Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Leaders’ Personality Traits Imperative For Employees’ Job Performance? The Context Of An Emerging Economy

Leader’s personality considerably influences the behavior of employees and is perhaps one of the most important predictor of their job performance. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the personality-performance paradigm in the context of emerging economies. Personality was assessed through big five traits, namely openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. While task performance attribute of job performance was considered as dependent variable. Stratified sampling technique was deployed to gather data from 149 SMEs belonging to diversified business sectors operating in the industrial city of Gujranwala, Pakistan. Cronbach’s alpha test endorsed the consistency of survey questionnaire, and multiple regression analysis was used to test hypotheses. All of the personality traits, with the exception of neuroticism, are found to be valid predictors of employee job performance, though the degree and significance of correlation varies. The study contributes to the enhanced understanding of the personality-performance relationship and highlights the desirable personality inventories of potential leaders and entrepreneurs. Broader practical implications and recommendations for future research bring the discussion to the close.
Frontier Issues of the Political Economy of Migration

Migration has a strong economic impact on the sending and host countries. Since individuals and groups do not benefit equally from migration, interest groups emerge to protect and take care of their narrow self-interests and compete for rents generated by migration. Narrow self-interests may be present not only for interest groups but also for ruling politicians and civil servants. In this paper we consider how political culture is important for determining policy and how interest groups affect, via a lobbying process, the choice of public policy. We also consider how interest groups and lobbying activities affect assimilation and attitudes towards migrants and international trade. The narrow interests of the different groups may cause a decrease in social welfare, in some cases, and may enhance welfare in other situations.
Quantifying Climate Feedbacks Using Radiative Kernels

Abstract The extent to which the climate will change due to an external forcing depends largely on radiative feedbacks, which act to amplify or damp the surface temperature response. There are a variety of issues that complicate the analysis of radiative feedbacks in global climate models, resulting in some confusion regarding their strengths and distributions. In this paper, the authors present a method for quantifying climate feedbacks based on “radiative kernels” that describe the differential response of the top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes to incremental changes in the feedback variables. The use of radiative kernels enables one to decompose the feedback into one factor that depends on the radiative transfer algorithm and the unperturbed climate state and a second factor that arises from the climate response of the feedback variables. Such decomposition facilitates an understanding of the spatial characteristics of the feedbacks and the causes of intermodel differences. This technique provides a si.
Towards energy-proportional datacenter memory with mobile DRAM

To increase datacenter energy efficiency, we need memory systems that keep pace with processor efficiency gains. Currently, servers use DDR3 memory, which is designed for high bandwidth but not for energy proportionality. A system using 20% of the peak DDR3 bandwidth consumes 2.3× the energy per bit compared to the energy consumed by a system with fully utilized memory bandwidth. Nevertheless, many datacenter applications stress memory capacity and latency but not memory bandwidth. In response, we architect server memory systems using mobile DRAM devices, trading peak bandwidth for lower energy consumption per bit and more efficient idle modes. We demonstrate 3-5× lower memory power, better proportionality, and negligible performance penalties for data-center workloads.
Rotational-position-aware real-time disk scheduling using a dynamic active subset (DAS)

Scheduling disk requests with service guarantees has to bring the demand to meet guarantees in line with the need to optimize disk utilization. This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a disk-scheduling framework which optimizes the disk utilization under the constraints of both hard and statistical service guarantees. The framework is based on two principles: 1) upon each scheduling decision, the calculation of a subset of the outstanding disk requests such that all service guarantees can be enforced under worst-case assumptions; and 2) the scheduling of this subset based on the rotational position of requests in order to improve the disk utilization. Results are presented through an implementation of the scheduling framework in DROPS, the Dresden real-time operating system.
Mapping Emotion Terms into Affective Space

Abstract. Recent empirical work on the semantics of emotion terms across many different cultures and languages, using a theoretical componential approach, suggested that four dimensions are needed to parsimoniously describe the semantic space of the emotion domain as reflected in emotion terms (Fontaine, Scherer, Roesch, & Ellsworth, 2007; Fontaine, Scherer, & Soriano, 2013). In addition to valence, power, and arousal, a novelty dimension was discovered that mostly differentiated surprise from other emotions. Here, we further explore the existence and nature of the fourth dimension in semantic emotion space using a much larger and much more representative set of emotion terms. A group of 156 participants each rated 10 out of a set of 80 French emotion terms with respect to semantic meaning. The meaning of an emotion term was evaluated with respect to 68 emotion features representing the appraisal, action tendency, bodily reaction, expression, and feeling components of the emotion process. A principal comp.
A GRAPH-BASED CONCURRENCY CONTROL PROTOCOL FOR XML METADATA KNOWLEDGE BASES

