Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation by hydrogen plasma treatment

Silicon heterojunction solar cells have high open-circuit voltages thanks to excellent passivation of the wafer surfaces by thin intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We show a dramatic improvement in passivation when H2 plasma treatments are used during film deposition. Although the bulk of the a-Si:H layers is slightly more disordered after H2 treatment, the hydrogenation of the wafer/film interface is nevertheless improved with as-deposited layers. Employing H2 treatments, 4 cm2 heterojunction solar cells were produced with industry-compatible processes, yielding open-circuit voltages up to 725 mV and aperture area efficiencies up to 21%.
Structural and Flow-Sensitive Types for Whiley

Modern statically typed languages require variables to be declared with a single static type, and that subtyping relationships between used-defined types be made explicit. This contrasts with dynamically typed languages, where variables are declared implicitly, can hold values of different types at different points and have no restrictions on flow (leading to ad-hoc and implicit subtyping). We present the flow-sensitive and structural type system used in the Whiley language. This permits variables to be declared implicitly, have multiple types within a function, and be retyped after runtime type tests. Furthermore, subtyping between user-defined types is implicit, based purely on structure. The result is a statically-typed language which, for the most part, has the look and feel of a dynamic language. The typing algorithm operates in a fashion similar to dataflow analysis. Widening must be applied to ensure termination although, surprisingly, there is no loss of precision. We formalise Whiley’s type system and operational semantics, and give proofs of termination and soundness.
DETERMINING THE STABILITY AND DURABILITY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

The heavy alteration of archaeological materials makes them environmentally sensitive and, amongst the most challenging, to safely display and store. Non-destructive testing can provide vital information to inform preventive conservation decisions, ensuring the continued preservation of this sensitive material. The heavy chloride contamination of archaeological metals makes some artefacts extremely vulnerable to ambient relative humidities. Copper alloy objects can corrode at RHs above 42%, whilst some archaeological iron can rapidly deteriorate at RHs above only 19%. Composite objects with organic components, that will be damaged by low RHs, present a particular challenge. Displays often contain mixed media, and balancing environmental needs between organic artefacts and metals that require low RHs is extremely difficult. A certain proportion of archaeological copper and iron alloys have much lower chloride levels and are relatively stable. Completely mineralised iron artefacts are no longer highly reactive. The challenge is to determine the unstable material within an archaeological metal collection. Radiography, with image processing to identify pits within archaeological iron, has been used to determine the most vulnerable material. Oxygen consumption measurements have been applied to both iron and copper alloy artefacts to measure and predict their reactivity. These analyses have allowed non-reactive material to be displayed safely without environmental control, maximising resources towards the vulnerable material and eliminating the risk to associated artefacts. Architectural stone is expensive to store. A program of reburial on the original sites of durable, low research potential stone has been initiated. Portable x-ray fluorescence and near infra-red spectroscopy has been utilised to identify sandstones and preclude calcite or iron bound sandstones that would be at risk from burial. These techniques are being used, amongst others, to compare the deterioration rates of sandstones in stores and buried.
Adaptive minimum bit error rate beamforming assisted receiver for wireless communications

A novel adaptive beamforming technique is proposed for wireless communication application based on the minimum bit error rate (MBER) criterion. It is shown that the MBER approach provides significant performance gain in terms of smaller bit error rate (BER) over the standard minimum mean square error (MMSE) approach. Using the classical Parzen window estimate of probability density function (p.d.f.), both the block-data and sample-by-sample adaptive implementations of the MBER solution are developed.
On the Non-Optimality of a Diamond-Dybvig Contract in the Goldstein-Pauzner Environment

I show, under intuitive conditions on the risk-averse utility function, the non-optimality of the Diamond and Dybvig (1983) contract in the Goldstein and Pauzner (2005) environment. If marginal utility at zero is low enough, then Goldstein and Pauzner (2005)’s claim about the optimality of the Diamond and Dybvig (1983) contract is true. When it is not, the optimal contract insures the patient depositor against a project default. The contract may exhibit risk-sharing with the impatient depositor. Unlike when Goldstein and Pauzner (2005)’s claim is correct, relative risk aversion greater than 1 does not necessarily make the optimal bank contract run-prone. I present a condition under which it is.
Computer-mediated communication in adults with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions

It has been suggested that people with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are attracted to computer-mediated communication (CMC). In this study, several open questions regarding CMC use in people with ASC which are investigated. We compare CMC use in adults with high-functioning ASC (N = 113) and a control group (N = 72). We find that people with ASC (1) spend more time on CMC than controls, (2) are more positive about CMC, (3) report relatively high levels of online social life satisfaction, and that (4) CMC use is negatively related to satisfaction with life for people with ASC. Our results indicate that the ASC subjects in this study use CMC at least as enthusiastically as controls, and are proficient and successful in its use.
An Oral Salmonella-Based Vaccine Inhibits Liver Metastases by Promoting Tumor-Specific T-Cell-Mediated Immunity in Celiac and Portal Lymph Nodes: A Preclinical Study

Primary tumor excision is one of the most widely used therapies of cancer. However, the risk of metastases development still exists following tumor resection. The liver is a common site of metastatic disease for numerous cancers. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent sources of metastases to the liver. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of the orally administered Salmonella Typhi vaccine strain CVD 915 on the development of liver metastases in a mouse model of breast cancer. To this end, one group of BALB/c mice was orogastrically immunized with CVD 915, while another received PBS as a control. After 24 h, mice were injected with LM3 mammary adenocarcinoma cells into the spleen and subjected to splenectomy. This oral Salmonella-based vaccine produced an antitumor effect, leading to a decrease in the number and volume of liver metastases. Immunization with Salmonella induced an early cellular immune response in mice. This innate stimulation rendered a large production of IFN-γ by intrahepatic immune cells (IHIC) detected within 24 h. An antitumor adaptive immunity was found in the liver and celiac and portal lymph nodes (LDLN) 21 days after oral bacterial inoculation. The antitumor immune response inside the liver was associated with increased CD4+ and dendritic cell populations as well as with an inflammatory infiltrate located around liver metastatic nodules. Enlarged levels of inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF) were also detected in IHIC. Furthermore, a tumor-specific production of IFN-γ and TNF as well as tumor-specific IFN-γ-producing CD8 T cells (CD8+IFN-γ+) were found in the celiac and portal lymph nodes of Salmonella-treated mice. This study provides first evidence for the involvement of LDLN in the development of an efficient cellular immune response against hepatic tumors, which resulted in the elimination of liver metastases after oral Salmonella-based vaccination.
Exploring experiences of, and responses to, microaggressions as disrespect from teachers in high school classrooms : a person-centered approach

The present study examined the relationship among high school students’ experiences of microaggressions and disrespect perpetrated by teachers and their perceptions of school connectedness and projections of their own bystander intervention behaviors. There is reason to believe that peer bystanding behavior, defined as either intervention in the moment, or active supporting after the event, are protective in terms of the otherwise cumulative impact of microaggressions. Using interviews from seventeen high school students, and quantitative data from nine participants, this research prioritized the voices of students, their narratives, and their meaning making process after such events occur. Findings suggest that participants with low scores for school climate might be in the best position to “take the risk” of intervening (in the moment) in situations of subtle racism and that students who have a more comfortable perception of school climate might be likely to prioritize classroom harmony over a sense of justice. EXPLORING EXPERIENCES OF, AND RESPONSES TO, MICROAGGRESSIONS AS DISRESPECT FROM TEACHERS IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS: A PERSON-CENTERED APPROACH A project based upon a joint project, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work. Emily Ann Peck Smith College School for Social Work Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 2017
Photometric redshifts for weak lensing tomography from space: the role of optical and near infrared photometry

We study in detail the photometric redshift requirements needed for tomographic weak gravitational lensing in order to measure accurately the dark energy equation of state. In particular, we examine how ground-based photometry (u, g, r, i, z, y) can be complemented by space-based near-infrared (near-IR) photometry (J, H), e.g. onboard the planned DUNE satellite. Using realistic photometric redshift simulations and an artificial neural network photo-z method we evaluate the figure of merit for the dark energy parameters (w0, wa). We consider a DUNE-like broad optical filter supplemented with ground-based multiband optical data from surveys like the Dark Energy Survey, Pan-STARRS and LSST. We show that the dark energy figure of merit would be improved by a factor of 1.3‐1.7 if IR filters are added onboard DUNE. Furthermore we show that with IR data catastrophic photo-z outliers can be removed effectively. There is an interplay between the choice of filters, the magnitude limits and the removal of outliers. We draw attention to the dependence of the results on the galaxy formation scenarios encoded into the mock galaxies, e.g. the galaxy reddening. For example, very deep u-band data could be as effective as the IR. We also find that about 10 5 ‐10 6 spectroscopic redshifts are needed for calibration of the full survey.
Physiological properties of anatomically identified basket and bistratified cells in the CA1 area of the rat hippocampus in vitro

