Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Emotional Cues on Decision-Making and the Additional Influence of Stressful Situations.

The purpose of this study was to test the somatic marker hypothesis (SMH) by systematically manipulating emotional contexts by using an altered version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). This modified decision-making task presented happy or sad abstract faces in the feedback stage of the IGT, where the emotional valence of the face was either congruent or incongruent with the feedback delivered. A conceptual replication of the existing literature is demonstrated in this study, while further investigating the effects of acute stress on decision-making under risk conditions. In order to test the effects of incidental acute stress and emotional context congruency on IGT performance, this study used a 2X2 design (experimental congruent, experimental incongruent, control congruent, control incongruent). Acute stress was induced on experimental subjects using the paced serial auditory addition test (PASAT-C). Interestingly, the research revealed that emotions caused by the stress task elicited intrinsic emotions and cognitive resources relevant to the IGT task. These intrinsic emotions were found to benefit performance in the experimental condition when the emotional context was congruent (p<.01), however performance was impaired in the incongruent emotional context, caused by a disruption in the creation of somatic markers during feedback processing. Explanations for these paradoxical findings are discussed in relation to the cognitive resources evoked by the PASAT-C, which may have benefitted the decision-making process. It is important to further explore the influence of stress on emotion-based learning because often decisions have to be made under suboptimal conditions such as distraction by unrelated tasks or stressful situations.
Flavonoids, benzophenones and a new euphane derivative from Clusia columnaris Engl.

The polyisoprenylated benzophenones machuone and clusiachromene A have been isolated from the fruits of Clusia columnaris. The hexane extract of the young branches with leaves afforded a new euphane derivative, whose structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. On the contrary, the most polar EtOAc and ButOH extracts were constituted of flavonoid C-glucosides (isovitexin, vitexin and vitexin-2"-xyloside) and seven biflavonoids of the so-called Garcinia group.
THE EIGENFUNCTION EXPANSION METHOD IN MULTI‐FACTOR QUADRATIC TERM STRUCTURE MODELS

We propose the eigenfunction expansion method for pricing options in quadratic term structure models. The eigenvalues, eigenfunctions, and adjoint functions are calculated using elements of the representation theory of Lie algebras not only in the self‐adjoint case, but in non‐self‐adjoint case as well; the eigenfunctions and adjoint functions are expressed in terms of Hermite polynomials. We demonstrate that the method is efficient for pricing caps, floors, and swaptions, if time to maturity is 1 year or more. We also consider subordination of the same class of models, and show that in the framework of the eigenfunction expansion approach, the subordinated models are (almost) as simple as pure Gaussian models. We study the dependence of Black implied volatilities and option prices on the type of non‐Gaussian innovations.
Understanding junction breakdown in multicrystalline solar cells

Extensive investigations on industrial multicrystalline silicon solar cells have shown that, for standard 1 Ω cm material, acid-etched texturization, and in absence of strong ohmic shunts, there are three different types of breakdown appearing in different reverse bias ranges. Between −4 and −9 V there is early breakdown (type 1), which is due to Al contamination of the surface. Between −9 and −13 V defect-induced breakdown (type 2) dominates, which is due to metal-containing precipitates lying within recombination-active grain boundaries. Beyond −13 V we may find in addition avalanche breakdown (type 3) at etch pits, which is characterized by a steep slope of the I-V characteristic, avalanche carrier multiplication by impact ionization, and a negative temperature coefficient of the reverse current. If instead of acid-etching alkaline-etching is used, all these breakdown classes also appear, but their onset voltage is enlarged by several volts. Also for cells made from upgraded metallurgical grade materia.
Iowa LAWRENCE JUN ZHANG University of Auckland Creativity and EFL Students ’ Language Use During a Group Problem-Solving Task

A long history of second language (L2) task research has explored how individual differences help account for variation in L2 learners’ task performance. This research has investigated a wide range of cognitive and affective factors that may be implicated in task performance, such as working memory (Mackey, Adams, Stafford, & Winke, 2010), motivation (D€ ornyei & Kormos, 2000), willingness to communicate (Cao & Philp, 2006), and anxiety (Sheen, 2008). These studies have provided evidence that individual factors affect diverse
Postharvest of paddy and milled rice affected physicochemical properties using different storage conditions

This study investigated the physicochemical properties of two cultivars of paddy and milled rice (Kalasin11 and KhawDokMali105). They were stored for ten months at three different conditions: cold room (20±5 o C); room temperature (30±5 o C); and warehouse (40±5 o C). The results showed that amylose and protein content of both samples did not change significantly over the storage time. The gel consistency, the elongation ratio and the RVA pasting properties depended on storage time and temperature. Kalasin11 was found to have less gel consistency than KhawDokMali105, but its grain elongation ratio was higher under the same storage conditions. This result was found no significantly difference for both paddy and milled rice under the same condition. The breakdown (BD) value decreased with the increasing of storage time whereas the setback (SB) value increased. The setback value of Kalasin11 was significantly higher than KhawDokMali105. Storage conditions were found more affect on RVA pasting properties of paddy rice than milled rice. It can be concluded that warehouse storage condition affected on physicochemical properties for both paddy and milled rice comparing with the other conditions.
LINKAGE BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

