socio-economic background. But OLS estimates are highly dependent on the validity of the linearity assumption i.e. that the effect of school type is uniform across the distribution of covariates. Hence, the rational for using non-parametric propensity score matching. The main result is that in most countries examined, the type of school has so statistically significant impact on achievement. There is a small group of countries where students attending private schools (UK, Brazil) or private government-dependent schools (French- Speaking Belgium, France and Ireland) clearly perform better than those attending public schools. But there are also cases like Switzerland and Austria where private schools appear less efficient than public schools.
Well-Connected Short-Sellers Pay Lower Loan Fees: A Market-Wide Analysis

High loan fees generate short-selling constraints and, therefore, reduce price efficiency. Despite the importance of loan fees, empirical evidence on their determinants is scarce. Using a market-wide deal-by-deal data set on the Brazilian equity lending market which uniquely identifies borrowers, brokers, and lenders, we are able to construct a proxy of search costs at the borrower–stock–day level. We find that—for the same stock, on the same day—borrowers with higher search costs pay significantly higher loan fees. Our results suggest that regulators should encourage the use of a centralized lending platform to reduce search costs in the lending market.
Presence of the Neurotoxin BMAA in Aquatic Ecosystems: What Do We Really Know?

The neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is suspected to play a role in the neurological diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. BMAA production by cyanobacteria has been reported and contact with cyanobacteria infested waters or consumption of aquatic organisms are possible pathways to human exposure. However, there is little consensus regarding whether BMAA is present in cyanobacteria or not, and if so, at what concentrations. The aim of this review is to indicate the current state of knowledge on the presence of BMAA in aquatic ecosystems. Some studies have convincingly shown that BMAA can be present in aquatic samples at the µg/g dry weight level, which is around the detection limit of some equally credible studies in which no BMAA was detected. However, for the majority of the reviewed articles, it was unclear whether BMAA was correctly identified, either because inadequate analytical methods were used, or because poor reporting of analyses made it impossible to verify the results. Poor analysis, reporting and prolific errors have shaken the foundations of BMAA research. First steps towards estimation of human BMAA exposure are to develop and use selective, inter-laboratory validated methods and to correctly report the analytical work.