Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unemployment Durations in West Germany Before and After the Reform of the Unemployment Compensation System during the 1980s

Abstract This paper analyzes empirically the distribution of unemployment durations in West Germany during the 1980s and 1990s. It therefore covers periods before and after the changes during the mid-1980s in the maximum entitlement periods for unemployment benefits for older unemployed. The analysis is based on the IAB employment subsample containing administrative data for about 500,000 individuals. Since these data only partly reveal the unemployment duration in an economic sense, we use a narrow and a wide proxy for unemployment. Our empirical analysis finds significant changes in the distribution of non-employment durations for older unemployed. At the same time, the distribution of unemployment durations between jobs remained unchanged after the reforms. Our findings clearly show that many firms and workers used the more beneficial laws as a part of early retirement packages. Surprisingly, for those workers who found and accepted a new job, we do not observe a prolongation of their search periods to a sizeable extent.
Discrimination and Recognition of Phantom Finger Sensation Through Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Tactile sensory feedback would make a significant contribution to the state-of-the-art prosthetic hands for achieving dexterous manipulation over objects. Phantom finger sensation, also called referred sensation of lost fingers, can be noninvasively evoked by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of the phantom finger territories (PFTs) near the stump for upper-limb amputees. As such, intuitive sensations pertaining to lost fingers could be non-invasively generated. However, the encoding of stimulation parameters into tactile sensations that can be intuitively interpreted by the users remains a significant challenge. Further, how discriminative such artificial tactile sensation with TENS of the PFTs is still unknown. In this study, we systematically characterized the tactile discrimination across different phantom fingers on the stump skin by TENS among six subjects. Charge-balanced and biphasic stimulating current pulses were adopted. The pulse amplitude (PA), the pulse frequency (PF) and the pulse width (PW) were modulated to evaluate the detection threshold, perceived touch intensity, and the just-noticeable difference (JND) of the phantom finger sensation. Particularly, the recognition of phantom fingers under simultaneous stimulation was assessed. The psychophysical experiments revealed that subjects could discern fine variations of stimuli with comfortable sensation of phantom fingers including D1 (phantom thumb), D2 (phantom index finger), D3 (Phantom middle finger), and D5 (Phantom pinky finger). With respect to PA, PF, and PW modulations, the detection thresholds across the four phantom fingers were achieved by the method of constant stimuli based on a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) paradigm. For each modulation, the perceived intensity, which was indexed by skin indentations on the contralateral intact finger pulp, reinforced gradually with enhancing stimuli within lower-intensity range. Particularly, the curve of the indentation depth vs. PF almost reached a plateau with PF more than 200 Hz. Moreover, the performance of phantom finger recognition deteriorated with the increasing number of phantom fingers under simultaneous TENS. For one, two and four stimulating channels, the corresponding recognition rate of an individual PFT were respective 85.83, 67.67, and 46.44%. The results of the present work would provide direct guidelines regarding the optimization of stimulating strategies to deliver artificial tactile sensation by TENS for clinical applications.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute Credit Risks and Monetary Policy Trade-off's

Financial frictions and financial shocks can affect the trade-off between inflation stabilization and output-gap stabilization faced by a central bank. Financial frictions lead to a greater response in output following any deviation of inflation from target and thus lead to an increase in the sacrifice ratio. As a result, optimal monetary policy in the face of credit frictions is to allow greater output gap instability in return for greater inflation stability. Such a shift in optimal monetary policy can be mimicked in a Taylor-type interest rate feedback rule that shifts weight to inflation and the lagged interest rate and away from output. However, the ability of the conventional Taylor rule to mimic optimal policy gets worse as credit market frictions and shocks intensify. By including a financial variable like the lending spread in the monetary policy rule, the central bank can partially reverse this worsening output-inflation trade-off brought about by financial frictions and partially undo the effects of credit market frictions and shocks. Thus the central bank may want to include lending spreads in the policy rule even when financial distortions are not explicitly part of the central bank's objective function. The views in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.
On Process Recognition by Logical Inference

The ability to recognize and to understand processes allows a robot operating in a dynamic environment to rationally respond to dynamic changes. In this paper we demonstrate how a mobile robot can recognize storage processes in a warehouse environment, solely using perception data and an abstract specification of the processes. We specify processes symbolically in linear temporal logic (LTL) and pose process recognition as a model verification problem. The key feature of our logic based approach is its ability to infer missing pieces of information by logic-based reasoning. The evaluation demonstrates that this approach is able to reconstruct histories of good movements in a lab-simulated warehouse.
Regularization as a Toolkit for Parsimonious Modeling in Bioinformatics

