Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experts, Commissions and Market Power: Evidence from UK Mortgage Brokers

Expert advisors often receive commission payments from upstream ﬁrms, especially in ﬁnancial and healthcare markets. This paper empirically analyzes the eﬀects on welfare and market structure of regulations restricting this form of experts’ remuneration. Using loan-level data from the universe of UK mortgage originations, I present evidence suggesting that commissions paid by lenders to mortgage brokers can: 1) distort brokers’ advice to households towards higher-commission products; and 2) increase upstream competition and eﬃciency by facilitating the entry of new, lower-cost lenders. To study the net eﬀect of these forces in equilibrium, I estimate a structural model that features households’ choice of mortgage products and sales channel (direct versus intermediated), lenders’ optimal pricing decisions, and broker-lender bargaining over commissions. I then use the estimates of the model to evaluate the impact of policies restricting broker compensation. I ﬁnd that a ban on commissions has unintended consequences in terms of prices and equilibrium outcomes, leading to a 25% fall in consumer welfare. Instead, a cap can increase consumer surplus by at least 10%. These results follow from the presence of both lender and broker market power.
1 V CMOS current reference with 50 ppm/°C temperature coefficient

A CMOS current reference circuit is presented, which can work properly with a supply voltage higher than 1 V. By compensating the temperature performance of the resistor, this circuit gives out a current with a temperature coefficient of 50 ppm//spl deg/C over the temperature range of (0/spl deg/C, 110/spl deg/C) and a 0.5% variation for a supply voltage of 1 to 2.3 V.
METHODS FOR IMPROVING DELAY DISCOUNTING METHODS FOR IMPROVING DELAY DISCOUNTING

Spending addictions pose a serious threat to the younger population as they have no prior experience making long term financial decisions. The goal of this research paper is to identify therapies to help reduce delay discounting accompanied by poor spending habits; in some events individuals are likely to choose the more immediate rewards rather than the future reward presented with delay discounting. Choosing the more immediate rewards shows a lack of control and impulsive behavior by the person engaging in the behavior. The objective was to identify possible therapies to help reduce delay discounting such as acceptance and commitment therapy, visual exposure, and money management-based therapies which many authors have found to reduce discounting in a variety of participants. The argument here suggests that there is not one but many therapies that may be used with one another to help target spending addictions. In conclusion, acceptance and commitment therapy and other multidiscipline therapies can be beneficial in treating delay discounting.
Misperceptions of the Social Security Earnings Test and the Actuarial Adjustment: Implications for Labor Force Participation and Earnings ∗

Budget set kinks are much studied in economics, including in the context of “bunching” estimators that assume individuals react to the true marginal tax rate. We document that individuals disproportionately “left-bunch” below rather than above kinks in the context of the Social Security Earnings Test where incentives from its actuarial adjustments should instead push many rational agents to bunch above kink. We show that the left bunching cannot be explained through standard, rational reactions to the incentives. We demonstrate that this represents the ﬁrst empirical evidence consistent with “spotlight-ing,” wherein individuals misperceive the local marginal tax rates as applying throughout the tax schedule and therefore treat the kink as a notch. In the context of the Earnings Test, this misperception provides an explanation for why literature has found large earnings responses despite the fact that the Earnings Test typically creates weak incentives for rational agents to adjust earnings. More generally, if individuals perceive kinks as Gelber leave at the Stanford for Economic Policy Research, partly a Sloan helpful comments Slemrod. All errors are our own. research herein opinions and conclusions expressed solely of the author(s) the opinions or policy of SSA, of the Federal Government, or NBER. United States nor any agency thereof, any of their employees, any warranty, express or implied, or any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the contents of this report. Reference herein any speciﬁc commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favoring United States or
ASSESSING THE STRUCTURAL CRASHWORTHINESS OF A THREE-WHEELER PASSENGER VEHICLE

Over the last few decades, three wheelers, popularly termed as auto rickshaws, are gaining popularity in the commuting world due to the driving conditions prevailing all over the world. With the traf c increasing every year, esp. in developing countries like India, the proportion of three wheelers on the road is also increasing, in view of their maneuverability, easy drive through narrow lanes and operating cost considerations. Moreover,as the average speed of travel of these vehicles increases, but at the same time, the design objective is for a low cost, light weight and high payload, and greater acceleration capacity three wheelers, makes a concern for safety. Other than some basic safety features, three wheelers are not evaluated for crash worthiness. It may be noted that the crash regulations were mostly for car segment, and as such the regulation for a three wheeler is not in existence.Primarily, the crashworthiness has been studied by testing, supported by analytical methods that consider simple linear strength of material. Crash worthiness experimentation is very expensive; but, with the advancement of computer hardware and software, several analytical design capabilities have evolved, providing engineers with a variety of tools to design modern vehicle structures that can meet the growing customer demands for better crashworthiness performance. The scope of this paper is to assess the structural crashworthiness of a three wheeler passenger auto rickshaw, considering the frontal and rear impact collision using Hyper worksTM, Hyper crashTM and RadiossTM
DERAJAD EOSINOFILIA PADA PENDERITA INFEKSI SOIL-TRANSMITTED HELMINTH (STH)

Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH) menginfeksi lebih dari satu milyar orang di seluruh dunia. Di Indonesia, prevalensi STH di beberapa tempat juga masih tinggi, ada diantaranya dengan prevalensi 40-60 % pada semua umur, dengan jenis cacing dan intensitas yang berbeda-beda. Masyarakat yang tinggal di sekitar Tempat Pembuangan sampah Akhir (TPA) biasanya sanitasinya buruk. Beberapa data menunjukkan bahwa pada penderita dengan infeksi STH sering menunjukkan gejala alergi seperti gatal-gatal pada kulit dan batuk kronis. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan untuk mengetahui hubungan infeksi STH dengan angka eosinofil pada masyarakat di sekitar TPA Kelurahan Mojosongo Kecamatan Jebres Kota Surakarta, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. Sampel tinja dan darah dikoleksi dari 96 warga yang bersedia berpartisipasi (dengan informed consent). Metode Kato-Katz digunakan untuk mengetahui adanya infeksi STH dan mengetahui intensitas infeksinya. Hitung eosinofil dilakukan pada sediaan apus darah tipis yang dipulas dengan Giemsa untuk mengetahui persentase eosinofil pada penderita. Prevalensi infeksi STH secara keseluruhan sebesar 7,29% (7/96) dengan rata-rata jumlah telur 61 telur per gram feses. Semua menderita infeksi tunggal dan tidak ada yang infeksi campuran. Infeksi hookworm sebesar 6,25% (6/96) dan infeksi Trichuris trichiura sebesar 1,04% (1/96). Tidak ditemukan infeksi Ascaris lumbricoides. Semuanya menderita infeksi ringan. Prevalensi eosinofilia adalah 27,8% (26/96) dengan rata-rata persentase eosinofil 2,63%. Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara intensitas infeksi STH dengan angka eosinofil, dengan kekuatan sangat lemah (r=0,190; p=0,032). Kata kunci : infeksi STH, intensitas infeksi STH, angka eosinofil, Kato-Katz, eosinofilia
Constrained Nonlinear Heuristic-Based MPC for Control of Robotic Systems with Uncertainty

Constrained Nonlinear Heuristic-Based MPC for Control of Robotic Systems with Uncertainty Tyler James Quackenbush Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science This thesis focuses on the development and extension of nonlinear evolutionary model predictive control (NEMPC), a control algorithm previously developed by Phil Hyatt of the BYU RaD Lab. While this controller and its variants are applicable to any high degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic system, particular emphasis is given in this thesis to control of a soft robot continuum joint. First, speed improvements are presented for NEMPC. Second, a Python package is presented as a companion to NEMPC, as a method of establishing a common interface for dynamic simulators and approximating each system by a deep neural network (DNN). Third, a method of training a DNN approximation of a hardware system that is generalize-able to more complex hardware systems is presented. This method is shown to reduce median tracking error on a soft robot hardware platform by 88%. Finally, particle swarm model predictive control (PSOMPC), a variant of NEMPC, is presented and modified to model and account for uncertainty in a dynamic system. Control performance of NEMPC and PSOMPC are presented for a set of control trials on simulated systems with uncertainty in parameters, states, and inputs, as well as on a soft robot hardware platform. PSOMPC is shown to have an increased robustness to system uncertainty, reducing expected collisions by 71% for a three-link robot arm with parameter uncertainty, input disturbances, and state measurement error.
The Structural Relationship among Brand Dependence, Brand Attitude, Brand Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention of Online Golf Product Consumers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural relationship among brand dependence, brand attitude, brand satisfaction and repurchase intention of online golf goods consumers. To achieve the purpose of this study, a survey was conducted on consumers who had experience in purchasing golf goods online by visiting golf driving ranges in Seoul and Kyeonggi area. A total of 200 people were surveyed and 197 data were used for the final data processing. SPSS 23 and AMOS 23 were used for data processing. We obtained the following results. First, brand dependence had a positive effect on brand attitude, but it did not have a significant effect on repurchase intention.Second, brand attitude had a positive effect on brand satisfaction and repurchase intention; third, brand satisfaction had a positive effect on repurchase intentionFirst, face has been shown to have a significant impact on symbolic consumption propensity. Second, symbolic consumption tendencies have a significant impact on product satisfaction and intention to purchase new products. Third, product satisfaction has been shown to have a negative impact on the intention of purchasing new products.
BYU ScholarsArchive BYU ScholarsArchive Brand Activism and Gender: Nike as a Case Study Brand Activism and Gender: Nike as a Case Study

Nike is a prominent company that engages in brand activism, a marketing approach wherein they brand themselves as socially progressive by adopting public stances on controversial social issues. Because Nike resides at the intersection of media and sports, both of which are institutions that gender plays an important role in, an exploration of how Nike constructs gender in its commercials may illuminate the authenticity of its brand activism and progressive politics. Through a content analysis of 131 commercials released by Nike in the past decade, I explore whether their reputation as a socially progressive company extends to genuinely diverse and inclusive portrayals of gender in their commercials, or if they instead continue to rely on gender stereotypes. My results indicate that Nike commercials continue to treat sports as a predominantly masculine realm in which male athletes compete, therefore marginalizing athletes who are female or who do not display traditional masculine qualities. I also find that the bulk of athletes portrayed by Nike are those that adhere to gender stereotypes, indicating that Nike chooses to reinforce hegemonic masculine ideals rather than being genuinely inclusive and progressive in regard to gender.
How do Households Respond to Unemployment Shocks? Lessons from Multiple High-Frequency Data Sets ∗

We provide precise and comprehensive evidence on how households respond to unemployment shocks by linking multiple high-frequency administrative data sets from government agencies, covering the entire Danish population, with transaction-level data from a major bank. The data tracks households for 72 months between January 2009 and December 2014, allowing us to use an event study design to achieve compelling identiﬁcation of the impact of unemployment along key response margins. By studying responses for the same individuals using the same research design, we are able to assess the relative importance of the various margins. We ﬁnd almost no change in spousal labor supply; a signiﬁcant increase in the use of interest-only and adjustable-rate mortgage products, al-beit with little impact on monthly payments; no increase in mortgage debt, but a moderate increase in non-collateralized debt and a sizeable depletion of liquid assets. The largest effect is on household spending. Spending drops, on average, by 6 percent on impact and stays at this lower level over a two-year period following job loss. The cumulative effect on spending over this period corresponds to 35 percent of the cumulative income loss.
CEDAR: A Dimensionally Adaptive Flow Solver for Cylindrical Combustors

CEDAR: A Dimensionally Adaptive Flow Solver for Cylindrical Combustors Ty R. Hosler Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science This thesis discusses the application, evaluation, and extension of dimensionally adaptive meshing to the numerical solution of velocity and pressure fields inside cylindrical reactors. Due to the high length to diameter ratios of many cylindrical reactor vessels the flow field can become axisymmetric, allowing for simplification of the governing equations and significant reduction in computational time required for solution. A fully 3D solver is developed from existing computational tools at BYU and validated against theoretical velocity profiles for pipe flow at various Reynolds numbers, as well as with experimental data for an axial-fired center jet with recirculating flow. Dimensionally adaptive meshing is then incorporated into the validated 3D solver. The boundary conditions and assumptions at the dimensional boundary are discussed. The flow information is passed across the boundary through spatial mass-weighted averaging. The 3D and axisymmetric computational domains are decoupled from one another so information can only be passed from the 3D domain downstream to the axisymmetric domain. The dimensional boundary placement must meet two main requirements, the flow must be one-way and axisymmetric. It is found that the flow becomes axisymmetric early on in the reactor (~0.3-0.4 m), but recirculation exists farther downstream (until ~0.61 m) and thus governs the placement of the dimensional boundary. The resulting computational tool capable of running simulations using dimensionally adaptive meshes is called CEDAR (Computationally Efficient Dimensionally Adaptive Recirculating flow solver). Several studies are then undertaken to examine CEDAR’s ability to reproduce exit velocity profiles comparable to those produced by a fully 3D mesh, including variations in pressure, firing rate, and geometry. It is found that the flow structure inside the reactor is self-similar over a wide range of operating parameters as long as the burner jets are turbulent. This observation is supported by free and confined jet theory. These theories also provide a method for placing the dimensional boundary, which is a linear function of the confining geometry diameter only (assuming that the jet diameter is less than 1/10 the diameter of the confining geometry). All exit velocity profiles produced by CEDAR are on average within 5% of the fully 3D profiles. Timing studies reveal an average 5.16 times speedup in computational time over fully 3D computations.
THE USE OF ROBO-ADVISORS AS COMMITMENT DEVICES

We report results from a stock trading experiment in which we tested the use of commitment devices to help individuals remedy with the disposition effect – the tendency to sell winning stocks and keep those that lose value. A commitment device is a self-imposed arrangement that helps people to stick to a decision they have made. Our experiment lasted three weeks. In the first week, participants could trade without any type of restrictions. In the second week, participants had to rely on algorithms (robo-advisors) every two periods. One type of adviser simply blocked trading every two rounds. Another type traded for them every two rounds according to Bayesian rules. We also varied the rigidity of both types of algorithm, whereby some participants could override algorithmic trading, and some could not. Finally, in the last week, participants decided whether to use the robo-adviser they had had to use in the second week. The majority of participants chose not to rely on an algorithm, but still, adoption was higher for robo-advisers that were doing active trading and could be overridden. Participants who performed better on their own – those with lower levels of the disposition effect – were more likely to opt for a robo-adviser in the third week. Allowing overrides of advice did not significantly reduce trading performance. This shows that those who are more subject to the disposition effect are less likely to seek advice, this issue can be alleviated by offering active robo-advisers that can be overridden.
Talent Hoarding in Organizations

Most organizations rely on managers to identify talented workers. However, managers who are evaluated on team performance have an incentive to hoard workers. This study provides the first empirical evidence of talent hoarding using personnel records and survey evidence from a large manufacturing firm. Talent hoarding is reported by three-fourths of managers, is detectable in managerial decisions, and occurs more frequently when hoarding incentives are stronger. Using quasi-random variation in exposure to talent hoarding, I demonstrate that hoarding deters workers from applying to new positions, inhibiting worker career progression and altering the allocation of talent in the firm.
Effect of Mating ratio on the Quails Performance A Review

: Mating ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population kept for breeding purpose. It is also called sex ratio and one of the major factors for the productive and reproductive performance of each and every species of animals but also an important determining factor for cost economics for rearing. Quails (Coturnix sp. ) are generally kept for egg production in Far East and Asian Countries, while they are reared primarily for meat production in European and American Countries. Quails are also used as laboratory birds because of their short life span and small size. Mating ratio affects lots of traits like productive traits, reproductive traits and some other parameters also either directly or indirectly, alone or in combination with other factors in quails as well as other avian species and animals. Besides the other effects the major and important one are observed in fertility and hatchability of eggs. Number of results found by different scientists but most of the studies observed that higher mating ratio (1:1 to 1:3) performed better than lower mating ratio (1:4 to 1:7) in terms of egg production. Similar results were recorded from most of the researchers for the hatched chick weight and fertility while the others found just opposite results for fertility. But for hatchability trait and embryonic mortality the results have so many variations with majority of non significant difference among the different mating ratios. There are very less literature were found on the effect of mating ratio on carcass traits and behavioral traits while the not a single literature was recorded for the effect of mating ratio on feed intake, feed conversion ratio and cost economics for rearing for extra males in breeding group/population. This review summarizes how mating ratio affect the number of economic traits of quail. The aim is to emphasize the role of mating ratio in quail farming and lots of future needs and scopes for the research works in that field.
Stress and Performance Anxiety Intervention for Musicians:A Biofeedback and Compassion Focused Therapy Intervention

Stress and Performance Anxiety Intervention for Musicians: A Biofeedback and Compassion Focused Therapy Intervention Tara Austin Department of Clinical Psychology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Performance anxiety and stress are forefront problems for performers in the music industry. Within music training programs, these problems are particularly debilitating. These students are concerned both about performance situations and also their personal lives. The following study compared two treatments, heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on the effects of cortisol and self-reported stress and mood before and after a required end of semester performance. Thirty students enrolled in a college music program participated in the five-visit intervention (14 in the HRV biofeedback group and 16 in the CFT group). Stress levels, measured by self-report, salivary cortisol, and salivary alpha amylase, showed no group differences between the CFT and HRV groups. Both groups had statistically significant improvement following the intervention on pre-performance DASS scores and alpha-amylase scores, showing lower sympathetic activation and lower report of mood symptoms despite the stress of the required performance. Cortisol and negative affect did not appear to be impacted by the intervention, however, cortisol returned to baseline levels 15 minutes after the intervention, showing relatively quick recovery for both groups. Further research with a larger, more diverse sample and control group is warranted.