Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2-point centroidal Voronoi tessellations

2-POINT CENTROIDAL VORONOI TESSELLATIONS A centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) is a special kind of Voronoi tessellation such that the generating points of the tessellation are also the mass centroids of the corresponding regions. Due to their innate optimization properties, CVTs have applications in diverse fields; however, the theoretical nature of these tessellations is far from well understood. We approach some open questions about CVTs by looking in particular at 2-point tessellations of regular polygons with constant density. We show that for any CVT of an even-sided polygon, the Voronoi boundary or the centroids must lie on lines of symmetry, and anticipate that the same is true for oddsided polygons. We predict which of these configurations are stable under Lloyd’s algorithm for computing CVTs. Finally, we illustrate basins of attraction for the stable CVTs under Lloyd’s algorithm. Sophia Claire De Arment Whitman College May 2015
THE NEW MARKET EFFECT ON RETURN AND VOLATILITY OF SPANISH STOCK SECTOR INDEXES

________________________________________________________________________________ Recently (April 2000), the New Market index began to be computed in the Spanish Stock Exchange as a relevant indicator of the new technological firms’ behavior in the Spanish economy. This paper provides empirical evidence about the relationships between the return and volatility of Spanish sector indexes and the New Market index volatility. Using GARCH methodology, empirical results reveal a positive significant impact on the financial, industrial and utilities sector volatility, that is, high volatility in New Market tend to increase volatility in the other sectors. On the other hand, only statistical effect is detected on return of industrial sector, suggesting that only this sector require a risk premium when shocks in the technological sector increase the global market risk. _________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMEN _________________________________________________________________________________ Desde abril del 2000 el índice del llamado Nuevo Mercado empezó a contabilizarse en la Bolsa española como un indicador relevante del comportamiento de las empresas tecnológicas en la economía española. Este trabajo proporciona evidencia empírica sobre las relaciones entre el rendimiento y la volatilidad de los índices bursátiles sectoriales españoles y la volatilidad del índice bursátil del Nuevo Mercado. Utilizando la metodología GARCH, los resultados empíricos revelan un impacto significativo importante sobre la volatilidad de los índices de los sectores financiero e industrial, es decir, la alta volatilidad del Nuevo Mercado tiende a incrementar la volatilidad en los otros sectores. Por otro lado, sólo se detecta un efecto significativo sobre el rendimiento del sector industrial, sugiriendo que sólo este sector precisa de una prima de riesgo cuando los shocks en el sector tecnológico incrementan el riesgo de todo el mercado. _________________________________________________________________________________
Regional determinants of FDI in China: A new approach with recent data

We empirically investigate the factors that drive the uneven regional distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Chinaâ€™s 31 provinces from 1995 to 2006. The aim of this paper is to explain the investment patterns in (partly) foreign funded firms across these provinces. We use factor analysis and derive four factors that may drive FDI: institutions, labor costs, market potential, and geography. The factor analysis then structures our dataset to concentrate on these four clusters consisting of 42 province specific and time -varying items. Factor analysis not only helps us to identify the latent dimensions which are not apparent from direct study, but also facilitates econometrics with reduced number of variables. We apply fixed effects panel estimation and GMM to account for endogeneity. In line with theoretical predictions we find that foreign investors choose and invest more in provinces with better institutions, lower labor costs, and larger market size. Nonlinear results denote that the positive effects of infrastructure and market potential on FDI are complementary to each other, which is in line with the economic geography literature. In particular the effect of market size on FDI is larger in provinces with better institutions. Sub-sample study confirms the existences of a large disparity between East and West. In the poorer large western provinces FDI is strongly driven by the geographical factor in contrast to the east of China where institutions play a significant role to build the â€˜factory of the worldâ€™. Robustness tests indicate that two sub-dimensions of institutions, namely infrastructure and governance, are important to determine the location choice of FDI in China.
Decision Tree Classification of Spatial Data Streams Using Peano Trees of classification

Many organizations have large quantities of spatial data collected in various application areas, including remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), astronomy, computer cartography, environmental assessment and planning, etc. These data collections are growing rapidly and can therefore be considered as spatial data streams. For data stream classification, time is a major issue. However, these spatial data sets are too large to be classified effectively in a reasonable amount of time using existing methods. In this paper, we developed a new method for decision tree classification on spatial data streams using a data structure called Peano Count Tree (P-tree). The Peano Count Tree is a spatial data organization that provides a lossless compressed representation of a spatial data set and facilitates efficient classification and other data mining techniques. Using P-tree structure, fast calculation of measurements, such as information gain, can be achieved. We compare P-tree based decision tree induction classification and a classical decision tree induction method with respect to the speed at which the classifier can be built (and rebuilt when substantial amounts of new data arrive). Experimental results show that the P-tree method is significantly faster than existing classification methods, making it the preferred method for mining on spatial data streams.
Experimental and numerical analysis of the tensile test on the A633 HSLA steel plate specimens with edge crack

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of the mechanical behavior of ASTM A633 high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel plate specimens with edge crack at the middle during the tensile test. Experimental analysis and numerical method are used to analyze the load-displacement curve for the steel specimens with various edge crack length. Four A633 HSLA steel plate specimens are tested in FIU’s Material Laboratory using a high capacity universal testing machine, and results are compared with the mesh-free and finite element results. A mesh-free method called Reproducing Kernel Particle Method (RKPM) is used to calculate the J-integral and load-displacement. RKPM is a mesh-free technology which is used to analyze the domain of interest only with particles using Ramberg-Osgood stress-strain relationship. A numerical analysis was performed using the finite element program ANSYS to exhibit the efficacy of RKPM in analyzing crack problems. This paper studies the effect of crack length on the load-displacement curve and the J-integral of A633 HSLA specimens after tensile tests. Results of loaddisplacement curves and J-integral curves found using the experimental, finite element, and meshfree methods were compared and validated against each other for samples with various crack lengths.
The Determinants of Cross-Border Tax Information Sharing: A Panel Data Analysis

The paper studies the determinants of tax information sharing between the Dutch tax authorities and foreign tax authorities for income tax purposes. To this end, it employs data on tax information sharing on request for a sample of 81 countries covering the period 1992{2005. It is shown that the height of the domestic income tax rate, the size of the marginal cost of public funds, and the share of a country’s deposits held abroad increase a country’s willingness to engage in information sharing. The presence of automatic bank reporting|which increases the tax authority’s ability to monitor the nancial transactions of its taxpayers|reduces a country’s incentives to
Irrigation depth and harvest date in sweet potato for conversion to biofuels

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different irrigation depths and harvest dates in sweet potato for conversion to biofuels. Irrigation treatments were 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 of crop evapotranspiration rates and a control treatment (without irrigation). Harvest dates were: 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 days after planting (DAP). The sweet potato cultivar BRS Cuia (RNC-27.315) was utilized. The experimental design was a randomized block in factorial arrangement (irrigation depths combined with harvest dates) with four replications. Reference crop evaporation was calculated based on the method of FAO Penman-Monteith. Drip irrigation system was used and irrigation frequency was every seven days. The highest and lowest yield were at 90 and 210 DAP, respectively. The lowest yield variation was between 120 and 150 DAP. Control treatment had highest yield in all harvest dates. Efficient water use was greater with irrigation of 0.25 of ETc with 116.9 and 218.8 m 3 ha at 90 and 210 DAP, respectively. Starch content, crude protein, length and diameter of the root, and yield were influenced by different irrigation depths and harvest dates.
Gaussian Semiparametric Estimation of Non‐stationary Time Series

Generalizing the definition of the memory parameter d in terms of the differentiated series, we showed in Velasco (Non‐stationary log‐periodogram regression, Forthcoming J. Economet., 1997) that it is possible to estimate consistently the memory of non‐stationary processes using methods designed for stationary long‐range‐dependent time series. In this paper we consider the Gaussian semiparametric estimate analysed by Robinson (Gaussian semiparametric estimation of long range dependence. Ann. Stat. 23 (1995), 1630–61) for stationary processes. Without a priori knowledge about the possible non‐stationarity of the observed process, we obtain that this estimate is consistent for d∈ (−½, 1) and asymptotically normal for d∈ (−½,¾) under a similar set of assumptions to those in Robinson's paper. Tapering the observations, we can estimate any degree of non‐stationarity, even in the presence of deterministic polynomial trends of time. The semiparametric efficiency of this estimate for stationary sequences also extends to the non‐stationary framework.
Productivity, Quality and Exporting Behavior Under Minimum Quality Requirements ⁄

We develop a model of international trade with two sources of flrm heterogeneity: \productivity" and \caliber". Productivity is modeled as is standard in the literature. Caliber is the ability to produce quality using few flxed inputs. While there is no quality restriction to sell domestically, exporting requires the attainment of minimum quality levels. Compared to single-attribute models of flrm heterogeneity emphasizing either productivity or the ability to produce quality, our model provides a more nuanced characterization of flrms’ export behavior. In particular, it explains the empirical fact that flrm size is not monotonically related with export status; there are small flrms that export while there are large flrms that only operate in the domestic market. The model also delivers novel testable predictions. Conditional on size, exporters sell products of higher quality and at higher prices, they pay higher wages and use capital more intensively. We test these predictions using data on manufacturing establishments in India, the U.S., Chile, and Colombia. The empirical flndings conflrm the theoretical predictions.
Multichannel Parallel Deblurring and Collaborative Registration Using Gaussian Total Variation Regularization for Image Fusion

We focus on the multichannel image fusion problem for the purpose of reaching the diffraction-limited resolution of turbulence-degraded images observed by multiple acquisition channels. A hybrid strategy consisting of multichannel parallel deblurring followed by collaborative registration is developed for the final fusion. In particular, a Gaussian total variation regularization scheme taking advantage of low-order Gaussian derivative operators is proposed, which integrates the deblurring and registration problems into a unified mathematical formalization. Specifically, the gradient magnitude of Gaussian operator is proposed to define the total variation norm, and the Laplacian of Gaussian operator is used to adjust the regularization parameter when searching the extremum in each iterative step. In addition, the coordination technique involving the regularization parameter among different channels is also considered.
Conditions of the Affine Extension of an Incompletely Defined Boolean Function

The paper presents conditions of extension of the weakly defined Boolean functions to their full affine form. The main goal of the analysis is a fast estimation whether a given incompletely defined function can be extended to a full affine form. If it is possible a simple algorithm of the states completion has been proposed. In such a case undefined points are clearly replaced by 0, 1 values. Spectral coefficients of a Boolean function allow to determine whether a partially defined function can be realised as affine.
Effect of Herbal Maturation Diets on Biochemical Composition ofDifferent Organs of Etroplus suratensis

The study was conducted to document the biochemical changes in the different body parts of Etroplus suratensis when feeding them with herbal maturation diets. Three different herbal maturation diets, such as Mucuna pruriens: Withania somnifera:Moringa oleifera (MP:WS:MO) in 1:1:1 ratio (Experimental Diet-1 - EXD1), MP:WS:MO in 2:1:2 ratio (Experimental Diet-2 - EXD2), MP:WS:MO in 1:2:1 ratio (Experimental Diet-3 - EXD3) and a control diet(without herbal extracts) were prepared by mixing the said proportions of the herbal extract with other feed ingredients and fed to the adult female animals. The effects of herbal maturation diet on biochemical parameters such as level of triglyceride, total protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate in blood, liver, gonad and body tissue were analyzed in the experimental fish. The results showed that the level of triglyceride, total protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate were significantly increased in EXD3 herbal maturation diets fed fishes than the other experimental and control diet fed animals. The results proved that the administration of the herbal maturation diet EXD3 enhanced the level of the triglyceride, total protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate which can in turn leads to quick maturation and reproductive success in E. suratensis.
Evaluation of Moringa oleifera Carbon for the As(III) Removal from Contaminated Groundwater

Removal of trivalent arsenic from contaminated groundwater was studied using steam activated carbon prepared from the leaf, seed and pod of Moringa oleifera (MO) plant of the indigenous-cultivar of Bangladesh. Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of contact time, adsorbent doses and variants. The removal efficiency of the MO-leaf-carbon and MO-seed-carbon was substantial, while it was trivial for MO-pod-carbon. The pseudo-first- and second-order and intra-particle diffusion equations were used to evaluate the sorption mechanism of the MO carbon options. The MO is a common plant variety of the arsenic-affected Bengal delta. Therefore, it can be exploited as a cheaper resource of carbonaceous adsorbent for the economical removal of arsenic from the water.
The distribution of saturated clusters in wetted granular materials

The hydro-mechanical behaviour of partially saturated granular materials is greatly influenced by the spatial and temporal distribution of liquid within the media. The aim of this paper is to characterise the distribution of saturated clusters in granular materials using an optical imaging method under different water drainage conditions. A saturated cluster is formed when a liquid phase fully occupies the pore space between solid grains in a localized region. The samples considered here were prepared by vibrating mono-sized glass beads to form closely packed assemblies in a rectangular container. A range of drainage conditions were applied to the specimen by tilting the container and employing different flow rates, and the liquid pressure was recorded at different positions in the experimental cell. The formation of saturated clusters during the liquid withdrawal processes is governed by three competing mechanisms arising from viscous, capillary, and gravitational forces. When the flow rate is sufficiently large and the gravity component is sufficiently small, the viscous force tends to destabilize the liquid front leading to the formation of narrow fingers of saturated material. As the water channels along these liquid fingers break, saturated clusters are formed inside the specimen. Subsequently, a spatial and temporal distribution of saturated clusters can be observed. We investigated the resulting saturated cluster distribution as a function of flow rate and gravity to achieve a fundamental understanding of the formation and evolution of such clusters in partially saturated granular materials. This study serves as a bridge between pore-scale behavior and the overall hydro-mechanical characteristics in partially saturated soils.
Increased aridity in southwestern Africa during the last-interglacial warmest periods

