Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Price Expectations and Reference-Dependent Preferences

IZA DP No. 15375 JUNE 2022 Price Expectations and Reference-Dependent Preferences We experimentally test Kőszegi and Rabin’s (2006, 2007) theory of reference-dependent preferences in the context of price expectations. In an incentivised valuation task, participants are endowed with a mug and provide their willingness to accept (WTA) to sell it. We manipulate the sale price in a separate, exogenous forced sale scenario, which is predicted to produce a ‘comparison effect’, moving WTA in the opposite direction to the forced sale price. Consistent with the theory, we observe a treatment effect of between AUD $0.79 and $2.06 in the hypothesised direction; however, it is statistically insignificant. We also elicit participants’ loss aversion to account for heterogeneity in the theorised effect; however, controlling for the interaction between our treatment and loss aversion does not consistently strengthen our result. JEL Classification: C91, D90
Influence of Temperature and Water Conditions on the Mineralization Rate of Tropical Peat

Tropical peat is woody peat that differs from sedge and moss peat found in temperate-boreal regions. As such, its decomposition characteristics are considered to be different. Here several factors that could influence mineralization rates of tropical peat were investigated, including forest type (mixed peat swamp (MPS) and Alan Bunga (ABg)), temperature (25°C and 35°C), and water content (60%, 80%, and 98%), in laboratory incubation experiments. Peat soil samples were incubated for one year with periodical gas sampling to measure CO2 production. Cumulative amounts of CO2 (ΣCO2) produced from MPS and ABg soils during the one year period were 0.6–3.2% of peat C and 2.4–8.1%, respectively, showing that ABg soil decomposed 2.5–5.3 times faster than MPS soil when incubated at identical conditions. Q10 values ranged from 0.85 to 2.4. Water content bidirectionally influenced the decomposition rate of peat.
Development of limb bone laminarity in the domestic pigeon ([i]Columba livia[i])

Please submit by 28 Mar 2020 for the benefit of the authors (and your $200 publishing discount) . Structure and Criteria Please read the 'Structure and Criteria' page for general guidance. Raw data check Review the raw data. Image check Check that figures and images have not been inappropriately manipulated. Privacy reminder: If uploading an annotated PDF, remove identifiable information to remain anonymous.
FACTOR INFLUENCE OF INCOME TAX EVASION IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

The aim within the research would be to check out the main aspects impact associated with tax forestalling within Sum Area, Malaysia. The main aspects that will utilized in this particular study incorporated earnings degree, schooling stage, taxes price levels, pumpiing price, as well as the difficulty associated with duty program. This particular analysis utilized general public information from your authorities webpages like Lembaga Keuntungan Di dalam Negri (LHDN) plus recognized Figure info through Malaysia through 2006 in order to 2019. The outcomes of the exploration says there a few factors possess good plus substantial partnership whilst two factors demonstrated of which adversely partnership. Key phrases: revenue degree, schooling degree, taxes price stage, pumpiing level, the particular difficulty regarding taxes program, duty forestalling.
Feasibility of using digital image correlation for unmanned aerial vehicle structural health monitoring of bridges

Quantifying the condition of aging structures is important to verify structural integrity and long-term reliability. Structural health monitoring plays a key role in the prevention of catastrophic failure, in improving the safety of infrastructure, and in reducing the downtime and costs associated with their maintenance. Bridges are typically designed to have a lifespan on order of 50 years; therefore, bridge monitoring is important since many of them are near to or have already exceeded their design life. Conventional sensors and examination techniques such as accelerometers and strain gages produce results at only a discrete number of points. Visual inspection only provides qualitative information and is subject to human variability and inconsistencies between inspectors. Moreover, both approaches are labor intensive and time-consuming. In recent years, three-dimensional digital image correlation systems have proven their efficiency in being able to provide accurate quantitative information of structural deformations, full-field strain, and geometry profiles of large-scale structures. At the same time, unmanned aerial vehicles have emerged as valuable tools for remotely performing measurements in places, which are either difficult or dangerous to access. With regard to bridge inspection, unmanned aerial vehicles have the capability to expedite the measurement process, offer increased accessibility, and reduce interference with the structures’ functionality. In this study, a novel approach that combines the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle and three-dimensional digital image correlation is developed to perform non-contact, optically based measurements to monitor the health of bridges. Extensive laboratory tests and a long-term monitoring campaign on two in-service concrete bridges demonstrated the accuracy of this system in detecting structural changes. Results show that this system is able to detect changes to the bridge geometry with an uncertainty on the order of 10−5 m while improving accessibility. The feasibility of the approach, best practices, and lessons learned is presented.
Effect of Creatine Supplementation on the Muscular Inflammation and Muscle Atrophy in High-Fat High-Fructose Fed Obese Growing Rats

