Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrologic issues in arid, unsaturated systems and implications for contaminant transport

Analysis of unsaturated flow and transport in arid regions is important, not only in water resource evaluation but in contaminant transport as well, particularly in siting waste disposal facilities and in remediating contaminated sites. The water fluxes under consideration have a magnitude close to the errors inherent in measuring or in calculating these water fluxes, which makes it difficult to resolve basic issues such as direction and rate of water movement and controls on unsaturated flow. The purpose of this paper is to review these issues on the basis of unsaturated zone studies in arid settings. Because individual techniques for estimating water fluxes in the unsaturated zone have limitations, a variety of physical measurements and environmental tracers should be used to provide multiple, independent lines of evidence to quantify flow and transport in arid regions. The direction and rate of water flow are affected not only by hydraulic head gradients but also by temperature and air pressure gradients. The similarity of water fluxes in a variety of settings in the southwestern United States indicates that vegetative cover may be one of the primary controls on the magnitude of water flow in the unsaturated zone; however, our understanding of the role of plants is limited. Most unsaturated flow in arid systems is focused beneath topographic depressions, and diffuse flow is limited. Thick unsaturated sections and low water fluxes typical of many arid regions result in preservation of paleoclimatic variations in water flux and suggest that deep vadose zones may be out of equilibrium with current climate. Whereas water movement along preferred pathways is common in humid sites, field studies that demonstrate preferential flow are restricted mostly to fractured rocks and root zones in arid regions. Results of field studies of preferential flow in humid sites, generally restricted to the upper 1–2 m because of shallow water tables, cannot be applied readily to thick vadose zones in arid regions.
Handbook of Multicriteria Analysis - ReadingSample

In this chapter we discuss the use of MCDA for supporting strategic decision making, particularly within strategy workshops. The chapter begins by exploring the nature of strategic decisions and the characteristics of the strategic decision making process. Specifically, we examine the technical issues associated with the content of strategic decisions, and the social aspects that characterise the processes within which they are created. These features lead us to propose a number of adaptations to the standard MCDA approach if it were to be used at a more strategic level. We make suggestions on how to implement these proposals, and illustrate them with examples drawn from real-world interventions in which we have participated as strategic decision support analysts.
IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA AND CARICA PAPAYA LEAVES

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human aliments. Since synthetic antioxidants produce harmful side effects, research has been intensified nowadays to evaluate the phyto antioxidants. Andrographis paniculata, popularly known as “king of bitters” is traditionally used in Indian system of medicine to cure various diseases. Carica papaya is a fruit bearing plant with many pharmacological activities. Hence in the present study, the antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of Andrographis paniculata and Carica papaya, leaves was evaluated by different in vitro assay models. Total antioxidant activity of the extract was also high. The free radical scavenging activity was comparable with standard ascorbic acid. Therefore, the selected plants could be considered as a very good antioxidant source with therapeutic potential.
Preening , plumage reflectance and female choice in budgerigars

Plumage ornaments are important signals in sexual selection context. Plumage maintenance is therefore important not only for insulation and flight but also for ornament efficacy. However, the effect of plumage maintenance on ornament characteristics and female choice has never been investigated experimentally. In this study we focused on the influence of preening on plumage reflectance and, indirectly, on female preference in the budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus. We measured the effect of preening on the reflectance of previously soiled plumage. Our results suggest that soiling affects plumage reflectance in budgerigars that are prevented from preening and that this effect is particularly pronounced in the UV range. In contrast, individuals that were allowed to preen restored their plumage reflectance spectrum to presoiling levels. In a two-choice test, females presented with clean (preened) and soiled (unpreened) males, spent more time near the clean male. These results suggest that female budgerigars are able to discriminate between preened and unpreened males. Further investigations, conducted under various soiling conditions, are necessary to confirm the effect of soiling on plumage reflectance spectrum and to investigate which cues are used by females to discriminate between preened and unpreened males. Such research could reveal whether UV feather ornaments, mediated by preening, are special signals conveying information about a bird’s current condition.
Causality between Corporate Governance and Firm Performance:Evidence from Borsa Istanbul (BIST)

Due to increasing pace of globalization and recent corporate scandals, corporate governance arrangements have attracted attention and become an area of discussion. Besides securing interests of shareholders, it is also proposed that corporate governance practices enhance shareholders’ value. Based on a data set from Borsa Istanbul (BIST) and associated BIST Corporate Governance Index for the period between 2007 and 2015, this study attempts to evaluate whether market and operating performances of firms are affected from the level of adopted corporate governance practices. The study also addresses the issue of causality through systems equations constructed with selected instrumental variables. The findings revealed that corporate governance rating positively influenced stock market performance which was measured by Tobin’s Q, and operating performance which was measured by return on assets. The study also found that the corporate governance sub-provisions of shareholders, public disclosure/ transparency and stakeholders had positive impact on market performance, while board structure was irrelevant.
An investigation into the feasibility of applying the watergas shift process to increase hydrogen production rate of the hybrid sulphur process

