Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SELF DESCRIBED HAPPY COUPLES AND FACTORS OF SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE IN IRAN

The purpose of this study is to identify factors of successful marriage from the viewpoint of happy couples in Iran. For this purpose, 365 couples (N = 730) were selected from staff of several industrial companies and teachers in Tehran and Birjand. Purposive sampling method was used. Eleven couples with highest scores from Four ENRICH Couple Scales (2010) was described themselves as happy couples underwent an in-depth, semi-structured interview. Happy couples formulated effective factors for their successful marriage as follows: a) we trust each other and are committed, b) we consult with each other, c) we think our relationship is intimate, d) we solve our own problems, e) we cooperate with each other in children’s upbringing f) we share common beliefs, and g) we express our love to each other. Traditional patriarchal and matriarchal couples and non-traditional couples differed only in dealings with family management.
Alternative Ways of Measuring and Interpreting Worker Flows

The present paper provides empirical evidence compatible with a proposed theoretical framework to explain the joint determination of two components of worker flows: worker replacement and job creation. We show that a negative correlation between job creation and replacement across firms emerges from such a framework. An empirical model is specified and its parameters are estimated taking into account two serious problems: measurement error and endogenous regressor. We take advantage of a matched employer-employee longitudinal database with detailed information on job and worker characteristics to tackle both issues. Our estimates confirm the negative correlation predicted by the theory.
On Tikhonov Regularization Method in Calibration of Volatility Term-structure

In this paper, we consider inverse problem arising in calibration of time-de pendent volatility function from the Black-Scholes model and analyze its ill-posedness phenomena. The forward operator of the inverse problem under some consideration decomposes into an inner linear convolution operator and an outer nonlinear Nemytskii operator given by a Black-Scholes function. Using Chebyshev collocation method, we transfer the inner linear operator to a linear system. Since the resulting matrix equation is badly ill-conditioned, a regularized solution is obtained by employing the Tikhonov regularization method, while the choice of the regularization parameter are based on generalized cross-validation(GCV) and L-curve criterions. Numerical case studies illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the presented method.
A Quadrotor UAV Navigational Command and Control Aid: A Landing Pad Detection and Localisation System

Research and development of quadrotor UAV robots is a fast-growing area. There is currently a high R&D focus by many companies on UAVs for delivery purposes, swarm applications, farming applications, search and rescue missions, environmental studies and other advanced applications. GPS is a navigational system that can be used to guide a UAV toward a target destination. However, as GPS navigation is prone to local errors, there is a vital need for another sensor to assist with short-range navigation and finding the target landing position. In this case, the quadrotor's on-board camera could act as a useful, optical, sensor to collect real-time data about a destination area and the location of a landing pad. In this research work, successful landing pad detection was accomplished by employing the most ideal of a number of classifiers, which were trained using OpenCV. Two different types of classifier training were performed: these were Haar and LBP (Local binary patterns) training. Theory was also derived to localise the UAV within the earth-fixed coordinate system, based upon its position with respect to the landing pad within the captured image. This article briefly discusses the principles, procedures and results for landing pad detection, as well as image analysis, UAV localisation and command generation.
World Cup 2010 Traffic simulation long-term aging of polypropylene asphalt paving mixtures

This study investigated the influence of accelerated weathering (aging) on the engineering properties of modified asphalt mixtures with pyrolysis polypropylene (PP). The accelerated weathering was done at a temperature of 85 °C and over two periods of time, namely between two and four days. Marshall specimens were compacted with a mechanical compactor at a temperature of 135 to 142 °C. Five pyrolysis polypropylene mixtures, including the control, which had an optimum asphalt content, were investigated. The asphalt concrete was of a dense-graded aggregate type of surface course conforming to the gradation limits of ASTM highway commission specifications. The results showed that variations in age change the physical properties of modified mixtures.
Analysis of Multivariate Longitudinal Data Subject to Nonrandom Dropout

Longitudinal data are collected for studying changes across time. We consider multivariate longitudinal data where multiple observed variables, measured at each time point, are used as indicators for theoretical constructs (latent variables) of interest. A common problem in longitudinal studies is dropout, where subjects exit the study prematurely. Ignoring the dropout mechanism can lead to biased estimates, especially when the dropout is nonrandom. Our proposed approach uses latent variable models to capture the evolution of the latent phenomenon over time while also accounting for possibly nonrandom dropout. The dropout mechanism is modeled with a hazard function that depends on the latent variables and observed covariates. Different relationships among these variables and the dropout mechanism are studied via 2 model specifications. The proposed models are used to study people’s perceptions of women’s work using 3 questions from 5 waves from the British Household Panel Survey.
Groundwater-induced vertical movements in Tsukuba revisited: installation of a new GPS station

