Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploiting women’s aesthetic labour to fly high in the Chinese airline Industry

Purpose Drawing upon the existing theoretical and empirical sourced knowledge of aesthetic labour and gender, this paper aims to explore the exploitation of women’s aesthetic labour in the Chinese airline industry and the underlying causes from a contextual point of view. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study has emerged from a broader research project which aimed to explore women’s experiences of work-family conflict and their career aspirations in the Chinese airline industry in which aesthetic labour was prevalent as a significant issue during semi-structured interviews with female employees and HR/line management. Thus, the study draws upon interview data focusing on recruitment and selection of flight attendants in three Chinese airlines. This is complemented by secondary sources of data from Chinese television programmes and job advertisements. Findings This study reveals that aesthetics is both gendered and context-bound. It exposes that aesthetic labour in Chinese airlines is demanded from women but not men. It highlights that gendered aesthetic labour is continuously shaped by four influential contextual issues – legislation, labour market practices, national culture and airline management practices. Originality/value By uncovering the dynamic interconnectedness of gender and aesthetics and illustrating the exploitation of women’s aesthetic labour for commercial gains in Chinese airlines, this paper contributes to the understanding of the gendered aesthetics in the airline industry. It also offers new insights into the theory of aesthetic labour by locating it in a context that differs significantly from other socio-cultural contexts.
Computer Simulation of Three Particles Sedimentation in a Narrow Channel

The settling of three particles in a narrow channel is simulated via the lattice Boltzmann direct-forcing/fictitious domain (LB-DF/FD) method for the Reynolds number ranging from 5 to 200. The effects of the wall and the Reynolds number are studied. It is interesting to find that at certain Reynolds numbers the left (right) particle is settling at 0.175 (0.825) of the channel width irrespective of its initial position or the channel width. Moreover, numerical results have shown that the lateral particles lead at small Reynolds numbers, while the central particle leads at large Reynolds numbers due to the combined effects of particle-particle and particle-wall interactions. The central particle will leave the lateral ones behind when the Reynolds number is large enough. Finally the effect of the Reynolds number on the trajectory of the lateral particles is presented.
Did Bankruptcy Reform Cause Mortgage Default to Rise?

This paper argues that the U.S. bankruptcy reform of 2005 played an important role in the mortgage crisis and the current recession. When debtors file for bankruptcy, credit card debt and other types of debt are discharged--thus loosening debtors' budget constraints. Homeowners in financial distress can therefore use bankruptcy to avoid losing their homes, since filing allows them to shift funds from paying other debts to paying their mortgages. But a major reform of U.S. bankruptcy law in 2005 raised the cost of filing and reduced the amount of debt that is discharged. We argue that an unintended consequence of the reform was to cause mortgage default rates to rise. We estimate a hazard model to test whether the 2005 bankruptcy reform caused mortgage defaults to rise, using a large dataset of individual mortgages. Our major result is that prime and subprime mortgage default rates rose by 23% and 14%, respectively, after bankruptcy reform. We also use difference-in-difference to examine the effects of three provisions of bankruptcy reform that particularly harmed homeowners with high incomes and/or high assets and find that their default rates rose even more. Overall, we calculate that bankruptcy reform caused the mortgage default rate to rise by one percentage point even before the start of the financial crisis, suggesting that the reform increased the severity of the crisis when it came.
Resource Dependence and Power-Balancing Operations in Alliances: The Role of Market Redefinition Strategies

