Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Barrier Options Pricing in Uncertain Financial Market

In modern finance market, the option pricing prob- lem is one of the most important contents. A barrier option is a derivative contract that is activated or extinguished when the price of the underlying asset passes a predetermined level. In this paper, pricing formulas for barrier options are defined in uncertain financial market and their pricing formulas con- cerning uncertain stock model are investigated.
One size does not fit all - towards a typology of knowledge-centric organisations

Organisations are increasingly turning their attention to the creation and use of knowledge as a strategic resource. Too often however, knowledge management initiatives fail to deliver the competitive advantage expected from a strategic resource. The knowledge management literature is characterised by frameworks for knowledge management implementation which tend to prescribe best-practice methods to a large range of companies. Although useful, a key weakness of these frameworks is their inability to account for contextual differences. Consequently many organisations attempt to apply a knowledge management framework that simply doesn’t fit the organisational context resulting in little or no benefit from their efforts. A shift in focus from best practice to best fit is necessary to account for the difference in organisational contexts. Systems thinking emphasises context as an important element in understanding a system, and five concepts from systems theory are used to define the criteria for establishing a best-fit approach. A social constructionist approach to the research further affords the opportunity to identify areas of significant variation in knowledge management context and practices within knowledge-centric organisations. A multi-method research strategy, comprising cluster analysis and case study research, is proposed to develop insight into the emergence of different configurations of knowledge management capabilities within different organisational contexts. The proposed conceptual framework forms the foundation for building a typology of knowledge-centric organisations which will enable organisations to choose the most appropriate approach to knowledge management based on their specific context which varies along the dimensions of their knowledge-orientation, knowledge management intent and knowledge management enactment.
The socio-cultural and political-economic causes of corruption: a cross-country analysis

This paper presents an empirical analysis about the economic-political and socialcultural factors that determine the perceived level corruption on a cross country basis. Regressing the Corruption Perception Index on the culture dimensions proposed by Hofstede and by Schwartz and on the social-economic variables such as the human development index, gini coefficient, openness index and political stability indicator, it is found a significant statistical relationship between cultural variables and perceived corruption as well as for the political and economic variables, of which development seems to be the most important factor. Also the cluster analysis shows that as the level of perceived corruption increases, the level of development and openness of countries decreases and the hierarchic, the collectivism and the conservative cultural characteristics tend to be more significant.
Transactions Costs and the Employment Contract in the US Economy

In this paper we adapt the model of MacLeod (2007) to provide one way to formally implement some of Williamson's ideas regarding the effect of transactions costs upon employment relationship. We then explore the empirical implications of this model with a data set that measures job characteristics using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), and merge this data set with the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID). We find that viewing the data through the lens of transactions costs economics provide a useful way to organize the data on compensation in the US labor market.
Voucher specimens for DNA sequences of Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Molecular approaches are increasingly used to help in species diagnostics. These approaches have been recently and successfully applied to assess some taxonomic questions within the mite family Phytoseiidae. However, many protocols for DNA extraction of such small specimens require crushing the entire sample, precluding deposition of the carcass as a museum voucher. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of a modified Qiagen DNeasy tissue kit extraction method to both extract enough DNA for performing PCR and DNA sequencing, and recover intact the adult female specimens for identification. Two types of biological material were studied for two species: 100 % alcohol preserved females and females mounted in lactic acid for four hours. All specimens were retrieved after DNA extraction and were mounted on slides. All the structures used for species identification were visible with a phase microscope. DNA was successfully extracted from all the specimens considered and fragments of CytB mtDNA of 426 bp were amplified and corresponded to those of the two species considered. The Qiagen DNeasy tissue kit extraction protocol thus permits to retrieve, prepare and identify mites for which DNA has been successfully extracted, whatever the material considered: alcohol preserved or lactic acid treated mites. This result is of major interest for future taxonomic studies of the family Phytoseiidae, as it will allow the assignment of morphological and molecular attributes to a same specimen.
Loughborough University Institutional Repository Replenishing deficient datasets in PV system monitoring

This paper presents a method to generate missing performance data based on interpolated environmental data and is evaluated by using real performance data from a reference system. Global horizontal irradiance and temperature data are obtained from meteorological stations across the country and then interpolated to the nearest point from the location of the PV system, applying the Kriging technique. The validity of the method is examined using real measurements of in-plane irradiance, ambient and module temperature and power output of a known and well-monitored system. Module temperature is calculated using a thermal model and power output is calculated using a mathematical model as a function of in-plane irradiance and module temperature. The measurements are provided from CREST Outdoor Monitoring System (COMS).
A DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY STUDY OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ISOTHIOCYANATES IN BROCCOLI SPROUTS (BRASSICA OLERACEA L.)

