Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The forecasting ability of world mutual funds

Purpose - – The paper aims to empirically examine the forecasting ability of US-based world mutual funds during the 2001-2007 time period. Design/methodology/approach - – World mutual funds are treated as portfolios composed of two sets of securities, i.e. domestic and foreign and two methodologies are used to measure forecasting ability: domestic differential exposure and assertion rates. Domestic differential exposure is based on the difference between each fund exposure to the domestic market when it is the outperforming market and the portfolio exposure to the domestic market when the foreign market is outperforming. Similar to the differential exposure, assertion rates measure the ability of fund managers to pick, on a monthly basis, an outperforming market. Findings - – Although changing economic conditions in both domestic and foreign markets provided plenty of opportunities to outperform market benchmarks, the results of two empirical tests reveal that fund managers fail to effectively manage their exposure to both markets. Some evidence of good forecasting ability is found when funds are examined on a yearly basis. Originality/value - – This study provides the first implementation of both methodologies: domestic differential exposure and assertion rates, to examine global funds.
User Authentication Using Grid Based Method

Grid recognition authentication is a method of securing user logins. This project is based on user authentication in Smartphone using grid, images, and pattern. It is an innovation from the existing security lock that used in the Smartphone. A smartphone usually consists the authentication techniques such as draw a pattern or inserting a password. But nowadays, those techniques are not completely secure because it is very easy to break through different type of attack like brute force, dictionary attack or key logger. In this project, a tool based Grid Based Method will be developed which is important to increase the security of the smartphone that using an iOS platform. By using this tool, the codes are difficult to break because the grids are hidden behind the image. Users can identify the cells that were selected in a grid during the registration stage.
Evidence of over-dominance for sickle cell trait in a population sample from Buenaventura, Colombia

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary disease caused by a hemoglobin variant, known as hemoglobin S. This hemoglobin variant has a high frequency in areas where malaria is prevalent, because heterozygous genotype has a protective action against malaria infection. We evaluated evidence of over-dominance or deviation from Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium for the HbS gene in Buenaventura, an afro-descendent population with actual medium endemicity of malaria, located in the Colombian Pacific Coast. 820 healthy individuals were analyzed (from eight months to 80 years old) from Buenaventura, Colombia, and the β -globin locus was genotyped by PCR-RFLP. It was analyzed to establish deviation from Hardy – Weinberg and selection coefficient. Hemoglobin S frequency was 3.1% and the population was found in Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. However, the selection coefficient for allele S decreased its value of 1 (under 12 years old) to 0.625 (13 to 17 years old), similar to the selection coefficient of allele A (s1=0.61). Although the total population found in H-W equilibrium, there was a decrease in the coefficient of selection on hemoglobin S in the range of 13 to 17 years old, which is within the age range of the greatest malaria infection in this population. This may be an indication of a selection to the S over-dominance hemoglobin possibly, at least in this age group of the population. Keys words: Hemoglobin S, Buenaventura, malaria resistant, over-dominance, fitness, selection coefficient.
Density-Pressure Relationships in Powder Compaction

A method is described whereby the relationship of both the "at-pressure" powder compact density and the "zero-pressure" compact density to the applied pressure may be obtained from continuous measurements of punch movement during a single compaction operation. The rate of density increase with applied pressure for the metal powders is found to be proportional to the volume fraction of pores for pressures exceeding a lower limit which varies from 15,000 to 30,000 psi, depending on the powder.
The influence of fish farming intensification on taxonomic richness and biomass density of macrophyte-dwelling invertebrates in French fishponds

Key-words: macroinvertebrates, taxonomic richness, biomass density, macrophytes, fish farming Fishponds are man-made ecosystems where fish farming may strongly interfere with biodiversity. Intensified practices could be suspected to have a negative impact on animal and plant communities. We investigated the hypothesis that, in French fishponds, taxonomic richness and biomass density of macrophyte-dwelling macro-invertebrates could be influenced by fish stock density and pond fertilization. With a sample of 95 water bodies from three of the most important fishpond regions, studied in 2000, 2001 or 2002, we compared a series of models in which macrophyte cover (in three classes), emergent shore vegetation (in % of pond area) and invertebrate biomass in pond sediment were also considered. Among explanatory variables, macrophyte and helophyte abundance were included in the best models explaining variation in invertebrate taxonomic richness and in biomass density. Taxonomic richness was lower when abundance of both macrophytes and emergent shore vegetation was low (< 10% and < 7.5%, respectively). Biomass density was higher when macrophyte cover was 10% provided that emergent vegetation was abundant ( 7.5%). We conclude that fish farming intensification in French fishponds may affect aquatic invertebrate communities, mainly through its impact on the development of aquatic vegetation.
OSSICULAR CHAIN STATUS IN THE OTOLOGICAL PATHOLOGY OF THE ENT CLINIC TIMISOARA

