Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2 Other Related Projects 2.1 the Memoirs Project 2.2 the Pepys and Forget-me-not Projects 3 the Ukc Memory Repository Project 3.1 Personal Activity Recording

Although most retrieval systems are aimed at collections of documents such as research papers or reports, many people handle quite large amounts of information in the course of their working lives, and these collections of personal information can easily be large enough to become unmanageable without some kind of retrieval aid. Personal information retrieval is different from conventional retrieval in a number of ways. One major difference is that the required data (or at least something about it) was once known to the searcher and so the retrieval system will be most effective if it can help and be helped by the searcher's own memory. Another difference is the varied nature of the things to be retrieved. Some may be small, for example a name or phone number. Others may be quite long, for example, the contents of a research report. Some information is naturally available on-line, but other information, for example the identity of a visitor or a verbal communication, needs to be captured or indexed before it can be retrieved. Personal information that we may want to retrieve falls into two broad classes – events and documents. Events are things that happened in the past and are the information that would be recorded if we kept a careful personal diary. A complete event record would include details of where we were, who we were with and what we were doing at any time in the past. Personal documents are normally text objects (though there are multimedia possibilities) and could be mail messages, research papers, reports and so on. The most natural way to retrieve events is by their time, either absolute or relative to other events. Typical queries might be Who else was at the meeting last week in Bill's office? or Who was the student who came to see me last week after the algorithms lecture? In each case time, together with other parameters, is used to identify the event. Documents are conventionally retrieved by their content 3 using Boolean or free-text queries. Although events and documents seem quite different, they are, in practice, closely related – for example, many documents have at least one associated event, which is our first becoming aware of its existence. Although the most obvious way to retrieve a document is by content, we could also find documents by looking at events. For example, I may want to find the mail message …
Kinematic design of an ejection-free underactuated anthropomorphic finger

This paper presents preliminary results on the design of a novel architecture of a three-phalanx underactuated finger. An ejection-free underactuated anthropomorphic hand is of the greatest interest for the field of humanoid robots. So far, all underactuated fingers lead to ejection for certain configurations. By using a second system of actuation in a three-phalanx finger, the zone of instability of this finger is reduced and the ejection problem is prevented. Hence, the mathematical model of this finger is first introduced, followed by the choice of transmission ratios to be taken for the two pulley systems. Finally, the zone of instability of this new architecture is presented where it is proved that ejection is avoided.
SEC Enforcement: Does Forthright Disclosure and Cooperation Really Matter?

This study examines the conditions under which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) exercises enforcement leniency following a restatement. I explore whether cooperation with SEC staff and forthright disclosure of a restatement (e.g., disclosures reported in a timely and visible manner) reduce the likelihood of an SEC sanction or SEC monetary penalties. After controlling for restatement severity, I find that cooperation increases the likelihood of being sanctioned, perhaps because it improves the SEC's ability to build a successful case against the firm. However, cooperation and forthright disclosures are rewarded by the SEC through lower monetary penalties.
Biological invasions on oceanic islands: Implications for island ecosystems and avifauna

Biological invasions present a global threat to biodiversity, but oceanic islands are the systems hardest hit by invasions. Islands are generally depauperate in species richness, trophic complexity, and functional diversity relative to comparable mainland ecosystems. This situation results in low biotic resistance to invasion and many empty niches for invaders to exploit. It also results in island species being poorly adapted for dealing with predators, herbivores, and strong competitors. Hence, invaders tend to be more successful on oceanic islands and their impacts tend to be much stronger, often resulting in species extinctions and restructuring of communities and ecosystem functions. Birds play particularly important ecological roles on oceanic islands, where they are generally the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate group due to the general absence of mammals and low diversity of reptiles and amphibians. As a result, birds can completely dominate or contribute very strongly to various key functional roles such as herbivory, pollination, seed dispersal, predation, ecosystem engineering, and nutrient transport. For similar reasons, island birds are very susceptible to invader impacts and are important system-level transmitters of invader impacts. Invasive species management on islands is challenging, but some of the same factors that render islands particularly sensitive to biological invasions also favor successful invasive species management. The small size and isolation of many islands ensures relatively small invader populations and discrete management areas that facilitate extirpation of the invader and its exclusion following eradication. In recent decades, island invasives management has focused on extirpation of exotic species and hundreds of islands have been cleared of exotic predators, herbivores, and sometimes plants. In most situations, invader extirpation has helped to restore the system, but in numerous cases restoration has failed due to complex side effects. Taking a broader community-level approach to invasive species management on islands will help improve success and reduce unexpected deleterious side effects.
Lung cancer in relation to exposure to silica dust, silicosis and uranium production in South African gold miners.

