Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation of different unbundling options in electricity and gas sectors of the CEE EU member states

Department of Energy in Buildings, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio Ave. 11, Vilnius E-mail: vidmantas.jankauskas@vgtu.lt The article analyses implementation of the Third Energy Package in the Central and Eastern European countries, members of the EU. The main focus is given to different unbundling options applied for the transmission of electricity and gas: full ownership unbundling, an independent system operator or an independent transmission operator. A general analysis of the scientific literature of the different unbundling options has not revealed serious advantages of the full ownership unbundling option, preferred by the European Commission, in comparison with more simple and less costly option for establishing an independent transmission operator. In the CEE region the countries took different approaches in unbundling electricity and gas companies: if in electricity ownership unbundling was a rather popular approach, in the gas sector only Lithuania has taken the strongest option of unbundling. Existence of a single (or dominant) supplier which in many cases had some shares in the national companies did not allow Governments from the CEE region to choose a more stringent option. Ownership unbundling has significantly increased the gas prices for the consumers in Lithuania: first of all, Gazprom upset with such an inflexible behaviour of the Lithuanian Government left the country with the highest prices in the region, and, second, unbundling and creation of new companies coupled with the reduced demand increased transmission tariffs by 13% and distribution tariffs even up to 30%.
MI-GEN ∼ : AN EFFICIENT AND ACCESSIBLE MASS-INTERACTION SOUND SYNTHESIS TOOLBOX

Physical modelling techniques are now an essential part of digital sound synthesis, allowing for the creation of complex timbres through the simulation of virtual matter and expressive interaction with virtual vibrating bodies. However, placing these tools in the hands of the composer or musician has historically posed challenges in terms of a) the computational expense of most real-time physically based synthesis methods, b) the difﬁculty of implementing these methods into modular tools that allow for the intuitive design of virtual instruments, without expert physics and/or computing knowledge, and c) the generally limited access to such tools within popular software environments for musical creation. To this end, a set of open-source tools for designing and computing mass-interaction networks for physically-based sound synthesis is presented. The audio synthesis is performed within Max/MSP using the gen~ environment, allowing for simple model design, efﬁcient calculation of systems containing single-sample feedback loops, as well as extensive real-time control of physical parameters and model attributes. Through a series of benchmark examples, we exemplify various virtual instruments and interaction designs.
Challenges of Manufacturing Sub-Sector to Compete in Foreign Markets: The Nigerian Experience

This research is an empirical work that focused on the challenges bedeviling the manufacturing sub-sector ability to produce products that can compete with other brands in foreign markets. The data for the study were generated from central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and world bank development indicator (WBDI) of various years. The ordinary least square (OLS) econometric technique was used on time series data of important variables of manufacturing output, trade openness and current account balance. To guide the study it was hypothesized that institutional framework and government policy towards trade liberation encourages investment overtures. The findings of the study showed that trade openness and financial support significantly influence the performance of manufacturing sub-sector to produce goods for foreign markets even though the contribution of the Nigeria manufacturing sector is quite negligible. In conclusion the study recommended that the right investment induced policies and programmes should be put in place in order to ginger investment interest and supply both domestic and foreign markets with products that compete with other brands in the global markets.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN BRAZILIAN HIGHER EDUCATION:PATHWAYS FOR THE PROGRESS AND CONTINUANCE OF STUDENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) PROGRAMS

The purpose of this work is to understand factors that contribute to the retention and academic progress of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs available at universities through affirmative action policies. Using a qualitative research approach, the data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with affirmative action students and faculty in STEM programs at two federal Brazilian universities. Data were organized and analyzed using content analysis and the theoretical perspective of critical inquiry. This process was supported by a broad framework and provided clues to understanding significant factors in the university trajectory of these students, which can be summarized in five themes: initial academic preparation, social integration, academic integration, the role of the teaching staff, and issues beyond pedagogy.
On the Distribution of Diploid and Tetraploid Green Toads of the Bufo Viridis Complex ( Anura ; Bufonidae ) in Southern Kazakhstan

-115 specimens of Green Toads belonging to the Bufo viridis complex were sampled from 8 populations in south Kazakhstan during the breeding seasons of 1994 and 1995. Subsequent karyological analysis revealed a single diploid population (Kopa) with a 2n=22 karyotype and large snout-vent length. All other seven populations proved tetraploid with a 4n=44 karyotype and smaller size. Information on the distribution of diploid and tetraploid toads in southern Kazakhstan is discussed in connection with previous data.
How city councils and city administrations can apply smart technology for increased transparency – with case evidence from Norway

