Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of how Ride-Hailing services affect individual's travel mode choice in urban transportation

BACKGROUN AND OBJECTIVES: Ride-hailing is a term to describe booking rides and paying for car services through a smartphone app with a Transportation Network Company. As an innovation in the ride-hailing investigation in Iran, this paper is sought to analyze the influence of individual's demographic characteristics on their travel mode choice between ride-hailing, traditional taxi and private car. For this purpose, questionnaires in six different statuses have been designed, and 414 questionnaires have been completed in 22 districts of Tehran metropolitan region. METHODS: To check the utility of choosing private car and traditional taxi compared to ride-hailing, on short, medium, and, long travel distances with commuting and non-commuting purposes in the peak hours of morning and evening, the six multinomial logit models have been done by considering the ride-hailing option as reference alternative, and the private car and traditional taxi options as the first and second ` FINDING:Initially, six logit models were generated, which fitted models are all appropriate. All of the variables used in these models in choosing private car or traditional taxis compared to ride-hailing in different models were statistically significance. But, gender, household dimension, and individuals' educational level didn’t affect the individual's choice. CONCLUSION: The results showed that ride-hailing is more acceptable to younger people, and high-income people attract more to it. Therefore, ride-hailing services can be considered as a wealthy phenomenon and for the young generation. In addition, given the 67% response of individuals incline to use ride-hailing services in a shared way, because of the interest of individuals to use this mode of travel due to its lower cost in some situations, which can be considered as a separate mode of transportation.
Price Formation in Stock Markets Using Fundamental Analysis

This paper describes a model to make predictions of asset prices. It focuses on stocks in the New York Stock exchange, though the methods presented in this paper apply directly to any stock traded world wide. The ﬁnal model has two parallel networks. One LSTM that considers the price history of a given asset as an input in a daily time domain along with potentially correlated assets such as gold, forex pairs, and oil. A second parallel LSTM with input of the asset’s ﬁnancial status at less discrete quarterly intervals is also trained. The concatenated outputs of these two LSTMs are used to make predictions on the characteristics of an assset’s price features for the next day. The model achieves superior results compared to using a lagged linear regression with the timeseries data.
Development of supramolecular liquid-crystalline polyurethane complexes exhibiting triple-shape functionality using a one-step programming process

Supramolecular liquid crystalline polymers and shape memory polymers are attracting increasing interest as materials. In this paper, we describe the development of a supramolecular liquid crystalline shape memory polyurethane (SLCSMPU) complex that exhibits both liquid crystalline properties and shape memory properties. The complex is formed by incorporating 4-hexadecyloxybenzoic acid (HOBA) into a pyridine-containing shape memory polyurethane (PySMPU). The HOBA is tethered to the PySMPU by strong hydrogen bonding between the pyridine rings and the COOH of the HOBA, forming a SLCSMPU complex. Heat treatment plays an important role in the formation of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular liquid crystalline structures in these SLCSMPU complexes. Thus, the SLCSMPU complex not only maintains the intrinsic liquid-crystalline properties of HOBA, but can also form a stable polymeric film for various shape memory applications. Additionally, the SLCSMPU complex forms a two-phase separated structure composed of an amorphous polyurethane matrix and a HOBA crystalline phase, which includes the hydrogen-bonded crystalline HOBA phase and the free HOBA crystalline phase. Therefore, a simple one-step programming process is developed that produces SLCSMPU complexes with excited triple-shape functionalities due to their multiple phase transitions, especially when the molar ratio of HOBA/BINA is less than 0.8.
Economic methodology: a bibliometric perspective

ABSTRACT Using tools from social network analysis, we study citation patterns since the early 1990s in the two most important journals in economic methodology (aka philosophy of economics). We mostly focus on assessing four historical claims in the existing interpretive literature. In agreement with the literature, we find that (1) it is sensible to split the field along three dimensions (corresponding to action theory, ethics and philosophy of science) and that (2) the interest for general philosophical questions (known as Big M) has steadily declined. Contra the literature, we find that (3) there is no move away from heterodox economics in the main journals: no significant interest was present to begin with. Finally, we update the literature regarding an alleged move toward the study of mainstream pluralism: (4) although this direction describes well the early 2000s, the field in the 2010s is better characterized as mainly fascinated by behavioral economics.
Mathematical Modelling of Ceramic Block Heat Transfer Properties

