Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Home Production in Voting Over Taxes and Expenditure

This paper investigates, first, how allowance for subsistence activities, or home production, affects the standard results in models involving the majority choice of the tax rate in a flat tax – basic income scheme. The paper extends the analysis of home production to choices regarding the composition of government expenditure, in situations where there is a tax-financed pure public good in addition to a transfer payment, conditional on a given tax rate. The effect of home production is to reduce the transfer payment in each model, but the effect is small.
Women capacity, community resilience and sustainable post disaster reconstruction: case study from Indonesia

This paper aims to flesh out women capacity for creating community resilience and practices of sustainable post disaster reconstruction in Bantul district Central Java Indonesia. Based on case study, the findings show women grassroots organizations have insight, information, experience, networks and resources vital within earthquake reconstruction as such capacities increasing resilience. During reconstruction women demonstrated their capacity as income-earners, producers and managers of food production, providers of clean water and fuel, and participants in village voluntary labors for maintaining public infrastructures and environments.
Patterns of longer-term climate change effects on CO2 efflux from biocrusted soils differ from those observed in the short term

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are predicted to be sensitive to the increased temperature and altered precipitation associated with climate change. We assessed the effects of these factors on soil carbon dioxide (CO2) balance in biocrusted soils using a sequence of manipulations over a 9-year period. We warmed biocrusted soils by 2 and, later, by 4 ∘C to better capture updated forecasts of future temperature at a site on the Colorado Plateau, USA. We also watered soils to alter monsoon-season precipitation amount and frequency and had plots that received both warming and altered precipitation treatments. Within treatment plots, we used 20 automated flux chambers to monitor net soil exchange (NSE) of CO2 hourly, first in 2006–2007 and then again in 2013–2014, for a total of 39 months. Net CO2 efflux from biocrusted soils in the warming treatment increased a year after the experiment began (2006–2007). However, after 9 years and even greater warming (4 ∘C), results were more mixed, with a reversal of the increase in 2013 (i.e., controls showed higher net CO2 efflux than treatment plots) and with similarly high rates in all treatments during 2014, a wet year. Over the longer term, we saw evidence of reduced photosynthetic capacity of the biocrusts in response to both the temperature and altered precipitation treatments. Patterns in biocrusted soil CO2 exchange under experimentally altered climate suggest that (1) warming stimulation of CO2 efflux was diminished later in the experiment, even in the face of greater warming; and (2) treatment effects on CO2 flux patterns were likely driven by changes in biocrust species composition and by changes in root respiration due to vascular plant responses.
Plant-parasitic nematodes on field crops in South Africa. 3. Sunflower

SUMMARY Fourteen sunflower fields, representative of the conditions prevailing in the main sunflower-producing areas of South Africa, were monitored through the 1984/85 growing season. Twelve plant-parasitic nematode species were found. The predominant ectoparasites were Scutellonema brachyurum, Paratrichodorus minor and Rotylenchus unisexus. The predominant endoparasites were Pratylenchus zeae and larvae of Meloidogyne spp. (a mixture of M. incognita plus M. javanica). Helicotylenchus dihystera, Paratrophurus anomalus, Trophurus sp. , Pratylenchus crenatus, Pratylenchus penetrans and Rotylenchulus paruus were also found. In the soil, total populations of plant-parasitic nematodes increased between planting and physiological maturity in eight fields while those in six fields decreased. In the roots, total populations of plant-parasitic nematodes increased between three weeks after planting and physiological maturity in eleven fields while those in two fields decreased. P. rninor populatjons usually increased during the growing season. Up to 900 Meloidogyne larvael5 g roots were counted but very few adult females were found and gall formation was never observed. The sunflower cultivars studied thus allowed penetration of the roots by the larvae but inhibited the development of mature females.
Calibration of a Virtual Instrument for Power Quality Monitoring

