Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title Endogenous Present-Bias and Policy Implementation

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the present-bias of governments in a multiparty political system and the resulting inefficiency in policy implementation. We show that under a two-party political system the party in office tends to be present-biased and time-inconsistent. This may lead to inefficient procrastination of socially beneficial projects that impose upfront social/economic costs but yield long-term social/economic benefits, such as trade liberalization. However, procrastination is often not indefinite. There exist equilibria in which the project is carried out, and in many cases completed in finite time. The procrastination problem tends to get more serious as the cost of the project gets higher. When the cost is low, there is no procrastination problem. When the cost is high, the project can be procrastinated indefinitely, though there may exist equilibria in which the project is implemented gradually. When the cost is intermediate, there is an array of equilibria, all characterized by some form of procrastination. Thus, the model can explain why sometimes even unilateral trade liberalization is carried out gradually or procrastinated. JEL Classification: C70, D11, D60, D72, D78, D91
Nutrition Labelling: Educational Tool for Reducing Risks of Obesity-Related Non-communicable Diseases

Food and nutrition education is globally recognized as the most efficient tool for reduc - ing the risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For decades, different nutrition labelling formats found on the back of food packages have been used as educational tools to provide information on amounts of nutrients for preventing both under- and over-nutrition. However, these traditional panels have proven to be ineffective for con - sumer education due to their complexity. Other systems, so-called ‘Simplified Nutrition Labelling’, which are normally shown on the front of a food package, were then intro duced as ‘Front-of-Pack, FOP’ labelling. These labelling panels normally contain only the nutrients that relate to NCDs and that should be limited for consumption. At least four types of FOP nutrition labelling panels exist, namely, nutrient specific, summary indica - tor, food group information and hybrids. These panels using different patterns provide consumers with three types of information: non-evaluative, evaluative or interpretative and conclusive. In this chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of different types of nutrition labelling are discussed, especially their roles in reducing the risk of obesity-related NCDs in a population. indi cated as colours, and usually as traffic light colours where red, amber and green indicate high, potentially high and low risk, respectively. Consumers can classify a food or a food product as good or bad depending upon the numbers of red, amber and green colours pre -sented. The FOP summary indicator panel at this level is being implemented in Australia and the USA. Australia’s Star® and the United States’ Nu Val® are good examples of the use of this level for ordinal rating, wherein the risk evaluation is presented as number of stars or a full score of 100, respectively. The more stars there are, or the higher the score, the healthier the products. The application of this level of informativeness, either in the FOP nutrient specific or summary indicator type, still requires consumers to make independent judgments.
0 DO NONRECIPROCAL PREFERENCE REGIMES INCREASE EXPORTS ?

This paper investigates whether and to what extent nonreciprocal preference regimes have increased developing countries’ exports to richer countries. Moreover, it analyzes how they have affected donors’ exports to beneficiary countries. Using recent developments in the econometric analysis of the gravity equation over the period 19902008, we find robust evidence that, on the whole, nonreciprocal preference regimes and GSP schemes have had an economically significant effect on exports from developing countries. However, the estimation of catch-all dummies masks heterogeneous results for the individual schemes. Finally, we find that nonreciprocal regimes have also increased exports from donors to beneficiary countries.
A Modified Genetic Algorithm For Solving Machine-Tool Selection and Operation Allocation Problem in an FMS

One of the most important problems in production planning of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is machine-tool selection and operation allocation that directly affect the production costs and time. In this paper, minimizing summation of the machining cost, set-up cost and material handling cost in a flexible manufacturing system are considered. This paper is considered a 0-1 integer linear programming model for machine-tool selection and operation allocation together with real-world constraints such as tool life, available time of machines, tool magazine capacity of each machine, tool slot, feasibility of machine-tool combination, feasibility of allocation of a machine-tool to a specific operation, etc. This problem is coded by an efficient Genetic algorithm approach and the relevant problems with different sizes have been solved by the GA approach. Computational results indicate that the applied GA is efficient in finding good solutions in the search space of the problem in the reasonable time .
Common ground and different realities: world Englishes and English as a lingua franca

ABSTRACT: This paper argues that the ‘world Englishes paradigm’ and English as a lingua franca (ELF) research, despite important differences, have much in common. Both share the pluricentric assumption that ‘English’ belongs to all those who use it, and both are concerned with the sociolinguistic, socio-psychological, and applied linguistic implications of this assumption. For example, issues of language contact, variation and change, linguistic norms and their acceptance, ownership of the language, and expression of social identities are central to both WE and ELF research. The growing body of descriptive ELF research that is now becoming available can thus add substance to work in the field as a whole. It can also offer fresh perspectives on several theoretical constructs central to WE, such as ‘community’, ‘variety’, ‘lingua franca’, even ‘language’.
Fast closest codeword search algorithm for vector quantization

