Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
School Finance: A Policy Perspective

Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview to School Finance Chapter 2: Legal Issues in School Finance Chapter 3: A Framework for Assessing Equity and Adequacy in School Finance Chapter 4: The Public Finance ContextChapter 5: School Finance Structures: Formula OptionsChapter 6: Adjustments for Student Needs, Education Level, Scale Economies and PriceChapter 7: Improving State School Finance Systems Chapter 8: School District Budgeting Chapter 9: Allocation and Use of Funds at the District, School and Classroom Levels Chapter 10: Using Education Dollars More Wisely to Improve ResultsChapter 11: Financing Educational Facilities
Solutions : Active Control of Structures

0.1 Challenge 1 If we consider that G(x, t) and W (x, t) are harmonic functions in time, then there exist functions g(x) and w(x) such that G(x, t) = g(x) cos(ωt) and W (x, t) = w(x) cos(ωt). Reeplacing these two expressions in the problem (1), we have that −ω2w(x) cos(ωt)− c2w′′(x) cos(ωt) = g(x) cos(ωt), which implies that −ω2w(x) − c2w′′(x) = g(x). On the other hand, the function W (x, t) satisfies the boundary conditions W (0, t) = W (L, t) ∀t > 0, then, we have that W (0) cos(ωt) = W (L) cos(ωt) = 0 ∀t > 0, and as a consequence w(0) = w(L) = 0.
RegPrecise web services interface: programmatic access to the transcriptional regulatory interactions in bacteria reconstructed by comparative genomics

Web services application programming interface (API) was developed to provide a programmatic access to the regulatory interactions accumulated in the RegPrecise database (http://regprecise.lbl.gov), a core resource on transcriptional regulation for the microbial domain of the Department of Energy (DOE) Systems Biology Knowledgebase. RegPrecise captures and visualize regulogs, sets of genes controlled by orthologous regulators in several closely related bacterial genomes, that were reconstructed by comparative genomics. The current release of RegPrecise 2.0 includes >1400 regulogs controlled either by protein transcription factors or by conserved ribonucleic acid regulatory motifs in >250 genomes from 24 taxonomic groups of bacteria. The reference regulons accumulated in RegPrecise can serve as a basis for automatic annotation of regulatory interactions in newly sequenced genomes. The developed API provides an efficient access to the RegPrecise data by a comprehensive set of 14 web service resources. The RegPrecise web services API is freely accessible at http://regprecise.lbl. gov/RegPrecise/services.jsp with no login requirements.
Analysis of the atmospheric distribution, sources, and sinks of oxygenated volatile organic chemicals based on measurements over the Pacific during TRACE‐P

[1] Airborne measurements of a large number of oxygenated volatile organic chemicals (OVOC) were carried out in the Pacific troposphere (0.1–12 km) in winter/spring of 2001 (24 February to 10 April). Specifically, these measurements included acetone (CH3COCH3), methylethyl ketone (CH3COC2H5, MEK), methanol (CH3OH), ethanol (C2H5OH), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), propionaldehyde (C2H5CHO), peroxyacylnitrates (PANs) (CnH2n+1COO2NO2), and organic nitrates (CnH2n+1ONO2). Complementary measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO), methyl hydroperoxide (CH3OOH), and selected tracers were also available. OVOC were abundant in the clean troposphere and were greatly enhanced in the outflow regions from Asia. Background mixing ratios were typically highest in the lower troposphere and declined toward the upper troposphere and the lowermost stratosphere. Their total abundance (ΣOVOC) was nearly twice that of nonmethane hydrocarbons (ΣC2-C8 NMHC). Throughout the troposphere, the OH reactivity of OVOC is comparable to that of methane and far exceeds that of NMHC. A comparison of these data with western Pacific observations collected some 7 years earlier (February–March 1994) did not reveal significant differences. Mixing ratios of OVOC were strongly correlated with each other as well as with tracers of fossil and biomass/biofuel combustion. Analysis of the relative enhancement of selected OVOC with respect to CH3Cl and CO in 12 plumes originating from fires and sampled in the free troposphere (3–11 km) is used to assess their primary and secondary emissions from biomass combustion. The composition of these plumes also indicates a large shift of reactive nitrogen into the PAN reservoir thereby limiting ozone formation. A three-dimensional global model that uses state of the art chemistry and source information is used to compare measured and simulated mixing ratios of selected OVOC. While there is reasonable agreement in many cases, measured aldehyde concentrations are significantly larger than predicted. At their observed levels, acetaldehyde mixing ratios are shown to be an important source of HCHO (and HOx) and PAN in the troposphere. On the basis of presently known chemistry, measured mixing ratios of aldehydes and PANs are mutually incompatible. We provide rough estimates of the global sources of several OVOC and conclude that collectively these are extremely large (150–500 Tg C yr−1) but remain poorly quantified.
The MTAS for addressing motorcycle theft

