Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PPP hypothesis in the US/China relationship. Fractional integration, time variation and data frequency

This paper deals with the analysis of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis in China by means of fractional integration or I(d) techniques. Using real exchange rates data between the Chinese Yuan and the US dollar, the results indicate that the estimated integration order d is generally larger than 1, which means that the PPP hypothesis in China does not hold in the long run over the sample period 1994M01 to 2010M11. Moreover, to check the stability of d across the sample period, we re-estimate it recursively over different subsample periods with 5-year and 10-year data frequencies respectively. The recursive estimated results show that after the structural change at the beginning of the sample period, the fractional differencing parameter d remains stable and generally larger than 1.
The importance of specific human capital, planning and familiarity in Dutch small firm ownership transfers : a seller’s perspective

This study focuses on the transfer process and the importance of human capital and succession planning as firm resource from the seller's perspective. It further differentiates amongst two types of human capital – specific and generic – to predict the transfer duration, obtained price and satisfaction with the transfer. A representative dataset of 112 Dutch small firm owners, who sold their firm in 2005 and 2006, is analysed. Hierarchical multiple regressions show that specific human capital, like flexibility, social skills and market awareness predict transfer performance better than generic human capital like general education. Results also indicate that succession planning in business transfers is unrelated to the objective transfer performance indicators transfer duration and obtained price. Succession planning is strongly related to the subjective transfer performance indicator satisfaction. Results also show that familiarity between seller and buyer rather than kinship or family ties is a key predictor for all transfer performance indicators.
Série des Documents de Travail n ° 2012-05 High Dimensional Matrix Estimation with Unknown Variance of the Noise O . KLOPP

We propose a new pivotal method for estimating highdimensional matrices. Assume that we observe a small set of entries or linear combinations of entries of an unknown matrix A0 corrupted by noise. We propose a new method for estimating A0 which does not rely on the knowledge or an estimation of the standard deviation of the noise σ. Our estimator achieves, up to a logarithmic factor, optimal rates of convergence under the Frobenius risk and, thus, has the same prediction performance as previously proposed estimators which rely on the knowledge of σ. Our method is based on the solution of a convex optimization problem which makes it computationally attractive.
Discovery of an extremely gas-rich dwarf triplet near the center of the Lynx-Cancer void

Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI observations, done as part of an ongoing study of dwarf galaxies in the Lynx-Cancer void, resulted in the discovery of a triplet of extremely gas rich galaxies located near the centre of the void.The triplet members SDSS J0723+3621, J0723+3622 and J0723+3624 have absolute magnitudes M_B of -14.2, -11.9 and -9.7 and M(HI)/L_B of \sim 2.9, ~10 and ~25, respectively. The gas mass fractions, as derived from the SDSS photometry and the GMRT data are 0.93, 0.997, 0.997 respectively. The faintest member of this triplet SDSS J0723+3624 is one of the most gas rich galaxies known. We find that all three galaxies deviate significantly from the Tully-Fisher relation, but follow the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. All three galaxies also have a baryon fraction that is significantly smaller than the cosmic baryon fraction. For the largest galaxy in the triplet, this is in contradiction to numerical simulations. The discovery of this very unique dwarf triplet lends support to the idea that the void environment is conducive to the formation of galaxies with unusual properties. These observations also provide further motivation to do deep searches of voids for a "hidden" very gas-rich galaxy population with M_B > -11.
DE-Otsu Method to Eliminate Ice Load Effect

The ice causes additional burden on Electric Transmission Line (ETL) conductor, and it is called as ice load. Tension of ETL can be increase due to ice load. If tension of ETL increases extremely, conductor breakage or bending of power pole can be shown, and electric energy of some consumers may be cut several days. Therefore, ice load must be urgently eliminated, but primarily ice thickness of ice load must be determined. Monitoring of ETL can be made to prevent effect of ice load. When multilevel threshold image segmentation is used as ice monitor method, ice thickness of ETL can be determined accurately. In this study, Otsu method can be used as multilevel threshold method but finding of optimum threshold levels with Otsu method is difficult. Therefore differential evolution algorithm (DE) was used to find optimum threshold level, and maximum threshold number were selected as 8 levels.
A Review of Model-Based Predictive Control and its Applications