II UITTREKSEL. III ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS . IV TABLE OF CONTENTS.V LIST OF FIGURES.VIII LIST OF TABLES . IX NOMENCLANTURE.X CHAPTER 1.
Referee # 2 A chemical analyzer for charged ultrafine particles

2: 3862, 9: Both here and in the concluding remarks (3872, 5), the authors state that a unique feature of CAChUP has something to do with being “commercially available. ” In this sentence (pg 3862), it seems that the message is that this instrument is commercially available. Please correct or provide more details about what is meant by this statement. Was the intention here to state that this inlet can be used with a commercially-available ion source and mass spectrometer? Even most custom instruments use commercially-available mass spectrometers.
Title In vivo manganese-enhanced MRI for visuotopic brain mapping

This study explored the feasibility of localized manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) via 3 different routes of Mn administrations for visuotopic brain mapping of retinal, callosal, cortico-subcortical, transsynaptic and horizontal connections in normal adult rats. Upon fractionated intravitreal Mn injection, Mn enhancements were observed in the contralateral superior colliculus (SC) and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) by 45-60% at 1-3 days after initial Mn injection and in the contralateral primary visual cortex (V1) by about 10% at 2-3 days after initial Mn injection. Direct, single-dose Mn injection to the LGN resulted in Mn enhancement by 13-21% in V1 and 8-11% in SC of the ipsilateral hemisphere at 8 to 24 hours after Mn administration. Intracortical, single-dose Mn injection to the visual cortex resulted in Mn enhancement by 53-65% in ipsilateral LGN, 15-26% in ipsilateral SC, 32-34% in the splenium of corpus callosum and 17-25% in contralateral V1/V2 transition zone at 8 to 24 hours after Mn administration. Notably, some patchy patterns were apparent near the V1/V2 border of the contralateral hemisphere. Laminar-specific horizontal cortical connections were also observed in the ipsilateral hemisphere. The current results demonstrated the sensitivity of MEMRI for assessing the neuroarchitecture of the visual brains in vivo without depth-limitation, and may possess great potentials for studying the basic neural components and connections in the visual system longitudinally during development, plasticity, pharmacological interventions and genetic modifications.
Policy Options for Meeting the Millennium Development Goals in Brazil: Can Micro-Simulations Help?

The authors investigate whether micro-simulation techniques can shed light on the types of policies that should be adopted by countries wishing to meet their Millennium Development Goals. They compare two families of micro-simulations. The first family of micro-simulations decomposes required poverty changes into a change in the mean and a reduction in inequality. Although it highlights the importance of inequality reduction, it appears to be too general to be of much use for policymaking. The second family of micro-simulations is based on a richer model of behavior in the labor markets. It points to the importance of combining different policy options, such as educational expansion and targeted conditional redistribution schemes, to ensure that the poorest people in society are successfully reached. But the absence of market equilibria in these statistical models, as well as the strong stability assumptions which are implicit in their use, argue for extreme caution in their interpretation.
Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Time-Varying Systems by Lyapunov Functions with Indefinite Derivatives

This paper is concerned with stability analysis of nonlinear time-varying systems by using Lyapunov function based approach. The classical Lyapunov stability theorems are generalized in the sense that the time-derivative of the Lyapunov functions are allowed to be indefinite. The stability analysis is accomplished with the help of the scalar stable functions introduced in our previous study. Both asymptotic stability and input-to-state stability are considered. Particularly, for asymptotic stability, several concepts such as uniform and non-uniform asymptotic stability, and uniform and non-uniform exponential stability are studied. The effectiveness of the proposed theorems is illustrated by several numerical examples.
Transparent gateways between OLSR networks Master thesis

Future ad hoc networks will probably see an increasing demand to be able to communicate with external networks. There has already been done research on connecting ad hoc networks with other networks, like the Internet. While one can see that using available connections to external networks to reach other ad hoc networks would be beneficial under certain circumstances, research on this topic has been minimal. In this thesis we look into ways of connecting ad hoc networks using gateways, and analyse possible problems that might occur in such scenarios.
DIVISION OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

This paper analyzes the effects of audit rates and certain other factors on federal income tax filings and collections. Using data drawn primarily from the Annual Reports of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the years 19771986, we investigate the overall performance of the federal revenue collection process and estimate that total IRS collections in 1986 would have risen by approximately forty billion dollars had the federal audit rate remained constant at its 1977 level during the intervening period. THE EFFECT OF AUDIT RATES ON FEDERAL INCOME TAX FILINGS AND COLLECTIONS, 1977-1986 Jeffrey A. Dubin, Michael A. Graetz, and Louis L. Wilde*
Rapid and reliable detection of CD 44 variants in gastric carcinoma using a nested reverse transcription ‐ polymerase chain reaction

