Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
! 1 Credit Standards and Segregation *

This paper explores the effects of changes in lending standards on racial segregation within metropolitan areas. Such changes affect neighborhood choices as well as aggregate prices and quantities in the housing market. Using the credit boom of 2000-2006 as a large-scale experiment, we put forward an IV strategy that predicts the relaxation of credit standards as the result of a credit supply shock predominantly affecting liquidity-constrained banks. The relaxed lending standards led to significant outflows of Whites from black and from racially mixed neighborhoods: without such credit supply shock, black households would have had between 2.3 and 5.1 percentage points more white neighbors in 2010. *! We thank Patrick Bayer, Leah Platt Boustan, Jess Benhabib, Christopher Crow, Giovanni Dell’Ariccia, Susan Dynarski, Denis Gromb, Maria Guadalupe, Brian Jacob, Robert Hunt, Jean Imbs, Matthew Kahn, Luc Laeven, Ross Levine, Alan Manning, Loretta Mester, Atif R. Mian, Guy Michaels, Max Nathan, Joel Peress, Gordon Philipps, Thomas Piketty, Steve Pischke, Rodney Ramcharan, Stephen Ross, Emmanuel Saez, Jose Scheinkman, John Van Reenen, Dubravka Ritter, Aaron Tornell, and Ekaterina Zhuravskaya for discussions and helpful suggestions on preliminary versions of this paper as well as Elena Loutskina and Luc Laeven for sharing some data. For insightful comments we thank the audiences at University of Amsterdam, Duke, Georgetown, LSE, UCLA, Michigan, PSE, INSEAD, RAND, Syracuse, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the CEPR Public Policy Symposium, Society of Labor Economists conference, the Urban Economics Conference, the Econometric Society, and the Rimini conference meeting. The usual disclaimers apply. We thank INSEAD, the International Monetary Fund, and the Paris School of Economics for financial and computing assistance. † INSEAD. ‡ International Monetary Fund and Paris School of Economics.
Tangible interaction in tabletop games: studying iconic and symbolic play pieces

In this paper, a study is described which investigates differences in game experience between the use of iconic and symbolic tangibles in digital tabletop interaction. To enable this study, a new game together with two sets of play pieces (iconic and symbolic) was developed and used in an experiment with 30 participants. In this experiment, the understanding of the game, the understanding of the play pieces and the fun experience were tested. Both the group who played with iconic play pieces and the group who played with symbolic play pieces were proven to have a comparable fun experience and understanding of the game. However, the understanding of the play pieces was higher in the iconic group and a large majority of both groups preferred to play with iconic play pieces rather then symbolic play pieces.
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing for hyperspatial terrain mapping of Antarctic moss beds based on structure from motion (SfM) point clouds

This study is the first to use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for mapping moss beds in Antarctica. Mosses can be used as indicators for the regional effects of climate change. Mapping and monitoring their extent and health is therefore important. UAV aerial photography provides ultra-high resolution spatial data for this purpose. The aim of this study is to use Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques to generate a detailed 3D point cloud of the terrain from overlapping UAV photography.
The effect of photochemical ageing and initial precursor concentration on the composition and hygroscopic properties of β-caryophyllene secondary organic aerosol

The effect of photochemical ageing and initial pre- cursor concentration on the composition and hygroscopic properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed dur- ing the chamber photo-oxidation of -caryophyllene/NOx mixtures were investigated. Nucleation of -caryophyllene SOA particles occurred almost immediately after oxidation was initiated and led to the formation of fresh SOA with a relatively simpler composition than has been reported for monoterpenes. The SOA yield values ranged from 9.5- 26.7 % and 30.4-44.5 % using a differential mobility particle sizer (DMPS) and an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) mass based measurements, respectively. A total of 20 compounds were identified in the SOA by LC-MS/MS, with the most abundant compounds identified as -caryophyllonic acid and -caryophyllinic acid/ -nocaryophyllonic acid. The O : C and H : C elemental ratios of products identified in the con- densed phase ranged from 0.20 to 1.00 and 1.00 to 2.00, with average values of 0.39 and 1.58, respectively. The increase in the O : C ratio was associated with a decrease in the satu- ration concentration of the identified compounds. The com- pounds identified in the lower initial concentration experi- ments were more oxidised compared to those that were found to be more abundant in the higher initial concentration exper-
Towards a quality model for Open Source Software (OSS)

