Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Parity Penalty in Life Course Perspective

Research documents a wage penalty for mothers compared to childless women. We demonstrate there is also an occupational status penalty to motherhood. Interrogating supply- and demand-side explanations of the motherhood penalty from the life course perspective, we formulate and test original hypotheses about the short-term and long-run career implications of parity-specific births. We analyze longitudinal data from the European Community and Household Panel for 13 European countries and eight time points between 1994 and 2001. Our fixed-effects models show that status losses for a first birth are not just short-term but accumulate over the career. The timing of a birth in a woman’s life course matters only for older women, who experience a significant penalty to third births. Although the personal strategies that women use to minimize the career costs of motherhood (e.g., having only one child) prove ineffective, our cross-national evidence shows that public policies are linked to the motherhood penalty in occupational status.
Cloud Computing in VANETs: Architecture, Taxonomy, and Challenges

ABSTRACT Cloud computing in VANETs (CC-V) has been investigated into two major themes of research including vehicular cloud computing (VCC) and vehicle using cloud (VuC). VCC is the realization of autonomous cloud among vehicles to share their abundant resources. VuC is the efficient usage of conventional cloud by on-road vehicles via a reliable Internet connection. Recently, a number of advancements have been made to address the issues and challenges in VCC and VuC. This paper qualitatively reviews CC-V with the emphasis on layered architecture, network component, taxonomy, and future challenges. Specifically, a four-layered architecture for CC-V is proposed including perception, coordination, artificial intelligence and smart application layers. Three network components of CC-V, namely, vehicle, connection, and computation are explored with their cooperative roles. A taxonomy for CC-V is presented considering major themes of research in the area including design of architecture, data dissemination, security, and applications. Related literature on each theme is critically investigated with comparative assessment of recent advances. Finally, some open research challenges are identified as future issues. The challenges are the outcome of the critical and qualitative assessment of the literature on CC-V.
Empirical analysis of metaheuristic search techniques for the parameterized dynamic slope scaling procedure

The dynamic slope scaling procedure is an approximation method successfully which solves the fixed charge network flow (FCNF) problem by iteratively linearizing the fixed cost. The parameterized dynamic slope scaling procedure adds an additional $\psi$ parameter to the procedure which can significantly improve the solution quality. Finding the optimal value of $\psi$ for a given problem is non-trivial. This paper employs multiple metaheuristic techniques, including simulated annealing, tabu search, and particle swarm optimization, to guide the search for good parameter values. In rigorous testing, we examine the search results, compare the improvement efficiencies among the techniques, and evaluate the final solution quality of the FCNF problem. The experiments show that the solution improvement is robust with respect to these metaheuristics and the complexity of FCNF problem.
Ab initio study of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Co$_{2}$FeGa and Co$_{2}$FeSi and their future contribution to the building of quantum devices

How small can an electronic device be and still function? How many atoms are needed for such device? At what point will the semiconductor fabrication technology be unable to construct anything smaller? These are common questions asked by researchers, and the answers indicate the short-term limitations on the use of semiconductor technology. When we reach these limitations, we can propose two methods to solve these problems: first, we could continue using semiconductor technology, alongside the development of new theories and techniques to counter quantum effects caused by the miniaturization of electronic devices like transistors and microprocessors. Second, we could exploit these quantum effects to invent a new generation of electronic devices. Doing that, we propose spintronics or the use of spin properties. Heusler compounds as cobalt base alloys (Co$_{2}$YZ) present particular interest for spin electronics applications. In this paper, we present properties and results for two cobalt base alloys, Co$_{2}$FeGa and Co$_{2}$FeSi. These properties are interesting for the field of quantum computation. In the first part of this paper we introduce Moore's law, which explains the major limits of semiconductor technology. Then we discuss the results of our calculations based on the use of density functional theory and the WIEN2K program. This is for the purpose of making new quantum devices.
The Relationship between Iranian ESP Learners’ Translation Ability and Resilience in Reading Comprehension

The present study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between Iranian ESP Learners’ translation ability and resilience in reading comprehension. More specifically, the study aimed to study the resilience cognitive and meta-cognitive effect on raising L2 reading comprehension through translation. Secondly, the study aimed at pursuing the views and attitudes to find out the extent to which resilience in reading comprehension can predict ESP learners’ translation ability. In order to test the null hypotheses, three phases were taken into consideration. First, 120 female adult sophomores majoring at Iran University of Medical Sciences were chosen through a homogeneity test. Second, the participants’ translation ability was measured through a translation task and also the validity of this instrument was confirmed by the three professors of the university, and the translation Toolkit Evaluation of UTAH University was used to evaluate the translated works. Next, the participants' reading comprehension ability was determined and finally, Connor and Davidson’s (2003) resilience scale was used to find out the level of resilience in reading comprehension of ESP students. The results of data analyses firstly revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between Iranian ESP learners’ translation ability and their resilience in reading comprehension. Secondly, it was revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between Iranian ESP learners’ translation ability and their reading comprehension. The findings of the present study could have implications for EFL teachers and learners in the Iranian context.
Different response of clouds to solar input

