Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing of unit and fractional roots in the context of deterministic trends with weakly autocorrelated disturbances

In this article we propose the use of a modified version of a procedure suggested by Robinson (1994) for testing I(d) statistical models in the presence of deterministic regressors and weakly autocorrelated distur- bances. The new test has better finite-sample properties than Robinson's (1994) original test. An empirical application, showing the performance of the test in the context of deterministic trends is also included at the end of the article.
Sightline optimization of the multichannel laser interferometer for W7-X

A multichannel CO2 laser interferometer is planned for electron density profile measurements in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator under construction. This article describes the mathematical methods used to find the optimum orientation of the various sightlines. The problem of reconstructing local densities from line integrated density measurements can be formulated as a matrix inversion. The quality of the reconstruction is largely determined by the condition number of the matrix describing the problem, which has to be minimized, i.e., the sightlines have to be chosen such that the information content of different channels is maximally distinct. For the W7-X interferometer four- and eight-sightline arrangements are investigated and their orientations are optimized for standard conditions of magnetic configuration and density profile. The optimized arrangements are tested by simulating the inversion of hypothetical reference density profiles in a number of different magnetic configurations. In the ideal case.
Object Fingerprint Cache for Heterogeneous Memory System

Heterogeneous memory systems promise to provide both large storage capacity and high performance. Prior DRAM cache systems have metadata scalability issue and suffer from low cache hit rate, low DRAM space utilization, and significant data migration overhead. We observe that instances of an object type exhibit stable and predictable memory access patterns in its constituent cachelines and these patterns are referred to as object fingerprints. We propose the hardware-assisted cache that manages DRAM at the object type level and fetches data block at the granularity of a cacheline, by exploiting object fingerprint. To address its design challenges, we first present a software-hardware co-design to convey the software information to hardware. Second, we design multiple granularity sector caches that can be dynamically adjusted to adapt to changing behaviors and improve DRAM cache utilization. To address the challenges of large metadata storage overhead, we propose to bound possible sizes for each sector cache. Experimental results show our designs improve DRAM cache hit rate by 21.6%, boost IPC by 19.8%, and reduce data migration traffic by 51.6% on average, compared with state-of-art DRAM caches. More importantly, our online object fingerprint learning method is 2.3% inferior to the offline one in terms of IPC.
Spectroscopic orbits for K giants β Reticuli and ν Octantis: what is causing a low-amplitude radial velocity resonant perturbation in ν Oct?

New astrometric-spectroscopic orbital solutions for the single-line K-giant binaries p Reticuli (P ≈ 5.2 yr, e = 0.3346 ± 0.0004) and v Octantis (P ≈ 2.9 yr, e = 0.2358 ± 0.0003) have been derived based on high-precision spectroscopic radial velocities (RVs) and the Hipparcos astrometry. For the case of v Oct, the simultaneous solution is particularly robust and an inclination of i = 70.8 ± 0.9° has been derived. This is one of the most precise inclinations yet calculated based on a spectroscopic solution and the Hipparcos astrometry. We have also discovered low-amplitude periodic behaviour in the residuals of the orbital solution for v Oct. This RV perturbation has a semi-amplitude of 50 m s -1 and a 418-d period which is coherent over several years. The RV curve of the perturbation is apparently in resonance with that of the binary: every second maximum of the binary coincides with every fifth minimum of the perturbation, hence the periods have the simple ratio 5:2. The possible causes of such a perturbation are rotational modulation of surface phenomenon, pulsations or an orbiting body. We have assessed these alternatives in terms of the suspected photometric stability (Hp = 3.8981 ± 0.0004), a lack of evidence of other RV periodicities, no correlation of cross-correlation function bisectors with the residual velocities, no compelling evidence of wavelength dependency for the amplitude or relative phase of the perturbation, our bounds on the rotational period of the primary star and the need for long-lived relatively fixed surface features. The results of these analyses lack consistency with both rotational modulation and pulsations and so imply that a planetary mass is a realistic cause. The planet hypothesis, however, is strongly constrained and challenged by our precise binary orbit. The hypothetical planet (M min ≈2.4 M Jup ) would have an orbit (e ≈ 0.1, a 3 ≈ 1.2 au) about mid-way between the stars whose periastron distance is only 1.9 au. This orbit, supposedly in resonance with the binary system, appears to be highly unlikely based on current planet formation and orbit-stability expectations. Without knowing the cause of the perturbation, we cannot be certain if the suspected RV and hence period resonance are merely coincidental or not. Establishing the true cause of the perturbation requires renewed observation of the system, re-assessment of the possible resonance if this is redetected and the acquisition of similar and additional precise diagnostic parameters with respect to each of the possible causative mechanisms.
ADBI Working Paper Series DO POLITICAL CONNECTIONS SPUR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER? EVIDENCE FROM INDIA FROM A GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE

Corporate governance is vital in the effective implementation of domestic and foreign economic policies. In this context, this study examines the role of political connections in the Indian context to understand their impact on firms’ productivity and technology transfer. We ask the following research questions: First, what is the nature of the relationship between political connection and productivity, and does this relationship explain firms’ productivity and innovation efforts? Second, do political connections explain the extent of technology transfer through backward, forward, and horizontal technology spillovers? The study uses hand-picked data on political donations made by Indian firms to contribute to the political connections literature in the emerging markets context. It is the first to study technology transfer and political connections explicitly. The political donations also reveal that there are strong and weak political connections in India depending on whether a firm donates to a single party or to parties. The empirical inference is that politically connected firms experience negative effects on their total factor productivity and research and development expenditure from their political connections. The negative impact implies that a political connection is a non-productive resource for the firm’s productivity and innovation. However, for strongly politically connected firms only we find a positive backward spillover effect, suggesting a need to improve corporate governance regulations. Overall, the study offers new insights into corporate governance and technology transfer.
Sequence polymorphism within erythrocyte binding domain of EBA175 in Indian and African field isolates

Invasion of erythrocyte by Plasmodium merozoites is mediated by specific molecular interactions between proteins expressed on merozoite surface and the receptors present on erythrocytes. Erythrocyte binding antigen 175 (EBA175) is one such protein that interacts with the sialic acid residues on glycophorin A present on erythrocytes’ surface during invasion. The FII region (PfFII) of EBA175 has been mapped to be critical for binding to erythrocytes. It is reported that antibodies against FII region blocks binding. Polymorphisms in FII region of EBA175 are already reported. The goal of this study was to investigate whether polymorphism in FII region of African P. falciparum field isolates has any effect on erythrocyte binding and also to find whether antibodies raised against FII region from P. falciparum Malayan Camp strain (Camp) can inhibit erythrocyte binding. Genomic DNA of parasites from the blood samples of P. falciparum infected individuals was isolated and PfFII region from these genomic DNA were amplified, cloned and sequenced. Following sequence analysis, we selected three isolates harboring higher PfFII polymorphisms, expressed them on the surface of COS cells as chimeric proteins using secretory signal and transmembrane segments of Herpex simplex virus glycoprotein D (HSVg D) and tested for their erythrocyte binding ability. We further tested the inhibition of erythrocyte binding of these polymorphic FII regions using anti-campPfF2 antibodies. Our results reveal that the polymorphisms in different field isolates included in this study do not have any significant effect on erythrocyte binding and antibodies raised against FII region of camp strain could inhibit erythrocyte binding by all the polymorphic PfFII. This observation strengthens the possibility that PfFII can be a potential candidate vaccine.
Bayesian Models for Multiple Local Sequence Alignment and Gibbs Sampling Strategies

Abstract A wealth of data concerning life's basic molecules, proteins and nucleic acids, has emerged from the biotechnology revolution. The human genome project has accelerated the growth of these data. Multiple observations of homologous protein or nucleic acid sequences from different organisms are often available. But because mutations and sequence errors misalign these data, multiple sequence alignment has become an essential and valuable tool for understanding structures and functions of these molecules. A recently developed Gibbs sampling algorithm has been applied with substantial advantage in this setting. In this article we develop a full Bayesian foundation for this algorithm and present extensions that permit relaxation of two important restrictions. We also present a rank test for the assessment of the significance of multiple sequence alignment. As an example, we study the set of dinucleotide binding proteins and predict binding segments for dozens of its members.
The community participation on infrastructures and facilities updating data of Teratak Village, Rumbio Jaya

Village Information System (SID) is an implementation of e-government by the village government. The right of village communities to get real-time information can be hampered due to the skills and abilities of human resources and out-of-date information. The activity is focused on updating Village data and facilities through survey primary data collection. The results of the survey are up-to-date data, are integrated, and can be accessed online. The process of entering data into the SID will be continued by the Village Government Officials who manage the SID, for this reason, there is a need for a special briefing for Village Government Officials in a training activity in updating data on village facilities and infrastructure. Workshops in the form of training, practice and question and answer were carried out with feedback in the form of questionnaires before and after the workshop to assess the success of the program. The survey data that is input to the SID includes health facilities, religious facilities, agriculture, animal husbandry, plantations, educational facilities, village tourism potential, and potential disasters along with their evacuation points. This updated data is expected to be a reference for compiling the Teratak Village Development and workshop activities have been able to improve the ability of village government.
The Productivity Slowdown in Advanced Economies: Common Shocks or Common Trends?

