Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Medium Is the Massage

Well known for coining the term 'Global Village', Marshall McLuhan's thinking was, and still is, revolutionary. His theories, many of which are illustrated in this astonishing 'inventory of effects', force us to question how modes of communication have shaped society. This is an astonishing work by a truly astonishing man. "The Penguin on Design" series includes the works of creative thinkers whose writings on art, design and the media have changed our vision forever. This is one of four books in that series.
L-lactic acid production from Lactobacillus casei by solid state fermentation using rice straw

In order to make full use of rice straw (RS) produced at large quantity in China and to reduce the production cost of L-lactic acid, attempts were made to utilize the hydrolysate of RS as sole carbon source and the lignocellulose as inert support for producing L-lactic acid using solid state fermentation (SSF). The pretreated rice straw was enzymatically hydro- lyzed by cellulase, and the hydrolyzate, containing reducing sugars supplemented with a minimum of (NH4)2SO4, MnSO4, and yeast extract, was used as moistening agent to impregnate 5g of RS, which was used as the inert support for SSF. Maximum L-lactic acid production of 3.467g per 5g of support was obtained at 37 oC, using Lactobacillus casei as inoculum, after 5 days of fermentation with optimized process parameters such as 72% moisture content, 4g per 5g support of reducing sugars, 2.5ml per 5g support of inoculum size, 3g per 5g support of CaCO3, and pH 6.5.
The role of strategic human resources in cultivating a culture of good Industrial Relations in the SADC region. A case of XYZ Open University

Industrial relations is an important discipline in modern day University governance and administration. In that endeavour the human resources function becomes the key driver to ensure that the relations between the employer and the employees are maintained. This is where strategic orientation and thinking comes in from a human resources perspective. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the role played by the human resources function in ensuring best industrial relations practices at XYZ Open University. The major findings were that –a clear role needed to be defined for the human resources function in terms of strategic focus and that there was room for improvement in building good industrial relations practice. The major recommendation is that a culture of good employee relations needed to be perpetuated in the interest of all stakeholders
Separating Quantity Shock and Quality Innovation in Relative Prices

The study develops a simple general equilibrium model to infer relative quality changes, and applies the method to the US services goods economy in 1946-2005. The general equilibrium framework helps separate quantity and quality e¤ects on the observable relative price and budget share which constitute double manifestation. Empirical results show that US services relative quality is increasing since 1970s, and quantity shock alone cannot fully explain the evolution of services relative price. The latter finding puts forth a warning on the missing of quality changes in some business cycle models.
Pilot-scale removal of trace steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals and personal care products from municipal wastewater using a heterogeneous fenton's catalytic process.

The pollution of water sources by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) is a growing concern, as conventional municipal wastewater treatment systems are not capable of completely removing these contaminants. A continuous stir tank reactor incorporating a modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) catalyst and dosed with hydrogen peroxide in a heterogeneous Fenton’s process was used at pilot scale to remove these compounds from wastewater that has undergone previous treatment via a conventional wastewater treatment system. The treatment system was effective at ambient temperature and at the natural pH of the wastewater. High levels of both natural and synthetic hormones (EDCs) and PPCPs were found in the effluent after biological treatment of the wastewater. The treatment system incorporating the modified PAN catalyst/H2O2 decomposed >90% of the EDCs and >40% of PPCPs using 200 mgL−1 H2O2, 3 hr residence time. The estrogenic potency EE2-EQ was removed by 82.77%, 91.36%, and 96.13% from three different wastewater treatment plants. BOD was completely removed (below detection limits); 30%–40% mineralisation was achieved and turbidity reduced by more than 68%. There was a <4% loss in iron content on the catalyst over the study period, suggesting negligible leaching of the catalyst.
A RESTORATION ORIENTED HBIM SYSTEM FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION: THE CASE STUDY OF PARMA CATHEDRAL

Abstract. The need to safeguard and preserve Cultural Heritage (CH) is increasing and especially in Italy, where the amount of historical buildings is considerable, having efficient and standardized processes of CH management and conservation becomes strategic. At the time being, there are no tools capable of fulfilling all the specific functions required by Cultural Heritage documentation and, due to the complexity of historical assets, there are no solution as flexible and customizable as CH specific needs require. Nevertheless, BIM methodology can represent the most effective solution, on condition that proper methodologies, tools and functions are made available. The paper describes an ongoing research on the implementation of a Historical BIM system for the Parma cathedral, aimed at the maintenance, conservation and restoration. Its main goal was to give a concrete answer to the lack of specific tools required by Cultural Heritage documentation: organized and coordinated storage and management of historical data, easy analysis and query, time management, 3D modelling of irregular shapes, flexibility, user-friendliness, etc. The paper will describe the project and the implemented methodology, focusing mainly on survey and modelling phases. In describing the methodology, critical issues about the creation of a HBIM will be highlighted, trying to outline a workflow applicable also in other similar contexts.
Probabilistic map representation using GeoTools

