Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioural Economics and House Prices: A Literature Review

This paper investigates previous research, to examine ways in which behavioural economics helps us to understand how house prices are determined. In several respects, behavioural economics seems to be an improvement over neoclassical economics, regarding variations and trends in house prices. This paper analyses theoretical and empirical evidence ¨C investigating topics such as loss aversion, house price bubbles, and herd behaviour. Historical perspectives (including the 2007/8 global financial crisis) are included, as well as differences between countries.
Values from using a user-centered methodology in a large organization - A project at Volvo Trucks

Firms of today develop innovative products and services to stay competitive on the fast paced marketplace. Although, large and heavy organization tend to make internal processes slow and resource demanding. To stay competitive, firms need to pick up on initiatives for process improvement and effectively implement those. Conventional methods for implementation of change within organizations have been proven to often fail due to unsustainable solutions. Several upcoming methodologies address issues of unsustainable solutions by focusing on capturing user knowledge to gain insights of the problems, while iterating solutions accordingly. In this thesis, a combination of the most acknowledged user-centric methodologies have been concluded in an attempt to effectively drive process improvement in a corporate setting and in order to overcome conventional problems of change in large organizations. A methodology, called CUT, was created and used by the researchers for this purpose. Through an action research, the CUT methodology was used to run an initiative for a process improvement at Volvo Trucks towards realization. The research presents several advantages with applying the CUT methodology, although three core advantages stood out the most. Firstly, the researchers experienced that users became highly engaged in the project, and tended show great support for the initiative. This effect tends to be difficult to obtain through more conventional methods. Secondly, acceptance amongst top management was relatively easy to gain, as iteration of user insight was aligned with the firm's vision and strategy. Further, with great support from users the importance of the initiative became more obvious. Thirdly, a much appreciated solution was created in a relative short amount of time, that is considered to be a result of the CUT methodology.
Tax Information Exchange with Developing Countries and Tax Havens

The exchange of tax information has received ample attention recently, due to a number of recent headlines on aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. Whilst both participating tax authorities will gain when foreign investments (FDI) are bilateral, we demonstrate that FDI receiving nations will lose in asymmetric situations. We solve a bargaining model that proves that tax information exchange will only happen voluntarily with compensation for this loss. We then present empirical evidence in a global panel and find that a tax information exchange agreement (TIEA) or a double tax treaty with information exchange (DTT) is more likely when the capital importer is compensated through official development assistence (ODA). We finally demonstrate how the foreign account tax compliance act (FATCA) and similar international initiatives bias the bargaining outcome in favour of capital exporting countries.
Histological and histochemical study of ductus deferens in Aseel and Vanaraja breeds of poultry

Aseel is an indigenous breed of poultry recognized for its majestic gait and cock fighting.Southern part of Chhattisgarh is its breeding tract. Vanaraja is a crossbreed being popularized by the Department of Animal Husbandary (C.G.) to improve the livelihood of tribal peoples.Ductus deferens is part of reproductive system which plays an important role in transportation of spermatozoa and fertilization. In the present study, 10 birds of two age group viz. 5 months (grower) and 13 months (adult) of each breed were used. Ductus deferens was collected,processed and sections were stained for demonstration of normal histological structure, collagen fibers, elastic fibers, reticular fibers, carbohydrates and mucopolysaccharides. The height of epithelium, height of mucosal folds at different segments, number of mucosal folds per transverse section, thickness of wall excluding mucosal folds, maximum and minimum diameter of ductus deferens was significantly higher in growers and adults of Vanaraja than Aseel. The density of connective tissue fibers, PAS activity and AB-PAS activity was higher in both groups of Vanaraja compared to Aseel.
The ecology of shell shape difference in chirally dimorphic snails

The Southeast-Asian tree snail subgenus Amphidromus s. str. (Gastropoda Pulmonata: Camaenidae) is unusual among all gastropods for its genetic antisymmetry: populations consist of stable mixtures of individuals with clockwise (dextral) and counterclockwise (sinistral) coiling directions. Although previous studies in A. inversus suggest that this genetic dimorphism is maintained by sexual selection, it cannot be ruled out that environmental factors also play a role. Adult shell shapes in A. inversus are known to show subtle differences between both coiling morphs, and it is known that in snails in general, shell shape is under environmental selection, thus creating the possibility that micro-niche use of both coiling morphs differs. In this paper, we first confirm that hatchlings also differ in shell shape. We then proceed with field studies to compare dextral and sinistral juveniles and adults for (i) direction and rate of dispersal within the vegetation and (ii) micro-niche occupation. However, we failed to detect any difference in both ecological traits. In addition to earlier data that show that there is no clustering of morphs in the field and that both morphs suffer identical predation pressure, these new data do not provide any evidence for a role for environmental factors in maintaining the coil dimorphism in this species.
Traffic Flow Prediction with Rainfall Impact Using a Deep Learning Method

