Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immigration and the City

We study the effect of an immigrant inflow at the neighborhood level on house prices within cities. We develop a spatial equilibrium model that shows how immigration shock to a part of the city propagates to the rest of the city through changes in local amenities and local prices. On the empirical side, we rely on two different empirical strategies. First, we collect data at the neighbourhood level for a sample of main Italian cities and we analyze the impact of immigration on natives’ residential choice and house price dynamics. We find that there is a negative relationship between changes in native population and changes in immigrant population across neighbourhoods; we also find some evidence that price growth is lower than the average in those neighbourhoods where immigrants settle. Second, we extend the analysis to all Italian municipalities and we investigate the impact of immigration on indicators of city price distribution. We find that immigration causes an increase in the average price. This effect, however, is driven by the upper two deciles of the price distribution: the effect on immigration on lower prices is never statistically different from zero.
The emerging role of incretins in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes.

The pathophysiology of insulin resistance (IR) comprises a complex adipokine-mediated crosstalk between white adipose tissue and other organs. Although it is a prominent feature of Type 2 diabetes, a certain degree of IR also exists in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Incretins are gut derived hormones secreted into the circulation in response to nutrient ingestion that enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. One of the main incretin hormones is glucagon-like peptide-1. It is degraded by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) minutes after secretion. The diminished “incretin effect” is recognized as a part of prediabetes, usually associated with IR. DPP-4, as a part of the incretin system, has recently been proposed as a novel adipokine linked to IR and DPP-4 activity is higher in T1DM patients compared to healthy controls; furthermore, it correlates with the degree of IR. The role of the incretin system, with special emphasis on DPP-4, merits further evaluation because it might offer an insulin add-on therapeutic approach in the metabolic control of T1DM.
Silver Nanoparticles Effect on Antimicrobial and Antifungal Activity of New Heterocycles

In this study 1-[4-(2-methoxy benzyl)-6-aryl-pyridazin-3(2H)-ylidene] hydrazines were used for the synthesis of new heterocyclic systems such as thiazolidine, phthalazine, pyrazolo, tetrazolo, hydrazide and new pyridazine derivatives to explore the effect of silver nanoparticles on their biological activity efficiency. Structures of the new heterocycles were characterized by the aid of several analytical techniques including; 1 H-NMR, FTIR and mass spectra. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple methodology and the formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV studies. Most of the new prepared heterocycles were evaluated in vitro as new antimicrobial agents. Combination effects of the silver nanoparticles on the antimicrobial activity of the new heterocycles were investigated using the disk diffusion method. Compound 10a exhibited the strongest enhancing effect of silver nanoparticles solution against Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans.
The Challenge of Fuel Path Control at High Load Conditions

Abstract Increasing emissions standards and fuel economy have forced engine designers to incorporate increasing numbers of degrees of control freedom into the engine. Consequently, calibration is becoming progressively more complex where the issue is most acute with diesel engines. This paper presents a project in which a closed loop controller is used in diesel engine fuel path, where no new calibration is required if any variation occurs. This is an initial investigation into diesel engine fuel path control. In order to prove that such a control technology could be developed over the whole speed and torque operating range, a high speed (2050 rpm) and the high torque (357Nm) point are chosen for investigations into control. This represents a challenging engine conditions for the application of control systems because of the limited time available for air supply and the need to complete combustion quickly. At these conditions the control authority is limited and the ability to detect for example small variations in torque and speed are quite limited owing to the high torque conditions. This paper demonstrates a closed-loop control at a high load condition and presents an architecture of controllable injection for a Caterpillar C6.6 engine using predictive control that includes exhaust temperature, of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matters (PM) without changing the fuel quantity.
Motivation factors for online buying: the price driver