Objective: This study aimed to investigate effects of creatine supplementation on high-fat high-fructose fed obese rats. Twenty-four six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 each): control sedentary group (CD), high-fat high-fructose diet group (HD), and creatine-supplemented high-fat high-fructose diet group (CHD). Methodology: The CD group was supplemented with AIN-76G diet, and a high-fat high-fructose diet for HD and CHD groups was substituted with 5% corn oil fat to 35% lard. The CHD group was supplemented with 2% creatine. The total soleus muscle protein was extracted and prepared according to the procedure mentioned by Baghirova et al. for muscle cytokine assay and western blotting. Result: After eight weeks of the experimental period, weights of the soleus muscle in the HD and CHD groups were significantly lower than that in the CD group. In addition, levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the HD groups were significantly higher than those in the CD group. In contrast, IL-1β, IL-6 concentrations in the CHD group were significantly lower than those in the HD group and irisin levels of HD and CHD group were significantly lower than those in the CD group. Moreover, levels of muscle protein degradation factors [Muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) and atrogin-1] were significantly higher in the HD and CHD groups than those in the CD group. Conclusion: From these results, it was concluded that creatine supplementation attenuates the inflammation of skeletal muscle via pro-inflammatory cytokines; however, it has no significant role in preventing muscular atrophy in high-fat high-fructose fed obese rats.
WHY DOES COVID-19 SPREAD RAPIDLY AND WIDELY?

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spreads quickly because it can be easily transmitted via respiratory droplets in the air and on surfaces. A person becomes infected when the viruses invade the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes and then begin to multiply. Viruses can be transmitted via droplets from a sick person either by inhaling or by touching the face with unwashed hands. Researchers estimate that with each COVID-19 patient, the virus could possibly be spread to two or three additional people. More than 215 countries and regions around the world reported COVID-19 cases with nearly 26,800,000 people infected and nearly 900,000 deaths (until September 06, 2020). Many causal groups can be linked to the rapidly and widely spread of COVID-19. In this review article, we summary three important groups of causes: the causative agent, the epidemiology of the disease, and the socioeconomic factors. Until now, the therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 are only supportive, therefore, prevention aimed at reducing transmission in the community is the best weapon.
Phytochemical Analysis and Cytotoxic Activity of Hexane Extract from Lasiosphaera nipponica

Lasiosphaera nipponica finds therapeutic applications as a hemostatic in the traditional Japanese and Chinese medicines. This study aimed to analyse the phytochemical compositions of two fractions from the n-hexane extract of L. nipponica by GC-MS analysis and evaluate the cytotoxic activity of these two fractions and a pure compound viz. ergosterol peroxide by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay). A hexane extract from L. nipponica was obtained by the maceration technique and silica gel column chromatography of this hexane extract yielded two fractions and three pure compounds. The two fractions were analysed for phytochemical compositions by GC-MS and the presence of fatty acids, esters of fatty acids and ethyl 9-oxononanoate were identified. Additionally, these two fractions were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against P388, HL60, MCF7, HepG2 and J82 cancer cell lines in culture by MTT assay. Fraction 1 showed good activity against P388 and HL60 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 9.8 and 18.2 μg/mL, respectively. Fraction 2 also showed good activity against P388 and HL60 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 19.4 and 16.2 μg/mL, respectively. However, these two fractions did not show any appreciable activity against MCF7, HepG2 and J82 cancer cell lines. The three pure compounds were characterised as n-hexadecanoic acid (3), n-octadecanoic acid (4) and ergosterol peroxide (5) by spectroscopic and spectrometric means. Of these three pure compounds, only compound 5 was evaluated for cytotoxic activity against HL60, HepG2 and J82 cancer cell lines. Ergosterol peroxide showed an IC50 value of 82.2 μM (35.1 μg/mL) against HL60 cancer cell lines but it did not show any appreciable activity against HepG2 and J82 cancer cell lines. n-Hexadecanoic acid and n-octadecanoic acid were not evaluated for cytotoxic activity since they were obtained in small quantity. From this study, we concluded that the fractions from the n-hexane extract of L. nipponica have therapeutically important phytochemicals and exhibit promising cytotoxic activity against P388 and HL60 cancer cell lines. Further studies on L. nipponica are required to explore its therapeutic applications.
Europe and the future for WPT

This article presents European-based contributions for wireless power transmission (WPT), related to applications ranging from future Internet of Things (IoT) and fifth-generation (5G) systems to high-power electric vehicle charging. The contributors are all members of a European consortium on WPT, COST Action IC1301. WPT is the driving technology that will enable the next stage in the current consumer electronics revolution, including batteryless sensors, passive RF identification (RFID), passive wireless sensors, the IoT, and machine-to-machine solutions. The article discusses the latest developments in research by some of the members of this group.
Usability of several species for monitoring and reducing the heavy metal pollution threatening the public health in urban environment of Ankara

