Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparable Performance Measurement System for Construction Companies

The construction industry has mainly relied on financially focused performance measurements, and studies on performance measurement systems PMSs have been carried out at the project level. However, recently, the demand for performance evaluation and management at the company level has increased. A few previous efforts have aimed to develop a conceptual framework for company performance, but there have been few follow-up studies. From this perspective, we have developed an implementation model and practical methodology to measure and compare the performance of construction companies. First, our thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis was used to develop a set of indicators for performance measurement, and an analysis of the relative weightings of the indicators was carried out. Second, we calculated the performance score of construction companies using a study of 34 Korean construction companies. Finally, we carried out a performance evaluation and system analysis using the calculated performance scores and identified practical issues for the implementation of our PMS. Using the results of our analytical processes identified in this work, further research is suggested.
Policy-related transaction costs of agricultural policies in Finland

This paper assesses policy-related transaction costs (PRTC) associated with the main agricultural and agri-environmental policy instruments in Finland. We find that area-based income support measures entail low transaction costs as expressed in percent of payments, not only in Finland but also in other European countries. Moreover, transaction costs in the Finnish agri-environmental programme are surprisingly low. Within the agri-environmental programme, transaction costs increase with more targeted and differentiated agri-environmental measures. For the basic mandatory measures, these costs are even lower than the transaction costs for the area-based income support measures. What regards the most differentiated policy measures such as conservation of special biotopes or establishment of riparian buffer zones, transaction costs increase considerably. Combining these findings with the actual targets of the Finnish agricultural policies provides indirect evidence about the impacts of policy instruments and the efficiency of administration in implementing the instruments. For area-based income support measures, the Finnish administration seems to work very efficiently. For water protection targets, enforcement and division of labour within the administration seem to be insufficient.
Financial Development, Internationalisation and Firm Value

In this article I show that both aspects of financial development, namely, liberalisation and deepening, and financial internationalisation proxied using cross-listings in the US creates value for emerging market firms. Financial deepening, or more precisely, stock market deepening enhances value. In contrast, bank sector deepening only serves to reduce value because it is associated with large-scale corporate expansion and a fall in market capitalisation. Like others, I document a cross-listing premium for Level 2/3 cross-listings in the US. The cross-listing premium is typically less than the gains from financial liberalisation, but they are similar in magnitude over the period examined.
Performance simulation of passive Q-switched laser system with intracavity Raman conversion medium

The system performance of intra-cavity Stimulated Raman Scattering SRS with passive Q-switching has been simulated. Neodymium :Gadolinium Vanadium ( Nd:GdVO 4 ), Chromium : Yttrium Aluminum Garnet( Cr +4 :YAG), and Barium Nitrate Ba(NO 3 ) 2 are utilizing as a active medium(AM), saturable absorber material (SAM), and Raman medium (RM) respectively. Mathematical model of rate equations has been formulated in this study. The model solved numerically by Rung –Kutta- Fehalberg method. Significant passive Q-switching and Stokes pulses to be simulated, also the effect of optical length on characteristics(duration and energy) of these pulses has been investigated. The study conclude that the power decrease while the optical length increase. Keyword : Physics, Laser, passive Q- switching , Raman conversion
Intercomparing CO 2 amounts from dispersion modeling, 1.6 μm differential absorption lidar and open path FTIR at a natural CO 2 release at Caldara di Manziana, Italy

Abstract. We intercompare results of three independent approaches to quantify a vented CO2 release at a strongly non-uniform CO2 Earth degassing at Caldara di Manziana, central Italy. An integrated path differential absorption lidar prototype and a commercial open path FTIR system were measuring column averaged CO2 concentrations in parallel at two different paths. An Eulerian gas dispersion model simulated 3-D CO2 concentration maps in the same area, using in situ CO2 flux input data acquired at 152 different points. Local processes the model does not account for, such as small-scale and short-lived wind eddies, govern CO2 concentrations in the instrument measurement paths. The model, on the other hand, also considers atmospheric effects that are out of the field of view of the instruments. Despite this we find satisfactory agreement between modeled and measured CO2 concentrations under certain meteorological conditions. Under these conditions the results suggest that an Eulerian dispersion model and optical remote sensing can be used as an integrated, complementary monitoring approach for CO2 hazard or leakage assessment. Furthermore, the modeling may assist in evaluating CO2 sensing surveys in the future. CO2 column amounts from differential absorption lidar are in line with those from FTIR for both paths with a mean residual of the time series of 44 and 34 ppm, respectively. This experiment is a fundamental step forward in the deployment of the differential absorption lidar prototype as a highly portable active remote sensing instrument probing vented CO2 emissions, including volcanoes.
Snow on Arctic sea ice: model representation and last decade changes

