Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Market and Macroeconomic Volatility - Relationships and Some Puzzles -

This paper investigates whether the volatility in financial markets is interrelated and whether financial market volatility is related to macroeconomic variability by utilizing a VAR. After investigating Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, this paper presents three findings. First, by and large stock and bond return volatility can help predict exchange rate volatility. Second, there is evidence that volatility in some financial markets can help explain the volatility of some macroeconomic measures. There is also evidence that the relationship works in the opposite direction. Finally, this paper identifies some puzzling characteristics of financial markets in Japan. Compared with other countries, Japan has experienced lower bond market volatility and higher foreign exchange volatility, both of which are not associated with macroeconomic volatility.
A Formalisation of Argumentation Schemes for Legal Case-based Reasoning in Aspic+

In this paper we offer a formal account of reasoning with legal cases in terms of argumentation schemes. These schemes, and undercutting attacks associated with them, are formalised as defeasible rules of inference within the ASPIC+ framework. We begin by modelling the style of reasoning with cases developed by Aleven and Ashley in the CATO project, which describes cases using factors, and then extend the account to accommodate the dimensions used in Rissland and Ash-ley's earlier HYPO project. Some additional scope for argumentation is then identified and formalised.
Modular Multiplication and Exponentiation Architectures for Fast RSA Cryptosystem Based on Digit Serial Computation

Modular exponentiation with large modulus and exponent, which is usually accomplished by repeated modular multiplications, has been widely used in public key cryptosystems. Typically, the Montgomery's modular-multiplication algorithm is used since no trial division is necessary, and the carry-save addition (CSA) is employed to reduce the critical path. In this paper, we optimize the Montgomery's multiplication and propose architectures to perform the least significant bit first and the most significant bit first algorithms. The developed architecture has the following distinctive characteristics: 1) use of digit serial approach for Montgomery multiplication. 2) Conversion of the CSA representation of intermediate multiplication using carry-skip addition. This allows the critical path to be reduced, albeit with a small-area speed penalty; and 3) precompute the quotient value in Montgomery's iteration in order to speed up the operating frequency. In this paper, we present results in Xilinx Virtex 5 and in 0.18-μm application-specified integrated circuit technologies. For fair comparison with previous works, Xilinx Virtex 2 results are reported. Experimental results show that the proposed modular exponentiation and modular-multiplication design obtain the best delay performance compared with the published works and outperform them in terms of area-time complexity as well.
Evolutionary and ecological feedbacks of the survival cost of reproduction

Arguably the most fundamental of trade‐offs in life‐history evolution is the increase in natural mortality resulting from sexual maturity and reproduction. Despite its central importance, this increase in mortality, a survival cost, garners surprisingly little attention in fish and fisheries modeling studies. We undertook an exploratory analysis to evaluate the consequences of this omission for life‐history projections. To this end, we developed a simulation approach that integrates quantitative genetics into the ecological dynamics of a fish population and parameterized the model for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, L.). When compared to simulations in which the mortality of immature and mature individuals is equal, the inclusion of a survival cost results in larger asymptotic body size, older age at maturity, and larger size at maturity. We also find that measures of population productivity (spawning stock biomass, recruits‐per‐spawner) are overestimated if the survival cost is excluded. This sensitivity of key metrics of population growth rate and reproductive capacity to the magnitude of the survival cost of reproduction underscores the need to explicitly account for this trade‐off in projections of fish population responses to natural and anthropogenic environmental change, including fisheries.
A fair game or no contest? Contested identities in teacher education

The narrative of one ethnic minority early childhood student teacher tells of her journey as she (re)constructs her identities as a Cook Island woman and as a pre-service teacher, during a teacher education course in New Zealand. This story conveys her experiences of learning across different pedagogical paradigms. Findings show that teacher education lecturers can significantly enhance the learning experience for ethnic minority pre-service teachers by incorporating existing knowledges and understandings in course content and delivery.
A Six Degree-of-Freedom God-Object Method for Haptic Display of Rigid Bodies with Surface Properties

This paper describes a generalization of the god-object method for haptic interaction between rigid bodies. Our approach separates the computation of the motion of the six degree-of-freedom god-object from the computation of the force applied to the user. The motion of the god-object is computed using continuous collision detection and constraint-based quasi-statics, which enables high-quality haptic interaction between contacting rigid bodies. The force applied to the user is computed using a novel constraint-based quasi-static approach, which allows us to suppress force artifacts typically found in previous methods. The constraint-based force applied to the user, which handles any number of simultaneous contact points, is computed within a few microseconds, while the update of the configuration of the rigid god-object is performed within a few milliseconds for rigid bodies containing up to tens of thousands of triangles. Our approach has been successfully tested on complex benchmarks. Our results show that the separation into asynchronous processes allows us to satisfy the different update rates required by the haptic and visual displays. Force shading and textures can be added and enlarge the range of haptic perception of a virtual environment. This paper is an extension of M. Ortega et al., [2006]
Review of Studies of the Concurrent and Predictive Validity of the National Teacher Examinations1

