Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Saving Light, Losing Lives: How Daylight Saving Time Impacts Deaths of Despair

This paper estimates the impact of Daylight Saving Time (DST) on deaths of despair (DoD) in the United States. Using Multiple Cause-ofDeath Mortality Data from the National Vital Statistics System of the National Center for Health Statistics from 1979-1988, the effect is identified in two ways: a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that exploits discrete time changes in the Spring and Fall; and a fixed effects model (FE) that is identified with a policy change and a switching mechanism that introduces random variation to DST’s start and end dates. This is one of the first attempts to estimate the impact of DST on DoD and is the first to use either identification strategy. The results from both methods suggest that the sleep disruptions during the Spring transition cause suicide rates to rise by 6.25 percent and all DoD to increase by 6.59 percent. There is no evidence for any change in suicide or all DoD during the Fall transition. The contrasting results from Spring to Fall suggest the entire effect can be attributed to disruptions in sleep patterns rather than changes in ambient light exposure.
DEPENDABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN ADDRESSING ILLUSIONARY TENDENCIES IN COCOA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF OGUN STATE

Productivity and efficiency require accurate measurements of inputs such as input per unit of land in crop production. However, indigenous methods rather than standardized scientific techniques are usually employed in determining measures in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. This study examined the relevance of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in cocoa farm size determination in Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 150 respondents were sampled through a multistage sampling technique. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis, student-t test statistic, budgetary and Probit regression techniques. Results revealed that predominantly male farmers (87.9%) with age group of 51 60 (39.4%) were more involved in cocoa production. Also, average annual cocoa revenue and net income of the respondents were N103,469.39 and N54,310.34 per hectare respectively. Farm size as determined by farmers was significantly different from that measured by GPS (p<0.05). Probit regression showed that age and farming experience (p<0.05) as well as extension contact (p<0.01) reduced the likelihood of cocoa farmers’ farm size illusion. This implies that there was farm (size) illusion among cocoa farmers in the study area which reduced with age, experience and extension visits. The study recommended that stakeholders should incorporate indigenous knowledge in farm size determination with modern technology such as GPS within farmers’ capacity building programmes.
Strategic Management of the Use of Natural Values for Tourism Development on The Example of Podlaskie Region

The fi rst part of the study presents the results of research in the natural values of Podlaskie region. It shows the characteristics of tourism and recreation forms, which are preferred on environmentally valuable areas. In the second part of the article the author proposes a strategy model for the development of nature tourism, ecotourism, green therapy and recreation. The model describes the strategy steps, stating proposals for specifi c provisions that take into account the specifi city of these forms of tourism and recreation. The fi nal part indicates major benefi ts that come from the creation and implementation of strategies aimed at exploiting the potential of the natural region.
Precautionary Monetary Policy at the Zero Lower Bound∗

Long-run real rates of interest have been following over time in many developed countries, increasing the probability of episodes in which the nominal interest rate hits the zero lower bound (ZLB). Debates on optimal policy in this context, however, have been based on analytical frameworks that neglect precautionary behavior by the central bank. I address this issue by showing how to account for the policy kink generated by the ZLB and its transition probability in order to design a precautionary optimal monetary policy when the ZLB is occasionally binding. I show that it prescribes strong policy gradualism, whose degree increases with the long-run probability of hitting the zero lower bound. In exercises, I show that the precautionary optimal policy welfare-dominates standard optimal policies, whose derivations take into consideration the ZLB constraint on the nominal interest rate, but do not account for the effect of the ZLB kink in the expected welfare metric.
Foveated AR: Dynamically-Foveated Augmented Reality Display

ACM Reference Format: Jonghyun Kim, Youngmo Jeong, Michael Stengel, Kaan Akşit, Rachel Albert, Ben Boudaoud, Trey Greer, Joohwan Kim, Ward Lopes, Zander Majercik, Peter Shirley, Josef Spjut, Morgan McGuire, and David Luebke. 2019. Supplementary Material for Foveated AR: Dynamically-Foveated Augmented Reality Display. ACM Trans. Graph. 38, 4, Article 99 (April 2019), 22 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/nnnnnnn.nnnnnnn
Insights for Improving Diagram Editing Gained from an Empirical Study

The modeling process plays an important role in software and systems engineering. Models are often created on paper or whiteboards even though software for modeling exists. We conducted an empirical study to identify how diagram editing can be improved by investigating how people model on whiteboards. The study was designed as a qualitative study and had 34 participants from four different education fields. The participants were recorded in video and audio while performing two tasks in pairs on a whiteboard. In the first task they had to model a subset of a network plan of the local public transport system. In the second task they had to model the daily schedule of a canteen kitchen. After finishing the tasks, we conducted a semi-structured interview. Using this study, we identified minor different preferences between different education fields and gained several insights for improving diagram editing, e. , g. , support for drawing sketches concurrently and complementary to models, supporting flexible mechanisms for highlighting different parts of a model, better support for making shapes in the model look consistent.
Covering User-Defined Data-flow Test Requirements Using Symbolic Execution