A spectral natural gamma radiation logging tool is calibrated with a material of known potassium content so that the natural gamma radiation measured by such logging tool is related to potassium concentration. The earth formations surrounding a borehole are logged with such logging tool to identify the presence of potassium. A specified concentration of potassium correlates inversely with a magnetic mineral content in the earth formation. The amount of magnetic mineral content is a measure of the presence of the non-magnetic mineral platinum in the earth formation.
GalaxyRefine: protein structure refinement driven by side-chain repacking

The quality of model structures generated by contemporary protein structure prediction methods strongly depends on the degree of similarity between the target and available template structures. Therefore, the importance of improving template-based model structures beyond the accuracy available from template information has been emphasized in the structure prediction community. The GalaxyRefine web server, freely available at http://galaxy.seoklab. org/refine, is based on a refinement method that has been successfully tested in CASP10. The method first rebuilds side chains and performs side-chain repacking and subsequent overall structure relaxation by molecular dynamics simulation. According to the CASP10 assessment, this method showed the best performance in improving the local structure quality. The method can improve both global and local structure quality on average, when used for refining the models generated by state-of-the-art protein structure prediction servers.
Privacy Harms and the Effectiveness of the Notice and Choice Framework

In the last fifteen years, the Federal Trade Commission and the White House have promoted notice and choice as the preferred mechanism for protecting consumers’ privacy online. But law and policy scholars doubt the efficacy of this mechanism. Research shows that consumers rarely read website privacy policies, that such policies are often too complex for users to understand, and that website policy statements do not match consumers’ privacy expectations. Efforts to ameliorate theses issues through technological tools, such as privacy filters and do-not-track codes, have been unsuccessful. Further, these tools do not address whether notice and choice theory aligns with the actual privacy harms that consumers experience. This alignment remains unexplored. This article, thus, proposes to examine the relationship between the notice and choice theory and users’ actual privacy concerns. The article takes a novel approach that examines privacy litigation and FTC enforcement actions. This focus on the wrongs litigated in the real world reveals the most important harms that consumers experience and provides a better understanding of the efficacy of the notice and choice framework.The data set compiled to support the research for the article consists of all federal class action complaints alleging online privacy violations filed during the last ten years and the Federal Trade Commission complaints and settlements addressing online privacy. The article next addresses the roles that jurisdiction and competence play in framing claims and identifies a typology of the wrongful acts experienced by consumers. The research shows that four types of claims appear in both private litigation and public enforcement with respect to personal information: (1) unauthorized disclosure, (2) surreptitious collection, (3) failure to secure, and (4) undue retention. The article then applies this typology to map “zones of effectiveness” for the notice and choice regime. The article identifies which wrongs a proper notice and choice regime can and cannot address. The research demonstrates that while some wrongful practices might be avoided by the inclusion of specific statements in a notice, others will be incurable through notice. The latter set of wrongs is, thus, outside the “zone of effectiveness” of a notice and choice regime. Lastly, the article concludes with a discussion of whether and how the harms that consumers experience match the outcomes of litigation and FTC settlement orders.This research is supported by the National Science Foundation grant 1330214 “TWC SBE: Option: Frontier: Collaborative: Towards Effective Web Privacy Notice and Choice: A Multi-Disciplinary Prospective. ”
Innovative activity in Canadian food processing establishments: the importance of engineering practices

This paper examines the factors contributing to innovative activity in the Canadian food-processing sector. Several factors relating to innovation are considered. Firstly, it focuses not only on the importance of research and development activity but also on advanced business practices used by production and engineering departments. Secondly, it examines the extent to which a larger firm size and less competition serve to stimulate competition - the so-called Schumpeterian hypothesis. Thirdly, the effect of the nationality of a firm on innovation is also investigated. Fourthly, industry effects are examined. The paper finds that business practices are significantly related to the probability that a firm is innovative. This is also the case for R&D. Size effects are significant, particularly for process innovations. Elsewhere, their effect is greatly diminished once business practices are included. Foreign ownership is significant only for process-only innovations. Competition matters, more so for product than for process innovations. Establishments in the "other" food products industry tend to lead the industry average when it comes to innovation, whereas fish product plants tend to lag behind the industry average.
Information dynamics and discourse in a distributed professional community