Basket and bistratified cells form two anatomically distinct classes of GABAergic local‐circuit neurons in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus. A physiological comparison was made of intracellularly recorded basket (n = 13) and bistratified neurons (n = 6), all of which had been anatomically defined by their efferent target profile (Halasy et al., 1996).
RTextTools: A Supervised Learning Package for Text Classification

Social scientists have long hand-labeled texts to create datasets useful for studying topics from congressional policymaking to media reporting. Many social scientists have begun to incorporate machine learning into their toolkits. RTextTools was designed to make machine learning accessible by providing a start-to-ﬁnish product in less than 10 steps. After installing RTextTools, the initial step is to generate a document term matrix. Second, a container object is created, which holds all the objects needed for further analysis. Third, users can use up to nine algorithms to train their data. Fourth, the data are classiﬁed. Fifth, the classiﬁcation is summarized. Sixth, functions are available for performance evaluation. Seventh, ensemble agreement is conducted. Eighth, users can cross-validate their data. Finally, users write their data to a spreadsheet, allowing for further manual coding if required.
COMPARISON OF ISOFLURANE AND SEVOFLURANE FOR ANESTHESIA IN BEAVER

We compared the hemodynamic and respiratory effects, recovery time, and cost of two gas inhalants (isoflurane and sevoflurane) for anesthetic induction and maintenance of beaver (Castor canadensis) during surgery to implant radio transmitters in the peritoneal cavity. Heart rate, respiratory rate, relative hemoglobin saturation with oxygen (SpO2), and body temperature were measured every 5 min for the first 45 min, and arterial blood gas was measured once, 25 min into the anesthetic procedure. Induction for either agent was smooth and rapid. Heart rate and respiratory rate both decreased during the procedure though neither was lower than baseline values reported in the literature for beaver. Relative hemoglobin saturation with oxygen, body temperature, and blood gas variables did not differ between each anesthetic regime. Both inhalants caused slight respiratory acidosis. Recovery time from anesthesia was highly variable (1–178 min) but did not differ statistically between drugs. Sevoflurane costs ($22.30/60 min) were much higher than isoflurane costs ($3.50/60 min). We recommend isoflurane or sevoflurane for anesthetic induction and maintenance of beaver because of the lack of physiologic differences.
Explicit multi-threading (XMT) bridging models for instruction parallelism (extended abstract)

This paper envisions an extension to a standard instruction set which efficiently implements PRAM-style algorithms using explicit multi-threaded instruction-level parallelism (ILP); that is, Explicit Multi-Threading (XMT), a fine-grained computational paradigm covering the spectrum from algorithms through architecture to implementation is introduced; new elements are added where needed.
Ophthalmic impairment at 7 years of age in children born very preterm

Aims: To determine the prevalence of ophthalmic impairments in very preterm compared with term infants, the relation between impairments and cerebral ultrasound appearances and retinopathy, and the correlation with visual perception and motor and cognitive measures. Subjects: 279 children at 7 years of age born before 32 weeks gestation within Liverpool during 1991–92 and attending mainstream schools, and 210 term controls. Methods: Visual acuity was assessed by Snellen chart, and strabismus by the cover test. Stereopsis was determined using the TNO random dot test, and contrast sensitivity using the Cambridge low contrast gratings. Visual and motor abilities were assessed using the Developmental test of motor integration (VMI) and the Movement ABC. Intelligence was measured with the Wechsler intelligence scale for children UK. Perinatal cranial ultrasound and retinopathy data were extracted from clinical records. Results: Children born preterm were significantly more likely to wear glasses, to have poor visual acuity, reduced stereopsis, and strabismus than term controls, but they showed no significant decrease in contrast sensitivity. Ophthalmic impairments were significantly related to poorer scores on the VMI, Movement ABC, and Wechsler IQ tests, but were not significantly related to neonatal cranial ultrasound appearances. Stage 3 retinopathy was related to poorer subsequent acuity. Conclusions: Children born very preterm and without major neurodevelopmental sequelae have an increased prevalence of ophthalmic impairments at primary school age which are associated with visual perceptional, motor, and cognitive defects. The cause may be a generalised abnormality of cortical development rather than perinatally acquired focal lesions of the brain.
3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-Heptamethoxyflavone, a Citrus Flavonoid, Ameliorates Corticosterone-Induced Depression-like Behavior and Restores Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression, Neurogenesis, and Neuroplasticity in the Hippocampus

