Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social networks in determining migration and labour market outcomes: evidence from the German reunification

This paper empirically examines social network explanations for migration decisions in the context of the German reunification. Using longitudinal data from the German Socio- Economic Panel, we first show that the presence of family and friends in West Germany is an important predictor for the migration hazard rate of East Germans. We then explore whether pre-migration networks have a discernible impact on the economic and social assimilation of East German immigrants in West Germany. We find that East German immigrants are more likely to be employed, and to hold higher-paying jobs, when socially connected to the West prior to emigrating. East Germans immigrants with pre-migration networks also appear to be more integrated into their Western host communities than movers without preexisting social ties.
A Mechanism for Neuronal Gain Control by Descending Pathways

Many implementations of adaptive signal processing in the nervous system are likely to require a mechanism for gain control at the single neuron level. To properly adjust the gain of an individual neuron, it may be necessary to use information carried by neurons in other parts of the system. The ability to adjust the gain of neurons in one part of the brain, using control signals arising from another, has been observed in the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish, where descending pathways to a first-order sensory nucleus have been shown to influence the gain of its output neurons. Although the neural circuitry associated with this system is well studied, the exact nature of the gain control mechanism is not fully understood. In this paper, we propose a mechanism based on the regulation of total membrane conductance via synaptic activity on descending pathways. Using a simple neural model, we show how the activity levels of paired excitatory and inhibitory control pathways can regulate the gain and baseline excitation of a target neuron.
A Sticky Weighted Regression Model for Time-Varying Resting-State Brain Connectivity Estimation

Despite recent progress on brain connectivity modeling using neuroimaging data such as fMRI, most current approaches assume that brain connectivity networks have time-invariant topology/coefficients. This is clearly problematic as the brain is inherently nonstationary. Here, we present a time-varying model to investigate the temporal dynamics of brain connectivity networks. The proposed method allows for abrupt changes in network structure via a fused least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) scheme, as well as recovery of time-varying networks with smoothly changing coefficients via a weighted regression technique. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed method yields improved accuracy on estimating time-dependent connectivity patterns when compared to a static sparse regression model or a weighted time-varying regression model. When applied to real resting-state fMRI datasets from Parkinson's disease (PD) and control subjects, significantly different temporal and spatial patterns were found to be associated with PD. Specifically, PD subjects demonstrated reduced network variability over time, which may be related to impaired cognitive flexibility previously reported in PD. The temporal dynamic properties of brain connectivity in PD subjects may provide insights into brain dynamics associated with PD and may serve as a potential biomarker in future studies.
A Miniature Soft Robotic Manipulator Based on Novel Fabrication Methods

Flexible robotic manipulators have been widely used in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and many other applications requiring closer inspection and operation. Although a variety of manipulators enabled by different mechanism have been developed, few of them can preserve softness, thinness, and decent bending capability simultaneously. In this letter, we present a miniature soft robotic manipulator made of hyper-elastic silicone rubber. Along with the manipulator design, two novel fabrication methods are proposed and elaborated. Detailed characterizations are specified to show the bending capability of the manipulator given different air pressure. Specifically, our manipulator, as thin as 6 mm, is able to achieve 360° directional bending, and, when given pressure over 70 kPa, it can reach 180° bending angle and around 5 mm bending radius easily. Due to its innate compliance and small dimension, this type of robotic manipulator can deliver safe and comfortable interactions with the subjects. More significantly, the novel fabrications in this letter diversify the fabrication methods for soft pneumatic robots and actuators (SPRA) and further scale down their sizes.
Reference sequence design for zero-tail DFT-spread-OFDM

Zero-tail Discrete Fourier Transform-spread OFDM (ZT DFT-s-OFDM) modulation replaces the Cyclic Prefix (CP) with a low power tail whose length can be dynamically configured to cope with the instantaneous delay spread of the channel. In this paper, we discuss the reference sequence design for ZT DFT-s-OFDM. Our proposed approach is based on a deliberate distortion of the known Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequences aiming at adapting them to the ZT DFT-s-OFDM waveform while preserving their attractive properties. A numerical analysis confirms the validity of our design in generating ZT DFT-s-OFDM reference sequences with zero autocorrelation, limited cross-correlation, flat frequency response and low Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR).
Multitasking as distraction: A conceptual analysis of media multitasking research

