Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enthalpy Relaxation, Crystal Nucleation and Crystal Growth of Biobased Poly(butylene Isophthalate)

The crystallization behavior of fully biobased poly(butylene isophthalate) (PBI) has been investigated using calorimetric and microscopic techniques. PBI is an extremely slow crystallizing polymer that leads, after melt-crystallization, to the formation of lamellar crystals and rather large spherulites, due to the low nuclei density. Based upon quantitative analysis of the crystal-nucleation behavior at low temperatures near the glass transition, using Tammann’s two-stage nuclei development method, a nucleation pathway for an acceleration of the crystallization process and for tailoring the semicrystalline morphology is provided. Low-temperature annealing close to the glass transition temperature (Tg) leads to the formation of crystal nuclei, which grow to crystals at higher temperatures, and yield a much finer spherulitic superstructure, as obtained after direct melt-crystallization. Similarly to other slowly crystallizing polymers like poly(ethylene terephthalate) or poly(l-lactic acid), low-temperature crystal-nuclei formation at a timescale of hours/days is still too slow to allow non-spherulitic crystallization. The interplay between glass relaxation and crystal nucleation at temperatures slightly below Tg is discussed.
Results of Minnesota’s Public Buildings Enhanced Energy Efficiency Program (PBEEEP)

In September 2009 the State of Minnesota allocated federal stimulus funds to an existing building commissioning program for public buildings. As a direct result all government owned buildings over 100,000 square feet were considered for the program, allowing the program to not only help the state achieve its energy conservation goals, but also to better answer two key questions about existing building commissioning:  What percentage of a total building population can be cost-effectively served?  What are the energy savings that can be expected from these efforts? The State of Minnesota’s Public Buildings Enhanced Energy Efficiency Program (PBEEEP) is modeled after other successful utility programs. PBEEEP seeks to transform the existing building commissioning market in Minnesota from an audit based approach to a databased investigation. The distinctive features of PBEEEP are:  high level of participation (75% of candidate buildings)  long energy investigations (6-9 months for heating and cooling seasons)  limited to government owned buildings  funded independently of any utility company  providers with a wide range of prior experience Three hundred and seventy four (374) buildings containing over 31 million square feet located on 71 sites throughout the state applied. Screening was used to identify buildings where an energy investigation would be cost effective. Average calculated site energy savings were 10.8%. The program divided the measures into those with paybacks of under 3 years and those of 3 to 15 years for financial planning reasons and to meet State statue. The number of buildings that are good candidates for successful existing building commissioning projects is lower than has been projected in other studies and should be considered both by policy makers and practitioners who need to manage expectations of their services.
Brain Glucose Metabolism, Cognition, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Following Exercise Training in Adults at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Aerobic exercise has been associated with reduced burden of brain and cognitive changes related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, it is unknown whether exercise training in asymptomatic individuals harboring risk for AD improves outcomes associated with AD. We investigated the effect of 26 weeks of supervised aerobic treadmill exercise training on brain glucose metabolism and cognition among 23 late-middle-aged adults from a cohort enriched with familial and genetic risk of AD. They were randomized to Usual Physical Activity (PA) or Enhanced PA conditions. Usual PA received instruction about maintaining an active lifestyle. Enhanced PA completed a progressive exercise training program consisting of 3 sessions of treadmill walking per week for 26 weeks. By week seven, participants exercised at 70– 80% heart rate reserve for 50 minutes per session to achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week in accordance with public health guidelines. Before and after the intervention, participants completed a graded treadmill test to assess VO2peak as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), wore an accelerometer to measure free-living PA, underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging to assess brain glucose metabolism, and a neuropsychological battery to assess episodic memory and executive function. VO2peak increased, sedentary behavior decreased, and moderate-to-vigorous PA increased significantly in the Enhanced PA group as compared to Usual PA. Glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) did not change significantly in Enhanced PA relative to Usual PA. However, change in PCC glucose metabolism correlated positively with change in VO2peak. Executive function, but not episodic memory, was significantly improved after Enhanced PA relative to Usual PA. Improvement in executive function correlated with increased VO2peak. Favorable CRF adaptation after 26 weeks of aerobic exercise training was associated with improvements in PCC glucose metabolism and executive function, important markers of AD.
“reading all that White Crazy stuff:” Black young Women unpacking Whiteness in a high school British literature Classroom

