Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicate migration: optimizing queries with expensive predicates

The traditional focus of relational query optimization schemes has been on the choice of join methods and join orders. Restrictions have typically been handled in query optimizers by “predicate pushdown” rules, which apply restrictions in some random order before as many joins as possible. These rules work under the assumption that restriction is essentially a zero-time operation. However, today's extensible and object-oriented database systems allow users to define time-consuming functions, which may be used in a query's restriction and join predicates. Furthermore, SQL has long supported subquery predicates, which may be arbitrarily time-consuming to check. Thus restrictions should not be considered zero-time operations, and the model of query optimization must be enhanced. In this paper we develop a theory for moving expensive predicates in a query plan so that the total cost of the plan — including the costs of both joins and restrictions — is minimal. We present an algorithm to implement the theory, as well as results of our implementation in POSTGRES. Our experience with the newly enhanced POSTGRES query optimizer demonstrates that correctly optimizing queries with expensive predicates often produces plans that are orders of magnitude faster than plans generated by a traditional query optimizer. The additional complexity of considering expensive predicates during optimization is found to be manageably small.
Raindrop Detection from In-Vehicle Video Camera Images for Rainfall Judgment

In this paper, we propose a method to detect raindrops from in-vehicle camera images and recognize rainfall using time-series information. We aim to improve the accuracy of raindrop detection by averaging the test images and frame-matching the result of raindrop detection in multiple adjoining frames. According to an evaluation experiment, raindrops were detected precisely enough for automatic wiper control by the proposed method
Exploring cultural differences in customer forgiveness behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper insight on the psychological mechanism of customer forgiveness viewed from a cross cultural perspective.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory, this paper relates forgiveness cognitive, emotional and motivational patterns with differences in cultural values' orientations.Findings – The insights from this paper suggest that idiocentric customers are more likely to adopt problem solving strategies when they decide to forgive, whereas allocentric ones tend to regulate their emotional responses to their environment such as expressing benevolence and goodwill, as they are more sensitive to maintaining connectedness within group members.Research limitations/implications – Albeit conceptual and exploratory in nature, this paper is intended as a beginning for further empirical validation and theoretical refinement. The paper contends that forgiveness is a dynamic, interactive process that should be investigated with differ.
Compressive strength of fungal and oral biofilms: biological and environmental influences

Biofilms play an important role in medically-related fields as they are a major cause of many clinical infections. Knowledge about properties of medically-related biofilms can be beneficial for making predictions about effectiveness of treatments and for development of new medications. In my thesis I investigated which factors influence strength of fungal biofilms of Candida species and oral biofilms. C. albicans is the most frequently isolated fungal species in clinical infections; other Candida species recently emerged as clinically important pathogens. Oral biofilms are known to cause dental caries and periodontitis. In my thesis I studied how morphological and species composition, biofilm architecture, hydrodynamic conditions during growth, slime composition and quorum sensing influence biofilm mechanical properties. Based on my findings, I made suggestions for potential treatments and future work in the area of medical biofilm mechanics.
The Bayesian Learner is Optimal for Noisy Binary Search  (and Pretty Good for Quantum as Well)

We use a Bayesian approach to optimally solve problems in noisy binary search. We deal with two variants:1. Each comparison is erroneous with independent probability 1-p. 2. At each stage k comparisons can be performed in parallel and a noisy answer is returned. We present a (classical) algorithm which solves both variants optimally (with respect to p and k), up to an additive term of O(loglog n), and prove matching information-theoretic lower bounds. We use the algorithm to improve the results of Farhi et al., presenting an exact quantum search algorithm in an ordered list of expected complexity less than (log2 n)/3.
Mining E-mail Content for Cyber Forensic Investigation

- E-mail is a widely used mechanism for communication, due to its cost and expediency. However, the concern lies when along with its legitimate usage; it is being abused for committing various cyber crimes. E-mail system security lacks adequate proactive mechanism, to defend against such vulnerabilities and misuses. A cyber forensic investigation is employed for gathering significant evidences against adversaries by examining suspected e-mail accounts, in order to prosecute criminals in court of law. In this context, data mining techniques and tools based on them have been used extensively for extracting evidences from huge e-mail ensembles. This can provide assistance to the forensic investigator, to perform a multi-staged analysis of e-mail ensembles. In this paper, we briefly discuss various applications of data mining techniques with respect to cyber forensic investigation. Specifically, we describe our proposed framework and give implementation of first module,e-mail statistical analysis of our framework.
What's in the Chinese Babyface? Cultural Differences in Understanding the Babyface

