Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade Wars and Trade Deals: Estimated Effects Using a Multi-Sector Model

This paper studies the potential long-term effects of three illustrative scenarios using a multi-sector computable general equilibrium (CGE) trade model calibrated to 165 countries. The first scenario estimates effects from potential U.S. auto tariffs. The second analyzes a ‘transactional deal’ between the U.S. and China to close their bilateral deficit. The third, in the absence of such a deal, considers a potential escalation in bilateral tariffs between the two countries. Some common features emerge across all three scenarios: the overall effects on GDP tend to be relatively small albeit negative in most cases, including for the U.S. However, sectoral disruptions and positive and negative spillovers to highly exposed ‘by-stander’ economies can be large. There is also heterogeneity at the subnational level in the U.S. -- richer states tend to benefit from certain scenarios. We discuss how estimated impacts depend on the extent to which the U.S. is able to re-shore production in protected sectors. These results can usefully complement estimates obtained through macroeconomic models that are better suited to capture dynamic effects, such as those stemming from trade policy uncertainty. More generally, our results both underscore the value of adhering to the existing levels of liberalization, and highlight the risks associated with a fragmentation or even a complete breakdown of the trading system.
Identifying monetary policy rules in South Africa with inflation expectations and unemployment

This paper investigates whether a Taylor rule accurately describes the South African Reserve Bankâ€™s reaction function in setting interest rates using quarterly data, covering the period since inflation targeting was formally adopted in 2000. The classic Taylor rule is modified to determine whether the South African Reserve Bank takes into account inflation expectations and labour market conditions.Our findings indicate that a modified Taylor rule does describe the South African Reserve Bankâ€™s policy rate adjustments. Our estimates of the modified rule yield two significant findings: the South African Reserve Bankâ€™s policy rate decisions respond to expected inflation (rather than current inflation), and its relationship to real economy fluctuations is evident in measures of labour market conditions rather than output gap variables.We conclude that under inflation targeting, South Africaâ€™s monetary policy has had a forward-looking inflation target that is pursued flexibly in the light of labour market conditions.
A Framework for Description and Measurement of National Scientific Wealth with a Case Study on Iran

A sustainable development in science, innovation, and technology requires a balanced distribution of scientific wealth in sub-country regions. This paper addresses the issue of geographical distribution of scientific wealth and its goal is to offer a framework to describe and measure the share of provinces in national scientific wealth. Our proposed model divides the indicators of scientific wealth into two groups, production and the use of scientific wealth. To evaluate this model, the scientific wealth of Iran was studied using recorded data on IRANDOC databases. Rich, average, and poor provinces were identified and the results showed that 70% of the scientific wealth belongs to 20% of the provinces. The findings can facilitate planning for a sustainable science and technology policy.
Proceedings of the Joint Conferences on New Methods in Language Processing and Computational Natural Language Learning

Natural Language Processing is increasingly moving away from the idea of handcoding grammars and systems, and the NeMLaP series of conferences has encouraged the exploration of new approaches to all aspects of the field. The techniques NeMLaP portrays tend to move away from the symbolic toward the connectionist and the statistical, and often have a learning flavour about them. The ACL Special Interest Group on Natural Language Learning last year initiated the CoNLL series which focus specifically on Learning, so it is highly appropriate that the two conferences, originally scheduled for two different cities in Australia, should be held jointly to maximize the interaction between the two groups.
Employing marketing mix to increase the efficiency of CRM within organic products marketers in Jordan

Marketing mix appeared to be one of the most influential approaches on the marketing plans in the organizations. The current study seeks to examine the influence of marketing mix (4Ps – promotion, price, place and product) on the efficiency of CRM (responsiveness, empathy, customer relations, assurance and reliability) within the organic products market in Jordan. The researcher employed the quantitative approach through distributing a questionnaire on total of 37 individuals who were involved in the marketing field of organic products. The results of the study indicated that marketing mix appeared to have an influence of the efficiency of CRM practices within the marketing of organic goods in Jordan. The most influential variable appeared to be the price, which is considered to be high for organic product in Jordan, and that is why customer tend to avoid such product. Following the price came the variable of product, which was important as customers tend to give much emphasis on the specifications of the product and the fact that it is healthy and organic tends to appeal them regardless of the price. The study recommended increasing the level of awareness regarding organic products marketing strategies among the marketing managers in Jordan.
Essays on the Thai Economy