Providing efficient access for XML APIs in XML metadata knowledge bases (XMKBs) is crucial, since XML is widely used to integrate data in XMKBs. In XMKBs, the types, contents and locations of heterogeneous data are illustrated in XML documents to provide a uniform interface for users to manipulate this data. As users update and query information about this heterogeneous data, the XML documents are manipulated by XML APIs (i.e., DOM APIs) to ensure consistency. Concurrency control protocols can ensure a better performance of the DOM APIs to manipulate XML documents. However, the existing protocols (i.e., traditional locking protocols and XML-based protocols) are not sufficiently adequate for DOM APIs in XMKBs. Traditional graph-based locking protocols cannot deal with new DOM operations, and the existing XML-based protocols treat XML documents as trees, with no regard for the ID/IDREF(s) used in them. This paper proposes a new XML graph-based concurrency control protocol, tailored for XMKBs, named XGP. The novel feature of XGP is to analyze the DOM APIs on XML document graphical structures to increase the transactional performance of XMKBs. Our simulated results show that our XGP outperforms other concurrency control protocols in terms of
Power allocation for power-limited sensor networks with application in object classification

This publication analyzes the power allocation problem for a distributed wireless sensor network which is based on ultra-wide bandwidth communication technology. The network has power-limited sensor nodes and it is used to classify target objects. In the considered scenarios, the absence, the presence, or the type of an object is observed by the sensors independently. Since the observations are transmitted over noisy communication channels, and are thus unreliable, the disturbed observations are fused into a reliable global decision in order to increase the overall classification probability. In [1] an information theoretic approach, that aims at maximization of the mutual information, has been employed. It enables the analytical allocation of the given total power to the sensor nodes so as to optimize the overall classification probability. We follow the same idea and improve on the results in [1] by a smart selection of the sensor nodes. Furthermore, we investigate the power constraint per sensor node and extend the results hereby.
The Lit Sphere: A Model for Capturing NPR Shading from Art

While traditional graphics techniques provide for the realistic display of three-dimensional objects, these methods often lack the flexibility to emulate expressive effects found in the works of artists such as Michelangelo and Cezanne. We introduce a technique for capturing custom artistic shading models from sampled art work. Our goal is to allow users to easily generate shading models which give the impression of light, depth, and material properties as accomplished by artists. Our system provides real-time feedback to immediately illustrate aesthetic choices in shading model design, and to assist the user in the exploration of novel viewpoints. We describe rendering algorithms which are easily incorporated into existing shaders, making non-photorealistic rendering of materials such as skin, metal, or even painted objects fast and simple. The flexibility of these methods for generating shading models enables users to portray a large range of materials as well as to capture the look and feel of a work of art. (Color images can be found at http://www.cs.utah.edu/npr/papers/LitSphere_HTML.)
Gait stability in stroke survivors: The assessment and training of gait stability in chronic stroke survivors

In order to achieve a level of community involvement and physical independence, being able to walk is the primary aim of many stroke survivors. It is therefore one of the most important goals during rehabilitation. Falls are common in all stages after stroke. Reported fall rates in the chronic stage after stroke range from 43 to 70% during one year follow up. Moreover, stroke survivors are more likely to become repeated fallers as compared to healthy older adults. Considering the devastating effects of falls in stroke survivors, adequate fall risk assessment is of paramount importance, as it is a first step in targeted fall prevention. As the majority of all falls occur during dynamic activities such as walking, fall risk could be assessed using gait analysis. It is only recent that technology enables us to monitor gait over several consecutive days, thereby allowing us to assess quality of gait in daily life. This thesis studies a variety of gait assessments with respect to their ability to assess fall risk in ambulatory chronic stroke survivors, and explores whether stroke survivors can improve their gait stability through PBT.
Gender specific emotion recognition through speech signals

