Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simple efficient policy rules and inflation control in Iceland

In March 2001 Iceland introduced inflation targeting. In the three years that followed, inflation was quickly stabilized at the target rate and fluctuated well within the Central Bank's tolerance band. However, since February 2005 inflation has often been above the upper tolerance limit. This raises the question of how tightly is it feasible to control inflation in a very small open economy like Iceland. This paper attempts to provide some empirical answers to this question using small estimated macroeconomic models of Iceland, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. These models are used to derive efficient monetary policy frontiers that trace of the locus of the lowest combinations of inflation and output variability that are achievable under a range of alternative rules for operating monetary policy. These efficient policy frontiers illustrate that inflation stabilization is a considerably more daunting challenge in Iceland than in other industrial countries, even other very small industrial countries like New Zealand. The key reason for this result is the relative magnitudes of the shocks to which the economy is subjected. If inflation outside the target band undermines the credibility of monetary policy, thereby increasing the real cost of maintaining price stability, these results suggest that the inflation targeting framework will need to continue to evolve to reduce the probability that targeted inflation will breach the tolerance range. Further, other macroeconomic policy changes, such more systematic coordination between monetary and fiscal policy, should be considered to help further reduce inflation and output variability in Iceland.
A Centralized Hybrid MAC Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

A centralized hybrid MAC protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is proposed, where the design objective is to be able to provide reliable quality of services (QoS) control, high throughput, and scalability to networks by utilizing a priority-based hybrid time-coordinated contention and contention-free medium access control (MAC) protocol. The proposed protocol's resource reservation scheme can provide guarantee throughout access for selected users even under extremely emergent high demand situations, and applies a periodic shutdown scheme for low-power consumption.
Initial classification of breast tumour phantoms using a UWB radar prototype

This study presents the first experimental results using a pre-clinical UWB prototype imaging system for tumour classification based on the shape of tumours. A database of 13 benign and 13 malignant tumours with average diameters between 13 and 40 mm was created using dielectrically-representative tissue-mimicking material. Classification of benign and malignant tumour models of the experimental data was completed with Linear Discriminant Analysis and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis classifiers.
ALFA: the MPIA/MPE adaptive optics with a laser for astronomy project

The Max-Planck-Institutes for Astronomy and for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) have recently installed a laser guide star (LGS) adaptive optics (AO) system at the 3.5m telescope on Calar Alto in Spain. The AO system consists of a Shack-Hartmann sensor, a deformable mirror with 97 actuators, and a wave-front processor that allows closed loop operations of up to 1200 Hz. As a first step we closed the high order AO loop on bright natural guide stars. As a second step we closed the AO loop ALFA's design, operation, and upgrade plans.
AIBD ’ 13 : The First International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Big Data

Many if not most big data sets are maintained in relational databases. We describe Bayes net learning methods that can discover knowledge about correlations among both link types and node attributes in big relational data. A key scalability challenge for relational learning is to compute event counts in a relational database (sufficient statistics), especially when these involve negated relationships. We provide empirical evidence that the fast Möbius transform provides a scalable solution for this problem.
Additive Manufacture of Three Dimensional Nanocomposite Based Objects through Multiphoton Fabrication

Three-dimensional structures prepared from a gold-polymer composite formulation have been fabricated using multiphoton lithography. In this process, gold nanoparticles were simultaneously formed through photoreduction whilst polymerisation of two possible monomers was promoted. The monomers, trimethylopropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) were mixed with a gold salt, but it was found that the addition of a ruthenium(II) complex enhanced both the geometrical uniformity and integrity of the polymerised/reduced material, enabling the first production of 3D gold-polymer structures by single step multiphoton lithography.
A Framework for Clustering Mixed Attribute Type Datasets

We propose a clustering framework that supports clustering of datasets with mixed attribute type (numerical, categorical), while minimizing information loss during clustering. Real world datasets such as medical datasets and its ontology have mixed attribute type datasets. However, most conventional clustering algorithms have been designed and applied to datasets containing only single attribute type (either numerical or categorical). Recently, approaches to clustering for mixed attribute type datasets have emerged, but they are mainly based on transforming attributes to straightforwardly utilize conventional algorithms. The problem of such approaches is the possibility of distorted results due to the loss of information because significant portion of attribute values can be removed in the transforming process. This results in a lower accuracy clustering. To address this problem, we propose a clustering framework for mixed attribute type datasets without transforming attributes. We first utilize an entropy based measure of categorical attributes as our criterion function for similarity. Second, based on the results of entropy based similarity, we extract candidate cluster numbers and verify our weighting scheme with pre-clustering results. Finally, we cluster the mixed attribute type datasets with the extracted candidate cluster numbers and the weights. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework is effective in increasing accuracy.
Example-based photometric stereo: shape reconstruction with general, varying BRDFs

