Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Network Structures and Joint Liability Contracts: Authoritarian vs Egalitarian Networks

1) Problem definition: We study sustainability of group lending under joint liability contracts when borrowers are subject to strategic default. The benevolent lender optimizes the borrower welfare while covers her costs of lending, and social ties between borrowers serve as monitoring tools. (2) Academic/Practical relevance: To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first theoretical study of this problem that models borrowers social network structures as patterns of network monitoring. (3) Methodology: The methodology employed in this paper is reverse game theory or mechanism design. (4) Results: The results show that a higher average degree of centrality and connectivity in the borrower network allows for more favorable contract terms (i.e., a higher loan ceiling and a lower repayment amount). Accordingly, a borrower network with a complete structure qualifies for the best contract terms. Intuitively, a complete network, which provides full monitoring, induces the highest level of cooperation among borrowers and guarantees the highest level of group performance (i.e. a higher chance of game continuation and a higher repayment rate). Further, we argue that while for smaller groups, the highly decentralized ring networks (egalitarian) may
DETUROPE – THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

This study provides a critical review of the instruments developed for measuring service quality in restaurants. However, this study reviews the researches to examine the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction (CS), and customer loyalty (CL) in restaurants. It is revealed that there are many attempts to develop instruments that aim to measure service quality in restaurants. SERVQUAL instrument, which measures service quality (SQ), has been used in many studies related to the tourism industry. However, the SERVQUAL is directly used as the basis of the SERVPERF and DINESERV instruments. Besides, since the GRSERV and CFFRSERV scales are based on DINESERV, the SERVQUAL plays an important role in the development of such scales. In addition to the instruments developed by modifying SERVQUAL, there are attempts to create different ones. In researches that develop a new SQ scale, the reasons underlying this need are stated as follows: 1) Some service quality components specific to restaurants and tourism sector not included in the current scales 2) Measuring the expectations and performance at the same time is not necessary 3) Current scales are insufficient for the unique types of restaurants, such as Fast Food, Upscale and Green Restaurants. CS and CL are the most common variables in the studies examining the SQ in restaurants. There is a divergence in the literature about whether service quality leads to satisfaction or satisfaction brings service quality. However, it can be said that there is a consensus that these two structures are in a very close relationship with each other. Another consensus in the literature is that CS and SQ are regarded as the determinants of CL. On the other hand, a considerable amount of research has been devoted to service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty, and it will be the case for future studies. However, the changes in business environments reveal the necessity of modification in the instruments that will pave the way to measure these concepts. A pandemic has recently affected the lives of businesses, and people and this new situation may require the addition of a new dimension to service quality instruments, like outbreak measures.
Internet Uses for General, Health-Related, and Smoking Cessation Information Seeking from Gender and Uses and Gratifications Frameworks

Informed by gender role framework and uses and gratifications theory, this study examines gender differences and factors associated with Internet use utilizing Health Information National Trends Survey data (N = 3,738). Women seek general health and smoking cessation information significantly more than men do; women also use the Internet significantly more to pursue gratifications of information seeking and sharing than men do. Gender deficits in health-information seeking exist. The Internet user profiles are tied to the types of information gratification sought. General nonhealth information seekers are young, highly educated, high-income, not retired/disabled, females with the intention to quit smoking and the belief of changeable smoking behavior; for general health information seekers, the critical characteristic is the belief that getting information is easy; and for smoking cessation information seekers, the prominent features are smoking little with the intention to quit, the belief of changeable smoking behavior, and no frustration felt during the information search. This study extends and advances nuanced differences between men and women in Internet information-seeking behaviors by testing theoretical boundaries for uses and gratifications theory.
Video consultations during Covid-19: repairing the lack of embodied encounters with patients in outpatient clinics

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced hospitals to adapt and rethink how they treat patients to limit the spread of the virus and avoid overloading during spikes of admission. Danish hospitals have implemented video consultations which enable patients and clinicians to see and talk to each other without the patients coming to the hospital. Based on observations of clinicians’ video consultations with patients, as well as observations of online hospital meetings regarding virtual outpatient clinics, this paper explores clinicians’ experiences with adopting video consultations. The paper unfolds what this new form of consultation repairs, leaves behind, and engenders. Finally, the paper speculates about how the digital transformation might anchor itself in the healthcare sector, also in a post-pandemic future.
Architectural change in accelerating transitions

