Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-year-old Child Head--Neck Finite Element Modelling: Simulation of the Interaction with Airbag in Frontal and Side Impact

This study proposes to assess the interaction between the three-year-old child head-neck system and a typical airbag, a protective system frequently used in the automotive field. Two separated models (head and neck) developed at the Strasbourg University (UDS) were coupled in order to estimate the injury risk during this type of impact. The first model developed is a three-year-old child finite element neck model (FEM) based on a realistic geometry. This FEM was validated in four directions against an original method based on scaling method. The second FEM is a three-year-old child head FE model published by Roth et al (2008). This model proposed an injury criterion in terms of Von Mises stress in the brain for moderate neurological injuries. After a coupling of these two FE models two impacts a frontal and lateral impact configuration are simulated. These impacts consisted of an airbag deployment at different gaps in order to calculate and estimate child brain injury risks.
Brussels Versus the Beltway: Advocacy in the United States and the European Union

Introduction 1: The U.S. and EU Political Systems 2. Explaining Advocacy 3. Researching Advocacy 4. Lobbying Positions 5. Argumentation 6. Lobbying Targets 7. Inside Lobbying Tactics 8. Outside Lobbying Tactics 9. Networking & Coalitions 10. Lobbying Success ConclusionAppendix: Case DescriptionReferencesIndex
Market reactions to management earnings forecasts

We examine whether investors recognize and rationally impound into the share price the possible earnings management of overoptimistic CEOs at the time the management forecast is issued, rather than the inferred (actual) earnings management at the announcement of realized earnings. We first confirm that investors underreact to management earnings forecasts issued by overoptimistic managers. Next we find that the market reacts more positively to the earnings announcements of overoptimistic CEOs when realized earnings are slightly above or below forecasted earnings compared to those of non-optimistic managers. This confirms our expectations that investors react negatively to the higher earnings management incentives of overoptimistic managers when the forecast is issued and not to actual earnings management when earnings are announced.
Geographic variation in advertisement calls of a Microhylid frog – testing the role of drift and ecology

Abstract Acoustic signals for mating are important traits that could drive population differentiation and speciation. Ecology may play a role in acoustic divergence through direct selection (e.g., local adaptation to abiotic environment), constraint of correlated traits (e.g., acoustic traits linked to another trait under selection), and/or interspecific competition (e.g., character displacement). However, genetic drift alone can also drive acoustic divergence. It is not always easy to differentiate the role of ecology versus drift in acoustic divergence. In this study, we tested the role of ecology and drift in shaping geographic variation in the advertisement calls of Microhyla fissipes. We examined three predictions based on ecological processes: (1) the correlation between temperature and call properties across M. fissipes populations; (2) the correlation between call properties and body size across M. fissipes populations; and (3) reproductive character displacement (RCD) in call properties between M. fissipes populations that are sympatric with and allopatric to a congener M. heymonsi. To test genetic drift, we examined correlations among call divergence, geographic distance, and genetic distance across M. fissipes populations. We recorded the advertisement calls from 11 populations of M. fissipes in Taiwan, five of which are sympatrically distributed with M. heymonsi. We found geographic variation in both temporal and spectral properties of the advertisement calls of M. fissipes. However, the call properties were not correlated with local temperature or the callers' body size. Furthermore, we did not detect RCD. By contrast, call divergence, geographic distance, and genetic distance between M. fissipes populations were all positively correlated. The comparisons between phenotypic Q st (P st) and F st values did not show significant differences, suggesting a role of drift. We concluded that genetic drift, rather than ecological processes, is the more likely driver for the geographic variation in the advertisement calls of M. fissipes.
All loop BMN state energies from matrices

We study a quantum corrected SO(6) invariant matrix quantum mechanics obtained from the s-wave modes of the scalars of = 4 SYM on S3. For commuting matrices, this model is believed to describe the 1/8 BPS states of the full SYM theory. In the large-N limit the ground state corresponds to a distribution of eigenvalues on a S5 which we identify with the sphere on the dual geometry AdS5 × S5. We then consider non-BPS excitations by studying matrix perturbations where the off-diagonal modes are treated perturbatively. To a first approximation, these modes can be described by a free theory of ``string bits" whose energies depend on the diagonal degrees of freedom. We then consider a state with two string bits and large angular momentum J on the sphere. In the large J limit we use a simple saddle point approximation to show that the energy of these states coincides precisely with the BMN spectrum to all orders in the 't Hooft coupling. We also find some new problems with the all loop Bethe Ansatz conjecture of the = 4 SYM planar spin chain model.
Stability Map of Fractional Order Time-Delay Systems

