Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitigation of Seller and Buyer's Dilemma with Transaction History and Escrow

In this paper, to estimate the risk of economic loss incurred by both parties in production order transactions, we propose a scheme that enables escrow and confirmation of the results without relying on a third party. In such transactions, both parties risk incurring economic losses if the other party behaves dishonestly. Generally, the risk can be reduced with an escrow service provided by a trusted third party. However, there is a risk of fraud by the third party; in some cases, the third party may not be available for the buyer or seller. Several existing schemes utilize fair exchange and blockchain to disburse the deposited payment upon the delivery of specific data. However, in production order transactions, some cases cannot be handled only by completion of delivery, such as disputes that arise when the data does not meet the quality expected by the buyer. In such cases, before the transaction starts, a party would confirm the counterparty’s behavior in past transactions to estimate the risk of a dispute occurring. In this paper, we propose a scheme that records the history of past transaction processes while utilizing blockchain-based escrow and allows future counterparties to confirm the history as a reference for estimating risk. By the opportunity loss that a history of dishonest behavior causes and applying blockchain-based escrow, the scheme motivates sellers and buyers to behave in good faith. We implemented a prototype system on top of Ethereum and verified its feasibility. By expanding the scope of transactions, we expect that it will be possible to determine whether transactions between individuals over the Internet are feasible without relying on a specific escrow service.
Is the Answer in the Text? Challenging ChatGPT with Evidence Retrieval from Instructive Text

Generative language models have recently shown remarkable success in generating answers to questions in a given textual context. However, these answers may suffer from hal-lucination, wrongly cite evidence, and spread misleading information. In this work, we address this problem by employing ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art generative model, as a machine-reading system. We ask it to retrieve answers to lexically varied and open-ended questions from trustworthy instructive texts. We introduce WHERE ( W iki H ow E vidence RE trieval), a new high-quality evaluation benchmark of a set of WikiHow articles exhaustively annotated with evidence sentences to questions that comes with a special challenge: All questions are about the article’s topic, but not all can be answered using the provided context. We interestingly find that when us-ing a regular question-answering prompt, Chat-GPT neglects to detect the unanswerable cases. When provided with a few examples, it learns to better judge whether a text provides answer evidence. Alongside this important finding, our dataset defines a new benchmark for evidence retrieval in question answering, which we argue is one of the necessary next steps for making large language models more trustworthy.
Perceptually Adaptive Real-Time Tone Mapping

Tone mapping operators aim to remap content to a display’s dynamic range. Virtual reality is a popular new display modality that has significant differences from other media, making the use of traditional tone mapping techniques difficult. Moreover, real-time adaptive estimation of tone curves that faithfully maintain appearance remains a significant challenge. In this work, we propose a real-time perceptual contrast-matching framework, that allows us to optimally remap scenes for target displays. Our framework is optimized for efficiency and runs on a mobile Quest 2 headset in under 1ms per frame. A subjective study on an HDR-VR prototype demonstrates our method’s effectiveness across a wide range of display luminances, producing imagery that is preferred to alternatives tone mapped at peak luminances an order of magnitude higher. This result highlights the importance of good tone mapping for visual quality in VR.
Agents of Autonomy: A Systematic Study of Robotics on Modern Hardware

As robots increasingly permeate modern society, it is crucial for the system and hardware research community to bridge its long-standing gap with robotics. This divide has persisted due to the lack of (i) a systematic performance evaluation of robotics on different computing platforms and (ii) a comprehensive, open-source, cross-platform benchmark suite. To address these gaps, we present a systematic performance study of robotics on modern hardware and introduce RoWild, an open-source benchmark suite for robotics that is comprehensive and cross-platform. Our workloads encompass a broad range of robots, including driverless vehicles, pilotless drones, and stationary robotic arms, and we evaluate their performance on a spectrum of modern computing platforms, from low-end embedded CPUs to high-end server-grade GPUs. The source code of the benchmark suite is available in https://cmu-roboarch.github. io/rowild/. Our findings reveal that current architectures experience significant inefficiencies when executing robotic workloads, highlighting the need for architectural advancements that satisfy the primary requirements of robotic tasks. We discuss approaches for meeting these requirements, offering insights for improving the performance of robotics.
Seismic velocity structure of the Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates revealed by a joint inversion of ambient noise and regional earthquakes

