Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An assessment of the physico-chemical parameters of Puthalam saltpan water of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India.

An attempt has been made to determine the water quality in Puthalam saltpan during 2010. Water samples were collected and the physico-chemical parameters were analyzed. Throughout the observation period the pH was alkaline. The temperature ranges from 21°C to 28.8°C. High salinity was observed and it attributed to the low amount of rainfall in that season and low salinity was observed in winter. TDS and calcium content was higher in summer and low in autumn. High concentration of sodium and potassium observed in spring. Sulphate attains high value in summer and it was low in spring. Chloride expressed minimum value in winter but maximum in autumn. This study provides baseline information of the physico-chemical parameters for further assessment and monitoring of this type of ecosystems.
Direct synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse manganese ferrite nanocrystals

Highly crystalline and monodisperse manganese ferrite nanocrystals were synthesized via the thermal decomposition of metal-surfactant complexes followed by mild chemical oxidation. Particle sizes could be varied from 5 to 13 nm by changing the experimental parameters. The uniformity of the nanocrystals was demonstrated by the formation of two- and three-dimensional superlattices. Electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution TEM images confirmed the high crystallinity of the manganese ferrite nanocrystals. Elemental analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed that the molar ratio of Mn:Fe was 1:2. The nanocrystals were found to exhibit the typical behaviors of magnetic nanocrystals with the characteristic narrow energy barrier distributions of magnetic anisotropy, confirming the uniformity of the nanocrystals.
Service design for innovation in small and medium businesses

An innovation program designed and implemented with two Peruvian small, medium business in health and hotel industries focused on value creation goal while developing products and services innovation. For insights, ideas generation, solutions validation and prototyping proposals at the front-end open innovation strategy were used both indirect and direct methods; trends research, customer journey mapping, ethnography, interaction with users with depth interviews and dynamic group sessions. The research sought both to test the program and deploy the methods developed in business to advance capabilities for knowledge management and iterative processes. As a result small and medium businesses can develop Services Design according to their human and financial limitations using processes based on four axes; scanning the environment immersion learning, gamification, Lean and Design Thinking. The research concluded there are alternative paths that take into account and involve greater collaboration of users that businesses can explore and exploit. Innovation processes do not have to be long, uncertain or expensive for small and medium businesses.
Studies on post harvest management of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida)

The effect of chemical preservatives, freezing/ deep-freezing and thickness of packaging materials on storage and shelf life of Pleurotus florida has been studied . The chemical preservatives used for enhancing the shelf life of sporophores of P. florida worked better under blanched conditions than unblanched one. Amongst the combination of different chemical preservatives, T-11 (5 % salt, 0.2 % citric acid (CA) and 0.1 % potassium metabisulphite (KMS) and T-13 (1 % salt, 0.1 % Acetic acid (AA), 0.1 % CA, 0.05 % sodium benzoate (SB) and 0.05 % KMS (with blanching) were highly effective in preserving the sporophores of P. florida till 125-150 days. Freezing (10°C) and deep freezing (-15 °C) conditions highly favoured the storage of the sporophores for a period of 7 and 11 days, respectively, without much influence on the colour, texture, appearance and overall acceptability. Packaging materials of higher density (250 µm) with no perforation had better shelf life of sporphores of P. florida (4 days) as compared to only 2 days in low density (80 µm) perforated bags at ambient temperature.
Effective Environments for Secondary Schooling : Modelling the Process of Choosing between Public and Private Schools by Neil Bania

To assess the relative effectiveness of public and private school environments, researchers must distinguish between the effects of the schools' programs and the students' innate abilities. Student background variables do not appear to account for all the important differences among students attending public and private schools. This document proposes and tests a model of school selection that relates school choice to a family's assessment of public and private school quality. The assumption is that unless private schools appear to offer distinct advantages they would not be selected over tax-supported public schools. The model was tested using data from the High School and Beyond studies of1980 and 1982. The researchers determined that when estimates of the educational production function for public and private schools were corrected for sample selection bias using the school choice model, private schools no longer displayed a significant advantage over public schools in educating the average student. This report describes that model, reviews the data used to test the model, presents the equation that expresses the concepts in the model, discusses the application of educational production functions, and explains how these elements can be manipulated to reveal relative school effectiveness. (PGD)
Copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium profiles in subjects with autistic disorder according to their functioning level