A new continuous GPS station, 06S061, was installed in Tsukuba, Japan, which is directly anchored to the soil at a depth of 190 m, so that it is less affected by seasonal poroelastic deformations of aquifers induced by groundwater extraction for irrigation. A comparison of GPS-derived vertical movements of surrounding GPS stations relative to 06S061 with the independent observations revealed that 06S061 has an observation quality comparable to a standard GPS station in terms of coordinate repeatability. The poroelastic deformations of aquifers below 190 m recorded at 06S061 were estimated to have peak-to-peak values of about 1 cm, which is half of the total poroelastic deformations of aquifers observed at surrounding GPS stations.
Financial constraints and entrepreneurial activity choice among clients of micro finance institutions in Jimma area

The research is intended to assess the small holder entrepreneurs’ enterprise choices under financial constraint. Adapting economic model of household-production interactions, results from a survey of 140 smallholders was used on multinomial logit regression techniques. The paper makes the case that the access to finance has limited effect on the choice of entrepreneurial activity than individual differences did. It was also found that majority of the problems the entrepreneurs faced have no significant association with access to credit rather with macroeconomic and institutional factors. There has also been strong association of human capital, physical and social capital with entrepreneurial activity choice, implying enhancement of smallholder’s entrepreneurship need to take into account other socio-economic factors besides the access to credit. The activity analysis has also showed that there is an out-flock of entrepreneurs from agriculture to non agricultural sector which would have a critical implication on the country’s endeavor to food security. Generally, the study reveals sets of key variables relevant to the smallholders’ entrepreneurial activity choice, and provides an evaluation of intensity of the effects of the variables. The paper concludes by bringing these critical insights to bear on possibilities for designing microfinance programs that would help flourish smallholder entrepreneurship which would gear towards realization of the country’s long run development plan.
Effect of electron-phonon interaction range on lattice polaron dynamics: A continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo study

•We present the numerically exact ground-state energy, effective mass, and isotope exponents of a onedimensional lattice polaron, valid for any range of electron-phonon interaction, applying a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo sQMCd technique in a wide range of coupling strength and adiabatic ratio. The QMC method is free from any systematic finite-size and finite-time-step errors. We compare our numerically exact results with analytical weak-coupling theory and with the strong-coupling 1 / l expansion. We show that the exact results agree well with the canonical Frohlich and Holstein-Lang-Firsov theories in the weak and strong coupling limits, respectively, for any range of interaction. We find a strong dependence of the polaron dynamics on the range of interaction. An increased range of interaction has a similar effect to an increased sless adiabaticd phonon frequency: specifically, a reduction in the effective mass.
An Analysis of Achievement in Science, Piagetian Conceptual Frameworks and Attitude towards Learning Science among Elementary and Secondary School Children in Pakistan

This study analyzed the 8th and 10th graders’ attitude towards learning science (ATLS), required cognitive skills for science examination questions (SEQ), and patterns of actual cognitive skills (ACS), in accordance with the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) and the Piagetian Conceptual Frameworks (PCFs). The sample of the study consisted of 564 (boys and girls) 8th and 10th graders of government elementary and high schools in Sindh province of Pakistan. The RBT applied to break down the 8th graders General Science examination questions in terms of Piagetian conceptual frameworks. A Cognitive Science Achievement Test (CSAT) based on the RBT administered to measure the students’ scores in science. In this study we applied causal comparative research design and stratified sampling technique for sample collection. The students’ ATLS measured through Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA, Fraser and Butts (1982)), whereas the existing PCFs of the students calculated by administering of the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking Test (GALT). The results showed that, the cognitive difficulty levels of SEQs found in uneven distribution at different PCFs, throughout examination questions. Most of the students were at different substages of the Concrete Operational Level (COL) and a few were at Early Formal Operational Level (EFOL), while only four students out of 564 were at Mature Formal Operational Level (MFOL). In addition, the male students scored higher on the GALT in comparison with the female students. However, there was no significant difference found between the scores of eighth and tenth graders on the GALT. The findings concluded that a gap exists between students’ reasoning ability and SEQ’s difficulty level, and to increase in quantity of this gap, a decrease in ATLS occurs. Curriculum developers and paper setters need to follow a model in terms of RBT and PCFs for deciding the nature, level and complexity of the questions while developing science assessment techniques for all graders.
Effects of Economic Freedom, Regulatory Quality, and Taxation on Real Income

