Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiments and analysis of high cyclic variability at the operational limits of spark-assisted HCCI combustion

During combustion mode switches, between homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and spark ignition (SI) combustion, the engine will operate at throttled and stoichiometric conditions where high cyclic variability (CV) is typically observed. To analyze and eventually model the engine behavior at the high CV condition we perform measurements on a four-cylinder HCCI engine with negative valve overlap and describe a cycle-resolved analysis method that enables the characterization of cycle-to-cycle variations at such conditions. The dynamic behavior observed is characterized by the recycling of thermal and chemical energy between cycles. We quantify the cyclic exchange and relate it to the dynamic patterns that emerge from this high CV condition. We also clarify the contributions of the spark at these conditions, where advancing the spark can significantly reduce the variability. It is our conclusion that the dynamic patterns observed can be characterized by the cycle-resolved combustion efficiency as it is an essential non-linearity in the dynamic evolution.
Impacts of rural reforms: the case of the Chinese forest sector

This article addresses the causes of different regional performances of the forest sector in the process of Chinese rural reforms. After characterizing rural forestry reform processes in different regions, we estimate farmers' production responses to land tenure change and price liberalization, two major components of the reforms, and conduct a growth accounting. It is found that farmers' responses in different regions vary substantially, and the reform programmes can be important forces in determining either resource growth or stagnation. Our study suggests the critical importance of a stable policy environment in economic transition.
Local Entrainment of Alpha Oscillations by Visual Stimuli Causes Cyclic Modulation of Perception

Prestimulus oscillatory neural activity in the visual cortex has large consequences for perception and can be influenced by top-down control from higher-order brain regions. Making a causal claim about the mechanistic role of oscillatory activity requires that oscillations be directly manipulated independently of cognitive instructions. There are indications that a direct manipulation, or entrainment, of visual alpha activity is possible through visual stimulation. However, three important questions remain: (1) Can the entrained alpha activity be endogenously maintained in the absence of continuous stimulation? ; (2) Does entrainment of alpha activity reflect a global or a local process? ; and (3) Does the entrained alpha activity influence perception? To address these questions, we presented human subjects with rhythmic stimuli in one visual hemifield, and arhythmic stimuli in the other. After rhythmic entrainment, we found a periodic pattern in detection performance of near-threshold targets specific to the entrained hemifield. Using magnetoencephalograhy to measure ongoing brain activity, we observed strong alpha activity contralateral to the rhythmic stimulation outlasting the stimulation by several cycles. This entrained alpha activity was produced locally in early visual cortex, as revealed by source analysis. Importantly, stronger alpha entrainment predicted a stronger phasic modulation of detection performance in the entrained hemifield. These findings argue for a cortically focal entrainment of ongoing alpha oscillations by visual stimulation, with concomitant consequences for perception. Our results support the notion that oscillatory brain activity in the alpha band provides a causal mechanism for the temporal organization of visual perception.
Semantic interoperability of distributed geo-services

There is an increasing need for organisations to perform on demand geoprocessing tasks by integrating and reusing distributed geo-information and geo-services (typically provided as services on the web, such as interactive maps, route planners and geometric transformations). To enable sensible integration, computers require to operate with formal semantics of the services involved, making explicit the meaning of the service content. The research presented in the thesis provides solutions for the computer-aided integration of distributed heterogeneous geo-information and geo-services, based on their semantics. This is achieved by formally describing the geoservices with ontological concepts and reasoning with them in Description Logics. The target groups of this research are firstly geo-information engineers who are confronted with information integration issues and service interoperability issues, and secondly, information engineers in general confronted with distributed information and with end-users that need to access distributed services as one virtual application.
Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia: Current status and diagnostic challenges

Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a fairly common and potentially catastrophic complication of heparin therapy. Diagnosing HIT remains a challenge, as the patients at risk often have other reasons for thrombocytopenia and/or thrombosis. HIT is considered a clinicopathologic disorder whose diagnosis is generally made on the basis of both clinical criteria and the presence of “HIT antibodies” in the patient's serum or plasma. There are two basic laboratory approaches to detect HIT antibodies. The immunoassays detect antibodies based on their binding properties, whereas the functional assays detect antibodies based on their platelet‐activating properties. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of HIT is imperative, as overdiagnosis exposes patients to alternative anticoagulants and their associated bleeding risks, whereas under‐ or delayed diagnosis leaves patients vulnerable to the thromboembolic sequelae of HIT, which can be life threatening. A critical interpretation of laboratory results by the clinician is an essential component of diagnosing HIT. This requires a keen understanding of the current concepts in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the disease, and the application of these concepts when interpreting the results of both the functional and immunoassays. Equally important is an awareness of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the current lack of standardization and proficiency testing, of these assays. Am. J. Hematol. , 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sell‐Side Analyst Research and Reported Conflicts of Interest

