Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Spatial Interaction Effect of Retail Gasoline Price in Seoul

There has been a continued criticism that the retail gasoline market shows a typical impaired market due to the lack of price competition and that local gas stations maintain their shares based on inelastic demand of oil products. Accordingly, several policy measures have been suggested to reduce likely market distortions and finally to lower retail price. Taking such circumstances into consideration, this paper attempts to investigate existence of competitive pricing mechanism and regional interconnections in the price discovery process. Spatial econometrics models are adopted to capture regional interaction effects on retail gasoline price and to identify pricing mechanism. An empirical analysis of spatial fixed effects model based on monthly data of retail gasoline prices in Seoul, Korea shows that the regional interaction effect exists as a reaction in response to the price changes of adjacent regions and that a pricing mechanism is thus associated with geographical location. The paper concludes that the price formation could be affected by the direct and indirect effects caused by their locations which property is important in establishing related policy measures for retail gas prices.
Potential feasibility study of creating a small company that produces tomato paste in ambatondrazaka district

This research is aimed at analyzing the situation and studying the feasibility ofthe project, creation of a small company that produces tomato paste in the district ofAmbatondrazaka-Madagascar. The tool used to analyze the situation is SWOT matrixand the aspects taken into consideration in the project feasibility analysis are technicaland technological, market and marketing, managerial, financial, socio-economic, andenvironmental aspects. The situation analysis highlighted that there are six opportunitiesand two strengths that lead into the creation of the company. However, somealternatives such as working closely with farmers, through the establishment ofcontracts, building good relationship with regional and central governments, training thecompany’s manager and personnel, and finding places for tomato cultivation during theraining season should be applied by the company to overcome the situation’sweaknesses and threats. Based on the technical and technological, managerial, financial,socio-economic, and environmental analysis, the creation of the company is feasible.The sensitivity analysis highlighted that the project cannot resist to the increase by 10%of the fresh tomato price, decrease by 10% of the company’s total production, and bothincrease by 10% of the fresh tomato price and decrease by 10% of the company’s totalproduction, simultaneously. The socio-economic analysis pointed out that the existenceof the company will increase the local and regional economy. The environmentalanalysis highlighted that the pollution caused by the company can be avoided orreduced. However, the market and marketing analysis pointed out that the capacity ofthe local and regional markets is low. Hence, The Company should apply correctly theproposed marketing strategy that is expected to increase its local and regional sales.Keywords: Ambatondrazaka, potential feasibility study, project, tomato paste, smallcompany.
Short-Term Output Fluctuations in Poland: An Application of the Is-Mp-As Model

This paper examines output fluctuations in Poland based on an extended IS-MP-AS model (Romer, 2000) and the Taylor rule (1993, 1998, 1999). Empirical results show that real output is negatively influenced by the expected inflation rate, the deficit/GDP ratio, and the euro interest rate while it is positively affected by real appreciation and stock prices. Policy implications are that expansionary fiscal policy would not generate expected outcomes and that the conventional approach of currency devaluation to stimulate the economy may not apply to Poland due to the National Bank of Poland's potential reaction to raise the interest rate.
A Recommendation Agent for Mobile Phone Users Using Bayesian Behavior Prediction

This paper presents a novel agent system which provides a user with useful recommendations of behavior and information based on behavior prediction. The agent understands user’s context from a GPS sensor and a mobile phone, and predicts user’s future behavior based on user’s context. And the prediction of user’s future behavior can be used to provide the user with the suggestion of performing behavior and/or the recommendation of information which are relevant to the predicted user’s behavior. Here, behavior prediction is performed by Dynamic Bayesian Network, which can handle time-series data. The experimental results showed that the proposed agent system was enough to provide convenient recommendation services to users.
Checking the determinants of physical activity based on the theory of planned behavior in the housewives

Background: Sedentary life has been recognized as a serious problem in today's Iranian society. Promoting the lifestyle with increased physical activity and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is imperative. The purpose of this study was identifying the determinants of physical activity in the housewives of Nain city in 2012 based on the theory of planned behavior. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 120 housewives were selected by simple random sampling method. Data collection tool was a questionnaire designed based on a standardized and fabricated questionnaire and consisted of four parts. The questionnaire included awareness variables, theory of structures, planned behavior, and physical activity. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 18 and associated statistical tests. Findings: The 120 housewives under study had a mean age of 34.58 ± 6.86 years. The mean scores of awareness, attitude, motivation to perform, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control variables were 74.1 ± 18.5, 82.6 ± 12.1, 59.4 ± 21.7, 63.2 ± 21.2, and 48.1 ± 12.9 respectively. There was a significant relationship between the motivation for physical activity among women and knowledge (P = 0.02) attitude (P = 0.04) subjective norms (P = 0.002) perceived behavioral control (P = 0.001), and physical activity (P = 0.04). Conclusions: It seems that the housewives, despite being aware of and having a positive attitude on the benefits of physical activity, had a poor lifestyle. Perhaps further studies can help in finding the causes of this issue and the barriers to physical activity such as the conditions and plan for greater measures for improving physical activity, in order to promote women's health which has a significant role in family and community health.
Natural Sperm Birefringence Can be Used to Estimate Sperm Viability and Morphology

