Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Persistence length calculation from light scattering and intrinsic viscosity of dilute semiflexible polyimide solutions with different degree of imidization

We have derived the translation diffusion coefficient and the intrinsic viscosity formula adopting the Kholodenko’s theory using 3+1 dimensional Dirac propagator in the Kirkwood and Riseman scheme. We also performed static light scattering experiments and intrinsic viscosity measurement of dilute solutions of polyimides with different rigidities. In the framework of Kholodenko’s theory, we can easily measure the persistence length of polyimide. We prepared five different polyamic acids and polyimides with different degree of imidization by controlling imidization temperatures. From experimental results, we obtained molecular weights and persistence lengths according to the Kholodenko’s plot. The molecular weight and the intrinsic viscosity decreased and then increased with the imidization temperature but the persistence length increased monotonically and then leveled off. The persistence lengths calculated from intrinsic viscosities showed very good agreement with those from light scattering experiments.
An Absorbing Markov Chain Model for Case – Based Reasoning

Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems. Here a Markov Chain model is constructed for a mathematical description of the CBR process by introducing an absorbing MC on its main steps. A method is also developed with the help of this model for evaluating the effectiveness of CBR systems, accompanied by suitable examples and hints are given for future research on the subject.
The Influence of Destination Image on Medical Tourist’s Intention for Future Destination Choice

This study proposed to explore how the image of a destination could influence medical tourists in choosing a destination as their future medical and tourism destination choice. Scholars argued that destination image had a significant relationship with behavioral intentions. Destination image influence not only the decision-making process but also conditions after-decision-making behaviors of tourists. In the current study context, the future destination choice behavior referred to the intention to revisit the previous destination and the intention to spread the positive word-of-mouth to others. For this study, inbound medical tourists from private hospitals registered with Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) in Penang, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Malaysia will be approached quantitatively by survey questionnaires. This study will contribute to an understanding of the significant factors influencing medical tourists’ intention for future destination choice. © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Keywords: Destination image; destination choice; revisit intention; word-of-mouth
Matrix polynomials and the index problem for elliptic systems

The main new results of this paper concern the formulation of algebraic conditions for the Fredholm property of elliptic systems of P.D. E. ’s with boundary values, which are equivalent to the Lopatinskii condition. The Lopatinskii condition is reformulated in a new algebraic form (based on matrix polynomials) which is then used to study the existence of homotopies of elliptic boundary value problems. The paper also contains an exposition of the relevant parts of the theory of matrix polynomials and the theory of elliptic systems of P.D. E. ’s. Introduction Let A denote an elliptic operator in Ω and let B be a boundary operator, where Ω is a bounded domain in R. In this paper several versions of the algebraic condition for the Fredholm property of (A,B) are formulated, equivalent to the Lopatinskii condition of [Lo]. The main new result is the following. A square matrix function ∆+B defined on the unit cotangent bundle of ∂Ω is constructed from the principal symbols of the coefficients of the boundary operator and a spectral pair for the family of matrix polynomials associated with the principal symbol of the elliptic operator. The Lopatinskii condition is equivalent to the following condition: the function ∆+B must have invertible values. The proofs use the theory of matrix polynomials due to Gohberg, Lancaster, Rodman, and others; for instance, see [GLR], Chapter 14 in [LT], and Chapter 6 in [R]. There is a natural map defined by (A,B) 7→ A, going from the space of elliptic boundary value problems to the space of elliptic operators. Now let Aτ , 0 ≤ τ ≤ 1, be a homotopy of elliptic operators and let B0 be a boundary operator such that (A0,B0) satisfies the Lopatinksii condition. We will show that the given homotopy of elliptic operators can be lifted to a homotopy (Aτ ,Bτ ) in the space of elliptic boundary value problems satisfying the Lopatinskii condition. This result is proved in Theorem 7.3 and was motivated by the article [Ge]. The key element in the proof, i.e. the construction of the boundary operators Bτ , requires that we use pseudodifferential operators on ∂Ω and the theory of matrix polynomials mentioned above. Received by the editors August 16, 1994 and, in revised form, February 12, 1996. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 35J45, 35J55, 15A22.
An alternative hybrid evolutionary technique focused on allocating machines and sequencing operations

Fil: Frutos, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Bahia Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas y Sociales del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Economia. Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas y Sociales del Sur; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; Argentina
Neighborhood Governments and Their Role in Property Values