Transparency is seen as one important property of open government. The growing importance of government transparency is shown through legislation being passed by most democratic countries during the last few decades. Transparency is based on legislation, regulations and other policy documents. Information and communication technology can help improving the transparency of political decision-making. In smart cities, technology can support transparency in a number of ways, ranging from making documents available online to transparency in the decision-making process. The purpose of this chapter is to provide government officials and other interested parties with an overview of the technologies that are available for transparency in smart cities, and to present lessons learned from cases the authors have been involved in. These lessons can be valuable for decisionmakers working towards smart city developments.
Deep Learning Accelerator on Programmable Heterogeneous System with RISC-V Processor

This paper explores a heterogeneous, open source, RISC-V based platform, called PULP (Parallel Ultra-Low-Power Processing Platform) with customizable MAC (multiply and accumulate) accelerator for neural network acceleration on edge computing devices with low power and performance-limited resources. To address the performance and power constraints we propose binarized implementation of a neural network accelerator. We show that binarized implementation is faster than the fixed-point accelerated implementation, albeit with some loss in precision, but still applicable to most of the use cases in edge computing.
Detection of Fire in Images and Video

This paper deals with fire detection in image and video by machine learning, specifically deep convolutional neural networks, using Caffe framework. The aim is to create a vast set of testing data that could be used as the base element of machine learning detection and create a detector usable in real-time application. For the purposes of the project a set of tools for fire sequences creation, their segmentation and automatic labeling is proposed and created together with a large test set of short sequences with artificial modelled fire.
PROPERTIES OF SAMARIUM DOPED HYDROXYAPATITE THIN FILMS DEPOSITED BY EVAPORATION

The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity of samarium doped hydroxyapatite (Ca10-xSmx(PO4)6(OH)2, xSm = 0.02 and xSm = 0.05) layers deposited on titanium substrate by a thermal evaporation technique. The morphology of the samarium doped hydroxyapatite layers deposited on a Ti (Ti-Sm:HAp_2 and Ti-Sm:HAp_5) substrate were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antifungal activity of the Sm:HAp layers was assessed using Candida albicans ATCC 10231 fungal strain. The biofilm development of the C. albicans on the Sm:HAp layers was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results have evidenced a significant inhibition of the fungal cells adherence and biofilm development on the Sm:HAp layers.
Shear Wave Elastography results of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in diabetic patients

Corresponding author / Sorumlu yazar: Birnur Yılmaz Address / Adres: Aydınlı Cad. , No: 2, Okan Üniversitesi Hastanesi, İçmeler, Tuzla, İstanbul, Türkiye E-mail: birnurtavasli@yahoo.com ⸺ Ethics Committee Approval: Ethics committee approval was received from Baskent University regional ethical committee with the study ID number 16/19 in 2016. Etik Kurul Onayı: Etik kurulu onayı Başkent Üniversitesi etik kurulundan 2016 yılında 16/19 kayıt numarası ile alınmıştır. ⸺ Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Çıkar Çatışması: Yazarlar çıkar çatışması bildirmemişlerdir. ⸺ Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study has received no financial support. Finansal Destek: Yazarlar bu çalışma için finansal destek almadıklarını beyan etmişlerdir. ⸺ Received / Geliş Tarihi: 25.06. 2018 Accepted / Kabul Tarihi: 01.09. 2018 Published / Yayın Tarihi: 12.09. 2018
Inflammation in Atherosclerosis. Imaging, Biomarkers and Novel Therapeutic Opportunities

The vast majority of cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality is caused by atherosclerosis. Although many patients with atherosclerosis never develop any symptoms, clinical manifestations can vary between acute life-threatening situations to chronic minor complaints. Over the past decades, inflammatory pathways have emerged as important drivers of atherosclerosis as well as plaque disruption and thrombosis. These relatively novel insights expand the scope of treatment of atherosclerosis beyond the traditional focus on reducing cholesterol levels and arterial stenoses. However, targeting the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis carries the risk of severe complications arising from prolonged immunosuppression since atherosclerotic lesions typically form over the course of years. Therefore, there is a need to identify patients with prone-to-rupture atherosclerotic plaques, who can benefit from relatively short-term anti-inflammatory interventions. This thesis contributes to this effort by investigating existing and novel imaging strategies to quantify and qualify the atherosclerotic plaque (part I) and by investigating circulating biomarkers to estimate the risk for cardiovascular events (part II). Furthermore, selectively increasing the local concentration of immunosuppressive agents in the atherosclerotic plaque could potentially overcome the side-effects of systemic immune depression. Part III of this thesis describes several clinical trials testing anti-inflammatory strategies in patients with CVD. One of those studies tested the feasibility of using liposomal nanoparticles to deliver an anti-inflammatory agent to the atherosclerotic plaque. Given the global research efforts currently being made in this field, the challenge of developing anti-inflammatory treatment strategies for patients with cardiovascular disease will hopefully be fulfilled in the coming decades.
ROLE OF INITIAL CONDITIONS IN THE EVOLUTION OF AN AXISYMMETRIC TURBULENT JET DUE TO GEOMETRICAL EFFECTS ON THE NEAR-FIELD COHERENCE

