Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Quantum Confinement Study of the Electronic Energy of some Nanocrystalline Silicon Quantum-Dots

We have employed a quantum confinement (QC) model to the study of different shapes of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) quantum dot. Each dots (shapes), although within the limits of an effective diameter of 3nm, exhibits divergence leading to different electronic energy based on the transitions from the quantum selection rule. Also, the graphical representation of the energies from each shape as a function of the effective diameter gives a qualitatively similar spectrum of discrete energies. The results obtained in this work using QC model are in good agreement with experiment and other models in literature.
Identification of Salmonella sps. from contaminated meat samples by multiplex pcr-based assay

Poultry and cattle are the principal hosts of pathogenic bacterium Salmonella species. Therefore, development and use of a precise and sensitive method for identifying this pathogen is one of the main concerns for researchers. In this study, total 1100 cattle and poultry meat samples were evaluated to examine the presence of Salmonella by using three methods viz pre-enrichment culture, medium culture and polymerase chain reaction. Among the collected 850 cattle and 250 poultry samples 4.35% and 5.6% of the cattle and poultry samples were contaminated by Salmonella respectively. Further, among the 51 Salmonella contaminated samples of cattle and poultry, 25% were infected by S. enteritidis, 35% by S. typhimurium and 17% by S. infantis. Among the various tested methods, combination of a conventional PCR technology and standard culture medium could be effective in providing a more and accurate profile of the prevalence of this pathogen in poultry and cattle meat. Behzad Nikbakht 1 and Ali Mohamadi Sani 2,*
Multispectral imaging: narrow or wide band filters?

In every aspect, spectral characteristics of filters play an important role in an image acquisition system. For a colorimetric system, traditionally, it is believed that narrow-band filters give rise to higher accuracy of colour reproduction, whereas wide-band filters, such as complementary colour filters, have the advantage of higher sensitivity. In the context of multispectral image capture, the objective is very often to retrieve an estimation of the spectral reflectance of the captured objects. The literature does not provide a satisfactory answer to which configuration yields the best results. It is therefore of interest to verify which type of filters performs the best in estimating the reflectance spectra for the purpose of multispectral image acquisition. A series of experiments were conducted on a simulated imaging system, with six types of filters of varying bandwidths paired with three linear reflectance estimation methods. The results show that filter bandwidth exerts direct influence on the accuracy of reflectance estimation. Extremely narrowband filters did not perform well in the experiment and the relation between bandwidth and reflectance estimation accuracy is not monotonic. Also it is indicated that the optimal number of filters depends on the spectral similarity metrics employed.
Does social capital affect foreign aid allocations

This paper explores the issue of whether countries with high levels of social capital give more foreign aid than others. It is often argued that in countries with high levels of social capital (as measured, for example, by trust, civic norms and membership of community groups) levels of cooperation and altruistic behaviour will be higher. This paper explores whether such altruistic behaviour extends to giving foreign aid. Cross-country data are used to assess whether countries with high levels of social capital give more foreign aid, as a proportion of GDP, than countries where social capital is lower. Outline
Comparison of the combination therapy of bacillus Calmette-Guérin and mitomycin C with the monotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer : a meta-analysis

Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide. Non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (NMIBC) has a very low curative rate after resection. The meta-analysis aims to compare efficiency of the combination therapy of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and mitomycin C (MMC) with each monotherapy on NMIBC treatment. Articles were retrieved in relevant databases up to May, 2016. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess quality of the included studies. Risk ratio (RR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the effect size to calculate pooled result. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were applied to examine publication bias. Sensitive analysis was performed. Eight randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. As a result, the BCG+MMC combination therapy had a significantly decreased recurrence rate in NMIBC patients, compared with monotherapy of BCG or MMC (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.92, P < 0.001). However, there were no obvious differences between the two regimens regarding to progression rate, overall mortality and disease-specific mortality (P > 0.050). Subgroup analysis indicated the combination therapy was more advantageous than BCG (RR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.87) but not MMC monotherapy (P > 0.050), on the reduced recurrence rate. 81mg/week BCG + 30 mg/week MMC had a significant lower progression rate than BCG (RR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.24 to 0.82). In conclusion, BCG+MMC combination therapy is more advantageous than BCG to NMIBC patients with reduced recurrence rate.
A centrifugal ice microtome for measurements of atmospheric CO 2 on air trapped in polar ice cores

