Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Street Vendors of Bangkok: Alternatives to Indoor Retailers at a Time of Economic Crisis

Problem statement: During an economic crisis, consumers will use different techniques to make their money go as far as possible: More carefully comparing prices at point of sale locations, bringing out the coins they previously left unused in saving banks, switching to lower cost options and choosing to shop in less convenient locations in order to find discounts. One such option is to use street vendors rather than regular indoor retailers. Street vendors can provide cheaper goods because, in many cases, they do not need to pay for electricity or water bills and their rental costs can be much lower. Further, vendors themselves may be more willing to enter into haggling negotiations and offer cash discounts to well-known or regular customers. However, it would be wrong to assume that all street vendors are the same in terms of character or that they operate according to the same business model. Approach: This is a case study based principally on secondary sources and recapitulating primary research reported previously. Results: Research among street vendors in several locations reveal a wide variety of experiences, ability to provide value added goods and services and intentions and ambitions for the business concerned. While the majority of vendors have quite low levels of ambition, earn minimum wages or less and have little concept of marketing or adding value to products, there are other vendors who have organized their own international supply chains, contract manufactured their own branded goods and franchise stalls throughout the city of Bangkok. In some cases, therefore, street vending should be encouraged because it can offer a route out of the informal economy and into the formal economy for people who might not otherwise be able to achieve regular employment. Vendors also offer, in some cases, good quality alternatives to indoor retailers and help keep prices as a whole down. Conclusion/Recommendations: This case study addressed the question: When should the informal economy be supported and when should it be regulated on the basis that its low standards and semi-legal status damage the economy and society as a whole? The answer is not definitive and sufficient information is provided for readers to determine appropriate answers in different circumstances, which will be informed by individual opinions and principles.
Change Vulnerability Forecasting for Southeast Asia using Deep Learning Algorithm

a Department of Computer Science, Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology, International Islamic University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia b Soft Computing and Intelligent System (SPINT), Faculty of Computer Systems & Software Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia 1 amelia@iium.edu. my*; 2 junaida@ump.edu. my * corresponding author
Coherent Foreign Exchange Market Models

A model describing the dynamics of a foreign exchange (FX) rate should preserve the same level of analytical tractability when the inverted FX process is considered. We show that affine stochastic volatility models satisfy such a requirement. Such a finding allows us to use affine stochastic volatility models as a building block for FX dynamics that are functionally-invariant with respect to the construction of suitable products/ratios of rates, thus generalizing the model of [A. De Col, A. Gnoatto & M. Grasselli (2013) Smiles all around: FX joint calibration in a multi-Heston model, Journal of Banking and Finance 37 (10), 3799–3818. ].
BISON IST-2001-38923 Biology-Inspired techniques for Self Organization in dynamic Networks Models for Advanced Services in AHN , P 2 P Networks Deliverable Number : D 08 Delivery Date : January 2004 Classification : Public Contact

This document describes the characteristics of the models that have been developed so far in BISON in relationship to the management of advanced functions in dynamic networks. In order to cover a wide spectrum of possible dynamic networks scenarios, in this phase of the project we have investigated a number of different models. The models include various load balancing schemes and schemes to efficiently distribute contents across the network. Moreover, a modular approach through which advanced functions are realized by combining various basic functions is also proposed. The schemes are inspired by different biological concepts like epidemics, ants, chemotaxis, immune system etc. In each of the models, fairness criteria have been defined to compare the model with state of the art technology. Initial experimental results are also provided along with each model. The preliminary evaluation results that have been studied so far appear promising according to the BISON’s objectives.
Does Participation in Outdoor Activities Determine Residents’ Appreciation of Nature: A Case Study From the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Different people engage in different activities for different reasons. This paper contributes to literature examining participation in various outdoor activities and its association with perceived importance of environmental values. Using data from a survey of more than 1500 residents living adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in Australia, we examine (1) residents’ participation and frequency of participation in a number of GBRWHA-related outdoor activities; (2) if a range of socio-economic characteristics played a role in determining participation in these activities; and (3) the linkages between participation in outdoor activities and a range of environmental values related to the GBRWHA. Going to the mainland beaches and swimming were reported as the most frequent activities. Males, residents with higher income, and those with the main household income from fishing and tourism industries, are more likely to participate in outdoor activities than others. There is a link between participation in activities and the perception of values. We found that occasional participation in an activity does not necessarily change perceptions of importance of the GBRWHA values. However, as frequency of participation increased, importance of some of the values also increased. Frequent participation in consumptive activities such as fishing was linked to higher appreciation of use values. However, with the non-consumptive uses, such as beach and island visitation, the association extends to a whole range of use and non-use values. Findings have implications for management as they indicate that frequent participants in outdoor recreation place higher importance on environmental values and may therefore stand as stronger environmental stewards than others.
Stochastic BEM for the Vibroacoustic Analysis of Three-Dimensional Structures