Abstract. Either an excess or a deficiency of minerals have been involved in the etiol-ogy of autistic disorder. The objective of this study was to determine serum concentration and dietary intake of these elements in 30 subjects with autistic disorder classified ac-cording to their functioning level and 20 con-trol subjects. We detected statistically signif-icant differences (p < 0.05) related to high levels of Cu and low levels of Mg in subjects with autistic disorder compared to control group. Cooper serum level in subjects with high-functioning autism was higher than the control group and subgroups of subjects with this disorder. Concluding, results point to a possible imbalance in cooper homeostasis in this disorder as well as a physiological regulation of cooper in subjects with high-functioning autism, which could be influenc-ing the expression of low symptoms in this subgroup of subject. Introduction Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) are characterized by a serious disturbance, generalized in three areas of development: reciprocal social interaction; verbal commu-nication, non-verbal and imaginative activ-ity; markedly restricted repertoire of activi-ties and interests [1]. Qualitative alterations that determine these disorders are clearly in-appropriate to the development level or men-tal age of the subject. These kind of disorders include Autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, Rett disorder, Childhood disintegrative dis-order and Pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) [2]. In the etiology of autistic disorder have been involved, different biological factors, among which include genetic factors, infectious diseas-es and pre-, peri- and post-natal care complica-tions. Also found were structural, alterations of cerebellum, limbic system and temporal lobe, as well as metabolic and biochemical modifi-cations [3]. An excess or deficiency of natural essential minerals has been implicated in the etiology of autism [4]. Given the importance to essential miner-als for the development of the central ner-vous system, immune system and other func-tions, the imbalance in these metals could be involved in escalation of behaviors typical of autism such as: alteration in the develop-ment of physical, speaking and social skills, abnormal perceptual responses, repetitive routines, cognitive disorders and abnormal eating behavior.
Role of Aspartic Acid in the Synthesis of Spherical Vaterite by the Ca(OH)2–CO2 Reaction

Vaterite crystals with a spherical shape were successfully obtained by the addition of aspartic acid (Asp) in the calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)–carbon dioxide reaction system. Crystalline products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The experimental results indicate that the addition of Asp can inhibit the growth of calcite but promote the formation of vaterite, and the spherical vaterite CaCO3 is gradually dominant along with the increase of Asp. Meanwhile the content of the vaterite phase is prominently influenced by the reaction temperature, and the optimal temperature for vaterite is at 40 °C. It is proposed that vaterite is induced through the intermediate chelated by Asp and Ca(OH)2, and then Asp is adsorbed on the surface of vaterite by chelation, preventing the metastable vaterite from transforming to calcite via a .
Novel polyurethane-based thermosensitive hydrogels as drug release and tissue engineering platforms: Design and in vitro characterization

Poloxamer P407 (P407) is a Food and Drug Administration approved triblock copolymer; its hydrogels show fast dissolution in aqueous environment and weak mechanical strength, limiting their in vivo application. In this work, an amphiphilic poly(ether urethane) (NHP407) was synthesized from P407, an aliphatic diisocyanate (1,6-hexanediisocyanate) and an amino acid derived diol (N-Boc serinol). NHP407 solutions in water-based media were able to form biocompatible injectable thermosensitive hydrogels with a lower critical gelation temperature behavior, having lower critical gelation concentration (6% w/v versus 18% w/v), superior gel strength (G′ at 37 °C about 40 000 Pa versus 10 000 Pa), faster gelation kinetics (<5 min versus 15–30 min) and higher stability in physiological conditions (28 days versus 5 days) compared to P407 hydrogels. Gel strength and PBS absorption at 37 °C increased whereas dissolution rate (in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C) and permeability to nutrients (studied using fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran model molecule) decreased as a function of NHP407 hydrogel concentration from 10% to 20% w/v. By varying the concentration, NHP407 hydrogels were thus prepared with different properties which could suit specific applications, such as in situ drug/cell delivery or bioprinting of scaffolds. Moreover, deprotected amino groups in NHP407 could be exploited for the grafting of bioactive molecules obtaining biomimetic hydrogels. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
The Impact of the China’s Province-Managing-County Reform on Economic Growth in the Short Term and Long Term

We use panel data from 1995 to 2012 to examine the causal relationship between the China’s province-managing-county reform (PMC) and the economic growth. In the identification method, we choose the difference-in-differences method by the software of STATA. We find that the PMC reform on has a negative effect on economic growth in the short-term, and has a positive effect on economic growth in the long-term. The main reason for the differences is to promote reform of infrastructure spending growth, in the short-term, the effect is lagged, but in the long term, it will benefit from that. Otherwise, reform makes the urban wage increase, than promote consumption, than the total amount of investment will increase. At last, will have a positive impact on economic growth. Overall, the reform has a positive effect on economic growth in the long term.
Non-additive effects in liquid water by parallel molecular dynamics simulation

