Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding Elections: Measuring Electoral Determinants with Electronic Prediction Markets

While significant research has demonstrated that prediction markets are highly accurate indicators of the real-time status of an election, few studies within political economics or political science have used them as a tool to understand voting behavior. Assuming their accuracy, we utilize these markets to measure the primary determinants of the 2008 United States election. First, we use electronic prediction markets to show that the financial crisis had a decisive impact on the outcome of the presidential election, and conversely that Obama’s victory had a sizable impact on equity markets. Next, we use prediction markets to measure the scope of the impact of the presidential campaign. We find that campaign events had a significant – but small – impact on state-by-state outcomes, but campaign spending had no significant local-level effects. Finally, we use data from electronic prediction markets to measure the size of presidential “coattail effects” on congressional elections, finding strong effects in House elections but weak effects in the Senate. Throughout each of these chapters, our use of data from electronic prediction markets enables us to circumvent the typical measurement problems for each of these questions by increasing the sample size and eliminating endogeneity biases with a real-time metric of election status. Acknowledgements This paper would not have been possible without the invaluable ideas and support of Yiling Chen, whose expertise with prediction markets and feedback were instrumental throughout the writing process. I am thankful to Dan Wood, whose extensive advice and comments were formative in shaping my paper from the beginning. I am also appreciative of the ideas I gained from conversations with James Stock and Andrei Shleifer. Additionally, I am grateful to Intrade for its generous sponsorship of electronic prediction market data and DiskTrading.com for providing financial futures market data. Publically-available data from Iowa Electronic Markets were also instrumental in performing this analysis. Finally, I am extremely grateful for the stylistic support provided by Greg, Eva, and Holly, who were extremely generous with their last-minute editing and feedback.
Hummingbird SearchServer at TREC 2001

Hummingbird submitted ranked result sets for the topic relevance task of the TREC 2001 Web Track (10GB of web data) and for the monolingual Arabic task of the TREC 2001 Cross-Language Track (869MB of Arabic news data). SearchServer's Intuitive Searching tied or exceeded the median Precision@10 score in 46 of the 50 web queries. For the web queries, enabling SearchServer's document length normalization increased Precision@10 by 65% and average precision by 55%. SearchServer's option to square the importance of inverse document frequency (V2:4 vs. V2:3) increased Precision@10 by 8% and average precision by 12%. SearchServer's stemming increased Precision@10 by 5% and average precision by 13%. For the Arabic queries, a combination of experimental Arabic morphological normalizations, Arabic stop words and pseudo-relevance feedback increased average precision by 53% and Precision@10 by 9%.
Design of a visible-light-communication enhanced WiFi system

Visible light communication (VLC) has wide unlicensed bandwidth, enables communication in radio frequency (RF) sensitive environments, realizes energy-efficient data transmission, and has the potential to boost the capacity of wireless access networks through spatial reuse. On the other hand, WiFi provides more coverage than VLC and does not suffer from the likelihood of blockage due to the light of sight (LOS) requirement of VLC. In order to take the advantages of both WiFi and VLC, we propose and implement two heterogeneous systems with Internet access. One is the hybrid WiFi-VLC system, utilizing unidirectional VLC channel as downlink and reserving the WiFi back-channel as uplink. The asymmetric solution resolves the optical uplink challenges and benefits from the full-duplex communication based on VLC. To further enhance the robustness and increase throughput, the other system is presented, in which we aggregate WiFi and VLC in parallel by leveraging the bonding technique in Linux operating system. Online experiment results reveal that the hybrid system outperforms the conventional WiFi for the crowded environments in terms of throughput and web page loading time; and also demonstrate the further improved performance of the aggregated system when considering the blocking duration and the distance between access point and user device.
Harvest scheduling with area-based adjacency constraints

Adjacency constraints in harvest scheduling models prevent the harvest of adjacent management units within a given time period. Two mixed integer linear programming (MILP) harvest scheduling formulations are presented that include adjacency constraints, yet allow the simultaneous harvest of groups of contiguous management units whose combined areas are less than some predefined limit. These models are termed Area Restriction Models, orARMs, following Murray (1999). The first approach, the Path Algorithm, generates a set of constraints that prevent concurrent harvesting of groups of contiguous stands only when the combined area of a group exceeds the harvest area restriction. The second approach defines the set of Generalized Management Units (GMUs) that consist of groups of contiguous management units whose combined areas do not exceed the maximum harvest area limit. This formulation of the model can recognize direct cost savings-such as sale administration costs or harvest costs-or higher stumpage prices that may be realized by jointly managing stands. Example problems are formulated and solved using both ARM approaches and compared with models that restrict concurrent harvests on all adjacent units, regardless of area [termed Unit Restriction Models, or URMs, again following Murray (1999)]. The ARM formulations usually result in larger models and take longer to solve, but allow for higher objective function values than otherwise similar URM formulations. While the proposed ARM approaches should be applicable to more general problems, the examples are constructed so that the largest number of contiguous stands that can be harvested jointly is three. Strategies for reducing the size of the ARM formulations are discussed and tested.
A Note on the Expressiveness of BIP

