Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volunteerism and Society's Response to the HIV Epidemic

In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control reported the first case of what would come to be known as AIDS. Now, barely a decade later, there are over 200,000 confirmed cases of AIDS in the United States and an estimated 1.5 million Amer icans infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). The World Health Organization projects that, by the year 2000, 30 to 40 million adults and children worldwide will have been infected with HIV, and most of them are expected to develop AIDS.1 Clearly, with neither a vac cine nor a cure in sight, the full im pact of AIDS, as devastating and profound as the epidemic has been, has yet to be felt, and will surely touch all of our lives. Society has responded to the HIV epidemic on a number of fronts, in cluding at least three for which the skills and expertise of psychologists, as scientists and practitioners, can be tapped: (a) providing psycholog ical services for persons living with AIDS (PWAs), (b) developing behav ior change campaigns to reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission, and (c) implementing public education programs to address matters of prej udice and discrimination associated with AIDS and PWAs.2 In our re search, we are examining a remark able social phenomenon born of the HIV epidemic? AIDS volunteerism and its implications for each of these fronts.
Taxing Cash to Fight Collaborative Tax Evasion

We build a model of collaborative tax evasion where a buyer negotiates a price discount with a seller in exchange for not asking the receipt and paying cash, which eases tax evasion. Sellers and buyers are heterogeneous with respect to their honesty and to their cost of managing non cash payment instruments. We study the effect of two policy instruments, a tax rebate for the buyer that keeps the receipts and a tax on cash withdrawals (TCW), on tax evasion and government revenue. We find that a mix of these two instruments can reduce tax evasion and increase revenue. The TCW is effective only if sufficiently high, and it must be higher the higher the tax evasion in the country and the bigger the mass of individuals that typically pays in cash. We discuss the implementation problems of the TCW and we suggest how to partially overcome them.
Some Notes on the Iterative Operator Splitting

We mention that the different problems are connected via the initial conditions. Another algorithm was defined in [1] as a global approximation method on the whole time interval [0,T]. Later, as a numerical method it was introduced in [2]. The method can be interpreted as the iterative improvement of the split result on some fixed split time interval [(n-1), nh], where the first iteration is obtained by use of the continuous variant of the well-known ADI method. The algorithm for two operators A and B reads as follows:
Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline carbides By reaction milling

Nanocrystalline cementite, silicon carbide and titanium carbide powders were prepared from elemental constituent powder particles by reaction milling. A high energy dual drive planetary mill has been fabricated for the synthesis of carbides. The strong collision energy field of the dual drive planetary mill reduced the carbide formation time as compared to earlier reported studies. Forty hours is required to produce nanocrystalline cementite and silicon carbide powder. Whereas only 10 hours is required to produce titanium carbide powder, because self propagating reaction takes place between Ti and graphite during milling. The morphology of powders and evolution of different phases were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Leaf anatomy of Qualea parviflora (Vochysiaceae) in three phytophysiognomies of the Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Leaves have a variety of morphological and anatomical characters mainly influenced by climatic, edaphic and biotic factors. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical leaf traits of Qualea parviflora from three phytophysiognomies. The studied phytophysiognomies were Amazon Savannah on rocky outcrops (ASR), Transition Rupestrian Cerrado (TRC), and Cerradao (CDA). Freehand sections of the leaf blade were made and stained with 0.5% astra blue and with basic fuchsin. From the adaxial and abaxial leaf surface, freehand paradermal sections were made for epidermis analysis. The Jeffrey´s method, with modifications, was used in the epidermis dissociation process. The samples from the TRC phytophysiognomy had relatively smaller ordinary epidermal cells, higher abundance of trichomes, and mesophyll with few intercellular spaces, in comparison to the other phytophysiognomies. The leaves from the ASR phytophysiognomy had higher stomatal index (SI = 21.02), and five to six layers of sclerenchyma surrounding the midrib vascular bundle. The secondary vascular bundles had thicker cell walls and the bundle sheath extended up to the epidermal tissue of both leaf sides. Leaves from the CDA phytophysiognomy had mesomorphic environmental traits, such as a thinner cuticle. It is concluded that trees from ASR and TRC phytophysiognomies have xeromorphic traits following the environmental conditions where they occur.
Development and application of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a soluble recombinant nucleoprotein for the detection of antibodies to avian influenza virus

