Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A STUDY OF L-LACTIDE RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION IN MOLTEN STATE

S-a investigat procesul de polimerizare în masă a L-lactidei utilizând octanoatul de staniu drept iniţiator, într-un malaxor de tip HAAKE Rheocord, la două rapoarte molare momomer/iniţiator şi la temperatura de 185 °C. Deschiderea de ciclu a L-lactidei a fost confirmată prin analize FT-IR, conversiile monomerului au fost determinate atât prin H-NMR cât şi prin SEC, iar masele moleculare ale polimerului au fost determinate prin SEC. S-au obţinut conversii ale monomerului de 80 – 90 % şi mase moleculare relativ mari ale polimerului.
Analysis of user behavior and difficulty in labeling polygons of a segmented image in a citizen science project

Citizen science projects attempt to use knowledge, time or computing resources of volunteers to achieve a particular scientific objective. It fosters collaboration between scientists and the general public. Several citizen-science projects are already in execution, some of those successful. In particular, 'wisdom of the crowds' may be used to get a consensual opinion on a particular topic or object (e.g. classification or labeling purposes), by collecting and analyzing opinions of users on those topics or objects. Citizen science projects collect data that is used for its stated purpose (e.g. object classification), but we consider that all the collected data may be used to give interesting insights on the reasoning of the project's volunteers. In this paper we present a citizen-science project (volunteer labeling of imprecisely segmented image regions) and show which information can be inferred, through basic analysis, about individual and collective behavior of volunteers of the project.
Three-verb clusters in Interference Frisian : a stochastic model 0

Interference Frisian (IF) is a variety of Frisian, spoken by mostly younger speakers, which is heavily influenced by Dutch. IF exhibits all six logically possible word orders in a cluster of three verbs. This phenomenon has been researched by Koeneman & Postma (2006) who argue for a parameter theory which leaves frequency differences between various orders unexplained. Rejecting K&P’s parameter theory but accepting their conclusion that Dutch (and Frisian) data are input for the grammar of IF, we will argue that the word order preferences of speakers of IF are determined by frequency and similarity. More specifically, 3-verb clusters in IF are sensitive to:
Selected factors influencing the money demand development in the czech republic in 1994 - 2000

of some factors influencing its development. This analysis shares a common base with and draws on earlier studies: The Demand for Money in the Czech Economy (Hanousek, Tuma, 1995), The Demand-for-Money Function: the Case of the Czech Economy (Klacek, Smidkova, 1995) and others. The period of publication of the studies above – making it possible to implement longer time series – has created room for applying a new theoretical and econometric approach. It has also brought new information and confirmed the significance of traditionally analysed variables for the long-run development of the demand for money in the Czech economy. This analysis comprises three parts. In the first part, some theoretical approaches to the examination of the demand for money are outlined. The second part includes data, a methodological determination of the analysis, and an econometric analysis of the problem. The examination is based on the methodology of multi-equation and single-equation models. From the viewpoint of economic theory, the fundaments are provided by the adjusted Arestis model (Arestis 1988), based on traditional Keynesian growth factors. The Arestis model is mainly preferred because, apart from not being too complicated, it also makes it possible to consider the additional effects of external relationships. Due to the rather short range of the available time series, models with a limited number of variables may only be used. 1 The study does not include an analysis of 1993 due to the irregular monetary and economic development associated with the split of the former Czechoslovakia during this year. From the viewpoint of statistics, including 1993 in the analysis would also be inappropriate, because no year-quarter data concerning GDP development are available for this particular year that are methodically comparable with 1994–2000 .
Production Potential and Economics of Fodder Maize (Zea mays) Varieties Sown under Varying Intercropping Systems with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

Maize (Zea mays), among the different fodder crops is regarded as one of the important dual purpose crop, used in human diet as well as animal feed. Maize has the potential to supply large amounts of energy-rich forage for daily animal diets and its fodder can safely be fed at all stages of growth without any danger of oxalic acid, prussic acid as in case of sorghum (Dahmardeh et al., 2009). Thus, forage maize has become a major constituent of ruminant rations in recent years, as its inclusion as dairy cow diets improves forage intake, increases animal performance and reduces production costs (Anil et al., 2000 and Cusicanqui and Lauer, 1999). Although maize provides high yield in terms of dry matter, it produces forage with low protein content. However, protein is needed by livestock for growth and milk production. Protein is also needed by rumen bacteria which digest much of the feed for ruminant animals (Ghanbari, 2000). besides the requirement of the animal is to high and hence to balance the protein production and consumption within a unit amount of land is the need of the therefore legume as an intercrop with maize can help us The field experiment was conducted during Zaid season of 2014 to study the Production Potential and Economics of Fodder Maize (Zea mays) Varieties Sown under Varying Intercropping Systems with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), at the Research Farm of Division of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu. The treatments include three fodder maize cultivars (African tall, J1006 and local variety) and cowpea (CL-367) were sown in sole crop as well as in intercropping systems consisting of sixteen treatments in Randomized block design replicated thrice. Among the sole varieties significantly highest green biomass yield, dry biomass yield, net returns and B: C ratio was recorded with African tall followed by Sole J-1006 whereas among intercropping treatments significantly the highest fodder maize green biomass and yield, net returns and b: c ratio was recorded with African tall intercropped with cowpea in 2:1 row ratio. Therefore, African tall variety of fodder maize as sole and African tall variety of fodder maize intercropped with cowpea in 2:1 row ratio was found best for increasing yield potential and economics of fodder maize in different intercropping systems. K e y w o r d s
Extended Spectrum β-Lactamases Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka , Zambia

