Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lightweight Linearly-typed Programming with Lenses and Monads

This paper shows an encoding of linear types in OCaml and its applications. The encoding enables to write correct OCaml programs based on safe resource access guided by linear types. Linear types ensure that every variable is used exactly once, and, thus, they can be used to check the behavioural aspects of programs such as resource access and communication protocols in a static way. However, linear types require significant effort to be integrated into existing programming languages. Our encoding allows the vanilla OCaml typechecker to enforce linearity by using lenses and a parameterised monad. Parameterised monads are monads with a preand a post-condition, and we use them to track the creation and consumption of resources at the type level. Lenses, which point at parts of a data type, are used to refer to a resource in preand post-conditions. To handle comfortably structured data such as linearly typed lists, we further propose an extension to pattern matching based on the syntax-extension mechanism of OCaml. We show an application to static checking of communication protocols in OCaml.
Students’ Task Understanding during Engineering Problem Solving in an Introductory Thermodynamics Course

Understanding problems or tasks is a critical step in any problem-solving activity and the heart of self-regulated learning. When encountering a problem, students draw upon information available in the environment, along with knowledge, concepts, and perceptions derived from prior learning experiences, to interpret the demands of the task. Interpretation of tasks is, therefore, a key determinant of the goals set while learning, strategies selected to achieve those goals, and the criteria used to self-assess and evaluate outcomes. The purpose of this study is to better understand engineering students’ self-regulation in task interpretation processes while engaged in problem solving in an introductory engineering thermodynamics course. Two research questions guided the study: (1) What are the gaps, if any, between the instructor’s and students’ interpretation (explicit and implicit task features) of a problem-solving task? ; and (2) How do students’ task interpretation (explicit and implicit) change after engaging in self-evaluation of their problem-solving processes? One hundred twelve (112) second year engineering undergraduates voluntarily participated in the study. Analysis of the data collected revealed a significant difference between the instructor’s and students’ task interpretation of the assigned problems. Furthermore, the analysis showed that students’ had a higher ability to identify the explicit parts of problem tasks than implicit ones. Students were able to grasp 63 to 77 percent and 39 to 49 percent, respectively, of the explicit and implicit information that was presented to them while engaged in problem-solving activities.
Antecedents of Consumer’s Purchase Intention of Counterfeit Luxury Product

This study analyzed the influential factors of consumers’ purchase intention towards counterfeit luxury products by considering the model of social status, integrity, and novelty seeking. Attitude towards counterfeit product was used as a mediator in the model. The causalities in the model of problematic purchase intention of consumers toward counterfeit luxury products are hypothesized. A total sample of 400 respondents with 385 effective samples was collected by distributing self-administered questionnaires to people from different sectors. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through AMOS was adopted for the analysis. Consumers’ attitude towards counterfeit product was found to be positively and significantly related to purchase intention of counterfeit product. As for personality constructs, social status and novelty seeking were found to be positively related to attitude and purchase intention of counterfeit product while integrity did not show significant relationship with purchase intention. These results contribute towards marketing as a subject by advocating the theory used in this study and providing different results which have implications for academicians and managers. Keywords: Counterfeit, Social Status, Integrity, Novelty Seeking, Purchase Intention
On-chip interrogation of a silicon-on-insulator microring resonator-based ethanol vapor sensor with an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) spectrometer

Silicon -on -insulator (SOI) optical microring resonators fabricated with the standard CMOS fabrication technology have recently gained considerable attention for energy efficient, compact and low cost biomedical and environmental sensing applications. High sensitivity to the surrounding refractive index variations, high compactness, direct wavelength multiplexing capabilities, simplicity, and the promise for mass fabrication are among the interesting features supported by SOI microring resonators. On the other hand, despite the strong case for microring resonators for sensing, there exist some issues which need to be addressed in order to ensure the feasibility of such sensors. One major limitation currently is the cost of optical sources and /or spectrum analyzers required to drive and interrogate these sensors. Either expensive light sources or spectrum analyzers are usually used with sensors built around microring resonators. An attractive approach to address this problem is the use of on-chip spectrometers along with cheap broadband light sources. We experimentally demonstrate on-chip interrogation of an SOI microring resonator based gas sensor with a compact Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) spectrometer. We have designed and fabricated a 200GHz AWG with strongly overlapping output channels, and used it to interrogate the wavelength shift from a ring resonator based ethanol vapor sensor on the same chip. Ethanol vapor concentrations in 100-1000ppm range are readily detected by monitoring the intensity ratio between two adjacent AWG channels to which the microring resonance overlaps. Such an integrated sensor-interrogator approach is presented as an alternative to the current costly and off-chip read-out systems used for ring resonator based sensors.
The Importance of Mindfulness in Preventing Substance-Abuse Relapse: A Literature Review