BACKGROUND: A nested case-control study for lung cancer was performed on a cohort of 2260 South African gold miners in whom an association between exposure to silica dust and risk of lung cancer was previously reported. The objective was to investigate an expanded set of risk factors and also cancer cell type. METHODS: The 78 cases of lung cancer found during the follow up period from 1970 to 1986 were matched with 386 controls. Risk of lung cancer was related to smoking, exposure to silica dust, incidence of silicosis, and uranium production and the uranium content of the mine ore. RESULTS: The risk of lung cancer was associated with tobacco smoking, cumulative dust exposure, duration of underground mining, and with silicosis. The best predictive model included pack years of cigarette consumption (adjusted relative risk (RR) = 1.0 for < 6.5 pack years, 3.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7 to 16.8) for 6.5-20 pack years, 5.7 (95% CI 1.3 to 25.8) for 21-30 pack years, and 13.2 (95% CI 3.1 to 56.2) for more than 30 pack years) and silicosis (RR = 2.45 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.2)). No association was found with uranium production. The lung tumour cell type distribution was 40.3% small cell carcinoma, 38.8% squamous cell, 16.4% adenocarcinoma, and 4.5% large cell carcinoma. Small and large cell cancer combined were associated with exposure to dust. CONCLUSIONS: The results cannot be interpreted definitively in terms of causal association. Possible interpretations are: (1) subjects with high dust exposure who develop silicosis are at increased risk of lung cancer; (2) high levels of exposure to silica dust on its own is important in the pathogenesis of lung cancer and silicosis is coincidental; and (3) high levels of silica dust exposure may be a surrogate for the exposure to radon daughters.
A Framework for Analysis of Anonymized Network Flow Data

Many projects analyze application overlay networks on the Internet using packet analysis and network flow data. This is infeasible on many networks: either the volume of data makes packet inspection intractable, or privacy concerns forbid packet capture and require the dissociation of network flows from users’ identities. We describe a framework for exploration of usage patterns even under circumstances where the only available data is anonymized flow records. We offer two proofs of concept using data gathered from Internet2. In the first, we uncover distributions and scaling relations in host-to-host networks with implications for capacity planning and application design. In the second, we classify network applications based on properties of their overlay networks, yielding a taxonomy that allows us to identify the functions of unknown applications.
Coalescence of Nanoclusters and Formation of Submicron Crystallites Assisted by Lactobacillus Strains

Lactobacillus strains, common in buttermilk, assist the growth of gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy crystals of submicron dimensions upon exposure to the precursor ions. Several well-defined crystal morphologies are observed. Crystal growth occurs by the coalescence of clusters, and tens of crystals are found within the bacterial contour. Crystal growth does not affect the viability of the bacteria. Crystals are presumably nucleated through nanoclusters, which are formed within as well as transported into the bacteria. Biomass with the crystals can be harvested completely. Results point to potential applications in analytical chemistry, nanotechnology, medicine, and metal ion recovery. Coalescence appears to be a route by which surface area of the crystal is reduced so that it can be effectively protected to avoid biological damage.
An analysis of the relationship between wages in the public and private sector in colombia : a panel data approach

This document examines the time-series properties of the wage differentials that arise between the public and private sector in Colombia during the sample period 1984 to 2005. We find conflicting results in unit-root and stationarity tests when looking at wage differentials at an aggregate level (such as for men, women or both). However, when we analyse wage differentials at higher levels of disaggregation, treat them jointly as a panel of data, and allow for the presence of potential cross section dependence, there is more supportive evidence for the view that wage differentials are stationary. This implies that although wage differentials do exist, they have not been consistently increasing (or decreasing) over time.
Self-registering plug-ins: an architecture for extensible software

