Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVIDENCE ABOUT THE MORAL HAZARD IN THE ECUADORIAN HEALTH SYSTEM

The aim of this study is to estimate the presence of moral hazard in the Ecuadorian health system, understood as an over-utilization of it. For this, a binomial logit model, which measures the probability of use of health services between insured and uninsured people is used. The results show evidence of moral hazard for individuals who are insured, mainly for adults over 60 years. In addition, it is noted that when having extra expenses that are not covered by insurance, insured people tend to reduce the use of medical services.
Vegetation regrowth trends in post forest fire ecosystems across North America from 2000 to 2010

The goal of this study was to determine whether climate has affected vegetation regrowth over the past decade (2000 to 2010) in post-fire forest ecosystems of the United States and Canada. Our methodology detected trends in the monthly MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) timeseries within forest areas that burned between 1984 and 1999. The trends in summed growing season EVI (composited to 8 km spatial resolution) within all burned area perimeters showed that nearly 1.6% post-fire forest area declined in vegetation greenness cover significantly (p < 0.05) over the past decade. Nearly 62% of all post-fire forest area showed a non significant EVI regrowth trend from 2000 to 2010. Regression results detected numerous significantly negative trend pixels in post-fire areas from 1994-1999 to indicate that forest regrowth has not yet occurred to any measurable level in many recent wildfire areas across the continent. We found several noteworthy relationships between annual temperature and precipitation patterns and negative post-fire forest EVI trends across North America. Change patterns in the climate moisture index (CMI), growing degree days (GDD), and the standardized precipitation index (SPI) were associated with post-fire forest EVI trends. We conclude that temperature warming-induced change and variability of precipitation at local and regional scales may have altered the trends of large post-fire forest regrowth and could be impacting the resilience of post-fire forest ecosystems in North America.
An analysis and comparison between new buffering design with Priority Queuing (PQ) algorithm and SPBA algorithm for VoIP

This paper showed an analysis and comparison between new buffer design with both concept buffers in the PQ algorithm and SPBA algorithm. In the PQ algorithm, there are four buffering packet are low, normal, medium and high. The buffering packet in PQ algorithm is greedy. However, fourth the buffering is not optimal used. It is caused by PQ algorithm is based on the priority, whereas this buffering just always serviced is the highest priority. While under priority are rarely or never serviced will cause other buffering rarely used. While SPBA algorithm is architecture easiest, and it does not need any resource reservation or threshold dropping, but only makes use of priority scheduling. SPBA algorithm, where incoming packets are placed into the two priority traffic classes is the high class and low class. On the SPBA algorithm is there are not available reservation sources to save the remaining packets when the explosion (burst) traffic occurred, that could result in packet drop and packet loss. Then, with the efficiency of PQ buffering algorithm, can provide greater impact to reduce delays. In the new buffering algorithm, simplify four buffering into three packets (High, Medium and Low) is proposed. In the analysis and comparison new buffering algorithm could be known problems and weaknesses of both algorithms.
TILLAGE PRACTICES AND NITROGEN APPLICATION INFLUENCED SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND WHEAT PRODUCTION 1

Tillage practice and N management was hypothesized to play a significant role in crop production by influencing soil physical properties. Present field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different tillage practices and nitrogen rates on soil physical properties and growth of wheat crop. Three tillage practices [conventional (four ploughing + one planking); reduced (two ploughing + one planking); and zero (no ploughing and no planking)] and four N rates [control; 75 kg N ha −1 ; 150 kg N ha −1 ; and 200 kg N ha −1 ] were imposed in all possible combinations in a split plot randomized complete block design. Tillage practices significantly affected grain and straw yields with maximum yields were achieved in conventional tillage than reduced and zero tillage practices. Application of N also significantly affected grain and straw yields. Maximum grain yield was recorded when either 150or 200 kg N was applied ha −1 under conventional tillage. Root growth was also influenced by tillage practices and it was increased with increasing tillage intensity. Nitrogen application significantly increased root length up to recommended rate. Maximum N in seed and straw was observed under conventional tillage and it increased with increasing N rates. Soil properties such as bulk density, total porosity and organic C were also significantly affected by different tillage practices with maximum values at conventional tillage practice. It is concluded that conventional tillage improved crop yield as compared to zero tillage and a rate of 150 kg N ha −1 is suitable for optimum yield with the said tillage practice. The results might vary in long term experiments; therefore, further investigations are required to elaborate these findings.
Factors affecting the response of steel columns to close-in detonations

