Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Economic and Financial Damage around Currency Peg Failures

The choice and structure of a country’s exchange rate regime has wide implications for the effectiveness and flexibility of monetary policy tools, as well as for economic and financial stability. We examine 21 instances where exchange rate pegs have been abandoned in the past, to gauge the potential economic damage associated with pegs failing. The sample includes major exchange rate shifts over the past thirty years, spanning from the Latin America currency crises of the 1990s to the peg abandonment in Egypt in 2016. Given the close interconnection of banks to the sovereign and the real economy, risks often flow through to, and can also be magnified by, the banking system. We therefore examine the interaction of currency peg abandonment with the occurrence of a banking crisis to investigate the different circumstances and impacts of exchange rate pegs failing. We have found that countries that simultaneously suffered a systemic banking crisis during the period of exchange rate regime shift also experienced significantly greater economic and financial damage following the adoption of a freely floating exchange rate. Nevertheless, regardless of whether there was a banking crisis, countries start showing signs of recovery after the same amount of time once the currency floated.
Biostatistics: A Foundation for Analysis in the Health Sciences

Introduction to Biostatistics Descriptive Statistics Some Basic Probability Concepts Probability Distributions Some Important Sampling Distributions Estimation Hypothesis Testing Analysis of Variance Simple Linear Regression and Correlation Multiple Regression and Correlation Regression Analysis - Some Additional Techniques The Chi-Square Distribution and the Analysis of Frequencies Nonparametric and Distribution-Free Statistics Vital Statistics.
Machine Translationness: a Concept for Machine Translation Evaluation and Detection

La tradautomaticitat es el fenomen linguistic que fa que les traduccions automatiques sonin a maquina. Aquesta tesi introdueix el concepte de tradautomaticitat com un objecte de recerca i presenta un metode d'avaluacio que consisteix en determinar si la traduccio es propia d'una maquina en comptes de determinar la seva semblanca amb una traduccio humana, com en els metodes d'avaluacio actuals. El metode avalua la qualitat d'una traduccio amb una metrica, la MTS (Machine Translationness Score). Aquesta metrica es consequent amb la percepcio de la tradautomaticitat de la gent corrent. La MTS correlaciona be amb les valoracions de qualitat dels avaluadors humans. A mes, la nostra proposta permet realitzar avaluacions de baix cost perque no necessiten de recursos que son cars d'obtenir (traduccions de referencia, corpus d'entrenament, etc.). El criteri de tradautomaticitat te aplicacions que van mes enlla de l'avaluacio de traduccions automatiques (deteccio de plagi, deteccio de publicacions no supervisades a Internet, etc.).
How to Write a Paper

There are two types of abstract. A two paragraph abstract will have a paragraph describing the relevance of the problem, the reason it is difficult, and the limitations of current solutions. The second paragraph describes the method and the results. It is appropriate to define the scope of your method in this second paragraph. For example your reflection rendering technique could support dynamic reflected objects but require the reflectors to not change. The second type of abstract has a single paragraph, namely the second paragraph of the two-paragraph abstract described above. The length of the abstract is usually regulated. The abstract is expected to be dense, so do not hesitate to start from something as long as twice the word limit and to condense it
Library instruction goes online: An inevitable trend

Purpose – To demonstrate how there is an irreversible momentum towards the adoption of online modes of delivery for library instruction, a process which will have distinctive benefits in the promotion of enhanced levels of information literacy (IL). Design/methodology/approach – The author uses case study and other literature, plus examples from personal professional practice to build an argument.Findings – The momentum towards “cyber‐delivery” is inevitable and is driven by a variety of factors, which can be understood as either external or intrinsic to the arena of IL. External factors include the pressure to find the most effective educational approaches to train students to use tools such as Google appropriately (virtual formats are best to deal with virtual challenges); intrinsic factors include the innate suitability of online IL for encouraging independent learning and student‐centred education.Research limitations/implications – The research technique consists of a dualistic analysis of dynamic fac.
Self-Similar Network Traffic and Performance Evaluation

