Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian design of experiments for generalized linear models and dimensional analysis with industrial and scientific application

ABSTRACT The design of an experiment can always be considered at least implicitly Bayesian, with prior knowledge used informally to aid decisions such as the variables to be studied and the choice of a plausible relationship between the explanatory variables and measured responses. Bayesian methods allow uncertainty in these decisions to be incorporated into design selection through prior distributions that encapsulate information available from scientific knowledge or previous experimentation. Further, a design may be explicitly tailored to the aim of the experiment through a decision-theoretic approach using an appropriate loss function. We review the area of decision-theoretic Bayesian design, with particular emphasis on recent advances in computational methods. For many problems arising in industry and science, experiments result in a discrete response that is well described by a member of the class of generalized linear models. Bayesian design for such nonlinear models is often seen as impractical as the expected loss is analytically intractable and numerical approximations are usually computationally expensive. We describe how Gaussian process emulation, commonly used in computer experiments, can play an important role in facilitating Bayesian design for realistic problems. A main focus is the combination of Gaussian process regression to approximate the expected loss with cyclic descent (coordinate exchange) optimization algorithms to allow optimal designs to be found for previously infeasible problems. We also present the first optimal design results for statistical models formed from dimensional analysis, a methodology widely employed in the engineering and physical sciences to produce parsimonious and interpretable models. Using the famous paper helicopter experiment, we show the potential for the combination of Bayesian design, generalized linear models, and dimensional analysis to produce small but informative experiments.
Using Verbal Reports to Explore Reading Test-Taking Strategies of Saudi EFL University Students

Reading test-taking strategies (RTTS) play a central role in test-takers’ performance. Identifying these strategies and understanding their appropriate use is crucial for improving the test-takers accomplishment. Thus the present study attempts to further our understanding of EFL reading testtaking strategies (RTTS) by attempting to explore qualitatively the reading test-taking strategies (RTTS) of Saudi, EFL female students while completing a multiple choice reading comprehension test. The participants are 26 level-three, foundation-year students at a big Saudi University. The study uses think-aloud techniques, retrospective interviews, observations, and test protocols to deduce the participants’ reading test-taking strategies (RTTS). The data were analysed inductively using some elements of grounded theory to explore the participants’ strategy use. The result of the study is a list of 127 reading test-taking strategies (RTTS) classified under seven main categories and 21 subcategories. The classification of the strategies follows a narrative order that mirrors the test-takers’ experience while completing the test.
Random Feature Maps for the Itemset Kernel

Although kernel methods efficiently use feature combinations without computing them directly, they do not scale well with the size of the training dataset. Factorization machines (FMs) and related models, on the other hand, enable feature combinations efficiently, but their optimization generally requires solving a non-convex problem. We present random feature maps for the itemset kernel, which uses feature combinations, and includes the ANOVA kernel, the all-subsets kernel, and the standard dot product. Linear models using one of our proposed maps can be used as an alternative to kernel methods and FMs, resulting in better scalability during both training and evaluation. We also present theoretical results for a proposed map, discuss the relationship between factorization machines and linear models using a proposed map for the ANOVA kernel, and relate the proposed feature maps to prior work. Furthermore, we show that the maps can be calculated more efficiently by using a signed circulant matrix projection technique. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of using the proposed maps for real-world datasets.
Sharing Versus Pseudo-Sharing in Web 2.0

Abstract The Internet has opened up a new era in sharing. There has also been an explosion of studies and writings about sharing via the Internet. This includes a series of books, articles, and web discussions on the topic. However, many of these apparent cases of sharing are better characterized as pseudo-sharing — commodity exchanges wrapped in a vocabulary of sharing. The present paper reviews subsequent research and theorizing as well as controversies that have emerged surrounding sharing and what is best regarded as pseudo-sharing — a wolf-insheep’s-clothing phenomenon whereby commodity exchange and potential exploitation of consumer co-creators present themselves in the guise of sharing. The paper begins with a pair of vignettes that highlight some of the contested meanings of sharing. By detailing four types of pseudo-sharing and four types of sharing that are specifically enabled or enhanced by Internet technologies, the paper argues that pseudo-sharing is distinguished by the presence of profit motives, the absence of feelings of community, and expectations of reciprocity. It concludes with a discussion of theoretical, practical, and ethical implications of pseudo-sharing and offer suggestions for future research.
Gravitational Wave Detection by Interferometry (Ground and Space)

