Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring Lean Healthcare Transformation using The Theory of Planned Behavior

The literature suggests that lean transformation efforts in manufacturing and healthcare industries fail approximately in 90% of applications. As such, it is critical to understand how lean implementation efforts affect human behavior. In this research study, the physician author was embedded in an academic specialty out-patient department for 12 months providing training on lean methodology to supervisors and staff, and facilitating Kaizen events. Direct observations, informal interviews and journal notes were kept to capture event outcomes, change in behaviors, and staff comments following the events. The behaviors were examined using the Theory of Planned Behavior. Data analysis suggests that supervisors and staff rapidly grasped the knowledge about lean tools for improving processes and creating new services, yet failed at committing to lean thinking and taking responsibility for implemented improvements. Through an understanding of subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and attitudes, the author offers insights into successes and failures of lean efforts at behavioral change in healthcare.
Welfare Dynamics and Loss Aversion

Measures of individual welfare dynamics have so far ignored the insights from behavioral economics with regard to decision making. We argue that especially the issue of reference dependent utility is of high relevance for the measurement of welfare dynamics under uncertainty and propose a new measure that goes back to the value function of Kahneman and Tversky (1979), where the utility of an individual is not only a function of his or her current income but also of his or her reference point, i.e. his past income. We demonstrate the implications of our proposed measure with panel data from Germany and Madagascar and compare it to other recently proposed measures of welfare dynamics.
Water balance in Cubatão-Sul river catchment, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Este trabalho apresenta resultados dos estudos relacionados com a estimativa da recarga do aquifero freatico na bacia do rio Una, Municipio de Taubate. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver politicas publicas a fim de viabilizar o uso sustentavel dos recursos hidricos superficiais e subterrâneos no Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias da UNITAU. As principais atividades realizadas foram: a determinacao dos indices fisicos do solo, a caracterizacao textural do perfil; a construcao de piezometros; o monitoramento do nivel d’agua do aquifero freatico; realizacao de balanco hidrico climatologico e analises fisico-quimicas e bacteriologicas. Os ensaios de caracterizacao geotecnica realizados mostraram que o solo e bastante poroso, com porosidade em torno de 53%, e com umidade natural de aproximadamente 30%. Quanto aos resultados das analises granulometricas verificou-se que quanto maior a profundidade mais uniforme e a distribuicao da textura dos sedimentos, desde finos argilosos, ate grossos arenosos. Estabeleceu-se uma relacao consistente entre excedente hidrico, porosidade, grau de saturacao e medidas piezometricas em uma serie historica diaria no periodo de um ano. Os metodos utilizados e as medidas obtidas permitiram calcular a descarga de agua do aquifero freatico nas fontes, sendo de 14,5 mm/dia no periodo mais chuvoso, e de 1,9 mm nos outros periodos do ano. A existencia de coliformes fecais no aquifero freatico mostrou que ha presenca de bacterias oriundas da infiltracao de aguas provenientes de fossas septicas ou, do ribeirao Itaim, contaminadas por esgoto domestico.
Comparison of ecological risks of insecticides for nursery-box application using species sensitivity distribution

e ecological risks to aquatic organisms posed by insecticide use were compared using species sensitivity distribution (SSD) to determine if nursery-box application is ecologically safer than surface-water application. e targeted insecticides were imidacloprid and pronil for nursery-box application and fenitrothion as a reference for surface-water application. Ecological risks were quanti ed as the potentially a ected fraction (PAF) of species calculated using SSD and the pesticide concentration in river and paddy water. e PAF value was the highest for fenitrothion in both river and paddy water, indicating that substituting nursery-box for surface-water application reduces the ecological risk. e validity of our SSD approach for risk quanti cation was con rmed with comparisons in mesocosm studies. e comparisons suggest that the PAF values successfully correspond to the magnitude of the pesticide e ect on ecosystems. e actual ecosystem appeared to have strong recovery potential, even when more than 50% of the species were a ected. © Pesticide Science Society of Japan
Fast and scalable non-parametric Bayesian inference for Poisson point processes

