Shooting two birds with two bullets: how to find Minimum Mean OSPA estimates

Most area-defense formulations follow from the assumption that threats must first be identified and then neutralized. This is reasonable, but inherent to it is a process of labeling: threat A must be identified and then threat B, and then action must be taken. This manuscript begins from the assumption that such labeling (A & B) is irrelevant. The problem naturally devolves to one of Random Finite Set (RFS) estimation: we show that by eschewing any concern of target label we relax the estimation procedure, and it is perhaps not surprising that by such a removal of constraint (of labeling) performance (in terms of localization) is enhanced. A suitable measure for the estimation of unlabeled objects is the Mean OSPA (MOSPA). We derive a general algorithm which provided the optimal estimator which minimize the MOSPA. We call such an estimator a Minimum MOSPA (MMOSPA) estimator

The Dilemmas of Tax Coordination in the Enlarged European Union

This study evaluates the economic effects of corporate tax coordination in the enlarged European Union using a computable general equilibrium model and a comprehensive set of scenarios for both a common corporate EU tax base and for full harmonisation of tax bases and tax rates. Our main findings are as follows: (i) Corporate tax coordination can yield modest aggregate welfare gains, but the details of the coordination policies determine outcomes and economic gains cannot be taken for granted. (ii) All scenarios for coordination leave some EU Member States as winners and others as losers. An agreement on tax coordination is therefore likely to require elaborate compen¬sation mechanisms. (iii) The large and diverse country effects suggest that Enhanced Cooperation for a subset of the Member States may be the most likely route towards tax coordination. Coordination among a subset of relatively homogenous Member States will lead to less radical policy changes, but also to smaller gains. (iv) Identifying winners and losers from coordination for the purpose of a compensation mechanism may be problematic, since countries experiencing gains in GDP and welfare tend to lose tax revenues, and vice versa.

Samspel i förändring – konsekvens av datorintegrerad undervisning?

Examensarbete inom lärarutbildningen Titel: Samspel i förändring - konsekvens av datorintegrerad undervisning? Författare: Pernilla Bodefjord & Peter Svensson Termin och år: Vårterminen 2008 Kursansvarig institution: Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi Handledare: Ylva Hård Af Segerstad Examinator: Hans Rystedt Rapportnummer:2008:022 Nyckelord: Bergsjön, one-to-one, Maine, datorintegrerad undervisning, Mac, samarbete, samspel, handledare, rollförskjutning Syfte De senaste åren har utvecklingen i västvärlden lett till ett allt mer datoriserat samhälle. Skolan är dock en arena där förändringsfaktorn varit relativt låg. Undervisningen bedrivs allt som oftast på ett traditionellt vis, där pedagogen har ordet och eleverna är ”passiva mottagare”. Författarna till denna uppsats har därför funderingar på vad som händer när ny teknik gör sitt intåg i klassrummet. Huvudfråga Förändras det sociala samspelet mellan pedagog – elev och elev – elev när datorer integreras i undervisningen? Metod För att ta reda på ovan nämnda frågeställning krävdes flertalet metoder. Vi tog kontakt med Bergsjöskolan som strax innan vår kontakt hade tilldelat alla elever i år 6 varsin bärbar dator. I klassen gjorde vi observationer, både med och utan videokamera. Utöver observationerna intervjuades projektansvariga och pedagoger på Bergsjöskolan samt pedagoger på andra skolor som arbetat med liknande projekt. Utöver detta fick eleverna på Bergsjöskolan svara på en webbaserad enkät. Resultat Studien kom att visa att elevernas samarbete ökade. Samtidigt som pedagogen får en mer handledande roll i klassrummet. Detta stöds även av tidigare forskning. Betydelse för läraryrket I en framtid som säkerligen kommer att präglas av ett allt större användande av IKT, så bör en pedagog känna till följderna av datorintegrerad undervisning. Samtidigt kan denna uppsats ge inspiration för desamma. Lärmiljön förändras med datorintegrerad undervisning, eftersom pedagogers och elevers samspel blir annorlunda gentemot traditionell undervisning. Relevansen för pedagoger att läsa denna uppsats får därför anses vara hög