In this paper, the stability robustness is considered for linear time invariant (LTI) fractional order systems with time delay against delay uncertainties. The complexity arises due to the exponential type transcendental terms and fractional order in their characteristic equation. We show that this procedure numerically reveals all possible stability regions exclusively in the space of the delay . Using the approach presented in this study, we can find all the locations where roots cross the imaginary axis. Finally, the concept of stability as a function of time delay is described for a general class of linear fractional order systems with multiple commensurate delays. Several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Key-Words: Fractional order systems, time-delay systems, characteristic equation, stability, Root-Locus.
EMG-Driven Forward-Dynamic Estimation of Muscle Force and Joint Moment about Multiple Degrees of Freedom in the Human Lower Extremity

This work examined if currently available electromyography (EMG) driven models, that are calibrated to satisfy joint moments about one single degree of freedom (DOF), could provide the same musculotendon unit (MTU) force solution, when driven by the same input data, but calibrated about a different DOF. We then developed a novel and comprehensive EMG-driven model of the human lower extremity that used EMG signals from 16 muscle groups to drive 34 MTUs and satisfy the resulting joint moments simultaneously produced about four DOFs during different motor tasks. This also led to the development of a calibration procedure that allowed identifying a set of subject-specific parameters that ensured physiological behavior for the 34 MTUs. Results showed that currently available single-DOF models did not provide the same unique MTU force solution for the same input data. On the other hand, the MTU force solution predicted by our proposed multi-DOF model satisfied joint moments about multiple DOFs without loss of accuracy compared to single-DOF models corresponding to each of the four DOFs. The predicted MTU force solution was (1) a function of experimentally measured EMGs, (2) the result of physiological MTU excitation, (3) reflected different MTU contraction strategies associated to different motor tasks, (4) coordinated a greater number of MTUs with respect to currently available single-DOF models, and (5) was not specific to an individual DOF dynamics. Therefore, our proposed methodology has the potential of producing a more dynamically consistent and generalizable MTU force solution than was possible using single-DOF EMG-driven models. This will help better address the important scientific questions previously approached using single-DOF EMG-driven modeling. Furthermore, it might have applications in the development of human-machine interfaces for assistive devices.
Assessing the Quality of Software Requirements Specifications for Automotive Software Systems

As the size and complexity of automotive software increases, software requirements specification (SRS) is gaining importance in automotive software system development. However, the diversity in SRSs, which comes from the difference between product characteristics, is becoming an impediment for systematic inspection. We propose a two-stage inspection that combines first-stage inspection by third-party inspectors and second-stage inspection by the project team, which would allow SRSs written in different formats to be inspected in a uniform way. The scope of this paper is limited to third-party inspection. The proposed methodology leads to the following three benefits: 1) systematic inspection of SRSs from different product domains 2) analysis of the inspection results from multiple viewpoints 3) benchmark of inspection results and SRS quality. We applied the proposed method to two actual products' SRSs and evaluated the effect of the method.
Stekloff Eigenvalues in Inverse Scattering

We consider a problem in nondestructive testing in which small changes in the (possibly complex valued) refractive index $n(x)$ of an inhomogeneous medium of compact support are to be determined from changes in measured far field data due to incident plane waves. The problem is studied by considering a modified far field operator ${\cal F}$ whose kernel is the difference of the measured far field pattern due to the scattering object and the far field pattern of an auxiliary scattering problem with the Stekloff boundary condition imposed on the boundary of a domain $B$, where $B$ is either the support of the scattering object or a ball containing the scattering object in its interior. It is shown that ${\cal F}$ can be used to determine the Stekloff eigenvalues corresponding to $B$, where, if $B\not=D$, the refractive index is set equal to one in $B\setminus\overline{D}$. A formula is obtained relating changes in $n(x)$ to changes in the Stekloff eigenvalues and numerical examples are given showing the effectiveness of determining changes to the refractive index in this way.
Learning Tetris Using the Noisy Cross-Entropy Method

The cross-entropy method is an efficient and general optimization algorithm. However, its applicability in reinforcement learning (RL) seems to be limited because it often converges to suboptimal policies. We apply noise for preventing early convergence of the cross-entropy method, using Tetris, a computer game, for demonstration. The resulting policy outperforms previous RL algorithms by almost two orders of magnitude.
iLoc: a framework for incremental location-state acquisition and prediction based on mobile sensors

