Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Economic appraisal of European transport projects: The state-of-the-art revisited

Substantial investment has been made at national and European level in transport infrastructure over the past 50 years and is likely to continue in the future. The need to appraise transport projects in economic and social terms has developed alongside this in both scope and complexity. The state-of-the-art in the economic appraisal of transport projects is reviewed, progress is assessed and future challenges are identified. The review addresses the general framework, treatment of major impacts, presentation of outputs and issues such as uncertainty. It draws on national practice in Western European countries, which varies substantially reflecting a range of cultural and economic differences. Some points of commonality exist and the principle of monetizing direct transport impacts is generally accepted. Progress has been made towards the measurement of environmental impacts, but the assessment of the wider impacts remains under-developed. Increased sophistication and complexity has brought increasing data and presentation requirements, where computerized decision support methods have potential. Many challenges exist for the future of appraisal and the review is concluded with a discussion of some key issues. At the heart of these is the continuing debate over the relative roles of national and European government in decision-making and resource allocation.
Household Welfare Effects of Agricultural Productivity: A Multidimensional Perspective from Ghana

Abstract Although poverty reduction policies in developing countries hinge on the link between smallholder productivity and welfare, micro level empirical evidence on this is limited in sub-Saharan Africa and neglects the multidimensionality of welfare. This article contributes through investigating the productivity-poverty relationship using a number of welfare measures with a three-period panel dataset for Ghana. The findings are that welfare is increasing with labour productivity irrespective of the measure used, but that dramatic increases in productivity would be required to achieve meaningful poverty reduction.
Contribution of air-proof doors and windows to asthma in Campania Plain (Italy)

The relation between the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma in children and the presence of air-proof doors and windows (doors and windows with rubber gaskets) in their homes was investigated by a cross-sectional survey in the area of Campania Plain, South Italy. Information on the occurrence of asthma and home/family characteristics, including parental smoking habit and level of education, was obtained by a questionnaire given to school children, aged 8 – 14 years, and their parents. After possible confounders were controlled, the risk of developing asthma was found to be significantly higher in children living in houses equipped with air-proof doors and windows (Odds ratio = 1.30, 95% Confidence interval = 1.1 – 1.5). By reducing the air exchange, these fixtures are likely to produce increased levels of indoor pollutants. No interaction was found between the two variables ‘air-proof doors and windows’ and ‘parental smoking habit’.
Islamic banking: 40 years later, still interest-based? Evidence from Malaysia

As Islamic banking comes of age 40 years after its beginning, scholars and academics are calling for a better version 2. Regulators in Malaysia and Pakistan are pushing the industry to adopt more Islamic contracts which live up to the spirits of Shariah. Malaysia, specifically, has launched the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA) as a step in this direction. To facilitate the transition, this study has two objectives; to test whether conventional rates is still cointegrated with Islamic banks’ profit rates in Malaysia and a ranking of the exogeneity of the factors that affect the profit rates. It uses a range of multivariate time series techniques namely the cointegration test, vector error correction model (VECM), cumulative sum (CUSUM) and cumulative sum of squares (CUSUMSQ) tests, variance decomposition (VDC), impulse response and persistence profiles. This study contributes to the literature through its use of the latest data (up to December 2014) and its rank of less-tested variables such as the ratio of Islamic deposits to total Islamic assets. The VDC ranking can also serve as a basis for comparison for the effects of IFSA. This research finds that Islamic profit rates are still cointegrated withconventional rates such as the overnight policy rate (OPR) and fixed deposit rates. Additionally, it is also led by Islamic banks’ dependency on deposits for funding and their market shares. These findings may give urgency to policy makers and practitioners to evolutionise current Islamic banking practices towards what is likely to be a more stable financial system.
A design model for digital game-based learning in the study of international relations: Developing an innovative learning method for a defense strategy course at Bina Nusantara University