The status of the ossicular chain is important when reconstructing the transmission mechanism of the ear and to establish the prognosis for the patients with middle ear pathology. This study analysed the status of the ossicular chain in the patients with middle ear pathology admitted in the ENT Clinic Timisoara between 2006 and 2009. The ossicle the most frequently involved was the incus, while the malleus was found to be the most resistant ossicle to erosion. Ossicular erosion was found to be much more common in unsafe CSOM (chronic suppurative otitis media).
Model-Based Water Wall Fault Detection and Diagnosis of FBC Boiler Using Strong Tracking Filter

Fluidized bed combustion (FBC) boilers have received increasing attention in recent decades. The erosion issue on the water wall is one of the most common and serious faults for FBC boilers. Unlike direct measurement of tube thickness used by ultrasonic methods, the wastage of water wall is reconsidered equally as the variation of the overall heat transfer coefficient in the furnace. In this paper, a model-based approach is presented to estimate internal states and heat transfer coefficient dually from the noisy measurable outputs. The estimated parameter is compared with the normal value. Then the modified Bayesian algorithm is adopted for fault detection and diagnosis (FDD). The simulation results demonstrate that the approach is feasible and effective.
An analysis of the impacts of GDP revisions on cyclically adjusted budget balances (CABS)

Trend (potential) GDP estimates, and consequently output gaps, a key variable for calculating cyclically adjusted balances (CABs), are unobservable and depend on past and projected observations. Thus, revisions to output forecasts lead to changes in CAB estimates, even if no additional discretionary measures have been taken. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of revisions to economic growth projections on the levels of and changes in structural balances when the Hodrick-Prescott filter is used to estimate the output gap. Two main conclusions are obtained. Firstly, economic growth revisions affect both the output trend and output gap, and thus CABs, to a degree that depends on whether the revisions have a temporary or permanent effect on the GDP level. Transitory changes in the level of output are mainly allocated to the cyclical component and CAB levels are little affected. If, however, the revision implies a permanent change in GDP level, CABs will be affected to a larger extent. Secondly, it is also shown that the impact of economic growth revisions on CAB changes is much more limited than on CAB levels. Given that the change in structural balances due to GDP revisions cannot be attributed to fiscal policy actions and that it can be easily calculated, we argue that this factor should be recognised when judging the ex-post compliance of EU countries with the rules of the Stability Pact
Wall Street : estado integral y lucha integral The Counter-Hegemonic Spectacle of Occupy Wall Street : Integral State and Integral Struggle

In this article, we explore the US social movement “Occupy Wall Street. ” First, we look at how its members attempt to construct a counter-hegemonic ‘spectacle’ characterized by an unstructured, leaderless and ‘ideology-less’ organization enacted by a series of practices that utilize communication and re-signification as the main terrain of confrontation. Secondly, we draw on Gramsci in order to stress the importance of the “integral state”—a concept that emphasizes how a successful hegemonic project achieves a “historic bloc” only when it operates both at the level of state and civil society. We claim that Occupy Wall Street’s goals require an equally integral kind of struggle, one that operates at all of these multiple levels.
Synthesis and Biological Interest of Structured Docosahexaenoic Acid Containing Triacylglycerols and Phospholipids

Abstract: In light of rapid progress in biochemistry and modern bioengineering, there is a great interest in understanding how modifying the structure of naturally occurring lipids can be used to improve their nutritional and health properties. Structured lipids (SLs) or custom-made lipids can supply functional fatty acids because of their specific positioning in the glycerol structure. Health benefits of n-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been widely reported. Little information is available on the potential for health benefits of the SLs molecules that are rich in DHA and have well defined structure.This review attempts to summarize our present state of knowledge of various approaches to produce structured DHA-containing triglycerides and phospholipids as well as their applications.
INTELLIGENT DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF ACTIVE ANKLE-FOOT ORTHOSIS