Abstract. For atmospheric CO2 reconstructions using ice cores, the technique to release the trapped air from the ice samples is essential for the precision and accuracy of the measurements. We present here a new dry extraction technique in combination with a new gas analytical system that together show significant improvements with respect to current systems. Ice samples (3–15 g) are pulverised using a novel centrifugal ice microtome (CIM) by shaving the ice in a cooled vacuum chamber (−27 °C) in which no friction occurs due to the use of magnetic bearings. Both, the shaving principle of the CIM and the use of magnetic bearings have not been applied so far in this field. Shaving the ice samples produces finer ice powder and releases a minimum of 90% of the trapped air compared to 50%–70% when needle crushing is employed. In addition, the friction-free motion with an optimized design to reduce contaminations of the inner surfaces of the device result in a reduced system offset of about 2.0 ppmv compared to 4.9 ppmv. The gas analytical part shows a higher precision than the corresponding part of our previous system by a factor of two, and all processes except the loading and cleaning of the CIM now run automatically. Compared to our previous system, the complete system shows a 3 times better measurement reproducibility of about 1.1 ppmv (1 σ) which is similar to the best reproducibility of other systems applied in this field. With this high reproducibility, no replicate measurements are required anymore for most future measurement campaigns resulting in a possible output of 12–20 measurements per day compared to a maximum of 6 with other systems.
Notes on symplectic non-squeezing of the KdV flow

We prove two finite dimensional approximation results and a symplectic non-squeezing property for the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) flow on the circle T. The nonsqueezing result relies on the aforementioned approximations and the finite-dimensional nonsqueezing theorem of Gromov [14]. Unlike the work of Kuksin [22] which initiated the investigation of non-squeezing results for infinite dimensional Hamiltonian systems, the nonsqueezing argument here does not construct a capacity directly. In this way our results are similar to those obtained for the NLS flow by Bourgain [3]. A major difficulty here though is the lack of any sort of smoothing estimate which would allow us to easily approximate the infinite dimensional KdV flow by a finite-dimensional Hamiltonian flow. To resolve this problem we invert the Miura transform and work on the level of the modified KdV (mKdV) equation, for which smoothing estimates can be established. J.C. was supported in part by N.S. E.R. C. Grant RGPIN 250233-03 and the Sloan Foundation. M.K. was supported in part by N.S. F. Grant DMS 9801558. G.S. was supported in part by N.S. F. Grant DMS 0100345 and by a grant from the Sloan Foundation. H.T. was supported in part by J.S. P.S. Grant No. 13740087. T.T. was a Clay Prize Fellow and was supported in part by grants from the Packard Foundation.
The Role of Internal and External Corporate Governance Mechanisms on Firm’s Financial Performance in Malaysia

This paper examined six corporate governance variables which are hypothesized to have an influence on firm’s financial performance in Malaysia. The variables encompassed four internal monitoring measures (CEO and chairman of the board, non-executive directors, audit committee and concentrated ownership) with the remaining two variables being external measures (institutional investors and lenders). An empirical study was conducted based on data involving 420 Malaysian listed companies over a four-year period from 2009 to 2012. A combination of cross-sectional and time-series data was employed in the analysis. An econometric model using panel data regression techniques was employed to analyse performance of the firms using both fixed effects and random effects models. Using return on equity as the dependent variable, it was established that CEO duality (an internal monitoring measure) significantly influences the performance of firms. The study showed that a CEO who is also chairman of the board exerts a positive influence on company earnings. It suggests that CEO duality could increase performance of firms when these CEO s dominate the decision-making process in their companies. None of the other monitoring measures relating to independent directors, institutional investors, ownership structures, audit committee and banks played any role in influencing firm performance.
High-Performance Structure of Guard Ring in Avalanche Diode for Single Photon Detection

Avalanche photon diode and avalanche diode array, working in Geiger mode, have single photon detection capability. The structure of guard ring is the key factor to avoid the premature edge breakdown of the avalanche diode and increase the maximum bias voltage. A new structure of the guard ring is proposed in this letter, in which the floating guard ring is put outside the p-well guard ring. Simulation results indicate that the maximum bias voltage of the proposed guard ring is higher than that of the state-of-the-art methods.
Experimental and numerical investigations on the flow field inside pre-and post-surgery models of posterosuperior septectomy

