Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Wind Power Generation on System Operation and Costs

In this paper, a deterministic security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) model is deployed in order to op- timize generation output and allocation for spinning reserve considering different wind power dispatch modes. In this model, the scheduling of power plants takes into account a simultaneous clearing of power, reserve capacity requirement and CO2 emission and so on. Spinning reserve is modelled as an exogenous parameter which represents load uncertainty and wind power uncertainty. Special attention in the study is given to determine the impact of different dispatch modes with wind power and different levels of spinning reserve requirement on system operation and costs. The proposed model can be formulated as a mixed-integer problem (MIP) and solved in GAMS by using the CPLEX optimizer. The model is applied to a wind-fired intensive power system for three case studies. The results include the optimal spinning reserve and generator output of each generator, CO2 emission cost and cost of wind power for each case study. The results show that taking wind power as a control option can improves system operation and costs if wind generation and traditional sources generation are coordinated properly.
Motivating a Distributed System of Commodity Machines 1

This report examines the price/performance benefit of using a large cluster of commodity machines rather than server level hardware for certain large scale software applications. A number of tools are presented which make it easier to produce software that runs across large clusters of commodity machines. These tools are the Chubby locking service, the Google file system, MapReduce and BigTable, all written by Google. General Terms Algorithms, Management, Measurement, Performance, Design, Reliability.
The Heterogeneity in Retrieved Relations between the Personality Trait ‘Harm Avoidance’ and Gray Matter Volumes Due to Variations in the VBM and ROI Labeling Processing Settings

Concerns are raising about the large variability in reported correlations between gray matter morphology and affective personality traits as ‘Harm Avoidance’ (HA). A recent review study (Mincic 2015) stipulated that this variability could come from methodological differences between studies. In order to achieve more robust results by standardizing the data processing procedure, as a first step, we repeatedly analyzed data from healthy females while changing the processing settings (voxel-based morphology (VBM) or region-of-interest (ROI) labeling, smoothing filter width, nuisance parameters included in the regression model, brain atlas and multiple comparisons correction method). The heterogeneity in the obtained results clearly illustrate the dependency of the study outcome to the opted analysis settings. Based on our results and the existing literature, we recommended the use of VBM over ROI labeling for whole brain analyses with a small or intermediate smoothing filter (5-8mm) and a model variable selection step included in the processing procedure. Additionally, it is recommended that ROI labeling should only be used in combination with a clear hypothesis and that authors are encouraged to report their results uncorrected for multiple comparisons as supplementary material to aid review studies.
Indigenous Chinese Management Research Like It or Not, We Need It

What is the most fruitful approach to developing Chinese management research is perhaps the single most important question that Management and Organization Review is set up to address. A complex question such as this one typically engenders diverse views, and there has been an ongoing debate about the best way forward. The crux of the debate centers on whether it is more productive to focus on universal or China-specific (indigenous) management theories (e.g. Barney & Zhang, 2009; Cheng, Wang, & Huang, 2009). The indigenous approach requires the adoption of Chinese perspectives in conceptualizing research problems and formulating theories (for detail, see Li, Leung, Chen, & Luo, 2012). There is a constant plea for attention to context in management research, and we should also put this debate in context. The U.S. has been the dominant economic power after World War II as well as the dominant source of management research and theories. Despite the monumental work of Hofstede (1980) on cultural dimensions, most researchers do not worry about whether research and theories coming out of the U.S. context would generalize to other cultural contexts. There has not been any significant trend to require research and theories developed in the U.S. context to take into account their relevance and applicability in other cultural contexts. In contrast, indigenous research and theories developed in the Chinese context typically generate a knee-jerk reaction about their potential lack of generalizability to other cultural contexts. As an illustration, papers based on U.S. data typically do not carry a disclaimer about their potential lack of generalizabiliy to other cultural contexts, whereas papers based on Chinese data usually include a caveat about the uncertainty of cultural generality. This difference can easily be explained by economic power. If a theory or a set of findings works in the U.S., it is
influenza vaccines : immunization strategies , history and new tools for fighting the disease

E41 The main public health strategy for containing influenza-related disease is annual vaccination, which is recommended for the elderly and others belonging to risk-factor categories, who present the highest morbidity and mortality, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) Recommendations. The availability of different influenza vaccine formulations makes the choice of the best immunization strategy a challenge for stakeholders and public health experts. Heterogeneity in at-risk categories included in national influenza vaccine recommendations still exists, in particular among European countries. Broader consensus is expected, which should positively impact on influenza vaccination coverage. The availability of quadrivalent vaccines, containing both influenza B lineages, offers the potential to improve protection by overcoming the drawbacks of wrongly predicting which B lineage will predominate in a given year. Original article
Unsupervised Semantic Role Induction via Split-Merge Clustering

