Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determining the Value of Pedestrian Surfaces in Suburban DC

Recent demographic studies suggest a shift in consumer preference away from auto-centric suburban housing to more walkable suburban communities. In response to these changes, efforts have been made to model the walkability of a location and determine its effect on the market value of both residential and commercial real estate. Existing walkability models have considered the importance of amenities and potential pedestrian routes, but have neglected to identify the importance of pedestrian surfaces such as sidewalks and trails as a proportion of the route traveled, and have typically modeled pedestrian movement using exclusively street or trail centerline data. The following paper uses a new walkability model to provide insight on the effect pedestrian surfaces along these amenity routes have on the market value of single family detached and semi-detached homes in Fairfax County, VA. It was found that increases in pedestrian surfaces along amenity routes had little to no effect on home value, but that 3.3%, 1.2 %, and 0.7 % price premiums existed for single family homes that had amenity paths of less than 1 mile to public transportation, public spaces, and recreational facilities, respectively. Price reductions of 3.0 % were discovered for homes that had amenity paths within 1 mile of retail locations.
Comparative dispersal effectiveness of wigeongrass seeds by waterfowl wintering in south‐west Spain: quantitative and qualitative aspects

1 The effectiveness of a seed disperser depends on the quantity of seed dispersed and the quality of dispersal provided to each seed. Relationships between the quantity and quality components and their dependence on characteristics of the dispersers remain largely uninvestigated. 2 The effectiveness of different waterfowl species at dispersing seeds of Ruppia maritima was evaluated in a wetland in south‐west Spain. Droppings were collected during autumn and spring waterfowl migrations and the number of seeds ingested (estimated from seed fragments), undigested and viable in germination trials were determined. 3 Ingestion by waterfowl enhanced the rate of germination and, for several duck species, it also had a positive effect on germinability. Both the presence of seeds in the diet and the effects of gut passage showed high interspecific and temporal variance. Some of the interspecific variation in dispersal quality was related to gut structure: species with heavier gizzards destroyed a higher proportion of seeds and undigested seeds ingested by species with more grit in the gizzard germinated better. 4 In the waterfowl community studied, the quantity and quality components of seed dispersal effectiveness were positively correlated across species.
Working Paper No. 13

For alternative sharing arrangements we review theory on the economic effects on employment, productivity, investment, income and wealth distribution, and life cycle and survival. We find that predictions are often ambiguous and that sometimes the nature and size of the specific effect is determined in part by the particular institutional arrangements. Next recent econometric work is studied. We review studies using aggregate and industry level time series data for Japan as well as studies that use enterprise and establishment level data for firms in North America and Western Europe. Worker participation, employee share ownership and profit sharing schemes are often found to affect the economic performance of firms. For some issues, however, we sometimes find that studies obtained conflicting results. However, the available evidence is strongly suggestive that for employee ownership schemes to have a strong positive impact they need to be accompanied by provision for uorker participation in decision making.
Association of I/D angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype with erythropoietin stimulation in kidney failure

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-gene polymorphism is a possible predisposing factor of erythropoietin response under hypoxic conditions. However, it is not completely clear whether the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) genotype has an impact on anemia in patients with permanent kidney failure. A 9-month prospective trial was conducted on 53 patients on hemodialysis aimed at determining the beneficial effect of oral vs intravenous iron in anemia management with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo), and identifying a possible association of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism with the response to rHuEpo. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 50-100 mg daily of ferrous gluconate orally (N=26) or intravenously every two weeks (N=27), together with rHuEpo-beta (200 IU/kg) subcutaneously, to achieve a hemoglobin increase to 105 g/L; subsequently the rHuEpo dose was adjusted at one or two week intervals. In 34 patients who regularly received ACE-inhibitor (ACEi) medication, genotyping for ACE-gene I/D polymorphism was performed using PCR, gel analysis and appropriate restriction digestion. After prolonged rHuEpo treatment, 24.5% of patients attained the targeted 9 th -month hemoglobin concentration (105 g/L). Of these, 6/26 of patients received elemental iron orally and 7/27 received it intravenously. We observed an association between homozygous DD (deletion) of the ACE gene and a remarkable early increase in blood hemoglobin (p=0.028), erythrocyte count (p=0.020) and hematocrit (p=0.043) after reduction of the dose of rHuEpo (F=3.95; p=0.029), irrespective of the iron repletion mode (p=0.960). This is the first report on DD genotype as a linkage marker for the optimization of rHuEpo dose for anemia management in hemodialysis patients. DOI: 10.2298/ABS160303051S Received: March 3, 2016; Revised: March 31, 2016; Accepted: April 5, 2016; Published online: May 18, 2016 How to cite this article: Savin M, Hadzibulic E, Damjanovic T, Santric V, Stankovic S. Association of I/D angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype with erythropoietin stimulation in kidney failure. Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(1):15-22.
Barriers to Treatment and the Connection to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Individuals who are engaging in mental health counseling services are demonstrating a lack of engagement in treatment. The purpose of this research study is to demonstrate a relationship between client’s perceived barriers to mental health treatment and to human needs as identified through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943). This study was conducted through administration of a 27-item survey that consisted of a list of barriers to treatment and basic needs. The development and administration of this survey will be detailed through describing the location of the research site, recruitment process, and collection of data. A total of 22 participants completed the survey. Data analysis showed that 72.27% of participants reported at least one of their barriers to treatment being a basic need as identified by Maslow. The findings are discussed and implications for professional counseling and future research.
Developing an Automatic Diagnostic System Driven by Consumer-Generated Health Care Data

