Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Reinsurance with One Insurer and Multiple Reinsurers

In this paper, we consider a one-period optimal reinsurance design model with n reinsurers and an insurer. For very general preferences of the insurer, we obtain that there exists a very intuitive pricing formula for all reinsurers that use a distortion premium principle. The insurer determines its optimal risk that it wants to reinsure via this pricing formula. This risk it wants to reinsure is then shared by the reinsurers via tranching. The optimal ceded loss functions among multiple reinsurers are derived explicitly under the additional assumptions that the insurer’s preferences are given by an inverse-S shaped distortion risk measure and that the reinsurer’s premium principles are some functions of the Conditional Value-at-Risk. We also demonstrate that under some prescribed conditions, it is never optimal for the insurer to cede its risk to more than two reinsurers.
Quantitative Analysis of Bismuth (III) Ion by Coupling Turbidy Method with Cloud Point Extraction Mode

A new turbidimetric method is described for the determination of bismuth(III) ion . This method is based reaction between Bi(III) ion with fuchsine reagent and Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant compound in aqueous medium to form red ion-pair complex as turbid phase . The product was determined by using batch turbidimatric method. All optimization parameters were studied. The calibration graph was linear in the range of (0.05 -25)μg. mL-1, with correlation coefficient r =0.9973 and limit of detection (0.047 μg.mL-1 ). A comparison was made between the newly developed method analysis with classical method using standards addition method via the use of t-test it was noticed that there was no significant difference between two methods at %95 confidence level.
KOF Working Papers

In response to the increasing international pressure on Switzerland to reform the ring-fenced elements in its tax system, the Swiss Government has put forward a comprehensive tax reform package. The proposal comprises, among other things, the introduction of a licence box, a substantial reduction in the cantonal profit tax rates and an allowance for excess corporate equity. We apply a computable general equilibrium model to quantify the economic effects of this reform. Our results reveal that the licence box, combined with the reduction in the cantonal profit tax, limits the outflow of the tax base of those companies that benefit from the current preferential tax treatment. The reduction in the cantonal profit tax and the fact that regularly taxed companies also benefit from the licence box render the reform package costly, such that the tax revenues will decline after the reform. JEL Classification: H25, H32, C68.
Molecular isolation and characterization of the Rac GTPase gene from Oryza sativa indica cultivar UKMRC9.

Rac GTPase is involved in the transduction and regulation of various cellular processes in eukaryotes such as the plant defense system. This regulatory gene has been reported to produce a broad spectrum resistance against pathogens in plants. The purpose of this study is to isolate and characterize the Rac GTPase gene from UKMRC9, a locally developed cultivar that shows tolerance to major rice diseases in Malaysia. Total RNA of infected young rice leaves with low disease index was extracted, reverse transcribed into cDNA and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence was translated into a 307 amino acid Rac GTPase protein and was subjected to in silico analysis to defer protein characteristics, evolutionary relations and structural characteristics. This protein was found to be 99% similar to the Rho GTPase in Oryza sativa and contains actin and actin-like protein domains that have been implicated in cytoskeletal modelling and remodelling in cells with a function in structure and primary defence against host infiltration. The 3D structure of the protein contains a 6 beta- sheet structure that is surrounded by helixes, with an insert region and two switches that are characteristic of ATP binding Rac/Rho proteins. As Rac/Rho is diverse in plants, this isolated gene will be used in future mutational and transgenic studies that will enable us to elucidate the functional role of this protein in rice and compare the observed function with the reported functions observed in plants as well as other eukaryotic organism.
PIELĂRIE THE PROPERTIES OF KNITTED FABRICS FOR BIO-FUNCTIONAL TEXTILES

“Bio-active” textiles belong to the so-called “Functional” textiles that in addition to their basic functions claim to take care of the health and hygiene of the consumer contributing to his well-being. Fabric characteristics are usually dictated by a specified end-use. Understanding the relationship between the fabric end-use and fabric properties becomes fundamental for classification, selection, and proper utilization of apparel fabrics. This study focused on the effect of knitted structures on SeaCell active/Lycra yarn knitted fabric properties. In this work, we have used three structures: single jersey, single piqué and double piqué, for production of the knitted fabrics.
Seven-year outcome data of autogenous block onlay bone grafts used to augment the alveolar ridge prior to implant rehabilitation

