Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical novel NiCo2O4/BiVO4 hybrid heterostructure as an advanced anode material for rechargeable lithium ion battery

Hybrid metal oxide heterostructures have been considered as ideal and potential anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to their better electrochemical performances, such as reversible capacity, structural stability and electronic conductivity. Herein, we have demonstrated synthesis of NiCo2O4/BiVO4 heterostructures by simple hydrothermal strategy to construct hybrid xNiCo2O4/(1–x)BiVO4 heterostructures with four selected compositions, that is, x = 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. XRD shows the phases of NiCo2O4 and BiVO4 and FE‐SEM data revealed strong interface coupling between NiCo2O4 nanowires and BiVO4 dendrites. Upon testing for electrochemical properties, the optimized composition of 30%NiCo2O4‐70% BiVO4 showed higher reversible capacity of 408.6 mAh/g at a constant current rate of 0.5 A/g after 1000 cycles with columbic efficiency around 99% suggesting potential electrode material for high‐performance LIBs. The higher capacity is mainly attributed to the large surface area which can provide more channels and locations for fast Li ion intercalation/de‐intercalation into electrode materials. Additionally, improved Li ion storage capacity with superior rate capability of BN‐30 electrode could be attributed to its lower charge‐transfer resistance. The dendritic and nanowire heterostructure novel system with good stable capacity for LIBs is hitherto unattempted.
Influence of potassium fertilizer source on potato yield and quality.

The influence of potassium fertilizer source (K2SO4 and KCl) on potato yield and quality under pot experimental conditions was studied. Experiments included increasing rates of the potassium fertilizers providing 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg soil K2O. Data indicated no statistical differences in potato yield as a result of potassium fertilizer source. In contrast, all studied quality parameters with the except for reducing sugars were influenced by potassium source. Increasing rates of KCl decreased most severely dry matter, starch and vitamin C contents in potato tubers which were diminished with 15%, 46% and 50% by К600 treatment respectively when compared to control.
Going green: the dynamics of green technological alliances

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of strategic technological alliances and environmental regulation, and their interaction, on the generation of green technologies. The empirical analysis is carried out on a newly constructed dataset of European firms over the period 2005–2011 and it is articulated in two steps. Firstly, we test the existence of a relationship between the environmental regulation, as measured by the OECD Environmental Policy Stringency index, and GTs, proxied by patent applications. We then employ a dynamic network analysis model to explore the dual role of GTs both as the determinant of the collaboration network and as the outcome of firms' collaboration strategies. We find that, even though there exists a strong and positive relationship, the regulatory framework has not a direct effect on GTs but rather it stimulates firms to search for new and qualified collaborations. Then, it is the nature and the structure of these collaborations that encourages firms to generate new green technological knowledge.
Earnings management and earnings predictability: A quantile regression approach

This study argues that the managerial choice of earnings management strategy could be contingent upon a firm’s information asymmetry and such a strategy may affect the firm’s earnings predictability. Measuring information asymmetry by earnings predictability based on the subsequent industry-adjusted dispersion in analysts’ forecasts and employing a quantile regression to analyze 28,383 US firm-year observations from 1988 to 2014, this study reports that the effect of earnings management strategies on earnings predictability is nonuniform. Specifically, the amount of absolute discretionary accruals is negatively (positively) related to the subsequent industry-adjusted dispersion in the low (high) quantiles of analysts’ forecasts. These results support the hypothesis that a firm could implement earnings management strategies according to the degree of information asymmetry between the firm’s management and corporate outsiders. JEL Classification: G12, G32
Peroneal and tibial nerve paralysis after prolonged knee flexion

Concurrent paralysis of tibial and peroneal nerves due to acute compression is a rare incident. Here, a case of combined peroneal and tibial nerve lesion is reported for the first time ever in the literature which developed acutely due to forced, long-term flexion of the knee joint and failed to show adequate clinical or electrophysiological improvement despite eighteen months of follow-up. A 38-year-old female patient was kept in a fixed position in her bed for about 10 hours in such a way that her left knee was in full flexion. Only partial improvement could be achieved in her neurological symptoms 18 months after the incident and electrophysiological assessment showed limited regeneration. Severe axonal degeneration of both nerves was considered to occur in this patient particularly due to extreme flexion of the knee together with long-term compression. Knee flexion coexisting with long-term compressions may severely damage the peroneal nerve and also the tibial nerve, which is more resistant to compression neuropathy compared to the peroneal nerve. Knee flexion for about 10 hours of compression might have resulted in severe axonal degeneration and affected the prognosis unfavorably.
A close look at the Centaurus A group of galaxies III. Recent star formation histories of late-type dwarfs around M83

