Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONTINUOUS-TIME MEAN–VARIANCE OPTIMIZATION FOR DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PENSION FUNDS WITH REGIME-SWITCHING

Using mean–variance (MV) criterion, this paper investigates a continuous-time defined contribution (DC) pension fund investment problem. The framework is constructed under a Markovian regime-switching market consisting of one bank account and multiple risky assets. The prices of the risky assets are governed by geometric Brownian motion while the accumulative contribution evolves according to a Brownian motion with drift and their correlation is considered. The market state is modeled by a Markovian chain and the random regime-switching is assumed to be independent of the underlying Brownian motions. The incorporation of the stochastic accumulative contribution and the correlations between the contribution and the prices of risky assets makes our problem harder to tackle. Luckily, based on appropriate Riccati-type equations and using the techniques of Lagrange multiplier and stochastic linear quadratic control, we derive the explicit expressions of the optimal strategy and efficient frontier. Further, two special cases with no contribution and no regime-switching, respectively, are discussed and the corresponding results are consistent with those results of Zhou & Yin [(2003) Markowitz’s mean-variance portfolio selection with regime switching: A continuous-time model, SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization 42 (4), 1466–1482] and Zhou & Li [(2000) Continuous-time mean-variance portfolio selection: A stochastic LQ framework, Applied Mathematics and Optimization 42 (1), 19–33]. Finally, some numerical analyses based on real data from the American market are provided to illustrate the property of the optimal strategy and the effects of model parameters on the efficient frontier, which sheds light on our theoretical results.
Multiscale Effects of Photochemical Shrinkage in Direct Laser Writing

Material shrinkage commonly occurs in additive manufacturing during the phase transition of the printed material from liquid to solid. A sequential phase change, as present in three-dimensional (3D) printing, can cause incompatible residual strains in the material that lead to deformations and residual stresses in fabricated parts. These, usually undesired, effects are present in most 3D printing processes and can cause significant losses in structural integrity. In this thesis, the effects of photochemical shrinkage in Direct Laser Writing (DLW), a microscale 3D printing technology that utilizes two-photon polymerization, are investigated. The shrinkage that occurs in laser written lines during solidification of the material is experimentally characterized. Based on the shrinkage measurements, a semi-empirical finite element model is introduced to capture the interaction of distinct lines and determine the resulting deformations in laser written sheets. The simulation results are used to train a neural network that predicts sheet deformations in dependence of the underlying laser trajectories. Considering the complete fabrication process, the effective forces that are present during sample development and rinsing are identified and measured. An analytical model to determine the resulting bending behavior in multi-layer laser written sheets is derived and applied to demonstrate how photochemical shrinkage can be utilized for creating shape-morphing structures. Such structures that change their shape in response to external stimuli unfold new possibilities for more efficient and versatile production of 3D objects.
Code merging analysis for different procedure types

This paper presents the results of a research on code merging in a specific development environment. The research data was collected during a timeframe of 5 years of software development and maintenance. Four different software products were monitored. During that time 49.572 procedure mergings occurred and 498 of them were recognized as conflicts. A merge conflict occurs when two programmers make changes at the same time on the same source code block (procedure or program module, for example) and then try to merge their changes into a central server repository. In this paper merge conflicts, source code merging and their relationship with procedure types were analyzed. The collected data is organized according to the procedure type. The research goal was to establish if there is a connection between merge conflicts and procedure types and to analyze the differences in code merging for different procedure types.
Intellectual Capital Development: The Black Gold of Modern Organisation

Stretching and engaging the mind of the human resource within the organization for the sole aim of growth and profitability has birthed a high level of Intellectual capital development. The avoidance of organisational knowledge drain has also give the rise to philosophy supporting knowledge management structures in the organization and the value placement on intellectual capital development as an endowment has led to a growing interest in modern organisations as intellectual knowledge is built, shaped and blended to benefit the workforce. A basic understanding of the intellectual capital flow allows for leveraging of intellect as an asset. To this end, this paper considers intellectual capital development as a source of generated knowledge which is considered a black gold of modern organisation. Keywords : Intellectual, Capital, Development, Black, Gold, Modern, Organisation DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-14-07 Publication date :May 31 st 2019
Craving in Opioid Use Disorder: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health issue that has reached epidemic levels in some parts of the world. It is a chronic and complex neurobiological disease associated with frequent relapse to drug taking. Craving, defined as an overwhelmingly strong desire or need to use a drug, is a central component of OUD and other substance use disorders. In this review, we describe the neurobiological and neuroendocrine pathways that underpin craving in OUD and also focus on the importance of assessing and treating craving in clinical practice. Craving is strongly associated with patients returning to opioid misuse and is therefore an important treatment target to reduce the risk of relapse and improve patients’ quality of life. Opioid agonist therapies (OAT), such as buprenorphine and methadone, can significantly reduce craving and relapse risk, and it is essential that patients are treated optimally with these therapies. There is also evidence to support the benefits of non-pharmacological approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions, as supplementary treatments to opioid agonist therapies. However, despite the positive impact of these treatments on craving, many OUD patients continue to suffer with negative affect and dysphoria. There is a clear need for further studies to progress our understanding of the neurobiological basis of craving and addiction and to identify novel therapeutic strategies as well as to optimize the use of existing treatments to improve outcomes for the growing numbers of patients affected by OUD.
Casino Resorts as Micro-Para-Statal Areas in the GMSR: Connectivity and Economic Development

