Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Productivity growth in Central and Eastern Europe . The role of capital imports and local conditions

In this paper, we analyze both theoretically and empirically the role of foreign technology (embodied in capital and intermediate goods imports from more advanced countries) as the main driver of technology diffusion and productivity growth in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) member countries, taking into consideration the ability of these economies to adopt new technologies domestically. Productivity spillovers may vary depending on the absorptive capacities, thus conferring some scope for policy makers in their attempt to maximize the potential benefits from foreign transactions. Based on industrial-level data, we use different panel data methodologies to estimate the links between labor productivity, imports of capital goods, and local conditions in the CEE member states for the period 1995-2009. To detect potential different patterns of technology absorption at different stages of development, we split the sample into two different country groups: more and less advanced countries. Our results suggest that capital imports are productivity enhancing in the Central and Eastern European economies, with a greater effect on less advanced countries. Our estimates also confirm the relevance of other local conditions, such as domestic capital, skill endowments, and the technology gap, in productivity gains.
Laser-stimulated electric quadrupole transitions in the molecular hydrogen ion H2+

Molecular hydrogen ions are of metrological relevance due to the possibility of precise theoretical evaluation of their spectrum and of external-field-induced shifts. We report the results of the calculations of the rate of laser-induced electric quadrupole transitions between a large set of ro-vibrational states of ${\rm H_2^+}$. The hyperfine and Zeeman structure of the E2 transition spectrum and the effects of the laser polarization are treated in detail. We also present the nuclear spin-electron spin coupling constants, computed with a precision 10 times higher than previously.
Decentralized coordination power control for islanding microgrid based on PV/BES-VSG

Virtual synchronous generator (VSG) technology for integration of distributed energy resources attracts increasing attentions for its enabling inverters to simulate the inertia and damping characteristics of synchronous generators and improve the stability of the system. In this paper, a decentralized VSG-based adaptive coordinated control strategy is proposed for islanding microgrids consisting of photovoltaic generators combined with battery energy storages in DC side (PV/BES-VSG). By the proposed method, the droop characteristics of VSGs can be adaptively adjusted according to the DC bus voltage. In this way, the local controllers of PV/BES-VSG units can switch operating modes automatically without the need of a central controller, so that the power sharing among PV/BES-VSG units is allocated according to the maximum output power of PVs and the limit of charging/discharging power of BES instead of merely rated capacity of the inverters. To test the proposed method, an islanding model of microgrid with two PV/BES-VSG units in parallel is built in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results show that by the proposed control strategy, the coordination control between PV and BES, and between PV/BESVSG units can be effectively realized with maximum use of PV power under the premise of the rational distribution of power.
Temporal patterns of territory settlement and detectability in mated and unmated Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos

In many bird species the sex ratio of adults is male-biased, which is likely to have consequences for the ecology as well as for the conservation of a species. For example, when some males remain unpaired in a population, there should be strong selection on behavioural traits that enhance pairing success. A surplus of males is also likely to have important implications for the interpretation of breeding bird survey data. In our study population of Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos, about half of the males stayed unpaired, suggesting that the number of males encountered singing was greater than the number of breeding pairs. Furthermore, the detectability (the probability of encountering a male singing) of mated males was only two-thirds that of unmated males when censused in the morning or late in the breeding season. The relative detectability was more similar early in the season and during the twilight periods before sunrise and after sunset. Males that arrived earlier on the breeding grounds were more successful in attracting a mate than males arriving later. Some of the unmated males deserted their territories and prospected areas up to 4000 m distant, whereas others settled on the study site only late in the season and may actually have changed territories. We suggest that adult sex ratios and the time of the census should be taken into account when interpreting the results of breeding bird surveys.
Distributed People Counting Using a Wireless Sensor Network

People observation and counting is of interest in many commercial and non-commercial scenarios. The number of people entering and leaving shops, the occupancy of office buildings or the passenger count of commuter trains provide useful information to shop merchants and marketers, security officials or train operators. To this end, this thesis develops a distributed people counting system, covering algorithms and their implementation on wireless sensor nodes. The algorithms presented address the people counting problem by interpreting the infrared sensor signal as system state. In particular, a dynamically configurable FSM is proposed based on regular expressions. In combination with several parameters related to sensor signal patterns the algorithms are adjustable to a range of deployment scenarios. The algorithms are provided as both a simulation model and the corresponding sensor node implementation. The prototype implementation provides a setup where each sensor node is equipped with one passive, dual-element infrared sensor (PIR). For evaluation, a prototyping processor board and low-cost PIR sensors were used to build two wireless sensor nodes from commercially available components. A feature of this implementation is that each sensor node is able to count, on-system and in real-time, the number of passers-by going in each direction, while requiring relatively little compute power. A wireless sensor network is described to monitor the count values of distributed nodes and collect these data at a base station. The base station transmits the count data to a web-based data collection server, where it can be made available for further use to applications and client devices, such as smartphones. To enable the configuration of the sensor nodes to specific installation scenarios, and for the purpose of performance analysis, a validation framework is presented. A stochastic state estimation model is considered to resolve the problem of relatively noisy people count measurements by sensors. In particular, the Kalman Filter is explored as a first approximation, and the corresponding model is evaluated using MATLAB.
Formulation and evaluation of intragastric floating drug delivery system of diltiazem hydrochloride

The present study is aimed towards formulation and evaluation of floating multiparticulate oral drug delivery system of diltiazem hydrochloride, which can provide sustained release. The work also aims to study various parameters affecting the behavior of floating multiparticulate in oral dosage form. Floating microspheres were prepared by non-aqueous emulsification solvent evaporation technique, using ethyl cellulose and Eudragit RS-100 as the rate controlling polymer.The in vitro performance was evaluated by the usual pharmacopoeial and other tests such as drug-polymer compatibility, (%) yield, particle size analysis, drug entrapment efficiency, surface topography, in vitro floatability and release studies. Results show that the mixing ratio of components in the organic phase affected the size, size distribution (199-320 μm), drug content (59-84%), %yield (57-77%) and drug release of microsphere (45-99% after 12 h) and floating time >12 h. The best results were obtained at the ratio of drug: polymer Eudragit RS-100 (1:3). In most cases, good in vitro floating behavior was observed and broad variety of drug release pattern could be achieved by variation of the polymer ratio, which was optimized to match target release profile. Stability studies showed no significant change in the drug content in the formulation even after 3 months.The data obtained in this study thus suggest that a micro particulate floating dosage form of diltiazem hydrochloride can be successfully designed to give controlled delivery and improved oral bioavailability.
Theoretical guidelines to create and tune electric skyrmions

Magnetic skyrmions are mesmerizing spin textures with peculiar topological and dynamical properties, typically the product of competing interactions in ferromagnets, and with great technological potential [1-5]. Researchers have long wondered whether analogous electric skyrmions might exist in ferroelectrics, maybe featuring novel behaviors and possibilities for electric and mechanical control. The results thus far are modest, though: an electric equivalent of the most typical magnetic skyrmion (which would rely on a counterpart of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction) seems all but impossible; further, the exotic ferroelectric orders observed or predicted to date [6-8] rely on very specific nano-structures (composites, superlattices), which limits the generality and properties (e.g., mobility) of the possible associated skyrmions. Here we propose an original approach to write electric skyrmions in simple ferroelectric lattices in a customary manner. Our second-principles simulations [9] of columnar ferroelectric nano-domains, in prototype compound PbTiO3 , show that it is possible to harness the Bloch-type internal structure of the domain wall [10] and hence create a genuine skyrmion. We check that the object thus obtained displays the usual skyrmion-defining features; further, it also presents unusual ones, including a symmetry-breaking skyrmion-skyrmion transition driven by strain, various types of topological transformations induced by external fields and temperature, and potentially very small sizes. Our results suggest countless possibilities for creating and manipulating electric textures with non-trivial topologies, using standard experimental tools and materials, effectively inaugurating the field of electric skyrmions.
BIOPOLYMER TOCOPHEROL ACETATE AS A DRUG CARRIER TO PREVENT BACTERIAL BIOFILM FORMATION ON SILICONE URETERAL STENTS Research Article

