Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Online Sales on Consumers and Firms: Evidence from Household Appliances

In this paper, we estimate a differentiated products demand model to ask three questions regarding the introduction of e-commerce. First, we ask whether the online distribution channel has increased total sales, or only diverted sales from traditional channels. We find that there is some market expansion effect but also a considerable sales diversion. Second, we ask who benefited most from online sales: consumers or firms. We find that consumers benefited more, which is entirely due to the appearance of an additional distribution channel and not due to increased competition. Third, we ask how the online channel has affected European market integration. We find that international price differences for identical products are larger in the traditional channel than online. However, there is still substantial market segmentation in the online channel between the EU countries. The introduction of e-commerce therefore did not influence price levels and price dispersion in the traditional channel.
Identifying News Shocks with Forecast Data

The empirical importance of news shocks—anticipated future shocks—in business cycle fluctuations has been explored by using only actual data when estimating models augmented with news shocks. This paper additionally exploits forecast data to identify news shocks in a canonical dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. The estimated model shows new empirical evidence that technology news shocks are a major source of fluctuations in US output growth. Exploiting the forecast data not only generates more precise estimates of news shocks and other parameters in the model, but also increases the contribution of technology news shocks to the fluctuations.
AMMI Stability Analysis and Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Growth and Yield Components in Cassava in the Forest and Guinea Savannah Ecologies of Ghana

Twenty cassava genotypes were arranged in a randomised complete block design with three replications and assessed for growth and yield stability using the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis. Highly significant ( ) effects of genotype, environment, and genotype environment interaction were observed for all traits studied. The AMMI analysis of variance indicated that genotype accounted for 51% of the total sum of squares for height at first branching followed by environment (33%) and interaction (15%). For fresh root yield, environment effects accounted for 37% of the total sum of squares, whilst genotype and interaction accounted for 32% and 29%, respectively. Genotypic variances for harvest index (HI), plant height, storage root yield, and dry matter content contributed a greater proportion of the phenotypic variance indicating stronger genetic control. This suggests better chance of progress in the genetic improvement of these traits. Genotype MM96/1751 combined high yield with stability according to the yield stability index ranking across environments. On the other hand genotypes UCC 2001/449 and 96/1708 though high yielding were unstable according to AMMI stability value scores. However they can be tested further in more environments to ascertain their specific adaptability for release to farmers for cultivation to boost cassava production and ensure food security.
A Community Based Study on Menstrual Hygiene among Reproductive Age Group Women in a Rural Area, Tamil Nadu

Background : Women suffer due to their ignorance on hygienic requirement during menstruation. Hygiene‑related practices of women during menstruation are of considerable importance, as it has a health impact in terms of increased vulnerability to reproductive tract infections (RTI). Aims: This study aims to assess the hygienic practices during menstruation and influence of socio-demographic factors on menstrual hygienic practices among women of reproductive age-group. Subjects and Methods: It is a cross‑sectional community‑based study conducted among 200 women of reproductive age group (15-45 years) in a rural field practice area, VMKV Medical college, Salem in Oct–Dec 2013 by using simple random sampling technique. Using structured pretested questionnaire, women were interviewed regarding their sociodemographic history and menstrual hygiene practices. Result: Majority of study population, 36% (72/200) belonged to the 21-30 year age group. About 75% (150/200) were married. Majority of women were unskilled workers 35% (70/200), had primary education 43.3% (86/200), and 54.3% (108/200) belonged to lower middle class. The mean age of menarche among the reproductive age‑group women was 13.15 years. Majority of women 51.8% (104/200) used cloth during menstruation; about 45.7% (91/200) used the same cloth by washing and reusing every month. There was a significant influence of sociodemographic factors and hygienic practices during menstruation (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Most women were found to follow unhygienic practices. Hence, efforts such as improving female literacy and health education regarding the various risk factors should be made by the policy makers to increase menstrual hygiene among rural population. Keywords: Menstrual hygiene, reproductive age‑group women, rural area
Business Students’ Beliefs in Learning Mathematics