Price is often argued to be the determining factor for online (eBusiness) purchasing. The idea that buying online provides both asking and hidden cost savings is an assumption that has been promoted by IT advocates of the commercial opportunity. In this research Price (attribute) is to be investigated as a contributor to customer motivations for online purchasing. The investigation is to begin with a literature search for other factors that are claimed to influence online purchasing and studies others have published in the focus area. Previously research has been carried out by others to understand the changes brought by internet and ecommerce to our lives and business opportunities. It has been found that behavioural characteristics like shopping convenience, information seeking, immediate possession, social interaction, and variety affects the consumer behaviour towards shopping on the internet (Rohm, 2004). There are other factors such as privacy and security affecting consumer attitude towards shopping online (Shergill, 2005). In this research the factors identified from the literature are listed in priority order and the top two used to explain the relationship to price. This approach is taken to limit the cost (financial and time) of the survey and yet to still contribute valuable knowledge regarding price and other factors affecting online purchasing behaviour. The ability to collect price information and make comparisons between the different product and offerings from various providers is argued to be defining for competitive advantage in ecommerce (Jiang, 2002). The research is started by asserting an initial model that suggests price is a moderating factor for other factors when customers purchase online. This model is a “straw man” to be tested. The resource limitations of this short study are managed by selecting only two of the possible constructs affecting online buying motivations. The research is operationalised by submitting banks of potential questions to experts, a pilot study, and reliability testing and then surveying a stratified random sample of online purchasers. Structural equation modelling method is chosen for data analysis and the appropriate approach for confirming (or otherwise) a mediation role for price in online customer purchasing. A metric and a path model were constructed from the empirical data and compared with the initial model. It was found that Price was the dominant motivating factor for those in the sample for transacting online. The initial model was not the best fit for the empirical data and other relationships were explored. Best fit was found by removing the hypothesised relationship from trust to price and establishing the relationship between trust and security. The best fit model hence showed that Price and intention to buy was a very strong relationship.
Residual Risk of Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus through Blood Transfusion in Ghana: Evaluation of the performance of Rapid Immunochromatographic Assay with Enzyme Linked Immuno- sorbent Assay

Blood transfusion necessitates screening of transmissible infectious pathogens such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) to curtail post transfusion risk of infection. The study re-examined this approach by evaluating the efficiency of solely testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) marker for blood transfusion, the efficacy of the various immunochromatographic assays in the screening process and the residual risk of hepatitis B viral transmission through transfusion in Ghana. A convenient purposive sampling technique was used in selecting ten hospitals, from each of the 10 regions. A total of 480 aliquots of blood were collected anonymously, from blood already tested for HbsAg with immunochromatographic assay in the blood banks of the chosen facilities and declared negative. Plasma from the blood was obtained through centrifugation, separated into well labeled microtubes and transported in cold boxes to the Molecular Medicine Department-KNUST. The samples were then re-examined for all six hepatitis B virus (HBV) (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc and IgM anti-HBc) serological markers using ELISA assay. When a total of 480 plasma samples from the blood banks of the ten chosen facilities were re-examined with the ELISA assay, 39(8.13%) samples reacted positive for HBsAg, 60(12.5%) reacted for Anti-HBs, 13(2.71%) reacted for HBeAg, 51(10.63%) for Anti-HBe and 329(68.54%) reacted positively for Anti-HBc. None of the samples reacted positive for IgM anti-HBc. The estimated sero-prevalence for all HBV serological markers is 76.67% whereas the estimated residual risk of HBV infection through blood transfusion caused by the use of immunochromatographic methods in the screening of blood for transfusion was 8.47%(5.98% 10.94% at 95% CI). An additional risk of 3.10%(1.54% 4.62% at 95% CI) of HBV infection through transfusion was also estimated for the non-testing of other HBV infectious serological markers. The total residual risk for transfusion transmitted HBV was 11.16%(8.34% 13.95% at 95% CI). The study revealed that neither the kits in use nor the testing strategy in place now is adequate to prevent transmission of hepatitis B virus through transfusion in Ghana due to the high residual risk of transmission of HBV. There is therefore an urgent need for a sustainable quality control system on the screening of HBsAg in blood for donation in Ghana. Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences (2012) 1(2), 17-28
Application of sesquiterpene (GA3) to spermology: a contradictory report

Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) is one of the fastest growing oil seed crops of India. It is highly desirable as a premium oil to supplement our oil seeds production, contributes about 24% of the domestic edible oil production and may substitute imports substantially, reduces the level of blood cholesterol and ultimately coronary heart diseases. The commercial cultivation of sunflower began in early seventies with a meagre area of 14 thousand hectares. It has gone up to 2.77 million hectares of the area with a production of 1.35 million tonnes in the year 2010. Gibberellic acid (GA3), a sesquiterpenoid chemical compound, is the first widely available active form of commercial gibberellins. GA3 improves growth physiology, cell elongation and cell differentiation thus augmenting plant height. Therefore, it is proposed to apply GA3 to chickpea to increase the stem height for better harvesting of solar energy for maximum utilization of its potential for seed production. However, this favourable effect on growth and development could be offset, at times, by substantial loss in yield due to lodging and poor rate of biological nitrogen (N2) fixation. To counter this, it is proposed to strengthen the fast growing stem and maximum production of nodules on root system by some means. Interestingly, the synthetic growth regulators bring about the more or less same plant responses when applied exogenously at very low concentrations.
Brief Announcement: A Concurrency-Optimal List-Based Set