This review is organized into four main sections. In the first, the background and purposes of the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) and the hazards of combining data on these tests in research studies are discussed briefly. The second section is concerned with articles related to the concurrent validity of the NTE and their relationship to pre-service teacher preparation. The third section has to do with the predictive validity of the NTE with in-service teachers. The last section is a summary of the research findings. The reader who wants more detailed information about any article mentioned in this review is urged to study the more extended discussion of these articles in the annotated bibliography by Quirk, Witten, and Weinberg (1972). The National Teacher Examinations have been in existence for
Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce State-of-the-art in E-commerce Carbon Footprinting -2 - Teaching Interests in Such Faculties as Decision Modeling (multi-echelon Operations & Supply Chain Management, Project Management, and Mathematical Programming) and Intelligent Tools for Decision-making 

This paper provides a survey of the state-of-the-art in E-Commerce Carbon Footprinting. This comprehensive literature survey informs the research community on past and recent objective and subjective efforts towards measuring Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Efficacy of E-Commerce. Moreover, this paper provides a framework for categorizing research in this critical area. We also provide a summary of some very promising future research directions in Carbon Footprinting of E-Commerce. Our survey corroborates that Carbon Footprinting is now considered a widely recognized broad framework of gauging Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Efficacy of E-Commerce. Furthermore, it informs us that the research in this discipline is fast expanding and evolving. Such a survey in this critical research field is significant for government and corporate policy-makers in formulating informed decisions regarding Sustainability. In addition, the research in this domain may be useful to environmentally conscious consumers who want to make informed choices on their consumption habits for reducing their personal Carbon Footprints.
Growing-Related Changes in Arterial Properties of Healthy Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Nonexposed to Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Analysis of Gender-Related Differences

The aims of our work were to determine normal aging rates for structural and functional arterial parameters in healthy children, adolescents, and young adults and to identify gender-related differences in these aging rates. Methods. 161 subjects (mean: 15 years (range: 4–28 years), 69 females) were studied. Subjects included had no congenital or chronic diseases, nor had they been previously exposed to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Arterial parameters assessed were (1) central blood pressure (BP) and aortic pulse wave analysis, (2) arterial local (pressure-strain elastic modulus) and regional (pulse wave velocity, PWV) stiffness, and (3) arterial diameters and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Simple linear regression models (age as the independent variable) were obtained for all the parameters and the resulting rates of change were compared between genders. Results. No gender-related differences were found in mean values of arterial structural and functional parameters in prepubertal ages (4–8 years), but they started to appear at ~15 years. Boys showed a greater rate of change for central systolic BP, central pulse pressure, CIMT, and carotid-femoral PWV. Conclusion. Gender-related differences in arterial characteristics of adults can be explained on the basis of different growing-related patterns between boys and girls, with no existing differences in prepubertal ages.
A kinematic study of prosodic boundary effects on /i/ articulation in French.

This study presents kinematic data for the vowel /i/ at several different prosodic boundaries in French. It follows on from previous work presented in Tabain (in press), where the vowel /a/ was shown to be highly affected by the strength of the prosodic boundary. Consistent with previous data showing minimal contextual variability in the production of /i/, our results show minimal effects of prosodic boundary strength on tongue and jaw movement for /i/. However, durational data show the same pattern as is observed for all other speech sounds. We suggest that since a very precise production of /i/ is important for correct perception of this vowel, the speaker is not free to mark the prosodic hierarchy in terms of supralaryngeal articulation in the same way as it is marked for /a/. For this reason we suggest that duration is still the primary marker of prosodic boundaries in French.
SIRT1 suppresses self-renewal of adult hippocampal neural stem cells

The balance between self-renewal and differentiation of adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) is essential for the maintenance of the aNSC reservoir and the continuous supply of new neurons, but how this balance is fine-tuned in the adult brain is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the role of SIRT1, an important metabolic sensor and epigenetic repressor, in regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. We found that there was an increase in SIRT1 expression during aNSC differentiation. In Sirt1 knockout (KO) mice, as well as in brain-specific and inducible stem cell-specific conditional KO mice, the proliferation and self-renewal rates of aNSCs in vivo were elevated. Proliferation and self-renewal rates of aNSCs and adult neural progenitor cells (aNPCs) were also elevated in neurospheres derived from Sirt1 KO mice and were suppressed by the SIRT1 agonist resveratrol in neurospheres from wild-type mice. In cultured neurospheres, 2-deoxy-D-glucose-induced metabolic stress suppressed aNSC/aNPC proliferation, and this effect was mediated in part by elevating SIRT1 activity. Microarray and biochemical analysis of neurospheres suggested an inhibitory effect of SIRT1 on Notch signaling in aNSCs/aNPCs. Inhibition of Notch signaling by a γ-secretase inhibitor also largely abolished the increased aNSC/aNPC proliferation caused by Sirt1 deletion. Together, these findings indicate that SIRT1 is an important regulator of aNSC/aNPC self-renewal and a potential mediator of the effect of metabolic changes.
Role of ankle foot orthosis in improving locomotion and functional recovery in patients with stroke: A prospective rehabilitation study

