Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detecting Item Bias in Latent Construct Between Group Comparisons: An Illustrative Example Using Multi-Sample Covariance Structural Equations Modeling

Analyzing, responding to, and managing group differences in consumer behavior are critical for the successful formulation and execution of strategy. By understanding such distinctions, managers can design and deliver differentiated product offerings and promotions tailored to the needs of specific demographic, socioeconomic, and psychographic segments in the marketplace. From a methodology standpoint, comparing group differences involves two broad approaches. First, qualitative techniques such as interview protocols and ethnographies can generate unique insights about both within and between group phenomena. Second, managers and marketers typically use statistical tools such as t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) techniques to obtain quantitative estimates of group differences. While MANOVA techniques are useful, they can also distort true group differences especially when latent constructs (e.g., satisfaction) are involved. In particular, MANOVA models for latent constructs will yield optimal results only if measures possess identical psychometric properties (e.g., item to construct relationships) across groups. However, the notion of psychometric equivalence is rarely tested in practice. Hence, biased items and measurement artifacts can confound true between group differences in MANOVA models. This paper discusses how item bias can be explicitly accounted for and controlled while making between group comparisons using MANOVA. Specifically, it describes how the multi-sample covariance structural equations modeling (SEM) method can provide researchers with a better basis to assess and address item bias. We illustrate the multi-sample SEM method by analyzing empirical data on perceptual latent constructs (performance ambiguity and input uncertainty) collected from automotive repair managers. The results show that by using the SEM and MANOVA techniques in tandem, researchers can control the deleterious effects of item bias and obtain robust and meaningful estimates of between group differences. The implications of our study for future research are also discussed.
Emergence of Storm Resistant Mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Burn Patients Hospitalized in Ghotbeddin Shirazi Burn Hospital

Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium has capability of presenting different policies against antimicrobial agents. These capacities make this bacterium as one of the most important cause of nosocomial infection especially among burned patients. Methods: In this cross sectional study, total of 253 hospitalized burned patients (During September 2013 to November 2014) in Ghotbeddin Shirazi were evaluated for P. aeruginosa. Confirmed isolates tested for Metallo-β-lactamase (MBLs) producing and related genes bla IMPI, II , bla SPM , bla KHM , bla VIM , efflux pump activity, and OprD mutations. Results: From total of 56 (22%) P. aeruginosa isolates, 32 (57.14%) were MBLs while in genetic evaluation, only bla IMPII, bla KHM and bla VIM genes were detected. While 52 (92.8%) isolates had MexAB-OprM gene but 44(78.6%) isolates had efflux pump activity. In OprD sequencing evaluation it has been proved that the most imipenem resistance isolates have mutations in this related gene. Based on the results it has been proved that the circulating P. aeruginosa isolates in Shiraz burn center are armed with the most potential resistant mechanisms. Conclusion: According to that the most isolates have the potential of express different mechanisms of resistance, it is highly recommended to evaluate the circulating infectious agents periodically and determine their resistant algorithm to control them before being resistant and being dominant in health centers.
Equilibrium Constants Determination of the Species Formation in the Al(III)-H 2 O System by Integration of 27 Al-NMR Signals and Fitting with Species Fractions

A quantitative methodology to determine formation con- stants that takes into consideration the 27 Al-NMR signals of Al(III)- H2O systems has been analyzed, where area fractions beneath the peaks recorded were associated with the corresponding species frac- tions. The values of the formation constants were compared with the model obtained by potentiometric studies. In agreement with previ- ous reports, the -log*β values obtained by NMR and potentiometry, at 0.020 M ≤ (Al(III))total ≤ 0.500 M are 12.96 ± 0.02 for Al(OH)3, 13.50±0.02 for Al3(OH)4 5+ , and 109.70±0.09 for Al13(OH)32 7+ , by assuming that Al(OH) 2+ has a value of 5.29. Additionally the equi- librium constant values obtained allowed fitting of the conductimetry titrations in the 6.00(10- 3 ) M ≤ (Al(III))total ≤ 0.120 M. The algorithm presented in this work gives a support to establish that the area frac- tions of NMR signals are proportional to the species concentration fractions.
Surface Modification of Polymeric Materials by Plasma Treatment

