Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONTROLLED GROWTH OF IRON OXIDE MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES VIA CO-PRECIPITATION METHOD AND NaNO3 ADDITION

Size controlled magnetic nanoparticle (MNPs) of iron oxide were prepared in the presence of NaNO3 via co-precipitation method followed by HNO3 peptizing according to Massart’s method. The MNPs size were reduced by addition of NaNO3 in varied molarity and at different stage of process. As an end product, stable water-base colloids were formed. XRD pattern analysis using Rietveld method confirmed Fe3O4/g-Fe2O3 phase formation with nanoscale crystallite size. This crystallite size significantly decrease with NaNO3 addition from 12 nm to smaller than 8 nm, and give end-result of decreasing magnetization as measured by VSM. Langevin fitting of magnetic hysteresis curve also revealed the magnetic core size of nearly the same behaviour. TEM results show bigger value for single magnetic nanoparticle of > 10 nm and < 10 nm for MNPs without and with NaNO 3 addition, respectively. However, PSA measurement still trace a low nanoparticle agglomeration of ~ 20 nm, even after surface peptization using HNO3. A possible mechanism is proposed to explain these characteristics formation especially of the MNP’s size.
A Force Feedback Pedical Screw Impantation Surgical Trainer with Automatic Vertebra Segmentation

The spine is one of the most important parts of the human body. Spine diseases owning to aging or injuries would be treated by spine surgeries. However, the surgeries are highly dangerous and the surgical training can increase the success rate. In this paper, an interactive surgical simulation system for the training of pedicle screw implantation is introduced. We propose an automatic and efficient method to segment the vertebra from the CT images for building the vertebra model. The mean shift method which can cluster points having similar property into groups is used in data clustering. The clustered groups related to the bone region are chosen as the initial model. And then, we apply the Chan-Vese level set method which refines the vertebra contour by using the concepts of statistics. After segmentation, we then apply the marching cube algorithm to generate the 3D vertebra model, and pass it to a virtual surgical environment. A haptic device is adopted to interact with this model to fulfill the surgical simulation in the virtual environment. The average dice coefficient of the segmentation results is 0.92.
Agta bird names : an ethno-ornithological survey in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Philippines

Interviews with six Agta guides during fieldwork in 2006 and 2008, involving joint observations of birds in the wild and examination of illustrations, generated 110 Agta names of bird species in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park in northern Luzon, Philippines. Indigenous knowledge of birds is not limited to economically important species, as is often assumed. Agta hunters are familiar with most discernible species. Secretive, silent and montane birds are largely unknown.
The Revolving Door in International Investment Arbitration

It is often claimed that international investment arbitration is marked by a revolving door: individuals act sequentially and even simultaneously as arbitrator, legal counsel, expert witness, or tribunal secretary. If this claim is correct, it has implications for our understanding of which individuals possess power and influence within this community; and ethical debates over conflicts of interests and transparency concerning ‘double hatting’—when individuals simultaneously perform different roles across cases. In this article, we offer the first comprehensive empirical analysis of the individuals that make up the entire investment arbitration community. Drawing on our database of 1039 investment arbitration cases (including ICSID annulments) and the relationships between the 3910 known individuals that form this community, we offer the first use of social network analysis to describe the full investment arbitration community and address key sociological and normative questions in the literature. Our results partly contradict recent empirical scholarship as we identify a different configuration of central ‘power brokers’. Moreover, the normative concerns with double hatting are partly substantiated. A select but significant group of individuals score highly and continually on our double hatting index.
Title Importance of wet precipitation as a removal and transport process for atmospheric water soluble carbonyls Permalink

Carbonyl compounds exist in the atmosphere as either gases or aerosols. Some of them are water soluble and known as oxidation products of biogenic and/or anthropogenic hydrocarbons. Five carbonyl compounds, glyoxal (GO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), glycolaldehyde (GA), hydroxyacetone (HA) and methylglyoxal (MG) have been identified in a temporal series of 12 rain samples. The concentrations of the compounds in the samples were high at the beginning of the rain event and decreased with time to relatively low and fairly constant levels, indicating that the compounds were washed out from the atmosphere at the start of the rain event. Possibly, these compounds also existed in the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Wet deposition rates of the carbonyl compounds were calculated for nine samples collected during a 20 h period. The deposition rates ranged from 0 (4-OPA) to 1.2 10 mgCm 2 h 1 (MG) with the average of 2.9 10 mgCm 2 h . Production rates of isoprene oxidation products (GA, HA and MG) in the area surrounding the sampling site were estimated with a chemical box model. The deposition rates exceeded the production rates in most samples. This indicates that the rainfall causes a large net flux of the water soluble compounds from the atmosphere to the ground. Insoluble carbonyl compounds such as n-nonanal and n-decanal were expected to be present in the atmosphere, but were not detected in the rain during the sampling period, suggesting that an aerosol containing these insoluble compounds does not effectively act as a CCN. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Role of Physician's Assistants on Limiting the Risk of Surgical Errors