This study discusses how to use information on mindfulness and its applications as a method for coping with difficult emotions in order to prevent a relapse of drug addiction. Mindfulness practices, while supporting healthy development, also reduce stress, improve well-being, and provide emotional balance. Its use in substance abuse treatment is quite new. Mindfulness helps one to be able to cope with their state of mind in the moment of stress related to substance withdrawal by supporting learning and well-being, and by enabling a direct relationship to be established among self-awareness, self-control, and emotion regulation. In the working group of this study on the prevention of substance abuse relapse, sessions consisted of experimental exercises and discussions. The objective is to keep key points such as the person’s current experiences, relapse, improvement or lifestyle in the center of the discussion. The attention of the participants, through mindfulness application, is a continual in “the moment” review of their surroundings and can prevent them from getting lost in their history. As another strong side of the program, the importance of an individual addressing one’s self before judging or being made to feel guilty is gently encouraged in these applications. In this way, difficulties that emerge in the practice are assessed not as failures but as a sign of tendencies related to the mind, and people’s motivations are protected by normalizing the difficulties they experience. Perhaps the most crucial point of the mindfulness-based relapse prevention program, unlike other therapies, is that labeling in any manner is not performed. Instead of people experiencing the worth of being forgiven, people are required to only observe and accept. Through all of these practices, the target is to ensure a person becomes more aware and accepting towards their actions.
Predicting subsurface stormflow response of a forested hillslope - the role of connected flow paths

Rapid flow processes in connected preferential flow paths are widely accepted to play a key role in the rainfall–runoff response at the hillslope scale, but a quantitative description of these processes is still a major challenge in hydrological research. This paper investigates the approach of incorporating preferential flow paths explicitly in a process-based model for modelling water flow and solute transport at a steep forested hillslope. We conceptualise preferential flow paths as spatially explicit structures with high conductivity and low retention capacity, and evaluate simulations with different combinations of vertical and lateral flow paths in conjunction with variable or constant soil depths against measured discharge and tracer breakthrough. Out of 122 tested realisations, six set-ups fulfilled our selection criteria for the water flow simulation. These set-ups successfully simulated infiltration, vertical and lateral subsurface flow in structures, and allowed predicting the magnitude, dynamics and water balance of the hydrological response of the hillslope during successive periods of steady-state sprinkling on selected plots and intermittent rainfall on the entire hillslope area. The number of equifinal model set-ups was further reduced by the results of solute transport simulations. Two of the six acceptable model set-ups matched the shape of the observed breakthrough curve well, indicating that macrodispersion induced by preferential flow was captured well by the topology of the preferential flow network. The configurations of successful model set-ups suggest that preferential flow related to connected vertical and lateral flow paths is a first-order control on the hydrology of the study hillslope, whereas spatial variability of soil depth is secondary especially when lateral flow paths are present. Virtual experiments for investigating hillslope controls on subsurface processes should thus consider the effect of distinctive flow paths within the soil mantle. The explicit representation of flow paths in a hydrological process model was found to be a suitable approach for this purpose.
Friction and Wear Properties of Nitrogen-doped graphene /Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Composites

Ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and nitrogen-doped graphene /Ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene composite (NG/UHMWPE) samples were successfully fabricated through an optimized hot-pressing molding method. Friction and wear behavior of UHMWPE and NG/UHMWPE samples sliding against ZrO2 ceramic ball were investigated with a high-speed reciprocating friction tester. The mechanical property and wear volume of pure UHMWPE and NG/UHMWPE samples were characterized with micro-hardness tester and Micro-XAM 3D non-contact surface profiler. The worn morphology of pure UHMWPE and NG/UHMWPE samples were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that, adding NG could not only improve the micro-hardness and wear resistance of UHMWPE and but also reduce the wear rate of UHMWPE significantly.
Isolation and characterization of cDNA encoding stilbene synthases from Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata

mRNA differential display was employed to study powdery mildew disease resistance gene expression in Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata 'Baihe-35-1' inoculated with Erysiphe necator (syn. Uncinula necator ) under natural field conditions. A cDNA fragment T11AC/B0320-723 showing homology to stilbene synthase (STS) gene expressed more strongly at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 days after inoculation of leaves than in controls was found. The full cDNA length was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Sequencing of the full length cDNA revealed cDNA sequences, sized 1288, 1411, 1468, 1492, 1506 and 1556 base pairs encoding 6 homologous polypeptides with 392 amino acid residues each, that were designated as VpSTS1, VpSTS2, VpSTS3, VpSTS4, VpSTS5 and VpSTS6 respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences shared identity of 65 %, 77 % and more than 94 % with Pinus strobus STS, Vitis vinifera chalcone synthase (CHS), and Vitis riparia, Vitis labrusca, Parthenocissus henryana, Cissus rhombifolia, Parthenocissus quinquefolia and Vitis vinifera STS, respectively.
A Novel SPA Attack on ECC Using MMM's Conditional Subtraction

