Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultural Diversity: A Matter of Measurement

Cultural diversity â€“ in various forms â€“ has in recent years turned into a prominent and relevant research and policy issue. There is an avalanche of studies across many disciplines that measure and analyse cultural diversity and its impacts. Based on different perspectives and features of the available data, a great variety of diversity indicators have emerged. The present paper aims to highlight some critical issues involved in applying such measures of cultural diversity. A selection of commonly used or recently advocated measures are reviewed. Measures of population diversity can be calculated at different spatial scales and used to analyse spatio-temporal heterogeneity. Additionally, there is a growing interest in measuring spatial dependence, particularly in the form of segregation or clusters. We conclude that there will be in the future considerable scope for adopting multidimensional and cultural distance-weighted measures of diversity. Such measures will be increasingly calculated by means of rich geo-referenced longitudinal micro data. However, adopted measures must be better motivated by behavioural theories. Further research on the determinants and impacts of observed measures of diversity is also likely to be fruitful, particularly in a dynamical setting.
Time-space trellis coding for multi-antennas transmission systems

This work deals with the performance analysis of improved space-time trellis coding used for ultra hig h data rates radio systems. A comparison of classic S TBC and STTC and the proposed super orthogonal STTC is achieved in order to evaluate the performances. The new technique seems to behave better in the same c hannel conditions with a slightly higher complexity in the trellis design.
Immediate Supervisors' Leadership Behaviour and Employees' Organizational Commitment: Do Pay and Promotion Mediate the Nexus?

This study examines the mediating effect of motivational factors of pay and promotion on transformational leadership and organizational commitment relationship in Unilever Ghana using a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional and analytical survey design study. The results of the study revealed significant positive relationship between transformational leadership style and affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. However, the results of the study revealed no significant mediation of pay in the relationship between transformational leadership style and affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Additionally, no significant mediation of promotion was found in the relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment, transformational leadership and continuance commitment, and transformational leadership and normative commitment. Managersâ€™ adoption of transformational leadership behavior as a key strategy to get employees committed to the organizations will be of great significance because motivational factors such as pay and promotion do not mediate the transformational leadership and organizational commitment relationship. This is a maiden empirical research in Ghana where motivational factors are used as mediators in transformational leadership and organizational commitment relationship.
Imbibition assisted oil recovery

Imbibition Assisted Oil Recovery. (August 2004) Orkhan H. Pashayev, B.S., Azerbaijan State Oil Academy Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. David S. Schechter Imbibition describes the rate of mass transfer between the rock and the fractures. Therefore, understanding the imbibition process and the key parameters that control the imbibition process is crucial. Capillary imbibition experiments usually take a long time, especially when we need to vary some parameters to investigate their effects. Therefore, this research presented the numerical studies with the matrix block surrounded by the wetting phase for better understanding the characteristic of spontaneous imbibition, and also evaluated dimensionless time for validating the scheme of upscaling laboratory imbibition experiments to field dimensions. Numerous parametric studies have been performed within the scope of this research. The results were analyzed in detail to investigate oil recovery during spontaneous imbibition with different types of boundary conditions. The results of these studies have been upscaled to the field dimensions. The validity of the new definition of characteristic length used in the modified scaling group has been evaluated. The new scaling group used to correlate simulation results has been compared to the early upscaling technique. The research revealed the individual effects of various parameters on imbibition oil recovery. Also, the study showed that the characteristic length and the new scaling technique significantly improved upscaling correlations.
Quaternionic Maps Between Hyperkähler Manifolds

Quaternionic maps (Q-maps) between hyperkahler manifolds are quaternionic analogue of Cauchy-Riemann equations between Kahler manifolds. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition on when a quaternionic map becomes holomorphic with respect to some complex structures in the hyperkahler 2-spheres, and give examples of Q-maps which cannot be holomorphic. When the domain is real 4-dimensional, we analyze the structure of the blow-up set of a sequence of Q-maps, and show that the singular set of a stationary Q-map is H1-rectifiable.
Law and Finance: What Matters? Hong Kong as a Test Case

