Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of dysfunctional thought processes on subjective well-being and job satisfaction.

Although the dispositional approach to job satisfaction has received a good deal of recent attention, a fundamental deficiency in past dispositional research is a failure to use existing theories to explain why individuals are unhappy and dissatisfied with their jobs. E. A. Locke (1976), T. A. Judge (1992), and T. A. Judge and C. L. Hulin (in press) suggested that thinking processes should be studied in relation to job satisfaction. This study tested the thesis that the cognitive theory of depression, which focuses on individuals' thought processes, will help in understanding both subjective well-being and job satisfaction. A confirmatory model involving subjective well-being, job satisfaction, dysfunctional thought processes, and other relevant influences was hypothesized and tested by using a stratified random sample of university employees. Ratings were obtained from 2 sources to reduce single-source bias. The results indicated strong support for the overall model and for the adverse effect of dysfunctional thought processes. In a recent review of the literature on dispositional sources of job satisfaction, Judge (1992) argued that much of the research linking dispositional states to job satisfaction is atheoretical in nature. Virtually no dispositional research has attempted to explain, drawing from existing theories of social cognition or attitude formation, why individuals are unhappy in general or dissatisfied with their jobs. Such a deficiency in past dispositional research is regrettable, because established theories from personality and cognitive psychology may have a great deal to offer in terms of explaining how affective states are formed. There are probably valid reasons why dispositional research has not been theoretically based. For example, it is common for research to be inductive in its formative stages, when the attempt often is to establish the existence of a phenomenon rather than its etiology. Although past dispositional research has implicitly recognized the role cognitive variables can play in emotional states, the perspective is now at a stage where theoretical concepts need to be used more explicitly. The importance of understanding the psychology behind dispositional effects on job satisfaction was recently emphasized by Weiss (1991). Locke (1976) and Judge and Hulin (in press) suggested that thinking processes may influence subjective well-being and job satisfaction, although they did not propose an actual theory. A
Novel Phases in Hetero-Epitaxial and Super-Oxygenated Thin Films of Complex Oxides

Novel Phases in Hetero-Epitaxial and Super-Oxygenated Thin Films of Complex Oxides Hao Zhang Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Physics University of Toronto 2018 In this thesis we study structural phase transition and defect structures in complex oxide thin films induced by either heterostructuring or superoxygenation, in an effort to understand their effects on the electronic and superconducting properties. Thin films were chosen for the ability to tune the heteroepitaxial strain, as well as their large surface-tovolume ratio. We focus on two families of oxides, including the cuprate superconductors Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO), and the Ruddlesden-Popper iridates Srn+1IrnO3n+1. We examine the effect of heteroepitaxial strain on the superconducting critical temperature (Tc) of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO-123) thin film. Strain-induced intergrowth of CuO defect structures is seen in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 (LCMO)/YBCO-123 bilayer films, and can account for the reduced Tc in such bilayers. Perovskite/YBCO-123/perovskite trilayers with either ferromagnetic LCMO or paramagnetic LaNiO3 (LNO) as clamping layers show similarly strong reduction of the Tc. The Tc reduction is much milder when orthorhombic PrBa2Cu3O7−δ (PBCO) is used as clamping layers instead. These results indicate that heteroepitaxial strain, rather than long-range proximity effect, is responsible for the long length scales of Tc reduction in LCMO/YBCO-123 heterostructures. We carried out superoxygenation experiments on YBCO-123 films in order to search for novel YBCO phases. YBCO-123 films are annealed in high-pressure oxygen, in conjunction with Cu enrichment by solid-state diffusion. The annealed films show clear evidence of phase transformation to Y2Ba4Cu7O15−δ and Y2Ba4Cu8O16, increasing with
An analytical solution for bending and free vibration responses of functionally graded beams with porosities: Effect of the micromechanical models

In this paper, a new higher order shear deformation model is developed for static and free vibration analysis of functionally graded beams with considering porosities that may possibly occur inside the functionally graded materials (FGMs) during their fabrication. Different patterns of porosity distributions (including even and uneven distribution patterns, and the logarithmic-uneven pattern) are considered. In addition, the effect of different micromechanical models on the bending and free vibration response of these beams is studied. Various micromechanical models are used to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of the FG beams whose properties vary continuously across the thickness according to a simple power law. Based on the present higher-order shear deformation model, the equations of motion are derived from Hamilton\'s principle. Navier type solution method was used to obtain displacement, stresses and frequencies, and the numerical results are compared with those available in the literature. A comprehensive parametric study is carried out to assess the effects of volume fraction index, porosity fraction index, micromechanical models, mode numbers, and geometry on the bending and natural frequencies of imperfect FG beams.
LQG-Based Real-Time Scheduling and Control Codesign