There is evidence that solar activity variations can affect the cloud cover at Earth. However, it is still unclear which solar driver plays the most important role in the cloud formation. Here we use partial correlations to distinguish between the effects of two solar drivers (cosmic rays and the UV irradiance) and the mutual relations between clouds at different altitudes. We find that the solar influence on cloud cover is not uniquely defined by one solar driver, but both seem to play a role depending on the climatic conditions and altitude. In particular, low clouds are mostly affected by UV irradiance over oceans and dry continental areas and by cosmic rays over some mid‐high latitude oceanic areas and moist lands with high aerosol concentration. High clouds respond more strongly to cosmic ray variations, especially over oceans and moist continental areas. These results provide observational constraints on related climate models.
The Bayesian Continual Reassessment Method Using a Mixture-of-Uniforms Prior

Traditionally, the Bayesian formulation of the Continual Reassessment Method (CRM) is implemented with a one-parameter model describing the association of dose with the probability of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Determination of the appropriate value of the prior variance is often done via simulation over a grid search of possible values until suitable operating characteristics are found. However, it is under-appreciated that the operating characteristics for a given value of the prior variance vary by the “skeleton,” which is the vector of a priori probabilities of DLT for each dose. The skeleton implicitly leads to a set of indifference intervals, with one interval for each dose, that contain values of the model parameter that support each dose being the MTD. To remove the need of selecting a value for the prior variance, we propose placing a uniform distribution over each of the indifference intervals, making the prior distribution for the model parameter a mixture of uniform distributions. Via simulation, we compare the operating characteristics of the CRM using a traditional continuous prior to using the mixture-of-uniforms prior in a variety of settings and show that the mixture-of-uniforms prior leads to operating characteristics that are less sensitive to the chosen skeleton. The Bayesian Continual Reassessment Method Using a Mixture-of-Uniforms Prior Thomas M. Braun University of Michigan School of Public Health
APPLICATION OF A HYPHENATED FACILITY FOR SIMULTANEOUS SPECIATION STUDIES OF TOXIC OXIDATION STATES [ Cr 3 + / Cr 6 + ] AND [ As 3 + / As 5 + ] IN PRODUCED WATER FROM CRUDE OIL

Produced water is the aqueous component of crude oil and has not been previously characterized for noxious oxidation states: Cr/Cr and As /As. It is often returned to the environment where it could create an unwanted hazard. It remains unexplored in this context largely because standard HPLC techniques do not permit convenient simultaneous separation of Cr/Cr and As/As due to proximity of corresponding retention times. Our group has adapted a facile process for rapid elution and concurrent mass separation of all four species in an affiliated HPLC/ICP-MS system equipped with a dynamic reaction cell (DRC). Oxygen gas was circulated through the DRC to remove interferences and enhance detection of the eluted components, especially the arsenic constituents. The stationary phase consisted of a C8 deactivated silica based column (length 150 mm; internal diameter: 4.6 mm; particle size: 5 μm); and the mobile phase was composed of a mixture of TBAH/EDTA in 2% methanol/water, adjusted to a pH of 7.2. The rate of elution was 1 mL/min; and recorded retention times (min) were: As: 1.81; As: 5.50; Cr: 1.83; and Cr: 5.74. The oxygen flow rate in the DRC was 0.7 mL/min. The Cr/ Cr constituents were detected with m/z values of 52; the arsenic species coalesced with oxygen and were detected as adduct ions, AsO, m/z, 91. Standard reference materials were deployed to test the competency of the analytical system. Typical recorded levels in the samples were: Cr: 0.5 – 20 mg/L; Cr/As/As: 1-5 μg/L. Our results were evaluated in terms of the potential source of toxicity of produced water to the environment. The significance of the study to petroleum and environmental science is discussed.
Ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms: key players in the promotion of plant growth

Nitrogen (N) is the most important mineral nutrient required by plants. Although some plants can directly utilize N, ammonium (NH4 +) and nitrate (NO3 -) are the only forms of N that are usable to most plants. Ammoniaoxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are the key drivers that are responsible for the conversion of N into usable forms. Due to the importance of ammonia oxidizers (AOs), factors affecting their abundance and activity have been a major research focus over the years. This review focuses on the diversity of AOs, the factors that affect their abundance and activity in different soil types and the mechanism of nitrification. An improved understanding of the combinatorial effects of highly active AOs and methods for limiting nitrate loss from soils may enhance the management of nitrate in soils and improve plant yields.
Genetic evidence of successful establishment of the Nile perch (Lates spp. L.) in East African lakes and implications for management