The main aim of this research is the development of an autonomous adaptive system for actuation, data acquisition and control of active ankle-foot orthosis. The system is composed by microcontroller, driver and sensor system, which application is to actuate and position the foot orthotic segment, as well as data acquisition, communication and friendly oriented software for interpretation of the data obtained during the walking. The research work combines hardware and software design of the intelligent control device with graphical interface for representation and analysis of the data acquired during human motion. A laboratory model of the proposed system was implemented to demonstrate its autonomy and verify experimentally its functionality. The proposed control device can be used in several applications involving human motion analysis and control of different types of orthoses used for gait correction.
Mitigation capacity of renewable energy production at EU farms

This paper analyses the potential role of EU on-farm RE production in the near future (2020) as projected in National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) and the related GHG mitigation. In this project which was commissioned by the European Commission (DG-Agri), both are assessed at the level of EU Member States (MS) by means of consolidating RE and GHG balances including primary (biomass including energy crops, wood, waste, manure, etc.), intermediate (biogas produced on the farm) and final energy (electricity and heat generated on farms). As a start, on-farm RE production was estimated for 2008. Next, development up to 2020 was assessed using two scenarios for on-farm RE production. Results show that total EU on-farm RE production in 2008 amounted to 11.8 Mtoe; 8.0 Mtoe of electricity and 3.9 Mtoe of heat. Projected on-farm 2020 RE production amounts to 42 Mtoe under the NREAP scenario, an increase of 250% as compared to 2008. Under the more ambitious NREAP+Agri scenario, electricity generation is expected to amount to 62 Mtoe (an eight-fold increase). GHG emission reduction under the NREAP scenario rises to 315 Mton CO2-eq in 2020, which is equivalent to 65% of the total reported GHG emissions from the UNFCCC sector agriculture in the EU in 2008. Savings under the NREAP+ Agri scenario amount to 512 Mton CO2-eq (105% of the current reported emissions from the UNFCCC sector Agriculture). Most GHG savings are due to wind energy (about 73%), followed by biogas and solid biomass for heating and electricity from second generation energy crops.
IPO BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: THRESHOLD FIRMS AND GOVERNANCE THEORY BOUNDARIES

Past research examining the influence of boards of directors on firm performance has acknowledged, but typically failed to account for, the early life cycle stage of the firm. This study analyzes the effectiveness of board structure and behavior on firm performance in the early stages of the life-cycle for start-up IPO firms. Results suggest that the life-cycle of the firm is an important contextual variable to include when determining board effectiveness.
Why quasi-sets?

Quasi-set theory was developed to deal with collections of indistinguishable objects. In standard mathematics, there are no such kind of entities, for indistinguishability (agreement with respect to all properties) entails numerical identity. The main motivation underlying such a theory is of course quantum physics, for collections of indistinguishable (’identical’ in the physicists’ jargon) particles cannot be regarded as ’sets’ of standard set theories, which are collections of distinguishable objects. In this paper, a rationale for the development of such a theory is presented, motivated by Heinz Post’s claim that indistinguishability of quantum entities should be attributed ’right at the start’.
Channel congestion control in vehicular networks: stability challenges

OF THE THESIS Channel Congestion Control in Vehicular Networks: Stability Challenges by Ali Rostami Thesis Director: Prof. Marco Gruteser Channel congestion is one of the major challenges for IEEE 802.11p-based vehicular networks. Unless controlled, congestion increases with vehicle density, leading to high packet loss and degraded safety application performance. We study two classes of congestion control algorithms: reactive state-based and linear adaptive. In this study, the reactive state-based approach is represented by the Decentralized Congestion Control (DCC) framework defined in European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). The linear adaptive approach is represented by LInear MEssage Rate Integrated Control (LIMERIC) algorithm. Both approaches control safety message transmissions as a function of channel load (i.e. Channel Busy Percentage, CBP). A reactive state-based approach uses CBP directly, defining an appropriate transmission behavior for each CBP value, e.g., via a table look-up. By contrast, a linear adaptive approach identifies the transmission behavior that drives CBP towards a target channel load. Little is known about the relative performance of these approaches and existing comparison are limited by incomplete implementations or stability anomalies. To address this, this work has three main contributions. First, we study and compare the two aforementioned approaches in terms of channel stability, and show that the reactive state-based approach can be subject to major oscillation. Second, we identify the root causes and introduce stable reactive algorithms. Finally, we compare the performance of the stable reactive approach with the linear adaptive approach and the legacy IEEE 802.11p. As one of the primary results, It is shown that the linear adaptive approach still achieves a higher message throughput for any given vehicle density for the defined performance metrics.
Using Peptoids to Build Robust, Efficient Microarray Systems