The word “multitasking” gets thrown around a lot these days. For years it was touted as the cognitive default for a new generation of digital natives, but psychologists are increasingly warning us against its harmful effects on many different forms of human activity. What exactly is meant by the concept of multitasking, however, remains peculiarly taken-for-granted. The purpose of this article is therefore to analyze, evaluate, and interpret how the word “multitasking” is currently being used in scientific practice. Taking departure in the domain of media multitasking research, the article reveals an unacknowledged normativity in the empirical research literature: Multitasking does not in fact denote a quantitative enumeration of tasks, but a qualitative distinction between on- and off-task activity. In other words, multitasking is functionally equivalent to distraction. This article discusses how this insight challenges the scientific rationality of current media multitasking research and concludes with implications for future research.
A Monte Carlo algorithm for efficient large matrix inversion

This paper introduces a new Monte Carlo algorithm to invert large matrices. It is based on simultaneous coupled draws from two random vectors whose covariance is the required inverse. It can be considered a generalization of a previously reported algorithm for hermitian matrices inversion based in only one draw. The use of two draws allows the inversion on non-hermitian matrices. Both the conditions for convergence and the rate of convergence are similar to the Gauss-Seidel algorithm. Results on two examples are presented, a real non-symmetric matrix related to quantitative genetics and a complex non-hermitian matrix relevant for physicists. Compared with other Monte Carlo algorithms it reveals a large reduction of the processing time showing eight times faster processing in the examples studied.
A 3D tracking experiment on latency and its compensation methods in virtual environments

In this paper, we conducted an experiment on the latency and its compensation methods in a virtual reality application using an HMD and a 3D head tracker. Our purpose is to make a comparison both in the simulation and in the real task among four tracker prediction methods: the Grey system theory based prediction proposed in 1994. the Kalman filtering which is well-known and widespreading since 1991, a simple linear extrapolation. and the basic method without prediction. In our 3D target tracing task that involved eight subjects, who used their head motion to trace a flying target in random motion, we have found that when the system latency is 120ms. two prediction methods, Kalman filtering (not inertial-based) and Grey system prediction, are significantly better than the one without prediction, and the former two methods are equally well in performance. Typical motion trajectories of four methods in simulation are plotted, and jittering effects are examined. In terms of jittering at 120ms prediction length, Kalman filtering was evaluated to have the largest.
Analysis and Optimal Design of a New 6 DOF Parallel Type Haptic Device

This paper proposes a new haptic device by using a parallel mechanism and a gimbal mechanism. This device has three legs actuated by 2-DOF gimbal mechanisms, which makes the device simple and light by fixing all the actuators to the base. The reference axis of the gimbal mechanism is rotated about the z axis with 45 degrees, which distributes the end-effector load to each actuator uniformly. Three extra sensors are placed at passive joints to obtain a unique solution for the forward kinematics problem. The proposed haptic device is developed for an operator to use it on a desktop in due consideration of the size of an average Korean person. The proposed haptic device has a small workspace for an operator to use it on a desktop and it has more sensitivity than a serial type haptic device. Therefore, the motors of the proposed haptic device are fixed at the base plate so that the proposed haptic device has a better dynamic bandwidth due to a low moving inertia. With this conceptual design, optimization of the design parameters is carried out by using a genetic algorithm. The objective function is defined by the minimum of the global design indices, the global force/moment isotropy index, the global force/moment payload index, and the workspace. Each global index is calculated by a SVD (singular value decomposition) of the force and moment parts of the jacobian matrix. Division of the jacobian matrix assures a consistency of the units in the matrix. Due to the nonlinearity of this objective function, genetic algorithms are adopted for a global optimization
Driver Inattention Detection based on Eye Gaze—Road Event Correlation

Current road safety initiatives are approaching the limit of their effectiveness in developed countries. A paradigm shift is needed to address the preventable deaths of thousands on our roads. Previous systems have focused on one or two aspects of driving: environmental sensing, vehicle dynamics or driver monitoring. Our approach is to consider the driver and the vehicle as part of a combined system, operating within the road environment. A driver assistance system is implemented that is not only responsive to the road environment and the driver's actions but also designed to correlate the driver's eye gaze with road events to determine the driver's observations. Driver observation monitoring enables an immediate in-vehicle system able to detect and act on driver inattentiveness, providing the precious seconds for an inattentive human driver to react. We present a prototype system capable of estimating the driver's observations and detecting driver inattentiveness. Due to the “look but not see” case it is not possible to prove that a road event has been observed by the driver. We show, however, that it is possible to detect missed road events and warn the driver appropriately.
Molecular dynamics simulations in the grand canonical ensemble: Formulation of a bias potential for umbrella sampling