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) has been tested and proved to be a viable solution for many educational challenges. This research aims to study several frameworks used to develop games for educational purposes and formulate a framework for the development of game-based learning, specifically for Strategic Studies in International Relations Department, Bina Nusantara University. Literature reviews of previously completed research studied existing frameworks and models, including the Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics (MDA) Framework and the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) Model, as well as the First Principles of Learning for designing the content of the game. The result shows the implementation of these frameworks in the design process of the game, as well as the early development of the game presented as a prototype.
The Local Workforce of International Intervention in the Yugoslav Successor States: ‘Precariat’ or ‘Projectariat’? Towards an Agenda for Future Research

The international organizations involved in peacebuilding, democratization and peacekeeping in the Yugoslav successor states have employed thousands of locally recruited workers as project officers, language intermediaries and support staff. This makes them a distinct employment sector within these post-socialist and in several cases post-conflict economies, most significantly in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. This paper evaluates arguments in favour of regarding this workforce firstly as a group of workers suffering precarity and secondly as a privileged social elite. While there are good grounds for recognizing them as a distinctive social group, this distinctiveness has not led to a widely expressed social identity based on the commonalities of their employment.
Impact of chronic and acute high‐fat feeding on acute experimental pancreatitis complicated by endotoxinaemia

Background: Obesity is associated with increased severity in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). The underlying mechanisms are unknown. Genetically obese rats exhibit decreased survival rate in experimental AP, but the clinical relevance of this model of obesity may be questioned. It is proposed that development of organ failure in AP occurs in two stages: initial priming of leucocytes followed by a second inflammatory attack. The aim was to evaluate the impact of diet‐induced obesity on outcome in a ‘two‐hit’ model of AP. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected i.p. 3 h after retrograde bile duct infusion of sodium taurocholate in rats. Three experiments were done: 1) an LPS dose‐response experiment, 2) chronic high‐fat feeding (HF) for 16 weeks, and 3) acute HF for 10 days. Control rats received normal chow. Obesity, morphology and survival rate were assessed. Results: LPS dose‐dependently decreased survival rate and increased morphological severity. HF increased weight, intra‐abdominal and liver fat. Only acute HF induced hyperlipidaemia. In AP, acute obese rats exhibited less pancreatic inflammation, but total histological severity between groups was not different. In the chronic experiment only obese animals succumbed before 24 h of pancreatitis, but 72‐h survival rate was not statistically different in either high‐fat experiment. Conclusion: An addition of LPS to AP decreases survival rate and intensifies the peri‐pancreatic processes. Despite significant obesity, neither hyperlipidaemia nor increased intra‐abdominal or hepatic fat influenced local pancreatic injury or survival negatively. The amount of fat per se seems not to be responsible for the deleterious influence of obesity on acute pancreatitis.
Scientific Basis of a Matrix Metalloproteinase‐8 Specific Chair‐side Test for Monitoring Periodontal and Peri‐implant Health and Disease

ABSTRACT: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially collagenase‐2 (MMP‐8), are key mediators of irreversible tissue destruction associated with periodontitis and peri‐implantitis. MMP‐8 is known to exist in elevated amounts and in active form in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and peri‐im‐plant sulcular fluid (PISF) from progressing periodontitis and peri‐implantitis lesions and sites, respectively. (Sorsa et al. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 737: 112‐131 [1994]; Teronen et al. J. Dent. Res. 76: 1529‐1537 [1997]). We have developed monoclonal antibodies to MMP‐8 (Hanemaaijer et al. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 31504‐31509 [1997]) that can be used in a chair‐side dipstick test to monitor the course and treatment of periodontitis and peri‐implantitis. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibody tests for MMP‐8 coincided with the classical functional collagenase activity test from GCF and PISF (Sorsa et al. J. Periodont.Res. 22: 386‐393 [1988]) in periodontal and peri‐implant health and disease. In future a chair‐side functional and/or immunological MMP‐test can be useful to diagnose and monitor periodontal and peri‐implant disease and health.
Forgiveness and Interpersonal Relationships: A Nepalese Investigation

