Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atomic Structure Studies of 2D Materials and Advancement of Dynamical LEEM/uLEED-IV Analysis

Atomic Structure Studies of 2D Materials and Advancement of Dynamical LEEM/μLEED-IV Analysis by Zhongwei Dai University of New Hampshire, May, 2018 Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted much attention as an emerging group of materials over the past decade due to their novel mechanical, optical and electronic properties with many potential applications in photovoltaics, photo-catalysts, and modern electronics. However, the detailed atomic structural information has been rarely experimentally investigated due to the following difficulties: (i) the limited sample size of 2D materials prepared through mechanical exfoliation of a few μm, and (ii) the easy oxidation and surface instability of various 2D materials under high energy probing techniques. Selected area low-energy electron diffraction analysis (μLEED-IV ) performed in a low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) system, is a modern surface sensitive and non-intrusive surface characterization technique, which has the advantage of μm sampling size selectivity. I present, for the first time, detailed experimental characterizations of atomic crystal structures of a series of technologically promising 2D materials: MoS2, black phosphorus (BP), the topological crystalline insulator (TCI) SnSe, 1T phase SnSe2 and tungsten doped MoTe2. I have found a slight asymmetry of the relaxation of the interlayer spacing of a suspended single S-Mo-S sandwich layer, which is most likely caused by a small amount of warping or strain. To my knowledge, this is the first atomic crystal structure characterization of the single layer form of a 2D material. In the case of both bulk BP and exfoliated few layer phosphorene (FLP), with a thickness of about 10 nm, I have found that the surface undergoes a significant dis-
RMP ELM suppression in DIII-D plasmas with ITER similar shapes and collisionalities

Large Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) are completely eliminated with small n = 3 resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) in low average triangularity, , plasmas and in ITER similar shaped (ISS) plasmas, , with ITER relevant collisionalities . Significant differences in the RMP requirements and in the properties of the ELM suppressed plasmas are found when comparing the two triangularities. In ISS plasmas, the current required to suppress ELMs is approximately 25% higher than in low average triangularity plasmas. It is also found that the width of the resonant q95 window required for ELM suppression is smaller in ISS plasmas than in low average triangularity plasmas. An analysis of the positions and widths of resonant magnetic islands across the pedestal region, in the absence of resonant field screening or a self-consistent plasma response, indicates that differences in the shape of the q profile may explain the need for higher RMP coil currents during ELM suppression in ISS plasmas. Changes in the pedestal profiles are compared for each plasma shape as well as with changes in the injected neutral beam power and the RMP amplitude. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of requirements for optimal ELM control coil designs and for establishing the physics basis needed in order to scale this approach to future burning plasma devices such as ITER.
ANTECEDENTS OF JUSTICE PERCEPTIONS IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

Even though several theories of justice attempt to explain how justice perceptions are formed and operate, the findings describing the relationship between justice perceptions and other variables are fragmented. Furthermore, findings of studies in performance appraisal context are not organized using a justice framework. This theoretical paper attempts to develop a model of antecedents of justice perceptions in performance appraisal context. It is proposed that procedural and interactional justice are jointly determined by organizational regulations and rater behavior whereas distributive justice is determined by actual rating, and the way the ratings are used. Future relationships for justice perceptions in the context of performance appraisals are discussed.
Limit theorems for the convex hull of random points in higher dimensions

We give a central limit theorem for the number Nn of vertices of the convex hull of n independent and identically distributed random vectors, being sampled from a certain class of spherically symmetric distributions in Rd (d > 1), that includes the normal family. Furthermore, we prove that, among these distributions, the variance of Nn exhibits the same order of magnitude as the expectation as n→∞. The main tools are Poisson approximation of the point process of vertices of the convex hull and (sub/super)-martingales.
Cultural Diagnosis: An Empirical Investigation of Cellular Industry of Pakistan

This study describes research in five cellular companies operating in Pakistan, aimed at identifying their current and preferred organizational culture. Using Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) competing values framework, the overall cultural profiles and dominant characteristics of the organizations and industry are determined through a personally administered survey employing the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). The results indicate that hierarchy culture is dominating in cellular industry, whereas the clan is found to be the most preferred cultural archetype in majority of cellular companies. This indicates a misalignment between what employees think is needed and what is perceived to exist.
Global asymptotic stability of a class of nonautonomous integro-di % erential systems and applications

In this paper, we study the global asymptotic stability of a class of nonautonomous integrodi%erential systems. By constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals, we establish new and explicit criteria for the global asymptotic stability in the sense of De4nition 2.1. In the autonomous case, we discuss the global asymptotic stability of a unique equilibrium of the system, and in the case of periodic system, we establish su6cient criteria for existence, uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of a periodic solution. Also explored are applications of our main results to some biological and neural network models. The examples show that our criteria are more general and easily applicable, and improve and generalize some existing results. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. MSC: 34K13; 34K20; 92B20; 92D25
Effective Employee Engagement and Best Brand Breeding: A Case Study

