Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An experimental evaluation of test driven development vs. test-last development with industry professionals

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development approach where test cases are written before actual development of the code in iterative cycles. Context: TDD has gained attention of many software practitioners during the last decade since it has contributed several benefits to the software development process. However, empirical evidence of its dominance in terms of internal code quality, external code quality and productivity is fairly limited. Objective: The aim behind conducting this controlled experiment with professional Java developers is to see the impact of Test-Driven Development (TDD) on internal code quality, external code quality and productivity compared to Test-Last Development (TLD). Results: Experiment results indicate that values found related to number of acceptance test cases passed, McCabe's Cyclomatic complexity, branch coverage, number of lines of code per person hours, number of user stories implemented per person hours are statistically insignificant. However, static code analysis results were found statistically significant in the favor of TDD. Moreover, the results of the survey revealed that the majority of developers in the experiment prefer TLD over TDD, given the lesser required level of learning curve as well as the minimum effort needed to understand and employ TLD compared to TDD.
Comparison of oral health-related quality of life of patients treated by palatal expanders with patients treated by fixed orthodontic appliances

Introduction and purpose Wearing orthodontic appliances may negatively affect a patient’s oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) physiologically, psychologically, and socially. Few studies have assessed the effect of palatal expanders on OHRQoL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of palatal expanders on OHRQoL and to compare it with that of fixed orthodontic appliances. Materials and methods All adolescent and adult orthodontic patients who were undergoing treatment with fixed appliances or palatal expanders between July 2015 and January 2016 in King Abdulaziz University Orthodontc Dental Clinics, were recruited (n=399). The OHRQoL of each participant was assessed using the shortened Arabic version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire. OHRQoL was compared between users of fixed appliances and users of palatal expanders; it was also compared after stratifying the patients by gender. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used, as indicated. Results Palatal expanders had significantly greater negative effects on chewing ability (P≤0.01) and pronunciation (P=0.048). However, fixed orthodontic appliances had significantly greater negative impacts on mouth aching (P=0.003), difficulty in relaxing (P=0.01), irritability (P=0.001), and embarrassment (P≤0.01). Conclusion Palatal expanders had a significantly greater negative impact on some aspects of OHRQoL when compared with fixed orthodontic appliances in adolescents and young adults.
Comparison between P&O and P.S.O methods based MPPT algorithm for photovoltaic systems

Maximum power point tracking (M.P.P.T) considered having a notable role to take out power from photovoltaic (PV) system. Literatures propose a lot of MPPT algorithms that can go after the maximum power point. Indeed this paper report a comparative study between perturb and observe (PandO) as conventional method and the non conventional particle swarm optimization (PSO) method using same load and weather conditions. Simulink is used to program algorithms that run on the Arduino UNO, an inexpensive, open-source microcontroller board, features Atmel ATmega328P microcontroller that provides digital, analog connectivity and serial communications. This technique allows us a real time parameter tuning and signal monitoring of running applications.
Hitchin systems, higher Gaudin operators and $r$-matrices

We adapt Hitchin's integrable systems to the case of a punctured curve. In the case of $\CC P^{1}$ and $SL_{n}$-bundles, they are equivalent to systems studied by Garnier. The corresponding quantum systems were identified by B. Feigin, E. Frenkel and N. Reshetikhin with Gaudin systems. We give a formula for the higher Gaudin operators, using results of R. Goodman and N. Wallach on the center of the enveloping algebras of affine algebras at the critical level. Finally we construct a dynamical $r$-matrix for Hitchin systems for a punctured elliptic curve, and $GL_{n}$-bundles, and (for $n=2$) the corresponding quantum system.
Time, uncertainty, and information

Part I Time, Risk and Uncertainty: On the theory of optimal investment decision A note on the Bohm-Bawerk/Wicksell theory of interest Investment decision under uncertainty - Choice-theoretical approaches Investment decision under uncertainty - Application of the state-preference approach. Part II From Uncertainty Theory to Information Theory The Bayesian approach to statistical decision The analytics of uncertainty and information - An expository survey. Part III Applications of the Economic Theory of Information Liquidity, uncertainty, and the accumulation of information The private and social value of information and the reward to inventive activity Speculation and equilibrium - Information, risk, and markets The theory of speculation under alternative regimes of markets Two models of speculation and information.
Psychological Determinants of Online Disclosure on Facebook: Differences between Indonesian and Polish Users

Objective – The present study was designed to compare online self-disclosure between Polish and Indonesian Facebook users. We expected that Need for Popularity (NfP), Collective Self-Esteem (CSE), perceived network size and diversity, as well as controlling accessibility, will influence online self-disclosure in both countries. Furthermore, we examined the differences in privacy issues. Methodology/Technique – Pearson's correlation and hierarchical regression analysis were performed to address the differences of online self-disclosure regarding independent variables. Independent t-test was conducted to compare the control of accessibility of profile information between the two countries. Chi-square analysis was carried out to observe the differences in perceived privacy. The sample of this study consisted of 280 Indonesians and 284 Poles. Findings – Indonesians and Poles showed significantly different results when it comes to online self-disclosure, with consideration to psychological determinants. Poles exhibited higher need to control the accessibility in their profile information, except for information on instant messaging accounts, which was deemed more sensitive for Indonesians. Poles showed a higher level of perceived privacy regarding almost all personal information on their profile page. Novelty – It was very few articles discussing the comparison of psychological determinants of online self-disclosure and privacy issues between Polish and Indonesian. Type of Paper: Empirical.
Impaired training-induced adaptation of blood pressure in COPD patients: implication of the muscle capillary bed

Background and aims Targeting the early mechanisms in exercise-induced arterial hypertension (which precedes resting arterial hypertension in its natural history) may improve cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in COPD patients. Capillary rarefaction, an early event in COPD before vascular remodeling, is a potential mechanism of exercise-induced and resting arterial hypertension. Impaired training-induced capillarization was observed earlier in COPD patients; thus, this study compares the changes in blood pressure (BP) during exercise in COPD patients and matches control subjects (CSs) after a similar exercise training program, in relationship with muscle capillarization. Methods Resting and maximal exercise diastolic pressure (DP) and systolic pressure (SP) were recorded during a standardized cardiopulmonary exercise test, and a quadriceps muscle biopsy was performed before and after training. Results A total of 35 CSs and 49 COPD patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 second =54%±22% predicted) completed a 6-week rehabilitation program and improved their symptom-limited maximal oxygen uptake (VO2SL: 25.8±6.1 mL/kg per minute vs 27.9 mL/kg per minute and 17.0±4.7 mL/kg per minute vs 18.3 mL/kg per minute; both P<0.001). The improvement in muscle capillary-to-fiber (C/F) ratio was significantly greater in CSs vs COPD patients (+11%±9% vs +23%±21%; P<0.05). Although maximal exercise BP was reduced in CSs (DP: 89±10 mmHg vs 85±9 mmHg; P<0.001/SP: 204±25 mmHg vs 196±27 mmHg; P<0.05), it did not change in COPD patients (DP: 94±14 mmHg vs 97±16 mmHg; P=0.46/SP: 202±27 mmHg vs 208±24 mmHg; P=0.13). The change in muscle C/F ratio was negatively correlated with maximal exercise SP in CSs and COPD patients (r=−0.41; P=0.02). Conclusion COPD patients showed impaired training-induced BP adaptation related to a change in muscle capillarization, suggesting the possibility of blunted angiogenesis.
Women Acting for Women

In the new country of Timor-Leste, women constituted in 2011 32 per cent of the parliament, a relatively high figure in the world and in the region. But to what extent has the presence of women in parliament contributed to progress towards gender equality? In this article we argue that the passage of a parliamentary resolution on gender-responsive budgeting in Timor-Leste was an act of substantive representation, and we draw on a range of data to examine what made it possible. We find that while ‘newness’, international norms, women's movement unity, women's machinery in government and parliament and networks linking them were important, it was the development of a cross-party parliamentary women's caucus that was crucial to success. The role of gender-focused parliamentary institutions in supporting critical actors has rarely been examined in the literature on substantive representation. This is in contrast to the rich literature on institutions such as women's policy agencies. Our study suggests that more focus on parliamentary institutions is needed to discover what enables women parliamentarians to become critical actors.
Comparability of GATB scores for immigrants and majority group members: Some Dutch findings.

The central question addressed in this article is whether the test scores of immigrants and majority group members reflect the same dimensions. Use was made of scores on the Dutch version of the General Aptitude Test Battery on first-generation immigrants (N = 1,322) and majority group members (N = 806) who applied for blue-collar jobs in the Netherlands. The group differences with respect to the construct validity were small. Spearman's hypothesis that general intelligence is the predominant factor determining the size of the differences between 2 groups was borne out significantly. The test can be put to good use for comparisons within culturally homogeneous groups of non-native-born, non-native-language minorities. Use of the test for comparisons between immigrant and majority group members, however, requires supplementary research.
Economics and Terrorism: What We Know, What We Should Know and the Data We Need

In this paper we organize the literature on the economics of terrorism around seven different topics, offering a comprehensive view of the literature with a view to identifying questions that remain unanswered. The chosen topic areas are: The Measurement of Terrorist Activity, The Nature of Terrorists, The Utility Cost of Terrorism, The Impact of Terrorism on Aggregate Output, Terrorism and Specific Sectors of Activity, Terrorism and Economic Policy, and Counter-Terrorism. In a sense, we proceed from measurement issues to studies of the characteristics of terrorists and terrorist organizations, the consequences of terrorism on individual utility and, aggregate output and on specific sectors of activity, as well as the impact of terrorism on fiscal and monetary policies. We conclude with an examination of the economics literature on counter-terrorism measures. For each of the topics above, we present what the literature has achieved, the important questions that remain open and the type of data that would help researchers make progress. In our discussion, we identify the main papers in the literature and the issue(s) where each made a contribution, presenting a brief individual summary for these papers, organized along the topic areas.
Robot Movement Planning and Control Based on Equilibrium Point Hypothesis

Despite those the inverse dynamics methods in traditional robotics, few are eligible to be applied to systems with as high degrees of freedom (DOFs) as humans. Few tackle the intricacies of the human musculoskeletal system itself. We propose a two-phase motor control model based on the equilibrium point hypothesis, which takes advantage of the muscle spring system to control human movements. The motor planning algorithm calculates the solution in the joint space, given a simple or complex task in Cartesian space. Then the spring model simulating the muscles takes charge of the movement execution. This model greatly reduces the amount of computation, compared to the inverse dynamics. We demonstrate the model in various motions as reaching, walking, sitting and rising
Why Does Exercise “Trigger” Adaptive Protective Responses in the Heart?

Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that individuals who exercise have decreased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Pre-clinical studies in animal models also find clear cardioprotective phenotypes in animals that exercise, specifically characterized by lower myocardial infarction and arrhythmia. Despite the clear benefits, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that are responsible for exercise preconditioning are not fully understood. In particular, the adaptive signaling events that occur during exercise to “trigger” cardioprotection represent emerging paradigms. In this review, we discuss recent studies that have identified several different factors that appear to initiate exercise preconditioning. We summarize the evidence for and against specific cellular factors in triggering exercise adaptations and identify areas for future study.
Gastric Bypass Improves β-Cell Function and Increases β-Cell Mass in a Porcine Model

The most frequently used and effective treatment for morbid obesity is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), which results in rapid remission of type 2 diabetes in most cases. To what extent this is accounted for by weight loss or other factors remains elusive. To gain insight into these mechanisms, we investigated the effects of RYGB on β-cell function and β-cell mass in the pig, a species highly reminiscent of the human. RYGB was performed using linear staplers during open surgery. Sham-operated pigs were used as controls. Both groups were fed a low-calorie diet for 3 weeks after surgery. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed 2 weeks after surgery. Body weight in RYGB pigs and sham-operated, pair-fed control pigs developed similarly. RYGB pigs displayed improved glycemic control, which was attributed to increases in β-cell mass, islet number, and number of extraislet β-cells. Pancreatic expression of insulin and glucagon was elevated, and cells expressing the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor were more abundant in RYGB pigs. Our data from a pig model of RYGB emphasize the key role of improved β-cell function and β-cell mass to explain the improved glucose tolerance after RYGB as food intake and body weight remained identical.
Are Money and Consumption Additively Separable in the Euro Area? A Non-Parametric Approach

We propose a numerical test of the non-parametric conditions for additive separability between consumption and real money balances, building on Varian (1983). If additive separability is rejected, then real balances enter into the theoretical IS curve. We test whether or not monetary assets and consumption are additively separable for the euro area using quarterly data from 1991 to 2005. Previous results using a parametric approach suggest that real balances can be excluded from the IS curve. We find that additive separability is violated over this sample period. After 1992, however, violations involve only a few observations and are in some instances related to measurement problems in the data. Overall, our results tend to support the claim that perfect non-separability between consumption and real balances is implausible, but that non-separabilities may not be very important empirically. At the same time, we reject additive separability throughout if we extend the sample period back to the 1980s, a period characterised by higher volatility in inflation and money growth. JEL Classification: C14, C63, E41
Effect of Treatment with Cyanidin-3-O-β-D-Glucoside on Rat Ischemic/Reperfusion Brain Damage

