Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of T-S fuzzy systems using LTV system theory

Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy systems are equivalent to linear time-varying (LTV) systems, the theory of LTV systems can therefore be used to design global feedback controllers to stabilize T-S fuzzy systems. It is seen that the closed-loop T-S fuzzy system is first transformed into the canonical form by using a Lyapunov transform, a global feedback controller is then designed to assign all Parallel D-spectrum eigenvalues (PD-eigenvalues) of the closed-loop T-S fuzzy system to the desired locations whose real parts have negative extended means. The proposed control scheme not only guarantees asymptotic stability of the closed-loop T-S fuzzy systems, but also allows the designers to directly design a simple global controller instead of deriving a complex global controller by aggregating all local controllers using fuzzy membership functions. A simulation example is given in support of the proposed scheme.
Investigation of Interaction of Soft Nanoparticles based Vesicles with Lung Surfactant via Langmuir-Blodgett trough and Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study

Major aim of this research study is to comprehend the interaction of soft nanoparticle-based vesicles with model lung surfactant monolayer. Vertebrate lung surfactant plays a pivotal role in gaseous exchange plus breathing. As pulmonary lung surfactant is the one which directly comes in contact to inhaled air so it also acts as defensive agent against air-borne pollutants (any foreign particle). In this enquiry, several different types of lipids namely 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-Dimitrystoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glyceero-3-phosphocholine are used as lipid monolayer and vesicles in different combinations while using Langmuir-Blodgett trough. The different lipids are treated with chloroform and buffer solution to make vesicles and then extruded. Nanoparticles present in vesicles interact with lipid monolayer when processed in Langmuir-Blodgett trough and mimics the behavior of natural pulmonary lung surfactant system. In Quartz Crystal with gold mounted on it as thin layer, different combinations of lipid bilayer and vesicles are used from the same list of lipids. The results obtained from this investigation are quite informative in depicting the interaction of soft nanoparticle based vesicles with lung surfactant system, also this work would pave the way to explore still more on interaction of soft nanoparticles based vesicles with lung surfactant, as very little work is done on soft nanoparticles. This novelty of this work is to plan to develop some alternatives of lung surfactant because we cannot perform the experiment directly in living souls as some of these has lethal effects.
Fabrication of CNT/CMK3 Carbon Composites with High Electrical/Thermal Conductive Properties

Composite materials of mesoporous carbon and carbon nanotubes were synthesized using Ni, Co and Pd-loaded CMK3 via a catalytic reaction of methane and . The CNTs grew from the pores of the mesoporous carbon supports, and they were attached tightly to the CMK3 surface in a densely tangled shape. The CNT/CMK3 composite showed both non-graphitic mesoporous structures, and graphitic characteristics originating from the MWCNTS grown in the pores of CMK3. The electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized by their electrorheological effects and cyclic voltammetry. The CNTs/CMK3 composites showed high electrical conductivity and current density. The CNT/CMK3 or KOH-modified CNT/CMK3 particles were incorporated in a PMMA matrix to improve the thermal and electrical conductivity. Even higher thermal conductivity was achieved by the addition of KOH-modified CNT/CMK3 particles.
The Correlation between the Double Helix Quantum Wave in d-Wave Superconductors and Human DNA

The effective mass of the quasiparticles in a d-wave superconducting system has been calculated via magnetization measurements done by SQUID by using the advanced derivative method used in our previous works. Phenomenological analogy between the double helix quantum wave, which does exist within the primitive cell of the d-wave superconductor, and the human DNA was previously made. In this work, the numerical proof of the analogy mentioned has been realized by determining the magnitude of the attractive force of d-wave structure and comparing with the magnitude of the force that holds the double strand of human DNA that are both of the same order of 10−10 N. Moreover, the wavelength of the double helix quantum wave of the superconducting system corresponds to ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum that exactly coincides with the wavelength which is used for exciting the states in human DNA.
Arbitration, Mediation and Cheap Talk

Consider an agent (manager,artist, etc.) who has imperfect private information about his productivity. At the beginning of his career (period 1, “short run”), the agent chooses among publicly observable actions that generate imperfect signals of his productivity. The actions can be ranked according to the informativeness of the signals they generate. The market observes the agent’s action and the signal generated by it, and pays a wage equal to his expected productivity. In period 2 (the “long run”), the agent chooses between a constant payoff and a wage proportional to his true productivity, and the game ends. We show that in any equilibrium where not all types of the agent choose the same action, the average productivity of an agent choosing a less informative action is greater. However, the types choosing that action are not uniformly higher. In particular, we derive conditions for the existence of a tripartite equilibrium where low and high types pool on a less informative action while medium (on average, lower) types choose to send a more informative signal.
Corporate Governance and Stock Returns in Istanbul Stock Exchange Basak

