Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research and VerilogHDL implementation of technology for motion estimation based on new three — step method

In video compression, motion estimation based on block matching technology can effectively eliminate the large amount of time redundancy among video sequences, and is crucial for improving the compression efficiency. The full search algorithm can be used to obtain the optimal solution, but its implementation requires a large number of operations. So many fast search algorithms are proposed, like three-step method, new three-step method and four-step method. These algorithms can greatly reduce the computational complexity under certain conditions. This paper introduced a new three step method, based on the algorithm description, analysis and research of the search template and the performance of the algorithm, using VerilogHDL hardware description language to complete the design, and completed the function simulation imitation use software tools. The results show that the algorithm is superior to the three — step method in all aspects, and has strong adaptability.
Evaluation of a formant-based speech-driven lip motion generation

The background of the present work is the development of a tele-presence robot system where the lip motion of a remote humanoid robot is automatically controlled from the operator’s voice. In the present paper, we introduce an improved version of our proposed speech-driven lip motion generation method, where lip height and width degrees are estimated based on vowel formant information. The method requires the calibration of only one parameter for speaker normalization, so that no training of dedicated models is necessary. Evaluation was conducted in a female android robot and in animated lips. Subjective evaluation indicated that naturalness of lip motion generated in the robot is improved by the inclusion of a partial lip width control (with stretching of the lip corners). Highest naturalness scores were achieved for the animated lips, showing the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Does growth affect volatility? An empirical study on developing countries

Whereas economic growth and business cycles have received significant attention in the literature, they are typically examined separately. However, recent studies have found a causality in which short-term output volatility affects economic growth (volatility-growth causality). In contrast, in this study, we examine whether the opposite causality, from economic growth to short-term output volatility (growth-volatility causality), exists. The existence of volatility-growth causality does not necessarily exclude the existence of growth-volatility causality, and the two causalities may coexist. We empirically examine growth-volatility causality, and the results of our econometric analyses confirm its existence.
Globalization and construction industry development: implications of recent developments in the construction sector in Asia

Recent developments in the construction sector in the Asian region demonstrate three trends: (1) larger private sector participation in infrastructure projects, (2) increasing vertical integration in the packaging of construction projects, and (3) increased foreign participation in domestic construction. This paper attributes the trends to the globalization and deregulation of markets necessitated by fiscal, technological and managerial constraints. Although these trends present intra-Asian opportunities, there are also areas of concern. The trends have helped polarize the financial and technical superiority of the developed countries and the corresponding inferiority of the developed countries in the region of the developing ones. In the long term, this gap could be filled through technology transfer. In the short term, however, there are concerns that imported construction services could grow at the expense of the indigenous sectors of the developing countries. This paper illustrates this dilemma with the case of Japan as a world leader in international construction services. Its dominance has apparently come through the orchestration of industrial and corporate policies, implemented in a highly regulated and protected domestic market. However, construction industries in other Asian economies (such as China) will have to leapfrog in technology, finance and management know-how (e.g. through joint ventures with developed countries' construction companies) before they can become formidable powers in an environment that has become much more global, more de-regulated, more open and more competitive than before.
Red Tape and Public Managers' Decision Making

Whereas past studies have examined organizational red tape in terms of either particular organizational processes, time required to fulfill organizational functions, or Managers'perceptions, our research anchors red-tape constructs in the context of particular decisions. Using data from a mail questionnaire survey of public managers in state health and human services organizations, the study hypothesizes that public Managers'assessments of the red tape in decisions is a function of degree of external control, number of participants in decisions, the reversibility of decisions, “risk culture,” and especially the decision content. After using multiple regression to control for possible spurious relationships, the results suggest a two-factor explanation; specifically, assessments of the red tape in decisions are accounted for by the organization's level of hierarchy (more hierarchical organizations have more red tape in decisions) and by the particular content of the decisions.
EMC ’ 04 / Sendai ELECTROMAGNETIC TOPOLOGY TECHNIQUE FOR SYSTEM INTERACTION THROUGH A SMALL APERTURE

The paper describes a new technique to analyze the transfer function between an external source and internal circuitry of a semi-shielded system through a small aperture. The simulation and analysis were performed using the state of the art CRIPTE code which is based on electromagnetic topology concept, having cable network as its application domain. The results compare well with experiments. Analysis shows that the effects of the external fields on the cable current depend on the cable length, location, driving voltage and impedances at the terminals.
Humidity Sensor Based on Hybrid Fiber Bragg Grating/Abrupt Fiber Taper