Corporate branding is a “strategic tool” that fortifies firms to stay competitive in ruggedly saturated global market as it is exploited for market share increase, high profitability and operational cost reduction via reduction in employee turnover ratio. Maximally, achieving this requires that the greatest and most available asset of the organization, employees, are in good shape, in that they would be the first and best brand ambassadors. Better put, employees must be committed, connected and engrossed with their employer at emotional, social and physical levels, hence their engagement. This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of employee engagement strategies as a mechanism of breeding best corporate brand giving the practices of telecommunications organization in Ghana. The main research approach adopted was quantitative with 137 responses collected and analysed. In order to heighten the rigor and robustness of the findings, four additional interviews were conducted which qualifies the approach to best described as triangulation. Interestingly, the outcome of the findings revealed that the engagement practices in action at the company currently are yielding desired results which underpins why it was considered most valuable brand in the continent of Africa. Notwithstanding, the best could only remain best when there is persistent improvement.
The Ionospheric Impact of an ICME‐Driven Sheath Region Over Indian and American Sectors in the Absence of a Typical Geomagnetic Storm

On 13 April 2013, the ACE spacecraft detected arrival of an interplanetary shock at 2250 UT, which is followed by the passage of the sheath region of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) for a prolonged (18‐hr) period. The polarity of interplanetary magnetic field Bz was northward inside the magnetic cloud region of the ICME. The ring current (SYM‐H) index did not go below −7 nT during this event suggesting the absence of a typical geomagnetic storm. The responses of the global ionospheric electric field associated with the passage of the ICME sheath region have been investigated using incoherent scatter radar measurements of Jicamarca and Arecibo (postmidnight sector) along with the variations of equatorial electrojet strength over India (day sector). It is found that westward and eastward prompt penetration (PP) electric fields affected ionosphere over Jicamarca/Arecibo and Indian sectors, respectively, during 0545–0800 UT. The polarities of the PP electric field perturbations over the day/night sectors are consistent with model predictions. In fact, DP2‐type electric field perturbations with ∼40‐min periodicity are found to affect the ionosphere over both the sectors for about 2.25 hr during the passage of the ICME sheath region. This result shows that SYM‐H index may not capture the full geoeffectivenss of the ICME sheath‐driven storms and suggests that the PP electric field perturbations should be evaluated for geoeffectiveness of ICME when the polarity of interplanetary magnetic field Bz is northward inside the magnetic cloud region of the ICME.
Monetary Policy, Taxes, and the Business Cycle

This paper analyzes the interaction of inflation with the tax code and its contribution to aggregate fluctuations. We find significant effects operating through the tax on realized nominal capital gains. A tax on nominal bond income magnifies these effects. Our innovation is to combine monetary policy shocks with non-indexed taxes in a model where the central bank implements policy using an interest rate rule. Monetary policy had important effects on the behavior of the business cycle before 1980 because policymakers did not exert effective control over inflation. Monetary policy reform around 1980 led to better control, and with more stable inflation, the effect of the interaction between monetary policy and the nominal capital gains tax has become negligible.
A Hierarchical Framework of Barriers to Green Supply Chain Management in the Construction Sector

The research paper presents a hierarchical sustainability framework for evaluating the barriers to the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction sector. A total of 32 barriers to the adoption of GSCM are identified through extensive literature review and expert interviews with academics and industry professionals. The barriers are grouped on the basis of literature and expert opinion to form 12 criteria. Since the nature of the identified criteria is complex and interdependent; an Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) technique is applied to develop a structural model. Driving and dependence power analysis (DDPA) is used to classify and identify the critical barriers. The developed sustainability framework offers a strong and efficient evaluation technique in decision making for policy makers and stakeholders by means of identifying and prioritizing the critical barriers. The barriers identified are also classified as external and internal barriers to the organization and will help policy makers to focus on specific barriers which are important to the adoption of GSCM in the UAE construction sector. The framework has the potential to be applied to other countries across industries.
Global-scale distributions of marine surface bacterioplankton groups along gradients of salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll: a meta-analysis of fluorescence in situ hybridization studies

