Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
My Private Google Calendar and GMail

Although Cloud Applications provide users with highly available data services, they are missing privacy as a vital non-functional requirement. In this paper we leverage modern cryptography techniques to guarantee the user’s privacy while the inherent functionality and portability of the cloud application remain intact. Our approach revolves on a transparent security middleware that sits between the user and the cloud service provider on a site trusted by the user. This layer accesses the request and response messages passed between the two parties in a fine-grained manner to preserve the functionalities. We implemented the methods and provide a middleware that allows users to keep their calendar information and E-Mail in an encrypted form using Google Calendar and GMail. Furthermore, we present the results of experiments with our middleware; these experiments show that the overhead to encrypt data on top of GMail and Google Calendar is negligible.
What Mean Impacts Miss : Distributional Effects of Welfare Reform Experiments ∗

What Mean Impacts Miss: Distributional Effects of Welfare Reform Experiments Labor supply theory predicts systematic heterogeneity in the impact of recent welfare reforms on earnings, transfers, and income. Yet most welfare reform research focuses on mean impacts. We investigate the importance of heterogeneity using random-assignment data from Connecticut's Jobs First waiver, which features key elements of post-1996 welfare programs. Estimated quantile treatment effects exhibit the substantial heterogeneity predicted by labor supply theory. Thus mean impacts miss a great deal. Looking separately at samples of dropouts and other women does not improve the performance of mean impacts. We conclude that welfare reform's effects are likely both more varied and more extensive than has been recognized. JEL Classification: J2, I38, H53
Farmers＇ Perceived Impact of Fair Trade： The Case of Costa Rica

Abstract: The perceived usefulness of Fair Trade infl uences both its effectiveness and farmers’ long-term participation. The aim of this paper is to measure the perceived economic, social and environmental impact of Fair Trade by farmers in Costa Rica. One hundred farmers were interviewed, and their perceived change in living and working conditions due to Fair Trade participation was measured through a t-test analysis. The sample characters’ influence on the perceived change was also measured, adopting a regression model and a t-test. The results showed a positive perception of the impact of Fair Trade, with a particularly strong perceived improvement in the farmers’ technical, economic and managerial skills. There was relatively less perceived change in the environmental, educational and sanitary conditions. The results showed the need for Fair Trade to better adjust its strategy to the expectations of the farmers’ communities. Key words: Fair Trade, impact, Costa Rica, technology acceptance model, small farmers.
Disease Outbreaks in Coupled Populations : An Application to Measles Spread in Cameroon

Title of Thesis: DISEASE OUTBREAKS IN COUPLED POPULATIONS: AN APPLICATION TO MEASLES SPREAD IN CAMEROON Kirsten “Maggie” Viz, Master of Science, 2005 Thesis directed by: Dr. Lora Billings Department of Mathematical Sciences Many childhood diseases can be modeled mathematically using a system of differential equations that group the overall population into compartments. Much research has been done to understand and control the spread of these diseases within a single population and between coupled populations with constant parameters. In this thesis, we are concerned with how a disease is spread through and between coupled populations using models with time-varying parameters and asymmetric coupling. Measles outbreaks in the West African country of Cameroon present a good example of disease spread with seasonality. By dividing Cameroon into two subpopulations and using parameters that reflect recent measles data, we develop a coupled system of SEIR models to qualitatively capture the current disease dynamics of these subpopulations. This asymmetric, nonautonomous system is analyzed mathematically utilizing tools from dynamical systems. We have identified when very small changes in the coupling parameter can create significant changes in the behavior of the system. We conjecture that in this system, we are able to induce a periodicity of the lowest common multiple of the two subpopulations when there is sufficient coupling. MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY Disease Outbreaks in Coupled Populations: An Application to Measles Spread in Cameroon by Kirsten “Maggie” Viz A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Montclair State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science in Mathematics with a Concentration in Pure and Applied Mathematics May 2005 School College of Math and Science Thesis Committee: Department Mathematical Sciences Thesis Sponsor Dr. Arup Mukherjee Committee Member J¿hn Stevens Dr Committee Member
Trading Tasks : A Simple Theory of Offshoring By Gene