Low-temperature plasma treatment has been used in the last years as a useful tool to modify the surface properties of different materials, in special of polymers. In the present work low temperature plasma was used to treat the surface of asymmetric porous substrates of polysulfone (PSf) membranes. The main purpose of this work was to study the influence of the exposure time and the power supplied to argon plasma on the permeability properties of the membranes. Three rf power levels, respectively 5, 10 and 15 W were used. Treatment time ranged from 1 to 50 min. Reduction of single gas permeability was observed with Ar plasma treatments at low energy bombardment (5 W) and short exposure time (20 min). Higher power and/or higher plasma exposition time causes a degradation process begins. The chemical and structural characterization of the membranes before and after the surface modification was done by AFM, SEM and XPS.
Influence of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) produced by diazotrophic bacteria on root development and growth of in vitro oil palm shoots (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

The interaction between plant and diazotrophs would influence the synthesis of phytohormone [indole-3acetic acid (IAA)]. Generally, IAA excreted by the bacteria would increase top and root biomass and lateral root numbers of the host plants. Thus, the objectives of this study were to estimate IAA productivity of free-living diazotrophs and to observe the effects of IAA produced on root development and shoot growth of in vitro oil palm plantlets. Four diazotrophic bacteria used in the study, Herbaspirillum seropedicae (Z78), Microbacterium sp. (E7), Acetobacter sp. (E9) and Microbacterium sp. (E14) successfully produced IAA under free-living conditions. These diazotrophs exhibited optimum productivity of IAA during the log growth phase. Isolates of Microbacterium sp. E7 and E14 produced the higher concentration of IAA and also higher overall productivity of IAA compared to the other isolates tested. In order to observe plant growth-promoting effects of the phytohormones produced by the diazotroph, all the tested diazotrophs were inoculated onto the in vitro (tissue-cultured) oil palm shoots (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). In associative conditions, inoculation of Z78 showed a significant increment in number of secondary roots, fresh weight, and protein content of oil palm shoots compared to those receiving control treatments. Significant responses of isolates E7 and E14 were also observed in the initiation of secondary roots, protein content and the increment of shoot fresh weight. This study concluded that IAA produced by Z78, E7 and E14 could contribute to enhanced growth and development of in vitro oil palm shoots and can be further developed into a potential biofertiliser.
Modeling and Simulation of Surface Acoustic Wave Chemical Sensors

In this paper, we present the design and modeling considerations of SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) chemical sensors based on various structures. These sensors can be used for identifying environmental contaminants in large applications scale. Various finite element models of a Surface Acoustic Wave sensors are developed using CoventorWare and 3D analysis is performed on the devices to study the acoustic wave propagation and characterize the device. The effects of the various interdigital transducer (IDT) design, intermediate layer on the propagation characteristics is also investigated. Also, we present some results obtained from the device. Results indicate that with increasing the gas concentration the wave velocity decreases and the attenuation of the wave is reduced.
Development of a Free Space, LED Illuminated Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography Setup

Free-space spectral domain optical coherence tomography has been demonstrated using an 8 mW ultra-bright 850 nm light-emitting diode with a 40 nm spectral width. The system detects longitudinal reflectivity of surface and sub-surface layers of optical elements to depths of a millimetre with high fidelity. Development stages included mathematical analysis of light interference by superposition of electric field phasors of reference and sample arms of a Michelson interferometer. A method by which depth-resolved reflectivity is acquired is described. A locally assembled Czerny Turner monochromator was aligned such that the interferometer output beam is dispersed into its spectral components before image re-construction. Calibration of the 2048-pixel detecting charge-coupled device line camera was performed using a Mercury vapour lamp with 8 spectral lines spanning from the ultra-violet to yellow region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Processing of interference fringe signals from spectral domain data is described and an analysis of variations in frequency of the interference fringe signal and threshold illumination with depth into the sample presented. A test of sensitivity of the depth imaging algorithm to low-amplitude signals is also reported.
Association of sequence variation 713-8delC in intron 4 of transforming growth factor-β1 gene and low bone mineral density in Pakistani female osteoporotic population.