A novel fiber humidity sensor based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) cascaded with an abrupt fiber taper is proposed and demonstrated. The evanescent wave around the abrupt fiber taper varies with humidity around the sensor, so that the power of the FBG core reflection is affected by the ambient humidity. Experimental results show that the sensor has a linear response to humidity with sensitivity of 0.10-dB/%RH in the humidity range of 50%–90% RH. Such a cost-effective, compact, and reflection power detection-based humidity sensor could be a good candidate in applications.
Global trade & the Dutch hub: understanding variegated forms of embeddedness of international trade in the Netherlands: clothing, flowers, and high-tech products

As global trade increases, some regions have become specialized in international trade and logistics, forming hubs to larger market areas. Although a lot is known about international trade in quantitative terms, much less is known about actual trade activities taking place in trade hubs and the ways these activities are geographically embedded. This study investigates the characteristics and specificities of the Dutch trade hub. It can be read as a case study of the Netherlands and of the trade and distribution of cut-flowers, clothing, and high-tech products through this country. It can also be read as a study of trade itself and an attempt to theorize on the ways in which it is organized and becomes geographically attached to certain places. 'Global trade & the Dutch hub' introduces three ideal types of trade nodes the trade-network node, the distribution node, and the marketplace node. With the help of these three nodes, academics and (economic) policy makers interested in the geography of international trade will gain a better understanding of the variegated forms of embedding of trade and the forces acting upon it. This book makes us aware of the many, but sometimes also restricted, ways in which policies can stimulate international trade as an economic activity.
Has equity in relative survival improved over time in Finland – a methodological exercise

Abstract Background. Population-based relative survival is widely used as a method of monitoring the success of cancer control. This success may not be relevant only for an entire country but also regional developments over time are of interest. It would not only be important that the relative survival improved but also that the differences between regions decreased over time. Methods. In this paper the authors show how relative survival methods can be used to study such differences. In addition to standard methods, some more recently introduced approaches are used, most notably a method for checking the goodness of fit of the relative survival model. This gives confidence in the obtained results and provides additional insight when assumptions are not met. Results. An analysis of cancers of the colon and ovary by cancer control region in Finland in 1953–2003 shows an overall improvement in relative survival, accompanied in colon cancer also by a decrease of differences in relative survival between the regions. Thus, the desired course was observed in colon cancer but not in cancer of the ovary. Conclusions. These results, applied to further sites, should lead to investigation of differences in cancer control policies between regions.
SWEET 17 , a Facilitative Transporter , Mediates Fructose Transport across the Tonoplast of Arabidopsis Roots and Leaves 1 [ W ] [ OPEN ]

Fructose (Fru) is a major storage form of sugars found in vacuoles, yet the molecular regulation of vacuolar Fru transport is poorly studied. Although SWEET17 (for SUGARS WILL EVENTUALLY BE EXPORTED TRANSPORTERS17) has been characterized as a vacuolar Fru exporter in leaves, its expression in leaves is low. Here, RNA analysis and SWEET17-b-glucuronidase/-GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN fusions expressed in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) reveal that SWEET17 is highly expressed in the cortex of roots and localizes to the tonoplast of root cells. Expression of SWEET17 in roots was inducible by Fru and darkness, treatments that activate accumulation and release of vacuolar Fru, respectively. Mutation and ectopic expression of SWEET17 led to increased and decreased root growth in the presence of Fru, respectively. Overexpression of SWEET17 specifically reduced the Fru content in leaves by 80% during cold stress. These results intimate that SWEET17 functions as a Fru-specific uniporter on the root tonoplast. Vacuoles overexpressing SWEET17 showed increased [C]Fru uptake compared with the wild type. SWEET17-mediated Fru uptake was insensitive to ATP or treatment with NH4Cl or carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone, indicating that SWEET17 functions as an energy-independent facilitative carrier. The Arabidopsis genome contains a close paralog of SWEET17 in clade IV, SWEET16. The predominant expression of SWEET16 in root vacuoles and reduced root growth of mutants under Fru excess indicate that SWEET16 also functions as a vacuolar transporter in roots. We propose that in addition to a role in leaves, SWEET17 plays a key role in facilitating bidirectional Fru transport across the tonoplast of roots in response to metabolic demand to maintain cytosolic Fru homeostasis.
Design of a broadband slot antenna fed by CPW for wireless application at 5.8 GHz