The crust and upper mantle seismic structure, spanning from the Juan de Fuca and Gorda spreading centers to the Cascade back arc, is imaged with full‐wave propagation simulation and a joint inversion of ambient noise and regional earthquake recordings. The spreading centers have anomalously low shear wave velocity beneath the oceanic lithosphere. Around the Cobb axial seamount, we observe a low‐velocity anomaly underlying a relatively thin oceanic lithosphere, indicating its influence on the Juan de Fuca ridge. The oceanic Moho is clearly defined by a P velocity increase from 6.3 km/s to 7.5 km/s at about 6 km depth beneath the seafloor. The thickness of the oceanic plates is less than 40 km prior to subduction, and the structure of the oceanic lithosphere varies both along strike and along dip. Farther landward, very low velocity anomalies are observed above the plate interface along the Cascade fore arc, indicative of subducted sediments.
Pre-stimulus bioelectrical activity in light-adapted ERG under blue versus white background

Abstract To compare the baseline signal between two conditions used to generate the photopic negative response (PhNR) of the full-field electroretinogram (ERG): red flash on a blue background (RoB) and white flash on a white background (LA3). The secondary purpose is to identify how the level of pre-stimulus signal affects obtaining an unambiguous PhNR component. A retrospective chart review was conducted on four cohorts of patients undergoing routine ERG testing. In each group, LA3 was recorded the same way while RoB was generated differently using various luminances of red and blue light. The background bioelectrical activity 30 ms before the flash was extracted, and the root mean square (RMS) of the signal was calculated and compared between RoB and LA3 using Wilcoxon test. Pre-stimulus noise was significantly higher under RoB stimulation versus LA3 in all four conditions for both right and left eyes (ratio RoB/LA3 RMS 1.70 and 1.57 respectively, p < 0.033). There was also no significant difference between the RMS of either LA3 or RoB across protocols, indicating that the baseline noise across cohorts were comparable. Additionally, pre-stimulus noise was higher in signals where PhNR was not clearly identifiable as an ERG component versus signals with the presence of unambiguous PhNR component under RoB in all four groups for both eyes (p < 0.05), whereas the difference under LA3 was less pronounced. Our study suggests that LA3 produces less background bioelectrical activity, likely due to decreased facial muscle activity. As it seems that the pre-stimulus signal level affects PhNR recordability, LA3 may also produce a better-quality signal compared to RoB. Therefore, until conditions for a comparable bioelectrical activity under RoB are established, we believe that LA3 should be considered at least as a supplementary method to evaluate retinal ganglion cell function by ERG.
FROM MECHANICAL BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT TO ANAEROBIC DIGESTION – CHALLENGES IN CHANGING PLANT OPERATING

This paper presents the findings acquired in a study on the rearrangement of wet fermendation conditons in an anaerobic digestion (AD) process. As required by the federal law the rural districts “Elbe-Elster” and “Oberspreewald” (AEV) implemented a separate collection system for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (oFMSW). Accordingly, the input material in AD of the mechanical biological treatment plant in Freienhufen (operated by AEV) is going to be separately collected oFMSW instead of residual waste. The plant operator intends to reduce the investment costs. Thus, the experiment has to refer to the existing plant regime. In order to facilitate the rearrangement on the operating process, the following objectives were investigated: (1) boosting AD by reducing the particle size; (2) recirculating process water to maximum extent to reduce waste water treatment costs; (3) describing the properties of oFMSW in the course of the seasons. Different variations in pre-treatment, AD and recirculation of process water were tested at lab-scale to the best possible course of action for the implementation in real life. The results show, that reducing the particle size has a minor impact; both on degradation efficiency and biogas production. A major impact on AD can be observed for the varying composition of oFMSW in the course of the seasons. Additionally, the recirculation of process water affects the efficiency of the AD by influencing the volumetric load. However, the recirculation ratio is limited by the ammonia concentration, since it might have an inhibiting effect on the microorganisms’.
SSOLogin: A framework for automated web privacy measurement with SSO logins

Single Sign-On (SSO) enables users to access multiple websites and applications using a single set of login credentials. Undoubtedly, SSO makes it easy for users to log in to multiple websites without remembering credentials. However, it is also important to consider the potential risk of users being unaware of how the identity of their account will be utilized, the development of online tracking techniques, and any potential exchange of information with third parties without the user’s knowledge. In this paper, we propose SSOLogin, which enables us to perform large-scale automation of website login through an SSO account. We confirm that SSOLogin automatically logins to 91.8% of SSO account available websites in Tranco Top 500 sites. Next, by crawling Tranco Top 10K websites with SSOLogin, we show that 1,420 sites (14.2%) contain SSO login (Google and Facebook) as of July 2023, primarily on Information Technology and News/Media websites in the United States and the United Kingdom. We then shed light on the characteristics of privacy leakage of websites with SSO logins by setting up measurements in Japan. We find that 99% of websites have third-party online tracking activities, which may pose risks to user privacy. After SSO login, the target website shows an increase in third-party tracking domains. Logging in with Google adds 81 new tracking domains, while Facebook adds 33 new domains. Despite the convenience of logging in with an SSO account, it is important to be aware of the potential privacy risks associated with this practice.
Cultural factors influencing Bhutanese secondary science teachers’ implementation of action research (Factores culturales que influyen en la práctica de la investigación acción del profesorado de ciencias de un centro de secundaria de Bután)

ABSTRACT As a new reform initiative, science teachers in Bhutan are encouraged to conduct action research to improve their teaching practices. This study explored the influence of Bhutanese culture on secondary science teachers’ implementation of action research. By focusing on the action research conducted by three secondary science teachers in a case study school, data were collected using interviews, teachers’ diaries and classroom observations. The data analysis using the coding procedure of grounded theory showed four cultural factors influencing teachers’ efforts. The hierarchical education culture led to curriculum coverage concerns and time constraints. The culture of respecting seniors without questioning, a part of the Driglam Namzha norm, impeded the teachers from seeking leadership support. Tha Dam Tshig, the Buddhist value of maintaining positive relationships, Lhachoe Gyewa Chu and Zhenphen, the Buddhist principles of benefitting others, amplified teachers’ motivation and team efforts. Recommendations are proposed for the Ministry of Education and school leaders to consider these factors in supporting teacher action research and for future international studies to consider the influence of religious values on action research.
An Implicit Physical Face Model Driven by Expression and Style

3D facial animation is often produced by manipulating facial deformation models (or rigs), that are traditionally parameterized by expression controls. A key component that is usually overlooked is expression “style", as in, how a particular expression is performed. Although it is common to define a semantic basis of expressions that characters can perform, most characters perform each expression in their own style. To date, style is usually entangled with the expression, and it is not possible to transfer the style of one character to another when considering facial animation. We present a new face model, based on a data-driven implicit neural physics model, that can be driven by both expression and style separately. At the core, we present a framework for learning implicit physics-based actuations for multiple subjects simultaneously, trained on a few arbitrary performance capture sequences from a small set of identities. Once trained, our method allows generalized physics-based facial animation for any of the trained identities, extending to unseen performances. Furthermore, it grants control over the animation style, enabling style transfer from one character to another or blending styles of different characters. Lastly, as a physics-based model, it is capable of synthesizing physical effects, such as collision handling, setting our method apart from conventional approaches.
Nonlinear Ray Tracing for Displacement and Shell Mapping

Displacement mapping and shell mapping add fine-scale geometric features to meshes and can significantly enhance the realism of an object’s surface representation. Both methods generate geometry within a layer between the base mesh and its offset mesh called a shell. It is not easy to simultaneously achieve high ray tracing performance, low memory consumption, interactive feedback, and ease of implementation, partly because the mapping between shell and texture space is nonlinear. This paper introduces a new efficient approach to perform acceleration structure traversal and intersection tests against microtriangles entirely in texture space by formulating nonlinear rays as degree-2 rational functions. Our method simplifies the implementation of tessellation-free displacement mapping and smooth shell mapping and works even if base mesh triangles are degenerated in uv space.
Learning Contact Deformations with General Collider Descriptors

This paper presents a learning-based method for the simulation of rich contact deformations on reduced deformation models. Previous works learn deformation models for specific pairs of objects; we lift this limitation by designing a neural model that supports general rigid collider shapes. We do this by formulating a novel collider descriptor that characterizes local geometry in a region of interest. The paper shows that the learning-based deformation model can be trained on a library of colliders, but it accurately supports unseen collider shapes at runtime. We showcase our method on interactive dynamic simulations with animation of rich deformation detail, manipulation and exploration of untrained objects, and augmentation of contact information suitable for high-fidelity haptics.
Design and validation of a questionnaire about the perceptions of dual career student-athletes (ESTPORT)

Abstract The purpose of this paper was to design and validate a questionnaire about the perceptions of elite studentathletes at university relating to their dual career. In the initial creation of the instrument, constructs were defined and three dimensions were established: academic life, sporting life and sports tutor. After a process of ‘back translation’, experts (n = 8) agreed the construct to ensure content validity, the dimensions and the questionnaire questions. Statistical analysis of the items showed adequate comprehension to confirm content validity of participants (n = 30). In construct validity (n = 73), the results showed correct psychometric quality, internal consistency, reliability and adequacy of the structural model. The instrument had evidence of external validity, since the results were congruent with the main findings of the research. This questionnaire was found to be a valid and reliable assessment instrument, consisting of 84 questions (in Spanish and English language), that enables the perception of elite student-athletes to be known about their dual career whilst at university.
Structural and dielectric relaxation studies of 1, 4, and 1, 3 -butanediol–1, 4-dioxane mixtures using TDR technique

Abstract Time domain reflectometry (TDR) was used to examine the complex dielectric permitivity spectra (CPS) of binary mixtures of 1,4, and 1,3 butanediol (BD) with 1,4 Dioxane (Dx) at high frequencies (10 MHz–50 GHz). Both systems show the Cole–Davidson type of relaxation process. The least squares fit (LSF) method is applied to compute dielectric relaxation parameters from the CPS. The interest of the ongoing research is to understand the molecular associations, orientation of electric dipoles, and change in electric dipole density in the liquid mixture with the help of excess dielectric parameters, Bruggeman factor (fB) and the Kirkwood correlation factor for both systems.
Childhood trauma, intraindividual reaction time variability, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and perceived relapse tendency among males with substance use disorders

ABSTRACT Background: People with substance use disorders (SUDs) who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments contributing to relapse. Baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reflects physiological regulation capacity, which has been found to buffer the negative effects of childhood trauma. Baseline RSA has also been found to be related to intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV), which is an index of executive function. Objectives: The present study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the mediation role of IIRTV, and the moderation role of baseline RSA. Methods: The study is cross-sectional, a total of 110 males with SUDs participated (Mage = 46.45 years, SD = 11.24). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Intention to Rehabilitate Questionnaire were used to assess childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the two-choice oddball task was used to measure IIRTV, and electrocardiogram (ECG) data were collected to obtain baseline RSA. Results: IIRTV mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency (Coeff = 0.049, Boot CI [0.004, 0.121]); interaction of childhood trauma and Baseline RSA negatively influences IIRTV (β = –0.208, t = –2.022, p = .046). Conclusion: The results suggest that males with SUDs who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments that contribute to relapse, and baseline RSA may buffer the negative effect of childhood trauma on IIRTV. These findings suggest that the prevention of relapse through cognitive enhancement can be complemented by the enhancement of physiological regulation.
Impact of Open-Source Community on Cryptocurrency Market Price: An Empirical Investigation

ABSTRACT Although the prices of cryptocurrencies remained volatile for the past decade, the factors that impact the price dynamics of the new type of investment instrument have not been fully identified yet. In this study, we recognize the dual nature of cryptocurrencies, that is, being a software program and a financial instrument, and examine the impact of software advancement on the price dynamics of cryptocurrencies. The open-source software (OSS) platform functionality enables social behaviors that we use as signals. Using data from the largest OSS platform, we establish the connection between open-source activities and the price movement of cryptocurrency. In particular, as project popularity (forks and watches) and users’ feedback (issues) increase, the market price increases by 4.3 percent, 2.4 percent, and 4.4 percent per annum, respectively. On the contrary, the number of code corrections (pull requests) is negatively related to prices leading to a 5 percent annual price decrease. Our results suggest that OSS contributions create a perfect selection mechanism, where higher quality projects receive more developers’ attention and user feedback, whereas lower quality projects do not, thus creating the separating equilibrium.
Financial Crash, Commodity Prices, and Global Imbalances

The current financial crisis has its origins in global asset scarcity, which led to large capital flows toward the United States and to the creation of asset bubbles that eventually burst. In its first phase the crash exacerbated the shortage of assets in the world economy, which triggered a partial re-creation of the bubble in commodities markets, and oil markets in particular. This bubble in turn led to an increase in petrodollars seeking financial assets in the United States, which became a source of stability for the U.S. external balance. The second phase of the crisis is more conventional and began to emerge in the summer of 2008, when it became apparent that the financial crisis would permeate the real economy and sharply slow global growth. This slowdown worked to reverse the tight commodity market conditions required for a bubble to develop, ultimately destroying the commodity bubble.
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES CLUSTERS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Employment growth is strongly predicted by smaller average establishment size, both across cities and across industries within cities, but there is little consensus on why this relationship exists. Traditional economic explanations emphasize factors that reduce entry costs or raise entrepreneurial returns, thereby increasing net returns and attracting entrepreneurs. A second class of theories hypothesizes that some places are endowed with a greater supply of entrepreneurship. Evidence on sales per worker does not support the higher returns for entrepreneurship rationale. Our evidence suggests that entrepreneurship is higher when fixed costs are lower and when there are more entrepreneurial people. Edward L. Glaeser Department of Economics 315A Littauer Center Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 and NBER eglaeser@harvard.edu William R. Kerr Rock Center 212 Harvard Business School Boston, MA 02163 wkerr@hbs.edu Giacomo A.M. Ponzetto CREI Universitat Pompeu Fabra C/ Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27 08005 Barcelona Spain gponzetto@crei.cat