Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exciton–phonon coupling in a dimer: An analytic approximation for eigenvalues and eigenvectors

An analytic approximation method is introduced to study the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the dimer exciton–phonon Hamiltonian with linear coupling. The transition from quasilocalized to quasidelocalized states as a function of n, the number of vibrational quanta, is discussed for various coupling strengths. A discussion of the applicability of this method to other problems is given.
The rich get richer: predicting participation in voluntary diversity training

This research examined whether trainee demographics and pre-training competence predicted participation in voluntary diversity training. Results indicate that demographic variables had no impact on interest in training (Study One) or on actual training participation (Study Two). However, pre-training competence levels had a positive effect on both outcomes. More competent trainees expressed more interest in additional training (Study One) and were more likely to attend a voluntary training session (Study Two). The authors suggest that trainees with low competence in the diversity domain are unaware of their low competence levels and therefore are not motivated to participate in training programs designed to increase diversity competence. Implications of these findings for organizations offering voluntary diversity training are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Training Courses in Ilam Province, Iran

Given entrepreneurs’ special role in the economic growth and development, many developed and developing countries are attempting to motivate more number of people who have entrepreneurial characteristics towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities. The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training courses in Ilam Province, Iran. In this research a descriptive survey method was used. The statistical population consisted of 830 people that based on Cochran’s formula and by using proportionate stratified random sampling method 130 people were selected as the sample. The research tool was a questionnaire which its validity was confirmed by a panel of experts’ and its reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha as to be 0.83 proving its high reliability. Data were analyzed by SPSS Software Package. It was found that participants’ inclination towards self-employment and entrepreneurship was increased after attending the courses. Also, significant differences were observed in participants’ readiness to start a business, their familiarity with entrepreneurship concepts and their ability to make a business plan before and after attending the courses.
Feeding specializations in Late Triassic fishes

The ichthyofauna of the Zorzino Limestone represents an important proof of the richness and variety reached by bony fishes during the Norian and, at the same time, it testifies the beginning of the faunal transition which will be realized during the Jurassic. The thousands of specimens and the extraordinary quality of preservation found in the fossiliferous levels of this unit allowed, in the last years, not only to follow such a crucial moment in the evolution of vertebrates, but also to reconstruct the mode of life and the trophic adaptations reached by the different groups, living in the depositional basins. As evidence of this peculiar evolutionary period, the large predators at the highest trophic levels are still represented by ’primitive’ basal actinopterygians; on the contrary, the most derived neopterygians specialized in durophagy, a trophic niche previously almost unexploited by actinopterygians. Within the main trophic categories, anyway, we can find different morphological specializations, which probably allowed the fishes to exploit most of the available trophic resources.
Analysis of runtime feature dependency relationships in product line assets

Features in a feature-oriented software product line interact and depend on each other in unexpected ways. Runtime feature dependency relationships implement the runtime behaviour of the end product derived from a product line. Analyzing runtime feature dependency relationships can facilitate the product line engineer to predict faults upfront during the platform development of a product line. The aim of this research is to facilitate a product line engineer by providing the consistency checking of runtime feature dependency relationships in the product line assets (i.e., between runtime feature dependency relationships specification and their respective implementations using aspect pattern-based solutions). We propose a four-step technique for consistency checking of runtime feature dependency relationships between the product line artefacts. We provide a tool-support based on Eclipse framework as set of plug-ins. For validation purposes we use an existing scientific calculator product line.
The role of megatides and relative sea level in controlling the deglaciation of the British–Irish and Fennoscandian ice sheets

Key external forcing factors have been proposed to explain the collapse of ice sheets, including atmospheric and ocean temperatures, subglacial topography, relative sea level and tidal amplitudes. For past ice sheets it has not hitherto been possible to separate relative sea level and tidal amplitudes from the other controls to analyse their influence on deglaciation style and rate. Here we isolate the relative sea level and tidal amplitude controls on key ice stream sectors of the last British–Irish and Fennoscandian ice sheets using published glacial isostatic adjustment models, combined with a new and previously published palaeotidal models for the NE Atlantic since the Last Glacial Maximum (22 ka BP). Relative sea level and tidal amplitude data are combined into a sea surface elevation index for each ice stream sector demonstrating that these controls were potentially important drivers of deglaciation in the western British Irish Ice Sheet ice stream sectors. In contrast, the Norwegian Channel Ice Stream was characterized by falling relative sea level and small tidal amplitudes during most of the deglaciation. As these simulations provide a basis for observational field testing we propose a means of identifying the significance of sea level and tidal amplitudes in ice sheet collapse.
Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant in the Treatment of Non-Infectious Uveitic Macular Edema

Macular Edema (ME) is a common complication, leading to severe vision loss in patients with Non-Infectious Uveitis (NIU). The treatment of uveitic ME is still very challenging for many ophthalmologists. Various agents, such as corticosteroids, anti-vascular endothelial growth factors, and immune-modulators, have been used for combatting uveitic ME. However, there is not enough evidence to support the efficacy of any of these agents. Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant (IDI) (Ozurdex; Allergan Inc, Irvine, CA) is a widely administered corticosteroid for the long-term management of uveitic ME in certain cases. Ophthalmic implant is made up of a biodegradable copolymer that contains glycolic acid and lactic acid. Recent studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone implant effectively improves uveitis-related ME. The authors suggest that this effect could be sustained for at least six months with close monitoring and re-treatment, as needed. The current study reviewed major clinical studies about IDI in eyes with NIU and briefly overviewed their results.
Self-Concept Clarity in Psychopathology 1 Self-Concept Clarity and Psychopathology

Self-concept clarity refers to the coherence of an individual’s identity, how confident one is about one’s attributes, and how consistent and stable these attributes are (Stinson, Wood, & Doxey, 2008). Studies have linked low self-concept clarity to poor psychological adjustment and functioning, and high self-concept clarity to adaptive psychological adjustment and functioning. Low self-concept clarity has also been linked to a variety of types of psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, and autism. However, the majority of work on the relations between selfconcept clarity and psychopathology has focused on its role in schizophrenia spectrum disorders such as schizophrenia, attenuated psychotic disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. In this chapter, the relations between self-concept clarity and depression, anxiety disorders, and autism spectrum disorders are briefly reviewed. Then, evidence for disturbances in self-concept clarity in schizophrenia is reviewed and linked to a long history of research dating back to the earliest descriptions of the disorder that conceptualized schizophrenia as a disorder primarily of the self.
A Reduced Magnetohydrodynamic Model of Coronal Heating in Open Magnetic Regions Driven by Reflected Low-Frequency Alfvén Waves

A reduced magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) description is employed to examine a suggestion made by W. H. Matthaeus and colleagues in 1999 that coronal heating might be sustained by a cascade of low-frequency MHD turbulence. Here RMHD simulations show that the low-frequency cascade to high transverse wavenumbers can be driven by an externally maintained flux of low-frequency propagating Alfvén waves, in combination with reflection caused by an inhomogeneous background medium. The simulations show that the suggestions made previously on the basis of a phenomenology are indeed realizable. In addition, the effect is seen to sensitively depend on the presence of reflection, as the background turbulence level needed to maintain the cascade can be sustained only when reflection is imposed. The steady level of turbulence is insensitive to the initial seed turbulence level (provided it is nonzero). Consequences of this model for realistic models of coronal heating in open field-line regions are discussed.
Ability of Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography to Detect Retinal and Choroidal Changes in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Purpose To evaluate the ability of new swept-source (SS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology to detect changes in retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods A total of 101 healthy and 97 MS eyes underwent retinal and choroidal assessment using SS Triton OCT (Topcon). Macular thickness and peripapillary data (retinal, ganglion cell layer (GCL+, GCL++) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness) were analyzed, including choroidal thickness evaluation. Results Significant macular thinning was observed in all ETDRS areas (p < 0.001) in MS patients. Peripapillary retinal, RNFL, and GCL ++ thickness showed a significant reduction in patients in all sectors (p < 0.001) except in the nasal quadrant/sector (p > 0.05). GCL+ measurements were found to be reduced in the nasal (p=0.003), inferonasal (p=0.045), and temporal (p=0.001) sectors and total thickness (p < 0.001). Choroidal thickness was reduced in the outer macular ring in MS patients compared with controls (p=0.038). Conclusion New swept-source technology for OCT devices detects retinal thinning in MS patients, providing increased depth analysis of the choroid in these patients. MS patients present reduced retinal and choroidal thickness in the macular area and reduced peripapillary retinal, RNFL, and GCL thickness.
Working Papers in Trade and Development Vulnerability to poverty in Papua New Guinea

In the extant literature either income or consumption expenditures as measured over short periods of time has been regarded as proxies for the material well-being of households. However, economists have long recognized that a household’s sense of well-being depends not just on its average income or expenditures, but also on the risks it faces. Hence vulnerability is a more satisfactory measure of welfare. In this study we measure the extent of vulnerability as expected poverty and examine the importance of its determinants on the basis of an analysis of household survey data for Papua New Guinea (PNG). We find that in PNG, vulnerability and poverty are largely rural phenomena. Moreover, the distribution of vulnerability across different segments of the population can differ significantly from the distribution of poverty. In addition, there is a sizable fraction of the population of PNG who were observed to be non-poor but are estimated to be vulnerable to poverty. Thus, poverty reduction strategies in PNG need to incorporate not just alleviation efforts but also prevention.
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors for monitoring prostate specific antigen