Semen parameters were evaluated by a variety of tests. A polarizing microscope (PM) which allows, in a single step, for the evaluation of the number, motility, viability of sperm using the phenomenon of birefringence was used. This approach avoids a Papanicolaou staining procedure modified for sperm (PAP) performed in fixed material. The aim of this study was to examine the birefringence of sperm structures, in live cells, for the direct analysis of morphology on fresh samples. Semen samples from 15 men of recently proven fertility and from 66 male patients who attended our center for semen analysis were examined by polarization microscope (PM) analysis in order to find an index representing a pool of sperm with normal morphology and progressive motility. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to determine the performance of the proposed diagnostic method. The difference between the two areas under the ROC curves (PAP=0.76 and PM=0.82) was quantitatively not significant (P=0.308); however, the curve of the PM method was always higher than the curve of PAP, revealing that, qualitatively, PM was more sensitive than PAP. The PM index can represent the percentage of motile sperm with normal morphology, which is the actual pool of sperm that can reach and fertilize the oocyte. We suggest a PM diagnostic cut-off value of 20%, since this value was the lowest found for individuals of proven fertility.
Design of ultra wide band antenna by MoM and HGA

A novel design of miniature embedded antenna for ultra wide band communication system based on hierarchical genetic algorithms (HGA) with method of moments (MoM) is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna consists of a patterned patch and ground with shorting pins, the number and locations of which are optimized by GA, with a total volume within 21/spl times/21/spl times/4mm/sup 3/. It can provide ultra wide bandwidth from 3.2GHz/spl sim/11GHz. The details of the design are discussed.
Adult perceptions of the impact of Kentucky Education Reform Act initiatives on achievement: Insights of rural gifted students

ADULT PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT OF KENTUCKY EDUCATION REFORM ACT INITIATIVES ON ACHIEVEMENT: INSIGHTS OF RURAL GIFTED STUDENTS Jan W. Lanham December 16,2010 This phenomenological study investigated perceptions regarding the impact of the tenets of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) on the self-reported achievement and underachievement among adults who had been identified and served as gifted students in a rural Kentucky school district between 1994 and 2004. Through a series of interviews of 30 young adults selected through purposive sampling, the study addressed three research questions relating to (a) the perceptions of the former students regarding each of six KERA initiatives--Portfolios [writing and mathematics], Ungraded Primary, KIRIS/CATS assessment, Proficiency as a performance goal, School Based Decision Making [SBDM] council policies--in fostering or impeding self-reported student and adult achievement, (b) the perceptions of the former students regarding related educational experiences and structures perceived as fostering or impeding self-reported student and adult achievement, and (c) the similarities and differences in perceptions between those adults who self-reported sustained achievement and those who reported underachievement.
Circular Migration and new modes of governance: so what are the consequences?

Circular Migration (CM) is a long standing way of dealing with the need for temporary migrants across the globe (Wickramasekara 2011) involving the temporary movement of workers to and from areas requiring labour. Its attraction (in a well-managed form) is that it offers to maximise the benefits from migration for the countries of origin, the destination countries and the actual workers. NMG were developed in response to the view that many of the European Union’s (EU) traditional modes of governance had proved ineffective. In the case of migrant flows across the internal and external EU’s borders no single actor has the power to solve the problem of managing the flows and dealing effectively with multilevel actors. The nature of the interdependent world means that in order for policy to be enacted successfully there is a need for cooperation across borders and between the different areas of governance, However, this cooperation comes at a cost because of the very nature of the compromises that are required to make it work effectively. NMG are designed to deal with the very different situations that arise across the 28 member states and are seen as a way of supplementing established methods of governance (the community method) where attaining agreement may be difficult. CM schemes have proved difficult to replicate because each members state has its own issues and protects its own sovereignty, despite the potential gains from cooperation. Critically however, many of the aspirations concerning the ability of these schemes to create a stable migration environment have not been achieved in the teeth of the recession. Whilst CM seemed to offer a way forward to help resolve the issue of continuing high levels of irregular migration this is an issue that has started to be resolved in a different way by the depth of the recession and the flow of migrants returning to their home countries (although depressingly large numbers of migrants still perish in an attempt to reach the EU). This is especially the case with respect to Spain, a country of very high inward migration during the era of high economic growth and now experiencing a severe and prolonged economic downturn. Therefore it would appear as if CM is a new mode of governance is deeply flawed that may not provide a solid basis for developing future initiatives because it does not remove the mismatch between the demand for labour. Also, CM schemes are biased against the interest of many of the workers who participate in them.
A Review on Relationship between the Desire to Exports, Technologic Innovation and Size of Organizations in Small and Medium Industry in the Global Markets Environment