This research proposes MTAS, a prototype for motorcycle theft detection using QR code for Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU) where the motorcycle theft has arisen sporadically. The MTAS for motorcycle theft detection using QR code is based on Java intended for a smartphone with android operating system. The QR Code is generated from a combination of identifiable pieces of student information. A combination of password authentication and `parked' and `unparked' conditions was a driving mechanism of the MTAS. A complete implementation requires three stakeholders: 1) System Administrator, who is responsible for generating the QR Code for students; 2) Students, who take motorcycles in and out of parking lots; and 3) Security guards, who inspect motorcycle taken out of the university. We discovered that the application work quite effectively at some certain level despite some significant limitations of QR Code technologies.
A Data-Oriented Parsing Model for Lexical-Functional Grammar

Data-Oriented Parsing (DOP) models of natural language propose that human language processing works with representations of concrete past language experiences rather than with abstract linguistic rules. These models operate by decomposing the given representations into fragments and recomposing those pieces to analyze new utterances. A probability model is used to select from all possible analyses of an utterance the most likely one. Previous DOP models were based on simple tree representations that neglect grammatical functions and syntactic features (Tree-DOP). In this paper, we present a new DOP model based on the more articulated representations of Lexical-Functional Grammar theory (LFG-DOP). LFG-DOP triggers a new, corpus-based notion of grammaticality, and an interestingly different class of probability models. An empirical evaluation of the model shows that larger as well as richer fragments improve performance. Finally, we go into some of the conceptual implications of our approach.
A Fox2-Dependent Fatty Acid ß-Oxidation Pathway Coexists Both in Peroxisomes and Mitochondria of the Ascomycete Yeast Candida lusitaniae

It is generally admitted that the ascomycete yeasts of the subphylum Saccharomycotina possess a single fatty acid ß-oxidation pathway located exclusively in peroxisomes, and that they lost mitochondrial ß-oxidation early during evolution. In this work, we showed that mutants of the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida lusitaniae which lack the multifunctional enzyme Fox2p, a key enzyme of the ß-oxidation pathway, were still able to grow on fatty acids as the sole carbon source, suggesting that C. lusitaniae harbored an alternative pathway for fatty acid catabolism. By assaying 14Cα-palmitoyl-CoA consumption, we demonstrated that fatty acid catabolism takes place in both peroxisomal and mitochondrial subcellular fractions. We then observed that a fox2Δ null mutant was unable to catabolize fatty acids in the mitochondrial fraction, thus indicating that the mitochondrial pathway was Fox2p-dependent. This finding was confirmed by the immunodetection of Fox2p in protein extracts obtained from purified peroxisomal and mitochondrial fractions. Finally, immunoelectron microscopy provided evidence that Fox2p was localized in both peroxisomes and mitochondria. This work constitutes the first demonstration of the existence of a Fox2p-dependent mitochondrial β-oxidation pathway in an ascomycetous yeast, C. lusitaniae. It also points to the existence of an alternative fatty acid catabolism pathway, probably located in peroxisomes, and functioning in a Fox2p-independent manner.
Minority nationalism and European integration