Having multiple control tasks concurrently running on a single computing platform increases the processor utilization but degrades the control performance due to delay and jitter. In scheduling and control codesign, the objective is to optimize the combined performance of all the controllers, subject to a schedulability constraint. The codesign procedure consists of selecting task parameters, e.g., periods and priorities, as well as designing the controllers so that the scheduling-induced delay and jitter are taken into account.In the thesis, four linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) codesign methods are proposed: stochastic, periodic, harmonic, and robust LQG codesign. In stochastic LQG codesign, the delay distributions are calculated at design-time. Then LQG controllers are designed assuming these delay distributions. The obtained task periods generally give rise to infinite hyperperiods. This can be avoided by perturbing the periods slightly in order to obtain a finite hyperperiod, yielding a periodic delay pattern for the control loops. The periodicity is then accounted for by using periodic LQG control design, resulting in a periodic sequence of feedback gains for each controller. In harmonic LQG codesign, again the task periods are perturbed, but this time to make the periods harmonic. The scheduling-induced delays will be constant and standard LQG design can be applied. Finally, a robust LQG codesign method is presented. The design is based on convex optimization and guarantees system robustness in the presence of delay and jitter. A new rule of thumb for initial sampling period assignment is proposed. We propose a jitter-aware priority and period assignment codesign method to optimize the overall system performance.A large evaluation of the proposed four codesign methods is performed using the Jitterbug toolbox. All of the four methods lead to improved control performance compared to earlier work. The harmonic scheduling and control codesign shows the largest overall improvements.
A unified sematics for CHR in transaction logic.

Reasoning on Constraint Handling Rules (CHR) programs and their executional behaviour is often ad-hoc and outside of a formal system. This is a pity, because CHR subsumes a wide range of important automated reasoning services. Mapping CHR to Transaction Logic (T R) combines CHR rule specification, CHR rule application, and reasoning on CHR programs and CHR derivations inside one formal system which is executable. This new T R semantics obviates the need for disjoint declarative and operational semantics.
Characterization of AlN-based ceramic composites for use as millimeter-wave susceptor materials at high temperature: Dielectric properties of AlN:Mo with 0.25 vol% to 4.0 vol% Mo from 25 to 550 °C

Microstructural analysis and bulk dielectric property analysis (real and imaginary permittivity at 95 GHz) were performed at temperatures ranging from 25 to 550 °C for ceramic composites comprising a hot-pressed aluminum nitride matrix (containing yttria and trace carbon as sintering additives) with molybdenum powder as a millimeter-wave radiation-absorbing additive. Loading percentages in the range of 0.25 vol% to 4.0 vol% Mo were characterized. For the temperature regime evaluated, the temperature-related changes in real and imaginary components of permittivity were found to be relatively modest compared with those driven by Mo loading. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis of Mo grains and surrounding regions showed the presence of a mixed-phase layer, containing Mo_2C, at the AlN–Mo interface. The Mo_2C-containing mixed-phase layer, typically a few micrometers thick, surrounded the Mo grains. Further characterization of this mixed-phase layer is required to determine its contribution to the dielectric properties of the composite.
Development of the decision making support system to control a procedure of financial investment

The model of continuous control of the procedure of mutual financial investment for the decision support system was proposed. The model makes it possible to optimize finding multi-variant strategies in mutual financial investment of projects. From the mathematical point of view, this model is based on solution of a bilinear differential quality game with multiple terminal surfaces. A specific feature of this game is that the right part of the system of differential equations is bilinear functions with arbitrary coefficients. The model is implemented in the high-level language C++ in the software product "Decision support system for mutual investment – SSDMI", which was tested in a number of investment projects. The model allows solving the problem of improvement of effectiveness of the procedure of mutual financial investment for participants at different ratios of interaction parameters. There can be found a condition, under which the procedure of mutual financial investments becomes beneficial to all participants. Apparatus of the theory of differential games was proposed as a toolkit for development of an effective strategy for mutual financial investment. In the framework of this research, the process of interaction between an investor from one country and its counterparty from another country is explored. The selected approach enables us to identify the areas of possible initial states of resources (financial capitals) of interacting objects. The objects are supposed to have the following property: if interaction starts from these initial states, there can be a loss of financial capital either by one interacting party or the other at one of the moments of time. Solution to the game lies in the identification of sets of preference of the parties and the strategies (control actions) of the parties, by applying which it is possible to obtain the outcomes, preferable for each side. Based on the findings, conclusions were made and recommendations were given to investors in terms of their subsequent actions with a view to obtaining the best possible outcome in terms of financial investment and a decrease in investment risks.
Efficient multichannel image partitioning : theory and application