Significant progress has been made in recent years on the development of gravitational-wave detectors. Sources such as coalescing compact binary systems, neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries, stellar collapses and pulsars are all possible candidates for detection. The most promising design of gravitational-wave detector uses test masses a long distance apart and freely suspended as pendulums on Earth or in drag-free spacecraft. The main theme of this review is a discussion of the mechanical and optical principles used in the various long baseline systems in operation around the world — LIGO (USA), Virgo (Italy/France), TAMA300 and LCGT (Japan), and GEO600 (Germany/U.K.) — and in LISA, a proposed space-borne interferometer. A review of recent science runs from the current generation of ground-based detectors will be discussed, in addition to highlighting the astrophysical results gained thus far. Looking to the future, the major upgrades to LIGO (Advanced LIGO), Virgo (Advanced Virgo), LCGT and GEO600 (GEO-HF) will be completed over the coming years, which will create a network of detectors with the significantly improved sensitivity required to detect gravitational waves. Beyond this, the concept and design of possible future “third generation” gravitational-wave detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope (ET), will be discussed.
Relaxing the near-surface assumption in estimating 3 C receiver orientations : azimuth-stack power optimization of reflected PS data

In land multi-component (MC) data processing, the orientation of each receiver's horizontal components in the field (H1 and H2) is seldom known accurately. Methods that try to derive the orientations from the recorded data are in common use. They work by assuming a homogeneous, isotropic near-surface earth model and derive an orientation using P-wave first arrival amplitudes on the horizontal components. These methods aim to find a solution that maximizes the P-wave first-break energy on the radial component and are known to work very well on marine OBC/OBN data and downhole VSP data. For land data, the near-surface is often strongly inhomogeneous and anisotropic. The P-wave first break methods can therefore fail due to near-surface scattering, anisotropy etc. Further, the estimated orientations derived from such methods may not be close to the true orientations. We show examples that clearly illustrate the deviation of the P-wave first break amplitudes that are recorded on the horizontal components from what is expected from a homogeneous nearsurface earth.
Initial Growth of LaFeO3 on (111)-Oriented Substrates

Perovskite oxide thin films grown in the (111)-direction are, due to their expected novel properties resulting from the strong structural and electronic coupling, interesting for all oxide heterostructures. A prerequisite for such structures is control of growth and surface morphology. This work aims to elucidate the initial growth of LaFeO3 on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 substrates in order to investigate any differences in growth induced by the substrates. In this master thesis, initial growth of the antiferromagnet LaFeO3 by Pulsed Laser Deposition has been investigated both on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and on three monolayer thick La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 buffer layers, the materials have been chosen due to their magnetic coupling properties. Characterization has been done with Atomic Force Microscope, in-situ Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) and X-Ray Diffraction. A study of the initial growth on SrTiO3 is presented, showing two growth regimes over the first two monolayers. The first RHEED intensity peak is observed after half as many pulses as the next, the continued growth rate is 45 laser pulses per monolayer. In the case of LaFeO3 grown on a La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 buffer layer, the RHEED oscillations show a constant growth rate of 45 laser pulses per monolayer. A possible origin for the change in RHEED period has been identified as filling of Sr- vacancies in the substrate surface. Furthermore, in order to elucidate the continued growth of LaFeO3, thicker films between 2.5 and 30nm are grown. They show an initial layer-by-layer growth mode over the first 2.5nm before transitioning into 3D island growth mode. LaFeO3 was also seen to grow smoother at low temperatures 540 degrees celcius. The (111)-oriented LaFeO3/La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 interface is interesting as it exhibit exchange coupling in the (100)-oriented interface and an increased coupling is expected in the (111)-orientation. LaFeO3/La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 heterostructures are synthesized in order to investigate the growth at a rougher interface. The films showed a good crystalline quality, but due to early roughening they had a near 3D surface at the interface and a 3D surface in the end. In-situ measurements of the surface in-plane constant showed a large change in all films were it was applied, this was attributed to a general roughening effect leading to an increased angular distribution of the RHEED beam. These investigations are important for further understanding of growth in the (111)-orientation and in preparation for further investigations of the LaFeO3/La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 interface coupling.
Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Contamination of the Ghanaian Currency Note : A Potential Health Problem

Fomites are generally the main sources of infection in the community of which a currency can be a good source due to its circulation and frequency of handling. Thus this study was aimed at determining the antibiotic resistant pattern of bac teria isolates contaminating the Ghanaian currency. One hundred and fifty (150) Ghanaian curr ency notes were aseptically collected randomly from everyday use in the Cape Coast Metrop olis and serial dilution was used in quantification of bacterial. Blood and MacConkey ag ars were used in bacterial isolation and the Kirby Buaer method used in Antibiotic Sensitivity T esting. Mean viable bacterial count of currency notes examined ranged from the highest of 16.7×10±7.3×10 for GH¢1 to least of 8.9×10 bacteria/ml for GH¢50. The isolates include B. cereus (32.5%), S. aureus ( 18.4%), Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) (14.1%), K. pneumoniae (8.7%), E. coli (7.8%) etc. Bacterial isolates showed varied resistance to comm nly use antibiotics with Coagulase negative staphylococci, E. faecalis and Salmonella spp. havi ng high resistivity of 87.5% whilst B. cereus and P. aureginosa showed 50% sensitivity. Isolates w re 100% resistant to Ampicillin, Penicillin and Cefuroxime whilst Gentamicin was 85.7% effectiv . This work confirms that antibiotic resistant bacterial contaminate Ghanaian currency n otes and might play an important role in the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms as well a s in the spread of drug-resistant organisms.
Estimation of soil nitrate in the spring as a basis for adjustment of nitrogen fertiliser rates