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the major causes of blood-stream infections in neonatal intensive care units. Treatment has been a challenge due to the development of multidrug resistant strains, which are mainly attributed to the ability of the organism to produce extended spectrum β-lactamases that confer resistance to second and third generation cephalosporins. This laboratory-based cross-sectional study was aimed at determining the extent of extended spectrum β-lactamase production among invasive K. pneumoniae isolates from blood culture specimens at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. The production of the extended spectrum β-lactamases was detected using the combination disc method, and by detecting genes encoding extended spectrum β-lactamases using Polymerase Chain Reaction. The drug resistance profile was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method against tetracycline, chloramphenicol, amikacin, gentamicin, co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefpodoxime and imipenem. All the 45 isolates were found to be ESBL producers, and out of these 33/45 (73%) were found to have detectable ESBL-encoding genes: BlaSHV (27/45, 60%) and BlaTEM (6/45, 13%). No BlaCTX-Mgene was detected. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a high frequency of antimicrobial resistance: cefotaxime (100%), ceftazidime (100%), cefpodoxime (100%), co-trimoxazole (100%), tetracycline (100%),gentamycin (97.8%) and chloramphenicol (97.8%), and ciprofloxacin (95.6%). The antimicrobial resistance profile indicated that all the isolates were multidrug resistant, with each being resistant to at least 5 antibiotics. However, all the isolates were susceptible to amikacin andimipenem. In conclusion, there is high prevalence extended spectrum β-lactamases producing invasive K. pneumoniae isolates, which are also multidrug resistant, in the intensive care unit at the University Teaching Hospital. It is, therefore, recommended that all K. pneumoniae isolates should be screened for production of extended spectrum β-lactamases, and that infection control measures should be instituted at the University Teaching Hospital to curtail this problem.
Outflow activity in the UCHII region G045.47+0.05

Aims. This work aims at investigating the molecular gas in the surroundings of the ultra-compact HII region G045.47+0.05 looking for evidence of molecular outflows. Methods. We carried out observations towards a region of 2 � × 2 � centered at RA = 19 h 14 m 25.6 s ,D ec =+ 11 ◦ 09 � 27.6 �� (J2000) using the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE; Chile) in the 12 CO J = 3–2, 13 CO J = 3–2, HCO + J = 4–3, and CS J = 7–6 lines with an angular resolution of 22 �� . We complement these observations with public infrared data. Results. We characterize the physical parameters of the molecular clump where G045.47+0.0 is embedded. The detection of the CS J = 7–6 line emission in the region reveals that the ultra-compact HII region G045.47+0.0 has not completely disrupted the dense gas where it was born. The HCO + abundance observed towards G045.47+0.0 suggests there is molecular outflow activity in the region. From the analysis of the 12 CO J = 3–2 transition we report bipolar molecular outflows with a total mass of about 300 M� . We derive a dynamical time (flow’s age) of about 10 5 yr for the outflow gas, in agreement with the presence of an ultra-compact HII region. We identify the source 2MASS 19142564+1109283 as the massive protostar candidate to drive the molecular outflows. Based on the analysis of its spectral energy distribution, we infer that it is an early B-type star of about 15 M� . The results of this work support the scenario where the formation of massive stars, at least up to early B-type stars, is similar to that of low-mass stars.
Stock Liquidity and CEO Compensation in the US Hospitality Industry

This paper examines the effect of stock liquidity on CEO compensation in the US hospitality industry. By using a panel data sample of 50 US publicly traded hospitality companies from 1993 to 2014, the study finds that US hospitality companies with a high stock liquidity tend to have a higher proportion of equity-based CEO compensation schemes and a lower proportion of cash-based compensation. This study provides the board of directors with useful insights to alleviate agency problem and improve corporate governance efficiency.
The effect of experience in Cournot play

