Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capital and Firm Specific Characteristics: An Examination of the Survival of Deposit-Taking Financial Institutions (DFI) in Latin America and the Caribbean during the Financial Crisis

This paper aims to assess how capital influences the likelihood of survival of Latin American and Caribbean financial institutions during normal economic times, and the 2008 financial crisis. These financial institutions operate in developing economies that are vulnerable to externals shocks, characterized by large foreign institutions, small indigenous institutions, and high dependence on bank financing due to underdeveloped capital markets. The study uses logistic regressions to estimate the likelihood of survival for three non-overlapping periods – pre, post, and during the 2008 recession. Bankscope provided both financial and firm characteristics (ownership and organizational structures) data. Separate analyses were done based on the size of the institutions. The paper provides empirical indicating that different factors influence the survival of large and small institutions. Higher capital ratios increase the likelihood of survival during the post-recession period especially for smaller institutions. In general, smaller indigenous institutions were less likely to survive. Bank regulators in the regions can use the results of this study to increase their understanding of the factors that influence the failure of financial institutions during different economic periods. This knowledge can be used to implement modifications in how existing regulations are applied to different types of financial institutions. This paper identifies the role of capital, ownership and institutional structures, and size in assessing the likelihood of survival during periods of varying economic activities in developing economies. The paper also highlights similarities and differences with studies conducted in developed economies.
A Practical Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation (3PDA) Scheme for Smart Grid

The real-time electricity consumption data can be used in value-added service such as big data analysis, meanwhile the single user's privacy needs to be protected. How to balance the data utility and the privacy preservation is a vital issue, where the privacy-preserving data aggregation could be a feasible solution. Most of the existing data aggregation schemes rely on a trusted third party (TTP). However, this assumption will have negative impact on reliability, because the system can be easily knocked down by the denial of service attack. In this paper, a practical privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme is proposed without TTP, in which the users with some extent trust construct a virtual aggregation area to mask the single user's data, and meanwhile, the aggregation result almost has no effect for the data utility in large scale applications. The computation cost and communication overhead are reduced in order to promote the practicability. Moreover, the security analysis and the performance evaluation show that the proposed scheme is robust and efficient.
PAEDIATRIC NON ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE: AN EMERGING THREAT

The aim of this study was to review current knowledge about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and increase awareness among general paediatricians and family doctors. NAFLD and NASH represent the commonest causes of chronic liver disease in children at the present time. Increasing prevalence is thought to result from a combination of several environmental factors including high calorie intake, a carbohydrate-rich diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Frequent familial clustering indicates that some genetic factors, such as insulin resistance and different ethnic prevalence, could also have a role in pathogenesis. It is likely that NAFLD represents the initial step in pathogenesis step, whereas NASH is a more advanced, severe phase of the same process. Histopathologically, the main difference between the two is presence of an inflammatory component in NASH which may be lobular, portal or both, in addition to varying degrees of fibrosis. Due to relatively slowly progressive nature, this potentially preventable disease is likely to become the leading indication for liver transplantation in adulthood. The commonest phenotype is associated with truncal (central) obesity, which is also a wellrecognised risk factor for chronic metabolic, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and mental health disorders. Therefore, controlling excessive weight is an important public health measure, but due to its complex pathogenic background its implementation remains difficult. Regular physical exercise should be encouraged. Insulin sensitising agents, anti-oxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids and probiotics have all been trialled as potential therapeutic agents but a favourable response is not universal. Conclusion. NAFLD is a common but difficult-totreat cause of chronic liver disease. The management is complex and includes combination of promoting active lifestyle, calorie-restricted diet and weight loss. Medical treatment has a limited role.
Nonlinear friction-induced vibration of a slider-belt system

Coupled horizontal and vertical friction-induced vibration of a system consisting of a mass-slider and several springs on a belt moving at a constant speed is studied in this paper. A pre-compression load is applied at the mass in the vertical direction so that the slider is engaged with the belt at the beginning. There is a cubic nonlinear spring at the contact interface between the slider and the belt. The linearised system is unstable at supercritical range of the coefficient of friction and thus vibration of the mass grows. When this vibration becomes large enough, separation at the contact interface occurs, which leads to a different dynamic system. Then the slider gets into contact with the belt again. Repeated cycles of separation and reattachment ensue, which are symptoms of a non-smooth dynamic system. The inclusion of a nonlinear contact spring and more importantly, consideration of separation and subsequent reattachment are two main contributions of this paper. These two features are fundamental properties of realistic mechanical systems involving friction-induced vibration and noise.
Developing a Nested Class Complexity Metric for Nested Classes

