Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizations of microwave plasma CVD grown polycrystalline diamond coatings for advanced technological applications

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) coatings ranging from few microns to several hundred microns thickness have been grown by 915 MHz microwave plasma reactor with 9000 W power. The coatings were deposited on 100 mm diameter silicon (Si) substrate from few hours to several days of continuous runs. PCD coatings were made freestanding by wet chemical etching technique. The deposited PCDs were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for physical characterization and compared with authors’ earlier work. Refractive index of 2.41 was obtained at 633 nm wavelength and a maximum of 6.6 W·cm -1 K -1 value for thermal conductivity could be achieved with the grown coatings. The values are well above the existing non-diamond heat spreading substrates, which makes the grown PCDs as candidates for heat spreaders in different technological applications. High refractive index along with translucent nature of the white freestanding PCDs, make them potential candidate for optical windows.
Evaluation of power saving in an MPLS/IP network hosting a virtual router layer of a single service provider

As a consequence of the rapid growth of Internet, the power consumption of the network equipment has increased significantly. This trend will continue in the next years and some strategies to contain the power used in the IP network are needed. Among the green networking strategies the virtualization class and in particular the deployment of virtual routers can lead to a high energy saving. In this paper we propose an heuristic for the migration of virtual routers among physical devices in order to turn off as many nodes as possible and save power according to the compliance with network node and link capacity constraints. We show that the 28% of nodes may be turn off when traffic percentage reduction of 80% occurs.
Effects of progesterone on the responses of Merino ewes to the introduction of rams during anoestrus.

The effects of progesterone on the responses of Merino ewes to the introduction of rams during anoestrus were investigated in two experiments. In the first experiment, the introduction of rams induced an increase in the levels of LH in entire ewes. The mean levels increased from 0.68 +/- 0.04 ng/ml (mean +/- s.e.m.) to 4.49 +/- 1.32 ng/ml within 20 min in ewes not treated with progesterone (n = 10). In ewes bearing progesterone implants that provided a peripheral concentration of about 1.5 ng progesterone per millilitre plasma, the LH response to the introduction of rams was not prevented, but was reduced in size so that the concentration was 1.38 +/- 0.15 ng/ml after 20 min (n = 5). Progesterone treatment begun either 2 days before or 6 h after the introduction of rams and maintained for 4 days prevented ovulation. In the second experiment ovariectomized ewes were used to investigate further the mechanism by which the ram evoked increases in tonic LH secretion. In ovariectomized ewes treated with oestradiol implants, the introduction of rams increased the frequency of the LH pulses and the basal level of LH. In the absence of oestradiol there was no significant change in pulse frequency but a small increase in basal levels. Progesterone again did not prevent but reduced the responses in ewes treated with oestradiol. It is suggested that following the withdrawal of progesterone treatment, the secretion of LH pulses in response to the ram effect would be dampened. This effect could be a component of the reported long delay between the introduction of rams and the preovulatory surge of LH in ewes treated with progesterone. Continued progesterone treatment prevented ovulation, probably by blocking positive feedback by oestradiol.
Research and Development Efforts on the Digitized Historical Newspaper and Journal Collection of The National Library of Finland

The National Library of Finland (NLF) has digitized historical newspapers, journals and ephemera published in Finland since the late 1990s. The present collection consists of about 12.8 million pages mainly in Finnish and Swedish. Out of these about 7.36 million pages are freely available on the web site digi.kansalliskirjasto. fi (Digi). The copyright restricted part of the collection can be used at six legal deposit libraries in different parts of Finland. The time period of the open collection is from 1771 to 1929. This paper presents work that has been carried out in the NLF related to the historical newspaper and journal collection. We offer an overall account of research and development related to the data.
Leveraging Mobile Nodes for Preserving Node Privacy in Mobile Crowd Sensing

Mobile crowd sensing has been a very important paradigm for collecting sensing data from a large number of mobile nodes dispersed over a wide area. Although it provides a powerful means for sensing data collection, mobile nodes are subject to privacy leakage risks since the sensing data from a mobile node may contain sensitive information about the sensor node such as physical locations. Therefore, it is essential for mobile crowd sensing to have a privacy preserving scheme to protect the privacy of mobile nodes. A number of approaches have been proposed for preserving node privacy in mobile crowd sensing. Many of the existing approaches manipulate the sensing data so that attackers could not obtain the privacy-sensitive data. The main drawback of these approaches is that the manipulated data have a lower utility in real-world applications. In this paper, we propose an approach called to preserve the privacy of the mobile nodes in a mobile crowd sensing system, leveraging node mobility. In essence, a mobile node determines a routing path that consists of a sequence of intermediate mobile nodes and then forwards the sensing data along the routing path. By using asymmetric encryptions, it is ensured that a malicious node is not able to determine the source nodes by tracing back along the path. With our approach, upper-layer applications are able to access the original sensing data from mobile nodes, while the privacy of the mobile node is not compromised. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed approach achieves a high level of privacy preserving capability. The simulation results also show that the proposed approach incurs only modest overhead.
Studies on sweat losses of nutrients. II. The influence of an oral iron load on the iron content of whole body cell-free sweat.

