Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of IT infrastructure flexibility impacts on IT-Business strategic alignment

Purpose: To explore the impacts of IT infrastructure flexibility components (connectivity, modularity, compatibility, and IT personnel flexibility) on IT-business strategic alignment using Luftman’s strategic alignment maturity model. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed using 5-points Likert scale. The questionnaire was distributed to companies in Indonesia, where 48 companies filled the questionnaire completely. The data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) approach using WarpPLS version 3.0. Findings: This research found that amongst four components of IT infrastructure flexibility, only compatibility that gives a positive and significant impact to IT-business strategic alignment. This finding is remarkably in contrast to what had been found by Chung et al (2003) in which connectivity, modularity and IT personnel flexibility showed a positive impact on strategic alignment while compatibility did not. Research limitations: This research used small sample size. More respondents are required to obtain more general conclusions. Practical implications: The findings of this study can be input for IT investment initiatives by first focusing on compatibility aspect of IT infrastructure which is considered having the most significant influence on strategic alignment. Originality/value: Previous study investigated IT infrastructure flexibility as a single concept, whereas our research investigated the components of IT infrastructure flexibility and their impact on strategic alignment.
Synergistic effects of pulse light emitting diode on growth rate, lipid content & its carbon chain of Nannochloropsis sp. In fatty acid methyl ester production

Third generation biofuels which is biodiesel from microalgae has its share of problems such as high cultivation costs, expensive dewatering and drying process, lipid extraction and transesterification. Nannochloropsis sp. was cultivated indoor using pulse light emitting diodes LED, blue LED and red LED. Nannochloropsis sp. was cultivated for 12 d under LED pulsed at a constant frequency between 5and 100 kHz with various duty cycles (5 - 50 %) by changing the resistance compared with red and blue LED. The number of cells, lipid content and FAME composition were determined using cell counting, Nile red method and gas chromatography respectively. Results revealed that the pulse LED compared to other wavelength LED have a significant effect in the number of cell (pulse: 3.39; blue 2.83; red: 2.63 x 107 cell/mL) and exhibited a consistent lipid production stability curve compared with red and blue LED. The biodiesel produced under the pulse LED has the following characteristics: degree of unsaturation (80.41), density (881 kg/m3), viscosity (3.96 mm2/s), cetane number (61.03), iodine value (97.76), cloud point (7.1 oC), pour point (0.86 oC), CFPP (6.52 oC) and HHV (41.28 MJ.kg).
Effect of Grazing Intensity on Soil and Plant δ 15 N of an Alpine Meadow

The mechanisms underlying the retention of inorganic N were still not well understood in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau as well as in other high-altitude meadow sites greatly grazed and disturbed. We conducted field soil and dominant species foliar nitrogen natural abundance of stable isotope ratios (δ15N) under four grazing intensities. It was demonstrated that soil δ15N decreased significantly from 5.83±0.20‰ to 2.17±0.48‰ at 0-10 cm with the elevation of grazing intensity. Grazing reduced the degree of ecosystem N openness. The δ15N value of surface soil was mainly affected by soil total nitrogen. Furthermore, the degree of nitrogen limitation increased with grazing elevation for sedge family and Gramineae family plants.
Chemical analysis, nutritional content and antioxidant property of Eulophia herbacea Lindl . tubers: a medicinally versatile Indian tribal nutritional food supplement

In the present study, chemical compositions, nutritional evaluation and antioxidant activity of orchid, Eulophia herbacea Lindl. tubers were investigated. Nutritional analysis was confirmed by presence of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, glucomannan and protein. The phenolic, flavonoid, proanthocynidin, and saponin content were also determined. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH, reducing power, nitric oxide radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity. The total caloric value was corresponded to 2742 Kcal/kg. HPTLC analysis of various amino acids revealed the presence alanine, threonine, serine and aminobuteric acid whereas HPLC quantify 2.84 & 0.22 μg/mL of ascorbic acid and pyridoxine respectively in tubers. The result indicated that E. herbacea contains polyphenolic compounds with good antioxidant properties. Thus Eulophia herbacea has a potential for developing value-added nutritional food products and could be used for the future therapeutic medicine as bioactive compound.
Effect of Mimosa pudica Cured Extract against High Fructose Diet Induced Type 2 Diabetes in Rats

The study evaluated the effects of Mimusa pudica (M. pudica) leaf extract on type 2 diabetes in rats fed high fructose diet (HFD). Rats were fed either control diet or HFD for 14 days, following which the diet was fortified with M. Pudica at a dose of 500 mg/kg BW. After 8 weeks, HFD caused deleterious metabolic effects, including increased body weight, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and liver dysfunction. Further, rats fed HFD alone showed increased activities of hepatocellular enzymes in plasma and lipid deposition in liver. Treatment with M. pudica significantly reduced the body weight, improved insulin sensitivity, managed the dyslipidemia and reduced liver damage towards normal. Histopathology of the liver confirmed the changes induced by HFD and the M. pudiac treatment significantly reversed towards normality. These data suggest that M. pudica treatment improve insulin sensitivity and attenuates fat accumulation in liver.
THEORETICAL DETECTION OF A HDA-LDA LIQUID-LIQUID TRANSITION PHASE FOR WATER USING MOLECULAR SIMULATION

Recent work concerning liquid-phase water simulation and theory suggests that some anomalies observed may be related to a transition between two liquid states, the so called HDA-LDA transition. For example, the density maximum at 4 °C and the minimum in the isothermal compressibility at 46 °C are believed to be due to the existence of this phase transition. In this paper we will present the results of molecular simulations using the TIP4P model for water at very low temperatures and high pressures. In those simulations we were able to obtain a liquid phase transition that can be identified through a change in density. An increase in the coordination number, a discontinuity in water density and a change in the radial distribution function as a function of temperature were observed.
The European heat wave 2003: early indicators from multisensoral microwave remote sensing?

[1] An extreme heat wave affected large parts of Europe in 2003 with severe socioeconomic impacts. The extreme warm weather conditions lasted over a couple of months with positive temperature anomalies of 5°C for large parts of Europe. Simulations of the event using regional climate models revealed that a pronounced precipitation deficit in the beginning of the year, together with an early onset of the vegetation, resulted in a severe deficit of the soil water content. This amplified the course of the heat wave due to an increasing sensible heat flux from the land surface. The monitoring of temporal and spatial dynamics of soil water content can be accomplished using remote-sensing-based techniques. The present paper addresses the question whether there have been early indicators for the low soil water content using either physically based land surface modeling or remote-sensing-based monitoring techniques. The course of the spring surface soil moisture evolution is investigated using observations from two different microwave remote sensing sensors. An intercomparison of the high-resolution data from the European ENVISAT satellite and coarse resolution data from the AMSR-E mission is made. Remote-sensing-derived soil moisture products are compared against the results from a deterministic land surface model. The model enables to relate the year 2003 anomalies to a long-term (30 years) climatology. The year 2003 remote sensing derived soil moisture dynamics is compared against a multiyear climatology. The results reveal a negative surface soil moisture anomaly in 2003. The results indicate that there was in general potential to monitor the spatial and temporal dimensions of the low surface soil water content early in 2003 using remote sensing techniques. Both remote sensing data sets indicate a consistent soil moisture decrease in early 2003. A good agreement between the observed surface soil moisture and soil moisture simulations from a land surface process model was found. An outlook to the use of remote-sensing-based soil moisture estimates for large-scale monitoring of surface soil moisture trends is given.
Effect of Combining Electron Beam Irradiation and Alkaline Pretreatments of OPEFB for Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Fermentation of Ethanol

The effect of pretreatment process from the combination of electron beam irradiation and alkaline to Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) was studied. The combination of pretreatment method was considered as an alternative way to increase glucose yield. In this study, OPEFB was pretreated using Electron Beam Irradiation (EBI) at 100 kGy and 300 kGy and followed by chemical pretreatment. In chemical pretreatment, irradiated OPEFB was reacted with sodium hydroxide 6% and 10% in stirred vessel at 4 bars and 150 oC for 30 min. The effectiveness of pretreatment was evaluated by calculating the composition of chemical component using National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Method. The samples which were hydrolyzed using enzymes with the addition of 30 FPU of Cellic®CTec2 per gram of pretreated biomass resulted high glucose in the amount of 9.86%. The fermentation process using Saccharomyces cereviceae obtained the highest ethanol concentration for 5.36% at 72h. The combination of the two pretreatment methods gave an effect on the weight loss, chemical composition, structure, and enzymatic hydrolysis product
Vehicle density estimation of freeway traffic with unknown boundary demand-supply: an IMM approach