In this work, the non-additive effects in liquid water have been studied with molecular simulation techniques. An intermolecular potential for water, MCYna, in which many-body induction and dispersion are incorporated with a pure pair potential, has been established. New parallel algorithms were designed in order to decompose the intensive computation load involved in many-body interaction and induction evaluation in the MCYna water model. The decomposition strategies are implemented with message passing interface (MPI). With the developed parallel molecular dynamics code, a wide spectrum of properties of water, such as energetics, structural properties and dielectric properties have been investigated. In comparison to pure pair model, the new model produced significantly improved properties, with most of the investigated properties in good agreement with the experiment. The observed improvement clarifies the important role of non-additive interactions in liquid water systems. The individual role of different types of non-additive interactions are studied with the induction having the strongest effects influence. Therefore the dominant role of induction over other non-additives in liquid water has been clarified. The results have also demonstrated that non-additive interactions are responsible for marked influences on solvation-related properties, such as hydrogen bonding, coordination and dielectric properties of liquid water systems. The improvement of water properties with non-additive interactions infers that the non-additive interaction has substantial effects in aqueous systems, where hydration is believed as the deterministic process.
Synthesis and crystal structure of Na3.5Cr1.5Co0.5(PO4)3 phosphate

A new Nasicon phosphates series [Na3+xCr2−xCox(PO4)3(0⩽x⩽1)] was synthesized by a coprecipitation method and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The selected compound Na3.5Cr1. 5Co0.5(PO4)3 (x=0.5) crystallizes in the R3c space group with the following hexagonal unit-cell dimensions: ah=8.7285(3) Å, ch=21.580(2) Å, V=1423.8(1) Å3, and Z=6. This three-dimensional framework is built of PO4 tetrahedra and Cr∕CoO6 octahedra sharing corners. Na atoms occupy totally M(1) sites and partially M(2) sites.
Charge Density Analysis of Heterohalogen (Cl···F) and Homohalogen (F···F) Intermolecular Interactions in Molecular Crystals: Importance of the Extent of Polarizability

Experimental charge density distribution in 2-chloro-4-fluorobenzoic acid and 4-fluorobenzamide has been carried out using high resolution X-ray diffraction data collected at 100 K using Hansen-Coppens multipolar formalism of electron density. These compounds display short Cl···F and F···F interactions, respectively. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical charge densities using theoretical structure factors obtained from periodic quantum calculation at the B3LYP/6-31G** level. The topological features were derived from Bader’s “atoms in molecules” (AIM) approach. Intermolecular Cl···F interaction in 2-chloro-4-fluorobenzoic acid is attractive in nature (type II interaction) while the nature of F···F interactions in 4-fluorobenzamide shows indication of a minor decrease in repulsion (type I interaction), though the extent of polarization on the fluorine atom is arguably small.
Measurement and Modeling of Sorption-Induced Strain and Permeability Changes in Coal

Strain caused by the adsorption of gases was measured in samples of subbituminous coal from the Powder River basin of Wyoming, U.S.A. , and high-volatile bituminous coal from the Uinta-Piceance basin of Utah, U.S.A. using a newly developed strain measurement apparatus. The apparatus can be used to measure strain on multiple small coal samples based on the optical detection of the longitudinal strain. The swelling and shrinkage (strain) in the coal samples resulting from the adsorption of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane, helium, and a mixture of gases was measured. Sorption-induced strain processes were shown to be reversible and easily modeled with a Langmuir-type equation. Extended Langmuir theory was applied to satisfactorily model strain caused by the adsorption of gas mixtures using the pure gas Langmuir strain constants. The amount of time required to obtain accurate strain data was greatly reduced compared to other strain measurement methods. Sorption-induced changes in permeability were also measured as a function of pres-sure. Cleat compressibility was found to be variable, not constant. Calculated variable cleat-compressibility constants were found to correlate well with previously published data for other coals. During permeability tests, sorption-induced matrix shrinkage was clearly demonstrated by higher permeability values at lower pore pressures whilemore » holding overburden pressure constant. Measured permeability data were modeled using three dif-ferent permeability models from the open literature that take into account sorption-induced matrix strain. All three models poorly matched the measured permeability data because they overestimated the impact of measured sorption-induced strain on permeabil-ity. However, by applying an experimentally derived expression to the measured strain data that accounts for the confining overburden pressure, pore pressure, coal type, and gas type, the permeability models were significantly improved. « less
Public sector efficiency according to COFOG classification in the European Union