Nile perch establishment in novel ranges in East Africa is one of the most successful freshwater invasion stories in the recent history. It became ecologically dominant and well established in several lakes in the Lake Victoria Region in a period of less than 5 decades. Genetic diversity of both introduced and native populations were assessed and patterns compared in order to establish the genetic consequences of their introductions. Genetic variation was surveyed at both the mitochondrial control region (CR) and at nine microsatellite loci. A total of 527 Nile perch fish were sampled from 5 East African lakes: native source populations were examined from lakes Albert and Turkana while introduced populations were sampled from lakes Kyoga, Nabugabo and Victoria. Both types of markers revealed higher average genetic diversity for invasive species (HE = 0.70, h = 0.81) than for native source populations (HE = 0.66, h = 0.69). Both populations scored relatively higher than the average for freshwater fishes (HE = 0.62). Both native and introduced populations had 2 underlying genetic groupings in similar proportions as revealed by the STRUCTURE program. The high genetic diversity was most probably a consequence of higher numbers of propagules than outlined by official records of introductions. Use of high number of individuals at stocking is probably the reason for apparently minimized ‘founder effects’ of Nile perch in the introduced ranges. The two underling populations revealed through genetic analysis may be representatives of the two subspecies of Nile perch previously reported in other studies. Implications to the management of this fishery in the East African region is that with the relatively high genetic diversity, the species could be sustainably exploited if it were effectively managed. In addition, further studies of the life histories and other attributes of the two genetic groupings of Nile perch in the region are recommended, as they may require different management plans.
Globalization and Africa's Unfinished Agenda

The title of my essay alludes to the disjunction between Africa’s own “social projects” and the exigencies of globalization, which is due partly to internal problems in Africa itself and partly to the imposed and more or less spontaneous articulation of Africa to the global community. If for other nations it is plausible that globalization is driven by the invisible hand of market forces or by deliberate policy choices at the national level, for African nations it is driven largely by the very visible feet of international financial institutions (IFIs). This does not mean, however, that the forces driving globalization are irrelevant to Africa or that Africans have been passively inserted into the global order. “Signalling” these global forces to look toward Africa is a central aspect of current policy-making. Indeed, the whole point of structural adjustment programs presumably is to relink to these processes and enable the continent to reap the benefits of global competition for markets and investment. On the domestic side, there are always correlates and anchors to the globalization process. Globalization in Africa has been abetted by national actors who have generally adopted a supine position toward policies imposed on them. My belief is that how Africa “goes global” will be determined not only by the exogenous and putatively ineluctable forces of globalization, but also by the degree of social cohesion that countries can individually and collectively muster. It is this social cohesion that will determine and strengthen the internal strategies necessary to make politically viable and legitimate whatever external strategies the countries choose. Failure to summon adequate internal responses to the external challenges will expose African countries to the process of
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC): an analysis landfilled solid waste in Colombia

La hipotesis de la curva ambiental de Kuznets (EKC) sostiene que la relacion entre la degradacion ambiental y el ingreso per capita sigue una trayectoria en forma de U invertida. El proposito de este articulo es probar la EKC para Colombia utilizando datos de residuos solidos dispuestos en rellenos sanitarios municipales. El analisis se basa en informacion procedente de 707 municipios en el periodo 2008-2011. Entre los principales resultados, se encuentra evidencia que apoya la hipotesis de la CKA. Esta hipotesis se mantiene despues de controlar variables, tales como la densidad poblacional y la altitud sobre el nivel del mar. Los resultados tambien indican que el punto de inflexion no es homogeneo a traves de todas las regiones del pais.
Disease Development Caused by Ascochyta rabiei on Chickpea Detached-Leaves in Petri Dishes

A study using detached-leaves aimed to improve selection method. The improving method was done by scoring both disease symptom and lesion size. The research was begun by selecting agar concentration and dose of conidia that could distinguish response of very susceptible or resistant chickpea genotype. The result was used to determine disease severity (DS) and disease incident (DI) of eight genotypes that were previously tested in the field. Results of the tested agar concentration and dose of conidia showed that 1.5% and 2% agar were good to determine susceptible or resistant genotype; while 1 × 105 or 5 × 104 conidia dose was suitable for inoculation. The formula of DS (no. of leaflets in category × category value/Total no. of leaflets ×10) × 100, and DI (no. leaflets with pycnidial lesions + no. leaflets with necrotic lesions)/Total no. of leaflets × 100 successfully measured genotype response. The lesions development on detached leaves of the susceptible cultivar (Lasseter) began as circular, pale-colored areas, extending to the area covered by the drop of inoculum, then became light brown and finally dark brown. However, the response of resistant line (FLIP508) was restricted in area (and often confined to a tiny speck) surrounded by chlorosis or drying of the tissue.
A Case Study on Ascites of Hepatic Origin and Their Proper Management in a Male German Shepherd Dog

