Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobilising Domestic Resources for Development Financing in Namibia ? Constraints and Opportunities

Aid disbursements to Namibia, historically one of the main recipients of official development assistance (ODA) in Africa, are projected to decline over the next few years. Namibia aspires to become a prosperous sand industrialised country and to be ranked among the developed countries of the world by 2030. To realise this vision, the government recognises the need for enhanced revenue mobilisation while at the same time improving internal efficiency and reducing wastage. (? ) http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCOnePager252.pdf
BizTalk Server 2000 Business Process Orchestration.

For thousands of years people have realized the importance of archiving and finding information. With the advent of computers, it became possible to store large amounts of information; and finding useful information from such collections became a necessity. The field of Information Retrieval (IR) was born in the 1950s out of this necessity. Over the last forty years, the field has matured considerably. Several IR systems are used on an everyday basis by a wide variety of users. This article is a brief overview of the key advances in the field of Information Retrieval, and a description of where the state-of-the-art is at in the field.
Introduction to spectral analysis

1. Basic Concepts. 2. Nonparametric Methods. 3. Parametric Methods for Rational Spectra. 4. Parametric Methods for Line Spectra. 5. Filter Bank Methods. 6. Spatial Methods. Appendix A: Linear Algebra and Matrix Analysis Tools. Appendix B: Cramer-Rao Bound Tools. Bibliography. References Grouped by Subject. Subject Index.
A global data set of soil particle size properties

A standardized global data set of soil horizon thicknesses and textures (particle size distributions) was compiled. This data set will be used by the improved ground hydrology parameterization designed for the Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model (GISS GCM) Model 3. The data set specifies the top and bottom depths and the percent abundance of sand, silt, and clay of individual soil horizons in each of the 106 soil types cataloged for nine continental divisions. When combined with the World Soil Data File, the result is a global data set of variations in physical properties throughout the soil profile. These properties are important in the determination of water storage in individual soil horizons and exchange of water with the lower atmosphere. The incorporation of this data set into the GISS GCM should improve model performance by including more realistic variability in land-surface properties.
Particle Swarm Optimization for Design of Beam

Particle Swarm Optimization is an optimization technique emulates from social behaviour i.e. birds flocking, fish schooling and bee’s behaviour and it is also related to A-life i.e. artificial life (human life). It has wide range of applications in almost every field. In this paper we are applying this technique to Civil Engineering field for designing different types of beam loaded with UDL and supported with different support conditions i.e. simply support, cantilever and fixed support for obtaining optimal quantities of area of steel, moment of resistance and shear stress. With the help of PSO algorithm, MAT-LAB coding is formulated. Area of steel, Moment of resistance and Shear Stress obtain with the help of PSO model is compared with the results obtain by different computational methods i.e. 1) By using IS 456-2000 with manual calculations by rounding off values; 2) Using IS 456-2000 with manual calculations without rounding off values, And 3) Excel sheet calculation. (Abstract) Keywords—GBEST – Global Best, LBEST – Local Best, PSO – Particle Swarm Optimization, R/F – reinforcement (key words)
UST Research Online UST Research Online

The development of the Internet as a business tool over the past 5 years has been phenomenal, causing a period of chaos and creative destruction. E-commerce has been hyped as a catalyst for vast streamlining of the supply chain. Yet, in a time of such phenomenal change, the focus tends to be on the large picture. Many details of how a new technology should be or is employed tend to be unknown or ignored. However, as the technology matures and stabilizes, one of the primary factors that separate winners from losers is the way in which the technology is implemented and operated on a daily basis. This study examines the ways in which companies utilize the Internet to streamline their purchasing process. A survey of 416 customers of a major Internet retailer of commodity ofﬁce supplies reveals important relationships between web site design, employee work environments, Internet strategy, and purchasing performance. Our sample of companies consists of ﬁrms that have ordered ofﬁce supplies at least once using the Internet. Our data indicate that companies do realize performance beneﬁts from utilizing the Internet as a purchasing tool. Furthermore, the data suggest factors that facilitate purchasing process improvements. These factors can be utilized by both buying and selling companies to improve their proprietary processes to maximize the beneﬁts of e-commerce as a purchasing tool.
Trois problemes cles de l'analyse 3d de la structure thermo-dynamique de l'atmosphere par satellite : mesure du contenu en ozone; classification des masses d'air; modelisation hyper rapide du transfert radiatif

Les satellites de la serie noaa/tiros-n permettent d'obtenir, a l'echelle globale, la structure tridimensionnelle en temperature et humidite de l'atmosphere, d'analyser les proprietes de surface et de determiner le contenu total en ozone. Ce travail de these comprend trois volets distincts, lies a l'exploitation des mesures radiatives infrarouges et micro-ondes de ces satellites. Dans un premier temps, une methode statistique, basee sur des regressions lineaires, est proposee pour le calcul de la colonne d'ozone. Puis, en vue de mettre au point une methode physique de calcul de l'ozone total, une etude de sensibilite des mesures radiatives, en particulier vis-a-vis de la forme des profils d'ozone, est realisee. Le deuxieme volet est consacre a la classification en masses d'air d'une banque climatologique de donnees atmospheriques. La methode comporte une analyse en composantes principales des profils de temperature, puis une classification ascendante hierarchique des premieres composantes. Cette classification est alors utilisee pour obtenir des cartes de masses d'air a partir des radiances mesurees par le satellite. La troisieme partie presente les ameliorations apportees a un modele ultra rapide de calcul des radiances, base sur une approche de type reconnaissance de formes. Les resultats obtenus sont compares a ceux d'un modele spectroscopique raie par raie, ainsi qu'aux radiances observees par le satellite
Learning and Policy Search in Stochastic Dynamical Systems with Bayesian Neural Networks

We present an algorithm for model-based reinforcement learning that combines Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) with random roll-outs and stochastic optimization for policy learning. The BNNs are trained by minimizing $\alpha$-divergences, allowing us to capture complicated statistical patterns in the transition dynamics, e.g. multi-modality and heteroskedasticity, which are usually missed by other common modeling approaches. We illustrate the performance of our method by solving a challenging benchmark where model-based approaches usually fail and by obtaining promising results in a real-world scenario for controlling a gas turbine.
Classification of Motor Imagery Task by Using Novel Ensemble Pruning Approach

Brain-computer interface (BCI) assists communication for the disabled and handicapped. It is usually electroencephalogram (EEG) based and uses motor imagery (MI) in its operation. EEG signals are known for being nonstationary and are sensitive to artifacts from various sources such as the physical and mental state of the patient, their mood, their posture, and any external noise or distractions, etc. Processing of this data directly affects the classification accuracy, making it a critical step in any BCI system. Ensemble learning has been used for many kinds of BCI classification applications including MI and P300 event related potential, which has been proven to be robust. The purpose of this paper is to generate an algorithm that uses ensemble pruning method for EEG classification evoked by an MI task. In order to achieve this, we extracted the features of an EEG dataset and trained a range of support vector machines to make a diverse ensemble of classifiers. This ensemble is then pruned by using a novel optimization model by a difference of convex algorithm, which has not been used on EEG data before.
Semantic Roles and Grammatical Relations.

The nature of semantic roles and grammatical relations are explored from the perspective of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG). It is proposed that unraveling the relational aspects of grammar involves the recognition that semantic roles fall into two types, thematic relations and macroroles, and that grammatical relations are not universal and are not constituted in the same way in every language in which they exist. The concepts of thematic relations, semantic macroroles, and grammatical relations are explained, and evidence :DIf cross-linguistic variation in grammatical relations is presented from a variety of languages including Acehnese, Zapotec, Walpiri, English, and Dyirbal. Implications for langua7e acquisition and the analysis of child language are also
Early Public Banks

Publicly owned or commissioned banks were common in Europe from the 15th century. This survey argues that while the early public banks were characterized by great experimentation in their design, a common goal was to create a liquid and reliable monetary asset in environments where such assets were rare or unavailable. The success of these banks was, however, never guaranteed, and even well-run banks could become unstable over time as their success made them susceptible to fiscal exploitation. The popularization of bearer notes in the 18th century broadened the user base for the public banks' money but was also accompanied by increased fiscal abuse. Wartime demands of the Napoleonic Era resulted in the reorganization or dissolution of many early public banks. A prominent exception was the Bank of England, whose adept management of a fiscally backed money provided a foundation for the development of central banks as they exist today.
Northern Thailand case: gaming and simulation for co-learning and collective action; companion modelling for collaborative landscape management between herders and foresters

Land-use conflicts between villagers and government agencies are common under the current decentralisation of resource management in Northern Thailand. They are frequently due to deep differences in interests, objectives and perceptions of the landscape resources to be managed and their use. As the complexity of the problems to be tackled increases, there is a need to design and test effective integrated, inclusive and adaptive methods fostering the co-management of the land to improve both ecological viability and social equity. Such methods should facilitate communication and the sharing of knowledge and viewpoints leading to mutual understanding, improved trust, and the design of workable co-management plans. Companion Modelling (ComMod) is a highly interactive gaming and simulation approach relying on multi-agent systems used to better understand a complex system through the co-design and joint use of different kinds of simulation models with the field actors concerned. The co-construction of a shared representation of the issue, followed by its use to simulate and assess future scenarios, facilitates multiple stakeholders’ co-ordination and negotiation processes. The presentation of ComMod main theoretical references and key methodological principles is used to characterise the original posture of the practitioner who is seen as a category of stakeholder among others. This leads to a specific type of relationship with the models developed, and the local stakeholders. The operationalisation of ComMod in a process to mitigate a land-use conflict between livestock herders and foresters in a highland village is described. Its results, ranging from fostering mutual understanding to the joint design of concrete collective action, are discussed. Based on the lessons from this case study, an analysis of the strong (trans-disciplinary knowledge integration, empowerment of marginal farmers, flexibility of the approach and its simulation tools) and weak (special skills required, local facilitation and process ownership, use in multi- level processes) points of this collaborative modelling approach is proposed.
Bayesian Tracking in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks With Port-Starboard Ambiguity

Port-starboard ambiguity is an important issue in underwater tracking systems with anti-submarine warfare applications, especially for wireless sensor networks based upon autonomous underwater vehicles. In monostatic systems this ambiguity leads to a ghost track of the target symmetrically displaced with respect to the sensor. Removal of such artifacts is usually made by rough and heuristic approaches. In the context of Bayesian filtering approximated by means of particle filtering techniques, we show that optimal disambiguation can be pursued by deriving the full Bayesian posterior distribution of the target state. The analysis is corroborated by simulations that show the effectiveness of the particle-filtering tracking. A full validation of the approach relies upon real-world experiments conducted by the NATO Science and Technology Organization - Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation during the sea trials Generic Littoral Interoperable Network Technology 2011 and Exercise Proud Manta 2012, results which are also reported.
Untangling Knots: Embodied Diagramming Practices in Knot Theory

The low visibility and specialised languages of mathematical work pose challenges for the ethnographic study of communication in mathematics, but observationbased study can offer a real-world grounding to questions about the nature of its methods. This paper uses theoretical ideas from linguistic pragmatics to examine how mutual understandings of diagrams are achieved in the course of conference presentations. Presenters use shared knowledge to train others to interpret diagrams in the ways favoured by the community of experts, directing an audience’s attention so as to develop a shared understanding of a diagram’s features and possible manipulations. In this way, expectations about the intentions of others and appeals to knowledge about the manipulation of objects play a part in the development and communication of concepts in mathematical discourse.
ON SAMPLING BASED METHODS FOR THE DUBINS TRAVELING SALESMAN PROBLEM WITH NEIGHBORHOODS

In this paper, we address the problem of path planning to visit a set of regions by Dubins vehicle, which is also known as the Dubins Traveling Salesman Problem Neighborhoods (DTSPN). We propose a modification of the existing sampling-based approach to determine increasing number of samples per goal region and thus improve the solution quality if a more computational time is available. The proposed modification of the sampling-based algorithm has been compared with performance of existing approaches for the DTSPN and results of the quality of the found solutions and the required computational time are presented in the paper.
Extent and duration of Antarctic surface melting

Abstract The extent and duration of surface melting on the Antarctic ice shelves and margins of the Antarctic ice sheet are derived from satellite passive-microwave data for 1978–87. The occurrence of surface melting in daily maps of Tb is indicated by a marked increase in microwave brightness temperature (Tb), which is caused by moisture in the near-surface firn. Tb increases of more than 30 deg above the annual-mean Tb are chosen to indicate melting. Most Antarctic surface melting occurs during December and January. The observed melting is correlated with regional air temperatures, but some melt patterns also appear to be related to katabatic-wind effects. The correlations suggest that the surface melting in Antarctica increases about 3.5 × 106 d km2 per degree of summer temperature increase. The surface-melt index (duration times area of melting) calculated for Antarctica is 24 × 106 d km2, averaged over nine summers. The observed inter-annual and regional variability is large. Surface melting was most extensive during the 1982/83 summer (36 × 106 d km2) and least extensive during the 1985/86 summer (15 × 106d km2). The data indicate a decline in surface melting over the 9 years, but meaningful inferences regarding trends in surface melting are precluded by the large inter-annual variability.
Route planning : mapping journeys to priesthood in the Church of England

p.4 Introduction: Supposition p.6 Chapter 1: Investigation p.19 Chapter 2: Organisation p.83 Chapter 3: Inspiration p.131 Chapter 4: Exploration p.175 Chapter 5: Formation p.222 Chapter 6: Integration p.278 Chapter 7: Consolidation p.327 Conclusion: Transformation p.378
Textual Membership Queries