Professional associations could use virtual communities to reinvent their relationships with their members. One promising building block would be to revitalise special interest groups as loose knit Internet based communities. These would be what has been called "networks of practice" or "communities of interest". Although recognised phenomena, these terms are little more than labels, however. Far more has been written about the rich, close knit relations of communities of practice. This paper argues that as a model the community of practice concept is useful in defining dimensions by which such looser knit groups can be studied. To this end, community of practice theory is reviewed. The paper then presents a case study of an informal community among Web developers. It uses genre analysis to identify a dominant discourse which constitutes the list's local culture or repertoire. The genres in use are very efficient means of exchanging information, offering broad learning opportunities. They also construct a member identity. They exclude social and political issues, constructing "the problem" of the Web as technical. The "network" has a sense of community, yet it does not have the level of engagement of a community of practice because of the lack of task interdependence, the limits of the technology in use and the size of membership. This has some advantages such as giving it a longer life, requiring less commitment from members and coordinators and making it scale to numbers in a professional association. Professional associations could build up from such networks of practice, just as corporations have sought to cultivate spontaneous informal groups, to manage knowledge.
H ∞ Guaranteed Cost Fuzzy Control for Non-linear Systems : An LMIs Approach

Abstract: In this paper a state feedback controller is designed to stabilize a discrete-time nonlinear and uncertain system. The Takagi Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model with norm-bounded uncertainties is considered for modelling the nonlinear system. Beyond stability, a mixed (LQ/H∝) index is also considered, which simultaneously guarantees an upper bound of LQ cost and is robust for unknown external disturbance in the sense of induced H∞ norm. Sufficient conditions for existence of fuzzy state feedback controller are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally the effectiveness of the proposed controller design methodology is illustrated through numerical simulations.
CLASSIFICATION OF PEAT AND PEATLAND

1. Characteristics of peat and peatland 2. The main components of peat 3. Composition of peat-forming plants 3.1. Relations between compositions of wetland plants and the peat-forming plant community 3.2. Plants Debris of Peat 4. Peat stratigraphy 4.1. Structure of peat stratigraphic sequences 4.2. Bedding of Peat Stratigraphic Sequences 4.3. Types of Peat Stratigraphic Sequence 5. Classification systems 5.1. Common Peat Classification Methods 5.1. 1. Geobotanical Classification Method 5.1. 2. Properties Classification Method 5.1. 3. Application Classification Method 5.2. Common Peatland Classifications 5.2. 1. Classification Based on Characteristics of Peatland Strata 5.2. 2. Classification Based on Geomorphological Conditions 5.2. 3. Classification based on hydrology and landform Bibliography Biographical Sketches
Dynamically Hedging Oil and Currency Futures Using Receding Horizontal Control and Stochastic Programming

Dynamically Hedging Oil and Currency Futures Using Receding Horizontal Control and Stochastic Programming by Paul Edward Cottrell MBA, Wayne State University, 2008 BS, Wayne State University, 2007 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Finance Walden University February 2015 Abstract There is a lack of research in the area of hedging future contracts, especially in illiquid or very volatile market conditions. It is important to understand the volatility of the oil andThere is a lack of research in the area of hedging future contracts, especially in illiquid or very volatile market conditions. It is important to understand the volatility of the oil and currency markets because reduced fluctuations in these markets could lead to better hedging performance. This study compared different hedging methods by using a hedging error metric, supplementing the Receding Horizontal Control and Stochastic Programming (RHCSP) method by utilizing the London Interbank Offered Rate with the Levy process. The RHCSP hedging method was investigated to determine if improved hedging error was accomplished compared to the Black–Scholes, Leland, and Whalley and Wilmott methods when applied on simulated, oil, and currency futures markets. A modified RHCSP method was also investigated to determine if this method could significantly reduce hedging error under extreme market illiquidity conditions when applied on simulated, oil, and currency futures markets. This quantitative study used chaos theory and emergence for its theoretical foundation. An experimental research method was utilized for this study with a sample size of 506 hedging errors pertaining to historical and simulation data. The historical data were from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2012. The modified RHCSP method was found to significantly reduce hedging error for the oil and currency market futures by the use of a 2-way ANOVA with a t test and post hoc Tukey test. This study promotes positive social change by identifying better risk controls for investment portfolios and illustrating how to benefit from high volatility in markets. Economists, professional investment managers, and independent investors could benefit from the findings of this study. Dynamically Hedging Oil and Currency Futures Using Receding Horizontal Control and Stochastic Programming by Paul Edward Cottrell MBA, Wayne State University, 2008 BS, Wayne State University, 2007 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Finance Walden University February 2015 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated in memory of Daniel Cottrell. Acknowledgments I would like to thank the many people that have encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. They are too numerous to list, but I would like to extend a special thanks to my dog,
Statistical Similarities between Transcriptomics and Quantitative Shotgun Proteomics Data *S