In Object-oriented programming languages like Java; it is the basic need to define a class within another class. These classes are known as nested classes or inner classes. The scope of a nested class is limited to its outer class. All the variables and methods of outer class are accessible inside inner class enhances encapsulation. Nested classes also help in packaging of the classes. In this paper, we propose a new metric, namely, Nested Class Complexity Metric (NCCM) to measure the complexity of nested classes and the results are compared with existing metrics, which are quite encouraging. 
Investigation of the Aerodynamic Performance of a DG808s UAS in Propeller Slipstream Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

iii Acknowledgements . iv List of Figures . vii List of Tables . x List of Symbols . xi Chapter 1 . Introduction . 1 Chapter 2 . Literature review . 4 2.1 Design and aerodynamic analysis of UASs using CFD. 4 2.2 Lifting surface in Propeller slipstreams . 6 2.3 Propeller Slipstream and Aircraft Tail Interaction . 8 Chapter 3 . Theory . 12 3.1 Propeller Slipstreams . 12 3.2 Downwash. 13 3.3 Vertical Tail Side-force and Sidewash . 17 Chapter 4 . DG808s Design Specifications. 21 4.1 Wing . 21 4.2 Fuselage . 22 4.3 Horizontal and Vertical tail . 23 4.4 Propulsion unit . 25 4.4.1 Pylon and Nacelle . 25 4.4.2 Two Bladed Propeller . 27 4.5 Final 3D Assembly . 28
Morphological changes induced in the antenna of cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera : Bruchidae) after treatment with lufenuron

The effect of a chitin synthesis inhibitor (Lufenuron) on the antennal segements and their sensilla of cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus(Fabricius) was studied by using scanning electron microscope. Seven types of sensilla were recognized on both untreated and treated antennae with 9 ppm of lufenuron, including Bohm bristles (BB), two types of sensilla trichodea (ST1, ST2), sensilla chaetica (SC), two types of sensilla basiconica (SB 1, SB2) and grooved peg (GP). The functions of these sensilla were discussed in relation to their position on the antenna. Significant difference in lengths of most segments of the antennae between untreated and treated beetles was observed. A significant difference in lengths and diameters of nearly all types of sensilla was recorded. The highest increase in length of sensilla was noticed for the sensilla chaetica followed by sensilla trichodea. These types are used by insects as mechanosensory, sex pheromone and gustatory receptors that help them to make a decision to select their food and oviposition sites.
EDGE DETECTION USING MULTISPECTRAL THRESHOLDING

Edge detection is a fundamental tool in image processing and computer vision, particularly in the areas of feature detection and extraction. Among various edge detection methods, Otsu method is one of the best optimal thresholding methods for general real world images with regard to uniformity and shape measures. In this paper, a multispectral thresholding algorithm using Otsu method is proposed to detect the edges in multispectral images. Natural, art and simulated images are considered for testing. Since the edges are well known in the simulated images, they are considered for performance evaluation. The results of proposed method, Edge Detection using MultiSpectral Thresholding (EDMST), are compared against the results of Canny Otsu, Improved Otsu, Median based Otsu and Improved Gray Image Otsu edge detection algorithms based on the human visual system, the number of edges and the number of pixels. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performance and hence applied on Satellite images.
Effect of social status of dairy heifers on expression of estrus and subsequent fertility

A study was conducted to determine if social status of heifers within a herd influences estrus activity and subsequent fertility. Thirty cyclic dairy heifers were observed over a 14 d period and ranked by social status, based on a displacement index. The estrous cycles of the heifers were synchronized by treatment with two injections of prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a; Lutalyse, 25 mg) given 14 d apart. At the second PGF2a injection, HeatWatch transmitters were placed on the heifers for continuous monitoring of mounting (estrus) activity over the next 45 d. All heifers were artificially inseminated at estrus, using semen from a single sire. Pregnancy status was determined by ultrasonography post-insemination. For analysis, heifers were placed into three groups based on social status. Subordinate heifers, ranked in the bottom one-third of the herd, exhibited a shorter estrus (P = 0.001) than more dominant heifers. The number of mounts recorded during estrus declined with decreasing social status (P = 0.009). There was a trend for the number of mounts per h to be greatest for heifers in the top one-third of the social hierarchy (P = 0.074). Of those heifers detected in estrus and inseminated, pregnancy rate was similar among the social groups for the first and subsequent inseminations (P = 0.315 and 0.608, respectively). Preliminary results indicate that social hierarchy of dairy heifers influences length and expression of estrus. However, social standing within the herd does not influence fertility of heifers detected in estrus. * Dawn A. Elkins is a senior majoring in animal science. † Rick W. Rorie, faulty sponsor, is a professor in the Department of Animal Science. DISCOVERY VOL. 6, FALL 2005 MEET THE STUDENT-AUTHOR As a 2002 graduate from Valley View High School in Jonesboro, Ark. , I left in search of great knowledge and found the University of Arkansas was going to be the place where I would begin my college career. I never grew up around livestock and only started studying animal science in hopes of becoming a veterinarian. I soon found out that was not the path I wanted to pursue, so I became more involved in different aspects of the animal science field. I took a job under Dr. Elizabeth Kegley, who allowed me to work in the Animal Science Nutrition Lab. I really enjoyed this aspect of animal science and soon asked Dr. Kegley who in the department might be interested in taking on an undergraduate for a research project that I could use as my honors research project. She introduced me to Dr. Rick Rorie, who became my mentor. Upon graduating in 2006, I plan to enroll in graduate school and study more about reproductive physiology.
Socially-Aware Navigation: Guiding Behavior with Pepper

