Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementing Public Policy: An Introduction to the Study of Operational Governance

Introduction Introduction Structure of the book Some matters of definition Notes Positioning Implementation Studies Introduction Concerns about implementation: Historical origins The rule of law The idea of democracy and its implications Public Administration and Public Management Institutional theory Postmodernist theory Conclusion Notes Implementation Theory: The Top-Down/Bottom-Up Debate The discovery of the 'missing link' The classical top-down authors The bottom-up challenge Conclusion Implementation Theory The search for a synthesis Where does implementation begin Layers in policy processes Networks: Broadening the horizontal dimension Managing performance: Redefining the vertical dimension Differentiating policy types Including responses of affected actors Conclusion Implementation and Governance Introduction The age of interventionism The age of the market and corporate government The age of neo-interventionism Assessment Conclusion Notes Implementation Theory and the Study of Governance Introduction The stages model of the policy process Alternative analytical frameworks The Multiple Governance Framework Studying implementation as governance research Conclusion Notes Researching Implementation Introduction Defining studies of implementation Explaining what needs explanation Isolating implementation Dealing with layers Specifying inter-organizational relationships Differentiating agency responses Identifying stakes Recognizing macro-parameters Quantitative versus qualitative studies Conclusion Implementation in Context Introduction Implementation in practice The quest for appropriate action Policy settings Institutional environments Operational governance in context Conclusion Notes The Future of Implementation Studies Introduction The objective of studying implementation The study of governance in operation Promising developments Conclusion
DPS : A Distributed Proportional-Share Scheduler in Computing Clusters

To improve cluster utilization, we propose a distributed proportional-share (DPS) CPU scheduling mechanism, which decouples a parallel program’s structural number of nodes (program specification) from the maximum resource usage at runtime (resource specification ). In order to provide performance isolation between programs, we virtualize each node and runprograms within virtual machines (VMs), which we call aVM hosting cluster. A proportional-share CPU scheduler is then utilized to schedule the execution of programs. On top of this platform, CPU shares are dynamically transferred between hypervisors us ing either a fully-distributed or bank-assistedstrategy, both of which have been implemented and evaluated. Compared to uniform static resource allocation, DPS is shown to reduce the progr am completion time significantly.
Building User Interfaces with Shared Objects

A whole-hearted use of object-oriented techniques to build interactive application interfaces implies that objects should be used for even the smallest components in the interface. This approach often leads to a straightforward implementation that simplifies the programmer’s task, but it can be costly in its use of computer resources. This paper explores the idea of using sharable objects to reduce some of these costs, and it discusses design techniques for making objects sharable. Sharing reduces resource usage in two key ways: it reduces the number of object instances needed to represent application data, and it eliminates some of the structural redundancy inherent in a straightforward use of objects to represent views of hierarchical data. Our approach to making objects sharable is to define dynamic object protocols that reduce the amount of use-specific data that must be stored within object instances.
Training artificial neural networks with memristive synapses: HSPICE-matlab co-simulation

Researchers in the field of Neuromorphic Engineering are looking at ways to reduce the chip space required to mimic the huge processing capacity of the human brain and to simplify algorithms to train it. Since the recent fabrication of a memristor by the Hewlett Packard Company, there is a possibility to achieve both of these. With their crucial hysteresis properties, memristors can store charge during the training process and respond in a desired manner, electronically mimicking synapse behaviour. This arrangement can reduce chip space and potentially simplify the learning logic. This paper presents HSPICE modeling of an artificial neural network with memristive synapses and training it for `AND' logic. An alternative modification of the memristor model was tried to simplify the learning logic. Results show potential for application in neural circuits.
Motives for Bequests within the Middle Class

The life-cycle model of household behavior forms the basis for most economic analysis of Social Security, private pensions, and retirement. This project seeks to extend the usefulness of the life-cycle model by considering the role of middle-class inheritances and bequests. We use HRS data. Prior work by the authors identifies key information in the HRS on the sources of private intergenerational transfers, and it shows that the frequency of couples’ inheritances from both spouses’ family lines is higher than random behavior would imply. Using additional HRS data on the ratio of parent-to-child lifetime incomes, we analyze the motives behind HRS bequests. We find support for an unintentional transfer model in which bequests arise from residual, unspent parent life-cycle resources. And, we show that our model can account for the frequency of dual inheritances that earlier work revealed.
A Concept for a New Budget Rule for Germany

