Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of visual realism on the sense of presence in virtual environments

Virtual reality is increasingly being used for a wide range of academic, entertainment, training, and therapeutic purposes. The technology allows individuals to be completely immersed in an environment, and interact with it as if the environment is real. If this leads to the individuals feeling as if they are physically present in the environment, it can be said that they experience a high sense of presence: The sense of being there in an environment, whilst being physically situated in another. A high sense of presence is needed in order to make the experience feel real, that is: The individual experiencing the virtual environment should not be conscious of the external environment and the medium needed to navigate through and interact with the environment. But does realism in itself also affect the experienced sense of presence? More specifically, do visually realistic environments that highly resemble a corresponding real environment evoke a higher sense of presence than unrealistic environments? Earlier research has examined whether visual realism affects the sense of presence in virtual reality applications. However, several contradicting results were found, from which no clear conclusion could be made. The overall lack of consistent findings may be attributed to the realistic environments utilized in prior research not being truly visually realistic, caused by the relatively low computational power available in the past and the lack of user friendly environment design software. This study examined the effects of visual realism on presence and anxiety, replicating and improving the previous research by utilizing a visually highly realistic cliff environment. Fifty-two participants experienced a visually highly realistic and unrealistic cliff environment, with the order of experiencing the realistic or unrealistic environment first being counterbalanced. They were asked to cross a wooden bridge and count the amount of rocks in the water approximately 30 meters below them. Their experienced sense of presence was measured with the IPQ questionnaire, whilst anxiety was measured by self-reported items, heart-rate, and GSR. The results showed that increasing visual realism led to an increase in presence. However, only a very small and open to debate effect of visual realism on anxiety was found: The first cliff environment evoked higher anxiety than the second cliff environment, especially if the realistic environment was presented first. The novelty effect however was stronger than the effect of realism, and trait anxiety for fear of heights also influenced self-reported anxiety. The findings indicate that visual realism may indeed positively affect presence, but is of less importance to height-related anxiety. Table of contents
Crop-livestock diversification patterns in relation to income and manure use: A case study from a Rift Valley Community, Kenya

Most rural households in the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa practise mixed crop-livestock farming. With population growth and the subsequent scarcity of land available for extensive farming, the only option available for these households is to intensify production. For this to be successful, one must understand the divergent patterns of intensification and their relation to the economic needs of households. In a Rift Valley community in Kenya, inter-household heterogeneities in adopting distinctive combinations of particular crop and livestock productions (they are defined as ‘crop-livestock diversification’ or CLD patterns) were observed. Principal component analysis was used to identify the dominant CLD patterns which reflect complementarities between crop and livestock types. This was followed by an assessment of the association between the CLD patterns and the economic returns and manure use of the households. Among the five dominant CLD patterns identified, households that kept improved cattle and grew fruits were found to earn higher incomes and apply more organic manure. Conversely, households that grew staple crops with or without indigenous animals were found to apply less manure. Education, participation in farmers’ groups, access to the training centre, and family size were key factors affecting the adoption of CLD patterns. Key words: Crop-livestock integration, sustainable intensification, income, manure application, rural Kenya
An urban community-based study of cognitive function among non-demented elderly population in India

This study provides normative data on the cognitive function of randomly selected, non-demented and non-depressed 745 healthy urban subjects ranging from 50 to 95 years of age with a standardized cognitive test battery (Kolkata Cognitive Screening Battery) in the city of Kolkata, India. Results showed better test scores among subjects with higher educational level. Age related cognitive decline was observed unevenly across cognitive parameters. Women had lower mean scores on all the parameters except fruits naming and the three domains of memory tests. Results showed comparable test scores by urbanites on most cognitive parameters except animal naming and visuo-constructional ability as compared to illiterate rural population. This population-derived normative data will help to separate the cognitively impaired from the unimpaired group in the urban populations of India as well as neighboring countries of South East Asia after proper validation in respective vernacular language.
Evidence of Boundary Reflection of Kelvin and First-Mode Rossby Waves

TOPEX/POSEIDON sea level data leads to new opportunities to investigate some theoretical mechanisms suggested to be involved in the El Nino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon in the tropical Pacific ocean. In particular, we are interested in studying the western boundary reflection, a process crucial for the delayed action oscillator theory, by using the TOPEX/POSEIDON data from November 1992 to May 1995.
The market orientation of Slovenian companies: two-group comparisons