There are many methods for estimation of heat transfer properties for building materials. It is clear, that it is impossible to replace the experimental methods for determination of heat conductivity for basic materials. Experiments carried out show that heat conductivity of each particular material is dependent on different factors that could not be easily calculated. One of the possible alternatives to experimental methods is use of mathematical modelling in case when heat conductivity of basic materials is experimentally measured and building structure is combined of such materials or only geometry of macroscopic domains is changed in material. The advantages of this method are as follows: low cost since no experimental equipment is needed; ability to virtually modify the structure of the material for maximizing its performance efficiency for a given task; and capability to handle geometrically complex materials when no explicit analytical approach is applicable. This research is developed to reveal dependences of heat conductivity of ceramic building materials from clay mineralogical composition, porosity, structure of geometrical cavities and influence of different heat transfer mechanisms and moisture for ceramic building materials with different macroscopic air domains and different filling materials.
Use of Renewable Energy Sources for Energy Generation in Rural Areas in the Island of Crete, Greece

Use of renewable energies in rural areas in the island of Crete, Greece has been investigated. Crete has rich indigenous renewable energy resources which are currently utilized for covering part of its energy requirements. Various renewable energy technologies used for heat and electricity generation in the island have been examined. Solar energy, wind energy, hydro power, biomass, and low enthalpy geothermal energy are already used. The total installed electric power of renewable energies in Crete, located mostly in rural areas, is approximately at 30% of the total electric power installed. They currently generate more than 20% of the island’s annual electricity needs. More renewable energy applications are foreseen in the future in rural areas in Crete as soon as its electric grid will be interconnected with the country’s continental grid. New renewable energy technologies, which are not currently used, could generate in the future heat, cooling, electricity, and vehicle’s fuels in the island. Their use will have positive impacts including the promotion of energy investments, lower use of imported and polluting fossil fuels, de-carbonization of the island’s energy sector as well as creation of new local jobs. It is indicated that the rich renewable energy resources in Crete could provide almost all of its annual energy needs. This will result in Crete’s transformation to a low or zero carbon economy in accordance with EU targets for zero carbon emissions in the next decades complying with the global goal for climate change mitigation.
Multi-Robot Deep Reinforcement Learning via Hierarchically Integrated Models

Deep reinforcement learning algorithms require large and diverse datasets in order to learn successful perception-based control policies. However, gathering such datasets with a single robot can be prohibitively expensive. In contrast, collecting data with multiple platforms with possibly different dynamics is a more scalable approach to large-scale data collection. But how can deep reinforcement learning algorithms leverage these dynamically heterogeneous datasets? In this work, we propose a deep reinforcement learning algorithm with hierarchically integrated models (HInt). At training time, HInt learns separate perception and dynamics models, and at test time, HInt integrates the two models in a hierarchical manner and plans actions with the integrated model. This method of planning with hierarchically integrated models allows the algorithm to train on datasets gathered by a variety of different platforms, while respecting the physical capabilities of the deployment robot at test time. Our simulated and real world navigation experiments show that HInt outperforms conventional hierarchical policies and single-source approaches.
Adsorption of vapor at a solid interface: a molecular model of clay wetting

A molecular description of the clay-water interface is used to simulate the adsorption of water on a solid surface. Grand canonical ensemble and isobaric-isothermal ensemble Monte Carlo simulations are used to describe the organization of the film of liquid water molecules adsorbed on a clay surface. This treatment allows predictions of the wettability of the mineral surface as a function of its charge density and the chemical nature of its different atomic components
THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE NIGERIA TAX

This paper examines the productivity of the Nigeria tax system using a time series data of 20 years. All the data for the analysis was collected from central bank statistical bulletin and federal inland revenue service annually reports. The data was decomposed. The study uses tax elasticity and buoyancy approach. Regression in Minitab statistical soft ware was use. The study finds a linear relationship between tax base and tax revenue and also reveals that VAT is the most buoyant of all source. The study makes recommendation which is useful in tax policy formation.
Estimating managErial transaction costs on dairy farms in thE

To track changes in managerial transaction costs (MTC) on dairy corporate farms located in the Moscow oblast of Russia, the paper develops an estimator of such costs per unit of output. The estimator uses farm-level data on inputs, outputs and prices. The estimations are done using a non-parametric production frontier model. The estimates are consistent with theoretical predictions: improving allocative efficiency is achieved at the cost of growing dynamics of MTC, while within a cross section this correspondence is opposite; larger farms, as well as farms achieving higher technical efficiency, face higher MTC. In 2005–2007 the growth of MTC is likely to be driven by negative institutional changes, because no positive changes in the allocative efficiency is revealed during this period.
Asynchronous Video-Based Discussion for the Enhancement of Intercultural Competence among Vietnamese non-English Majors