Several types of para-statal areas exist in different parts of the Greater Mekong subregion (GMSR). These are areas in which different versions of the rule of law apply than in normal parts of the country. Para-statal areas can be formal in nature, as in the case of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that are used to help propel nations along the trajectory of the Factory Asia paradigm. Other para-statal areas are informal in nature and represent territories where the rule of law is partially or wholly-imposed by non-state actors. These range from areas in Myanmar where insurgent ethnic minority groups have established autonomous zones, to areas in Laos where Chinese capital has been used to create areas of cowboy capitalism, where the rule of law is enforced by the owners of capital, usually in collusion with representatives of the state, who benefit personally as a result. There are no examples of the latter form of para-statal area offering better workpace safety conditions or labour relations more generally. On the contrary, workers are generally subject to exploitative conditions with little guarantee of receiving due reward for their labour and no rights to collective bargaining or freedom of association. This is generally true of the casino resort micro-para-statal areas of the GMSR that are mostly located on the borders of Thailand with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, as well as special resorts created for Chinese visitors to Vietnam. Casinos offer employment but few good jobs and a significant proportion of those jobs are associated with indecent work. Only croupier work is valued. Most jobs are low-paid, low-skilled service sector jobs with little security or career paths. They are also often associated with drug smuggling and usage, sex work of various categories and money laundering. This does not necessarily mean that the lives of workers in resorts are materially worse than all other workers in formal sector SEZs, as the recent protests by female Cambodian
Data craft: a theory/methods package for critical internet studies

ABSTRACT Disinformation campaigns continue to thrive online, despite social media companies’ efforts at identifying and culling manipulation on their platforms. Framing these manipulation tactics as ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior,’ major platforms have banned culprits and deleted the evidence of their actions from social activity streams, making independent assessment and auditing impossible. While researchers, journalists, and civil society groups use multiple methods for discovering and tracking disinformation, platforms began to publish highly curated data archives of disinformation in 2016. When platform companies reframe manipulation campaigns, however, they downplay the importance of their products in spreading disinformation. We propose to treat social media metadata as a boundary object that supports research across platforms and use metadata as an entry point for investigating manipulation campaigns. We illustrate how platform companies’ responses to disinformation campaigns are at odds with the interests of researchers, civil society, policy-makers, and journalists, limiting the capacity to audit the role that platforms play in political discourse. To show how platforms’ data archives of ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior’ prevent researchers from examining the contexts of manipulation, we present two case studies of disinformation campaigns related to the Black Lives Matter Movement. We demonstrate how data craft – the exploitation of metrics, metadata, and recommendation engines – played a prominent role attracting audiences to these disinformation campaigns. Additionally, we offer some investigative techniques for researchers to employ data craft in their own research of the disinformation. We conclude by proposing new avenues for research for the field of Critical Internet Studies.
Confessions of a Serial Polygamist: The Reality of Radiocarbon Reproducibility in Archaeological Samples

Abstract Since 1993 Historic England (and its predecessor English Heritage) has commissioned 9074 radiocarbon (14C) measurements on archaeological samples. Over 80% of these have been interpreted within formal Bayesian statistical models. The multiple strands of reinforcing evidence incorporated in these models provide precise chronologies that make stringent demands on the accuracy of the 14C results included in the analysis. Inter-laboratory replication is consequently a routine part of model construction and validation. We report an analysis of replicate measurements on 1089 archaeological samples. It is clear that laboratory reproducibility accounts for only part of the observed variation. The type of material dated is also critical to the reproducibility of measurements, with some sample types proving particularly problematic.
Adapting Gene Expression Programming to Quality Assurance Standards