In order to develop an accurate automatic differential diagnostic system with statistical methods, a large amount of data from patient interviews is required. On the other hand, many Internet users often supply their own information to the public.Our hypothesis is that the medical data collected from general Internet users is useful to develop an automatic statistical diagnostic system. The purpose of this study is to assess this hypothesis.We installed a simple health information website on the Internet. On this website, we hosted a Web application that can infer diseases compatible with the information entered by the users. On this site, if its users had visited a medical institution after using this Web application, we requested them to inform us about doctors’ diagnoses. We developed an automatic diagnostic system based on the Naive-Bayes algorithm with only these data. For evaluation, we used as test data the cases from clinical case questions in a Japanese National Medical Practitioners Qualifying Examination, which medical students must pass to become medical doctors in Japan. We evaluated the correctanswer rate to prove whether this new application makes the minimum satisfactory judgment demanded of doctors. We collected 8812 cases from our website and developed an automatic diagnostic system based on the Naive-Bayes algorithm with these data. The correct-answer rate of this new application was 69.4% (95% CI, 58.8-80.1%). This rate is higher than the borderline (66%) of the examination.This result suggests that medical data collected from general Internet users is valuable in developing an automatic differential diagnostic system and that an online automatic diagnostic system can be developed that improves its own accuracy with user log data.
1 A Metric for Partitions

In this note, we offer a new metric to measure the distance between the partitions of a given finite set. We compare the proposed metric with the ones in the literature through examples. Citation: Ibrahim Inal, (2016) ''A Metric for Partitions'', Economics Bulletin, Volume 36, Issue 1, pages 588-594 Contact: Ibrahim Inal vahabibrahim@gmail.com. Submitted: February 24, 2016. Published: March 28, 2016.
Evaluation of Melon Seed Oil Citrullus Colocynthis (L.) Schrad, for the Protection of Cowpea Vigna Unguiculata Seeds against Callosobruchus Maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad seeds generally called Egusi melon are widely eaten in Nigeria, but its uses in post-harvest crop protection have not been exploited. The effects of the edible oil of C. colocynthis seeds on Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) were assessed on adult mortality, oviposition, F1 progeny emergence, cowpea seed damage and seed germinability in the laboratory. Results indicated that the oil showed some lethal effects on treated insects at above 50% mortality and very high reduction in oviposition at increased concentrations. Seeds treated with the oil showed significant (P<0.05) reduction in the number of progeny of C. maculatus. There was no observable feeding damage on seeds treated with the highest concentration of the oil applied. In addition, the oil has no adverse effect on seed viability. The present studies indicate that the application of the oil show promise in post-harvest protection of cowpea seeds.
APPLICATION OF MATHEMATIC MODELS OF WATER IN IRRIGATED BEAN CROP UNDER NO-TILLAGE SYSTEM

