Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Method Design Options for Action Classification based on Bags of Visual Words

The Bags of Visual Words (BoVWs) framework has been applied successfully to several computer vision tasks. In this work we are particularly interested on its application to the problem of action recognition/classification. The key design decisions for a method that follows the BoVWs framework are (a) the visual features to be employed, (b) the size of the codebook to be used for representing a certain action and (c) the classifier applied to the developed representation to solve the classification task. We perform several experiments to investigate a variety of options regarding all the aforementioned design parameters. We also propose a new feature type and we suggest a method that determines automatically the size of the codebook. The experimental results show that our proposals produce results that are competitive to the outcomes of state of the art methods.
NUPLet: A Photonic Based Multi-Chip NUCA Architecture

Area, manufacturing yield and lack of scalable interconnects restrict single chip designs to a small number of cores (16-32). However, multi-chip designs with the help of silicon photonics can overcome area and yield constraints and make it possible to design a virtual chip, which can scale to a large number of cores. Sadly, the scalability of such designs is limited bythehighpercentageofinter-chipmessagesandrelativelylower hit rate in remote cache banks. In this paper, we propose NUPLet, a multi-chip architecture that tries to remove these limitations by separating the intra and inter chip networks. It proposes to use a non-uniform cache architecture (NUCA) scheme on top of a virtual chip in order to decreaseinterchipcommunicationandincreasethehitrateinthe last level cache. In addition, we propose a prediction mechanism for predicting the number of inter chip messages in the network. This is used to modulate the laser accordingly, and reduce static power consumption. We simulated a four chip based NUPLet design with each chip containing 32 cores. For a suite of Splash2 and Parsec benchmarks, NUPLet increased the last level cache hit rate by 70% as compared to other state of the art proposals. Furthermore, NUPLet improved performance by 28%, reduced power consumption by 39%, and reduced ED^2 by 41%.
Options and Efficiency

This paper argues that in an uncertain world options written on existing assets can improve efficiency by permitting an expansion of the contingencies that are covered by the market. The two major results obtained are, first, that complex contracts can be "built up" as portfolios of simple options and, second, that there exists a single portfolio of the assets, the efficient fund, on which all options can be written with no loss of efficiency.
The effect of water absorption on acrylic surface properties.

PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to determine whether an increased water content during thermal cycling of hot water-treated acrylic was associated with a reduction in surface hardness and an increased opacity or whitening of the surface. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten acrylic samples were treated with 30 soak cycles (cycle duration, 24 hours), using warm water (40 degrees C) and an alkaline peroxide tablet (Efferdent control group); a further ten samples were treated with boiling water (100 degrees C) and one Efferdent tablet (experimental group). Indentation hardness of the acrylic specimens was measured prior to and immediately following the completion of the warm and hot water treatments, using an automated micro-indentation system. The hydrated acrylic specimens were then allowed to air dry at room temperature (20 degrees C) and were weighed weekly until they had obtained a constant dry weight. The loss in weight of the acrylic specimens represented the maximum water absorption. RESULTS The hot water-treated specimens were much whiter than the warm water-treated specimens. The mean reduction in hardness (H(IT)) of the acrylic specimens following the treatment with hot water and alkaline peroxide tablet was 12.9%. Treatment with warm water and alkaline peroxide resulted in a slight increase in mean hardness (2.63%). There was a significant correlation between the water content of the acrylic specimens after treatment and the percentage of change in indentation hardness (r= 0.495, p= 0.026). CONCLUSIONS The hot water treatment of the acrylic was associated with a significant reduction in hardness. We attribute the whitening and reduction in the hardness of the hot water-treated specimens to absorption of water and a disruption of the acrylic surface structure.
An integrated low power buck converter with a comparator controlled low-side switch

Here the design of an integrated buck-converter leg is presented in which the free-wheeling diode is replaced by a comparator controlled N-MOSFET. This allows eliminating the efficiency reducing voltage drop at the diode while the discontinuous conducting mode (DCM) is still applicable. For this issue, besides the control block also a fast comparator with a special offset reduction circuit is presented. A layout for a converter bridge was done and simulated which is optimized for the best efficiency at a statistically often used point of operation (3.3V output, 27.5% duty ratio, 1MHz, 170mA).
Low and high level classification using stacking