More U.S. citizens live in neighborhoods governed by homeowners (HOAs) or neighborhood associations (NAs) than in any period of American history. Property values are typical association goals. Research fails to consider all types of associations in the examination of the effects of neighborhood governance on property values. In this article, I study the effects of HOAs and NAs on property values. I find that HOAs increase property values, while NAs exert no influence on property values.
Psidium guajava extract reduces trypanosomosis associated lipid peroxidation and raises glutathione concentrations in infected animals

We have investigated the effects of the aqueous leaf extract of P. guajava on reduced glu­ tathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The results obtained showed that the MDA concentrations in the serum and tissues of the infected animals were significantly increased (P 0.05) (Table 1). In contrast, a significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed for the GSH concentrations in the liver and kidney for the infected animals compared to the uninfected control and the infected but treated groups. The MDA concentrations in the serum and tissues of the infected but treated animals were significantly reduced when compared to the infected groups (P<0.05) (Table 2). In this study it was demonstrated that the aqueous extract was able to reduce the trypanosomosis associated lipid peroxidation as well as raise the level of GSH in the infected but treated animals significantly (P<0.05). We present evidence that the ability of the leaf extract of P. guajava to lower the MDA concentrations in the treatment group may be attributed to its antioxidant properties.
Influence of Growing Location on the Phytochemical Content of Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) Oil

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a tree nut native to North America with high oil content. Pecan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and other lipid soluble phytochemicals. Many geographical and environmental factors are responsible for the phytochemical content of the oil, and little current information exists on the properties of pecans grown in northern Mexico. We formulated the hypothesis that pecans grown in multiple locations are exposed to different environmental conditions which alter the concentration of the phytochemicals in the oil. We characterized oil from pecans harvested in 2009 and 2010, in three different regions in northern Mexico. The content of individual fatty acids varied significantly within growing location (mainly oleic and linoleic, which were inversely related) and from year to year (mainly linolenic). Phytosterols and tocopherols also showed significant variation among locations; polyphenols were statistically similar in all samples. Oxidative stability of pecan oil, evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, was similar to other oils with a similar content of unsaturated fatty acids. It may be concluded that the chemical composition of pecan oil is sensitive to the environment in which it is produced, but on average, the studied pecan oils were good sources of phytochemicals.
The Low-Risk Anomaly: Evidence from the Thai Stock Market

In many developed countries, low-risk stocks tend to earn superior risk-adjusted returns compared to high-risk stock. Using data on the Stock Exchange of Thailand between 2004 and 2015, this paper shows that the abnormal returns associated with investing in low-beta stocks are significant and robust. The zero-cost portfolio that longs low-beta stocks and shorts high-beta stocks delivers monthly four-factor alpha of 1.26%. This paper provides suggestive evidence that, in addition to leverage constraints, the low-risk anomaly can be caused by institutional designs that favour stocks that are index constituents.
The Determinants of Agglomeration Redux: Transportation, Trade, and Input-Output Linkages

We study the determinants of agglomeration of Canadian manufacturing industries from 1990 to 2009. In so doing, we revisit the seminal contribution by Rosenthal and Strange (2001, "The determinants of agglomeration", J Urban Econ 50(2), 191? 229) using a long panel and continuous measures of localization. We pay particular attention to the role of transportation costs ? constructed using extensive Canadian trucking microdata ? international trade exposure, and input sharing ? constructed using micro-geographic location patterns of plants. We find that between 1990 and 2009, industry localization has persistently fallen. The average degree of localization decreased by 36% within 10km, by 22.6% within 100km, and by 11.3% within 500km. Declining localization is associated with import competition, particularly from low wage countries, increasing transportation costs and the spreading out of upstream input suppliers and downstream demand for intermediate inputs. While we find strong evidence of trade-driven changes in localization, we find less evidence for knowledge spillovers and labour market pooling as drivers in changes in localization.
A reassessment of the relationship between working capital management and firm performance: evidence from non-financial companies in Nigeria