The provision of dental implants is only possible if there is a sufficient amount of bone height and width. This is essential for good primary stability and a predictable soft tissue outcome (Esposito et al 2009). Patients presenting with hypodontia or severe forms of dental trauma are often rehabilitated using dental implants, which allow fixed replacement of their missing teeth (Worsaae et al 2007; Andreasen et al 2011). However, these patients often lack sufficient bone and require alveolar bone grafts to augment prospective implant sites prior to implant placement (Chiapasco et al 2006). This article aims to provide an overview of the outcomes encountered within a multidisciplinary unit, when providing autogenous block onlay bone grafts, in order to increase bone volume for subsequent implant placement.
Supplementary Material for : Video Prediction with Appearance and Motion Conditions

We encode ya using five convolutional layers: conv2d(32) – leakyReLU – conv2d(64) – BN – leakyReLU – pool – conv2d(128) – BN – leakyReLU – pool – conv2d(256) – BN – leakyReLU – pool – conv2d(256) – BN – leakyReLU, where conv2d(k) is a 2D convolutional layer with k filters of 3 × 3 kernel with stride 1, pool is average pooling on 2 × 2 region with stride 2, and BN is batch normalization (Ioffe & Szegedy, 2015). The output is an embedding φ(ya) of size 8× 8× 256. We unroll the convLSTM (Shi et al., 2015) for T − 1 time steps to produce the output video. The convLSTM has 256 filters of 3× 3 kernel with stride 1. We initialize its states using φ(ya). At each t-th time step, we pass the motion condition ym,t ∈ R to a fully connected layer with a gated operation. That is, we compute the gate value t = sigmoid(fc(q)) ∈ R and obtain t ∗ fc(q) + (1 − t) ∗ q. Then, we spatially tile it to form a 8 × 8 × q tensor, which is the input to the convLSTM. In our experiments, q = 28 for the MUG dataset (by concatenating 11 of 2D facial landmarks and an one-hot vector of 6 emotion class) and q = 42 for the
SWITCHABLE ALUMINUM NITRIDE MEMS RESONATOR USING PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS

This paper reports on the first demonstration of a reconfigurable Aluminum Nitride (AlN) piezoelectric Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) resonator using phase change material (PCM) based switchable electrodes, enabling switching and reconfiguration of a high quality factor (Q~1400) and high frequency (~260MHz) piezoelectric micro-acoustic resonator. This innovative design solution allows direct control and reconfigurability of the electrical coupling across the piezoelectric body of the device which enables effective ON/OFF switching of the acoustic resonance (~18X impedance variation at resonance) and reconfiguration of the device electromechanical coupling (0% < kt < 0.7%) and electrical capacitance (258fF < C0 < 340fF) which can potentially lead to the implementation of filter architectures whose frequency, order, bandwidth, and roll-off can be dynamically reconfigured.
A Review on Energy Minimization via Fast Approximation Algorithms

Label cost optimization proposes a new improvement in label cost function, improving existing moves of α-expansion algorithm and introducing some new moves for this algorithm. Instead of k-mean optimization algorithm new technique i.e. fast approximation can be used in α-expansion algorithm to optimize label cost function. In order to perform comparison, different metrics of energy minimization will be considered. An appropriate comparison will be drawn among proposed technique and previous well known techniques. The objective is to effectively optimize energies so that satisfactory image segmentation can be obtained (represented with different labels respective to different objects).
Ferroelectric Materials for Small-Scale Energy Harvesting Devices and Green Energy Products

Portable electronic devices and autonomous systems experienced a strong development over the last few years, thanks to progresses in microelectronics and ultralow-power circuits, as well as because of an increasing demand in autonomous and “left-behind” sensors from various industrial fields (for instance aeronautic, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, home automation). Until now, such devices have been powered using primary batteries. However, such a solution is often inadequate as batteries raise maintenance issues because of their limited lifespan (typically one year under normal conditions Roundy, Wright and Rabaey (2003)) and complex recycling process (leading to environmental problems). In order to tackle these drawbacks, many efforts have been placed over the last decade on systems able to harvest electrical energy from their close environment (Krikke, 2005; Paradiso and Starner, 2005). Many sources are available for power scavenging, such as solar, magnetic, mechanical (vibrations) or thermal (Hudak andAmatucci, 2008). In order to power up small-scale devices, a particular attention has been placed on the last two sources (Anton and Sodano, 2007; Beeby, Tudor and White, 2006; Jia and Liu, 2009; Vullers et al., 2009), as they are commonly available in many environments and because the conversion materials can be easily integrated within the host structure. The purpose of this chapter is to give a comprehensive view and analysis of small-scale energy harvesting systems using ferroelectric materials, with a special focus on piezoelectric and pyroelectric devices for vibration and thermal energy scavenging systems, respectively. As the energy that can be provided from microgenerators is still limited to the range of tens of microwatts to a few milliwatts, a careful attention has to be placed on the design of the harvester. In particular, backward couplings that may occur between each conversion and energy transfer stages require a global optimization rather than an individual design of each block. The chapter is organized as follows. Section 2 aims at presenting energy sources and conversion materials that will be considered in this study, as well as basic models for the considered conversion devices. Then section 3 will give a general view of a typical microgenerator, emphasizing the energy conversion chain and issues for optimizing the energy flow. Sections 4 and 5 will focus on two important energy conversion stages (energy conversion and extraction), highlighting general optimization possibilities to get an efficient energy harvester. Implementation issues for realistic applications will then be discussed in 5
Leveraging Ubiquitous Technology for Seamless Language Learning : From “ Move , Idioms ! ” to

