Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Organizational Design and Technology Choice with Nonbinding Contracts

We present a new methodology for studying the problem of labor contracting within a firm's boundaries where contracts provide only a minimal commitment to wages and employment. Given the peculiar contractual incompleteness of labor contracts, the resulting wages and profits under an interesting class of complete information bargaining games distort the technological and organizational decisions facing the owner of the firm's capital. We show that in such settings where labor contracts are nonbinding, these decisions are distorted in an economically distinct way compared to the standard neoclassical firm. Among other things, we demonstrate that a firm with a nonbinding contractual basis will, relative to a neoclassical firm, (i) overemploy labor, (ii) underemploy capital, (iii) choose inefficient ``frontloaded'' technologies, (iv) de-emphasize scale and scope economies, and (v) inefficiently allocate labor across productive assets. We apply our analysis to product market competition, unionization, hierarchical management, and horizontal mergers.
A new approach for observer design with application to Micro Aerial vehicle

Sliding mode observer has unique properties, in that the ability to generate a sliding motion on the error between the measure plant output and the output of the observer ensures that a sliding mode observer produces a set of state estimates that are precisely commensurate with the actual output of the plant. Sliding mode observer exists for bounded initial conditions and also observer gain has to be changed adaptively for varying initial conditions. To overcome these problems we have proposed a new methodology by combining Luenberger observer with the Sliding mode observer. Sliding mode observer guarantees the finite time convergence of the output error and also Robust to matched disturbances.
Detection of Network Structure in the Las Campanas Redshift Survey

We employ a percolation technique developed for pointwise distributions to analyze two-dimensional projections of the three northern and three southern slices in the Las Campanas Redshift Survey. One of the goals of this paper is to compare the visual impressions of the structure within distributions with objective statistical analysis. We track the growth of the largest cluster as an indicator of the network structure. We restrict our analysis to volume-limited subsamples in the regions from 200 to 400 h-1 Mpc, where the number density of galaxies is the highest. As a major result, we report a measurement of an unambiguous signal, with a high signal-to-noise ratio (at least at the level of a few σ), indicating significant connectivity of the galaxy distribution which in two dimensions is indicative of a filamentary distribution. This is in general agreement with the visual impression and typical for the standard theory of the large-scale structure formation based on gravitational instability of initially Gaussian density fluctuations.
Interactive Video Negotiator Training: A Preliminary Evaluation of the McGill Negotiation Simulator

The authors investigated student reactions to an interactive video training program called the MCGILL NEGOTIATION SIMULATOR designed to teach negotiation skills using a sales negotiation scenario. They also determined whether the program increased learning of negotiation concepts, as measured by a pretest and posttest. The authors conducted two studies. In Study 1, undergraduate students taking a sales class used the SIMULATOR and demonstrated significant learning relative to a control group. Study 2 replicated the findings from Study 1 using a bargaining and negotiation class. Discussion focuses on the implications of the findings fromthe two studies on the use of interactive video to teach negotiation skills in the classroom.
Analysis of Channel Capacity of Spread Spectrum Audio Watermarking System

Spread spectrum watermarking (SSW) is one of the most widespread watermarking methods. In this paper, the characterization of the SSW from the information theoretic point of view is performed. Previous works on channel capacity analysis of watermarking systems are reviewed. Since SSW method is designed so that the host signal is unknown to the embedding encoder, Costa's results for capacity analysis of watermarking systems are not directly applicable. In this paper, watermarking embedding and detection is modeled as a channel that transmits information in the presence of noise of host and channel capacity analysis of that model is derived and the most reliable transmission rate of hidden information obtained. In addition, channel capacity for the case of presence of additive noise in the watermark channel is derived and robustness of the SSW against additive noise examined
The German Currency Union of 1990: A Critical Assessment

Foreword S.Frowen & J.Hslscher - Introduction S.Frowen & J.Hslscher - The Dimensions of German Economic Unification: Keynote Address S.Frowen - PART 1: INTERNATIONAL CONSEQUENCES - The Deutsche Mark Exchange Rate Impact R.Konig - Comment C.A. E.Goodhart - German Currency Union and the Crises in the European Monetary System D.Cobham - Comment H.Riese - German Monetary Union and Its Implications for the Rest of Europe R.Barrell - Comment A.Jacobsen -The Investment Diversion Effects of German Unification: Supplementary Comment G.Pugh - PART 2: MONETARY POLICY AND GOODS MARKETS - Options to Resolve the 'Bad-Asset-Problem' H.Tomann - Comment David Homer - Incentives for Growth and Development E.O. Smith - Comment L.Copeland - Institutional Change and Economic Behaviour: Some Empirical Results, Supplementary Comment U.Mummert - The Privatisation of the East-German Economy. The Roles of the 'Treuhandanstalt' C.Kohler - Comment J.Hslscher - PART 3: THE ROLE OF MONETARY POLICY RECONSIDERED - United German Currency Sphere: Challenges for Both Parts of Germany N.Kloten - Comment S.Dow - The Impact on German Monetary Policy P.Bofinger - Comment G.McKenzie - Currency Reform and Currency Union: A Comparison between 1948 and 1990 S.Tober - Comment V.Chick - Comment J.Jerger - Index
Preformed phosphate, soft tissue pump and atmospheric CO 2