Three physiological functions of nasal breathing (air-conditioning, filtering and smelling) are closely related with airflow characteristics in the human nasal airway. Since fluid mechanical properties are heavily affected by the geometry of flow passage, the changes in anatomical shape of nasal cavity by disorders or surgical treatments alter the nasal resistance and functions of nose. In this article, the PIV measurement and numerical simulation has been conducted on the airflow in the preand post-surgery (posterosuperior septectomy by transnasal endoscopic surgery of anterocentral skull base) nasal cavity models. Two patients’ cases were investigated: one with reduction of Creation of an accurate numerical cavity model from CT data is the key to analyze the flow inside of a complex passage by PIV and CFD. Dense CT (Computed Tomogram) data and careful treatment of model surface under the ENT doctor’s advice provide more sophisticated cavity models for both PIV experiment and numerical simulation. The velocity fields in nasal cavity measured by PIV were compared with CFD results. We tried to find fluid mechanical properties that were correlated with functions of nose. Keyword: PIV, CFD, Biomedical flow, Nasal cavity, Post-surgery model
The Development of Social Infrastructure in Kazakhstan

The paper considers the content and significance of the social infrastructure in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors reveal the role of the Government in the formation and development of social infrastructure. The article provides the analysis of the current state of the social infrastructure of the Republic of Kazakhstan and identifies the main trends of its development. In the article, the situation and problems of development of the social infrastructure of different branches of industry are analyzed; trends and characteristics of their changes are identified. Practical recommendations aimed at improvement of the efficiency of the social infrastructure development in the modern world are developed.
Investigation of water adsorption and hygroscopicity of atmospherically relevant particles using a commercial vapor sorption analyzer

Water adsorption and hygroscopicity are among the most important physicochemical properties of aerosol particles, largely determining their impacts on atmospheric chemistry, radiative forcing, and climate. Measurements of water adsorption and hygroscopicity of nonspherical particles under subsaturated conditions are nontrivial because many widely used techniques require the assumption of particle sphericity. In this work we describe a method to directly quantify water adsorption and mass hygroscopic growth of atmospheric particles for temperature in the range of 5– 30 C, using a commercial vapor sorption analyzer. A detailed description of instrumental configuration and experimental procedures, including relative humidity (RH) calibration, is provided first. It is then demonstrated that for (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl, deliquescence relative humidities and mass hygroscopic growth factors measured using this method show good agreements with experimental and/or theoretical data from literature. To illustrate its ability to measure water uptake by particles with low hygroscopicity, we used this instrument to investigate water adsorption by CaSO4 · 2H2O as a function of RH at 25 C. The mass hygroscopic growth factor of CaSO4 · 2H2O at 95 % RH, relative to that under dry conditions (RH< 1 %), was determined to be (0.450± 0.004) % (1σ ). In addition, it is shown that this instrument can reliably measure a relative mass change of 0.025 %. Overall, we have demonstrated that this commercial instrument provides a simple, sensitive, and robust method to investigate water adsorption and hygroscopicity of atmospheric particles.
Monitoring and evaluation of municipal planning

This article explores strategies for monitoring and evaluation of municipal planning with the intention to improve municipal performance on service delivery and development. The apartheid government created improper town and regional planning that depicts inequalities, with less considerations of development planning and service delivery in most cities and townships. In the post-1994 era, government repelled oppressive laws and encouraged mobility of people to cities to seek better lives. This move augmented the demand for basic services in rural and urban areas. Municipalities should be encouraged to apply existing strategies to track their plans and align them with municipal performance targets. Thus, this article argues that there is paucity in the application of monitoring and evaluation of municipal plans and strategies that can mitigate risks against the key performance targets in local government. This article recommends an integrated approach towards evidence-based monitoring and evaluation.
Mechanically Powered Transparent Flexible Charge‐Generating Nanodevices with Piezoelectric ZnO Nanorods

Figure S2. a) Fabrication procedure of the embossed flexible top electrode. b) FE-SEM imageof the embossed PdAu flexible top electrode Figure S3. Schottky contact between PdAu top electrode and ZnO nanorod arrays. Because of the large work function of Pd and Au compared with the electron affinity of n-type ZnO (naturally formed) and the minimum defect in ZnO, strong Schottky contact can occur.
Deceiving science: the role of descriptive norm- and self-discrepancies in the transgression of behavioral science norms

This study assesses a possible explanation as to why some scientist deem more responsive to social pressures that could increase their tendency to engage in deviant scientific behavior than others. It explored what influence incompatibilities between different parts of a scientist’s self-image have on the likelihood to engage deviant scientific behavior. Additionally it was assessed if more norm-deviant behavior of others increases the intention of individuals to engage in deviant scientific behavior. The data was collected under Dutch speaking students of Dutch Universities using a quantitative survey with two conditions: a High Descriptive Norm Discrepancy vs. a Low Descriptive Norm Discrepancy condition. The findings showed that people that experienced a greater gap between their actual self and their descriptive self report higher levels of Contempt towards the scientific community. Having higher feelings of Contempt again resulted in reporting a greater intention to engage in deviant scientific behavior. The gap between the actual self and ideal self also positively influenced the intention to engage in deviant scientific behavior, yet not through the suggested, indirect route via emotions. No support was found for the influence of the gap between the norm and the behavior of significant others. Future research should further assess the validity of self-discrepancies in different contexts, just as the direction of emotions that could influence the effects discrepancies have. Limitations of the study were the selected sample and the selected method of gathering data.
Intrusion detection in computer networks through a hybrid approach of data mining and decision trees