ABSTRACT This study explores the students' beliefs in learning mathematics in a university mathematics class. Complete data were collected from three hundred and seventy six students in three higher learning institutions enrolled in the business mathematics subject. The reliability coefficient alpha was 0.80, indicating a high degree of internal consistency for group analyses. A maximum likelihood factor analysis with a varimax rotation yielded four factors: teacher’s role, value, competency and learning. The results indicated that business students appeared to hold positive beliefs in learning mathematics. In addition, teacher’s role was the most important factor, followed by value, learning and competency. The results also indicated that there were significant differences in means between students’ beliefs based on institutions and mathematics grade. However, our results showed no significant differences in means between beliefs based on gender, secondary education and students’ major. The findings of this study could assist the relevant authorities to develop strategic planning to enhance learning mathematics among Malay students. In addition, learning mathematics does not only build students’ ability to think analytically but also develop skills of reasoning and problem solving. These are some of the important elements in environmental management which are invaluable assets to the community.
Harmonic Transfer Function Based Damage Identification of Breathing Cracked Jeffcott Rotor

This paper proposes a vibration-based damage identification method based on 6-dof Jeffcott rotor system, which is based on harmonic balance and Newton-Raphson methods. First, the equations of motion are derived by using energy method and Lagrange principle. The crack model is based on strain energy release rate (SERR) in fracture mechanics and modified to accommodate 6-dof Jeffcott rotor model. Then, Gear’s method is used to solve the vibration responses of nominal and damaged rotor systems. By processing vibration responses, the transfer function shifts between nominal and damaged systems are taken as the input of damage identification algorithm. Finally, damage severity can be correlated with the damage parameter estimated via developed damage identification model. Numerical examples are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness in identifying the breathing crack in the rotor system.
The Relation Between the Number of Species and the Number of Individuals in a Random Sample of an Animal Population

Part 1. It is shown that in a large collection of Lepidoptera captured in Malaya the frequency of the number of species represented by different numbers of individuals fitted somewhat closely to a hyperbola type of curve, so long as only the rarer species were considered. The data for the commoner species was not so strictly `randomized', but the whole series could be closely fitted by a series of the logarithmic type as described by Fisher in Part 3. Other data for random collections of insects in the field were also shown to fit fairly well to this series. Part 2. Extensive data on the capture of about 1500 Macrolepidoptera of about 240 species in a light-trap at Harpenden is analysed in relation to Fisher's mathematical theory and is shown to fit extremely closely to the calculations. The calculations are applied first to the frequency of occurrence of species represented by different numbers of individuals--and secondly to the number of species in samples of different sizes from the same population. The parameter ` alpha ', which it is suggested should be called the `index of diversity', is shown to have a regular seasonal change in the case of the Macrolepidoptera in the trap. In addition, samples from two traps which overlooked somewhat different vegetation are shown to have ` alpha ' values which are significantly different. It is shown that, provided the samples are not small, ` alpha ' is the increase in the number of species obtained by increasing the size of a sample by e (2.718). A diagram is given (Fig. 8) from which any one of the values, total number of species, total number of individuals and index of diversity (alpha), can be obtained approximately if the other two are known. The standard error of alpha is also indicated on the same diagram. Part 3. A theoretical distribution is developed which appears to be suitable for the frequencies with which different species occur in a random collection, in the common case in which many species are so rare that their chance of inclusion is small. The relationships of the new distribution with the negative binomial and the Poisson series are established. Numerical processes are exhibited for fitting the series to observations containing given numbers of species and individuals, and for estimating the parameter alpha representing the richness in species of the material sampled; secondly, for calculating the standard error of alpha, and thirdly, for testing whether the series exhibits a significant deviation from the limiting form used. Special tables are presented for facilitating these calculations.
What Causes Variation in Peacock Feather Colors

Sexual selection favoring the most attractive peafowl is very well understood, but the answer to what drives the variation in peacock feather coloration remains a mystery. The goal of this experiment is to determine the precise physical mechanism used by peafowl to generate such elaborate color variations in the eyespots of their tail feathers among males within the species. Barbs from eyespots of Pavo cristatus were embedded in an epoxy resin, sectioned on a microtome, and TEM images of the nanostructure within each barbule were analyzed. Results indicate that melanosome diameter is a significant positive predictor of iridescence and that as melanosome diameter increases and spacing decreases, brightness will increase. Variation in melanosome size does not predict physiological superiority among peafowl, but because melanin production is established genetically, females choosing to mate with more iridescent males may receive an additional benefit of a higher quality mate.
Scalable Multi-modal Avatar Interface for Multi-user Environments

This research outlines an Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) interface, where multiple users will be able to interact with 3D avatars. This will take place in a distributed multi-modal environment where the LOK8 Avatar System (AS) will need to locate it’s users from a crowd, using face tracking and novel 3D animation techniques.
Improving Resilience of Infrastructure: The Case of Bridges