The paper describes a virtual instrument for power quality monitoring based on NI LabVIEWTM platform and simultaneous measurements of electrical voltages and currents. The virtual power quality analyzer is realized by using National Instruments 9225 and 9227 modules for voltage and current measurements, respectively, NI cDAQ 9174, 4 slot USB chassis and a PC. The created virtual instrument measures power quality characteristics: power frequency, voltage variations, magnitude of rapid voltage changes, flicker severity, voltage unbalance, total harmonic distortion, as well as the elements of voltage dips, short interruptions, and long interruptions defined in the standard EN 50160 for voltage characteristics of supplied electricity. The measurement is according to the general guide on harmonics and interharmonics measurements IEC 61000-4-7. The calibration and verification of the power quality analyzer is a complex task and it is performed by using the laboratory calibrator FLUKE 5500A. The results of calibration and verification of the developed virtual instrument, as well as the results of power quality measurements near different lightning technologies are presented.
THE INVESTIGATION ON ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF CdO/CNT NANOCOMPOSITE

In this study, composite materials reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNT) containing cadmium oxide were produced and investigated optical and electrical properties of them. Carbon nanotubes which used support materials were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. After then, they were reinforced in to the cadmium oxides which were sold by commercial. As a other group, cadmium oxides were synthesized by sol-gel method and reinforced carbon nanotubes with different rate. Synthesized CNT‟s were subjected to TEM investigation. Obtained CNT’s were also subjected to SEM as structural. After those, gained composite samples were investigated for both electrical conductivity, changing temperatures and optical properties by UV-vis spectrometers. It was clear, as a result that electrical conductivity were increased by raising CNT rates for both groups. Beside composites containing CdO, synthesized by sol-gel method have higher conductivity than composites containing CdO bought by commercial have. To sum up, CdO composites synthesized by sol-gel have both higher conductivity and optical properties comparing with commercials have.
On extremal properties of hyperbolic Coxeter polytopes and their reflection groups

This thesis concerns hyperbolic Coxeter polytopes, their reflection groups and associated combinatorial and geometric invariants. Given a Coxeter group $G$ realisable as a discrete subgroup of $\mathrm{Isom}\,\mathbb{H}^n$, there is a fundamental domain $\mathscr{P} \subset \mathbb{H}^n$ naturally associated to it. The domain $\mathscr{P}$ is a Coxeter polytope. Vice versa, given a Coxeter polytope $\mathscr{P}$, the set of reflections in its facets generates a Coxeter group acting on $\mathbb{H}^n$. The reflections give a natural set $S$ of generators for the group $G$. Then we can express the growth series $f_{(G,S)}(t)$ of the group $G$ with respect to the generating set $S$. By a result of R. ~Steinberg, the corresponding growth series is the power series of a rational function. The growth rate $\tau$ of $G$ is the reciprocal to the radius of convergence of such a series. The growth rate is an algebraic integer and, by a result of J.~Milnor, $\tau > 1$. By a result of W. ~Parry, if $G$ acts on $\mathbb{H}^n$, $n=2,3$, cocompactly, then its growth rate is a Salem number. By a result of W. ~Floyd, there is a geometric correspondence between the growth rates of cocompact and finite co-volume Coxeter groups acting on $\mathbb{H}^2$. This correspondence gives a geometric picture for the convergence of Salem numbers to Pisot numbers. There, Pisot numbers correspond to the growth rates of finite-volume polygons with ideal vertices. We reveal an analogous phenomenon in dimension $3$ by considering degenerations of compact Coxeter polytopes to finite-volume Coxeter polytopes with four-valent ideal vertices. In dimension $n\geq 4$, the growth rate of a Coxeter group $G$ acting cocompactly on $\mathbb{H}^n$ is known to be neither a Salem, nor a Pisot number. A particularly interesting class of Coxeter groups are right-angled Coxeter groups. In the case of a right-angled Coxeter group acting on $\mathbb{H}^n$, its fundamental domain $\mathscr{P} \subset \mathbb{H}^n$ is a right-angled polytope. Concerning the class of right-angled polytopes in $\mathbb{H}^4$ (compact, finite volume or ideal, as subclasses), the following questions emerge: \begin{enumerate} \item[-] what are minimal volume polytopes in these families? \item[-] what are polytopes with minimal number of combinatorial compounds (facets, faces, edges, vertices) in these families? \end{enumerate} Various results concerning the above questions in the case of finite-volume right-angled polytopes were obtained by \'{E}. ~Vinberg, L. ~Potyaga\u{\i}lo and recently by B. ~Everitt, J.~Ratcliffe, S. ~Tschantz. In the case of compact right-angled polytopes the answer is conjectured by \'{E}. ~Vinberg and L. ~Potyaga\u{\i}lo. In this thesis, the above questions in the case of ideal right-angled polytopes are considered and completely answered. We conclude with some partial results concerning the case of compact right-angled polytopes.
Total Factor Productivity Estimates for a Sample of European Regions: A Panel Cointegration Approach