Osteoporosis, a major public health problem, is becoming increasingly prevalent with the aging of the world population. This skeletal disorder is generalized, affecting the elderly, both sexes, and all racial groups' especially postmenopausal women are common victims. It results in fragility of the bone and leads to fractures. Ostopenia is less severe condition with fragile bones. Osteoporosis is polygenic condition in which many genes and environmental factors play key role. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) is considered a putative regulator of osteoclastic-osteoblastic interaction (coupling). The present study was done to examine whether a sequence variation of the TGF-β1 gene (713-8delC) is related to bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in Pakistani local osteoporotic female population. BMD was used as diagnostic tool to identify the subjects suffering from osteoporosis. Subjects were divided into three groups according to BMD i.e., osteoporotic, osteopenic and normal. Fifty samples were collected, 30 from osteoporotic, 11 from osteopenic and 9 from normal females. Sequence was amplified as PCR fragment and RFLP was done using Van91l enzyme to determine the sequence variation. The results showed that 70% of the individuals had a one base deletion in the intron sequence, 8 bases prior to exon 5 (713-8delC), which could influence splicing, while 33% normal women exhibited the 713-8delC. This sequence variation was significantly higher in the osteoporotic group and there was an association between deletion and low BMD (p < 0.05). A direct relationship between age and BMD was also established. Average BMD (-3.133 T-score) and age of osteoporotic subjects (52.7 years) was highest among three BMD defined groups, which indicates that with the increase in age, BMD becomes lower and chance of having osteoporosis increases. Most of the post-menopausal women (80%) were found to be osteoporotic in Pakistani local female population.
Credit rationing with heterogeneous borrowers in transition economies: evidence from Slovakia

This article investigates the macroeconomic importance of credit rationing and whether banks use characteristics such as ownership structure and institutional type of borrowers in order to regulate the risk of loaned funds. To test this, monthly data for 2000–02, extracted from the National Bank of Slovakia monetary review, were used. The article finds that credit rationing was not present during the period analysed, implying that the credit market can be approximated with a typical supply and demand relationship. The second finding of the article is that intermediaries use the ownership type and institutional form of borrowers to regulate risk.
Design for social enterprises. Co-designing an organizational and cultural change

Abstract The debate on social innovation agrees on the idea that social innovation creates new relationships and roles, enhancing better uses of assets and resources, supporting mutualism and developing capabilities: in this framework social enterprises may play a crucial role, especially if supported by a design-driven approach. Such reflection builds upon two experimentations developed in Italy: the first one aimed at investigating new strategies to enhance the distinctive collaborative role of social enterprises, the second one was devoted to rethinking the existing services of cooperatives by including users in the co-design and co-production phases. Benefiting from the lessons learnt from these two case studies, this paper attempts to shape the notion of ‘design for social enterprises’ as a field in which a combination of design methods and tools may support a cultural and organisational change that places collaboration with communities of users and other local actors at the centre of the social entrepreneurial process.
Mechanical Attributes of Uniaxial Compression for Calcium Carbonate Whisker Reinforced Oil Well Cement Pastes

It is crucial for design and safety of the cementing sheath to develop better understanding of the CaCO3 whisker reinforced oil well cement pastes. The uniaxial compression curve, mechanical constitutive relation, and reinforcing mechanism of the CaCO3 whisker reinforced oil well cement pastes are studied in this script. The results indicate that the CaCO3 whisker under the 10% dosage could improve the tensile strength of the cement paste significantly. The peak stress, elasticity modulus, and the energy at different stages of the stress-strain curve of the CaCO3 whisker reinforced cement paste are reinforced with the increasing of CaCO3 whisker. Afterward, the constitutive model of stress-strain curve, the toughness index, and capability coefficients index of the CaCO3 whisker reinforced cement paste are established. A physical model of the interface layer is also established and the micromechanical reinforcement is related to the double film layer between the CaCO3 whisker and cement matrix which could be bonded with much more fastness to the cement surface. The development of this script provides new ways to analyze the toughening mechanism of CaCO3 whisker and establishes a correlation between basic material structure and the physical properties.
Application of Axiomatic Design for Agile Product Development

Agile, and iterative, development methods for new product development are gaining in popularity under product engineers; where it initially was just applied for software development, now larger adoption takes place for product development in general. The design rules of agile development are somewhat conflicting with the guidelines of Axiomatic Design. In this paper, it is investigated why this is the case, what can be done about it, and how can the strengths of agile development be combined with Axiomatic Design to optimise methods for product design. It is shown that the methods are indeed advising on different and conflicting strategies, however, by attenuating the agile design rules in the early stage of design, and doing the same for AD in the later stage of design, best of both worlds can be combined.
Addressing New Security Threats

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is viewed as one of the next frontiers in wireless communications. Freed from the traditional constraint of wireless devices that require manning or human intervention, communication using M2M equipment (M2ME) is expected to open up exciting new use cases, services, and applications, with benefits for the general masses and market opportunities for various stakeholders such as manufacturers of M2ME and components, service providers, and communication network operators. Considering the large number of M2MEs expected to be deployed in highly distributed networks and because of the requirements for low-cost devices and implementations, global enforcement of security will not be practical. As the conventional centralized IT network security model, protected by a firewall, becomes challenged by the need for a dispersed model, decentralized methods for establishing security are being explored. The growing Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MVT.2009. 933478 © PHOTO F/X2
Parametric study of femtosecond inscription of microstructures for OCT artefact fabrication