Part 1 The Scottish National Party and European integration: independance intergovernmentalism and a confederal Europe. Part 2 Plaid Cymru and Europe: nationalism, regionalism and the ambiguities of self-government. Part 3 The Breton Movement and Europe: federalism, Europeanism and intellectual linkages. Part 4 The Volksunie and European Union: federalization and europeanization. Part 5 The development of transnational regionalism: co-ordinated reponses to european integration. Part 6 Nationalist and regionalist Parties and European Integration: a comparison of party attitudes and responses.
Fast (Spherical) Light Field Rendering with Per-Pixel Depth

Image-based rendering techniques are a powerful alternative to traditional polygon-based computer graphics. This paper presents a novel light field rendering technique which performs per-pixel depth correction of rays for high-quality reconstruction. Our technique stores combined RGB and depth values in a parabolic 2D texture for every light field sample acquired at discrete positions on a uniformly sampled sphere. Image synthesis is implemented on the GPU as a fragment program which extracts the correct image information from adjacent cameras for each fragment by applying a per-pixel depth correction of rays. We show that the presented image-based rendering technique provides a significant improvement compared to previous approaches. We explain two different rendering implementations which make use of a uniformly sampled parameterisation to minimize disparity problems and ensure full six degrees of freedom for virtual view synthesis. While one rendering algorithm implements a run-time efficient iterative refinement approach for rendering light fields with per pixel depth correction the other approach employs a raycaster for per pixel depth correction and provides superior rendering quality at moderate frame rates. GPU based per-fragment depth correction of rays, used in both implementations, reduces ghosting artefacts to a non noticeable amount and provides a rendering technique that performs without exhaustive pre-processing for 3D object reconstruction or real-time ray-object intersection calculations at rendering time. Index Terms—Image-Based Rendering, Light Field.
Robustness evaluation for point-to-point positioning control of a one mass rotary system

In this paper, the Continuous Motion (CM) NCTF controller is proposed for a point-to-point (PTP) positioning system of a one mass rotary system. For this system, the CM-NCTF controller is designed based on the conventional structure of NCTF controller and improved. The CM-NCTF controller consists of Nominal Characteristic Trajectory (NCT) and Proportional Integral (PI) compensator. It is designed without knowing exact system modeling and parameter evaluation. The NCT is constructed from open loop responses while the PI compensator is designed based on the constructed-NCT itself. The effectiveness of the CM NCTF controller is evaluated and compared with the PID controller for positioning and tracking motion performances experimentally. The robustness of the CM NCTF controller is validated by varying the mass load. Overall, the CM-NCTF controller demonstrates promising positioning and tracking performances, and low sensitivity towards the change of mass load in comparison with the PID controller.
Quanto Average Interest Rate Options in aLognormal Interest Rate Market Model

This paper extends the single-currency LMM to the cross-currency LMM based on the Amin and Jarrow (1991) framework, and the resulting model is applied to deriving the approximate pricing formula of the quanto average interest options via two different approximation approaches, presented by Vorst (1992) and Levy (1992). These two approximation formulas have been examined to be very accurate as compared with Monte Carlo simulation. The model calibration procedure is also presented in detail for practical implementation. Key words: LIBOR Market Model, Average Interest Rate Options, Quanto Options
Regression and persistence: remodelling in a tissue engineered axial vascular assembly

