Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling and DEM simulations of toner behaviour in a print process

This paper describes the modelling of the toner behaviour in the development nip of the Océ Direct Imaging print process. The dynamic motion of and mechanical interactions between toner particles are explicitly modelled. The mechanical interactions are due to collisions, friction, adhesion, and electromagnetic forces. The discrete element method (DEM) is used as the simulation tool for a quantitative description of the system. The interaction rules are determined for the toner particles and the surfaces of the development rollers. The model is validated with print quality results. It is shown that it is possible to achieve quantitative agreement between DEM simulations and experimental print quality results.
Time-varying dynamics in the Greek stock market integration with the EMU stock markets

In this study we examine the degree of integration of the Greek stock market with the traditional and non-traditional European stock markets during the period 1994-2004, using monthly data. We use the French stock market as a proxy of the traditional stock markets and the Portuguese stock market as a proxy for the non-traditional ones. We divide our data into three sub-periods, from 1994:04 to 1999:12, from 2000:01 to 2002:12 and from 2003:01 to 2004:12. Using Granger Cointegration method and Error Correction Model we find evidence that the Greek stock market is exhibiting long run relationship with the Portuguese and the French stock market, although with different influences. Until 1999 the Greek stock market is showing evidence of integration with both markets. In the second period integration exists only with Portugal and in the third period only with France. Another finding is that Portugal and France are acting as one month leading indicators of the Greek market.
Chapter 6 MRA Frame Wavelets with Certain Regularities Associated with the Refinable Generators of Shift Invariant Spaces

In this paper, we will start the discussion with the refinable generators of the shift invariant (SI) spaces in L2(R) that possess the largest possible regularities and required vanishing moments. For the pseudo-scaling generators, the corresponding MRA frame wavelets with certain regularities are constructed. In addition, the stability of the refinable SI spaces and the corresponding complementary spaces, biorthogonality of the SI spaces, and the approximation property of the spaces are also discussed.
On the Implicit Assumptions of GANs

Generative adversarial nets (GANs) have generated a lot of excitement. Despite their popularity, they exhibit a number of well-documented issues in practice, which apparently contradict theoretical guarantees. A number of enlightening papers have pointed out that these issues arise from unjustified assumptions that are commonly made, but the message seems to have been lost amid the optimism of recent years. We believe the identified problems deserve more attention, and highlight the implications on both the properties of GANs and the trajectory of research on probabilistic models. We recently proposed an alternative method that sidesteps these problems.
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES AND EVALUATION OF GENETIC EFFECTS OF MORINGA PEREGRINA (FORSK) FIORI USING MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES

Moringa peregrina (Forsk) Fiori,Moring aceaeused in folk medicine. In the present work, ethanol extracts of different parts of this plant (leaves, seed coat and seed endosperm) along with some standard antibiotic were assessed against three Gram+ve bacteria (Bacillus subtilius, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus) and three Gram-ve bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa & Klebsiella pneumoniae). The effect magnitude of these extracts on tested bacteria strains were as follows: leaves extract>seed coat >seed endosperm respectively. Results showed a strong effect of all these parts on Staphylococcus aureus. The leaf ethanol extract exhibited remarkable antifungal activities on the tested fungi in order of sensitivity as C. albicans>A.flavus>A.fumigatus>A.niger C. albicans was the most sensitive to all used M.peregrina parts. Antimicrobial activities of standard antibiotics showed an inhibitory effect on all tested bacteria. However the ciproflaxocin is more effective than streptomycin. The antifungal activities of standard antibiotics showed that the amphotericin is less effective than nystatin. The results of our antimicrobial assay revealed that the different parts extract of M. peregrina showed higher inhibitory activity on tested organisms than the standard antibiotics. The antimicrobial effect of M. peregrina leafs extract were explored at the molecular level, using random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) extracted from the control andtreated Staphylococcus aurueus and Candida albicans. The results demonstrate polymorphic band pattern for most treated microbes compared with the untreated strains. The present study suggested that M. peregrina leafs could have wide antimicrobial activity spectrum
Unsupervised pattern-based regionalization of large multi-categorical raster maps using machine vision methods