In technologies including power semiconductors, converter topologies, automatic control, analog and digital electronics, technical development has been achieved and industrial applications are influenced and driven by the evolution of power electronics and its control. The important reason is that, although Model-based Predictive Control (MPC) presents high computational load, it can handle multivariable cases, system constraints and nonlinearities easily in a very intuitive way. Taking advantage of these factors, model-based predictive control has been successfully employed for diverse uses such as in power converters, active front end connected to RL loads, uninterruptible supplies of power and high performance drive for induction machines. In this review, a brief summary of the new developments and recent trends in the MPC theoretical study area and applications are given. It points out that the MPC study for large scale systems, quick dynamic systems, less cost systems and nonlinear systems will be important for the further growth of MPC theory and broadening of MPC application fields. In short, this paper delivers a review of the model-based predictive control and its applications focussing on power electronics and drives.
Social Media Success for Academic Knowledge Sharing in Indonesia (Conceptual Model Development)

The aim of this study is to investigate how success is the social media as a tool for knowledge sharing among scholars in Indonesia. To evaluate the success of social media we develop a model base on Delone and McLeane IS Success Model. In this article, we would like discuss the process of developing the research model. In developing the model, we conduct literature review from knowledge management, social media and IS Success Model area from previous study. This study resulted in the social success model for academic knowledge sharing in Indonesia.
Perspectives in small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide with a 5 year survival rate at 7%. An estimated 1.6 million new lung cancers are diagnosed worldwide each year. The development of lung cancer has multiple steps, involving proliferation, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis occurring in a span of years and resulting from exposure to tobacco and other carcinogens. In the last 15 years the landscape of molecular genetics of small cell lung cancer has been clarified. As we are entering the era of genomic profiling, there have been some notable discoveries in terms of profiling and researching targeted therapies. A framework for translating the most promising discoveries into clinical trials and, ultimately clinical practice must be our goal.
Reduction of Iliac Crest Height Difference After Intervention with the Krullaards Perfect Reset Treatment Plate in Patients with Chronic Non- Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Nonspecific low back pain is the most common disease in the Netherlands and has a prevalence of over 2.500. 000 patients. The last decade, vibration plates are evaluated as influencing muscle tuning and soft tissues of the lumbar spine. The Krullaards Perfect Reset (KPR) plate as treatment plate with vibration function has not been investigated yet.Objective: To evaluate if an intervention with the Krullaards Perfect Reset treatment plate (KPR) could decrease iliac crest height difference, as measured using a PALM meter, to a difference smaller than 0.5 centimeters in patients with nonspecific low back pain.Study design: Double-blind randomized controlled trialMethods: 26 participants with a non-specific low back pain history were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. Following pre-treatment measurements of anatomic leg length difference (LLD), clinical LLD, iliac crest height and pelvic torsion, participants had to step onto the KPR or a placebo plate. After treatment measurements on clinical LLD, iliac crest height and pelvic torsion were repeated.Results: Significant results were found for changes in iliac crest height difference after treatment with the KPR vibration plate (0.4 centimetres) and control group comparison (0.7 centimetres), p=0.02. In addition, a large effect size of 0.85 was seen in favour of the intervention group. No significant results were found for changes in clinical LLD and pelvic torsion.Conclusion: This proof of concept study demonstrates a decrease of iliac crest height difference, as measured using a PALM meter, to a difference smaller than 0.5 centimeters in patients with nonspecific low back pain using the KPR treatment plate based on the novel concept of combining vibrations and movement to influence pelvic muscle tuning
Regional Distribution of Malaria in Ekiti State , Nigeria

The impacts of fluctuations in weather and climate on malaria prevalence under a future climate change have been an issue of major interest because the disease is a public health problem. Thus, this study investigates the impacts of rainfall on the regional variations of malaria in Ekiti State, Nigeria using 2001-2011 data. The data are for the Central, Eastern, Northern, Western and Southern parts of Ekiti State which are represented by Ado, Ekiti East, Oye, Ekiti South West and Ijero LGAs respectively based on the available data. The results indicate that the total infections over the study period in Ado, Ekiti East, Oye, Ekiti South West and Ijero LGAs are 207033, 67890, 80827, 55986 and 87521 cases respectively. The malaria disease is most rampant among the youths in all the LGAs while the observed cases within the female populations are also slightly higher than the mean infections in the male group. Similarly, an increase in rainfall intensity will lead to corresponding rise in the malaria cases while the spread of the disease seems to also depend on population distribution with the highest seen in the highly populated Ado LGA and among the youths that has the most population in the age groups. However, the disease could be reduced through improved personal hygiene, good drainage system, sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets, spraying of insecticides and access to good and affordable medical services. These findings might be used in establishing good immunization system for the vulnerable children and other age groups so as to curb the spread of the disease.
Qualité des eaux de ruissellement urbaines

These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 1789 (1998) Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-1789Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2005-03-16, modified on 2016-08-08
Vadose Zone Transport Field Study: Status Report

