Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transport consumption inequalities and redistributive effects of taxes: A comparison of France, Denmark and Cyprus

We evaluate household transport consumption inequalities in France, Denmark and Cyprus, investigate their temporal dynamics and estimate the redistributive effects of taxes on different commodity categories. A comparative analysis is carried out in light of the differences between these countries, most notably in terms of car taxation systems and car ownership levels. A decomposition by expenditure component of the Gini index is applied, using household-level data from repeated cross-sections of expenditure surveys spanning long time periods. The results highlight the effect of car social diffusion. The relative contribution of vehicle use items to total expenditure inequality decreases over time, thus reflecting the more and more widespread use of the car. Moreover, fuel taxes become regressive (i.e. they affect the poor more than the rich), while the progressive character of taxes on the remaining car use commodities weakens with time. Taxes on transport goods and services as a whole are progressive (i.e. they affect the rich more than the poor). However, this is principally due to the progressivity of taxes on automobile purchases. The progressivity of taxes on car purchases is by far much stronger in Denmark. In this country, these taxes are so high that car purchase costs can be afforded only by high incomes. These findings underline the fact that equity issues should not be overlooked when designing policies to attenuate the environmental impact of cars. Increasing car use costs, notably fuel prices, through an increase of uniform taxes would be particularly inequitable.
Spatial Equilibrium with Entry

This paper examines spatial equilibrium in political competition when established parties choose their platforms competitively while rationally anticipating entry of a vote-maximizing third party. The resulting equilibrium is substantially different from the Hotelling "median" equilibrium. Established parties are spatially separated and third parties will generally lose the election. This provides one theoretical explanation for the stability of two-party systems, namely that non-cooperative behaviour between established parties can effectively prevent third parties from winning.
Network latency metrics for server proximity

This paper investigates network latency metrics in the context of the server proximity problem. Using a combination of experimentation and statistical analysis, we study the correlation among number of network and administrative system (AS) hops, and round-trip time (RRT). We ran experiments involving 601 Internet sites spanning 5 continents. Our results show reasonably strong AS hop-network hop correlations of up to 70%. We also observe an average RTT-number of hop correlation close to 50%, which represents a considerable improvement over what Crovella and Clark observed in 1995. Based on our results, we argue that, when choosing a single metric for network latency, RTT should be the metric of choice when trying to reduce clients' perceived latency. However, hop counts are good indicators of network resource usage. Another factor that favors RTT is that it is the least expensive metric to measure.
Facial expression recognition based on combined HMM

In this paper, a new recognition method called the combined HMM is proposed. The method combines HMM and Mixture-HMM through KNN. Mixture HMMs are trained on any two classes of training samples with traditional HMMs. The recognition procedure of combined HMM is to make a final class judgement by KNN while the HMM's basic decision is different from the Mixture-HMM confirmatory sentence. At the same time, some improvements for the KNN decision criterion and the HMM interactive rule are made to enhance classification ability. Experiments show that the performance of this combined method exceeds that of HMM.
XENOGENEIC EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX GRAFTS ELICIT A TH2-RESTRICTED IMMUNE RESPONSE1

Background. Porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is an acellular, naturally derived extracellular matrix (ECM) that has been used for tissue remodeling and repair in numerous xenotransplantations. Although a vigorous immune response to xenogeneic extracellular matrix biomaterials is expected, to date there has been evidence for only normal tissue regeneration without any accompanying rejection. The purpose of this study was to determine the reason for a lack of rejection. Methods. Mice were implanted s.c. with xenogeneic tissue, syngeneic tissue, or SIS, and the graft site analyzed histologically for rejection or acceptance. Additionally, graft site cytokine levels were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and SIS-specific serum antibody isotype levels were determined by ELISA. Results. Xenogeneically implanted mice showed an acute inflammatory response followed by chronic inflammation and ultimately graft necrosis, consistent with rejection. Syngeneically or SIS implanted mice, however, showed an acute inflammatory response that diminished such that the graft ultimately became indistinguishable from native tissue, observations that are consistent with graft acceptance. Graft site cytokine analysis showed an increase in interleukin-4 and an absence of interferon-&ggr;. In addition, mice implanted with SIS produced a SIS-specific antibody response that was restricted to the IgG1 isotype. Reimplantation of SIS into mice led to a secondary anti-SIS antibody response that was still restricted to IgG1. Similar results were observed with porcine submucosa derived from urinary bladder. To determine if the observed immune responses were T cell dependent, T cell KO mice were implanted with SIS. These mice expressed neither interleukin-4 at the implant site nor anti-SIS-specific serum antibodies but they did accept the SIS graft. Conclusions. Porcine extracellular matrix elicits an immune response that is predominately Th2-like, consistent with a remodeling reaction rather than rejection.
1 foundations of action research

