Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Issues and Implications in an Information Technology Outsourcing Relationship

IT outsourcing is an arrangement in which a company subcontracts its information technology related activities to be executed by a different company. In the past several decades, as the role of information technology grew in the performance of a company, the fixed cost of maintaining up and running IT facilities and staffs was increasing as well. Therefore outsourcing solution was derived from companies‘ need to achieve superior performance of IT functions with minimum amount of cost. Major classifications of IT functions that companies outsource are infrastructure and applications. Infrastructure outsourcing refers to a company resolving its entire IT activities handled by a contracted vendor company on the company‘s behalf. Application outsourcing stands for a company subcontracting only its core IT applications such as ERP systems, document management systems or Business intelligence applications with service provider. Though the IT Outsourcing process might be a useful activity for the growth and resources of a service provider‘s organization but at the same time it has some issues with multiple implications that need to be analyzed in detail. In this paper we take a look at IT Outsourcing process and analytically evaluate its effects on future growth of an organization.
Kinetic bottlenecks to respiratory exchange rates in the deep-sea – Part 1: Oxygen

Ocean warming is now reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations, which can pose challenges to marine life. Oxygen limits are traditionally reported simply as a static concentration threshold with no temperature, pressure or flow rate dependency. Here we treat the oceanic oxygen supply potential for heterotrophic consumption as a dynamic molecular exchange problem analogous to familiar gas exchange processes at the sea surface. A combination of the purely physico-chemical oceanic properties temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and oxygen concentration defines the ability of the ocean to provide the oxygen supply to the external surface of a respiratory membrane. This general oceanic oxygen supply potential is modulated by further properties such as the diffusive boundary layer thickness to define an upper limit to oxygen supply rates. While the true maximal oxygen uptake rate of any organism is limited by gas transport either across the respiratory interface of the organism itself or across the diffusive boundary layer around an organism, controlled by physico-chemical oceanic properties, it can never be larger than the latter. Here, we define and calculate quantities that describe this upper limit to oxygen uptake posed by physico-chemical properties around an organism and show examples of their oceanic profiles.
Recombinant human growth hormone: a medical miracle or cause for concern?

The availability of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) has expanded the use beyond growth hormone deficiency (GHD) to conditions that include, use in anti-aging formula and in sports to enhance athletic performance. The longterm safety and efficacy of GH use for these conditions has not been demonstrated. The objective of this review is to explore evidence from clinical and epidemiological studies to determine the safety of GH and current updates on any adverse effects including cancer risk. The primary concern with GH use for healthy adults without proven GHD is the lack of long-term studies evaluating its safety and efficacy. An association with cancer has been shown in limited studies that highlight the need for caution on long term use in healthy adults without GHD. GHD efficacy has not been established in anti-aging or enhancing athletic performance but adverse effects have been documented in these uses.
Computer modeling of acoustical elements of a hearing aid

In this paper, application of computer modeling methods to the process of hearing aid fitting is described. A computer model of the acoustical system of a hearing aid is presented. Exemplary results of the experiments are presented and compared with measurement data. The model proved to behave similarly to the physical system. Further improvements to the model are discussed.
A Novel Design of Dual Band-Notched Slot Antenna Using a Pair of-Shaped Protruded Strips for UWB Applications

─In this paper, we present a novel design of dual band-notch printed slot antenna for UWB applications. The antenna consists of a square radiating stub and a ground plane structure with an H-shaped slot and a pair of -shaped strips protruded inside rectangular slot, which provides a wide usable fractional bandwidth of more than 145% (2.49 GHz  15.73 GHz). In order to increase the impedance bandwidth of the ordinary slot antenna, we use an H-shaped slot in the ground plane, through which an UWB frequency range can be achieved. Additionally, by using a protruded -shaped strip in the top edge of the rectangular slot a single frequency band-stop performance can be achieved, also in order to create the second notch frequency, we insert the second protruded -shaped strip in the bottom edge of the rectangular slot. Simulated and measured results obtained for this antenna show that the proposed slot antenna offers two notched bands, covering all the 5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN, 3.5/5.5 GHz WiMAX and 4 GHz C-band range. The antenna has a small dimension of 2020 mm. Index Terms ─ H-shaped slot, microstrip-fed slot antenna, protruded -shaped strip, and ultrawideband (UWB) applications.
Trace splittings in C*-algebras of tiling systems via colourings