This paper reassesses the relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance in the Nigerian context. The study is motivated by the limited insights available on the impacts of WCM on firm performance in the country. To date, most studies from Nigeria have been largely descriptive and focused on a small sample size that is non-representative of the population. In addition, there are limited rigorous statistical analyses involved in such studies. This paper addresses the methodological limitations apparent in prior literature and provides a better understanding of the relationship between WCM and firm performance, revealing how firms can manage their operations more profitably. The paper adopts a panel data regression analysis on a sample of 75 non-financial firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2015. The results of the analyses showed that WCM variables have an inconsistent relationship with the measures of performance adopted, which were return on assets and Tobin’s Q. Specifically, accounts receivable management and inventory management were negatively associated with the return on assets, while accounts payable management, cash conversion cycle and cash conversion efficiency were positively associated with return on assets. Additionally, accounts receivable management and inventory management were positively associated with Tobin’s Q, whereas accounts payable management, cash conversion cycle and cash conversion efficiency were negatively associated with Tobin’s Q. These results were found to be robust using quantile regression. The results of the quantile regression showed inconsistency across the various quantiles used (0.10, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75). These findings have two important implications. The first is that WCM variables influence the performance of firms. The second is that the mixed findings partly indicate that firms and managers must understand and formulate WCM policies that reflect their peculiar conditions.
INTERACTION OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS OF ORGANIC TRACE MINERALS AND PHYTASE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MINERAL METABOLISM OF REPLACEMENT PULLETS

OF THESIS INTERACTION OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS OF ORGANIC TRACE MINERALS AND PHYTASE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MINERAL METABOLISM OF REPLACEMENT PULLETS Effects of dietary supplementation with low levels of organic sources of trace minerals in place of normal levels of their inorganic salts and phytase on growth performance and mineral metabolism were evaluated in two studies using pullets of white and brown shell laying strains. The organic sources were proteinates of copper, iron, manganese and zinc and selenium yeast. A corn-soybean meal diet was fed alone, plus inorganic minerals or plus organic minerals, and with or without phytase in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement. Twelve groups of 16 pullets, 2 weeks old, were used per treatment. Compared with inorganic minerals, feeding no mineral supplement or organic minerals significantly (P<0.05) decreased manure Cu, Fe and Zn for white pullets and Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn for brown pullets. Dietary phytase significantly reduced manure Fe, P and Ca for white pullets and Fe, Mn, Zn, P and Ca for brown pullets. Adding phytase to diets containing inorganic minerals reduced manure Zn concentration for white pullets and manure Fe, Mn, Zn, P and Ca concentrations for brown pullets. These studies indicate manure levels of trace minerals can be decreased by using low levels of organic mineral supplements and phytase in pullet diets.
Let the Seeds Fall Where They May: Investigating the Effect of Landscape Features on Fine-Scale Seed Dispersal

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Recommended Citation Grasty, Monica R. , "Let the Seeds Fall Where They May: Investigating the Effect of Landscape Features on Fine-Scale Seed Dispersal" (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4001.
Cloning and comparative protein modelling of two MADS-box genes, HsMADS1 and HsMADS2 isolated from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. var. UMKL (roselle)

'Hibiscus sabdariffa' L. var. UMKL or commonly known as roselle is cultivated in Malaysia mainly for its calyx, which is high in vitamin C and anthocyanin. Unfortunately, the genetic information regarding the flowering pathway of roselle is very scarce. It is essential to understand the genetics underlying roselle's flower developmental process by studying MADS-box transcription factor genes that play crucial roles in controlling the development of calyx in flowering plants. Designated as 'HsMADS1' and 'HsMADS2', two MADS-box genes were isolated from the calyx tissues of roselle from different developmental stages using 3'- RACE PCR and primer walking approaches. The different motifs in the C domain region of 'HsMADS1' and 'HsMADS2' deduced amino acid sequences suggested that both genes probably originated from 'SEP' and 'AGL6' subfamilies of MADS-box gene respectively. The putative functions of the genes based on BLAST searches and phylogenetic analyses suggested that 'HsMADS1' possibly involves in the expression of SEP gene in stem, leaf, bud and flower organs of roselle, whereas 'HsMADS2' may probably involve in the late expression of floral tissue for stem branching. The alpha helix rich structures of SRF-TF identified in the deduced amino acid sequences of HsMADS1 and HsMADS2 supported the involvement of both proteins in DNA binding and dimerisation.
Mechanisms for the improved flotation of inherently hydrophobic graphite in electrolyte solution

