Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructural Assessment of Magnetite Nanoparticles (Fe3O4) Obtained by Chemical Precipitation Under Different Synthesis Conditions

Magnetite nanosized particles synthesis was achieved by two different routes. Assessment of microstructure was carried out aiming at comparing the outcome of synthesis parameters on the crystallinity, distribution of particle dimension and magnetic activity of nanosized particles precipitated in aqueous solution. Increasing of the nanoparticles crystallite size by stirring could be evidenced by the results. Temperature does not significantly affect crystallite size and crystallinity. The type of precursor was the factor that most contributed to the definition of crystallinity and particle size distribution. The route which used FeSO4.7H2O as precursor favored large crystallite sizes and crystallinity, while the route which used Fe2SO4.7H2O and FeCl3.6H2O as precursors resulted in much smaller crystallite sizes and crystallinity.
A study on low-power, nanosecond operation and multilevel bipolar resistance switching in Ti/ZrO2/Pt nonvolatile memory with 1T1R architecture

Low-power, bipolar resistive switching (RS) characteristics in the Ti/ZrO2/Pt nonvolatile memory with one transistor and one resistor (1T1R) architecture were reported. Multilevel storage behavior was observed by modulating the amplitude of the MOSFET gate voltage, in which the transistor functions as a current limiter. Furthermore, multilevel storage was also executed by controlling the reset voltage, leading the resistive random access memory (RRAM) to the multiple metastable low resistance state (LRS). The experimental results on the measured electrical properties of the various sized devices confirm that the RS mechanism of the Ti/ZrO2/Pt structure obeys the conducting filaments model. In application, the devices exhibit high-speed switching performances (250 ns) with suitable high/low resistance state ratio (HRS/LRS > 10). The LRS of the devices with 10 year retention ability at 80 °C, based on the Arrhenius equation, is also demonstrated in the thermal accelerating test. Furthermore, the ramping gate voltage method with fixed drain voltage is used to switch the 1T1R memory cells for upgrading the memory performances. Our experimental results suggest that the ZrO2-based RRAM is a prospective alternative for nonvolatile multilevel memory device applications.
A study of the spinal cord injured population of the Chios island of Greece

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the ep id miological profile of the spinal cord injured population living on the Greek island Chios. Methods: We interviewed the regional spinal cord injured pop ulation. Participants were recruited from the island’s capital and its 52 villages. The target po pulation was all the SCI individuals living on Chios Island (n=38), out of which 34 (response rate was 89%) patients we re interviewed in their homes using an especially d esigned questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the subjects at the time of the in jury was 43 and the majority (n=23, 67.6%) were mal e. The employment status of the participants changed a ft r the injury from 64.7% (n=22) to 32.4% (n=11). Traffic accidents were the cause of the SCI for 44.8%, with a significant difference from the other causes of i njury (p<0.004). The most common level of injury was thor acic-lumbar (23.5%, n=8). The duration of hospitali z tion was on average 4.6 ± 3.9 months followed by treatme n in rehabilitation centres. Most participants fac ed secondary complications which correlated significantly with a ge (r=0.372 p=0.03). Conclusions: The findings revealed that traffic accidents were th main reason for SCI. More research is needed on SCIs in Greece and the development of a surveilla nce system for SCIs is suggested.
Stock Return Predictability by Bayesian Model Averaging: Evidence from Stock Exchange of Thailand

This research paper examines the predictability power on future stock returns by employing the concept of Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). The sample focuses on Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) over 2001-2011. Predictors for return predictability contain financial information which are dividend yield, Book-to-Market, Earning yield, Default risk premium, Monthly rate of three-month Treasury bill, Term premium, Monthly inflation rate and Term spread. This paper also explores the predictability power over financial crisis, sub-period over 2008-2009. In addition, this paper compares expected returns from two models between BMA and traditional regression (Fama and Macbeth two steps procedure). Results indicated that BMA approach outperforms the traditional regression model.
Human Motion Prediction via Spatio-Temporal Inpainting

We propose a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to forecast 3D human motion given a sequence of past 3D skeleton poses. While recent GANs have shown promising results, they can only forecast plausible motion over relatively short periods of time (few hundred milliseconds) and typically ignore the absolute position of the skeleton w.r. t. the camera. Our scheme provides long term predictions (two seconds or more) for both the body pose and its absolute position. Our approach builds upon three main contributions. First, we represent the data using a spatio-temporal tensor of 3D skeleton coordinates which allows formulating the prediction problem as an inpainting one, for which GANs work particularly well. Secondly, we design an architecture to learn the joint distribution of body poses and global motion, capable to hypothesize large chunks of the input 3D tensor with missing data. And finally, we argue that the L2 metric, considered so far by most approaches, fails to capture the actual distribution of long-term human motion. We propose two alternative metrics, based on the distribution of frequencies, that are able to capture more realistic motion patterns. Extensive experiments demonstrate our approach to significantly improve the state of the art, while also handling situations in which past observations are corrupted by occlusions, noise and missing frames.
Nutritional Properties of Some BRRI HYV Rice in Bangladesh