We investigated the cultural differences in understanding and reacting to the babyface in an effort to identify both cultural and gender biases in the universal hypothesis that the babyfaced individuals are perceived as naïve, cute, innocent, and more trustworthy. Sixty-six Chinese and Sixty-six American participants were required to evaluate Chinese faces selected from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)—Pose, Expression, Accessories, and Lighting (PEAL) Large-Scale Chinese Face Database. In our study, we applied Active Shape Models, a modern technique of machine learning to measure facial features. We found some cultural similarities and also found that a Chinese babyface has bigger eyes, higher eyebrows, a smaller chin, and greater WHR (Facial width-to-height ratio), and looks more attractive and warmer. New findings demonstrate that Chinese babyfaces have a lower forehead and closer pupil distance (PD). We found that when evaluating the babyfacedness of a face, Chinese are more concerned with the combination of all facial features and American are more sensitive to specific highlighted babyfaced features. The Chinese babyface tended to be perceived as more babyfaced for American participants, but not less competent for Chinese participants.
Indigenous Livelihoods and Art Income: participation, production and returns from woodcarvings in Arnhem Land, north Australia

Abstract Participation in the Indigenous visual arts sector provides one of few market opportunities for Indigenous Australians resident on remote Aboriginal lands. In this article we examine the economic factors that influence this market engagement as they relate to woodcarving in the Maningrida region of Arnhem Land. In particular, we look at the factors that affect participation, production and monetary returns using scan and focal sampling, resource accounting and sales data from the regional art centre. Artists were engaged in a range of activities of which art production was the prominent means of productive cash income generation. An artist's residence and also their language community were found to influence the amount of sculpture production undertaken, with artists residing on ‘country’ in the hinterland being more engaged in sculpture production than those living in the township of Maningrida. The annual income earned by an artist for carving was highly variable and a large proportion of woodcarvers also earned income from producing artwork in other media. Capital costs were relatively minor, with travel costs and labour the main input into carving production. Based on the average return for a single woodcarving, $160, we estimate the average hourly return to artists as between $12 and $14. Whilst this figure is relatively low and comparable to the Australian award wage for unskilled labour, the income earned from arts production makes an important contribution to people's livelihoods.
The Reality of Elder Abuse

SUMMARY There are two primary sources for understanding the reality of elder abuse. The first is empirical and derived from scientific study of its nature and scope. The second is experiential and illustrated in the perspectives of clinicians who detect and treat it along with victims who suffer its infliction and consequences. Both sources of understanding are evidenced in this overview of elder abuse as a health and social problem for older Americans. In addition, the article outlines the history in recognizing elder abuse as a problem and in developing strategies to address it.
Microsimulation of the mortage interest deduction. The Czechcase

This paper focuses on the mortgage interest deduction for owner occupied housing in the Czech Republic. The main research question concerns the distribution of personal income tax liability given the rather generous interest deduction for owner occupied housing loans and changes to it when destrictions are placed on the interest deduction in 2014. We used data for the Czech Republic from the EU-SILC surveys for our analysis. We estimated the value of this tax expenditure at approximately CZK 5 billion in 2009, with almost half the amount spent by the lowest two deciles in income distribution. Personal income tax reform is slated to begin in 2014, one part of which will be a cap on loan interest. This reform would lead to a decrease in the yearly value of the tax expenditure but will be followed by an increase in the PIT rate. Taken together, this will generate greater tax expenditures. Our computations show that the impact will be negative on households in the highest decile, while other groups will feel some benefit.
Recent Trends in CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers

This paper presents an o verview and comparison of CMOS low noise amplifier (LN A) architectures. A brief review of noise figure and linearity is presented to give the reader some backgr ound into typical performance measur es of LNAs. A traditional radio fr equency (RF) recei ver architecture is presented and LNA performance is related to overall recei ver performance. Recent CMOS LNA performance comparisons ar e made and a representati ve LNA architecture is reviewed. The two highest performance CMOS LNAs to date (introduced at ISSCC 2001) in terms of noise figur e and linearity are reviewed. Finally, a predicted low-voltage CMOS architecture based on an inno vative bipolar architecture is presented.
The agent in OCS contains the following components : ̄ Problem Solver :

This paper proposes an agent-based system with Organizational-Learning Oriented Classifier System (OCS), which is an extension of Learning Classifier System ~CS) into multiple agent environments. In OCS, each agent is equipped with a corresponding Michigan type LCS and acquires problem solving knowledge based on the concepts of organizational learning in management andorganizational sciences. In the proposed system, we further extend OCS to employ the following characteristics: (1) each agent solves multi-objective problems, there are some tradeoffs about given problems; (2) the agents compose multi-classes, and in each class, they pursue different goals, which might cause conflicts among the classes of agents, and (3) the agents learn both individually and organizationally. We have applied the system to logical Marketing" domain i order to explain competitive and cooperative agent behaviors in developing and purchasing both economical and ecological products.
Lecture 3 : Review of Single-Phase Forced Micro-Convection for Consolidation of Rarefaction and Non-Rarefaction Scaling Effects

Micro-convection is a strategic area in transport phenomena, since it is the basis for a wide range of miniaturised high-performance applications. Microchannel heat-sinks are appealing solutions to the increasing heat dissipation demands, especially in electronic devices. Literature reveals that in the single-phase continuum regime, the behaviour of micro-convection significantly differs from that in the conventionally-sized channels. These differences have been attributed to scaling effects, which surface at the microscale: due to axial conduction in wall and fluid, variation of fluid thermophysical properties, and surface roughness. In gas micro-flows, the analysis is further complicated by rarefaction and compressibility effects. Most gas micro-flow applications are in the slip or transition flow regimes. Hence, microscale slip-flows are comprehensively reviewed to identify the salient research findings. Based on the review analysis, the critical focus now is to objectively demark the continuum and freemolecular flow regimes, so that the computationally inexpensive continuum models can be extended to higher Knudsen numbers. This review suggests that early transition regime behaviour is characterised by conjugate effects due to variable fluid thermophysical properties, axial conduction, compressibility, and surface roughness; rather than rarefaction alone.
Analysis and design of oscillators based on low-voltage self-oscillating active inductors

This paper presents a new consistent analysis of self-oscillating active in- ductors together with a complete design example of a 90 nm CMOS current controlled oscillator (CCO) for ISM applications. Using the proposed passive compensation method in place of a standard negative impedance converter, typical performance of active induc- tor oscillator is achieved with reduced static power consumption. The article presents a small signal, large signal and phase noise analysis of the proposed oscillator together with related design trade-offs. Theoretical results are confirmed by a simulation of cur- rent controlled oscillator designed using UMC 90 nm 1P9M RF process libraries. The proposed circuit achieves a relative tuning range of 26% with a 434 MHz carrier fre- quency and average in band phase noise of -92 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The maximum power consumption of the oscillator core is only 2 mW from a 1 V supply.
`The One-Company Approach': Transnationalism in an Israeli—Palestinian Subsidiary of a Multinational Corporation

This paper presents an ethnographic study of the Israeli—Palestinian subsidiary of a multinational hi-tech corporation. Critiquing the tendency of globalization theorists to conceptualize multinational corporations (MNCs) solely in terms of their impact on their external environment, this paper looks inward and examines the ideological and practical constituents of the transnational regime of consciousness as expressed through what management titles `the one-company approach'. We argue that this regime lays foundations for a transnational `imagined community' which does not rival the national one, but internalizes it, creating an arena of discretionary power for managers: deciding when to activate and when to suppress nationality in the global organizational universe. This study analyzes the relationship between transnationalism and nationalism inside the organization, and its implications for understanding MNCs' role in globalization.
Aneurysm Development in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV): Possible Connection to Repair Deficiency?

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is manifested by progressive enlargement of the thoracic aorta due to destructive changes in the connective tissue of the media and adventitia in the aortic wall. This process, which is also known as cystic medial degeneration, may ultimately lead to aortic dissection or rupture [1, 2]. TAAs are characterized by extensive loss of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and disruption of elastin and collagen but, unlike abdominal aortic aneurysms, are not associated with intimal atherosclerosis and chronic inflammation [3,4]. Since therapeutic agents that may halt or reverse the process of aortic wall deterioration are absent, the only available therapeutic recommendation is elective surgical intervention. TAA may occur in the presence of a tricuspid or a bicuspid aortic valve (TAV and BAV), respectively. The pathogenesis of TAA is complex, involving multiple interacting processes, and in this review, we will focus on the latest findings in our laboratory and others, which implies that in spite of phenotypic similarities of the end point of aneurysm, the process of cystic medial degeneration may indeed occur by fundamentally different mechanisms in BAV and TAV patients. Ascending aortic dilatation occurs more frequently and at a younger age in patients with BAV than TAV. It has been estimated that 50%–70% of individuals with BAV develop aortic dilatation. Furthermore, a higher proportion of BAV patients develop other cardiac complications such as aortic valve stenosis and aortic regurgitation [5,6].
Going Too Far? Sex, Sin and Social Policy