High Level Classification seeks to identify class patterns based not only on physical features, such as distances among objects. For such, one of the recent approaches used is based on complex networks and its' topological properties. This approach has as advantage the capability to discriminate between highly complex class structures. However, from previous studies, it is known that a combination of high and low level classifiers is better than the use of the classifiers separately. In this work, we propose the use of a stacking procedure to combine such classifiers. The main advantage, compared to the current procedure, is the removal of critical parameters, which have major influence on the results. Also, we propose two new measures to capture different global patterns from the classes complex networks. We performed experiments on five UCI datasets and a subset of the Million song Dataset. Our results indicate that the use of stacking is capable of obtaining equal or better results when compared to optimizing the critical parameters by cross-validation.
Soy isoflavones enhance radiotherapy in a metastatic prostate cancer model

We previously reported that genistein, the bioactive isoflavone of soybeans, acts as a radiosensitizer for prostate cancer. Pretreatment of tumor cells with genistein potentiated radiation‐induced killing in vitro and in orthotopic models in vivo. However, pure genistein promoted increased lymph node metastasis, when administered alone in vivo. We investigated in vitro and in vivo the effects of soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein and glycitein) as soy pills of similar composition are used in human interventions but not pure genistein. Soy isoflavones inhibited cell survival and potentiated radiation cell killing in PC‐3 tumor cells, in vitro. Increased cell killing correlated with inhibition of antiapoptotic molecules Bcl‐xL and survivin, upregulation of proapoptotic Bax molecule and PARP cleavage, suggesting activation of apoptotic pathways. In vivo, using the PC‐3 orthotopic metastatic mouse model, soy isoflavones and prostate tumor irradiation led to enhanced control of primary tumor growth and metastasis, as observed with pure genistein and radiation. Interestingly, treatment with soy isoflavones did not increase metastasis to para‐aortic lymph nodes in contrast to the consistent increase caused by pure genistein. Histologically prostate tumors, treated with soy isoflavones and radiation, showed tumor destruction and in situ tissue alterations, comparable with genistein and radiation effects. However, genistein, but not soy isoflavones, caused induction of HIF1‐α in prostate tumors, suggesting that induction of hypoxia by pure genistein could contribute to increased metastasis. Our studies demonstrate the safety and potential role of soy isoflavones for enhancing the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy in prostate cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
$H_\infty$ Fuzzy Control With Randomly Occurring Infinite Distributed Delays and Channel Fadings

In this paper, the H∞ output-feedback control problem is investigated for a class of discrete-time fuzzy systems with randomly occurring infinite distributed delays and channel fadings. A random variable obeying the Bernoulli distribution is introduced to account for the probabilistic infinite distributed delays. The stochastic Rice fading model is employed to simultaneously describe the phenomena of random time delays and channel fadings via setting different values of the channel coefficients. The aim of this paper is to design an H∞ output-feedback fuzzy controller such that the closed-loop Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy control system is exponentially mean-square stable, and the disturbance rejection attenuation is constrained to a given level by means of the H∞ performance index. Intensive analysis is carried out to obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of desired output-feedback controllers, ensuring both the exponential mean-square stability and the prescribed H∞ performance. The cone-complementarity linearization algorithm is utilized to cast the controller design problem into a sequential minimization: one that is solvable by the semi-definite programming method. A simulation result is exploited to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed design technique.
Transnational negotiations and the Europeanization of industrial relations: Potential and obstacles

The increasing number of transnational agreements signed in recent years at the EU-company level suggests a form of Europeanization of industrial relations, as these agreements constitute a formal recognition of social dialogue across national borders. However, empirical results based on a multi-level research about the experiences with these agreements in the metal sector offer a more complex picture. The strategies of the actors at European, national and local levels, and more importantly the degree and type of their coordination, are crucial to understanding the processes and mechanisms which encourage or prevent the emergence of cross-national negotiations at company level.
Impact of Brand Diversification on Firm Performance: A Study of Restaurant Firms

In spite of varying brand portfolio strategies employed by restaurant firms in response to the constant growth of the restaurant industry, research on the effect of brand diversification on the performance of restaurant firms has been rare. This study examines the impact of the degree of brand diversification among sampled publicly traded US restaurants. The results show a consistent, significant and negative effect from the degree of brand diversification on the performance of the sampled restaurant firms. The authors' investigation suggests that restaurant managers, when implementing a brand diversification strategy, should consider the firm's scale, sales efficiency, general and administrative expenses, franchising strategy and positioning of brands.
Diagnosis of atrial tachycardias originating from the lower right atrium: importance of P-wave morphology in the precordial leads V3-V6.