This exploratory study investigates the hypothesis that higher levels of economic freedom in an “economic region” promote a higher level of economic activity and hence yield higher levels of per capita real income in that economic region, ceteris paribus. However, in the pursuit of a broader perspective, this study also investigates the hypothesis that the higher the taxation level relative to GDP, the lower the per capita real income level. Finally, in the pursuit of a broader perspective, this study also investigates the hypothesis that higher quality regulation leads to higher per capita real income level.
Recovery of localised structure from signals with non-sparse components

We consider the recovery of localised structure from signals consisting of a piecewise constant structure and sparse components. A new algorithm is presented which aims to reconstruct signals of this type from a limited set of observed data. The algorithm is broken down into two subproblems which both involve minimisation of an $l_1$-regularised least squares problem. Numerical results are presented which demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. References M. V. Afonso, J. M. Bioucas-Dias, and M. A. T. Figueiredo. A Fast Algorithm for the Constrained Formulation of Compressive Image Reconstruction and Other Linear Inverse Problems. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics Speech and Signal Processing , pages 4034--4037, 2010. doi:10.1109/ICASSP.2010. 5495758 R. L. Broughton, I. D. Coope, P. F. Renaud, and R. E. H. Tappenden. A Box Constrained Gradient Projection Algorithm for Compressed Sensing. Signal Processing , 91(8):1985--1992, August 2011. doi:10.1016/j.sigpro. 2011.03. 003 E. Candes, J. Romberg, and T. Tao. Robust Uncertainty Principles: Exact Signal Reconstruction from Highly Incomplete Frequency Information. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory , 52(2):489--509, 2004. doi:10.1109/TIT.2005. 862083 E. J. Candes. Compressive Sampling. In Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematics , pages 1433--1452, Madrid, Spain, 2006. European Mathematical Society. E. J. Candes and T. Tao. Near-Optimal Signal Recovery From Random Projections and Universal Encoding Strategies. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory , 52(12):5406--5425, December 2006. doi:10.1109/TIT.2006. 885507 D. L. Donoho. Compressed Sensing. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory , 52(4):1289--1306, 2006. doi:10.1109/TIT.2006. 871582 M. A. T. Figueiredo, R. D. Nowak, and S. J. Wright. Gradient Projection for Sparse Reconstruction: Application to Compressed Sensing and Other Inverse Problems. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing , 1(4):586--597, December 2007. doi:10.1109/JSTSP.2007. 910281 G. H. Golub and C. F. Van Loan. Matrix Computations . The Johns Hopkins University Press, 3 edition, 1996. A. Griffin and P. Tsakalides. Compressed sensing of audio signals using multiple sensors. Lausanne, Switzerland, 25--29 August 2008. EUSIPCO08. P. C. Hansen. {Rank-Deficient and Discrete Ill-Posed Problems} . SIAM, 1998. M. Lustig, D. Donoho, and J. Pauly. Sparse MRI: The Application of Compressed Sensing for Rapid MR Imaging. Magnetic Resonance in Imaging , 58(6):1182--1195, December 2007. doi:10.1002/mrm.21391 J. Provost and F. Lesage. The Application fo Compressed Sensing for Photo-Acoustic Tomography. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging , 28(4), April 2009. doi:10.1109/TMI.2008. 2007825 J. L. Starck and J. Bobin. Astronomical Data Analysis and Sparsity: From Wavelets to Compressed Sensing. Proceedings of the IEEE , 98(6):1021--1030, 2010. doi:10.1109/JPROC.2009. 2025663 H. Yu and G. Wang. Compressed sensing based interior tomography. Physics in Medicine and Biology , pages 2791--2805, 2009. doi:10.1088/0031-9155/54/9/014
Stochastic efficiency analysis of alternative basic grain marketing strategies

ABSTRACT The use of modern routine marketing strategies to minimize risk exposure is not a widely adopted practice among grain producers. The producers tend to use high risk strategies which include the selling of the crop on the cash market after harvest; while the high market risks require innovative strategies including the use of futures and options as traded on South African Futures Exchange (SAFEX). This is mostly due to a lack of interest and knowledge of the market. The purpose of the study is to examine whether the adoption of basic routine strategies is better than adopting no strategy at all. The study illustrates that by using a Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF) and Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) that the use of three basic strategies for each crop type, namely, a Put (plant time)-, (Three-segment-), (Critical Moment in production/marketing process) and Sell after pollination can be more rewarding. These strategies can be adopted by farmers without an in-depth understanding of the market and market signals. The results obtained from the study illustrate that each strategy is different for each crop. It also indicates that no strategy is worse than a specific strategy and that the choice between strategies depends on the risk aversion level of the producer. It is imperative to note that the use of hedging strategies is better than no strategy at all.
Riemannian optimization method on generalized flag manifolds for complex and subspace ICA