With the tremendous progress in bioinformatics we are facing new challenges where complex data set need to be analyzed to glean meaningful scientific knowledge. Though statistical tools were slow to emerge in the beginning, however it was discovered early that there exist some seemingly related issues in many of the different bioinformatics data sets. They are generally overly complex giving rise to complicated models which are often sub-optimal and have poor generalization capability outside the realm of respective study. This violates scientific principles of causality. The balance between the model complexity and its generalizing capacity is often sought after in many of the early successful modeling efforts in bioinformatics. Over the time this has been termed as “Regularization”. This review article investigates regularization as a solution for parsimonious model selection in complex biological data and can be seen as an attempt to gather bits and pieces of many such earlier efforts under a single umbrella.
Use of intelligent planning for integrated expert systems development

The paper focuses on the problem of the integrated expert systems with the problem-oriented methodology development and the AT-TECHNOLOGY workbench intellectualization problems. Special operational component intelligent planner controls the development process. The intelligent planner uses automated planning technology techniques in its core. The development of integrated expert system is shown as a planning problem. Some necessary models and technical details of intelligent program environment are described. The other crucial components of intelligent program environment such as reusable components and typical design procedures are briefly discussed.
On the Effectiveness of Optimization Search Strategies for Parallel Execution Spaces

The co.91 of query optimization is ufiected by both the ~eurch apocc und the search atmlegy of the opti,aizer. I~I (1 pumllel ecectrlion environment, Ihe search ap~cc tends lo he much lurger than in the centmlized ca,sc-. This is due to the high number of ezecution okeruutivrs which implies a aignijiconl increase in the op~imisutiofc coal. 118 &a puper, we investigate the tmde-o# between optimiaution cost and pumllel ezecution coat using the DBS$ pumllC1 query optimizer. We describe its cost model which cuptrrrea ull esaentiol aapects of pumllel executions. We show how the coal melricu imply a aignijiconl increase in the search spuce and oplimirotion coat. Howeuer, inateud of restricting lhe aeurch spabe, which muy lead to loosing letter plans, we reduce the optimization cost Iv controlling the search slmtegy. We ezrend mndomiaed strulegiea to adopt well lo pamllel query optimization. In particular, we propose Toured Simulated Annealing which provides u letter tmdec$ letween optimisa#on cost and yuulity of Ura ~~rullel r+rculiorr plan.
A Mock-up System for the Early Testing of Location Based Services

In this paper we describe a mock-up system for Location Based Services for the use on mobile devices. It allows an early testing of applications, user interfaces, interaction techniques and computer vision algorithms. Since no special hardware and effort is needed to virtually place a user on an arbitrary location, it is a fast and low cost prototyping system. A specialised Wizard-of-Oz testbed is used to incorporate reality and to simulate application logic and localization. We use an User Centered Design approach by allowing the involvement of the user in the application’s design process.
Stakeholders' Use of Microblogging to Engage in Emotion Strategies During a Crisis

The rise of microblogging has drastically transformed the ways in which people become aware of, talk about, experience, and respond to crises. Microblogging allows for multiple stakeholders to express and manage emotions that a crisis may trigger. This research examines how multiple stakeholders engage in emotion strategies through microblogging over the course of a crisis. Relying upon and extending emerging literatures on crisis management and the psycho-sociology of emotions, we propose the concept of emotion strategies to explore and elaborate upon the different uses of emotions and their crucial importance in a crisis context. We examine how microblogging features and affordances might enable and shape the emotion strategies of various stakeholders involved in a crisis. We outline the details of an ongoing investigation in the context of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and provide illustrative insights. We conclude by highlighting future steps in this research and expected contributions.
Associations Between Fluid Balance and Outcomes in Critically Ill Children

Background: Fluid therapy is a mainstay during the resuscitation of critically ill children. After initial stabilization, excessive fluid accumulation may lead to complications of fluid overload, which has been independently associated with increased risk for mortality and major morbidity in critically ill children. Objectives: Perform an evidence synthesis to describe the methods used to measure fluid balance, define fluid overload, and evaluate the association between fluid balance and outcomes in critically ill children. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Measurements: Fluid balance, fluid accumulation, and fluid overload as defined by authors. Methods: We will search Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest, Dissertations and Theses. In addition, we will search www.clinicaltrials. gov, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and the proceedings of selected key conferences for ongoing and completed studies. Search strategy will be done in consultation with a research librarian. Clinical trials and observational studies (from database inception to present) in patients (<25 years) admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) reporting fluid balance, fluid accumulation, or fluid overload, and associated outcomes will be included. Language will not be restricted. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data. Primary outcome is mortality, and secondary outcomes encompass critical care resource utilization. Quality of evidence and risk of bias will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results will be synthesized qualitatively and pooled for meta-analysis if possible. Limitations: Quality of the included studies; lack of randomized trials; high degrees of expected heterogeneity; and variations in definitions of fluid balance and fluid overload between studies. Conclusion: We will comprehensively appraise and summarize the evidence of the association between fluid balance and outcomes in critically ill children, and in doing so attempt to harmonize definitions related to fluid balance, accumulation, and overload. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO: CRD42016036209.
Genes from Chagas Susceptibility Loci That Are Differentially Expressed in T. cruzi-Resistant Mice Are Candidates Accounting for Impaired Immunity