This work focuses on using Meta-heuristic search algorithms, more specifically the Gene Expression Algorithm, to automate software testing process since it is a critical element of software quality assurance as it usually cost the most consumption of software development financial and human resources, development time and it requires a costly redo process. Using Meta-heuristic algorithms for testing means utilizing a promising path-coverage test case design that test data paths which fulfill test criteria using evolution-based computation. This work involves enhancing the performance of Gene Expression Programming (GEP) test case breeding for high volume testing. The performance of gene expression programming is adapted to automate test data generation for path coverage, this adaption involves changing the structure of the chromosomes, calculations of fitness function, and population nature. The framework starts with converting user requirements to a graphical representation by using the Unified Modeling Language's (UML) state-machine diagrams, also known as state-chart diagram, which gives a description of the internal software structure, then using the adapted GEP to rapidly generate high quality test cases, using these test cases to test the software system in early stages of the software development life cycle to prevent any expensive redo when mismatches where discovered between the software and the user requirements. The obtained results showed that using GEP to test software systems is more rapid and of better quality compared to random search approaches which end up with creating a large volume of useless test cases. Using the GEP as a meta-heuristic searching approach verified providing a higher coverage rate than other intelligent algorithm testing strategies like the Genetic Algorithm.
Space Learning Model for Flipped Classroom: Startup to Improve Learning and Innovation Skills in Higher Education

This research objectives were to: (1)study the problems of current learning management from five instructors teaching in Software Engineering course by using a semi-structured interview form and the in-depth interviews; (2) examine the level of opinion of 204 students who had studied a Software Engineering course, related to the problems of learning management and learning behaviour in higher education; and (3)find the guidelines for a model of learning management from seven experts on education by using focus group discussions. The data were analysed through the content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings showed that instructors lacked a variety of processes to transfer knowledge and lacked the motivation to encourage students to acquire learning and innovation skills. The opinions of the students indicated a problem in the measurement and evaluation that emphasised only the final examination, a lack of effective communication in interactions between the students and the instructor in the classroom, and a lack of practice in thinking and problem-solving skills, both in and outside the classroom. The behaviour of the students showed that there was a problem in the students’ preparation before class, as well as a lack of knowledge application. From the results of this research, a model for learning management in 5 steps was obtained, including Stimulation, Peer Coaching, Action, Construct Skills and Evaluation.
Media and Second Dialect Acquisition

Abstract This article addresses the role that different types of media might play in second dialect acquisition. While many scholars agree that broadcast media such as television have little effect on individual speakers’ language use, research across fields (sociolinguistics, second language learning, laboratory phonology, and phonetics) suggests that high levels of engagement could facilitate dialect learning via mediated speech. I will briefly describe the mechanisms underlying acquisition of new dialect features, discuss how these mechanisms might operate when speakers are exposed to speech via specific types of media, and sketch some avenues for future research.
A Critical Discourse Analysis of Hate Speech

لقد صار التواصل عن طريق الأنترنت في مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي وسيلة لا يمكن أبدا التخلي عنها للتعبير عن الآراء و المشاركة بها فيما يتعلق بكافة أنواع المواضيع على وجه الأرض, و هذا هو الحال و لا غير! و الأساس في هذا هو الحدود التي يجب ألا تتعداها "حرية التعبير" فتقع في حيز "خطاب الكراهية". و طرفا القضية هذان يمثلان أساسا في قوانين الأم المتحدة المتعلقة بحقوق الإنسان: الشخص حر في التعبير, و لكنه ليس حرا في الكراهية بالتعبير. و في هذا البحث, توظف مقاربة فيركلاو الجدلية-العلاقية للعام (2001) في تحليل المنشورات (التي ينشرها عوام الناس, و ليست ذات طبيعة رسمية) التي تستهدف الإسلام و المسلمين في الفيسبوك تحليلا خطابيا نقديا. و يهدف هذا التحليل إلى تصنيف الأمثلة من تلك "الخطابات" على أنها حرية تعبير أو أنها خطاب كراهية. و لقد أظهر البحث ان لغة المنشورات و تفاصيلها الرمزية تدل على أن نصوصها هي خطاب كراهية قد يصل في بعض الاحيان إلى الدعوة للإبادة, وليست مجرد حرية تعبير و حسب.
A Comparative study of interest management schemes in peer-to-peer massively multiuser networked virtual environment