Antioxidant activity of 9 isothiocyanate derivatives (−N=C=S) extracted from Broccoli sprouts (Brassica oleracea L.) has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) – based computational methods. Through the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and single electron transfer (SET) mechanisms, three thermodynamic parameters including bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE), vertical ionization energy (IE), and vertical electron affinity (EA) were calculated in the gas phase using B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) model chemistry. As a result, the isothiocyanate (ITC) shows potential antioxidant activity via HAT mechanism. The most potential antioxidant is 3-isothiocyanato pro-1-en (3ITCP) with BDE(C−H) of 72.9 kcal/mol. The SET mechanism is not dominant in case of the studied ITCs. Moreover, the radicals formed H• removal had more reactive and less stable than the intial neutral compounds with lower IE, higher EA and ω.
Draft Visual servoing for autonomous landing of a multirotor UAS on a moving platform

In this paper, a method to control a small multi-rotor unmanned aerial system (UAS) while landing on a moving platform using image-based visual servoing (IBVS) is described. The landing scheme is based on positioning visual markers on a landing platform in the form of a detectable pattern. When the onboard camera detects the object pattern, the flight control algorithm will send visual-based servo-commands to align the multi-rotor with the targets. The main contribution is that proposed method is less computationally expensive as it uses color-based object detection applied to a geometric pattern instead of feature tracking algorithms. This method has the advantage that it does not demand calculating the distance to the objects (depth). The proposed method was tested in simulation using a quadcopter model in V-REP (Virtual Robotics Experimental Platform) working in parallel with Robot Operating System (ROS). Finally, this method was validated in series of real-time experiments with a quadcopter.
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF CdS NANOPARTICLES MODIFIED AT THE CHALCOGEN SITES AND LUMINESCENCE EFFECTS

In this work we report a theoretical study on the use of surface modifiers of CdS nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of incompletely coordinated asymmetric metal complexes with labile and strong ligands. The sulfur centers on the NP surface replace the weak labile ligands, while the strong organic ligands in the complex provide adequate molecular orbitals for the interaction with the NP. The metal complex used in this study (previously synthesized by this group) is aqua(2,2'-bipyridyl-N,N')(malonato-O,O')-copper(II) monohydrate, (CuBM). To help understand the optical changes in the modified NPs, a density functional theoretical study (DFT) of the NP surface was carried out at the DFT p-BP86/DN(*)//PM3 level of theory. The modified NPs are modeled by an elementary cell of cubic CdS with attached CuBM unit. One of the S atoms in the cube is bound to the Cu center in the CuBM moiety. The dangling bonds of sulfur atoms of the cluster representing the interface with atoms of the crystal lattice inside the NP were passivated with CH3 groups. The calculated molecular orbitals for this model cluster describe the new surface states of the CuBM-modified NP.
The effectiveness of wellness-based classroom guidance in elementary school settings: A pilot study

A three-session, wellness-based classroom guidance unit was developed based on the Indivisible Self wellness model and presented to 55 students in 5th grade. Participants completed the Five Factor Wellness Inventory, Elementary School Version, before and after the unit. Wellness scores were significantly and positively higher at post-testing for Total Wellness and three of five wellness factors addressed in the guidance sessions (Creative, Social, and Physical Self). Follow-up studies revealed that students with low wellness scores at pretest improved the most. Implications for elementary school counselors are discussed.
Summer dust aerosols detected from CALIPSO over the Tibetan Plateau

Summertime Tibetan dust aerosol plumes are detected from the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite. CALIPSO reveals that dust storms occur more frequently than previously found from Tibetan surface observations because few surface sites were available over remote northwestern Tibet due to high elevation and harsh climate. The Tibetan dust aerosol is characterized by column‐averaged volume depolarization and total volume color ratios around 21% and 0.83, respectively. The dust layers appear most frequently around 4–7 km above mean sea level. The volume depolarization ratio for about 90% of the dust particles is less than 10% at low altitudes (3–5 km), while only about 50% of the particles have a greater depolarization ratio at higher altitudes (7–10 km). The 4‐day back trajectory analyses show that these plumes probably originate from the nearby Taklamakan desert surface and accumulate over the northern slopes of the Tibetan Plateau. These dust outbreaks can affect the radiation balance of the atmosphere of Tibet because they both absorb and reflect solar radiation.
The distribution of primary cesarean section indication at a university hospital: ten-year experience and potential lessons to be taken to decrease cesarean section rates