Prostate cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States. Clinical diagnostic procedures currently include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, digital rectal exam, and prostatic needle biopsy. However, these methods lack the sensitivity to detect small lesions that occur in the early stages of cancer and metastasis. I propose a molecular imaging modality that provides a biochemical characterization of localized regions of prostate tissue. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), several peptide substrates have been designed to respond to varying concentrations of PSA with a concomitant increase in fluorescence. In the near-infrared wavelength range, these fluorescent substrates can be imaged through thin sections of tissue to allow surface volume imaging of biochemical function, and thus, to provide additional insight into prostate cancer localization and progression. The goal of this study was to develop novel fluorescent substrates for prostate-specific antigen to serve as indicators of prostate cancer progression. PSA is a biomolecular marker that has gained widespread clinical use in prostate cancer detection. Produced primarily by prostate epithelium, PSA is an androgen-regulated serine protease that acts to cleave semenogelins. Several peptide substrates for PSA have been identified and optimized for specific and efficient hydrolysis. Two of these substrates, QFYSSN and SSIYSQTEEQ, were modified with fluorescent dye and quencher molecules to suppress fluorescence in the inactivated form. Light absorbed by the fluorescent molecule is dissipated via nonradiative interaction with the quencher molecule. Disruption of dye and quencher interaction, as in substrate proteolysis, results in an increase in fluorescence. I report several promising substrates that generate significant increases in fluorescence upon cleavage by PSA in purified systems as well as with human prostate cancer cell lines. Selected FRET substrates can distinguish between PSAproducing and non-PSA-producing human prostate cancer cells. Thesis Supervisor: Bruce R. Zetter, Ph.D. Title: Charles Nowiszewski Professor of Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital
Conversor Bidirecional com Entrada e Saída Empilhadas Aplicado a Subsistema Elétrico de Potência para Pico-satélites: Modelagem e Controle

This paper presents the modeling and control of an electric power subsystem (EPS) for CubeSat. The mean state space model was used. The controllers were implemented using the classical control and linear design. The proposed architecture consists of a bi-directional buck-boost converter operating as a regulator DC distributed voltage bus to the CubeSat loads when the satellite is in the eclipse period. And as a battery charging current regulator, when the satellite is in the period of sunlight. The simulation results validated the modeling and demonstrated the performance of the controllers. Keywords— CubeSat, DC-DC Converters, Distributed bus. Resumo— Este trabalho apresenta a modelagem e o controle de um subsistema elétrico de potência (EPS), para CubeSat. O modelo médio por variáveis de espaço de estado foi utilizado. Os controladores foram implementados usando o projeto no domínio da frequência e controle linear clássico. A arquitetura proposta consiste de um conversor buck-boost bidirecional, que opera como regulador de tensão do barramento CC distribuído para as cargas do CubeSat, quando o satélite encontra-se no período de eclipse. E como regulador de corrente para carga de baterias, quando o satélite encontra-e no período de sunlight. Os resultados de simulação validaram a modelagem e demonstraram o desempenho dos controladores. Palavras-chave— Barramento Distribuído,Conversor CC-CC, CubeSat. 1 Introdução A classe de Pico-Satélite, com volume e peso definidos e limitados é conhecida por CubeSat (Buchen and DePasqual, 2014) e (Woellert et al., 2011). Essa classe tornou-se um padrão para o desenvolvimento de picosatélites. Esse padrão foi criado pela Universidade Politécnica da Califórnia e a Universidade de Stanford em 1999. Sua motivação foi a redução de custos de desenvolvimento e de lançamento para projetos de sistemas aeroespaciais, dos cursos multidisciplinares oferecidos pelas instituições. O CubeSat consiste de uma plataforma para desenvolvimento de um pico-satélite com volume de 10 cm3 e peso de aproximadamente 1 kg (1U). As dimensões fixas e o peso limitado permitem padronizar o sistema de lançamento. Para o lançamento do CubeSat foi desenvolvido o lançador (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer P-POD) (Woellert et al., 2011), (Doering, 2009) e (Burt, 2011). O projeto de um satélite é de grande complexidade e envolve vários especialistas em divisas áreas das engenharias. Para tornar o satélite funcional são necessários diversos subsistemas embarcados, conforme ilustrado na Figura 1, tais como: controle de atitude (Attitude Control System ACS); comando e manipulação de dados (Command and Data Handling C&DH); sistema de comunicação (Communication System CS); computador de bordo (Onboard Computer OBC); controle térmico (Thermal ConEPS ACS OBC
Interactions between Temperament, Stress, and Immune Function in Cattle

