Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Miniature ion thruster ring-cusp discharge performance and behavior

Miniature ion thrusters are an attractive option for a wide range of space missions due to their low power levels and high specific impulse. Thrusters using ring-cusp plasma discharges promise the highest performance, but are still limited by the challenges of efficiently maintaining a plasma discharge at such small scales (typically 1–3 cm diameter). This effort significantly advances the understanding of miniature-scale plasma discharges by comparing the performance and xenon plasma confinement behavior for 3-ring, 4-ring, and 5-ring cusp by using the 3 cm Miniature Xenon Ion thruster as a modifiable platform. By measuring and comparing the plasma and electron energy distribution maps throughout the discharge, we find that miniature ring-cusp plasma behavior is dominated by the high magnetic fields from the cusps; this can lead to high loss rates of high-energy primary electrons to the anode walls. However, the primary electron confinement was shown to considerably improve by imposing an axial magnetic .
BHBA, NEFA and LDH have changed in fatty liver syndrome:An Abattoir-based study

Fatty liver syndrome (Hepatic lipidosis) or fat cow syndrome is a major metabolic disorder in many dairy cattle's in early period of lactation. The aim of this study was to evaluating fatty liver syndrome in dairy cattle in Tabriz by measurement of NEFA, LDH and BHBA serum values. In this inspection, age, body condition score and Pregnancy status of animals was investigated. Simultaneous inspection of animals, attempting to obtain blood samples of 10 ml of jugular vein was done by venoject. Blood samples taken near the ice and sent to the laboratory and after serum preparation were freezing inside the micro tube. At the time of testing, sera were defrosted and NEFA levels in serum by Randox kit and Auto analyzer were measured. In this study, levels of LDH and BHBA were measured by Pars test kits and by spectrophotometric method. Results showed that based on pearson's Correlation index there is a direct correlation between NEFA and LDH and BHBA serum values. This index indicates a direct effect of NEFA on LDH and BHBA serum values. Thus, with elevating of NEFA serum values, the LDH and BHBA values also increased.
Contamination of Tap Water with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella pneumophila, and Escherichia coli in Guilan, Iran

Article type: Original Article Background: River and underground waters are main sources of tap water in Guilan, Iran. Overland wastes move into rivers during periods of heavy or extended rain that is very common in the area. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella pneumophila, and Escherichia coli are main human pathogens with water source. This study is designed to determine the load of these bacteria in main water supplies of the area. Methods: Samples were collected directly into sterile containers, concentrated by centrifuge, inoculated in enrichment medium and incubated for 3-4 days. DNA was extracted by using commercial kit. Several rounds of PCR was performed to search P. aeroginosa, integron I, Metallo-β-lactamases gene, L. pneumophila, mip gene, and E. coli. Results: About 92.0% of the samples showed bacterial contamination as revealed by PCR with primers of 16S rRNAgene, 9.5% of the samples had L. pneumophila, and 11,1% had Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but Escherichia coli was not detected. We found the mip gene in 66.6% of the samples with L. pneumophila. Metallo-β-lactamasesgene was found in 11.1% of all samples. We also found Integrin 1 in 28.5% of the samples with P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: This study indicates that in spite of chlorination, total bacterial contamination of pot waters in the area is high and contamination with L. pneumophila and P. aeroginosa is considerable. It might be related to the biofilm formation and the growth of water microflora. It seems that free residual chlorine is ineffective. We suggest a more effective decontamination procedure based on modern technology. Article history: Received: 17 Dec 2015 Revised: 19 Jan 2016 Accepted: 11 May 2016 Published: 15 Aug 2016
Stocking Rate and Riparian Vegetation Effects on Physical Characteristics of Riparian Zones of Midwestern Pastures