Self-Similar Network Traffic: An Overview (K. Park & W. Willinger). Wavelets for the Analysis, Estimation, and Synthesis of Scaling Data (P. Abry, et al.). Simulations with Heavy-Tailed Workloads (M. Crovella & L. Lipsky). Queueing Behavior Under Fractional Brownian Traffic (I. Norros). Heavy Load Queueing Analysis with LRD On/Off Sources (F. Brichet, et al.). The Single Server Queue: Heavy Tails and Heavy Traffic (O. Boxma & J. Cohen). Fluid Queues, On/Off Processes, and Teletraffic Modeling with Highly Variable and Correlated Inputs (S. Resnick & G. Samorodnitsky). Bounds on the Buffer Occupancy Probability with Self-Similar Input Traffic (N. Likhanov). Buffer Asymptotics for M/G/ Input Processes (A. Makowski & M. Parulekar). Asymptotic Analysis of Queues with Subexponential Arrival Processes (P. Jelenkovi). Traffic and Queueing from an Unbounded Set of Independent Memoryless On/Off Sources (P. Jacquet). Long-Range Dependence and Queueing Effects for VBR Video (D. Heyman & T. Lakshman). Analysis of Transient Loss Performance Impact of Long-Range Dependence in Network Traffic (G.-L. Li & V. Li). The Protocol Stack and Its Modulating Effect on Self-Similar Traffic (K. Park, et al.). Characteristics of TCP Connection Arrivals (A. Feldmann). Engineering for Quality of Service (J. Roberts). Network Design and Control Using On/Off and Multilevel Source Traffic Models with Heavy-Tailed Distributions (N. Duffield & W. Whitt). Congestion Control for Self-Similar Network Traffic (T. Tuan & K. Park). Quality of Service Provisioning for Long-Range-Dependent Real-Time Traffic (A. Adas & A. Mukherjhee). Toward an Improved Understanding of Network Traffic Dynamics (R. Riedi & W. Willinger). Future Directions and Open Problems in Performance Evaluation and Control of Self-Similar Network Traffic (K. Park). Index.
Organization of Nursing work regarding the integration of family care for hospitalized children

Objetivo: discutir a organizacao do trabalho do tecnico de Enfermagem na interface com os cuidados dos familiares com a crianca hospitalizada e identificar sua percepcao acerca da insercao deste familiar no cuidado com essa crianca. Metodos: estudo descritivo-exploratorio com abordagem do tipo qualitativa, realizado em unidade de internacao pediatrica de um Hospital Universitario com seis tecnicos de Enfermagem, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Resultados: os profissionais perceberam a importância da presenca do familiar para recuperacao da crianca. No entanto, cuidados basicos, que antes eram desenvolvidos pela Enfermagem, acabaram delegados ao acompanhante, sendo o cuidado ao binomio crianca-familia esquecido pelo profissional. Conclusao: os tecnicos de Enfermagem reconhecem os beneficios e as dificuldades da presenca do acompanhante no entanto, percebe-se que houve falta de preparo dos profissionais, quando se considerou o binomio crianca-familia durante a internacao hospitalar.
The Effect of Hepatitis B Vaccination at Birth on Reducing the Prevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen among Rural Pregnant Women in Babol, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus infection is regarded as a major factor for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, worldwide. Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission). In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among rural pregnant women, who had received vaccination at birth, based on the national hepatitis B vaccination program, implemented in Iran in 1993. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on all rural women, born in years 1993-1999, who had received hepatitis B vaccination according to the national program and had become pregnant during 2007-2014. In order to diagnose the disease, the status of HBsAg marker was recorded and evaluated by reviewing the subjects' health records. FINDINGS: Among 1065 pregnant women, only 2(0.18%) cases were HBsAg-positive; The mother of one of these two cases was diagnosed with hepatitis B infection. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that the national vaccination program had a considerable impact on reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among women of reproductive age. Continuous vaccination of newborns and high-risk groups and screening programs for pregnant mothers should be also prioritized in the national program.
Efecto de la salinidad en el crecimiento de gliricidia sepium

