Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AN ADAPTIVE DIGITAL FUZZY ARCHITECTURE FOR APPLICATION-SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A generic fuzzy logic system implementation in digital hardware is presented in this paper. The architecture developed is oriented to Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and its functionality is demonstrated through a typical ASIC for a simple control application. Furthermore, a distributed adaptation scheme is proposed for real-time environments. Performance/area tradeoffs for VLSI implementation are also discussed.
Determinants of Retention of Psychological Contract of Information Technology Professionals in Sri Lanka

Job hoping of employees has become a tremendous issue in IT firms across the world. Literature reveals that the average period of IT professional remains in a company is around two years. This research paper argues that this issue arises because of current IT firms have failed to retain the psychological contract of IT professionals which was formed at the recruitment and the socialization stages. Building a positive psychological contract in the recruitment stage is not enough to sustain in the current business environment. It is vital to retain the psychological contract as well. This study examines the determinants of psychological contract retention in the domain of IT professionals in Sri Lanka. This cross sectional field study was carried out among a sample of 80 IT professionals. Convenience sampling was applied to select the sample. A self-administered, standard questionnaire was used to gather data. Eighty questionnaire responses from the IT professionals were analyzed using SPSS. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed to find out the determinants of psychological contract retention. KMO statistics was used to determine the sampling adequacy. Factor loading values and extraction sums of squared loadings (cumulative) values were used to draw the conclusion. The results of this exploratory study revealed that work atmosphere is the most prominent factor that contributes to retain the psychological contract among them. Moreover, stimulating job, task description, autonomy, salary satisfaction are the significant determinants of psychological contract retention of IT professionals in Sri Lanka. Finding of this research revealed that job security, intra organizational mobility, work life balance and career development become insignificant to retain the psychological contract of IT professionals in the Sri Lankan Context. Furthermore, it is recommended to give a serious attention to create and maintain a proper work atmosphere through possible policies, procedures and systems in IT firms.
Increasing Access to State Psychiatric Hospital Beds: Exploring Supply-Side Solutions.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to identify supply-side interventions to reduce state psychiatric hospital admission delays. METHODS Healthcare Enterprise Accounts Receivable Tracking System (HEARTS) data were collected for all patients admitted between July 1, 2010, and July 31, 2012, to one of North Carolina's three state-operated psychiatric hospitals (N=3,156). Additional information on hospital use was collected at nine meetings with hospital administrators and other local stakeholders. A discrete-event simulation model was built to simulate the flow of adult nonforensic patients through the hospital. Hypothetical scenarios were used to evaluate the effects of varying levels of increased capacity on annual number of admissions and average patient wait time prior to admission. RESULTS In the base case, the model closely approximated actual state hospital utilization, with an average of 1,251±65 annual admissions and a preadmission wait time of 3.3±. 1 days across 50 simulations. Results from simulated expansion scenarios highlighted substantial capacity shortfalls in the current system. For example, opening an additional 24-bed unit was projected to decrease average wait time by only 6%. Capacity would need to be increased by 165% (356 beds) to reduce average wait time below 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS Without more robust community-based hospital and residential capacity, major increases in state psychiatric hospital inpatient capacity are necessary to ensure timely admission of people in crisis.
Strategies of Beef Cattle Development Enterprise in Selected Areas of Bangladesh

The study is an attempt to scrutinize the existing internal and external factors, alternative strategies and priorities of the strategies applied in enhancing beef cattle agribusiness at Pabna and Sirajganj districts in Bangladesh. The primary data of the study were collected by employing various methods including survey, FGD, KII and observation. The sample size was 180 which were selected through convenience sampling technique. The following analytical tools were employed (i)designing SWOT matrix using the EFE-IFE criterion (ii) evaluation the SWOT matrix using the SPACE matrix, and (iii) designing the quantitative strategic programming matrix (QSPM). By analyzing all the factors from SWOT matrix four strategies were designed to determine the beef cattle development enterprise. The best strategy was selected by using QSPM matrix. The results reveal that IFE is 2.610, EFE is 2.438 and the total weighted score of 5.833 which indicates the potential opportunity for beef cattle development by their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Based on the findings of the study a strategy is recommended for beef cattle development enterprise.
QATAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ON THE DEGREES OF FREEDOM OF THE RELAY X-CHANNEL BY DUAA