Avian influenza (AI) causes significant impact on industrial poultry farming, besides infecting a variety of vertebrates. The detection of antibodies against viral antigens by serological methods is important for the epidemiology, control and prevention of AI because their high simplicity and speed for assaying a large number of samples. Obtaining antigenic preparations used for detection of anti-avian influenza virus (AIV) antibodies usually requires complex and expensive procedures and Escherichia coli system expression may be an alternative. The nucleoprotein (NP) of AIV is an ideal antigen candidate because it is highly conserved across AIV strains, resulting in high cross-reactivity and immunogenicity for avian hosts. The NP gene segment was cloned and expressed from AIV isolate H4N6 in E. coli fused to a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) polypeptide and a poly-histidine tag, obtaining a soluble recombinant NP (rNP) containing the most important epitopes. After purification, the rNP was used as an antigen to develop an indirect rNP-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to effectively detect anti-AIV antibodies in chicken serum samples. This rNP-ELISA had high sensitivity (95%), specificity (97%), accuracy (96.7%) and agreement (k=0.88) in a comparative analysis with a commercial ELISA kit. The results suggest that rNP-ELISA offers a viable alternative to improve immunodiagnosis of AIV infection in chickens. Key words: Escherichia coli system expression, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-peptide, immunodiagnosis, poultry.
VALUE BASED FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES: AN EVALUATION OF RELATIVE AND INCREMENTAL INFORMATION CONTENT

Value-based (VB) financial performance measures are often advanced as improvements over traditional measures. It is argued that the inclusion of a firm‟s cost of capital in the calculation of these measures facilitates the evaluation of value creation. Furthermore they attempt to remove some accounting distortions resulting from the limitations of conventional accounting information. This paper investigates the ability of four VB measures to explain market-adjusted share returns and compare it to that of some traditional measures. Empirical results indicate that the relative information contents of the VB measures are not greater than that of earnings. The incremental information content tests indicate that their components add significantly to the information content of earnings, but that the level of significance is relatively low.
Nanomechanical and Electrochemical Properties of Nano-composite Coatings for Maritime Applications

The aggressive sea environment raises the need for synthesizing novel advanced coatings for maritime applications. Biofouling represents one of the most serious problems in modern maritime industries and its control is one of the biggest challenges for marine biotechnology. When a surface is submerged in seawater, a biofilm composed by microorganisms rapidly covers the surface which is subsequently colonized by algae and invertebrates, ultimately resulting to its corrosion. Antifouling paints based on colophony are proposed to degrade following an erosion mechanism, resulting in the degradation of the entire film (controlled depletion polymer CDP). Unfortunately, CDP coatings based on colophony, display some disadvantages and the improvement of their efficiency is considered crucial.Thus, the improvement of marine paints for ships hulls constitutes a technological challenge. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising fillers in polymeric resins due to their extraordinary structural properties. It has been proven that the addition of CNTs in polymer based coatings could improve their mechanical and anticorrosion performance. However,it is crucial to achieve a stable and homogenous dispersion of CNTs in the coatings’ matrix.For shipbuilding applications, a three layer coating system is used; an epoxy based primer, an anticorrosive barrier coat and a colophony based antifouling topcoat layer. In this study, we focused onthe study of the influence of CNTs addition in both epoxy primer layer and antifouling topcoat. Firstly, we investigated the most suitable experimental procedure for the functionalization of CNTs surface, synthesized via chemical vapor deposition method. Our goal was to activate the CNTs surface, in order to create chemical bonds with the coatings resin. The produced nanocomposite coatings were applied through dip coating onto shipbuilding plate substrates and their mechanical and anticorrosion properties were evaluated through nanoindentation technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively.It was found, that the incorporation of carboxyl functionalized CNTs in the epoxy primer, leads to increased hardness values for the specimen with 0.2wt. %. CNTs,but deteriorates its anticorrosion performance in all cases. Finally, it was shown that the incorporation of amino-functionalized CNTs in antifouling topcoat, improves significantly its mechanical performance without any effect on its anticorrosion behavior.
The Application of Transformation-based Learning in the Development of a Named Entity Recognition System for Filipino Text

In this paper, the researchers define the task of named entity recognition and its role in information extraction, data mining, and most importantly, natural language processing. It discussed the implementation of the transformation-based learning algorithm in the creation of the named entity recognition system for the Filipino language, and evaluated the system’s performance in comparison with another named entity recognition system which used a rule-based algorithm. Index Terms – data mining, information Extraction, natural language processing, transformation-based learning
Auditory and cognitive contributions to hearing-impaired listeners’ spatial speech recognition performance