Elliptic curve cryptosystems (ECCs) are becoming more popular because of the reduced number of key bits required in comparison to other cryptosystems such as RSA. They are especially suited to smartcards because of the limited memory and computational power available on these devices. However, the side-channel attacks especially simple side-channel analysis (SPA) can obtain information about the cryptosystem by measuring power consumption and processing time. To resist this a ttack there appear a number of countermeasures and the most widely used methods are Montgomery ladder and double-and- add-always algorithm. This paper proposes a novel simple power analysis attack to these countermeasures. Experimental results on smart cards demonstrate that this attack method can retrieve secret keys by distinguishing the conditional subtraction of Montgomery modular multiplication (MMM). Several countermeasures that can resist this kind of SPA attack are also demonstrated in this paper. Keywords—ECC; cryptography; SPA; Montgomery modular multiplication
Title: Modelling the Pension System in an Overlapping-Generations General Equilibrium Framework

This article presents a theoretical contribution to the field of overlapping-generations general equilibrium modelling, i.e. an upgrade of this branch of models with a pension system. Within the pension block we model both the first pension pillar, financed on a pay-as-you-go basis, and the fully-funded second pillar of the Slovenian pension system. The modelling of the first pension pillar is based on cash flows of the mandatory pension insurance institution, the relationship between the pension base and the pension, and the process of harmonising pension growth to wage growth. The modelling of the second pillar centres on implementation of the liquidity constraint. Use was made of supplementary pension profiles, and the ratio between premia paid and pensions paid out from supplementary pension insurance. The category of total pension was also introduced, and the model ensured that at every point households adjusted the scope of labour supply and their current consumption towards the target total pension.
Extracellular Metabolites Produced by a Novel Strain, Bacillus alvei NRC-14: 3. Synthesis of a Bioflocculant that has Chitosan-Like Structure

An extracellular biopolymer flocculant (BPF) was p roduced by a novel strain, Bacillus alvei NRC-14, cultivated in low nutritional medium. Effect of car bon and nitrogen sources as well as the initial pH and medium components, on production of the BPF were studied. Production of this BPF is induced in presence of ch itosan or chitosan-containing substrate as carbon source, sug ge ting a correlation between the activities of sev eral key enzymes involved in the pathway with the yield of t he BPF. Therefore, biosynthetic pathway of this BPF may starts with an aminosugar as a precursor which was then, p resumably, polymerized and converted to a bioflocc ulant. The highest production was achieved in low nutrition me dium containing: dried mycelium of the fungus Mucor rouxii (10g/L), (NH4)2SO4 (1.5g/L) and MgSO4.7H2O (0.5g/L). The flocculating activity reached 98% i n less than 48 hr of growth. The produced bioflocculant is a polysacchar ide consisting of aminosugars and has good floccula ting activity in charcoal or kaolin clay suspension, without any cation addition. IR-spectra elucidate that, the BPF has chitosanlike structure with a molecular weight of 6.9 x 10 4 Da. Surprisingly, shelf-life studies of this BPF re vealed that it retained 94% of its flocculating activity after kee ping at room temperature for up to 6 months period, in icating its higher stability. This is the first report about a bioflocculant that has chitosan–like structure prod uced by a novel strain, Bacillus alvei NRC-14. [Shadia M. Abdel-Aziz, Hoda A. Hamed, Foukia E. Mou afi and Nayera A. M. Abdelwahed. Extracellular Metabolites Produced by a Novel Strain, Bacillus alvei NRC-14: 3. Synthesis of a Bioflocculant that has Chitosan-Like Structure] Life Science Journal, 2011; 8(4): 883-890] (ISSN: 1 097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com .
Institutional Inefficiencies in Latin America

In North America the establishment of the institutions of individual liberty and free enterprise demonstrate that prosperity is a function of freedom. Diametrically opposite, Latin America has throughout its history been required to endure attempts at imposing collectivist institutions. The new institutional economic historian approach implies that poor economic performance is attributable to the inefficient institutional framework. Based on this analysis I explain the reasons of the wealth differences between North and Latin America.
Relationship between degree of risk, cost and level of compliance to occupational health and safety regulations in construction