This paper reviews advanced-economy productivity developments in recent decades. We focus primarily on the facts about, and explanations for, the mid-2000s labor-productivity slowdown in large European countries and the United States. Slower total factor productivity growth was the proximate cause of the slowdown. This conclusion is robust to measurement challenges including the role of intangible assets, rankings of productivity levels, and data revisions. We contrast two main narratives for the stagnating productivity frontier: The shock of the Global Financial Crisis; and a common slowdown in productivity trends. Distinguishing these two empirically is hard, but the pre-recession timing of the U.S. slowdown suggests an important role for the common-trend explanation. We also discuss the unusual pattern of productivity growth since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although it is early, there is little evidence so far that the large pandemic shock has changed the slow pre-pandemic trajectory of productivity growth.
Applications of near-infrared spectroscopy in “anaerobic” diagnostics – SmO2 kinetics reflect PCr dephosphorylation and correlate with maximal lactate accumulation and maximal pedalling rate

We investigated the relationship of the time-dependent behaviour of muscle oxygen saturation SmO2(t), phosphagen energy supply WPCr(t) and blood lactate accumulation ΔBLC(t) during a 60-s all-out cycling sprint and tested SmO2(t) for correlations with the end of the fatigue-free state tFf, maximal pedalling rate PRmax and maximal blood lactate accumulation rate v̇Lamax. Nine male elite track cyclists performed four maximal sprints (3, 8, 12, 60 s) on a cycle ergometer. Crank force and cadence were monitored continuously to determine PRmax and tFf based on force-velocity profiles. SmO2 of the vastus lateralis muscle and respiratory gases were measured until the 30th minute after exercise. WPCr was calculated based on the fast component of the post-exercise oxygen uptake for each sprint. Before and for 30 minutes after each sprint, capillary blood samples were taken to determine the associated ΔBLC. Temporal changes of SmO2, WPCr and ΔBLC were analysed via non-linear regression analysis. v̇Lamax was calculated based on ΔBLC(t) as the highest blood lactate accumulation rate. All models showed excellent quality (R2 > 0.95). The time constant of SmO2(t) τSmO2 = 2.93 ± 0.65 s was correlated with the time constant of WPCr(t) τPCr = 3.23 ± 0.67 s (r = 0.790, p < 0.012), v̇Lamax = 0.95 ± 0.18 mmol · l−1 · s−1 (r = 0.768, p < 0.017) and PRmax = 299.51 ± 14.70 rpm (r = -0.670, p < 0.049). tFf was correlated with τSmO2 (r = 0.885, p < 0.001). Our results show a time-dependent reflection of SmO2 kinetics and phosphagen energy contribution during a 60-s maximal cycling sprint. A high v̇Lamax results in a reduction, a high PRmax in an increase of the desaturation rate. The half-life of SmO2 desaturation indicates the end of the fatigue-free state.
Both species richness and growth forms affect nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: A mesocosm experiment

Introduction Plant richness is thought to improve the function of constructed wetlands (CWs), but most CWs are planted with monocultures, with only a few employed polycultures, which have drawn contradictory conclusions. We suppose functional diversity is the key to better performance of plant communities and hypothesize that CWs planted with diverse growth forms are superior in plant growth and nutrient removal. Methods In this study, six emergent plant species categorized into slender type (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Typha orientalis), fan type (Iris sibirica, Acorus calamus) and large type (Canna indica and Thalia dealbata) were planted in monocultures, combinations (two species of the same growth form) and mixed polycultures (six species of three growth forms). We then compared how plant growth and nutrient uptake differed among treatments. Results It showed that the polyculture considerably increased the removal of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), but the combination did not outperform monoculture. High consistency in the patterns between underground biomass and total biomass indicated that plant roots were essential for nutrient consumption. Compared with slender and fan plants, the large plants had a greater biomass increase in polycultures, which greatly accelerated the absorption and assimilation of TN and TP. Conclusion Our study indicated that plant community with various growth forms reduced the intensity of interspecific competition, increased the functional diversity, and greatly enhanced the ability of pollutant removal. Our results also provide some suggestions for plant selection and combination designs in CWs.
An Improved Approach for Grasp Force Sensing and Control of Upper Limb Soft Robotic Prosthetics