This study investigated the auditory and cognitive processes affecting speech recognition in spatially complex, multi-talker situations. Twenty- three elderly hearing-impaired (HI) listeners were tested on a number of competing-speech tasks, a measure of monaural spectral ripple discrimination, a measure of binaural temporal fine structure (TFS) sensitivity, and two cognitive measures indexing working memory and attention. All auditory test stimuli were spectrally shaped to restore (partial) audibility for each listener on each listening task. Eight younger normal- hearing (NH) listeners served as a control group. Data analyses revealed that the chosen auditory and cognitive measures were unable to predict speech recognition when the target and maskers were separated along the front-back dimension. When the competing talkers were separated along the left-right dimension, however, speech recognition was correlated with the measures of attention and binaural TFS sensitivity as well as with low- frequency hearing thresholds. Altogether, these results support the notion that both bottom-up and top-down deficits are responsible for the impaired functioning of elderly HI listeners in cocktail party-like situations.
Perspectives of geothermal development in Italy and the challenge of environmental conservation

The status of geothermal development for power generation in Italy as of the end of 1996 is presented. Future development is dependent upon the acceptance of local residents; environmental conservation and socioeconomic aspects have thus become fundamental issues in ENEL activities. The results of an environmental assessment study carried out in the Mt. Amiata area, where several plants are in operation and others are planned, are outlined. Pollutant concentrations are well within the limits set by current legislation; however, hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) and mercury abatement is planned to avoid the odor nuisance of H{sub 2}S and possible adverse effects from mercury buildup in the long term. The scheme for combined H{sub 2}S and mercury abatement, developed for the particular characteristics of Italian geothermal fluids, is described. The proposed technology is going to be demonstrated on a pilot scale and then on a 20 MW power plant.
Antibacterial Properties and Mechanism of Gold Nanoparticles Obtained from Pergularia Daemia Leaf Extract

The development of environmental dealings for the green synthesis of metal nanoparticle using plant mediated process is evolving an important branch of nano biotechnology. It offers a controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles with welldefined shape, size, composition and morphology. The present study reveals the green synthesis of gold nanoparticle that is non-toxic, novel and eco-friendly. This synthesis approach is cost effective, eco-friendly and promising method for generation of new materials which can be used for many potential applications in field of science and medical. The colour change in UV-visible spectroscopy at absorption peak of 536 nm occurred due to the surface Plasmon Resonance effect. The antimicrobial activity and mechanism of gold nanoparticles studies for the bacterial growth of gram-negative bacteria like E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram-positive bacteria like Bacillus subtilis respectively. Highly crystalline nanoparticles of size 10nm are confirmed from HR-TEM which supports with d spacing of XRD analysis. Further the characteristics of the obtained gold nanoparticles were studied using XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopic, and High Resolution Transmission Electron microscopy and the results are presented in detail.
A critical evaluation of the symbiotic association between tropical tube-dwelling Polychaetes and their Hermatypic coral hosts, with a focus on Spirobranchus giganteus (Pallas, 1766)

Coral reefs are high in species diversity with a low effective population size for most species and a high incidence of specific co-evolved relationships. Hermatypic corals are associated with, and attract a variety of, symbionts and commensals which helps to maintain coral reef biodiversity. However, little is known about such associations. Tropical tube-dwelling polychaetes provide an interesting surrogate in the enhancement of current understanding of such associations posing the question: what is the nature of the symbiotic association between tropical tube-dwelling polychaetes and their hermatypic coral hosts? This question is addressed by reviewing the life history and ecology of the conspicuous serpulid Spirobranchus giganteus (Pallas, 1766), an obligate associate of living hermatypic corals showing host species specificity. The distribution, life history and behavioural patterns of this taxon are suggestive of more than the currently perceived commensal association between its coral hosts. Most notably, recent studies have suggested the up regulation of Spirobranchus giganteus symbiotic association from commensalism to mutualism, with Spirobranchus giganteus protecting the coral host from predation, and increased water circulation to adjacent polyps facilitating coral recovery in algal dominated coral colonies. Such recent evidence illustrates the importance of associate organisms on coral reefs.
Spin foams with timelike surfaces

Spin foams of 4D gravity were recently extended from complexes with purely spacelike surfaces to complexes that also contain timelike surfaces. In this paper, we express the associated partition function in terms of vertex amplitudes and integrals over coherent states. The coherent states are characterized by unit 3-vectors which represent normals to surfaces and lie either in the 2-sphere or in the 2D hyperboloids. In the case of timelike surfaces, a new type of coherent state is used and the associated completeness relation is derived. It is also shown that the quantum simplicity constraints can be deduced by three different methods: by weak imposition of the constraints, by restriction of coherent state bases and by the master constraint.
A Camera and Laser System for Automatic Vine Balance Assessment