If the large collection of microarray-specific statistical tools was applicable to the analysis of quantitative shotgun proteomics datasets, it would certainly foster an important advancement of proteomics research. Here we analyze two large multidimensional protein identification technology datasets, one containing eight replicates of the soluble fraction of a yeast whole-cell lysate and one containing nine replicates of a human immunoprecipitate, to test whether normalized spectral abundance factor (NSAF) values share substantially similar statistical properties with transcript abundance values from Affymetrix GeneChip data. First we show similar dynamic range and distribution properties of these two types of numeric values. Next we show that the standard deviation (S.D.) of a protein's NSAF values was dependent on the average NSAF value of the protein itself, following a power law. This relationship can be modeled by a power law global error model (PLGEM), initially developed to describe the variance-versus-mean dependence that exists in GeneChip data. PLGEM parameters obtained from NSAF datasets proved to be surprisingly similar to the typical parameters observed in GeneChip datasets. The most important common feature identified by this approach was that, although in absolute terms the S.D. of replicated abundance values increases as a function of increasing average abundance, the coefficient of variation, a relative measure of variability, becomes progressively smaller under the same conditions. We next show that PLGEM parameters were reasonably stable to decreasing numbers of replicates. We finally illustrate one possible application of PLGEM in the identification of differentially abundant proteins that might potentially outperform standard statistical tests. In summary, we believe that this body of work lays the foundation for the application of microarray-specific tools in the analysis of NSAF datasets.
Nitrogen mustard hydrochloride-induced acute respiratory failure and myelosuppression: A case report

Nitrogen mustards are chemical agents that are similar to sulfur mustards, with similar toxicities. The present study describes a case of nitrogen mustard-induced acute respiratory failure and myelosuppression in a 33-year-old man. The patient, who was accidentally exposed to nitrogen mustard hydrochloride in a pharmaceutical factory, exhibited severe inhalation injury and respiratory symptoms. Laboratory tests revealed reduced white blood cell counts and lowered platelet levels during the first 6 days after the skin exposure to nitrogen mustard. Following treatment with mechanical ventilation, immunity-enhancing agents and nutritional supplements for 1 month, the patient successfully recovered and was released from hospital.
Potential mechanisms , research avenues , and management action associated with size at age and growth of Pacific halibut

Over the last decade, the average size at age of Pacific halibut sampled in IPHC surveys and in commercial landings has declined markedly, and this trend has been cited as a concern with respect to various aspects of harvest policy. These declines have traditionally been attributed to declining growth rates. However, due to the nature of the observations that have been made, it remains unclear to what extent growth has actually declined as opposed to the changes in size at age being the result of other size-dependent processes. In particular, the average size at age in fish populations can be strongly influenced by size-dependent mortality. Mortality agents that preferentially remove small or slow-growing individuals (e.g., most predators) typically cause a cohort’s mean size at age to increase over time; agents that preferentially remove larger individuals (e.g., fishing mortality) can cause reductions in size at age. In this paper, a mechanistic framework is presented for distinguishing between growth, per se, and size at age in general, and a variety of natural and anthropogenic mechanisms is presented that can alter these features at either the individual or population level: size-selective predation; changes in food volume, quality, and assimilation rate; energy expenditure; intraand inter-specific resource competition; direct and indirect effects of fishing mortality; fisheries induced evolution. In each case, the conceptual basis of the potential mechanism is briefly presented, followed by a few research avenues that might be pursued in order to better understand its relative contribution to the population dynamics of Pacific halibut. Additionally, the potential for temporally-trended methodological and data biases to influence our perception of the magnitude and timing of such trends is discussed. This paper does not provide an exhaustive treatment of any single mechanism, nor does it present specific research designs or plans. Rather, its intent is to reflect the complexity of the process, highlighting the fact that growth need not change for size at age to be altered, and encourage a more thorough discussion of the topic than has yet occurred. It concludes with some thoughts on the conundrum of studying historical phenomena in the present, and prospects for management action in the absence of definitive answers.
A Bayesian Approach of Hyperanalytic Denoising

The property of shift-invariance associated with a good directional selectivity are important for the application of a wavelet transform, (WT), in many fields of image processing. Generally, complex wavelet transforms, like for example the Double Tree Complex Wavelet Transform, (DTCWT), poses these good properties. In this paper we propose the use of a new implementation of such a WT, recently introduced, namely the hyperanalytic wavelet transform, (HWT), in denoising applications. The proposed denoising method is very simple, implying three steps: the computation of the forward WT, the filtering in the wavelets domain and the computation of the inverse WT, (IWT). The goal of this paper is the association of a new implementation of the HWT, recently proposed, with a maximum a posteriori (MAP) filter. Some simulation examples and comparisons prove the performances of the proposed denoising method.