Rice is relatively a better source of vitamins, minerals, protein and starch among cereals. In order to identify nutraceutically enriched HYV rice, a total of 35 BRRI released HYVs were subjected to analyze water soluble vitamins such thiamin and riboflavin along with physicochemical and cooking properties. In addition, some profound vitamin enriched HYVs were further subjected to analyze for mineral content such as zinc, iron, phytic acid (PA) and molar ratio of PA to minerals and these were evaluated over variation of degree of milling (DOM) and polishing time (Seconds). Our data reveals that BRRI dhan36 has the highest thiamin content (mg100-1g) of 1.15 followed by BRRI dhan29 (1.14), BRRI dhan48 (1.12), BRRI dhan28 (1.09) and BRRI dhan43 (1.08), BR16 (1.09), BR25 (0.93), BRRI dhan38 (0.93), BRRI dhan64 (0.89) and BRRI dhan42 (0.85) among all tested 35 BRRI HYVs in Bangladesh. Both BRRI dhan43 and BRRI dhan42 have higher Zn content (ppm) of 27.17 and 27.12 among all tested BRRI HYVs rice varieties at 10% DOM. In addition, we have also observed that grain size and shape have significant impact on degree of milling (DOM) and mineral content trends to be decreased significantly over increasing the polishing time. Considering all nutritional values such as water-soluble vitamins specially thiamin, protein, apparent amylose content, cooking time, elongation ratio, imbibition’s ratio, mineral contents such as Zn, Fe, PA and molar ratio of PA to minerals into account, BRRI dhan43 followed by BRRI dhan42 found suitable to treat as nutriceutically enriched HYV rice in Bangladesh among all tested HYVs. Consuming both BRRI dhan43 and BRRI dhan42 as nutraceutically enriched rice alternately, might impact on nutritionally challenged vulnerable portion of Bangladeshi population specially women and children under five years of age.
Biosorption characteristics of Aspergillus fumigatus in removal of cadmium from an aqueous solution

Nineteen fungal species were isolated from soil contaminated with industrial wastes of which Aspergillus species were the most dominant. The growth of the isolates was notice by Cd concentration in growth medium, thus about 20% of the isolates can grow up to 50 mg Cd/100 ml medium and only Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium chrysogenum can grow at 100 mg Cd with growth decrease of 88.2 and 99.4%, respectively. The results revealed that the living biomass of the isolates were more efficient to biosorb Cd than their dried powdered biomass by 15 - 44%. The formulation of yeast peptone glucose (YPG) medium fortified the isolates by ingredients favored the best growth yields that have the highest Cd biosorption, compared to yeast malt extract (YM) and sabourad (Sb) media. The dried A. fumigatus biomass was the most efficient than other tested fungi. The influence of different treatments of dried A. fumigatus biomass on its Cd biosorption activity, indicated that 0.5 N NaOH and autoclaving was the most efficient treatment (3 fold increase as compared to untreated). The biosorption of Cd by treated A. fumigatus biomass was considerably influenced by the pH value of the biosorption medium, contact time, biomass levels and Cd concentration. Thus, 98% of Cd was absorbed in biosorption medium containing 10 mg Cd and 100 mg dried treated biomass/100ml bidistilled water at pH 5 after 90 min of contact, nitric acid (0.05 N) was the best Cd eluent (99.8%) as compared to the other eluents. The desorbed A. fumigatus biomass was successfully reused for 5 consecutive times for Cd biosorption with decrease reached to 28% at the 5th reuse.
Do Farmers Internalise External Impacts of Pesticides in Production

In modern agriculture, pesticides feature so prominently in growers’ arsenal to reduce crop damage caused by various pests and diseases. But their indiscriminate use can harm human health and the environment and, eventually, impact agricultural productivity negatively. In an era of an increasing public awareness on the external effects of pesticides, the EU is trying to update its pesticide policy by establishing tax and levy schemes. An important question is whether the external impacts of pesticides are also affecting the farmers’ production environment. A damage abatement specification is used consisting of a potential output function and a damage abatement function. The damage abatement function considers both high and low toxicity pesticides, and variables reflecting pesticide impacts on biodiversity and operator’s health. The application focuses on panel data of Dutch cash crop producers. The pesticide contribution on some biodiversity categories are found to impact farm output significantly. The outcome is important for designing tax systems that aim at socially optimal use of pesticides.
Thermodynamic structure of a hurricane's lower cloud and subcloud layers

