Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deciding to Recharge

I would like to thank my Director, Donald R. Davis, and the members of my Committee for their guidance, encouragement, and faith, and Katharine Jacobs, Director of the Tucson Active Management Area, Department of Water Resources, for providing me with the opportunity to observe water resource policy making first hand. I must also thank Eric J. Eden for his advice and assistance on things great and small.
Business Networks in Clusters and Industrial Districts. The governance of the global Value chain

Part 1: The business model of industrial districts and clusters in the knowledge-based view and in the social network analysis perspective 1. The international fragmentation of the industrial districts value chain between relocation and global integration Fiorenza Belussi and Alessia Sammarra 2. Situated business networks facing globalisation: a critical assessment Fiorenza Belussi and Silvia Sedita 3. Boundary spanning strategies of industrial districts: the impact of absorptive capacity Tine Aage Part 2: Industrial districts and clusters in the global value chains. A taxonomical exercise on the path-dependent avenue of Marshallian/Satellite/Evolutionary/Science districts 4. Industrial districts and clusters in the global value chain: the cases of Saonara, Pistoia and Boskoop Fiorenza Belussi and Silvia Rita Sedita 6. The evolution of the Montebelluna sportswear district through knowledge creation, ICT adoption, and international commercial nets Fiorenza Belussi 7. A "low road" to competitiveness in the global apparel industry: the case of the Vibrata Valley district Alessia Sammarra 8. From proximity advantages to organisational advantages through the global extension of an industrial district: the case of the footwear district of Verona Fiorenza Belussi 9. Facing globalisation through inward and outward investments and international research collaboration: evidence from the biomedical district of Mirandola Fiorenza Belussi and Alessia Sammarra 10. Moving immigrants into western industrial districts: the "inverse" delocalisation of the leather tanning district of Arzignano Fiorenza Belussi and Silvia Rita Sedita 11. The clustering R&D through the institutional mechanisms in the Paris Region Najoua Boufaden, Sofiene Lourimi and Andre Torre 12. Transferring entrepreneurialship: the making of the cluster of Timisoara Fiorenza Belussi 13. How deeply embedded is the "footwear agglomeration" in Timisoara? Simona Montagnana 14. The Evolution of External Linkages and Relational Density in the Tuscan Leather Industry Lorenzo Bacci and Mauro Lombardi and Sandrine Labory 15. Local development and innovation policies in China: the experience of Guangdong specialised towns Annalisa Caloffi 16. Industrial Clusters in the Brazilian Ceramic Tile Industry and the New Challenges of the Competition in the Global Value Chain Renato Garcia and Gabriela Scur 17. The localisation of multinationals in Italian clusters between Marshallian and urban externalities Nicoletta Tessieri
Implementing Beyond Budgeting: Unlocking the Performance Potential

Chapter One. The Problems with Traditional Management. Introduction. Which Way in a New Business Environment? The Trust Problem. The Cost Management Problem. The Target Setting and Evaluation Problem. The Bonus Problem. The Rhythm Problem. The Quality Problem. The Efficiency Problem. Chapter Two. Beyond Budgeting. The Beyond Budgeting Roundtable. The Beyond Budgeting concept. The Handelsbanken case. Chapter Three. The Borealis Case. Introduction. The Creation of Borealis. The Journey Begins. The Borealis Model. Implementation Experiences and Lessons Learned. Borealis Today. Chapter Four. The Statoil Case. Introduction. Creating the Foundation. Starting Out. The Statoil Model. The Scorecard Pitfalls. Joint Venture Budgets. What is Next? How Are We Doing? Chapter Five. Making the Change - Implementation Advice. Creating the Case for Change. Handling Resistance. Design to "80%" and Jump. Involve HR. A Pull-based and Company-owned Implementation. One War but a Thousand Battles. Don't Become a Fundamentalist. Closing Remarks.
Survival of the Smartest: Managing Information for Rapid Action and World-Class Performance

The Quick and the Dead. INFORMATION AGE PRINCIPLES. Information Awareness. Decision Architecture. Internal Knowledge Dissemination. Organizational Focus. Information Age Business Networks. COMPANY CASE STUDIES: GETTING SMARTER. Turbo-Charging The HP Way. Acer's Roller-Coaster into the Information Age. British Petroleum: From Tanker to Speedboat. YOUR TURN. Modex: An IQ Turnaround. Next Steps. Appendix. Notes. Index.
Evaluation of performance of a smartphone application for measuring bike paths’ condition