Architectural change in accelerating transitions Insights from the German energy transition Allan Dahl Andersena, Jochen Markardb, Dierk Bauknechtc,d, Magnus Korpåse a Center for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK), Oslo University, Norway. Email: allanda@tik.uio. no b Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Switzerland c Oeko-Institut, P.O. Box 17 71, D-79017, Freiburg, Germany d Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Germany e Norwegian University for Science and Technology NTNU, Electrical Power Engineering, Trondheim 7491, Norway Working paper 01/2022 ISBN 978-82-93863-13-7 FME NTRANS Working paper 01/22 2 As transitions accelerate, they often increase in depth and scope. Transition dynamics may go beyond changes in core technologies to include architectural change at the system level. In this paper, we study actor preferences for system technologies that underpin different system architectures. System technologies are important as they can affect the pace and direction of transitions including system architecture. Our empirical case is the transition in the German electricity system where actors disagree about how decentralised the system architecture should become. In electricity, system technologies ensure stable supply by e.g. providing flexibility for the integration of variable renewable energies. We find that many incumbents mainly prefer established centralized system technologies but because these are difficult to expand, they reluctantly accept a role for novel and immature decentralized system technologies. As for challengers, there are important differences from incumbents in terms of when and to what extent new system technologies are needed and how they should be supported. We make two contributions to the literature: 1) we introduce system technology as a concept and use it to illustrate tensions between the pace and direction of accelerating transitions, and 2) we show how actor roles and positions become more fluid during acceleration.
Constrained Mean Shift Clustering

In this paper, we present Constrained Mean Shift (CMS), a novel approach for mean shift clustering under sparse supervision using cannot-link constraints. The constraints provide a guidance in constrained clustering indicating that the respective pair should not be assigned to the same cluster. Our method introduces a density-based integration of the constraints to generate individual distributions of the sampling points per cluster. We also alleviate the (in general very sensitive) mean shift bandwidth parameter by proposing an adaptive bandwidth adjustment which is especially useful for clustering imbalanced data sets. Several experiments show that our approach achieves better performance compared to state-of-the-art methods both clustering synthetic data sets as well as clustering encoded features of real-world image data sets.
26 June 2006

This study aims to understand the benefits contractual inter-firm networks offer to existing territorial tourism systems in Italy. Preference has been given to a qualitative approach. Data collection was based on document analysis (i.e. information reported in written contracts as well as text and images published on web sites) and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that usage of a relatively new legal mechanism (the network contract) designed to form stable interorganisational networks is increasing in the tourism sector. These networks help promote existing territorial tourism systems in different ways and to different extents. In some cases, alliances create and promote a tourism proposal that enhances the territorial offer, while in other situations alliances succeed in identifying and communicating a specific territorial area previously left unmanaged. © 2015 Varna University of Management. All rights reserved
Evaluation of the bending performance of glued CLT-concrete composite floors based on the CFRP reinforcement ratio

A study was conducted on the reinforcement of cross-laminated timber (CLT) concrete composite floors with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to improve its mechanical performance and reliability in wood composite structures. A four-point bending test evaluation was completed on three types of cross-laminated timber concrete composite floors produced with different carbon fiber reinforced plastic reinforcement ratios (33%, 66%, and 100%) on the entire surface of the tensile portion. An increase in the carbon fiber reinforced plastic reinforcement ratio of the composite floors led to an increased bending capacity and a slightly improved yield performance. In the case of a composite floor with a reinforcement ratio of 33%, premature failure occurred in the elastic region due to defects of the CLT such as knots and slopes of the grain. Failure mode analysis revealed that tensile and shear failure coexist when the composite floor has a CFRP reinforcement ratio of 33%. In contrast, reinforcement ratios of 66% and 100% prevented premature failures in the elastic region caused by defects and induced a consistent failure mode. These reinforcement effects reduced the variability in the increased bending capacity of the composite floors and improved the accuracy of the theoretical prediction design via the γ-method. Meanwhile, the shear connections between the cross-laminated timber and concrete via epoxy adhesive exhibited full-composite behavior without being affected by the reinforcement ratio.
PROM_A_296506 53..68

