Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the potential of traffic light information availability for reducing fuel consumption and NOx emissions of a diesel light-duty vehicle

The paper addresses the impact of traffic light information availability in terms of fuel consumption and emissions by means of comparing three different scenarios that a driver of a diesel light-duty vehicle may face when trying to cover a particular route of 1 km with two traffic lights in between. The first scenario is that the driver does not know in advance the state of the traffic lights. The second scenario assumes that the driver knows the state of the traffic lights but has no modelling nor computation capabilities to solve the associated optimal control problem. In the third scenario, the driver knows in advance the state of the traffic lights and is also able to solve the corresponding optimal control problem that leads to fuel consumption or NOx emission minimisation. In this study, the vehicle-speed trajectories associated with the previously described three scenarios have been computed and then tested in a Euro 5 Diesel vehicle installed in a chassis dynamometer. The obtained results show that traffic light information is essential for fuel minimisation in urban conditions, promoting reductions of 7.5–12% and 13–32% for fuel consumption and NOx emissions in the studied case. In addition, differences in the engine-operating conditions for high efficiency and low NOx emissions may lead to extremely high fuel consumption when NOx minimisation is foreseen or viceversa.
Assessing Economic Tradeoffs in Forest Management

Niemi, Ernie; Whitelaw, Ed. 1999. Assessing economic tradeoffs in forest management. Revised. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-403. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 78 p. Method is described for assessing the competing demands for forest resources in a forest management plan by addressing economics values, economic impacts, and perceptions of fairness around each demand. Economics trends and forces that shape the dynamic ecosystem-economy relation are developed. The method is demonstrated through an illustrative analysis of a forest-management decision in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
First Record of Lampris guttatus (Brünnich, 1788) in North-Eastern Mediterranean (Mersin Bay, Turkey)

A single male specimen of the Opah Lampris guttatus (Brunnich, 1788) (50 cm in total length and 5 kg in weight) was caught off Erdemli coast, Turkey at a depth of 185 m by a commercial trammel net on 27 May 2017. The present work is the first report of L. guttatus from the Northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. All measurements and counts, morphological description and color of the opah agree with previous descriptions. Although L. guttatus has distributed at a large area covering both tropical to temperate waters including Mediterranean, this is the first confirmed report of the species from Turkish marine waters including the eastern Mediterranean area.
Population–Urbanization–Energy Nexus: A Review

Energy expansion and security in the current world scenario focuses on increasing the energy generation capacity and if possible, adopting cleaner and greener energy in that development process. However, too often this expansion and planning alters the landscape and human influence on its surroundings through a very complex mechanism. Resource extraction and land management activity involved in energy infrastructure development and human management of such development systems have long-term and sometimes unforeseen consequences. Although alternative energy sources are being explored, energy production is still highly dependent on fossil fuel, especially in most developing countries. Further, energy production can potentially affect land productivity, land cover, human migration, and other factors involved in running an energy production system, which presents a complex integration of these factors. Thus, land use, energy choices, infrastructure development and the population for which such facilities are being developed must be cognizant of each other, and the interactions between them need to be studied and understood closely. This study strives to analyze the implications of linkages between the energy industry, urbanization, and population and especially highlights processes that can be affected by their interaction. It is found that despite advancement in scientific tools, each of the three components, i.e., population growth, urbanization, and energy production, operates in silos, especially in developing countries, and that this complex issue of nexus is not dealt with in a comprehensive way.
Self-reflection among teachers of culturally diverse learners: An intervention study exploring the influence of cultural identity

v List of Figures . xiii List of Tables . xiv Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Cultural Incongruence . 3 Demographic Shifts in Schools . 4 Teacher Workforce Demographics . 7 Teacher Demographics in New Jersey . 7 Power, Cultural Identity, and Teachers . 9 Culturally Relevant Practices . 12 Statement of the Problem . 12 Purpose of the Research . 15 Research Questions . 16 Theoretical Framework . 16 Critical Race Theory . 16 Significance of the Study . 18 Practice . 19 Research . 19 Limitations of the Study . 20 Delimitations of the Study . 22 Role of the Researcher . 22 Sampling . 23
Interdependence between cash crop and staple food international prices across periods of varying financial market stress

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the price dynamics between a selection of international staple food and cash crop futures prices. This price interaction is particularly relevant for developing countries that rely on cash crop export earnings to finance their staple food import requirements. We employ a multivariate Copula-DCC-GARCH model to characterize the cash crop and staple food price interaction over time and a rolling-sample volatility index to identify the direction of the volatility spillover for staple-cash commodity pairs. Results show that the intensity of interaction varies considerably over the sample time, but is, generally positive, and stronger during the period 2007–2012 associated with high commodity prices and financial market stress.
Development of dynamic interpersonal therapy in complex care (DITCC): a pilot study

