Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Quest for Practical Theory: Theory and Interaction Research in a Dutch City

Theory and action can be reconciled by an interaction research methodology. This methodology combines action learning and reflective research. It requires a redefined concept of theory. Public administration science is familiar with theories and concepts that are abstract, universal or at least probabilistic, while action is always related to concrete and individual situations. An attempt to combine theory and action in a Dutch city demonstrates that interaction research produces a specific kind of theory. Contextualized action theory in this article concerns adequate measures that can be taken to maintain and improve the effectiveness of neighbourhood management in the Dutch city of Zwolle. If interaction research is conducted regularly, these experiences may lead to a tried and tested methodology for organizing reflection in a public administration context while at the same time developing public administration theory. Interaction research may thus create a robust body of knowledge on fruitful interaction between theory and action, both from an academic and an action perspective.
Specification of Red-black Trees: Showcasing Dynamic Frames, Model Fields and Sequences

Complex data structures still pose a major challenge in specification and verification of object-oriented programs. Leino and Moskal have proposed a suite of benchmarks for verification tools, nicknamed "VACID-0". In contrast to similar papers, the tasks of VACID-0 do not only include verification in terms of an observable behavior but also of internal workings of algorithms and data structures. The arguably most difficult target are so-called red-black black trees. In this contribution, we present an implementation and specification in Java/JML* (i.e., KeY's extension to JML with dynamic frames). It makes use of several new features: first and foremost the dynamic frame theory, model fields, the sequence ADT, as well as some newly supported features from standard JML.
Sustainable energy harvesting for robust wireless sensor networks in industrial applications

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are at the verge of a broad acceptance in demanding industrial applications. Nodes must fulfill key requirements like reliability and deterministic communication, but also energy autarky in order to allow maintenance-free systems. In this paper a system combining low power, robust communication with appropriate methods for energy harvesting and energy management is suggested. By comparing two alternative variants for power-management, constraints of a solar-cell powered node design are derived. The resulting system demonstrates energy sufficiency at standard industrial indoor lighting conditions of 1300 lx for sensor nodes sampling temperature values at 10 Hz and transmitting once per second.
Minimally supervised sound event detection using a neural network

This paper proposes a sound event detection system that is trained using a minimally annotated data set of single sounds to identify and separate components of polyphonic sounds. The system uses a Feed Forward Neural Network with a single hidden layer that is pre-trained using an autoencoder. Single sounds, represented as Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) feature vectors, are used to train the neural network using back propagation. Polyphonic sounds are pre-processed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) to obtain source separated sounds. These source separated sounds are then tested for sound classification using the feed-forward algorithm. Our system is able to achieve reasonable accuracy of source separation and detection with minimal training set. The ultimate goal of our system is to bootstrap from minimal data and learn new sounds leading to a better sound detection system.
Working practices, problems and needs of the community development projects in Punjab Province, Pakistan

Community development programmes have been initiated to tackle the shared problems of local communities. The nature, volume and tenure of the development programmes depend on the felt needs and available resources. Different nations initiate community development programmes at different times. Pakistan was among first few countries to launch local level development programmes during the early 1950s, after consultation from the United Nations. The Government started the Village Agricultural Industrial Development (V-AID) and Community Development Projects (CDPs) that focused on rural and urban areas, respectively. The CDPs introduced the self-help and bottom-up development approaches in the early years, which led to great success. The mode of working of CDPs was changed with different transitions and expansions in their working styles and services. These projects are still alive and provide community development services directly, as well as indirectly through nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) registered with the Department of Social Welfare. This survey research was conducted to describe and explore the present working practices, problems and needs of government-run CDPs in Punjab Province, Pakistan. In 36 districts of Punjab, officers-in-charge at the CDPs (Deputy District Officers), NGOs registered with the CDPs and non-CDP-registered NGOs were included as respondents. Questionnaires having both closed-ended and open-ended questions were used as data collection tools. Results in the form of frequencies and percentages are presented in simple tables, multiple response tables, bar charts and pie charts. In addition, open-ended responses were coded, quantified and presented in multiple response tables. Analysis of data obtained from the three groups of participants provided rich and valuable results about the current work practices of CDPs. I found that CDPs are well-
Scalable Mobile Image Retrieval by Exploring Contextual Saliency

