Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiexposure image fusion for dynamic scenes

In this study, a multiexposure image fusion approach for dynamic scenes is proposed, which includes four stages, namely, detail enhancement and reference image selection, ghost artifacts removal, weighting map estimation and refinement, and image fusion. Weighted least squares (WLS) optimization is used to enhance the details of input low dynamic range (LDR) images. To remove ghost artifacts, median threshold bitmap (MTB), independent component analysis (ICA), edge detection, and cross-image median filtering are used to detect motion objects. Mertens et al.'s approach is used to perform weighting map estimation and refinement. Finally, the final motion-free HDR-like image is generated by fusing input LDR images with final weighting maps. Based on the experimental results obtained in this study, the quality of the final HDR-like images by the proposed approach is better than those by the five comparison approaches.
Treatment with anticoagulants in cerebral events (TRACE)

Summary 90 patients with acute stroke and a concomitant cardiac embolism source or a symptomatic high-grade stenosis of an extraor intracranial vessel received in a mulitcenter, randomized, controlled study either Enoxaparin 1 mg/kg BW s.c. b.i. d. or i.v. heparin aPTT-adjusted daily for 8 +/−2 days as secondary prophylaxis. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding cerebral and systemic embolic events, bleeding complications, length of hospital stay, number of diagnostic and therapeutic measures and outcome after three months. This suggests that Enoxaparin, which is easier to administer and monitor, is a safe drug in patients with acute cerebral events.
Multiple regimes and cross‐country growth behaviour

This paper provides some new evidence on the behavior of cross-country growth rates. We reject the linear model commonly used to study cross-country growth behavior in favor of a multiple regime alternative in which different economies obey different linear models when grouped according to initial conditions. Further, the marginal product of capital is shown to vary with the level of economic development. These results are consistent with growth models which exhibit multiple steady states. Our results call into question inferences that have been made in favor of the convergence hypothesis and further suggest that the explanatory power of the Solow growth model may be enhanced with a theory of aggregate production function differences. Copyright 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Segment-specific carotid intima-media thickness and cardiovascular risk factors in Koreans: the Healthy Twin Study

Background: Increased carotid intima-media thickness is associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk. This study aimed to evaluate the contributions of cardiovascular risk factors and inheritance to segment-specific carotid intima-media thickness. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Methods: A total of 706 Korean adults was selected from the Healthy Twin Study. The intima-media thickness of common, carotid bifurcation, and internal carotid artery were measured using B-mode ultrasound. Behavioral and biological cardiovascular risk factors were measured. Quantitative genetic and linear mixed analyses were performed to examine inherited and environmental contributions to intima-media thickness variation. Results: Heritability of intima-media thickness was moderately high with estimates (95% confidence intervals) of 0.48 (0.37, 0.59), 0.38(0.27, 0.49), and 0.45(0.34, 0.55) for common, carotid bifurcation, and internal carotid artery, respectively. The additive genetic cross-trait correlations between the segments ranged between 0.43 and 0.75, suggesting a shared genetic influence on the three carotid segments. Additive inherited effects contributed 21% and 31% (common and internal carotid, respectively) to the total variance of the intima-media thickness, while measured cardiovascular risk factors accounted for 46% and 26% (common and internal carotid, respectively). The cardiovascular risk factors significantly associated with carotid intima-media thickness were as follows: in men, alcohol use (bifurcation); physical activity (common and internal); BMI (all segments); diabetes (bifurcation and internal); hypertension (internal); and HDL-cholesterol (common and bifurcation); and in women, smoking (bifurcation), hypertension (common), total and LDL cholesterol (bifurcation and internal), and hs-CRP (common and internal). Conclusions: Individual cardiovascular risk factors were differentially associated with carotid intima-media thickness by segments and sex. Inherited effects made a heterogeneous contribution to intima-media thickness by segment. These findings may explain the differences in cardiovascular disease occurrence between men and women.
The Factors Determining the Duration of Legal Disputes: An Empirical Analysis with Micro Data