This paper, using Hong Kong as a test case, challenges one conventional theory and confirms another one in law and finance study: (i) legal families in relation to stock market development; (ii) transplant effect of foreign laws. Economists, most notably La Porta and colleagues, allege that common law systems can offer superior investor protection and thereby facilitate the rise of financial markets. Undeniably, the legal system of Hong Kong, which was inherited from England, belongs to the common law family and is widely considered as one of Hong Kong’s advantages. Nonetheless, the high concentration of family ownership among Hong Kong companies implies that its system is not entirely Anglo-Saxon. Moreover, legal scholars, most notably Pistor and colleagues, claim that the import of laws from a developed system (legal transplantation) will have little impact unless there is such a demand in the first place. Interestingly, for Hong Kong, the transformation of a small fishing village in the mid-nineteenth century to a financial service-oriented economy nowadays is an illustration of the existence of demand in corporate and financial laws. By absorbing the nutrients from English legal traditions, American style of intense public enforcement and the flexibility of Chinese family businesses, Hong Kong has successfully established itself as one of the most crucial financial centers in the world.
An efficient synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of novel N'-arylidene-4-(2-(piperidin-1-yl) ethoxy) benzohydrazide derivatives Schiff bases

A series of novel N'-arylidene-4-(2-(piperidin-1-yl)ethoxy)benzohydrazide derivatives (3a-3j) have been synthesized from condensation reaction between 4-(2-(Piperidin-1-yl)ethoxy)benzohydrazide 2 and various aldehyde. The structures of all these newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of spectral studies (IR, NMR & MASS) and Element analysis. The anti-microbial activities of these compounds were tested in vitro by agar diffusion cup-plate method against two Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and two Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus substilis bacteria and fungi Candida albicans at 100 µg/ml concentration. All these compounds have displayed good or moderate activities against the test microorganisms and all these inactive against C. albicans.
Fixing Faults in Wireless Sensing Systems with Confidence

This paper presents Confidence, a tool for identifying and addressing faults in wireless sensing systems. Confidence pinpoints potential sensor and network faults in real time, allowing users to validate unexpected data and address any failures in the field. By introducing a well defined, low-dimension feature space, and functions to map sensor data into this space, we are able to achieve fault detection and diagnosis with relatively simple mechanisms such as outlier detection. Users can directly modify system outcomes by altering a classification label in instances when Confidence's automated algorithm draws the wrong inference. This label is applied to all similar points in the feature space, enabling Confidence to learn from user interaction in the field. This abstraction for incorporating user knowledge provides a lightweight and easy- to-understand interface for the user, while limiting user bur- den and reducing the required a priori environmental knowledge. Confidence has performed well on real-world deployments, including one deployment of 130 sensors, replayed datasets, and network simulations. Confidence accurately detects and diagnoses at least 90% of all data, and user interaction improves it's performance.
Depth-specific differences in growth of the reef sponge Callyspongia vaginalis : role of bottom-up effects

Callyspongia vaginalis, a common reef sponge in the Florida Keys, USA, exhibits depth- specific differences in bioenergetics and growth that are a function of food availability. We measured several physiological parameters in situ to construct the bioenergetic budgets of sponges living in deep and shallow waters. Respiration rates were measured in a recirculating flow respirometer and pumping rates were measured by filming dye ejected from sponge oscula. In addition, inhalent and exhalent water sampled from around sponge colonies at both depths was analyzed using flow cyto- metry to quantify the concentration and clearance rates of picoplankton. These parameters were used to construct an energetic budget for sponges from each depth and revealed that the scope for growth was substantially greater for deep sponges compared to shallow sponges. The greater scope for growth of deep sponges is likely due to the greater abundance of picoplankton in the deep versus shallow habitat. Both naturally occurring sponges and those used in a reciprocal transplant experiment between 12 and 25 m exhibited significantly greater growth in the deep than the shallow habitat. Hence, bottom-up forcing in the form of increased food availability may be of principal importance to the growth and physiological ecology of suspension-feeding sponges.
CALCIUM CARBONATE MINERALIZATION. PART II: EFFECT OF POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) AND BLOCK COPOLYMERS MOLECULAR WEIGHT ON FORMATION OF PRECIPITATE

In this study the role of PEG and PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers molecular weight in precipitation of calcium carbonate was examined. The CaCO3 particles were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray, SEM and particle size distribution analysis. In absence and presence of modifiers, mixing of the reagents led to the formation of calcite crystals. The calcium carbonate obtained with poly(ethylene glycol) and block copolymers was characterized by smaller diameter in comparison with the one without modifiers. It was observed that using compounds with different molecular weights has no obvious effect on the form and properties of precipitated calcium carbonate particles.
Clinical characteristics of children and adolescents with thyroid disorders seen at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital: A five year review