CSBE101193 - Presented at Section 1: Land and Water Engineering Conference ABSTRACT Irrigation quality is estimated trough mathematical models that describe the water depths distribution along its irrigated area, indicating the irrigation efficiency parameters (application efficiency, storage efficiency, depth water percolation and deficit area) on hydraulic evaluation of field systems. The objective of this research work is to determine these efficiency parameters from two mathematical models of water distribution on soil surface (linear and normal) for each bean crop stage irrigated by sprinkler irrigation, in no-tillage system with 4, 6, 8 and 12 t ha -1 of mulching originated from summer crop (millet) and verifying its relation with grain production. The irrigation management was carried through irrigation schedule, keeping the water content of the soil around 28% (critical moisture for the crop) and 31% (field capacity). Mathematical models analyzed indicated similar behavior between evaluated parameters for all treatments; some exceptions were noticed regarding depth water percolation. The normal mathematical model indicated higher values in relation to the linear mathematical model. Irrigation quality evaluation parameters obtained through the evaluated mathematical models demonstrated similar field conditions for this experiment based on water depths, either when in deficit or in excess of water on crop productivity. Treatments 4 and 12 t ha -1 indicated lower values of application efficiency, excess water and higher
Design Considerations in the Development and Actuation of Origami-Based Mechanisms

Design Considerations in the Development and Actuation of Origami-Based Mechanisms Eric W. Wilcox Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Origami-based mechanisms have unique characteristics that make them attractive for engineering applications. However, origami-based design is still a developing area of design. Continued work to increase general understanding of key design parameters specific to origami-based mechanisms will increase the ability of designers to capture the potential benefits of origami-based mechanisms. This thesis presents a fundamental study of origami to assist designers in gaining a stronger understanding of the key parameters and capabilities of origami-based mechanisms. As a starting point a study of fundamental motions in action origami models (those that exhibit motions in their folded state) is presented to explore fundamental motions and actuation in origami-based mechanisms. Eleven fundamental motions are outlined and defined with the associated actuation forces that drive them. Additionally, considerations for ensuring necessary performance and force transfer characteristics in origami mechanisms are presented. This is done by exploring the effect of surrogate hinge selections, fold pattern modification, and actuation inputs on the final mechanism. A model of mechanical advantage in origami models consisting of N, degree-4, vertices (where N = 1,2,3,.) is developed and explored. From the exploration of the parameters of the mechanical advantage model it is shown that hinge selection can greatly affect the performance of an origami mechanism by determining its range of motion, precision, and mechanical advantage. Therefore, in order to better understand this important design decision, specific considerations for surrogate hinge selection are presented. These considerations discuss methods to increase performance and reduce hinge imprint, as well as develop surrogate hinges in metals. The key design parameters and considerations presented herein as well as study of origami motions serve to lay the groundwork toward the development of analysis tools and design guidelines specifically suited to origami based design.
Development of battery management systems ( BMS ) for electric vehicles ( EVs ) in Malaysia

Battery Management Systems (BMS) is an electronic devices component, which is a vital fundamental device connected between the charger and the battery of the hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) systems. Thus, BMS significantly enable for safety protection and reliable battery management by performing of monitoring charge control, state evaluation, reporting the data and functionalities cell balancing. To date, 97.1% of Malaysian CO2 emissions are mainly caused by transportation activities and the numbers will keep rising as numbers of registered car increase close up to 1 million yearly; double the amounts in the last two decades. The uncertainty of a battery’s performance poses a challenge to predict the extended range of EVs, which need BMS implementation of optimization of optimum power management. Hence, using MATLAB/SIMULINK software is one of the potential methods of BMS optimization with power generated by Hybrid Energy Storage system of lithium-ion battery. Therefore, this paper address through reviewing previous literatures initially focuses on the BMS optimization for EVs (car) in Malaysia as prognostic technology model improvement on performance management of EVs.
BEYOND BITCOIN - Public Sector Innovation Using the Bitcoin Blockchain Technology

The virtual currency Bitcoin has got a lot of attention since it was presented in late 2008 and implemented in early 2009. However, the main attention has been on the currency and not the underlying technology called the block-chain. This paper argues that we need to look beyond the Bitcoin currency and investigate the potential use of the blockchain technology also for public sector as a mean for a secure, distributed, open, and inexpensive database technology. The technology is discussed as an information infrastructure and the generativity it allows and sup-ports. After a thorough overview of academic publications on the subject of Bitcoin, and especially Bitcoin used in public sector, the paper presents a relevant use case highlighting the innovation potential of the new, distributed technology. The literature review reveals that the Bitcoin technology is absent from the e-Government literature, de-spite the undeniable high innovation potential it represents also in public sector. The use case presented shows that Bitcoin could be a promising technology for many types of permanent, or relatively permanent, documents in public sector.
Assessment of Alternative Phosphorus Fertilizers for Organic Farming: Compost and Digestates from Urban Organic Wastes