This paper investigates whether good corporate governance leads to higher common stock returns in Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) or not. We examine the case of Turkish firms using an investment strategy that holds only the firms listed in Extended ISE Corporate Governance Index (CGI) over the period August 2005 – July 2010. In order to adjust for market risk, market model time series regression analysis is conducted. We find that Extended ISE CGI (the portfolio of well-governed firms) underperforms ISE All Index (benchmark portfolio). This result shows that an investor who prefers an investment strategy that holds only the firms listed in ISE CGI over the period August 2005 – July 2010 cannot earn abnormal returns. This is consistent with efficient capital markets hypothesis.
Can Parents' Right to Work Part-Time Hurt Childbearing-Aged Women? A Natural Experiment with Administrative Data

Using a differences-in-differences approach and controlling for individual unobserved heterogeneity, we evaluate the impact of a 1999 law that granted all workers with children younger than 7 years old protection against a layoff if the worker had previously asked for a work-week reduction due to family responsibilities. As only mothers took advantage of these arrangements, we find that after the law, employers were: (i) more likely to let childbearing-aged working women "go" relative to their male counterparts; (ii) less likely to promote childbearing-aged women into good jobs; and (iii) less likely to hire childbearing-aged women. In addition, employers were able to pass at least part of the cost to childbearing-aged women through lower wages, and the amount passed to workers increased with the precariousness of the job. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effect on employment transitions is mainly driven by low-skilled workers and those in blue-collar jobs, while the effect on wages holds across all groups. Evidence that the substitution away from (good) jobs widens over time suggests employer learning. These results are robust to the use of different specifications and placebo tests.
Adaptive Image Thresholding by Background Subtraction

In this paper, an adaptive image thresholding algorithm is proposed for thresholding images with uneven illumination. Firstly, a Gaussian scale space, which is produced from the convolution of a two-dimensional Gaussian function with an input image, is used to estimate the background image. Followed by background subtraction, the objective image can be easily obtained to eliminate interference of uneven illumination. Thirdly, to highlight those darker objects, gamma correction is employed to enhance the objective image. Finally, the thresholding result is extracted easily using the global valleyemphasis Otsu method. The experimental results show that the introduced method yields satisfactory visual quality.
Specification of the Joy of Giving: Insights from Altruism

This paper analyzes the joy of giving bequest motive in which the utility obtained from leaving a bequest depends only on the size of the bequest. It exploits the fact that this formulation can be interpreted as a reduced form of an altruistic bequest motive to derive a relation between the value of the altruism parameter and the value of the joy of giving parameter. Using previous discussions of an a priori range of plausible values for the altruism parameter we then derive plausible restrictions on the joy of giving parameter. We demonstrate that this parameter may well be orders of magnitude larger than assumed in the existing literature.
Binary visualisation for malware detection

It is becoming increasingly harder to protect devices against security threats; as malware is steadily evolving defence mechanisms are struggling to persevere. This study introduces a concept intended at supporting security systems using Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network (SOINN) and binary visualization. The system converts a file to its visual representation and sends the data for classification to SOINN. Tests were done to evaluate its performance and obtain an accuracy rate, which rounds the 80% figures at the moment, and false positive and negative rates. Bytes prevalence were also analysed with malware samples having a higher amount of null bytes compared with software samples, which may be a result of hiding malicious data or functionality. The patterns created by the samples were examined; malware samples had more clustering and created different patterns across the images whereas software samples presented mostly static and constant images although exceptions were noted in both categories.
The impact of demographic variables on organisational culture and employee motivation: evidence from a health insurance company in Botswana.

Global changes impacting on the work environment including, increased competition and new technologies, are also felt in developing countries, but their impact has not been investigated to the same extent as in develop countries. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of demographic variables on organisational culture and employee motivation in a health insurance company in Botswana that faced considerable competition because of environmental changes. The Corporate Culture Questionnaire Lite and the Motivation Questionnaire were used to measure the two constructs and the impact of demographic variables on each construct. One hundred employees participated in the survey. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that age and education affect employees' perception of organisational culture. The results of the D-statistics further indicated significant differences between employees from different educational levels and age groups in terms of their perceptions of organisational culture. Significant positive relationships were found between employees' motivation, their level of education and seniority, and a significant negative relationship was evident between employees' motivation and their length of service. The results indicate somewhat different results from similar studies in South Africa suggesting that the national cultures differ in the two countries.
Profit‐Sharing and Wages: An Empirical Analysis Using French Data between 2000 and 2007

Economic theory presents different arguments about how profit‐sharing may affect wages. First, profit‐sharing may substitute for the base wage. Second, profit‐sharing can be interpreted as an ‘efficiency wage’ that adds to the base wage and increases total compensation. The existing empirical literature has not determined which of these arguments is valid. This article attempts to address this issue for France between 2000 and 2007. Based on a difference‐in‐differences selection model, we show that bonuses in firms adopting profit‐sharing are too small to conclude whether it substitutes for or complements the base wage. While base wage levels are generally higher among profit‐sharing firms, changes in the base wage over this period are lower among firms that have had profit‐sharing for a number of years.
Organized Cybercrime? How Cyberspace May Affect the Structure of Criminal Relationships

This article speculates about how the organization of criminal activity may evolve in cyberspace. It begins by examining organized crime in the "real world"; after defining "organized crime," it considers the advantages organization offers for group criminality in the "real world. " The article then identifies the two models of organized criminal activity that have emerged in the "real world" - the "gang" model and the hierarchical American Mafia model - and explains why neither model is likely to establish itself in cyberspace. This portion of the article explains that both extant models evolved in response to empirical constraints that characterize activity in the "real world," constraints that are for the most part absent in cyberspace. The article then considers how organized criminal activity may manifest itself in the cyberworld, drawing upon military analyses of netwar in so doing. It concludes that, as opposed to the fixed, hierarchical organizational models found in the "real world," criminal organization in the cyberworld will be transient, lateral and fluid, all of which can pose real challenges for law enforcement.
THE ROLE OF COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES IN PRODUCT DESIGN AND PRODUCT DESIGN EDUCATION

During the academic year 2003-04, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) Industrial Design Program underwent a curricular evaluation and restructuring. During this time, one of the most debated topics was “What is the role of computing technologies in product design? ” and “How do we integrate this into an industrial design curriculum? ” After a series of these discussions, I came across a statement by John Maeda that addresses this issue of technology and its relationship to design education. He states: “Many people ask me where design education should be heading. What should be the curriculum? How many computers should be bought? What kind? Two years ago I had surprisingly clear answers to these questions. Today I do not. ”[1] Although discouraging, reading this was affirming of my own thoughts and feelings about technology as it relates to design and design education. It often seems that the more knowledge gained with respect to interactive technologies, the less clarity about its place within product design education. Despite this ambiguity, it is clear that interactive technologies have greatly changed the field of product design and they are not going away. The computer has become an integral part of our lives, and has influenced changes in design methodologies, production processes, and the very meaning of ‘product’. So, how do we deconstruct concepts around these ideas in order to give it clarity and structure in a curricular format? This paper will explore: 1. The relationship of computing technologies to product design through influences on methodologies and end products 2. The integration of computing technologies influences into a product design curriculum A goal for this paper is to spark a discussion that addresses the issues surrounding these relationships (product design-education-technology) in order to gain some clarity about how to move forward as we struggle to integrate this into our design curricula. Although change is inherent in technology, it is a constant within an educational context. This paper is designed and will be presented in a way that sparks a discussion about these issues, and not presented as a model of how to do so. It should be noted that this will be a theoretical discussion on these issues, since the implementation of the curricular restructuring will not take place until the Fall of 2005.
Identification of Tourist Clusters in the Pribaikal Region

The purpose of this study was to assess the availability of tourism clusters in the regions of Pribaikal, namely the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia, using a variety of cluster identification methods. The findings suggest that the characteristics of tourism clusters are found in the Republic of Buryatia. However, in Irkutsk region they are not available, although the two regions are the object of a number of national and regional development programs of tourism clusters.
Assessing spatial and temporal variability of Corn and soybean yields

With the increased presence in the Corn Belt of combine-mounted yield monitors generating yield maps, more producers are asking questions like when do spatial yield differences become important? and should I change my production practices because of observed yield differences ? This study examined variations in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] yields over time. Yields were monitored from four continuous corn plots, four continuous soybean plots, and eight corn-soybean rotation plots over a 10-yr period from 1986 through 1995 at two Minnesota locations and one Wisconsin location. At each location, all plots were on a similar soil type in a uniform 2-acre field. Plot size was at least 450 sq ft. At each location, each of the four continuous corn plots and each of the four continuous soybean plots produced the highest yield compared with the other three plots at least once during the 10 yr. In any single year for both continuous corn and continuous soybean, a yield range among the four plots at each location of more than 25% occurred in one-fourth of the growing seasons studied. When averaged over 10 yr, however, the yield range among the four continuous corn plots and among the four continuous soybean plots at each location was less than 10%, and in five of six cases yield differences among the four plots were not significantly different. At each location, the yield range averaged at least 20 bu/acre for corn and 6 bu/acre for soybean. Yield variability among years was approximately three times greater for soybean and four times greater for corn than was variability among plots. Similar results were observed for the plots in the corn-soybean rotation. These results demonstrate a relatively high amount of inherent yield variability, and suggest producers should not change management practices to influence yields when small yield differences occur (areas yielding up to 20 to 25% less than the field average), unless the differences are shown to be consistent over years.
A simulation on the 2013 EU Regional Policy Outcome

The aim of this paper is to estimate the effects of EU regional policy with respect to economic convergence. In particular, I tried to “measure” the effect of EU regional policy on the per capita Gross Domestic Product by means of a simulation that starts from the GDP growth rate estimated by Eurostat concerning the 2006-2008 sample. The original point of my work consists in a way to consider separately GDP growth and Population growth. I acted as follows: first, I considered the estimated GDP growth rate in the sample 2006-2008 and I calculated the average rate; second, I calculated the average population growth rate in the sample 1998-2003 and, finally, I used the two rate to forecast the GDP per capita in the 2013. The idea behind this technical procedure is that change in demographic variable have a stronger inertia than change in the economic variable. It is important to underline that the purpose of this paper is not to make a good forecast of the 2013 situation concerning the GDP per capita, but representing an optimistic frame that does not consider many theoretical factors that should worsen the whole economic performance. Despite the simplicity of the method adopted this framework may be very powerful. In fact it is able to analyse not only a ceteris paribus scenario, but also the effect of Public Policy eventually even year by year without complex assumption on such a rule that governs the two rate here considered. In this work I propose an analysis that may be thought as divided into two main parts. The first one with the aim to provide a synthesis of the main results achieved in literature about the economic convergence. In a second part, I provide a forecast based on empirical evidence. At margin note that the empirical evidence here considered is consistent with some assertion provided by literature.
Referee bias and its impact on low fans attendance at stadiums: standpoints from Ghana

This study delved into referee bias in football matches with the aim of determining its impact on fans attendance. The study reviewed relevant literature on referee bias and discovered that in most cases, related works dwelt on existence of referee bias and its impact on match outcomes using time added on, yellow and red cards. This work adopted a quantitative approach and collected relevant data from 100 participants drawn from football parks and stadiums during football activities. Data was analyzed and represented in diagrams with further analysis conducted using odds-ratio test of Chi-squared tests, Likelihood Ratio and Linear – bylinear Association statistical independence to determine linkages between referee bias on match outcomes and low fan attendance. We found that football fans believe referee bias is widespread in Ghana and referees professionalism leaves much to be desired. We recommend that referees should be trained and retrained to improve their professional judgment ant their reward system should be improved to fortify that against inducements fro club officials.
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 results: weak lensing shape catalogues

We present two galaxy shape catalogues from the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 data set, covering 1500 deg2 with a median redshift of 0.59. The catalogues cover two main fields: Stripe 82, and an area overlapping the South Pole Telescope survey region. We describe our data analysis process and in particular our shape measurement using two independent shear measurement pipelines, METACALIBRATION and IM3SHAPE. The METACALIBRATION catalogue uses a Gaussian model with an innovative internal calibration scheme, and was applied to riz bands, yielding 34.8M objects. The IM3SHAPE catalogue uses amaximum-likelihood bulge/disc model calibrated using simulations, and was applied to r-band data, yielding 21.9M objects. Both catalogues pass a suite of null tests that demonstrate their fitness for use in weak lensing science. We estimate the 1σ uncertainties in multiplicative shear calibration to be 0.013 and 0.025 for the METACALIBRATION and IM3SHAPE catalogues, respectively.