Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of a RFID Inter-Office Document’s Delivery System via Mobile Robot

This paper presents an efficient method of a mobile robot navigation system in an indoor environment. The mobile robot able to reduce heavy lifting and the repetitive tasks by workers. However, the navigation of robot in an indoor environment is a challenging task due to the requirement to avoid obstacle when in motion. Therefore in this paper, the design and develop of a mobile robot for an inter-office environment using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag is discussed. The motions of the mobile robot are validated using several the trajectory patterns. In addition, the mobile robot is able to avoid obstacles.
Preservice Teachers' Conception of Effective Problem-Solving Instruction and Their Problem Solving.

Despite the importance of teachers’ conception of effective problem-solving instruction, limited attention is given to this area in the current literature. In this study we examined 96 preservice teachers’ (PSTs) views on effective problem-solving instruction and how their conceptions are related and reflected in their views on problem solving and problem solving performance. Analyses of survey responses revealed that our PSTs seem to develop narrow views on effective problemsolving instruction. In addition, we found a positive association between PSTs’ conceptions of effective problem-solving instruction and problem solving. However, no such connection exists between PSTs’ views problem-solving instruction and their performance.
High-sensitivity far-ultraviolet imaging spectroscopy with the SPRITE Cubesat

The SPRITE cubesat is a recently selected NASA astrophysics mission designed to measure ionizing radiation escape from star-forming galaxies, and to map far-ultraviolet (1000 - 1750 Å) emission from shocked regions in supernova remnants. The instrument leverages a number of new technologies identified for future large mission concepts, including the LUVOIR surveyor, to achieve the required performance. These include high broadband reflectivity mirror coatings and an ultra-low background photon counting microchannel plate detector with an anti-coincidence particle rejection system. SPRITE will serve as a flight testbed for these technologies, employing a robust calibration program as part of the principal science mission to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) to 7+ and provide heritage for future Explorer-class and larger missions. SPRITE is a 6U class cubesat funded through NASA ROSES with an anticipated launch date in 2022. The science data products will be archived on the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). This proceedings describes the instrument science program, optical design, preliminary performance projections, and project timeline.
Injectable Deoxycholic Acid (ATX-101, Kybella) for Nonsurgical Submental Contouring

Drugs are medications or substances that are used to modify physiologic responses and alleviate associated symptoms. In dermatology, medications and substances are utilized onadaily basis and include topical treatments to anesthetics in micrographic surgery to biologic-acting immunologic agents. The purposes of this section are to focus on drug, specifically how it works and how it is utilized, and to discuss routine alternatives (if available). In this column, we will focus on the uses, mechanism of action, adverse effects, and alternatives to injectable deoxycholic acid (ATX-101, Kybella), a new nonsurgical agent in esthetic reduction of submental fat.
Development of a sensor platform for roadway mapping : part b - mapping the road fog lines : final report.

The authors' objective is the development and evaluation of a low-cost, vehicle-mounted sensor suite capable of generating map data with lane and road boundary information accurate to the 10 cm (4 in.) level. Such a map could be used for a number of different applications including Global National Satellite System/Global Positioning System (GNSS/GPS) based lane departure avoidance systems, smart phone based dynamic curve speed warning systems, base map improvements, among others. The sensor suite used consists of a high accuracy GNSS receiver, a side-facing video camera, and a computer. Including cabling and mounting hardware, the equipment costs were roughly $30,000. Here, the side-facing camera is used to record video of the ground adjacent to the passenger side of the vehicle. The video is processed using a computer vision algorithm that locates the fog line within the video frame. Using vehicle position data (provided by GNSS) and previously collected video calibration data, the fog line is located in real-world coordinates. The system was tested on two roads (primarily two-lane, undivided highway) for which high accuracy (<10 cm) maps were available. This offset between the reference data and the computed fog line position was generally better than 7.5 cm (3 in.). The results of this work demonstrate that it is feasible to use a camera to detect the position of a road’s fog lines, or more broadly any other lane markings, which when integrated into a larger mobile data collection system, can provide accurate lane and road boundary information about road geometry.
Societal Adoption Problems of Internet of Things (IoT)- A Study

As reiterated by many authors, Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics , software , sensors , actuators , and connectivity which enables these things to connect and exchange data , creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions. This is made possible by the communications models with the enabling technologies which make communications possible among IoT connected devices, although, with drawbacks. These drawbacks are the major reasons for adoption problems of IoT services by the society. This paper carried out an investigative study on previous works on the societal applications and adoption problems of IoT; IoT communications models, pros and cons of IoT. Through the study, it was revealed that for IoT devices and services to be widely adopted with no or minimal problems, future IoT technology will not only address the known drawbacks but will require hardware and software components that are highly interoperable, dependable, reconfigurable, and in many applications, certifiable.
Potential improvements to pension funds performance in Mexico