Three well-known examples -- I-35W bridge failure, London Hammersmith Flyover closure, and the UK M1 motorway under-bridge fire -- highlight the need for a reliable decision support methodology to enable better informed decisions on timely intervention and/or resilient recovery from a damaging event. It seems that, quite apart from extreme man-made or natural hazards, our transportation infrastructure is not resilient under man-made or natural loads, and we need to leverage technology to better understand and respond to societal risks due to a lack of resiliency. The challenge to improve infrastructure resilience has led to major infrastructure research initiatives that are relevant to the case of bridges. FHWA created the Long Term Bridge Performance Program, while in the UK, EPSRC recently promoted the two themes of resilient infrastructure and monitoring and field investigation of existing infrastructure. The paper will describe these initiatives and how they aim to improve the resilience of bridges, which are key components in our transport infrastructure. It will also suggest some specific activities for developing closer interactions between a wide range of academic and industry stakeholders leading to development effective decision support methodologies.
Dynamic patterns for low vision internet working students

Internetworking is the enabling of communication between networks. Much of the configuration of internetworking devices is performed via remote access using a secure telnet. Cisco is a major provider of such devices. The Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP) is a worldwide educational programme delivering a range of courses in internetworking. A group of potential internetworking students are those with low vision. Many people classified as blind retain some residual vision. Dynamic Pattern System (DPS) enables the detection of combinations of large coloured areas on a screen known as a pattern to represent text characters. Such patterns can be based upon the student’s remaining visual capacities. Sequences of patterns delivered at a set rate and can represent words, sentences or signs. DPS has the potential to enable students classified as blind to have hands-on experiences in networking and internetworking using combinations of patterns to represent both internetwork device configuration information and network topology diagrams.
Effect of tuna skin gelatin-based coating enriched with seaweed extracts on the quality of tuna fillets during storage at 4 °C

Nowadays, consumers demand high quality food products with an extended shelf-life without chemical additives. Edible coatings (EC) containing natural compounds are a promising preservation technology for raw seafood without compromising fresh-like appeal and nutritional content. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Thunnus obesus skin gelatin-based EC containing Codium spp. or Fucus vesiculosus extracts on raw tuna preservation. Three gelatin-based EC (gelatin (5 %) + glycerol (25 %); gelatin (5 %) + Codium spp. (1 %) + glycerol (25 %); gelatin (5 %) + Fucus vesiculosus (1 %) + glycerol (25 %)) were applied directly on the surface of tuna fillets. Functional properties of gelatin and gelatin-based EC containing seaweed extracts were also studied. The gelatin was extracted by an acid-swelling process in the presence/absence of pepsin, followed by subsequent heating/refrigeration, after a pre-treatment with NaOH. The type of acid, temperature and concentration of NaOH greatly influence the process yield. The higher extraction yield was achieved using acetic acid in the presence of pepsin by subsequent refrigeration, especially when skins were previously treated with NaOH (0.2 M). Tuna quality was assessed over 12 days of storage at 4 ± 1 °C in terms of chemical and microbial indices. Results showed that tuna skin gelatin-based EC avoids tuna deterioration. Microbial growth, assessed by total viable counts, and total volatile basic nitrogen were maintained below the maximum limits recommended, contrarily to the control. Additionally, the use of EC increased the stability of red colour during storage.
Příprava a vlastnosti materiálů pro inteligentní systémy Preparation and properties of materials for intelligent systems

Particles of poly(p-phenylenediamine) were synthesized by the oxidation of p-phenylenediamine with ammonium peroxydisulfate at two oxidation levels. They were carbonized at 200–800 C in inert atmosphere and subsequently tested in electrorheological (ER) suspensions. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize an influence of the carbonization on the molecular structure and particles size and shape. Subsequently, ER suspensions were prepared by mixing polymer particles and silicone oil. In order to determine an effect of carbonization on the ER behaviour, a number of rheological measurements under various external electric fields were carried out. Dielectric spectroscopy was used for the evaluation of the influence of particles carbonization on the ER performance of suspensions as well. Although the particles carbonized at 600 C exhibited nearly the same ER effect as the original particles due to significantly higher specific surface area, the efficiency of ER performance was the highest for original, i.e. non-carbonized particles. This is due to lower field-off viscosity in comparison to ER fluids based on carbonized particles. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
SHOOT GROWTH RESPONSES AT SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING STATIONS FOR MOOSE IN NORWAY