Surgical errors existed long before physician assistants (PA) starting joining surgical teams. However, the addition of PAs to surgical teams added a team member with a medical perspective that was different from everyone else’s. PAs are able to follow surgical patients through all the steps of the surgical process. This allows them to have a deeper knowledge of the patient’s case, putting them in a position to promote a culture of safety and reduce the risk of surgical errors. This study generates an idea of how the PA plays a role in lowering the risk of surgical errors by promoting a culture of safety. Their role was examined through research and interviews to determine what PAs do to promote patient safety. The results show PAs play an important role in the continuity of care and patient safety. Their position on the surgical team allows them to see patients before, during, and after care. This prolonged time spent with the patient gives the PA an opportunity to recognize possible complications and increase communication with the surgical team. THE ROLE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS 3 The Role of Physician Assistants on Limiting the Risk of Surgical Errors When To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System was published in 1999, the immensity of medical errors rapidly became a vast issue in health care. According to Aronson (2009), a medical error is “a failure in the treatment process that leads to, or has the potential to lead to, harm to the patient” (p. 601). Medical errors cover a wide variety of errors including, surgical errors, prescription errors, wrong dose, wrong patient, and many more. They are the eighth most common cause of death in the United States, causing nearly 100,000 unintentional deaths each year (Schuer, Doll, & McNellis, 2010). To Err is Human initiated a major change in the health care system to increase patient safety. It suggested the implementation of system-wide changes based on the strategies of preventing, recognizing, and mitigating harm from error. Safe practices were put in place in systems to reduce the amount of errors. In the late 1960s, physician assistants (PA) began careers practicing medicine alongside physicians (Larson, Coerver, Wick, & Ballweg, 2011). In 1970, their role expanded to include surgery and now nearly 25% of PAs practice in surgery. The purpose of this study is to focus on surgical errors and the role of the surgical team, specifically the PA, in lowering the risk of errors. PAs are in a unique position to increase safety because they are more involved in the
Human Capital and Economic Growth: The Role of Governance

In this paper we endeavour to assess the role of governance as a precondition to human-led growth. To the best of our knowledge, the study is first of its kind attempt to introduce the role of governance in the human capital and growth literature. Specifically, we used rule of law, control of corruption, regulatory quality and government effectiveness as indicators of governance in addition to a variable representing average of the four governance indicators. We divided our data sample into three parts; „low‟, „medium‟ and „high‟ based on governance indicators. Empirical models Benhabib & Spiegel (1994) and Cohen & Soto (2007) were used for the purpose of core analysis. Using the data for 134 countries for the period 1996-2011 we found strong evidence in support of the research hypothesis that relationship between human capital and growth is much less pronounced in countries with low level of governance. We also found that magnitude of the coefficient of human capital was much higher for countries with medium level of governance vis-a-vis countries with high level of governance. This finding hints towards the threshold level of governance after which diminishing returns might prevail. Findings of this paper suggest that preconditions in the form of good governance are necessary for educated labor force in order to contribute to the economic growth of the country.
The Algorithm of Link Prediction on Social Network

At present, most link prediction algorithms are based on the similarity between two entities. Social network topology information is one of the main sources to design the similarity function between entities. But the existing link prediction algorithms do not apply the network topology information sufficiently. For lack of traditional link prediction algorithms, we propose two improved algorithms: CNGF algorithm based on local information and KatzGF algorithm based on global information network. For the defect of the stationary of social network, we also provide the link prediction algorithm based on nodes multiple attributes information. Finally, we verified these algorithms on DBLP data set, and the experimental results show that the performance of the improved algorithm is superior to that of the traditional link prediction algorithm.
Review on Recent Advances for Marine Turbocharger Technologies For Two-stroke Diesel Engines