In later stages of vasculoangiogenesis a vascular network is going through a metamorphosis for optimal perfusion and economy of energy. In this study we make a quantitative approach to phenomena of remodelling in a bioartificial neovascular network and suggest variance of calibre as a parameter of neovascular maturation. For this study, 18 male Lewis rats were subjected to the AV loop operation in combination with a hard porous biogenic matrix and an isolation chamber. The animals were allocated into three groups for different explantation intervals set to 2, 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Collective attributes like vascular density, percent fractional area and variance of calibre were evaluated for a predefined region of interest (ROI). Late morphogenesis was evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy. After the fourth week the absolute number of vessels within the ROI decreased (P < 0.03) whereas, on the contrary, the fractional area of all segments increased (P < 0.02). The variance in calibre was significantly increased in the 8‐week group (P < 0.05). Lymphatic growth after week 4, early pericyte migration as well as intussusceptive angiogenesis were identified immunohistologically. Phenomena of remodelling were evaluated quantitatively in a neovascular network and variance could be proposed as a parameter of net vascular maturation.
cAMP-Adenosine Pathway in the Proximal Tubule

The “extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway” refers to the conversion of cAMP to AMP by ecto-phosphodiesterase, followed by metabolism of AMP to adenosine by ecto-5′-nucleotidase, with all the steps occurring in the extracellular compartment. This study investigated whether the extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway exists in proximal tubules. Freshly isolated proximal tubules rapidly converted basolaterally administered cAMP to AMP and adenosine. Proximal tubular cells in culture (first passage) rapidly converted apically administered cAMP to AMP and adenosine. In both freshly isolated proximal tubules and cultured proximal tubular cells, conversion of cAMP to AMP and adenosine was affected by a broad-spectrum phosphodiesterase inhibitor (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine), an ecto-phosphodiesterase inhibitor (1,3-dipropyl-8-p-sulfophenylxanthine), and a blocker of ecto-5′-nucleotidase (α,β-methyleneadenosine-5′-diphosphate) in a manner consistent with exogenous cAMP being processed by the extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway. In cultured proximal tubular cells, but not freshly isolated proximal tubules, stimulation of adenylyl cyclase increased extracellular concentrations of cAMP, AMP, and adenosine plus inosine, and these changes were also modulated by the inhibitors in a manner consistent with the extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway. Conversion of renal interstitial (basolateral) cAMP and AMP to adenosine in vivo was shown by microdialysis coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis showed A1, A2A, and A3 receptors on both apical and basolateral proximal tubular membranes, with A1 and A2A receptors more highly expressed on basolateral compared with apical membranes. We conclude that cAMP that reaches either the apical or basolateral membranes of proximal tubular cells is converted in part to adenosine that has ready access to adenosine receptors.
Fracture of Soft Elastic Foam

Consisting of stretchable and flexible cell walls or ligaments, soft elastic foams exhibit extremely high fracture toughness. Using the analogy between the cellular structure and the network structure of rubbery polymers, this paper proposes a scaling law for the fracture energy of soft elastic foam. To verify the scaling law, a phase-field model for the fracture processes in soft elastic structures is developed. The numerical simulations in two-dimensional foam structures of various unit-cell geometries have all achieved good agreement with the scaling law. In addition, the dependences of the macroscopic fracture energy on geometric parameters such as the network connectivity and spatial orientation have also been revealed by the numerical results. To further enhance the fracture toughness, a type of soft foam structures with non-straight ligaments or folded cell walls has been proposed and its performance studied numerically. Simulations have shown that an effective fracture energy one order of magnitude higher than the base material can be reached by using the soft foam structure.
The Digital Health Companion : Personalized Health Support on Smartwatches via Recognition of Activity-and Vital-Data

It has been shown that in various fields of social life, people tend to seek opportunities to measure their daily activities, bodily behaviors, and health related parameters. These kinds of activity tracking should be accomplished comfortably, unobtrusively and implicitly. Tracking behavior can be important for certain user groups, such as the growing population of elderlies. These people have a substantially higher risk of falling down, as they often live alone and thus have a greater need for other supporting services, as emergencies quickly occur. We would like to support these people, while providing a comfortable emergency detection and a monitoring of physical activities. Moreover, we believe such tracking applications to be beneficial for any user group, since we can perceive the trend of quantified self: knowing about one’s own body characteristics, which is expressed in body movement. Simultaneously, we also perceive that a strong desire for a comprehensive monitoring of vital and health data is emerging. In this paper we describe the concept and implementation of the Digital Health Companion, a smart health support system that combines research developments of activity, vital data, and anomaly recognition with the functionality of contemporary smartwatches. The system’s health monitoring includes an emergency detection and allows for the prevention of health risks in the short and long term through the recognition of body movement patterns.
MIRACLE (FI) at ImageCLEFphoto 2009