A male German shepherd dog of 11 months was presented to HART Clinic, Pokhara with the history of abdominal swelling, respiratory distress, lethargy, anorexia and weakness. Physical examination revealed dyspnea, pale mucous membrane, and undulating movement (thrills) of fluid on tapping the abdomen. Fecal sample collected for assessing the severity of endoparasites which was found negative. The hematological study showed an increase in numbers of neutrophils, while there were decreased erythrocytes and hemoglobin concentration. The biochemical analysis resulted in an elevated SGOT, SGPT level but decrease in total protein level. Ascitic fluid collected from abdominal paracentesis on examination revealed transudate fluid with serum-albumin ascetic gradient (SAAG) >1.1 gm/dl suggesting ascites due to portal hypertension (96% accuracy) caused by Liver cirrhosis. The dog was diagnosed as ascites of hepatic origin resulting portal hypertension and hypoproteinemia. The abdominocentesis was performed to drain the ascetic fluid followed by albumin and normal saline administration. The dog was further treated with antibiotic, diuretic, amino acid and liver tonics along with protein rich but salt free diet. The dog showed remarkable improvement with gradual reduced in abdominal distention and normalization of the appetite after 7 days of treatment.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(4): 555-558
Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Direct Write (MAPLE DW): A New Method to Rapidly Prototype Active and Passive Electronic Circuit Elements

We demonstrate a novel laser-based approach to perform rapid prototyping of active and passive circuit elements called MAPLE DW. This technique is similar in its implementation to laser induced forward transfer (LIFT), but different in terms of the fundamental transfer mechanism and materials used. In MAPLE DW, a focused pulsed laser beam interacts with a composite material on a laser transparent support transferring the composite material to the acceptor substrate. This process enables the formation of adherent and uniform coatings at room temperature and atmospheric pressure with minimal post-deposition modification required, i.e., ≤400°C thermal processing. The firing of the laser and the work piece (substrate) motion is computer automated and synchronized using software designs from an electromagnetic modeling program validating that this technique is fully CAD/CAM compatible. The final properties of the deposited materials depend on the deposition conditions and the materials used, but when optimized, the properties are competitive with other thick film techniques such as screen-printing. Specific electrical results for conductors are 3 /TiO 2 composite capacitors the k can be tuned between 4 and 100 and losses are
Testing emotion dysregulation as a moderator in an interpersonal process model of intimacy in couples

Testing Emotion Dysregulation as a Moderator in an Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy in Couples. (August 2008) Rachael LeAnn Herrington, B.S, Oklahoma State University; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Douglas K. Snyder Although theorists, researchers, and therapists alike emphasize emotional intimacy as an important aspect of a couple’s relationship, empirical data to understand the underlying processes behind this concept are lacking. The purpose of this study is to examine Reis and Shaver’s interpersonal process model of intimacy in a community sample of couples and to contribute to the current understanding of constructs that may moderate the process of intimacy. Reis and Shaver’s model suggests that vulnerable self-disclosure by one partner, coupled with empathic responding by the other partner, results in greater subjective emotional intimacy. Previous studies have examined this interpersonal process model in a sample of community couples in committed romantic relationships. The present study aims to contribute to the extant literature by testing emotion dysregulation as a potential moderator in Reis and Shaver’s interpersonal process model of intimacy. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from 108 community couples. Couples completed measures and were asked to participate in videotaped interactions in which each partner discussed a time that someone other than the partner hurt their feelings (low threat condition) and a time the partner hurt their
A pole sharing technique for linear phase switched-capacitor filter banks

A pole-sharing technique was used for implementing bandpass filter banks using the nonminimum-phase Lerner approximation without placing additional speed requirements on the operational amplifiers and without resorting to complicated clocking strategies; only a biphasic clock was used. Substantial hardware saving has been achieved. The filter synthesis is shown to be micropower-compatible and parasitic-insensitive; phase reversal was easily accommodated while retaining all desirable features. A uniformly and nonuniformly spaced filter bank for typical speech applications have been simulated with SWITCAP and three channels of the uniformly spaced filter bank have been constructed on a breadboard using discrete components. The results obtained agreed with design specifications, yielding a good approximation to linear phase in the passband and sharp attenuation in the stopband. Single-parameter and statistical multiparameter sensitivity analyses are presented. >