We previously reported that the citrus flavonoid 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF) increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of a transient global ischemia mouse model. Since the BDNF hypothesis of depression postulates that a reduction in BDNF is directly involved in the pathophysiology of depression, we evaluated the anti-depressive effects of HMF in mice with subcutaneously administered corticosterone at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day for 25 days. We demonstrated that the HMF treatment ameliorated (1) corticosterone-induced body weight loss, (2) corticosterone-induced depression-like behavior, and (3) corticosterone-induced reductions in BDNF production in the hippocampus. We also showed that the HMF treatment restored (4) corticosterone-induced reductions in neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus subgranular zone and (5) corticosterone-induced reductions in the expression levels of phosphorylated calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2. These results suggest that HMF exerts its effects as an anti-depressant drug by inducing the expression of BDNF.
IT Governance and IT Investment Performance: An Empirical Analysis

This study analyzes the influence of IT governance on IT investment performance. IT investment performance is known to vary widely across firms. Prior studies find that the variations are often due to the lack of investments in complementary organizational capitals. The presence of complementarities between IT and organizational capitals suggests that IT investment decisions should be made at the right organizational level to ensure that both IT and organizational factors are taken into consideration. IT governance, which determines the allocation of IT decision rights within a firm, therefore, plays an important role in IT investment performance. This study tests this proposition by using a sample dataset from Fortune 1000 firms. A key challenge in this study is that the appropriate IT governance mode varies across firms as well as across business units within a firm. We address this challenge by developing an empirical model of IT governance that is based on earlier studies on multiple contingency factors of IT governance. We use the empirical model to predict the appropriate IT governance mode for each business unit within a firm and use the difference between the predicted and observed IT governance mode to derive a measure of a firm's IT governance misalignment. We find that firms with high IT governance misalignment receive no benefits from their IT investments; whereas firms with low IT governance misalignment obtain two to three times the value from their IT investments compared to firms with average IT governance misalignment. Our results highlight the importance of IT governance in realizing value from IT investments and confirm the validity of using the multiple contingency factor model in assessing IT governance decisions.
The influence of performance and appraisal fairness on employee attitudes and behaviour in Iraqi Kurdistan

This study examines how aspects of performance appraisal fairness influence job satisfaction, trust in management and organisational commitment, and their links to organizational citizenship behaviour. Specifically, the study proposes that job satisfaction, trust in management and organisational commitment mediate the influence of performance appraisal fairness on organisational citizenship behaviour. Social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity are used to provide a theoretical understanding of the linkages between performance appraisal fairness and work outcomes. Data were collected at three separate times to yield 369 responses from employees in public sector banks in Iraqi Kurdistan. The results show that the procedural and informational fairness of performance appraisal have a low to moderate relationship with job satisfaction, trust in management, affective and normative commitment and that distributive fairness has an insignificant effect on affective and normative commitment. These four attitudes have a positive relationship with organisational citizenship behaviour. The findings indicate that job satisfaction, trust in management and the two dimensions of organisational commitment play a role in mediating the relationship between procedural and informational fairness of performance appraisal and organisational citizenship behaviour. Job satisfaction and trust in management also played a significant role in mediating the relationship between distributive fairness of performance appraisal and organisational citizenship behaviour. Affective and normative commitment do not mediate the relationship between distributive fairness of performance appraisal and organisational citizenship behaviour. Performance appraisal characterised as fair and equitable is important to deliver desirable employee attitudes and behaviours and to reinforce employee motivation to serve banking activities and facilitate the achievement of organisational goals. The results underpin the importance of conducting performance appraisals in ways that employees see as fair. Although studies of this kind are common in the West, this is the first study in the Kurdish culture and working context. Suggestions for further research are offered.
Robust nonblocking supervisory control of discrete-event systems

In this note, we generalize a robust supervisory control framework to deal with marked languages. We show how to synthesize a supervisor to control a family of plant models, each with its own specification. The solution we obtain is the most general in that it provides the closest approximation to the supremal controllable sublanguage for each plant/specification pair. We end the note by extending these results to deal with timed discrete-event systems.
Effect of working memory training on cognitive communicative abilities among young- and middle-aged adults

Abstract Objective: Cognitive training gains have been reported to be larger among young adults in comparison to older adults. However, differences in the magnitude of improvements between the earlier ages of adulthood have been less explored. In this attempt, the aim of the present study was to investigate the working memory training effects on cognitive communicative abilities among young- and middle-aged adults. Method: An interventional research design was incorporated. Thirty young- (19–40 years) and middle-aged (40–65 years) adults each, were recruited from the community and randomly assigned into the experimental and control groups. The experimental groups received 10 sessions of working memory training. Pre- and post-training assessments were performed and data was statistically analyzed. Results: The data analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in the training effects between young- and middle-aged adults, though young adults showed higher trends of improvement with training. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of initiating working memory training at an early age to enhance or restore one’s cognitive abilities as age progresses.