Accurate traffic flow prediction is increasingly essential for successful traffic modeling, operation, and management. Traditional data driven traffic flow prediction approaches have largely assumed restrictive (shallow) model architectures and do not leverage the large amount of environmental data available. Inspired by deep learning methods with more complex model architectures and effective data mining capabilities, this paper introduces the deep belief network (DBN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) to predict urban traffic flow considering the impact of rainfall. The rainfall-integrated DBN and LSTM can learn the features of traffic flow under various rainfall scenarios. Experimental results indicate that, with the consideration of additional rainfall factor, the deep learning predictors have better accuracy than existing predictors and also yield improvements over the original deep learning models without rainfall input. Furthermore, the LSTM can outperform the DBN to capture the time series characteristics of traffic flow data.
Radio emission of SN1993J. The complete picture: II. Simultaneous fit of expansion and radio light curves

We report on a simultaneous modelling of the expansion and radio light curves of SN1993J. We have developed a simulation code capable of generating synthetic expansion and radio light curves of supernovae by taking into consideration the evolution of the expanding shock, magnetic fields, and relativistic electrons, as well as the finite sensitivity of the interferometric arrays used in the observations. Our software successfully fits all the available radio data of SN 1993J with an standard emission model for supernovae extended with some physical considerations, as an evolution in the opacity of the ejecta material, a radial drop of the magnetic fields inside the radiating region, and a changing radial density profile of the circumstellar medium beyond day 3100 after explosion.
Fundamentals Of Interactive Storytelling İnteraktif Hikayeciliğin Temelleri

The focus of interactive storytelling should not only be on the attributes of the technology or characteristics of the medium, such as the AI techniques, planning formalisms, story representations, etc. but also on the computer‐mediated communication processes, such as the relatedness of transmitted messages with previous exchanges of information, the number of attributes to be manipulated by the player, or the level of player control on the messages. This article argues that an approach to maximize player enjoyment in a computer game is to customize/personalize the gaming experience and the associated computer‐mediated communication processes. To this aim and to provide answers to “how” and “what” should be customized, first the problematic notions of interactivity are explored and then the discussion is framed in the context of interactive storytelling systems. Secondly, table‐top role‐playing games (RPGs) ‐ the live counterpart of computerized interactive storytelling systems – were analysed in an attempt to find “what” to customize. In particular, the article focuses on the Dungeon Master whose role in co‐ordinating human‐to‐human communication process of interactive storytelling provides valuable insights into how to handle the human‐ to‐machine/game communication process. Finally, the article proposes a framework to explain “how” to customize for maximum player enjoyment and optimal game experience within an interactive storytelling system.
Free Radical Scavenging Activities of Date Palm ( Phoenix sylvestris ) Fruit Extracts

Fruit of date palm (Phoenix sylvestris L.) is edible and used as an anti-geriatric, anti-oxidant ethnomedicine. In this study, three different types of date palm extracts, methanolic, acidic ethanolic and basic ethanolic were evaluated for their putative in vitro scavenging effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) where scavenging of hydroxyl radicals (basic ethanolic>acidic ethanolic>methanolic), superoxide radicals (acidic ethanolic>basic ethanolic>methanolic), DPPH radical (acidic ethanolic>methanolic>basic ethanolic), [nitric oxide (NO)] (methanolic>acidic ethanolic>basic ethanolic) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (basic ethanolic>acidic ethanolic> methanolic) were found to occur in a dose dependent manner. Their flavonoid and phenolic contents proved to be the source of this potent scavenging activity and showed a direct correlation with their total anti-oxidant capacity. On human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK) and murine RAW macrophages, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation, the date palm extracts applied therapeutically, inhibit intracellular oxidative stress significantly. This reinstatement of cellular homeostasis presumably occurs via mitochondrial pathways.
A New Approach to Face Recognition Based on Generalized Hough Transform and Local Image Descriptors

In this thesis a new approach to face recognition is presented. Face recognition is one of the most prolific research fields and also one of the most demanding. It is influenced not only by face-related attributes such as pose, position, scale, facial expression, accessories and physiognomy changes, but also by environmental factors like illumination, background, occluding objects, and, lastly, camera characteristics. The generalized Hough transform is improved so that it can find the image region that best matches the template face image. Its reference point and hit rate are later used to discriminate between faces. The transform takes into account not only the position of the points, but also the value of their corresponding descriptors, which are compared against one another using the matrix cosine similarity measure and contribute to the final score. The proposed method does not require any training data and it can be extended to object recognition. Moreover, it embeds not only the local structure of the face, represented by the local descriptors, but also the global shape of the face, captured by the generalized Hough transform and used later to discriminate between faces. The main advantage of the new method stems from the fact that image descriptors better embed features than do simple pixels. As descriptors have higher memory requirements, they are computed only for the most interesting points in an image based on the Canny-edge detector. Based on the locally adaptive regression kernels descriptor, a new descriptor,
Does Central Bank Tone Move Asset Prices?