Extensibility and flexibility are essential characteristics of today's software. A common technique that offers these vital features is the concept of plug-ins, in which additional components are able to easily "plug" into the application on-demand to provide extra features or functionality. Plug-ins are indispensable in software as they offer tremendous advantages in terms of giving the application simplified means to keep pace with today's rapidly changing technology. This paper describes a powerful and flexible plug-in architecture, which builds upon an improved version of the pluggable factories design pattern. The framework for the plug-in architecture in this paper consists of a registry implemented via a map that would contain a reference to each plug-in, which is used to create instances of it upon request. The plug-in is automatically self-registered at start-up before any code is executed by using static instantiation. Thus, new plug-ins are dynamically recognized without any interference from the user
An inquiry into organizational learning

An Inquiry into Organizational Learning September 1981 William Thomas Ratliff, III M.Ed., Ed.D. , University of Massachusetts Conceived as one part of the effort to determine the distinguishing characteristics of long-term effective organizations, this dissertation presents a model of organizational learning and reports on a case study of a company designed to test the usefulness of the model. Organizational learning is defined as the conscious and deliberate extension of a consensual ly shared knowledge base by members of the dominant coalition. The model is differentiated from other theories of organizational learning in that it is not primarily concerned with individual learning; political theories of decision making serve as the rationale for focusing on the dominant coalition of the organization and on the consensual ly accepted, publicly communicated, and integrated knowledge base it develops. These ideas are also related to the current phenomenological ideas of organizational paradigms. Using this model as a guiding framework, an exploratory case study was conducted in a life insurance company. The report of this study describes the specific behaviors and patterns that satisfied the definitions of the organizational learning model. Berkshire Life Insurance Company was found to have a very clear dominant coalition
Trading behaviour, price discovery and volatility in competing market microstructures

The first chapter investigates the price and volatility impacts produced by block trades in an inter-market environment with different microstructures. A sample of European cross-traded securities is employed to investigate whether large trades executed on the foreign market (London Stock Exchange's SEAQ-I market) produce any impacts on the securities' home markets and analyse whether different market microstructures matter. The price impact in the home markets is detected before the large trade is executed on SEAQ-I and proceeds in a protracted fashion, implying that substantial pre- and post-positioning is undertaken by London market makers through the home markets. The new equilibrium price on the home market is reached before the trade information is published on SEAQ-I. Large trades are also found to cause higher price volatility in auction trading systems than in a hybrid market microstructure. The second and third chapters analyse the formation of quoted and effective spreads and their components in three different market microstructures. The results show that quoted and effective spreads generated by a hybrid system (Deutsche Borse's IBIS system) are lower than those generated by both the pure auction system (Paris Bourse's CAC system) and the dealership system (London Stock Exchange SEAQ market). Traders on a hybrid mechanism face the lowest costs and this result holds even when we control for (a) the level of market concentration in liquidity provision, and (b) company-specific news. However, the adverse selection component of the spread is significantly higher in an auction trading system compared to both the dealership and the hybrid trading system. This fifth chapter investigates (a) whether, in a hybrid trading mechanism, voluntary market makers provide a higher level of price stabilisation than limit order traders even if they do not have any obligation to keep orderly markets, (b) the strategic interactions between the limit order book and market makers, and (c) the behaviour of the order flow at times of price uncertainty. We analyse these issues using high frequency data from the London Stock Exchange which has adopted a hybrid market microstructure. We find that prices on the dealership system track the security's true value more efficiently. The dealership system can transact higher volumes with lower price volatility. This evidence suggests that market makers provide price stabilisation, even if they have no binding obligation to do so, thus improving the market's quality. In terms of trading behaviour, we find that in a hybrid trading mechanism, traders are not encouraged to provide liquidity on the order book through limit orders as price uncertainty increases. Instead orders migrate to the dealership system for execution.
CSR and beyond : a Nordic perspective

Following the neoliberal turn in the 1980s, leading global companies have established an influential trend in business through adoption of the doctrine of corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSR). This book critically explores the new megatrend and its varying interpretations and presents overviews of several fields of CSR practice: governance, business ethics, SRI/ESG investment, communication, reporting, labour relations/HR, supply chain management, life cycle analysis, climate strategy, innovation, leadership and public policy. The book also presents visions of CSR development going forward. While the book contributes to the international research frontier, it also reflects its Nordic context, both with respect to authorship and empirical focus. Chapters on leading companies and on state CSR initiatives illustrate how the Nordic tradition has fostered pioneering CSR positions both in business and public policy. In the final chapter the book engages in the broader international debate on CSR, democracy, and value creation, with leading international critical thinkers in dialogue with industrial strategists.
The Effects of Family Structure and Parenthood on the Academic Performance of Nigerian University Students