Export constitutes of one of the most vital sectors of the economy of each country. Exportation of goods and services are the most important source of foreign exchange earnings. With the increase in global trade and intensified competition around the world, many companies are starting in search of opportunities of growth and increasing profit. This study has discussed, review on relationship between the desire to exports, technologic innovation and size of organizations in the small and medium industry in the global markets environment. In this study, 185 export organizations of Medicinal herbs as Tehran Union members were studied. Variables were analyzed by using PLS software. The results of study showed that there is a significant relationship between the variables.
Foxa2‐venus fusion reporter mouse line allows live‐cell analysis of endoderm‐derived organ formation

The Foxa2‐winged helix/forkhead box transcription factor (TF) is absolutely required for endoderm formation and organogenesis. Foxa2 plays essential roles during lung, liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract development and regulates cell‐type specific programs in the adult organism. To specifically address Foxa2 function during organ development and homeostasis, we generated a Foxa2‐Venus fusion (FVF) reporter protein by gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells. The FVF knock‐in reporter is expressed under endogenous Foxa2 control and the fluorescent protein fusion does not interfere with TF function, as homozygous mice are viable and fertile. Moreover, the FVF protein localizes to the nucleus, associates with chromatin during mitosis, and reflects the endogenous Foxa2 protein distribution pattern in several tissues in heterozygous animals. Importantly, live‐cell imaging on single‐cell level of the FVF and Sox17‐Cherry fusion double knock‐in reporter ES cell line reveals the dynamics of endoderm TF accumulation during ES cell differentiation. The FVF reporter also allowed us to identify the endoderm progenitors during gastrulation and to visualize the different branching morphogenesis modes of the lung and pancreas epithelium in ex vivo embryo and organ cultures. In summary, the generation of the FVF reporter line adds an important new tool to visualize and analyse endoderm‐derived organ development and homeostasis on the cellular and molecular level. genesis 51:596–604. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robust Focus Measure Operator Using Adaptive Log-Polar Mapping for Three-Dimensional Shape Recovery

Abstract Shape from focus (SFF) is a passive optical technique that reconstructs object shape from a sequence of image taken at different focus levels. In SFF techniques, computing focus measurement for each pixel in the image sequence, through a focus measure operator, is the fundamental step. Commonly used focus measure operators compute focus quality in Cartesian space and suffer from erroneous focus quality and lack in robustness. Thus, they provide erroneous depth maps. In this paper, we introduce a new focus measure operator that computes focus quality in log-polar transform (LPT) Properties of LPT, such as biological inspiration, data selection, and edge invariance, enable computation of better focus quality in the presence of noise. Moreover, instead of using a fixed patch of the image, we suggest the use of an adaptive window. The focus quality is assessed by computing variation in LPT. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is evaluated by conducting experiments using image sequences of different simulated and real objects. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed method is robust and effective in the presence of various types of noise.
Maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic arrays with minimum sensors

This paper presents the study of maximum power point tracking with only one current sensor and describes a method to improve the performance of conventional algorithms. Fast tracking, minimum oscillations around MPP, and application for different dc/dc converters are major improvements. Additionally, the method has the advantages of good efficiency, fast dynamic response, and low implementation cost. The theory and concept of new idea is explained in detail. The validity and performance of the proposed method is also verified by simulation and experimental results.
Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia: prevalence and associated factors in a Nigerian population

Abstract Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) among subjects with schizophrenia and also to determine their associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 232 patients with schizophrenia were recruited from a teaching hospital in Nigeria. Socio-demographic questionnaire, Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Suicidality module of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Inventory were administered. Results: The prevalence of OCS was 54.3% among patients with schizophrenia, and washing symptom was the most common (51.7%). Patients with schizophrenia that had OCS had more severe psychopathologies and higher levels of suicidality. OCS among patients with schizophrenia were also associated with the use of second-generation antipsychotic medications. Conclusions: OCS are common in schizophrenia. Hence, there is a need for routine screening of patients with schizophrenia for OCS and then, manage them appropriately.
Sr2+‐dependent asynchronous evoked transmission at rat striatal inhibitory synapses in vitro