We study the problem of non-parametric Bayesian estimation of the intensity function of a Poisson point process. The observations are assumed to be $n$ independent realisations of a Poisson point process on the interval $[0,T]$. We propose two related approaches. In both approaches we model the intensity function as piecewise constant on $N$ bins forming a partition of the interval $[0,T]$. In the first approach the coefficients of the intensity function are assigned independent Gamma priors. This leads to a closed form posterior distribution, for which posterior inference is straightforward to perform in practice, without need to recourse to approximate inference methods. The method scales extremely well with the amount of data. On the theoretical side, we prove that the approach is consistent: as $n\to \infty$, the posterior distribution asymptotically concentrates around the "true", data-generating intensity function at the rate that is optimal for estimating $h$-H\"older regular intensity functions ($0 < h\leq 1$), provided the number of coefficients $N$ of the intensity function grows at a suitable rate depending on the sample size $n$. In the second approach it is assumed that the prior distribution on the coefficients of the intensity function forms a Gamma Markov chain. The posterior distribution is no longer available in closed form, but inference can be performed using a straightforward version of the Gibbs sampler. We show that also this second approach scales well. Practical performance of our methods is first demonstrated via synthetic data examples. It it shown that the second approach depends in a less sensitive way on the choice of the number of bins $N$ and outperforms the first approach in practice. Finally, we analyse three real datasets using our methodology: the UK coal mining disasters data, the US mass shootings data and Donald Trump's Twitter data.
Optical to near-infrared transit observations of super-Earth GJ 1214b: water-world or mini-Neptune?

Context. GJ1214b, the 6.55 Earth-mass transiting planet recently discovered by the MEarth team, has a mean density of∼35% of that of the Earth. It is thought that this planet is either a mini-N eptune, consisting of a rocky core with a thick, hydrogen-rich atmosphere, or a planet with a composition dominated by water. Aims. In the case of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, molecular absorption and scattering processes may result in detectable radi us variations as a function of wavelength. The aim of this paper is to measure these variations. Methods. We have obtained observations of the transit of GJ1214b in the r- and I-band with the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), in the g-, r-, i- and z-bands with the 2.2 meter MPI/ESO telescope, in the Ks-band with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), and in the Kc-band with the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). By comparing the transit depth between the the different bands, which is a measure for the planet-to-star size ratio, the atmosphere i s investigated. Results. We do not detect clearly significant variations in the planet -to-star size ratio as function of wavelength. Although the ratio at the shortest measured wavelength, in g-band, is 2σ larger than in the other bands. The uncertainties in the K s and Kc bands are large, due to systematic features in the light curves. Conclusions. The tentative increase in the planet-to-star size ratio at t he shortest wavelength could be a sign of an increase in the effective planet-size due to Rayleigh scattering, which would require GJ1214b to have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. If true, then the atmosphere has to have both clouds, to suppress planet-size variations at red optical wavelengths, as well as a sub-sola r metallicity, to suppress strong molecular features in the near- and mid-infrared. However, star spots, which are known to be present on the hoststar’s surface, can (partly) cancel out the expected variat ions in planet-to-star size ratio, because the lower surfac e temperature of the spots causes the effective size of the star to vary with wavelength. A hypothetical spot-fraction of∼10%, corresponding to an average stellar dimming of∼5% in the i-band, would be able to raise the near- and mid-infrared points suffi ciently with respect to the optical measurements to be inconsistent with a water-dominated atmosphere. Modulation of the spot fraction due to the stellar r otation would in such case cause the observed flux variations of GJ1214.
On the control of photovoltaic maximum power point tracker via output parameters

A new approach for tracking the maximum power point of photovoltaic arrays is presented. The maximum power point tracker output voltage and current are used for control purposes, rather than for its input voltage and current. It is shown that using the output parameters simplifies the maximum power point tracker controller. Moreover, using this approach, only one out of the two output parameters needs to be sensed. This observation is general and applies regardless of the power stage or the realisation control algorithm. Contrary to what might have previously been assumed, it is theoretically shown that the MPPT control that uses a single output control parameter applies to nearly all practical load types, regardless of the load nature.
Isolation and Characterization of Microfibrillated Cellulose from Agro-industrial Soybean Residue (Okara)

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) was isolated from the byproduct of soymilk, tofu, and okara (soybean residue) using a chemi-mechanical technique. Initially, petroleum ether treatment at 50 °C for 8 h and protease treatment at 50 °C for 2 h were used to remove fat and protein, respectively. A 6 wt% hydrochloric acid solution at a 20 mL/g acid-to-cellulose ratio was applied at 88 °C for 60 min to remove the residual hemicellulose and degrade cellulose. Finally, the sample was gently homogenized at 60 MPa to aid in individualization of the fibers to nano dimension; homogenization for 5 and 25 passes resulted in fibers labeled as MFC-5 and MFC-25, respectively. The amorphous region of okara cellulose was higher than other non-wood fibers. The average diameters of MFC-5 and MFC-25 were within the range of 13 nm to 93 nm and 9 nm to 55 nm, respectively. MFC obtained from okara has potential to reinforce ecofriendly cellulosic nanofibrillated for diverse applications.
Investigating the use of interactive whiteboard technology in the English language classroom through the lens of a critical theory of technology