We study the resolved stellar populations of dwarf galaxies in the nearby Centaurus A/M83 group of galaxies. Our goal is to characterize their evolutionary history and to investigate eventual similarities or differences with the dwarf population in other group environments. This work presents the analysis of five late-type (irregular) dwarfs found in the vicinity of the giant spiral M83. Using archival HST/ACS data, we perform synthetic color-magnitude diagram modeling to derive the star formation histories of these late-type dwarfs. The target objects show heterogeneous star formation histories, with average star formation rates of 0.08 to 0.70x10^{-2} M_odot/yr. Some of them present prolonged, global bursts of star formation (~300-500 Myr). The studied galaxies are all metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~-1.4). We further investigate the spatial extent of different stellar populations, finding that the young stars show a clumpy distribution, as opposed to the smooth, broad extent of the old ones. The actively star forming regions have sizes of ~100 pc and lifetimes of >~100 Myr, thus suggesting a stochastic star formation mode for the target dwarf irregular galaxies. The galaxies formed ~20% to 70% of their stars more than ~7 Gyr ago. The studied dwarfs have average star formation rates slightly higher than their analogues in the Local Group, but comparable to those in the M81 group. Our preliminary sample indicates that the neutral gas content of the target dwarfs does seem to be affected by the group environment: galaxies within a denser region have a much lower M_HI/ than the isolated ones, meaning that they will exhaust their gas reservoir more quickly.
The Rural Labour Market in Zimbabwe

Wage labour in Zimbabwe is most often associated with large commercial farms. The use of wage labour within ‘peasant’ agriculture has been rarely investigated and remains largely undocumented. In 1986/7, the author conducted research in Zimbabwe which was explicitly concerned with issues of rural economic differentiation and the wage labour supplied and hired by ‘peasant’ households. The data suggest that a dynamic labour market exists in rural Zimbabwe. Further, it was found that in addition to the many parttime rural wage workers, there is a group of people who depend upon wages for all or the bulk of their income. These people, who have been largely ignored by policymakers, cannot be defined as farmers at all.
Clinical Staff Attitude Toward the Computerized Physician Order Entry System in Cardiac Care Unit Based on a Model by the Name of “Technology Acceptance Model in Health Care Centers of Iran”

Background: Currently, many physicians use the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, and the adoption of this system is increasing worldwide. The technology acceptance model has been implemented and evaluated. It has become one of the most recognized empirical models. Besides, recent studies showed that this model well anticipates users’ behavioral tendencies in accepting technology in healthcare centers. The use of the technology acceptance model in the implementation of health care systems such as CPOE, which is effective in reducing medical errors, is necessary. Objectives: This applied research has used a descriptive-analytical approach. In the current study the technology acceptance model in Iranian health care centers, which was proposed by Safdari and colleagues aimed to investigate the attitudes of clinical staff toward the computerized physician orders entry system, was used in the Cardiac Care Unit of Alzahra’s Heart Hospital in Shiraz to determine the importance and effectiveness of each dimension on attitudes toward using CPOE by 140 of physicians and nurses. Methods: Three main dimensions, including human, monitoring-management, and organizational strategies factors, were evaluated using a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 25 using the descriptive and analytical statistics (i.e., Pearson correlation test and t-test). Results: The results showed that organizational strategies dimension with an average of 3.85 (out of 5) had the highest users’ attention, followed by monitoring-management and human dimensions. The overall average of all dimensions was 3.78. All dimensions had a positive and direct effect on the attitudes toward using the CPOE. Demographic characteristics did not have a meaningful relationship with any dimensions. Conclusions: Finally, the average above 3 in the mean of the total dimensions, as well as each dimension, shows views of the users are appropriate to using the CPOE. , the views of the users are appropriated toward using CPOE. It should be noted that the difference in the dimension means is a small amount. The centered focus on organizational strategies with the highest average should not cause to neglect other dimensions.
The Automation and E-Voting Readiness Index

This report is a summary of change readiness index result and E-Voting readiness index. The readiness index is measured using a number of different components as a measuring tool. And the goal of E-Voting readiness index is to analyze and compare the environment for the E-Voting. The report also presents a case study summary of E-Voting failure in Netherlands and its successful implementation in Estonia. And a quantitative way of exploring technology acceptance is discussed by studying the use of technology adoption curve.
Visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared spectral characterization of Hawaiian fumarolic alteration near Kilauea’s December 1974 flow: Implications for spectral discrimination of alteration environments on Mars