As distributed parameter systems, dynamics of freeway traffic are dominated by the current traffic parameter and boundary fluxes from upstream/downstream sections or on/off ramps. The difference between traffic demand-supply and boundary fluxes actually reflects the congestion level of freeway travel. This paper investigates simultaneous traffic density and boundary flux estimation with data extracted from on-road detectors. The existing studies for traffic estimation mainly focus on the traffic parameters (density, velocity, etc.) of mainline traffic and ignore flux fluctuations at boundary sections of the freeway. We propose a stochastic hybrid traffic flow model by extending the cell transmission model (CTM) with Markovian multi-mode switching. A novel interacting multiple model (IMM) filtering for simultaneous input and state estimation is developed for discrete-time Markovian switching systems with unknown input. A freeway segment of Interstate 80 East (I-80E) in Berkeley, Northern California, is chosen to investigate the performance of the developed approach. Traffic data is obtained from the Performance Measurement System (PeMS).
A time-domain approach to the synthesis of UWB antenna systems

In this paper, an approach for the synthesis of Ultra- Wideband (UWB) antenna systems in the time domain is proposed. Starting from the deflnition of suitable time-domain performance indexes, the design process is based on a spline representation of the antenna shape and a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) aimed at matching optimal radiation and electrical conditions. The efiectiveness of the proposed time-domain technique is assessed by means of both numerical and experimental results.
Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Agricultural Sector Development in Nigeria ( 1981 - 2012 )

Premised on economic and political instability indicators, this paper examined the impact of FDI on the agricultural sector development of the Nigerian economy. This work employs secondary time series data which spanned 1981 to 2012, Following ADF test for stationarity and a granger causality test, the study found a relationship among the variables as affirmed by the error parameter. The study reveals that FDI positively impacted on agriculture not only in the short run but also in the long run. This will also engender domestic income diversification which will boost agricultural sector. Further, political instability adversely affected agricultural investments in the long run. An enabling environment should be provided to attract investment on short and long term basis.
Macroinvertebrates of the Iranian running waters: a review

A comprehensive review of macroinvertebrate studies conducted along the Iranian running waters over the last 15 years has been made by providing the most updated checklist of the Iranian running waters benthic invertebrates. Running waters ecosystems are complex environments known for their importance in terms of biodiversity. As part of the analysis, we endeavored to provide the critical re-identification of the reported species by through comparisons with the database of the Animal Diversity Web (ADW) and appropriate literature sources or expert knowledge. A total of 126 species belonging to 4 phyla have been compiled from 57 references. The phylum Arthropoda was found to comprise the most taxa (n = 104) followed by Mollusca, Annelida and Platyhelminthes. Ongoing efforts in the Iranian running waters regarding biomonitoring indices development, testing, refinement and validation are yet to be employed in streams and rivers. Overall, we suggest that future macroinvertebrate studies in Iranian running waters should be focused on long-term changes by broadening target species and strong efforts to publish data in peer-reviewed journals in English.
The Development and Impact of High Stakes Testing.

This paper reviews recent developments in the growth of testing as a requirement for high school graduation for K-12 public school systems throughout the United States. It then examines performance patterns on such tests by focusing on results for students indifferent racial and ethnic groups in several states. The multiple meanings of the movement to require students to pass formal statewide tests in order to receive a high school diploma are considered. Twenty-two states currently have such requirements, and an additional five states are developing examinations that will be required for high school graduation. There is little consensus about the impact of high stakes testing on students, teachers, schools, and the general public's perception of education. Without considering the ultimate impact of such tests, this paper reviews the immediate impact by examining the test scores of students from different racial and ethnic groups in Texas, New York, and Minnesota. For each state, the history of state graduation testing, current regulations about exemptions from the tests, racial and ethnic group performance differences, and legal challenges to high school graduation tests are reviewed. If the motivational consequences of high school graduation tests are not positive or at least not uniformly positive cross racial, ethnic, and social class lines, as some research has suggested, then these tests may have the potential to exacerbate further substantial inequities in schooling outcomes. Whatever the interpretation one prefers to place on the high stakes testing movement, there are things that can be done to improve the use of such tests. These center around research into test construction and test use to ensure equal opportunity. (Contains 17 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. The Development and Impact of High Stakes Testing Gary Natriello Teachers College, Columbia University Aaron M. Pallas Michigan State University PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Modelling and Simulation of Multi-vessel Batch Distillation Column