Several authors have pointed out that CALL research does not have the academic status that it should have because it does not take place within a well-developed theoretical framework. For this reason, there have been several proposals which seek to anchor CALL research within various existing theoretical frameworks—for instance, instructed second language acquisition and sociocultural theory. This article aims at contributing to the theoretical and methodological development of CALL research by throwing light on the potential benefits of using a particular conceptual framework—that of a critical theory of technology, which stresses the necessity of contextualizing technology and understanding its social embeddeness when investigating its integration in any context. The data discussed here are drawn from a qualitative study, carried out as part of a Ph.D. research programme, which aimed at exploiting the potential of Promethean interactive whiteboard technology for the teaching of English as a foreign language. The findings indicate that the final picture of technology use in the context investigated was seen as the result of the interaction of several elements, such as: the inherent characteristics of the technology, teacher's pedagogical beliefs, students' own understandings of the potentials of the technology and the negotiations between students and the teacher regarding how the technology should be pedagogically exploited.
In vitro micro propagation of Nicotiana benthamiana via axillary shoots

Axillary shoots of Nicotiana benthamiana were regenerated from nodal explants in two weeks using MS media supplemented with the cytokinin, kinetin (0.5 mg/L), and the auxin, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0.1 mg/L). Ninety two percent of shoots were 2.1-20 mm tall, a size ideal for root induction. After transfer to hormone-free MS they readily produced roots within seven days, with phenotypically normal, fully developed plants being obtained within four weeks. Leaf chlorosis due to iron deficiency was observed in plants over time, however, this was overcome by doubling the concentration of inorganic iron. This rapid micro-propagation system is particularly useful for the in vitro mass production of N. benthamiana plants for various biotechnological applications.
EMGNEU : MOBILE HEALTH APPLICATION FOR NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS DIAGNOSIS

Neuromuscular disorders term refers to all diseases that affect nerves and muscles. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease) is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide. Individuals with ALS may suffer from voluntary muscles (legs and arms muscles) weakness and difficulty in swallowing or breathing. Recently, mobile technology is used in the health sector to improve the quality of and access to health care. Mobile health applications help patients to monitor their treatments when it becomes difficult to obtain attention from health workers regularly. EMGNeu is a mobile health application that aims to help ALS patients to discover their disease once it occurs based on EMG signal. That is by focusing on new trends of integrating artificial intelligence methodologies as support vector machines into mobile telemedicine solutions. EMGNeu doesn't only help patients to track their neuromuscular conditions but it also helps their physician as well. Physicians are able to track their patients by receiving alerts when the disease is discovered and sending recommendations to the patients to help them monitoring their emergency case until they could obtain medical help.
ncreasing the productivity of avocado orchards using high-density lantings : A review hristopher

There is strong interest in the use of high-density plantings to increase the productivity of avocado (Persea americana) orchards. Close plantings have the potential for higher yields and returns than standard or traditional plantings, especially in the early years of production. The success of this technology is dependent on the use of methods to control shoot growth and maximise light interception as the trees begin to bear fruit. We reviewed the performance of high-density orchards in different environments, and the success of efforts to control the growth of the trees through the use of dwarfing material, canopy management and growth regulators. Close plantings generally produce higher yields in the first few years of bearing compared with the yields of standard plantings. However, in most growing areas, the trees in the close plantings soon begin to crowd each other and yields decline. This usually occurs despite efforts to control shoot growth by pruning the trees or by applying growth regulators. Efforts to breed dwarfing rootstocks that can control the growth of mature trees have been largely unsuccessful. In the absence of dwarfing material, effective canopy management appears to be the largest barrier to success of highdensity orchards. Further research on the use of different pruning strategies and growth regulators to control the growth of the trees and maximise light interception is required. There are potential problems with some of the growth regulators persisting in the harvested fruit and soil under certain circumstances. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
THE ELECTRON-PHONON MATRIX ELEMENT IN THE DIRAC POINT OF GRAPHENE