In this chapter, I use a synthetic control analysis to examine the economic cost of the insurgency in Southern Thailand. I employ the Thai Socio-Economic Survey to construct panel data at the provincial level. The results show that households in the affected provinces had real expenditure per capita lower than its predicted level by about an average of 16.21 percent per year. For the heterogeneity analysis, the result indicates that the effect of the insurgency had a significant impact on urban households but not on rural households. Additionally, the insurgency effect was more intense for households with young household heads.
Attaining standards in technology education in Nigeria universities through effective utilization of physical facilities

Technical Education programmes at university level involve an effective interaction among the lecturer, the student and the environment. The environment which includes the physical facilities enables the lecturer to attain cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domain objectives. These traits could only be attained if the lecturer adopts instructional approaches that effectively associate with the use of physical facilities. However, doubts have been raised over the adequacy and effective utilization of physical facilities for the attainment of these educational objectives. This study therefore was designed to determine the level of availability of physical facilities, their utilization and what instructional approaches, given available physical facilities, would be suitable for the attainment of educational objectives in the programmes of Technical Education. To carry out the study, three hypotheses were formulated. An instrument containing 213 items was developed and used to obtain data from a population of 40 lecturers in three universities offering Technical Education programmes in Edo and Delta states of Nigeria. Frequency count, mean, percentage and National Universities Commission standard requirements were used to answer hypothses 1&2, while the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in testing hypotheses 3, at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed among other things that physical facilities are inadequately provided for instructional purposes as only 22 physical facility items (24%) out of the 161 presented in the list were found in adequate quantity in these universities. Physical facilities were also rarely utilized as only 77, representing 48% of the 161 physical facility items were often utilized for instructional purpose. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for universities to provide and effectively utilize physical facilities, as well as adopt the listed instructional approaches for the attainment of the domains of educational objectives. Suggestions were also made for further studies on the utilization of physical facilities for the attainment of education objectives. Key words: Standard attainment, technology education, facility utilization.
Forensic Economic Examination as a Means of Investigation and Counteraction of Economic Crimes in East Europe (example of Ukraine)

The countries of Eastern Europe, in their quest for European and global space, must carry out a great work on the unshadowing of economy. Today, Ukraine is a prime example of such work, using one of the most effective tools economic expertise’s. The purpose of this study is to analyze the essence of economic expertise, its practical significance both for investigation and for counteracting economic crimes. Ukraine’s experience should be a qualitative example for Eastern European countries that are striving to counteract economic crime and the shadow economy.
A Modern History of Fiscal Prudence and Profligacy Prepared by Paolo Mauro, Rafael Romeu, Ariel Binder, Asad Zaman 1

We draw on a newly collected historical dataset of fiscal variables for a large panel of countries— to our knowledge, the most comprehensive database currently available—to gauge the degree of fiscal prudence or profligacy for each country over the past several decades. Specifically, our dataset consists of fiscal revenues, primary expenditures, the interest bill (and thus both the primary and the overall fiscal deficit), the government debt, and gross domestic product, for 55 countries for up to two hundred years. For the first time, a large cross country historical data set covers both fiscal stocks and flows. Using Bohn’s (1998) approach and other tests for fiscal sustainability, we document how the degree of prudence or profligacy varies significantly over time within individual countries. We find that such variation is driven in part by unexpected changes in potential economic growth and sovereign borrowing costs.
Corporate Social Responsibility: An Umbrella or a Puddle on a Rainy Day? Evidence Surrounding Corporate Financial Misconduct

We examine the way a fraudulent firm's pre‐ and post‐misconduct corporate social responsibility engagement is associated with its stock performance to investigate the reputational role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the short term, firms with good CSR performance suffer smaller market penalties upon the revelation of financial wrongdoing, supporting the buffer effect, as opposed to the backfire effect, of a good social image. We also find that the misbehaving firms’ post‐misconduct CSR efforts are negatively associated with delisting probabilities, and positively with stock returns. These findings support the argument that increasing post‐crisis CSR engagement can be an effective remedy for a damaged reputation.
Lexical Density Of Reading MaterialIn English Textbooks For The Tenth Graders:Interlanguage And Pathway To English