In the last century, the pollution in the atmosphere significantly increased due to anthropogenic effects including industrial activities and traffic and reached a level threatening human and environmental health. Among these pollution factors, heavy metals that do not easily degrade in nature, tend to bioaccumulate in living organisms, and can be toxic, carcinogenic, and lethal even at low concentrations are among the most important threats in terms of human health. Thus, it is very important to reduce the heavy metal pollution in air, especially in urban areas where the traffic activities that are among the important heavy metal sources are intense. The most effective, affordable, environment-friendly, and sustainable method to be used in monitoring and reducing the heavy metal pollution in air is the use of plants. However, for this purpose, the most suitable species should be determined first. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine the accumulation of Ba, Na, and Ca, which are very common, in the leaves, seeds, and branches of Acer negundo, Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia platyphyllos, Prunus ceracifera, and Ailanthus altissima that are frequently used in landscaping in urban areas. The results achieved here showed that the concentration of Ba, which is very harmful to human health and compounds of which are toxic, increased with increasing traffic density. It was determined that, among the species examined here, the most effective ones to be used in reducing the Ba concentration were Aesculus hippocastanum and Tilia platyphyllos.
A Comparison of Multinomial Logistic Regression and Arti ﬁ cial Neural Network Classi ﬁ cation Techniques Applied to TB/HIV Data -

cial Neural Networks (ANN) are a special type of machine learning algorithms that are modeled after the human brain. A Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) is a feedforward neural network with one or more hidden layers. An MLP uses backpropagation as a supervised learning technique. This research compares the performance of Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) models and ANN (Multilayer Perceptron, MLP) models using TB/HIV co-infected patients’ data obtained from the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTs) Clinic of Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) who had been registered between 2012 and 2021. The dependent (target) variable are the categorical data; Completed and Cure, Died and Defaulted. The referent group in the MLR is the Completed and Cured group and two models was estimated for the Died relative to Completed and Cured and Defaulted relative to Completed and Cured. The research compared the percentage of correct classiﬁ cation from MLR and ANN models, it was established that ANN model classiﬁ es the dataset better with an overall correct percentage classiﬁ cation of 94.4% than the MLR with an overall correct classiﬁ cation of 92.7%.
Tailorable Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in a 1 Partially Suspended Aluminium Nitride 2 Waveguide in the Visible Range

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has been widely applied in narrow line-width 9 laser, microwave filters, optical gyroscopes and other fields. However, most research is limited 10 within near-infrared to mid-infrared range. This is due to the limited transparent window in most 11 materials, such as silicon and germanium. Aluminium Nitride (AlN) is a novel III-V material 12 with a wide transparent window from 200 nm and an appropriate refractive index to confine the 13 light. In this paper, we first validate the full-vectorial formalism to calculate SBS gain based 14 on the measured results from a silicon platform. Compared to previous researches, our model 15 achieves higher accuracy in terms of frequency, Q factor as well as Brillouin gain coefficient 16 without modifying the waveguide width. It also reveals the importance of matching rotation 17 matrix and crystalline coordinate system. Then, we investigate the SBS in a partially suspended 18 AlN waveguide at 450 nm based on the validated method. It shows a wide tunability in frequency 19 from 16 GHz to 32 GHz for forward SBS and a range from 42 GHz to 49 GHz for backward SBS. 20 We numerically obtain the value of Brillouin gain of 1311 W−1m−1 when Q factor is dominated 21 by anchor loss for forward SBS of TE mode. We also find out that in the case for forward 22 SBS of TM mode, anchor loss could be greatly suppressed when the node point of the selected 23 acoustic mode matches with the position of pillar anchor. Our findings pave a new way to obtain 24 Brillouin-related applications in integrated photonic circuit within the visible range. 25 © 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Publishing Group Publishing Agreement 26
Environmental management practices, operational competitiveness and environmental performance: Empirical evidence from a developing country

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between environmental management practices (EMP) and competitive operational performance with respect to reduced cost, improved quality, improved flexibility and improved delivery as well as overall environmental performance, of firms, using data from a developing country. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a survey approach with responses from 164 informants from different industries and used partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between EMP and competitive operational performance and their overall impact on the environmental performance of firms. Findings The results indicate that EMP by firms have a significant positive effect on firms’ competitive operational performance. Again, firms’ competitive operational performance has a partial positive effect on the overall environmental performance. It was also realized that the EMP initiated by a firm have a direct positive impact on the overall environmental performance of the firm. Research limitations/implications There is the need for organizations to take steps to plan and implement EMP since it is likely to enhance their competitive operational performance as well as their overall environmental performance. Practical implications The findings demonstrate the impact of EMP on competitive operational performance as well as on the overall environmental performance of firms. This is important as firms struggle with balancing investments in those practices against the perceived benefits that might be obtained from the practices. Originality/value The work provides insights and adds to the literature in the area of EMP and firm performance by providing evidence from a developing country environment. This study is among the few that have investigated the impact of EMP on firm performance in developing country environments.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICES OF SELF-LEADERSHIP IN ACADEMIA