Moose browsing pressure in the vicinity of supplementary winter feeding stations eventually declines over time. It is believed that continual winter browsing over multiple years causes locally reduced shoot growth and forage availability for moose ( Alces alces ). We tested this hypothesis by comparing the size of annual shoots of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ), downy birch ( Betula pubescens ), and Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) along a distance gradient from supplementary feeding stations. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that shoot size was larger at feeding stations than at distances out to 1500 m. This increase in shoot size was probably not related directly to browsing, but to higher nutrient and light availability associated with moose activity at feeding stations. Increased use of Norway spruce, yet reduced browsing overall at feeding stations, probably reflects the overall decline in abundance of preferred Scots pine and downy birch in a local environment substantially altered by an artificially and abnormally high density of moose.
Increasing Robustness of Multi-homed Systems in Heterogeneous Environment

Nowadays, packet error rate in fixed net- works can be considered as a negligible value. However, the increasing requirements for transmission speed of mobile devices, heterogeneous technology, and other high frequency sources cause interference growth within the electromagnetic spectrum. This aects the overall reliability and throughput of the network and may cause undesirable operation malfunction of application-level services. Higher speeds can be achieved by advanced modulation techniques, but at the price of lower re- sistance against the interference. On the other hand, error-correcting codes or higher-level protocols are uti- lized to correct the delivery failures. We introduce a novel method for increasing robustness of communica- tion for multi-homed systems in heterogeneous environ- ment. Furthermore, we propose a security measure to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of the transmitted data without influencing the transmission parameters. Finally, we show positive impact of the proposed method on transmission eciency and eec- tive throughput, especially in networks with high prob- ability of error occurrence.
A simulation study on the behavior of allelic richness and inbreeding coefficient over generations in fragmented populations of tree species.

Computer simulations were employed in this study aiming to understand the effects of repeated cycles of inbred mating in isolated populations of tree species with different effective sizes and over up to 1000 generations. The results revealed a susceptibility of allelic richness to both, population size and repeated generations under inbred mating and a low but significant increase of the inbreeding coefficient over generations in populations with 50 and 100 plants, but not in populations with 500 and 1000 individuals. The loss of alleles occurred throughout all generations and was largely influenced by the population size. The most outstanding increase in the inbreeding coefficient occurred from the initial generation to the 5th generation, independent of the population size. The comparison of simulated results with data obtained from a field studie corroborated the hy pothesis that isolated populations tend to more drastically suffer with loss of alleles and increase of inbreeding coefficient, wh ile continuous forests, with effective production of fertile seeds and regeneration of seedlings, are inclined to preserve comparatively higher allelic richness and lower inbreeding coefficient over generations. In general, the results obtained highlight the importance of special care in selecting ESUs and preserving isolated populations, towards the conservation of forest genetic resources and adapatedness preservation
The b-Strand-Loop-b-Strand Conformation Is Marginally Populated in b 2-Microglobulin ( 20 – 41 ) Peptide in Solution as Revealed by Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Solid-state NMR study shows that the 22-residue K3 peptide (Ser-Lys) from b2-microglobulin (b2m) adopts a b-strand-loop-b-strand conformation in its fibril state. Residue Pro has a trans conformation in the fibril state of the peptide, while it adopts a cis conformation in the native state of full-length b2m. To get insights into the structural properties of the K3 peptide, and determine whether the strand-loop-strand conformation is encoded at the monomeric level, we run all-atom explicit solvent replica exchange molecular dynamics on both the cis and trans variants. Our simulations show that the conformational space of the transand cis-K3 peptides is very different, with 1% of the sampled conformations in common at room temperature. In addition, both variants display only 0.3–0.5% of the conformations with b-strand-loop-b-strand character. This finding, compared to results on the Alzheimer’s Ab peptide, suggests that the biases toward aggregation leading to the b-strand-loop-b-strand conformation in fibrils are peptide-dependent.
POTENTIALS OF A 5KW WIND ENERGY SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED STORAGE BANK FOR HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT

In this study, a 5kW wind energy system with an integrated storage bank is sized to supports a maximum of 2 households with a reliable daily energy need. For a successful implementation of this off-grid wind energy system, a 24-month wind data sampled on a 10m hub height and stored as 5-minute wind data are obtained for this study to anticipate the wind energy output at this site. Because of the variation of the wind, the energy output of this 5kW turbine is estimated using the statistical technique for the purpose of anticipating the energy output as the wind fluctuates. To mitigate the effect of the varying energy output as a result of the changing wind, the inclusion of battery bank is considered for a reliable energy supply. The annual mean wind speeds are estimated at 5.15m/s &4.99m/s and its equivalent wind power densities estimate at 165.0W/m 2 &149.8W/m