We used literature data on marine bacterial (sub)group abundances, as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization, to test whether the ecological variability of the different sub- groups was similar to that of the bacterial community as a whole. Patterns of 6 major groups are described (Alpha-, Beta-, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, as well as Rhodobacteraceae and SAR11) and related to environmental variables such as chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration, salinity, and temperature, distinguishing between coastal or open-ocean environments. Coastal ecosystems exhibited higher relative abundances (average % of DAPI counts) of Bacteroidetes (23%), Beta- (11%) and Gammaproteobacteria (10%), and Rhodobacteraceae (6%), while signif- icantly higher contributions of Alphaproteobacteria and SAR11 (32%) were on average enumer- ated offshore. Multiple regression analyses showed significant explanatory power of chl a and temperature on total and SAR11 absolute abundances (expressed as cells ml −1 ), and of chl a and salinity levels on absolute abundances of Betaproteobacteria and Rhodobacteraceae. Other analy- ses revealed increasing contribution of Gammaproteobacteria for increasing temperatures and high temperature avoidance for Betaproteobacteria. Significantly different log-log regression slopes were found between bacterial group absolute abundances and chl a concentration at a global scale, ranging from 0.13 ± 0.04 (SE) for SAR11 to 0.53 ± 0.08 for Betaproteobacteria. The dif- ferent patterns observed for the different groups, in coastal and open-ocean environments, sug- gest different niche preferences by each group as well as a coherent response to environmental factors.
Short- and intermediate-range order in levitated liquid aluminates

We have used the aerodynamic levitation technique combined with CO2 laser heating to study the structures of liquid CaAl2O4 and MgAl2O4 with x-ray and neutron diffraction. We determined the structure factors and corresponding pair correlation functions describing the short- and intermediate-range order in the liquids. The combination of the two scattering techniques makes it possible to derive information not accessible with a single measurement. In the case of the glass-forming liquid CaAl2O4 we have made sequential measurements during free cooling to study the structural evolution during supercooling from the stable liquid phase to the cold glass below Tg.
A SEARCH FOR FAST OPTICAL TRANSIENTS IN THE Pan-STARRS1 MEDIUM-DEEP SURVEY: M-DWARF FLARES, ASTEROIDS, LIMITS ON EXTRAGALACTIC RATES, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR LSST

We present a search for fast optical transients (τ ∼ 0.5 hr–1 day) using repeated observations of the Pan-STARRS1 Medium-Deep Survey (PS1/MDS) fields. Our search takes advantage of the consecutive gP1rP1 observations (16.5 minutes in each filter), by requiring detections in both bands, with non-detections on preceding and subsequent nights. We identify 19 transients brighter than 22.5 AB mag (S/N ≳ 10). Of these, 11 events exhibit quiescent counterparts in the deep PS1/MDS templates that we identify as M4–M9 dwarfs at d ≈ 0.2–1.2 kpc. The remaining eight transients lack quiescent counterparts, exhibit mild but significant astrometric shifts between the gP1 and rP1 images, colors of (g − r)P1 ≈ 0.5–0.8 mag, non-varying light curves, and locations near the ecliptic plane with solar elongations of about 130°, which are all indicative of main-belt asteroids near the stationary point of their orbits. With identifications for all 19 transients, we place an upper limit of RFOT(τ ∼ 0.5 hr) ≲ 0.12 deg−2 day−1 (95% confidence level) on the sky-projected rate of extragalactic fast transients at ≲ 22.5 mag, a factor of 30–50 times lower than previous limits; the limit for a timescale of ∼1 day is RFOT ≲ 2.4 × 10−3 deg−2 day−1. To convert these sky-projected rates to volumetric rates, we explore the expected peak luminosities of fast optical transients powered by various mechanisms, and find that non-relativistic events are limited to M ≈ −10 to ≈ − 14 mag for a timescale of ∼0.5 hr to ∼1 day, while relativistic sources (e.g., gamma-ray bursts, magnetar-powered transients) can reach much larger luminosities. The resulting volumetric rates are ≲ 13 Mpc−3 yr−1 (M ≈ −10 mag), ≲ 0.05 Mpc−3 yr−1 (M ≈ −14 mag), and ≲ 10−6 Mpc−3 yr−1 (M ≈ −24 mag), significantly above the nova, supernova, and gamma-ray burst rates, respectively, indicating that much larger surveys are required to provide meaningful constraints. Motivated by the results of our search, we discuss strategies for identifying fast optical transients in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope main survey, and reach the optimistic conclusion that the veil of foreground contaminants can be lifted with the survey data, without the need for expensive follow-up observations.
Pyrosequencing the salivary transcriptome of Haemadipsa interrupta (Annelida: Clitellata: Haemadipsidae): anticoagulant diversity and insight into the evolution of anticoagulation capabilities in leeches