Abstract Grazing at high stocking rates may increase sediment and nutrient loading of pasture streams through transport in precipitation runoff and bank erosion. A 3-yr (2007–2009) grazing study was conducted on 13 cool-season grass pastures to quantify effects of stocking rate and botanical composition on forage sward height, proportions of bare and manure-covered ground, and bank erosion adjacent to streams. Pastures ranged from 2 ha to 107 ha with stream reaches of 306 m to 1 778 m that drained watersheds of 253 ha to 5 660 ha. Bare and manure-covered ground were measured at a 15.2-m distance perpendicular to the stream at 30.5-m intervals at up to 30 locations on each side of the stream by the line transect method in May, July, September, and November of each year. At the midpoint of the 15.2-m line, forage sward height was measured with a falling plate meter (4.8 kg · m−2) and plant species identified. In November 2006, fiberglass pins (1.6 × 76.2 cm) were driven 73.7 cm into the stream bank at 1-m intervals from the streambed to the top of the bank along 10 equidistant transect locations on each side of the stream to measure bank erosion during spring, summer, and fall of each year. Increasing pasture stocking rates increased manure-covered ground and decreased sward height, but did not affect proportions of bare ground. The greatest, intermediate, and least net soil erosion rates occurred during the winter/early spring, late spring/early summer, and late summer/fall seasons. Stocking rates between measurements, expressed as cow-days · m−1 stream, were not related to bank erosion. Increasing stocking rates per unit of stream length will increase manure cover and decrease forage sward height, but not affect proportions of bare ground or bank erosion rates adjacent to pasture streams. Therefore, managing stocking rates may reduce nutrient loading of pasture streams.
Sexual differences in behaviour and morphology of Northern Gannets

Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) are large, long-hved seabirds with negligible sexual size dimorphism. In common with other species where the sexes appear similar, very little is known about the differences in breeding behaviour of males and females. I used DNA-based sexing to investigate the accuracy of externally measured biometrics, plus morphological and behavioural observations for sexing breeding birds. I then measured how foraging trip durations, nest attendance patterns and levels of non-attendance by males and females changed during chick-rearing. All individuals were sexed correctly from nape biting behaviour, but other variables were less successful as a result of lower accuracy and/or because they could be recorded only relatively infrequently. Males spent a significantly higher proportion of time at the nest than females (53% and 42% respectively) and made shorter, more frequent foraging trips than females (mean = 17.3 hours S.D. ± 8.2, and mean = 21.0 hours S.D. ± 8.4 respectively). The frequency of food delivery by males increased with increasing chick age, but food delivery rates by females did not change as chicks grew. These data may indicate a greater contribution to food provisioning by males than females. The proportion of time that chicks were left unattended increased with chick age, while males were more likely to leave chicks unattended than females. This probably resulted from males making a trade-off between protecting the chick and providing food for the chick or foraging for themselves. The degree of equitability in foraging trips and nest attendance were not related to either chick hatching date or fledging success.
Utilizing Nano-focussed Bremstrahlung Isochromat Spectroscopy (nBIS) to Determine the Unoccupied Electronic Structure of Pu

Understanding the behavior of 5f electrons remains an unrealized ambition of condensed matter physics [1,2]. Recently, there has been a large amount of interest in the actinides, particularly plutonium, driven by the complex and intriguing behavior of Pu and several of its compounds [3-5]. This has prompted both theoretical and experimental investigations of 5f metals and compounds. Of the different allotropes of Pu, the d-phase is of particular interest because of the high symmetry crystal structure and the stability of the phase to low temperatures when alloyed with small amounts of trivalent elements. Consequently much of the recent experimental and theoretical work has focused on this allotrope. From an experimental point of view, the reactivity and radioactivity of Pu, and the complexity of the phase diagram, make it exceedingly complicated to collect high-quality data. Investigations of these complex behaviors all point back to being caused by the intriguing interplay of the various electron states and in particular the behavior of the 5f states. While there are a number of ongoing experimental efforts directed at determining the occupied electronic structure of Pu, there is essentially no experimental data on the unoccupied electronic structure of Pu. We aim to determine the conductionmore » band (unoccupied) electronic structure of Pu and other actinides in a phase specific fashion and emphasizing bulk contributions by using Nano-focussed Bremstrahlung Isochromat Spectroscopy (nBIS). Bremstrahlung Isochromat Spectroscopy (BIS) is the high-energy variant of inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (IPES: electron in, photon out), which is essentially the time reversal of photoelectron spectroscopy (photon in, electron out). IPES can be used to follow the dispersion of electronic states in ordered samples. Owing to its low energies, IPES is usually very surface sensitive. However, by working at higher energies (>200 eV), we will sample preferentially for bulk properties, downgrading the impact of surface effects. Thus, from BIS, we would have a direct measure of the conduction band or unoccupied electronic structure of the bulk Pu. « less
Construction and validation of a questionnaire on language learning motivation

This article describes the steps and phases involved in constructing a questionnaire on the motivation to learn a second or foreign language (or L2 motivation). It evaluates psychometric properties of the instrument by performing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Participants in this study were 194 students. The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that four dimensions formed the construct of L2 motivation, namely Instrumental orientation, Integrative orientation, Commitment and Effort. The findings from a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis validated the four-dimensional structure. The conclusions reached by this study as well as the steps and phases involved in the development of research instrument on L2 motivation could be informative for educators interested in issues related to language learning motivation and useful for future scholarly investigations of L2 motivation.
Phenology, phyllochron, and gas exchanges in frigo and fresh strawberry ('Fragaria x ananassa' Duch.) plants of cv. Albion