Abstract This paper examines the effects of family structure and parenthood on the academic performance of Nigerian university students. The sample for the study consisted of 240 students drawn from the six randomly selected faculties in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. The adapted form of “Guidance and Counseling Achievement Grade Form” was used for data collection and the data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the t-test statistical method. The three null hypotheses formulated were tested at . 05 level of significance. The results showed that significant differences existed between the academic performance of students from singleparent family and those from two-parent family structures. The results also indicated significant differences in academic performance of male and female students compared on two types of family structures. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that school counsellors should be employed in all schools and that they should provide necessary assistance to students especially those from single-parent family to enable them overcome their emotional concerns.
Atmospheric scattering-based multiple images fog removal

Current video and image systems are typically of limited use for their poor visibility and contrast caused by the presence of fog, haze and mist. However, the local hazy areas of these images are often interested in and required their sharpness. In this paper, a novel fast haze removal algorithm from multiple images in uniform bad weather conditions which bases on the atmospheric scattering model is proposed. The key idea is to establish an overdetermined system by modeling the hazy images and corresponding images taken in clear days so that the transmission and global airlight can be obtained. Then the two parameters solved from the equations are applied to the local hazy area. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms remove haze effectively and achieve accurate restoration.
Efficient EREW PRAM Algorithms for Parentheses-Matching

We present four polylog-time parallel algorithms for matching parentheses on an exclusive-read and exclusive-write (EREW) parallel random-access machine (PRAM) model. These algorithms provide new insights into the parentheses-matching problem. The first algorithm has a time complexity of O(log/sup 2/ n) employing O(n/(log n)) processors for an input string containing n parentheses. Although this algorithm is not cost-optimal, it is extremely simple to implement. The remaining three algorithms, which are based on a different approach, achieve O(log n) time complexity in each case, and represent successive improvements. The second algorithm requires O(n) processors and working space, and it is comparable to the first algorithm in its ease of implementation. The third algorithm uses O(n/(log n)) processors and O(n log n) space. Thus, it is cost-optimal, but uses extra space compared to the standard stack-based sequential algorithm. The last algorithm reduces the space complexity to O(n) while maintaining the same processor and time complexities. Compared to other existing time-optimal algorithms for the parentheses-matching problem that either employ extensive pipelining or use linked lists and comparable data structures, and employ sorting or a linked list ranking algorithm as subroutines, the last two algorithms have two distinct advantages. First, these algorithms employ arrays as their basic data structures, and second, they do not use any pipelining, sorting, or linked list ranking algorithms. >
Decoding the Dopamine Signal in Macaque Prefrontal Cortex: A Simulation Study Using the Cx3Dp Simulator

Dopamine transmission in the prefrontal cortex plays an important role in reward based learning, working memory and attention. Dopamine is thought to be released non-synaptically into the extracellular space and to reach distant receptors through diffusion. This simulation study examines how the dopamine signal might be decoded by the recipient neuron. The simulation was based on parameters from the literature and on our own quantified, structural data from macaque prefrontal area 10. The change in extracellular dopamine concentration was estimated at different distances from release sites and related to the affinity of the dopamine receptors. Due to the sparse and random distribution of release sites, a transient heterogeneous pattern of dopamine concentration emerges. Our simulation predicts, however, that at any point in the simulation volume there is sufficient dopamine to bind and activate high-affinity dopamine receptors. We propose that dopamine is broadcast to its distant receptors and any change from the local baseline concentration might be decoded by a transient change in the binding probability of dopamine receptors. Dopamine could thus provide a graduated ‘teaching’ signal to reinforce concurrently active synapses and cell assemblies. In conditions of highly reduced or highly elevated dopamine levels the simulations predict that relative changes in the dopamine signal can no longer be decoded, which might explain why cognitive deficits are observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease, or induced through drugs blocking dopamine reuptake.