Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What we know and what we need to learn

Benefit–Cost Analyses for Security Policies describes how to undertake the evaluation of security policies within the framework of benefit–cost analysis and offers a unique contribution to analysis of homeland security regulations in the United States. The authors outline how established procedures for benefit–cost analysis must adapt to meet challenges posed by current security policy, through examining specific security related regulations. The logic of risk assessment, selection of a discount rate, valuation of travellers’ time when delayed due to screening, valuation of changes in risks of injury or death, and impacts of terrorist events on the economy as a whole are among the issues discussed. An outline of the research and policy evaluation steps needed to build robust benefit-cost methods to evaluate security related regulations in the future is presented in the book.
Adverbial descriptions in Northern Sotho

Owing to a virtual lack of a ‘basic adverbs’ word class in Northern Sotho, the objective of this article is to investigate some language strategies which are exploited to express adverbial meanings in this language. In popular Northern Sotho grammar books, it is clearly stated that adverbs in Northern Sotho are usually derived from other parts of speech. Important language strategies, such as the use of auxiliary word groups and ideophones in expressing adverbial meanings are, to a great extent, neglected in most popular Northern Sotho grammars. Owing to the fact that in most cases, no one-to-one lexical equivalence exists between Northern Sotho and for instance English adverbs, the compilers of Northern Sotho-English dictionaries find it difficult to accommodate the different strategies in these dictionaries. In this article, various ways of conveying adverbial expressions in Northern Sotho are illustrated, with the focus mainly on auxiliary word groups and ideophones. The aim of this article is not to do a grammatical analysis of the adverb and ideophone word classes as such, but rather to focus on the descriptive function of these words in certain Northern Sotho contexts.
Supporting Exploration of Eye Tracking Data: Identifying Changing Behaviour Over Long Durations

Visual analytics of eye tracking data is a common tool for evaluation studies across diverse fields. In this position paper we propose a novel user-driven interactive data exploration tool for understanding the characteristics of eye gaze movements and the changes in these behaviours over time. Eye tracking experiments generate multidimensional scan path data with sequential information. Many mathematical methods in the past have analysed one or a few of the attributes of the scan path data and derived attributes such as Area of Interest (AoI), statistical measures, geometry, domain specific features etc. In our work we are interested in visual analytics of one of the derived attributes of sequential data-the: AoI and the sequences of visits to these AoIs over time. In the case of static stimuli, such as images, or dynamic stimuli, like videos, having predefined or fixed AoIs is not an efficient way of analysing scan path patterns. The AoI of a user over a stimulus may evolve over time and hence determining the AoIs dynamically through temporal clustering could be a better method for analysing the eye gaze patterns. In this work we primarily focus on the challenges in analysis and visualization of the temporal evolution of AoIs. This paper discusses the existing methods, their shortcomings and scope for improvement by adopting visual analytics methods for event-based temporal data to the analysis of eye tracking data.
Fault tolerant spanners for ad hoc sensor networks

A spanner for ad hoc networks is a network graph containing attractable geometric properties which are useful for efficient communication. The existing spanners degrade their performance in resource constrained ad hoc network, as as sensor network, because of frequent node failures. The spanner do not preserve its geometric properties when the nodes are off. In addition, the heavy packet loss occur when a failed node exists in the routing path. In this paper, we propose two new geometric spanners called fault tolerant relative neighborhood graph (FTRNG) and fault tolerant Gabriel graph (FTGG), which provide better performance at even frequent node failure conditions. The fault tolerant spanners FTRNG and FTGG consider only a subset of nodes in their graph construction. The ns2.28 simulation results show that the performance of the proposed spanners are better than the existing spanners RNG and GG.
Cointegration and Asymmetric Adjustment between Output and Unemployment: an Application to the U.S. Economy

This paper focuses on the properties of the adjustment between the real output and the unemployment rate for the U.S. economy in the period from 1975 to 2006. It starts by checking the order of integration of the two series and then tests for the presence of asymmetry in the Okun’s law relationship through a cyclical equation, a first differences equation and an ADL(p,q). Using the threshold cointegration approach this study also accounts for the possible existence of a long-run equilibrium relationship and it is ability to test for the asymmetric adjustment hypothesis. It is found that Okun’s coefficient ranges between -0.41 and -0.59, being the latter estimated by the cointegrating equation. Furthermore, the unemployment rate behaves differently along the business cycle and increases faster in recessions than it recovers in expansions. A long-run equilibrium relationship is established where adjustment is made asymmetrically. Positive deviations away from equilibrium are corrected slightly faster than negative ones. Our explanation concerns the higher speed of flows within the labor market during a recession than during an expansion which may also be related to the existence of nominal rigidities in the US economy that causes imperfectly flexible prices.
Data model issues for object-oriented applications

