Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical and physical characterization of traffic particles in four different highway environments in the Helsinki metropolitan area

Abstract. Traffic-related pollution is a major concern in urban areas due to its deleterious effects on human health. The characteristics of the traffic emissions on four highway environments in the Helsinki metropolitan area were measured with a mobile laboratory, equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Concentration gradients were observed for all traffic-related pollutants, particle number (CN), particulate mass (PM1), black carbon (BC), organics, and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). Flow dynamics in different environments appeared to be an important factor for the dilution of the pollutants. For example, the half-decay distances for the traffic-related CN concentrations varied from 8 to 83 m at different sites. The PM1 emissions from traffic mostly consisted of organics and BC. At the most open site, the ratio of organics to BC increased with distance to the highway, indicating condensation of volatile and semi-volatile organics on BC particles. These condensed organics were shown to be hydrocarbons as the fraction of hydrocarbon fragments in organics increased. Regarding the CN size distributions, particle growth during the dilution was not observed; however the mass size distributions measured with a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS), showed a visible shift of the mode, detected at ∼ 100 nm at the roadside, to a larger size when the distance to the roadside increased. The fleet average emission factors appeared to be lower for the CN and higher for the NO2 than ten years ago. The reason is likely to be the increased fraction of light-duty (LD) diesel vehicles in the past ten years. The fraction of heavy-duty (HD) traffic, although constituting less than 10 % of the total traffic flow, was found to have a large impact on the emissions.
The ‘Computational Unified Field Theory’: A Paradigmatic Shift in Physics

Contemporary Theoretical Physics has reached a point akin to pre- 1905 Einstein’s Relativity shift: the current two pillars of modern Physics, namely: Quantum Mechanics (QM) and Relativity Theory (RT) seem contradictory of each other and major Physical phenomena cannot be accounted by them, i.e., “Dark Energy”, “Dark Matter” (70 to 90 percent of all mass and energy cannot be observed empirically), the “Arrow of Time” and other existent Physical conundrums. Such a state in Theoretical Physics calls for a basic ‘Paradigmatic Shift’ (akin to Relativity’s shift in Newtonian Physics). The key question is what are the rigorous scientific criteria by which a satisfactory ‘Paradigmatic Shift’ Theory (PST) can be validated? It is suggested that these rigorous scientific criteria include for such satisfactory PST should comprise of: the replication of all major QM and RT validated empirical findings and theoretical relationships, the resolution of all key QM-RT theoretical inconsistencies, the identification- and empirical validation- of at least one “critical prediction” differentiating this PST from existing QM and RT predictions, and the capacity of such PST to account for currently unexplained Physical conundrums (such as the ‘dark-matter’, ‘dark-energy’ enigma). Based on the recent empirical validation of one of the ‘Computational Unified Field Theory’ (CUFT) predictions, alongside its satisfaction of all of these rigorous scientific criteria, it is suggested that this CUFT may qualify as an appropriate PST. Finally, the acceptance of the CUFT ‘A-Causal Computation’ new Paradigm advances (potentially far reaching) theoretical implications such as the possibility to “reverse the flow of time”, negate “dark-matter”, “dark-energy” as “superfluous” – instead discovering the Universal Computational Principe’s accelerated increase in the number of spatial-pixels comprising each subsequent ‘Universal Simultaneous Computational Frames’ (USCF’s) (e.g., comprising all of the spatial-pixels in the physical universe at every minimal time-point, ‘c2/h).
Leadership and Employee Satisfaction in the Ghanaian Banking Sector

The study was carried out with the purpose of investigating the relationship between leadership and employee satisfaction in the banking industry in Ghana. A questionnaire consisting of three (3) sections was used for the study. Section one of the questionnaire solicited information on demographic characteristics of respondents, section two dealt with the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) while the third section dealt with the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). A total of 200 questionnaires were circulated to randomly selected respondents from both private and public banks in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana, out of which 150 were returned showing a return rate of 75% and out of that 140 were usable. The findings of the study were that there was positive relationship between leadership styles and job satisfaction. The results further indicated that inspirational motivation which is a type of transformational leadership, management by exception and laissez-fair which are types of transactional leadership positively and significantly affected job satisfaction. Thus, leadership styles of managers impact on satisfaction of banking employees so managers should exhibit good leadership. Keywords : Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership, Employee satisfaction, Banking sector
Radio AGN in spiral galaxies