Freshwater, marine, and terrestrial leeches that depend on a diet of fresh blood have evolved salivary peptide components that inhibit normal thrombus formation by prey. Although bloodfeeding in leeches has long been of interest to biologists and medical practitioners alike, only a few studies have comprehensively examined the anticoagulant repertoires of hematophagous leeches, and these have largely been confined to representatives of Glossiphoniidae, Hirudinidae, and Macrobdellidae. Here, we present 454 pyrosequencing data from the salivary transcriptome of the hematophagous terrestrial leech Haemadipsa interrupta (Haemadipsidae). Assembled transcripts were annotated using both similarity scores (BLAST) and gene ontology (Blast2GO). Subsequently, transcripts were examined within alignments containing well-characterized anticoagulants and other select bioactive (i.e., affecting the living cells of the prey) salivary proteins and phylogenies were reconstructed for each protein data set to verify orthology predictions. In total, transcripts significantly matching 20 salivary proteins of interest were found in the transcriptome, representing several different antagonistic pathways. After reviewing gene ontologies, alignments, and phylogenetic trees, sequences for 15 out of the 20 hits were deemed correctly annotated. Additionally, we recovered matches against several proteins that have previously been linked to anticoagulation (e.g., cathepsin and disintegrins), but the specific function of which in leeches needs further investigation. Finally, in light of these data as well as those previously published, we discuss our current understanding of the distribution and evolution of anticoagulants in leeches.
Profile of patients hospitalized with odontogenic infections in a public hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the profile of hospitalized patients presenting with odontogenic infections requiring intensive care and to identify predictive factors of worsening of the disease. Study Design: In this retrospective study, 119 consecutive medical records were assessed for data regarding odontogenic infections. The variables examined were age, gender, etiology, time from onset of infection to hospital admission, hospital stay, complications during hospitalization, and anatomical sites affected. Results: Most patients were female (64.7%) and the mean age of our study group was 28.3 years. Average length of hospital stay was 7.3 ± 6.3 days and the mean time from onset of infection to hospitalization was 6.9 days. Lower teeth corresponded to the initially affected site in the great majority (72.3%) of the cases and the mandibular third molar was the most commonly first infected tooth (31.9%). Post-surgical infection was involved in 21.8% of the cases. Systemic conditions were reported for 18.5% of the patients, mainly hypertension, but they were not determinant for admission. The main reasons for hospitalization were dyslalia, dysphagia, and dyspnea, either as single or associated signs (96.6%). Antimicrobial therapy was administered alone or combined with surgical drainage to 64 (53.8%) and 53 (44.5%) patients, respectively. Conclusions: Overall data generated by this investigation on the profile of severe odontogenic infection patients in our region are similar to those reported by other researchers. Conversely we found a higher prevalence of the disease among women in disagreement with previously published results. Such a kind of study may improve our knowledge relative to the disease and also reveal the regional scenario regarding severe odontogenic infections. Consequently it may contribute to the designing of strategies that may lead to a more efficient oral health care system what ultimately would culminate with the prevention of more severe outcomes from the disease.
The Heart That Wasn’t Attacked: A Case of Transverse Myelitis

Transverse myelitis is an autoimmune demyelination disease of the spinal cord that can present with a myriad of symptoms ranging from altered sensations, weakness, loss of bowel control and so forth. There are approximately 1400 new cases reported each year in the United States, but this is likely an underestimation, without a gender bias or familial predisposition and a bimodal age distribution of onset (between 10-19 and 30-39) [1].
MEDICATION ADHERENCE TO ANTIDIABETIC THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Objective: The study is to evaluate self-reported medication adherence and to identify factors linked with poor adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: The prospective study was conducted over a period of six months in the department of Medicine, Bharati Hospital. A total of 105 type 2 diabetics patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited in the study. Adherence to treatment has been assessed during a personal interview with each patient using questionnaire. Medication adherence was assessed by using Morisky medication adherence scale (MMAS). Results: The adherence levels were 40.95%, 37.14% and 21.90% for high, medium and poor adherence, respectively. The correlation between patients’ socio-demographic and adherence rate to anti diabetic therapy indicated that higher prevalence of adherence among men (43.33%), the elderly (46.81%), those with primary education (47.06%) and the unemployed patients (41.46%). We found a better percentage of adherences in combination therapy with 43.90%. The most common reasons for non-adherence to taking medication(s) as prescribed were inadequate knowledge about therapy (81.90%), financial problem (61.90%), patients feeling better (33.33%) and feeling worse (33.33%). Moreover, the factors for non adherence to appointment keeping were identified as travel a lot and busy schedule of work with 33.33%, and 13.33%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study revealed a moderate level of adherence among the participants. Efforts are needed to increase the medication adherence of these patients so they can realize the full benefits of prescribed therapies