Symbolic execution has been used in software testing as a effective technique to automatically generate test data. Most of approaches are based only on control-ﬂow criteria and generate input data only for a whole program or function. However, testers may want to generate test data for covering data-ﬂow criteria and also for satisfying speciﬁc test requirements. This paper presents an approach for generating test data to cover only test requirements selected by users
A Case Study of Constitution Hill

Having emerged as the Cinderella of the political world, South Africa as a transient society is faced with various challenges regarding the re–telling and re–presentation of the collective histories and memories of its people. In keeping with issues of redress, the South African government initiated the Legacy Projects that aimed at using memorialisation as a mechanism to re–write the narrative of the country as well as to represent the differing experiences that compromise the history of the country. In reclaiming a previously marginalized heritage as well as acknowledging all those people that were victims of human rights violations and gross injustices in the past, it is envisioned that memorialisation through the Legacy Projects, can contribute to nation building and reconciliation.
Achilles tendon rupture and fluoroquinolones use: report of two cases

: A report of two cases of fluoroquinolones-associated Achilles tendon rupture in two previously-healthy males is presented. Neither of them had any other predisposing condition for this complication. Both were used to strenuous physical activity. No other cause could be found in relation to their traumatic experience. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of identifying this potential and probably unusual complication of these widely-used antimicrobials.
WORLD-CLASS MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCTIVITY An assessment of the literature

The paper presents a literature review of the characteristics of a new form of work organization, known as world-class manufacturing (WCM), with respect to traditional Taylor-Fordist organization, and its impact on productivity. The analysis is primarily developed with reference to the world of manufacturing firms, focusing particularly on the roles established by organizational design based on processes, high-involvement work practices, positive industrial relations and ICT technologies while also considering their complementarities. The new organizational configuration that emerges as effective is in line with the lean production paradigm insofar as it is characterized by innovative bundles of different ‘ingredients’; but in the pursuit of efficiency and performance it also enables the employer and/or manager to choose the ingredients and their weights in a variety of possible combinations. While the superior performance of this new work organization is acclaimed by a number of econometric studies, this paper also highlights that some methodological questions remain open and should be resolved. JEL code: L2, 032, 033, D24. Keyword: firm organization, organizational innovation, productivity. * Department of Economics ‘H.P. Minsky’, University of Bergamo (Italy). Financial support from the affiliated University is gratefully acknowledged. I also thank Anna Grandori for her valuable comments on a previous version of this paper and Annalisa Cristini, colleague and co-author of several papers, for her remarkable idea expounded in section 4.2.
Caribbean Marine Protected Areas: PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC AND CONSERVATION GOALS

Fully-protected marine reserves can function at several spatial scales, from a single area encompassing few habitats, to local networks of many habitats, to large-scale networks connected by larval dispersal. However, the amount, spatial distribution, and associated administrative attributes of Caribbean marine reserves are collectively unknown. We compiled information on reserves from 21 countries in order to 1) assemble a spatial framework to aid development of networks of reserves at the most effective spatial scales, and 2) aid policy makers in establishing reserves that are science-based and possess optimal management attributes. Since 1961 there have been over 50 reserves established in the Caribbean (an additional 30 in Bermuda) with the rate of implementation increasing since the mid 1980’s. Most reserves are small (< 1,200 ha) and few contain the range of habitats necessary for protecting species through their ontogeny. Habitats are often not fully characterized, and the role of reserves in protecting and networking different habitats cannot be ascertained. Reserves are distributed throughout the region, with the highest density in Mesoamerica; but significant geographic gaps exist. It is unlikely that reserve-enhanced larval production significantly networks populations on a regional basis, although this may occur subregionally (e.g., Mesoamerica). Less than 20% of the reserves were scored as fully compliant, but half offer potentially significant levels of protection. Gulf and Caribbean Research Vol. 14(2), 139–154, 2003 Manuscript received January 22, 2002; accepted September 30, 2002
Outcome Intensive Care Unit of Patients Discharged with Nosocomial Infections

Objetivos: Determinar mortalidad, complicaciones, riesgo de mortalidad en este grupo de pacientes al alta hospitalaria. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo y de casos y controles, entre Julio 1999 Diciembre 2004. Incluidos pacientes con infecciones nosocomiales, trasladados a salas de internación. Análisis de casos y controles para factores de riesgo de mortalidad. Resultados en porcentajes y medias con OR y DE, p < 0,05 significativa. Resultados: Evaluados 71 pacientes, presentando 110 infecciones. Complicaciones en sala (41) en 37 pacientes (52,1%), antes del 5o día 43,9%. Complicaciones infecciosas 24 (58,5%): neumonías 29 %, infecciones urinarias 29%. Complicaciones no infecciosas 17 (42%): respiratorias 32,3%, cardiovasculares 23,5%. Reingresaron 10 pacientes (14,1%). De 61 pacientes no reingresados, fallecieron 8 (13,1%), antes del 4o día 37,5%. Las causas más frecuente de muerte (n=8) fueron infecciones (75%). El factor de riesgo para mortalidad: ≥ 65 años, OR 8,12(1,28-65,21); p =0,009. Conclusiones: Complicaciones en pacientes con infecciones nosocomiales de terapia intensiva transferidos a salas de internación son frecuentes, precoces y predominantemente infecciosas. Mortalidad y reingresos bajos. Edad avanzada es factor de riesgo relacionado con la mortalidad.
NEW DESIGN FOR RELIABILITY (DfR) NEEDS AND STRATEGIES FOR EMERGING AUTONOMOUS GROUND VEHICLES

Significant Design for Reliability (DfR) methodology challenges are created with the integration of autonomous vehicle technologies via applique systems in a ground military vehicle domain. Voice of the customer data indicates current passenger vehicle usage cycles are typically 5% or less (approximately 72 minutes of use in a twenty-four hour period) [2]. The time during which vehicles currently lay dormant due to drivers being otherwise occupied could change with autonomous vehicles. Within the context of the fully mature autonomous military vehicle environment, the daily vehicle usage rate could grow to 95% or more. Due to this potential increase in the duty or usage cycle of an autonomous military vehicle by an order of magnitude, several issues which impact reliability are worth exploring. Citation: M. Majcher, J. Wasiloff, “New Design for Reliability (DfR) Needs and Strategies for Emerging Autonomous Ground Vehicles”, In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 13-15, 2019.
Vitamin D supplementation guidelines – which to choose and why?

During the past two-decades extended research carried out in spectrum of medical sciences revealed pleiotropic vitamin D actions that regulate calcium and phosphate absorption as well as metabolism of organs, tissues and cells in human body. The optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were associated with improved clinical outcomes for several chronic, communicable and non-communicable diseases. As a result, medical scientific organizations developed guidelines for vitamin D supplementation to obtain and maintain optimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations both in general populations and risk groups. However, available guidelines differ significantly depending on the perspective on human health. The bone-centric guidelines recommend a target 25(OH)D concentration of >20 ng/mL (>50 nmol/L), and age-dependent daily vitamin D doses of 400-800 IU. The pleiotropic-centric guidelines recommend a target 25(OH)D concentration of >30 ng/mL (>75 nmol/L), and age-, body weight-, disease-status, and ethnicity dependent vitamin D doses ranging between 400-4000 IU/day. The guidelines to follow must depend on one's individual health outcome concerns, age, body weight, latitude of residence, insolation, dietary and cultural habits. Therefore, the regional or nationwide pleiotropic-centric guidelines appear more applicable in clinical practice, including the prophylactic and treatment regime of autoimmune disorders. The natural sources (sun, diet) are regarded ineffective to maintain the year-round 25(OH)D concentrations in the range of 3050 ng/mL (75-125 nmol/L) in the general population. In consequence, vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent irrespective of age and the most effective method to obtain and maintain proper vitamin D status and possible health benefits related to vitamin D is the regular supplementation of vitamin D with use of recommended daily vitamin D doses.
The Economic Penalty of Terrorism: Increase in Discrimination Against Arabs and Muslims after Paris Attacks

Economic transactions on online peer-to-peer platforms depend on buyers and sellers revealing personal information to facilitate exchanges with the unintended consequence that the information may become a source for discrimination. Using original panel data we show evidence of substantial discrimination against Arab/Muslim hosts in Airbnb’s online rental market in Paris, France. Analysis of 41-months of online transaction data shows a substantial increase in discrimination following large-scale, deadly terrorist attacks in November 2015. Discrimination results in a foregone monthly revenue of at least 106 US dollars for Arab/Muslim hosts in the year before the November 2015 attacks, after which losses increase to at least 178 US dollars. Our results demonstrate the association of mass terrorism with a contraction of a large-scale market of the sharing economy, the cost of which falls disproportionately upon members of an ethnic and religious minority.
The Potential of Management Information System Data for the Development of Credit Scoring Models in Microfinance