Socially-aware robot navigation strives to find efficient methods to autonomously navigate known environments while incorporating social metrics derived from human behavior. Several methods built for navigation on dynamic and uncertain environments have been adapted to resemble human navigation, but fail to appropriately reflect the social characteristics of human decision making. A reliable solution for this problem is found in model-based methods working as local or global planners. Model-based research on human aware navigation focuses on two specific alternatives. The first option corresponds to models that apply social-psychology and cognitive sciences to create human-like behavior, where the Social Force Model is the predominant approach. The second alternative is related to models that use machine learning to copy human-like characteristics into mathematical models. The former approach has proven to be efficient in human-aware navigation, but further studies are required to analyze the expansion of this method to more complex human-interactive navigation. In this thesis project, we look to test the Modified Extended Social Force Model (MESFM) to implement a guiding behavior on a humanoid robot. The MESFM incorporates a new force linked to the guided person to maintain a natural distance between both subjects, while generating smooth navigational maneuvers. In addition, whether caused by sensor failure or occlusion incidents, the event of losing track of the guided person has a good probability of occurring. This scenario is studied by extending the high level control of the robotic system with a searching mode. The architecture proposed to control the guiding behavior and the searching mode exploits the design of the humanoid robot Pepper, from SoftBank Robotics, to incorporate human-like gestures and increase the interaction between robot and human. We aim to apply this behavior as an Office-Guide Robot and test this solution to understand the reaction of people involved in the guiding task though subjective and objective metrics. Our system is developed on top of the open-software Robot Operative System (ROS) with features extracted from Pepper's Naoqi framework.
0 Coherent Optical Phonons in Bismuth Crystal Davide Boschetto

This chapter is devoted to the study of the lattice vibrations within a crystal structure using laser-based time resolved spectroscopic methods. We have used ultrafast pulsed laser systems to extend the analysis of atomic displacements into the time domain with femtosecond resolution. This field has gained a lot of attention from a large scientific community during the past decades. Actually, the knowledge of all the properties in a crystal depends on two key factors: the way in which atoms arrange themselves to give rise to the crystal structure, and the movement of both electrons and atoms within this structure. Many physical parameters, such as the transport properties, strongly depend on the dynamical behavior of both electrons and atoms. Besides, the mutual interaction between them determines the pathway of chemical reactions and phase transitions. As an example, one challenge in solid state physics is the understanding and control of high temperature superconductivity, in which the dynamical aspect may play a crucial role. If there is a lattice displacement responsible for the Cooper pairs formation, its selective excitation could be exploited to reach a superconductivity phase even at temperature well above the known transition temperature. The general question is how can we modify the phase of a material using photons. This type of studies belong to a broader research area, known as the science of photoinduced phase transition. An important point is that high frequency lattice vibrations are the first response of ions to the external pumping laser pulse. Therefore, the study of such movements could clarify the energy relaxation channels of the excess energy stored into the electrons subsystem from the pumping laser pulse. Another important application of the study of coherent phonon concerns nanostructures. When reducing the size down to the nanometric scale, the ratio between the atomic displacement and the structure size increases considerably. Together with the confinement effect, this produces major modifications of the physical properties. The general movement of the atoms within the crystal structure can be seen as an elastic deformation, which can be described as a sum of several normal modes of vibration of the lattice. The quantum of energy associated to a normal mode of vibration of the lattice is called phonon. In order to study each of these elementary vibrations, there is a need to excite and detect selectively the desired phonon mode. This is possible only if we can excite and detect the phonon mode coherently, i.e. the atomic vibration has a given phase which is kept in a time window, called the dephasing time or damping time. Coherent phonons were observed in many different materials, and their extensive study in novel materials represents a large part of the activity centered on the femtosecond laser 5
Incredible partnerships: parents and teachers working together to enhance outcomes for children through a multi-modal evidence based programme