Objective: To study role of ankle foot orthosis (AFO) in improving locomotion and functional recovery after stroke. Setting: Neurological Rehabilitation Department of a university research tertiary hospital. Patients and Methods: AFO and activity based rehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures: Distance (meters) covered during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and speed (meter/second) during the 10-meter walk test. Functional abilities assessed using Functional Independence Measure (FIM®). Results: Twenty-six patients (21 male) with stroke (mean duration 196.7 days, range 45–360 days) and mean age of 41.6 years (range 18–65 years, standard deviation [SD] 12.5) were included. Fourteen had right hemiplegia. The mean length of stay in the unit was 26.5 days (range 18–45 days, SD 5.5). All patients had equinus deformity with spastic foot drop and were provided with AFO. Walking endurance with 6MWT was 90 m on admission (without AFO). At discharge, it improved to 174 m with AFO and 121 m without AFOs (P < 0.001-with and without AFO at discharge). Walking speed improved from 0.4 m/s (admission) to 0.51 m/s with AFO, P= 0.004 and 0.45 m/s without AFO, P = 0.015) at discharge. Nine patients (34.6%) had clinically important difference-minimal clinically important difference (>0.16 m/s speed gain; >50 m endurance gain) at discharge. The mean FIM® score on admission was 84.3 ± 18.6. At discharge FIM® improved to 101.9 ± 13.7 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Use of AFOs improve gait parameters significantly in only one-third stroke patients in the study when combined with activity-based inpatient-rehabilitation.
The import receptor for the peroxisomal targeting signal 2 (PTS2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is encoded by the PAS7 gene.

The import of peroxisomal matrix proteins is dependent on one of two targeting signals, PTS1 and PTS2. We demonstrate in vivo that not only the import of thiolase but also that of a chimeric protein consisting of the thiolase PTS2 (amino acids 1–18) fused to the bacterial protein beta‐lactamase is Pas7p dependent. In addition, using a combination of several independent approaches (two‐hybrid system, co‐immunoprecipitation, affinity chromatography and high copy suppression), we show that Pas7p specifically interacts with thiolase in vivo and in vitro. For this interaction, the N‐terminal PTS2 of thiolase is both necessary and sufficient. The specific binding of Pas7p to thiolase does not require peroxisomes. Pas7p recognizes the PTS2 of thiolase even when this otherwise N‐terminal targeting signal is fused to the C‐terminus of other proteins, i.e. the activation domain of Gal4p or GST. These results demonstrate that Pas7p is the targeting signal‐specific receptor of thiolase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, moreover, are consistent with the view that Pas7p is the general receptor of the PTS2. Our observation that Pas7p also interacts with the human peroxisomal thiolase suggests that in the human peroxisomal disorders characterized by an import defect for PTS2 proteins (classical rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata), a functional homologue of Pas7p may be impaired.
Vicarious Trauma in Judges: The Personal Challenge of Dispensing Justice

Symptoms of vicarious trauma, coping strategies, and prevention suggestions were investigated with 105 judges. Participants completed a self-report measure developed for this study. The majority of judges (63%) reported one or more symptoms that they identified as workrelated vicarious trauma experiences. Female judges reported more symptoms, as did judges with seven or more years of experience. In addition, female judges were more likely to report internalizing difficulties, while judges with more experience reported higher levels of externalizing/hostility symptoms. Coping and prevention strategies were multi-domain (i.e., personal, professional, and societal) and underscored the need for greater awareness and support for judges.
The Internationalization of Television in China: The Evolution of Ideology, Society, and Media Since the Reform

Tables Foreword by John Lent Preface Introduction A Brief Review of the Internationalization of Mass Media Media Internationalization and Some Related Theories History, System, and Structure of China's Communication, Media, and Television Television Program Importation Since the Reform External and Internal Factors Contributing to Changes in Program Importation Interpreting the Ups and Downs New Situations, New Policies, and New Trends in the 1990s Conclusion Appendix: Chronology of Important Events of Chinese Television, 1956-1996 Bibliography Index
Diagnosis of Autism: The Connection between Current and Historical Information