• some of the philosophical issues underpinning action research and outline the work of early theorists, including Kurt Lewin’s pioneering work and the influence of critical theory • some of the key theoretical and interrelated aspects of action research, including:  human inquiry, cooperative inquiry and action science/action inquiry  participatory action research  action research and feminsim  appreciative inquiry
Asimetrik etkiler altında Okun Yasası’nın Eşik Hata Düzeltme Modeli ile sınanması: Türkiye örneği

Makroekonomik problemlerden birisi olan issizlik olgusunun belirli bir buyume hedefi dogrultusunda giderilmesine imkan veren Okun yasasi, cikti ve issizlik iliskisinin simetrik oldugu varsayimi ile genellemeler yapmaktadir. Simetri varsayimi ile cikti duzeyinde meydana gelen degisimlerin yonu ve boyutunun issizlik oranlarindaki degisimi etkileyecek bir buyukluk olmadigi, buyume ve daralma donemlerinde buyume issizlik uzerinde ayni etkiye sahip oldugu varsayilmaktadir. Bu calismada bahsedilen etki goz ardi edilerek 1968-2008 doneminde Turkiye’de buyume-issizlik arasinda dogrusal olmayan bir yapi ele alinmis olup Okun katsayisinin ekonominin daralma ve genisleme donemlerine gore nasil degistigi iki rejimli esik esbutunlesme ve esik hata duzeltme modelleri ile sinanmistir. Elde edilen bulgulara gore asimetri etkisini iceren resesyon rejiminde buyumede gorulen dalgalanmalarin genisleme rejimine gore issizligi daha cok etkileyecegi ve Okun katsayisinin uzun donemde -0.48 oldugu bulunmustur. Elde edilen diger bulgu ise tipik rejimde issizlik, buyume oranlarinda meydana gelen dalgalanmalara hic tepki gostermemistir. Bu durum istihdam yaratmayan buyumeye isaret etmektedir.
Fuzzy systems as universal approximators

The author shows that an additive fuzzy system can approximate any continuous function on a compact domain to any degree of accuracy. Fuzzy systems are dense in the space of continuous functions. The fuzzy system approximates the function by covering its graph with fuzzy patches in the input-output state space. Each fuzzy rule defines a fuzzy patch and connects commonsense knowledge with state-space geometry. Neural or statistical clustering algorithms can approximate the unknown fuzzy patches and generate fuzzy systems from training data. <<ETX>>
Comparative evaluation of depigmentation techniques in split-mouth design with electrocautery and laser

Excessive gingival pigmentation is a major esthetic concern for many people. Melanin pigmentation is known to be caused by melanin granules within the gingival epithelium. Smile is determined not only by the shape, the position, and the color of the teeth, but also by the gingival tissues. Gingival health and appearance are essential components of an attractive smile. It is not a medical problem, but it feels unesthetic for the patient and particularly in patients having a very high lip/smile line. Depigmentation is not a clinical indication but a treatment of choice where esthetics is a concern and is desired by the patient. For depigmentation of gingival, different treatment modalities have been reported such as bur abrasion, scraping, partial thickness flap, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, and laser. The present case series describes two simple and effective surgical depigmentation techniques treated with diode laser and electrosurgery.
Exchange rate uncertainty, UK trade and the euro

The impact of exchange rate uncertainty on the disaggregated imports of the UK is investigated by focusing on 15 major manufacturing categories. Contrary to several previous theoretical and empirical studies, this paper finds no evidence that exchange rate uncertainty has a positive impact on international trade. An important implication of this study for UK macroeconomic policy is that adoption of the euro would have, in terms of its effect on exchange rate risk, a positive impact on the country's trade and economic welfare.
A Ferret Model of Canine Distemper Virus Virulence and Immunosuppression

ABSTRACT Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects many carnivores, including ferrets and dogs, and is the member of the Morbillivirus genus most easily amenable to experimentation in a homologous small-animal system. To gain insights into the determinants of CDV pathogenesis, we isolated a strain highly virulent for ferrets by repeated passaging in these animals. Sequence comparison of the genome of this strain with that of its highly attenuated precursor revealed 19 mutations distributed almost evenly in the six genes. We then recovered a virus from a cDNA copy of the virulent CDV strain's consensus sequence by using a modified reverse genetics system based on B cells. We infected ferrets with this virus and showed that it fully retained virulence as measured by the timing of rash appearance, disease onset, and death. Body temperature, leukocyte number, lymphocyte proliferation activity, and cell-associated viremia also had similar kinetics. We then addressed the question of the relative importance of the envelope and other viral constituents for virulence. Viruses in which the envelope genes (matrix, fusion, and hemagglutinin) of the virulent strain were combined with the other genes of the attenuated strain caused severe rash and fever even if the disease onset was delayed. Viruses in which the nucleocapsid, polymerase, and phosphoprotein genes (coding also for the V and C proteins) of the virulent strain were combined with the envelope genes of the attenuated strain caused milder signs of disease. Thus, virulence-inducing mutations have accumulated throughout the genome.
Towards an impartial and effective corporate governance rating system