The paper describes the development of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for use with complex depression (DITCC), and a pilot study testing DITCC’s effectiveness. The pilot found large pre-post improvements in well-being and distress; moderate rates of reliable improvement and clinically significant change; and curvilinear declines in depression and anxiety. Treatment completers and near-completers (N= 19) showed a significant curvilinear decline in symptoms of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7). The results provide preliminary evidence that DITCC can be used as an effective treatment approach for complex depression. However, further research is needed to test its effectiveness in different settings with a larger sample size, using appropriate comparison groups under controlled conditions to further elaborate the short-term and long-term effects.
Identity Construction, Social Media, and Ifugao Rice Terraces Conservation of Indigenous People's Youth Through Appreciative Inquiry

Recognizing the important contribution of the indigenous people's (IP) youth towards the sustainable development and conservation of the internationally recognized Ifugao rice terraces (IRT) of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Open University implemented a youth capacity building and exchange program among IP youth from Hungduan, Kiangan, Banaue and Mayaoyao rice terraces in the Ifugao province. The study conducted focus group discussions that included identity construction with physical co-presence and utilization of new communication technologies (NCTs) through the strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results of an appreciative inquiry approach (SOAR). Beliefs, ethnicity and values were three key identity construction factors. Need, talent, passion, and conscience were also included among the dimensions of identity construction. These findings were subsequently used in the design and construction of training course modules customized for IP youth from the IRT using the blended-mode of learning and practical activities such as video logs and memes in NCTs.
Industry competition, earnings management and leader–follower effects

ABSTRACT This article examines the impacts of industry competition on the leader-follower effects in different earnings management activities. The empirical results show that there are the leader-follower effects in the accrual-based earnings management in industries with different extents of competition, while there is the leader-follower effect in the real earnings management activities in industries with lower degrees of industry competition. The evidence implies that the industry competition affects the leader-follower effects in the different earnings management activities, and then the different extents of industry competition have different mediation effects on the leader-follower effect. We expect the empirical results not only fill the gap of literatures, but also provide a new insight for the investors and regulators in their investment decision and regulation revision.
Digital Guidance for Susceptible Readers: Effects on Fifth Graders’ Reading Motivation and Incidental Vocabulary Learning

In this digital era, a fundamental challenge is to design digital reading materials in such a way that they improve children’s reading skills. Since reading books is challenging for many fifth graders—particularly for those genetically susceptible to attention problems—the researchers hypothesized that guidance from a digital Pedagogical Agent (PA) could improve students’ reading motivation and incidental vocabulary learning. Using a sample of 147 fifth-grade students, the researchers carried out a randomized control trial with three groups of students reading: (a) hardcopy (print) books, (b) digital books, and (c) digital books with a PA. For students with a genetic predisposition to attention problems, carriers of the DRD4 seven-repeat allele, the PA supported their incidental vocabulary learning. For noncarriers, there were no effects of the digital reading materials or the PA.
Innovation, R&D Spillovers, and the Variety and Concentration of the Local Production Structure

This paper presents a Cournot oligopoly model with R&D spillovers both within and across industries. The aim is to provide an appropriate theoretical foundation for three different hypotheses regarding the impact of the local production structure on innovation and output, as well as addressing mixed empirical results in this area. Both the effective R&D and total industry output are shown to increase with the variety of industries, which is aligned with Jacobs externalities. With respect to the concentration, the outcome is more ambiguous, where it depends on the variety, both spillover rates, and the R&D efficiency. If the variety is limited, then partial support is given to both Marshall-Arrow-Romer externalities in the case of effective R&D, and to Porter externalities in the case of the total industry output. The use of a relative rather than an absolute measure of variety is also shown to be important.
Beyond Resettlement: The Role of Ethiopian Refugee Diaspora in Homeland Peacebuilding