Typpi on kasvinravinne, joka ratkaisevimmin vaikuttaa satoon. Typelle ei kuitenkaan ole kaytossa yleista viljavuusanalyysimenetelmaa kuten muille ravinteille. Menetelma olisi hyvin tarpeellinen typpilannoituksen optimoimiseksi taloudellisuuden ja ymparistovaikutusten suhteen. Keski-Euroopassa maasta maaritetaan mineraalityppi kevaallaennen lannoitusta. Meilla menetelma on epakaytannollinen, koska roudan sulamisen ja kylvojen valinen aika on lyhyt. Simulointimallin kaytto kevaan mineraalityppimaaran arvioimiseen talven ja varhaiskevaan saaolojen seka maan ominaisuuksien perusteella on yksi mahdollisuus. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin SOILN simulointimallin kykya ennakoida kevaan nitraattityppi ohran typpilannoituskokeiden aineistoissa, joissa maan mineraalityppi oli maaritetty. Kokeita oli kaikkiaan 11 Maatalouden tutkimuskeskuksen eri tutkimusasemilla vuosina 1981-1990. Tulosten mukaan simulaatiomalli ennusti juuristovyohykkeen nitraatin maaran kohtuullisella tarkkuudella. Kaikkien kokeiden nitraattipitoisuuden mitattu keskiarvo oli 16 kg/ha ja simulointien vastaava keskiarvo 15 kg/ha. Mitattujen ja simuloitujen arvojen suurin poikkeama oli 9 kg/ha ja keskimaarainen poikkeama 4 kg/ha. Siten poikkeama on kaytannon lannoitustarkkuutta ajatellen riittavan pieni, jotta menetelman hyodyllisyyden tarkastelua on perusteltua jatkaa. Talloin tarkasteluun tulee ottaa mukaan typpilannoitussuositusten teko kaytannon viljelyksille ja tilanteisiin, jossa on kaytetty eloperaisia lannoitteita.
The effect of epibrassinolide on senescence in horizontal sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seedlings

This study examined the effect of epibrassinolide (eBL) on senescence occurring in cotyledons of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) seedlings, which were kept in vertical and horizontal positions. 10 -11 M and 10 -9 M eBL and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA), an inhibitor of auxin transport, were sprayed to the 14 days old seedlings. From the 15 th day on, some of the seedlings from the control and the experimental groups were kept in a horizontal position, and senescence process of the cotyledons of these seedlings was observed. Applications of eBL (especially 10 -9 M) were found to have induced senescence both in horizontally and vertically positioned plants. When it was applied with TIBA, a marked delay of senescence was noted in the lower cotyledons of the horizontally positioned plants. Total chlorophyll and protein amounts and peroxidase activity were determined. In case brassinosteroids are applied with TIBA, they do not affect senescence, implying that they accelerate senescence in the presence of auxin. Since auxin is distributed asymmetrically, eBL and auxin accumulated in the lower cotyledons may lead to accelerated senescence. This study showed that eBL and auxin may act as a senescence signal in the vertically and horizontally positioned seedlings, and earlier death of the lower cotyledons than the upper ones may be a result of asymmetrical auxin distribution. In this study, it was revealed that promoting effect of eBL on senescence occured only in the presence of auxin. Keywords: eBL – Epibrassinolide, TIBA - 2,3,5-triiodobensoic acid, Auxin, Senescence, Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.). *Corresponding Author: Serap Saglam-Cag (e-mail:sercag@istanbul.edu.tr) (Received: 13.09.2012 Accepted: 04.03.2013)
Impacts of a new free-floating car-sharing system in Basel

Free-ﬂoating car-sharing is a new and fast-growing service. Since it di ﬀ ers from the well-studied station-based round-trip car-sharing service in many structural aspects, market potential analyses as well as estimates of environmental impacts are not necessarily transferable. This research attempts to estimate the environmental impact of free-ﬂoating car-sharing using a smartphone-based GPS-tracking approach. In this paper, the methodology of the study as well as the achieved data quality are discussed. Experiences from this study conﬁrm, that smartphone-based GPS-tracking systems are already working well. However, participant’s data privacy concerns are found to be a major obstacle in the method’s implementation.
The importance of corporate social responsibility in the brand image – The “Nespresso” case study