We develop a new theory relating atmospheric pCO2 and the efficiency of the soft tissue pump of CO2 in the ocean, measured by P*, a quasi-conservative tracer. P* is inversely correlated with preformed phosphate, and its global average represents the fraction of nutrients transported by the export and remineralization of organic material. This view is combined with global conservation constraints for carbon and nutrients leading to a theoretical prediction for the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to changes in globally averaged P*. The theory is supported by sensitivity studies with a more complex, three-dimensional numerical simulations. The numerical experiments suggest that the ocean carbon cycle is unlikely to approach the theoretical limit where globally averaged P* 1 (complete depletion of preformed phosphate) because the localized dynamics of deep water formation, which may be associated with rapid vertical mixing timescales, preclude the ventilation of strongly nutrient-depleted waters. Hence, in the large volume of the deep waters of the ocean, it is difficult to significantly reduce preformed nutrient (or increase P*) by increasing the efficiency of export production. This mechanism could ultimately control the efficiency of biological pumps in a climate with increased aeolian iron sources to the Southern Ocean. Using these concepts we can reconcile qualitative differences in the response of atmospheric pCO2 to surface nutrient draw down in highly idealized box models and more complex, general circulation models. We suggest that studies of carbon cycle dynamics in regions of deep water formation are the key to understanding the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to biological pumps in the ocean.
Bayesian estimation of the parameters of the bivariate generalized exponential distribution using accelerated life testing under censoring data

In this paper, the Bayesian estimation for the unknown parameters for the bivariate generalized exponential (BVGE) distribution under Bivariate censoring type-I samples with constant stress accelerated life testing (CSALT) are discussed. The scale parameter of the lifetime distribution at constant stress levels is assumed to be an inverse power law function of the stress level. The parameters are estimated by Bayesian approach using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method based on Gibbs sampling. Then, the numerical studies are introduced to illustrate the approach study using samples which have been generated from the BVGE distribution.
A Security Game Model for Remote Software Protection

When a piece of software is loaded on an untrusted machine it can be analyzed by an attacker who could discover any secret information hidden in the code. Software protection by continuously updating the components deployed in an untrusted environment forces a malicious user to restart her or his analyses, thus reducing the time window in which the attack is feasible. In this setting, both the attacker and the defender need to know how to direct their(necessarily limited) efforts. In this paper, we analyze the problem from a game theoretical perspective in order to devise a rational strategy to decide when and which orthogonal updates have to be scheduled in order to minimize the security risks of tampering. We formalize the problem of protecting a set of software modules and we cast it as a game. Since the update strategy is observable by the attacker, we show that the Leader-Follower equilibrium is the proper solution concept for such a game and we describe the basic method to compute it.
On supporting compilation in spatial query engines: (vision paper)

Today's 'Big' spatial computing and analytics are largely processed in-memory. Still, evaluation in prominent spatial query engines is neither fully optimized for modern-class platforms nor taking full advantage of compilation (i.e., generating low-level query code). Query compilation has been rapidly rising inside in-memory relational database management systems (RDBMSs) achieving remarkable speedups; how can we bring similar benefits to spatial query engines? In this research, we bring in proven Programming Languages (PL) approaches e.g., partial evaluation, generative programming, etc. and leverage the power of modern hardware to extend query compilation inside spatial query engines. We envision a fully compiled spatial query engine that is efficient and feasible to implement in a high-level language. We describe LB2-Spatial; a prototype for a fully compiled spatial query engine that employs generative and multi-stage programming to realize query compilation. Furthermore, we discuss challenges, and conduct a preliminary experiment to highlight potential gains of compilation. Finally, we sketch potential avenues for supporting spatial query compilation in Postgres/ PostGIS; a traditional RDBMS and Spark/ Spark SQL; a main-memory cluster computing framework.
What future for public housing? A critical analysis