The article uses sociolinguistic and ethnographic methods and Black feminist theory to explore the classroom interactions of Pam and Natonya, two Black young females, during one event in a required high school British literature classroom. The event is presented as a telling case to explore gendered and racial complexities facing young Black female students in a British literature class, dominated by literature written from a Eurocentric perspective, primarily by White males. The telling case was analyzed to explore how Whiteness functioned within the British literature curriculum and classroom interactions and how the two Black young women were negatively positioned as a result of classroom interactions around the curriculum. The analysis made visible how Pam and Natonya were constantly negotiating whiteness within the British Literature curriculum. Their experiences are important as they afford educators and educational researchers the opportunity to see some of the challenges faced by historically underrepresented students who may have been marginalized by Whiteness within the curriculum. IntroDuCtIon
Influence of corporate social responsibility actions on customer loyalty towards Nigerian retail banks within north eastern Nigeria

The present study aims to test the relations between CSR and customer loyalty towards the retail banks in north eastern Nigeria. Cross sectional survey was conducted in 2019. Sample of 430 individual customers of the Nigerian retail banks within Bauchi, Maiduguri, Gombe, Jalingo, Yola, and Damaturu metropolitan towns in north eastern Nigeria participated in the survey as respondents. Hypotheses were tested using Path analysis, a component of structural equation modeling. Findings showed that CSR elements (legal, ethical, and philanthropic) positively influenced customer loyalty towards the Nigerian retail banks. The study concludes that involvement in CSR initiatives is essential actions that result in customer loyalty. It is thus recommended that CSR initiatives be practised by the Nigerian retail banks as a business strategy for creating competitive advantage and attracting lasting customer loyalty among customers.
Identifying technological spillovers and product market rivalry: Theory and Evidence from a panel of U.S. firms∗

Firm performance is affected in two ways by R&D activity of other firms. Benefits accrue from technological spillovers, but R&D by product market rivals can have strategic business stealing effects. We propose a methodology for identifying these two effect, which is based on two features. First, we distinguish a firm’s position in technology space and product market space. Second, we use multiple indicators of performance (market value, patents and R&D). Using a quite general framework, we develop the implications of technology and product market spillovers for these different indicators. We apply the approach to a panel of U.S. firms for the period 1981-2001. We find that that both technological spillovers and product market rivalry are present, and that R&D by product market rivals is a strategic complement for a firm’s own R&D. Status: Preliminary: Do not Quote. Comments welcomed. JEL No. O32, O33, F23
The Role of Unemployment and Job Change When Estimating the Returns to Migration

IZA DP No. 13740 SEPTEMBER 2020 The Role of Unemployment and Job Change When Estimating the Returns to Migration* Estimating the returns to migration from East to West Germany, we focus on pre-migration employment dynamics, earnings uncertainty, and job change. Migrants are found to be negatively selected with respect to labor market outcomes, with a large drop in earnings and employment during the last few months before migration. We find sizeable positive earnings and employment gains of migration both in comparison to staying or job change. The gains vary considerably with pre-migration earnings and with the counterfactual considered. Future migrants have worse expectations for their labor market prospects in the East and migrants show a greater openness to mobility. JEL Classification: J61, R23, O15, P25
Comparison of Various Types of Cutting Boards in Bacterial Contamination

The goal of this research was to compare contamination rates or recovery of bacterial contaminations on four types of cutting boards (CBs). Total plate count was performed after applying food for 15 minutes. The contamination of plastic boards was greater than wooden CBs for meat and chicken. On the contrary ,application of vegetables showed contamination rate on wooden more than plastic boards. Results also indicated high contamination rate on glass CBs of chicken. Finally stainless steel showed the same degree of contamination with respect to the three types of food applied. Experimental contamination with E.coli and Salmonella spp. interestingly revealed that contaminated wooden boards with E.coli gave a recovery of less than half the CFU in the control after 5 minutes, and growth was ceased after 15 minutes. Contamination of wooden CBs with Salmonella spp. showed a decrease of CFU after 5 minutes. On the other hand, plastic boards had a high recovery rate after 5 minutes. Results of this study strongly recommends using wooden CBs for a more safe and hygienic nutrition.
Perceptions of justice in an organizational change situation: The effect on resistance to change and the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies

Building on Weiss and Cropanzano‟s (1996) Affective Events Theory, the present study examined how perceptions of organizational justice in an organizational change situation relate to employees‟ resistance to change through employees‟ use of emotion regulation strategies. The results partly supported the conceptual model, showing that the relationship of distributive justice with resistance to change was fully mediated by emotion regulation strategies reappraisal and rumination. Reappraisal partial mediated the relationship between interactional justice and resistance to change. In addition, results revealed that employees who appraised the organizational change as just used more adaptive emotion regulation (reappraisal) and employees with injustice perceptions used more maladaptive emotion regulation (rumination). In turn, as expected, reappraisal was negatively related to resistance to change, whereas rumination was positively related with resistance to change. Together, this study contributes to the understanding of the role emotion regulation plays in an organizational change situation and shows the importance of employees‟ justice perceptions for their responses in a change initiative.
Assessment of Nutritional Status and Related Factors of Lactating Women in the Urban and Rural Areas of Southwestern Iran: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background: During the lactation period, mothers are at an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies due to improper dietary patterns, physiological changes, and various socio-demographic factors. The present study aimed to examine the nutritional status, dietary intake, and related factors among lactating women in the urban and rural areas of Khorramabad, Lorestan province in the southwest of Iran Methods: The present population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Khorramabad (Iran) during April-July 2012. The study population included 708 lactating mothers who were referred to the health centers in Khorramabad (10 urban health centers and 30 rural health/community centers). A multi-stage sampling method was used to recruit the participants. The nutritional status and food intake of the participants were assessed over three days using the 24-hour dietary recall (24HDR) and dietary record (DR) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0) with the Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, paired t test, independent t test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant Results: The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of the mothers were 29.78±6.24 years and 26.11±3.70 kg/m2, respectively. There was a significant difference in calorie intake between the different categories of age, BMI, education level, job status (P<0.001) and lactation stage (P=0.034). The energy and nutrient intakes, except iron and phosphor, were statistically lower (P<0.05) than the prescribed Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). The intake of vitamins K, B1, B2, B3, and C; protein, magnesium, phosphor, zinc, copper, and iodine by mothers in the rural areas was significantly higher (P<0.05) than those in the rural areas. Higher intakes of energy and macronutrients by the lactating mothers had a significant negative correlation with an increase in age and had a significant positive correlation with a higher BMI (P<0.001) Conclusion: Lactating women in the urban and rural areas of Khorramabad (Iran) had a poor nutritional status. Nutrition education and a modified dietary pattern during the lactation period are recommended
Role of Lockup Provision and Institutional Investors in Restricting IPO Flipping Activity: Is There A Moderating Effect of Investor Demand?

This paper examines the moderating effect of pre-listing investor demand on the direct influence of lockup provision and institutional investors' participation on flipping activity. By definition, flipping activity is a liquidation of IPOs by new shareholders during the first few trading days. If flipping activity is done substantially, it has potential to erode wealth of the issuing companies and shareholders. To reduce such adverse effects, issuers and underwriters could restrict availability of tradable shares in the immediate aftermarket by relying on the direct restrictive role of lockup provision and institutional investors' participation. However, the role of restricting supply of IPOs in the immediate aftermarket could be hindered if the IPOs are highly demanded. The shift of the demand curve to the right when supply of the IPOs is restricted should induce a new equilibrium at a higher price level. The resulting price appreciation will motivate investors to flip to optimize their returns, pushing flipping activity to a higher level. Using data of 370 Malaysian IPOs covering the period from January 2000 to December 2012, this study finds that pre-listing investor demand does moderate the role of lockup provision (period) and institutional investors' participation in restricting flipping activity but in the opposite manner.
Evaluating the factors affecting on profitabilityof trout farm fisheries(Case study: Chaharmahal and Bakhtiariprovince)

Received: 17 August, 2014 Accepted: 24 September, 2014 Published: 20 October, 2014 This study aimed to measure total factor productivity by considering two new approaches in industrial rainbow trout (oncorhynchusmykiss) fishery farms in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. The necessary data were collected through completion of questionnaire from 80 fishery farms by stratified random sampling method in the year 2014. In this study,the total cost (TC), total revenue (TR), rate of equity (ROE), TR/TC, net present value (NPV) and internal rate of revenue (IRR) were evaluated.The objectives of this study are (1) to examine the profitability oftrout farm fisheries, and to distinguish between beneficial andlessbeneficial farms and (2) to specify factors affecting profitability ofsuccess using profitability indicators and t test.Resultsindicate that age, location, participation in training workshopsand growing period has significant impacts on success of the farms.Thetotal revenue to total cost (TR/TC) and rate of equity (ROE) of the farms onaverage are 1.05 and 5.79 for less-beneficial farms and 1.38 and 26.2respectively for beneficial farms. The price margins are 90% and 71% forthe less beneficial and beneficial farms respectively. The results alsoindicate that factor productivity of large farms increases as size of the farmsincreases. In summary, it hasbeenindicated that factor productivity of large farms increases as size of the farms increases and based on this finding, it is recommended to utilize economies of scale through establishing large scale farms. © 2014 PSCI Publisher All rights reserved.
Correlation between Annual Immunity, Reproductive Success and Melatonin in a Nocturnal Owlet,