The detrimental effects caused by stressors encountered by animals during routine handling can pose economic problems for the livestock industry due to increased costs ultimately borne by the producer and the consumer. Stress adversely affects key physiological processes of the reproductive and immune systems. In recent years stress responsiveness has been associated with cattle behavior, specifically temperament. Cattle with more excitable temperaments, as measured by chute score, pen score, and exit velocity (flight speed), exhibit greater basal concentrations of glucocorticoids and catecholamines. Similar to stressed cattle, more temperamental cattle (i.e., cattle exhibiting greater exit velocity or pen and chute scores) have poorer growth performance, carcass characteristics, and immune responses. Thus, understanding the interrelationship of stress and temperament can help in the development of selection and management practices that reduce the negative influence of temperament on growth and productivity of cattle. This paper discusses the relationship between stress and temperament and the developing evidence of an effect of temperament on immune function of cattle that have been handled or restrained. Specifically, the paper discusses different methodologies used to measure temperament, including chute score, pen score, and exit velocity, and discusses the reaction of cattle to different stressors including handling and restraint.
Evaluation some Biochemical Levels in Patients undergoing Hemodialysis in Baghdad Governorate

The objective of investigating some biochemical parameters like urea, creatinine, Hb and other parameters as CRP and leptin in the serum of ESRD patients on hemodialysis pre-dialysis. Method: Sample of 250 cases which consists of the patient with ESRD, their mean ages were 52.66 ± 12.55 years with ranged from 18-83. Moreover, under hemodialysis treatment not less than three months. Apparently, 20 healthy subjects were selected as (control) for comparison. Results: The results showed that there was a significant increase (p 0.05) is in total cholesterol, calcium and total protein in patients undergoing hemodialysis which was compared to the control group. It is concluded from the findings of the present study, it shows a highly significant increased serum concentration of leptin as well as, elevated serum values of CRP. Whereas a highly significant decrease in GFR and CrCl result from loss of the ability of the kidney to clearance. Also, abnormal mineral parameters and hematological parameters. According to the results of this study, serum total protein and cholesterol cannot be used, as a diagnostic marker of nutrition disorders in patients on regular hemodialysis requires further investigation and clarification.
Estimates by bootstrap interval for time series forecasts obtained by theta model

In this work, are developed an experimental computer program in Matlab language version 7.1 from the univariate method for time series forecasting called Theta, and implementation of resampling technique known as computer intensive "bootstrap" to estimate the prediction for the point forecast obtained by this method by confidence interval. To solve this problem built up an algorithm that uses Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the interval estimation for forecasts. The Theta model presented in this work was very efficient in M3 Makridakis competition, where tested 3003 series. It is based on the concept of modifying the local curvature of the time series obtained by a coefficient theta (Θ). In it's simplest approach the time series is decomposed into two lines theta representing terms of long term and short term. The prediction is made by combining the forecast obtained by fitting lines obtained with the theta decomposition. The results of Mape's error obtained for the estimates confirm the favorable results to the method of M3 competition being a good alternative for time series forecast.
Correlations between serum hdyrogen peroxide level, oxidative damage indices and biochemical markers in end stage renal disease patients

Introduction: Hydrogen peroxide is an important intermediate ofendogenous free radical activity which could lead to the generation of more potent free radicals that cause macromolecular damage. An imbalance between the excessive generation of pro-oxidant(free radicals) and insufficient antioxidant defence leads to oxidative stress and this event is marked in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The objective of this study is to assess the correlation between serum hydrogen peroxide level and oxidative damage indices as well as several biochemical markers in ESRD patients. Methods: Fasting blood samples were collected from patients (n=106) attending the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. The control subjects mainly comprised healthy blood donors with no known clinical/biochemical abnormality. The serum and plasrna were separated and the levels of hydrogen peroxide, oxidative damage indices (pentosidine, advanced oxidation protein products, malonaldehyde) and biochemical parameters (albumin, creatinine, fenitin, triglyceride, low density lipoproteins and total cholesterol) were estimated according to established rnethods. Results: Levels of hydrogen peroxide and the oxidative damage indices were significantly higher in the patients compared to healthy subjects. A strong positive correlation was present between hydrogen peroxide and the oxidative indices(r>0.80, p<0.001). Hydrogen peroxide was positively (weak) associated with the biochemical parameters except for albumin levels which showed a negative correlation with hydrogen peroxide levels in these patients (r: -0.40, p< 0.01). Conclusion: Serum hydrogen peroxide strongly correlates with oxidative damage indices and could serve as an additional marker of oxidative stress in end stage renal disease.