Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Fuel Subsidies for Transportation Sector in Kuwait

The aim of this study is to estimate the demand for oil products in the transportation sector in Kuwait using time series data for the period 1975-2005. The results indicate that the demand for motor gasoline is inelastic with respect to price and income in the short and long run. The demand has a short run elasticity approaching unity when it comes to the average fuel economy of the fleet of automobiles, which indicates a rapid response to global changes in the automobiles’ technology. Furthermore, the results reveal that diesel fuel consumption is price and income inelastic in the short run but exceeds unit elasticity in the long run. As for the case of aviation fuel, the demand is inelastic with respect to the price in the short run but it exceeds unit elasticity with respect to the number of flights landed at Kuwait airport, which indicates that the level of activity is more important explanatory variable of the demand for aviation fuel than its own price. The Simulation of the estimated model under various scenarios regarding energy prices revealed that there are definite long run advantages to introducing fuel prices adjustment upward. There is a great potential for energy conservation and fuel efficiency gains in the transportation sector. The moderate, the extreme and the complete removal of subsidies scenarios showed that the transportation sector will observe a decline of in the range of 3 % to 6 % from the baseline scenario. The size of fleet of automobiles and improvements in technical fuel efficiency will contribute significantly in that direction. Finally, for the result under no price subsidies, fuel prices for the transportation sector will be the highest prices among all the scenarios and the total energy demand will be lower than the baseline scenario by about 6 % in 2015.
Research Article Artificial Neural Network Modelling of Photodegradation in Suspension of Manganese Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles under Visible-light Irradiation

The artificial neural network (ANN) modeling of m-cresol photodegradation was carried out for determination of the optimum and importance values of the effective variables to achieve the maximum efficiency. The photodegradation was carried out in the suspension of synthesized manganese doped ZnO nanoparticles under visible-light irradiation. The input considered effective variables of the photodegradation were irradiation time, pH, photocatalyst amount, and concentration of m-cresol while the efficiency was the only response as output. The performed experiments were designed into three data sets such as training, testing, and validation that were randomly splitted by the software's option. To obtain the optimum topologies, ANN was trained by quick propagation (QP), Incremental Back Propagation (IBP), Batch Back Propagation (BBP), and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithms for testing data set. The topologies were determined by the indicator of minimized root mean squared error (RMSE) for each algorithm. According to the indicator, the QP-4-8-1, IBP-4-15-1, BBP-4-6-1, and LM-4-10-1 were selected as the optimized topologies. Among the topologies, QP-4-8-1 has presented the minimum RMSE and absolute average deviation as well as maximum R-squared. Therefore, QP-4-8-1 was selected as final model for validation test and navigation of the process. The model was used for determination of the optimum values of the effective variables by a few three-dimensional plots. The optimum points of the variables were confirmed by further validated experiments. Moreover, the model predicted the relative importance of the variables which showed none of them was neglectable in this work.
SUMMARIZATION OF THINGS Ensemble Algorithms for Microblog Summarization

Summarization of Things in a cyber-physical society involve multi-dimensional Summarization of a wide variety of data, including textual data from various online and offline sources, sensor data, and so on.1 Especially, crowdsourced textual data from social media sites like Twitter are nowadays important sources of real-time information on ongoing events, including socio-political events, natural and manmade disasters, and so on. On such sites, microblogs are usually posted so rapidly and in such large volumes, that it is not feasible for human users to go through all the posts. In such scenarios, summarization of microblogs (tweets) is an important task. A large number of extractive summarization algorithms have been proposed, both for general text summarization2 and specifically for microblogs.3 Few studies have also compared the performance of different summarization algorithm son microblogs.4,5 In this work, rather than trying to come up with a new summarization algorithm, we investigate whether existing off-the-shelf summarization algorithms can be combined to produce better quality summaries, compared to what is obtained from any of the individual algorithms.
Title Precise propagation of fault-failure correlations in program flowgraphs

Statistical fault localization techniques find suspicious faulty program entities in programs by comparing passed and failed executions. Existing studies show that such techniques can be promising in locating program faults. However, coincidental correctness and execution crashes may make program entities indistinguishable in the execution spectra under study, or cause inaccurate counting, thus severely affecting the precision of existing fault localization techniques. In this paper, we propose a BlockRank technique, which calculates, contrasts, and propagates the mean edge profiles between passed and failed executions to alleviate the impact of coincidental correctness. To address the issue of execution crashes, BlockRank identifies suspicious basic blocks by modeling how each basic block contributes to failures by apportioning their fault relevance to surrounding basic blocks in terms of the rate of successful transition observed from passed and failed executions. BlockRank is empirically shown to be more effective than nine representative techniques on four real-life mediumsized programs. Keyword—fault localization; graph; social network analysis
Tong, Zhen and Luo, Xichun and Sun, Jining and Liang, Yingchun and Jiang, Xiangqian (2015) Investigation of a scale-up manufacturing approach for nanostructures by using a nanoscale multi-tip diamond

