Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Leverage and Firm Performance: An Endogenous Threshold Analysis

The paper aims to bridge the gap between the literature on optimal capital structure and the literature on finance-output-growth nexus. On the basis of the trade-off theory of capital structure, we posit a non-linear relationship between leverage and productivity growth at the firm level. We test this hypothesis using both standard and IV threshold regression models, which in contrast to conventional estimates, allows us to endogenously determine optimal leverage despite firms’ temporary deviations from the optimum. Estimates for a sample of Central and Eastern European countries confirm a non-linear hump-shaped relationship between leverage and productivity growth, thus endogenously identifying an optimal leverage ratio. We show how our paper relates to and contributes to the literature on optimal capital structure and finance-output-growth literature.
MIMO Broadcast and Interference Channels with Location based Partial CSIT

Multiple antennas facilitate the coexistence of multiple users in wireless communications, leading to spatial multiplexing and spatial division and to significant system capacity increase. However, this comes at the cost of very precise channel state information at the transmitters (CSIT). We advocate the use of channel propagation models to transform location information into (possibly incomplete) CSIT. We investigate the resulting multi-user sum rate from a DoF (Degree of Freedom, high SNR rate prelog, spatial multiplexing factor) point of view. For singlecell multi-user communications, we argue for a revival of SDMA (Spatial Division Multiple Access). In the MIMO case, the receive antennas can suppress the Non Line of Sight (NLoS) channel components to transform the MIMO channel into a MISO LoS channel, allowing the CSIT to be limited to LoS information. For the multi-cell problem, we consider the feasibility of interference aligment in the case of reduced rank MIMO channels. We then focus on the LoS components. Whereas in general MIMO multicell coordinated beamforming, the transmitters require global CSIT due to the coupling between transmit and receive filters, in the LoS case decoupling arises, permitting location based transmit beamforming. We also discuss the transceiver design based on Partial LoS CSIT by essentially maximizing a weighted sum rate at finite SNR and finite Ricean factor.
Improving BCI performance after classification

Brain-computer interfaces offer a valuable input modality, which unfortunately comes also with a high degree of uncertainty. There are simple methods to improve detection accuracy after the incoming brain activity has already been classified, which can be divided into (1) gathering additional evidence from other sources of information, and (2) transforming the unstable classification results to be more easy to control. The methods described are easy to implement, but it is essential to apply them in the right way. This paper provides an overview of the different techniques, showing where to apply them and comparing the effects. Detection accuracy is important, but there are trade-offs to consider. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of these methods in their context of use, as well as the optimal settings to obtain the right balance between functionality and meeting the user's expectations for maximum acceptance.
Alignment in iconic gestures: does it make sense?

Many studies have shown that people imitate and repeat each other’s behaviors. This holds for both verbal and nonverbal behavior. The production of co-speech hand gestures is a special case of nonverbal behavior, because it is believed to be tightly linked to verbal language production and because gestures can carry meaning in a way that is similar to verbal language. It has been shown that people reuse each other’s hand shapes for cospeech gestures. This study looks at the relevance of gestures’ meaning and their relation to speech for such mimicry to occur. In two studies we found that speakers mimicked iconic gestures that they had observed, but only if these gestures were consistent with the co-occurring speech. This is evidence that the mimicry of iconic gestures is an instance of convergence of linguistic behavior, also known as alignment, rather than a supercial imitation of physical behavior.
Curcumin Loaded-PLGA Nanoparticles Conjugated with Tet-1 Peptide for Potential Use in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a growing concern in the modern world. As the currently available medications are not very promising, there is an increased need for the fabrication of newer drugs. Curcumin is a plant derived compound which has potential activities beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Anti-amyloid activity and anti-oxidant activity of curcumin is highly beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The insolubility of curcumin in water restricts its use to a great extend, which can be overcome by the synthesis of curcumin nanoparticles. In our work, we have successfully synthesized water-soluble PLGA coated- curcumin nanoparticles and characterized it using different techniques. As drug targeting to diseases of cerebral origin are difficult due to the stringency of blood-brain barrier, we have coupled the nanoparticle with Tet-1 peptide, which has the affinity to neurons and possess retrograde transportation properties. Our results suggest that curcumin encapsulated-PLGA nanoparticles are able to destroy amyloid aggregates, exhibit anti-oxidative property and are non-cytotoxic. The encapsulation of the curcumin in PLGA does not destroy its inherent properties and so, the PLGA-curcumin nanoparticles can be used as a drug with multiple functions in treating Alzheimer's disease proving it to be a potential therapeutic tool against this dreaded disease.
NewsReader: recording history from daily news streams