Objective: Although cesarean section can be a life-saving practice for pregnant woman and fetus, great increase in the rates of cesarean section in the recent years has made its indications questionable. Primary cesarean section (PCS) is the main source of total cesarean section pool. In our study, we aimed to investigate the distributions of PCS indications and to determine the case characteristics of the groups. Methods: A full cohort of delivery room records for PCS carried out between January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2017 at the Hospital of Dokuz Eylül University was analyzed. PCS cases were separated into two groups as singleton and multiple pregnancies first, and then singleton pregnancies were separated into term-preterm and primiparous-multiparous groups for advanced sub-group analyses. Results: A total of 3284 PCS cases from a ten-year period were accessed. Of the cases, 263 (8.0%) were twin pregnancy, 11 (0.3%) were triplet pregnancy, and 3010 (92.7%) were singleton pregnancy. Of 494 (15.0%) preterm cases, 105 (21.3%) were in multiple pregnancy group and 389 (78.7%) were in the singleton pregnancy group. While dystocia (41.6%) was the most common indication among term cases, it was fetal distress (35.4%) among the preterm cases. When the cases were compared according to the parity, the rank and frequency of the indication were varying significantly. Dystocia (40.2%) was the most common indication among the primiparous cases while it was fetal distress (23.0%) among the multiparous cases. Conclusion: Dystocia, which is the greatest indication among PCS categories, is the hardest indication to standardize due to the fact that its diagnosis criteria are controversial and determining these criteria is very subjective. A different path should be followed for the solution of fetal distress issue since it is the most common indication in preterm labor cases. Breech presentations and the suspected macrosomic infant seem to be the first goal of the measures to be taken to decrease the need of cesarean section.
Assessing poverty, risk and vulnerability: a study on flooded households in rural Bangladesh

Flood is a common catastrophe in Bangladesh. This study aimed to examine the poverty, risk and vulnerability for flood hazards. A cross‐sectional household survey was carried out after 2 weeks of the flood in four districts in the year 2005. In total, 600 rural households were interviewed through a three‐stage stratified random sampling. A utilitarian approach was used to assess flood vulnerability and its components. A set of households' characteristics and shock (flood) variables were used as explanatory variables. The results showed that poverty and idiosyncratic flood risks are positively correlated and highly significant. Households with higher educated members, headed by a male and owners of a dwelling place have been found to be less vulnerable to idiosyncratic flood risk. Possession of arable land and a small family size can reduce poverty and the aggregate flood risk.
Strings in Background Fields and Nonassociative Geometry

In this master thesis some aspects of the behavior of bosonic strings in the presence of background fields are studied. The main focus will be the implications on the geometry of the target space manifold and the structure of the associated conformal field theory (CFT). At first we review the consequences of quantum consistency of the theory in a geometric manner, explaining the equations which govern viable string backgrounds. We discuss Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) models and the underlying two dimensional CFT. The effect of T -duality transformations on background fields will be explained and the resulting geometries illustrated. Then we review open bosonic string theory in the presence of a constant Kalb-Ramond field and elaborate on the emerging noncommutative geometry on D-branes by discussing the so-called Moyal star-product and CFT correlations functions. The main part of the thesis will be the discussion of closed bosonic strings with a constant H-flux at O(H) respectively R-flux, which is the background suggested after performing three formal T -dualities. We develop the CFT by determining the algebra of holomorphic currents using conformal perturbation theory and compute tachyon correlation functions. The crucial observation is that whereas the H-flux has a rather weak impact on the theory, the R-flux gives rise to a noncommutative and nonassociative target space geometry. We conclude by identifying the origin of the nonassociativity in the CFT and by constructing an N -ary product for functions on the spacetime associated to the R-flux capturing the structure of the CFT correlation functions.
Effects of ascertainment bias when testing for polled in Australian beef cattle

During pre-commercialisation validation of a marker test for polledncss in beef cattle, hundreds of animals have been tested. Breeders selected which animals to test, and in the Lirnousin breed, animals were predominantly polled. This ascertainment bias affects the estimates of polled haplotype frequencies obtained using these data. In Limousin, an allele that appears to be commonly associated with horns in the wider population appears to be frequently associated with polled in the animals submitted for testing. This allele is also conunon in Angus, and the use of Angus as base cows in the grading up process may have resulted in polled alleles segregating that arc of Angus origin, in addition to polled alleles originating in purebred Limousin.
Length-weight relationship and condition factor of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fed farm-made and commercial tilapia diet

The length-weight relationship and condition factor are important parameters for assessing the growthpattern, health and general well-being of fish. The length-weight relationship and condition factor of Oreochromis niloticus fed with farm-made tilapia diet (ARDECFEED), developed by the Aquaculture Research and Development Centre (ARDEC), Akosombo, Ghana and those of two commercial ones (RAANAN and COPPENS) in hapa-in-pond system for 140 days were investigated. The value of the regression co-efficient b obtained for the length-weight relationships suggests an isometric growth of the cultured fish in all the dietary treatments. The condition factor computed for O. niloticus in the dietary treatments were 2.01, 1.39 and 1.48 for ARDECFEED, RAANAN and COPPENS respectively. The cultured fish fed both the farm-made and commercial diets were in good condition and healthy. Hence, all the diets will be suitable for commercial production of O. niloticus.
Analysis of aerodynamic measurements on a model wind turbine placed in the NASA-Ames tunnel