Textbook is one of many sources in teaching English. This research deals with the lexical density in reading material of English textbook formed of genre. Lexical density is measurement the proportion of content words in sentences or text as a percentage of the total number of words. The statement of the problems of the research are how is the lexical density in the reading passages measured in English textbook for the tenth graders: Interlanguage (School-Based Curriculum) and Pathway to English (Curriculum 2013)? ; and what is the lexical density in the reading passage compared in English textbook for the tenth graders: Interlanguage (School-Based Curriculum) and Pathway to English (Curriculum 2013)? The objective of the research are to measure the lexical density in the reading passage found in English textbook for the tenth graders: Interlanguage (School-Based Curriculum) and Pathway to English (Curriculum 2013) and to compare the lexical density in the reading passage found in English textbook for the tenth graders: Interlanguage (School-Based Curriculum) and Pathway to English (Curriculum 2013). This research is descriptive qualitative. The data is lexical density in the reading material focus in the genre inside Interlanguage and Pathway to English textbook. Whereas, the data source in this research is the reading material focus in genre found in English textbooks for the tenth grades: Interlanguage and Pathway to English. The result of this research showed that Interlanguage and Pathway to English textbook are not too diificult to read and understand by the students. It can be seen that almost all of the texts of Interlanguage and Pathway to English textbook have medium lexical density. The lowest lexical density in Interlangage textbook found in a text entitle “Swimming” with 43.1% and the highest found in a text entitle “Sambal Ikan Ibis” with 63.6%. Whereas the lowest lexical density in Pathway to English textbook found in a text entitle “The Green Knight” with 41% and the highest found in a text entitle “Semarang” with 59.8%. The comparison of lexical density of reading material in Interlanguage and Pathway to English textbook showed that Pathway to English textbook is easier to read and understand by the students because the average of lexical density of texts in Pathway to English textbook is 50.3%, while the average of lexical density of texts in Interlanguage textbook is 52.01% The writer suggests that this research can be used for the textbook writer to know more about lexical density in a text to give the student (reader) understand about the text its self; can be used to be a reference for the further researcher when conducting the same field of research; can give the teacher chances to decide in changing the appropriate ways and sources in teaching reading material.
Factors Influencing Online Purchase Intention among University Students

This study focused, through multiple regressions, on the factors that influence online purchase intention among Malaysian university students. The primary data collection method utilises a questionnaire that was developed and distributed based on a systematic sample of 400 students in a higher educational institution in Malaysia. The findings were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (AMOS) to test the hypotheses. According to the study’s results, perceived benefits and perceived ease of use may act as complete mediators since the direct effect of past experience on online purchase intention is no longer significant after the mediators enter the model. This result indicates that past experience affects on perceived benefits and perceived ease of use while these perceptions affects online purchase intention. It was thus recommended that online retailers should maximize their efforts in reinforcing their relationship with the customers including to constantly engage with those that are online.
Job Attitude and Employee Performance: An Empirical Study of Non-Academic Staff of Bauchi State University Gadau Nigeria

Getting the best out of an employee has always been a major challenge an employer face in today’s competitive environment. These might be however, connected to the fact that an employee is most dynamic and unpredictable aspect of business resources. It has therefore become imperative for organisations to realise the significance of an employee and also the device strategic means through which an employee can be influenced in order to develop positive job attitudes that can lead to higher performance. Hence, the study aims to examine the relationship between job attitude and employee performance by using the non-academic staff of Bauchi State University Gadau as unit of analysis. An aggregate of two hundred and seventy questionnaires were distributed non- academic staff of BASUG based on systematic random sampling and data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The outcome of the analysis shows that there is positive and significant relationship between job attitude and employee performance. Also, the study is limited due to the fact that it adopts only two variables and concentrate in one institution only. Thepaper recommends that employers should prioritise important motivational factors that will bring about positive job attitude so as to achieve highest performance level of an employee. Furthermore, the study will serve as a policy guide to the management of the Nigerian Universities in areas relating to employee performance improvement through job attitude and it will also further make an impetus the field of organisational behaviour and human resource management.
Mining Entry Gates for Points of Interest

