Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Galaxy clustering with photometric surveys using PDF redshift information

Here, photometric surveys produce large-area maps of the galaxy distribution, but with less accurate redshift information than is obtained from spectroscopic methods. Modern photometric redshift (photo-z) algorithms use galaxy magnitudes, or colors, that are obtained through multi-band imaging to produce a probability density function (PDF) for each galaxy in the map. We used simulated data to study the effect of using different photo-z estimators to assign galaxies to redshift bins in order to compare their effects on angular clustering and galaxy bias measurements. We found that if we use the entire PDF, rather than a single-point (mean or mode) estimate, the deviations are less biased, especially when using narrow redshift bins. When the redshift bin widths are $$\Delta z=0.1$$, the use of the entire PDF reduces the typical measurement bias from 5%, when using single point estimates, to 3%.
THE RELATION BETWEEN SPEED OF VISUAL-AUDITORY INTEGRATION AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE IN DYSLEXICS AND NORMAL READING CHILDEN

We investigated the relationship of general intelligence with visual and phonological processing. German elementary school children diagnosed with developmental dyslexia were compared to a control group in order to determine, whether (a) their reaction times differ for tasks requiring visual-auditory integration and, if so, whether (b) training of these skills using AudiLex ® would eliminate the difference, and whether (c) such a learning effect would depend on general intelligence (reasoning) in one or both groups. The relevance of these results is discussed in the dual framework of the discrepancy definition of developmental dyslexia and of the relation between intelligence, speed of information processing, and reading skills.
The Experimental Results of a Low Power X-Band Free Electron Maser by Electron Pre-Bunching

We have developed a proof-of-concept low power free electron maser that is compact and low cost. The design, set-up and results of a novel (without wiggler) low power X-band rectangular waveguide pre-bunched free electron maser (PFEM) are presented in this paper. Our device operates at 10GHz, with 10mWatt seeding input power and employs two rectangular waveguide cavities (one for velocity modulation and the other for energy extraction). The electron beam used in this experiment is produced by Thoria coated Iridium fllament which can operate at 3kV and up to 5mA beam current. The efiect of the aperture on the power leaking out of the waveguide is also analyzed. The TE10 mode propagation of the EM standing wave is used to pre-bunch the electron beams in the input cavity. The bunched electron beams are in the same phase as the TE10 mode propagation of the EM wave in the output cavity. This free electron maser could be useful industrially, as it could be used with the commercially available accelerating voltage supplies.
CMS swaps in separable one-factor Gaussian LLM and HJM model

An approximation approach to Constant Maturity Swaps (CMS) pricing in the separable one-factor Gaussian LLM and HJM models is presented. The approximation used is a Taylor expansion on the swap rate as a function of a random variable which is intuitively similar to a (short) rate. This approach is different from the standard approach in CMS where the discounting is written as a function of the swap rate. The approximation is very efficient.
Frequency of Enuresis, Constipation and Enuresis Association with Constipation in a Group of School Children Aged 5-9 Years in Malatya, Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of enuresis, constipation and enuresis associated with constipation in school children aged 5-9 years living in Malatya Municipality, Turkey. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. All elementary schools in Malatya Municipality with kindergarten and preparatory classes took part in the study. All parents of the children aged 5-9 years enrolled in these schools were given a questionnaire. Completion of the questionnaire was voluntary. Of the parents, 1377 completed the questionnaire and these were evaluated. Overall enuresis frequency was 9.5%. Enuresis frequency was significantly higher among boys (11.2%) compared to girls (7.7%) (P < 0.05). Among children aged 9 years, enuresis frequency (3.9%) was significantly lower than in younger age groups (P < 0.05). The frequency of constipation was 12.4%. The frequency of the association of enuresis with constipation was 21.6%. The frequency of enuresis in Malatya is similar to that in the literature. It was found that about 1 in 4 enuretic children had constipation, and so seeking a constipation history in enuretic children is strongly suggested.
First record of Dinofelis (Felidae, Mammalia) from North Africa

Fragmentary dental and cranial remains from the late Pliocene of Ahl al Oughlam in Morocco are referred to Dinofelis ZDANSKY, 1924. The peculiar mastoid process, large conical upper canine and probable retention of P2 set this form aside from other species of the genus, which had not been reported from North Africa previously. However, in other features, it is closer to the Siwalik species D. cristata than to African ones.
Building Energy Efficiency Improvement via Smart Building Solutions: Introduction to Methodologies