The chief aim of this paper is to derive the matrix element of electron-phonon interaction in graphene as a function of phonon wave vector. The tight binding model, harmonic crystal approximation, and deformation potential approximation were employed for obtaining the matrix element. Required microscopic parameters are available in the current literature. This technique allows the most precise derivation of the electronphonon matrix element in graphene based on the semiempirical models. Scattering of electrons from the Dirac point is considered as most important. The 2D plots of the e-ph matrix element absolute value as a function of the phonon wave vector for in-plane modes are given as a result. These plots show the high anisotropy of the e-ph matrix element and singularities in high symmetry points. The results are in agreement with the long-wavelength approximation.
A study of toxicity and genotoxicity of copper, zinc and their mixture to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the toxicity and genotoxicity of heavy metals (HM) (Cu and Zn) and their mixture to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). No significant alterations in the erythrocyte count and haemoglobin concentration were found after exposure to Cu, Zn and their mixture at all three concentrations studied. The most significant decrease (P < 0.001) in leukocyte count was determined in the blood of fish exposed to 0.25 LC50 of HM and their mixture, 0.125 and 0.0625 LC50 of HM mixtures. A slight, but significant increase (P < 0.05) in hematocrit level was found in the blood of fish exposed to a 0.125 LC50 concentration of Cu and HM mixture. The frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes (MNE) increased after exposure to HM and their mixture at all three concentrations studied (0.25, 0.125 and 0.06 LC 50) (P < 0.0001), but there were no significant differences in MNE levels among the concentrations studied (P = 0.136). After a 96-hour recovery (in clean water) of the fish exposed to a HM mixture, the levels of MNE significantly decreased at the highest and lowest concentrations studied (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.004, respectively).
Systematic Design Method for Co-creation of 3 D Printing Service

Background: As one of the objectives of Design for Additive Manufacture, the customized geometry promotes 3D printing to increasingly realize product customization in the service market. Defined as a business strategy which focuses on customer experience and interaction, co-creation is expected to obtain a fast-growing market volume. Recently, some co-creation of 3D printing service (3DPS) has been released to realize value creation. Despite of its rapid growth, there are rare researches on this field, especially those about its design method. Aim: To define a systematic design method for developing the co-creation of 3DPS. Method: Firstly, this research distinguished ambiguous type and definite type of 3DPS cocreation. The latter was taken as the current research object, because it presents the services scope more clearly. Furthermore, in order to solve the problem about the research, that is, what the essential components constructing the 3DPS co-creation are, evidence needed to be collected based on observation of the mentioned cases. Therefore, holistic multiple-case study of 3DPS co-creation samples was designed and conducted, as it was herein applied as the research method. This research is divided into three sections. The first section presents the preparation for data collection, including case selection and the formulation of evidence collection. The second section analyzes the collected evidences. Based on the evidence analysis, the third section concludes the knowledge of 3DPS cocreation. In order to collect adequate evidences, a pair of models was applied to build a framework. The first one is the Den Hertog's service innovation model which presents four dimensions including new service concept, new client interface, new service delivery system, and technological options. The other model refers to the building blocks of interactions for value co-creation: dialogue, access, risk-benefits, and transparency. It presents the components in basis construction, which are necessary for the interactions between a consumer and a service provider. Finding: the system of 3DPS co-creation is composed by three dialogues including related accesses and interfaces, and the to-be-3D printed outcome. The three accesses provide customers with the entrances of knowing service concept, co-creating geometry, and accepting service delivery. The interfaces bring corresponding dialogues between accesses 2016. Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain, IFDP`16 Systems & Design:Beyond Processes and Thinking Systematic design method for co-creation of 3 D printing service.
The partial adjustment factors of FTSE 100 stock index and stock index futures: The informational impact of electronic trading systems

This paper examines the partial adjustment factors of FTSE 100 stock index and stock index futures. Using high frequency data since January 15, 1997 until March 17, 2000, it aims to assess the informational impact of the new electronic trading systems recently implemented at London Stock Exchange and LIFFE. The results suggest that information runs mainly from the futures market to the spot market. We find that the introduction of SETS, in October 1997, has increased the FTSE 100 index absolute efficiency; however it reduced the informational feedback to the futures market. The implementation of LIFFE CONNECT at LIFFE, in May 1999, has reduced the absolute and relative efficiency of FTSE 100 futures. These findings seem to imply that during the period under scrutiny electronic trading has increased the level of microstructural noise, probably due to the bid-ask bounce and order flow imbalances.
The Structural Contexts of Civic Engagement: Voluntary Association Membership in Comparative Perspective

Voluntary association membership varies dramatically among nations, by both the number and the type of associations that people join. Two distinctions account for much of this variation: (1) the distinction between statist versus nonstatist (sometimes called “liberal”) societies, and (2) the distinction between corporate versus noncorporate societies. These two dimensions summarize historically evolved differences in state structure, political institutions, and culture of nations that channel, legitimate (or deligitimate), and encourage (or discourage) various types of associational activity. Membership in associations in 32 countries is examined using data from the 1991 World Values Survey; hierarchical models estimate the effects of individual-level and country-level factors on individual association membership. Results show that statism constrains individual associational activity of all types, particularly in “new “ social movement associations. Corporateness positively affects membership, particularly for “old” social movements. Finally, temporal trends indicate some convergence toward Anglo-American patterns of association.