This dissertation introduces a novel method for automatic pattern-based regionalization of large raster maps. The method utilizes techniques from several disciplines including data science and machine vision. A detailed analysis of different techniques and ideas leads to the construction of this robust methodology. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) dividing a raster into an arbitrary regular grid of blocks of cells, (2) calculating histograms of color co-occurrence, which are numerical representations of patterns in each block, (3) a region growing segmentation of the grid, (4) Ward’s hierarchical clustering of the segments. The method inherits its unsupervised character from the usage of a self-seeding region growing segmentation algorithm, and a clustering algorithm. Because the process is unsupervised, the delineation of regions comes directly from the structure of data, without having any additional input from the analyst. To obtain the best possible regionalization, the final number of clusters of patterns can be found by using either the silhouette technique or the L-method. The performance of the methodology is presented as a study of landscape pattern types (LPTs), spatial units each containing a unique quasi-stationary pattern of land cover categories, over the entire conterminous United States. A hierarchy of nested LPTs in the form of dendrogram is the result. The hierarchy of LPTs is studied by cutting the dendrogram and mapping the resulting clusters. Finally, the L-method finds that there are nine most distinct land cover patterns in the United States.
Growing old abroad: social and material deprivation among first- and second- generation migrants in Europe

Over the past 100 years, most European countries have experienced a considerable influx of immigrants from a wide range of countries. As a result, persons with a migration background have become an increasingly important part of society, both culturally and economically. Research on the social integration of young migrants in Europe is already fairly widespread, particularly on such topics as educational attainment and labour market placement. Little is known, on the other hand, about older migrants. Based upon the data from SHARE Wave 5, we know that about 21 per cent of the respondents aged 50 and older either migrated themselves or had at least one parent who migrated. Given the growing representation of people with a migration background within the ageing populations of Europe, studying this particular segment of the population is more and more relevant. In previous waves of SHARE, respondents were asked where they were born and when they migrated. This facilitated the identification of first-generation migrants, i.e. those who relocated themselves. In order to identify second-generation migrants, that is, persons who were born in the receiving country but whose parents were born elsewhere, SHARE Wave 5 introduced new questions on the country of birth of the respondent’s mother and father. The SHARE Wave 5 questionnaire also asked whether the respondent had the survey country’s citizenship since birth or, if not, in what year citizenship was obtained. Using these new questions, we report in the first part of this chapter on the state of migration and naturalisation among the members of the SHARE sample.
Groupthink and Project Performance: The Influence of Personal Traits and Interpersonal Ties

This study explores whether the negative impact of “groupthink concurrence‐seeking behavior” (GTB) on business process reengineering (BPR) projects is affected by group members personal traits and interpersonal ties within the group. To this purpose we conduct and present the results of a longitudinal controlled field experiment over 18 BPR projects lasting 3 months and involving 18 teams comprising 71 first‐year MBA students. The main contribution of this study is twofold. First, we explicitly consider and measure the core construct of groupthink phenomenon: that is, GTB. Existing organizational behavior literature has, contrarily, considered only its causes, symptoms, and outcomes. Second, we show evidence that GTB does have a negative impact on group performance in BPR project settings. In this regards, results also indicate that while perceived control, conscientiousness and interpersonal evaluation mitigate the negative impact of GTB on group project performance, confidence, and previous relationships amplify this negative impact, even if they have a direct positive effect on performance. Thanks to the findings of this study, we are able to provide valuable suggestions to managers in charge of BPR projects for ensuring effective performance of project teams and controlling for potential obstacles due to GTB.
White dwarf masses in magnetic cataclysmic variables: multi-temperature fits to Ginga data

One method of obtaining the mass of the white dwarf in magnetic cataclysmic variables (mCVs) is through their hard X-ray spectra. However, previous mass estimates using this method give lower limits because the temperature of the plasma in the post-shock region (where the hard X-rays are emitted) is lower than the temperature of the shock itself. In AM Her systems, the additional cooling of the post-shock plasma by cyclotron emission will further lower the derived mass. Here we present estimates of the masses of the white dwarf in 13 mCVs derived using Ginga data and a model in which X-rays are emitted from a multi-temperature emission region with the appropriate temperature and density profile. We include in the model reflection from the surface of the white dwarf and a partially ionized absorber. We are able to achieve good fits to the data. We compare the derived masses with previous estimates and the masses for larger samples of isolated white dwarfs and those in CVs.
From FEMTI to FEIRI 3 . 1 Differences in Requirements for Evaluation of MT and IR : Evaluation Requirements

This is intended as an informal position paper discussing several of the issues raised by the organizers in the call for papers of this workshop on evaluation. In particular, I address some of the questions regarding the potential for the use of task-based evaluation for a technology in the IR realm — specifically, multicultural name matching and identity resolution. I consider possible extensions of the FEMTI framework for evaluation of identity matching technologies, and I briefly consider the applicability of automated or hybrid (human/automated) evaluation metrics to this technology area.
csrB Gene Duplication Drives the Evolution of Redundant Regulatory Pathways Controlling Expression of the Major Toxic Secreted Metalloproteases in Vibrio tasmaniensis LGP32