Increasing interest in commercializing functional nanostructured devices heightens the need for cost effective manufacturing approaches for nanostructures. This paper presents an investigation of a scale-up manufacturing approach for nanostructures through diamond turning using a nanoscale multi-tip diamond tool (four tip tool with tip width of 150 nm) fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB). The manufacturing capacity of this new technique is evaluated through a series of cutting trials on copper substrates under different cutting conditions (depth of cut 100–500 nm, spindle speed 12–120 rpm). The machined surface roughness and nanostructure patterns are measured by using a white light interferometer and a scanning electron microscope, respectively. Results show that the form accuracy and integrity of the machined nanostructures were degraded with the increase of the depth of cut and the cutting speed. The burr and the structure damage are two major machining defects. High precision nano-grooves (form error of bottom width < 6.7 %) was achieved when a small depth of cut of 100 nm was used (spindle speed = 12 rpm). Initial tool wear was found at both the clearance cutting edge and the side edges of tool tips after a cutting distance of 2.5 km. Moreover, the nanometric cutting process was emulated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The research findings obtained from MD simulation reveal the underlying mechanism for machining defects and the initialization of tool wear observed in experiments. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Cyclic AMP Activates p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Th2 Cells: Phosphorylation of GATA-3 and Stimulation of Th2 Cytokine Gene Expression1

cAMP is an important second messenger with immunomodulatory properties. Elevation of intracellular cAMP in T cells, induced by agents such as IL-1α or PGs, inhibits T cell activation. In effector T cells, an increase in the level of intracellular cAMP inhibits cytokine production in Th1 cells but stimulates cytokine production in Th2 cells. Here we report that cAMP-induced effects in Th2 cells occur independently of the protein kinase A pathway, which is the major mediator of cAMP-induced signaling events in most cell types. Instead, cAMP stimulates activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in Th2 cells. This appears to be a Th2-selective event because cAMP barely increased p38 phosphorylation in Th1 cells. We show that in Th2 cells, cAMP promotes the production of both IL-5 and IL-13, which play distinct but critical roles in asthma pathogenesis. Our data also show that cAMP causes increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor GATA-3, which we have shown is a critical regulator of Th2 cytokine gene expression and, in turn, of airway inflammation in mice. Thus, Th2-specific GATA-3 expression and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation together provide a molecular basis for the differential effects of cAMP in the two T helper cell subsets.
MACRO AND MICROMORPHOLOGIC INDICATORS OF PHYSICAL CLAYEY RED LATOSOL CULTIVATED WITH SUGARCANE Indicadores Macro

The southwest of Goiás stands out in the process of the recent expansion of sugarcane plantation, especially in micro-region of Quirinópolis, where previously areas of annual crops were replaced, especially soybeans, and then pasture areas on clayey dystroferric Red Latosol (LVdf) which has a high potential for compaction. The aim of this work was to evaluate the process of compaction such soils cultivated with sugarcane, considering the selected profiles were decompressed, corrected and fertilized before planting sugarcane. Such profiles have along with the current use of sugarcane varying in relation to previous use (soybean/sugarcane, pasture/sugarcane and pasture succession/soybean/sugarcane), and the management with and without fertigation with vinasse, and an area of remaining natural vegetation as control. Macro and micromorphological indicators, followed by tests evaluated in laboratory as penetration resistance and physic-hydric analysis. The results indicated surface and subsurface compaction of the soil profile studied, regardless of previous uses, being the main indicators the presence of structure tending to laminar few porous in compaction levels, and increased of soil density and of penetration resistance.
Self-emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS): An Approach for Solubility, Dissolution and Bioavailability Enhancement of Furosemide

Furosemide is a high-ceiling (loop) diuretic, which is extensively used in the treatment of hypertension and oedema associated complications. However, when delivered orally, furosemide is poorly water-soluble and in turn suffers from poor bioavailability. The aim of this study was to investigate and develop SEDDS of furosemide and to enhance its solubility, dissolution and consequently its bioavailability. The formulation technique of this study included selection of oil phase based on solubility studies and based on emulsification abilities surfactants and co-surfactants were screened. Calibration curve was constructed to determinethe concentration of dissolved drug by using a serial dilution method. The prepared formulations of SEDDS were evaluated based on their release patterns. Mathematical models used for furosemide release studies were zero order kinetic model, first order kinetic model, Higuchi model, Korsemeyer-peppas model and Hixson–crowell model. In vitro release studies revealed that release profiles of furosemide was best expressed by Higuchi equation, as the plots showed highest linearity (coefficient of determination, R 2 = 0.94). Likewise, the formulation DS3 showed highest linearity (R 2 = 0.94). Nonetheless, poor linearity’s (R 2 = 0.66 to 0.71) were found in first order and in zero order kinetic model (R 2 = 0.68 to 0.76). The results of this study clearly indicated the potential opportunity to modulate the rate and to extend the drug (furosemide) release with the used polymers and formulations. Furthermore, the results of this study strongly recommend the successful use of SEDDS to increase solubility, dissolution and in turn bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs like furosemide.
Disclosing the CXCR4 Expression in Lymphoproliferative Diseases by Targeted Molecular Imaging