With the current raise of many different smartphones devices and tablets, which have among other functions, a GPS sensor, the ability to make use of services based in the user's location is increasing, as the number of applications offering this type of service. In addition, the number of social networks which allow users to share their location is also increasing. To avoid any kind of leak that could lead to violate user's privacy or security, location privacy techniques should be implemented. Obfuscation will be used in order to avoid the usage of third party solutions. The generation of cloaking regions allows users to define an associated privacy police and configuration, associated with every different type of feature, when map-aware knowledge is available. This paper presents different methods of probabilistic map representations and an obfuscation technique used when unveiling user's position.
Civilizing Climate: Social Responses to Climate Change in the Ancient Near East

1 Holocent Climate and Society 2 Tools for Understanding Paleoenvironments in the Southern Levant 3 Land and History: Introduction to the Modern Landscape and Historical Framework 4 Paleoenvironments of the Near East: The Retreat of the Pleistocene 5 Holocene Paleoenvironments of the Near East 6 From Hunter-Gatherers to Village Farmers: The Role of Climate Change in the Origins of Agriculture 7 Early Complex Societies: Climate Change and Collapse of Early Bronze Age Societies 8 Empires in the Desert 9 Civilizing Climate
Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetases (CPS) in lactic acid bacteria and other Gram-positive bacteria

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetases (CPS) catalyze carbamoyl phosphate (CP) biosynthesis from glutamine, bicarbonate and ATP. CPS are formed of two subunits, a small glutaminase subunit and a large synthetase subunit. CP is a common intermediate of arginine and pyrimidine biosynthe- sis. CPS in prokaryotes are either arginine-regulated (CPS-A), pyrimidine-regulated (CPS-P) or reg- ulated by both components. Two to zero CPS are present in the four lactic acid bacteria studied (Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactisand Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis). Only L. plantarum harbours two CPS with a CPS-P providing CP for both metabolic path- ways. CPS-A can only supplement CP for arginine biosynthesis in higher concentrations of CO 2 or bicarbonate. The CPS-P present in L. plantarum and E. faecalis is encoded by genes within the pyr operon, and genes dispersed within the chromosome in Lc. lactis. CPS is absent in L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis and the catabolism of arginine via the arginine deiminase pathway (ADI) provides the CP for pyrimidine biosynthesis. In addition to their functional CPS-P, E. faecalis and Lc. lactis also harbour an ADI pathway so that arginine catabolism may regulate CP biosynthesis in these species. Lactic acid bacteria CPS were compared to CPS of 13 Gram-positive bacteria with sequenced or partially sequenced genomes. Most organisms harbour a CPS-P. CPS-P is also found in the few organisms (L. plantarum, B. subtilisand B. stearothermophilus) which harbour a CPS-A. The number of CPS and the organization of their genes is variable in Gram-positive bacteria. arginine / pyrimidine biosynthesis / lactic acid bacteria / Gram-positive bacteria / carbamoyl- phosphate synthetase
Rediscovering the Throttling Effect

Critical ventilation velocity remains the most studied phenomenon in the tunnel fire literature. But focus on the velocity as the principal perameter may hide other features of the interaction between a fire and tunnel flow. The throttling effect was identified in the 1960s and described in the 1970s, yet it seems to be generally overlooked these days. In essence, the throttling effect is the tendency of a fire in a tunnel to resist the airflow; the larger the fire, the greater the resistance. Thus, while it has been shown that no increase in longitudinal flow velocity is required to control smoke from fires larger than the ‘super critical’ limit, in practice, an increasing number of ventilation devices are required to achieve this flow, and hence control the smoke from a fire, as the fire size grows. A CFD modelling study using the FDS model has been carried out to demonstrate this effect. It is clearly demonstrated that for fires larger than the ‘super critical’ limit, an increasing number of jet fans are required to control the smoke from increasingly larger fires. The results of the modelling study are presented. KEYWORD: Critical ventilation velocity, smoke management, CFD modelling, fire size
Using the Internet as a Learning Medium: University Student Adoption of FaBWeb