Multicore applications require highly concurrent data structures. Yet, the very notion of concurrency is vaguely defined, to say the least. What is meant by a “highly concurrent” data structure implementing a given high-level object type? Generally speaking, one could compare the concurrency of algorithms by running a game where an adversary decides on the schedules of shared memory accesses from different processes. At the end of the game, the more schedules the algorithm would accept without hampering high-level correctness, the more concurrent it would be. The algorithm that accepts all correct schedules would then be considered concurrency-optimal.
Identification of Key Indicators for Quality in Afterschool Programs

Abstract Researchers are increasingly interested in the issue of school accountability. Despite this, program standards for afterschool programs are not as fully developed as in other fields. This study bridges that gap and presents the results from a study to identify benchmarks and indicators for high quality afterschool programs. This research employed a multimethod approach including a synthesis of literature on afterschool programs, observations and survey data collection at 15 high quality afterschool program sites. Results of the study suggest that most of the issues emphasized in the afterschool literature can be considered core components of a quality afterschool program. This finding was consistent across the three broad categories of program organization, program environment, and instructional features. This study also revealed that some issues emphasized in the afterschool literature should be considered extra components that can increase quality, but are not necessary. As a result, this study argues for a checklist strategy in assessing programs to meet quality-based standards. ----- Bibl iography: Huang, Denise/La Torre Matrundola, Deborah/Leon, Seth: Identification of Key Indicators for Quality in Afterschool Programs, IJREE, Vol. 2, Issue 1-2014, pp. 20-44. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v2i1. 19532
Self-affine subglacial roughness: consequences for radar scattering and basal water discrimination in northern Greenland

Abstract. Subglacial roughness can be determined at a variety of length scales from radio-echo sounding (RES) data either via statistical analysis of topography or inferred from basal radar scattering. Past studies have demonstrated that subglacial terrain exhibits self-affine (power law) roughness scaling behaviour, but existing radar scattering models do not take this into account. Here, using RES data from northern Greenland, we introduce a self-affine statistical framework that enables a consistent integration of topographic-scale roughness with the electromagnetic theory of radar scattering. We demonstrate that the degree of radar scattering, quantified using the waveform abruptness (pulse peakiness), is topographically controlled by the Hurst (roughness power law) exponent. Notably, specular bed reflections are associated with a lower Hurst exponent, with diffuse scattering associated with a higher Hurst exponent. Abrupt waveforms (specular reflections) have previously been used as a RES diagnostic for basal water, and to test this assumption we compare our radar scattering map with a recent prediction for the basal thermal state. We demonstrate that the majority of thawed regions (above pressure melting point) exhibit a diffuse scattering signature, which is in contradiction to the prior approach. Self-affine statistics provide a generalised model for subglacial terrain and can improve our understanding of the relationship between basal properties and ice-sheet dynamics.
Confidence drives exploration strategies in interactive simulations

Maximising the benefits of digital learning environments requires understanding how students process what they are exposed to in these environments. Besides approaches based on examining information processing within the cognitive domain, the importance of including emotions has been recently addressed. This study aimed to explore emotional dynamics during discovery learning in an interactive simulation, with continuous measures of self-reported confidence and challenge. Interactions from participants were recorded and two groups were created according to the exploration strategy used: systematic or non-systematic. Visual exploration was also measured by eye tracking as well as knowledge at pre- and post-test. Results suggest that learners using a systematic exploration strategy ran significantly more simulation cycles than non-systematic learners. Moreover, the latter group reported to be significantly less challenged and more confident about understanding the material. These results emphasise the importance of student perceptions of their capabilities when learning in flexible, less structured digital environments.
Thermal tolerance of allis shad (Alosa alosa) embryos and larvae: Modeling and potential applications