With Germany having finally overcome its long economic stagnation in 2006, its public finance has also become much more favourable, showing a fiscal surplus in 2007 for the first time since German reunification.Additionally, the debt ratio was reduced to 65 percent after having reached almost 68 percent in 2005. Nevertheless, neither the Federation (Bund) nor a large number of Länder (states) had managed to comply with the respective – and quite generous – limits of net borrowing laid down in the constitutions in the years before. The deficit had been in excess of the 3 percent deficit ceiling of the European Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) from 2002 for four years in a row. Annual interest payments have reached around 15 percent of the expenditures of the federal budget in recent years. Having such a high public indebtedness narrows the scope for manoeuvre of fiscal policy and poses a heavy burden to future generations, especially under the conditions of an ageing society and implicit debt.
Microanatomy of Axon/Glial Signaling during Wallerian Degeneration

How do myelinated axons signal to the nuclei of cells that enwrap them? The cell bodies of oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells are segregated from axons by multiple layers of bimolecular lipid leaflet and myelin proteins. Conventional signal transduction strategies would seem inadequate to the challenge without special adaptations. Wallerian degeneration provides a model to study axon-to-Schwann cell signaling in the context of nerve injury. We show a hitherto undetected rapid, but transient, activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB2 in myelinating Schwann cells after sciatic nerve axotomy. Deconvolving microscopy using phosphorylation state-specific antibodies shows that erbB2 activation emanates from within the microvilli of Schwann cells, in direct contact with the axons they enwrap. To define the functional role of this transient activation, we used a small molecule antagonist of erbB2 activation (PKI166). The response of myelinating Schwann cells to axotomy is inhibited by PKI166 in vivo. Using neuron/Schwann cell cocultures prepared in compartmentalized cell culture chambers, we show that even transient activation of erbB2 is sufficient to initiate Schwann cell demyelination and that the initiating functions of erbB2 are localized to Schwann cells.
Zinc homeostasis and neurodegenerative disorders

Zinc is an essential trace element, whose importance to the function of the central nervous system (CNS) is increasingly being appreciated. Alterations in zinc dyshomeostasis has been suggested as a key factor in the development of several neuropsychiatric disorders. In the CNS, zinc occurs in two forms: the first being tightly bound to proteins and, secondly, the free, cytoplasmic, or extracellular form found in presynaptic vesicles. Under normal conditions, zinc released from the synaptic vesicles modulates both ionotropic and metabotropic post-synaptic receptors. While under clinical conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke or epilepsy, the excess influx of zinc into neurons has been found to result in neurotoxicity and damage to postsynaptic neurons. On the other hand, a growing body of evidence suggests that a deficiency, rather than an excess, of zinc leads to an increased risk for the development of neurological disorders. Indeed, zinc deficiency has been shown to affect neurogenesis and increase neuronal apoptosis, which can lead to learning and memory deficits. Altered zinc homeostasis is also suggested as a risk factor for depression, Alzheimer's disease (AD), aging, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Under normal CNS physiology, homeostatic controls are put in place to avoid the accumulation of excess zinc or its deficiency. This cellular zinc homeostasis results from the actions of a coordinated regulation effected by different proteins involved in the uptake, excretion and intracellular storage/trafficking of zinc. These proteins include membranous transporters (ZnT and Zip) and metallothioneins (MT) which control intracellular zinc levels. Interestingly, alterations in ZnT and MT have been recently reported in both aging and AD. This paper provides an overview of both clinical and experimental evidence that implicates a dysfunction in zinc homeostasis in the pathophysiology of depression, AD, and aging.
Concerted Routing Metrics Evaluating and Distributed Rate Adaptation in Wireless Mesh Networks

This work proposes MARA, a joint method for automatic rate selection and route quality evaluation in Wireless Mesh Networks. This method targets at avoiding the problem of inaccurate link quality estimates, common to main existing proposals of multi-hop wireless routing metrics. In this proposal, the statistics collected by the routing protocol are used by the rate adaptation algorithm to compute the best rate for each wireless link. This coordinated decision aims at providing better routing and rate choices. Simulation results indicate that MARA leads to an overall improvement in network performance.
Detection and Isolation of Anomalies for DETER Emulation of Abilene

The use of Internet has become the way of living for man today. However, with the use of internet requires safety and privacy. This is the reason why TRUST1 is pushing and working towards the quest of safety, privacy and cyber security of people using the internet for their day to day living. In this paper, the primary research goal is to study the interaction and strategies for attack and defense of control systems and (learning) detection systems in the emulated environment provided by the DETER Lab[9]2 cluster. This paper will be able explain for the reader to understand how to construct an emulation of a real Internet backbone and the control system behavior communicating over the Internet2 Abilene Network Topology built in DETER testbed using SEER3[8] . DETER[9] is a testbed used to conduct, run, and test experiments that sometimes involve malicious codes. DETER’s SEER is the Security Experimentation EnviRonment which has set of tools and agents for helping an experiment setup, script and performs experiments such as Denial of Service attack (DoS) or Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS) in the DETER[9] testbed environment. Moreover, SEER includes agents for traffic generation, attack generation, traffic collection and analysis. In this paper, there will be an algorithm script that detects and differentiates anomalies on the external and internal nodes. The network that is made will be used to emulate backbone network traffic and implement attacks throughout the rest of this project.
Rapid Prototyping for User-Friendly and Useful Human-Machine Interfaces F . Hardtke System