This article studies power imbalances in alliances. More precisely, we seek to understand how – and under what circumstances – firms can leverage market redefinition strategies to change the structure of their markets and to reduce the bargaining power of actual or potential partners. Based on resource dependence theory, our analysis examines the causes of disproportionate power in alliances and describes various power-balancing operations that can be implemented to reduce dependence. In previous research, the presence of alternative sources that might reduce resource dependence has been given exogenously, and the set of power-balancing operations has been rather limited. Based on the alliance literature, the bargaining power literature and the market redefinition literature, we elaborate a theoretical framework to study the extent to which firms can leverage market redefinition strategies to shape the structure of their markets, in general, and reduce the bargaining power of partners, in particular. We illustrate our theoretical framework by means of multiple case studies and discuss our conclusions. Focusing on air-rail intermodal strategies, we emphasise that firms can proactively redesign their market boundaries to find new partners. These market redefinition strategies reduce dependence on powerful partners in the traditional market and offer new strategic partnership options for firms. In addition, we note that processes can be implemented to increase the quality offered by these new substitutes. Finally, we elucidate several theoretical and managerial implications regarding the role of market redefinition strategies in alliance development.
The use of Radon and Fourier transformations of raster images for description and tracking of predefined objects

Как правило, существующие на сегодняшний день алгоритмы описания и идентификации объектов нацелены на решение задач распознавания определенного типа объектов в заданных условиях. Однако поиск универсального или более обобщенного подхода к решению данной задачи остается интересной проблемой с точки зрения академических исследований и перспективным с точки зрения практической реализации. Предлагаемый подход позволяет производить идентификацию изображений объектов по широкому спектру признаков. Метод представлен в виде общего описания алгоритма и результатов экспериментальной проверки его эффективности. Основная задача разработки метода — быстрая и качественная обработка графических данных в виде динамических изображений или видеопотоков. Доступные для сравнения методы используются преимущественно для поиска объектов в статических изображениях, в то время как авторский метод в первую очередь нацелен на работу с видеопотоками. Общедоступных видеоматериалов и данных по их обработке аналогичными методами для сравнительного анализа на момент написания статьи не найдено. Рассматриваемый метод предлагает новый способ получения набора ключевых признаков образа и функцию для их сравнения. Он основывается на применении комбинации классических методов прямого преобразования Радона к матрице изображения, одномерного преобразования Фурье к полученным интегральным проекциям и статистического анализа интегральных коэффициентов Фурье, рассматриваемых в качестве основных дескрипторов объектов изображения.
Cobalt in the western Philippine Sea

The distribution of cobalt was determined at one station in the oligotrophic western Philippine Sea that is far removed from the direct influence of any major land mass. Concentrations of cobalt ( 95 pM) in the top 150 m of water in and above the thermocline were much higher than those (about 25 pM) in the deep waters below 1000 m. Since no major river drained directly into the study area, these elevated concentrations in the surface waters could not have been sustained by a riverine input. A more likely source of cobalt to these waters might have been atmospheric deposition. Below 150 m, as a first approximation, the relationship between cobalt and salinity mimicked that between potential temperature and salinity with inflection points occurring at about the same depths. Thus, the distribution of cobalt in these deeper waters was governed primarily by mixing processes. Within the top 150 m, a subsurface maximum, centered around 48 m, was found in the shallow halocline. This maximum might have resulted from the preferential trapping and re-mineralization of particles in a strong pycnocline.
Prevalence, trends and district differentials in teenage pregnancies