In this paper, we propose two algorithms for identifying entry gates for Points of Interest (PoIs) using polygon representations of the PoIs (PoI polygons) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) trajectories of the Delivery Partners (DPs) obtained from their smartphones in the context of online food delivery platforms. PoIs include residential complexes, office complexes, and educational institutes where customers can order from. Identifying entry gates of PoIs helps avoid delivery hassles by routing the DPs to the nearest entry gates for customers within the PoIs. The DPs mark 'reached' on their smartphone applications when they reach the entry gate or the parking spot of the PoI. However, it is not possible to ensure compliance, and the 'reached' locations are dispersed throughout the PoI. The first algorithm is based on density-based clustering of GPS traces where the DPs mark 'reached'. The clusters that overlap with the PoI polygon as measured by a metric that we propose, namely Cluster Fraction in Polygon (CFIP), are declared as entry gate clusters. The second algorithm obtains the entry gate clusters as density-based clustering of intersections of GPS trajectories of the DPs with the PoI polygon edges. The entry gates are obtained as median centroids of the entry gate clusters for both the algorithms which are then snapped to the nearest polygon edge in the case of the first algorithm. We evaluate the algorithms for a few thousand PoIs across 9 large cities in India using appropriately defined precision and recall metrics. For single-gate PoIs, we obtain a mean precision of 84%, a mean recall of 77%, and an average haversine distance error of 14.7 meters for the first algorithm. For the second algorithm, the mean precision is the same as the first algorithm while the recall obtained is 78% and the average haversine distance error is 14.3 meters. The algorithmically identified gates were evaluated by manual validation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published work with metrics that solves for a ''last-last mile" entity of digital maps for India, i.e., the entry gates.
Epidemiology, prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in farm animals and farm workers in the Central Region of Ghana

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important microorganisms which has increasingly become resistant to most commonly used antimicrobials. This research investigated the epidemiology, nasal carriage prevalence and the antibiotic susceptibility profile of MRSA among farm animals and farm workers in the Central Region of Ghana. A total of 396 nasal swabs were collected from farm animals (94.9%) and farm workers (5.1%). Antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out on Mueller Hinton agar using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Epidemiological risk factors were assessed using pre-designed questionnaires. Results showed that the overall prevalence of MRSA in the Central Region of Ghana was 49.2% (195/396). Pigs recorded the highest nasal carriage prevalence of 50.2% (157/313) followed by sheep 45.1% (23/51), goats 50% (6/12) and humans 45% (9/20). MRSA isolates were 100% susceptible to both Vancomycin and Augmentin. Epidemiological risks factors for nasal colonisation of farm workers in this study were: direct contact with pigs (p=0.000), last period of antibiotic administration (p=0.020), and the type of apparels worn (nose mask (p=0.000), and gloves (p=0.020)). Epidemiological risk factors for nasal colonisation of farm animals in this study were: the type of antibiotic administered (p=0.000) and the last period for antibiotic administration (p=0.000). Phenotypic detection of MRSA and their resistance to the tested antibiotics should be a cause of alarm in the Central Region of Ghana. Key words: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, prevalence, nasal carriage, epidemiology, farm animals, workers.
A New Ultra Lightweight Encryption Design for Security at Node Level

This paper proposes a new lightweight cipher VAYU. VAYU has a balanced Feistel structure. VAYU cipher supports 64 bit plaintext and 128/80 bit key length and it has a total of 31 rounds. It needs only 1290 GEs for 128 bit key length. It also results in minimal memory size as compared to all other existing lightweight ciphers. This paper discusses the security analysis of VAYU cipher design which is adequate against linear and differential cryptanalysis, Biclique attack, zero correlation attack, algebraic attack. VAYU cipher design will be best suitable for applications like IoT, smart Wireless Sensor networks. VAYU cipher uses two F-functions with substitution box, which results in a high diffusion mechanism.
Perturbation Effect: A Metric to Counter Misleading Validation of Feature Attribution

This paper provides evidence indicating that the most commonly used metric for validating feature attribution methods in eXplainable AI (XAI) is misleading when applied to time series data. To evaluate whether an XAI method attributes importance to relevant features, these are systematically perturbed while measuring the impact on the performance of the classifier. The assumption is that a drastic performance reduction with increasing perturbation of relevant features indicates that these are indeed relevant. We demonstrate empirically that this assumption is incomplete without considering low relevance features in the used metrics. We introduce a novel metric, the Perturbation Effect Size, and demonstrate how it complements existing metrics to offer a more faithful assessment of importance attribution. Finally, we contribute a comprehensive evaluation of attribution methods on time series data, considering the influence of perturbation methods and region size selection.
10. From helicopter parenting to co-piloting:
Models for regulating video gaming among immigrant youth in Norway

How do immigrant youth with non-western backgrounds in Norway and their families approach and negotiate video game regulation? This is the central question this chapter explores with the aim to establish sources of conflict and models for conflict resolution from a family perspective. The data collected through qualitative methods and analyzed through “discourse theory”, indicate that the most harmonious models are those that engender dialogue, trust and the participation of both parties. C. A. DRALEGA, G. SEDDIGHI, H. G. CORNELIUSSEN AND L. PRØITZ | MODELLER. FJORDANTOLOGIEN 2019 224