The following research proposes a closed loop force control system, which is implemented on a soft robotic prosthetic hand. The proposed system uses a force sensing approach that does not require any sensing elements to be embedded in the prosthetic’s fingers, therefore maintaining their monolithic structural integrity, and subsequently decreasing the cost and manufacturing complexity. This is achieved by embedding an aluminum test specimen with a full bridge strain gauge circuit directly inside the actuator’s housing rather than in the finger. The location of the test specimen is precisely at the location of the critical section of the bending moment on the actuator housing due to the tension in the driving tendon. Therefore, the resulting loadcell can acquire a signal proportional to the prosthetic’s grasping force. A PI controller is implemented and tested using this force sensing approach. The experiment design includes a flexible test object, which serves to visually demonstrate the force controller’s performance through the deformation that the test object experiences. Setpoints corresponding to “light”, “medium”, and “hard” grasps were tested with pinch, tripod, and full grasps and the results of these tests are documented in this manuscript. The developed controller was found to have an accuracy of ±2%. Additionally, the deformation of the test object increased proportionally with the given grasp force setpoint, with almost no deformation during the light grasp test, slight deformation during the medium grasp test, and relatively large deformation of the test object during the hard grasp test.
A Novel Bias-TSP Algorithm for Maritime Patrol

This work aims to develop a search planning strategy to be used by a drone equipped with an inverse synthetic-aperture radar (ISAR) and an electro-optical sensor. After describing the specifics of our maritime scenario, we discuss four methodologies that can be used to find vessels involved in illegal fishing activities as quickly as possible. In addition to the clustering of the vessels, determined by the drone’s electro-optical sensor range, we introduce a novel technique to bias a traveling salesman problem (TSP) tour. This bias is based on deliberately increasing distances to vessels that are classified as probable fishing vessels. This increase in distance is meant to prioritize visits to probable fishing vessels. Vessels are classified based on their length. The classification result and the vessel clustering are available before the actual planning of the tour. Simulations of scenarios in which we have a few vessels fishing illegally show that the novel technique, the bias-TSP, combined with a tour orientation based on operational considerations, outperforms the classic TSP: the mean distance traveled to find all the vessels involved in illegal fishing activities is reduced by at least 35–50%. We also show that different drone take-off locations significantly impact the results.
Acinetobacter Baumannii Phages: Past, Present and Future

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is one of the most common clinical pathogens and a typical multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterium. With the increase of drug-resistant A. baumannii infections, it is urgent to find some new treatment strategies, such as phage therapy. In this paper, we described the different drug resistances of A. baumannii and some basic properties of A. baumannii phages, analyzed the interaction between phages and their hosts, and focused on A. baumannii phage therapies. Finally, we discussed the chance and challenge of phage therapy. This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of A. baumannii phages and theoretical support for the clinical application of A. baumannii phages.
Orbital tomography for highly symmetric adsorbate systems

Orbital tomography is a new and very powerful tool to analyze the angular distribution of a photoemission spectroscopy experiment. It was successfully used for organic adsorbate systems to identify (and consequently deconvolute) the contributions of specific molecular orbitals to the photoemission data. The technique was so far limited to surfaces with low symmetry like fcc(110) oriented surfaces, owing to the small number of rotational domains that occur on such surfaces. In this letter we overcome this limitation and present an orbital tomography study of a 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetra-carboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) monolayer film adsorbed on Ag(111). Although this system exhibits twelve differently oriented molecules, the angular resolved photoemission data still allow a meaningful analysis of the different local density of states and reveal different electronic structures for symmetrically inequivalent molecules. We also discuss the precision of the orbital tomography technique in terms of counting statistics and linear regression fitting algorithm. Our results demonstrate that orbital tomography is not limited to low-symmetry surfaces, a finding which makes a broad field of complex adsorbate systems accessible to this powerful technique.
A simple mathematical theory of finite distortional latent hardening in single crystals

A simple (one-parameter) hardening law is proposed which accounts for the perpetuation of finite single slip, beyond the symmetry line, in the tensile test of f. c. c. crystals and reduces to Taylor’s rule at infinitesimal strain. This new law emerges as the simplest case of a general mathematical theory of finite deformation of elastic-plastic crystals. The fully anisotropic finite-distortional hardening of latent slip systems predicted by the simple theory is in qualitative agreement with experiment.