Introduction Teenage pregnancies with their negative obstetric and foetal outcomes are a maternal and child health concern of the country. Objectives To study the prevalence, trends and district differentials in teenage pregnancies in Sri Lanka Methods Three main sources of available national level data were used in this study. They were : vital event registration data from the Registrar General's (RG) Department, data collected routinely by the Family Health Bureau (FHB), Ministry of Health through the Reproductive Health Information Management System (RHMIS) and data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2006/07. Other than utilizing reported information of all three sources, primary data of DHS 2006/07 was accessed with permission and further analysis were performed. Results Routinely available data from the Registrar General's (RG) Department are based on the registrations of live births throughout the island, hence could be considered as a proxy for information on pregnancies. A consistent declining trend in pregnancies among women less than 19 years of age was observed from the year 2000 (8.1%) to 2006 (5.4%). Marked inter district variations were noted. The highest percentage of teenage pregnancy was among the Sri Lankan Tamils. The rural sector showed the highest percentages while the estate sector showed the lowest. High percentage of illegitimate births in the estate sector was noteworthy. Data from the routine RHMIS of the Family Health Bureau also showed a declining trend of teenage pregnant females registered by Public Health Midwives as a percentage of all registered pregnant mothers, during the period 2007 (7.7%) to 2010 (6.5%). The marked inter district variation was observed with the variations consistent to what was observed in the RG's data. Further analysis of DHS data showed that the percentage of teenage pregnancies among ever married women aged between 15 – 49 years to be 6.3% (95% CI 5.4-7.2). Teenage pregnancy rates declined significantly with increasing levels of education (p Conclusions and recommendations Analysis of national level information related to teenage pregnancies from three different sources of available data showed that there is a declining trend in the prevalence of teenage pregnancies. All three sources identified that there is a marked inter-district variation in the teenage pregnancy rates and the districts identified to have high rates of teenage pregnancy by the three different sources were mostly consistent. This indicates the need for district specific interventions. Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka Volume 16, No. 02, December 2011 21-30 DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.4038/jccpsl.v16i2. 4577
EXPECTED LIFETIME IMPROVEMENT WITH A SUPERCONDUCTING HARMONIC RF SYSTEM AT THE ESRF

Due to the low transverse emittance of the ESRF storage ring light source, Touschek scattering is the dominant factor that limits the beam lifetime. This has mainly an impact for fill patterns with a high intensity per bunch such as standard single bunch and 16-bunch operation, for which the lifetime does not exceed 5 and 10 hours, respectively. In principle, the lifetime can be increased by means of a harmonic RF system that flattens the RF wave and thereby elongates the bunches. For the ESRF it turns out that only superconducting cavities would provide the necessary harmonic voltage within a reasonable space. This paper gives an estimation of the longitudinal beam dynamics and instability mechanisms. In particular, the condition for Robinson stability in the presence of a non-linear RF wave is included in the computations.
Household Sample Surveys in Developing and Transition Countries

The fact that survey data are obtained from units selected with complex sample designs needs to be taken into account in the survey analysis: weights need to be used in analysing survey data and variances of survey estimates need to be computed in a manner that reflects the complex sample design. The present chapter outlines the development of weights and their use in computing survey estimates and provides a general discussion of variance estimation for survey data. It deals first with what are termed descriptive estimates, such as the totals, means and proportions that are widely used in survey reports. It then discusses three forms of analytic approaches to survey data that can be used to examine relationships between survey variables, namely, multiple linear regression models, logistic regression models and multilevel models. These models form a set of valuable tools for analysing the relationships between a key response variable and a number of other factors. In this chapter, we give examples to illustrate the use of these modelling techniques and also provide guidance on the interpretation of the results. Key terms: complex survey design, analytic statistics, regression, logistic regression, hierarchical structures, multilevel modelling. Household Sample Surveys in Developing and Transition Countries
Comparative effects of autotrophic and heterotrophic growth on some vitamins, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, amino acids and protein profile of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck

Chemical composition of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck including content of some vitamins (A, E and C), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, amino acids and protein profile was assessed under autotrophic and heterotrophic growth conditions as an indication of its nutritional value. Vitamin content (A, E and C) of heterotrophic cells increased by about 29, 52 and 20, respectively, as compared to its value for autotrophic cells. The free radical scavenging activity (RSA) was significantly higher for autotrophic cells than heterotrophic only at low concentrations (25 and 50 μl) of algal extract, but no significant difference was recorded at high concentration (100 μl). This result indicates non parallel relationship between the tested vitamins and RSA which suggest that other nonenzymatic antioxidants and/or antioxidant enzymes are involved. Concentration of essential and non essential amino acids in heterotrophic cells was double and 1.5 times, respectively its concentration in autotrophic cells. Histidine, lysine and phenylalanine constituted 77 and 44% of the total content of essential amino acids in heterotrophic and autotrophic cells, respectively. Methionine concentration was low in both types of cells. Proline content and non essential amino acid in heterotrophic cells was about 2.5 times its corresponding value in autotrophic cells. SDS-PAGE of protein extracts of autotrophic and heterotrophic C. vulgaris revealed two protein bands of molecular weight of ~75 and ~39 KDa. Higher intensity of the two bands was observed for autotrophic cells which may be associated with the effect of growth condition on the expression of regulatory genes. For valuable production of natural food supplement and/or natural pharmaceutical products, using heterotrophic cells rather than autotrophic cells for its richness in vitamins and essential amino acids is recommended. Key words: Autotrophic, heterotrophic, Chlorella vulgaris, vitamins, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, amino acid, protein profile.
Association of High Plaque Levels of Prevotella intermedia with Aggressive Periodontitis in a 16-year-old Female

Background: Aggressive periodontitis (AP) encompasses a group of highly destructive forms of periodontitis. Its pathogenesis may be related to alterations in inflammatory and immune responses and in the oral flora. Methods: A 16-year-old Black female patient presented with chief complaints of gingival pain and tooth mobility. She received a complete clinical dental examination, full mouth periapical radiographs, and laboratory tests including complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, and microbiological plaque analysis. In vitro studies included salivary analysis and neutrophil and monocyte response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results: The patient had severe generalised gingival inflammation, type III tooth mobility, 8 to 10+ mm pocket depths, and extreme, generalised alveolar bone loss. Blood analysis revealed chronic non-cyclic neutropaenia, monocytosis, and slightly elevated protein levels. Subgingival plaque contained high levels of Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens (P.i.) (~50%) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.) (~15%). The patient’s neutrophils and monocytes produced superoxide and interleukin-1β normally in response to N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and E. coli LPS, and the neutrophils attached and migrated normally. Prevotella LPS had lower neutrophil priming activity than Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans or Fusobacterium nucleatum LPS. Salivary protein, and myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase activities were elevated. Conclusions: This report supports others associating P.i. and P.g. with AP. The high levels of P.i. in the plaque are of particular interest, because P.i. LPS had low ability to prime neutrophils. This excessive growth of P.i. and P.g. , coupled with low numbers of normally functioning circulating neutrophils, may have contributed to the development of AP.
One-step flame synthesis of SnO2/TiO2 composite nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications

SnO2 / TiO2 composite nanoparticles have been synthesized in a single-step by feeding evaporated precursor mixtures into an atmospheric pressure diffusion flame. Particles with controlled Ti: Sn ratios were produced at various flow rates of oxygen, and the resulting powders were characterized by BET surface area analysis, XRD, TEM, EDAX and UV-Vis spectroscopy. For the lowest concentration (3.4 mol %) of SnO2 employed in this study anatase phase of TiO2 is stabilized, while segregation of SnO2 is seen at medium (6.9 to 12.4 mol %) and high concentrations (20.3 mol %). Though the equilibrium phase diagram predicts complete solubility of one oxide in another at all compositions, segregation of SnO2 phase is observed which is explained by the usage of diffusion flame in the present study. The particle formation mechanism of SnO2 / TiO2 composites is proposed basing on the single component aerosol formation. Photocatalytic activity of the composite particles is tested for the degradation of methylene blue and is compared with pure TiO2 synthesized under similar conditions. Improved photocatalytic activity of the composite particles is attributed to the stabilized anatase phase and better charge separation due to the coupling of TiO2 and SnO2 within the composite nanoparticles.
SPECTRAL WAVE DISSIPATION BASED ON OBSERVATIONS: A GLOBAL VALIDATION