Human labeling of data can be very time-consuming and expensive, yet, in many cases it is critical for the success of the learning process. In order to minimize human labeling efforts, we propose a novel active learning solution that does not rely on existing sources of unlabeled data. It uses a small amount of labeled data as the core set for the synthesis of useful membership queries (MQs) — unlabeled instances generated by an algorithm for human labeling. Our solution uses modification operators, functions that modify instances to some extent. We apply the operators on a small set of instances (core set), creating a set of new membership queries. Using this framework, we look at the instance space as a search space and apply search algorithms in order to generate new examples highly relevant to the learner. We implement this framework in the textual domain and test it on several text classification tasks and show improved classifier performance as more MQs are labeled and incorporated into the training set. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on membership queries in the textual domain.
Control Dynamics of Adaptive and Scalable Power and Energy Systems for Military Micro Grids

Abstract : Aging transmission and substation infrastructure linking military bases to commercial utility power coupled with aging distribution systems inside the base threatens installation mission readiness. Traditionally, the practice of providing critical facility power contingency has been to install building-dedicated engine generators. However, the presence of these units provides a false sense of security because actual reliability is reduced due to sub-optimal and intermittent loading. A major energy challenge for military installations is to improve their energy security while conforming to Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management requirements (mandating reduced economic and environmental impact of installation energy). This report provides a technical explanation of the power electronic and control response challenges associated with the design of an autonomous military installation scalable power system capable of operating independently from the commercial grid for extended periods of time in an emergency. Rather than providing power only to pre-determined mission essential facilities, the micro grid will give the mission commander the ability to dynamically designate and prioritize which facilities receive available power. Implementing a scalable power grid will assure significant enhancement of mission readiness, and as a direct consequence, intelligent system control will enable base personnel to quantify the state of mission readiness.
User learning and performance with marking menus

Marking menus are designed to overcome these problems. Using a marking menu with a pen based computer works as follows. A user presses down on the screen with the pen and waits approximately 1/3 second (we refer to this as "press-and-wait"). A radial menu [2] [12] then appears directly under the tip of the pen. A user then highlights an item by keeping the pen pressed and making a stroke towards the desired item (see Figure 1a). The alternate way of selecting an item is by drawing a mark. This relies on the user recalling the location of the item in the menu. A mark is drawn by pressing the pen down and immediately moving in the direction of the desired menu item (see Figure 1b). 1 ABSTRACT A marking menu is designed to allow a user to perform a menu selection by either popping-up a radial (or pie) menu, or by making a straight mark in the direction of the desired menu item without popping-up the menu. Previous evaluations in laboratory settings have shown the potential of marking menus. This paper reports on a case study of user behavior with marking menus in a real work situation. The study demonstrates the following: First, marking menus are used as designed. When users become expert with the menus, marks are used extensively. However, the transition to using marks is not one way. Expert users still switch back to menus to refresh their memory of menu layout. Second, marking is an extremely efficient interaction technique. Using a mark on average was 3.5 times faster than selection using the menu. Finally, design principles can be followed that make menu item/mark associations easier to learn, and interaction efficient.
Two-handed input in a compound task

Four techniques for performing a compound drawing/color selection task were studied: a unimanual technique, a bimanual technique where different hands controlled independent subtasks, and two other bimanual techniques in which the action of the right hand depended on that of the left hand. We call this latter class of two-handed technique “asymmetric dependent,” and predict that because tasks of this sort most closely conform to bimanual tasks in the everyday world, they would give rise to the best performance. Results showed that one of the asymmetric bimauual techniques, called the Toolglass technique, did indeed give rise to the best overall performance. Reasons for the superiority of this technique are discussed in terms of their implications for design. These are contrasted with other kinds of two-handed techniques, and it is shown how, if designed inappropriately, two hands can be worse than one.
The Career Development Of Women Executives In Information Technology

This paper will report the results of a study on the career development and aspirations of women in executive level positions in information technology. The major method of this research study was the individual case study. Case studies relied on in-depth telephone interviews with a sample of 25 women in executive level positions in IT in 25 Fortune 500 companies. The study provided an insight into the perception of women executives working in information technology (IT), and their role in this fast-growing technological area. The study examined the educational and career paths that the women took to reach their executive level positions. This study provided a better understanding of why women entered the field of information technology and what their experiences have been. The study examined the barriers that hindered and the factors that assisted the women in achieving executive level positions. In addition, it looked into the career goals and aspirations of the women executives. Furthermore, this study obtained an indepth understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the women in their educational programs and as they moved up the career ladder to executive level positions.