Aiming for the assessment and development of intercultural competence (IC) in recipients of tertiary education, this research incorporates the usage of Flipgrid, a type of video discussion platform by which we facilitated an online intercultural exchange program among Vietnamese, Azerbaijani, and Chilean non-English major students. Our data collection focuses on Vietnamese students. Tools include questionnaire surveys based on the INCA framework (Byram, 2008) as a quantitative method and in-depth interviews based on those of Fantini and Tirmizi (2006) and Straffon (2003) as a qualitative method. Furthermore, we chose Flipgrid videos for data in our case studies; respondents were already familiar with this platform from the interactive components of our study. Our findings illustrate that the number of students who can develop a system of principles and then refer to them in almost any intercultural encounter is low; this appears to result from the limited scope of the main topic of the intercultural exchange, i.e., the sharing of native language (L1) proverbs in various situations. However, most participants fully respected the beliefs, values, and behavior of peers from other countries as a result of having put themselves in others' positions to understand all aspects of L1-proverb-based discussion. This openness helped Vietnamese students to view the uncertainties arising from intercultural communications as interesting challenges and they resorted to using gestures, paraphrasing, or simplifying their speech, etc., as a way out of difficulty. Moreover, in their comprehensive interview videos, they stated that exposure to accents different from those of their own country had improved their English listening skills, thereby contributing to the interpretation of intercultural experience from the perspectives of both one's own and one's faraway peers' worldviews.
AFFECT OF GUIDE TREES ON MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT

— In this paper we are proving that in context to the multiple sequence alignment formation of guide tree is an important step. Most MSA tools use guide trees to do alignment of multiple sequences. Here we have implemented an algorithm that generates guide trees given some sequences. These user generated guide trees are then used to do multiple sequence alignment to study the impact of guide trees on MSA against already existing MSA tools. We observe that better guide trees can result in better alignment with improved accuracy.
Hybrid Reality in the Internet of Things as an Environment for Transferring Knowledge

The paper presents features and applications of hybrid reality technology and the Internet of Things. The analysed thesis states that such a solution is a favourable environment for the dissemination of knowledge through the concept of interaction of objects of postulated environment with the theoretical model of knowledge objects. The article discusses an initial version of the potential information system method. The method, in the form of a mathematical formula, makes it possible to evaluate objects in the postulated space. The article presents the case study implementing a similar environment in the service of advanced industrial equipment. The results of the analysis indicate a high potential of the postulated solution, which requires further refinement and research. At the same time, the practice of the implementation case points to technological and organisational threats which should be neutralised to ensure a high probability of the project’s success.
Media experience elicited by print and tablet news: A psychophysiological investigation

In this study we compare the media experience elicited by digital and print news reading. The study was conducted as part of a larger project whose focus is on modeling and analysis of media experience. Media experience is a multidimensional and complex concept that can be represented and analyzed at three main levels: (1) meta-level that refers to the societal situation in which media products are used and developed; (2) macro-level that refers to the social interaction between people that is enabled by the use of media; and (3) micro-level that refers to the experience of individuals with media and to the characteristics of the media artifacts (Helle et al. 2011). The present study focuses on the micro-level and for measuring the individual experiences with media we have used self-report (questionnaire) and physiological measurements. Next Media – Generic Research MX D1.0. 2.1 2 We have carried out a number of experiments in 2012 during February, March and April in a laboratory setting where the stimulus material was the Finland’s leading national newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat. During the experiment the participants were reading the current issue of the newspaper in a natural way, in two browsing sessions, one on a digital tablet and the other on the traditional print medium. The main findings of the empirical study are that associations between physiological responses such as EEG activity, facial electromyography and EDA on the one hand and psychological constructs such as attention, arousal and valence on the other hand hold also when these measurements are recorded during a less structured task such as the free reading of a newspaper. Moreover, we found that selected self-report measures of media experience such as familiarity, interestingness, hierarchy, interactivity are associated with more objective measures that are recorded during physiological data collection. Last but not least, we observed that there are differences in physiological responses when reading from a digital versus a print medium.
Photocatalytic oxidation of dihydropyrimidinones using titanium dioxide suspension

Photocatalytic oxidation has been used for the oxidation of some ethyl 3,4-dihydropyrimidin2(1H)-one-5-carboxylates to their corresponding ethyl pyrimidin-2(1H)-one-5-carboxylates using a TiO2/O2 system under UV irradiation by a 400 W high pressure mercury lamp in acetonitrile. The results revealed that the order of photocatalytic activity for photooxidation was TiO2 (anatase) > TiO2 (rutile). The effects of some other physicochemical parameters such as amount of photocatalyst, pH, solvent and time of irradiation were studied. The pyrimidinones were attained from the related dihydropyrimidinones after 2-4.5 h. The results showed the photo stability of this type of compound.
A Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence Study of Turbulent Flame Kernel Growth and Fractal Characteristics