Because of the increase of the commercial sector in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission, any successful response to the threats for achieving energy and environmental sustainability must be significantly considered. Specifically, air- conditioning systems presently consume around 60 percentages of total energy consumption for providing space cooling and heating in commercial buildings. To improve these significant issues, building automation system (BAS) has been gradually increased in energy efficiency objectives, especially in large-scaled commercial buildings. Although a lot of published documents significantly demonstrate potential energy saving via BAS solution, there are considerable barriers to effective market penetration in terms of cost-prohibitive, non-scalable, non- flexible, inefficient energy management and preventive maintenance issues. To solve these issues, smart building solutions have been introduced and continuously developed over 10 years in developed counties. The concepts of the solutions are: 1) low capital and installation costs with returning on investment (ROI) being less than one year; 2) a non - invasive technique that does not interrupt normal operations and 3) plug-n-play (PnP) for self-configurable and self-scalable implementations. These approaches can enhance efficient energy management, productivity of occupant comfort and better decisions. The current article introducesthe aforementioned methodologies for enabling in commercial buildings consisting of: plug-n-play data exchange carrier, automated calibration, virtual sensing and modelling technology, automated diagnostics, decision-making and soft-repair technologies. Keywords-automated calibration;automated diagnostic; BAS;
PREVALENCE OF MANGO SUDDEN DECLINE/ DEATH SYNDROME (MSDS) ON VARIOUS VARIETIES AT THE ORCHARDS OF DIFFERENT AGE IN THE VICINITY OF TANDO QAISER, HYDERABAD, SINDH

Mango sudden decline or death syndrome (MSDS) has been reportedly present in Pakistan including Sindh for the last five years or so, however, its varietal preference or prevalence is not established. Thus a preliminary study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of MSDS in different mango varieties growing in orchards around Tando Qaiser in district Hyderabad. Considering a possible variation in age response of mango trees, three age levels were also assessed. The occurrence percentage was recorded on the basis of symptoms and/or mortality. The study revealed that some mango varieties had more prevalence of MSDS than others and the age-wise differences were also noticed. The findings indicate that trees of some varieties have the ability to overcome MSDS at specific age, and the severity of MSDS may be manageable till that. The variable incidence in different mango varieties at different ages can also be attributed to a possible natural tolerance against MSDS. This preliminary investigation provides the basis for further studies on the issue, leading to prioritization for cultivation of a particular variety and interventions at optimal age limits.
In-situ CCVD Growth of Hexagonal Carbon for CMOS-Compatible Nanoelectronics: From Nanotube Field-Effect Devices to Graphene Transistors

Our CMOS compatible fabrication process for carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) allows large scale production of good quality devices at low cost and within a short time. To achieve this, a dedicated in-situ growth method for single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) has been developed, based on the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) of carbon from methane. The major novelty of the process consists in the introduction of a sacrificial catalyst (i.e. well-optimized Ni/Al bilayer), which is evaporated on the whole wafer surface (see Fig. 1a), catalyzes the growth of 1 nm diameter SWNTs (see Fig. 1 c and d) and simultaneously transforms itself into an insulator (aluminum oxide covered with nickel nanoclusters) during the growth process at elevated temperatures (800 900 °C), so that there is no need to structure the catalyst after deposition. Only a single optical lithography step is needed to structure Pd source/drain contact regions for electrical characterization, allowing the simultaneous fabrication of approximately 1,000 transistors on one two-inch wafer even with non-optimized layout. Details on the self-aligned fabrication process have been reported previously [1, 2]. The suitability for mass fabrication of this process has been verified on more than 15,000 devices. Extended yield statistics on 700 devices have been performed, leading to the result of 41% of fully functional high on/off-current ratio devices, i.e. typical > 10 7 (see Fig. 1e) within all measured devices (see Fig. 1f).
Efficiency Evaluation of Hospitals in the Environment of the Czech and Slovak Republic

The paper applies the Data Envelopment Analysis as a deterministic non-parametric method based on the linear programming, to measure the efficiency of Czech and Slovak hospitals based on input and output performance. Managing physician or hospital practice patterns is an important tool to reduce health care costs. State-run hospitals, as decision-making units working in an operating healthcare system, might have some excess resources in the process of providing care. Ehealth tools are expected to contribute to the cost containment in them, enhancing finally the quality of patient care in the overall assessment.
The Interplay between Intuition and Rationality in Strategic Decision Making: A Paradox Perspective

Both intuition and rationality can play important roles in strategic decision making. However, a framework that specifically accounts for the interplay between intuition and rationality is still missing. This study addresses this gap by using a paradox lens and conceptualizes the intuition–rationality duality as a paradoxical tension. We draw on seven case studies of innovation projects to empirically derive a three-step process for managing this intuition–rationality tension through paradoxical thinking. Our empirical data suggest that management of the tension starts with preparing the ground for paradoxical thinking by creating managerial acceptance for the contradictory elements of rational and intuitive approaches to decision making. The process then continues by developing decision-making outcomes through the integration of intuitive and rational practices. Finally, the outcomes of paradoxical thinking are embedded into the organizational context. For each step of the model, we indicate a set of practices that, by leveraging intuitive or rational characteristics of decision making, practitioners can use to deal with this cognitive tension in the different steps of our model.
Enhanced Bragg reflections from size-matched heterostructure photonic crystal thin films prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett method

