Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foreign Aid and Urbanization in Developing Countries

This paper examines whether developing countries receiving more foreign aid also have higher rates of urbanization. After presenting a simple theoretical model, empirical work is conducted on a cross-section of countries during the 1990s. The paper finds that foreign aid is positively associated with subsequent urbanization even after controlling for income levels, population, and regional characteristics. If this association is given a causal interpretation, the results indicate that foreign aid enlarges urban areas.
The Impact of Options Trading on the Relationship between Research Quotient and Firm Performance

The performance of innovation could be counted by the number of patent. Patent information enables a firm to estimate R&D efficiency and stock market value. Nonetheless, patents is not universal because more than 50% companies in COMPUSTAT do not patent their new products. Since patents have some drawbacks, Cooper, Knott, and Yang (2015) use Research Quotient (RQ) as an indicator of firm innovation because RQ measures the productivity of the R&D department, which produces a new innovative product and transforms it into revenues. In this paper, we examine the impact of option trading on the relation between RQ and stock market return (or firm value). We find that RQ has the positive impact on firm value, proxy by market-to-book (MTB) value. The option dummy, which is the firm with option trading, has significantly positive impact on the relation between RQ and firm value and insignificantly positive impact on the relation between RQ and future stock return. Nonetheless, interaction term of RQ and option volume has positive and significant impacts on MTB and future stock return.
Forecasting of Satisfaction and Revisit Intention of Indonesia Shoppers in Shopping Malls

Due to tight competition, changing value proposition of customer and shiftingof mall functions become center for leisure purposes, shopping mall developer mustfocus on create shopper satisfaction to influence their post-transaction behaviors. Thisstudy investigates the relationship between mall personality, self-congruity, perceivedquality, shopping value, shopper satisfaction and revisit intention. Two hundredrespondents participated in this study. In order to achieve the aim of this study, SPSS23 and PLS 3 were used. Out of the 15 hypotheses proposed, ten are supported. Aspredicted, mall personality, self-congruity, perceived quality significantly have asignificant effect on shopping value and shopper satisfaction (except perceived qualityhas no effect on shopping value). The findings show that Mall Personality is predictiveof Self-Congruity and Perceived Quality; while Shopping Value can be used to predictShopper Satisfaction. The result indicated that Perceived Quality is not statisticallysignificant affect on Shopping Value. Moreover, Self-Congruity has significant affecton Perceived Quality. In addition, Mall personality, Self-Congruity and PerceivedQuality are not good predictors of Revisit Intention. Finally, the result confirms thatShopper Satisfaction and Shopping Value have a significant effect on Revisit Intention.
Cryocooled Wideband Digital Channelizing RF Receiver Based on Low-Pass ADC

We have demonstrated a digital receiver performing direct digitization of radio frequency signals over a wide frequency range from kilohertz to gigahertz. The complete system, consisting of a cryopackaged superconductor All-Digital Receiver (ADR) chip followed by room-temperature interface electronics and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) based post-processing module, has been developed. The ADR chip comprises a low-pass delta modulator with phase modulation- demodulation architecture together with digital in-phase and quadrature mixer and a pair of digital decimation filters. The chip is fabricated using a 4.5 kA/cm 2 process and is cryopackaged using a commercial-off-the-shelf cryocooler. Experimental results in HF, VHF, UHF and L bands and their analysis proving consistent operation of the cryopackaged ADR chip up to 24.32 GHz clock frequency, are presented and discussed. To our knowledge this is the fastest digital receiver demonstrated to date.
Some Asymptotic Properties of the Transition Densities of One-Dimensional Quasidiffuslons

Let (Xt)t^0 be a quasidiffusion on [0,1) given by its speed measure m and scale p. Suppose the boundary point 0 is reflecting regular. If the boundary point 1 is regular we restrict ourselves to the case that (Xt) is killed as soon as it hits 15 although the arguments hold equally well for all other locally boundary conditions. As m is not assumed to be strictly increasing besides the classical diffusions birthand death-processes are also included. In this introducing chapter we consider semigroups of contractions generated by (Xt) in L2(m) and in a Banach space B of continuous m-integrable functions. We construct a spectral expansion of the transition densities of (Xt) making use of M.G. Krein's results on the spectral functions of a string ([10]) and study some of their properties. The results given below generalize known facts for birthand death-processes ([9]) and for some diffusion processes ([3]3 [8]). They can be proved by using standard methods of the theory of generalized differential operators ([2], [4], [10]) and therefore some of the proofs are omitted. In Chapter 2 we will show that the spectra of the infinitesimal operators DmDp of (Xt) in L2(m) and B are identical assuming 1 is not a natural boundary. This is used for studying some boundedness and integrability properties of eigenfunctions of this operator. The main results of this paper are contained in Chapters 3 and 4. In Chapter 3 we define a transformation of the pair (m,p) using an eigenfunction of DmDp. This transformation gives a far reaching duality between accessible
Interactions of mineral dust particles and clouds: Effects on precipitation and cloud optical properties