In this paper the role of initial conditions in affecting the evolution of an axisymmetric turbulent jet is examined. The jet’s near-field large-scale coherent structures (the so called Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex rings) are manipulated with the aid of non-circular exit geometries of identical open area De . Hot-wire anemometry and 2D-2C planar PIV were completed between the exit of the jet and 26 De downstream, to study the effect of round, square and fractal geometries on the coherent structures and on the jet’s evolution both spatially and temporally. It is found the fractal geometry breaks up the jet’s coherent structures leading to a delay of the overall jet development, meaning some of the jet properties can be rescaled in terms of eddy turnover times. Moreover, non-equilibrium dissipation is found for all jets at issue, indicating it takes place for this shear flow independently of the initial conditions. This property is common to axisymmetric wakes and grid-generated flows too.
UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ JOB SATISFACTION AND LIFE SATISFACTION

The aim of the research is to test the mediating role of self-esteem between job satisfaction and life satisfaction among the primary school teachers who works in schools in Adana City (southeast mediterranean region in Turkey). The model type of the research is relational research model. In this research we analyze the casual mediating relation in job satisfaction and life satisfaction and self-esteem. The research group consist of 527 primary school teachers in Adana. In this research, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (adapted by Oran 1989), Life Satisfaction Scale (adapted by Köker 1991), Rossenberg Self-Esteem Scale (adapted by Çuhadaroğlu, 1986) are used. In addition, to this the personel data form which is developed by the researcher is used. Firstly, the result of the research entered data in SPSS 22 program. Secondly, focused on theoretical properties of Structural Equal Modeling (SEM) in AMOS 22 program. As a result of the research thereis a signification and positive relatıon between life satisfaction and job satisfaction in teachers. In this relationsheep partly mediator role of self-esteem is established.
The Determinants of Multilateral Environmental Agreement Membership

Environmental agreements are voluntary coalitions which mostly regulate emissions and the exhaustion of natural resources. The analysis of why and under which conditions countries (or policy makers) may be inclined towards concluding such agreements or not has been the focus of a body of theoretical work at the interface of environmental economics and the economics of coalition games. Traditional theoretical work predicted that environmental agreements are hard to sustain due to the lacking enforceability of associated contracts and the incentive to free-ride. This hypothesis is at odds with the enormous surge of such agreements in reality over the last few decades. Recent work by Rose and Spiegel (2009) suggests that environmental agreements will be concluded and are stable, because they work as a signal and help economies to get access to export (and possibly other) credits. Hence, the reason for a conclusion of such agreements is their interdependence with other policies, especially ones that are related to international business. This paper sheds light on the determinants of multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) participation. In particular, we pay attention to a country's international openness by means of chosen trade and investment policies. JEL classi cation: C23; C25; Q50; Q56; F18
Panel data nowcasting

Abstract This article promotes the use of panel data methods in nowcasting. This shifts the focus of the literature from national to regional nowcasting of variables like gross domestic product (GDP). We propose a mixed-frequency panel VAR model and a bias-corrected least squares estimator which attenuates the bias in fixed effects dynamic panel settings. Simulations show that panel forecast model selection and combination methods are successfully adapted to the nowcasting setting. Our novel empirical application of nowcasting quarterly U.S. state-level real GDP growth highlights the success of state-level nowcasting, as well as the gains from pooling information across states.
Stock prices under pressure: How tax and interest rates drive seasonal variation in expected returns

We show that interest rates drive mispricing at the turn of a tax period as investors face the trade-off between selling a temporarily-depressed stock this period and selling next period at fundamental value, but with tax implications delayed accordingly. We confirm these patterns in US returns, volume, and individual selling behavior as well as in UK data where tax and calendar years differ. At quarter-end, the trade-off is only present following recessions, consistent with the tax code. We then link a significant portion of the variation in the risks and abnormal returns of size, value, and momentum to tax-motivated trading. JEL classification: G11, G12
Incentives in Sales Quota Contracts: Theory and Evidence