Background : Thyroid disorders constitute a large proportion of endocrine diseases in children and adolescents. Diseases of the thyroid have profound effect on metabolism, cognition, growth and development in children. The pattern of thyroid disorders in children in our region is still under reported. Objectives : To describe the clinical characteristics of children and adolescents with thyroid diseases seen over a 5 year period in a tertiary centre in Port Harcourt Methods : A retrospective review of all cases of thyroid disorders seen in the Paediatric endocrinology clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital from January 2009 to December 2013.The information obtained from endocrine registers and case files were patients’ biodata, clinical features, diagnosis, management, challenges and outcome. Diagnosis of each disorder was based on clinical features, relevant laboratory investigations and imaging studies. Result : Eighteen (29.3%) out of 62 children with various endocrine disorders had thyroid diseases, accounting for 0.1% of all children seen in the specialist outpatient clinics. Age range at presentation of children reported was 5days to 13 years with male to female ratio 1.7:1. Of the 18 children, 5(27.8%) had hyperthyroidism with a case of neonatal thyrotoxicosis, 10(55.6%) hypothyroidism and 3(16.7%) euthyroidism. eight (44.4%) had goiter. Nine (90.0%) of the children with hypothyroidism had congenital hypothyroidism with two cases of transient hypothyroidism. Mean age at diagnosis of children with congenital hypothyroidism was 9.81months. Only 2(22.2%) with congenital hypothyroidism presented before the age of 3weeks, the mean duration of neck swelling before presentation of children with goitre was 19.6months. One (5.6%) child had thyroid cancer. Initial wrong referrals and lost to follow up in 22.2% of cases each were common challenges encountered in management. Conclusion : Congenital hypothyroidism was the commonest thyroid disorder in this report, delayed diagnosis and its consequences were noted, emphasizing the need for routine new-born screening in Nigeria. Keywords : Thyroid disorders, children, endocrine diseases, antithyroid treatment
Motivational style and behavior assertive teacher of Physical Education lifelong career

Studies in the  eld of educational psychology, over the years, have investigated the pedagogical practices of Physical Education teachers with speci c focus on identifying the motivational aspects, in goal setting, in the perception of competence as well as in the behavior of students and teachers. However, when reviewing the literature, there is a gap in knowledge about research aimed at identifying the constructs that de ne the behavior and motivational style adopted by the Physical Education teacher throughout his career, seeking to promote the autonomy of students. Is worth emphasizing that research into the pedagogical area focus on verifying the e ectiveness of teaching and are relevant in appreciating the role of the teacher and point out the contribution of their work to the quality of the educational process and its e ects on the engagement of students. Considering this information and in order to  ll the gap previously presented, this study aimed to investigate the motivational style of physical education teachers and their behavior throughout their careers.  is research aims to contribute to the advancement of scienti c studies on the theme using as theoretical basis the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), interpreting the teachers’ behavior in real work situations and throughout their career, as well as to verify the motivational styles adopted by them, which is re ected in the quality of the autonomous education provided to students. From this perspective, the identi cation of motivational style of teachers normally has as a parameter the use of methodological teaching strategies to motivate students, through the adoption of different types of motivational styles, among which we can highlight the autonomy promoting or Abstract
Documentation of Lower Tear Meniscus Using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was used to measure lower tear meniscus height (LTMH) which came out to be 404 millimeters in right eye and 398 mm in left eye. Fluorescein LTMH measurement and Schirmer’s test are invasive methods which, due to contact and usage of topical anaesthetics, can alter the measurements [1]. Thus AS-OCT provides a non-invasive, anaesthetic-free and speedy modality for in-situ evaluation of LTMH [Figures 1A and 1B].
Designing Enterprise Information Systems – the semiotic approach