The European project NewsReader develops technology to process daily news streams in 4 languages, extracting what happened, when, where and who was involved. NewsReader does not just read a single newspaper but massive amounts of news coming from thousands of sources. It compares the results across sources to complement information and determine where they disagree. Furthermore, it merges news of today with previous news, creating a long-term history rather than separate events. The result is stored in a KnowledgeStore, that cumulates information over time, producing an extremely large knowledge graph that is visualized using new techniques to provide more comprehensive access. We present the first version of the system and the results of processing first batches of data.
An Edge Embedded Marker-Based Watershed Algorithm for High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Image Segmentation

This correspondence proposes an edge embedded marker-based watershed algorithm for high spatial resolution remote sensing image segmentation. Two improvement techniques are proposed for the two key steps of maker extraction and pixel labeling, respectively, to make it more effective and efficient for high spatial resolution image segmentation. Moreover, the edge information, detected by the edge detector embedded with confidence, is used to direct the two key steps for detecting objects with weak boundary and improving the positional accuracy of the objects boundary. Experiments on different images show that the proposed method has a good generality in producing good segmentation results. It performs well both in retaining the weak boundary and reducing the undesired over-segmentation.
Oligomerized transferrin receptors are selectively retained by a lumenal sorting signal in a long-lived endocytic recycling compartment

Cross-linking of surface receptors results in altered receptor trafficking in the endocytic system. To better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which receptor cross-linking affects the intracellular trafficking of both ligand and receptor, we studied the intracellular trafficking of the transferrin receptor (TfR) bound to multivalent-transferrin (Tf10) which was prepared by chemical cross- linking of transferrin (Tf). Tf10 was internalized about two times slower than Tf and was retained four times longer than Tf, without being degraded in CHO cells. The intracellular localization of Tf10 was investigated using fluorescence and electron microscopy. Tf10 was not delivered to the lysosomal pathway followed by low density lipoprotein but remained accessible to Tf in the pericentriolar endocytic recycling compartment for at least 60 min. The retained Tf10 was TfR-associated as demonstrated by a reduction in surface TfR number when cells were incubated with Tf10. The presence of Tf10 within the recycling compartment did not affect trafficking of subsequently endocytosed Tf. Retention of Tf10 within the recycling compartment did not require the cytoplasmic domain of the TfR since Tf10 exited cells with the same rate when bound to the wild-type TfR or a mutated receptor with only four amino acids in the cytoplasmic tail. Thus, cross-linking of surface receptors by a multivalent ligand acts as a lumenal retention signal within the recycling compartment. The data presented here show that the recycling compartment labeled by Tf10 is a long-lived organelle along the early endosome recycling pathway that remains fusion accessible to subsequently endocytosed Tf.
rogressive cutting tool wear detection from machined surface mages using Voronoi tessellation method

Tool condition monitoring by machine vision approach has been gaining popularity day by day since it is a low cost and flexible method. In this paper, a tool condition monitoring technique by analysing turned surface images has been presented. The aim of this work is to apply an image texture analysis technique on turned surface images for quantitative assessment of cutting tool flank wear, progressively. A novel method by the concept of Voronoi tessellation has been applied in this study to analyse the
General Bounds for Hidden Subgroup Problem

The central issue of the hidden subgroup problem (HSP) is to b ound the number of identical copies of coset states necessary to identify the hidden subgroup. We s how general upper and lower bounds for this identification and its variant by information-theoretic ar guments. These general bounds are tight for HSPs with all the candidate subgroups having the same prime order . In particular, our results provide a unified approach that gives the same lower bounds as previously know n results for several important instances including the symmetric group by Hallgren et al. and certain semidirect product groups such as the dihedral and Heisenberg groups by Bacon et al. It also gives a new lower bound for a general class of direct product groups. Furthermore, we also show matching upper bounds for those instances by evaluating our general upper bound. Our proofs are more general and simpler than the existing proofs.
Restoration of Motion-Blurred Image Based on Border Deformation Detection: A Traffic Sign Restoration Model

