title: Trust- and location-based recommendations for tourism

authors: Hinze, Annika

subjects: computer science

abstract: Recommender systems in a travel guide suggest touristic sites a user may like. Typically, people are more willing to trust recommendations from people they know. We present a trust-based recommendation service for a mobile tourist guide that uses the notion of directly and indirectly trusted peers. The recommendations combine information about the peers’ ratings on sights, interpersonal trust and geographical constraints. We created two trust propagation models to spread trust information throughout the traveller peer group. Our prototype supports six trust-based, location-aware recommendation algorithms.

text: Trust- and location-based recommendations for tourism Recommender systems in a travel guide suggest touristic sites a user may like. Typically, people are more willing to trust recommendations from people they know. We present a trust-based recommendation service for a mobile tourist guide that uses the notion of directly and indirectly trusted peers. The recommendations combine information about the peers’ ratings on sights, interpersonal trust and geographical constraints. We created two trust propagation models to spread trust information throughout the traveller peer group. Our prototype supports six trust-based, location-aware recommendation algorithms.

year: 2009

title: The demand, selection, and health impacts of household energy in Pakistan

authors: Irfan, Muhammad

subjects: Household Energy

abstract: Globally, almost four million people die prematurely annually due to indoor air pollution (IAP), and millions are facing serious diseases. These adverse health impacts place a great burden on national health budgets, increase medical expenditures, and reduce the overall productivity of the economy. Worryingly, almost three billion people still depend upon solid fuels such as firewood, biomass, crop residues, animal dung, and coal, which are the major contributors to IAP. This thesis investigates the causal relationship between solid fuel consumption and both child mortality and life expectancy, the price and non-price determinants of solid fuel use (using Pakistan as a case study), and finally uses cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to evaluate alternative policies. Specifically, the thesis includes four empirical studies related to solid fuel use and IAP.
In the first study, panel data covering 101 countries over the period 2000-2012 were used to examine the causal impacts of solid fuel use on health outcomes. Utilizing an instrumental variables approach, it was concluded that solid fuel combustion causes increases in child mortality and decreases in male and female life expectancy. 
The second study investigated the factors associated with the selection of solid and cleaner fuels by households. Using data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2013-14, the study identified that agricultural occupation, large family size, and having cattle, were associated with solid fuel consumption. In contrast, higher income, higher education, and living in an urban area were factors associated with cleaner fuel consumption. However, the study concluded that income growth alone will not be sufficient to ensure that households switch to cleaner fuel use, particularly households in rural areas. Hence, the results challenge the practical aspects of countries moving along the Environmental Kuznets Curve, and suggest that in order to reduce IAP, direct policy intervention will be required.
The third study further explores household energy use by estimating the own and cross-price elasticities of household energy sources in Pakistan. For this, three PSLM data sets (2007-08, 2011-12, and 2013-14) were pooled and a Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System model was estimated. The study found that cleaner fuels (natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) were more price elastic than solid fuels, implying that lowering the prices of these cleaner fuels would lead many households to adopt them. In the final study, a CBA of several policy options for encouraging reductions in solid fuel use was undertaken. The study evaluated five major policy options: (1) natural gas; (2) LPG; (3) electric stoves; (4) biogas plants; and (5) improved cook stoves. The World Health Organization’s guidelines for CBA were followed and it was found that encouraging LPG adoption has the highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 3.68, while improved cook stoves had a BCR of 0.58. Encouraging natural gas adoption, electric stoves, and biogas plants have BCRs of 2.87, 2.22, and 1.39 respectively. The study concluded that, in order to mitigate the negative impacts of IAP, Pakistan should encourage cleaner energy sources in preference to adoption of alternative cooking appliances.