Nowadays, extending the NVH prediction reliability to the whole frequency range is an attractive goal of vibroacoustics. Deterministic methodologies are well established for the low-frequency range, but, decreasing the wavelength, energy-based methods are necessary. In such a range, a crucial role is played by small perturbations which highly influence the response sensitivity. Moreover, taking into account these variations allows to make the product design more robust and even quicker. Introducing geometrical uncertainties within the classic BEM formulation allows to obtain the so-called stochastic BEM. As a result, the solution shows deterministic behaviour at low frequencies; decreasing the wavelength, the effect of the uncertainties smooths the response. Consequently, it is possible to obtain an averaged trend over the whole frequency range which asymptotically tends to the deterministic one. In this paper, we deal with three-dimensional acoustic SBEM. First, the formulation and its basic assumptions are presented. Secondly, they are applied to academic cases to show its potentialities in predicting vibroacoustic behaviour over a wide frequency range.
Increase of ozone concentrations, its temperature sensitivity and the precursor factor in South China

Concerns have been raised about the possible connections between the local and regional photochemical problem and global warming. The current study assesses the trend of ozone in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in South China and investigates the interannual changes of sensitivity of ozone to air temperature, as well as the trends in regional precursors. Results reveal, at the three monitoring sites from the mid-1990s to 2010, an increase in the mean ozone concentrations from 1.0 to 1.6 µg m−3 per year. The increase occurred in all seasons, with the highest rate in autumn. This is consistent with trends and temperature anomalies in the region. The increase in the sensitivity of ozone to temperature is clearly evident from the correlation between ozone (OMI [Ozone Monitoring Instrument] column amount) and surface air temperature (from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) displayed in the correlation maps for the PRD during the prominently high ozone period of July–September. It is observed to have increased from 2005 to 2010, the latter being the hottest year on record globally. To verify this temporal change in sensitivity, the ground-level trends of correlation coefficients/regression slopes are analysed. As expected, results reveal a statistically significant upward trend over a 14-year period (1997–2010). While the correlation revealed in the correlation maps is in agreement with the corresponding OMI ozone maps when juxtaposed, temperature sensitivity of surface ozone also shows an association with ozone concentration, with R=0.5. These characteristics of ozone sensitivity are believed to have adverse implications for the region. As shown by ground measurements and/or satellite analyses, the decrease in nitrogen oxides (NO2) and NOx in Hong Kong is not statistically significant while NO2 of the PRD has only very slightly changed. However, carbon dioxide has remarkably declined in the whole region. While these observations concerning precursors do not seem to adequately support an increasing ozone trend, measured surface levels of formaldehyde, a proxy for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, have risen significantly in the PRD (2004–2010). Hence, the reactive VOCs in the PRD are likely to be the main culprit for the increase of ozone, as far as precursors are concerned. Despite the prevailing problem, model simulations suggest prospects for improvement in the future.
Improving Physician Skills in Managing Morally

AUTHOR SheehanT. Joseph; And Others TITLE Improving Physician Skills in Managing Morally Problematic Cases. SPONS AGENCY Aetna Life and Casualty Foundetion, Inc., Hartford, CT. ; National Fund for Medical Education, Cleveland, Ohio. PUB DATE Apr 87 NOTE 28p. ; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Washington, DC, April 20-24, 1987). PUB TiPE Reports Research/Technical 1143) == Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
Alteration of Abiotic Stress Responsive Genes in Polygonum minus Roots by Jasmonic Acid Elicitation