There are several methods to measure surface evenness for car roads, but almost none for bike paths. Accordingly, VTI (the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute) have created a smartphone application which uses the accelerometers in the phone to measure the vibration from the road. This report’s aim is to analyze the data collected using this application, investigate if the data is repeatable, to find factors that are important for evenness and perform classification of bike paths as even or wiggly.Two main methods were used, Gaussian process and wavelets. Gaussian process was used to classify bike paths and wavelets to investigate the repeatability and see how many trips are needed to get a consistent result.The results show that the two different smartphones gave quite different results; one smartphone indicated almost twice as high RMS values (measure of vibration) than the other. The GPS positions of smartphones were quite good, except under a tunnel and close to high buildings. Some short section of the road gave very high or very low RMS values, but the general standard of all investigated bike paths were too even to detect any significant differences between the paths. The results show that there’s some unexplained variance in the turns, but the effect of the turns hasn’t been tested. The wavelets analysis show that around 15 trips were needed to get a consistent result.The report contains a description of a designed experiment that will continue this project. This new data will be collected in a more carefully to make a better separation between good and bad cycle routes by the RMS value.
'De Huysbou' : a reconstruction of an unfinished treatise on architecture, town planning and civil engineering

Simon Steven (1548-1620) was one of the leading scholars of his day. As a scientist and engineer, he carved a career for himself in the breakaway Dutch Republic of the Northern Low Countries, developing theoretical innovations in mathematics and physics as well as practical innovations in civil engineering and military technology. Less well known is the project that Stevin worked on during the last twenty years of his life, a treatise on architecture and town planning. The earliest mention of De Huysbou occurs in the first volume of Steven's work on mathematics and other natural sciences, Wisconstighe Ghedachtenissen ('Mathematical Memoirs), published in 1605 This book deals with Stevin's unfinished, and until now only partly revealed architectural treatise. A first attempt has made to recreate the envisaged De Huysbou as accurately as possible. De Huysbou will shed new light on the Dutch contribution to European architectural theory from the seventeenth century onwards, and in addition provide rich new source material for the history of science.
Principles of Contaminant Hydrogeology

"Principles of Contaminant Hydrogeology" presents a practical approach to completing contaminant hydrogeologic investigations by stressing the basics of collecting data that can withstand regulatory scrutiny and get your client to remediation. The book takes you step by step through the different parts of an investigation and is based on "real world" problems, including client-consultant-regulator interaction, budgets, ethics, and data extrapolation for solving problems. Concepts such as field logistics, drilling techniques, sampling protocols, contaminant movement, and remediation are introduced. Regulatory personnel; hydrogeological consultants; drilling contractors, remediation contractors; university instructors teaching geology, engineering, or chemistry courses; and students will benefit from the wealth of information the book provides.
Investigating benefits of current focusing on complex pitch perception in cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are a recognised treatment for severe and profound hearing losses, and can greatly improve speech discrimination in a quiet listening environment. However, poor specificity of neural excitation resulting from wide current spread within the cochlea leads to inadequate complex pitch perception, affecting speech discrimination in noisy environments and music perception. Tripolar is a stimulation mode with a greater degree of current focusing than the monopolar mode currently used in the clinic. The overall aim of the experiments in this thesis was to evaluate the potential of tripolar stimulation mode to improve complex pitch perception compared to monopolar stimulation mode in a group of Advanced Bionics cochlear implant listeners.First, the place specificity of tripolar and monopolar stimulation was compared using a psychophysical forward masking task with a dual-electrode masking stimulus to limit off-site listening. An overall improvement in the place specificity of tripolar compared to monopolar stimulation indicated that current focusing may provide more independent transmission of temporal information from different electrode places. This conclusion was unaffected by the degree of residual masking which, although measurable, was similar in both modes. Second, the effect of current focusing on delivery of independent temporal patterns was evaluated, specifically whether transmission of fine temporal information about interpulse intervals was improved using tripolar over monopolar stimulation. No advantage was found for current focusing in the delivery of temporal patterns on either a single electrode site, or across-electrodes. Third, the effect of mode on complex pitch perception was investigated by comparing a tripolar with a monopolar listening program. Results showed no improvement in pitch ranking ability from current focusing using sung vowel stimuli, and further suggested that a cue related to the centroid of excitation was providing a stronger cue to pitch than the temporal modulations available in both modes in this group. In conclusion, tripolar stimulation, on average, improved place specificity using forward masking, but not temporal cues to pitch using the methods chosen to evaluate this. Furthermore, current focusing did not improve the ability to rank sung vowels based on pitch over monopolar mode. Current focusing, therefore, was not found to enhance perception of complex harmonic pitch in this group. However, a degree of inter-participant variability in amount of benefit from current focusing observed in this series of experiments suggests that it may be useful for some cochlear implant listeners if a predictive measure of benefit were developed.
Microwave aquametry : electromagnetic wave interaction with water-containing materials