Nowadays, the average Mexican pension saver makes a noisy and uninformed investment decision of its Public pension fund (AFORE). This is due to AFORE’s marketing efforts or back-to-back activities. In the present paper, we propose the use of MarkovSwitching models, in order to measure the AFORE performance in normal (crisis) or low (high) volatility time periods. With these measures, we simulated the correspondent fund selection. Our results show improvements in the long-term performance in the individuals’ pension savings.
SPARSE DECOMPOSITION OF AUDIO SIGNALS USING A PERCEPTUAL MEASURE OF DISTORTION. APPLICATION TO LOSSY AUDIO CODING.

State-of the art audio codecs use time-frequency transforms derived from cosine bases, followed by a quantification stage. The quantization steps are set according to perceptual considerations. In the last decade, several studies applied adaptive sparse time-frequency transforms to audio coding, e.g. on unions of cosine bases using a Matching-Pursuit-derived algorithm. This was shown to significantly improve the coding efficiency. We propose another approach based on a variational algorithm, i.e. the optimization of a cost function taking into account both a perceptual distortion measure derived form a hearing model and a sparsity constraint, which favors the coding efficiency. In this early version, we show that, using a coding scheme without perceptual control of quantization, our method outperforms a codec from the literature with the same quantization scheme. In future work, a more sophisticated quantization scheme would probably allow our method to challenge standard codecs e.g. AAC.
A Quantile Regression Analysis of Contributing Factors Influencing Agribusiness Growth and Entrepreneurship Development: Evidence from Rural China

The rapid development of some sectors in the Chinese economy has crippled the growth of agribusiness. Agribusiness sector, which consists of various business activities, plays a vital role in socio-economic development in the areas of job creation, food production and rural development. However, the environmental issues that are more prevalent to the agro-industries thwart the growth and development of the sector. This study employs the quantile regression approach to investigate the relationship between government policies, agribusiness growth and agripreneurship development. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was also employed to investigate the degree of the linear relationship between the variables. The results of the study revealed a significant positive correlation between agribusiness development, rural education, Research and Development (R&D), legalities, development of family households and intellectual properties. The quantile regression results also disclosed a positive relationship between investments in the rural areas and agribusiness growth and entrepreneurship development. The quantile plots measured the deviations in the asymmetric quantile coefficients, and the results revealed that the coefficients seem to depart slightly at the various quantile points, from the OLS mean effect estimates.
Measurement of Control parameters for Omnidirectional Treadmills using RGBD camera

Omnidirectional treadmill systems are an effective platform that allows unconstrained locomotion possibilities to a user for effective VR exploration. There are two most common problems associated with Omnidirectional treadmill systems. First one is the mechanical design of it. The second one is controlling algorithm that controls the treadmill. This thesis focuses on the second problem and presents an algorithm which measures important parameters for controlling the direction and speed of omnidirectional treadmills. The primary objective is to collect skeleton data from Kinect Sensor(RGBD) and measure speed, acceleration and orientation vectors of lower body joints. From these measurements, it is possible to calculate the control parameters for omnidirectional treadmills. Using these parameters, the treadmill will try and compensate user motion, to keep the user close to the platform center. Another objective is to validate the parameters found from the algorithm and determine the accuracy of the algorithm using Kinect camera. Also, this article explores whether the kinect can be a viable replacement for current motion capture systems used for this purpose. Usage of Kinect camera can make VR experience non-invasive and low-cost.
Socially assistive robots in the elderly care : The attitudes of healthcare professionals towards the use of socially assistive robots

Introduction: This study has the aim to examine the attitudes of the different professionals in the elderly care organisation towards the use of socially assistive robots and the determinants that influenced these attitudes. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve professionals in two different elderly care organisations. Results: The attitudes of the respondents were divided in the respondents with a positive and open attitude and the respondents with a wait-and-see attitude. Several determinants were found to have an effect on the attitudes. This study did not find an answer on differences between professions, but it found that respondents with a coordinating or facilitating role had more positive attitudes than their colleagues. The moderators that seemed to influence the relation between the determinants and attitude are the gender and level of education. Discussion: The results in this study must be interpret carefully, because the study sample was too small. As a result, a comparable study is needed with a larger study sample. Besides, a quantitative study can be useful to find causal relations between the determinants, moderators and attitudes. A practical recommendation for the organisations is to invest in train the nurses in the department, because their wait-and-see attitude is influence by a knowledge deficit and lack of skills.
The Revival of the Securitization Market after the Global Financial Crisis: A Case of Europe