Paralleling to the paradigm shift in language learning theories from behaviorism to a communicative and authentic learning approach, the focus of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is swinging to design-oriented authentic or social mobile learning activities. In a related note, the ready-to-hand access of mobile devices creates the potential for facilitating „seamless learning spaces‟, marked by continuity of the learning experience across different contexts. In this paper, we propose perspectives and approaches to address the need of establishing seamless language learning (SLL) practice. Building on existing research work on MALL, the emerging approach highlights a theory-rooted socio-techno-pedagogical framework to address the challenges of the young language learners. We will describe how the notion of SLL informs a research study entitled MyCLOUD (My Chinese Language ubiquitOUs learning Days). The proposed framework could contribute to current research by exploring ways in closing the loops in both the seamless learning and language learning perspectives through enacting the on-going learning process mediated by the ubiquitous technology. Author
Modeling the Probability of Resource Use: The Effect of, and Dealing with, Detecting a Species Imperfectly

Abstract Resource-selection probability functions and occupancy models are powerful methods of identifying areas within a landscape that are highly used by a species. One common design/analysis method for estimation of a resource-selection probability function is to classify a sample of units as used or unused and estimate the probability of use as a function of independent variables using, for example, logistic regression. This method requires that resource units are correctly classified as unused (i.e., the species is never undetected in a used unit), or that the probability of misclassification is the same for all units. In this paper, I explore these issues, illustrating how misclassifying units as unused may lead to incorrect conclusions about resource use. I also show how recently developed occupancy models can be utilized within the resource-selection context to improve conclusions by explicitly accounting for detection probability. These models require that multiple surveys be conducted at each of a sample of resource units within a relatively short timeframe, but given the growing evidence from simulation studies and field data, I recommend that such procedures should be incorporated into studies of resource use.
TEM Sample Preparation for Microcompressed Nanocrystalline Ni

Ultra-large compressive plasticity at room temperature has recently been observed in electrodeposited nanocrystalline nickel (nc-Ni) under micro-scale compression (Pan, Kuwano, Fujita, Chen, Nano Letters 7, 2108 (2007)). The evolution of microstructure of nc-Ni during ultra-large deformation is outlined at a variety of strain levels, with TEM observations in combination with a TEM sample preparation technique using focused ion beam (FIB). This paper demonstrates focused ion beam (FIB) technique to prepare transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples from microcompressed specimens. There has been a demand to prepare TEM samples from a point of interest to study microstructures on atomic scales. Conventional techniques used to make TEM samples, such as chemical polishing or ion-sputtering milling, cannot provide reliable opportunity to make TEM samples from a point of interest. With this technique, the deformation mechanism on atomic scales can be fairly connected with the result of microcompression test, which is available for size-limited materials.
Design, modeling and controllability of a spherical mobile robot

A spherical mobile robot, rolling on a plane with the help of two internal rotors and working on the principle of conservation of angular momentum has recently been fabricated in our group. The robot is a classic example of a nonholonomic system for which many existing algorithms do not easily apply. The objective is to study feasible path planning algorithms on this system. In this paper, we present the design details of the spherical robot fabricated along with the hardware used. We use Euler parameters which describe a unit quaternion for orientation of the robot and develop mathematical model to avoid singularity problem. We also prove controllability of the system in the quaternion space.
List of Abbreviations and symbols 2 D Two Dimensional

