Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Extraction of Phrase-Structure Fragments with a Linear Average Time Tree-Kernel

We present an algorithm and implementation for extracting recurring fragments from treebanks. Using a tree-kernel method the largest common fragments are extracted from each pair of trees. The algorithm presented achieves a thirty-fold speedup over the previously available method on the Wall Street Journal dataset. It is also more general, in that it supports trees with discontinuous constituents. The resulting fragments can be used as a tree-substitution grammar or in classification problems such as authorship attribution and other stylometry tasks.
FDTD Analysis of Antennas Close to Human Tissue

Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) is a numerical method often used to analyze interaction of electromagnetic radiation with complex geometries. In this work, we use FDTD method to compute electromagnetic fields in the nearfield of several antennas types. These antennas include bowtie antenna, "Dark Eyes" antenna, quarter-wave monopole antenna, monopole-helix antenna and patch antenna. Each one of these structures is modeled and numerically tested using the FDTD-based software, which allows us to incorporate detailed models of the human anatomy in the simulation. We test antennas in two application scenarios: cell phone radiation and breast cancer detection. For cell phone radiation, we study the maximum average SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) in the human head model exposed to radiation from antennas used typically in mobile telephones: quarter-wave monopole antenna, monopole-helix antenna and patch antenna. Breast cancer detection with pulsed mlcrowave radiation reqU1res broadband antennas. Characteristics of the bowtie antenna and "Dark Eyes" antenna were studied in the vicinity of a simplified breast tissue mode! Special attention is given to comparison of the trans-receiving antennas' sensitivities to the backscattered response from a simulated embedded tumor.
Automated Motion LoD with Rigid Constraints

Touch-less based fingerprint verification systems are free from the problems of image deformation, latent fingerprint issues and so forth that appear in the contemporary touch based fingerprint verification systems. Coupled with template protection mechanism, a touch-less fingerprint verification system is further enhanced. In this paper, a secure end-to-end touch-less fingerprint verification system is presented. The fingerprint image captured with a digital camera is first pre-processed via the proposed pre-processing algorithm. Then, Multiple Random Projections-Support Vector Machine (MRP-SVM) is proposed to secure fingerprint template while improving system performance.
Choice Experiments Informing Environmental Policy:A European Perspective

The aim of this book is to draw attention to the wealth and diversity of several recent state-of-the-art choice experiment studies that have been undertaken in Europe in the last few years. The main emphasis of the book is to highlight how this method can be employed to inform environmental, agricultural, natural resource management and food policies at the European Union (EU) level. Case studies presented in this volume are from eight countries across the EU, including France, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain and UK, and cover a wide array of issues ranging from landscapes, biodiversity, cultural heritage, noise pollution, forests and water resources to food labelling. The findings reported in this book reveal that the monetary cost and benefit values captured through the CEM for various stakeholders can be used to inform efficient, effective and equitable design and implementation of various EU level policies and directives, such as Common Agricultural Policy, Water Framework Directive, Forestry Strategy, Habitats Directive and food labelling systems to name a few. Finally, the book also presents some of the most recent developments in the choice experiment theory and analysis, as well as several interesting and cutting edge applications of these developments.
Potential conflicts in the fight against counterfeit drugs

This analysis looks at the best way to deal with the proliferation of fake drugs, and considers the conflict that arises when government agencies aim to reduce the harmful effects of the fake medicine trade while the pharmaceutical firms seek profit maximization. It is demonstrated that the pharmaceutical industry might wish to encourage better law enforcement rather than improved information policies, even when the latter would lead to a greater reduction in the fake drug trade.
APPLICATION OF GENETIC ALGORITHM TO MINIMIZE HARMONIC IN MULTILEVEL INVERTER

In inverter design, harmonic voltage is the main issue which affects the performance of the inverter. Generally, the harmonic minimization problem complexity is influenced by the number of harmonic orders to be minimized. This paper presents the utilization of genetic algorithm (GA) to solve harmonic minimization problem in multilevel inverter. The objective is to find relationship between the number of minimized harmonic orders and the results of total harmonic distortion (THD). The inverter to investigate is 11-level, but it is also applicable to multilevel inverters with any number of levels. The results show that harmonic contained in the output voltage has a small dependence on the number of harmonic orders that are minimized. However, the best results are still satisfied even though involving higher number of harmonics. The best-obtained THD, evaluated until 19 harmonic, is 2.76%, which is fairly low and thus acceptable.
Some considerations on univariate and multivariate streamflow simulation methods