Abstract The December 1974 flow in the SW rift zone at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, has been established as a Mars analog due to its physical, chemical, and morphological properties, as well as its interaction with the outgassing plume from the primary Kilauea caldera. We focus on a solfatara site that consists of hydrothermally altered basalt and alteration products deposited in and around a passively degassing volcanic vent situated directly adjacent to the December 1974 flow on its northwest side. Reflectance spectra are acquired in the visible/near-infrared (VNIR) region and emission spectra in the mid-infrared (MIR) range to better understand the spectral properties of hydrothermally altered materials. The VNIR signatures are consistent with silica, Fe-oxides, and sulfates (Ca, Fe). Primarily silica-dominated spectral signatures are observed in the MIR and changes in spectral features between samples appear to be driven by grain size effects in this wavelength range. The nature of the sample coating and the thermal emission signatures exhibit variations that may be correlated with distance from the vent. Chemical analyses indicate that most surfaces are characterized by silica-rich material, Fe-oxides, and sulfates (Ca, Fe). The silica and Fe-oxide-dominated MIR/VNIR spectral signatures exhibited by the hydrothermally altered material in this study are distinct from the sulfate-dominated spectral signatures exhibited by previously studied low-temperature aqueous acid-sulfate weathered basaltic glass. This likely reflects a difference in open vs. closed system weathering, where mobile cations are removed from the altered surfaces in the fumarolic setting. This work provides a unique infrared spectral library that includes martian analog materials that were altered in an active terrestrial solfatara (hydrothermal) setting. Hydrothermal environments are of particular interest as they potentially indicate habitable conditions. Key constraints on the habitability and astrobiological potential of ancient aqueous environments are provided through detection and interpretation of secondary mineral assemblages; thus, spectral detection of fumarolic alteration assemblages observed from this study on Mars would suggest a region that could have hosted a habitable environment.
TowardAlcohol PredictsActual Consumption inYoungAdults : An Ecological Implicit Association Test

VALÉRIE DORMAL, PH.D.,a PIERRE MAURAGE, PH.D.,a SÉVERINE LANNOY, PH.D.,a & FABIEN D’HONDT, PH.D.,b,c,* aLaboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-laNeuve, Belgium bUniv. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 SCALab Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France cCHU Lille, Clinique de Psychiatrie, CURE, Lille, France
Electrostatics of solvated systems in periodic boundary conditions

Continuum solvation methods can provide an accurate and inexpensive embedding of quantum simulations in liquid or complex dielectric environments. Notwithstanding a long history and manifold applications to isolated systems in open boundary conditions, their extension to materials simulations, typically entailing periodic boundary conditions, is very recent, and special care is needed to address correctly the electrostatic terms. We discuss here how periodic boundary corrections developed for systems in vacuum should be modified to take into account solvent effects, using as a general framework the self-consistent continuum solvation model developed within plane-wave density-functional theory [O. Andreussi et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 064102 (2012)]. A comprehensive discussion of real-and reciprocal-space corrective approaches is presented, together with an assessment of their ability to remove electrostatic interactions between periodic replicas. Numerical results for zero-and two-dimensional charged systems highlight the effectiveness of the different suggestions, and underline the importance of a proper treatment of electrostatic interactions in first-principles studies of charged systems in solution.
Determinants of adoption of improved maize varieties in Osun State, Nigeria

The paper examines the level of awareness and identified the various improved maize varieties (IMVs) cultivated in Osun state, Nigeria. It also analyzed the socioeconomic factors influencing the adoption and intensity of use of improved maize varieties. A multistage sampling design was used to select 360 farming households that were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data collected included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents such as age, household size, gender, farm size and other improved maize production related activities. Descriptive statistics and double hurdle model were used as analytical tools. Results showed that the level of awareness of improved maize varieties was 97.8%. About 91% of these estimates were adopters while 8.8% were non adopters. The double hurdle model estimates showed that age (t=4.50, p<0.05), level of education (t=3.33, p<0.05), farming experience (t=4.33, p<0.05), household size (t=2.18, p<0.05), farm size (t=4.02, p<0.05), and household’s distance to market (t=2.26, p<0.05) were significant determinants of adoption of IMVs while age of respondents (t=2.31, p<0.05), level of education (t=2.27, p<0.05), household size (t=2.79, p<0.05), farm size (t=2.51, p<0.05), frequency of contact with extension agent (t=10.46, p<0.05), off farm income (t=2.19, p<0.05), and membership in association (t=2.46, p<0.05) determined use intensity of improved maize varieties. The study concluded that policies that increase farmers’ level of education and effectiveness of extension services contact will facilitate adoption and use intensity of improved maize varieties. Key words: Adoption, use intensity, improved maize varieties; and double hurdle model.
Immigrant Entrepreneurship Contextualised: Becoming a Female Migrant Entrepreneur in Rural Norway