The Internet has created a new medium for teaching and learning. Despite its benefits, the study of IT-based learning adoption is still scarce. In this research, an augmented Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Taylor and Todd, 1995) was employed to investigate students’ adoption of Internet-based learning innovation. The learning innovation in question was known as “FabWeb” (http://fabweb.cityu.edu.hk/), which was created as an Internet learning portal containing lecture notes, chat-room facilities, and streaming videos of lectures to provide out-of-classroom support to the regular campus-based students at a local University. In this study, a self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to students from the Faculty of Business in the university and a total of 554 usable questionnaires were collected. Psychometric properties of the measurement model and the structural model were examined using structural equation modeling techniques through LISREL VIII. Results indicated that most of the measures in the instrument had a high degree of reliability and validity. In addition, the model provided a good fit to the data with a moderate degree of variance explained. All path coefficients were found significant as hypothesized. Among all the determinants of Behavioral Intention (BI), Perceived Usefulness (PU) exhibited the strongest total effect at 0.42, whilst Attitude (A), Subjective Norm (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) had a moderate effect at 0.29, 0.22, and 0.20 respectively.
Modified Formula of Estimating Fundamental Frequency of Girder Bridge with Uniform Cross-Section

Based on present research, there is a big difference between the estimation of the first frequency of Girder Bridge obtained by the design code of bridges, issued by department of transportation of China in 2004, and the theoretical value in some cases. To overcome above issue, theoretical analysis combined with numerical simulation was applied to estimate the fundamental frequency of Girder Bridge with uniform cross-section. The effect of the ratio between side span and central span on the estimating fundamental frequency was discussed in detail. Finally, an improved method was proposed to estimate the first frequency of Girder Bridge, and the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified.
PII: 0020-7403(95)00094-1

-This paper is a study on the shaft behavior of BTA deep hole drilling tool. The dynamics of tool shaft are often taken to be that of a second order lumped mass system for other cutting processes. This simplification does not apply for deep hole drilling because of its shaft length and the fact of fluid coupling. This paper constructed the general equations of motion for the pipe-like fluid conveying tool shaft of deep hole drill. The proposed general equations can be reduced to different specific forms of former works. Solutions for lateral and longitudinal motions were given. Series of experiments were designed and performed. Comparisons between theoretical and experimental results confirmed the validity of the constructed equations. The studies disclosed build the knowledge about the tool shaft and pave the way for future research concerning the correlation between the tool shaft and cutting process taking place on the cutting head.
The effect of coeducational and same-sex cooperative learning groups on achievement

Michelle L. Rodier The Effect of Coeducational and Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups on Achievement 1997 Dr. Randall R. Robinson, thesis advisor Masters of Science in Teaching The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning goups On the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "samesex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group. " The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three weeks of same sex learning groups. After the two experimental cycles of this study were complere, the academic performance of males and females in the same-sex and coeducational cooperative learning groups was assessed. A tresr for non-independent samples was utilized which determines whether there was a significant difference between the means for the achievement of the males and females in the "coeducational learning group" and in the "same-sex learning group. " The t-test for nonindependent samples indicated a significance between the coeducational and same sex learning groups.
Developing Instruments To Improve Learning And Development Of Disadvantage Seniors In Europe

This paper presents the results of the process of building self-efficacy for self-direction scales for disadvantage seniors in health, activity, education, citizenship and finances in six European countries. This process corresponds to the development of a work package of the PALADIN European project (Promoting Active Learning and Ageing of Disadvantage Seniors), which is co-financed by the Lifelong Learning Programme from the European Commission, as a Grundtvig Multilateral Project. PALADIN is based on the assumptions that people who consciously become skilled learners gain in autonomy and take more responsibility for their own learning and development and that they are also more likely to develop a sense of well-being and fulfilment. PALADIN partnership is composed of 7 institutions from 6 countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta, Hungary and Switzerland) that have some of the lowest rates of participation in lifelong learning. Once we have a long way to go before the rate of enrolment in lifelong learning activities rose to the level already achieved by some countries (e.g., 90%, Sweden), the Project intends to contribute to the empowerment of the disadvantaged seniors through the development of their readiness for self-direction in learning. In order to test the five scales mentioned, two universities (University of Coimbra, Portugal, and Aristotle University, Greece) lead the process of scales construction, which have departed from several focus groups aiming at analysing the relevant domains of functioning in each area. After the construction of the first draft of the scales, the pilot and definitive studies have been carried out simultaneously in the European countries mentioned in seniors with more than 50 years old with low school level, low qualification and low economic level. The results of this process and the construct validity indicators will be presented and discussed at the Conference.
Thallium fractionation in polluted environmental samples using a modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure and its determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Determination of thallium in polluted environmental samples and their extracts obtained by a modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure was used to study thallium distribution and mobility in the monitored polluted area affected by acidification (Šobov, Central Slovakia). The results of fractionation applied to 5 soil certified reference materials and 14 environmental samples show that the vast majority of thallium occurred in the residual fraction. This means that highly toxic thallium is strongly entrapped in the parent rock materials remains immobile and its environmental toxicity is therefore reduced. The limit of detection for thallium in the studied fractions was lower than 0.050 mg kg−1, the precision (RSD) of the ultratrace determination of thallium in the studied fractions was better than 17 % and the accuracy of the used method was verified by analyzing certified reference materials.
Porcelain Insulator Maintenance Management for Smart Power Transformer