1 At striatal inhibitory synapses in cell culture, replacement of extracellular Ca2+ with Sr2+ desynchronized inhibitory postynaptic currents (IPSCs), reducing their peak amplitude and producing a succession of late, asynchronous synaptic events (late release). In the averaged IPSC waveform this resulted in an increase in both the fast and the slow decay time constant as well as in the time to peak. 2 Rapid removal of extracellular Sr2+ during late release was without effect on the time course of the averaged IPSC. Thus, late release is not dependent on continuous Sr2+ influx, but must be related to the way in which Sr2+, as opposed to Ca2+, interacts with constituents of the intracellular space. 3 After application of the membrane‐permeant acetoxymethyl ester (AM) form of the Ca2+‐chelator BAPTA, Sr2+‐induced late release was greatly reduced and the kinetics of the Sr2+‐dependent IPSC approached those of the Ca2+‐dependent response. EGTA AM had a similar but less pronounced effect. 4 Using rapid solution exchange, we stimulated synapses first in Sr2+‐ or Ca2+‐ and 100–300 ms afterwards in Ca2+‐containing solution. Paired‐pulse facilitation of late release was the same whether the conditioning pulse induced a presynaptic influx of Sr2+ or of Ca2+. 5 It is concluded that Sr2+‐mediated asynchrony is probably due to a less efficient intraterminal buffering of Sr2+ as opposed to Ca2+, allowing for Sr2+ ions to activate release in an area less confined to the immediate vicinity of the presynaptic Ca2+ channel. This hypothesis explains both the action of endogenous buffers and the apparent lack of specific facilitatory interaction between Ca2+‐mediated and Sr2+‐induced late release.
Influence of Diflufenican the Herbicide on Some Biological Traits of Bulgarian Common Bean Cultivar Plovdiv 15M

Three-year trials (2006-2008) were conducted in order to determine the influence of the herbicide diflufenican (trade name – Pelikan 50 CK) on certain biological traits of Bulgarian common bean cultivar Plovdiv 15 M. The herbicide was applied in the doses of 200, 250 and 300 ml/ha after the sowing and before the growth of the plants. It has been found that the traits related to the height of the plant, number of fruit-yielding branches, pods and seeds, mass of the seeds and average length of 10 pods per plant were influenced by different doses of the herbicide, by the year and the interaction between these two factors. A 300 ml/ha dose treatment differs most from other variants in the conducted clustering as a result of its strong influence on the traits: number of seeds, fruit-yielding branches and mass of the seeds per plant. The highest stability indices have been obtained for the traits related to the mass of the pods per plant, which showed greater stability regarding the treatment with the herbicide.
Stochastic Spread Model for Fixed-to-Floater Convertible Bonds

We consider the problem of evaluating fixed-rate bonds convertible to floating-rate notes when the credit spread is mostly responsible for the convertibility option. We compute the price with deterministic interest rates and credit spreads providing specifications for three different pricing models. In order to provide a better approximation for the bond price in a wide range of market credit conditions, we describe a pricing model that uses a stochastic credit spread. We show how the stochastic model is analytically tractable when the credit spread is normally distributed. Finally we provide numerical results for the deterministic and the stochastic normal model for a market-traded bond. In the numerical example we find that in general the superiority of the stochastic normal model to the deterministic one both in computing the bond price and in providing the credit-spread sensitivities.
Validation of Repeated Endothelial Function Measurements Using EndoPAT in Stroke

Background Decreased endothelial function (EF) may be a prognostic marker for stroke. Measuring pharmacological effects on EF may be of interest in the development of personalized medicine for stroke prevention. In this study, we assessed the reliability of repeated EF measurements using a pulse amplitude tonometry technology in acute stroke patients. Similarly, reliability was tested in healthy subjects devoid of vascular disease to estimate reactivity and reliability in a younger non-stroke population. Materials and methods EF was assessed using the EndoPAT2000 in 20 healthy volunteers (men 50%, mean age 35.85 ± 3.47 years) and 21 stroke patients (men 52%, mean age 66.38 ± 2.85 years, and mean NIHSS 4.09 ± 0.53) under standardized conditions. EF was measured as the reactive hyperemia index (RHI), logarithm of RHI (lnRHI), and Framingham RHI (fRHI). Measurements were separated by 1.5 and 24 h to assess same-day and day-to-day reliability, respectively. Results Fair to moderate correlations of measurements [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)same-day 0.29 and ICCday-to-day 0.52] were detected in healthy subjects. In stroke patients, we found moderate to substantial correlation of both same-day and day-to-day repeated measurements (ICCsame-day 0.40 and ICCday-to-day 0.62). fRHI compared with RHI and lnRHI showed best reliability. Conclusion Repeated measurements of fRHI in stroke patients show moderate reliability on same-day and substantial on day-to-day measurements. Likewise, in healthy subjects there was substantial reliability on day-to-day measurement, but only moderate on same-day measurements. In general, day-to-day correlation of repeated EF measurements was far better than that of same-day measurements, which ranged from poor to moderate depending on the specific outcome measure of EF. A possible carryover effect should be considered if same-day repeated testing of drug effects is applied in future studies.