Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust cooperative localization in mixed LOS and NLOS environments using TOA

In this paper we discuss robust cooperative localization in mixed line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight environments using time-of-arrival measurements. The mixed line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight environment is statistically modeled using a contaminated Gaussian mixture model in which the non-line-of-sight propagations are assumed to cause a positive bias in the time-of-arrival measurements. The non-line-of-sight propagations severely degrade the performance of localization algorithms which assume line-of-sight propagations. The maximum likelihood cooperative localization estimation is a highly non-linear and non-convex optimization problem which cannot be solved in a closed-form. Hence, we propose an approximate iterative robust cooperative localization algorithm to mitigate the impact of the non-line-of-sight propagations. The proposed robust localization algorithm yields a satisfactory performance in the presence of the non-line-of-sight propagations which would otherwise severely degrade the localization performance. Monte Carlo simulations show that the proposed robust cooperative localization algorithm is indeed robust to the increase in the ratio of the number of the non-line-of-sight propagations to line-of-sight propagations and the strength of the non-line-of-sight propagations.
Contracting in software business : analysis of evolving contract processes and relationships

The relationships between software producing companies, their customers and other parties involved have growing importance in the turbulent and fast developing business environment of today. The software industry itself is characterized by the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), tailored, and Modified-Off-The-Shelf (MOTS) businesses modes. In this versatile context of cooperation, financing and acquisitions demand exact details of the ownership of the products, i.e. the Intellectual Property Rights of these products and services. Legal forms and contracting procedures are emerging as the critical issues for the development of the information technology industry. This study addresses the problem of how software contracting has been approached and what concepts and models have been presented to understand it. Further, the question of the role of interorganisational relationships (business-to-business) and intra-organisational process evolution in software contracting is discussed. The domains of interest and of relevance in this research are software development process, business process, legal process, and the contracting process itself, and the evolving interaction between these processes. The focus of this study is especially on contracting and on analysing the process of contracting, i.e. the dynamics, dependencies and elements of process
Bank Interest Rate Pass-Through: New Evidence from French Individual Data

The present paper investigates the pass-through mechanism between market interest rates and bank interest rates using a panel of French banks based on new ESCB harmonised bank interest rate statistics (MIR: Monetary Interest Rates). The data are extracted from new individual contracts on a monthly basis for the three main segments of the credit market (consumers loans, mortgage loans and loans to non-financial firms) from January 2003 to July 2007. The pass-through is estimated using two approaches: firstly a univariate approach for each bank and secondly a panel data approach. An evaluation of the adjustment lag at which market rates are passed through to retail bank rates is also carried out. Our results confirm an incomplete adjustment of bank rates to changes in market rates in the long-term for loans to non-financial firms and mortgage loans. In addition, our findings suggest significant heterogeneity in the pricing of loans depending on the type of credit, the size and the legal category of banks.
Analyzing matrices of meta‐analytic correlations: current practices and recommendations

Researchers have become increasingly interested in conducting analyses on meta‐analytic correlation matrices. Methodologists have provided guidance and recommended practices for the application of this technique. The purpose of this article is to review current practices regarding analyzing meta‐analytic correlation matrices, to identify the gaps between current and best practices, and to offer a comprehensive set of recommendations regarding the planning, collection, analysis, and interpretation of studies that utilize meta‐analytic correlation matrices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Economies of Scope, Organizational Form, and Insolvency Risk: Evidence from the Takaful Insurance Industry

This study investigates scope economies, organizational form, and insolvency risk for a sample of takaful firms in 19 countries. Firm efficiency is estimated using data envelopment analysis, performance is also gauged using return on equity and return on assets, and insolvency risk is measured using distance to default. We test the strategic focus and conglomeration hypotheses for takaful operators. We also test for differences in performance between the two major takaful organizational forms – the mudharaba (profit-sharing) and the wakala (fee-based) models for compensating managers. The profit-sharing design is hypothesized to be more effective in aligning the incentives of managers and policyholders. The findings suggest that strategic focus is superior to conglomeration for takafuls in terms of performance, efficiency, and insolvency risk. The results also show that the profit-sharing model performs better than the fee-based model. This research is important because takafuls are growing rapidly in Muslim-dominated countries where insurance density and insurance penetration are low.
Soil respiration fluxes in a temperate mixed forest: seasonality and temperature sensitivities differ among microbial and root-rhizosphere respiration.