ABSTRACT The present study examined the practice of forgiveness in Nepal. A model relating collectivism and forgiveness was examined. Participants (N = 221) completed measures of collectivism, individualism, forgiveness, conciliatory behavior, and motivations for avoidance and revenge toward the offender. Collectivism was positively related to forgiveness. Forgiveness was strongly related to conciliatory behavior and motivations for avoidance and revenge toward the offender. Decisional forgiveness was a stronger predictor of motivations for revenge than was emotional forgiveness.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validation, and Reliability Testing of the Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire in Persian Population with Low Back Pain

Study Design Prospective study. Purpose We aimed to validate the Persian version of the modified Oswestry disability questionnaire (MODQ) in patients with low back pain. Overview of Literature Modified Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire is a well-known condition-specific outcome measure that helps quantify disability in patients with lumbar syndromes. Methods To test the validity in a pilot study, the Persian MODQ was administered to 25 individuals with low back pain. We then enrolled 200 consecutive patients with low back pain to fill the Persian MODQ as well as the short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Convergent validity of the MODQ was tested using the Spearman's correlation coefficient between the MODQ and SF-36 subscales. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's α coefficient were measured to test the reliability between test and retest and internal consistency of all items, respectively. Results ICC for individual items ranged from 0.43 to 0.80 showing good reliability and reproducibility of each individual item. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.69 showing good internal consistency across all 10 items of the Persian MODQ. Total MODQ score showed moderate to strong correlation with the eight subscales and the two domains of the SF-36. The highest correlation was between the MODQ and the physical functioning subscale of the SF-36 (r=–0.54, p<0.001) and the physical component domain of the SF-36 (r=–0.55, p<0.001) showing that MODQ is measuring what it is supposed to measure in terms of disability and physical function. Conclusions Persian version of the MODQ is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of the disability following low back pain.
Depressed Anterior Table Fracture: A Minimally Invasive Method of Reduction

One-third of frontal sinus fractures are isolated to the anterior table. Traditional approaches to the reduction of an isolated anterior table fracture include the coronal incision, the bilateral brow incision, an endoscopic brow lift with an incision either directly over the fracture or in the brow, and delayed repair with a camouflaging implant. We describe a case involving a 14-year-old boy with a depressed anterior table fracture that we successfully treated using a minimally invasive technique requiring only one 2-cm incision.
New phenotypes of functional expression of the mKir2.1 channel in potassium efflux‐deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

The functional expression of the mouse Kir2.1 potassium channel in yeast cells lacking transport systems for potassium and sodium efflux (ena1‐4Δ nha1Δ) resulted in increased cell sensitivity to high external concentrations of potassium. The phenotype depended on the level of Kir2.1 expression and on the external pH. The activity of Kir2.1p in the yeast cells was almost negligible at pH 3.0 and the highest at pH 7.0. Kir2.1p was permeable for both potassium and rubidium cations, but neither sodium nor lithium were transported via the channel. Measurements of the cation contents in cells confirmed the higher concentration of potassium in cells with Kir2.1p. Specific inhibition of the mKir2.1 channel activity by Ba2+ cations was observed. The use of a mutant strain lacking both potassium efflux and uptake transporters (ena1‐4Δ nha1Δ trk1Δ trk2Δ) enabled the monitoring of channel activity on two levels—the provision of the necessary amount of intracellular K+ in media with low potassium concentrations, and simultaneously, the channel's contribution to cell potassium sensitivity in the presence of high external K+. This combination of mutations proved to be a new, sensitive and practical tool for characterizing the properties of heterologously expressed transporters mediating both the efflux and influx of alkali‐metal‐cations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ACTION SPECTRA FOR PHOTOACCUMULATION OF GREEN AND COLORLESS EUGLENA: EVIDENCE FOR IDENTIFICATION OF RECEPTOR PIGMENTS