This paper looks at the economic performance of the European Regions economies and compute the total factor productivity using a panel cointegration approach. The main idea behind this choice is that, rst of all, this approach allows to directly estimate di¤erences across economies in the production function and also to test for the presence of scale economies and market imperfections. Furthermore, the panel cointegration approach takes non-stationarity issues into account. In fact, non-stationarity issues on series have been often overlooked when the panel approach has been used. This paper investigates the stochastic properties of the regional time series using unit root tests and cointegration tests to guard against spurious regression problem and to detect long-run relationships. To ignore the presence of unit roots at best leads to missing important information about the processes generating the data, and at worst leads to nonsensical results. If unit roots are present (and the evidence suggests that they generally are) then appropriate modelling procedures have to be used. The appropriate modelling here is cointegration.
Plasticity of the central nervous system in adult vertebrates: immunohistochemical report on the effects of seasonal variations alone or coupled with induced cold shock on brain proliferation in fresh water or earth-dwelling Anamnia and heterothermic Amni

Latent morphogenetic potentials may be used by Vertebrates to reconstitute parts of the body gone lost, even of the central nervous system. This issue is reviewed here for the brain and, quickly, the spinal cord of Anamnia and Amniota up to Reptiles, paying special attention to germinative areas (zonae germinativae) in the forebrain of Amphibians as model systems. The results in this field may guide to understand plasticity of the central nervous system also in higher Vertebrates.
A GENERAL RULE FOR DESIGNING MULTIBRANCH HIGH-ORDER MODE CONVERTER

We propose a general rule that can be used to design multibranch high-order mode converters. We used the modal theory to analyze the proposed structure rigorously and presented the general principles. The well-established flnite-difierence beam propagation method was used to simulate the proposed device. The numerical results show that the proposed devices could really function as the all- optical mode converter device. It would be developed to quantify the applications and beneflts in applications of optical signal processing and computing systems.
Simulation of Genetic Systems by Automatic Digital Computers II. Effects of Linkage on Rates of Advance Under Selection

Rates of progress of single populations under selection pressure have been simulated by an automatic electronic computer. Varying intensities of selection and tightness of linkage are compared, showing that linkage produces no qualitative effect on the rates of advance at values greater than 0·005, i.e. 0·5 per cent. recombination.
THEORY AND SIMULATIONS OF REFRACTIVE SUBSTRUCTURE IN RESOLVED SCATTER-BROADENED IMAGES

At radio wavelengths, scattering in the interstellar medium distorts the appearance of astronomical sources. Averaged over a scattering ensemble, the result is a blurred image of the source. However, Narayan & Goodman and Goodman & Narayan showed that for an incomplete average, scattering introduces refractive substructure in the image of a point source that is both persistent and wideband. We show that this substructure is quenched but not smoothed by an extended source. As a result, when the scatter-broadening is comparable to or exceeds the unscattered source size, the scattering can introduce spurious compact features into images. In addition, we derive efficient strategies to numerically compute realistic scattered images, and we present characteristic examples from simulations. Our results show that refractive substructure is an important consideration for ongoing missions at the highest angular resolutions, and we discuss specific implications for RadioAstron and the Event Horizon Telescope.
Transcriptional Effects of mTOR Inhibitors on Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