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the utility of an evidence-based suite of programmes, The Incredible Years (IY), to enhance outcomes for children using a parent-teacher partnership model. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the broad evidence base for the IY parent, teacher and child programmes, uniquely focusing on the inter-relationships between home and school contexts. Findings – Evidence suggests that it is beneficial to parents, teachers and children to deliver IY programmes applying a multi-modal approach. Originality/value – This paper, read in conjunction with other contributions in this volume, demonstrates the growing viability of partnership strategies that support children, their families and teachers to enhance school readiness, and promote positive child outcomes.
Coordination Mechanisms in Marketing Channels: A Survey of Game Theory Models

In the last two decades, various studies developed static and dynamic game theory models to demonstrate that the efficiency of marketing channels can be raised through the choice of particular channel structures or the implementation of coordinating mechanisms, e.g. particular pricing schemes, cooperative advertising, channel leadership. The use of the game theory approach to deal with this topic is justified by the fact that marketing channels are composed of a set of independent institutions that interact with each other, and that channel efficiency is affected by the cooperative or non-cooperative behavior of these institutions. This paper reviews the major contributions in the literature that examined the issue of channel coordination according to the game theory approach. It highlights its main results and identifies research questions for further investigation.
A 12 bit 750 kS/s 0.13 mW Dual-sampling SAR ADC

A 12-bit 750 kS/s Dual-Sampling Successive Approximation Register Analog-to-Digital Converter (SAR ADC) technique with reduced Capacitive DAC (CDAC) is presented in this paper. By adopting the Adaptive Power Control (APC) technique for the two-stage latched type comparator and using bootstrap switch, power consumption can be reduced and overall system efficiency can be optimized. Bootstrapped switches also are used to enhance the sampling linearity at a high input frequency. The proposed SAR ADC reduces the average switching energy compared with conventional SAR ADC by adopting reduced the Most Significant Bit (MSB) cycling step with Dual-Sampling of the analog signal. This technique holds the signal at both comparator input asymmetrically in sample mode. Therefore, the MSB can be calculated without consuming any switching energy. The prototype SAR ADC was implemented in 0.18-μm CMOS technology and occupies 0.728 mm2. The measurement results show the proposed ADC achieves an Effective Number-of-Bits (ENOB) of 10.73 at a sampling frequency of 750 kS/s and clock frequency of 25 MHz. It consumes only 0.13 mW from a 5.0-V supply and achieves the INL and DNL of +2.78/-2.45 LSB and +0.36/-0.73 LSB respectively, SINAD of 66.35 dB, and a Figures-of-Merit (FoM) of a 102 fJ/conversion-step.
Working out multiword verbs within an applied cognitive construction grammar framework

El presente articulo introduce un enfoque construccionista para la ensenanza de los verbos frasales. Para tal fin se describe un nuevo modelo pedagogico denominado Applied Cognitive Construction Grammar (ACCxG) el cual sirve como base para la implementacion de una conceptualizacion de los verbos frasales como construcciones (unidades de forma y funcion). La ACCxG reune cuatro enfoques cognitivos para la ensenanza de una segunda lengua: Focus on Form, Task-based Language Teaching, Data-driven Learning, y Paper-based DataDriven Learning. Dicho marco teorico parte del supuesto de que la morfologia y sintaxis de los verbos frasales puede comprenderse mejor a traves de su asociacion con construcciones sintacticas llamadas Construcciones Argumentales Estructurales (CAEs). La adopcion de este constructo presupone la intervencion de habilida-des cognitivas generales en la construccion del conocimiento linguistico, el cual, se sugiere, ocurre de manera analoga a la construccion de nuestra experiencia con el mundo fisico.
Capillary Penetration between Dissimilar Solids 1

requires a knowledge of the radius of eurvature of the liquid meniscus. Since the radius of curvature of the meniscus in the case of heterogeneous capillary spaces changes from point to point, it is extremely difficult to define (2, 3). Mathematical Medel. In preference to the curvature approach, the thermodynamic method recently emphasized by Schwartz and Minor (4) was employed• Consider the heterogeneous capillary space shown in Fig. 1. The width of the plates is chosen as one centimeter in order to simplify the c~lculations of interfaeial area. The decrease in surface free energy realized by raising a differential element dh to a level h may be expressed as the change in surface free energy per unit area multiplied by the area dA of the solid-liquid interface: