Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
USING NATIONAL IDENTITY MEASURE AS AN INDICATOR OF MALAYSIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY

Conducting research about individuals’ feelings of belonging to a society comprising different social strata is of interest to researchers. National identity as a collective identity has gained salient attention in Malaysia because the country’s social structure is made up of different ethnic groups. To shed light on this topic, this study investigated national identity among undergraduate students of a public university in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire (the National Identity Measure or NIM) was utilized as the data collection instrument. Using a random proportional stratified sampling strategy, a total of 498 undergraduates studying in the University’s 15 different faculties were selected as respondents. The results of the study confirmed that, in a society that embraces various ethnic groups, a collective national identity can be measured. Keywords: Feeling of belonging, Malaysia, measurement, national identity, national identity measure. Cite as: Granhenat, M. & Abdullah, A.N. (2017). Using national identity measure as an indicator of Malaysian national identity. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2 (2), 214-223. http://dx.doi. org/10.24200/jonus.vol2iss2pp214-223
Virtual Learning Environments

Cyberspace, an information space created through ubiquitously networked computers, has been transformed from fiction to fact in the past decade thanks to the advent of the World Wide Web. Although it can only be experienced through the mediation of computers, it is quickly becoming an alternative stage for everyday economic, cultural, and other human activities. As such, there is a potential and a need to design it according to architectural principles, rather than the prevailing document (page) metaphor. This need is most evident in learning environments, which rely on social and contextual attributes as much as they rely on content. This paper describes the underlying theory and our efforts to develop such virtual learning environments, and the software that allows users to access and inhabit them.
When Beauty Doesn't Pay: Gender and Beauty Biases in a Peer-to-Peer Loan Market

Abstract:We analyzed a random sample of individual listings from an online market for peer-to-peer lending to examine the effects of gender and attractiveness on receiving loans. In this setting, we tested the theoretical argument that women are penalized for violating beliefs about women's social roles when they seek loans for male-typed endeavors, such as running a business. Consistent with this theory, female borrowers seeking loans for business purposes were less likely to receive funding. Surprisingly, women's facial attractiveness moderated this effect: women seeking business loans were even less likely to receive funding if they were attractive. This result qualifies the conventional notion of beauty as a diffuse asset and underscores the alternative idea that beauty may accentuate perceived femininity and thus exacerbate the disadvantages that women face in male-typed domains. Overall, our research shows that gender beliefs about task-relevant competence can carry over from more formalized organizational contexts into new forms of online transactions that are designed to reduce biases that result from face-to-face interactions.
Speed Sensorless Vector Control of Induction Motors Using Rotor Flux based Model Reference Adaptive System

Vector Control (VC) schemes are increasingly used in Induction Motor (IM) drive systems to obtain high performance. However, in order to implement the vector control technique, the induction motor speed information is required. Different speed sensors are used to detect the speed. But in most applications, speed sensors have several problems. These problems are eliminated by speed estimation by using different speed estimation algorithms. Out of which, Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS) techniques are one of the popular methods to estimate the rotor speed due to its good performance and simplicity. In this paper, the induction motor with Rotor Flux based Model Reference Adaptive System (RF-MRAS) rotor speed estimator is designed and validated through MATLAB/SIMULINK software package. The results of simulations show that the performance of the speed estimation is very good under different operation conditions.
Genetic parentage assessment in the crayfish Orconectes placidus, a high‐fecundity invertebrate with extended maternal brood care

Microsatellite data have recently been introduced in the context of genetic maternity and paternity assignments in high‐fecundity fish species with single‐parent‐tended broods. Here we extend such analyses to an aquatic invertebrate, the crayfish Orconectes placidus, in which gravid females carry large numbers of offspring. Genetic parentage analyses of more than 900 progeny from 15 wild crayfish broods revealed that gravid females were invariably the exclusive dams of the offspring they tended (i.e. there was no allomaternal care), and that most of the females had mated with multiple (usually two) males who contributed sometimes highly skewed numbers of offspring to a brood. Within any multiply sired brood, the unhatched eggs (or the hatched juveniles) from different fathers were randomly distributed across the mother's brood space. All of these genetic findings are discussed in the light of observations on the mating behaviours and reproductive biology of crayfishes.
Limiting Factors to the Temperature Performance of THz Quantum Cascade Lasers Based on the Resonant-Phonon Depopulation Scheme

We analyze the temperature performance of five terahertz (THz)-frequency quantum cascade lasers based on a three-quantum-well resonant-phonon depopulation design as a function of operating frequency in the 2.3-3.8-THz range. We find evidence that the device performance is limited by the interplay between two factors: 1) optical phonon scattering of thermal electrons, which dominates at shorter wavelengths, and 2) parasitic current, which dominates at longer wavelengths. We present a simple model that provides an accurate estimate of the parasitic current in these devices and predicts the dependence of the threshold current density on temperature.
Benefits of stereopsis when identifying clinically significant macular edema via teleophthalmology.