The connection between current and historical autism- specific behaviour reported using the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R) was investigated in this cross-sectional analysis. In general, the association was high although there was a tendency for diagnostic exclusion of adolescent and adult subjects, especially verbal, high-functioning individuals who had ‘improved’ in the restricted, repetitive behaviour domain.
Penerapan Metode Jackknife dalam Pendugaan Area Kecil

Metode dasar yang sering digunakan dalam menyelesaikan model pendugaan tidak langsung pada SAE adalah BLUP/EBLUP, EB, dan HB. Namun ketidakpuasan sering muncul karena asumsi kelinieran atau sebaran tertentu tidak selalu dipenuhi dalam suatu analisis. Selain itu, penambahan komponen g2 dan g3 dari MSE( ? ˆi BP) tidak lain adalah upaya untuk mengkoreksi ketidakpastian akibat terlebih dulu melakukan pendugaan terhadap b dan s2u. Dengan teknik resampling, jackknife berkembang sebagai suatu metode untuk mengkoreksi biassuatu penduga. Penerapan jackknife pada pendugaan area kecil dilakukan untuk mengkoreksi pendugaan MSE.
Learning What’s Easy: Fully Differentiable Neural Easy-First Taggers

We introduce a novel neural easy-first decoder that learns to solve sequence tagging tasks in a flexible order. In contrast to previous easy-first decoders, our models are end-to-end differentiable. The decoder iteratively updates a “sketch” of the predictions over the sequence. At its core is an attention mechanism that controls which parts of the input are strategically the best to process next. We present a new constrained softmax transformation that ensures the same cumulative attention to every word, and show how to efficiently evaluate and backpropagate over it. Our models compare favourably to BILSTM taggers on three sequence tagging tasks.
MicroCast: cooperative video streaming on smartphones

Video streaming is one of the increasingly popular, as well as demanding, applications on smartphones today. In this paper, we consider a group of smartphone users, within proximity of each other, who are interested in watching the same video from the Internet at the same time. The common practice today is that each user downloads the video independently using her own cellular connection, which often leads to poor quality. We design, implement, and evaluate a novel system, MicroCast, that uses the resources on all smartphones of the group in a cooperative way so as to improve the streaming experience. Each phone uses simultaneously two network interfaces: the cellular to connect to the video server and the WiFi to connect to the rest of the group. Key ingredients of our design include the following. First, we propose a scheduling algorithm, MicroDownload, that decides which parts of the video each phone should download from the server, based on the phones' download rate. Second, we propose a novel all-to-all local dissemination scheme, MicroNC-P2, for sharing content among group members, which outperforms state-of-the-art peer-to-peer schemes in our setting. MicroNC-P2 is designed to exploit WiFi overhearing and network coding, based on a local packet broadcast framework, MicroBroadcast, which we developed specifically for Android phones. We evaluate MicroCast on a testbed consisting of seven Android phones, and we show that it brings significant performance benefits without battery penalty.
Embedded Vehicle Detection by Boosting

Adaptive boosting is a promising method for real time detection of vehicles for ACC applications. This paper evaluates performance and implementation issues for Adaboost classification of monocular rear view vehicle detection on embedded hardware. Images are processed on different levels, using a multi resolution band structure, and features are trained that show low evaluation complexity. Classification performance is evaluated for different types of features including orientation histograms and oriented gradient filters, with respect to receiver operating characteristics and evaluation complexity. For a selected set of negative training samples representing dense traffic scenarios, 1% false positive rate is reached at a detection rate of 95.2% using 416 operations per evaluation window
The Microstructure of Dual-Task Interaction. 1. The Patterning of Main-Task Responses within Secondary-Task Intervals

The patterning or microstructure of a situation where subjects were presented with two sets of information from two independent ‘high decision’ information processing tasks, was investigated. Thirty-two subjects worked at the five-choice serial-response task (designated by instructions to be the main task), whilst being presented with a transformation task which required that seven had to be added to a presented auditory digit (designated by instructions to be the secondary task). Results suggested that subjects were not able to process two streams of information in parallel, and that the way in which the attention process was ordered was partly a function of task instructions and partly a function of the random occurrence of each digit in relation to the on-going serial task. Results also gave support to the view that the locus of disruption was the production of the response to the secondary task. Explanations of this effect are considered.
The mean field equation with critical parameter in a plane domain

Consider the mean field equation with critical parameter $8\pi$ in a bounded smooth domain $\Omega$. Denote by $E_{8\pi}(\Omega)$ the infimum of the associated functional $I_{8\pi}(\Omega)$. We call $E_{8\pi}(\Omega)$ the "energy" of the domain $\Omega$. We prove that if the area of $\Omega$ is equal to $\pi$, then the energy of $\Omega$ is always greater or equal to the energy of the unit disk and equality holds if and only if $\Omega$ is the unit disk. We also give a sufficient condition for the existence of a minimizer for $I_{8\pi}(\Omega)$.