Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shadow economies and tax evasion: The case of the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary

This paper examines the drivers and the size of the shadow economies of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. It also investigates the tax losses associated with these shadow economic activities in all three countries. The Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model is applied and uses time series data covering the period 1990–2019. The key findings show that the sizes of the shadow economies of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are 10.44, 11.18 and 20.47% respectively. The results also show that the average size of the shadow economies between 1990–2019 was 14.92% in the Czech Republic, 18.72% in Hungary and 22.85% in Poland. The Czech Republic loses 3.13% of tax revenue from goods and services and 2.83% from incomes and profits as a result of the shadow economy, while Hungary loses 5.05% of tax revenue from goods and services and 1.68% from incomes and profits. Poland loses 5.25% of tax revenue from goods and services and 4.34% from incomes and profits.
Gas diffusivity and production of CO2 in deep soils of the eastern Amazon

The rate of gaseous diffusion in soils affects the exchange of gases between the soil and the atmosphere, thereby affecting rates of soil respiration and other soil microbial processes. Understanding the causes of spatial and temporal variation in soil diffusivity will help explain controls of soil sources and sinks of atmospheric gases. In a study of sources of CO 2 in deep soils of forests and pastures of the eastern Amazon, we estimated gaseous diffusivity from bulk density and volumetric water content using published equations that assume the soil to be either an aggregated or nonaggregated medium. The aggregated model requires differentiation of interand intra-aggregate pore space; we estimated intra-aggregate pore space from volumetric water content at field capacity. Steady state 222 Rn profiles were predicted from a 1-D model using the diffusivities generated by both aggregated and nonaggregated models. Predicted values were compared with 222 Rn activities measured to 5 m depth. While the models predict similar radon activities below about 1 m, large differences are predicted for the top 1 m of soil. The nonaggregated model underestimated diffusivity and overestimated 222 Rn activities at 1 m and above, which is not surprising given that surface soils are usually well aggregated. Having validated the aggregated media model using the 222 Rn profiles, estimates of diffusivity were combined with measured profiles of CO 2 concentrations to estimate CO 2 production by depth. About 70-80% of the measured CO 2 flux from the soil surface was produced in the top 1 m of soil (including litter in the forest). The 20-30% produced below 1 m results from root respiration and microbial decay of root inputs at depth, indicating that deep soil processes are a non-trivial component of carbon cycling in these deep-rooting ecosystems. About 1% of the 20 kg C m -2 stock of soil C found between 1 m and 8 m depths turns over annually, indicating that land-use changes that affect rooting depth could significantly affect deep soil C stocks over decades to centuries. Fully understanding the role of land-use change on the global carbon cycle will require consideration of these deep soil processes. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.47. issue5.3. x
THE FACTORS THAT AFFECTING CONSUMER INTENTION TO UTILIZE THE ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA

The Fourth Industrial Revolution digitizes Malaysia's payment system. Nothing is easy when it comes to the payment method except the electronic payment system. Most Malaysian consumers are not ready to embrace the electronic payment system. This paper aims to recognize factors affecting the consumer's intention to utilize the electronic payment system. Literature demonstrates that factors such as attitude, subjective norms, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived security have an effect on the intention of customers to utilize the electronic payment system. The quantitative analysis was used by 394 respondents from all over Malaysia. Research findings show that attitude, subjective norms, perceived usefulness and perceived security have a significant relationship with customer's intention to utilize the electronic payment system but the perceived ease of use does not have a significant relationship with consumer intention to utilize the electronic payment system. The result also shows that perceived usefulness has the strongest influence on consumer intention to utilize the electronic payment system in Malaysia.
Influence of solvent on branching via atom transfer radical polymerisation using 1,6-bismaleimidohexane as branching agent

Abstract Branched polystyrenes have been prepared via atom transfer radical polymerisation using 1,6-bismaleimidohexane as the branching agent in two reaction systems of anisole or anisole along with N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP). The polymerisation kinetics was studied using gas chromatography. The formation mechanism, the development of branching, the changes in molecular weight and polydispersity of branched polymers were analysed using triple detection size exclusion chromatography. The results showed that the formation mechanisms of branched polystyrenes were almost the same in both the reaction systems. The relative molecular weights were also similar at the same conversion of styrene in the two reaction systems because of similar contents of the pendent vinyl groups between the two reaction systems. However, higher absolute molecular weight and higher branching degree of the branched chains were obtained in the anisole with NMP than that in the anisole alone at the same styrene conversion.
GroupTracer: Automatic Attacker TTP Profile Extraction and Group Cluster in Internet of Things

As Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) becomes increasingly frequent around the world, security experts are starting to look at how to observe, predict, and mitigate the damage from APT attacks. In the meantime, the Internet of things devices are also risky and heavily exposed to the Internet, making them more easily used by hacker organizations to launch APT attacks. An excellent attacker can take down millions of Internet of things devices in a short time. Once the IoT botnet is built, attackers can use it to launch complex attacks which could damage Internet infrastructure and cause network disconnection. This paper proposes GroupTracer, a framework for observing and predicting the Internet of things attacks. GroupTracer is designed to automatically extract the TTP profiles (i.e., tactics, techniques, and procedures) that can describe the behavior of attackers through their tactics, techniques, and processes and dig out the potential attacker groups behind complex attacks. Firstly, it captures attacks by IoT honeypots and extracts relevant fields from logs. Then, attack behaviors are automatically mapped to the ATT&CK framework to achieve automatic TTP profiles extraction. After that, GroupTracer presents four feature groups, including TTP profiles, Time, IP, and URL features, a total of 18 features, mines potential attack groups through hierarchical clustering algorithm, and compares the clustering results with two baseline algorithms. As the ground truth labels are unknown, we apply three internal validation indexes to evaluate the cluster quantity. Experimental results showed that the proposed framework has achieved an excellent performance in exploiting potential groups as the Calinski–Harabasz index reaches 3416.93. Eventually, attack trees are generated for each cluster where nodes indicate attack commands and edges represent command sequences. These attack trees could help better understand each attack group’s actions and techniques.
NSGA-II for Multiobjective Optimization of Pervaporation Process: Removal of Volatile Organics from Water

Pervaporation is fast emerging as a viable technique for the removal of VOC from wastewater. In our previous study (Satyanarayana, V. S.; Bhattacharya, P. K. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2003, 42, 3118) we have carried out the minimization of the treatment cost for a fixed toluene removal fraction from multicomponent wastewater by single-stage pervaporation using shell and tube module without recycling permeate. In the present work, two objective optimization problem of minimization of the treatment cost with simultaneous maximization of percent removal of toluene is studied using an evolutionary algorithm of NSGA-II. The previously available model (Satyanarayana, V. S.; Bhattacharya, P. K. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2003, 42, 3118) is employed including fiber diameter as an eighth decision variable. The study reveals that attractive trade-offs are available between the two objectives. Further, vacuum and condensation cost is found to be the major contributor to the treatment cost for the entire range of Reynold’s numb.
Design and Implementation of a Wireless System to Locate a User in Indoor Environments

The technology of indoor positioning has pulled in the consideration of researchers the expanding capability of smartphones and the advancement of sensor innovation, alongside the increase the time people spend working inside the building or being indoors. Sensor innovation, which is one of the most generally utilized information hotspots for indoor setting, has a favorable position that sensors can receive information from a cell phone without introducing any additional device. The idea of the proposed system is to use the Wi-Fi access points, inside the building, together with a Smartphone Wi-Fi sensor which lets the building administrator locate those carrying smartphones, wherever they exist inside the building. The proposed system consists of two-stage the testing stage (or preparation phase) and, the second stage is the training stage (or positioning phase). The data is collected and selected for accurate readings; a router is used, which is the Mikrotik access point type from which we can read the RSS value. The RSS value represents the Wi-Fi signal strength of the target device. The proposed IPS detection system is independent and can work in unconstrained environments. The database used to measure the performance of the proposed IPS detection system is collected from 14 locations (different in size). The number of readings obtained from the collected database is 1199 readings consist of received signal strength value from five access points. The proposed IPS accuracy is 96.8595% and the mean error is about 1.2 meters are achieved when using, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN), used the.
Evaluation of polypropylene degradation with commercial additives in different media of exposure

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used polymers in the world, mainly due to its versatility, good properties, and low cost. However, since it is not easily degraded in the natural environment, several research projects have been developed to increase its biodegradability. The use of pro-degrading additives has been explored, as they promote the process of polymer degradation. Nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the degradation of these materials in natural aqueous environments such as rivers and lakes, which contain large amounts of PP waste. The goal of this study was to evaluate the degradation of polypropylene, as well as the biodegradation of PP through the incorporation of two additives of different natures, organic and enzymatic. For this purpose, PP blends were produced with 4% additive, which has the purpose of conferring biodegradability to the material, since polypropylene has high resistance to degradation. In order to verify the behavior of the materials against degradation tests with 2 different media (saline and fresh water) for a period of 6 months, the samples were characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy and Field emission scanning electron microscopy. The characterizations were carried out in order to verify the changes in the structural characteristics and in the morphology of the materials caused by the incorporation of the additive and by the exposure to the degradation media. From the results obtained, it was observed that the additives influenced the degradation of PP. In addition, the enzyme additive and the saline media caused more significant changes in the properties analyzed, indicating greater influence on the degradation process. It was concluded that the incorporation of commercial additives gives biodegradable properties to PP. Therefore, this study has an important role in the research and development of biodegradable materials in order to minimize the effects caused by plastic waste in the environment. Thus, the studied materials are an alternative in the field of plastic packaging, reducing the effects caused by plastic waste in the environment.
Physical Clusters, Surface Tension, and Critical Phenomena