BACKGROUND The need to incorporate stereopsis into a teleophthalmology system is controversial. Detection of hard exudate in the macula is suggested by some as an adequate surrogate for direct observation of retinal thickening. This study was designed to determine how accurate the detection of hard exudate is as a surrogate for stereoscopic detection of clinically significant macular edema (CSME). METHODS 120 patients with diabetes underwent clinical retinal examination with contact-lens biomicroscopy by a retinal specialist. The presence or absence of CSME was recorded. On the same day as clinical grading, 30 degrees stereoscopic digital photographs of the macula were captured. At least 2 months after clinical examination, the digital images were viewed by masked graders for the presence or absence of hard exudate and retinal thickening. RESULTS 207 eyes of 106 patients had complete data sets for both diagnostic modalities. The sensitivity of hard exudate (93.9%) in predicting the presence of CSME was similar to that of direct stereoscopic observation of retinal thickening (90.9%), with p = 0.5. On the other hand, digital stereopsis was significantly more specific (92.9%) than was hard exudate (81.6%) in predicting the presence of CSME (p < 0.001). This difference was maintained even when controlling for image quality. INTERPRETATION Although the presence of hard exudate within the macula is a sensitive surrogate marker for CSME, it is less specific than stereoscopic evaluation. Any American Telemedicine Association category 3 teleophthalmology system that utilizes hard exudate as a surrogate marker for CSME may refer patients unnecessarily for clinical evaluation.
Practical Energy-Aware Scheduling for Real-Time Multiprocessor Systems

Energy-aware real-time multiprocessor scheduling has been studied extensively so far. However, some of the constraints associated with the practical DVS applications have been ignored for simplicity. These constraints include discrete speed, idle power, inefficient speed, and application-specific power characteristics etc. This work targets energy-aware scheduling of periodic real-time tasks on the DVS-equipped multiprocessor systems with practical constraints. An adaptive minimal bound first-fit (AMBFF) algorithm with consideration of these realistic constraints is proposed for both dynamic-priority and fixed-priority multiprocessor scheduling. Simulation results on three commercial processor models show that our algorithm can save significantly more energy than existing algorithms.
Digital food and foodways: How online food practices and narratives shape the Italian diaspora in London

The article discusses the role of online food practices and narratives in the formation of transnational identities and communities. Data has been collected in the framework of a doctoral research project undertaken by the author between 2009 and 2012 with a follow-up in 2014. The working hypothesis of this article is that the way Italians talk about food online and offline, the importance they give to ‘authentic’ food, and the way they share their love for Italian food with other members of the same diaspora reveal original insights into migrants’ personal and collective identities, their sense of belonging to the transnational community and processes of adjustment to a new place. Findings suggest that online culinary narratives and practices shape the Italian diaspora in unique ways, through the development of forms of virtual commensality and online mealtime socialization on Skype and by affecting intra and out-group relationships, thus working as elements of cultural identification and differentiation.
Long-Term Sorption of Metals Is Similar among Plastic Types: Implications for Plastic Debris in Aquatic Environments

Concerns regarding plastic debris and its ability to accumulate large concentrations of priority pollutants in the aquatic environment led us to quantify relationships between different types of mass-produced plastic and metals in seawater. At three locations in San Diego Bay, we measured the accumulation of nine targeted metals (aluminum, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, cadmium and lead) sampling at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, to five plastic types: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Accumulation patterns were not consistent over space and time, and in general all types of plastic tended to accumulate similar concentrations of metals. When we did observe significant differences among concentrations of metals at a single sampling period or location in San Diego Bay, we found that HDPE typically accumulated lesser concentrations of metals than the other four polymers. Furthermore, over the 12-month study period, concentrations of all metals increased over time, and chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, zinc and lead did not reach saturation on at least one plastic type during the entire 12-month exposure. This suggests that plastic debris may accumulate greater concentrations of metals the longer it remains at sea. Overall, our work shows that a complex mixture of metals, including those listed as priority pollutants by the US EPA (Cd, Ni, Zn and Pb), can be found on plastic debris composed of various plastic types.
Self-Calibration of BICEP1 Three-Year Data and Constraints on Astrophysical Polarization Rotation

Cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimeters aspire to measure the faint B-mode signature predicted to arise from inflationary gravitational waves. They also have the potential to constrain cosmic birefringence, rotation of the polarization of the CMB arising from parity-violating physics, which would produce nonzero expectation values for the CMB’s temperature to B-mode correlation (TB) and E-mode to B-mode correlation (EB) spectra. However, instrumental systematic effects can also cause these TB and EB correlations to be nonzero. In particular, an overall miscalibration of the polarization orientation of the detectors produces TB and EB spectra which are degenerate with isotropic cosmological birefringence, while also introducing a small but predictable bias on the BB spectrum. We find that Bicep1 three-year spectra, which use our standard calibration of detector polarization angles from a dielectric sheet, are consistent with a polarization rotation of α=−2.77°±0.86°(statistical)±1.3°(systematic). We have revised the estimate of systematic error on the polarization rotation angle from the two-year analysis by comparing multiple calibration methods. We also account for the (negligible) impact of measured beam systematic effects. We investigate the polarization rotation for the Bicep1 100 GHz and 150 GHz bands separately to investigate theoretical models that produce frequency-dependent cosmic birefringence. We find no evidence in the data supporting either of these models or Faraday rotation of the CMB polarization by the Milky Way galaxy’s magnetic field. If we assume that there is no cosmic birefringence, we can use the TB and EB spectra to calibrate detector polarization orientations, thus reducing bias of the cosmological B-mode spectrum from leaked E-modes due to possible polarization orientation miscalibration. After applying this “self-calibration” process, we find that the upper limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio decreases slightly, from r<0.70 to r<0.65 at 95% confidence.
Deconstructing the BRICs: Structural Transformation and Aggregate Productivity Growth

This paper studies structural transformation and its implications for productivity growth in the BRIC countries based on a new database that provides trends in value added and employment at a detailed 35-sector level. We find that for China, India and Russia reallocation of labour across sectors is contributing to aggregate productivity growth, whereas in Brazil it is not. However, this result is overturned when a distinction is made between formal and informal activities. Increasing formalization of the Brazilian economy since 2000 appears to be growth-enhancing, while in India the increase in informality after the reforms is growth-reducing.
Analysis of Blink Rate Variability during reading and memory testing

In this paper we investigated how statistical properties of the blink rate variability changes during two mental tasks: reading a passage and memory testing. To construct time series of inter-blink intervals (blink rate variability) we detected exact blink time in EEG recordings using our blink detection algorithm. We found that among 13 subjects, all subjects blinked less during reading session. Moreover, standard deviation of the blink rate variability is higher during reading. Thus, we conclude that the variability of inter-blink intervals decreases during tasks that require concentration and intense mental activity.
Life Satisfaction versus Social Support among Aged: An Overview

Life satisfaction, morale and happiness are often used interchangeably referring to psychological well being of the individual. Psychological wellbeing includes mental functioning such as happiness, morale, life satisfaction, and the absence of psychopathology (e.g. depression). George [1] defined life satisfaction as a cognitive process by which an individual assesses his/her progress towards desired goals. George also defined happiness as “transitory moods of gaiety reflecting the affect that people feel toward their current state of affairs”. Finally she defined morale as fit between the individual and the environment, the acceptance of those aspects of life that cannot be changed and more generally it depends on how positive one’s outlook of life is. In addition to these, it is generally observed that motivational spheres of life contribute a lot to getting individual’s life satisfaction which provides all round capacity with commitment of work and family.
Autosomal STRs Provide Genetic Evidence for the Hypothesis That Tai People Originate from Southern China

Tai people are widely distributed in Thailand, Laos and southwestern China and are a large population of Southeast Asia. Although most anthropologists and historians agree that modern Tai people are from southwestern China and northern Thailand, the place from which they historically migrated remains controversial. Three popular hypotheses have been proposed: northern origin hypothesis, southern origin hypothesis or an indigenous origin. We compared the genetic relationships between the Tai in China and their “siblings” to test different hypotheses by analyzing 10 autosomal microsatellites. The genetic data of 916 samples from 19 populations were analyzed in this survey. The autosomal STR data from 15 of the 19 populations came from our previous study (Lin et al., 2010). 194 samples from four additional populations were genotyped in this study: Han (Yunnan), Dai (Dehong), Dai (Yuxi) and Mongolian. The results of genetic distance comparisons, genetic structure analyses and admixture analyses all indicate that populations from northern origin hypothesis have large genetic distances and are clearly differentiated from the Tai. The simulation-based ABC analysis also indicates this. The posterior probability of the northern origin hypothesis is just 0.04 [95%CI: (0.01–0.06)]. Conversely, genetic relationships were very close between the Tai and populations from southern origin or an indigenous origin hypothesis. Simulation-based ABC analyses were also used to distinguish the southern origin hypothesis from the indigenous origin hypothesis. The results indicate that the posterior probability of the southern origin hypothesis [0.640, 95%CI: (0.524–0.757)] is greater than that of the indigenous origin hypothesis [0.324, 95%CI: (0.211–0.438)]. Therefore, we propose that the genetic evidence does not support the hypothesis of northern origin. Our genetic data indicate that the southern origin hypothesis has higher probability than the other two hypotheses statistically, suggesting that the Tai people most likely originated from southern China.
The Australian Economic 'Miracle': A View from the North