text: The demand, selection, and health impacts of household energy in Pakistan Globally, almost four million people die prematurely annually due to indoor air pollution (IAP), and millions are facing serious diseases. These adverse health impacts place a great burden on national health budgets, increase medical expenditures, and reduce the overall productivity of the economy. Worryingly, almost three billion people still depend upon solid fuels such as firewood, biomass, crop residues, animal dung, and coal, which are the major contributors to IAP. This thesis investigates the causal relationship between solid fuel consumption and both child mortality and life expectancy, the price and non-price determinants of solid fuel use (using Pakistan as a case study), and finally uses cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to evaluate alternative policies. Specifically, the thesis includes four empirical studies related to solid fuel use and IAP.
In the first study, panel data covering 101 countries over the period 2000-2012 were used to examine the causal impacts of solid fuel use on health outcomes. Utilizing an instrumental variables approach, it was concluded that solid fuel combustion causes increases in child mortality and decreases in male and female life expectancy. 
The second study investigated the factors associated with the selection of solid and cleaner fuels by households. Using data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2013-14, the study identified that agricultural occupation, large family size, and having cattle, were associated with solid fuel consumption. In contrast, higher income, higher education, and living in an urban area were factors associated with cleaner fuel consumption. However, the study concluded that income growth alone will not be sufficient to ensure that households switch to cleaner fuel use, particularly households in rural areas. Hence, the results challenge the practical aspects of countries moving along the Environmental Kuznets Curve, and suggest that in order to reduce IAP, direct policy intervention will be required.
The third study further explores household energy use by estimating the own and cross-price elasticities of household energy sources in Pakistan. For this, three PSLM data sets (2007-08, 2011-12, and 2013-14) were pooled and a Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System model was estimated. The study found that cleaner fuels (natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) were more price elastic than solid fuels, implying that lowering the prices of these cleaner fuels would lead many households to adopt them. In the final study, a CBA of several policy options for encouraging reductions in solid fuel use was undertaken. The study evaluated five major policy options: (1) natural gas; (2) LPG; (3) electric stoves; (4) biogas plants; and (5) improved cook stoves. The World Health Organization’s guidelines for CBA were followed and it was found that encouraging LPG adoption has the highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 3.68, while improved cook stoves had a BCR of 0.58. Encouraging natural gas adoption, electric stoves, and biogas plants have BCRs of 2.87, 2.22, and 1.39 respectively. The study concluded that, in order to mitigate the negative impacts of IAP, Pakistan should encourage cleaner energy sources in preference to adoption of alternative cooking appliances.

year: 2019

title: Ko ia tonu te rangatira o tana mauri: Ko te Mauritau hei tohu o te puāwaitanga o Te Aho Matua i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae

authors: Angeli-Gordon, Joni Māramatanga

abstract: Ko te mauri te wāhanga wairua o te tangata e whakahihiri i te tinana me te tūhonohono nei i te wairua ki te kikokiko. Ko te mauri te wāhanga ora o te tangata, ā, i te roanga atu o te oranga o te tangata ka rerekē te tau o te mauri nā ngā awenga o tōna ao. Ko te Mauritau te wā e ita pai ana te wairua ki te kikokiko. Kua whai ngātahitanga ērā mea e rua. Kei tōna ito, ki te Mauritau te tangata, e wātea ana ia, kāhore ōna taumaha, ka mutu e tuwhera ana ia ki tōna ao. Ko tā Te Aho Matua, ka whakatō te mauri ki te tangata i te whakatōnga o te kākano ki te kōpū. Ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga kāhore anō kia tino rangahau, ā, he iti noa ngā wā te kite atu ki te puna mātātuhi, heoi anō, ka rangona whānuitia ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi o ngā puāwaitanga matua o Te Aho Matua, ā, kua taupuhipuhi nei ki ngā whakaaro o rātou i whai wāhi nei ki tēnei kaupapa rangahau. Ko te manako nui o tēnei kaupapa rangahau ko te whakawhānui i te mōhioranga mō ngā hua o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori mā te ruku hōhonu ki te Mauritau i te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae.  

Kua whā tekau tau neke atu kua hipa mai i te orokotīmatanga o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, otirā, te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te tino take o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori ko te whakarauora reo me te whakarauora tikanga, heoi anō, he tini me te mano ngā angitutanga, ngā painga kua puta mai i ēnei kura tua atu i ēnei whāinga e rua. Ko Te Aho Matua te tūāpapa ā-mātāpono mō ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori e whakawhārikihia ngā uaratanga matua kia whakatutuki i ngā wawata nui, i ngā ōhākī nui ā kui mā, a koro mā mō te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga i puāwai i ngā kura Aho Matua, ā, ka kitea rawatia tēnei puāwaitanga ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi. 