Seasonal fluctuations in immune system and reproduction are considered of great adaptive importance in mammals but such studies are lacking in avian, especially for any nocturnal bird. We accessed the seasonal variation in immune status of a tropical nocturnal owlet, Athene brama in relation with environmental factors and reproduction. For immune status we measured the total leukocyte count (TLC), percent lymphocyte count (%LC) and blastogenic response of peripheral blood mononucleated cell (PBMC) from blood. Maximum immune status and low gonadal activity (as measured by laprotomy) coincided with high circulating level of melatonin during the July and August months with prevailing monsoon condition in nature. Correlation analysis showed a less positive relation between melatonin and %SR of PBMC in both male and female owlets. However, a strong negative correlation was observed between testosterone, estradiol and %SR of PBMC. General immune status and melatonin level both showed an inverse relationship with gonadal activity suggesting that in this owlet melatonin is acting as immunostimulator and balancing immunity and reproduction. Hence, it could be suggested that in Indian spotted owlet, A. brama both immune and reproductive system might have coevolved sharing a bidirectional relationship to maintain physiological homeostasis.
Biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles from Bacillus species and its applications

Selenium nanoparticles have been widely used in the various areas especially in medical field for its anticancer and immune modulatory properties. To reduce the toxic chemicals released by chemical process, the present work was aimed at synthesis of selenium nanoparticles by microbes. In this study, microbes were isolated from soil samples from different areas of Bangalore and screened for the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay. The organism with highest antioxidant activity (IC50 value = 11.6µg/mL) was identified as Bacillus species. Under experimental conditions, this microbe along with sodium selenite synthesised selenium nanoparticle indicated by the colour change of the medium to reddish orange. The synthesised selenium nanoparticles were further characterised. From UV-Vis spectrophotometry, the maximum peak was obtained at 266.5nm. The FT-IR analysis showed peaks at different wavelengths with the maximum of 3200cm-1 showing the presence of alcoholic group. The shape and size of the selenium nanoparticles was also calibrated by SEM analysis as oval and 209nm-748nm respectively. The nanoparticles were further analysed for antimicrobial assays by well diffusion method against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, St. mutans and antifungal assay against the strains of C. albicans, A. niger and A. flavus. The highest zone of inhibition was observed against E.coli (1.7 cm) at a concentration of 400µg and maximum for C. albicans (2.5cm) at a concentration of 400µg. Microbial synthesized nanoparticles emerges as a promising medicine in curing different disorders because of its potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.
Clinico-mycological study of onychomycosis in children from a tertiary care center

Introduction: Onychomycosis is rare in children as compared to adults and hence the presence of any nail changes in children needs careful examination and carrying out proper diagnostic tests to cure this treatable cause of dystrophic nails. Aim: The study was undertaken to study in detail the clinico-mycological aspects of onychomycosis in children. Materials and Methods: A prospective hospital-based cross-sectional study was done on ninety children with a strong clinical suspicion of onychomycosis during a period of 2 years. All the children were subjected to three diagnostic tests, namely direct microscopy, fungal culture, and histopathological examination using periodic acid Schiff staining (HPE-PAS). Results: Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis is the most common type (82%), and toe nails (57.78%) are more commonly involved than fingernails. Direct microscopy yielded results in 62%, culture in 64%, and HPE-PAS in 71.1%. Dermatophytes were the most common group of organisms isolated (58%) with Trichophytonmentagrophytes as the most common isolate (31%). However, nondermatophytic molds and Candida species also accounted for 25% and 17% of the culture positive cases in children. Conclusion: As children <18 years constitute one-third of our population, we suggest the need for careful evaluation of onychomycosis in this subgroup.
Providing opportunities to develop prospective teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge

One responsibility of mathematics teacher educators is to provide opportunities for prospective teachers to develop the necessary knowledge to be highly qualified professionals and effective mathematics teachers. Hill, Ball, and Schilling (2008) delineated two major knowledge domains required for mathematics teachers to be effective: subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. In this article, based on literature review, we explore specific recommendations for mathematics teacher educators, including mathematicians and novice mathematics teacher educators, on different ways to incorporate lesson ideas into mathematics content courses to help provide opportunities for grades K-8 (age 5-14) prospective teachers’ development of pedagogical content knowledge. The work here provides a foundation for mathematics teacher educators’ practice, encompassing classroom-based examples and strategies, and offers potential avenues for mathematics teacher educators to conduct their own research on the nature and effectiveness of their course activities that help to promote and develop prospective teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge.