Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Difference Between Shopping Online Using Mobile Apps and Website Shopping: A Case Study of Service Convenience

With the strong and fast growth of the mobile applications and the web, customers have learned to freely access to all information about companies and products, offering customers with a variety of choices from where to find online services and products in anywhere and anytime. A high level of convenience on online shopping has become an important strategic motivating strength for online market in order to providing a competitive service satisfying and to preserve and promote the intention of consumer. The purpose of this study is to investigate if there is any statistical different in mean value regarding the shopping online via mobile apps and online website based on four major factors namely: search convenience, access convenience, service recovery convenience and behavioural intention to use. The data collected from 143 participants and analyzed using SPSS. The results of data analysis illustrated that the customers feel more comfortable using mobile apps for online shopping than online website in term of search convenience, access convenience and service recovery convenience. On the other hand, this study finds there is no significant difference in customers behavioural intention to use mobile application and website for shopping online. This study limited to four factors only, future researchers could investigate the different between both mobile apps and website shopping in term of trust and risk and may investigate more types of service recovery convenience. The service recovery is key factor to gain the costumer trust and that will lead to increasing the costumer’s loyalty. Future researchers shall consider the detailed variables of service recovery such as: time to response, types of service failure and they way to response to each service failure.
Interleaved 3D Object Modeling and Tracking

We summarize state-of-the-art methods on tracking with known and unknown model and introduce several contributions in order to increase the robustness and efficiency. First, 2D tracking of the rigid objects is robustified by incorporating constraints imposed by the fundamental matrix. The most important contribution is the method which interleaves 3D tracking with the model construction in order to track an arbitrary rigid object. For the case when a structure of the 3D articulated model is known we suggest a probabilistic method for parameters estimation from multiview segmented data. Plans for the future work are outlined. The final result of the development will be an algorithm, which will automatically construct-and-track an articulated model without an apriori structure from multiview observations.
EFFECT OF STRAIN LEVEL ON RECRYSTALLISATION RESPONSE OF AA8006 AND AA8011 THIN STRIPS

Aluminium sheets manufactured from twin-roll continuous cast AA 8006 and AA 8011 alloys are used in heat exchangers as fins of complex configuration. The strips are delivered in the quarter-hard H22 and soft O conditions obtained by annealing after cold rolling to the final thickness. Finstock materials must exhibit high formability combined with good strength and detailed understanding of the structure evolution during thermo-mechanical processing is therefore necessary in order to obtain optimum sheet properties. Previous investigation results indicated that the increase of rolling reduction applied prior to the final annealing results in an increase of the yield strength Rp0,2 of annealed sheets. The paper presents the results of a research aimed at understanding the physical-metallurgical causes of this effect. The influence of further factors affecting deformation restoration during annealing such as composition, second phase dispersion and heating rate are discussed too.
Evolution of an extreme Pyrocumulonimbus-driven wildfire event in Tasmania, Australia

Abstract. Extreme fires have substantial adverse effects on society and natural ecosystems. Such events can be associated with intense coupling of fire behaviour with the atmosphere, resulting in extreme fire characteristics such as pyrocumulonimbus cloud (pyroCb) development. Concern that anthropogenic climate change is increasing the occurrence of pyroCbs globally is driving more focused research into these meteorological phenomena. Using 6-minute scans from a nearby weather radar, we describe the development of a pyroCb during the afternoon of 4 January 2013 above the Forcett-Dunalley fire in south-eastern Tasmania. We relate storm development to: (1) near-surface weather using the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI), and the C-Haines Index, a measure of the vertical atmospheric stability and dryness both derived from gridded weather reanalysis for Tasmania (BARRA-TA), and (2) a chronosequence of fire severity derived from remote sensing. We show that the pyroCb rapidly developed over a 24-minute period in the afternoon of 4 January, with the cloud top reaching a height of 15 km. The pyroCb was associated with a highly unstable atmosphere (C-Haines 10-11) and Severe-marginally Extreme (FFDI 60-75) near-surface fire weather, and formed over an area of forest that was severely burned (total crown defoliation). We use spatial patterns of elevated fire weather in Tasmania, and fire weather during major runs of large wildfires in Tasmania for the period 2007–2016 to geographically and historically contextualise this pyroCb event. Although the Forcett-Dunalley fire is the only known record of a pyroCb in Tasmania, our results show that eastern and south-eastern Tasmania are prone to the conjunction of high FFDI and C-Haines values that have been associated with pyroCb development. Our findings have implications for fire weather forecasting and wildfire management, and highlight the vulnerability of southeast Tasmania to extreme fire events.
Role of Sulphate Transporter (PiSulT) of Endophytic Fungus Serendipita indica in Plant Growth and Development

Sulfur is an important macronutrient required for the growth, development of plants and is a key component of many metabolic pathways. We have functionally characterized a high-affinity sulphate transporter (PiSulT) from an endophytic fungus Serendipita indica. The PiSulT belongs to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) of membrane transporter. The PiSulT functionally complements the yeast sulphate transporter mutant HK14. PiSulT is a high-affinity sulphate transporter, having Km 15μM. We found enhanced expression of PiSulT in external fungal hyphae which helps the fungus in the acquisition of sulphate from the soil. When knockdown (KD)-PiSulT-P.indica colonized with the plant, it results in an 8-fold reduction in the transfer of sulphate to the colonized plants as compared to the plants colonized with the WT S. indica, which suggests that PiSulT is playing a role in sulphate transfer from soil to host plant. Further, plants colonized with the WT S. indica were found to be healthy in comparison to the plants colonized with the KD-PiSulT-P.indica. Additionally, S. indica colonization provides a positive effect on total sulfur content and on plant metabolites like sulfate ions and glutathione, particularly under low sulphate condition. We observed that the expression of sulfur assimilation pathway genes of S. indica and plant is dependent on the availability of sulphate and on the colonization with the plant. Our study highlights the importance of PiSulT in the improvement of sulfur nutrition of host plant particularly under low sulphate condition and in plant growth development. This study will open new vistas to use S. indica as a bio-fertilizer in the sulphate deficient field to improve crop production. One-Sentence Summary High-affinity sulphate transporter of Serendipita indica (PiSulT) transfer sulphate from soil to plant under low sulphate condition and improve plant growth and development.
Intracellular ATP Delivery Causes Rapid Tissue Regeneration via Upregulation of Cytokines, Chemokines, and Stem Cells

We have reported accelerated wound healing induced by intracellular ATP delivery in rabbits, through early massive accumulation, in situ proliferation, and M2 polarization of macrophages. Granulation tissue started to grow within first 24 h of treatment and continued the growth till the wound cavity is completely covered. However, the mechanisms underlying this macrophage response are totally unclear because no one has ever reported this before. In this study, we performed a preliminary exploration of the possible mechanisms by focusing on the roles of cytokines, growth factors, and stem cells in this process. Among the 33 adult rabbits, 18 were used for cytokine measurements and the remaining were used for histological and immunohistochemical studies. Four wounds were created on the ventral side of each ear. Two wounds on one side were treated with ATP-vesicles (10 mM ATP), and the other two were treated with controls (normal saline or Regranex). Dressing changes were made daily and the rabbits were sacrificed at 5 h, 12 h, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 15, and 26 days after wounding. Tissue samples were analyzed for cytokines and growth factors using real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The control wounds showed an immediate increase in proinflammatory cytokines after wound creation but no further increase after this initial spike. The growth factor levels in the control wounds remained unchanged throughout the study. Conversely, the wounds treated with ATP-vesicles showed significantly higher expression of MCP-1 and stem cell markers (CD44, CD106, CD146, and CD34) at day 1, significantly higher IL-1β and TNF-α expression from day 1–4, and significantly higher VEGF-A, VEGF-D, and VEGFR-2 expression from day 4–6 when compared to the controls. The significant upregulation of these factors corresponded to the very early and rapid macrophage accumulation, in situ proliferation, and M2 polarization, resulting in unprecedented rapid granulation tissue generation due to direct macrophage collagen production and neovascularization.
Change in Autumn Vegetation Phenology and the Climate Controls From 1982 to 2012 on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Autumn vegetation phenology plays a critical role in the survival and reproduction of vegetation in changing environments. Using GIMMS3g (Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies), MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging and Spectroradiometer), and SPOT (Systeme Probatoire d’Observation de la Terre) remote sensing data, we investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of the vegetation dormancy onset date (DOD) and its response to temperature, precipitation, and cold degree days (CDD) in different biomes on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) from 1982 to 2012. Our results indicated that there was no significant temporal trend in the DOD for the vegetation on the QTP but found clear regional characteristics in the DOD trends with a notably advancing trend in the central region and a widespread delay in the southwestern region (>1 day year−1, P < 0.05). Our results also indicated that temperature plays an important role in the trend of delays in vegetation autumn phenology; in particular, the preseason temperature can delay the DOD significantly; the positive correlations were observed in more than 71% of the study areas. Consistent with previous studies, we observed significant negative correlations between preseason CDD and DOD; the negative correlations were observed in more than 72% of the study areas for all the data sets. In contrast, the effects of precipitation on DOD were biome dependent. We found that precipitation could promote the extension of the growing season in meadow and grass biomes but produce weak effects on vegetation dormancy in forest biomes. Therefore, not only the magnitude but also the timing of changes in temperature and precipitation determines the effects of climate factors on DOD and further suggests that biome-specific phenological responses also need to be integrated into vegetation phenology models for future climate change investigations on the QTP.
Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of the Loaches Triplophysa bleekeri and Triplophysa rosa Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Eye Degeneration

Eye degeneration is one of the most obvious characteristics of organisms restricted to subterranean habitats. In cavefish, eye degeneration has evolved independently numerous times and each process is associated with different genetic mechanisms. To gain a better understanding of these mechanisms, we compared the eyes of adult individuals of the cave loach Triplophysa rosa and surface loach Triplophysa bleekeri. Compared with the normal eyes of the surface loach, those of the cave loach were found to possess a small abnormal lens and a defective retina containing photoreceptor cells that lack outer segments. Sequencing of the transcriptomes of both species to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and genes under positive selection revealed 4,802 DEGs and 50 genes under positive selection (dN/dS > 1, FDR < 0.1). For cave loaches, we identified one Gene Ontology category related to vision that was significantly enriched in downregulated genes. Specifically, we found that many of the downregulated genes, including pitx3, lim2, crx, gnat2, rx1, rho, prph2, and β|γ-crystallin are associated with lens/retinal development and maintenance. However, compared with those in the surface loach, the lower dS rates but higher dN rates of the protein-coding sequences in T. rosa indicate that changes in amino acid sequences might be involved in the adaptation and visual degeneration of cave loaches. We also found that genes associated with light perception and light-stimulated vision have evolved at higher rates (some genes dN/dS > 1 but FDR > 0.1). Collectively, the findings of this study indicate that the degradation of cavefish vision is probably associated with both gene expression and amino acid changes and provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the degeneration of cavefish eyes.
Family Behavioral Repertoires and Family Interaction Influence the Adaptive Behaviors of Individuals With Hikikomori

Background: Family support is key in the initial stages of psychological support for individuals with hikikomori. However, it remains necessary to confirm the relationship between families’ cognitive behavioral factors and the severity of hikikomori to understand ways of improving hikikomori. We examined the influences of family behavioral repertoires for coping with hikikomori and family interaction on the adaptive behaviors of individuals with hikikomori. We employed a control group to examine whether the influence of these adaptive behaviors was unique to families of individuals with hikikomori. Methods: We asked 185 parents of individuals with hikikomori (hikikomori group) and 460 parents of individuals with no experience of hikikomori (control group) to complete the Family Behavioral Repertoire Scale for coping with hikikomori (FBS-H), the Family Interaction Scale for Hikikomori (FIS-H), and the Adaptive Behaviors Scale for Hikikomori (ABS-H). Using the subscales of the ABS-H as the dependent variables, we conducted hierarchical multiple regression analyses wherein family behavioral repertoire was added in Step 1, experience frequency and cognition of contingency were added in Step 2 as control values, family interaction was added in Step 3, and the interaction terms were added in Step 4. Results: The ABS-H total and subscale scores were significantly lower in the hikikomori group than in the control group. The social participation subscale showed the largest difference, while the family subscale showed the smallest. In the hikikomori group, we observed a significant adjusted R 2 for the family and value subscales (Step 1). The ΔR 2 in Step 3 was significant for the interaction and family subscales of the ABS-H. In the control group, significant adjusted R 2 values were found for all ABS-H subscales in Step 1, but the ΔR 2 in Step 3 was not significant for any subscales. Conclusion: Family-related cognitive behavioral factors, such as family behavioral repertoire and family interaction, appear to relate to improvement in hikikomori. Of course, these findings warrant further investigation because we did not examine the longitudinal, causal relations between these variables. In the future, we might also test the effect of family support interventions that target families’ behavioral repertoire and family interaction.
Response of Economic Growth to Domestic Borrowing in Kenya