The present study aimed to establish a rapid and reliable method for detecting the expression of cluster of differentiation 44 variant (CD44v) in gastric carcinoma, and to investigate the significance of CD44v in gastric carcinoma. Using a nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, the expression of CD44v and CD44v8-10 was analyzed in gastric cancer tissues (128 cases), precancerous lesions (19 cases of atypical hyperplasia and 6 cases of intestinal metaplasia) and corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues (153 cases). The tumor and non-cancerous biopsy samples of 153 patients were analyzed using nested RT-PCR. All the PCR products included bands at 482 bp, demonstrating positive CD44 expression. By contrast, the CD44v band (>600 bp) was observed in 132/153 total tumor samples (86.3%), including 114/128 gastric cancer samples (89.1%), 16/19 atypical hyperplasia samples (84.2%) and 2/6 intestinal metaplasia samples (33.3%). However, 18/153 non-cancerous tissues samples (11.8%) exhibited a CD44v band. Thus, CD44v expression was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues and precancerous lesions compared with that of adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in CD44v8-10 expression detected between gastric cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples (P<0.05). Among the 25 patients with precancerous lesions, 8/19 atypical hyperplasia cases and 1/6 intestinal metaplasia cases were positive for CD44v8-10 expression. The difference in the CD44v8-10 expression rate among the various pathological types of gastric cancer (n=128) cases was not significant (P>0.05). Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis identified CD44v positivity (++) in 59/76 (77.6%) cases of gastric cancer and 5/12 (41.1%) cases of atypical hyperplasia. The CD44v and CD44v8-10 PCR products were confirmed by sequencing analysis. The results of the present study indicated that nested RT-PCR technology may be exploited as a method for gastric carcinoma diagnosis.
Market Liquidity and the Impacts of the Computerized Trading System: Evidence from the Stock Exchange of Thailand

This paper studies the impacts of the computerized trading system on the market liquidity in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The findings suggest that the automated trading system accomplishes its mission of increasing volume; however, it fails to reduce the asymmetric information among market participants. This may in general suggest that automation improves the trading efficiency and lowers the transaction costs. On the other hand, it fails to improve information asymmetry as the computerized trading system is outweighed by the information loss from the floor system.
Court Context and Discrimination: Exploring Biases across Juvenile and Criminal Courts

Prior research on juvenile and criminal courts argues that because of contextual differences between these two forums, court actors' perceptions of guilt and culpability may be more influenced by racial/ethnic or gender stereotypes in juvenile courts than in criminal courts, regarding the prosecution of adolescents. In this article, the authors explore this differential bias hypothesis, using both quantitative and qualitative data. After comparing the factors that shape sentencing outcomes across court types, the article turns to qualitative data to understand whether the contextual distinctions between these two types of courts create greater opportunity for discrimination in juvenile court. Neither the quantitative nor qualitative results support this differential bias hypothesis. The quantitative analyses do not find a significantly different effect of race/ethnicity or sex across court types. The qualitative analyses help explain this result; although juvenile courts may expose adolescents to greater risks of being judged according to stereotypes, two contextual features protect adolescents by mitigating the impact of these potential hazards: aggressive and well-organized public defenders in juvenile court and the similarity of case processing during the sentencing phases of juvenile and criminal court.
Simultaneous determination of optical and acoustic thicknesses of protein layers using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and quartz crystal microweighing

The optical and the acoustic thicknesses of protein layers during adsorption were simultaneously determined by a combination of surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and quartz crystal microweighing. Coupling of the surface plasmon was achieved by etching a diffraction grating into the quartz surface prior to the deposition of the metal electrode. The evolution of the acoustic and the optical thickness was markedly different, which is attributed to surface roughness and partial coverage.
Experimental deformation of deuterated ice in 3D and 2D: identification of grain-scale processes

Major polar ice sheets and ice caps experience cycles of variable flow during different glacial periods and as a response to past warming. The rate and localisation of deformation inside an ice body controls the evolution of ice microstructure and crystallographic fabric. This is critical for interpreting proxy signals for climate change, with deformation overprinting and disrupting stratigraphy deep under ice caps due to the nature of the flow. The final crystallographic fabric in polar ice sheets provides a record of deformation history, which in turn controls the flow properties of ice during further deformation and affects geophysical sensing of ice sheets. For example, identification of layering in ice sheets, using seismic or ice radar techniques, is attributed to grain size changes and fabric variations. Such information has been used to provide information on climate state and its changes over time, and as the Fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report (Solomon et al. 2007) points out there is currently still a lack of understanding of internal ice-sheet dynamics. To answer this we have recently conducted experiments at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to collect fully quantitative microstructural data from polycrystalline heavy water (D2O) ice deformed in a dynamic regime. The ice and temperature (–7°C) chosen for this study is used as a direct analogue for deforming natural-water ice as it offers a unique opportunity to link grain size and texture evolution in natural ice at –10°C. Results show a dynamic system where steady-state rheology is not necessarily coupled to microstructural and crystallographic fabric stability. This link needs to be taken into account to improve ice-mass-deformation modelling critical for climate change predictions.
Transforming Islamic Values in Malaysia: The Role of Al-Faruqi