This paper proposes an emotion recognition system which allows recognizing a person's emotional state from speech signal. The aim of proposed solution is to improve the interaction among humans and computers. The emotion recognition system must be capable of recognizing at least six basic emotions (happiness, anger, surprise, disgust, fear, sadness) and the neutral circumstances. The proposed system has two subsystems Gender Recognition (GR) and Emotion Recognition (ER) and also distinguishes a single emotion versus all the others. An appropriate emotion recognition method is applied after extracting features like pitch, energy and MFCC having emotional information. The performance in terms of accuracy is shown in results. The highlight of result is that a prior knowledge about the gender of speaker increases the performance of proposed system. Proposed approach has been implemented by using Naive Bayes method. This is a simple and efficient classification approach. It has easy learning on large speech databases and its accuracy as compared to other approaches is reasonably good. In future this system can be implemented over mobile devices such as smart phones.
STARSPOTS, SPIN–ORBIT MISALIGNMENT, AND ACTIVE LATITUDES IN THE HAT-P-11 EXOPLANETARY SYSTEM

We present the analysis of four months of Kepler photometry of the K4V star HAT-P-11, including 26 transits of its “super-Neptune” planet. The transit data exhibit numerous anomalies which we interpret as passages of the planet over dark starspots. These spot-crossing anomalies preferentially occur at two specific phases of the transit. These phases can be understood as the intersection points between the transit chord and the active latitudes of the host star, where starspots are most abundant. Based on the measured characteristics of spot-crossing anomalies and previous observations of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, we find two solutions for the stellar obliquity ψ and active latitude l: either ψ = 106+15−11 and l = 19.7+1.5−2.2, or ψ = 97+8−4 and l = 67+2−4 (all in degrees). If the active latitude changes with time analogous to the “butterfly diagram” of the Sun's activity cycle, future observations should reveal changes in the preferred phases of spot-crossing anomalies.
Comparison of competing risks models based on cumulative incidence function in analyzing time to cardiovascular diseases

BACKGROUND Competing risks arise when the subject is exposed to more than one cause of failure. Data consists of the time that the subject failed and an indicator of which risk caused the subject to fail. METHODS With three approaches consisting of Fine and Gray, binomial, and pseudo-value, all of which are directly based on cumulative incidence function, cardiovascular disease data of the Isfahan Cohort Study were analyzed. Validity of proportionality assumption for these approaches is the basis for selecting appropriate models. Such as for the Fine and Gray model, establishing proportionality assumption is necessary. In the binomial approach, a parametric, non-parametric, or semi-parametric model was offered according to validity of assumption. However, pseudo-value approaches do not need to establish proportionality. RESULTS Following fitting the models to data, slight differences in parameters and variances estimates were seen among models. This showed that semi-parametric multiplicative model and the two models based on pseudo-value approach could be used for fitting this kind of data. CONCLUSION We would recommend considering the use of competing risk models instead of normal survival methods when subjects are exposed to more than one cause of failure.
Privacy Preserving Location based Queries in Mobile

In location based services (LBS), users with locationaware mobile devices can query their surroundings anywhere and at any time. While this ubiquitous computing paradigm brings great convenience for information access, it raises a concern of potential intrusion on users’ location privacy, which has hampered the widespread use of LBS. In this paper, we present iPDA, a client­ based framework to facilitate privacy­preserving location­based data access in mobile environments. The main idea is to reduce the resolution of user location based on location cloaking and transform a location­based query to a region­based query. We develop an optimal location cloaking technique that is immune to mobility analysis attack. We also propose efficient algorithms to process region­based queries. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. Privacy-Preserving Location-based Queries in Mobile Environments Jianliang Xu Jing Du Hong Kong Baptist Univ. Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong {xujl,jdu}@comp.hkbu. edu.hk Xueyan Tang Nanyang Technological Univ. Singapore asxytang@ntu.edu. sg Haibo Hu HKUST Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong haibo@cs.ust. hk
Characteristic formulae for timed automata

This paper offers characteristic formula constructions in the real-time logic L v for several behavioural relations between (states of) timed automata. The behavioural relations studied in this work are timed (bi)similarity, timed ready simulation, faster-than bisimilarity and timed trace inclusion. The characteristic formulae delivered by our constructions have size which is linear in that of the timed automaton they logically describe. This also applies to the characteristic formula for timed bisimulation equivalence, for which an exponential space construction was previously offered by Laroussinie, Larsen and Weise.
Spatial working memory in children with high-functioning autism: intact configural processing but impaired capacity.

