Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Projection ablation lithography cathode for high-current, relativistic magnetron

Initial results are presented of an innovative cathode operating in a relativistic magnetron powered by an accelerator with parameters: −0.3 MV, 1–10 kA, and 0.5 μs pulse length. This cathode is fabricated by ablating a pattern on the cathode using a KrF laser. This projection ablation lithography (PAL) cathode has demonstrated fast current turn-on and microwave startup times have decreased from an average of 193 to 118 ns. The pulselength of 1 GHz microwave oscillation has increased from a 144 ns average to 217 ns. With these improvements in microwave startup and pulse length, the microwave power has approximately remained the same compared to the previously used cloth cathodes. A new triple-azimuthal emission region is tested as means of prebunching the electrons (“cathode priming”) into the three spokes desired for pi mode operation in a six-cavity magnetron. The Tri-PAL cathode priming results in the fastest startup and highest efficiency of relativistic magnetron microwave generation.
Understanding the Various Aspects of Performance Management Systems (Case Study of a Private School)

“Treat people the way they are and they will stay that way. Treat people the way they can become and they will become that way” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). Performance management is one of the most important construct in management research. This exploratory study elaborates the various aspects of the performance management system. Researchers have taken a private school as a case study. The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance management system of a private school in terms of the appraisal procedures used for the evaluation of teachers and to assess the effectiveness of the performance management system. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research approach has been adopted that consist of a questionnaire and semi structured interviews in order to understand the different aspects of the performance management system. 3 head teachers and 22 teachers have participated in this research. The findings revealed that proper monitoring, effective recognition, rewards and feedback may add value to the overall process of the performance management system. Findings have also shown that the appraisal form is used annually for the evaluation and feedback about teachers is taken only from the class representatives these are the hindering factor in the evaluation system of the case study school. Researchers have also explored some suggestive solutions for the improvement of the current performance management system. The current study will not only contribute to the performance management research but it can also be important study for considering issues during the implementation of performance management system in private schools.
Simulation and fabrication of the atmospheric turbulence phase screen based on a fractal model

An atmospheric turbulence phase screen generated using a fractal method is introduced. It is etched onto fused silica and tested in the laboratory. The etched screen has relatively low cost, high resolution, and can be used in the broad waveband under severe temperature conditions. Our results are shown to agree well with the theory.
Factors Influencing Risk Based Internal Audit Adoption In Kenya Agricultural And Livestock Research Organization (Kalro) In Nairobi

Generally, internal audit has become an indispensable management tool for achieving effective control in both public and private organizations. Therefore this study will seek to establish factors influencing the adoption of risk based internal audit in Kenya and Livestock Research Organization. More specifically the study sought to establish the influence of ICT on risk based internal audit adoption in KARLO. A descriptive research design was employed on a target population comprised of the senior managers in KARLO. A census approach was utilized on a population of 64 senior managers. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection instruments. The collected data was then organized and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 24. Data was analysed in form of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The study established that ICT infrastructure had positive significant relationship with the adoption of risk base internal auditing. The study concluded that ICT infrastructure have significant influence on the adoption of risk based internal auditing. The study recommended that the board of management should come up with policy measures that will aim at enhancing the adoption of risk based internal auditing. The measures should address the enhancement of ICT infrastructure in the organization.
Risk Control Through Dynamic Core-SatellitePortfolios of ETFs: Applications to Absolute Return Funds and Tactical Asset Allocation

Asset managers generally focus on diversification or returns prediction to create added value in portfolios of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This article draws on dynamic risk-budgeting techniques to emphasize the importance of risk management when decisions to allocate to ETFs are made. Absolute return funds, in which the low-risk profiles of government-bond ETFs and conditional allocations to riskier equity ETFs can be combined to obtain portfolios that—beyond the natural diversification between stocks and bonds—provide upside potential while protecting investors from downside risk, are an initial application of ETFs to allocation decisions. A second application is risk control of tactical strategies. Dynamic risk budgeting is used to provide risk-controlled exposure—taking the manager’s forecasts as a given—to an asset class. This article shows that, even if the manager is an excellent forecaster, this approach yields intra-horizon and end-of-horizon risk-control benefits considerably greater than those of standard tactical asset allocation.
An Evaluation Of Econometric Models Of U.S. Farmland Prices

Previously published empirical models of U.S. farmland prices are reviewed and reestimated including recent data. It is apparent that structural changes have occurred. A simple single equation econometric model with less economic structure appears to forecast better than a simultaneous equation model. Finally, Box-Jenkins forecasts are roughly as good as those based upon a simultaneous equation econometric model, but somewhat inferior to the single equation model. The results suggest that further research may be needed to explain recent movements of farmland prices.
Inflation and unemployment revisited: Grease vs. sand

As inflation rates in the United States decline, analysts are asking if there are economic reasons to hold the rates at levels above zero. Previous studies of whether inflation greases the wheels of the labor market ignore inflation's potential for disrupting wage patterns in the same market. This paper outlines an institutionally-based model of wage-setting that allows the benefits of inflation (downward wage flexibility) to be separated from disruptive uncertainty about inflation rate (undue variation in relative prices). Our estimates, using a unique 40-year panel of wage changes made by large mid-western employers, suggest that low rates of inflation do help the economy to adjust to changes in labor supply and demand. However, when inflation's disruptive effects are balanced against this benefit the labor market justification for pursuing a positive long-term inflation goal effectively disappears.
Electromechanical large scale computational models of the ventricular myocardium

Els models computacionals del cor son una eina important que pot donar als investigadors biomedics una font addicional d’informacio per entendre el funcionament del miocardi. Els models numerics poden ajudar a interpretar dades experimentals i proporcionar informacio complementaria sobre mecanismes cardiacs que no poden ser determinats amb precisio mitjancant dispositius clinics classics. En aquesta tesi, s’apliquen tecniques de computacio a gran escala per construir una eina computacional capac d’executar-se en paral•lel en milers de processadors, permetent simulacions d’alta fidelitat en malles fines. Per simular el bombeig del cor, s’utilitza un esquema d’acoblament explicit entre les equacions electrofisiologiques en tres dimensions i la formulacio en mecanica de solids. Per trobar la solucio numerica, s’utilitza el metode d’elements finits. A mes, s’implementen tecniques en assimilacio de dades per a l’estimacio efectiva dels parametres electrofisiologics i mecanics rellevants que apareixen a les equacions, la qual cosa ´es un pas crucial cap a un model cardiac sensible a cada pacient. El codi computacional s’aplica per simular problemes fisics reals. S’estudia la propagacio electromecanica en una geometria de conill, on es prova la sensibilitat del model a les variacions d’entrada. En particular, l’eina de calcul s’utilitza per avaluar la influencia del camp de fibres cardiaques en la contraccio del teixit. Per desenvolupar una simulacio cardiaca util per a fins clinics, el model requereix la integracio i combinacio de la mecanica computacional i les tecniques de processament d’imatge mes recents. El model resultant pot ser la base d’estudis teorics sobre mecanismes de patologies, oferint als investigadors i cardiolegs pistes addicionals per comprendre el funcionament del cor. Pot ajudar a la planificacio de cirurgia i modelitzacio, com es la prediccio dels efectes de compostos farmacologics en el ritme cardiac o l’estudi de l’efecte de medicaments. Aquest projecte nomes es possible en un equip multidisciplinar, on grups especialitzats uneixen les seves forces en les respectives disciplines: cardiolegs, investigadors imatge, bioenginyers i cientifics de la computacio. El present model computacional del cor es un pas mes cap a la creacio d’un laboratori cardiac virtual.
‘Give Me a Laboratory and I Will Lower Your Carbon Footprint!’ — Urban Laboratories and the Governance of Low-Carbon Futures

The increasing threat of climate change has created a pressing need for cities to lower their carbon footprints. Urban laboratories are emerging in numerous cities around the world as a strategy for local governments to partner with public and private property owners to reduce carbon emissions, while simultaneously stimulating economic growth. In this article, we use insights from laboratory studies to analyse the notion of urban laboratories as they relate to experimental governance, the carbonization agenda and the transition to low-carbon economies. We present a case study of the Oxford Road corridor in Manchester in the UK that is emerging as a low-carbon urban laboratory, with important policy implications for the city's future. The corridor is a bounded space where a public-private partnership comprised of the City Council, two universities and other large property owners is redeveloping the physical infrastructure and installing monitoring equipment to create a recursive feedback loop intended to facilitate adaptive learning. This low-carbon urban laboratory represents a classic sustainable development formula for coupling environmental protection with economic growth, using innovation and partnership as principal drivers. However, it also has significant implications in reworking the interplay of knowledge production and local governance, while reinforcing spatial differentiation and uneven participation in urban development.
A comparison between the effect of All-Ceramic and metal-ceramic restorations on the plaque accumulation

1 ،ینادند ياهزتورپ یشزومآ هورگ رایشناد ،یکشزپنادند هدکشناد هاگشناد ،نارهت یملاسا دازآ ،نارهت ناریا 2 ،تروص و کف و ناهد یحارج یشزومآ هورگ یصصخت رایتسد یکشزپنادند هدکشناد یکشزپ مولع هاگشناد نارهت ، ،نارهت ناریا 3 کشزپنادند 4 ،یتسیز رامآ دشرا یسانشراک یهاگشناد داهج لثم دیلوت یکشزپ مولع و یسانش تسیز هدکشهوژپ نایور هاگشهوژپ ، ،يروراب يژولویمدیپا تاقیقحت زکرم هورگ ،يروراب تملاس و يژولویمدیپا ،نارهت ناریا
Activation of the Large-Conductance, Voltage, and Ca2+- Activated K+ (BK) Channel in Acute Spinal Cord Injury in the Wistar Rat Is Neuroprotective

Context/Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in significant neuronal and glial cell death resulting in impaired neurological and motor function. Uncontrolled Ca2+ entry results in excitotoxicity and cell death. In this study, we examine the use of a BK channel activator, Isopimaric acid (ISO), as a neuroprotective agent post-SCI as this channel is involved in regulating Ca2+ entry. Design:By using a 25-g clip compression at the T6 level, we generated a SCI event in wistar rats. At 1 h post-injury we administered ISO (BK channel activator), the BK channel inhibitor iberiotoxin (IbTx), or a vehicle control for 4 weeks via mini osmotic pump (pump capacity). For 8 weeks post-injury, gait analysis of motor function was performed. At the end of 8 weeks, the extent of myelination in the spinal cord was assessed in addition to the electrophysiological profile. Results:Our immunohistological data suggests that ISO treatment leads to an increase or preservation of myelinated axonal tracts. This was further supported by our electrophysiological studies which demonstrate higher compound action potential amplitudes and speed of transmission in ISO-treated animals compared to inj-non-treated. Finally, treatment with ISO significantly improved motor function in our test model. Conclusion: In conclusion, activation of the BK channel during acute SCI may be a novel therapeutic target for acute SCI.
Accurate costing in mixed integer utilisation mining models

In this paper, we study the problem of truck and loader equipment selection for surface mines, where we wish to select the best truck and loader fleet for a multi-period mining schedule. In particular, we look at the costing aspect of this problem. The operating cost is known to dominate the overall cost of materials handling over time. When performing equipment selection, we can best account for the operating cost by considering the number of hours that the equipment has been utilised. In a surface mine, equipment is often not utilised to full capacity and not accounting for this difference may lead to inferior solutions. Generally, the cost of operating equipment depends on the age of that equipment, while the decision to use a piece of equipment or not is based on the cost. This co-dependency of the age and utilisation of the equipment has so far provided a barrier to tractable equipment selection models. In the mining industry, it is a common practice to discretise both the age of the equipment and the current time into discrete blocks. However, since the running cost of a piece of equipment depends on its age, an undesirable side-effect of this discretisation is that the cost of operating a piece of equipment over a given time period must be determined by its age at the start of that period. It would be more accurate to account for changes in the age of the equipment as time passes within the period. In this paper, we present a way in which we can capture the effect of these changes, using linear constraints and adjustments to the objective function. These constraints and adjustments are intended to be added to a mixed-integer linear program for equipment selection, which accounts for equipment utilisation, pre-existing equipment and heterogeneous fleets. However, with these additions this mixed-integer programming model requires further work to achieve tractability in large-scale case studies.
Volatility Forecast Evaluation and Comparison Using Imperfect Volatility Proxies

We show that the use of a conditionally unbiased, but imperfect, volatility proxy can lead to undesirable outcomes in some commonly used methods for evaluating and comparing conditional variance forecasts: the true conditional variance may be rejected as being sub-optimal, and an imperfect volatility forecast may be selected over the true conditional variance. We also consider the extent of the problem when more efficient volatility proxies, such as the intra-daily range or realised volatility, are used for forecast comparison. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions on the loss function for the ranking of competing volatility forecasts to be preserved when a volatility proxy is employed. Finally, we present a collection of tests of equal predictive ability that may be employed when only limited knowledge of the volatility forecast user’s loss function is available.
Combining ability analysis for various physiological , grain yield and quality traits of Zea mays

Maize gain yield and quality traits are very important traits to improve its demand. Combining ability analysis provides an opportunity to plant breeder for the development of synthetic (using General Combining Ability) and hybrids (using Specific Combining Ability). The present study was conducted in the research area of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan during crop growing season 2012-13. It was concluded that higher values of General Combining Ability (GCA) were found for inbred lines B-316, F-96, B-11, Sh-139, EV-340, Pop/209, E-322, E-336 and EV1097 for physiological, grain yield and quality traits. Higher GCA suggested that the genotypes may be used for the development of higher yielding and good quality maize synthetic varieties. Higher Specific Combining Ability (SCA) was found for B-11×Pop/209, E-336×Pop/209 and E-336×E-322 for chlorophyll content, EV-1097×B-316 and E-336×E-322 for leaf temperature, Sh-139×Pop/209 and Sh-139×EV-347 for photosynthetic rate, E-336×F-96, E-336×EV-340 and Sh-139×B-316 for stomata conductance, Sh-139×Pop/209, EV-1097×E-322 and Sh-139×B-316 for transpiration rate, B-327×EV-347 and Sh-139×Pop/209 for sub-stomata CO2 concentration and E-336×EV-340, EV-1097×Pop/209 and Sh-139×B-316 for water use efficiency. Higher SCA of grain yield was found for E-336×Pop/209 and Sh-139×B-316 for cobs per plant, B-11×B-316 and Sh-139×F-96 for grain rows per cob, E-336×EV-340 and Raka-poshi×F-96 for cob length, B-11×EV-347 and Sh-139×Pop/209 for cob diameter, E-336×EV-340 and Raka-poshi×F-96 for cob weight, Sh-139×EV-340 and Raka-poshi×F-96 for 100-seed weight, B-11×Pop/209 and B-327×B-316 for stover weight, E-336×EV-340 and Raka-poshi×B-316 for grain yield per plant. Higher SCA of grain quality was found for E-336×Pop/209 and Raka-poshi×E-322 for grain protein percentage, B-11×Pop/209 and EV-1097×EV-347 for grain oil percentage, E-336×EV-340 and B-327 × EV-347 for grain crude fibre percentage, B-11×B-316, EV-1097×EV-347 and Raka-poshi×Pop/209 for grain starch percentage, B-11×EV-347 and E-336×Pop/209 for embryo percentage. Higher SCA suggested that the hybrids may be used for the development of higher grain yield and good grain quality maize hybrids. [Ali Q, Ali A, Awan MF, Tariq M, Ali S, Samiullah TR, Azam S, Din S, Ahmad M, Sharif NM, Muhammad S, Khan NH, Ahsan M, Nasir IA and Hussain T. Combining ability analysis for various physiological, grain yield and quality traits of Zea mays L. Life Sci J 2014;11(8s):540-551] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 114
African Traditional Semiotics: The Example of ‘AR’OKO’ in Yoruba Tradition

Researches in humanities, social sciences have all established the social nature of man which simply means man’s ability to interact with one another through various communicative means. This paper, while advancing a semiotic maxim that “everything is a sign”, cautions that since meaning is the creation of man, the (meaning) signification of a sign may vary from time to time and culture to culture. It thus examines the concept, content, form and context of “Aroko” within the Yoruba cultural setting as an effective semiotic code used either as an alternative or as a complementary communicative means.
A comparative study of different template matching techniques for twin iris recognition

Biometric recognition is gaining attention as most of the organization is seeking for a more secure verification method for user access and other security application. There are a lot of biometric systems that exist which are iris, hand geometry and fingerprint recognition. In biometric system, iris recognition is marked as one of the most reliable and accurate biometric in term of identification. However, the performance of iris recognition is still doubted whether the iris recognition can generate higher accuracy when involving twin iris data. So, specific research by using twin data only needs to be done to measure the performance of recognition. Besides that, a comparative study is carried out using two template matching technique which are Hamming Distance and Euclidean Distance to measure the dissimilarity between the two iris template. From the comparison of the technique, better template matching technique also can be determined. The experimental result showed that iris recognition can distinguish twin as it can distinguish two different, unrelated people as the result obtained showed the good separation between intra and interclass and both techniques managed to obtain high accuracy. From the comparison of template matching technique, Hamming Distance is chosen as better technique with low False Rejection Rate, low False Acceptance Rate and high Total Success Rate with the value of 2.5%, 8.75% and 96.48% respectively.
A NEW SIMILARITY COEFFICIENT FOR A COLLABORATIVE FILTERING ALGORITHM

Recommender systems give the opportunity to present automatically personalized content across many digital marketing channels to visitors depending on visitor movements on the site. In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in e-commerce companies in order to offer personalized content. So, recommender systems become very popular and many studies have been done in this regard. New works are being done day by day to improve the results. In this paper, we propose a new memory-based collaborative filtering algorithm. Calculation of similarities between items or users is a critical step in memory-based CF algorithms. Therefore, we proposed a new function for calculation of similarities based on user ratings. In this study the more similar the user's pleasures are, the more similar it is to the products the users choose, is adopted. The adopted idea in this study is that the more similar the user's pleasures are, the more similar products are chosen. We estimate the degree which a user is interested in X product. To do this, we find other users who are interested in product X and calculate the similarity ratios of those users to the user. We tested our algorithm in MovieLens 100K dataset and compared to other similarity functions. We used MAE and RMSE measures in our experiments.
Prediction of Concrete Corrosion in Sulfuric Acid by SVM-Based Method

A long time immersion test of fly ash concrete specimens in sulfuric acid is carried out. On the basis of the experimental datum, a novel prediction model for sulfuric acid corrosion of concrete based on support vector machine (SVM) is proposed. The design steps and learning algorithm are also given. Five main influencing factors including the water and cement ratio, pH value of the soaking solution, cement and fly ash quantity, specimens fluidity are analyzed with the proposed model. By comparison with the measured results, the mean square error (MSE) of predicted result of the model is 0.188. It implies that this new method of computation appears to be a useful tool for sulfuric acid corrosion of fly ash concrete research.