We extend our previous algebraic formalisation of the notion of component-based framework in order to formally define two forms, strong and weak, of the notion of full expressiveness. Our earlier result shows that the BIP (Behaviour-Interaction-Priority) framework does not possess the strong full expressiveness. In this paper, we show that BIP has the weak form of this notion and provide results detailing weak and strong full expressiveness for classical BIP and several modifications, obtained by relaxing the constraints imposed on priority models.
SINGLE INPUT FUZZY CONTROLLER WITH COMMAND SHAPING SCHEMES FOR DOUBLE-PENDULUM-TYPE OVERHEAD CRANE

This paper presents investigations into the development of composite control schemes for trajectory tracking and anti‐sway control of a double‐pendulum‐type overhead crane (DPTOC) system. A nonlinear DPTOC system is considered and the dynamic model of the system is derived using the Euler‐Lagrange formulation. The proposed method, known as the Single Input Fuzzy Logic Controller (SIFLC), reduces the conventional two‐input FLC (CFLC) to a single input single output (SISO) controller. The SIFLC is developed for position control of cart movement. This is then extended to incorporate input shaping schemes for anti‐swaying control of the system. The input shapers with different mode selection are designed based on the properties of the system. The results of the response with the controllers are presented in time and frequency domains. The performances of control schemes are examined in terms of level of input tracking capability, sway angle reduction and time response specifications in comparison to SIFLC con.
Detecting Temporal and Spatial Effects of Epithelial Cancers with Raman Spectroscopy

Epithelial cancers, including those of the skin and cervix, are the most common type of cancers in humans. Many recent studies have attempted to use Raman spectroscopy to diagnose these cancers. In this paper, Raman spectral markers related to the temporal and spatial effects of cervical and skin cancers are examined through four separate but related studies. Results from a clinical cervix study show that previous disease has a significant effect on the Raman signatures of the cervix, which allow for near 100% classification for discriminating previous disease versus a true normal. A Raman microspectroscopy study showed that Raman can detect changes due to adjacent regions of dysplasia or HPV that cannot be detected histologically, while a clinical skin study showed that Raman spectra may be detecting malignancy associated changes in tissues surrounding nonmelanoma skin cancers. Finally, results of an organotypic raft culture study provided support for both the skin and the in vitro cervix results. These studies add to the growing body of evidence that optical spectroscopy, in this case Raman spectral markers, can be used to detect subtle temporal and spatial effects in tissue near cancerous sites that go otherwise undetected by conventional histology.
MRI-Induced Tissue Heating at Metallic Sutures (Cerclages)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important diagnostic tool with an ongoing dynamic development towards application of increasing static magnetic flux densities and consequently, exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMF) of increasing radio frequencies (RF). This raises particular concern metallic implants could lead to excess tissue heating and consequently, to thermal tissue damage. In thorax surgery the intersected sternum is reconnected by metallic sutures (cerclages). To investigate whether patients with such implants can be accepted for MRI and whether there may be limitations with regard to static magnetic fields, by numerical anatomical and thermal modelling MRI induced tissue heating was assessed for magnetic flux densities 1.5 T, 3 T, 4 T and 7 T. Results show that overall tissue temperature increased with increasing RF EMF frequency. However, even for setting MRI exposure parameters at maximum permissible level partial body heating remained marginally affected and even at local level the additional contribution of the presence of the metallic cerclage remained below 1°C. This allows concluding that from a heating point of view metallic sutures as used to fix the sternum after thorax surgery are no contraindication for MRI with static magnetic flux densities up to 7 T.
Setup considerations for calibration of a stereovision system for long range obstacle detection

Stereo vision systems require calibration to allow ranging to be successfully used for obstacle detection purposes. For long range (>50 m) obstacle detection, two types of calibration processes are required in order to quantify the intrinsic and extrinsic properties of the optical setup. This paper addresses the scope of these two calibration processes and presents the results of a study that focuses on the impact of the number of calibration images used in intrinsic calibration and the effect of positional errors in extrinsic calibration on ranging accuracy.
Standardization and the Effectiveness of Online Advertising