We explore whether the tone of central bank communication matters for asset prices and find that tone changes have a significant effect on equity returns. Stock prices increase when tone becomes more positive and vice versa. Moreover, we find that positive tone changes are associated with increasing bond yields, lower implied equity volatility, lower variance risk premia, and lower credit spreads. Since we also show that tone changes are largely unrelated to current and future economic fundamentals, our results suggest that central bank tone matters for asset prices through a risk-based channel.
Multi-Period Mean-Variance Portfolio Selection with a Benchmark Process

Mean-variance portfolio selection with a benchmark process is to maximize the expected final surplus subject to a given variance or, minimize the variance of final surplus subject to a given expectation. We introduce the benchmark process and define the surplus process as the difference between a wealth process and the benchmark process. We derive the optimal portfolio and the mean-variance efficient frontier in closed form via investigating the discretetime version of the stochastic linear-quadratic control theory.
Do I walk or ride the rickshaw? Examining the factors affecting first- and last-mile trip options in the historic district of Manila (Philippines)

Historic urban centers (HUCs) such as the Ermita District in Manila display a compact, mixed, and human-scale urban form. Because of these features, people in these areas still depend on either walking or riding a pedicab (also known as cycle rickshaws) to reach their destinations. The latter mode, considered an informal non-motorized transport (NMT), is widely preferred by commuters as their first- and last-mile trip option to navigate the narrow street network of these historic districts. However, it is unclear what factors affect an individual’s first- and last-mile choices. Through a face-to-face intercept survey, respondents were asked about their relative preference between the two mode choices to capture the factors that influenced their decision to walk or to ride the pedicab within Ermita. By utilizing logit choice analysis, the study identified statistically significant mode-specific, as well as qualitative, variables that influenced individual decisions. The probability outcome showed that the most significant factors were access and/or egress time, cost over travel time, safety, and accessibility of the walking environment. It is also important to note that pedicab users had a longer average trip distance (about a kilometer) than walkers, and women, including those who were accompanied by children, preferred to use pedicabs. Results from this study can help district-level planning and policymaking in three ways: (1) by improving the physical environment through encouraging the use of NMT such as walking and pedicab riding as crucial first- and/or last-mile options for individuals in HUCs; (2) by aligning routes and regulations for pedicab services to be part of an overall transport service provision, and (3) by undertaking infrastructure improvements for safer walkway environments for pedestrians, considering the implications of walking and pedicab riding to individual, population-level health outcomes and overall quality of life.
Muscle Activity, and the Association between Core Strength, Core Endurance and Core Stability

Introduction: Core training is often divided into the training approaches core endurance-, core stability- and core strength training. The aim of the study was to compare the association between core strength, core endurance and core stability testing 52 healthy males and females. Methods: The core strength and endurance tests were tested isometric in hip flexion, extension and lateral flexion. The time maintaining the positions in the core endurance tests, maximal force output in the core strength tests and total displacement in the core stability tests were examined with electromyography measurement of the core muscles in randomized order. Results: There were no significant correlations between the variables core strength, core stability or core endurance (p = 0.102 – 0.965, r = 0.01 – 0.23), except for the endurance lateral flexion which correlated significantly with the core strength (extension and lateral flexion) and the core stability using the left leg (p = 0.001 – 0.048, r = 0.29 – 0.44). Generally, the muscle activity of the core muscle decreased from strength < endurance < stability tests, respectively. Conclusion: There were no systematic correlations between core endurance, core strength or core stability indicating that these capacities are largely independent from each other. Coaches, training instructors or physical therapists needs to address the core endurance, core strength and core stability as separate capacities and train them accordingly based on the aim of the training.
Long-term variations of the green coronal (530.3 nm) irradiance

