Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Series System with Returns: Stationary Analysis

This paper analyzes a series inventory system with stationary costs and stochastic demand over an infinite horizon. A distinctive feature is that demand can be negative, representing returns from customers, as well as zero or positive. We observe that, as in a system with nonnegative demand, a stationary echelon base-stock policy is optimal here. However, the steady-state behavior of the system under such a policy is different from that in systems with nonnegative demands. We present an exact procedure and several approximations for computing the operating characteristics and system costs for any stationary echelon base-stock policy, and also describe an algorithm for computing a good policy. As an alternative to the echelon base-stock policy, we discuss a policy that uses only local information. Finally, we describe how to extend the analysis to the case where returns occur at multiple stages instead of just at the stage closest to demand, and the case where returns require a recovery lead time.
Dynamics of histone H3.3 deposition in proliferating and senescent cells reveals a DAXX-dependent targeting to PML-NBs important for pericentromeric heterochromatin organization

Oncogene-induced senescence is a permanent cell cycle arrest characterized by extensive chromatin reorganization. Here, we investigated the specific targeting and dynamics of histone H3 variants in human primary senescent cells. We show that newly synthesized epitope-tagged H3.3 is incorporated in senescent cells but does not accumulate in senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF). Instead, we observe that new H3.3 colocalizes with its specific histone chaperones within the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) and is targeted to PML-NBs in a DAXX-dependent manner both in proliferating and senescent cells. We further show that overexpression of DAXX enhances targeting of H3.3 in large PML-NBs devoid of transcriptional activity and promotes the accumulation of HP1, independently of H3K9me3. Loss of H3.3 from pericentromeric heterochromatin upon DAXX or PML depletion suggests that the targeting of H3.3 to PML-NBs is implicated in pericentromeric heterochromatin organization. Together, our results underline the importance of the replication-independent chromatin assembly pathway for histone replacement in non-dividing senescent cells and establish PML-NBs as important regulatory sites for the incorporation of new H3.3 into chromatin.
Optimal Design of Solar PV Farms With Storage

We consider the problem of allocating a capital budget to solar panels and storage to maximize the expected revenue in the context of a large-scale solar farm participating in an energy market. This problem is complex due to many factors. To begin with, solar energy production is stochastic, with a high peak-to-average ratio, thus the access link is typically provisioned at less than peak capacity, leading to the potential waste of energy due to curtailment. The use of storage prevents power curtailment, but the allocation of capital to storage reduces the amount of energy produced. Moreover, energy storage devices are imperfect. A solar farm owner is thus faced with two problems: 1)deciding the level of power commitment and 2) the operation of storage to meet this commitment. We formulate two problems corresponding to two different power commitment approaches, an optimal one and a practical one, and show that the two problems are convex, allowing efficient solutions. Numerical examples show that our practical power commitment approach is close to optimal and also provide several other engineering insights.
Towards Human Computable Passwords

An interesting challenge for the cryptography community is to design authentication protocols that are so simple that a human can execute them without relying on a fully trusted computer. We propose several candidate authentication protocols for a setting in which the human user can only receive assistance from a semi-trusted computer --- a computer that stores information and performs computations correctly but does not provide confidentiality. Our schemes use a semi-trusted computer to store and display public challenges $C_i\in[n]^k$. The human user memorizes a random secret mapping $\sigma:[n]\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}_d$ and authenticates by computing responses $f(\sigma(C_i))$ to a sequence of public challenges where $f:\mathbb{Z}_d^k\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}_d$ is a function that is easy for the human to evaluate. We prove that any statistical adversary needs to sample $m=\tilde{\Omega}(n^{s(f)})$ challenge-response pairs to recover $\sigma$, for a security parameter $s(f)$ that depends on two key properties of $f$. To obtain our results, we apply the general hypercontractivity theorem to lower bound the statistical dimension of the distribution over challenge-response pairs induced by $f$ and $\sigma$. Our lower bounds apply to arbitrary functions $f $ (not just to functions that are easy for a human to evaluate), and generalize recent results of Feldman et al. As an application, we propose a family of human computable password functions $f_{k_1,k_2}$ in which the user needs to perform $2k_1+2k_2+1$ primitive operations (e.g., adding two digits or remembering $\sigma(i)$), and we show that $s(f) = \min\{k_1+1, (k_2+1)/2\}$. For these schemes, we prove that forging passwords is equivalent to recovering the secret mapping. Thus, our human computable password schemes can maintain strong security guarantees even after an adversary has observed the user login to many different accounts.
Sea level rise and the warming of the oceans in the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) ocean reanalysis

