Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic Inflation Persistence in a Developing Country

This study estimates degree of intrinsic inflation persistence in Pakistan using aggregate price index, group level price indices, and individual commodity prices. We find no evidence of a unit root in (MoM) inflation at any level, except for house rent. Using monthly data from 1959 to 2011 we find that the estimate of (overall) inflation persistence is 0.16, which is low but significant. During 2001-2011 (overall) inflation persistence is insignificant. Food inflation does not exhibit any persistence during the last decade. However, the degree of persistence is very high (0.80) and significant for core inflation (NFNE), which weakens slightly (to 0.69) when we account for commodities price shock of 2008. At micro level, the estimated degree of inflation persistence for various groups is found to be relatively higher, in almost 60 percent of the cases, compared to corresponding degree of persistence at aggregate level. This may be because in micro analysis we consider only those commodities for which the estimated degree of inflation persistence is significant.
Power converter steady-state computation using the projected Lagrangian method

In this paper, a new computation technique is presented for determining the steady state solution of a switching network. This technique is based on the formulation of the steady-state conditions as a constrained optimization problem which is then solved by use of the projected Lagrangian method. A comparative analysis, validated by the steady-state simulation of various power converters (buck converter, multilevel converter, quasi-resonant converter, 3-phase inverter, series resonant converter), illustrates the efficiency of the projected Lagrangian method. The direct and fast computation of the steady-state operation, without any previous knowledge of the operating sequences, is a very efficient tool for the design and optimization of a power converter.
PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF TOXARIUM, A PENNATE‐LIKE LINEAGE WITHIN CENTRIC DIATOMS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) 1

The diatom genus Toxarium Bailey has been treated as a pennate because of its elongate shape and benthic lifestyle (it grows attached to solid substrata in the marine sublittoral). Yet its valve face lacks all structures that would ally it with the pennates, such as apical labiate processes, a midrib (sternum) subtending secondary ribs and rows of pores extending perpendicularly out from the midrib, or a raphe system. Instead, pores are scattered irregularly over the valve face and only form two distinct rows along the perimeter of the valve face. In our nuclear small subunit rDNA phylogenies, Toxarium groups with bi‐ and multipolar centrics, as sister to Lampriscus A. Schmidt. Thus, the genus acquired a pennate‐like shape and lifestyle independently from that of the true pennates. The two species known, T. hennedyanum Grunow and T. undulatum Bailey, differ only in a single feature: the valve perimeter of the former shows only a central expansion, whereas that of the latter possesses in addition a regular undulation. Yet both forms were observed in our monoclonal cultures, indicating that the two taxa represent extremes in a plasticity range. Toxarium resembles another elongate and supposedly araphid diatom, Ardissonea De Notaris, in being motile. Cells can move at speeds of up to 4 μm·s− 1 through secretion of mucilage from the cell poles or they remain stationary for longer periods, when they form short polysaccharide stalks. Division during longer periods of quiescence leads to the formation of small colonies of linked or radiating cells.
Measurement of the development of spatial ability by Mental Cutting Test

Spatial visualization of first-year engineering students has been evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the two semesters, which contain the essential Descriptive Geometry courses. The evaluation has been processed by Mental Cutting Test (MCT) which is one of the most widely used evaluation method for spatial abilities. In this paper we present an analysis of MCT results of the students, with special emphasis on gender differences. The development is found to be considerable while gender differences have became even more significant during this period.
Comparative Studies on the Ovipositional Behaviour of Hieroglyphus Species (Hemiacridinae: Acrididae: Orthoptera) from Pakistan

Observation on sexual reproductive activities of three grasshopper species Hieroglyphus perpolita, Hieroglyphus oryzivorus and Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus were made under laboratory conditions. Oviposition generally occurred during daytime: Females of H. perpolita, H. oryzivorus and H. nigrorepletus dig burrows of 8.4±0.92 cm (r=0.95), 7.4±0.95 cm (r=0.94) and 5.13±0.71 cm (r=0.97), respectively below the sand surface. The duration of pre-oviposition in isolated females was calculated as 8.86±3.0, 23.46±14.0 and 21.06±8.5 days for H. perpolita, H. oryzivorus and H. nigrorepletus, respectively. Females laid only one egg-pod in each oviposition. The average number of egg-pods laid by each female reared in isolated medium was 2.2±0.7 for H.perpolita, 3.26±1.12 H. oryzivorus and 3.6±1.40 for H.nigrorepletus compared with the females. When housed in crowded condition the females mostly laid significantly less number of egg-pod per female (1.58±0.7, 1.28±0.50 and 1.46±0.6 H. perpolita, H. oryzivorus and H. nigrorepletus, respectively). In addition to this, the average number of eggs per pod was significantly higher in the H. oryzivorus (35.65±14.64) followed by the H.perpolita (28.96±10.70). H. nigrorepletus, however, deposited significantly lesser number of eggs per pod (23.64±7.7). It was also found that the average number of eggs in respective pods gradually decreased with the increase in oviposition number.
Effects of workgroup identification on cooperative behaviour in construction projects