As optical coherence tomography (OCT) becomes widespread, validation and characterization of systems becomes important. Reference standards are required to qualitatively and quantitatively measure the performance between difference systems. This would allow the performance degradation of the system over time to be monitored. In this report, the properties of the femtosecond inscribed structures from three different systems for making suitable OCT characterization artefacts (phantoms) are analyzed. The parameter test samples are directly inscribed inside transparent materials. The structures are characterized using an optical microscope and a swept-source OCT. The high reproducibility of the inscribed structures shows high potential for producing multi-modality OCT calibration and characterization phantoms. Such that a single artefact can be used to characterize multiple performance parameters such the resolution, linearity, distortion, and imaging depths.
Marketing of Jews mallow in Agbedranfo local area in the Southwest of Benin

This study focuses on analyzing the functioning of the marketing systems of jew’s mallow (Corchorus olitorius) produced in Agbedranfo (Dogbo), Southwest Benin. The methodological approach used was based on the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm (SCPA). A total of 60 producers, 28 retailers and 4 wholesalers were sampled. The results identified two jew’s mallow marketing systems based on sales periods and production locations: marketing system of jew’s mallow production was based on lowlands and of upland jew’s mallow marketing system. The net margin for jew’s mallow produced in Agbedranfo was 3.24 for producers, 9.67 for retailers and 8.37 for wholesalers in lowland jew’s mallow marketing system. However, the relative net margins of these actors in the marketing system of upland jew’s mallow were low. Moreover, a Gini coefficient of 0.34 showed an equal distribution of the gross margins obtained in the marketing system of lowland jew’s mallow. The study therefore, concludes that wholesalers and retailers have higher net margins than producers. Thus, a dialogue between marketing stakeholders themselves, extension agents, non-governmental oragnisations (NGOs), and public authorities is therefore desired. Key words: Jew’s mallow, marketing, profitability, SCP paradigm, margin.
Experimental investigation of electroactive morphing for aeronautics applications

La présente étude vise à étudier l’effet physique d’un actionnement hybride piézoélectrique-alliage à mémoire de formes sur un écoulement à des nombres de Reynolds élevés. L’objectif est de montrer les effets de l’activation piézo-électrique à haute fréquence, faible amplitude du bord de fuite d’un prototype hybride de profil d’aile d’avion. À cette fin, la conception du prototype hybride sera détaillée, et les principes de fonctionnement des mécanismes d’actionnement seront mis en évidence. Après la description de la conception de l’actionneur, des résultats expérimentaux seront présentés. L’étude expérimentale est effectuée à l’aide de PIV tomographique. Il est montré à l’aide d’analyse spectrale que la faible amplitude imposé par le mécanisme d’actionnement piézo-électrique au niveau du bord de fuite de la structure étudiée, est capable d’influencer l’écoulement.
Artificial mixing to reduce growth of the blue-green alga Microcystis in Lake Nieuwe Meer, Amsterdam: an evaluation of 7 years of experience

The problem of Lake Nieuwe Meer (area = 1.3 km 2 , max. depth 30 m, Ptot = 500 mg/m 3 ) was extensive growth of Microcystis with disturbing scum forming. Since 1993 the lake has been artificially mixed in summer by a bubble plume installation. The result is quite successful since the mass of Microcystis is up to 20 times lower than in the years before mixing and no scum is present any more. The study in Lake Nieuwe Meer showed a shift from cyanobacterial dominance (mainly Microcystis) to flagellates, green-algae and diatoms when artificial mixing was applied. Total phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations did not change as a result of mixing and had apparently no effect on the shift in the phytoplankton composition. The chlorophyll- a concentration was much lower in the mixed lake as a result of dilution. The total algae biomass decreased. The transparency did not improve. The total heat energy of the lake is slightly higher than before mixing but still remains in the range of annual fluctuation. The temperature on the surface is approximately 2°C lower. In the whole water-body oxygen was always higher than 5 mg/l. Living space for fish is therefore wider. The installation in Lake Nieuwe Meer consists of flexible pipes near the sediment, built in a way to prevent sediment erosion and transport into the water. There are no constructions in the water-body. All mechanical parts are on land. The layout of the installation is shown in Fig. 1. Installed compressor energy is 85 kW. This is equivalent to an upper middle-class motor-car. The design was made specifically for this problem. It is based on the physical data of the algae and the plant. It would be beneficial to use this 7 years' experience for further applications e.g. elimination of toxic algae in drinking-water reservoirs.