Explosions produced in urban areas by the detonation of explosives are low-probability but high-impact events. When they occur in the immediate vicinity of buildings, the explosions can pose a high risk to the structural integrity (local/global failures) and to the occupants (risk of injury, death). Therefore, the design and the construction of the buildings should contain preventive measures to increase the robustness of the structures. The paper presents the results of recent research carried out on the safety of building structures under extreme actions. Blast tests performed on two identical 3D specimen extracted from a typical moment resisting steel frame structure, allow to calibrate the numerical models of a full scale building structural frame system and evaluate the consequences of close-in detonations on the structural elements. The data of the experimental testing, combined with the numerical modelling, allow to investigate different factors, such as dynamic factors that affect the local failure mechanism and the residual capacity of steel columns under different blast scenarios.
Passive component embedding in printed circuit boards for space applications

The PCESA project was started in 2014 to investigate the suitability of embedding passive components in printed circuit boards for space applications. After compiling an overview of available technologies for component embedding, a test board was designed and manufactured to evaluate the performance and reliability of direct embedding of passive components in printed circuit boards. In parallel, an existing space PCB was redesigned to use embedded components and act as a functional demonstrator for the project. The main test results, result analysis and recommendations for future use are detailed in this presentation.
Determination of perfluorocarboxylates in groundwater impacted by fire-fighting activity

Perfluorinated surfactants are used in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) formulations, which are used to extinguish hydrocarbon−fuel fires. Virtually nothing is known about the occurrence of perfluorinated surfactants in the environment, in particular, at fire-training areas and emergency response sites where AFFF entered groundwater without prior treatment. Strong anion exchange Empore disks were used to extract perfluorocarboxylates from groundwater collected from fire-training facilities located on Naval Air Station Fallon, NV, and Tyndall Air Force Base, FL. The carboxylates were simultaneously eluted from the disks and derivatized to their methyl esters for direct analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Perfluorocarboxylates containing six to eight carbons were detected in groundwater collected from the two field sites with total concentrations ranging from 125 to 7090 μg/L. The detection of perfluorocarboxylates at field sites after 7−10 years of inactivity indicates their potential utility.
Derivation of δ18O from sediment core log data: Implications for millennial‐scale climate change in the Labrador Sea

Sediment core logs from six sediment cores in the Labrador Sea show millennial-scale climate variability during the last glacial by recording all Heinrich events and several major Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. The same millennial-scale climate change is documented for surface water δ18O records of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (left coiled); hence the surface water δ18O record can be derived from sediment core logging by means of multiple linear regression, providing a paleoclimate proxy record at very high temporal resolution (70 years). For the Labrador Sea, sediment core logs contain important information about deepwater current velocities and also reflect the variable input of ice-rafted debris from different sources as inferred from grain-size analysis, the relation of density and P wave velocity, and magnetic susceptibility. For the last glacial, faster deepwater currents, which correspond to highs in sediment physical properties, occurred during iceberg discharge and lasted from several centuries to a few millennia. Those enhanced currents might have contributed to increased production of intermediate waters during times of reduced production of North Atlantic Deep Water. Hudson Strait might have acted as a major supplier of detrital carbonate only during lowered sea level (greater ice extent). During coldest atmospheric temperatures over Greenland, deepwater currents increased during iceberg discharge in the Labrador Sea, then surface water freshened shortly thereafter, while the abrupt atmospheric temperature rise happened after a larger time lag of ≥ 1 kyr. The correlation implies a strong link and common forcing for atmosphere, sea surface, and deep water during the last glacial at millennial timescales but decoupling at orbital timescales.
Cell biovolume and surface area in phytoplankton of Mediterranean transitional water ecosystems: methodological aspects

1 - A series of experimental researches highlighted the role of morphometric parameters of phytoplankton guilds as descriptors of the ecological status of transitional water ecosystems (TWs). 2 - However, at present, standardized or common methodologies for their use do not exist. In this work, we develop a procedure for the determination of biovolume and surface area in phytoplankton guilds of Mediterranean TWs. 3 - Phytoplankton biovolume and surface area are included among the most studied morphometric descriptors. They can be estimated by associating the algae with similar geometric forms and determining the volume of these by measuring the linear dimensions required for its calculation under the light microscope. 4 - Here, a set of geometric models is suggested for calculating the cell biovolumes and surface area of 235 phytoplankton genera, deriving from the analysis of 869 phytoplankton species, found in transitional water ecosystems of the Mediterranean Ecoregion. The equations were designed to minimize the effort of microscopic measurements. 5 - The similarities and differences between the geometric models here proposed and previously published are discussed.
DO POOR HOUSING CONDITIONS AFFECT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ? AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF POOR HOUSING ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT .

For several decades there have been important discussions about how to improve educational attainment. Most of those discussions have focused their attention on inschool factors such as improving the quality of the teachers, reducing class sizes, and improving schools’ facilities. Recent research has shown that there are many out-ofschool factors, such as family background, neighborhood characteristics or peer composition which can have significant effects on educational attainment. However, the effects of poor housing conditions on educational Achievement have received little attention. This study analyzes the effect that overcrowded housing has on educational attainment and attendance. Using a linear probability model, we find that, in the metropolitan Buenos Aires area in Argentina there is a strong negative relationship between living in a house with more than two people and the probability of completing secondary education and high school attendance. The findings, together with the fact that in Argentina 20% of households lack adequate housing,
A systematic literature review on eWOM in the hotel industry: Current trends and suggestions for future research

This study is a systematic review of the literature on eWOM in hotels. Previous reviews of eWOM specific to the hotel and hospitality context have documented the state of research in the field but can be considered outdated with the literature almost doubling since 2011. Emergent themes in the literature therefore need to be considered for us to identify gaps in knowledge and provide researchers opportunities for future study. Using systematic searches of articles published between 2000 and 2015, 45 journal articles were selected for the review beginning in 2008. Our findings indicate 8 research themes: 1) Motivations for contributing eWOM, 2) Motivations for reading eWOM, 3) Platforms used to facilitate eWOM, 4) ‘Big data’ analytics of eWOM, 5) Impact of eWOM on consumer behaviour, 6) Impact on hotel performance, 7) Hotel responses to eWOM, 8) Consumer cultural differences. We culminate these findings to provide a thematic framework of eWOM research in the hotel and hospitality industry, mapping the research relationships that have been established. We then provide areas for future researchers to develop.
Political Participation and Power Relations in Egypt: The Scope of Newspapers and Social Network Sites

The political use of media in Egypt post-2011 revolution brought about drastic transformations in political activism and power structures. In the context of communication power theory, this article investigates the effects of newspapers and social network sites on political participation and political power relations. The research employed a mixed methodology, comprised of a survey of 527 Egyptian youth and semi-structured interviews of 12 political activists and journalists. The results showed a significant relationship between reading newspapers and youth’s political participation, but not between using social network sites and political participation. In addition, newspapers and social network sites were platforms for a series of conflicts and coalitions that emerged between pro- and anti-revolution actors. Despite the importance of social network sites as key tools for informing and mobilizing the public, they eventually failed to empower new political actors, and this was because old actors, supported by newspapers and other mainstream media, managed to obstruct the new actors’ progress.
An energy efficient flexible delay tolerant network with adaptive secured framework (ASF-DTN)

Delay tolerant networks are widely used in mobile communications because of network withstanding capability of delay. However, when the connectivity of nodes increases, data loss may occur while transmission. Due to the malicious behavior of nodes the data may get permanently lost, which is known as black hole attacks and there is a chance to partial data loss because of the lower energy level of a node, which is known as a gray hole attack. In existing work, the data capacity of a node is not limited, so most of the highly energy efficient node contains a huge amount of data, when compared to other nodes which may lead to random attack. To overcome this, we propose a subjective capability model (SCM) for each and every node to limit the capacity of each node. ASF-DTN prevents collision attack and injection attack by implementing Kalman filtering, which can statistically analyze the behavior of nodes while each and every transmission. Here, we propose an effective node optimization scheme using genetic algorithm with a fitness function to find out energy efficient nodes among the optimal path for effective communication and its performance.
Role of High Mobility Group Box 1 in Bone Formation

Endochondral bone formation: Endochondral ossification is a multistep process, which involves spatiotemporally strictly regulated morphogenetic and differentiation steps [1,2]. It leads to the formation of most of the skeletal elements during vertebrate embryonic development and it takes place also in the growth plates, where it is responsible for longitudinal bone growth till adulthood. During endochondral ossification mesenchymal precursors differentiate into bone tissue through replacement of a cartilaginous intermediate.
DC-link capacitor voltage control for single-phase shunt active power filter with step size error cancellation in self-charging algorithm

This study presents an improved self-charging algorithm by introducing a new feature known as step size error cancellation for better performance of DC-link capacitor voltage control in single-phase shunt active power filter (SAPF). Previous works of self-charging algorithms were focused only for steady-state operation by using either proportional-integral (PI) or fuzzy logic control (FLC). However, in a certain operation of any power system, dynamic operation may also happen. Thus, by introducing step size error cancellation as an additional feature to the self-charging algorithm, both steady state and dynamic operations can be covered. For evaluation and comparison analysis, self-charging with PI and FLC algorithms have been developed too. All the algorithms were simulated in MATLAB-Simulink, respectively, together with the single-phase SAPF. For hardware implementation, the proposed algorithm was programmed in TMS320F28335 digital signal processing board. The other two conventional self-charging algorithms were also programmed for comparison purposes. From the results and analysis, the proposed self-charging with step size error cancellation shows the best performance with high accuracy, fast response time and less overshoot and undershoot. It performs well in both steady state and dynamic operations as compared with both previous self-charging techniques which only work well in steady-state operation.
Decoherence from ensembles of two-level fluctuators