Research suggests that social identities and processes of identification are central to effective construction management practice. Yet, there is a paucity of construction management research that investigates the substantive relevance of social identification. To redress this gap, a superordinate multidimensional ‘cause’ model for workgroup identification (with three reflective dimensions: cognitive identification, pride, and respect) was tested for its effects on individuals’ in-role, extra-role, compliance, and deference behaviour. This was undertaken with a survey sample of 381 construction managers in the UK, and using maximum likelihood structural equation modelling. The results show that workgroup identification predicts all four dimensions of cooperation. The results also suggest that workgroup identification s better modelled as a superordinate construct than by its dimensions as a related bundle. Construction managers need to give serious construction to the management of processes of identification in the work place.
Integration of Work Tasks and Supply Chains in Wood Harvesting - Cost Savings or Complex Solutions?

Abstract The concept of integration is understood as a means for more cost effective solutions in the harvesting and transport of forest products. Harvesting of several assortments simultaneously or accomplishing several tasks at the same time and/or with a single machine are assumed to increase overall productivity. Integration of industrial roundwood and energy wood harvesting is an example, where a multitude of solutions based on integration have been proposed, introduced and tested. In some cases integration has given clear cost savings and simplified operations. There are, however, a large number of experiments, where integration has led to complex and expensive technological solutions, imbalance between machine elements or stages of the harvesting system and overall increase of expenses. In this paper, the concept of integration in wood harvesting in general and in thinnings, in particular, is described and discussed. A number of successful and unsuccessful integration cases are analysed. Finally, features of successful integration concepts are sketched.
Striking autapomorphic evolution in Physotheca J.J.Engel & Gradst. (Marchantiophyta: Lophocoleaceae) blurred its actual relationships with Leptoscyphus Mitt.

Abstract The taxonomic status and phylogenetic position of the monotypic liverwort genus Physotheca J.J.Engel & Gradst. , including P. autoica J.J.Engel & Gradst. endemic to Ecuador, are inferred from phylogenetic analyses of two cpDNA loci. The results indicate that the genus is nested within Leptoscyphus and the new combination, L. autoicus (J.J.Engel & Gradst.) Vanderp. & Gradst. , is made. This indicates, along with an increasing body of evidence, that extreme morphological transformations can obscure the phylogenetic signal present in morphological data.
Control modes and mechanisms in construction project teams: drivers and consequences

Control is purposive or goal directed, hence, there are underlying drivers and consequences of the exercise of control modes and mechanisms. In response to recent empirical findings that cast doubts on the empowerment–control incompatibility thesis, the broader question of whether control is predominantly ‘controlling’ or rather supportive in work environments is addressed. Drivers and consequences of control modes and mechanisms in five project teams involved in two ongoing construction projects in Hong Kong are explored. As an interpretive and exploratory study, a qualitative research design and the case study approach in particular was appropriate. Framework, category formation and cross‐case analysis techniques were employed to analyse data collected through documentary analysis, passive observations and semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews. The exercise of control is driven by a range of factors emanating from the individual‐, team‐, organization‐ and project‐level. Control modes and mechanisms also have performance‐related consequences for individuals, teams and organizations and are predominantly attributable to self‐based control mechanisms. Preliminary evidence of the important link between self‐control/empowerment and performance is therefore provided which is instructive for the performance improvement agenda in the construction industry.
The key to employability: developing a practical model of graduate employability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a straightforward, practical model of employability that will allow the concept to be explained easily and that can be used as a framework for working with students to develop their employability.Design/methodology/approach – The model was developed from existing research into employability issues and the experience of the authors. The various elements of employability included in the model are discussed and their inclusion justified on the basis of existing research.Findings – The model sets out exactly what is meant by employability, in clear and simple terms, and the model suggests directions for interaction between the various elements.Research limitations/implications – The relationships between and the interaction of the elements within the model remain theoretical. Further research to test the model is planned and will be reported on at a later date.Practical implications – The model can be used to explain the concept of employability to those new.
IFN-α5 Mediates Stronger Tyk2-Stat-Dependent Activation and Higher Expression of 2′,5′-Oligoadenylate Synthetase Than IFN-α2 in Liver Cells