Abstract. Together with sea ice, Arctic snow has experienced vast changes during the last decade due to a warming climate. Thus, it is relevant to study the past and present changes of Arctic snow to understand the implications to the sea ice component, precipitation, heat and radiation budgets. In this study, we analyze the changes of snow depth between 2000 and 2013 at regional scale represented in an Arctic coupled sea ice-general circulation model. We evaluate the model performance by direct comparison of the modeled snow depths (hs_mod) to snow depths from radar measurements from the NASA Operation IceBridge (hs_OIB) during the flight campaigns completed from 2009 to 2013. Despite the description of the snow in our model is simple (i.e. single layer without explicit snow redistribution processes) as in many current sea-ice models; the latitudinal distribution of hs_mod in the western Arctic is in good agreement to observations. The hs_mod is on average 3 cm thicker than hs_OIB in latitudes > 76° N. According to the model results, the hs in 2013 decreased 21 % with respect to the multi-year mean between 2000 and 2013. This snow reduction occurred mainly in FYI dominated areas, and is in good agreement to the year-to-year loss of sea ice, also well reproduced by the model. In a simple snow mass budget, our results show that 65 % of the yearly accumulated snow is lost by sublimation and snowmelt due to the heat transfer between the snow/ice interface and the atmosphere. Although the snow layer accumulates again every year, the long-term reduction in the summer sea-ice extent ultimately affects the maximum spring accumulation of snow. The model results exhibit a last decade thinning of the snowpack that is however one order of magnitude lower than previous estimates based on radar measurements. We suggest that the later is partially due to the lack of explicit snow redistribution processes in the model, emphasizing the need to include these in current sea-ice models to improve the snow representations.
Ethanol inducible isopentenyl transferase as a high efficiency marker for tobacco transformation

The isopentenyl transforase gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is one positive selectable marker genes for plant transformation. In this research, the ipt gene was placed under the control of ethanol-inducible system and was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi via Agrobacterium -mediated transformation. On a hormonefree medium (MSI) with 0.1% ethanol vapor, a large number of transgenic calli and shoots were obtained from explants that were infected with A. tumefaciens LBA4404 harboring the AlcA::ipt gene or 35S::ipt gene. On the same medium without inducer under identical culture conditions, explants can produce a larger number of calli and shoots transformed using 35S::ipt gene, but no calli or shoots were induced from explants transformed using AlcA::ipt gene. After being transferred to MSII medium, the AlcA::ipt transgenic plants displayed normal shoot morphology compared to the 35S::ipt transgenic plant lines. Our results demonstrated that ethanol-inducible ipt system can be used as a positive selection marker for tobacco plant transformation. Key words : Selectable marker, ipt gene, ethanol inducible system, transformation.
The determinants of domestic resources mobilization in Togo: the case of public revenuesx

Like many developing countries, Togo is facing a deficit of financial resources that leads to a dependence on international financial institutions. A better mobilization of internal resources could allow this country to reduce its deficit of resources and better control its process of economic development and poverty reduction. This is why in this article; we analyzed the determinants of public revenues in Togo. To which we have made using an error correction model suggest that per capita income, value added manufacturing and mining and the opening on the outside are the main factors that positively influence public revenues. Agriculture is essentially subsistence and thus weakly imposed, its added value has no significant effect on the public revenues.
Lexical Semantics and Selection of TAM in Bantu Languages: A Case of Semantic Classification of Kiswahili Verbs

The existing literature on Bantu verbal semantics demonstrated that inherent semantic content of verbs pairs directly with the selection of tense, aspect and modality formatives in Bantu languages like Chasu, Lucazi, Lusamia, and Shiyeyi. Thus, the gist of this paper is the articulation of semantic classification of verbs in Kiswahili based on the selection of TAM types. This is because the semantics and morphology of Kiswahili verbs have been extensively and intensively researched but the semantic classification of verbs has not been fully provided. Findings for the current research point towards the fact that, based on the realizations of three important sections of the verbal semantics, namely, onset, nucleus, and coda, Kiswahili verbs are divided into three major categories: activity (durative), achievement (inchoative), and stative verbs. A clear TAM-selection is provided for in achievement verbs whose semantic contents prohibit co-occurrence with progressive aspect, habituality, and futurity. This behaviour is attested in other Bantu languages though Kiswahili has no -ile formative.
Efficient middleware and resource management in mobile peer-to-peer systems

Mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) networks have emerged as a substrate for distributed wireless Internet applications. With P2P systems, it is possible to share resources such as data storage space, media files, network bandwidth, or computing power among the devices, which participate in the network, without large and expensive centralised server machines. However, the special characteristics of the mobile environment such as the low computational power, changing network conditions, and limited battery life pose several challenges for the fluent operation of mobile devices in P2P networks; this is also in part affected by the complexity of distributed P2P systems. Software development for mobile devices and the design of mobile networking systems are challenging due to the limited device resources and heterogeneous software platforms. Moreover, the energy consumption of a mobile device, and the network-wide routing efficiency that affects for example the resource lookup performance, depend on multiple variable parameters. P2P application development can be facilitated, however, by using middleware, which hides the complexity of networking from the application programmers. The research contributions of this thesis can be classified into three categories: (1) Novel functionalities of mobile middleware are proposed. One of these is a cross-layer connectivity management framework, which aims to select the best combination of network technology entities in a specific usage situation; the selection is made by logic contained in a replaceable state machine. Another new functionality is a system, which installs a missing application for the user, when the user receives a session request from another user. A signalling system based on the cellular USSD protocol is also presented; the system facilitates the establishment of a P2P connection with a mobile device, whose IP-based network connection is off. Moreover, the suitability of the P2PSIP protocol for implementing wireless distributed services is analysed. (2) P2P-related measurement studies are presented. In them, the message routing efficiency of a P2PP protocol implementation and the network traffic load caused by the messaging are observed, and the energy consumption incurred by the same implementation in a mobile device is measured. In addition, a server-based testbed system used in these measurements is described. (3) Experiencebacked guidelines for mobile middleware development are presented. These include practical instructions for software development on a restricted mobile platform, and guidelines and observations related to cross-platform software development.
The Embodied Ethnographer: Journeys in a Health Care Subculture

This paper is a reflective account of conducting ethnographic research in training institutions for alternative and complementary medical (CAM) practitioners. In it the author (a) seeks to extend the methodological literature in embodied sociology through reflection on conducting research in this context and discussion of particular events and processes and (b) offers an example of her attempt to strike the fine balance between respect and integration of previous scholarly work and her own emerging academic voice, while trying to avoid a sterility in the delivery that would belie her attempts to undertake an embodied sociology. By concentrating on three cross-cutting and nonlinear aspects of the research process—motivation, immersion, and expression—she draws out the conceptual links between theory, praxis, and ethics in ethnographic research as well as shedding light on the direction that the study took and the claims to validity of her findings.
Active stall control for large offshore horizontal axis wind turbines; a conceptual study considering different actuation methods

The increasing size of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines and the trend to install wind farms further offshore demand more robust design options. If the pitch system could be eliminated, the availability of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines should increase. This research investigates the use of active stall control to regulate power production in replacement of the pitch system. A feasibility study is conducted using a blade element momentum code and taking the National Renewable Energy Laboratory 5 MW turbine as baseline case. Considering half of the blade span is equipped with actuators, the required change in the lift coefficient to regulate power was estimated in ΔCl = 0.7. Three actuation technologies are investigated, namely Boundary Layer Transpiration, Trailing Edge Jets and Dielectric Barrier Discharge actuators. Results indicate the authority of the actuators considered is not sufficient to regulate power, since the change in the lift coefficient is not large enough. Active stall control of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines appears feasible only if the rotor is re-designed from the start to incorporate active-stall devices.
Changes in plasma levels of steroid hormones during oocyte development of Caspian Kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum, Kamensky, 1901).

Kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum; Kamensky, 1901) is an economically important Cyprinid species endemic to the Caspian Sea. In this study, the plasma levels of estradiol-17β (E2), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17- OHP), testosterone (T), and progesterone (P4) and oocyte developmental stages were studied during the reproductive cycle of Rutilus frisii kutum. These hormones were assayed by radioimmunoassay (RIA), and histological features of developmental stages of oocytes were described in detail using light microscopy. The results showed that plasma levels of E2 and T began to increase during the cortical alveolus stage and this trend continued during the vitellogenesis process. The highest plasma levels of E2 and T were measured at the end of the vitellogenic stage (133.4 ± 19.7 and 7.0 ± 1.4 ng/ml respectively) in March. Once oocytes entered the maturing phase in April, E2 and T levels both declined sharply. By contrast, plasma 17-OHP levels started to increase in early April and reached their maximum value in the final maturation stage in mid April (4.0 ± 2.2 ng/ml). Plasma levels of P4 were very low before initiation of the maturational stage but increased notably during maturation by early April (2.6 ± 0.4 ng/ml) and declined again later. These results indicate that in Kutum, the two hormones E2 and T were functionally important during the vitellogenic phase while progestogens were probably associated with the maturational phase of ovarian growth.
Free radical scavenging, in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of folk medicine Trichodesma sedgwickianum