He Rangahau Kaupapa Māori tēnei, ā, i tārai i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga o te kaupapa rangahau nei kia Māori te karawhiu. Ko Te Aho Matua me ōna uaratanga e tū hei pou whakawhirinaki i te Kaupapa Rangahau Māori. E rua ngā tukanga i whāia e te tuhikura nei, arā, ko te iāna me te puawānanga. Ko te iāna tētahi kupu mino nō Te Tai Tokerau mō te kōrero ōpaki, ā, kua iāna tahi ki ngā pakeke tokowhitu nō te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te puawānanga he wānanga ki ngā ākonga tokowhitu o te reanga tuakana o te wharekura kia āta wherawhera i ngā āhuatanga o te Mauritau ki a rātou. I te whakaraupapatia ngā kōrero i puta mai i ngā iāna me te puawānanga mā ngā uaratanga o Te Aho Matua.

text: Ko ia tonu te rangatira o tana mauri: Ko te Mauritau hei tohu o te puāwaitanga o Te Aho Matua i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae Ko te mauri te wāhanga wairua o te tangata e whakahihiri i te tinana me te tūhonohono nei i te wairua ki te kikokiko. Ko te mauri te wāhanga ora o te tangata, ā, i te roanga atu o te oranga o te tangata ka rerekē te tau o te mauri nā ngā awenga o tōna ao. Ko te Mauritau te wā e ita pai ana te wairua ki te kikokiko. Kua whai ngātahitanga ērā mea e rua. Kei tōna ito, ki te Mauritau te tangata, e wātea ana ia, kāhore ōna taumaha, ka mutu e tuwhera ana ia ki tōna ao. Ko tā Te Aho Matua, ka whakatō te mauri ki te tangata i te whakatōnga o te kākano ki te kōpū. Ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga kāhore anō kia tino rangahau, ā, he iti noa ngā wā te kite atu ki te puna mātātuhi, heoi anō, ka rangona whānuitia ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi o ngā puāwaitanga matua o Te Aho Matua, ā, kua taupuhipuhi nei ki ngā whakaaro o rātou i whai wāhi nei ki tēnei kaupapa rangahau. Ko te manako nui o tēnei kaupapa rangahau ko te whakawhānui i te mōhioranga mō ngā hua o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori mā te ruku hōhonu ki te Mauritau i te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae.  

Kua whā tekau tau neke atu kua hipa mai i te orokotīmatanga o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, otirā, te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te tino take o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori ko te whakarauora reo me te whakarauora tikanga, heoi anō, he tini me te mano ngā angitutanga, ngā painga kua puta mai i ēnei kura tua atu i ēnei whāinga e rua. Ko Te Aho Matua te tūāpapa ā-mātāpono mō ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori e whakawhārikihia ngā uaratanga matua kia whakatutuki i ngā wawata nui, i ngā ōhākī nui ā kui mā, a koro mā mō te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga i puāwai i ngā kura Aho Matua, ā, ka kitea rawatia tēnei puāwaitanga ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi. 

He Rangahau Kaupapa Māori tēnei, ā, i tārai i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga o te kaupapa rangahau nei kia Māori te karawhiu. Ko Te Aho Matua me ōna uaratanga e tū hei pou whakawhirinaki i te Kaupapa Rangahau Māori. E rua ngā tukanga i whāia e te tuhikura nei, arā, ko te iāna me te puawānanga. Ko te iāna tētahi kupu mino nō Te Tai Tokerau mō te kōrero ōpaki, ā, kua iāna tahi ki ngā pakeke tokowhitu nō te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te puawānanga he wānanga ki ngā ākonga tokowhitu o te reanga tuakana o te wharekura kia āta wherawhera i ngā āhuatanga o te Mauritau ki a rātou. I te whakaraupapatia ngā kōrero i puta mai i ngā iāna me te puawānanga mā ngā uaratanga o Te Aho Matua.

year: 2023