The present invention relates to indwelling medical devices, such as ureteral stents made of silicone, the material of which is impregnated with one or more antimicrobial agents (ofloxacin and ornidazole) to inhibit the growth of different bacterial pathogens that colonize the device surface. Coating of silicone ureteral stents by using a drug-delivery system was demonstrated in this study using dip-coating method. The technique was done by impregnating the stent pieces in the polymer mixed antibiotic solution for uniform surface coating (drug-carrier-coated stents). After coating, both qualitative and quantitative tests were carried out. Agar diffusion test was performed as qualitative test to find out the sensitivity of coated stents against the clinical stent isolates, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Quantitative test was measured by calculating the numbers of adhered bacteria on coated and uncoated stents by incubating the stent pieces in artificial urine. Difference in the number of viable bacteria adhered on the surface of coated and uncoated stents were statistically calculated using chi square test with P <0.05 considered significant. The stent colonising ability of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli in a controlled environment chamber was determined using two challenge dose of the isolates by in vitro challenge test. In qualitative test, the zone of inhibition around the coated stents showed sensitivity against the clinical isolates. In quantitative test, the number of adhered bacteria on the surface of coated stents was reduced to a significant level (P <0.05). In vitro challenge test showed that the coated stent does not contain any challenge isolates on their surface even after second dose. The development of the biodegradable drug delivery systems described here and the in vitro studies of this system, highlights the most important requirements for effective as well as compatible anti-infective coatings of silicone stents. Through continuous local release, high drug levels can be produced at only the targeted area and physiological bacterial proliferation can be completely inhibited.
Crop-Livestock Linkages in Watersheds of Andhra Pradesh: Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 29

There are a number of studies that have looked at the impact of watershed programs on rural livelihoods with a focus on crops and related activities but few have considered the importance of livestock. This study focuses on the crop-livestock linkages in dryland villages under watershed programs and concentrates on the impact of watershed interventions on crop-livestock linkages and the implication to rural livelihoods. For this study, baseline data collected from six watershed villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India under the Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Programme (APRLP) were analyzed with a focus on livestock production systems, size and composition of livestock holdings, milk production and marketing, and the availability and utilization of feed within the context of the socioeconomic, agroclimatic and agricultural backdrop of the villages. The impact of a watershed program on the crop-livestock system was studied by selecting two villages with the same agroclimatic conditions: one with a watershed intervention and the other without any intervention. The findings indicate that the bovine sector is more advanced in the watershed village compared to the control village with a shift in composition from work or draft animals to milch animals. Total increase in milk production in the watershed village is attributed to household level improvements in productivity, as a result of a better feeding regime. On a dry matter basis the quantity of fodder fed per adult livestock unit was 65–70% higher in the watershed village compared to the control village. In addition there was a dramatic increase in the quantity of greens fed which substituted for the use of concentrate feed usually composed of agro-industrial by-products. Conclusions indicate that the higher production of green biomass could be attributed to more intensive cropping resulting from improved moisture budgeting in the soils following the watershed intervention. Finally, the report suggests a few simple indicators that can be easily used to measure the impact of watershed programs on rural livelihoods with particular reference to crop-livestock linkages.
Euclidean versus Minkowski short distance

In this note we reexamine the possibility of extracting parton distribution functions from lattice simulations. We discuss the case of quasi-parton distribution functions, the possibility of using the reduced Ioffe-time distributions and the more recent proposal of directly making reference to the computation of the current-current $T$-product. We show that in all cases the process of renormalization hindered by lattice momenta limitation represents an obstruction to a direct Euclidean calculation of the parton distribution function.
A Neutron Powder Diffraction Determination of the Thermal Expansion Tensor of Crocoite (Pbcro4) between 60 K and 290 K

Abstract The thermal expansion tensor of crocoite has been determined from high-resolution neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data. The temperature dependence of the lattice constants between 4.5 K and 290 K have been fitted to a quasi-harmonic Einstein model, and the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion tensor has been calculated for 60 K ≤T ≤ 290 K. The magnitudes of the principal expansivities and their orientation exhibit saturation behaviour for temperatures above 300 K. The predicted saturated expansion coefficients are α11 = 33.1(1)x 10−6K−1, α22 = 15.72(3)x 10−6K−1, α33 = 3.36(1)x−6K−1 , with α22 parallel to b and α11 lying at an angle of −37,86(5)° to c for the P21/n setting of the crystal structure. The direction of maximum expansion is approximately parallel to both [101̅] and the least-squares line passing through the projection of the chromium atoms on (010). The direction of minimum expansion lies approximately parallel to [101]. No evidence was found for either a structural or magnetic phase transition between 4.5 K and 300 K.
Tourism sector competitiveness in Portugal: applying Porter's Diamond