The technological transformation and automation of digital content delivery has revolutionized the media industry. Increased reliance on automation has also led to requirements for standardization of content-delivery formats. This paper examines how the memorability of banner advertising changed with the introduction of new standards regularizing its format. Using data from randomized field tests, we find evidence that for most ads, ad effectiveness falls as the use of standard formats rises. The decline is smaller when a standardized ad appears to be more original such as ads created by an ad agency. Therefore, a likely explanation is that increased use of a standard format makes it harder for basic ads to distinguish themselves from their competition because the ad format commands less attention. This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.org How Do Lyme Borrelia Organisms Cause Disease? the Quest for Virulence Determinants #

Lyme disease Borrelia are invasive, nontoxigenic, persistent pathogens, and little is known about their mechanisms of pathogenesis. In our laboratory, a signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) library of over 4,000 Borrelia burgdorferi transposon mutants has been constructed and is being screened for infectivity in mice. In this manner, a global view of the virulence determinants (factors required for full infectivity) is being developed. Additionally, the mechanisms of immune evasion involving the VMP-like system (vls) are under analysis, and cryo-electron microscopy is providing a detailed view of the three-dimensional structure of B. burgdorferi. These approaches will contribute to the improved understanding of how Lyme disease Borrelia cause disease. Bacteria have been in existence for at least 3.5 billion years [1] and, until multicellular eukaryotes appeared ~1 billion years ago, were essentially free-living organisms. The advent of multicellar organisms provided a new environmental niche in which bacteria have continued to coevolve with their larger counterparts. Prokaryotes can be free-living, commensal (do no harm), symbiotic (do good), opportunistic pathogens (do harm, but only in compromised hosts), and frank pathogens (do harm in healthy as well as compromised hosts). In addition, pathogenic bacteria may be only briefly associated with the host, establish long-term infections, or require the host for survival (obligate pathogens). This relationship is continually evolving (toward or away from pathogenicity or host dependence), with the adaptation of both the bacterium and the host. This process is continuing today, as much as in any time during evolution. Bacteria of the genus Borrelia are host-dependent spiro-chetes that are reliant on continual transmission between vertebrate hosts (most commonly mammals and birds) and arthropod vectors (ticks and lice). The genus bifurcated into two forms that cause Lyme borreliosis (LB) and relapsing fever (RF) millions of years ago (based on genetic evidence), but these groups are still quite closely related. LB spiro-chetes are transmitted by slow-feeding, hard-bodied ticks of the genus Ixodes. The many species that cause endemic RF are predominantly carried by fast-feeding, soft-bodied Orni-thodoros ticks, whereas B. recurrentis, the causative agent of epidemic RF, is passed between humans by the human body louse, Pediculus humanus subsp. hu-manus. Of the 10 species and 2 proposed species of LB spi-rochetes, B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, and B. afzelii commonly cause Lyme disease in Eurasia, but only B. burgdorferi is known to cause human disease in North America. Following transmission, LB infections typically have an indolent course with loosely defined localized, …
Application of semantic annotations to predicting users' demographics

This paper presents an experimental study on predicting demographics for the users of a large news publishing web site. Each user is described by the articles he/she has read. The study looks at the effect of features used for article representations, such as text, automatic annotations and manually annotations on the prediction performance. It is show how different demographic dimensions depend on different combination of automatic and / or manual annotations.
A Stakeholder Perspective Of Enterprise Systems

While the rise of the Internet has received most of the media attention in recent years, the business world’s embrace of enterprise systems may in fact be the most important development in the corporate use of information technology in the 1990s (Davenport 1998). Therefore, it would be prudent for greater attention to be given to the study of enterprise systems per se, so that we may then apply our findings to particular systems (e.g. ERP, CRM, KMS, and SCM). This paper begins with an overview of wha t constitutes an enterprise system. From there, considering the host of stakeholders that an organization has to deal with in relation to its enterprise system, this paper looks at stakeholder theory and how it can be used to better understand and manage an organization’s stakeholders. The paper then presents a sample model that could be useful in such an analysis, before concluding with a look at four propositions that could serve as potential areas for future research.
Innovative Behaviour: How Much Transformational Leadership Do You Need?