Abstract Planar laser induced fluorescence from the hydroxyl radical in spark-ignited, freely propagating turbulent flame kernels of methane/air mixtures has been used to study the early growth rate under varying turbulence conditions and mixture stoichiometry and to determine the inner cutoff of the fractal Hame surfaces. Methane/air mixtures were spark-ignited in a vertical wind tunnel and expanding turbulent Hame kernels were studied in a grid-generated decaying isotropic turbulent flow. The cold flow turbulence structure was determined by laser Doppler anemometry. An extensive use of the computational image processing and analysis techniques has been made to determine the kernel sizes and the fractal characteristics. Inner cutoff values of the self similarity of the flame surfaces representing the smallest scale of the flame wrinkling have been measured to be 20-30 times larger than the flame thickness and 13-15 times larger than the Kolmogorov length scale. Results suggest that the laminar flames are.
Multispecies Models Relevant to Management of Living Resources Preface

Scientific quality is undoubtedly the most im portant aspect of a contribution to a symposium, but the value of a contribution is also greatly heightened by a vivid and stirring presentation, and the discussion it stimulates. In order to underline the importance of the la tter in com­ municating scientific results, it was decided to give awards for the “best presentations” . On the basis of a plenary vote, the awards were presented to H. Gislason (paper) and to M. Tasker, R. Furness, M. H arris, and R. S. Bailey (poster) for their excellent use of audio­ visual aids. The Co-conveners would like to express their grati­ tude to J. Harwood (U K ), A . Laurec (France), J. G. Pope (U K ), and H . Sparholt (D enm ark), who put great effort into the organization of the Symposium as m em ­ bers o f the Steering Comm ittee. In addition, they would like to thank the referees of the papers selected for publication for their invaluable contribution and ex­ pertise in formulating many suggestions for improve­ ment. It seems only appropriate tha t the nam es of these scientists be listed here: R. S. Bailey, N. J. Bax, W. Brugge, S. Clark, E. B. Cohen, W. D ekker, W. Gabriel, S. Garcia, H. Gislason, J. G ulland, T. H elgason, J. R. G. Hislop, M. H olden, E. H oude, G. R. Lilly, J. McGlade, G. Magnusson, R. Marasco, B. M. van der M eer, S. Mehl, B. Mesnil, S. A . Murawski, W. J. Overholtz, O. K. Pâlsson, D. Pauly, E. K. Pikitch, J. G. Pope, J. E. Powers, J. C. Rice, A. R osenberg, B. J. Rothschild, K. J. Sainsbury, F. M. Serchuk, T. Smith, H. Sparholt, W. Stobo, K. J. Sullivan, and C. Tucker.
Physiological responses of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) to plant growth regulators and salinity stress

Salinity of soil is a major abiotic stress limiting the crop production and growth of peppermint. The aim of study was assessment the plant growth regulators efficacy (salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), brassinosteroids (BRs), and non-application of hormone as control) on physiological traits of peppermint under salinity stress (0, 30, and 60 mM). The experiment was conducted using the completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications at a greenhouse in Varamin city, Iran. Results indicated that the salinity stress caused an increase in malondialdehyde and proline contents, activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes, and essential oil content while decreased total chlorophyll content and menthol percentage. In 60 mM salinity, we observed 20.10% decreases of total chlorophyll compared to the control treatment (free salinity). In the interaction effects of salinity and spraying, the highest MDA content was related to the non-application of plant growth regulators under 60 mM salinity (13.8 mol/g FW) and the lowest was the foliar application of SA under free salinity conditions (5.35 mol/g FW). The highest proline content was observed in the non-application of plant growth regulators under high level of salinity (60 mM) by 7.68 µmol/g FW, which had an increase of 73.5% compared to the control treatment. Finally, the application of growth regulators under salinity stress moderated the negative effects of salinity stress by increasing the synthesis of malondialdehyde, proline, and antioxidant enzymes.
Structural and dynamical properties of polyethylenimine in explicit water at different protonation states: a molecular dynamics study

PEI is a pH sensitive polymer which acts as a proton sponge in acidic conditions. Despite many experimental and theoretical efforts, a fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of linear PEI chains on the atomistic level at different protonation states in dilute solutions remains a topic of discussion. This report analyses the structural properties of PEI at different protonation states, which are representative of different pH, using all atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. The structural properties revealed that the polymer at high pH (basic medium) is highly coiled, while at low pH (strong acidic conditions) the chains are elongated. We studied the dynamics and ordering of water molecules that are part of the solvation shells of the PEI chains at different protonation states. We observe that the water molecules are ordered along the polymer backbone for a completely protonated PEI chain (i.e. in the case of acidic pH) and hop to the neighbouring solvation shell. The residence time and the self-diffusion of water molecules in the solvation shells and their activation barriers were also calculated and analysed further. We concluded the study by correlating the solvation shell water dynamics and the structure of the PEI chain at different protonation states.