This report is the final output of a study that considers the long-term future of public housing in Australia and the capacity of State Housing Authorities (SHAs) to address household need and community sustainability. It presents an analysis based on data collated from international and Australian literature on public housing policy and on the experiences and informed views of key actors working in Commonwealth Government, state administrations and not-for-profit welfare agencies. The research is guided by the following set of questions: What problems have arisen for the SHAs as a result of trying to manage housing stock in a period of tight budgetary constraints? How have the major drivers shaping public housing provision (social, economic and political) affected its future role? How might or should the SHAs prepare for the future policy environment to ensure that funds spent on public housing achieve sustainable policy outcomes? To what extent is public housing viable in the current policy environment? What alternative models of provision might be used in the future to enhance the broader role of public housing? The findings of the report are set out in accordance with the three key thematic areas that were developed in the course of the analysis: financial context, drivers of change and future strategies.
Harvesting MDT data: Radio environment maps for coverage analysis in cellular networks

Despite the remarkable progress in radio access technology to support the rapidly increasing wireless data demand, coverage analysis remains as one of the indispensable topics on which mobile operators still need innovations, above all, in terms of operational efficiency together with performance. Manual coverage detection and prediction is an inefficient and costly task. In this paper we show how Radio Environment Maps (REMs) developed as part of the research on cognitive wireless networks can be used as a basis for a powerful coverage estimation and prediction solution for present-day cellular networks. Applying powerful spatial interpolation techniques on the information coming from location-aware devices, REMs provide a realistic and remote representation of the ground-truth. The proposed approach automatically identifies the number, location and shape of the existing coverage holes and therefore constitutes a perfect example of a novel application of the Cognitive Radio concept on next generation cellular networks. Results on urban and rural environments show that the use of REM brings promising gains in coverage hole detection and prediction with respect to the case where only measurements are used.
Mass Selection Bias in Galaxy Cluster Peculiar Velocities from the Kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

Upcoming surveys for galaxy clusters using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect are potentially sensitive enough to create a peculiar velocity catalogue. The statistics of these peculiar velocities are sensitive to cosmological parameters. We develop a method to explore parameter space using N-body simulations in order to quantify dark matter halo velocity statistics which will be useful for cluster peculiar velocity observations. We show that mass selection bias from a kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich velocity catalogue forecasts rms peculiar velocities with a much more complicated Ω m dependency than suggested by linear perturbation theory. In addition, we show that both two-point functions for velocities disagree with linear theory predictions out to ∼40 h -1 Mpc separations. A pedagogical appendix is included developing linear theory notation with respect to the two-point peculiar velocities functions.
Guidelines and principles on imprisonment and the prevention of torture under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights - how relevant are they for South Africa?

It must be regarded as a peculiarity that the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Charter) makes no specific mention of prisoners' rights and that these rights have to be inferred from an overall reading of the Charter, and in particular Articles 4-6. The reasons for this lie in the history of the drafting of the Charter and the political context at the time and will not be the focus of the discussion here. Other regional instruments are more specific, for example, the American Convention on Human Rights, state "[a]ll persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person". With regard to the Charter it must therefore be concluded that prisoners' rights are weakly defined and much room is left for interpretation.
Globalization and its Effects on Regional Variations in Factor Substitution and Returns to Scale in the Indian Factory Sector

The issue of inequality or imbalance in sectional, sectoral or regional distribution of economic and social variables is connected to welfare implications of the functioning of an economy responsible for allocation of resources, and production, distribution and consumption of the material requisites of well-being. Economic development and technological progress may or may not deliver justice in the Rawls’ sense although such development and progress might be perfectly just in Mill’s or Nietzsche’s sense. Inequalities and their dynamics are often studied in terms of collectives of gross variables – income, amenities and facilities, infrastructure, etc. – that directly impinge on the welfare of the people. However, deeper parameters are seldom studied in this regard. Nevertheless, these parameters - such as propensities to consume and save, rate and direction of substitution of factors of production, returns to scale, bias of technical progress, concentration of monopoly power, etc are altered in the process of development and determine the gross economic variables for a fairly long period. In this study we make an attempt to look into the spatial/regional distribution of a few structural parameters in the factory sector of India and purport to examine if, in the wake of globalization, there have been substantial changes in their distribution. Our main apparatus of analysis is ‘production functions’ that permit variable elasticities of factor substitution and returns to scale. We use data at the state level for 1990-91 and 2003-04 for our analysis.
Cutting Parameter Optimization Based on Experience and Rules