Interferon-α5 (IFN-α5) is the main IFN-α subtype expressed in the liver. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with low IFN-α5 mRNA levels, possibly reflecting an escape mechanism of the virus. In this work, we sought to compare IFN-α2 and IFN-α5 with respect to activation of early cell signaling cascades and induction of antiviral genes in the human hepatoma HepG2 and Huh7 cell lines. We found that the Tyr701 phosphorylation kinetics of Stat1 mediated by IFN stimulation was higher when cells were incubated with IFN-α5 than when using IFN-α2. Similarly, Tyr1054/1055 phosphorylation kinetics of Tyk2 were more intense after exposure to IFN-α5 than when using IFN-α2. Concomitantly, Tyr705 phosphorylation of Stat3 was higher after stimulation with IFN-α5 than with IFN-α2. In parallel to these findings, the mRNA levels of the antiviral IFN-inducible gene 2′,5′-oligoadenylate synthetase were higher in cell samples treated with IFN-α5 than with IFN-α2. These findings suggest that interaction of IFN-α5 .
Anti-Trafficking Rhetoric and the Making of a Global Apartheid

This essay critically examines the historical and contemporary discursive practices of anti-trafficking campaigns. I argue that such campaigns within the global North, often led by feminists, constitute the moral reform arm of contemporary anti-immigrant politics that targets negatively racialized migrants. As in the past, current campaigns collude with a state-backed international security agenda aimed at criminalizing self-determined migrations of people who have ever-less access to legal channels of migration. I argue that only by recognizing the agency, however constrained, of illegalized migrants can we come to understand how processes of capitalist globalization and the consequent effects of dislocation and dispersal shape the mobility of illegalized migrants. Within the current global circuits of capital, goods, and people, I argue that along with a call to end practices of displacement, a demand to eliminate immigration controls is necessary if feminists are to act in solidarity with the dispossessed in their search for new livelihoods and homes.
A Tale of Two Kirzners: Time, Uncertainty, and the “Nature” of Opportunities

This paper discusses the influence of Israel Kirzner on the field of entrepreneurship research. We review Kirzner's work and argue that it contains two distinct approaches to entrepreneurship, termed Kirzner Mark I and Kirzner Mark II. Mark I with its focus on alertness and opportunity discovery has exerted a strong influence on entrepreneurship research in the last decade, and helped catapult the field forward. We propose that Mark II, with its emphasis on time, uncertainty, and creative action in pursuit of imagined opportunities, complements the discovery view and can provide an alternative conceptual grounding for the decade to come.
Investigating the overheating risk in refurbished social housing

Global average surface temperatures are predicted to rise from 1 to 5°C by 2100. Also, extreme events such as heat waves are expected to increase in intensity, frequency and duration. In most of Europe and other developed countries, existing buildings are projected to form from 70% to 80% of the built stock by 2050. Investigating the risk of overheating in the existing building stock is therefore crucial in order to adopt measures which can help to mitigate what it can be a lethal effect of global warming: prolonged exposure to high temperatures in buildings. By collecting measured data, this study investigates indoor temperatures and thermal comfort in bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms of 46 newly-retrofitted free-running social houses in Exeter, UK during the summer 2014. The overheating risk was evaluated using the CIBSE TM52 adaptive benchmark. It was seen evidence of 10 out of 86 rooms overheating in 9 dwellings. It was found that kitchens and bedrooms are the rooms with the greater overheating risk among the monitored spaces. It was also found that old and vulnerable occupants are at a higher risk of being exposed to high indoor temperatures due to fact that they spent most of their time indoor and also because of poor indoor ventilation.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) The role of OTX 2 in medulloblastoma

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The Comparative Effect of Portfolio Assessment and Peer-Assessment on EFL Learners' Critical Thinking and Speaking Achievement

This study compared the effects of portfolio assessment and peer-assessment on EFL learners’ critical thinking and speaking achievement. For this purpose, 32 EFL learners attending Diplomat Institute in Tehran were non-randomly selected based on their scores on PET. They were randomly assigned to two experimental groups of 16. The portfolio assessment group went through the procedure of creating portfolio based on Evaluation Portfolio Model recommended by Valencia and Calfee (1991). The peer-assessment group practiced peer-assessment according to Yamashiro and Johnson's (1997) Model. Finally, both experimental groups took a speaking test of PET and a critical thinking questionnaire as posttests. The data analysis using RM ANOVA revealed that both experimental groups had similarly a higher post-treatment level of critical thinking. The analysis of a Mann-Whitney U test on the gain scores revealed that the level of post-treatment speaking in the peer-assessment group was significantly higher compared to the portfolio assessment group.
Response of montane tall-forb communities to 2,4-D and mixtures of 2,4-D and picloram