Abstract This paper investigates the methods and contributions of Prof. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921-1986) in transforming and reinterpreting Islamic values and practices in Malaysia. This includes his role in realizing and inspiring Islamization of knowledge in IIUM, projecting the tawhidic worldview, reclaiming Islamic religious ideal and tradition, developing and assisting Malaysian government in implementing Islamization policy, initiating civilizational dialogue, and establishing network with key da‘wah organizations in Malaysian, particularly non-governmental organization (NGO)’s such as ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia – Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement). The principle focus of this study emphasizes on al-Faruqi’s greatest contributions in realizing the ideals of Islamization in IIUM, as well as his role in transforming da‘wah tradition in Malaysia through his involvement in ABIM in early 70s and 80s. Keywords : Al-Faruqi, IIUM, Islamization, Islamic values, ABIM. Abstrak Kajian ini membincangkan kaedah dan sumbangan Prof Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921-1986) dalam mengubah dan mentafsirkan semula nilai-nilai dan amalan Islam di Malaysia. Ini termasuk peranannya dalam merealisasikan dan menginspirasikan pengislaman ilmu di UIAM, memberi pandangan dunia Tawhid, menuntut kembali Islam sesuai agama dan tradisi, membangunkan dan membantu kerajaan Malaysia dalam melaksanakan dasar Islamisasi, memulakan dialog peradaban, dan mewujudkan rangkaian dengan organisasi dakwah utama dalam Malaysia, khususnya pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) 's seperti ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia - Gerakan Belia Islam Malaysia). Fokus prinsip kajian ini memberi penekanan kepada sumbangan besar al-Faruqi dalam merealisasikan cita-cita pengislaman di UIAM, serta peranannya dalam mengubah tradisi dakwah di Malaysia melalui penglibatannya dalam ABIM di awal 70-an dan 80-an. Kata kunci: Al-Faruqi, UIAM, pengislaman, nilai-nilai Islam, ABIM.
Liquid argon test of the ARAPUCA device

The ARAPUCA is a novel concept for liquid argon scintillation light detection which has been proposed for the photon detection system of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. The test in liquid argon of one of the first ARAPUCA prototypes is presented in this work, where the working principle is experimentally demonstrated. The prototype has an acceptance window of 9 cm2 and is read-out by a single SiPM with active area of 0.36 cm2. Its global detection efficiency was estimated by exposing it to a natural Uranium α source and to cosmic rays and was found to be 1.10% ± 0.15%, which translates into an amplification of the effective detection area of the SiPM by a factor of about 3.7, in reasonable agreement with the prediction of a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the device. Several other ARAPUCA prototypes of bigger dimensions and read-out by arrays of SiPMs have been built and are actually under test. In particular 32 ARAPUCA cells have been installed inside the protoDUNE detector, which is being assembled at CERN and will be operated in the second half of 2018.
RevisitingNeoclassical Economic Growth : A Survey in the Literature

During the second half of the twentieth century economists have build newer models of economic growth that consider policy influences of growth and divergent outcomes among countries. These models address issues concerning economic growth, operation of financial markets, trade policy, government expenditures, and taxation. In this essay we have revisited the interdependence of political and economic institutions, taking the neoclassical growth model of Solow (1956) as a point of departure, which maintains that long run economic growth can be explained by capital accumulation, population growth and technological progress. We first discuss the evolution of the neoclassical school of economics in a historical context, and the role of various institutions in engendering economic growth. Subsequently the role of government spending, political stability, property rights and special interest groups (SIG’s) affect economic growth have been discussed, and how these institutions can explain different countries to grow at divergent rates and achieve different levels of wealth.
Creativity, Music and Computers: Guidelines for Computer-Based Instrumental Music Support Tools

This paper examines requirements for computer-based tools intended to support creative development in musicians. Approaches to instrumental music pedagogy are presented and implications for those seeking to support musical skill development with computers are discussed. A pedagogical philosophy based on the “natural learning process” is combined with recommendations from creativity researchers to build a set of suggested features and guidelines for developing instrumental music support tools which facilitate creative development. A prototype application illustrating our approach is described.