III DEDICATION . IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . V TABLE OF CONTENTS . VI PREFACE . VIII USE OF LANGUAGE . IX OUTLINE OF DISSERTATION . X CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT . 5 RESEARCH CONTEXT . 6 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS . 8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY . 10 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS . 11 CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH CONTEXT . 17 THE BIGGER PICTURE . 17 ETHIOPIA AND FORCED MIGRANTS: AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND . 17 FORCED DISPLACEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES . 20 THE DERG REGIME (1974-91) AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT . 21 THE EPRDF REGIME (1991-PRESENT) AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT . 25 RESETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES . 26 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW . 30 FORCED MIGRANTS, PEACEBUILDING, THE DIASPORA, AND TRANSNATIONALISM IN EXISTING SCHOLARLY DISCUSSION . 30 STRUCTURES OF FORCED MIGRATION . 30 RELEVANT DISCUSSION ON FORCED MIGRANTS AND TRANSNATIONALISM . 33 RELEVANT DISCUSSION ON DIASPORAS AND TRANSNATIONALISM . 38 PEACEBUILDING . 41 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 48 SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY . 48 THEORY OF CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION . 50 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH DESIGN . 52 METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK: RATIONALE TO THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH . 53 PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH: INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (IPA) . 54 STUDY DEVELOPMENT . 55 Interview Design . 56 Participants’ selection criteria . 56 Pilot Project . 57 PROCEDURE AND DATA COLLECTION FOR DISSERTATION . 58
Cross-Country Differences in Entrepreneurial Internationalization Tendencies: Evidence from Germany and Pakistan

Previous research has emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial characteristics for international entrepreneurship, hence the application of concepts such as entrepreneurial orientation and global mindset to the study of entrepreneurial internationalization tendencies (EIT). However, literature does not adequately address how EIT differ between countries or manifest in fragile country settings. We address this gap through a quantitative study to investigate EIT in two national settings that largely differ in terms of development, institutional stability, and culture. Through the lens of the institutional theory and the mindset theory, we therefore piloted the study on 112 high-growth startups in Germany and Pakistan. Our findings show, that while entrepreneurs in Germany and Pakistan show comparable levels of innovativeness and proactiveness, they significantly differ in other EIT measures. German entrepreneurs appear to have higher levels of risk-taking, which when explained through the institutional theory lens can be attributed to the higher institutional stability and support as well as social security in Germany. This potentially makes engagement in risky activities, such as business internationalization, more appealing than in Pakistan. However, despite having lower international cognition and international knowledge compared to Germany, Pakistani entrepreneurs appear to exhibit higher degrees of international behavior.
Social Influence in Adolescent Decision-Making: A Formal Framework

Adolescence is a period of life during which peers play a pivotal role in decision-making. The narrative of social influence during adolescence often revolves around risky and maladaptive decisions, like driving under the influence, and using illegal substances (Steinberg, 2005). However, research has also shown that social influence can lead to increased prosocial behaviors (Van Hoorn et al., 2017) and a reduction in risk-taking (Braams et al., 2019). While many studies support the notion that adolescents are more sensitive to peer influence than children or adults, the developmental processes that underlie this sensitivity remain poorly understood. We argue that one important reason for this lack of understanding is the absence of precisely formulated models. To make a first step toward formal models of social influence during adolescence, we first identify three prominent verbal models of social influence in the literature: (1) social motivation, (2) reward sensitivity, and (3) distraction. We then illustrate how these can be translated into formal models, and how such formal models can inform experimental design and help identify developmental processes. Finally, by applying our formal models to existing datasets, we demonstrate the usefulness of formalization by synthesizing different studies with seemingly disparate results. We conclude with a discussion on how formal modeling can be utilized to better investigate the development of peer influence in adolescence.
Establishing Expectations: Exploring Session Limits in University Counseling Centers

ABSTRACT University counseling centers (UCCs) are tasked with delivering effective mental health interventions amidst increasing enrollment and declining resources. A growing number of UCCs have implemented session limits to meet demand with limited resources. To further understand the impact of this trend, we examined data obtained from a nationwide sample of 15,802 clients seeking treatment from 580 therapists at 32 UCCs utilizing the Behavioral Health Measure-20 (BHM-20). We compared psychotherapy outcomes to the number of clinical staff at UCCs utilizing either explicitly defined session limits or ambiguously defined session limits. There was a significant interaction between the way the sample of UCCs defined annual session limits, number of staff, and therapy outcomes. Specifically, higher therapy outcomes were observed at UCCs with explicitly defined session limits and fewer available staff. The ratio of enrolled students to clinical staff was not a predictor of outcome. Implications for clinical practice and agency session limits policy are discussed.
Investigation on students’ mathematical online discussion: A case study in grade 8 SMPN 1 Denpasar