[1] Numerical simulations were performed to investigate the effect of cloud-processed mineral dust particles on the subsequent development of cloud and precipitation and possible effects on cloud optical properties. A two-dimensional (2-D) nonhydrostatic cloud model with detailed microphysics was used. The initial aerosol spectra used in the 2-D model consisted of both background cloud condensation nuclei and mineral dust particles. These were taken from the results of three successive runs of a parcel model that simulates the interaction of dust and sulfate particles with cloud drops and trace gases and then evaporates the cloud drops. The results show that insoluble mineral dust particles become effective cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) after passing through a convective cloud. Their effectiveness as CCN increases because of a layer of sulfate that is formed on their surface as they are first captured by growing drops or ice crystals and then released as these hydrometeors evaporate. Upon entering subsequent clouds, these particles increase the concentration of the activated drops and widen the drop size distribution. The present work shows that in continental clouds the effect of cloud-processed dust particles is to accelerate the formation of precipitation particles, although the amount of precipitation depends on the concentration of the large and giant CCN. In maritime clouds the addition of cloud-processed aerosol and mineral dust particles has a minimal effect on precipitation because the cloud starts with many large particles already. The addition of more CCN to either maritime or continental clouds increases their optical depth, even for those cases in which the precipitation amount is increased.
Elucidation of the anticancer property of Abrus agglutinin in oral cancer cell lines

Abrus agglutinin, a ribosome inhibiting protein II (RIP II) family lectin, is a heterotetrameric glycoprotein of molecular weight 134 kDa which is composed of two A chains (N-glycosidase activity on 60S eukaryotic ribosome) and two B chains (galactose binding site) linked through a disulphide bridge. Here we studied the anti cancer activity of Abrus agglutinin in various oral cancer cell lines. The protein synthesis inhibitory activity of Abrus agglutinin (IC50) in various oral cell lines is 7.5 µg, 6 µg , 1.25 µg, 56.66 µg in HEp2, RPMI-2650, FaDu, HaCaT respectively. The study confirmed Abrus agglutinin acts as a magic bullet for combating oral cancer .
Development of a Novel Mixed Titanium, Silver Oxide Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber as a Superior Adsorbent and its Application for MB Removal in Wastewater Treatment

In this study, a novel electrospun nanofibrous composite was synthesized from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and well-dispersed oxide nanoparticles containing Ti and Ag (PAN-TA). The nanoparticles incorporated into the nanofibers can endow the composite with photocatalytic and antimicrobial ability. The morphologies and structure of the nanofibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Controlled experiments were carried out with the effects of chemical modification, solution pH, temperature, dosage, contact time, and initial concentration of the dye. The methylene blue (MB) dye was completely removed within 20 min at room temperature 25 oC with high maximum retention capacity of 155.4 mg g. Moreover, equilibrium data and kinetics data indicated that the dye adsorption agreed well with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second order model, respectively. In addition, the nanofibers could be easily separated from dye solution and showed high reusability for numerous repeat cycles, thus indicating good application prospects for the wastewater treatment.
Identification and Real Time Speed Control of a Series DC Motor

The identification and real time speed control, without reverse motion, for a series DC motor is presented. The identification is performed using the transient response analysis of the mechanical and electrical subsystems of a series DC motor. A linearized model which does not include the magnetic saturation around the operating conditions is considered. Based on this model, a PI speed controller is designed. A well-known problem arising in this type of electrical motors is the singularity at zero speed. It is shown that, in spite of this inconvenience, the PI controller, together with an antiwindup scheme, presents adequate regulation and tracking performance. It is also shown that the control system can compensate for varying loads and the counter-electromotive force with acceptable levels of current consumption.
Sodium Line Guide Star Laser using Optical Parametric Oscillator

The aim of this project is to develop a novel, high average power source of highly coherent radiation at the 589nm sodium D2 resonance line for use in creating a laser guide star for use with adaptive optics systems such as astronomical telescopes and satellite ranging. Adaptive optics is used to improve the resolution of ground base telescope by compensating the atmospheric turbulence. To achieve this it is necessary to measure and correct the distortions caused by the atmosphere on the beam. A laser guide star provides a beacon which combined with a wavefront sensor allows the effect of the atmosphere to be quantified and mechanical corrections made to the adaptive optics in the telescope to cancel those distortions. Whilst laser guide stars have been demonstrated as effective in a number of astronomical observatories, at present there is no laser technology that dominates this application. This project will demonstrate a novel approach to the creation of high average power optical sources for guide star applications. The aim of the project is to build a prototype of high average power, synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators pumped by novel high power solid state laser technology. The Magnesium Oxide doped periodically poled Lithium Niobate was used as the nonlinear crystal for the 532nm pumped singly resonant parametric oscillator. The oscillator was pumped by 1.4W of 532nm light which was created from a 3.5W mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser by a Lithium Triborate second harmonic generator. With a grating period of 12. 05μm, the signal at the wavelength of 594nm was obtained at 150oC. There was unexpected green absorption of the crystal, which undermined the performance of the oscillator. However, from the experimental results of a Potassium Titanyl Phosphate optical parametric oscillator, it was demonstrated that highly efficient parametric oscillator can be built despite the idler absorption.
Flow of Soluble Non-ammonia Nitrogen in the Liquid Phase of Digesta Entering the Omasum of Dairy Cows Given Grass Silage Based Diets