In this paper we describe an unsupervised method for semantic role induction which holds promise for relieving the data acquisition bottleneck associated with supervised role labelers. We present an algorithm that iteratively splits and merges clusters representing semantic roles, thereby leading from an initial clustering to a final clustering of better quality. The method is simple, surprisingly effective, and allows to integrate linguistic knowledge transparently. By combining role induction with a rule-based component for argument identification we obtain an unsupervised end-to-end semantic role labeling system. Evaluation on the CoNLL 2008 benchmark dataset demonstrates that our method outperforms competitive unsupervised approaches by a wide margin.
In situ engineering of the lymph node microenvironment via intranodal injection of adjuvant-releasing polymer particles

Recent studies have demonstrated a simple, potentially universal strategy to enhance vaccine potency, via intralymph node (i.LN) injection. To date, intranodal immunization studies have focused on the delivery of unadjuvanted vaccines (e.g., naked DNA, peptide, or protein). We hypothesized that combining i.LN vaccination with controlled release biomaterials permitting sustained dosing of molecular adjuvants to the local tissue microenvironment would further enhance this promising vaccination strategy. To test this idea, we encapsulated the Toll-like receptor-3 ligand poly(inosinic:cytidylic acid) (polyIC) in biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles (MPs) designed to remain extracellular and release polyIC in the LN over several days. Intranodal injection of MPs increased persistence of polyIC in LNs compared to the same dose of soluble polyIC or polyIC formulated in nanoparticles, leading to increased accumulation of Toll-like receptor agonist in LN-resident antigen presenting cells and more enduring dendritic cell activation. Intralymph node injection of ovalbumin mixed with polyIC-releasing MPs enhanced the humoral response and expanded ovalbumin-specific T cells to frequencies as high as 18% among all CD8+ cells following a single injection (8.2-fold greater than the same vaccine given i.m.), a response that could not be matched by antigen mixed with polyIC-loaded nanoparticles or a 10-fold greater dose of soluble polyIC. Thus, i.LN immunization with slow release-formulated adjuvants may be a broadly applicable strategy to enhance therapeutic or prophylactic vaccines.
Discovering Mass Activities Using Anomalies in Individual Mobility Motifs

Mobility motif is a typical topology structure shared by movement trajectories, which could exhibit multi-scale spatio-temporal patterns in human behavior. There are two types of motifs, frequent, infrequent. The infrequent one hasn't got enough attention in research. In this paper, we study the relationship between infrequent motifs, mass activities. We have discovered that crowds are more likely to generate abnormal motifs when they attend activities than on ordinary days. Inspired by the discovery, we propose a novel model to incorporate the connection between motif anomalies, mass activities, which is verified by our real-world data driven analysis. Compared to previous mobility analysis, our work facilitates the inspection of human mobility anomalies in a fresh perspective,, it is a promising step towards unraveling the actual causation behind human mobility.
Polynomial time collision detection for manipulator paths specified by joint motions

An exact collision detection algorithm is described and analyzed. The time bound considers the complexity of the solids, the number of joints, and the number of distinct collision configurations. A bound for the number of collision configurations can be taken directly from the input data. The algorithm is based on an exact treatment of trigonometric expressions. The representation of trigonometric constants is discussed. Since all computations are exact, the distances between objects can be arbitrarily small. It is shown that collision detection can be performed in polynomial time. Other measures for the complexity of a motion with respect to collision detection could be based on minimal distances between objects. In this case smaller distances lead to increased computing time. >
Enabling Mobile Device Coordination over Distributed Shared Memory

Distributed shared memory-based coordination has the advantage of simplifying the coordination logic to read/write operations over the illusionary local memory. However, it is notoriously challenging to come up with a cost-effective implementation of the distributed shared memory. The implementation becomes more challenging in mobile environments, due to the resource constraints and the more rapid changes in the computing context. To this end, we propose the Mobile Distributed Shared Memory (MDSM) middleware to facilitate the development of mobile coordination applications. The key constructs in the shared memory are shared registers. Shared registers with different read/write patterns are implemented to facilitate flexible coordination. The registers also have different consistency semantics, to enable efficient tradeoff between data consistency and data access cost. An application framework is proposed to simplify the implementation of mobile coordination, relying on the middleware support from MDSM. A case study is conducted to demonstrate the usage of MDSM, where a soccer game application for the mobile phone is developed. Experimental evaluation is conducted to quantify different options of the consistency-latency tradeoff in the case study. The performance measurements show the cost-effectiveness of eventual consistency in this game. We also verify the read/write traces to further explain why eventual consistency practically performs better than it can guarantee.
An improved control strategy for three-phase four-wire active power filter based on vector-resonant control