This paper examines the impact of the Religious Right on American social policy as it relates to family, sexuality and reproductive health. The article focuses on the current debates and practices of abstinence-until-marriage programs vs. comprehensive sex education programs – and the ways in which they reflect and affect cultural attitudes about sexuality, teenagers, parents and rights. The manuscript is based on comparative fieldwork, including participant observations in schools and interviews in the United States and Denmark with teenagers, teachers and sexuality educators. We question whether it is sex education that goes too far in promoting early and promiscuous sex or the Religious Right in attempting to censor vital information and services from young people.
Lived Experiences of Vulnerability in the Childhood of Persons Recovering from Substance Abuse

• Summary: The aim of the study was to deepen understanding of the context of vulnerability which is associated with drug-taking behaviour and addiction. The researchers sought to identify recurring psychosocial and environmental factors in the childhood and early adulthood backgrounds of the participants. They further scrutinized the data for pairs or co-occurrences of such risk factors across the target groups. Qualitative methodology was employed, based on in-depth interviews. The participants were accessed in drug rehabilitation centres in Trinidad and in Barbados, bringing a cross-national dimension to the work. The Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) method was used to analyse the data. • Findings: It is significant that nearly half of the Trinidad group and two-thirds of the Barbados group reported experience of rejection or abandonment in childhood. A profile of stressful or traumatic experiences was compiled for each participant, from which it was possible to identify co-ocurring pairs of stressors, which suggest inter-relationships between the phenomena. Marked co-occurrence was found between domestic violence and alcoholism; domestic violence in the participants' family background and non-attainment of. Secondary School Certification; non-attainment of Secondary School Certification and rejection; poverty and rejection; domestic violence and rejection. • Applications: Case management techniques can benefit from research-generated insights on interrelationships between critical risk-connected phenomena, especially in developing concerted approaches to problems of substance abuse using preventive techniques.
The crk1 gene encodes an Ime2‐related protein that is required for morphogenesis in the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

The fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis alternates between budding and filamentous growth during its life cycle. This dimorphic transition is regulated by environmental factors and mating. We cloned a new gene, crk1, which encodes a protein with sequence similarity to Ime2, a kinase involved in developmental choices in S. cerevisiae. Disruption of the crk1 gene in U. maydis resulted in cells that are unable to respond in an appropriate manner to environmental stimuli and show defects in morphogenesis and cell cycle adjustment to changing conditions. We have analysed the regulation of the crk1 gene and demonstrated that cAMP and MAPK pathways have opposite influences on the transcript levels for crk1. Furthermore, we have shown that alterations in the components of these pathways impair the ability of the cellular machinery to adapt to changing conditions. These results demonstrate an important role for the crk1‐ encoded protein in the morphogenesis and environmental adaptation in Ustilago maydis.
Processing of recognition information and additional cues: A model-based analysis of choice, confidence, and response time

Research on the processing of recognition information has focused on testing the recognition heuristic (RH). On the aggregate, the noncompensatory use of recognition information postulated by the RH was rejected in several studies, while RH could still account for a considerable proportion of choices. These results can be explained if either a) a part of the subjects used RH or b) nobody used it but its choice predictions were accidentally in line with predictions of the strategy used. In the current study, which exemplifies a new approach to model testing, we determined individuals’ decision strategies based on a maximum-likelihood classification method, taking into account choices, response times and confidence ratings simultaneously. Unlike most previous studies of the RH, our study tested the RH under conditions in which we provided information about cue values of unrecognized objects (which we argue is fairly common and thus of some interest). For 77.5% of the subjects, overall behavior was best explained by a compensatory parallel constraint satisfaction (PCS) strategy. The proportion of subjects using an enhanced RH heuristic (RHe) was negligible (up to 7.5%); 15% of the subjects seemed to use a take the best strategy (TTB). A more-fine grained analysis of the supplemental behavioral parameters conditional on strategy use supports PCS but calls into question process assumptions for apparent users of RH, RHe, and TTB within our experimental context. Our results are consistent with previous literature highlighting the importance of individual strategy classification as compared to aggregated analyses.