Plants are continuously exposed to both biotic and abiotic stress in their natural environment. Unlike animals, plants are immobilized organisms which tend to be vulnerable to various environmental stresses. In order to survive, plants have evolved a wide range of defense mechanism to cope with these stresses. Both biotic and abiotic stresses might share some common signaling pathway in triggering the defense system in plants. Recent researches have revealed that phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene (ET) are intermediate molecules which play key roles in the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic signaling network (Fujita et al. 2006). In this chapter, we highlight the effects of exogenous applied jasmonic acid in triggering the synthesis of some molecules and activating their respective biosynthetic genes in plants as a response towards abiotic stresses. Abiotic stress is defined as non-living external factors, usually environment conditions, which could reduce plant growth and cause huge devastation on agricultural productivity. Some of these major adverse environmental factors are drought, salinity, heavy metals, extreme temperatures, nutrient poor soils and other source of natural disasters. To our knowledge, these abiotic stresses have account for major crops lost worldwide where more than 50% of their average yields were decreased yearly (Rodriguez et al. 2005). However, not all effects are detrimental. Plants are able to exhibit various molecular mechanisms as a defense system and these responses could be generally divided into three main groups. Firstly, signalling of stress-activated molecules leading to changes of osmotic and ionic homeostasis as well as detoxification mechanism. Secondly, up-regulation of different gene expression leading to synthesis of specific proteins (e.g. heat-shock proteins and LEA proteins) and some protective molecules (e.g. sugars, polyalcohols and amino acids). Thirdly, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of antioxidant systems by synthesizing secondary metabolites such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds (Boscaiu et al. 2008). Among these changes, synthesis of secondary metabolites is at the highest interest because it has a wide range of functions, ranging from plant defense against abiotic stresses to human benefits. Plants have the ability to produce vast variety of secondary metabolites naturally. Secondary metabolites have been defined as compounds that did not play a vital role in
DEPOSITION ON CAVITATION RESISTANCE OF X 6 CrNiTi 18-10 STAINLESS STEEL

The results of the cavitation erosion resistance of nanostructure TiN, CrN and WC/a:C-H coatings deposited on X6CrNiTi18-10 stainless steel by means of PVD method are shown. The tests of cavitation resistance were performed in a cavitation tunnel with a barricade system. It was noticed that the deposition of TiN and CrN nanocrystalline coatings has improved the cavitation resistance of X6CrNiTi18-10 stainless steel while the deposition of WC/a:C-H nanocomposite coating has decreased the cavitation resistance. The high adhesion and good plastic deformation abilities of coatings are very important to assure the high cavitation resistance of the austenitic steel-hard coating system.
Improving Business Performance: A Proposed Model for SMEs

Culinary revenues comprise some of the main sources contributing to an increase in the Global Tourism Competitiveness Index and Region Own Source Revenue (ROSR). The high number of Small Medium Entrepreneurship (SME) traditional restaurants should increase ROSR. However, the revenue from this sector has not yet been optimised due to a lack of business performance. Traditional restaurants are losing their market to modern chain restaurants, some of which are franchises from outside Indonesia. How SME are coached viewed from the aspects of marketing capability and accountability accounting is the main issue of this paper. Both capabilities are expected to improve adaptability and, in turn, performance. This paper tries to trace the theoretical model of proposals regarding how both capabilities can affect performance directly or through adaptability. This study is very rare; one like it has never been conducted concerning SMEs, especially models that explain the existing phenomenon in Indonesia. Hopefully, this study will provide advanced research guidance and convenience to the government for SME traditional restaurantsâ€™ coaching approach in encouraging culinary tourism and economic development.
Construction of Pseudoternary Phase Diagram and its Evaluation:Development of Self-dispersible Oral Formulation

The purpose of this study is to give an insight into the significance of pseudoternary phase diagram construction and its evaluation, as an important tool for the development of lipid based selfdispersible oral formulation. This formulation was designed in order to improve the oral efficacy of hydrophobic drug, which display dissolution rate limited absorption. Construction of pseudoternary phase diagram is an important tool for screening of self-dispersible formulation components and to assess the effect of different component on in-vitro performance of formulation. Spontaneity of formulation to convert into nano drug carrier and robustness to dilution inside gastrointestinal lumen is an important aspect of such lipid based formulation to predict its in-vivo performance. Thus our study provides an important tool for designing of lipid based formulation for improved oral delivery of low bioavailable drug.
CHEMICAL ACTIVATION OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE PULSED, COLD ATMOSPHERIC PLASMA JETS

Chemical activation of the high voltage pulsed, cold atmospheric plasma jets is performed by introducing a low quantity of oxygen into the main flow of helium or argon. This article presents the influence of the oxygen over the intensity of the plasma jet current. Using optical emission spectroscopy we can demonstrate that there is an optimal value of the oxygen concentration that maximizes the plasma chemical activity.
Mental toughness and transitions to high school and to undergraduate study

Abstract Mental toughness can be conceptualised as a set of attributes that allow people to deal effectively with challenges, stressors and pressure. Recent work has suggested that it may be a valuable construct to consider within educational settings. The current studies explored the associations between mental toughness and educational transitions. Study 1 examined the relationships between mental toughness and concerns about moving to a new school in 105 children aged 12–13 years of age. The results revealed significant relationships between several aspects of mental toughness, but particularly confidence in abilities, and children’s concerns. Study 2 examined the relationships between mental toughness and adjustment to university in 200 undergraduate students at various stages of their course. The results revealed a role for several aspects of mental toughness; commitment, control of life, control of emotion, confidence in abilities and interpersonal confidence. The results are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice. It is suggested that measures of mental toughness could be used to identify individuals who may benefit from additional support during transition to a new school or to university, and that future research should explore the potential benefits of mental toughness training.
Study on Evaluation of Asset Quality in Enterprises Based on DEA Model

The quantity of assets, especially the quality of assets, plays a crucial role in development of enterprises. For the time being, most studies about asset quality of enterprises are limited to qualitative analysis and there are rarely studies of quantitative evaluation. DEA analysis method is one which studies whether a multiple element input and multiple output system is relatively effective. We may regard an enterprise as a system with input of asset element and output of quality benefit. This article employed a quantitative method to discuss asset quality evaluation based on DEA Model by irrationally selecting asset element input indexes and quality benefit output indexes. Then, the author analyzed applicability and merits as well as disadvantages of this method.
Identifying target species and seed sources for the restoration of threatened trees in southern Brazil

Abstract Ecological restoration of trees is often constrained by limited knowledge of the biology, propagation and management requirements of individual species. Consequently, restoration initiatives rarely incorporate less well-known species or those that are difficult to source and grow. We describe challenges associated with the restoration of threatened trees in the Araucaria Forest of southern Brazil, and analyse the effectiveness of methods used to define target species, identify seed sources and generate information on the phenology of rare or threatened tree species. A review of secondary data identified 71 rare or threatened taxa as targets for seed collection. We then surveyed 68.7 km of trails in 26 forest remnants, identifying and mapping 1,027 seed-producing trees of 38 species. Surveys confirmed the scarcity of several tree species (including seven species with an abundance of <0.04 individuals per km), and nine species showed no signs of fruiting during 3 years of phenological monitoring. These findings, together with limited knowledge and application of optimal seed collection methods, are significant factors impeding the recovery of these species within their natural habitat. Wider application of the results of this case study could support restoration of the Araucaria Forest with seedlings from a wider diversity of species.
New Collaborative Filtering Based on Similarity Integration and Temporal Information

As personalized recommendation of products and services is rapidly growing in importance, a number of studies provided fundamental knowledge and techniques for developing recommendation systems. Among them, the CF technique has been most widely used and has proven to be useful in many practices. However, current collaborative filtering (CF) technique has still considerable rooms for improving the effectiveness of recommendation systems: 1) a similarity function most systems use to find so-called like-minded people is not well defined in that similarity is computed from a single perspective of similarity concept; and 2) temporal information that contains the changing preference of customers needs to be taken into account when making recommendations. We hypothesize that integration of multiple aspects of similarity and utilization of temporal information will improve the accuracy of recommendations. The objective of this paper is to test the hypothesis through a series of experiments using MovieLens data. The experimental results show that the proposed recommendation system highly outperforms the conventional CF-based systems, confirming our hypothesis.
Slowly rotating anisotropic neutron stars in general relativity and scalar–tensor theory

Some models (such as the Skyrme model, a low-energy effective field theory for quantum chromodynamics) suggest that the high-density matter prevailing in neutron star (NS) interiors may be significantly anisotropic. Anisotropy is known to affect the bulk properties of nonrotating NSs in general relativity (GR). In this paper we study the effects of anisotropy on slowly rotating stars in GR. We also consider one of the most popular extensions of Einstein’s theory, namely scalar–tensor theories allowing for spontaneous scalarization (a phase transition similar to spontaneous magnetization in ferromagnetic materials). Anisotropy affects the moment of inertia of NSs (a quantity that could potentially be measured in binary pulsar systems) in both theories. We find that the effects of scalarization increase (decrease) when the tangential pressure is bigger (smaller) than the radial pressure, and we present a simple criterion to determine the onset of scalarization by linearizing the scalar-field equation. Our calculations suggest that binary pulsar observations may constrain the degree of anisotropy or even, more optimistically, provide evidence for anisotropy in NS cores.