Due to the rapid development of motor vehicle Driver Assistance Systems (DAS), the safety problems associated with automatic driving have become a hot issue in Intelligent Transportation. The traffic sign is one of the most important tools used to reinforce traffic rules. However, traffic sign image degradation based on computer vision is unavoidable during the vehicle movement process. In order to quickly and accurately recognize traffic signs in motion-blurred images in DAS, a new image restoration algorithm based on border deformation detection in the spatial domain is proposed in this paper. The border of a traffic sign is extracted using color information, and then the width of the border is measured in all directions. According to the width measured and the corresponding direction, both the motion direction and scale of the image can be confirmed, and this information can be used to restore the motion-blurred image. Finally, a gray mean grads (GMG) ratio is presented to evaluate the image restoration quality. Compared to the traditional restoration approach which is based on the blind deconvolution method and Lucy-Richardson method, our method can greatly restore motion blurred images and improve the correct recognition rate. Our experiments show that the proposed method is able to restore traffic sign information accurately and efficiently.
An adaptive low-complexity coherence-based beamformer

This paper presents an adaptive coherence-based beamforming algorithm that enhances a target speech signal from an arbitrary direction of arrival (DOA) in the azimuthal plane, while localising and suppressing the interfering speech signal and noise from other directions. In these complex noisy acoustic environments, spatially selective speech enhancement schemes provide significant advantages over single channel enhancement methods. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves considerable improvement in Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ). Moreover, the proposed algorithm is directly suited for real-time implementation.
New Approaches to Residential Direct Load Control in California

New direct load control programs are being rolled out by utilities across the country. Traditional one-way, single-mode switch technologies are being replaced by remotely adjustable thermostats and adaptive switch technologies that learn how customers’ air conditioners actually operate over time and then optimize load impacts during events. Adaptive switches are designed to reduce air conditioner duty cycle by a percent of what the duty cycle would have been in the absence of the control event. Ramping strategies for thermostats increase temperature set point in several increments over the control period. These control approaches are designed to improve a program’s demand reduction profile, while making control periods more comfortable for customers. To date, formal evaluation of these expected benefits has been minimal. The PG&E SmartACTM program offers a unique opportunity to explore these strategies within a single program in a single location. The SmartAC program began in spring 2007. It has a goal of obtaining 305 MW of load relief from about 400 thousand devices by 2011. Participation is expected to be 95% from residential customers and 5% from small commercial customers. Customers were given a choice of two control technologies: 1. Adaptive switches 2. Programmable Communicating Thermostats (PCTs) with ramping capability The impact evaluation of the Program’s first year takes advantage of a sample of 300 residences evenly split between the two control technologies. New analysis methods were developed to address the new twists on standard switch and thermostat technologies. Savings were evaluated for fifteen control events during the summer of 2007.
Integrating non-blocking synchronisation in parallel applications: performance advantages and methodologies

In this paper we investigate how performance and speedup of applications would be affected by using non-blocking rather than blocking synchronisation in parallel systems. The results obtained show that for many applications, non-blocking synchronisation lead to significant speedups for a fairly large number of processors, while it never slows the applications down. As part of this investigation this paper also provides a set of efficient and simple translations that show how typical blocking operations found in parallel applications, such as simple locks, queues and lock trees can be translated into non-blocking equivalents that use hardware primitives common in modern multiprocessor systems. With these translations this paper clearly demonstrates that it is easy for the application designer/programmer to replace the blocking operations commonly found on with non-blocking equivalents ones. For the empirical results a set of representative applications running on a large-scale ccNUMA machine were used.
Enhancing the quality level support for real-time multimedia applications in software-defined networks

Nowadays, the explosive growth of real-time applications that need stringent Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) support, forces network programmers to design network protocols that deliver specified performance guarantees. This paper exploits the use of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in conjunction with the OpenFlow protocol to differentiate network services with quality level assurance and to respect agreed Service Level Agreements. Initially, we define a Management and Orchestration architecture that allows us to manage the network in a modular way. Then, we provide a seamless integration of the proposed architecture and the SDN standard following the separation between the control and data planes. Finally, we give an Integer Linear Programming formulation of the problem of enhancing QoS and QoE in SDNs in terms of packet loss and delay, taking into account the network constraints and the requirements of real-time applications, i.e., maximum acceptable packet loss and delay rates. Given the optimal solution of the problem, we evaluate the impact and benefits of the proposed scheme by means of the Mininet network emulator.
Octarellin VI: Using Rosetta to Design a Putative Artificial (β/α)8 Protein

The computational protein design protocol Rosetta has been applied successfully to a wide variety of protein engineering problems. Here the aim was to test its ability to design de novo a protein adopting the TIM-barrel fold, whose formation requires about twice as many residues as in the largest proteins successfully designed de novo to date. The designed protein, Octarellin VI, contains 216 residues. Its amino acid composition is similar to that of natural TIM-barrel proteins. When produced and purified, it showed a far-UV circular dichroism spectrum characteristic of folded proteins, with α-helical and β-sheet secondary structure. Its stable tertiary structure was confirmed by both tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichroism in the near UV. It proved heat stable up to 70°C. Dynamic light scattering experiments revealed a unique population of particles averaging 4 nm in diameter, in good agreement with our model. Although these data suggest the successful creation of an artificial α/β protein of more than 200 amino acids, Octarellin VI shows an apparent noncooperative chemical unfolding and low solubility.
An adaptive intra-frame parallel method based on complexity estimation for HEVC