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the most popular corporate governance rating systems and to scrutinize their usefulness to shareholders and the public at large. It proposes to examine whether the advertised good governance scores reflect corporate performance, fraud, lawsuits, and the like.Design/methodology/approach – The analysis focused on the methodology used by rating agencies to rank corporate governance practices of companies. Analysis of the categories and variables used in the rating systems were also scrutinized and critiqued.Findings – This research shows that there is a weak relationship between corporate performance and corporate governance rating. Ideas and suggestions have been proposes to remedy the shortfalls of existing rating systems.Research limitations/implications – Many researchers use corporate governance scores in their studies to investigate the relationship between these single scores and corporate performance. Potential vulnerability and risk are demonstrated using suc.
A New Type of Eye Endoscope *

OuR knowledge of the interior of the eye has been greatly advanced by the use of the ophthalmoscope, slit lamp, and gonioscope, but the region about and forward from the ora serrata remains invisible. Therefore the nature of any pathological process must be deduced indirectly from its effect on the lens, vitreous, and retina, or by transillumination. A new endoscope has therefore been devised which utilizes the unique light-transmitting properties of solid Perspex (methyl methacrylate). With it this previously almost unknown territory can be inspected; whilst the addition of a small forceps enables any type of foreign body within the globe to be rapidly located and removed with a minimum of trauma.
Sources of Inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper explores the sources of inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa by examining the relationship between inflation, the output gap, and the real money gap. Using heterogeneous panel cointegration estimation techniques, we estimate cointegrating vectors for the production function and the real money demand function to recover the structural output and money gaps for seventeen African countries. The central finding is that both gaps contain significant information regarding the evolution of inflation, albeit with a larger role played by the money gap. There is no significant evidence of asymmetry in the relationship.
Design of beam-steerable dual-beam reflectarray

A novel beam-steerable dual-beam reflectarray antenna system is presented. It consists of hexagonal-shaped unit cells (UCs) arranged in a honeycomb lattice structure. Each UC is formed by a conductor-backed strip dipole loaded with a varactor diode for adaptively adjusting its reflection phase. To find the compensation phases for the UCs, a simple optimization algorithm is proposed and integrated with ideal reflectarray analysis. Each row of the reflectarray is considered as a linear subarray and optimized independently. In each subarray, the even and odd numbers of UCs are designated respectively for the two targeted beams, and optimized separately. For verification, some promising results acquired using the proposed algorithm and reflectarray structure are presented.
Import Competition and Firm Refocusing

Recent theoretical work predicts a new margin of firm adjustment to trade liberalization; that is, multi-product firms alter their product mix to focus on their core competencies in response to trade liberalization. Using detailed product data from U.S. public firms, I find strong empirical support for this prediction. Specifically, import competition leads multi-product firms to drop peripheral products to refocus on core production. The weaker the linkages that a peripheral product shares with the core (as measured by the extent of joint sales, joint procurement, joint production, and joint sectorship), the more likely the peripheral product is to be divested in response to import competition.
Is CAPM Dead or Alive in the Brazilian Equity Market?

The central purpose of this work is to test the Sharpe-Lintner-Black Capital Asset Pricing Model in the Brazilian equity market. We have concluded that the CAPM is dead in the Brazilian equity market because, besides using the market premiums to explain the panel equity premiums, there are also some anomalies, such as, the firm size, the equity price-to-book value, the dividend yield, and the price-earnings ratio. Furthermore, by using the panel cointegration FMOLS (fully modified OLS) estimator, this paper corroborates the Fama & French three-factor model (1992, 1993). This work finds also two new three-factor models to explain the local market that satisfy the non-arbitrage condition. These results are important for the purpose of asset pricing and hedging in the Brazilian equity market.
Employers' Perceptions of Recent Agricultural Communications Graduates' Workplace Habits and Communication Skills.