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease found mostly in the elderly that progressively leads to the loss of articular cartilage, along with subchondral bone changes (sclerosis) and joint space narrowing, eventually resulting in joint failure. Osteoporosis (OP), another bone disorder mostly of the elderly, is the gradual loss of bone tissue mass (bone mineral density (BMD)) resulting in reduction in bone strength and an increased risk of fracture. Bone geometry also plays a role in developing a fracture or not. OA causes increase in bone volume, but fracture is still prevalent in OA patients. The aim of this study was to investigate association of upper femur geometry and texture features to hip OA and hip fracture using radiography. Supine anteroposterior radiographs of hip and BMD from 125 postmenopausal women were used for this research. Hip geometry parameters and texture related parameters were obtained from the radiographs. Participants’ weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were also used in this research. OA was found in women with higher weight, BMI, femur neck BMD, neck diameter (ND), and neck cortex thickness, and shorter joint space width (JSW). OA women also had higher homogeneity index of Laplacian images of femur neck and lower entropy of Laplacian images of femur neck. Fractures were more common among women with lower neck BMD, and higher femoral neck axis length, JSW, hip axis length (HAL) and acetabular width (w). For cervical fractures, JSW and w were higher. Women with trochanteric fractures had lower neck BMD and head diameter, and higher ND and HAL. Upper femur geometry may play a role in the initiation and progression of OA and OP, and trabecular microarchitectural changes in OA are relatively distinct. Higher weight, BMI and neck BMD are predisposing factors for OA. Lower neck BMD is a predisposing factor for trochanteric fracture.
Highly Biomimetic Design of a Muscle Glove

Grasping objects is a natural thing for most people whose hands have normal function. Losing hand function disturbs all aspects of our daily life and work. Wearable device which can restore the hand function reasonably are significant for persons suffer from this problem. To this end, we proposes a design of a soft robotic glove which highly replicates the biomechanical features of a human hand in this paper. Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators were selected as artificial muscles to provide forces required for the hand motions. The performance of the soft robotic glove was investigated experimentally. The muscle glove is able to generate natural hand motions and grasp postures. The results confirmed our biomimetic design concept.
Experimental immunology Adjuvant effect of saponin on the immune responses to bovine serum albumin in hens

A glycoside the saponin was evaluated as a potential immunomodulator in various formulations. Hens were immunized three times orally with a bovine serum albumin (BSA) supplemented with 350 and 700 mg of the saponin. Birds in a positive control group were administered with solution of emulsified with an equal volume of Freund’s incomplete adjuvant. BSA-specific IgA antibodies in saliva and IgY antibodies in yolk were examined by ELISA. It was found that the birds inoculated with BSA in addition to 350 mg of saponin had a higher amount of BSA-specific IgA antibodies in the saliva and BSA-specific IgY antibodies in yolk, than hens that received lower doses of the glycoside. However, the total IgY content in yolk was higher in BSA + 700 mg of saponin-treated hens as compared to chickens immunized with lower dose of this mixture. These results suggest that saponin is useful as an oral adjuvant or immunomodulator for hens.
Optimization of Life-Cycle Maintenance of Deteriorating Bridges with Respect to Expected Annual System Failure Rate and Expected Cumulative Cost

AbstractCivil infrastructure systems are subjected to progressive deterioration resulting from multiple mechanical and environmental stressors. This deterioration process is developed under uncertainties related to load effects, structural resistance, and inspection outcomes, among others. In this context, life-cycle optimization techniques provide a rational approach to manage these systems considering uncertainties and several budgetary and safety constraints. This paper proposes a novel optimization procedure for life-cycle inspection and maintenance planning of aging structures. In this procedure, the structural system effects are accounted for by modeling the structure as a series, parallel, or a series-parallel system whose components are subjected to time-dependent deterioration phenomena. Different possible repair options are considered depending on the damage state and the outcomes of each inspection. For each component, essential or preventive maintenance aiming at reducing the system failure ra.
Text-mining network analysis of the response to osmotic stimuli in the intervertebral disc

Intervertebral disc cells experience a broad range of physical stimuli under physiologic conditions, including alterations in their osmotic environment. The purpose of this study was to construct a text-mining network of the genes induced during the response to osmotic stimuli in the intervertebral disc. We obtained a gene expression profile of human intervertebral disc cells from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, after culture under hyperand hypo-osmotic conditions compared to iso-osmotic conditions, and we identified 65 differentially expressed genes of intervertebral disc cells. We constructed a text-mining network using Biblio-MetReS between the differentially expressed genes and other genes that were included in the same document as the differentially expressed genes. Then, we performed pathway-enrichment analysis to identify the most relevant pathways for the response to osmotic stimuli in intervertebral disc cells. Our data provide a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of genes and pathways that may be involved in the response to osmotic stimuli in the intervertebral disc.
A Survey on Path Queries

: In large scale network shortest distance query is used to find the shortest path. When we consider road network, route search and optimal path queries are two important types of queries. A path query returns a path that is a set of points that connects the source and destination. The optimal path queries find the optimum path from set of information. In the case of road network users give some specification about the travelling with or without constraints. The optimal path queries optimize the possible paths and give the optimal path that satisfies all the constraints. The road network mainly deals with time dependent parameters and we use different models to represent the road network . This survey paper discusses about various path query processing algorithms in road network and the two models that is used to represent the road network.