Kenya envisioned economic growth rate of 10 per cent per annum and a reduction in domestic debt levels to below 25 per cent of GDP by 2012. These targets were not achieved. Whether the slow rate of economic growth is a result of the high debt is a question that begs to be analysed. This study analysed the response of economic growth to domestic borrowing in Kenya in the period 1971-2013 using a multivariate linear regression model in which other variables likely to influence economic growth were also included. The study also investigated whether there exists any moderating effects of changes in political regimes and market reforms on the response of economic growth to domestic borrowing in Kenya. The findings indicate that economic growth responds negatively to domestic borrowing. Economic growth was also found to respond negatively to Private Consumption and Inflation but responds positively to growth in Private Investments and Net exports. Market reforms were found to have no significant effects on economic growth. The findings further indicate that economic growth in the third political regime under President Mwai Kibaki was on average higher than that in the regime under President Jomo Kenyatta. Changes in the political regimes are shown to have had no effect on the response of economic growth to domestic borrowing. These findings suggest that domestic debt and changes in political regimes only have own individual effects but no joint effects on economic growth in Kenya, thereby indicating no moderating effects of political forces on effect of debt on economic growth. The study recommends that the Kenya government should further pursue policies to successfully reduce domestic borrowing and curb inflation while also enhancing private investments and net exports to realise higher rates of economic growth.
Convertible Securities in Merger Transactions and the Resolution of the Double-Sided Asymmetric Information Problem

This paper provides a rationale for the use of convertible securities as the medium of exchange in corporate change-of-control transactions. We argue that convertible securities can resolve the information asymmetry about the bidder’s value while at the same time mitigating the information asymmetry about the target’s value. Prior research has analyzed the choice between cash and stock, which can resolve one information asymmetry or the other but not both. We furnish empirical support for the use of convertible securities to resolve the double-sided asymmetric information problem. We find that a bidder is more likely to offer convertible securities, rather than all cash or all stock, when both the bidder and its target face large asymmetric information problems. We also find that convertibles are more likely to be offered in a takeover to deal with the asymmetric information problem on one side of the transaction (either the bidder side or the target side) only when the other side of the transaction also has a large information asymmetry. Finally, as expected from our double-sided asymmetric information rationale, we find that bidders in convertible deals enjoy larger abnormal stock returns around takeover announcements than bidders in all-cash and all-stock deals, but that targets in convertible deals experience smaller abnormal stock returns than targets in all-cash and all-stock deals. JEL Classification: G32, G34 * Department of Finance, School of Business, Fordham University, 113 West 60 Street, New York, NY 10023, Tel: (212) 636-6113, Fax: (212) 765-5573, email: finnerty@finnecon.com. ** Corresponding author. Department of Finance, School of Business, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023, Tel: (212) 636-7401, Fax: (212) 765-5573, email: ayan@fordham.edu. The authors thank Thomas Chemmanur, Zhaohui Chen, Espen Eckbo, Anand Goel, Avri Ravid, David Reeb, and Natalia Reisel for helpful comments. Earlier versions of the paper were presented at the 2006 European Finance Association annual meeting, the 2006 Financial Management Association annual meeting, and Temple University. We alone are responsible for any errors or omissions.
Looking Beyond the School Walls: Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan

As Afghanistan undergoes substantial post-conflict reconstruction, a “Back to School” campaign beginning in 2002 (1381) has resulted in a striking total of more than 4.3 million children enrolled in grades 1–12. However, more than 2.5 million school-age boys and girls (ages 7–18) are still not enrolled, despite the fact that, as stated in the Constitution of Afghanistan, education to grade 9 is compulsory. What are the reasons, often complex and multiple, for these figures? What specific factors do households take into consideration when deciding to send their children – both boys and girls – to school or not? Who makes the decision?
School-Based Sexual Health Education Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multiple Case Study

School-based sexual health education is one of the most comprehensive and effective ways of promoting young people’s sexual health, reducing risky sexual behaviours and preventing sexually transmitted infections. This study investigated the design, implementation and evaluation of seven school-based sexual health education interventions in five sub-Saharan African countries, to identify features that may be associated with effectiveness or ineffectiveness on self-reported condom use and preventing sexually transmitted infections. A multiple case study design was employed. Data from each intervention were collected through documents review and interviews with key investigators. Data were analysed using a combination of case study methods. The findings confirmed that interventions that had greater numbers of features recommended by previous evidence synthesis studies were more likely to be effective. Findings suggested that young people’s sexual health needs assessment could be improved by applying ethnography, and Sexual Script research, which, in turn, could make interventions more effective. School-based interventions should consider environmental factors by incorporating community-based approaches and using ecological models as theories underpinning interventions. Interventions were also more likely to be effective if delivered by both teachers and peer educators. Finally, optimum impact is likely if young people are exposed to interventions for at least two years/academic sessions. Future intervention design should consider these features to optimise effectiveness of school-based sexual health education in sub-Saharan Africa.