The aim of this study is to assess the post-crisis securitization market in Europe. The presented considerations focus on two fundamental aspects: (1) identification of changes in the regulatory environment of securitization in the European financial system and (2) analysis of changes in the size and structure of the European market for securitization of financial instruments between 1998 and 2017. The analysis is to answer the question of whether the European market for securitization of assets is reviving.
THE CORRELATION OF ADOLESCENT’S KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TO DRUGS WITH ADOLESCENT’S DRUG ABUSE BEHAVIOR IN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF KESUNEAN, CIREBON

Background : The reports on the number of drug abuse in Indonesia by the National Narcotic Agency (NNA) showed 3.3 million drug users in 2008 and 3.8 million drug users in 2014 in which its number keeps increasing year after year. The number of teenagers who become drug users in Cirebon is quite high, i.e. 25% compared to unemployed people of 19%, and followed by private employees and government employees of 56%. Data from community health center show that drug users who underwent treatment and were sent to rehabilitation center in 2017 were 32 people; it was higher than in 2016, i.e. 10 people. Adolescence is a transition period between childhood and adulthood. There are several factors influencing mental abilities, knowledge, and attitudes. It makes adolescents may consume narcotics, psychotropic abuse and other drug addictive substances. The community health center of Kesunean has an Integrated service post (ISP) program called REMPONG PISAN (an ISP who cares for HIV/AIDS and Narcotics) aiming to make adolescent understand about HIV/AIDS and drugs and to make them healthy. This ISP program is conducted once a month with one of the activities is education about HIV/AIDS and drugs. Aim: To observe the correlation of adolescent’s knowledge and attitudes to drugs with drug abuse behavior among adolescents at the ISP. Method: This research was an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was determined using consecutive sampling technique during the implementation of the ISP at the 2 neighborhood in the community health center of Kesunean. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation to determine the correlation of adolescent’s knowledge and attitudes to drugs with drug abuse behavior among adolescents. Results: Statistical analysis shows that there was no significant correlation between knowledge and drug abuse behavior (p = 0.180 and; r = -0,201), there was no significant correlation between attitudes with drug abuse behavior (p = 0.264; r= -0,168), however, there was a significant correlation between knowledge and attitudes towards drug abuse (p = 0.000; r = 0,710 ** ). Conclusion: The better the adolescent’s knowledge about drugs, the better their attitude will be. In this case, good teen behavior is influenced by good knowledge and attitude.
THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL PROMOTION INVESTMENT IN CROATIA'S TOURISM PRODUCT

The growing interest of foreign tourists in Croatia's tourism offerings could be attributed to the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) increased promotional efforts, with special emphasis on digital ones. Based on the data provided, the authors’ aim is to determine the state and potential of utilizing online channels to enhance their effectiveness in online promotion. The data analyzed in this paper enable the authors to suggest trends concerning the choice of digital platforms for communication and intensity of further investments. Quantitative secondary data used and analyzed in this paper are collected from the official CNTB website and also official annual reports. The paper focuses on the period between 2014 and 2016, due to the introduction of Croatian Strategic Tourist Marketing Plan 2014-2020 in 2014. The authors examine digital promotion investments of the CNTB as well as the choice of individual digital communication channels. The data presented in this paper enable authors to conclude if certain online promotion investments were justified and to establish the number of visits that happened consequently. By analyzing these data, it is possible to predict and advise a further increase in the latest forms of digital promotion which would lead to better customer understanding of Croatia’s diverse tourism offerings. Authors also recognize the rising importance of mobile presence when it comes to the promotion of tourism products, services, and destinations.
Sectoral versus Aggregate Shocks: A Structural Factor Analysis of Industrial Production

Using factor methods, we decompose industrial production (IP) into components arising from aggregate and sector-specific shocks. An approximate factor model finds that nearly all of IP variability is associated with common factors. We then use a multisector growth model to adjust for the effects of input-output linkages in the factor analysis. Thus, a structural factor analysis indicates that the Great Moderation was characterized by a fall in the importance of aggregate shocks while the volatility of sectoral shocks was essentially unchanged. Consequently, the role of idiosyncratic shocks increased considerably after the mid-1980s, explaining half of the quarterly variation in IP.
Modeling Biological Systems Using Crowdsourcing