Abstract : Streamflow simulation over time intervals much longer than observation periods requires the evaluation of the quality of the reproduction of observed statistics of time series. Since much of the non linearity of the rainfall-runoff transformation is in the conversion of rainfall to effective rainfall (ER), two approaches with fundamental differences in the ER estimation are put under comparison, to highlight pros and cons of univariate and bivariate methods. We propose a comparison of IHACRES and Shot Noise models, which involve direct and inverse estimates of ER at the daily time scale. The comparison is carried out in terms of assessment of inconsistencies in evaluating ER by direct and inverse estimates, both in temperate and in alpine basins. Additional comparisons regard the reproduction of direct runoff with the two approaches. The results demonstrate that relatively few improvements are obtained by considering a bivariate streamflow simulation method, i.e. by using the rainfall time series for streamflow modelling.
Time Preference Instability, Financial and Working Status

In this paper we study the drivers of change in individuals’ discount rates. Our panel dataset allows us to jointly consider socio-demographics, financial status and literacy, as well as job characteristics among the possible determinants. Our results suggest that individual time-preferences are not stable over time, especially among individuals who hold debts. Labour market variables do not play any direct role. A large part of the variation, however, is not explained by none these drivers. This supports the view that discount rates are related to an underlying unobservable individual trait.
Quantitative risk assessment for Korean style menu items: A case study on the exposure assessment of saengchae (a Korean radish salad)

Today, Korean style dishes are being globalized, and with such a trend, it should be ensured that they can be safe from foodborne contamination. In this study, QRA, which is a quantitative technique to predict contamination levels and to per form sensitivity and scenario analyses, was performed in order to achieve better safety management for Korean style menu preparations. First, the hygienic conditions of Korean style dishes were surveyed, showing that these foods would not be safe if managed improperly. Saengchae, which was one of the dishes, proved vulnerable to pathogen contamination, and was selected for the case study. As a result, the hazard factor was determined as Staphylococcus aureus, and the hygienic conditions in the restaurant used for the case study were considered safe from food contamination. Through sensitivity analysis, the CCP in the preparation procedure was determined as the storage step. Through scenario analysis, the CL of the resultant CCP was estimated as a storage temperature lower than 15℃ , when stored for 3～5 hours. In conclusion, we demonstrated that QRA, known as a versatile solution in quantitative analysis, can be applied successfully to aid conventional HACCP for the safety management of Korean style menu items. Therefore, this study provides an example of a quantitative approach for more extensive cases in the safety management of Korean style dishes.
A NEW MOLECULAR MARKER LINKED TO GENE FOR MONOGERMITY IN SUGAR BEET (BETA VULGARIS L.)

Monogermity is a character that is controlled by one pair of recessive allele in sugar beet. This character is used in many breeding projects. If the character is tagged with molecular markers, it will be possible to easily distinguish monogerm and multigerm plants by DNA extraction followed by PCR analysis in seedling stage. Bulked segregant analysis using 297 RAPD primers in an F2 population of a hybrid between monogerm and multigerm sugar beet accessions was performed for identification of RAPD marker linked to monogerm gene. DNA of 10 plants from multigerm and monogerm plants were separately mixed. At first, the primers were tested on DNA bulks and then on individual plants of the bulks. When the polymorphism of the primers was confirmed, they were tested on other individual plants. Eventually, two coupling and three repulsion markers were identified in F2 population, which their distances to monogerm gene were lower than 50 cM. OP-S4-2000r marker was the nearest marker to monogerm gene. The distance of between this marker and monogerm locus was estimated to 6.1 rf.
Livestock production in Czechia and Slovakia, ten years beyond EU accession

The contribution deals with the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union on agriculture of the Czech and Slovak Republic, focusing on livestock production. The analysis is focused on ten years' development of livestock production after the entry of the Czech and Slovak Republic into the EU. Both countries are evaluated in the mutual comparison of selected indicators such as gross agricultural production, stock of animals, intensity of production or agricultural employment. Part of the contribution is the demonstration of the regional differentiation and trends in livestock production taking place in the Czech and Slovak Republic. In conclusion, we examine the consequences of decline in livestock production in the Czech and Slovak Republic reflected in the foreign trade between these countries, and it is closely connected with state sovereignty in livestock products.
An evaluation of bank acquisition using an accounting based measure: a case of Amalgamated Bank of South Africa and Barclays Bank Plc.

In 2005, Barclays Bank Plc acquired 56.4 percent stake of Amalgamated Bank of South Africa (ABSA). The performance of this acquisition has never been evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of the acquired ABSA through an accounting based measure. The primary source of data was the 2004-2015 ABSA audited financial statements. The audited financial statements are publicly available. The period 2004-2015 includes a period before, during and after the acquisition. In this article, a financial statement analysis method through an accounting based measure was the preferred research method. The financial statement analysis method was preferred because of its strength and ability to assess viability, stability and profitability by using formulae, ratios and calculations. Therefore, this article used financial formulae and ratios as acceptable accounting based measures to evaluate the performance of the acquired ABSA. The major finding is that the acquired ABSA is doing better than at the pre-acquisition stage and the share price of the acquired ABSA has been increasing since 2005 to 2015.
The measurement and estimation of the reliability of computer software.