One of the most serious problems for vector quantisation is the high computational complexity of searching for the closest codeword in the codebook design and encoding phases. The authors present a fast algorithm to search for the closest codeword. The proposed algorithm uses two significant features of a vector, mean value and variance, to reject many unlikely codewords and saves a great deal of computation time. Since the proposed algorithm rejects those codewords that are impossible to be the closest codeword, this algorithm introduces no extra distortion than conventional full search method. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Depression and brain tumors

Brain tumors are often accompanied by psychiatric manifestations. Depression is the most common in patients with brain tumors. Better understanding of the relationship between brain tumor and depression would improve the quality of life of patients with these diagnoses. Treatment of brain tumors is often associated with depression. Depression has a significant negative influence on the outcome of the disease in patients with brain tumors. Treatment of depression related to brain tumors is specially studied. The relation between features of brain tumors' size, location and type of tumors and depression are also examined. Further studies in this field should benefit the patients with brain tumors. The aim of this review is to provide a better understanding of depression issues in population of patients with these diagnoses. This objective is significant because depression is a very common complication and comorbidity in this group of patients.
Impact of culture on the application of TQM in the construction industry in Botswana

Total quality management (TQM) as an integrated approach to management that represents a holistic management philosophy, rather than a series of techniques, is embedded with cultural values and assumptions that are consistent with its culture of origin. This study aims to determine the outcome of implementing TQM in a place that does not share its cultural base. A survey of 100 construction firms in Botswana found that, although the values embedded in TQM could be adopted within the organisations into which it is implemented, the cultural context of the greater society resisted some of the values. It was concluded that, for TQM to be successful in a particular cultural setting, it has to take on some of the host cultural values.
Personnel Service, Consumption Emotion, and Patronage Intention in Department Stores

This paper explains customer patronage intention by analyzing the relationships among personnel service, consumption emotion and patronage intention. The findings are as follows: (1) customers’ perceptions of the reflection and assurance of personnel service significantly influence their consumption emotion. Reflection and assurance significantly influence happiness, dominance and arousal. However, the influence of reflection is negative, meaning customers who perceive stronger reflection from service personnel feel lower consumption emotion when shopping for relaxation; (2) customers’ perceptions of the consumption emotions of happiness and arousal significantly influence their patronage intention. That is, the more happiness and arousal customers feel, the more patronage intention they exhibit; (3) Consumption emotion mediates between personnel service and patronage intention. This research not only improves understanding of customer patronage intention, but also provides management guidance for department store operators.
Large eddy simulation of bluff body wake in planar shear flow

Large eddy simulation of planar shear flow past a square cylinder has been investigated. Dynamic Smagorinsky model has been used to model subgrid scale stress. The shear parameter, K, namely the nondimensional streamwise velocity gradient in the lateral direction, is 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2. Reynolds number based on the centerline velocity is fixed at Re=21400. The time and span‐averaged velocity components, pressure coefficient, Reynolds stresses for uniform are in good agreement with the literature. In shear flow the calculated flow structure and mean velocity components are shown to be markedly different from those of the uniform flow. With increasing shear parameter, the cylinder wake is dominated by clockwise vortices. Both the velocity components in shear flow are compared with respective components in uniform flow. Comparison of normal and shear stresses between shear and no shear case have also been presented. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Smart Move: A System To Intelligently Model and Control Robots in Extreme Environments

The extensive use of robotics in hazardous environments has been limited by the inability to easily model and control robotic systems with high accuracy. In general, purely manual robot modeling systems lack the precession needed and fully autonomous systems are unable to cope with high levels of environmental variability or abnormalities. It is the objective of this research effort to develop and use a computational modeling and control system consisting of a series of sensors and algorithms that will augment manual operations to not only minimize error, but to reduce the tedium and difficulty presently characteristic of this form of robotic operation. The basic methodology of this system is to extend the traditional master-slave telerobotic model via a series of sensors coupled to a computational model of the environment, which together adjust the velocity scaling of the end-defector. In particular, this system is implemented using a set of transformations that adjust the velocity scaling of the end-defector in proportion to the distance from the end defector to the modeled object or location. To design and test this system an experimental setup consisting of a multi-component mockup wall, a Titan robot arm, and a mini-master joint space controller. The experiment measured the time it took to select four rectangular arranged points on the surface of this wall. System performance was evaluated on the time necessary to accurately position and navigate the enddefector around the four points and the number of collisions and errors occurring throughout the process. The results of these experiments show that the algorithm tested resulted in a significant increase in task execution efficiency as revealed by the reduction in mean execution time, frequency /magnitude of collisions, and reduction in operator fatigue. Thus, the experiment shows that an assisted robotic modeling and control strategy maybe a viable method for improving operator interactions with the robot system.
How Does Personal Bankruptcy Law Affect Start-Ups?

