Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of corrosion products formed on steels in the first months of atmospheric exposure

The corrosion products of carbon steel and weathering steel exposed to three different types of atmospheres, at times ranging from one to three months, have been identified. The steels were exposed in an industrial site, an urban site (Sao Paulo City, Brazil), and a humid site. The effect of the steel type on the corrosion products formed in the early stages of atmospheric corrosion has been evaluated. The corrosion products formed at the various exposure locations were characterized by Raman microscopy, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and their morphology was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Three regions of different colours (yellow, black and red) have been identified over the steel coupons by Raman microscopy. Analysis carried out on each of these areas led to the characterization of the correspondent oxide/hydroxide phases. The main phases present were lepidocrocite (g-FeOOH) and goethite (a-FeOOH). Small amounts of magnetite (Fe3O4) were also eventually encountered.
Talk2Me: A Framework for Device-to-Device Augmented Reality Social Network

The continuous proliferation of mobile and wearable smart devices, together with their increasing computational power and multitude of sensors, has given birth to innovative applications that enhance the world with virtual layers of processed information. In this paper, we present Talk2Me, an augmented reality social network framework that enables users to disseminate information in a distributed way and view others' information instantly. Talk2Me advertises users' messages, together with their face-signature, to every nearby device in a Device-to–Device fashion. When a user looks at nearby persons through her camera-enabled wearable devices (e.g., Google Glass), the framework automatically extracts the face-signature of the person of interest, compares it with the previously captured signatures, and presents the information shared by this person to the user. We design and implement Talk2Me to be lightweight, given that it runs on mobile devices with limited power. We analyze different content dissemination strategies to find the best protocol that yields reliable and fast information-spreading, while reducing the number of packets and containing the energy consumption on the devices. We design a novel face recognition algorithm for this specific scenario with a small number of face features and limited computing capability. Evaluation results of the prototype with real users and extensive simulations validate the performance and usability of our design, showing the potentials of the augmented reality social network framework in real-world scenarios.
Subjective well-being, personality and environmental satisfaction in urban China

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction, and Big Five personality traits on subjective well-being. Data were collected from white-collar workers across four Chinese cities in 2009. All the research variables were measured with multi-item instruments with good psychometric properties. The research found that environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction, conscientiousness and extraversion have a positive effect on subjective well-being. In addition, individuals married, managers and working in state sector were found to be happier in their lives than individuals who are single, in non-managerial position and in private sector. However, the research found no relationship between neuroticism, agreeableness and subjective well-being. The finding of a positive relationship between environmental satisfaction and subjective well-being suggests that by pursuing a balance between economic development and environmental protection, urban residents' SWB could be enhanced.
Diurnal Variation of 6β-Hydroxycortisol in Cardiac Patients

Summary The 24-hour urinary excretion of 6-β-hydroxycortisol (6β-OHC) and the urinary ratio of 6β-hydroxycortisol/cortisol (6β-OHC/UFC) have been proposed as noninvasive probes for human cytochrome P450 3A4 isoform (CYP3A4). In this study, we evaluated within- and between-day variability of 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio in nine Caucasian men with cardiac disease. Each study participant was asked to collect 24-hour urine specimens during four consecutive days in five standardized time intervals. Concentrations of UFC and 6β-OHC were determined by immunoassay and the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, respectively. The HPLC method was accurate and precise, as indicated by the recovery rate of 96.5-103.3 % and less than 5.2 % and 6.3 % of the coefficient of variation for within-run and between-run assay, respectively. In patients, diurnal variations in UFC and 6β-OHC excretion were parallel. Consequently, 6β-OHC/UFC ratio remained stable during the day. Both, 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio showed significant relationship between 24-hour value and values measured in corresponding collection periods with best correlations obtained from night interval (22.00-06.00, r = 0.86-0.91). These results indicated that urinary 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio measured in overnight/morning urine could precisely reflect 24-hour values even in severely ill patients. In addition, a simple and sensitive HPLC method was described for determination of 6β-OHC in urine.
Proposed Occupational Exposure Limits for Non-Carcinogenic Hanford Waste Tank Vapor Chemicals

A large number of volatile chemicals have been identified in the headspaces of tanks used to store mixed chemical and radioactive waste at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site, and there is concern that vapor releases from the tanks may be hazardous to workers. Contractually established occupational exposure limits (OELs) established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) do not exist for all chemicals of interest. To address the need for worker exposure guidelines for those chemicals that lack OSHA or ACGIH OELs, a procedure for assigning Acceptable Occupational Exposure Limits (AOELs) for Hanford Site tank farm workers has been developed and applied to a selected group of 57 headspace chemicals.
Democratic Punishment in Public Good Games with Perfect and Imperfect Observability

In the context of repeated public good contribution games, we experimentally investigate the impact of democratic punishment, when members of a group decide by majority voting whether to inflict punishment on another member, relative to individual peer-to-peer punishment. Democratic punishment leads to more cooperation and higher average payoffs, both under perfect and imperfect monitoring of contributions, primarily by curbing anti-social punishment and thereby establishing a closer connection between a member’s contribution decision and whether subsequently being punished by others. We also find that participating in a democratic punishment procedure makes even non-contributors’ punishment intentions more pro-social.
"OAE 3" - regional Atlantic organic carbon burial during the Coniacian-Santonian

Abstract. The Coniacian–Santonian time interval is the inferred time of oceanic anoxic event 3 (OAE 3), the last of the Cretaceous OAEs. A detailed look on the temporal and spatial distribution of organic-rich deposits attributed to OAE 3 suggests that black shale occurrences are restricted to the equatorial to mid-latitudinal Atlantic and adjacent basins, shelves and epicontinental seas like parts of the Caribbean, the Maracaibo Basin and the Western Interior Basin, and are largely absent in the Tethys, the North Atlantic, the southern South Atlantic, and the Pacific. Here, oxic bottom waters prevailed as indicated by the widespread occurrence of red deep-marine CORBs (Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds). Widespread CORB sedimentation started during the Turonian after Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) except in the Atlantic realm where organic-rich strata continue up to the Santonian. The temporal distribution of black shales attributed to OAE 3 indicates that organic-rich strata do not define a single and distinct short-time event, but are distributed over a longer time span and occur in different basins during different times. This suggests intermittent and regional anoxic conditions from the Coniacian to the Santonian. A comparison of time-correlated high-resolution δ13C curves for this interval indicates several minor positive excursions of up to 0.5‰, probably as a result of massive organic carbon burial cycles in the Atlantic. Regional wind-induced upwelling and restricted deep basins may have contributed to the development of anoxia during a time interval of widespread oxic conditions, thus highlighting the regional character of inferred OAE 3 as regional Atlantic event(s).
Large periphery high-power AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistors on SiC with oxide-bridging

We report on AlGaN/GaN metal oxide semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) over SiC substrates with peripheries from 0.15 to 6 mm. These multigate devices with source interconnections were fabricated using a novel oxide-bridging approach. The saturation current was as high as 5.1 A for a 6 mm wide device with a gate leakage of 1 /spl mu/A/cm/sup 2/ for 1.5 /spl mu/m gate length in a 5 /spl mu/m source-drain opening. The cutoff frequency of around 8 GHz was practically independent of the device periphery. Large-signal output rf-power as high as 2.88 W/mm was measured at 2 GHz. Both the saturation current and the rf-power scaled nearly linearly with the gate width.
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Craving and the Regulation of Craving

Craving has long been considered a core feature of addiction (World Health Organization, 1955; O’Brien, Childress, Ehrman, & Robbins, 1998; Volkow et al., 2006; Sinha & Li, 2007; Kavanagh & Connor, 2012). Consistently, over the last two decades, a wealth of research has directly linked drug craving with drug taking and relapse (e.g., Heinz et al., 2005; Crits‐Christoph et al., 2007; Allen, Bade, Hatsukami, & Center, 2008; Shiffman et al., 2013; Kober, 2014 for review). On the basis of the accumulated evidence, the American Psychiatric Association recently added craving – defined as “a strong desire for drugs” – as a diagnostic criterion for substance‐related and addictive disorders in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM‐5) (APA, 2013). Also defined as a “conscious, reportable urge” (Preston et al., 2009), craving can be experienced for a range of appetitive stimuli, including drugs – but also food, sex, and money. As such, craving is a very common phenomenon. In fact 94% of males and 100% of females report having experienced craving for a specific food at some point in their lives (Osman & Sobal, 2006). 1 Nevertheless, in the context of substance use disorders, a failure to regulate craving can lead to dire outcomes, such as harmful drug use. In the next sections we will review craving’s central causal role in drug use and relapse and will consider the brain regions that underlie craving. Then we will review the role of the regulation of craving in reducing craving and in treatment for addiction, as well as the neural mechanisms that give rise to this ability.
Social Capital and National Environmental Performance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Using cross-country data from a sample of low-, middle-, and high-income countries, this article provides the first empirical test of the empirical relationships between national measures of social capital (civic and public), social divergence, and social capacity on various indicators of national environmental performance. Overall, the results provide little empirical support for the hypothesis that social determinants have a statistically beneficial effect on national indicators of environmental quality but do show that higher population density is associated with increases in environmental degradation. The findings suggest that the presumption that social capital is always good for the environment may be as flawed as the previously widely held view that higher incomes are always associated with increased environmental degradation. The policy implication is that improved national environmental performance may be best achieved by limiting future increases in population density and lowering emission and input intensities.
Growth Performance and Nutritional Analysis of Spirulina platensis in Different Concentrations of Papaya Skin Powder Media

The growth performance of Spirulina platensis was studied in four different concentrations viz. 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 g/l of papaya ( Carica papaya ) skin powder media (PSPM) and in control, Kosaric Medium (KM) in triplicate. The initial cell weight of S. platensis was 6.0 mg/l which attained a maximum weight of 913.13 mg/l on the 10th day of culture in the control KM followed by 699.07, 612.13, 538.99 and 377.48 mg/l that grown in 0.40, 0.30, 0.50 and 0.60 g/l of PSPM respectively. Similar trend was observed in the case of chlorophyll a content ranging 3.57 to 8.15 mg/l. The specific growth rate (SGR, μ/day) of S. platensis on the basis of cell weight and chlorophyll a content was recorded in the ranges of 0.41 to 0.50 and 0.41 to 0.49, respectively, for all the treatments. The SGR on the basis of cell weight and chlorophyll a was recorded significantly (p<0.05) higher in KM among all the treatments. On the other hand among the four different concentrations of PSPM, 0.40 g/l showed significantly (p<0.05) higher SGR than others. The pH and other physico-chemical factors were within suitable range of algae culture. The cultured microalga was nutritionally rich. Keywords: Spirulina; Papaya skin; Cell weight ; Chlorophyll a DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjsir.v46i3. 9039 BJSIR 2011; 46(3): 333-338
Application of Quality by Design Principles to Study the Effect of Coprocessed Materials in the Preparation of Mirtazapine Orodispersible Tablets.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of two coprocessed materials in presence and absence of superdisintegrant (kyron T314) in the preparation of mirtazapine orodispersible tablets. Mirtazapine solubility was increased by complexation with kleptose forming an inclusion complex in a ratio 1:1. Quality by Design (QbD) was incorporated to determine the material attributes and the critical quality attributes (CQAs). Box behnken design was applied to study the effect of three independent variables X 1 : amount of lufiflash, X 2 : amount of pearlitol flash and X 3 : % of kyron T314 on two responses, Y 1 : dissolution after 1 minute and Y 2 : disintegration time. All formulated ODTs showed disintegration time less than 35 seconds and all formulations showed a notable increase in dissolution rate. Design space was determined from the overlay plot of different variables, X 1 and X 2 and X 3 at two levels of the superdisintegrant. The one with maximum predicted dissolution rate and minimum predicted disintegration time was a formulation containing ludiflash (X 1 )= 9.25 mg, pearlitol flash (X 2 = 50 mg) and kyron T314= 3%. This formulation (Test ODT) was prepared and was subjected to in vivo study. Mirtazapine in human plasma was determined by LC-MS/MS and different pharmacokinetic parameters was determined for both test ODT and conventional oral tablet (Remeron). The pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that the two formulations are bioequivalence.
Clustering from General Pairwise Observations with Applications to Time-varying Graphs

We present a general framework for graph clustering and bi-clustering where we are given a general observation (called a label) between each pair of nodes. This framework allows a rich encoding of various types of pairwise interactions between nodes. We propose a new tractable and robust approach to this problem based on convex optimization and maximum likelihood estimators. We analyze our algorithms under a general statistical model extending the planted partition and stochastic block models. Both sufficient and necessary conditions are provided for successful recovery of the underlying clusters. Our theoretical results subsume many existing graph clustering results for a wide range of settings, including planted partition, weighted clustering, submatrix localization and partially observed graphs. Furthermore, our results are applicable to novel settings including time-varying graphs, providing new insights to solutions of these problems. We provide empirical results on both synthetic and real data that corroborate with our theoretical findings.
Stressors among Nursing Staff Working in Intensive Care Unit in Governmental & Non- governmental Hospitals at Makkah Al-Moukarramah, KSA.

Working in any area of a hospital can be a very stressful experience. However, when working in areas such as the emergency room or the intensive care unit. Patients require a greater level of care and can take a turn for the worse in a heartbeat. These situations can require immediate response by the nursing staff and can often cause high stress level. Aim: to determine the work stressors among intensive care unit' nurses in governmental & nongovernmental hospitals. Research design: is a descriptive correlational design. Sample: Seventy nurses working in intensive care units were included in the study (50) nurses were randomly selected from Al-Noor Specialist Hospital & 20 nurses were selected from Dr. Bakhash Hospital. Tool: The nurses' work stressors were measured by using the Health Professions Stress Inventory (HPSI). Results: The present study revealed that, working in ICU at governmental hospital major stressor than nongovernmental. Also, lack of professional recognition and work condition are the most common categories of stressor among nurses. Recommendations: Nursing managers need to listen to the concerns of nurses, and provide flexible scheduling, adequate staffing levels as well as appropriate rewards and recognition.
Stability of DC-link voltage as affected by phase locked loop in VSC when attached to weak grid