: It is well documented that unavoidable ions in a pulp such as Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , and K + have a significant effect on the interaction for particles, especially for flotation of metallic sulfide minerals and clay minerals. In this study, the effect of electrolytes on the flotation of inherently hydrophobic mineral-graphite was studied. It was found that the zeta potential showed a dramatic decrease, and the reagent adsorption capacity of mineral enhanced in the present of electrolytes. The possible mechanism responsible for improved recovery was investigated by electrokinetic, surface tension and ions adsorption tests. It is likely that the hydrophobic force is stronger than the electrostatic force due to the reduced potential of graphite. This might be in favor of the formation of hydrophobic oil film leading to an increase in the graphite floatability. The experiments provided a new spectacle to study inherently hydrophobic mineral processing with electrolyte solution.
THE SUITABILITY OF THE FORCE PLATE TO EVALUATE THE STABILITY DURING QUIET STANDINGAND ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF SHOES , GENDER AND AGE ON THE STANDING STABILITY

Background: Stability during standing is achieved by a complex process which is influenced by the ageing process. Using force plate is an acceptable method in order to evaluate stability. There is a number of parameters which can be used to evaluate the stability in quiet standing; however, the most common ones are: the excursion of Centre Of Pressure (COP), the mean amplitude and the standard deviation of the COP sway and the forces applied on the force plate. Unfortunately there is no standard way to analyze the standing stability with force plate or to select the subjects.
Efficient Subsidization of Human Capital Accumulation with Overlapping Generations and Endogenous Growth

This paper studies second best policies for education, saving, and labour in an OLG model in which endogenous growth results from human capital accumulation. Government expenditures have to be financed by linear instruments so that growth equilibria are inefficient. The inefficiency is exacerbated if selfish individuals externalize the positive effect of education on descendents' productivity. It is shown to be second best to subsidize education even relative to the first best if the elasticity of the human capital investment function is strictly increasing. JEL-Code: H21, I28, J24.
Thermal regime and stability of a tropical shallow reservoir : lake Monte Alegre, Brazil

Lake Monte Alegre (21’11’ S, 47”43’ W) is a small and shallow eutrophic reservoir (area 7 ha, max. depth 5 m, mean 2.9 m), situated in southeasfern Brazif. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and etectrical conductiuity were measured weekly in the mater column, during 14 months. The reservoir is warm discontinuous polymictic in its deeper region, with more stable stratification in spring and summer, when oxygen depletion at the bottom was common. The values of heat budget, maximum stability, tropicality index and nondimensional storage flux are 3030-3427 cal.cm2. year-1, 15g-cm.cm-2, 17561796 cal.cm-2.m-1, and 1.17-2.46, respectively. The influence of seasonal and unpredictable climatic events on the thermal regime is discussed. I<EY wonns : Stratification Thermal Structure Reservoirs Tropical region South America Brazil.
MULTISCALE SIMULATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL UNSTEADY GAS FLOWS IN MICROCHANNELS OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS

Abstract. The work is devoted to modeling the gas flows in microchannels of technical systems in conditions of multiscale computational domain. As an example, the problem of nitrogen flow in nickel microchannel for three-dimensional geometry is considered. General attention is paid to the calculation of gaseous medium macroparameters considering the molecular processes that occur in the gas flow and on the walls of the microchannel. The difference in the scales of the computational domain (the length of the channel, cross section of the channel, the free path of the molecules, the thickness of the boundary layer) and near-surface interaction of the gas with the metal lead to the necessity taking into account the relief and the properties of the microchannel at the molecular level. As a result, the mathematical model of the research flow can not be fully formulated within the framework of the macroscopic approach. For decision of the problem multiscale approach combining the solution of a quasigasdynamic (QGD) equations and correction of gasdynamic parameters by molecular dynamics method (MD), is used. QGD system of equations is solved by method of finite volumes. The MD system of equations is applied within each control volume and is solved by Verlet scheme. In MD calculations particles interactions are described by the potentials determining the basic properties of the components of the considered system. Parallel implementation of the approach is based on method of splitting into physical processes and separation of areas. Algorithms are focused on the use of computer systems with central and hybrid architectures. Calculations showed that the overall numerical algorithm is resistant to the use of data for the flow correction obtained by the MD calculations. With the help of MD methods basic coefficient relations for QGD system were obtained, the transitions from MD to QGD and back were checked, three-dimensional calculation of the nitrogen flow in the nickel microchannel was produced. The results confirmed the efficiency of the developed approach.