We analyze the effect of changes in U.S. state personal exemptions on the financing structure and performance of a representative sample of start-ups. An increase in the amount of borrower’s personal wealth protected in bankruptcy reduces the availability of bank credit to all start-ups. Owners of unlimited liability businesses, who benefit from the increase in wealth insurance, offset the reduction in bank credit by investing more money in the firm. We find no such response for start-ups whose entrepreneurs’ personal wealth is already protected by limited liability. Consequently, corporations experience lower growth rates and higher failure rates, while proprietorships performance is not negatively affected.
The Venus Emissivity Mapper concept

The Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) is the first flight instrument specially designed with a sole focus on mapping the surface of Venus using the narrow atmospheric windows around 1μm. VEM will provide a global map of surface composition as well as redox state of the surface, providing a comprehensive picture of surface-atmosphere interaction on Venus. In addition, continuous observation of the thermal emission of the Venus will provide tight constraints on current day volcanic activity. These capabilities are complemented by measurements of atmospheric water vapor abundance as well as cloud microphysics and dynamic. Atmospheric data will allow for the accurate correction of atmospheric interference on the surface measurements and represent highly valuable science on their own. A mission combining VEM with a high-resolution radar mapper such as the NASA VOX or the ESA EnVision mission proposals in a low circular orbit will provide key insights in the divergent evolution of Venus.
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARANÁ RENATTHO NITZ OLIVEIRA PADRÕES GLOBAIS DE BETA DIVERSIDADE FILOGENÉTICA EM ANUROS CURITIBA

In this paper, we explore the mechanisms related to global and regional patterns of Phylogenetic Beta Diversity (PBD) in anurans. To achieve this, we measured PBD at two geographical scales: between biogeographic realms and between Neotropical ecoregions using the complement of PhyloSor index. We also decomposed PBD into their two components, accounting for phylogenetic turnover (PBDTurn) and differences in Phylogenetic diversity (PBDPD). Additionally, we evaluated the relative effects of geographic distance and historical variables to test which mechanism best explains the phylogenetic turnover among Neotropical ecoregions. We hypothesized that the isolation between biogeographical realms should represent a strong barrier to anurans, leading to lineage turnover. Thus, we expected high PBDTurn values between them. Moreover, for ecoregions pairwise comparisons we expected phylogenetic turnover to be explained by geographic distance and history of climate-change. At both scales, the PBDTurn component of PBD was the mostly important component. For biogeographic realms, it seems that vicariance processes are the main driver of lineage turnover, whereas for ecoregions, the observed phylogenetic turnover was mainly related to geographic distance and, in some occasions, the Historical variables were a more important predictor of lineages turnover than geographic distance. Together, our results show that phylogenetic dissimilarity patterns are the result of spatial turnover of lineages in combination with historic processes.
Effects of interface states and temperature on the C-V behavior of metal/ insulator/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure capacitors

The impact of states at the insulator/AlGaN interface on the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of a metal/insulator/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure (MISH) capacitor was examined using a numerical solver of a Poisson equation and taking into account the electron emission rate from the interface states. A parallel shift of the theoretical C-V curves, instead of the typical change in their slope, was found for a MISH device with a 25-nm-thick AlGaN layer when the SiNx/AlGaN interface state density Dit(E) was increased. We attribute this behavior to the position of the Fermi level at the SiNx/AlGaN interface below the AlGaN valence band maximum when the gate bias is near the threshold voltage and to the insensitivity of the deep interface traps to the gate voltage due to a low emission rate. A typical stretch out of the theoretical C-V curve was obtained only for a MISH structure with a very thin AlGaN layer at 300 °C. We analyzed the experimental C-V characteristics from a SiNx/Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN structure me.
SPERMATOPHORES AND THE EVOLUTION OF FEMALE GENITALIA IN WHIP SPIDERS (CHELICERATA, AMBLYPYGI)

Whip spiders use stalked spermatophores for sperm transfer. These are complex structures, and their morphology varies among genera and families. Usually, the paired sperm masses hidden within the spermatophores are small, and there has been a co-evolution of spermatophores and those parts of the female genitalia which are used to pick up the spermatozoa and to store spermatozoa. These are structures like specialized sclerotizations, glands or, in a few species, seminal receptacles which are hidden inside the genital atrium (or uterus externus). In most species there are paired erectile bodies, homologous to genital appendages, which are attached to the dorsal side of the genital operculum which also is part of an appendage homologon. All these structures vary among genera and families. The comparison of sper- matophores and genitalia of different species belonging to most genera and families suggest that the female gonopods consist primarily of paired cushion-like structures, each equipped with a small finger-like ap- pendage vestige. These appendage vestiges are retained in many species, particular in the Charinidae and Charontidae. They are erectile by increase in blood pressure, and they are thereby probably bent in characteristic ways and thus can pull off the sperm masses from the spermatophore. In some Charinidae, and in some species of Damon and Phrynichus (Phrynida, Phrynichidae) these appendage vestiges are totally lost. In the Phrynidae, on the other hand, they have become sclerotized and hard. They form the well-known claw-like sclerites, and an invagination at the base of each sclerite has been shaped to form a true seminal receptacle. Similar genitalia have evolved convergently in the genus Trichodamon (Phryn- ida, Phrynichidae). Spermatophores and the corresponding female genitalia and their mechanisms of a number of genera from most families are described and illustrated.
The effect of β-carotene and nucleotide base supplementation on haematological, biochemical and certain immunological parameters in weaned pigs

The effect of synthetic p-carotene and of synthetic nucleotide bases was investigated in this experiment. Beginning one week prior to weaning, the diet fed to one experimental group of piglets was supplemented with 10 % Rovimix p-carotene at 875 mg/kg diet (10 times the recommendation of the NRC,1988). Synthetic uracil and adenine (98%, Sigma-Aldrich) were mixed into the diet for the other experimental group at quantities of 500 mg/kg diet of each substance. During the 3-week period of the experiment changes in the daily weight gain of the animals, their feed consumption and certain blood parameters were examined. Changes which could be observed with the progress of time in the haematological parameters (RBC, WBC, Hb, HTC, MCV, MCH, MCHC), in the ESR and in certain biochemical parameters (TP, ALB, CHOL, TRIG, UREA, ALT and AST) can be regarded as physiological. The LST values given for Phytohaemagglutinin and Concanavalin-A increased in the experimental groups by 50 and 130%, respectively (nucleotide), and by 60 and 30%, respectively, (carotene) respectively, while the blastic transformation of the lymphocytes did not vary in the control group. The supplements applied exerted no positive effect on in vivo cellular immune response. No significant degree of difference was observed between the plasma retinol concentrations determined at the end of the experimental period, (control: 376 ± 183, nucleotide: 412 ± 268 and carotene: 349 ± 251 jug/L) while there was a decrease in plasma E-vitamin concentration due to carotene supplementation (control: 5.58 ± 2.36, nucleotide: 5.83 ± 3.01 and carotene: 2.12 ± 1.60 mg/L).
A MATHEMATICAL MODELLING APPROACH FOR SOFTWARE TESTING OPTIMIZATION

Software errors can be a serious problem, because of possible damages (and related costs) and the burden of the needed corrections. Software testing, whose aim is to discover the errors in software products, requires a lot of resources and from it derives the overall quality, (i.e., reliability) of the software product. It is thus susceptible of optimization:, i.e., the best equilibrium between the number of tests to make and the global expected value of discovered errors has actually to be achieved. In fact, it is not economically feasible to proceed with testing over a given limit as well as to execute too few tests, running in the risk of having too heavy expenses because of too residual errors. In the present work we propose some models for software testing optimization, making use of an integer linear programming approach solved with a “branch & bound" algorithm.
Novel Dual - Band Bandpass Filter Based on Shorted Rectangular Patch Resonator

A novel dual-band bandpass filter based on shorted rectangular patch resonator is proposed and experimentally studied. The resonant modes and frequencies of the shorted rectangular patch resonator are analyzed. Based on miniature structure of the new resonator, a novel dual-band bandpass filter with good out-of-band performance is designed for demonstration. The experimental results agree well with numerical simulations.