Trichodesma sedgwickianum has been used in folk medicine possessing anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity. This led us to investigate for its antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential. Different polarities extracts were subjected to polyphenolic estimation and in vitro antioxidant activity. The potential extract was tested for in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity, assessed by carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress in rats. Phytochemical identification of major constituents has been carried out by HPLC, GC-MS, 1 HNMR and 13 C NMR. Amongst the extracts, successive ethanol extract showed higher concentration of polyphenols (25.4 ± 0.1% w/w) and in vitro antioxidant property. The in vivo antioxidant efficiency was confirmed by comparing the enzymatic level, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and MDA in test group with the standard and control. Hepatoprotective effect was observed by changes in the serum enzyme level which were further supported by histological examination. Phytochemically ethanol extract contains gallic acid and catechin along with other constituents. Thus present study provides a scientific rationale for their traditional use.
A study of the nanostructure of the cell wall of the tracheids of conifer xylem by x-ray scattering

The purpose of this study was to develop practical and reliable x-ray scattering methods to study the nanostructure of the wood cell wall and to use these methods to systematically study the nanostructure of Norway spruce and Scots pine grown in Finland and Sweden. Methods to determine the microfibril angle (MFA) distribution, the crystallinity of wood, and the average size of cellulose crystallites using wide-angle x-ray scattering were developed and these parameters were determined as a function of the number of the year ring. The mean MFA in Norway spruce decreases rapidly as a function of the number of the year ring and after the 7 year ring it varies between 6° and 10°. The mean MFA of Scots pine behaves the same way as the mean MFA of Norway spruce. The thickness of cellulose crystallites for Norway spruce and Scots pine appears to be constant as a function of the number of the year ring. The obtained mean values are 32 A for Norway spruce and 31 A for Scots pine. The length of the cellulose crystallites was also quite constant as a function of the year ring. The mean length of the crystallites for Norway spruce was 364 A, while the standard deviation was 27 A. The mass fraction of crystalline cellulose in wood is the crystallinity of wood and the intrinsic crystallinity of cellulose is the crystallinity of cellulose. The crystallinity of wood increases from the 2 year ring to the 10 year ring from the pith and is constant after the 10 year ring. The crystallinity of cellulose obtained using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 52% for both species. The crystallinity of wood and the crystallinity of cellulose behave the same way in Norway spruce and Scots pine. The methods were also applied to studies on thermally modified Scots pine wood grown in Finland. Wood is modified thermally by heating and steaming in order to improve its properties such as biological resistance and dimensional stability. Modification temperatures varied from 100 °C to 240 °C. The thermal modification increases the crystallinity of wood and the thickness of cellulose crystallites but does not influence the MFA distribution. When the modification temperature was 230 °C and time 4 h, the thickness of the cellulose crystallites increased from 31 A to 34 A.
Human Rhinoviruses in Korean with Acute Low Respiratory Tract Infections

Human rhinovirus (HRV) must be viewed as a significant etiological agent of acute low respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) in infants and young children. The present study has been carried out to investigate the prevalence of recently identified respiratory viruses and determine the phylogenetic composition of HRV strains. In total, 923 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) collected from hospitalized patients with ALRIs between January and December 2010 (453 females and 470 males) at five referral hospitals in Seoul were tested for respiratory viruses. Viruses were detected by RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) in 501 (54.3%) of the 923 positive samples obtained. Overall, HRV was detected in 7.9%, ADV in 10.2%, IFV in 21.9%, RSV in 3.6%, hMPV in 2.7%, HCoV in 2.5%, HEV in 1.6%, HBoV in 1.6%, and PIV in 2.4% of the samples. HRV infections occurred throughout the year, with peaks in January, May, July, and November of 2010. Phylogenetic analyses using the VP4/VP2 cording region showed that among the 27 isolates with HRV, 14 (52%) were infected with species A, 2 (7%) were infected with species B, and 11 (41%) were infected with the strains from HRV-C. HRV-C sequences are genetically distinct, sharing only 32% to 33% of their amino acids with HRV-A and HRV-B, while retaining 46% to 100% identity with each other. HRV-A, B, and C were co-circulating in children hospitalized with ALRIs in Korea in 2010. These findings indicated that HRV-C was the important causative agent of HRV associated with ALRIs.