Networked virtual environments (NVEs) are virtual worlds where users communicate and interact with others and the virtual world by exchanging messages via a network connection. An NVE user is often only able to interact, or only interested in interacting, with objects and players within a sphere around their position; the area of interest (AOI). Enabling users to properly identify and communicate with objects of interest while limiting the amount of information received to only relevant information is the purpose an interest management (IM) scheme. In this thesis, three existing peer-to-peer (P2P) interest management schemes; SimMud, Vast and MOPAR; and one naive messaging implementation, FullConn, are tested. These schemes are simulated in a virtual game world consisting of varying population densities and movement types, provided by the OverSim network simulation environment. The results show that SimMud performs well in the ideal simulations, supplying users with more correct neighbours and using less bandwidth at the cost of sending more messages and a longer message route. Vast performs better in the simulation representing recorded real-world movements at the cost of more bandwidth. The MOPAR simulations performed sub-optimally due to improper implementation, and FullConn can not scale. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Balancing excellence and diversity in higher education? The role of the Chinese first-level discipline evaluation scheme

ABSTRACT Balancing excellence and diversity effectively in the higher education sector is one of the most challenging tasks for national governments. While a number of countries around the world have initiated university excellence schemes, it is more difficult to identify policy initiatives that also take into account how institutional diversity is to be enhanced simultaneously. By an in-depth analysis of the voluntary, and later mandatory, first-level discipline evaluation scheme in China from 2003 to 2016, the article discusses possible long-term impacts of this scheme both regarding excellence and diversity in the higher education landscape in the country. In conclusion, it is argued that decentralized decision-making within a centralized evaluation scheme is an interesting governance approach for trying to balance excellence and diversity in higher education. However, institutional diversity is not necessarily positively correlated to disciplinary diversity.
A photogrammetric approach to fusing natural colour and thermal infrared UAS imagery in 3D point cloud generation

ABSTRACT The inclusion of thermal infrared (TIR) data in point clouds derived from unmanned aircraft system (UAS) imagery can benefit a variety of applications in which surface temperature and 3D geometry are both important discriminants of feature type and condition. Low resolution and narrow fields of view (FOV) of current consumer-grade TIR cameras on UAS, combined with the lack of sharpness and texture in many image regions, may cause failure or poor results from structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetric software, which has gained widespread use for generating point clouds from UAS imagery. This paper proposes a photogrammetric approach for generating 3D multispectral point clouds utilizing coacquired TIR-RGB images. A 3D point cloud is first generated from the RGB imagery using standard SfM procedures. Then the TIR attributes are assigned to points, where the image coordinates of the points in TIR images are estimated using transformation parameters obtained from co-registration procedures. To obtain RGB-to-TIR transformation parameters, this study tests 3D and 2D co-registration approaches. The latter produces better results due to the challenge of calibrating the TIR camera as required for the 3D approach. This proposed approach is advantageous for generating TIR point clouds without loss of photogrammetric precision compared with solely TIR-based SfM, as the 3D accuracy, point density, and reliability are greatly enhanced.
Les plateformes de crowdfunding culturel : entre figures de l’artiste entrepreneur et entrepreneurs polymorphes

Resume Le financement participatif (crowdfunding) de produits et services culturels connait une tres forte expansion depuis une dizaine d'annees. Nos recherches, notamment menees dans le cadre d'un programme de ANR portant specifiquement sur ce phenomene, ont permis d'interroger conjointement les usages de porteurs de projets et contributeurs individuels, et les strategies industrielles de plateformes. A partir de la notion de « l'artiste en travailleur », nous analysons les injonctions a la collaboration et les polyvalences exigees des porteurs de projet (organisation, logistique, gestion budgetaire, communication et marketing). Cette figure de l'artiste participe d'une reconfiguration plus generale du travail, emblematique de qualites requises dans le capitalisme contemporain. Parallelement, nous questionnons la position des gestionnaires de plateformes d'intermediation comme entrepreneurs polymorphes, au carrefour d'acteurs et de logiques parfois contradictoires que ces acteurs ont pour mission de synthetiser afin de coordonner la production (et l’extraction) de valeur.
Wearable Smart Glasses for Assessment of Eye-Contact Behavior in Children With Autism

To promote eye contact learning and behavior in children with autism, there exist specialized environments as well as smartphone applications. However, few currently available techniques support the assessment of desired behavioral improvement during learning. In this paper, we describe recently developed wearable smart glasses instrumented with mechatronic sensors and controllers. The mechatronics glasses, worn by both an instructor and a child, quantitatively measure the eye contact behavior of the child. The instructor glasses connect with a smartphone application through Bluetooth low energy. A user interface is created and hosted on the smartphone to enable the instructor to customize the reward to the child based on improvements in eye contact behavior. Specifically, the smartphone application quantifies the eye contact duration, frequency, latency, and session time, allowing instructors, therapists, and clinicians to monitor and track the child’s progress in eye contact behavior. The results from preliminary user testing of the device with control subjects show that the device is capable of recording sessions details and supporting eye contact behavior assessment.