An experiment was conducted to quantify the flow of soluble non-ammonia nitrogen (SNAN) in the liquid phase of ruminal (RD) and omasal digesta (OD), and to investigate diurnal pattern in SNAN flow in OD. Five ruminally cannulated Finnish- Ayrshire dairy cows in a 5×5 Latin square design consumed a basal diet of grass silage and barley grain, and that supplemented with four protein feeds (kg/d DM basis) as follows: skimmed milk powder (2.1), wet distiller's solubles (3.0), untreated rapeseed meal (2.1) and treated rapeseed meal (2.1). Ruminal digesta was sampled using a vacuum pump, whereas OD was collected using an omasal sampling system at 1.0 h interval during a 12 h feeding cycle. Both RD and OD were acidified, centrifuged to remove microbes and precipitated with trichloroacetic acid followed by centrifugation. The SNAN fractions (free amino acid (AA), peptide and soluble protein) in RD and OD were assessed using ninhydrin assay. Free AA, peptide and soluble protein averaged 60.0, 89.4 and 2.1 g/d, respectively, for RD, and 81.8, 121.5 and 2.5 g/d, respectively, for OD. Although free AA flow was relatively high, mean peptide flow was quantitatively the most important fraction of SNAN, indicating that degradation of peptide to AA rather than hydrolysis of soluble protein to peptide or deamination may be the most limiting step in rumen proteolysis. Diurnal pattern in flow of peptide including free AA in OD during a 12 h feeding cycle peaked 1 h post-feeding, decreased by 3 h post-feeding and was relatively constant thereafter. Protein supplementation showed higher flow of peptide including free AA immediately after feeding compared with no supplemented diet. There were no differences among protein supplements in diurnal pattern in flow of peptide including free AA in OD. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 10 : 1460-1468)
Pragmatic solutions to offender profiling and behavioural investigative advice

This paper outlines a brief history of the evolutionary trajectory of offender profiling and illustrates the three broad strands (investigative, clinical, and statistical) that emerged in the 1970s–1990s. We then indicate how a more pragmatic, interdisciplinary practitioner–academic model has emerged in recent years and go on to describe the range of contributions that are now made across the criminal justice field. More recently termed ‘behavioural investigative advice’ in the UK, the paper then argues that whilst a range of potential contributions exist (from linking crimes, risk assessment, provision of bad character evidence, investigative interviewing advice, to geoprofiling), the nature of the process by which that contribution occurs is not yet well understood. The review of these potential contributions concludes with several suggestions and recommendations for further research and relevant methodologies by which to conduct that research. This includes the requirement to combine conceptual and theory-driven models alongside empirically driven statistical approaches, as well as the requirement to more precisely delineate and describe how contributions are made by behavioural experts through cognitive task analyses and associated methods.
Development of a Malian food exchange system based on local foods and dishes for the assessment of nutrient and food intake in type 2 diabetic subjects

Abstract Objective: To develop exchange lists for the assessment of food and nutrient intakes for people with diabetes in Mali. Design: Based on North American exchange lists, a Malian food exchange system was developed using food composition tables for Mali. Dietary intakes were assessed by two 48-hour dietary recalls. Daily numbers of exchanges were determined for the whole sample and for each gender. Energy and macronutrient intakes obtained by a software-based nutritional analysis of the dietary recalls were compared with the average energy and nutrient values calculated with the exchange lists. Setting: Centre National de Lutte contre le Diabète. Subjects: Seventeen male and 40 female adults with type 2 diabetes. Results: The analysis of food recalls using the Malian exchange system showed that subjects consumed the following numbers of exchanges per day: 2.6 ± 1.5 meat and substitutes, 0.5 ± 0.8 legumes, 0.7 ± 1.2 milk, 8.0 ± 4.1 fat, 8.3 ± 3.0 starch, 1.5 ± 0.9 vegetables, 0.2 ± 0.5 fruit, and 0.0 ± 0.2 sugar-added foods, totalling 1 854 ± 648 kcal, 260 ± 92 g carbohydrate, 56 ± 23 g protein and 63 ± 31 g fat. These results concerning energy and macronutrients did not differ significantly from those obtained from the nutritional analysis of food recalls with software using data from the Food Composition Table for Mali. Compared to women, men consumed significantly larger numbers of exchanges of meat and substitutes, fat, starch, and fruit. No significant differences were found for the intakes of legumes, milk, vegetables and sugar-added foods. Conclusions: This study allowed the development of Malian food exchange lists and demonstrated their usefulness for the description of the dietary pattern and energy and macronutrient intakes of male and female Malian type 2 diabetic patients.
Cytotoxicity of actinomycetes associated with the ascidian Eudistoma vannamei (Millar, 1977), endemic of northeastern coast of Brazil