Agricultural communications programs should frequently review their curriculum to ensure students receive the highest quality of education possible (Akers, 2000). This research is a nationwide look at recent agricultural communications graduates’ employers and/or co-workers. The purpose of this study was to determine which workplace habits and communication skills are satisfactory and which need improvements in the opinion of co-workers or employers. Members of several professional agricultural communications organizations were surveyed (N = 88) in the summer of 2008 with a 34.1% response rate. The study found that employers and co-workers of recent agricultural communications graduates, on average, rated trustworthiness, easy to work with, and reliability as the top workplace habits, while creativity, common sense, and organization need improvement. Photo editing, page layout, and public relations skills received the highest mean communications skills scores, while sales, Web design, and news editing were the communications skills that could use some work.
What Do They Say They Are Doing? Thematic analysis of local government Disability Action Plans

Abstract Australian local governments have for some time now been encouraged to develop Disability Action Plans (DAPs) to assist in eliminating barriers and constraints faced by people with disabilities. While these documented plans may be viewed as value‐neutral, they also have the potential to propagate particular views and ideologies. Using a critical discourse analysis method, this study analysed 29 local government DAPs to assist in identifying and highlighting any imbedded values. Overwhelmingly the findings suggested that local government authorities’ focus in regard to eliminating barriers and constraints was on ensuring that the built environment was suitable for people with disabilities. Conversely, references within the analysed documents that focused upon other constraints faced by people with disabilities, such as the social or organizational aspects, were either briefly addressed or found to be non‐existent. The researcher concluded that the information provided in Australian local government DAPs was mainly a reflection of a broader neo‐liberal, socio‐political environment that supports non‐interventionist practices over and above providing direct services to particular groups in society. These findings are also being used to inform consequent interview stages of a larger PhD study.
Franchising in the US remodelling market: growth opportunities and barriers faced by general contractors

Residential remodelling contractors operate in a highly fragmented, disaggregated market. Competition and consolidation arise from other market actors, thus remodellers have diminished bargaining power and higher market risk since they traditionally service geographically specific markets. Franchising theories may provide a competitive business strategy to parallel consolidation in other actors. Yet a small population of remodelling franchises are listed in the US. The vast majority of these franchises were in specialty trades and only one general contracting franchise was represented. This raises the question as to what extent there are barriers to franchising in practice for general contractors in the US remodelling industry and whether opportunities exist for growth through franchising. First, economic theories of franchising are evaluated against secondary quantitative data and extant literature. Second, interviews were conducted among non-franchising, general remodellers. Two principal findings emerge. Human capital requirements are found to be a primary barrier to franchising. A second finding is the perceptual barrier among key decision-makers in founder-controlled firms. Therefore, the barriers are largely perceptual. The finding is reflected upon by introducing upper-echelon theory and ultimately suggests that as the profiles of company owners change, the perceptual barrier to franchising may be of lesser significance.
Methylprednisolone Therapy in Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Analysis of a Regional Spinal Cord Model Systems Database

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between exposure to methylprednisolone (MP) and improvements in motor function among patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). MP therapy for patients with TSCI is controversial because of the current conflicting evidence documenting its benefits and risks. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study from September 2007 to November 2014 of 311 patients with acute TSCI who were enrolled into a model systems database of a regional, level I trauma center. We linked outcomes and covariate data from the model systems database with MP exposure data from the electronic medical record. The primary outcomes were rehabilitation discharge in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor scores (sum of 10 key muscles bilaterally as per International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury, range, 0–100) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor scores (range, 13–91). Secondary outcomes measured infection risk and gastrointestinal (GI) complications among MP recipients. For the primary outcomes, multivariable linear regression was used. RESULTS: There were 160 MP recipients and 151 nonrecipients. Adjusting for age, sex, weight, race, respective baseline motor score, surgical intervention, injury level, ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, education, and insurance status, there was no association with improvement in discharge ASIA motor function or FIM motor score among MP recipients: −0.34 (95% CI, −2.8, 2.1) and 0.75 (95% CI, −2.8, 4.3), respectively. Adjusting for age, sex, race, weight, injury level, and receipt of surgery, no association with increased risk of infection or GI complications was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective cohort study involving patients with acute TSCI observed no short-term improvements in motor function among MP recipients compared with nonrecipients. Our findings support current recommendations that MP use in this population should be limited.
Intertemporal Decisions Of Farmers Risk Management: A Dynamic Optimization With Generalized Expected Utility

In this paper we attempt an intertemporal study of risk management decisions for wheat growers in the Pacific Northwest. We apply a generalized expected utility model (GEU) to examine the farmers' optimal choices of hedging ratios and crop insurance coverage levels in the presence of government payment programs in a multi-period production environment. A stochastic trend model is used to identify the long-term time series patterns of annual wheat yields, cash prices, and futures prices from two counties in Washington. The fitted models are then used as the base for yield and price simulation over the next five years. The stochastic dynamic optimization problem is solved numerically based on simulated data. The optimal solutions indicate that the GEU model is feasible in modeling farmers' intertemporal decisions regarding risk management. The comparison between GEU model and some commonly used expected utility models further implies the advantage of the GEU model in being flexible to specify farmers' intertemporal preferences separately and completely.