Tall-forb communities occur an deep soils of the upper montane and subalpine zones of the Rocky Mountains and extend from southwestern Montana to southern Utah. In the Centennial Mountains of Montana, forbs comprise >80% of the annual yields, including 30-35% sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) and 20-25% Potentilla spp. Tall-forb communities are rich in species diversity and very productive, but many of the forbs are not palatable to grazing ungulates. Suppression of the less palatable species, like sticky geranium, would increase the forage value for grazing. In 1983 and 1984 adjacent plots were sprayed during weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 in July, with 2,4-D[(2,4 Dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, isooctyl ester] applied at 1.1 or 2.2 kg 2,4-D/ha or 2.2 kg 2,4-D/ha plus 0.6 kg/ha of the potassium salt of picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid). Forage yields were measured in August of 1984, 85, and 86. Total forage yields ranged from 2,700 to 3,000 kg/ha on the untreated areas. Forb yields were significantly reduced, especially by the 2,4-D + picloram treatment. Herbicide treatments applied during flower-stalk development to first flower of sticky geranium were most effective. Grass and sedge production partially compensated for reductions in forb yields. Interseeding of introduced species into herbicide treated plots in 1993 was unsuccessful. Forb and grass production is expected to return to levels similar to those on untreated areas after 5 years.
Distinguishing Reactive versus Reflective AutonomY

The present study distinguished reactive and reflective con- ceptions of autonomy. Following Henry Murray, personality theorists such as Gough and Heilbrun (1983) have emphasized the interpersonal and reactive as- pects of autonomy, defining it as an orientation to act independently of others. More recently, Deci and Ryan (1991) highlighted the intrapersonal and reflec- tive aspects of autonomy, describing it in terms of experiencing a sense of choicefulness about one's actions. Study 1 showed that measures derived from the two conceptions of autonomy are loosely related and that only reactive au- tonomy is associated with the Big Five trait factors of personality. Study 2 used an interval-contingent experience sampling methodology to show that reactive and reflective autonomy relate in different ways to daily affect and to the use of mood regulation strategies. Study 3 used an event-contingent experience sam- pling methodology to show that the social experiences associated with the two types of autonomy varied as a function of whether the interacdons involved peers or authority figures. Together, the studies demonstrate the importance of distinguishing reactive and reflective conceptions of autonomy.
Formulation and evaluation of irbesartan fast dissolving tablets

Solid dispersions of irbesartan with poly ethylene glycol (PEG‐6000) were prepared and further compressed as tablets by using superdisintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, sodium starch glycolate (SSG). The solid dispersions of irbesartan with PEG‐6000 at different ratios were prepared by physical mixing, solvent evaporation and kneading methods. The rapid release of poorly soluble irbesartan from solid dispersions was influenced by the proportion of polymer and the method employed for its preparation. Among the three methods employed kneading method was found to be suitable for improving the dissolution rate of irbesartan. The release was found to follow the first order kinetics.Solid dispersions prepared by the kneading method were further formulated into tablets with superdisintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, SSG. All the tablet preparations containing superdisintegrants were formed to release the drug in the order SSG > cross carmellose sodium > cross povidone. The dissolution rate of such tablet formulations were found to release the drug at a faster rate than the tablets prepared with plain drug.
Using a Multi-Criteria Decision Making Approach for Assessing the Factors Affecting Social Network Sites Intention to Use

Since the emergence of the first Social Networking Site (SNS) as a new means of communicating with other people, much research has attempted to identify empirically and theoretically the characteristics, history, and impact on human relationships of both Social Networking Sites and their users. Users’ reasons for joining to Social Networking Sites is one of the research gap in the users’ behaviour studies that their focus are on users’ participations in Social Networking Site . This research aims to explore the factors that affect the intention to use in Social Networking Sites. Thus, our work aims to contribute to the literature by investigating the influential factors that cause the users adopt a SNS. Accordingly, we apply a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, fuzzy AHP, to evaluate the influential factors that cause the users adopt a SNS. Our findings show that the important factors influencing SNS users’ intention for general purpose are Trust, Security and Performance expectancy.
Investment on Insurance and Economic Growth in Iran

Background: The process of insurance has been evolved to safeguard the interests of people from uncertainty by providing certainty of payment at a given contingency. The insurance principle comes to be more and more used and useful in modern affairs.Objective: The aim of this paper is to estimate the impact of investment of insurance on economic growth in Iran during 1981-2011 periods. We have used the modified Ram (1986) model to estimate the impact of investment of insurance on economic growth. Results: Results indicate that the Investment of insurance has a significant positive impact on economic growth in Iran. Also, growth of labor and growth of government expenditure have a significant positive impact on economic growth. Conclusion: The process of insurance has been evolved to safeguard the interests of people from uncertainty by providing certainty of payment at a given contingency. The insurance principle comes to be more and more used and useful in modern affairs.