Presented in this paper is the data model for ORION, a prototype database system that adds persistence and sharability to objects created and manipulated in object-oriented applications. The ORION data model consolidates and modifies a number of major concepts found in many object-oriented systems, such as objects, classes, class lattice, methods, and inheritance. These concepts are reviewed and three major enhancements to the conventional object-oriented data model, namely, schema evolution, composite objects, and versions, are elaborated upon. Schema evolution is the ability to dynamically make changes to the class definitions and the structure of the class lattice. Composite objects are recursive collections of exclusive components that are treated as units of storage, retrieval, and integrity enforcement. Versions are variations of the same object that are related by the history of their derivation. These enhancements are strongly motivated by the data management requirements of the ORION applications from the domains of artificial intelligence, computer-aided design and manufacturing, and office information systems with multimedia documents.
Cinematized reality: Cinematographic camera controlling 3D free-viewpoint video

The purpose of Cinematized Reality is to record unexpected moments in people’s lives and create movies that look as if they were true footage. Since of course nobody knows when a particular unexpected event is going to take place, there is no guarantee of capturing that moment. The key concept of Cinematized Reality is to continuously record unexpected moments in our daily lives by applying the technique of Virtualized Reality to multiple videos captured by suitably positioned cameras. In this paper, we introduce our Cinematized Reality video system which follows the grammar of film language and applies expert knowledge to generate desirable film footage using a sequence of shots taken by a virtual camera.
Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Management of Paraganglioma: A Single Institute Experience

Objectives To explore the feasibility and safety of retroperitoneal laparoscopic resection of paraganglioma (RLPG) in a large study population. Methods In a six-year period, 49 patients with primary retroperitoneal paragangliomas (PG) underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery in a single center. Medical records were reviewed, and collected the following data, which were clinical characteristics, perioperative data (operative time, estimated blood loss, intraoperative hemodynamic changes, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and open conversions), and follow-up data (recurrence or distant metastases). Results All PGs were removed with negative tumor margin confirmed by postoperative histopathology. The operative time of RLPG was 101.59±31.12 minutes, and the estimated blood loss was 169.78±176.70ml. Intraoperative hypertensive and hypotensive episodes occurred in 25 cases and 27 cases, respectively. Two open conversions occurred. Two intraoperative complications occurred but were successfully managed endoscopically. Postoperative complications were minor and unremarkable. No local recurrence or distant metastasis were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions Our experience indicates the feasibility and safety of resection of PGs in a relatively large study population.
A path and branch based approach to fitness computation for program test data generation using genetic algorithm

In this paper we present a novel approach for fitness computation for test data generation using genetic algorithm. Fitness computation is a two-step process. In the first step a target node sequence is determined and in the second step the actual execution path is compared with the target node sequence to compute fitness. Fitness computation uses both branch and path information. Experiments indicate that the described fitness technique results in significant improvement in search performance.
It can be done: Addressing gender in the AIDS epidemic through PEPFAR programs.

This paper provides a brief overview of PEPFARs record on gender and offers five recommendations to help the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) make gender central to its policies and programs. The authors suggestions include: 1) Adopt formal operational guidance on gender that requires country programs to integrate gender analysis and adopt more systematic monitoring and evaluation (ME 2) Urge national governments to integrate gender into their AIDS programs and policies and align PEPFARs programs with national AIDS plans; 3) Strengthen gender expertise and the involvement of people living with HIV in OGAC decision making; 4) Invest more fully in select program priorities; and 5) Implement comprehensive gender-responsive programming to address the multiple gender-specific structural drivers of AIDS. Together these recommendations focus on the content of PEPFARs programs outlining ways to make them more gender-responsive and on processes that OGAC can institute to increase transparency and ensure that its programs remain gender-responsive and relevant to the populations it seeks to serve. (excerpt)
Slip Suppression of Electric Vehicles Using Sliding Mode Control Based on MPC Algorithm