AbstractThe objective of the study was to assess the validity of the assumption that the amount of iron excreted by the sweat glands is influenced by the plasma level. Whole body cell-free sweat was collected in 19 healthy young adult men during 60 min of profuse sweating in an environmental chamber with a hot humid atmosphere. Before the start of the sweat experiment an oral iron load with ferrous succinate tablets was given.The mean iron concentration of the cell-free sweat collected during the experiments was 34.5 μg/100 ml and the corresponding hourly loss about 400 μg. In spite of nearly doubled serum iron levels due to the oral iron load, it was not possible to demonstrate any significant influence on the sweat iron content compared with basic values.
The 2001-2005 price convergence in the A- and H-shares of Chinese state-owned enterprises: A story of unprecedented economic, regulatory and political change

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the population of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) listing A- (Chinese Mainland) and H- (Hong Kong) shares with a view to explaining differential pricing across the two stock types. Design/methodology/approach - Despite the fact that both A- and H-shares carry ostensibly the same shareholder benefits, when issued by a given SOE, major pricing differences are apparent. The behaviour of such prices for 20 quarters spanning January 2001 to December 2005 was examined. During this period, a marked contraction in the mean A- to H-price relative occurred, whereby A-prices generally softened and H-prices soared. Findings - It was noted that that the principal factors relevant to the contraction in the A- to H-share price relative relate to two issues: first, an enveloping risk premium centring on state-share disposal fears, and second, the firming of expectations surrounding the likely deployment of a qualified domestic institutional investor (QDII) scheme. Research limitations/implications - Modelling of changing expectations, especially in relation to uncertain policy deployment, is an invidious task. Measurement of such expectations is obviously strewn with difficulties. Originality/value - As pertinent factors largely hinge on the deliberations of the PRC state, the analysis herein provides useful input into how policy can either wittingly or unwittingly shape general share price movements. Such insights are especially important given the evolving nature of the Chinese economy.
A General Theory (and Some Evidence) of Expectation Traps in Monetary Policy

I show that multiple equilibria are a general property of economies under full monetary policy discretion. Three simple conditions are sufficient to rule out, generically, a unique equilibrium in a static economy. The key departure from Barro and Gordon (1983) is to consider bounded welfare costs of inflation. I also show that in a two Markov equilibrium economy the inflation response to certain perturbations is, generically, qualitatively different in each equilibrium. Finally, I discuss some evidence on inflation dynamics that supports the hypothesis that U.S. monetary policy was caught in an expectation trap during the high inflation episode of the 1970s. Copyright (c) 2008 The Ohio State University.
State innovations in affordable housing policy: Lessons from California and New Jersey

Abstract Decades of diminishing federal leadership and support for affordable housing policy have opened up a gap in public response to housing needs. Filling this gap is critical if the long‐held goal of decent (and affordable) housing for every American is to be honored and communities are to thrive. This article investigates state governments in an era of federal retreat by examining the factors associated with innovations in housing policy in California and New Jersey, two reputed leaders in state housing policy. We collected data through interviews with key informants, as well as from meetings, reports, public documents, agency records, and other secondary sources. Our analysis indicates that state innovations in housing policy are influenced by bureaucratic (internal) factors, such as funding and agency structure, and by environmental (external) factors, such as local autonomy and interest group activity. We conclude with the policy and research implications of our findings.
GASTRIC CARCINOMA: EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL Suppression of Helicobacter pylori -induced interleukin-8 production in gastric cancer cell lines by an anti-ulcer drug, geranylgeranylacetone