The budgetary constraints governments have to deal with on a daily bases require a new approach in public spending as well as the revision of public goods definition. Consequently the key words are efficiency and effectiveness, in order to comply with the new management approach requirements. Assessing the efficiency and performance of public expenses is a key item for analyzing the quality of public expenses because it connects the entries as public resources and their yield (efficiency) or the entries to the results obtained (performance)
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Sulfonated Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Membranes for Use in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs)

In this study, novel cross-linked nanocomposite membranes have been prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and aryl sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) and a way of cross-linking to improve the chemical, thermal, and mechanical stabilities of the nanocomposite was adopted. The surface of the graphene oxide nanoparticles was modified by aryl diazonium salt of sulfanilic acid. It was revealed that addition of SGO (5 wt %) into the PVA matrix improves the thermal stability (melting temperature, Tm = 223 °C), mechanical stability (tensile strength, TS = 67.8 MPa) and proton conductivity (σ = 0.050 S cm–1) of the nanocomposite proton exchange membranes. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) fabricated with the PVA/SGO membrane showed a maximum power density of 16.15 mW cm–2 at 30 °C. As a result, the investigated PVA/SGO nanocomposite membranes have good potential for further studies and applications in PEMFCs.
Animal exploitation at Kinet Hoyuk (Hatay, Turkey) during the first half of the Late Iron Age - by Canan Cakirlar

Thesis (M.A.)--American University of Beirut, Dept. of History and Archaeology, 2003. ;"Advisor: Dr. Helga Seeden, Professor, History and Archaeology--Member of Committee: Dr. Kevin Butcher, Professor, History and Archaeology--Member of Committee: Dr. Hele
Toughening mechanism in impact polypropylene copolymer containing a β-nucleating agent

In this work, the effects of β-nucleating agent and annealing treatment on the crystallization and amorphous phase in impact polypropylene copolymer (IPC) were profoundly displayed to reveal the toughening mechanism of the modified product. The toughness of β-nucleated IPC was improved dramatically compared with samples without nucleation agent. The chain mobility measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in the rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) weakened with increasing annealing temperature, while that in the mobile amorphous fraction (MAF) strengthened under low annealing temperatures (not more than 124 °C) and then weakened at higher temperatures. On the one hand, the impact energy is effectively dissipated by slipping of loose β lamellae. On the other hand, the voids in loose β crystals multiply shear yielding. By contrast, dense α crystals in neat IPCs provide fewer voids and the major pathway of energy dissipation is crazing induced by soft dispersed particles. After annealing treatment, all the β-nucleated IPCs became brittle, which was mainly ascribed to the reduction of β crystals through β–α transformation.
Improving of the Thermoelectric Efficiency of LaCoO3 by Double Substitution with Nickel and Iron

LaCoO3 displays a high Seebeck coefficient that makes it a potential candidate for future thermoelectric applications. In this study we provide data on the improvement of the thermoelectric efficiency of LaCoO3 by double substitution with nickel and iron. The improvement is achieved by balancing the opposite effects of nickel and iron ions. Double-substituted perovskites LaCo1–x(Ni0.5Fe0.5)xO3 with compositions having equal amounts (0 < x ≤ 0.25) of Ni and Fe are examined. The perovskites are obtained from freeze-dried citrate precursors at 900 °C. Structural and morphological characterizations are carried out by powder XRD and SEM analyses. The thermoelectric efficiency of the perovskites is determined by the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) calculated from the independently measured Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity. Compared with LaCoO3, the double-substituted perovskites display a higher electrical conductivity which does not depend on the total Ni+Fe content. Thi.
Biogeography of palaeozoic tetrapods

Book synopsis:"In the last twenty years or so there has been an upsurge in the study of Palaeozoic fishes for solving geological problems, both in areas of biostratigraphy and biogeography. This has resulted in an explosion of data, much of it so new that it will take years for all the recent discoveries to be published. This book has resulted to fill the need to provide up-to-date summaries of global work in progress showing the application of both macroscopic and microscopic remains of Palaeozoic vertebrates to geological correlations, and to refinement of global palaeogeographic reconstructions. "--from the Preface. This book offers the first detailed treatment of palaeozoic vertebrates for use in correlations and in biogeographic studies. With thirteen chapters of systematic analysis of biostratigraphic and biogeographic data, it includes invaluable summaries of current research as well as new and significant contributions to the fields of geology and evolutionary biology. With charts and figures that show many of the important fossils discussed in the text, as well as stratigraphic, location, and taxonomic indexes, the book will interest palaeontologists, stratigraphers, and other earth scientists concerned with the early history of life on earth.