This paper analyzes DC-link voltage stability as affected by phase locked loop (PLL) in voltage source converters (VSC) when connected to weak grid. PLL has an impact on power transferred to the grid from VSC due to active/reactive power current regulation aligned to PLL reference frame. DC-link voltage, directly related to power flows, is then affected by PLL dynamics. Interactions between PLL and DC-link voltage control are more serious in weak grid where terminal voltage, as input of PLL, becomes susceptible to power flow variations in VSC. In this paper, a system with VSC connected to infinite bus via grid impedance is studied for operating in inverter mode. Deteriorated DC-link voltage small signal stability is presented with quick PLL response as short circuit ratio (SCR) becomes significantly low. It may be possible for PLL to improve the DC-link voltage large signal stability due to its effect on power transfer.
Comparison of Three Methods for the Detection of Biofilm Formation by Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated in Casablanca

: Biofilms are group of microorganisms encased in a matrix of extracellular polysaccharide (slime), called polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). They have been associated with a variety of chronic and persistent infections. Staphylococcus aureus is from bacteria which have high ability to form a biofilm. In this study, detection of biofilm production by Staphylococcus aureus was done by using three different methods: tube method (TM), congo red agar method (CRA) and tissue culture plate method (TCP), three repetitions were made for every method. Among of 117 strains of Staphylococcus spp isolated between October 2015 and January 2016 at the University Hospital Ibn Rochd in Casablanca, 74 were identified as Staphylococcus aureus. 58 isolates were detected as biofilm producer by TCP method, 49 by TM and 42 by CRA method. We can conclude from our study that the TCP method is a more quantitative and reliable method for the detection of biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus as compared to TM and CRA methods.
Sampling With Synthesis: A New Approach for Releasing Public Use Census Microdata

Many statistical agencies disseminate samples of census microdata, that is, data on individual records, to the public. Before releasing the microdata, agencies typically alter identifying or sensitive values to protect data subjects’ confidentiality, for example by coarsening, perturbing, or swapping data. These standard disclosure limitation techniques distort relationships and distributional features in the original data, especially when applied with high intensity. Furthermore, it can be difficult for analysts of the masked public use data to adjust inferences for the effects of the disclosure limitation. Motivated by these shortcomings, we propose an approach to census microdata dissemination called sampling with synthesis. The basic idea is to replace the identifying or sensitive values in the census with multiple imputations, and release samples from these multiply-imputed populations. We demonstrate that sampling with synthesis can improve the quality of public use data relative to sampling followed by standard statistical disclosure limitation; simulation results showing this are available online as supplemental material. We derive methods for analyzing the multiple datasets generated by sampling with synthesis. We present algorithms for selecting which census values to synthesize based on considerations of disclosure risk and data utility. We illustrate sampling with synthesis on a population constructed with data from the U.S. Current Population Survey.
Smart cell sectorization for third generation CDMA systems

Smart antennas are a powerful means to provide the increased bandwidth efficiency needed to deliver advanced third generation (3G) interactive multimedia services anywhere and anytime. In this paper we focus on the development of smart antennas located at the base stations of a code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular system. First, we review the main characteristics of antenna array systems and highlight some issues related to the inclusion of smart antennas in a 3G CDMA system. A classification of the proposed beamforming techniques and a discussion on the advantages and drawbacks of smart antennas are provided. Then, we introduce an original smart antenna technique based on rotation and resizing of the available sectors much simpler than common smart antennas based on beamforming techniques addressing a specific user. We discuss on the impact of the proposed technique in the base station architecture. Finally, we provide simulation results in order to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach and to relate transmission performance to system parameters. It turns out that the smart sectorization technique provides significant capacity improvements under statistically uniform user distribution (up to about 80 per cent for data traffic). Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.
Down-regulation of interferon γ-activated STAT1 by UV light

STAT1 is a cytoplasmic transcription factor that is phosphorylated by Janus kinases (Jak) in response to interferon-γ (IFNγ). Phosphorylated STAT1 translocates to the nucleus, where it turns on specific sets of IFNγ-inducible genes. Here, we show that UV light interferes with tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1, thereby hindering IFNγ from exerting its biological effects. This effect is not due to a down-regulation of the IFNγ receptor because phosphorylation of upstream-located Jak1 and Jak2 was not suppressed by UV light. In contrast, UV light had no effect on the phosphorylation of STAT3, which is activated by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6. The UV light effect on STAT1 phosphorylation could be antagonized by vanadate, indicating at least partial involvement of a protein tyrosine phosphatase. Therefore, this study indicates a mechanism by which UV light can inhibit gene activation and suggests STAT1 as a new extranuclear UV target closely located to the membrane.