Online discussions are now very important to build student thinking in a blended learning environment. This study aimed to explore the significance of mathematical abilities and communication skills that arose during online discussions. The research subjects were 40 (20 male and 20 female) grade 8 students of SMPN 1 Denpasar in the academic year 2016. The data were all students’ posts stored in the learning management system used as a tool to support the blended learning process. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques and coded using mathematical proficiency. The results showed that (a) there was significant mathematical proficiency and communication skills appeared in the online discussion dashboard, (b) The total students’ posts were 556 consisting of 58.5% questions and 41.5% answers. The female students’ posts were 39.7% while the male students’ posts were 60.3%. (c) The posts of female students contained 75.6% mathematics skills, 17.2% communication skills and 7.2% unclear, while the male students’ posts contained 89.3%, 9.0%, and 1.8 % for that category. It can be concluded that online discussion was able to create very significant mathematical proficiency (conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, productive disposition) and communication skills (clarification, advice). Female students appeared less active in online discussions than male students did. Female students had given more contribution to the communication skill, while male students had more actively participated in building mathematical skills. Further research is needed to explain the relationship between student activities in online discussion and student performance.
Transboundary Pollution, Tax Competition and the Efficiency of Uncoordinated Environmental Regulation

Under capital tax competition, surprisingly, Ogawa and Wildasin (2009, American Economic Review, 99(4), 1206-1217) find that uncoordinated policymaking leads to a first-best outcome even in the presence of transboundary pollution. However, I show that if the level of environmental regulation is endogenized, the regulation level becomes too loose compared with the optimum ("race to the bottom"). Thus, despite the efficiency result of Ogawa and Wildasin (2009), efforts to achieve an international environmental policy coordination are needed. I then examine the dependence of this result on the level of decisive voter's capital endowment. If the decisive voter's capital endowment is below the average, uncoordinated regulation is always looser than the optimum. On the contrary, uncoordinated regulation may become inefficiently strict if it is above the average ("race to the top").
An Exploratory Study of “Fake News” and Media Trust in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

ABSTRACT In recent years, concerns about the perceived increase in the amount of “fake news” have become prevalent in discussions about media and politics, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, debates around “fake news”, even if some object to the use of the term due to it being loosely defined, appear to speak of processes that occur not only in the Global North but also elsewhere. In Africa, mis- and disinformation campaigns have been used to influence political agendas, and governments have responded with countermeasures. This article explores the phenomenon in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa using data from a two-wave online survey (N = 1847). We find that perceived exposure to disinformation is high, and that trust in social and national media is low. We also identify a significant relationship between higher levels of perceived exposure to disinformation and lower levels of media trust in South Africa. The limitations of this study, which focuses on a subset of the population that is highly educated, the implications of our findings, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Legislating to address hate crimes against the LGBT community in the Commonwealth

This report, commissioned by the Human Dignity Trust on Behalf of the Equality & Justice Alliance, provides a detailed analysis of the purpose of Hate Crimes laws and assesses how these laws, already enacted in parts of the Commonwealth, are being used to tackle the pervasive violence faced by LGBT communities. The report identifies and assesses the different types and models of legislation that are being used and provides recommendations for other Commonwealth legislators.
The Indirect Speech Acts of College and University Students’ Meant Intentions in Social Media Communication

Communication in social media does not necessarily take place by making use of words. Words in written form, texts in social media communication are often combined with images. This qualitative descriptive study addresses young people’s meant intentions by interacting using emoji in posts and comments in social media. To obtain the data, 150 set of questionnaires were distributed, filled out and then gathered from 68 students of a college and a university in Surabaya. The results of the investigation revealed that sometimes they reacted using emoji in social media for different reasons with the emoji’s apparent meaning. Thus, the emoji as the indirect speech acts they used to communicate in the social media revealed their various true meant intentions. The use of emoji in social media nowadays has been serving more than that of its well-known
The Effect of Business Process Re-Engineering on Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of Information and Communications Technology

The purpose of this study is to attempt to highlight the factors of business process reengineering (BPR) processes that effect on organizational performance in the Drivers and Vehicles License Department (DVLD) in Jordan through using ICT as a mediating role. From previous studies, five factors of BPR were adopted for this study, including "Ability to change, Selecting BPR Methodology, Organizational Culture, BPR strategic alignment, and Top management support ". ICT was used as an intermediary role for this structure to promote organizational performance. The study used the PLS software to analyze the basic relationships amongst the most relevant combinations between BPR, ICT, and Organizational Performance with a total of five constructs. As a result of the findings of operational, middle, and top levels (n=124) working in Drivers and Vehicles License Department (DVLD), it was awarded the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Jordan for 2018. It was found that there was a strong and statistically positive significant relationship between several variables of business process reengineering and organizational Performance by using the ICT as a mediating variable.