This paper attempts to shed light on the legal and social factors determining the duration of disputes. To this aim a unique database is used, accounting for eight hundred sentences pronounced by the Italian Administrative Courts, collected at a regional level, covering the period from 2000 to 2007. The empirical part of this study was performed, together with better known approaches, using the survival econometric model that, up to now, had not been applied to studying the duration of legal disputes. The findings of our research are many. It is confirmed that normative complexity hampers a rapid solution of controversies. Law suits with a duration of over the average time leads to a doubly negative effect. Firstly, the stock of the pending suit is increased. Secondly, the State is liable to pay damages for the excessive duration of the legal dispute. The indicator of social capital shows a negative correlation with the slowness of justice. The number of judges does not appear to be relevant to explain the time needed to obtain a sentence of the first rank. Finally, the different objects of dispute may contribute to explain the differences in average duration observed. Although the analysis regards Italy only, the methodology developed here could be applied in similar analyses for other countries or groups of nations.
Image Classification to Support Emergency Situation Awareness

Recent advances in image classification methods, along with the availability of associated tools, has seen their use become widespread in many domains. This paper presents a novel application of current image classification approaches in the area of emergency situation awareness. We discuss image classification based on low level features as well as methods built on top of pre-trained classifiers. The performance of the classifiers are assessed in terms of accuracy along with consideration to computational aspects given the size of the image database. Specifically, we investigate image classification in the context of a bush fire emergency in the Australian state of NSW where images associated with Tweets during the emergency were used to train and test classification approaches. Emergency service operators are interested in having images relevant to such fires reported as extra information to help manage evolving emergencies. We show that these methodologies can classify images into fire and not fire related classes with an accuracy of 86%.
Review of economic theories of regulation

This paper reviews the economic theories of regulation. It discusses the public and private interest theories of regulation, as the criticisms that have been leveled at them. The extent to which these theories are also able to account for privatization and deregulation is evaluated and policies involving re-regulation are discussed. The paper thus reviews rate of return regulation, price-cap regulation, yardstick regulation, interconnection and access regulation, and franchising or bidding processes. The primary aim of those instruments is to improve the operating efficiency of the regulated firms. Huge investments will be needed in the regulated network sectors. The question is brought up if regulatory instruments and institutions primarily designed to improve operating efficiency are equally wellplaced to promote the necessary investments and to balance the resulting conflicting interests between for example consumers and investors.
Securities Trading in the Absence of Dealers: Trades and Quotes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

This article investigates the behavior of intraday trades and quotes for individual stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). We examine the transaction and quote record for three firms for the first 3 months of 1990. Our findings suggest that the immediacy available (at least for small trades) in the market is high, despite the reliance on public limit orders to supply liquidity. When orders that would otherwise walk through the limit order book are converted into limit orders, execution is delayed, but some orders execute (at least in part) at more favorable prices. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Evolving Art using Aesthetic Analogies - Evolutionary Supervised Learning to Generate Art with Grammatical Evolution

In this paper we describe an evolutionary approach using models of human aesthetic experience to evolve expressions capable of generating real-time aesthetic analogies between two different artistic domains. We outline a conceptual structure used to define aesthetic analogies and guide the collection of empirical data used to build aesthetic models. We also present a Grammatical Evolution based system making use of aesthetic models with a heuristic based fitness calculation approach to evaluate evolved expressions. We demonstrate a working model that has been designed to implement this system and use the evolved expressions to generate real-time aesthetic analogies with input music and output visuals. With this system we can generate novel artistic visual displays, similar to a light show at a music concert, which can react to the musician’s performance in real-time.
Getting Agencies to Work Together: The Practice and Theory of Managerial Craftsmanship

Collaboration between government agencies, an old joke goes, is an unnatural act committed by nonconsenting adults. Eugene Bardach argues that today's opinion climate favoring more results-oriented government makes collaboration a lot more natural--though it is still far from easy. In this book, Bardach diagnoses the difficulties, explains how they are sometimes overcome, and offers practical ideas for public managers, advocates, and others interested in developing interagency collaborative networks. Bardach provides examples from diverse policy areas, including children, youth, and family services; welfare-to-work; antipollution enforcement; fire prevention; and ecosystem management.
SEARCH BEHAVIOR OF ASYMMETRICALLY INFORMED VOTERS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