Recent studies have shown microarrays to be indispensable for various biological applications, allowing for high-throughput processing and screening of biological samples such as RNA, DNA, proteins and peptides using a small sample volume (< 1 μL). Peptoids (poly-N-substituted glycine oligomers) can be used as a substitute for antibodies as capture molecules, as well as coatings for slides in antibody microarrays. The ease of synthesis of peptoids, high customizability with desired bioactivity, and speed of synthesis allows us to build a diagnostic system with a large dynamic range that can detect biomolecules from a minimal sample size. In this study, peptoid-based antibody mimics are designed to have both structural and functional features similar to those of antibodies, including a stable constant region (scaffolding) and a variable region for protein recognition. Peptoids previously screened via combinatorial library synthesis to be specific to bind Mdm-2 (mouse double minute 2 homolog) and GST (gluthathione S-transferase), have been synthesized. The protein recognition peptoids have been conjugated to PEG (polyethylene glycol) molecules with modified end groups; an amine group on one end that allows for immobilization and orientation on the slide, and an azide group on the other end that will allow for attachment to the peptoid through “click chemistry”. The number of capture molecules printed on the slides can be increased by making the available surface area of the slide larger via coating with microspheres. We have determined that partially water soluble peptoids that are also helical, can self-assemble into microspheres. Sequences have been developed that can consistently produce uniform microsphere coatings on slides that increase the overall surface area. A high surface area corresponds to a higher number of binding sites, and therefore a more sensitive system. The work done has shown that slides may be successfully coated in order to potentially improve the detection system. Acknowledgements I owe this work to the patient and helpful mentoring provided by my advisor Dr. Shannon Servoss and the rest of the committee members. My family has been extremely supportive throughout this process and I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the numerous graduate students and undergraduate students who helped support this work with their support, both moral and technical. Table of
Local Office Rent Dynamics: a tale of ten cities

textabstractThis study applies rent adjustment models for ten major European office markets. We capture long-run equilibrium relationships of demand and supply variables and their short-term corrections in a two equation error correction model. We test whether the local nature of office markets makes a model based on national economics inaccurate if local and national markets do not move in tandem. For this we employ a unique dataset, which includes both disaggregated and national variables to model changes in real prime rents for a group of premier and second tier office market cities across Europe for the period 1990–2006. We explicitly compare results that are derived from models that include different levels of geographic aggregation. Results of the two stage error correction model indicate that international office rents adjust to short-run changes in office related economic activity, lagged rent changes, and to the deviation of rents from their long-run values. At the same time our results offer no proof that error correction mechanism models for office rents improve significantly by specifying economic growth figures beyond the national aggregated level for the cities included in our analysis.
Operation in distributed power generation scheme with transition of control between stand-alone and grid connected modes

This paper presents flexible control strategy of a squirrel cage induction generator (SCIG) featuring transition between stand-alone and grid-connected systems. The consistent load voltage supply in both the modes is ensured with smooth transition of the controls of standalone and grid connected modes. In the proposed technique, dc bus voltage controller of the stand-alone system is maintaining the input power same as the demand by controlling the speed. On the other hand, the same dc bus voltage controller of the grid-connected system maintains the output power at same level as input power. The transient performances of different variables of the system, during this flexible control are found to be satisfactory and THD remains within 3% throughout the study. The flexible control for both the modes is presented for the first time in available literature. The model is helpful for interfacing into wind-energy system.
Tsunami simulation for the 2011 Great Tohoku earthquake (Mw9.0), Japan, using seismic inversion source model and fully nonlinear tsunami model

SUMMARY: The question we addressing here is the possibility of evenly good simulation of observed ground motions and tsunami using the same source model. In this case, for prediction both tsunami and strong ground motions we could use the same source modeling technique. Here we used rupture process of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake inverted using long-period (20-200s) strong-ground motion data. Inverted slip distribution shows large elongated asperity with maximum slip of 47m, which is located on the trench side of the fault. For tsunami propagation and inundation we use fully nonlinear Boussinesq water wave model developed by Wei and Kirby (1995). Simulation results fit observed tsunami waveforms in the off-shore area, both direct and reflected-refracted waves, and reproduce inundation data on the coast of the Sendai plain, Fukushima and S.Sanriku. Simulated waveforms in general reproduce high amplitude short period wave overlapped with long period wave observed at off-shore gauges near Sanriku Coast.