Abstract—Phototaxis action spectra have been determined in three different types of Euglena gracilis; green and dark‐bleached cells containing the stigma and streptomycin‐treated white mutant with an absorptionless stigma. In all three types of microorganisms the flavin containing paraflagellar body is present. The shape of the action spectrum is the same for the three types of cells and proportional to the absorption spectrum of flavoproteins. It has been shown that the structure of the action spectrum does not depend on the presence of screening organelles, on which, instead, depends the direction of the response to the light stimulus. It is concluded that the flavin chromophores present in the photoreceptor are the pigments responsible for phototaxis in Euglena gracilis.
Inhibition of Protein Kinase Cβ Protects against Diabetes-Induced Impairment in Arachidonic Acid Dilation of Small Coronary Arteries

To test the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC)β-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) underlie the vascular dysfunction in diabetes, we examined the effects of (S)-13[(dimethylamino)-methyl]-10,11-14,15-tetrahydro-4,9:16,21-dimetheno-1H,13H-dibenzo[e,k]pyrrolo[3,4-h][1,4,13]oxadi-azacyclohexadecene-1,3(2H)-dione (LY333531; LY), a specific PKCβ inhibitor, on arachidonic acid (AA)-mediated dilation in small coronary arteries from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. This study was designed to determine whether diabetes impairs AA-induced vasodilation of small coronary arteries and whether this defect could be blunted by dietary treatment with LY. Coronary diameter was measured using videomicroscopy in isolated pressurized vessels. In controls, AA dose dependently dilated coronary arteries, with 1 μM producing 54.7 ± 3.1% and 30 μM producing 72.0 ± 3.0% dilation (n = 9). In diabetic rats, 1 μM AA only produced 31.4 ± 3.8% (n = 8; p < 0.01 versus control) and 30 μM 43.8 ± 3.7% dilation (n = 8; p < 0.001 versus control). Nitroprusside-mediated vasodilations were similar in control and diabetic rats. In contrast, in diabetic rats receiving LY, AA-mediated coronary dilations were normal. In controls, AA-mediated vasodilation was inhibited by miconazole (an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 epoxygenase) and by iberiotoxin (IBTX, an inhibitor of the large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel), but miconazole and IBTX had no effects in diabetic vessels. In diabetic rats receiving LY, the effects of miconazole and IBTX were similar to control. Superoxide dismutase restored responses to AA in diabetic vessels but had no effect in vessels from control or diabetic rats on LY. These results suggest that AA-mediated vasodilation in rat coronary arteries are impaired in diabetic rats due to increases in generation of ROS. LY protects against these defects in diabetes through inhibition of PKCβ-mediated production of ROS.
Impact of tunnel geometry and its dimensions on path loss at UHF frequency band

The present paper analyzes radio signal propagation in long tunnels with different cross sectional size and shape at various signal carrier frequencies, transmitter/receiver positions and material properties applying computer simulations. The influences of different parameters were investigated and results were compared to the empirical four-slope path loss model for long tunnels. It was shown that the size of the tunnel cross-sectional area and signal frequency have considerable impact on signal attenuation along the tunnel while the material properties influence is nearly negligible. Tunnel shape and transverse transmitter/and receiver positions can be neglected. The stated findings confirm validity of the four-slope model which takes into account signal frequency, tunnel dimensions and material properties.
A cloud‐based taxi trace mining framework for smart city