This research paper finds out the effects of leadership attitude on company and on employee performance. The main aim of this research is to investigate the different leadership styles and its effects on behavior i.e. - autocratic, democratic, participative style- on employee efficiency. The qualitative approaches are followed and Secondary research was collected. The reason behind this is that the (investigator) or reader should better understand the problems and for their easy understanding different variables were used in it. Comparatively from other side, sources of Secondary research are as following Reviews, report writing, researches, magazines, articles, books. Different scholarly views are presented for each independent variable and its effect on the dependent variable. At the end it was concluded that the autocratic leadership is useful in the short term and democratic leadership style is useful in all time horizon. And participation leadership style is most useful in long term and effect on employees is positive.
Predicting Consumer Patronage Behaviour in the Egyptian Fast Food Business

This study investigated consumer buying behaviour towards international fast food restaurants. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey (n = 563) at four fast food restaurants, located in Cairo – Egypt, representing two of the leading fast food chains. Of particular interest was the role of international fast food restaurants image, consumers’ values of eating-out and their opinions about the globalisation or localisation of international fast food chains in shaping consumer future intention to patronage international fast food restaurants. Consumer intention to patronage international fast food restaurants was modelled using the classic belief-attitude-behaviour intention model (i.e. attitude and subjective norm) based upon the theory of reasoned action, and an extended model that included variables external to the classic theory. Findings suggest that, when used to predict consumer patronage behaviour in the international fast food markets, the classic belief-attitude-behaviour intention model should be extended to include fast food store image factors, consumers' values of eating-out, consumers' opinions about the globalisation or localisation of international fast food chains and consumers demographics.
Mechanical Properties and Durability of Concretes Containing Rice Husk Ash as Supplementary Cementing Material

Replacement of cement with pozzolan in the production of concrete not only improves the mechanical properties and durability of concrete but also decreases the amount of consumed cement in construction projects as well. Rice Husk Ash (RHA) is a by-product of the agricultural industry which contains high amount of silicon dioxide (SiO2). For many decades, the concretes incorporating RHA as an artificial pozzolan have been noticed for its qualities and properties. In this paper, in order to supply typical RHA, a special furnace was designed and constructed in Amirkabir University of Technology. XRD and XRF techniques were used to determine the amorphous silica content of the burnt rice husk. Consequently, temperature of 650 degrees centigrade and 60 minutes burning time was found to be the best combination. Then, various experiments were carried out to determine properties of concretes incorporating optimum RHA.
A compact UWB bandpass filter with WLAN rejection using a slot ring resonator

This article presents a novel ultra‐wideband bandpass filter with controllable notched bands, compact size, and relaxed fabrication requirements.Its implementation is based on a rectangular slot ring resonator with an embedded S‐shaped slotline. The behavior of the rectangular slot ring resonator is characterized and subsequently adopted to build the wide passband. The notched band necessary for rejecting wireless local‐area network (WLAN) signals is implemented by the S‐shaped slotline. A prototype filter is implemented based on the proposed structure and good agreement is found between simulations and measurements. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1980–1984, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25381
A 15-year post evaluation of the fire effects on ant community in an area of Amazonian forest

Fire represents an important disturbance to ant communities in areas of fire regime. Otherwise, little is known about the effects of fire on ant communities in areas of non-fire regimes, such as in the Amazonian region. We evaluated the long-term effect of fire on ant species richness in a rain forest (Bacaba Plateau) burned 15-years ago and compare our data with the data of primary unburned forest. A total of 85 ant species distributed in 21 genera and 14 tribes were collected; among them, 72 and 44 species were found on the litter and vegetation, respectively. The fire damaged forest studied supports an intermediate richness of ants when compared to a primary unburned rain forest in the same region. A comparative analysis of ant species richness showed that the Bacaba Plateau presented a different ant fauna when compared with the primary unburned forests, suggesting that fire can alter ant species composition. Although, our results cannot be conclusive on the effects of fire on ant community, they represent a pioneer data on human induced fire in tropical rain forests.
Spins of primordial black holes formed in the matter-dominated phase of the Universe

Angular momentum plays very important roles in the formation of primordial black holes in the matter-dominated phase of the Universe if it lasts sufficiently long. In fact, most collapsing masses are bounced back due to centrifugal force, since angular momentum significantly grows before collapse. For masses with q≤qc≃2.4I1/3σH1/3, where q is a nondimensional initial quadrupole moment parameter, σH is the density fluctuation at horizon entry t=tH, and I is a parameter of the order of unity, angular momentum gives a suppression factor ∼exp(-0.15I4/3σH-2/3) to the production rate. As for masses with q>qc, the suppression factor is even stronger as ∼exp(-0.0046q4/σH2). We derive the spin distribution of primordial black holes and find that most of the primordial black holes are rapidly rotating near the extreme value a*=1, where a* is the nondimensional Kerr parameter at their formation. The smaller σH is, the stronger the tendency towards the extreme rotation. Combining this result with the effect of anisotropy, we numerically and semianalytically estimate the production rate β0 of primordial black holes. Then we find that β0≃1.9×10-6fq(qc)I6σH2exp(-0.15I4/3σH-2/3) for σH≲0.005, while β0≃0. 05556σH5 for 0.005≲σH≲0.2, where fq(qc) is the fraction of masses whose q is smaller than qc and we assume fq(qc) is not too small. We argue that matter domination significantly enhances the production of primordial black holes despite the suppression factor. If the end time tend of the matter-dominated phase satisfies tend≲(0.4IσH)-1tH, the effect of the finite duration significantly suppresses primordial black hole formation and weakens the tendency towards large spins.
How does the creditor conflict affect bond IPO underpricing

In this paper, we find that the conflict of interest between loan holders and bondholders is positively related to bond IPO underpricing, which serves as compensation to the initial bond investors. We construct four proxies for the conflict between loan holders and bondholders, namely a loan covenant index, the outstanding loan amount, the number of lead banks, and the loan remaining maturity. Our empirical tests show that all four variables are positively related to bond IPO underpricing, indicating that the loan structure of firms has a real impact on the pricing of their bond IPOs.
Exploring Teachers’ Perception of Intercultural Communicative Competence and their Practices for Teaching Culture in EFL Classrooms

This study aimed to examine the effect of EFL teachers’ level of instruction, education, and experience on their perceptions of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) on the one hand and the effect of teachers’ ICC perceptions on their practices of teaching culture on the other. The participants of this study were 111 EFL teachers (59 males, 52 females), selected through purposive sampling. In order to collect data, this study used a Likert scale questionnaire developed by Zhou (2011) and a semi-structured interview (with 12 instructors). The findings revealed that there were no significant differences in the participants’ perceptions of ICC in terms of their level of experience, education, and instruction. However, it was found that, the participants' perceptions of ICC did have a role in their self-perceived instructional practices. Qualitative analyses further evinced that ICC is of paramount significance to most EFL teachers. In brief, the findings suggest that with the increasing influence of globalization, teachers of language need to become teachers of language and culture, developing the specific elements of intercultural competence.
Diet and feeding ecology of blue petrels Halobaena caerulea at Iles Kerguelen, Southern Indian Ocean

The food and feeding ecology of the blue petrel Halobaena caerulea was investigated over 4 consecutive chick-rearing periods at Iles Kerguelen. In all years, blue petrels fed on a large diversity of crustaceans and fish, with a small proportion of squid and other organisms. Crustaceans ranked first by number (98%) and second by reconstituted mass (37%). The hyperiid Themisto gaudichaudii and the euphausiid Thysanoessa sp. were the dominant prey items, accounting each for 42% by number, and for 12 and 4% by mass of the diet, respectively. Other important crustacean prey were the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba (2% by number and 10% by mass) and the large shrimp Pasiphaea scotiae ( 1000 km from the breeding colonies, but blue petrels also foraged on their way back to Iles Kerguelen from these distant foraging grounds to feed their chicks. A comparison of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of chick and adult feathers reveals that adult blue petrels fed at the same trophic level during the chick-rearing and moulting period, and that they renew their flight feathers in Antarctic waters.
The Size Evolution of Star-forming Galaxies since z ∼ 7 Using ZFOURGE

For the first time, we present the size evolution of a mass-complete (log(M*/M⊙) > 10) sample of star-forming galaxies over redshifts z = 1–7, selected from the FourStar Galaxy Evolution Survey. Observed H-band sizes are measured from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/F160W imaging. Distributions of individual galaxy masses and sizes illustrate that a clear mass−size relation exists up to z ∼ 7. At z ∼ 7, we find that the average galaxy size from the mass−size relation is more compact at a fixed mass of log(M*/M⊙) = 10.1, with kpc, than at lower redshifts. This is consistent with our results from stacking the same CANDELS HST/F160W imaging, when we correct for galaxy position angle alignment. We find that the size evolution of star-forming galaxies is well fit by a power law of the form kpc, which is consistent with previous works for normal star-formers at 1 < z < 4. In order to compare our slope with those derived Lyman break galaxy studies, we correct for different IMFs and methodology and find a slope of −0.97 ± 0.02, which is shallower than that reported for the evolution of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z > 4 ( ). Therefore, we conclude the LBGs likely represent a subset of highly star-forming galaxies that exhibit rapid size growth at z > 4.
INFLUENCE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) ON WOMEN'S PRODUCTIVE WORK IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN NAKURU MUNICIPALITY, KENYA