The COllaboration on QUality improvement initiative for achieving Excellence in STandards of COPD care (CONQUEST) aims to improve the quality of COPD care in primary care. The CONQUEST target population includes patients diagnosed with COPD, and those undiagnosed but with COPD-like exacerbations, who are at high but modifiable risk of COPD exacerbations, increased morbidity, and mortality. Timely diagnosis and optimized management to reduce these risks is vital. There is a need for a quality improvement program (QIP) that enables long-term improvement of patient clinical outcomes via integration of the program into routine clinical care. Core to the CONQUEST program is the adoption of four specifically designed, globally applicable, and expert-agreed quality standards (QS) for modifiable high-risk COPD patients. Translation of the QS into clinical practice, and implementation of the QIP, is guided by the CONQUEST global operational protocol provided to sites meeting the minimum healthcare system requirements. Initial analyses of current practices are conducted to generate baseline assessments of need within healthcare systems and sites looking to implement the QIP. Implementation is supported by the provision of CONQUEST resources and tools, such as clinical decision support, that promote prompt identification and treatment of patients. Utilization of electronic medical record (EMR) and patient-reported data are integral components of the QIP. Regular, automated collection and analysis of data, combined with a cyclical review of the implementation process, will be conducted for long-term, continuous improvement and health impact evaluation. The CONQUEST QIP will be an important resource in the identification and management of patients with modifiable high-risk COPD. Embedding the CONQUEST QS into routine clinical practice with regular evaluation and feedback will result in long-term quality of care improvement.
The Translation of Nordic Workplace Democracy to the United States1

This paper explores a translation process of Nordic workplace democracy by using an empirical case study of a Norwegian company setting up a subsidiary company in the US. The paper contributes to existing accounts of how ideas and practices in international companies are translated from one institutional context to another by focusing on the role of agency in translation processes. Drawing on advances in Scandinavian institutional theory, the findings show how employees from the source context acted as skilled translators in the new local context and helped to close the skills-gap between employees with and without experience of workplace democracy. In addition, the US managers had work experience from the company in Norway as well as from the US. The employees’ and managers’ complementary contextual knowledge represented important institutional bridging skills in the process of reproducing workplace democracy in the new local setting. However, during the translation process, some of the elements in the workplace democracy model were discussed and modified. This demonstrates how the organizations’ approach can change over time, from a reproducing to a modifying mode.
Socioeconomic inequalities in ability to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic: The case of South Africa

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the nature of work, with physical distancing regulations aimed at preventing infections necessitating work-from-home arrangements. According to previous studies, many individuals have expressed a preference for working from home due to fear of contracting the virus at work. However, not all work can be performed from home. Moreover, the literature indicates that jobs that are amenable to be performed from home generally pay more, while the ability to work from home will likely increase income inequality. Therefore, we ascertained the magnitude of the socioeconomic inequalities in ability to work from home among South African employees during the pandemic. We used data from the last four waves of the National Income Dynamics StudyCoronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey, a nationally representative longitudinal telephonic survey of South African adults conducted between May 2020 and May 2021. Using years of education as the ranking variable and calculating concentration indices, we found that the ability to work from home was pro-rich (i.e. concentrated more on the better off) in all the study periods. The results were robust to the use of dif ferent ranking variables like per capita household income and monthly wage as well as varying the age cut-off. There was no gender dif ference in the inequalities. Casual employment, urban residence, being married/cohabiting, age, and household size dampened the degree to which ability to work from home favoured those in higher socioeconomic classes. Conversely, being nonAfrican, living in a house/flat, and having more education enhanced the pro-richness of ability to work from home. This study highlights the significant inequalities associated with ability to work from home, a likely important determinant of labour market attachment and economic outcomes in the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Interventions targeted at inequality-enhancing factors like race, housing and education may be important in lowering these inequalities.
DETUROPE – THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

In this research, tourism was underlined as a health protection practice, which is focused upon the perception by individuals of Coronavirus-19 danger and uncertainty, particularly in Jordan perspective. The study investigates the effect on behavioral purpose on untact tourism of Coronavirus-19 risk perception and ambiguity, depended upon the theoretical models of the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM). The online survey was conducted among Jordanian adults in April and May 2020. A total of 380 questionnaires about data collection were used. The results indicate that the perception of affective risk is a major precedent for attitude, while it has been shown that the perception of cognitive risk has a positive impact on attitude. There has also been a positive influence on perceptions on perceived ambiguity. This research has timely and insightful implications for tourism practitioners needed to prepare the post-corona sector for the new standard after the minimum living experience of an unexpected pandemic.
Application of Deep Learning in Wireless Networks for Channel Estimation: A Survey