The purpose of the presented empirical study was to examine market orientation between groups of companies in terms of three company characteristics, i.e. main business sector, company size, and type of the market, and three environmental characteristics, i.e. market turbulence, technological turbulence and competitive intensity. Market orientation is analysed by distinguishing between a cultural and behavioural perspective and by distinguishing between a responsive and proactive form. Comparisons between groups of companies are made by testing invariant latent mean structures. The analysis of 325 Slovenian companies reveals that the particular market orientation dimensions only differ when different levels of market and technological turbulence are considered.
ACEH IN HISTORY: Preserving Traditions and Embracing Modernity

Abstrak: Aceh dalam Sejarah: Mempertahankan Tradisi dan Mengawal Modernitas. Tulisan ini berupaya mendiskusikan secara kritis tentang bagaimana masyarakat Aceh dalam sejarah, sementara mencoba menyesuaikan diri dengan dunia modern, mereka melakukan segala upaya untuk mempertahankan tradisi. Sebagai sebuah etnik yang memiliki masa lalu yang gemilang, Aceh senantiasa memiliki keterikatan kuat dengan “identitas”, dan hal ini dituangkan dalam banyak hal, termasuk “ingatan sosial. ” Untuk itu, “tradisi”, digali dan dipertahankan. Namun, tantangan modernitas juga merupakan hal yang harus direspon dan disikapi. Dalam konteks inilah kelihatannya masyarakat Aceh berada di persimpangan jalan. Di satu pihak mereka berupaya mempertahankan tradisi yang telah ada namun juga harus melibatkan diri dalam kehidupan modern. Penulis menyimpulkan bahwa masyarakat Aceh masih menemukan kesulitan dalam hal ini, karena mereka masih terpaku kepada “romantisasi sejarah”, bukan “kesadaran sejarah”, sehingga “ruh” masa lalu belum mampu dibawa ke masa kini. Abstract: This paper attempts to critically discuss on how the Acehnese in history, while trying to embrace the modern world, have made every effort at preserving their traditions. As an ethnic group which has a glorious past, Aceh has strongly been connected to “identity”; and this is expressed in various means, including “social memory. ” For this very reason, “traditions”, including those of the past, are explored and preserved. Yet, the challenges of modernity are also apparent. It is in this context that the Acehnese are trapped at the crossroad. On the one hand, they tend to preserve their traditions, yet, on the other, they need to embrace modern lives. The Acehnese seem to have encountered considerable obstacles on this issue, for they tend to focus more on historical “romanticism” (nostalgia) rather than historical “awareness” (consciousness). Eventually, the “spirit” of the past cannot be brought into light. Keywords: Aceh, history, traditions, modernity
World Englishes: Agony and Ecstasy

The title of this paper is restricted to "Englishes,"1 but the phenomenon I propose to discuss applies to most languages of wider communication (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, Tamil, Hindi-Urdu, French, Chinese) and also to languages of not-so-wide communication (e.g., Dutch, Swedish, Korean, and Serbo-Croatian). All these languages are in varying degrees "pluricentric";2 they have multilinguistic identities, multiplicity of norms, both endocentric and exocentric, and distinct sociolinguistic histories. However, the pluricentricity of English is overwhelming, and unprecedented in linguistic history. It raises issues of diversification, codification, identity, creativity, crosscultural intelligibility, and of power and ideology.3 The universalization of English and the power of this language have come at a price; for some, the implications are agonizing, while for others they are a matter for ecstasy. In my discussion of these two reactions to the spread and functions of English, I would like to discuss ecstasy first and then come to the other part, the agony. But before I do this, my choice of the term 'Englishes' calls for an explanation: Why "world Englishes" and not "world English"? 4 The answer to this question involves linguistic, attitudinal, ontological, and pragmatic explanations. The term 'Englishes' is indicative of distinct identities of the language and literature. "Englishes" symbolizes variation in form and function, use in linguistically and culturally distinct contexts, and a range of variety in literary creativity. And, above all, the term stresses the WE-ness among the users of English, as opposed to us vs. them (native and nonnative). I believe that the traditional concept of us vs. them used in describing
The distribution and variability of low‐level cloud in the North Atlantic trades