This paper presents a technique for computing the geometry of objects with general reflectance properties from images. For surfaces with varying material properties, a full segmentation into different material types is also computed. It is assumed that the camera viewpoint is fixed, but the illumination varies over the input sequence. It is also assumed that one or more example objects with similar materials and known geometry are imaged under the same illumination conditions. Unlike most previous work in shape reconstruction, this technique can handle objects with arbitrary and spatially-varying BRDFs. Furthermore, the approach works for arbitrary distant and unknown lighting environments. Finally, almost no calibration is needed, making the approach exceptionally simple to apply.
Multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli in lower respiratory tract infections

Background Lower respiratory tract infections are among important causes of morbidity and mortality for all age groups. The emergence of multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli is an issue of increasing concern. Materials and Methods A retrospective study including respiratory specimens (sputum and BAL) was conducted in our tertiary care centre. Samples were processed for microscopy, culture and susceptibility testing following standard methods. Multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli causing lower respiratory tract infections were studied for their causation of disease. The effect of appropriate treatment on clinical outcome was observed. Results A total of 472 Gram-negative pathogens were isolated from sputum and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid specimens during the study period. Among these Gram-negative pathogens 175 (37%) were found to be multidrug resistant. Klebsiella pneumoniae 85 (48.6%) and Acinetobacter spp. 59 (33.7%) were the predominant multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli isolated. Based on clinico-microbiological correlation, 138 (78.9%) multidrug resistant isolates were found to be pathogenic and the rest 37 (21.1%) were considered as colonizers. After initiating appropriate antibiotic therapy, clinical improvement was seen in 110 (79.7%) patients. In the patients who showed improvement, amikacin (34.3%) and cefoperazone-sulbactum (21.8%) were found to be the most effective drugs. Conclusion A large majority of the isolated multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli were found to be pathogenic. Regular surveillance which directs appropriate empirical therapy; and good clinic-microbiological workup of each case of lower respiratory tract infection can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with multidrug resistant organisms.
The Economics of Rising Stars

This paper analyzes an occupation in which there is substantial uncertainty about individual performance and past performance is correlated with future outcomes. In equilibrium, only the young enter the occupation and only the successful stay on. The young are numerous and earn incomes well below what their current alternative o ffers; success is rare and rewarded highly. The implied distribution of earnings must have positive skewness. Copyright 1988 by American Economic Association.
The IC 133 Water Vapor Maser in the Galaxy M33: A Geometric Distance

We report on the results of a 14 yr long VLBI study of proper motions in the IC 133 H2O maser source in the galaxy M33. The method of ordered motion parallax was used to model the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of IC 133 and to obtain a distance estimate, 800 ± 180 kpc. Our technique for determining the distance to M33 is independent of calibrations common to other distance indicators, such as Cepheid period-luminosity relations, and therefore provides an important check for previous distance determinations.
S 9 Demographic Analysis Using G-PhoCS

Our main demographic analysis is based on the Generalized Phylogenetic Coalescent Sampler (G-PhoCS) developed by Gronau et al. [1]. G-PhoCS performs demographic inference conditioned on a given population phylogeny augmented by a collection of migration bands (see Fig. S9.1.1). Migration bands describe scenarios of post-divergence gene flow in the demographic model, and are defined by ordered pairs of branches in the population phylogeny, allowing different rates to be associated with the two directions of gene flow. G-PhoCS infers demographic parameters associated with the population phylogeny (i.e., ancestral population sizes, population divergence times, and migration rates) based on inferred genealogies at
Improvement of the Quality and the Shelf Life of the High Oxygen Modified Atmosphere Packaged Veal by Superficial Spraying with Dihydroquercetin Solution

The improvement of quality and the shelf life of veal by combination of 80%O2/20%CO2 modified atmosphere packaging and superficial spraying with 0.02% dihydroquercetin solutions was studied. The control samples C, air packaged only, D, air packaged sprayed by 0.02% dihydroquercetin solution, MAP, modified atmosphere packaging only, BMAP, modified atmosphere packaging sprayed by 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene solution, and DMAP, modified atmosphere packaging sprayed by 0.02% dihydroquercetin solution, were measured. The best results were obtained in modified atmosphere packaging sprayed by 0.02% dihydroquercetin solution. Comparisons with control samples were expressed as reduction in acid value with 27.72%, peroxide value with 64.74%, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) with 65.71%, and the pH with 6.18%. The acid and peroxide values, TBARS, and pH were decreased linearly in response when applying the combination of 80%O2/20%CO2 modified atmosphere packaging and superficial spraying with 0.02% dihydroquercetin solutions (P < 0.05). The changes of amino nitrogen content of modified atmosphere packaging veal were not influenced statistically significantly by 0.02% dihydroquercetin solution (P > 0.05). According to results obtained it was concluded that 80%O2/20%CO2 modified atmosphere packaged veal stored at 0 ± 0.5°C after 0.02% dihydroquercetin solution treatment can preserve its quality and shelf life to 15 d postmortem.
Kicking Power