En el noroeste de Venezuela, se estudio el efecto de la salinidad sobre el crecimiento de plantas de Gliricidia sepium cultivadas en macetas. Los tratamientos fueron cuatro concentraciones de salinidad ajustados a conductividades electricas de 0, 3, 6 y 9 mmho/cm. El diseno experimental que se utilizo fue un completamente al azar con seis repeticiones. Se realizaron evaluaciones de altura de plantas, rendimiento de materia seca, numero de nodulos y actividad fotosintetica. Los resultados mostraron una disminucion significativa (P
Smokeless tobacco products on the South African market do not inhibit oral bacterial flora:a pilot study

AbstractSmokeless tobacco (ST) is commonly used by black South African women because of its perceived medicina lproperties. This pilot study sought to evaluate the antibacterial effect of the local ST products on salivary microflora, using a growth medium. The five ST products tested included three traditional mixtures (brands A, B, C) and two popular industrially manufactured brands (Taxi and Ntsu). The following dilutions of supernatant solution of aqueous extracts of ST were prepared: ‘pure’ extract (100%), 75%, 50% and 25%. 50 μl of each ST extract of varying dilution was aseptically placed on sterilised grade 1 filter paper discs of diameterisc whichwasthenplacedontLsalivasuspensioninbloodagarplLs (BAPs) and incubated at 37°C aerobically and anaerobically for 72 hours. All BAPs, in duplicate, were then visually examined for inhibition zones after 24-, 48- and 72 hours. No bacteria linhibition zone was observed under aerobic oranaerobic conditions with any of the ST products tested, independent of tim.
Localisation and navigation : applying biological principles in mobile robotics

Recently, there has been a significant effort to apply behavioural and anatomical studies ofhippocampal place learning in rodents and other animals to the problem of robot localisation and mapping. The stated purpose of these recent experiments is twofold. Firstly, it is hoped that a study of this material will lead to improved algorithms for mobile robotics. Secondly, the behaviour of these new algorithms may be studied to evaluate psychological theories, and aid in the development of new theories. This thesis builds on these experiments by developing a complete localisation and navigational system for a simulated mobile robot. In order to provide a complete and efficient system, several new algorithms were developed. Firstly, a method for preprocessing input was required, thus the adaptive response function neuron (ARFN) was developed. This neuronal model is able to identify similar input patterns, while discriminating between conceptually different sensory experiences. ARFNs learn a locally tuned response to input patterns, and are able to adapt the centre, width and shape of each input's response function on-line. These cells demonstrate one simple way that neurons in the cerebral cortex may learn a locally tuned response to input. Secondly, a place cell system was developed for localisation. The new system provides a simple technique for establishing place cell firing based on odometric information and the current view (as captured by ARFNs). This system enables the robot's position to be accurately estimated, even in the presence of random and systematic odometric errors. The main advantage of the new system is that it allows certain topological assumptions to be made a priori, thus accelE;rating the training of downstream navigational systems. This prior knowledge may help explain the dead reckoning abilities of some animals and provides new insights into the place cell system in general. Finally, a novel reinforcement learning algorithm was developed for goal independent navigation in complex environments. The new algorithm, called Concurrent Q-Learning (CQL), learns a value function for all goals simultaneously, and updates this value function more efficiently than similar algorithms. This is particularly true in dynamic environments, where CQL is shown to outperform other reinforcement learning algorithms. Unlike CQL, alternative methods for achieving goal-independent navigation, such as coordinate learning, cannot easily be applied to complex environinents. Furthermore, the performance of CQL shows that coordinate learning is not necessary to solve behavioural tasks previously thought to require an abstract vector representation. While the focus of this research has been on spatial cognition, the hippocampus is also thought to be fundamental to other basic thought processes. Therefore, it is hoped that this research may stimulate further study not only into animal and robotic navigation, but also into biological and artificial intelligence in general.
The Medical Costs of the Young and Old: A Forty Year Perspective