3 Table of contents . 4 Figures . 5 Tables . 5 Abbreviations . 6 1 Introduction . 8 1.1 Heart transplantation and graft rejection . 8 1.2 Cardiac allograft vasculopathy . 8 1.2. 1 Disease characteristics . 8 1.2. 2 Resident vascular cells in CAV pathogenesis . 9 1.2. 3 Experimental models of CAV . 11 1.3 mTOR inhibition by rapamycin . 11 1.3.1 mTOR inhibitors . 11 1.3.2 Mechanism of mTOR inhibition . 12 1.3.3 mTOR inhibition in vascular cells . 12 2 Aim of this study . 15 3 Materials and methods . 16 3.1 Arterial tissue . 16 3.2 Artery culture . 16 3.3 Cell culture . 16 3.4 Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction . 16 3.5 Statistical analysis . 16 4 Results . 17 4.1 Rapamycin downregulates proliferation genes in VSMCs in vitro . 17 4.2 Rapamycin weakly influences inflammatory gene expression in VSMCs in vitro . 18 5 Discussion . 20 Acknowledgements . 22 References . 23
Pinyon Pine Mortality Alters Communities of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods

Abstract. We documented the effect of drought-induced mortality of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis Engelm.) on communities of ground-dwelling arthropods. Tree mortality alters microhabitats utilized by ground-dwelling arthropods by increasing solar radiation, dead woody debris, and understory vegetation. Our major objectives were to determine (1) whether there were changes in community composition, species richness, and abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods associated with pinyon mortality and (2) whether specific habitat characteristics and microhabitats accounted for these changes. We predicted shifts in community composition and increases in arthropod diversity and abundance due to the presumed increased complexity of microhabitats from both standing dead and fallen dead trees. We found significant differences in arthropod community composition between high and low pinyon mortality environments, despite no differences in arthropod abundance or richness. Overall, 22% (51 taxa) of the arthropod community were identified as being indicators of either high or low mortality. Our study corroborates other research indicating that arthropods are responsive to even moderate disturbance events leading to changes in the environment. These arthropod responses can be explained in part due to the increase in woody debris and reduced canopy cover created by tree mortality.
Evaluating adherence to ocular hypotensives using the Travatan dosing aid

Correspondence: Leslie O’Dell May eye Care Center, 250 Fame Avenue suite 225, hanover, PA 17331-1587, UsA Tel +1 717 521 7161 email leslieod@hotmail.com Purpose: The TravatanTM Dosing Aid (TDA) is the first commercially available device designed to aid in patients’ adherence to their glaucoma therapies and to record patients’ eyedrop administration, so that doctors can better assess adherence. No prior studies have objectively evaluated adherence to glaucoma medications and its relationship to the severity of glaucoma or the use of multiple systemic medications. Methods: We enrolled 100 consecutive subjects from a private glaucoma practice, all currently using topical travoprost 0.004%. Each subject was issued a TDA to record the time and date of each drop instilled. Informed consents were signed and the subjects were aware that their medication use was being monitored. Patients returned for follow-up 30–60 days after their initial exam. Results: 89 subjects completed the study: 44 were male, with a mean age of 67 years, and 69.7% were Caucasian. Overall, patient adherence was 74.8% (range 22%–100%) improving to 85.4% on the day prior to follow-up. The mean number of missed doses per month was 6.24 ± 5.9. Only 7.9% of the study population never missed a dose and 23.6% ± 4.3% missed more than ten drops per month. No marked association was observed between the severity of glaucoma, race, or the number of systemic medications and adherence. A marked improvement in adherence was noted in patients using travoprost 0.004% as monocular therapy rather than binocular therapy, 84.0% ± 17.1% vs 67.4% ± 23.5% (P , 0.005). Conclusion: Patient adherence to glaucoma medical therapy is a major barrier in the management and treatment of glaucoma patients given the chronic nature and asymptomatic course of the disease. Until recently, an objective tool has not been available to the clinician to identify individual patients’ rate of adherence. The TDA is an accurate, adjunctive tool available for assessing patient adherence on an individual level.
Preliminary Studies on Antivenom Activity of Mimosa Pudica Root Extracts Against Russell's Viper and Saw Scaled Viper Venom By In Vivo And In Vitro Methods