Abstract Crowdsourcing is a very effective technique for outsourcing work to a vast network usually comprising anonymous people. In this study, we review the application of crowdsourcing to modeling systems originating from systems biology. We consider a variety of verified approaches, including well-known projects such as EyeWire, FoldIt, and DREAM Challenges, as well as novel projects conducted at the European Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics. The latter projects utilized crowdsourced serious games to design models of dynamic biological systems, and it was demonstrated that these models could be used successfully to involve players without domain knowledge. We conclude the review of these systems by providing 10 guidelines to facilitate the efficient use of crowdsourcing.
Selling and Sales Management

Abstract About 10% of the US labor force is employed in selling related occupations and the expenditures on selling activities total close to 5% of the US GDP. Without question, selling occupies a prominent role in our economy. This chapter offers a discussion on the construct of selling, its role in economic models, and the various aspects of firm decisions that relate to it.
Relevance detection as a psychological determinant of emotional learning

Emotional learning is a pivotal process enabling organisms to predict motivationally significant stimuli in the environment. Previous research has suggested that only specific stimuli that have threatened survival across evolution are learned preferentially. Here, we challenge this view by testing an alternative model, which holds that stimuli detected as relevant to the organism’s concerns benefit from preferential emotional learning beyond their valence and evolutionary status. Across several empirical studies, we provide evidence showing that (a) similar to threat-relevant stimuli, positive relevant stimuli are likewise preferentially learned during Pavlovian aversive conditioning, (b) initially neutral stimuli can induce facilitated Pavlovian aversive conditioning after being temporarily associated with goal-relevance, and (c) such preferential learning depends on inter-individual differences in motivation. These findings suggest that learning biases in Pavlovian conditioning are driven by a relevance detection mechanism that is not specific to threat, and foster new insights into the basic mechanisms underlying emotional learning.
Time-Varying Networks and the Efficacy of Money Without Sticky Prices

We build an analytically tractable model of dynamic production networks with incomplete insurance markets and heterogeneous money demand. We use the model to quantify the classic Baumol-Tobin redistribution channel of monetary policy. Our model can explain (i) the joint distribution of household consumption and money demand and (ii) the strong propagation mechanism of monetary shocks for the business cycle found in empirical VARs across production sectors. We show that the Baumol-Tobin redistribution channel of monetary non-neutrality can be greatly magnified and propagated through endogenous leisure choices and production networks. Our model can account for the hump-shaped impulse responses of sectoral output and employment to monetary shocks, thanks to the endogenous linkage between the distribution of household money demand and firms' input-output coefficient matrix. Our model provides an alternative framework to the Heterogeneous Agent New Keynesian (HANK) model for monetary policy analysis.
Biochemical Effects of Diabetes on the Eyes and Treatment Options

Diabetes is a serious metabolic disease that can cause a variety of damages all over the body if not treated and managed. Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide. If left untreated, diabetes can cause structural and functional damage to the eye. These damages include cataract, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and glaucoma. Some of these diseases can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes. All of these diseases can be treated surgically. More recently there has been a big push for more natural treatment options to combat the multiple side effects of western medicine. This push has been shifted to studying the ways of traditional Chinese and Indian medicines. These natural treatment options use plants and other herbs to treat a wide variety of diseases such as diabetes.
III-nitride emitters and detectors for UV optoelectronic applications grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We report the current progress of our development of near-ultraviolet (NUV) III-nitride vertical-cavity LED emitters and avalanche photodetectors grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The III-N emitters are designed to be UV vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers operating at 369.5nm. We describe the development of the growth and processing of an air-gap/AlGaN distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) consisting of five-pairs of quarter-wavelength layers of Al0.12Ga0. 88N and air-gap regions created by selective chemical etching. A 4-6λ cavity was employed in the laser structure. We also report on the electrical and optical emission characteristics of these microcavity emitters. The photodetectors are GaN- and AlGaN-based p-i-n avalanche photodiodes (APDs) designed for front-side illumination. We report on the electrical and optical detection characteristics of these photodetectors.
An Ultra-Low-Power and Full-Swing Full Adder Cell

In this paper, a one-bit ultra-low-power full adder cell using GDI structure is proposed. Main objective of this design is not only providing low power consumption, but also providing full swing outputs. In this paper, combination of different logics and stacking technique are used to provide an ultra-low power cell. Also, by using stacked inverters after each function, full swing characteristic for the cell is obtained. These characteristics are obtained in cost of more occupied chip area and higher delay. In order to verify the performance of the proposed cell, simulations are done in HSPICE using 90nm CMOS technology library. Beside Noise immunity, power consumption is also analyzed under different load conditions, different supply voltages and different temperatures. Although delay of the circuit is increased, results show a tremendous reduction in power consumption and an improved power-delay-product for the proposed full adder cell.