Organic wastes from urban areas include organic household wastes, food processing residues and catering wastes. These so called "Urban Organic Wastes" are important potential sources for nutrient recycling back to agriculture. Main waste treatment options for these sources are composting and anaerobic digestion. Both differ in the process performance – regarding for example emissions or energy balances – and in the characteristics of the final fertilizer pro­duct. This fact sheet describes the most important aspects of compost and digestates from urban organic wastes for use in organic farming.
Near-Infrared Imaging and [O I] Spectroscopy of IC 443 using Two Micron All Sky Survey and Infrared Space Observatory

We present near-infrared J (1.25 μm), H (1.65 μm), and Ks (2.17 μm) imaging of the entire supernova remnant IC 443 from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) LWS observations of [O I] for 11 positions in the northeast. Near-infrared emission from IC 443 was detected in all three bands from most of the optically bright parts of the remnant, revealing a shell-like morphology, with bright Ks-band emission along the southern ridge and bright J and H along the northeastern rim. The total luminosity within the 2MASS bands is 1.3 × 1036 ergs s-1. These data represent the first near-infrared images that are complete in coverage of the remnant. The color and morphological structure are very different between the northeastern and southern parts. J- and H-band emission from the northeast rim is comparably bright and can be explained mostly by [Fe II] line emission. The hydrogen recombination lines, Pβ and Br10, should also be present in the broadband images, but probably contribute less than 10% of the J- and H-band fluxes. Strong [O I] (63 μm) lines were detected crossing the northeastern rim, with the strongest line in the northeastern shell where the near-infrared emission shows filamentary structure. In contrast, the southern ridge is dominated by Ks-band light exhibiting a clumped and knotty structure. A two excitation temperature model derived from previous ISO and ground-based observations predicts that H2 lines can explain most of Ks band and at least half of J- and H-band emission. Hence, the prominent broadband color differences arise from physically different mechanisms: atomic fine structure lines along the northeastern rim and molecular rovibrational lines along the southern ridge. Shock models imply a fast J-shock with vs ~ 100 km s-1 and 10 < no < 103cm-3 for the northeastern rim and a slow C-shock with vs ~ 30 km s-1 and no ~ 104 cm-3 for the southern ridge, respectively. The shocked H2 line emission is well known from the southern sinuous ridge, produced by an interaction with dense molecular clouds. The large field of view and color of the 2MASS images show that the Ks-band emission extends to the east and the northeast, suggesting that the interaction extends to the inner part of the northeastern shell. Our new CO map of the inner part of the northeast quadrant shows good correspondence with the Ks-band map. The CO lines are broad, confirming that the Ks-band emission is due to shocked H2.
Optimal control design for the nonlinear manoeuvrability of a submarine

A six degree of freedom (6-DOF) nonlinear mathematical model for a submarine is proposed. Then, the problem of manoeuvrability control for this vehicle is formulated as an unconstrained optimal control problem which is solved by using a gradient descent method. Simulation results presented are rooted by three requirements which are of a major importance in naval industry, and they are compared to a classical linear model.
Mechanism of photocatalytic production of active oxygens on highly crystalline TiO2 particles by means of chemiluminescent probing and ESR spectroscopy

The effect of calcination on photocatalytic activities was studied for highly crystalline TiO2 powder, which was synthesized by the method of hydrothermal crystallization in organic media (HyCOM). The productions of O2•-and H2O2 under ambient condition were monitored by means of luminol chemiluminescence probing. The amount of produced O2•- was decreased with the calcination at lower temperatures in parallel to the decrease of inner Ti3+ signal observed at 77 K by ESR spectroscopy. The formation route for H2O2 under aerated condition is mainly two-step O2 reduction in the presence of oxidizable organic molecules such as luminol. Oxidization activity was significantly high when HyCOM-TiO2 was calcined at higher temperatures, 973−1173 K, as monitored by the amount of oxidized luminol. The observation in ESR measurements and other evidences indicated that the luminol is oxidized via hydroxyl radicals rather than the direct oxidation by photoinduced surface trapped holes.