Background : Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) is an antigastritis and anti-ulcer agent, with as yet an unknown mechanism of action. In this study, we investigated the effect of GGA on Helicobacter pylori induced interleukin (IL)-8 production and IL-8 mRNA expression in KATOIII cells, an established gastric cell line. Methods : Interleukin-8 production in H. pyloriinfected KATOIII cells was measured by using enzymelinked immunoassay. The cytotoxicity of H. pylori on KATOIII cells was measured by a 51 Cr release assay. The effect of GGA on H. pylori -induced IL-8 mRNA expression was measured by using northern blotting. Results : Interleukin-8 production increased with time and H. pylori dose; the most significant increase was seen within 6–24 h of coculture with H. pylori. A dose of 0.1 mmol GGA suppressed IL-8 production ( P = 0.0077) and inhibited H. pylori -induced IL-8 mRNA expression ( P = 0.0019). Furthermore, H. pylori -induced gastric mucosal cell injury associated with IL-8 and neutrophil activation was enhanced by NH 3 , and this enhancement was suppressed by GGA ( P = 0.0043). Conclusions : Helicobacter pyloriinfected gastric mucosal cells produce IL-8, which can promote neutrophil activation, thus contributing to mucosal tissue injury associated with H. pylori infection. Agents like GGA, which can suppress IL-8 production may have a protective role in the treatment of mucosal tissue damage seen in H. pylori infection. © 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
CHALLENGING THE PARADIGM: HOW TO EXTEND CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT AGRIBUSINESS IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY

Agribusinesses in the global agricultural and food system are experiencing formidable competitive pressures. Agricultural supply systems are exhibiting innovative production arrangements, contracts, and closer vertical marketing arrangements to increase efficiency and profitability through greater market co-ordination. The complexity of the emerging agricultural marketing structures necessitates an appropriate research paradigm to analyse and understand these changes. Constructivism is proposed as an applicable research paradigm and a potential research framework for the analysis of supply chains is discussed.
Deep Dynamic Poisson Factorization Model

A new model, named as deep dynamic poisson factorization model, is proposed in this paper for analyzing sequential count vectors. The model based on the Poisson Factor Analysis method captures dependence among time steps by neural networks, representing the implicit distributions. Local complicated relationship is obtained from local implicit distribution, and deep latent structure is exploited to get the long-time dependence. Variational inference on latent variables and gradient descent based on the loss functions derived from variational distribution is performed in our inference. Synthetic datasets and real-world datasets are applied to the proposed model and our results show good predicting and fitting performance with interpretable latent structure.
Distortions to travel cost derived demand curves: water quality and durable goods.

Approved: Russell L. Gum The travel cost method of deriving demand and value of recreation does not include fixed costs of recreational durable goods purchases or allow for supply restrictions on the number of suitable sites available. The omission of these two real-world situations results in derivation of demand curves which are more inelastic than truly exist and, consequently, incorrect estimates of value. Anglers visit sites based on how far they must travel, the water quality of the site, and the presence of facilities. These site characteristics may not be available in adequate supply to meet demand. If so, a supply restriction will exist such that recreators must travel farther or settle for less quality. Simple regression would fit a downward-sloping function through a scatter plot of both supply and demand which would be steeper than the true demand curve. In addition, regression is limited in its ability to deal with interaction of variables and a categorical data set. The loglinear model for categorical data accounts for variable interactions. Results of the empirical study of Pacific Northwest recreational fishing demand and value show that anglers respond to the supply problem rationally and in accordance with utility theory. The per angler per year value of improving all average water quality sites to good-excellent levels was between $8.98 and $34.14, only slightly higher than estimates of other recent studies. Also, installation of facilities and water quality improvement at primitive sites of poor-bad water quality resulted in increased annual benefits of nearly 7000%. Redacted for privacy Recreators who purchase durable goods incur fixed as well as variable costs. The investment reduces household income but also lowers per trip expenditures. Recreators face two demand curves, one for owning and one for renting the capital good, where utility maximization determines which curve will be chosen. Fit of a scatter by ordinary least squares would estimate a more inelastic demand curve than either of the demand curve pairs unless ownership is considered. Errors in policy are inescapable unless corrections are made. The more capital-intensive the activity, the greater the distortion should be. An empirical study is suggested to test the hypotheses of the theory presented. DISTORTIONS TO TRAVEL COST DERIVED DEMAND CURVES: WATER QUALITY AND DURA3LE GOODS
The European Union and Danish parliamentary democracy