Tiles of a hierarchical tiling system are coloured with given colours. The resulting system implements colour symmetries and prescribed frequencies and is itself a hierarchical system whose prototile types admit an elegant description. The frequencies of occurrence of colours is interpreted using the unique trace on the C*-algebra of the given tiling system and the trace on the C* -algebra of the coloured tiling system.
A review of long‐branch attraction

The history of long‐branch attraction, and in particular methods suggested to detect and avoid the artifact to date, is reviewed. Methods suggested to avoid LBA‐artifacts include excluding long‐branch taxa, excluding faster evolving third codon positions, using inference methods less sensitive to LBA such as likelihood, the Aguinaldo et al. approach, sampling more taxa to break up long branches and sampling more characters especially of another kind, and the pros and cons of these are discussed. Methods suggested to detect LBA are numerous and include methodological disconcordance, RASA, separate partition analyses, parametric simulation, random outgroup sequences, long‐branch extraction, split decomposition and spectral analysis. Less than 10 years ago it was doubted if LBA occurred in real datasets. Today, examples are numerous in the literature and it is argued that the development of methods to deal with the problem is warranted. A 16 kbp dataset of placental mammals and a morphological and molecular combined dataset of gall waSPS are used to illustrate the particularly common problem of LBA of problematic ingroup taxa to outgroups. The preferred methods of separate partition analysis, methodological disconcordance, and long branch extraction are used to demonstrate detection methods. It is argued that since outgroup taxa almost always represent long branches and are as such a hazard towards misplacing long branched ingroup taxa, phylogenetic analyses should always be run with and without the outgroups included. This will detect whether only the outgroup roots the ingroup or if it simultaneously alters the ingroup topology, in which case previous studies have shown that the latter is most often the worse. Apart from that LBA to outgroups is the major and most common problem; scanning the literature also detected the ill advised comfort of high support values from thousands of characters, but very few taxa, in the age of genomics. Taxon sampling is crucial for an accurate phylogenetic estimate and trust cannot be put on whole mitochondrial or chloroplast genome studies with only a few taxa, despite their high support values. The placental mammal example demonstrates that parsimony analysis will be prone to LBA by the attraction of the tenrec to the distant marsupial outgroups. In addition, the murid rodents, creating the classic “the guinea‐pig is not a rodent” hypothesis in 1996, are also shown to be attracted to the outgroup by nuclear genes, although including the morphological evidence for rodents and Glires overcomes the artifact. The gall wasp example illustrates that Bayesian analyses with a partition‐specific GTR + Γ + I model give a conflicting resolution of clades, with a posterior probability of 1.0 when comparing ingroup alone versus outgroup rooted topologies, and this is due to long‐branch attraction to the outgroup.
A Highly Efficient Broadband ClassE Power Amplifier with Nonlinear Shunt Capacitance Ninh

A new approach to designing a broadband and highly efficient class-E power amplifier based on nonlinear shunt capacitance analysis is proposed. The nonlinear shunt capacitance method accurately extracts optimum class-E power amplifier parameters, including an external shunt capacitance and an output impedance, at different frequencies. The dependence of the former parameter on the frequency is considered to select an optimal value of external shunt capacitor. Then, upon determining the latter parameter, an output matching network is optimized to obtain the highest efficiency across the bandwidth of interest. An analytical approach is presented to design the broadband class-E power amplifier of a MOSFET transistor. The proposed method is experimentally verified by a 140–170 MHz class-E power amplifier design with maximum added power efficiency of 82% and output power of 34 dBm.
A projection‐based time‐splitting algorithm for approximating nematic liquid crystal flows with stretching