Raytheon Australia is currently engaged in developing a system user interface rapid prototyping environment in the form of a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Laboratory. This paper will explore the process and tools that Raytheon are using to this end and how they have been applied to projects to date. The HCI Lab provides a mechanism whereby the display subsystem of any new or existing system may be specified or re-specified in an efficient manner, maximising customer input and minimising risk. The approach of the HCI Lab aims to maximise flexibility so that it can efficiently and rapidly specify HCI's for systems ranging from small scale applications to complex military platforms and/or simulators. The key to this flexibility is a focus on the high level HCI Lab process, requiring a tailored approach for each task the HCI Lab undertakes. The rapid prototyping approach is dependent upon the scale and nature of the display system and could simply revolve around a throw-away software mockup or include a demonstration suite that is capable of generating software code to be deployed on the actual platform system. User comment is captured at HCI workshops where prototype displays are demonstrated and comments elicited. All feedback is itemised and kept in a tracking database providing a trace to comments addressed through progressive prototypes. Customer representatives are present at workshops and are empowered to approve prototypes demonstrated. The focus of the workshops is on maximising the usability as well as the utility of Human-Machine interfaces. It has been found that this process provides rapid convergence to user community requirements. Raytheon are currently engaged in using this process for the Collins Class Combat System Simulator display subsystem to enable software changes within customer management requirements, resource and time constraints.
A Software Strategy to Improve Cache Performance

In embedded systems, cost, power consumption, and die size requirements push the designer to use small and simple cache memories. Such caches can provide low performance because of limited memory capacity and inflexible placement policy. A way to increase the performance is to adapt the program layout to the cache structure. This strategy needs the solution of a N-P complete problem and a very long processing time. We propose a strategy to look for a near optimum program layout within a reasonable time by means of smart heuristics. This solution does not add code and uses standard functionality’s of a linker to produce the new layout. Our approach is able to reduce up to 70% the misses in case of a 2-kbyte direct access cache.
Business and Technical Workflows for e-Business in a Virtual Cluster of ISPs

Although workflow technologies have existed for some time, their true potential is only now being unlocked with the emergence of Web services technology and XML in conjunction with expanding Internet use. There has been extensive support for Web services and the standards have matured sufficiently for widespread adoption, replacing proprietary standards for interfaces and data that hindered the integration and automation of business processes, especially between partners wanting to cooperate in a virtual organization. This paper discusses the application of workflow technologies in supporting the e-Business of small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) collaborating in a virtual cluster. Not only business processes but also innovative technical processes are being executed as workflows in the marketing, deployment and operation of tailored ISP services. A scenario depicts the actual processes used and illustrates how the software being developed supports e-Business for ISPs collaborating in a virtual cluster.
Quantifying Social Influence in an Online Music Community

This paper studies two types of social influence in an online music community: observational learning influence based on aggregate consumption data, and social network influence based on music consumption by friends in social proximity. The analysis uses a variety of empirical methods, applied to highly granular user listening and “favoriting” behavior on the largest music blog aggregator site. Our analysis finds positive evidence for observational learning effects, but no evidence for social network influence. Thus, any social influence in this music context is channeled through popularity cues offered by aggregate consumption statistics, rather than contact and communication with friends in close social proximity. We discuss implications of these results for research and practice.
Organizational Path Dependence: Opening the Black Box

To enable a better understanding of the underlying logic of path dependence, we set forth a theoretical framework explaining how organizations become path dependent. At its core are the dynamics of self-reinforcing mechanisms, which are likely to lead an organization into a lock-in. By drawing on studies of technological paths, we conceptualize the emergent process of path dependence along three distinct stages. We also use the model to explore breakouts from organizational path dependence and discuss implications for managing and researching organizational paths.
Automated Grammar Correction Using Hierarchical Phrase-Based Statistical Machine Translation