SUMMARY KICKING IS AN INTEGRAL MANEUVER IN MANY TEAM SPORTS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF KICKS SUCH AS THE INSTEP KICK, SIDE-FOOT KICK, AND DROP-PUNT KICK. BY EXAMINING THE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF A KICK, ONE CAN DETERMINE THE PROPERTIES THAT ALLOW FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE. THE BASIC TENANTS OF KICKING PERFORMANCE INVOLVE ANGULAR VELOCITY OF THE HIP GENERATED THROUGH A STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE AND THE LINEAR VELOCITY OF THE FOOT IN COMBINATION WITH THE FORCE APPLIED TO THE BALL, WHICH DETERMINES KICKING POWER. THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROFESSIONAL CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO DESIGN A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT OPTIMIZES KICKING PERFORMANCE.
Spectral Analysis of Data

In this lecture, we discuss some spectral techniques and their applications. The goal of spectral techniques is to study and deduce the characteristics of a matrix by looking at its spectrum (i.e. eigenvalues of matrix). Although spectral methods can be applied to any problem instance with matrix representation, we will be focussing on graph theoretic problems in this lecture. Over the past two decades, spectral techniques have proven to be quite useful in analysing some of the graph problems like coloring, bisection, max-cut. The aim of this lecture is to give the reader an intuition why spectral techniques are giving such good results and discuss a couple of applications. We would also like to mention that recently Prof. Daniel Spielman (Yale University) gave a tutorial on spectral graph theory in FOCS 2007 conference. His slides, presentation data and an online recording of his lecture are available at [7] and can be viewed freely. We encourage you to go through them. These notes are organized as follows. In the next section, we discuss an application of spectral analysis on page ranking. In section 3, we discuss some intuitions about spectral techniques and how they are applied to some applications. This is followed by a discussion on application of spectral methods in graph coloring in section 4. We conclude in section 5.
Sustaining Blood Lymphocyte Count during Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy as a Predictive Marker for Pathologic Complete Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Purpose The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the circulating lymphocyte level during preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and pathologic complete response (pCR) in locally advanced rectal cancer. Materials and Methods From May 2010 to May 2013, 52 patients treated with preoperative CRT followed by surgery, were analysed. Patients received conventional fractionated radiotherapy (50-54 Gy) with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Surgical resection was performed at 4 to 8 weeks after the completion of preoperative CRT. Absolute blood lymphocyte counts and their relative percentage in total white blood cell counts were obtained from complete blood count tests performed prior to and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of CRT. We analysed the association between achieving pCR and change in blood lymphocyte level during CRT, as well as clinical parameters. Results Among 52 patients, 14 (26.9%) had evidence of pCR. Sustaining the blood lymphocyte count during CRT (lymphocyte count at 4 weeks/baseline lymphocyte count > 0.35; odds ratio, 8.33; p=0.02) and initial carcinoembryonic antigen < 4.4 ng/mL (odds ratio, 6.71; p=0.03) were significantly associated with pCR in multivariate analyses. Conclusion Sustaining blood lymphocyte count during preoperative CRT was predictive for pCR in rectal cancer. Further studies are warranted to investigate the association between pathologic responses and circulating lymphocyte count with its subpopulation during preoperative CRT.
WHAT IS THE PARENT OF CH IN THE COMAOF COMET C / 1995 O 1 ( HALE-BOPP ) ?

The ratio of CH4/CO in comets is an important indicator of the region of their formation. However, it is diicult to measure the quantity of CH4. The Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer experiment observed a quantity of CH + which seemed inconsistent with the amount of CH4 observed. Thus, it was proposed that a source of the CH + was a distributed source in the dust. We tested this hypothesis by observing the CH emission strength in comet Hale-Bopp as a function of dustiness. We see no strong correlation between the dust and the gas. Thus, for Hale-Bopp, dust is unlikely to be a dominant source of CH.
What have we Learned from Policy Transfer Research? Dolowitz and Marsh Revisited