Strategic play requires that players in oligopolies be more sophisticated than in perfectly competitive markets. It thus seems reasonable to assume that player experience becomes important as the environment gets more complicated. We find that subject experience indeed plays an important role. While inexperienced symmetric duopolies play around the Nash-Cournot quantity, experienced duopolies reduce output and get closer to the monopolistic outcome. Both inexperienced and experienced symmetric quadropolies,however, produce output above the Nash-Coumot equilibrium but, even in this case, output is lower for experienced quadropolies. Experience, however, does not make markets less competitive with the introduction of cost asymmetry. Under cost asymmetry, and relative to the equilibrium prediction, high cost firms produce more output than low cost firms. Analysis of individual data tells us that experienced duopolies and quadropolies adjust output in the same direction as their rivals. Due to the strategic substitutability of quantity choice, we interpret this as an attempt at tacitly colluding. This is true for both duopolies and quadropolies.
global shapes parts shapes shapes + parts shapes + parts + pixels global matches input

We introduce a data-driven approach for interactively synthesizing in-the-wild images from semantic label maps. Our approach is dramatically different from recent work in this space, in that we make use of no learning. Instead, our approach uses simple but classic tools for matching scene context, shapes, and parts to a stored library of exemplars. Though simple, this approach has several notable advantages over recent work: (1) because nothing is learned, it is not limited to specific training data distributions (such as cityscapes, facades, or faces); (2) it can synthesize arbitrarily high-resolution images, limited only by the resolution of the exemplar library; (3) by appropriately composing shapes and parts, it can generate an exponentially large set of viable candidate output images (that can say, be interactively searched by a user). We present results on the diverse COCO dataset, significantly outperforming learningbased approaches on standard image synthesis metrics. Finally, we explore user-interaction and user-controllability, demonstrating that our system can be used as a platform for user-driven content creation.
Degree of Internationalization, Staff Localization and Bank’s Overseas Performance: Evidence from China's Top Four Banks

In international expansion, staff localization helps Chinese commercial banks to provide services to meet local needs. This paper explores the mediation effect of staff localization and refines the measurement of bank’s overseas performance, to reveal the transmit channel of how the degree of internationalization (DOI) affects bank’s overseas performance. With data from 2009 to 2015 of China’s top five banks as the sample to build a panel data model, the result suggests that staff localization fully mediates the relationship between DOI and bank’s overseas performance, and DOI exercises positive effect on the overseas performance of intermediary business, but no significant effect on the overseas performance of deposit/loan business. Implications and suggestions for bank’s overseas practice are discussed.
Poverty , Inequality and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa : Evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys

There are different approaches to the measurement of poverty. In essence, one can distinguish between the conventional approach to the measurement of poverty, which is based on income and/or expenditure data, and a number of alternative approaches, such as those that employ socio-economic indicators and participatory poverty assessments. Of these alternative approaches, the asset index approach applied to data from international Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) has gained increasing popularity in recent years (Filmer and Pritchett, 1998; Sahn and Stifel, 2000; World Bank, 2000). The main objectives of this project are to:
Query 2 Vec : Learning Deep Intentions from Heterogenous Search Logs

The success of deep learning has been applied to many natural language processing applications such as language model, machine translation, parsing, sentiment analysis and so on. The recent improvement of neural language model such as Word2Vec improves accuracy of word embedding with much lower computational cost. The Word2Vec, however, is not properly designed to extract user intentions from search logs due to their sparssness and heterogeneity such as clicks, sessions, documents and so on. In this paper, we propose Query2Vec that simultaneously learns sparse clicks, sessions and textual documents to improve query embedding task and collection ranking task by extracting deep intentions from the long tail queries. We tested our model on real click data collected during 2014 from a commercial search engine in Korea.
Effect of drying process on antioxidant properties of date palm fruits

Aim. In order to identify antioxidant activities and phenolic compound, two varieties of date palm (Mazfati and Kalute varieties) (Phoenix dactylifera) fruits (DPF) from Iran systematically evaluated. Methods. Antioxidant activity determined using typical methods such as DPPH, reducing power and total antioxidant method. The total phenolic content of the dates was measured using Folin-Ciocalteau method. The included samples were gathered at three stages of khalaal, rutab, tamr and dried date from Sam and Jiroft date. The total phenolic content ranged from 1074, 856.4 and 723.8 in Mozafati variety and 921.5, 723.5 and 785.3 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE/100-g-dw sample) in Kalute variety for khalal, rutab and tamr stage, respectively. Results. In both varieties antioxidant activities and total phenolic content decreased by ripening stages. Result of drying process showed that total phenolic content and antioxidant activities varied from temperature and decreased by increase of drying temperature. Conclusion. This research demonstrates Iranian dates could be potential rich resources of natural antioxidants, and could be developed into functional foods or drug for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress.
Population structure and biogeography of Hemiphaga pigeons (Aves: Columbidae) on islands in the New Zealand region