Studies were initiated at the Hanford Site to evaluate the process controlling the transport of fluids in the vadose zone and to develop a reliable database upon which vadose-zone transport models can be calibrated. These models are needed to evaluate contaminant migration through the vadose zone to underlying groundwaters at Hanford. A study site that had previously been extensively characterized using geophysical monitoring techniques was selected in the 200 E Area. Techniques used previously included neutron probe for water content, spectral gamma logging for radionuclide tracers, and gamma scattering for wet bulk density. Building on the characterization efforts of the past 20 years, the site was instrumented to facilitate the comparison of nine vadose-zone characterization methods: advanced tensiometers, neutron probe, electrical resistance tomography (ERT), high-resolution resistivity (HRR), electromagnetic induction imaging (EMI), cross-borehole radar, and cross-borehole seismic.
Health Effects on Women from Systematic and Organized Violence in the Middle East: How Humanitarian Organizations ca

Altruism, service and giving back are emphasized frequently in the United States today. One such way to participate is to donate money, resources or time to humanitarian aid organizations who can effectively utilize those resources to help those in need. However, humanitarian aid organizations and the general public are often only aware of general medical needs of the targeted population without much knowledge on gender specific health problems that arose from pre-existing patriarchal social structures (Mazurana, 2013). Systematic and intimate violence targeting women is one way patriarchal structures are maintained, particularly in the Middle East. These forms of violence often cause many health complications in women that are unaddressed by both healthcare institutions of those countries and by humanitarian aid organizations. The purpose of my thesis project is to bring awareness of these unaddressed health complications women face in the Middle East as well as propose some ideas of how to address them to both humanitarian aid organizations and to the general public, who donate to these organizations. I will accomplish this by composing a scholarly literature review of how violence effects women’s health and what humanitarian aid organizations can do to treat these complications with the resources they have. 5
New Exact solution for the (2+1)-dimensional Dispersive Long Wave

Abstract: First Integral method obtains some exact solution of non-integrable equations as well as integrable ones. This article is concerned with First Integral method for solving the solution of dispersive long wave system. It is worth mentioning that this method is based on the theory of commutative algebra in which division theorem is of concern. To recapitulate, this investigation has resulted in two exact soliton solutions of the given system. In addition, some figures of partial solutions are provided for direct-viewing analysis. The method can also be extended to other types of nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics. Keywords : First Integral method; Exact solution; Dispersive long wave (2+1)-dimensional
Water Relations, Growth, and Yield of Processing Tomatoes Under Partial Rootzone Drying

ABSTRACT Water for irrigation is limited worldwide. Therefore water saving practices will have to be adopted. This experiment was carried out to compare deficit irrigation (DI) with partial rootzone drying (PRD) for their effects on the processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. Petopride. The treatments were: full watering of both sides of the root system (RS) at each irrigation as control (C), half of irrigation water in C divided equally to both sides of the RS with each watering (DI), and half of irrigation water in C given only to one side of the RS with each irrigation (PRD). Photosynthetic rate, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and leaf water potential were measured on five occasions, and were found to be the same among treatments. Total fruit fresh mass was lower in DI and PRD than in C, but total fruit dry mass was the same among treatments. Irrigation use efficiency was higher in DI and PRD than in C. Vegetative fresh mass was not affected by treatment. However, compared with C plants, vegetative dry mass was higher in DI and PRD plants. Percentage of dry mass allocated into roots was the same among treatments, but a higher allocation was into stems and leaves in DI and PRD plants than in C plants. This was the opposite for the fruit. Total fruit fresh mass was affected by the quantity of irrigation water applied, but not by the volume of soil wetted. Both DI and PRD treatments were found to be feasible water-saving practices for ‘Petopride’.
Establishing a new UK finance escalator for innovative SMEs: the roles of the Enterprise Capital Funds and Angel Co-Investment Fund

This paper examines UK public policy addressing the seed and early stage equity finance gap since the global financial crisis (GFC). Drawing on lessons learned from recent studies of UK and international government equity schemes, two contemporary models of government-backed equity finance are examined. The focus is on the Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) and the Angel Co-Investment Fund (ACF), the UK government's main schemes operating in the sub-£2m equity finance gap to address the capital requirements for developing the UK's young, potential high growth businesses. The paper highlights the shortcomings of traditional interim fund performance analysis and presents current demand and supply side evidence that establishes that these schemes are making attributable impacts on their portfolio businesses and the wider UK economy. It also demonstrates that they are playing important roles in the establishment of a new post-GFC UK finance escalator. However, whilst these schemes were found to be currently complementary and effective, their future roles within the UK's evolving post-GFC seed and early stage equity markets are also considered.
ENGLISHES: INDONESIAN EFL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION

Since English is used as a lingua franca, the growth of English users is getting bigger. The tremendous growth of English users has generated variety of English, i.e. Englishes. Such variety could affect EFL pedagogy. This paper, then, explores EFL teachers’ perception on Englishes. By employing a survey study, it is found that EFL teachers agree that it is useful for both English teachers and students to know the variety of English. However, in the teaching practice, they prefer to integrate it to other language skills and language components rather than teaching it in isolation. Besides, adopting exonormative norm, i.e. American English or British English is still used in the common teaching practice. (113) Sejak Bahasa Inggris digunakan sebagai lingua franca, pengguna bahasa Inggris semakin berkembang pesat. Perkembangan pengguna bahasa inggris tersebut telah menyebabkan variasi dalam bahasa Inggris, yaitu Englishes. Artikel ini menjelaskan tentang persepsi guru bahasa Inggris terhadap variasi tersebut. Dengan menggunakan metode survei, disimpulkan bahwa guru-guru EFL setuju bahwa pengetahuan akan Englishes sangatlah penting dimiliki baik oleh guru maupun siswa. Namun, mereka lebih menyukai jika pengajaran Englishes diintegrasikan dengan keterampilan bahasa dan komponen bahasa daripada harus mengajarkannya secara terpisah. Selain itu, menggunakan aturan exonormative, yaitu American English and British English masih tetap digunakan dalam praktik mengajar. (92)
Work schedule infl uence on sleep habits in elementary and high school teachers according to chronotype

Th e infl uence of work schedule on sleep habits and quality, and daytime sleepiness according to individual preferences in sleep schedules was assessed in 131 elementary and high school teachers through questionnaires. Teachers who initiate classes around 7:00 hr wake up earlier and show more frequency of poor sleep quality than those who start classes in the afternoon. Between them, those who have a preference for intermediate or later hours for sleep are more irregular in their wake up schedules and increase their sleep duration on the weekend compared to those with earlier sleep preferences. On the other hand, working only in the afternoon seems to provide better sleep/awake conditions for teachers, because they keep the same sleep duration during the week and on the weekend, and they are diagnosed with less daytime sleepiness. Th erefore, the discussion of school start times, originally proposed for adolescents, needs to be magnifi ed to teachers, contributing to improvement of sleep habits and life quality in school environments.
HyFinBall: A Two-Handed, Hybrid 2D/3D Desktop VR Interface for Visualization

Abstract : This paper presents the concept, working prototype and design space of a two-handed, hybrid spatial user interface for desktop VR targeted at users where a minimally immersive, desktop VR system is appropriate. The user interface supports dual button balls (6DOF isotonic controllers with multiple buttons) which automatically switch between 6DOF mode (xyz + roll,pitch,yaw), and planar-3DOF mode (xy + yaw) upon contacting the desktop. The mode switch automatically switches a button ball s visual representation between a 3D cursor and a mouse-like 2D cursor while also switching the available user interaction techniques (ITs) between 3D and 2D IT s. Further, the small form factor of the button ball allows the user to engage in 2D multi-touch or 3D gestures without releasing and re-acquiring the device. We call the device and hybrid interface the HyFinBall interface which is an abbreviation for Hybrid Finger Ball. We describe the user interface (hardware and software), the design space, as well as preliminary results of a formal user study. This is done in the context of a rich, visual analytics interface containing coordinated views with 2D and 3D visualizations and interactions.
The Effectiveness of Problem - Solving Skills Training In The Light of Meichenbaum’s Cognitive - Behavioral Method:The Case of Male Students’ Adjustment to Boarding and Ordinary Schools

The aim of the present study is to compare the effect of problem solving skills training on high school students’ adjustment in boarding and ordinary schools. Boy students studying at boarding and ordinary high schools in Bakharz County make up the population of the study (N=1112). First, two boarding and two ordinary schools were randomly chosen; cluster random sampling was also used to determine a sample of students from the schools (N=291) based on the Krejcie and Morgan’s Table (1970) to answer to the Adjustment Inventory for School Students (AISS) proposed by Sinha and Singh (1993). Second, 30 students from boarding schools and 30 ones from ordinary schools with the highest adjustment score were chosen and then randomly divided into two experiment groups (i.e. boarding and ordinary) and two control groups (each group, N = 15). Afterwards, the experiment group received problem solving skills training based on Meichenbaum’s (2007) method for 8 sessions while the control groups received no training. At the post-test stage, the scores of the four groups were measured again with the same inventory. Results showed that problem solving training based on Meichenbaum’s method helps improve the general adjustment along with social, emotional, and educational aspects of adjustment. Meanwhile, no difference was found between the effect of the training on the students’ general, social, and educational adjustment in the boarding and ordinary schools, whereas there was a significant difference in terms of the emotional adjustment between the boarding and ordinary schools.