The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of climate change on the survival of allis shad early life history stages. Embryos and larvae were exposed to temperatures ranging from 5 to 35 °C. No embryonic survival was recorded at extreme temperatures (≤10 and ≥30 °C), and no larval survival was observed at 5 or 35 °C. Based on these experimental results, a survival model was developed to predict survival rates at different temperatures for embryos and larvae up to 14 days post hatch. The model confirmed that embryonic daily survival is more impacted by temperature than larval survival. The highest survival rates (greater than 80%) were found for temperatures between 15.7 and 25.6 °C for embryos and between 14.6 and 26.7 °C for larvae. This survival model can be used to explore the impact of temperature on recruitment of allis shad in southern France. Preliminary analysis from two different rivers suggests that cold temperatures may have a strong impact on embryonic and larval survival.
Petrography and Geochemistry of Paragneisses in the Çine Submassif of the Menderes Massif, Western Anatolia

The Menderes Massif, which covers a large area in western Turkey, is made up of Pan-African basement rocks and a Palaeozoic to Early Tertiary cover sequence. The study area is located in the Dalama and Hallaclar (Aydin) area, in the northern and central parts of the Cine submassif of the Menderes Massif. The oldest units of the Pan-African basement are metaclastics, consisting of paragneisses and mica schists that gradually and conformably overlay paragneisses. Macroscopic appearances and mineralogical and textural data indicate that paragneisses can be subdivided into four subgroups. These are: (1) black spotted, (2) white spotted, (3) massive, grey-coloured and (4) massive, purple-coloured paragneisses. Geochemical data show that the spotted and purple-coloured paragneisses are characterized by high alumina content that is consistent with high sillimanite content. Paragneisses exposed in the eastern part of the Cine submassif were partly migmatized during the last stage of the polyphase Pan-African metamorphism. Based on comparison with relics of upper amphibolite to granulite (? ) facies parageneses in the Pan-African basement of the Menderes Massif, we infer that the porphyroblasts in the black-spotted paragneisses are pseudomorphs after cordierite. Considering the inferred replacement of cordierite by sillimanite + garnet + biotite, it can be concluded that former high-temperature assemblages were overprinted by almandine-amphibolite facies metamorphism. Geochemical data obtained from paragneisses and mica schists reveal that the protoliths of this metaclastic sequence were derived from a cratonic provenance. The paragneisses are intruded by 550 Ma syn- to post-orogenic orthogneisses. Based on the well-preserved the original intrusive contact relationship with the orthogneisses and the youngest detrital zircon ages in paragneisses, it can be inferred that the time of deposition of their protolith is Late Proterozoic.
ASPECTS OF UNIFORMITY IN RECURRENCE

We analyze and cite applications of various, loosely related notions of uniformity inherent to the phenomenon of (multiple) recurrence in ergodic theory. An assortment of results are obtained, among them sharpenings of two theorems due to Bourgain. The first of these, which in the original guarantees existence of sets {x, x+ h, x+ h} in subsets E of positive measure in the unit interval, with lower bounds on h depending only on m(E), is expanded to the case of arbitrary finite polynomial configurations in subsets of positive measure in cubes of R. The second is a direct computation of a lower bound, uniform in a and b and depending only on T f , for T f(x)f(x + at)f(x + bt) dx dt, where 0 ≤ f ≤ 1 is a function on the 1-torus. Our methodology parallels that of Bourgain, who originally considered the case a = 1, b = 2.
Performance Evaluation Factors: Designing an Instrument for National Health Network in Iran

As a systematic process for gathering and analyzing data, performance evaluation could be used as a valid method to highlight levels of success and to identify strength and weakness of ongoing programs. The aim of the present study was to develop an instrument for evaluating rural health centers in Iran. Based on related literature and experts’ views, eight crucial fields of performance evaluation, and a questionnaire including 100 items were formed. The participants of the study were 525 people having health related jobs in rural or urban health centers. Reliability and validity requirements were checked; exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. Factor analysis identified 11 components which embraced 60 items. Components were named as planning, control, coordination, structure, setting and facilities, education, customers’ satisfaction, staff’s job satisfaction, disease surveillance, mother-child care, and effectiveness which are presented as a model for performance evaluation. The obtained instrument embraces all required factors suggested by experts and literature hence it can be used as an evaluation instrument in both rural and urban health centers.