Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ju l 2 01 1 Generalized sine-Gordon solitons

In this paper we construct analytical self-dual soliton solutions in (1+1) dimensions for two families of models which can be seen as generalizations of the sine-Gordon system but where the kinetic term is non-canonical. For that purpose we use a projection method applied to the SineGordon soliton. We focus our attention on the wall and lump-like soliton solutions of these k-field models. These solutions and their potentials reduce to those of the Klein-Gordon kink and the standard lump for the case of canonical kinetic term. As we increase the non-linearity on the kinetic term the corresponding potentials get modified and the nature of the soliton may change, in particular, undergoing a topology modification. The procedure constructed here is shown to be a sort of generalization of the deformation method for a specific class of k-field models.
Talking back to theory : the missed opportunities in learning technology research

Research into learning technology has developed a reputation for being drivenby rhetoric about the revolutionary nature of new developments, for payingscant attention to theories that might be used to frame and inform research, andfor producing shallow analyses that do little to inform the practice of education.Although there is theoretically-informed research in learning technology, this isin the minority, and has been actively marginalised by calls for applied designwork. This limits opportunities to advance knowledge in the field. Using threeexamples, alternative ways to engage with theory are identified. The paper concludesby calling for greater engagement with theory, and the development of ascholarship of learning technology, in order to enrich practice within the fieldand demonstrate its relevance to other fields of work. 10.1080/21567069.2011. 624997
Forecasting Euro Area Aggregates with Bayesian VAR and VECM Models

This paper focuses on Bayesian Vector Auto-Regressive (BVAR) models for the euro area. A modified hyperparameterization scheme based on the Minnesota prior that takes into account the economic nature of the variables in the model is used. The merits of incorporating long-run relationships are also discussed. Alternative methods to estimate eventual cointegrating relations in the variables are considered, and the problem of choice of appropriate prior distributions for BVAR with Error Correction Mechanism (BECM) models is addressed. Results show that using a flat prior on factor loadings can seriously endanger the forecasting performance of BECM models. Overall, the BVAR model in levels outperforms all other models across variables and forecasting horizons. This is in contrast with other empirical studies where some gains could be obtained when incorporating long-run relationships in the model.
Ship-based Oceanwide Observation of Sea Surface Heights in Consideration of Hydrodynamic Corrections

SUMMARY The latest development in GNSS PPP processing allows observing the heights of moving antennas aboard seagoing vessels with accuracies up to 5 cm and it is foreseeable that the quality will be improved in the future. Consideration ofsome essential hydrostatic and hydrodynamic corrections makes it possible to use these antenna heights as a good basis to derive ocean wide precise in-situ data of sea surface heights (SSH). If only a small portion of the more than 60.000 ships that sail the ocean at any time can be used for the determination of SSH a significant amount of additional ocean wide data could be obtained independently from remote sensing techniques. These data sets would have a very high resolution along the track of the ship and might be used to increase the sensitivity of satellite altimetry over short wavelengths in a combined analysis. Additionally, thesedata would provide a continuous validation of altimeter biases over vast areas in almost all oceans. The results of two experiments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans will be presented. The first one shows in a case study on a cruise vessel the necessary methods to correctly determine and consider the squat of a moving ship and to derive the correct GNSS antenna height above the water level. The second one presents an ocean wide determination of SSH from measurements on a cargo ship. The results from this experiment were compared with those from the Jason-2 altimeter and an altimeter bias was calculated from cross-over points with the ship track. Additionally, the quality of the spatial resolution is shown for the crossing of the Hawaiian‐Emperor seamount chain.
The Recreational Value of Bama in China: One of the Five World’s Longevity Townships

The recreational value of Bama Area in China is estimated to be 2.73 hundred millions dollars in 2009 via a revisionary travel cost method (TCM) in this paper. To make the estimation more applicable to the case of Bama, one of the five top longevity townships in the world, this paper adopts a new partition method and revises two calculation principles. Firstly, the conventional zonal travel cost method is amended to divide tourists by their travel cost instead of geographical or administrative zones. Secondly, the cost of tourists for different duration in Bama is calculated respectively. For short-term tourists, travel cost is estimated with the opportunity cost coefficient 1/3. The opportunity cost of the long-term tourists is replaced by their daily board and lodging cost in Bama. Thirdly, the total recreational value only covers special visits to Bama but excludes multi-destination visits. With the three modifications, it is plausible that the recreational value of Bama estimated in this paper reflects more objectively the resource characteristics and real value of the site.
Visibility Restoration for Single Hazy Image Using Dual Prior Knowledge