A physical‐cluster theory of condensation and critical phenomena is developed in which primary emphasis is placed on collective modes of oscillation of clusters under the restoring force of their surface tension. A procedure is advocated for self‐consistent inclusion of surface mode interaction leading to a nonlinear integral equation whose solution yields a wavelength‐dependent surface tension. An explicit expression is derived for the physical‐cluster‐size distribution near condensation, and from it follows prediction of critical exponents δ (critical isotherm degree), γ′ (initial compressibility below Tc), ν′ (correlation length), and η (deviation from Ornstein—Zernike pair distribution at the critical point), in terms of the phenomenological coexistence curve (β) and surface tension (σ) exponents, as well as a parameter v, which is not directly measureable. The predictions are not consistent with the so‐called ``scaling laws,'' except for special v values that seem experimentally unacceptable. Reasons.
Studies on the public health importance of infestation of Ostracoda Vargula tsujii (Myodocopa: Cypridinidae) in some marine food fishes off Pamban, Southeast coast of India – A case study

The present study was the first attempt to investigate the public health importance of infestation of Ostracoda in some marine food fishes in southeast region of Tamil Nadu India during June 2019 to May 2020 by the method of Becker’s measuring utility by a single-response sequential method. Total 540 fishermen belonging to 5 villages from Ramand District were interviewed to understand the public health issues related the infestation of Ostracoda V. tsujii in ten major marine food fishes i.e. Parupeneus indicus, Lutjanus fulviflamma, Priacanthus hamrur (Snapper), Carangoides gymnostethus, Carangoides malabaricus, Carangoides ferdau (Carangids), Cephalopholis sonnerati, Epinephelus coioides (grouper), Lethrinus ornatus and Plectorhinchus gibbosus (sea bream). Fishermen, local whole sale buyers, small fish-stall owners and fish consumers were part of respondents. It was observed that there was no difference at statistically significant level (P < 0.05) between infested and healthy fish samples in terms of nutritional profile like protein, fat, ash, carbohydrates and mineral nutrients level. Based on the feedback and information obtained from respondents in the present study found that no incidence of health issues or risk associated with food fishes infested with Ostracoda Vargula tsujii (local name – Arattlai) or any other true parasites.
Surface tension of poly(ester urethane)s and poly(ether urethane)s

The correlation between the surface tension parameters and the chemical composition of poly(ester urethane) and poly(ether urethane) thin films with different soft and hard segments, both before and after plasma treatment, was investigated. Calculations are based on the geometric mean approach of Owens and Wendt (Owens DK and Wendt RC, J Appl Polym Sci13:1741 (1969)), Rabel (Rabel W, Physikalische Blatter33:151 (1977)) and Kalble (Kalble DH, J Adhesion1:102 (1969)), on the Lifshitz–van der Waals acid/base approach of van Oss and co-workers (van Oss CJ, Good RJ and Chaudhury MK, Langmuir4:884 (1988); van Oss CJ, Ju L, Chaudhury MK and Good RJ, Chem Rev88:927 (1988); van Oss CJ, Interfacial Forces in Aqueous Media. Marcel Dekker, New York (1994)) and on the theoretical methods involving quantitative structure–property relationships (Bicerano J, JMS Rev Macromol Chem PhysC36:161 (1996)). For all investigated films, the polar terms contribute significantly to the total surface tensions, as due to the large electron donor, , interactions. Plasma treatment alters the surface energy of samples by changing their surface polarity and hydrophilicity. The hydrophilicity trends for polyurethanes were also studied by means of the free energy of hydration between compounds and water. Preliminary blood contact tests of the selected polyurethane sample with higher hydrophilicity were developed for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Matching of the GFP Gene Expression Levels by Different Terminator Sequences Regulation

The ability to express foreign genes in plant cells provides a powerful tool for studying the function of specific genes. In addition, the creation of genetically modified plants may provide new important features that are useful for industrial production or pharmaceutical applications. One of the key parameters for the development of a high level of heterologous genes expression is the efficiency of terminators used in genetic engineering, since the level of gene expression depends on its choice. Aim. Study of the gfp gene expression regulation in Nicotiana rustica L. tissues by different terminators. Methods. The Golden Gate method of molecular cloning was used for genetic constructs creation. The tissues of N. rustica plants were infiltrated by the created genetic vectors for transient gene expression. The expression level was determined by spectrofluorometric (level of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence) and protein analysis: determination of water-soluble proteins concentration and its electrophoresis separation in polyacrylamide gel (PAGE). Results. Five different terminators with polyadenylation signal/3’-untranslated region (3’UTR) were selected for the study: the 7th gene isolated from Agrobacterium tumefaciens L. (Atug7), the terminator of the gene that encode mannopinsyntase from A. tumefaciens (mas), the terminator of tomato (Solanum lycopersum L.) adenosine 5’-triphosphatase (ATPase), the potato histone H4 terminator (Solanum tuberosum L.) and the 35S Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (35S CaMV) terminator. All transcriptional units additionally contained a 5’-untranslated region out of the 2B gene from the family of genes encoding the small subunit of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) (5’UTR RbcS2B), the coding sequence of the gfp gene and double 35S Cauliflower Mosaic Virus promoter (D35S CaMV). Thus, we created 5 genetic constructs with different terminator sequences. The presence of recombinant GFP protein in total protein extracts and its identity to standard protein was proved by the spectrofluorometric and PAGE analyzes. For the first time was shown the difference of GFP reporter protein accumulation in N. rustica tissues by terminator regulation of transient gfp gene expression. Conclusions. We detected the highest expression of the gfp gene when the Atug7 terminator was used and the lowest level with the histone H4 terminator. The difference between protein accumulations using these terminators was in 2.89 times. It showed that the terminator sequence has a high influence on the gene expression. It choice is an important step in genetic constructs creation, since terminator can be used for regulating the level of gene expression depending on the goals.
Reinvestigation of the structures of ethanol and methanol at room temperature.

Diffraction studies of ethanol and methanol indicate strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between neighboring alcohol molecules at room temperature. Each oxygen has, on the average, two nearest oxygen neighbors at 2.7 A in each alcohol. From an analysis of the radial‐distribution function of each alcohol, a reasonable accounting of the observed intermolecular interactions is made.
Evaluation of Pre-service Teachers’ Actual use towards Augmented Reality Technology through MARLCardio

Augmented reality (AR) offers an innovative learning space through an active interaction of real world with computer-assisted contextual layer of information to enhance learning experiences. AR is exciting to explore in which it can enhance a user’s impression of and interaction with real and virtual world. There have been some attempts to use AR for training and educational purposes; however the potential of AR in education remains unexplored as it seen as a future of education. In addition to the lack of information about AR in education especially in Malaysia, there is also inadequate information about the influencing factors in determining students’ decision to use AR in their learning process. Thus, the present paper aims to evaluate factors that might influence pre-service teachers’ decision in using AR technology through Mobile Augmented Reality Learning Cardiovascular (MARLCardio). A selfdesigned MARLCardio was used as an experimental tool in data collection process. All respondents were given a chance to explore an AR features in MARLCardio before they responds to a web-based survey. The respondents of the study are 459 pre-service teachers at three public universities in Malaysia with different field of study. All data gathered from the questionnaire was analysed using path coefficients in SmartPLS. As a result of this investigation, results revealed that attitude (ATT) is the main factor in determining the actual use of MARLCardio. Surprisingly, field of study (FOS) was not found as a moderating effect of any relationship.
Competitive Adsorption Between PEO-Containing Block Copolymers and Homopolymers at Silica

The ability to manipulate polymer adsorption is useful for applications involving colloidal stabilization, for example, paints, cosmetics, lubricants, and mineral and waste-water treatment. We have an ongoing interest on the use of organic molecules for modulating the aqueous solution and adsorption properties of poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO–PPO–PEO) block copolymers. In the present study, the influence of low molecular weight PEO homopolymer on the adsorption of a representative PEO–PPO–PEO block copolymer (Pluronic P105: EO37-PO56-EO37) at the surface of protonated silica nanoparticles dispersed in water is investigated. Pluronic P105 forms hydrophobic domains on the surface of protonated silica at a critical surface micelle concentration, csmc, of 0.02 wt% in the presence of 0.1 wt% silica nanoparticles in water, well below the cmc of Pluronic P105 in water (0.6 wt%). Dye solubilization experiments reveal an increase in the PEO–PPO–PEO block copolymer csmc with increasing amounts of added PEO homopolymer. The resulting critical displacer concentration for PEO homopolymer of molecular weights 200 and 600 Da was measured to be 0.1 wt% and 0.07 wt%, respectively, in the presence of 0.1 wt% silica nanoparticles. Capillary viscometry measurements indicate a decrease in the adsorbed layer thickness at the protonated silica surface with increasing PEO homopolymer concentration. The data presented herein are consistent with a physical model which considers “patches” of PEO–PPO–PEO block copolymer and PEO homopolymer adsorbed at the silica surface.