Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selection into Experiments: Evidence from a Population of Students

This study investigates the selection into lab experiments among university students based on data from two cohorts of a university's first-year students. The analysis combines two experiments: a classroom experiment in which we elicited measures for risk, time, social preferences, confidence, and cognitive skills using standard measures from the experimental literature; and a recruitment experiment that varied information provided in a typical e-mail recruitment procedure for lab participants. In the recruitment experiment, students were randomly assigned to four conditions that highlighted altruistic motives or financial incentives. We find significant treatment effects: mentioning financial incentives boosts the participation rate in lab experiments by 50 percent. In terms of selection, we find that more selfish individuals and individuals with higher cognitive reflection scores are more likely to participate in experiments, but we find little evidence for selection along risk preferences, time preferences, and overconfidence. Although the recruitment conditions affect participation rates, they do not alter the composition of the participant sample in terms of behavioral measures and cognitive skills.
Management of Market Knowledge in Networks

Objectives: Networks like strategic alliances, joint ventures, franchise systems and cooperatives face the problem how the required market knowledge can be gathered and how it can be incorporated in the network member's decisions. In our paper we address the problem of generation of knowledge and knowledge transfer. In this context we try to find criteria for organization of networks. Prior work: Our paper is based on evolutionary economics and the literature of network theory. First implications have been drawn from a case study research that was conducted in 2006 and that can be seen as a starting point for these theoretical considerations. Approach: Our methodical approach is based on the idea of theory building by the means of case study research. In this article we extend our previous work by using evolutionary economics. Especially we emphasize on market dynamics and entrepreneurial capabilities. We base our own theoretical work on a broad review of network literature published the last years. Results: We state that there are three channels of knowledge transfer: (1) through direct market observation, (2) through observation of the network connections, (3) through direct communication with the members. Using evolutionary economics we develop criteria for the efficient use of the three channels. In that framework it could be shown that one of the main determinants can be seen in the dynamics of the concerned markets and in the institutional setting. Therefore the distribution of entrepreneurial capabilities in the network plays a crucial role. Implications: The paper gives new insights to organizational problems of networks from an evolutionary point of view. Regarding issues of organisation managers of networks can benefit from the presented criteria in order to employ flexible tools respecting market dynamics and the distribution of entrepreneurial capabilities. Value: Our paper provides a deeper insight into how the relevant market knowledge can be identified, communicated and used in networks.
Spectroscopic analysis of the vanadium oxide catalyst during the ketone oxidation

Levulinic acid is a platform chemical that derived by environmental friend biomass. We have previously reported a reaction pathway to transform levulinic acid to maleic anhydride through methyl scission on supported vanadium oxide, which could achieve a 70% yield. The structure of vanadium oxide on the surface of supports can be informative for catalyst selection. We investigated the polymerization of vanadium oxide on support through diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. Peak deconvolution of ligand to metal charge transfer region of the spectra provided knowledge of different coordinated structure. All of our catalysts have bulk V2O5 that exists on the surface of supports because of the impregnation synthesis method. Monomeric tetrahedral VOx only presents on low vanadium loading catalysts. We also examined structures of various probe molecules absorbed on the catalyst surface and difference between them as temperature increases from 313K to 693K through in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The binding structure of methyl ketones and levulinic acid on the catalyst was also investigated. Results confirmed our hypothesis that oxidation of levulinic acid has a distinct reaction pathway from the oxidation of methyl ketone, which is dehydration followed by dehydrogenation and oxidation instead of oxidative methyl scission. Spectroscopic Analysis of the Vanadium Oxide Catalyst During the Ketone Oxidation
Carbonic anhydrase VII regulates dendritic spine morphology and density via actin filament bundling

Intracellular pH is a potent modulator of neuronal functions. By catalyzing (de)hydration of CO2, intracellular carbonic anhydrase (CAi) isoforms CAII and CAVII contribute to neuronal pH buffering and dynamics. The presence of two highly active isoforms suggests that they form spatially distinct CAi pools enabling subcellular modulation of pH. Here we show that CAVII, unlike CAII, is localized to the filamentous actin network, and its overexpression induces formation of thick actin bundles and membrane protrusions in fibroblasts. In neurons, CAVII is enriched in dendritic spines, and its over-expression causes aberrant spine morphology. We identified amino acids unique to CAVII that are required for direct actin interactions, promoting actin filament bundling and spine targeting. Lack of CAVII in neocortical neurons leads to reduced spine density and increased proportion of small spines. Thus, our work demonstrates highly distinct subcellular expression patterns of CAII and CAVII, and a novel, structural role of CAVII.
Food Waste Reduction: A Test of Three Consumer Awareness Interventions