To reduce cutting time and costs, an optimization model of cutting parameter is proposed. Constraints like lathe and cutting tool are fully considered. The objective function is aiming at the target of profit margins. Some empirical indexes are used in the constraints and the objective function since the special properties of cutting process. The Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method is used to build an evaluation model, which provides an evolutionary path for cutting parameter. The evaluation matrix R in the modelis determined by operators who use the cutting parameter to cut. A cutting parameter database system of B/S structure was developed by JAVA language based on the optimization model and helped a company improved profit margins successfully.
Projected Effect of Increased Active Travel in German Urban Regions on the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Background Future transportation policy is likely to reduce emissions in the cities and urban regions by strengthening active travel. Increased walking and cycling are known to have positive effects on health outcomes. This work estimates effects of increased active travel on type 2 diabetes in Germany, where 64% of the population live in urban regions. Methods Based on the effect size of an increased active travel scenario reported from a recent meta-analysis, we project the change in the life time risk, the proportion of prevented cases and the change in diabetes free life time in a German birth cohort (born 1985) compared to business as usual. Results The absolute risk reduction of developing type 2 diabetes before the age of 80 is 6.4% [95% confidence interval: 3.7-9.7%] for men and 4.7% [2.2-7.7%] for women, respectively. Compared to business as usual, the increased active travel scenario prevents 14.0% [8.1-21.2%] of the future cases of diabetes in men and 15.8% [9.3-23.1%] in women. Diabetes free survival increases by 1.7 [1.0-2.7] years in men and 1.4 [0.6-2.3] in women. Conclusions Our projection predicts a substantial impact of increased active travel on the future burden of type 2 diabetes. The most striking effect may be seen in the number of prevented cases. In all urban regions with an increased active travel transport policy, about one out of seven male and one out of six female cases can be prevented.
Intra-Day Variability and the Interstellar Medium Towards 0917+624

The intra-day variable source 0917+624 displays annual changes in its timescale of variability. This is explained in terms of a scintillation model in which changes in the variability timescale are due to changes in the relative velocity of the scintillation pattern as the Earth orbits the sun. (see also astro-ph/0102050)
Large N strong coupling dynamics in nonsupersymmetric orbifold field theories

We give a recipe relating holomorphic quantities in supersymmetric field theory to their descendants in non-supersymmetric Z_2 orbifold field theories. This recipe, consistent with a recent proposal of Strassler, gives exact results for bifermion condensates, domain wall tensions and gauge coupling constants in the planar limit of the orbifold theories.
Predictive direct stator flux control algorithm of AC induction motor in field weakening region

This paper presents possible usage of the predictive direct stator flux control (PDSFC) algorithm for stator flux oriented vector control of AC induction motors in field weakening region. The required magnitude of the stator flux vector enters directly into PDSFC control scheme without requiring the flux controller. From this point of view it seems to be simple to extend it with algorithm for field weakening. This enables AC induction motor to operate above nominal speed and also to achieve nearly optimal efficiency
Operand Isolation with Reduced Overhead for Low Power Datapath Design

Dynamic power dissipation due to redundant switching is an important metric in data-path design. This paper focuses on the use of ingenious operand isolation circuits for low power design. Operand isolation attempts to reduce switching by clamping or latching the output of a first level of combinational circuit. This paper presents a novel method using power supply switching wherein both PMOS and NMOS stacks of a circuit are connected to the same power supply. Thus, the output gets clamped or latched to the power supply value with minimal leakage. The proposed circuits make use of only two transistors to clamp the entire Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) block. Also, the latch-based designs have higher drive strength in comparison to the existing methods. Simulation results have shown considerable area reduction in comparison to the existing techniques without increasing timing overhead.
Analyzing Measurements of the R Statistical Open Source Software

Software quality is one of the main goals of effective programming. Although it has a quite ambiguous meaning, quality can be measured by several metrics, which have been appropriately formulated through the years. Software measurement is a particularly important procedure, as it provides meaningful information about the software artifact. This procedure is even more emerging when we refer to open source software, where the need for shared knowledge is crucial for the maintenance and evolution of the code. A paradigm of open source project where code quality is especially important is the scientific language R. This paper aims to perform measurements on the R statistical open source software, examine the relationships among the observed metrics and special attributes of the R software and search for certain characteristics that define its behavior and structure. For this purpose, a random sample of 508 R packages has been downloaded from the CRAN repository of R and has been measured, using the SourceMonitor metrics tool. The resulted measurements, along with a significant number of specific attributes of the R packages, were examined and analyzed, leading to interesting conclusions such as the validity of a power law distribution regarding the majority of the sample's metrics and the absence of specific patterns due to the interdependencies among packages. Finally, the effects of the number of developers and the number of dependencies are investigated, in order to understand their impact on the metrics of the sample packages.