This thesis will deal with the measurement and estimation of the reliability of computer software. The software portion of a computer system is the instruction or code used to program the hardware portion. The separation between hardware and software in a computer system with respect to reliability is a distinct one. Much theory and methodology has been developed and applied in the area of hardware reliability, however the basic differences between hardware and software reliability requires the development of models specifically geared for the measurement of software reliability.
Automatic Guide for Blind Athletes

This paper proposes the introduction of a guide robot in the Paralympics competitions allowing the blind athletes to compete without a person who guides them. The robot is composed by a vehicle which carry a human shape dummy that replace the no-blind person. The robot has a battery which can be charged both from the grid and from a solar panel located in the top of the dummy's head. The wheels speed and torque are provided by two DC motors. At this moment, the mechanical structure and the solar panel harvesting system and a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) topology are designed. The next stage of the design process are the line tracking and athlete’s speed follower systems.
Analysis and modelling of the combined effect of plant nitrogen concentration after fertilization and development stage on rice radiation use efficiency

The equation describing aboveground biomass (AGB) accumulation as a function of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation and radiation use efficiency (RUE) is used in many crop growth models and is one of the conceptual bases of the methods for the estimation of dry matter productivity from satellite data. It has been observed that the increase in rice nitrogen (N) concentration following the N fertilization at the panicle initiation (PI) seems to temporarily increase the biomass accumulation rate. In terms of modelling, this could be translated in an increase in RUE. A growth chamber experiment has been carried out during 2006 in order to analyze these processes in a controlled environment. Measured variables were AGB and plant nitrogen concentration (PNC) (separately for blades and pseudoculms), leaf area index, chlorophylls concentration, stomatal conductance, and RUE. Two different N levels were applied: one able to maintain PNC at the critical threshold, the other able to assure PNC close to the luxury consumption (critical threshold and luxury consumption are concepts to be considered here according to the N dilution theory). The different behavior of the plants under the two N fertilization levels allowed deriving a model for simulating the RUE increase basing on PNC after the PI fertilization. The model developed has been compiled as a COM DLL (TOPFERT.DLL) and tested under the WARM simulation environment using measured data. The WARM accuracy improved with the use of the DLL (RRMSE = 15.6% compared to 25.8%; modelling efficiency = 0.97 compared to 0.92). The formalization of the acquired knowledge in a reusable and free of charge software component should favor the dissemination and validation activities of the model developed.
Genetic variability in Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi.) Goid., causal agent of charcoal rot of sorghum*

Thirty five isolates of M. phaseolina, causal organism of Charcoal rot of sorghum, were obtained from different agro-climatic regions of major rabi sorghum growing areas (Karnataka, Maharashtra and AndhraPradesh). Variation among different isolates was studied using PCR-RAPD markers. From a set of 20 random primers tested, a total of 142 amplicon levels were available for analysis. Primers, OPA-03 and OPA-08 showed cent per cent polymorphism. It was possible to discriminate all the isolates with any of the primers employed. UPGMA clustering of data indicated that the isolates showed varied levels of genetic similarity within a range of 0.58 to 0.97 similarity coefficient index indicating significant levels of variation. The study suggested that the grouping of isolates was not related to the regions of collection in anyway. Maximum genetic similarity of 97 % was found between Solapur and Mulegaon. Least genetic similarity was observed between Ahmednagar and Mehboobnagar isolates.
Design Method of a Circularly‐Polarized Antenna Using Fabry‐Pérot Cavity Structure

A Fabry‐Pérot cavity (FPC) antenna producing both high‐gain and circularly‐polarized (CP) behavior is proposed. To increase antenna gain and obtain CP characteristics, a superstrate composed of square patches with a pair of truncated corners is placed above the linearly polarized patch antenna with an approximately half‐wavelength distance from the ground plane at the operating frequency. The proposed antenna has the advantages of high gain, a simple design, and an excellent boresight axial ratio over the operating frequency bandwidth. Moreover, used in an FPC antenna, the proposed superstrate converts a linear polarization produced by a patch antenna into a circular polarization. In addition, the cavity antenna produces left‐hand circular‐polarization and right‐hand circular‐polarization when a patch antenna inside the cavity generates x‐direction and y‐direction polarization, respectively. The measured and simulated results verify the performance of the antenna.
The Dynamics of Rivalry

Firms face a constant challenge to understand and manage competition over time: what to do when and how much, for how long, and with what expected effect. In this battle, managers use resources they already have to develop the further resources they need, faster and more sustainably than competitors. Just three forms of rivalry capture the dynamics of these processes: developing potential customers, capturing rivals’ customers and competing for sales to shared customers. Each of these applies not only to customers, but also to other assets that must be won against rivals. In complex industries, interactions between many competitors can be simplified by grouping firms together, and industry evolution and scenarios for the future can be evaluated using extensions of this approach.
Model fitting of kink waves in the solar atmosphere: Gaussian damping and time-dependence

{Observations of the solar atmosphere have shown that magnetohydrodynamic waves are ubiquitous throughout. Improvements in instrumentation and the techniques used for measurement of the waves now enables subtleties of competing theoretical models to be compared with the observed waves behaviour. Some studies have already begun to undertake this process. However, the techniques employed for model comparison have generally been unsuitable and can lead to erroneous conclusions about the best model. The aim here is to introduce some robust statistical techniques for model comparison to the solar waves community, drawing on the experiences from other areas of astrophysics. In the process, we also aim to investigate the physics of coronal loop oscillations. } {The methodology exploits least-squares fitting to compare models to observational data. We demonstrate that the residuals between the model and observations contain significant information about the ability for the model to describe the observations, and show how they can be assessed using various statistical tests. In particular we discuss the Kolmogorov-Smirnoff one and two sample tests, as well as the runs test. We also highlight the importance of including any observational trend line in the model-fitting process. } {To demonstrate the methodology, an observation of an oscillating coronal loop undergoing standing kink motion is used. The model comparison techniques provide evidence that a Gaussian damping profile provides a better description of the observed wave attenuation than the often used exponential profile. This supports previous analysis from Pascoe et al. (2016). Further, we use the model comparison to provide evidence of time-dependent wave properties of a kink oscillation, attributing the behaviour to the thermodynamic evolution of the local plasma. }
Digital plasmonics: from concept to microscopy

Plasmonische microscopie is een nieuwe manier van microscopisch onderzoek waarbij het mogelijk is om elektromagnetische straling te focussen. Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPP) zijn oppervlaktegolven die zich tussen een geleider en een isolator bevinden. Bergin Gjonaj gebruikte fase-gestructureerde lichtbronnen om actief controle uit te kunnen oefenen op de verbreiding van SPP-golven. Op die manier is het mogelijk om een nauwkeurige focus te krijgen en om deze focus over de metaalfilm te laten scannen. Gjonaj laat zien dat met een plasmonische lens (of microscoop) een grotere resolutie te bereiken is dan mogelijk is met conventionele microscopie. De toename in resolutie komt door de korter golflengte van een plasmon in vergelijking met de golflengte van het inkomende licht.
POP: A new Encryption Scheme for Dynamic Databases

This technical report explores a new technique called POP. POP addresses the need to encrypt databases in the cloud and to execute complex SQL queries on the encrypted data efficiently. POP can be configured to meet different attacker scenarios. We present security results for four such adversary models. Furthermore, we present the results of performance experiments conducted using the TPC-H benchmark and an off-the-shelf relational database system in order to study the performance overheads of POP.
Hydraulic modeling and upstream fish passage effectiveness evaluation at rock vortex weirs based on field observations

In the Upper Columbia River basin, many streams are diverted for irrigation by diversion dams, some of which are considered to block passage of endangered salmonids to spawning and rearing habitat. In Beaver Creek, a tributary to the Methow River, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation replaced irrigation diversion dams with a series of rock vortex weirs to provide upstream passage for salmonids and maintain irrigation diversion. A monitoring program was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the rock vortex weirs for fish passage. Temperature, discharge, channel topography, and fish movement were monitored. Through a linear decoupled approach, a four-mode hydraulic model was developed to describe flow over the rock vortex weirs as orifice flow, gap flow, weir flow, and rough boundary flow. Using this four-mode model and field observations, rating curves for hydraulic variables important to fish passage were developed and applied to continuous flow records at the study sites, resulting in a chronological record of critical hydraulic parameters. These data were combined with records of fish passage collected by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory to compare hydraulic conditions to observed fish migration. Hydraulic drops during fish migration periods were estimated from 0.16 to 0.28 m, versus a guideline of 0.24 m, maximum. The ratio of pool depth to hydraulic drop ranged from 1.6 to 20, versus a guideline 1.5, 3 minimum. Energy dissipation factors in the weir pools varied from 63 to 573 W/m , 3 versus a guideline of 250 W/m , maximum. Cross section averaged velocity at the weir crest varied from 0.14 to 0.94 m/s, versus a guideline of 0.37 m/s, maximum. Based on a hydraulic analysis and recorded fish passage data, the rock vortex weirs demonstrated favorable performance in the first two years following their installation.