As a well‐known field of big data applications, smart city takes advantage of massive data analysis to achieve efficient management and sustainable development in the current worldwide urbanization process. An important problem in smart city is how to discover frequent trajectory sequence pattern and cluster trajectory. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a cloud‐based taxi trajectory pattern mining and trajectory clustering framework for smart city. Our work mainly includes (1) preprocessing raw Global Positioning System trace by calling the Baidu API Geocoding; (2) proposing a distributed trajectory pattern mining (DTPM) algorithm based on Spark; and (3) proposing a distributed trajectory clustering (DTC) algorithm based on Spark. The proposed DTPM algorithm and DTC algorithm can overcome the high input/output overhead and communication overhead by adopting in‐memory computation. In addition, the proposed DTPM algorithm can avoid generating redundant local trajectory patterns to significantly improve the overall performance. The proposed DTC algorithm can enhance the performance of trajectory similarity computation by transforming the trajectory similarity calculation into AND and OR operators. Experimental results indicate that DTPM algorithm and DTC algorithm can significantly improve the overall performance and scalability of trajectory pattern mining and trajectory clustering on massive taxi trace data. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trajectories of cognitive decline by driving mobility: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

The recent emphasis of the importance of “aging in place” has highlighted the role of transportation in health promotion over the life course. Driving cessation in later life is associated with numerous poor health outcomes including limitations in social and physical functioning and increased risk of mortality. However, little is known about the relationship between driving cessation and change in cognitive functioning in late life. This study examined the association between driving mobility and trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults.
Using interpretive structural modelling to identify and rank performance measures: An application in the automotive supply chain

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to identify and rank a set of performance measures using the approach of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to support the evaluation of automotive supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a framework to analyze the interactions among a suggested set of performance measures using the ISM approach. To identify the contextual relationships among the suggested measures, five experts from the automotive industry were consulted.Findings – Using the ISM approach the performance measures were clustered according to their driving power and dependence power. Inventory level and lead time are the two performance measures at the bottom level of the hierarchy, implying higher driving power. Operational costs, business wastage, environmental costs, delivery time and customer satisfaction are identified as autonomous measures. This means that they are relatively disconnected from the other suggested performance measures. It is also observ.
Cultural norms and values and purchases of counterfeits

We conjecture that an important driver of individual purchases of counterfeit products is cultural norms and values. To put this conjecture to an empirical test, we make use of the unique situation of Surinamese people who live in Suriname and in the Netherlands and who might share the same norms and values but certainly not their respective income levels and demographics. Holding newly collected data from surveys amongst Surinamese individuals in the Netherlands and in Suriname against a control group of Dutch individuals in the Netherlands, we present evidence that cultural norms are indeed a key driver for purchases of counterfeit products. Implications for policy are discussed.
WeMiT: Web-Mining for Translation

The quality of machine translation is often dependent on the quality of lexical transfer from a source language to a target language. In this work we present an automatic method to translate specialized terms. The proposed approach is based on two steps: (1) extraction of candidates for translation into web pages, (2) identification of the most relevant candidates by using web-mining techniques.
MTHFR C677T polymorphism and its relation to ischemic stroke in the Black Sea Turkish population

The MTHFR C677T mutation has been shown to be associated with venous thrombosis. The role of this mutation in ischemic stroke is unclear. We investigated whether the MTHFR mutation is a risk factor for patients with ischemic stroke in the Black Sea Turkish population or not. We analyzed 30 patients (19 male, 11 female) [median age: 50 years (range: 28–78)] with ischemic stroke who had no known predisposition factors for stroke and 242 (182 male, 60 female) healthy controls [median age: 42 years (range: 18–65)]. Detection of the MTHFR C677T mutation was performed by using commercially available allele‐specific PCR‐ELISA kits. Prevalence of the MTHFR C677T genotype was 49.1% (CT, 45.8%; TT, 3.3%) in controls and 50% (CT, 43.3%; TT, 6.6%) in patients [OR: 1.03, 95% CI (0.45–2.35]). The prevalence of homozygous gene mutation for MTHFR was higher among patients with stroke than control subjects, but this difference was not statistically significant. The MTHFR gene mutation is not a risk factor for ischemic stroke formation in patients from the Black Sea region in Turkey. Am. J. Hematol. 76:40–43, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.