In 1997 a campaign was initiated to deploy the new Global Positioning System (GPS) dropwindsondes (sondes) in tropical cyclones (TCs). This new generation sonde offers 6 to 7 m vertical resolution from a few hundred meters below deployment altitude to the sea surface. The quality of the wind and thermodynamic measurements is a major step forward from the Omega dropwindsondes. The GPS sondes have been used to examine the wind profiles in hurricanes resulting in new estimates of the drag coefficient (Powell et al. 2003). The analysis of the GPS sondes dropped in Bonnie (1998) during landfall have been the basis for an energy budget for an inflow trajectory to the eyewall (Wroe and Barnes 2003) and for the first horizontal maps of thermodynamic quantities at 10 m for a TC (Schneider and Barnes 2005).
International Trade and Foreign Investment: Substitutes or Complements

Recently, there has been some discussion on whether foreign investment "substitutes" for or "complements" mternatronal trade First as will be briefly reviewed in Section II, Robert Mundelll showed that both are complete substitutes for each other under the assumption of identical production functions for two countries within the framework of ordinary Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson theory of trade. Second, Andrew Schmitz and Peter Helmberger2 and especially Douglas D. Purvis3 demonstrated that foreign investment may work complementarily to international trade if production functions vary in the two countries (Section 111). However, these people seem not to be able to show definite conditions for substitute or complementary cases. Mundell and Purvis dealt with international movements of capital as one of the homogeneous factors of production, referring to it as a real, or physical capital.4 1 would like in this paper to call it "money capital" for it is to be a general, homogeneous factor of production which is allocable and reallocable to any sector of the economy. It is money capital before allocated while it becomes real capital after allocated.5 Schmitz and Helmberger had in mind foreign direct investment but dealt with it as if there were no difference from money capital movement. But, there is a critical difference, among others, in the sense that the foreign direct investment affects the activities of specific sectors of investing and host economies, whereas international money capital movement is absorbed by and results in the reallocation of factors of production (capital and labor) so as to attain a general equilibrium of both countries. Keeping in mind this characteristic of foreign direct investment, we may be able to differentiate succinctly two cases in which foreign direct investment works as a complement to international trade (trade-creating type) or as a substitute for it (trade-destroying type). This is the main purpose of the present paper (Section IV).
French in Springfield: a variationist analysis of the translation of first-person singular future actions in the Quebec and French dubbings of The Simpsons

This article examines how Quebec and French translators rendered 104 first-person singular future actions in the Quebec and French dubbings of 10 episodes of The Simpsons. Results show that out of the different options available in the French language, periphrastic future (aller + infinitve) is the prevailing solution in both versions. An in-depth analysis of this solution in particular reveals that while the French translators only used the norm-abiding Je vais+Infinitive (almost 50% of the time), their Quebec counterparts turned more frequently to the norm-opposing Je vas+Infinitive (65% of the time) and rarely to Je vais+Infinitive (10% of the time). A variationist analysis of the different solutions along such variables as sex, age, social class, and level of education reveals some emerging but unstable patterns. Overall, the study contends that the variability observed can be perceived both as a style-shifting phenomenon and as an ideological posture taken by translators. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus supply on growth, chlorophyll content and tissue composition of the macroalga Chaetomorpha linum (O.F. Müll), Kütz, in a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

The effect of dissolved nutrients on growth, nutrient content and uptake rates of Chaetomorpha linum in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Tancada, Ebro delta, NE Spain) was studied in laboratory experiments. Water was enriched with distinct forms of nitrogen, such as nitrate or ammonium and phosphorus. Enrichment with N, P or with both nutrients resulted in a significant increase in the tissue content of these nutrients. N-enrichment was followed by an increase in chlorophyll content after 4 days of treatment, although the difference was only significant when nitrate was added without P. P-enrichment had no significant effect on chlorophyll content. In all the treatments an increase in biomass was obseved after 10 days. This increase was higher in the N+P treatments. In all the treatments the uptake rate was significantly higher when nutrients were added than in control jars. The uptake rate of N, as ammonium, and P were significantly higher when they were added alone while that of N as nitrate was higher in the N+P treatment. In the P-enriched cultures, the final P-content of macroalgal tissues was ten-fold that of the initial tissue concentrations, thereby indicating luxury P-uptake. Moreover, at the end of the incubation the N:P ratio increased to 80, showing that P rather than N was the limiting factor for C. linum in the Tancada lagoon. The relatively high availability of N is related to the N inputs from rice fields that surround the lagoon and to P binding in sediments.
Mixed ionic electronic conductors for solid oxide fuel cells