The study addresses the recent advances within the turbocharging technologies for two-stroke marine diesel engines and their advantages and disadvantages. The study also investigates which technologies will be of interest for future developments and most suitable for twostroke engines. Emphasis is also put on the environmental impact of the shipping industry since it is responsible for the majority of the world trade and a large portion of the yearly global emissions. Two-stroke engines are dominant in the marine industry thanks to the power density and reliability. However, two-stroke engines are also quite insensitive to fuel quality and therefore low quality fuels are often used which have environmentally damaging emissions. Since the fuel economy is of importance to shipping companies, slow steaming is currently a popular method due to the lowered fuel consumption. The current turbochargers installed on two-stroke marine engines are not optimized for slow steaming and can lead to poor combustion. In the background, a motivation is presented and in-depth details describe two-stroke engine characteristics, differences between four-stroke and two-stroke engine turbocharging and the turbocharger working principle. A literature study was performed in order to achieve results capable of answering the questions of this thesis. The study is based on existing material in the chosen field.
Urban legends in gait analysis

Impaired gait patterns are often compared to that of a group of able-bodied subjects. This latter group usually forms a gold standard. Variability in able-bodied gait parameters could reflect different normal locomotion patterns. Furthermore, a lack of statistical difference between patient data and control subjects can hide a perturbed gait pattern. This review on normal gait patterns discusses three well-accepted hypotheses, which can be called into question. These are that we all walk alike, gait is symmetrical and propulsion comes from the foot at push-off. This diversity in normal able-bodied locomotion patterns suggests different movement strategies making it difficult for an eventual comparison with pathological gait conditions.
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) projects: lessons for future policy design and implementation

In response to the pressing global challenges of climate change, initiatives under the auspices of ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation’ (REDD) have been implemented in over 30 developing and least-developed countries since 2005. The initiatives cover nearly every significant and vulnerable forest ecosystem worldwide. In this study we review six representative initiatives, two each from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis is done to evaluate each initiative's policy framework, design, implementation and results thus far. The main policy and project implementation factors that appear to lead to effective and successful REDD project outcomes include having clearly formulated project design; governance, land tenure rights and capacity; equity and transparency; indigenous peoples' rights and knowledge; local–international coordination; and enhancing local and institutional capacities. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for future REDD policy action and project implementation to make it work for the poor and achieve its intended goals.
Effects of salinity on leaf mineral composition and salt injury symptoms of some Iranian wild grapevine ("Vitis vinifera" L. Ssp. Sylvestris) genotypes

Aim: To evaluate the suitability of wild grapevine genotypes to saline conditions by measuring leaf ion content and salt injury symptoms.Methods and results: Vines of nine wild (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris) genotypes were planted in pots and after the good establishment, salinity treatments (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl) started. At the end of the experimental period, the K+, Na+, NO3- and Cl- content of leaves and visible symptoms of salt injury were recorded. Leaf Na+ and Cl- content increased with increasing salinity but levels and accumulation rates were different among genotypes.Conclusion: Based on Na+ and Cl- content and salt symptoms, genotypes 4 and 7 showed less symptoms than the other genotypes at moderate (50-100 mM) NaCl concentration and none could tolerate high salt (150 mM) concentration.Significance and impact of the study: Under saline conditions, ion accumulation in the leaves significantly varied among wild genotypes and some of them could be recommended as saline tolerant genotypes.
Influence of job stability on employees' perception about importance of concrete measures and activities of tourism policy in the destination of cultural tourism

This paper seeks to explain the influence of job stability on employees’ perception about the importance of concrete measures and activities of tourism policy in the destination of cultural tourism. The research was conducted with employees in the sector of cultural tourism in Montenegro. The sample size was n = 746, and the main statistical procedure was a multivariate analysis of variance. Data were conducted with interviewing procedure and analyzed by SPSS Statistic software. The main research outcome is that there is a significant difference between employees who have a very stable job and employees who have no stable job in the employees’ perception of the importance of concrete measures and activities of tourism policy in the destination of cultural tourism. It is about sample size structure of transitional destination of cultural tourism. This study can help policymakers in the field of tourism policy and cultural tourism to create an optimal set of concrete measures and activities of tourism policy for the destination of cultural tourism. Specifically, the contribution is reflected in the field of influence of job stability on that process and the role of part-time and full-time employees in the sector of cultural tourism.
A key factor to the spin parameter of uniformly rotating compact stars: crust structure