In this paper we introduce a new class of manifolds, generalized flag manifolds, for the complex and subspace ICA problems. A generalized flag manifold is a manifold consisting of subspaces which are orthogonal to each other. The class of generalized flag manifolds include the class of Grassmann manifolds. We extend the Riemannian optimization method to include this new class of manifolds by deriving the formulas for the natural gradient and geodesics on these manifolds. We show how the complex and subspace ICA problems can be solved by optimization of cost functions on a generalized flag manifold. Computer simulations demonstrate our algorithm gives good performance compared with the ordinary gradient descent method.In this paper we introduce a new class of manifolds, generalized flag manifolds, for the complex and subspace ICA problems. A generalized flag manifold is a manifold consisting of subspaces which are orthogonal to each other. The class of generalized flag manifolds include the class of Grassmann manifolds. We extend the Riemannian optimization method to include this new class of manifolds by deriving the formulas for the natural gradient and geodesics on these manifolds. We show how the complex and subspace ICA problems can be solved by optimization of cost functions on a generalized flag manifold. Computer simulations demonstrate our algorithm gives good performance compared with the ordinary gradient descent method.
The role of handicraft micro-enterprises as a catalyst for youth employment

ABSTRACT There is a pressing need to equip South African's youth with the means to develop their entrepreneurial potential. In this context, there is the need for the government to create a support mechanism to help integrate young people into the job market, through the handicraft entrepreneurship. The objective of this study is to examine job creation, income generation and poverty alleviation opportunities in developing the microenterprise-handcraft linkage, with special attention to vulnerable sectors of society, the youths. However, the handicraft sector is performing at a level far below its potential in South Africa. This research study into the reasons behind such weak performance, its developmental aspects, and different implication shall be suggested on the contribution of handicrafts in eradicating poverty and maintaining a sustainable livelihood for the youths. The paper shows key findings from a literature review and from semi-structured interviews with local producers, supporters and buyers of handicraft products in the Western Cape Province. The methodology used for this research is an exploratory approach using a qualitative data collection method. Finally, the study provides a comprehensive strategy on how to enhance the South African handicraft sector to better meet its needs as a micro-enterprise to create a better living for the people.
Controls on spatial and temporal variability in streamflow and hydrochemistry in a glacierized catchment

Abstract. Understanding the hydrological and hydrochemical functioning of glacierized catchments requires the knowledge of the different controlling factors and their mutual interplay. For this purpose, the present study was carried out in two sub-catchments of the glacierized Sulden River catchment (130 km2; eastern Italian Alps) in 2014 and 2015, characterized by a similarly sized but contrasting geological setting. Samples were taken at different space and timescales for analysis of stable isotopes in water, electrical conductivity, and major, minor and trace elements. At the monthly sampling scale, complex spatial and temporal dynamics for different spatial scales (0.05–130 km2) were found, such as contrasting electrical conductivity gradients in both sub-catchments. For the entire Sulden catchment, the relationship between discharge and electrical conductivity showed a monthly hysteretic pattern. Hydrometric and geochemical dynamics were controlled by interplay of meteorological conditions, topography and geological heterogeneity. A principal component analysis revealed that the largest variance (36.3 %) was explained by heavy metal concentrations (such as Al, V, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb) during the melting period, while the remaining variance (16.3 %) resulted from the bedrock type in the upper Sulden sub-catchment (inferred from electrical conductivity, Ca, K, As and Sr concentrations). Thus, high concentrations of As and Sr in rock glacier outflow may more likely result from bedrock weathering. Furthermore, nivo-meteorological indicators such as daily maximum air temperature and daily maximum global solar radiation represented important meteorological controls, with a significant snowmelt contribution when exceeding 5 ∘C or 1000 W m−2, respectively. These insights may help in better understanding and predicting hydrochemical catchment responses linked to meteorological and geological controls and in guiding future classifications of glacierized catchments according to their hydrochemical characteristics.
Action potential propagation and phase dynamics in the sinoatrial node

Abstract We have simulated a chain of sinoatrial pacemaker cells connected via gap junctions. To study the dynamics we introduce a phase of oscillations and show that Burgers equation is adequate to describe the phase dynamics in the sinoatrial node. We show that the propagating action potential bears properties of either trigger waves, or phase waves, which depends upon its wave number. We propose a definition of the safety factor that is applicable to the oscillatory tissue of the sinoatrial node and show that the maximum of the safety factor relates to the boundary case separating phase waves and trigger waves.