Radio AGN in the nearby Universe are more likely to be found in galaxies with early-type morphology, the detection rate in spiral or late-type galaxies (LTGs) being around an order of magnitude lower. We combine the mJy Imaging VLBA Exploration at 20 cm (mJIVE-20) survey with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, to study the relatively rare population of AGN in LTGs that have nuclear radio luminosities similar to that in their early-type counterparts. The LTG AGN population is preferentially hosted by galaxies that have high stellar masses (M∗ > 10 10.8 M� ), red colours and low star formation rates, with little dependence on the detailed morphology or local environment of the host LTG. The merger fraction in the LTG AGN is ∼4 times higher than that in the general LTG population, indicating that merging is an important trigger for radio AGN in these systems. The red colours of our systems extend recent work which indicates that merger-triggered AGN in the nearby Universe appear after the peak of the associated starburst, implying that they do not strongly regulate star formation. Finally, we find that in systems where parsec-scale jets are clearly observed in our very long baseline interferometry images, the jets are perpendicular to the major axis of the galaxy, indicating strong alignment between the accretion disc and the host galaxy stellar disc.
Ozone production rate and hydrocarbon reactivity in 5 urban areas: A cause of high ozone concentration in Houston

Observations of ozone (O3) and O3 precursors taken from aircraft flights over Houston, TX, Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Phoenix, AZ, and Philadelphia, PA show that high concentrations of reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Houston atmosphere lead to calculated O3 production rates that are 2 to 5 times higher than in the other 4 cities even though NOx concentrations are comparable. Within the Houston metropolitan area, concentrations of VOCs and O3 production rates are highest in the Ship Channel region; the location of one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the world. As a consequence the concentration of O3 in the Houston metropolitan area has recently exceeded 250 ppb, the highest value observed in the U.S within the past 5 years.
Convergence of Nondiagonal Sequences of Linear Pad ́e-Orthogonal Approximants

A convergence in capacity of nondiagonal sequences of linear Pad e-orthogonal approximants corresponding to a measure supported on a general compact subset of the complex plane is proved. This result generalizes the result of S.P. Suetin which was the convergence in capacity of nondiagonal sequences of linear Pad e-orthogonal approximants corresponding to a measure supported on a finite interval.
Determinants oF Recent Inflation in Pakistan

The expansionary economic policies of the government and of the central bank (State Bank of Pakistan – SBP), which on one side resulted in impressive economic performance, stimulated a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on the other. This initiated a debate on the determinants of the recent inflation. Some blamed fiscal policy or monetary policy, while others blamed imported inflation, administered prices or mismanagement and loose control of the government. This study, adopting an econometric framework, focuses on the identification of the main determinants of recent inflation trends. Using data from the 1972-73 to 2005-06 period, applying ordinary least square method and verifying results through Breusch-Godfrey Serial Correlation LM and Augmented Dickey-Fuller tests, it finds that the most important determinants of inflation in 2005-06 were adaptive expectations, private sector credit and rising import prices. Whereas, the fiscal policy’s contribution to inflation was minimal.
Influence of different commercial fining agents on proanthocyanidin fraction and antioxidant activity of a red wine from Baga grapes

Aims: Evaluate the impact of different commercial fining agents (egg albumin, bentonite, gelatine, potassium caseinate and isinglass) and their concentration on proanthocyanidin fraction content (monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric) and antioxidant activity of a red wine from Baga grape variety. Additionally establishment of correlations between the antioxidant activity and the different proanthocyanidin fraction content were also an other aim of this work.Methods and results: The fractionation of wine proanthocyanidins was made according to their polymerisation degree: catechins (monomers), oligomeric (degree of polymerisation ranging from 2 to 12-15) and polymeric (degree of polymerisation > 12-15). For antioxidant activity of red wine, two analytical methods were used: the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the ABTS radical cation scavenging assay. In general the different commercial fining agents applied induced a decrease of the wine total phenols and the different proanthocyanidin fraction content studied. The monomeric flavanols were significantly depleted by egg albumin and isinglass (specially using the highest concentration), while for oligomeric fraction only the highest egg albumin, gelatine and isinglass concentration induced a decrease on the values.Conclusion: The commercial fining agents analyzed in the present study affected the monomeric and the oligomeric proanthocyanidin. At same time some fining agents (specially in high concentrations), such as egg albumin, isinglass and gelatine induced a reduction of antioxidant activity of red wines too.Significant and impact study: The knowledge of the impact of the commercial fining agents in proanthocyanidin content and antioxidant properties of red wines is important for red wine fining optimisation and consequently for the red wine quality. This study is particular important when the « antioxidant power » of the foods, in this case in red wine, is an expression of its capability both to defend the human organism from the action of the free radicals and to prevent degenerative disorders deriving from persistent oxidative stress.
Computer Simulations of Crystal Growth Using a Hard-Sphere Model

A review of computer simulation studies on crystal growth in hard-sphere systems is presented. A historical view on the crystallization of hard spheres, including colloidal crystallization, is given in the first section. Crystal phase transition in a system comprising particles without bonding is difficult to understand. In the early days, therefore, many researchers did not accept such crystalline structures as crystals that should be studied in the field of crystal growth. In the last few decades, however, colloidal crystallization has drawn attention because in situ observations of crystallization process has become possible. Next, simulation studies of the crystal/fluid interface of hard spheres are also reviewed. Although colloidal crystallization has now been recognized in the crystal growth field, the stability of the crystal–fluid coexistence state has still not been satisfactorily understood based on a bond-breaking picture, because of an infinite diffuseness of the interfaces in non-bonding systems derived from this picture. Studies of sedimentary colloidal crystallization and colloidal epitaxy using the hard-sphere model are lastly reviewed. An advantage of the colloidal epitaxy is also presented; it is shown that a template not only fixes the crystal growth direction, but also improves the colloidal crystallization. A new technique for reducing defects in colloidal crystals through the gravity effect is also proposed.
Distribution and Abundance of Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) in East Shewa and West Arsi Zones of Ethiopia

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a herbaceous invasive alien weed belongs to the family Asteraceae now recognized as the major emerging problems and pose the greatest threats to native species and ecosystems in Ethiopia. This non-native species, subsequently escaping from their entry points and are spreading at an alarming rate from time to time. Precise distribution of the existing Parthenium hysterophorus is poorly understood and systematically documented. Thus the aim of this study was to generate information for a better understanding of the distribution and abundance of Parthenium hysterophorus in East shewa and West arsi Zones of the Oromia regional governmental state of Ethiopia. The biological data were collected along gravel and asphalt roads at interval of 10km. Relative abundance and distribution were determined. The locations’ latitude and longitude coordinates were recorded with a garmin GPS in order to map their abundance and distribution using arcGIS 9.1 software. The study revealed that P. hysterophorus extensively distributed in study area mainly in East shewa zone where it infest most of terrestrial habitats (Road side, Farm land, Pastoral, around habitation Waste land) and it has a potential to flood all districts not infested currently in the study area. Moreover, P. hysterophorus hinders economic development of the study area and the country at large. Therefore, proper and targeted control methods should be employed to control the further spread of invader and reduce the negative economic impact. Thus proper management action should be taken to mitigate their impact. Keywords: abundance, distribution, distribution map, Parthenium hysterophorus
An Approach To Identifying Geological Properties From Roof Bolter Drilling Parameters

Identifying the properties of overlying rocks in underground mining operations is important to ensure the appropriate roof support design is used to maintain stability of the mine entries. Recently J. H. Fletcher & Co. developed a monitoring and control system for roof bolters for the underground mining industry. The system records the drilling parameters used during roof bolt drilling and the information can provide insight into the physical properties of the roof strata. The parameters include thrust, rotational speed, torque and velocity and the measurements are collected every 0.1 second during the operation. The drilling parameters were analyzed to determine the application of identifying the strength of rocks being drilled from the measurements. The data was converted into the specific energy of drilling which is a measure of the amount of energy required for removing a given unit of rock during a drilling operation. The laboratory studies completed to date indicate a fairly high correlation between the specific energy of drilling and the unconfined compressive strength of ihe rocks that were drilled. Additionally, the drilling parameters were shown to be effective for identifying the presence of fractures or bed separations between rock layers. The thrust, torque and specific energy of drilling were all good indicators for identifying the fractures or separations. Regardless of the drilling parameters used during the drilling experiments, the location of the fractures were identified. In order to determine the application of the drilling parameters for identifying roof rock properties, two series of experiments were conducted. The first series of experiments used three "manufactured" roof layers that had various rock samples embedded in concrete blocks. The rock samples included three types of sandstone, marble, and argillite. Another concrete block was poured with foam inserts to simulate large bedding separations (2 to 8-in). Two other manufactured blocks were constructed using high-strength concrete with cardboard layers Gene Wilson, New Product Development Manager J.H. Fletcher & Company Huntington, WV Bob Thomas, President Structured Mining Systems Canonsburg, PA embedded to simulate smaller fractures or bedding separations. The size of the cardboard layers varied from 1/8to 1-in thick. One of the blocks had the cardboard layers embedded at an inclined angle to determine the effect of the orientation on the drilling parameters. A series of experiments was conducted with the rotational speed and the penetration rate held constant and the thrust and torque allowed to vary. The information collected from the experiments is used to determine the application of the drilling parameter measurements for identifying rock properties, fractures and bedding separations.
Zaragozic Acid A Enhances the Internalization of VLDL in Human Hepatocyte-Like C3A Cells

High Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are well-known to cause atherosclerotic diseases. The hepatic LDL receptor is the major determinant of plasma LDL-cholesterol levels, and as a result, a greater understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that control the expression and function of this gene is essential. Herein, we decided to examine whether the function of the LDL receptor increased in response to the cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor, Zaragozic Acid A (ZA), which has been shown to significantly decrease serum cholesterol levels in rats. The results demonstrated that ZA increased the binding and internalization of Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), but not of LDL. This ZA-dependent increase in the internalization rate of VLDL was unrelated to an increase in the overall expression levels of the LDL receptor at the cell surface. These results suggest that ZA could reduce plasma cholesterol levels by preventing the synthesis of LDL from VLDL.
Acute to Subchronic Toxicity and Reproductive Effects of Aqueous Ethanolic Extract of Rhizomes of Lasia spinosa Thw. in Male Rats

Acute and subchronic tests on the toxicity and reproductive effects of aqueous ethanolic extract of rhizomes of Lasia spinosa Thw. was studied in male rats. In the acute test, oral administration of 5, 10, 20, 40 g/kg of the extract showed no mortality or behavioral changes. In the subchronic test, administration of 5 or 20 g/kg of the extract for 28 days revealed no mortality of the animals. No differences in hematological parameters were observed in either control or treatment groups of both tests. For blood chemistry analysis in both tests, triglycerides in treatment rats were significantly decreased compared to the control ones. However, no significant changes occurred in other parameters. There was no significant difference in the weight of whole body and organ between the control and treatment animals of both acute and subchronic tests. Pathologically, no significant changes of gross and histopathology were observed in both the control and treatment rats. For reproductive effects, significant increase in testicular weight and epididymal sperm count was observed. However, no changes in serum testosterone were found. In summary, oral administration of the extract of L. spinosa produced no toxic changes in acute and subchronic toxicity tests. Moreover, the extract had potential for increasing reproductive function in male rats.
Human Resources Effectiveness in the Russian Banking Industry

The current research is devoted to an analysis of human resources effectiveness in the Russian banking industry and its influence on organizational performance of banks. The sample of the research consists of one hundred ninety seven banks both local and international operated in Russia. Based on the data available in financial statements of banks, published by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, several indicators were calculated, including return on investment in human capital (HCROI), return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and productivity. The research has found statistically significant correlation between HCROI and all selected organizational performance indicators of banks in Russia. This empirical finding demonstrates that HR effectiveness influences the performance of banks in Russia.
Mannan-hydrolysis by hemicellulases

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Effects of Thermal Annealing and Film Thickness on the Structural and Morphological Properties of Titanium Dioxide Films

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films having different thicknesses of 220, 260, and 300 nm were deposited onto well-cleaned n-type silicon substrates by reactive DC magnetron sputtering and annealed in the range of 200–1000 ◦C in steps of 200 ◦C. The effects of thermal annealing and thickness variation on the crystalline quality and surface morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy measurements. It was found that the film quality and morphology depend on the annealing temperature. TiO2 films exhibit a grain-like surface morphology. The root-mean-square roughness and grain size on the surface increase as a result of increasing film thickness.
A Note on Venture Capital Networks: Promise and Performance

Since 1984 Informal Venture Networks (VCNs) have been formed and are currently operating in several states and Canada. However, little has been written in regard to the performance of these networks. This article presents the results of preliminary research concerning their performance. Our research reveals several factors that are presently limiting the VCNs’ success and will continue to do so until diey are changed. The limited success of the VCNs to date is primarily the result of a lack of funding. Because of small operating budgets, most VCNs have only minimal amounts available for marketing and promotion. Until the VCNs are adequately funded, their high promise will not be matched by performance.
Out-of-field photon dosimetry study between 3-D conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy in the management of prostate cancer

Background: The present work aims to study the out-of-field photon calculaon accuracy of a commercial treatment planning system (TPS), Oncentra, for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity modulated radiaon therapy (IMRT) treatment techniques from Elekta Synergy medical linear accelerator. Materials and Methods: Accuracy of individual out-of-field dose components was studied by defining a square fi eld of 10 x 10 cm 2