We introduce a novel technique that uses hierarchical phrase-based statistical machine translation (SMT) for grammar correction. SMT systems provide a uniform platform for any sequence transformation task. Thus grammar correction can be considered a translation problem from incorrect text to correct text. Over the years, grammar correction data in the electronic form (i.e., parallel corpora of incorrect and correct sentences) has increased manifolds in quality and quantity, making SMT systems feasible for grammar correction. Firstly, sophisticated translation models like hierarchical phrase-based SMT can handle errors as complicated as reordering or insertion, which were difficult to deal with previously throuh the mediation of rule based systems. Secondly, this SMT based correction technique is similar in spirit to human correction, because the system extracts grammar rules from the corpus and later uses these rules to translate incorrect sentences to correct sentences. We describe how to use Joshua, a hierarchical phrase-based SMT system for grammar correction. An accuracy of 0.77 (BLEU score) establishes the efficacy of our approach.
Limits of finite graphs, Von Neumann algebras and a Cheeger type inequality

We prove that for any weakly convergent sequence of finite graphs with bounded vertex degrees there exists a limit graphing and thus an associated Type-II1 von Neumann algebra. The Kesten-von Neumann-Serre spectral measure of the Laplacian on the limit graphing is the weak limit of the spectral measures of the Laplacians of the finite graphs. Using this limit techniques we prove a Cheeger type inequality for finite graphs. AMS Subject Classifications: 05C80, 46L10
Certificate Revocation in Vehicular Networks

Among civilian communication systems, vehicular net-works emerge as one of the most convincing and yetmost challenging instantiations of the mobile ad hocnetworking technology. Towards their deployment, se-curity is a critical factor and signiOcant challenge to bemet. In this paper, we are concerned with the problemof certiOcate revocation in vehicular networks, a prob-lem of central importance for any security architectureand particularly di±cult for vehicular networks. Wecontribute a set of protocols for e±cient and eAEectiverevocation, to evict illegitimate or faulty network nodes.Furthermore, we propose a protocol that enables nodesto collectively shield themselves against faulty of mali-cious operation of other nodes and contribute to theireviction. We show, by means of simulations, that oursolution is feasible and achieves a su±cient level of ro-bustness in spite of the unique challenges of the vehic-ular networking environment.
Role of periodontal pathogenic bacteria in RANKL-mediated bone destruction in periodontal disease

Abstract Accumulated lines of evidence suggest that hyperimmune responses to periodontal bacteria result in the destruction of periodontal connective tissue and alveolar bone. The etiological roles of periodontal bacteria in the onset and progression of periodontal disease (PD) are well documented. However, the mechanism underlying the engagement of periodontal bacteria in RANKL-mediated alveolar bone resorption remains unclear. Therefore, this review article addresses three critical subjects. First, we discuss earlier studies of immune intervention, ultimately leading to the identification of bacteria-reactive lymphocytes as the cellular source of osteoclast-induction factor lymphokine (now called RANKL) in the context of periodontal bone resorption. Next, we consider 1 the effects of periodontal bacteria on RANKL production from a variety of adaptive immune effector cells, as well as fibroblasts, in inflamed periodontal tissue and 2 the bifunctional roles (upregulation vs. downregulation) of LPS produced from periodontal bacteria in a RANKL-induced osteoclast-signal pathway. Future studies in these two areas could lead to new therapeutic approaches for the management of PD by down-modulating RANKL production and/or RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis in the context of host immune responses against periodontal pathogenic bacteria.
TOA estimation for UWB through-wall application

The wall filter effect on the UWB through-wall impulse is investigated. The problem addressed is the TOA estimation error for the UWB indoor application. Simulation and analysis point out that it is advisable to employ the proper impulse to achieve the high time resolution rather than to employ the impulse as short as possible. The high time resolution and distortion by wall filter effect should be trade off and well considered when the impulse is chosen for the through-wall application. The shorter through-wall impulse it is, the greater distortion it suffers. For templates mismatching with the received signal, the receiver estimates the wrong TOA against the peak of the correlation. The proposed solution is to modify the template according to the application scenarios for different wall materials. Mathematical analysis is exploited to show the validity of this method.
A reflective analysis of the “new audit” and the public interest: The revolutionary innovation that never came

Purpose – Prior to the sudden collapse of large companies following the turn of the century and the implication that the auditing of these enterprises had failed, the large public accounting firms sought to re‐engineer the audit. A comprehension attempt to convert that which had been designed as a social good into one more aligned with a commercial logic was halted by the legislative response to this departure from classic professionalism. Recent developments suggest that change in this direction is regrouping. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflective analysis of the thoughts of the authors on the early development of the new audit approach.Design/methodology/approach – Most of the information in the piece was garnered from conversations with public accounting partners during the era in question. Logical argumentation derived from the academic and theoretical literature is the primary method.Findings – Attributes of the firms' strategies during this period are outlined. Features of the new aud.