Market demand of specialty chemicals, biochemical and pharmaceuticals are increasing. Batch distillation is considered as the most suitable distillation operation to separate all those chemicals due to its flexibility, operability and lower capital cost. Multi-vessel batch distillation is an improvement of less energy efficient batch distillation. This paper focuses on modelling and simulation of multi vessel batch distillation column under total reflux operation for separating a ternary mixture. Total reflux operation leads to production of high purity product. In industry, the modelling and simulation play a very important role. It can help with the description of the system and the choice of the optimal control strategy. The main objective of this paper is to determine the mathematical model of multi-vessel batch distillation which usually precedes the design of the controller. Mathematical model is firstly developed based on the first principles and ordinary differential equations (ODE). MATLAB Simulink is employed to perform the simulation. The vessel holdup is set based on product purity. The model is expected to produce stable response with the changing inputs variables and produce high purity product. The control strategy is determined.
Interfacing Biology with Nanoelectronics

Developing new techniques to detect biomolecules and cell functions is the constant and critical driving force to the advance of biology and medicine. For instances, the invention of glucose sensor in 1962 has dramatically changed the landscape of diagnosis, monitoring, and management of diabetes; the invention of patch-clamp technique in early 1980’s (1991 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine) has revolutionized the study on ion channels and been used as the golden standard to examine potential drugs targeting on these membrane proteins.
PREPRINT 2013 : 19 Detection of the Curves based on Lateral Acceleration using Hidden Markov Models

In vehicle design it is desirable to model the loads by describing the load environment, the customer usage and the vehicle dynamics. In this study a method will be proposed for detection of curves using a lateral acceleration signal. The method is based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) which are probabilistic models that can be used to recognize patterns in time series data. In an HMM, ’hidden’ refers to a Markov chain where the states are not observable, however what can be observed is a sequence of data where each observation is a random variable whose distribution depends on the current hidden state. The idea here is to consider the current driving event as the hidden state and the lateral acceleration signal as the observed sequence. Examples of curve detection are presented for both simulated and measured data. The classification results indicate that the method can recognize left and right turns with small misclassification errors.
MACROECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF LITHUANIAN GOVERNMENT SECURITY PRICES

This paper deals with the impact of macroeconomic fundamentals on Lithuanian government securities’ prices using quarterly data for the period 2000–2013, applying five major macroeconomic variables: gross domestic product, consumer prices, interest rates, money supply, and foreign direct investment. The two main goals of the paper are: 1) to identify macroeconomic variables which are the main driving forces behind debt security prices and 2) due to the lack of sufficient data on the Lithuanian government security index, to create and calculate a similar index from the primary and secondary market sovereign security prices. The research has been conducted using the methods of descriptive statistics, the vector autoregression model, the impulse response function, and the forecast error variance decomposition. The paper finds that, when consumer prices or interest rate rise up, sovereign security prices decline significantly and, on the other hand, money supply is the only factor that significantly and directly influences the government security prices. However, the effects of the gross domestic product and foreign direct investment were found to be statistically insignificant. Finally, the government security index is inert and rarely changes its long-term trend. These conclusions provide related persons with rich information in establishing the investment strategy or fiscal / monetary policy.
Skills and Employability in Mozambique : Implications for Education and Training Policies

Mozambique is experiencing significant population growth with a growing number of youth (ages 15-34) into the labor market. The surge of the raw number of individuals, particularly young people, opens both challenges and opportunities: challenges, because of the need to create sufficient jobs to employ new entrants; opportunities, because if well managed, the country will benefit from a young, dynamic labor market where innovations and creative activities serve as an engine of growth, driving up per capita income and standards of living. The paper is organized as follows. The first two sections describe the supply and demand side diagnostics of the labor market, respectively, by analyzing the profiles of workers and by examining where jobs are being created. The next section discusses the determinants of employment, type of work, and earnings. Based on this analysis of the trends and labor market outcomes, the last section identifies and discusses key areas of policy interventions.