There is growing evidence that solar variability influences the heliosphere, biosphere and Earth's climate. The solar variability finds its representation via a large number of phenomena and structures observed in the solar atmosphere. Changes in the green coronal irradiance over solar cycles are very pronounced and their long-term temporal behavior is in a good agreement with the corresponding variations of the solar magnetic flux, the latter being generally agreed to be the agent responsible for all aspects of solar activity. The green coronal irradiance index exhibits a very good correlation not only with other solar indices, e.g., the 2800 MHz radio flux, the X-ray flux and the total solar magnetic flux, but also with cosmic ray flux (in the inversion course). Measurements of the total magnetic flux and some "space-borne" indices have been available since 1978, or around this period. On the other hand, the green corona index has already been available since 1939. In the present work, a long-term pattern of the green coronal irradiance, as expressed in terms of the coronal index of solar activity (CI) and based on a homogeneous coronal data set, was compared with the corresponding behaviour of the number of sunspots, the 2800 MHz radio flux, the total magnetic flux and cosmic rays, and this comparison yielded a remarkable good correlation between these indices in the period between 1947-2004. Employing the correlation between the CI and sunspot numbers provides us with a unique tool to extrapolate the CI back to 1848, or even to the earlier years. The extended CI thus obtained is then compared with other similarly reconstructed solar indices. Cycle-to-cycle variations (17-23 cycles) of the CI are also discussed.
Prolactine effect on CD69 and CD154 expression by CD4+ cells from systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Objective The aim was to explore the role of prolactine (PRL) in the lymphocyte activation process in active and inactive systemic lupus erytematosous (SLE) patients in an in vitro model. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were isolated from SLE patients and healthy individuals. The mRNA for prolactine and its receptor, obtained by standard techniques with an appropriate primer, were subjected to PCR and visualised. The PBMC were cultured with: a) medium alone as a negative control, b) unspecific mitogen as a positive control (PMA-ionomycin for CD154 or concanavalin A for CD69), c) PRL alone, d) mitogen plus PRL, e) mitogen plus antibody anti-PRL (1:50) and f) mitogen plus an unrelated antibody. Then CD69 and CD154 were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Results Twelve inactive and 15 active SLE patients were studied. 25% of the active patients displayed hyperprolactinemia. Under basal conditions, CD69 expression was associated with disease activity. In contrast, CD154 did not show this association. The PBMNC activated in vitro were capable of producing and secreting prolactine as measured by mRNA and Nb2 assay. In the same way the mRNA for prolactine receptor was visualized. Cells from SLE patients cultivated with PRL alone did not display increased CD69 or CD154 expression. The addition of PRL to the unspecific stimulated culture did not have an additive effect. In contrast, the addition of antibodies against PRL, in order to block the autocrine prolactine, resulted in a striking reduction in CD69 and CD154 expression. Conclusions PRL is produced and secreted by the immune cell and acts just after the first trigger signal of activation in an autocrine way. The expression of CD69 and CD154 molecules depend partially on the prolactine.
Measurement and modelling of non-contact atomic force microscope cantilever properties from ultra-high vacuum to normal pressure conditions

The resonance frequency and Q-factor of cantilevers typically used for non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) are measured as a function of the ambient pressure varied from 10−8 mbar to normal pressure. The Q-factor is found to be almost constant up to a pressure in the range of 10−2–10−1 mbar and then decreases by about three orders of magnitude when increasing the pressure further to normal pressure. The decrease in the resonance frequency measured over the same pressure range amounts to less than 1% where a significant change is observed in the range of 10–103 mbar. The pressure dependence of the effective Q-factor and resonance frequency is approximated by analytical models accounting for different processes in the molecular and viscous flow regimes. By introducing a heuristic approach for describing the pressure dependence in the transition regime, we are able to well approximate the cantilever properties over the entire pressure range.
Optimisation of Environmental Factors on Oil Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Coastal Water and Sediments in Sri Lanka

Better understanding of the mechanisms of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms and effect of some environmental factors is critical for the optimisation of the bioremediation processes. Temperature, pH, nitrate and phosphate are the major factors that influence there mediation process of bacterium. In the present study, optimisations some selected physico-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, nitrate and phosphate) were carried out on Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter sp . and Enterobacter ludwigii which were previously isolated as potential oil degraders . The bacteria showed maximum degradation of crude oil at 33 o C where the desirable pH was 8.6 for all the isolates except E. ludwigii (pH 5.4). A significant degradation ( p < 0.05) of oil was detected by B. cereus (80% to 98%), Enterobacter sp. (73% to 90%) and E. ludwigii (70% to 83%) respectively with increasing of nitrate concentration from 0.1 to 2.5 ppm. Significant degradation of oil was not detected in the control and when bacteria were enriched with phosphate. Results of this study revealed that the bacterial remediation of oil is governed by nutritional status with special emphasis of nitrate enrichment in the environment. Thus, the results revealed that bacteria could be a useful tool to remove oil from the contaminated environment as eco-friendly, low cost application.