Existing parameterizations of wave dissipation used in spectral wave models have provided excellent results in most of the world ocean, but lead to significant and persisting errors. Here a new parameterization is proposed that simply combines the observed swell dissipation and a saturationbased dissipation compatible with observed wave breaking probabilities. This parameterization is adjusted to provide an accurate hindcast of the global wave field as observed by in situ buoys, and a preliminary validation is presented. The resulting global model is shown to outperform all existing operational models to date in terms of significant wave height, and peak and mean periods. The model further provides a better rendering of the high frequency part of the wave spectrum, as validated with C-band radar altimeter cross sections, with important applications for remote sensing. Improvement and adjustment of the model is in progress, with a view to further improving high frequency waves and coastal sea states.
Trajectories for Human Missions to Mars , Part 2 : Low-Thrust Transfers

We compute optimal low-thrust transfers (with constant thrust and constant specific impulse) between Earth and Mars over a range of flight times (from 120 to 270 days) and launch years (between 2009 and 2022). Unlike impulsive transfers, themass-optimal trajectorydepends strongly on the thrust and specific impulse of the propulsion system.A low-thrust version of the rocket equation is provided where the initial mass or thrust may be minimized by varying the initial acceleration and specific impulse for a given power-system specific mass and for a trajectory time of flight. With fixed time-of-flight transfers there is a minimum thrust and a maximum allowable specific mass; that is, if the available thrust is too low or the specific mass is too large then the desired transfer does not exist. We find the minimum allowable thrust for constrained time-of-flight missions is on the order of a few Newtons per metric ton of payload for power systems with tens of kg=kW. As expected, the thrust and V requirements of the trajectories decrease with increasing flight times. By extending the flight time from 180 to 270 days the V is reduced by 40% for powered captures and up to 35% for aeroassisted capture trajectories.
A new Simplex method updating procedure applied to linear systems arising from the cutting stock problem

The objective of this work is to apply efficient Simplex-basis LU factorization update techniques to improve the column updating performance of the Simplex method, when used to solve cutting stock problems. Only the factored columns actually modified by the change in the basis are considered, to obtain an efficient LU factorization update. The matrix columns are reordered according to a specific given strategy. Thus, sparse factorizations are obtained for any basis without computational effort, to obtain the order of the columns, because the reordering of the matrix is static, and the basis columns follow this ordering. The proposed method achieves a reduction in the computational time for the solution of the cutting stock problems when compared with the GLPK.
Data report: Pleistocene diatoms from Sites U1302 and U1303, Orphan Knoll, northwestern Atlantic Ocean 1

Downcore variations of total diatom concentration and diatom assemblages have been studied along the upper 48 meters composite depth (mcd) of the corrected spliced composite section at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 303 Sites U1302 and U1303. Diatom concentration varies between 1.0 × 10 3 and 2.1 × 10 6 valves/g. The highest diatom values are seen in the lower part, mostly between 35 and 48 mcd. The highly diversified diatom community is composed of ~110 species. The fossil diatom assemblage reflects the complex oceanographic setting in surface waters overlying Sites U1302 and U1303. Arctic/Subarctic components dominate the diatom assemblage, such as Actinocyclus curvatulus, Rhizosolenia hebetata var. hiemalis Bailey, Thalassiosira antiqua (Grunow) Cleve-Euler, Thalassiosira angulata, the vegetative cell of Thalassiosira gravida Cleve, and Thalassiosira trifulta G. Fryxell. Moderate influence of coastal waters is reflected by the occurrence of several species of resting spores of Chaetoceros, Actinocyclus octonarius Ehrenberg, Coscinodiscus radiatus Ehrenberg, and Thalassionema nitzschioides var. nitzschioides (Grunow) Van Heurck. Transport from shallow waters into the hemipelagic realm is mirrored by the presence of Delphineis karstenii (Boden) G. Fryxell and Paralia sulcata (Ehrenberg) Cleve, whereas Alveus marinus (Grunow) Kaczmarska and G. Fryxell and Fragilariopsis doliolus (Wallich) Medlin and Sims mainly represent a lowlatitude Atlantic signal.