The Langmuir-Blodgett method was used to engineer photonic crystal thin films of an AB architecture. Structures were studied by transmittance and reflectance spectroscopies. For an AB structure in which the silica particle diameter B is twice that of A, reflectance features associated with the first order Bragg peak for the “A” domain are only observed when the structure is probed from the A side of the structure. Furthermore, this feature is enhanced in intensity compared to that for a structure consisting solely of A particles. These findings are attributed to a matching of first and second order Bragg processes.
An empirical study on factors affecting e-commerce adoption among SMEs in west Malaysia

Article history: Received: November 26, 2017 Received in revised format: March 31, 2018 Accepted: April 4, 2018 Available online: April 5, 2018 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in most developing countries because they are able to improve and develop the economy. e-Commerce is also an important topic in various research fields as it brings about benefits to these countries. However, the adoption of eCommerce by SMEs in developing countries is low due to several factors. Therefore, a parsimony framework has been proposed to investigate the factors which influence the adoption of e-Commerce among SMEs in West Malaysia. Three factors are considered in this research, namely Perceived Barriers, Organization Readiness, and Competitor Pressures. Questionnaires were used for data collection while SmartPLS was used to analyze the data. The results showed that Perceived Barriers contain negative significant influence on the adoption of e-Commerce among mediumsized SMEs, but not for small-sized SMEs. Organization Readiness shows a huge difference between small and medium-sized SMEs. Competitor Pressures are important for both small and medium-sized SMEs. In conclusion, the results obtained will assist and enable stakeholders to restructure e-Commerce applications which fulfill the needs of their organization and therefore, increase the effectiveness of the organization. © 2018 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada
Warped disks during type II outbursts in Be/X-ray binaries: evidence from optical polarimetry

Context. Current models that explain giant (type II) X-ray outbursts in Be/X-ray binaries (BeXB), are based on the idea of highly distorted disks. They are believed to occur when a misaligned and warped disk becomes eccentric, allowing the neutron star to capture a large amount of material. The BeXB 4U 0115+63 underwent two major outbursts in 2015 and 2017. Aims. Our aim is to investigate whether the structural changes in the disk expected during type II outbursts can be detected through optical polarimetry. Methods. We present the first optical polarimetric observations and new optical spectra of the BeXB 4U 0115+63 covering the period 2013–2017. We study in detail the shape of the Hα line profile and the polarization parameters before, during, and after the occurrence of a type II X-ray outburst. Results. We find significant changes in polarization degree and polarization angle and highly distorted line profiles during the 2017 X-ray outburst. The degree of polarization decreased by ∼1%, while the polarization angle, which is supposed to be related with the disk orientation, first increased by ∼10° in about two months and then decreased by a similar amount and on a similar timescale once the X-ray activity ceased. Conclusions. We interpret the polarimetric and spectroscopic variability as evidence for the presence of a warped disk.
The effect of growth regulators on stomatal aperture in senescing cut leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spr

This paper reports the results of observations of the stomatal aperture in senescing cut leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spr. and Hosta ‘Undulata Erromena’, two species used as the florists’ green. Their display life after harvest can be extended by the application of growth regulators, therefore the detached leaves of Zantedeschia and Hosta were dipped in aqueous solutions containing 1 mmol dm (= 346 mg dm) GA3 or 1 mmol dm (= 225 mg dm) BA, respectively, before being placed into vases with distilled water. Leaves not treated with growth regulators and placed directly into water or a preservative containing 8hydroxyquinoline citrate (8-HQC 200 mg dm) and sucrose (S 20 g dm) served as controls. The degree of stomata opening was determined by a modified replica method of Poskuta and Karpowiczowa (1971). During leaf senescence of both species stomatal closure was observed in all treatments. The preservative shortened Mariusz Wachowicz, Ewa Skutnik, Julita Rabiza-Świder 66 the leaf vase life and hastened the closing of stomata which were less open by 12% (Zantedeschia) and 18% (Hosta) relative to water controls. Hormones – GA3 in Zantedeschia and BA in Hosta – delayed leaf senescence and enhanced stomata opening by 21% and 44%, respectively. Abbreviations: BA – benzyladenine GA3 – gibberellic acid 8-HQC – 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate S – sucrose
Accuracy of Discriminating between Similar Drug Names by Nurses: Effect of Finger-pointing on Error Prevention