The Miracle-FI participation at ImageCLEF 2009 photo retrieval task main goal was to improve the merge of content-based and text-based techniques in our experiments. The global system includes our own implemented tool IDRA (InDexing and Retrieving Automatically), and the Valencia University CBIR system. Analyzing both “topics_part1. txt” and “topics_part2. txt” task topics files, we have built different queries files, eliminating the negative sentences with the text from title and clusterTitle or clusterDescription, one query for each cluster (or not) of each topic from 1 to 25 and one for each of the three images of each topic from 26 to 50. In the CBIR system the number of low-level features has been increased from the 68 component used at ImageCLEF 2008 up to 114 components, and in this edition only the Mahalanobis distance has been used in our experiments. Three different merging algorithms were developed in order to fuse together different results lists from visual or textual modules, different textual indexations, or cluster level results into a unique topic level results list. For the five runs submitted we observe that MirFI1, MirFI2 and MifFI3 obtain quite higher precision values than the average ones. Experiment MirFI1, our best run for precision metrics (very similar to MirFI2 and MirFI3), appears in the 16th position in R-Precision classification and in the 19th in MAP one (from a total of 84 submitted experiments). MirFI4 and MirFI5 obtain our best diversity values, appearing in position 11th (over 84) in cluster recall classification, and being the 5th best group from all the 19 participating ones.
Dopamine modulates GABAc receptors mediating inhibition of calcium entry into and transmitter release from bipolar cell terminals in tiger salamander retina

Using optical recording techniques, we directly monitored pre- and postsynaptic calcium dynamics at bipolar cell terminals while inhibiting synaptic release with applied GABA and modulating inhibition with dopamine. To monitor pre-synaptic activity, individual bipolar cells in the retinal slice were filled with either fura-2 or fluo-3 through a patch electrode. Calcium entry into bipolar terminals, elicited by depolarization from -60 mV to 0 mV, was reduced to 36% of control in the presence of 200 microM bath-applied GABA. Further addition of 100 microM dopamine to the bath relieved the GABAergic inhibition and nearly doubled the calcium entry. Yet dopamine alone had no apparent direct effect upon calcium entry. The relief from GABAergic inhibition could be reproduced with SKF-38393, a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, and with forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, suggesting that dopamine acts through a cAMP second-messenger pathway. To monitor transmitter release from bipolar cells, slices were loaded with fura- 2AM, a membrane permeable form of the dye. Puffs of 110 mM KCl at bipolar dendrites depolarized bipolar cells and elicited calcium signals that could be monitored both at bipolar terminals and in postsynaptic cells. Consistent with the results above, GABA inhibited calcium entry at bipolar terminals and also reduced transmitter release, measured as a decrease in calcium entry in amacrine and ganglion cells. The addition of dopamine relieved this inhibition and increased transmitter release. Our results show the spatiotemporal correlation between the GABAergic inhibition of calcium entry at bipolar terminals, the resulting reduction in postsynaptic activity, and the relief of this inhibition with dopamine.
Dynamic immune intrusion detection system for IPv6

We have set up a project aimed at developing a dynamical immune intrusion detection system for IPv6 and protecting the next generation Internet from intrusion. We focus on investigating immunelogical principles in designing a dynamic multi-agent system for intrusion detection in IPv6 environment, instead of attempting to describe all that is intrusion in the network try and describe what is normal use and define “non-self” as intrusion. The proposed intrusion detection system is designed as flexible, extendible, and adaptable in order to meet the needs and preferences of network administrators for IPv6 environment.