This paper analyses a variety of aspects of the ‘miraculous’ performance of the Australian economy in the 1990s from an international perspective. We start by considering the conduct of macroeconomic policies, arguing that a mixture of good institutional design and wise decision-making has ensured an appropriate macroeconomic stance, particularly through the turbulent period of the Asian Crisis. This has supported good supply-side performance underpinned by labour market institutions that have proved reasonably flexible and robust trend productivity growth. Although cross-country evidence suggests that the information and communications technology revolution does help to explain the recent international behaviour of total factor productivity growth, it seems to play little role in explaining the remarkably good relative productivity performance of the Australian economy which we attribute to the increased competitive pressure stemming from the past removal of tariff barriers and the low level of regulation more generally. However, the increasing level of external debt and the low level of household savings means that the economy remains vulnerable.
Landscape and dynamics of transcription initiation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

The lack of a comprehensive map of transcription start sites (TSS) across the highly AT-rich genome of P. falciparum has hindered progress towards deciphering the molecular mechanisms that underly the timely regulation of gene expression in this malaria parasite. Using high-throughput sequencing technologies, we generated a comprehensive atlas of transcription initiation events at single nucleotide-resolution during the parasite intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle. This detailed analysis of TSS usage enabled us to define architectural features of plasmodial promoters. We demonstrate that TSS selection and strength are constrained by local nucleotide composition. Furthermore, we provide evidence for coordinate and stage-specific TSS usage from distinct sites within the same transcriptional unit, thereby producing transcript isoforms, a subset of which are developmentally regulated. This work offers a framework for further investigations into the interactions between genomic sequences and regulatory factors governing the complex transcriptional program of this major human pathogen.
Indirect Methods of Assessing Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Rowers: Practical Implications for Evaluating Physical Fitness in a Training Cycle

Abstract The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of indirect methods of assessment of VO2max for estimation of physical capacity of trained male and female rowers during a training cycle. A group of 8 female and 14 male rowers performed the maximal intensity test simulating the regatta distance (a 2 km test) and a submaximal incremental exercise test on a rowing ergometer. The suitability of the indirect methods of predicting VO2max during the training cycle was evaluated by performing the tests twice: in females at an interval of five months and in males at an interval of seven months. To indirectly estimate VO2max, regression formulas obtained for the linear relationship between the examined effort indices were utilized based on 1) mean power obtained in the 2 km test, and 2) submaximal exercises after the estimation of PWC170. Although the suitability of the two indirect methods of assessment of VO2max was statisticaly confirmed, their usefulness for estimation of changes in physical fitness of trained rowers during the training cycle was rather low. Such an opinion stems from the fact that the total error of these methods (range between 4.2-7.7% in female and 5.1-7.4% in male rowers) was higher than the real differences in VO2max values determined in direct measurements (between the first and the second examination maximal oxygen uptake rose by 3.0% in female rowers and decreased by 4.3% in male rowers).
Load–velocity profiling in the military press exercise: Effects of gender and training

This study aimed (1) to analyze the accuracy of mean propulsive velocity to predict the percentage of the 1-repetition maximum in the seated military press exercise and (2) to test the effect of gender and of a resistance training program on the load–velocity profile. The load–velocity relationships of 26 men and 13 women were evaluated by means of an incremental loading test up to the individual 1-repetition maximum. Additionally, the load–velocity relationships of 24 of those 26 men were measured again after a six-week resistance training program. Individual load–velocity relationships had very high coefficients of determination and low standard errors of the estimate (R2 = 0.987; standard error of the estimate = 0.04 m/s). Differences higher than 10% between the individual and the general load–velocity profiles as well as a high between-participants’ variability for the mean propulsive velocity attained at each 1-repetition maximum (coefficient of variation = 12.9–24.6%) were identified. The load–velocity profiles proved to be affected by both the gender (higher mean propulsive velocity at each %1-repetition maximum for men) and the resistance training program (lower mean propulsive velocity at each %1-repetition maximum after training). Taken together, these results speak in favor of creating individual profiles instead of using general equations when using the load–velocity relationship to estimate relative load.