This paper experimentally investigates individual level search within a spatial election model. In our model the voter is required to cast a ballot for one of two candidates. However, the voter's task is made non-trivial since, even though the location of one candidate is known, the location of a second candidate is unknown. To reduce uncertainty regarding the unknown candidate's location, the voter may undertake an information search. We find that search in this environment is a function of the cost of search, the quality of information, and the voter's location on the issue space. Copyright 1995 Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

: In recent decades entrepreneurship has been a thematic subject of academic interest. Its importance by being a strong driver of economic growth, to stimulate job creation and innovative products is recognized for being a means of access to the labor market and to generate changes that can lead to better living conditions for individuals and for society. Associated with the importance of entrepreneurship, we are seeing an increasing number of initiatives in education to promote entrepreneurship. This article discusses the history and concept of entrepreneurship as well as the concept and the characteristics of the entrepreneur and also presents some reasons that may lead individuals to engage in their professional careers. This article also shows up the importance that education has on the development of entrepreneurial skills. The present study was conducted in Viseu pole of the Portuguese Catholic University and 348 students were surveyed. The results showed that gender did not influence the business creation and perception of the professional future of students. However, the level of education attended was related to the preferred employment for students.
Participation, Trip Frequency and Site Choice: A Multinomial-Poisson Hurdle Model of Recreation Demand

Data used in recreation demand modeling are characterized by the facts that trip frequencies are non-negative integers and that consumers are often faced with alternative destinations. This paper considers these features by estimating a multivariate recreation demand model that accounts for trip frequency and choice among alternative recreation sites using a mixed multinomial-Poisson hurdle distribution. The specification of the Poisson hurdle distribution at the aggregate level accounts for participation and trip frequency, and avoids the restrictive mean-variance property of the basic Poisson model. The model is estimated using data from Bighorn sheep hunters in Alberta, Canada. Simulation results suggest that changing price and quality variables cause substitution among sites. The welfare implications of changes in these variables are also examined.
Reliability Growth Management Metrics and Statistical Methods for Discrete-Use Systems

In this article we present new methodology for analyzing reliability growth of discrete-use systems (i.e., systems whose test duration is measured in terms of discrete trials, shots, or demands). The methodology is applicable to the case where corrective actions are applied to prototypes anytime after associated failure modes are first discovered. Thus, the system configuration need not be constant. The methodology consists of several model equations for estimating: system reliability; the expected number of failure modes observed during testing; the probability of failure due to a new failure mode, and the portion of system unreliability associated with repeat, or known, failure modes. These model equations are used to: (1) estimate the initial and projected reliability as well as the reliability growth potential; (2) address model goodness-of-fit concerns; (3) quantify programmatic risk; and (4) assess reliability maturity of discrete-use systems undergoing development. Statistical procedures for point estimation, confidence interval construction, and goodness-of-fit testing are also given. In particular, a new likelihood function (and associated maximum likelihood procedure) is derived to estimate model parameters, that is, the shape parameters of the beta distribution. An application to a missile program is given to illustrate the utility of the presented approach. Supplemental materials for this article are available on the Technometrics website.
Pause before you respond: Handedness influences response style on the Tower of Hanoi task

Comparative laterality research has indicated that marmoset monkeys with a right‐hand preference take less time to respond to novel objects within a novel environment (Cameron & Rogers, 1999). This suggests that right hemisphere dominance may be associated with a more cautious cognitive style in novel situations. The present study tested this hypothesis using right‐ and left‐handed human participants to complete a three‐disk Tower of Hanoi (TOH) task. It was hypothesised that left‐handers would be slower to initiate responding. A total of 84 participants (42 left‐handers, 42 right‐handers) took part and the time taken to make the first move, completion time, and the number of moves taken to complete the task were recorded. Analysis of Variance revealed a significant main effect of handedness, with left‐handers taking longer to move the first disk and significantly fewer moves to complete the task. However, left‐handers were not significantly faster at completing the TOH, although males completed the task more quickly than females. These initial findings support the hypothesis that left‐hand dominance is associated with a more cautious cognitive style in novel problem‐solving situations.
A clone management framework to improve code quality of FOSS projects