Parallelization is an efficient solution for addressing the increased computational complexity in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). To improve the intra-frame parallelism, an adaptive parallel method is proposed based on an encoding complexity model for HEVC. First, by establishing the relationship between encoding complexity and Rate Distortion Optimization (RDO) process, the encoding complexity is measured by the merge skip modes and coding unit partition statistics. Then a greedy algorithm is proposed to partition each frame into several independent regions for parallelism, and the encoding complexity of each region is precisely controlled to achieve computational complexity balancing for better parallelism. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve up to 3.34× speedup against wave-front parallel processing (WPP), and 1.19× speedup against tiles with acceptable encoding efficiency loss for low delay video encoding.
Trust in agent-based software

Many modern computer applications are open distributed systems in which the (very many) constituent components are spread throughout a network, in a decentralized control regime, and which are subject to constant change throughout the system’s lifetime. Examples include the grid (Foster and Kesselman 1998), peer-to-peer computing (Gong 2002), the semantic web (BernersLee et al. 2001), web services (Cerami 2002), e-business (Deitel et al. 2001), m-commerce (Sadeh 2002; Vulkan 1999), autonomic computing (Kephart and Chess 2003) and pervasive computing environments (Schmeck et al. 2002). In all of these cases, however, there is a need to have autonomous components that act and interact in flexible ways in order to achieve their design objectives in uncertain and dynamic environments (Simon 1996). Given this, agent-based computing has been advocated as the natural computation model for such systems (Jennings 2001).
Formal Specification , Verification , and Automatic Test Generation of ATM Routing Protocol : PNNI

This paper presents an effort to use formal tools to model, validate, and generate test suites for the ATM network routing protocol called Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI). PNNI consists of three layers of protocols: the Hello protocol for identifying the status of NNIs; the Database Synchronization protocol for maintenance of routing databases; and the Peer Group Leader Election protocol for operations of hierarchical routing. Parameterized extended finite state machine (EFSM) models were developed for each protocol using the PROMELA language; communicating EFSM’s are used to model all PNNI protocols. The models were executed using the SPIN simulator, which performs protocol validations and generates reachability graphs. It simulates two network nodes communicating with each other. The reachability graph for the Hello protocol model was produced and fed into an automatic test case generation tool, PITHIA, to produce test cases. This paper discusses some of the problems encountered while implementing the models and their solutions, such as state space explosion and lack of modeling power of timers in PROMELA.
Essays on commodity prices

This thesis is a collection of five empirical essays which examine microeconomic and macroeconomic aspects of high and volatile commodity prices. The first three chapters focus more on microeconomic issues of commodity prices. The second chapter examines the dynamic relationship between the commodity futures curve and inventory levels and finds a long-run cointegrating relationship between base metal spot prices, futures prices, inventories, and interest rates. This study presents some evidence that a temporary scarcity shock, modeled as a spot price shock which changes the slope of the futures curve, does cause a reaction in commodity markets. The third chapter investigates the gasoline price and income elasticities in the U.S. which confirms the structural change in the U.S. gasoline market where demand elasticity of gasoline price and income became more inelastic over the last decade. The fourth chapter examines the dynamic impact of demand and supply shocks in the U.S. and U.K. gasoline market where results show that the U.S. gasoline prices are impacted by the global demand shock. The last two chapters concentrate more on macroeconomic impacts of commodity prices on commodity exporting countries. The fifth chapter studies the fiscal behavior in developing oil-producing countries and examines whether it is procyclical. The results reveal that total expenditure is highly procyclical in the low and middle-income groups but countercyclical in high-income countries in the sample. The results confirm that political and institutional factors, as well as financing constraints, play a role in the cyclicality of fiscal policies in the oil producing developing countries. Finally, the sixth chapter examines the dynamic relationship between exchange rates and commodity prices to determine whether commodity prices Granger cause exchange rate or exchange rates Granger cause commodity prices for a group of advanced and developing commodity-exporting economies. The study finds stronger evidence of in-sample causality from exchange rates to commodity prices for most of the countries in the sample. One of the key findings is the consistent significant causality from exchange rates to commodities for Korea.