Visual attention and visual working memory exert severe capacity limitations on cognitive processing. Impairments in both functions may exacerbate the social and communication deficits seen in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study characterizes spatial working memory and visual attention in school-age children with high-functioning autism. Children with ASD, and age, gender, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children performed 2 tasks: a spatial working memory task and an attentive tracking task. Compared with TD children, children with ASD showed a more pronounced deficit in the spatial working memory task than the attentive tracking task, even though the latter placed significant demands on sustained attention, location updating, and distractor inhibition. Because both groups of children were sensitive to configuration mismatches between the sample and test arrays, the spatial working memory deficit was not because of atypical organization of spatial working memory. These findings show that attention and working memory are dissociable, and that children with ASD show a specific deficit in buffering visual information across temporal discontinuity.
Luminous superclusters: remnants from inflation?

Aims. We compile a supercluster sample using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4, and reanalyse supercluster samples found for the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and for simulated galaxies of the Millennium Run. Methods. We find for all supercluster samples Density Field (DF) clusters, which represent high-density peaks of the class of Abell clusters, and use median luminosities of richness class 1 DF-clusters to calculate relative luminosity functions. Results. We show that the fraction of very luminous superclusters in real samples is about five times greater than in simulated samples. Conclusions. Superclusters are generated by large-scale density perturbations that evolve very slowly. The absence of very luminous superclusters in simulations can be explained either by incorrect treatment of large-scale perturbations, or by some yet unknown processes in the very early Universe.
Combining Neuroprotectants in a Model of Retinal Degeneration: No Additive Benefit

The central nervous system undergoing degeneration can be stabilized, and in some models can be restored to function, by neuroprotective treatments. Photobiomodulation (PBM) and dietary saffron are distinctive as neuroprotectants in that they upregulate protective mechanisms, without causing measurable tissue damage. This study reports a first attempt to combine the actions of PBM and saffron. Our working hypothesis was that the actions of PBM and saffron in protecting retinal photoreceptors, in a rat light damage model, would be additive. Results confirmed the neuroprotective potential of each used separately, but gave no evidence that their effects are additive. Detailed analysis suggests that there is actually a negative interaction between PBM and saffron when given simultaneously, with a consequent reduction of the neuroprotection. Specific testing will be required to understand the mechanisms involved and to establish whether there is clinical potential in combining neuroprotectants, to improve the quality of life of people affected by retinal pathology, such as age-related macular degeneration, the major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults.
Sources of Financial Instability of Community-Based Health Insurance Schemes : How Could Social Reinsurance Help ? July 2003 Prepared

Community-based health insurance (CBHI) is a promising component of health financing reform in developing countries, offering protection to individuals against the potentially high costs of a sudden illness or injury. But, because CBHI schemes may themselves run the risk of insolvency, advocacy of CBHI scheme development has brought parallel concerns that the plans themselves need protection from the various kinds of financial risks that could jeopardize their survival. One potentially helpful mechanism is social reinsurance that would cover CBHI schemes for the risks of bankruptcy in return for their payment of relatively small premiums. In principal, social reinsurance offers such “survival” benefits primarily to relatively small insurance plans that would each have insufficient reserves to weather a bad year (when expenses would greatly exceed income). But, in practice, the requirements of developing a potentially beneficial social reinsurance mechanism are considerable. This paper is an effort to analyze the varied threats to financial stability that CBHI schemes face and to explore what role social reinsurance might play in helping to preserve their solvency. The paper discusses the range of potential threats to the financial stability of CBHI schemes, and distinguishes between those that are avoidable (due to nonrandom events) and those that are unavoidable (due to random events). The paper describes the terms and conditions under which a social reinsurance program could be designed to provide reinsurance coverage of the simplest type – excess loss (stop-loss) coverage. It discusses the requirements for designing and implementing such a program, describes a general rule for determining a fair premium, and explains why substantial (and indeterminate) subsidies would be required for at least five years before a social reinsurer would (at best) achieve breakeven status. It details how the lack of needed data and the threats from avoidable risks make the need for additional subsidies – particularly for technical assistance – virtually certain. With this kind of uncertainty about the requirements for subsidies and the length of time they may be needed, the early emphasis of technical assistance may be most profitably focused on preventing the avoidable risks faced by CBHI schemes, while the long-term prospects for social reinsurance – as designed to address the unavoidable threats – are more fully developed.