Previous studies show that quota-based contracts are susceptible to sales manipulation. Sales managers can forward or delay their sales to take advantage of the contract nonlinearity. Rather than studying the timing effect of the sales quota, this paper focuses on its effect on the workers’ effort choice. Exploiting a unique payroll dataset from a leading handset manufacturer in China, we construct a measure of workers’ effort and find evidence that under quota-based contract workers with sales closer to their quotas have higher tendency to work harder. We also find evidence of ratchet effect in quotasetting. The firm tries to infer store characteristics from workers’ previous sales, and sets a higher quota next period for workers with higher performance in the current period. Workers respond by adjusting their effort so that quota change cannot predict future sales.
EMPTYING THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS A quantitative analysis of the link between the Eurozone crisis and declining worker productivity in the Greek economy

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the causes of Greece’s worker productivity decline in the aftermath of the euro crisis. Through the employment of three groups of time-series regressions, the empirical analysis of the thesis demonstrates that: 1) there exists an unambiguous correlation between the unfolding of the euro crisis and Greece’s declining worker productivity – a correlation which is entirely disconnected from the progression of the country’s competitiveness; 2) the progression of the crisis is intimately correlated with Greece’s recent surge in human capital emigration; and 3) this outflow of human capital-rich workers may explain a large portion of Greece’s worker productivity decline since 2008. These findings are of utmost significance for the discussion on the optimality of the Eurozone as a currency area, as they suggest that crisis-induced migration is inherently asymmetric in the sense that it disproportionately “selects” the highly educated. Thus, presuming that the common currency in combination with Greece’s relatively low level of economic development is largely to blame for the severity of the Greek crisis, the EMU appears to be indirectly hampering the productivity development of its economically weakest member state.
Atlas of Surgical Management of Anorectal Malformations

***e FACHGEBIET*** Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery ***INTERESSENTENGRUPPE*** Of interest to pediatric surgeons, colon/rectal surgeons, and general surgeons. - Level: Atlas ***URHEBER*** A. Pena, New York, NY ***TITEL*** Atlas of Surgical Management of Anorectal Malformations"
Causal Analysis of Economic Growth and Military Expenditure

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the long-term temporal series of military expenditure and economic growth and to prove the existence of the above theoretical links on realistic data by means of structural analysis (Granger causality) in VAR models and in VECM models for cointegrated time series. In theory it is possible to distinguish 4 types of links between military expenditure and economic growth: a mutual link between anticipated variables, a link showing influence of military expenditure on economic growth, a link showing influence of economic growth on the level of military expenditure, non-existence of any links between anticipated variables. SIPRI and OECD (Belgium, Denmark, France, German, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the UK) database were used to analyze the links between military expenditure and economic growth. Key–Words: economic growth, military expenditure, Granger causality, VAR, VECM, cointegration
Study of Food Poisoning among Students of the City of Mohammedia, Morocco

Food poisoning among children represents a major public health problem. Our contribution is based essentially to study the prevalence of food poisoning among students of the city of Mohammedia in Morocco. The study was conducted from the results of an epidemiological survey prospective assessment on a sample of 625 students chosen at random in six institutions of urban origin with 321 of female students 51.4% and 304 male students 48.6%. The prevalence of intoxication is 65.3%, the sex ratio is balanced (Female/Male) 1.10 (p<0.35). On 408 students suffered an intoxication 194 (47, 55%) are male and 214 (52, 45%) are female. According to the seasons 51% have been observed in the summer period, 20% during the fall and 15% during the spring of same for the winter. The distribution of poisoned by function of sex and the establishment has not demonstrated a significant difference (Khi2 =0.97; p<0.22; 5df). The distribution of respondents according to the category of age shows an association very highly significant between the two variable (Khi-2=313.09; p<0.000 to 5 df). The age category of the most affected is that of the students whose age more than 12 years. The prevalence of food poisoning is considerable; this can be linked to health education, information, communication in the area of food hygiene and the awareness of students and of the social and economic impact.
Hierarchical Bayes Estimation of Poverty Rates

Abstract In practice many applications of small area models use a ‘Normal-Normal-Linear’ assumption, i.e., a normality assumption for the design-based survey estimates and for the area-level random effects and a linear regression function relating the true parameters to available covariates. We compare the performance of rate models by slightly changing the assumptions and using internal and external checks. when area sample sizes are in the hundreds, empirical analyses using a ’Normal-t-Linear’ to protect against outliers, or a seemingly reasonable ‘Beta-logistic’ assumption for rates, show no gain over the ‘Normal-Normal-Linear’ type model. However, the same type of analyses show additional benefit from including historical data through a cross-sectional and time series model. We use Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) to implement the proposed models, posterior predictive checks, as well as external checks for model comparisons.