AIMS This study aimed to characterize P-wave morphology (PWM) in leads V3-V6 during focal atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the lower right atrium (RA), and to investigate the role of interatrial conduction (IAC) pathways in the formation of PWM. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-eight consecutive patients with tachycardia foci in the lower RA underwent detailed atrial endocardial activation mapping and radiofrequency catheter ablation. P-wave configuration was analysed using standard 12-lead electrocardiogram. Atrial tachycardia originated from lower non-septal tricuspid annulus (LTA) (n = 11), coronary sinus ostium (CSo) (n = 11), lower crista terminalis (LCT) (n = 4), or lower free wall (n = 2). In leads V3-V6, PWM showed a negative pattern in at least two consecutive leads during AT originating from CSo (11/11) and LTA (9/11), with an associated sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 75%. A positive PWM was observed in three of four ATs originating from LCT, with an associated sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 60%, and NPV of 96%. A negative PWM in V3-V6 was consistent with a preferential IAC through musculature in the vicinity of the CS and an activation of both atria in an antero-posterior direction. In contrast, a positive PWM was associated with the engagement of a posterior (non-CS-related) interatrial connection. CONCLUSION Characteristic PWMs in V3-V6 may accurately differentiate the anatomic sites of AT from the low RA with high PPVs and NPVs. P-wave morphology in V3-V6 is likely to be influenced by the engagement of the preferential IAC.
Dissemination of SIV after rectal infection preferentially involves paracolic germinal centers.

Homosexual transmission remains a major mode of contamination in developed countries. Early virological and immunological events in lymphoid tissues are known to be important for the outcome of HIV infections. Little data are available, however, on viral dissemination during primary rectal infection. We therefore studied this aspect of rectal infection in rhesus macaques inoculated with the biological isolate SIVmac251. We show that infection is established initially in lymph nodes draining the rectum. Infected cells and virions are localized mainly in germinal centers at that stage. With increasing viral burden, infected cells are found throughout the lymph node parenchyma. In addition the difference in viral load between lymph nodes draining the rectum and other lymph nodes is attenuated or abolished. We discuss this pattern of viral dissemination with respect to the physiology of the mucosal immune system. The pattern and kinetics of viral dissemination after rectal infection have important implications for the development of efficient mucosal vaccines.
Electricity Demand by the Commercial Sector in Kuwait: An Econometric Analysis

This paper models and estimates electricity demand by the Kuwaiti commercial sector, using an error correction model. It also simulates the estimated model under three scenarios and presents an analysis of the results. The empirical results indicate that short- and long-run electricity consumption and the level of economic activity are interrelated. The forecasts show that electricity consumption varies directly with economic growth. They also suggest that an increase of 100 per cent in nominal electricity prices will lead to a reduction in commercial sector electricity demand of 45 per cent by the year 2010. The simulation of the model under the different scenarios demonstrates that the potential for energy conservation exists in the commercial sector.
Wage and Price Control Policies in Socialist Transitional Economies

This paper reveals the important micro role of the price-wage control policies at the early stage of the liberalization in the "real- adjustment" of the transitional economy. It demonstrates that, with labor immobile at the initial stage of the liberalization, a strict control on the price of the non-tradables and the wage rate could minimize the fall in employment and production in the contracting manufacturing sector.
Monetary Policy and Global Imbalances

The US current account imbalance has stayed stubbornly high despite the fall in the dollar that we have seen since the beginning of 2003. The exchange rate has fallen by around 15 per cent on average, mainly between the first quarter of 2003 and the first quarter of 2005. As we can see from figure 1, the fall has come in three steps, and each time it fell we might have expected an initial worsening of the current account for a year or so as prices change in advance of quantities (the J curve effect of the first year textbook). Hence we might have expected no sustained improvement until at least a year after the last downward step towards the end of 2004. However, as we can see from figure 2, there is no noticeable improvement in the current account during 2006, suggesting that domestic absorption was rising. At the same time inflation in the US was gradually drifting up under pressure from the weakening exchange rate.
An analysis of ISO 14001 and suggested improvements

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present concrete recommendations on how the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems can be improved.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the key results of a Canadian colloquium on ISO 14001. The theme of the colloquium was “How can ISO 14001 be improved in its next incarnation? ” In total, 22 people from a wide variety of sectors participated in the colloquium. The discussions included a combination of plenary and small group discussions and were led by two professional facilitators. The colloquium was a part of a series of four events that have occurred since 2002. The next colloquium will be held in approximately two years.Findings – The improvements suggested by the participants were organized around seven key areas: definitions; purpose; environmental policy; public reporting; monitoring and measurement; management review; and other changes. The changes are presented in detail in the paper.Originality/value – The participants in the.
Crystallographic alignment of nanoparticles during self-assembly

Novel colloidal chemical methods are employed to synthesize hcp-cobalt nanoparticles, including 12-nm particles that have coercivity at room temperature. The torque from an external field was used to partially align the particles crystallographically during self-assembly. The degree of alignment found from the remanence ratio is interpreted in terms of the Ne/spl acute/el relaxation time.
Extracurricular Activities and Wage Differentials