In this report the most important contributions of ECN and DUT to IEA Wind Task XX are summarized. IEA Wind Task XX is an international cooperation between several parties from 7 countries coordinated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL from the USA. The main aim of IEA Wind Task XX is to analyze the detailed aerodynamic measurements which were performed by NREL on a wind turbine placed in the large (24.4 x 36.6 m) NASAAmes wind tunnel.
Full-spectrum noise prediction of the high-speed train head under multi-physics coupling excitations based on statistical energy analysis

The force between wheels and rails of the high-speed train was firstly extracted and applied into the computational model of radiation noises of wheels and rail respectively. As a result, the radiation noise of wheels and rails was obtained. As can be seen from the result, radiation noises of wheels had an obvious directivity on the body surface, while radiation noises of rails had an obvious periodicity on the body surface. With the increase of the analyzed frequency, both directivity and periodicity were shown more obviously. Then the aerodynamic model of the high-speed train was established, and the pressure and velocity distributions on the train surface were computed. The maximum pressure was at the tip of the nose of the high-speed train, the maximum velocity was at the transition of the cabin, and more serious eddy was in the rear of the high speed train. Based on the computed pressure distribution, the aerodynamic noise was distributed evenly on the entire body surface, which was gradually increased with the increasing analyzed frequency. Finally, the wheel radiation noise, rail radiation noise and aerodynamic noise were extracted as excitations and applied into the SEA (Statistical Energy Analysis) model of the high-speed train, in order to compute its full-spectrum noise under multi-physics coupling excitations. The computational result was compared with the experimental result. It was presented that the difference of average sound pressure level (SPL) was 2.8 dB between the experimental and numerical simulations within the entire analytical frequency band. The SEA model with considering the multi-physics coupling was effective.
CRYSTAL-BASED COLLIMATION IN MODERN HADRON COLLIDERS

The use of bent crystals for beam manipulations in particle accelerators or in external beam-lines is an old concept, still under scrutiny. In the last three decades, the knowledge on the features of crystal-particle interaction has been continuously growing on the basis of a large number of experimental findings. In all cases, the results of measurements have been found in agreement and, sometimes, have been anticipated by numerical models and simulations. Bent crystals can impart angular deviations to the incoming particles, through channelling or volume reflection mechanisms. The efficiency of the latter mechanism has been found to be intrinsically large, whilst the channelling efficiency has been improved by the increased technological expertise in crystal cutting and bending. In this paper we review the recent milestones of the worldwide effort to propose a routine use of bent crystal in particle accelerators, with a specific attention to the proposals of promoting the use of bent crystals as primary.
Pension Fund Investment: Which Factors Determine the Investment Policy of Dutch Pension Funds?

This paper investigates which factors determine the strategic risk exposure of Dutch pension funds. In contrast to previous research, the complete spectrum of risky assets is included, resulting in a model that accounts for a pension fund’s investment in equity, private equity, hedge funds, commodities and various other types of risky alternative assets. The main findings include evidence of the use of lifecycle investment theory in Dutch pension funds, as well as a relationship between pension funds size, generosity and plan type to the degree of strategic risk exposure. Contrary to previous research, no relationship is observed between a plan’s funding ratio and its strategic asset allocation.
Rule-Knowledge Based Algorithm for Event Extraction

The amount of electronic data being produced and communicated online is rapidly increasing. Most of these electronic documents contain lot of important & interesting information in unstructured format. Various approaches are used in the literature to automate the process of event extraction so as to conserve time and effort. This paper proposes an algorithm to automate the task of information extraction. We demonstrate that machine learning can be used for extracting event from the unstructured text such as dates places and subject of interest.
Production of Rhenium by Transmuting Tungsten Metal in Fast Reactors with Moderator

The feasibility of rhenium (Re) production by irradiating tungsten (W) metal in a medium size fast reactor was evaluated by using a Monte Carlo code. The fast reactor can produce about 50 kilograms of Re per every 3 years, which corresponds 10% of Japanese domestic production. The specific activity of Re can be reduced below the exemption level or even the natural Re level if W and osmium is separated after the irradiation. The use of ZrD1.7 moderator reduces the specific activity by half compared to that of ZrH1.7 case, and even the no moderator case is permissible to produce the production of Re which has lower specific reactivity than that of natural Re.