We study the dimensionless spin parameter j ≡ cJ/(GM2) of different kinds of uniformly rotating compact stars, including traditional neutron stars, hyperonic neutron stars and hybrid stars, based on relativistic mean field theory and the MIT bag model. It is found that jmax ∼ 0.7, which had been suggested in traditional neutron stars, is sustained for hyperonic neutron stars and hybrid stars with M > 0.5 M⊙. Not the interior but rather the crust structure of the stars is a key factor to determine jmax for three kinds of selected compact stars. Furthermore, a universal formula j = 0.63(f/fK) − 0.42(f/fK)2 + 0.48(f/fK)3 is suggested to determine the spin parameter at any rotational frequency f smaller than the Keplerian frequency fK.
EFFECT OF BOARD CHARACTERISTICS ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF STATE CORPORATIONS IN KENYA

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of board characteristics on the financial performance of commercial state corporations in Kenya. The study specifically sought to assess the effect of board transparency, board mode of communication, board disclosures and board independence on the financial performance of commercial state corporations in Kenya. This study was guided by the stewardship theory, stakeholder’s theory, managerial hegemony theory and signaling theory. This study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population comprised of the all the 31 commercial state corporations in Kenya. Primary data was gathered by use of structured questionnaires and captured through a 5-point likert scale type. Secondary data on the other hand was collected from the financial records of the all the commercial state corporations. The study collected data using drop and pick method. Questionnaires were dropped and picked later to enable the respondents have enough time to respond to the questionnaires which enhanced reliability. Inferential statistics; regression coefficient and bivariate correlation were used to analyze the relationship of the dependent variable and the independent variables. The study used tables and charts to present output from data analysis. Both correlation and regression analysis revealed that there was positive and significant relationship between board characteristic (board transparency, board communication, board disclosures and board independence) and financial performance of state corporations. The study concluded that state corporations in Kenya were transparent, had good communication channels, disclosed there operations and finally had highly independent boards which enhance the financial performance. The study recommended that few of the state corporations that have not adopted the above board characteristic should do so to boost their financial performance. Keywords: Board Transparency, Communication, Disclosures Independence Financial, Performance
Economic Growth and Regional Convergence: The Case of Pakistan

The questions concerning the prevalence of poverty and the deepening gulf between rich and poor have always been the burning issues all over the world. These issues, irrespective of their causation factors, bear far reaching economic and political consequences. The federation of Pakistan displays complex regional diversities; the component units differ not only in linguistic, cultural, and social characteristics but also in the level of economic development. Although the constitution of Pakistan guaranties equitable shares for all provinces in national resources, the level of growth across regions has not been uniform. During the past half a century, investment in physical and social sectors concentrated in selected parts of the country, particularly in big cities. This practice has led to creation of economic disparities and a number of socio-political problems like terrorism, regional tensions, weakening of the federation and difficulty in arriving at consensus on issues of national interest. Growth theory provides a powerful analytical framework to analyse the issue of regional convergence. Given the assumption of perfect markets, the countries within a geographical region are supposed to converge overtime to a common steady state level of income, provided they are similar in other socio-economic conditions. Put differently, if countries differ significantly in these conditions, then each unit is likely to follow an independent growth path. This is also true for different regions within the same country/ political entity. The objective of this study is to investigate empirically if there is any evidence of convergence across different regions of Pakistan. The study utilises the conventional analytical tools and time series data over the period 1979-2005 for the four provinces, disaggregated into rural and urban sectors. As expected, no evidence of absolute convergence could be observed obviously due to presence of vast differences across the provinces in terms of the growth determinants. In contrast, the income disparities across the regions exhibited a widening tendency during the period under reference. However, the data did support conditional convergence, which implies that different regions followed independent growth paths. The findings further indicate that certain socio-economic conditions are crucial to explain the persistence of income disparities. The question as to why these conditions differ so widely across the different parts of Pakistan is often discussed at different economic and political forums. The study concludes with some policy recommendations that may improve the situation.
Stoichiometry software services based on cloud computation

In order to solve the shortcomings of the existing stoichiometry software program, such as high development cost, difficulties in deployment and upgrading and poor controllability, a stoichiometry software service based on cloud computation is proposed in this paper. With software-as-a-service (SaaS) model used, the browser/server architecture is adopted to provide professional stoichiometry software services. Experiments show that the parallel cross validation framework on the platform has greatly improved with regard to the speedup ratio on quad core CPU. Therefore, CloudChem can overcome the shortcomings of traditional stoichiometry software and the software service platform based on this method can realize effective, highspeed and integral storage, analysis and digging regarding chromatography, spectroscopy, NMR, mass spectrometry and other data and minimize infrastructure cost in using the stoichiometry software and software cost.