Abstract This paper presents a new Sliding Mode Control (SMC) method based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for the slip suppression of EVs. The proposed method focusses on improving the acceleration performance and low energy consumption of EVs by controlling the slip ratio of wheel under driving. In this paper, the extended SMC method is proposed to improve the control performance by introducing the integral term with gain, where the integral gain is designed adaptively by MPC algorithm. The simulation examples indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dynamics of the Price Distribution in a General Model of State-Dependent Pricing

This paper analyzes the effects of monetary shocks in a DSGE model that allows for a general form of smoothly state-dependent pricing by firms. As in Dotsey, King, and Wolman (1999) and Caballero and Engel (2007), our setup is based on one fundamental property: firms are more likely to adjust their prices when doing so is more valuable. The exogenous timing (Calvo 1983) and fixed menu cost (Golosov and Lucas 2007) models are nested as limiting cases of our setup. Our model is calibrated to match the steady-state distribution of price adjustments in microdata; realism calls for firm-specific shocks. Computing a dynamic general equilibrium requires us to calculate how the distribution of prices and productivities evolves over time. We solve the model using the method of Reiter (2008), which is well-suited to this type of problem because it combines a fully nonlinear treatment of firm-level state variables with a linearization of the aggregate dynamics. We compute impulse responses to iid and autocorrelated money growth shocks, and decompose the inflation impact into 'intensive margin', 'extensive margin' and 'selection' components. Under our most successful calibration, increased money growth causes a persistent rise in inflation and output. The real effects are substantially larger if money growth is autocorrelated. In contrast, if we instead impose a fixed menu cost specification, money growth shocks cause a sharp spike in inflation (via the selection component) so that the real effects are small and short-lived, especially if money growth is iid. An increase in aggregate productivity raises consumption but causes labor to fall. Also, impulse responses differ depending on the distribution at the time the shock occurs. In particular, increased money growth has different effects starting from the steady state distribution than it does if all firms have recently received an economy-wide productivity shock.
Multi-Agent Based Information Systems For Patient Coordination in Hospitals

The health sector is a central domain in every economy. It is challenged by progressing costs and funding issues. Hospitals play a major role for the examination and treatment of patients. The sequence how patients are assigned to hospital units determines the quality of treatment, the resource utilization, as well as the patients’ overall treatment time. Thus, efficient scheduling of patients in hospitals is crucial. Current approaches disregard the decentralised organization in hospitals and neglect the varying pathway of patients since they often focus on one single unit solely. We propose an agent-based coordination mechanism that overcomes these limitations. Patients and hospital resources are modeled as autonomous software agents which follow their own objectives. This reflects the decentralized structure in hospitals. Agents are coordinated by a distributed mechanism where software agents improve their situation through negotiations which moves towards an overall Pareto optimum. We show promising evaluations based on experiments.
Z0 - a tiny experimental language

Z0 is a tiny experimental class-based pure object-oriented programming language. Its key features include syntactic simplicity, similarity with Java [8], strong static typing, pure object abstraction, and some dynamic mechanism which are normally only found in dynamic languages. Z0 provides a unified, object-oriented treatment of all values, primitive, user-defined, and even control structures. In a nutshell, everything is an object. As far as object "purity" is concerned, Z0 looks to Smalltalk [6] and Self [20,17]. Z0 uses a clean and strict method-based model. There are no explicit instance variables, only methods. A dynamic, compile-time checkable method update mechanism is provided to make methods manipulable at run time. Inheritance model is simple and straightforward. Variant type system and dynamic typing with Self enable a high degree of typing flexibility that is statically safe and can be efficiently implemented. Because Z0 is compiled for a virtual machine (JVM-like [13]), it is much more efficient in execution than interpreted languages.
Security mechanisms for low-end embedded systems A Proof-of-Concept for Home and Building Automation