Halving food waste by 2050 as per the Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 is key to securing a food system that is sustainable. One approach to reducing household food waste is through education campaigns. We recruited 501 households divided into three types of intervention groups and compared with a control group to better understand the efficacy of diverse education campaign approaches. Food waste interventions included a passive approach (handouts), a community engagement approach, and a gamification approach. We conducted waste audits, household surveys (pre- and post-intervention), and a focus group at the end of the campaign. The passive and gamification groups had similarly high levels of participation, while participation in the community group was very low. The passive group and the gamification group had higher self-reported awareness of food wasting after the campaign and lower food wastage than the control group. Waste audits found marginally significant differences between the game group and the control (p = 0.07) and no difference between the other campaign groups and the control group in edible food wasted. Frequent gamers were found to generate less edible food waste than infrequent gamers. We conclude that the evidence about the potential for gamification as an effective education change tool is promising and we recommend further study.
The multiple meanings of prosperity and poverty: a cross-site comparison from Tanzania

ABSTRACT Assets are important to local definitions of poverty and wealth in rural Africa. Yet their use in asset indices can miss locally valued change. We present data from 17 villages across Tanzania to explore differences in the meaning of wealth and poverty across the country. Despite limitations in our site selection we found considerable diversity that makes a single asset index difficult to compile. Current abbreviated asset indices risk counting assets that do not matter locally.
Phasor-Based Control for Scalable Integration of Variable Energy Resources

We propose an innovative framework termed phasor-based control (PBC) to facilitate the integration of heterogeneous and intermittent distributed energy resources (DER) on the electric grid. PBC presents a unified approach that is agnostic to optimization criteria and to the particular characteristics of participating resources. It is enabled by synchronized, high-precision voltage phasor measurements that allow stating control objectives in grid-specific, rather than resource-specific, terms. We present qualitative justification and examine the general feasibility of this control approach, including the behavior of candidate control algorithms in simulation. Initial results suggest that PBC has significant potential to support stable and resilient grid operations in the presence of arbitrarily high penetrations of DER.
Multi-Indicator Evaluation for Extreme Precipitation Events in the Past 60 Years over the Loess Plateau

The unique characteristics of topography, landforms, and climate in the Loess Plateau make it especially important to investigate its extreme precipitation characteristics. Daily precipitation data of Loess Plateau covering a period of 1959–2017 are applied to evaluate the probability features of five precipitation indicators: the amount of extreme heavy precipitation (P95), the days with extreme heavy precipitation, the intensity of extreme heavy precipitation (I95), the continuous dry days, and the annual total precipitation. In addition, the joint risk of different combinations of precipitation indices is quantitatively evaluated based on the copula method. Moreover, the risk and severity of each extreme heavy precipitation factor corresponding to 50-year joint return period are achieved through inverse derivation process. Results show that the precipitation amount and intensity of the Loess Plateau vary greatly in spatial distribution. The annual precipitation in the northwest region may be too concentrated in several rainstorms, which makes the region in a serious drought state for most of the year. At the level of 10-year return period, more than five months with no precipitation events would occur in the Northwest Loess Plateau. While, P95 or I95 events of 100-year level may be encountered in a 50-year return period and in the southeastern region, which means there are foreseeable long-term extreme heavy precipitation events.
CMAR_A_213580 7499..7511

*These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of the postoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels/preoperative serum CEA levels ratio (CEA ratio) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with high preoperative serum CEA levels and to identify the optimal prognostic cutoff value. Patients and methods: The medical records of 187 CRC patients in a single center who underwent surgery between September 2012 and September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. CEA ratio was defined as the ratio between the postoperative serum CEA and preoperative serum CEA. The optimal cutoff values for the CEA ratio were determined by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact probability test were used to test the correlation between CEA ratio and clinicopathological characteristics. Univariate, multivariate, and subgroup Cox proportional hazards analysis were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Kaplan–Meier method was used for establishing survival curves. Results: The median follow-up time was 62 months (range 3–88 months). The optimal CEA ratio cutoff value closely related to disease-free survival was 0.295. In the Chi-square test, the CEA ratio was associated with pN stage (p=0.003) and postoperative CEA (p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the CEA ratio was an independent prognostic factor for diseasefree survival (p=0.003, HR 2.300 [95% CI: 1.326–3.988]) and cancer-special survival (p=0.003, HR 2.525 [95% CI: 1.381–4.614]). The CEA ratio reflected the prognosis of CRC patients more accurately than postoperative CEA levels alone, and the CEA ratio of 0.295 was more likely to reflect the prognosis than other cutoff values. Conclusion: The CEA ratio is a simple and useful tool for further forecasting the prognosis of CRC patients with high preoperative CEA levels and may help develop strategies for the postoperative treatment of CRC patients.
Lower Percentage of Fat Mass among Tai Chi Chuan Practitioners