Chemokine ligand-receptor interactions play a pivotal role in cell attraction and cellular trafficking, both in normal tissue homeostasis and in disease. In cancer, chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) expression is an adverse prognostic factor. Early clinical studies suggest that targeting CXCR4 with suitable high-affinity antagonists might be a novel means for therapy. In addition to the preclinical evaluation of [68Ga]Pentixafor in mice bearing human lymphoma xenografts as an exemplary CXCR4-expressing tumor entity, we report on the first clinical applications of [68Ga]Pentixafor-Positron Emission Tomography as a powerful method for CXCR4 imaging in cancer patients. [68Ga]Pentixafor binds with high affinity and selectivity to human CXCR4 and exhibits a favorable dosimetry. [68Ga]Pentixafor-PET provides images with excellent specificity and contrast. This non-invasive imaging technology for quantitative assessment of CXCR4 expression allows to further elucidate the role of CXCR4/CXCL12 ligand interaction in the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
Detecting Directionality in Random Fields Using the Monogenic Signal

Detecting and analyzing directional structures in images is important in many applications since one-dimensional patterns often correspond to important features such as object contours or trajectories. Classifying a structure as directional or nondirectional requires a measure to quantify the degree of directionality and a threshold, which needs to be chosen based on the statistics of the image. In order to do this, we model the image as a random field. So far, little research has been performed on analyzing directionality in random fields. In this paper, we propose a measure to quantify the degree of directionality based on the random monogenic signal, which enables a unique decomposition of a 2-D signal into local amplitude, local orientation, and local phase. We investigate the second-order statistical properties of the monogenic signal for isotropic, anisotropic, and unidirectional random fields. We analyze our measure of directionality for finite-size sample images and determine a threshold to distinguish between unidirectional and nonunidirectional random fields, which allows the automatic classification of images.
Inductive Modeling of Amylolytic Microorganisms Quantity in Copper Polluted Soils

The article presents the application results of the combinatorial-genetic algorithm COMBI-GA for modeling from experimental data of amylolytic microorganism quantity in a soil plot contaminated by copper. The constructed nonlinear mathematical models describe dependence of microorganisms concentration in soil from basic vital environmental factors and the copper concentration in the soil.
Information and Low Back Pain Management: A Systematic Review

Study Design. A systematic search of three electronic databases was done to identify randomized controlled trials on the effect of written or audiovisual information in low back pain. Objectives. To determine whether information is an effective preventive action and/or therapy for low back pain and which type of information is most effective. Summary of Background Data. Information is commonly used in the primary care of low back pain and mostly delivered by booklets. Methods. A systematic computer-aided search of the Medline, PsyclInfo, and Embase database. A rating system was used to assess the strength of the evidence, based on the methodologic quality of the randomized controlled trials, the relevance of the outcome measures, and the consistency of the results. Results. Eleven randomized controlled trials were selected, including seven trials of high methodologic quality, as well as one parallel group controlled survey and one longitudinal study. Only three of the seven high-quality studies showed favorable results for information. There is strong evidence that a booklet increases knowledge and moderate evidence that physician-related cues increase the confidence in a booklet and adherence to exercises. There is limited evidence that a biopsychosocial booklet is more efficient than a biomedical booklet to shift patient's beliefs about physical activity, pain, and consequences of low back trouble. There is strong evidence that booklets are not efficient on absenteeism and conflicting evidence that they are efficient on healthcare use. There is no evidence that e-mail discussion or video programs alone are effective to reduce low back pain, disability, and healthcare costs. Conclusions. Information based on a biopsychosocial model is recommended in primary care to shift patient beliefs on low back pain. Nevertheless, information delivery alone is not sufficient to prevent absenteeism and reduce healthcare costs.
Perceived supervisor supports: contribution to aspiration,mastery and salience as three dimensions of achievement motivation

This study examines the influence of perceived work and non-work supervisor supports on aspiration, mastery and salience. Aspiration, mastery and salience are the three dimensions of achievement motivation. A total of 303 Iranian extension agents were surveyed using a set of structured questionnaire. The results show that there are sequential relationships among the three dimensions of achievement motivation. The results also show that perceived supervisor work supports influence employees' aspiration and mastery, while, supervisor non-work supports is associated with aspiration and salience. Practical and theoretical contributions of this study to human resource issues are also discussed.
Control of cell flattening and junctional remodeling during squamous epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila

Diverse types of epithelial morphogenesis drive development. Similar cytoskeletal and cell adhesion machinery orchestrate these changes, but it is unclear how distinct tissue types are produced. Thus, it is important to define and compare different types of morphogenesis. We investigated cell flattening and elongation in the amnioserosa, a squamous epithelium formed at Drosophila gastrulation. Amnioserosa cells are initially columnar. Remarkably, they flatten and elongate autonomously by perpendicularly rotating the microtubule cytoskeleton - we call this `rotary cell elongation'. Apical microtubule protrusion appears to initiate the rotation and microtubule inhibition perturbs the process. F-actin restrains and helps orient the microtubule protrusions. As amnioserosa cells elongate, they maintain their original cell-cell contacts and develop planar polarity. Myosin II localizes to anterior-posterior contacts, while the polarity protein Bazooka (PAR-3) localizes to dorsoventral contacts. Genetic analysis revealed that Myosin II and Bazooka cooperate to properly position adherens junctions. These results identify a specific cellular mechanism of squamous tissue morphogenesis and molecular interactions involved.
Low-and High-Dose Plant and Marine ( n-3 ) Fatty Acids Do Not Affect Plasma Inflammatory Markers in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome 1 – 4

Chronic inflammation is considered to play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Various (n-3) fatty acids (FA) have been reported to have antiinflammatory effects, but there is a lack of consensus in this area, particularly in regard to optimal source(s) and dose(s). This study aimed to determine the effects of high and low doses of (n-3) FA from plant and marine sources on plasma inflammatory marker concentrations. One-hundred adults with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to a low or high dose of plant(2.2 or 6.6 g/d a-linolenic acid) or marine(1.2 or 3.6 g/d EPA and DHA) derived (n-3) FA or placebo for 8 wk, using a parallel arm design (n = 20/arm). Fasting blood samples collected at 0, 4, and 8 wk were analyzed for concentrations of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-6, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and for cardiovascular risk factors. Baseline concentrations across all 5 groups combined were (mean6 SD) 103 6 32 ng/L for MCP-1, 1.066 0.56 ng/L for IL-6, and 0.1976 0.041 ng/L for sICAM-1. There were no significant differences in 8-wk changes in plasma inflammatory marker concentrations among the 5 groups. Plasma TG and blood pressure decreased significantly more and the LDL cholesterol concentration increased more in the high-dose fish oil group compared to the 8-wk changes in some of the other 4 groups (P# 0.04). In conclusion, no beneficial effects were detected for any of the 3 inflammatory markers investigated in response to (n-3) FA in adults with metabolic syndrome regardless of dose or source. J. Nutr. 141: 2166–2171, 2011.
Granularity in software product lines

Building software product lines (SPLs) with features is a challenging task. Many SPL implementations support features with coarse granularity - e.g., the ability to add and wrap entire methods. However, fine-grained extensions, like adding a statement in the middle of a method, either require intricate workarounds or obfuscate the base code with annotations. Though many SPLs can and have been implemented with the coarse granularity of existing approaches, fine-grained extensions are essential when extracting features from legacy applications. Furthermore, also some existing SPLs could benefit from fine-grained extensions to reduce code replication or improve readability. In this paper, we analyze the effects of feature granularity in SPLs and present a tool, called Colored IDE (CIDE), that allows features to implement coarse-grained and fine-grained extensions in a concise way. In two case studies, we show how CIDE simplifies SPL development compared to traditional approaches.
Analyzing the Effects of Fiscal Policy On Income Distribution: A Comparison Between Developed and Developing Countries

The study examines the effect of fiscal policy on income distribution in developed and developing countries. The study analyzes the explanatory power of tax and transfers on income inequality in 17 developing and 30 developed countries in between 1990 and 2014 by using linear panel data estimation techniques. According to the findings, tax revenues decrease income inequalities in developing countries while social benefits decrease income inequality in developed countries. Also, the economic growth has negative impact on income distribution in developing countries whereas the economic growth and inflation have positive impact on income distribution in developed countries.
A 200 A duty-cycled PLL for wireless sensor nodes

A duty-cycled PLL operating in burst mode is presented. It is an essential building block of a moderately accurate low-power frequency synthesizer suitable for use in nodes for Wireless Sensor Networks. Once in lock, the PLL’s frequency error is less than 0.1% (rms). Fabricated in a baseline 65 nm CMOS process, the PLL occupies 0.19X0.15 mm and draws 200 μA from a 1.3-V supply when generating a 1 GHz signal with a duty cycle of 10%.