Using a unique dataset of conflicts of interest reported by a large investment bank, we examine the relationship between conflicts of interests and sell-side analysts’ behavior in setting target prices and stock recommendations. We demonstrate that the aggregate number of simultaneous business ties or personal links with a subject company is positively associated with both target prices and recommendations. These findings hold both in a stand-alone setting and when considered net of the prevailing market consensus. Furthermore, the results provide some indication that stocks for which conflicts of interests exist earn lower risk-adjusted returns than unconflicted stocks. However, we find no evidence that investors discount the value of sell-side analysts’ research with respect to the prevailing level of conflicts.
GHIC: A GML Compressor with Holistic Isomorphic Characteristic

At present, GML data compression is a hotspot in the fields of geographic information sharing, interoperability. Based on the analysis of characteristics of traditional GML data compression methods, the paper proposed a GML compressor with holistic isomorphic characteristics, which achieves semantic isomorphic compression by constructing index encodings of feature elementspsila tags and achieves spatial data isomorphic compression by clustering GML spatial data, establishing local coordinate systems and converting GML spatial data into local coordinate systems. Experimental results show that the compressor is more effective than traditional compressors. The GML compressor proposed in this paper has a certain value for theoretical and technological researches of GML data storage, query and transmission.
Options in and on interest rate futures contracts: results from martingale pricing theory

In this paper we address the theoretical problem of evaluating the quality option embedded in interest rate futures contracts. We use the martingale properties of the prices of interest-rate contingent claims under different probability measures in order to derive solutions for the value of futures and options on futures, accounting for the quality option and assuming a square-root model for the short rate. The futures pricing formula boils down to a simple linear combination of the futures prices of the zero-coupon bonds which constitute the deliverable bonds. A European call option on such a futures can be rewritten as an option on a single futures in which the strike price is 'curved', i.e. it is a decreasing function of the short rate.
Computationally efficient method for estimation of the number of signals in multipath environment

This paper proposes a nonparametric detection method for the coherent narrowband signals impinging on a uniform linear array (ULA). By exploiting the array geometry and its shift invariance property, the coherency of incident signal is decorrelated through subarray averaging, and the number of incident signals is equal to the rank of a matrix formed from the cross-correlations between some sensor data, where the effect of additive noise is also eliminated. Then a new criterion is formulated in the terms of the row elements of the QR upper-triangular factor of the cross product of formed correlation matrix, and the number of signals is determined as the value for which this QR-based criterion is maximized. The proposed method has remarkable insensitivity to the correlation of incident signals and flexibility to the spatially correlated noise. Simulation results show that the proposed method is superior in detecting closely-spaced signals with small number of snapshots and at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
A Reconfigurable Application-specific Instruction-set Processor for Fast Fourier Transform processing

In this paper, we have presented a Reconfigurable Application-specific Instruction-set Processor (rASIP) that processes mixed-radix(2, 4) 64 and 128-point Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms while satisfying the partial execution-time requirements of IEEE-802.11n standard. The rASIP was designed by integrating a template-based Coarse-Grain Reconfigurable Array (CGRA) in the datapath of a simple Reduced Instruction-Set Computing (RISC) Processor. The instruction set of the RISC processor was extended to add special instructions to enable cycle-accurate processing by the CGRA. The rASIP is synthesized for Field Programmable Gate Arrays for the measurement of resource utilization and execution time. The postfit gate-level netlist of rASIP was simulated to estimate the power and energy consumption. Based on our measurements and estimates, we have studied the advantages of using rASIP in comparison with other systems.
Rapid design of denaturing gradient-based two-dimensional electrophoretic gene mutational scanning tests.

With the current rapid pace at which human disease genes are identified there is a need for practical, cost-efficient genetic screening tests. Two-dimensional electrophoretic separation of PCR-amplified gene fragments on the basis of size and base pair sequence, in non-denaturing and denaturing gradient polyacrylamide gels respectively, provides a rapid parallel approach to gene mutational scanning. Accuracy of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) component of this system strongly depends on the design of the PCR primers and the melting characteristics of the fragments they encompass. We have developed a fully automated generally applicable procedure to generate optimal two-dimensional test designs at a minimum amount of time and effort. Designs were generated for the RB1 , TP53 , MLH1 and BRCA1 genes that can be readily implemented in research and clinical laboratories as low cost genetic screening tests.
Endogenous megakaryocytic colonies underline association between megakaryocytes and calreticulin mutations in essential thrombocythemia

Calreticulin ( CALR ) mutations occur in 20%–25% of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). [1][1],[2][2] At least 40 CALR mutations have been reported to date, all located in exon 9. The most frequent CALR mutations are a 52-bp deletion (type 1) and a 5-bp insertion (type 2). Expression of type 1 CALR
Evaluating the Economic Impact of Countervailing Duties on United States Warm Water Shrimp Imports

Estimates of price and scale elasticities for U.S. consumed shrimp are derived using aggregate source country shrimp import data. It was assumed that supply was perfectly elastic and U.S. wholesalers determine the quantities imported from individual countries given the prices and preferences of U.S. consumers. Ex-ante analysis suggests that most countries levied with the countervailing duty experience declines in U.S. import demand while those countries not affected by the countervailing duty experience increases in import demand. Ex-post analysis shows the reverse to be true. Several countries impacted by the countervailing duty had increased import demand from the United States while Mexico, which was not affected by the countervailing duty, had decreased import demand. The results from aggregate level data suggest that imposing duties on specific companies within a country may not be effective if that company is not a monopoly producer or controls a significant share of the shrimp produced in that country.
The Relationship between Beer Taxes, Other Alcohol Policies, and Child Homicide Deaths

Abstract Extant research finds inverse relationships between beer taxes and physical child abuse. This study extends the direction of research by investigating the relationship between beer taxes, other alcohol policies and child homicide deaths. The homicide death count for children 0-9 years old at the state level over 1981-2002 is used as the dependent variable. Negative binomial regression models with state and year fixed effects and other control variables are estimated. Results show an inverse relationship between per gallon beer taxes and child homicide deaths (elasticity approximately -0.19), and a direct relationship between alcohol retail outlet density and child homicide deaths (elasticity approximately 0.16). Very similar results are obtained when the dependent variable is changed to be the sum of child homicide deaths and child deaths classified as being due to 'undetermined intent', and when conditional maximum likelihood Poisson models are used instead of negative binomial models.
An Empirical Evaluation of Design Abstraction and Performance of Thrust Framework

High performance computing applications are far more difficult to write, therefore, practitioners expect a well-tuned software to last long and provide optimized performance even when the hardware is upgraded. It may also be necessary to write software using sufficient abstraction over the hardware so that it is capable of running on heterogeneous architecture. Therefore, it is required to have a proper programming abstraction paradigm that strikes a balance between the abstraction and visibility over the hardware so that the programmer can write a program without having to understand the hardware nuances, yet exploit the compute power optimally. In this paper we have analyzed the power of design abstraction and performance of a popular design abstraction framework called Thrust. We have shown quantitatively that while it is easier to write an application using Thrust compared to writing the same in the native CUDA or OpenMP backends, the framework does not provide any abstraction over the memory hierarchy of the underlying backend to the programmer. We have compared the performance of three Thrust applications with their corresponding native versions in CUDA, OpenMP, Xeon-Phi and the CPP backends and demonstrate that the current Thrust version performs poorly in most of the cases when the application is compute intensive. However, the framework provides close to the native performance for a non-compute intensive applications. We analyze the reasons for the performance and highlight the improvements necessary for the framework.
Political instability and business: Focus on Shell in Nigeria

Business managers name Africa's political instability as a key obstacle to economic development, but many companies continue to invest in Africa. The article explains this apparent contradiction by looking at the case of Shell in Nigeria. Nigeria experiences serious political instability, yet Shell is expanding its investment in the country. This article deals with sources of firm-specific political instability that have affected Shell in Nigeria in the past and attempts to explain why a specific corporation such as Shell may want to make investments in the country despite political instability. The examination of three different angles of Shell's activity, which forms the core of this paper, reveals that political instability does not hinder Shell from operating in Nigeria. Firstly, the international perspective illuminates in what way Nigeria may be more attractive to Shell than other countries. Profits in Nigeria appear to be higher than elsewhere, while Shell occupies a dominant market position unriva.
Diversity in host clone performance within a Chinese hamster ovary cell line

Much effort has been expended to improve the capabilities of individual Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cell lines to synthesize recombinant therapeutic proteins (rPs). However, given the increasing variety in rP molecular types and formats it may be advantageous to employ a toolbox of CHO host cell lines in biomanufacturing. Such a toolbox would contain a panel of hosts with specific capabilities to synthesize certain molecular types at high volumetric concentrations and with the correct product quality (PQ). In this work, we examine a panel of clonally derived host cell lines isolated from CHOK1SV for the ability to manufacture two model proteins, an IgG4 monoclonal antibody (Mab) and an Fc‐fusion protein (etanercept). We show that these host cell lines vary in their relative ability to synthesize these proteins in transient and stable pool production format. Furthermore, we examined the PQ attributes of the stable pool‐produced Mab and etanercept (by N‐glycan ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and liquid chromatography ‐ tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS), respectively), and uncovered substantial variation between the host cell lines in Mab N‐glycan micro‐heterogeneity and etanercept N and O‐linked macro‐heterogeneity. To further investigate the capabilities of these hosts to act as cell factories, we examined the glycosylation pathway gene expression profiles as well as the levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria in the untransfected hosts. We uncovered a moderate correlation between ER mass and the volumetric product concentration in transient and stable pool Mab production. This work demonstrates the utility of leveraging diversity within the CHOK1SV pool to identify new host cell lines with different performance characteristics. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 31:1187–1200, 2015
Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Auditory Hallucinations: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasion brain stimulation, which has been suggested as a safe and promising treatment for auditory hallucinations, however, no systematic review has been conducted to evaluate the effects of tDCS on auditory hallucinations (AH). OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy and safety of tDCS for auditory hallucinations among patients with schizophrenia. METHODS We searched relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, WANFANG DATA, Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database, and Taiwan Electronic Periodical Services (TEPS) before February 13, 2016. Studies were selected based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of each included study was assessed by the risk of bias table. The levels of evidence of primary outcomes were evaluated using GRADE criteria. Data synthesis was conducted using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS 304 papers were screened. Finally, three studies with a combined sample size of 87 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Two studies were classified as having 'low risk of bias', one study was classified as having 'unclear'. Inconsistent results and the overall level of evidence of primary outcome was graded as 'low'. CONCLUSIONS The sample sizes of the published studies were small and the results were inconsistent. We could not draw any strong conclusions from these trials. Further high quality RCTs with large sample sizes are needed to assess the efficacy of tDCS for auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia.
Hedonic travel cost and random utility models of recreation

Micro-economic theory began as an attempt to describe, predict and value the demand and supply of consumption goods. Quality was largely ignored at first, but economists have started to address quality within the theory of demand and specifically the question of site quality, which is an important component of land management. This paper demonstrates that hedonic and random utility models emanate from the same utility theoretical foundation, although they make different estimation assumptions. Using a theoretically consistent comparison, both approaches are applied to examine the quality of wilderness areas in the Southeastern US. Data were collected on 4778 visits to 46 trails in 20 different forest areas near the Smoky Mountains. Visitor data came from permits and an independent survey. The authors limited the data set to visitors from within 300 miles of the North Carolina and Tennessee border in order to focus the analysis on single purpose trips. When consistently applied, both models lead to results with similar signs but different magnitudes. Because the two models are equally valid, recreation studies should continue to use both models to value site quality. Further, practitioners should be careful not to make simplifying a priori assumptions which limit the effectiveness of both techniques.
Draft Genome Sequence of High-Siderophore-Yielding Pseudomonas sp. Strain HYS

ABSTRACT We sequenced the genome of the high-siderophore-yielding strain Pseudomonas sp. HYS and then analyzed its iron acquisition systems. The 5.6-Mb draft genome sequence has a special pattern of pyoverdine synthesis clusters and contains an hmuRSTUV heme uptake cluster, which has a homolog only in some strains of the order Enterobacteriales.