Over the last decade, policy transfer has emerged as an important concept within public policy analysis, guiding both theoretical and empirical research spanning many venues and issue areas. Using Dolowitz and Marsh's 1996 stocktake as its starting point, this article reviews what has been learned by whom and for what purpose. It finds that the literature has evolved from its rather narrow, state-centred roots to cover many more actors and venues. While policy transfer still represents a niche topic for some researchers, an increasing number have successfully assimilated it into wider debates on topics such as globalisation, Europeanisation and policy innovation. This article assesses the concept's position in the overall ‘tool-kit’ of policy analysis, examines some possible future directions and reflects on their associated risks and opportunities.
Selection model for Software Project Management tools in SMEs

Software Project Management (PM) relies on software tools. These tools must be selected according to the needs and characteristics of each company, especially when resources are limited, which is rather common for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to propose a selection model aimed at supporting software-developing SMEs in the selection of PM tools. This model encompasses 11 selection criteria and 94 metrics; the research was based on the Action Research approach, and the criteria were formulated in accordance with Goal Question Metric. The model was evaluated by eight SMEs' PM experts through the Feature Analysis-Survey method, according to pertinence, feasibility and applicability features. The results obtained helped configuring a selection model aligned with SMEs' PM support needs.
A Novel Triple Encryption Scheme for Hadoop-Based Cloud Data Security

Cloud computing has been flourishing in past years because of its ability to provide users with on-demand, flexible, reliable, and low-cost services. With more and more cloud applications being available, data security protection becomes an important issue to the cloud. In order to ensure data security in cloud data storage, a novel triple encryption scheme is proposed in this paper, which combines HDFS files encryption using DEA and the data key encryption with RSA, and then encrypts the user's RSA private key using IDEA. We implement the triple encryption scheme in Hadoop-based cloud data storage and experiment studies were conducted to verify its effectiveness.
Accurate, robust and reliable calculations of Poisson-Boltzmann solvation energies

Developing accurate solvers for the Poisson Boltzmann (PB) model is the first step to make the PB model suitable for implicit solvent simulation. Reducing the grid size influence on the performance of the solver benefits to increasing the speed of solver and providing accurate electrostatics analysis for solvated molecules. In this work, we explore the accurate coarse grid PB solver based on the Green's function treatment of the singular charges, matched interface and boundary (MIB) method for treating the geometric singularities, and posterior electrostatic potential field extension for calculating the reaction field energy. We made our previous PB software, MIBPB, robust and provides almost grid size independent reaction field energy calculation. Large amount of the numerical tests verify the grid size independence merit of the MIBPB software. The advantage of MIBPB software directly make the acceleration of the PB solver from the numerical algorithm instead of utilization of advanced computer architectures. Furthermore, the presented MIBPB software is provided as a free online sever.
Resilient consensus protocols

A consensus protocol enables a system of n asynchronous processes, some of which are faulty, to reach agreement. There are two kinds of faulty processes: fail-stop processes can only die, malicious processes can also send false messages. We investigate consensus protocols that terminate within finite time with probability 1 under certain assumptions on the behavior of the system. With fail-stop processes, we show that [(n + 1)/2] correct processes are necessary and sufficient to reach agreement. In the malicious case, we show that [(2n + 1)/3] correct processes are necessary and sufficient to reach agreement. This is contrasted with a recent result that there is no consensus protocol for the fail-stop case that always terminates within a bounded number of steps, even if only one process can fail.
Extracting expertise to facilitate exploratory search and information discovery : Combining information retrieval techniques with a computational cognitive model

We compared and combined the traditional information retrieval (IR) methods of expert identification with a computational cognitive model to test their effectiveness in facilitating exploratory search performance using a data set from a large-scale social tagging system. We found that the two methods of expert identification, although based on different assumptions, were in general consistent in extracting useful structures for exploratory search. The methods, however, did show systematic differences in their effectiveness to guide users to find popular vs less popular topics. The findings have important implications on presentations of information cues that facilitate interactive IR and discovery.
Clustering technique for Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of small nodes with sensing, computation, and communications capabilities. Sensor node senses the data and sends data to the base station for further processing. These sensor nodes mainly rely upon batteries for energy, which get drained at a quicker rate due to the computation and communication and this decreases the lifetime of the network. In order to solve this problem, various clustering techniques are introduced to improve the lifetime of WSN. Clustering has turned out to be a powerful approach for formulating the network into a linked hierarchy. The main goal of clustering algorithms is to gather and aggregate data in an energy efficient manner so that network lifetime is enhanced. In our proposed algorithm cluster head (CH) selection is carried out using distance between nodes and energy of the nodes. They are selected in such a way that, the distance between them is maximum and energy of the selected CH is more. All the cluster heads send data to the CH located closer to the BS and in turn, it aggregates and transmits data to the Base Station (BS).