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-leadership behaviors and individual characteristics in academia. An online survey was conducted and 217 participants' responses were measured with the help of a questionnaire. Multiple regression was used to analyze individual characteristics of self-leaders. The findings indicate that individual characteristics do predict selfleadership. Personality traits variables conscientiousness and openness have a significant positive relationship with selfleadership practices. Surprisingly, this study found emotional stability has no significant relationship with self-leadership behavior. This study also employed a rigorous validation technique therefore, this study was able to address some of the methodological limitations of previous studies such as common method variance by examining the proposed relationships in a longitudinal setting.
COMPARISON BETWEEN SUBTARSAL AND SUBCILIARY INCISION IN MANAGEMENT OF ZYGOMATCO-ORBITAL FRACTURE

Objective: To compare outcome between the subtarsal and subciliary incision in management of zygomatic-orbital fracture in terms of postoperative ectropion. Subject and Methods: This prospective analytical cross-sectional study was performed at department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro. Thirty-two patients of either gender, age 20 to 30 years having isolated zygomatic-orbital fracture were selected by consecutive sampling (16 patients in Subciliary and 16 in Sub-tarsal group), whereas patients with history of zygomatic-orbital fracture, neurological disorder, systemic diseases or immunocompromised patients were excluded. Zygomaticorbital fracture was confirmed by 3D CT scan and PA view of face. After surgery ectropion was monitored for three-weeks as outcome. Results: Out of 32 zygomaticomaxillary complex fractured patients, male prevalence was high 27 (84.4%) then female patients 5 (15.6%). Most affected age group 21-25 years with 17 (53.1%) patients followed by 26-30 years with 15 (46.9%) patients with mean age of 25.59 ± 3.004 years. Postoperative ectropion was found significantly normal in subtarsal group as compared to subciliary group in all three postoperative weeks. Conclusion: It was concluded that rate of postoperative complications (ectropion) was high in subciliary incision group as compared to subtarsal incision group
Real effects of stock market valuations: Local valuation spillovers in M&A activity

We document novel evidence of local valuation spillovers across a large sample of public firms during 1990-2019. Using a mutually exclusive stratification of subjects and local peers based on whether firms are from the most salient industries regionally, we document a strong positive association between firm-level acquisitiveness and exogenous variation in local peer valuations. Our measure for exogenous variation in local peers’ valuations does not rely on outflow-induced price pressures. We find evidence that exogenous peer effects and correlated effects explain valuation spillovers in acquisitiveness, which suggests managers are unable to separate noise from information content in local peer valuations.
Particle-Mediated Histotripsy for the Targeted Treatment of Intraluminal Biofilms in Catheter-Based Medical Devices

Objective. This paper is an initial work towards developing particle-mediated histotripsy (PMH) as a novel method of treating catheter-based medical device (CBMD) intraluminal biofilms. Impact Statement. CBMDs commonly become infected with bacterial biofilms leading to medical device failure, infection, and adverse patient outcomes. Introduction. Histotripsy is a noninvasive focused ultrasound ablation method that was recently proposed as a novel method to remove intraluminal biofilms. Here, we explore the potential of combining histotripsy with acoustically active particles to develop a PMH approach that can noninvasively remove biofilms without the need for high acoustic pressures or real-time image guidance for targeting. Methods. Histotripsy cavitation thresholds in catheters containing either gas-filled microbubbles (MBs) or fluid-filled nanocones (NCs) were determined. The ability of these particles to sustain cavitation over multiple ultrasound pulses was tested after a series of histotripsy exposures. Next, the ability of PMH to generate selective intraluminal cavitation without generating extraluminal cavitation was tested. Finally, the biofilm ablation and bactericidal capabilities of PMH were tested using both MBs and NCs. Results. PMH significantly reduced the histotripsy cavitation threshold, allowing for selective luminal cavitation for both MBs and NCs. Results further showed PMH successfully removed intraluminal biofilms in Tygon catheters. Finally, results from bactericidal experiments showed minimal reduction in bacteria viability. Conclusion. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for PMH to provide a new modality for removing bacterial biofilms from CBMDs and suggest that additional work is warranted to develop histotripsy and PMH for treatment of CBMD intraluminal biofilms.