Although soil respiration, a major CO(2) flux in terrestrial ecosystems, is known to be highly variable with time, the response of its component fluxes to temperature and phenology is less clear. Therefore, we partitioned soil respiration (SR) into microbial (MR) and root-rhizosphere respiration (RR) using small root exclusion treatments in a mixed mountain forest in Switzerland. In addition, fine root respiration (FRR) was determined with measurements of excised roots. RR and FRR were strongly related to each other (R(2) = 0.92, n = 7), with RR contributing about 46% and FRR about 32% to total SR. RR rates increased more strongly with temperature (Q(10) = 3.2) than MR rates (Q(10) = 2.3). Since the contribution of RR to SR was found to be higher during growing (50%) than during dormant periods (40%), we separated the 2-year data set into phenophases. During the growing period of 2007, the temperature sensitivity of RR (Q(10) = 2.5, R(2) = 0.62) was similar to that of MR (Q(10) = 2.2, R(2) = 0.57). However, during the dormant period of 2006/2007, RR was not related to soil temperature (R(2) = 0.44, n.s. ), in contrast to MR (Q(10) = 7.2; R(2) = 0.92). To better understand the influence of plant activity on root respiration, we related RR and FRR rates to photosynthetic active radiation (both R(2) = 0.67, n = 7, P = 0.025), suggesting increased root respiration rates during times with high photosynthesis. During foliage green-up in spring 2008, i.e., from bud break to full leaf expansion, RR increased by a factor of 5, while soil temperature increased only by about 5 degrees C, leading to an extraordinary high Q(10) of 10.6; meanwhile, the contribution of RR to SR increased from 29 to 47%. This clearly shows that root respiration and its apparent temperature sensitivity highly depend on plant phenology and thus on canopy assimilation and carbon allocation belowground.
Polymorphic lemmas and definitions in $\lambda$Prolog and Twelf

$\lambda$Prolog is known to be well-suited for expressing and implementing logics and inference systems. We show that lemmas and definitions in such logics can be implemented with a great economy of expression. We encode a higher-order logic using an encoding that maps both terms and types of the object logic (higher-order logic) to terms of the metalanguage ($\lambda$Prolog). We discuss both the Terzo and Teyjus implementations of $\lambda$Prolog. We also encode the same logic in Twelf and compare the features of these two metalanguages for our purposes.
Informal Settlement Upgrading in Sub-Saharan Africa: Retrospective and Lessons Learned

3.1 LAND TENURE SECURITY AND LEGALIZATION. 8 3.1. 1 Land Tenure Security and Legalization: Lessons Learned.13 3.2 IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE DELIVERY. 15 3.2. 1 Infrastructure and Building Standards . 15 3.2. 2 Cost Recovery.17 3.2. 3 Operation and Maintenance . 19 3.2. 4 Infrastructure and Service Delivery: Lessons Learned.20 3.3 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT AND ARRANGEMENTS . 23 3.3.1 Implementation: Central versus Local Government Partnerships . 23 3.3.2 Upgrading and Complexity: Multi-Sectoral vs. Single Sector Approaches . 24 3.3.3 Community Participation.27 3.3.4 Institutional Context: Lessons Learned . 28 3.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS . 30 3.4. 1 Targeting and Affordability . 30 3.4. 2 Housing Improvement and Self-Help Construction . 32 3.4. 3 Income Generation.33 3.4. 4 Gender Considerations.34 3.4. 5 Relocation and Resettlement.35 3.4. 6 Socio-Economic Considerations: Lessons Learned.37
USE OF MULTIPLE SPECTRAL INDICES TO ESTIMATE BURN SEVERITY IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA

The Jasper Fire occurred in the Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota, during August and September of 2000. The fire disturbance to ecosystem characteristics was widespread and long-term. The goal of this study is to examine the correlations between spectral indices and field-observed burn severity, and to provide a practical method to estimate burn severity using remote sensing data. We used three Landsat images acquired in June 2000, June 2001, and May 2002. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), and Integrated Forest Index (IFI) were calculated from Landsat at-sensor-reflectance data. Differences of these spectral indices in first and second pre/post-burn years were calculated and analyzed with 71 field-based Composite Burn Index (CBI) data collected in May 2002. The results showed that NDVI and EVI differences correlated well with field CBI data in the first post-burn year with R 2 values of 0.69s for all 71 plots and R 2 values of 0.79s for 40 confident forest plots. NBR had good correlations with CBI data in both first and second post-burn years with R 2 values of 0.63 and 0.60 for all plots and R 2 values of 0.76 and 0.74 for confident forest plots. IFI had no correlation with CBI in the first post-burn year and had good correlation with CBI in the second post-burn year with R 2 values of 0.62 for all plots and R 2 values of 0.66 for confident forest plots. To investigate the advantages of spectral indices, multiple variable regressions were performed using two-year pre/post-burn differences of four spectral indices. The correlation of predicted CBI with field CBI is higher than any individual indices. The R 2 values are 0.81 for all CBI plots and 0.87 for confident forests. These results indicated that the spectral indices contained valuable information of fire effects and have the capability to evaluate burn severity in a short period after a fire.
Aroma qualities of raw hops and hops in beer by trained panel free-choice profiling

approved: Mina R. McDaniel Hops contribute many desirable aromas to beer. Traditionally hop aromas have been described by the point of addition in the brewing process (dry-hop, finish-hop, or kettle-hop). The compounds present in the oil provide a wide range of aroma qualities. Since the composition of the oil is different for each hop variety it is reasonable to assume that the aroma qualities of each variety would be different. Moreover, since a different composition of compounds would be added to the beer at each addition point, it would be expected that different hop varieties would produce beers with different aroma qualities. Trained panel free-choice profiling was used to evahiate the aroma qualities of selected raw hops and of dry-hopped lagers and fmish-hopped lagers produced with the same hops. The first study compared the aroma qualities of eight commercial and seven experimental varieties of raw hops. The raw hops had intense aromas and were separated into five different groups based on their aroma qualities. Three experimental varieties were Redacted for Privacy found to have similar aroma qualities to varieties with German parentage. There was a strong correlation between the concentration of the hop oil compounds and the aroma qualities that separated the varieties. The second and third studies compared the aroma qualities of American Lagers dry-hopped (second) and finish-hopped (third) with twelve of the fifteen hop varieties from the first study. In both studies the lagers were separated into three groups based on their aroma qualities. There was no relationship that could be applied to all varieties between the aroma qualities of the dry-hopped lagers and the finish-hopped lagers. Comparing the aroma qualities of the hop varieties from all three studies, the aroma qualities of many of the raw hops were similar when used for dry-hopping, but changed when used for finish-hopping. Hallertauer Tradition and Spalter Select had fruity and floral qualities in all studies. Experimental variety 21683 had similar aroma qualities to Hallertauer Gold in all three studies. ©Copyright by Gregory J. Stucky November 5, 1996
Cold Ischemic Organ Preservation: Lessons from Natural Systems

Mammalian hibernators offer natural models for investigating solutions to the metabolic injuries that accrue during cold ischemic storage of human organs removed for transplant. Knowledge of the biochemical mechanisms that regulate and stabilize metabolism to ensure long-term viability in the hypometabolic, hypothermic state of hibernation could lead to applied treatments that could increase the time that excised organs can be maintained in cold storage and/or improve recovery of function after implantation. New research has documented the widespread role of reversible protein phosphorylation control of metabolism in achieving the coordinated suppression of metabolic rate that greatly extends viability during torpor. Analysis of hibernation-induced gene expression is proving to be of crucial importance for identifying the genes and proteins that are up-regulated to address organ-specific concerns during torpor. In particular, the power of complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) array screening is identifying families of proteins that are up-regulated during hibernation (eg, serpins, heat shock proteins, antioxidants, membrane transporters) and highlighting previously unrecognized areas of cellular metabolism as contributing to the hibernation phenotype. These offer new targets for innovative applied treatments that could enhance cytoprotection and cold ischemia survival of organ explants.
Complex patterns of mating revealed in a Eucalyptus regnans seed orchard using allozyme markers and the neighbourhood model

The neighbourhood model apportions offspring of individual mother plants to self‐fertilization, outcrossing to males within a circumscribed area around the mother plant (the neighbourhood), and outcrossing to males outside the neighbourhood. Formerly the model was applied only to haploid pollen gametes in the offspring of conifers, but is extended so that it can be used with genotypic data from diploid offspring of both angiosperms and gymnosperms. In addition, it is shown that the mating parameters can be estimated without independent estimates of allele frequencies in the pollen pools outside the neighbourhood; thus the model might be applied effectively to natural populations exposed to unknown external pollen sources. Parameters of the neighbourhood mating model were estimated for a 10‐year‐old seed orchard population of the insect‐pollinated tree, Eucalyptus regnans, in southeast Australia, which contained a mixture of two geographical provenances (Victoria and Tasmania). The mating patterns revealed were complex. Crosses between trees of the same provenance occurred three times more often than crosses between trees of different provenances. Levels of self‐fertilization and patterns of mating within neighbourhoods were influenced by provenance origin, crop fecundity and orchard position (central vs. edge) of mother trees. Gene dispersal, however, was extensive, with approximately 50% of effective pollen gametes coming from males more than 40 m away from mother trees (average distance between neighbouring trees was 7.4 m). Thus, insect pollinators are efficient promoters of cross‐fertilization in this orchard, with the result that the effective number of males mating with each female is large.
The Data Least Squares Problem and Channel Equalization

Using the constrained TLS method of Abatzoglou and Mendel, we develop a simple closed-form solution to the data least squares (DLS) problem, in which the error is assumed to lie in the data matrix only. Simulations demonstrate that DLS outperforms TLS and ordinary LS for certain types of deconvolution problems.
Quantitative Analysis of Lattice-valued Kripke Structures

To model and analyze systems with multi-valued information, in this paper, we present an extension of Kripke structures in the framework of complete residuted lattices, which we will refer to as lattice-valued Kripke structures (LKSs). We then show how the traditional trace containment and equivalence relations, can be lifted to the lattice-valued setting, and we introduce two families of lattice-valued versions of the relations. Further, we explore some interesting properties of these relations. Finally, we provide logical characterizations of our relations by a natural extension of linear temporal logic.
Simulated front crawl swimming performance related to critical speed and critical power.

PURPOSE Competitive pool swimming events range in distance from 50 to 1500 m. Given the difference in performance times (+/- 23-1000 s), the contribution of the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems changes considerably with race distance. In training practice the regression line between swimming distance and time (Distance = critical velocity x time + anaerobic swimming capacity) is used to determine the individual capacity of the aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways. Although there is confidence that critical velocity and anaerobic swimming capacity are fitness measures that separate aerobic and anaerobic components, a firm theoretical basis for the interpretation of these results does not exist. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the critical power concept and anaerobic swimming capacity as measures of the aerobic and anaerobic capacity using a modeling approach. METHODS A systems model was developed that relates the mechanics and energetics involved in front crawl swimming performance. From actual swimming flume measurements, the time dependent aerobic and anaerobic energy release was modeled. Data derived from the literature were used to relate the energy cost of front crawl swimming to swimming velocity. A balance should exist between the energy cost to swim a distance in a certain time and the concomitant aerobic and anaerobic energy release. The ensuing model was used to predict performance times over a range of distances (50-1500 m) and to calculate the regression line between swimming distance and time. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Using a sensitivity analysis, it was demonstrated that the critical velocity is indicative for the capacity of the aerobic energy system. Estimates of the anaerobic swimming capacity, however, were influenced by variations in both anaerobic and aerobic energy release. Therefore, it was concluded that the anaerobic swimming capacity does not provide a reliable estimate of the anaerobic capacity.
Bone Distribution Simulation during Damage-Repair Bone Remodeling in Human Proximal Femur

A new damage-adaptive bone remodeling model, in which an algorithm incorporating both strain and damage stimuli, is developed in this paper. Typically, a human proximal femur model is established to predict the bone mass distribution during bone remodeling process. And human physiology damage-repair cycle is considered in the model. The governing equations of the mathematical model, digesting the predecessors’ ideas, are numerically solved and implemented into ANSYS software via the user interface of finite element algorithm. With the aid of this novel model, the whole healing behavior of human proximal femur is elucidated properly.
Gender Differences in Student Discourse on Discussion Board and Blogs: An Instructor's Quest to Create a Level Playing Field in a Hybrid Classroom.

The widespread use of innovative web-based technology in recent years has led to significant changes in the way students learn, communicate, and interact with one another. This exploratory single subject Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study, conducted in a hybrid graduate course, was designed to determine if web-based tools like Discussion Board and Weblogs afforded pedagogical benefits, and if these benefits extended equally to both males and females in the classroom. Data comprised of a total of 1,373 Discussion Board posts and 109 Weblog posts. Some interesting gender-related patterns were found. The findings, though not generalizable, are illustrative of the challenges instructors can face when experimenting with web-based technology in higher education classrooms. This study adds to the growing body of classroom research devoted to gender and online learning. Since the mid-1990’s, faculty in higher education have been experimenting with ways to engage students more fully in the learning process. This shift has been fueled by a growing body of literature that documents the link between engagement and key student outcomes. The National Survey of Student Engagement, which was initiated in 1998 and which discussed practices to improve student learning, was followed by similar initiatives such as the Documenting Educational Effectiveness Project (DEEP) and the Education Commission of the States in1995; both recommend a shift away from the didactic method of information transfer towards a combination of academic rigor and creative, meaningful experiences. The pedagogical practice of reflective thinking advocated by scholars like Dewey (1933), Schon (1987), and Palmer (1998), coupled with advancements in technology, are prompting faculty to experiment with innovative web-based tools like Discussion Board (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2001; Meyer, 2003) and Weblogs (blogs) (Farmer & Yu, 2007; Huffaker, 2005). These tools offer new opportunities to encourage dialogue, critical engagement, and reflective practice both within and beyond the classroom. Success of educational practitioners rests on their ability to engage in reflection-in-action (contemporaneous thought) advocated by Schon (1987), which is the process of observing ones thinking and action as they occur, in order to make adjustments in the moment. Equally important is reflection-on-action (retrospective thought), the process of learning from past experience in order to affect future action (Schon, 1987); and reflection-for-action or reflectionto-action (anticipatory thought), which requires practitioners to envision the effects of interventions on their students, colleagues, the learning environment, school, and community