The conserved CsrB sRNAs are an example of sibling sRNAs, i.e., sRNAs which are present in multiple copies in genomes. This report illustrates how new copies arise through gene duplication events and highlights two evolutionary advantages of having such multiple copies: differential regulation of the multiple copies allows integration of different input signals into the regulatory network of which they are parts, and the high redundancy that they provide confers a strong robustness to the system. ABSTRACT CsrBs are bacterial highly conserved and multiple-copy noncoding small RNAs (sRNAs) that play major roles in cell physiology and virulence. In the Vibrio genus, they are known to be regulated by the two-component system VarS/VarA. They modulate the well-characterized quorum sensing pathway controlling virulence and luminescence in Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio harveyi, respectively. Remarkably, Vibrio tasmaniensis LGP32, an oyster pathogen that belongs to the Splendidus clade, was found to have four copies of csrB, named csrB1-4, compared to two to three copies in other Vibrio species. Here, we show that the extra csrB4 copy results from a csrB3 gene duplication, a characteristic of the Splendidus clade. Interestingly, csrB genes are regulated in different ways in V. tasmaniensis, with csrB1 expression being independent of the VarS/VarA system. We found that a complex regulatory network involving CsrBs, quorum sensing, and the stationary-phase sigma factor σS redundantly but differentially controls the production of two secreted metalloproteases, Vsm and PrtV, the former being a major determinant of the V. tasmaniensis extracellular product toxicity. In particular, we identified a novel VarS/VarA-dependent but CsrB-independent pathway that controls positively both Vsm production and PrtV production as well as rpoS expression. Altogether, our data show that a csrB gene duplication event in V. tasmaniensis supported the evolution of the regulatory network controlling the expression of major toxic secreted metalloproteases, thereby increasing redundancy and enabling the integration of additional input signals. IMPORTANCE The conserved CsrB sRNAs are an example of sibling sRNAs, i.e., sRNAs which are present in multiple copies in genomes. This report illustrates how new copies arise through gene duplication events and highlights two evolutionary advantages of having such multiple copies: differential regulation of the multiple copies allows integration of different input signals into the regulatory network of which they are parts, and the high redundancy that they provide confers a strong robustness to the system.
Default Risk, Firm's Characteristics, and Risk Shifting

This paper examines the relationship between a firm's risk-shifting behavior and its default risk. Using contingent-claims approaches, we estimate the market value of a firm's assets, the volatility of asset return, and the associated default risk based on the stock prices and book value of debt. Our study shows that, consistent with conventional wisdom and many theoretical models, firms with high default risk tend to increase asset volatility more in the subsequent year, reltive to their industry peers. We find that, a firm's risk-shifting is also pronounced when it has very low default risk. In addition, risk shifting is negatively related to firm size, leverage ratio, and current asset volatility. Alternative specifications of default risk confirm that our findings are robust to the choice of default risk measure. A direct estimation of the market values of firms based on market values of stocks and bonds confirms our results based on contingent-claims approaches.
Criticizing Inequality? How Ideals of Equality Do - and Do Not - Contribute to the De-Legitimation of Inequality in Contemporary Germany

»Kritik der Ungleichheit? Gleichheitsideale und ihr Beitrag zur Delegitimation sozialer Ungleichheit in Deutschland«. Social inequality in modern societies requires legitimation. Yet, while ideals of equality are ascribed a central role in philosophical and public debates about inequality and social justice, less is known about how ordinary people draw on principles of equality in criticizing and justifying social inequalities in the current era of a “crisis of equality. ” From the perspective of the sociology of critique, this article asks how different social classes refer to beliefs about equality of outcomes and opportunity when criticizing and justifying inequality in contemporary Germany. Based on qualitative interviews with respondents from upper and lower social classes, I show that the ideal of equality is inherently ambivalent and contested: On the one hand, respondents across classes reject the idea of equalizing outcomes but criticize unequal opportunities. However, only upper-class respondents demand greater state intervention to bring about equality of opportunity, indicating that this ideal does not serve as a normative point of reference for the lower classes. At the same time, due to its individualist undertones, the ideal of equality of opportunity also contains a legitimizing potential. Paradoxically, then, ideals of equality appear to contribute little to the de-legitimation of inequality in contemporary Germany.
GM Crops : Boon or Bane

Genetically modified organism is outcome of modern biotechnology in which foreign gene is inserted to the host organism to get desired trait. Several agricultural crops are genetically modified to acquire resistance to abiotic/biotic stress, improving nutritional quality, production of pharmaceuticals etc. In current short review, authors have covered brief history, areas, products, benefits and risk of transgenic crops.
Analysis of Electron Transport Coefficients in Binary Mixtures of TEOS Gas with Kr, Xe, He and Ne Gases for Using in Plasma Assisted Thin- film Deposition