Segmentation is an important tool in image processing. The principal goal of the segmentation process is to separate the structures of interest from the background and from each other. The focus of the current work is to explore and develop a range of efficient segmentation approaches for multichannel image data. As main examples of application, we use synthetic color images as well as medical and biomedical image data. In our studies the objective is to divide the entire image into subregions. Such a procedure is often called partitioning. We start from a generalization of grayscale segmentation techniques to multichannel data by converting it to a scalar field. We propose a procedure that converts color to scalar data while preserving as many salient features as possible which is important for segmentation purposes. We apply standard segmentation techniques to the converted data and discuss the advantages and limitations of such conversion. Apart from that, we propose an approach that allows for the direct segmentation and surface extraction mechanisms for color data. Our approach consists of several automated steps and an intuitive mechanism for user-guided feature selection. Often operating only in the feature space is not fully adequate, and algorithms which operate both in feature and object space are preferable. We analyze several global multichannel image partitioning approaches using minimum description length. We develop a novel extension of the approach to multichannel image partitioning. In certain highly specialized segmentation tasks, prior knowledge, e. g. , feature and shape characteristics, about the areas to be extracted might be useful. For such problems a relatively simple partitioning can be used in combination with several post-processing steps. We apply such approach for evaluation of certain cell types. We discuss the results and limitations of the individual processing steps as well as of the overall automatic quantification approach.
Controlled Release on Cardiovascular Stents Using Plasma-Enhanced Adhesion of Biodegradable Nanoparticles

One of the most common solutions to treat ischemic heart disease nowadays is the implantation of drug eluting stents. Currently, new strategies are being developed to improve healing process, which includes pharmacological treatments or gene therapy. In this paper, we presented a proposal based on the use of poly(β-amino ester) (pBAE) nanoparticles. To enhance the release method, we used an approach based on attaching these nanoparticles on a polymeric coating. The process includes coating metallic cardiovascular stents with a thin and highly functionalized layer of pentafluorophenyl methacrylate (PFM) to which loaded nanoparticles are chemically bonded. Through this design, when a stent is expanded during its implantation, nanoparticles will stay attached to the polymer matrix. Nanocarriers will penetrate target adjacent cells, guaranteeing effective drug delivery. Results obtained show that this work opens a pathway for pharmacological and/or gene delivery systems based on the adhesion of pBAE nanoparticles prior to stent implantation.
Specific resistivity of dislocations and vacancies for super-pure aluminium at 4.2 K determined in-situ and post-recovery deformation and correlated to flow stress

ABSTRACT The evolution of dislocations during shape-change of metal forms results from microstructural shear mechanism that is essential to enhance ductility. However, at room temperatures for face-centred cubic metals, this evolution results in the generation of vacancies that tend to form nano-voids, the growth of which leads to ductile failure. The correlated occurrence of dislocations and vacancies may be differentiated using the change of resistivity with plastic strain at 4.2 K, because resistivity is very sensitive to single vacancies compared to the formation of stacking faulted defects and dislocations. In order to assess the microstructure, the specific resistivity of these defect species was measured at 4.2 K, whereby thermal recovery processes are non-existent. The resistivity per dislocation line-length per volume was determined to be 1.87 × 10−25 Ωm3 for super-pure aluminium. The change in resistivity directly correlated to the shear flow stress squared. Vacancy-like defects formed during plastic flow were correlated to the recoverable resistivity after 298 K anneal and the derived volume fraction (CV) from mechanical data. The magnitude could be expressed as 12.9 × 10−9 Ωm per CV in % or as 1.21 × 10−25 Ωm3 in terms of line-length of vacancies per volume. The choice of representation depends on the presumed vacancy distribution. However, the recoverable flow stress upon 298 K anneal only appear to be proportional to √ CV at low strains; that is, at high strains the generated vacancies had transformed to defects that give rise to a small decrease in resistivity but a more notable increase in the flow stress. The possible mechanisms for this transformation are discussed.
A protocol for Enhanced imaging and Quantification of Cervical Cell Under Scanning electron Microscope

The application of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (FE-SEM/EDX) for the characterization of biological samples can produce promising results for classification purpose. The limitations of the established sample preparation technique of cervical cells for FE-SEM/EDX study that differentiate between normal and abnormal cells prompted the development of a proposed protocol for the preparation of cervical cells. The proposed protocol was conducted by a McDowell-Trump fixative prepared in 0.1M phosphate buffer without osmium tetroxide at 4°C for 2 h in the fixation process. Morphologically, the cervical cells scanned under the FE-SEM/EDX did not present blackening effects, and the structure of the cells was not broken based on the FE-SEM images. Quantitatively, the possible elemental distributions in the cells, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sodium, are detected in samples prepared by the proposed protocol. The analysed elements were validated using the Attenuated Total Reflection and Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR/FTIR) spectroscopy. Moreover, by avoiding osmium tetroxide fixation, the time required for sample preparation decreased significantly. This sample preparation protocol can be used for normal and abnormal cervical cells in achieving better results in terms of morphological, detected elemental distribution, and rapid in time.
Spin coupling in zigzag Wigner crystals.