In this paper, we examine the growth in medical care spending by age over the past 40 years. We show that between 1953 and 1987, medical spending increased disproportionately for infants, those under 1 year, and the elderly, those 65 and older. Annual spending growth for infants was 9.8 percent and growth for the elderly was 8.0 percent compared to 4.7 percent for people aged 1-64. Within the infant and the elderly population, excess spending growth was largely driven by more rapid growth of spending at the top of the medical spending distribution. Aggregate changes in outcomes for infants and the elderly are consistent with these changes in spending growth, but we do not present any causal evidence on this point.
Multimedia Systems, Standards and Networks

Communication standards - Gotterdammerung? ITU H H.323 and H. 324 standards H.263 (including H.263+) and other ITU-T video coding standards overview of the MPEG standards a review of MPEG-4 general audio coding synthetic audio and SNHC audio in MPEG-4 MPEG-4 visual standard overview MPEG-4 natural video coding - part 1 MPEG-4 natural video coding - part 2 MPEG-4 texture coding MPEG-4 synthetic video MPEG-4 systems - overview MPEG-4 systems - elementary stream management and delivery MPEG-4 scene representation and interactivity Java in MPEG-4 (MPEG-J) MPEG-4 players implementation multimedia transport in ATM networks delivery and control of MPEG-4 content over IP networks multimedia over wireless multimedia search and retrieval image retrieval in digital laboratories MPEG-7 status and directions.
A retrospective study of multiple sclerosis in Thailand

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Thai demyelinating diseases regarding demographic data, symptoms and signs, associated diseases, disease progression, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and imaging findings. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study of 107 MS patients attending the Neurological Centers in Thailand during June and December 2004 was performed. Each had an initial diagnosis of demyelinating diseases. Results: From 107 patients, there were 78.5% female and 21.5% male with the female: male ratio of 3.7:1. The age at onset was 32.7±11.5 years. The mean disease duration was 3.8±5.1 years and the mean number of relapses was 4.6±4.4 with annual relapse rate of 1.5±1.3 times. None reported a family history of MS. Recurrent optico-spinal form was 27.1% followed by 17.8% of spinal form and 15% of western form of MS. The most common presenting symptom was visual impairment (51.4%). Only 24.1% demonstrated oligoclonal bands in CSF. The median score of EDSS at their latest visits was 3.0 with mean score of 3.8±3.0. Conclusions: MS in Thailand is different from Western countries. There were no occurrence of MS in families, higher incidence of visual impairment at onset, more common recurrent optico-spinal form and lower incidence of oligoclonal bands in the CSF.
Prevalence of Shoulder Pain Among School Teachers of Lahore, Pakistan

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body. It performs movements in different directions and can easily be injured due to any repeated movements, participation in sports or any labor work. Shoulder pain is one of the most important complaint due to which teachers apply for retirement before time. The aim of the study was to determine frequency of shoulder pain in school teachers of Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: It was an observational study in which thousand school teachers were given self-administered Performa. Schools were selected randomly. The data analysis was done by using SPSS 21 version. Results: The prevalence of shoulder pain came out to be 306 (30.6%). The number of teachers teaching from five years was 577 (57.7%) and the mean age calculated was 30.86. Conclusion: This study concluded high prevalence of shoulder pain in school teachers.
Reflexivity and Intensification in English: A Study of Texts and Contexts

Present-Day English is unique among the Germanic languages in employing the same forms (himself, herself etc.) both as reflexive pronoun and intensifier. While a lot of attention has been directed at the grammaticalization of the compound reflexive, the emergence of the compound intensifier has remained largely mysterious. This study is a detailed investigation of the domains of reflexivity and intensification throughout the history of English. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the possible source contexts for Self-forms in Old and Middle English. Backed up with a wide range of data from early Middle English, the compound intensifier is traced to discourse-pragmatic motivations: expressive strategies linked to specific discourse traditions become rapidly grammaticalized once the former Old English standard gave way to large-scale variation in Middle English.
Stock Market Volatility Analysis using GARCH Family Models: Evidence from Zimbabwe Stock Exchange