Much research focuses on predicting a person's geo-spatial traversal patterns using a history of recorded geo-coordinates. In this paper, we focus on the problem of predicting location-state transitions. Location-states for a user refer to a set of anchoring points/regions in space, and the prediction task produces a sequence of predicted location states for a given query time window. If this problem can be solved accurately and efficiently, it may lead to new location based services (LBS) that can smartly recommend information to a user based on his current and future location states. The proposed iLoc (Incremental (Location-State Acquisition and Prediction) framework solves the prediction problem by utilizing the sensor information provided by a user's mobile device. It incrementally learns the location states by constantly monitoring the signal environment of the mobile device. Further, the framework tightly integrates the learning and prediction modules, allowing iLoc to update location-states continuously and predict future location-states at the same time. Our extensive experiments show that the quality of the location-states learned by iLoc are better than the state-of-the-art. We also show that when other learners failed to produce reasonable predictions, iLoc provides good forecasts. As for the efficiency, iLoc processes the data in a single pass, which fits well to many data stream processing models.
At the Crossroads: Putin's Third Presidential Term and Russia's Institutions

In 2013, Russia's economy entered a phase of stagnation, with a rate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth much lower than that of other emerging economies. This article argues that economic stagnation is linked to the dysfunctional system of informal institutions that permeates every level of political decision making in the country. By discussing four recent books on the topic, the article shows the negative effect of Russia's informal institutions on economic development, as well as how their emergence and persistence is linked to the political system built by Vladimir Putin. The article then outlines different scenarios of institutional reform to show how Russia stands very much at a crossroads between different paths of political, economic and institutional development.
Generalized Spectral Tests for Conditional Mean Models in Time Series with Conditional Heteroscedasticity of Unknown Form

Economic theories in time series contexts usually have implications on and only on the conditional mean dynamics of underlying economic variables. We propose a new class of specification tests for time series conditional mean models, where the dimension of the conditioning information set may be infinite. Both linear and nonlinear conditional mean specifications are covered. The tests can detect a wide range of model misspecifications in mean while being robust to conditional heteroscedasticity and higher order time-varying moments of unknown form. They check a large number of lags, but naturally discount higher order lags, which is consistent with the stylized fact that economic behaviours are more affected by the recent past events than by the remote past events. No specific estimation method is required, and the tests have the appealing "nuisance parameter free" property that parameter estimation uncertainty has no impact on the limit distribution of the tests. A simulation study shows that it is important to take into account the impact of conditional heteroscedasticity; failure to do so will cause overrejection of a correct conditional mean model. In a horse race competition on testing linearity in mean, our tests have omnibus and robust power against a variety of alternatives relative to some existing tests. In an application, we find that after removing significant but possibly spurious autocorrelations due to nonsynchronous trading, there still exists significant predictable nonlinearity in mean for S&P 500 and NASDAQ daily returns. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.
What Was Driving the 1982–88 Boom In Temporary Employment?

The level of temporary help employment rose two-and-a-half fold between 1982 and 1988, was quite variable and had a disproportionately larger effect on employment flows. One conventional explanation suggests that changing demographic composition of the labor force in favor of groups preferring nontraditional employment arrangements fueled the temporary help boom. Demand-side views emphasize the volatility in labor demand, intensified price competition and the absence of employee benefit contributions. Empirical estimation confirms that demand-side forces predominate. Yet no labor supply variable is found to be positively associated with the extent of temporary employment. Cyclical fluctuation in output, intensified foreign competition and the magnitude of nonwage labor costs are all positively associated with temporary employment levels. The diminishing bargaining power of labor unions allows employers to exploit the labor cost savings of temporary hires, and the extent of paid time-off and the lack of flexibility in weekly hours of work play a weak role. The findings suggest why temporary job growth accelerated in the 1980s, as more firms employed a “core-periphery” human resource strategy. Public policy should adopt measures that attempt to limit the creation of temporary jobs to a level that accommodates the worker need for flexible annual work schedules.
Monetary Policy in Latin America in the 90s

This paper analyses Latin America’ monetary policy during the 90’s. The paper starts discussing the options that exist to carry out monetary policy, following by a discussion of the actual mechanisms chosen by the individual countries. Then, it goes on to study the main determinants of monetary policy in six countries: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. For that purpose we estimate reaction functions for each country. These estimations are based on reaction functions of the form introduced by Taylor (1993) and extended by Clarida et al. (1998) in terms of forward-looking rules. We modify the framework of Clarida et. al. by using the gap between the expected and a time-dependent "target" inflation. The results show that only in the case of Chile the monetary authority uses monetary policy with a clear commitment to achieve the target inflation.
A New Perspective on Performance Persistence: Evidence Using Portfolio Holdings

We investigate the existence and sources of performance persistence for Australian equity funds, using monthly portfolio holdings data. We find significant persistence among outperforming rather than underperforming funds, which is primarily related to security selection skill, and is associated with growth‐orientated funds. Meanwhile, the relation between persistence and momentum is secondary and nuanced. Further, persistence largely derives from existing holdings, while subsequent active trading contributes only moderately positive returns for both outperforming and underperforming funds. We also find that persistence fades beyond 6 months and vanishes after 24 months. Our findings differ from those for U.S. equity funds and previous Australian studies, implying that persistence may vary with market context and its identification may depend on data availability.
Native and Nonnative English-Speaking English as a Second Language Teachers: Student Attitudes, Teacher Self-Perceptions, and Intensive English Administrator Beliefs and Practices.

viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Personal Perspective 5 Theoretical Assumptions and Discussions 7 Goals of the Research Project and Research Questions 10 Significance of the Project 12 Summary 13 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 14 International Teaching Assistants 14 Teacher Education 18 ESL and EFL Teachers’ Perspectives 21 Advantages and Disadvantages of NESTs and NNESTs 21 Teachers’ Self-perceptions 26 What is a “Qualified” Teacher? 30 IEP Administrators’ Perspectives 31 Background Information about IEPs 31 Beliefs and Hiring Practices 33 ESL and EFL Students’ Perspectives 35 Definition of Attitude 36 Research Studies with Students 38 Conclusion 41 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 42 Research Design 42 Instruments 44 Rationale for Using Questionnaires 44 Constructs 47
Brown Dwarf Companions to G-Type Stars. I. Gliese 417B and Gliese 584C

We present astrometric and spectroscopic observations confirming that two nearby G dwarf systems (Gliese 417 = BD+36°2162 and Gliese 584AB = η CrB AB) have a widely separated, L dwarf, substellar companion. Using age estimates of the G dwarf primaries, we estimate masses for these L dwarfs from theoretical evolutionary tracks. For the L4.5 dwarf Gl 417B we estimate an age of 0.08–0.3 Gyr and a mass of 0.035 ± 0.015 M⊙. For the L8 dwarf Gl 584C we estimate an age of 1.0–2.5 Gyr and a mass of 0.060 ± 0.015 M⊙. This latter object also shows evidence of spectrum variability, which may be due to surface inhomogeneities rotating into and out of view. These new companions are also compared to six other L dwarf and T dwarf companions previously recognized. For the L dwarf companions, ages implied by the presence or absence of lithium are consistent with ages inferred from the primaries alone.
Volatility Clustering in U.S. Home Prices

Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) effects imply the probability of large losses is greater than standard mean-variance analysis suggests. Accurately capturing GARCH for housing markets is vital for portfolio management. Previous investigations of GARCH in housing have focused on narrow regions or aggregated effects of GARCH across markets, imposing one nationwide effect. This paper tests fifty state housing markets for GARCH, and develops individual GARCH models for those states, allowing for different effects in each. Results indicate there are GARCH effects in over half the states, and the signs and magnitudes vary widely, highlighting the importance of estimating separate GARCH models for each market.
Demand For Durable Goods, Nondurable Goods And Services

Separate macroeconomic consumption demand functions are developed and tested for (1) durable goods, (2) nondurable goods and (3) services. These are compared for consistency with econometric studies of total consumer demand. Key factors determining demand for these goods are tested using U.S. 1960 - 2000 data. The econometric method used was 2SLS with heteroskedasticity controls. Data in first differences are used to reduce multicollinearity, non stationarity and autocorrelation. The models explain 94% of the variance in demand for consumer durables, 86% of demand for nondurable consumer goods and 81% of services demand. Demand for durables like autos and appliances, was found to be driven by the disposable income, wealth, the exchange rate, availability of consumer credit, interest rates on consumer credit, demand for new housing, which affects appliance demand, and population growth. Demand for nondurable goods, such as groceries and clothes, was driven by the same factors, except for new housing demand and the exchange rate. Demand for consumer services such as laundry, restaurant, and entertainment services was found to be related to disposable income, wealth, and population growth, but not related to consumer credit availability, or consumer credit interest rates. However, mortgage interest rates paid by households did seem to affect the demand for services.
INNOVATIONS : A CLASSIFICATION BY IT LOCUS OF IMPACT AND RESEARCH APPROACH

s were reviewed by both authors; those unrelated to innovation diffusion were omitted. Efforts were made to obtain copies of the remaining papers. We then read and reviewed 102 papers for content. After our initial reading, an additional 32 papers judged not to be innovation related were omitted, leaving 70 papers in the analysis. Initially, we each read three papers and, from them, developed a coding scheme for classifying information in the papers. Next, both authors read each paper and independently identified independent variables, dependent variables, technology, locus of technology impact, research approach, research expectations and findings, and thoughts for future research. Then,