Power transformer is one of expensive equipment in electrical power system. Porcelain insulators that are bushing and arrester are one of significant components of the transformer. Failures of the insulators are unacceptable due to catastrophic consequences to the transformer. Hence, this paper aims to present maintenance management of the transformer porcelain insulators by using electrical test results and visual inspection records with scoring and weighting techniques to evaluate their condition. Besides, statistical failures of main components are utilized for weighting number of bushing and arrester in order to calculate the percentage of entire porcelain insulators of power transformers. Loading transformers and tietransformers are selected for the insulator condition assessment. Finally, condition based maintenance strategies of the porcelain insulators for smart power transformers are managed properly by following their obtained condition. 
Dynamics of Cancer-Related Proteins in Patients with Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most common malignancy in the urologic field. Preoperative predictive biomarkers of cancer progression and prognosis are impera‐ tive for optimizing appropriate treatment for patients with BC. The prediction of patient outcomes before initial treatment would enable physicians to choose better modalities and avoid unnecessary aggressive treatments. In addition, preoperative molecular markers are expected to be a minimally invasive tool for predicting precise prognosis and progression in patients with BC. The proteins secreted from the tumor cells reflect various states of tumors in real time and at given conditions, and those expression patterns are different from normal cell components. Approximately 20–25% of cellular proteins are in extracellular spaces, and these proteins have important roles in invasion, angiogenesis, regulation of cell-to-cell interactions, and metastasis. It has been suggested that tumor-secreting proteins are a promising source for tumor diagnostic biomarkers. Proteomic analysis was utilized to identify the secreted proteins in sera from patients with BC. Several biomarkers associated with BC are reviewed here.
Three-dimensional lightning location relative to storm structure in a Mesoscale Convective System

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) produce a significant fraction of the warm season rainfall, lightning, and severe weather in the central United States [e.g., Fritsch et al., 1986; Goodman and MacGorman, 1986; Houze et al., 1990]. As a result, the concomitant kinematic, microphysical, electrical, and lightning characteristics of MCSs over this region have received considerable research attention [e.g., Houze, 1993; MacGorman and Rust, 1998; Fritsch and Forbes, 2001]. Nearly all studies of lightning in MCSs have analyzed exclusively ground flashes in relation to storm structure [e.g., MacGorman and Rust, 1998 for a review]. One notable exception is Mazur and Rust [1983], who observed the total lightning structure roughly perpendicular to what appeared to be a leadingline, trailing-stratiform (LLTS) MCS with radar. Total lightning flash density in the stratiform region was typically much smaller than in the convective cells. Lightning possessing radial extent in excess of 20 km tended to occur rearward of the deep convective cells and in the stratiform region. Since their lightning observations were limited to a radar beam that was approximately fixed in elevation and azimuth angle, only a two-dimensional view of mid-level precipitation and lightning flash density could be obtained as the MCS moved toward the radar (i.e., range versus time). More recently, Lyons et al. [2003] examined the vertical profile of VHF sources associated with fifteen sprite-producing positive cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes in the stratiform region of an MCS. The average height of VHF sources associated with sprite-producing positive ground flashes was consistently at low levels in the stratiform region near the melting level at about 4.1 km AGL. Lang et al. [2004a] examined the origins of 39 stratiform region CG lighting flashes in a small, asymmetric LLTS MCS. Thirty (77%) of the stratiform region ground flashes were initiated in the leading convective line, while the remainder initiated in the stratiform region. In each of these studies, information