In the North Atlantic trades, variations in the distribution of low‐level cloud are rich. Using two years of observations from a remote‐sensing site located on the east coast of Barbados, the vertical distribution of cloud and its contribution to low‐level cloud amount are explored. The vertical distribution of first‐detected cloud‐base heights is marked by a strong peak near the lifting condensation level (LCL) from passive optically thin shallow cumuli. Cloud with a base near this level dominates the total cloud cover with a contribution of about two‐thirds. The other one‐third comes from cloud with its cloud base further aloft at heights > 1 km, such as cumulus edges or stratiform cloud below the trade inversion. Cloud found aloft, regardless of where its base is located, contains more variance, in particular near the inversion and on time‐scales longer than a day. In turn, cloud near the LCL is surprisingly invariant on longer time‐scales, although consistent with existing theories. Because this component does not systematically vary, changes in cloud cover in response to changes in meteorology or climate may be limited to changes in its contribution from cloud aloft.
Phylogeography of commercial tuna and mackerel in the Indonesian Archipelago

While numerous population genetics studies have investigated phylogeographic patterns of coral reef organisms in the Coral Triangle, few have addressed whether fishes in the pelagic environment exhibit concordant patterns of genetic subdivision. We analyzed approximately 400 base pairs of the mitochondrial control region to compare population structure and phylogeography of five pelagic tuna and mackerel within a subset of their geographic ranges (i.e., the Indonesian Archipelago). Focal species include frigate tuna [Auxis thazard (Lacepede, 1800)], kawakawa [Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849)], skipjack tuna [Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758)], Indian mackerel [Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816)], and narrow-barred Spanish mackerel [Scomberomorus commerson (Lacepede, 1800)]. Observed patterns of regional genetic subdivision were consistent with the role of Pleistocene vicariance in structuring populations. Divergence dates of all pelagic fish lineages dated to the Pleistocene epoch. Concordant barriers to larval dispersal found near sumatra, sulawesi, and Papua suggested that the Halmahera and Mindanao eddies and the Indonesian flowthrough may be contemporary forces maintaining genetic divergence between demes of pelagic fishes. Given the economic importance of these species, we suggest that the scale of management for pelagics in Indonesia be re-evaluated to reflect regional differences in the genetic composition of fishes.
The Culture of Peace and the Prevention of Terrorism from the Perspectives of Islamic Education and the United Nations

Terrorism is an unfamiliar phenomenon to the Islamic religion and it is in opposition to its doctrine. It leads to the loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties, spreading rumors, terrorizing the innocents and destabilization. All this makes fighting and preventing the phenomenon of terrorism the duty of all human beings. This study aimed to highlight and clarify the concept of the culture of peace and the prevention of terrorism from the perspective of Islamic Education and the United Nations.
Price Discovery and Volatility Spillovers in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme: A High-Frequency Analysis

This paper deals with the modeling of the relationship of European Union Allowance spot- and futures-prices within the second commitment period of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. Based on high frequency data, we analyze causality in the first and the second conditional moments. To reveal long run price discovery we compute the common factor weights proposed by Schwarz and Szakmary (1994) and the information share proposed by Hasbrouck (1995) based on the estimated coefficients of a vector error correction model. To analyze the short run dynamics we perform Granger causalty tests. The GARCH-BEKK model introduced by Engle and Kroner (1995) is employed to analyze the volatility transmission structure. We identify the futures market to be the leader of the long run price discovery process whereas a bidirectional short run causality structure is observed. Furthermore, we detect unidirectional volatility transmission from the futures to the spot market at highest frequencies.
Improved retention of phosphorus donors in germanium using a non-amorphizing fluorine co-implantation technique

Co-doping with fluorine is a potentially promising method for defect passivation to increase the donor electrical activation in highly doped n-type germanium. However, regular high dose donor-fluorine co-implants, followed by conventional thermal treatment of the germanium, typically result in a dramatic loss of the fluorine, as a result of the extremely large diffusivity at elevated temperatures, partly mediated by the solid phase epitaxial regrowth. To circumvent this problem, we propose and experimentally demonstrate two non-amorphizing co-implantation methods; one involving consecutive, low dose fluorine implants, intertwined with rapid thermal annealing and the second, involving heating of the target wafer during implantation. Our study confirms that the fluorine solubility in germanium is defect-mediated and we reveal the extent to which both of these strategies can be effective in retaining large fractions of both the implanted fluorine and, critically, phosphorus donors.
Using Genetic Testing to Improve Fed Cattle Marketing Decisions

We estimate the value of using genetic information to make fed cattle marketing decisions. Efficiency gains result from sorting cattle into marketing groups, including more accurate optimal days-on-feed and reduced variability of returns to cattle feeding. The value of using genetic information to selectively market cattle ranged from $1–$13/head depending on how a producer currently markets cattle and the grid structure. Although these values of genetic information were generally higher than those reported in previous research, they were still not enough to offset the current cost of genetic testing (about $40/head).
The Pulmonary Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Thai Obese Children

