Empirical Evidence on Growth and Volatility

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between long-run economic growth and output volatility. There is an emerging theoretical literature on the topic which is inconclusive on the size and direction of the relationship. We analyze this relationship empirically for the time series experience of 21 OECD countries between the years 1961 and 2005. After applying a pooled OLS estimator and a series of robustness checks we conclude that there is strong empirical evidence for a positive relationship between output variability and economic growth.Growth, Volatility, Cycles, Innovation

Augmented reality usage for prototyping speed up

The first part of the article describes our approach for solution of this problem by means of Augmented Reality. The merging of the real world model and digital objects allows streamline the work with the model and speed up the whole production phase significantly. The main advantage of augmented reality is the possibility of direct manipulation with the scene using a portable digital camera. Also adding digital objects into the scene could be done using identification markers placed on the surface of the model. Therefore it is not necessary to work with special input devices and lose the contact with the real world model. Adjustments are done directly on the model. The key problem of outlined solution is the ability of identification of an object within the camera picture and its replacement with the digital object. The second part of the article is focused especially on the identification of exact position and orientation of the marker within the picture. The identification marker is generalized into the triple of points which represents a general plane in space. There is discussed the space identification of these points and the description of representation of their position and orientation be means of transformation matrix. This matrix is used for rendering of the graphical objects (e. g. in OpenGL and Direct3D).Comment: Keywords: augmented reality, prototyping, pose estimation, transformation matri

Design Proposal for 4-Cylinder Compression-Ignition Engine

Nowadays, most of the vehicles runs on Diesel engines. We do not use coal-powered steam engines any more. Rudolf Diesel played a vital role in the modern era of transportation by inventing Diesel engines. The need for even bigger and more powerful engines brings the designers of such machineries to a challenging time but with the help of the fast growing Software industry, the challenges for better and fast design concepts can help the designers in any step of the technologically advanced production. The main goal of the thesis is to get knowledge on how a four cylinder four stroke compression-ignition Diesel engines operates and how each components that fall under it plays an important role in complete working of the engine by taking into the consideration of all the necessary design steps needed, starting with the dimensioning, strength checks of the crank mechanisms, finishing with a 3D CAD model and creating an animation of the engine. As per the objective, a workout is done with a concept design of the 4-cylinder 4-stroke compression ignition engine with the displacement of 1600-2000 cm3 and DOHC valve train with 4 valves per cylinder. The project leader provides basic information about the design process and the engine. CAD software is used for generating engine components and complete assembly. Last but not the least a stress analysis of the selected components of analysis of the performance of the engine system is carried out.Nowadays, most of the vehicles runs on Diesel engines. We do not use coal-powered steam engines any more. Rudolf Diesel played a vital role in the modern era of transportation by inventing Diesel engines. The need for even bigger and more powerful engines brings the designers of such machineries to a challenging time but with the help of the fast growing Software industry, the challenges for better and fast design concepts can help the designers in any step of the technologically advanced production. The main goal of the thesis is to get knowledge on how a four cylinder four stroke compression-ignition Diesel engines operates and how each components that fall under it plays an important role in complete working of the engine by taking into the consideration of all the necessary design steps needed, starting with the dimensioning, strength checks of the crank mechanisms, finishing with a 3D CAD model and creating an animation of the engine. As per the objective, a workout is done with a concept design of the 4-cylinder 4-stroke compression ignition engine with the displacement of 1600-2000 cm3 and DOHC valve train with 4 valves per cylinder. The project leader provides basic information about the design process and the engine. CAD software is used for generating engine components and complete assembly. Last but not the least a stress analysis of the selected components of analysis of the performance of the engine system is carried out

Psychosis and Human Rights: Conflicts in Mental Health Policy and Practice

This paper examines conflicts in polices in England and Wales pertaining to the demand for alternative, non-medical crisis support for those experiencing ‘psychosis’. We examine the limitations of current treatment, policy and legislative frameworks in supporting these demands. In particular, we focus on the limitations of prevailing conceptualisations of ‘human rights’, ‘social inclusion’ and ‘recovery’. These concepts, we argue, are embedded within a broader treatment framework which renders medication as mandatory and all other treatment modalities as inherently subsidiary, and a broader policy framework which is complicit with bio-medical orthodoxies of ‘mental illness’ and prioritises treatment compliance and compulsion. Therefore, in order to advance a ‘human rights’ approach to mental health policy, we argue that reigning orthodoxies inherent within policy and practice must be explicitly challenged to open up spaces for the availability of alternatives

UbiBazaar: App Store for the Internet of Things

Recently the world witnesses the emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, as new commercial IoT products by both large tech companies and new startups are coming to market daily. The recent boom in hardware prototyping platforms such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi also contributes to the development in IoT field, as user innovators (such as Makers, tech enthusiasts and researchers) can build their IoT systems and prototypes easily and cheap. Despite the development efforts by the latter, we feel the user innovation in IoT has not reached its full potential. We believe that this is caused by the means the user innovators reach the end users. Our research shows that there is a lack of efficient and usable software distribution channels where user innovators could offer their software the the end users, share and collaborate with other innovators. This project proposes an app store for the Internet of Things, as a means of software distribution in IoT, a tool connecting user innovators to end users and other innovators. This proposed system should help the user innovators with distributing their app to the masses and the users to install the apps easily to their devices, just as easy as they are used to install apps on smartphones. In the scope of our project we performed surveys consisting of questionnaires and interviews with researchers and member of Maker communities, we analyzed those and derived requirements for our system based on the findings. Subsequently, we proposed an extensible architecture for the system to be built upon, created a paper prototype and evaluated it with a focus group and implemented a working software prototype than can be used to IoT apps to Raspberry Pi devices using Docker. Both the architecture and the prototype have been evaluated accordingly. The findings from the prestudy show a big variance between used IoT platforms and require the app store to support a multitude of different platforms and be extensible to support new platforms as they come to market. Other challenges found were relating to device configuration and context in which the devices are used. The projects is in the stage of a working prototype, however more work needs to be done before this can be launched as a product

Giles, The Confrontation Clause, and Inferred Intent: Do Abusers Forfeit Their Confrontation Rights by Engaging in Domestic Violence?

This Prosecuting those accused of domestic violence presents an array of challenges for prosecutors. These crimes are frequently a he-said, she-said situation with minimal physical evidence. This puts a heavy weight on victim testimony in order to obtain a conviction. Unfortunately, many victims refuse to testify at the outset, agree to testify then change their minds, or do not show up for the court date. Without that testimony, prosecutors will often drop the charges against an accused, possibly putting the victim at risk of another episode of violence. Justice Scalia opened the door to the possibility of a prosecutor being able to use out-of-court statements made by the victim, without the victim’ s testimony at trial. Such statements would typically be inadmissible hearsay, but in Giles v. California Justice Scalia stated that past episodes of domestic abuse could create a situation where a defendant has forfeited his right to confront the witness at trial. If a prosecutor can establish that the abuser has, by the very nature of the abuse, intended to keep the victim from cooperating with the investigation or prosecution, a forfeiture argument is possible. If granted, any and all relevant statements the abuser made to the victim could be used against him without requiring the victim to testify. The results would be more convictions and, more importantly, removing the victim from a dangerous situation