Interference is a principal source of capacity limitations in today’s multi-access multi-user wireless systems. Despite the fact that the capacity of interference channels is still an unsolved problem, the research community has already established a substantial work towards this goal. In effort to provide alternative attainable expressions for performance limits in interference channels, the concept of the Degrees of Freedom (DoF) has been introduced. DoF describes network capacity in terms of the number of maximum possible simultaneous interference-free streams. X-channel is defined where there are two transmitters, two receivers and each transmitter has an independent message for each receiver. Interference channel, broadcast channel and the multiple access channel are special cases of the X-channel. In this thesis, we further investigate the effect of a relay on the DoF of a single input single output (SISO) X-channel with no channel state information at transmitters (CSIT). In contrast to previous work, which has focused on two antennas at the relay to achieve the optimal 4 3 DoF, we focus on the case of a single antenna half duplex relay. We show that with a single antenna relay and delayed output feedback, the upper bound of 4 3 DoF for the X-channel is achievable and we provide the achievability scheme. We revisit the previously studied case of single antenna relay in the more practical setting of alternating CSIT. We show that the optimal 4 3 DoF achievability does not mandate full CSIT availability. For the case of partial alternating CSIT availability at the relay transmitters, we propose a scheme that can achieve the optimal 4 3 DoF and we deduce the minimum CSIT availability for the proposed scheme to achieve optimality.
AD-A 250 954 onue cec Polymorphic Type Assignment and CPS Conversion

Meyer and Wand established that the type of a term in the simply typed A-calculus may be related in a straightforward manner to the type of its call-by-value CPS transform. This typing property may be extended to Scheme-like continuation-passing primitives, from which the soundness of these extensions follows. We study the extension of these results to the Damas-Milner polymorphic type assignment system under both the call-by-value and callby-name interpretations. We obtain CPS transforms for the call-by-value interpretation, provided that the polymorphic let is restricted to values, and for the call-by-name interpretation with no restrictions. We prove that there is no call-by-value CPS transform for the full Damas-Milner language that validates the Meyer-Wand typing property and is equivalent to the standard call-by-value transform up to I3/-conversion. Accesion For NTIS CRA&I DTIC TAB U U:,anoou'ced U Justificatioi . By. *. ". --. --. -------
Testicular Gene Expression in Cryptorchid Boys at Risk of Azoospermia

Despite timely and successful surgery, 32% of patients with bilateral and 10% with unilateral cryptorchidism will develop azoospermia. Cryptorchid boys at risk of azoospermia display a typical testicular histology of impaired mini-puberty at the time of the orchidopexy. During mini-puberty increased gonadotropin and testosterone secretion stimulate transformation of gonocytes into Ad spermatogonia. In the azoospermia risk group this transformation is to a great extent impaired. This study aimed to analyze data on whole genome expression signatures of undescended testes at risk of developing azoospermia. Twenty-three testicular biopsies from 22 boys were analyzed (19 testes from 18 boys with cryptorchidism and 4 contralateral descended testes from patients with testicular agenesis). Expression profiling identified 483 genes not or under-expressed in the azoospermia risk group compared with the control and low risk for azoospermia (LAZR) groups. Annotated loci were associated with spermatogenesis. Other significant genes were cellular defense response genes and hormone-controlled loci involved in spermatogenesis. Some genes transcribed in normal adult meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells are activated in healthy juvenile Ad spermatogonia. Thus, molecular events initiating the testicular expression program at the onset of puberty and maintaining it during adulthood occur very early in prepubertal testes. This molecular event is to a great extent impaired in the high risk for azoospermia (HAZR) group lacking Ad spermatogonia (stem cells for spermatozoa) indicating impaired mini-puberty.
Isolation and identification of flavonoids from anticancer and neuroprotective extracts of Trigonella foenum graecum

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effects of Trigonella foenum graecum methanol and ethyl acetate extracts, against cancer cell lines and NaNO 2 -induced neurodegeneration in mice brain. Methods: Adult male albino mice ( n = 20) were administered NaNO 2 orally at a dose of 300 mg/kg for 15 days. The control group received distilled water and normal mice feed. Experimental groups were given T. foenum graecum methanol and ethyl acetate extracts in two different doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg orally for 15 days. Histopathological examination of the brain was carried out with the aid of cresyl violet and H&E staining. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated by 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against HCEC, MCF-7 and Hep2 cell lines. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) were used to determine the structures of the bioactive compounds. Results: Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of T. foenum graecum seeds inhibited neurodegeneration in the hippocampus and cortex regions of the brain when compared to control group. Moreover, the extracts exhibited anticancer activity against Hep2 and MCF-7cells and low cytotoxicity against HCEC, sparing healthy cells in-vitro . In addition, two flavonoids amurensin and cosmosiin were isolated from T. foenum graecum extracts. Conclusion: Amurensin and cosmosiin from T. foenum extracts are reported here for the first time agents that possess significant anticancer and neuroprotective properties. Keywords: Trigonella foenum-graecum , Anticancer, Neurodegeneration, Flavonoids, Amurensin, Cosmosiin
Biallelic DICER1 mutations in sporadic pleuropulmonary blastoma.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare pediatric malignancy whose pathogens are poorly understood. Recent reports suggest that germline mutations in the microRNA-processing enzyme DICER1 may contribute to PPB development. To investigate the genetic basis of this cancer, we performed whole-exome sequencing or targeted deep sequencing of multiple cases of PPB. We found biallelic DICER1 mutations to be very common, more common than TP53 mutations also found in many tumors. Somatic ribonuclease III (RNase IIIb) domain mutations were identified in all evaluable cases, either in the presence or absence of nonsense/frameshift mutations. Most cases had mutated DICER1 alleles in the germline with or without an additional somatic mutation in the remaining allele, whereas other cases displayed somatic mutations exclusively where the RNase IIIb domain was invariably affected. Our results highlight the role of RNase IIIb domain mutations in DICER1 along with TP53 inactivation in PPB pathogenesis.
A high resolution analysis of macroscopic charcoal deposited in peat