We consider interacting electrons in a quantum wire in the case of a shallow confining potential and low electron density. In a certain range of densities, the electrons form a two-row (zigzag) Wigner crystal whose spin properties are determined by nearest and next-nearest neighbor exchange as well as by three- and four-particle ring exchange processes. The phase diagram of the resulting zigzag spin chain has regions of complete spin polarization and partial spin polarization in addition to a number of unpolarized phases, including antiferromagnetism and dimer order as well as a novel phase generated by the four-particle ring exchange.
Pore-graded and conductor- and binder-free FeS_2 films deposited by spray pyrolysis for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Porosity-graded, conductor- and binder-free porous FeS_2 films through the entire thickness were deposited by spray pyrolysis. The film layers deposited at 15 versus 10 L/min are grown in different modes. The film layer deposited at 15 L/min showed Frank–van der Merwe layer-like growth mode whereas the one deposited at 10 L/min showed island growth mode. These growth modes lead to the formation of large pores on the electrolyte side and small ones on the substrate side of the film deposited using 15 and 10 L/min, sequentially. The porosity-graded films showed discharge capacities at C /10 of 879 mA h/g and 754 mA h/g for the 5th and 20th cycles, respectively. Such capacity values are superior to the literature findings for FeS_2 powders and nongraded films mixed with conductor and binder additions.
Polymicrobial Leakage and Retention of MTA and Portland Cement in a Model of Apexification

Objective: To evaluate the sealing capacity and retention of apical barriers made with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Portland cement (PC). Material and Methods: Fifty-six bovine incisors were sectioned 8 mm above and 12 mm below the cement-enamel junction. The root canal was enlarged with a diamond drill to create a standard 2.5 mm diameter opening. Apical sheets of 5 mm thickness were placed using white MTA-Angelus or white PC. Fifteen samples of each material were exposed to human saliva in a dual chamber apparatus and casting was evaluated at 30 days. Samples without apical barriers and fully sealed samples were used as positive and negative controls (n = 3), respectively. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test (p 0.05). Conclusion: Mineral trioxide aggregateand Portland cementapical barriers presented similar sealing ability and bond strength values.
Metallurgical Mechanism and Niobium Effects on Improved Mechanical Properties in High Carbon Steels

The technological development of value-added applications for niobium (Nb) microalloyed structural steels has expanded into the high carbon long products sector. Micro additions of 0.005 to 0.020%Nb in various high carbon steel compositions have exhibited improved processing, such as wire drawability or formability during manufacturing, higher productivity at reduced operational cost as well as improved mechanical properties compared to traditional non-Nb bearing high carbon steels. Although the Nb solubility is limited in high carbon steels compared to low carbon steels, the optimized Nb content has been defined based on experimental results and now transferred into industrial operations. The Nb delays the pearlite transformation, hence resulting in a finer interlammelar spacing compared to traditional high carbon pearlitic steels. Consequently, the optimized Nb content leads to improved mechanical properties due to this finer interlamellar pearlite spacing. Opportunities exist to transfer this new Nb-technology into wire rods, bolts, rails and tire cord.
An Integrated into FPGA System for Optical Link Testing and Parameters Tuning

—Development, characterization and performance optimization of systems utilizing FPGAs with high-speed serial transceivers to implement optical links with 1 to 10 Gbps data rate is a complex task and it poses several challenges for design engineers. In this paper, an effective approach is presented designed to address these challenges based on the use of diagnostic features implemented in the transceivers and a soft-IP microcontroller system instantiated in the FPGA. The use of the soft-IP controller allows a single-point access to the control and diagnostic interfaces of all components forming the link. Combined with computational capabilities and a high-level programming language interpreter running on the soft-IP CPU inside the FPGA, it enables extensive optical link performance evaluation without relying on any additional test and measurement equipment and signiﬁcantly shortens debugging and testing times. Two generations of the system including hardware, soft-IP microcontroller system and embedded software are presented. The implementation demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach to utilization of on-chip diagnostic capabilities.