The present article reviews the work of R. Stamper and his research group on organisational semiotics and presents the resulting information system management model the organisational morphology model. Semiotics, as the theory that studies signs, defines organisations as information systems and studies them through this particular perspective. The morphology model is an illustration of a possible application of organisational semiotics to information systems’ analysis and design. This model is used to re-engineer the effectiveness of key work processes, as opposed to the smaller efficiency gains of usual automation processes (K. Liu et al, 1997). The critical aspect of this approach is that it is able to link both the human and the technological aspects of information systems, and that is crucial to the design of enterprise information systems that serve real and complex business needs. Key-words: information systems, business strategy, semiotics and re-engineering
In-Place Inactivation of Pb in Pb-Contaminated Soils

There has been increasing attention to the use of soil amendments and green plants to remediate surface soils contaminated with Pb. We call one form of this technique in-place inactivation. In-place inactivation reduces the hazards associated with contaminated soils through the use of chemicals that change the molecule species of the Pb to stabilize the soil Pb chemically and physically in situ. We have seen significant changes in soil Pb chemistry, Pb leached from soil, and Pb measured by a physiologically based extraction test (PBET) after incorporating inexpensive and readily available materials to three soils. The soils have total Pb concentrations that range from 1200 to 3500 mg kg-1. The leachable soil Pb was significantly reduced in all cases from as high as 30 mg Pb L-1 to below the regulatory limit of 5 mg Pb L-1 after soil treatment. The PBET mimics the mammalian gastric−intestinal tract solutions. In the simulated intestinal phase of the PBET, Pb in solution was reduced by 72% in one of the soi.
Primary Immune response and parasite dissemination in Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a re-emerging disease caused by L. infantum/L. chagasi. The disease is transmitted by phlebotominae sand flies and dogs are the main urban reservoir of the parasite. In the natural history of L. chagasi infection in dog, named canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), following transmission, the parasites multiply in macrophages in the skin at the site of infection. From this localized cutaneous infection, the parasite can be disseminated via lymphatic or blood vessels, infecting macrophages of other organs such as the bone marrow, lymph node, liver and spleen, as well as the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract of the dog. In these naturally infected dogs, the outcome of CVL can vary considerably and probably correlates with the capacity of local skin cells to control parasite infection. CVL clinical manifestations are associated with distinct patterns of immune responses to Leishmania parasites. After infection, some dogs develop an impaired cell-mediated immune response that permits parasite dissemination and tissue lesion formation (symptomatic dogs), whereas others control parasite proliferation and dissemination to the different tissues (asymptomatic dogs). These infected dogs present positive lymphoproliferative assay in vitro or/and a positive skin test early in infection. However, as the disease progresses in susceptible dogs, these responses diminish. The cellular basis and mechanisms for the development of T-cell unresponsiveness in CVL are not understood fully. In the present review it will be discussed the local immune response in skin, other affected organs, and cellular compartments as well as the possible mechanisms involved in dissemination of the L. chagasi infection in the dog model of VL.
Removal of ECG Baseline Wander using Savitzky-Golay Filter Based Method

ECG (Electrocardiogram) is a measure of hearts electrical activity. As the body is a volume conductor, ECG signal can be recorded from the body surface. The signal while being recorded from the body surface gets corrupted by various types of noise or artifact. Among these, baseline wander is a type of noise that severely hampers the ECG signal. Baseline wander is particularly of very low frequency; it causes the ECG signal to deviate from its isoelectric line and causes the signal to ride on the lower frequency artifact. The proposed method is based on Savitzky-Golay filter, which is a moving average filter that takes into consideration the polynomial order along with moving averaging when approximating the signal. It enables to approximate the baseline wander quite efficiently. Though in some cases it distorts the ECG signal to some extent, when compared with usual polynomial fitting method, it demonstrates superiority in terms of accuracy, simplicity and generalization. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Physics Vol.8 No.1 2015 32-45
The UK deficit-reduction strategy : evidence from 1979-2012

This paper examines the current financial crisis and the various tax-and-spend policies that affect the government’s deficit-reduction strategy. The theory surrounding this is the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem, as set out by Robert Barro. The data is from various government sources between 1979 and 2017 and used in regression analysis and comparative cash analysis. The results indicate that, whilst tax and net public spending have contributed materially to levels of net borrowing and budget deficits, the most controversial issue of VAT has very little impact. The findings show that the underpinning theory does not hold in the UK under normal boom-and-bust circumstances but that this unusual financial crisis might prove the exception to the rule. The conclusion from all of the regressions run show that the key driver to reducing the deficit is economic growth, counteracting the major political parties’ traditional views of spending cuts or tax-and-spend policies.