In this paper, a new broadband slot antenna fed by coplanar waveguide (CPW) is presented. The new antenna structure design takes advantage of the coupling feeding slot technique and the slot antenna concept to improve the bandwidth. Based on using a radiating slot element instead of a patch as used in conventional antennas, good performance in terms of bandwidth and gain was achieved. To examine its performance the proposed antenna was designed, fabricated and tested at 5.8 GHz. With this approach, a bandwidth of /spl sim/ 9% (520 MHz) was achieved. Numerical and experimental results for return loss and radiation pattern are presented and discussed.
Albumin Therapy Augments the Effect of Thrombolysis on Local Vascular Dynamics in a Rat Model of Arteriolar Thrombosis: A Two-Photon Laser-Scanning Microscopy Study

Background and Purpose— Results of our recent pilot clinical trial suggest that the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke may be enhanced by the coadministration of high-dose albumin. Here, we explored the microvascular hemodynamic effects of this combined therapy in a laboratory model of cortical arteriolar thrombosis. Methods— We studied the cortical microcirculation of physiologically monitored rats in vivo by two-photon laser-scanning microscopy after plasma-labeling with fluorescein-dextran. We induced focal thrombosis in 30- to 50-&mgr;m cortical arterioles by laser irradiation and measured arteriolar flow velocity by repeated line-scanning. At 30 minutes post-thrombosis, we treated animals with the thrombolytic agent, reteplase, which was coadministered with either human albumin, 2 g/kg, or with saline control. Results— Baseline arteriolar flow velocity averaged 3.8±0.7 mm/s, was immediately reduced by thrombosis to 22% to 25% of control values, and remained unchanged before treatment. Subthrombolytic doses of reteplase combined with saline led to a median increase in flow velocity to 37% of control distal to the thrombus (P=nonsignificant versus pretreatment). By contrast, reteplase combined with albumin therapy resulted in a prompt, highly significant increase of median flow velocity to 58% of control levels (P=0.013 versus reteplase+saline), which remained significantly higher than the reteplase+saline group at multiple time-points over the subsequent hour. Conclusions— The beneficial effect of subthrombolytic doses of reteplase on microvascular hemodynamics distal to a cortical arteriolar thrombosis is markedly enhanced by the coadministration of high-dose albumin therapy; these results have important clinical implications for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Complete sequence of Bacillus subtilis plasmid p1414 and comparison with seven other plasmid types found in Russian soil isolates of Bacillus subtilis.

We determined the complete sequence of a cryptic 7949-bp plasmid isolated from naturally occurring Bacillus subtilis found in Russian soil from Moscow. We found 15 putative open reading frames (ORFs), all of which were preceded by a ribosome binding site. One encodes the gene (rep) which should be essential for vegetative rolling circle replication (RCR). The putative double-stranded origin as well as a palT1-like single-stranded origin was also identified. The predicted product of another ORF showed similarity to a moblization protein while a third showed similarity to a ubiquitous family of small proteins whose members have so far been associated with stress response. We used fragments with these latter ORFs to probe representatives of seven other groups of cryptic RCR plasmids from geographically related B. subtilis isolates. All plasmids carried the mob function, suggesting a common ancestor for the rep/mob region but the putative hsp was present only on some of the plasmids. This suggests that the putative hsp gene is not an essential plasmid component and may therefore be present as a phenotypic marker-perhaps providing response to stress. This adds weight to the growing evidence that these small Bacillus plasmids may not be cryptic but may provide an adaptive advantage for the host in its natural environment.
Measuring market imperfection in the manufacturing sector: Theory and evidence from India

Abstract In this paper we have looked at the structure of competition in the Indian corporate sector during 1989 – 2003 and found that the new industrial policy has not been able to foster greater competitiveness in organized industries. In spite of an increase of in the number of firms, the industry has not become more competitive in terms of the difference between price and marginal cost. The firms that have entered are small players in the market and no significant entry of middle-sized firms has taken place. In order to deal with the ‘missing middle’ aspect of industrial concentration in India, we have used a leadership model to estimate the mark-ups for groups of small and large firms. The theoretical model suggests that sample classification is necessary in order avoid bias in mark-up estimates. The sub-game perfect equilibrium in the leadership model also suggests that the mark-up of small firms is different from that of the large firms and possibly higher under certain conditions, which is partly supported by the econometric finding in the Indian context.
Negotiating markets for health: an exploration of physicians’ engagement in dual practice in three African capital cities