The tourism sector has stood out for its enormous capacity for growth on a global scale and holding a relevant role both as a tool for the competitiveness and as a driver of regional development. This profile stems not only from its multiplier effects but also the opportunities susceptible to identification within the scope of offsetting regional disparities in growth and prosperity. The objective of this research project consists of evaluating the competitiveness of the regional areas and directorates of tourism in Portugal with the methodology applied requiring the input of primary data (a sample of 446 companies), through a questionnaire aimed at companies displaying the activities characteristic of the World Tourism Organisation satellite account. Through the application of Porter’s Diamond Model, we arrived at a conceptual model through recourse to the Partial Least Square – Path Modelling technique with the objective of analysing the relationships unfolding among the determinant variables to competitiveness in the tourism sector. Despite the results returned proving clear, we also verify that encapsulating competitiveness proves no easy task given how Portugal reports regions with simultaneously very varied and very specific characteristics.
Research on Intelligent Fault Diagnosis Methods for Electronic Equipment

With the development of modern science and technology level increasing, the structure of modern control system is becoming more and more complex, so it is very important to detect, forecast or discover the faults. This paper first analyzes the importance of the application of fault diagnosis method in different kinds of equipment, then analyses the research status of fault diagnosis technology at home and abroad, further introduces the fault diagnosis methods commonly used at home and abroad, the paper mainly analyzes and compares five different intelligent fault diagnosis methods based on knowledge at home, and points out the drawbacks of these methods, at last making a summary.
Industry strategies adopted by national bank of Kenya in the turbulent banking industry and their effect on organizational performance

The banking industry has witnessed intense competition and turbulence the world over and the Kenyan banking industry is not an exception. To survive in this market, commercial banks have adopted different industry strategies to gain and sustain competitive advantage derived from their capabilities and thus influence its organizational performance. In a turbulent banking industry like the Kenyan situation, absence of well-defined industries strategies can lead to weak positions and result in performances that are below the industry average. The purpose of this study was to examine the industry strategies adopted by the National Bank of Kenya and their effect on the organizational performance. The study adopted case study design to carry out this research where an interview guide targeting 8 senior officers of the bank was employed to collect data. Both primary and secondary data were sourced and used for analysis through Content Analysis method. The study revealed that NBK has recently applied various strategies to capture the market share and sustain competition. It also came to the fore that the bank recently underwent a restructuring process and thus has been embracing cost efficiency strategy to spur growth and gain competitive edge in the competitive banking industry. Technology adoption relate to payment services and how customers conduct banking business through for instance debit cards ,smart cards, mobile banking among others. An advance in technology has reduced the need for an intermediary by providing easy access to information. Through adoption of various technology advances, communication has also been enhanced between both the internal and external customers. This has led to creating good customer relationship. The bank is also boasting of enhanced brand equity through adoption of differentiation strategies that has enabled its products and services to stand out from its competitors. The bank is also able to develop and analyze new markets and therefore able to venture into new markets. The study recommended that the bank should focus on improving its IT infrastructure, expand the branch network and train staff to be more customer-friendly to exceed customer expectations to gain and sustain competitive advantage over its competitors also that commercial banks should be able to come up with strategies that will ensure that they adapt to the changes and the intense competition that are taking place in the industry and be relevant to the challenging environment that they are operating in.
Transfer of Bacteroides succinogenes (Hungate) to Fibrobacter gen. nov. as Fibrobacter succinogenes comb. nov. and Description of Fibrobacter intestinalis sp. nov.

A comparison of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequences showed that strains classified as Bacteroides succinogenes are not closely related to other species of Bacteroides, including the type species, Bacteroides fragilis. Flavobacterium heparinum, for example, is more closely related to B. fragilis than B. succinogenes is. Therefore, we propose that B. succinogenes strains be renamed as members of a new genus, Fibrobacter. An analysis of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequence data revealed that there are two species within this new genus. Isolates from rumina are placed in Fibrobacter succinogenes; the type strain is strain S85 (= ATCC 19169). Isolates from ceca of nonruminant animals are placed in Fibrobacter intestinalis; the type strain is strain NR9 (= ATCC 43854). Members of Fibrobacter succinogenes can be differentiated from Fibrobacter intestinalis by their requirement for biotin; the site of isolation may not be diagnostic. Fibrobacter succinogenes consists of two subspecies; the cells of Fibrobacter succinogenes subsp. succinogenes strains are broad rods that are often pleomorphic and coccoid (type strain, S85), whereas cells of Fibrobacter succinogenes subsp. elongata are slender rods (type strain, HM2 [= ATCC 43856]).