[1] A new reanalysis of the global ocean circulation is used to distinguish between the steric and eustatic components of sea level rise. Recent altimeter observations indicate an increase in the rate of sea level rise during the past decade to 3.2 mm/yr, well above the centennial estimate of 1.5–2 mm/yr. This apparent increase could have resulted from enhanced melting of continental ice or from decadal changes in thermosteric and halosteric effects. The contribution from steric effects is explored using the new eddy-permitting Simple Ocean Data Assimilation version 1.2 (SODA1.2) reanalysis of global temperature, salinity, and sea level spanning the period 1958–2001. The applicability of this ocean reanalysis for sea level studies is evaluated by comparing subseasonal variability with a collection of 20 tide gauge station sea level records, comprising a total of 740 years of data. A positive relationship is found at all gauge stations, with an average correlation of r = 0.7 after correction for the inverted barometer effect. Dynamic height calculated relative to 1000m from the SODA1.2 reanalysis, used as a proxy for the steric component of sea level, is compared with satellite-derived sea level for the years 1993–2001. During this 9-year period dynamic height increases at a global rate of 2.3 ± 0.8 mm yr−1, a substantial acceleration beyond the multidecadal steric rate of 0.5 mm yr−1. The similarity of the rate of increase in the thermosteric contribution to sea level rise as well as the similarity of its spatial structure in comparison with satellite-derived sea level rise suggests that the recent acceleration in sea level rise is explainable to within the error estimates by fluctuations in warming and thermal expansion of the oceans.
Recurrence quantification analysis of age effects on sustained sub-maximal grip contractions

Recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) was used to analyze signals of sustained sub-maximal grip contraction (SSGC) of healthy subjects across several age groups. Recurrence plots (RP) of elderly subject showed clear periodic pattern combined with disrupted features in some parts, in comparison to control subjects who displayed quasi-periodic patterns. Quantitative analysis of the RP showed significant differences between elderly subjects and the control group for RQA parameters. The results showed that the SSGC signals of the elderly and adolescents had decreased RQA parameters, which indicated more chaotic patterns. In addition the deterministic component of the signals was less complex for the elderly and adolescents than for controls. Results of this study illustrate that the RQA technique is well suited to analyze age-related effects on sustained grip-force signals.
Integrating the SOP2 Model into the Flipped Classroom to Foster Cognitive Presence and Learning Achievements

This study explored student teachers’ cognitive presence and learning achievements by integrating the SOP Model in which self-study (S), online group discussion (O) and double-stage presentations (P) were implemented in the flipped classroom. The research was conducted at a university in Taiwan with 31 student teachers. Preand post-worksheets measuring knowledge of educational issues were administered before and after group discussion. Quantitative content analysis and behavior sequential analysis were used to evaluate cognitive presence, while a paired-samples t-test analyzed learning achievement. The results showed that the participants had the highest proportion of “Exploration,” the second largest rate of “Integration,” but rarely reached “Resolution. ” The participants’ achievements were greatly enhanced using the SOP Model in terms of the scores of the preand post-worksheets. Moreover, the groups with a higher proportion of “Integration” (I) and “Resolution” (R) performed best in the post-worksheets and were also the most progressive groups. Both highand low-rated groups had significant correlations between the “I” and “R” phases, with “I”  “R” in the low-rated groups but “R”  “I” in the high-rated groups. The instructional design of the SOP Model can be a reference for future pedagogical implementations in the higher educational context.
Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles in Chitosan, Gelatin and Chitosan/Gelatin Bionanocomposites by a Chemical Reducing Agent and Their Characterization

In this research, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized in chitosan (Cts), Cts/gelatin and gelatin suspensions using a chemical reducing agent. Cts and gelatin were used as natural stabilizers and solid support, whereas AgNO3 was used as the silver precursor. Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) was used as the reducing agent. The properties of AgNPs in Cts, Cts/gelatin and gelatin bionanocomposites (BNCs) were studied in terms of their surface plasmon resonance, crystalline structure, average diameter size, particle distributions, surface topography and functional groups. All the samples were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Compensation of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Primary School Children

ABSTRACT Purpose There is considerable debate about the possibility of physical activity compensation. This study examined whether increased levels in physical activity and/or sedentary behavior on 1 d were predictive of lower levels in these behaviors on the following day (compensatory mechanisms) among children. Methods Two hundred and forty-eight children (121 boys and 127 girls) age 8–11 yr from nine primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, wore a GT3X+ ActiGraph for seven consecutive days. Time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) was derived using age-specific cut points. Sedentary time was defined as 100 counts per minute. Meteorological data (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and daylight hours) were obtained daily and matched to accelerometer wear days. Multilevel analyses (day, child, and school) were conducted using generalized linear latent and mixed models. Results On any given day, every additional 10 min spent in MVPA was associated with approximately 25 min less LPA and 5 min less MVPA the following day. Similarly, additional time spent in LPA on any given day was associated with less time in LPA and MVPA the next day. Time spent sedentary was associated with less sedentary time the following day. Adjusting for meteorological variables did not change observed compensation effects. No significant moderating effect of sex was observed. Conclusion The results are consistent with the compensation hypothesis, whereby children appear to compensate their physical activity or sedentary time between days. Additional adjustment for meteorological variables did not change the observed associations. Further research is needed to examine what factors may explain apparent compensatory changes in children’s physical activity and sedentary time.
Surface tank-treading: propulsion of Purcell's toroidal swimmer

In this work we address the “smoking ring” propulsion technique, originally proposed by Purcell [Am. J. Phys. 45, 3 (1977)] for self-locomotion at low Reynolds numbers. We first consider self-locomotion of a doughnut-shaped swimmer powered by surface rotation. Different modes of surface motion are assumed and propulsion velocity and swimming efficiency are determined. The swimmer is propelled against the direction of its outer surface motion, the inner surface having very little effect. The simplest swimming mode corresponding to constant angular velocity can achieve propulsion speeds of up to 66% of the surface tank-treading velocity and swimming efficiency of up to 13%. Higher efficiency is possible for more complicated modes powered by nonuniform twirling of extensible surface. A practical design of a necklace-shaped swimmer motivated by Purcell’s idea is proposed and demonstrated numerically. Finally, the explicit solution is found for the two-dimensional swimmer composed of two counter-rotating disks.
virtual study circles: an introduction to the E-report project

Several European Union programmes aims to support the development of European dimensions in Higher education – however the majority of initiatives remains at temporary, project levels. Analysing the reasons, several barriers have been identified – solutions for some of them can be found in innovative, creative ICT applications. E-learning – as complex system of such ICT solutions - has become the mainstream of education in the majority of EU countries and shows dynamic development in Central and Eastern European countries as well. More and more EU programs and projects support initiatives for enhanced cooperation of Higher Education Institutions, however long term impact and sustainability realised by these projects are relatively poor. Methodology and results of two EU projects are introduced as a promising experience in multilingual course development and networked, international delivery
Modification and co-option of leaf developmental programs for the acquisition of flat structures in monocots: unifacial leaves in Juncus and cladodes in Asparagus

It has been suggested that modification and co-option of existing gene regulatory networks (GRNs) play an important role in the morphological diversity. In plants, leaf development is one of active research areas, and the basic GRN for leaf development is beginning to be understood. Moreover, leaves show wide variation in their form, and some of this variation is thought to be the result of adaptation. Thus, leaves and leaf-like organs are an emerging and interesting model to reveal how existing GRNs give rise to novel forms and architectures during evolution. In this review, we highlight recent findings in evo-devo studies, especially on Juncus unifacial leaves, which are composed of lamina with abaxialized identities, and Asparagus cladodes, which are leaf-like organs at the axils of scale leaves. Based on these studies, we discuss how flat structures have evolved and morphologically diversified in shoot systems of monocot species, focusing on the modification and co-option of GRN for leaf development.
Volatility persistence and trading volume in an emerging futures market: Evidence from NSE Nifty stock index futures

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to estimate time-varying conditional volatility, and examine the extent to which trading volume, as a proxy for information arrival, explain the persistence of futures market volatility using National Stock Exchange SP so, it suggests the need for greater regulatory restrictions. Originality/value - Equity derivatives are relatively new phenomena in Indian capital market. This paper extends and updates the existing empirical research on the relationship between futures price volatility and volume in the emerging Indian capital market using improved methodology and recent data set.
THE SENSITIVITY OF TRANSPORT INVESTMENT BENEFITS TO THE EVALUATION OF SMALL TRAVEL-TIME SAVINGS

This paper investigates the implications of different conventions for evaluating small travel-time savings in transport investment benefit calculations. In a series of network simulations, the extent and composition of time benefits of different length, arising from a set of highway policies, are computed. Two alternatives are examined in detail: that in which travel-time savings below a critical threshold are given a zero value, and that of liner discounting below a threshold level. These are compared with a widely adopted convention in which a constant unit value of time is taken to evaluate user benefits. The implications for investment appraisal are considered.
Robust Segments Detector for De-Synchronization Resilient Audio Watermarking

A robust feature points detector for invariant audio watermarking is proposed in this paper. The audio segments centering at the detected feature points are extracted for both watermark embedding and extraction. These feature points are invariant to various attacks and will not be changed much for maintaining high auditory quality. Besides, high robustness and inaudibility can be achieved by embedding the watermark into the approximation coefficients of Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT) domain, which is shift invariant. The spread spectrum communication technique is adopted to embed the watermark. Experimental results show that the proposed Robust Audio Segments Extractor (RASE) and the watermarking scheme are not only robust against common audio signal processing, such as low-pass filtering, MP3 compression, echo addition, volume change, and normalization; and distortions introduced in Stir-mark benchmark for Audio; but also robust against synchronization geometric distortions simultaneously, such as resample time-scale modification (TSM) with scaling factors up to ±50%, pitch invariant TSM by ±50%, and tempo invariant pitch shifting by ±50%. In general, the proposed scheme can well resist various attacks by the joint RASE and SWT approach, which performs much better comparing with the existing state-of-the art methods.
Inflation differentials in EMU: the Spanish case

In this paper we present some descriptive evidence and simulation exercises with both an estimated backward looking model and a calibrated general equilibrium forward looking model that allow some light to be shed on the determinants and macroeconomic implications of persistent inflation differentials in Spain within EMU. We show that a demand expansion biased towards consumption of non-tradable goods and real-wage rigidities –such as wage indexation clauses– are among the key determinants of diverging price developments in Spain. Moreover, we find that in those conditions the stabilising mechanism of terms of trade effects is relatively weak, although the economy undergoes lasting losses in competitiveness.
Detection and characterization of brain tumor using segmentation based on HSOM, wavelet packet feature spaces and ANN

The method to segment a human brain of MRI image is proposed in which tumor detection and characterization are considered using HSOM and Wavelet packets feature spaces. In the first phase, the MRI brain image is acquired from patient's database, In that film artifact and noise are removed, and Hierarchical Self Organizing Map (HSOM) is applied for image segmentation. The HSOM is the extension of the conventional self-organizing map used to classify the image row by row. In this lowest level of weight vector, a high value of tumor pixels and computation speed is achieved by the HSOM with vector quantization. In the second phase, the feature of the MRI image is extracted first. Using the ANN and wavelet packets we determine the abnormal spectra and type of abnormality. The MRI analysis results were correct 97% of the time when classifying the spectra of the clinical MRI data into normal tissue, tumor, and radiation necrosis. They were correct 72% and 83% of the time when determined tumor types using the clinical and simulated MRI data, respectively.
Catalyst of Disaster: Subprime Mortgage Securitization and the Roots of the Great Recession

Catalyst of Disaster: Subprime Mortgage Securitization and the Roots of the Great Recession* Neil Fligstein and Adam Goldstein Department of Sociology University of California Berkeley, Ca. 94720 U.S.A. *We would like to thank Lis Clemens, Jerry Davis, David Grusky, Paul Hirsch, and Mike Lounsbury for comments on an earlier draft. We would also like to thank the participants in the “Markets on Trial” Workshop held at the Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, Il. , Oct. 23-25, 2009. This paper was supported in part by a grant from the Tobin Project. The opinions expressed represent those of the authors.
Diagnostic Ultrasound Induced Inertial Cavitation to Non-Invasively Restore Coronary and Microvascular Flow in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Ultrasound induced cavitation has been explored as a method of dissolving intravascular and microvascular thrombi in acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to determine the type of cavitation required for success, and whether longer pulse duration therapeutic impulses (sustaining the duration of cavitation) could restore both microvascular and epicardial flow with this technique. Accordingly, in 36 hyperlipidemic atherosclerotic pigs, thrombotic occlusions were induced in the mid-left anterior descending artery. Pigs were then randomized to either a) ½ dose tissue plasminogen activator (0.5 mg/kg) alone; or same dose plasminogen activator and an intravenous microbubble infusion with either b) guided high mechanical index short pulse (2.0 MI; 5 usec) therapeutic ultrasound impulses; or c) guided 1.0 mechanical index long pulse (20 usec) impulses. Passive cavitation detectors indicated the high mechanical index impulses (both long and short pulse duration) induced inertial cavitation within the microvasculature. Epicardial recanalization rates following randomized treatments were highest in pigs treated with the long pulse duration therapeutic impulses (83% versus 59% for short pulse, and 49% for tissue plasminogen activator alone; p<0.05). Even without epicardial recanalization, however, early microvascular recovery occurred with both short and long pulse therapeutic impulses (p<0.005 compared to tissue plasminogen activator alone), and wall thickening improved within the risk area only in pigs treated with ultrasound and microbubbles. We conclude that although short pulse duration guided therapeutic impulses from a diagnostic transducer transiently improve microvascular flow, long pulse duration therapeutic impulses produce sustained epicardial and microvascular re-flow in acute myocardial infarction.