This dissertation develops and estimates a structural dynamic model in which individuals decide among participation in extracurricular activities, study time, and employment during high school. The specification allows for returns to participation in extracurricular activities on salaries and unobserved heterogeneity in students' preferences over study time, extracurricular activities, employment during high school and the acquisition of a bachelor's degree. The model is estimated using a selected sample of 1,875 white males from NELS88. The objective is to evaluate quantitatively the consequences of public policies that eliminate the opportunity for students to participate in extracurricular activities and policies that give payments to students if they obtain higher test scores. Results of counterfactual experiments show that policies that eliminate extracurricular activities in high schools decrease students' tests scores, college graduation rates, and future wages, while policies that give payments based on test scores increase scores and the percentage of students who obtain bachelor's degrees. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Economics First Advisor Kenneth Wolpin Second Advisor Petra Todd Third Advisor Flavio Cunha Keywords extracurricular activities, structural model, wage differentials, non-cognitive skills Subject Categories Economics This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/99 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND WAGE DIFFERENTIALS Cristiano Machado Costa A DISSERTATION in Economics Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Ful llment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Processing of Ultrasonic Array Signals for Characterizing Defects. Part II: Experimental Work

This is Part II of the two-part paper aimed at integrating the numerical synthesis and experimental investigation of the ultrasonic wave propagation model for quantitative nondestructive evaluation. The first part of the paper focused on synthesizing and predicting measured signals using the boundary element method and the deconvolution technique based on the comparison between the signals obtained from defective and undamaged (reference) specimens. In the second part, we present an inversion technique which allows us to obtain the position and size of the defect. The inversion scheme is processing the frequency domain information rather than time-domain time-of-flights or vibration eigenmodes. This technique is tested experimentally for the case of a side-drilled hole with a non-trivial location in terms of standard pulse-echo techniques. It is shown that the scheme is particularly effective when the information of the defect is masked by other predominant signal components.
Can Sticky Price Models Generate Volatile and Persistent Real Exchange Rates?

The central puzzle in international business cycles is that fluctuations in real exchange rates are volatile and persistent. We quantify the popular story for real exchange rate fluctuations: they are generated by monetary shocks interacting with sticky goods prices. If prices are held fixed for at least one year, risk aversion is high, and preferences are separable in leisure, then real exchange rates generated by the model are as volatile as in the data and quite persistent, but less so than in the data. The main discrepancy between the model and the data, the consumption—real exchange rate anomaly, is that the model generates a high correlation between real exchange rates and the ratio of consumption across countries, while the data show no clear pattern between these variables. Copyright 2002, Wiley-Blackwell.
Conservation within the RIC-3 Gene Family

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the ric-3 gene is required for the maturation of multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), whereas other neurotransmittergated channels expressed within the same cells are unaffected by the presence of RIC-3. Here we show that RIC-3 is a member of a conserved gene family with representatives in both vertebrates and invertebrates. All members of this family have two transmembrane domains followed by a coiled-coil domain. Expression of the human ric-3 homolog, hric3, like the C. elegans ric-3, enhances C. elegans DEG-3/DES-2, rat α7, and human α7 nAChR-dependent whole-cell current amplitudes in Xenopus leavis oocytes, thus demonstrating functional conservation. However, hric3 also reduces human α4β2 and α3β4 nAChR-dependent whole-cell current amplitudes. Thus, hric3 shows differential effects on human nAChRs unlike the observed uniform effect of ric-3 on C. elegans nAChRs. Moreover, hric3 totally abolished currents evoked by 5-HT3 serotonin receptors, whereas it barely modified α1 glycine receptor currents. With this caveat, RIC-3 belongs to a conserved family of genes likely to regulate nAChR-mediated transmission throughout evolution. Analysis of transcripts encoded by the hric3 locus shows that it encodes for multiple transcripts, likely to produce multiple hric3 isoforms, and that hric3 is expressed in neurons and muscles, thus enabling its interactions with nAChRs in vivo.
Firm resources and quality signalling: evidence from UK initial public offerings

This study examines the relative importance of financial structure, advisers’ reputations, and managerial experience on the market value achieved by an initial public offering (IPO). A sample of 172 UK IPOs on the Official list of the London Stock Exchange during the period 1992–1996 indicates that the extent to which existing owners keep a stake in the business, and managerial expertise at board level, have a significant impact on the performance of the IPO. Advisers’ reputations appear to be irrelevant. The findings are comparable to recent studies that cover a similar sample period.