Variation between inbred mice of susceptibility to experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection has frequently been described, but the immunogenetic background is poorly understood. The outcross of the susceptible parental mouse strains C57BL/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2), B6D2F1 (F1) mice, is highly resistant to this parasite. In the present study we show by quantitative PCR that the increase of tissue parasitism during the early phase of infection is comparable up to day 11 between susceptible B6 and resistant F1 mice. A reduction of splenic parasite burdens occurs thereafter in both strains but is comparatively retarded in susceptible mice. Splenic microarchitecture is progressively disrupted with loss of follicles and B lymphocytes in B6 mice, but not in F1 mice. By genotyping of additional backcross offspring we corroborate our earlier findings that susceptibility maps to three loci on Chromosomes 5, 13 and 17. Analysis of gene expression of spleen cells from infected B6 and F1 mice with microarrays identifies about 0.3% of transcripts that are differentially expressed. Assuming that differential susceptibility is mediated by altered gene expression, we propose that the following differentially expressed transcripts from these loci are strong candidates for the observed phenotypic variation: H2-Eα, H2-D1, Ng23, Msh5 and Tubb5 from Chromosome 17; and Cxcl11, Bmp2k and Spp1 from Chromosome 5. Our results indicate that innate mechanisms are not of primary relevance to resistance of F1 mice to T. cruzi infection, and that differential susceptibility to experimental infection with this protozoan pathogen is not paralleled by extensive variation of the transcriptome.
Voltage balancing controller for automotive lithium ion batteries using bidirectional zero-voltage-transition multi-port converter

Bidirectional multi-port converters are particularly suitable for voltage balancing controllers of automotive lithium ion batteries. The converter topology proposed in this paper achieves a small number of components, high efficiency and low EMI due to the zero voltage switching. In comparison to other applications with multi-port converters the voltage balancing controller application requires a multi-port converter with a large number of input-output ports. A general analysis of the energy transfer of the proposed multi-port converter has been developed and a decoupling control strategy has been developed. A prototype converter has been built and tested to verify the concept. Measurements are in good correlation with theoretical predictions.
NoiseOut: A Simple Way to Prune Neural Networks

Neural networks are usually over-parameterized with significant redundancy in the number of required neurons which results in unnecessary computation and memory usage at inference time. One common approach to address this issue is to prune these big networks by removing extra neurons and parameters while maintaining the accuracy. In this paper, we propose NoiseOut, a fully automated pruning algorithm based on the correlation between activations of neurons in the hidden layers. We prove that adding additional output neurons with entirely random targets results into a higher correlation between neurons which makes pruning by NoiseOut even more efficient. Finally, we test our method on various networks and datasets. These experiments exhibit high pruning rates while maintaining the accuracy of the original network.
Old gene, new phenotype: splice-altering variants in CEACAM16 cause recessive non-syndromic hearing impairment

Background Hearing loss is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic cause underlying the postlingual progressive hearing loss in two Iranian families. Methods We used OtoSCOPE, a next-generation sequencing platform targeting >150 genes causally linked to deafness, to screen two deaf probands. Data analysis was completed using a custom bioinformatics pipeline, and variants were functionally assessed using minigene splicing assays. Results We identified two homozygous splice-altering variants (c.37G>T and c.662–1G>C) in the CEACAM16 gene, segregating with the deafness in each family. The minigene splicing results revealed the c.37G>T results in complete skipping of exon 2 and loss of the AUG start site. The c.662–1G>C activates a cryptic splice site inside exon 5 resulting in a shift in the mRNA reading frame. Conclusions These results suggest that loss-of-function mutations in CEACAM16 result in postlingual progressive hearing impairment and further support the role of CEACAM16 in auditory function.
Adaptive Noise Reduction of Speech Signals