Increasing dev elopment of information and a trend towards using digital resourc es has posed a challenge to information sec urity. The most important issue is to protec t c omputer systems against infiltrators and misusers. To protec t computer sy stems and networks against infiltrators, sev eral approaches have been designed called intrusion detection approac hes. The purpose of intrusion detection approac h is to detec t any unauthorized ac tivities, misu ses, and damage to computer systems and networks by internal users or external attackers. Intrusion detection sy stems are one of the major fac tors of sec urity substruc tures for several organizations. These sy stems are models, and hardware and software patterns that automatize proc esses. They notify user as an alarm. Sometimes these alarms are correct and sometimes inc orrect. To avoid these alarms, data mining-based intrusion detection sy stems are used. In this paper, we suggest a hybrid approac h of data mining with feature reduc tion techniques c ontaining 41 features and decision tree algorithms to improve performance (97.19%).
Considering Maus : approaches to Art Spiegelman's "Survivor's tale" of the Holocaust

In 1992, Art Spiegelman's two-volume illustrated work Maus: A Survivor's Tale was awarded a special-category Pulitzer Prize. In a comic book form, Spiegelman tells the gripping, heart-rending story of his father's experiences in the Holocaust. The book renders in stark clarity the trials Spiegelman's father endured as a Jewish refugee in the ghettos and concentration camps of Poland during World War II, his American life following his immigration to New York, and the author's own troubled sense of self as he grapples with his father's history. Mixing autobiography, biography, and oral history in the comic form, Maus has been hailed as a daring work of postmodern narration and as a vivid example of the power of the graphic narrative. Now, for the first time in one collection, prominent scholars in a variety of fields take on Spiegelman's text and offer it the critical and artistic scrutiny it deserves. They explore many aspects of the work, including Spiegelman's use of animal characters, the influence of other "comix" artists, the role of the mother and its relation to gender issues, the use of repeating images such as smoke and blood, Maus's position among Holocaust testimonials, its appropriation of cinematic technique, its use of language and styles of dialect, and the implications of the work's critical and commercial success. Informed readers in many areas of study, from popular culture and graphic arts to psychoanalysis and oral history, will value this first substantial collection of criticism on a revered work of literature.
Nonprofit and For-profit Providers in Japan's At-home Care Industry: Evidence on Quality of Service and Household Choice

In 2000, government deregulation along with the introduction of the long-term insurance scheme for the first time allowed for-profit providers of at-home care for the elderly to compete directly with nonprofit operators. According to the contract failure hypothesis, we would expect consumers to prefer nonprofit providers over their for-profit counterparts as a result of information asymmetry and non-distributional constraints. This study takes advantage of household level data to examine whether households' choice of care provider is biased toward nonprofits. We find that nonprofit providers to command a larger market share, but this is at least partly explained by having operated in the market longer and by continuing restrictions in medical and institutional care that confer various advantages on nonprofit providers. However, we do find that user with better knowledge of providers tend to favor for-profit providers, suggesting that measures to reduce information asymmetries may help to provide a more level playing field.
A Hierarchical Bitmap-based Spatial Index use k-Nearest Neighbor Query Processing on the Wireless Broadcast Environment

Recently, k-nearest neighbors query methods based on wireless broadcasting environment are actively studied. The advantage of wireless broadcasting environment is the scalability that enables collective query processing for unspecified users connected to the server. However, in case existing k-NN query is applied in wireless broadcasting environment, there can be a disadvantage that backtracking may occur and consequently the query processing time is increasing. In this paper proposes a hierarchical bitmap-based spatial index in order to efficiently process the k-NN queries in wireless broadcasting environment. HBI reduces the bitmap size using such bitmap information and tree structure. As a result, reducing the broadcast cycle can reduce the client`s tuning time and query processing time. In addition, since the locations of all the objects can be detected using bitmap information, it is possible to tune to necessary data selectively. For this paper, a test was conducted implementing HBI to k-NN query and the proposed technique was proved to be excellent by a performance evaluation.