Discriminating between similar drug names accurately is important in order to prevent medication error. To facilitate accurate discrimination, performing finger-pointing toward drug names to recognize them is recommended in Japan for healthcare workers. We investigate whether nurses would accurately recognize the difference between target and similar drug names and whether finger-pointing would lead to error prevention for drug names by using a choice reaction time task. Participants observed six drug names with or without pointing with the index finger and determined as quickly and accurately as possible whether the target drug name was present. Targets were real drug names, although distractors were pseudo names so as to strictly manipulate the degree of similarity. The results showed that error rates were significantly higher for nurses than for students. Due to their familiarity with the drug names, the nurses could misrecognize the pseudo words as target drug names when a quick response was requested. We also found that nurses did not receive a benefit from finger-pointing. Moreover, finger-pointing may have been inadequate to lead to accurate recognition of complex stimuli, such as drug names.
Effects of Impurities Content (Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen) on Microstructure and Phase Transformation Temperatures of Near Equiatomic TiNi Shape Memory Alloys

Investigation of precipitation is performed on several near equiatomic TiNi alloys elaborated by arc melting or by powder metallurgy (combustion synthesis mode). These alloys contain various amount of impurities (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen). We show that such impurities result in both oxides (Ti 4 Ni 2 O x , with x ≤ 1) and carbonitrides (TiC x N 1-x , with x ≤ 1) precipitation. X-ray diffraction measurements are performed on residues of electrochemical extraction to determine the structure and the lattice parameters of these precipitates. The precipited fractions are quantified for various amount of impurities by image analysis. A very good correlation is obtained between the nominal content of impurities determined by chemical analysis and the precipited fraction measured by image analysis and X-ray measurements. Out results indicate that almost all the nominal oxygen has precipited to form Ti 4 Ni 2 O type oxides. As a consequence, an increase of the impurities content in near equiatomic TiNi alloys implies a lowering of the phase transformation temperatures. This phenomenon is attributed to the precipitates stoichiometry which induces a deficit of titanium content in solid solution. On the other hand, we find that fine precipitation improve the grain size reduction during hot working. Possible explanation is that the precipitates act as grain refiners through a pinning or a grinding process.
Inverse barrier methods for linear programming

Dans les methodes recentes par points interieurs, l'attention a surtout porte sur la methode de barriere logarithmique. Nous analysons dans cet article la classe des methodes de barriere inverse, ou la barriere est Σx i −r , ou r > 0 est le rang de la barriere. Il y a beaucoup de similitudes avec la methode de barriere logarithmique. Les minima d'une fonction de barriere inverse pour les differentes valeurs du parametre de barriere definissent un «chemin central dependant de r, appele le r-chemin du probleme. Pour r r ↓ 0 ce chemin coincide avec le chemin central defini par la fonction de barriere logarithmique; nous introduisons un ∈ metrique pour mesurer la distance d'un point realisable a un point du chemin. Nous montrons que dans une certaine region autour d'un point la methode Newton possede la convergence quadratique
Strain Monitoring of Carbon Fiber Composite with Embedded Nickel NanoComposite Strain

Strain Monitoring of Carbon Fiber Composite with Embedded Nickel Nanocomposite Strain Gage Timothy Johnson Department of Mechanical Engineering Master of Science Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites have extensive value in the aerospace, defense, sporting goods, and high performance automobile industries. These composites have huge benefits including high strength to weight ratios and the ability to tailor their properties. A significant issue with carbon fiber composites is the potential for catastrophic fatigue failure. To better understand this fatigue, there is first a huge push to measure strain accurately and in-situ to monitor carbon fiber composites. In this paper, piezoresistive nickel nanostrand (NiNs) nanocomposites were embedded in between layers of carbon fiber composite for real time, in situ strain monitoring. Several different embedding methods have been investigated. These include the direct embedding of a patch of dry NiNs and the embedding of NiNs-polymer matrix nanocomposite patches which are insulated from the surrounding carbon fiber. Also, two different polymer matrix materials were used in the nanocomposite to compare the piezoresistive signal. These nanocomposites are shown to display repeatable piezoresistivity, thus becoming a strain sensor capable of accurately measuring strain real time and in-situ. This patch has compatible mechanical properties to existing advanced composites and shows good resolution to small strain. This method of strain sensing in carbon fiber composites is more easily implemented and used than other strain measurement methods including fiber Bragg grating and acoustic emissions. To show that these embedded strain gages can be used in a variety of carbon fiber components, two different applications were also pursued.
Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium in binary mixture

A rapid, simple, accurate and precise UV Spectrophotometric method using simultaneous equation was developed for the simultaneous determination of amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium in a binary mixture. In the proposed method, the signals were measured at 238.2 and 246.6 nm corresponding to the absorbance maxima of amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium in methanol, respectively. Linearity was observed in the concentration range of 5-30 µg/ml for both the drugs. Concentration of each drug was obtained by using the absorptivity values calculated for both the drugs at two wavelengths, 238.2 and 246.6 nm and solving the simultaneous equations. The method was validated statistically and recovery study was performed to confirm the accuracy of the method. Laboratory prepared synthetic mixture was successfully analyzed using the developed method.