Previous studies demonstrated that the crude extract of the ascidian Eudistoma vannamei, endemic from northeasttern Brazil, strongly hinders growth of tumor cells in vitro by inducing apoptosis due to tryptophan derivatives, which are commonly found in bacteria. This study presents a bioactivity-guided screening among actinomycetes, associated with E. vannamei, aiming at recognizing active principles with biological relevance. Twenty strains of actinomycetes, designated as EVA 0101 through 0120, were isolated from colonies of E. vannamei among which 11 were selected for cytotoxicity evaluation. The extracts from EVA 0102, 0103, 0106, 0109 and 0113 were the most active, and were further studied for IC50 determination and chemical analysis by 1 H NMR. IC50 values obtained ranged from 3.62 µg mL -1 (for EVA 0109 in leukemia cells) to 84.65 µg/mL (for EVA 0106 in melanoma cells). All active extracts exhibited the same TLC and spectroscopic profiles, suggesting the presence of quinones and other related secondary metabolites. Furthermore, these strains were identified and compared based on their respective 16S rRNA sequences. The results herein identified the five strains as Micromonospora spp. while phylogenetic analysis suggests that they are possibly two different Micromonospora species producing the cytotoxic compounds.
Impact of Attitudinal Ambivalence on Safety Behaviour in Construction

Unsafe acts have been identified as a major factor of construction accidents. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been used to explain the factors influencing unsafe behaviour, by establishing the relationship between attitude, intention, and behaviour. However, the existing research on the relationship between safety attitude and safety behaviour could not fully explain the decision-making process of unsafe acts, in that the relationship could be mediated by attitudinal ambivalence, which is caused by conflicting information sources and the social network pressure of peer workers. This research examined whether attitudinal ambivalence was a mediating factor, either fully or partially, in the relationship between safety attitude and safety behaviour by expanding the TPB model. Data were collected from questionnaire survey of 228 construction workers. The results showed that attitudinal ambivalence existed as a partial mediating factor in the relationship between safety attitude and safety behaviour. This paper contributed to the body of knowledge on safety management by recognizing the role of attitudinal ambivalence in construction workers and integrated it into the TPB model. This research will be helpful in providing greater understanding of the dynamic and complex decision-making process of unsafe behaviour given multiple information sources and conflicting environments.
EFFECTS OF BURN INTENSITY ON SOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND NITROGEN THREE YEARS POST- FIRE IN A PINUS PONDEROSA FOREST

Fire suppression and increased fuel loads have resulted in more intense wildfires in the Western United States. While it is often assumed that higher fire intensities result in decreased soil carbon and nitrogen, few studies have addressed this question directly. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of fire intensity on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (SON) three years post-fire in a Pinus ponderosa forest in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Fire intensities were assessed by the United States Forest Service and areas were designated as unburned, high, medium, and low burn intensity. Both SOC and SON decreased with soil depth. High, medium and low intensity burn areas did not differ significantly in SOC or SON at the various depths. Unburned sites however, did have significantly higher SOC and SON in the most shallow soil layer (0-1 cm depth, O horizon) compared with burned sites. Soil carbon and soil nitrogen decreased in the 0-1 cm soil layer from approximately 20.5 Mg C ha -1 and 1.1 Mg N ha -1 in the unburned areas to 9.7 Mg C ha -1 and 0.6 Mg N ha -1 (average for burned areas). This represented a 47 % and 56 % decrease in SOC and SON respectively. Although much less than above-ground losses, this study indicates that even low intensity fires can result in a significant loss of carbon and nitrogen from shallow soil layers.
Grain yield and seed quality of soybean selected for high protein content

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of selection for high protein on seed physiological quality and grain yield of soybean. Four populations of BC 1F4 and four of F 4, each from a cross between a commercial variety and a line bearing high protein seeds, were used. The high protein content selection has a tendency to affect negatively the seed physiological quality. Estimates of correlation coefficients between protein content and grain yield were mostly negative but varied among populations. It is possible to obtain lines with high protein content, keeping the grain yield and the seed physiological quality of their respective recurrent progenitors.