The emergence of Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) development model as a widely adopted paradigm in the software development industry in the recent few years has developed the interest of researchers towards the code quality of FOSS projects. Code clones are introduced in the software system by the adoption of common code reuse practices by FOSS developers. This has led the clone research community to observe the effects of code clones on the code quality of FOSS projects. Although code clones are not always harmful but they might become critical to large scale and evolving software systems such as FOSS projects. Research in this paper reveals the importance and need for improving code quality of FOSS projects by implementing an effective clone management system integrated in the FOSS development environment. This paper proposes a clone management framework that ensures effective clone evolution tracking and visualization in FOSS projects. This framework will appear as a baseline to initiate the efforts towards improving code quality by the implementation of a versatile clone management system for FOSS development.
Managing port concessions: evidence from Italy

With the adoption of the landlord port model, the assignment of port areas to private operators has become a key point for the efficient management of port spaces as well as of port activities themselves. The paper investigates the procedural process that leads to the assignment of port concessions in Italy. The survey is conducted on a sample of ports and covers the last decade, focusing on some relevant decision-making and managerial variables (concession type and duration, criteria for the determination of fees, etc.). Despite the relatively small size of the sample, it highlights the different policies adopted by the Port Authorities (PAs) in order to attract private operators or enhance the development of port infrastructure. Moreover, the paper discusses how concession fees influence the total earnings of PAs and the extent to which they may be used in pursuit of ports’ economic and social goals.
Sexual Dimorphism in the Regulation of Meiotic Process in the Rabbit

Abstract Meiosis, mitosis, and apoptosis during fetal and postnatal periods were investigated in order to explore mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in initiation of germ cell meiosis. Gonads were obtained from Japanese white rabbits from 23 to 51 days postcoitum (dpc). Gonadal thin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Germ cell alkaline phosphatase and apoptosis were detected with histochemical and immunohistochemical methods, respectively. In the ovary, meiotic germ cells were initially recognized at 29 dpc and arrested after enclosure within follicles. Similarly, meiotic germ cells were recognized outside seminiferous tubules at 29 dpc, but no meiotic figures were identified in intratubular spaces. Apoptotic germ cells were not recognized in the intratubular spaces before 35 dpc, and no apoptotic figures were recognized in the ovary during the period studied. In conclusion, the initiation of meiosis in testicular interstitial tissue at the time comparable to that in the ovary indicates that germ cells of both sexes have the ability to enter meiosis during the same stage of fetal development; and it appears most likely that delayed initiation of meiosis in the intratubular space is attributable to meiosis-inhibiting substance(s) present in seminiferous tubules.
The Realised–Implied Volatility Relationship: Recent Empirical Evidence from FTSE‐100 Stocks

This paper examines the long-run relationship between implied and realised volatility for a sample of 16 FTSE-100 stocks. We find strong evidence of long-memory, fractional integration in equity volatility and show that this long-memory characteristic is not an outcome of structural breaks experienced during the sample period. Fractional cointegration between the implied and realised volatility is shown using recently developed rank cointegration tests by Robinson and Yajima (2002). The predictive ability of individual equity options is also examined and composite implied volatility estimates are shown to contain information on future idiosyncratic or stock-specific risk that is not captured using popular statistical approaches. Implied volatilities on individual UK equities are thus closely related to realised volatility and are an effective forecasting method particularly over medium forecasting horizons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A systematic review of interventions to facilitate ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to perform a systematic review of the literature to identify interventions that may facilitate ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). METHODS The PubMed and CENTRAL databases were interrogated for key MeSH headings. To be eligible for systematic review, trials were required to include outcome measures of postoperative pain, nausea or vomiting and time to discharge following LC. Interventions were subsequently assessed for the level of evidence and grade of recommendation given. RESULTS A total of 331 trials were identified, 68 of which met the predefined study inclusion criteria. Interventions which met Level I, Grade A recommendation included the administration of 8 mg i.v. dexamethasone, preoperative administration of analgesia including the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or COX II inhibitors, intraoperative use of an anti-emetic, pre-incisional use of bupivacaine, administration of intraperitoneal bupivacaine on establishment of pneumoperitoneum, and avoidance of drains. CONCLUSIONS High-quality evidence describing interventions that minimize barriers to ambulatory LC exists. Further studies will be required to determine the optimal combination of these interventions.