The amount of macroscopic charcoal in the top 25 cm of three cores from a peat land in Hornso Ecopark, south-eastern Sweden, was compared to the dendrochronology inferred fire history of the site. Because of the occurrence of a recent fire ex-situ (1999) and one fire ¬in-situ inferred by three fire scared Scots pines, Pinus sylvestris, adjacent (5-10 m) to the peat cores, the site provided an excellent opportunity to compare the abundance of charcoal deposited in a peat land after fires in-situ and ex-situ. The objectives of the study were threefold: 1) to investigate the relationship between numbers of charcoal fragments (#/cm3) and measured fragment area (mm2/cm3); 2) to test if the smaller size classes could be excluded without changing the signal from the charcoal profile significantly; and 3) to compare the abundance of charcoal deposited between a fire in-situ and ex-situ. The number of charcoal fragments and the measured charcoal area exhibited a highly significant correlation (P 0.28 mm with those > 0.50 mm in diameter the same charcoal peak pattern emerged. The two size classes also showed a highly significant correlation (P < 0.001 in two and P < 0.05 in one of the cores). Even if ambiguity arose concerning which charcoal peak that should represent the fire of 1908, the fire of 1999 did not produce a clear peak in the charcoal profile. It was concluded that the parameter "number of charcoal fragments" is preferred over the measured charcoal area in most cases. Even if the > 0.28 and > 0.50 mm size classes exhibited the same charcoal peak profiles one should be cautious to exclude the 0.28-0.50 mm class. The study suggests that fires in-situ depose more charcoal in the peat stratigraphy than fires ex-situ.
Past, present and future of the fish community of Lake Orta (Italy), one of the world’s largest acidified lakes

Since 1926, the fishes in Lake Orta, one of Italy’s deepest natural lakes, were heavily damaged by profundal hypoxia and acidification linked to oxidation of ammonia from industrial effluents and by industrial metal pollution. Of the original 28 fish species, only perch survived the lake’s contamination. Recently, the water quality of the lake has been largely restored by reductions in pollutant inputs, and a massive liming intervention. These interventions restored fish habitat, but it is unclear whether the recent fish reintroductions were successful, and the present status of the fish community is unknown. Here we reviewed the history of the Lake Orta fish assemblage. Using an extensive 2014 sampling campaign, we compared the present fish community to both its pre-pollution composition and to the assemblages of nearby un-polluted, but otherwise similar lakes, Lake Mergozzo and Lake Maggiore. While nearshore fish density now appears normal in lake Orta, the open water community remains impoverished both in numbers and in species. Epilimnetic and hypolimnetic benthic nets were dominated by perch and roach in all the three lakes, but the catch of pelagic nets differed among lakes. Perch ( Perca fluviatilis) , rudd ( Scardinius erythrophthalmus) and brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) dominated in Lake Orta while shad ( Alosa fallax lacustris ) and coregonids ( Coregonus spp.) were dominant in the open waters of the other two lakes, but missing from Lake Orta. Many fully or partially migratory species, including marble trout ( Salmo trutta marmoratus) , eel ( Anguilla Anguilla) and barbel ( Barbus plebejus) were also missing from Lake Orta, a consequence of their initial extirpation and blocked re-colonization routes along the River Strona. In comparison with both pre-pollution and contemporary reference data, the fish community of Lake Orta has not been rehabilitated. The recovery of the littoral community is complete, but cold water species such as burbot ( Lota lota), Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus) and bullhead ( Cottus gobio) are still lacking, as are the pelagic zooplanktivores European whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus) and shad, which dominate offshore communities in the reference lakes, as they did a century ago in Lake Orta. To propose priorities for fish community rehabilitation in Lake Orta, we categorized the conservation, ecological and fishing values of each missing fish species in the lake, and evaluated the cost and probability of success of the needed intervention for each species. This analysis indicated that rehabilitation of shad and European whitefish should receive highest priority.
Ergonomic risk assessment – a case study of a garment manufacturing industry