Studies on the effects of transformational leadership on employee innovative behaviour have yielded mixed results. The authors argue that one possible explanation for these mixed findings is that researchers have assumed a linear relationship between these constructs. In contrast, they suggest that the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behaviour is non-linear. Specifically, the authors argue that the positive effects of transformational leadership on innovative behaviour will be stronger at low and high levels of transformational leadership. Moreover, they examine whether the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behaviour is mediated by knowledge sharing within and between teams. The authors undertake a constructive replication by testing these hypothesized relationships in two studies: (1) a multi-actor team-level study conducted in the USA, and (2) a longitudinal employee-level study of teachers in the Netherlands. Results of both studies reveal that knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behaviour, and that the indirect relationship is curvilinear. The authors link these findings to leader substitution theory, proposing that employees turn to their peers and other parties when there is an absence of effective leadership.
Modified Group Delay Feature for Musical Instrument Recognition

In this work, the modified group delay feature (MODGDF) is proposed for pitched musical instrument recognition. Conventionally, the spectrum-related features used in instrument recognition take into account merely the magnitude information, whereas the phase is often overlooked due to the complications related to its interpretation. However, there is often additional information concealed in the phase, which could be beneficial for recognition. The MODGDF is a method of incorporating phase information, which lacks of the issues related to phase unwrapping. Having shown its applicability for speech-related problems, it is now explored in terms of musical instrument recognition. The evaluation is performed on separate note recordings in various instrument sets, and combined with the conventional mel-frequency cepstral coe cients (MFCCs), MODGDF shows the noteworthy absolute accuracy gains of up to 5.1% compared to the baseline MFCCs case.
Mobility and Context-Aware Offloading in Mobile Cloud Computing

Mobile devices have become an important part of our life. Service disruptions can occur because of limited resources of mobile devices such as computation, storage and battery. In this context, mobile cloud computing enables mobile devices to offload their computation and storage to the cloud and get the final result from cloud servers. There are some parameters like bandwidth, delay, jitter and user movement that have an important impact on offloading. This paper proposes a novel solution to overcome problems caused by user movement in the mobile cloud computing context. To this end, we introduce a mobility model and a fault tolerance mechanism for optimizing the offloading decision. Simulation results showed that our proposal can reduce the execution time of mobile applications.
The clinical and genetic features of COPD-asthma overlap syndrome

Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are an important but poorly characterised group. The genetic determinants of COPD and asthma overlap have not been studied. The aim of this study was to identify clinical features and genetic risk factors for COPD and asthma overlap. Subjects were current or former smoking non-Hispanic whites or African–Americans with COPD. Overlap subjects reported a history of physician-diagnosed asthma before the age of 40 years. We compared clinical and radiographic features between COPD and overlap subjects. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the non-Hispanic whites and African–American populations, and combined these results in a meta-analysis. More females and African–Americans reported a history of asthma. Overlap subjects had more severe and more frequent respiratory exacerbations, less emphysema and greater airway wall thickness compared to subjects with COPD alone. The non-Hispanic white GWAS identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes CSMD1 (rs11779254, p=1.57×10−6) and SOX5 (rs59569785, p=1.61×10−6) and the meta-analysis identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene GPR65 (rs6574978, p=1.18×10−7) associated with COPD and asthma overlap. Overlap subjects have more exacerbations, less emphysema and more airway disease for any degree of lung function impairment compared to COPD alone. We identified novel genetic variants associated with this syndrome. COPD and asthma overlap is an important syndrome and may require distinct clinical management. We identified distinct clinical features and possible genetic risk factors for subjects with both COPD and asthma http://ow.ly/uWWBc
Leader Humility and Team Performance: Exploring the Mediating Mechanisms of Team PsyCap and Task Allocation Effectiveness

Although there is a growing interest toward the topic of leader humility, extant research has largely failed to consider the underlying mechanisms through which leader humility influences team outcomes. In this research, we integrate the emerging literature of leader humility and social information processing theory to theorize how leader humility facilitates the development of collective team psychological capital, leading to higher team task allocation effectiveness and team performance. While Owens and Hekman (2016) suggest that leader humility has homogeneous effects on followers, we propose a potential heterogeneous effect based on the complementarity literature (e.g., Tiedens, Unzueta, & Young, 2007) and the principle of equifinality (leaders may influence team outcomes through multiple pathways; Morgeson, DeRue, & Karam, 2010). In three studies conducted in China, Singapore, and Portugal, including an experiment, a multisource field study, and a three-wave multisource field study, we find support for our hypotheses that leader humility enhances team performance serially through increased team psychological capital and team task allocation effectiveness. We discuss the theoretical implications of our work to the leader humility, psychological capital, and team effectiveness literatures; and offer suggestions for future research.
Somantika Datta Frame properties of low autocorrelation random sequences

Research Article Somantika Datta Frame properties of low autocorrelation random sequences Abstract: The goal is to construct random frames and study properties of such frames. Starting with the construction of unimodular random sequences whose expected autocorrelations can be made arbitrarily low outside the origin, these random sequences are used to construct frames for Cd. Using recent theory of non-asymptotic analysis of randommatrices, the eigenvalue distribution of the corresponding frameoperator is studied.