Globally, intimate partner violence is experienced in various cultures and affects people across societies irrespective of their economic status. This is also the case in Sub- Saharan Africa. Kenya is reported to show an increasing trend as reported by Medical and Human Rights groups. The influence of intimate partner violence on women's productive work in the informal sector is a subject of interest since women play an active role in the sector. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women's productive work in the informal sector in Nakuru Municipality. The study was carried out in five rescue institutions handling intimate partner violence victims. The study employed ex-post facto research design while simple random sampling was used to select 176 participants who were victims of intimate partner violence and had registered the violence in the five rescue institutions. Data was collected by use of researcher administered questionnaire and focus group discussions. A pre-test was conducted among 25 randomly selected women in Lanet Deanery Centre to determine the instrument's reliability which was found through Cronbachs alpha to be 0.8. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics for qualitative data while inferential statistics based on Chi square test and T-test were used to analyze quantitative data. The findings of the study showed that IPV significantly (p < 05) resulted into loss of hours of productive work, and reduced personal earnings. The findings therefore indicate that IPV has an influence on productive work of women. It has been recommended that policy makers and stakeholders should include measures to reduce IPV. The same should also be considered for further research so that feasible coping mechanisms can be developed.
Molecular dynamics simulation of single discharge and dimensionless correlation with actual material removal in micro electrical discharge machining

ABSTRACT Shorter time pulses and length scales in micro EDM (MEDM) makes it difficult to observe the material removal phenomena taking place at very small zone during discharge. Since numerical or analytical model considers material to be uniform/isotropic, it cannot predict the discrete effects viz. crystal structure distortion due to discharge. Also, little attention has been given to the mechanism of material removal in MEDM at the atomistic level. Therefore, to understand the behaviour of material removal and crystal structure distortion due to single spark in MEDM, MD simulations have been carried out. Based on MD simulations, it was found that the percentage of material removed by vaporisation (∼40%) was higher at spark energies used in this model as compared to spark energies used by Wong et al. (20% at 23.50 µJ). Conversion from FCC crystal structure to amorphous was observed at the top surface of crater in both cases; the one with higher spark energy has marginally higher distortion indicating higher amorphisation. A new method is proposed based on which a dimensionless correlation was obtained between results of MDS and experiments which relates the ratio of specific material removal at higher spark energy to that at lower energy for both MDS and experiments.
Analysis of Turbulent Free Convection in a Rectangular Rayleigh-Benard Cell

The present study compares results of direct numerical simulations of thermal convection within a rectangular geometry with Rayleigh-Benard convection in thin fluid layers and cylindrical geometries. It is shown that boundary layer thicknesses show similar tendencies in the rectangular geometry and a thin fluid layer, but the quasi two-dimensional geometry of the container delays the onset of convection significantly. Analysis of the thermal dissipation rates indicates that there are three distinct regimes, of the small scale contribution grows rap-idly as Rayleigh number is increasing, whereas the large scale contribution remains almost constant.
Exchange Rate Shocks and Quality Adjustments

Abstract Do firms respond to cost shocks by reducing the quality of their products? Using microdata from a large Russian retailer that refreshes its product line twice-yearly, we document that higher quality products are more profitable than lower quality ones, but that the number of high-quality products experiences a relative decrease after a large ruble devaluation in 2014. We show that rising firm costs—and not shrinking consumer incomes—explains the reallocation, and rationalize the data with a model that features consumer expenditure switching between high and low qualities. The reallocation to lower quality products reduces average pass-through by 26%.
Context‐based dynamic pricing with online clustering

We consider a context‐based dynamic pricing problem of online products, which have low sales. Sales data from Alibaba, a major global online retailer, illustrate the prevalence of low‐sale products. For these products, existing single‐product dynamic pricing algorithms do not work well due to insufficient data samples. To address this challenge, we propose pricing policies that concurrently perform clustering over product demand and set individual pricing decisions on the fly. By clustering data and identifying products that have similar demand patterns, we utilize sales data from products within the same cluster to improve demand estimation for better pricing decisions. We evaluate the algorithms using regret, and the result shows that when product demand functions come from multiple clusters, our algorithms significantly outperform traditional single‐product pricing policies. Numerical experiments using a real data set from Alibaba demonstrate that the proposed policies, compared with several benchmark policies, increase the revenue. The results show that online clustering is an effective approach to tackling dynamic pricing problems associated with low‐sale products.