Nowadays, it is very convenient to capture photos by a smart phone. As using, the smart phone is a convenient way to share what users experienced anytime and anywhere through social networks, it is very possible that we capture multiple photos to make sure the content is well photographed. In this paper, an effective scalable mobile image retrieval approach is proposed by exploring contextual salient information for the input query image. Our goal is to explore the high-level semantic information of an image by finding the contextual saliency from multiple relevant photos rather than solely using the input image. Thus, the proposed mobile image retrieval approach first determines the relevant photos according to visual similarity, then mines salient features by exploring contextual saliency from multiple relevant images, and finally determines contributions of salient features for scalable retrieval. Compared with the existing mobile-based image retrieval approaches, our approach requires less bandwidth and has better retrieval performance. We can carry out retrieval with <;200-B data, which is <;5% of existing approaches. Most importantly, when the bandwidth is limited, we can rank the transmitted features according to their contributions to retrieval. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Application of system-level EM modeling to high-speed digital IC packages and PCBs

A system-level electromagnetic (EM) modeling tool combining a three-dimensional (3-D) full-wave finite-element EM-field analysis tool and a time-domain electric-circuit simulator is developed and applied to various geometries such as multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs), signal lines embedded in a PCB or package, and split power-distribution network. Since the signal integrity is a primary concern of high-speed digital circuits, the noise distributions on various circuit planes are evaluated from the analysis. These noise distributions, often called voice maps, are utilized to identify the location of the major source of simultaneous switching noise (SSN). This information can eventually be adapted for optimum placement of decoupling capacitors to minimize the noise fluctuations on the various circuit planes on an entire PCB.
A Pylonic Decision-Tree Language Model- with Optimal Question Selection

This paper discusses a decision-tree approach to the problem of assigning probabilities to words following a given text. In contrast with previous decision-tree language model attempts, an algorithm for selecting nearly optimal questions is considered. The model is to be tested on a standard task, The Wall Street Journal, allowing a fair comparison with the well-known trigram model.
Estimating the odds ratio when exposure has a limit of detection.

BACKGROUND In epidemiologic research, little emphasis has been placed on methods to account for left-hand censoring of 'exposures' due to a limit of detection (LOD). METHODS We calculate the odds of anti-HIV therapy naiveté in 45 HIV-infected men as a function of measured log(10) plasma HIV RNA viral load using five approaches including ad hoc methods as well as a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE). We also generated simulations of a binary outcome with 10% incidence and a 1.5-fold increased odds per log increase in a log-normally distributed exposure with 25, 50 and 75% of exposure data below LOD. Simulated data were analysed using the same five methods, as well as the full data. RESULTS In the example, the estimated odds ratio (OR) varied by 1.22-fold across methods, from 1.45 to 1.77 per log(10) copies of viral load and the standard error for the log OR varied by 1.52-fold across methods, from 0.31 to 0.47. In the simulations, use of full data or the MLE was unbiased with appropriate confidence interval (CI) coverage. However, as the proportion of exposure below LOD increased, substituting LOD, LOD/ radical 2 or LOD/2 was increasingly biased with increasingly inappropriate CI coverage. Finally, exclusion of values below LOD was unbiased but imprecise. CONCLUSIONS In this example and the settings explored by simulation, and among methods readily available to investigators (i.e. sans full data), the MLE provided an unbiased and appropriately precise estimate of the exposure-outcome OR.
Process and Performance of River Basin Water Management Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa : Working paper

This paper assesses the decentralization processes and performances of river basin management decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa, using primary data from 27 river basins in the region. The main findings are that water scarcity is a major stimulus to reform; that water user associations, if not well prepared and trained, may deter the decentralization process; and being part of an existing treaty over an international basin helps foster the process. Conditions improving decentralization performance include: scarcity of water resources, longer period of implementation, bottom-up creation, and appropriate budgetary support of the river basin organization. Findings are relevant for policy in decentralization in remaining river basins across the continent and elsewhere, suggesting important central government interventions and an implementation sequence that would lead to more effective results. (Resume d'auteur)
Assessing MapReduce for Internet Computing: A Comparison of Hadoop and BitDew-MapReduce

MapReduce is emerging as an important programming model for data-intensive application. Adapting this model to desktop grid would allow taking advantage of the vast amount of computing power and distributed storage to execute new range of application able to process enormous amount of data. In 2010, we have presented the first implementation of MapReduce dedicated to Internet Desktop Grid based on the BitDew middleware. In this paper, we present new optimizations to BitDew-MapReduce (BitDew-MR): aggressive task backup, intermediate result backup, task re-execution mitigation and network failure hiding. We propose a new experimental framework which emulates key fundamental aspects of Internet Desktop Grid. Using the framework, we compare BitDew-MR and the open-source Hadoop middleware on Grid5000. Our experimental results show that 1) BitDew-MR successfully passes all the stress-tests of the framework while Hadoop is unable to work in typical wide-area network topology which includes PC hidden behind firewall and NAT; 2) BitDew-MR outperforms Hadoop performances on several aspects: scalability, fairness, resilience to node failures, and network disconnections.
Lattice Schwinger model with interpolated gauge fields.

We analyze the Schwinger model on an infinite lattice using the continuum definition of the fermion determinant and a linear interpolation of the lattice gauge fields. The possible class of interpolations for the gauge fields, compatible with gauge invariance, is discussed. The effective action for the lattice gauge field is computed for the Wilson formulation as well as for noncompact lattice gauge fields. For the noncompact formulation we prove that the model has a critical point with diverging correlation length at zero gauge coupling {ital e}. We compute the chiral condensate for {ital e}{approx_gt}0 and compare the result to the {ital N}-flavor continuum Schwinger model. This indicates that there is only one flavor of fermions with the same chiral properties as in the continuum model, already before the continuum limit is performed. We discuss how operators have to be renormalized in the continuum limit to obtain the continuum Schwinger model. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
Inconsistent Estimation and Asymptotically Equal Interpolations in Model-Based Geostatistics

It is shown that in model-based geostatistics, not all parameters in the Matérn class can be estimated consistently if data are observed in an increasing density in a  xed domain, regardless of the estimation methods used. Nevertheless, one quantity can be estimated consistently by the maximum likelihood method, and this quantity is more important to spatial interpolation. The results are established by using the properties of equivalence and orthogonality of probability measures. Some suf cient conditions are provided for both Gaussian and non-Gaussian equivalent measures, and necessary conditions are provided for Gaussian equivalent measures. Two simulation studies are presented that show that the  xed-domain asymptotic properties can explain some  nite-sample behavior of both interpolation and estimation when the sample size is moderately large.
Catmull-Clark Subdivision Surfaces with Smoother Extraordinary Points

Subdivision surfaces have become popular recently in graphical modeling, animation and CAD/CAM because of their capability in capability in modeling/representing complex shape of arbitrary topology [5]. See Figure 1(b) for the representation of a ventilation control component with a single subdivision surface. The control mesh of the surface is shown in (a). The ventilation control component has seventeen through holes (handles). Therefore, it can not be represented by a single B-spline or NURBS surface.
Memory Approaches to Reinforcement Learning in Non-Markovian Domains

Reinforcement learning is a type of unsupervised learning for sequential decision making. Q-learning is probably the best-understood reinforcement learning algorithm. In Q-learning, the agent learns a mapping from states and actions to their utilities. An important assumption of Q-learning is the Markovian environment assumption, meaning that any information needed to determine the optimal actions is reflected in the agent''s state representation. Consider an agent whose state representation is based solely on its immediate perceptual sensations. When its sensors are not able to make essential distinctions among world states, the Markov assumption is violated, causing a problem called perceptual aliasing. For example, when facing a closed box, an agent based on its current visual sensation cannot act optimally if the optimal action depends on the contents of the box. There are two basic approaches to addressing this problem -- using more sensors or using history to figure out the current world state. This paper studies three connectionist approaches which learn to use history to handle perceptual aliasing: the window-Q, recurrent-Q, and recurrent-model architectures. Empirical study of these architectures is presented. Their relative strengths and weaknesses are also discussed.
An object-based model for pprototyping user interfaces of cooperative systems

This paper presents an object-based model to support the construction of user interfaces of CSCW systems. The model divides a cooperative system into layers and each layer is formed by component objects. A principal focus of the model is the provision of an object linking mechanism which links the relevant objects in the same interactive layers of multiple users to realize multi-level collaboration which is independent of the application. In addition, multi-level collaboration obtains fine-grained collaboration of the cooperative system and improves its collaboration efficiency. The object-based method used in this paper ensures a structured collaboration, realizes a simple collaboration management, and facilitates cooperative system development.
Binary Rewriting without Relocation Information

Binary rewriting softwares transform executables by maintaining the original binary’s functionality, while improving it in one or more metrics, such as runtime performance, energy use, memory use, security, and reliability. Existing static binary rewriters are unable to rewrite bi-naries that do not contain relocation information, which is typically discarded by linkers unless speciﬁcally instructed otherwise. Unfortunately, most deployed binaries lack such information; hence they cannot be statically rewritten at all. We present a new approach to binary rewriting capable of rewriting binaries statically without relocation information. This is the ﬁrst technology that allows for application of complex static transformations to any binary. This technology extends the power of binary rewriting technology past developers and into the hands of end-users. This technology has been incorporated into a working prototype known as SecondWrite , which has been used to rewrite and apply optimizations to a subset of SPEC benchmarks. Tests yielded reasonable overheads, with an average speedup of 27% for non-optimized binaries, and an average slowdown of 7% for optimized versions. Our tool can be used as a platform for complex optimization and security enhancements of any binary for the ﬁrst time ever.
A Low-Cost Stimulus Design for Linearity Test in SAR ADCs

The proposed stimulus design for linearity test is embedded in a differential successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC), i.e. a design for testability (DFT). The proposed DFT is compatible to the pattern generator (PG) and output response analyzer (ORA) with the cost of 12.4-% area of the SAR ADC. The 10-bit SAR ADC prototype is verified in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology and the measured differential nonlinearity (DNL) error is between −0.386 and 0.281 LSB at 1-MS/s. key words: analog-to-digital converter (ADC), design for testability (DFT), pattern generator (PG), output response analyzer (ORA)
Expression of beta 1, beta 3, beta 4, and beta 5 integrins by human epidermal keratinocytes and non-differentiating keratinocytes

We have compared the adhesive properties and integrin expression profiles of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes and a strain of nondifferentiating keratinocytes (ndk). Both cell types adhered to fibronectin, laminin, and collagen types I and IV, but ndk adhered more rapidly and at lower coating concentrations of the proteins. Antibody blocking experiments showed that adhesion of both cell types to fibronectin was mediated by the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin and to laminin by alpha 3 beta 1 in synergy with alpha 2 beta 1. Keratinocytes adhered to collagen with alpha 2 beta 1, but an antibody to alpha 2 did not inhibit adhesion of ndk to collagen. Both cell types adhered to vitronectin by alpha v-containing integrins. Immunoprecipitation of surface-iodinated and metabolically labeled cells showed that in addition to alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 3 beta 1, and alpha 5 beta 1, both keratinocytes and ndk expressed alpha 6 beta 4 and alpha v beta 5. ndk expressed all these integrins at higher levels than normal keratinocytes. ndk, but not normal keratinocytes, expressed alpha v beta 1 and alpha v beta 3; they also expressed alpha 1 beta 1, an integrin that was not consistently detected on normal keratinocytes. Immunofluorescence experiments showed that in stratified cultures of normal keratinocytes integrin expression was confined to cells in the basal layer; terminally differentiating cells were unstained. In contrast, all cells in the ndk population were integrin positive. Our observations showed that the adhesive properties of ndk differ from normal keratinocytes and reflect differences in the type of integrins expressed, the level of expression and the distribution of integrins on the cell surface. ndk thus have a number of characteristics that distinguish them from normal basal keratinocytes.
'This is Not a Riot!': Regulation of Public Protest and the Impact of the Human Rights Act 1998

The death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests in London in April 2009 triggered a haemorrhaging of public confidence in public order policing. The protests were swiftly followed by a plethora of official inquiries and reports tasked with investigating the legitimacy of existing public order policing tactics and the associated mechanisms of accountability. Events since Tomlinson? s death indicate that this is an issue that is unlikely to dissipate any time soon. Dramatic footage taken during the 2010-11 student protests, including police officers charging protesters on horseback and dragging a disabled activist from his wheelchair, attracted widespread condemnation. The on-going revelations into the activities of undercover police officers suggest that such practices may be the tip of the iceberg. These disclosures have caused a serious crisis of legitimacy for an institution supposedly founded on a principle of ? policing by consent? Paradoxically, these developments have occurred during a period in which the right to protest is for the first time reflected in law. In October 2000 the much trumpeted Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) came into force in England and Wales, incorporating into domestic law the rights and freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Although the ECHR does not establish a legal right to protest per se, it does guarantee positive rights to ? freedom of expression? and ? freedom of peaceful assembly? , as well as prohibiting arbitrary state interferences with an individual? s liberty and security, thought, conscious and religion and right to privacy. The HRA 1998 appeared to mark a radical departure from the traditional approach and was celebrated as signalling a ? constitutional shift? in the state? s approach towards public protest.A principle aim of this thesis is to examine the impact of the HRA 1998 on the regulation of public protest in England and Wales. Whilst a growing body of academic literature has analysed public order law and policy against abstract human rights principles, relatively few have attempted to ground the analysis in the experiences of protesters. This thesis seeks to begin to fill this lacuna. Moving away from a doctrinal analysis of human rights law, I utilise a socio-legal framework to examine contemporary developments in the regulation of public protest in the context of a view from below. Drawing on extensive ethnographic data and analyses of policy documents, newspaper reports, case-law, legislation and Hansard, I adopt a critical normative perspective to assess the legitimacy of the current restrictive interpretations of human rights principles in legal, political and policing-policy discourses.