Summary Mimosa pudica aqueous root extracts were tested for their inhibitory activity on various pharmacological effects like lethality, phospholipase activity, edema forming activity, fibrinolytic activity and haemorrhagic activity of Russell’s viper and Saw scaled viper venoms. The aqueous extract displayed a significant inhibitory effect on the lethality, phospholipase activity, edema forming activity, fibrinolytic activity and haemorrhagic activity. About 0.13 mg and 0.17 mg of Mimosa pudica plant extracts were able to completely neutralize the lethal activity of 2LD 50 of Russell’s viper and Saw scaled viper venoms respectively. The present finding suggests that aqueous extracts of M. pudica root possess compounds, which inhibit the activity of Russell’s viper and Saw scaled viper venoms
Patch Antenna: Basics

Patch antenna is implemented and analyzed using IE3D.Also bandwidth enhancement and minimization techniques are discussed and explored in detail. The patch antenna dimensions are calculated using design equations. The antenna results show that without any modification, it suffers from narrow bandwidth. The performance of same patch antenna is analyzed by doing various variations in the parameters. It is observed that with the increase in substrate height, the resonant frequency reduces and the bandwidth of square patch enhances. With the movement of feed location towards the edge of patch, the input impedance increases for the square patch antenna. With the increase in the relative permittivity of substrate, the resonant frequency decreases. With utmost optimization, the bandwidth enhancement of around 10% is achieved only. The patch antenna bandwidth is enhanced using U slot and L probe feed. The L probe feed is more effective for substrate heights around 0.1 λo. The patch antenna surface area is further minimized using techniques: shorting wall and shorting pin.
Investigation of co-digestion of food waste and primary sludge at SNJ-wastewater treatment

Anaerobic co-digestion of different organic waste streams, has proven to be a viable solution for sustainable management of organic fraction of waste, with increased everyday application. Besides the environmentally sound management of organic waste, it enables increased economical performances of employed anaerobic digesters worldwide by increasing the energy recovery from the process itself. A full scale experiments were conducted at SNJ wastewater treatment plant to evaluate the effect of co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge. The pulse feed resulted, in temporary overload of the system, with sharp increase in the concentrations of acetic acid and consequently 27% increased methane production rate from. During the overload period system remain its stability. Monitoring parameters used during the test were pH, VFA , Alkalinity, COD, TS and TVS. Laboratory scale, batch test experiments were undertaken, to determine the specific methane yield of different substrates and mixtures of substrates currently used in the co-digestion process at SNJ wastewater treatment plant, as well as to determine maximum food to biomass ratio (gVS substrate/gVS biomass) that can be used for enhanced methane production without causing process perturbations. The blends of sewage sludge and food waste in different ratio showed enhanced cumulative methane production for 36 and 57 % respectively. Organic loading experiment showed that the optimal organic load (food to biomass) is in the range from 1.73~2.1gVS substrate per gVS biomass.
Measuring the Quality of Life of University Students

This study sought to develop a valid set of scales in the cognitive and affective domains for measuring the quality of life of university students. In addition the study attempted to illustrate the usefulness of Thomas Piazza's procedures for constructing valid scales in educational research. Piazza's method involves a multi-step construction of unidimensional scales. The theoretical framework for the model was linked to socialization theory and effective teaching theory and identified the cognitive and affective domains as being the fundamental characteristics of teaching and learning in universities. The study used a self-administered questionnaire completed by 301 undergraduate and 502 graduate students. Using procedures for constructing unidimensional scales for measuring dimensions of the affective domain suggested roconceptualization of the framework which yielded four more valid scales. These scales were applied to the analysis of cognitive domains which finally resulted in development of 12 items that created scales with a minimal amount of non-random error in three scales: Methodology of Teaching, Development of Pupils, and Subject Expertise. Includes 16 tables, 7 figures. Contains 95 references. (JB) c******************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. ******************A**********************A:. A:c*A********************