The first book to address all theoretical and practical aspects of electromagnetic wave interaction with water and moist materials, this unique book features 29 full-length, peer-reviewed papers prepared by 69 of the world's experts in aquametry for a key Workshop held in conjunction with the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, 1993. Collectively, the papers illustrate the physical background of microwave techniques used for moisture content determination, present stimulating examples of applications of microwaves for nondestructive and accurate measurements, and demonstrate successful implementation of techniques in a variety of industries.
CAE

In 2006 the Chilean government implemented a new higher education credit system, the State Guaranteed Credit (CAE). This credit is, to date, the most important funding program for higher education in Chile due to its wide eligibility conditions. In this paper we estimate a structural model of sequential decisions of higher education jointly with a wage model in order to evaluate the impact of the CAE on dropouts and the effects on labor market performance of its beneficiaries. Our model allows for heterogeneity in observables and unobservables (Heckman et al. (2006)) and controls for selectivity. The data combine different sources of information, including individual data from standardized tests scores (PSU), higher education enrollment and unemployment insurance system (UI) data. The results show the important role of individual abilities on educational choices. Individuals with higher abilities tend to enroll in universities and also to not to drop out (sorting on ability). We show that credit access influences on the probability of dropping out. Specifically, our results suggest that the CAE has a positive impact on reducing higher education dropout from higher education, where the program reduces the first year dropout rates by 8% for students enrolled in universities and 32% for those enrolled in Centers of Technical Formation (CFT) or in Professional Institutes (IP). We also find that the CAE is more effective in reducing the probability of dropping out for low-skilled individuals from low-income families. However, our results also show that CAE beneficiaries have lower wages than those who are not beneficiaries (even after controlling for individual characteristics, quality measures of higher education institutions, ability, and selectivity bias). We attribute this to an incentive problem in the design of the CAE, which may lead to higher education institutions reducing educational quality of education.
Development of prediction schemes for real-time bus arrival information.

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are increasingly used in public transport systems in order to provide real-time information (RTI) to passengers and operators. In particular, the RTI related to the prediction of remaining time until the arrival of the next vehicle is the most commonly provisioned information and the main focus of research. A number of predictions methods have been proposed without clear evidence of their real-world applicability, mainly because of their highly computational complexity. Moreover new sources of information, which could be used in RTI generators, become available but they have not been utilized yet.This thesis formulates a widely used real-world RTI generation meth-od, which is based on the scheduled travel time. Then, the potential contribution of real-time public transport data to RTI generation is investigated. Furthermore, a method that considers both the recent downstream running time information as well as anticipated headways and their impact on downstream dwell times is proposed.The generated predictions have to be compared against empirical bus arrival data in order to analyse the performance of the different schemes. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data of the trunk bus network in Stockholm, were used for the evaluation of the proposed prediction schemes.The results illustrate the successful introduction of a robust methodology for bus arrival predictions, which outperforms the currently applied RTI generator. This methodology by integrating real-time public transport data is expected to reduce significantly passengers waiting time. In addition, the second proposed method provides a milestone for the incorporation of the dwell time component in the computation process of RTI.
PALAVRAS DE ABERTURA DO SEMINÁRIO INTERNACIONAL DE SEGURANÇA EM SISTEMAS TECNOLÓGICOS COMPLEXOS

Opening Speech to the International Seminar on Safety in Complex Technological Systems by Prof. Dr. Elon Fernando Ribeiro. It emphasizes the impact of technology on the contemporary society that does not respect either human or corporate needs, addressing all issues that arise from the relationship between people and technologies, suggesting a range of solutions to these problems. It highlights that technologies have become more and more complex, with ever faster renewal rates, requiring an awareness of the essentiality of the human factors in the design of technological systems. It finishes by making it clear that there is a need for reflection on the role of technology and how it can be creatively used for the welfare of mankind, besides analyzing the meaning of the terms human-technology and human-technological.
Ageing, aerobic capacity and insulin sensitivity in masters athletes: endurance and speed-power training benefits