Canopy performance, the balance of crop weight and canopy volume, is a key indicator of value in viticultural production. Timely and dense measurement offer the potential to inform management practices and deliver significant improvement in production efficiency. Traditional measurement practices are labor intensive and provide sparse data that may not reflect vineyard variability. We propose and demonstrate a combination of visual and laser sensing mounted on vineyard machinery that provides dense maps of canopy performance indicators. Current industry practice for measuring grape crop weight involves manually counting clusters on a vine with destructive sampling to find the average weight of a single cluster. This paper presents an alternative utilizing vision and laser sensing. We demonstrate use of machine vision to automatically estimate the weight of the crop growing on a vine. Validation of the algorithm was performed by comparing weight estimates generated by the system to ground truth measurements collected by hand. Machine mounted laser scanners provide direct measurement of canopy shape and volume. Validation of the canopy volume measurement is provided by correlation with manually collected dormant vine pruning weight. Attaching these laser and camera sensors to vineyard machinery will allow crop weight and canopy volume measurements to be collected on a large scale quickly and economically. Experiments performed at vineyards growing Traminette and Riesling wine grapes and Concord juice grapes show that we were able to determine both crop weight and canopy volume to within 10% of their actual values.
New Evidence on Ownership Structures in Germany

Ownership structures are an important element of the theory explaining corporate governance. This study presents detailed descriptive evidence on the ownership structures of German manufacturing firms. It addresses several shortcomings of the previous German empirical literature: First, we study all legal forms of a Kapitalgesellschaft, firms that generally have a separation of ownership and control. We do not focus exclusively on the listed Aktiengesellschaft (AG) but include many non-listed firms. Second, we examine changes in the ownership structure. This is a new and important approach because these changes are frequently related to corporate performance. Third, we analyze the higher levels of ownership structures, i.e. ownership structures of the direct owners. Thereby we address an issue quant itatively which only recently became subject of empirical studies. Finally, we find that crossownership is of minor relevance in the German manufacturing sector. However, our measure of cross-ownership represents only a lower bound.
A Piecewise Hysteresis Model for a Damper of HIS System

A damper of the hydraulically interconnected suspension (HIS) system, as a quarter HIS, is prototyped and its damping characteristic is tested to characterize the damping property. The force-velocity characteristic of the prototype is analyzed based on a set of testing results and accordingly a piecewise hysteresis model for the damper is proposed. The proposed equivalent parametric model consists of two parts: hysteresis model in low speed region and saturation model in high speed region which are used to describe the hysteresis phenomenon in low speed and nonhysteresis phenomenon in high speed, respectively. The parameters of the model are identified based on genetic algorithm by setting the constraints of parameters according to their physical significances and the corresponding testing results. The advantages of the model are highlighted by comparing to the nonhysteresis model and the permanent hysteresis model. The numerical simulation results are compared with the testing results to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed model. Finally, to further verify the proposed model’s wide applicability under different excitation conditions, its results are compared to the testing results in three-dimensional space. The research in this paper is significant for the dynamic analysis of the HIS vehicle.
DISCRIMINATION OF THE NUCLEOLUS BY A CRITICAL ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATION METHOD

A new technique for the visualization of the nucleolus based on a variant of the previously reported critical electrolyte concentration method for nucleoprotein complexes is proposed. The method consists of treating toluidine blue-stained preparations with Mg2+ ions in a concentration such that ribonucleoprotein complexes are metachromatically highlighted, while DNA-protein complexes attain their critical electrolyte concentration point, thus losing metachromasy. The technique, which is applicable to plant and animal cells, is proposed for studies involving identification, morphometry and eventually changes in substructure of the nucleolus at the light microscopy level.
Lyman–Werner UV escape fractions from primordial haloes

Population III stars can regulate star formation in the primordial Universe in several ways. They can ionize nearby halos, and even if their ionizing photons are trapped by their own halos, their Lyman-Werner (LW) photons can still escape and destroy H$_2$ in other halos, preventing them from cooling and forming stars. LW escape fractions are thus a key parameter in cosmological simulations of early reionization and star formation but have not yet been parametrized for realistic halos by halo or stellar mass. To do so, we perform radiation hydrodynamical simulations of LW UV escape from 9--120 M$_{\odot}$ Pop III stars in $10^5$ to $10^7$ M$_{\odot}$ halos with ZEUS-MP. We find that photons in the LW lines (i.e. those responsible for destroying H$_{2}$ in nearby systems) have escape fractions ranging from 0% to 85%. No LW photons escape the most massive halo in our sample, even from the most massive star. Escape fractions for photons elsewhere in the 11.18--13.6~eV energy range, which can be redshifted into the LW lines at cosmological distances, are generally much higher, being above 60% for all but the least massive stars in the most massive halos. We find that shielding of H$_2$ by neutral hydrogen, which has been neglected in most studies to date, produces escape fractions that are up to a factor of three smaller than those predicted by H$_2$ self-shielding alone.