The quality of channel estimation (CE) is critical to the performence of wireless communication systems. In addition to the conventional model based CE methods appeared in the past few decades, deep learning (DL) based CE methods, which is introduced to learn the statistical characteristics of wireless channels, has emerged as a promising methods in recently years. In this survey, different DL models applied to solve CE problems are discussed firstly, then DL-based CE problems in different wireless communication systems are investigated.
Approximate-analytical solutions of the quadratic Logistic differential model via SAM

This paper applies the novel Successive Approximation Method (SAM) for the solution of the quadratic Logistic Differential Model (LDM). To confirm the reliability of the method, illustrative examples are considered, and it is remarked that the approximate-analytical solutions of the considered cases are computed with ease. The proposed technique is used directly, without transformation, discretization, linearization, or any restrictive assumptions.
Electron Rolling-pin Distribution Inside Magnetic Hole

Magnetic holes (MHs), characterized by depressions in the magnetic field magnitude, are transient magnetic structures ubiquitous in space plasmas. The electron pitch-angle distribution inside the MHs is key to diagnosing the MH properties and has been suggested to mainly exhibit a pancake-type distribution showing pitch angles near 90°. Here, we present the first observation of electron rolling-pin distribution—showing electron pitch angles mainly at 0°, 90°, and 180°—within an electron-scale MH, by using Magnetospheric Multiscale mission high-resolution measurements. With a second-order Taylor expansion method, the magnetic field topology of the MH is reconstructed, and the characteristics of the rolling-pin distribution inside the MH are investigated. We find that the rolling-pin distribution primarily appears near the MH center and at energies ranging from 110 to 1200 eV. We interpret the rolling-pin formation as a consequence of the combination of local-scale electron trapping and global-scale Fermi acceleration. These results can improve current understanding of electron dynamics in the MHs.
Measuring Chemical Likeness of Stars with Relevant Scaled Component Analysis

Identification of chemically similar stars using elemental abundances is core to many pursuits within Galactic archeology. However, measuring the chemical likeness of stars using abundances directly is limited by systematic imprints of imperfect synthetic spectra in abundance derivation. We present a novel data-driven model that is capable of identifying chemically similar stars from spectra alone. We call this relevant scaled component analysis (RSCA). RSCA finds a mapping from stellar spectra to a representation that optimizes recovery of known open clusters. By design, RSCA amplifies factors of chemical abundance variation and minimizes those of nonchemical parameters, such as instrument systematics. The resultant representation of stellar spectra can therefore be used for precise measurements of chemical similarity between stars. We validate RSCA using 185 cluster stars in 22 open clusters in the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey. We quantify our performance in measuring chemical similarity using a reference set of 151,145 field stars. We find that our representation identifies known stellar siblings more effectively than stellar-abundance measurements. Using RSCA, 1.8% of pairs of field stars are as similar as birth siblings, compared to 2.3% when using stellar-abundance labels. We find that almost all of the information within spectra leveraged by RSCA fits into a two-dimensional basis, which we link to [Fe/H] and α-element abundances. We conclude that chemical tagging of stars to their birth clusters remains prohibitive. However, using the spectra has noticeable gain, and our approach is poised to benefit from larger data sets and improved algorithm designs.
Message Persuasion in the Pandemic: U.S. and Chinese Respondents’ Reactions to Mediating Mechanisms of Efficacy

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study derives from construal level theory and integrates self-construal, temporal framing, and narrative strategies to test the interactions between these variables. Two experiments entailing two culturally sensitive variables—self-construal (interdependent vs. independent) and temporal framing (present vs. future oriented)—were conducted with some similar patterns identified between cultures: For one, narrative persuasion can successfully increase the matching effect of interdependent self-construal and present-oriented temporal framing on eliciting higher intentions of preventative behaviors;nonnarrative messages, on the other hand, are more effective to enhance the matching effect of independent selfconstrual and future-oriented temporal framing. The study also confirms the mediating role of self-efficacy. When “collective efficacy,” a multilayered mediator was added to the hypothesized model, it was found that Chinese participants attained collective efficacy at familial and national levels, whereas American participants’ behavioral intentions were mostly mediated by collective efficacy at familial and organizational levels. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. © 2022 (He Gong, Miaohong Huang, and Xiyuan Liu). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at http://ijoc.org.