We propose a new adaptive speech noise removal algorithm based on a twostage Wiener ltering. A rst Wiener lter is used to produce a smoothed estimate of the a priori signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), aided by a classi er that separates speech from noise frames, and a second Wiener lter is used to generate the nal output. Spectral analysis and synthesis is performed by a modulated complex lapped transform (MCLT). For noisy speech at a low 10 dB input SNR, for example, the proposed algorithm can achieve on average about 13 dB noise-to-mask ratio (NMR) reduction, or about 6 dB SNR improvement.
Model Predictive Control Applied to Constraint Handling in Active Noise and Vibration Control

The difficulties imposed by actuator limitations in a range of active vibration and noise control problems are well recognized. This paper proposes and examines a new approach of employing model predictive control (MPC). MPC permits limitations on allowable control action to be explicitly included in the computation of an optimal control action. Such techniques have been widely and successfully applied in many other areas. However, due to the relatively high computational requirements of MPC, existing applications have been limited to systems with slow dynamics. This paper illustrates that MPC can be implemented on inexpensive hardware at high sampling rates using traditional online quadratic programming methods for nontrivial models and with significant control performance dividends.
Evaluating Word Embeddings Using a Representative Suite of Practical Tasks

Word embeddings are increasingly used in natural language understanding tasks requiring sophisticated semantic information. However, the quality of new embedding methods is usually evaluated based on simple word similarity benchmarks. We propose evaluating word embeddings in vivo by evaluating them on a suite of popular downstream tasks. To ensure the ease of use of the evaluation, we take care to ﬁnd a good point in the tradeoff space between (1) creating a thorough evaluation – i.e., we evaluate on a diverse set of tasks; and (2) ensuring an easy and fast evaluation – by using simple models with few tuned hyperparameters. This allows us to release this evaluation as a standardized script and online evaluation, available at http://veceval.com/ .
Implementing Deterministic Finite State Machines using Guard-Stage-Milestone

The Guard-Stage-Milestone (GSM) has emerged as a recent data centric approach to define business processes. GSM is one of the approaches to business artifacts in which the business process is described around the lifecycle of the data. Since its introduction in 2011, several research teams have worked on formally proving GSM properties. This paper describes a transformation of deterministic finite state machines (DFSM) into GSM types, by mapping states to GSM stages and input symbols to GSM incoming events. The state transition function of the DFSM is mapped such that it forces each snapshot of the resulting GSM type to correspond to a state of the resulting machine. The transformation presented in here faithfully rewrites a DFSM into a GSM type and it is suitable for automation.
Rapid Quantification of Myocardial Lipid Content in Humans Using Single Breath-Hold 1H MRS at 3 Tesla

A rapid, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy method to evaluate human myocardial lipid levels in a single breath‐hold at 3 T using a commercial whole‐body system is presented. During a 10 s breath‐hold, water unsuppressed and suppressed spectra were acquired by two phased array coils using a short‐echo time spectroscopic stimulated echo (STEAM) sequence electrocardiogram‐triggered to mid‐diastole. Lipid‐to‐water ratios were obtained in the septum of 15 healthy volunteers, (0.46 ± 0.19)%. These results agreed well with ratios obtained from averaged spectra acquired in seven multiple breath‐holds, (0.45 ± 0.20)%, providing increased signal‐to‐noise ratio but requiring longer acquisition times. Excellent correlation was found between the two methods (r = 0.94, P < 0.05). Reproducibility of 1H MRS for measuring myocardial lipid levels in a short breath‐hold was acceptable in five repeated measurements within the same subject (coefficient of variation = 19%). Thus, single breath‐hold proton spectroscopy allows reliable and quick quantification of myocardial lipids at 3 T. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TIMING AND INTERSTELLAR SCATTERING OF 35 DISTANT PULSARS DISCOVERED IN THE PALFA SURVEY

We have made extensive observations of 35 distant slow (non-recycled) pulsars discovered in the ongoing Arecibo PALFA pulsar survey. Timing observations of these pulsars over several years at Arecibo Observatory and Jodrell Bank Observatory have yielded high-precision positions and measurements of rotation properties. Despite being a relatively distant population, these pulsars have properties that mirror those of the previously known pulsar population. Many of the sources exhibit timing noise, and one underwent a small glitch. We have used multifrequency data to measure the interstellar scattering properties of these pulsars. We find scattering to be higher than predicted along some lines of sight, particularly in the Cygnus region. Finally, we present XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of the youngest and most energetic of the pulsars, J1856+0245, which has previously been associated with the GeV–TeV pulsar wind nebula HESS J1857+026.