Understanding the pattern of stock market volatility is important to investors as well as for investment policy. Volatility is directly associated with risks and returns, higher the volatility the more financial market is unstable. The volatility of the Zimbabwean stock market is modeled using monthly return series consisting of 109 observations from January 2010 to January 2019. ARCH effects test confirmed the use of GARCH family models. Symmetric and asymmetric models were used namely: GARCH(1,1), GARCH-M(1,1), IGARCH(1,1) and EGARCH(1,1). Post-estimation test for further ARCH effects were done for each model to confirm its efficiency for policy. EGARCH(1,1) turned to be the best model using both the AIC and SIC criterions; with the presence of asymmetry found to be significant. The study concludes that positive and negative shocks have different effects on the stock market returns series. Bad and good news will increase volatility of stock market returns in different magnitude. This simply imply that investors on the Zimbabwean stock exchange react differently to information depending be it positive or negative in making investment decisions.
The Chosen Fortunate in the Urbanization Process in China? Evidence from a Geographic Regression Discontinuity Study

After decades of delayed urbanization, since 1998, China has implemented the &#8220;county&#8208;to&#8208;district&#8221; policy to promote urbanization and stimulate regional economic development. This policy was designed to expand the urban area of large cities by merging counties (rural areas) with nearby cities (urban areas). Intuitively, these regions are the &#8220;chosen fortunate&#8221; since they are the privileged beneficiaries of this policy experiment. However,&#160;at the time of writing (2018), recent studies have been inconsistent regarding this issue, and several studies have revealed that this policy has impeded regional growth. Therefore, the true effect of this policy must be carefully examined. Using grid&#8208;level nighttime light data and a border&#8208;based regression discontinuity design framework, we find that the average effect of the &#8220;county&#8208;to&#8208;district&#8221; policy on nighttime light growth is significant and positive, and this result also coincides with the increase of entry and decrease of exit of manufacturing enterprises, and the increase of the county&#8208;level manufacturing employment. However, the policy effect on nighttime light turns to be negative in the long run, implying that short&#8208;term economic growth may outweigh the long&#8208;term economic growth potential. A further investigation of the underlying mechanism indicates that industrial enterprises in the experimental policy area do not perform better in terms of total factor productivity (TFP) and profit margin than their counterparts. Moreover, this policy aggravates the polarization between central and border areas.
The study of clinical application of DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy on colon cancer

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect and variation of immune function of dendritic cell-cytokine induced killers(DC-CIK) combined with chemotherapy on colon cancer.Methods:A total of 40 patients with colon cancer were randomly divided into two groups: 20 in chemotherapy group,received chemotherapy alone(Oxaliplatin + CF + 5-FU). 20 in combined therapy group,received DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy(Oxaliplatin + CF + 5-FU). The local recurrence rates,survival rates,immune function and side effects were compared between the two groups.The percentases of T cell subsets were detected by flow cytometry,the level of cytokines was detected by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay(ELISA). Moreover,the safety of DC-CIK immunization therapy was assessed.Results:The local recurrence rate was 5% in chemotherapy group and 35% in combined therapy group(P0.05),whereas the 1,2-year survival rates of the two groups were showing no significant difference.After therapy in chemotherapy group,the percentage of CD8+ was higher,the ration of CD4+/CD8+was lower and the level of IL-6 was higher(P0.05);after therapy in combined therapy group,the percentage of CD4+,CD16+CD56+,the ration of CD4+/CD8+were higher,the percentage of CD4+CD25+was lower and the level of IFN-γ was higher(P0.05). The combined therapy group had less side effects(including gastrointestinal reaction and peripheral nerve toxicity) compared with the chemotherapy group(P0.05). In the course of DC-CIK cells feedback,obvious adverse reaction didn't appear.Conclusion:DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy in treatment of colon cancer is safe and effective,and it maybe depress the tumor recurrence and metastasis,improve the patients' immune function,reduce adverse effects and have higher security attributes.