An extended Hamiltonian technique for performing grand canonical ensemble molecular dynamics simulations has been reformulated to include umbrella sampling, thus improving the efficiency of particle creation and annihilation processes. This was accomplished through incorporation of a bias potential in the Hamiltonian that modifies the free energy contour between integer particle number states. The extended Hamiltonian includes a continuous particle number variable that is the sum of the integer particle number and a coupling parameter, the latter being used in a scaling function for a fractional molecule’s interactions with the rest of the system. Equations of motion for the coupling parameter, derived from the Hamiltonian, integrate to yield density fluctuations at constant chemical potential. This new method may be adapted to a wide range of potential scaling functions. The technique was applied to calculations of extended simple point charge water density versus chemical potential, using both linear an.
The capacity of a three-user interference channel with a cognitive transmitter in strong interference

This paper analyzes the capacity of a three-user interference channel with a cognitive transmitter which non-causally knows the messages of the other two transmitters. Especially, We derive the capacity region when all interference channel gains are strong and show that the capacity is achieved by superposition coding. From the capacity results for the specific channel conditions, we also analyze the capacity region for three-user Gaussian interference channel with a cognitive transmitter.
Study of depth of field based on GPU post-processing

Computer generated images by default render the entire scene in perfect focus. And computer graphics cameras lack the finite depth of field present in real world, this result in reducing the realism of the scene. Several depth of field methods have been proposed, in this paper, object space methods depth of field will be introduced, and the ray-tracing method will be put as the representative method. After then, this paper will focus on post-processing method based on GPU. The comparison result will be shown as the experiment section.
Efficient binary consensus in randomized and noisy environments

In this article we investigate randomized binary majority consensus in networks with random topologies and noise. Using computer simulations, we show that asynchronous Simple Majority rule can reach ≃ 100% convergence rate being randomized by an update-biased random neighbor selection and a small fraction of errors. Next, we show that such gains are robust towards additive noise and topology randomization.
Absence and Rescue of Morphine Withdrawal in GIRK/Kir3 Knock-out Mice

Although morphine induces both analgesia and dependence through μ-opioid receptors (MORs), the respective contributions of the intracellular effectors engaged by MORs remain unknown. To examine the contribution of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK, Kir3) channels to morphine dependence and analgesia, we quantified naloxone-precipitated withdrawal behavior and morphine analgesia using GIRK knock-out (−/−) mice. The morphine withdrawal syndrome was strongly attenuated, whereas morphine analgesia was mostly preserved in mice lacking both GIRK2 and GIRK3 (GIRK2/3−/− mice). In acute slices containing the locus ceruleus (LC) from GIRK2/3−/− mice, the increase in spontaneous firing typically associated with morphine withdrawal was absent. Moreover, although morphine elicited normal presynaptic inhibition in the LC, postsynaptic GIRK currents were completely abolished in GIRK2/3−/− mice. Altogether, these data suggested that morphine-evoked postsynaptic inhibition of the LC was required for the induction of dependence. Consistent with this hypothesis, morphine withdrawal behavior was rescued in GIRK2/3−/− mice by ablation of adrenergic fibers using the neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine. Our data suggest that inhibition of adrenergic tone is required for the induction of dependence, and that channels containing GIRK2 and GIRK3 serve as an inhibitory gate.
Asset pricing in a Lucas "fruit-tree"economy with non-additive beliefs

We study a Lucas (1978) "fruit-tree" economy under the assumption that agents are Choquet expected utility (CEU) rather than standard expected utility (EU) decision makers. The agentsâ€™ non-additive beliefs about the economyâ€™s stochastic dividend payment process may thus express ambiguity attitudes and accommodate violations of Savageâ€™s sure-thing principle as elicited by Ellsberg (1961). As our main formal result we establish the existence of a unique stationary equilibrium price function for the assets in this economy. In order to account for the dynamic inconsistency of CEU decision makers, we thereby use an equilibrium concept that combines the market clearing condition of general equilibrium theory with Bayesian Nash equilibrium. A simple example about the equity premium in our economy with non-additive beliefs illustrates our formal findings.
The information behavior of information security and cryptography professionals: how these professionals seek and use information

This paper presents a user study of information security and cryptography professionals, focusing on the use of information behavior models. The methodological procedure proposed in this paper uses as a base model the information behavior model proposed by Choo et al. (2000), which divides human information behavior into three processes: information need, seek and use. The exploratory, descriptive and quali-quantitative study was carried out with 50 professionals from the Brazilian Community of Information Security and Cryptography (Comsic) through questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis. Four subgroups were identified: cryptographic algorithms and protocols research group, cryptographic hardware and firmware development group, network security professionals group, and information security managers group.
Supporting Secure Communication and Data Collection in Mobile Sensor Networks