The aim of the study was to analyze total and regional body composition in Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) middle-aged and elderly practitioners. A cross-sectional study on 139 Italian subjects was realized: 34 TCC practitioners (14 men, 20 women; 62.8 ± 7.4 years) and 105 sedentary volunteers (49 men, 56 women; 62.8 ± 6.4 years). Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, arm, waist, and calf circumferences), hand-grip strength, and physical capacity values were collected. Total and regional (arm, leg, and trunk) body composition was analyzed by means of specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (specific BIVA). TCC practitioners of both sexes were characterized by a normal nutritional status, normal levels of physical capacity, and normal values of hand-grip strength. Compared to controls, they showed lower percentages of fat mass (lower specific resistance) in the total body, the arm, and the trunk, and higher muscle mass (higher phase angle) in the trunk, but lower muscle mass in the arm. Sexual dimorphism was characterized by higher muscle mass (total body, arm, and trunk) and lower %FM (arm) in men; sex differences were less accentuated among TCC practitioners than in the control. TCC middle-aged and elderly practitioners appear to be less affected by the process of physiological aging and the associated fat mass changes, compared to sedentary people.
The relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Entrepreneurship - the moderating role of extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism

Considerable debate surrounds the influence of personality and character traits on entrepreneurship. It is found that certain traits are advantageous and provide benefits in the execution of some entrepreneurial tasks (Wiklund, Hatak, Patzelts, & Shepherd, 2018). This research reviews the relationships between the character trait Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), Opportunity Recognition (OR) and Entrepreneurial Intent (EI). Additionally, the moderating role of the Entrepreneurial Trait Profile (ETP), extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism are researched. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used. The interviews are conducted in order to understand the null findings of the hypotheses as no relationships have been found between the constructs. Based on the interviews, it is proposed that Highly Sensitive People (HSP) show little initial EI what changes due to the need for self-fulfilment. The ability of OR is argued to be dependent on an optimal number of stimuli. The research discusses several limitations. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Opportunity Recognition (OR), Entrepreneurial Intent (EI), Entrepreneurial Trait Profile (ETP), Big Five, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), information processing.
Identifying Computer-Generated Portraits: an Eye Tracking Study

—We conducted two eye tracking studies to understand attention allocation while participants identiﬁed portrait images as computer-generated or photographic. In the ﬁrst study, participants viewed the images for six seconds and tagged them as either CG or photographic, while we collected eye tracking data. In the second study, we measured reaction times as participants performed the same task as quickly and accurately as possible. Eye tracking data revealed that participants view CG faces with the same “eyes-nose-mouth” pattern in which they view photographs. Overall, we found that participants were highly accurate at the task but that there were no systematic differences in eye movements between CG and photographic portraits. Our results suggest that observers employ a mostly holistic approach to identify photographs, whereas they use a combination of holistic and feature-based approaches to identify a CG portrait. We believe that CG artists should continue to improve the realism of facial features, particularly eyes, but simultaneously attempt to enhance the “holistic” realism of CG faces.
Energy Efficient Object Tracking Using Adaptive Node Deployment And Evolutionary Algorithm Based Node Localization

Target tracking is the predominant application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which are used in security and military environments. The initial step in any WSN based application is Node deployment and localization. Random deployment used by many WSN, leads to coverage hole problem which will cause a greater performance drop. Localization is the process by which the location of the sensor nodes is estimated relative to the position of anchor nodes. These anchor nodes are deployed with predetermined positions. Based on various distance measures localization can be considered as unconstrained optimization problem. In this work, a target tracking framework is proposed with hybrid node deployment and evolutionary algorithm-based node localization. For node deployment the Adaptive Virtual Force algorithm (AVFA) and for node localization, the adaptive microgenetic algorithm (AMGA) is proposed. During node deployment, the static nodes are deployed randomly, the area coverage and coverage hole are calculated, and if coverage hole exits then the mobile nodes are deployed for patching the coverage hole using AVFA. Finally, the complete target tracking framework is described and the overall system is simulated. The result of each stage is described and it is compared with the existing wellknown algorithm.
ZADAR TOURIST BOARD MARKOJA OTP BANKA HRVATSKA GRADSKA PLINARA ZAGREB TEHNOZAVOD-MARUŠIĆ FALKENSTEINER BORIK ZADAR CROATIA ELMAR-2018 SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEES General Chair

By implementing preemptive traffic light control systems in urban areas it is possible to reduce the travel time of specific groups of vehicles such as emergency vehicles. In this paper, two approaches for preemptive traffic light control are compared by applying a microscopic simulation model. The first approach uses fixed values of vehicle arrival time and queue lengths thresholds while the second is fuzzy logic based and hence more adaptive. Both approaches are tested in six different scenarios with an use case consisting of a simulated isolated intersection based on real traffic data. Analysis of the results shows that the travel time of emergency vehicles can be reduced by up to 24% in heavily congested conditions with a slight edge given to the fuzzy logic based approach. Both approaches show negligible negative effects on the total travel times of all vehicles in the network. Keywords— Intelligent transport systems; Preemptive traffic light control; Fuzzy logic; Microscopic traffic simulation; Urban
Evaluating Growth and Yield Parameters of Five Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) Genotypes Under Different Salt Stress Conditions

Soil salinization is a global problem which restricts the choice of crop for cultivation. Management and reclamation of salinity using costly techniques may not be affordable by subsistence farmers. Therefore, it is important to look for new alternate crops like “quinoa” which are more salt-tolerant. As crops vary in their tolerance to salinity, they need to be evaluated for different salinity conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate five quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) genotypes (ICBA-Q1, ICBA-Q2), ICBA-Q3, ICBA-Q4 and ICBA-Q5) for salinity tolerance under four artificially induced salinity (5, 10, 15, 20 dS m-1) levels. The pot trials were conducted in a greenhouse, using 6 kg of Fluvisol soil in each pot. For comparison, trials were also conducted under field conditions. The parameters studied were rate of seed germination, plant height, fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll content and grain yield. As expected, salinity had generally an inhibitory effect on all parameters. Out of the five quinoa varieties (ICBA-Q1 to ICBA-Q5), ICBA-Q3 and ICBA-Q4 proved to be more salt-tolerant. Therefore these two genotypes are recommended to farmers for large-scale adaptation.
Employment effect of foreign direct investment in Indian manufacturing industries

This paper examines the employment effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India’s manufacturing industries. It also examines whether the nature of employees mediates the employment effects of FDI in the manufacturing industries. We have employed 54 threedigit industries from the Annual Survey of Industries for the period from 2008-09 to 2015-16. Estimating an extended dynamic labour demand model through the System-Generalized Method of Moment developed by Blundell and Bond (1998), we have not observed any considerable impact of FDI on employment in the manufacturing industries. Even after controlling for the nature of employees, FDI inflow is not found to have any significant effect on domestic demand for labour in Indian manufacturing industries. The paper thus does not consider FDI as an important channel for employment generation in the manufacturing industries in India. JEL Classification: F23; J23
Elections, Heterogeneity of Central Bankers and Inflationary Pressure: The case for staggered terms for the president and the central banker

This paper analyzes a signaling model of monetary policy when inflation targets are not set by the monetary authority. The most important implication of the model’s solution is that a higher ex-ante dispersion in central bankers’ preferences, referred to as heterogeneity in policy orientation, increases the signaling cost of commitment to inflation targets. The model allows for a comparison of two distinct institutional arrangements regarding the tenure in office of the central banker and the head of government. We find that staggered terms yield superior equilibria when opportunistic political business cycles can arise from presidential elections. This is a consequence of a reduction of information asymmetry about monetary policy and gives theoretic support to the observed practice of staggered terms among independent central banks
Optimal investment and consumption strategy for a retiree under stochastic force of mortality

With an increase in the self-driven retirement plans during past few decades, more and more retirees are managing their retirement portfolio on their own. Therefore, they need to know the optimal amount of consumption they can afford each year, and the optimal proportion of wealth they should invest in the financial market. In this project, we study the optimization strategy proposed by Delong and Chen (2016). Their model determines the optimal consumption and investment strategy for a retiree facing (1) a minimum lifetime consumption, (2) a stochastic force of mortality following a geometric Brownian motion process, (3) an annuity income, and (4) non-exponential discounting of future income. We use a modified version of the Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross (1985) model to capture the stochastic mortality intensity of the retiree and, subsequently, determine a new optimal consumption and investment strategy using their framework. We use an expansion method to solve the classic Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation by perturbing the non-exponential discounting parameter using partial differential equations.
Didactics and history of numerical series , 100 years after Ernesto Cesaro ’ s death ( 1906 ) :

In this paper, an historical example about numerical series is presented and its educational utility is investigated and discussed. Students’ behaviour is examined by a test and by some interviews (students aging 1618 years): we conclude that the problem of the passage from finite to infinite is mainly a cultural one, and historical issues are important in order to approach it, although the historical perspective can be considered together with other relevant approaches and viewpoints, e.g. R. Rorty’s “irony”.