Pakistan is the eighth largest exporter of textiles, and this sector contributes 8.7% to the country's GDP. The garment industry contribution to the total textile-based exports from the country is 47%. Skilled labour is available at relatively cheap rates. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent in this sector and this research is aimed at finding the levels of risk attached to working activities and to gain knowledge of the major causes of musculoskeletal disorders. The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method was used for this purpose. It was found that postures related to the wrist (0–15° or >15° flexion or extension with twist or deviation), lower arm ( 100° flexion) and neck (extension and flexion with twist or side flexed) are the major causes of musculoskeletal disorders. These findings will help in the design of workplaces and working strategies to minimize risk and so increase satisfaction, productivity and overall well-being at the workplace.
Effect of cultivar on minor components in Tunisia olive fruits cultivated in microclimate

This paper evaluates the usefulness of three chemical parameters (composition of volatiles compounds, total phenols and fatty acids) as a tool to discriminate the olive oils obtained from three varieties (Oueslati, Chemlali and Chetoui). These varieties are included among the cultivars permitted by the disciplinary for the production of the ‘‘Kairouan olive oil’’, a Tunisian protected designation of origin (PDO) product. The olives were collected during the year crop 2009/2010 from the same orchard (calcareous soil), in order to eliminate geographical and climatic influences. Analysis of the effect of cultivar on the different analytical values, revealed statistically significant differences in some parameters, mainly in free fatty acid and phenol contents and oxidative stability. Furthermore, most of the quality indices and fatty acid composition showed significant variations among olive varieties. Oueslati variety had the highest values of oleic acid, whereas Chetoui was noteworthy for its high content of phenolic compounds. The major volatile component was the C6 aldehyde fraction whose content varied greatly between the different varieties: the (E)-2-hexenal content ranged from 20.9% in the oil obtained from the Oueslati variety to 7.7% in the case of Chemlali one; the amount of hexanal ranged from 10.2% in Oueslati to 3.7% in Chetoui. These results suggest that the genetic factor (cultivar) influences the volatiles formation.
The Dynamic Nature of Student Persistence: Influence of Interactions between Student Attachment, Academic Adaptation, and Social Adaptation.

This study examined what combination of students' adjustment, institutional attachment, Scholastic Assessment Test scores, high school class rank, college grade point average (GPA), adaptive style, self-efficacy, and help-seeking would discriminate persisters from nonpersisters after 1 year of college. Researchers investigated the degree of accuracy with which the assessment of factors within the first six weeks would classify students as persisters or nonpersisters, noting increases in accuracy when independent variables were assessed during the last six weeks. During the first and last six weeks of the first academic year, students completed the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, Help Seeking Inventory, Adaptive Style Inventory, and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale. The dependent variable (persistence or nonpersistence) was determined using student enrollment records from the following fall. Persistence related to dynamic interactions throughout the year involving students' self-evaluations. Persisters were students whose GPAs improved during the year, whose GPAs were consistent with their expectations, or who indicated they had adapted academically. Many students persisted despite contrary predictions because their successful social integration and feelings of fit with the institution compensated for academic performance inconsistent with expectations. Results highlighted a complex, dynamic relationship among multiple variables which modified feelings of attachment throughout the academic year. (Contains 27 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 0 ice of Educational Research and Improvement EDJJCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 1 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
THE PROBLEM OF SAMPLING IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Sampling problem can be contextualized as one of selecting a sample adequate for a given research problem. In most qualitative investigations, the problem associated with sampling is ever present and needs to be addressed in order ensure the credibility of research findings and undertakings. It happens to be the case that in most qualitative research, it is either impossible or costly prohibitive to study all cases of a phenomenon depending on the object of one’s research. This situation places limitation on the researcher in which she is compelled to select a certain proportion as the sample of study. The notion of adequate sampling comes into play, in the sense that a sample can be viewed as adequate if and only if the sampling errors that result from the use of the stated sample size is so small as not to nullify conclusions reached by the researcher. Sampling problem may be addressed in a number of ways. That is, to ensure that the sample size for a given study is adequate as well as representative of the universe of research study, the researcher needs to ensure that the sample is adequate so that conclusions drawn from the investigation would not be invalidated as a result of intolerable level of sampling error.