This paper investigates the role of statutory health and safety (H&S) regulations in managing construction project risks. The study examines whether the decision made by contractors to comply with the regulations, the cost of compliance and savings of H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the degree or level of risk, which the regulations are trying to prevent. The rationale for the examination stems from previous studies which establish that building designers and contractors perceive the cost of complying with regulations as additional burdens, which they have to conform to, and which are in some cases unnecessary, and also the fact that construction related injuries and fatalities are on the increase. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from a descriptive survey and H&S site audit by the Master Builder Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC) were used as the measurements of risk, level of compliance to regulations, cost of compliance and savings. By correlating the quantitative and qualitative data, there is empirical evidence to support a negative relationship between the degree of risk, level and cost of compliance and cost savings. Based on the study’s findings, this paper concludes that the decision made by contractors to comply with H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the perceived cost saving on account of compliance and that cost savings are influenced by the probability of accident occurrence which is an element of the degree of risk which the regulation is trying to prevent or control.
Microlocal analysis of seismic inverse scattering in anisotropic elastic media

Seismic data is modeled in the high‐frequency approximation, using the techniques of microlocal analysis. We consider general, anisotropic elastic media. Our methods are designed to allow for the formation of caustics. The data is modeled in two ways. First, we give a microlocal treatment of the Kirchhoff approximation, where the medium is assumed to be piecewise smooth, and reflection and transmission occur at interfaces. Second, we give a refined view on the Born approximation based upon a linearization of the scattering process in the medium parameters around a smooth background medium. The joint formulation of Born and Kirchhoff scattering allows us to take into account general scatterers as well as the nonlinear dependence of reflection coefficients on the medium parameters. The latter allows the treatment of scattering up to grazing angles.
Bayesian Estimation of Three-Parameter Exponentiated Log-logistic Distribution

In this paper, we have considered the estimation problem of three-parameter exponentiated log-logistic distribution. The parameters are estimated using likelihood based inferential procedure: classical as well as Bayesian. We have computed MLEs and Bayes estimates under informative and non-informative priors along with their asymptotic confidence, bootstrap and HPD intervals. The Bayesian estimates of the parameters of exponentiated log-logistic distribution are obtained using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation method. We have obtained the probability intervals for parameters, hazard and reliability functions. The posterior predictive check procedure has been applied for evaluating the model fit. All the computations are performed in OpenBUGS and R software. A real data set is analyzed for illustration of the proposed inferential procedures.
Gadolinium Scandate: Next Candidate for Alternative Gate Dielectric in CMOS Technology?

Gadolinium Scandate: Next Candidate for Alternative Gate Dielectric in CMOS Technology? The films of GdScO3 were prepared by liquid injection metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, MOCVD at 600 °C on (100) Si substrate. The as-deposited films were amorphous with a smooth surface and sharp GdScO3/Si interface. X-ray diffraction showed that the amorphous phase is well preserved upon rapid thermal annealing up to 1000 °C. It is shown, that exact stoichiometry of GdScO3 is not necessary to achieve dielectric constant above 20.
The voice synthetiser of polish text for blind persons

In this paper we present new method of computer text analyser and computer Polish speech (words) generator. In the described computer program the grammatical characteristics of Polish speech and accents in some words have been taken into consideration. All users’ actions are commented by artificial, computer voice. The group of blind students of University of Silesia have examined and tested the presented final program for over one year. Described software tool has in a lot of cases better parameters than others, commercial products.
The influence of El-niño Southern Oscillation on seasonal rainfall over the 47 counties of Kenya

The influence of the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) evolution phases and monthly precipitation over the 47 counties in Kenya is analysed using Pearson product moment correlation analysis. Anomalies of Sea Surface temperatures from the National Climate Data Centre of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are employed for the periods 1983-2012 while estimates of precipitation rate (in mm/day) are sourced from the African rainfall Climatology project version 2 of the Climate Prediction Centre. Using GrADs software, and Climate data Operators, estimates of Precipitation are extracted for each station representing each of the 47 counties of Kenya. The study has shown that El-Nino Southern Oscillation can explain as high as 50% of seasonal rainfall over the country during the season of October-December. However, the ENSO signal are found to be less influential on the March-May rainfall over the country explaining lows of 2% of the rainfall variability. Time series plots of the analysed Nino indices and rainfall anomalies are found to be in harmony during the October-December season but in complete disharmony during the March-May season on a zero lagged analysis. The study has found that, 46% of rainfall variability over Northern counties of Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa and Turkana as well as coastal counties of Mombasa, Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale and TaitaTaveta can be explained by the El-Nino Southern Oscillation evolution during the same period of occurrence. Similarly, over the Central highlands, counties of Meru, Nyeri, Laikipia and Nakuru as well as western counties of Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma, Vihiga, Kisumu, Homabay and Kisii, the El-Nino Southern Oscillation can explain highs of 36% in seasonal rainfall variance during the October-December season. The variability explained is found to decrease with increase in lag with predictability potential of rainfall over many counties confined to one month lag during the October-December season.