The commercialization in microfinance has led to increasing competition in (urban) microfinance markets. As a consequence, the exploration of cost reduction possibilities has become more relevant for microfinance institutions (MFIs). This also includes costs related to loan defaults and imprecise evaluations of borrower credit risk by loan officers. Here, credit scoring models (CSM) are described as an opportunity to identify credit risk precisely. The objective of this paper is to devise, apply and quantify the predictive power as well as the attribution precision of a unique CSM, using the example of an MFI operating in the highly competitive microfinance market of Tanzania. In order to do so, client and loan data from the management information system (MIS) of the investigated MFI are used. MIS data have the advantage of being easily accessible for the MFI, but only contain few variables which are used by default in CSM development in industrialized countries. A binary logistic regression model, based on loan default rates of 11,693 micro borrowers, is the underlying methodology for our CSM. The results argue for a high predictive power of our CSM which lies above the predictive power of existing CSMs for emerging countries and even within the boundaries of CSMs in industrialized countries. Furthermore, our results reveal that the application of four risk classes seems to be sufficient for correctly identifying different risk distribution among clients.
Purchasing power parity in Asian economies: further evidence from rank tests for cointegration Liew, Venus Khim-Sen and Lee, Hock-Ann and Lim, Kian-Ping

The finding of nonlinear cointegration between Asian exchange rates with the corresponding relatives prices and aggregate price levels based on Breitung’s (2001) nonparametric rank tests reinforces previous validations of Purchasing Power Parity by the parametric testing procedures. Hence, in the long-run Asian exchange rate are in equilibrium with the relevant fundamentals as suggested by the purchasing power parity hypothesis.
Enforcing structure in visual attention

Visual attention mechanisms have proven to be integrally important constituent components of many modern deep neural architectures. They provide an efficient and effective way to utilize visual information selectively, which has shown to be especially valuable in multi-modal learning tasks. However, all prior attention frameworks lack the ability to explicitly model structural dependencies among attention variables, making it difficult to predict consistent attention masks. In this work we develop a novel structured spatial attention mechanism which is endto-end trainable and can be integrated with any feed-forward convolutional neural network. This proposed AttentionRNN layer explicitly enforces structure over the spatial attention variables by sequentially predicting attention values in the spatial mask in a bi-directional raster-scan and inverse raster-scan order. As a result, each attention value depends not only on local image or contextual information, but also on the previously predicted attention values. Our experiments show consistent quantitative and qualitative improvements on a variety of recognition tasks and datasets, including image categorization, question answering and image generation.
Medical Malpractice and Physician Liability: Examining Alternatives in Defensive Medicine

One frequently overlooked side-effect of the current medical malpractice crisis in the U.S. is the fact that it encourages doctors to practice defensive medicine. Under the current system, doctors face incentives to order more diagnostic tests, over-prescribe pharmaceuticals, schedule unnecessary follow-up visits, and prolong patient stays in order to limit their exposure to malpractice liability. All of these clearly have detrimental effect on health care quality in addition to driving up costs. This paper examines the phenomenon of defensive medical practice, its causes, potential benefits, and problematic effects on both the cost and quality of health care in America. An exhaustive literature supplemented by interviews with doctors and lawyers reveals that the primary causes of defensive medicine are psychological rather than financial. Doctors fear enduring a long, protracted trial far more than they fear its financial consequences, in part because malpractice insurance protects them from monetary penalties. Interestingly, existing reforms have typically focused on limiting the financial liability of physicians who are sued for malpractice. Instead, states should consider exploring such alternatives as alternative dispute resolution, enterprise liability, selective no-fault liability, and the use of clinical practice guidelines.
Do the Goan ( India ) students think positively about advertisements ?

Today, the market is a tough place to be in. Thousands of products are launched every day. Advertising is an important tool in the hands of the seller and is a social phenomenon. It stimulates economic activity, increases demand and consumption of goods, improves life style of the consumers, and inculcates certain values in them which are criticized as well as appreciated by different sections of society. Consumers are confronted with substantial daily doses of advertising through news Papers, radio, TV and various other forms of media. For consumers there is no escape from it. In fact, it has become an uninvited guest in our daily life. Of all marketing activities, advertising is the most visible and controversial. Some take advertisements positively whereas the rest are affected negatively to a large extent. The present study was under taken to study the behavior of the students towards advertisement empirically. More than 2000 students from different levels –secondary to PG, and professional were surveyed to collect the data on the statement prepared based on Likert five point scale . The same were analyzed statically with help of t test, mean, ANNOVA. It was noticed that the behavior of the students towards advertisements is positive and matured.