Ceria solid solutions with 20% Sm3+ and 10% Ca2+ were prepared by wet chemical coprecipitation of the corresponding nitrates or chlorides with ammonium hydroxide and ammonium oxalate. After calcination in air the solid solutions exhibited the cubic fluorite structure which was verified by X-ray diffraction analysis. Precipitation with ammonium hydroxide resulted in agglomerated powders which were not sinterable, whereas precipitation with ammonium oxalate produced homogeneous powders with good sinterability. From these powders ceramic membranes with a thickness of 220±40 μm were prepared by tapecasting and sintering in air at 1600 to 1700 °C. The density of sintered ceria membranes was larger than 95% of the theoretical density (TD).
Functional outcome of unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture in elderly osteoporotic patients treated by primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty versus internal fixation with proximal femoral nailing

Backround: Intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly pose certain special problems and need to be addressed in a balanced way as on one hand senile osteoporosis requires prolonged immobilization, on the other hand rapid mobilization is required as they are generally medically compromised due to age and associated diseases. Despite several randomized trials and comparative studies treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients is still controversial, which we want to investigate in this set-up which caters to a vast rural population. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 54 patients, of which 27 each were operated with cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BPA) and proximal femur nail (PFN) between January 2012 till July 2016 was done. Primary outcome was assessed in both groups using Harris hip score( HHS) at 4weeks, 6 weeks, 12weeks, 6months and 1 year on outpatient basis. The secondary outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss, transfusion rate, surgical time, bed to chair time, chair to walking time, limb length discrepancy at final follow up. All complications were noted at follow ups. Results: The HHS was significantly higher for BPA group at all follow ups, at 4 weeks of follow up was 77.81 for BPA and 71.18 for PFN (p-value = 0.001) and at 1 year of follow up was 85.55 for BPA and 77.03 for PFN (p-value = 0.001). Statistically significant differences were found between BPA and PFN groups with reference to intraoperative blood loss, transfusion rate, surgical time, bed to chair time, chair to walking time, limb length discrepancy at final follow up. Conclusion: The bipolar hemiarthroplasty group had fewer complications and earlier mobilization with better Harris hip score at all follow ups, which indicate bipolar hemiarthroplasty is a better option in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in senile osteoporotic patients.
A joint model for mode choice and escort decisions of school trips

A considerable shift has occurred in mode choice behaviour and escort pattern of students for their school trips around the world during the last few decades. This shift towards using more non-active modes has undesirable consequences, including physical inactivity among students, traffic jams during peak hours, and adverse environmental impacts. Hence, understanding the behaviour of decision-makers with regard to the mode choice and escorting pattern selection is crucial for controlling the trend of the shift and promoting active modes. This study is the first effort to mathematically model the mode choice and accompaniment pattern selection by parents for the school trip of students, in a joint modelling structure as it is believed that these two decisions are jointly made by parents. Two modelling formulations are used: a nested logit (NL) model and a copula-based model. Results showed that the copula model outperforms the NL model. It was also found that modelling these two decisions in an independent manner can result in misleading policy assessments.
Regional variation in body size of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Abstract Body size affects almost every aspect of the biology of a species, with considerable intraspecific variation. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) reportedly vary in body size across their geographical range. However, because morphometric measurements were not taken in a standardized manner, it is impossible to rule out differences in measurement protocols as the cause. Our study differed from previous ones in that we made use of a standardized methodology for taking morphometric measurements in cheetahs. Free-ranging cheetahs in Namibia were shorter (3.5–4.1%) and slimmer (4.0–7.0%) than those in neighboring Botswana. Cheetah density was more than 3 times higher and home-range sizes were more than 3 times smaller in Botswana compared to Namibia. This suggests that variation in resource availability may be the main driver of the fine-scale spatial differences in morphometric measurements. Overall, our study promotes the use of standardized protocols for measuring morphological traits in free-ranging animals.
The effect of monetary policy on house price inflation: A factor augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) approach

Purpose - This paper seeks to assess the impact of monetary policy on house price inflation for the nine census divisions of the US economy. Design/methodology/approach - A factor-augmented VAR (FAVAR) model is estimated using a large data set comprising of 126 quarterly series over the period 1976:01 to 2005:02. Findings - Overall, the results of this investigation show that house price inflation responds negatively to a positive monetary policy shock, suggesting that the framework does not experience the widely observed price puzzle encountered while analyzing monetary policy shocks with standard sized VARs. Research limitations/implications - The paper only considers house price inflation and ignores other housing market variables. Moreover, given the recent economy-wide decline in the house price growth rates, it would be worthwhile to update the data set to a more recent period, to capture the possible breakdown in the relationship of house prices with fundamentals driving the market. Practical implications - The results based on the impulse response functions indicate that, in general, house price inflation responds negatively to monetary policy shock, but the responses are heterogeneous across the census divisions. In addition, the findings suggest, in particular, the importance of South Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, Mountain and the Pacific divisions in shaping the dynamics of US house price inflation. Originality/value - To the best of one's knowledge, this is the first paper to analyze the effect of monetary policy on house price inflation in the nine census divisions of the US economy using a FAVAR model.