The nature of international trade is changing. For centuries, trade mostly entailed an exchange of goods. Now it increasingly involves bits of value being added in many different locations, or what might be called trade in tasks. Revolutionary advances in transportation and communications technology have weakened the link between labor specialization and geographic concentration, making it increasingly viable to separate tasks in time and space. When instructions can be delivered instantaneously, components and unfinished goods can be moved quickly and cheaply, and the output of many tasks can be conveyed electronically, firms can take advantage of factor cost disparities in different countries without sacrificing the gains from specialization. The result has been a boom in “offshoring” of both manufacturing tasks and other business functions. In this paper, we develop a simple and tractable model of offshoring based on the tradeable tasks. We conceptualize production in terms of the many tasks that must be performed by each factor of production. A firm can perform each of the continuum of tasks required for the realization of its product either in close proximity to its headquarters or at an offshore location. Offshoring may be attractive, if some factors can be hired more cheaply abroad than at home, but it also is costly, because remote performance of a task limits the opportunities for monitoring and coordinating workers. To capture this aspect of reality, our model features heterogeneous offshoring costs for the various tasks. In each industry, firms choose the geographic organization
Research Handling Effects on Stress Hormones, Blood Parameters, and Heart Rate in Juvenile Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris)

RESEARCH HANDLING EFFECTS ON STRESS HORMONES, BLOOD PARAMETERS, AND HEART RATE IN JUVENILE NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS) By Lauren A. Cooley Wildlife researchers must balance the need to safely capture and handle their study animals to sample tissues, collect morphological measurements, and attach dataloggers while simultaneously ensuring their results are not confounded by stress artifacts caused by handling. To determine the physiological effects of research activities including chemical immobilization, transport, instrumentation with biologgers, and overnight holding on a model marine mammal species, I collected hormone, blood chemistry, hematology, and heart rate data from 19 juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) throughout a translocation experiment. Across my six sampling timepoints, cortisol and aldosterone data revealed a moderate hormonal stress response to handling that was accompanied by minor changes in hematocrit, blood glucose, and blood lactate, but not ketone bodies or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. I also performed the first assessment of heart rate as a stress indicator in this species and found that mean heart rate, interbeat interval range, and apnea-eupnea cycles were influenced by handling. However, by the time seals were recaptured after several days at sea, all hormonal and hematological parameters had returned to baseline levels and 95% of study animals were resighted in the wild up to two years post-translocation. Together these findings suggest that while northern elephant seals exhibit mild physiological stress responses to handling activities in the short term, they recover rapidly and show no long-term deleterious effects, making them a robust species for ecological and physiological research.
A unifying framework for summary statistic imputation

Imputation has been widely utilized to aid and interpret the results of Genome-Wide Association Studies(GWAS). Imputation can increase the power to identify associations when the causal variant was not directly observed or typed in the GWAS. There are two broad classes of methods for imputation. The first class imputes the genotypes at the untyped variants given the genotypes at the typed variants and then performs a statistical test of association at the imputed variants. The second class of methods, summary statistic imputation, directly imputes the association statics at the untyped variants given the association statistics observed at the typed variants. This second class of methods is appealing as it tends to be computationally efficient while only requiring the summary statistics from a study while the former class requires access to individual-level data that can be difficult to obtain. The statistical properties of these two classes of imputation methods have not been fully understood. In this paper, we show that the two classes of imputation methods are equivalent, i.e., have identical asymptotic multivariate normal distributions with zero mean and minor variations in the covariance matrix, under some reasonable assumptions. Using this equivalence, we can understand the effect of imputation methods on power. We show that a commonly employed modification of summary statistic imputation that we term summary statistic imputation with variance re-weighting generally leads to a loss in power. On the other hand, our proposed method, summary statistic imputation without performing variance re-weighting, fully accounts for imputation uncertainty while achieving better power.
Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics Segmentation of Cytoplasm and Nuclei of Abnormal Cells in Cervical Cytology Using Global and Local Graph Cuts

Automation-assisted reading (AAR) techniques have the potential to reduce errors and increase productivity in cervical cancer screening. The sensitivity of AAR relies heavily on automated segmentation of abnormal cervical cells, which is handled poorly by current segmentation algorithms. In this paper, a global and local scheme based on graph cut approach is proposed to segment cervical cells in images with a mix of healthy and abnormal cells. For cytoplasm segmentation, the multi-way graph cut is performed globally on the a* channel enhanced image, which can be effective when the image histogram presents a non-bimodal distribution. For segmentation of nuclei, especially when they are abnormal, we propose to use graph cut adaptively and locally, which allows the combination of intensity, texture, boundary and region information. Two concave points-based approaches are integrated to split the touching-nuclei. As part of an ongoing clinical trial, preliminary validation results obtained from 21 cervical cell images with non-ideal imaging condition and pathology show that our segmentation method achieved 93% accuracy for cytoplasm, and 88.4% F-measure for abnormal nuclei, outperforming state of the art methods in terms of accuracy. Our method has the potential to improve the sensitivity of AAR in screening for cervical cancer.
Optimal Frequency for Wireless Power Transmission Into the Body: Efficiency Versus Received Power

Wireless power delivery to implantable devices has been traditionally achieved through low-frequency (<10 MHz) inductive coupling. More recent work has moved toward the UHF band (300 MHz–3 GHz), with models showing maximal efficiency is achieved at these frequencies. However, for many applications, maximizing efficiency is a secondary goal to maximizing received power at the implant, and it remains unclear whether the optimal frequency for efficiency is different than the optimal frequency for maximizing received power. Furthermore, previous models generally do not include a ferrite core in the implant, which could shift the optimal frequency. To address these questions, we developed a theoretical model with frequency-dependent ferrite permeability and dispersive tissue. We show that when a ferrite core is included, the optimal frequency for efficiency remains in the UHF band. Conversely, when maximizing received power rather than efficiency, both high (>300 MHz) and low (<10 MHz) frequencies yield similar levels of received power, and this remains true with or without a ferrite core. For shallow implants, heating of the core can reach unsafe levels when operated in the UHF band at field levels approaching the specific absorption rate (SAR) limit. These results have implications for a wide range of medical applications, including sub-millimeter-sized implants and fast recharge of implantable batteries.
Effects of managed burning in comparison with vegetation cutting on dissolved organic carbon concentrations in peat soils

Given the continuing concern about rising concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in stream water leaving peat‐covered catchments, this study has considered the impact of managed burning or cutting of Calluna vulgaris, a dominant vegetation cover in many UK peatlands. Pristine mature Calluna stands were compared with those that had been subject to cutting and or managed burning up to 5 years after intervention. The study measured the DOC concentration of both soil and surface runoff water over a period of 12 months in comparison with water table depth, conductivity, and pH. The results show the following: The depth to the water table decreases upon both burnt and cut sites relative to controls in line with a change in evapotranspiration due to loss of vegetation. The DOC concentration of surface runoff water was not significantly different (P < 0.05) between any of the treatments and the control. The DOC concentration in soil water significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with both burning and cutting, but these differences could be explained by differences in water table and changes in flowpath through the soil profile.
Economic Commission for Europe Conference of European Statisticians

While cross-sectional indicators are important for calculating poverty rates and observing trends over time, they can only provide a part of the picture and should be completed by longitudinal analyses. In this paper, we first describe the current longitudinal poverty indicators published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and then present new exploratory analyses focusing on poverty transitions. We show that poverty entry and exit rates are linked to changes in labour market status or household composition, but also to rather stable characteristics such as age class, education, nationality and health status. However, due to the small sample size and the rather short panel duration, possibilities for descriptive analyses of the longitudinal SILC data remain quite limited. While it would be important to increase the number of observations, we will also have to consider methodological approaches less sensitive to sample size.
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE SURFACE WATER BALANCE OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES, 1984-2007

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl. edu/natresdiss Part of the Climate Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, Other Environmental Sciences Commons, Sustainability Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons
Physical Activity and Changes in Abdominal Fat Over 18 Months: A Prospective Study of Middle-Aged Women

Objective: To investigate the extent to which changes in physical activity predict changes in abdominal fat in women over an 18-month period, while statistically controlling the effects of possible confounders, such as age, total body fat percent, and energy intake. Design: A prospective cohort design over 18 months. There was no intervention or treatment. Changes in objectively-measured physical activity were used to predict changes in abdominal fat over the study period. Subjects: 110 healthy, middle-aged women (mean: 41.3±3.3 yrs), primarily Caucasian, educated, and married. Measurements: An objective measure of physical activity (ACT) using CSA accelerometers, worn continuously for 7 consecutive days at baseline and again at follow-up. Total body fat and abdominal fat percent were assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Energy intake was estimated using 7-day, weighed food records for the days in which subjects wore accelerometers. Results: No significant change between baseline and follow-up means for abdominal fat, physical activity, or energy intake over the study period. Moreover, change in physical activity was not a significant predictor of change in abdominal fat, with or without statistical control of confounders. Change in energy intake was a predictor of abdominal fat (P=0.0688), and this association was strengthened after adjusting for age, baseline total body fat, and changes in physical activity. Conclusions: Apparently, when measured using accelerometers, changes in physical activity are not predictive of changes in abdominal fat over an 18-month period. However, changes in energy intake seem to predict changes in abdominal fat. Evidently, increases and decreases in abdominal fat are more a function of energy intake than physical activity in middle-aged women.
LLNet: A Deep Autoencoder approach to Natural Low-light Image Enhancement

This paper proposes a deep autoencoder-based approach to identify signal features from low-light images and adaptively brighten images without over-amplifying/saturating the lighter parts in images with a high dynamic range. In surveillance, monitoring and tactical reconnais-sance, gathering visual information from a dynamic environment and accurately processing such data are essential to making informed decisions and ensuring the success of a mission. Camera sensors are often cost-limited to capture clear images or videos taken in a poorly-lit environment. Many applications aim to enhance brightness, contrast and reduce noise content from the images in an on-board real-time manner. We show that a variant of the stacked-sparse denoising autoencodercan learn to adaptively enhance and denoise from synthetically darkened and noise-added training examples. The model can be applied to images taken from natural low-light environment and/or are hardware-degraded. Results show signiﬁcant credibility of the approach both visually and by quantitative comparison with various image enhancement techniques.
Cytoskeletal association of ATP citrate lyase controls the mechanodynamics of macropinocytosis

Macropinocytosis is an actin-dependent mode of non-selective endocytosis that mediates the uptake of extracellular fluid-phase cargoes. It is now well-recognized that tumor cells exploit macropinocytosis to internalize macromolecules that can be catabolized and used to support cell growth and proliferation under nutrient limiting conditions. Therefore, the identification of molecular mechanisms that control macropinocytosis is fundamental to the understanding of the metabolic adaptive landscape of tumor cells. Here we report that the acetyl-CoA producing enzyme, ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), is a key regulator of macropinocytosis and describe a heretofore unappreciated association of ACLY with the actin cytoskeleton. The cytoskeletal tethering of ACLY is required for the spatially-defined acetylation of heterodimeric actin capping protein, which we identify as an essential mediator of the actin remodeling events that drive membrane ruffling and macropinocytosis. Furthermore, we identify a requirement for mitochondrial-derived citrate, an ACLY substrate, for macropinocytosis, and show that mitochondria traffic to cell periphery regions juxtaposed to plasma membrane ruffles. Collectively these findings establish a new mode of metabolite compartmentalization that supports the spatiotemporal modulation of membrane-cytoskeletal interactions required for macropinocytosis by coupling regional acetyl-CoA availability with dynamic protein acetylation. Significance The scavenging of extracellular macromolecules via macropinocytosis is a key adaptive mechanism that supports the metabolic fitness of cancer cells. Although the importance of macropinocytosis for sustaining tumor cell growth under nutrient limiting conditions is well documented, less is known about the molecular mechanisms by which macropinocytosis is regulated. This study describes a previously uncharacterized dependence of macropinocytosis on the compartmentalized generation of acetyl-CoA through the association of ACLY with the actin cytoskeleton. This metabolic channeling process establishes a new mechanistic framework for understanding actin remodeling events that drive macropinocytosis.
A Modification of Deriche ́ s Approach to Edge Detection

In 1983 Canny presented criteria for measuring the quality of edge detectors and derived an optimal FIR-Filter for step edges by optimizing them. Four years later Deriche proposed an approach to edge detection based on Canny´s design utilizing IIR-Filters which can be implemented very efficiently recursively. Unfortunately, using the Deriche-Filter leads to a distortion of the amplitudes of the edges depending on their direction. In this paper, it will be shown that these distortions are systematic errors which can be eliminated by a simple modification of the edge detection procedure. Because of its obvious "kinship" to the Deriche-filter the Shen-filter has been included in the investigations. Deriche´s approach to the detection of step edges ([4]-[6]) is based on Canny´s filter design ([1],[2]). Canny had derived an optimal one-dimensional Finite Impulse Response filter for step edges by optimizing specific criteria for the quality of edge detectors. Deriche used the same method to construct an Infinite Impulse Response edge filter. His edge detector performs the following three steps: (i) Calculation of E x (x,y) by folding the image with the separable 2D-filter f(x)g(y). (ii) Calculation of E y (x,y) by folding the image with the separable 2D-filter g(x)f(y). (iii) Calculation of the amplitude and the direction of the edge as the length and the orientation of the vector [E x (x,y),E y (x,y)] T. In the algorithm above f(z) stands for a one-dimensional IIR-edge filter and g(z) for the one-dimensional smoothing filter obtained by integrating f(z). [E x (x,y),E y (x,y)] T is the gradient of the image after folding with the 2D-smoothing filter G(x,y) = g(x)g(y) (as shown in [7]). Thus Deriche´s approach can be seen as a gradient scheme. Deriche´s optimal 1D-edge filter has the following impulse response function: f(z) = K e-α|z| sin(ωz), α,ω > 0. The two most interesting embodiments of this filter, f D1 (z) and f D2 (z), have been investigated in our project: f D1 (z) is optimal according to Canny´s criteria of quality. It has been used by Deriche himself in later works, too ([6]). The filter f D2 (z) is similar to Canny´s edge filter in terms of the values of the criterions of quality obtained. Its application leads to far less distortions of amplitudes in the two-dimensional case, which will be shown later. Plugging in f D1 (z) and f D2 (z) in the sketch of the algorithm for edge detection above, …