Sensor deployments may be static, but researchers have recently been making a case for mobile collector nodes to enhance data acquisition. Since mobile nodes are often more privileged, their compromise can give the adversary a significant advantage. Hence, security mechanisms for such networks must tolerate mobile node compromises. Unlike static sensors, which communicate mostly with their neighbors, mobile nodes may communicate with nodes all over the network. Hence, key establishment is a much harder challenge with mobile nodes. We first analyze the impact of mobile collector compromises on the reliability of data received by the base station, and the circumstances under which reliability can be guaranteed. Second, we present mGKE, a key predistribution scheme for very general group-based sensor deployments. mGKE allows any pair of neighboring sensors to establish a unique pairwise key, regardless of sensor density or distribution. It is also usable by mobile collectors. Our analysis and evaluation show the superiority of mGKE over current methods in terms of resilience, connectivity, communication overhead, and memory requirements.
Weak nonlinear coupling between epicyclic modes in slender tori

We examine nonlinear oscillations of slender tori in the vicinity of black holes and compact stars. These tori represent useful probes of the complicated, nonlinear dynamics of real accretion disks and provide at least qualitative understanding of their oscillations. We demonstrate that epicyclic modes of such tori are weakly coupled due to the pressure and gravitational forces. We explore all possible resonances between two epicyclic modes up to the fourth order. We show that the strongest resonance between axisymmetric modes is 3:2. In addition, any resonance between an axisymmetric and a non-axisymmetric mode is excluded due to axial and equatorial-plane symmetries of the equilibrium torus. We examine a parametric excitation of vertical axisymmetric oscillations by radi al oscillations in the 3:2 resonance. We show that the resonance may be signifi cant only for high-amplitude radial oscillations.
Reduce Anxiety And Stress In Biathlon – Skiing’ Athletes Using Mental Training

The aims of this study: to improve the behavior of athletes, followed by modified dysfunctional negative emotions during competition, reducing stress and anxiety in biathlon skiing, through mental training. Problem Statement: first testing took place during February: 2015 and second in February 2016. 20 Subjects were aged of 15.05 years for subjects in group I and 20 subjects 15.49 years for subjects in group II. Purpose of Study to determine whether mental training by applying specific techniques may influence certain psychological factors optimizing performance in biathlon ski. Methods: we used a device EmWave2, which is actually a bio-feedback which give us information about physiological indicators of body: heart rate. The system has three levels of consistency: low (red), medium (blue), high (green). Findings and Results: the normal distribution Shapiro-Wilk test was used. For data with normal distribution was used the t test (Student) and Mann-Whitney (U) were used. For two samples, unpaired or Wilcoxon for two samples pairs. For the analysis of three or more samples ANOVA test was used for normally distributed data or the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, in the case of an uneven distribution of values or rank. Conclusions and Recommendations: Analyzing the values of mean heart rate (FC average) recorded with EmWave2 test, statistical intensely differences were observed between the two groups (p <0.001). Analyzing the time values using the EmWave2 test, statistically highly significant differences were observed between the two groups (p <0.01). © 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy. org.UK
On the fundamental limits of caching in combination networks

The capacity of caching networks has received considerable attention in the past few years. The problem consists of finding the minimum rate (or load) to deliver all users' requested messages from the sources and/or caches in the network. In particular, the capacity of two network models, shared link caching networks and device-to-device caching networks, is relatively well understood. To advance the understanding of the capacity of more general caching networks, in this paper, we study a class of networks of increasing practical interest, namely, the combination caching networks. These networks are formed by a single source connected to n = (rk) user nodes through a layer of k relay nodes, such that each user node is connected to a unique subset of r relay nodes, and caching takes place at the user nodes only. In this setting, particularly useful to model heterogeneous wireless and wireline networks, we show that, in most parameter regimes, by using a concatenated coded multicasting - combination network coding (CM-CNC) scheme, the achievable maximum link load is inversely proportional to the per-user storage capacity M and to the degree of each user r. In addition, we provide an information theoretic converse and show that the gap between achievability and converse bounds is within a logarithmic factor of the system parameters in most regimes of practical interest.
A Perceptual Measure of Illumination Estimation Error

The goal of color constancy is to keep colors invariant to illumination. An important group of color constancy methods are the global illumination estimation methods. Numerous such methods have been proposed and their accuracy is usually described by using statistical descriptors of illumination estimation angular error. In order to demonstrate some of their fallacies and shortages, a very simple learning-based global illumination estimation dummy method is designed for which the values of statistical descriptors of illumination estimation error can be interpreted in contradictory ways. To resolve the paradox, a new performance measures is proposed that focuses on perceptual difference between different illumination estimation errors. The effect of ground-truth illumination distribution of the benchmark datasets on method evaluation is also demonstrated.