Objective: This study was to compare the pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and physical activity level between obese and non-obese children and to determine the correlation between pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and physical activity level in both child groups. Methods: Thai healthy children aged between 10-12 years participated in this study. They were classified into an obese group with body weight > +3 standard deviations and a non-obese group with body weight between ± 1.5 standard deviations of children who have the same height. Children in both groups were measured for pulmonary function, forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ), FEV1 /FVC ratio, vital capacity (VC), inspiratory muscle strength (MIP), expiratory muscle strength (MEP), and physical activity level. Results: The results showed that FVC, FEV1 and VC of the obese group were statistically higher than the non-obese group (p 0.05). Physical activity levels were not significantly different between the groups (p>0.05). Moreover, the results demonstrated that physical activity level in the obese group had no correlation with FVC, FEV1 , FEV1 /FVC ratio and VC (r = 0.203, 0.170, -0.067 and 0.133 respectively; p > 0.05) and similarly the non-obese group showed no correlation with FVC, FEV1 , FEV1 /FVC ratio and VC (r = 0.225, 0.168, -0.207 and 0.168 respectively; p > 0.05). Additionally, the results demonstrated that physical activity level in the obese group had no correlation with MIP and MEP (r = 0.151 and 0.355 respectively; p > 0.05) and similarly the non-obese group showed no correlation with MIP and MEP (r = 0.202 and 0.006 respectively; p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study provides information about the pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in Thai obese children. FVC, FEV1 and VC of the obese group were higher than the non-obese group. In addition, FEV1 /FVC ratio of the obese group was lower than the non-obese group. Although, all parameters including pulmonary function of both groups were in the normal range. However, obese children tend to observe airway obstruction higher than non-obese children. Moreover, respiratory muscle strength and physical activity level were not different between groups. Additionally, physical activity level had no correlation with pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in both groups.
Postglacial rebound and relative sea level changes in the Baltic Sea since the Litorina transgression

Based on geostatistical modelling the authors compared relative sea level records for the Litorina and post-Litorina Sea with tide gauge and GPS derived crustal velocity measurements in Fennoscandia and in the Baltic region. Results show good fit between the geological record and GPS derived crustal velocity measurements indicating that the postglacial rebound (PGR) centre on the northwest coast of the Bothnian Sea and the isostatic zero-line in the southern Baltic remained stable during the last 8000 14C yrs BP (8900 cal yrs BP). An average Baltic Sea level rise of 1.4±0.4 mm/y for the 20th century was estimated, which is found to be at about one fifth compared to the mid-Holocene sea level rise. However, considering the recent estimates of eustatic sea level rise for the 21st century the slowly uplifting coastal areas in southern Sweden, SE Finland, Estonia, Latvia and NW Russia, which have experienced a long term relative sea level fall, will probably also be affected by future sea level rise reminiscent of the mid-Holocene one.
Masers in star forming regions

Abstract Maser emission plays an important role as a tool in star formation studies. It is widely used for deriving kinematics, as well as the physical conditions of different structures, hidden in the dense environment very close to the young stars, for example associated with the onset of jets and outflows. We will summarize here the recent observational and theoretical progress on this topic since the last maser symposium: the IAU Symposium 242 in Alice Springs.
The effect of option framing on consumers decision-making efficiency: Evidence from online service customization

Based on Loss Aversion theory, this article analyzes and examines the effect of option framing (additive vs. subtractive) on consumers' decision-making efficiency (customization results and customization time) and the boundary conditions for the option framing effects: service importance, service type and individual expectation. Our experiment under the context of online information service customization produces the following findings: (1) Compared with the additive option framing, consumers in the subtractive option framing tend to choose more service options with a higher total option price; (2) Online option framing and service importance (important vs. less important) impose a significant interaction effect—the less important options will be more selected in the subtractive option framing and the important ones are more likely to be chosen in the additive option framing; (3) consumers' expectation plays a regulatory role in the relationship between option framing and decision time: consumers with low expectation tend to take more time when they use subtractive versus additive option framing; while those with high expectation prone to taking more time in the additive versus subtractive option framing. In addition, the interaction effect of online option framing and service type is not significant, but it presents the expected direction. These findings, in turn, offer interesting public policy and future research implications. Key words: Online service customization, option framing effects, consumers' decision-making efficiency, boundary condition, service importance, individual expectation.