Abstract. We use pollen analysis of marine sediments from core MD96-2098 to produce a paleoenvironmental record spanning from 190 to 24.7 ka (thousand years before present) from southern Africa. Our interpretations of the pollen record are supported by an analysis of present day pollen spectra for the region. We apply canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) on pollen spectra from terrestrial surface samples to investigate pollen spectra-climate relationships. We identify pollen taxa that are suitable indicators for the different South African biomes, and assess in detail the distribution and potential interpretation of Poaceae pollen signals in marine sediments along the southwestern African coast. The pollen record from MD96-2098 documented major increases of Poaceae pollen percentages, that are interpreted as expansions of semi-arid southwestern African biomes (i.e. the Nama-Karoo and fine-leaved savannas) during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, 5c and 5a substages. These expansions coincided with minima in precession and global ice volume. They likely resulted from a combination of reduced Benguela upwelling; expanded subtropical high pressure and reduced austral-summer precipitation due to a northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ); and a southern displacement of the westerlies and decreased austral-winter precipitation. During glacial isotopic stages MIS 6, 4 and 3, Fynbos expanded at the expense of semi-arid biomes. Stage and substage transitions were characterised by small but rapid increases in Podocarpus indicating a humidity increase. Increased millennial-scale variability in the vegetation and climate of southern Africa is also suggested for the last 100 ka.
Competitive hierarchies among three species of juvenile coral reef fishes

Interspecific competition is often asymmetric, and it can limit the spatial distributions of competitively inferior species within a community. When asymmetric competition involves 2 or more component species, the ranking of species' competitive abilities may form competitive hierarchies (all species of higher rank out-compete all species of lower rank) or competitive networks (at least 1 species of lower rank out-competes =1 species of higher rank). Expectations of resource monopolization and patterns of distribution and abundance among species in competitive networks are expected to differ from those in competitive hierarchies. We conducted a field experiment to evaluate the relative competitive abilities of juveniles of 3 closely related species of reef fish (bird wrasse Gomphosus varius, fivestripe wrasse Thalassoma quinquevittatum and the sixbar wrasse T. hardwicke) on Moorea, French Polynesia. We controlled for intrinsic variation in survivorship among species and found that competition among these 3 species was highly asymmetric, resulting in a simple competitive hierarchy (sequence of competitive ability from superior to inferior competitors): fivestripe wrasse > bird wrasse > sixbar wrasse. We surveyed densities of the 3 reef fish species on 55 patch reefs and observed significant negative spatial covariation between superior and inferior competitors, consistent with competitive hierarchies that limit the spatial distributions of the inferior species (sixbar wrasse). Our work demonstrates that intense asymmetric competition and the formation of competitive hierarchies may be an important determinant of resource monopolization and patterns of distribution and abundance in reef fishes. © Inter-Research 2013.
Sarcopenia definitions: Critical issues

In the last decades, there has been a progressive ageing of the population along with an increased prevalence of many age-related diseases that result in declined functional performance in older people thus leading to falls, fractures, disability, poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased mortality. After 25 years of age skeletal muscle mass undergoes a gradual decline [1], and until 80 years it is estimated a loss of 30% of muscle mass and 20% of cross sectional area (CSA) related to the reduction in the number and size of muscle fibers, particularly of type II fibers, probably because older people did not regularly perform vigorous physical activity [2]. Sarcopenia is one of the most relevant clinical and social health age-related condition, and identifies the muscle deconditioning characterized by loss of both muscle mass and function [3]. Since its appearance in the scientific literature, sarcopenia represented a topic of great interest for research. Initially, defined as sarcomalacia [4], referring purely to the structural component of the condition, several operational definitions and diagnostic cut-offs were subsequently proposed until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently assigned an ICD-10-CM code (M62.84) to the age-related sarcopenia [5]. However, the debate about both universal definition and accepted diagnostic criteria is still open, with major implications concerning endpoints identification in clinical trial for novel therapeutic approaches to muscle wasting diseases.
Optimal Cap on Pension Contributions

In our model, the government operates a mandatory proportional (contributive) pension system to substitute for the low life-cycle savings of the low-paid myopes. The socially optimal contribution rate is high (equalizing young- and old-age consumption for them), while an appropriate cap on pension contributions makes room for the saving of high-paid far-sighted workers. In our parameterization (with a Pareto earning distribution), the optimal cap can be determined but its aggregate impact is negligible.