This study investigated the effect of cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside on an experimental model of partial/transient cerebral ischemia in the rats in order to verify the effectiveness of both pre- and posttreatments. Cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside-pretreated rats were injected with 10 mg/Kg i.p. 1 h before the induction of cerebral ischemia; in posttreated rats, the same dosage was injected during reperfusion (30 min after restoring blood flow). Cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral clamping of common carotid arteries for 20 min. Ischemic rats were sacrificed immediately after 20 min ischemia; postischemic reperfused animals were sacrificed after 3 or 24 h of restoring blood flow. Results showed that treatment with cyanidin increased the levels of nonproteic thiol groups after 24 h of postischemic reperfusion, significantly reduced the lipid hydroperoxides, and increased the expression of heme oxygenase and γ-glutamyl cysteine synthase; a significant reduction in the expression of neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthases and the equally significant increase in the endothelial isoform were observed. Significant modifications were also detected in enzymes involved in metabolism of endogenous inhibitors of nitric oxide. Most of the effects were observed with both pre- and posttreatments with cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside suggesting a role of anthocyanin in both prevention and treatment of postischemic reperfusion brain damage.
Mus81 knockdown improves chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inducing S‐phase arrest and promoting apoptosis through CHK1 pathway

As a critical endonuclease in DNA repair, Mus81 is traditionally regarded as a tumor suppressor, but recently correlated with the sensitivity of mitomycin C and 5‐fluorouracil in colon cancer and breast cancer cells. However, its role in chemosensitivity of other human malignancies still remains unknown. This study therefore aims to investigate the effects of Mus81 knockdown on the chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a usually chemorefractory tumor, and explore the underlying mechanisms. Mus81 expression in HepG2 and Bel‐7402 HCC cell lines was depleted by lentivirus‐mediated short hairpin RNA and the elevated sensitivity of these Mus81‐inhibited HCC cells to therapeutic agents, especially to epirubicin (EPI), was evidenced by MTT assay and an HCC chemotherapy mouse model. Flow cytometric analysis also showed that Mus81 knockdown lead to an obvious S‐phase arrest and an elevated apoptosis in EPI‐treated HepG2 and Bel‐7402 cells, which could be rescued by CHK1 inhibition. The activation of CHK1/CDC25A/CDK2 pathway was also demonstrated in Mus81‐inhibited HepG2 cells and xenograft mouse tumors under EPI treatment. Meanwhile, the apoptosis of HepG2 cells in response to EPI was remarkably promoted by Mus81 knockdown through activating p53/Bax/Caspase‐3 pathway under the controlling of CHK1. In addition, CHK2 inhibition slightly raised CHK1 activity, thereby enhancing the S‐phase arrest and apoptosis induced by EPI in Mus81‐suppressed HCC cells. In conclusion, Mus81 knockdown improves the chemosensitivity of HCC cells by inducing S‐phase arrest and promoting apoptosis through CHK1 pathway, suggesting Mus81 as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.
Essays in corporate finance

This dissertation examines the relationship between financial markets and firms' investment decisions. In particular, it focuses on three distinct settings in which firms' real and financial decisions are interconnected. The first chapter looks at how firms' investment and savings decisions are affected by strategic interactions in their product markets. In particular, current dynamic models in corporate finance ignore the potential for strategic interactions between firms. Empirical evidence nevertheless suggests that these strategic interactions are present and influence corporate saving behavior in a non-trivial way. The first chapter proposes a dynamic model of imperfect competition which captures the empirical evidence and provides insight into how product market interactions influence and are influenced by corporate saving behavior. The second chapter turns to socially responsible investment (SRI) and develops a micro-structure trading model which sheds new light on the relationship between SRI screening and a firms' equity cost of capital. Previous research argued that SRI screening will lead firms shunned by socially responsible investors to trade at a discount, i.e. have a higher cost or capital, relative to non-shunned peer firms. The model acknowledges this fact but also shows that asymmetric information and heterogeneity in beliefs regarding the relationship between corporate social and financial performance can dampen and even reverse the cost of capital gap between shunned and non-shunned firms. As such the model in the paper delivers a richer set of predictions which help explain the mixed empirical support for a link between SRI screening and equity cost of capital. Finally, the third chapter outlines a new reason for why firms may finance themselves through financial contracts which provide explicit incentives to generate a social alongside a financial return on investment. The argument developed in this chapter does not rely on investor altruism nor on an explicit link between financial and corporate social performance. Instead it argues that social financial contracts can emerge naturally as the solution to a credit constraint problem in a common agency moral hazard setting. The paper predicts an inverted U-shape relationship between the use of social financial contracts and financial strength. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Finance First Advisor Itay Goldstein
How would the Rogun Dam affect water and energy scarcity in Central Asia?

The construction of the Rogun Dam in the Amu Darya Basin to increase upstream energy generation creates potential trade-offs with existing downstream irrigation, due to the different timing of energy and irrigation water demands. The present analysis, based on a hydro-economic optimization model, shows that cooperative basin-wide maximization of benefits would lead to large increases in upstream hydropower production and only minor changes in downstream irrigation benefits. However, if upstream stations, including Rogun, are managed unilaterally to maximize energy production, hydropower benefits might more than double while irrigation benefits greatly decrease, thereby substantially reducing overall basin benefits.