This paper proposes an advanced non-harmonic detection control strategy for three-phase four-wire Active Power Filter (APF) based on improved Vector-Resonant Control (VRC). The mathematical model of the split-capacitor configuration is established with the source currents and the DC bus voltage as state variables. The proposed control scheme detects and regulates the source currents directly, without harmonic detectors, which could ensure the accuracy of the compensation and could improve the dynamic response of the system. A current loop controller is improved, which has superiority of frequency adaptation and stability margin. Finally, all conclusions in this paper are validated by Matlab/Simulink, and a 50-kW APF prototype with the proposed control strategy is implemented successfully.
Housing First Reduces Re-offending among Formerly Homeless Adults with Mental Disorders: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Homelessness and mental illness have a strong association with public disorder and criminality. Experimental evidence indicates that Housing First (HF) increases housing stability and perceived choice among those experiencing chronic homelessness and mental disorders. HF is also associated with lower residential costs than common alternative approaches. Few studies have examined the effect of HF on criminal behavior. Methods Individuals meeting criteria for homelessness and a current mental disorder were randomized to one of three conditions treatment as usual (reference); scattered site HF; and congregate HF. Administrative data concerning justice system events were linked in order to study prior histories of offending and to test the relationship between housing status and offending following randomization for up to two years. Results The majority of the sample (67%) was involved with the justice system, with a mean of 8.07 convictions per person in the ten years prior to recruitment. The most common category of crime was “property offences” (mean = 4.09). Following randomization, the scattered site HF condition was associated with significantly lower numbers of sentences than treatment as usual (Adjusted IRR = 0.29; 95% CI 0.12–0.72). Congregate HF was associated with a marginally significant reduction in sentences compared to treatment as usual (Adjusted IRR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.26–1.14). Conclusions This study is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate benefits of HF among a homeless sample with mental illness in the domain of public safety and crime. Our sample was frequently involved with the justice system, with great personal and societal costs. Further implementation of HF is strongly indicated, particularly in the scattered site format. Research examining interdependencies between housing, health, and the justice system is indicated. Trial registration ISRCTN57595077
Telling lies.

Men and women (20 each) were videotaped while describing someone they liked, someone they disliked, someone they were ambivalent about, someone they were indifferent about, someone they liked as though they disliked him or her, and someone they disliked as thought they like him or her. Accuracy at detecting that some deception had occurred was far greater than accuracy at detecting the true underlying affect, and people who were good at detecting that deception was occurring were not particularly skilled at reading the speakers' underlying affects. However, people whose deception attempts were more easily detected by others also had their underlying affects read more easily. Speakers whose lies were seen more readily by men also had their lies seen more readily by women, and observers better able to see the underlying affects of women were better able to see the underlying affects of men. Skill at lying successfully was unrelated to skill at catching others in their lies. A histrionic strategy (hamming) was very effective in deceiving others, and this strategy was employed more by more Machiavellian people, who also tended to get caught less often in their lies. Methodological considerations and systematic programs for future research are discussed.
Mortality among women with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast in the population-based surveillance, epidemiology and end results program.

BACKGROUND Over 14% of breast cancers diagnosed in the United States annually are ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS). There are no published population-based reports of the likelihood of breast cancer death among US women with DCIS. METHODS We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program to determine the likelihood of breast cancer death at 5 and 10 years among US women aged 40 and older diagnosed with DCIS from 1978 to 1983 (before screening mammography was common; n = 1525) and from 1984 to 1989 (when screening mammography became common; n = 5547). We also calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) to compare observed deaths from breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all causes combined among women with DCIS with deaths expected based on general population mortality rates. RESULTS Among women diagnosed with DCIS from 1978 to 1983, 1.5% died of breast cancer within 5 years and 3.4% within 10 years. Among women diagnosed from 1984 to 1989, 0.7% died of breast cancer within 5 years and 1.9% within 10 years. Relative to the general population, risk of breast cancer death was greater for women diagnosed from 1978 to 1983 (SMR, 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5-4.5) than for women diagnosed from 1984 to 1989 (10-year SMR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.3). Women diagnosed from 1984 to 1989 were significantly less likely than women in the general population to have died of cardiovascular diseases (10-year SMR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.7) or of all causes combined (SMR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.8). CONCLUSIONS Among women diagnosed with DCIS, risk of death from breast cancer was low, at least within the 10 years following diagnosis. This may reflect the effectiveness of treatment for DCIS, the "benign" nature of DCIS, or both. At 10 years, women diagnosed from 1984 to 1989 were less likely than women diagnosed from 1978 to 1983 to have died of breast cancer, and their risk of dying of all causes combined was lower than that in the general population.
Fast intra mode prediction for HEVC based on distortion variance

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is an ongoing standard, which is an extension of H.264/AVC which is the latest coding standard. In HEVC encoder an exhaustive search method is employed to select the best mode for each macro block which consumes more encoding time. Rate and Distortion tradeoff attained for encoding each macroblock introduces more computation complexity. Although, HEVC has better coding efficiency, in regard to AVC it has more number of macroblock modes to identify the best mode. In this paper, a fast mode intra prediction algorithm to predict the best mode for each macro block based on distortion variance is proposed. The distortion variance finds the integer pixel difference between the current macroblock and the reference macroblock. The experimental result shows that the proposed algorithm achieves better encoding time when compared with HM reference model without a drastic increment in bit rate and PSNR or degradation.
Modulating influence of chemotactic factor-induced cell adhesiveness on granulocyte function.

The importance of adhesion in regulating locomotion and accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) has remained vague. We found that the chemotaxis of human PMN resuspended in heat-inactivated plasma was maximal toward 1-10 nM N-formyl-met-leu-phe (f-Met-Leu-Phe), but fell below random motility toward >/= 100 nM. This impressive decrease of motility was paralleled by increased cell adherence on Petri dishes being minimal at 1 nM and maximal at >10 nM f-Met-Leu-Phe (6+/-1 and 37+/-2% [SE] adherent cells, respectively). Checked by phase-contrast microscopy, cells under stimulated adhesion lost the typical bipolar shape of moving PMN and became immobilized and highly flattened. PMN, preexposed to 250 nM f-Met-Leu-Phe and tested after washing, retained increased adhesiveness and showed extremely low random and chemotactic motility. In contrast, preexposure to 1 nM f-Met-Leu-Phe had no effect on chemotaxis. Supporting the concept that immobilizing hyperadhesiveness does not correspond to a general functional hyporesponsiveness of PMN, no depression of the initial ingestion rate was observed in the presence of 250 nM f-Met-Leu-Phe. Moreover, a close correlation was found between the induction of PMN adhesiveness and the stimulation of the hexose monophosphate pathway activity as well as of lysomal enzyme release (r >/= 0.98). Thus, "chemotactic deactivation" and "high-dose inhibition of chemotaxis" by N-formyl peptides is the consequence of increased cell adhesiveness. This phenomenon provides a mechanism for cell trapping at the inflammatory site. Conversely, if operative in circulating blood, e.g., in septicemia, it may impair PMN emigration to such sites.
A pattern for global policy: Excursion into the causes and implications of migration (African/European perspectives).

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in 2010 there were 200 million international migrant workers and their families. This figure excludes over 15 million refugees, those whose movement across a border has been forced by fear of persecution or violence. Labour migration is not simply from developing to developed countries. It is on record that some 60% of migrants live in developing countries. The number of African migrants attempting to enter Europe has increased remarkably during the past few years. For instance, in 2005, 22,939 illegal migrants were registered on the Italian Island of Lampedusa and between January and August, 2006, 14,567 newcomers arrived. Again in 2005, 11,781 African illegal migrants arrived at Spanish Canary Islands. Europe has therefore been perceived as immigrant continent. The causes are conflicts, the slowdown in economic growth and significant unemployment in Africa. This immigration from African countries have come to be perceived as a burden and even a threat to economic growth, social coercion, cultural coherence and security of the West. The purpose of this paper is to provoke discussions by exploring the causes and implications of migration in order to design more suitable migration policies in the 21 st century. It was found out that violence and poverty were usually considered the push factors of Africans migration to Europe. Also, restrictive policies, anti-immigrant public discourse and dehumanizing treatments that accompanied them contributed to the marginalization and emotional isolation of African immigrants in Europe. African governments are to explore avenues that could speed up their socio-economic, political and technological developments and must control illegal emigration from their continent. European protectionist and restricted trade policies must be regulated and international relations agreements, mutual calibrations and negotiations must be established between Europe and Africa