Aim The New Zealand avifauna includes lineages that lack close relatives elsewhere and have low diversity, characteristics sometimes ascribed to long geographic isolation. However, extinction at the population and species levels could yield the same pattern. A prominent example is the ecologically important pigeon genus Hemiphaga. In this study, we examined the population structure and phylogeography of Hemiphaga across islands in the region.
Calibration of Terra/MODIS gross primary production over an irrigated cropland on the North China Plain and an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau

This paper evaluated the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) gross primary production (GPP) product (MOD17) by using estimated GPP from eddy‐covariance flux measurements over an irrigated winter wheat and maize double‐cropping field on the North China Plain in 2003–2004, and an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau in 2002–2003. The mean annual GPP from MOD17 accounted for 1/2–2/3 of the surface estimated mean annual GPP for the alpine meadow, but only about 1/5–1/3 for the cropland. This underestimation was partly attributed to low estimates of leaf area index by a MODIS product (MOD15) because it is used to calculate absorbed photosynthetically active radiation in the MOD17 algorithm. The main reason is that the parameter maximum light use efficiency (εmax) in the MOD17 algorithm was underestimated for the two biomes, especially for the cropland. Contrasted to the default, εmax was optimized using surface measurements. The optimized εmax for winter wheat, maize and meadow was 1.18, 1.81 and 0.73 g C/MJ, respectively. By using the surface measurements and optimized εmax , the MOD17 algorithm significantly improved the accuracy of GPP estimates. The optimum MOD17 algorithm explained about 82%, 68%, and 79% of GPP variance for winter wheat, maize, and meadow, respectively. These results suggest that it is necessary to adjust the MOD17 parameters for the estimation of cropland and meadow GPP, particularly over cropland.
Coccolithophore fluxes in the open tropical North Atlantic: influence of thermocline depth, Amazon water, and Saharan dust

Abstract. Coccolithophores are calcifying phytoplankton and major contributors to both the organic and inorganic oceanic carbon pumps. Their export fluxes, species composition, and seasonal patterns were determined in two sediment trap moorings (M4 at 12° N, 49° W and M2 at 14° N, 37° W) collecting settling particles synchronously from October 2012 to November 2013 at 1200 m of water depth in the open equatorial North Atlantic. The two trap locations showed a similar seasonal pattern in total coccolith export fluxes and a predominantly tropical coccolithophore settling assemblage. Species fluxes were dominated throughout the year by lower photic zone (LPZ) taxa (Florisphaera profunda, Gladiolithus flabellatus) but also included upper photic zone (UPZ) taxa (Umbellosphaera spp., Rhabdosphaera spp., Umbilicosphaera spp., Helicosphaera spp.). The LPZ flora was most abundant during fall 2012, whereas the UPZ flora was more important during summer. In spite of these similarities, the western part of the study area produced persistently higher fluxes, averaging 241×107 ± 76×107 coccoliths m−2 d−1 at station M4 compared to only 66×107 ± 31×107 coccoliths m−2 d−1 at station M2. Higher fluxes at M4 were mainly produced by the LPZ species, favoured by the westward deepening of the thermocline and nutricline. Still, most UPZ species also contributed to higher fluxes, reflecting enhanced productivity in the western equatorial North Atlantic. Such was the case of two marked flux peaks of the more opportunistic species Gephyrocapsa muellerae and Emiliania huxleyi in January and April 2013 at M4, indicating a fast response to the nutrient enrichment of the UPZ, probably by wind-forced mixing. Later, increased fluxes of G. oceanica and E. huxleyi in October–November 2013 coincided with the occurrence of Amazon-River-affected surface waters. Since the spring and fall events of 2013 were also accompanied by two dust flux peaks, we propose a scenario in which atmospheric dust also provided fertilizing nutrients to this area. Enhanced surface buoyancy associated with the river plume indicates that the Amazon acted not only as a nutrient source, but also as a surface density retainer for nutrients supplied from the atmosphere. Nevertheless, lower total coccolith fluxes during these events compared to the maxima recorded in November 2012 and July 2013 indicate that transient productivity by opportunistic species was less important than background tropical productivity in the equatorial North Atlantic. This study illustrates how two apparently similar sites in the tropical open ocean actually differ greatly in ecological and oceanographic terms. The results presented here provide valuable insights into the processes governing the ecological dynamics and the downward export of coccolithophores in the tropical North Atlantic.
An empirical analysis on the efficiency of the microfinance investment market

This paper empirically analyzes the market efficiency of microfinance investment funds. For the empirical analysis, we use an index of the microfinance investment funds and apply two kinds of variance ratio tests to examine whether or not this index follows a random walk. We use the entire sample period from December 2003 to June 2010 as well as two sub-samples which divide the entire period before and after January 2007. The empirical evidence demonstrates that the index does not follow a random walk, suggesting that the market of the microfinance investment funds is not efficient. This result is not affected by changes in either empirical techniques or sample periods.