The use of embedded systems (ES) in our daily lives is growing. Therefore, it is becoming important to be able to put a certain amount of trust on them which requires strong consideration of security aspects. However, due to limited resources and harsh environmental conditions, it is generally difficult to apply security mechanisms to ES. Home and Building Automation (HBA) systems use control networks for accessing devices inside buildings to improve the building’s efficiency, flexibility and control. Typical applications include the control of lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. In such systems, a special device class called Sensors, Actuators and Controllers (SACs) can be be identified to have the typical characteristics of low-end ES. SACs play an important role in HBA systems and are often used in large numbers. The goal of this thesis is to provide general security in low-end ES while still allowing to run arbitrary and uninspected (and possible erroneous and malicious) application programs. The system as well as its environment should be protected against security attacks. Various existing mechanisms for improving application level security are reviewed and evaluated in terms of applicability to low-end embedded systems. Suitable mechanisms are selected and combined into a concept architecture which is introduced as an efficient and secure solution for providing resistance to any kind of software-based attack. The feasibility and effectiveness of the architecture is demonstrated with a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) implementation which was developed as part of the thesis. The PoC closely resembles the typical functional profile of a SAC device. A test environment, consisting of an HBA network, was built and several examples and tests were run. In these tests, the PoC delivered some interesting and promising results which support the potential of the proposed architecture.
Historical Landscape Perspectives on Grasslands in Sweden and the Baltic Region

A landscape perspective is generally recognized as essential for conservation biology. The main underlying reason is that species respond to features of the landscape at various spatial scales, for example habitat area, connectivity, and matrix habitats. However, there is also an “historical” component of a landscape perspective, which has not received similar attention. The underlying reasons for historical effects are that humans have influenced landscapes during several millennia and that species and communities may respond slowly to land use change. An historical perspective on landscapes also relates to how we perceive “natural” vs. “cultural” landscapes, and thus how conservation actions are motivated and valuated. We review studies from Sweden and the Baltic region in the context of an historical landscape perspective, focusing on semi-natural grasslands, i.e. , grasslands formed by long-term human management for grazing and hay-making. Semi-natural grasslands are today a high concern for conservation. Historical effects are ubiquitous on species distributions and patterns of species richness, and have important implications for developing informed conservation programs in semi-natural grasslands, particularly with regard to assumptions of historical baselines, the choice of conservation targets, and insights on time-lags in the response of species to current landscape change.
A Survey of General-Purpose Crowdsourcing Techniques

Since Jeff Howe introduced the term Crowdsourcing in 2006, this human-powered problem-solving paradigm has gained a lot of attention and has been a hot research topic in the field of computer science. Even though a lot of work has been conducted on this topic, so far we do not have a comprehensive survey on most relevant work done in the crowdsourcing field. In this paper, we aim to offer an overall picture of the current state of the art techniques in general-purpose crowdsourcing. According to their focus, we divide this work into three parts, which are: incentive design, task assignment, and quality control. For each part, we start with different problems faced in that area followed by a brief description of existing work and a discussion of pros and cons. In addition, we also present a real scenario on how the different techniques are used in implementing a location-based crowdsourcing platform, gMission. Finally, we highlight the limitations of the current general-purpose crowdsourcing techniques and present some open problems in this area.
Productivity Effects of Information Diffusion in E-Mail Networks

We examine the diffusion of different types of information through email networks and the effects of these diffusion patterns on the performance of information workers. In particular, we ask: What predicts the likelihood of individuals becoming aware of a new piece of information, and how quickly they obtain it? Do different types of information exhibit different diffusion patterns, and do different characteristics of social structure, relationships and individuals in turn affect access to different kinds of information? Does better access to information in turn predict an individual’s ability to complete projects or generate revenue? We characterize the social network of a medium sized executive recruiting firm using accounting data on project co-work relationships and ten months of email traffic. We identify two distinct types of information diffusing over this network – ‘event news’ and ‘discussion topics’ – by their usage characteristics, and observe several thousand diffusion processes of each type of information. We find the diffusion of news, which is characterized by a spike in communication and rapid, pervasive diffusion through the organization, is influenced by demographic and network factors but not by functional relationships (e.g. prior co-work, authority) or the strength of ties. In contrast, the diffusion of discussion topics, which exhibit shallow diffusion characterized by ‘back-and-forth’ conversation, is heavily influenced by functional relationships and the strength of ties, as well as demographic and network factors. Discussion topics are more likely to diffuse vertically up and down the organizational hierarchy, across relationships with a prior working history, and across stronger ties, while news is more likely to diffuse laterally as well as vertically, and without regard to the strength or function of relationships. We also find access to information strongly predicts project completion and revenue generation. The effects are economically significant: Each additional new “word seen” by an individual is correlated with about $70 of additional revenue generated by that individual. Our findings provide some of the first evidence of the economic significance and nature of information diffusion in email networks.