Denmark entered the EC in 1973 and thereby delegated power to a supranational organisation. Membership was made possible by the constitutional amendment of 1953, which foresaw the need for integrated international co-operation in the post-1945 world. The constitution states (§ 20) that: 'Powers vested in the authorities of the Realm under this Constitutional Act may, to such extent as shall be provided by statute, be delegated to international authorities set up by mutual agreement with other states for the promotion of international rules of law and co-operation. ' From a Danish constitutional point of view, we are talking about a revocable 'delegation' because a law can be passed that simply recalls the delegation of power approved by the parliament (Folketinget) and referenda in 1972, 1986, 1993 and 1998. It is quite another matter whether a recall is possible in practice, given the enormous political, economic and social costs it would entail. Perhaps, then, one could argue that Danish authorities have de facto 'abdicated' with respect to the power formally delegated to the EC/EU. On the other hand, Denmark is a member of the Union to which it has from this point of view irrevocably transferred powers. In various formal and informal ways, Denmark is represented in the bodies of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission, the European Parliament, the Court, and so on. The delegated powers are therefore transferred to an organisation in which the country has voting rights. As long as unanimity was the dominating decision mode in the Council of Ministers delegating power was no problem, provided that the national Danish system of accountability worked as it should. However, the increasing use of (qualified) majority voting in the Council after the Single European Act (SEA, 1986) and the Maastricht Treaty (MAT, 1993), with the associated Edinburgh Agreement (granting Denmark some opt-outs from
Phylogenetic Analysis of S1 Gene of Infectious Bronchitis Virus Isolates from China

SUMMARY. Between 2006 and 2009, seven strains of infectious bronchitis (IB) virus (IBV) were isolated from vaccinated chicken flocks on different chicken farms in China. The pathogenic characters of seven IBV strains were assessed. Each of the seven strains was infective to the test chickens and could induce an immune response. The results from chicken embryo cross-neutralization assays showed that these strains were antigenically distinct from classic IBV strains of H120, M41, Conn, and Gray. Compared to H120 vaccine strain, point mutation, short insertion, and deletion occurred at many positions in the S1 protein of the seven strains. Five of the seven strains had the motif (HRRRR), which was identical to that of the epidemic IBV strains in China. Two new motifs (HRLRR and RRIRR) emerged in the isolated strains. The homology of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the S1 gene among the seven isolates was 81.7%–99.7% and 79.0%–99.4%, respectively. These seven strains were also genetically different from the vaccine strains and non-China IBV strains but closely related to large numbers of Chinese strains. The seven isolates and 36 reference IBV strains were clustered into six distinct groups (I–VI). The seven strains were categorized into groups I, II, and III, forming a big phylogenetic branch, which is closely related to Chinese IBVs, whereas the vaccine strains belonging to group VI are genetically distant from groups I, II, and III. The results from this study indicate that different IBV strains cocirculate in the chicken population in China.
Beyond the Numbers: Understanding the Institutions for Monitoring Poverty Reduction Strategies

This volume provides lessons on the design and functioning of such monitoring systems, based on the experience of twelve Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) countries (Albania, Bolivia, Guyana, Honduras, the Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Niger, Tanzania, and Uganda). The focus is on the institutional arrangements of PRS monitoring systems - the rules and processes which bring the various actors and monitoring activities together in a coherent diagnostic tool - and a summary of the situation in these twelve PRS countries.
Disc Herniation After Lumbar Fusion

Study Design. Eight patients with a herniated disc after lumbar spinal fusion are reported. Their clinical features, imaging studies, and management are reported. Objectives. To identify the incidence and features of disc herniation above a spinal fusion, and to describe their management. Summary of Background Data. Late complications of lumbar spinal fusions have been reported in the literature, but disc herniation has not been specifically addressed in detail. The motion segment above a spinal fusion undergoes additional stresses, as documented by increased pressure and excessive motion, resulting in degenerative changes. These factors likely predispose to disc herniation. Methods. Of 601 consecutive lumbar fusion cases over an 8-year period, herniated nucleus pulposus above the fusion was diagnosed in 8 patients. The clinical findings and imaging studies were reviewed, including a myelogram computed tomography scan, a magnetic resonance image with positive documentation of the herniation, or both. The management of these cases was reviewed. Results. Eight patients (1.3%) (4 men and 4 women) were identified, whose average age was 56.4 years. Nonoperative treatment failed in six patients. Two of these patients underwent simple discectomy, and the remaining four underwent discectomy and fusion. All four patients went on to fusion. The average time from disc herniation onset to fusion was 28.4 months. Conclusions. Herniated disc after lumbar spinal fusion was found in approximately 1.3% of patients. Although rare, this entity that should be considered when patients complain of recurring back pain after a lumbar spinal fusion.
Integration of planning and execution in service innovation

The purpose of this article is to elaborate two activities included in innovation: planning and execution. We use four dimensions – decision making, organization, process, and external interaction – as the analytical framework. Building on five empirical case studies in the Finnish residential sector, the article identifies various approaches to integrating planning and execution during the development process. Furthermore, the article identifies four integrative mechanisms that relate to each of the four analytical dimensions. The key proposition is that the integration between planning and execution is the driving force for innovation, and that the locus of this integration is the practical engagement of actors with specific aims, problems, and means at hand related to the emerging solution. Finally, the article identifies the availability of, or access to, service-provision resources and the customer interface as a key enabler of this integration.