The electron transport coefficients in not only pure atoms and molecules but also in the binary gas mixtures are necessary, especially on understanding quantitatively plasma phenomena and ionized gases. Electron transport coefficients (electron drift velocity, density-normalized longitudinal diffusion coefficient, and density-normalized effective ionization coefficient) in binary mixtures of TEOS gas with buffer gases such as Kr, Xe, He, and Ne gases, therefore, was analyzed and calculated by a two-term approximation of the Boltzmann equation in the E/N range (ratio of the electric field E to the neutral number density N) of 0.1 - 1000 Td (1 Td = 10 -17 V.cm 2 ). These binary gas mixtures can be considered to use as the silicon sources in many industrial applications depending on mixture ratio and particular application of gas, especially on plasma assisted thin-film deposition.
Time-Resolved in Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Studies of Type 1 Silicon Clathrate Formation

Silicon clathrates are unusual open-framework solids formed by tetrahedrally bonded silicon that show remarkable electronic and thermal properties. The type I structure has a primitive cubic unit cell containing cages occupied by metal atoms to give compositions such as Na8Si46 and Na2Ba6Si46. Although their structure and properties are well described, there is little understanding of the formation mechanism. Na8Si46 is typically produced by metastable thermal decomposition under vacuum conditions from NaSi, itself an unusual structure containing Si44– polyanions. In this study, we used in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction combined with rapid X-ray detection on samples taken through a controlled temperature ramp (25–500 °C at 8 °C/min) under vacuum conditions (10–4 bar) to study the clathrate formation reaction. We also carried out complementary in situ high-temperature solid-state 23Na NMR experiments using a sealed tube loaded under inert-gas-atmosphere conditions. We find no evidence for an intermedia.
Mathematical modeling of rogue waves , a review of conventional and emerging mathematical methods and solutions

Anomalous waves and rogue events are closely associated with irregularities and unexpected events occurring at various levels of physics, such as in optics, in oceans and in the atmosphere. Mathematical modeling of rogue waves is a highly actual field of research, which has evolved over the last four decades into a specialized part of mathematical physics. The applications of the mathematical models for rogue events is directly relevant to technology development for prediction of rogue ocean waves, and for signal processing in quantum units. In this manuscript, a comprehensive view of the most recent development in conventional methods for representing rogue waves is carried out, along with discussion of the devised and forms and solutions. The standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation, the Hirota equation, the MMT equation and further to other models are discussed, and their properties highlighted. This review shows that the most recent advancement in modeling rogue waves give models which can be used to establish methods for prediction of rogue waves at open seas, which is important for the safety and activity of marine vessels and installations. The study further puts emphasis on the difference between the methods, and how the resulting models form a basis for representing rogue waves. This review has also a pedagogic component directed towards students and interested non-experts.
Is collecting anonymous but code-identified intervention assessment data worth the effort?: Reflections on a recent study in electronics

Often the effectiveness of an educational intervention for a large lecture group is assessed by testing the cohort before and after the intervention and measuring any improvement in the aggregated data from pre- to post-testing. A limitation of this method is that not all students may attend the pre-test, post-test or the lectures where the intervention is administered, diluting the significance of the results. An alternative approach is for students to use a unique but anonymous research code that allows researchers to 'tag' each individual student and hence identify those students who participate in all intervention activities and tests ('complete responders'). This paper argues that tagged data can increase the statistical significance of an intervention hypothesis when compared to untagged data even when the statistical sample is small. In a recent study that tested the efficacy of interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs) in improving students' conceptual understanding for an advanced topic in electronics (AC resonance), the 'complete responders' formed a relatively small subgroup (N=21) of the full group (N=86) that participated in all or only some of the activities or tests ('all responders'). The learning gains for the 'complete responders' were more significant than those of 'all responders'. The reasons for the increased significance are discussed in this paper.
Influence of CdS Nano Additives on the Thermal Conductivity of Poly(vinyl chloride)/CdS Nanocomposites

PVC/CdS nanocomposites have been prepared by solution casting method taking 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt% of CdS nanoparticles. PVC/CdS nanocomposites were characterized through TEM measurement. The measurement of effective thermal conductivity of PVC/CdS nanocomposites has also been done using transient plane source (TPS) method. The effects of concentration of CdS nanoparticles and temperature on the effective thermal conductivity of polymer PVC/CdS nanocomposites have been studied. The variation of effective thermal conductivity with the concentration of filler particles and temperature has also been discussed in terms of dispersion of filler particles into polymer matrix and phonon scattering mechanism, respectively.
Applications of ASP in Formal Argumentation

Argumentation is nowadays one of the major fields within Artificial Intelligence. On one hand it provides genuine methods to model discourses or legal cases; on the other hand, it is closely related to – and gives an orthogonal view on – several formalisms from the AI domain. The aim of this paper is to survey argumentation systems that use ASP technology inside.