A numerical method is developed for solving a system of partial differential equations modeling the flow of a nematic liquid crystal fluid with stretching effect, which takes into account the geometrical shape of its molecules. This system couples the velocity vector, the scalar pressure and the director vector representing the direction along which the molecules are oriented. The scheme is designed by using finite elements in space and a time‐splitting algorithm to uncouple the calculation of the variables: the velocity and pressure are computed by using a projection‐based algorithm and the director is computed jointly to an auxiliary variable. Moreover, the computation of this auxiliary variable can be avoided at the discrete level by using piecewise constant finite elements in its approximation. Finally, we use a pressure stabilization technique allowing a stable equal‐order interpolation for the velocity and the pressure. Numerical experiments concerning annihilation of singularities are presented to show the stability and efficiency of the scheme.
Reinforcement Learning Solution for Unit Commitment Problem Considering Minimum Start Up and Shut Down Times

Unit Commitment Problem (UCP) in power system refers to the problem of determining the on/ off status of generating units that minimize the operating cost during a given time horizon. Since various system and generation constraints are to be satisfied while finding the optimum schedule, UCP turns to be a constrained optimization problem in power system scheduling. Numerical solutions developed are limited for small systems and heuristic methodologies find difficulty in handling stochastic cost functions associated with practical systems. This paper models Unit Commitment as a multi stage decision making task and an efficient Reinforcement Learning solution is formulated considering minimum up time /down time constraints. The correctness and efficiency of the developed solutions are verified for standard test systems. Index Terms— Unit Commitment, reinforcement learning, Q learning.
Spatial and temporal connections in groundwater contribution to evaporation

Abstract. In climate models, lateral terrestrial water fluxes are usually neglected. We estimated the contribution of vertical and lateral groundwater fluxes to the land surface water budget at a subcontinental scale, by modeling convergence of groundwater and surfacewater fluxes. We present a hydrological model of the entire Danube Basin at 5 km resolution, and use it to show the importance of groundwater for the surface climate. Results show that the contribution of groundwater to evaporation is significant, and can locally be higher than 30 % in summer. We demonstrate through the same model that this contribution also has important temporal characteristics. A wet episode can influence groundwater contribution to summer evaporation for several years afterwards. This indicates that modeling groundwater flow has the potential to augment the multi-year memory of climate models. We also show that the groundwater contribution to evaporation is local by presenting the groundwater travel times and the magnitude of groundwater convergence. Throughout the Danube Basin the lateral fluxes of groundwater are negligible when modeling at this scale and resolution. This suggests that groundwater can be adequately added in land surface models by including a lower closed groundwater reservoir of sufficient size with two-way interaction with surface water and the overlying soil layers.
Assessing the ability of LARGE overexpression to prevent the development of muscular dystrophy

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a hereditary X-linked fatal disease that affects 1 in 3500 male births. It is the most common kind of muscular dystrophy in children and leads to death in the late teens or early 20s for many patients. The mdx mouse is a model of DMD that can be used to investigate experimental therapies. Overexpression of a glycosyltransferase, CT GalNAc, in mdx mice has been demonstrated to prevent the development of muscular dystrophy. Overexpression of another glycosyltransferase, LARGE, is currently being investigated as a treatment for another group of muscular dystrophies, the dystroglycanopathies. In this study, we overexpressed LARGE in mdx mice in order to investigate its effect on the development of muscular dystrophy. We found that the transgene was expressed in our LV5/mdx mice, as seen with both immunohistochemistry and western blots, but that overexpressing the enzyme unfortunately appeared to have a negative effect on the dystrophy. An increase in pathology was seen histologically at both 3 and 8 weeks of age in the LV5/mdx mice when compared to the mdx mice. Physiological measurements on 22 week old mice showed a significantly diminished tolerance to eccentric exercise in the LV5/mdx compared to their mdx littermates. These observations lead us to the conclusion that increased expression of LARGE is not a therapeutic option for DMD patients, but is in fact contraindicated.
Flexural Strengthening of Damaged T-Joists with Severe Corrosion Using CFRP Sheets

This paper evaluates the residual safety of isolated T-joists with severe corrosion for the two extreme cases of boundary conditions, simply supported and fixed-ended, in order to help in making decisions about the magnitude of the necessary intervention. When the T-joist is part of a complete slab, the boundary conditions will be in an intermediate situation between these two extreme cases, so that it is possible to assess the safety with respect to its degree of embedding. The research is conducted for the cases of healthy T-joist, T-joist with complete corrosion of the lower reinforcement, and repaired T-joists with a variable number of CFRP sheets. This work is based on the ACI 318 load test to maintain a structure in use and proposes a Load Factor (LF), which estimates the safety reserve. The simply supported T-joists specimens with severe corrosion do not meet the Load Factor or ACI 318 criteria, even with a large number of CFRP sheets. On the other hand, fixed-ended cases can be kept in use despite corrosion by applying light CFRP strengthening, and with four sheets the initial safety is restored.
Coupling coefficient, hierarchical structure, and earthquake cycle for the source area of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake inferred from small repeating earthquake data

We have estimated the spatial distribution of interplate coupling in and around the source area for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake from small repeating earthquake data. The source area of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake exhibited a relatively high coupling coefficient (>0.5) for the period from 1993 to 2007 and was surrounded by areas of low coupling (<0.5) at its western (down-dip), northern and southern extents. These low-coupling areas probably prevented further propagation of the mainshock rupture. A high coupling coefficient is estimated even near the trench that can act as the source of the large tsunami of the present earthquake. The averaged seismic coupling of 0.5–0.8 in the M 9 earthquake’s source area and the seismic moment of the earthquake suggest that the slip deficit for the M 9 earthquake was accumulated over a period of 260–880 years, consistent with the recurrence interval of such great earthquakes from tsunami deposit data. It also suggests that the several M ~ 7 earthquakes which have occurred in the source area since 1926 were minor events that released only a part of the accumulated strain energy. The hierarchical structure of asperities, as in the case of the Kamaishi sequence, may be the key to understanding huge earthquakes that encompass several smaller asperities.
The essential oil of the protected species: Thymus praecox ssp. penyalarensis

The essential oil of a protected Spanish species, Thymus praecox ssp. penyalarensis , was firstly analyzed [Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)] from wild populations during the phenological stages of flowering and fruiting. In flowering, the yield was 1.2%, and the major components were identified as thymol (18.5%), p -cymene (14.6%), carvacrol (11.6%), and γ-terpinene (10.1%). In fruiting, the yield was 0.9% and the major components resulted to be p -cymene (19.0%), carvacrol (16.5%), and borneol (10.5%). An experimental cultivation of the taxa was made also in order to analyze its essential oil as well. The yield was 1.3%, and the main compounds were thymol (19.1%), p -cymene (17.0%), and γ-terpinene (12.3%). Finally, the composition of the essential oil of this plant is discussed in relation to chemotaxonomic and biogeographical aspects.
Ocean fertilization experiments may initiate a large scale phytoplankton bloom

Oceanic plankton plays an important role in the marine food chain and through its significant contribution to the global carbon cycle can also influence the climate. Plankton bloom is a sudden rapid increase of the population. It occurs naturally in the North Atlantic as a result of seasonal changes. Ocean fertilization experiments have shown that supply of iron, an important trace element, can trigger a phytoplankton bloom in oceanic regions with low natural phytoplankton density. Here we use a simple mathematical model of the combined effects of stirring by ocean eddies and plankton evolution to consider the impact of a transient local perturbation, e.g. in the form of iron enrichment as in recent ‘ocean fertilization’ experiments. The model not only explains aspects of the bloom observed in such experiments but predicts the unexpected outcome of a large scale bloom that in its extent could be comparable to the spring bloom in the North Atlantic.
The Comparison of Lower Extremity Isokinetic Strength in Volleyball Players According to the Leagues

The purpose of the study is to compare the ratio of lower extremity isokinetic hamstring/quadriceps ratio (H/Q),bilateral strength difference (BLD) and relative peak torques (RPT) in volleyball players according to the leagues.101 volleyball players participated in the study (female=34, male=25 from 1st league; female=21, male=21 from 2ndleague). Isokinetic extension and flexion of knee muscle strengths of the volleyball players were determined withisokinetic dynamometer. Independent t test was used to compare volleyball players' flexor and extensor RPT, H/Qratios and BLD according to their leagues. In the study conducted, it was determined that both male and femalevolleyball players playing the 1st league had higher RPTs at 60°s-1 and 180°s-1 angular velocities. It was determinedthat volleyball players’ BLD was within the desired limits, whereas their H/Q ratios were low. As a result, it wasdetermined that the lower extremity isokinetic knee muscle RPT of the volleyball players playing in the 1st Leaguehad better values than those playing in the 2nd league, but these values were higher in the extension RPT. Since theessential requirement of volleyball is the jumping strength of the movements, this case may be related to the greaterdevelopment of the extensor muscles.
Advances in Evaporated Solid-Phase-Crystallized Poly-Si Thin-Film Solar Cells on Glass (EVA)

Polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on glass obtained by solid-phase crystallization (SPC) of PECVD-deposited a-Si precursor diodes are capable of producing large-area devices with respectable photovoltaic efficiency. This has not yet been shown for equivalent devices made from evaporated Si precursor diodes (“EVA” solar cells). We demonstrate that there are two main problems for the metallization of EVA solar cells: (i) shunting of the p-n junction when the air-side metal contact is deposited; (ii) formation of the glass-side contact with low contact resistance and without shunting. We present a working metallization scheme and first current-voltage and quantum efficiency results of 2 cm2 EVA solar cells. The best planar EVA solar cells produced so far achieved fill factors up to 64%, series resistance values in the range of 4-5 Ωcm2, short-circuit current densities of up to 15.6 mA/cm2, and efficiencies of up to 4.25%. Using numerical device simulation, a diffusion length of about 4 𝜇m is demonstrated for such devices. These promising results confirm that the device fabrication scheme presented in this paper is well suited for the metallization of EVA solar cells and that the electronic properties of evaporated SPC poly-Si materials are sufficient for PV applications.
The Genetic Architecture of Economically Important Traits Provides Major Challenges for the Implementation of Gene Editing in Livestock

Gene editing has been hyped as a game-changer in many biological fields including medicine and agriculture. This includes the promise to manipulate the DNA of livestock animals at sufficient throughput, both in terms of number of loci and animals, to consider gene editing as a routine component of livestock breeding programmes. In this essay I will argue that the application of gene editing for complex traits in livestock will prove extremely challenging for a number of reasons: 1) our understanding of the genetic control of complex traits remains sketchy; 2) even with cutting edge ‘omics technologies, the identification of functional mutations remains very challenging; 3) before selecting certain mutations for gene editing, we need to capture the pleiotropic effects of the mutation and test whether its effects are truly additive. With the current understanding of complex traits there is a risk that gene editing will revert to a candidate gene approach without knowledge or understanding of where the important mutations reside. This means that it will be some time before we can really benefit from gene editing for truly complex traits in livestock. In the meantime gene editing could deliver quick wins by ‘repairing’ lethal recessive defects that are present in many elite breeding animals. Furthermore I will outline how gene editing can have an important role in the identification of QTN via in-vitro genetics.