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the consumer perceptions about the branding of organizations that invest in social responsibility and the consumer behaviour regarding loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. Reviewing the literature about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance, some questions arise: do consumers understand the efforts made by businesses regarding their social and ethical campaigns? And if so, are consumers willing to pay a higher price for the products and services resulting from these social and ethical campaigns? Are consumers loyal to these businesses? In order to analyse the links between CSR and consumer behaviour, the authors use a structural equations model and a Focus Group. The "Nespresso" Case is analysed and included in the survey questions, since it is a very well known brand amongst Portuguese consumers. The main conclusions of the paper are that although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested, in the structural equation model, were verified. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided. Within the focus group some interesting findings arise regarding the links between CSR, brand image, loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. There are indicators that although, CSR is considered important for building loyalty, the links regarding the willingness in paying a premium price are thin. Another finding is that communication policies don’t address the consumer concerns regarding CSR. Keywords Corporate social responsibility, Brand image, Brand loyalty, Premium price.
PTR‐MS observations of photo‐enhanced VOC release from Arctic and midlatitude snow

[1] To evaluate the release mechanism of volatile organic species (VOCs) from solar illuminated snowpacks, this study used proton transfer reaction–mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) for the first time to study VOCs within Arctic snow and to compare these results to VOC release from illuminated snow in the laboratory. The field measurements were conducted in April during the 2009 Ocean–Atmosphere–Sea Ice–Snowpack (OASIS) campaign in Barrow, Alaska, whereas in the laboratory four natural snow samples, from the Arctic (Alert, Nunavut), a rural site (Egbert, Ontario), and an urban area (Toronto, Ontario), were exposed to a Xe arc lamp with a 295 nm longpass filter. Similar VOCs were observed in both the field and laboratory experiments suggesting that these light-driven processes occur not only in polar regions but in midlatitude snows as well. Also, because the laboratory samples were temperature controlled, we conclude that the release mechanism is primarily photochemical and not temperature mediated. The snow composition may have influenced VOC production because aged Toronto snow samples, with both the highest total organic carbon content and concentration of oxidant precursors (i.e., NO3−), exhibited the largest production of VOCs upon irradiation.
Managing Effectiveness in Working Relationships Between Marketing Managers and Sales Managers: Contextual, Structural, and Process Effects

The authors examine the effectiveness of working relationships between Marketing Managers and Sales Managers, by testing the effects of contextual, structural, and process variables on perceived relationship effectiveness. The results reveal that contextual and process variables have strong effects on the Marketing Manager/Sales Manager relationship. In particular, affect-based trust has the strongest positive influence, followed by bidirectional communication. A negative effect was observed where the level of psychological distance between the two managers is high. Importantly, the authors find that Weber’s bureaucratic dimensions formalisation and centralisation have no impact on relationship effectiveness.
The Cognitive Processes of Pupils' Technological Creativity

ABSTRACT: This study investigated pupils' self-awareness along with their self-evaluation of their cognitive processes when they were performing problem-solving tasks involving technological creativity. Thirty-six 4th to 6th graders participated in this study. A creativity test (Treasure Hunt on a Deserted Island) with 9 situation-based problems and 14 interview questions was employed, and both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that (a) the creativity test is an effective tool for measuring pupils' technological creativity, for enhancing their motivation, and for providing data that enable us to better understand their cognitive processes involved in technological creativity; (b) having the internal motivation to solve problems and the attitude of welcoming challenges is crucial to pupils' technological creativity; (c) pupils have limited metacognitive ability and, on top of this, their problem-solving processes are not elaborate; (d) creative pupils are more adept at using cues to solve problems and their ideas concerning problem solving mainly stem from mindful learning; (e) most pupils have positive emotional traits and such emotions contribute to their technological creativity; and (f) the older pupils are, the less optimistic is their explanatory style.
Turnover intention : what influences turnover among employees in healthcare?

English Turnover among employees in healthcare is a serious concern. Consequences of high turnover in healthcare are diverse and negative and can affect both employees and patient care. Most findings have indicated that job satisfaction has a positive influence on turnover and turnover intention. However, there is limited research on the effects of factors from positive psychology on turnover and turnover intention. The current study examined the effects of job satisfaction, positivity, good salary and training in turnover intention. The study gathered data from a healthcare organization in Iceland in March 2016. Participants totalled 64, where 48.8 % (n = 31) were males and 34.4% (n = 22) females all current employees enrolled in the healthcare organization. The main result of the study was that positive mindset (positivity) among employees, reduces turnover intention.