Introduction. Aerobic capacity, insulin sensitivity and other cardiovascular and metabolic characteristics determine our health and quality of life. Masters athletes may be regarded as a model population for the assessment of the age-related functional decline, due to their chronic physical activity and lack of factors associated with secondary ageing. So far, ageing studies have concentrated on endurance-trained athletes. Masters speed-power athletes have not been the focus of attention as regards successful ageing and health. This review presents health outcomes in speed-power athletes (SP)with long-standing competitive sport participation compared to endurance-trained athletes (ER) and untrained subjects (UT). Results. SP show a lower level of maximal and submaximal aerobic capacity than ER, but significantly higher than UT. Insulin sensitivity and β-cell function in SP are relatively stable across a wide age range (20−90 years) and comparable to these parameters in ER, whereas in UT glucose metabolism visibly deteriorates with age. Some effects of speed-power training are more beneficial than endurance training. These are a slower rate of decline in aerobic capacity and some cardiorespiratory parameters, especially after the age of 50, and a more stable β-cell function. Moreover, masters printers have better neuromuscular function, higher bone mineral density and lean body/muscle mass than endurance athletes. At the same time, SP’s lipid profile is normal and the risk connected with overload of ligaments and tendons seems to be similar to that in ER. Long-term intensive endurance training, in turn, may induce deleterious changes in the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of some types of heart arrhythmias. Moreover, speed-power training may facilitate the adherence to physical activity. Conclusions. The “speed-power model” of lifelong physical activity should be considered an alternative proposal to support recommended levels of aerobic capacity, insulin sensitivity and other health characteristics with ageing
An audit of internal control over financial reporting that is integrated with an audit of financial statements

This letter provides the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) comments on the Auditing Standards Board’s (ASB) proposed Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS), entitled An Audit of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting That Is Integrated With an Audit of Financial Statements. We support ASB’s efforts to apply clarity drafting conventions to extant Attestation Standards (AT) section 501, An Examination of an Entity’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting That Is Integrated With an Audit of Its Financial Statements. Because examinations performed under extant AT section 501 are required to be integrated with audits of financial statements, we also support ASB’s decision to move the content of extant AT section 501 from the attestation standards into the auditing standards. We also encourage ASB to develop an attestation standard addressing examinations of internal control other than examinations of internal control over financial reporting that are integrated with audits of financial statements. We believe that developing such an attestation standard would be helpful to address examinations of internal control over operations, compliance, and other reporting, such as privacy or information security, as well as examinations of internal control over financial reporting that are not integrated with audits of financial statements (e.g., examinations of specific areas of internal control over financial reporting, such as monitoring controls, or examinations that do not satisfy the preconditions for an audit of internal control over financial reporting because the as of date specified in management’s assertion about internal control over financial reporting does not correspond to the balance sheet date).
Metrics for Operator Situation Awareness, Workload, and Performance in Automated Separation Assurance Systems

ii NASA STI Program…in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to the advancement of aeronautics and space science. The NASA scientific and technical information (STI) program plays a key part in helping NASA maintain this important role. The NASA STI program operates under the auspices of the Agency Chief Information Officer. It collects, organizes, provides for archiving, and disseminates NASA’s STI. The NASA STI program provides access to the NASA Aeronautics and Space Database and its public interface, the NASA Technical Report Server, thus providing one of the largest collections of aeronautical and space science STI in the world. Results are published in both non-NASA channels and by NASA in the NASA STI Report Series, which includes the following report types: • TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of completed research or a major significant phase of research that present the results of NASA Programs and include extensive data or theoretical analysis. Includes compilations of significant scientific and technical data and information deemed to be of continuing reference value. NASA counterpart of peer-reviewed formal professional papers but has less stringent limitations on manuscript length and extent of graphic presentations. • TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientific and technical findings that are preliminary or of specialized interest, e.g., quick release reports, working papers, and bibliographies that contain minimal annotation. Does not contain extensive analysis. • CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and technical findings by NASA-sponsored contractors and grantees. • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected papers from scientific and technical conferences, symposia, seminars, or other meetings sponsored or co-sponsored by NASA. • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, technical, or historical information from NASA programs, projects, and missions, often concerned with subjects having substantial public interest. • TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. English-language translations of foreign scientific and technical material pertinent to NASA’s mission. Specialized services also include creating custom thesauri, building customized databases, and organizing and publishing research results. For more information about the NASA STI program, see the following: • Access the NASA STI program home page at
Good-Enough Production: Selecting Easier Words Instead of More Accurate Ones

Dominant theories of language production suggest that word choice—lexical selection—is driven by alignment with the intended message: To talk about a young feline, we choose the most aligned word, kitten. Another factor that could shape lexical selection is word accessibility, or how easy it is to produce a given word (e.g., cat is more accessible than kitten). To test whether producers are also influenced by word accessibility, we designed an artificial lexicon containing high- and low-frequency words whose meanings correspond to compass directions. Participants in a communication game (total N = 181 adults) earned points by producing compass directions, which often required an implicit decision between a high- and low-frequency word. A trade-off was observed across four experiments; specifically, high-frequency words were produced even when less aligned with messages. These results suggest that implicit decisions between words are impacted by accessibility. Of all the times that people have produced cat, sometimes they likely meant kitten.