Scarce evidence exists on the features, determinants and implications of physicians’ dual practice, especially in resource-poor settings. This study considered dual practice patterns in three African cities and the respective markets for physician services, with the objective of understanding the influence of local determinants on the practice. Forty-eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in the three cities to understand features of the practice and the respective markets. A survey was carried out in a sample of 331 physicians to explore their characteristics and decisions to work in public and private sectors. Descriptive analysis and inferential statistics were employed to explore differences in physicians’ engagement in dual practice across the three locations. Different forms of dual practice were found to exist in the three cities, with public physicians engaging in private practice outside but also inside public facilities, in regulated as well as unregulated ways. Thirty-four per cent of the respondents indicated that they worked in public practice only, and 11% that they engaged exclusively in private practice. The remaining 55% indicated that they engaged in some form of dual practice, 31% ‘outside’ public facilities, 8% ‘inside’ and 16% both ‘outside’ and ‘inside’. Local health system governance and the structure of the markets for physician services were linked to the forms of dual practice found in each location, and to their prevalence. Our analysis suggests that physicians’ decisions to engage in dual practice are influenced by supply and demand factors, but also by how clearly separated public and private markets are. Where it is possible to provide little-regulated services within public infrastructure, less incentive seems to exist to engage in the formal private sector, with equity and efficiency implications for service provision. The study shows the value of analysing health markets to understand physicians’ engagement in professional activities, and contributes to an evidence base for its regulation.
Does Literacy and Numeracy Training for Adults Increase Employment and Employability? Evidence from the Skills for Life Programme in England

The employment effects of participation in adult literacy and numeracy courses are assessed, one year after participation, using a matched comparison, longitudinal design, with difference-in-differences analysis. Employability improvements, but no employment effects, are found. Effects on employment may result in the longer term from an increased likelihood of subsequent training.
Destination Governance: Using Corporate Governance Theories as a Foundation for Effective Destination Management

This article adds to the ongoing debate on the performance of corporate-based versus community-based destination management models. New forms of integrated, centrally managed destinations challenge the business models of traditional, historically grown destinations driven by decentralized ownership. This article analyzes the contribution of corporate governance theories to the explanation of destination governance structures and evolution. The research uses six selected dimensions of corporate governance, and the operationalization through concrete items, to analyze and assess twelve destinations in the Swiss Alps. Various destination governance forms and mechanisms reveal the context for conditions for success.
An analysis of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire using the Rasch measurement model.

BACKGROUND Bullying is a problem in schools in many countries. There would be a benefit in the availability of a psychometrically sound instrument for its measurement, for use by teachers and researchers. The Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire has been used in a number of studies but comprehensive evidence on its validity is not available. AIMS To examine the conceptual design, construct validity and reliability of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) and to provide further evidence on the prevalence of different forms of bullying behaviour. SAMPLE All 335 pupils (160 [47.8%] girls; 175 [52.2%]) boys, mean age 11.9 years [range 11.2-12.8 years]), in 21 classes of a stratified sample of 7 Greek Cypriot primary schools. METHOD The OBVQ was administered to the sample. Separate scales were created comprising (a) the items of the questionnaire concerning the extent to which pupils are being victimized; and (b) those concerning the extent to which pupils express bullying behaviour. Using the Rasch model, both scales were analysed for reliability, fit to the model, meaning, and validity. Both scales were also analysed separately for each of two sample groups (i.e. boys and girls) to test their invariance. RESULTS Analysis of the data revealed that the instrument has satisfactory psychometric properties; namely, construct validity and reliability. The conceptual design of the instrument was also confirmed. The analysis leads also to suggestions for improving the targeting of items against student measures. Support was also provided for the relative prevalence of verbal, indirect and physical bullying. As in other countries, Cypriot boys used and experienced more bullying than girls, and boys used more physical and less indirect forms of bullying than girls. CONCLUSIONS The OBVQ is a psychometrically sound instrument that measures two separate aspects of bullying, and whose use is supported for international studies of bullying in different countries. However, improvements to the questionnaire were also identified to provide increased usefulness to teachers tackling this significant problem facing schools in many countries.