Aiming to identify a possible precocity in frigo and fresh strawberries plants of cv. Albion, in greenhouse, the cycle and the rate of leaf appearance were evaluated and the photosynthetic behavior of these plants was analyzed. The experiments were performed in a greenhouse at University of Passo Fundo. The plants were disposed on stand after being transplanted in plastic bags filled with carbonized rice hull. For phenology, treatments consisted of two types of plants (frigo and fresh) while for determining the phyllochron, this factor plus the accumulated thermal sum were considered. For variables related to gas exchanges, evaluations were performed in frigo and fresh plants and three evaluation periods (8:00 a.m., noon and 4:00 p.m.) in completely random blocks design, four repetitions, and eight plants per plot. Relating phenology evaluations and phyllochron determinations, frigo plants were more precocious than fresh plants. However, even frigo plants presenting a lower leaf emission rate, the thermal sum needed for the emission of successive leaves is lower (93.9 degreesC day leaf-1). Therefore, our study allows the producers, who want to sell strawberries in offseason, use frigo plants. However, fresh plants are recommended for those who cultivate in the traditional season.
Using stochastic dual dynamic programming in problems with multiple near‐optimal solutions

Stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) is one of the few algorithmic solutions available to optimize large‐scale water resources systems while explicitly considering uncertainty. This paper explores the consequences of, and proposes a solution to, the existence of multiple near‐optimal solutions (MNOS) when using SDDP for mid or long‐term river basin management. These issues arise when the optimization problem cannot be properly parametrized due to poorly defined and/or unavailable data sets. This work shows that when MNOS exists, (1) SDDP explores more than one solution trajectory in the same run, suggesting different decisions in distinct simulation years even for the same point in the state‐space, and (2) SDDP is shown to be very sensitive to even minimal variations of the problem setting, e.g., initial conditions—we call this “algorithmic chaos. ” Results that exhibit such sensitivity are difficult to interpret. This work proposes a reoptimization method, which simulates system decisions by periodically applying cuts from one given year from the SDDP run. Simulation results obtained through this reoptimization approach are steady state solutions, meaning that their probability distributions are stable from year to year.
A view of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Non- specific symptoms

Aim : The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of non- specific symptoms of gastro esophageal reflux and association of these symptoms with Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Iranian population. Background : GERD is a common gastrointestinal disorder, worldwide. Some patients with GERD have no symptoms while others may have non-specific symptoms. Patients and methods : This study was designed as a cross-sectional and population based evaluation that was conducted on 782 cases that selected by random sampling in northeast region of Tehran province. Relation between non-specific symptoms and GERD was assessed using ? 2 test. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated for each symptom. Results : Most common non-specific symptom in subjects under study, was abdominal pain with a female preponderance. Abdominal pain, globus sensation, cough & dyspnea, and halitosis were statistically associated to GERD. There was no relationship between age and non-specific symptoms. Conclusion : In summary, this study showed that non-specific symptoms are common in our country that strongly related to gastro esophageal reflux disease, therefore, these symptoms should be considered as a basic in diagnostic procedure.
Female directors on German supervisory boards and firms’ financial performance

This study examines the relationship between gender diversity on supervisory boards in a two-tier board structure with firms’ financial performance. The sample was taken out of the group of companies that are classified as “large corporations” by German law and therefore consists of solely German corporations. The relationship was explored, using financial accounting performance data for the years 2009 and 2013 (return on assets and return on equity), stock performance data and the average percentage of women directors in 108 German “large corporations” over the years 2012 and 2013. The analysis is controlled by several industry, financial, organizational variables and one diversity variable, namely the directors’ nationality. Furthermore a robustness check was conducted, using stock price performance as a financial indicator. The correlation and regression analyses did not show enough evidence to indicate a significant relationship between gender diversity and firms’ financial performance.
Effects of Dietary Turmeric Powder on Laying Performance and Egg Qualities in Laying Hens

This experiment was conducted to investigate the dietary effects of turmeric powder (TP) on laying performances, egg qualities and its transfer into eggs. A total of two hundred, 60-wk-old, Lohmann Brown layers were divided into 4 groups, placed in to 5 replicates per group (10 layers each) and fed each one of four diets containing 0% TP (control), 0.10, 0.25 or 0.50% TP, respectively, for 7 wks. Egg production in the all groups fed diets containing TP were significantly higher than that in control (P The cholesterol levels of egg yolk were not influenced by dietary TP. It was concluded that dietary TP was effective in improving laying performance and internal egg qualities. TP can be also used as a feed additive for the production of value-enhanced eggs with increased yolk color and curcumin content.
IMPACT OF EMPLOYEES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL PREDICTORS FOR READINESS TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

This study focuses on employees’ psychological and financial predictors to know the employees reaction regarding change. One hundred forty one surveys were returned from full time teaching staff working in public sector universities of Pakistan. The findings indicate significant relationships between readiness to change and psychological and financial predictors. First time job involvement, training and skills development, pays/wages/fringe benefits and promotions predictors have been examined for readiness to change. Results indicate no relationship between readiness to change and employees’ organizational commitment. However, employees’ job involvement, training and skills development pays/wages/fringe benefits, and promotions have positive impact on readiness to change. This study may contribute in the literature on change management particularly for developing countries and may assist the management and practitioners of Human Resources Management (HRM), Human Resources Development (HRD), and Organizational Behaviour (OB) in assessing, designing and evaluating new or existing programs for organisational change.
Application of Natural Zeolites on Wastewater Treatment

The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio) and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) reduction in Reverse Osmosis (RO) concentrate using two types of natural zeolites. In order to reduce salinity of wastewater, experiments were carried out by varying the type of zeolite, concentration of zeolite and residence time. The results show that both zeolites can lower the SAR and TDS of wastewater; however, Rhyolitic tuff is more effective than clinoptilolite. It is observed that the concentration of zeolite has not significant effects on wastewater treatment, so, using the lowest level of selected concentration reduces the cost of desalination. In addition, the effect of residence time is negligible. The experimental set up shows that the SAR reduction slop is higher than TDS.
Anthropometric profile and complications in patients with diabetes mellitus seen at Maluti Adventist Hospital, Lesotho

Background: Patients attending outpatient departments for follow-up of diabetes mellitus (DM) may seem content about the control of their disease. However, complications resulting from DM may present before diagnosis and treatment initiation or continue to develop while on treatment. Aim: This study aimed to report on the prevalence of DM complications in patients with DM at Maluti Adventist Hospital, Lesotho. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 150 DM patients recruited from Maluti Adventist Hospital’s newly formed clinic between May and June 2009. Demographic information was obtained through a structured interview. Patients underwent physical and eye examinations to obtain an anthropometric profile and identify DM complications. Laboratory and ECG investigations were done to establish level of glycaemic control and identify other complications. Results: Patients were female (80.7%) with a mean age of 58.2 years (standard deviation 13.2). Almost all patients had type 2 DM (94.7%) and 60.1% had been diagnosed during the preceding five years. The most common co-morbidity was hypertension (85.3%) and 49.7% of patients were obese (mean body mass index 30.4 kg/m2). Patients had poor short-term (46.2%) and longterm (57.5%) glycaemic control. Nearly half (43.3%) of the patients had evidence of peripheral neuropathy. Almost 60% of the patients had a blood pressure of > 130/80 mmHg. Of the 128 patients seen by the ophthalmologist, 29.9% had evidence of cataracts in both eyes. Funduscopic abnormalities were found in 32.8% of the patients. Patients with complications or poor glycaemic control had been diagnosed for a significantly longer time. Conclusion: Patients showed evidence of DM complications at the time of study. Coupled with significant co-morbidities and high body mass index, the risk of morbidity and mortality is high. A comprehensive approach is needed in managing these patients, if meaningful reductions in morbidity and mortality are to be achieved.
The use of e-learning by students in Iraqi universities:Potential and challenges

This paper investigates the potential and challenges associated with the use of e-learning in Iraqi higher education universities from the perspective of Iraqi university students. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to students in Salahaddin University in Iraq. 181 completed questionnaires were collected. The questionnaires included open-ended questions in which students were asked to provide their opinions on the importance and advantages of e-learning and how it can be successfully implemented in Iraq. In addition, they were asked to identify the challenges facing the use of e-learning systems in Iraqi universities. The results revealed that students are aware of the importance and benefits of e-learning for their studies. However, major challenges associated with the general infrastructure and the support provided by universities and policy making in Iraq in relation to e-learning exist. The results also revealed that Iraqi students prefer the hybrid approach of learning, using mobile phones rather than relying solely on online learning using computers.