1/f noise, the major source of dephasing in Josephson qubits, may be produced by an ensemble of two-level systems. Depending on the statistical properties of their distribution, the noise distribution can be Gaussian or non-Gaussian. The latter situation is realized, for instance, when the distribution of coupling strengths has a slowly decaying power-law tail. In this regime, questions of self-averaging and sample-to-sample fluctuations become crucial. We study the dephasing process for a class of distribution functions and analyse the self-averaging properties of the results.
In Vitro Bio Evaluation and Correlation of Antioxidant Activity of Different Extracts of Curcuma amada

Mango ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.) is a unique spice having morphological resemblance with ginger but imparts a raw mango flavour. They also used in the manufacture of pickles, chutney, salad and jam. The present study was undertaken to compare the antioxidant activity of hexane, chloroform and methanolic extract of rhizomes between Phenols, ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), IRON REDUCTION TEST, Diphenyl picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH). A graph is plotted between enzymatic, non-enzymatic antioxidant levels and concentration. The results showed that, Diphenyl picrial hydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH) has more hexane, chloroform and methanolic concerntrations than Iron Reduction Test, FRAP and Phenols. This article brings to light the major active components present in C. amada that may be important from the pharmacological point of view.
Synthesis and Characterization of Zeolitic Material Derived from Sugarcane Straw Ash

Sugarcane straw ash (SCSA), an agricultural waste of sugar industry with disposal problems, was utilized as a source for the synthesis of zeolitic material. Zeolitic material was synthesized by alkali fusion followed by hydrothermal treatment. The effect of crystallization time was studied and the conditions optimized. The materials were characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, FT-IR, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area techniques, particle size analyzer, TG /DSC and nitrogen physisorption. The presence of zeolite NaP1 in adsorbent confirms successful conversion of native SCSA into zeolitic material. The physico-chemical properties of SCSA and zeolitic material were compared. The particle size distribution of zeolitic material was in the range of 0.796 – 399 µm and nitrogen adsorption indicated a surface area around 350 m2 g-1. Zeolitic material from sugarcane straw ash was examined by removal of Crystal violet from aqueous solution.
An Allocation Method for Resource of IaaS Platform with Energy-saving Consideration in the Data Center

Reducing energy consumption and maximizing resource efficiency have become two important issues without violating service level agreements(SLAs) on Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) clouds. For the important issues, using the method of resource classification, this study proposes a resource provisioning method considering on energy-efficient for allocating VMs to physical machines(PMs) for the first time. Under the premise of ensuring performance and energy-saving target, through the analysis of the main factors to affect the energy consumption and the migration process of VM, the first VM resource allocation ultimately makes the use of resource to maximize and makes less hosts allocated. In the evaluation process, based on CloudSim 3.03 toolkit, it is extended to construct the implement of this research. What's more, using real-workload(PlanetLab) carried out experiments simulating. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms other proposed ones in energy consumption. Keywords-Energy-saving; IaaS; Resource allocation; ANN; Classification
CLUSTER OF INDONESIA KABUPATEN-KOTA POTENTIAL IN DEVELOPING FOOD CROP AND HORTICULTURE COMMODITIES

Identification of potential areas in an agricultural sector is needed in order to meet the national food needs, among others, by carrying out mapping the potential areas through clustering the Kabupaten-Kota in Indonesia, especially on imported agricultural commodities of food crops and horticultures. The use of cluster analysis with top-down clustering method (K-means) produces the best cluster. Of 268 regencies-cities, there are 7 clusters, namely Cluster 1 consisting of 154 regencies, Cluster 2 consisting of 2 regencies, Cluster 3 consisting of only1 regency, Cluster 4 consisting of 8 regencies, Cluster 5 consisting of 24 regencies, Cluster 6 consisting of 75 regencies, and Cluster 7 consisting of 4 regencies. Each cluster has its own dominant commodity characteristics. The results of typology klassen on constructed clusters show that food crop and horticulture commodities have grown well and fast. Out of 13 commodities, there are 7 major commodities: Cluster 1: rice and corns; Clusters 2, 3 and 7: cassava; Cluster 4: corns, cassavas and chilly; Cluster 5: apples; Cluster 6: corns, shallots, and garlic. Six other commodities do not grow well, namely sorghum, potatoes, soybeans, peanuts, oranges, and grapes. The potential lack of an area is due to the plants’ low productivity, which is mainly because of plant pests, highly operational cost, climates and natural disasters. Keywords: imports, food crops, horticulture, cluster, and leading sector.