Single image haze removal has been a challenging task due to its super ill-posed nature. In this paper, we propose a novel single image algorithm that improves the detail and color of such degraded images. More concretely, we redefine a more reliable atmospheric scattering model (ASM) based on our previous work and the atmospheric point spread function (APSF). Further, by taking the haze density spatial feature into consideration, we design a scene-wise APSF kernel prediction mechanism to eliminate the multiple-scattering effect. With the redefined ASM and designed APSF, combined with the existing prior knowledge, the complex dehazing problem can be subtly converted into one-dimensional searching problem, which allows us to directly obtain the scene transmission and thereby recover visually realistic results via the proposed ASM. Experimental results verify that our algorithm outperforms several state-of-the-art dehazing techniques in terms of robustness, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Controlling the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Few-Cycle Laser Beams in Dispersive Media

During the last decade it has been practicable to achieve a full control of the temporal evolution of the wave field of ultrashort mode-locked laser beams (1). Advances in femtosecond laser technology and nonlinear optics have made possible to tailor the phase and magnitude of the electric field leading to a wide range of new applications in science. Many physical phenomena are dependent directly on the electric field rather than the pulse envelope such as electron emission from ionized atoms (2) and metal surfaces (3), or carrier-wave Rabi-flopping (4). Moreover, attosecond physics is for all practical purposes accessible by using femtosecond pulses with controlled carrier-envelope (CE) phase conducting to coherent light generation in the XUV spectral regions (5). Additional applications in the frequency domain includes optical metrology where the laser spectrum is employed (6). In this chapter we apply fundamental concepts of three-dimensional wave packets to illustrate not only transverse but what is more fascinating on-axis effects on the propagation of few-cycle laser pulses (7). The frequency-dependent nature of diffraction behaves as a sort of dispersion that makes changes in the pulse front surface, its group velocity, the envelope form, and the carrier frequency. The procedure lays on pulsedGaussian beams, in which these changes are straightforwardly quantified. In particular, the carrier phase at any point of space near the beam axis is evaluated. Anomalous pulse front behavior including superluminality in pulsed Gaussian beams is also found. Finally the CE phase is computed in the focal volume and in the far field. Generally focused pulses manifest a strong phase dispersion in the neighborhood of the geometrical focus, so that enhanced spatial resolution is achieved in CE phase-dependent phenomena. In some circumstances, however, increased depth of focusmay be of convenience so that a stationary CE phase should be required in the near field. It is noteworthy that Gouy wave modes (8) show some control over on-axis phases demonstrating undistorted pulse focalization even in dispersive media. Practical realizations may be driven by angular dispersion engineering of ultrashort laser beams. In this concern we introduced the concept of dispersive imaging (9) as a tool for controlling the dispersive nature of broadbandwave fields. Achromatic (10) and apochromatic (11) corrections of the angular spectrum of diffracted wave fields may be achieved with the use of highly-dispersive lenses such as kinoform-type zone plates. This procedure has been employed previously to compensate the longitudinal 8
Remote sensing object-oriented image analysis applied to half-timbered houses

Remote sensing image analysis techniques are particularly effective when they are based on multispectral images. When very high resolution satellite sensors entered into the civil market, conventional image analysis techniques such as classification by maximum likelihood did not any more fulfil the requirements due to higher spatial and poorer spectral dimensions. In this context we decided to apply different techniques of image analysis to terrestrial photographs which present a small spectral resolution, often limited to three bands. Part of the experiments were carried out on photographs taken in the old part of Strasbourg city. Object of interest is the Alsatian house, built during the 18th century. Unfortunately, they might disappear since a lot of them are demolished or in a state of neglect without any buyer to renovate them. Recording and documentation of Alsatian half-timbered houses with their sloping roofs become essential to conserve a trace of our traditions and carpenter's special knowledge. As expected, a first experiment using traditional techniques of supervised classification produced poor results because of low spectral depth available. On the other hand, a segmentation of the image followed by a classification based on fuzzy logic provided interesting results. Indeed, the object oriented approach as conceived in eCognition (Definiens GmbH) allows to extract objects according to their shape, their texture and their context. When applying this technique to Alsatian facades, it is necessary to formalise the knowledge through rules with help of heritage specialists. Therefore, it should be possible to automate facade detection in a semantic way and to complete architectural information systems. We hope that these examinations will enlarge the range of image architectural heritage.
African American English: A Linguistic Introduction

African American English: A Linguistic Introduction by Lisa J. Green. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002, xii+285 pp. Reviewed by Jevon D. Hunter University of California, Los Angeles With a heartfelt analysis that encourages readers to re-examine their ideas Lisa Green presents a provocative discussion in her recent about language education glish: in general, of African American English (AAE) book, African American En- that A Linguistic Introduction. In this book, Green effectively argues AAE is it both systematic and rule-governed rather than a system of isolated features that historically have been characterized as bad English. Throughout the book be- comes quite clear that the author aligns herself with those researchers who advo- cate a level of legitimacy for AAE as a linguistic system. Green's approach suc- (i.e., cessfully blends the theoretical rigors of academia sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, lan- and historical emergence) with the pragmatic concerns of (i.e., guage education use). language acquisition, language assessment, and language Her end result is a text that argues for a re-thinking of teaching and learning methodologies to challenge current pedagogical approaches to language educa- tion. Therefore, the book is appropriate not only for courses that deal with lan- in teacher guage development, but also for students an interest in literacy. education programs who have Green's chapter breakdown demonstrates well the blending of theory and practice. Chapters through 4, for example, involve a discussion of the theoretical foundations of AAE study. Chapter One, Lexicons and Meaning, focuses on the lexicon and semantics of AAE, affording the author an opportunity to discuss as a system of different AAE is word selection and meaning. Green contends its that AAE lexicon from other English lexicons because of reliance on verbal markers as indicators of how a particular event or action occurs. Her distinction offers a con- venient segue into Chapter Two, Syntax Part Verbal Markers in AAE, which addresses the usage of verbal markers within AAE syntax. It is in this chapter that (e.g., Green provides a detailed discussion of auxiliary verbs markers (i.e., have, be, do), aspectual meaning that informs occurrence), and preverbal markers {e.g.,finna, steady, and come). Chapter Three, Syntax Part 2: Syntactic and Morphosyntactic Properties in AAE it and Chapter Four, Phonology of AAE, conclude Green's this point structural analysis of AAE. Green's analyses up to challenge critics of four AAE who view as an improper, ungrammatical language whose speakers sound, first generally speaking, inarticulate and unintelligent. Thus, by the end of the Issues in Applied Linguistics ISSN 1050-4273 Vol. 13 No. © 2002, Regents of the University of California
Macrobenthic community response to the Marenzelleria viridis (Polychaeta) invasion of a Danish estuary

We investigated the invasion of the non-native polychaete Marenzelleria viridis in a shallow Danish estuary, Odense Fjord. Three datasets with different spatial and temporal resolution were examined to describe the invasion of M. viridis and to investigate its effect on the native benthic community with focus on the 2 common polychaetes, Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor and Arenicola marina. Marenzelleria viridis colonized Odense Fjord rapidly, and within 3 yr it had spread to ~50% of the estuary. The population development of M. viridis in Odense Fjord followed the ‘boom-bust’ pattern that is typical for many invaders. M. viridis is now firmly established and has reached an overall abundance of 100 to 200 individuals (ind.) m−2 with local maxima of up to 1200 ind. m−2. Its distribution is apparently regulated by abiotic parameters that prevent its establishment in the oligohaline and more silty parts of Odense Fjord. There was a positive interaction between M. viridis and the native A. marina. Otherwise the introduction of M. viridis was synchronous with a decrease of several macroinvertebrates species, especially N. diversicolor. The latter is still the dominant species in Odense Fjord, but its density has decreased by >60% in areas colonised by M. viridis. We do not expect that N. diversicolor disappears completely in this estuary, but it will probably be displaced to refuge areas where M. viridis cannot survive. Decrease in the population size of a key native species such as N. diversicolor might have significant ecological implications at the eco system level with respect to biodiversity and nutrient cycling.
The Use of the /ki/ Variant among Young Karakis in Amman and Karak (Jordan) a Comparative Study

This article is a sociolinguistic study conducted in Amman and Karak (Jordan) to investigate the linguistic variation in the speech of 48 Karaki informants who are originally from Karak and now living in Amman, and another 48 Karaki informants who still live in Karak. The [ki] variant of the (Vki) variable will be used as a basis to investigate this variation. The study shows that the [ki] is still preserved by the old in Karak and in Amman. It also shows that it is used by the young in a higher percentage than it is in Karak. The exaggeration of the use of it by the young, in contexts where the use of it is not preferable, for example in the presence of other people who do not use it, shows a strong desire to appear as local. It is also an attempt by the young to associate themselves with an area, namely the Karak area, which is known to be socially and politically important in Jordan. Appearing as local is not an aim in itself. It helps to achieve social aims. However, young females do not show the same desire. It disappears from their speech. Appearing as local is not the first priority by them. The rate of using it by them in Karak was in a low percentage. It becomes even lower in Amman. So, it is not uncommon to find women leads in linguistic change and to be innovative in this.
Modeling North American Freshwater Runoff through the Last Glacial Cycle

The Northern Hemisphere ice sheets decayed rapidly during deglacial phases of the ice-age cycle, producing meltwater fluxes that may have been of sufficient magnitude to perturb oceanic circulation. The continental record of ice-sheet history is more obscured during the growth and advance of the last great ice sheets, ca. 120,000–20,000 yr B.P., but ice cores tell of high-amplitude, millennial-scale climate fluctuations that prevailed throughout this period. These climatic excursions would have provoked significant fluctuation of ice-sheet margins and runoff variability whenever ice sheets extended to mid-latitudes, giving a complex pattern of freshwater delivery to the oceans. A model of continental surface hydrology is coupled with an ice-dynamics model simulating the last glacial cycle in North America. Meltwater discharged from ice sheets is either channeled down continental drainage pathways or stored temporarily in large systems of proglacial lakes that border the retreating ice-sheet margin. The coupled treatment provides quantitative estimates of the spatial and temporal patterns of freshwater flux to the continental margins. Results imply an intensified surface hydrological environment when ice sheets are present, despite a net decrease in precipitation during glacial periods. Diminished continental evaporation and high levels of meltwater production combine to give mid-latitude runoff values that are highly variable through the glacial cycle, but are two to three times in excess of modern river fluxes; drainage to the North Atlantic via the St. Lawrence, Hudson, and Mississippi River catchments averages 0.356 Sv for the period 60,000–10,000 yr B.P., compared to 0.122 Sv for the past 10,000 yr. High-amplitude meltwater pulses to the Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic, and North Pacific occur throughout the glacial period, with ice-sheet geometry controlling intricate patterns of freshwater routing variability. Runoff from North America is staged in the final deglaciation, with a stepped sequence of pulses through the Mississippi, St. Lawrence, Arctic, and Hudson Strait drainages.
Natural User Interface Design for Digital Painting Based on User Behavior Patterns

This research aims to improve users experience by changing existed interaction systems with NUI-assisted. We first present a new NUI design procedure based on user behavior patterns. Then, we analyze the user group behavior patterns in digital painting, and develop a gesture interaction prototype by Leap Motion. According to results of evaluation experiment, the usability and user experience for this interaction system are improved obviously.
Settling the Round-Complexity of Non-Malleable Commitments

We show unconditionally that the existence of commitment schemes implies the existence of constant-round non-malleable commitments; earlier protocols required additional assumptions such as collision resistant hash functions or subexponential one-way functions. Our protocol also satisfies the stronger notions of concurrent non-malleability and robustness. As a corollary, we establish that constant-round secure multi-party computation can be based on only enhanced trapdoor permutations; also here, earlier protocols additionally required either collision-resistant hash functions or subexponential one-way functions. ∗Cornell University, E-Mail: huijia@cs.cornell. edu. †Cornell University, E-Mail: rafael@cs.cornell. edu.
Changes in domestic heating fuel use in Greece: effects on atmospheric chemistry and radiation

Abstract. For the past 8 years, Greece has been experiencing a major financial crisis which, among other side effects, has led to a shift in the fuel used for residential heating from fossil fuel towards biofuels, primarily wood. This study simulates the fate of the residential wood burning aerosol plume (RWB smog) and the implications on atmospheric chemistry and radiation, with the support of detailed aerosol characterization from measurements during the winter of 2013–2014 in Athens. The applied model system (TNO-MACC_II emissions and COSMO-ART model) and configuration used reproduces the measured frequent nighttime aerosol spikes (hourly PM10 > 75 µg m−3) and their chemical profile (carbonaceous components and ratios). Updated temporal and chemical RWB emission profiles, derived from measurements, were used, while the level of the model performance was tested for different heating demand (HD) conditions, resulting in better agreement with measurements for Tmin