Purpose This paper aims to address the rural and gender gaps in the immigrant entrepreneurship literature by exploring the start-up stories of 18 female immigrants who currently run a business in northernmost Norway. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a qualitative fieldwork including business visits and in-depth interviews. The transcripts from the interviews were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach. Findings Four modes of entry to entrepreneurship were identified: entrepreneurship as a way out of unemployment; entrepreneurship as a means to avoid underemployment, entrepreneurship as a means to live in a region of perceived attraction; and entrepreneurship as a preferred choice for women in satisfactory wage labour. In addition, the paper reveals the importance of family support and of spatial embeddedness among immigrant entrepreneurs living in a rural context. Practical implications This study notes that the modes of entry to rural immigrant entrepreneurship are diverse, but that they are often partly related to the pursuit of an initial feeling of belonging in the new region of settlement. Hence, developing the knowledge of how to not only attract but also retain and increase the feeling of local belonging of immigrants may be important for many rural regions in the Western world. This is because rural immigrants not only represent a much needed in-flow of younger people in a typically decreasing and ageing population but also entail cultural variation and job creation, thus contributing to place development. Social implications The paper argues for the importance of considering immigrant entrepreneurs as significant actors of rural development. Originality/value While immigrant entrepreneurship has emerged as an important field of study, it has been criticised for focusing predominantly on men and for neglecting contextual variations in the analysis. The rural context especially has been largely omitted. By focusing on female immigrants having established a business in a rural context, the paper adds to the literature, firstly, by highlighting the experiences of female immigrant entrepreneurs. Secondly, it reveals that rural immigrant entrepreneurship cannot be conceived in terms of “ethnic resources” or “enclave economy” that are often central explanatory dimensions in megacity studies. Thirdly, it argues for the importance of considering both the spatial as well as the family contexts in the author’s theoretical conceptualizations of the (immigrant) entrepreneurial start-up phase.
Explorer ' It ' s been a long haul , a big haul , but we ' ve made it ' : hepatitis C virus treatment in post-transplant patients with virus recurrence : An interpretative phenomenological analysis

The lived experience of both interferon-based and new interferon-free treatments in patients with hepatitis C virus remains understudied. To explore their journey through hepatitis C virus treatment, we interviewed seven posttransplant patients with recurrent hepatitis C virus. Three themes were identified using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants reported an ongoing sense of ontological uncertainty characterized by lack of control over their condition and treatment. Furthermore, an apposition of scepticism and hope accompanying each stage of hepatitis C virus treatment was described. A staged approach to psychological intervention tailored to the needs of the patient and their associated ‘stage’ of hepatitis C virus treatment was recommended.
Regularization versus Renormalization: Why Are Casimir Energy Differences So Often Finite?

One of the very first applications of the quantum field theoretic vacuum state was in the development of the notion of Casimir energy. Now, field theoretic Casimir energies, considered individually, are always infinite. However, differences in Casimir energies (at worst regularized, not renormalized) are quite often finite—a fortunate circumstance which luckily made some of the early calculations, (for instance, for parallel plates and hollow spheres), tolerably tractable. We will explore the extent to which this observation can be made systematic. For instance: What are necessary and sufficient conditions for Casimir energy differences to be finite (with regularization but without renormalization)? Additionally, when the Casimir energy differences are not formally finite, can anything useful nevertheless be said by invoking renormalization? We will see that it is the difference in the first few Seeley–DeWitt coefficients that is central to answering these questions. In particular, for any collection of conductors (be they perfect or imperfect) and/or dielectrics, as long as one merely moves them around without changing their shape or volume, then physically the Casimir energy difference (and so also the physically interesting Casimir forces) is guaranteed to be finite without invoking any renormalization.
A Knowledge Engineering Approach to UML Modeling

Multiple-viewed requirements modeling allows requirement engineers to acquire the requirements of a system from different perspectives. Requirements are then specified in various UML models. Maintaining the requirements knowledge encoded in UML notations is tedious and error-prone, since most UML CASE tools provide poor support for reasoning and query. Ontology is a formal notation for describing concepts and their relations in a domain. Since requirement is a kind of knowledge, we propose to use knowledge engineering approach for managing the consistency and completeness of UML models. In this paper, an ontology for UML diagrams is coded in a semantic web language, OWL (Web Ontology Language). The transformation of UML Class Diagram, Sequence Diagram and State Diagram to OWL knowledge base is presented. In the end, a semantic query language, SPARQL, is used to query the knowledge base. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach through an example software system.
Degenerate Bose gases with uniform loss

We theoretically investigate a weakly interacting degenerate Bose gas coupled to an empty Markovian bath. We show that in the universal phononic limit the system evolves towards an asymptotic state where an emergent temperature is set by the quantum noise of the outcoupling process. For situations typically encountered in experiments, this mechanism leads to significant cooling. Such dissipative cooling supplements conventional evaporative cooling and dominates in settings where thermalization is highly suppressed, such as in a one- dimensional quasicondensate.