Temperature Control of an External Cleaning Unit

The thesis work was performed at Tetra Pak where a temperature control system for an external cleaning unit was designed. The external cleaning unit is responsible for the heating and supply of cleaning fluids for an aseptic packaging and filling machine. This thesis presents a least squares estimated model predictive controller that uses an ILC inspired algorithm to predict the process behavior. The control problem countered in this thesis is a long variable time delay combined with fast process dynamics and load disturbances. Development of the prediction model was done using Matlab and Simulink, with the ability to use logged process data from the process PLC system in Simulink for verification. The model equations describe the actual physical relations in the process and are easily modified giving the ability to model several different outputs and inputs to the process. These equations were used to predict the main process output in Simulink. In the control system, the equations were modified to calculate the correct control signal and acted as a feedforward. Since the processes varies between units, a least squares estimation program was used to calculate the matching feedforward model to that specific unit. To improve the performance of the feedforward, an ILC algorithm was used to predict the process behavior during large transients. The complete control system and least squares algorithm was implemented using structured text on a Rockwell Logix PLC controller

Corporate dreams – Appropriate aspirations and the building of trust in annual reports

This paper argues that the corporate annual report is not only a document comprising retrospective accounts of financial position and performance, but also a text that points to the future by means of presenting dreams, aspirations and fantasies. However, these dreams are not to be seen as irrational deviations from the rationalistically oriented discourse of accounting. Quite to the contrary, the three corporate dreams identified in this study – the colonial dream, the evolutionary dream and the efficiency dream – are part of the ongoing self-narration of the company, in which it tries to display an allegiance to a set of appropriate aspirations that are considered legitimate in contemporary global capitalism. Drawing upon ideas from narrative theory, annual reports from 2005 to 2010 collected from NASDAQ OMX Stockholm have been analyzed with the purpose of understanding how corporate dreams are used in financial communication. These corporate dreams contribute, the paper argues, to the construction of legitimacy and trust

К ПРОБЛЕМЕ НАУЧНОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ТРУДА ПЕДАГОГА

У статті розглянуті питання наукової організації праці педагога, особливості НОП в освітній діяльності, проблеми компетентності вчителі в умовах сучасної школи.The article deals with scientific organization of work of the teacher, especially under examination in educational activities, problems of competence of teachers in modern schools

Webtag: a new web tool providing tags/anchors for RT-PCR experiments with prokaryotes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Webtag is a tool providing oligonucleotide sequences (usually called tags or anchors) that are absent from a specified genome. These tags/anchors can be appended to gene specific primers for reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction experiments, circumventing genomic DNA contamination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The use of a relational database, in conjunction with a series of scripts written in PHP and Perl, allows the user to rapidly obtain tags that are: 1) suitable for a specific organism, and 2) compatible with other oligonucleotides to be used in the experimental procedures.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This new web tool allows scientists to easily and rapidly obtain suitable tags for RT-PCR experiments, and is available at <url>http://www.egs.uu.se/software/webtag/</url>.</p

Migrant Agricultural Workers and Their Socio-­‐economic, Occupational and Health Conditions– A Literature Review

Objective This study provides the summary of current knowledge about migrant work in agriculture available from journal articles, books, reports and other relevant academic publications, focusing on political, economic, legal, social and medical aspects of migrant work in agriculture. Methods A systematic search was carried out on the LibHub and Google Scholar databases in order to compile the existing peer-reviewed publications, research reports, and policy papers concerning migrant work in agriculture. The literatures was selected through the following process: (1) reading the title and abstract in English for the period 1960 – 2011; (2) reading the entire text of selected articles; (3) making a manual search of the relevant quotations in the selected articles; (4) eliminating articles without a focus on migrant populations and the themes of central interest, and then reading and analyzing the definitive set of articles. Results In spite of their varying geographical focus, scope, unit of analysis and settings, most of the studies reviewed highlighted that migrant farmworkers work under very poor working conditions and face numerous health and safety hazards, including occupational chemical and ergonomic exposures, various injuries and illnesses and even death, discrimination and social exclusion, poor pay and long working hours, and language and cultural barriers. Many studies also reported poor enforcement of labour regulations and a lack of health and safety training on the farms, difficulty accessing medical care and compensation when injured or ill. Conclusions The studies have also pointed out the lack of research in relation to labour, health, psychosocial, and wage conditions of migrant farmworkers. The accumulated results of the study indicate that the issues and problems migrant farmworkers face are multidimensional, and there is a need for both policy development and further research in order to address migrant workers’ problems